Thankful

Today I would like to quit complaining and talk about what I am Thankful for this Thanksgiving.  I lead a pretty blessed life, so here goes:

• My husband.  He drives me crazy, pisses me off and makes me laugh more than anyone in my life.  And he makes me strive to be a better person.
• My family.  They're all crazy interesting, nosy caring, and always there to listen.  
• My Grandmama.  She's my favorite person on this earth, she cracks me up more than anyone else, and she's reached an age where she says what she wants and I wouldn't want her any other way!
• My friends.  I've got some of the greatest people in my life, we support each other through things we might not even agree with and we hold our tongues when we're right, apologize when we're wrong, and have a lot of laughs along the way!
• My dogs.  Seriously, everyone who meets them loves them, I got lucky.  They are my cuddly babies, and I cannot wait to give them more huggles and snuggles at Christmas!
• My ability to get up in the mornings and do pushups even through the muscle soreness.  
• That I haven't killed anyone yet.  I mean, seriously, this time of year at the commissary makes me wonder if MD has a death penalty or not.  I understand it's a busy time of year, but people need to learn some basic manners!
• That it's a Tuesday morning, I'm still in pj's curled up in bed, listening to the rain and planning for everything we have going on this week.  It's relaxing and just what G ordered!

Gah!  I know I haven't posted in forever and a day!  I have been exhausted to my very core, pushing myself to staying up over 24 hours in an attempt to get back on a normal schedule.  And it worked.  The night before last I was up over 24 hours, nearly fell asleep at the Indian restaurant during dinner, came home and crashed at about 8.  Then yesterday I woke up, feeling refreshed, and I drove G to work!!!  I know I seem a little too excited for something so simple, but I haven't driven in over a month.  G is the driver in our house (although he sucks at it) and I didn't even know how to get to his work.  But he was getting off a little early, we had to take the car to get looked at for the insurance appraisal, and so I went to Panera, drank copious amounts of coffee and read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and then continued on to Prince Caspian.  Then I headed over to Target and Tuesday Morning where for $2 I found a little kids book version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and picked that up since G is obsessed with the idea of making sure our future kids are read these.  And yes, he was thrilled.  
                                                                                                                I have a couple other posts set up, just need to add pics.  I'm having a sad week right now with it being Thanksgiving and all, and wishing we were home for the holidays.  But G did find out yesterday that our Christmas leave has been approved so he just needs to decide what dates he wants to use and then we'll mark our calendars in a countdown!  How many days until we get our dogs  see our family?  Priorities people!

Only Today

I had a post all ready to go about this weekend.  It was angsty, because well, it was a mess.  But G and I decided this weekend after a very long talk that our new mantra is Only Today.  As in, what if you have only today to make sure your spouse knows they are everything to you?  What would you say?  What would you do?  What would you let slide that normally would annoy you?  


Today I stayed up all night finishing the care packages I was sending out.  G is going to mail them this afternoon after class.  So I was up and decided, hey, the poor guy is asleep on the couch because he didn't want to go to bed without you, and so you need to get it together. So instead of watching The Biggest Loser (oh my god!) I put together a lunch for him, then cut a note and envelope out of brown paper, sealed it and left a message to not open until he was at work.  I then placed said envelope where he would see it above the alarm panel as he armed it on his way out.  After that I boiled water for tea, and made scrambled eggs, Heinz beans and toast for breakfast.  That left plenty of time to lie in bed and just relax with him before he had to go to work.  And he appreciated it, letting me know how nice it was, since usually I am still groggy (if not full on asleep) when he leaves in the a.m.   


The last 2 1/2 years of our marriage are in the past.  Done.  Over.  We cannot go back and fix them, and with so many wonderful things in the future, who the hell would want to waste the time?  There is no guarantee of tomorrow.  The way the pick-up drivers around here drive (we have gotten pushed into another lane more than once because they chose to pretend they couldn't see our black vehicle in broad daylight) one could slam into us and that would be it.  We only have today.  Moments to make count.  And yes it sounds cheesy like a damn Hallmark card and yet it's a cliche because it's true.  Because every day I deal with my own mortality and we both needed to see our marriage in that light.  


We've got huge plans for the next 5 years.  Plans that we made with the other in mind.  Plans that are dreams we are making reality.  But if those 5, 10, 16 years never come?  I want to make sure G knows that he means the world to me.  That I believe he can change because he wants to and that he is worth me changing.  We each are lucky we found someone who loves the best and worst of us.  And we need to say it.  Not tomorrow, not next week, today.


If you only had today, who would you let know you loved them?  That you appreciated having them in your life?  What the hell are you waiting for?

Ribbon Necklace

I loved this thing so much that I wore it today!  Simple red ribbon with a cute white stitching that came off of a Godiva box I think.  I disassembled an old necklace I had from when I was a teen, and re-used the pearly glass beads.  The white part of the ribbon did make it easy to space them out, but it doesn't have to be perfect even if you use satin or grosgrain!

The original necklace

Marking spaces

Starting off

Finished!

I used the old clasp on this one and tada!

Lately

It feels like it's been forever since I posted anything really.  I'm a bad blogger, but have been distracted by shiny things.  Oh, and someone backed straight into our car on Saturday and nearly punctured the door.  It's got a nice square indention.  Lovely!

We've also been baking up a storm.  I am trying to get my care packages out for tomorrow, so tonight I am finishing them up!  I hope the lovely ladies enjoy them!

Tonight I am making some scones.  Please keep your fingers crossed since I've yet to find a recipe that reminded me of the ones we ate in England.  I also made some mock Devonshire clotted cream to go with at G's request!

And also on tonight's menu is chili for tomorrow!  We like to make it a day ahead for 2 very important reasons: one, it flavors better as it "ages" and two, we skim as much fat as possible off, but leaving it in the refrigerator overnight allows the rest to rise to the top and solidify, therefore making it healthier!

And finally, I've been creative quite a bit lately, and will have project upon project to show as we get closer to Christmas!  But the first couple were for me because I couldn't sleep after having been sick and slept in so late.  I took a strand of the cheap pearl beading you usually see involved in wrapping (it comes on rolls) and twisted and braided to make a long necklace.  I also made one with some glass beads and ribbon, but that will be the next post as there are several pics to show steps!  

Pics from this weekend will be up by Monday.  Currently I have the lovely flu.  I suppose I'm lucky, it's the first time I've had it in about a decade.  That being said, apparently that earned me every symptom possible, including body aches, weakness, and getting winded walking up the stairs.  Thank God I married a man who will wake up at 3:30 a.m. to go get me juice (vitamin C) and tylenol.  He's pretty much my hero.  "Time to take your medicine" says nurse Garret.  :)

Glove Love

This summer I bought some vintage leather gloves in a beautiful navy blue with some stitching and buttons on the bottom.  But they didn't really work for the summertime.  So i packed them in my suitcase, showed them to my Grandmama this summer while we were home and then promptly forgot about them.  Not completely, just in the sense that I couldn't wear them so I didn't give them much thought.  Well, it's been freezing cold here so they came out yesterday!  
                                                                                                             Garret loves when I dress like a lady.  Dresses, skirts, gloves and heels.  Even the occasional hat.  This isn't to say that he doesn't like me in jeans (he does very much so!) but he lights up when I come out dressed more carefully.  So yesterday I put a simple outfit together of jeans, a tank with cardigan belted with my pale blue obi belt and my navy blue print shoes. Then I added my new large sunglasses and the gloves and he suddenly was a supreme gentleman, helping me out of the car and holding an umbrella as he did so to prevent me getting soaked.                  
                                                                                                               So when he wanted to take some pics, I of course agreed.  Simple, nothing special.  Just me, my gloves and sunglasses.  

So Excited!!!

For those of you who know us well, this will come as no surprise, but for my lovely readers (and family) who I don't catch up with often enough, I must admit full on that I have a dis-combobulated husband.  I say this because I know that he has a hard time putting a plan in his head into action, hence he thinks he's done more than he has.  I'm talking about dates.  G and I have been together for 3 1/2 years now, and in that entire time he's planned 3 dates.  Count them: one in Soho at La Travaille over Christmas vacation when we were engaged, and two at Strada this past spring (and yes, we are both well aware that makes those 2 dates 2.5 years apart) and three when he planned the museum outing here in Baltimore last month.  


G's main problem is that he doesn't know what the hell he's doing.  I mean, let's be frank, I am the great love of his life, he's pined for me so long he didn't even pay attention to other women who were interested in him (although at the time I highly encouraged him to talk to them), and I'm the only woman he's really ever been in a relationship with.  Oh, and ours started when we were 22.  He's a late bloomer (or mild obsessive, since he's loved be since we were teens).  And he has no idea how to plan a date.  I tell him, keep it simple.  I am a simple type of girl.  Food is always good, but other than that, who cares?  


So my lively (typo, but I left it because I like it) readers guess what is happening tonight?  (don't pay attention that it was supposed to happen Wednesday, I gave him more time to breathe)  G is making me dinner (I helped prep things last night as his sous chef, sauteeing onions and peppers).  And yes, because I've helped with the cooking I know what we're having.  But G also has typed up a menu that has a quote, and although he really wanted to show me he is making that bit a surprise.  And then the rest of the night he's planned something here in the house, so we'll see.  He's been keeping a notebook squirreled away that has it written down, but I haven't gotten my hands on it.  (I do know he's planning a trip to the martini bar soon for me!)


Tomorrow I will post pics of the amazing food, and along with the share-able other activities.  Right now I'm like a kid at Christmas!  

On Choosing Family

I have recently written about how much I love my family, but failed to mention that you can also choose to make people a part of your family.  I come from a rather large family, both immediate and in-laws, and also aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  Family get-togethers can look like a convention of sorts when everyone is there.  So the idea of choosing more people as part of my family is a wee bit nuts.  But I have my in-laws because I chose one very important person to be my family: G.  

                                                                                                                               Garret is my family.  He has been for far longer than I've been in love with him, because he was there through the up and downs.  He waited it out in the trenches for me.  We had a big blow up when we were younger that involved saying some not so nice things to one another and I thought we were done as friends, but damn is he persistent.  :)

I have a close friend JoLee who I never see enough of when I'm home.  We've been friends since we were I think 14, so 11 years now.  She is the most unique, quirky, big hearted person I know and I am trying desperately to convince her to move out here so I can see her more often.  She works at a children's hospital, worked in non-profit before, and constantly is thinking about how to help the world out.  G and I got the chance to hang out with her this summer (she's one of the people I went to the fashion show with), and she is one of my absolute favorite people back home.

And then there is my best friend Theresa.  She rocks more than I can ever say.  We're so different and yet so alike.  It's a weird paradox.  As with all friends you've had for a while (we met freshmen year of college, she and her roommate lived next door....so that makes us friends for 7 years!) we've had some crazy fights.  At one point I "borrowed" something she's had since she was a baby and hid it from her, only giving it back after we had worked things out.  We've always been the one to tell it like it is to one another, whether it's "you really need to get over so and so because girl he's never going to be anything but a jackass" or "you need to wake up and realize you're more amazing than you give yourself credit for."  I miss her like crazy, and will be making some definite plans for when we're home at Christmas time!

I think it's important to remind yourself that you make your own family.  You choose the people you allow into your life, and you can also choose when to say goodbye to others.  I've been super lucky in the fact that I have been blessed with some over the top fantastic people.  Sometimes I forget to tell them, so I'm writing it down here.  

Family

I don't talk about my family much on here, because oftentimes I'm irritated with one member or another, and also I think they deserve a bit of privacy.  G has to okay any post I do that involves something foolish he says or when I'm upset.  It's a rule I put on myself, so that I respect the boundaries of our relationship.  But I would like to take a minute to talk about my family.  

My parents have been married over 27 years.  Sometimes they have huge blow ups, and life has been a lot harder than it has been easy.  But they are each other's best friends and love each other so much.  My mother and I are a lot alike, and never fails to remind me I essentially married my father.  Because G and my Dad are a lot alike (especially the irritating traits, isn't that always the way?).  

I am one of 4 kids, the oldest, with 3 younger brothers.  The oldest is a father, and that's the best damn thing he's ever done.  We fight like cats and dogs, but in the end he values my opinion a lot, and I love him to pieces.  The middle brother is so much like me at times it's not even funny.  We made up our own little group called "The Beautiful People" and G is a member because he married me.  We're slightly snarky when we're together, he has that 18 year old attitude that drives me nuts, but I am so proud of who he is.  My youngest brother is my baby.  I would literally murder someone if they hurt him, and I don't believe in killing.  He is one of the most intelligent people I know, and I loved being home this summer because he enjoyed having me and G around.  As so often happens, he's the youngest, slightly annoying (he's at that teenage age), and he doesn't feel like he's listened to a lot, so G and I did a lot of just hanging out with him this summer.  

My family is really close.  We're loud, boisterous, and argue more than we should.  But we are very, very tight knit.  We go to bat for one another, we fight for one another, and it doesn't even matter if we don't agree with a decision, we try and be supportive.  And I am missing my family like crazy right now.  My mom goes through "Kalee-withdrawels" and wishes I was there to hug a lot.  My dad is not perfect, but he's one of the best men I know, and he has the perfect lap.  My eldest brother is a moron (if anyone outside our family called him that I'd smack them), but I can see the possibilities with his life, and I miss having more chats with him.  My middle brother cannot keep a secret for the life of him, so if I want to know something about anything going on, he's the one that I ask.  And my baby brother is by far the best person I know (sorry G).  His kind nature makes me so excited to see the type of man he turns into.  

So that's my night in a nutshell.  I've been lost in thought a lot.  I haven't been home for Christmas in 3 years, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be this year.  But I'm wishing I was there for Thanksgiving.  I miss that family time.  I miss my mom's cooking (we're skipping turkey this year---it's been too ridiculous cooking that huge meal for the 2 of us).  I miss playing baseball or football outside with my brothers and dad.  I miss going around the table and saying what we're thankful for.  I got lucky.  God gave me a family that at times drives me batty and makes me want to stop speaking to them, but then I'll get a call from them, just to say hello, to check in.  I'll get a goofy Halloween card from my mom (thank God she finally quit sending those obnoxious sounding ones that talk at you).  And I'll miss them once again.