Cuteness Personified

Well, AJ and I made it back to New York with slightly less drama than our westbound trip afforded. We did get delayed for over three hours in Chicago (typical), but United graciously agreed to get us a hotel in Albany so that we didn't have to drive the hour and a half to Speculator once we arrived. We almost didn't ask, because we figured it was such a long shot, but I'm glad we did, because it was 2:15 a.m. by the time we got our bags and car, and we were both like zombies.

Our trips to North Dakota and Colorado were full of fun times with family and friends, but I must say that the highlight was spending the week with our adorable niece, who really is "cuteness personified."

Need I say more? Well, in case the pictures don't convince you, here are some of the cute things she does:

- She calls me "Chee Chee" and AJ "Uncle" (sounds like "Elmo").

- Whenever anyone enters or exits the room, she says "Hi Chee Chee" or "Bye Mama." Even if you were just there, you still get enthusiastically greeted. It makes you feel quite important.

- There are three things that she likes to know at all times... where everyone is, what everyone is doing, and what that noise is. Her questions sound like, "Where Papa?", "What Uncle do?" and "What dat no?" (which it took me awhile to realize was, "What's that noise?", but I am slowly learning to speak her language).

- She sings an abridged version of the ABC's that goes, "A B C D L M N O P..." I mean, who really needs E - K anyway? (We may need to work on this if she's going to be an English major like her Auntie.)

- When AJ makes her laugh, which is often, she says "Uncle funny" or "Silly Uncle." Pretty observant for a two year-old.

- She says "No" often, but "Yes" is not in her vocabulary. Rather, she says "Uh huh" when she wants to answer in the affirmative.

- For some reason she calls a Christmas tree a "Peppa Tree." No one has any idea where that came from, but it's quite cute.

- And the one that tops them all: When she got home to Washington, she climbed into her parents' suitcase, pulled the straps over herself and said, "I'm going to visit Chee Chee." My heart melted when AJ relayed that to me. I'm so ready to be a mommy. :)

Well, the list could go on and on, but you get the idea. We also got a taste of cuteness in Colorado in the form of Sis' darling puppy Bailey. Here is a picture of Bailey in all her Christmas glory.

Merry Christmas a few days late (due to my lack of internet access in Colorado)! Dad, next year we're getting you wireless!

Living the Jane Austen Life

Earlier this year AJ's parents bought the Dakotah Rose. It is a three-story classical home with a Victorian interior, and staying here is like stepping into a Jane Austen novel. I am in heaven.

(The exterior picture was taken this summer. I really should take one with all the Christmas lights up, but it's cold in North Dakota!)

I love the oak woodwork and Tiffany-stained beveled glass windows, not to mention the seemingly endless rooms, including a parlor, tearoom, library, solarium, music room and ballroom.

On our first two nights we stayed in the Master Suite. My favorite feature was the huge bathroom with the upholstered window seat.

Now we're staying in the charming Butler's Suite on the third floor. Right next door is the ballroom, which has been converted into a playroom for my adorable niece. It is such an enchanting room, and I can just picture the Darling children from Peter Pan playing there.

Needless to say, my stay has been grand so far. I spend my days reading War and Peace and taking a turn about the library in my empire-waisted sweater (the closest I can get to the style of the times). I drink tea, eat sandwiches, have lovely dinners, and play games (not Whist, but close enough). All we are lacking is a ball.

Plus, we have electricity, indoor plumbing, wireless internet, cable and a hot tub. Beat that Emma Woodhouse.

It's not easy getting to North Dakota!

I think the airlines have something against North Dakota. I can fly anywhere else in the world with little to no difficulty, but every time AJ and I try to go to North Dakota, we encounter serious obstacles.

On my first trip to meet AJ's family in '05, we got stranded in White Plains, New York for 24 hours, then bumped off of our connecting flight in Minneapolis and then finally re-routed to Grand Forks instead of Minot (adding several hours to an already long trip).

Last Christmas, we got stuck in the Denver blizzard and our flight to Minot got cancelled altogether. The airlines were so helpful and graciously offered us a flight on Christmas day (instead of the 21st), which would have been so perfect considering we had to go back to New York on the 26th...but we declined.

Since the cancellation was weather-related and thus not their fault, they wouldn't move us to another airline, and of course all of the rental cars in the Denver area were long gone. So Dad drove us seven hours to Spearfish, South Dakota, where we met AJ's dad who drove us another seven hours to Minot.

This year wasn't quite as bad. We opted to fly into Bismarck instead of Minot, where at least we have the choice of more than one airline. We booked flights from Albany to Dulles to Denver to Bismarck. (You cannot fly from Albany to North Dakota with less than two stops. It is faster to fly to Europe... and it often costs less too.)

Anyway, we were supposed to arrive in Bismarck at 6:32 p.m., but I know by now that no matter what itinerary we book, we will come in on the very last flight there is. Sure enough, our flight in Dulles got cancelled (mechanical failure), leaving us four hours to play hearts, drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee, and people-watch. We caught the last flight to Bismarck from Denver and got in around 10 p.m.

You'd think given the amount of time we gave them to move our luggage from one plane to another that our bags would have arrived with us, but no. We must have looked pretty pathetic standing next to the baggage carousel watching the empty conveyor belt go 'round and 'round until one of the workers said, "That's all there is." What?!

AJ got his bag, but mine and the presents were MIA. "Okay, don't panic," I told myself, "they'll come tomorrow. It's only all your favorite clothes, three pairs of shoes, your new down jacket, your toiletries and ALL OF YOUR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS! No problem."

So I checked the online "bag tracker" the next morning, where you get updates on "delayed" (not lost) baggage, and it said, "Unfortunately, your baggage has not yet been located. Please check back in a few hours." Hmmm... so my "delayed" baggage has not been located? That's weird. Kinda sounds like it's a bit more than tardy.

I checked back a few hours later and got the same message. Then a few hours later: again, same message. And then I finally told myself, "c3, your luggage is not coming today."

Okay, I don't know about you, but I can only wear the same outfit for so many days before I start to lose it. So, I did what I had to do... I went to the mall. It was difficult, but I managed to buy two very cute pairs of jeans, two sweaters, and a tank top.

Later that night I got a call from the airline saying that my bags would be delivered in the morning. I beamed, and AJ said, "Oh good, now we can take back all of those clothes," to which I replied, "Don't be silly, honey, that's compensation for the emotional trauma."

(I have since been accused of bribing the airline to lose my bags for those two days, but I vehemently deny all such claims.)

Inflatable, Inflatable

It's Christmastime in upstate New York... do you know what that means? Inflatable lawn ornaments! Classy, huh?

What is it about upstate New Yorkers that makes them love giant snowmen, Santa Clauses, penguin families and reindeer? I drove to Vermont a couple of years ago to do some Christmas shopping, and I did not see one inflatable. It was so... tasteful.

Anyway, I wrote this little song (to the tune of O Christmas Tree) to capture my feelings on inflatables. (Please note the sarcasm.)

Inflatable, Inflatable,
How lovely is your glowing.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
What Christmas cheer you're showing.
You make the lawn a festive sight
And brighten up the darkest night.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
How lovely is your glowing.

Inflatable, Inflatable,
You look so cute and jolly.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
My giant Christmas dolly.
To buy the Santa Claus deluxe,
It only cost me twenty bucks.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
You look so cute and jolly.

Inflatable, Inflatable,
Oh how the neighbors love you!
Inflatable, Inflatable,
You raise my house's value.
You complement my tire pile;
I think I'll keep you 'round awhile.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
Oh how the neighbors love you!

Inflatable, Inflatable,
The king of decorations.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
You're great for all occasions.
You hide the bare spot on my lawn;
Oh how I'll miss you when you're gone.
Inflatable, Inflatable,
The king of decorations.

The Parking Authority

There are certain things that men, including AJ, feel strongly about: their chair, their car (or truck), and their parking space. Well, we have some new neighbors (all friends, since we live in employee housing), and I guess they didn't find the parking rules inherently obvious.

When we came home last night, this is what we found:

You will notice that the first two cars are angled toward our building. That is not acceptable to AJ. The cars are also not evenly spaced. Again, not acceptable. But most importantly, there is no room for AJ's truck! Completely and utterly unacceptable and inexcusable.

So, what choice did AJ have? He promptly went next to door to our single, male neighbor (we'll call him the Gator) and formed the OCPA, that is the Oaks (building next door) and Cedars (our building) Parking "Authority." (Yes, Authority is intentionally in quotations.)

AJ and the Gator drafted and hand-delivered the following notices to our neighbors. (Neighbors, many of whom read this blog, please note: I had NOTHING to do with these notices. I take no part in any parking disputes, since I HAVE NO CAR!) Okay, here's the notice:

Dear New Neighbors:

On behalf of the Oaks/Cedar Parking Authority, herein referred to as OCPA, we would like to make you aware of the parking regulations for the Oaks/Cedar area.

At the annual meeting held September 6, 2007, it was decided that the Gator would be re-elected to the position of Oaks representative and AJ would be re-elected to the position of Cedars representative. In the spirit of Hugo Chavez, these are lifetime terms.

If you have any problems that you would like addressed, please bring them to your representative, who will then represent you at the next OCPA meeting. If your concerns are not resolved in a favorable way, you may bring them to arbitration. Results through arbitration are final. (Arbitration means that the Gator and AJ will reconsider your case.)

At the November OCPA meeting, the "Authority" determined that parking in front of Cedars would be diagonal, with the nose of the vehicle pointed toward Route 30, and would be for AJ, the Gator and the M Family. All others must park behind Oaks.

Sincerely,
OCPA

Well, I guess the notices worked, because this is what we came home to this evening. (For those of you think that this picture is actually quite similar to the picture at the beginning of this post, you must be a woman. Trust me, there is a drastic difference to AJ.)

Nice work, OCPA. (Neighbors, please don't egg our truck.)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Winter has finally arrived in the Adirondacks. The snowplows have started driving by every few minutes, causing mini-earthquakes in our apartment and guaranteeing that we only hear about 50% of any given phone call or television program; AJ's black truck is looking good in its winter white, thanks to the extremely generous layer of salt on the roads; and I finally pulled out my winter boots and hat for the long trek to the office each morning, since, as you may recall, I am still carless. Plus, I've started decorating for Christmas!

Our stockings

My token poinsettia and the classic two-headed reindeer candle holder

My favorite candy cane striped candle

We decided not to get a tree this year, since we will be away for most of the Christmas season, but we are doing other things to get into the Christmas spirit, like... going to see White Christmas in Boston! Yes, it's true! White Christmas is quite possibly my all-time favorite movie, so, needless to say, I am really excited to see it on stage. I only hope I won't be too disappointed with whomever they cast to play Bing Crosby's character. Those are some big shoes to fill.

Okay, random, unrelated tangent...

I love plants. But they do not always love me back. Several have withered away over the years, but two have thrived. One is a diffenbachia that sits by my sink and grows like a weed. It had become tall and noble (a source of great pride), until last night...

I went to get a drink of water, and this is what I found.

Have you ever seen anything so sad? I have no idea what happened. The stem isn't broken, and the only change in its environment is a small ivy plant that I placed next to it. Apparently, diffenbachias are very anti-social! Sorry, diff, I moved the ivy, now straighten up! (No luck so far, but AJ did tape a piece of string to the window to hold it up.)

Okay, two other random reports, and then I'm done for the night.

1. I did teach my first aerobics class last week. No major mishaps, but I definitely have room to grow. I'm still hoping H will move back.

2. Do not rent Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon. It's awful. I'm glad Thackeray is not alive to see it, because that is not how he wrote Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley. Come to think of it, I'm not sure Vanity Fair is good movie material. What makes the book so brilliant is the narrator's sarcasm, and it's hard to capture that tone in dialogue. But, they could have tried a little harder.

Psalm 103

On a more serious note, here are some verses that have given me renewed hope and vigor this week. I love that our God redeems our lives from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion. I cannot think of a more powerful image.

Psalm 103: 1-5
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Blogger's Block Conquered

Please excuse my shameful lack of posting last week. I had a bit of blogger's block, which I think stems from my unrealistic need for perfection in all areas of life. However, I am fighting off the neurosis and forcing myself to write in spite of my want of a brilliant topic.

I was also busy last week. Sis came to visit, and between our hair appointments, shopping, lunches out, sleeping in, and movie watching... there just wasn't time for much else! Then we went away for Thanksgiving (limited computer access) and now I'm back to work.

(Okay, Sis did leave on Friday night, and we were home this weekend, but AJ and I were involved in a fierce competition of the Realtree Memory Match Game (fun for hours), in which we are currently tied with a low score of 8. If you beat that, don't tell me, because I will be too jealous. I also made four cards, completed a USA Today crossword puzzle, sewed a button on AJ's shirt, and made a venison roast in the crock pot.)

I did not, however, end up making a pie for Thanksgiving (big shock), although I did choose a recipe and put my pie plate on the counter. Baby steps to domestic perfection...

Actually, I would have gladly stayed home today to bake a pie. It is my official position that the first days back at work after a week off are the WORST days of the year. I mean... it was Thanksgiving!! How could I possibly have 103 new emails (slight exaggeration, but only slight) and 7 new voicemails?! I am not that important! Well, apparently I am, but some of you will have to wait until tomorrow for a response, because the only typing I am doing tonight is on this blog.

It also didn't help that I was tired from waking up at 3 a.m. in a panic about building aerobics sequences. No, I am not kidding. I lay there for what seemed like an eternity trying to figure out how to lead a six move combination, which we'll call A, B, C, D, E, F for the purpose of this illustration.

Should I do: A... B... C... D... E... F... then A, B... then A, B, C... then A, B, C, D... Or should I do: A... B... then A, B... then C... then A, B, C... then D... etc.

H, why did you move away? Please come back! I'm not ready!

Speaking of H, she reminded me that I forgot a classic memory in my last post, namely the time I chipped my front tooth while trying to catch Peanut M & Ms in my mouth as H threw them in the air from across the office. Don't try it--it's not worth it!

But that is how I found my wonderful dentist, Dr. Z. He recently upgraded from his retro office with the orange vinyl chairs to a nice new building, and I kind of miss the old place. Particularly the poster that read "We pride ourselves on using only the latest technology and equipment"... with the date 1981 at the bottom. AJ tried to joke him about that, but he just didn't see the humor in it. Hmmm....

Well, we're going to see him on December 5, and I'm gonna keep my eye out for the newer version of that poster.

Tribute to the Aerobics Superstar

I mentioned in my last post that my friend H is moving away, and the time has finally come. She pulls away Wednesday morning!

Camps are pretty transitory places, so I've seen a lot of people come and go in my 6 1/2 years here, but H was always a constant. It will be a different place when she's gone, and I will miss her! Here are some of my favorite memories:

1. Becoming friends at Great Escape while waiting in line for the most disappointing roller coaster ever. We nicknamed it "Cracked Axle Canyon"-- I can't remember what it was actually called.

2. Spending sleepless nights in damp, mosquito-infested cement block buildings on our days off. We called "Split Rock" "Misery Rock" and "Ausable "Auswample" -- I think there was one more, but I can't remember its name!

3. Praying for rain in order to get out of our 6 a.m. lifeguarding workouts in the frigid water, and singing, "The moment I wake up, before I put on my swimsuit, I say a little prayer for ME! While grabbing my towel, and wondering how loud I'll howl, I say a little prayer for ME!" (Also, our awesome goggles.)

4. Watching Anne Goes Psycho in Miss Kim's little cabin and laughing so hysterically that I think the whole camp heard us.

5. Choreographing and performing "Sisters," of course. ("Do You Want a Revolution?" and "Wishin' and Hopin'" were fun too.)

6. Walking down the hill to our little cabin on the island in the pitch black with our hands out in front of us, lifting our feet way up high to avoid tripping on the roots. (One time H did trip and hit her head on the building. She was okay, but the next morning we found a clump of her hair on the wood siding!)

7. Living in the retro-styled CHA with three girls in one bedroom and H sleeping in a little cove under a lofted bed, because space was so tight! Also, making the dangerous trek to the "dungeon" to do our laundry on cold, snowy nights.

8. Finding a mouse one morning with one leg caught in a trap pulling itself around the CHA while we tried to figure out (between squeals) how to kill it. We finally gave up, tried to feed it some banana bread to ease its discomfort, and allowed our upstairs neighbor (a teenage boy) to take it off our hands.

9. Seeing H run into the house wide-eyed and out of breath one night, because she was pretty sure that a coyote was chasing her home.

10. And last but not least, doing aerobics at 5:30 a.m. to H's awesome combos! I loved every minute of it (with the only possible exceptions being the time she made us do so many lunges that I couldn't walk for days and the time I almost broke her leg off in Kung Fu while testing D's butterfly stretch claims). Here's a picture of the aerobics faithfuls at our farewell breakfast for H:

Well, the list of memories could go on and on, but those are a few highlights. I will miss you H! You better start a blog so that I can read about all the new memories you're making.

Things I Never Thought I'd Do

Now if this picture doesn't just scream ATHLETE, I don't know what does. I should have been a marathon runner, but I may have to settle for the next best thing... an aerobics instructor!

My good friend H is moving away next week, and it seems that my pressuring her to start an aerobics class about a year ago is coming back to bite me. Now I'm being pressured to take it over!

Hmmm... H has a Master's degree in Exercise Physiology; I have a BA in English and German. H likes to run the ten miles around the lake; I get tired walking the half mile to the grocery store. Does this sound like a good fit to anyone?!

Well, if you know any qualified instructors who don't mind an early morning workout, send them my way. If not, wish me the best, because surely me teaching aerobics is better than no aerobics at all! (I may change my mind on this after I lead my first class.)

Addendum

In the interest of maintaining the highest standard of truthfulness in this blog, please accept this addendum to my November 9th post:

1. I registered for a KitchenAid mixer and did not receive it.

2. I want to be the type of person who goes apple picking and makes her own sauce, tarts, pies and strudels. I'm just not sure I ever will be.

3. I am considering making a pie from scratch for Thanksgiving.

4. I own a portable casserole dish with an insulated carrying case with handles. Yes, I attend enough potlucks to warrant that.

5. Despite my domestic deficiencies, I do make killer enchiladas and above-average chocolate chip/peanut butter/oatmeal cookies.

Blog Photographer Wanted

You know how they say that a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, I tend to just opt for the thousand words. That's why I need a photographer for my blog.

I bring my camera places, but I just don't use it. For example, how many posts ago did I say that I was going to take a picture of my much-loved, recently-sold '97 Chevy Cavalier? (sob, sob)

And I brought my camera to the rodeo on Friday night, but I didn't take a single picture. (Well, I think that was because I wanted to be wearing a flashy cowboy hat and boots, so I didn't feel like being photographed in my boring street clothes.)

This was our second visit to the "Adirondack Stampede" Rodeo. AJ and I went there on our second date in 2004 (the weekend after the Gander Mountain trip), when he impressed me by reaching above the masses to catch a NASCAR t-shirt that was thrown into the crowd. (I was equally impressed by how quickly he gave it away.)

We didn't catch anything this time, but we did have a good view of some grotesquely ugly bulls. There's nothing like watching a bull rider get stepped on to make you thankful that your husband is a hunter and not a rodeo star! (Although I think that AJ does secretly want to be a cowboy. He has tried to convince me at least a half a dozen times that we need to buy cows and horses, and he once mentioned something about mucking stalls as a part of my morning chores. I'm pretty sure that any chore that involves "mucking" is not for me.)

Despite my desire to own a cowboy hat and boots, I know that I could never be a true cowgirl, because I was happy every time the cute little calves got away without being roped. My friends laughed at me, but I felt bad for the calves when they were scampering along and all of sudden got yanked backwards by the neck, flipped upside down, and bound together at the feet. (It didn't bother me as much when this happened to the slightly older and not-as-cute steers, which may say something about my character.)

Anyway, since I have no rodeo pictures to share with you, here is one from our chocolate fondue party on Sunday night (compliments of my friend). It was almost as much fun as the rodeo and smelled much better. Plus, my team won "Hugger Mugger" and I contributed by correctly spelling "baccalaureate" and "chrysanthemum." I knew that going to the spelling bee in the 4th grade would pay off someday!

I Don't Watch the Food Network

To say that I am more academically inclined than domestically inclined is a gross understatement. If you invite me to join a classics book club, I'm in! But don't hold your breath if you invite me to participate in a recipe exchange. And if I do participate, you can pretty much expect a "Better Homes & Gardens" recipe copied verbatim from my trusty cookbook.

For the record, I don't bake pies from scratch FOR FUN (who are you people?); I don't get excited about KitchenAid attachments (I don't even own a KitchenAid mixer); and I don't watch the Food Network.

(I do, however, get excited about new stoneware and table runners, because I like pretty things, and I do not consider decorating to be inherently domestic. But I may be in denial. I do watch a lot of HGTV.)

Anyway, I've had more than a few mishaps in the kitchen. I once greatly overestimated my baking abilities by signing up to bake a pie for a sportsman's dinner hosted by my church. As you may have guessed, I had never baked a pie before.

(And you might note that I have twice butchered brownies made from brownie MIX. Hard to imagine, I know, since you only have to add THREE ingredients and stir. However, I once mistakenly omitted the eggs and on a second occasion omitted the water. Yeah... those are both CRUCIAL ingredients.)

But I digress. My much-more-domestic-than-me friend offered to help me make my first-ever pie crust at her home late one Thursday evening. I actually excelled at this portion of pie making, as my love for symmetry aided me in carefully rolling out two perfect circles. With the help of my friend I also mixed and added some yummy blackberry filling and soon completed a pretty respectable-looking pie.

The problem came when I ventured to take the pie out of my friend's happily-domestic kitchen and into the how-do-you-light-the-oven-again? kitchen of my humble apartment. (This was pre-AJ.)

I wasn't sure if I could let the pie sit unbaked overnight, so I went ahead and baked it until it was all golden and yummy-looking. It was beautiful. I thought to myself, perhaps I am domestic after all. (As always, pride comes before the fall.)

Well, by this time it was quite late and the pie needed to cool. But would it be safe sitting on the kitchen counter or would the mice consume it in the darkness as they had ravaged countless bread goods on previous nights? I feared the latter but was too tired to stay up any longer, so I went to bed.

About ten minutes later, and after much anxiety, tossing and turning, I went to check on my pie. It was fine, but still... I couldn't risk it. I decided to bring it into the bedroom where I could keep a closer eye on it. Because if the mice were to get it there, surely I would hear them, and I would shoo them off before... wait. What are the chances that I would hear the mice before they got into the pie? And just how awesome do I think my reflexes are?

But, despite my doubts, I carefully balanced my beautiful pie on its wire cooling rack and set it on my dresser. And I went back to bed.

More tossing and turning.

And then the realization that having a pie in one's bedroom is utterly ridiculous.

So I got up again. And I picked up the wire cooling rack on which the pie was sitting... and I carried it through the living room... and back into the kitchen... and then...

I
tipped
the
wire
cooling
rack
ever
so
slightly
and,
as
if
in
slow
motion,
the
pie
slid
off
and
LANDED FACE DOWN ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR!

Why, oh why, did I choose blackberries?

So, after much scooping and wiping and mopping, I proceeded on the following day to bake a second pie (peach, this time) for the aforementioned dinner. And I haven't baked a pie since.

And now a confession:

On one of my first visits to North Dakota, my wonderful mother-in-law attempted to explain to me how to make AJ's favorite cinnamon rolls. The explanation started with, "So you just start with your basic sweet roll recipe, and then..."

"Uh huh," I said, smiling and nodding.

Well Carol, with much shame and humility, I must admit that I do not have a basic sweet roll recipe and yeast is not an ingredient that I keep on hand. But I really do enjoy making lefse.

Gun Shopping and Football Movies

It was exactly three years ago today that AJ and I had our first date. We had been working together for just over a month, and I had a huge crush on him. I was secretly trying to figure out how to spend time with him outside of work, and then one night he called me.

We drove to Utica for dinner and a movie, but we got there early so decided to check out the new Gander Mountain store. That was my first exposure to the wonderful world of hunting! Little did I know then that my not-so-distant future would include trips to the taxidermist, Cabela's credit cards, a freezer full of venison, and recorded episodes of North American Hunter. Life is full of little surprises.

(In fairness, AJ may not have anticipated evenings at the Nutcracker or watching Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team either. And yes, I really do like that show.)

Anyway, I remember that we looked at guns, but I can't tell you if they were shotguns or rifles, because I didn't learn the difference until many months later. Thankfully AJ avoided the scent section, because I think the bottles of "Mrs. Doe Pee" may have been too much, even for a first date. As it was, I enjoyed every minute in Gander Mountain, because I was so happy to be with him. Isn't it funny how anything can be fun and romantic when you first start dating? Now I make poor AJ drop me off at Kohl's before he goes to Gander Mountain.

Later that evening we went to dinner and saw the movie Friday Night Lights. That was when I first learned that AJ gets choked up at sports movies, and that's when I knew that he had my heart. We got engaged ten months later, and the rest is history.

Going Home

Death is still relatively new territory for me. My paternal grandparents died when I was very young, and I hardly knew them. I've had some close friends lose loved ones, so I know how it feels to hurt for someone and with someone, but to experience the actual loss of a parent... or a spouse... is beyond my comprehension.

Being married has made me think about this more. When I was single, it never occurred to me that along with the great gain of love and a life-long partner comes the fear and potential of devastating loss. It's a weird paradox. I know that death is inevitable, and as a Christian I do not fear death, but I guess a part of me fears life should those that I love pass on before me.

I bring all of this up, because a couple of weeks ago a very dear woman and friend of ours passed away, leaving behind her husband of 51 years. We weren't able to attend the funeral, but some friends were kind enough to send us the program, which I received in the mail today. Inside the program were the words to this beautiful hymn, written by her father. They brought tears to my eyes, and I wanted to share them with you.

I Want To Go Home
by William Windahl

I want to go Home to the Lord I love;
I want to go Home to mansions above,
To the City bright with its streets of gold,
To joy and gladness, to glories untold.

I want to go Home to see the face
Of Him Who saved me by His infinite grace,
Hung on the cross of Calvary
And shed his blood to ransom me.

I want to go Home with Him to dwell
Who conquered Satan, sin, death and hell,
Cleansed me from sin by His blood divine,
Dwells now in my heart and I know He is mine.

I want to go Home, yet I must stay
And help lost sinners to find the way
To Calvary's cross, to His riven side,
To trust Him only and in Him abide.

I want to go Home, soon the battle is o'er;
I'll leave earth's darkness for the golden shore;
There the glory of God will shine always
And I'll praise my dear Savior in unending day.

I love this song, even though I've never heard the melody. I love that my friend's father wrote it, and I love that my friend shared his perspective. I love to dwell on the fact that my friend is now home, and even more than that, to know that she longed to be there and that her husband longed for her to be there, in spite of the loss to himself.

Death is so bittersweet. On the one hand, we want those we love to be with the One who loves them perfectly; on the other hand, we miss the opportunities that life affords us to love them in our own imperfect ways. Shortly before my friend passed away, one of her friends wrote, "We are slowly gathering on the other side. What a wonderful thought and what a great gathering it will be!! No matter how difficult it is for us in this world to let go, they are all eager for her to come home to God's house." Amen!

As for me, I may not know much about death, but I cling to what I know about Him. As Sara Groves wrote in the song "What Do I Know" (Conversations, 2001):

I don't know that there are harps in heaven
Or the process for earning your wings
I don't know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels
Or any of these things
But I know that to be absent from this body
Is to be present with the Lord
And from what I know of Him, that must be very good.

Little Miss Monklet

I promised a few days ago to write more about my Monklet (the best cat EVER), so here I go. We were only together for a year, and shortly after we separated she tragically sacrificed herself to some coyotes, probably because she missed me so much.

(Or because she greatly overestimated her position in the food chain, due to the fact that she was queen of the jungle in our three-bedroom apartment where the cloth mice never fought back.)

In any case, we were the best of friends during my senior year of college. She sipped the milk from my cereal bowl, made her bed amongst the sweaters in my closet and once climbed up my bare leg when I wouldn't pick her up after getting out of the shower (we weren't best friends for awhile after that).

I must admit that Monklet was a little rough around the edges. Her fur didn't quite lie flat; she was a bit unladylike at times; and she liked to "nurse" on your fingers, which grossed out my roommates, but I thought was kind of cute. (I mean, have some pity! The poor darling was abandoned by her mother and found in a heating vent as a kitten!)

One time she fell asleep with her tongue sticking out, and when she woke up she was all groggy and disoriented. I thought for sure she had suffered some kind of brain damage, but after a few minutes she put her tongue back in her mouth and was fine. That was just Monklet.

One of my funniest memories is when she got a plastic bag stuck on her tail and thought she was being hunted. I have never seen an animal run so fast in my life! There was no way to catch her. The bag finally came off when she ran under a dresser in my friend's room to hide. Needless to say, she didn't come out for several hours.

On another occasion, when she was again running through the house at lightning speed, she ran right across a pizza that was sitting on our coffee table. She never even noticed, but you could see her little paw prints in the cheese. Gross, I know.

Monklet was a hit with my family when I took her home for Christmas until she climbed up the drapes in the living room, clawed the back of the dining room chairs and attacked the Christmas tree. Still, my brother enjoyed wrestling her with an oven mitt. That was fun for hours.

In case you're wondering where the name "Monklet" came from, she was named after Sis. When Sis was a toddler, she used to climb all over everything, just like a little monkey. Mom nicknamed her "Baby Monklet." My Monklet had similar tendencies, so the name just fit.

Come to think of it, Sis also had the nickname "Tiny Tyrant." I guess she and Monklet had more in common than I realized.

An Auntie Again!

Psalm 127:3: "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Today AJ's sister had a beautiful baby boy... right on her due date! How often does that happen? Congratulations H & J! We can't wait to learn his name and meet him at Christmas. We love you!

A Moon Halo

One benefit of having aerobics in the middle of the night (okay, 5:30 a.m.) is that you get to see the moon and the stars in the morning. Since the sun comes up so late these days, I have been able to enjoy a number of beautiful night skies. This morning was particularly beautiful, because there was a "halo" around the moon! (I didn't have my camera, but Wikipedia came to my rescue again!)

It was nice to have a reminder of angels (via halos) on Halloween. There is a spiritual battle raging between good and evil, but God is in control of all things and the battle is ultimately won through Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!

"But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

Big Girls DO Cry!

Today was a sad day (see #1 below), and it brought to mind some other sad days in my not-so-long-ago past. Since I love lists, here is a list of the 5 silliest things I've cried about (as an adult):

5. When I was losing at Monopoly (badly) and landed on Boardwalk with a hotel (which I obviously did not own)

4. When I discovered that one of my Precious Moments figurines had been broken (and sneakily glued back together without my knowledge. The perpetrator has yet to identify him/herself.)

3. When my waffle batter completely stuck to my "non-stick" waffle iron as I was cooking breakfast for some friends, thus forcing me to alter my menu at the last minute (you may recall that "melancholies" do not like change!)

2. When I came home one evening to the sound of muffled meows and discovered my kitten Monklet in a drawer (I was completely traumatized. She was perfectly fine, of course.) I'll post more about Monklet later. She was the greatest cat EVER.

1. When, today, I sold my first and only car after 10 1/2 years. (Goodbye, my friend; you served me well, despite your broken a/c, doors that froze at the slightest frost, water damage-y smell due to your leaking trunk that I let go unfixed for too long, and non-automatic everything. I still love you and will miss you dearly.)

To ease my trauma, AJ brought me flowers and a sympathy card this morning. The sympathy card read, "Memories of those 'cars' (inserted by AJ) we've loved stay close to us, keeping our hearts company... May each memory comfort and bring you peace."

Fortunately I have many memories of "little red" to bring me comfort: our drive across the country... the time she locked the doors on me with my keys and wallet inside while I was outside at a Burger King in the pouring rain... her beautiful veil (a.k.a. the tarp I covered her trunk with before I fixed the aforementioned leak problem)... the time she spun me off the road and into a snow bank where there was no cell service (she never even told why she was mad; I wonder if it had something to do with the veil...). Well, the list could go on forever.

In any case, I had hoped to post a picture of me with "little red" but my evil camera was out of battery this morning. So, I'll figure out a way to get one in the next couple of days or I'll scrounge up an old one from the past. Check back soon.

(By the way, I went to the spa on Saturday for a facial and a massage, so at least I was nice and relaxed for today's trauma.)

Rockin' Knees with a Kick

I have come to the conclusion that Tapawingo staffers are a unique and wonderful breed of women. (If you have no idea what Tapawingo is, click here.) They are a bit zanier than most and their passion for the Lord is, in my experience, unparallelled.

It is with these women that I have choreographed airband numbers, thought up ridiculous relay races (NOTE: it is not safe to run across an uneven field with a bucket on your head), laughed hysterically at bad Anne of Green Gables sequels ("Dominick! Dominick!"), and performed mock lost swimmer drills at 6:00 a.m. when it is so cold that you can see your own breath. We have cried together, prayed together, sung hymns together and grown together in countless ways.

I could fill pages with the memories I have from my five summers on staff at Tapawingo, but that is not the purpose of this post. What I want to tell you about today is the latest Tapawingo initiative: MORNING AEROBICS. (Okay, technically it's not a Tapawingo initiative, but most of the women involved are Tapawingo alumnae.)

The Village Fitness Center wasn't quite meeting our fitness needs (it's more of a room than a "center"), so we decided to meet twice a week for a 5:30 a.m. workout... Tapawingo-style. If you're wondering what that looks like, let's just say that we're thinking of turning our routines into the next winning airband number. Here are my 10 favorite moves:

10. Front & Back "V" Step (I like to call it "the hour glass")
9. Clock Jacks
8. Riverdance
7. Serve it Up
6. Pony Up
5. Pump it Up (moves ending with "Up" are generally positive)
4. Diagonal Grapevine
3. Rocking Horse
2. Ham Hoppers
1. Rockin' Knees with a kick (new today!)

See what you're missing?! Richard Simmons has nothing on us.

Such Devoted Sisters

"Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..."

White Christmas has been one of my favorite movies since I was a little girl, and I grew up singing "Sisters." Sis and I performed our own rendition of the song when we were little, and I won an airband competition in 2004 with a more polished performance (see picture).

I bring this up, because my own sister is my best friend in the world, and she is in need of some cheering up today. So, Sis, here are some pictures to make you smile. I love you.

Melancholy marries a Choleric

I have always been fascinated by personality studies. I enjoy taking personality tests (even though I labor over which answer really describes me), and I find them helpful in better understanding myself, AJ, my family, etc. Today I was browsing through the book "Talk Easy, Listen Hard" by Nancy Sebastian Meyer, and I came across the following personality categories on page 19:

SANGUINE
Strengths: popular, talkative, dramatic, optimistic, a people-pleaser
Weaknesses: forgetful, lacks follow-through, a poor listener
Basic Desire: FUN

CHOLERIC
Strengths: powerful, concise, a strong leader, realistic, results-oriented
Weaknesses: arrogant, controlling, brusque
Basic Desire: CONTROL

PHLEGMATIC
Strengths: peaceful, a good listener, loyal, relaxed, relational
Weaknesses: a procrastinator, non confrontational, tuned-out
Basic Desire: PEACE

MELANCHOLY
Strengths: perfect, analytical, sensitive, conscientious, task-oriented
Weaknesses: critical, moody, withdrawn
Basic Desire: PERFECTION

AJ and I are poster children for the Choleric and Melancholy personalities respectively. It is eerie that humans can somehow be divided into four categories that so accurately describe them. (I realize that these descriptions may not resonate with everyone the way they did with us, but still.) We read the chapters about our two personalities, and I felt like the author was describing our marriage. It was unnerving and kind of comforting at the same time.

Anyways, I am going to look into this further and see if I can be a better wife as a result. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, what personality are you?

Little Getaways

September was a month of little getaways, and I loved it.


First, AJ and I went to Martha's Vineyard with my Dad & Sis. It was a lot of fun, but I was not quite prepared for the 20 mile bike ride... against the wind...both ways. Here are a few highlights.

A Congdon family tradition: take the same picture with as many different combinations of people as possible.

This was hilarious to watch. Sis and AJ discovered some kind of crazy sea urchin while Dad and I watched from the road. The funniest part was seeing them suddenly jump and swim away. (AJ would like you to know that he and Sis are wearing swimsuits in this picture, even though you can't see them.)

About a week later AJ and I went to the Thousand Islands, which is quickly becoming one of our favorite places. We again saw Boldt Castle on Heart Island, which has a beautiful and tragic history. It was built by George Boldt as a Valentine's Day gift for his wife, who died just days before he was going to give it to her. It is being renovated but will never be restored beyond the point of the original construction.

Singer Castle on Dark Island was inspired by a Sir Walter Scott novel. My favorite part was the secret passages that connected many of the rooms. We didn't get to go in them, but if if you stay overnight, the caretaker will give you a special tour. I think it costs $600 for the first couple to stay overnight and $150 for each additional couple, with a max of 3 couples. Anyone game?

At the end of the month I went to Colorado to see my dear friend Cat marry the man of her dreams. She was a gorgeous bride, and it was so good to see her and catch up with all of my college friends. I love you girls!

October Resolutions

"It's never too late to be who you might have been."
~George Eliot, English novelist (1819 - 1880)

Despite being an avid reader of George Eliot novels, I discovered this quote in an "inspirational" mini-book that was mass-mailed to our office. And since I open all of the general mail, I get to benefit from these tidbits of wisdom, not to mention myriad day planners, pens, calendars and key chains that promo companies shamelessly send.

And so, since I "might have been" an athletic, well-hydrated prayer warrior/writer, I hereby resolve to do the following before year-end:

1. Lose 8 pounds
2. Drink more water and less coffee
3. Pray with my husband, AJ, in the mornings
4. Start a blog

One down... three to go! It's never too late.