Wild at Heart - - - done!

Adam and I finished our 8th book tonight.


Here are some quotes that I especially enjoyed from tonight's reading as we finished the book:

*  God rigged the world in such a way that it only works when we embrace risk as the theme of our lives, which is to say, only when we live by faith.

*  Don't ask yourself what the world needs.  Ask, instead, what makes you come alive.  Go do that because what the world needs is people who come alive. ~ Howard Herman

*  Be actors not reactors.

*  What is the desire beneath our desire?





*  To be certain of God is to be uncertain of all our ways.

*  When it comes to living and loving, that is what is required; jumping in with both feet and being creative as you go.

 *  A woman doesn't want to be solved.  She wants to be known.

Take My Hand

My parents made a pretty cool observation last week.  They marveled at how much had happened in just ONE week.

The wedding date, and the church I had dreamt of getting married in (my old parish in York) was given to us.

We scheduled our pre-cana and marriage counseling and engaged encounter weekend retreat.

I bought not only my wedding dress but also my rehearsal dress!

The photographer was selected (more on that in another posting!).
Music for the ceremony was confirmed by the super talented Kim Kalman!

A few days later:

A family friend said yes to officiating our wedding.

A DJ and videographer might be lined up for the big day (I really hope this happens!).

A reception venue was booked.

Announcements were created (but I ran out of ink) so they have not been mailed out yet..hehe.
A draft of the mass program has been created.
...and a bunch of other things I won't bore you with here.

 

Most of all…I can’t wait until 51.4 weeks from now when I get to take my best friend by the hand (and not let go).  Last night, my friend, Jim, asked if I had talked to Adam recently which undoubtedly made both Jim and me smile.  :)  While talking about numbers in this post, it's fun to think about the fact that Adam and I have Skyped every day since 11/o7/13 (when not together of course).  We have only missed three days since then and as of tonight, have skyped a total of 322 hours, 55 minutes, 9 seconds.  Good thing we're both talkers and will never run out of things to say!

Growing Pains

I write this posting from a house in western PA that contains many of my earliest childhood memories.  

Last night, I slept in what I fondly think of as the “kids’ room”.  Growing up, cribs used to line the one wall of this front bedroom that all of us kids slept in…and the one my Mom and her sisters shared.  Many Christmas Eve nights were spent in that bedroom and thinking back, I laugh to think of the times I just KNEW I heard the reindeer and Santa on the roof.  In college, when needing breaks from IUP and weekends away, I slept in this room as a familiar reminder of days gone by…last night I tried to sleep in the kids’ room but only got about two or three hours for I was eagerly anticipating going to a new campus this morning!  When I woke up, rather than joyously running down the steps to take a look at the presents under the Christmas tree, I skipped down the steps and out to my car to start the new adventure in Ohio.

What an overwhelming morning it was and I certainly have a very tough fall semester ahead of me.  I will be teaching four classes back to back on Mondays among many other things.  I’ve never been one to shrink away from challenges but the thought of all that I’m about to encounter this Fall (that I know of and don’t even realize just yet) is daunting to say the least.  However, I know if God will bring me to it, He will bring me through it.  I am very excited to teach again…but am anxious to know what it is I’m to teach and start making sense of the three overflowing boxes of textbooks, materials, old coursework, papers, program reports, and whatever else that I hauled into my car this afternoon.  The sooner I can get the syllabi created, the sooner I can start to meet the needs of my students who have already enrolled in my courses.

By the time I pulled in on McMinn Street after work today, I was done for…I left the boxes in my car, briefly chatted with my Mom’s cousin, did a few wedding-related tasks and made some phone calls, then retreated to a different bedroom upstairs.  A different kind of memory envelopes this room for this was my parents’ room when we would stay here as children.  Perhaps that is why I stayed in it when my brothers and I would make week-long trips to see my grandmother during our summers off from school. 

On one particular trip, I remember making it through a whole week of fun with my Pittsburgh cousins, aunt, uncle, Aunt Jane and Uncle Johnny next door, and of course my grandmother while staying at my Grandma’s house with my brother in 3^rd or 4^th grade that included seeing my Aunt and Uncle’s new house, eating pot pies on dinner trays in the living room as we watched Wheel of Fortune at 7pm each night, and going to Jimmy’s Corner Store for lottery tickets down the street.  Yet on the night before we were to return home to northeastern PA, I lay on this same bed I’m sitting on right now and cried into my pillow due to missing my parents so much.  I remember especially missing my Mom’s hug and wishing she were there that night to tuck me in when my grandma’s small frame filled the doorway partially blocking the light that spilled in from the square hallway at the top of the steps.  

Grandma had come in to say goodnight and was startled to find me crying.  She asked what was wrong.  I recall feeling guilty in saying that I missed my Mom when I was going to see her the next day which meant Brian and I would be leaving my grandmother alone in her house.  Did my grandmother remind me of this last fact?  Did she said to not be silly because I would be sleeping all the way across the state in my own canopied bed the next night?  Did she try to remind me of the fun I had in making my book about Daisy and her invisible island on her front porch over the last several days?  Nope.  She simply took me in her arms, wiped away my tears, and said she understood.  She certainly did for she had lost her mother at a young age and grew up without a mother.  She said how wonderful of a mother I had (her daughter) and that of course I would miss her and that it was okay to do so.  She cheered me up and I promptly fell asleep.  Today, after spending the morning prepping for my new job this fall, I came back to Aliquippa and wished my Mom and Grandmother were there to dry my tears.  Mom was still there via texts and she reminded me any new job is overwhelming in the beginning and to have no fear.  

I’m glad I have the hindsight to realize this is just a stepping stone and this time next year all of this will be a fuzzy memory.  Last May, at this point, I was stressing over collecting my dissertation data and you know what..it got done anyhow!  Many nights of worry and wondering if I was good enough were spent in this little house when I stayed here in Fall 2002 during my semester of student teaching in Uniontown, Butler, Slippery Rock, and Grove City areas.  I got through my doubts then and went on to have a pretty successful teaching career until 2010.   In NC, I wondered if I would make it and finish my program and did.  

Now, I stand on the brink of another new horizon and wonder if I have what it takes.  As is usually the case, I know I will feel much better once I have a plan (in this case, the four syllabi figured out as a starting point).   

I also get to see the house I will call "home' tomorrow and meet my lovely housemates/landlord so am excited about that!  An added bonus is we will go to mass together at noon....which is definitely something I'm in need of at the moment.  Onward and upward!!

Fun reading material

In case you have a few minutes of free time, check out this fun reading material!

Happy de Cinco

Day 57:  My youngest nephew's baptism was this afternoon.  It was wonderful getting together with family two consecutive weekends in a row (in differing states mind you).  I got in lots and lots of cuddling time with my niece and nephews at church and all afternoon as we celebrated at my twin's and his wife's house.  We had gorgeous weather and yummy food as we relaxed in the sunshine.  However, I absolutely fell in love with my sister-in-law's shoes and hope to find a pair similar to them before the summer has ended!  It's amazing how happy a shoe can make a girl feel (Liz had let me try them on for size and they were SO comfortable and fit to a "T"!).

Day 58:  My parents and I bid goodbye to the NC family today.  It was a bit surreal saying bye and not having to make the trip down south with them as was so often the case the last four years.  Once the house was silent again, I took advantage of the quiet to work on revising my manuscript to send to another journal.  It has already been rejected once by another journal but no feedback was provided so I'm blindly trying to revise it and strengthen it before submitting to another journal.  I did, however, take a break tonight to walk the pup over at a local state park.  The evening sunset, cooler temps, and sparkly lake put a smile on both Dusty's and my faces.

Day 59:  Each time I come home, it's been fun seeing this on the porch.  :)

Day 60:  I went to Theology on Tap in York for the first time tonight.  It was great seeing old friends while there and the conversation to and from York was terrific.  Shelly and I easily talked the entire 180 minutes we were in the car..ha!  Another happy moment came when I enjoyed this delicious maple syrup icing and bacon donut courtesy of my friend Michelle (thanks again!!!).

Day 61: 

 

I received this picture in my email this past week.  Looking at it today makes me smile thinking about how fun graduation weekend was!  What a whirlwind!!  I can't believe that tomorrow will mark two weeks since that day.  In some ways, it feels like it happened over a month ago yet in other ways, I feel like I JUST drove up to PA from NC.  Next week, I start my career as Dr. Meg when I go to Ohio to prepare for the courses I will be teaching and meet my new housemates!  What an exciting summer of transitions this will be!

Whatever You Like

I stumbled across this beautiful song today.  I hadn't heard it before but the lyrics and the music are so haunting and TRUE that I had to share! 

I remember the days of praying for my future spouse so well.  I still do pray for him as well as for God's will but now I know what he looks like (and am glad he's 6'1"!).  As we move forward with our engagement and wedding plans, it's easy to get caught up in the stress and hustle and bustle of trying to please everyone but I must say, Adam is doing a great job of reminding me of the big picture rather than stressing over the little stuff.

For those of you who have recently planned a wedding, have you any stress busting tips?  :)

Before I close for tonight, I forgot to share this article in a previous posting.  There are some major errors (such as saying Adam attended NCSC 2014 when he didn't) but it's fun reading nonetheless.  This surprise article was posted on April 30th as I was sightseeing in Vail/Breckenridge during my stay in Colorado and four days before Adam wound up proposing after mass in downtown Denver that weekend!  How fun it is to read of the upcoming Colorado trip in this article again now after the proposal has happened..!  How little I knew....!!!

Let It Go Aunt-style

Oh my gosh, this video shared by my sister-in-law hits home on so many levels!  It's been a tough week being away from my NC niece and nephews and while many other things have been keeping me busy, during the quiet moments of the day I miss the sticky little arms wrapped around my legs from when they would give me hugs, the smiles from Baby Nick as I entered the room, and dare I say the having to sort out who should be sharing what toy among the older kiddos.  I miss seeing Mason snuggle up with Dusty while saying he was, "the best dog ever", and Clark's mischievous little twinkle in his eyes as he told me a story.  Braden, the daredevil, is the one I thought of when the woman in the video sings about not wanting to see one of her children in a cast...!  

Yes, the last four years were drastically different from life before the year 2010 in more ways than one.  For starters, there were only two children when I started my PhD program but now there are four!  As far as the younger two are concerned, I have always lived with them since they were born during my first and third years.  While it will be nice to be in my own place again where I can host a dinner party whenever I might like it is going to be a lot quieter and perhaps a bit lonely if I'm honest with myself.  One of the greatest honors of my time in NC has been to be a live-in aunt and getting to be a part of the daily lives of those beautiful babies.  Anyhow, it was great seeing both the PA and NC niece and nephews (and my goddaughter from Pittsburgh to boot!) this past weekend.  I look forward to hopefully seeing more of my PA nephews this summer before moving to Ohio.

In the meantime, I hope all you parents and other caregivers enjoy this humorous parody of my niece's favorite song.  Keep up the hard work; our kiddos need all the love they can get!

Catching up on the Happy

Oh my, I'm so behind on the Daily Happy Challenge.  I really must make a better effort at keeping up with this joyful challenge since it's always a good thing to stop and smell the roses, er tulips!  Mom's bright pink tulips in the front yard have bloomed in this glorious spring time weather we've been enjoying in PA.

Without further ado, here we go!

Day 39:

It was fun catching up with my Mom's cousin, John (and his wife, Pat), at 12 Degrees Brewery in Louisville, CO on our way to Copper Mountain for a few days.  We had a LOT to catch up considering the last time we saw one another was at a family reunion down in Florida in Summer '99.

Day 40:

Today was spent scouting out jewelry shops in Vail and Breckenridge in an attempt to find just the perfect Colorado charms for my bracelet.  Doris and I succeeded!

Day 41:

On our way back to Denver from Copper Mountain, Doris and I spent the afternoon at Tallgrass Spa in Evergreen, CO.  She had a relaxing massage while I enjoyed a makeup session and made a few purchases thanks to a spafinder.com gift certificate I had received last January!  Here we are feeling pampered and dolled up during today's happy moment!

Day 42:

After picking up Adam from the airport, we all three ate buffalo burgers for lunch at My Brother's Bar, explored more of the city on foot by going to the Cinco De Mayo festival in the governmental complex, and taking in the Art Museum before heading to Doris' apartment.  The painting above was one of my favorites at the Art Museum.  It was called, "Release Your Plans" by Daniel Sprick and was fascinating to view with Doris and Adam as we discussed the objects we saw in this unusual picture.  Click here for more info. on the artist and his work.

Day 43:

This day was FULL of happy moments but the most noteworthy one was probably that not only did I lasso Adam at the Buffalo Bill Museum but he put a circle around my left ring finger and lassoed me after mass that evening.  Hehe.

Day 44:

On this day, we went to the Botanical Gardens outside Denver.  While many flowers were not in bloom, it was still a pretty day trip!  This is the view we had as Adam and I sat beneath some of the trees at a picnic table as we recalled details from his proposal the night before so I could journal them.  What a peaceful and serene spot to reflect on the exciting new turn in events this was.


Day 45: 

Onward and upward!  This happy moment was as we flew back to NC on Tuesday afternoon to eagerly share the news with my family and NC friends as they attended graduation events later that week.


Day 46:

Adam and I enjoyed dining out at several restaurants in downtown Greensboro during a Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tour tonight.  One of my favorite places was Dame's Chicken and Waffles.  This restaurant didn't need to serve syrup with their waffles for they were already deliciously moist and came with schmears (scrumptious flavored butter).  My stomach is about to growl thinking of all the delicious food we ate during this food tour.

Day 47:

 

Tonight's happy moment came when my six year old niece performed her rendition of "Let It Go" from the movie, "Frozen".  What a star!!


Day 48:
The long awaited graduation day happened on this 48th day of the 100 Happy Day Challenge.  Here I am with my parents and my advisor.  I certainly wouldn't have made it through the last four years without their support!

Day 49:

Today was such a special one since it was my farewell to NC and when I said goodbye to some of my dearest friends, both those from school and those from church.  We spent the day at Childress Winery in Lexington, NC then made it back to High Point for my last mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary where we bumped into Father Vince and shared our big news before mass.  He returned afterwards and gave Marci, Jim, Adam, and me a special blessing.  We are so fortunate to have such a caring pastor who gives of himself so selflessly.  I hope to find someone as exceptional as he in Ohio!  After mass we headed out to Bistro B in Kernersville, one of my favorite wine bars in the Triad, and enjoyed a final meal and bottle of wine.  If you go, be sure to ask for extras of the bread and oil (oh so yummy!).

Day 50:
Today marks the halfway mark of the 100 Happy Day Challenge and is also the day that Adam flies back to California (boohoo).  Before taking him to the airport, I surprised him with a tour at Mendenhall Plantation in Jamestown, NC.  It was pretty cool hearing about the Quakers from Pennsylvania and their ties to this historical landmark.  We also toured North Carolina's first medical school which is also housed on the grounds.  This picture also contains something else that makes me happy....one of my favorite of Adam's shirts.  ;) 

Day 51:

On this day, I leave NC for the time being.  I will be splitting my time this summer between PA and OH as I prepare for the move to OH on August 1st.  I am excited about the transitions that are ahead of me but oh how I will miss this little guy (and his siblings and parents).  Braden Brien's facial expressions have brought many a smile to my face.


Day 52:

On this Tuesday, my first back in PA, I couldn't help but reminisce and realize that exactly two weeks ago, I was in Colorado reunited with one of my dearest friends from NC!  This picture was taken in Breckenridge as we window shopped and wandered around the cute ski town.


Day 53:

So today is Friday, not Wednesday, but I was late in turning the pages of this inspirational calendar.  When I read this message all I could think was, "Indeed!!"
Day 54:
This morning found me in my old church in York, PA.  I had been a member of this church from 2007 to 2010 and was where I got involved with volunteering, attending Adoration, coaching cheerleading at York Catholic HS, and began to attend Young Adult events out in Lancaster.  It's good to go back home every now and then! 

Day 55:

As I embark on this summer of transitions and maybe a little stress.....today's happy moment came when I mediated and prayed using these words.  If God takes care of the sparrows, and we know He does, then what do I have to worry about anyway?!

Day 56:
My family from Pittsburgh arrived tonight in anticipation of my nephew, Benjamin's, baptism tomorrow afternoon.  The last time I saw my goddaughter, Sadie Jo, was in September at HER baptism.  She has grown so much but still has her lovely smile and giggle!

Today's other happy moment came when I purchased my wedding gown (and rehearsal dress)!  On a whim, Mom and I had gone to the bridal shop to browse less than an hour before they closed and within minutes I had the two dresses I would end up buying in hand.  It's so funny to think that we had walked over the threshold of the store at 2:15pm and were checked out by 2:50pm.  SO exciting but I will not be sharing any pictures of those precious purchases just yet.  Those pictures will come after the wedding...much to my Dad's and Adam's chagrin.  =)