I Am Thankful

I am thankful for oh so many things

for quiet moments that each day brings

I am thankful for the roof above my head
for the warm place where I lie to bed

I am thankful for a family who cares
for love at home and hugs like bears

I am thankful for good deeds done
for helping hands toward everyone

I am thankful for my Savior's love
for strength and guidance from above

I am thankful for my ever handsome man
for soft sweet kisses like only he can

I am thankful for friends so sweet
for friendship is the greatest treat

I am thankful for kind words spoken
for beaming smiles and hearts unbroken

I am thankful for brilliant stars at night
for peaceful sleeping free from fright

I am thankful for any knowledge I gain
for learning is freedom from ignorant pain

I am thankful for the world in which I live
for this free country my gratitude I give

I am thankful for the food I eat this day
for careful preparation the traditional way

I am thankful for the promise of hope
for the little things that help me cope

I am thankful for what the future might hold
for there is much to see before I grow old

I am thankful for oh so many things
for giving thanks makes my happy heart sing

-gina bina

Old World Christmas Market

My heart has been heavy these last few days thinking about Thanksgiving and looking forward to all the joy the holiday season brings. I don't know about you, but for us Christmas this year will be humble and quiet. For all the obvious reasons it seems almost inappropriate to be excessive this year. And since spending time with BD and our families is what brings us the most joy, we'll be doing lots of that. BD emailed me a link to the Old World Christmas Market at the Gallivan Center from November 28th-December 6th. I especially love downtown at Christmas time, and this will be something fun to do along with lights on Temple Square and carriage rides. Anyone want to join us?

More information here.

freshly

Spicing everything with fresh ground nutmeg. Once you try it fresh, you'll never go back.Reading In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto by Michael Pollan.Celebrating BD's acceptance to the U's PMST program. Join our forever students and lovin' it club. Fee required.Considering a graduate program myself? I do love back-to-school shopping, but could I go back to homework?Reviewing Twilight {yeah, I realize I'm the last to blog about it}. Saw it with my girlie girls. What did you think?Looking forward to Marley and Me. Anyone else?? ...One of my favorite books of all time.Craving pumpkin everything this time of year, but I especially can't wait for pie, glorious pie.You Tubin' Snoop on Martha:

Rivalry Shmivalry

I'm not a football fan by any stretch of the imagination. I barley know the difference between off-sides, on-sides or why spandex can look so good on muscley legs. Or does it look bad? This is what I'm thinking about on those rare occasions when football is on at my house, so you can see my dilemma here. But when it's rivalry time in these parts I'll admit, I'm... er, interested.

I graduated from BYU. BD graduated from the U of U. And people around here are sometimes outright flabbergasted that our marriage is able to work AT ALL. People, let me explain something to you. If I wasn't able to maintain a relationship with someone over of a college football team, I would voluntarily commit myself. Just for the record, we are doing fine, even during this Holy War. Now if you wanted to talk about BD using my bathroom garbage bin as a receptacle to catch fluids leaking from the underbelly of my car during his do-it-yourself lube job, then we can discuss a real marital war.

I grew up in "cougar country" going to BYU football games during the Ty Detmer era and when my dad had season tickets on the 50 yard line. Admittedly, it was a good time and I have some fond memories surrounding BYU football. And when the coug's are not playing the ute's I might be guilty of feeling a tinsy-tiny bit happy when they are winning. If I concentrated real hard all day and ate only chocolate covered cinnamon gummy bears from the Wilk then I might actually be able to consider myself a BYU football fan. It is my alma mater after all.

However, this is where I draw a BIG RED line:

High/Low

Weekend Highlights:

• free time/flying solo/chick flick
  
• midnight bubble bath
• a safe return of BD from scout camp
• de-junking
  
• beautiful fall weather
  
• a big bowl of hearty soup

Weekend Lowlights:

• finding a rotting onion hidden far back in a cupboard
• Sunday night blues
  

Sunday Evening Art

BD and I are continually amazed at how cool the people in our neighborhood are. Tonight we had the opportunity to hear one of them speak about art. Marilyn Lindsey served as docent for the Smithsonian for 10 years, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC for 10 years. In other words, she really knows her stuff. I wish I could talk about art that way, to recite dates and periods, artists and techniques as if it were second nature. I wish I could spend more time exploring museums discovering how others have perceived the world around them. BD and I were at the National Gallery of Art earlier this year and tonight BD was so excited to hear Marilyn talk about paintings that he had experienced in real life. I'm grateful that BD has allowed me to share this part of my life with him. It's fun to see him so excited about something I love too.Marilyn shared the following quote my John Adams that we found especially poignant:

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.

Shake it!

Note to self: quit putting your food storage and 72-hour kits off you lazy, irresponsible slug. Shape up!

I realize that I don't live in California, but when the San Andreas fault does move its fingers through the ground, it will likely tickle the Wasatch fault, which I happen to live directly above. Nuff said.

Just for fun

Build a beard workshop!

The Mystery of the Unknown Number

Strange things have been happening to me. Several weeks ago I received a phone call from an unknown caller. Naturally, I didn't answer. If people want to talk to me, they better make themselves known. But the unknown caller left a voicemail:

"This is the Salt Lake County sheriff's department. We have just received a 911 call from this number. Please call us back if you have a real emergency."

Huh? I checked my surroundings. I'm not choking, or being abused, and there is no sign of smoke anywhere. Everything is ship shape. I had not called 911, I hadn't even touched my phone during the last hour. I check my call log anyway. Yep, last number dialed was aBradleeBoy. On second thought, my friends little girl had been playing with my phone just a few hours earlier...maybe just maybe she dialed 911.
A few weeks later BD and I are on wildly romantic date at Crown Burger and I noticed 1 missed call from unknown and a new voicemail:

"This is the Salt Lake County sheriff's department. We have just received a 911 call from this number. Please call us back if you have a real emergency."

A real emergency? I didn't even have a fake emergency. My flip phone had been buried in my gigantic purse nearly all day. Key pad is locked, no 911 call had been made. And plus, wouldn't I be more likely to call 911 after ingesting a greasy burger and fries as a result of the heart attack that would likely ensue? Think about it.

Not even a few days later BD and I are celebrating 5 years of marital bliss in Park City when I receive yet another unknown caller and a new voicemail. Same thing:

"This is the Salt Lake County sheriff's department. We have just received a 911 call from this number. Please call us back if you have a real emergency."

If I really had dialed 911, wouldn't my call have been routed through to Wasatch County and not Salt Lake County? I'm now panicking and sweat tacos are beginning to form underneath my arms. Is this some sort of joke? I HAVE NO EMERGENCY. Literally a few minutes later my phone rings again, unknown caller. I answer.

Dispatch: "Hello, we have just received a 911 telephone call from this number. What is your emergency?"

On the verge of tears, I then launch into a lengthy explanation about how I didn't call 911, do not have an emergency, and that this isn't the first time it's happened.

Since then, the same thing has happened 2 more times. I'm at a loss for words. Has this ever happened to anyone else? I'm scared that my phone number has now been flagged PRANK CALLER and when I really do have a heart attack, I'm up a creek.

It's that time again

when it becomes completely mandatory to wind down the evening with a piping hot cup of {cocoa} {cider} {herbal tea} goodness. My kettle, bless her heart, is back in action.

Saturdays are for...

Sleeping in. Way way way in.
Waffles, yogurt, and piping hot cocoa at Gourmandise, The Bakery.
Impromptu thrifting.
Getting lost in Ikea.
Late birthday dinner at Mazza with plenty of Labneh.
Visits from family {a rare occurrence!}.
Vanilla ice cream with M&M's and chocolate sauce.
Catching up on last week's TV.
Crisp, clean sheets.
Early to bed.
Ahh.

Proof

BD, it really is snowing here! A LOT. And yes, I drove safely.

Local Flavor

I'm really liking the new line of shoes from zuriick, a local SLC co. Santa just might be bringing BD a pair of these BEATA's for Christmas.

Yes We Can

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

-Barack Obama

Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.

-John McCain

I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited for for so long.

-George W. Bush

I have been moved to tears several times in the last 12 hours listening to speeches by Obama, McCain, and Bush. I had not expected the outcome of the race to bring about such powerful and unifying conviction from all sides. This is an incredible moment in American history and I'm proud to be witnessing it.

Mystery Camera Pics Revealed

As was to be expected, there were only a few gems to be recovered on the mystery film. Nonetheless, they are indeed precious to me. Especially since we recently celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, and these pics were probably taken right around the time we moved into our first apartment.

The one-handed self portraits have been around for a while my friends. This is just more proof that we are truly the masters.

Ah. Young love. I love this kid a ridiculous amount, even still.

This picture is why I believe these photos were taken before we were married: there are boxes everywhere, bare walls, a borrowed vacuum, and no wedding gifts in sight. Here I am sprawled out on our apartment floor making my wedding necklace, which ironically I didn't wear on my wedding day. Here's BD eating leftovers from his night job maybe? Who knows. But check out those gorgeous flowers on the stove! I loved getting fresh flowers {still do} until I found out they cost about as much as our rent did, and then I had to tell him to stop. He didn't.

Mystery Camera II

While I was cleaning out some old boxes tonight I found a bag of random odd and ends from our first apartment. In the bag was another disposable camera! I shrieked with joy when I opened the bag and hugged my discovery tightly to my chest. Memories! Glorious memories! Just waiting to be discovered. "Virgin" memories, if I may, that have never been blogged about. Breathe.

Which has me thinking...

When finding a disposable camera in your old junk is the highlight of your entire week {possibly month} you know you've made it in life. Sigh. These are the things that keep you busy when your hubby is gone and you have no one else to torture but yourself. And the blogosphere. Is this why people have babies? I'm not sure.

In the same bag I found another curious artifact: gray in color, square, seemed to be made of some sort of plastic composite with a metal rectangular attachment encasing a mysterious magnetic agent. I didn't recognize it at first, but after a quick Internet search I discovered that this contraption is called a "floppy disk," once used as a medium for storing data.This particular disk probably dates back all the way to the late twentieth century, circa 1999 to be exact. Yes, I've already called the Smithsonian. Unfortunately, I don't even have the technology in my house to uncover it's ancient secrets.

Halloween Party

Hallween Party and Road Rally
Superman and Lois Lane: there to save the day and report about it

Spooky ghost or happy sperm? You decide.

Captain Hook impregnated Tink!

Scuba divers!

Super Tuttles!

Love me some 70's wedding dress!

Warren Jeffs and his harem was there too

And the award for scariest couple goes to...

"I'll catch the bad guys, you stick to the ghosts"

They kicked up the ROAD RALLY this year with GPS units for each team. We raced all over the valley searching for clues about murder mysteries and local horror-lore. Here is Merrily laying in the spot where Ted Bundy's murder victim was found. We won {on a technicality}! But still, we were first.