Keep Your Hands Off My Doritos.

What a perfect day to have the sniffles, if the sniffles must prevail. Chilly, windy and overcast, sprinkles of rain here and there.

I want to bake, but my hiney says, please. do not.

I want to read, but I just finished my latest novel, Little Bee.

So, here I sit in the bed: two sweaters, wool blanket, full box of Puffs [plus Lotion], mint tea. Playing on the computer. Do they still have Oregon Trail? I've got a hankerin' to play that game. To ford the river or take the long way around? Let's live on the edge: ford, we shall!

I found this the other day and made it my desktop, and methinks you should do the same. I stumbled across it through Poppytalk, gah--the cuteness. There's just a few blogs out there with cool stuff on them, hm?

Anyone excited about the Soooooper Bowl? or the commercials?? I wonder what gems the corporate marketing think tanks have come up with this year.

Anyhow, alls I'm hoping for is some good dip. None of that sissy Skoal stuff.

Mary had a baby, yes, Lord!

If you squint, screw your face up the right way and look closely at the snow-covered house, you will see a lady beckoning at the door for the sleigh riders to hurry on to the house. Likely for cider, hot chocolate or some such delightful confection. In another dimension, that's me.

In this dimension, this is me. Leggings, hoodie, amazing knit socks from Loose Lucy's or Granny's Goodies (can't remember which), and of course a Christmas apron if there's baking to be done. And there's always baking to be done.

When I went home this weekend to Andrew, Christmas came with me, wrapped around my shoulders and tied around my heart. I finished up decorating the apartment, (also known as getting our Christmas tree), mandated (nicely) that Christmas music be the only music played, and made PW's blackberry cobbler for dessert one night. I would have taken pictures, but I've realized by now that if you're at all savvy at this whole blogging/internet thing, you've probably met The Pioneer Woman.

On Friday night Andrew and I went to the Varsity theater on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, (kind of like the Astro (may she rest in peace) for all you Tiger fans), bought Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates from Starbucks, (recommendation, YES), and took in It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen in good old fashioned black and white. I loved every minute of it.

On Saturday, we got up bright at early at the frigid crack of nine thirty and made it over to Rob and Ann's house in Raleigh. They had graciously retrieved our Christmas tree from the mountains of North Carolina for us and we were just going to pick up our adopted baby tree and bring him to his new home. As we were heading out to the car Ann shouted, "look!", and sure enough: snow. It snowed on Saturday from about two o'clock onward, enough that our neighbors made a really big, sad, dirty snowman. College kids. Can't live with 'em (germs), can't keep 'em from playing bad electric guitar at all hours. By Sunday afternoon, the snow had burned off, but the cold dug in his icy heels and had decided to extend his stay.

And now this. We had requested a "table-top" tree from Rob and Ann, and a table-top tree is what we got. Short. Little. Table-top. Perfect. Only problem is, our table top that we were going to put our table-topper on was apparently too tall for our table-top tree. So our tree ended up on the floor like a regular, read: tall, tree and is more like a Christmas bush than a tree. "Oh, Christmas bush, oh, Christmas bush, how hearty your diameter..."

I'm almost 5'3" but I was wearing probably two inch clogs in this picture. So, I'm about 5'5" in this pic. (OOooOO, go me!) However, if you forget that little (get it) detail, and look at this photograph long enough, I kind of look like a giant. Kind of.

Never have I ever felt closer to the heavens. "Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth...!" Whew! I'm out of breath. You know, lack of oxygen at these high altitudes... :)

A smidge of randomosity

1. I saw a gentleman in Harris Teeter the other day with two 12 packs of Mountain Dew and a bag of Funyuns. Wikipedia says that Funyuns were invented by a bloke named Douglas Bubbletrousers. I'm having a hard time believing that the "Funyuns" bio isn't one of the reasons Wikipedia is not an acceptable source on college term papers.

2. I just painted my nails OPI's Bubble Bath. Ah, bliss.



3. I purchased Tigi's Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo so that my husband and I can take our grungy, dirty, hippie steez to the next level.



4. I'm already thinking about Christmas. and Fall.



5. Bing Crosby originally sang the song Pennies From Heaven in the clip from Elf. How'd you like your nickname to be an onomatopoeia?

6. "Elf" is a funny word.

7. It looks like we're having chicken again tonight. Womp, womp.

8. Why can' we have juss like a salad? (please, tell me you know what movie I'm talking about.)

9. In case you're clueless...



10. Amen.

There's a snake in my boot!

Just saw Toy Story tres with my lovely amiga Abby. If you're wondering why I'm inserting occasional palabras de espanol, you'll just have to see the movie to find out. It was quite precious, actually. Aside from the little girl behind us asking if every character was sad in almost every scene, and the infant crisis down in front, it was quite a care-free and enjoyable movie-going experience. I highly recommend it.

Now. If my allergies would just take a chill pill, I might be able to tell you about the beach. There's just nothing quite like a span of two or three days of soaking up the salt air and the sound of the crashing waves. As much as the beach comes with it's own innate set of unpleasantries, (you know, the sweating, the repetitious sunblock application, the sand in the crotch of your bathing suit that is amazingly on the inside of the lining), it really is one of God's greatest masterpieces. Andrew and I drove down on Sunday morning and met the whole clan at the campground--everything was in it's place, the "mamas" had each site laid out to be most organized and user-friendly, but to also provide the most community fostering atmosphere--the "git-the-sand-off-ya" showers were rigged up, and the shared mini fridge was stocked with waters, juice, and just about anything else cold and wet. The sun was shining bright and the only thing between us and the edge of America was a quick costume change. The next handful of days were filled with games, (Corn-Hole, Sequence, Cranium, and Fishbowl, to name a few), laying out, playing in the water (or cooling off), going out to eat, hangin' around the campsite, cheering on the Tigers, and an assortment of brownies to tempt even the most disciplined of dieters. It was quite the vacation.

On this week's docket, there's laundry, grocery shopping, work, sleep, and sweating off the brownies. Oh, and I almost killed my plants again while we were away. Leave it to me to abandon my garden on the hottest span of four days this summer. I'm still willing them to live.

In other news, next weekend is the Fourth of July!!! My second favorite holiday next to CHRISTMAS, of course. I don't know, there's just something about America that just makes me smile from the bottom of my heart. There's a part of America that's trademarked by tiny flag pens on expensive lapels, million dollar campaigns, I'll-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine and then there's a part that's more jorts than Jaguars, more "count on me" than count my votes, more nose to the grindstone than nose in the air--that's the part I'll sing about with my hand over my heart. God bless America, land that I love.

And with that, I leave you this.

The Saturday Morning Post: take 2

Andrew is finally HOME!!! Oh, you didn't know he was gone? That's because I didn't tell you. Want to make sure and keep the creeps out. Anyway, he's HOME HOME HOME from Ecuador--and I spent what was probably the longest week of my life alone here in good ol' 'baccy country. Except my mama came for a few days. But other than that I was alone. Destitute. Heart-broken. And not even a puppy dog to keep me company. Okay, okay. It wasn't that bad. But it was.

ANYWAY. While mama mia was here we went to see two movies: Killers (LAME), and Letters to Juliet (CUTESY).





See 'em if you wanna. Your life would still be complete if you skipped them, but if you're at a loss and don't really feel like seeing Splice or some other freaky-deaky dutch sci-fi movie, then go right ahead and purchase your ticket with your semi-current college ID. (I mean, you still feel like a college kid, right? right.) And Andrew and I watched Nine (THEATER/MUSICAL) last night.



Depends on who you are/what you like, but I thought it was good. Lots of chicks in underwear/bustiers, which I didn't quite understand--in all honesty, Chicago and Moulin Rouge were way better, but I will say that Daniel Day-Lewis (Last of the Mohicans, There Will Be Blood) is a great actor. And he is in Nine. His character's name is Guido Contini. And they sing about a million songs with his name in it. It gets in your head.

ANYWAY. We're going to the beach tomorrow! Yippee! A whole three days of oceanside delights. I am making this to take with us. Don't be jealous. I'll have to take 64 walks every day to counteract the calories in this thing. But that's ok. It's vacation. Vacation is code for "pig-out". Which is a hilarious saying.

ANYWAY. When Andrew got home from Ecuador, I made the most American dinner I could think of: hamburgers, corn on the cob, fruit salad, and brownies. Martha has an excellent "recipe" for grilling corn and it goes a little something like this: submerge ears of corn in husks in cold water for one hour. Grill in husks for 20 minutes, let cool, remove husks and silk, and serve with salt and pepper and butter. And floss. (I added the floss part. I think it's a necessary addition). It's delish. Last night I also made raspberry sorbet, (also from Martha). It's super duper easy and a great summertime dessert! All you need is a food processor, 12 oz bag of frozen raspberries (or three cups fresh berries, frozen), 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water; and 1/2 cup whipping cream and another tablespoon of sugar. To make your sorbet, pulse frozen fruit in processor until just chopped, stir water and sugar together in a bowl until sugar is dissolved, then pour into processor. Puree until you've got an ice-cream-like consistency, then transfer to airtight container and freeze for 30 minutes. When 30 minutes is up, whip your 1/2c cream and tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form. Serve in cute, summery glasses! YUM! drop a few blueberries on top and you've got yourself a 4th of July dessert that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. God bless America. I would add a picture of the sorbet--it's so pretty!-- but I don't have one and I can't find one online. All I know is that it's in the July issue of MS Living. Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out.

ANYWAY. Now, I've got to go climb Mt. Kilimanlaundry so we can pack, head 'em up and move 'em out. And by the way, only 188 days until CHRISTMAS!!!

The Saturday Morning Post

This whole week went by without me writing so much as a single, durn thing. Sorry 'bout that. Trust me though, you probably wouldn't have wanted to read about it anyway. Booooooo-riiiiiing. Yes. Except 24 on Monday night. OHMYGOSH. And that's all I'll say.

This week, Andrew had to get all shot up for his stint in Haiti this summer--oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. Andrew's going to Haiti this summer with Water Missions International--


WMI - Haiti from Water Missions.

saving the world one cool drink of water at a time. Anyway, he had to go to the clinic and receive no less than five shots, three in one arm, two in the other: Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Diphtheria Tetanus & Pertussis (DTap), seasonal flu, and H1N1. And we're probably lookin' at Malaria meds and maybe some "just in case" antibiotics--just "get the prescription filled and take it with you in case you get sick" kind of meds. (DO NOT EVER TAKE ANTIBIOTICS UNLESS YOU HAVE PROOF POSITIVE THAT YOU NEED THEM. ALWAYS ASK THE DOCTOR FOR A CULTURE BEFORE TAKING ANTIBIOTICS. If you do not indeed have a bacterial infection and you do take antibiotics, you will just be aiding and abetting "super bugs" and drug-resistant bacteria for future generations.) Ahem. And that's my RN soap box for the day. Anyway. The nurse who administered the vaccines gave Andrew one giant band-aid for each injection. Thus he proudly displayed his bandaged arms for two days. And like any good wife would, I forced him to pose for a picture. :)

In other news, I went to a jewelry party at my dear friend Abby's house on Thursday. Her mom makes amazing jewelry out of clay--I know, you're thinking, "clay? wouldn't that be heavy and clunky?"--it's not. It's beautiful and delicate and unique. Anyhow, Abby's house got burgled on Tuesday night, bringing back some memories from the ol' college days at the Ridge. Laptop lifting walk-through, anyone?? Word to the wise. When you're not at home, hide your laptop. Shove it under the couch, the bed--anywhere it's not in sight. You and your lifetime's stash of pictures will thank me later. Anyway, Abby made a slew of delicious dips and hors d'oeuvres--including Pioneer Woman's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies--her name, not mine. ;)

Photograph from PW. Delectable, finger-lickin' recipe found here.
Any they were good. Really good.

Last night we had ourselves a little mini date--and quite fittingly went to see Tina Fey and Steve Carell in Date Night.

It was seriously hilarious. I had a laughter induced headache when we left. I'm not kidding. I took two Ibuprofen. The plot is kind of so-so, honestly, but they did a lot of improvisation, which you know Steve and Tina are just sooooo good at! It was worth the out-takes in the credits alone! Watch the trailor here. And go see it.

As Porky would say: Abadee, abadee, abadee--That's all folks!

Inglourious BEEEP!

Yeah, last night Andrew and I watched Inglourious Basterds (don't they have spellcheck in Hollywood?) thanks to Netflix. I tried to swing the "since we just watched a boy movie we can get a girl movie next" move, but Andrew wasn't having it. What's so wrong with Julie & Julia? C'mooonnn! But we're getting The Life Aquatic next. A compromise. I typically love Wes Anderson films--even if I don't reaaaally get it half the time--so I wasn't totally disappointed. Anyway, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious took a Golden Globe on Sunday, so I gave in and decided we should see the durn thing. Word to the wise, if you are squeamish or can't take head-bashing and blood-spurting, don't watch this movie. BUT, it is a very interesting film, one that I can't stop thinking about, and I don't particularly enjoy blood bath type movies. It is rated R for "strong graphic violence" so I can't say I wasn't warned. So, there's my review. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle (GI Joooooeee!) The rest is up to you.

Now, I just want to say this onnnne, tiiiiny thing about Scott Brown (R) from Massachusetts. In 1982 when he was in law school he posed in his birthday suit (with some strategic hand placement) in Cosmo magazine and was voted "Sexiest Man of the Year" by said magazine. And he just got elected to the Senate to take over Kennedy's seat. Now, if a woman had some sort of centerfold like the one ol' Scottie has in his portfolio, she probably wouldn't even be elected to the PTA, much less the Senate. I'm just sayin', I'm just sayin'. He says he's an Independent, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...and has "Duck" next to his name on the news...he's probably a Duck. Bye-bye, healthcare bill...hello, filibuster. And that's all I have to say about that.

On a lighter note, I'm suuuuper excited about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics! They start February 12th and go through the 28th. Among the scheduled events are Alpine Skiing, the Luge, Snowboarding, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Curling, and more! Check out the website--I promise if you aren't excited now, you will be after perusing the site. True story, when I was in elementary school I wanted to be a professional ice-skater (many thanks to Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski) and I looooved watching the winter Olympics just to see the figure skating. Had I ever even been ice skating? Nope. Did I care? Nope. For career day at school we all had to make "hats" in Art and the whole third grade would go out into the "pod" (which was the communal convening area for the classes) and separate into categories. Me and this other kid who wanted to be an archaeologist were the only ones without an obvious category. Awesome.

In later years I would move on to also being passionate about archaeology, actually staging "digs" in my own backyard, unearthing a baseball (which I thought was a dinosaur bone in my blind pursuit of history) and a large rock (which I cracked open with a hammer just to make sure there were no ancient fossils or beautiful crystals inside). After archaeology, the law earned its place in my heart and I would hold mock trials in my living room with my friends, swearing witnesses in with a Bible and calling the court to order with my father's gavel from his presidency in his college fraternity. Ah, make-believe is an extraordinary thing when you're a kid. Figure skater-archaeologist-lawyer-nurse. And there's my career history, in a nutshell.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Holy mackerel

Well, the new year has slipped into our lives as seamlessly and wordlessly as a lowcountry high tide, and things are slowly, but surely, getting back to normal. Andrew went off to school today as classes start again this week. One semester of grad school down, 3-ish to go. We've put the apartment to rights, the last load of laundry whirring, chugging, rumbling in my ears as we speak.

Last night we went to see the famed Avatar in 3D at the mammoth Southpoint Cinemas--would you believe that we tried to see this movie on Saturday afternoon and it was sold out, and tried again to see it Sunday afternoon and had to go to a later showing because the matinee was sold out again?? And then we had to get there over an hour early in order to get good seats! Yes, Andrew, Graham, Joanna and I actually stood in line for about an hour before the movie to avoid sitting in the orchestra pit and staring straight up for three hours. It was good, it was worth it, but my goodness! You would think it would be easy peasy to get tickets weeks after opening day, but apparently not. Statistically speaking, Avatar is already the second highest grossing movie of all time, behind Titanic. Joanna said that, so joke's on her if it's incorrect. 100% of people who eat broccoli die. Chew on that.

My New Year's resolution is coming along swimmingly, and my secret to success (maybe I should can this and sell it...) is to choose something attainable for New Year's resolutions but to make New Year's goals or aspirations for things that are slightly more difficult or altogether unrealistic. For example, realistic/attainable: take a multi-vitamin every day (Mother, you will be elated to know that that is, in fact, my resolution). Unrealistic/more difficult to attain: run a marathon, hike the Appalachian trail, visit the moon. Let's be serious, attainable means different things to different people. Andrew resolving to run a marathon is not so unrealistic. Me resolving to run a marathon is downright funny. So, I've resolved to take vitamins. Not in place of good nutrition, but in addition to good nutrition. They are called supplements for a reason, people. Taking a pill and eating potato chips all day won't make those buttery crisps sprout vitamin-rich leaves. But anyway, studies have shown that when people set smaller goals that they are subsequently able to meet, it bolsters their self-esteem and is generally healthier than making grandiose goals and setting the bar light years away only to fail and then feel depressed about it. Which studies, you ask? Well, I just did one a few minutes ago and those are my conclusions. Harrumph.

It's January 11th. One third of the way through this month of doldrums. It's going pretty fast, which is fine by me. Andrew's birthday is at the end of the month and I'm pretty sure there will be a chicken pot pie and a German chocolate cake involved, the latter of which I have never attempted. But being the New Year and all, a time for new experiences and ventures, I'm game.

Speaking of games. Andrew and I have been playing Settlers of Catan with Graham and Joanna lately and consequently, we are not speaking to each other. Bwahahaha--just kidding, but let me tell you, if we experience marital troubles in the future, I will bet that we can trace its roots back to this blasted game. The premise of the game is an "old world" mentality of building communities or settlements with your available resources and there are all kinds of rules and points and strategies, etc. and you can cut each other off at the pass and steal resources and amass an army and all sorts of things. It's a long, long game. Longer than that run-on sentence. And it provides lots of opportunities for altercations between husband and wife. Don't worry, at worst we might need counseling or a Bahamavention--at best, we'll just solve our problems the old fashioned way: Indian leg wrestling. I kid, I kid.

Welp, just heard the buzzer on the dryer. Off to fulfill my wifely duties. Oy, vey!

After official review, the call on the field stands

I know I just posted, like, 10 seconds ago, but I just can't help it. I've got to tell you this.

Andrew and I went to see Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey last night at the IMAX 3D and it was so. amazing. jaw-dropping. out of this world. scary. Yeah, you weren't expecting that last adjective, were you? Well, folks, it's true. Andrew and I really loved the movie, but I would think twice before bringing any little ones to see it. The commercials are all holly and jolly, but if you remember, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by a dead guy, a freaky flame, a ginormous Dionysus-type person, and--the kicker--the Grim Reaper. Not really the movie you want your kiddo to see right before bed time. Especially when it's in 3D and skeleton hands are coming at you. Nope. Not the flick I'd show my kids. But, for the occasionally-Disney-entertained movie-goer, it's a great pick. And Jim Carrey is delightful--he plays Scrooge and all three spirits, so it's fun to see how he becomes each personality. And don't be a Scrooge--it's worth the extra cost to see it in 3D. ;)

Can't stop a movin' train

Today is Noah's birthday. He's 25. Yup, we're all two-ish years apart, with Jessica being almost-but-not-quite five years older than me and Noah being one year, 363 days older than me. I came home from the hospital on Noah's birthday. Not sure if a kid sister stealing the limelight of cute, squishy babyhood is the best birthday present, but I don't think he really had a choice. So today marks the anniversary of Noah's arrival on this planet (well, you know what I mean) 25 years ago. He is the best brother I've ever had and he is hilarious and very smart, always talking politics and history (sounds like someone else I know, mmmDaddy-o??). One of the reasons why I think he's the best. The hilarity never stops. We always peek at each other during the blessing at supper time. And then, in true big-brother form, Noah tells on me. I think Jesus is okay with it. I think He thinks it's funny, too. ;) Noah and Melody are fa', fa' away in New York City, fighting the good fight of crowds and tourists and subway trains and H1N1. I miss them very much. Three cheers for Noah, on his birthday!

This past weekend was Graham and Joanna Ashe's wedding--and a gorgeous wedding it was! They couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, 70 degrees and sunny, on the side of a mountain at sunset, no less. It really was a miracle--hurricane Ida cast a dark shadow on the week prior, so it was definitely good timing--God timing! Joanna was a beautiful bride and Graham a dashing groom--we can't wait 'til they get home so we can hang out! Side note, Andrew and I have been married for five months. FIVE. Count 'em. Where does the time go?

As you all know Monday was my birthday and I was showered with love and kisses and presents and cards and phone calls and texts all day and I got to buy Christmas decorations from Lowes and HomeGoods. It was almost too much joy and happiness for one poor soul to bear! Andrew and I went to the Melting Pot for a fondue birthday dinner--so. amazingly. drippy. and goooooood. We were stuffed like a coupla mushrooms. Apparently, the Swedes and the French have an on-going battle as to who "invented" fondue. They would. The Melting Pot is an interesting establishment--it's built like some kind of labyrinth with twists and turns and nooks and crannies, ("crannies??", says you), and private booths with privacy curtains. S-K-E-T-C-H-Y is all I have to say about that. Needless to say, Andrew and I did not pull the privacy curtain. We're not shy about eating fondue in public. All shady dealings aside, the food was quite delectable.

This weekend we'll be staying home, thank goodness, catching up on some QT, R&R, TLC and other acronyms. We've got a pig roast birthday party (not for me, for Michael and Grace) scheduled for Saturday evening with some friends from church and their UNC alumni pals. Sunday after church I'm going with some girls to see New Moon--don't knock it 'til you've tried it. I said the saaaame thing, "vampires? You're kidding, right?" But I read all of the books. All of 'em. In like three weeks, or as soon as I could beg, borrow, or steal the next book from my friends. Don't judge a book by its cover. Literally.

I would like to end this post with a joke that my cousin-in-law, Grant, told Barrett over the weekend: "Doctor, Doctor, can I have a new butt? Mine has a crack in it."

I don't write 'em, I just report the facts. That's it and that's all, folks. To bed, to bed.

The years go by/like stones under rushing water/ we only know/we only know when its gone.

Fuchsia lipstick and pumpkin soup

Today is just one of those days that make you want to find a good movie, brew a pot of tea, and put your sweatpants back on for the remainder of the afternoon. That's not exactly how my day is going, but I am trying to follow the line of best fit. Went to the bank this morning--we're in the process to get me on Andrew's bank account, finally. I'm chomping at the bit to get my license and social security card in the mail. Come onnn America, move it!

I know I've been writing a lot lately, but I just have to tell this story. On Monday night we went out to dinner with a friend of Andrew's from home and toward the end of our meal, a sharply dressed elderly lady came up to our table trying to peek out the window at the rain starting to fall and immediately struck up a conversation with us. We talked so long that eventually she sat down at our table, introducing herself as Donna Parker. Of course, the weather was the conversation opener, but by the end, we had a snapshot of her life from Binghamton, NY to Miami Beach, FL where she was a model during her younger years. I'm telling you, this lady, I'm sure, had a crazy life. If the word "whipper-snapper" doesn't cover it, I don't know what will. She imparted her wisdom on marriage to Andrew and me, imploring us to wait a few years to have children (no problem, there). She told us she loved to "rock", meaning she loved dancing and rock n' roll music, (before heavy metal, she specified). Eventually, she left to get her food and eat her supper, but as we were walking out, she caught us and asked for a ride (her apartment was just up the street, but it was raining) so of course we gave her one. Before we left, however, Tim asked her if we could pray for her--we did, and she said that it was the nicest thing that anyone has asked her in a long time. She noted that sometimes you have to be careful talking religion to people because some people get offended easily. But she was not offended. She was blessed. And I'm pretty sure she was an angel. I would not be surprised. Her pink lipstick, pearl earrings and twinkling amber eyes spoke of a lifetime of experiences and wisdom. I'm really hoping we run into her again sometime.

Something struck me about Donna Parker. She was alone, but she didn't feel the quintessential American pull to remain independent and self-sufficient. She struck up a conversation with strangers, telling her story--telling the world that "I, Donna Parker, was here and I have something of worth to say". I hope I can be like her when I'm older. This is not the first time I've been blown away by an elderly stranger. One of my first patients as a student nurse was a woman who worked in a grenade factory in North Charleston during one of the World Wars. The second was another patient of mine, a Holocaust survivor from Poland. She was in one of the concentration camps with the Nazis and showed me her number tattooed on her arm. She barely spoke English yet she conveyed to me the horror of living through something like that and then growing old in a modern America-- such a different life. In a world filled with "get some and then get some more", it's important to be brought back to the reality that it's people that matter, not things. Here's to you, Donna Parker.

A few side notes...that have nothing to do with old people...I just saw the trailer for Disney's A Christmas Carol annnd I'm really excited. Not only is this movie a Christmas classic, but it's going to be 3D! Oh my eggnog, Santa! It's coming out on November 6th, just in time for my 23rd birthday. I just can't wait to haul out the holly and deck the halls! Not to mention donning my gayest apparel!

I made pumpkin soup yesterday--yuuu-u-uum! Different taste--probably because I'm not used to eating pumpkin, really--but it was quite delectable. Here's the recipe...the skeleton of this recipe is from Martha Stewart Living, but I added quite a few other things to make it especially scrumptious. What can I say...I am my father's daughter!

2 cans pumpkin
1 1/2 cans vegetable stock
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1 pint heavy cream
1 onion, sliced and diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
dash nutmeg
dash ground cloves
big dash cinnamon
dash cayenne pepper*
salt and pepper to taste

First, in the bottom of a big pot cook olive oil, onion and garlic until soft and aromatic. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until mixed well. It's a good idea to wait to add the spices until you have a more soup like mixture, that way you can taste it as you go along and temper your amounts according to what your own sophisticated palate likes. :) Bring to a low boil, turn down to simmer and then remove from heat. Serve warm and breath deep. Mmmm.

*If you are cooking for kids or just don't like spicy, either go easy on the cayenne (a little goes a looong way) or just leave it out!

That's it and that's all. As Dances with Wolves would say, "tatonka".

Five second rule, and for some reason, this thing won't let me skip lines. ???

So, I know it hasn't been that long, but I got the blogging itch, so here I am again. The happenings of late are not much to write home--or anywhere--about, but I just think a quick recap will do us all some good.

Wednesday night was date night -->.

Andrew and I went to PF Chang's. We got lettuce wraps--delectable--, crispy green beans--que rica!--and orange chicken with brown rice--delicious. It was so great to be on a date with my husband. (Still weird saying that, FYI). But, we discussed the fact, nay, the delightful discovery, that our dates have taken on a different quality since we've gotten married. We have permission to dream aloud, so to speak. There is comfort in the commitment.

According to my workout log, I've walked 12.5 miles this week, Monday-Saturday. Every morning after coffee, Smartstart cereal, and a little Bible action, I trek down to the "gym" at the clubhouse. And then I trek back home to clean up, shower, and figure out what to do for the day. In light of my disengagement with, well, everything, I've taken quite a few trips to Barnes & Noble this week. Two to browse, one to pick up a world map, and another one to take back the US map that I thought was a world map. Today was the map-take-back day, and boy, was it slammed! I guess I underestimated the population of the area and the draw of the Streets at Southpoint, but there were so many people there today. It was all I could do to slide that map across the counter and get the heck out of dodge.

On Thursday evening, Andrew and I had the immense pleasure of hosting my middle/high school gal pal, Abby, for dinner. What a treat to see a familiar face, even one from many moons ago. Abby and I were BFF in middle school, and close friends in high school where we worked on the BEST student newspaper in the whole of America, The Tribal Tribune. Abby was high up in the ranks, I was a page designer and column writer. And by that, I mean Kelly and I screwed around the whole time. I mostly tried to be Martha Stewart and push recipes or pumpkin carving patterns, but apparently, the paper was trying to emit a more serious vibe.

Tonight we will probably watch The Count of Monte Cristo, courtesy of the Red, White and Blue--just kidding, no more Toby Keith references, I promise--courtesy of Netflix (hooray!), originally a novel by Alexandre Dumas about undying love, nasty betrayal, and calculated revenge. Edmond Dantes is played by the same dude who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's The Passion : Jim Caviezel. Makes total sense. They both get betrayed by a friend and give their lives for love. Yeah, yeah, I'm stretching it. Anyhoo, I'm excited. The novel is fantastic, too--if you haven't read it, you should.

If the movie thing is a bust, maybe we'll just pull the plug on a bottle of vino and figure out how the vacuum cleaner works. I know what my vote is. ;)