Date a Girl Who Reads

I love this - it is long but so good.

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve. Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow. She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book. Buy her another cup of coffee. Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice. It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does. She has to give it a shot somehow. Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world. Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two. Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series. If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are. You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype. You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots. Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads. Or better yet, date a girl who writes." – Rosemary Urquico

100k

My vehicle is about ready to make that magical turn over 100k miles. While most of that has been in the flurry of trips between GJ and Denver, there's some other long drives that come to mind that I wanted to take a moment to recall. (In no particular order)

- Right out of the gate, brand new car to break in ... driving up to Minneapolis to help celebrate the birthday of Darby's grandmother. I remember the surprise and the joy she had with so many people that came to help celebrate with food, family and cake!

- The long trek to Shreveport, Louisiana post-Katrina. Hearing the stories of growing up in the south, witnessing the poverty, the racial divide that's still prevalent today. The tension of that divide and what it was like being in that part of the country in summer. ("hot" is not a describable word here....)

- The anniversary surprise. Seeing where Darby grew up in Omaha, watching her recall childhood memories and her favorite haunts. Trekking up to Minnesota - driving across the green fields and vast landscapes. The love, tears and happiness of celebrating Darby's parent's wedding anniversary. The video :)

- The roadtrips we took to Ouray after Thanksgiving ... to Durango twice ... to Santa Fe ... and the numerous treks up to Meeker, Rangely, Craig, Gateway, the Grand Mesa, McClure pass and the other favorite trips we take.

- The last minute trip to Storm Lake, Iowa to be part of Darby's sister and brother-in-law's wedding. Godfathers Pizza! The wedding, the photography, the feeling of family together. The incredible lush green fields of corn and the painted quilted barns of Sac County, Iowa.

- Montana ... the beauty of the lake ... meeting wonderful friends and enjoying their company ... the wildfires and the fact that Montana is one incredibly BIG state. Wyoming, Yellowstone, the buffalo, the Grand Tetons, Old Faithful ... the road construction from hell ...

- The return to Minnesota. Darby getting to see her niece for the first time. The first steps. Wonderful celebrating an unseasonably warm Christmas. Meeting someone very special to us and the outlook of things to come.

- The long trip to Austin, Texas. Meeting up with friends new and old along the journey - driving long distances, racing against the clock on the verge of bad news. I remember the small conglomerate of shops and health food restaurant in Austin - the incredibly tall trees and peacefulness in the middle of town.

- The numerous trips to Denver in great weather, the darkness of night, in blinding snowstorms, on ice-crested roads, witnessing accidents, car fires, wildfires and tire blow-outs an arm's length away. We've seen hot air balloons, ultra light aircraft, Christmas lights along I-70, roaring rivers, beautiful sunsets (and sunrises). We've ventured to Denver for parties & celebrations, my brother and sister-in-law's 25th anniversary, my Mom and Dad's 50th, Christmases, lunch, dinner and breakfast with family and friends.

All told - 100k miles since 2006 - each mile probably has a story. I love our Mercury Mariner and love the adventures it takes us to and how reliable it has been.

Heroes

Danielle LaPorte shared this quote on Facebook today. 

"My heroes are the ones who survived doing it wrong, who made mistakes, but recovered from them." – Bono

Intimacy

Brain Pickings shared this video.  I think I would like to see the PBS series The Emotional Life because just even this little bit by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love,  was interesting to me.  It made sense to me - for intimacy.

Also...Brain Pickings has become one of my favorite websites. It is a daily visit for me.

A Thousand Years

I need to make this NOW

Source: foodporndaily.com via Darby on Pinterest

Croque Madame with Black Forest Ham on French Loaf Smothered w/ Bechamel and Gruyere and then topped with fried egg.

Okay so maybe not making it right now but I am going to make this soon because if it turns out then I know one thing I want to make for when our good friend Tammy visits us in April.

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. Michael making it safely over to Denver in bad weather
2. Michael making it home safely - thankfully the weather was better then the trip over
3. Work for Michael picking up when it has been a little slow
4. making lists - I like making lists obviously with Gratitude Friday
5. peanut butter and jelly sandwich...sometimes it just tastes so good

Creativity

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.


Ira Glass on Creativity and David Shiyang Lue with the video of typography.   I have a typography fetish.  I play with type and fonts all the time. But really I am posting the video because I love what Ira Glass has to say about creativity.  I feel that often - the disappointment that it isn't what I want it to be but I can feel inside there is more and I know it can be more - just better.

Chalkboard Paint

Just a few things I like that have Chalkboard paint on them so you can write on it...

Source: anthropologie.com via Darby on Pinterest

Source: casasugar.com via Darby on Pinterest

Source: amymorby.com via Darby on Pinterest

Source: jackiefo.blogspot.com via Darby on Pinterest

Glory of Love

I am posting this for a reason....because it was "our song" - from my first love in high school.  We started dating February 20th, 1986 so was thinking of him today and remembered "our song."

Hearing

Last year I took a step forward and got fitted for a hearing aid. While it wasn't an expense we really needed -- the absence of what I was missing was profound. I had long since been resistant to hearing aids because I come from the belief that if we're always told to turn our headphones down because it can make us go deaf ... then adding a micro-headphone deep in my ear canal would've been equally problematic.

So I resisted.

Until last year when it became apparent that I still had good function in my remaining ear ... but I just needed some help. My ear canal apparently didn't form like other normal ear canals do. That's why I'm very susceptible to changes in allergy or head colds -- as my ear canal would compress and eventually muffle out sounds.

The first time I could "hear" ... I was amazed at how much I was missing. Caesar's meow. The turn signal blinker. Fans in my office. Whispers and other things said under one's breath. All of a sudden - my confidence grew. I could hear. I could participate. I could interject. I could remain on topic and not have to shake my head because I couldn't ascertain what was being said. I no longer had to guess. I no longer needed you to face me so that I could hear what you were saying.

The world opened up.

And I'm forever grateful for Darby - who didn't push ... but she gave some nudges every so often. I knew it affected her ... but I never knew how difficult it was living with someone who was hearing impaired. The stress of not being able to effectively communicate whenever, however, wherever. I'm sorry it took me so long hon.

Why am I blogging about this today? There's a malfunction somewhere in the unit that had rendered it relatively useless to me. I didn't realize how much I was affected by it until I've gone without ... and now that I've gone without it ... I want it back.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes Darby, two posts in a week. Believe it or not!) :)

Doughnut Muffins

I made these for breakfast.  It is the first time I think I have had this rounded muffins in high altitude. I will need to try to breakdown to figure out what the science behind it - to get it do this in my other muffin recipes.

Recipe is from King Arthur Flour.

Only changes I made were adding some cardamom and cinnamon to the nutmeg in the recipe.   I didn't really taste the cardamom though. But these reminded me of cake doughnuts my Grandma used to make.  They had the same texture and similar taste.

They are something I will be making again. Really nice Saturday morning treat.

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. Michael taking some time off tonight as he had a long week
2. Michael watching Breaking Dawn with me because he loves me
3. finishing up some projects
4. emails from good friends
5. an adventure with Michael this week when we went to a dive diner for breakfast and it turned out to be one of the worse meals we have ever had but still we were able to laugh and have time together

Collage by Alex Cano

Love this piece by Alex Cano

Source: lovelyclusters.tumblr.com via Darby on Pinterest

Whitney Houston

I was very sad to hear about her death. I remember having albums (yes not CD's) when I was in high school of hers. Amazing voice.

Traveling ...

We love road trips.

I'm about to put over 100k miles on our incredibly wonderful Mercury Mariner. As I look back on the treks we've taken, to Louisiana, to Minnesota a couple of times, to Montana, and to Texas. Not to mention the countless day trips we've taken or the drives to Denver.

I prefer driving over flying anymore because at least you get to see things along the way. Yes - it's easier and quicker to traverse the landscape at 38k feet, but you miss out on the sunsets. You don't get to spend quality time with someone you love just by talking to pass the time. You don't get to see sites that you normally wouldn't ... or have the ability to laugh freely at something as dumb as a fart joke or something.

Plane travel is efficient and a great way to maximize the quantity of time you have on vacation.

But for me at least, it's the quality of time that equally matters. So to drive 1500 miles with Darby means a lot more to me because that's us time. Us time - unplugged. Us time - without phones, computers and other distractions.

It gives new meaning that it's the trip that matters ... not just the destination...

Valentine's Subway Art

This is subway art I created last year for Valentine's Day.


Click on it this image to get the image to download...

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. phone calls with good friends
2. fish - Michael hates fish and the only time I really eat it is when he goes out of town because he can't stand the smell. He went out of town yesterday so I was able to have fish and it was delish!
3. Chocolate - Godiva truffles from a good friend
4. old movies - such as North by Northwest, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Gigi and so on. I love them.

Amazing Reproductions

Source: blogs.denverpost.com via Darby on Pinterest

Happy Memories Happy Dish

It is odd to me how just little things can bring up such strong memories. Several weeks ago Michael requested a dish that was named Happy Dish by a good friend of mine. She came to stay with me when I lived in Cleveland. I made it her first night there as I needed something that fed a several people and pasta was my answer. It is just a simple baked pasta dish - penne, ricotta, ground italian sausage, and store bought marina sauce but it made her feel happy when she ate it. So from then it was called Happy Dish.

When I was first with Michael, I made him the dish and told him the story. Recently Michael requested that I make Happy Dish and it immediately made me think of my friend. Good memories. Good times sitting at the table sharing - talking and laughing together.

Lucky