happy anniversary to us

I love this man.  Three years of marriage, and he still makes me smile every single day.

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au revoir

Our bags are packed, our reservations are confirmed, our batteries are charged, and tomorrow we leave for Paris.  I’ve looked forward to this trip for the last 4 years, and so the thought that we are actually going still makes my head spin and my heart flutter.  Is it really possible that in less than 48 hours, I will be roaming the streets of the most beautiful city in the world?  This city is home to some of my fondest memories – it is where I fell in love with art, it is where I acquired a taste for espresso, it is where huge seeds of confidence and independence were planted in my soul.  I’ve been reading through some of the old journals I kept while I was in Paris 5 years ago, picking out names of my favorite cafes and art galleries, and tonight I came across this entry, written on July 4, 2004, my last day abroad:

“45 minutes before I leave for the airport.  Am wandering around in a bit of daze, not wanting to come to terms with the fact that my year in Paris is about to become a memory.  Am sipping a cafe creme, looking out over Place de la Bastille, trying to muster up some excitement about returning to the familiarity of home.  I’ve had to say good-bye to people I love before, but never really to a place.  Not sure how to do it.  Can’t very well give Paris a big hug, wave, and say, “I’ll call you when I get home”.  Can say, “see you later”, though.  Alors, a bientot et merci.  Tu vas me manquer…”

And so “later” has arrived!  The best part about it?  This time Shane comes with me.  As much as I cherished my time in Paris, the fact that we were apart often kept me from fully embracing my experiences abroad.  I can definitely be a bit of a loner, but I really do believe it’s so much better to share a place so beautiful with someone you love.  So cheers to a much-anticipated, well-deserved, totally romantic get-away.  Ciao.

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my plate overfloweth

I realize that my entries to this blog have been disappointingly sparse lately – allow me to explain (as much for the sake of me organizing my own thoughts and priorities as for the sake of allowing you all to understand what I’ve been up to).  My plate is full these days.  February has been an exceptionally busy month.  It started with a weekend trip to Portland to visit family, followed by a trip to California one week later to catch up with old friends.  Both getaways were much needed and well worth my time, but I find that I’m still kind of playing catch-up, since weekends are usually my chance to check things off my to-do list.  My days in Seattle since have been filled with studying for my next licensing exam (the mechanical, electrical and plumbing portion – *yawn*); planning our quickly-approaching trip to Europe; attempting to relearn the French language in preparation for said trip (shame on me for all that I’ve forgotten in the past five years!); trying to finish the book for my upcoming book club meeting this Saturday; training for the 10k race that we’re scheduled to run in March; squeezing in an occasional sketch or artistic exercise here and there; pulling together items for an on-line shop I’d like to get going; and struggling to maintain a clean house and a well-stocked fridge (at this, I have failed miserably).  On top of this, my regular weekly commitments are a big priority, like our Tuesday night get-togethers with friends from church (thank God for this mid-week chance to relax with these people who have become our Seattle family); art class on Thursday nights; and teaching Sunday school on Sunday mornings.  Work has been fairly busy the past couple of weeks as well, which means occasionally staying late and skipping my lunch-time study sessions.  And so, here I am: Whew!  Feeling overwhelmed, but grateful that at least my to-do list is filled with things that I genuinely enjoy doing (minus the studying) – I love spending a Saturday afternoon reading or doodling in my sketchbook.  If only I had more Saturday afternoons!  So bear with me, as this blog takes a bit of a hit while I get all my ducks in a row.

p.s.  Major thanks to Shane for doing whatever he can to lighten my load.  The dishes you wash, the trips you make to pick me up from the gym, and the constant encouragement you offer does not go unnoticed.

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sweet elise

I spent last weekend down in Portland and realized that my blog was due for an Elise update. My precious little baby niece is becoming more and more of a little girl each time I see her. Smiling more, laughing more, babbling more, and taking more of an interest in whatever it is that’s going on around her. She loves to look at books (future book club member-in-training!) and is so content to sit on her blanket and flip through one of her stories.  She is a snuggler, too, which I am quick to take advantage of.  On Sunday morning before I left, I spent a good thirty minutes on the couch with her in my lap, while she studied my face and played with my hair.  The silver charm bracelet I was wearing was a big hit with her as well, so I shamelessly used that as a distraction to hold on to her for just a little bit longer.  The minute we left town, I was immediately wondering when I will see her again – a single weekend every couple of months feels far too infrequent during this period when she’s growing and changing so rapidly, but I’m thankful, nonetheless, for whatever time I do get to spend with her.  I’m becoming more and more attached to this little person who is developing and demonstrating her own personality and likes and dislikes. And it’s exciting to know that in the not-too-distant future, she’ll truly know me as “Auntie Kelly” and will begin to recognize me when I walk in the door. Can’t wait to see what lies around the corner with this little girl…

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puppy cravings

It’s true.  I want a puppy.  What began as a fun idea has turned into a bit of an obsession lately, as I’ve been browsing the Internet, looking at pictures of all these furry little bundles of joy.  I’ve narrowed my search to non-shedding or low-shedding breeds and am really drawn to Schnauzers and certain types of Terriers (check out this adorable Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier – image courtesy of here).

Shane is resistant to the idea, to say the least, and I really can’t argue when he says that it isn’t fair to expect a dog to be cooped up alone for 10 hours a day while we’re at work, but, selfish as it sounds, I WANT A PUPPY!  I’ve looked at other pet alternatives, but cats are out of the question, since Shane and several of our friends are allergic, and I’ve never been cut out for cat lady-hood anyhow.  Goldfish are no fun, hamsters are too rodent-like, and those robot-dogs have lost their novelty.  I love the thought of having a little tail-wagging pup waiting for us when we get home in the evenings.  I even don’t mind the thought of having to walk him daily, rain or shine.  I’ve always envied all of those proud dog-owners that do their regular loops around Seward Park.  Now, the thought of dog poop on the carpet or chewed-up furniture scares me a little, but I’m hopeful that with the right training, we can avoid too many of those disasters.  Yes, I’ve got it all figured out, minus the whole working 40+ hours a week thing…  So, what to do?  Be patient, I guess.  Wait until we have a house with a fenced-in yard or until one of us isn’t working full-time.  In the meantime, I’ll have to content myself with my pathetic bouts of Internet puppy-stalking.  *Sigh.*

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treasures

I received one of my most special packages ever in the mail yesterday.  Since my grandmother’s passing last year, my family back on the east coast has been slowly going through her things, setting aside certain items for each family member.  I received two boxes yesterday filled with treasures that exceeded any hopes I had for having something special to remember Nannie by.

This scarf was probably my favorite item in the box.  It was neat that as I called my parents yesterday to tell them what I had received, and as I described this jade green paisley silk scarf, my dad knew exactly the item I was talking about – he could picture Nannie wearing it.

These wine glasses were a wedding gift for my grandparents.  They were married for over 60 years, which means that these glasses are decades older than anything else we have in our kitchen cabinets.  They are so beautifully delicate and “antique”.  They are unlike anything I would ever pick out for myself and yet, somehow, they are perfectly my style.  I look forward to sharing a special bottle of wine, poured in these glasses, next time our family is together.

This is a brooch that Nannie wore often – the epitome of my grandmother’s elegance and grace.  I wore it today to brunch with some girlfriends and felt instantly classier the second I pinned it on.

As I look at these heirlooms, I can’t help but wonder, “What do Shane and I own that will be passed onto our family for generations?”  Our wedding registry consisted mostly of basic kitchen necessities from Crate and Barrel, and it seems that we’ll probably outlast our Ikea furniture.  For the most part, I’m okay with this – I’m glad that we have chosen to minimize our possessions, to keep a simple home.  But it would be nice to have those two or three extra-special objects that our children or grandchildren would cherish one day.  A friend reminded me today that traveling is a perfect opportunity to pick up something that has memory and meaning behind it, so I’ll soon be combing the streets of Paris for that special vase or necklace.  Yes, I like that idea…

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paging dr. shane

Ooooohhh, yesterday was a rough day.  I went to bed around the usual time on Sunday night, fell asleep within 30 seconds of putting my head on the pillow, and then awoke to feelings of uncomfortable nausea around 2 am.  Discomfort quickly turned into pain and by 4 am, I was running to the bathroom and emptying my stomach.  So glad that I scrubbed the toilet and the bathroom floors on Saturday, because I spent the much of the next 6 hours laying on the cool tile of our bathroom floor, hoping with each bout of gagging that it would soon be over.  Was it the slightly undercooked chicken I ate for dinner the night before?  Had I picked up the flu from someone?  Whatever the reason, I felt terrible.  I spent the entire day in bed, doing whatever I could to make myself comfortable, which wasn’t much.  Fever and achy-ness set in around 4 pm to add to my misery.  Thank God Shane had yesterday off of work.  He gets a gold star for nursing his whiny, sick wife back to health.  He did whatever he could to make me feel better – setting up the computer in bed so that I could watch a movie, rubbing my back as I tried to fall asleep, monitoring my fluid intake to make sure I avoided dehydration, even baking me applesauce muffins when that was the only thing that sounded good to me (and baking is not one of Shane’s favorite pastimes).  I don’t know what I would have done yesterday without him.  Today I was at about 80% – well enough to go into work, though there were times today when I was tempted to crawl under my desk and take a nap.  I hope to be back in full force tomorrow.

The really fantastic thing is that now I know that Shane can bake – I’ll be taking advantage of this little tidbit in the future…

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defeated

I’ve been riding an emotional roller-coaster the last couple of weeks, and it’s taken some fairly low dips – I’ve found myself feeling overwhelmed, misunderstood, and very unsteady.  Concerns, pressures, and disappointments compound upon one another and form this totally out-of-control snowball that is hurtling at me at 600 miles an hour.  But so much of this is because of my own doing.  I am frustratingly emotional and I often let myself become totally absorbed in my feelings when I swing really far one way or the other.  Saturday at the pumpkin patch I was silly and grinning and telling Shane that we were having “one of the best days of 2008″, and earlier tonight I was sitting on the couch crying my eyes out for reasons that are too trivial to deserve elaboration.  It’s hard, being so emotionally volatile and not really knowing what to do about it.  Where is that healthy middle ground, and why can’t I find it?  I pray for steadiness and the ability to process things reasonably, but it’s just so easy to fly off the handle.  Immediate relief.  But then… the realization that my little outburst was totally unproductive and probably a little childish, and so I add “illogical behavior” to my list of self-woes.  I feel defeated.

Thankfully tomorrow is a new day.

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grrrrr…

Haven’t posted lately, for I’m in the depths of studying for architectural licensing test #5, coming up on Saturday.   Have I mentioned just how intensely I’ve come to dislike studying for these things?  Oh yeah, I have…  Well, let me reiterate:  there are so many other things I’d rather be doing right now!  Reading good books (NOT the Architect’s Handbook for Professional Practice), sketching cool stuff (NOT below-grade waterproofing details), curling up on the couch with my husband (NOT with my building materials flash cards).  I’m praying for good weather on Sunday, for I’m declaring it an offical celebratory play day!  (I desperately need something to look forward to, as I wade through the last of my stack of study materials.)  How would you spend a commitment-free, wide-open day in Seattle?

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33% architect

I got my third “pass” letter in the mail this week for my architectural licensing exams.  3 down!  But 6 more to go…  I never anticipated this being such a laborious process.  When I started studying for my first test back in February, I thought I might enjoy falling back into study-mode, reliving a small piece of student life.  I thought it would be fun to spend my Saturdays at a cafe with my books and flashcards.  I was wrong.  I am putting off doing that very thing as I sit here and type – I should be off somewhere else, distraction-free, studying for my upcoming test on Monday.  Instead, I have already spent much of today surfing the internet, cleaning the house, doing a little yard work.  I guiltily took a 30-minute nap after lunch.  Shame on me for not being the studious architect-in-training that I know I should be…  Some of the study material has been interesting, but I’m down to needing to memorize the nitty-gritty details, like the proper slope of a storm drain line, or the difference between mediation and arbitration in terms of an building-related lawsuit.  Why can’t the architectural licensing process require things like building cool models or using travel to experience the way that culture informs architecture?  One can only wish…

I am looking forward to having this process behind me so that I can enjoy spending more time on my neglected hobbies – I’m afraid the “now painting”, “now reading”, and “now stitching” pages I’ve posted on this blog don’t rotate nearly as frequently as I’d like with completed projects and new endeavors.  All the more motivation to get these tests DONE.

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