A new favorite poem

Yes

It could happen any time,
tornado, earthquake, Armageddon.
It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could you know. That's why
we wake and look out—
no guarantees in this life.
But some bonuses,
like morning, like noon, like evening.
Like right now.


William Stafford

Mother knows best

I like to give credit where credit is due. For about a year now, my mom has been eating oatmeal for breakfast. Well, I have to go back even further than that. My auntie Martha, the best aunt a girl could want, started eating oatmeal with berries a few years ago. As far as I can recall, not one of us was particularly interested in following this trend.

Then, about a year ago, my mom started eating it. (And I don't even know whether Martha still does. I'll have to check on that...) Mom ate it and talked about it. And told us how delicious it was. And told us how healthy it was. And somehow, we were magically resistant to the oats. It just didn't sound delicious or worth the calories to me.

My mom and sister visited this weekend--a great time. And of course, my mom brought little baggies of oatmeal and ate it for breakfast everyday while my sister and I stuck to our usual routines: a protein shake for me and nothing for her. (Naughty girl! You need to eat breckies!!) And my mom continued to extol the amazing properties of oatmeal and we managaed to continue to not partake.

Until last night. It was chilly and damp out. I had a headache. I was pretty down from my day at work. And the giant silo of Quaker Oats sitting on my lazy susan in my cabinet caught my eye. (Yes, I have a lazy susan! I love it! It's packed with goodies.) And with the words "oatmeal absorbs the fat from your body" echoing in my head, I gave it a whirl.

What a wonderful whirl. It was oatmeal-tastic. I found a great little recipe online (and bless the iPhone for the Edge, as the internet isn't hooked up in the apartment and I'm starting to get a little batty but that's another story...) and I cooked up the oatmeal in about 3 minutes. Then I added raw pine nuts and dried red currants. It was really yummy.

I had it again for breakfast this morning. And I'm still full.

Mom was right. I love you!

(And while I wish that I had been able to create a lovely spread like the picture above, we still don't have much real furniture, so I ate my oatmeal in the only chair in the living room and was quite content.)

On happiness

Post move, I am full of bliss. My walk home from work is punctuated with birds twittering and the sun shining. And the last few days, after I've gotten home, I've been tackling the apt. Room by room, cabinet by cabinet, cleaning and organizing and generally falling in love.

Nearly all the boxes are down. Furniture has been ordered. Flowers are in vases. Groceries have been purchased. Candles have been burned. Kisses have been given. Justin and I are very happy.

This is how I feel now that the move is done:

Since last we spoke, I:

Went to New Orleans. I love that city. It's so interesting and mysterious and exciting. Had so much with my family. Watched the rain on the city scape. Helped my dad recover from a terrible ailment. Cleaned, scrubbed and sparkle-fied Jessica's new adorable apartment. Met her friends and friends' families. Loved them. Had a birthday party for my Daddio. Had a bridal shower for moi!!! Thanks, everyone! Ate a fried oyster and a muffaletta and more than one beignet. Delicious and scrumptious. Watched my sister graduate from college. Was so proud of her I could have burst with happiness. Flew home at an unhappy early hour. Packed. Cried. Packed. Was distracted from crying by Justin's pep talk. He's very cute. Watched part of Indiana Jone and the Last Crusade. Never seen it before and I'm loving it. Woke up this morning, moved myself, moved Justin, ate a sandwich and therefore christened the new apartment and now am at work. I'm tired! Pictures of New Orleans to come. I want to go back!!!

I'm leaving on a jet plane

Tomorrow I will heading south of the Mason-Dixon line into armadillo country. New Orleans, here I come! My fabulous sister is graduating on Saturday. With a double major. In neurobiology and art history. She is seriously amazing and the coolest girl I know. Maybe I've mentioned this before...? She'll be staying in NOLA for another year for a master's program at Tulane. In neurobiology. Yes, seriously. And then after that she will be going to medical school. And then after that she'll be a doctor. Like I said, she's top notch. I'm really hoping to visit her next year. Maybe a birthday gift? Hint hint!!

While I'm there, my family is throwing me a bridal shower, which will be so fun and special. We will also be celebrating my dad's 25th birthday, and of course, Jessica's graduation, with various and sundry brunches, lunches, dinners and late night snacks. I can't wait!

Congratulations, Jessica!!!

Have fun studying this for another year (and then hopefully many more after that!!) You're so awesome! XOXOXO

What a way to go

Packing to move. To move to our new apartment. I'm so excited. So excited that packing up doesn't seem as bad as it's been before, which is lucky for me considering I'm packing my place and Justin's. Sometimes though, I do start to feel a bit Cask-of-Amontillado about the whole thing. The wall of boxes is slightly imposing. (And I do feel sorry for the people who are coming to look at the sublet I am so joyfully vacating - with the heat, the lack of cell service and the no-window issue, the last thing they need is fear of immurement added to the apartment experience.) So I leave for New Orleans on Thursday, return Sunday, and move early the next morning. Which sort of means that in New York time, I'm moving 3 days.

Mother dear, I love you so

Happy Mother's Day!
(I do most of my posting from "work" and so this most special mother's day post is coming on Monday, and a day late, but most def. not short on any love for my mama.)

My mom is so awesome.

In an homage to her, here are just of few of the things she has taught me through the years:

Say please and thank you. And include the person's name. "Thank you, Mrs. Fisher."

Please be thorough. Whether it's dusting, wiping off the table after dinner, washing the sink after doing the dishes, your homework, or your church calling, do it and do it right. All the way.

Take an interest and be kind to everyone around you. Everyone deserves to be treated with the very best we have to offer.

Wear pearls.

Mommy and Daddy both work hard. Daddy works really hard at his office and Mommy works really hard at home. Both deserve thanks and appreciation.

Having nice handwriting is fun.

Have big dreams and don't be afraid to take chances. When you know you are loved and supported, you have the confidence to try lots of things. And even as you learn and grow and evolve and change, you're always YOU. You'll always be you.

Pink is clearly the most amazing color.

Being patriotic is important.

The Olympics (especially gymnastics and ice skating) are the best television.

Pride & Prejudice is the best movie ever.

And my mom's recipe for chocolate chip cookies is the best ever. The best in the world. So thanks for that too!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you so much! And I always will.

A Birthday Gift for You

So, today we must stop and remember, nay, celebrate, the glorious 25th birthday of my Dad.

He is so awesome I don't even know where to start. All I can say is that my Dad is brilliant.

And is funny and smart and teaches me things and loves me.

So, what to get someone so wonderful? Well, let's see.

I start with the ball on the tee.

Next, we have the backswing, perfected from many dedicated hours on the driving range,
completed with the most excellent form ever seen on the follow-through.
The ball will then soar to the exact mark you've envisioned, because your keen sense of direction has proven, once again to be accurate,
Finishing up the gift with:

Happy Birthday Dad. I can't wait for the next 25. I love love love you!!!

Beijing or bust!

99 days to go until the 2008 Summer Olympics! Oh-me-oh-my I'm so freaking excited.

Two whole weeks of the most awesomely patriotic and exciting events. Soaring anthems, adrenaline, and the most excellent commentary by Bob Costas, Al Troutwig, Tim Dagget and Elfie Schlaegel.

And while I do love all the athelets and all the events, I will admit my favorite is the women's gymnastics. These girls are so amazing and I really hope they end up on top of the podium many, many times.

Good Luck!

(I hope Justin knows I plan to commander the flat-screen during this time. It's like my version of the football play-offs. Do you think they make gymnastics fat-heads???)

dot dot dot

So, something is happening right now that I don't like. A group of people is doing something that I believe to be WRONG. And there is nothing I can do or say about it that can or will make any difference. And I'm angry. I'm angry because what is happening and the way it is happening is MEAN and UNKIND and UNFAIR and WRONG.

And since I can't DO anything and believe me I've said my piece on the subject--several times, just never to anyone involved (but thank you to everyone else who has so patiently listened) I've developed a bad case of angry apathy. These people have completely and totally unimpressed me. Lost my respect. If only my respect and good opinion mattered to any of them. And they have continued, through this process, to underwhelm and undercharm and generally under-succeed at life, and our jobs.

What a bunch of drips.

Angry apathy, for those unfamiliar with the afflication, is an oxymoron. I am fully aware of that. Maybe the fact that I'm still angry means that I haven't fully reached apathy. I don't care. It's being so angry you could spit nails and venom and then the next moment pick up a ringing telephone, only to find the exact person you're currently loathing on the other end, and you then sneer and yawn at their entire existance and just be so over them that you can't even be bothered to finish and puntuate the sentence...

...instead, all they get is dot dot dot whatever you want dot dot dot you don't even know what you've started do you dot dot dot and you'll clearly never understand that sometimes in life you are expected to do the right thing and you have failed completely dot dot dot

whatever

I know this post is not uplifting. I know you all may be wondering why I'm so angry (or not....) heh.

I just needed to get this off my chest

So for anyone who has taken the time to listen to me and impart advice and love over the last few weeks, thank you so much. I love love love you!

And that is a heart-felt EXCLAMATION POINT!

Did their mothers teach them nothing?

I am really frustrated by our media's current obsession with tearing people down. They truly seem to delight in spreading malicious rumors, taking the worst possible pictures, pitting people against one another.

This story about Hillary Clinton is just one example. I'm not even a big Hillary fan but the ugliness of this really struck me.

What on earth do people gain from being so mean? Why do people act this way? And most unfortunately, I do not think this behavior is limited to the media. I think a lot of people, day to day, don't really take into consideration the others around them. I think a lot of people are self-interested and don't concern themselves with the collatoral damage that gets done in their pursuit of their needs/wants/goals/whatever they think is more important than the next person's needs/wants/goals. Who told them that the next person doesn't matter, and is only a gnat to be swatted away?

I am in the middle of one such situation, and have been absolutely appalled by a group of people's absolute disregard for another person's best interest, let alone their feelings. When did people stop living the Golden Rule?

I do believe in the good in people--the deli man who remembers me and makes my morning by stepping outside to say hello to me. My doorman, who without fail, answers "Never been better!" to my nightly "Hi Harris, how are you today?" The workers at the gym who learned my name and say hi everytime I walk in.

I hope those people know how much I appreciate their kindnesses.

Grab some salsa, chimichangas, quesadillas and come on over!

We have a home!

After searching high and low, up and down, 'round the corner and back again, Justin and I have found our new home! We signed the papers this week and are so excited! It is simply beautiful.

Please, step through the front door and hang up your coat in the closet....

During chilly months and holidays, you can warm yourself by the wood-burning fireplace and snuggle in to watch a good movie with us...

Hungry? Let's whip up some precious little delights in the kitchen and then put the dishes in the dishwasher...ah modern appliances!!

Then we can walk through the hallway into our bedroom...(passing two more closets)...

And marvel that the bedroom is larger than the living room.

Home Sweet Home.

As Charlotte says to Lizzy in Pride & Prejudice, "It is such a pleasure to run my own home."

I can't wait! I move in mid-May and Justin will join me after the wedding!

I think we'll be exceedingly happy.

We can't wait for you to come visit us!