Challenge II, D1: Comfort

(Pardon the dusty keyboard. Yikes.)

Happy Tuesday, friends! Welcome to day 1 of my new challenge series! In lots of ways, this has been a good day: great run with my girls this morning, time for devotions (it's been hard to sit down to devotions in the morning with the early runs. When it comes down to shower vs. devotions, my spirit would prefer the latter, but my colleagues, the former. You're welcome, Mr.boss-man.) and a good breakfast (oatmeal... loving this cooler weather!) But as the day progressed other "not so good" things started piling up, one on top of the other, and by the end of the day I was just tired...

(I must say that I am feeling very blessed to not have been more affected by this crazy earthquake that the east coast dealt with today.... I felt it, but that was the extent. My heart is with all those dealing with the outcome of that event tonight...)

And so I did what any girl one would do: I came home & called a girlfriend, poured myself a big glass of milk, and busted out the jojos. ;)

And now here I am cookies in hand, wrapped in a blanket, kitties close by, playing some of my favorite relaxing music and writing. And I feel worlds better. I think I'm beginning to master this art of 'comfort'.... ♥

As I've gotten older, one of the concepts I have been most thrilled & fascinated to learn is that of 'comfort'. I love the fact that comfort is such a personal phenomena, and I love even more that it's a fluid concept that shifts and changes form for each person as time goes on.

For most of us, out first definition of comfort was probably falling asleep in our mothers' arms. As we grew up and our knowledge of the universe expanded, our definition grew to include things like "worn-in jeans, downy blankets, and hot cocoa" (among other things).

And while I hold all these things to be truth, as far as what comfort is-- I have come to know something else, as well: that above and beyond any tangible thing, comfort is what make a house a home.

I love that my life is a healthy mix of social nights out & quiet nights in. I love to go out and be loud with my girlfriends, on the nights when the stories and the wine and giggles flow freely. And that's one kind of comfort, for sure: a comfort found in being absolutely free to be yourself. But I also (equally fiercely!) love the quiet nights in , filled with bottomless cups of hot tea, plates of homemade cookies, sleepy kitties & snuggling on the couch with my man.

It is here, at home, that I am most at peace; it is here where I can finally allow the weight of the world and the stress of the work day roll off my shoulders.

During the second half of my "college life", I was moving every 3 months as a co-op student. Moving was a great experience for me not only because it took me to new places, but because it forced me out of my comfort zone in so many ways. And while some people might argue that moving every 3 months is detrimental to ones sense of comfort & self because 'you never have enough time to put down any roots' ... I would argue that moving every 3 months allowed me to branch out, and, perhaps more importantly, that my roots were firmly planted to begin with. Also, undeniably, moving every 3 months gave me a better sense of what "home" really was for me.

Since Jon & I moved into this house at the end of last March, this is the house that I've lived in the longest (outside of my parents home, where I spent 18+ years!) Our house is not the biggest on the street, and our flower beds are far from perfect, but it is cozy and perfect & ours. I remember lying awake on our air mattress the first night we had the house, listening to the cats explore their vast new domain & and Jon's soft, regular breathing. I didn't sleep well that night -- I couldn't. My brain was positively racing with the promise & possibilities of this new house. This is the house we will learn how to be married in. This is the house we will bring our babies home from the hospital to. This is the house we will live in as we chase our dreams, each day getting closer and closer to making them a reality. This is our home.

It is my personal promise that I will strive to bring this feeling of welcome & comfort to anyone who steps through our door.

I am a homebody, and I am not ashamed of it.

Rather, I am proud.

Wrangling:{Promises}

(A weekly round up. Each week I am going to “wrangle” my life's happenings into a post filled with pictures, lists & general tidbits about the past 7 days.)

Hi, friends-- Happy Thursday!

I feel like I haven't had the chance to sit down & write in a really long time... which isn't particularly true, but I haven't "wrangled" in some time, and the life that I want to share with you has been piling up in my memory bank. This morning I sift through the piles of memories and bring you only the best :)

Unexpectedly, it's been a really busy month at work for me, and I feel like I am have been scrambling every evening to piece together all the necessary life pieces of the the work-life puzzle. It's been chaotic, to say the least, but it's been so good. There have been more than enough moments filled with laughter, long hugs, and staggering moments of realizing the beauty around me to balance out the fatigue & frustration.

Here's a peek into the past couple weeks in my world (this is gonna be a long one, so grab a cup of coffee & settle in!):

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First of all, I want to say thank you for all your supportive comments on my marathon reveal post. I'm so excited. I'm so nervous. I have no doubt that this is going to be a life changing experience for me.

I'm still working on developing a training plan (thanks, Heidi for the hints!), but in the meantime, I've challenged myself to a 30-day (hopefully) habit forming challenge -- The SWSU Challenge, to be exact. To find out more, click on the challenge tab... or just click here.

But first, because she's so cute, a picture of my little workout buddy:

(As soon as I put down the camera she stood up, moved completely onto the mat, and executed a perfect downward facing dog. No big deal... Cats are amazing...)

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After what felt like 2 months of steady rain, this week has provided a welcome break. We've had rain, yes, but lots of sunshine interspersed throughout. I'm soaking up every drop of sunshine I can. ... And carrying my umbrella religiously.

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(Gracie helping me set up my bedroom furniture. Clearly. She's sitting in the dresser.)

Going back in time a bit: I spent my birthday weekend moving. Oof.

I've had it on my Amy-Do list for quite some time now to move my childhood bedroom furniture over to our new house (you know, for about a year, now!) A mindset that I am rather proud of, although it has the tendency to overwhelm me more often than not is, "I need to do this now, because I know if I don't, I'll keep pushing it back & pushing it back. Why wait?" So it was, I found myself the day before my birthday, sorting through piles of dust treasures in my room.

And, while I grumbled multiple times to my father that I was going to have to type up a post titled, "Confessions of a former pack rat", over all, it was a very cool experience. I did throw out bags of trash. ... Multiple bags of trash (seriously, Amy?! why did you ever think it was a good idea to save "Pick & Save" receipts from your time in Neenah? And you first ever utility bill stubs? Not exactly of sentimental value...) But I found boxes (relax Jon... shoe boxes) of treasures. I found the encouraging note my mother wrote to me when I got braces in middle school, and was certain that it was going to be the end of me. I found the scrap of paper Jon gave me his phone number on... all those years ago before we had the slightest idea that we would be WE until death do us part. I found little "love notes" that Saundra used to leave taped to my computer screen when we lived together our sophomore year of college. I found letters from my grandpa, written in his signature blue sloping script; envelopes tucked with newspaper comics he had cut out for me. Treasure.

Needless to say, it was an exhausting (emotionally & physically) weekend for me. But it was one of those where I can look back and say I was really present in every moment. ...And, silly as it sounds, years from now, I know this is how I'll remember my 25th birthday.

My mother's comment was, "Gosh, Amy - your 'big birthdays' have been spent cleaning ..." And she's right: my 21st birthday was spent sneezing in my grandpa's attic. My 25th birthday was spent (sneezing) in my childhood bedroom (closet). ... Let's see where 30 finds me. I'm hoping I'll be cleaning for a baby... or a puppy... or, you know... cleaning our new vacation home in Hawaii ;)

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Last Thursday I had an exceptionally wonderful lunch break.

...While I realize it's not environmentally friendly (uh, or wallet friendly, with the soaring gas prices...), I have been coming home for lunch lately ... it's good for my soul. On Thursday, in addition to some always-appreciated Gracie-snuggles, I had a package waiting for me on my front porch. I opened it to find this lovely & thoughtful gift from Jenny:

Does this girl know me or what? This week I am so thankful for good friends.

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If you follow me on twitter (this means you, Hannah!), you all ready know that I spent this Tuesday traveling for work. The trip ended up being a lot longer than we had anticipated (ie: left the office at 8am, arrived back at the office at 7pm. Woah.) But we got to travel through Hocking Hills (Logan County, OH)... which, in my opinion, is some of the most beautiful country ever. The landscape (rolling hills, fields of flowers) feeds my soul. Since I wasn't driving, here are some pictures from the trip (the barn at the top of the post is from Logan County, too!):

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I was going to say that this text required no explanation -- it just made me laugh ... but then I thought maybe it deserved a little background. So here you go: I have no idea why, but for some reason, several months ago I started receiving the magazine "Working Mother" (perhaps somewhere I indicated an interest in "work-life balance" issues? ...Not a clue.) Anyway to take things a step to the more awkward, not only am I receiving this magazine at a time when motherhood is still a few years away... BUT! ... the magazine is coming to my name at my parents' house. ...Needless to say, this has inspired some interesting conversations!

...And for the record, "grand kitties" would only occur due to divine intervention ;)

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And with that, I think I'm about typed out, and I want to hear from you!

What is the best road-trip location near you?

Tell me about one of your favorite unexpected birthday surprises!

Stay tuned for:

• A special "love letters" post, coming tomorrow.
• A date recap (spoiler: WINERY!) coming at you this weekend.

One Track Mind

All right, friends. I had every intention of either (a) giving you the 'hometown tour' today or (b) delving into some heavier, personal stuff with a post about patience and faith. However, my plans were thwarted by grey skies threatening rain and a singular lack of energy (it's takes serious energy to write deep posts, you know?)

Today I am exhausted, and all I can think about is one thing: crawling back into bed. That is the one and only track on which my brain will function: a means to an end-- with the end being, of course, Amy snuggled under the down comforter. (With a good book--which may not get read, but it's a delicious idea!-- and my snuggly kitties, of course :) And while in other aspects of my Monday, my lack of focus has proved to be rather problematic-- in this case it has provided me inspiration.

From the time was are old enough to put ourselves to bed, our bedrooms are a place of creativity, renewal and comfort. Because J & I just moved into our house in April, I have been thinking a lot about our bedroom, and how I can make it into a getaway of sorts; a place of rest and peace. Since we moved rather soon after we got married and moved in together (I should point out that when I say "moved in together" I mean I moved in to J's apartment ... which makes a difference in this context:) I was still experimenting with color and design, working to make the place ours.

When J moved out on his own several years earlier, he bought furniture and bedding that reflected his style-- which is very clean & modern -- think: black leather sofa, black-painted iron & glass coffee table, and sheets& comforter in varying shades of gray. -- Which, don't get me wrong-- it looked fantastic. But it was not Amy-style -- and I struggled a little, in the first 6 months of our marriage, with feeling that it was still his place, and I was just living there.

Which all goes to say-- in moving to a new house (and, therefore, new bedroom) I had a chance to make over the room into somewhere I loved, and wanted to spend time in. I put a bookshelf in the bedroom, I bought a new comforter, I hung art, and I brought in the candles.

And now I can say, without hesitation: yes, this is a place where my heart feels safe. This is my haven.

Which is not to say that it is completely finished. This is my "inspiration board" (some of which you will recognize as a reality-- the rest I'll be piecing in, little by little. i.e.: I am so lusting after that cable knit blanket, I saw one in the store and it was the softest thing! ... For now I'm waiting--and hoping-- for it to go on sale :)

All photo credits to potterybarn.com, except Cherry wood sleigh bed, credit: thefurniture.com

And now it's your turn (and I am so excited to hear from you!): What does your dream bedroom look like? What color is it? What is on the walls? Any other defining features?

Catch Up

Goood Friday morning, bloggies! (*yawns*)

I hope your week has been treating you well, and that you have a beautiful Friday with exciting weekend plans to look forward to.

... A great tragedy befell us Westervillians this morning, as the local Starbucks (which just so happens to be the one on my way to work) is closed for remodeling-- which means that all the good folks (including me, of course) who look forward to their "Fall Friday Pumpkin Spice Latte fix" either had to (a) get up a little earlier and track down the next closest S-bux, or (b) go without. Seeing as I am a chronically late riser (but only on work week days! As you know, I get up early on weekends to seize the day and experience every blissful moment of my days off ;)... I fell into category (b), and am now slurping a warm-ish cup of office coffee and thinking 'nutmeg-gy thoughts'. Sigh. Note to self, find a fantastic local coffee shop to frequent (like this lovely lady).

Anyhoo... the important thing is that this coffee does contain caffeine-- and I have lots to tell you. It's been a really inspired week for me, which means I'm practically bursting at the seams with ideas, and I'm composing and compiling blog entries in my head more often than not ... but it's also been a really busy week for me (How does that happen?! It seems to me that 4 day weeks are paradoxically short & long .... each day feels like it lasts forever because of all that needs to be packed in...)-- case in point-- I was up at 11 pm last evening mopping my kitchen floor. Seriously.

And now (predictably) I'm having a little bit of deciding where to start... But really, isn't it only fair that I start where I left off? ... And how better to catch you up than with a good list & some pictures?!

Good List:

1. J. He will always be first in my heart and on my "good list".
2. WE OWN A GRILL! (Sorry for the all caps, but this is exciting, friends! I mean... I've only been dreaming about having a grill since... oh, April, when we moved into our house... Heh.) For J & I, our Saturday excitement centered around buying this grill (and for J-- the set up, as well. With furry supervision, naturally....) We may not have gotten around to dinner until after 8pm, but the waiting was sweet: It was a perfect fall evening for us to sit together outside and bask in the scent of our new charcoal grill warming up. Heaven. ... And those burgers? I think they were some of the best I've ever had ;)
3. Beautiful, race courses, friendly volunteers and small races. My parents and I did the inaugural (btw: I definitely had to look up how to spell that word...) Emerald City Quarter Marathon on Sunday, and I think it may have been one of my favorite races. {Side note: at some point, I'd like to really think back each and every one of the races I've done in the past couple years... I'm not sure I really have any that I flat out didn't like... but there are definitely some races that stand out as The Best.) The course wound through Glacier Ridge Metro Park, and, the weather was perfect (and I know I've been saying that a lot lately... but it's true. Clear blue skies, sunshine, and just the slightest bit chilly.) Here we all are after the race:

Photo courtesy of my father

4. ...And after the race, I went apple picking. Mmmm. Macintosh. I love eating apples "straight up", but I also have all sorts of other delightful recipes in mind for these beauties. Good thing I bought the half bushel bag!

Hello, Lovely

5. And then after lunch (which was, for me, a tomato sandwich on an asiago cheese bagel... bagel courtesy of the race. ... I think that sandwich may have been the definition of perfection... Yum;), Gracie & I snuggled in bed with a book.
6. ... And after that, we headed over to J's parent's for the Labor Day celebration. I always feel so blessed at these events because (honest to goodness) everyone just really enjoys each others' company. Summertime gatherings are always the most fun, because the kids ("kids" being a relative term ... Aiden is 14 mos old, but the rest of us are in our 20s and 30s.... pending the newest addition, coming in December :) are able to eat outside, and sometimes (Sunday included) we walk to the neighborhood playground between dinner & dessert. This year was especially fun, because Aiden was big enough to sit in the baby swings. He squealed with delight every time he swung past his father, and the rest of us had a wonderful time watching his serious "assessment of swing safety": he couldn't quite decide if he had enough courage to let go of the front of the swing to wave & blow kisses to his mother.
(With that, I'm done with beginning my good things "...And then..."-- I promise! But really? Sunday was pretty much a perfect day :)
7. Cinnamon & Spice. I made Savvy Julie's Peach Butter on Monday, and the house smelled heavenly all day.
8. A perfect run (or, several of them). Wednesday and Thursday evening of this week I went for a run (now go ahead and pick yourselves up off the floor. ... or maybe some of you predicted that my break from running would be short-lived?) Ahh, and it was, dare I say?, nice. I didn't take any music with me,but rather I just focused on breathing in the perfect fall air. The weekdays have (as a whole) been pretty stressful-- and this was exactly what I needed. 15 lovely minutes of solitude, gratitude, and peace.
9. Now to the other end of the spectrum from peace (but in the best way possible) -- I love the joyful anticipation of having company -- even the 11 pm mopping was cheery. J & I are having our 'Friday night Friends' over this evening... and I have been "bouncing off the walls excited" about it all week. The fact that I didn't start cleaning until... um... last night... is completely irrelevant :) Even better?-- tonight I'll have my camera!-- that way the memories can live on.
10. "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." - Dorothy Bernard
(This quote actually popped up on my facebook feed as a friend's status. I thought it was a wonderful thought for the day-- fear is real; God is bigger.)


Okay... That's all for now... must go be productive :)

Your Turn: What are your weekend plans? Do you have any good apple recipes to share with me? Do tell :)

Challenge Day #17: Weekend wrap up

I must admit to you that Sundays have always been quite bittersweet for me.

On one hand, the day is filled with wonderful things: long distance days (for 1/2 marathon training -- Oy! 1 week left! :), church, Sunday papers (my favorites are the travel section & the comics-- J's favorites are the comics and the Best Buy ads, heh); Sunday dinners (mmm... pot roast.... I always think pot roast when I think of Sunday sit-down dinners. My Dad's was the best!) and, of course (lest I forget perhaps the most decadent & delightful of them all) Sunday afternoon naps ...

But some weekends, all the good can be forgotten in a moment when I remember that tomorrow is Monday, and I have to go to work ... Booo. (Honestly, it's not so bad... when I was in college and I had to travel back to Toledo on Sunday evenings, it was a lot worse...)

But this Sunday was all sweet :)

Although the way it started, I had my doubts.

... As I mentioned yesterday, the weekend I finally got myself in gear to re-paint the blue room-- and yesterday was phase 1 (sanding, sanding, sanding some more, vacuuming, vacuuming with attachment, vacuuming some more and finally washing down the walls to get rid of the fluffy blue dust that permeated the room...). I had initially thought that if I had a good start, I would be able to complete the project in 1 day ... but at about 6 pm yesterday, when I was gearing up to do my 'final vacuum', I admitted defeat :-/

Seriously, guys? Sanding kicked my butt... I was so achy this morning when I woke up, the last thing I wanted to do was tackle painting (what I imagine to be 3+ coats of painting... stripes are my nemesis...)-- much less get out of bed.

But I did, and things looked up significantly from there :)

First of all, this morning I had the chance to participate (read: attend) in an outside worship service. This year marks the Bicentennial of the founding of the township that my church is a part of, and so, in honor of the bicentennial festival, Pastor Bud donned period costume and took his church outdoors. Now, this may be very happy "hippy" of me, but something about worshiping outdoors has just always felt right to me. Like: this is how it's meant to be. It was a blessing to attend such a ceremony, and it was an inspiring way to start my week ;)

(PS: Unfortunately, I did not remember to bring along my camera, so you'll have to use your imagination-- imagine 75+ worshippers gathered under a big white tent in the early morning mist, raising their voices with the strings of a guitar. Got it? Good :)

And then, when I got home, I realized that I had a decision to make: I still wasn't feeling 100%, but I could slap up (not to say I'd do a bad job-- I just wanted to get through it quickly, as I had something to do at 2 pm, which I'll tell you about in a minute...) a coat of paint, or ... I could lie down for a while. ... Being the "Type-A-but-striving-to-live-in-the-moment" girl that I am, I crawled into bed and lay pondering my decision* ... until Gracie hopped in bed and curled up on my chest... and I promptly fell asleep :)

*And, for the record, I'd like to tell you that over the course of my Sunday I did manage to get a coat of paint on the walls (it took me 2.5 hours, in case you were curious), so I don't feel at all like I failed in my endeavors -- the only person who really cared if I finished this weekend was me... and I decided that I would rather enjoy my time and finish on Tuesday.

... 45 blissful minutes later, I woke to continue to the next sweet part of my afternoon-- a shopping trip to Fleet Feet (one of our local running stores) for their annual summer sale. Which brings me to:

Happiness is (Sunday edition):

A new pair of running shoes ! Wahoo - can't wait to break these babies in!

...and a snuggly Gracie sleeping next to them:

And tonight, having accomplished the shopping, painting & napping portions of my day, I am enjoying date night #2 with J. Sushi, a bottle of wine & "The X-files" (hehe... net.flix on demand is a glorious thing!)

Have a sweet Sunday night, friends :)

Challenge Day #7: Company

Tomorrow afternoon, J's best friend from is coming into town from Texas. J and Ben have known each other pretty much forever (which, I have just been informed, means since they were in middle school together).

And so, in preparation for our guest (who is, of course, more family than guest, really), I went into "deep clean mode" this afternoon.

Unfortunately for everyone involved (which was, pretty much, just me... but poor J got an ear-full when I made it back inside...) "deep clean" also involve pulling some monster weeds:

Oh.Sweet.Heaven. I think these weeds almost did me in. Apparently there is something to "keeping up with the yard work". Gah.

However, as is often the case in life, not even the bad stuff (read: weeds) was all bad. I discovered these lovelies in one of our back flower beds. I have no ides what they are, or how they got there -- they might even be weeds, for all I know, but they mak me happy, so I'm not pulling them :)

And how are you, friends? I hope you have been having wonderful weeks :) Mine has been pretty good, if not (other than today) productive. I've started a new book (The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards) which I'm really enjoying; I made a fantastic batch of chocolate chip cookies that I've been munching through steadily (no one can tell me that real butter in no big deal :); and Gracie has been on 5 am snuggle patrol all week (which, I agree, isn't terribly convenient, but she's just so darn cute!)

Some other good things:

Good List

1. J. Last night's date night was really nice :) It's not like we don't talk to each other normally, but it just seems extra special to sit across from each other in the dim closeness of a restaurant and really focus on each other. I was comforting, romantic, fun and (not to be repetitive, but this word is just perfect here) nice.

2, Talking "wedding details" with Katie. I'm just so happy for her I think I could burst.

3. Lunch breaks spent in the library.

4. Spending time with my family, around the dinner table; telling stories and laughing so hard we cry.

5. Inspirational, motivational true stories. We (my family and I) watched a movie on Monday night called "Gifted Hands", which is based on the real life story of Dr. Benjamin Carson. It was wonderful-- so positive & uplifting.

6. Heart shaped post-it notes.

7. The way the leaves flip over before a thunderstorm.

8. Vanilla ice cream

9. A weekend full of exciting activities (youth group is starting up!)

10. "I love you, not for who you are, but for who I am when I am with you..." - Roy Croft. I realize every day just how blessed I am by those around me; their kindness, their wisdom and the small, unspoken ways in which they are shaping me every day into the person I am meant to be.

What are some of your good things this week?

And finally, just for fun, here is a new song that I'm loving: Bad Company by Five Finger Death Punch. It's too good of a song & too good of a tie in with today's "Challenge theme" not to share!

Have a fabulous "rest of your Wednesday" ... More tomorrow :)

Clean, Quiet, (tired), Content

Goooood Friday morning, bloggies! I realize that this "promised picture post" (say that 3x fast!) is coming on Friday, as opposed to Thursday ... But it is earrrrllllyyyy on Friday (gah... it still feels like it should be Thursday!), and, in my own humble opinion ... that counts for something :)

So, have you been wondering what I've been up to lately? Wonder no more! Here is a glimpse at the BIG project that has been consuming me all week A few quick notes : I didn't tackle this all by myself -- J was a huge help on Monday ... I've been working on finishing on and off on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well. Also. Disclaimer: Please do not be daunted by the fact that it has taken us the better part of a week to finish this ... We were completely inexperienced. ... it took us several coats of paint ... I'm hoping the blue room (yet to be painted!) will go a little bit faster!

What we started with:

Supplies

(these legs belong to J. I am happy to report that my own gams are not nearly as hairy.)

Removing rings is a necessity when working with paint.

Whew. Almost done with the 1st coat! (Pardon the sweat ... With the doors and windows closed -- even with the ac on-- it felt like 100 degrees in that little room. J's comment :" Next time we do this we're shutting up the cats instead of ourselves." Smart man.)

All right... That's more like it! Almost done :)

Progress (I'm ready to peel tape & work on touching things up)

Wha-La! Finished Product! (Please excuse the unprofessional pics... I took these last night at 11 pm. I was tired. I'm not an advanced photographer by any means ... but you get the idea :) Also, the walls below look almost "stone colored"- probably because of flash. They are actually taupe.

Our little guest room -- finished!

(Momentarily ... actually we've got some more furniture coming ... But I think this is a rather cute intermediate -- ready for my weekend visitor!)

I found this pillow on clearance at Kohls and couldn't resist.

Love what it says!

So there you have it! Between painting, Summer Nights Live (Church Day camp) and work (Oh.my.Goodness. I traveled to Cincinnati yesterday for work and put in an 11 hour day. Woah. I'm thankful that this was not at all a normal occurrence.)-- I have definitely been racing around this week (Heh... and if you couldn't tell.... "sleep" has not been a major theme over the past 5 days... that's what weekends are for, right?!) But it's been worth every second. Now I just have to will myself through another work day -- coffee may be will be involved, I can assure you :)-- and I will be rewarded with what is shaping up to be an awesome weekend! My friend Jenny is coming into town-- and we've got good stuff planned.

Tonight's agenda: Dinner, drinks & girl talk, with a side of Jacob.... Yes, please!

Not sure I'll be back this weekend, but I ought to have some good stories for you next week :) Have a fabulous Friday, friends -- I'll catch you later!

Your Turn: Weekend plans?

Looking back, Looking forward and The Now :)

source

Good Friday morning, everyone!

First things first:

This is fabulous. Make it tonight. (& the recommended wine complements the dish perfectly!) 2 items to note, however: Red cayenne pepper is not a suitable substitute for red pepper (at least, not in the same measured amount ... whoo-- sPiCy!!)... unless you are insane ... or want to drink half the bottle of said wine, and then lie on the floor with your darling kitten and a pounding headache for the rest of the night.

....Yeah....

So I know I told you I'd put up a post for you last night, but in addition to the pathetic occurrence all ready mentioned above last night I made the executive decision to unplug, relax, and just have a "date night" with my husband. It's been a stressful week for both of us, and it was really nice to just sit and enjoy each others' company in a quiet house (oh.wow. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this may be my #1 on my "Owning a house Good List". the QUIET. Love, love LoVe it. ...Apparently I am getting old.)

I also found great joy yesterday in making our special "date night dinner" (which, as I may have mentioned before was awesome. Imho, it was totally like something I could have ordered at a restaurant...only spicier ;) One of my favorite quotes from the movie 'Julie and Julia' was this:

"Chocolate cream pie! You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure, and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort."

- Julie Powell, Julie and Julia

Because it's true. I know I may not cook very often (truthfully, I don't cook half as often as I would like), but oh, when I do-- it's wonderful. And when I say that I am not so much bragging about my cooking abilities (which I consider to be adequate but not stellar or particularly innovative) as I am giving thanks for a few moments of respite.

I love chopping things up and measuring things out. I like stirring constantly and the brief, frantic moments when you need to bring everything together at once. I love the way cooking completely consumes you so that you have no capacity to think about anything but the task at hand (this means a lot coming from me. I am, indeed, the woman who always has a list going in her head-- a bona-fide multi-tasker...) It's another one of those blessed opportunities in life where it's not so much the outcome, but the journey & process of getting there.

Of course, the outcome is also (typically) one of my favorite parts as well :) Om nom nom.... (And, for the record, I did not make a chocolate cream pie. I made brownies with a healthy dose of semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed in. Equally yummy, if not as labor intensive.)

And since we've covered the "now" (I think you can probably tell that with this post we have returned to a more cheery Amy-like tone-- it's amazing what a date night can do for your spirits!) I did want to update you on how last weekends' BIG* party went! (*It's the biggest party I've ever hosted.)

The verdict: Success! I had a wonderful time playing hostess, we didn't lose any cats in the multiple openings & closings of the doors, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves! (Judging by the conversation and laughter, both of which were freely flowing for the duration of the celebration.) ...Also, I didn't have to cut cake, which is always a "win" in my book! (As I explained to J, everyone has something that they "just don't do". I don't cut cake. I think it has something to do with not wanting to be saddled with the responsibility of giving people too little or too much .... cake is serious stuff, bloggies.)

... And of course, after everyone left, J and I were completely wiped out-- which I also consider to be a measure of the party's success :)

Finally: Looking forward. I feel like I say this quite a bit, but this weekend is looking pretty relaxing. I am doing a 5k with my family tomorrow (Saturday) morning (rain, rain, stay away!!); J and I need to give grass planting another try; and I'm hoping we'll get in a "real-go-out-date-night" on Saturday evening (Iron Man 2?!) ..We shall see :) I love weekends full of promise and possibilities (even if they do make my Fridays pass extremely slowly...)

Your turn: weekend plans? Seen any good movies (in theater or at home) recently?