TODAY

I am grateful for...

1. family
2. friends
3. answers to prayers
4. the past
5. the future
6. freedom to choose
7. warmth
8. hope
9. love
10. forgiveness

GONE WITH THE WIND

In honor of Pioneer Day, I trekked across the country last weekend to visit my friend, Kristan, in Atlanta. Oh, Atlanta!

We started the trip off right by going to the Margaret Mitchell House, which is the birthplace of "Gone With the Wind." Peggy wrote most of the novel in a small apartment on Peachtree Street, which has been converted to a museum dedicated to her and her wonderful novel. The tour guide told us that "Gone With the Wind" is the second best-selling work of all time, topped only by the Bible. Wow!

While at the MMH, we had made a vow to never be hungry again, so we decided it would be prudent to head to Mary Mac's Tea Room for some lunch. The place was hopping, the waitress was enthusiastic, and for the first time in my life, I was a minority in the room. I thought the restaurant was delightful, and it definitely satisfied my desire for some homemade Southern Cooking. The waitress made us try some sort of soup made out of turnip greens, which was surprisingly delicious, despite its putrid color. I also tried fried green tomatoes for the first time, which were surprisingly mediocre, despite their being fried. The dumplins were divine, though, as were the macaroni & cheese and sweet potato souffle. Maybe it wasn't the most balanced meal, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

After lunch, we made our first attempt at visiting the High Museum of Art. Our plan was foiled when we unexpectedly punctured a tire and had to wait for that to be repaired. This was for the best anyway, as we didn't really want to go anywhere that wasn't named after a lady with "M" alliteration in her name. So we drove back to Krissy's home in Roswell and decided to tell Atlanta Proper "Au Revoir" for the day. We went to dinner with Kristan's hilariously loud family, picked up ice cream at a place called Brewster's, then hunkered down to watch a James Bond flick.

Saturday we went to breakfast at the Flying Biscuit, which is a campy little joint with pretty good food. Kristan let me try her grits, and I think I ate more of them than she did, since they were a novelty to me. Naturally, we went to the pool after breakfast, where I got fried in a few random spots (clearly my sunscreen application wasn't quite consistent). The gals in Kristan's family are ridiculously tan, so I think they could have stayed there all day, but we were running out of time, so Kristan and I took off for our second (and more successful) attempt of visiting the High Museum of Art, which was a fairly nice museum. Kristan blogged about an exhibit called On the Beach which was fabulously interesting. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I think it is something you have to see to really appreciate why it is so great, but trust us, okay?

The Varsity is supposedly the world's largest drive-in restaurant, and I believe it. It was ginormous! We didn't dare really eat there, since we could smell the grease from about 3 miles away, but we tried the "F.O." beverages (Frozen Orange), which basically tasted like a slushified Dreamsicle. Yum!

Next we began our drive past millions of churches to the Disneyland of Georgia (which is not anything like Disneyland). Yes, that's right. Ever heard of Stone Mountain? Droves of Southerners go there nightly to watch the Laser Show Spectacular, which is pretty much weird. That's the only word that really comes to mind when I reflect upon my S.M. experience. It was definitely weird. And did I mention weird? They basically do a laser show on the side of a rock they affectionately call a mountain. Whoever "they" is. Anyway, here's a tidbit: the guy who sculpted Mount Rushmore began the etching on Stone Mountain but abandoned it when the Mount Rushmore commission was offered. Some other guy had to finish it. Anyway, we had fun sitting out on the grass and eating our picnic dinner whilst talking/playing cards/people watching prior to the show.

Sunday we went to church, then to see an antebellum (pre-Civil war) home called Bulloch Hall. The museum docent was very knowledgeable, and it turned out that we picked a great house to visit, as it is the location where Teddy Roosevelt's mother grew up, and thus where his parents were wed. I would love to own a house like that someday... so much character!

We ate dinner at Kristan's grandmother's home, then headed to the airport. It was a fabulously fun-filled weekend. Thanks for being such a great tour guide, Krissy!

BLUE SKIES...

Last weekend I went on holiday to the "land where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars." My friend Derek lives in San Fran, I was itching to get out of town, and I found an awesome deal on a flight. It was as if the stars aligned just for me, so I packed my bags for a mini-vacation....

My one fear was that it might rain the entire time, but it turned out that luck was on my side; on Saturday the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Derek & I took advantage of this wonderful fact. We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, up to a little lookout point over by Sausalito (where there was a fantastic view of the bridge) and then back. We figured that round-trip, this was almost a 6 mile walk, which I LOVED... it made me feel so energized and alive! Derek had a brilliant idea to take a photo every other lamp post on the way back across the bridge, so I have posted a few for your viewing enjoyment. There were about 5 million to choose from (mostly quasi-semi-pseudo crappy), so I limited it to my 3 favorites:

Lamp Post #1: "This is going to be fun(ny)!"

Lamp Post #17: "Do you think the camera is working?"

Lamp Post # 1,031,319: "We should probably spice these photos up."

After the photo shoot, we ate lunch at this lovely little place: http://www.cafegratitude.com/, where I was fulfilled and Derek was refreshed. Then we headed to Chinatown to take a "tour" of an antiquated fortune cookie factory, which was apropos since I have consumed roughly 150 fortune cookies this month (this is not hyperbole...more on that another day): http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/attractions/ggfortunecookie.html.

We then met up with some of Derek's SF pals and participated in a Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt, which was an interesting and clever event. The following link will show you some sample clues: http://www.sftreasurehunts.com/hunts/sample_clues.html. After over 3 hours of hunting, we decided to throw in the towel and nourish our bodies at the House of Nan King, which is a ghettrofied (word is made up, but I think you get it) yet delicious Chinese food establishment in Chinatown.

The weekend was enriching for me, and I was grateful to get away from the doldrums to spend high-quality time in good company in an invigorating city. As with every other time I've been to San Francisco, I left my heart there...

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

I have been beyond lazy today. Lazy to the tenth power..... But it was a highly stressful week at the office, and it has been very nice to unwind/relax today. There were moments when I felt like I wasn't going to make it through this last blasted week, but I finally did... and the relief I felt when I arrived home last night is indescribable. This morning I took the liberty of sleeping in, and when I awoke, there was a beautiful blanket of white snow on the ground. I normally hate the snow, but for some reason today I love it.... maybe because I am not obligated to go anywhere, and so I can just watch it from the window.

I decided to wrap Christmas presents in my pajamas while watching "It's a Wonderful Life." The older I get, the more I love and appreciate that movie. I think it's good to be reminded that human beings are so intertwined, and the way we treat others definitely has an impact on who they (and we) become. "No man is a failure who has friends." Yes, it certainly is a wonderful life.

GOLD STANDARD

On Friday night I enjoyed the most delicious hot chocolate of my life. Picture a cup full of amazing dark melted chocolate and cream. Now imagine it gliding sweetly across your taste buds and falling gently down your throat. Are you blissfully happy? Multiply that experience by a million, and you might have an idea of what I felt. If you want to know the secret destination, just ask...

Yes, on Friday I experienced a gold standard. I can never go back to the ordinary.

P.S. The chocolate-covered cinnamon bears are also a dream.

LIFE IS SWEET

We're heading on two sappy posts in a row, but tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so making a list of things I appreciate seems like the right thing to do. Following is a hodgepodge of 50 things I am thankful for (in no particular order of merit):

• family
• opportunities to travel
• comfortable bed
• books
• temple
• friendship
• car
• job
• emails
• sunshine
• walks
• prayer
• mountains
• computer
• shoes
• cereal
• telephone
• lip gloss
• hope
• chocolate
• white Christmas lights
• warmth
• mascara
• love
• joy
• listeners
• plans
• good advice
• bubble mint gum
• laughter
• pen & paper
• photographs
• ice cream
• journal
• gospel
• games
• homemade raspberry jam
• light
• vision
• decisions
• tulips
• support
• nieces & nephews
• winter hats
• music
• piano
• solitude (sometimes)
• safety
• guidance
• dreams

This list certainly isn't all-inclusive, but when I look at it, I can't help but think that life is pretty darn sweet...

BOO RADLEY

I have long loved Harper Lee's novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Not only is the story interesting and well-written, but it contains powerful messages about human relationships and strong moral character. Most of you are probably familiar with the part of the story when Jem & Scout receive guns from Atticus. He says, "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Scout wonders why, and her neighbor says, "They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us."

I think these lines parallel the story in multiple ways, but I specifically like how they apply to Scout's severely reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo keeps to himself, usually, but comes out of his comfort zone to save Scout's life one night.

A couple of weeks ago, we were out raking leaves for 4 hours when I was reminded of this principle of service/compassion.... We had somewhere to be that evening and ran out of time to finish the job, so had to leave all 40+ bags of leaves out on our lawn with the intention of of taking them to the dump the following Monday. We have a neighbor who is semi-reclusive (not to the same extreme as Boo, but who is fairly reserved nonetheless). Although he has always been kind, we have probably not been as friendly to him as we ought. As we were heading out the door, he came over and offered to haul our leaves to the dump for us. We declined, explaining that we felt badly that we couldn't help, so it wouldn't be right for him to do it by himself. We left. When we arrived home, the bags were gone. Despite the fact that we have not been the best of neighbors to this mockingbird, he still made the effort to come out of his comfort zone and help us.

Incidents such as this make me realize that I have a long way to go in learning to truly love and serve others. I need to be a kinder neighbor and friend to all. I was grateful for this life lesson. Perhaps it's time for me to read the novel again....

BEAUTIFUL MESS

The past week of my life has been one big beautiful mess.

1) Visited Philly for the first time... beautiful.

Highlights: quality time with my sisters, Betsy Ross' home, the tour guide at Independence Hall, meeting Will Shortz (my idol), wearing matching t-shirts to a sudoku competition, having our photo with WS in the Philadelphia Inquirer, running up the "Rocky" steps, spending a lovely autumnal Sunday outside the city with our friend, Brian.

2) Learning that I have a minor case of shingles... mess.

Thought I was the victim of some crazy spider or allergy, but nope... the real deal shingles. It will be a dream when they go away, eh?

3) Jason Mraz concert... beautiful.

I wasn't incredibly familiar with Jason prior to the concert, but was invited by my friend, Kristan. We all fell in love with the man. Let's face it... he plays the guitar, has curly hair, and has some pretty sweet dance moves. The concert exceeded my expectations, to say the least!

4) Joshua Radin/Missy Higgins concert... beautiful.

I loved (and still DO love) Joshua even more than Jason. My friend, Kristan, encouraged me to throw all caution to the wind and attend this concert... a) having never once heard any of the songs prior & b) having just been to Jason Mraz the night before. I was SOOOOO glad I opted in, as I now have a new favorite musician. Check out Joshua's song "Closer" if all you want to do is cry.... SO good! "I'd Rather Be With You" and "Brand New Day" also became fast favorites. Thanks, K!

5) Car accident... mess.

A sweet middle-aged lady forgot to check her blind-spot before changing lanes and ran into my car, thus denting/scraping the entire driver's side. I am grateful no one was injured, but obviously wish she had taken the brief moment to survey the scene before maneuvering her car my direction. I hope the repairs don't take long.

6) Halloween... beautiful.

I have the cutest nieces and nephews in the entire world!!!

7) Various conversations/correspondence with good friends... beautiful.

Need I say more? I feel fortunate to know so many stellar individuals!

8) Official expansion of my cereal repertoire... beautiful.

Move over, Grape-Nut Flakes. I still love you, but you've got a rival now....

9) Blogging twice in one day... mess.

Who does that?!? Please don't neglect the post below, though.... those pumpkin waffles would be on the beautiful list if they were from this past week.

10) Looking forward to a good night's sleep (which has been messily lacking this week)... beautiful.

Can't wait for my head to hit the pillow. I think I'm going to sleep tight tonight.

PUMPKIN WAFFLE HEAVEN

A couple weekends ago I had the privilege of spending a pumpkin-filled evening with one of my favorite friends. We started with delicious pumpkin waffles (which I have officially dubbed as Pumpkin Waffle Heaven... as in, "I died and went to PWH"), then moved along to pumpkin carving. Jake's jack-o-lantern was, of course, PERFECT... Mine looked more like a disco-ball, but it was adorable in its own whimsical, polka-dotted kind of way. Jake, if you ever read this, will you please send me the photos so that I can post them here for all the world to see?

Anyway, being that today is All Hallows Eve, I thought it would be appropriate to share this amazing recipe with the class:

PUMPKIN WAFFLE HEAVEN

2 cups flour

1 T cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 T sugar

1/2 tsp coriander

4 eggs (separated... keep both parts)

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 1/2 cups milk (maybe a tiny bit more)

1 T vanilla

1/2 cup margarine

Mix dry ingredients, then add egg YOLKS, milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and margarine. Beat 4 egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the batter.

To top it off, make this delicious dream:

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp corn syrup (light)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Bring buttermilk, butter, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat once boiling and add baking soda and vanilla. Stir until it settles.

I hope you all enjoy...

Happy Halloween!!

RED VELVET

My dear friend, Paige, insisted that I have a red velvet cake for my 22nd birthday party. It was fitting, because I am unabashedly partial to the color, but I honestly had never tried red velvet cake before; I thought it seemed somewhat unnatural to opt for a cake that wasn't the darkest brown known to man.... But it turned out to be a delightful treat, so I whole-heartedly welcomed red velvet into my life.

A couple of summers ago, while in the Big Apple visiting my friend, Kristan, we stopped at a cupcake shop where I purchased the dreamiest red velvet cupcake imaginable. The butter cream frosting was thick and delicious; I could have died happily at the moment I inhaled it. It was SO divine that I purchased the cookbook online a month later, and shortly thereafter found myself happily dancing around the kitchen wearing a polka dot apron. Two bottles of red food coloring and an afternoon later, I had the satisfaction of partaking of the gems. My heart and my stomach were fully satisfied....

Red velvet is intensely rich, temptingly sweet, and simply satisfying. I hope you'll all enjoy it as much as I do!