Photo Op

I have already had tons of fun experiences by just showing up to events and then telling everyone I meet that I´m new and want to make friends. A few weeks ago, someone I had met once emailed me and asked if he could take my picture. Larry is a talented amateur photographer who specializes in portraits and was intrigued by my vintage wardrobe. 

I´m no model, as evidenced by my inability to pout, but it turned out to be an absolute blast. His friend was there to help me dress, and she also suggested poses and made faces at me to inspire me to new facial expressions. If you come visit me you will think I have a huge ego because of all the photos of me now hanging on my wall. But aren´t they fun?

Making smoking glamorous again. (Just kidding, that is a rolled up piece of paper because we couldn´t find anyone to bum a cigarette off of.)

Someone got me an empty decorative box!

Yes, I pay a huge amount of money to ship authentic reproduction 1940s jeans from the UK. 

We all have our foibles.

I do not believe your pseudoscientific claims are supported by the data.

All photo credits: Larry Hyler

Cycling

Transporting a holiday wreath I scored at a volunteer gig

Gainesville is turning out to be a pretty good place to ride a bike. When I packed up my life in my car, I brought two hobbies with me - sewing and bicycling. Sewing is my creative activity, and bicycling is both exercise and transportation. I am able to bike a lot here. The city has made a major effort to have lots of bicycle lanes, and any city with a university has students on bikes and mopeds. Don't get me wrong, this is not Amsterdam. But I can pedal almost anywhere in about thirty minutes and can usually find a not very busy road to get me there. I've even found a bicycling group that takes a weekly ride. They are a perfect fit, because all the other members are 25 years older than me so they actually go a speed that I can keep up with.

A surprise lake along the one excellent recreational path.

Many things are changing in my life (and will be changing even more when I switch countries), so it´s nice that there are some things that still feel the same.

Another Fête!

My friend E had the brilliant idea that I should host one last holiday party in DC, and she would make this possible by offering her cleaned and decorated house as the location. I loved this, especially because the pandemic has prevented my annual party for the last two years. I invited a dozen and a half of my friends, flew up to DC, grocery shopped and cooked for two days, and then everyone fêted.

Well, almost everyone fêted. Because COVID did what it does best, and my friend E got sick. So we all ended up at her beautiful house, hosted by her husband and daughter, while sick E and her son stayed at a hotel so we could use her house. E has earned her angel wings, and someday I will have to throw another party just for her to make it up to her.

Everyone looking their best. The couple who wore their wedding outfits won the best dressed category, in my opinion.

Looking fancy and vintage.

Discussing fancy things. The one child in attendance was excited about dressing up and eating fancy food but was dismayed that talking about fancy things turned out to be talking about regular boring adult things in fancy clothes.