What is so special about October 25?

Evidently, more than I realized...

October 25, 2008: I married my husband JR.

October 25, 2004: I went on my first date with JR.

October 25, 2003: I met my friend Tanya for the first time in Red Bank, New Jersey.  I also met Kevin Smith, his wife Jen, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran, and several other ViewAskew peeps...

October 25, 2003: Also the day that JR was Man-of-Honor in his friends' wedding (L & D).

I decided to look up any other importance with the day online, and here is a sampling of what I found:

1400 Author Geoffrey Chaucer died in London.

1764 John Adams marries Abigail Smith.

1854 The Charge of the Light Brigade took place at Balaklava during the Crimean War.
 
1881 Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born.
 
1939 Nylon stockings go on sale in U.S. for first time.
 
1962 Author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
 
1971 Roy Disney dedicates Walt Disney World.
 
1982 - The first episode of "Newhart" aired on CBS.
 
1990 - The 200th episode of "Cheers" aired on NBC.
 
2001 Microsoft released the Windows XP operating system.
 
2006 - On the Opra Winfrey show, an interview with Madonna aired.

The Passing of Time

Three years ago today (well, tonight, really), I entered a new phase of my life.  My dear (then) boyfriend at the time took me to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants - Aodake Sushi & Hibachi.  I believed we were celebrating the fact that we were meeting some of my family the next day at a half-way point so Mom could hand over her truck to me (I had just purchased it from her).

We had a wonderful dinner, and he was being quite silly...after dinner, we went back to my apartment.  With my roommate out for the night, we were simply watching some television.  At one point, though, and I can't be sure of the details on how this happened, we were both standing in the entry hall.  He was being very shmoopy and loving and letting me know how much he loved me and how happy he was.  It went on for several minutes, maybe an hour, and I was blushing and smiling and crying.  He finally swung me around and asked, "Do you want to surprise your family tomorrow?"  I was very confused, since they KNEW we were meeting them.  He dropped to one knee, pulled out the ring that had been in his pocket throughout dinner, and asked me to be his wife.  I was shocked, amazed, and bursting with love and tears...after a few moments, I looked him in the eye and said, "YES!"

We did surprise my family the next day, and we all celebrated.

Three years ago, JR proposed.  So many things have happened since then, and I am looking forward to what happens next.

Cake!

So, I don't think it's a big shock that I LOVE cupcakes...and honestly, I am not picky.  I am very happy with the 6 yellow cupcakes with butter cream frosting I can get at the grocery store...especially on Friday when they are offered at the reduced price of $2.22. Now, I do prefer if I can get a mixed pack of 3 yellow and 3 chocolate, but I'll still settle for the 6 yellow.

As much as I love eating cupcakes, I love decorating cakes even more.  I am by no means a professional, but I have been decorating cakes since I was young, learning tricks and techniques from my grandma and my mom.  I decorated a sheet cake to look like a folded western shirt for Father's Day when I was 12.  I carved and decorated cake to look like a giant glazed donut in my 20s.  I made a birthday cake in the shape of a beer mug for my father-in-law a few years ago.  I've even made some, ahem, bachelorette party cakes...  I've made countless bunny-face cakes for Easter, and tons of heart-shaped cakes for Valentines' Day (none from shaped molds). 
About a year and a half ago, my dear friends Lee Ann and Jeremy were expecting a baby for the first time.  While shopping with Lee Ann at one of our favorites stores (JoAnn's), we saw a Wilton Cake Decorating Toolbox (with 101 tools) on sale.  And Lee Ann had a coupon.  And she really thought I should get it so I could start really getting into cake decorating.  Especially since she had a baby shower coming up...I was roped in, and I thank her for that every time I make a great cake.

The first cake I made for public consumption after this purchase was, indeed, the baby shower cake.  I had an idea in my head of a bear on blocks and all kinds of fanciness...then I got nervous and decided to go with something a little simpler for my first attempt at using fondant on a cake...

The base and paci are cake covered in fondant; the paci handle is molded chocolate.

The result was a pacifier cake, and I was very proud of it.  I could see every tiny imperfection, of course, but I was still happy.  Luckily, my mom had made many, many things out of Candy Melts white chocolate while I was growing up, so the handle was easy enough to do.  The round ball was a cake mold and maybe a little more advanced than I should have tried for my first attempt at fondant.  Everyone was happy with it, and it tasted good.  Score!

I have made a few other cakes in the last year, but nothing too exquisite... until yesterday.  I made the birthday cake for our now one-year old Goddaughter - Jeremy and Lee Ann's little girl.  Lee Ann told me "ladybug theme."  I've been looking at photos of cakes online for the last several months.  I found one that fit what I was thinking of doing, and here is what I ended up with.



Ladybug cake!  It's all cake and fondant!



A close up of the topper.

The "smash cake" just for Analee to enjoy (and make into mush and get all over herself.

A ladybug on top of a two-layer cake.  Everything was cake, including the ladybug body and head.  I started with all white fondant and colored it myself.  The green border and grass is butter cream frosting.  The smaller flower "smash cake" was covered in butter cream with a fondant ladybug accent.

I am very proud of this cake.  I only cringed a little when Lee Ann made the first cut...then, we all enjoyed eating the cake, especially Analee:

Analee elbow-deep in her cake!

A Perfect Thank You / A Night of Reflection

(Copyrighted Image)

My husband, as a thank you for my taking care of him this past week while he has been sick, took me out for sushi and a movie.  He told me the movie was a surprise, and I was honestly scared.  This man once took me to see a "surprise" movie that ended up being Paranormal Activity.  It scared me so much that I was sitting on the edge of the seat rocking back and forth.

This, however, was a wonderful surprise.  After reading one of my recent blogs and its comments, my husband decided to thank me for taking care of him by treating me to a movie I wanted to see...along with about 50 school-age girls and their mothers.  He took me to see Ramona and Beezus.

My heart was overflowing - he had done something wonderful for me, and I felt like it was more than enough to thank me for my taking care of him while he was sick - I feel like that is my responsibility.  His appreciation was awesome.

The movie was wonderful.  All at once, it made me happy to be a wife, a daughter, a sister, and an aunt.

I am Dorothy Quimby (Ramona's mom) - the wife who tries to hold it all together and be supportive even in tough situations, who loves her family very much and tries to take things in stride.

I am Ramona - the daughter who always felt like she was just a clumsy mess, getting in the way of everything, and believing the rest of the family would be better off without her...I learned, over time, that I was an important part of the family, and we all were better because of each other.

I am Beezus - the oldest sister who had to be a grown-up sometimes while she was still young, the sister who had to put up with the annoyances of younger siblings, but who still loved them with her whole heart and would do anything to ensure their happiness.

I am Aunt Bea - the aunt who lets my nieces know that I believe they each hung the moon, who takes each one on a special outing alone, and who takes them all out together whenever I can.  I am the aunt who teaches them the lessons their parents try to teach them by phrasing things the way I know they understand (and they will listen, because I am not their mother).

I laughed and cried and cried and laughed throughout the movie.  It brought back the memories of the Ramona books for me, and the memories of my childhood with my younger siblings...

Go see this movie.  You will not regret it.

Super Quick Book List

Rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. List fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. (The first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.)

1. Moby Dick
2. Little Women
3. Beowulf
4. Little House in the Big Woods
5. Bless Me Ultima
6. Catcher in the Rye
7. Gerald's Game
8. Love is Walking Hand in Hand
9. Sense and Sensibility
10. Jane Eyre
11. Moll Flanders
12. Great Expectations
13. The Gregg Reference Manual
14. Heidi
15. The Grapes of Wrath

Thanks to my friend over at little bitty bites for the idea of this post.

Pumpkin Season is Upon Us!

It is September, so I declare the beginning of pumpkin season!

I love pumpkins.  I mean, I really, really love pumpkins.  I am like Bubba with shrimp when I start listing out the pumpkin-related foods I have tried:

pumpkin pie

pumpkin bread

pumpkin muffins

pumpkin pancakes

pumpkin waffles

pumpkin coffee

pumpkin soup

pumpkin cookies

pumpkin cobbler

pumpkin cheesecake

pumpkin ice cream

pumpkin seeds, roasted

pumpkin lasagna

pumpkin spice latte

pumpkin spice hot cocoa

I also love decorating with pumpkins and other fall decor...our wedding had an autumn theme.  For the ceremony, the bride's maids wore rich copper dresses, and their bouquets were deep autumn colors.  The groom's men had coordinating vests/ties.  My dress was ivory with champagne accents, and JR wore a champagne vest and tie.  The flower girls (Autumn Fairies) scattered silk fall leaves instead of flower petals.  The unity candle holder and taper holders had pumpkins in and around them. 

At the reception, we had mini pumpkins and gourds on the tables with silk fall leaves scattered all over.  The table numbers were cut-outs of fall leaves in rich autumn colors, and the bud vases that held the numbers were filled with tiny acrylic pumpkins.  The place card holders were mini pumpkins.  The only thing that was NOT pumpkin- or fall-related was the cake "topper."  We had Superman and Wonder Woman figures for that.  ;-)

This year I vow to try even more pumpkin-flavored treats...and I vow to remember why it is I love pumpkin so much - my husband and I share a love of pumpkin, a love of autumn, and a love of a lifetime.

The Cupcake Debacle

I love cupcakes.  They make me happy.  This is something my friend over at "little bitty bites" and I have in common, other than high school...

I had six beautiful cupcakes just like this.

I had a wonderful six-pack of yellow cupcakes with butter cream frosting starting on Saturday night.  By Sunday afternoon, I had three left.  And by Sunday night, I had NONE.  ZERO.  They were gone.  I miss my cupcakes.  I'd like to say I am ashamed to have eaten six cupcakes in 24 hours.  It's happened.  I am a little ashamed to say I ate three cupcakes in 12 hours, and I am sad to say I didn't get the other three...

What happened, you ask?  Stryker.  Stryker happened.

I've been such a proud puppy mommy for the last week, and then last night - The Cupcake Debacle.  Stryker has been so well-behaved that we've given him some privileges over the last week.  The first few days, he had the basement to himself.  Then, we started leaving him to wander in the house with the doors closed to rooms we didn't want him in.  Last night we let Stryker have the run of the house while we went to a concert.  He had eaten his dinner, and he had been walked and let out, so we felt safe.  I inadvertently left our bedroom door open...that was MY mistake. 

I own that.

When we finally arrived home from the concert sometime around midnight, all seemed well.  Stryker was a little sleepy, but he still met us at the door.  I let him out, and we played with him for a bit.  I looked around, and everything seemed to be in place.  When I went upstairs to the bedroom to change into jammies I turned on the light, pulled out my clothes, spun around to turn on the television, and shrieked, "Ahhhhh! Stryker!"  My  husband immediately yelled, "What did he do!?!?!?"  My response:

"HE.    ATE.    MY.    CUPCAKES. 

ALL.    OF.    THEM."

On top of completely obliterating my hair pick (luckily, I had two), he had taken the plastic container of my treasured snacks and destroyed it.  He ate all the remaining cupcakes, all six wrappers, licked up all traces of butter cream frosting and sprinkles, and shredded the plastic container.

I wish this was what was left of my cupcakes...

The packaging he ate through.

So today Stryker will be in the basement, having lost his house-roaming privileges...I will have to be more careful about where I store my precious cupcakes going forward...perhaps I will keep them in the guest room (the door is always closed to that room) so that I can enjoy the cupcakes without worry. 

The Great White North

I am now a world traveler, and I could not have said that before Wednesday.

I had a meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada this week, and it was pretty cool.  I didn't get to ride the Maid of the Mist, but I could see both the American and the Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls from my hotel window.

My entrance into Canada was humorous.  My colleague from our Buffalo, New York, office picked me up at the Buffalo airport and drove me to the hotel in Niagara Falls.  He was very gracious to do that, especially since we were in horrible traffic and the line to get into Canada was beyond long.  Then, as luck would have it, the border agent at the booth we chose to drive through was having some day - he asked us a ton of questions, and when I told him I was a meeting planner having a meeting from Wednesday night till Friday afternoon, he decided I might need a work visa for that and pulled us over.  My colleague, still very patient and wonderful, stood in line with me at immigration for 30 minutes just to tell the agent that I was in town for the a meeting and that I was not selling anything to the attendees.  Whew - that was an ordeal, but it makes for an interesting memory for my first trip out of the country!

Most of my time was spent in my hotel room or in the hotel meeting room.  The group I was with did have dinner in a wonderful restaurant on the 10th floor of our hotel which overlooked the falls.  It was beautiful, and the food was good.

I walked for a while when my meeting was finally over and took some great pictures of the falls.  They really are something to see.  I also stopped at a wax museum in honor of my parents' honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1974.  I can still remember the famous photo my dad took of a topless wax figure...he cut off her head - hilarious forever. 

I had a way-too-sugary cookie sandwich with butter cream frosting from the Hershey store.  I bought souvenirs for my husband and my dog - the standard pen for JR and a rope toy for Stryker with a Canadian NHL plush in the middle.  I heard people say "aboot," and "surry," and "eh."  The vending area in the hotel was called "pop & ice."  The buses are called "people movers."

My colleague picked me up to drive me back to the Buffalo airport - he really is a stand-up guy.  Based on our trip into Canada, I was uneasy about our trip out.  The lines were not as long, but the agent was just as specific.  My colleague let the agent know that he was merely picking me up from the hotel, and I let the agent know that I had been at a business meeting.  He asked how we knew each other.  My colleague told him we worked for the same company, just different locations.  He asked if I sold anything to the attendees.  I assured him I had not.  He asked if I had made any purchases.  I pulled out the rope toy and pens and said, "just these for my husband and dog."  He seemed leery, but he let us pass - no trip into immigration that time.

Now I sit in the Buffalo airport waiting to get home to my amazing husband and our wonderful pup.

So, my first trip out of the contiguous 48 states was not that far from "home," but I am still thrilled that I have a passport because of this trip (as does my husband) so we can travel abroad when we are ready...

Stryker's first night and first morning at home

Stryker is proving to be an amazing dog.  He lets us know when he needs to go outside.  He does not try to eat our food.  He will sit, lay down, and stay in his dog bed.  He is so good at fetch with his rope toy.  He had a great time playing with us last night in the basement. 

My favorite thing, however, was that he spent part of the night sleeping at my feet...it was awesome.  My husband takes up the length of the bed with his 6ft 6in frame, but when I curl up, there is plenty of room for Stryker.  If I stretched out, he stretched out between JR and me, and rested his head on my shoulder.  We love this dog so much already!

Stryker woke me only once in the middle of the night to go out.  He rested his head on the bed and whimpered very quietly.  I got up and took him out, and he ran right back into the house and up both sets of stairs to the bedroom.

This morning when the alarm went off, he was between JR and me, and his head popped up, very alert.  He was ready for a walk!  I got up, dressed, and leashed him up, grabbing some plastic bags for the trip, and off we went.  We walked for about 45 minutes, and it was great.  We got back to the house and played in the yard a little while longer, then we went back inside so I could get ready for work.  When I got out of the shower, Stryker was in bed with my husband, and they were adorable! I wish I had the camera handy because as soon as I walked in, Stryker jumped up...

I am looking forward to getting home tonight to play with, walk with, and love on Stryker (and JR, too).  This family became even more connected yesterday.  I truly believe that having Stryker in our lives will give us the motivation we need to keep moving and get that exercise in every day!  No more slouching around for us...we can't possibly spend an entire day without leaving the house anymore.

When I met JR, I knew he was the one.  When we went to look at the house we now call our home for the first time, we knew it was the one.  When we met Stryker on Saturday, we knew he was the one...

A New Addition

The Andersons welcomed a new member to the family today.  Stryker (Ted Stryker Anderson).  We visited him yesterday at the West Suburban Humane Society and put a hold on him to consider it overnight.  I was so excited this morning that I couldn't sit still waiting for the minutes and hours to pass until the shelter was open and we could go see him again!  We played with him for about 20 minutes and realized we were just sure - he was going home with us!  We went inside to the office and took care of the paperwork. 

They brought him out to us, and the whole family jumped in the truck and went to the pet store for a doggie bed, a rope toy (it was his favorite at the shelter, so we got a similar one), food and water dishes, and some other essentials.  The shelter provided us with some food and his medicine (he's currently got a bout of upset tummy, but he's well house trained).  He's micro chipped, neutered, and vaccinated.  We plan on taking him to the vet within the next two weeks to get a thorough check, but he's gorgeous and happy!  Take a look:

(Ted) Stryker Anderson

We have been playing with him most of the day, and we just came home from an awesome 45-minute walk.  He is amazing, and we love him already!  We are all set to go pick up some more things at the pet store and give this gorgeous Brittany/Collie mix the forever home he's always wanted!

The North Woods

JR's dad's family is from Ingram, Wisconsin, in the North woods.  See the tiny red dot?  That probably covers up Ingram and all the surrounding towns.

We try to visit at least once a year.  We went the weekend of July 4th for the family reunion.  It was a blast.  We probably doubled the population of Ingram that weekend, which isn't that difficult.  The registered population is listed at 76.  Yes, seventy-six.  We went up again last weekend for "Ingram Days."  The town celebration is held the first weekend in August each year and boasts a softball tournament, a sand volleyball tournament, a horseshoe tournament, a pie-and-ice-cream sale, chicken and other food stuffs for sale at the ball park, a parade, and various other activities hosted by the town's four bars.  Yes, four bars for 76 people, or one bar for every 19 people.

So, what do we do while we are there besides visit all the bars, have some chicken, watch some sports tournaments, and watch the parade (during which at least one "float" will hand out beer to the bystanders)? 

Well, on an average weekend we spend in Ingram, we will head into nearby Glen Flora to eat a fantastic breakfast at Jae Dee's - fluffy pancakes with locally-made, FRESH maple syrup in squeeze bottles!  We will also head over to Tee-A-Way Golf outside of Ladysmith for nine holes, and we might stop by West Cove Lanes next door for bowling. 

We almost always head into downtown Ladysmith to catch whatever movie they are showing (yes, movie - as in one screen) for $5 each.  We once had to wait for the local Little Miss Rusk County pageant to end before we could see the movie.  Also, during a long movie (2 + hours), the projectionist (who also sells the tickets and the refreshments) will stop the film at the half-way point and announce that we are taking a 15-minute intermission so we may use the facilities and get refills on our drinks.  It's awesome.  Last weekend we saw "Despicable Me."

A trip is not complete without a visit to the Ladysmith Dairy Queen, which by the way is open all year.  On a girls' weekend to Ingram with JR's sisters and some friends in late January, 2008, we all suited up, warmed up the cars for 30 minutes, and headed into town to have some ice cream - it was 37 degrees BELOW zero.  That was good ice cream.

We will usually have a breakfast or a dinner one day out of the weekend at Hilltop Bar and Restaurant.  It's across the street from JR's older sister's summer house, the street being Highway 8.  We will likely have a dinner at Horseshoe Bar, as well - great fish fries on Fridays.  We might grab a burger at Antlers Bar & Tavern for lunch one day, and we like to go to The Bar for karaoke on Saturday nights.

If several family members are in town, we'll have a fire pit at JR's middle sister's summer home roaring into the wee hours while we laugh and talk and sing and act silly all night long.  JR also can't miss a ride on the ATVs.

Overall, the weekends we spend in the North woods are relaxing and fun.  My mom wonders why I can enjoy myself up there so much when I left the farm back in Tennessee kicking and screaming.  I remind her that I still like to come visit home, too - it is very relaxing and fun as well.  Then she reminds me that I said I was going to retire to Ingram one day and asks how I could stand that if I didn't want to live in the country in Tennessee.  I look her square in the eyes and say, "76 people.  Four bars."

Baked Orange Roughy with a Parmesan Sauce Topping

I knew I wanted to make fish, but I wasn't sure what kind. I took the cookbook with me to the grocery store so I could compare fresh-fish availability to recipes...

I came up with Orange Roughy baked with a Parmesan Sauce Topping. Yum yum!

The Parmesan sauce topping was merely light mayo, Worcestershire sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, and some salt & pepper. I coated the fillets with that and baked them until the fish was cooked through.

In the meantime, I made a fresh slaw mix with a light dressing (light mayo, lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper).

It was delicious! The Parmesan sauce topping was a huge hit, and the slaw was a nice side.

We will be having this again!

Mediterranean Pasta with Shrimp

So, I forgot to bring my cookbook with me to work on Wednesday...I decided instead to look up some recipes on diabetes.org.

I found Mediterranean Pasta with Shrimp - whole wheat egg noodles, ready-to-use shrimp, thawed chopped spinach, fat-free yogurt, feta cheese, garlic, salt & pepper. Really simple.

I also made a Greek side salad of diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, diced onion, diced bell pepper, grated garlic, yogurt, olive oil, salt & pepper.

Well, this was the first bust. I loved the salad. JR liked the pasta...

It seems the Andersons don't do Greek...

They can't all be winners!

Chicken Paella

After the success of the first meal on Sunday night prepared from the diabetic cookbook, I went through every recipe with my husband so we could determine which things we would definitely like, which things we would try, and which things we should not even think about (like anything with only vegetables in it - he won't eat that).

Monday, I picked out the next recipe to try: Chicken Paella. Proudly I can tell you that I only needed two ingredients from the store - a can of stewed tomatoes and a red bell pepper. The paella was simple - one skillet, chicken breast cut into strips and browned, onion, garlic, low-sodium chicken broth, parsley, rice, stewed tomatoes, bell pepper, frozen peas & carrots, seasonings (including turmeric). It was ready in about 30 minutes.

JR loved it! I loved it! Another win for the recipes!

Salmon in a Garlic Bath

My first try at creating a diabetic-friendly meal came directly from the diabetes cookbook I've been using (credit and picture to come). It sounded so delicious, so we tried it.

Salmon fillets in a baking dish with a "bath" of low-sodium chicken broth, olive oil, minced garlic, dry white wine, and coarsely chopped fresh parsley - baked till the fish is flaky. I positioned the fillets in the baking dish so that they formed a circle with each other.

I made brown rice, peas & carrots, and grilled shrimp skewers as sides.

I plated the meal: 1 fillet each, semi-circle shaped & positioned to match the outline of the plate; a big scoop of brown rice in the "pocket" of the fish; a big scoop of peas and carrots to complete the circle; two shrimp skewers each in an X pattern atop the other items.

Beautiful.

In my husband's best Gordon Ramsey impression, he gave his critique:

"Nice presentation. Tammy - look at this. The fish. It's cooked perfectly. On to the peas & carrots. A little pedestrian, but flavored well. The rice is overcooked. The seasoning on the shrimp is clean and simple. Delicious. Now bugger off."

For a first attempt at cooking a completely diabetic-friendly meal, I was impressed with myself. Whew!

If You Really Knew Me

I've been watching the MTV show "If You Really Knew Me." Here is part of the description from the Web site:

"Like a reality version of The Breakfast Club, each episode of If You Really Knew Me takes place at a different high school, and follows five students from different cliques as they go through the life-changing experience of Challenge Day, a one-day program that breaks down the walls between cliques, and completely changes the way students view their school and each other. Watch the amazing transformation each week as new students open up for the first time and try to change by revealing who they really are, behind the cliques and the labels. Is it possible to change your life, and maybe even your high school, in one day? These students are going to find out... on If You Really Knew Me."

I've seen the first two episodes, and I am digging it. It makes me nostalgic, it makes me sad, it gives me hope, and it gives me worry.

If something like this had happened in my high school, I am not sure what the outcome would have been. I don't know what clique I would have been assigned to...I called myself a "floater." I could talk to anyone, but at the same time I didn't do a lot of socializing outside of school.

Just for giggles, I thought it would be interested to pose the challenge to you...I'll start.

If you really knew me, you would know that I always thought I was fat in high school. Only after seeing pictures of myself years later did I realize that I was a very healthy size.

If you really knew me, you would know that I always wanted to hang out with people after school and on the weekends but never felt like I belonged.

If you really knew me, you would know that I was excited to go to my ten-year reunion because I was still not married, I had no kids, and I was living 8 hours away...I was excited because I had broken any mold of what people thought I should be.

If you really knew me, you would know that after the ten-year reunion, I felt just as un-cool and un-popular as I did in high school.

What would I really know about you?

"Free" Time

The company for which I work has some pretty cool benefits for being such a small organization...I get to keep my airline miles (which makes vacations easier); When I am working in the office, I come in at 7:30am and leave at 4:30pm (I can pick back up tomorrow); if I need to leave for something, I have a no-questions-asked personal time off policy (with 10 days of PTO to use in 15 minutes increments); we have lunch-and-learn once a month during which we learn something useful, get a free lunch, and get to leave one hour early; and, my favorite (at least today) - cookouts once a month during the summer! We each brought in a side dish or dessert, the managers bought the main course (today was chicken), and we have a social hour (or two) on a Friday during the summer. Then, we all clean up and the president of the company tells us when we can go home - today it's 2:30pm! Two hours early!

Ah. Free time!

Wait. Is it "free?"



What am I going to do with those two hours? Well, first I am going to drive home. While I am leaving earlier in the afternoon than usual, it is Friday, and there will be people on the road. So, there's about 40-45 minutes. When I arrive home I'll decide to relax, but I'll see the dishes in the drying rack from last night's dinner. I'll put those away, wipe down the counters, wipe down the stove, sweep the floor, realize the rest of the floors need to be swept, remember that the tub needs to be cleaned, etc., etc., etc. until about 4:30pm. Okay - that's still about 90 minutes before I would usually be home. I'll sit down to read. Then I'll remember that I need to go to the library to pick up some book about some vampire and some girl and some werewolf... I'll head out to the library, hunt down the book, think of a few more I remember I want to read, check them out, and get back home by 6:30pm. Just as I would have anyway.

So, that time may not be "free," and I may not have been able to really relax, but I will have accomplished some things that will allow me to sleep in tomorrow!

Woo hoo!

The Niece Chronicles

I have some ideas for short stories about my nieces...here are the titles and plots, stories to come:

Courtney and the Alligator Whiskers - girl can speak with water creatures and has vivid imagination about all life under water.

The Amazing Growing Rebecca - girl can tug on her ear and grow taller, which is helpful when she needs to get her magic shoes off the top shelf.

Katie Feeds the Fishies - girl provides magical nourishment to all animal life through her smile and warm heart.

Jessica and Lola - a girl and her bunny save the world.

Samantha the Zombie Hunter - awesomely strong-willed, strong-minded, strong-bodied girl takes on zombies and kicks butt.

Amanda at the Speed of Light - 9-year-old Flash-like girl rushes around the world to save puppies from bad families.

My Latest Read

I was looking through my bookshelves on Sunday night (now that they are all unpacked, organized by category, and alphabetized by author) because I was ready for a new book to read. Having finished the first in the Anne of Green Gables series, followed up with Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs, I wanted something different.

I scanned the sections of my personal library:



Antique Books: No, I fear damaging the pages too much to pull one of those out.






"School" Fiction: (books I've read for grades since junior high, and I reread them because I like them...) No, I've read all those at least twice, some four or five or ten times. I want something different.









Anthologies: Like those above, this is a collection of collections of works which I have read numerous times...no, this is not exactly what I am in the mood for, but close...








Mysteries, Suspense, etc.: Kinda my "other" section...Dean Koontz, Stephen King, a couple Danielle Steel novels for good measure, and some random hard cover novels that I don't believe go with my school fictions. No, these are of the same vein as Kathy Reichs, and I want something different.







Comic Books and Related Texts: Yes, comic books. Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Justice League of America, random comics from authors I know and/or like, anthologies of comics, etc. No - I'm in the mood for a deep read, not a quick read.








Business and Self-Help Books: Why Good Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, Negotiation Skills, Men are from Mars..., etc. No, I am not in the mood to improve my negotiating skills or determine why it is that I am still in a cubicle at age 35.







Books for Which I Was the Developmental Editor: What? If your name was on the inside of a book, wouldn't you want to keep those you put blood, sweat, and tears into? The shelf includes the first text I ever worked on, which won First Edition of the Year for the company, as well as some that I was so proud just to get into print. The majority of that shelf, however, holds my pride and joy, in every version I published, as well as all its supplemental works: The Gregg Reference Manual, Tenth Edition. Go find it in a bookstore and check out the Copyright Page. I'm on there (maiden name). No, I don't really want to read the rules for using commas right now.







Books about Writing: For some reason, I have a whole collection of books that are supposed to teach me how to be a writer...No, not in the mood to ponder why it is I can't sit down and right the next great American novel.









Writing Manuals: This section is different from the above...APA, MLA, Harbrace, Chicago Manual, etc. Style guides. No, I don't need to know how to put in the correct citation right now.










Reference: Still different from previous categories. Includes dictionaries, thesauri, language dictionaries, etc. No. I don't want to know what the Spanish word for "imagination" is right now, or what all the different definitions of the word "strike" might be (but maybe later).






Finally! I found the section that called out to me, as it were:

Bibles: An entire section. All the Bibles I have ever owned, from childhood through high school through college and into adulthood. I remembered that many times I've tried to read the Book completely through, and many times I've failed...so, I wanted to try again.

I'm not even through "Genesis" yet, but here are some "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" moments that I have re-discovered:

"Genesis" has many sections on the "begets." If you can make it through all those, you can make it through the rest of the book.

When God created the firmament (Heaven), He made it to separate the water from the water...so, there is water in Heaven.

When God created land, He put it all in one place - historically known to us humans as "Pangaea" before the great Continental Drift...cool, huh?

Did you know that Noah was directed by God to collect SEVEN of every clean animal, a male and his female, and TWO of every unclean animal, a male and his female? So, that would mean 14 of every clean animal and four of every unclean animal. Also, SEVEN of each bird, a male with his female. Another set of 14...sure, they walked in two-by-two, but there were more than two of each animal!

Here's to learning and re-learning things I've been learning all my life...

The Rooms in My House

I think that each room in my house represents a different part of my self. Now that the house is cleaned, organized, and mostly decorated, here's my self-analysis.

The master bedroom: My subconscious, my heart, my romanticism. I share this room completely with my husband. We are intertwined in this room. It is the place I feel safe. It is the place we share all our secrets. It is the room in which our souls combine during our sleep...I love this room.

The guest room (aka "Dee's Room"): My past, my need to hold onto my childhood and my roots, my get-away. I decorated this room in a sort-of country-girl chic. Pastel greens with pink- and rose-colored accents. A very girly "shabby chic" bed linen set, stuffed animals, ballet art work, candles, and dried flower bouquets everywhere. My antique sewing machine table, with my new model sewing machine, and a closet of gifts, wrapping paper, and gift bags Martha Stewart would be proud of. I've always wanted a room like this. I feel it makes me closer to my baby sister because she has a room like this, and she calls it my room. Yes, I have my own room in my sister's house in Tennessee. Now she has her own room in my house in Illinois.

The master bathroom: My solace. My thinking place. My planning place. I like the simplicity of this room. Whites with lavender accents. I ponder life in the steam of the shower. I refresh my body and mind. I recharge myself here.

The kitchen: My comfort, my warm fuzzy, my life. I love to bake. An entire section of cabinets is dedicated to that love. I feed more than my stomach in this room. JR and I share breakfast and conversation in this room. It is a great room for casual conversation over a cup of tea. A radio in the corner allows me to sing and dance like nobody is watching (even if they are) while I cook, bake, and clean.

The "Great Room": This is a room in progress. It will be the ever-changing room, I can feel it. Currently, it is a fabulous wide-open room with many comfortable seating choices. A set of bookshelves in a corner offers visitors a myriad of reading materials, each section offering a peek into my and my husband's hobbies and interests (an entire section of writing manuals, another of comic books, another of antique collectible books, and yet another of mystery novels, to name only a few). With a fireplace, I am sure this room will provide a great place to have a wonderful visit with friends, sharing a glass of wine and a vivacious discussion. In the future, this room will transform...into what is the unanswered question.

The downstairs bathroom: The place where all life's problems end up. Currently, according to the downstairs bathroom, life has no problems. Over the last few months, life was ankle deep in poop. Now, everything is working well again.

The basement: The fun, the entertainment, the togetherness. This is the most-used room in the house. This is where we laugh during comedies, cry during love stories, hide under the covers during horror fests, and work our butts off to video games. This is the room where the board games are pulled out and played till exhaustion sets in. This is the "family" room.

The laundry room: The room where the cleaning happens. Therapy takes place during the laundry process. Life is sorted out, and all the bad stuff from the week is washed away (including the inevitable food stains on my shirts). I am so happy to finally have this room!

The office/my closet: This is the secret room. The room nobody is allowed to see. The mess. The boxes. The clutter. The clothes and shoes and shoes and shoes. The computer is in there somewhere. Despite it serving as my closet, my husband spends more time in the office than I do. He kills zombies on the computer into the wee hours. This room holds his solace and relaxation.

The patio: The "ahhhh" place. Where we go to rest after yard work. Where we make the neighbors hungry from the wonderful aromas of the grill. Where JR's pet Zombie "Morty" lives with his pet lizard "Lexie." (I'll update this with pictures, I promise.)

The garage: The holder of things we don't know what to do with...for now. That's all I'm saying.

Every room is important to the whole of the house...Every piece represents a different part of our lives...I love my house, and I love my life.

The Measurement of Success

With less than 24 hours to go before our first big party in our new house, I walked in the door at 6:30pm Friday night to see that I still had a lot of work to do before a party could be had. A. LOT.

I dug in, and by 1:30am, I was ready for bed. After a shower. The great room (with all the boxes still piled up) was completely unpacked, organized, and decorated. The bedrooms were clean. The basement was clean, and the kitchen was getting there...

I woke up Saturday morning at 7:30 and sprayed some weeds to get my blood pumping. After an awesome bad-for-me breakfast supplied by my sweet husband, we started up again...Made the bed, cleaned up the clothes, scrubbed down the kitchen, vacuumed the basement, sanitized the bathrooms, and swept and Swiffer-wet-jetted the floors.

With one hour till the party, JR was finishing up the shopping and I was jumping into the shower...the first guests arrived promptly at 2:00pm while JR was showering.

People came and went all night - lots of great food, great drinks, great conversation, and many compliments on the house. We feel very lucky to have such great friends and family who could come share the fun of a new house with us.

The success of our housewarming party was measured in the smiles on faces, the hugs and laughter, the conversation always moving, and the completely relaxed feeling I have today as I clean up from all the fun...

For TGJ: I DID do it! Thanks for the motivation, as always!

Woot! When can we have another party???

Deadlines

I work with deadlines every day in my job...in my personal life, I tend to let things slide a bit. My husband knows this, and he sets deadlines for me to get things done. He sets these deadlines by planning things which require a specific action by me - usually to do with cleaning, packing, etc.

We have been in the house since the end of February. I still do not have everything unpacked. Two rooms in the house are still utter disasters with unpacked boxes and clutter...it is driving me nuts.

I thought that a scheduled visit from my brother and niece would get it done. Nope.
Then I was sure that a visit from my sister, brother-in-law, and 2 nieces would motivate me to finish. Negative.
Surely a visit from my PARENTS was just what I needed to get it all done. Not even close.

My husband decided on a date for a housewarming party...he is certain we can get the last two rooms done and do a good cleaning on the rest of the house before then. Uh-huh, sure. I hope so, since the party is THIS Saturday!

Keep in mind, he made the decision about a week and a half ago...right before my parents came to visit. So, last weekend was out for getting all the unpacking done because we had a full weekend of plans with the folks.

Monday night, I had a work dinner. We did some more cleaning last night (and got quite a bit done, really), but it is not finished. I am leaving this afternoon for Milwaukee for a meeting...I will not be home until Friday NIGHT. I have until about 1:00pm on Saturday to get the house ready...get some caffeine ready! I will definitely need it!

Recurring Nightmares

When I was young I had a recurring nightmare...it lasted for many years, and occasionally it will pop up again. It never changes. I can never keep it going, I can never stop it before it ends, and I can never manipulate it in any way.

That is different than some other recurring dreams I have. I have been able to start a dream again the night after the initial sequence so I can see the outcome. I can change somethings in a dream when I have it a second time. I dream in color. I can read in my dreams. I can have different points of view in my dreams. Some people claim those things are not possible. I disagree.

My childhood recurring nightmare goes a little something like this:

My family is going camping. I am very young...only my parents and my middle sister and I are in the dream, so my brother and youngest sister were not yet born. We have the tent set up, a campfire ready to go, and fishing poles set out. My dad has a conversation with the troll who lives in the zip-up window in the tent. Yep. A troll...we live amicably with the troll. My dad reminds him that the rule is, "We do not bother you; you do not bother us." Mom is staying behind to organize things and get the campfire started so that when Dad, Teresa, and I get back from fishing we can cook up the catch.

When the three of us traipse back to the campsite, I notice something weird. Mom is picking up some bread, and she has a blank expression with glassy eyes. I ask, "What's wrong?" "Nothing, Dear. Everything is fine. Just fine," she replies while slowly putting the bread on a paper plate and reaching for the butter knife. I freak out when I realize that is no butter knife. That is the troll from the tent window! He has transformed himself into the butter knife and put Mom in a trance! I scream it at the top of my lungs, "That is not a knife Mommy! That is the troll! Don't touch it!" She replies, "Everything is fine Dear. Nothing to worry about," in a sing-songy manner. She reaches for the knife, and I WAKE UP!

Every time. That is the point at which I am jerked awake. I have tried a hundred times to see the rest of the dream, to change the outcome, to get rid of the troll... he haunts me, and I have no idea where that dream came from.

Omens

Not the evil kind. The kinda funny-when-you-think-about-it omens. I saw one of my least favorites this morning, so I decided to break down some of my list of omens:

1. Seeing a news chopper hovering right over your route to work. It inevitably means that if I left even a minute late I will be late to work. Luckily I left a couple of minutes early today, and I made it into work with a smile on my face.

2. Getting home to a dark house when you know you left a light on. Hopefully it's just a burned out light bulb. Likely the electricity is out. On Sunday, our house was the in the middle of a 7-block radius outage. We went to the movies for an unplanned date night. It was awesome.

3. Noticing that your vehicle is leaning to one side. Maybe you parked on a weird hill. Maybe the tire is low. Maybe it is completely flat. I made it 5 minutes from the office when my truck was at about a 30 degree angle left compared to the car in front of me. I pulled over, didn't panic, called my husband, called the tire store to let them know we'd be coming, then started lifting the truck with the jack so it would be ready for JR. It took several hours (since JR was a good two hours away in rush hour traffic, but he came because he loves me), but we got 4 new tires for the truck and had an impromptu dinner out at a local deli. Good times.

4. Hearing running water in an empty bathroom. Sure, somebody could have accidentally left the sink on. In my case, while someone took a shower upstairs the toilet downstairs was overflowing so much that it was pouring into the floor. Sigh. The plumbing problems we've experienced over the last 3 months have been AWESOME (sarcasm intended). We did finally get it taken care of (tree roots removed!), and we learned that being home owners is fun, exciting, scary, and expensive. We were able to laugh it off together, though.

There are many, many more "omens" like these...what are some of yours?

The Exes

So, I have a few exes...yes, we’ll say “few.” They’ve each meant something different to me, and they are important parts of my PAST. Those relationships helped me become the loving, honest, open, and caring wife I am today. Here’s a recap:

The very first high school boyfriend
The obsessive, abusive high school boyfriend
The wishy-washy college-aged boyfriend
The very first college boyfriend
The passionate love of my 20s
The fiancé

Being in Sync

My husband and I are in sync. We can be thinking the exact thought at the same time. It’s weird sometimes. For example, on our way up to his family reunion on Friday, I was playing iPod DJ (which is a big honor). I picked out a few songs, and he asked, “You know what would be an awesome next song?” I replied, “Well, I have one picked out, but what would you like to hear?” He gave me the song title, and I gasped as I showed him the highlighted song on the screen...the exact song he wanted to hear. WOW.

Now, some of you might just mark this as coincidence. Some might say it was the next logical song choice, so of course you both picked it. Instead, I say it is because we are perfect for each other. He is absolutely my other half. I do not want to think about a life without him. He is my soul mate. He is my best friend. He is the person who knows me like no other can. He is my rock (and my roll, and my punk, pop, country, soul, blues, etc.). We finish each other's sentences. We say exactly the same thing at the same time. We freak each other out when we have the same idea about something. We laugh at each other when it happens.

I know it seems disgusting. I even find it nauseating at times. We are so shmoopy. We cannot help it. I am madly in love with that man!


During our weekend, I ventured off with JR's older sister and a cousin. We had a fabulous time sharing some drinks and participating in karaoke. Well, I sang while they watched and laughed. That was on night two of the trip, and JR's cousin said to me, "You know, I have learned a couple of things this weekend. You like to have a good time, and you absolutely love JR." I just smiled, nodded, and replied, "Yes. Yes I do. With my whole heart." I meant it for both things. I love to have a good time with my whole heart, and I love my husband with my whole heart. They go hand-in-hand...in sync.

A Poem

May
Your

Days
Always
Dawn

Happily
And
Serenely.

Cherish
All
New
Challenges,
Ever
Ready.

-------------------

I wrote that poem on August 26, 2009. The day after I found out my dad had prostate cancer. The first letter of every word, reading down, was my inspiration for the poem.

My dad has always been a very healthy man. He worked a full-time,manual-labor job for 35 years. He worked on his farm and yard in his "spare" time. He drank a lot of water and no booze. He like ice cream and candy and salty foods, and those were his only weaknesses as far as I remember.

He started going to the doctor in his late 40's/early 50's for regular "I'm not getting any younger" visits. He had a physical, and he did learn he needed to cut down on salt...his sugars, however, were fine. Go figure. The man eats ice cream and candy like it's going out of style, and his sugars are normal. I wish I could say that. His blood pressure was a bit out of whack, but he is treating it medication and seems to be controlled. He goes in for his regular visits, and his visit last fall showed something a little not normal.

It's the little things...

Last night I went to a Cubs game with my husband and about 15 other people on a bus from the YMCA...it was a good time, even though the Cubbies broke my husband's heart for the umpteenth time. On the drive back, he sat in the seat behind me. While I was taking a little snooze in my seat, leaned over resting my head on my arm, my husband rubbed the kinks out of my shoulders. For almost the entire ride. I felt so very loved to fall asleep on a bouncy bus while my dearest put away his own tired feelings for me. When we finally made it home and were in bed for the night I returned the favor by gently rubbing his back until he feel asleep. I felt just as loved doing that for him as I did when we was doing it for me.

The little things are the things that keep me going. The private joke. The funny face. The silly note. The touch of a hand on my shoulder. The kiss on the forehead. The cupcakes on a Saturday morning after a bad week. His knowing I am going to start crying as soon as we cross the Tennessee/Kentucky border on our way from from visiting my family, and knowing I won't stop crying until we hit Paducah. Coming up with a new way to tell me goodbye everyone morning (today was "Have a Terrific Tuesday! I love you!). Laughing so hard we cry. Dancing in the aisles of the grocery store. Singing at the top of our lungs in the shower, and the car, and the kitchen, and everywhere. Quoting movies as an entire conversation.

So many little things that we do for each other and together...I love them all.

The little things make my marriage wonderful and fresh everyday. Take time for those little things.

Getting Involved - Giving Back

JR and I went to our local library on Saturday to get new library cards. It has been years since either of us actually had a library card. It was something we decided to do as members of our new community. Later that day, we went to the village jubilee - food vendors, live music, bingo, carnival rides, and fireworks. We really enjoyed it, and we even chatted with some of the Jaycees we knew when we were involved with them before. We are considering joining the chapter in our new community. I am already looking forward to other opportunities at the library and in the village for us to give back.

JR and I met through the Jaycees, volunteering, running projects, attending social events, etc. I've volunteered at the YMCA where he works. We've volunteered together for other organizations in the area. I always attend the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast (and not only because my husband mixes up a mean pancake batter!). We seek out other community organizations nearby who are hosting pancake breakfasts (I LOVE pancakes).

As my relationship with my husband developed, I looked up to him for the unselfish ways he gave back. I admired his ability to silently do things that needed to be done. He made me want to be a better person, and he still does. When we moved into our home, we decided we would get involved in our new community. We were both raised to give back what we could, and we want to keep that tradition going.

We can't always give monetarily, but do we have to? I think the time and sweat and effort we put into making something better for others is just as important. I can very easily give up my Saturday to help some kids celebrate Christmas who would not otherwise be able to. I can just as easily call out bingo numbers at a retirement home (even though JR is much better at the calling). I can lift a moderate amount of weight, so bring on the heavy boxes full of food for families in need. Getting involved and giving back is silently rewarding. That warm-fuzzy feeling is all I need to get through the day.

Sisters

Today's storm has led my brain into one of those train-of-consciousness-type nostalgia sessions...

It begins with my trip to the Wilton Tent Sale with my baby sister Deanna last weekend...we had breakfast with our husbands, her daughter, and our brother's daughter at McDonald's. She and I walked over to the tent sale while the boys took the girls to the park. We had such a great time walking up and down the aisles and picking out things we loved or needed or really, really wanted...It was great to spend time with my sister in that way: as adults, as friends, with such a relaxed agenda.

As we approached checkout, the bottom fell out of the sky. It was pouring, and we had left the car at McDonald's--all the way across the big Wilton parking lot...so, we wrapped up our purchases in the big plastic garbage bags they gave us, and we started out. We didn't run. We didn't scream. We laughed. We laughed HARD. We stomped in a couple of puddles. We smiled so big it hurt our faces. We had a great time walking in the rain, arm in arm, as sisters and friends. We felt like kids again. We both said aloud how lucky we felt to be spending this time together since we are so far apart geographically.

A turn in my memory lane led me to hunkering down in the middle hallway of my parents' home during a heavy storm with my middle sister Teresa when we were teenagers. We were at home alone, and when the storm started we completely freaked out. We thought for sure a tornado was going to come rip the house off the foundation and send us flying. We were holding hands, and we had written a "if you find us" note (I have never claimed to NOT be dramatic...). We can laugh about it now, but it was one of the few times --ever-- that I've spent that kind of quality time with Teresa.

Deanna and I were fast friends as children. She is almost six years younger than me, and she clung onto me with all her might as a kid. We hit a rough patch when I left for college, wide-eyed and ready to meet the world head-on. She felt abandoned, and I had no idea...years later, as she was starting her marriage and I was settling into Chicago as my long-term home, we grew closer again. She's my first best friend. I cherish her, and I am so happy that we can still laugh in the rain together.

Teresa and I were constant competitors. She is almost two years younger than me, and she was always held up to a standard by others that I didn't even know I had set...I ached for her to appreciate the things I did as the older sister. I wanted to be friends with her and be able to hang out with her. She wanted little to nothing to do with me. I tried so hard for so very long to develop a relationship with her. I still put forth an effort, but I know I've given up some hope. I love her dearly, but I feel lost when I try to put into words what our relationship is or should be.

I know other sisters who have long-distance friendships, who have strained relationships, who have come back into the lives of each other, who have not spoken in years... I know of sisters in pain because they cannot be together.

Let me tell you something: Nobody is ever going to know you as well as the sister you grew up with. Nobody else is going to know the perfect thing to say to make it all better and to make it all come crashing down. Nobody else will be able to have an entire conversation with you that nobody else can even begin to comprehend, whether it's facial gestures, nonsensical words, or a specific giggle. Nobody else can make you feel like dirt and just as quickly make you feel like the queen of the universe (or co-queen, anyway).



Love your sisters. If you don't have biological sisters, love your sister-friends.