Soon afterwards, I took a trip to Alabama to visit the family. Mom is 81 and Dad is 85, but they continue to amaze me with their get up and go.
Mom and I took a day trip to Columbus, Mississippi, where I found the house of my dreams.
Springtime was beautiful in Dallas. My redbud trees put on quite a show!
The bluebonnets in April were not as hospitable as they'd been in the past.
The Azalea Trail in Tyler, Texas gave me some new photo opportunities, including this self-portrait.
On Easter weekend, I made the pilgrimage to my favorite small town, Jerome, Arizona. My old friend, Tim, came along for the ride, and it really was a step back in time. Here's the sunrise on Easter morning from my room.
I managed to sneak in a quick trip to Chino Valley, Arizona, where I finally met my facebook friend, Holly Joy, and her incredible Iggies! Holly makes dog clothing of the highest caliber, and Rose and Coco often wear her creations.
Cousin Missy came to visit for a girls long weekend in May. We fit in 3,298 things in three days, and had fun every second of it all! Here's Missy at First Monday in Canton. Missy, come back soon!
The Chihuly exhibit came to the Dallas Arboretum in May. Although I did enough photo shoots there throughout the year to sufficiently tire of it, the first time I saw it, I was blown away.
To celebrate my birthday in June, I flew to Portland for some mother-daughter time. We picked berries, visited a great farmers market, and did a bit of shopping.
From there, we flew to Phoenix together, rented a car, and drove up to Jerome (my choice of where I wanted to be on my birthday). It was, as always, incredible. As we drove up the mountain, hollyhocks surrounded the b&b where I always stay. Enchanting!
My Jerome friends surprised me with this birthday cake!
In August, Krista flew to Dallas, and we took a very long road trip to Alabama for my Mom's birthday. I did several photo shoots while there, and with some luck and two very cute subjects, snapped one of my favorite photographs ever.
My nephew, Wes, also flew in from California. I don't get to see him very often, so it was fun to catch up. Plus, my folks were in hog heaven since both of their grandchildren were there. In fact, there were people everywhere...it was great to meet up with lots of family and friends.
We lost some good ones this year, too. My sweet Aunt Polly passed away in the fall. My friend Dee's beautiful girl, Amy, got her angel wings just recently. Dee handled it with more strength and grace that one could ever imagine. My friend, Mr. Bill, lost his father, Jules Kappes. Baxter Miller went to the Rainbow Bridge, and is greatly missed, and little Giblet Messner ran away, presumably to join the circus.
In August, someone lower than low dumped this sweet Chihuahua in my neighborhood. Her name is Coco Chanel, and she now wants for nothing. Definitely their loss and my gain (Coco's, too)!
Rose and Coco were wild animals for Halloween. They loved their outfits!
In October, I spent almost two weeks in France with my good friends and traveling companions, Nancy and John. We visited southwestern France first (where we stayed in a 150-year-old house), and then finished up the trip in Paris. This is the castle in Carcassonne.
November brought a Thanksgiving trip to Alabama, where I fit in a number of family photo shoots, and caught up with everyone while there. I'm blessed to come from such a large family!
Christmas found me back in Portland, celebrating the holiday with Krista and Tony.
It was a good year. I have some New Year's resolutions in mind, and am currently in the "thinking" stage, trying to figure out how to accomplish them (or at least some of them). I appreciate your following along on my blog, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Happy 2013...let's try for a better world, more peace and understanding, good health, and lots of love. Cheers!
