Saturday, June 21, 2008
my job
In January I started a new job (at the same publishing company). I am now product editor for Country Home magazine. I loved the people I worked with at Remodel, but I was never passionate about the content. My new job is a much better fit. Not many people can say they shop for products and look for trends and get paid for it. I still have a lot to learn, but so far I'm loving it. Last week I spent 3 days in Dallas with a group of editors touring a gift show, going to design centers, and shopping. We were wined and dined and treated like royalty. I know I have a pile of story folders waiting for me when I get to my cube on Monday, but that doesn't even sound so bad.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
why blog?
I've had this blog for over 2 years now, but my posting goes in starts and stops. For a few months I'll be good about posting most weeks, keeping readers updated on what's going on in my and Adam's life and then I'll go through a dry phase where I forget to blog or just don't make time for it. One reason for this is that I haven't decided what I want this blog to be. Should it just be a place I record what's going on in our lives and post pictures? Or am I willing to commit to it and start writing creatively and personally about my thoughts and feelings? The latter is what I've wanted to do, but haven't had the nerve to do.
I recently read this article in the New York Times magazine about a young woman whose life was a blog (it was her job, literally) and it made me think more about this medium of blogging and what it means to me and this generation. Some people are so willing to pour their hearts out in cyberspace revealing personal details and feelings that they don't even share with their closest friends. Why is that? I think part of the reason is that we long to be known, even our deepest darkest secrets. It's liberating to release all those thoughts and emotions to the great unknown regardless of whether any one is reading it. But when do we go too far? When do we get to the point where we have compromised ourselves, our reputation, our relationships by revealing every gritty detail online? There are times when I think it is better to keep things to yourself or better yet actually talk to someone about it rather than hide behind a blog. That said I'm the queen of hiding behind words whether it's a letter, an e-mail, or an IM conversation. I am full of words and thoughts and emotions, but I am much more comfortable hiding behind the letters than see your reaction to the words. Sometimes this is a blessing, but more often than not I think it's a curse. It's a blessing when I'm able to encourage friends with a card or note when I can't see them, but it's a curse when it means that I avoid confrontation and the hard conversations that nobody likes, but really shouldn't be avoided. I have always been this way. It was the way I was raised, the way I learned to deal with conflict (by avoiding it). In many ways our technologically savvy society has only allowed me and others like me to be this way. We hide behind text messages, facebook comments, and e-mail instead of learning to interact with people face to face. Sometimes I wonder if given the choice if people would rather give up one on one time with a person than their cell phone or computer.
Aside from not wanting confrontation (because then someone might be mad at me) I am a writer by nature and that means I can form my thoughts so much better and say what I mean without being flustered much better in an e-mail or letter than in a conversation. I know that really isn't an excuse for not talking to someone, but it sure is easier.
Those who know me well know that while I do send lovely letters and e-mails, when I'm really comfortable with you and ready to open up I'm all about quality time (it's my primary love language). To me quality time is sitting over a cup of coffee and talking for hours, one on one, going for a long walk (my mom taught me this), or just sitting and chatting. So I guess, all this is to say maybe I will start revealing more personal details on my blog, but if you really want to see the true Andrea, meet me for coffee or join me on a long walk. And I'm curious what other people think about our society's dependence on electronic communication.
I recently read this article in the New York Times magazine about a young woman whose life was a blog (it was her job, literally) and it made me think more about this medium of blogging and what it means to me and this generation. Some people are so willing to pour their hearts out in cyberspace revealing personal details and feelings that they don't even share with their closest friends. Why is that? I think part of the reason is that we long to be known, even our deepest darkest secrets. It's liberating to release all those thoughts and emotions to the great unknown regardless of whether any one is reading it. But when do we go too far? When do we get to the point where we have compromised ourselves, our reputation, our relationships by revealing every gritty detail online? There are times when I think it is better to keep things to yourself or better yet actually talk to someone about it rather than hide behind a blog. That said I'm the queen of hiding behind words whether it's a letter, an e-mail, or an IM conversation. I am full of words and thoughts and emotions, but I am much more comfortable hiding behind the letters than see your reaction to the words. Sometimes this is a blessing, but more often than not I think it's a curse. It's a blessing when I'm able to encourage friends with a card or note when I can't see them, but it's a curse when it means that I avoid confrontation and the hard conversations that nobody likes, but really shouldn't be avoided. I have always been this way. It was the way I was raised, the way I learned to deal with conflict (by avoiding it). In many ways our technologically savvy society has only allowed me and others like me to be this way. We hide behind text messages, facebook comments, and e-mail instead of learning to interact with people face to face. Sometimes I wonder if given the choice if people would rather give up one on one time with a person than their cell phone or computer.
Aside from not wanting confrontation (because then someone might be mad at me) I am a writer by nature and that means I can form my thoughts so much better and say what I mean without being flustered much better in an e-mail or letter than in a conversation. I know that really isn't an excuse for not talking to someone, but it sure is easier.
Those who know me well know that while I do send lovely letters and e-mails, when I'm really comfortable with you and ready to open up I'm all about quality time (it's my primary love language). To me quality time is sitting over a cup of coffee and talking for hours, one on one, going for a long walk (my mom taught me this), or just sitting and chatting. So I guess, all this is to say maybe I will start revealing more personal details on my blog, but if you really want to see the true Andrea, meet me for coffee or join me on a long walk. And I'm curious what other people think about our society's dependence on electronic communication.
Monday, May 19, 2008
spring storms
I got in a run after work and it was sunny and nice, but now I've closed the windows in preparation for a scattered storm. Even though the house is all closed up, I still find myself sitting in the shelter of our balcony, watching the dark storm clouds roll in, the white underbellies of the leaves expose themselves to the sky, and hearing the thunder rumble. I don't think we've had a good spring storm yet, and I'm ready. I can almost smell the change in temperature in the air, feel the cool breeze and even a few rain drops. I got my appreciation of weather from my mom who watches the forecast and dopler radar almost to the point of obsession, but it's something i love about her. She always appreciated little acts of nature, like thunderstorms, new leaves in the spring, snow storms in the winter, and fall. She lives in the right place (Eastern Iowa) to appreciate all the seasons. That's where I get my excitement about little things from.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
feels like home
Feels like home is an appropriate title to this post as Adam and I were back in Cedar Rapids on Saturday to see our mom's (and I was listening to the Norah Jone's album with the same name).
Cedar Rapids is only 2 hours away, so it made for a long day, but we're so fortunate that we're able to get back to see family so easily. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be closer, to celebrate birthdays and have dinner, but I won't complain.
It was a busy day seeing both of our families, but we divided our time and I think were able to spend some quality time with everyone. Our first stop was the Schmidt residence, where Adam always knows he can find a "Schmidt" sandwich (which has my mom's perfect combination of mustard, mayonnaise and love that I can only try to replicate). I will always love walking into my parent's house (I really don't have any claims to it since they moved into it after I graduated from college). I love our home in Des Moines, but when I walk through the front door of 185 Dows Lane I can let my guard down completely and be a kid again in some ways. I always know my mom will have something ready for lunch or dinner or dessert, but it's not just the food. It's the eternal welcome that is there. I know that my parents would drop everything to spend time with us. They appreciate our visits, but there is never any pressure to be there. And even though I've never "lived" in this house, it still has all the familiar comforts of growing up: the couch I can always sprawl out on and take a nap on, the quirky tv remote control that never seems to work, the cupboard in the kitchen where I know I can find a stash of chocolate, the piles of books and magazines on the coffee table (much like my own) where I can snoop into what everyone's reading, and the walking shoes by the door, just waiting for a chance to get out for a walk. These are only minor glimpses of my vision of home, but they are so tangible I can't help but look around our condo (and the ever present pile of shoes by the door, chocolate stashed on top of the fridge, and the couch strewn with pillows and blankets) and see that we are making it feel like our own version of home.
While we were home we also drove by Xavier, my high school. I started there my sophomore year (1998) which was the year it opened (2 Catholic schools in the city merged) and I don't remember the last time I drove out there. It's amazing the rush of memories that hit when we pulled into the parking lot. Some things have changed: there's a new sign at the entrance, the trees are bigger, and there is a new parking lot, and overall it seems a little smaller than I remember. I showed Adam the area I would always park the old blue buick and we looked at the tennis courts and football field. So many good memories. I am so fortunate to have had such a great high school experience. I've always loved school (I'm that girl) but I took it all in while I was there: playing tennis all 4 years, singing in the choir, being in musicals, working on the newspaper, going to football and basketball games, even cheerleading. And who could forget the senior prom, my and Adam's first date. It was a good place, where I made a lot of friends, learned a lot, and probably thought I had things pretty well figured out when I left.
The one thing we didn't do while we were back was drive by the old house on B Ave. While it's still my instinct to turn there when going home, I'm learning the new streets and they are starting to feel like home.
Cedar Rapids is only 2 hours away, so it made for a long day, but we're so fortunate that we're able to get back to see family so easily. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be closer, to celebrate birthdays and have dinner, but I won't complain.
It was a busy day seeing both of our families, but we divided our time and I think were able to spend some quality time with everyone. Our first stop was the Schmidt residence, where Adam always knows he can find a "Schmidt" sandwich (which has my mom's perfect combination of mustard, mayonnaise and love that I can only try to replicate). I will always love walking into my parent's house (I really don't have any claims to it since they moved into it after I graduated from college). I love our home in Des Moines, but when I walk through the front door of 185 Dows Lane I can let my guard down completely and be a kid again in some ways. I always know my mom will have something ready for lunch or dinner or dessert, but it's not just the food. It's the eternal welcome that is there. I know that my parents would drop everything to spend time with us. They appreciate our visits, but there is never any pressure to be there. And even though I've never "lived" in this house, it still has all the familiar comforts of growing up: the couch I can always sprawl out on and take a nap on, the quirky tv remote control that never seems to work, the cupboard in the kitchen where I know I can find a stash of chocolate, the piles of books and magazines on the coffee table (much like my own) where I can snoop into what everyone's reading, and the walking shoes by the door, just waiting for a chance to get out for a walk. These are only minor glimpses of my vision of home, but they are so tangible I can't help but look around our condo (and the ever present pile of shoes by the door, chocolate stashed on top of the fridge, and the couch strewn with pillows and blankets) and see that we are making it feel like our own version of home.
While we were home we also drove by Xavier, my high school. I started there my sophomore year (1998) which was the year it opened (2 Catholic schools in the city merged) and I don't remember the last time I drove out there. It's amazing the rush of memories that hit when we pulled into the parking lot. Some things have changed: there's a new sign at the entrance, the trees are bigger, and there is a new parking lot, and overall it seems a little smaller than I remember. I showed Adam the area I would always park the old blue buick and we looked at the tennis courts and football field. So many good memories. I am so fortunate to have had such a great high school experience. I've always loved school (I'm that girl) but I took it all in while I was there: playing tennis all 4 years, singing in the choir, being in musicals, working on the newspaper, going to football and basketball games, even cheerleading. And who could forget the senior prom, my and Adam's first date. It was a good place, where I made a lot of friends, learned a lot, and probably thought I had things pretty well figured out when I left.
The one thing we didn't do while we were back was drive by the old house on B Ave. While it's still my instinct to turn there when going home, I'm learning the new streets and they are starting to feel like home.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
for the love of spring
Hopefully I don't jinx us, but I think spring is finally here to stay in Iowa. And even though it was a long, long, cold and sometimes horrible winter, the joy of spring is upon us and it's almost enough to make me forget all those cold days. I was talking to a friend who lives in California today, gushing about being able to sit out on our balcony and watch the leaves starting to poke out on the trees and she said she pretty much takes the nice weather for granted anymore. I guess that's one thing we don't do in Iowa.
Adam and I went for a walk tonight and I couldn't stop talking about all the trees and the vibrant colors everywhere. I think we are just so starved for color and signs of life in the winter that when everything starts blooming in the spring we can't help but smile. One street we walked down smelled amazing. I seriously wish I could bottle up the smell of fresh blooms and cut grass and save it for a rainy day. I think my favorite trees right now are the magnolias, crab apples and cherry blossoms. They look like giant cotton balls or enormous sticks of cotton candy, all fluffy with blooms and sweetness. I wish they would stay all year. I love the green too, so vivid and almost fluorescent, but there's something about the flowering trees that I fall in love with. No wonder people fall in love in the spring. What's not to love?
Adam and I went for a walk tonight and I couldn't stop talking about all the trees and the vibrant colors everywhere. I think we are just so starved for color and signs of life in the winter that when everything starts blooming in the spring we can't help but smile. One street we walked down smelled amazing. I seriously wish I could bottle up the smell of fresh blooms and cut grass and save it for a rainy day. I think my favorite trees right now are the magnolias, crab apples and cherry blossoms. They look like giant cotton balls or enormous sticks of cotton candy, all fluffy with blooms and sweetness. I wish they would stay all year. I love the green too, so vivid and almost fluorescent, but there's something about the flowering trees that I fall in love with. No wonder people fall in love in the spring. What's not to love?
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Tulips!
It was a beautiful day for tulips. We drove over to Pella around lunchtime and basked in the glory of sunshine, more tulips than you could count, delicious pastries (we waited in line for over half an hour for Dutch letters, but it was worth every minute), and the best part: a parade! with floats and everything. It has been awhile since I've been to a parade. I don't know what it is about marching bands and cute little kids waving that turns me into a kid again. I was hopping around and dancing and waving at everyone (some day I'll be in a parade, I don't know if I could contain myself) Seriously, seeing all the cute families marching in their wooden clogs, almost tempts me to live in Pella for a year so we could be in the parade. I really think every member of the town participated in the parade. It was over an hour!
Maybe this will be the year we'll go to the parade of all parades...the ROSE BOWL parade in Pasadena. Oh my
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sunny Sundays
It's almost the end of April, but I think Spring is finally here to stay in Des Moines. Adam and I started the day by walking to church (it's only a few blocks away) but I love not having to rely on a car to get everywhere. Then I met a friend for coffee and we sat outside soaking up some more sunshine.
But the most exciting event of the day was taking our bikes out for the first time. I've lived in Des Moines almost 7 years and heard people talk about the great trails we have but never gotten to enjoy them. Adam and I got bikes the middle of March and have been looking at them longingly waiting for nice weather and time to get out on them. We headed down to a trail that starts about a mile from our house. It was like we discovered a whole new side of Des Moines. It was the Bill Riley trail and it wound down around the Raccoon River, through trees that are just beginning to bud, and through a disc golf course. So many people were out enjoying the day, and of course Adam tried to say hello to everyone we passed (my friendly husband, what can I say). It was a great ride, but Adam tells me that I need to learn some common bicycle courtesy. I seem to tend to zoom around walkers without really paying attention. I think I just get excited and want to go fast, but I probably do need to do a better job of sharing the trail...
To finish the evening we bought a steak and fired up the charcoal grill for the first time. Unfortunately our charcoal was old and it was windy and we never could get the coals warm enough so we ended up cooking the steak on the Forman. It was still tasty, but disappointing that it didn't have the charbroiled taste. Maybe it's time for us to upgrade to a gas grill. I'll keep you posted.
But the most exciting event of the day was taking our bikes out for the first time. I've lived in Des Moines almost 7 years and heard people talk about the great trails we have but never gotten to enjoy them. Adam and I got bikes the middle of March and have been looking at them longingly waiting for nice weather and time to get out on them. We headed down to a trail that starts about a mile from our house. It was like we discovered a whole new side of Des Moines. It was the Bill Riley trail and it wound down around the Raccoon River, through trees that are just beginning to bud, and through a disc golf course. So many people were out enjoying the day, and of course Adam tried to say hello to everyone we passed (my friendly husband, what can I say). It was a great ride, but Adam tells me that I need to learn some common bicycle courtesy. I seem to tend to zoom around walkers without really paying attention. I think I just get excited and want to go fast, but I probably do need to do a better job of sharing the trail...
To finish the evening we bought a steak and fired up the charcoal grill for the first time. Unfortunately our charcoal was old and it was windy and we never could get the coals warm enough so we ended up cooking the steak on the Forman. It was still tasty, but disappointing that it didn't have the charbroiled taste. Maybe it's time for us to upgrade to a gas grill. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
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?
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?
Sunday, August 26, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, August 24, 2007
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.
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...
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...
Monday, August 20, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
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.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
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)
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
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)
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)
Sunday, June 03, 2007
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
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.
—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.
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.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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.
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.
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.
Friday, April 13, 2007
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.
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.
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.
Monday, April 02, 2007
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.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, March 26, 2007
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.
Monday, March 19, 2007
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.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
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...
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...
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
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."
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."
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
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.
Monday, January 22, 2007
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?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
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...
Monday, January 01, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Christmas with the Cooleys
Adam and I put up the tree this weekend. I was like a kid in a toy store discovering all the things I forgot we had. I think my favorite is the nativity scene.
And you can't get in the Christmas spirit without a big dose of sugar! I had some friends over and we made and army of gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies. Yum!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
thanksgiving weekend
Adam and I had a busy weekend traveling to see family in Missouri, Illinois and Eastern Iowa. 700 miles later we're home and have eaten as much pie and turkey as possible. Friday was Adam's birthday, but since we knew we'd be out of town we started celebrating Tuesday night in the spirit of a birthday "week"
Thanksgiving day we were in rural Missouri visiting all of my mom's family. I remain a city girl at heart, but with sunsets like this (and close to 70 degrees in November) I'll take an occasional day in the country.
I love hanging out with Karen. She plays skipbo with me to my heart's content and watches endless episodes of Gilmore Girls, who could ask for anything else?
Saturday, November 11, 2006
i love books
I was in a local bookstore recently, one of those small corner bookstores, with comfy couches, a coffee pot in the corner and the owner walking around talking to customers, kind of like the bookstore Meg Ryan owned in You've Got Mail. Anyway, this quote was painted on the wall and I had to copy it down I liked it so much:
"Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier."
Kathleen Norris
"Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier."
Kathleen Norris
Sunday, November 05, 2006
hula dancers
Adam and I went to a Halloween party last weekend dressed in souveniers from our honeymoon in Kauai. I am convinced that adults enjoy this celebration more than kids. We don't even need the incentive of candy to dress up and do crazy things. It just seems we want an excuse to be someone other than ourselves for a night.
caffeine free
I haven't had coffee since Friday morning. This wasn't really a deliberate choice, I just wanted to see if I could get by without it. I do get a little tired and crabby mid morning, and I'm definitely not considering giving up my favorite reason for getting out of bed in the morning during the week, but I thought I'd try it for a weekend. I haven't been completely caffeine free though. Adam tries to not drink soda during the week but on the weekends he will drink it, so I've swiped a few swigs of his carbonated beverages this weekend to tide me over. It's definitely not the same as coffee though. That goes straight to my veins and perks me up anytime. And I keep reading that it has some kind of cancer fighting powers, so it can't be all bad, right?
there's something about this time of year, when it's just starting to get cold out that makes me want coffee or something warm to drink all the time. In the last week I probably stopped and bought coffee sometime during the day 3 times. Usually I'm really good about making my coffee at home, loading it up with my favorite flavored creamer and filling up my travel mug. I feel like that justifies my coffee intake because it's cheaper than $3 a cup. I can't believe how much people are willing to fork over for a good latte. I mean i like that professionally frothed milk as much as the next person, but for $3 a day I would much rather go shoe shopping :)
there's something about this time of year, when it's just starting to get cold out that makes me want coffee or something warm to drink all the time. In the last week I probably stopped and bought coffee sometime during the day 3 times. Usually I'm really good about making my coffee at home, loading it up with my favorite flavored creamer and filling up my travel mug. I feel like that justifies my coffee intake because it's cheaper than $3 a cup. I can't believe how much people are willing to fork over for a good latte. I mean i like that professionally frothed milk as much as the next person, but for $3 a day I would much rather go shoe shopping :)
Sunday, October 15, 2006
the bridges of madison county
I still haven't figured out why there are covered bridges in the heart of Iowa, or anywhere for that matter, but I decided no matter the reason, they are romantic. It was the annual covered bridge festival this weekend so Adam and I went to check out the excitement with our friends Kelsey and Ben. We decided that Winterset is one of those hidden gems in Iowa. We wandered around the city square eating candy apples, pulled pork sandwiches and hot apple cider, listening to local quartets serenade the sunny autumn afternoon. We even sat down for a slice of apple pie ala mode at the cafe Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep made famous in the movie, Bridges of Madison County. I can't imagine a better way to spend an afternoon. All through college my roommate Lynn raved about this festival and somehow I never made it with her, but now I understand her enchantment with it all. I'm sure there are festivals like this across the country. And even though I will always be a city girl at heart, I can still appreciate a little small town fun.
(and for those of you wondering about my new hair color, this is it, what do you think?)
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Freedom
What is freedom?
maybe you can't understand it until it's taken away
we talk about freedom to choose
freedom to vote
freedom of speech
freedom of religion
but none of these freedoms mean anything if you don't practice them, appreciate them, value them
Freedom to drive a car
Freedom to have children
Freedom to walk in the sunshine
Do I even know the freedoms I have?
Freedom is intangible
you can't put a price tag on it,
but then how do you get it?
Can you earn it? buy it? deserve it? find it?
Or is it illusive like a shooting star, impossible to grasp, priceless.
Some freedom is inherent
it's a choice—to love, to believe,
Some freedom is personal
Some is political
We have no control over it,
or do we?
Someone has control over it, but who?
What freedom do you have?
maybe you can't understand it until it's taken away
we talk about freedom to choose
freedom to vote
freedom of speech
freedom of religion
but none of these freedoms mean anything if you don't practice them, appreciate them, value them
Freedom to drive a car
Freedom to have children
Freedom to walk in the sunshine
Do I even know the freedoms I have?
Freedom is intangible
you can't put a price tag on it,
but then how do you get it?
Can you earn it? buy it? deserve it? find it?
Or is it illusive like a shooting star, impossible to grasp, priceless.
Some freedom is inherent
it's a choice—to love, to believe,
Some freedom is personal
Some is political
We have no control over it,
or do we?
Someone has control over it, but who?
What freedom do you have?
Sunday, October 01, 2006
apple picking
Adam and I found an apple orchard north of Des Moines and had a great time picking apples and going on a hayrack ride. Now we have more apples than we know what to do with. I'll be making apple pie, apple bread, apple crisp, apple muffins...for weeks.
I believe
I believe in second chances, mercy, and forgiveness.
I believe in true love and high school sweethearts.
I believe in hard work.
I believe in sunrises and sunsets—new beginnings every morning and a quiet end to an otherwise crazy day.
I believe in God—the one who created everything, but still has time to love me.
I believe in the power of family to carry you through any situation.
I believe in good wine, dark chocolate, and coffee.
I believe in loving your neighbor, turning the other cheek, and listening before jumping to conclusions.
I believe in myself.
I believe in freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to education, and freedom to live in peace.
I believe I am entitled to my own opinion, that I can make my own choices, but once those choices are made, I am responsible for the consequences.
I believe you get out of life what you put into it.
I believe in angels and things unseen.
I believe in the power of prayer and miracles and dreams.
I believe in heaven and peace on earth, not just at Christmas time.
I believe in random acts of kindness and true beauty.
I believe.
I believe.
I believe in true love and high school sweethearts.
I believe in hard work.
I believe in sunrises and sunsets—new beginnings every morning and a quiet end to an otherwise crazy day.
I believe in God—the one who created everything, but still has time to love me.
I believe in the power of family to carry you through any situation.
I believe in good wine, dark chocolate, and coffee.
I believe in loving your neighbor, turning the other cheek, and listening before jumping to conclusions.
I believe in myself.
I believe in freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to education, and freedom to live in peace.
I believe I am entitled to my own opinion, that I can make my own choices, but once those choices are made, I am responsible for the consequences.
I believe you get out of life what you put into it.
I believe in angels and things unseen.
I believe in the power of prayer and miracles and dreams.
I believe in heaven and peace on earth, not just at Christmas time.
I believe in random acts of kindness and true beauty.
I believe.
I believe.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
little joys
when all is said and done it's usually the little things that make my day. Like:
how easy it is to buy a cd on itunes. Talk about instant gratification. My most recent puchase is Toby Lightman's new release.
lunch dates with my husband
the satisfaction of a good workout after a full day of work
new magazines in the mail. i just got the new Radiant and can't wait to dig into it.
long phone calls with far away friends
what makes your day?
how easy it is to buy a cd on itunes. Talk about instant gratification. My most recent puchase is Toby Lightman's new release.
lunch dates with my husband
the satisfaction of a good workout after a full day of work
new magazines in the mail. i just got the new Radiant and can't wait to dig into it.
long phone calls with far away friends
what makes your day?
Monday, September 18, 2006
monarch butterflies, buckeyes, and candy corn
These are the signs of fall in iowa.
Monarch butterflies do some kind of migrating in at the end of the summer. I had a professor at Drake who was a little obsessed with monarchs. In one of his classes he would periodically let us go find a place outside to just sit and wait to see butterflies, i miss those days. So now every time i see a butterfly, especially in Sept I can't help but smile.
Buckeyes are those quirky little nutty things that seem to magically fall out of the trees right before the leaves start to turn. Adam and I were on a walk yesterday afternoon and I spotted one of the casings they come in. Before he could stop me I was filling the pouch of my sweatshirt with the notty little eyes. i think they will make a wonderful centerpiece.
And candy corn. I guess it's been out in stores for awhile, but I bought a bag yesterday. There's something about the sickeningly sweet kernels that only taste good for about a month. My roommates and i used to go through bags of them in Sept and Oct gorging ourselves on the sweet and salty combination of candy and peanuts.
happy fall
Monarch butterflies do some kind of migrating in at the end of the summer. I had a professor at Drake who was a little obsessed with monarchs. In one of his classes he would periodically let us go find a place outside to just sit and wait to see butterflies, i miss those days. So now every time i see a butterfly, especially in Sept I can't help but smile.
Buckeyes are those quirky little nutty things that seem to magically fall out of the trees right before the leaves start to turn. Adam and I were on a walk yesterday afternoon and I spotted one of the casings they come in. Before he could stop me I was filling the pouch of my sweatshirt with the notty little eyes. i think they will make a wonderful centerpiece.
And candy corn. I guess it's been out in stores for awhile, but I bought a bag yesterday. There's something about the sickeningly sweet kernels that only taste good for about a month. My roommates and i used to go through bags of them in Sept and Oct gorging ourselves on the sweet and salty combination of candy and peanuts.
happy fall
Monday, September 11, 2006
so true
There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
And no song that I could sing but I can try for your heart
And our dreams and they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
We'll look at the stars when we're together
It's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
Jack Johnson, Better Together
I've always loved Jack (yes, we're on a first name basis) but I usually don't think about the words even though I seem to know them all. But when I saw them typed out they were so real. I ask myself all those questions, as I'm sure most young adults do. Someone told me the other day that our parents must still be keeping secrets from us. There must be some trick to growing up that I just haven't mastered yet, right?
And no song that I could sing but I can try for your heart
And our dreams and they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
We'll look at the stars when we're together
It's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
Jack Johnson, Better Together
I've always loved Jack (yes, we're on a first name basis) but I usually don't think about the words even though I seem to know them all. But when I saw them typed out they were so real. I ask myself all those questions, as I'm sure most young adults do. Someone told me the other day that our parents must still be keeping secrets from us. There must be some trick to growing up that I just haven't mastered yet, right?
Saturday, September 09, 2006
LA Delight
I spent a long weekend in LA visiting who else but Laura Jean. I was out there last September visiting for her first birthday away from Iowa, but this trip was longer and we just got to be girls. I have been telling people about the trip and a lot of people are surprised that Adam didn't go with me (he went to Indianapolis with his dad for some drag races). I tell them that I LOVE the fact that we are married but can still do our own thing when needed. And this weekend proved that I as much as I enjoy being a wife (yes, i am now OK with using the "w" word) I will always be a girlfriend at heart :)
Sunday, August 27, 2006
responsibility
when i lived at home i was responsible to keep my room fairly clean and my stuff (interpretted books, bags, shoes, clothes, etc) if not out of sight atleast in an orderly pile. but dishes, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms and laundry were taken care of by my mom. they just happened without me realizing it.
Then i get to college, living in the dorms. While i now had to do my own laundry, the bathrooms were cleaned daily and with meals in the cafeteria dirty dishes were wisked away to be cleaned for the next meal. and with no one to tell me to put things away (my roommate had just as much if not more "stuff" than I did) things started piling up until i either took notice or had time to care.
Then I moved into a house full of girls and while we now had to take care of dishes laundry and general cleaning ourselves, if the kitchen was messy or there were shoes, magazines, purses, keys, strewn all over the living room, even if the majority of the stuff was mine it was easy to write off the mess as a joint mess.
now that it's just Adam and I living in a place it's not so easy to walk through the kitchen and see a stack of dishes in the sink or a pile of shoes by the door. I know that if I don't do something about it the said mess will probably still be looking at me tomorrow. This is not to say that Adam doesn't do his fair share of picking things up, but i know that generally half if not more of the mess is most likely mine and if i don't take care of it no one else is going to be picking up behind me. just one more of those realizations that my mom could have tried to tell me but that i couldn't have understood until now.
Then i get to college, living in the dorms. While i now had to do my own laundry, the bathrooms were cleaned daily and with meals in the cafeteria dirty dishes were wisked away to be cleaned for the next meal. and with no one to tell me to put things away (my roommate had just as much if not more "stuff" than I did) things started piling up until i either took notice or had time to care.
Then I moved into a house full of girls and while we now had to take care of dishes laundry and general cleaning ourselves, if the kitchen was messy or there were shoes, magazines, purses, keys, strewn all over the living room, even if the majority of the stuff was mine it was easy to write off the mess as a joint mess.
now that it's just Adam and I living in a place it's not so easy to walk through the kitchen and see a stack of dishes in the sink or a pile of shoes by the door. I know that if I don't do something about it the said mess will probably still be looking at me tomorrow. This is not to say that Adam doesn't do his fair share of picking things up, but i know that generally half if not more of the mess is most likely mine and if i don't take care of it no one else is going to be picking up behind me. just one more of those realizations that my mom could have tried to tell me but that i couldn't have understood until now.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Sisters
Karen (my little sis) is 16. I had so much fun reliving teenage memories with her this week.
vacation
Adam and I spent our one year anniversary and first significant vacation as a married couple at Lake Okoboji this past week. Most of our time was spent in a cabin with my family at my childhood vacation spot. I loved every minute of being on the lake and it was so fun to see Adam fitting in so seamlessly.
I am a water girl at heart, so the sailing, skiing, swimming, jet-skiing, boating, floating, and walking by the water were the perfect vacation.
A lot of people have asked Adam and I how the first year of marriage was and the question is usually followed with the statement: the first year's the hardest. I can honestly say that we had a great year. Admitedly it was a hard year, but not so much because it was our first year of marriage, but because my whole identity seemed to change. I don't think I could have made it through the year without Adam sitting there next to me, holding my hand, and encouraging me with his unconditional love and acceptance of who I am even when I didn't even know who that was.
I am a water girl at heart, so the sailing, skiing, swimming, jet-skiing, boating, floating, and walking by the water were the perfect vacation.
A lot of people have asked Adam and I how the first year of marriage was and the question is usually followed with the statement: the first year's the hardest. I can honestly say that we had a great year. Admitedly it was a hard year, but not so much because it was our first year of marriage, but because my whole identity seemed to change. I don't think I could have made it through the year without Adam sitting there next to me, holding my hand, and encouraging me with his unconditional love and acceptance of who I am even when I didn't even know who that was.
down time
I know that everyone needs some time to themselves, but I tend to surround myself with people and love being with people I love that when I have a day or an evening to myself I almost get anxious being with myself. I enjoy the time to reflect and do my own thing for an hour or two, but then I start to get a little stir crazy. In the end I know I should just enjoy this time, but part of me feels like I should be doing something (like right now I should be cleaning the bathroom) and then I start feeling guilty for just sitting around. So here's to a quiet night.
summer trips
the happy couple in Chicago
the BEAN! (notice the bride in the background)
Even in the middle of the city nature exists
It's been awhile, but that's because Adam and I have been traveling. Here's some pics from our most recent adventures. We both highly recommend Millenium Park in Chicago and if you're in northwest Iowa, you have to check out our favorite, Lake Okoboji.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
our greatest fear
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are made to make and manifest the glory of God. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson, from her book A Return to Love
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are made to make and manifest the glory of God. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson, from her book A Return to Love
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
going to prison
on tuesday nights i go to prison
before you start jumping to conclusions, let me explain
when i was a student at Drake i took a community writing class in which the class spent a semester going to a nearby women's prison and writing with the inmates. it was an experience that led me to writing a 20+ page capstone paper and doing further research on the topics of both community writing and the purpose of prison in general.
now, two years later i find myself sitting in the same prison, writing with a new group of women. i am compelled by the words they share with us, the stories they reveal, and the truths i may never know. in that classroom it doesn't matter that they are prisoners and i am free. that i have air conditioning and they don't, that i can come and go as i please and their every move is monitored. we are united by our writing and for an hour and a half each week the words that spill from our pens and fill the yellow legal pads in front of us are all that matter.
before you start jumping to conclusions, let me explain
when i was a student at Drake i took a community writing class in which the class spent a semester going to a nearby women's prison and writing with the inmates. it was an experience that led me to writing a 20+ page capstone paper and doing further research on the topics of both community writing and the purpose of prison in general.
now, two years later i find myself sitting in the same prison, writing with a new group of women. i am compelled by the words they share with us, the stories they reveal, and the truths i may never know. in that classroom it doesn't matter that they are prisoners and i am free. that i have air conditioning and they don't, that i can come and go as i please and their every move is monitored. we are united by our writing and for an hour and a half each week the words that spill from our pens and fill the yellow legal pads in front of us are all that matter.
Monday, July 17, 2006
look into my eyes
My eyes
Chocolate brown
deep and round
my eyes
reveal my thoughts
express my feelings without my permission
look into my eyes
dark brown
almost black
orbs into my very soul
what do you see?
what do they see?
my eyes
do they hold you in a trance
mesmerizing, silencing
perceptive, compassionate
my eyes
full of life, feeling, love, questions
knowledge, hurt, understanding, laughter
my eyes
Chocolate brown
deep and round
my eyes
reveal my thoughts
express my feelings without my permission
look into my eyes
dark brown
almost black
orbs into my very soul
what do you see?
what do they see?
my eyes
do they hold you in a trance
mesmerizing, silencing
perceptive, compassionate
my eyes
full of life, feeling, love, questions
knowledge, hurt, understanding, laughter
my eyes
what i save
i save words—cards, books, magazines, e-mails, hand-written notes and newspaper clippings. words are my life. i have always been a social person. i don't have any problem chatting with friends for hours on end and at the end of the day, when i'm alone or missing them dearly those moments and those words are what i cling to. savored times in my days when my guard is down and anything goes. it doesn't matter if i've thought about what i'm going to say to make sure it won't offend anybody, i just say it.
words on paper are especially significant to me, whether they are words i have typed on the fly or carefully printed on a favorite piece of stationary. they are how i express myself best. i love it when i have time to organize my thoughts on paper and free my mind. i don't worry about saying the right thing when i'm writing. i am confident in my words. i don't feel rushed when i am writing. my words don't jumble together as they fall from my fingers or get stuck on my tongue, stumbling and stammering about. those who know me best know that some of our most heartfelt conversations may be spoken in silence on paper before the words are ever breathed aloud.
words on paper are especially significant to me, whether they are words i have typed on the fly or carefully printed on a favorite piece of stationary. they are how i express myself best. i love it when i have time to organize my thoughts on paper and free my mind. i don't worry about saying the right thing when i'm writing. i am confident in my words. i don't feel rushed when i am writing. my words don't jumble together as they fall from my fingers or get stuck on my tongue, stumbling and stammering about. those who know me best know that some of our most heartfelt conversations may be spoken in silence on paper before the words are ever breathed aloud.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
"A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is teh fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or teh food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other."
--C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
How often do I try to find happiness, fullfillment, and satisfaction in things of this world when all I need to do to be complete is passionately pursue Christ?
--C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
How often do I try to find happiness, fullfillment, and satisfaction in things of this world when all I need to do to be complete is passionately pursue Christ?
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Fireworks!
Honestly, who doesn't love fireworks? I will admit that I may verge on the side of being a little obsessed with them, but my theory is you have to get excited about things to keep things interesting. I really don't think I used to get this excited about fireworks (and you can't forget sparklers) when I was a kid. But they have become a highlight of my summers. And when you live in Des Moines it seems like someone finds an excuse for a fireworks show almost every weekend. So, for the next 3 days, I have all the fireworks in a 30 mile radius mapped out (I'm only half kidding) if anyone wants to find me, just follow the big booms and head to where the sky's lit up :)
Christian -- by Maya Angelou
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!
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