Gratitude Friday

I realize I have many wonderful things in my life that I am thankful for and so I express my gratitude weekly for just a few of those things.

5 Things I am thankful for....
1. Going out last night to an art exhibit and then dinner. It was a nice night out for us.
2. The wonderful weather we have been having...it feels like spring is really here. Just waiting on the green.
3. Clients who appreciate all our hard work. We have had a few kudos this week and it was nice to hear them.
4. Almost being done with a new gallery to view my art on my website. I hope to have that up this weekend. (And hoping I get some inspiration for a new website design for my website - I think this is the longest I have went without changing the design on one of my websites.)
5. Finding some good grocery sales this week and having a stocked pantry. That always makes me feel good.


I recognize that I have much more to be thankful for in my life.

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

I finished The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger this week. I put this review on GoodReads.com - which is becoming one of my favorite daily places. I gave it 4 stars out of 5 (it was a close 5 though) This does contain spoiler to the book but I will mark them by astricks so you can skip those paragraphs.

This is the review I did on GoodReads.com:

I have been meaning to write a review for this the last few days and every time I start I am either in the mood where I am writing everything good or I am in the mood where I am annoyed with the book. I had a love/hate relationship with this book.

So so some good things to me:
1. I loved the style of writing. The going back between Henry and Clare. The jumping around from dates. I thought it worked really well for this plot.

2. The relationship between Henry and Clare developing through the years captured me and was thrilled to see their lives and feelings. It was a beautiful, intense, tragic love story.

3. Henry....I absolutely fell in love with this character. He really got to me. And I am sure I will remember him for a long time.

4. Some things people mentioned in some reviews I read that annoyed them -- the name dropping. I liked it. Because it wasn't name dropping to me but I think it is probably the authors interests thrown in to the character. And that is fine with me. I love that it was bands, poetry, art and such that was of the past. I read a book recently (next review) that really did feel like name dropping because it felt like they were trying to name everything cool and hip of today to make the characters seem cool. And in Time Traveler's Wife I felt like it was just developing the characters likes and dislikes.


********** 5. I thought the dreams of the babies and miscarriages were dark but captured feelings and the dreams so well. They were very intense and powerful. As an artist I could see the images in my head that Niffenegger painted with her words.

********** 6. I really liked how Niffenegger handled his death...the loss and feelings around the whole scene just were incredibly powerful. It didn't bother me that he died. I mean I was upset because as I said I really enjoyed his character but I feel it fit in the book really well. I did have another problem with the ending though that I will get to in a moment.


Things I didn't like:

1. I wasn't thrilled with the development of Clare's family.

2. There were some scenes that I felt were just dropped in the story and not developed very well.

2. The book is called the Time Traveler's Wife but I feel like Clare isn't the focus of the book as much as Henry and although I love Henry -- I think maybe the book should be named the Time Traveler. It just didn't feel like Clare had a strong enough voice. I even felt at time like she was along for the ride because this was how her life was suppose to end up. Instead of really mentally hashing it out, even her feelings of when he disappeared were to me skimmed over.

*********** 3. I didn't like how it ended.... I felt like we went with Clare from 6 to 37 and one day she is grieving and talking about how part of her has vanished and the next day she is 85. It felt like it just was chopped off for me. Like I missed something. I really felt that way so much I went and reread the last chapter three times to make sure there I wasn't missing something important. But it was the same each time.



So I had a love hate relationship with this book because I was so invested in them and then it felt like I had to go through grieving and didn't get the closure I wanted on their story. So it got 4 stars instead of 5.


Edit: August 2009 - I reread The Time Traveler's Wife and I have changed my rating to 5 stars. The reason is that I was so emotionly involved with the book the first time reading that I gave it a 4 stars but it really deserves 5 stars. It is one of my top 10 books. It will be a book I reread many times over.

Quill

I received this for my last birthday from one of my dearest friends. It is called Graphite Object. It is a piece of graphite that is sculpted but is usable as a pencil. It is done by Agelio Batle. I feel it is almost too beautiful to use.

100 Things | Mice

2. I am scared of mice.

I don't like to see mice in movies, commercials, photos. I don't like rubber mice or cat toys that look like mice. The thought of mice even right now writing about them as I am will make me jumpy for a bit. That is how scared of mice I am.

When I was just a little girl of 2 or 3, we lived in a house that had mice, mice mice every where. Yes I know it is odd that I remember something from that little - I think because it was so scary to me that it stuck. It was rental house as my dad was transferred quite a bit those first years of working with the company he works with. The house had a dirt cellar/basement. One that could be accessed from the inside of the house. Our house backed to fields thus we had lots of field mice in our house. When my sister and I would play on the floor, the mice would be running around the edges of the living room. When my Mom would open cupboards and sometimes they would be just they would sitting there. When I opened my drawers, they would be in them and at time jump out because I startled them but it was like they were jumping at me.

So I am very scared of them even after all these years. Logic doesn't seem to play into it as I know I am bigger them. But even as typing this and thinking of them I shivered. It doesn't matter that I am bigger then them. It doesn't matter that they are probably "more" scared of me then I am of them (I doubt that they are though). I know they are teeny tiny. I don't like them. I am scared of them. It is irrational that I still have this fear after all these years.

In January 2005, Michael, our cats and I came home from being on vacation. The cats found mice. Here is a fairly humourous account of it that I can read and laugh but I know that if I found a mouse here right now in the house I would be screaming and diving for the first available place to get off my body and feet off the floor.

Mouse in Our House - January 7, 2005

We have 2 cats so really I never worried about mice here, but felt since where we live that chances of mice is probable because we are out next to some fields. Well my carefreeness because of the cats, has been thrown out the window today.

Right before we left for vacation our little girl cat Chessie became obsessed with a few points in the kitchen especially in front of the stove/oven. She would sit,look, sniff and try to get under it for hours. Well, I did not think much about it as she has gotten lots of toys under there before. But the thing is now that I think about it she never has been this obsessed about it when a toy got under there. So that should have been my first clue.

We get back from vacation and the cats immediately act weird in the bedroom. Such as stalking or hunting but there was nothing (as in toys) in there to stalk or hunt at the moment. I just thought they lost a toys somewhere that I had not seen in there.

The last few days it has been near the fridge and especially the pantry door. I would open the pantry door and both cats would be right inside sniffing around. And our girl cat even climbed on things on the pantry floor. (We store cases of diet coke, toilet paper, packages of bottled water, mulit-packs of kleenex). Our cats never climb on things in there. It is like they know that is not something they should do. But every time I have opened the door the last few days they are there climbing and nosing at things. So today they were acting weird around the door again - being obsessed about it. I busy cleaning and I said okay go for it. I opened the door and I went to clean the bedroom. I can see the pantry from the bedroom so I heard them both in there. And girl cat was meowing. I went and moved something she was pawing at and set it in the kitchen but went back to the bedroom. It left little room for the hiding mouse now. I heard Chessie really scrambling and I turn around to tell them okay that is enough. I step into the kitchen and that is when I see it -- running from the pantry into the kitchen. It is heading towards the stove.

I SCREAM! I keep screaming! And I scare our boy cat, Caesar. His tail got huge. And he was freaked from me screaming - not from the mouse. I jumped on the bed grabbed the phone and called Michael. The boy cat went to look but then came back to look at me still pretty much screaming and now crying which freaked him out more. Yes, I know it is a little mouse.

Michael had only been at work maybe 40 minutes if that. I punch in his extension. He answers and all I can do is cry out, "REAL MOUSE REAL MOUSE!" I am not sure how many times I said it but I know it was at least two.

He says, "Okay honey take a deep breath calm down."

I said, "real mouse real mouse," quieter this time.

He said, "where is it?"

I said, "in the kitchen I think under the stove."

He said, "What did the cats do?"

I told him that I scared Caeser and that Chessie did not get that the mouse was not in the pantry anymore so she was in there still.

He said, "Okay I am on my way home."

I know he was ready to try to reason with me but I was crying and sobbing. And well frankly out of control. But he tried just a little.

He said, "you do know that you probably scared the mouse?"

I cried, "yes." But I kept on crying.

His co-workers know that I have a fear of them as they have them at the office and I have seen one there. I did not freak out like I did at home, but I got a little shaken there. So he went to tell the office manager and then his immediate boss that his girl was crying and screaming and scared because she saw a mouse in the house. A REAL mouse.

When I moved in with Michael, I took all the cat toys that looked like real mice and put them in a box. Because even the fake mice that looked like real ones scared me. Now all the cat toys that are mouse shaped are in bright colors - hot pink, lime green, purple and orange. So that is why I was screaming real mouse so that he knew I wasn't freaked out from a fake mouse that looked like a mouse because when I first moved in I did jump a few times seeing a couple of the cat toys that looked real.

So I stayed on the bed holding the phone until Michael came home. He was laughing, but at the same time very understanding of my irrational over the top fear.

He moved things and tried to find the mouse, but he couldn't. But he did discover where it is probably living or the path that it keeps to...so he went and got some traps and put them in places along the path. It is my hope we get it soon and then we can look for how it got in - in the first place.

Also when he got home I had not taken my shower yet but was scared to go in there. He had to scope things out for me before I went to take my shower. He then got my slippers checked to make sure mice were not in them. I knew I needed to have my feet covered as I would totally freak out if the mouse ran over my bare feet. So I have been in my slippers all day.

The whole day when I have had to move towards the kitchen I would make LOTS Of noise so that it would stay hidden from me. I know it is stupid that I have this fear all these years later but I hope that the little story might give someone a good laugh. I know it gave Michael and his co-workers had a laugh. And I know one day I will laugh at it even though my fear probably won't be going away anytime soon - now.

Long time, no type!

It's been a long time since I've had a moment to update our blog here. Darby has been keeping up with most of our major news. Since we got back from Denver during our Christmas vacation -- it's been one thing after another. The business has been doing pretty well lately and as I told Darby in the car yesterday: "I think things are going to get a whole lot busier in the next few months."

That now seems to be a bit of an understatement.

But as they say: "it's better to be busy than not busy" when it comes to running your own business. Of this, we've been blessed -- and continued to be blessed.

I've had some political matters of late that have been troubling - but I've made decisions that were best for us and for the business as a whole.

On a side note of sorts -- we have a friend in California that has started to get interested in photography. We've been doing a "word challenge" of late which has been very interesting. The word was "nearly" - and we were to go out into the world with our cameras and find instances of "nearly." It was difficult at first, but as we got creative, we found some really cool interpretations of the word.

Our Friend's Nest group can be accessed here.

So if you don't hear from me in the next couple of months -- nothing bad has happened, I'm likely just very busy.

Take care!
-Michael

No Gnocchi

I like cooking. I like experimenting and trying new things and most of the time I get things right or with just a little tweaking. In the last Food & Wine there was a recipe for gnocchi with meyer lemon sauce. And it looked so delicious that it inspired me to try making it. I have never made gnocchi before but as I said I like to experimenting and trying new things, but last night it didn't work out. I am not sure what exactly the problem was but my guess is the potatoes were too wet from boiling them. I know some recipes suggest steaming or baking but the Food & Wine recipe called for boiling them. It just would never form a dough. I added more flour and it still didn't. Thank goodness for warm french bread or I might have had a melt down since it just was getting a little frustrating.

I think to overcome my cooking disaster from last night I felt the need to make things I knew would be good. I made cinnamon oat bread to use in Creme Brulee French Toast. And then I also made brownies. Comfort food much? Both turned out good also.

Gratitude Friday

I realize I have many wonderful things in my life that I am thankful for and so I express my gratitude weekly for just a few of those things. This week I am going back to something I haven't done in a while a letter of the alphabet....

~P~

Peace - Harmony without hostility and violence in the world....such a nice thought. Although I feel "we" could do better with peace, I am grateful for the peace we do have. I think with today's political climate the notion of peace seems so far away but I do have some hope.
Peace Museum - When I was in college a girlfriend and I knew we wouldn't be able to afford the "it" places for spring break. We wouldn't want to go there anyway as it just wasn't us but we wanted to at least go somewhere even for a long weekend. So we went to Chicago. And one of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Peace Museum. It has some beautiful, moving exhibits and information available. So if you go to Chicago I really do suggest taking the time to visit.
Popcorn, pretzels, pickles, potato chips, peanuts, pop tarts, poppers, pizza - all wonderful pms snacks....okay all just wonderful snacks!
Purple - My favorite color! I am thankful for PURPLE in my life as it makes me smile!
Pink - Well I am a girly girl at heart so I do like pink too!
Princess - I am 40 years old but I have a side to me that likes being a princess and playing!
Pumpkin - Pumpkin bars, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cheesecake....It has a great flavor that makes me think of fall and feel warm!
Pasta - Oh how could we live without? Well I am sure we could but I don't want to. Although I had a bad experience trying to make gnocchi tonight, pasta still is a favorite around here. Especially whole wheat pasta. So many things to do with it. Thankful for all the wonderful dishes I am able to make with pasta!
Peppers - I really enjoy peppers. I put them in quite a bit of my cooking. Red peppers are my favorite the sweetness to them just is perfection! Thankful for peppers and the colorfulness they give to a dish besides wonderful flavor.
Pillow - I enjoy pillows...pillows to lay my head on at night, pillows on the couch, my pillow that says "My Princess Sleeps Here" - fun, pretty, decoration or to sleep - they all provide comfort.
Paper, pastels, paint, paste - all art supplies I need and am thankful for having as a mix media artist!
Paperdolls - I loved paperdolls as a child my Grandmother would buy me sets when I stayed with her and she would cut them out with me. They provided countless hours of fun. I now have a few sets and they still give me great joy to play!
Play - I think it is important no matter what age. We all need to just play and have fun. It is great way to relax by playing!
Photographs - We have many photographs around our house as Michael is a photographer and I enjoy each of them. We also photos of family and friends and I am glad to be able to see them everyday even though I am so far away from them. And think about how much I love them and miss them.

I recognize that I have much more to be thankful for in my life.

Pizza Stone

One of my dearest friends Aydeen had 2 pizza stones and noticed it was on my wish list so she sent me her extra stone....seasoned and all! Tonight I made pizza...oh my...so tasty. I made whole wheat herb crust. Of course I forgot to take pictures though I do have a few pieces for lunch tomorrow so might snap some of that. I really need to start keeping the camera in the kitchen.

I can't wait to use the pizza stone again. Thank you Aydeen! You are the BEST!

ps: Adding a photo I took 2/22/08 -- Pizza for lunch!

Crafty

A friend passed this site on to me and I found a few projects I would like to make. I thought these little stars in a bowl at Christmas or I was wonder how it would be to string them up like garland. I haven't tried to do one yet but am going to soon! I also like these felt pins. The one with the flames would make a perfect gift for one of my friends that collects skull and bone items.

100 Things | Chinese Food

I love reading the 100 things about me a lot of bloggers have done. And a friend over at Two Frog Home is doing it her own style with pictures and post instead of the list. I am going to follow her lead and do individual posts - hopefully once a week and maybe at times with photos.

1. I like Chinese food.

I like Chinese food so much I could probably eat it everyday and not get sick of it. Chinese food is comfort food for me much like mac-n-cheese is for others.

When I was growing up, my family always liked all kinds of food. They all seemed adventurous to try new things and different flavors. But I was the odd duck. I just didn't like anything but pretty much all-American food. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, burgers, fries, sandwiches and so on are all things I enjoyed as a young girl. When my family would go to a Mexican restaurant, there had to be something American on the menu for me. The same went for a Chinese restaurant it would need to have American on the menu or something that I could eat. Most of the time I couldn't find anything on the menu that I would even think about eating. Oddly enough when my Mom made things at home with an international flair, I usually ate it with no problem. I just would get nervous about eating it other places.

I met my ex-husband and he really liked all sorts of foods. He encouraged me to try new things. He made it easy for me because he "got" my weird quirky anxiety of the whole process from ordering something I might not like. So he often ordered take out so that I could be in the comfort of our home to try things. He would let me pick it apart and taste all the different dishes. And so I came to enjoy all sorts of different foods such as Chinese food.

But Chinese food became a favorite. And as I said at the beginning of this post it is something I associate as comfort food. I love the flavors. I don't really have a favorite dish as I just like a variety. I like all sorts of the appetizers too...from Crab Ragoon to Potstickers. I even enjoy cooking Chinese food.

Michael liked Chinese food before I moved here but it wasn't something that he would think of for a first place to eat when going out. But after having me here he has come to enjoy it more. We don't have quite the variety I have had in other places I have lived but we have one place we do for take out and then another place that is a good sit down type. They are both very good. The take out place is 1.25 for a scoop (it is really more then a scoop - it is a big mounding scoop.)

I have lots of memories that revolve around Chinese food too which probably sounds very strange. Aydeen, one of my dearest friends, likes Chinese food so she and I would go and eat and talk and eat and talk. It is a good memory. When I lived in Cleveland, it was the first place I lived that delivered Chinese food so I have good memories of sitting with friends in the living room and having food arrive at the door. How could it get better Chinese food delivered straight to my door? I remember that first February here Michael calling me from work one night to tell me we were going out on a date. He took me to a Chinese restaurant. It was our first time sharing Chinese food but more importantly that night just was a fun flirty date. And is probably odd how clear it is in my mind but I am glad I remember it the way I do.

So there is number 1 of the 100 things about me: I like Chinese food. As Michael said just recently it is probably one way to win my heart invite me out for Chinese food.

Some randomness...

I made scones for breakfast on Wednesday. They are more healthy then normal scones and I like them better. I so enjoy the flavor. Only thing is this time they didn't get as puffy as usual.

I just finished Marked (House of Night, Bk. 1) by PC Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. This is a young adult book. When Twilight came out, I didn't want to read it as I feared it would be too high schoolish and immature for me to enjoy but I was very wrong about that. Meyers did a good job in creating a timeless book that was about a high schooler but not immature. Marked though has some things in it that hit that immature/high schoolish feel that I was worried about with reading YA fiction. The story and premise of the book though is really interesting. It is about a society where some people just have a gene/dna that become active at a certain age and makes them start the transition from human to vampyre (their spelling of the word vampire). They are marked at a certain age to show what they are becoming. When that time hits, they go to vampyre school (vampyre charm school is what most call it in reviews online) to learn about the changes that they will go through and help them get through the change. The feelings of what happens when you are marked...how society treats them -- made me think of the AIDS epidemic in the mid-1980 and how people treated those infected with AIDS. It was like they were instantly horrible people. I could see a lot of potential with the plot of the book but they have things in it - speech at times, just books and music they talk about that will date the book fast. This book is the first in a series and although I wasn't thrilled with some aspects of the book, I most likely will read the rest of the series

I have been busy with work the last couple days...coding, coding, coding. Of course it is good that we are busy.

Made fettuccine Alfredo with sliced chicken on top for dinner on Valentine's. And today I am making stew. The onion I cut though pretty much did me in as it was so strong. It took lost of spraying of vinegar to neutralize the smell.

The library sent me notice that the next book I had on hold is ready but they are closed on Monday for President's Day so it will have to wait until Tuesday. Uglies another young adult book that I have heard good things. I read about it on the author's website too and really thought it sounded interesting.

I was discussing with another friend about my YA kick lately and we both thought maybe it is because we skipped YA fiction while young adults. I think I went from Little House on the Praire and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to trashy romance novels and V.C Andrews books.

In doing a search on GoodReads.com I found Blood and Chocolate. I didn't realize it was a book. I just received the movie in the mail from Netflix today.

Well I need to get to work - getting darbyart.com back up!

Gratitude Friday

5 Things I am thankful for in my life...
1. Two friends had birthday's this past week and they both said they had the best birthdays ever. And I am thankful for that they had wonderful birthdays celebrating their lives.
2. The newest issue of Food & Wine arrived and has inspired me to try to make gnocchi. So putting it on the menu for this next week to attempt! I am thankful for inspiration in the Kitchen!
3. Our kitty cat is feeling better. He wasn't feeling good this weekend. He had something wrong with his ears. But looks like he is over it.
4. I am thankful for a beautiful spring like day that Michael and I were able to enjoy by sitting in the sun while enjoying some lunch!
5. For pretty colored pens to make out some mail, for soft fuzzy socks that keep my feet warm, for water to quench my thirst and all the other little things everyday that make me feel good and smile.

And recognize that I am grateful for so much more.

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine's

I made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a red hot in the center for Valentine's Day.
The little plate has cute little hearts as well as sweetie pie, be mine and love written on it.

Happy Valentine's Day

I admit I love Valentine's Day. Because it involved the one thing I like to remember about this day....LOVE! Remembering those we love! I don't like that Valentine's Day is a commerical made holiday to guilt people into buying flowers, candy, and jewelry. It is irritating. As another blog I read said it is terrible message we are sending that we have to spend money on each other to prove our love. And that is horrible.

So all I need today is LOVE and I have that in my life with not only Michael but my wonderful friends and family!

Free Cute Valentine's

Cute little Valentine's by the Black Apple

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is what I am making for Valentine's Day!

Sunday in the Sun

Our little girl cat thinks that if something is put on the floor -- that it was placed there just for her. If we put a piece of paper, a box, or a sock....it is all made for her to lay in or on. So I had thrown this pillow on the floor when cleaning and she thought of course that I put it there JUST for her. She had a perfect spot for warming in the sun yesterday.

Organizing Greeting Cards

Last week Michael and I did some running around....shopping and errands. One thing we did was get all our greeting cards for the year. Yes the whole year. I have found that easier for getting cards out on time. So I brought a little chart broken down by month with birthday/anniversary dates on it and then picked out cards for everyone. I also stocked up on miscellaneous cards (get well, sympathy and friendship.) I have this little file box divided by month with some extra pockets for extra cards -- birthday cards, get well cards and other types of cards that aren't part of monthly cards. I keep the little calendar chart inside the top of the box so when I open it I can see what is coming up.

I found this little file box at Office Depot on Clearance.




I added labels for each month.



The stack of cards ready to be filed.

Daily Message.....

A Note from the Universe that I thought I just needed to remember as sometimes I wish things were easy.

The "easy way" is rarely the glamorous way, Darby.

Tallyho, ho, ho -
The Universe

the ps: Unless, of course, Darby, you can see the glamour in baby steps and blue jeans.

darbyart.com

My website - darbyart.com will be going down in the next week/week and half (Feb 11-16). Not changing hosts as I love them but I am basically combining things it so it will mean the site has to be taken down and reuploaded. It might take me a few days to a week to get everything back to normal. And also some photos and links on my art blog as well as here won't work. Yes, I see some fun filled days of coding coming my way! (That was said with much sarcasm).

Gratitude Friday

1. I am very thankful that my friend Jessica got the package I sent her and it made her her smile. I included all her favorite things - bubble bath, scrubs, fizzies and beads and then lip gloss, rubber stamps, chocolate, homemade cookies, bookmarkers and art. She was having a bad day one day this week and it arrived on that day! yay!
2. Thankful for the little day trip with Michael with a stop at Dollar Tree!
3. Thankful for Michael giving me a sweet little Valentine's plate. I hope to make red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting for Valentine's day to put on the plate!
4. Thankful for a nice chat I had with a good friend tonight.
5. Thankful for cinnamon toast. I hadn't had it in a while and it tasted so good.
6. Thankful we found the Assassination of Jesse James dvd as the movie was extrodinary in the filming, sets, script....just everything was really amazing. It is one I am sure we will watch many times over.
7. Thankful for the sweet notes that Michael left me around the house for our anniversary. I haven't taken them down and they make me smile everytime I see them.
8. Thankful for the beautiful love letter Michael gave me for Christmas...I was cleaning off my desk tonight and found it...read it...and cried again. It is so full of love and beauty. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful, romantic, loving man in my life!

Pie

I just watched this charming movie...called Sweet Land. It is about a woman that is mail order bride to a Norwegian man in Minnesota in 1920. Anyway when she arrives she doesn't have the right papers to get married and they find out she is German. It is after World War II so they are all a little paranoid of her being German. And so she is staying at friend's house until they can decide what to do. She speaks VERY little English. One day the friend's wife makes a pie and they are in the kitchen...just the two of them. The wife is basically trying to see how much experience she has had with men. The friend and his wife have 9 kids and are affectionate. The bride says she hasn't had any experience. And so the woman goes..."oh...well lets have pie." And they each take a fork and dive into this pie...they are enjoying the pie. But how it is filmed the expressions during the exchange and while eating the pie is just so sweet and fun...just lovely.

Mom if you read this I think you would like this movie...you should netflix it.

Reminder for myself: Soundtrack here.....very pretty.

Yes We Can Song in the News....

Michael just sent me this link....it is a Yahoo! News story about the Yes We Can song (youtube video) that I posted on Tuesday. I have played it several times and it always makes me tear up.

I posted a few weeks ago that link to Caroline Kennedy's piece in the NY Times...where she said she always had tell people tell her Dad gave them hope and they always talked about him in this way that she never understood until Obama. I think I get that voice about him too. Just saying his name tears me up because I see a bright beautiful sign in my head that screams HOPE. I hear his words and they cut to the very core of me because he saying things that I have felt and seen in our world.

Tea Time

I just started to enjoy tea about 5 years ago. A dear friend of mine had a tea party....layers of pretty linens on the table, delicate china, tiered plates with little finger sandwiches, mini cream puffs and scones. We had a wonderful tea party and about a month after I got a package in the mail with a tea cup, assorted teas and biscotti. Ever since that beautiful tea party, I have been hooked on tea. So I am very thankful to my friend for introducing me to the wonderful world of TEA!

VOTE Hope

Insomnia GRRR!

I couldn't sleep last night so I feel hung over today. I feel I am falling asleep just sitting here. The last look at the clock before falling asleep was 5am and then I got up at 8:30am. Not sure I am going to be much good today. grrrr!

Edward & Bella

I have an addiction....Edward & Bella from the Twilight series. If there is a 12 step program....I don't want to know about it. I am happy in my addiction.

5 Years...

I woke up to notes all over the house and a beautiful love letter yesterday for our anniversary. I am a very lucky girl!

all you need is love....

Yesterday was a really good day for me....I know it was a long day for Michael but I know he did enjoy our time together. I wrote a few weeks ago that we were going to try to get out of town well obviously that didn't happen. And really I am not upset about it at all because the only thing that mattered is that I had time with Him yesterday and I did! When you own your own business, business comes first because well we have to pay bills. And this week business got swamped...Michael was really burning the candle at both ends. I am surprised his cold got any better this week with all the running around he had to do. But it is a little better. Anyway, he had to go out of town again for a little bit yesterday to return the things we picked up the other day. I stayed home and made him a surprise...I made him maple fudge that he fell in love with at Christmas. It turned out much better -- didn't crumble like it did last time.

Yesterday we were so mushy lovey dovey all day. I am sure everyone would have been sick by watching us be all googly eyed.

Today it is cold and snowing...which is probably why I woke up with a migraine because of the weather change. But because it is cold it means warm comfort food -- so a pot roast with bunches root veggies for dinner. The roast is pretty big so I am going to cut it in half and put half in the crock with some stock and onions and garlic to freeze and use later in sandwiches or soup/stew. I didn't make the red velvet cake yesterday because we were out of eggs! But we picked up some last night after dinner so I might make that tomorrow too.

Yes!

One of my favorite blogs wrote an incredibly beautiful post about the word yes several years ago. Before that post I had always liked the word yes for many of the reasons she stated but when I read what she wrote -- of course I paid attention to yes much more. This blogger was a school teacher and when grading papers if someone really wrote something that got to her as a human not just a teacher she wrote yes with an underline. Life has those moments you know...those moments when your soul shouts yes!

5 years ago I said yes in that way. I remember it so clearly. I feel the intensity of the moment. Michael and I locking eyes at the airport. It was a yes moment....Yes this is it. Ye he is the one. Yes this is right for the first time in my life. Yes...yes...yes!

This last 5 years has been so many moments of yes.

Yes to those moments of snuggled on the couch watching a movie and laughing at the same time or even being touched by the same line.

Yes to him helping and supporting me in so many dreams. And him allowing me to do the same for him.

Yes to the day trips that create wonderful laughter, conversation and just a sharing that I cherish.

Yes to the kisses, hugs and dancing for no reason but to touch each other.

Yes to the feeling so alive when we look at each other.

Yes to the faith in each other that is always steadfast.

Yes to the hard times for allowing us to see how far our relationship can go - together.

Yes to the creativity that we energize in each other.

Yes to our passion for this path we are on.

I could go on and on with yes moments. I am just very thankful for each and everyone of them. I am very thankful I have someone in my life that helps me create and see YES! Thank you Michael for the last 5 years....thank you for capturing my heart....I love you!

Happy Anniversary!

Today Darby and I celebrate our 5th year together. We were supposed to be out of town tonight, perhaps nestled away in our favorite locale in Santa Fe, or curled up in the snowy winterland of Ouray, Colorado. Unfortunately - as well intentioned we were, the fate of the cards were not in our favor this year. The business decided it was going to kick into over drive this week and we haven't had a chance to breathe much less recover from our already long-drawn-out colds.

But today February 1st - is a very special day for us. It marks the 5th year we've been together and still count every blessing I have that she's been apart of my life these 5 years.

Back in 2003, Darby flew out to see me and we met for the first time after having spent a few months online chit-chatting and doing the long distance phone thing. I knew from the moment I saw her at the baggage claim of Denver International Airport that something special was going on here. So ever since that first time we saw each other, we've been "celebrating" the first of every month since that day in February 2003.

We've had our rough spots, we've overcome a lot of adversity, and we believe in one another. I love her ever so dearly and I'm incredibly grateful that she puts up with me enough to where she wants to stay. We love and care about each other's family -- and thankfully our folks finally got the opportunity to meet this past October. And I don't know what I'd do without her.

I love you honey! Happy Anniversary!
Love Always,
-Michael