Christmas presents a-plenty!

Christmas comes early this year, oh yes! Two of the best presents EVER are coming tomorrow. Little Liam and his family will be in Utah tomorrow - hooray! I get to hold my brand new nephew, finally!
The other present is of the feminine sort. I will have my VERY FIRST niece tomorrow, brought to us via scheduled c-section. Who can hardly wait? This Auntie! Holy moly, the Curran family has been waiting for this little bundle of femininity for a long time. After 7 little boys, it is time! I can hardly wait to see her and hear her name. Shane and Sharon like to keep us guessing (bless their hearts).
More news tomorrow!

Ah, bless the holidays. I love 'em, I do. I am one of those people at Christmas that wants to do every single Christmasy thing for the holiday to be complete. I want to watch all of my favorite x-mas movies, take multiple drives to see the pretty lights, make and decorate sugar cookies, be a part of the hustle and bustle of x-mas (but not necessarily buy a whole heck of a lot), kiss my man under the mistletoe, sit by the fire and stare at the x-mas tree, drink lots of hot cocoa, spend lots of time with my nephews telling x-mas stories, walking through temple square to experience the beautiful lights and atmosphere, caroling with my family on x-mas eve, giving spare change to the people ringing the bells at wal-mart or anyone one needing an extra dollar here and there.

This year the holiday season has rushed passed me. I can hardly believe that we are only 10 days away! Not only do I want to do all of the things on my list, but I want to better remember why we celebrate this season. I'm so thankful for Jesus Christ, and am so grateful that he came to earth to live and die for us.

As my gift for the season, I want to share this movie. Most have seen it, but if you haven't, take 25 minutes and watch Jimmy Stewart at his best. It always makes me cry. Christmas wouldn't be the same without Mr. Krueger's Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Kai's entry

Not sure what we're doing here.
Kai is so anxious for T-day he's gnawing on paper plates. Crazy kid.
10 year old dream boat, Kai.

Hi this is kai hi Liam how are you hi Gavin and Ryan how are you guy's? how are you auntie Caiti?

Auntie Erin transcribing now:

Auntie Erin and I just finished making pecan pies for Thanksgiving. I want one, but she is taking them to Dave's house for his family. Maybe we can make one later.

I am thankful for:

Nutella, because I love it.
Family, because they look out for me.
A house
Clothes
Mountains
Snow (he's a boy after my own heart)
Snow boarding (he's a good snow boarder)
Santa!
Presents!
Friends
Birthdays

I can't think of anymore. I'm excited for Thanksgiving, 'cuz I get to see the new Harry Potter.

Sweet baby boy

Now, is this not the cutest baby you've ever seen??!! Liam arrived last night and is a whopping 9 lbs. 6 oz. and 21 inches. How I love this nephew I haven't even met yet! I'm so thankful that he and his mama are doing well.

He's coming today!

I am so anxious, so anxious indeed! My 7th nephew is well on his way to making his debut into this crazy, chaotic, and beautiful world. Dear Liam, your auntie can't wait to meet you, love you, and get to know your precious spirit throughout this life.

I am so thankful today for life, for children, for their perfection that daily reminds me of God's love for each of his children here on earth.

Needing to give thanks

Thankfulness: 'tis the time of year, yes? Of course yes. I feel the need to be thankful more often. I need not only voice it at this time of year, but should be giving thanks daily. Here are a few thoughts today...

I'm thankful that my parents have welcomed me home yet again to do the earnin' and the savin'. I promise, it's only temporary. They are good to their children. We hardly deserve their goodness.

I'm thankful that Noelle Livingston asked me to sing at the YW in Excellence in her ward last night. It was a sweet time for me to reminisce about my own days in YW's, and the choices I've tried to make up to this point in my life. I'm gonna keep on keepin' on. Thanks, girly.

I'm thankful to have a job. A job that I actually like getting up for in the morning. All of those months without a job sucked (for lack of a better word), and recognizing that our unemployment rate is still high, I am incredibly thankful.

I'm thankful to Victoria Jane for giving me a roof over my head for a while. She's da best!

More gratitude to come...

Did you look outside tonight?

Yep, it's snowing. I love it, I love it, and I don't care who knows it! Snow haters, I am sorry. Snow is glorious, and this girl is loving it. Bring on the cozy day all snuggly with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. Bring on the winter cuddling with my warm Dave. Ah, heavenly days.

I gots to lose it

How many of us are satisfied with the way we look? My guess is almost none of us are. Even in my very thin days, I wasn't satisfied. It's pretty scary, eh? Why can't we be satisfied and happy with the way our bodies look? I know that it's an on-going struggle for me, but one I wish I didn't think so much about. The truth is, I'm actually much more accepting of my body these days than I have been in a long time. Looking at myself in the mirror, I don't look awful. Like they said in our regional conference not too long ago - "You're doing great, but you could be better". That's how I feel right now. I know that I could be better about my eating habits, exercise, etc. I don't want how my body looks to be an obsession. I've wasted way too much time worrying about it and I'm not going to anymore! From today forward I am committing to quit worrying about the things I can't change. I commit to take care of my body, to feed it good, healthy foods. I commit to giving my body the exercise it needs to sustain itself on a daily basis. I commit to being happy no matter what I weigh. Weight doesn't define me.

Here I go...

Dear Rain,

How happy I am that you stopped by today. I loved seeing you heading anxiously for the golf course that I was on today, and I loved you even more when you began to fall upon me. Sometimes you are quite cold and chill me to the bone, but I can't help just drink it in. I came home today and watched as you pounded my window and everything outside whilst I drank my cup of hot chocolate. Please come back again soon. I've missed you.

The end.

Puerto Rico, swiftly I come!

She got married

My dear friend Victoria Jane married Matthew Jared on Saturday. It was a spectacular day! I was able to attend the wedding at the Manti, Utah Temple and was in tears for most of the ceremony. My dear friend, the friend I've known longest (since birth) was experiencing the happiest moments of her life that day. I couldn't have felt more happy if it was my own special day. She was radiant!
I am so thankful that she found a man worthy of her. Not only that, but she inherited three awesome kids! Life will be busy in her new role as mom, but I have no doubt that she will do it beautifully.

For years Vicki has been a part of a group of friends that has celebrated successes, traveled the world together, commisserated over failed relationships and the frustrations of dating, and shared the silliest of moments together. These are some of my truest friends. I love them all dearly. Having a friend 'leave' and move on to another mission in life is a hard thing to process. However, all of us are spectacularly happy for the beautiful event that was Vicki's wedding this weekend. We are excited for what the future holds for not only her, but for all of us. There is a plan of happiness on this earth, and each one of us are part of that. How thankful I am to know it!

Love you Vicki!

My favorite time of year is here. Every day when I look out to the mountains, I find joy in the new sprouting colors of red, orange, and yellow. I mourn the ending of Summer, but I welcome the beauty of Autumn. Someday I'll fulfill my dream of experiencing Fall in New England. Hooray for sweaters, cooler temperatures, and fast-fading tan skin (ok, not so much).

Welcome Fall!

Sometimes...

We quit jobs.

So basically I'm on the look out for a new job. Wish me luck!

My mug

After being at my current job for over a month now, they finally got my pic on the website. Yep, that's me!

Wordless Wednesday

Emmy winner - I know him!

This is my friend Erik Christensen. We have been friends since High School. I had a major crush on him back at OHS. And look - he won an Emmy last night! So happy for him and his family!

After 6 months...

I have a job. A real, honest-to-goodness, full-time, with-benefits job! True story, peeps. I have to say, I have mixed emotions. I am so, so grateful to have found a job in the midst of such a struggling economy. However, my six months without a job was kind of a dream. One I don't think I'll ever experience again. It was a time of struggle not knowing when I'd be employed, but it was also a time when I got to do things and help people around me without having to get back to the grind.
After so many months of not having an 8-5 job, I have felt so much anxiety this past week. I've done lots and LOTS of praying, temple-going, etc. to ease my nervous self. I feel good about where I am and the people I've worked with for just one week already. I'm not loving the extra early morning hours of getting up, but I feel a sense of pride knowing there is somewhere to be, a place where I get to progress, learn, and better myself and my situation. For this I am thankful. I'm a blessed girl. I have incredible people all around me. How could I not be happy?! Thankful, thankful I am.

The end.

Someone's special day...

This incredible, smart, funny, and very handsome guy is having a birthday. Go ahead and wish him a happy birthday!

Feliz Cumple, Dave!

Golfer in da house!

When I was about 13 my Grampa Phil taught me how to swing a golf club. In his words, he said I was a "natural". He even sent me a few clubs and encouraged me frequently to perfect my swing. He had high hopes of me becoming a pro. I, of course, was more interested in friends, boys, etc. at that time in my life, so I never pursued it like he wanted me to. Even in my 20's, he would look at me and shake his head while saying, "you could have been rich". Bless him. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it big, but the fact that he thought I had 'something' still makes me feel kinda special.
Well, dear Dave is an avid golfer and wanted me to come along and play on Monday. I didn't do terribly, but not great. I got a 75. Meh. I was encouraged to keep on playing (Dave is a great coach), so he took me again Tuesday, then again today. Good news is that I improved today and got a 68. Not amazing for a 'natural' I know, but dunna worry, because I'm going to be in the 50's by Summer's end. Maybe even high 40's. That is the goal, peeps!

Dave 'n Me.

Mi papa

Dear Daddy-o,

A daughter couldn't ask for a more kind, loving, and sensitive Father. Thank you for passing down to me the love of music and amazing harmonies, literature, scripture, languages, culture, snowy/rainy weather, and the appreciation of delicious food! Thank you also for your example of unconditional love to your family. I have never questioned your love for me.
Sometimes I laugh at and question why you send so many email forwards to me and my siblings, but I realize that I would miss them terribly if one day I didn't get them anymore. I love knowing that you are around for me.

I love you dearly, Dad.

The Happs

Lots of things happening. Muchas cosas!

- Caiti and Kurt are expecting another BOY! No nieces for me yet. This will make 7 nephews so far!
- Shane and Sharon just broke the news that they are expecting a baby, but won't find out the gender until August. Could it be another boy, or is it possible that a girl could actually shake things up?? Ah, we shall see. The exciting thing is that there will be two grandchildren born within a month of each other. We're usually lucky if we get them within a year or two. It's a great time to be an auntie!
- I'm finishing up this semester block next week, then only two more classes until I graduate. Will miracles never cease?!
- Spending a lot of time with someone with eyes like these...




Good times!

Cosas Nuevas

I've moved.

Finishing my last semester of school, and loving it.

More later.

A truly despicable crime.

I can't even begin to imagine what this poor little boy went through. It hurts my heart to think of it. Read about it here. Horrible, horrible. How can people like these be allowed to raise children?!

It was a good run.

I had the privilege of working for Neil Walter, a candidate for congress, the past few months. This experience opened my eyes in so many ways. It has made me more aware of the political system, where before I was a bit apathetic, actually. Listening to Neil speak at various events was fascinating. He is my age, but has a wealth of knowledge! More than I could hope to have.

Saturday was the state convention, and unfortunately, he lost by ONE vote. It's sad - since the vast knowledge he had about economics and finance really could have been an asset to our country. However, he is young and I have no doubt that he'll make his mark in the future.

It was truly a life changing experience for me, and I'm thankful for it!

Over 3,000 delegates showed up to the convention. You can barely see Neil on the screen behind me.


And there he is. He had the best speech that day. His cousin's son introduced him, and it was fabulous! Eleven year olds will always wow the crowd.

We were mesmerized. This was Vicki's first time volunteering at a political event. Basically, she loved it.

The week

I’ve been in Charlotte this past week helping my leetle seester Caiti. The poor girl is terribly sick with her third pregnancy. Seriously, the girl is miserable. She’s got a condition that maybe 5-10% of all pregnant women get called Hyperemesis. Check it out here.

I’ve had a good time hanging out with my nephews. The first day I was here we went to see “Oceans” at the movie theater. Man, was it amazing! It was especially funny to hear Ryan saying “Awesome!” and Gavin make a comment or ask a question about possibly everything. I simply answered, “I don’t know”. For the most part, I haven’t been a visitor, but a normal part of every day life, which is what I like. My day consists of getting the boys up for school, dressing them, feeding them, and taking them to school. Bad news – they get up at 6 am!! It’s true. School starts at 7:30! Can you even believe it?! It works well for Gavin, since he is a morning person. However, Ryan isn’t such a fan. He’s moo-dy in the morning. However, once that subsides, he’s quite a pleasant little 6 year old.

They are funny boys, for the most part. Gavin is a wiz at everything and comes up with some really surprising facts and big words. My favorite phrase of the day was this – “Auntie, there is a multitude of children on the bus. It’s a fiasco debaucle!”. Turns out these were his words of the week in his FIRST grade class! Ryan has been picking up on some of these words from Gavin and particulary likes to use the word loathe and incessantly. I am amazed at how totally different these boys are from one another. Gavin’s favorite subjects are Math & Science, while Ryan loves Reading and is quite an actor.

I love these boys. I can’t believe they’ve grown up so fast! Soon they’ll be in San Antonio, and in a few months they’ll have a brother or sister to take care of and watch grow. I can hardly wait to see their excitement at welcoming a new member of their family!

North Carolina is, in my opinion, the Garden of Eden. I’d love to come back and live here at some point. Everything is so lush and green. Ahhh, I must come back soon.

Well, I'll be home soon, so I must get out and enjoy this amazing 75 degree weather. Ciao!

The trip

Cruising, kayaking, snorkeling, para-sailing, body surfing, too-much-food eating, sun-burn getting, tacos al pastor consuming, motion sickness feeling, relaxation spending... and there you have it!

It was a fabulous time. I hope to do another cruise in the near futuro.

Vicki and I pointing out our lovely sunburns on the first day. Remind me to apply sun screen next time.
At dinner on 'formal night' with Vicki and Jen.
Painful, very painful.
El Arco de Cabo San Lucas with Katy and Dave.
So, this was the moment swear words were coming out of my mouth. The moment the wind changed and I almost had a water landing. Bad, very bad.
El Arco 'n me.
Yogurt cones a-plenty. I enjoyed these at least a few times a day. Who cares that I gained 5 pounds?! Seriously.
This was what the ship photographer called a 'group hug'.

Baby, let's cruise...

Snorkeling, kayaking, and beach sitting in Cabo San Lucas.
Lots of chillin' on this thang.

Good times will be had - oh yes, they will. Saturday can't come soon enough!

Thoughts and value.

Funny, you'd think that being semi-employed right now I wouldn't be so busy, right? Wrong-o. Life has kept me busy as of late, and I'm thankful. I definitely enjoyed my first month of unemployment doing whatever I wanted anytime I wanted, but sometime after I lost a sense of value. Work gave me a sense of value of sorts - at least when I was busy in my job. I realize that I'm a person that enjoys some down time, but I also want to be of use. I want to matter, and I also want to progress. You know what I mean?

About a month ago, my old friend from H.S. and Chick-fil-A days called and said her husband was running for the 2nd district congressional seat. They were looking for someone to coordinate their meetings, etc. and asked if I'd be interested in the job. As one who had a few interviews with no results, and was online looking for jobs hours on end, my interest was peaked. I was immediately put to work and became busy doing work I had done the last few years at my previous job. It was familiar and comfortable, with some differences. For one thing, I had never been involved in anything political, but was intrigued and excited to learn more. In the past month I have met many new and interesting people - even the governor and a well known senator (one not so popular at the moment). It's funny how we get thrown into things sometimes, never realizing how much we'll actually enjoy it. I feel I am progressing, and I feel that my work has value.
Oh, and if you live in the 2nd congressional district, please consider Neil Walter. Check him out at neilwalterforcongress.com

When I'm not working on the campaign, I try to do other things that matter. Kids matter to me, and I've had some good times hanging out with my nephews that I love dearly. Also, my friend Karen has four adorable girls that I've had the chance to babysit from time to time. Karen was my neighbor for years growing up, and we've always been great friends. Her girls have become like nieces to me and have helped me feel value in my life as well. Having the trust of a child is a precious thing, and I'm grateful when I've been lucky enough to earn it.


7 month old Taya. She's a doll with beautiful blue eyes and olive skin.

Three year old Ember is hilarious. She's very independent and wants to do everything herself, but she's quick to give love, and she frequently tells me that she (without being able to say her r's) really, really, really loves me. Ah, melts my heart.

Triathlon training is here again. It's only three weeks away, and I feel ill-prepared. I've been concentrating more on running than anything else, and I'm nervous. Ahhhh. Oh well, I'll keep going!

Lastly, many already know of my struggles to finish my bachelor's degree. It's true, I'm 34 and still haven't finished. I have been one class away for many years, and the details of this trial in my life has been harder than many of you know. Well folks, I may actually have my degree by the end of Summer. The reality of it is still sinking in for me, but I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am. All of the feelings of inadequacy, failure, and frustration are coming to an end. I have no idea what I'll do with the degree, but finishing is the key here!

Overall, life is good. I have a lot to be thankful for, and especially thankful that in this time of unemployment I can still be of value in the small details.

The end.

Auntie thoughts

I know I've said this before, but I really love being an auntie. I can't express my gratitude enough for my nephews, and also the new nieces that have joined our family this year through Megan's marriage to James. The first time I heard my oldest nephew Kalin's cry in the delivery room, my heart grew 10 times bigger. I was in love with that kid from day one. It was hard to imagine how I could love any other child as much. However, as other siblings began having children, I was amazed at how much I loved Kai, then Gavin, Ryan, Owen, and Aidan. Later the Tucker's - Hunter, Lauren and Jadyn. I am in awe to realize that no matter how many people we love in our lives, our heart always has room for more. It's almost unfathomable to imagine how much I'll love my own children someday.

Dear nephews and nieces, and those which will surely come - auntie loves you.

5:33 am

Erincita hasn't been to sleep yet. It's true. Around 1:30 am I lay my head down for sleep. After about 15 minutes, I got restless trying to sleep and got up to be entertained by my blackberry. I decided I'd like to upload a new application of Kayak, which is a travel site I frequently use. I being the download, then realize I don't have much memory left (I guess I do a lot of downloading), so I started to delete one I don't use often. While in the process of deleting, my bb froze. I waited for it to unfreeze, but got impatient and just powered it down by taking out the battery - you know, the usual process. As I'm waiting for it to come on, I notice an unfamiliar screen. I proceed to take the battery out once again, just for fun. The same screen pops up. Well, I can't sleep anyway, so I decided to stay up until 4 for Verizon to open. I call them, and my rep. proceeds to tell me that my bb has crashed. Crashed?? Wah??!! What does that mean exactly? She explained that because I powered it down in the middle of a download (or the deleting of a download) I've lost my pictures, my contact information, etc. Ack! Funny thing, I was thinking last night that I hadn't backed up my contacts to my computer yet. I mean, I've only had the thing for two months. Wendy, the rep. tells me that I will be able to start up the bb again through a short little process (hooray), but I need the output that connects my computer to my cell. Sure, I totally have it. I run to my room to look for the box with the do-dads from my bb. I find the box, but I don't see the output. Thirty minutes after turning my room upside down at 4 am, I am at a loss. No output. In my problem solving state, I think to myself 'Sean has my same phone. I'll call him in the morning and he'll bring me his output. Phew!' Guess what - Sean's phone number is in the crashed device, too. I only know maybe three numbers by memory - THREE! Ack!!

How have I come to rely so much on my crackberry?? And when did I stop memorizing telephone numbers? Remember the days when we had them all stored in our little heads? Yeah, those days are long gone. Cell phones have made us incapable of memorizing phone numbers, people!

Ah Friends, I am lost without my communication device. Well, at least for a few hours I'm lost.
Lesson learned: Back-up yer stuff! And maybe this is where we start memorizing numbers again... or not. Yeah, no.

P.S. Please send your phone numbers to my email so I can add them to my bb again. ercurr@gmail.com

Bless you all.

Erin go bragh!

A wee tribute to my Ireland...







Happy St. Paddy's day!

Babs

I get chills each time I hear Barbra Streisand belt out this song from "Funny Girl". Babs has one of the most phenomenal voices in the world - hands down.
Oh, and I love her in this movie. She was somethin' else back in the day.

Vincerò, Vincerò!

This song is absolutely mesmerizing. It sends my heart a flutter, sends chills down my spine, and moves me to feel I can "win" anything I care to accomplish in life. Pavarotti, rest his soul, was an incredible singer. When I was young I used to think my dad was Pavarotti. He had the dark hair and the beard - oh, and he was a singer.
I've included here the translation in English. Vincero!

Read about the Opera Turandot and what happens before this song here.

Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Pensamientos

Friends, I have a lot of thoughts. With those thoughts come ranges of feelings. Sometimes there is simply too much to share, and since I can rarely do sharing my innermost feelings justice, I'm not gonna share 'em! Bless me. I'd rather some of my favorite poets and songwriters do that for me. My innermost thoughts will have to stay in my journal for now :)

So then, each day (or whenever I feel like it), I'm going to share some of that with you, mi publico.

Today I'd like to share a few from Emily Dickinson (1830-86). She was a poet that lived at very private, very secluded life. In her private life, she wrote 1800 poems. Here are just a couple:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.


Heart, we will forget him!
You an I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.

When you have done, pray tell me
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging.
I may remember him!


Wow. So much emotion.

I love it.

Stay tuned for more.

Poetry - el poder

I enjoy poetry - a lot. I love it in the best of times and the worst of times. Today I was thinking about Pablo Neruda and how much I love the passion he conveys in his poems - especially in his native Spanish. The English translation is good, but it just doesn't do his poems justice. Here is one I've always appreciated.

"Si Tu Me Olvidas"
By Pablo Neruda En Español:

Quiero que sepas
una cosa.

Tú sabes cómo es esto:
si miro
la luna de cristal, la rama roja
del lento otoño en mi ventana,
si toco
junto al fuego
la impalpable ceniza
o el arrugado cuerpo de la leña,
todo me lleva a ti,
como si todo lo que existe:
aromas, luz, metales,
fueran pequeños barcos que navegan
hacia las islas tuyas que me aguardan.

Ahora bien,
si poco a poco dejas de quererme
dejaré de quererte poco a poco.

Si de pronto
me olvidas
no me busques,
que ya te habré olvidado.

Si consideras largo y loco
el viento de banderas
que pasa por mi vida
y te decides
a dejarme a la orilla
del corazón en que tengo raíces,
piensa
que en esa día,
a esa hora
levantaré los brazos
y saldrán mis raíces
a buscar otra tierra.

Pero
si cada día,
cada hora,
sientes que a mí estás destinada
con dulzura implacable,
si cada día sube
una flor a tus labios a buscarme,
ay amor mío, ay mía,
en mí todo ese fuego se repite,
en mí nada se apaga ni se olvida,
mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,
y mientras vivas estará en tus brazos
sin salir de los míos.

Heaven

Someday I really must have one of these.

Bright Star

Bless the Red Box. It surprises me sometimes. I am not often pleased with my findings there, but once in a while I take a chance and can be quite satisfied. Last night I came across one such title that intrigued me. While reading the synopsis, I was instantly taken by the name John Keats. He has been a favorite poet of mine, one of the British romantic poets I studied while in literature classes and while studying abroad one summer in London. Poetry enchants me. Probably because I'm not very good at it. John Keats is a master.

Last night around one in the morning (you can do that when you're unemployed), I started my movie 'Bright Star', which is also the name of one of his poems. I loved the portrayal of a very short time-frame of his life, but a time of much emotion, love, and pain. He fell in love with a girl named Fanny. Keats was a poor man and had no money to offer Fanny (he had not 'made it' with his poems yet). Having little money didn't stop he and Fanny from getting engaged and making plans of marriage. In this time, however, he became ill. Long story short, he died a short time later at the pre-mature age of 25. He died thinking he was a failure, never to know how loved his poetry would be by millions to come.

This movie felt real, and not the least bit contrived. The heart-wrenching emotion in this movie felt unlike any other. There has never been a more real portrayal of the most simplistic, yet most common emotions that rule the heart. There was some intense sadness that even drew a few tears from my eyes. I didn't expect it.

Here's a clip:



I don't guarantee everyone will see and feel what I did in this movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing such a beautiful portrayal of this part of Keats life. Yep, loved it.

Bright Star (Written for Fanny by John Keats)

Bright star! would I were steadfast as thou art-
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-
No–yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillowed upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft swell and fall,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever – or else swoon to death

????

Love Week

In honor of Valentines Day, I wanted to share a favorite scene from a movie that I love. This movie is wonderful, and yet heartbreaking at the same time. All the same, I love this sweet scene. You can see the obvious longing on both sides. Enjoy "Becoming Jane".

Shannon is a nice sister

Shannon put together a little b-day blog for me. It was awfully nice, and I appreciated it a lot! You can check it out here: http://ryshadden.blogspot.com/
Oh, and I think Caiti helped. Thanks, C & S! Love you guys!

Dear 34...

I've been up since you came around. I can't seem to sleep - even at 4 am on your new-found day. I can't figure out why. Thirty four, I must say, thirty three and I had a good year. It just seemed to get better, even with a few bumps in the road. I like to think I'm an optimist, and I look at you with as great or greater optimism and promise than I did with thirty three. Once again, there are exciting things ahead. What they are, I know not. I only know that which I hope for.
In welcoming you, thirty four, I also feel the need to say goodbye and thank you to my past year.
Thirty three, you are a beautiful number. I rather enjoyed saying "I'm thirty three years old". Like me, it was a number with many curves. Ah yes, you'll be missed. We had a good run. We enjoyed the beauties of this world, the people of this world, family, friends, acquaintances. We continued on this journey in life with hope of great things to come. And even though our run is through, you will be remembered as one of my favorite years, which I hope to say about each year I leave behind. Thank you, thirty three.

34... bring it!

It comes...

speedily it cometh!

Oh, hi! Yeah, it's me. I know I've been slacking, but I've been busy. Ok, I haven't. I admit it, since I've been laid off I have stayed up later because I can, and slept in for the same reason. And you know what, I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I've spent most weekends in the warmer south, and don't feel the rush to get back for work on Monday morning. Unemployment has been lovely for the time being. I've also spent time going to movies with nephews, babysitting friend's kids, etc. Good times, good times.
Next blog: what I'm really going to do with my life after this lovely vacation.

Change

Change can be a scary thing. I'm sure we can all agree on this point. However, the most recent change in my life has been a welcome, exciting change. I was laid off last week from my job of 5+ years at XanGo. It was not performance related, but was a reduction in force. For a little while now I have been antsy in my job, and anxious to move on to something else. To what, I didn't know. I simply knew I wanted a change. Well folks, I got it. I now am doing a lot of searching and thinking about what it is I'd really like to do. This is my chance to do something completely different if I want to. What that is - I dunna know. I'm totally open to suggestions.

I'm thankful for this change in my life. Believe me when I say that I am happy, and optimistic for the future!

So, I was in Las Vegas this past weekend, and experienced a couple of new things.

First of all, I am told that I've been to the Hoover Dam, but alas, I am too young to remember it. It was an amazing sight to see this time around. Not only that, but if you didn't know (I certainly didn't), they are building something called the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Take a look at the pic below. It is incredible!



I also had the chance to experience the food of the well-known Bouchon restaurant. Friends, I would exhort you to go. Thanks to Chef Eric, I was lucky enough to be there for brunch and got to sample a tasty array of food. Croque Madame - delicious! To see more go here.

Oh, and the temperature... 60 degrees. Beautiful.

2009 Stats

Jobs in 2009: 1
Friends made: Many good ones.
Gigs performed: A plethora
Triathlons finished: 1
5k’s finished: 1
Attempted trips to Egypt: 1
Trips to the homeland (Ireland): 1
Trips to the Scottish Highlands: 1
Days stuck in airports getting home from above trip: 2
Airports visited whilst trying to get home from said trip: 7
Dublin, Newark, DC, Houston, Phoenix, Denver, SLC
Work trips taken: 5
Mexico City, Frankfurt, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Washington DC
New nephew/nieces: 3
Hunter, Lauren, and Jadyn. Love it when family re-marries and adds to the brood!
Marriages in the family: 1 – Megan and her James
Number of crushes: a special few
Number of guys dated with first and middle name initial exactly the same as mine: 1
Meals enjoyed at the Bombay House: at least 5
Mornings spent doing P90X: 30 +
Lessons learned: too many to count
Lessons learned 10 times over: still counting

Here's to 2010. So much to look forward to!