...the friends that life makes for us...

Arun's in the tux. Don't know the others, but he wanted them
in the picture!

Friday

Arun Garg is an incredibly talented and hardworking pianist who studies at Peabody Conservatory. A former student of the music school where I teach, we've only recently become friends. He gave a recital at Steinway Piano Gallery tonight, and I figured that it might be one of the last times I could hear him play for free, and I didn't want to miss the chance to cheer him on. The theme was Water Music and my favorite piece of the evening was Debussy's La Cathedrale Engloutie, which he played so beautifully. Arun has a delightful personality, loves to be around people, and has wonderful thoughts about music, piano and teaching. Maybe he'll be a teacher one day...

One of the greatest!

Saturday

Steffani, wonderful, funny, kind Steffani, celebrated her 70th birthday this week. Steffani has an infectious joy that touches everyone she meets. Completely honest, both with herself and others, she always has a smile on her face, even as she faces many hardships. She's such a wonderful human being, and makes each week that much brighter. Steffani is loved by all that know her, and I have the privilege of being her piano teacher. She plays each piece with conviction and care, and has reintroduced me to many pieces that I had long forgotten, or introduced me to pieces that I had never heard.

That smile!

Sunday

Megan texted me on Friday asking if I could hang out with Noa during a few photo sessions at Creve Coeur Lake. Megan is an accomplished and hardworking photographer. (She and her husband, John, run Straw Productions.) I jumped at the chance to spend some time with Ms. Noa, and Megan insisted on paying me back with photography. So Andy and I got all decked out in our best smiles, and then Noa and I spent the morning eating breakfast, taking in a lacrosse game, walking around the lake, making up silly songs, and playing a rousing game of peek-a-boo! It was a great way to start the day!


I have some amazing people surrounding me. People that I might not have chosen as friends if there had been some random friend line up at the beginning of time. And I've been wondering: What if I had chosen any other path? Would I still have met these people? Were we destined to meet, no matter what choices we made?

I never could have guessed that any one of these people would be such a supreme joy in my life. They make my life more interesting, more fun, and so much more wonderful.

Who are the "surprise friends" in your life?

...today in pictures...

QuikTrip opened their 700th store in St. Louis today to much pomp and circumstance, and Andy and I were there to celebrate with them!

Budweiser Clydesdales: absolutely gorgeous creatures!
I kept asking to pet Curly because he was so sweet and soft.

I feel like this picture doesn't do the crowd justice, but it's the only one I took.
We didn't even wait in some lines.

Cute mascots!

Fredbird danced with me to Pharrell's Happy.
(Love the lower lip bite. I was super nervous!)
Fredbird is my favorite St. Louis Cardinal...

Andy's never shy...I think he and Fredbird might be besties now...

Then we headed downtown to get some stl250 cake pics.
The cobblestone streets of Laclede's Landing can take you back in time.
Andy has never been to this historic district, and I think we'll need to go
back to check out the nightlife sometime soon!

Not sure why the cake was in the air, but okay...

Then we walked over to the Gateway Arch...

Then we went on a mad hunt for the Eads Bridge cake.
This one was tricky to find, and we sort of got into an argument over it...

So we took a bite out of it in celebration...

I asked Andy to sit in this pretty spot and he wouldn't, so I did...

....and then he promptly insisted on having his own photo taken!
There were some girls that drove by giggling and gave him a thumbs up.

Some of my most memorable moments this year were made when I chose to go anyway. You know, the kind of adventure that doesn't really seem like an adventure and so you question whether you should even step out of the house or if you should just stay home and watch another episode of that show or read another chapter in that book?

One of the best lessons that I've learned this year is that some adventures will only happen once in my lifetime.

Hope you have big plans for your weekend!

"Adventure is out there!" -- Up

PS. I forgot - one more thing happened today - this popped into my inbox...

San Fran, here I come!

...cakeway to the west...

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Louis, so there are all kinds of fun things going on around my city.

One of those is a scavenger hunt to some of the oldest and dearest loved haunts around the greater St. Louis are, called the Cakeway to the West. Different artists have designed the 250 cakes and families have the opportunity to go to these well known establishments and "find" them and take a picture. There's even an app for it!

It's actually pretty fun, and it gives you a good idea as to what has made St. Louis "St. Louis" over the centuries. It would be a great guide to people who are new to the area, or tourists who are visiting the area, and are looking to explore the best of what we have to offer.

I've really enjoyed seeing cakes around, but it wasn't until recently that I challenged myself to take a picture with all of them. So, I'm making a few new pages of cakes seen and visited, which you can find by looking to your right under the About Me page.

This is a free fun activity in the St. Louis area, and you will not get to do it again. I would highly encourage you to take part in this silly community activity. You may make a few friends along the way...

If you don't live in the St. Louis area, consider coming to visit us during these celebrations. If you let me know you're in town, I'll treat you to some Ted Drewes! I promise, there is nothing better!

...when the weather makes other plans...

Only a smidgeon of it's beauty...

It was a gloriously steamy day in St. Louis, the kind of day that makes it difficult to breathe in. I headed to Forest Park in hopes of claiming a free seat the MUNY's production of Billy Elliott.

Forest Park is so beautiful, that I made a few stops to take some pictures, but still arrived with enough time to wait in line. People are a funny lot. I was standing between some very strange birds, and their entertaining conversations kept my mind off the summer heat.

Almost as soon as I found a seat, I noticed the sky growing darker. Sitting beside me was an extremely tall and handsome black man from New York. In the distance you could see the bright, white flashes reaching down from heaven to touch the ground. He flirted with me, chatting me up, telling me about his life, until I began to tell him about my husband. It was as if I had a new best friend that suddenly deserted me.

It just kept getting darker...and colder

I didn't mind. I set to reading my book, until the wind began to blow. I desperately tried to keep my skirt around my legs as it flung itself high and low, moving with the wind. Everyone laughed as the wind whipped our hair to and fro, but we didn't move for fear we'd lose our seats. And then the rain came. Big, fat, heavy droplets.

The prepared members of the audience, who had brought their umbrellas, stayed planted in their seats, but the rest of us ran for cover. We all pressed ourselves against the back wall, but we couldn't get away from the wind and rain. One girl even cried tornado, though I don't think there was any truth to it.

Only an hour before...

After waiting for 45 minutes, I decided to head home, not so much out of embarrassment for having flashed the crowd, or because I was soaking wet, but mostly because I was shivering so violently and I didn't see the rain ending any time soon.

I found out later that they ended up canceling the performance due to weather.

I don't regret going. In fact, the rough winds were a welcome change from the heat of the day, and I don't think I've laughed as hard in a while.

The more I venture outside of my comfort zone, the more comfortable I become with these scenarios, because they're much more common than I ever realized. In my mind, they have become their own mini adventures...

...life's little detours...

The entrance to the Butterfly House. Told you it was a pretty day!

I had my heart set on a destination and I was sure I knew the way.

I made the first turn, and was so intent on getting to where I wanted to go that I didn't even notice the "no outlet" sign. It was the wrong turn. I turned around and got back on the road.

Without thinking, I immediately made the second turn. The minute I made the turn I knew it was wrong. I turned around and got back on the road.

In this case, the third time was the charm, and I did finally make it to my destination, after making a few wrong turns along the way. I didn't let it bother me much. It was a pretty day for a drive.

...but I couldn't help but think about all the little detours I have taken throughout my life, and how they have shaped me, and how I'm thankful to be me, here, now...

How do you respond to life's little detours? Are you angry, apathetic, or active in this new direction?

...take me out to the ballgame!...

Adventuring can be costly, so Andy and I are constantly looking for ways to save money through coupons and special deals. With coupons, we purchased half price tickets to tonight's St. Louis Cardinals vs. The New York Mets baseball game, where we sat in the first row along the third base line.

I love sports, not because I like sports at all, but because I love how happy they make Andy. It's so fun to see him giddy when his team does well (and kind of hilarious to see him grumpy when his team does not do well.) When David Freese hit that home run, we jumped up and down around the living room together, not because I had been watching the game, or even cared what had happened, but because Andy went from glum to gleeful in a matter of moments.

I love it when he's happy.

Mostly, I'm indifferent toward most sports because I don't understand the rules, I rarely know what's going on, and half the time, I root for the wrong team ("But last time you said that our team was the team wearing white." "They only where white when it's a home game, babe.") (I can appreciate the need for an outfit change.)

Sitting in the front row, it's much easier to grasp what's going on. Of course, there's something magical about sitting in the nose bleeds. Like the wave! They had an incredible wave going on up in the bleachers, but it was cut short by a play on the field, as everyone stopped to cheer. (I hate it when the game interrupts the wave.)

Here are a few pictures from our amazing evening:

My view of the game

It's Fredbird! He's my fav Cards player!

Andy laughed at me bc I was so excited when he came out.

Aww...look, my hair's brown again!

We took Andy's dad as a Father's day and birthday present.

Rocking out outside the stadium. They were great!

If you are ever interested in doing this with us, let us know next February as that is when you need to buy tickets. There are stipulations, of course, (it has to be a Tuesday evening game) and you have to work around their availability, but it is completely worth it!

And the best part? We won the game! Yeehaw! Go Cards!

For more information on the St. Louis Cardinals, click here.

For more information on the New York Mets...

...dancing thru life...

I went on the most amazing adventure today!

Growing up, we didn't have much, but I never would have known. My parents gave us more love in our short growing up years than I think most people receive in a lifetime. I think my upbringing has encouraged me become such a lover and encourager of people as an adult.

Still, one thing that I did miss out on was the opportunity to take dance classes.

After graduating and moving to St. Louis, I found an adult ballet class in town. I loved the class, but within a month, the class was cancelled due to lack of student enrollment. Though they invited me to take private lessons, I just couldn't afford it at the time.

Dancing Thru Life is an all adult dance studio in West County St. Louis. I found them online last summer, but was unable to enroll due to schedule conflicts. I received an email last week with this summer's schedule, and I nervously approached Andy about taking a tap class. He's such a sweet man, he rarely refuses me. Timid, and unsure if I wanted to stretch myself in this direction, I waited until the last minute to sign up.

I arrived extra, extra early this morning, sitting in my car and baking in the hot, St. Louis summer sun as I waited for other classes to finish. I was sweating before I even walked through the doors, maybe from the heat, maybe from my fear.

Ladies of all ages, shapes and sizes filled the tiny waiting area, smiling up at me, and asking me a few polite questions before we crowded into the studio. Laura and I, the only two newbies in a group numbering over 20, managed to find each other. It could have been the deer-in-headlights look in our eyes.

Annie walked right up and introduced herself. Sue told us how much fun we would have, but that it was going to be intense. She talked about the recital and needing to have extra lessons as it got closer. Then, she unexpectedly wrapped me up in a great big momma bear hug. It was an unexpected and completely welcome surprise! (Note to self: Always hug the new person.)

Our teacher, Ms. Christine, was spunky, funny and fast. She is also a fantastic teacher. She was patient with us, while still demanding a high standard. And she had a great knack for making the dance moves understandable to first-timers.

So, I basically smiled the whole time, or laughed at myself and my inability to perform a simple routine. (I learned the steps quickly - trying to remember the order of said steps threw me.) I had such an amazingly fun time! We didn't take ourselves too seriously. We giggled together, counted together, and bonded over flaps and step ball changes.

Did I mention there's a recital at the end of the year? I'm hopeful that this adventure will lead me to my first ever dance recital! I'm laughing just thinking about it.

Next adventure: buying tap shoes!

I think the most encouraging and inspiring aspect of this adventure and this studio in general, is that passion, joy and learning new tricks does not have an age limit. I was the youngest in age, but I'm not sure I was the youngest in spirit.

I'm going to love learning from these ladies!

For more information on Dancing Thru Life, click here.

...my safe place...

I hadn't been to Castlewood since the Great Ice Hike of 2014. I only just discovered it last year, and it is probably my favorite place in St. Louis.

The neon greens of new buds were popping out of the
tips of the tree branches.

There could not have been a better day to explore the great outdoors than today. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, and every once in a while there was some cloud cover to offer relief to the weary traveler.

I hiked a few new paths today, but interestingly, they all led me back to the same one I usually take. I wondered if that relates to my life at all. Do I seek new paths, only to be mysteriously redirected to the path I'm already on?

As today was also Father's Day, there were many more hikers than I've ever seen on the trail.

I wanted to take pictures of the beauty and wonder that is Castlewood to share with you, but, per usual, my phone died halfway through the hike. Not sure how my phone died at 10am, but ok. So instead I decided to use my sense of hearing to set the scene.

My phone played these songs before biting it for the morning. Did you ever feel like music could speak to exactly where you were in a given moment? You're swept away by it, because for a moment, someone understands you and has voiced your hearts quiet contemplations.

Beautiful Things Gungor

Dream Priscilla Ahn

You could hear her incessant chattering before you could see her tiny frame. Three, going on thirteen, she was a ball of words and thoughts, though they didn't seem to make sense to an outsider. As I passed by, her mom gave me an exhausted and apologetic look, as if to say, so sorry my kid is ruining the peace and quiet of this place. I smiled back warmly. Little did she know that I would have given anything to trade places with her.

The sounds of birds were drowned out my the sound of people. Laughing, talking, skipping and stumbling along. The mighty trees allowed the breeze to rustle their leaves only slightly. The river was silent as it rushed passed. The rocks ground into the earth beneath my sure feet.

I saw a familiar looking little boy, only to look up and see his mom trailing behind him. Brandi and Jeff and their boys were out on a hike for Father's Day. We paused and chatted for a moment, and then went off in opposite directions. It's always nice to see a familiar face on any adventure.

(Side note: When you come across another hiker on the trail, look up and say hello. You are not too cool to acknowledge your fellow traveler. Neither are you too uncool. Funny how the later holds us back more often than the former...)

Two little girls, possibly aged two and four, concerned over a potential "wil' aminal" attack, demanded begin held by their daddy as they trekked down the steep mountain. When the end of the trail was in sight, they pointed and cried, “Look! A way out!” Apparently, they had spent so much time hiking through the woods this morning that they were convinced their parents were lost. To be fair, it is a long hike.

My thoughts were screaming at me this morning. I was desperate to get away and ignore their little lies. Hiking in Castlewood allows that for a few hours. It is a sweet, serene place of peace in a hectic world. It's towering trees and tall grasses offer refreshing from the stale day to day. It's slower pace bids the hiker to relax and reflect. (Sometimes, I pretend I'm in Fangorn Forest, waiting for the trees to wake up from their sleep.)

It has become my safe place, where I run when I need to be brought back to life.

Do you have a safe place?

...Shakespeare...

Loved seeing some many come to support the arts!

Blankets were strewn across the soft, green grass, in varying patterns like a giant patchwork quilt. It was a perfect day to be outside, lying in the shade, the sun peaking through cracks in the leaves and branches of trees, creating all kinds of shadows across my legs and body. The cool breeze carrying on it a faint summer scent of cut grass and other green things.

I was prepared this time. Armed with a blanket, a stadium seat, a pillow and more books than were necessary, I began to look around at the amalgam of people as I snacked on some cherries I had purchased at the farmer's market earlier that morning. Some chatted to me. Dogs sniffed me, seeking to determine if I was friend or foe. And the more I watched, the more the crowd multiplied.

Pre-show practice followed by a bear hug. We felt the love!

Henry the IV began, and I stretched myself out and watched as these men and women created characters from long ago. As I became engulfed in their drama, the sun continued its steady westward crawl, and I soon found myself baking in the hot sun, with only a moment of respite here and there when the breeze would blow.

Hot and exhausted, I sank deeper and deeper into my seat. I put the pillow under my head and leaned back until I was almost lying down. My head began to droop, until...

...I woke up to applause. Sigh...

On the Cake Hunt: The Shakespeare cake

The actors were truly spectacular, and I'm so thankful that Shakespeare Festival St. Louis puts this on each year. If you've never been to a show, put it on your calendar for next June. For those of you not in the St. Louis area, inquire around and see if your city hosts something similar.

Other adventures had this past week:

Had my hair fixed from the horrific black dye job. That was an adventure in trust since I hadn't been to a new hair dresser in 10 years...

Registered for the random draw of the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco this October. Fingers crossed!

...swing around fun town...

Andy is a manager for an ever-expanding chain of quality convenience stores, QuikTrip. If you've ever been to a QuikTrip, you'll most likely never go anywhere else. The employees are heavily trained in fast, friendly customer service, they are stocked with delicious food options from their own kitchen, and even your own restroom won't be cleaner.

They have also been listed on Fortune 100's "Greatest Companies to Work For" every year since 2003.

One of the many ways that they show appreciation for their employees is by hosting an annual company picnic. For the past two years, they have rented out Swing Around Fun Town, a local family fun park and immediate family members of QuikTrip employees can enjoy an afternoon playing together.

My favorite story from the day: We walked in and Andy's supervisor was sitting at the welcome table. He and Andy chatted and I stood by waiting patiently as two young women handed us our tokens and put on our wristbands. Hilariously, when we went out to the batting cages, Andy asked, "Babe, should I have introduced you?" I said, "Yes, babe, of course. But that's ok. Next time."

I'll take baseball over softball any day.

Our first stop! Batting cages!

After that, we went to the Go Carts. I insisted on a two-seater (much to Andy's chagrin) and we were off. I, of course, let him drive...sort of. A man drives the car with his hands on the wheel. A wife drives her husband with her hand on his knee. I might have squeezed a bit too hard as he fishtailed me around corners and tailed the father-son team in front of us.

Here's a little video. It's bumpy, so brace yourself.

Oh, I dominated Andy at SkeeBall!

My first air hockey experience.
Andy insisted I take a pic of the score.
He won. 

Pac-Man Smash!
Basically air hockey but with, like...40 more pucks!

Total tickets won: 428!

Deal or No Deal?

This is where we spent the majority of our time. After playing the game many times, we mistakenly believed that we had figured out a pattern. So when we won the 200 tickets, the highest you could get, we were celebrating like crazy. Until they asked us if we wanted to spin the mega wheel.

As if we could say no! The computerized spin began and our hopes were flying high. Even as it slowed down, we believed we could win. Then, it suddenly jerked to a stop at 100 tickets! Hahaha! Lesson learned.


We are so thankful for how well QuikTrip takes care of Andy. He is rewarded for his hard work, he receives great benefits and he genuinely enjoys his job. A wife couldn't ask for more.

The best part about today? Watching our kid-selves emerge and play together. Boy, were we silly!

Make time to be silly with the ones you love in the next few days. We all grow up way too quickly!

...lessons learned...

Lesson #1: No matter how kind and loving you are, some people are simply not in a place to receive it.

In fact, some people are dead set against receiving love and kindness. They create drama where there is no drama. They are desperate to play the victim. They denounce the faults in others while diminishing their own failings. And no matter how kind or loving you might be, they will always find a way to turn it around into something awful and ugly. Always. 

Lesson #2: This shouldn't deter you from being kind and loving to everyone...even that same person.

Loving the unlovely is...sigh...impossible. Arguing, screaming and spewing hate would be way more gratifying but, aside from a moment of vindication, it has no lasting benefits, and it steals way too much from you to be worth it. 

Lesson #3: Never let these people suffocate your joy!

No matter who you encounter this week, I'm praying that you will display immeasurable amounts of love and kindness toward all, with a healthy helping of Buddy-the-Elf-esque joy.

...festivals...

This afternoon, we headed into Kimmswick for their annual Strawberry Festival.

But there was this awesome kiddie train!

I had never been to a Strawberry Festival, but it sounded amazing, as I love all things strawberry. I had visions in my mind of strawberry shortcake, strawberry jams, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry pie, strawberry/rhubarb pie, strawberry lemonade, endless amounts of strawberry stands and people dressed up as giant strawberry mascots, dancing to the gods at the endless supply of strawberries the harvest had produced.

I have high expectations.

And an overactive imagination.

Yeah, so obviously it was nothing like I imagined. In fact, there seemed to be very little pertaining to strawberries. Mostly there were vendors selling their wares, jewelry, art, crafts, etc, food stands, great, big bouncy houses, and bands.

One man was selling these really cool rubber band guns with targets and I decided that if we ever have a boy, I'd like to get him one of those. If we had had money, I probably would have bought one right then and there. I'm sure it would be useful. Squirrel nibbling on your garden? Rubber band gun! Mouse in the house? Rubber band gun! Husband not doing chores? Rubber band gun! (Just kidding...or am I?)

Amidst the enormous crowds and endless vendors, we only found two strawberry jam stands, two strawberry lemonade stands, and one strawberry stand.

Mouth watering!

But then, there it was. The mecca at all festivals and carnivals, the fried food stand. There's a lot that gets fried nowadays, particularly in 'Merica! Deep fried bubblegum. Deep fried Koolaid. Deep fried White Castle burgers. (I feel like I'm dying just typing this.) And do you know why? Because it's just yummier! Funnel cake? So good! Deep fried pinapples? Lick your lips delicious! Deep fried oreos? The double stuff dreams are made of.

And here is my saddest news. Because I agreed to do the Whole30 with my friend, Karen, for the month of June, there were no fried oreos for me. Woe!

Does this help you
grasp it's deliciousness?

We left soon after, but I felt the afternoon wasn't a total bust since I had the privilege of introducing Andy to the joys of deep fried oreos for the first time. His words, spewed through a mouthful of melt-in-your-mouth sweetness, "Oh, wow, babe. So good!"

I think Kimmswick is more known for it's Apple Butter Festival in October, and we'll be sure to attend. I'm already preparing myself to not over hype the event by expecting giant apple mascots dancing through the streets.

(Though, I'm secretly hoping they'll read this and surprise me!)

(Also, did you know that deep fried butter is a thing? Well, it is. Not sure who would want to eat it, or why, but there's at least one person out there who loves it, or it wouldn't be a thing. Dare you to try it!)

...carnivals...

Do you dare? Andy and I hate spinny rides, so we didn't.

Local carnivals.

When you hear the words your mind might conjure up vivid images of large crowds and laughing children. Maybe you can almost smell and taste the most delicious fried foods. Perhaps you think of the games, with little trinkets to be won, and the carnival workers provoking you to play. Or could it be the terror and fear of the dreaded carnival ride? Put up in a matter of days, you sincerely wonder, can this hunk of metal really be trusted?

Saturday evening Andy and I headed a town over to attend the annual Ballwin Days. I've had many friends who have attended, but I was never really interested, so in the spirit of trying something new, we headed out for just an hour to see what all the fuss was about.

This poor woman's legs. She wasn't the only one.

It had been pouring earlier in the day, causing the soggy, wet grass and mud to cling to and cake the feet and legs of all in attendance.

We walked the perimeter first, to see what we wanted to do, and then headed to the ticket booth. Yikes! Carnival rides are expensive! With only a few dollars for the evening, we chose one ride (the one that looked the least terrifying) and headed in it's direction.

Pharaoh's Fury is basically a giant swing, moving forward and backward, in the shape of a ship. I honestly thought it would be much tamer. (Sadly, it probably was.) As we were the first two (and only two) in line, Andy insisted we sit in the very back. After a few minutes, two others hopped aboard and we were off!

I actually really love roller coasters, but for some reason, the first dip so shocked me that I screamed. I grabbed Andy's arm and pushed my knees into the seat in front of me, mistakenly thinking I could counteract the effects on my stomach, but it didn't work. The woman across from us then screamed as her end of the ship plummeted back to earth. And there we were, two grown women, screaming back and forth, most likely scaring away any potential riders. (I didn't feel so badly when I heard many others screaming later on.)

The men working the ride certainly got a kick out of it. They laughed and tried to get us to put our arms up in the air. When I did manage to let go of Andy's arm, I was shaking so intensely that I could barely move my arms let alone raise them. I was woozy the rest of the evening.

Winning things for me.

Deacon!

Then, Andy displayed his manly prowess with darts and won me this super cute little monkey! Though we asked for name suggestions, we settled on Deacon, since his foot said Dakin Co. and Deacon sort of sounded like Dakin. If we're ever blessed with a baby, Deacon will grace the jungle inspired walls, though I'm thinking I'll have to give it a good cleaning first.

Soon we settled down for the best carnivals have to offer: food. A turkey leg, caramel popcorn and a water. We listened to the musical stylings of the Kids Rock students and then walked back to our car.

This is when it was slowing down.
Felt you needed to see to understand.
Amazed I didn't drop my phone.

Though we only stayed an hour, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Ballwin Days.

As I was still shaken up, I couldn't get Pharaoh's Fury out of my mind. I awoke this morning and considered the few times in my life that I have chosen to raise my arms, screaming, flailing, allowing the full force of inertia to pull me up and out of my seat and then throw me right back down again. It's been a while since I've trusted like that. But I think, if I'm going to live out a great adventure, I'll need to ride this roller coaster of life with a bit more abandon.

Sometimes, the only way to survive and thrive is to raise your arms to the sky and let the moment take you where it will.

...I don't know how to put this, but..I'm kind of a big deal...

...I have a leather bound book and my townhouse might smell of rich mahogany...(it doesn't.)

This evening, I went to an art show opening at the Sheldon where one of my photographs was featured...in a slideshow...along with 150 others...

A friend even noticed my name on a plaque. Mmm, hmm.

Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head.

I hope you can read into my subtle (or not so subtle) self-deprecating humor, but I'm still beaming. This was a first for me.

Do you remember this post when I asked you to help me choose which photos I should submit to Capture St. Louis Photo contest hosted by the Sheldon Art Galleries and the St. Louis Beacon? And then this post where I announced which three photos I was submitting?

Well, I got word a few weeks ago that, though I hadn't been chosen as one of the 100 winners, my picture would be featured in a slideshow along with 150 other photographs.

And what a privilege! As Andy and I walked through the halls, I was so impressed with what I saw! Some people have such an eye for capturing the beauty all around them. I'm still not sure why my photo was chosen.

Truly, this is worth a few moments of your time this summer. Stop by the Sheldon during their open hours and see the beauty of St. Louis through someone else's eyes.

Not only have I never won anything...ever!...I have never been to the Sheldon, so this was a double adventure. Here are a few pictures from our evening.

Here's the photo they chose. Do you see my name in the left hand corner? 

Can you find my name?

And...we found another cake to scratch off our list!

This has meant a lot to me, more than I expected. Thanks so much to everyone who gave their feedback on the blog or on Facebook, or sent me a message with what pictures they thought I should submit. Thanks to Crystal for running around Soulard with me, snapping photos. Thanks to Andy for being excited for and proud of me.

Thank you, thank you all for loving me with your time and energy. Though, I'm definitely not a big deal, your love has meant a great deal to me. And I'm a better me because of it.

xoxo

We had so much fun, even this couldn't dampen our evening:

Sigh...