myretroperspective

I was wrong.  Thank goodness enough of you left comments so I didn’t set my clocks back an hour last night.  Daylight Savings Time doesn’t end, and we don’t fall back on hour until next weekend.  In my defense, I looked on my calendar, and end DST was printed on yesterday’s square.  I have my brother, Carl, to thank for that.  He made the calendar that I have hanging on my fridge.  Maybe he was just trying to add a little excitement to my dull life??  If so, he succeeded.  Emma and I were up early this morning to view the sunrise on her first outs.  Yesterday I had thought to head over to the Skillern Tract to view the morning exodus of egrets and cormorants from the roosting area, but I really had to take care of some laundry chores in the morning.  I was scheduled to work in the VIS (Visitor’s Information Station) this afternoon, so I couldn’t do both.  The laundry won out. As usual for this time of the year, it was a slow day...

As I’m sure many of you know, it’s been pretty hot and dry in Texas this year.  Even though it’s located on the gulf coast, the refuge hasn’t been immune to these conditions.  The pond behind the VIS is dry as a bone.  It hasn’t seemed to inhibit the mosquito population, however.    If there’s one of those little nasty things around, they always seem to find any piece of my exposed skin.  I’m itching away this evening. As I left for the VIS this morning, the cold front that moved through resulted in a 38* temperature.   Brrr!  Since it has been so hot up until this morning, the little heaters hadn’t been moved back to the VIS yet.  I was wearing multiple layers and gloves as I opened shop this morning. The clouds had been blown away overnight, and eventually the sun warmed things up.  The butterfly gardens were alive with gulf fritillaries.  I even found several of their caterpillars.  As I walked the paths, they...

I think I've thought more about this birthday than any other of recent years. I know it's just a number and there are much more important days that dictate the seasons of our lives, but it seems like thirty marks "real" adulthood. Which really I welcome these days. The responsibilities of this current seem far less burdensome than they're made out to be. What I really have to focus on is grasping how wide and deep the love of Christ is for me and those around me, and how I am meant to reflect that uniquely. I am a slow-learner with these types of lessons, but the Lord is patient with me as I experience his grace and love. I feel like I get glimpses of the freedom that resides within this love and I am seeing more of what keeps me from this freedom. The actual celebration of my first 30 years was so joyous. First after I spent a week at a conference in Miami with our new staff & interns, my sister surprised me with a visit from Seattle! Something I...

At last, I pulled into the volunteer pads this afternoon about 2:30.  What a relief to finally get here.  I’m rather proud to say that I backed into my assigned site on the first try without any mishaps!  I took my time about it, and I think it helped that I didn’t have an audience.  The pad is cement, but the approach to it is iffy.  It didn’t take me too long to get everything set up for an extended stay.  Of the eight RV spots, this one is my favorite.  I’ve come home for the next two months.  As you can see, the skies were overcast all day, and the winds only increased as I made my way into Texas.  By the time I got here the northerly winds were blowing about 30 mph and cold!  Welcome to Texas.  Here’s what I found on the seat of the picnic table after I set up.  It’s an owl pellet, and it seems this owl dined on a digging rodent.  The owls can’t digest the bones and fur, so they spit them up in pellets. Ever...

Yahooie Louie (siana)!  I don’t have to buy any more ice!  The switch out of the sort of old, broken refrigerator, and the installation of the new working refrigerator was accomplished this morning.  I didn’t transfer the few items I had left soaking in ice until about 3:00 this afternoon.  I wanted to be sure this new one worked first, and I have to tell you that I decided to keep the brushed silver doors.  They fit perfectly, and everything on the outside looks the same.  I may actually make it to Anahuac NWR tomorrow… finally. I did notice a distinct odor coming from the fridge this morning, and when I cleared everything out so it could be removed, I found a hidden boneless chicken breast under the cold water.  P-U!!  It’s been defrosted in there for over two weeks.  I don’t know how I missed throwing it out, but I did.  So you know what I did late this afternoon… grocery shopping!  Now I’ll actually be able to eat something ...

Hosting my very first Haute Travels Beauty event featuring Sam Fine has been the highlight of the year. After picking the perfect team and bringing Mr. Fine on board everything fell into place. I’m a story teller so making sure that the event offered an experience was a priority. Every girl left with her own unique story after getting personal time with the man they most admire in the makeup industry, Mr. Sam Fine. He was engaging, smart, witty, but most of all authentic. He was the perfect complement to a dream come true. I’m also happy to say that we raised awareness for Living Water for Girls among those in the beauty industry. This is an amazing organization that works to help little girls who look like us escape the world of child sex exploitation and trafficking. It’s my mission to bring the worlds of beauty and philanthropy together to make a difference… and be a Force of Beauty because being pretty is not enough. For all the girls and guys who came out to support Haute Travels ...

My beauty dream team includes industry legends… Celebrity Makeup Artist Sam Fine was on hand to teach makeup technique and offer business advice to the girls attending my Haute Travels Beauty seminar on October 16th at the beautiful Ernest Washington Studios. When Sam touched my face, I almost died! I’ve admired his work for so many years; I could never have a beauty event without his genius. Hair whisper, Robin Groover has turned my sultry brunette tresses into haute, healthy hair that’s all natural. You’ll hear more about my hair evolution in the coming months as we work on various projects promoting healthy, natural hair. You can also follow my tweets (@hautetravels) from my salon visits to Too Groovy where hair magic happens. And Celebrity Makeup Artist Gwynnis Mosby transformed my face into a work of art with her brilliant work. I’m working on scheduling a makeup class at her makeup academy where she promises to teach me how to create the Haute Travels Smokey eye and nude lips in ...

This year has presented amazing opportunities for me to make a difference. Just a few months ago, I signed on as an Ambassador for Living Water for Girls, a program designed to provide rehabilitation services and a safe home for American girls who have been victims of prostitution and sex exploitation. Last month, I was asked to accompany Living Water for Girls Founder Lisa Williams to Los Angeles where she was honored by Variety and Lifetime Television during the Power of Women luncheon along with Eva Longoria, Mary J Blige, Annette Bening, Lea Michele, Stacey Snider and Olivia Wilde for their outstanding philanthropic work. As Ambassador, I worked with the ladies from L’Oreal Paris who brought Lisa Williams out to Hollywood to raise awareness for our cause. The beauty company also teamed up with Designer Judith Leiber who created crystal lipstick cases that 10 celebrities signed for auction with all proceeds benefitting Living Water for Girls I can’t tell you how much this powerful g...

When in Beverly Hills I can’t help but get in a little glam girl time. The girls over at The Beverly Wilshire invited me in to get a pedicure in their new nail suite. I couldn’t say no… so I made my way to the posh and distinctive spa serving the needs of Haute Travels girls as they jet in and out of Hollywood. The $90 pedicure took about 45 minutes after a stimulating foot bath and massage… my nail tech filed, buffed and smooth my nails to perfection. During my visit, I checked out the latest mags with a complimentary iPad. It’s the only way to catch up on the latest news in the world of fashion and beauty for guests at the Beverly Wilshire. When my services came to an end, I spent time sipping champagne on the patio while the pink Chanel polish on my toes dried. It was nothing short of bliss, while I sat above Rodeo Drive contemplating my next move. It’s a haute travels girl life but somebody has to live it! To learn more about The Spa and nail suite at the Beverly Wilshire visit htt...

When I last left you, I had just set up at Premiere RV in Scott, LA.  Yesterday, Emma and I had to get lost for a few hours while the techs here took care of all the other things on my list that didn’t involve the refrigerator.  You know, stuff like having the generator serviced after all the use this past summer, oil change for the rig, and having the front end panel adjusted so it wouldn’t pop open as I drive down the road.  One of the techs also looked at and fixed one of my sliding closet doors.  I’ve battled with that thing since day one, and it was just getting worse.  It’s all fixed now.                                 (All pictures tonight are from last year’s stay at Anahuac NWR.) There was no better time for a drive to Suire’s Grocery and Restaurant to have my first shrimp Po’boy of the season. ...

…and made it to Thibodaux's Premiere RV in Scott, LA, without any mishaps.  I even found a way to exit Swinging Bridge RV to avoid most of the huge speed bumps and all of the curbs.  The only problem along the 226 mile drive was that the rest area that I planned to stop at for relief for both Emma and me was closed.  I guess it’s a good thing I don’t drink coffee. Last night, after I had set up for the night, Jerry and Wanda from EggRollings stopped by to say hello.  They are fellow bloggers whose blog I follow, and they were camping at a state park in Jackson, MS.  They camp in a Casita and also do hot air balloon flying.  Many of you know it’s always a hoot to meet fellow bloggers on  the road, and we had a short, but enjoyable meeting.  Wanda even volunteered to hold the ‘wild child’ while I took their picture.  I’ve got full hookups here at Premiere, and even set up the DISH this afternoon.  I need to beef up my DVR recordings a...

After buying three more bags of ice this morning, Emma and I pulled out of the Memphis South RV Park shortly after nine.  There was a 30% chance of showers for the journey, and we found ourselves in that 30% for a couple of hours.  Around noon, a rest area appeared so we pulled in.  As I took Emma out for a walk, I made the customary trip around the rig and toad checking to see that everything looked in order.  It did.  Back inside, as I had a piece of that pumpkin pie I bought yesterday, a bus load of tourists pulled in next to me.  It appeared to be a senior citizens group.  They began to mill around in the parking area, and several were pointing at my rig and chattering away.  Several even took pictures.  Curiosity got the better of me, so I leashed Emma, and we stepped outside.  I was hoping there wasn’t something terribly wrong that I hadn’t noticed.  We barely got down the steps when one of the group came over to talk to me....

In weak moments, I sometimes long for a less exciting (or trauma filled) existence, but it usually doesn’t last long.  Yesterday was a pretty calm day, so I planned for today to be the same.  You know what they say about plans.  After sending two more faxes to Samsung this morning, I decided Emma and I should take the scenic 304 route around Arkabutla Lake.  We started out down US 51 which is four lanes with a 45 mph speed limit.  A couple of miles down the road, the car decided to stop in the middle of the road.  It was like someone was stepping on the brakes!  Didn’t have too much control over the steering, and we were very definitely coming to a quick stop!  I almost made it all the way off of the road, but not quite.  I immediately put on my emergency blinkers and tried to stop shaking long enough to figure out what the heck was going on.  Could Emma have somehow pulled up the emergency brake?…no, that was not possible.  The eng...