that I have been missing...and that I hope gets here in time...
I know there are lots of good holiday movies out there--phrases like "you'll shoot your eye out" and "melikaliki laka is hawaii's way to say merry christmas today" come to mind. or the wahwahs of charlie brown...
but my favorite one of all is a musical. with a pig. and an old mean man who pinches pennies and wears a top hat. oh yeah--and a frog. Kermit THE frog, that is.
I couldn't find my copy this year and we didn't get to watch it last year. I miss A Muppet Christmas Carol. But mister delivery man is supposed to bring it tomorrow, and I hope he does. My niece-to-be is excited to see it too :)
Have a Merry Christmas everybody!
-post from my iphone!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
mmmmmm chili.
now, let's get this straight: I'm not actually a big fan of chili. I have NEVER made it on my own. I don't really purchase it when I'm at the grocery store. I don't love most beans, and I must slather my chili with cracker bits and cheese to truly enjoy it.
except.
except on Christmas Eve. For as long as I can remember, if I was celebrating with my mom's side of the family, on Christmas Eve we ate chili. We always had our big to-do Christmas Eve--Christmas Day was stockings and the big meal, but Christmas Eve was a time for church, then chili, then sitting in my Grandparent's gigantic living area (which was really both a formal living area and a casual one, one opposite sides of the room) and opening presents. We'd take turns, the kids would sit on the huge tan floor-pillows they had, I'd usually play some Christmas songs on their piano and we'd spend time together.
and my Granny usually sent the kids on a scavenger hunt for something. sometimes on Christmas Day, sometimes on the eve. I can recall clues leading me to my sewing machine and a magenta footlocker/trunk (that I eventually collaged and took to girl scout camp and got rid of last summer), and I know that all sorts of treasures awaited at the end of that trail. It makes me smile thinking of them. :)
but anyway, back to the chili.
so, I've always thought it was a little weird that we had chili on Christmas. I knew exactly NO ONE who had chili on Christmas Eve. Goodsearch tells me that it's a thing people do, so it's not totally whack. But this year I learned how that chili tradition came about. Before I tell you though...let me tell you a little aside.
The chili thing is so a part of our tradition that, for instance, when I have celebrated Christmas at other's homes, I find myself craving chili. I was told that when my Aunt celebrated Christmas with her first husband's family for the first time, she actually brought a can of chili, heated it up and ate it at the dinner table because she missed her family so much. Apparently they thought she was a leeeetle off. But it makes complete sense to me.
So, this year, in telling her stories my Granny shared with Matt and me the tale of why we eat chili on Christmas Eve. As it turns out, this is a tradition that started with my grandparents. It didn't begin long ago and it doesn't have anything to do with the depression, or with my granddaddy's eating habits, or anything like that. Nope, it's time.
As the story goes, one Christmas Eve my Granddad called my Granny, who was working at a department store in Chicago (Marshall Fields, I believe) and said that he had invited some folks from his company over to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. My Granny was only getting home a little bit before the guests were to arrive, and she'd seen a recipe for Texas Jail Chili in the paper, and figured that was the only thing she could cook in time.
So she went by the grocery store, and well, fifty plus years later, here I am, knowing I'll want some chili on Christmas Eve. :)
I do not have the real recipe--I guess it's kind of one of the kinds where there are many variations. But I imagine it's something like this, except that she made it in a big pot.
ps: thanks Maria for having the Holiday Traditions contest!
except.
except on Christmas Eve. For as long as I can remember, if I was celebrating with my mom's side of the family, on Christmas Eve we ate chili. We always had our big to-do Christmas Eve--Christmas Day was stockings and the big meal, but Christmas Eve was a time for church, then chili, then sitting in my Grandparent's gigantic living area (which was really both a formal living area and a casual one, one opposite sides of the room) and opening presents. We'd take turns, the kids would sit on the huge tan floor-pillows they had, I'd usually play some Christmas songs on their piano and we'd spend time together.
and my Granny usually sent the kids on a scavenger hunt for something. sometimes on Christmas Day, sometimes on the eve. I can recall clues leading me to my sewing machine and a magenta footlocker/trunk (that I eventually collaged and took to girl scout camp and got rid of last summer), and I know that all sorts of treasures awaited at the end of that trail. It makes me smile thinking of them. :)
but anyway, back to the chili.
so, I've always thought it was a little weird that we had chili on Christmas. I knew exactly NO ONE who had chili on Christmas Eve. Goodsearch tells me that it's a thing people do, so it's not totally whack. But this year I learned how that chili tradition came about. Before I tell you though...let me tell you a little aside.
The chili thing is so a part of our tradition that, for instance, when I have celebrated Christmas at other's homes, I find myself craving chili. I was told that when my Aunt celebrated Christmas with her first husband's family for the first time, she actually brought a can of chili, heated it up and ate it at the dinner table because she missed her family so much. Apparently they thought she was a leeeetle off. But it makes complete sense to me.
So, this year, in telling her stories my Granny shared with Matt and me the tale of why we eat chili on Christmas Eve. As it turns out, this is a tradition that started with my grandparents. It didn't begin long ago and it doesn't have anything to do with the depression, or with my granddaddy's eating habits, or anything like that. Nope, it's time.
As the story goes, one Christmas Eve my Granddad called my Granny, who was working at a department store in Chicago (Marshall Fields, I believe) and said that he had invited some folks from his company over to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. My Granny was only getting home a little bit before the guests were to arrive, and she'd seen a recipe for Texas Jail Chili in the paper, and figured that was the only thing she could cook in time.
So she went by the grocery store, and well, fifty plus years later, here I am, knowing I'll want some chili on Christmas Eve. :)
I do not have the real recipe--I guess it's kind of one of the kinds where there are many variations. But I imagine it's something like this, except that she made it in a big pot.
ps: thanks Maria for having the Holiday Traditions contest!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
I think I'm being totally unproductive
and I'm okay with that.
last night I meant to clean up the guest room so people can stay there on friday and saturday night. (don't fret, renee, it has not returned to its previous chaotic state, I am just organizing and there's laundry in there!) admittedly, I did do a little of that, but I also did a LOT of tv watching. :)
I have also been meaning to finish a task at work, but, uh, the deadline isn't until thursday so I just don't feel so motivated.
and, I totally meant to start typing up things on ye olde wedding blog, but I haven't gotten to that yet. I did, however, select and purchase a template. and while I was at it, I got a new one here too. you like?
last night I meant to clean up the guest room so people can stay there on friday and saturday night. (don't fret, renee, it has not returned to its previous chaotic state, I am just organizing and there's laundry in there!) admittedly, I did do a little of that, but I also did a LOT of tv watching. :)
I have also been meaning to finish a task at work, but, uh, the deadline isn't until thursday so I just don't feel so motivated.
and, I totally meant to start typing up things on ye olde wedding blog, but I haven't gotten to that yet. I did, however, select and purchase a template. and while I was at it, I got a new one here too. you like?
Monday, December 14, 2009
"it's the best time of the year..."
this past weekend I went to oklahoma. there is LOTS to tell about that--and I'll get to that soon--but I learned that my family has more traditions than I really realized. we celebrated Christmas early this weekend, y'see, so it's fresh in my mind and since maria is having a contest that encourages you to share just that--well, here I go...
I'll start with my very favorite of all. When I was a little girl my mom bought some "Twelve Days of Christmas" ornaments. Usually on Christmas Eve, or now whenever I am in town, we sing. We sing the WHOLE song. We make up the words, hang up the ornaments and away we go.
here's the 2006 list
and in 2008 there was no singing, as there was no tree up.
and this year, we didn't sing either, but we talked about singing and laughed about years past. and that was a'plenty for me :)
My family is SILLY. As Matt and I discussed yesterday, each of the members in my family has a STRONG personality and "takes up a lot of space in a room" so to speak. So sometimes it gets pretty ridiculous. If Anna had been there we definitely would've sung--it's just not the same without everyone there...
Anyway--this? This is absolutely going to be a tradition in Matt and my house when we have a family. We will sing, and we will hang the ornaments, and we will laugh together. And I must say, I'm really looking forward to that some day!
I'll start with my very favorite of all. When I was a little girl my mom bought some "Twelve Days of Christmas" ornaments. Usually on Christmas Eve, or now whenever I am in town, we sing. We sing the WHOLE song. We make up the words, hang up the ornaments and away we go.
here's the 2006 list
and in 2008 there was no singing, as there was no tree up.
and this year, we didn't sing either, but we talked about singing and laughed about years past. and that was a'plenty for me :)
My family is SILLY. As Matt and I discussed yesterday, each of the members in my family has a STRONG personality and "takes up a lot of space in a room" so to speak. So sometimes it gets pretty ridiculous. If Anna had been there we definitely would've sung--it's just not the same without everyone there...
Anyway--this? This is absolutely going to be a tradition in Matt and my house when we have a family. We will sing, and we will hang the ornaments, and we will laugh together. And I must say, I'm really looking forward to that some day!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
um, this always comes out wrong when I say it...
(sorry in advance!) but a couple of people have said this to me in person/email/on the blog, so... just fyi--in the field of engineering, a masters isn't a masters. not all masters are created equal. and not all masters will be worth something to potential future employers.
here's the thing: I have a bachelors in Chemical Engineering. In the engineering world, it is generally regarded as the most versatile and most difficult to obtain engineering degree. I'm not bragging--I'm stating the facts.
A while ago I hemmed and hawed about it, but I can't find the post. So:
I've already taken a kindagigantic step down in "potential worthiness of my degree" by not going for another Chemical Engineering degree. This isn't my opinion or my perception--this is also fact. Civil Engineering is great and all, but as someone explained to me, having a ChE BS and getting my Masters in Civil is kind of like buying a really expensive car and putting mediocre tires on it--yeah, it's good, and the car is still nice, but it could be so much better with top-of-the-line tires. But, it still gets you from point A to point B, so it's still useful. It could just be better.
Likewise, but to a greater extent--as I understand it, in the engineering world, getting a MA is soooooooo not the same thing as getting an MS. (I am NOT knocking your Masters or Bachelors if yours is of Arts and not of Science--I am telling you what things are in my field, okie dokie?) And that's the thing I was alluding to in the last post--I am just not sure if it's worth it to get a MA instead of MS. I do not know if my effort would be worth the reward. I need to find out more though.
I mean, I would definitely enjoy learning new information. But I also have to be practical--is it worth working hard (but less hard than I am now, hopefully!) to get my masters and enjoy it but have it not be worth very much? Do I plan on staying in a very "scientific" field? (I don't know.) Do I want to commit to even more years of school? (yes and no.) Do I need to learn more about all of this? (yes.)
anyway.
I guess I just have a lot to think about. But regardless, I REALLY appreciate all the comments and support and the questions too--it helps me digest the info :)
here's the thing: I have a bachelors in Chemical Engineering. In the engineering world, it is generally regarded as the most versatile and most difficult to obtain engineering degree. I'm not bragging--I'm stating the facts.
A while ago I hemmed and hawed about it, but I can't find the post. So:
I've already taken a kindagigantic step down in "potential worthiness of my degree" by not going for another Chemical Engineering degree. This isn't my opinion or my perception--this is also fact. Civil Engineering is great and all, but as someone explained to me, having a ChE BS and getting my Masters in Civil is kind of like buying a really expensive car and putting mediocre tires on it--yeah, it's good, and the car is still nice, but it could be so much better with top-of-the-line tires. But, it still gets you from point A to point B, so it's still useful. It could just be better.
Likewise, but to a greater extent--as I understand it, in the engineering world, getting a MA is soooooooo not the same thing as getting an MS. (I am NOT knocking your Masters or Bachelors if yours is of Arts and not of Science--I am telling you what things are in my field, okie dokie?) And that's the thing I was alluding to in the last post--I am just not sure if it's worth it to get a MA instead of MS. I do not know if my effort would be worth the reward. I need to find out more though.
I mean, I would definitely enjoy learning new information. But I also have to be practical--is it worth working hard (but less hard than I am now, hopefully!) to get my masters and enjoy it but have it not be worth very much? Do I plan on staying in a very "scientific" field? (I don't know.) Do I want to commit to even more years of school? (yes and no.) Do I need to learn more about all of this? (yes.)
anyway.
I guess I just have a lot to think about. But regardless, I REALLY appreciate all the comments and support and the questions too--it helps me digest the info :)
Monday, December 07, 2009
maybe I don't wanna be an engineer.
or more specifically, maybe I don't wanna do anymore complicated math.
let's get this straight. I looooooove math. I love it. I love all math. except for calc 1, 2, 3 and differential equations. numerical methods? love it. laplace transforms? okay, I love those too (even though they're calculus--but in my defense, they're like a puzzle!) I think geometry is great and algebra is kind of my favorite ever.
but engineering math? it kills me. it makes me cry. it is torture. I am BAD at it. integrals? derivatives? really complex equations? um, no thank you.
I learned this in college. I was a math whiz until my senior year in high school. And then I was introduced to Calculus and it ate me for lunch. I think my gpa would've been like .3 or .4 points higher if it hadn't been for calculus.
so. My brilliant fiance said to me yesterday "Carrie, I think if you could just learn information and not have to do the math, this whole online degree thing would be a breeze."
I think he's right.
I then recalled how much I hated math in college.
and then I remembered that if I keep going on this engineering masters I will have to do more math. a whole math class.
that gives me the heeby jeebies.
I was also thinking about courses I like and courses I don't like. I liked my Pollution Prevention, Air Pollution Control and Air Quality Engineering classes. Thermo gave me migraines, Material Science made me crazy and this Water class is taking away my will to live (it's just an expression, people, fret not).
So...analytical Carrie said "what do these classes have that these others do not?" And the answer is that they had a LOT more information and a LOT less calculation. I mean, yeah, I had homeworks for all three. Some involving calcs. But they weren't calculus and they weren't rocket science. I feel like this water class is rocket science. Material science just does not compute in my brain. And I can do online courses if they have books, or the notes are good, or they aren't explaining an excel worksheet and videoing the professor but not the board.
and really? really??? I should've thought about what happened to me in undergrad. I made it through and got my degree, but I worked my ASS off to get it. So maybe an actual engineering degree isn't for me. And maybe this is the wake-up call I needed.
maybe.
I have found some envir0nmental stud!es programs that look promising. All online, all info and not focused on math. It's a MA, not an MS, but I actually think I'm totally okay with that. I mean, I can take a class in sustainable development! " The interdisciplinary study of a conceptual framework for development that recognizes the interlocking nature of environmental, economic, and social conditions: degradation in any one of these areas weakens the sustainability of the others. " that sounds SO COOL to me.
will I do this? I have no idea.
but I'm at least going to look into it.
I mean, some of my classes will probably transfer. and it's about the same cost. and it is a real-life-school, not an "online only university."
so we'll see.
I'll let you know.
I also figure, I already have one engineering degree--do I really need two? Yeah, perhaps not :)
let's get this straight. I looooooove math. I love it. I love all math. except for calc 1, 2, 3 and differential equations. numerical methods? love it. laplace transforms? okay, I love those too (even though they're calculus--but in my defense, they're like a puzzle!) I think geometry is great and algebra is kind of my favorite ever.
but engineering math? it kills me. it makes me cry. it is torture. I am BAD at it. integrals? derivatives? really complex equations? um, no thank you.
I learned this in college. I was a math whiz until my senior year in high school. And then I was introduced to Calculus and it ate me for lunch. I think my gpa would've been like .3 or .4 points higher if it hadn't been for calculus.
so. My brilliant fiance said to me yesterday "Carrie, I think if you could just learn information and not have to do the math, this whole online degree thing would be a breeze."
I think he's right.
I then recalled how much I hated math in college.
and then I remembered that if I keep going on this engineering masters I will have to do more math. a whole math class.
that gives me the heeby jeebies.
I was also thinking about courses I like and courses I don't like. I liked my Pollution Prevention, Air Pollution Control and Air Quality Engineering classes. Thermo gave me migraines, Material Science made me crazy and this Water class is taking away my will to live (it's just an expression, people, fret not).
So...analytical Carrie said "what do these classes have that these others do not?" And the answer is that they had a LOT more information and a LOT less calculation. I mean, yeah, I had homeworks for all three. Some involving calcs. But they weren't calculus and they weren't rocket science. I feel like this water class is rocket science. Material science just does not compute in my brain. And I can do online courses if they have books, or the notes are good, or they aren't explaining an excel worksheet and videoing the professor but not the board.
and really? really??? I should've thought about what happened to me in undergrad. I made it through and got my degree, but I worked my ASS off to get it. So maybe an actual engineering degree isn't for me. And maybe this is the wake-up call I needed.
maybe.
I have found some envir0nmental stud!es programs that look promising. All online, all info and not focused on math. It's a MA, not an MS, but I actually think I'm totally okay with that. I mean, I can take a class in sustainable development! " The interdisciplinary study of a conceptual framework for development that recognizes the interlocking nature of environmental, economic, and social conditions: degradation in any one of these areas weakens the sustainability of the others. " that sounds SO COOL to me.
will I do this? I have no idea.
but I'm at least going to look into it.
I mean, some of my classes will probably transfer. and it's about the same cost. and it is a real-life-school, not an "online only university."
so we'll see.
I'll let you know.
I also figure, I already have one engineering degree--do I really need two? Yeah, perhaps not :)
Friday, December 04, 2009
I think that God speaks to me in my dreams.
I mean, this wouldn't be a new thing--lest you forget about Joseph. Not that I'm a Joseph. But still.
You see, I've never really felt like I was "talking" to God. Communicating? Absolutely. But never talking. I'm a church-goer and a Christian, but that's not where I see God. Or experience God. Not exactly, anyway. (I mean, I see God there too, but that's not where I get the best seats in the house for seeing God, so to speak) I see God in the sunshine and in the amazingness of our eyeballs and in the perfection of the flower. In the process and in nature. That is where I experience God, too. In the amazingly detailed beauty and functionality of life of all types.
Is that a little unconventional? Probably. Possibly. I don't know and I don't know that I care--because I've come to realize that's how it is for me. Call me crazy, call it a gift, call it what you will. It's reality.
Kind of like my dreams.
So, I am having a bit of a breakdown right now. I'm feeling very overwhelmed and very helpless. Don't get me wrong--most of my life is really, really good. Matt is amazing! We are getting married! I have a fantastic job (even though I'm working my ass off)! I am making a difference in the world! I am overwhelmed with the number of amazing people I have the honor of calling my friend! My photography business is fantastic and growing!
I own a nice house and have almost paid for my car. I have a roof over my head and food to eat and I am a fortunate, fortunate gal.
but.
this is going to sound over-dramatic, but I assure you it's not. I have my final next Thursday. Yesterday I really realized that this final is going to make or break the possibility of me getting a masters from NCState. I did TERRIBLY on the first test. (lots of people did.) I was doing okay on the homeworks until the last two--one of which the average was a 45%. he's curving it. I will still be given a "F" for that assignment. yes, you read that right. An F. Right now I am guessing that I have a solid C.
we get our test #2 back today. I looked at the solution posted yesterday, and I am not getting warm fuzzies about my performance.
so, anyway, my transcript at State already looks kind of crazy. I got a C in a material science class that I HATED. the one that convinced me it wasn't for me. So that's already a HUGE black mark even though that class wouldn't transfer in even if I'd made an A+ in it.
if I don't ace the final and get a B or higher (B- won't cut it) I am pretty sure that they won't let me in. and aceing the final isn't exactly feasible--obviously I don't know the material. there is not a book I can re-read. there aren't even good notes.
so. I kind of freaked out yesterday when the full impact of this situation hit me. I might've cried on and off for, um, hours. I realized that it is my JOB that is making this so hard. I am very capable. But when I'm working 10-12 hour days, grad school is kind of impossible.
I mean, I'm trying to make time. I told my boss I couldn't keep this up. I found some help with photo editing. I've started making Matt get or make dinner, like, three times a week. I've hired someone to clean my house. I've tried SO hard. but it's just not enough. it's never enough, it seems.
anyway.
yesterday I decided a few things:
1. I will apply to grad school this December.
2. Maybe it is okay not to get my masters right now. Or ever.
3. Alea iacta est. The die is cast. What is done cannot be undone. It is what it is.
I was still kind of freaking out about it. I mean, I don't DO the whole quitting thing. It's just not in my blood or in my heart. but...well...alea iacta est. So if I get in? I get it in. I get my masters in Civil Engineering. If I don't get in? I don't get in. So be it. Maybe I'll find somewhere else to go. Maybe I won't go at all. But what's done is done.
now, to the dream.
last night, even though I only slept for 6 hours I had three different dreams. I can only remember one of them, but I remember it SO vividly. [warning, this sounds kind of gross] a small beetle was on my stomach, and it was coming out of the little hole/owie it had made where it bit me. it was teeeeeny tiny, smaller around than a pencil eraser. and I saw a flash of green when the light hit it.
so, I looked it up.
I didn't know it in my dream, but once I saw a picture, I am certain that it was a small scarab beetle. "To see a scarab in your dream, symbolizes your ability to survive, adapt, and change. You are on the right path. You may also feel that your values and beliefs are being compromised."
It bit my stomach, right? To see your abdomen in a dream, refers to your natural instincts and repressed emotions. There is something in your real life that you "cannot stomach" or have difficulties accepting. You need to get it out of your system.To dream that you abdomen is exposed, signifies trust and vulnerability. To see your own stomach in your dream, suggests the beginning of new changes in your life. It may refer to your difficulties with accepting these changes. It is also indicative of how you can no longer tolerate or put up with a particular situation, relationship, or person.
And since it bit me...To dream that you are being bitten, represents your vulnerability regarding some unresolved issues or emotions. You may be pestered by a problem or obstacle.The dream may also be a metaphor indicating that you have bitten off more than you chew. Perhaps you have have too much to handle.
uh, yeah. you get that? I did.
I actually felt very comforted by this dream. (yes, comforted by a dream about a scarab beetle biting my stomach) It was kind of like an "it's all gonna be okay Carrie. Pinkie swear. There, there. There's a method in the madness, I promise. Now, keep on trucking, okay?"
so. maybe the masters isn't my path.
maybe this particular masters isn't my path.
or, maybe it is my path.
but right now? right now I'm right.where.I.need.to.be.
the rest will figure itself out.
You see, I've never really felt like I was "talking" to God. Communicating? Absolutely. But never talking. I'm a church-goer and a Christian, but that's not where I see God. Or experience God. Not exactly, anyway. (I mean, I see God there too, but that's not where I get the best seats in the house for seeing God, so to speak) I see God in the sunshine and in the amazingness of our eyeballs and in the perfection of the flower. In the process and in nature. That is where I experience God, too. In the amazingly detailed beauty and functionality of life of all types.
Is that a little unconventional? Probably. Possibly. I don't know and I don't know that I care--because I've come to realize that's how it is for me. Call me crazy, call it a gift, call it what you will. It's reality.
Kind of like my dreams.
So, I am having a bit of a breakdown right now. I'm feeling very overwhelmed and very helpless. Don't get me wrong--most of my life is really, really good. Matt is amazing! We are getting married! I have a fantastic job (even though I'm working my ass off)! I am making a difference in the world! I am overwhelmed with the number of amazing people I have the honor of calling my friend! My photography business is fantastic and growing!
I own a nice house and have almost paid for my car. I have a roof over my head and food to eat and I am a fortunate, fortunate gal.
but.
this is going to sound over-dramatic, but I assure you it's not. I have my final next Thursday. Yesterday I really realized that this final is going to make or break the possibility of me getting a masters from NCState. I did TERRIBLY on the first test. (lots of people did.) I was doing okay on the homeworks until the last two--one of which the average was a 45%. he's curving it. I will still be given a "F" for that assignment. yes, you read that right. An F. Right now I am guessing that I have a solid C.
we get our test #2 back today. I looked at the solution posted yesterday, and I am not getting warm fuzzies about my performance.
so, anyway, my transcript at State already looks kind of crazy. I got a C in a material science class that I HATED. the one that convinced me it wasn't for me. So that's already a HUGE black mark even though that class wouldn't transfer in even if I'd made an A+ in it.
if I don't ace the final and get a B or higher (B- won't cut it) I am pretty sure that they won't let me in. and aceing the final isn't exactly feasible--obviously I don't know the material. there is not a book I can re-read. there aren't even good notes.
so. I kind of freaked out yesterday when the full impact of this situation hit me. I might've cried on and off for, um, hours. I realized that it is my JOB that is making this so hard. I am very capable. But when I'm working 10-12 hour days, grad school is kind of impossible.
I mean, I'm trying to make time. I told my boss I couldn't keep this up. I found some help with photo editing. I've started making Matt get or make dinner, like, three times a week. I've hired someone to clean my house. I've tried SO hard. but it's just not enough. it's never enough, it seems.
anyway.
yesterday I decided a few things:
1. I will apply to grad school this December.
2. Maybe it is okay not to get my masters right now. Or ever.
3. Alea iacta est. The die is cast. What is done cannot be undone. It is what it is.
I was still kind of freaking out about it. I mean, I don't DO the whole quitting thing. It's just not in my blood or in my heart. but...well...alea iacta est. So if I get in? I get it in. I get my masters in Civil Engineering. If I don't get in? I don't get in. So be it. Maybe I'll find somewhere else to go. Maybe I won't go at all. But what's done is done.
now, to the dream.
last night, even though I only slept for 6 hours I had three different dreams. I can only remember one of them, but I remember it SO vividly. [warning, this sounds kind of gross] a small beetle was on my stomach, and it was coming out of the little hole/owie it had made where it bit me. it was teeeeeny tiny, smaller around than a pencil eraser. and I saw a flash of green when the light hit it.
so, I looked it up.
I didn't know it in my dream, but once I saw a picture, I am certain that it was a small scarab beetle. "To see a scarab in your dream, symbolizes your ability to survive, adapt, and change. You are on the right path. You may also feel that your values and beliefs are being compromised."
It bit my stomach, right? To see your abdomen in a dream, refers to your natural instincts and repressed emotions. There is something in your real life that you "cannot stomach" or have difficulties accepting. You need to get it out of your system.To dream that you abdomen is exposed, signifies trust and vulnerability. To see your own stomach in your dream, suggests the beginning of new changes in your life. It may refer to your difficulties with accepting these changes. It is also indicative of how you can no longer tolerate or put up with a particular situation, relationship, or person.
And since it bit me...To dream that you are being bitten, represents your vulnerability regarding some unresolved issues or emotions. You may be pestered by a problem or obstacle.The dream may also be a metaphor indicating that you have bitten off more than you chew. Perhaps you have have too much to handle.
uh, yeah. you get that? I did.
I actually felt very comforted by this dream. (yes, comforted by a dream about a scarab beetle biting my stomach) It was kind of like an "it's all gonna be okay Carrie. Pinkie swear. There, there. There's a method in the madness, I promise. Now, keep on trucking, okay?"
so. maybe the masters isn't my path.
maybe this particular masters isn't my path.
or, maybe it is my path.
but right now? right now I'm right.where.I.need.to.be.
the rest will figure itself out.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
eco-friendly thanksgiving
this year matt and I have been out of town for at least 75 days. maybe more. that's right, friends. 20% of the time, out of town. no joke. Over the whole year that's more than 1 day of every 7 out of town. yeah. crazy.
So, we decided that this year we would spend Thanksgiving AT HOME. and we did. and it was glorious. My fabulous friend, sister, bridesmaid, fellow sustainable-living/environmental-ist and all around awesome human being, Jennifer was going to be in town too, so we decided to celebrate together, just the three of us.
which quickly escalated :)
we cooked up an awesome plan (excuse the pun)--we would have a LOCAL Thanksgiving. We thought: North Carolina is a farming state, I'm in a CSA and regular patron of the Durham Farmer's Market, Jennifer works at State, and they have a farmer's market too, and Raleigh has one, and the local Wholefoods/Earthfare has a lot of local stuff, right? We can TOTALLY do this.
And we TOTALLY did.
I made a little video of the fixings and tables and fabulous guests.
We think that if you boil it down (oh, here I go with the puns...) we were around 90% local. And we didn't skimp at all, and we didn't go without. We didn't have a turkey because all the local turkeys were spoken for or were, like, 22 pounds, which is far too much for 8 people and an almost-2-year old. So we had chicken and ham. So here's the rundown:
what we ate:
chicken, ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, beer rolls, roasted acorn squash, mashed potatoes, collards. we had pumpkin pie, apple pie and peanut butter pie for dessert, along with cupcakes. and there were sausage ballas and cheese and crackers for snacking while things cooked.
local:
chicken
ham
sweet potatoes
green beans
acorn squash
whole wheat flour in the pumpkin pie crust and beer rolls
milk
cream in the sweet potatoes and served whipped w/ the pumpkin pie
butter
apples in the apple pie
collards
beer we drank (3 growlers from LoneRider--YUM!)
honey (in the glaze for the ham & in the beer rolls)
asiago cheese
farmer's cheese
carolina moon cheese
sausage in the sausage balls
what wasn't local:
all of the peanut butter pie
the cupcakes
the mashed potatoes (potatoes aren't in season now, which was news to me!)
the canned pumpkin (could've gotten a local pumpkin and cooked it down. not that hard core!)
all spices
the yeast in the rolls
sugar
the bread in the stuffing
the crackers for the cheese
flour in the apple pie crust
the wine (our nearest winery only makes sweet sweet wines)
orange juice in the sweet potatoes
cheese and bisquick in the sausage balls
and the beer in the beer rolls (we had Smashed Pumpkin from our trip to Shipyard (which whoa I've yet to blog!) and some Boulevard Wheat we brought from OK)
Now, although those lists are pretty close to the same length, you'll notice that only small bits were included--individual ingredients. I recently learned that we maaaaayyyyybe could've gotten north carolina sugar, and if we had gone to another part of the state we could've gotten NC wine. But oranges don't grow here, and I just didn't have 12 hours to spend cooking down a pumpkin for the pie. And of those, one was leftovers from another dinner, so I don't really think they count! But all the meats, all the veggies except for potatoes, all from NC? And the crackers and the flour and all? WOW!
So based on volume? Well over 90%. I mean, there were only 3 of our dishes that didn't contain local ingredients, you know?
This was also the first time I've EVER used my china for anything other than a china cabinet decoration (and y'all know how I love, love, love my china cabinet). And, another fabulous thing happened too--I was fretting over the table decoration (seriously I had the craziest time finding a damn tablecloth. I needed two that matched. wtf? anyway) and I thought I had it figured out, and I decided I would have Matt take ~1 hour and make some tissue paper flowers for it like he did soooooo long ago.
Well, on Wednesday when my dear friend Karen came over for dinner I had told her she didn't need to bring anything, so she brought me flowers. It was totally cute and thoughtful!! Dark red gerbera daisies. Which went PERFECTLY with the red tablecloths and red, orange, yellow and gold tablescape I had going on. Loved it!
It was fabulous how everything fell into place. There were nine of us counting Luke--Jessica, Aaron, Gurdas, Nicole, Dave, Luke, Jennifer, Matt and me. And we knew everyone from a different part of our lives--there was a couple who had just moved from Houston that we met at Nicole's Halloween party, Matt and Dave know each other from HPU, Jennifer and I are KDs and Gurdas and I know each other from school. It was a splendidly motley crew! And we even watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving :)
Luke LOVED playing with Hazel (I really hope she tells you what he said while he was chasing her--it was funny and cute!)
Everyone was really helpful with the cleaning, and left at maybe 930ish I think? Luke was already fast asleep downstairs :) At the end of the evening while the last load of dishes were in the dishwasher, Matt, Jennifer and I watched some eps of How I Met Your Mother, enjoyed some more Lonerider brews and sat. We spent ~9-10 hours cooking Thursday and both cooked Wednesday night too, so it was much deserved.
And the only thing that burned or wasn't like it was supposed to be was our simplest dish of all--the green beans :)
And to that I say: my compliments to the chefs. Just 'cause I'm one of 'em doesn't mean I'm not proud of myself!! Jennifer and I had assisted with meals many times, but neither of us had ever done it without parents/family. but we DID. And it was GOOD. And we ate before 3am. And no one got sick! And it was a SUCCESS!
And check out our shirts--that's what we wore to cook. She's in the shirt the NCState students made for the farmer's market on campus. Mine is from the one in Durham. That's our chicken, green beans (before cooking!) and the sweet potatoes before we toasted the marshmallows (which was always my job growing up, and I must say, they were TOP NOTCH). I am SO proud of our local thanksgiving, so thankful to have been able to share it with such incredible people and grateful that I won't be cooking on that scale for the whole rest of the year :)
So, we decided that this year we would spend Thanksgiving AT HOME. and we did. and it was glorious. My fabulous friend, sister, bridesmaid, fellow sustainable-living/environmental-ist and all around awesome human being, Jennifer was going to be in town too, so we decided to celebrate together, just the three of us.
which quickly escalated :)
we cooked up an awesome plan (excuse the pun)--we would have a LOCAL Thanksgiving. We thought: North Carolina is a farming state, I'm in a CSA and regular patron of the Durham Farmer's Market, Jennifer works at State, and they have a farmer's market too, and Raleigh has one, and the local Wholefoods/Earthfare has a lot of local stuff, right? We can TOTALLY do this.
And we TOTALLY did.
I made a little video of the fixings and tables and fabulous guests.
We think that if you boil it down (oh, here I go with the puns...) we were around 90% local. And we didn't skimp at all, and we didn't go without. We didn't have a turkey because all the local turkeys were spoken for or were, like, 22 pounds, which is far too much for 8 people and an almost-2-year old. So we had chicken and ham. So here's the rundown:
what we ate:chicken, ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, beer rolls, roasted acorn squash, mashed potatoes, collards. we had pumpkin pie, apple pie and peanut butter pie for dessert, along with cupcakes. and there were sausage ballas and cheese and crackers for snacking while things cooked.
local:
chicken
ham
sweet potatoes
green beans
acorn squash
whole wheat flour in the pumpkin pie crust and beer rolls
milk
cream in the sweet potatoes and served whipped w/ the pumpkin pie
butter
apples in the apple pie
collards
beer we drank (3 growlers from LoneRider--YUM!)
honey (in the glaze for the ham & in the beer rolls)
asiago cheese
farmer's cheese
carolina moon cheese
sausage in the sausage balls
what wasn't local:
all of the peanut butter pie
the cupcakes
the mashed potatoes (potatoes aren't in season now, which was news to me!)
the canned pumpkin (could've gotten a local pumpkin and cooked it down. not that hard core!)
all spices
the yeast in the rolls
sugar
the bread in the stuffing
the crackers for the cheese
flour in the apple pie crust
the wine (our nearest winery only makes sweet sweet wines)
orange juice in the sweet potatoes
cheese and bisquick in the sausage balls
and the beer in the beer rolls (we had Smashed Pumpkin from our trip to Shipyard (which whoa I've yet to blog!) and some Boulevard Wheat we brought from OK)
Now, although those lists are pretty close to the same length, you'll notice that only small bits were included--individual ingredients. I recently learned that we maaaaayyyyybe could've gotten north carolina sugar, and if we had gone to another part of the state we could've gotten NC wine. But oranges don't grow here, and I just didn't have 12 hours to spend cooking down a pumpkin for the pie. And of those, one was leftovers from another dinner, so I don't really think they count! But all the meats, all the veggies except for potatoes, all from NC? And the crackers and the flour and all? WOW!
So based on volume? Well over 90%. I mean, there were only 3 of our dishes that didn't contain local ingredients, you know?
This was also the first time I've EVER used my china for anything other than a china cabinet decoration (and y'all know how I love, love, love my china cabinet). And, another fabulous thing happened too--I was fretting over the table decoration (seriously I had the craziest time finding a damn tablecloth. I needed two that matched. wtf? anyway) and I thought I had it figured out, and I decided I would have Matt take ~1 hour and make some tissue paper flowers for it like he did soooooo long ago.
Well, on Wednesday when my dear friend Karen came over for dinner I had told her she didn't need to bring anything, so she brought me flowers. It was totally cute and thoughtful!! Dark red gerbera daisies. Which went PERFECTLY with the red tablecloths and red, orange, yellow and gold tablescape I had going on. Loved it!
It was fabulous how everything fell into place. There were nine of us counting Luke--Jessica, Aaron, Gurdas, Nicole, Dave, Luke, Jennifer, Matt and me. And we knew everyone from a different part of our lives--there was a couple who had just moved from Houston that we met at Nicole's Halloween party, Matt and Dave know each other from HPU, Jennifer and I are KDs and Gurdas and I know each other from school. It was a splendidly motley crew! And we even watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving :)
Luke LOVED playing with Hazel (I really hope she tells you what he said while he was chasing her--it was funny and cute!)
Everyone was really helpful with the cleaning, and left at maybe 930ish I think? Luke was already fast asleep downstairs :) At the end of the evening while the last load of dishes were in the dishwasher, Matt, Jennifer and I watched some eps of How I Met Your Mother, enjoyed some more Lonerider brews and sat. We spent ~9-10 hours cooking Thursday and both cooked Wednesday night too, so it was much deserved.
And the only thing that burned or wasn't like it was supposed to be was our simplest dish of all--the green beans :)
And to that I say: my compliments to the chefs. Just 'cause I'm one of 'em doesn't mean I'm not proud of myself!! Jennifer and I had assisted with meals many times, but neither of us had ever done it without parents/family. but we DID. And it was GOOD. And we ate before 3am. And no one got sick! And it was a SUCCESS!
And check out our shirts--that's what we wore to cook. She's in the shirt the NCState students made for the farmer's market on campus. Mine is from the one in Durham. That's our chicken, green beans (before cooking!) and the sweet potatoes before we toasted the marshmallows (which was always my job growing up, and I must say, they were TOP NOTCH). I am SO proud of our local thanksgiving, so thankful to have been able to share it with such incredible people and grateful that I won't be cooking on that scale for the whole rest of the year :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
full thanksgiving post soonish
but today, a teaser.
on wednesday night I made dinner for my fabulous friend karen. after that I boiled the sweet potatoes and started to make my great grandmother's pumpkin pie. it was kind of scary as I was using whole wheat flour instead of the gold medal stuff, but it all came out okay. :)
and here are my kitty cats, helping me roll out the dough.
we narrowly missed an even cuter picture, which would've been taken just a few seconds before but gobi wasn't up for having his cuteness captured. right before this his little front paws were on top of the cabinet to my right. he stayed there for a good minute and a half, just stretching and looking at me and talking to me while I worked. he does that sometimes, just meows and meows.
I can't believe I've had him for six and a half years. such a helpful kitten. helps me study, helps me sleep, helps me cook. :)
ps: excuse the mess. that's cooking/haven't cleaned/more cooking/I like to leave things on the counter. ha!
on wednesday night I made dinner for my fabulous friend karen. after that I boiled the sweet potatoes and started to make my great grandmother's pumpkin pie. it was kind of scary as I was using whole wheat flour instead of the gold medal stuff, but it all came out okay. :)
and here are my kitty cats, helping me roll out the dough.
we narrowly missed an even cuter picture, which would've been taken just a few seconds before but gobi wasn't up for having his cuteness captured. right before this his little front paws were on top of the cabinet to my right. he stayed there for a good minute and a half, just stretching and looking at me and talking to me while I worked. he does that sometimes, just meows and meows.
I can't believe I've had him for six and a half years. such a helpful kitten. helps me study, helps me sleep, helps me cook. :)
ps: excuse the mess. that's cooking/haven't cleaned/more cooking/I like to leave things on the counter. ha!
fantabulously frugal
is having a giveaway. a rockin' giveaway. I LOVE it that they are featuring burt's bees and yes to carrots products--I read about yes to carrots in this month's body and soul and TOO COOL.
anyway, it's an AWESOME giveaway. go enter. tell them I sent you, pretty please :)
anyway, it's an AWESOME giveaway. go enter. tell them I sent you, pretty please :)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
so it's not like I can really take credit for this...
but I bet i was a part of the team effort. :)
in early October I filled out a comment card and dropped it at the airport in altanta. I told them their airport was very nice and all, and that I appreciated that there were lots of shops and food places, but that I thought it a shame that they had ZERO recycling bins.
this time around I saw this :) if you can't see--you trash, they sort, it's recycled!
-post from my iphone!
in early October I filled out a comment card and dropped it at the airport in altanta. I told them their airport was very nice and all, and that I appreciated that there were lots of shops and food places, but that I thought it a shame that they had ZERO recycling bins.
this time around I saw this :) if you can't see--you trash, they sort, it's recycled!
-post from my iphone!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
i'm probably going to regret writing this
as my blog is a very public forum, BUT sometimes I just need perspective, and that's what i'm hoping to gain here.
I guess that the past, oh,29 years few years I've felt like I give and I give and I give to someone. and occasionally she gives back, or tries, but...
I guess I just don't know how to handle giving and giving and trying to do the right thing and trying to be positive and then hearing some of the things she says. today? today it was that she'd given away something I'd given to her--and of course, as life would have it, it was something that I gave to her so "we'd both have one" because I knew she'd like it that we both had the same thing.
and then she gives it away.
and it's not the physical item that's such a big deal--but it's like, okay so I've been to oklahoma 3 times already this year. I'm going again in december, right? but not for the holidays. nope, just for a weekend. 'cause I've been THREE TIMES THIS YEAR. three times since JULY.
and I'm going again in three and a half weeks.
and you know what I'm getting? SHIT. (as in lip, not as in nothing) I'm getting a lot of boo-hooing that Matt and I aren't coming for Thanksgiving, and that we aren't coming for Christmas either.
from someone who has NEVER visited me. (I have yet to have a blood relative visit me here. even the one who used to live an hour and a half away. I have lived in North Carolina for six years and five months. and not ONCE. yet I get sh*t)
and though I am ABSOLUTELY throwing a little pity party over here, I'm also like "do other 'adults' have this problem? do their families visit them when they move far, far away? do you get lip about how frequently you do/don't go home? do you always pay for it?"
I have tried explaining that I am not made of money.
I have tried explaining that $300*2 tickets + car rental + eating out adds up REALLY fast.
I have tried saying I'll go solo. That isn't good enough.
I have tried to be reassuring saying "we're visiting in december, I promise!"
and then today, to get a text saying that the little actually-basically-worthless but still sentimental tiny trinket had been given away...well...it's just more than I can handle.
and I should say, for the record: this is mostly a beef with my sister--who, thankfully, does not read this blog. occasionally my brothers or my mother or my granny gives me a hard time, but I get this the VERY most from my sister. everyone else seems to *get* it. and, none of them can really travel here, not realistically. be it money or anxiety or lack of having-their-shit-together-ness, it's not really something that could happen, exactly. and I know and recognize that. but you would think that if *I* have come to that realization (and have pointed it out to ALL of them, mind you) then it wouldn't be like it is.
and, I should also say, Tulsa has a special place in my heart and I enjoy visiting it, (though I understand why some don't love it) BUT I don't want to spend, oh, a couple of mortgage payments a year going there. there are other places to go and people to see and things to do. and I have NEVER gone so many times in a 6-month span, and yet...still getting shit. le sigh.
anyway. things are okay. I'm okay. I've just lost all semblance of patience or pity, I guess. and I've had it.
I guess that the past, oh,
I guess I just don't know how to handle giving and giving and trying to do the right thing and trying to be positive and then hearing some of the things she says. today? today it was that she'd given away something I'd given to her--and of course, as life would have it, it was something that I gave to her so "we'd both have one" because I knew she'd like it that we both had the same thing.
and then she gives it away.
and it's not the physical item that's such a big deal--but it's like, okay so I've been to oklahoma 3 times already this year. I'm going again in december, right? but not for the holidays. nope, just for a weekend. 'cause I've been THREE TIMES THIS YEAR. three times since JULY.
and I'm going again in three and a half weeks.
and you know what I'm getting? SHIT. (as in lip, not as in nothing) I'm getting a lot of boo-hooing that Matt and I aren't coming for Thanksgiving, and that we aren't coming for Christmas either.
from someone who has NEVER visited me. (I have yet to have a blood relative visit me here. even the one who used to live an hour and a half away. I have lived in North Carolina for six years and five months. and not ONCE. yet I get sh*t)
and though I am ABSOLUTELY throwing a little pity party over here, I'm also like "do other 'adults' have this problem? do their families visit them when they move far, far away? do you get lip about how frequently you do/don't go home? do you always pay for it?"
I have tried explaining that I am not made of money.
I have tried explaining that $300*2 tickets + car rental + eating out adds up REALLY fast.
I have tried saying I'll go solo. That isn't good enough.
I have tried to be reassuring saying "we're visiting in december, I promise!"
and then today, to get a text saying that the little actually-basically-worthless but still sentimental tiny trinket had been given away...well...it's just more than I can handle.
and I should say, for the record: this is mostly a beef with my sister--who, thankfully, does not read this blog. occasionally my brothers or my mother or my granny gives me a hard time, but I get this the VERY most from my sister. everyone else seems to *get* it. and, none of them can really travel here, not realistically. be it money or anxiety or lack of having-their-shit-together-ness, it's not really something that could happen, exactly. and I know and recognize that. but you would think that if *I* have come to that realization (and have pointed it out to ALL of them, mind you) then it wouldn't be like it is.
and, I should also say, Tulsa has a special place in my heart and I enjoy visiting it, (though I understand why some don't love it) BUT I don't want to spend, oh, a couple of mortgage payments a year going there. there are other places to go and people to see and things to do. and I have NEVER gone so many times in a 6-month span, and yet...still getting shit. le sigh.
anyway. things are okay. I'm okay. I've just lost all semblance of patience or pity, I guess. and I've had it.
Friday, November 13, 2009
i follow my officiant on tw!tter.
no, really. I do. we're also facebook friends. I'm not joking. and it seems juuuuuust a little strange to me, but at the same time I think it's a whole new level of awesome. :)
also, I think I am going to invest in some kleenex. because NO ONE warned me that sappy-sap-sappy Carrie would need them.
I mean, okay, so there were no waterworks when Matt proposed (teared up a little, but no tears fell!), but since then, I have cried or teared up when:
-I realized that yesterday, when we'd been engaged a month, I wore the same sweater I was wearing when Matt proposed. not on purpose.
-I was told that Rosemary and her bestgoodfriend Nancy wanted to throw me a bridal shower over Christmas (it is so sweet. and thoughtful. and overwhelming. and I had totally failed to think about the gift part until Matt mentioned that!)
-when I was looking at yellow and green items yesterday and found some I knew would be adorable (except now I have to find them "green")
-when my photographer, Nicole, sent me a picture of a wedding she'd taken to give me an example for an idea I had
-and just now, at my desk, because my officiant sent me an example of his "typical" wedding ceremony.
sometimes I tear up when my shiny sparkly ring catches my eye. sometimes it's because I look at Matt and I realize I am, in a way that is not weird, really looking forward to seeing how his blue eyes still sparkle when his hair is all salt-and-pepper gray. yesterday I got teary because I typed "crf" and meant "capital recovery factor" but realized that that's what I'll use for my initials. (even if/when I hypenate!)
tears, tears, tears. 90% happy tears. 10% overwhelmed/omg/wow tears. but both are the smiling-all-the-while tears.
and this? it's fantastic. :) and I am wholly unapologetic for the sap, so there, ha!
also, I think I am going to invest in some kleenex. because NO ONE warned me that sappy-sap-sappy Carrie would need them.
I mean, okay, so there were no waterworks when Matt proposed (teared up a little, but no tears fell!), but since then, I have cried or teared up when:
-I realized that yesterday, when we'd been engaged a month, I wore the same sweater I was wearing when Matt proposed. not on purpose.
-I was told that Rosemary and her bestgoodfriend Nancy wanted to throw me a bridal shower over Christmas (it is so sweet. and thoughtful. and overwhelming. and I had totally failed to think about the gift part until Matt mentioned that!)
-when I was looking at yellow and green items yesterday and found some I knew would be adorable (except now I have to find them "green")
-when my photographer, Nicole, sent me a picture of a wedding she'd taken to give me an example for an idea I had
-and just now, at my desk, because my officiant sent me an example of his "typical" wedding ceremony.
sometimes I tear up when my shiny sparkly ring catches my eye. sometimes it's because I look at Matt and I realize I am, in a way that is not weird, really looking forward to seeing how his blue eyes still sparkle when his hair is all salt-and-pepper gray. yesterday I got teary because I typed "crf" and meant "capital recovery factor" but realized that that's what I'll use for my initials. (even if/when I hypenate!)
tears, tears, tears. 90% happy tears. 10% overwhelmed/omg/wow tears. but both are the smiling-all-the-while tears.
and this? it's fantastic. :) and I am wholly unapologetic for the sap, so there, ha!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
"who will be the feet?"
Maria always makes me think.
this time, it's about activism and being humble. and how to do one and still be the other.
for me, I think this issue is most obvious when I talk about being green. because, well, I'm a greenie, and I think it's just plain illogical to choose not to be mindful of the resources you use every single day. I mean, I don't expect everyone to buy into home composters, but most of it I just can't even fathom how someone would be opposed to that change. And I definitely don't get it when people throw empty cans and bottles in the trash, or let the water run while they brush their teeth. Like, I have a really, really hard time wrapping my head around that.
however.
just because I can't wrap my head around it doesn't mean that from the other side of the fence, I don't seem just as illogical to someone else. I mean, we don't flush our toilets very often. We collect the water in our shower. our little patio is overflowing with plants. I am borderline obsessive about how much soap I use and having reusable bags and yeah. a little nuts.
but I think it's totally possible to promote a cause without being arrogant. I am not a better human being because I am green. better for the earth, you could argue, but certainly not a better human being. not in life. if we found out that mother teresa threw away something instead of recycling it, would we think her any less valuable to humanity? I'm gonna go with a no here....
I guess what I'm getting at is--I try to encourage others to be green, not tell. I try to explain, not insist. And I try to inform, not preach. And I try to be positive, not judgemental.
do I sometimes fail at this? YES. ABSOLUTELY. but I try. I try to remember that it is a choice, that it doesn't make someone better than someone else. I try to suggest and educate, not stuff it down throats. I try to remember that people will have to make sacrifices, and they will have to be more humble themselves in order to make changes. and if I'm not humble that won't be happening, you know?
so. that is how I try to advocate but do so with humility.
thanks, Maria, for making me think about this--it's always good to examine your behavior and make sure what you're doing is what you really want to be doing, you know? :)
this time, it's about activism and being humble. and how to do one and still be the other.
for me, I think this issue is most obvious when I talk about being green. because, well, I'm a greenie, and I think it's just plain illogical to choose not to be mindful of the resources you use every single day. I mean, I don't expect everyone to buy into home composters, but most of it I just can't even fathom how someone would be opposed to that change. And I definitely don't get it when people throw empty cans and bottles in the trash, or let the water run while they brush their teeth. Like, I have a really, really hard time wrapping my head around that.
however.
just because I can't wrap my head around it doesn't mean that from the other side of the fence, I don't seem just as illogical to someone else. I mean, we don't flush our toilets very often. We collect the water in our shower. our little patio is overflowing with plants. I am borderline obsessive about how much soap I use and having reusable bags and yeah. a little nuts.
but I think it's totally possible to promote a cause without being arrogant. I am not a better human being because I am green. better for the earth, you could argue, but certainly not a better human being. not in life. if we found out that mother teresa threw away something instead of recycling it, would we think her any less valuable to humanity? I'm gonna go with a no here....
I guess what I'm getting at is--I try to encourage others to be green, not tell. I try to explain, not insist. And I try to inform, not preach. And I try to be positive, not judgemental.
do I sometimes fail at this? YES. ABSOLUTELY. but I try. I try to remember that it is a choice, that it doesn't make someone better than someone else. I try to suggest and educate, not stuff it down throats. I try to remember that people will have to make sacrifices, and they will have to be more humble themselves in order to make changes. and if I'm not humble that won't be happening, you know?
so. that is how I try to advocate but do so with humility.
thanks, Maria, for making me think about this--it's always good to examine your behavior and make sure what you're doing is what you really want to be doing, you know? :)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, so for halloween...
Matt and I went as this guy. He has a new album!!!
can't you see the resemblance?
:D
we also figured out how to play a new version of the game "quarters"--which involved someone guessing heads or tails and us spinning and depending on where we stopped, they had to drink!
can't you see the resemblance?
:Dwe also figured out how to play a new version of the game "quarters"--which involved someone guessing heads or tails and us spinning and depending on where we stopped, they had to drink!
Friday, November 06, 2009
I wonder if I'll still have hair when I get married...
because lately quite a few things make me want to yank it out!
I had the following convo last night (abridged)
me: let's compromise. you wear a dress until the end of dinner, then you can change into whatever you're comfy in.
her: okay, but only if it's floor-length stretch-velvet.
me: uhh...it's gonna be april, honey. we'll find you something that's comfy. and you can wear flats!
her: I can't believe you'd ask me to wear a dress!!! you are stressing me out! you are asking me to stand in front of people!!!!
me: um, it's what girls wear in weddings. especially if they're in the wedding party. but, and I don't mean this meanly, if it is going to stress you our and make you anxious, you don't have to be in the wedding party. I will love you just as much if you are in it or not in it. Do what will make you happy.
her: but you WANT me in the party, right?
me: yes, but not if it is going to stress you out.
her: well I'm only doing this 'cause you want me to and it IS stressing me out.
me: well, then tell me you want out and it's no big deal, I still will want you there, okay? just do what you're comfy with.
her: [thinking] hey...I know! I could buy a green tuxedo...I'd even pay for it myself. it would go with the colors and be dressy and I could wear pan or wear what the guys are wearing? ties and all?
me: (trying not to laugh) we're not having a wear-a-tuxedo kind of wedding. and you can't dress like a boy. let's try to find you something comfy.
her: but it has to be floor length, I am SO PALE.
[pause]
me: I am your identical twin and I am allergic to the sun. I will be fair as fair can be. I'll ask people not to tan, okay? It'll be April, it'll be FINE.
her: okay but I'm not wearing heels.
me: I said you could wear flats...
her: I AM NOT WEARING HEELS. I will wear tennis shoes. I can't walk in flats.
me: flats are like ballet slippers. just try them, okay???
her: FINE. but I am NOT wearing makeup.
etc. she also refuses to get her hair done.
next up: and y'all KNOW I love my Granny, but I was told:
a) it is STUPID (not her word. I think foolish or inconsiderate or impractical) that you are getting married in April.
b) you are being selfish. you are interfering with Harvey's high school graduation. Harvey graduates at the end of May people. SIX WEEKS LATER.
c) I think you shouldn't get married on a wednesday (we nixed that idea already)
d) I think you should get married in January. Like, the 2nd or 3rd weekend. If you don't, please refer to letter A.
yeaaaaaaaaah.
and THEN there are the people who keep bringing up my first wedding/husband. OH. MY. GOD. Please please, pleasepleasepleasePLEASE. Justin is a nice human being. I wish him well. And yes, I talk to him occasionally, and we are both very happy. But FOR THE LOVE. When someone is talking about their impending nuptuals it is just BAD FORM to bring up their first marriage. With things like "well, when you got married the first time..." or "you're having a big fancy wedding like your first one, right?" Or "do you regret that you've done this before and he's doing all this for the first time?" Or "I think Matt is so much better for you than Justin was."
You do not have to compare Matt to Justin to express how much you like Matt, or Matt and me together.
And while it is occasionally an entirely appropriate thing to mention, overall, you should drop it like it's hot. fo rizzle.
[And FYI: no I do not regret getting married. No, we were not young and stupid. Do I wish I would've been willing to move here with him and not be married. YES. But ultimately? If it weren't for Justin I bet I never would've come to North Carolina. I would probably be in Oklahoma or Texas, working in a job I didn't like, without all these friends and experiences and support and my photography. And I'm actually kind of glad too because I have the freedom to do whatever Matt and I want instead of fulfilling the vicarious needs of someone else. ahem.]
And last but very-not-least. The topic o' the name change.
Matt says that as long as our kids take his last name, and he doesn't have to change his, we're good to go. What I do with my name is my business. I wholeheartedly agree. I respect that some people have other opinions, but we are entitled to our own.
I have definitely asked some people to offer their thoughts--because I'm a fan of opinions. But I have also gotten "you aren't gonna keep Richardson are you?" (said with disdain) or "you're changing to FRY?" Or "why would you hyphenate" or all sorts of other input. All said with a tone of "I can't believe you'd even think about that!"
and to that I say: bah, humbug.
as of today: I'm gonna be Richardson-Fry. Matt is excited about calling me CRRF (the sounds, not the letters!) He also suggested I become Frichardson. ;) Some days I say I'll stay Richardson. Some I think I'll say Fry. Some days I think I'll have two middle names. Logic tells me to put Fry in there somewhere to make things easier with kids. But if I didn't? Uh, yeah. I'm not going to be the first woman whose children have a different last name than she does. I mean, my MOTHER has had a different last name than mine since I was 5. It's gonna be okay.
and it's not that I mind opinions. I welcome them. It is the judging. And the disdain.
On the plus side: I am thankful that the judging and disdain is coming from people who AREN'T my fiance. :)
SUMMARY INCASE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE READING ALL OF THIS: We are trying to be pretty go-with-the-flow and low-stress, and I'm really glad about that, but other people are stressing me out! The end.
I had the following convo last night (abridged)
me: let's compromise. you wear a dress until the end of dinner, then you can change into whatever you're comfy in.
her: okay, but only if it's floor-length stretch-velvet.
me: uhh...it's gonna be april, honey. we'll find you something that's comfy. and you can wear flats!
her: I can't believe you'd ask me to wear a dress!!! you are stressing me out! you are asking me to stand in front of people!!!!
me: um, it's what girls wear in weddings. especially if they're in the wedding party. but, and I don't mean this meanly, if it is going to stress you our and make you anxious, you don't have to be in the wedding party. I will love you just as much if you are in it or not in it. Do what will make you happy.
her: but you WANT me in the party, right?
me: yes, but not if it is going to stress you out.
her: well I'm only doing this 'cause you want me to and it IS stressing me out.
me: well, then tell me you want out and it's no big deal, I still will want you there, okay? just do what you're comfy with.
her: [thinking] hey...I know! I could buy a green tuxedo...I'd even pay for it myself. it would go with the colors and be dressy and I could wear pan or wear what the guys are wearing? ties and all?
me: (trying not to laugh) we're not having a wear-a-tuxedo kind of wedding. and you can't dress like a boy. let's try to find you something comfy.
her: but it has to be floor length, I am SO PALE.
[pause]
me: I am your identical twin and I am allergic to the sun. I will be fair as fair can be. I'll ask people not to tan, okay? It'll be April, it'll be FINE.
her: okay but I'm not wearing heels.
me: I said you could wear flats...
her: I AM NOT WEARING HEELS. I will wear tennis shoes. I can't walk in flats.
me: flats are like ballet slippers. just try them, okay???
her: FINE. but I am NOT wearing makeup.
etc. she also refuses to get her hair done.
next up: and y'all KNOW I love my Granny, but I was told:
a) it is STUPID (not her word. I think foolish or inconsiderate or impractical) that you are getting married in April.
b) you are being selfish. you are interfering with Harvey's high school graduation. Harvey graduates at the end of May people. SIX WEEKS LATER.
c) I think you shouldn't get married on a wednesday (we nixed that idea already)
d) I think you should get married in January. Like, the 2nd or 3rd weekend. If you don't, please refer to letter A.
yeaaaaaaaaah.
and THEN there are the people who keep bringing up my first wedding/husband. OH. MY. GOD. Please please, pleasepleasepleasePLEASE. Justin is a nice human being. I wish him well. And yes, I talk to him occasionally, and we are both very happy. But FOR THE LOVE. When someone is talking about their impending nuptuals it is just BAD FORM to bring up their first marriage. With things like "well, when you got married the first time..." or "you're having a big fancy wedding like your first one, right?" Or "do you regret that you've done this before and he's doing all this for the first time?" Or "I think Matt is so much better for you than Justin was."
You do not have to compare Matt to Justin to express how much you like Matt, or Matt and me together.
And while it is occasionally an entirely appropriate thing to mention, overall, you should drop it like it's hot. fo rizzle.
[And FYI: no I do not regret getting married. No, we were not young and stupid. Do I wish I would've been willing to move here with him and not be married. YES. But ultimately? If it weren't for Justin I bet I never would've come to North Carolina. I would probably be in Oklahoma or Texas, working in a job I didn't like, without all these friends and experiences and support and my photography. And I'm actually kind of glad too because I have the freedom to do whatever Matt and I want instead of fulfilling the vicarious needs of someone else. ahem.]
And last but very-not-least. The topic o' the name change.
Matt says that as long as our kids take his last name, and he doesn't have to change his, we're good to go. What I do with my name is my business. I wholeheartedly agree. I respect that some people have other opinions, but we are entitled to our own.
I have definitely asked some people to offer their thoughts--because I'm a fan of opinions. But I have also gotten "you aren't gonna keep Richardson are you?" (said with disdain) or "you're changing to FRY?" Or "why would you hyphenate" or all sorts of other input. All said with a tone of "I can't believe you'd even think about that!"
and to that I say: bah, humbug.
as of today: I'm gonna be Richardson-Fry. Matt is excited about calling me CRRF (the sounds, not the letters!) He also suggested I become Frichardson. ;) Some days I say I'll stay Richardson. Some I think I'll say Fry. Some days I think I'll have two middle names. Logic tells me to put Fry in there somewhere to make things easier with kids. But if I didn't? Uh, yeah. I'm not going to be the first woman whose children have a different last name than she does. I mean, my MOTHER has had a different last name than mine since I was 5. It's gonna be okay.
and it's not that I mind opinions. I welcome them. It is the judging. And the disdain.
On the plus side: I am thankful that the judging and disdain is coming from people who AREN'T my fiance. :)
SUMMARY INCASE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE READING ALL OF THIS: We are trying to be pretty go-with-the-flow and low-stress, and I'm really glad about that, but other people are stressing me out! The end.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
taking a mini-hiatus...
oh, no, not from blogging (although it may seem like that's just what I've been doing, ha!)
but seriously, I think I'm going to take a mini-hiatus from wedding plans. until, like, two weeks from now.
I mean, I have been engaged for, let's see...24 days. and we already have
-a date
-a theme (which, by the way, is BEER!)
-a color scheme
-a location (ps the barn was NOT $750, I wish! prices have raised, but still reasonable-ish! especially since we can bring in our own alcohol)
-our drink plans (ps we'll be serving all Marshall! And, um, maybe Boulevard because I love it so much. and probably wine. NO liquor)
-a florist --they do flowers too. they did this wedding--Jan is Syd's mom!
-a photographer
-someone to marry us
-a plan for the save-the-dates (which matt has graciously agreed to take over)
-ideas for centerpieces
-all of the clothing concepts (but of course not the actual clothing!)
-many resources for items: paper lanterns, candles, ribbon
-and I think I'm going ask Harvo to play his bass at the ceremony, so that might take care of music!
soooooo...I think I'm going to take a break. Between wedding planning, photography, work and school I've been pulling some laaaaaate nights. so it's time for a siesta!
but seriously, I think I'm going to take a mini-hiatus from wedding plans. until, like, two weeks from now.
I mean, I have been engaged for, let's see...24 days. and we already have
-a date
-a theme (which, by the way, is BEER!)
-a color scheme
-a location (ps the barn was NOT $750, I wish! prices have raised, but still reasonable-ish! especially since we can bring in our own alcohol)
-our drink plans (ps we'll be serving all Marshall! And, um, maybe Boulevard because I love it so much. and probably wine. NO liquor)
-a florist --they do flowers too. they did this wedding--Jan is Syd's mom!
-a photographer
-someone to marry us
-a plan for the save-the-dates (which matt has graciously agreed to take over)
-ideas for centerpieces
-all of the clothing concepts (but of course not the actual clothing!)
-many resources for items: paper lanterns, candles, ribbon
-and I think I'm going ask Harvo to play his bass at the ceremony, so that might take care of music!
soooooo...I think I'm going to take a break. Between wedding planning, photography, work and school I've been pulling some laaaaaate nights. so it's time for a siesta!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
halloweeeeeeeen!
this was one of those weekends where very little went as planned and that ended up being kind of fantastic. :)
friday night: supposed to be a night in with Matt. Instead we went to The Mill and hung out with Taylor, Adam, Kristin, Katie and Jenny. We stayed out quite a bit later than we had planned, got stuck in traffic and got home very late, but had a wonderful time.
and, and, and--after talking with the gals that night Matt and I made a huge decision--we booked the BARN! It is going to be GORGEOUS, the proceeds go to charity and I am really excited. Now cross your fingers for not-rainy weather!!
saturday: my 930 am session got canceled due to weather, and I got to go back to sleep :)
my 1130 engagement session happened though, and so did my 100 newborn session. I REALLY enjoyed them both!
after that I took a quick nap, Matt and I made our costumes and we made our way to dinner. we went to brio and celebrated our engagement with two of Matt's best friends and their awesome significant others. The food was SO good, and I'd been looking forward to going there after hearing Lara rave about it. :) And it did not disappoint!!
see: aren't we adorable?
next was getting ready for The Faby's costume party. For Matt and me, this took approximately one minute, total. and that included folding our clothes. Not to brag or anything, but though I felt a little lame at first as everyone was getting into their elaborate getups, about ten minutes later we were feeling pretty proud of ourselves...we were in clothes with pockets, had full use of both our hands, could use the bathroom without any additional costume-induced effort AND we were comfortable!
so, here are our costumes. can you tell what we are? two hints: remember I like things that are punny, and yes, we are quarters, but no, the name of the costume doesn't end there. and if you already know, don't tell, let someone else guess! :)
the faby's party was FUN. not that that's surprising--their parties are always crazy and a blast! I only took a handful of pictures on my camera! We stayed WAY LATE again, which led to this: yes, that's Matt pouring liquor into a decorative skull (sorry, Nicole!) And Bam-Bam (aka Cam) getting ready to drink from it. The boys decided between the four of them they'd polish off this--and then the skull got involved, so I went upstairs to hang with Nicole instead of be a witness to their craziness, ha!
and sunday I had church, then two more rained out sessions, and instead got to have lunch with the same people from Friday night, took a nap and worked on homework and work-work.
the end. :)
friday night: supposed to be a night in with Matt. Instead we went to The Mill and hung out with Taylor, Adam, Kristin, Katie and Jenny. We stayed out quite a bit later than we had planned, got stuck in traffic and got home very late, but had a wonderful time.
and, and, and--after talking with the gals that night Matt and I made a huge decision--we booked the BARN! It is going to be GORGEOUS, the proceeds go to charity and I am really excited. Now cross your fingers for not-rainy weather!!
saturday: my 930 am session got canceled due to weather, and I got to go back to sleep :)
my 1130 engagement session happened though, and so did my 100 newborn session. I REALLY enjoyed them both!
after that I took a quick nap, Matt and I made our costumes and we made our way to dinner. we went to brio and celebrated our engagement with two of Matt's best friends and their awesome significant others. The food was SO good, and I'd been looking forward to going there after hearing Lara rave about it. :) And it did not disappoint!!
see: aren't we adorable?
next was getting ready for The Faby's costume party. For Matt and me, this took approximately one minute, total. and that included folding our clothes. Not to brag or anything, but though I felt a little lame at first as everyone was getting into their elaborate getups, about ten minutes later we were feeling pretty proud of ourselves...we were in clothes with pockets, had full use of both our hands, could use the bathroom without any additional costume-induced effort AND we were comfortable!
so, here are our costumes. can you tell what we are? two hints: remember I like things that are punny, and yes, we are quarters, but no, the name of the costume doesn't end there. and if you already know, don't tell, let someone else guess! :)
ps: look in the upper right of those photos--yep, that's a picture I took and Katie bought from me :)
the faby's party was FUN. not that that's surprising--their parties are always crazy and a blast! I only took a handful of pictures on my camera! We stayed WAY LATE again, which led to this: yes, that's Matt pouring liquor into a decorative skull (sorry, Nicole!) And Bam-Bam (aka Cam) getting ready to drink from it. The boys decided between the four of them they'd polish off this--and then the skull got involved, so I went upstairs to hang with Nicole instead of be a witness to their craziness, ha!
the end. :)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
full of great...
fair warning: I have marriage on the brain.
tablecloths and favors and locations and photography and transportation and eco-friendly options. I even looked at vintage dresses online today. I've been thinking about my family. And Matt's family. and my friends. a lot.
and can I just say...WOW. I have had many, many, MANY generous offers from friends. to do things, to help me, to listen, to bounce ideas off of. friends who have offered their services. (PLURAL, by the way!) friends who have said "I would be more than happy to do whatever you need me to do in order to make that happen"--and they meant it. Friends who are searching for dresses, or who are trying to write something special, or who are doing research, or who are just being an ear and an opinion-giver (and if you know me, you know I DESPERATELY need opinion givers!).
but something else I've been thinking about is family.
I mean, it had crossed my mind that I would some day get to be a part of the Fry family. And that made me smile! But other than looking forward to marrying Matt and getting to continue to celebrate with his relatives, I hadn't put much thought into it.
(and totally off topic, but what's with me knowing all the gals whose hubby's last name begins with an F? Faby. Ferguson. Fedesna. Fry. there's another I forgot. it's a LONG list.)
So.
Matt and I had discussed amongst ourselves how now his niece and goddaughter, Bridget, who is 3, can now call me "Aunt Carrie." It's kind of funny, 'cause Matt's sisters, who both have daughters, have always said "Aunt Carrie" and then corrected themselves--and I don't think it's because they minded having their daughters think of me as an Aunt, it's because they didn't want to make me uncomfy.
And today when I told Michele how that was convenient, she said it's a good thing too, because when she showed Bridget the picture of Matt and me, Bridget told her mother that that was "Aunt Carrie."
I've also been thinking about how fantastic it is that my children will have a grandfather, and that he will be a good, caring man. I think most of you know, but my father is deceased, and though he would've tried very hard and meant very well, I can't say with certainty that I'd have mostly positive terms to describe the kind of grandfather he might be. But I can tell you what kind of Pop-Pop Matt's dad will be, and it brings a smile to my face even as I type.
AND I realized....
When Matt and I get married? I become a sister to THREE ladies. I also gain THREE brothers. I get a Mom Fry and Dad Fry. I get two nieces that are adorable beyond belief. I get a whole new SIDE to the people I call my family. I know that I knew this already, I know that I knew it would be great. But now it is REAL.
And? My family gets a new member too! Matt becomes the oldest of my mom's "kids" --I think she has like eleven now, what with people like SJG and Harvey's friend Brandon--but this is pretty awesome for my family because they love Matt and are so excited to know he's officially a part of my life for, you know, ever. :)
The funniest thing of all to me is the extremely easygoing happy mood I've been in. I have been in a pretty amazinglyhappyfantastic mood, honestly. And I know part of it is all of this hullaballo about getting married to some amazing guy named Matt. :D But realistically I should be kind of down-and-out right now. I've been working ~10-11 hours a day and then coming home and working on school stuff all evening. I've been spending my days with NO down time. I have a wedding to plan and it's getting a smidge complicated.
But you know what? All I have to do is look at the sparkly object on my finger and think about my new sisters and brothers and nieces and family and remember how UNBELIEVABLY kind and generous and helpful my friends are being, and even the craziest of deadlines and the most impending-est of homework due dates aren't gonna get me down :)
and for fun, here's a picture I took of my ring and my CSA pumpkin. admittedly, I saw a similar picture on PW, but I saw it after I'd thought of ithe idea and bfore I had a chance to take it, so I took it anyway!
tablecloths and favors and locations and photography and transportation and eco-friendly options. I even looked at vintage dresses online today. I've been thinking about my family. And Matt's family. and my friends. a lot.
and can I just say...WOW. I have had many, many, MANY generous offers from friends. to do things, to help me, to listen, to bounce ideas off of. friends who have offered their services. (PLURAL, by the way!) friends who have said "I would be more than happy to do whatever you need me to do in order to make that happen"--and they meant it. Friends who are searching for dresses, or who are trying to write something special, or who are doing research, or who are just being an ear and an opinion-giver (and if you know me, you know I DESPERATELY need opinion givers!).
but something else I've been thinking about is family.
I mean, it had crossed my mind that I would some day get to be a part of the Fry family. And that made me smile! But other than looking forward to marrying Matt and getting to continue to celebrate with his relatives, I hadn't put much thought into it.
(and totally off topic, but what's with me knowing all the gals whose hubby's last name begins with an F? Faby. Ferguson. Fedesna. Fry. there's another I forgot. it's a LONG list.)
So.
Matt and I had discussed amongst ourselves how now his niece and goddaughter, Bridget, who is 3, can now call me "Aunt Carrie." It's kind of funny, 'cause Matt's sisters, who both have daughters, have always said "Aunt Carrie" and then corrected themselves--and I don't think it's because they minded having their daughters think of me as an Aunt, it's because they didn't want to make me uncomfy.
And today when I told Michele how that was convenient, she said it's a good thing too, because when she showed Bridget the picture of Matt and me, Bridget told her mother that that was "Aunt Carrie."
I've also been thinking about how fantastic it is that my children will have a grandfather, and that he will be a good, caring man. I think most of you know, but my father is deceased, and though he would've tried very hard and meant very well, I can't say with certainty that I'd have mostly positive terms to describe the kind of grandfather he might be. But I can tell you what kind of Pop-Pop Matt's dad will be, and it brings a smile to my face even as I type.
AND I realized....
When Matt and I get married? I become a sister to THREE ladies. I also gain THREE brothers. I get a Mom Fry and Dad Fry. I get two nieces that are adorable beyond belief. I get a whole new SIDE to the people I call my family. I know that I knew this already, I know that I knew it would be great. But now it is REAL.
And? My family gets a new member too! Matt becomes the oldest of my mom's "kids" --I think she has like eleven now, what with people like SJG and Harvey's friend Brandon--but this is pretty awesome for my family because they love Matt and are so excited to know he's officially a part of my life for, you know, ever. :)
The funniest thing of all to me is the extremely easygoing happy mood I've been in. I have been in a pretty amazinglyhappyfantastic mood, honestly. And I know part of it is all of this hullaballo about getting married to some amazing guy named Matt. :D But realistically I should be kind of down-and-out right now. I've been working ~10-11 hours a day and then coming home and working on school stuff all evening. I've been spending my days with NO down time. I have a wedding to plan and it's getting a smidge complicated.But you know what? All I have to do is look at the sparkly object on my finger and think about my new sisters and brothers and nieces and family and remember how UNBELIEVABLY kind and generous and helpful my friends are being, and even the craziest of deadlines and the most impending-est of homework due dates aren't gonna get me down :)
and for fun, here's a picture I took of my ring and my CSA pumpkin. admittedly, I saw a similar picture on PW, but I saw it after I'd thought of ithe idea and bfore I had a chance to take it, so I took it anyway!
Monday, October 26, 2009
thanks for reminding me! about my eco-friendly wedding...
someone *just* commented about this, and I've been meaning to blog it anyway, so here it goes...comment:
however.
A wedding here would mean that the two most important ladies in my life, my Mother and my Granny, would be unable to attend.
And that is simply unacceptable, don't you agree?
Sometimes emotions and practicality *should* win over eco-friendliness, you know? And yes, you can quote me on that. But only if you say "sometimes" and only if you know that really means "in rare circumstances."
So, Tulsa is it. April 17th in Tulsa. :) Once I hear back from my mom (and potentially call in a favor by Jackie or Jessica) we just might have a VENUE, too. A venue where the event fee all goes to charity, even. I'll keep you posted! Yay!!!
however.
A wedding here would mean that the two most important ladies in my life, my Mother and my Granny, would be unable to attend.
And that is simply unacceptable, don't you agree?
Sometimes emotions and practicality *should* win over eco-friendliness, you know? And yes, you can quote me on that. But only if you say "sometimes" and only if you know that really means "in rare circumstances."
So, Tulsa is it. April 17th in Tulsa. :) Once I hear back from my mom (and potentially call in a favor by Jackie or Jessica) we just might have a VENUE, too. A venue where the event fee all goes to charity, even. I'll keep you posted! Yay!!!
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I'm gonna eco-nerd it out here...cuz I fly one of the biggest pollution creaters (especially at high altitude) in the world...
But wouldn't the most eco-friendly be the location where the least number of people need to fly to get there?
Good luck with all the planning. According to any movie I've seen that has a wedding in it...this is the hard part.