The Annual Holiday Letter

Every year for probably the last 10-12 years, I've written an annual holiday letter. I usually start this process around Thanksgiving and write about 3 to 4 drafts before actually publishing it and writing it. One year I contemplated not writing it and was told by many friends that they actually look forward to it. "DON'T stop!!" they said. So I didn't.

This year, I just banged out the letter on the computer, no drafts, no editing, no gimmick. Just, here's to 2011, I'M GETTING MARRIED, and oh yeah, you all have a Happy 2011 too. For once I actually know what the future will bring!!

I started writing the letter since I have friends all over the county...I started writing it way before Facebook, or Twittering, or Blogging. I always find getting "snail" mail to be like opening a present. (see the postcard post) It's a nice gesture to get mail, a card, or a note just because.

So, for you nay sayers that always complain about the holiday letter that so and so sent, just remember they thought of sending it to you to say Hello, and keep you in the loop of their lives. Drop them a card too with a little note. I'm sure they would appreciate the gesture.

Now, I have to go, to re-look at my 2010 letter one last time...Happy Holidays!

Winter!

My 36" prelit "FROSTY" the snowman

Well, winter came quickly upon us, and my fellow blogger from the deChicken family suggested I write a blog about this guy. I don't know about you, but he makes me smile when I just walk by him. Of course he is turned around and plugged in at night so all the neighborhood kids can see his cute fuzzy smile. If my FH gets home before me, then he plugs little ole Frosty in so I can drive up to him at night.

So far this winter we haven't seen any snow. I'm looking forward to the first snowfall...we got our Snowblower delivered. Now if only we can figure out how to use it! I can't wait until we can make our first snowman in our front yard!

Hopefully next year, I can get an electrician to put some outlets on the outside of the house and Frosty can be enjoyed appropriately by all!

Happy Holidays!

Hello Home!

The day(s) finally came! Our first house, my first house. Well, we own a small percentage of it, but we get to live in it, put holes in the wall, anything we want! I have a driveway!!! Whoo Hoo!! Through this whole experience, I didn't really sleep, I got a cold once, and managed to fight off 2 others. All in a span of say 21 days. But worth the time and stress to have something we can call HOME!

We got the keys on 11/8, and moved on 11/20. I met my FH 2 years ago that Saturday, and 6 months from 11/21 we will be married. MARRIED!!! No more calling him FH!!
Anyway, I digress. I have to go back to unpacking the several boxes that moved here, purge some more stuff from these boxes, and get my life back in order. Somewhere I have to find the birthday card I purchased for my friends birthday (which is today and it still has to get mailed) AND my mother's birthday which is on Friday. Wish me luck!

Milestones...

I've been thinking about this word a lot. It's a word that can only be defined by you. Here's a few milestones I've lived to tell about:

1. turning 16...back then anyone  could get a driver's license at that age. Now, I think it's 18?
2. graduating High School. Needless to say, I would never want to go back in time to relive that!!
3. 12 more quarters of college, equals a bazillion more tests before I graduate...and then poof, I graduated college
4. TURNING 21 - I thought that day would never ever come!!
5. Getting your first job out of college - for me it was in SF - the best place to be in your 20's!
6. "How old will I be in the year 2000?"
7. Then came the hard ones to achieve....

A. Get Married

B. Buy a House

These are the questions my accountant would ask me every year...."did you get married yet? buy a house? nothing's changed...ok, I don't need an appointment to see you. Just drop your papers off". HA, now I need to call and make an appointment!!

Well, Milestone Monday is almost here - my FH and I will be home owners on Monday. I've saved 8 years of bonuses, squirrel'd away money here and there, and managed to find my Best Friend/Future Husband AND my dream home. We laugh that we should "Get Married and Buy a House, but not in that order..."

So, we all count our own milestones in our own ways, I'm just happy to put another marker in my memory on Monday. Hello house! (and goodbye savings account!).

Pumpkin Carving

My 7 year old nephews pumpkin of choice. We did most of the carving!

It's that time of year that I look forward to. Ever since my nephews could even have any concept of Halloween, we've been carving pumpkins together. I guess I've been going on 5 years now. There's something about the ritual. My four year old nephew woke up last Sunday morning and the first thing he said to his mom: "Today is the day Auntie comes over to carve pumpkins!". How cute is that?

My 4 Year old nephews pumpkin of choice!

3 years ago, I had a carve your pumpkin party - prizes, tealights, winners. It was a tradition I was looking forward to having every year thereafter. And then life got in the way. My boyfriend, now fiance (aka FH) moved from NYC to be with me. And now, we are buying a house and moving in a few weeks. All good things. But that doesn't stop me from carving up some pumpkins this year with our without a party!

Here's what I accomplished last night - what you can't see is his "blingy" eye patch - I bought the black rhinestones at Pier One - super cool and different!

I added the "ARGH"!

I've never been a big Halloween person, but I love carving up some pumpkins! I'm hoping next year to have the long awaited pumpkin carving party...prizes and all. I seriously start thinking about it 6 months before hand. I like to see everyone's creativity!! So, everyone get ready for bringing out the best design next year. Enjoy the Holiday!!

My Fall Day...

Today consists of nothing much but running around. I'm currently trapped by love ...My 2 year old part Maine Coon cat is a luv bug and purr machine. She is happily laying in my lap purring away.

Today I..

1. Kissed my Sweetie Goodbye - he is going to his HS reunion
2. Donated a bunch of stuff
3. Looked for a Vanity at Lowe's (one that doesn't cost $700 for just the wood, and no sink!), and bought more packing supplies
4. Donated Canned Food and bought some more food..
5. Unloaded the dishwasher
6. Threw out the recycling
7. Got my hair cut and colored
8. Researched our honeymoon - Cinque Terre (please email me ideas if you have been here!!)

Still yet to do today..

1. Purge unnecessary paperwork
2. Pick up my sister at the airport
3. Recycle the unnecessary paperwork
4. eat dinner
5. Squeeze in a movie (Letters to Juliet...Better to watch while FH is gone)
6. Work

Whew - and it's only 4:00!!

The BEST part of my day today was discovering this!!

FH to me: "Super Heroes AND JOKES?!"

So far, a very good day!!

PS - Joke of the popsicle...What happens when you go inside with a snowsuit on?

Apples Apples and more Apples!

I went apple picking with my sister and two nephews over the long weekend. It was a beautiful fall day - perfect sunny skies, and the boys were so cute in wanting to pick the right apple!

I think I've had more apple foods this weekend then I do over an entire month, and it was all delicious!!

1. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider - seriously! (I'm throwing in some dark rum tonight!)
2. Carmel Apple - with nuts.
3. Regular freshly picked Jonogold apple - Mmmm, Mmmm
4. Cider Apple Donuts - OMG - warm and delicious
5. and the best of the weekend, homemade apple crisp.

Made by yours truly!

Hot out of the oven

Almost gone!

I am normally not so ambitious, and my brother in law makes a mean apple pie, but I thought I would try it myself - I got the recipe from allrecipes.com..

Here's the link. Enjoy!! (I would take out about 1/4 cup brown sugar, otherwise amazing).

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/apple-crisp-ii/Detail.aspx

I don't think my FH and I are going to eat dinner tonight, but at least we will get our 5 servings of fruits today!

Hello House!

As if planning a wedding weren't enough, FH and I decided to buy a house. THIS HOUSE. Cute right? OK, I'm a little partial to it.

Well, I've learned a few things about buying a house, our first house...together.

1. Buying a house is like on line dating. Looks good in the pictures, but then you actually get there, and the view all around your yard is of a huge parking lot, or Bob's auto store. Kind of like your first blind date - looks good in the pictures...but then you meet and you realize the picture posted of said date is from 1996. (Good thing I met FH through a friend!)

2. Buying a house is like shopping for a wedding gown, just a lot more expensive. Like they say, you try on a lot of dresses, but when you find the one of your dreams, you just know it. When FH and I walked into this house, we just knew it was for us.

3. The house, like the wedding gown, needs a few alterations. And that costs money. What I find funny is, I need to have my wedding gown altered, and I can get an estimate on how much that might cost, but I won't know until they pull it apart and put it back together. Well, that's kind of like the repairs we need to do to the house. We know we can get an estimate from the contractor, but we won't know the true cost until the job is done.

4. What I do know is this, I still love my wedding gown, and I still love this house. Alterations and repairs included!

5. Trust - I've learned to not have to control everything and trust my FH to help me make the decisions, and to make decisions for our future on our own. We have survived with hardly a fight...we should get married!


6. We imagine entertaining in this house (great back yard and kitchen) with friends and family. But the funny thing we can't wait for is to see how our two kitties will be running around with all this space!! We imagine they will get lost in the house and we'll be calling them for days. I'm sure they will be off exploring something somewhere!

As the process goes along, I'm sure I'll learn a lot of new house terms, like joints, and lally's (yeah, look that one up). Kind of like I learned what ruching was for a wedding dress....

***BING!***

BING is a new search engine that I never have used. I suppose I should try it before I post this blog, but where is the fun in that?

What I really want to know is, do you know anyone who is like a human search engine? Someone who can recite semi-useless, but in some instances interesting information.

My boss is exactly like that...the other day we are in a meeting and we were discussing Coastal Art, and various other work related issues and here are the 3 things she comes out with...

1. "Did you know a sandpiper can't swim? That's why they run so fast when the waves are coming at them, but they can float.."
2. while measuring the doorway..."Yea, that's about 36"...regulation doorways for a wheelchair (my boss is not in a wheelchair, she just knows this info.)

At this point I start calling her BING! YUP, at the end of a useless fact, I just say "BING" like a chime or a ring. I told her I needed a 3rd useless fact so I could add it to my Blog...and she came up with...

3. Do you know what bird can fly backwards?

At this point, I was told the answer, but perhaps you should "BING" it...let me know what you find out!

As a matter of fact, I'm going to BING it myself and see what comes up (even though I know the answer).

For your viewing entertainment, I have placed one of the ads that "Made Me Go BING!" And no, I am not getting paid by Bing...

The Drink

Around 4:30 today I found myself saying "I could really use a drink!"...then I thought, wow, "I could really use a SHOT of something". Needless to say, no shot, but I do have a nice cold drink in hand while typing up my blog with my kitty cat blocking the computer.

It was an interesting day ...big meeting with what I've coined "The Big Boss" (ie - my boss' boss). My Boss wasn't there, so it was just me and the Big Boss. The meeting went well, but I was a wreck.

After it was over, I got kudos and compliments. I sat back down at my desk and thought about that drink. I left early so I could get home and clear my mind. Yes, I left early so I could get a drink. At least I'm not like Don Draper from Mad Men, and have one stashed in my desk drawer.

Thank god for Absolut Boston. It is Mmmmm, Mmmmm, good! It's a limited edition, so for today, I said hello to it, but I also said goodbye, it was the last pour of the bottle. BUT, good thing I have a back up bottle waiting for another day! Helllloooo!!!

Timing is Everything and a Little Bit of Luck

My FH and I were commenting on how lucky we were today - the weather was perfect for our engagement photo's. Here's a sneak peek...

We set this date about 3 weeks ago. Since then, we've seen a hurricane and a tornado on the East Coast. Lucky us we picked this 75* perfectly sunny day to do our Save the Date/Engagement photo's.

Of course then we went back to how we met...a mutual friends birthday party - I almost didn't go, he stopped by on his way to another party (he never made it). What would have happened if we turned left instead of right? We probably would never have met.

We got engaged and found our site by chance, and they just happen to have our desirable date available. It was the ONLY date available in May. We are lucky to have found it. The site is gorgeous, the Wedding Coordinator caring, funny, and knowledgeable. What if we had waited a few weeks to look at the site? We probably wouldn't have found it and had to go somewhere else. Timing is everything.

The Southern Part of the USA

I recently found myself in downtown Nashville...home of the Grand Ole Opry. I guess Nashville can be called "Music City".  If you know me at all, you will know I am not a Country Girl...

Although I don't look too bad in my country hat and studded purse. It's purple afterall! Both items stayed in the store, although I was tempted to get a real pair of authentic cowboy boots!

I'm also not a fan of country music, but then of course I do like some Shania Twain and Taylor Swift. Apparently she will do autographs for HOURS and not complain. At the store where this was taken, they had TONS of Opry tshirts, shot glasses, toys, the list goes on and on. AND a huge video screen with the latest singer du jour in Music City...and yes, I kind of liked it. My sister would have the look of "WHAT, YOU'RE kidding right?" look, but it really wasn't that bad. Apparently it was Keith Urban, and NOT Elvis...Although I did have a sighting of him..

The south is kind of nice to visit. They move at a slower, but nice pace. No hustle and bustle. Just a bunch of people doing it the southern way..full of kindness and twang. 

Game Day!

I currently have the Monday Night Football Theme in my head. And John Madden's voice too. Although he really doesn't have anything truly meaningful to say, football season hasn't really started until I hear the theme and Madden streaming through my TV.

For most of us, today is opening day. Fantasy Football teams have been picked. Bragging rights instituted, and the smack talk has already begun. It's a good excuse to have people over, meet at bars, dig out your jersey's, and put your flags up on your car.

I grew up watching football. It was the time we spent with dad on Sunday. I may not have understood the game back then, but I clearly remember picking teams because I thought their uniforms were pretty colors. Minnesota for their purple (my favorite color), and the Houston Oilers for their light blue. Now they are the TN Titans. Times change, but the game is the game.

I was a San Francisco 49er fan for most of my life. Joe Montana was the man. "Montana to RICE!!'.
Now it's "BRADY to MOSS!!!" Will Brett Favre retire, will he not. How can anyone even sign Michael Vick? All the drama surrounding the GAME.

But for today, I say hello to Week 1, and goodbye to the drama. May your fantasy football team win big, and just let the games begin!

The three B's!

I've learned a lot from my parents. But one of the THE most important thing I learned in life was how to cook. I'll never be as good as my dad, but sometimes I try. The one thing I do preach to all my friends about cooking are the THREE B's.

The secret ingredients to almost any recipe are:

 

1. Butter
2. Bacon
3. Booze

Repeat!

If you can name something that doesn't taste good with one of these ingredients, BRING IT ON!

You may not like one or all, but then I'm certain I don't know who you are either!

The hit recipe I made over the weekend while hanging with some good friends:

Slow cook bacon with onions. Caramelize the onions.
In a separate pot, par boil the string beans (1/2 cook them).

Crank up the heat to almost high on the bacon and onions.
Add the string beans, and butter.

Saute until done, and serve it up.

Mmmmmmm, Mmmmmm good.

Experiment with the 3 B's and let me know how you do!

Postcards

I've been feeling a bit uninspired lately...wondering what the next blog should be about, and it seems as if at just the right time, my inspiration comes friends.

Today, I received a "Hello" postcard in the mail from my friend that is living in England. She travels EVERYWHERE from there. For fun, and for work. This just arrived in the mail today:

Doesn't it look LOVELY? I don't know about you, but I love getting mail. And I don't mean email, or voicemail, but good old fashioned snail mail.

I know that she selected this particular postcard with me in mind, and she takes the time to write out a long message to me, signing off with her "XOXO Miss you!" I know this because I have traveled in Europe with her, and she is one of the very few people I know who is like me when it comes to postcards.

I love to send postcards too. Not to say "ha ha, look where I am", but because I want to share my experiences with those I care about. I want them to know I was thinking about them, and for them to see how beautiful the place and the people are wherever I am. I hope to inspire them to travel there, or to revisit the magical location if they have already been there. 

Thanks to my friend(s), my "MUST VISIT BEFORE I DIE" list keeps getting longer.

So, when you go somewhere, take the time to send a postcard to the ones you miss and love.  I know I will appreciate the gesture, and I'm sure others will too!

the Grid and the Smartphone

What exactly is the GRID. I read a book once where the main character went off the grid. No credit cards, no trace of the guy at all. No cell phone!

In the last 5 years or so, we've all become accustomed to our smart phones. We're connected to...cyberspace. My FH will instant message me when I'm in the other room...I never get it because he's more connected to his BBerry than I am.

At first I refused to get a smartphone, now I can't really go anywhere without it. I went on a 2 week vacation to Europe last year, and updated photos to facebook every day. I couldn't wait to post them and read comments. They helped me to stay "connected" to my friends and family.

Tomorrow I leave on a nice 4 day vacation, hopefully away from the Hurricane (Earl) and my Smartphone. I see my friends are still connected, and currently have a love hate relationship with my Smartphone(s). Yes, I have 2. One for work and one for personal. Oh, and an itouch too!

Yesterday's conversation went something like this:

ME: "do you remember if we get service?"
FH: "no"
Me: "hmmmm"
FH: - no comment

Which is funny since I think his phone would grow into his hip if it could.

So, I'm wondering if I will be off the grid for the next 4 days and not get any service. It would be nice, but then you wouldn't get to see sunset's like this until Tuesday:

photo credit Deanna Briggs who is already there

Until tomorrow then, or until Tuesday....

The Wave and a Smile

Where I'm from, you let a driver cut in front of you, you are returned with kindness, by the gesture of a wave and a smile.

Where I live now, I might get 1-2 waves for every 10 acts of kindness.  Maybe. On a good day. What happened to the wave? Did it say goodbye and I didn't know it?

When stopping near a crosswalk, I hope to get a wave from the pedestrian. I know what you are thinking; I'm supposed to stop. I'm pretty religious at stopping at a crosswalk for a pedestrian. But a nice wave is a nice gesture. 

I always wave. I was in a cross walk tonight, and someone stopped, and I waved AND smiled. I got a nod in return. Can't complain about that.

I pull over on the side roads if a car is coming right at me. I never get a wave or a smile.  I sigh, become the better person and wave anyways even though I'm the one with the nice gesture. 

Driving to work, I always try to let at least one or two people in. About 10% of the time I'll get a wave. 5% of the time I might be lucky enough to get a wave and a smile. Whoo hoo!

And that brings me to the work parking lot. I work in a building that holds anywhere from 2000-5000 people on any given day. At 5pm sharp, it's like Fred Flintstone time! The whistle goes off, and it is a gridlock to get out of the parking lot. One would think there existed an unspoken common courtesy to your fellow coworkers in regards to parking lot etiquette. Every other car should go, even from 3 directions. Ummm, yea, it's every car for themselves. East Coast mentality at it's finest.

So, remember to give a wave and a smile to that nice driver who stops for you in the crosswalk, or let's you cut in front of them. I appreciate the wave, and I always smile and wave back!

The Brain

Ever since I turned 40, I am seeping brain cells. At times my facebook status will say something like "if you have found my mind, please return it!". I'm not sure what happened. I'm sure my parents would say "OLD AGE!". I could remember numbers like I knew my birthdate or social security number. I blame advanced technology. Who even remembers their parents home number (if they moved, which mine have), or your sister's cell phone number? Not me. And if the "smart phone" dies, and you need to use someone else's phone, I can't dial anyone anymore!

My FH always asks me the most obvious questions  - to me anyway. "OH, we should make a reservation for 4 for dinner tonight. OOPS!" (He emails me this on Friday at 2pm). My reply: "Remember, YOU looked it up and they don't take reservations for small parties?".

"RIGHT", he says, "You must have the brain today!"

The truth is, most of the time I still have the brain. Until today.

ME - "Do you want some of those hamburger's today"
FH - "We still have some in the fridge".
Me - "No we don't. I'm positive"
FH - "OK, if you say so" (if you read his blog, you will realize that most of his male friends advice goes something like - just say "YES DEAR")

Me - 1 hour later after we bought said hamburger's "OH, I guess you were right, we do still have some".

Apparently, he had the brain for the day. Let's hope I get it back soon!

Registering Part 1

FH and I started to register last weekend. The problem is, I'm a Buyer for decor products and I know what things cost to make and ship. And if I don't know, I can ask any buyer in the home area.

• Tabletop dinnerware? Bought it.
• Ceramics? Yup, bought it.
• Stationary, candles, mirrors, the list goes on and on. Yes, I bought it.
• Cookware, haven't bought it yet, but know the buyers.

Where I work, we get deals and pass them on to the customers. No, really, it's true!

• I just purchased this 30cm (translate 8.9QT) Le Cruset Pot for $159.99. Now, I could register for this said pot, and ask someone to pay over $300.00 for it, but I can't just seem to think that is right.

Check out this deal....

• 6 diVino by Rosenthal Bordeaux Wine Glass on ebay for $64.89 with $18.50 shipping.
• I just paid $19.99 for them and walked out the store.

At the rate I'm going, I won't have anything to register for. And so, this is my dilemma.

And even if I find the dinnerware pattern I want, I know it will be OUTRAGEOUSLY overpriced, even if it won't seem like it. It's the principle of the thing. However, I really need to say goodbye to my dinnerware since I've had it since 1993 or maybe 94. Out with the old, in with the new. It's time to shut my eyes right?!

My FH will come home any minute now and say to me....Sweetie, stop, we will need to register for something!!!

dial up the internet

Our wireless cable has been sucking...I really meant to say SUCKING - in ALL CAPS - LIKE I'M YELLING AT IT RIGHT NOW! I remember when you got to the internet through the phone line back in 1992 or there about. It was the coolest thing ever. I even got my own email address with my very own name because email wasn't really around back then. No suggestions, no crazy numbers, no error messages saying "that name has been taken, try xiytoely". Like that would make sense.

We tried switching from RCN to Comcast to get faster internet, but Comcast screwed us over twice with scheduled appointments. I mean, we scheduled it, waited and they never showed. We tried Verizon Fios - we live in too old of a house, and sadly it's not available. Sigh. So, about 2 weeks ago we thought we would be getting faster cooler internet. Now, we have to walk into the room where the wireless router is and pray we get to download the fbook home page by sunrise.

Long story short, we gave RCN another try, and they are coming to "switch out the equipment". Really, they couldn't have offered that from our first phone call. I guess a customer needs to call 3x before getting any kind of service. We have been counting down the days and hours until they come.

I said goodbye to slow dial up at least over a decade ago, and now I feel like I've been back in the slow lane of the information highway. Let's hope by Saturday when we get the new equipment, I can say hello to the Auto-Bahn of bandwidth and not get any grey hairs by the time I hit "Publish Post"!

Weather Porn

Yup, you read that right, weather porn. I obsess over the weather to the point where my FH started announcing when the weather was on the news and pausing it on the DVR by saying "WEATHER PORN IS ON".

We all look at the weather for various reasons. Headed to NYC for the day, do I need an umbrella? What shoes should I wear? NFL Football game, 70* the by day, 50* by days end...hmmm, wear lots of layers.

Vacation - shorts, long pants, sweatshirts, tanktops, which shoes, what coat?
Once I know where I'm going when, the 10 day forecast is up. Will there be thunderstorms? Train or Fly?

When we get into these transition months, Aug to Sept, Summer to Fall, you have to be prepared for all sorts of weather.

These past 3 days have been rainy rainy rainy. I said goodbye to Oregon over 8 years ago, and feel like where I am now I've been transported back to Oregon. Grey and Rainy. Just like Oregon. When I first moved here, I would go out with a gortex, no umbrella, and laugh at people who complained because it was grey and raining for only one day. Now, 8 years later, I am one of these people. I guess a zebra can grow spots.

Now I'm obsessing about Saturday's weather. My very good friend is getting married, and I want nothing but sunshine and perfect weather. According to the 10 day forecast, she will have 80* as a high, sunny, and 55* (or there about) for a low. PERFECT.

So, I'll keep watching weather porn and hope that my wedding day next year will be just as perfect. Too bad I can't pull up the 280 day + forecast!

Musical Chairs

My commute into work takes me anywhere from 25-45 minutes depending on traffic. My 2008 Honda Accord has XM Radio (12 stations), 6 CD Changer, FM -1, FM-2, AM, and an AUX plug for my ipod.

And, there is nothing on. Nothing. Station 1 - 6 on XM, keep clicking. What's in CD 6? Oh yea, haven't changed that CD out in awhile. I calculated that there are over 224 options/stations/cd's I can listen to at any one given time. How can there be SO MANY options, and yet nothing is on. There is always the ipod, but can't plug that in while driving...I'm driving!

Music, like books, movies or TV is subjective. It all depends on your mood. Need to wake up in the morning? Lady Gaga or U2. You might say AC/DC. Need to relax and get rid of the headache? Sade, Enya. You might say John Mayer....the list goes on and on.

I learned an interesting fact this weekend. At a wedding, you might have anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours of music. That translates to approximately 21-45 or 50 songs. THAT's it! Hard to believe right? I guess I just think it's funny that I grew up with FM radio, 8 tracks and records, cassettes and finally CD's. Now, the magic of the ipod gives me too many options. I have 4200 songs in my itunes library. Guaranteed if I hit "random" I wouldn't know even half of them.

I'm not sure how to end this blog, so I'll leave it at wondering if you have experienced the same thing.

My Signature, My Name

What's in a name? It identifies you from the day you are born. As soon as you learn how to write your letters, the first thing you learn is how to write your name. It's a part of you from almost the second you enter this world.

Today my FH and I decided on the DJ and the Florist. Busy wedding day. While we were enjoying our lunch, my FH says to me "I've been practicing signing your last name, just in case". For the last 2 months, I've been struggling with signing my new last name. Don't forget, I'm older than most brides and have been signing my name for a good 10+ years longer than most people did since they got married. It's not easy to break a 30+ year old habit in 11 months. So he signed, I signed. I signed again. He tried to give me lessons on how to sign his last name..."You just leave out all those letters, and finish with the e".  Yeah, right, you go back to signing MY last name...you try leaving it behind and saying goodbye to your name.

A lot of newly engaged brides go through this question and answer. There are articles in every magazine and website. Do you hyphenate, do you drop your middle name, do you even take your FH's last name? It becomes the topic of conversation in the office, dinner with friends.

So, I decided about 6 weeks ago, drop my middle name. I don't really like it anyway. Keep my last name and add his. So, JAH, will become JHM - wow I had to think about that. Maybe in the next 30+ years I'll finally feel comfortable with my new name. So, goodbye comfortable signature, hello new signature. I might start signing my WHOLE name, yup all 3, and then maybe in a few years it will trim down to first and last. Decisions decisions. Guess I'll keep on practicing!

The Popsicle

Mmmm, the summertime treat. With only 2 more weeks until September Labor Day weekend, summer is flying by quickly. We got home late today - 11:30pm. I wanted the newly discovered Raspberry shortbread for a little treat...drat! Ate the last one last night. Hmmm, vanilla ice cream with caramel ginger sauce...too heavy. What about a popsicle. The one stick, not two stick kind....My nephews ate these while we were on vacation and soon I was too. I even went as far as stocking them in my freezer. Believe me, if you have ever been near my freezer, duck in case something comes falling out at you. So making room for popsicles makes them pretty high priority. I easily went through my grape popsicle in about 3 minutes. About 5 minutes later, I realized I forgot to read the joke. Yup, they even entertain you long after the last bite. I actually dug out the popsicle stick (not a lot of trash in the bin, so don't be icked out or anything), to bring you the following...."What kind of bird is always sad?"

"a blue bird". I think I need to open the freezer and say hello to another popsicle for a better joke!

The Wedding Gown

No, that picture is not of my wedding dress. Can't have FH seeing it online, but I had to get your attention somehow!

Yesterday, I said HELLO to my new wedding dress. Fresh from the dry cleaners. I bought it at a place called VOWS (www.bridepower.com). I call it the TJ Maxx for wedding dresses. Beautiful designer, and I mean designer gowns for over 50% off! People from all over the country come here to find their perfect dress. My friend and I went here about 3 weeks after I got engaged. She said to me: "Are you ready to buy a dress tonight?!" I was skeptical of course - only my 2nd shop, was I really going to find one? We started pulling dresses like it was nobody's business!! And there it was, my dress.
Some people say they cried, some people said they didn't. Some people say they go in with one idea, and end up buying a totally different dress. I cried. I bought 80% of what I thought I would get, and I love it. 2 months later, I still love it. I still look at bridal magazines and I can't find one dress I like better than mine. No buyer's remorse here!

So, when I picked it up yesterday, and held it in my arms, I cried again. It is probably the most tangible thing about a wedding other than your FH and your ring. It's what makes getting married real and beautiful.

One day next year I'll have to take it off for good and say goodbye to it...or will I? Remember that Friends episode where all the girls are sitting in front of the tv with popcorn? The one where they are all in their wedding dresses? My girlfriends and I are planning that day together - sometime after my wedding. We'll get to say hello to our dresses one more time. And maybe we'll cry again...probably with laughter!

OUCH to Fluffy

I hit my head a few minutes ago. So hard I started to cry and had to put ice on it. Currently I am sitting in front of the computer with an ice pack on my head. OUCH - doesn't help I also have a headache that doesn't seem to want to go away. Drink or nap? Workout or TV? Computer? SURE!
FH and I went to see Despicable Me a few weeks ago. FUNNY - GO SEE IT! Our favorite line is well....play the attachment.
My FBOOK friend wrote this as her status update and of course I had to tell her that my FH and I say this ALL THE TIME! It helps we have a part Maine Coon cat who is oh so fluffy. So we must say it at least once a day.
I sat down to the computer, with an ice pack on my head and received this link. How can you not laugh out loud and forget the bump on the head and the headache. Enjoy!!

the Q as in Barbeque

We said goodbye to the trusty old bbq I'd had for 8 years. The left side was all flame, and if there was any gust of wind, look out for the flame coming your way! It became so I would only turn on the right hand side of the grill and only in times of desperation and caution, the left side would go on. I always had to turn it on with one of those long lighters...the push button ignition never quite worked.
My FH would never ever light the grill. Ever. Quite unusual for someone with a "Y" chromosome. Had something to do with playing with fire when he was a kid, and really doesn't like to be around gas.
Today, we said hello to our new beautiful Weber, 3 burner grill.

It is GORGEOUS! I love our new grill. It's so sleek, and even, and hot. And the best part is, the ignition button works, and FH can light the grill himself. Thanks god for the "Y" chromosome kicking in. Funny, I think we might be fighting each other going forward on who gets to grill!

Sunset, Sunrise

FH and I were driving home from our last catering tasting tonight. (that's a whole separate blog) We hit the sunset just right. Blue and reddish orange clouds; reflections of the last bit of sunlight off the river. It was spectacular. If I could have pulled over on the busy road to just enjoy the moment I would have.

I'm from the west coast and watching the sunset was more of a daily occurrence. The sun's glint off of the snow covered mountains or seeing the sunlight on the river that cuts right through the heart of town. The ocean was only an hour and 30 minutes away. I could watch the sun set off the ocean more often then I will ever see the sun rise on the east coast. I am not a morning person. Not...At...All. There seems to be one exception. When I travel, I can't wait to get up! What does the new city have to offer me? What will I learn, experience, taste, smell? I have two very memorable sunrises....last year in Prague, the church bell woke me up to the most amazing sunrise. This is what I saw out my window:

I almost threw on jeans and a t-shirt to run down to the bridge to capture more of this perfect morning. Then, sleep overcame me.

The sunrise over the Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences I'll ever see.  The glow of orange over the pure white marble. The silence of the people who live near or around the Taj. It was peaceful watching the other tourists and people take in the moment. Pictures don't do it any justice, so for anyone who goes to the Taj Mahal, please spend the night, and make sure to get up early. It is a memory I will hold onto forever, and maybe one day you will too.

A Stone's Throw

Looking for just the right stone

The definition of this is and I quote: "A stone's throw is, of course, literally the distance that a stone can be thrown. It has come to mean any short but undefined distance"  Or perhaps you have heard that saying (as silly as it is) : 'Whose house is of glass, must not throw stones at another " by George Herbert ,1651.


Forget that, THROW STONES!!! Today, we hiked around Borderland State Park and if you haven't, I suggest you do. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/borderland/index.htm

Everyone ready, set, THROW

We all got to throw stones in the pond. All of us that wanted to anyway! Flat stones for skipping , BIG STONES for kerplunking, little stones for little people. My Future Nephew cast several stones across the pond. Way to go! I refrained for the first 5 minutes or so, but then it just looked like so much fun...I just had to throw some stones. I promise I won't throw any at any glass houses, but I will throw it in a pond! You should try it sometime!

Mini-Golf

I said Hello to Mini-Golf today. When was the last time I played this? I'm sure I said Goodbye to this activity a long time ago. I can't even remember. But playing it with my FH and my FHss  Niece and Nephew was fun (soon to be my official Niece and Nephew)! A little friendly competition....a little side betting (.25 per hole is owed to the person with the best score per whole), a lot of cheering! My throat is sore from a lot of OOOOOOHHHHH's, and "Whoo Hoo, I'm master of the mini putt!".

I've discovered I play mini golf a lot like I play pool. I come out strong...and just stop concentrating towards the end. But who cares who wins or loses when the whole family is laughing and cheering each other on. I'm so glad my FN and FN came to visit; I've had a blast rediscovering the city with them and doing things like duck tours and mini golf!

Imagination...making something out of nothing.

I'm constantly amazed at what my nephews can create out of nothing. For the past 5 mornings I've woken up to various creations. "Look Auntie, a Robot!". Fred to be exact. 

This morning it was a bunny. The 6 year old drew THE CUTEST BUNNY ever. The 4 year old made an exact replica of the bunny. He loves to do what big brother does. 




The Robot was made out of paper, scissors, aluminum pie toppers, markers and imagination. Yesterday, they colored a piece of paper, drew a face on it, tucked it into a tupperware (they love their tupperware) , then rolled up a different piece of paper and stuck some string on it to stick out. Obviously it was a squirrel. Obviously. Up and down the stairs from 6-7:30 am they yelled "SQUIRREL...He's FLYING." I didn't get much sleep, but I got plenty of laughs. From Robots, to Squirrels, to Bunnies, it's nice to say Hello to Creativity and Imagination.

the Art of Jumping and the Digital Camera

Jumping takes skill. I remember when my 4 year old nephew couldn't jump on one leg (when he was 3). Now he is jumping around like a kangaroo. My other nephew who is almost 7 can jump up a step. Not something I want to try with my rickity knees. I was quite impressed today. I got them to jump off the step at the same time and captured some great air. Pictures to come in a few days.

Over 4 years ago, a coworker suggested we take a picture jumping in front of the TajMahal. She says she and her friends take jumping pictures all over the world. We had to use the timer, and trying to get 5 people jumping in the air at the same time is quite difficult. LOTS of laughter ensued, and lots of exercise too. Needless to say, with the help of the digital camera - success!

My FH and I love to take jumping pictures, and I love asking my friends to particpate in them too. At first they think I'm crazy, but suddenly find themselves competing with each other on who can get the most air, style points, let alone the person holding the camera has to be pretty savvy with the timing. Thankfully, digital cameras give us instantaneous views to rate style and air.

My FH and I will be jumping with our wedding party...and I'll be wearing ballet slippers so I can jump for joy and not twist my ankle at the same time.

So, I encourage all of you (who haven't already experienced this with me) to try the Art of Jumping with your Digital Camera.

a 4 year old point of view

My 4.5 year old nephew has a great view on life. Everything is about doing what his almost 7 year old big brother can do. But periodically he show his own little personality with flying colors.  Here are a few examples:

Looking for bugs!

Today while walking on one of the many beautiful trails of VT, he spotted not just one, or two, but THREE tiny little slugs. Being shortest has its advantages.
Tying shoelaces - I don't remember when I learned how to tie my own shoelaces, but being the youngest has it's advantages. I'm pretty sure he learned how to do this much quicker than big brother. He successfully tied (with 2 rabbit ears of course) Auntie's tennis shoes - double knotted and all. Much to my surprise, they stayed tied the whole hike.
The IceCube Guitar tray - yes...The Big Brother wanted the "Halloween" ice cubes (skulls and cross bones), while the younger brother wanted the guitar ice cubes...yup, the BB changed his mind and all of a sudden wanted the guitar tray. Way to use your influence!
The Cricket vs. the Ladybug - if you've been following my fbook status updates, you know we have been collecting all sorts of bugs this vacation. Operation Grasshopper, Operation Cricket...today, operation Ladybug. Younger brother can find ANY bug in the grass....today was operation Ladybug. How he finds them I have no idea...must be the short factor.
I guess today I've realized that saying Goodbye to your own childhood happened a long time ago, but saying Hello to a 4 year olds childhood is pretty revealing to this 41 year old.

to the 4 lb ball...

My FH designed 4 simple exercises with a 4lb ball. I bought this 4 lb ball on a whim. I'm the kind of person that has all the workout gear, which in turn becomes great dust collectors until say Jan1, or when....I'm in a wedding. My wedding. I have approximately 9 months to get into shape. Arms and Abs in particular.
Seriously, a 4 lb ball? A Watermelon weighs more than that! What could a 4 lb ball do to my arms? My abs?
Funny thing is, I woke up this morning after doing my 4 exercises yesterday, and ow ow ow....I will never mock a 4 lb ball again.

to the beginnings

2 of my friends and my FH appear to be blogging...I love following them and reading about their thoughts and families. Now while they were all encouraging me to start blogging, I felt the pressure...what would I write about? Well, after a week of coming up with a bazillion topics, I thought I would give it a whirl.
I was driving up to Vermont listening to my 54GLEE songs (yes, I'm a Gleek), and the song HELLO HELLO came on. I have said a lot of hello and goodbyes in my life...to people places, thoughts, dreams. So, Hello to blogging, and Goodbye to feeling the pressure of writing about whatever...