Love Letters

It's not our anniversary or even half-anniversary or anything, but for some reason my thoughts were meandering the other day and something made me think of the food at our wedding. Dylan and I were married on May 9, 1998 in Austin. We hired a lovely European woman named Frauke Baylor, who was just the most generous and caring soul you could ever want to cater your wedding reception. Her small but wonderful catering company, Blue Trout Catering, was so unique in their presentation of the small bites and sips, and the flavors were fabulous.

Flash forward several years into the future to 2007. A friend had requested caterer recommendations for her upcoming nuptials, and I looked up Frauke's company online hoping to find a website. (In 1998, not one of our caterer, photograper, DJ, florist or traveling minister had an Internet presence.) Was I ever shocked to see our own wedding on Blue Trout Catering's website! I literally stumbled onto our own wedding pic from 9 yrs before on a page appropriately titled 'Love Letters':

Our wedding reception, Umlauf Sculpture Garden,
May 9, 2009
Image from BlueTroutCatering.com. Photography by Anne Butler Photography.

I was so pleased to discover that Frauke's company was still thriving in Austin and to be featured on her site! I sent her an email that day thanking her for the wonderful food she created for us that day. I even told her that my cousin had mentioned to me at her own wedding, six years after ours, that she planned her wedding reception menu around what she remembered of ours!

I Found a Guy

. . . whose blog is deemed worthy of mention! In writing my previous post, I realized that I gravitate towards the blogs of other women. I couldn't remember ever reading a blog by a guy. But I discovered a male-written blog yesterday! I had actually visited his website before, but had not taken the time to read his blog.

Rick Riordan is an author that I've glommed recently. He is a native San Antonian, so I already feel a certain affinity toward him, and until recently was a middle school teacher, so I definitely admire him! He writes the wonderful Percy Jackson and the Olympians series of books for children. I love these books, and like so many thirteen year olds, I can't wait until his next one comes out! So I was perusing his blog, Myth & Mystery, which has many entries about school visits, book tours and interactions with his fans, but also some really thoughtful entries about writing, teaching, education, children, success and censorship. I especially liked his views on censorship.

I was lucky enough to hear him speak at the Texas Book Festival in Austin last November, and he was so lovely with the kids, who were the majority of the standing room only audience in a gymnasium-sized room. And these kids really knew their stuff-- they knew his books backwards and forwards and were just so excited about reading them. How many kids get excited about reading anything? Especially books about Greek mythology?!

So I am proud to add Mr. Riordan's blog (another one by a writer!) to my growing list of favorites, and pleased to read about a guy's take on the world as well.