Work friend fun

Since most of our UTQ work is done alone this year (BOO!), my work buddies decided it would be a good idea to do something fun for the holidays. It was so nice to get together and see everyone again. I love it when you can just pick up with people where you left off. I don't know why it is surprising that even when you haven't seen someone for months, they are still the same. We had so much fun laughing and talking and complaining and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It was nice to be part of a "work" community again even if we weren't really working and instead were eating a delicious Thai meal. They are the first people that I met here and I hold them dear to me. Thanks work friends!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta

When I was getting married, my sisters had everyone bring their favorite recipe to the bridal shower, so I ended up with a book of all kinds of things. I still sift and sort through it often and it has some of my favorite ones in it. She actually put it in a picture album so I can pull the recipes out and I have added many of my own. My sister-in law gave me one for Asparagus Goat Chees Pasta that I have eyed over and over and finally decided to make tonight. It was so easy and so delicious (thanks Lisa!) but yet very impressive. I decided to post it because I think it is THAT good!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta

1 lb asparagus

1/2 lb thin spaghetti

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth

4-5 oz goat cheese (chevre)

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

2 Roma tomatoes cut into small pieces (optional)

1. Heat a lage pot of lightly salted water to boiling over high heat.

2. Snap asparagus stalks and cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces (I used frozen asparagus and it was fine). Blanch in boiling water 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus to a bowl.

3. Add the spaghetti to boiling water and cook according to label directions. Drain.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over med. high heat, melt the butter. Saute garlic and blend in flour with a whisk. Add the broth and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Blend in the goat cheese. Toss the spaghetti with asparagus, sauce, parmesan cheese, and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

Christmas Decorating

Here are a few pictures of the decorations I put up this year. I am finding that I like to keep it simple and use things that I already have around the house. I made a lot of my decorations this year in an effort to both save money and make it have more homey feel.
These are the stockings my brother made fore us a couple of years ago.

Here is a picture of our humble Christmas tree. We got it from Costco and it already has ornaments on it. We are using it as a Jesse tree--where we hang ornaments that basically follow humanity from creation to the birth of Jesus. I also had to capture my favorite colored pillow in the pic.

More homemeade decorations. There is a funny shadow this time of night so the picture looks really crooked. Although I wouldn't put it past me to also have made something crooked (I am not super detail-oriented if you don't know me that well)

I used picture frames that I already had on this shelf and filled them with art that I made.

This is our makeshift advent wreath. We wanted to use what we already had. As you can see here, the first candle of hope is lit for this week.

Our favorite item that we own--the nativity. Bob's grandma got this from Israel, made from olive wood. Next to it we have A Prayer Before A Christmas Crib:

I open the stable door

I kneel before the infant

I worship with the shepherds

I adore the Christ child

I give love with Mary and Joseph

I wonder at the Word made flesh

I am aware of the love of God

I sing glory with the angels

I offer my gifts with the wise men

I recieve the living Lord

I hold him in my hands

I go on my way rejoicing, glorifying and praising God

A closer picture of our tree. We like it because it is living still, we can water it and keep it long after Christmas. Starting December 1, each day we will put one Jesse ornament on it until Christmas day.

Dining table centerpiece. I love that we live in an area where we can collect and display items around the house. I gathered some of these pine cones and acorns on hikes we have been on. We had some friends over yesterday and the kids wanted to add to the pile so they collected some extra goodies for us.

Merry Christmas. I love that Bob and I are starting some of our own traditions for the holidays. I would love to see your decorations and hear about traditions your family does.

The Approach of Winter

As the colors of the glorious fall season begin to fade, nostalgia begins to set in as the coldness envelops us. With each autumn, there is also a slight sadness, a difficulty to fully enjoy the present because of the approaching winter. Although the winter season is a lot more extreme in many other places than where I live, I still experience the slight dullness and grasping for past and future seasons. I cannot ignore the spiritual significance of the colorful fall spectrum leading to a grayer, darker, coldness. It is a call for me again to live in the present, to experience what God has for me in the moment, knowing that their is a warmer and more life-filled spring ahead.

A book that Bob read for class, Letters to a Young Therapist by Mary Pipher, describes it perfectly :

"Fall is really the season of yearning. At the same time we're aware of the earth's fiery glory, we're aware of its passing and the approaching winter. We yearn to stop time, to make our lives an endless Indian summer. But the message of autumn is to accept what is given. What's coming next may be harder. "

As part of the advent season, Bob and I are lighting advent candles and reflecting on what each of them stands for. This first week is hope, which is very fitting. How often I am afraid of hope, afraid to be disappointed that I will not get what I have hoped for. Hope is often a daring decision, belief that God has something for me--is really doing something in both the difficult and the joyous. And that, although it may be a long and cold winter, there will be a spring.

A Holistic Spirit of Thankfulness

As Thanksgiving approaches and the incitement to give thanks is all around us, I can't help but wonder what it means to be truly thankful. Naturally, we are thankful for what feels like blessings in our lives, things that bring us pleasure and create ease. But if a gift is defined as something given to us for personal benefit, what about the idea of suffering that ultimately leads to intimacy with God and stronger character. Can I really be thankful for that?

Certainly I would never ask for pain as a means to learn and grow, but if I am honest, when I look back those are the times that I feel I have gained the most in understanding my humanity and need for God. So am I thankful for that--yes, sometimes, a little bit. I want to be more. I want to embrace my pain and unfulfilled dreams and let them lead me to a more holistic sense of what it means to be thankful.

Would I be more thankful if all I received was what I wanted, what feels like blessings? Probably not. I already take for granted the many positive gifts given to me and often come to expect them. Expect that life should be a certain way, that people should be a certain way, and that I should be comfortable and peaceful. I have so many things and am given so many gifts in fact, that I have unfortunately often stopped noticing them.

A speaker at our church a few months ago encouraged the congregation toward a "gratitude inventory", walking around the house and literally touching each item, praising God for that-- and quickly learning HOW MUCH you have when you actually take the time to pray over it.

I do want my heart to be balanced and each day brings me a little closer, even the days when I fail miserably. I want to notice the small gifts and be thankful-- a good conversation, laughter, food, a walk in the woods. But I also want to notice those items on my list of suffering--pain, heartache, shattered dreams-- and be thankful for those as well, for the truth is that God uses both to touch me and make me attentive to His love.

Romantic and historic Savannah

Bob and I have been wanting to go to Savannah since we moved here so since tennis season is over until the new year, last weekend was the perfect time. This place is serene and will probably be a vacation spot for us for years to come.

The beautiful trees invite you to just come and sit. I have taken to sketching in the last few months and it was so peaceful to just sit with a cup of coffee and sketch this amazing life that God has created. The Spanish moss just adds to the depth of it. Since I have been sketching and do not have much artistic ability, I have learned to appreciate the complexity of things so much more. You can see in this picture that the tree has so much detail, but there are so many more things beyond what you see when just glancing at it that need to be sketched. I found the bark itself to be so intricate as well as the form of the moss. The trees were one of our favorite parts of the town.

We found a quaint coffee shop that served the delicious meal above. We sat and ate and read stories. This meal became the inspiration for our Christmas Eve meal that we will plan to have in about a month.

Savannah is known for being haunted-- a fun little fact that speaks more of the historical nature of the area, with many cemetaries and key figures buried there. We decided to go on one of the many ghost tours they offered and heard legendary stories as well as historical facts along the way. It was a good chance to walk around and see the city at night.

When we first got to Savannah I told Bob that I wanted to move there but quickly changed my mind when we saw a ghost on the tour!--Just kidding, I quickly changed my mind when I found out the historic district costs $1 million per 1,000 sq ft. That's a lot of money for a little bit of land--so I decided we will just stick to vacationing there.

Tybee Island

Tybee Island is a small island off the Georgia coast near Savannah. When we were out visiting Savannah, we took a half day trip out there, enjoyed walking around the beach and the island. East coast beaches are very different than the ones we are used to in Southern California.
For those of you who know my brother--how much do I look like him in this picture? We could be twins-- it is crazy--just a sidenote. I like how this picture turned out to be very artsy even though that wasn't the intent. What really happened is we had the timer set and Bob had to run as fast as he could to get in the picture, which is why he is so far in front of me.

A lighthouse. I have always loved lighthouses, both because they are beautiful and for what they symbolize. A beacon of direction in a journey.

We were playing around with our shadows and I didn't notice until now that it looks like I have a little pouch, but really that is my arm not knowing what to do with itself. I often have that problem with arms in a picture. Where do you put them? Anyway, I digress...

Ah. In love.

Fall fun

Fall fosters all sorts of family-friendly and cozy activities. We visited the apple farm a couple of times this year which has now become one of our favorite fall traditions. Even though we buy tons of apples, I have to be selective with what I make because there are so many apple choices. The apples bought at farms have such a better taste and crunch than store bought apples. My favorite apple choice this year was decorating them with caramel and candies. The pictures below are from when my friend Jessi and I decorated them. We had so much fun that I had friends over for my birthday to repeat the extravaganza.

BeforeAfter--yum! We brought these to a tennis match and people were so impressed (they must appear to be harder to make than they really are). A fall must!

For Bob's birthday he wanted to go to a corn maze. It became the joke of the month because whenever we would try to go something would happen. One week no one could come with us, then when we rescheduled and had a car load of people, we showed up half an hour after it closed. At least we still got to enjoy the Jumpee Pillow :) You can see that I have just gotten off of it above. I accidentally made a child cry since I bounced her off, which I didn't realize until my friend so kindly pointed it out to me. Who knew bouncing was so dangerous. After being late for the corn maze party, we rescheduled for the week after but Bob got sick. Guess it will have to be something we look forward to next year.

Yeah pumpkins! We went to the hugest patch I have ever been to and I was in love. Will definitely be taking kiddos here when we have them. These are someone else's pumpkins that they had so artfully placed in their wheelbarrow that I had to have Bob take a picture. Sort of awkward when they walked up and we tried to explain to them that their pumpkin display was so beautiful that I just had to capture it on camera, but worth the slight embarrassment.

Fall means comfort food. I cooked a small feast for a couple of friends, complete with banana pudding--a southern must. My friends agreed that I now could be considered a Southern woman (and they were both born and raised in the south, so that is quite a feat!)

Fall colors

Fall has definitely become my favorite season--no contest. Last year we had a very short (and cold) fall, but this year we are having a nice, long drawn out one. That means more color and beautiful weather for longer. Bob and I are taking advantage by making sure we go on hikes every weekend and have driven up to the mountains a lot where there are tons of trees.
Here is a picture in our apartment complex.

A picture of a tree from our hike.

A caterpillar friend Bob found. I love caterpillars. I think they are so fun to watch and so creatively designed. This one is extra special--I mean what does he really need those black and white feathers for other than to be appreciated by us!

Amicalola Falls. Georgia is very woodsy and has tons of great spots to hike where you can just get lost in nature. It is so peaceful being able to just drive a few miles and get away from the everyday. We are really starting to love it here.

Rome--Rome, GA, that is

Bob and I had a free day and went to visit Rome, GA a few months ago. It was a gorgeous day. We stumbled upon Chic-fil-A's retreat center that used to be an old dairy farm. I felt like I was in Sweden or Norway.
This is the Swan that resides on Swan Lake.

Pictures of the dairy farm retreat center.

I love clock towers!

Don't you feel like you are in a magazine?

Weed Dating

One of my students brought in a current event article entitled, "Weed Dating." It was too funny not to share.

Apparently in Vermont, they are doing a spin-off of speed dating, where instead of sitting face to face and interviewing potential interests, you take part in a field of corn. Farmers there are having a hard time meeting a match, so they have decided to get some work done as they get to know one another. Participants weed a row together after partnering up in a crop field. When a bell is rung, they switch partners and do it all over again!

What a way to meet your mate--you would find someone with at least one interest of yours!

On a side note, I love my class. They keep me on my toes, laughing, and suprise me with all sorts of knowledge and insight. It is such a pleasure to teach and learn from them each week.

Dog Walking-- at it again!!

Fall just feels like it is a time to have a dog. We are going out for walks in the cooling air on trails in the woods and it just doesn't feel right without a dog running ahead of you. Last fall is when Bob started walking those two wonderful dogs from our apartment and now that they have moved to a house with a yard, they don't need us anymore. And we miss them, especially now that it is fall.

We have gone back and forth about whether to get our own dog, but our practicality always seems to win the battle. Being in an apartment right now, we can have a dog, but just don't feel that it is fair without a yard. Especially because we want a medium to bigger sized dog. I know it could work, but sometimes with those long days, and the dog not being able to get out, it just feels like it is not the best idea.

So we decided to practice our dog-walking skills again and have signed up to help with a dog shelter in the area called Homeless Pets. We started last night and had a blast. The dogs are so glad to get out and it is so fun getting to know all of them. There were even little puppies we got to play with. On the weekends, many of the dogs are taken to PetSmart to try to get adopted.

An 87 year old lady who lives near the shelter loves the dogs and has offered her back yard for the dogs to come and run around, so not only do the dogs go on leashed walks, but get to have their own little dog park.

As we were walking them yesterday, Bob and I were reminded of so many spiritual implications. Many of these dogs have been abused and are a little apprehensive but then become so trusting when you show them some time and love. They are also so eager to get out that they sometimes forget to enjoy their walk and are just tugging the entire time (sounds familiar to my life...forgetting to enjoy the journey). Anyway, we feel blessed to get to have some time to do this.

We also found out that you can "check out" a dog for the day and take it hiking with you, or just to hang out. One lady takes a different dog each day to her work because she has a dog-friendly work place. It is nice to be able to spend time with these dogs who need it but not have to worry about living with one in an apartment. We are thankful for this opportunity.

Cooking Assistant

My friend Jessi told me about this awesome opportunity that I am going to really work to take advantage of. Cook's Warehouse in Atlanta is sort of a cooking supply store but they also offer all sorts of cooking classes with different themes and genres. I was especially excited to see a pumpkin one where every dish included that wonderful fall vegetable!

Anyway, after signing up herself to be a cooking assistant, Jessi has now convinced me. What I will be doing after taking an orientation and knife skills class, is getting to sign up to come a bit early and help prepare for the classes by chopping vegetables, etc. Then as the chef is teaching the class we can help out in any way necessary (which I think usually means washing dishes...), but we get to listen in on the class and take home recipes and leftovers!! The cheap side of me loves this because while I am not actually paying to take the class, I will be reaping some benefits of it. And I guess that after assisting in a certain number of classes, Cook's Warehouse allows you to take a class of your choice.

Bob is encouraging of this endeavor because he will also enjoy the fruits of my learning :)

Off the beaten path

Bob and I decided to go for a "walk" the other night. Mind you, I asked for a slow and casual stroll. We decided to go to this nature trail nearby that had a few twists and turns. I knew what I was in for a bit. Afterall, it is the woods. Anyway, when we get there and look at the trail map it shows that part of the river trail we want to walk on is cut off by some rocky cliffs and you either have to a) turn around or b) go back behind the cliffs and then connect with another trail. Please notice that there is no option c. That is, until my husband created a third choice. I am sure you have guessed by now what route we took: c) over the cliffs. Being the adventurer that I am, I agreed to it after many "Are you sure?" questions and others of the same sort.

So as we are climbing up over and around boulders, trees and hills making our own path (without a machete), my mind cannot help but think about the possibility of one foot slipping and ending up at the bottom of the cliff. Walking wasn't even the scary part, it was that my mind wouldn't stop having grotesque pictures of my body lying at the bottom twisted into an unusual pretzel shape. Anyway, once I communicated this ever growing fear and Bob offered to turn around, the competitive side of me spoke up: I am not turning around, we are already into this. So we kept going.

Maybe the fact that we were pratically rock climbing without gear should have been a warning that this wasn't the best idea. Maybe the skeleton I found of something resembling a bobcat with fangs still intact should have made us go back. Maybe that we had to crawl on all fours to climb up a steep dirt hill, or that there was a huge black snake inches from Bob's foot, or the fact that we were climbing on territory that more animals traversed than humans should have posed a red flag. But no. We were explorers. Or really, Bob was and I was just that annoying sidekick saying "Are you sure you can get us back to the path? We are lost. It is going to be night and no one is going to find us. I am going to get in the river and swim back to our apartment."

I think there became a point where we both were feeling like "Uh-oh." But of course Bob wouldn't admit that. But I have to give it to him, just when I had reached my limit and all the weak, scared comments were starting to pour out of me, he found the path he knew was there. Gosh. If I could have only waited 5 more minutes to start my complaining then I would have arrived victorious and brave. Oh well, I guess the true side prevails again. It did end up being really fun though(for the most part). Bob says it was his most favorite hike so far. Goody! Guess that means we're doing it again?!

Creative minds

I had my first day with students last week. I can't believe it has been a year since I have been in the classroom. I love them. They are really smart and really fun and really great. I gave them an assignment before school started which included reading 3 Shel Silverstein poems (my favorite!) and responding to different prompts I gave them. They did such a great job with them that I just had to post some of what they wrote.

For one assignment, they were given the poem Homework Machine and they had to convince the reader whether or not it was a good idea and then come up with an invention that they would make for school.

One girl's invention was this: "There should be a machine which is hidden in your pencil. There could be a satellite in the eraser that connects to a hair clip, whcih you put in your hair. You simply just look all the other questions over, then the satellites will connect. After that, your pencil moves around the paper jotting down answers."

Another student: "The invention I would make to help me in school would be a machine that you could hook up to your mind and by thinking the answer the machine would type it."

The students also had to write their own Whatif poem and this was one of my faves:

"While I was daydreaming one afternoon,
Some whatifs crawled across the room.
They jumped up high into my head,
These are the kinds of things they said:
Whatif I annoy my mother?
Whatif I can't have a brother?
Whatif my piano comes to life?
Whatif my sister causes strife?
Whatif I forget my school books?
Whatif my teacher gives me dirty looks?
Whatif my backpack won't unzip?
Whatif I dislocate my hip?
Whatif my friends make fun of me?
Whatif the lunchroom's full of peas?
Whaif my dog eats my sock?
Whaif my key gets stuck in the lock?
Whatif our computer breaks down?
Whatif I can't think of a noun?
whatif I can't find my dime?
Whatif I become a mime?
The thoughts get cluttered in my brain,
And then I start to dream again."

Aren't they great?!

Teaching again!

I just wanted to share my excitement about being able to go back into the classroom for one day a week this year. Along with my UTQ research job, I will also be working for a homeschool program where students come once a week to discuss and receive assignments. I will be teaching a 5th/6th grade combo class so it is right up my alley. The people I have met whom I will be working with are wonderful and I get to meet my kiddos and their parents tonight. I am particularly excited about this job because of the no-frills aspect (since it is one day a week I don't have to decorate bulletin boards, etc.) and that it won't be the overwhelming job that 5 day a week teaching was for me. Plus the parents will be just as, if not more so, involved in their child's education than I am because they teach them the other 4 days a week. I have 7 kids in my class and am looking forward to the smaller size. School starts next Wednesday and I am really looking forward to what this will offer. I have really missed the kids since I have been out of the classroom.

Greenville

Bob and I took a trip to Greenville the last couple of days so that we could spend some time together during his time off of internship and school and because we keep hearing it is a great area so we wanted to check it out.
They have an awesome downtown with a river park in the center that you can picnic at, walk around or bike. These beautiful falls attract many people to the park. There is also a suspension bridge so that you can walk over them and look down. That part was scary, especially because when there are other people on it, it moves.

We took a hike up in the mountains and this is on an overlook that peers down into the forest. All you can see is trees--no buildings, roads, anything.

I know this is not original, but I don't think I had ever been into a Krispy Kreme before. When the sign was flashing "hot now" Bob and I pulled over on a whim. We watched the donuts get their delicious glaze while savoring each warm bite of thousands of calories. It really was good :)

We drove by an area called pumpkin mountain and of course I had to take a picture because I love anything pumpkin.

We also were able to visit a local farm where only free-range, grassfed organic meat is raised and sold as well as organic vegetables and milk. It was really neat to see how close this was to the city and that more and more people are becoming aware of the food they eat and supporting local farmers. We have been trying to find some meat near us, but it is very difficult, so this farm was encouraging.

We enjoyed just hanging and seeing a new place, as well as all of the delicous food we got to enjoy. We toured both the Bob Jones and Furman campuses which are on opposite sides of town, and let me just say, have a really different feel. The Furman campus was the most beautiful college campus I have ever seen and has so many activities to do on campus that I don't know why anyone would ever leave. There are walking and biking trails, a lake, a vegetable garden, a rose garden, a Japanese peace garden, and much more. Bob and I enjoyed biking around the campus and seeing what it had to offer.

We have been blessed to be able to take these little trips and see so much of the southeast. There are such great pockets all over the place, with great people living in them and fun adventures to be discovered.

Bob and I went camping with our friend Josh last weekend at a beautiful area up in North Georgia. We just went for one night but we spent two full days away, which was very peaceful.

Here is a picture of our humble campsite.
The waterfall.

We had a visitor at night. A bear came looking for our cooler of food and left his pawprint on Bob's truck where he jumped up to peek in. Luckily the boys were smart and left the cooler inside the truck.

Bob's favorite pasttime.

My own street sign!

My brother sent this to me the other day when he walked by it in San Luis Obispo. My namesake, on a sign (for those of you who don't know, my middle name is Lee). It is just missing the "e" on Jamie. Wonder what it is like to live on this street...:)

Snack Staple

I made this yummy granola bar recipe a couple of weeks ago and would swear by it. I love granola bars and such but refuse to buy them from the store because who wants to buy high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils covered in a waxy coat called chocolate. No thanks. So even though these fruity granola bars have a lot going into them, it is worth it because you will make them over and over again. LOTS of ingredients=LOTS of goodness, in my book (and usually lots of time too, but not these!!). They are not too sugary because it is mostly honey. I also liked to crumble them and use them as granola in yogurt or other cereal. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. As a side note, I also made them with chocolate chips and no fruit, and they just weren't as good.

Homemade Granola Bars
2 c old fashioned oatmeal1 c sliced almonds
1 c shreddded coconut, loosely packed
1/3 c toasted wheat germ
3 Tb unsalted butter
2/3 c honey
1/4 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chopped pitted dates
1/2 c chopped dried apricots
1/2 c dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9X13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.2. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. 3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.4. Place honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberrrries and stir well.5. Pour the mixture into the prepaed pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
Recipe by Barefoot Contessa

The Unknown

My friend Gina posted this prayer by Richard Foster on her blog the other day, and I found it very fitting for what I/we are experiencing right now. I post it both to share and as a place that I can come back and read it:

Loving God, I choose this day to be a servant. I yield my right to command and demand. I give up my need to manage and control. I relinquish all schemes of manipulation...
In Jesus' name,
Amen

After one more year, Bob will graduate and we don't know where we will be, in this city, this state. No idea. I guess this is where trust in God really plays out. I have been seeing my strong sense to control my surroundings and it seems the more that gets taken from me, the more I desire to control. I am thankful that I have a neat group of women and a wonderful husband to work through these things with me. I know that so much of life is not predictable or what you hoped for or expected, but somehow I am always surprised at my disappointment.

Lesson Learned.

Bob and I "saved" this nice restaurant called Canoe for our 5th anniversary dinner because we heard it was good and that a lot of food was local. It had a beautiful atmosphere right on the river, but as soon as we sat down we realized what we really have known all along--that we are NOT gourmet diners. We shared a glass of wine, partly because we always share a glass of wine and partly because we wouldn't spend $20 on two glasses of wine. When we ordered dinner, an awkward conversation began:
Waitress: And what will you have for an appetizer?
Us: Oh, we will pass on the appetizer
Waitress: Well, everyone usually orders an appetizer, so it might take longer for your dinner to come, but I will try my best
Us: Uh, okay
As soon as the waitress left, Bob tells me we should've gone to a place where we would've spent the same amount of money and gotten a lot more. BBQ or Mexican food we decided. When our "gourmet" plates came, although looking very beautiful, we were reminded again. We hate to eat a whole meal and still go home feeling hungry. We are the people who like the thought of dressing up and going out somewhere nice, but in reality, not so much. I want to eat to my hearts content, have leftovers and enjoy it all over again. And I don't want it to matter if I spill on myself, because you know I will. On the way home, we picked up brownies and a movie. When we got home we changed into our PJs and back into ourselves. Lesson learned.

NY photos--finally!

Okay, so I am finally getting around to posting pictures from NY. Here are the highlights, but if you want to view all of them, you can find them on http://picasaweb.google.com/106338896800545130178/NewYork#
I was wandering around one day and accidentally found my way to FAO Schwartz. I was by myself which ALMOST stopped me from having a good time, but I decided to let loose, take my shoes off and play the famous keyboard with my feet. It even lit up! Sooo fun, despite the fact that everyone else playing had a child with them.

I love books and I can and do spend hours in the bookstore. This one had both new and used books and I visited it a couple of times just to hang out and read. My favorite find was a book called Secret Postmaster or something like that where blank postcards were passed out and people were to write and illustrate their biggest secret. It was so telling of the human heart. Some were funny, some deeply disturbing, and some that made you think, "Do they know me?". People shared about not feeling loved, about wanting to believe in God, about abuse, etc. I found myself really drawn to this. I also bought a book called the Compassionate Carnivore. Bob and I have been becoming more aware of where our meat comes from and how to make good decisions based on our values. It is amazing how inhumanely animals are treated their entire lives just to give us food. I have no problem with consuming meat, but I do think God has given us animals to treat with integrity while they are living and in the process of dying.

This is Wall Street. Nothing special outside.

NY is known for its bagels, so my friend Sherry and I took the trek to H&H, which is known for it's fresh bagels. The store was nothing to boast of. All they sold were bagels and then they had a fridge where you could buy packets of cream cheese or apple juice. It was nothing like the bagel shops here with varieties of cream cheese, coffee, etc. I guess the goal was just to showcase the bagel. And it did--they were awesome--warm when you bought them and they just sort of melted in your mouth. I think I could live on bread.

Here is a sweet quote that was in the park.

A list of those that died in the 911 attack at the museum that Bob and I went to.

This is a Japanese oragami peace chain hanging in the museum. The great significance of this is that it was donated by a Japanese man whose family had died in the bombing of Hiroshima. He gave it as a gift after 911, which I found very humbling after the pain he had suffered at US hands.

An elementary school nearby had made a quilt for firefighters at one of the first responding stations. These cannot be read without at least getting teary eyed, for the heart of a child is an immeasurable thing. There is so much hope, life, and understanding that exudes from little ones. Each of the squares started with somewhere today... and the one above was one of my favorites.

Rebuilding ground zero. They are turning it into a memorial site including waterfalls into the foundations and they are also building new buildings around.

A wall of pictures of the people who died. Heartbreaking.

Bob and I taking a picture in front of the Statue of Liberty. Oops! I guess we are blocking it :) Too bad the guy taking the picture didn't bother to tell us.

Riding bikes in Central Park.

Me eating the best gyro I have ever had (and the cheapest, nonetheless). It was from a stand on the side of the road. I still crave gyros from NY and have to settle for ones in Atlanta.

We walked the Brooklyn Bridge and ended up at a homemade ice cream shop on the other side. Yum!

There is nothing special about this picture except for the funny story behind it. The fountain was pretty so I wanted to take a picture and Bob started talking about how to choose the right person to take our picture--something like someone you could run faster than if they decided to take our camera. He was laying out all these theories as we were looking around for someone to take our picture. This guy was walking toward us really fast, alone, with his hair a mess and looking kind of frazzled. Don't ask me why because he would be the last person that I asked any question to, but Bob asked him to take our picture. Denied! The guy actually said no, which astonished me, even in NY, because I had never had that happen before. Luckily a girl nearby saw this and felt sorry for us, offering to take our picture. If not for her, we probably would not have a picture by the fountain because it would've taken a while to work up the guts to ask someone again. Not really, but pretty funny.