This bit tried to wedge it's way into my official "Who I am" FAQ ...

It does briefly expound on who I am ... but not briefly enough for a brief FAQ.

This Texas girl never dreamed of living in New York. It was a far away and mysterious land full of snow. I don't think I like snow. I'll let you know in a few months.

I know I don't like cold. Billy says that it's all about proper planning and proper clothing and that I will actually like it. I think I need to sell essays and skip winter by going to a photography class in the Arizona desert. (Okay, yes, I know it can snow and be cold there, too. Stop mess'n with the illusion.)

We are in New York because we like to eat. A company here offered to pay my husband enough money so that we could meet that objective. I get homesick ... but only very occasionally ... it is beautiful here ... even when it is exceptionally hot and muggy. Missing out on the current stage-three drought back home also helps keep the homesickness away.

Our new little apartment sits on the edge of The Great Swamp. This also helps me avoid feeling homesick for the quiet country sounds of East Texas. It seems "The Swamp" is the beginning of the NYC water collection system and developments will never come between me and The Swamp.

The apartment itself is part of a dream I have had for a long time -- an answer to prayer. One wall of the dining/living area is comprised of a door which has a screen door and one nice-sized window (stops about 2.5 feet from the floor). The cornering wall has two of these same windows.

When I sit in this room, I hear birds, and Katydids, an occasional distant whistle of the train. In the evenings, the birds are replaced by bull frogs (That's what they call them ... but these bull frogs sing tenor). I feel a light-weight breeze. I watch a fawn, a feral marmalade kitten, and little flittery white butterflies. My dream was a screened in porch with the breeze and all of the sounds I hear. The fawn, kitten, and butterflies are bonus.

Another thing that almost eliminates homesickness is the friendliness of the people here. Alright, no, I'm not in NYC. But according to what the rest of the world hears, all of New York is cold and rude and in a hurry ... but it's not true! They believe that if you pass someone on the street, it is good manners to admit that they exist and at the very least make eye contact. It is common to talk to people (strangers) at other tables in cafes and coffee shops ... just like back home. Anyone who knows me can tell you I deeply resent places where I am ignored.

Speaking of the cafes and coffee shops, they are exceptionally well suited to help us meet our eating objective. They tend to be exceptionally good and usually reasonably priced. We just haven't figured out how to be reasonable eaters of good food. Oh! and Praise the Lord! They believe in spice ... almost just like back home (much more so than those poor Oregonians)! To quote my friend Hana, "I never thought of myself as a spice person until I visited Oregon!"

We are still learning, however, to avoid "authentic Southwest food" unless we are in the Southwest. "Authentic Spanish" food did turn out to be ... interesting ... mostly good but ... It makes me wonder ... When I love Greek food here, is it real Greek food or Greek food modified for Americans?

Have you ever tried to recapture home away from home by eating "Authentic ____" (fill in the blank ... "Authentic Texas Barbeque" comes to mind for me)