Springing

So I've recently realized that I've turned into a bit of a bitch. My head has grown disproportionately to my body and I think I'm extra special. Time to come back down to earth!

It's spring, and I'm doing a bit of spring cleaning. My ego needs a bit of a huck out. I look around and see that the trees are sprouting leaves, the flowers are blooming, and the spring lambs are springing. It makes me feel happy. And a bit humble, because no one has to tell a flower that it's pretty in order for it to bloom, it just does, and the springing lambs spring because that's just what they do. You see, I get it from all angles. At work, the bosses call me the boss. Bob tells me that I'm beautiful and that he loves me every day. I've been in the spotlight amongst my friends for being recently engaged. All of this has added up to one big fat ego trip, and I'm not being very nice. I need to pull my head in STAT! I also need a holiday. Good thing I'm off to Australia for a week from Sunday!

So here's the plan: Be nice to EVERYONE!!! Remember that I am NOT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE! And most importantly, remember to give thanks and show gratitude for all the wonderful things in my life.

Otherwise Engaged

So I'm engaged. I love it! It feels like falling in love with Bob all over again, with the bonus of knowing what I'm getting into. Falling in love has its pitfalls and is often tinged with a bit of trepidation, but engagement...well, it just ROCKS! I know Bob and I will have a happy married life because let's face it, we're practically married already.

I know Bob's the one for me for many reasons (he and I make each other happy, we laugh together, we get along with each other's friends and families, we make up stupid words and share inane inside jokes to our infinite amusement...etc etc etc) but what sealed the deal for me was the ring. No, not just because it's sparkly and shiny and pretty, not just because of the commitment it insinuates, but because it's PERFECT for me...and I had absolutely nothing to do with choosing it. He knows me so well that he was able to choose a ring for me that suits me flawlessly.

I've always had a bit of fear about engagement rings...what if he picks something totally gaudy? What if it's tiny and chintzy? What if I hate it...how do I tell him I hate the ring he bought to ask me to marry him? But on the flip side, I've always wanted a surprise proposal, and if I knew he was looking at rings, it wouldn't be a true surprise! The ring he chose for me shows me that he listens to me and he truly knows me. He knows I'm not really into jewellery so something big and flashy wouldn't suit me. He knows that I prefer white gold over yellow. He knows that while I don't like big and flashy, I do like unique.

So here it is, my beautiful ring. To me, it symbolizes all of my dreams coming true: love, marriage, family, and a life lived with a true companion.

Tears

I cried today. It's been a long time.

I was chatting on Facebook messenger with my dear friend Kerri. We were reminiscing about old times in college and she reminded me of something I had long forgotten.

Like many of my friends, Kerri has a special sense of humor. I seem to find people just as weird and random as myself. How, I'm not sure, but I am forever astounded that there are other people on this planet who find the same things as I do to be funny. Sometimes downright hillarious.

Take, for instance, the word "goat." Why is that word funny? Why do I have not one, but many classic inside jokes with different people surrounding that word? Maybe it's because goats are strangely cute yet utterly ugly creatures. Maybe it's the way it feels in my mouth when I say it: Goat. Go on, say "goat" out loud and try not to smile. The gutteral "g" and the round "o" sound, followed by the abrupt "t." Goat is a cool word!

On our dorm room door, we had a small whiteboard. Kerri was studying Spanish and wrote something on the door for me in Spanish. She would not tell me what it said; instead she made me translate it using her Spanish to English dictionary. Of course, literal translation often leads to hillarity...

"Companera de cuarto es una cabra."

According to my non-existent Spanish translation skills, the note said:

"My room mate is to be of one goat."

This lead to Kerri and I laughing hysterically as she tried to explain that it actually said, "My roommate is a goat."

Kerri reminded me of this today. I laughed so hard that I actually had tears running down my face. My nose went all snuffly. I couldn't speak. Bob thought I'd lost my mind. He patted me on the head and said, "I'll be in the lounge, Bub." I think he was afraid.

I just had to call Kerri! I had to hear her voice, hear her laugh, and share this moment with her once again.

It's been a long time since I've cried, and I'm damn happy I did!

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The Most Wonderful Weekend of the Year: Folk Festival

Life is full of questions, worries and conundrums. We often get bogged down with the who, what, where, when and why worries. I don't know about you, but sometimes I just want to pack it all in and forget about life for a while. So, every summer, Bob and I head off to the perfect place...the Auckland Folk Festival! Accompainied by some very good friends, we are able to put life's big questions aside and simply enjoy ourselves. I also get to reconnect with my inner hippy. Follow along as I describe some of the big questions we face at the Folk Festival:

Did we forget anything?

Where should we put the tents?

How does this work?

Should I have another drink?

Should I entertain myself by playing Gnome Bowling with a child?




...Or maybe a riveting arm wrestling match?

...Or perhaps a singing workshop?

...Or shall I kick it at the campsite with friends?

It's quite hot. How should I keep cool?

Icy cold water from the cooler should do the trick nicely!

Can men wear sarongs?

Yes! And with some safety pins, they can make pirate pants!

What kinds of colorful characters will I meet?

Why should I give a crap about my hair and makeup?

Will the music be as good this year as it was last year?

How many beers does Bob need before he starts dancing?

And finally, how many more sleeps until we can do it all again next year?

Ah, sweet Festival...like all good things, it must come to an end.

The Fruits (and Veggies) of Our Labor

As I get older, I seem to become more interested in doing things myself. Maybe this is a kind of advanced independence. This desire to do things myself mainly comes to light in the kitchen. I adore making things from scratch...anything from pasta sauce to tortillas to desserts. I've always valued authenticity. So you can imagine how much fun I am having with my very own veggie garden! Bob and I worked hard to dig up a section of our back yard and had heaps of fun choosing what we would plant. Now, three months on, we are seeing and tasting results! So far we have harvested two cauliflowers, and thanks to a recipe by Ted Allen (I swear, if he was straight and I was single....) I've actually ENJOYED eating them! Our tomato plant is coming along very well, with some tomatoes already turning red. We also pulled up one of our potato plants and found many little dirty beauties. We boiled them up with a bit of fresh mint (again, from our garden! Rather accidentally, really...I bought a small mint plant ages ago and tossed it in the dirt after I thought it had died, and now it's rampant through my hedges!)

I can't wait to get my hands on some fresh, ripe tomatoes. I think I might give canning a try and make my own pasta sauces and stewed tomatoes.

Really, though, I'm just reveling in the notion that I can go outside and pick side dishes for my dinner from my own back yard!

And of course, I'm loving the sense of satisfaction of being able to say, "I made that."

Boys are GROSS!

I suppose I should have known what I was getting into when I decided to live with men.

Bob's been out of town for the weekend, so I decided to clean up the computer room. Mind you, I've hinted, suggested and flat out told him to tidy up the room, and the answer has always been, "I'll get to it." And he never does. I know, I know...all I'm doing is teaching him that if he puts things off long enough, I'll eventually do them...Bob is fabulous, but not flawless!

What did I find? Let's see!

3 empty bags of chips.
2 half empty bags of chips.
Many loose chips.
A bowl that contained God knows what from God only knows how long ago.
Beer bottles.
Macaroni.
Beer bottles.
Chips.
Macaroni.
Candy wrappers.
American cheese slice wrappers.
Beer bottles.


For the love of all things good and pure in this world, the trash can is only a few feet away!!!!!

This, combined with the overflow of Heaven only knows in Isaac's room that keeps threatening to spill into the hallway, and the dishes that sit in the sink until I start giving Medusa stares, and the toilet paper rolls that are placed carefully on top of, next to or behind (but rarely in) the trash cans, I can come to only one conclusion:

Boys are GROSS!

(But I don't know what I'd do without them...what they lack in housekeeping skills they make up for in general entertainment value!)

Simple Pleasures

A few of my favorite things:

Fresh, line-dried cotton sheets.

Singing the few Italian ariettas I learned in voice lessons at the top of my lungs in the shower or while vacuuming when no one is home.

Catching the eyes of a babies and making silly faces until they smile at me.

Being right.

Finding old friends on Facebook.

Cooking and baking things from scratch.

Sharing my food with friends.

Packing for trips.

Knitting.

My daily big hug with Bob after work.

Long hours lingering with friends over coffee on Sunday afternoon.

New Zealand summer.

Christmas.

Baby lambs frolicking in the park in spring.

Cheese.

Wine and cheese.

Fruit and cheese.

Bob.

Having a clean and tidy house.

Weddings.

Road trips.

Eating gummy worms on road trips.

Auckland Folk Festival.

Going back to Denver to see my family and friends.

My iPod.

My red kitchen scale.

Garden gnomes.

My digital camera.

Grandma's artwork.

Throwing parties.

Dreaming about my wedding day.

Thinking up names for my future children.

Napping on the couch on a day off.

Great memories from college.

Seedless grapes.

Egg noodles.

Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time tea.

Kumara.

Cheese raviolis.

Enchiladas.

Our veggie patch.

Cold weather at Christmas.

The feeling I get when the airplane captain announces the descent into Denver.

The first day of the year when it's not too cold to wear a tank top.

The first day of the year when it's cold enough to wear a turtleneck sweater.

New shoes.

Shopping sprees.

Buying gifts for people I love.

Baking things to take to work.

Finding old photos.

Hearing a song I haven't heard in years that takes me back to the day....

And so many more things...I could go on for days! Life is good, oh yes it is.