Freshly fallen leaves

There is something unique about the smell of freshly fallen leaves. It is a dark and mysterious scent, earthy and fragrant at the same time - not quite decay or mildew, but not a fresh scent either. It is a comfortable smell, but with a hint of adventure. It is also not a smell often found in a warm climate like Houston - it comes with the cool feel of autumn.

I passed freshly fallen leaves by the train station tonight outside of London in a place called St. Margarets and the scent immediately took me back to my childhood days in Michigan. My thoughts went immediately to kicking leaves on my way to the bus stop, riding my bike through the yard, leaves spraying in a trail behind me and of jumping into a carefully constructed pile of leaves under a tree limb. Maybe these memories are why I feel a sense of adventure with this wonderfully unique smell. In any case I love it and I love the memories!

Best street performers I have seen so far.

I fOund this old blog in my drafts and thought i would post for your entertainment.

As I was walking through Kingston today, there was a big crowd around two guys and a microphone. This group is called The Dualers and they write their own music and lyrics. They play concerts, but Kingston was treated to a street performance today. I guess that is how they got their start.

Enjoy - they'll make you smile.


They actually have four CD's out and you can check them out on their website: www.thedualers.com

They also have a youtube station: UpBeatChannel

Time flies

Is is really mid-March already?  This year has been a whirlwind already!

So here is a quick update on what I can remember so far...

• I went to work in the Houston office just after Christmas and got right into the work.  Soon I had seven searches on my plate as well as a key account.  I love my job, but this has left little time for a blog - so bear with me on this.
• Alexa fractured her arm on New Year's Day during our family Christmas - which was amazing!  (the family Christmas - not the broken arm.) She had two separate casts and just got the last one off mid-February.
• Amber auditioned for a local teen talent show and made it to the final show.  She performed last Saturday and was great!  I think it is so cool how easy it seems for her to perform in front of an audience.
• Alexa turned 10 and Amber turned 16.  We spent Amber's birthday at the Berend house and had a fabulous time!
• I am trying to pick up golf again in my spare time - not getting very far yet though as I do not have much spare time.  Anyway - I am trying.
• I joined the Fat Olympics with Theresa and Richard.  I am feeling pretty proud of my progress (lost 11 pounds so far).  Richard though is kicking butt!  I think he has lost more than 20 pounds already and is pushing it to the limit since we only have 5 days left in the contest.
• We thought about adopting another dog in February.  We fostered Trapper for a few weeks and he is a great dog.  Unfortunately, Sara Lee did not adapt too well - so we decided he might be better for another family.  Sara Lee is our girl and she has to be happy first.
• I finally bought a car!  I got a Hyundai Accent.  Pretty little and very basic - but great gas mileage.  This helps since I drive so far for work.  Funny thing though - there were none on the lot with automatic door locks and  windows.  Not that it is a big deal - but we haven't had a car like that in awhile.  So long in fact, that the girls actually asked how we open the doors!?!  They like the window cranks too.

I am going to work this weekend on finally downloading my pictures from my last trips to Belgium and France.  I will share soon.

Also, I am heading back to England for a week of work the last week of March.  I am ready for a night at the pub!