And Now a Guest Blogger: Mom

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If you go down in the woods today you better go in disguise. If you go down in the woods today you're in for a big surprise...........................for every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain because.........today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.

And now you know.

(©2009 Lotus B.)

Mama Bear, Sissy Bear

"Oh, I'm just gonna squeeze you and kiss you all over!!" My mother squealed on the other end of my office phone. I rolled my eyes, then tried to hold back giggles. In reality I wanted to tell her that not only was I super excited to be seeing her, but that all my love would probably come pouring out and I would cry and grab her and hug her and throw her through the wall.

This is how we love in my family. So big, that it hurts.

My sister is also coming this weekend. "Sister" always seems like such a plain choice of words for her. She's more like my esophagus....or my spine. She's like the nuclei to every cell in my body. My sister is me...only older and probably much wiser. But only slightly cuter.

When they visited me in New York I could hardly muster up the energy to show them all the wonderful amazing things the city had to offer. Here in Houston, aside from the ridiculously shamefully wide range of eateries and the "who shot John" cockroaches....we're kind of left with the main components; hot weather and miles of sky and time to talk.

The best part of seeing them, under any circumstance is that it's a refresher course in who I am. Seeing my mother's wide shy smile and hearing my sisters mountainous laugh. These are the things that are more a part of me than anything else I've become recently. Underneath it all, even when I'm far away and even though I'm not all that high (yet)... they keep me grounded.

Living in Suburbia...

So I've heard some recent remarks (mainly from my mother) about being to harsh on Houston. Granted, my reaction hasn't been all that...er...fair. However, it's not far from the reaction I had to my last culture shock, NYC. I hated it at first. Hated the smell, hated the people, hated the weather. Although I loved the shopping, music, buildings, and men....there was still a lot of initial hate...

...Where was I....?


...Ok, so anyway, I'm beginning to see why people who are ready to settle down and start a family move to the suburbs. Why they go to a place so far away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, so secluded and comfortable and well maintained....basically it's because here in suburbia it's a lot harder to escape.

I'll admit to the void and to whatever audience this poor blog might still have that in my deepest heart of hearts, I know I don't belong here.

The question is...can something that doesn't belong somewhere remain for other reasons. Can I be unselfish...and see beyond the sharp change in environment?

Time will tell...

Coming, Going and Things in Between...

The above photo was taken about a week before I left California for New York. I was getting a drink with my friend George, and in complete denial of what I was about to do. I nonchalantly told friends from work that it was simply a time for change and everyone was impressed with my casual demeanor. I was waiting for George to bring me a second (or third) martini, because as you all can see, I had just polished one off. I remember for that second when he left to walk across that large scape of that scroungy, trendy, over priced bar in San Francisco; I was alone and in silence for a moment. I took it all in and whispered to myself..."better get used to it, trooper."

...but I haven't really been alone.