May

I am really excited to make this blog happen, but frightened that it will end up being one of those abandoned blogs that no one reads, that I neglect to post to and that go nowhere.

I have a solution:  I will carelessly, recklessly, sloppily post whatever and whenever I can!!!!

I will post a simple photo if need be.
I will post unedited text that I write at the spur of the moment.
I will post what no one dares to post!!!

but hell, at least I"ll post.
so there's my disclaimer.
let's see if i can get this following post done in 15 minutes!!! ; ) 

now, for the post entitled "May." I moved back to Rochester in May 2010. Yes, that was not coincidence folks, I am no fool. My Fulbright fellowship in BAHIA BRAZIL came to an official end in December, and there was NO WAY on earth I was going to move to upstate NY in the month of December. So I stretched out the funding from the grant and hung out in Brazil a few extra months and landed in my hometown on Mother's day. I guess the last snow fall had just come down the week before and took a radical turn for the better that very weekend I came home.

The beauty that burst through flowers, trees and the skies that month were breathtaking. Though I had been living in a tropical paradise, I missed the seasons, I missed the trees talking to me, reminding me of how cyclical life is, a message that really resonated for me.

So, the photo journal is the best message: below, my daughter standing at the Village Gate in mid-May. It was a windy day, a storm coming in, and the buds from that tree were falling down as if it were a heavy rainstorm.  It was a Friday night, there were lots of people coming in and out of the many delicious restaurants there, and the Dark Horse coffee house (really nice one!! even has a section for kids to play!). I really like that sculpture (will research who the artist is and update this post later) and just in general, love the Village Gate! So many friends are working at Salenas so I've had one too many margaritas over there late night... and I recommend their mahi mahi fish tacos too... I ate at the Gate House Gourmet Pizza and Burgers and really liked the whole "local"-themed plates and the burgers were great. I worked the annual Image Out festival's closing reception for my aunt, who organizes events and parties, in the Village Gate too, it was a great setting for the event.

And, here we are at the beloved Lilac Festival. Really, you can't go wrong with a city that celebrates a flower! It's pretty much stunning and intoxicating to walk all over that famous highland park hill among flowers and spectators.  The parade and the booths are like any other summer celebration, but honoring a flower is just really special.