blogarrhea...

I don't have a cute thanksgiving post with pictures. It came so fast, I am way too behind for cute thanksgiving posts.

Stray away
We have a stray cat in the neighborhood that has been spraying our door. A couple weekends ago we washed the whole door in vinegar, inside and out. I read that citrus deters sprayers, so we used orange glow (yet again the previous owner has provided supplies for MichMansion) on the porch. So far so good. Any other tips?

Gettin' nothin' but static
Apparently I need Houston humidity. On the car ride to Dallas my hair went wild with static; sticking out in all directions. The solution was sad and embarrassing... David rubbed his hands though his greese-ball hair and gave me some. With that and a hairband I survived my T-Day meal 'without' static hair. :/

Pygmy Elephants
After a year and a half of discussion over what was hit on a long drive from Abilene to Kansas David finally agrees that it was not a raccoon. I mean it was huge. We think it was a coyote. We saw one running along the road on Highway 6 on Thursday. (another suggestion was pygmy elephants... I'm still guessing no)

Merry and Bright
My Grinch let me decorate this weekend. I have been previously allowed the tiniest of Nutcrackers to sit on my bedside table... taunting me. He is serious by the way. A for real Grinch. Something about a traumatic experience...

We put together our brand new tree black friday gave us, we went artificial. (spare me. real is better. fake is easy.) Our first ornament on the tree this year is my new one I got at the Nutcracker Market several weeks ago. I know. It is so cute.
Here is my precious new Nutcracker from the NM. He reminds me of Mr. Peppermint. Anyone ever watch him? wiki -for your continuing education or nostalgic reminiscing.

Yes the hat is the best part.

Last one, of my dining table, new light fixture and square place mats. This is a plea, if you see square placemats let me know. They are so so hard to find and are usually wooden and $20 a piece... that is too much btw. I got these gold ones last year on clearance and I LOVE THEM.


We're gonna party
Things are crazy at work preparing for our big holiday party. That would be some of the explanation for my lack of blogging and...

Punch it
David and I have made a punch list for the house. I have a big giant list of things I want done before the new year. So MichMansion will start the year off right. Hoping to have before and afters as a New Year's treat!!

ok done.

just today...

almost a month ago, a tuesday passed without notice for me. a date that has been quiet and gray. i forgot Juni's Day.

several weeks ago when i noticed the day had come and gone i felt a sinking shameful feeling. i was never going to forget, i was never going to be right again. maybe it is not shameful but a step forward.

as a child i believed clouds would feel like cotton candy or cotton balls. i can remember thinking i could open an airplane window and pet a cloud. but one flight i was crushed to see that a cloud is just air, and we passed through it uneventfully, and even if i could open an airplane window, the cloud would slip into the spaces between my fingers. this date in october is alot like that. i believed that losing Juni was the deepest cut, but it was just the final straw. and in mourning the loss of Juni i was really morning the loss of myself. i had gone from cotton candy to mist and air.

for five years i have been spinning and trying to take a shadowy hallow and refill her with myself... whoever that was now. but it took 21 years to build the last one and how would i start again? i don't believe there is a reason for everything or what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. life is some horrible, funny, joyful and painful thing. and being thankful for each day was hard when i didn't want another. but each day comes, like the one before it. the 'lesson' i have learned i would gladly trade in for my old self, my old future.

but indeed there is some lesson in all of this...
i know that i can not go back nor look back. i can only trudge forward and hope that the next crooked highway is filled with sunshine and less heartache.

when i wake up tomorrow it will be just that-- tomorrow. the day after today.

finding the Culture Map...

This is dedicated to my Houston readership out there and those that would consider themselves Houstonians at heart...

Check out this new website:

Culture Map Houston


It is full of great info on what is hot in Houston-- Arts, Food, City Life, Real Estate, and more. Its interface (mapazine) is young, hip and informative.

Linking you to this great article...

Houston is Too Cool

Enjoy!!

my squares...

I have been struggling with a color for the bedroom. My ideas for the rest of the house came pretty easily.

Yet I have been agonising over the bedroom, as you can see by my wall of Mondrian squares. Sometimes I just lie in bed staring at the wall, my squares.

This weekend David and I finally decided on a color. It is the second from the bottom in the far left column. I am happy with it and looking forward to painting over my wall of squares.

Last week was a rough week.

I am weary of feeling discouraged and it seems that recently I am only met with opposition. Staying positive is also a struggle, finding peace in a week where there is no comfort, finding quite when my mind can't see one color on the wall- just a haphazard jumble of gray and dissapointment.

But the desire to be positive is ever present in my mind, even though there was a cheese fry incident on tuesday.

My happy thoughts (although without my fairy dust I do not take flight)

-> GI Bill money came in... hence the paint. Finally.

I dont' even want to talk about them anymore.

-> The Boys are coming to see us soon!! Can't wait. Dying to hear them talking.

-> No boxes in the bedroom... officially!! 1 room down.

-> Going to the Nutcracker Market! Going to the Nutcracker Market! Going to the Nutcracker Market! Going to the Nutcracker Market!!!

there's close enough and there's too far...

i wish life was like price is right--
closest without going over

even if you miss the mark you can still win


maybe i can bring this up with God... $1 God, $1...