Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.
Lazurus Long

Adieu.

All the best.

Cheers.

Happy trails to you.

Toodle-oo.

Godspeed.

I have been blogging for over six years. Four years here and two years at my old, original blog (where I met what could be considered my very first bloggy friend, Natalie). I have loved this community not only because it provided countless hours of "I should be working" entertainment and even my first friends in St. Louis (Heidi, Angie and Alyssa).

But alas, each time I've recently logged in I feel that overwhelming thought of, well, I'm over it. I've logged so many memories in my life here but I often find that I just sit at a blank screen with nothing new to say.

My life has shifted. With our recent move to Iowa, I'm now working from home and each second that ticks by is essentially a billable hour that I could be focusing on my clients and work or Nick's business. I have other things I'd like to focus my attention and energy toward. I loved blogging but now it is just another item on my to-do-list.

I'm not discounting a future blogging endeavor with more career focused content or even picking up in the future our lives on this personal blog.

But for now, I'm done.

Au revoir.

Random: lacking any definite plan or order or purpose

• Congrats to Sarah, winner of my little Shutterfly card giveaway! She commented that she'd use them for her son Danny's first birthday party, just five months away. Hooray for you, Sarah! I will contact you with more information.
  
• The weather here has been gorgeous. Sunny most of the day but cool in the morning. I still have yet to make my maiden voyage to the local pool but it's a must do this weekend.
• The Quad Cities Air Show is also this weekend. The Blue Angels will be there and have been practicing over the city each afternoon. It's crazy to be driving down a main road and see a F/A-18 at eye level zooming across the skyline. So cool! We're hoping to go out to the show on Sunday.
• One of my favorite parts about my trip to Florida was seeing Casey and meet her son Eli. Because I hate my camera (here that again, Nick?!) Casey took pictures with her camera and sent them this week. Here are a few of my favorites:

Brought him his first birthday present a little early.

Auntie-approved annoying toy, a drum.
PS to Little Tikes: having the sticks attached to the side don't work so we cut 'em off!

With Eli.

With Eli and Casey.

Every dog must have his day.
Jonathan Swift

A local bloody mary mix company called Irish Dog is hosting a summer contest featuring dogs wearing sunglasses. I posted a photo of Winnie sporting my aviators and she needs your vote. Just click here and "like" her photo. The photo with the most "likes" by June 30 wins!

Let's beat that little Pomeranian that's in the lead and show them that a classic hound is stylish frames is a perfect summer staple!

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game
in the world at which to be bad.
A.A. Milne

On Friday, we joined in on the summer event of Couples Twilight Golf at Nick's club. He's never played in it before so we invited two couples to play with us. The theme was Mexican Fiesta so after nine holes of golf (in the rain!) we enjoying a great dinner in the clubhouse with tacos, chips and salsa plus tons of other good stuff.

Even though Nick is a golf professional, he's usually so busy with work during the season it's rare for him to be playing a lot of golf. And, because it is what my husband does for a living I hardly play so it was great for us to get out on the course with some friends!

What's the line about how nice it is seeing a man in his element?
I love watching Nick play golf. He's a rockstar.

The three guys on the green.

We hit from the tee and ran for cover. Ladies' do not appreciate golf in the rain.

Florence and Mike, our very first Quad Cities friends

(I know Florence from Tri Delta in Naples).

Ben rocking his Poncho mustache. Getting in the fiesta spirit.

My favorite golf pro. Ole!

Our whole group.

I get mail; therefore I am.
Scott Adams

I've written before how I love a great piece of mail. A birthday card, thank you note and a non-emailed invitation - all make me smile!

So thanks to Shutterfly, I want to offer a little giveaway for 30 free 5 x 7 (flat or folded, must be ordered by June 30, 2011) cards. They have plenty of darling designs that you can select from including announcements, holiday cards and invitations for just about any event.




To enter, I'm going to keep it simple. Just leave a comment about how you would use your 30 free cards. If you're a follower, let me know and I'll throw in a second entry.

I'll randomly draw a winner Wednesday, June 15. Good luck!

Home is not where you live but where they understand you.
Christian Morgenstern

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to take the time to head to Florida. I spent time with my mom and old friends in Sarasota and then headed down to Fort Myers and Naples to meet with clients and see college friends.

It was so nice to be home again after more than a year (yikes!) so I tried to relish and enjoy each day doing something different that I loved. For a full week, I think I did pretty good except I didn't get to catch a beach sunset or eat a Publix sub (sad!).

At home with my mom.

Black Lab #3 of my life - Francis!

Visiting my favorite veteran on Memorial Day.

Beautiful Sarasota Bay.

Hanging out with Mr. Ringling on St. Armands Circle.

Exploring Siesta Key Village.

Lunch with my high school friend, Amanda.

Siesta Key Beach.

Down in Estero, dinner with college friends/sorority sisters Melissa and Ashley.

Gorgeous, relaxing morning on Bonita Beach.

View from our lunch at Doc's on Bonita Beach.

Dinner out in Naples for my final night in Florida!

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.

G.B. Stern

Sunday gratitude:

• all of the US military, past and present (including my father), for their service.
  
• I'm leaving for Florida TODAY!
• homemade blue cheese dressing.
  
• having fun with our first non-parental weekend guest, Luke from St. Louis.
• bunches of daisies in old mason jars around the house.
  

The greatest truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest men.
Julius Charles Hare

Happy 32nd birthday (oh my goodness, my husband is 32!) to the most funny, gracious, kind and hardworking man I've had the pleasure to not only know but to marry and spend my life with each day.

Happy birthday, my darling Nick!

Thank you, St. Louis.
Mark McGwire

With the rain pouring down here in the Quad Cities, I'm tending to lean toward reminiscing. So, here are some things I really miss about summer The Lou':

• My huge pink peony bush in the front yard heavy with blooms. It brought me weeks of girly-flower happiness throughout my house and on my desk at work.

• Grant's Farm Clydesdales.

• The Soulard Farmers Market: Amish-raised beef, homemade ham and cheese sandwiches on flaky croissants, pots of sweet basil for $1, banjo music filtering through the air.

• Lunch on the deck at The Boathouse watching the ducks and the paddle boats.

• Concerts in Station Plaza in Kirkwood on balmy summer nights with tailgating chairs and dinner on our lap. If you're close, don't miss 'em.

• Heading down the Busch Stadium on any random weeknight to buy scalped tickets on South Broadway and catching a Cardinals game from where ever we got the best deal.
  

• Getting all hot and sweaty watching fabulous Broadway musicals outdoors at The MUNY.

• Outdoor festivals in the parking lot of Schlafly Tap Room.

• Nino the Clown, the Flying Pages and a corn dog at Circus Flora.

As with everywhere in the Midwest, the city comes alive in the summer. I'm looking forward to making new memories and favorite things here too. But, gosh darn it, I will always love St. Louis summers!

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.

G.B. Stern

Sunday gratitude:

• picking out a few segments of ribbon by the yard in cute patterns, colors and textures.
  
• being surrounded by pansies and pearls hearing stories from Tri Delta alumnae about college life in WWII.
• solo Sunday matinees.
• long walks with Winnie listening to Dave Ramsey podcasts.

And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days.
James Russell Lowe

Reasons why I know I will love June 2011:

• I'm heading to Florida for the first time in over a year to visit my mom and make a weekend trip to see Melissa and meet with some clients.
• Continuing the Florida love, here is what I'm really looking forward to while I'm there: breakfast on the kitchen couch with my mom + dogs, seeing Casey's son, Eli, toddle across the room, snacks and a sunset at Point of Rocks, chatting with my godmother, Sue, on her patio on Siesta Key, a Publix sub, purchasing my (eighth?!) pair of my favorite black heeled sandals and some 97% spandex (it makes all the difference) tees at Miromar Outlets, dipping my toes in the water and collecting shells on Bonita Beach with lunch at Doc's and/or The Fish House to follow.
• Ashley's son, Logan, is due June 25!
• Hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law. Much to my monogramming dismay, they don't know the gender, but it will be a cute celebration anyway!
  
• Heading down to St. Louis to stay with my dear friend, Sarah. The trip not only means time to catch up with her but also the Soulard Farmers Market, Ted Drewes and Trader Joe's (with a cooler to truck my things home, I have no shame).
• Having our "only/first" Quad City friends join us for Couples Twilight Golf at Nick's club. The theme is "Margaritaville" which, in my book, means I will get to unabashedly wear my Brooks Brothers pink whale pattern pants and a lei with my golf shoes.

But I prefer to think of Iowa as I saw it through the eyes of a ten-year old boy... filled with the wonders of Iowa's streams and woods, of the mystery of growing crops... days should be filled with adventure and great undertakings, with participation in good and comforting things.
Herbert Hoover

This past weekend we took advantage of Nick's last day off for the next eight or so weeks and headed to visit his parents for a quick overnight trip. We were able to catch up with some of his high school friends (+ wives + kids) for dinner, then spent the night at his parent's house and enjoyed breakfast with them the next morning.

On our way back home we had the whole day so we stopped into West Branch, Iowa. As the birthplace to our 31st President Herbert Hoover in 1874, there is a beautiful historic site and a cute downtown. We had lunch at a local pizza place and then walked through the historic site which was the Midwestern farm community where he was raised. The former president, along with his wife, are buried up on a hill at the site. Under beautiful oaks, overlooking the prairie I'd agree that it would be a lovely place to spend eternity.

Downtown West Branch.

Main street.

Heading up the hill to their memorial.

Graves of President and Mrs. Hoover.

With my favorite prairie dog.

Hoover Presidential Library

Nick walking ahead with Winnie on the site.

The town meeting place (aka the Quaker church).

Two-room birth home of Hoover.

Out back!

Historic homes along the road. Plus a horse/Beagle hitching post.