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June 8, 2015 by Anya Elise

this is why we can’t have nice things

above/// That one time I locked my keys in the car at a gas station. They looked so lonely in there, alone and unattended.

How long have all y’all known me? Long enough to know “y’all” does not sound at all natural coming from my lips. In the last few months, we’ve been experiencing let’s say a trying time in our household.

Of our two cars, one new, one rather old, neither one has survived. They have both been through the ringer. One, through an unfortunate accident of nature involving a killer rock with some sort of vendetta and compelling backstory. The other, well, it’s an older vehicle. Time has taken its toll. Something about a death knell on the horizon or some such phrase that I imagine Hemingway constructed. (The door fell off. Sort of. I don’t want to talk about it.)

I have spent a lot of time in car shop waiting rooms mentally eulogizing our small fleet of cars (can it be a fleet with only two? probably not, but if we all agree the answer is yes I think I’ll officially be able to add “small fleet captain” to my business card and that’s something that should probably happen ASAP). I’ve perfected the art of saying, “But that won’t cost too much will it?” to sympathetic mechanics who graciously don’t snort with derision at my wide-eyed pleas.

While not in a waiting room, I’m driving around in the first of the two vehicles, Myrtle the white Prius. Continue reading →

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January 5, 2015 by Anya Elise

to be resolute…or not || happy new year

Happy New Year! It’s only January 5, so still counts. You have until the end of week one of any given new year to wish people a Happy New Year, before you’re officially out of vogue. A social faux pas that I actually read about in Vogue if you can believe it. Which you shouldn’t, because I made it all up.

….let’s start over….

Happy New Year! Dan and I have returned from the east coast. We spent the last week venturing around his home town — and were even brave enough to venture into New York City on New Year’s Eve while I had a head cold (more on that later) — sleeping in, eating pizza and bagels, and visiting with friends and family. It was a pretty nice way to give a final salute to 2014. I have a 10-on-10 post coming up with photos and tales from those travels, but first I wanted to check in and say hey, hi and hello to you all. It’s been too long. I go back and forth on whether I’m a New Year’s Resolution kind of person (because I think any day is a good day to decide to embark on new goals and personal development, why does it have to happen because the calendar changes over?), but despite that indecision I am going to attempt to renew my blogging efforts in 2015. The past several months have not been prolific ones for my ol’ blog here, and that makes me a little sad. So prepare yourself for a few end-of-2014 posts, best-of-2014 posts, a little recap of our November trip to Berlin and Prague (I’m so terribly behind, dear ones), et al.

So hang tight, everyone! And enjoy this frosted window pane photo I snapped during a deep freeze at our house.

High fives for good luck! (It may be time to step away from the leftover Christmas sweets that are overflowing around the office today…)

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July 4, 2014 by Anya Elise

the fourth || independence day

This video is technically from last night — Independence Day Eve (not quite as fun as Christmas Eve, because no tree or twinkle lights or sugar cookies; then again, there are fireworks and loud explosions, so what do I know) — but it seemed like the kind of thing that should be shared here. On this little A/E blog of mine. This specific video was taken from the tenth floor of the Denver Post building as we watched the annual fireworks show launch from the Denver City and County Building. It was loud and the smoke blew right into us, but we had a jolly time. Look at this photo Daniel shot. You can’t really go wrong with that view on a warm night in this great city.

For all you fine folks, I hope you have safe, happy holidays. Don’t light anything on fire that isn’t supposed to be on fire. Whether you’re waving a flag, eating some fruit salad, throwing a horseshoe (a safe distance away from your loved ones hopefully), lighting a sparkler (also safely away from loved ones), making some ice cream, or all the above, have a rocking fourth!

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June 30, 2014 by Anya Elise

on being pioneers || the cottage house

I love life in the cottage house for this reason. (Well, for almost all the reasons, but for this one specifically right now.) I can turn to Daniel at any given, random moment, and ask a question like: “Do you really think we’re going to colonize Mars in our lifetime?”

He’ll pause and think (but no longer outwardly question why in the world such a thought just occurred to me; ain’t marriage grand), and say, “In our lifetimes, yeah, I can. I think we will.”

Then we’ll get into a debate about who on this planet really wants to jet off to another, mostly dusty looking and rather inhospitable planet (by my count), get dropped off and STAY THERE for all the rest of his/her life. “How does that sound appealing?” I will cry.

And Daniel will get a sort of wistful look in his eyes, and start talking about being a pioneer and how there’s a majesty in that and I will interrupt him with a firm, “No! We are not going to Mars.”

And then I’ll give him my very serious face, to show him I mean business. And I do, I do mean business. No way we are signing up for a one-way ticket to Mars.

It’s a preposterous existence we sometimes live in the cottage house, but it’s a delightful one.

**And yes, that is a photograph of Daniel leaving the cottage house, but don’t fret. It was not a direct result of this conversation or any other ridiculous conversation I incurred upon us. I just liked his resoluteness in the moments leading up to the capturing of that photo. At the time we were experiencing a hard-hitting, late season snowstorm. It was miserable cold outside, but he still motivated himself to get out the door and go for a run. I elected to stay firmly in my place on the couch beneath lots of blankets. As I do.

Following are two further silly photos taken whilst in our cottage. Because silly is the way we roll.

^^^I am in desperate need of a haircut. Send in the professionals already.

^^^Not at all how you’re supposed to use headphones (more specifically the microphone attached to the headphones for all manner of phone chats), but I like his problem solving skills.

This post brought to you by North Face. Not really at all actually, but with the prominent placing on Daniel’s jacket there, it certainly seems like it could have been.

OK, bye.

postscript

“I wrote up a little blog post about our conversation on Mars. Is it cool with you if I post that?”

“Yes, you should be reading up on this anyway.”

“On colonizing Mars?”

“Yes.”

“WE ARE NOT MOVING TO MARS.”

He plays “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra.

(Send help immediately.)

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June 23, 2014 by Anya Elise

alley poppies || the cottage house

There’s a little space between our house and the next. A strip of concrete between the front gate and back. Gray stairs — one, two, three — down from the cottage to the pavement. Someone at some time in the past dropped seeds in the dirt that lines the walkway. Earlier this spring, alley flowers popping up in bright oranges caught my eye through the bathroom window. I wandered out and found a certain beauty in the poppies surround the concrete and bricks and weeds.

I started to take my books and my bright blue journal out to the three steps to sit in the fresh air. The sun comes and goes in the weather particular to our Colorado springtimes. When it shines, it’s blinding off the pavement and my book pages. And then just as quickly it jumps behind a cloud and my eyes struggle to adjust.

There are little black ants that dance around my feet and shadows. Mostly we leave each other alone. Sometimes they take courageous expeditions onto my leg or reclined arm. I reward them with a swift little flick away. They scurry off to regroup for their next offensive.

It feels like my own secret garden with the alley poppies and the ants and the intermittent sunshine. Back there behind our ivy covered gate.