Noteworthy

#1. This weekend was glorious. Simply wonderful. It was the first weekend following Matt's successful passing of EMT school. We spent the whole weekend together. I remembered all the things I love about him. We laughed like we were so accustomed to before the stress of the last 3 months hit us. I'll remember this weekend for a long time.

#2. My terribly, horrible, no-good habit of dressing like a beggar (previously mentioned here) while in the privacy of my own home may have been defeated this week. I found some new pants at Target this week. They are all at once comfortable, good for sleeping in, and black (so fairly unhomeless in appearance). I am making strides, although I think Matt won't believe I am thoroughly cured of my bad habits until I actually throw away all the old t-shirts and saggy pants. (Please, don't make me!)

#3. Saturday afternoon we went shopping around town. As I perused through the aisles gathering well needed supplies for our fridge and home, helping myself to the free samples at the end of every aisle, listening to the holiday music overhead, and glancing at the colorful Christmas decorations, I fully understood how shopping can become like medicine or therapy or relationships. I just felt warm inside. I am glad I don't shop often.

#4. Last week I introduced my good friend to the wide world of Penzey's spices. I lived within walking distance of a store in St. Louis. I was thoroughly overjoyed to find out that this chain, which is almost exclusively limited to the midwest region of the US, has one store in Florida. And merely a 20 minute drive from my house! My friend was polite and smiled as I giddily babbled on about the spices, where they are from, and what I love to do with them. I knew we'd hit a milestone in our friendship as she watched me obsess in my adult version of a candy store. I think we're still friends. We have plans tomorrow...here's to hoping she shows up.

#5. I am making this recipe that I saw in an episode of the Martha Stewart show last week. When I saw Martha make it, I figured it would be delicious. But the smells coming from the oven tell me this dish might surpass "delicious." That is, if I don't mess it up between now and dinnertime.

#6. Sometimes I think parenting exists in a time warp. It seems like one day I am standing in my friend's bathroom staring at the little pregnancy stick and thinking to myself, "Can this faint little pink line really mean I am going to have a baby?!" Then, what feels like the very next day, my daughter is sitting on our doorstep making adorable faces as I snap her picture. Other than some crazy, secret, time-warp conspiracy, what other explanation could there be?