Wringing a dry sponge, and therefore some photos / by Christina Rosalie

This NaBloPoMo thing is kicking my bootie. It was a totally uneventful day, and I'm still sickish so I don't have a whole lot of energy, and certainly have no ardent desire to write carefully crafted sentences. So instead I thought I'd take you on a random picture tour of yore (in other words, the only old pictures I could locate on MY hardrive. All the good ones are on DH's computer, since his hardrive is so much bigger than mine.) I'll begin by presenting you with a picture of the one and only time I've gone cross country skiing. I fell like nine-hundred times, from a near stand still.

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Here is one of my favorite pictures of me EVER. It was my first snowy Christmas since I was oh, FOUR, and I was with DH's family in a teeny tiny cabin in the middle of the Northeast Kingdom. We went dog sledding and bought our Christmas tree lights from Ames, and made gingerbread cookies as ornaments. Definitely one of the best Christmasses ever.

This is a picture of me freezing my tail off in Quebec for New Years that same year. Look! I still have my vampire teeth from the days of yore (really, that's what the kids I taught called them. You get a thick skin when you're a teacher. Nothing like sweating profusely during a high-stakes evaluative observation and having a kid say, "Ms. C why do you have wet circles under your armpits? Anyway...) DH and I spent a few days there, drinking hot chocolate from huge bowls, ice scating at the outdoor public rink in the middle of the town square, and poking our heads into quaint little shops and restaurants. If you haven't been, Quebec is a lovely place to go. Everyone speaks French and drives very, very fast. It was also the first place I ever ate snails.

Not exactly sure of the date on this one. Way before we were engaged. Still in college maybe. Totally enamored. Can't you tell. (I know, that should be enough sappiness to last you a good long while. But just wait. I have more!)

And finally, the most cheesy, sappy, totally tacky and yet utterly sincere picture I could find of us about 5 minutes after DH proposed. We were camping. I was wearing some sort of sarong over my bathing suit (really!) Oh yes, and I had just died my hair--the one time I've ever boldly done that--RED. You like?

I do hope you've enjoyed this.