So we got married and then waited 3 months to throw a reception party near Houston since my family is there and M went to high school there. There were many options to choose from in this big city but many were too fancy, too expensive, and too not-us. We wanted something natural and simple. And that is how we found the Raven Lodge at Huntsville State Park.
(Tip…. the terms ‘wedding reception’ and ‘simple’ are NEVER going to go together, no matter what you think. Just accept it and go along for the ride.)
I asked my mom for help since she’s 15 minutes away from the park, and I’m more like 15 hours away. Plus, I wouldn’t be back in Houston until the reception. So most of the stress was on her. Poor awesome mom! I was still stressed but it was more of the “we are going to die in this stupid freak winter storm driving to Houston!” type stress and less of the “why isn’t the cupcake place open when they said they’d be” stress. Suffice it to say, we were all experiencing some type of stress. Let’s move on…
The reception was so much fun! M had a bunch of his high school and college friends show up, and several of my close friends were able to come out. My bf was having her own life stresses back home in El Paso and couldn’t make it. 😦 She was missed but I still love her. I also got to see family members that I’d never met (those under 6 years old), and close friends of the family that I hadn’t seen in a decade. It was a reunion all around!
The Raven Lodge Hall
Gluten-free cupcakes, vegan cupcakes, and regular cupcakes!
M and I on the back deck overlooking Lake Raven
My parents, me, and M
My cousin A, one of my bfs and college roomie R, and me
Old friends catching up… R and I are famous for our hours-long chats.
my grandmother and one of her best friends… both matriarchs of great families
My cousin, his son, and his grandmother
meeting my new second-cousin
My mom, my cousin, and my new second-cousin
M’s high school friends having a reunion!
Family friends and their daughter – I went to their wedding… I think that was the last time I saw them.
family friends, and sisters
me with M’s family
my little cousins helped clean up afterwards… I think it was an attempt to get them to sleep all the way back to Bastrop
My mom did great on the minimal decorations. I didn’t want alot of craziness and she delivered!
White sands to represent where we were married
It was really hard seeing everyone and wanting to catch up with them but also having to break up our time to make sure we saw everyone! I think we need a reunion for our reception 🙂
I think my parents needed a vacation after the reception-planning was over. M and I had to get back home so M could get back to work. We had our honeymoon all scheduled for February! Just in time to get out of the gross Chihuahuan Desert winter.
In true park ranger/nature lover fashion, everything we did involved nature and national parks. M proposed to me under the July supermoon at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. I totally did NOT see this coming, but apparently my parents knew because my dad texted me within 12 hours with one word… “Well?!” Yeah, he knew what was coming.
Engaged!
Now several of you know me pretty well, and know that I’m not a ‘wedding bride’ kinda girl. I did not grow up imagining the perfect wedding dress, the perfect location, the perfect bridesmaids dresses, the perfect color scheme, etc. I’ve always been more of a ‘perfect party afterwards’ kind of girl. Any wedding I was to have would be outdoors, preferably private, and (given my complete white-girl adoration of fall) in the fall.
So M and I were in complete agreement over the fall wedding idea. But getting engaged in July and throwing a fall wedding reception for friends and family that are scattered across the US was just too much! So after a bit of discussing, we decided to elope, exchanging our own vows under the full moon in October. It didn’t take long for the perfect location to pop into M’s head… White Sands National Monument! The full moon on the white sand dunes would be magical!
And that is exactly what we did on October 8th….
Pre-wedding in our backyard, M in his fancy court-wear and I in my most perfect favorite skirtExchanging vows on perfect white gypsum sand dunesMy man and a most perfect sunset
We spent our wedding night in the not-so-perfect town of Alamogordo…. but the drive home through the Sacramento Mountains was completely worth it!
Mr. and Ms. M.H.!
Even though we got married in October, finding a location and time for a reception was proving most difficult. We finally settled on the first weekend of January, with both M’s brother and my brother in town for the holidays, we’d have the whole family together… and our families would meet for the very first time.
It’s spring out here in the Chihuahuan Desert. Time to start gardening, which of course means I’m gonna try setting new.
This winter I was given a ‘big-ass’ pack of seeds by my awesome friend D. She sent me stuff I’ve never tried to grow, and several things I’d never even heard of. Fogo Chiles, anyone?
So I did my research and decided that the only way to plant all this stuff in my tiny space was to prepare an attack plan. Guerrilla Gardening? Overly Organized? Probably yes to both but it may just work!
My Guerrilla Gardening plan is a three-part process of Spring, Summer, and Fall.
In order to translate this from paper to actual garden, this just happened…
Yep. BBQ skewers & knitting twine. Does anyone else do this?
My amazing friend D just sent us a big-ass package of seeds! I cannot wait to get started with these guys. Of course, seed planting down here happens in January-March so I’d better get ready. Â I hope we get to eat these and I don’t kill too many of them.
Honey-Scented Alyssum
Heirloom Morning Glory
Mounding Nasturtiums
Baby Cabbage
Tricolor Bush Beans
Heirloom Chard
Triple-Curled Kale
Japanese Cucumber
Holiday Pumpkins
Edible Sunflowers
Rainbow Chard
Dark Green Zucchini
Tricolor Pattypan Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Gourmet Greens Mix
Crookneck Squash
Jewel-Toned Beets
Galia, Earlidew, & Solid Gold Melon Mix
Asian Trio Eggplants
Japanese Slicing Tomatoes
Edamame
Italian Basil
Tricolor Cherry Tomatoes
Wine Country Mesclun Mix
True Thai Chiles (orange fogo and red demon) –> this one scares me but M will LOVE them
So this summer was NOT a fantastic season for our garden. We tried some heirloom tomatoes from seed but they didn’t appreciate the hot Chihuahuan summer and would flower until fall. So we only got a few tomatoes (tiny tiny tomatoes)Â before our first good frost. I’m considering planting more seeds a bit earlier. Like maybe now?
We bought several different types of pepper plants, they also didn’t appreciate the heat, nor the monsoon hail storm, so we only got a few peppers. They were GREAT tasting, but only a few. I’ll try them again next year.
One interesting thing is a few of the seeds left over from last winter’s scallions began to sprout. Random…
With our summer harvest turning out less than fruitful, I decided to move on to winter. Winter means spinach! I planted a few rows and then watched as the squirrels dug them right up. Nothing makes me hate squirrels more than when they fuck with my garden.
I was out in the garden the other day, clearing away dried up leaves and dead marigolds (M’s answer to our summer mosquito issue), when I discovered sprouts!! These spinach sprouts must be masochistic, as we quit watering over a month ago and I’ve done NOTHING to the garden in 2 months. Maybe this will be a match made in gardening heaven as they desire exactly what I am….. a distant and forgetful gardener 🙂
I was cleaning out my backpack and came across a list of things that I love – written in 2005, probably while sitting outside the natural entrance of Carlsbad Caverns. While this list isn’t including the things I love today that I didn’t yet discover back then, it is amazing how much the list HASN’T changed.
a freshly laced boot
a trail that disappears into the woods
a light breeze on my sweaty skin
the sound of the wind
a good book and a lot of time
the cackling laughter of my friends
an open road & good music
a good cry during a sappy movie
couch camaraderie (hanging with friends and loved ones)
intimate alfresco settings
good food and good company
my dads hugs when I come home to visit (they envelope you like a bear)
the smell of jasmine at midnight
letters from loved ones
a canyon wren’s call
the dead silence of a snowy day
the curve of the trail around a bend
a tunnel through the trees to compel me forward
the smell of wildflowers on a breeze
the companionship of silence
my mother’s laugh
rollercoasters
porch swings
lazy mornings
And sometimes a freshly laced boot isn’t as awesome as freshly tightened Chacos in a desert canyon stream
sandal in water, Sulphur Creek, Capitol Reef National Park
My season at the cave is over. I’ve been unemployed for a week now.
So far it’s felt like a long weekend. Lots of chores, Internet, Netflix, & Hulu to go along with the first rainy cold snap (and we all know how I LOVE cold weather) . <sarcasm….>
Anyways, after 3 cold & rainy days, the sun & crisp blue sky decided to make an appearance. Yay!! And so I began my first ‘unemployment project’ – weeding & planting the back patio garden bed.
before…..
My plan is to plant some mums that will be cold hardy & cover everything in mulch to stem the relentless insidious tide of grass.
during…..
I can’t show an ‘after’ yet because the mums I planted are currently in shock and very unhappy with today’s crazy-ass wind. Photos to come later….
Future possible projects:
Screen, and re-screen, all the windows so we can enjoy a bug-free airy space Install new faucets in both bathrooms – this one may be un-attainable Install new light in currently pitch dark closet – again, un-attainable… Add baseboards to all rooms – this really should have happened before I moved all of my furniture in…. Garage sale Random cleaning/clearing of closets and cabinets Continued gardening
Sometimes called Fall in celebration of the falling of brilliantly colored leaves. Maybe due to the falling of all crops, all leaves, all blossoms?
Sometimes called Autumn, which to me denotes a more classic New England season full of apple cider, Martha Stewart crafts, and fuzzy sweaters.
I’ve experienced this, my favorite season, many places around the US. Each location has a distinct feel to it’s own Autumn.
Northern Minnesota
The 6 months I spent in Minnesota were very trying, mostly due to the weather. All I heard from locals was how odd, stormy, & cold that year was. When Fall came, there was little to rejoice over. We kinda went straight from cold rainy summer to cold rainy winter, with no leaf color & more snow than I can appreciate. Plus, most of the trees up there are spruce and pine so they just stay green!
Early October, only a few days before I left.
Southern Utah
Fall in the Southwest Colorado Plateau is unexpectedly magical. The desert flowers in the fall just as much as it does in the spring. All summer the land is baked, scorched by sun by day and hot rocks by night, leaving little greenery. Then in September, a magical thing happens – the nights cool off, countering the still hot days, & grasses, shrubs, & flowers begin to thrive. Berries pop out to feed deer & bears before they hibernate. The air turns crisp. On the mountain tops, aspen & birch begin to illuminate the landscape with brilliant yellows & reds, while pinion & juniper stay green and fluffy down below. Soon the cottonwoods will turn yellow along the drainages, reminding us that water is invisible, but present in the desert.
Usually the arrival of fall is preceded by a Monsoon season. (Monsoon- Arabic for ‘weather’)
The monsoon rains bring much needed moisture to the land; a celebration for all who survived the dry summer.
Texas Gulf Coast Pine Woods I grew up in the pine forests along the Texas Gulf Coast. Out there, fall starts in late October & lasts somewhere through Christmas. Many Halloween costumes were chosen for the warm night temperatures. And my family has spent far more Thanksgivings & Christmases drinking margaritas than hot toddies. Fall in east Houston isn’t showy with coloring leaves or wild flowers. It’s more of a feeling than a visual. The air gets a bit drier & crisper. The pine trees give off more amazing pine-scent. It’s Marching Band weather. My high school friends, & my parents, will most definitely understand that statement.
I don’t have any images of fall in Houston but I do have this photo of me in my twirling costume from marching band years.
Â
Northern Chihuahuan Desert
I’ve spent the last five years in the El Paso/Carlsbad area & have ‘Fall’en in love with this time of year in this part of the world. Very similar to the deserts of Utah, the plants & wild flowers are their best in the fall, after the monsoon rains of summer. Cool crisp breezes, sleeping with a box fan in the window, & wildflower hikes are all things I love about this season. The animals are very active right now, looking for food, buzzing around the glorious flowers, drinking from abundant water sources. Fall is most definitely a time of harvest here. A Thanksgiving for the pollinators.
Fall in the desert makes my hiker’s soul ache to be outdoors – whether it’s reading in my hammock, gardening, or hiking in the Guadalupian wilderness.
Appalachia
Never have I been more awed by Autumn than in the 4 years I spent in the Virginian Blue Ridge Mountains. A riot of colorful leaves begins in September with hints of red among the green, peaks in October with oranges, yellows, & reds, and then quickly fades away with the first ice storms of November. There are different bird calls in fall, more deer & bear sightings, & more tourists (called ‘Leafers’ by us locals) than rightly belong on any mountaintop. Finding a secluded spot to stop along Skyline Drive becomes futile. In fact, DRIVING Skyline Drive becomes a traffic-filled nightmare. I began hiking to get away from the visitors, & have been hiking ever since. Nothing compares to a cool weather hike with stupendous fall color views winding down into the ‘hollers’ where the bears are larger and shyer. Finding a quiet stream, shaded glen, or roaring waterfall with hardly another human in sight is most definitely worth the miles, & elevation, walked off the Drive. Popping back up to an overcrowded parking area makes me feel like Puxatawney Phil in spring.
Hello! I realize I’ve been absent for many months. I’ve had a lot going on and very little time to write to you guys. So let’s catch up…
New job is still going strong. I’ll be ending my season at the park in November
I’m STILL not 100% unpacked, but things done properly take time. Right? Well, at least that’s what I tell myself when I stare at the stacked unpacked boxes in the back room that will one day be our media room.
M and I are getting married! Details and such to come later…
My parents have moved!
My parents’ new house is what this post is all about…
M and I went to visit them a few weeks ago and had a great relaxing time.
I’ve been hearing about a retirement dream house for about 20 years… The criteria was “close to golf course, water, a deck, where people can ride golf carts around the neighborhood and to the course, and lots of trees.” After spending many years searching, visiting, and not liking what they saw or the price-tag, my parents FINALLY found their spot – a tiny golf community in Willis. Its not an uppity golf place. No snobs here. Just a nice group of people who like the woods, the quiet, and their golf.
carting down the streetM and momme and dad
I didn’t get any photos of their deck but it is amazing! It’s the largest ‘room’ in the house. We ate dinner outside each evening and watched the moon rise. No mosquitoes present, thanks to some very loud tree frogs. Of course, the deck is covered in plants and relaxing chairs so I envision lots of time will be spent there in subsequent visits.
I’m so happy for my parents. They’ve looked long and hard for a place and they deserved to find a comfortable relaxing home in the woods!
ps – the small neighborhood is surrounded by national and state forest land. Only a few exits up the highway is Huntsville State Park, where M and I will hold our wedding reception. So, of course, we went hiking!
most likely a Gulf Fritillary, or Passion Butterfly – great sign for us as it was flying around the lodge we’ll have our reception in.
a boardwalk over an alligator location – we saw no alligatorsas always, taking photos of stuffGreen!!!!Raven Lodge, our awesome location for a wedding reception – as seen from across Lake RavenGorgeous view – note M is barefoot. Communing with the earthHappy couple!Trees! as seen from below
High Rises to Hiking Boots 