strawberry picking

My cousin called a couple weeks ago to invite us out their country home for dinner as her parents were visiting.  We jumped on this chance to see the family and headed outside of the city for some serious bonding time.  When we got there, we found everyone waiting for us so we could go pick strawberries at a farm down the street. 

As a Midwestern girl, I am very familiar with the notion of apple and pumpkin picking, but I don't think I had ever been strawberry picking.  It.  Was.  Wonderful!  Oh my heavens, those berries tasted so good!  Our group divided, everyone in search of the lushest plants.  I sauntered along, pointing out berries to Mr. F and eating a few along the way.  My youngest cousin joined us and thanks to him our bucket was actually filled.  We kept eating more than we were collecting...

It was such a fun treat to an already highly anticipated evening!  Plus, we got to have a heaping mess of fresh strawberry shortcake for dessert.  It was a win, win, win, win of a time!

first mother's day

Very slowly we're starting to realize how drastically different our lives are going to be in just a few short months.  Beginning an MBA program is one thing, but starting that program at the same time as welcoming your first baby to the world is something else entirely.  Two will become three and one on one time will be a scarce commodity.

With that in mind, Mr. F and I went on a staycation for Mother's Day this year.  Taking advantage of one of the few free weekends we have left before the baby comes, we hightailed it to Lake Lanier for a few hours of sun, floating, and togetherness.

It reminded me so much of some of our adventures in Cyprus.  Whenever we had a free Saturday, we would hop in our trusty little Mazda Familia and drive all over the island until we found a place that suited us.  My belly has been limiting distance and ramblings, but we still found a perfect spot for the day.  We talked, Mr. F napped and read.  Me?  I floated.  For hours I floated in a chilly lake, embracing the fleeting sensation of weightlessness and an ache free body.

This will sound very, very cheesy, but the best part of the day was just being with Mr. F.  We know our time is limited now and seem to be savouring it more than ever.  To have a day to just be was bliss.  To leisurely find moments for conversation, to laugh over things only we find funny, to feed a mutual hankering for Mexican food.  To do what we wanted and do it together was such a sweet, wonderful gift.

sawnee mountain

To begin this, you need to know that we are not outdoorsy people.  Do we love nature? Yes.  Do we joke about going camping? Yes.  Do we go camping?  No.  We walk to McDonald's and get a $1 ice cream cone.  We're urban creatures that like trees surrounding us.

That said, with summer in full swing, we've both been craving some extracurriculars that don't involve the GMAT, planning our future, doctors, work, or the GMAT.  Mainly the GMAT.  That sucker takes up a lot of free time, man!  Anyway, before I got back from Florida, I asked my cute husband if we could go hiking over the weekend, to which he nearly screamed in my ear (we were on the phone..), "YES!"  A few google searches on his part, a plane ride, and a quick car trip to Forsyth County, and we found ourselves at Sawnee Mountain.  It was morning.  The sun was shining, the trees were thick, the birds singing.  It was idyllic.

Until we realized that our "hike" was a few walking sticks and rock climbs away from being a bonafide lost-in-nature hiking experience.  Guys!  It was intense!  The round trip to the top of the mountain was maybe four miles.  Not terribly long.  I can do four miles pretty easily.  But this?  This was the most hardcore four miles I've done since I was training for rugby and kept running for fear of brutal tackles.  It was all sunshine and daisies (or shade and moss, given our forested surroundings..) until the path started winding at a steep grade up the side of the hill.  I'm pretty sure everyone else knew secret paths or something, because no one was sweating like we were.  No one.  We checked everyone that passed us for heavy breathing and sweat stains.  We were the only culprits.  So that really could say more about us being out of shape than the intensity of the trail....

Alright, so it probably wasn't that bad.  I told you we weren't outdoorsy people!  Thing is, we loved it.  The whole two hours that felt like Day 1 in the Arena in the Hunger Games.  (I swear we heard cannons announcing deaths...) It was beautiful and such a good experience for us.  No phone calls, no texting, hardly any photos because I had to focus on not tripping on rocks.  We had great conversation and kept one another going.  By the end, we smelled horrific, but were smiling and feeling like woodsmen.   We now have a goal to find a new trail around here every other week or so.  GMAT, be darned! We will make the most of this summer, steep hills and all!

The High Museum of Art

For my birthday I got one of the coolest gifts ever, an annual pass to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.  Now I can just come and go from it when I feel like without worrying about making the most of my day ticket.  I stopped by one day after work for about an hour and had the time of my life.  

The museum just opened a new exhibit, Dream Cars, highlighting 19 concept cars and the revolutionary design they inspired.  As a Detroit girl, car exhibits are nothing new to me.  Car exhibits in an art museum?  Totally brilliant!  I didn't spend as much time in here as I wanted to because it was PACKED, but I fully plan on going back to sketch angles, curves, and wheel wells. 

My heart and eyes also dwelt on the contemporary art and Africa mask exhibits.  The tribal motifs and bold lines drew me in.  My own work is very light, airy, and often intricate.  It fascinates me how I so often focus on clean, minimalistic characteristics in the work of others.  Must be the Scandinavian in me...

Anyway, the day at the High was a complete success and I can't wait to go back soon!

walkin' around my neighborhood

 Georgia was made for spring and summer.  There is no doubt about this in my mind.  Winters here are surprisingly mild but with no snow and no leaves, things get ugly pretty fast.  Lots of brown, dead, muddy grass.  Ew.  Spring, however, starts here at the end of February and is beautiful!  Somehow I missed out on taking photos of all of the trees in full blossom. Shame on me!  Now that summer is here, I fully intend to make the most  of the lush green engulfing me and the peaceful serenade of birdsong.

In the past few weeks I have been trying desperately to get back into a workout regime.  Not one for gyms, I opt for long, rambling walks and nature.  Our neighborhood has turned into one of my favorite places to get lost, providing ample scope for the imagination.  There are the most wonderful parks that are more like forests, a nature preserve, train tracks, stunning homes, and magnolia trees lining my path.  I try to go walking (briskly) for about an hour and take as many different routes as possible.  I'm avoiding discovering the shortest path to the most delicious bakery, but that's a tale for another day.  

These photos were all taken from one walk.  The scene changes enough to allow variety, which is huge for me.  But it is also so stunning that I am constantly stopping to take a photo and making mental notes of projects I want to tackle.  I'm pretty sure my House of Dreams is somewhere around here.  On this particular walk, I found a new park with a giant playground and swings.  My ovaries and heart lurched in unison, longing for little ones to play with and childhood memories to create.  One day...

These walks are so good for my soul and I am hoping to maintain them.  What do you do to stay physically active?  Do you do classes, run?  Are group activities your thing?  I'd love suggestions to help me along!

this week according to my phone

I woke up on Monday feeling normal for about 5.3 seconds.  Then Mr. F told me he had another interview out of state being scheduled for next week.  The same week I'm leaving for The Stud's wedding.  Which led to mass chaos and internal panic.  Thus ensued the week of "AHH!!! WE'VE GOT TO GET EVERYTHING DONE NOW!"

So, I went to Target to try to find accessories for the wedding.  Found the bracelet on the left and fell in love with the skirt on the right, even though it did absolutely nothing for my birthing hips.

I've been feeling the need to step back into the kitchen.  Last week I made chicken pot pies that lasted three days.  This week?  The best pasta bake in the history of pasta bakes.  It was so good!  I'll definitely have to share this recipe at some point.  It called for some homemade pesto and for the counter to be overtaken by giant basil leaves.  Have I mentioned how good it smelled?

We like chambray.  Got this shirt for Mr. F this week at Walmart for $9.  Can you believe that!?  He officially has the longest torso known to mankind, so finding him shirts is something of a challenge.  It almost always requires going to specialty shops to find "tall" clothing.  Color me surprised when this shirt worked so well!  If only my chambray only cost nine bucks...

Speaking of clothes....I'm beginning to get things ready to pack while being wholly indecisive about what to wear.  It's hot here man! 

Part of the week of panic was getting business matters in order.  Lots of staging for upcoming blog posts and most exciting of all, getting notecards and CALENDARS printed!  This has been the ordeal of the century trying to find a good printer locally.  I have failed after many attempts and outsourced to my favorite printer up in Detroit.  My mom now has this stockpile on her dining room table!  Hopefully I'll be able to get the calendars available to all of you soon!

Lastly, nature in all its splendor.  I'm still keeping up with my walks, though a few factors beyond my control have limited my chances this week.  I haven't been back to the park in ages because I'm just trying to make the most of the beach.  The feeling that our days here in Florida are numbered has been weighing heavily on me and I'm fairly certain where ever we go, the ocean will not be nearly as accessible as it is now.  When not at the beach, the last of the summer flowers in our yard have been a welcome sight.  The heat of August is hard on everything in Florida but I notice it especially in the fauna.  Plants that were lush and bushy last month are now leggy and often drooping under the weight of the sun.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

lately

I have been feeling the need to document the little things more.  Our lives since February have been so consumed by the Big. Week in and week out, we await phone calls and emails that will change our lives forever.  A new locale perhaps?  New friends? New job?  New adventures just waiting on...something.  With all of this waiting, I have neglected the Little.  Those infinite moments of seeming nothing that mean everything.  Clean loads of laundry, making dinner, walks on the beach, switching up my exercise regime, conversations with friends and family, folding notecards, and ironing shirts.  These small, small things that make life what they are.  Lone coconuts in the foamy surf and framing new prints.  Such simple things that bring me great joy...

uncle david

This is my Uncle David.  Technically, he's Mr. F's Uncle David, but I claim him as mine.  He lives here in Florida with his mom not far from Dr. Dad and Mom.  Dr. Mom takes him to "work" three days a week and I tend to tag along.  She's been out of town, giving me the opportunity to have some serious bonding time with David.  And I am so, so grateful for it.

One thing you need to know about him is that he loves music.  And his birthday, but that's another subject.  Were it not for a lack in some fine motor skills, Mr. F and I would have had him DJ our wedding in a hot second and he would have been amazing.  He doesn't just love music, he knows it.  He has one of the biggest collections I have ever seen and never leaves home without his iPod.  David's dream, as he will tell you often, is to move to New York City and be a DJ...or take over for Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest on New Year's Eve.  We'll see him pretend talking into microphones practicing all the time for his grand debut.  "I'm going to New York," he tells us.

One day this week, David and I were en route to his job.  I had David in the front seat holding his best friend O, a Westie.  If you know me, you'll know I'm the furthest thing from a dog person you could find.  So you'd be amazed to know that not only was there a Westie in the front seat with David, but a Basset Hound sprawled and drooling all over the back seat.  Anyway, I usually listen to NPR in the car but the moment David hops in with me, he changes to the 80s station.  On rare occasions he'll let me listen to contemporary music.  This was not one of those days.  As we drove, both of us were sleepily listening to Bananarama, daydreaming of Coke.  (He loves Coke, too.  I think it's one of the inherent reasons why we've bonded.  Oh, and cheeseburgers...)  Then La Bamba came on and boy howdy did we rock out.  His poor little lisp had no idea what to do with the lyrics, but we both sang.  This latin rock tribute was nothing compared to what came next.

Bon Jovi.

Oh guys, if only you could have heard him "sing."  David doesn't sing so much as groan and mumble off key.  He usually reserves it for alone time with headphones on. And almost never sings on those early morning drives.  I do, it keeps me awake.  But after warming up to La Bamba, he was reared and ready to do.  He howled and groaned with the best of 'em and was just having the time of his life.  I can guarantee you've never heard a version of "I'll Be There For You" like this.  Ever.  David knew when the swells were coming and sang all the more fiercely, giving it quite the dramatic flair.  All I could do was sit back and let him go, afraid of interfering with the magic that is David "in the zone."    He sang until we pulled into work, gave the pup some last minute lovin', got out of the car and then looked at me and said, "You da best."  And that was that.

I've been really struggling with my identity lately and my purpose in life as we transition into new phases.  That morning with David really helped me.  All he did was sing like his life depended on it, but that did more than he will ever know.  I realized that I have a family here that needs me and I need them.  That in and of itself gives me purpose.  And if David thinks I'm the best, I've got to be doing something right.  David, I'll be the Pips to your Gladys any day!  You da best, man!

going once, going twice!

CAUTION! Do not scroll down if hungry or on a diet...

I warned you...

I went to a cake auction and spaghetti dinner at church with Dr. Mom and David.  It. Was. AWESOME! Holy cow!  The event was a fundraiser for the youth in the church to get them to camps and other events over the summer.  Members donated cakes and baked goods to auction off as well as chipped in a bit for one smokin' awesome spaghetti spread.  I had been told that this auction was a serious to-do, but I had no idea how extreme the bidding got.  My strawberry lemon cake went for $130, and that was pretty much an average bid.  The highest I heard was about $225 for some glorious looking french bread and homemade jam.  Crazy, right?

My favorite part was watching the actual bidding.  I couldn't sit down through any of it, afraid I'd miss someone's hand flying into the air.  It was just so much fun!  And the place was just packed!  A couple hundred people all came to support the youth.  How cool is that?  I keep thinking of my young women back in Cyprus, wishing I could have done something similar for them.  The event was a huge success in so many ways.  I'm so tempted to figure out how to come back every year just for the cake auction.  What a hoot!