quoteworthy

"I must learn to love the fool in me—the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves, and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. it alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool."

Theodore I. Rubin, MD

I came across this in a recent issue of Oprah (I now subscribe to this instead of Real Simple, can you believe it?) and thought I'd share.

fall

it's a beautiful, cool sunday afternoon with glimpses of fall in the air. adam is spending the day with his dad at car races so i'm left to myself. i have enough things that need to be done that i'm not going crazy, but i don't have so many things to do that i don't have time to just sit and enjoy the day. here's a rundown of the day so far.

i got up and went for a 10 mile run with Jaimi and Janelle. (did i mention I'm training for a half marathon in Oct?) it was a the perfect weather for running, but it was a hard run. i'd never gone that far before, so that in itself is a personal victory, but i walked some of it and never got into a good running pace. i was tight and slow. hopefully next week will be better.

then i took a hot shower and put on sweatpants. i can't remember the last time i wore sweats, but it feels wonderful. i walked to blockbuster and got sunset boulevard, one of those classics i've never seen and that i don't think adam will mind missing.

my big goal for the day is working on an article that i'm writing for Radiant magazine. it's a 2000 word feature on how we can maintain healthy relationships when everything we see in the media is negative. this is exciting and scary to be working on. it has been my dream to work for a christian woman's magazine for years and now i'm taking one step closer to fulfilling it. i'm also realizing that it's a lot of work. sure i write every day at work, but i don't think i've written a story this long since college (thankfully the stories i write about remodeling usually top out around 800 words, i can't imagine writing any more about low-maintenance products or lighting)

2 loads of laundry, a batch of chocolate chip cookies and a short nap here i am typing. how's that for a Sunday?

solo

Adam has been in Minneapolis all weekend for work. I didn't get home from Wisconsin 'til Friday night, so our trips overlapped a little, but it's been different to have a weekend to myself like this. I definitely miss him, I went to a wedding by myself last night which was really weird, but at the same time I also savor these times alone. I think there will always be a part of me that likes to be independent, even if only for a day or two.

I got up early and went for a long run (I'm training for a half marathon!). it was a beautiful morning, cool and quiet, just how I like it. Then I went to church (something I don't like doing alone. It is one place that people know me as part of a couple, so when Adam's not there, people don't ask how I am, but instead, where's Adam?) From there I bummed around the house, doing laundry, taking a nap, reading, making phone calls, all typical Sunday afternoon kinds of things, but Adam wasn't there to fill in the gaps. It's not that I would have done anything differently if he had been here, but it would have been fuller if that makes sense. Then I grabbed some dinner with a friend and enjoyed an Iowa sunset and watched the moon rise. It's almost full. Now I'm back at home hanging out some more before heading back to work tomorrow. It almost feels like I've been on vacation again since I've been out of the office since Tuesday. Kind of nice.

my job

I have been in Central Wisconsin this week on a media tour. That means I have been touring manufacturing plants of windows, doors, tile, cabinetry, shutters, etc and learning how they are made. 2 years ago I never would have imagined this would be part of my job description, let alone something I enjoyed. But the last 3 days have been a lot of fun. I get to ask as many questions as I want, wear a hard hat and safety goggles, and see some really cool housing products. The best thing about this trip (aside from the complimentary cheese curds—wisconsin people are serious about their cheese) has been that most of the other editors are young like me. That never happens, usually I'm trying to make conversation with people twice my age who have been in the industry for longer than I've been alive. So it's been fun to make some contacts and learn about their experiences and share horror stories.

Now I just hope I can get back to Des Moines. My first flight to Chicago was canceled, now I'm routing through Minneapolis and praying the storms have passed.

More Pictures

How beautiful are some of these pictures. The produce shot is from Pike Place Market in Seattle. I would love to shop there. They had gorgeous bouquets of fresh flowers, for $5. If I lived there I would have fresh flowers all the time. Our hotel room was so small and we were only there a few days so I didn't buy any, but maybe I should have.

Now that we're back from that trip Adam and I both have the travel bug and are trying to figure out where our next trip should be, even if it's only for a long weekend. Des Moines may not be the most happening place to be, but it is very central. Right now we're toying with taking a long weekend to Colorado in the fall...

The Cooleys in the Northwest

Adam and I spent a week in Portland and Seattle. We flew into Seattle early on a Sunday morning and rented a car to drive down to Portland. It was only a 3 hour drive and Adam loves seeing a new part of the country (aside from Hawaii he hadn't been west of Omaha) I highly recommend seeing both cities at once if you have time. I wish we would have had a few more days to go even farther north to British Columbia, maybe next time.

We got to have dinner with Lynette and Jon in Portland which was great. And Lynette picked cherries (now I know why she loves it out there) and made a delicious chocolate cherry cobbler. Sometimes I wonder why I'm still in Des Moines when it seems like everyone else has moved, but it's great to have people to visit around the country. It would be nice to have Lynette and Jon closer. I think we would have tons of fun hanging out with them (and Adam would love playing with their Wii). It's hard to find couple friends sometimes. I loved seeing their apt too since I had lived with Lynette for a few years. it was fun to see familiar things and be able to picture her at home.

Adam joked about moving to the Portland area and I honestly don't think we ever would, but it is something to consider. The city is beautiful and there is so much to do in the area. We drove over to the coast, went to wineries and orchards, did some hiking, saw waterfalls and mountains, pretty much everything you could ever want and no sales tax! And of course the Powells bookstore in downtown Portland. I could have spent an entire day or at least an afternoon there. Adam dragged me out after about 45 minutes, but it's a booklover's paradise.

It was our 2 year anniversary while we were there (the traditional gift is cotton if you were wondering) so we got reservations at Portland City Grill, a nice restaurant on the 30th floor of a building downtown. We had a corner windowseat, so we overlooked the city and ate amazing food. It was fun to get dressed up for a fancy dinner.

Other highlights of the trip included:
buying an 18 pound tuna in Seattle (we had it packed on ice and just checked it with our luggage)
eating the best crabcakes of my life in Seattle
riding a ferry to Bainbridge Island
buying coffee at the first Starbucks
hiking to the top of Multnomah Falls
wandering through flower gardens in Oregon
free wine tastings





Cannon Beach, Oregon
Too bad it wasn't a sunny day, but it was still beautiful.







Multnomah Falls

living like a kid

I took the afternoon off (it kind of felt like i was a kid playing hooky) to spend with Lynn who was in Des Moines for the day from the Virgin Islands. You know you have a good friend when you can go a year and a half without seeing them and pick up a conversation like you've never been apart. We ate lunch in the east village, wandered around a few shops, got gellato and then took the obligatory walk through Drake campus. To top off the evening we ate fresh iowa sweet corn and hot dogs and lynn made her famous corn bean dip. and we even made s'mores. It feels like a Friday. too bad i have to go back to work tomorrow.

does any one else have an urge to run through sprinklers when they see them on in the summer. it was a hot, hot day and still pretty muggy tonight. The first set of sprinklers I saw were at Wells Fargo. I couldn't resist doing a little rain dance and twirl through the sprays of water. By then I was already wet so when we came to the nice old houses South of Grand that have elaborate built-in sprinkler systems I had no qualms about prancing my way through those too. There's something wonderful and thrilling and refreshing about getting blasted by the cold sprays of water that makes me giggle like a little girl. I think Adam was a little embarrassed to be seen with me after that, but he has to realize that's who he married. I say you have to embrace your inner child whenever possible.

the joys of wireless internet

It is a beautiful cool night. I was able to go for a run and not feel like I could barely breath because of the humidity and it's finally cooled off enough to open the windows and turn off the ac. I can't complain about the heat too much, it is summer in Iowa and in my mind that is much better than winter. Life is good. Especially when I can sit out on the balcony enjoying the afterglow of the sunset and type away while connected to the internet.

It's that time of month when I get new issues of every magazine I subscribe to (blueprint, esquire, relevant, radiant, no real simple yet, but i'm sure it's coming) It can be a little overwhelming, so many pages to flip through! But then I remind myself that it's my job to flip through them, gotta love that. One of my favorite pieces every month is Esquire is 10 Things You Don't Know About Women (remember this is a men's magazine) This month my favorite point is: We only want to date men who can troubleshoot computers. The broken laptop is the leak faucet of the twenty-first century. I had to laugh when I read this because Adam is definitely my computer guru.

I'm random tonight, but we have been talking about creating a playlist of sorts with the best songs to remodel to for the remodelingcenter.com website and I found the best roadtrip playlist here. Check it out and tell me if it doesn't make you want to burn a few cds and take a road trip right now.

random thoughts on the last day of spring

If there is an art to burning a bag of popcorn i have mastered it. it's so disappointing to be anticipating a good bag of popped corn and then you get distracted for a moment and it's in the microwave 10 seconds too long and suddenly it's charred. yet i still sit here munching on it, it's like a sick form of punishment...

Isn't it weird that technically it's still spring? It was 90 degrees today! But if today's the last day of spring, that means tomorrow it's officially summer and i think it's the longest day of the year. i remember when i was little and it would stay light outside 'til 9 o'clock but my mom still made us come inside at 8. it was torture to be laying in bed listening to the neighbor kids still playing outside.

I don't usually like beer. i'm more of a wine and cocktails kind of girl, but Adam and i were at an I-Cubs game last weekend and all i wanted was a cold beer and a bag of fresh roasted peanuts. Seriously, the combination kept me occupied through at least 5 innings. it just tasted so good. you should try it. and i recommend getting a draft of beer rather than the bottles (I think you get more for your money)

I went to the pool for the first time this weekend and it was wonderful. I even got my hair wet, something that doesn't always happen when I go to the pool. (when I tell Adam I'm going to the pool, he always clarifies that I'm not going to swim, I'm going to sit in the sun) this time I did a little of both.

patio gardening

Last summer I dabbled in gardening with a hanging pot and a small basil plant. This year I fell in love with the idea of having window boxes. Adam did a great job making them work on our patio and now he calls me a happy plant mom (the only thing I'll be mothering for awhile) and I'm especially proud of my copper watering can. My next goal is to harvest a tomato (I think my pot may be a little small)

play, repeat

when i find a song that i really like i have a tendency to listen to it over and over and over again. I think I learned this when i lived with Lynn and Laura, they are both known for putting a song on indefinite repeat until it's completely engrained in your mind. (any time i hear a song from Michelle Branch's Hotel Paper I will think of the spring of Jr year in the GK dorms)

Right now I am obsessed with a couple of songs and artists. They are all a result of my trip to LA (Becca's new car includes an ipod hook up so the 3 of us took turns dj-ing as we drove around, gotta love technology)
Check out Tegan and Sara, specifically "Where Does the Good Go" from the Grey's Anatomy Season 1 soundtrack; and Kat Parsons, I love the passion and emotion in her voice and the lyrics. so good (and we actually saw her perform while i was in LA)

total anonymity

I spent some time in various airports on my trip to LA and I realized two things. The first is that while I love to travel with Adam (and we really need to do travel together more often) I love being able to go to the airport on my own and have the freedom to get on a plane and fly halfway across the country all by myself. I feel completely independent. There are many other things that I do that are on my own but I think that because I don't travel that often, that it's kind of a luxury.

I also realized that I love the feeling of not knowing anyone. I had a delay in the Denver airport on my way home and while it was inconvenient that I didn't get back until later than anticipated I suddenly had an hour and a half with nothing to do. It was kind of nice. I wandered around, and found the TCBY (I think all airports have one, and there's something about the combination of airports and frozen yogurt that I find wonderful, I make it a goal to get it at least once on every trip). Then I found a seat and read my book, flipped through a magazine, and worked on a Sudoku puzzle. Some people love to strike up conversations in these kinds of situations, but I tend to stay to myself. I don't think I'm necessarily rude, I just don't go out of my way to share my life story with a complete stranger (and honestly I hope they don't feel the need to open up to me). If someone starts a conversation with me I'll politely chat with them, but it's not my goal to make a new best friend in the airport. Part of it is that I'm selfish, I'll admit it. I want to be left alone. But I also relish the few moments, when I don't have to do anything or be anyone other than the young girl in jeans, with a paperback and a Starbucks. Sometimes that's all I need.

last week at this time...

Whenever I get back from trips I play this little game with myself of remembering where I was or what I was doing "last week at this time." I got back from LA late Tuesday night, and as always it was a great trip. Last Sunday Laura, Becca, and I drove to Santa Monica and walked along the beach before going to a Farmer's Market. It was different than the Des Moines Farmer's Market in that it was smaller and it was all food vendors. But there was live music and big grassy area to sit and enjoy the day. We shared roasted corn on the cob, a 3 pound breakfast burrito, and an amazing strawberry-banana crepe. Then we walked through all the booths and Becca got all kinds of fresh food for dinner (including the biggest carrots I've ever seen, purple potatoes, a flat of strawberries)

We also went to a fabulous flea market on Melrose Ave, took a nap, and went to the night service of the girls' church. I love going to churches in different cities and being able to find a community of believers who are going through the same struggles and trials that I am, but worshiping and depending on the same God.

Then, the highlight of the evening was dinner cooked by Becca. She outdid herself starting with sangria (you can't go wrong with 2 buck chuck, a can of lemon lime soda and lots of oranges and strawberries) and a fabulous salad with avocado and strawberries (from the market of course) followed by chicken sauted with wonderful spices and steamed veggies and crusty bread. Laura and I didn't get to help her bake (we were fighting with the directions for an IKEA console) which is one of my favorite things to do with the girls, but just the act of sharing a meal was wonderful and one of the things I miss the most about having the girls close by.

Other highlights of the week included hiking through Runyan Canyon with Becca (we could walk up to the trails from her apt and it's just kind of like a huge park with some great hiking right in the middle of the city), hiking along Zuma Beach (pics to come), seeing the stars up at Big Bear Lake, and of course just sitting around, drinking wine, and getting ready together.

girl time

when i was getting ready to be married, i was excited at the prospect of living with adam, but a part of me was mourning the loss of living with girls. i absolutely loved my girlie roommates from our late night conversations, trashy tv marathons, and family dinners to sharing and borrowing everything from cereal to earrings.

well, i've been married almost two years now, and I love living with Adam. he may not care as much about shoes and makeup as the girls did, but we have a lot of fun together. this weekend i get to revert back to my college days. i'm heading out to LA to visit Becca and Laura. when i tell people what i'm going to be doing, i mention hiking and shopping and seeing the ocean, but really I don't care what we do as long as it's just relaxing girl time. i'm hoping to drink lots of coffee, eat some good food and wine and just enjoy the girls. it's been a while.

rainy sundays

It's been a rainy day and as much as I would have loved to spend the day at the park or playing tennis and going for a walk, there's also something wonderful about curling up on the couch, watching an old movie, taking a nap and reading a book. Adam is less content staying in all day, so he insisted that he wanted to go to Target. So I made him a very detailed list (I need conditioner, concealer, and razors). We'll see how he does, or how many times he calls to ask what I was talking about.

I'm listening to several songs on the new John Mayer CD on repeat (stop this train and the heart of life) it's very soothing music for a rainy day. I'm pumped because John is coming to Des Moines in June and Ben Folds is opening for him. It should be a good show.

dare to dream

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover..."
—Mark Twain

what does this look like for me. What are the things I should be doing right now that I will regret not doing in 20 years? I am so comfortable in Des Moines. I love our condo, the job is fine, life is good. There's nothing wrong with that, but do I want to be comfortable when I'm 24? I want to be challenged and pushed to the limit. Maybe that's crazy, maybe I just need to find ways to spice things up where I am. Maybe I just have spring fever.

the kindness of God

"If I am to know God as He really is, then I must not just accept that God is kind; I must embrace His kindness as my own. I need that kindness to saturate my being and transform me."

I wrote this quote down, and now I can't remember where I read it, so I can't give the author the credit he deserves, but it really struck me. the idea of embracing God's loving kindness as our own. i don't quite know what that looks like, but I know that I want to do a better job of loving myself and other people. Sometimes the loving myself part is almost harder than the loving other people part. I naturally feel selfish if I take too much time for myself, but really, if I'm not taking care of myself and embracing God's love for me, I can't fully love others.

check this out

my love for magazines started with printed magazines that come in the mail every month or that you pick up on the newsstand. anyone who visits our house knows that i love magazines after seeing the stacks of them sitting around the coffee table and through the house. but i am starting to pay more attention to online magazines (especially since Remodel is officially part of the world wide web now) and there are some pretty cool ones out there. I'm not convinced that they will ever take the place of the original paper copies, but I just found this new magazine that is only available online: Sprig.

It is created by some of the former editors of Organic Style (a magazine that was published by Rodale for several years and unfortunately folded about a year ago, just before the green movement got big) Those of you who are designers should appreciate th logo, it's very pretty.

Sprig stands for: Sophisticated People Are Into Green. clever, huh? I'm not quite sure what the purpose of the site is. It seems mostly product driven, but maybe there will be more content in the future.

More and more magazines are taking the plunge into online arenas, and it's interesting to see that some are forgoing print editions all together in favor of online. I love the idea of how much easier (and cheaper) it is to launch a magazine this way, but I don't know if it's really feasible. It's hard enough to be successful as a print publication, and there is so much more competition online (you still have to drive people to your site), but I guess if you can drive people to your site there are so many possibilities for interaction and video and community that maybe it's feasible.

As you can see, I love this stuff. I love it that I am paid to immerse myself in it and see what works and what doesn't and even get to try some things myself.

B Ave

I was back in Cedar Rapids a few weeks ago. I've lived in Des Moines for 6 years, it is truly my home, but Cedar Rapids, and more specifically B Ave NE will always be my home, where I grew up. My parents moved to a new house a year ago, and when I'm home now I still have to ask my mom where things are. I go "home" to see them there, but that will never be my house. I have a room there, but it's really the guest room, and that's fine with me. I'm not there enough to really put my mark on any thing (except for all the memories I can't part with that I insist my mom keep either in that room or the basement).

If Adam and I are driving somewhere when we're in CR I usually ask him to drive by the old house. I can close my eyes and know exactly where we are by the curves in the road. Some of the houses have changed, but there's still the stop sign (by the mailbox) that I remember barely pausing at as I rushed to make it home by curfew, the park around the corner where Adam and I would park his car and makeout before he dropped me off at home, the side street that we would splash in after it rained, and learning the rules of looking both ways before crossing the street so I could go play with Maggie who lived right across the street from us. Those are my childhood memories.

the Cooleys

At church people refer to Adam and I as "the Cooleys." That is who we are, but every time I hear it, I kind of pause and become aware that I'm not a Schmidt anymore. I am used to signing my name as Andrea Cooley and hearing people refer to me as Andrea Cooley, but for some reason it's still funny to hear us referred to as the Cooleys. Maybe it's because I associate that with a family. Obviously we don't have kids yet, but I guess we are a family between the two of us.

des moines highlights

1. Fireworks after Friday night I-Cubs games. Tonight was the first home game and we didn't go (it's still too cold for that) but we could see parts of the fireworks show from our bedroom window.

2. Tulips and daffodils blooming (even after the snow on Wed)

3. Fruit snacks (Adam and I rediscovered them at Target. somehow they are deliciously artificial)

4. Spring weddings (and the cards and gifts they entail) there are a lot of them this spring and I love going to Target to check the registries :)

5. Chinese food. Adam and I had a date night this week at P.F. Changs. Lettuce wraps, crispy honey shrimp, and cashew/almond chicken with plenty of leftovers. yum

6. Days spent in the photo studio. I worked on producing a tile shower set this week that we shot, and I think it turned out really well. You can see it in the Aug/Sept issue of Remodel.

7. Taking a nap on the couch and not feeling guilty about it.

to be a writer

I am a writer. Even if I didn't write for my job I would still be a writer. Sometimes I lose site of the fact that I get to write at work. Like today, a Friday, when I have this story about low-maintenance remodeling products that I've been pushing around all week. Not very exciting, but it's what's on my plate to write about at the moment. I've done the interviews, the research, all that's left is pulling it all together on the page. So I start crafting the lead, and while remodeling products can only be so exciting, I think I found a good one. I didn't finish the story, but it will still be waiting for me Monday, it's my job.

at immersion last night we started a series called "The Office" about how God created us to work and how our attitudes at work need to be positive even if we aren't in our dream job. I was convicted of that today at work. I haven't always had the best attitude about my job, but it really is a good job, a great job. not many people get to sit and craft a lead, write snappy titles, and just generally create and get paid for it. It's definitely something i take for granted.

I am not just a journalist or a magazine writer. I'm also a journaler, a creative writer, a letter writer. My friend Sarah Kay, a writer, says "The role of a writer is to say what we are unable to say." I like that.

Thank you notes

My mom trained me to write thank you notes. I remember after Christmas we always had to have all our thank you notes written before we went back to school. Kyle, Karen, and I would sit at the booth with our lists of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins to write. I wrote thank you notes after birthdays, graduation, and most impressively more than 100 after our wedding. I've said before that I like writing letters, but there's something about thank you notes, handwritten, not e-mailed, that is very intentional and maybe a little old fashioned. I just read an article in Esquire about someone who decided to write 100 thank you notes in a month. It made him realize how many times a day he said thank you without thinking and how many times people said the same to him: waiters, coworkers, kids, friends, and strangers. interesting.

spring cleaning

Adam and I have officially been homeowners for a year now. That means I have maintained the same address for 365 consecutive days for the first time since high school. I love our condo, and love that we have been able to settle into a home together, but it seems like it's the time of year to move, go through all my stuff and purge the things I don't need. Even though we aren't moving, I feel the need to start emptying closets (which secretly must drive Adam crazy) I can feel a Salvation Army trip on the list of things to do this weekend...

In other news, Adam and I were in Chicago over the weekend to celebrate my birthday (I am now a proud 24 years old, and have decided it's the perfect age, it sounds old enough to be taken seriously, but still young enough to not be taken too seriously). We have been to Chicago a couple times before, but this time we stayed in a great hotel, right downtown on Lakeshore Drive and spent the whole weekend walking around, exploring the city. We both loved it. I loved the Starbucks on every corner and Trader Joes within walking distance and the art museum, and shopping, and energy of it all, and I think Adam was content just walking around and watching all the people. Who knows, maybe we'll be living there in the next few years. We are very comfortable in Des Moines and finally getting connected at our church, and everything is so affordable here, but there is an allure to living in a big city or even just outside the city. Right now we'll pray about it and enjoy this season of life.

snail mail

I love getting letters, handwritten envelopes with pretty stamps and even cuter cards. The only benefit to Becca moving halfway across the country is that we have become pen pals. It seems at least once a week I find a personal letter waiting for me. This hasn't replaced our phone calls or e-mails, but the letters are where we share the little happenings of our day and sometimes open up about things we don't talk about verbally from our dreams to our faith.

Writing letters is something I started as a little girl. I would be pen pals with anyone who was willing to put a pen to paper and write me back from grandmas and camp counselors to kids from other countries. I've said this before, but I usually think I'm a better writer than a speaker. I like to get my thoughts down on paper. And I can't resist cute stationary :) Whenever I'm at a bookstore or coffee shop I can't help but look through the cards and pick one up for someone special. And Adam won't even go down the card aisle at Target with me anymore. I have been known to spend half an hour picking out the perfect card.

cereal party

all the really good expensive cereal like Lucky Charms and Captain Crunch were on sale at the store, 4 for $10, so Adam and I splurged and got 4 boxes of sweet, kid's cereal. Now it's all sitting on our stove because of course we don't have room for it in the cupboards. it makes me want to have a cereal party like i remember having in the dorms. it seems like there would be nights when we would just crave cereal so we would go to the convenience store and buy those bags of cheap cereal. then everyone grabs a spoon, we get a big bowl and start filling it with cereal and milk and everyone digs in. who wants to come?

monday

It’s one of those days at work that is almost eerily quiet. My boss Eliot is gone, along with his boss Linda, so not only is there no meetings scheduled (a rarity, especially on a Monday) but there really isn’t anyone around to be asking me to do something. Of course there are things for me to work on, but nothing pressing enough to keep me focused for more than 30 minutes at a time. I used to hate these days, I would much rather be busy working on a deadline than sitting catching up on all the things you put off because you don’t want to do them. But I am learning to appreciate them because I know that before the week is through I am bound to be bombarded with phone calls or something that needs to be done right now. Instead of feeling guilty for not being as productive as I’d like to be, I remind myself that I am a salaried employee, and there will be weeks when I might work a little more than 40 hours, but there will also be weeks where I work a little less, and that’s OK.

my Sunday routine

Anyone who has had the pleasure of living with me or who just knows me pretty well knows that I am not the most spontaneous person. I have a routine, a schedule, and I like to stick to it. Take Sundays for example. Now that I don't have to worry about school work this is my favorite day of the week. Adam and I usually have a leisurely morning of breakfast, coffee, and reading the paper (and I always have to look at the Target ad) then we go to church at 11, maybe run some errands and come home to take a nap. Then I start the laundry, catch up on e-mail and phone calls, go to the gym, and fold the clothes while watching the Apprentice. I know it's good to switch things up sometimes, live on the wild side, but there is something so comforting about a good routine.

Happy belated St. Patrick's day. I didn't go to the parade because we woke up to a blanket of SNOW on everything. I looked out the window from bed and saw the fat, white flakes falling and thought, oh, it's just snowing a little. But when I got out of bed and looked outside everything was covered. It's all melted now and back in the 50s, so hopefully that's all the snow we get this month. I remember last year that it snowed on my birthday though...

it's been awhile...

Adam is out with a friend tonight and I am enjoying a night to myself at home. Rather than rushing to check things off my list (do a load of laundry, go to the gym, iron) I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop, listening to the latest John Mayer CD and catching up with my life. Sometimes I feel like I have to give myself permission to not be productive. In reality I'm still getting things done. I'm catching up on friend's blogs, I'm writing e-mails, reading a magazine, writing a letter.

Some of you have commented that I haven't posted lately and there are lots of reasons. But I think the main one is that as much as I love to read other people's blogs, look at their pictures, get a look at what's going on in their lives, I am an editor at heart and I edit the things I post here (I'm doing it right now, re-reading the words I've typed and making small changes). I tell myself I have to have something worthwhile to say and even worry what people might think about things I post. In a way I get writer's block for blogging. The funny thing is that part of my job is now blogging about new building and remodeling products on the Better Homes and Gardens website (but this is so much more fun than writing about the newest faucet or countertop material)

anyway, here are the random things that are on my mind and going on in Des Moines:
Spring is less than 2 weeks away (along with my birthday) and I can't wait to wear skirts, sandals, and eat lunch outside
My parents and sister came to visit last weekend (and stayed with us for the first time) and my dad made the comment that it's been almost 2 years since I graduated. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that, and thinking that 2 years feels like a long time, but also realizing that I am used to not being a student anymore and I don't count the months that I've been in my job wondering when it's been an appropriate amount of time so I can look for a new job (that's a big milestone)
Adam got me a cute little white macbook computer for Valentine's Day, which was almost a month ago, yet I'm sitting here typing on my old trusty powerbook. He keeps asking me when he can transfer everything over, but I keep putting it off. Even as I get frustrated about how long it takes to load up a website or how it periodically freezes up when i'm in the middle of something. How many hours have i spent with this on my lap mapping out my life? I know I have to get rid of it (let him sell it on ebay) but this was my first mac, the one that Laura helped me search for and wouldn't let me take out of the box 'til i got my homework done, the one i dropped a hot iron on and it survived (with only a small dent on the lid)
I have to put in a plug for the website Sam (my coworker) and I have been working so hard on for Remodel magazine. It is launching tomorrow (fingers crossed) and if you check it out we get points (or something like that) If you aren't remodeling it may not have much for you (no embarrassing pictures of me yet) but take a look at what I do every day: www.remodelingcenter.com.
And finally I am reading the new Philip Yancy book on Prayer, and have to share this idea: When we pray we get the direction wrong. usually we start with our concerns, bringing them to God, telling him as if he didn't already know them. But if we turn this around and realize that God already cares about our concerns even more than i do "Grace like water descends to teh lowest part. Streams of mercy flow. I begin with God, who bears primary responsibility for what happen on earth and ask what part i can play in God's work on earth."

BRRRRR!

When the person on the radio said it was 22 BELOW this morning, I waited for them to laugh and say they were joking...but they weren't lying. It really was 22 BELOW ZERO this morning with windchill. It makes the sun just seem like a cruel taunt to come out side and bask in its glory when really, if you did that you would DIE from FROSTBITE (can you tell that I'm a little bitter about the weather?) I'm going to Orlando next week for work and while they are complaining of 50 degree temperatures, right now that sounds like paradise. I did see my first "sun dog" this morning (look it up, it's for real) Eliot, my boss informed me and my coworker Sam that it's a rainbow of ice crystals that form around the sun when it's this cold out. I love a good rainbow, but I'll take mine after a thunderstorm thank you very much.

a wonderful dilema

i have just finished reading a book, a fluffy novel telling the story of an Italian girl and her family growing up in a milltown on the East Coast in the 1920s. now i have the dilema of choosing what to read next. only a true reader understands this quandry. when you finish a good book there is a feeling of satisfaction like drinking a really good cup of coffee or enjoying a pefectly moist and dense brownie. it's wonderful, but at the same time it's over and even if you have a stack of good books in front of you, it takes a little while to get into another story, introduce yourself to a new set of characters and immerse yourself in their life's story. so here i am sitting in front of my bookshelf, weighing my options between the Grapes of Wrath, which i know will be wonderful, but it seems a little daunting, a Jodi Picoult novel, equally wonderful, but much lighter, and an assortment of other novels. what will it be? in the end there isn't a wrong choice, but there are certain moods for books, so which one is best for the end of January?

technology

I am sitting on the floor of our second bedroom, fiddling with a pair of rabbit ears (Adam insisted on putting tin foil on them, but I don't think they really help) trying to get a clear signal to watch the Bears game. It's so frustrating to get such fuzzy reception when we're used to crystal clear digital images. But I also realize how spoiled we are to not have to deal with these funny looking antennas on a regular basis. You ask why we are resorting to an antenna? Well, it seems Mediacom, our local cable provider is in some kind of feud with FOX so we don't get that channel anymore. I'm not a diehard football fan, but I was raised on Sunday afternoon Chicago Bears games. And according to my brother, the Bears haven't won the superbowl since 1985 so I'm doing my part and supporting da bears.

snow day

Adam and I have declared it a Sunday snow day. It started snowing late last night and by this morning we had 4 or 5 inches. I'm sure we could have made it to church, but it's so much more fun to stay home and make pancakes, drink coffee, and watch cars try to navigate the roads. Does anyone else find pleasure in looking out their windows and watching cars spin up the hill or trying to get out of the mound of snow the plow left in front of their driveway or is it just us? Our next mission is to track down someone with a sled (I think Bo is our best bet) and bundle up to go sledding. I'm not sure if we'll actually be that ambitious, but it sounds good.

It started snowing last night and before I went to bed I lay on the couch looking out the window at the gray sky that seemed to glow as it released its flakes onto the world below. There's something so perfect about snow falling. I love how it muffles the rest of the world and covers up all our dirt and grime. When I was a kid I hated it when the mailman or paperboy trekked across our front yard. I loved the perfection of the smooth layer of snow over the otherwise gray yard.

I'm listening to Norah Jones. Her voice reminds me of rainy days and watching it snow outside. I can't wait for her new CD to come out the end of the month.

more to come, i promise...

Happy New Year

It's that time of year to make new beginnings and reflect on the old year. This is my version of a Christmas letter.

Here I go with a little game I like to call High/Low

Highs of 2006:
Adam and I bought our first house in March. It is a condo in Des Moines, really close to downtown where we work, and it has been great to get it furnished and decorated and make it feel like home. We've been in it 9 months (which is a record for me to be at one address) but it feels like we've been here a lot longer.

The Drake Relays. I think the last weekend in April will always be reunion time in Des Moines. Laura was in from LA and Lynn was back from the Virgin Islands for a much needed girl weekend.

Weekend in Chicago, visiting friends and watching the Cubs beat the Cardinals :)

Week at Lake Okoboji with the Schmidts. Adam got to experience my childhood vacation spot and we celebrated our one-year anniversary. I also played my first 9 holes of golf.

Throughout the year we have started meeting more couples at church and have finally found our niche in ministry there. We help with the set up and tear down of one of the services and will be leading a Bible study this winter.

Visiting Laura in LA for Labor Day weekend. 4 glorious days consisting of shoe shopping, coffee, red wine, champagne, movie sets, ocean views, and of course, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL: Countdown of the top 50 musicals of all time.

Adam and I had all kinds of fun this fall going to an apple orchard, drinking cider, and going to a costume party.

I started leading a creative writing workshop at the women's prison with a friend from college. Once a week we go write with a group of 10-12 women for an hour and a half. It has been so rewarding.

We spent a weekend in Minneapolis/St. Paul Christmas shopping and enjoying the sites with our friends Jim and Allison.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were both spent with family and loved ones. We are blessed to be close enough to drive home and see both of our families.

And for Lows,
I really only have one, and it's a selfish one, but it must be noted that my dear friend (and co-worker) Becca moved to LA to take a fabulous job at Bon Appetit magazine. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up, but I miss her dearly. I always knew she was wonderful (who else slaves over birthday cakes, will go on walks with you any time, and always have time to take a lunch break when you're having a hard day at work?) but it's only that more apparent now that she's not here. But she was back in town over the holidays, and I'm confident that in two years she'll be back in Des Moines...


God only knows what this next year has in store for us.