Scrappy Hearts

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11

Day 11 - 30 Days of Gratitude: USHER! I was so excited to win tickets to Usher's concert at the Wells Fargo Stadium on Tuesday evening. Even though it was a school night, nothing was going to keep me from seeing Usher perform in person. He is so very talented, seems so genuinely happy and puts on a tremendous show. Boy can he dance! I won my tickets through his promotion with Scholastic Books and as a thank you to teachers. I am not sure how many tickets were given away, but everyone I ran into was just thrilled to be able to see Usher live in concert. 

Tonight I Ran,

and it was a good run after my knees figured out that I wasn't stopping! The moon was full and the air was refreshing. It was a quiet evening on the road. There is something very peaceful about running after 9pm and I really enjoy having the road to myself. 

Well, I wasn't really by myself. I had a few friends along for the run... 

 

 

 

 

I remember hearing a quote that went something like this: "It is not the road you travel but whom you travel with, that makes the difference." Tonight I had the best company!

License to Drive

No, what am I saying, license to marry. That’s what we have. We applied for our marriage license in Pittsboro this afternoon. 

We arrived with everything we needed, social security cards, driver’s licenses and, our Starbucks.

One simple form to complete and then 3 copies to certify. I started and then Mark finished.

The clerk witnessed as we signed the form. Mark and I then put our right hands on the Bible and swore that everything we had written was true.

Then, we were done. All very quick.

We survived the legal process, now onto the practical planning. We had our final meeting with our florist and a meeting with the photographer at the Rosemary House.

We spent most of the day in Pittsboro. We had lunch in a restaurant we hadn’t eaten in before. Wandered downtown. Stopped and had a drink at the City Tap. Today was a great day!

Proof Positive

Sometimes the sun does shine in Seattle. 

I had to don my sunglasses for an afternoon of drinks on the deck at Anthony's. I was actually very surprised and glad that I had packed my sunglasses despite my initial reluctance. The day was warm and I am guessing that the sun decided to shine thinking that I was on my way home. But, a delay in flights allowed me to bask in the glorious rays of Seattle sunshine. This only happens a couple of times a year and I am happy to have had the experience. 

New Jersey welcomed me home with 6 days of glorious sunshine and beautifully warm weather. While I am happy to be here, enjoying the gorgeous weather, I am decidedly not happy to be away from Mark. Well, according to last count, only 43 days until we're together again.... 

Signaling the End

I just love this song, and this version of it!

Summer Soundtrack

I think it is interesting to see how our daily activities, like listening to music, evolve into memories that earmark a specific time in our lives. This thought came to me as I was driving down to Ocean City yesterday afternoon to spend some time with a friend. I was selecting a play-list for my i-Pod and my first choice was Jimmy Buffet when I realized he was part of the the play-list for last summer. Really! The girls and I belted out our version of Cheeseburger in Paradise every time we got in the car. When all was said and done, Jimmy Buffet was not going to make the cut for yesterday's drive.

The year before, our soundtrack was definitely Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I think that was Emma's favorite. Each girl had their favorite track, Pharaoh was Liv's favorite.

I can go back several years and remember many of those summer soundtracks. 2004 was the year of Blues Clues and the mailbox song, the year before that, it was the Fine Young Cannibals, She Drives Me Crazy. Amanda and I would sing that to Liv every time she started to cry. Unfortunately for her that meant she listened to our bizarre version of this song several times a day, she cried a lot at this point in her life!

But it wasn't until yesterday that I realized that my summer soundtrack, this year, is not influenced by my nieces at all. That is certainly a switch. This year my summer soundtrack is the Philly Soul cd that I picked up in Starbucks on the Saturday that Mark and I drove down to Ocean City in early June. I have been listening to it, in the car, non-stop since then. Anytime I try to listen to something else I yearn for the soulful sounds of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass and the Delfonics. The compilation is a great collection of soul and I am thoroughly enjoying every minute I spend in the car, even when I am stuck in traffic.

I'm a Sucker,

for the nostalgic, hopeless romantic way of thinking. So, a couple of weeks ago when I was in Ocean City with Mark I pined for a ride on the "big" wheel with the one I love. I was remembering the Freddy Cannon song "Palisades Park". It was the lyrics, "you never know how great a kiss can feel til you stop at the top of the ferris wheel" that I wanted to experience for myself! Alright, I already confessed to being a sucker.

So, before we let too many nights slip away we forked over the bucks, big ones at that, and found ourselves spinning high into the sky aboard a blue gondola.

It was a beautifully clear evening and we had stellar views of Atlantic City with it's gleaming neon lights. The boardwalk glistened below. As promised, the wheel stopped just as our car reached the summit and there I got my long awaited kiss. No details, but really a moment among many that deserves to be remembered and cherished. Oh, for the simple pleasures we are blessed to experience.

As for the real Palisades Park, I was a mere 12 years of age the one and only time I experienced that icon of New Jersey which sat atop the Palisades along the Hudson River, overlooking upper Manhattan. It was a sultry hot evening and I remember wishing that I was older. I watched as the older girls negotiated the park with their boyfriends in tow and in that moment I wanted to be them. Not long after my visit the park fell into disrepair and was sold for development. The song and the memories linger on.

Fiddler

Fiddler on the Roof is one of my favorite plays. I had the great fortune this week of accompanying my friend to the opening night performance, preview week, at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia. What a treat! The score is beautiful and the performances by the actors was wonderful. There is absolutely nothing like a live performance of a great show.

An additional treat was running into one of my dearest friends as we made our way to our seats. A great evening spent enjoying a beautiful score. This is one of my favorite songs from the show.

Sunshine Came Softly

through my window today... Those were the first words that came to my mind as I saw the sunlight streaming in between the open areas of the lace curtains hanging in my bedroom windows. I have two windows that meet in the corner of my room. The little window captures the first light of the day and the second, double-sized window allows me to watch the sun's descent in the evening. All of this from the comfort of my bed. I am a lucky girl!

So, what to do. I jumped out of bed, okay, so I didn't actually jump, and quickly put together a Donovan playlist. The perfect music for a window open, breeze blowing, spring springing kind of day. Found this old video which made me smile...

My fondest memories of Donovan come from the first spring that I had my driver's license. My "job" was to pick my sister up in Morristown. She attended a private high school during the week and came home on the weekends. The drive was a good 45 minutes out and another 45 minutes back. Route 46 to Route 80 and nothing but clear open road. With the windows down and the radio blaring I thought that I was all that. There is nothing like a beautiful spring day to make you feel free and unencumbered. Of course, at 17, how free was I. Let's face it, I was driving my parent's huge, 5 child, 3 full seat, silver-grey station wagon. Well, at least my memory serves me well. There is something to be said for perspective!

I spent a good part of the day outside, perusing the springtime changes in my yard. I also needed to spend some time assessing the winter storm damage to trees and bushes. There is a significant amount of work looming in the near future. But, the little morsels of new life really had me giddy with anticipation.

This little hyacinth will probably be the first to bloom. If I remember correctly, it will bloom white. I have a special affection for these little flowers and their powerful scent. Both my children are April babies, Jess, being born right before Easter and Jay, born just 3 days after Easter. For each occasion, much to the chagrin of my room mates, I received boatloads of hyacinths. Really, there should be a ban on this type of flower in a hospital, but I enjoyed every overwhelming whiff. Tomorrow promises to be another beautiful spring day, extra recess sounds like a plan!

I'm a Believer

Yup, me, the jaded, cynical one has become a believer. You know how I know, well, I am sitting here on Valentine's Day night reveling in the glow of a plethora of love notes. I have been treated to messages of love via snail mail and email. Who could ignore all those signs? So, I am a convert to love and it has everything to do with finding the right person. What a blessing Mark has been in my life. So, forgive my sappiness and share in my joy. I share this Stevie Wonder song because it seems appropriate.