Setting Myself Up

For what? Good things I hope. Desk came from IKEA. Each leg $10 and the glass-top $79.99...a grand total of about 100 bucks. It might not be my dream station----but it was colorful, cheap and easy to put together. Now...enough chit chat...GET TO WORK!

You Don't Have To Take My Word For It...

What's that?

What?

There, on your face...is that...

What?!?

A Wrinkle?

Adam just couldn't help himself this morning---reminding me that I was getting older. Now I know 26 isn't old, but it tips the "dreaded" scale closer to the big three zero. Speaking of demise, on our way to Adam's office NPR ran a story about the end of Reading Rainbow. I *gasped* when the story said cancelled "AFTER 26 YEARS"... Adam responded to my gasp with a very loud and concerned "WHAT?" And I said, "26years!!!!!! That's a very bad sign for my birthday!"

Going Raw

Yesterday, Nicole and I went raw in pre-celebration of receiving her white-coat this Saturday. We decided to prepare Zucchini Linguine with Basil Pesto. Before noon, I made a trip to Trader Joe's and picked up some zucchini, basil, garlic, lemons, sea salt, heirloom tomatoes, pine nuts and other fresh wonderfulness. Back at the apartment, I put the pine nuts on water and a bit of sea salt for their 4-hour long soak. When Nicole arrived, we mulled over a few paint color ideas. Here's one we both liked:

Not sure for what room, possibly the living. After browsing options for a little while, it was time to make pesto. My recent success fixing the food processor held up under several culinary adventures: from pesto...soup...to smoothie. I made some pasta in case Paul or Adam needed it to supplement the zucchini as linguine. Turns out our food was both delicious and photogenic---as Nicole captured so beautifully:

Click HERE for the recipe from RAWGURU.

6 Years Y'ALL

6 years y'all. Adam whisked me away to Tucson last weekend to celebrate our anniversary. It was a complete surprise. He told me to pack a bag and make sure I had a bathing suit, jeans, boots, and something nice to wear. I picked him up from work Friday and we left from the office. Such a strange feeling to drive toward an unknown destination. Especially because he never once consulted a map. After a couple hours, we arrived at the El Conquistador. A beautiful place situated at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountain range just outside Tucson. As if simply getting away wasn't enough of a surprise, he told me we needed to get to bed "early" because we had an appointment in the morning. Early was 6:30am, and we quickly threw on jeans, boots and a couple ball caps. Outside was the perfect temperature, and a wonderful mixture of quiet and tiny desert creatures. A golf cart, with a friendly host, drove us the short distance to... the...stables! I thought maybe we were going on an early morning desert hike---but instead we saddled two horses --Cash and Danny--for an hour journey through the surrounding landscape. My absolute first time riding a horse and I loved it! Though, I can't imagine how people galloped for miles and miles on the creatures. My hind was pretty sore and we stuck to a trot!

Cats and Dogs

Cloudy today in Phoenix.
Early morning thunder and heavy drops.
Reminds me of home.

paint = omg

So...we have a new place...AGAIN...and I need some serious inspiration. Ever since my independently married state, I have lacked any real motivation to style our living quarters. My excuse had something to do with the impermanence I perceived in our future. But I have now realized that this ISN'T a GOOD EXCUSE. Who cares if we are only somewhere a year? Or two? How long do I have to be somewhere before I slap some paint on a wall? Maybe I still have this idea that we will -settle down- soon...make a house a home. What if that takes ten years? Or...heaven forbid...it never happens? Shouldn't I forget all this waiting around and get busy? YES! There might be a teentsie other reason for my style procrastination...practical use of cash-ola. Spending $30 @ grocery = reasonable / spending $30 on paint = omg. Is this really just about buying paint? OMG. Time to get out of the rut. And where better to start than Design*Sponge? I already found a post that has to do with my current city of residence, Phoenix. Pretty great to think that most of the places mentioned are VERY CLOSE to my new spot. Click on the pic to read more...
Now, the pressure is on. Mistakes (I just threw up a little) inevitable. Not spending the next several years of my life looking at white walls...priceless.

Dawn to Sunrise

Morning began with "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" singing sweetly in my mind. As Adam hopped in the shower, I shoved off the covers and headed to the kitchen. Making his lunch, I sang happily the hymn that woke me up:

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever will be.

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJHao_5N9d8

The words are truly perfect for the beginning of the day. Though, not simply meaningful in the morning---but from dawn to another sunrise. It reminds me of "I Met God in the Morning"---a poem read by my grandpa Frank at our wedding, and most recently by Adam at Katie and Isaac's:

I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

By Bishop Ralph Cushman

Here's to today and a peace that endures!