Third Anniversary

The Mister and I will have been married three years on September 4th. Our wedding took place at the end of the hardest six weeks of my life and in the middle of a horrible "life event" that brought our wedding plans to a screeching (crashing, crumpling) halt. Our priorities shifted and our marriage was tested, forged, and strengthened in the chaos of that time. I discovered in all of the craziness that the Mister was a man I could hang on to through the storm. He found out I was someone he could finally let his guard down with. It wasn't the easiest start, but it was the best for us.

It's Football Season!

Growing up in a state that really didn't have professional sports (the Blazers don't count; they'll just break your heart) moving to Colorado was a big adjustment. Bumper stickers like, "I Bleed Orange" and, "If God's Not a Bronco Fan, Why Are Sunsets Orange?" were completely foreign to me. However, with enough exposure I started to make some sense of both the game and the passion.

Now I love football season. It's still really not that much about the game, it's about the time with the Mister. The change in seasons. Pulling out my favorite sweatpants and fleece shirt. The Mister making a bowl of popcorn for halftime. Every single memory he has of every single play John Elway ever made and the light it brings to his eyes. Cuddling up on the sofa only to get jolted as he hollers at the TV. The friendly ribbing at work as each rejoices or despairs over their team's performance that week. Soup. Homemade bread. Crisp, dry mornings. Buying Halloween candy. Eating said candy. The smell of a neighbor's fireplace. Putting extra blankets on the bed.

Tonight is the last pre-season game. Let the football season begin!

Sewing Sweet

My mom is an amazing seamstress. When it was time to plan my wedding, I asked her to make my dress. I didn't want store-bought, which was quite a departure from my childhood when she wanted to make my clothes and I didn't think they were cool enough. Now that I am older and finally coming to terms with my pear shape, I'm looking more at making my own clothes. Until stores will finally acknowledge that a woman can be smaller on the top than she is on the bottom, I am going to try my hand at my own needle-and-thread revolution. Take up your seam rippers, ladies! Arm yourselves with a good pair of shears--we're taking back our wardrobes!

Now that homemade is cool again and the revolution is starting, I am gaining a new appreciation for Mom's skills and efforts. Last night was my first time at a sewing machine since I was 12 and mom helped me make a sundress. Our two new throw pillows look charming and lovely (as well as perfectly constructed) on our sofa. They are the direct result of 2 1/2 hours of "slow and careful" and the byproduct of 33 years of Mom's "loving and patient". Thanks, Mom.

Guess I Need To Revise My Travel Plans

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

The Casa Is Now Open For Business

We've had our first official guests to the Casa! The house isn't done yet, but it is presentable. The weekend was busy with visitors. Friday night we hosted friends for dinner, Saturday my parents and in-laws all came over for a long lunch, and Sunday the Mister's cousin came down from Ft. Collins. Next weekend: Little Sister and Brother-in-Law from Steamboat Springs. The weekend after: The Mister's cousin and her husband from Minnesota. We've got to get the guest bedroom set up!

What I'm Reading

Oy. The 52 book challenge has come to a grinding halt with this book. It's really interesting but moves at a pretty slow pace. I'm falling behind on my schedule, which has caused me a lot of angst lately. I never leave a book unfinished (great skimmer, though) so I've got to keep going. My worry is that I am reading for the sake of completing my goal and not for the enjoyment and beauty of the books themselves.

Lottery Game

I've been playing the Lottery Game in my head a lot this morning, as in, "If I won the lottery, what would I do?" Today's edition is a list of places I would go. Here's my itinerary:

• Take a road trip from Denver to Newport, Oregon. I love a good road trip! Take the northern route through Montana, Idaho, and Washington so I can show the Mister the wonders of Glacier National Park, Couer d'Alene, Idaho, and Seattle.
• Spend a week in a cabin on the beach in Newport. Think about nothing. Eat clam chowder at Mo's.
  
• Drive to Portland and fly to Hawaii for at least a week. We've been to Honolulu and the Big Island, so I think I'd like to visit Maui on this trip.
• Fly to Sydney to visit sister-in-law. Take side trips to Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand, and Fiji.
• Return to Hawaii to rest for a few days before heading back to Denver. Re-pack suitcase and fly to New York. I've only been to New York once (for 22 hours) for a job interview and it was one of the worst experiences of my professional career. Would like a do-over, please.
• Fly New York to London just in time for the Wimbledon tournament. Eat strawberries and cream and listen to the Mister explain the wonder that is tennis. The Mister and I have been to London during the winter. Now I'd like to see it in the summer and visit all of the beautiful gardens. We didn't do the Jack the Ripper tour, either, so that would definitely part of our stop there.
  
• Take the train to Paris. Had a great nap on that train when we went the first time, so I'd like to see if I can recreate the experience.
• Spend a month in France. Re-visit the Normandy invasion beaches (this time when the museums are open!), explore Paris, buy great handbags.
  
• Possible side trip: Spain and Portugal.
• Next stop: Germany/Denmark. The Mister and I have German and Danish roots, so we would like to go check on our people there.
  
• We've not been to Italy yet, either, so we'll definitely need a month or two.
• Greece. All of it.
  
• Home. Where our new lottery-possible housekeeper will greet us with the words, "Just leave your suitcase there. I'll unpack and do the laundry while you take a nap. The coffee will be ready when you wake up!"
  

The Weekend

Off to Ft. Collins for New West Fest! Free music, hanging out with fun people, should be a good time. The Mister is looking forward to Bruce Hornsby; I'm looking forward to time away.

Harry Potter

I don't have much to say because the internet has been analyzing, evaluating, reviewing, (and ruining) ever since it came out. My only addition: It was good. I cried. I loved. The end.

The Mister

Me (But Better)

If I were a Simpsons character

Still Haven't Found (What I'm Looking For)

• printer paper
• the copy of Freakonomics that I started before we moved
• good dishes
• some of our everyday dishes
• safety pins (something rarely needed until they're lost and now have needed three times in the last week)
• battery charger for the digital camera
  

What I've read...

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Ugh. Boring. It could have been a helpful tool but mostly it just bored me. I ended up skimming the last third. It would have been better if I'd been a Lit major and understood some of the literary references, but I'm just not that smart. One thing I did take from it was the "Oxford comma" which I'm now seeing everywhere.

Now, on to Harry Potter! I'm continuing the "Hey! Maybe I'll read books that everyone else has already read forever ago and forgotten already!" theme.

Covet, part II

Or this.

Covet

My grandmother collects teacups and saucers, and I've always loved her Lomonosov sets the best. I had one teacup that I found in an antique shop, but it broke a few years back. As I was kicking around on the internet the other night I found this set. Do you suppose it's too early to make a Christmas list?

What I've read...

During my vacation last week I spent most of my time unpacking and getting the house livable. However, I did manage to read two books.

The Pact, by Jodi Picoult, was a bittersweet tale. I've seen her books but never read any of them. Certainly not life-changing, but a good vacation read. It also offers a few interesting tidbits about the psychology of teen relationships.

I am always conflicted about reading Oprah Book Club selections. I know it's going to be good, but I also know I'm going to be depressed when I'm done. Drowning Ruth, by Christina Schwarz, was different in that I wasn't as depressed as usual. Didn't shed a single tear. Maybe I am dead inside? That being said, when I was reading it, it was hard putting it down.

I started Freakonomics right before we moved but I haven't found the box it was packed in. More on that later when it is discovered again.