happy birthday ollivander ezekiel browne

today is ollie's second birthday. he is the best dog ever. seriously. he has been such a great source of fun and love for us, and i hope he lives to be a million.

obituary

LAFAYETTE - Mary Moselle Alexander Hesterly, died peacefully at her residence in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Friday, September 4, 2009. She was 85. Moselle, who nicknamed herself "Rocky" as a young girl, was born on January 15, 1924, in Waco, Texas, the only daughter of Linnaeus Cyrus Alexander and Ella Jane Stephens Alexander. She attended Fairmont School for Girls in Washington, D. C. and the University of Texas where she was named One of the Ten Most Beautiful Women on campus. She was also a cover girl model in New York.

Rocky married U.S. Army Air Corps Captain James Pitman Hesterly, Sr. in 1944. She is survived by their five children, Cynthia Hesterly Powell and her husband, Richard, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., James Pitman Hesterly, Jr. and his wife, Elizabeth, of Lafayette, John Joseph Hesterly and his wife, Kay, of Lafayette, William Stephens Hesterly and his wife, Denise, of Alpine, Utah, and Mary Monica Hesterly, of Lafayette. She is also survived by thirteen grandchildren, Rebecca Powell Kelton and her husband, Clay, Robert James Powell, Susan Grace Powell, James Pitman Hesterly, III, Miles Crocker Hesterly, Piper Hesterly Browne and her husband, Justin, Joseph Pitman Hesterly, Lindsay Hesterly Geilman and her husband, Matt, Jessica Hesterly Gowdy and her husband, John, Alexander James Hesterly, Austin DeVere Hesterly, Ian William Hesterly, and Andrew Anderson Hesterly; and six great grandchildren.

Rocky previously lived in Alexandria, Lake Charles, Austin, Crestview, Florida, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida before arriving at her final resting place in Lafayette. She spent fifteen happy years in Fort Walton Beach where she was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church while residing at Westwood Retirement Center. She moved to Lafayette in 2005.

Her last years in Lafayette proved to be some of her happiest as she received loving care from the Olive Branch of the Episcopal Church

of the Ascension. Rocky enjoyed her days at Rosewood Retirement Community in the company of her loyal companion and friend Lisa Wesley. Lisa tended to Rocky's every need with faithfulness and good cheer. The family thanks Lisa for her beautiful years of service.

The family also acknowledges the staff at Rosewood, Sheila Ardoin (Rocky's weekend caregiver), and Rocky's devoted friends Jackie Frentz and Betsy Vigorito.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Rocky's memory be made to the Episcopal Church of the Ascension's Olive Branch, 1030 Johnston St. Lafayette, LA. 70501, as their ministry to Rocky made a beautiful difference in her life.

A Celebration of the life of Mary Moselle Alexander Hesterly will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 1030 Johnston Street, on Saturday, September 19, 2009, at 11 a.m. The family will receive friends in the Owen Room at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.

View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com

Martin & Castille - Lafayette, 337-234-2311

happy birthday pippa louise

today is our cat's sixth birthday. though i wouldn't call myself a cat person, i love this cat. she was my first child, my companion when i first moved to austin and one of the few people i talked to when i was working bizarro hours. she has grown into quite the loving and precious little thing, even though she would have nothing to do with a lap when she was younger. she's still quite the little piglet, and will gladly bite your finger while you try to give her a treat. she's a delight.

in other news, my grandmother passed away on friday. this is a sad loss, but she went very quickly, and was not in pain. for this we are very grateful. she will be missed, but she leaves behind five children, thirteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren (so far). quite a grand legacy.

and so now. it's sunday night and i'm in my new UT snuggie, courtesy of w&d. phenomenal. the sound of music is on tv, and we don't have to go to work (or class) tomorrow. this weekend has been my favorite kind of weekend. friday night, it rained for over an hour. the first real rain we've had in probably over a year, for real. it was glorious...i sat by the window staring at it and smelling it. yum. saturday morning, the pup and i went for a little run followed by coffee and a haircut. then jb and i ate at trudy's and took a nap before heading to the tailgate and the game opener against ULM. wound up the night at w&d's for the LSU game and pizza.
this morning we had brunch with some old friends who had some great news, and then we dove into the yard. justin had done a ton of work in the yard last weekend while i was at the mba retreat and we just wanted to keep it up and do a few more things. we got new plants and finished landscaping a couple of areas. there's still a ton of work left to be done, of course, but we'll do more tomorrow, and the progress is really obvious, which is super rewarding.
anyway, now i'm sore and sleepy and clean and it's fantastic. can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring...