Monday, May 31, 2010

time flies

an excerpt from a post on Girl's Gone Child about how far the author has come since she started her blog in 2005:

Every day we become a little more interesting. A little more balanced. A little more successful in our ability to understand and know and care and love and come to conclusions about things.
Like gardens and how you can't tell how fast they've grown until you return from vacation.

This last line really hit me. When Andy and I left for PA yesterday afternoon we noticed one of our lilies had opened up. When we pulled back into our driveway an hour ago we noticed another bloom. Such change in only 48 hours.

In 2005 I graduated high school and moved waaay too much stuff into a tiny dorm room at James Madison University. I met my future husband a few weeks later. I saw firsthand the damage created by Hurricane Katrina and cried through the demolition. I shared secrets and laughs and tears with new friends. I traveled to Alaska, Ireland and England. I was proposed to. I said yes. I doodled bridal dresses on the margins of my notebook. I got married and went on a honeymoon. We shared a house together. I took my first pregnancy test. We got a dog. We drove to Florida and cruised to the Bahamas. I traveled to Seoul with my family. I graduated college, almost missing my graduation due to the stomach flu. We celebrated our first year anniversary at the beach, sharing year-old wedding cake with 18 friends. We discussed finances, jobs, moving, babies, traveling, church, cars and where we wanted to be in 5 years. We moved to new house. We celebrated two years of marriage.

Man, have I learned.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

an early Father's Day tribute

I'm fascinated by my father. He makes the best burgers and steak, tells the best stories and the corniest jokes, fixes anything and everything and has the most generous heart I know.

He used to push me high up in the air on the handmade swing in our front yard, reciting what he could remember of "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I love you, dad!

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

Friday, May 28, 2010

my goal. hold me to it.

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:1-4 NIV


Friday, May 21, 2010

adam

Netflix Adam.

Then iTunes the soundtrack. I recognized Joshua Radin and The Weepies during the film but tonight was the first time I paid attention to Lucy Shwartz. I'll be listening to "Gone Away" over and over this weekend. Turns out her music has been featured on Greys Anatomy and Private Practice, as well as in the film The Women, which means I've definitely heard her before.

I loved it, all of it. Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy were fabulous. I'll be thinking about this movie for a long, long time.

Thanks for the recommendation momma!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

hint hint, andy


I'm loving roundabout's shop on Etsy and this adorable tiny leaf necklace. I've been noticing many women on TV are wearing shorter chains so the charm/pendant hits their collarbone. I used to hate this length, but the more I see it the more I like it.
A delicate necklace is the perfect way to show off a delicate neck and feminine bone structure.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

11 days of nothing

I worked 50 hours last week and have this whole week + this weekend and next off. I might work a few hours here and there, but for the most part I am without plans. I'm on day 2 of vacation.

What would you do with 9 free days? Here is what I'm planning on doing:

Sleep whenever I want
Walk 2 miles a day
Read read read read read read
Write a short story
Plan out a Bible study that I'd like to lead at church and contact church leaders with my ideas
Lift weights and convince myself that lunges and squats are worth my time
Watch "America: the history of us"
Purchase plants and flowers
Visit Barnes and Noble whenever possible
TAN.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

a salad to look forward to

I threw some things into a plastic container for my lunch on Monday and have been eating it all week.

mixed greens
chopped walnuts
gorgonzola cheese
craisins and dried cherries
chicken (I've been using deli sliced chicken)
turkey pepperoni or turkey bacon
diced strawberries
raspberry vinaigrette

Sunday, May 9, 2010

mommy, guess what I did?

I read 3 books in the last week and a half, which means my eyes have glazed over in a drunken, happy stupor. It took me a week to read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, one afternoon to read The Return Letter (a book of short stories by Maeve Binchy) and two days to read It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong.

Memoirs of a Geisha was a beautiful book that I don't regret picking up, but I didn't love it. I needed to put it down every few chapters, and I prefer a book that has to be pried from my fingers.

The Return Letter was funny, sad, sweet and comforting. I'm adding it to the other books of short stories that I take on vacation year after year.

It Sucked and Then I Cried was like one long blog post on Armstrong's blog, dooce.com, which I've mentioned before and love love love. If you read it, which I suggest you do, prepare yourself to both laugh and shudder at the truths about pregnancy, birth and life after baby.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

stuff in a pan

I was beyond starving when I got off work, which means my instincts screamed "Subway! McDonalds! Frozen pizza! Lots and lots of cereal!" and I had to pacify them by remembering we are going out for our anniversary dinner on Monday and until then I should eat food that will nourish my body instead of put it into cardiac arrest. This is what I came up with:

Onion- mushroom- yellow squash- zucchini- ground beef skillet. I seasoned the beef with Season-All and seasoned the veggies with garlic salt and pepper.

This was one of the healthiest, yummiest and most filling 10-minute dinners I've ever made.