Little Things

I woke up on the other side of the country to

the delicious aroma of beef bourguignon (well, port since we're using that wine instead...hehe) courtesy of the famed Julia Child already cooking for dinner tonight;
 

This was taken before we added the port, broth, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme but it looks and smells heavenly!

the very excited greeting and kisses of....Adam..no, no, no silly reader, to the adorable four pups who wiggled and wagged their greetings to me.  Their drive-by kisses and bundles of energy in my lap reminded me of my own loveable pup, Dusty Shamrock.  God gave us extra special beings in the form of our four-legged doggie companions if you ask me; 

Dusty Shamrock on the steps of our new home for the next ten months (and my finger..ha!)

my eyes caught the sight of peanut butter cups in a basket on the kitchen counter (yum!);


slept in until 11am (which was MUCH needed after the last couple crazy moving days and four of five hours of sleep I had been getting with unpacking/getting settled in record time with MANY thanks to my Mom's help);


currently am sipping on a tall glass of refreshing cold almond iced coffee (something I hadn't tasted since last March);


and today's weather is OMGosh absolutely gorgeous with no humidity and cheerful sunshine!!


Topping all that is the view I have of my future husband hard at work while sitting across the table from me (his vacation days don't start until the end of the week).  I really should be matching his go get-em attitude right now and start tackling the proposal for the St. Louis conference and some manuscript revisions but I really would rather just bask in these little things this morning.  As my advisor wisely told me last night, this is where the heart is.  Her words reminded me of what Dad had reminded me during this past summer.  He said to not get so wrapped up in the new job I forget to live (which has happened in the past).  His statement reminded me of a conversation I had with a grandfather type custodian during my first year teaching in PA back in 2003.  He had grown accustomed to seeing me holed away in the upstairs office of our old office building in East York.  After one too many nights of my working until 7pm before getting on the highway to make the 90 minute drive home, he said, "Meg, don't work your life away.  Live to live not to work".  He also shared how he and his wife, who was a teacher in that same school, had put their lives and energy into working.  So much so, they worked and worked and worked, and didn't have a family.  He said now, in their old age, they were unable to have children but had dedicated their adult lives to the students and children they served at Yorkshire.  They were respected and well-loved by the members of the school but I could detect a hint of loneliness in the man's lined face.  The rest of the school year went by and I did see less of the custodian but can't say I stopped working around the clock.  This is something I will need to work on as I enter this new year/life in Ohio and prepare for the changes 2015 will bring as well!

The view on our way to mass Sunday morning..I will be sharing the notes I took from that inspiring homily on the gospel of the five loaves and two fish story soon.

So, with that thought in mind, I'm off to go see what I can do to help with dinner tonight and get in some quality time with one of the most endearing men I've met who reminds me of my three brothers and Dad.  Adam seems to embody Patrick's witty sense of humor, Mark's practicality, and Brian's no-nonsense attitude all at the same time while also being a protector yet realist as my Dad is, even when I don't want to hear it.  I'm so thankful I get to spend these nine glorious days with Adam.  God is good....all of the time!  I guess He kinda knew what He was doing when He drew us together last fall.