Wrangling: {Welcoming the Dawn}

photo credit

(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 Friday!

(Oy. How on earth did it get to be Friday all ready?)

I feel like lately the weeks have been spinning by faster and faster, but this week has been in a league all its own. I've been busy at work, trying to get about a bazillion projects wrapped up in anticipation of my trip to Denver next week.

With the exception of yesterday, it's been a rainy week, perfect for nesting & getting the 'homey affairs' in order. We've spent our evenings in the kitchen, and snuggled under blankets on the couch. It's been chaotic, it's been frustrating and it's been emotional, with a bit of heady euphoria, joy and laughter. In short, it's been a beautiful, life filled, normal week.

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(First off, a Love Letter.)

(photo from April & TJ, the proud parents)

Baby Aurora,

On Sunday April 17 our worlds, hearts and lives were changed for good.

Welcome to the world, sweet girl.

Love,
Aunt Amy

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Have I ever told you about Thursday nights? For pretty much as long as I can remember, when I was growing up, Thursday night were the busiest nights of the week for us. When we were little, we had children's choir practice on Thursday nights; by the time I reached high school it had shifted to cross country practice followed by guitar lessons. For at least 2 semesters when I was in college, Thursdays consisted of a day in the lab, followed by tedious organizational meetings.

And at some point, I promised myself that someday I would LOVE Thursdays.

Last night, as I sat wrapped in a blanket, drinking a well deserved glass of wine and blasting AC/DC through my headphones while Jon watches Fam.ily Guy... I realized, I'm here. I love Thursday nights and their promise of relaxation before the final push. Just knowing that Friday-- and perhaps more importantly, the weekend is on the horizon -- sustains and comforts me. I look forward to Thursdays now.

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(shower photos courtesy of Kaitie)

(Coffee bar: take a mug, fill it with whatever suits your fancy. It was a hit!)

Sunday was a rush. The whole weekend was, really. I've discovered that I absolutely live for entertaining. I love the planning and cleaning & anticipation of welcoming others into my home. I think that hosting a dinner party a month for the rest of my life would be heaven to me.... (Anyone in the Columbus area want to take me up on that?)

Sunday morning I woke early and lay in bed excitedly rolling through the details in my mind. At 10:30 am, my friend and co-host Kaitie arrived, and we spent the next several hours prepping decorations and favors.

(My other favorite "finishing touch" was the pillar candles in hurricane vases, surrounded by coffee beans. Looked cute, smelled amazing.)

We wrapped silvery wrapping paper around water bottles and tied ribbon around the handles of coffee mugs, we brewed countless cups of coffee and twirled crepe paper.

Although the invitations said 2pm -4pm, once Saundra, her mother and sister arrived, the party started. I think we laughed for 3.5 straight hours. It was wonderful. Being surrounded by a group of warm, witty women who were gathered to celebrate my best friend was truly uplifting.

And after everyone left & it was just the three of us: Kaitie, Saundra & me? That was awesome. The only thing better than sharing 1 super fun sophomore year of college living together has been gathering together 5 (wow) years later and catching up; reconnecting.

Being Saundra's bridesmaid (and more importantly, her friend) has blessed me in so many ways, and I am honored to be a part of her special day. ... Looking forward to June 25!

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A couple weeks ago, when Jon & I were attending a family birthday party, I got a chance to sit and talk with my brother-in-law. (Read: I had relegated myself to the basement with the boys because the windows were open upstairs and I was hot; and I think Dan took pity on me because I was pretty much oblivious when it came to the gaming conversations. Truthfully, I wasn't phased. I'm used to being clueless about that stuff, haha. I was just enjoying my cake & ice cream and spacing out, content & comfortable with the company :) And while we were talking, he said something to me that totally caught me off guard. "I almost envy you, Amy," he said (I paraphrase.) "I mean, you run all the time ... and you like it."

I am absolutely floored that this is one of the ways others might see me & define me. Because in real life? This is something I struggle with on an everyday basis. I want to be a runner with every fiber of my being. But I struggle with the idea of calling myself a runner-- I feel that I'm falling short in so many ways. For example, I don't run every day. I never have... But some weeks? Some weeks I run once. I've pledged to myself that I am going to run a marathon in October, but I have a lot of anxiety about that. Quite frankly, I'm worried that I am going to slack too much on training and sabotage myself.

I know that I need to love myself in my imperfections, and to believe in my own abilities. I know that I need to push forward and not let the fears and the what-ifs hold me back.

...But sometimes that's easier said than done. I'm a work in progress, and this is definitely at the top of my "work on it" list. Between the rain & the fatigue, this has not been a "follow the plan running week" at all. But I am looking forward to a fresh start.

It's never too late for redemption.

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As you might have picked up on, this week has been kind of a dark & contemplative one for me. I think it's the natural "ebb" (ya know, versus "flow") that comes at the tail end of a bunch of good stuff.... where all of a sudden you realize that your world has stopped turning upside down and you are left seated in the quiet emptiness thinking, "hey. what on earth do I do now?"

...Add that to a whalloping dose of hormones, and I had Jon throwing his hands up in the air saying, "I just. don't. understand. women." (Yes, my love, I know. That won't keep me from trying to explain to you to get you to empathize :)

So, there were some tears, there was dark chocolate consumption and there commenced some 10+ spiral notebook pages worth of soul-pouring. But even in the midst of the dark days, even as I ached & yearned for more, I could not be oblivious to the good. I've found that life is never exclusively black or white. The good has a way of creeping in and coloring the bad; blurring and softening the edges-- painting lifetimes out of days and moments; the shadows beautifully contrasting the vibrant colors and light.

Even in the darkest night, I believe light will return. And when the sun begins to rise, I welcome it with open arms.

Today, I celebrate & welcome the dawn.

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Good List

1. Jon. He is my anchor.
2. 100 watt light bulbs
3. Head phones, and dancing around the kitchen during dinner prep.
4. Digging through the archives for a sure-fire pick me up: Wedding Memories

5. Spending some quality time gardening this past weekend.
6. this post
7. Spiral notebooks. I appreciate technology, but sometimes there's nothing like putting a pen to paper. Spiral notebooks & legal pads are my favorite :)
8. Double sided tape
9. Lighting candles to chase away the gloom of a rainy evening.
10. "Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again." --Sarah Ban Breathnach

Your Turn: Any good weekend plans -- or special Easter traditions? How are you welcoming the good in your week?

Wrangling: {Exploring Life's Ruts}

"It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace..."

(A weekly round up. Each Wednesday (hehe, almost made it this week:) I am going to “wrangle” the past weeks’ happenings into a post filled with pictures, lists & general tidbits about the past 7 days.)

Happy Thursday, friends! It's been a busy little week over here at casa-del-Amy... let's dive right in, shall we?

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As the weather begins to take a turn for the warmer (if, in fact wetter...but I am not complaining, oh weather gods!) my mind inevitably turns to the outside and *gulp* landscaping. Jon & I recently got our tax return back (which was the one positive thing about swearing sweating over it in early March to get it turned in a.s.a.p.), and over pancakes last Saturday, we sat down to discuss how to (presumably) responsibly spend the money. Jon mentioned that he would like to use some of the money to landscape our yard: i.e. put up stone walls around the flower beds, mulch, and plant to fill the beds in more. My stipulation is that we must find some plants that will look good for extended periods of time... because we've got several plants that look gorgeous for about 1 week out of the whole year, and then spend the rest of the time looking scruffy. Bah.

Much research will ensue....

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via

I'd also really like to get (tax return?) a wicker loveseat for our front porch.... I've got this super romantic vision of returning from my run in the wee hours of the morning, pouring myself a cup of coffee and taking a blanket out to the front porch to do devotions.

Sounds heavenly to me :)

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This dress was not a winner. It was loose (& tight, yikes) in the wrong places. But the fabric felt awesome, and I loved the color. I did a little dance around the dressing room before I relegated it to the 'NO pile'.

A guilty pleasure of mine:
Sometimes when I need to get out of the office at lunchtime I take myself out window shopping. I hardly ever buy, unless I find something that is absolutely too fabulous to pass up. When I shop, I prefer to take my time and enjoy myself, and generally when I go out a lunchtime I am kind of rushed. Yesterday I took myself "clothing shopping" and spent the better part of an hour indulging in bright spring colors, silky knits, fabulous heels, crisp summery cottons and chunky jewelry. Hypothetically, of course :) And while I did wind up walking out with a couple items, most of the fun was in the chase.

The winners: a pair of capris to run in (so I have the chance to wash the 1 pair I own currently... I kid. ...kind of.) and the softest zip-up hoodie ever... a clearance rack find.

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Exploring & Embracing "Ruts":

As soon as I walked into the store yesterday I was drawn to a flowy, coral colored blouse. I think an errant, "Oooh." may have escaped my lips :) I wandered over and touched it, delighting in the bright buttons, soft fabric and feminine ruffles.

And then, with a sigh, I stepped back. 'I wear this color all the time.' I said to myself. 'I should really branch out.' So I went on with my shopping, with that blouse still in the back of my mind. And then, as I passed it on my way to the register, I picked it up and took it with me. 'I am ridiculous.' I thought, shaking my head with a smile.

...But am I really? (Impulse buys aside, of course.)

I love that blouse... and I am so glad I picked it up. It makes me feel good: sweet and sexy ... and you know, that color never fails to lift my mood.

...And then on my drive back to work I got to thinking: At what point do you draw the line between "falling into a (fashion/life/fill-in the blank) rut" and "developing a signature style"?
Does the fact that my closet consists primarily of shades of deep blues, bright corals & classic blacks mean that I've boxed myself in-- or rather, does it mean that I've found my niche, and I'm utilizing what I know is best for me to help me shine? Perhaps the difference between "ruts" and "signatures" starts far below the surface -- bubbling from the very depths of your soul where creativity & self confidence are conceived and nourished.

A rut is something one falls into because it is easy, but a signature style is something one comes into because it is absolutely right.

Signature style is the "I've found what I love, and I am sticking with it" mentality. I know that for me, there are thngs that I love to do (& wear) ... and so I do it again and again... and again. Because it feeds my soul. From good lists to letter writing and early morning devotions; from coral colored tops to blazers+ jeans and a pair of classic pumps with a splash of color: these are things that define me -- and more importantly, things I like to define me.

This revelation came as a little beacon of hope for me, that I am starting on a downslope (down hill? .... those sound negative, when what I really mean is, 'oh-my-sweet-goodness, it's getting easier to pedal...') in my personal journey. I say a downslope rather than the downslope on purpose-- I know it's a journey and I'll have lots more hills to scale in my life. ... But right now I'm coasting, and it feels good. I'm going to celebrate this 'downhill season' for everything it's worth.
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Ahh. And with that, I'm about written out, so I'll let a Good List round out the rest of my week:

1. Jon. I love the way he makes me laugh :)...Honestly, about 99% of the words that come out of Jon's mouth are said jokingly... the man definitely sees the light side of every situation. (Which is really good for me, but can also make me roll my eyes. A lot.) But every once in a while he catches me off guard, and I laugh until I cry. Love that.

2. Writing on Monday evening. I sat myself down with a glass (which turned into 2) of wine and just poured myself out on paper. Losing my"filter" & just writing what's on my mind, instead of first coming up with and idea & spring-boarding from there (if that makes sense..) What a rush. I wrote for 3 hours, and then was so pumped up that I couldn't sleep. ... Tell me that happens to other people :)

3. I don't think I've talked about this yet (I will in the weeks to come!), but I'm helping to host my best friend Saundra's Bridal Shower in a couple weeks. Planning has consumed a lot of my spare moments lately, and I'm loving it. ...I'm excited about decorating, hostessing, watching her soak up every moment of her special day. ... I'm pretty much excited about everything.

4. Coffee!

5. Lovely new bloggy friends :)

6. This morning I awoke feeling refreshed... for the first time in a long time. What a blessing! And on a weekday to boot!

7. Exciting work opportunities (I'm headed to Denver at the end of the month!! Woohoo!)

8. It has been far too long since I've made a batch of cookies. I'm excited to make some tonight, and that's getting me through the day :) Going to give these a try...

9.

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer." ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

10. The (final, blessed) coming of spring brings with it the return of rabbits (or, "bunny raggets", as Jon sometimes refers to them... I don't know why) to our back yard. I love bunnies, despite the fact that they munch our hostas down to nubbins. (Yup, I totally just said hostas... Perhaps my gardening knowledge is improving?!)I'm not the only one who enjoys our furry backyard friends: Baron & Gracie's noses have been perpetually glued to the back windows during daylight hours. Gracie chirps to the bunnies when she sees them, and her little tail wiggles about a mile a minute. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

picture recycled from here

Your Turn:
Have you ever undertaken any landscaping projects of your own? Do you have any tips/hints for us?
What would you say is your signature style (fashion/behavior/habit)?

Wrangling: {Good Week}

(A weekly round-up)

Something that I've been struggling with since the beginning of the year, as I revel in the shining reformation of my blog, is this: striking a balance between the profound and the everyday. I believe that there is beauty in both, for sure, but truth be told (and remember, I'm all about the honesty this year) there are a lot of days when I am anything but eloquent, happily schlepping along in the glorious mundane of the every day. Not every experience I have or thought that races through this head of mine can be expounded and twisted and dissected into something beautiful. Sometimes life is just simple, and one word can be just as beautifully enlightening as a page of prose.

I've also been trying to figure out how to put my own spin on "ye old weekly recap" style posts. I want to keep record of how my life is moving forward week-by-week, but I want to do it in an Amy-like way. So here's what I've come up with: "Wrangling". Each Wednesday I am going to "wrangle" the past weeks' happenings into a post filled with pictures, lists & general tidbits about the past 7 days. Here is the first installment:

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(source)

Today is a good day. For no particular reason, really, though there have been many good and interesting things that have happened over the course of it. Aren't these surprisingly joyful days the best? Perhaps this day seems especially sweet after my roller coaster yesterday.

Yesterday was a frustrating day. Not because anything bad happened... actually, rather the opposite. Some days I get fed up and cranky because I feel like I'm going nowhere. So I stomped home after work & went for a walk with Jon, and came home renewed & refreshed; no longer "in a mood". Sometimes the best way for me to distract myself from my seeming "immobility" is to just get up and move. It reminds me that, even if I am in fact standing still, it's a damn good place to be.

... Of course, today was also good because of these delightfully whimsical (& delicious!) cookies:

I've been itching to write lately, and have been able to sit down to bang out some really good stuff. Really soul-tiring stuff, to tell the truth. I find that when I really open up and let the words pour out from the depths of my soul-- the rawest, most authentic kind of writing-- I am left empty, exhausted, and completely at peace. ...Unfortunately, I can't share any of it... at least not yet. I have these posts shelved, but I am excited to share them with you at some point, but for now the smartest move for me is to keep them tucked away. I promise that when the right pieces fall into place (and I am confident that they will!) I will reveal all...

...Love notes to myself...

(source)

I'm loving this fragrance right now. It's very warm & sensual & summery to me, with hints of gardenia. It just makes me happy to wear it.

Lately I've been aching for Carlisle (here, here and here). (Heidi... today I got to thinking, how cool would it be if we could be there at the same time again someday, and run the neighborhoods around Grandpa's house together? I think it would be awesome... although you might have to slow down a little so I could keep with you, hehe :)

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I'll be back on Friday morning with the next installment of "Love Letters" ... But for now it's your turn:

How is your week going so far, friends?

Challenge Day #14: Wednesday/Thursday Musings

Hello, hello friends :) I hope your week is treating you well --T.G.I.a.F.!

I must admit that I (*sigh, eye roll*) forgot to take my Day #14 picture(s) yesterday .

.. Okay, that's not really true at all. Truth is, I thought about taking pictures several times yesterday, but my camera wasn't handy, and it wasn't really possible to 'hit the pause button' on life while I obtained either my phone or my camera. It was a good day, though, and in an effort to preserve the spirit of the challenge (although, for the record, I'm just going to continue the challenge with today being day 14 ... It's my blog, after all :) I can paint you a little word picture: yesterday involved twilight walks, thin mints, coffee, family dinner & "catch up talks' between sisters who haven't seen each other for almost a week (it's incredible how busy life is on campus ... I get tired just thinking about it, haha).

And today has been pretty good, too :) I treated myself to a Trader Joe's trip during lunch time (oh, Joe, it's been too long -- how I've missed you!) with the purpose of picking up a couple items for dinner, but, s usual, I think I spent more time just looking at all the crazy-cool merchandise they have to offer. I swear, that place inspires me and feeds my soul, as well as my tummy :)

Tonight has been blessedly low-key. Oh I love these quiet nights in -- the ones that don't really have any plans or to-do's attached to them, so we mostly just end up on the couch-- me blogging, J. reading, and the "fuzzies" snuggled in between. I suppose there really is something to being "old (er), predictable, and boring" :) I languish in the beauty of the routine.

I'm actually going to keep this short tonight, as I'm feeling pretty tired, and my brain is wrapping itself around some deeper stuff, which I am looking forward to sharing with you in the next several days. But, not to forget the important stuff, I'll leave you with....

Good List

1. J. Something that I hadn't expected when I got married was the dependence I would develop for my husband. Now, don't read this wrong, it's not at all an unhealthy dependence -- I can do perfectly well without him, I still maintain my own social life and interests, and really, I'm a fairly independent little girl. But honestly? When I'm not with him I miss him-- even when it's just a matter of not seeing him all day because we each have our separate obligations. ...And sometimes this takes me by surprise, and the power of these emotions scare me. ... But I can't help but think that in some way, this is a good thing :) I know I'm still young, and that I have a limited grasp on the concept of love, but what I have found is that (like with all of life), sometimes you need to allow yourself to be a little scared and uncomfortable to grow.

2. COFFEE. Oh boy, was this ever a coffee week. Now, I believe that I have sung the praises of my baby french press before -- but I'm doing it again because I finally got my act together and ground my own coffee beans. And really, enjoying your cup of french press is much more (erm) enjoyable when you don't have to drink 1/4" of ground at the bottom of your cup ...

3. Fabric softener. Would you believe me if I told you that I have never in my life used fabric softener before this past weekend?! I have (honest to goodness) never bought the stuff before -- but one a whim (& a whiff in the Kroger aisles) I picked up a bottle. Oh.My. Lavender scented sheets = awesomeness.

4. 5 am snuggle time with Gracie. I LOVE it. I hope she intends to make it a habit :)

5. G(oogle)-Chat

6. Organizing the little things-- and how it always seems to make the "bigger stuff" so much more manageable.

7. Peanut butter Puffins :)

8. Candles, wine, cookies & heart-to-heart chats

9. Sunshine & cool evenings -- Fall is on its way-- Wahoo! :)

10. "A happy heart makes its own song."

What is on your Good List this week?

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 :)

Cookie House

It has come to my attention that since I have moved into my new house (approximately 2.5 months ago) I have made no less than 8 batches of cookies.

... Which equates to almost 1 batch per week.... Which, really, while delicious, is also kind of ridiculous.

I equate this baking frenzy with (a) finally getting out our kitchen aid mixer (which was a wedding present; yes, the wedding was last September. ... and we didn't even manage to get the mixer out for Christmas cookies!) and (b) happiness. I have found unbridled joy in cooking for J in our new kitchen. As I intimated in this post, cooking has been almost spiritual for me recently, and it gives me so much peace and purpose-- so, why stop now?! ‘Cookie House’ it shall remain.

(Furthermore, it has come to my attention that somehow -and oh, my don't ask me how this happened; it's a complete mystery to me - I managed to go through the 2009 holiday season without making my favorite cookies. OH THE HORROR!! Consequently, my next batch of cookies shall be strawberry thumbprints. (Watch for a recipe soon :)

Anyhoo: Happy hump day, bloggies! I hope you have been having a wonderful week so far. As I may or may not have mentioned, J and I both took Monday off of work (to recover from relax after a weekend in PA - more on that in a minute) -- so my week is going fairly quickly. I'm so glad that I am halfway (as of now -- my lunch hour) to another weekend! Hallelujah!

And now, before I move forward... a little recap of last week's happenings. The latter part of last week (Thursday, Friday + weekend) flew by in a delighful mix of old friends, laughter, hard work and, yes, a little play, too. On Thursday I took the day off, but woke at the same time and proceeded to work up a sweat (I wish I was kidding) cleaning the house (I forgot how heartily I dislike scrubbing bath tubs...), running to the store 2x (ugh. don't ask.) and tying up some loose ends before my best friend Saundra (remember, the girl who brought me to and through my 1st half-marathon?) arrived. Saundra and I quickly scooted outside for a run/walk (heavier on the walking part, which was a blessing, as my current fitness levels are somewhat *eh hem* less than stellar ... and Saun is pretty fast!) It was really wonderful being in the sunshine, walking and talking with my friend like we used to when we were roommates (Academic year 2005 – 2006 … aaand, now I feel old…) After a quick shower and some “cute-ing-up”, we headed to the mall for lunch with another friend (and roommate!) and bridesmaid dress shopping.

Shopping was a complete success, for these two reasons:

This: (picture source)

http://www.yagootyogurt.com/

and this:

Fabulous, no?!

Now, can we just pause a minute for me to tell you how excited I am that Yagoot opened at Easton?! I have been drooling over the beautiful yogurt creations that have been popping up all over blogland, and feeling very left out and miffed that C-bus doesn’t seem to have anything like this (hm.. I think we might have some TCBY somewhere … but I’ve never been). And then, on Thursday afternoon, following a minor wardrobe malfunction (mine. strapless bras are not my friend.) and preceeding a blister (inevitably, cute shoes ≠comfortable shoes) – I was introduced to yagoot. And life was good. Creamy, sweet and tangy good, in fact (perfect with the fresh strawberries I got on top!) If you’re in the area, I highly recommend you check this place out :) … Yummm … I digress …

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were PA days. J and I woke early on Friday (5-ish a.m. … the goal was to be out of the house at 6, but I kept hitting snooze button) and got into Carlisle around 1:15. We spent the weekend weeding, mulching, trimming, mowing, painting, re-applying sunscreen, catching up, and eating great food. On Saturday evening we found a hole-in-the-wall Italian place for dinner—which served huge portions of hearty comfort food – heavenly! And….AND… to celebrate my Aunt and Uncle’s 39th (!) wedding anniversary, we indulged in ice cream cake for dessert (which I typically don’t like, but this was good, folks. White cake and vanilla ice cream, all frosted with whipped cream. *Drool* …. It kind of reminded me of a certain birthday cake that someone awesome got for me and J this year ;) … Again, I digress.

Perhaps the best part of the weekend, though was just observing J as he interacted with my family. I loved showing him “my second home”. I loved sitting at the picnic table in the back yard, laughing with him and Laurie and the cousins. I loved the way he worked so hard and never admitted he was exhausted. I loved wandering with him through the neighborhood and around campus. I loved him for allowing me to have this weekend, because it was everything I was hoping it would be.

… And, all right… I’m not going to lie… I loved the fact that J almost had a heart attack when I gave him this on Sunday morning. (I think he thought I might 'have a surprise for him' when I handed him the card!)

Heh. I couldn’t resist. (But… why didn’t they have “cat mommy cards” for Mothers Day?!)

And so now we’re caught back up to this week, which so far has been … well, a little bit rough. (Re-immersion in ‘real life’ always is.) I may have a few more thoughts related to this to share with you later this week … but for now, I am still sorting things out in my own head and heart. Don’t worry though – just because I’m not quite feeling myself doesn’t mean I cannot give you the List Day you deserve!

Enjoy!

Good List

1. J.He is a constant good in my life, always supporting me, but always pushing me to be my best. His patience astounds me. (So thankful for this… especially this week!)

2. Re-Usable water bottles. I love their sturdiness!

3. Pencils. Because sometimes it is necessary to erase and start over.

4. Hard work. Sometimes, I think that the worth of a day can be measured in the soreness of muscles and the dirt under your fingernails.

5. Daydreams. I had forgotten that one of the things I love most about running is that it allows me ample time to dream. I love nothing more than to allow myself to be carried away by my imagination as my feet (and lungs!) endure the miles.

6. Gracie. Oh, how my little girl blesses me! She seems to have an innate sense for when I am feeling sad—and she always wanders over to be with me, sometimes head-butting me, sometimes squeaking for attention, sometimes giving my finger a good natured nibble. All as if to say, “Don’t be sad, Mama…Hey, life goes on.”

7. Tomato sandwiches. (Acid reflux be damned. I will enjoy this favorite summer treat!)

8. Coffee. A persistent if somewhat evil force in my life. I enjoyed several cups of coffee this weekend, including a couple fabulous cups from a pot brewed by my uncle (I believe it was a mix of DD vanilla and DD cinnamon?)

9. Reality checks.

10. “We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap into the dark to our success.” – Henry David Thoreau

Summer Lovin’

I admit that Fall will always hold first place in my heart as my favorite season of the year, but summer has a loveliness all it’s own. Here are just a few things that I delight in during the warmer months:

- tomato sandwiches

- longer daylight hours

- cool morning runs

- The smell of sunscreen and bug spray

- grilling out

- sitting in the twilight with best friends, both old and new –I’ve found that summer nights inspire some of the best & deepest conversations.

- ice cream (and sorbet, and frozen yogurt)

- fireflies

- sleeping with the windows open

- sangria

- sprinklers

- road trips

- thunderstorms

- bonfires

- family gatherings

- fireworks

- church day camp (perhaps more accurately for me this year – night camp. I’ve got the 3rd graders!)

- afternoon naps with a good book (… now, if you know me, you know that I enjoy this on a fairly regular basis anyway… but it seems especially decadent on a muggy summer afternoon

- Homemade pickles (Yes, please!)

- The way the world seems to run on a different schedule. Just a little slower; a little more laid back. Things really start to come alive at 8 pm.

What are your favorite things about summer?

Odds & Ends

A few thoughts for this Tuesday evening:

~ I composed most of this post (read: a bunch of amusing, if random, thoughts) in my head this evening while I was running .

~ Tonight's run was pretty miserable. I think I lost 5 lbs in sweat. I think I almost tacked a small boy to get his scooter. I think I found the only path through our neighborhood that doesn't have an inch of shade. ... Heh. Yeah, it was one of those ;)

~ I am convinced that the pickles I ate before the run helped me not to die out there. Please don't read this wrong -- I still felt like I was going to die.... but I am pleased to report that I made it home in one piece ... and am absolutely fine now :)

~I also decided (for the nth time) that I really need to carry around a pocket recorder or a small notebook at all times ... I (go figure) tend to be at my most creative when I am nowhere near paper or a computer.

~I love, Love LOVE iced tea. I think I love it more this year than I've ever had before. I know this passion has been slow brewing (heh) for just about my whole life ... as my mother drinks tea like water (ironically, my mother-in-law drinks coffee like it's water .... that's not an indication that the two don't get along well, though. Perhaps they bond over their mutual love of hot caffeinated beverages?! Anyhoo...) ...I am fighting the siren call of an icy pitcher of cold brew white peach tea as we speak.

~ (btw: back now, with tea.)

~ In the spirit of honesty, I need to admit to you that (in case you might check it) I am going to be changing my half-marathon plan. I realized (after the fact, of course...) that as lovely as this plan looks... I don't run 4 days a week. (Kind of like I don't cut cake...) I haven't run 4 days a week since I was on the cross country team in high school -- and oh baby, those days are gone. Therefore, I will be tweaking the plan to be more Amy-like. Little by little, color by color :)

~ I used to think that chocolate chip cookies were my least favorite kind of cookie (... not because I disliked them, persay... but... meh. I thought they were kind of "nothing special".) I was oh so delightfully wrong.

~ PA weekend is coming up (T-minus 2 days!) and I am so excited.

~ Another "true confession". As a result (I like to believe) of being happily married, my pants are getting a little tight. Sigh. Which is rather tragic, seeing how it's summer, and clothes are typically on the tight side anyway... Therefore, my newest project (not diet!) will be an exercise in moderation ... just cutting back a bit on the desserts, and being diligent with the running plan ~ My husband, on the other hand.. just started getting his MBA. Master in Beer Appreciation... I guess it's all a matter of preference :)

~ I have no idea what to think of this. As you know, I am a religious person (I technically consider myself more spiritual... for me it's more about the personal than the institution ...) and so part of me is sad, because, as you might guess this has opened a lot of doors for jokes and ridicule. But... at the same time? That statue was kind of ridiculous.

~ Speaking of that storm -- it got pretty crazy here last night around 1 am. Lots of lightening and wind! We were really blessed to only have to reset our alarm clock and microwave (power outage) -- One of my clients told me today that the lightening completely took out their internet and phone systems.

~ I have decided that Tim McGraw's "Southern Voice" is going to be this summer's soundtrack song (you know... every summer's got one: in future years whenever I hear this song I will remember our first summer in the new house!)

Well, that's all for now-- I'll be back tomorrow with some lists!

Your Turn: What song is the soundtrack of your summer?