Attempt # 500124

The kitties are trying to defrost my stone-cold heart. Nice try.

Dear Santa,

I ask that you defrost my bah humbug heart.

Love,

Gwen





Attempts to cultivate the Christmas spirit:

• Went to a tree farm to cut down a tree with Greg and Winslow


• Decorated the tree to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the movie


• Christmas shopping: completed


• Watched: Scrooged, Santa Clause 2
  
• Baked Doris's famous Pistachio Cookies


• Planned the office holiday party and participated in our Adopt-A-Family


• Blared Christmas carols (currently and while baking)


• Wrapped presents for the Christmas Destroyers to attack and open

I'm also running low on Christmas Card Karma according to Real Simple. Too many cards with imprinted signatures...

Any sure-fire ways to spark the Christmas spirit?

Next year, I'm thinking Festivus.

Gratitude

Last month, I began a Gratitude Journal in hopes of regaining a part of myself that I recently felt as though it was slipping away from me. Each night - minus two rowdy evenings spent in the mountains- I wrote down three things that I felt grateful for experiencing. I decided to focus more on the day-to-day ideas that passed through my mind rather than the more obvious ones like good health, a wonderful husband and family, etc. I will always be grateful for such things.
I have to say, ending my day in this manner was truly refreshing. Instead of mulling over conversations from work or life worries, I was actively thinking of all (or at least three) things that I was happy to recall and jot down. Now that December is here, I've decided to continue this nightly ritual.
Please enjoy a few snippets.

Today, I'm grateful for....

...soft, clean sheets.
...alone time.
...leaves swirling in the wind.
...a good friend, a good beer and a sunny patio.
...making the most of a day.
...not rushing.
...crisp walks at night with the smell of a fire burning in the air.
...encouragement from those who know you and even those who don't.
...people who like to talk about books.
...a clean house.

Am I an antique already?

I was wandering the aisels of a local antique mall recently and I spotted an "antique" doll cradle almost identical to one I had growing up. To be honest, it freaked me out a little. Am I that old???? Where is MY cradle???? I immediately called my mom to find out if mine was still lurking somewhere in the attic at home. That evening I received a voicemail from my dad confirming its location. Phew! God knows what I would do if my doll cradle went missing. I might just have to buy the one I stumbled upon.

Fall, I celebrate you.

I love Halloween. What is better than playing dress up and taking candy from strangers? Well, winning a costume contest for my awesome interpretation of a pink flamingo is a start.

I made some insanely tasty iced pumpkin cookies. I ate them by a bonfire. Jealous, yet? You should be.

A week off in review

Hiked with Winslow.








Expanded the mailbox flower bed.








Camped with Neil and Lindsey.

Good for my Soul

Sometimes life just gets you down. It happens. When it happens to me, I have several ways to fight back and I thought I would share one of them with you.
I turn on the tube, find a channel running America's Funniest Home Videos and sit back to get my funny on. It's scientifically proven that laughing improves your mood by releasing endorphins. Just think what deep, guttural laughing can do for you!
I thought back on my favorite video and after much deliberation, I decided on this one:
Banana Shock

P.S. Let's celebrate my 100th post!

Just the Two of Us....and Winslow

Greg and I celebrate a year of wedded bliss today. A collective "Awww", please.

We spent Saturday night in the North Georgia mountains camping with the pup. It was so nice to get away from everything. We sat by the campfire for hours sipping red wine. I even read aloud a few of David Sedaris's short stories to entertain my man.

It was a splendidly uneventful trip. Enjoy a peek here.

Does this make you cringe?

I forgot my canvas totes at home.
-signed Earth Killer

Bikes and Butterflies

We spent a wonderful weekend near the Alabama-Georgia border with my parents and Winslow. I know I'm speaking only for myself when I say it was relaxing. I spent the weekend taking Winslow on walks through Callaway Gardens, visiting historic sites and whiling away the afternoon at the pool. Greg spent most of the weekend atop his road bike.

Enjoy some pictures from the weekend!

Recent Travels

I've been fortunate enough to get to do a little travelling these days in hopes of getting myself away from the daily grind. I attended a work conference the last week in August in St. Pete. I stayed at the historic Vinoy hotel and I even managed a behind-the-scenes tour of Disney during the conference. Greg joined me towards the end of the week and we enjoyed some quality time with Grandpa in New Port Richey.

This weekend I ran away with Maigh to the Georgia low country. Luckily, Hanna decided to leave us alone so we could explore Cumberland Island with all its mosquitoes, biting flies and lovely scenery. Our snugly cottage provided us with a quiet place to reflect and an escape from all our worries for a short while. I'm lucky to have friends still willing to indulge my sense of adventure and a husband that understands sometimes the girls just need to get away!

Enjoy a photo travel journal from St. Pete with Greg and the GA coast with Maigh.

I bring you The Basement

Click the title to view more pictures from the project. I'm still missing a few from the framing stage. Oh well.

Birthday pizza

Just in case you were wondering what a 30-inch pizza looks like, here you go. Thirty inches of birthday pizza for my thirty-year old husband.

I'm working on getting the pictures together from the Basement Project. Not an easy task since we used three different cameras to capture the progress and one of them doesn't even belong to us! Stay tuned.

Happy 30th Birthday, Greg!

Dear Basement,

You are killing me.

For what feels like the millionth weekend in a row, I spent 97% of my time toiling away in the bowels of our home. I can’t deny that my Dad has spent equally as much or perhaps even more time working away on the room that will eventually house man things like music-making devices, gaming systems, and a projector.

I just don’t know how he does it. I mean, he’s nearly twice my age and is totally kicking my butt when it comes to work stamina. Add to the fact, he’s driving two and a half hours each way to enjoy a weekend of basement bonding with his daughter.

This weekend included priming, painting, some more electrical work and hanging doors. The highlight of the weekend for me was strapping two doors to the roof of my Saturn while a third door hung out from the hatchback. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies.

Water, Fire and Drywall

It's been a busy week in these parts. First, we had a slow waterline leak to address. Follow that by a weekend highlighted with veggie burgers and wheelbarrows filled to the brim with fireworks. We think Winslow was a little depressed on Sunday night since he didn't have a party to attend and sport his American flag bandito.

Today, the drywall contractor is in the basement mudding away. Paint chips and cork flooring samples line the counter tops in preparation for the Basement Grand Reveal in honor of Greg's 30th birthday next month.

I hope to post pictures of the progress in the basement soon. Sheesh! It's consumed most of our summer!

I bring you pictures

Please enjoy. I'll add more once the other shutterbugs send me their documentation of the weekend.

Stephanie's

Ashley's

Primed For Peckerwood

It's not even lunchtime yet and I already have vacation brain. Greg and his crew of man-friends from high school are all in the process of turning 30 this summer. Luckily, all of their young wives planned a long weekend retreat for all to enjoy at the aptly-named Peckerwood Lodge. Nestled on 23 acres near Peckerwood Lake with 7,000 square feet of party space, I simply cannot wait to spend time with old friends and even a few new faces.

I'm So Proud of Myself

I'm echoing the words of my four-year old neighbor.

While many of my friends have spent the spring growing babies, I am happy to report some small successes in my herb growing adventure. You may remember the Spring Science Project post.

Despite my odd seedling propagation techniques that made me the laughing stock of the "Green Thumb Side of the Family"; I have a lovely pot of herbs.

I Heart Maine

Maine is one of those places I've wanted to visit forever and ever. It's on The List. Thankfully, Danielle is from Maine and I managed to tag along on her recent trip home to celebrate her recovery and to attend her baby shower.

We were there for three short days, but we managed to eat lots of seafood, do plenty of shopping, see the sights and visit those near and dear to Danielle.

Please enjoy some tid-bits from the weekend:

"First we pray for health and then we pray for girls." - Chelsea

"I think we left the maple syrup at the Y." - Mike

"I feel like I'm talking to bin Laden every night." - Paul

"I love her even if I have to call her Mudpie." - Diane

See pictures here.

Happy Earth Day, friends.

In celebration of Earth Day, I will share a little ditty about Nature and the burb I call home. A few weeks ago, Greg was taking Winslow out for his constitutional in the backyard when Winslow sprang from his haunches towards the remaining woods behind our house. Greg had seen something moving about in the woods, but figured it was one of the usual suspects like a bunny, bird, or squirrel. It was only after tearing through the woods with Winslow far ahead of him that Greg stood face to face with the object of Winslow's fixation. It was not just one deer, but four deer standing not far from the two of them. The quartet looked stood frozen because they were just chased by a Man and his Dog. They had come to the end of the line. The main drag through this part of the burbs surrounded the deer which left them with no place to run.
The two returned home to share the story (Greg) and some bramble scratches (Winslow) from their recent brush with Nature.

The List

I have several friends that have life lists they share and some that have lists that they keep privately in their squirrelly minds. I've been meaning to post my list not really to impress or bore you....I just feel like I need to put it out into the universe.

Here we go.

On Going Goals
Find a passion and purpose that gets me out of bed in the morning with a smile on my face. No small feat there.
Travel lots and lots (see list three)
Reduce my environmental impact
Be present
Practice yoga more

Specific Goals
Have a snuggle bug cabin in the woods
Cultivate an amazing garden
Start a family of sorts
Work on my writing skills
Grow old gracefully

Travel Goals
Italy
Greece
Maine
Alaska
The UK and Ireland
France
Spain
Australia
Oregon
The Len Foote Hike Inn
New England in the Fall
Vancouver
Camping with Greg and Winslow in the woods

Spring Science Project

Walking through my local home improvement store last weekend, I could not resist the call of Spring any longer. I shelled out ten bucks to set myself up with a mini-greenhouse and a small selection of seeds.

I chose:
Spicy Globe Basil- my all time fav herb
Fernleaf Dill- Greg's all time fav herb
and
Catnip- because you can't leave the kitties out when it comes to fav herbs

I filled my little petrified soil pods with water and watched them expand. Then, I coded toothpicks so each seedling friend could be identified later. I dropped several seeds into each pod and wished them well.
A week later, I have results. I've researched various techniques on how to keep my little friends happy as they make their journey from greenhouse pod plants to -hopefully- my herb garden in a few weeks. Heck, if enough of them make it I can give some away to friends or even sell the leftovers at our neighborhood garage sale. Organic basil anyone?
In another totally Suzie Homemaker move today, I set up a clothes line in our backyard. I'm currently enjoying watching some towels blow in the breeze in complete noncompliance to HOA rules. I plan on only putting it up when I use it and once the trees fill in, I doubt anyone but us will see it. Hey, I'm just trying to save the earth here and relish a simple pleasure. We'll see out it all plays out....

Hmmmmm.....

I came home from work today to find a letter and a membership application from AARP. I just have to ask you: Has anyone else gotten one of these? I know I'm getting older by the day now, but I'm pretty sure I have a good twenty years until I meet their membership requirements. I'm tempted to call them and find out how the heck I ended up on their mailing list.

Holy Enchiladas!

I'm been in a real Suzie Homemaker mood lately. I'm chalking it up to Spring. I've done an overhaul on our closet, managed to score a new dining room set from the wedding fund and started planning my garden adventures for 2008.
As you may know, Danielle underwent major surgery a few weeks ago to have a marble-sized tumor removed from her spine. She and baby are doing very well. I've taken it upon myself to make sure I keep them well fed in the coming weeks. This brings me to the best new recipe I've adapted recently.

White Bean Enchiladas with Verde Sauce
Adapted from Martha Stewart
2 cans white beans (Great Northern or Navy)
2 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 onion
12 small to medium tortillas
24 oz. of sour cream
8 oz. canned green chilies
1 tsp. ground cumin
***Makes a double batch

Preheat the oven to 350. Puree green chilies and 1/4 onion in food processor. Add sour cream and cumin to the sauce. Line baking dish with 1/4 sauce.
Assemble enchiladas with beans, remaining onion and cheese. Place in them in the dish seam side down. Spoon another 1/4 of the sauce on top to cover and sprinkle some cheese on top. Bake for 30 min and serve with Spanish rice. Enjoy!!!

I make one for immediate consumption and one to freeze. Susie Homemaker recommends the same.

A Little Spring Makeover

Thanks to a little gentle nudging from Miss Maigh. I hope to post again soon.

Birthday + Sunshine = A Happier Gwen

I'm happy to report that like a six-year old you can simply tell me it's my birthday and let me play in the sunshine and I automatically feel better. Greg and I headed up to the North Georgia mountains to soak up some views and vino.
I have to give major props to The Beechwood Inn and Tiger Mountain Vineyards for their wonderful southern hospitality and rustic charm.
Click on the title to get a picture report of Saturday.

I can't shake it. I've been a grump.

Winds of Change

I have to admit that in the past few days I've gotten a bit caught up in the Super Tuesday drama. Don't worry. I'm not about to climb up on a soapbox and begin a political tirade. I just want to share with you my excitement concerning the general election process. As I drove home from work last night, I saw a family at an intersection holding up a campaign sign. They were smiling and waving and having a wonderful time. It made me smile and even brought a few tears to my eyes.
I remember going to the polls with my mom years ago when there were still curtains involved. Voting was so grown up and there was such a mystic to it. I think that's why I hold voting to still be such a privilege despite many people's cries that they feel as though their votes don't count.
You can only image the excitement going on in my place of work today. One of my coworkers took Wednesday off so he could stay up late tonight and watch the returns. See? And you thought I was a nerd for welling up at the sight of a campaigning family.
Go on and get out there!

Outta Control

I just have to share. I took Pinochle to get microchipped this weekend. As we rode along the highway, she barrel rolled and howled in her little cat bag. It was pathetic. She was acting like a two-year old: laying on her back howling while looking straight at me. Then, she proceeded to mash her face into the side of the bag. I mean-seriously- it was the most entertaining car ride I've had in a while. Does this make me a bad kittty mom? I sure hope not. Don't you worry. Pinochle is just fine even if she would like you all to think otherwise.

I love this stuff

I used to write down my dreams and interpret them more. I really should get back into the habit again because I feel dreams allow you to be more aware of how you process life and cope with changes. I posted my dream earlier this week because I thought it was strange and I hadn't had such a vivid dream in a while. My interpretation hits home - to me.

Let's begin.

My bigamy suggests I'm having a difficult time making a decision. Evan represents not only harmony, but also all of the feelings I normally associate with him: Greg and I danced to his song Hard Drive at our wedding.

The beach setting and indigo storm cloud symbolize unknown changes in my life and struggling with fear and confusion. The fact that I found safety from the storm indicates these problems will blow over quickly. The water slide constructed of metal and blue tarps illustrates my optimism and strength of character. Sliding down the water slide represents feeling swept away by my emotions while still going with the flow. The tarps in the splash pool at first inspired fear, but eventually left me with feelings of comfort as I found myself in the company of loved ones again.

I find all of this incredibly humbling. My brain is working through things I barely feel on the surface of my daily life.

I'm Bigamist on a Water Slide

Okay. I had this crazy dream last night and why not post it to jazz things up on here? I'm thinking I'll post the dream today and do a little dream interpreting tomorrow?
I'm on a beach and I suddenly realize that I'm married to Greg AND Evan Dando. I'm thinking, How did this happen? Someone nearby pointed out that since Evan was at my wedding and stood up there with me and Greg- we're married. I have a flashback -in my dream- of Evan at the wedding and I think, Yep. I guess you're right. I wonder what Greg thinks about all of this?
A big, indigo-colored storm cloud rolls in and I know I need to get the heck off that beach and to safety. As it turns out, the route to safety is a huge water slide that I have to climb up. It's made from blue tarps and metal pipes. Real safe. I'm kind of freaking out, but I'm having a pretty good time sliding down. At the bottom, the splash pool is full of tarps. I can't seem to get up for air, but just as I begin to freak- everything works out and I'm out of the pool and safe from the storm.
I'm surrounded by friends and family and having a great time talking about the water slide and my new marriage realization.

Winslow!!!

Welcome back and Happy New Year to you! I'm back to the daily grid after a rather short-lived holiday season. Greg and I have found a new friend to share the new year with and hopefully many more to come. Meet Winslow.

I've posted his mugshot from PAWS where we adopted him shortly before Christmas. Would you like to hear his story? He was picked up by Dekalb County Animal Control and placed in a cage with several other big dogs sharing one food bowl. PAWS noticed how skinny he was and figured he was too meek to fight for his grub. They rescued him and brought him to their no-kill animal shelter to find a home. Evidently, Winslow is quite the escape artist. He managed to find his way out of his first family's fenced in yard only to be found 4 days later. The family decided that was enough for them and brought him back to PAWS. We'd been watching their website to find the friend we were hoping to adopt over the holidays. We went to PAWS the Friday before Christmas to "window shop" and walk a few of the pups we had our eyes on. I had no intention of leaving with a dog. We had a dinner date over at a friend's place that evening.

We walked a few of the dogs before we came to Winslow's cage. He came up to us and licked my hand. I melted and asked Greg if he wanted to walk one more. We were both a little saddened by his resemblance to our Zoe, but I figured it was worth a shot. On the walking trail, my eyes filled with tears and I just knew. I knew Winslow needed to come home with us. We called Jen to make sure it was okay to bring along another dinner guest as we filled out the paperwork.

Winslow is adjusting well to his new home with us and the kitties. I've added another picture of him.....he's a little camera shy.