I hope your weekend left a smile on your face

Because mine did.

I took the train north on Saturday and spent some time with a family who lives on the convention grounds in the French part of Switzerland. This household contains the only other American for miles around and let me tell you, it was a blast.

They have a tree house

A sunny yellow bedroom with a great view of the Swiss countryside

Three cute bunnehs

And four hilarious kids

                                              Liam                                                                     Dylan

Aliyna

And Hannes, but I didn't get a picture of him. Next time!

There were rice krispy treats (insert tears of joy), comic books, wrestling matches, arguments in multiple languages, trampoline-jumping sessions, didgeridoo concerts, and long serious discussions on the appropriate weaponry/tactics to kill a bear.  Clearly, all the elements of a weekend well-spent. 

Also, I'm in love with this house across the street. purple shutters. Hello, are you selling? Because I'm buying.

So what did you do?

For No Good Reason

Here's a photo of some birds I met at the Servion Zoo the other day. I named them Fran and Freba. They are always the best dressed ladies in church on Sunday. You should see their Easter hats. 

And this is Walter, my ostrich pal. Sassy fellow. Gave me attitude for taking his picture. 

Also, found this little survey in an unfinished blog post. Fill in after the bold words.

1. I want someone to give me flowers just because. Peonies and ranunculus, in case you need ideas.

2. I love drying my hair in the sun after a shower. But only in the summer, otherwise that's stupid.
3. People would say that I'm into cage fighting. And they would be completely and utterly wrong.
4. I don't understand why people think reality tv shows are a good idea. If I were a hot mess of a train wreck, I'd want to be a hot mess of a train wreck in the peace and quiet of anonymity.
5. When I wake up in the morning, it's usually because the cat is outside mewling loudly to be fed. Cat, meet my slipper.
6. I lost my balance going down some stairs yesterday. I am a rainbow coalition of bruises.
7. Life is full of disappointment but it's how we deal with it that makes all the difference.

8. My past is not very sordid. What a shame for my future biographers.

9. I get annoyed when the neighbor's rooster crows loudly and repeatedly during the day. Rooster, meet my other slipper.
10. Parties are better when I'm there. also better with Chex Mix.
11. I wish I were more coordinated. It's embarrassing for people to watch me play sports. Kind of like if a giraffe did a cartwheel: awkward and painful.
12. Dogs are unfailingly loyal. I'd trade my friends in for one. Joking.
13. Cats is a disturbing musical when you stop & think about it. I try not to because I enjoy belting out the show-stopping hit "Memory" whenever I can.
14. Tomorrow is a gift; a privilege not a promise.
15. I have low tolerance for coffee. and mushrooms.
16. I'm totally terrified of roller coasters. and mice.
17. I wonder why some girls think leggings are acceptable as pants. It's like, hello, your thighs called and they're embarrassed to be out in public like this.
18. Never in my life have I been part of a flash mob. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming.
19. High school was a tumultuous adventure. had a ton of friends, moved, had no friends, had a really ugly lunch box, ditched the lunch box, made friends, graduated. And, scene.
20. When I'm nervous I drink like a camel.
21. One time at a family gathering me, my sister, and all my female cousins put on a play about bubblegum. I wore a bathing suit for some reason.
22. Take my advice: be careful when you're going down the stairs. Seriously.
23. Making my bed is freakishly easy in Europe as there is never more than a duvet on top. Does that mean I do it? No.
24. I'm almost always wearing pants.
25. I'm addicted to chocolate and sarcasm. It's a problem.
26. Maybe I should write a real blog post sometime.

Just for your enjoyment, I give you one more photo of a zoo friend, Bernice the Alligator. Girl was cracking herself up. Which obviously, was cracking me up.

Things I Love This Week

Happy Friday, darlings! 

The thing that always makes my week better, no matter what, is getting OUTSIDE.
Photos from a recent afternoon in the lakeside village of Lutry:

 Other pleasantries:

• Floating sky lanterns 
• Penny farthings
• iPhoto books
• Bouquets of pink ranunculus, white tea roses, and anemones
• Roasted chicken tacos with avocado, onion, cilantro, and lime
• Classic striped birthday candles
• Wrought iron headboards
• Anthropologie shoes
• A bright yellow Kitchen Aid stand mixer
• Dubstep
• Fishtail braids
• Packages from Texas
• T-strap Mary Jane heels
• Silk cocoon string lights from Muji 
• vintage campaign buttons
• Evian designer glass bottles
• Stacks of letters tied with ribbon
• Cailler chocolate
• This video. This lamb is cracking me up.

Get out there and seize the weekend, you crazy kids.

La Belle Paysage - VIDEO

Still trying to get out of my head and into a blog post. 

I don't know where my rhythm has gone or when it will come back but for the moment, I will spending lots of time outside.  The minute I step out of the house, the glimpse of sky and earth is like a breeze that clears out the clutter in my head.  

Today, took a little ride in the countryside with a small child by my side. No, this is not the start of a country song.

The village is a claustrophobic cluster of houses and barns and tractors and flower boxes but just past the horse farm, you break out into wide open fields. In the valley of the hills is the main north-south motor way of Switzerland, yet cars glide by without making any noise, respecting my need for quiet. Across the valley is a jumbled huddle of red tile roofs and the sharp peak of a clock tower, marking another village, though slightly larger. The Jura Mountains create a ring around the horizon but only when the view is not hemmed in by the fog. It's a dynamic landscape that defies description, but that doesn't stop me from trying.

Today's jaunt outdoors was a glorious excursion into the late afternoon sun.  Rather unexpectedly, it began to snow in the sunlight and everything was cast in an ethereal glow. What I can't write, I film, so what follows is a rather hastily edited video of our walk, set to a Carla Bruni tune.

A few qualifications:
1) I'm not Jean-Luc Godard so this is not cinematic greatness.
2) Filming while on a scooter, probably not the best idea. At one point I fell off. I'm sure you'll figure that out.
3) My fingers are in the shot to block the glare of the sun, which my highly-technical Flip can't handle. 4) Whatever, enjoy it.

Revival

Oh lands, it's been nearly a month and not a stray word to be found around here.
Time passing has been like the wind through an open window, ruffling blank pages of a book.

obviously this calls for another Alessandro Gottardo illustration

I can't write when I'm not inspired. It's been a dry season. December was a box stuffed full of adventures but chronicling them by force of habit would have been as dull as reading a travel brochure.

But here I am, blowing the dust off the keys to prove there's still life in this pocket of the internet.

What have we missed? Paris. Merry Christmas. Italy. Happy New Year. Castles. Bears. Hindu spiritual guides.
Tales for another time.

For now, before the shiny newness of another year fades into February, we must list aims and hopes for 2011:

I try not to put too much emphasis on resolutions, because too often we set ourselves up to fail.  Tackling all your faults on the first of January is putting too much on your plate. Also, I don't think merely the changing of the calendar should make us feel obliged to make better decisions. If today was messy, make tomorrow your fresh start. If this morning was a bust, try harder after lunch. Don't be so hard on yourself.

That said, I like to pick a new shade for the new year, a sort of giant parentheses in the sky to encompass my experiences in the next 12 months.

The goal of 2010 was to not be afraid to try new things. Well mark a gold glittery star next to that, because for the last four months, I've been writing these posts to you from Switzerland. Not to mention, saying goodbye to the safety of life as a college student. And the little things. Tried pâté. Won't be trying it again. But that's ok, that's the whole point of trying it, right?


The goal of 2011 is a little bit more nebulous but I'm aiming in the direction of inspiration. I want to be inspired by what I do. I want spit and vinegar, pep and vigor. I want joie de vivre. It doesn't need to be a  year of gleeful hurrahs and fireworks.  Those are exciting but I also want to do with gusto the necessary things, the hard things, the unpleasant things. 


I want to learn French like it's the last spoken language.
I want to write like the words need to pour out or they'll be lost. 
I want to learn how to cook rice that tastes so good, it outshines the meat and vegetables sitting on top.
I want to fail at learn how to ski in the Alps. 
I want to finish every song I play on the piano with a resounding glissando. 


Go big or go home. 
2011, go put on your game face.