school nights smell

tomorrow is the first day of school. summer break is over and bill and the kids have to go back now. i really have no change in my routine, except that won't be the only one up early in the morning for the next 9 months.

i love school nights. there is something about the early shut down, the end of day organization and prep for tomorrow...reminds me of something in my childhood. after a bath that would wash away the excitement of a small girls day, i would pajama-up and then meet mom in the kitchen. she had a towel laid out on the counter and another to couch my head and neck. then she would wash my hair gently in the kitchen sink. of course the shampoo was followed by a "set." there in front of her tv, while we watched some show, she would dipdy-do and pin curl my long, long, blonde hair.
i can smell the clean. i can smell the evening time. i can see the green gel and feel the soft touch of my mothers hands in my hair....and somewhere else in the room, 3 other clean and pajamaed siblings.
as an adult, with so much to do, think about, & with all the media bombardment and over-stimulation, i'm thankful for a little moment that brings me back to the smell of school nights.

argh- today is one of those days I miss the boat. 95 degrees and sunny...screaming for a day on the lake with a cooler of cold beer and good friends. I sold it to a family from Houston in May. they say that is the best day of a boat owners life. No kidding...I cried like a baby when they drove off with it. Was the right thing to do for the time being...and someday, I will have another boat- pay cash for it...and the time to use it.

drink the kool aid

i am proud to say i work for keller williams. i found this blog today and had to chuckle..... read it and then come back here.
http://sanramon.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/exposed-keller-williams-profit-sharing-plan/
mega camp is this week here in austin.

it is amazing how these conferences can re-motivate, inspire and educate me. best part is... i get to take it back to my agents and support them. i now coach agents on real estate systems and even more important-- mental mindset. i see it every week: the power of a positive mental attitude. as you think, so shall you be they say. somehow this law of attraction is true. just ask jem if money comes in the mail? in fact -ask len and eillene if money comes in the mail (their insurance company wrote and said, we've been over charging you. we are sorry and oh by the way....here is 30k.
i appreciate that i work for a company, and with people, that care about peoples lives and spirits, about their families, and their businesses.
i appreciate that i work for a company that shares its profits with me- money comes to my mail box every month and i didn't earn it..and the same is available for anyone who works with kw. want to know more... come to http://www.allisoncrow.net/KW%20Careers

pass the kool aid, please

dog love to the extreme?

read this article in my "self" mag last night and could completely relate. sometimes it feels almost silly how much i love these silly dogs. bill has been walking hank almost daily this summer because he feels sorry for him. good for the dog, even better for bill. it has made me melt for him even more.

hank is such an amazing dog and complete punk at the same time. beautiful, soft, aloof, cuddly but only with his butt and not his face. hank is an agility dog, believe it or not...yes jumps, ramps, tubes, chutes...he's the king. he got there by being the aforementioned PUNK. after the big D and I don't mean dallas, "henry pink ears" suddenly became dog aggressive. 7 series of various training and agility classes, 2 home visits and one AKG canine citizen award later...hank is almost completely obedient and in most instances pretty decent with other dogs when properly introduced. just don't bring your pooches to our fence line where hank feels the completely uncontrollable urge to show how tough he is (HA)

did i mention he is afraid of the romote control? and cats.

next up....a little about lulu and daisy mae

the crumber

i took the kids and bill to eddie v's for his birthday. it is always so fun to indulge the kids (and bill for that matter).....
food and service that are both just delicious. manthie and i took bill last year, and at one point she said, "it isn't as fancy as it was last year." i realized this was because the waiter had not yet come by between courses with the "crumber."
well, thank god, he did finally come by and all was well and right in the world. and to top it off, manthie has her very own crumber now.

link to hello kitty has no mouth

this is not only hilarious but also well written....

gotta love fiona and hello kitty...and my sister for being such a good mommy.

HELLO KITTY HAS NO MOUTH

good old fashioned swimming hole

yesterday afternoon i sat grinning from ear to ear. for bill's birthday, we took the kids to cypress valley canopy tours and for an over night stay in the tree house there called the lofthaven. we arrived and did a zip line canopy tour through the cypress trees along the creek. this place has a low impact footprint and runs entirely from on-site solar, water, and wind provided energy. in our world of work, tv, computers blah blah blah, it was nice to unplug and get back to adventure and nature.
in the pic you can see the lake behind this platform we are on. well, here is where the ginning came in. since we were overnight guests and there is only ONE treehouse, we were all alone. (the owners live on site but we didn't see them at all after the businenss closed down for the day). the kids wanted to take an evening swim, so we went down to the swimming hole. they had a zip line in to water, and a rope swing. simple swimming fun. no floaties, no diving toys, no fancy suits...just good old fashioned fun at the swimming hole with our family.

if you haven't allowed yourself to get away from the hustle and bustle...go find a swimming hole, get down to your skivvies and swim a while. rope swing from a tree = added bonus.

....through the air with the greatest of ease

i took flying lessons this morning. this was one of the all-time best experiences i've had. four years instructing on high ropes courses had nothing on this. maybe it is because i'm older now, my body doesn't feel as athletic, or this simply takes more effort....but i can't wait to do this again (...already trying to figure out how I can go again before they leave town)...

more pics....

Hill Country Ride for AIDS.....I made it!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE FOR THE 2008 RIDE

We did it!~ Thanks for your help~!

I know there were some nay-sayers, but, YES, against all odds, I finished all 50 miles of the 2007 Hill Country Ride for Aids....and even better...my heart was changed and touched in a significant way last Saturday.

Factors that put the odds in favor of my failure:

• Previous bike injuries and accidents: 2 with one resulting in 900 stitches in the face and a broken jaw.



• My bike is NOT a road bike, but is a mountain bike.



• Said bike was unloaded from the truck and actually had cobwebs on the spokes.



• Said bike was unloaded from the truck and once pushed a few feet, made a terrible squealing sound.



• After taking bike to "tune-up station" --it was determined that both the extreme high end and low end of my gears were not functioning and could not be repaired.

NONE of this deterred me, nor discouraged me. I was there to have fun, raise money and ride, baby! RIDE!

Thanks so much for your financial support of the ride, and for your encouragement. Below are a few of the things I learned on my ride:

• Wildflowers are so much prettier up close. Whizzing by in a car you miss so much. Looking just a few feet ahead and focusing on the beauty close by makes challenging hills much more do-able. Just like life, goals are good, but don't loose sight of the power of the small steps in between.



• Bill and I rode the whole way--together. When doing something challenging, it is good to have support and encouragement. He is a much stronger rider, but staying with me was more fun for both of us. I never felt alone, and I always felt encouraged.



• 2 specific times, half way up challenging hills, an unknown voice spoke out "YOU CAN DO IT" at just the moment I might have given up. I'm not sure who that woman was, but her words kept me on the bike. Don't be afraid to let others help you....even strangers.



• It is GOOD to push your body and mind beyond, way beyond, their comfort zones. We all really are stronger than we think. So much of our weakness is really only in the mind.



• Lastly, it was good to be outside myself and to be a part of such a loving and supportive community. There is no judgment, only LOVE, as David Smith, the director of the ride says, "Loved, exactly for who you are."

LOVED EXACTLY FOR WHO YOU ARE.
Thanks again for helping me raise funds.

So far, the ride has raised $529k with a goal of $500k! All of the funds going to 9 different Aids organizations here in the Austin area.

I can't wait to do it again next year..... :)

reading up

love to read up on the blog and see where i have been. It has been a great year. just celebrated one year of flan, one year of love, one year of dogs, one year of lots of good things. good stuff. a nice fit. about to be threefive. hmm. not bad.

on another note. LOST is back at a new time 10/9 central.

peace --oh and the dogs say hello

i'm craving this......

 

trouble

i came home to this little one half dressed in a grocery bag. hmmm....wonder what she has been up to.

 

more

these are yummy too. love to go dancin' and this was from a few weeks ago when we went for the first time in a while.... 

yummy

my goodness, he is yummy 

noah and fiona

Ok....who has the cutest nieces and nephews :)