Shame

Gallifrey loves to drive to Austin

Starbuck's Venti Chai Latte in a go cup, half a five-day-old H.E.B croissant and half a two-day-old Kneaded Pleasures Bakery chocolate chip muffin for breakfast. Oh the Shame. It's been 53 weeks to the day since my last post. Guess the whole posting-with-a-time-limit didn't work out. Last night I spoke to the lovely folk of the San Antonio Glass Guild who had graciously invited me to do a presentation for them on my second book. While I was there I was asked why I wasn't blogging anymore. I was also informed that Nikki and Lola are getting ALL the attention, and I should really Get Back To It. So here I am, back to blogging (though I have severe doubts about daily).

As is life's wont, much has transpired in the past year...

The view from our condo in St. Croix

Last April, while we were all vacationing in St. Croix, my mother died peacefully in her sleep. As I was at both a loss and a loose end when Dave took his monthly work trip to Austin in May, I decided to go with him. The time alone with Dave and the town both were a comforting, warm balm to my soul and at the end of the week, we rethought our decision to move to Montana after Jessie finished school in June of 2016  and determined to move to Austin instead. June and July saw the regular, annual trip to Montana. August started the school year and the official house hunt in Austin (which ended after one house and one day).

Kaiju

In September we closed on Stone's Throw (the official name--thanks to Bill Paley--of the new manse), and Dave (the spouse) turned 50. (I couldn't find one photo that captured the essence of the house well enough so I linked to the realtor's slide show which sums it up pretty well.) We celebrated both (as they happened the same day) by attending an outdoor Alamo Drafthouse Roadshow performance of "Serenity" in a self-styled Old West Ghost Town outside of Austin. In September we also adopted a new family member, Kaiju, an adult male cat who is the first cat in our family since the passing of Ernie four years ago.

20 years and still in love

October opened (mid-month) with Dave's and my 20th wedding anniversary (the picture is actually from Christmas day, but I like it so much I am using it for the anniversary) followed the next week by the first or many drive-out-to-Austin-for-a-week-to-take stuff trips for Dave and me--in the middle of the most horrific storm of an especially bad storm season.

Pavlova

November found us in the snowy midwest for Thanksgiving with Dave's P's--the day after we adopted ANOTHER cat, Pavlova, a tiny Russian blue kitten (Ernie Minor!) rescued from under a neighbor's porch and their dogs. We took her with us to Chicago not wanting to leave her to the tender mercies of an adult cat who hated her and three dogs who thought she'd make a fine chew toy--just playing, of course--with the house/pet sitter). The parents were very tolerant of us showing up with a cat. She is about the cutest thing ever and I would love to post pics of her here, but there just isn't enough room.

Jessie and River Song!

I also had another stint as a Staff Lieutenant at Chicago Tardis, the annual post-Thanksgiving Dr. Who convention in the burbs of Chicago. Big highlights this year were Alex Kingston who plays Dr. River Song, Burn Gorman (who I like best from Star Trek but he was also in Torchwood), and Ingrid Oliver who plays Osgood. Jessie reaped the benefits of my tenure by scoring autographs and photographs with all the guests

final American Made Show
winter booth

We thought about going to Austin for Christmas, but Jessie wanted to spend a last Christmas in Atlanta, so in December we drove to Austin with a UHaul at the beginning of the month so Jessie could find out about applying and auditioning for the Fine Arts Program at McCallum High School and we could put the first furniture in the new place.

January, a new paragraph and a new year, found Dave taking a new job, and me exhibiting at the last American Made Show (formerly the Buyer's Market of American Craft) in Washington DC. Let us pause and mourn the end of an era...

London on our last night there
taken with my iPhone

February had the Griffiths vacationing in London and Cardiff (home of The Dr. Who Experience) for winter break, and then in Austin for Jessie's audition for the Cinematic Arts section of the Fine Arts Academy at McCallum (she was accepted!).

First UHaul disaster

March started with another UHaul trip out for the whole family--Jessie came too even though she had to miss school as she had class registration stuff to do for high school. The trip unexpectedly lasted two weeks as we had septic problems I needed to stay to deal with, and ended with a permanent relocation for Dave who needed to be here full-time for the new job. J and I went back to Atlanta, I spent a week there, and then drove back to Austin with another UHaul load.

Baxter waiting patiently to be
 loaded for a trip to Austin

Tomorrow I drive back to Atlanta for a week, Dave flies to Atlanta for an overnighter at the end of the week, and then we all drive back here (I need Dave to drive the UHaul so I can drive the minivan full of three dogs and a teenager) for spring break. The spring break trip will be the first UHaul load out for the studio (I knew we'd get to glass sometime in this post!) and I must admit to being relieved to start it--if for no other reason than to finally see how much stuff I have there.

Given the move--which will stretch out at least until June--I'm not sure how much time I'll actually have to post, but I can feel life moving into a stage where daily musings once more have a place and a time. Welcome to everyone who reads along for the ride.