The busiest August on record...

Well August has been a whirlwind for me. Luckily it's been filled with a lot of fun stuff.

I headed to Pawley's Island, SC for an old fashioned family vacation during the first week of August. We didn't do much other than sit on the beach all day, go swimming, take long walks, sleep in, and eat delicious and sometimes unhealthy food. It was exactly what I needed after a long school year with my 2nd graders and a June and July filled with babysitting.


The whirlwind is what came after I returned from Pawley's Island. Amid flight delays and sitting on airport runways in various cities, I finally made it back to Baltimore on Thursday, August 6th to start wedding weeked festivities for one of my very best friends Katie. We did her bachelorette party Thursday night, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner Friday night, and then hair, makeup, and wedding on Saturday. Such a fun weekend and it was such a treat to be a part of her special day.

The next morning I hopped on an early flight to Providence, Rhode Island and then headed to Nantucket, MA. I'm still here typing away... I'm here babysitting for 3 boys. It's a gorgeous island and it has been a true treat to spend so much time here.

While here, my friend Melissa who lives in Westport, MA was nice enough to hop on the ferry from Hyannis, MA and travel to Nantucket to spend the day with me. I think she could tell from my voice that I was craving some girl time and would love nothing more than a day shopping, eating, and talking our way through Nantucket. So that's exactly what we did! And it was just what I needed! Melissa and I met in college... during a horrendous technology class for our education major. (We're both 2nd grade teachers) Melissa is married to Kevin (I was in their wedding 2 summers ago in Scituate) and they are currently renovating their new house. I think Melissa was just as happy for the escape as I was to have her. It was the perfect day. Shopping has always been a favorite hobby for the two of us and so when in Nantucket, we shopped... I have been eyeing the infamous Nantucket sweatshirts the entire time I've been here but needed help picking the color and size. We had a ball! I also got my Nantucket Christmas ornament... this is a tradition I picked up from my Mom. Wherever I travel, I always pick up a Christmas ornament from that place. It's so fun to reminisce each year when I'm decorating the Christmas tree. We tried the famous Juice Bar ice cream in the homemade waffle bowls. They were to die for and were well worth the expense. Before we knew it, it was 4 o'clock and it was time for Melissa to head back to her house, her renovations, and most importantly to her husband. And I had to return to babysitting duties. We said our goodbyes and made plans for our next visit but not before I forced her into taking cheesy pics on the dock.

But the whirlwind August is starting to catch up with me and I'm craving my bed, my comfy fish blanket (Em that was just for you!), and the privacy of my home. I'm ready to see my family and friends and I'm really ready for an orange crush and some dancing at one of my favorite Canton bars. (That's definitely on the agenda for Saturday night!)

So while I've always said that I love to travel and love to be busy... this past month has taught me that there is nothing wrong with some quality time at home with very little planned. I suppose it really is all about the balance! I wish I could say that September is going to allow for downtime but with the upcoming school year starting and the September 19th wedding of my brother Matt and his fiance Maggie... I don't think there is downtime in that month either.

When I touchdown in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon (God willing that all planes and rides from the airport are on time), I'll hit the ground running. I keep telling people I need to get my "life together" when I get home. Ha! As if I could do that in the span of an afternoon, weekend, or week. But I'll try my best... and then I'll be off to meet my girls at the Towson High School Class of 1999 ten year reunion. Hard to believe!

So in terms of downtime, time at home, and finding the balance... Sunday morning has a little of that in the cards. But the rest of the week and month are jam packed with activities as I'll be catching up with everyone I've missed during my August away. And honestly as tired as I am and as nice as a weekend on the couch or snuggled up with my fish blanket sounds... at this point in my life, busy is just how I like things to be. I truly wouldn't have it any other way.

Blogging... A few of my favorites.

So I'm an amateur (at best!) at this blogging thing but there are a ton of blogs out there that I enjoy reading on a daily basis so I thought I'd do a list of my favorites. My sister has turned me onto a lot of these blogs but some I've found all by myself.

Food Blogs: First of all there are a ton of food blogs out there. Healthy eating, diets, organic, fast food, etc, etc. I like a variety of them... Rarely do I get recipes that I actually try from these blogs but I enjoy reading what people are eating, cooking, baking, and tasting.

My all time favorite food blog is Kath Eats Real Food. I enjoy Kath's humor, writing style, and ability to make all of the interesting food she eats on a daily basis fun to read about. I am constantly checking this blog to see updates, pictures, and read about the life of someone who is making food blogging a passion and a business.

Mango and Ginger is written by someone that I know. It's pretty interesting to read Kit's take on different food trends. I can always count on her to link me to some interesting NY Times or Bon Appetit article that I never would have found if it weren't for her witty blog posts.

Living in Baltimore, I'm always intrigued to find people writing specifically about food in Baltimore. The Baltimore Snacker has a funny way of writing about the food in this great city. I have a few restaurants that I want to try thanks to his reviews and posts.

Bites and Bowls is a friend of Kath's. Her style is a bit different but the blog is still entertaining.

Who doesn't love fast food? I won't lie to you. There is nothing better than a McDonald's cheeseburger and french fries every once in awhile. This blog is entertaining! It's nothing that I would try at home but these creations are so over the top. Fancy Fast Food takes fast food items and makes them into gourmet like entrees. It's pretty amazing to see the transformation. The ingredients and recipe are included.

My Friends and Family have blogs too!!

My sister has a blog. Luckily for us, with her summer off she's been blogging a lot more frequently. There is no category to put this little gem in. It's simply Emily being Emily. She rants about tv (specifically Big Brother), sports, teaching, and anything else that pisses her off.

Please Happy is the blog of my Jackson Hole friend Lauren. Her blog is politics, everyday life encounters, love, books, and life. She'll be moving off to LA soon and I can only imagine what's in store for the daily readers of please happy. I imagine it will be a little different than what we're used to reading from the mountains of Jackson Hole.

My freshman year roommate Ellen has a wonderful blog. Currently she's blogging about the little baby girl that will be joining this world in November and their house that is currently being built. What a wonderful way to keep in touch with everyone and to let us see and read about the weekly happenings for the adorable Bruce Family.

And then there are those blogs that don't really fit into a particular categories. The bloggers that write them probably like it that way. Some are funny, some are sad, but they are all well written and good reads. They are on my daily blog list.

Live it, Love It- This chick is hysterical! She says a lot of the stuff that the rest of us are probably afraid to say.

Matt Logelin's Matt, Liz, and Madeline is the first blog that I really got into. If you haven't heard of this guy... he's been featured in People, on Oprah, Rachel Ray, etc, etc. His story is heart breaking but to see what he's been able to do is amazing. Take my word for it and add this to your google reader immediately.

My Charming Kids. I found this blog from Matt Logelin's blog. It's another sad story that so far has a happy outcome. The Mom (MckMama) has a little boy with some serious heart issues. Hes hanging in there and MckMama continues to ask for prayers and offers a daily dose of reality on what it's like to raise many young children. For this 28 year old single gal with no kids, it's a sneak peek into what is hopefully in my future someday.

So here are the blogs that I read on a daily basis for a variety of reasons. Now not all of these blogs are updated daily. But I still stop by each of them to see if there are updates. You're probably thinking... wow, you must have a lot of time on your hands? Well for now... yes I do! Come August 24th, these will probably be my weekly blog reads instead of daily. But for this teacher there is nothing better than rolling over in bed, grabbing my berry, and reading these blogs. I get ideas about writing styles, cooking recipes, and how to make homemade baby food. I think I'll keep the baby food ideas in the memory bank for someday....

Summer as a Teacher

So I realized today that I haven't posted in months. I hope nobody out there was waiting with baited breath... like I do for the blogs that I really enjoy reading on a daily basis. Since I'm pretty sure that my sister is the only person that reads this little blog of mine, I'm not too worried.

Summer is in full swing. Honestly, as an elementary school teacher I'm already thinking that we're on the downward slope. It's going to be August 24th before I know it and I'll be heading back to my real job as a 2nd grade teacher. There is always excitement that comes along with a new school year but at this point in the summer I'm filled with nothing but dread about August 24th. I'm just not ready yet. So for now I'll put that date out of my head and keep doing what I'm doing.

For now my summer jobs include babysitting, house sitting, reading, rearranging furniture, sitting by the pool, watching a lot of HGTV, and sleeping in. For me, summer is a glorious time to catch up on all of the things that I never have time to do during the hectic school year.

People are so funny when I tell them what I do for a living. "You're a teacher? Oh it must be nice to not have to work that much." Is it rude that I pretty much laugh in their face? Now I don't consider myself "one of those teachers" who gets on their soap box and preaches the importance of being a teacher, how hard we work, the long hours, etc, etc. I know that there are a lot of people out in this wonderful world of ours who work long hours and have important jobs. I am very realistic about the fact that I chose to be a teacher knowing that it meant work outside of school, not a lot of pay, and summers off. But it always amazes me how quick people are to criticize what I do for a living simply because I have the summer off. I'm also quick to point out that in all of my years of teaching (all 7 of them), I've never had a summer off. I have always babysat... some summers 20 hours a week... others 50 hours a week... this summer my schedule is super sporadic and I have a few weeks off and am doing something new- going on vacation with the family that I babysit for. It should be fun! I mean who wouldn't be excited about a trip to Nantucket with three adorable boys and a nice family? But hey, it's still work.... and we all make our choices in life. My choice just happened to be the job that had the perk of "summers off" no matter what that off time includes.

Forgiveness

for⋅give⋅ness

1. act of forgiving, state of being forgiven.
2. disposition or willingness to forgive.

Forgiveness is something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. I'm not sure that there is any rhyme or reason to this thinking lately but for whatever reason there are people in my life and in my past that I am no longer in contact with for a variety of reasons. I struggle with whether to forgive and forget or whether to simply move on and know that these people aren't in my life for a reason. Oftentimes I subscribe to the life is too short to carry a grudge mode of thinking. And while I do believe this... I've lost too many people in my life at too young of an age not to believe it. But in my mind there are different types of forgiveness and like everything else in this world, some types are easier to go through with then others.

Oftentimes I've turned to letter writing to get things off my chest. Most of the time I don't actually send the letter but find that the act of just writing the words on the page is enough to make me feel better. I have journals, notebooks, and drawers full of letters that I've written and never sent. Unfortunately, I don't think this writing but not sending campaign will work with forgiveness. I think in order to actually forgive and move on... you have to face your fears and face that person. I'm not saying letters, phone calls, and in this high tech age even emails aren't proper forms of communication for forgiveness. But what I am saying is that the person actually has to receive your forgiveness. You can't put it in a bottle and throw it into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It won't work...

Forgiving an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend for breaking your heart into a million pieces ranks high on my list of something tough to forgive. I'm not saying it's impossible and a lot of times it's in your best interest to forgive and move on but saying it and doing it are two very different things. Part of that type of forgiveness often means that you have to think about your role in the heart break and break up... there are usually two parties involved when things go bad. If you read self help books (I try to avoid them if at all possible) they'll tell you that in order for your next relationship to be healthy and productive, you need to have forgiven and moved on from the previous one. Makes sense but it's a lot easier to very quickly meet someone after a break up... skirting all feelings, emotion, and hurt to the back of your mind and heart to be quickly replaced by the freshness and excitement of a new relationship. From what I've seen, the old "issues" have a way of coming back without warning and many times, your new and fresh relationship is very quickly dampened with issues that were never resolved in your head and your heart.

Forgiving a former best friend for a betrayal, for hurting your feelings, and for sitting by and watching a long standing friendship disappear. Again, hard to swallow and maybe even harder to forgive then the ex-boyfriends or girlfriends. Do we have higher standards for forgiveness when it comes to our girlfriends? I believe that we like to think that our girlfriends should know better. And honestly, shouldn't they?

Don't they know that 30 years from now when we're all married and our children are grown it's not going to matter who got engaged first, who had the biggest ring, the richest husband, or the best house... it's going to be way more about who still keeps in touch and who still has the girlfriends from the old days to spend time with. I am proud to say that my group of close girlfriends includes people from elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and from where I work. Now some have moved away and some I'm not as close with as I once was but the core group hasn't wavered. And I like it that way. These girls know me... really know me. They've seen me at my worst (7th grade was NOT a good year) and I would like to think they've seen me at my best as well. They can tell stories that make me cringe, laugh, and cry. We've been through deaths, births, weddings, break ups, parents divorces, being away at college, vacations together, drunken nights, and everything in between.

Forgiving siblings and family members for insignificant squabbles, disagreements, or blunders over the years. This is an easy one. Forgive and forget... Most likely you'll be the one to make the blunder at the next family gathering. I can't stay long at my family members too long... This is where I DEFINITELY subscribe to life is way too short to hold a grudge. Nothing they do could make me stop loving them, supporting them, and spending time with them. Don't get me wrong, they drive me crazy but that's what being in a family is all about.

But on my list of hardest people to forgive has always been myself. I have always been and probably will always be my harshest critic. Why are we able to justify forgiving an ex-boyfriend who forced us to hide under the covers eating Ben and Jerry's for three weeks straight so much easier than forgiving ourselves for our errors over the years? Live and learn? Why yes, I think this is true. An educated and intelligent person is someone who learns from their mistakes and does better the next time. I'm educated, intelligent, and have learned from my mistakes. But can I forgive myself for them? Can you forgive yourselves for your mistakes?
I hold myself to such a high standard and am still chastising myself for mistakes and major errors in judgement that I made years ago. And when I sit down and think about it, I've always been this way. I'm not someone who worries too much about what others think about me. I may doubt my abilities at times but I consider myself a confident and independent woman. But I am someone who doesn't want to disappoint people... especially my friends and family.
So after deciding whether to forgive the ex-boyfriend who couldn't commit, the friend who dropped you for whatever reason, your brother for calling you fat at Thanksgiving dinner or your sister telling you she hates your hair, how do you come to terms with forgiving yourself for the mistakes of your youth and moving on with your life? I guess for me the key is that although each mistake has been painful, hard to swallow, and has had some serious consequences... I've learned, I've grown up, and I damn well won't make the same mistake twice.

Part of learning, growing, developing, and maturing is realizing that we all screw up. The same reasons we're so quick to forgive others for their shortcomings is the exact same reason we have to forgive ourselves. Just like the healthy relationship can't work if you're harboring resentment and issues towards your ex... your life can't be productive, healthy, or happy if you're harboring regret, fear, disappointment, and self-loathing feelings.

Forgive the people in your life that have wronged you.... Because when it comes down to it, no matter what they did to you or didn't do... life really is too short to hold a grudge.
But most importantly, forgive yourself. That's exactly what I plan on doing.

Mornings

Ask anyone who knows me and they'll report that I've never been a morning person. My morning routine has always been about getting as much sleep as I possibly can and leaving as little time needed to get ready and get to school/work. In high school my Mom literally had to drag me out of bed in the morning with threats of no breakfast but more importantly no ride to school. (She even left me at home once...) I think I learned my lesson after that incident.

But recently I've had a shift in thinking about mornings. I read a blog post recently that talked about reveling in morning routines and taking that time for yourself each day. Initially, I laughed and said oh it'll never happen for me. But then it got me thinking... could it work? Could I start to enjoy getting up early and reveling in that daily me time? Hmmm... worth a try I suppose.

So... this week I started setting my alarm for 5:00 a.m. The trick for me has been putting my cell phone a.k.a my alarm clock across the room so that I actually have to get out of bed to turn it off. Up at 5:00... on the elliptical at my gym by 5:30... home by 6:40... Most mornings I was hitting snooze for the fourth time at 6:40 a.m. Not only is it a wonderful feeling to have my hour workout completed before it's even light outside but I have really enjoyed my mornings. I have found that I've had more energy, been a little happier, and feel more prepared for my life. Hmmm... all of these years I've been sleeping, snoozing, and rushing around to get out the door assuming that with extra time I would just sit around and do nothing when I could be sleeping.

I really am reveling in this morning routine and this time to myself. Granted, I will enjoy the walk to my car in the morning a little more when it's not 40 degrees outside. But it is nice quiet/alone time for me during what is a very busy life that I lead.

So for those of you that are sleepers, snoozers, and rush around all morning long... think about a change in your morning routine. I'm now a believer and dare I say... a morning person!

Grey's- What are they thinking?

Ok so I'm about to get high atop my soap box for this one.

I'm a HUGE Grey's Anatomy fan. I'm one of the few left in this world that was really hoping Meredith and Derek would get back together and would finally get the chance to make it work. What can I say? I'm a hopless romantic and am usually pulling for the relationship to win out!

This is one of those shows that I plan things around... I make sure I'm home on Thursday nights to watch this show.

So with that being said... I have to ask, what are they thinking with this whole Denny thing? I loved Denny when he was on the show. Izzie and Denny's story line was interesting, dramatic, and heart breaking all at the same time. When Denny died, I cried. As did many of my friends at work that I discuss Grey's with every Friday at lunch. But we're all confused as to what the writers are thinking this year?!

With so many Denny fans in this world that want to remember him in the sad and heart breaking way that he left Grey's... why is he back on the show? He's dead. Dead people don't come back unless it's Marlena on Days of Our Lives. He's not coming back. There is no reality in letting us think that if Izzie closes her eyes and wishes hard enough that all of a sudden he'll be alive again and that they can be back together. Izzie is finally starting to be in a healthy relationship with Alex... but she is being stunted by her love and almost obsession with Denny.

Now last week had her "breaking up" with Denny. Can you break up with a dead guy? I'm not aware of those relationship rules! But for whatever reason, I don't think we've seen the last of Denny. I imagine that he'll be back.

And I doubt that I'm the only one who is totally confused by this bizarre turn of events on a show that I have loved and followed for many years.

We'll see what Thursday night brings but I hope we can let Denny Rest in Peace once and for all.

Purple Baltimore

If you're a current resident of Baltimore and you don't know what Festivus is then I'm afraid you've been living under a rock. Or maybe you're one of those Redskins or Steelers fans that resides in Charm City and chooses not to root for the home team. Either way... here's the deal on festivus.

During the Ravens playoff run in 2000, Coach Brian Billick wouldn't allow the players to speak of the playoffs. He wanted them to focus on one game at a time. The players coined the phrase "festivus" for the playoffs and "festivus maximus" for the Super Bowl. Festivus was created and that team marched on to win the Super Bowl that year. Festivus has stuck and we're happy to be back in the thick of it this year!

Baltimore has come alive in honor of our beloved football team The Baltimore Ravens. City buildings are lit up with purple lights, the harbor is covered with purple street lights. Neighborhoods including the one where I grew up are decorated with balloons, banners, purple lights, wreaths, and signs all cheering on the football team that we know and love.

Now this is my second post involving football. But this is about much more than just football! The Ravens were 5-11 last year... the Super Bowl was furthest from our mind as we started this season with a new coach, a rookie quarterback, and memories of the disastrous season last year. A good friend of mine told me back in September that he'd be shocked if the Ravens won four games this year. Chuck passed away in October but as a former Ravens player and broadcaster, I am confident that he's got a front row seat for what none of us predicted was going to happen to this football team. So here we are... the Ravens did the unthinkable. Now, it's January... it's the AFC Championship... and the Ravens are traveling to Pittsburgh to play in the one game that can get them back to where they want to go... to the Super Bowl in Tampa.

You can feel the energy no matter where you go. Non-football lovers are making plans to go out and watch the game. Purple Friday celebrations will be happening in offices, schools, college campuses, and restaurants all across the state. Whether you're a Ravens fan or not... you can certainly agree that this playoff run has given people something to be excited about during a cold and dreary winter in the middle of what seems to be a very long economic recession. I'll be arriving to my neighborhood bar over three hours before game time to try and secure as many tables and seats as possible.

It's in times like this that I'm so proud to be from Baltimore. I can't imagine being anywhere else this weekend. I am having a hard time concentrating at work this week because I'm just so excited to get together with friends and watch what I hope is a huge Ravens win in Pittsburgh!

I'm soaking it all up... I like the trash talking... I like the plethora of articles in the paper, listening to talk radio, watching the guys on ESPN try to give every reason in the book why Baltimore is not going to win this week. I love it! It all builds up to what is going to be an amazing weekend in Baltimore.

Win or lose I'm just along for the ride. I'll be decked out in purple, drinking my beer, and screaming at the tv.

Enjoy the weekend in Baltimore and most importantly...

GO RAVENS!

Women and Football

I am a huge football fan. I cheer for my home team... The Baltimore Ravens. Growing up, my Dad was a high school football coach. I didn't take advantage of truly learning the game when I was younger. It wasn't until I was out of college and back in Baltimore that I really got into the sport and specifically the Ravens. At that point they had one Super Bowl under their belts and were on the search for another title. My Dad was able to teach me the basics and I learned even more by watching the games and listening to the commentators.

So as I was driving home from watching my Ravens beat Miami on Sunday, I was listening to sports radio. I like to hear what the announcers have to say about the Ravens game as well as the other games of the day. A woman called into the show to offer her comments on the Ravens game. She obviously knew what she was talking about and the radio host commented that he was impressed with her knowledge. Well with that, the phones and computers went crazy... men from all over the area were calling in wanting to meet this woman who actually knew what she was talking about when it came to football. Men were asking the host for the woman's phone number... like he was actually going to hand that out.

Lots of women that I know have vast knowledge about the game of football. Many times it is a group of girls that I meet up with on game day to watch the game... either at a local bar or at someone's house like we did on Sunday. And while there is some gossip and girl talk that goes along with these meetings, we really are there to watch the game. If the Ravens win, we go out and celebrate and if they lose, we hang our heads in disgust and head on home. So in 2009 is it really so crazy to think that women know and watch football? My Mom goes to the home games each week and sits in front of the television to watch the away games. My sister can always be found by the television for games. Is this strange? It's certainly what I'm used to. Now I realize that not every woman is into football and sports but I don't think it's so uncommon that men are falling over a woman who calls into a radio show.

Maybe I'm wrong... Maybe I hang out with a unique group of women but we're into it. And we're certainly ready for the big game on Saturday afternoon... Ravens vs. Titans. Purple jerseys and t-shirts will be worn, beer and snacks will be consumed, and we'll be pacing and yelling at the tv to try and cheer the guys on or to let out some frustration. Hopefully it will be just like our Super Bowl run and we'll walk into that stadium and come out with a win!

Go Ravens!

Holiday Letdown

The holidays are my absolute favorite time of year! Growing up, Christmas was a big deal in our family... my Mom always made it a special season and something to look forward to. Nothing has changed for me as an adult. I start getting excited right around Thanksgiving... I start my holiday shopping on Black Friday and try to be completely finished by mid-December. I usually throw a big Christmas party and get into the decorating, cookie baking, gift wrapping, and celebrating of the season.

My friends make fun of me and call me Martha Stewart but I also know that they like that someone our age is doing this crap. They have somewhere to go where homemade cookies are served, mistletoe is hanging, and Michael Buble is belting out "Let it Snow". Christmas cards are sent, chocolate covered pretzels are made and delivered to the people that count on them each year. These are traditions that I know and love.

But now as I sit here on January 2nd, I'm looking at my Christmas tree fully lit and decorated, my mantle covered with garland, candles, and glitter trees and I know one thing... it all has to come down! Each special ornament has to be taken off of the tree and put away until next year, the decorations and dishes and special things that I've collected over the years have to be wrapped up.

All of this can only be described in one way... a total letdown! Don't get me wrong... my Christmas was wonderful. We went to church and to our usual neighborhood party. We had a wonderful breakfast on Christmas morning and I was able to give and receive fabulous gifts. I got together with my high school girls the day after Christmas for a night of wine, gossip, and laughs. This is an annual tradition that I look forward to almost as much as Christmas with my family. Sometimes it's the only time we all see each other for an entire year.

But now it's over... I have to go back to teaching 2nd grade on Monday morning. And it will just be cold and boring January. Nothing to look forward to... no baking or decorating to be done... In many ways, it's pretty depressing and I see why for some people the holidays can be an especially lonely time of year. But for those of us that love the holiday season, we have to wait for next November when the holiday madness starts again!

For now, I'll look forward to February... that's when I plan my own birthday extravaganza!
This year my 28th birthday falls on a Friday so it is sure to be an entire weekend of festivities.
Always planning something I suppose. And that's just the way I like it!