Well..here we are. You know what happens when you put something off until tomorrow? Nearly three weeks pass and you get super behind on your blog, that's what.
I didn't mean for it to happen. Well, does anyone ever really mean for these things to happen? Sigh. But, I said from the get-go, no apologies. So, let's begin! Three weeks of life in 19+ short paragraphs and two reeeeally long post. And....GO:
March 11 - Did you know that diapers are stupid expensive? I think its an ironic piece of modern culture that one of our most costly necessities is built specifically to catch poop and CYA. Ha. ANYWAY, my sweet nephew Roston will be, ahem, well-covered for awhile thanks to a lovely diaper shower thrown by a few awesome ladies from our church body. Aside from running behind (what's new?) with getting my gift together, it was a beautiful day of fellowship and celebrating new life. You can never get enough of that!
March 12 - Back to the grindstone. Combine a lovely monthly rush of hormones with exhaustion from the weekend before, I was quite the angry bear. Poor husband. Why do we always give the most crap to those closest to us? Luckily, best friend does not judge, she just watches the new Footloose with me and keeps silent while I work out my own grumpy-ness. BTW, movie was great. Friends and husbands who overlook your crazy are even greater.
March 13 - Small group put love into action, in more than one way on this Tuesday. My mother-in-law is looking to move closer to her daughter after my father-in-law's passing. Their shared house is in need of a little TLC, and our small group stepped up to the plate. It speaks volume to me that I have friends and fellow life-journeymen that will sacrifice their time and energy for Jon and I (2nd hand) and even further, for someone most of them had never met. Lots left to do be done, but the work is started and that's half the battle. Oh, and I decided to start training for a 10k in April!
March 14 - Today involved a last-minute decision that has shaped the 16 days since then, and I'm so very grateful for the push in the right direction. I ran from work to run a few errands for Roston's upcoming shower (cheese shopping!). I found out the day before about a Bible study that was starting, a Beth Moore study on James being led by my mother. Running late from my errands, I had tossed out the idea of getting to participate. I called my husband, lamented my woes, and he urged me to go, so I did. Best idea. More to come on this!
March 15 - Preparation: what the type A side of me loves and the right brain side of me tries to smash to pieces. Those two, always fighting! Today, though, they put aside their differences and did a little tango that resulted in a beautifully prepared party for that sweet baby I keep mentioning. We got together, three days in advance, to lay out all the decor. It was most certainly a group effort, but the creativity went to work and the burlap flowed like honey. :) It was beautiful, and best of all, it was DONE by the time the actual shower rolled around! Left brain, you win this round, fo' sho'.
March 16 - Play ball! Husband joined a softball team with friends from church (and beyond) and tonight was their first game - it was so much fun! I enjoyed it much more than I thought I might, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. Hopefully each game won't end with a giant scrape down the hub's leg (he slid into home and totally got jipped with an out), but the win was nice! Ended the long day with a late-night dinner with family. Also discovered Portlandia tonight. Where have I been? Put. A. Bird. On. It.
March 17 - Shower day! My soon-to-arrive new lil' man got quite the
party, and for once, I wasn't running behind for the party! That is one
for the record books. I handled the food for the bash, and it went like
this: stuffed mushrooms, gourmet cheese buffet, baked brie with pesto,
fire-roasted peppers and pine nuts, baked brie with raspberry preserves
& pecans, marinated olives, fresh veggie tray, fresh fruit tray,
chili citrus meatballs and cheesecake! (and kudos to my other sis-in-law
for her immeasurable help putting the spread together!) Roston was
showered with beautiful gifts, and you just know he's loved so much
already! Blessings overflow. Like the blessing of a 3 hour nap after the
shower was over. :)
Highlights:
1) I attempted to catch up on blogging during this week but....ha. you know the rest.
2) I started the Hunger Games!! So flippin' good. I've gotten old enough, though, that my tired eyes usually outweigh my desire to stay up all night and finish more chapters. That may or may not have been temporary, however. Tune in for part 2.
3) There was a naked guy on our block. There's not much of a story to it, but I'd say it's memorable, wouldn't you?
Love & Finally Getting Crap Done,
K
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
March 10 - The Day I Actually Won a Game
Saturday started in what I hope will now become a semi-monthly tradition: the farmer's market. With one visit already under my belt, I strolled along the stalls with a bit more confidence. I can now tell the difference between garlic leeks and green onions, and I'm getting a feel for good prices and good produce. Still, it took me several trips up and down the harvest-filled tables to figure out what I wanted in return for the cash I had stuffed in my pockets. Plus, I took my mother along for the fun. She's just as new as I am and she appreciated not only the local produce, but the local artisan breads, goat cheese and pound cake. We took in our haul right before another round of thunderstorms took over the skies. The rest of the day was split between work at the shop and more food shopping (for home and shop). After a day of buying bags and bags of food, I suppose it only makes sense to finish off with someone ELSE cooking. :) A gracious group of friends invited us for a feast that even the rain couldn't damper. Which leads me to my title...
Highlights:
1) We followed that buffet of grilled goodies with game night. On deck for play: Things. Now, given that half the point of this game is to be funny and/or entertain people with your answers, I started out pretty nervous. I think I have a pretty fair sense of humor, but sometimes my introvert tendencies take my humor and stick it in the basement when there's a crowd.
2) I don't win group games, never have. And I'm fine with it, really. So, imagine my surprise when I won a game involving a group of some of the most competitive people I've ever met. They might say it's luck, I say it's my cunning wit. Tomato, potato, tomato, potato. (Megamind, anyone?)
3) I stayed up waaay past my bed time. Again. There's something they don't tell you when you're a little kid. You're 8, you're BEGGING to stay up late, and the large humans respond with "someday, when you're older, you won't have a bedtime". I think for kicks they leave out the last part, "...and by that age, you'll be so exhausted that you'll wonder why on earth you ever decided to stay up like that." Tricksters.
Love & Long, Winning Days,
K
Highlights:
1) We followed that buffet of grilled goodies with game night. On deck for play: Things. Now, given that half the point of this game is to be funny and/or entertain people with your answers, I started out pretty nervous. I think I have a pretty fair sense of humor, but sometimes my introvert tendencies take my humor and stick it in the basement when there's a crowd.
2) I don't win group games, never have. And I'm fine with it, really. So, imagine my surprise when I won a game involving a group of some of the most competitive people I've ever met. They might say it's luck, I say it's my cunning wit. Tomato, potato, tomato, potato. (Megamind, anyone?)
3) I stayed up waaay past my bed time. Again. There's something they don't tell you when you're a little kid. You're 8, you're BEGGING to stay up late, and the large humans respond with "someday, when you're older, you won't have a bedtime". I think for kicks they leave out the last part, "...and by that age, you'll be so exhausted that you'll wonder why on earth you ever decided to stay up like that." Tricksters.
Love & Long, Winning Days,
K
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
March 9 - The Day We Assessed
We were 9 days into our wonderful new "project reclaim our weekend social life" schedule at the pie shop, and we figured it was probably a decent time to have another business meeting (read: "get together for food and eventually talk shop"). We all decided that we're in agreement: free weekend nights are fantastic! The original plan was to forage for food in our own kitchens to save $$, but I could not shake the craving I was having for Cici's Pepperoni Pizza. Don't hate, the body knows what it needs. :) Best friend and I had made a date to ditch the boys after our meeting and watch a little Grey's. Our evening went on til the wee hours of the morning, mostly because we didn't start Grey's until it was nearing the next day. Reason being, we were talking. The kind of talk you fall into and an hour later you realize how much you needed a chance to exercise your sounding board skills. We talked politics, food (always), literature, Christ and current events. We sound so well-rounded in writing (don't be fooled, there was likely a good bit of cheap pop culture thrown in, too)! It was a great way to kick off a weekend that would be busy(ness) as usual.
Highlights:
1) Pizza may be the gateway junk food. From there it was Coke, two kinds of ice cream, bagel bites and popcorn. Dirty, delicious downward spiral!
2) Speaking of popcorn, we tried a Pinterest idea for homemade microwave popcorn, and it worked like a charm! Took a bit to get the seasoning right (we tried one called Buttered Cinnamon Toast...terrible idea). My favorite ended up being just a bit of butter and sea salt. We will definitely be doing this again!
3) This is day 3 or 4 of Joseph Kony's time on the center stage of the World Wide Web. By now, the word is out, and per American style, we are tearing apart the issue and glazing over any possible good that could come of the campaign. I'm on the fence about how to proceed with ending Kony's power streak. What I'm NOT on the fence about, however, are human rights, the awareness that leads people to actually take an active role in this global conversation, and the intent of Invisible Children. I won't tear away at their efforts, nor have I sent any funds their way, but I'll tip my hat to their unconventional (and obviously successful) methods of getting this apathetic generation to care about SOMETHING. Prayers now that it goes deeper.
Love & Fulfilled Pizza Cravings,
K
Highlights:
1) Pizza may be the gateway junk food. From there it was Coke, two kinds of ice cream, bagel bites and popcorn. Dirty, delicious downward spiral!
2) Speaking of popcorn, we tried a Pinterest idea for homemade microwave popcorn, and it worked like a charm! Took a bit to get the seasoning right (we tried one called Buttered Cinnamon Toast...terrible idea). My favorite ended up being just a bit of butter and sea salt. We will definitely be doing this again!
3) This is day 3 or 4 of Joseph Kony's time on the center stage of the World Wide Web. By now, the word is out, and per American style, we are tearing apart the issue and glazing over any possible good that could come of the campaign. I'm on the fence about how to proceed with ending Kony's power streak. What I'm NOT on the fence about, however, are human rights, the awareness that leads people to actually take an active role in this global conversation, and the intent of Invisible Children. I won't tear away at their efforts, nor have I sent any funds their way, but I'll tip my hat to their unconventional (and obviously successful) methods of getting this apathetic generation to care about SOMETHING. Prayers now that it goes deeper.
Love & Fulfilled Pizza Cravings,
K
Monday, March 19, 2012
March 8 - The Day We Went Cajun
Let the good times roll, indeed! To be able to cook without a recipe is a newly-honed skill I don't take for granted. Especially when it pays off with blackened chicken & bow tie pasta with a mushroom white wine cream sauce. It was the highlight of a day already some-what centered on food. Often times when I don't do a great job recording the day's activities, I'll turn to my text message history. Guess what my messages centered on that day? Yep. I'm a grub-lovin-fool (food, not worms). I capped off the meal with a couple hours of conversation with a sweet friend as we worked on my nephew's shower. We did more laughing than planning, but it seemed to go with the day's theme: fullness, in every aspect of the word.
Highlights:
1) I discovered the bulk mushrooms at the grocery store. Yes, they've always been there, but I just now recognized the genius. First time I've cooked using mushrooms and not have any go to waste!
2) the food theme started early. The skies threatened rain, and we were scheduled to run, with an alternative plan of breakfast at Mimi's. Sadly, the sky stayed dry. Until...
3) the rain let loose on the last 5-10 minutes of our run. Awful! But, I felt like a hoss. Somehow, though, I doubt I looked as cool as I felt (ever seen a drowned rat run?)
Love & Pasta,
K
Highlights:
1) I discovered the bulk mushrooms at the grocery store. Yes, they've always been there, but I just now recognized the genius. First time I've cooked using mushrooms and not have any go to waste!
2) the food theme started early. The skies threatened rain, and we were scheduled to run, with an alternative plan of breakfast at Mimi's. Sadly, the sky stayed dry. Until...
3) the rain let loose on the last 5-10 minutes of our run. Awful! But, I felt like a hoss. Somehow, though, I doubt I looked as cool as I felt (ever seen a drowned rat run?)
Love & Pasta,
K
Sunday, March 18, 2012
March 7 - The Day We Got Rained Out
Wednesday should've been a picnic, literally and figuratively, but what would a good day be if you didn't occasionally have a bad one to help you appreciate it? The IRS called today. Boy, "hate" is a strong word, but sometimes even that doesn't seem weighty enough. I am not a fan. After a looong phone call, accusations and angry tears thanks to a less-than-compassionate representative, I was rewarded with a small victory of proving myself to have better records than those who are paid to keep them. Nonetheless, it set a darkened tone to my day. (looking back on yesterday's post...my, my, how quickly our attitudes change...ugh) On the heels of that, our church picnic was cancelled due to heavy, darkening skies and threatening clouds. We ended up heading to dinner (indoors) to eat some delicious BBQ with family, which turned out to be the best remedy for my "rained-out" day. Food and fellowship fixes nearly anything!
Highlights:
1) brisket tacos, where have you been all my life? I know, I'm late to this party, but I came, so there.
2) we sat and talked for nearly an hour after our plates were clean. We chatted about the school system, American culture and nutrition and amidst the chatter, I thanked God for the gift of conversation.
3)I'm impressed with my little bro. It's gotta be tough to always have to be in a group of adults (with me being 16 years his elder. He holds his own even in our conversations with his funny quips or keeping himself busy with his active imagination. Good skill!
Love & Rain-checked Picnics,
K
Highlights:
1) brisket tacos, where have you been all my life? I know, I'm late to this party, but I came, so there.
2) we sat and talked for nearly an hour after our plates were clean. We chatted about the school system, American culture and nutrition and amidst the chatter, I thanked God for the gift of conversation.
3)I'm impressed with my little bro. It's gotta be tough to always have to be in a group of adults (with me being 16 years his elder. He holds his own even in our conversations with his funny quips or keeping himself busy with his active imagination. Good skill!
Love & Rain-checked Picnics,
K
March 6 - The Day We Rejoiced
It's funny how my retrospective view of my days can seem so dialed into only a few hours out of the 15 or so hours I'm awake. In part, this is due to what I've mentioned before, that my work activities are not up for public discussion of this sort. But on this day, it was because God simply cranked up the spotlight on Himself in the later part of my day, and that kind of brightness tends to literally outshine the small stuff around it. I'm privileged to be a part of a small group of friends who act like family. Today we were privileged to witness a beautiful act of family. The kind where raw honesty about your walk, even when it's rocky, is met with open arms, prayers of praise, and rejoicing together over the resolution of hurt. We call it a safe space, and I would never betray that by publicly delving into any details. Regardless, God can get the glory, because the story is His, no matter who the characters may be.
Highlights:
1) what a challenge to my own self, my level of honesty and vulnerability. Am I willing to let God's story be told?
2) We ate breakfast for dinner! This was kind of on accident (Husband forgot a key piece of the original dinner plan, so we improvised), but it was delicious. Who says you can only eat eggs in the morning?!
3) Got a little further in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and it was one of my favorite sections thus far. She began discussing how local schools were involving gardening in their learning, which I think is awesome. I've tossed around the idea of homeschooling [my non-existent children], and I think that would be a great addition.
Love & Humility at His Work,
K
Highlights:
1) what a challenge to my own self, my level of honesty and vulnerability. Am I willing to let God's story be told?
2) We ate breakfast for dinner! This was kind of on accident (Husband forgot a key piece of the original dinner plan, so we improvised), but it was delicious. Who says you can only eat eggs in the morning?!
3) Got a little further in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and it was one of my favorite sections thus far. She began discussing how local schools were involving gardening in their learning, which I think is awesome. I've tossed around the idea of homeschooling [my non-existent children], and I think that would be a great addition.
Love & Humility at His Work,
K
Sunday, March 11, 2012
March 5 - The Day We Taught the Roomie How to Flip
Flip quesadillas, that is. Since I was left with a gargantuan amount of black beans and grilled chicken from all the weekend cooking, I decided to make good use of them. A good rule of thumb for leftovers: add chicken, cheese, and/or caramelized onions. You really can't go wrong. Though Roommate had recently stocked the fridge with his gourmet foods of choice - frozen chicken nuggets, chocolate milk, pizza rolls and glow in the dark Gogurt - we offered to let him partake in the Mexican leftover goodness. He revealed (shockingly) that cooking isn't his strong suit, but we reassured him that we would teach him our ways. Lesson one: how to assemble and cook a quesadilla. Hey, it's a starting point. I spent the rest of the night in the kitchen reworking other leftovers into delicious delectables for the rest of the week. Martha Stewart, kiss my food-dollar-stretchin' booty.
Highlights:
1) More blogging! Still not caught up! Woohoo!
2) Made a workout schedule for the week, trying to undo all the comfort food damage from the days before. You think quesadillas are a good way to start? Yeah me too.
3) Diets aren't the only the thing out of control around here lately. I finally had time to sit down and digest our spending/budget and holy moly, it was ugly. You don't realize how much being away from home (as in running here and there) can take a toll on things. I'm putting my Budget Drill Sgt hat back on. We're going to whip this guy into shape! On another note, do you think I could come up with any other cheesy metaphors? I'll work on it.
Love & Cooking Lessons,
K
Highlights:
1) More blogging! Still not caught up! Woohoo!
2) Made a workout schedule for the week, trying to undo all the comfort food damage from the days before. You think quesadillas are a good way to start? Yeah me too.
3) Diets aren't the only the thing out of control around here lately. I finally had time to sit down and digest our spending/budget and holy moly, it was ugly. You don't realize how much being away from home (as in running here and there) can take a toll on things. I'm putting my Budget Drill Sgt hat back on. We're going to whip this guy into shape! On another note, do you think I could come up with any other cheesy metaphors? I'll work on it.
Love & Cooking Lessons,
K
March 4 - The Day We Antiqued & Ran (and we're not talking exercise)
After days of emotional exhaustion, Husband told me he wanted one simple thing for our only day off: Antique Mall. Huh? Not his usual request, but goodness knows that I'm not going to argue! I put on some cuban style black beans in the crock pot before we left for church, and we came home to a nice lunch on the back porch. Sun out, breeze blowing, and burrito bowls being eaten...ahhh! We finished up and headed to the Antique Mall. That's where things stopped being relaxing and turned back to our normal state of "AAAGH WE'RE LATE AND THERE'S 8 MILLION THINGS LEFT TO DO TODAY!" Minus an incident with potato salad, we scrambled through the rest of the day (which included birthday gifts, making birthday cards, groceries for the shop and dinner with the fam) and made it out totally worn out but happy. It's not what most people would ask for, but if I can hit the hay with a sleepy smile every day, I'm good. :)
Highlights:
1) We got together to celebrate my sweet Mother-in-law's birthday, and as usual, she ended up doing most of the cooking (and it was amazing - fried potatoes, yum yum)! Even still, I think her family, good food, birthday cake (and a little wine) made for a great celebration for her.
2) While perusing the antique mall, I ran into item after item that left me saying "That would be perfect for _______!" New goal for next Christmas: unique or upcycled gifts. Better start looking now!
3) Blogging - stayed up catching up on posts, something I'm apparently STILL not great at. Bah. Humbug.
Love & 2nd Hand Item Goodness,
K
Highlights:
1) We got together to celebrate my sweet Mother-in-law's birthday, and as usual, she ended up doing most of the cooking (and it was amazing - fried potatoes, yum yum)! Even still, I think her family, good food, birthday cake (and a little wine) made for a great celebration for her.
2) While perusing the antique mall, I ran into item after item that left me saying "That would be perfect for _______!" New goal for next Christmas: unique or upcycled gifts. Better start looking now!
3) Blogging - stayed up catching up on posts, something I'm apparently STILL not great at. Bah. Humbug.
Love & 2nd Hand Item Goodness,
K
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
March 3 - The Day We Reunited
We are lucky to have a handful of friends with whom conversation
and fellowship fall right into step when we’re together, no matter how long we’ve
been apart. Our friend David is one of those people for us. He has just
returned from a long stint in Italy with the military. While away, he tricked a
great girl into marrying him (ha), and had the most beautiful daughter ever. He’s
been able to visit a couple of times since leaving, but this time, he’s coming “home”
(Texas counts, even if it’s a different city)
for at least a few years and he brought his beautiful family with him. We went
to lunch, and it took about, oh, 30 seconds, for me to fall in love with
Summer, his daughter. We’re best friends now. J
We spent the evening hanging out with
David’s family, eating burgers and watching YouTube Disney music clips with
Summer. Reunited and it feels so good.
Highlights:
1) I cleaned out my refrigerator. Like removed every item, scrubbed the shelves
and drawers kind of clean. Yikes! No good, folks. It was embarrassingly apparent
that we’ve got a food wasting problem. I’m not OK with this! Resolving not to
ever let it get this way again.
2) Summer calls her father “Dave” instead of Daddy. He doesn’t
care much for this, but I told him frankly that I won’t be discouraging this,
but in fact will continue to refer to her dad as “Dave” so she’ll keep it up.
Hey, she’s 18 months, it’s cute. And hopefully, when she’s 16 and still calling
him that, he’ll forget I was ever involved.
3) Giorgia, David’s lovely Italian wife, is like a new person
from the first time we met. She didn’t speak English all that well, but now
that she does, she fit in with our group just as if she’d been there all along.
She’s a gem, and I’m glad he’s got her!
Love & Long Lost Friends,
K
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
March 2 - The Day We Celebrated Life
I've been delaying writing this post for a few days. I don't know if it's because of the subject matter itself or my fear that I won't do the subject justice. But I do know that NOT writing would be a disservice to the present. I can't write the posts for the days that followed until this one is penned and published. It can steal the joy and power of the present instead of creating a foundation for good things. I think that's why we have these services. Not to forget, but to move forward; to create a stone of remembrance and celebrate the ones we had already gathered on the journey. It allows us a concentrated moment to focus in on what was lost, and then life keeps going.
Driving the other day Jon said, "so what do we do now? I don't know what to do." I empathized, understanding the feeling that life feels like it should stop. As if the normalcy of every day would dishonor what had just taken place. But the sun keeps setting, keeps rising, and so we live.
We spent much of the service chuckling at stories or photos. It may seem contextually out of place, but to me, there is never such a call for laughter and smiles than when you reflect on someone's life. I hope people laugh at my funeral. I hope the joy of the stories can temper the sorrow of such a day, as it did on Friday afternoon. We listened to recordings of Wes doing what he loved best: playing music. Friends and family hugged, tears fell, and a life was honored. Not the mistakes, the hardships or the illness, but a LIFE. And I looked at my dear husband and his sweet siblings, products of that life. I saw my sweet niece, who will never know her Poppy. And though these things seem laden with sorrow in light of what's been lost, they offer the sense of hope, too. A reminder of the continuity of life, of the reason that we pause only briefly to focus on the grief. If we didn't, we might never know or appreciate the fullness of today, the brightness of tomorrow.
Highlights:
1) running = cheap therapy. We started the day with a run and you wouldn't believe the stress-relieving affect it can have. It helped us start the day clear-headed.
2) we went to lunch at the home of Terry's brother. What kindness these people extended to their family, familiar and not so.
3) we finished off the long, long day with having the siblings over to hang out, grill, bonfire and super Mario bros. Once again, "being" is so important, and I'm lucky to get to do that with such great people. Also I got to sing my niece to sleep. :)
Love & Living,
K
Driving the other day Jon said, "so what do we do now? I don't know what to do." I empathized, understanding the feeling that life feels like it should stop. As if the normalcy of every day would dishonor what had just taken place. But the sun keeps setting, keeps rising, and so we live.
We spent much of the service chuckling at stories or photos. It may seem contextually out of place, but to me, there is never such a call for laughter and smiles than when you reflect on someone's life. I hope people laugh at my funeral. I hope the joy of the stories can temper the sorrow of such a day, as it did on Friday afternoon. We listened to recordings of Wes doing what he loved best: playing music. Friends and family hugged, tears fell, and a life was honored. Not the mistakes, the hardships or the illness, but a LIFE. And I looked at my dear husband and his sweet siblings, products of that life. I saw my sweet niece, who will never know her Poppy. And though these things seem laden with sorrow in light of what's been lost, they offer the sense of hope, too. A reminder of the continuity of life, of the reason that we pause only briefly to focus on the grief. If we didn't, we might never know or appreciate the fullness of today, the brightness of tomorrow.
Highlights:
1) running = cheap therapy. We started the day with a run and you wouldn't believe the stress-relieving affect it can have. It helped us start the day clear-headed.
2) we went to lunch at the home of Terry's brother. What kindness these people extended to their family, familiar and not so.
3) we finished off the long, long day with having the siblings over to hang out, grill, bonfire and super Mario bros. Once again, "being" is so important, and I'm lucky to get to do that with such great people. Also I got to sing my niece to sleep. :)
Love & Living,
K
Monday, March 5, 2012
March 1 - The Day I Played Florist
I spent most of Thursday thinking about Friday. I'm not the best at the whole "live in the moment" thing. I'm more like a "live in my planner, maybe somewhere in next week" person. I have come to the introspective conclusion that its a control thing. I can control next week, because its only on paper. Controlling today...different story. I had phone calls flying at me most of Thursday as we were finalizing preparations for Wes's service. Luckily, Husband was feeling drastically better than the day before, and with his clearing sinuses came a clearing of the mind, as he remembered all the things he was in charge of for the service [read: all the things he was supposed to ask me to do]. This included securing two rose arrangements for the service. Being the Frugal Franny that I am, I nearly choked on my chewing gum when I heard the price tag for those arrangements. The game was on now. I headed to a local grocery store where I found two perfect 'starter' vases, chose a few accent flowers and set off for best friend's house for some Grey's and some flower fixing. This brought back memories of the night before her wedding where we stayed up hand-tying all the bridesmaid bouquets. Thank goodness for her and her willingness to jump in and help with the crazy. They turned out beautifully, and we finished at less than half the cost that was originally quoted to us, for twice the roses.
Highlights:
1) This was day one of a downward spiral into fried food and artery-clogging, guilt-inducing meals. It started with chips and salsa, but then I saw tacos and I couldn't resist. Those came with more chips and salsa. Hello, my name is KK, and I am an addict.
2) I meant to work out. I did. But the weather was so gosh dang beautiful that I needed to just sit outside at lunch and enjoy my moment in the breeze before I jumped headlong into the full-force gales of Friday.
3) I have such sweet co-workers. They all offered their kind words, thoughts and prayers as I prepared to be out on Friday. I may not always love sitting at my desk, but I do love the people who inhabit the desks around me.
Love & Thorny Roses
K
Highlights:
1) This was day one of a downward spiral into fried food and artery-clogging, guilt-inducing meals. It started with chips and salsa, but then I saw tacos and I couldn't resist. Those came with more chips and salsa. Hello, my name is KK, and I am an addict.
2) I meant to work out. I did. But the weather was so gosh dang beautiful that I needed to just sit outside at lunch and enjoy my moment in the breeze before I jumped headlong into the full-force gales of Friday.
3) I have such sweet co-workers. They all offered their kind words, thoughts and prayers as I prepared to be out on Friday. I may not always love sitting at my desk, but I do love the people who inhabit the desks around me.
Love & Thorny Roses
K
Feb 29 - The Day We Leaped (Into Illness)
I woke up to a sleepily-stirring husband. He was trying to tell me something but I couldn't quite understand him. I finally made out the words "I'm hot", so I pulled the covers back from him. This was quickly followed by an emphatic grab of the covers and a "no, I'm COLD!". He mumbled something about his body being pieces of land and needing to move them (?), at which point I grabbed a thermometer and shoved it in his mouth. The chills, the strange talk, the warning beep-beep-beep of the thermometer; my babe was SICK. You know it's bad when he doesn't even protest upon receipt of my "you ARE going to the doctor" orders. I, on the other hand, chugged Airborne and popped vitamins like they were candy. With the weekend ahead, this was no time to let our guard down. Take that, germs.
Highlights:
1) Normally not the doting type when it comes to my ill [and typically whiny] spouse, I was thankfully filled with compassion and mercy today. He supplies all we need, even when we won't know we'll be needing it.
2) I made some killer comfort food. Hubs requested tomato soup and grilled cheese, but I took it one step further and roasted some baby carrots (from our farmer's market excursion) and French fingerling potatoes. I wasn't even sick and I felt 10x better after that meal.
3) Prayer Warriors to the rescue again! I tell ya, people are amazing.
Love & Lozenges,
K
Highlights:
1) Normally not the doting type when it comes to my ill [and typically whiny] spouse, I was thankfully filled with compassion and mercy today. He supplies all we need, even when we won't know we'll be needing it.
2) I made some killer comfort food. Hubs requested tomato soup and grilled cheese, but I took it one step further and roasted some baby carrots (from our farmer's market excursion) and French fingerling potatoes. I wasn't even sick and I felt 10x better after that meal.
3) Prayer Warriors to the rescue again! I tell ya, people are amazing.
Love & Lozenges,
K
Friday, March 2, 2012
Feb 28 - The Day He Put a Ring On It
OK, so that didn't actually happen THIS day, but it did 4 years ago. On a sunny, snow-covered mountain, I skied right into the best question of my life. I know that celebrating an engagement seems like something that might be a bit over the top, but it really is one of my favorite days of my almost 27 years. And it kicked off one of the best seasons of my life, so I think I'll keep my party hat on, if you don't mind. I wrote mushy things on FB and posted a photo of him on one knee and me in a ridiculous pose of shock/laughter. You know, all the obligatory "I love my husband and I'm so glad he asked me to marry him" stuff. You do that too, right? K, good.
Highlights:
1) We were supposed to take advantage of Nat'l Pancake Day after our small group, so we opted for a small snack instead of normal dinner. I ate a salad! Full of farmer's market greens! AND I LIKED IT! Hold your applause, there was a lot of ranch dressing involved. Still!
2) We dove a little deeper into Colossians, and once again I'm blown away by the intelligent and loving friends I've been given the chance to do life with. I love em. Even if I barked at them for talking while I was making a point. :)
3) No pancakes. :( Group all decided they weren't interested in free pancakes (I know, I know. Join me in praying for them). By this point, however, Husband and I had worked ourself into a breakfast craving frenzy. So, we headed to the store, bought hash browns and gravy and came home to fix ourselves a breakfast feast at 10:00 PM. I remarked to him that, however odd it may seem, these are the moments that make me feel like an adult.
Love & Late Night Breakfasts,
K
Highlights:
1) We were supposed to take advantage of Nat'l Pancake Day after our small group, so we opted for a small snack instead of normal dinner. I ate a salad! Full of farmer's market greens! AND I LIKED IT! Hold your applause, there was a lot of ranch dressing involved. Still!
2) We dove a little deeper into Colossians, and once again I'm blown away by the intelligent and loving friends I've been given the chance to do life with. I love em. Even if I barked at them for talking while I was making a point. :)
3) No pancakes. :( Group all decided they weren't interested in free pancakes (I know, I know. Join me in praying for them). By this point, however, Husband and I had worked ourself into a breakfast craving frenzy. So, we headed to the store, bought hash browns and gravy and came home to fix ourselves a breakfast feast at 10:00 PM. I remarked to him that, however odd it may seem, these are the moments that make me feel like an adult.
Love & Late Night Breakfasts,
K
Feb 27 - The Day We Got a Roommate
Monday went by in the way Mondays typically go - uneventful, slowly and with me just wanting to come home. Add to this my starting the writing of the hardest blog posts ever, and...hey can we just switch to Tuesday? Or how about just March? K thanks. Speaking of those posts...how hard is that? I didn't know what I had signed on for at the beginning of the year, but I'm so glad I have a forum for these thoughts and memories. It's cleansing for the burdened heart, and I think that these entries will serve as a good way to reflect in the future. My dear spouse hasn't been able to bring himself to read it yet, but hopefully he will one day. Though they are only from my perspective, and thereby limited, I hope he'll be proud of the way I've recorded it all.
So as to the title of this post...Husband texted me midday and said "So how would you feel about a roommate? Are we open to that?" A short dialogue and several hours later, our longtime friend Nick came over to see his new digs in our guest room. As a person who can't really make any decision without a nearly excruciating amount of deliberation, I surprised even myself with my quick "yep." I can't fully explain it, but I'm fully at peace with the decision. I wonder what God's got in store?
Highlights:
1) I'm going to be honest. Monday was not all that eventful. In fact, I kind of stole all my highlights in the above paragraphs. Oops.
2) As soon as I got home from work, I did something out of character for my type-A self: I put down my things and headed straight to my deck chair with a bible in hand to catch the final moments of a dropping sun. Should've come home earlier, the time was short but precious.
3) Didn't watch TV! Its a lame highlight, but its true and meant that I had a productive evening while Jon was at Bible study. At least I think it was productive, I don't really remember much of Monday...
Love & New Housemates,
K
So as to the title of this post...Husband texted me midday and said "So how would you feel about a roommate? Are we open to that?" A short dialogue and several hours later, our longtime friend Nick came over to see his new digs in our guest room. As a person who can't really make any decision without a nearly excruciating amount of deliberation, I surprised even myself with my quick "yep." I can't fully explain it, but I'm fully at peace with the decision. I wonder what God's got in store?
Highlights:
1) I'm going to be honest. Monday was not all that eventful. In fact, I kind of stole all my highlights in the above paragraphs. Oops.
2) As soon as I got home from work, I did something out of character for my type-A self: I put down my things and headed straight to my deck chair with a bible in hand to catch the final moments of a dropping sun. Should've come home earlier, the time was short but precious.
3) Didn't watch TV! Its a lame highlight, but its true and meant that I had a productive evening while Jon was at Bible study. At least I think it was productive, I don't really remember much of Monday...
Love & New Housemates,
K
Feb 26 - The Day We Were Family
Just two days after Jon's dad's passing, the grief still seemed to hang heavy in the air around us, and understandably so. I've noticed that in times like these, family is just drawn together. Like we innately know that we should be with each other, even if no one verbalizes such a notion. So Sunday afternoon we went to lunch with 16 friends and family members. The crowded restaurant had to stick a few random tables together to fit us in, but we didn't mind. It's quite a good reason for getting public attention. Jon and his sister spent the afternoon going through more family photos for the slideshow and we all reconvened for dinner and even more photos at Jon's mom's house. It was another one of those days where each laugh and smile seemed to be counterweighted by tears and moments of reflective quiet. I watched my sister-in-law slowly make her way through photos, the tears silently rolling down her cheeks. I sat with my mother-in-law fight back tears watching her kids struggle through this pain while also revisiting her own past. On the drive home, Jon chose our driving music, which happened to be Kristian Stanfill. I leaned in to assume our usual late night drive position, with my head on his shoulder and my hand on his chest. I realized suddenly that my hand was touching damp material. It took a moment to process what was happening, but one glance upward at my sweet love's face confirmed it. Though I had heard his voice singing the words, I hadn't heard his quiet tears. Why do words seem so small in these moments? He just smiled sheepishly as I wiped his damp cheeks and I knew that even the most well-crafted attempt at comfort couldn't heal the way those tears could. Once home we lay for awhile in bed, continuing to share these raw moments that make marriage so cherished a thing to me. I could write more but its these times that continue to forge the kinds of bonds that only he and I will share, and those are the moments I'm OK with protecting from the forum of the blog. Besides, it would probably just make you depressed. Or jealous. Or both. ;-)
Highlights:
1) As we went through the photos of Wes, we just kept finding more and more photos of him in one position: asleep with a baby on his chest. Perfect.
2) Spring showed its lovely head today, which sent me into a mini cleaning frenzy. That weather just begs me to throw open my windows, toss my allergies to the wind (no pun intended), and dust something.
3) Made a nice salad for the fam with our farmer's market goods. This has once again allowed me to regain my position as "favorite" with my mother-in-law. :)
Love & Loved Ones,
K
Highlights:
1) As we went through the photos of Wes, we just kept finding more and more photos of him in one position: asleep with a baby on his chest. Perfect.
2) Spring showed its lovely head today, which sent me into a mini cleaning frenzy. That weather just begs me to throw open my windows, toss my allergies to the wind (no pun intended), and dust something.
3) Made a nice salad for the fam with our farmer's market goods. This has once again allowed me to regain my position as "favorite" with my mother-in-law. :)
Love & Loved Ones,
K
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Feb 25 - The Day We Went Local
Inspired by my current read, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Husband and I had made plans early in the week to take a trip to the farmer's market for some fresh produce/local goods. I asked him on Friday if, given the situation, he would still be up for it. He agreed it might prove a nice distraction. Grief may stop you in your tracks, but biology keeps on ticking and thus you have to eat. Might as well eat something good for you and good tasting, yes? We took our time perusing the growers' tables, seeing everything from radishes and swiss chard to goat cheese and artisan breads. We chose a few items we knew, a few we had never cooked, and of course, one to snack on in the car (coffee cake from Artisan Bread Co). Now were left with the task of figuring out how to cook half the veggies we had just purchased, which included baby carrots (like REAL baby carrots, not shaved down big carrots!), radishes, swiss chard, two types of lettuce, arugula, purple onions and garlic leeks. After our excursion, I worked at the shop the rest of the day for what would be our LAST evening shift before our permanent hours change (NO MORE NIGHTS)! Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus, too or is that just me??
Highlights:
1) Worked my fingers to the bone whipping out the handmade invites for my nephew's "bless the nest" shower. Every time I get into the throws of these projects I am revisited by the overwhelming desire to just buy the suckers next time. Of course, this rationale escapes me when the next party comes around. And for the record, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
2) Husband went to Monster Jam with the boys in my family. Apparently, the trucks were big. I know this because the next day, when I asked my nephew about their size, he replied, "They were bigger than my dad!" That's pretty dang big, y'all, especially when you're 4.
3) Husband also spent the afternoon with a friend who unfortunately was a few steps ahead of Jon on the very same path. He lost his father figure just a few short weeks before, in addition to several other large personal losses. I told him later that I am sad that he had to go through that, but simultaneously so glad that he knows exactly how to pray for Jon. In everything, a purpose.
Love & Local Fare,
K
Highlights:
1) Worked my fingers to the bone whipping out the handmade invites for my nephew's "bless the nest" shower. Every time I get into the throws of these projects I am revisited by the overwhelming desire to just buy the suckers next time. Of course, this rationale escapes me when the next party comes around. And for the record, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
2) Husband went to Monster Jam with the boys in my family. Apparently, the trucks were big. I know this because the next day, when I asked my nephew about their size, he replied, "They were bigger than my dad!" That's pretty dang big, y'all, especially when you're 4.
3) Husband also spent the afternoon with a friend who unfortunately was a few steps ahead of Jon on the very same path. He lost his father figure just a few short weeks before, in addition to several other large personal losses. I told him later that I am sad that he had to go through that, but simultaneously so glad that he knows exactly how to pray for Jon. In everything, a purpose.
Love & Local Fare,
K
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