in the mood

Originally uploaded by liz.kassera

streamlined and ready to roll.

fall has been whisking by us this year and while i’m ready to “whew!” at the end of this semester, i’m not quite ready to say good-bye to the goodness that is autumn. i shall hang on until the last of the sunset colored leaves remain.

officially one

Originally uploaded by liz.kassera

but i’m going to try.

the daughter turned one and of course, it forced me to evaluate life as i have known it.

there’s been the predictable, lack of sleep and reconfiguring of priorities…the intense love and protectiveness i’ve felt for my little bear cub…the evolution of my relationship with mark…the sense of being a part of something bigger than myself in an almost familiar pattern of “life cycle”

then there’s been the underside of new parenthood; how terrible those first three months were and the self-allowance to shop at wal-mart (!) because its cheap and open 24-hours. the fact that i’ve become that person refusing to read the news because if i hear of one more child being raped or murdered, i’m going to never let kit have contact with others and what a host of problems THAT would bring.

i’ve witnessed the transformation of each of us as individuals and as a collective unit. we’ve had generous people near and far offer to and give help. and the level of love we’ve been on the receiving end this year…well, really words just can’t do it justice. we may have had a difficult year financially, but when i think of the amount of love, support and humor our friends and family have bestowed upon us, i can honestly say, we are wealthy beyond belief.

thank you for making this first year all that it has been.

nana’s toffee squares

Originally uploaded by liz.kassera

i love it when there’s a cold snap before the holiday season begins. it puts me in the right mood to do all those fun christmas-y things, like baking and crafting and feeling all happy holidays.

originally, i had asked off for next sunday and monday to get the cookies baked and ready to send off to family and friends, but since next week we’ll be helping my gemini wonder twin move back to new orleans, i decided to get baking done this weekend. by a sheer stroke of good luck, i was given both saturday and sunday off (rare! and lovely!) and i’ve been baking away. not so much one the crafting. for some reason, this year i can’t get it all done at once…i can’t imagine why that may be…

and speaking of the little miss, she met santa yesterday and it went much better than i thought. she was teary, but then decided he was too weird looking to miss the chance to inspect him while he was so close. she’s my little trooper. i’ve learned so much from her this year and look forward to watching her grow.

Originally uploaded by stacie*

i know that usually i rant and spew my annoyance on this blog. every so often though, i just have to let loose the happy.

stacie took this photo, on a day that seemed almost magical with happiness. we (stacie, kit & i) walked up to cooking on the square, ate gumbo and chatted away. on the walk home, we stopped in to see mark & matt. little munchkin was ooo-ed, and ahh-ed over the entire day…she kept her cape on and her spirits high, until she crashed early in the evening. not too very long after, i crashed and finally got some of that elusive sleep.

happy times.

(kit*100)

Originally uploaded by liz.kassera

oh, they have been filled with learning and loving. who knew such a little thing could create such a whirlwind of change? our girl is a gigglebox and snuggle bug. she’s gaining strength with each passing day and has developed a fondness for her routines.

there is far more to it all, but i’m still attempting to sleep whenever i can. here i go….

g’night

23.365

Originally uploaded by kassera

wow.

she’s perfect. we are getting to know each other. she’s rather cute and i lurve her.

best buskster quote ever (as read on a starbucks*gossip site via ‘tired barista’—because i can’t get enough): “i have come to the conclusion that just as lead poisoning played a role in the downfall of rome, so will the frappucino in the downfall of western society.”

it’s carnival time in new orleans, y’all.

Originally uploaded by kassera.

this weekend, mark and i enjoyed a lovely dinner at jacques-imo’s, drinks at the maple leaf bar, a fancy-pants breakfast in the french quater, found these AWESOME masks, got tattooed, oogled the goods in marie lavaux’s voodoo shop, found treats for friends—mostly at leah’s praline’s , had a ruckus time at krewe du vieux parade, had an even more rukus time after the parade, met the most conflicted dulcimer musician, snarfed down beignets and au laits in cafe du monde, coffeeshopped in cafe rose nicaud, sipped sazeracs, found club decatur, slurped oysters, listened to the many talented street bluesmen, slept well, found dreamland, had safe journeys to and fro and walked into a house full of friends and good food.

whew.

new year yummerz.

Originally uploaded by kassera.

how very fortunate i am.

good friends & family, cozy house, ability to have fun with food, and find lots of mental stimulation. access to health care, a steady paycheck, wheels, and body that works. companionship with a sweet little bear-dog and luv from a compassionate, intelligent, funny, and devishly good-lookin’ dude.

cheers for another year.