Twas a good morning. Hot tea in bed. Sweet boyfriend.  Furry little cuddle monster.

It snowed in the mountains last night. With a chill in the air we made hot breakfast: oatmeal and eggs with the best vegetarian sausage ever. (It's made by Field Roast. Flavor, Smoked Apple Sage...yuuumo.) You could say Chad and I are addicted. We discovered it in Missoula last summer while shopping for kabob goodies. It also makes for an amazing hot dog in a whole wheat bun with sauerkraut.  I love finding yummy vegetarian foods. Well, any yummy food for that matter.

I also love days like today. The skies are gray with little flickers of sun peaking out. I'm all cozy in my new favorite green t-shirt and warm grandma sweater. I think I'll bake bread and something with bananas. This can only mean one thing:

Any good brown banana recipes?

While the neighbors across the alley were having a  loud and wild "pig party" (literally roasting an entire pig), we quietly sat in our yard drinking smoothies, eating watermelon, and dipping slices of pita bread in our semi-homemade hummus. Daphnie literally licked her lips at the sight of dripping watermelon juice and we gladly shared. It was a hot one today. I think summer actually started this weekend. There was no warning either. No, "hey I think I'll stop by next weekend if that's okay." Instead the warmth came knocking early Friday morning like an unexpected visitor and I think it's here to stay.

Hope you have a lovely week!

one year.

Several nights ago I was laying in bed as my mind raced about everything you could possibly think of. I had just gotten home from another exhausting night of waiting tables. The last thing I needed was to be wide awake thinking of how I was going to prevent my 2nd basil plant from dying, marketing ideas for my photography, my upcoming visit from my mom, whether I should wear shorts to work the next night, and how I really needed to buy new shoes.

It's called "monkey mind" and I wouldn't doubt that I have some kind of severe condition of it. It feels like my mind is a jungle and my thoughts are chattering monkeys jumping from tree to tree. Somehow, in all the chaos of random thoughts my mind landed on Missoula, Montana...and it was like someone slammed on the breaks as my mind came to a screeching stop. A deep ache began in my chest and found it's way into my throat. I remembered what it felt like to be in Missoula. The way the light hit the rolling hills at sunset and the way the river smelled. I could taste an ice cream cone from the Big Dipper- coconut, tangerine sorbet, yellow cake, mexican chocolate, and cold smoke. My senses became alert as if I were in school again eager to soak in anything I could from the amazing classes. I thought about what it felt like to literally use my camera every single day. It was an extension of myself, like an arm, or a third eye. I think about Missoula all the time, but that night was the first time I could close my eyes and feel like I was really there.

Exactly ONE YEAR ago today marks the anniversary of the beginning of my 6 month journey into photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. When I think back on how much my life has changed in result of that town and that school I'm literally taken aback. Of all the things I've done in my life, that's the one that makes me the most proud. That's the thing that has had the most impact on me and my dreams. And I miss it deeply. And I miss my friends.

I can talk all day about this, but it wouldn't really do any justice for the way I feel. So, in tribute, I decided to post a group of random moments from my time in Missoula. It was nearly impossible to pick from nearly 12,000 images. Some of them are repeats for the blog, but just like any good meal, any good moment deserves to be repeated. enjoy!

photo of me by Chad Neufeld. :)

happy anniversary.