The Rest is History

     Oh, Blog.  Oh tiny-and-neglected-for-five-days-blog.  


     Honestly, there hasn't been a lot going on around here.  We are upgrading our house...right down to the switch plates.  So, needless to say, the place feels like a war-zone.  But I can see that someday in the not-so-distant future, it will all be good.  


     Yesterday, I was cleaning out some things and found the extra pet bedding I had intended to use for Beezus.  Tons and tons leftover.  So, I did what any good clean-sweeper would do....I put it on craigslist.  


     Dragging it out to the driveway to give to the lady who responded (quite promptly, I might add), I couldn't help but feel a little devastated.  


     I think I am the kind of person who always needs something delicate and cuddly to have around.  Maybe having a baby will change that.  


What can I say? I still miss that little guy.  


     So, in honor of moving on and growing up and letting go, here are 10 Things I learned from a tiny, spotted mouse. 

1.  Know what you like, know what you don't like and don't be afraid to own up to it.
Beezus was never too proud to munch on a free cheeto, but was also bold enough to turn down anything he wasn't too crazy about.  

2.  Be cuddle-y. 

3.  Next time someone lets you sit on their table, enjoy the view. 

4.  Run a little bit everyday, even if the only time you can squeeze it in is late at night

5.  Get enough sleep. Lots of sleep.  Don't let anyone make you feel strange or out of place or guilty for the copious amount of sleep you require.


6.  When you've got something good, enjoy it.  Don't be so worried about the day it's gone that you forget to relish the good stuff.  


7.  Keep a clean house.  Life is better managed when all your stuff is in neat piles.


8.  Explore everything.  Even if it doesn't immediately appear to be interesting.  You never know what you'll find.  


9.  Be flexible.  On several occasions, we moved Beezus from cage to cage, room to room.  He never complained. 

10. Never rob anyone of the opportunity to comfort you.  


     So, there you have it.  


     Yesterday, Scarlett Ball was on the floor, enjoying the afternoon sun that was streaming through the windows and we just sat for a good long while.  She likes being petted, and I like to pet so we are a good pair, Scarlett and I.  


     Sometimes, when we are together, I think about a time in my life when she will no longer be with us.  I have to be careful because sometimes, my brain goes to That Place.  That very dark and scary and worrisome place and I start to fret about doggie cancer, and cars and broken fences and dog-nappers.  Then I feel extremely guilty because I think if Tim spent the entire time cuddling with ME secretly worrying about MY demise, I would probably not like that very much.  


     So instead, I chose to think about Good Things.  Lots and lots of good things this dog has yet to see.  A someday-new-house, a baby, a bigger bed to sleep in (Queen size, please), more bugs to chase, new friends at the dog park, the list goes on.  


Love and better outlooks, 


H.

Let's be honest. This is a post about fish.

     Our room is too hot and our bed is way too small considering we have 2 dogs who like to sleep completely on their sides with all four paws stretched out. I'm also pretty sure that their average body temperatures are 152 degrees at night, which also doesn't help much.  While this is not my photo, it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.  

See what I mean?  


     So it's 5:57, and I feel like an old lady...well, maybe not an OLD lady, but at least a lady going through menopause (which, last time I checked, I am not).  Maybe it's because of the conversations I've had/overheard with women in the past, but I always associate being too hot and not being able to sleep with women in their 40's-60's (which I also am not, by the way).  It is as if I've aged 20 years in one night...if that's the case then, dang our goldfish have lived a long time. 


Who knew I'm FUNNY this early in the morning? 


This leads me to my next rant.  


     Today (which I guess by now is technically YESTERDAY), I bought buttons on clearance at Hobby Lobby, Ralph Lauren Shoes at Goodwill, and 2 tropical fish.  That's random, I know.  


I think the fish are called Platys?  It bothers me to break a typical phonics rule by not changing the y to an i and adding "es."  Same goes for the word "monkeys," but let's move on.  


We'll call them fish.  


     As of 2 minutes ago, these "fish" were still alive which is honestly a surprise, but a good one nonetheless.  Tim & I?  Well, we are bad at fish.  I have come to realize that everyone is bad with something.  Some people are bad with houseplants (which I rock at, by the way).  For other people it's cats or italian food or even babies.  


But we are bad at fish. 

     And I'm honestly not sure why.  Based on what little research I have done, I have an inkling (how long has it been since you've used THAT word? My guess is too long), but its totally drawn out and boring, and there's no way I'm going to use words like "ammonia," and "nitrates" on here.  


Snoozefest.  


     And I know there are people who would get on here and say,


      "Hey yourstruly, do a little research before you buy poor defenseless fish and then unintentionally kill them with your hard water and your high ph levels and your nitrates, you fish-hating hussy."  


For which I would have no response.  Well, no immediate response at least.  More on that later.   


     Yesterday, I was in line at Taco Bell (I ordered off the 'fresco menu' thank you very much).  There was a little girl standing in line with her mom, and they were rough-lookin'.  You know...dirty faces...torn clothing...tattered shoes. 


And I just got somewhat-sort-of-disgusted.  As in, Lady, take better care of your kid.  


But then she got to the counter and sat her daughter on the edge and the two had the most loving interaction.  


My bad.  


     So I guess what I'm saying is that maybe we should go a little easy on people.  Maybe we should realize that everybody is bad with something, but there are some people out there who still mix chemicals and pour in fish flakes and test water temperatures.  There are some people out there who are doing the best they can...but are still bad.  

I have fallen in love with this city.

It happened on accident.

X is for...

    Dear Goodness.  I want to be in a band.  I want that band to include a teeny tiny light blue, handheld piano as well as a xylophone.  How cool is it that there is music out there like this?  

Stumbled upon this today....adorable? Yes.

...because we ALL know how much I ♥ the ukelele.

Hannah Sciurba (http://shesinthebandmusic.blogspot.com/)

Worlds Collide or a post about San Francisco

     I often get "on here" and wonder if I will EVER be finished posting about vacation.  Probably not.  This, Sweet Readers, is a post about searching for something and actually being 100% satisfied, pleased as pie, content once you find it.  


     This is also a post about San Francisco.  

      I have become mildly-obsessed with a few blogs since finishing my Master's Program (oh free time, glorious free time)!  I said mildly, okay?  One of my favorite blog-authors happens to have previously lived in San Francisco.  During her time there, she left behind a little treasure  (the etching, NOT the baby, okay?) on a nearby sidewalk that I was bound and determined to find while we visited the city.
   
     My husband was The Best Sport Ever.  Not being much of a blog reader himself, I think he had a hard time wrapping his head around what exactly we were looking for during our hunt (not to mention WHY we were even looking).  


    We searched for quite a while until we finally found our mark.  In the end, it was quite the adventure and felt pretty close to a real, live treasure hunt.  After nearly 7 months of reading dearbaby and withoutmelissa,  finding her old apartment felt like getting plunked right down in the middle of an old, favorite book.  


     And if you know the true purpose of this trip from reading this or this, then you know these two little words held even more meaning for us.  


Find Joy. 


Just magical.

 (Although my sister insists that asking an almost-stranger for their previous address via email is creepy, I tend to disagree, and I hope Melissa does too.)


     So, today- I encourage you to think to yourself, "What do I want to find today/next month/next year?  What will I regret not finding or not even TRYING to find when I look back on my life?"  


Now, it's not fair to ask YOU to do something if I haven't done it myself.  True?  


I think my answer right now has to do with Jesus, book-writing, and babies.  


So now you know.  


I've got my GPS, some comfy shoes, and a puppy with a pretty good sniffer.  Let's discover it together.  


Love and successful treasure hunts, 

P.S. I know why you love this city. I see it, too.  

Copy Cat Schmopy Cat or 25 Things I Love

      Um, I stole this idea.  

But that's okay (I think)?  

 

Oh well, here's my list anyway...on this, the second day of the week.   

1. skirts/dresses with pockets

2. saying, "I Ruv Rou" to my husband

3. when he says, "I Ruv Rou, too."  back

4. using the handheld tool on our vacuum

5. hot air balloons

6. pedicures

7. black and white photos

8.  circa 1920, 30, 40 or 50

9. muppets, that's right. muppets

10. DVR

11.  dogs dogs dogs

12. red brick, ivy covered walls

13.  not losing my sunglasses


14. The Kiss Cam at baseball games

15. The moment someone STOPS tickling you

16. These PJ Pants (recently purchased on sale)

17.  The ability to stay calm and compromise

18.  Those days where you can look back and say, "Holy cow, I got a lot done/finished/whatever." 

19.  Rain right when you need it

20.  When Kroger does 10 for $10 (especially on things like blueberries, peanut butter and cottage cheese!) 

21.  Making the effort to use good grammar

22.  Phonics

23.  Yellow houses

24.  Finding things that are big but not TOO big (pieces of cake, hats, sunglasses, hair accessories, handbags)

25.  Google Reader  

LOVE, 

H. 

Amen, Bow-wow

At this house, we are dog-lovers.  You will love this blog if you are a dog-lover, too.

http://donmilleris.com/

P.S. It is hard to tell b/c of her fur color, but Noel the Kind is hiding in this photo right 

here  -------------------------> 

The Powers that Be

     I put a lot of pressure on this trip.  I treated it the way 'us girls' are tempted to treat our weddings...as in, "It has to be spectacular with lots of ice sculptures and an $80,000 fireworks display."  (not that our wedding was ANYTHING like that...fun fact: the earrings I wore on my wedding day were from wal-mart)  


In short, I wanted this trip to change me...to change us.


As you may know, I wanted to have this earth-shattering moment while standing next to The Bixby Canyon Bridge.  Cause we can plan our epiphanies, can't we?


Or not.

     Don't get me wrong.  Seeing that bridge was amazing, but what surprised me was the fact that the changing didn't arrive in That One Large Bridge Seeing Moment.  It happened in a lot of little moments all strung together and it's still happening now.

     I remember sitting in LAX after discovering that our flight to Honolulu had been cancelled and realizing that the time had come for us to surrender to something that was larger than ourselves...

Isn't that just so...LIFE...?  


Yes.  Yes it is.  Sometimes we forget.  Well, sometimes I forget.  


     One of my FAVORITE days while we were gone consisted of snorkeling off the coast of Kauai surrounded by HUGE cliffs.  Tim & I headed back to the boat, but I hung back for just a few moments.  I just needed a minute.  A minute in the water.  


     So I floated for a little while with my toes sticking out of the water and my eyes on the cliffs and just allowed myself to feel very small.

     At first, I started praying for a lot of little moments like that- moments where I can feel small, but that started to feel scary so I quit...which is not necessarily a good thing. ((sigh))


And then I found myself humming that old Nickelcreek line


Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face...then I pray to be spared cause' I'm a coward.  


And again...that's just so LIFE...isn't it?  


So...that is where we are.  Three photos, one large sigh, several of these (...), and one song quote later.  


All good things.  


Oh, and by the way, it's official.  I cannot watch Supernanny anymore.  Too many spoiled kiddos is likely to give me an ulcer.  Yipes.  


Also, my husband snores, but you didn't hear that from me.  


Lastly, I love when my Macbook notifies me of an available update.  It feels like I am getting something for FREE.


That is all. You are dismissed.  


Love and earlier bedtimes, 

You Me Us

      This kid is my best friend and after 2 years, we have learned that best-friend-ish-ness can cover a multitude of sins.  At the end of the day, this kid is my anchor. 

 Love and a 2 year anniversary tomorrow, 

Two Good Good Weeks

      Like I said before, the idea of updating about the past 2 weeks of vacation just seems overwhelming, but I shall do me' best.  My plan is to give you a general schedule first followed by one or two posts about some trip "highlights" in the near future and then just call it a day until our next Big Adventure.  Always a gal' with a plan, right?

Starting June 20th (Sunday)
Flight from Cinn to L.A., dinner with my cousin and his wife

Monday
Picked up our Jeep and had lunch with my friend James who's quote and photo are featured here. We also started our drive up the coast and arrived in Monterey that evening  

Tuesday
Monterey Bay Aquarium (which was AMAZING), lunch at a yummy italian/seafood place, spent time at the Farmer's Market, dinner in San Francisco  

Wednesday
Adventures in San Francisco which included a look at The Golden Gate Bridge, a view from Lombard St./ The Crookedest Road, and an Adventure I will tell you about later 

Thursday
Headed back to L.A. - the drive was gorgeous so we really took our time, visited more with James which included an emergency trip to Target and Ross (my suitcase broke!), laundry and a super yummy dinner!  

Friday
Arrived at the airport only to find out our flight had been CANCELLED and our faces looked like this, spent the better part of the day in baggage claim and various gates, finally caught a flight that evening, arrived in Hawaii relieved but exhausted, had some delicious "bar" food near our hotel in Waikiki  (and yes, I am wearing the SAME dress as I was the night before...ahh...vacation.  You will hear more about said dress in the future as I am currently wearing it as we speak.  This is love.)  

Saturday
Went for a walk and "caught" our cruise around lunchtime, laid out by the pool and just got stettled

Sunday
 First day in Maui took a quick shopping trip then back to the boat for lunch and a nap by the pool, had dinner later and took in a show about Polynesian Dancing and Tim had his picture taken with a real, live "hula girl."  

Monday 
Took the Road to Hana which follows Maui's coastline, swam in a water fall, took some awesome pics and had a grand time

Tuesday 
 Landed on "The Big Island" and took a tour of Volcanos National Park, an orchid farm, a Hilo Coffee Mill (my fave!), The Steam Vents, Boiling Pots/another Waterfall and SO MUCH MORE.  Went back to the ship tired and hungry

Wednesday
Beach Day in Kona (The Big Island of Hawaii) also the day in which I insisted on wearing my Favorite Sun Hat (in cloudy weather) and attempted to eat this entire steak by myself (and failed miserably).  

Thursday
 THE BEST DAY EVER...went snorkeling and had a dinner/sunset cruise off the Napali Coast (on the island of Kauai).  Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous.  Very romantic.  

Friday
 Another good-good-good day spent the morning/afternoon JUST FLOATING on the beach in Lihue (still on the island of Kaui).  Did some last minute shopping and enjoyed the rest of our time on the ship

Saturday  
Left the ship, took a shore excursion with the ship to see The Arizona Memorial/ Pearl Harbor (which was way cool) and were headed home by 4pm.    

The verdict: 

California was amazing. Hands down. We want to do "the drive" all over again.

     We loved Hawaii and we loved cruising...just not together.  At the end of the day, it was a little restricting knowing there were islands/towns we LOVED but knew we had to be "back on the boat" by a certain time.  That just wasn't something we had considered during our trip-planning.  I try to be easygoing. I do...but there were afternoons where it hit the 1 or 2 hour mark before our "departure time" that it was hard for me to REALLY relax until we were back on the ship.  My biggest fear is that we would get left behind...although I imagine Hawaii is an amazing place to find yourself stranded, right?

It was a good first taste of cruising and Hawaii and we plan to do both again in the (maybe near) future...?  Now the question is who's going to pay for it? ;)

We learned A LOT in 2 weeks about ourselves, "us" as a couple, God's beauty and grace, the list goes on.  More later.

Oh-My-Gosh-I-Love-Your-Band

                                                                                                                           

This is my life now, right?  Sitting on speakers, patiently chatting with shop owners while my husband plucks away at whatever Carvin/Fender/Les Paul catches his eye.  Forever his groupie.  Honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Love, 

  Dear Santa, 

       Let's not beat around the bush. 

I want this

and a photo shoot just like this.  

source

      

Kroger had blueberries 10 for $10...I bought 5 cartons which I'm worried was about 3 cartons too many.  However, they freeze well and are full of antioxidants.  

Purchasing-good-for-you-fresh fruits?  See- I've been good.  

I'm thinking a from-scratch-blueberry pie is in our future. Especially for a jolly-old-man-who is willing to bring the aforementioned items.  

Love and letters-way-too-early,  

H.  

I'll See You Soon

      I will tell you more about our trip. Really. I will.  We had a fantastic time.  Right now, an update-over-two-weeks just seems overwhelming.   

      We started our trip by driving up and down Highway 1 off the Coast of California.  It's an AMAZING drive and you must do it. You must.  

     In case I haven't told you, my parents were raised (for the most part) in That Great Golden State.  They met and got married on The West Coast before moving to Ohio.   I spent many a summer visiting my grandparents in Southern CA breathing in the smog and hunting for snails in their subdivision.

 Between opportunities to student teach-weddings-visits-funerals...

 I just keep finding myself back there.  

     My mom and I had an interesting conversation about California.  We talked about how there is a Strange and Mysterious part of us that just feels as if California is home.  I sort-of-kind-of-feel like that is where "We" got our start; all because two people moved West and fell in love.  

     Tim and I spent about a week in California first before heading to Hawaii.  Strange as it may seem, once we left California, when the airport was crowded or the roads seemed confusing or in times of general vacation-y-travel-distress, I often found myself longing for CA rather than home.  

     In second grade, we study butterflies.  I recently learned that monarchs have a migration pattern that leads every fourth or fifth generation to Mexico and then back to their homelands where they mate, lay eggs, and eventually die.  

     

     Somehow, the caterpillars that emerge from those eggs transform, and just KNOW what path will lead them to Mexico...even though they've never really lived there- they just know. 

That's their destination.  They can feel it. And Scientists are baffled.  

Me & California?  I think we are a lot like that.  

Love & a fancy-new-collage, H.