Painting Date

A few months ago I bought a groupon to The Mad Potter, so Brent and I could have a painting date. I chose to paint an Easter decoration since we didn't have any. And Brent--out of all the ceramics there were to choose from--decided on a small piggy bank. He says he wants to store his business ideas there. I thought it was ironic that the person with the greater amount of painting skill and talent spent the whole night painting even coats of pink on his pig. Luckily he was able to give me some tips with mine though. 

This is what they looked like before they were glazed and fired: 

After our date we went to The Creamery on Voss, and Brent picked the craziest ice cream there-- ice cream that he knew his mom would never let him buy. :-) This is Brent walking on the wild side.

A couple days later we picked up our things, and they turned out great!!

Ima Hogg

            Ima Hogg is one of the founding mothers of Houston. And, yes, her name really was Ima Hogg. They say she had a sister named Ura, but that is just urban legend. :-) Why would you name a child Ima if your last name were Hogg? I have no idea. But this family was wealthy enough to avoid teasing. . . at least to their faces.  

            Ima and her siblings built a big, beautiful house on the Bayou and named it Bayou Bend. She designed the gardens and collected antiques to fill her home. She also started the Houston Symphony. Now her home and gardens is part of the Museum of Fine Arts. 

           Brent and I went for the Azalea Walk to see the flowers in bloom. Azaleas are one of my favorite flowers-- partly because they grew in the courtyard of the apartment building where I grew up. And partly because one year at family camp we found them in full, wild bloom on the banks of a mountain creek. I didn't know azaleas could grow wild, and it is to this day one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Unfortunately, at the beginning of March there were mostly buds on the bushes instead of flowers. But it was still gorgeous. I'm still amazed every day how beautiful it is here in Texas!

We decided to visit again at the end of March to see if the flowers had bloomed more. Turns out, they had already died!!  So we missed the azaleas this year. I really wanted to see them in the butterfly garden below. I guess there are supposed to be different colored azaleas in the stripes.

 The trip was pretty disappointing, but at least the hydrangeas and wisteria were beautiful. I have been loving spring in Houston. I love having my windows open and hearing the birds chirp. I love going walking around Piney Point-- the richest neighborhood in Houston-- which is only a couple blocks from where I live. I love feeling the cool breeze, with only a hint of humidity in the air. Keep it coming!

When Cultures Collide

I found this in the grocery store the other day and was so intrigued, I had to buy it to show Brent. Taco flavored yakisoba? I couldn't stop laughing. Brent ate it, and said it tasted pretty good-- very spicy! I told him his ancestors probably rolled over in their graves.

Married Life

Even before I got married, I thought the question, "How is married life?" was a little strange. Does that really mean "What is the quality of your marriage? Do you two get along?", which is probably not appropriate to ask. Or is it a way of saying, "How are you doing-- with an emphasis on the married part?"  Or is it more of a general question trying to figure out what being married is like: "Tell me. How is your life? Because I hope to be married someday and/or marriage freaks me out."

The best response I ever heard to this question was from a former Writing Fellow by the name of Matt G.  I heard him once say something like, "Well I can't speak for anyone else. But I can tell you that being married to Lisa C. is absolutely wonderful!"

Before I got married, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, especially from everything I had heard. Some people said that it was really hard, others that it was really great.  Lots of girls said it was a difficult transition going from having four, girl, best-friend roommates to living with one man. They were kind of lonely at first, but adjusted later. Some said that the first year they fought a lot as they learned to get a long. Others said that the first year was really easy.


I've come to realize that there are as many types of marriages as there are people. No two are the same.

How is married life?

Well I can't speak for anyone else, but I can tell you that being married to Brent Monson is absolutely wonderful!!! Better than I imagined! He is so, so good to me!

I only wish there were more men like he is in this world.

The Rodeo

The Houston Rodeo is one of the biggest in the U.S. and definitely the most exciting time of the year around here. This year the Rodeo ran from March 1st-20th with a huge carnival, live stock show, rodeo competitions and big-name concert performers every night. We bought tickets for the night Brad Paisley performed, which also happened to be the first night of the Rodeo Finals. I had never been to a rodeo before, so to be honest, I was mostly going for the concert. But I actually ended up liking the rodeo part the best. It's like the cowboy olympics!!

Here we are in front of Reliant Stadium where it all happens:

Acting "scared" before going on a carnival ride. As you can see, I did not go on it. I have a strong aversion to rides that--every week--are taken down, driven 100s of miles, and put together again. No, thank you.

Proof that we are in Texas: Deep Fried Cheesecake on a Stick!! And no, we did not buy any.

We also could have gotten Steak of a Stick. . . and I think I would have loved that. But we ended up eating elsewhere. Brent had to get a picture though. . .

There was a cool butterfly exhibit and you could watch them coming out of their cocoons.

Other first time experiences: Watching piglet races!!

Brent thought the Turkey legs looked so good. Turns our they aren't so good after about the 5th bite.  I got a meal called a Pulled Pork Sundae-- mashed potatoes, gravy, and pulled pork-- layered in a Sundae cup. Very scary looking, I know. But I had to try it.

 And then the rodeo and concert--- which  together were 4 1/2 hours long. Very entertaining, but we were tired by the end!

The next rodeo is in March 2012!! Who is coming to visit?