too short December 29, 2007

my mom’s visit, that is.

she’s gone now and i’m here
thinking about the great time
i had with my lovely mother. 

i’ll recap the last two days of
her trip.

the day after christmas:

we woke up,  and got ourselves ready,
at a very decent hour, i might
add, and went to the swap meet
for a little shopping.  i am like my
mom in the area of gift giving
 (i was reminded many many
times that i am like my dad in
my driving. dad and i believe that
if we can go fast we should go fast.  
we go slow only if it is absolutely
necessary…right dad??!!)
anyway, everyone has to have
a gift brought back to them.  so we
shopped our hearts out and out feet
off.  i am the level headed one in this
situation.  “no.  they don’t need this!”
“what is aunt lynnie going to do with
that?”  “really?!!  that is not so cute!!”
in the end she got some great gifts
for family and friends. 

mom needed a dress for our evening
plan so we went and found her one.
brownswingyknee-lengthv-neck

then we headed to lunch. a local burger
place did the job very nicely.

mid afternoon we headed back to
my place to get ready for the
l
u
a
u

we had a great time at the luau.
i learned that hawaiian music is
the first music my mom remembers
hearing.  so all the ukulele brought
back fond memories for her.

food
sunset
cool ocean breeze
hula
lots of tourists in ugly floral prints

it was all so fun…and it share it
with my mom was such a treat.

we drove home exhausted, happy,
 and ready for bed.

    
dad should be (was) VERY sorry he was
at home in cold oklahoma and not on the
beach at sunset with his smokin’ hot
wife. 

the fourth and final day:

we went to the NORTH SHORE

now, if you’ve read my north shore
posts before you know what’s coming…

*shrimp shack for lunch
*beautiful beaches
*ted’s bakery for chocolate
haupia pie
*a stop at the beach-usually for
sand and swimming
*and a salute to the dole pineapple
plantation

all that went down, but it was cloudy
and rainy, so no swimming for us. mom
was safe!  she made it the entire trip
without having to get in a bathing suit.
luck for her it was cloudy and a bit rainy
the whole time.

we stopped at pipeline to check out
the BIG swells and gutsy surfers.
it was mom’s first time to see surfing
in person. (although she lived in
cali she never saw surfing)  she was
mesmerized.

    

         
all of you who have ever had chocolate haupia
pie know that you can’t eat it without making
these faces…or without wanting to make them.
it’s SO GOOD!!!

next we headed home to pack her
up and see her off at the airport.
we got finished early so she made
us homemade hot cocoa and we
snuggled on the couch under a
blanket while a movie played.

we zoomed by a vietnamese place
for take-out and headed to the airport.
after checking her in we ate our “picnic”
dinner on the benches at the airport as
we talked over the wonderful time we
had together.

then we said goodbye.

this is mom (ora is her name) as she
waved to me on her way to her plane.
she was past security and i was on the
other side of the glass.  i had to snap one
last shot of her. 

it was a wonderful time.
my mom is so kind and gracious.
she is easy going and rolls with
whatever comes. she has a “well,
we’ll handle it and it will turn out fine”
sort of attitude.  I love you mom!!
thanks for coming.

ps. i also got all the blessings of a
visit from a parent.  the slip of cash
in my pocket…a full tank of gas… a
sink with no dishes in it… it was very
nice.  thanks!  come again soon mom!!

pps. dad we missed you and wished
you were with us every minute!!

76 December 28, 2007

that is the temp outside right now.

my mom brought my winter things
for my trip home (NYC and OKC)
in january.  i was so excited i put them
all on and bounced around my apt with
them. 

i love winter clothes!! sweaters!  pants!
it’s all so comfy and wonderful!!

 here i am enjoying my coat and the new mittens julie
gave me for christmas. 
New York City here i come!!!
i can feel the crisp biting cold wind on my face.

here i am about 10 minutes later. 

h e a t  s t r o k e

i think i jumped the gun a bit on the
“getting ready for nyc” action plan.
i’m going to have to get my coat cleaned
becuase of all the sweat i got in it.

good thing i didn’t put on the pants
and sweater too.  i would have needed
chilled iv fluids in the end.

but a little heat stroke never hurt
anybody, right?  i’m so in the zone
for all the cold weather that is
coming my way in just under two
weeks!!!  the heatstroke only made
me stronger!!

that reminds me: i’d like everyone to
be praying that it snows when i return.
thanks!!!

a hawaiian chrismtas December 26, 2007

yesterday, christmas eve
mom and i went on the hike i
told you about.  it’s been fun to
introduce her to hawaii.  she is
fully into this place.

“look at that tree!!!!”
“oh!!!  the flowers!!”
“i’ve never seen an avocado tree before!!”

she did so well on our hike to a
nearby waterfall.  it was muddy
and slick, but we survived without
any mishaps and without getting
leptospirosis. (i think)

a drive on the eastern coast with several
stops along the way made our christmas
eve unique and special.  we looped our
way back on a highway over the mountains.
this was n o t my mom’s favorite part.  she
covered her mouth and screamed into her
hand as i forced her to look over the edge
and out toward the ocean.

this is mom with fozzy. 
p.s  i got this paddington bear as
a gift at her baby shower for me
before i was born.  she went into
labor at this shower. i guess i was
ready to get out and be friends with
fozzy.

doesn’t mom look so cute in this pic.
i have bossed mom a bit.  i told
her to wear the bandana in her hair
incase it rained…it did.  i told her to
wear her jeans and an old t-shirt incase
it was muddy….it was. 
when i boss you, it’s all for your own good,
so you should listen to me.

  

after our drive past the beach above
and over the pali highway we came
home and hang out until it was time 
for me to go to work.

today i came home from work and
slept for three hours.  i felt like i had
been drugged and then hit by a car
for the first two hours i was awake.

after a short trip to the grocery store
we opened presents and
cooked dinner

while we were eating dinner
i read the story of christmas
from luke 2.  it was a lovely time
with mom on christmas.  dinner
was so good.
*turkey
*mashed pot. and gravy
*stuffing
*cranberry relish
*sweet mashed pot.
*green bean casserole
*rolls

delicious

    
me and mom in front of the little,
and perfect christmas tree. 
(ps. i got some great gifts!!)

are you ready for a christmas miracle?

i got called off of work tonight!!!
yep, it’s true!!  so after jumping up
and down for a bit me and mom went
for a walk while the sun was setting and
the lights of the city were coming out to
play. 

now we are watching elf and about to eat
a yummy dessert.

happy christmas to all of you.  i hope
you are having a delightful and joyful
day. 

have yourself a merry little christmas.

for unto us a child is born December 26, 2007

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S ! !

“behold, the Lord God comes with
might, and his arm rules for him,
and his recompense before him.
he will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.”
Isaiah 40:10-11

“For unto us a child is born,
 to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon
his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Might God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
of the increase of his government
and of  peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his
kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness from
this time forth and forever more.
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7

“Fear not for i am with you;
be not dismayed, for i am your
God; i will strengthen you and help
you, i will uphold you with my righteous
right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10

as i sit here in my calm clean living room
with my mom across from me, frank
softly singing ”the first noel”, the christmas
tree lights glowing and the warm hawaiian
breeze blowing through my apt,  i am thinking
about this day and it’s significance and
importance in the world, in my life and
heart…i am moved.  my own need for
Jesus is unusually clear and i am melted
at God’s good and loving gift; Jesus.

i need to be gathered into his arms
i need to be gently lead
my wonderful counselor
my prince of peace
his strength
his righteous right hand

today is a day of great joy and celebration!!

happy christmas, friends!!

introductions December 24, 2007

okay, i wished you a happy christmas
adam, but i didn’t explain.

oops

it’s anticlimactic really.
let’s start with eve and the order of creation…

when God made creation eve was the last.
adam came before eve, and before adam,
the beasts of the fields and so on backwards
to let “there be light.”

so when celebrating christmas you can just
back it all up starting at eve.  it can
get a bit wordy after adam, but can still
be fun… especially for people who are
easily entertained like myself.  it’s just a
silly way to start the celebrating early.

so, dec 23rd is happy christmas adam,
dec. 22 is happy christmas beasts-of-the-field,
dec. 21 happy christmas birds-of-the-air….

get it?

rebekah and her family did this when she was
little…and may still enjoy it.  she shared
this with me and my team/family when i lived
in east asia and now i’ve taken it as my own.

“christmas adam, may i introduce you to the world”
(by world i mean ‘world of lisa’s dear people’)
“everyone,   …. christmas adam.”

it’s now yours to take and enjoy.
let me know how it goes. 

now it is christmas eve, so

merry christmas eve!!!!!

happy christmas adam December 24, 2007

tomorrow is christmas eve,
so that makes today

chrismtas

adam!!

mom and i are going to spend
christmas eve hiking to a nearby
waterfall and laying on the beach.

i still can’t get her to put a bathing
suit on.  *smile*

two days left  (for me still…it may be
the 24th for you on the mainland)
until

c
h
r
i
s
t
m
a
s

thanks to: rebekah and the mckinneys
for introducing me to christmas adam
and brianne for wishing me a merry
christmas adam.

mom’s in town December 24, 2007

i’m snuggled up next to my mom,
both of us in our pj’s watching the
food network.

my goal for tonight: keep mom up.

at dinner mom said, “okay, i’m
ready for bed. i’m so tired i’m
shaky. what time is it?”

answer: 8pm

she got in at 5pm
i’ve been so excited all day,
and
now
she’s,
here!!

i drove her down to waikiki,
then we drove along the coast
with the waves rolling in and
the sky growing a bright orange
as the sun set.

we walked hand in hand down
the beach (kahala) with the
flaming sun behind us. 

she loved the feel of the sand
between her toes and the soft
squishy grass under her feet.

we had dinner at my favorite
thai place and now she’s
stuggling to keep her eyes
open.

    

isn’t this this most beautiful lei you have
ever seen?!!  my mom is treating it like
it’s made of gold.  i’m glad she loves it
more than her firstborn.

well, it’s off to bed for us.
she’s covered herself in a
blanket, curled up in a ball,
and is not speaking in cohesive
sentences. 

night night

t – one day December 22, 2007

until my mom arrives!!!
can you see me jumping up and down?
well, i am!

julie just left last night…she somehow
charmed her 20 pounds of extra
luggage weight onto the plane without
having to pay a single cent!!  i am not
surprised, have you seen her bigblueeyes??!!

well, now i have have some major cleaning
to do before mom comes:

moldy shower
dish-filled sink
grimy tile floors
cluttered…. everything
laundry
gift wrapping

we’ll see what i get done today.
i’m feeling pretty motivated.

but i will leave the house for a tiny
bit more christmas shopping and
maybe a movie.

i have been dying to see will smith’s
new movie.  i sort of  heart will smith
because he reminds me so much of my
cousin jason.  (yes, jason is quite good
looking…and charming too!!)

but the friend who promised to go with
me has sort of…well, flaked off.  so i
am feeling very independent today
(queue destiny’s child: independent women)
and think i will see it by myself.

now if i’m calling some of you at insane
hours of the night because i’m scared out
of my wits  you just calm me and talk
me down easily.

did i say that

my

M O M  

comes

tomorrow?!!

tis the season December 22, 2007

for celebration and parties.

global cafe christmas party
julie works with international students.
we had a fun time introducing christmas
traditions to friends from japan, germany,
romania, china, korea, russia, kenya,
and many many more countries.

         

there were gingerbread houses, christmas tree
decorating, a fire in a fireplace (ok, it was made
of paper, but almost as romanic and heartwarming),
and a reading of the christmas story by julie.
oh, and christmas crackers, a british christmas
tradition.  julie’s boss, joy, is british.
we had a grand time with more sweets than
any one person can handle without a glucometer
and insulin nearby.

heidi and associates christmas party
this party was all girls. we were
instructed to wear our favorite outfits.
julie’s was capri sweat pants,  she did
not wear her favorite but chose to be a
bit more dressed up. i did wear my fav
dress and my treasured string of pearls.

    
julie couldn’t get her spoon to stick on her eye

there was lasagna, salad, and a chocolate fountain!!
we were given spoons…julie and i had a nice
time being pirates with our spoons (a.k.a. eye patches).
we girls had a rousing game of spoons.  i wanted to
spice things up, so when people started going
for the spoons i decided to dive across the circle
for a spoon far from me.  well, all my drama got
me NOTHING…i didn’t get a spoon and was out
that round.  but julie and i did almost cry from
laughter afterward. 

the friends from ultimate party
we play ultimate frisbee every saturday.
one of our frisbee friends was having
a birthday, so we had a birthday/christmas
party.  it turns out that the friend we
planned the party for accidentally had
other plans and didn’t come to our party.
but thankfully another friend was having a
birthday as well.  he is from india and this
was his first birthday party ever!!! 

tonight too many cooks in the kitchen was just what we
wanted. (from l to r) travis (visiting…clint’s bro),  pat,
clint, julie, jared, and sing.  there were more in the kitchen,
but they couldn’t all fit in the picture.

    
here, the other clint and rob were in deep
conversation. both are in the medical field
and in the army. clint is a medic and rob is
an rn.  clint told me stories of his body-
mending on the battle field in iraq that were
sobering and that shook my insides.  we
had over an hour of stimulating conversation.

there were tacos, nachos, a corn custard
sort of dish, fresh guacamole, salsa, and
more.  and more desserts and pies than
we could possibly consume. 
the cooking was well tended to by more
than julie and myself. it turns out that julie
and i were the only girls at this party.
so we attended an all girls party one
night and an all boys party the next night. 
the latter was not our plan, but there are
few girls we know here who want to swear
and play and possibly get busted up on a
regular basis…so julie and i took one for the
team by partying  and playing with all these
males.  your very welcome ladies of honolulu!!

a children’s choir concert hawaiian style
the Lyons family is a sweet family from
my church here that has been kind and
friendly to me since i moved here. they
have four beautiful girls and one teenage
boy.  i met kekelani (the mom) in an old
stain glass window church with high ceilings
and well used pews one saturday night to
watch her girls sing.  instead of robes they
all wore muumuus and leis. afterward all
the girls came to give me hugs, and from
that time on they offer the same glad and
affectionate hugs each time we meet.  i
had a long conversation with kekelani and 
mark, her husband, as we walked through
downtown honolulu to my car. it was all
lit up with lights and christmas displays, 
and filled with people enjoying the holiday
… in shorts and flip flops. 

  

(p.s. as i type this post i am watching Little
Women, a personal christmas tradition of
mine, and it’s at the part where sickly
beth comes down to a happy party and
new piano. “this used to belong to my
little girl who had to leave us when she
was very young… but it will make music
again.”  i’m crying.)

post-thanksgiving jaunt December 19, 2007

mikey, jared, heidi, julie, and me
went to kaua’i for a few days after
thanksgiving.

(i know this is late, but the pics are
so wonderful i must share)

kaua’i is the hawaiian island just to
the west of o’ahu.  it’s b e a u t i f u l  ! !

everyone but me went on friday,
but i joined the friends on sat…(work)

we had a blast.  here a few highlights,
there are lots of pictures to help
transport you there with us.

*we all stayed in the parsonage of
a little church on the island. the girls
slept in a room that doubled as the
church nursery complete with baby
tables, legos, and scribbled pictures.
don’t worry, we made sure that the
playschool oven was turned off before
we went to bed each night to make sure
that we didn’t get any deadly fumes.

*lisa got car sick (no vomit, just the desire to)
as she swished back and forth on the ‘hump’
in the back seat up the windy swervey road
that took us to the canyon. 
fast driving + windy roads = pukey-feeling lisa

*julie and heidi found a record store.
julie’s best find:
guava jam: contemporary folk hawaiian music

*waimea canyon: BREATH-TAKING

*sunset on the black lava sand with our
feet in the water while looking out at
ni’hau (the privately owned hawaiian island
just northwest of kaua’i)

*lots and lots of pb&j

*many many roosters who had a broken
inner clock that made them crow all day
and night resulting in very hoarse and raspy
roosters…  oh, but they were still  L O U D

*julie can’t eat sausage, so she ordered
a veggie pukadog-like a hawaiian corndog-
she got sausage and tried to eat it. about 5
min after she was done her tummy hurt so
bad she thought she was going to die…and/or
she wanted to die.

so as a group we decided that julie should
try to get it out of her stomach…  
none of us had much experience in inducing
vomiting. as the nurse and best friend of the
illness stricken i got to go into the bathroom
as her vomiting companion. well after several
tries she could not do it and we could only
laugh and laugh.  the dog stayed in and she
was not well for a few hours.

*on our last day we went kayaking up a
river, parked our kayaks and then hiked
to a beautiful waterfall.  there were
hibiscus blossoms floating in the water.
it was so dreaming to paddle through the
water and pluck the flowers off the surface
of the water…mountains in front of us,
lush greenery on either side of the
river.

jared: uuuuuhhhh…..should i really be in this picture?

        

here are some of the wild roosters.
we took a family picture with santa at
walmart. julie and i read over our christmas
list to him. (see post ‘all i want for christmas’)

       

this is the waimea canyon. the last pic is on the other side of
the canyon looking into the ocean.  this looks like a postcard
but it is REAL!!

sunset on the beach.  it took us several tries to get
this right, but it was worth it!

looking for shells

         

we hiked the first part of the na’pali coast. 
the trail is along the side of a mountain for a bit,
so you can see the teal blue water as you trek
through the green forest and walking palms
and hanging vines.

   

the end of the first section of the hike opened
up in a sandy beach sort of area.  when the tide
is in the water comes all the way up to the
rocks.  the current is wicked, so we just got
our feet wet.

           
some people might have had trouble with the paddling
and maneuvering of the kayak, but sacagawea
and i (pocahontas), who are from oklahoma
and therefore part native american, 
naturally glided through the water with ease.
(mocking the others for their lack of good
ancestry)

we parked our kayaks and started on the hike
to the waterfall. it was meant to be a short
easy hike, but we took a wrong turn and it
ended up being a treacherous long hike.
we made it and swam under the waterfall.

before we took the wrong turn we passed
a fairy stair case, an entrance to a fairy
kingdom…at least that is what julie and
i thought it looked like…we imagined ita
in true anne-like fashion.

we had a jolly good time with many other
adventures including a gas station getaway,
avoiding a strange and comfortably naked man,
and a mexican food feast that was forced into
our faces in under 30 minutes.

just what the doctor ordered December 18, 2007

i wrote the last post on a friday.
that next sunday was a most lovely
and helpful day that got me out of the
depths of my homesickness: a taste of
home and a taste of the Lord.

there was the sweetest advent
service at church:
christmas carols
reading of Isa 40
more christmas carols
a tender advent sermon
more friends to talk to after church than ever

that night i spent a couple of hours at
chris and monica’s house talking, eating,
and helping them decorate their new fresh
christmas tree.

this was a perfect day, and a gift
from the Lord. while missing my own
family and our traditions, i had an
opportunity to be a part of another.

monica, very pregnant monica, sat in
front of the tree gently directing
chris and myself as we hung the
ornaments and draped the ribbon
and placed the lights. 
“a red bulb would be good in that area”
“how about a gold one right there in that gap”
chris kept reassuring himself of the placement
of the tree saying, “yes.  yes, the tree does
look nice there.  yes, i really like it there.”

before decorating the tree i got to
to help them with an advent calendar
before they put little moriah to bed.

as i got in my car to drive home
i immediately felt some relief from my
homesickness…

but am still looking forward
with GREAT antcipation to my mom’s
arrival on the 23rd!!

   

rainy friday December 7, 2007

so remember way back when
i told you that if it rains here
it will all pass and be clear soon?
and remember when i said it
rains while the sun is shining?

well, not today.

this week has been rainy and
gray  a l l   w e e k

i am serious, it’s raining harder
than i’ve ever seen it rain
anywhere.  all the gray skies
and rain are getting to me.

i am so very homesick.
i have the windows open looking
out into the rain and listening
to blue christmas (i’m so not kidding).
it’s a pretty pathetic scene.

i’m dreaming of:
*the sweet cinnamon smell of
my mom’s house during christmas
time.
*the warm glow of the christmas
village that fills my mom’s china
cabinet.
*the christmas tree filled lobbies
of the buildings in midtown (nyc).
*my mom’s hot chocolate.
*nancy’s perfect cookies (i’d make myself sick
on the dough if someone didn’t stop me)
*building gingerbread houses at carol’s
*a hot cup of tea while sitting on kari jo’s
couch, and reading a christmas book to
her sweet children.
*a toasty fire at brianne and meg’s apt
that is fueled only by starter logs because
meg is afraid to put real chunks of wood
in there.  but a fire is a fire to me!!!

ok, this must stop!  
i’m starting to cry.
i have to go…
i need to call my mom!

i’m missing you all on this rainy
december friday.

all i want for christmas… December 7, 2007

is not my two front teeth.
julie and i have those.
these things we do not have,
but welcome the gifts if any of you can
get your hands on them.

1.  the doppler 5000 (for all weather related emergencies)
2.  life size wax figure of Will Rogers
3.  conveyer belt
4.  a herald
5.  a high dive
6.  a football team
7.  a set of miniature cones
8.  Tey Diggs (brianne, you can borrow)
9.  solar paneling for our roof
10. a ready-to-ride camel
11. the island of ni’hau
12. a lifetime supply of haupia ice cream
13. an orchestra that plays on command
14. our weight in cheddar jalapeno cheetos
15. world peace
16. tony horton (p90x guy) as our personal trainer/office assistant
17. current favs play list LIVE
18. snow mobile
19. a copy of Milli Vanilli’s original cd
20. a metal detector for our apt. (we want to protect the vita mix 5000)
21. a tunnel to the mainland
22. water fountain
23. petting zoo
24. our own tv show

note: julie thought of three in the middle of
the night… we want all this stuff
 r e a l   b a d

also, please be advised that this list will
be revised throughout the duration of
the holiday season.

happy 100th birthday OKLAHOMA December 6, 2007

Nov. 16th was…you  know what!

julie and i wore our red tank tops in
honor of dear old oklahoma. 

julie also pulled out the sheet music to
oklahoma, our state song and played
it for me on the piano.

i am more than thankful that she thought it
necessary to pull out this music and bring
it along with her to hawaii.  you never know
when you will need to bust out

“Plenty of room to swing a rooooooooooooooope,
 Plenty of heart and plenty of hoooooooooooope!”…..

“O  K  L  A  H  O  M  A    ……oklahooooooooooma! OK!!”

please hum the tune to yourself if you know
it.  if you do not know it…….get educated!!!!
let’s all take a second to face the facts – it is the
most well-known state song. it is possible that you
know your own and chances are the only other one
you know is ours.
try singing maine’s for example. you can’t
do it!…neither can i

      

heidi, julie and i made biscuits and WHITE
gravy for breakfast the next day in celebration.
we played the oklahoma songs i downloaded
from itunes and enjoyed our roots.

back in new york, brianne, zak, and other
oklahomans…and non oklahomans too
(come one come all and come on ya’ll!!!)
had a birthday party for our beloved
state.

here are a few of the pictures.
they called me in the middle of
the party.  i was touched and glad
to be a part of the fun times…all
to celebrate our great state.

i don’t mean to bust on her, but i heard meg didn’t know
the shape of Oklahoma!! good thing there were
professionals in the house!!

   
the boys and their hats.
zak’s is part cowboy hat part head dress!
(thanks for the props to our people)

erica wore a plaid shirt and overals!! 
PERFECT!

brianne, her sister maren, and meghan
looking cuter than ever in their hats and
jeans…doin’ it up oklahoma style! please note
the shiny sparkles on maren’s hat! we call
that bedazzling where we’re from.

here are a few facts about OK you might
want to know as you think of the glory
of it all.

*3,579,212 people live in the state
*the 46th state to enter the union
*derived from the choctaw
words okla and humma meaning “red man”
*the nation’s second laregest producer of
natural gas
*state mammal: american bison (that’s a buffalo for all you, kimosabes)
*state bird: scissortail flycatcher
*state insect: honeybee
*state tree: eastern redbud
*state wildflower: indian blanket
*people from/born in oklahoma:
will rogers
brad pitt (we’re pulling for him on the state quarter)
bryce bandy
vince gill
kristen chenoweth
six miss americas
sam walton, founder of walmart
bill green
troy aikman
garth brooks
adrian peterson
carrie underwood
mickey mantel
jim thorpe
your mom (if you’re lucky)
and so so so many more

oklahoma is wonderful and produces
wonderful people!  i am proud to be
an oklahoman!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OKLAHOMA!!!

i know it was over a week ago… December 4, 2007

but i still have to tell you about it,
right??

so, let’s act like it’s Nov. 22nd again…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

today is a great day,
and i am thankful for much!!!

this morning i woke up early (8:30)
(it’s a tough life, i know)
and watched the first hour or so of
the macy’s thanksgiving day parade.
as the announcers started to talk
about new york and thanksgiving in nyc,
and as the cameras showed parts of
the city i also started…..

to cry!!!

i was more homesick than i ever
anticipated. thanksgiving is a sweet
time of togetherness and enjoyment
of others.  i missed my dear family
and friends scattered across america
and the world.  i felt a deep blow of
loneliness and longing…an unexpected
blow. 

that wave of loneiness passed…after all
my dear julie was downstairs and my
sweet friends monica and chris were
waiting for us just down the road.  i
may not have my dad’s fried turkey,
or my aunt billie jean’s deviled eggs,
but i had someone’s turkey and deviled eggs!
there is much to be thankful for!!!

so i wiped the tears away and went
downstairs to help julie finish up the
sweet potato-banana casserole we
brought.  we also made mini gingerbread
cakes with lemon sauce & whipped
cream and cranberry orange sauce.
julie and i had hundreds, it felt, of
sweet potato recipies we wanted to
try. we made two of them already.
the next is going to be marshmallow
filled sweet potato balls rolled in coconut
and baked until the mashmallow is
almost gooing out of it. 
are you drooling yet? 
we saw all of the recipes on
the food network.

today julie and i completed

operation: smell like thanksgiving

it consisted of three hygiene products
that helped us be ready for the day
of yummy smells and tastes.

1.vanilla spice body wash
2.pumpkin pie lotion (thanks brianne)
3.vanilla chai deodorant

julie forgot step three and as we left the
apt for chris and monica’s house
julie broke out in a sweat which indicates
our holiday weather. unsure if monica
would be willing to share her deodorant
we had to make a quick stop at safeway
and pick up a stick. julie bought the
men’s kind because it was the cheapest.
you must know, it did the job very well
although it was not vanilla chai.

we went to a friend of chris and monica’s
for the afternoon.
three couples (two of them w/ kids)
two older single guys
one other man whose wife was away
julie and myself

the feast was delicious!
viewing a football game + 
turkey +
pie +
a few rounds of catch phrase =

A HAPPY DAY

doesn’t monica look WONDERFUL!!  
baby girl woodall is due mid january!

p.s. we read anne in lawn chairs looking
over the city while the sun was setting
from our driveway for a short bit once
we got home, then i changed and went
to work.