A Perfect Christmas

Christmas this year was perfect. It was wonderful being with my whole family. We had great laughs, yummy food, and love all around. The boys are growing up so fast and I played with them every chance I had. I hope we get to all see each other again soon. My folks are so happy in there new house and I am so happy to see them so happy. I love you all and want to thank you all for making Christmas so memorable and joyous this year. Hugs and kisses to mom, dad, Kerri, Allen, Kaiden, and Blake.

Big Love

You've all shared all sorts of kind sentiments since our big news and I just wanted to give thanks to all our wonderful family and friends for all their love and support. You are all the best and we are so happy to have you all in our lives. A lot of you had a lot to do the with us being together...Kara, Alicia, Linda, Jim...most of you are from Renegade and welcomed our relationship with open arms. I'm happy to have you all still in our life. Our families have been so warm and loving. Again you all mean the world to us and we cherish each and every one of you. Can't wait to party down with all you at our wedding. And no, we have not set a date yet if you're wondering.

My Ring

My ring is beautiful, I've never had something so beautiful on my hand before. I felt different all day as I wore it, like I was a new woman. Thank you sweetheart, the ring you picked out for me is simply gorgeous.

Alright I've had a long two days of blizzards, plane rides, engagements, and loud crazy-loving family members. It's time to pass out.

Thanks for all the wonderful kind words. Love to you All!

Renegade Love

We went to the Renegade Holiday Party last night and as always it was a blast. I really love a lot of those folks. They know me so well and I really can be myself when I'm around them. It was even more interesting being there as a guest and not an employee. It was bittersweet; at times I was sad not to be part of the family and other times I was happy to have a separate life. I was a lot more open and friendly with everyone, especially the employee's wives and husbands. It was like being part of a new club of outsiders. Jason got trashed and I stayed somewhat sober all night so I could drive him home. I had so many laughs, meaningful conversations, and even got to get my dance on. I really had an amazing time and yes I miss seeing those folks on a daily basis, but it also makes seeing them at the occasional gathering all that more special.

Family and Florida, Only 2 Days Away

I am counting down the days that I get to see my family in Florida. It's going to be such a fabulous visit. It's been six months since I've seen any of them. My nephews are going to be so big and my folks have their new house they get to show off. I'm just so excited. It's going to be in the 60s and 70s while we're there, which is just perfect. This is also going to be a great vacation getaway for Jason and I, we need an exit from reality.I love you guys and can't wait to hug everyone one of you!!

Sweet n "Saur" Cabbage Soup

Man oh man, I just made the best soup ever. I never really accomplished a great soup before and now I can say I have. It was a Rachel Ray recipe I saw her make on her 30 Minute Meal show. It looked like it would taste great and be easy to make so I went for it. It was called Sweet n "Saur" (as is sauerkraut) Cabbage Soup. I have never enjoyed sauerkraut by itself, but I knew Jason was a big fan of it so I made it regardless. I knew Jason would love it and I hoped to like it at least. I've really been branching out food wise and thought this would be another taste challenge.

It was all made in one pot, which was fantastic. I would really like to find more soup recipes made in one pot. The main ingredients were ham steak, savoy cabbage, sauerkraut, carrots, onion, canned white beans, and frozen hash browns seasoned with honey, chicken stock, fresh dill, and apple cider. Neither Jason nor I had tried a soup like this. Once it's heated up you mix in a spoonful of sour cream. It was a little hard for my taste buds to handle it at first, I had to really let it develop in my mouth. By the next day I was madly in love with the taste.

It has very German-Polish type favors, which is my ancestry. I'm thinking of making a big batch of it for Christmas for my whole family to enjoy. It would be great to have around when people get peckish. This is one of those -"I have to share entries".

To enjoy the soup for yourself go to:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sweet-n-saur-cabbage-soup-recipe/index.html

Thank Yous Part 2

I am thankful for my awesome cats, DB and Midnight.

I am thankful for my almost finished newly renovated home that Jason and I created together.

I am thankful for all my extended family, I hope all our paths meet again soon.

I am thankful for my grandmom, Jackie. She was recently put in a nursing home and I thank all the people who have been watching over her in these hard times - Dawn, Michelle, CJ, Georgia, Dave, my mom, my sister, and everyone else who has shown their unconditional support and love for granny. I know she is thankful for you all. I am thankful for the many happy times I've spent with her over the years. I know she is still with us, though her mind is slowly fading. Live the rest of your days in peace grandmom, we are all thankful for everything you have given us. God Bless you Grandma.

Holiday Hugs

Well it's official, Jason and I will have to take an easy on spending too much for the holidays. The biggest reason is that the rental offer we had on the house has been cancelled, we found out this afternoon, 30 minutes before Jason was suppose to meet the renters to sign the lease and get the first rental payment. It's really ridiculous how little notice they gave us. We will now have little to no extra $ till the house gets another offer. I know none of this is very positive, but what I'm getting at is even though gifts will be non-existent this season I still can't wait to spend quality time with Jason's family and my family this holiday season. The true meaning of the holidays is to be with the ones you love. The people that love you unconditionally no matter your financial situation. I really love you all and can't wait for the holidays to start. Jason and I have had pretty tough times this year with my unemployment and our many house issues, all I really want are hugs from the ones I love.

That's What Family is For

Most of you are probably aware that, due to an unfortunate run-in with the bureaucratic machine that is Baltimore County, our tenants at our old house are being forced to move out, which is therefore forcing us to put it on the market. Not the greatest time to be entering the fray, but when you're faced with limited options, you still have to choose.

Anyway, the point is we were crushing to get the house ready for an open house this Sunday. And my Dad came up today and spent the entire day, in the nasty cold rain, helping try and make our deadline. We didn't make it, but only because rain slowed us down, and ruined our tenants plans to be out of the house all day for Towson's Homecoming. So next Sunday will now be our first open house, and Kate and I will head back a few evenings this week coming up to try and finish the last few things. But deadline or not, it was really nice getting to spend the day with my Dad.

I'm really happy that my family is local, and that we're all close enough to help each other out in a pinch. My cousin James offered his help, too, completely out of the blue (thanks, James...even though we didn't take you up on it, I appreciate it). It's all a testament to family and connectedness, and miserable drenching power of cold, constant rain.

We All Eventually Become Adults

Kate and I just had dinner with my cousin Adam and his wife Bella. I'm the oldest cousin on my Dad's side, with Adam pulling in second, two and a half years my junior. All of the cousins on that side have always been close. The fact that my Dad, his two brothers, and my grand parents all ended up living within 30 or 40 miles of each other had a lot to do with that. Growing up we had frequent family gatherings, and all the cousins got to grow up together. Some of my fondest memories involve that whole group of people.

So it's really cool when those relationships make the jump from childhood to adulthood. Not that I'm a stranger to adulthood. I'm now closer to 40 than 30, which is a scary prospect. Even my youngest cousin is 18 or 19 or something like that (sorry Erik...I'm not good at keeping track of that sort of thing.) But I'm finding myself spending time with cousins on a more one-on-one basis lately, and as couples, which is really cool. That's what I'm trying to say. I'm getting to know my cousins more as people individually, and less as that nebulous group, "My Cousins."

Part of the reason I'm getting such a late start really getting to know Adam is distance. He and his wife have been gone from the East Coast for quite some time now, so we almost never get to see one another. And, at least in the past, when we did, it was at some large family gathering, where conversations tended to occur on a group level rather than individually. Which is why tonight was so great. Kate and I really got to know Adam and Bella individually, without the group dynamic interfering.

We've also been recently getting to know my cousin James and his wife Amy more. James is, I believe, the second youngest of the cousins, unless I'm forgetting someone. He was still just a tot when I was hitting early adulthood. I didn't really know him that well, beyond the fact that he apparently thought I and my fellow older cousins were freaking hilarious. We'd have James to the point of tears (of joy) sometimes. I got to know him more as he got older, of course, but only recently have we been able to really start a real friendship.

I think it's all great stuff. My cousins are some of my favorite people on the planet and I hope to never lose touch with them.

Good Times with Family Friends

Hanging out with old family friends can be so refreshing. They know your family and your background, so the conversation just flows. I've always liked how I can feel comfortable hanging out with any age group, I've never had a problem relating to any sort of person. Yesterday I went to Bill and Sue Parker's graduation party for Kathleen, she just graduated from MICA. It was I nice laid back environment with great food, yummy Summer drinks, and plenty of good conversation. Fred, another long time family friend, was there and was so hilarious and down-to-earth. I really enjoyed the company, thanks for a great party Sue and Punch and congratulations Kathleen!

My Grandfather

Certain people bear mentioning in this blog because of the huge contribution they've made to my life and the lives of many other people. My granddad easily sits with those at the top of the list. He's a giver. One of the most generous people I know. He's spent his life working hard for the sole benefit of other people. Many of you that read this know him (and are related to him) but here's a quick list of accomplishments for those that don't. I apologize if I get some of the minor details wrong. I've never had a strong memory for them.

Grandpa was in an orphanage in Long Island for a lot of his youth. At fourteen he ran away, eventually being unofficially adopted by the parents of a friend. He lived through the Great Depression, working on farms and other odd jobs as a young teenager to help the family. When World War II broke out Grandpa lied about his age (he was 16 or 17, I believe) and enlisted.

His tour was brutal. He fought, as I understand things, at the Battle of the Bulge. And he came through odds that were strongly stacked against him. I'm going to scramble the numbers and terms on this next statement probably, but it's worth mentioning anyway because it really shook me to the core. The numbers will be close enough for you to get the idea. He once told me that his Battalion (or Company) went in with 300 some men (around about there) and when it was over that number had been reduced to around 40. He told me about times when he and his group were attempting to advance the line. Between attempts he'd spend endless hours sitting in foxholes just deep enough to cover his head, in the rain, with German bullets literally wizzing past the top of his scalp. With no end in sight. Grandpa still gets choked up talking about the war. It's only in the last five or six years that he has been willing to talk about it at all. I just can't imagine how strong you had to be to endure that sort of torture and come back a sane man.

But he did. He and my grandma (who passed away a few years ago) raised three sons. My Dad was oldest of the three. Grandpa at one time worked three jobs to support the family, allowing my grandmother to stay home with the kids. As a matter of course Grandpa would get up early, early in the morning, head from job to job throughout the day, and not return home until very late at night, when he'd immediately retire for the night and do it again the next day.

Eventually he and my grandmother purchased a ServiceMaster carpet and furniture cleaning franchise, ServiceMaster of Suburbia. That soon became his sole occupation, with Grandma running the office. And here's the kicker. He worked that franchise will into his 80s, still doing the heavy labor. Maybe five years ago he finally sold the business, although he continued to help out cleaning where necessary. I used to joke with friends that my 80 year old grandfather could probably wrestle me to the ground. And he probably could.

All his life Grandpa's been an avid gardener. His front and back yards are botanical masterpieces, bearing the mark of decades of love and attention. Even now, nearing 90, Grandpa can be found outside most days tending and prodding, trimming and planting. He's intensely proud of his work, and loves to give tours of the yards to friends and family. And there's so much to see, they never get old. I think Kate and I have gotten three or four tours now, and there's always something new you didn't notice before.

He's also been a stained glass enthusiast for decades. He has a whole section of the basement devoted to it. Over the years he's created an innumerable number of lampshades, windows, garden stones, and other decorative items that can be found all over his house and the houses of most of the family. For a while I was going to his house once a week, and he was teaching me the art. It was fascinating. But more than stained glass, that time taught me about who my grandfather was.

He is an amazing man. As a kid I always thought of him as goofy grandpa. Always cracking silly jokes to make us laugh. As I got older I was surprised that the jokes didn't stop. It wasn't until I really started to spend time with Grandpa as an adult that I realized what a deep, wise soul resided behind the jokes. I suspect grandpa's exterior is something of a protective shell. He's had so much in his life that should have destroyed him, that didn't. But once you sit down and really talk to the man behind the eyes, and he peels that exterior away, you are treated to a passionate man whose experiences have shaped a caring, strong and fiercely committed individual.

I can only hope to be able to live a life as fully participating as he has. His kids and grandkids, and now great grandkids, have the perfect role model in my grandfather. His work ethic, love of family, and concern for humanity make him one of the most important people in my life. His generosity is unmatched, his sense of humor is...unique, and his heart is as big as they come. I love you Grandpa. You're the greatest guy I know...for a young man.

Houseguests

Kerri and Allen's visit has been really great. It's nice having other people around the house to spend time with. Last night, on a whim, Allen and I went out and got two dozen crabs from a place literally right around the corner from us (we can walk there, which is excellent for us and dangerous for our wallets.) Plus Kerri got a Mojito recipe from the waitress at Miss Shirley's when we'd been there the day before for brunch. She whipped up a batch, we set up a table in the backyard, sipped our beverages and had a feast while the kids ran around in the neighbor's scrubby yard looking for worms and bugs. The weather was perfect, the company was top choice...it was a great evening.

The value* of having a place of your own can be measured by how much you can share it with other people. I think that's what makes a house a home. Having company and houseguests adds a layer of warmth and memories to a house that wouldn't otherwise exist. Stated more esoterically, reality is based on each person's perception of it. The more your home exists in the minds and memories of other people the stronger a claim on existence your home has. It's stake in the realm of human experience gets larger each time it's shared with other people, and that, in a weird way, validates its existence.

That's probably all mumbo jumbo. But one thing's certain. We had a great time with Kate's whole family this weekend, and we hope to see Kate's parents, Kerri, Allen and the kids again sooner rather than later.


*Emotional value...it would be great if Kerri, Allen and Kate's parent's time here added to our resale value, but unless it's Brad and Angelina that visits you, or a magical leprachaun, I think that's unlikely.

Another Case of Extremes

There's almost nothing better, after a long day of sweating and getting coated in dirt and plaster dust, than taking a shower and getting off all the grit. It's another case of extremes amplifying each other. You don't really appreciate getting clean until you've been really, really grimy. I'll give a shout out to my peeps in the middle ages. They know what I'm talking about.

And speaking of extremes, we made so much progress on the house this weekend. It really finally feels like a home, and not a constant construction zone. And we appreciate the difference. A lot. If any of you ever want to take a look and come hang out for a while, shoot us an email. It's an open invitation (except to you readers we don't know — you'll need to pass a two-hour screening process and a thorough background check before entering the premises. Please bring an exhaustive family tree, cross-referenced with disease and crime histories...and be welcome.)

Our first visitors will be arriving this Wednesday. Kate's parents, sister, brother-in-law and two nephews are coming into town. Can't wait, guys!

Watching My Nephew Grow

It's really amazing watching, firsthand, how quickly kids develop. As Kate said, we spent the day with family yesterday, and got the chance to see my nephew Jackson. He's nearly 3 1/2 months now, and he's already such a bigger little guy than he was before. It's nice now that he's gotten to the age that he can come leave home (with a little help from his parents), come to family gatherings and hang out with everybody.

My cousin James and his wife Amy, our two most vocal readers, came with their baby Caleb. He's six months old, and I was pretty blown away by the difference just two and a half months can make. He seems so much older than Jackson, so much more present and participatory. Having never really been so close to infants before, this is all pretty new and interesting to me. My most recent experience with kids previous to Jackson was with Kate's sister Kerri's kids, but with them in Florida, we got to see the pretty infrequently. Kaiden or Blake would always seem vastly older since the last time we'd seen them. It's cool now to watch the process a little closer up, with more stops along the path.

Having seen Caleb at six months, I can't wait to see my nephew at the same age. And then at a year, and on... It's the next best thing to having my own. Kate posted a bunch of photos from yesterday with her post. I'll let her photos carry this entry.

If You've Got Good Friends...

...you don't need much else.  This is going to be a short entry tonight because it's late and I have to get up early to meet with my accountant to finish my taxes.

What?  Taxes isn't the subject of tonight's entry?  Why else you would mention them in your introductory paragraph?

Tonight's entry is a simple truism, but one that everyone can appreciate.  Like Kate said, we had a few friends over for a hanging out and "oh, look...the Superbowl's on" party.  And earlier in the day Kate and I attended my sister's baby shower (men, I've discovered that baby showers are exactly like regular parties, except there is a lot more talk about breast pumps, stretch marks, and the relative benefits of differing lotions and skin balms.)

It was a great day filled with great people, great conversation, and barely a single morsel of food that wasn't intended to be dipped in another foodstuff.  Really, great friends and family are what make life interesting.  It's easy to get trapped in your own stuff sometimes and forget to reach out, but keeping important people in your life and around you is the secret to happiness.  One of them, at least.