Falling in Love with Motherhood

Knowing that Clay is missing the little nuzzles, cuddles, and coos breaks a little piece of my heart. However, the joy of watching Weston grow and learn more about the world surrounding him puts the pieces back together. I am falling in love with motherhood. And falling hard.

Help For Hoss

As a dog lover, my heart broke as I read the story of Hoss. His owner, Heather, is a high school friend and a fellow lover of dogs. She had been posting updates about his recovery on Facebook. Read his story (linked below the excerpt) and (if you can) give a little to help Hoss.

Doctor noticed what appeared to be buck-shot in his muzzle and ear, on his right side. Could it be that not only was poor Hoss tied to a tree and neglected but was also shot? Ed and Heather were horrified and left Hoss in the Vets care and were to pick him up at the end of the day, after x-rays and a minor surgery to remove possible foreign matter from the aggravated area. When Ed got the call from the Vet, he got startling news: at some point in Hoss’ past, he was fired on by at least two guns. He had buck-shot shrapnel all over his body, and what appeared to be a fragmented bullet below his right eye.

Help For Hoss

Hoss after surgery.

The First of Many

Yikes. Scanning in a picture taken with a 35mm camera certainly makes me appreciate the advances in digital photography. The above picture is from December 2001. I was 18. Clay was 19. And it was my first official military function – a dining out. Don’t I look nervous? I was also 15 pounds heavier and in my dark hair, 1940s phase. And check out Clay and that spiked hair. Can you believe I thought it was so cool? The boy went through so much hair gel…

We had been dating for a few months that night. He broke up with me a couple of weeks later. Ahh, young love.  But don’t worry, we got back together. And little did I know, that this would be the first of many pictures of us going to a military function. I loved this picture in college and it was proudly displayed in all of my dorm rooms and apartments.

Anyways. I am beginning to organize my photo collection and going to commit myself to share a ‘vintage’ picture every Sunday. Because, who doesn’t love looking at older photos from way back when?

Sweet Redemption

This afternoon, Weston and I acted my dream by walking in an urban setting with a cute purse and fabulous shoes. Minus the fabulous shoes (Target clogs). I took Morgan’s* advice and checked out The Cupcake Shoppe on Glenwood Avenue. I was not disappointed!

How can you not love an antique cash register?

Look at all the cupcakes!

So many choices, so little time.

I opted for the classic Black & White and the Pretty in Pink. The Black & White was a classic chocolate with vanilla butter cream frosting. Oh. My. Gosh. Can I just say that this cupcake is in the running for the most delicious cupcake. The cake was moist, spongy, and exploding of chocolate. The frosting was TDF (to die for) and melted on the tongue without being overly sweet. The Pretty in Pink was good but the cupcake tasted more of a strawberry muffin than a piece of strawberry cake. The frosting tasted just like Breyer’s strawberry ice cream. Better than the previous entries but not in the running.

Do you want to know why is being an adult awesome? You can eat cupcakes for dinner! If that isn’t a typical deployment meal, I don’t know what is. If you excuse me, I am going to go lay down. My stomach hurts.

Grades?

Black & White = A-

Pretty in Pink = B

* Check out Morgan’s blog.

Listen Up! Friday – February 5, 2010

My music recommendations for the week. 

Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ Velvet Underground

And this is what he said
Oh sweet nuthin’
She ain’t got nothing at all

Red Dirt Girl Emmylou Harris

She said there’s not much hope for a red dirt girl 
Somewhere out there is a great big world
Thats where I’m bound

Sweet Disposition Temper Trap

Just stay there
Cause i’ll be comin over
And while our bloods still young

What is Your Julie & Julia?

Do you have a book that you felt you discovered? The book you read before it was a bestseller, the book you were the first to read, the book you recommended to your friends? Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen is mine. I bought the book in 2005 – first edition hardcover – at the Borders in the Salmon Run Mall. It was the summer of 2005. I had just arrived in Watertown, NY; a college graduate and alone, for Clay had left for JRTC and this was during the time before Lucy and Desi. I devoured the book in one sitting and with multiple cups of coffee. I am not sure why I like the book so much. Julie (the author) is quite self-centered and I am almost certain I would not enjoy being around her. To be honest, I find her to be a bit of a negative bitch (side note – her new book Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession has confirmed my initial impression). But I like the book nonetheless. In fact, the book inspired me to start my first blog and I have been typing away since early 2006.  

When the book became a bestseller and I learned of the movie Julie & Julia, I had mixed feelings. It was as if my little secret, the book I read first and recommended to all those people, was being thinned for the masses. Clay offered to see the movie with me but I declined; not ready to see my special literary treat on screen. Well, the movie arrived via Netflix this afternoon and I watched it. And liked it. A lot. I loved the fact that the movie focused on Julia Child and detailed her life in Paris more so than the book. Can I just say how much Meryl Streep rocks? She is Fabulous with a capital F. I was also excited to see Chris Messina on screen again. I loved his character in Away We Go; I cried during the club/bar scene in Montreal, his and his wife’s pain felt brutally real. I am willing to let Made of Honor slide, and hope he continues to choose movies wisely. 

Anyways. What book is your Julie & Julia?