Weather Channel Blues

Forecast: Wintery Mix, low of 25. Chance of rain, sleet and freezing rain, 100%.

Tomorrow: Windy, snow showers, high 26.

Home

There is really nothing like being at home. Justin and I are back from Wisconsin. It feels good. The garden is beautiful and the weather is fine (for now). I'll post pictures as soon as I can find the connector to download them. It is still lost in the swirling mass of stuff in the basement.

We're In

After many loads of boxes and many curse at how much stuff we have, we have arrived in our new house. Some instant advantages to the new place have been hearing the birds instead of cars zooming by, having a porch swing and a big open back yard for badminton. I'll post some more photos soon.

Almost Ours

Here are some photos of the Little White House, soon to be ours!

Mothers Day

Since we were camping on the real Mothers Day we had a celebration the next weekend at Sarah's house. Sarah and I have bonded over the love of Rachael Ray magazine. With Rachael's help we created a nice little dinner for our Mom and Grandma. It was fun!

Luxury Camping

Over the weekend of Mothers Day we went "camping" near McCook, Nebraska. It was pouring rain as we sped down I-80 west. Luckily James had mentioned that there was a cabin to stay in if it rained. When we arrived, our friends were huddled near a fire wearing rain ponchos. So much for the tent camping part. The "cabin" was very nice and was a perfect place to hang out and play games while it rained and rained. The next day (after "camping" inside on mattresses) it was beautiful and we did get in some awesome badminton before we had to go home!

Molly

Molly died on Monday. Though I did not know her well, Molly the dog was as sweet and loving as any dog can be. She belonged to my sister-in-law and had recently been living with my in-laws. She became paralyzed suddenly and had to be put to sleep. Change (especially the sad kind) does not come easy to humans and when it is sudden it's even worse. My family is upset and grieving. Pets will do that to you. They are not human, but worm their way into your heart as if they were.

Little White House

Justin and I are in the process of buying a house! Three things I hate are involved: moving, money and madness...but we're doing it anyway. Pictures to come soon.

Reunion con las amigas

Last week I had the pleasure of eating dinner with some friends I haven't seen in awhile. Some live close, some far, but none the less it was fun! I wish I had documentation of it all, but my camera's rechargable batteries were not charged when I grabbed my camera as I headed out the door. I promised myself I would buy some more at Target on the way, but I was so charmed with all the other goodies at Target I forgot. Thus, no photos, but I know Alia took some, so I'm waiting so see hers online.

I saw friends who are in very different places in their lives. Maureen and David, who are new parents to Ava (truly a little angel). Maureen seemed so natural with Ava, not freaked out like I would imagine myself. Leah was also there with Sydni, who is also an angel, but bigger. I am amazed at what a great job Leah is at being a mom. I forget sometimes how different her life is from mine! Alia is about to become a mom and has already endured a lot, so I hope her boy is perfect. Sarah, Tricia, Courtney and I have not yet embarked on the child front, but we were making mental notes to save for later.

It was great to see everyone and amazing to see how we've changed and how we've stayed the same. I hope to see lots more people in October at our 10 year high school reunion.

Bread & Cup

I have heard many a delicious comments about Bread & Cup, a new restaurant in Lincoln. For months I had been dying to experience their simple food idea. Lucky for me I got to go there for my birthday with Justin. It was splendid and so was the cheesecake!

Here We Go!

I am going to put up the photos I have from the month of April. I now know I have 3 readers, Jessy, Katie and Cindy! To start out my blogging extravaganza, here is how I celebrated my 29th birthday. As my aunt Becky said, "You only turn 29 once...for real." We had a family brunch/lunch at my parents' house, which was fun. Sarah made the awesome dessert pizza with all my favorite fruit on it. She was kind and only put one candle to represent my years. Also note the "gift" from Sarah and Jordan. Luckily it was returnable (to Jordan's truck) as I already have one :)

I will I will I will POST

I love reading blogs. I check a few everyday. I love it when there are new posts, everyday. However, I am terrible about updating my own blog. I mean to amend this problem, staring now.

For Katie and Cindy

This post is for you two, my newest (maybe my only) readers.

I bought Starbucks coffee this weekend. It the cold bottled kind, for Justin, but I did buy it. So, I guess I'm not totally against it!

I also became hooked on coffee while I was in Portland. I had some this morning, but had to buy some more this afternoon to get through the day. It's been cloudy and raining, so that might be part of it.

We had our first thunderstorm of 2008 last night.

Cindy, I ordered an Ikea catalog from their website(it hasn't come yet). I'll send it to you when I'm done. Shipping is so expensive I'll probably have to wait to get anything else until I visit again.

The curtains (from Ikea) look great. I'll post a photo soon.

I miss you all!

Sunny Day

Yeah, yeah yeah for a sunny day! I heart spring.

Hair

As with many women I seem to be in a constant quest to find the perfect hair style. With curly hair finding any kind of style is a challenge. I recently had my hair cut in an angular fashion with longer pieces in the front and bangs. The bangs, however are pinned neatly to the side in these photos. I haven't been able to make them work right yet. I'm not sure I have found my perfect style, but for now I like it.

In With The Old

I've upgraded my living room lighting situation from one small pink lamp to two gloriously yellow matching lamps. They are the kind of thing you look at and can't quite decide if they are awesome or hideous. I decided option A.

Workin For The Man

Lately I've been bummed about my job status. I hear about new bakeries and coffee shops, book shops and photography studios. From young hipsters running their own businesses to older adults finally living their dreams, people are doing it. I want to do that. My creativity and lust to follow my own rules tell me to do something different with my life. BUT. It's the big but that gets in the way. A regular pay check is nice and health insurance. Can I really do something different? Do I want to slave away for minimal pay and no benefits? The question has been going through my mind on and off these days. On NPR this morning I heard the "theme song" section of the morning show. I had not heard it before. People write in with their theme songs. The man on this morning had a song by the Doves called "There Goes the Fear," he said he played it in the background as he was making big decisions. He didn't want to reach middle age with regret and lost dreams. This song helped him as sort of a mantra to get ride of the fear of doing something new. I'm glad I heard this piece. Not that I'm going out to quit my job on Monday, but it's inspiration to keep dreaming.

Man's Best Friend

They say the best friend of man is his dog. I must have a dog in cat's clothing. Rocco loves Justin like any good dog. He follows him, purrs in his lap and tries to sit as close to him as possible as in the photo above. True love and faithfulness.

Back

After being sick and tired and depressed with winter, I'm back. Despite the grind of daily life, which includes sickness, sadness, death, and sucky work days, family can sometimes cheer you up. It also helped that the sun has been out the forecasted high is 55. Even 30 feels great after the cold we've had. This weekend we celebrated my sister's 24th birthday with a Pepto pink cake and a Sunday lunch

Influenza

It's amazing how quickly sickness can come down on you. Wednesday night as I got ready for bed, I began coughing slightly. No big deal, the air is really dry in our house. Thursday morning I had to pop some ibuprofen to make it to work. My Thursday afternoon I had all the flu symptom: body aches, congestion, temperature, dry-cough. Check, check check. Friday went by in a blur as I had to talk myself out of bed to even get a drink of water or use the restroom. Today, I'm feeling a bit better, but have no energy. There are several things I had planned for today, namely, the Nebraska caucus. There are some things in life that kind of blindside you and make you feel helpless. Influenza has got to be one of the worst!

Vote!

I try to give my freshmen civics students an idea of how important voting has been and is in our country. I don't know that they listen; eighteen seems awfully far off when your a fourteen year old kid. Still, I try.

There is something stirring and patriotic to me about voting. This Saturday night Nebraska will hold its first caucus. For someone like me who had always been interested in the process it's a chance to make history and even for one night, feel as if I'm helping to create change.

SNOW

Reasons to Relax on a SNOW DAY!

1. You can drink coffee slowly

2. You can marvel at the beauty of the snow instead of hating it

3. You can take a nap at noon

4. You can listen to your husband and cat snore during the nap

5. You can stay in your pjs all day

Summer Tomato

January and February = Blah. The color and warmth of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are gone and Spring is yet too far away. The groundhog didn't give me any hope, as he predicted more winter. Amidst the long duration of these months I begin dreaming of ripe summer tomatoes. I nearly drool when imagining the crunchy experience of a salted slice of cucumber. How long again until May and the Farmer's Market? Too long! I have to keep dreaming. Lately, I have taken solace in some great citrus and perfect avocados (thanks to the great American highway system).

Now For Something Love

I am really hooked on Method products. The products available in stores here are mostly for cleaning, such as multi-purpose spray, furniture polish and tile scrub. I also have their hand soap and a candle. Their web site has a whole range of other items, but I haven't ordered online yet. I love fact that they are all natural, non-toxic and you can buy refill pouches for the hand soap.

Gypsy Cat

My cat Gypsy, (shown here with Christmas lights) blog name inspiration.

Sorry Starbucks

I visited a Starbucks yesterday and was reminded of why I usually go to local coffee shops. The cashier greeted me with a sacarine "what can I get for you today?" Luckily, I've been to Scarbucks enough to know their sizing procedures and ordered without incident. Instead of the normal small, medium, large for coffee, it's tall (small), grande (medium) and venti (large). My friend, who had never been to a Starbucks ordered a small and they said, "you mean a tall?" I was afraid it might turn into a Who's on First sketch.

I really have nothing against Starbucks coffee shops. In fact, I've heard many stores treat their employees well and the corporation even offers health insurance to part time workers(most likely better and cheaper than what I'm offered at my quote professional job). No, it's nothing personal. It's the glut of being a mega-chain that leaves me cold. I think it's pre-planned "experiences" for customers and drive-through windows. It's the lack of bikes parked outside and the employee dress code. I'm sure when Starbucks started in the great Northwest it had more flavor and style. The problem is, it became the Wal-Mart of coffee.

Dreaming of spring and summer and gardens!

To All The People I've Loved Before

Every once in awhile, I 'm reminded of how many great people I've have been lucky enough to meet in my life. As life changes, I have moved farther away from many and met new people, but it doesn't mean I have forgotten how much I loved each of them. Yesterday, I spoke with an old friend in the store and was reminded of the vast number of beautiful, amazing friends that fill my history. From grade-school classmates, to teachers, co-workers to bosses, I have a virtual collage of great people in my life. Not to say all is rosy. I do hide behind clothing racks and exit stores early when I glimpse some past acquaintances for whom I don't feel such fond feelings. Overall though, I've been blessed.

Starting a Blog

January-

I like reading blogs. Some would say blogging is a waste of time or even self-centered, but I can't resist them. Blogs are an open format for expression, creativity and thought. In honor of the blogs I love, I hope to work on mine until it is as cool as those! In the mean time give me some help, as I'm new to this.