New things for my hubby

Even though Adam has been living in the same time zone as me since January (praise God!), little things come up every now and then that still remind us of the differences in west and east coast living.  For instance, on our honeymoon earlier this month, as we strolled the dirt roads of Colonial Williamsburg at dusk, Adam excitedly pointed out the lightning bugs.  "Yeah?" I commented not realizing that this was his first time seeing the fireflies!  Now, it makes me smile all the more when I see our backyard aglow with them on these warm summer nights.
 

Another first for Adam was a sighting of the beautiful cardinal.  We were at our neighbors' house the other night enjoying the view from their back deck when we glimpsed cardinals in their backyard.  Blue jays and cardinals have always been favorites of mine and I took it for granted that they were everywhere.  Apparently cardinals don't take up residence in California.  Who knew?!  In an effort to draw cardinals to our birdfeeder and yard, we threw some peanuts out into the yard, upon the recommendation of our neighbors, but so far just Dusty has been finding the peanuts.  Silly pup!
Something else Adam recently experienced for the first time was Relay for Life.  He had heard of it and even did some work-related tasks for the organization but never attended one...until the other weekend.  I didn't realize until we were on the way there that he thought it was an actual relay race.  I explained to him how it is more of a walk that you do in memory of those who have had cancer or are currently fighting cancer.  I told him about my Aunt Ollie and how I like to do at least one lap each year for her wherever I am.  I have walked laps in North Carolina with my little brother and other friends.  A couple of us in high school used to go to Pottsville and walk at Martz Hall.  A few years back, I walked with my twin and his family who is very active in the movement outside Philly.  The point is, no matter where you are, you can find a Relay for Life happening in the summer and I'm glad we stumbled upon the one held here during Father's Day Weekend.  A first for me at this particular Relay was the lighting of the lanterns and lit up balloons that were released into the nighttime sky.  It was an emotional moment and while I'm glad we did the lap I so badly wish that we didn't have to....I hope that we find a cure for cancer in this lifetime!  Thinking back on this night earlier this month makes me wish all the more Aunt Ollie were still here with us!

 

 

These unexpected discoveries over the first month of marriage make me realize just how often we take the things we take for granted when living in a certain geographical area. It's been fun experiencing life in a different way as a result!  In closing, the last thing we learned recently is that pie crusts from the freezer are not the same as pre-baked pie shells.  We discovered this as we ate our first mouthfuls of dessert pie that we made the other night....oops!  I would rank that mistake up there with the time that I forgot to bake the pizza dough when making BBQ chicken pizza back in the apartment I shared with my twin in Harrisburg one time.  Nothing like raw dough or pie crust to spoil the taste of the finished product.  Good thing we were able to turn the dessert pie into a custard or pudding instead by eating the delectable chocolate mousse filling and homemade whipped cream!  ; )  Stay tuned for that yummy recipe in a future "Meals as a Mrs." blog posting!