Some Big News

First: I'm 29 weeks pregnant (surprise!)

Second: I've moved! And I'm keeping with the whole "Etc." theme. Because now I actually have my own little "Etc." on the way!

http://himheretc.tumblr.com/

short hair

 

Photo: The Sartorialist Blog 

new year

Hello my friends!
You may realize I only write here when I feel inspired to do so. Daniel has told me many times I should pursue blogging more seriously, but I tell him, then I'd have to commit. And I'm just not there right now.

But I am here now. I've been missing my little blogspot, but haven't known what to say.

Today I sat down on the couch, having vacuumed the house, mopped the floors, rotated the laundry, planned our dinner menu for the week, and completed the necessary grocery shopping, so I decided to fiddle with my blog. It started with a little tweaking here and there, and suddenly I was ready to write!

While I haven't been blogging, I've been doing things I love to do. I've wandered around my favorite blogs and found new blogs to love. I've been reading and knitting. Praying and meditating. Exercising and cooking. Loving and dreaming. Which leads me to my big, huge, amazing resolution.

Lately I've had a growing desire to figure out just who exactly I am. I don't want to be someone who likes or believes or loves or wants something just because I'm told to, or because someone else does. I want to truly know myself. To have conviction, and a reason for my conviction.
And I want to know why I am the way I am, as much as I can know.
You know, introspection.

 But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the more selfish I am, the less I know. The more internally concerned and consumed I become, the less I see.

It's become clear to me that, for me at least, knowing myself involves learning about the world around me. Studying people, places, thoughts, books, truth, beauty. Heady stuff.
Where there is one point of view, there is always another. And while I'm not seeking to believe all points of view, I think it is important to look at things from different angles. To keep an open mind. To be gentle as a dove, but wise as a serpent.
I want to see.
You know, see.


So here I am, 2011, ready to figure a few things out.

This year, I want to...
read the Scriptures more consistently, meditating on the words and passages.
abide with Christ, know his peace.
pray with diligence and honesty
recognize and repent of sin
spend more time out doors
reflect on all that I have, and less on what I want
live in thankfulness
speak kind words
love through service
see need, and do something about it
set to the work of my hands without grumbling or complaining
know my husband better
learn to sew
knit more
smile more
love. more.


and perhaps...write more.

Photo: weheartit blog.

Crisp and Cool

After days of sweltering heat followed by a long stretch of gloomy days, I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up to a crisp, cool, clear morning. The air has just barely turned cool enough to bite your skin ever so slightly. It smells clean and fresh.
I moved around the house this morning opening dusty windows and breathing deeply.

So much has happened since my last post!
For one thing, I quit my job.
Now, I'm a happy housewife. I spend my days cleaning and cooking and grocery shopping and going to Bible studies and taking Pilates classes and knitting (sort of). The dread and exhaustion that I had begun to feel before and after each day of work has been replaced with a quiet peace that seems to fill the house. I love it.
And Daniel loves it.
My job was not a terrible job, but for several months now my heart has been elsewhere. Thinking that I was wallowing in discontent, I treated it as a spiritual struggle that I had to overcome. I prayed about it day after day. Truly, my hope was that the answer would come in the form of motherhood. There was no question that I was going to stay home once I had a baby. But the months continued to pass. It became increasingly apparent that God, for the time, had (has) other plans for me.
In August, a series of events caused Daniel and I to pause and think. Daniel had long been encouraging me to put in my notice at work, but I always said no. For some reason, I believed I would feel guilty that I wasn't "contributing" to our income. I never questioned whether or not I would be bored. One thing that I do have is a passion for the little things. I love sorting through piles of laundry and washing dishes in warm soapy water and running the vacuum around the house. I love reorganizing closets and straightening up book shelves and tucking in smooth sheets.
But I was afraid. Afraid that without my additional income we would find ourselves in a bind. Through my thoughts and actions I was expressing my foolish reliance on myself and my ability to provide. But in August, I stopped. I took a week off from work. This will just be a trial, I told myself.
Five days at home was all it took to assure me that I was meant to be home. When I was home, cooking and cleaning, I felt a special kind of joy. Do you know what it is like to feel like you are doing exactly what you are supposed to do?
It was as if a great burden on my heart and mind had been lifted. I felt sure and certain, full of hope and confidence. I spent much of the week in prayer, asking God for wisdom and clarity.
The following weekend Daniel and I sat at a coffee shop and discussed the budget. It quickly became clear that God would provide and had been providing for a long time. The excitement was electric; both of us felt more and more sure that this was right.
On Monday I went in to work and put in my notice. I was a little nervous--not about my decision. Just nervous. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was met with words of encouragement and loving support from my boss and co-workers (although, there were a few that insisted I would be back in two weeks, begging for my job back because I'd gotten bored sitting at home). Two weeks dragged by slowly. Daniel's car broke down. But we didn't worry. We knew that God would provide.
Finally, on a Friday afternoon at 4:30 I left the office for the last time. It was a little weird. But exhilarating.

This Monday marks my third week at home, and I am in heaven. I wake up in the mornings in the arms of my husband, to soft sunlight. The mornings are not crazy and hectic, but peaceful and quiet. Every day is different, with its many tasks and commitments. One of my greatest joys right now is the freedom to say I'm available when I'm asked to serve. We are thriving with one vehicle. Daniel took out his nearly-new bicycle that has been collecting dust in the garage for nearly a year, and he rides to work every day. He loves it!
Although I have a big, bad case of baby fever, I am content where I am now. I am savoring this sweet time with my husband and enjoying the kind of freedom we have.

My focus and my goal and my joy is to be a good wife, supporting and loving my husband. I am organizing and nesting and creating. And I hope, some day soon, to bring a beautiful baby into a peaceful, joyful, God-glorifying home.

I'm happy.

Traginas. Every Time.

I'm pretty happy that it's Friday.

Daniel and I watched Gentlemen Broncos last night. Daniel described it as "Perfect."

I...

I am without words. It probably ranks in the top 3 of my "strangest non-foreign movies I've ever seen."
I don't even...I have no idea. So...weird...
The kind of weird that is too weird to laugh at. You just sit there, with a furrowed brow and a confused smirk on your face. Am I missing something here?
I'd say it seemed like the filmmakers were high on something, but they're Mormons. So that theory is out.
Instead of weird, one might call it awkward. The whole movie was awkward. But now that I think about it, Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre were pretty awkward. The first time I watched Napoleon I remember sitting in the theater with that familiar, confused smirk on my face. What the heck was that?

Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords was pretty stellar in the movie. He plays a famous Sci-Fi writer named Ronald Chevalier (make sure you pronounce it shev-al-ee-ay) whose lost his touch, and his publishers are threatening to drop him if he doesn't provide them with a decent story.
There's one scene in the movie that was, without a doubt, utterly hilarious. It involves Chevalier, an aspiring young Sci-Fi writer, and troll names.
There were several scenes in the movie that made me cringe - one involves a very strange hand massage, and one involves vomit and kissing. Yeah. Sick.

Since I wrote the above something has happened that may change things.

Daniel called me and we started quoting lines from the aforementioned awkward movie, and we were cracking ourselves up.

Why are those movies like that?

I'm going to let this marinate for a little while.

In other news...

Last night Daniel and I also had dinner with some friends (I am so thankful we didn't watch that movie with friends), and dinner was so delicious.
They grilled burgers for dinner, but these were special burgers.
All it took was a thin patty of ground beef, a mixture of cream cheese and jalapenos, and another thin patty of ground beef, sandwiched together and grilled. Voila: special hamburgers.

Yum.

Also, these friends of ours had a baby in March. So I spent half of the night holding a soft, sweet baby girl. Ahhh, Heaven.

Not Too Shabby

I've always loved shopping around on Shabby Apple, but last week I finally ordered something for the first time.

Buying clothes online is always a little iffy for me. I have awkward dimensions. Like an awkward pear.

This time, it worked out quite nicely.
I'll definitely be a repeat customer.

The dress is called L'artiste. How fitting.

Just one question I want to put out there: Don't you think, when photographing your designs, you would iron the clothes??

It looks way better when the skirt isn't wrinkled. Trust me.

because I didn't want to sweat.

{via flickr}

When I was a young child I declined to participate in strenuous athletic activity. Because I didn't want to sweat.
At least, that's what I've been told.

Perhaps I might have been a ballet prodigy. I guess we'll never know.

I have always loved watching ballet. Sleeping Beauty was one of my favorite movies and I thought the ballet was beautiful. Over the years my father and mother occasionally took me to see the ballet. Once I saw Cinderella, Madam Butterfly; I saw The Nutcracker many times. The strength and power and grace of the dancers was thrilling to me. They looked so beautiful! I loved going to the ballet and hearing the light tapping of the dancer's ballet shoes on the wooden stage flooring as they leapt and twirled. The women were slender, feminine and beautiful. The men were gracefully strong and sturdy, yet masculine (most of the time).
More recently I've been thinking about posture and grace in movement. Not just in dance, but in every day life. I read an article in Vogue (I love Vogue, as we've discussed. Oh, the photographs! The fashion!) about the importance of good posture. Not only for one's health, but a person's posture can say so much about them and how they want to be seen by others. As I've been looking through portraits on The Sartorialist blog, this has become even more clear to me.
As an example of what I mean:

{via The Sartorialist}

This woman is a burlesque dancer. Can't you tell?

On his blog, the photographer remarked that her "posture speaks volumes about who she is and how she wants to be perceived." 

I love that! And there's a small part of me that has always wanted to be a natural red head. And wear bright red lipstick. 

{via The Sartorialist}

That last picture was taken during the 1930s in Spain. Isn't she just so...European? People say it all the time, but it's interesting how clothing goes in and out of style. She looks like she's been shopping at Anthropologie!

But where was I?

Ballet.

I feel it must be said before I say anything further, I have little to no musicality. I have trouble keeping with the beat in songs, I look a little nutty when I dance (not like Elaine from Seinfield or anything), I think I'm slightly tone deaf. And my posture is not so good. About five years ago I started doing Pilates and in the last two years I've done Yoga off and on, and I think that has improved my posture somewhat. But it isn't stellar. And I wouldn't call any movement that I make graceful. I'm a little clumsy and heavy-footed.

In high school I joined the volleyball team. It was my first attempt at organized sports, and I did it because playing volleyball was popular. The first year I made the Junior Varsity team, which I felt was a major blow to my confidence. I was an athletic person, though I'll grant I was not very talented or coordinated. And the other girls on the JV team were just not...very...athletic. The Varsity girls were good. Everyone knew it.

JV was an afterthought.

I'll probably tell a story or two about high school volleyball some day, but my point in bringing it up today is this: I learned to sweat. Have you ever participated in a Summer Volleyball camp? I have still never been that sore in my life. We started early in the morning every day and sweated our way through four hours of intense training. And if you were late you ran laps...and some times the coach forgot about you and you spent two hours running laps. I don't want to talk about it.

So now, with my love of ballet and desire for graceful movement and good posture, along with my willingness to allow sweat to escape my epidermis, I am prepared to do something quite drastic.

I'm going to dance.

Well, perhaps that's a stretch.

I'm going to take a ballet class.

Normally I say I'm going to do these things and then put it off until finally I forget about it (I'm not the only one--once I got a "birthday present" from Daniel that was a promise to take dance lessons with me. It's been four years and I'm not holding my breath). But this time, I emailed Vicki at Ballet Austin and said: Teach me to dance like a Sugar Plum Fairy!

She said: sign up for a class and give us some money, you weirdo.

It was very inspiring.

But I haven't quite gotten to that step yet.

I was happy to learn from Vicki that they offer a "New Beginner" ballet class for adults. Part of me wants to go just to see the kind of people that are grasping hold of their dreams a little late in life like me. Part of me is completely intimidated by the idea of doing something I've never done before. Part of me is totally excited and can't wait to start. I've always wanted to say, "Sorry, I've got ballet class tonight. Rain check?" I've also always wanted to take part in a dramatic dance-off (Me and my posse can pirhouette you under the table, homey!).

That probably won't happen in beginner ballet (or..anywhere but Step It Up?). But I can dream.

I'm a big dreamer, guys.

I don't have any illusions of grandeur (it is illusions or delusions? Either way, I don't have them. Of grandeur.). I don't think I'll ever really be the Sugar Plum Fairy. Or even a mouse (a little ballet humor). I just want to dance. Is that so wrong?

P.S.

The cheesecake didn't taste like a disaster. It just looked like one.

Daniel: Uh, Honey? I think the cheesecake exploded?

I guess I'm no Pioneer Woman.

Things I Like

It's been forever since I my last post!
Not quite. But nearly.

I like the word nearly.

Life is full of life these days. I sat for a moment and tried to think of another way to put that, but there it is. I hope you know what I mean.
 I've been trying to occupy all of my handsome young man's free time, of which there is very little of course. But that little time is heaven. Heaven, I tell you.

On Saturday night we were so in the mood to go see a movie. And not at just any theater. We wanted the wonderful Alamo Drafthouse. Friday afternoon I heard an interview with Leonardo Dicaprio about his new movie Inception, and it intrigued me. So we decided to see it.
However, as is typical of an opening weekend for any movie at Alamo, it was sold out by the time we were able to get to a computer to purchase tickets.
I still really wanted to go to the movies.
So I talked Daniel into taking me to see Eclipse, one of the Twilight movies. He is a good sport. He takes me to lots of movies that I know he won't love (or even like sometimes!). But he takes me because he knows I just love going to the movies.
I discovered two things that evening:

1. I read the Twilight books and I was kind of into it for a while. The last movie was a strikeout--major. This one was better than the last, but since watching it, the more I've thought about it the more I've loathed it.
Time to move on. I am over it.

2. This one's really important. The Guinness Shake is pretty much the best thing that's ever happened to me so far -- except meeting, marrying, and dwelling in marital bliss with my beloved.
Okay, so maybe I'm being a little melodramatic (what? me?), but seriously.

It is bow-chicka-wow-wow-scrumdidlyumptious.

I'm assuming that this shake involves some Guinness beer and some hellagood Amy's icecream -- and whipped cream with some candied sunflower seeds sprinkled on top.

I don't even like beer, my friends. Not a bit.

It all started because I was feeling particularly adventurous and impulsive that Saturday evening. I spotted it on the menu, as I had many times, but this time I turned to Daniel and whispered excitedly, Let's get the Guinness Shake!
He looked at me skeptically and then at the menu.
I have a feeling I'll be eating this shake on my own.
We debated over the $7 shake for a couple of minutes before I saw our server scooting our way, and in a last-minute burst of courage, wrote the order on our flag.
It was done.

The decadent shake arrived and we grinned as we looked from eachother to the mountain of creamy goodness before us. I tasted the shake first, and then, eyes bright with happiness, passed the sinful dessert to my handsome chaperone. He tasted the shake and we stared at each other with delight! Could it really be this divine?! From that point on, all shakes would pale in comparison to this sensational elixir. It would become a staple of every Alamo Drafthouse visit from then into perpetuity. We would go to the movies just to taste it. And next time...we might have to get our own.

We liked it.

Since we missed Inception this weekend, I guess we'll just have to go back this weekend.

Has anyone been enjoying watermelon this summer as much as I am?
I am into watermelon in a big way. It's my sweet-tooth satisfier. I think I eat an entire watermelon a week these days. Healthy, delicious and satisfying. And hydrating!

Last week I painted my nails hot pink, and I like it.

I love Mason Jars. And this summer, I would like to fill them with some cold brew coffee. Thanks, New York Times.  

I've known about Flight of the Conchords for a few years now, but I've become reacquainted with them this summer and they are making me laugh as much as ever.

I love that at first glance, their comedy act slightly resembles something you would see on Public Access telelvision. Just one small part of the hilarity.

I'm happy to say this movie is in my Netflix queue:

Lastly, I'm currently enchanted by The Sartorialist Blog.

It might be part of the reason I haven't been blogging much, because nearly every spare moment is spent digging through the archives. I can't quite pinpoint what exactly draws me in, but I'm theorizing.

It must have something to do with the photography. True portraits that seem to capture so much. So much individuality and creativity. I love that people are so different, and I love the expression of differences that clothes can communicate!

{via the sartorialist}

{via the sartorialist}

never the same

Do you like sushi?

Before last night I'd never eaten much sushi. I've had a few california rolls in my time, and they were good. I had no quarrel with sushi. We peacefully coexisted, living our separate lives.
That is, until last night.

Last night worlds collided, and there were fireworks and cheers and chopsticks.

I am really bad at using chopsticks. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

But when you eat at a place like Uchiko for dinner, everyone around you seems to know exactly what they are doing. They know the secrets of sushi. They've had a long, satisfying relationship with sushi and chopsticks. While they smoothly moved through their meals, I was dropping gobs of rice and other material on the table. I think I had an entire meal's worth of food in my little bowl of soy sauce.

I chose not to let my clumsiness with the chopsticks get me down. By the end of dinner I was feeling a little more confident in my skills. And it didn't even really matter once I took that first bite of albacore tataki (alba­core tuna, kaffir lime oil, ponzu seared on a hot rock). My mouth was like Are you serious? The flavor was incredible.

It must be said before I go any further, it was a battle just to sit down and eat at Uchiko. Apparently it is the place to be right now. It just opened, but not *officially*, so until July 6th everything on the menu is half price.
They are booked solid through July 6th. So last night Kristin and I were determined to fight for a spot at the bar or the sushi bar. The wait for the sushi bar was 45 minutes, and Kristin was clever enough to nab two seats at the bar (where they serve the full menu!). So we pressed through the packed restaurant and slid into our seats at the bar. The service at the bar was fantastic, so I can only imagine that the wait staff in the dining room is amazing as well. We were helped by two bar tenders that were extremely knowledgeable, and made some wonderful recommendations. Everyone who served us, even the people who delivered our plates to us were kind, professional, helpful, and made me feel like a special guest.

After the tuna and the hot rock (I had so much fun searing my tuna on the hot rock!) we moved on to another amazing dish from the Tastings menu. It was grilled pork belly over two fried rice balls with a garnish of pickled shaved carrots. If I had died and gone to heaven at that moment, I would have been one happy lady.

From there we moved on to the Makimono menu and ordered some sushi rolls. We ordered two rolls, both very different, both deliciously delicious. The first that was brought to us was the toledo (big eye tuna, bitter greens, chorizo, avocado, almond, grilled garlic). The garlic was actually a light, fluffy puree that paired perfectly with the precisely candied almonds. Every ingredient played a part. I couldn't believe how everything was so bursting with different flavors, and how the flavors fused together so delightfully.
Our second sushi roll was, in my opinion, the best part of the meal. We ordered it based on a recommendation from the bar tender, and she was spot on. It tasted so good I wanted to laugh, cry, shout, all at the same time. It was the avofry (coconut fried onisan roll, lemon-miso, soy paper, and a delicate salsa on the side, and maybe some basil? Something green.). The coconut gave it a kick of sweetness and saltiness that was to die for. I really mean it this time. I wanted to find that chef and shake his (or her) hand and thank him (or her) for making my life as I know it a little more wonderful. A lot more.

Does it sound like I have a slightly off-kilter relationship with food?
I kind of really do. It's happened relatively recently. I might partially blame my reading French Women Don't Get Fat. Not everything in the book struck accord (is it accord or a chord? Anyone? Help?), but I liked her emphasis on paying attention to the quality and enjoyment of food. Not simply seeing food as fuel, but seeking out foods and flavors that are to us "life's pleasures."
Uchiko is one of life's pleasures for me.

Did you think I was done?
We ate one more thing.
Dessert, of course.

I have to say I was some what skeptical. Yes, everything so far had been beyond belief, but Fried Milk? Wha?

And then I tasted it. There were a lot of things happening on that plate. Fried milk coated in a crumbly, salty, breading. A light and airy frozen milk sherbet. A rich, chocolate...something. They called it chocolate milk, but it was thick and fudgy and there was a little square of it in the center of the plate that I didn't want to ever end. It was a perfect conclusion to the meal.

Bottom line: if you can, go to Uchiko. It would have been quite a bit more expensive with out the half-off deal. So in the future it will probably only be a place we visit for special occasions. But even if I had to double what I paid last night, it would have been so worth it.
My life is forever changed. There's no going back.

As Humphrey Bogart would say, "Sushi, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

sometimes, I cook

I rarely have the urge to put together a meal for the evening because, well, I eat by myself every night.
I am married to an extremely hard-working man whose job is a tad on the busy side these days.
He makes me feel so proud.
The negatives are a.) I don't see him as often as I'd like and b.) He's rarely home in time for dinner. Unless I wanted to be more European and eat at bedtime. But that's when I go to bed.

Lately I've been thinking, You know, I would like to cook.
And so I decided to cook.

Even though I eat alone.

Except for Kingsley and Fletcher. They sit and stare at me while I eat.

So last night I made this.

I have a thing for chicken. And mushrooms. And garlic. And white wine.
And terragon.
Oh, terragon how I love thee.

It was quite simple and muy delicioso.

Right now there are four flattened chicken breasts soaking in the flavors of tequila, lime, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno. And when I get home, they will be transformed into this:

Thanks again, PW.

I'll let you know how it goes :)

Mom, I have a new appreciation for you.

Last night I said farewell to my sweet brothers yet again.

I was taxi-driver for the evening--first to youth group, then to Sonic, then to their friends' house where they'll be staying for a few days.

Even though the goodbyes are only for a short time (for now), I still get a lump in my throat and a tiny wave of sadness and anxiety hits me.
So, last night as I pulled up to their friends' house and they jumped out the car, laden with their duffle bags and various belongings, I started to feel all sentimental. I watched them walk down the driveway in the evening sun, telling myself to keep it together, when one of my brothers suddenly turned and ran back to the car.

He opened the door and leaned down.

Hey, Karen?

Yeah? I smiled.

Can you do my laundry when you get home? I left it in a pile in the corner of my room.

Yeah.

See ya!
And off he went.

Brother, your laundry is in the washing machine right now. When I get home I will dry it, and fold it, and it will be waiting for you on your bed.
I love you and I was sad when I went home to a quiet, more empty house. Please come back soon.
Thanks for cleaning the bathroom. It's very clean.


Mom. I appreciate you. I appreciate you more every day. Thanks for being amazing. And loving me. And doing my laundry.

I'm off to get another coffee on my lunch break. Because it's Monday. And because I love coffee.

a familiar silhouette

On Wednesday evening, just as the sun was setting, I was driving along Guadalupe with my two teen brothers in tow. Around the intersection of 28th and Guadalupe, just past The Drag, and just as I was starting to feel super old due the the fact that I was belting out Nelly Furtado's I'm Like a Bird and the boys were like, who sings this? I've never heard this song before, even though it was totally popular when I was in high school, right at that moment something caught my eye.

A familiar silhouette was painted on the side of a building.

I smiled, pointed, and exclaimed:

Look! It's Audrey!

{via}

To which Ethan responded, Who is that?

To which I responded, SAY WHA?!

At which point Kristian chimed in, Ethan, she's an actress. Or something.

Right?

I stared bleakly out the windshield.

Yes. An actress.

They were quiet for a moment.

And then they started talking about the World Cup or something.

 

Best Kind of Busy

As you may have noticed, if you still hang around these parts, updating the blog has taken a backseat in the life of this blogger. I haven't even had time to visit my favorite blogs and leave silly comments!
I'm not too bothered by it, though. While I've not been blogging, I've been spending time with my family. My family that lives overseas in the far away land of Slovakia, shining the light of Christ through lives of service and love. Though I absolutely, without a doubt, fully and happily support this great work they've been called to, my-oh-my do I miss them. Last week was pure heaven for me. My entire family was under one roof, inhabiting my house and bringing joy to my heart!
My brothers are becoming men more and more each time I see them. I'm so impressed with their maturity and kindness--and the fact that they are hovering over 6' now. It further confirms to me the grace of God in the lives of my family. My parents have taught us the meaning of seeking to know and serve the Lord.
By now my dad is back in Slovakia, my mom and brothers are still here. Last night my brothers and I ate dinner at Galaxy Cafe, consumed a massive amount of frozen yogurt, rocked out to music in the car, and laughed a lot. Next weekend my mom will be back in Austin and I can hardly wait. They may look to you like an ordinary family (well, maybe not), but underneath that normal exterior (ha) they are the best, most wonderful people currently living. And I am just lucky to be related to them. I think sometimes their fantastic-ness rubs off on me. I hope.
I have some fun pictures on my camera, but when I go home and my brothers are there I can't bear to sit at the computer and upload pictures. Soon enough, though it pains me to think of it, they'll be gone and there will be time for all of that. I might also roam aimlessly around the empty house and walk through the rooms where they stayed. I might be a little melodramatic. I might cry. I might have done all that already when they left on Sunday afternoon. Possibly.
I hate saying goodbye.

But we're not going to talk about that right now.
Right now, I'll tell you that my presence around here might continue to be scarce for a couple of weeks as I soak up as many precious moments with my favorite people on earth as I can.

Right now, I'll also tell you that I'm listening to the Jon Foreman station on Pandora every day and loving it.
Right now I'm thinking about the fruits of the Spirit, and praying that today the fruit that my life brings forth is a witness to the hope I have in Christ. A witness that my Source of life is the Spirit.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control.

Happy Birthday, Nephew.

Heavenly.

This gives me goosebumps...

Buttercup Days

{via}

By A. A. Milne

Where is Anne?

Head above the buttercups,

Walking by the stream,

Down among the buttercups.

Where is Anne?

Walking with her man,

Lost in a dream,

Lost among the buttercups.

What has she got in that little brown head?

Wonderful thoughts which can never be said.

What has she got in that firm little fist of hers?

Somebody's thumb, and it feels like Christopher's.

Where is Anne?

Close to her man.

Brown head, gold head,

In and out the buttercups.

Restless.

Princess Wiggles.

Last night I tossed and turned.
My mind simply would not turn off.
All weekend I'd worked around the house. I had a great time moving from room to room, organizing and arranging, but I was exhausted. If it weren't for my racing thoughts I would have easily drifted off into oblivion. But I was wide awake.
Part of it is pure excitement. My parents and brothers are coming to the states this very week. Also, I had been seriously stressing out about their cancelled British Airways flights due to all the strikes (fingers still crossed about this one, also praying like crazy--we're not in the safe zone until they leave London on Wednesday). I was going through checklists in my head of all I would like to get done before they arrive.
Monday night: Clean the bathrooms. Really clean
Tuesday night: Vacuum the house, scrub the downstairs tile
Wednesday night: Go walking with Kristin, eat dinner at Zocalo with Daniel because I have a Groupon! Have a nice time.
Thursday night: Pack my bags for the weekend, bake, and bake some more.  

Then, of course, I had to take into account the fact that I'll be at work all week long. It's so hard to focus on work when you'd rather be goofing off! Right?!
I'm restless at night, I'm restless at work. I'm ready for my family to be here.

I can't even think straight right now. That might have something to do with the fact that I hardly slept last night. Hopefully I'll settle down this evening. Maybe have a glass of wine after I scrub the bathrooms.

Hurry, Friday!!!

The Blues.

I have post-vacation blues.

Good thing I'll be on vacation again in a little over a week.

Last night the sky was angry and black. Kristin and I peered out the door, debating whether or not we should postpone our weekly walk to Cafe Medici.

It looks kind of dark out there.

I think we can make it.

You think so?

Yeah, let's do it. I'll do it. Will you do it?

Let's do it.

We walked out into the front yard and looked to the West, watching the rumbling clouds rolling towards us.

Let's run.

We set off at a quick pace, picking it up everytime we heard the threatening thunder. Every time we met another runner or cyclist on the road we smiled at each other.

If they can exercise in this, we can exercise in this.

Are we being stupid?

As we ran, we passed an elderly couple sitting in rocking chairs on their porch, waiting to watch the storm.

Run faster! the lady called to us.

We made it to Enfield, about three blocks away, before the large, heavy rain drops started hitting us. At first it was just a splat on the forehead, but then another and another and another until I felt my bangs starting to stick to my skin. We stopped at the light. Kristin saw an opening in the traffic and said Let's go!

But I hesitated.

The next thing I knew, Kristin was on the other side of the road and cars were zooming between us, no opening in sight.

At that moment, the storm hit.

Within seconds I was drenched, utterly helpless, standing on the corner with no where to go, and waiting for an opportunity to sprint across the street. Finally, it came.

I bolted across the street and set my course for the dryness of the cafe porch. I threw my head back and laughed as the cool rain poured over me. It was bliss.

It was too late to worry about the lightening stretching across the clouds, or the booming thunder that shook the trees. I was in it. Right in the middle of it.

We raced to the cafe and came to a halt at the top of the porch steps, laughing breathlessly.

We made it! We were alive! We were soaked to the bone!

We stumbled into Cafe Medici and were met with amused stares. The girl behind the counter was smiling and said something about how it's really coming down out there!

Looking out the large cafe windows you could see flashing lightening across the dark sky, followed quickly by crashes of thunder. We ordered a delicious Toddy SS (the best drink in the world), took a seat next to a window blurred by a sheet of water, and enjoyed the comfort of warm light and good conversation as we relived our adventure.

The Ranch - 2010

I spent hours - hours I tell you - going through pictures and editing last night. It was so much fun.

But I only made it about half way through the pictures from The Ranch. I haven't even gotten to the pictures of me shooting a rifle.

Yeah, that's right.

The Ranch will forever have a special place in my heart. Every single memory, down to the last detail, brings me joy and warms my heart. Do you have any memories like that? It's kind of hard to describe the fondness I feel.

It may not look like much, but this ranch house is the most wonderful place on earth. Green shag carpets included. I was "warned" about the green shag carpets, as if it were a disclaimer for how "old and primitive" the ranch house is. I think everyone was a little worried that this here city girl would turn up her nose at such things.

But they were wrong. I loved the green shag carpets. I might even get my own green shag carpets some day.

It's retro-chic.

I had no idea what to expect from our little weekend trip. I'd heard about The Ranch since I was but a wee lass, but I'd never been. And once Daniel and I finally committed to going, I started hearing a lot of, "Don't set your expectations too high!" "The Ranch isn't fancy." "The Ranch is just the basics."

The Ranch was just the basics (think 10 people sharing one bathroom basic), and it wasn't fancy. But honestly, I couldn't have set my expectations high enough. That is what made it so wonderful. Sometimes in life it is necessary to step away from being busy and constantly connected, and spend some time sitting on a quiet, breezy porch with old friends. The only sounds that surround you are swinging screen doors and the occasional cow-bellow.

 

It was like stepping into another time, long ago.

I fell in love with this little white church, sitting up on a hill about 3 miles down the road from The Ranch. It looked so quaint and peaceful, I had to take a picture.

Have I mentioned the food? Good, solid, cowboy food. Meat, potatoes, beans, apple pie, coleslaw, homemade ice cream, s'mores (and the occasional salad). It was heavenly.

And to top it all off, I was with my love. He has been working crazy 12 - 15 hour days lately, and the time together without even the possibility of work interrupting (no cell phone reception!) made the vacation feel like a true oasis from the daily grind. But my goodness, does that man love his work. And that makes me happy.

We're so in love.

As a side note, girls, cute bangs don't really work on the windy plain. Not at all. They just like to split right down the middle and look really attractive.

And it was fun to see Daniel wrestle cattle. More on that later.

If you want to see more pictures so far from The Ranch, go here.

Morning Musings

Ethan, my brother, sometimes I make faces in the mirror and I remind myself of you. So,  I think we must be related. You are better at making faces than I, however.

I like to talk about music from time to time. I have a tendency to over-listen to songs that I like, and I listen to them so many times that I have to take a break from the song.

Here are the songs I am over-listening to right now:

I Dreamed a Dream (from Les Mis.) performed by the Glee Cast.

Yes, I watch Glee. I know. The story lines are so cheesy. But the music, people. The music.

The High Road by Broken Bells

{via}

New Slang by The Shins

{via}

Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap

{via}

Have no doubt though, Paul Simon, Phoenix and Vampire Weekend are still heavily featured on my playlist.

I didn't spend any time on pictures last night, but they are coming soon. I went to the grocery store so that we could eat. That's important, right? Currently I have a slight obsession with Clementine Oranges. They are just so cute and sweet.

I came home and made Nie Nie's Mexican Lasagna. I was a little skeptical about all the spinach, but it added a wonderful flavor. And so healthy! I added some ground beef for Daniel's sake. He needs his meat.

Here's Nie's picture. Mine looked really yummy too :)

It was yummy.

I also bought the ingredients for this delectable-looking dish:

I heart food!