random thoughts

Persistence. Today marks the beginning of an intense and wonderful chapter in our lives. For the next four or five years (at least), life as we know it will be consumed by academics and higher education. Ed has spent the last several months completing a couple of pre-requisites to bridge his master's program to his doctoral studies. Today, he is attending the first day of a week-long intensive... the first day of class in his program of doctoral studies... the first day of the mayhem that will be our next several years. I have neither the motivation nor the stamina to take on the challenges that he will be facing, but I am very very proud and supportive of him. And... there will be a HUGE celebration in 2012 (or so)... stay tuned!
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Humidity. Uffdah...the humidity! Does the word sweltering come to mind for anyone? I could feel it before I even rolled out of bed this morning. Almost every window in the house had a heavy layer of condensation on it. We're headed toward 90 degrees Fahrenheit with about 70% humidity. There is nothing like a Midwestern day in late July to invigorate the senses...
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Six Degrees. My friend Cindy gave me a CD a few weeks back by the local artist Monique Danielle. It’s a great CD... and goes quite well with a Saturday morning newspaper and a cuppa. Earlier this week, our friend Stan came over for dinner and saw Monique's CD lying on the kitchen desk (next to John the fish... see 7/22 post). It seems that Stan will be gigging at a release party for Monique's new CD in mid-August. Small world.

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Dragonflies. The lore of dragonflies fascinates me. Within some Native American cultures, dragonflies represent swiftness and activity; in others, a dragonfly symbolizes pure water. It is said in some Native American beliefs that dragonflies are a symbol of renewal after a time of great hardship. In Japan, a dragonfly is a symbol of courage, strength, and happiness. Is it coincidence that there are dragonflies on a lovely stained glass lamp that was a gift to me from a treasured friend?

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Sunflowers. Beautiful, happy flowers... I can't help but smile when I look at them. These sunflowers were in a lovely bouquet from our friends Marilee and Paul , who joined us for dinner last evening. We'd planned to head out for a short bicycle ride first, but it was just too hot... and humid. So... we drank wine, and ate pasta... and talked about a time in the future that we'll head out on the Katy Trail.

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Family. My cousin, Chris, came through this week... en route from Texas to Minnesota. Actually, Chris's mom and my mom are first cousins. It was great fun to catch up, as we had not seen each other in five years. Below is a picture of Chris and his traveling companions (Snowman and Murphy) before they headed North on Thursday morning. I just LOVE that Ed and I are noted on the roof-rack... if you squint and look closely, you'll see where it says "Ed & Donna, K.C." Jenn... note that he's wearing a KU Crew t-shirt, as this was the trade for the posters that he sent me from his trip to Austria a few years back.

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Faithful Friends. Isn't the photo below great? Chris was carrying it in his planner... so I scanned it for this post. This photo was taken in a north Texas blue bonnet field in March of 2007. You'll recognize Snowman on the left and Murphy in the center - Touca is on the right. Chris & Co. are adjusting to life without Touca, as she died recently after a short a short battle with cancer. Do they not look like three of the most happy and contented dogs you've ever seen? Faithful friends, indeed.

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