Sunday, November 29, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009

We've had such a marvelous Thanksgiving weekend, and I gained 4 extra pounds just to prove it. We're so thankful for family, especially this time of year. I'm particularly grateful for my cute nieces and all their hugs and kisses and fashion sense.And they are super grateful for their cell phones :) Caught yaI'm thankful for these fine rugged gentlemen who carve the turkeys, take the pictures, sneak taste tests of the food-to make sure it's safe of course, and buy the popcorn at the movies. And I'm incredibly thankful for these beautiful women who make the pies, and the gravy and the sweet potato "brownies"-hence the 4lbs. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful mom and sisters who give me unconditional love and support.I'm also thankful for this little munchkin who endured no less than 4 hours of me pinching her chubby thighs, kissing her chubby cheeks, and blowing raspberries on her chubby stomach. She's the spitting image of her mom at this age, and I couldn't help but feel like I was 8 years old again and "babysitting."PS-I know that my pictures are grainy/pixelated. What I don't know is how to fix it. Blogger and I are not seeing eye-to-eye on this.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

From the Archives

The four pictures I chose for this months header may seem random, but really they represent four very unique things: my favorite pictures of all time. Well, at least for today.

First, this picture:OHS Sweethearts=funnest high school dance memory. Besides the fact that we look 12 years old, he and I are actually 18 and 17, respectively. Naturally, as seniors in high school we had the world by the tail. This date dance was in February of 2000, the same year we fell in love, broke up, graduated, fell back in love, mission call, started college, and on and on. But you could have guessed the year even if I hadn't told you because of 1) my zig-zag hair part, and 2) his Abercrombie graphic tee. Both dead give-aways of our high school days. What you can't see are my Silver Jeans and chunky boots from Bakers (anyone?). This picture embodies everything I loved about being that age, that innocent, and that ambitious.

Second, this picture:It's me, when little, rockin' a skateboard and sporting a Harley Davidson tee. Mom used to pull my hair back with two yellow butterfly barrettes so that I wouldn't look like a rag-a-muffin. It was a constant battle she would never win between her youngest daughter not complying with the frilly dresses and violin playing she had envisioned. Those barrettes were perhaps the only girly thing I would allow anywhere near my being for the next decade. You'll also notice that I'm holding the skateboard, not riding it. This is key. What you don't see is my older brother daringly flying his skateboard off a homemade ramp head first onto the cement driveway. And I'm just standing there holding my skateboard as if to say go ahead idiot brother, crack your head open, I'll just be a bad-ass from safely over here. It's so me.

Then there is this picture:Taken recently in October, there is nothing specifically dramatic or compelling about this photo other than it marks a really good day. One of those days I'll never forget for no reason other than it was a Sunday afternoon, beautiful fall weather, I'd just woken up from a nap, we went for a walk in the park, collected leaves, and snapped a picture. Amid months and months of seemingly complicated bad days, the simplicity of a single good day seems to stand out. I love those days and I particularly loved that day.

And lastly, there is this gem:My little cowboy man in his plaid shirt, jean vest, boots and buckle. But the thing that really gets me about this picture is the buckle: it says "Brad" on it. I'm in love with it, I don't know why. The buckle's whereabouts are unknown, but his mom never threw away anything remotely sentimental so it must exist. My life will not be complete until we find it. I can hardly look at this photo without grinning. Not only because of my buckle fixation, but because of his little boy hair, little boy face, and little boy smile. All of it, including the rattan chair, just melts my heart completely. Plus he is properly sitting upright like such a good little boy. But I'm no fool.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Thinking Outloud

When I came back from lunch today the last bloom on my purple orchid had fallen. This beautiful botanical has kept watch over my office for nearly 9 months. I've seen each blossom bud and grow and then one by one they have silently fallen. I've been giving myself the whole circle of life pep-talk on repeat. But this is probably the only plant that I haven't killed yet. And now it's gone ahead and died anyway.As I pulled into my garage tonight and passed the communal dumpster I noticed someone had discarded a little wooden chair. It called to me. Instantly I imagined it in a bright new color and topped with a pair of little tippy-toed feet reaching to help me crack an egg. So I picked it up and brought it home. And suddenly I'm feeling a lot better about the circle of life.