Happy anniversary times 378

I am an extremely blessed wife (and mom and grammie); my honey and I celebrated our 31 and a half year anniversary yesterday. During the course of those years we have competed fiercely in one area: who will be the first to wish a "happy anniversary" each month. So far the number of happy anniversary greetings is 378 and blissfully counting.

We have never kept a tally of wins, but both of us have had runs of "winning". I have been known to purposely stay up late so that when the clock turns to 12:01AM, I can wake Cush and "beat him". And he has called from work to "beat me" when I answer hello. This has serious bragging rights!

Our game stems from our whirlwind romance and marriage. We were married eight weeks and six days after our first date!! We didn't even kiss before the wedding, let alone have a "reason" to marry so soon. Sixteen months later we had our Sara. I digress, we began this game because of a bet that Terry's and my co-workers had. According to the grapevine, we wouldn't last six months before we'd be divorced. Through the grace of God we have a strong love. And each month we like to remind ourselves that we were soul mates from the start.

And just to brag on what kind of man I have . . . he surprised me by coming to my work last night with a vase of red roses and a card wishing me a happy 31 and a half anniversary. Before he left, he mentioned that there was a french silk pie waiting for us when I got home.
Bonus ~ I have the bragging rights this month. ~€

I just called to say, "I love you".

There have been times that after dialing my mom's number, I would break into singing this Stevie Wonder song. It really was the only thing on my mind; I am not a natural conversationalist. In truth, at times, I find it quite challenging to go beyond what I consider "20 questions". If we can't verbally volley, I'm finished.

Today I was the recipient of Isaiah calling to tell me that he loves me. Historical. Delightful. We volleyed for about half an hour. His call was endearing and entertaining. I chuckled at the awe in his voice as he repeated my age to his mom, laughed heartily when he guessed that his dad's age was ten years older than I am, and wanted to give him the biggest huggins for making my day.

Isaiah's call convicts me to call my dad. Dad teases me by saying that he hasn't received the divorce papers yet. In other words, I haven't called him in a long time. Perhaps he would just like to hear that I love him. Maybe we'll share a laugh and it might even make his day.
Thank you, Isaiah ~€

Julie & Julia

I have recently enjoyed watching the movie, "Julie & Julia" for the third time. I love the storyline and Meryl Streep. Hats off to the real Julie Powers who cooked her way through Julia Child's book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". She did it in a year, being the cook that I am, (not), it would take a second lifetime.

But I did find myself having three things in common with Julia Child. That should be read with exclamation, for it is quite extraordinaire. One, when Julia was asked by her husband what she loves to do, she answered in a word, "Eat!". This rings so true in my life that dear, sweet Cush looked my way and laughed! Two, she loves Paris; I think of it daily and wish for it constantly. And three, she attended Le Cordon Bleu; I will be taking a course on seasonal tarts there.

Cush is more like the real Julia than I. He has great passion for cooking and eating. He also will be taking a class at Le Cordon Bleu; it is entitled French Regional Cuisine. We do not know the menu yet, but our classes should prove to be a highlight of our trip. To listen to the French chef talk and learn from him, will be an incredible treat. If classes go well, we will try it at home. If we can duplicate it, we might serve it to others if there are any takers;)

Tea forte ~ loveliness in a cup

I am constantly amazed at little things in life. Through Groupon, we recently enjoyed a discounted stay at a local hotel. During breakfast, I was introduced to Tea Forte's silk tea infuser; it is pyramid in shape, has a cotton stem and an upward leaf on top. Just by the looks of it, one knew it would be a special treat. It did not disappoint; it was a memorable cup of tea.

There are avid fans of sports. Many "foodies" are out there. I sit here on this lovely chaise, cradling a hot cup of Tea Forte's white ginger pear tea, and drinking in the beauty of solitude. This moment was brought to me by Vickie, my dearest lifetime friend. Through her generosity, I have a gift set by Tea Forte.

What a delight to know that I have many "get-aways" just one teacup away. These times make my life happier. The power of tea;) It has somewhat of a domino effect around our house . . .
Terry is a coffee-hound but he is enjoying this tea as well. And we have some for the baby shower, so that others have a chance at being amazed by this "little thing in life".

Preparing for our sixth and final? grand baby's shower

A long, long time ago I had determined that, in regards to baby showers, "polite society" behaves rudely towards same sex siblings. It was with great sadness that my second daughter's baby book had no group celebration to welcome her. On those pages, I tried to explain the reason, drew a stick person in a shower, and promised that she would receive many during the course of her lifetime.

Though I chose a light-hearted approach for Erin's sake, my heart had set the course for our grandchildren. We have had the privilege to host a baby shower for each of our five grandchildren: Malachi Luke Dinkel, Isaiah Mark Dinkel, Sofia Eleanor Cushenbery-Andrews, Samara Jayne Dinkel, and Stella Inez Cushenbery-Andrews.

For our last grandchild, we are planning her celebration on October 8th. Sara and Nathan are still deciding her first name; her middle name, Lois, is named after my paternal grandma.
My grandma was the best woman on earth, in my opinion. She was kind, gentle, generous, and lived her life serving others.

I admit to going all out when it comes to parties. I love to create a memory that is not magazine cover material, but one that can be found on a page in a book that proves that people celebrate at the thought of you.

Maiden voyage on the S.S. Blog

Good autumn day to anyone who happens upon this blog or is kind enough to purposely visit in order to read my first blog post. My daughter, Erin, believed that it would be a good idea for me to create a blog so that I could write about our upcoming trip for next year. Also, she believed that it might slow me down in the internet shopping pace I have built up over the last few years.

At this time last year, Terry (the love of my life for 31 years and counting) and I took a trip to celebrate our love and my 50th birthday. As with any vacation, we had to scale back the dreams to a more practical itinerary. With that process, we chose to spend a week in Austria and a week in Paris.

A little sidelight, I have never been a fan of even the thought of Paris. In fact, I have voiced much skepticism and criticism towards Paris. People would say how romantic it was. I had the mindset that any place can be romantic if you have the right person. That is true, but after being part of the population for just that one week, I have fallen in love with the city. It is the first place that I have ever been to that my heart says, yells, "I belong here!" My senses were awakened, some were resurrected, and one, "common sense", just flew out the window.

So come what may, we are in great hopes to return to Paris and spend a month soaking it in.
We plan and prepare, even with that little voice in the background whispering that it may not happen. The company Terry works for might "stupid" themselves out of business. Health can dive. Etc., add nausea ;)

So with all that being said, I plan on trying to blog our journey before leaving, possibly during the escape, and probably not afterwards. One can only stand so much! ~€