Wedding Details

Husband was lucky enough to be able to go to our friends’ wedding while on his military trip (TDY) this weekend. I was sad that I couldn’t make it, too, but I figured at least I could hear all the “details” from Husband. And this is the part where you should laugh at my own delusion. I was conveniently forgetting that this is the same guy who can have a 40-minute conversation with someone on the phone, and when I ask him what they said, he says, “Oh, nothing.” I talked to Husband on the phone right after the wedding, and here’s how the conversation went: Me: How was the wedding?? Husband: It was fine. Me: I mean, what was it like?? Husband: You know, just a standard wedding. Me: Was the reception nice? Husband: Yeah, you know, just the normal dinner and dancing. And here he just described every wedding I've ever attended. When he got home yesterday, I joked about his lack of details, and I said, “I’d ask you about her dress, but you’ll just say it was long and white.” And he said, “But it was long and white!” And so I have no idea: if her dress was strapless, if the groom got teary when he saw her for the first time in her dress, if the toasts were funny or touching, what song they danced to, what color the bridesmaid dresses were, if there were any cute favors on the tables, and much, much more. Thankfully, I’ll get to see my friend (the bride) when she gets back from her honeymoon, and I’m thinking she might have more to say about it than just “it was fine.”

Getting Old

Husband is gone this weekend on a military trip (or “TDY,” if you speak military). I planned to stay up late last night watching chick flicks. But, as I told my mom in an e-mail this morning, I must be on an old person’s schedule because I was asleep on the couch by 9:30PM. My mom took it one step further and pointed out that I also mentioned in that same e-mail about my plans to “go to Home Depot today” and “change out light bulbs.” She said that I have “all the symptoms” of getting old. If my symptoms get worse – say I start talking about prune juice on the blog – I hope that someone will take pity on me and stage an intervention.

Summer Recipes

For as much as I say that I’m not a good cook, I actually really enjoy cooking. (Shhh…don’t tell.) I’ve been inspired this summer to try a new recipe - or two - each week. It’s been fun to browse through my cookbooks and look on recipe websites to find a few good ones. I came across one for a “tomato-zucchini tart” in a Southern Living cookbook that I got as a gift from my mother-in-law (thanks again!). I made it last night, and it was SO tasty! Even Husband, a die-hard carnivore who initially asked “where’s the meat?” when he saw it, enjoyed it. It wasn’t too hard to make, and it had so much flavor. And you could easily modify the recipe to use any sort of fresh veggies. I think next time I’ll add a little bit of onion to it, and maybe even a tad of ground beef. The exact recipe is here. Enjoy! P.S If you have any good recipes, I’d love to hear them!

Giving

Yesterday I finally gave the “gift of life,” or as I like to call it, the “gift that gets you free cookies!” It was my first time donating blood. I’ve always wanted to donate, but there was always something that got in the way. (Once my iron was too low and they wouldn’t let me; the rest of the times I think I was just a big wuss.) Husband remembered that I wanted to donate and he drove me to the blood drive directly after church, so there was no backing out. I had initially planned on going by myself, but it was nice to have Husband there. He also made me laugh by giving me helpful “tips.” (“Whatever you do, don’t let them talk you into donating brain tissue!” Later, when our eyes would meet, he’d just tap the side of his head and nod.) The whole thing turned out to be much easier than I thought and pretty painless. It felt good to help, and I definitely want to donate again. And not just because of the cookies!

Free at last

Happily, I’m now free to… 1) leave the house. 2) celebrate my new job! I finally talked to them yesterday afternoon, and they told me the good news. I was beyond excited/relieved/grateful. Many thanks to my family who had faith the entire time that I’d get the job, even when I had my doubts. You are the best!

House Arrest

I’ve joked that I put myself on “house arrest” yesterday and today. I’m supposed to get a call soon about whether I got the job. My initial attitude about it was more like “a watched pot never boils,” so I went about my regular routine (going to the gym, running errands, etc). However, as luck would have it, during the short 1.5 hours I was out on Monday, they called (twice!) and I missed both calls. They didn’t leave a message, so I couldn’t return their call. I wanted to kick myself, knowing that I could have heard “the news” about the job and finally put an end to the “am I employed?” limbo. So I’m banishing myself to the house (at least during business hours). On the positive side, I’ve channeled all my nervous energy into cleaning, and the house looks immaculate. On the other hand, I really hope I hear soon because I’m running out of things to clean!

A Funny Massage

Last week Husband and I saw a flyer advertising a massage that made us laugh. It said: “It’s time to relax those tired mussels!” Not muscles, but mussels. I guess even your shellfish need a break!

All the Tea in China

It all started with an innocent comment.

I told my grandma how much I liked the ginger tea (hot tea) that we had at her house a couple months ago, and I mentioned that I couldn’t find it at any stores near me.

When she visited me a few weeks later, she brought me 4 boxes of ginger tea. Then, my aunt, who loves ginger tea, heard and mailed me 2 boxes of her favorite brand.

And then, my grandma, who was still not convinced I had sufficient supply, sent me a care package full of tea earlier this week. I knew what was in the box before I even opened it because: a) she said, “I’m sending you a ‘tea party!’ ” and b) I could actually smell the tea from outside the box.

This time there was every type of flavor and brand imaginable. I even got one that I never knew existed: “Organic Apricot Ginger Black Tea.” (That’s quite a mouthful!)

I decided I would share some tea with a lady in the neighborhood that I’ve befriended. She is a sweet lady who recently lost her husband, and I visit her every so often.

Yesterday I stopped by her house, and I gave her 2 boxes of tea.

The tea had not even left my hands before she darted to her pantry saying over her shoulder, “Honey, you like tea? I have some for you!”

And she gave me 2 boxes of Chinese tea from a friend in China.

Through this, I’ve realized that I not only have an abundant supply of tea, but also an abundance of generous people in my life.

And if you come over to my house, don’t be surprised if I offer you tea. At this point, I think I have enough to host afternoon tea (plus morning, noon, and evening tea) until 2014.

The Bucket List

Yesterday Husband and I watched the movie The Bucket List for the first time. (I know it’s been out for a while – I guess we’re a little behind on movie-watching.) I thought it was pretty good. It was funnier and more moving than I expected it to be. Anyway, it made me think about my own “bucket” list. These are the things, off the top of my head, that I’d put on my list: *Learn how to surf *Visit Australia *Visit China and see the Great Wall *Write a book (even if it never gets published) *See the Grand Canyon *Ride in a helicopter *Live overseas (if a military overseas assignment is possible) I expect to keep adding to the list over time. But now I’m curious…what’s on your bucket list?

Happy 4th!

Happy early 4th! Husband and I are heading out for a little road trip to meet up with some other military friends. I hope everyone has a happy and safe weekend!

They're back

We thought there was a truce, but apparently not. Last night we saw our first scorpion since the infamous scorpion incident. I saw him moseying through our foyer, and I immediately alerted Husband. (Is it bad to say that one of my favorite parts of marriage is having someone to kill bugs?) Seconds later, the scorpion met his demise: death by flight boot. Let’s hope that’s a lesson to his little friends.