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My 1st ballet class in 4 years

So, my friends, I signed up for a Monday, 5 week course in a town that is about 45 minutes from where I live. As it is, adult ballet is not really a thing in North Carolina and adult ballet classes are hard to come by. Charlotte Ballet offers classes but that’s more than an hour drive and the class is only half an hour so mathematically that doesn’t really make any sense. This dance studio offers…

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January 1, 2024

2023 was, well, what is there to say but that it was in many ways better than 2022 and 2021. I could get mired in all the things that have gone wrong, not necessarily for me personally but in general and in the world at large. It’s been a fairly large dumpster fire by just about anyone’s reckoning. Which is one of the major reasons that I have not been writing. I tend to write what I’m thinking…

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Happy New Year, 2022!

Happy New Year, 2022!

My 2022 New Year intentions Say thank you a lot. Read good books. Listen to beautiful music. Fall in love all over again and again with trees, wind, rain, mountains, lakes, sunshine, and all manner of nature. Take time to notice the small things and the simple moments. Be kind. See the good, it’s there. Listen generously, speak compassionately. Make something beautiful. Say the words, don’t…

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One Year Ago Today

One Year Ago Today

We actually have a home in North Carolina! When we left California, our loan had not yet closed and being between holidays meant that it was impossible to even give an exact date when our new home would be registered in our names – something they do in NC but not in CA. We did not have keys, we did not know the exact day when we would have keys and we wouldn’t have even been able to find our way…

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Waiting for Fred to Poop

Waiting for Fred to Poop

An Exodus from California to North Carolina Our trip from Los Angeles, California to Albemarle, North Carolina was a long one. Amazingly enough, it’s pretty much a straight line across this enormous country of ours and the changes from state to state are truly amazing. If you’ve never gone on a long road trip, I highly recommend it. It’s really cool to see how environments change from place to…

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December 23, 2020 and Other Things

December 23, 2020 and Other Things

Or the day we actually did run away from home. On this day last year at 12:00 noon almost to the minute, Carboy, one fat dog, two small cats and I loaded into our packed-to-the-gills Silverado and drove away from home. It felt like an escape, a Hail Mary, two adults finally making good on their childhood threats to take the pets and run away from home. 2020 was the pits for everyone on the…

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Sunday = church + brunch #family #hrock #eggsonsunday (at Pasadena, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0woiT_gOJE/?igshid=yom4urwakx1m

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Worship service at @hrockchurch 🙏🙌 (at Pasadena, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0eb9NHgEnO/?igshid=y22o0ij3jc8n

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Tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, carrots #urbangarden #backyardbounty (at Highland Park, Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Hgzbwgu-l/?igshid=13ykariuvljxf

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Keep going (at Highland Park, Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0CmVTrg8MF/?igshid=1l7kfs59ay6gn

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Walked into the conference room for a budget meeting and came upon deep wisdom, ‘Complexity is our enemy.’ #embroiderthatonapillow #mynewmotto #theenemyofmyenemyismyfriend (at LAPD Headquarters) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0CmCnhg5vV/?igshid=hsh4wrm74a1c

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Carrots in love 🥕 💕 #backyardgarden #urbangarden #foodfromthebackyard (at Highland Park, Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz4YoZBAjxI/?igshid=eff6xkxrmze1

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hmmmmm, now this pile does not look terribly large at all. Not sure what I was fussing about #buyingmoreluggage #usinthereflection #booksfromoxford #camehometopeonies (at Highland Park, Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgeNo1AMaj/?igshid=2pbnmgg3m19j

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I had to add a few extra days in London so that I could visit with a sweet friend of my heart, Dr. Nina Norris ❤️ (at Royal Opera House) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzc8lDFgWpi/?igshid=1fv5fff9xgwqz

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I had to buy more luggage to get all my books home. While out shopping for said luggage where do I end up? If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right 😂😂😂 (at London Review Bookshop) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzc8TwGgQJQ/?igshid=79mq9h5cnihm

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Such a lovely afternoon for a ballet & opera fan! Thank you so much @littlest_butterball ! A backstage tour was an amazing treat 🥰 (at Royal Opera House) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzatHacgAvy/?igshid=cwqzpt7stnvg

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Roger Allam, well known for his role on the TV show Endeavor, live on stage. Brilliant and tragic play, Rutherford and Son. London, National Theatre. (at National Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzZ_w5lgFuG/?igshid=1i0h9duqdrehp