amoblog

The end of amoblog

2008-12-31T12:42:00.001-06:00

Thank you to those of you who have visited this blog for the past four years. It has been a good place, and I have had a lot of fun. But life is constantly changing, and I feel it is time to move on. If you haven’t already, email me or drop me a note via Facebook or Twitter to let me know if I should email you the address to my new blog.

I wish you a happy and healthy new year. Peace.

Happy day before New Year's Eve!

2008-12-30T18:03:00.009-06:00

We spent a lovely day with my side of the family at my aunt and uncle's house today. Delicious brunch, a viewing of the James Brown gospel scene from The Blues Brothers, tasty Christmas cookies, a brisk walk around the block, a game of Zigity with Isaak, and the St. Olaf Choir on DVR. What more could you ask for?

Oh, we also took a completely painless family photo, thanks to David and his spiffy remote-controlled camera (nice job on pressing the button at the perfect time, Isaak!). I love these people!

(click for a larger view)
Back row: Mom, Dad, Aaron, Peter, and Ann-Marie
Front row: Aunt Ruth, Uncle Rich, Isaak, Susanna, and David

Merry belated Christmas . . . or . . . happy early New Year!

The annual post-Christmas letdown

2008-12-28T15:18:00.011-06:00

Christmas future is far away,
Christmas past is past.
Christmas present is here to stay,
Bringing joy that will last.
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" intro,
written by Hugh Martin for Frank Sinatra, 1957

Another Christmas has come and gone. David and I were especially glad that both of our families would be in the Chicago area this year, allowing us time with everyone for at least a few days. However, this is always a difficult time for me, as I anticipate saying, "See you later" to our siblings and their children, all of whom we love so dearly. It's hard to be so far away from our Michigan and Vermont families throughout the year, not to mention our Rockford, Winnetka, and Batavia family members, who we see so seldom despite our close proximity. For me, Christmas is as wonderful as it is heart-wrenching. So much so that I have spent most of today looking at housing prices in Michigan and Vermont. But that's not the solution. What that is, I do not know.

For those of you who need a good laugh (like I did today), please click on the photo at the right. You'll find David being piled on by his nieces and nephew, and a few glorious shots of Marc, Brad, and David's mom (yes, Mormor!) gettin' jiggy with the kids during the Christmas Day Dance Party.

In the bleak midwinter

2008-12-23T09:07:00.005-06:00

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan.
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow.
Snow on snow.
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
- Christina Rossetti, 1872

Going to the gym is tough in this weather. Not only does it take longer to get the car to a drivable state, it's just plain COLD! I was not so good last week -- I only went twice -- so I decided to try to make up for it this week.

Then the temperatures went sub-zero on me. I thought about going on Sunday morning before church, but that didn't happen. And when I heard the temps were going to be pretty much the same yesterday, I didn't even entertain the notion. But I went today. Granted, it was 29 degrees when I woke up, which seems like a heat wave right now, but I went.

I picked up a couple of guest passes this morning, too, thinking that maybe Laurie (who works out at a gym that requires a two-bus trip) or my sister-in-law Susanna will want to join me at least once over the next week.

In the meantime, I can relax, knowing that, after one last trip to Borders today, where we have a gift on hold for one of our family members, we will be d.o.n.e. with our Christmas shopping.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

A new blog

2008-12-21T09:11:00.003-06:00

Good morning, all! Thanks to everyone for their creative suggestions, both here and on Facebook, for what I should name my new blog. After thinking it over for a few days, I've decided on a new title. However, I'm going to keep it to myself for a while. Live with it a little. I'll continue posting here for the next week or so (if I find the time to in the midst of the Christmas festivities), but if you would like to read the new blog, please email me or drop me a note via Facebook or Twitter, and I'll give you the new address. Once I'm ready to reveal it, that is (think 2009).

Blessings on you and yours this season.

Christmastime and time to think

2008-12-16T16:14:00.005-06:00

Today has been a good day. I went to the gym, I got some Christmas shopping done, and a light, fluffy snow is falling steadily outside our cozy apartment. Christmas is indeed coming, and we've already experienced some of our annual traditions of this season: our Christmas concert at church, picking out our tree and decorating our apartment, and hosting our second annual glögg party, which brought out 40-plus people throughout the evening. And last night I experienced something new -- a cookie exchange with some women from church -- though I don't know if it will become an annual event.

In the midst of the Christmas hustle and bustle, I am still contemplating a new name for my blog. I'm afraid this is where my creativity is lacking. I mean, look at the current name. So clever.

Thoughts of new beginnings swirl around in my head, brought about mostly by my decision to leave my job and set out to find work as a freelance copyeditor/personal organizer. But the idea of new beginnings also relates to the way in which I have chosen to take care of my health this year, and the results I have experienced, both physical and personal, because of it. So that's one idea I'm playing with.

I'd like to start this paragraph with "Other thoughts include . . ." but I haven't had any. So it's the one idea.

A little help here?

The plan, revised

2008-12-08T23:41:00.004-06:00

Since writing my last post, I've done some thinking. A lot of thinking, actually. This has been a different year for me in many ways. It was my first full year as a married woman. It was the first year in which I set out to exercise, eat healthier, and just take better care of myself in general and actually stuck with it. It was the year in which I first realized that I don't have to work in an office setting to be successful -- or happy, for that matter. Granted, there's some more work to be done on this last one, but I'm making progress.

I'm a different Ann-Marie from the AMO who started this blog four years ago, and I'm grateful for that fact. I'm beyond pleased with the direction my life has taken and the ways I've handled the challenges this year has dealt me, and there have been a few.

It is for these reasons that I have decided to begin a new blog altogether. I don't know yet what it will be called or what the URL will be, but I'll be sure to keep you in the loop on that. So the plan, now, is to begin the new blog in January. I'll still post here a time or two before the end of the year, but I hope you'll stop by the new place, too.

To new beginnings!

The plan

2008-11-30T17:16:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is December 1. I can hardly believe it. Where this year has gone, I will never know. The last couple of months have been so busy, I haven't had much time to keep this blog updated. At least not as well as I would like.

With Christmas approaching, I already find myself with a laundry list of things to do, and "thinking of gifts" and "buying said gifts" are only two of them! In the midst of all of this, I'm finding that -- and this may sound silly to some, but -- I'm tired of having to check in with my Hotmail account once a month simply so that I can keep it alive. You see, I began this blog using that email address. It is no longer my primary address. In fact, I use it solely to keep this blog going.

Fortunately, I am married to The Computer Whisperer. If he does what he says he can do (and I believe he will), I may soon be able to convert my blog over to Blogger beta without losing four years of previous posts. You may not be able to see them, but David says we can save them for me to have and view whenever I wish. I like the sound of that.

So, that's the plan. I'm not sure when (or if), in all of the pre-Christmas craziness, it will actually happen, but I'm hopeful it will happen sooner than later. I'll be sure to keep you posted as changes progress.

I hope everyone had pleasant and relaxing Thanksgiving celebrations, and I wish you all joy as you enter into this Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa (or whatever other holiday you celebrate) season. Blessings on you!

Our cup runneth over

2008-11-27T22:11:00.012-06:00

It's here! After nearly two years of waiting, our first wedding present has arrived! For the past few months, my dad has worked steadily on finishing the hutch he has been making for us. He actually finished it before we left for Connecticut last weekend, but there was no time to get it here (and it's probably just as well, seeing as I couldn't pull myself away from it once it found its home in our dining room).

I didn't have the foresight to take photos of it in progress, so here are a few shots of the final product:

The craftsman

Dovetailing

Molding detail

Filled and ready

Whenever David and I pass through the dining room, we have to stop to admire the hutch. It isn't something we do intentionally; we're just caught by the beauty of this piece and how much it means to us that Dad would devote so much time and energy to creating something so personal and lasting. This is something that will go with us wherever we go and will, I hope, be passed down to future generations.

Over the past few weeks, as the delivery of the hutch has neared, I have found myself thanking my dad repeatedly, probably to the point of annoying him, but it was hard for me to put to words how grateful I am -- how grateful we are -- for this gift. This hutch is something we will treasure for years to come.

Another gift we were given recently was the chance to fly to Connecticut to visit David's Grandpa J, who I had never had the pleasure of meeting. He will be 94 in a few months, and it wasn't possible for him to travel to Chicago for our wedding. David and I couldn't resist the opportunity (or the crazy-amazing deal we got from Travelocity) to take advantage of the fact that I don't have to ask anyone permission to take vacation time, and we spent three days with him last weekend.

We enjoyed every minute we spent with him, including four hours in the car on the way to and from Pilgrim Pines, where I worked for three summers in high school and college, where David camped, and just up the road from where David's Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Phil currently live. We spent a few hours at their home, eating lunch, sitting by the fire, and watching the snow flurries, and we got to see the campgrounds again for the first time in well over 10 years. We were also fortunate to hear hours of stories, in his own words, about Grandpa's life, his jobs, how he met David's grandma, and their life together raising their children. I wish we'd had a tape recorder with us!

After spending Sunday afternoon together, it was hard to leave. We took three photos the entire weekend. This one is my favorite:

On this Thanksgiving night, we have much to be grateful for. The love of family and friends, the history of our families, and history in the making through our own lives. We are blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy, busy, busy . . .

2008-11-20T20:04:00.004-06:00

I know I haven't written much lately, but life has been busy and interesting. This weekend is going to be another busy one, but when it's over, I will return.

Happy weekends to all!

New feature

2008-11-04T17:54:00.011-06:00

This past Saturday, before spending a delightful evening with delightful people, David and I devoted the day-time hours to each other in the form of a date day. We try to schedule one date night a month, but it's been a while since that's been possible. And since this past weekend found us with plans in place for each night, we decided to do something during the day on Saturday. I, in a rare moment of creativity and spontaneity, suggested we head north to the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

After taking care of some chores and errands (and checking in to see my dad's latest progress on our wedding gift!), we grabbed our cameras, picked up some Starbucks, and were on our way. It was a chilly day, and not as sunny as we would have liked, but we took advantage of the downtime together and walked the grounds.

The esplanade

The husband

Starry leaves

I took many more photos, but since it's a bit time consuming to include them in a blog post, I added a new feature to my blog. Look over there, in the margin . . . see "My photos"? You can click on the image and it will take you to my Flickr page. Unfortunately, you can only view them if you have an account of your own, but I'm working on figuring out how to include a slideshow in place of the single image here (I fear I may need to switch over to Blogger beta for that).

If you would like to see them but don't have a Flickr account, drop me a note in the comments, and I'll email you my username and password. I obviously reserve this right for family, friends, and co-bloggers I have come to trust.

Happy fall, everyone!

Update: My friend and fellow blogger mdog showed me how to make my photos viewable for those without Flickr accounts. Thanks, mdog!

Payback time

2008-11-03T19:14:00.012-06:00

If you are a regular reader, you will remember an earlier post in which I mentioned that Melissa and I did some bartering. In exchange for me organizing her workshop, she offered to cook dinner for me. Our handsome husbands were invited to join us, too, of course. We were all pleased (and a bit surprised, considering how busy all of us are these days) when the opportunity for said dinner presented itself sooner rather than later.

So, this past Saturday evening, David and I made our way over to Steve and Melissa's to partake of her famous white chili.

On the way, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a bottle of wine. Now, I have long understood the importance of being good to our earth (see my most recent post), but I must be turning into a full-blown tree hugger or something, because I was appalled at the length of the receipt we were given. For ONE item. The thing was 15 3/4" long (yes, I measured it). Plus, we forgot our neoprene bottle tote, so we had to use a paper bag to carry the bottle out of the store (I'm sure that exuded class to our lovely host and hostess). Oh well. At least they're both recyclable.

When we arrived at their apartment, we were greeted by our gracious hosts and a plate of roasted red peppers with balsamic vinegar resting in dainty parmesan cups. They were delicious, and even Steve, who dislikes the texture of roasted red peppers, ate his fair share.

As we waited for the chili, we chatted while David bonded with their six-month-old kitten, Cosette, who I thought was going to hide in his pocket so she could go home with him at the end of the night. And he says he doesn't like cats.

Dinnertime arrived, and Melissa (as always) did not disappoint. She told me I could have the recipe for this tasty dish, but only if I promised on my life that I would not share it. It's a recipe she uses for her new business, you see. But, since I'm honestly not sure I'm that strong, I might just have to invite myself over for another tasting at a later date.

Our time with these good friends is always pleasant, and we hope it won't be too long before we can see them again. But with the holidays coming up . . . who knows?

My favorite things: reBags

2008-10-28T15:37:00.012-05:00

This past spring, David and I drove to Michigan to visit his sister Sarah and her family. We always love going to see them. We don't get to see them often enough, and when we do, the gatherings are often too short and filled with so much activity that we don't get much chance to relax together. So it's nice to visit them in their own home, where life is more normal and quiet. Plus, we love their small-town environs, complete with Main Street-like holiday parades (I say "like" because the parades don't actually happen on Main Street, though they do have one), walks to and from their neighborhood park, trips to the lighthouse, and friendly faces wherever you go.

On this most recent trip, I made a discovery. I discovered that, at the local grocery store with the familiar name, you can buy a recycled shopping bag, called a reBag, for half the price of the ones sold in Chicago, and you don't advertise the grocery store. David and I intended to pick up a few on our way out of town, but time didn't allow for it. So, I sent a check for $10 to my dear sister-in-law, who brought our 10 reBags to Chicago when she and her family were here a couple of weeks ago.

Since then, I can not get enough of my reBags! I've used them at the grocery store, Home Depot, and even Office Max. David used one yesterday to bring home his "collection" of travel mugs from the office. They're nice and strong, they have flat bottoms with reinforcement panels to keep them sturdy, and they're wide. Add in that they're environmentally friendly, and you've got a vast improvement over the plastic bags grocery stores use.

In keeping with the title of this post, here are some of my favorite pictures from that trip:

Emily and Laura on the church fence

Eyeing Uncle David's birthday rhubarb pie

Happy Nathan with an ice-cream moustache

Mmmm . . . ice cream . . .

A fancy farewell

If I can remember to, I'll try to make "My favorite things" a recurring theme on my blog. What's one of your favorite things these days?

Monday morning coffee

2008-10-20T21:40:00.011-05:00

My husband loves coffee. I like coffee. But I love my husband, and I suggested recently that we spend a few minutes each Monday morning having a cup of coffee together; I thought it would be a nice way to start out our work week.

In fact, we've had the perfect mugs for this very thing for nearly two years. I just didn't know where they were until a month ago. My parents gave us these adorable Höganäs mugs -- two of them, complete with their own coasters -- as an engagement gift. It wasn't until I went through boxes left in my mom and dad's attic after our wedding that I found them.

So, for the past four weeks, that's what we've done. Sitting on our couch with the television off, we've sipped coffee as we've talked about what the day and week ahead held for us.

We did so even today, my first Monday since leaving my job. I wasn't without work today, though. Melissa and I bartered a bit: In exchange for me bringing my organizational eye to her new (and somewhat cluttered) work space, she has offered to cook a delectable dinner for David and me. The date and time are yet to be determined, but I'm holding her to it!

The project was a success, if I do say so myself, and I'm looking quite seriously at whether or not "personal organizer" could be the next phase in my work life. Whatever course life takes, I know that David and I will be talking about it over a cup of coffee each Monday morning.

Desperately seeking something

2008-10-14T16:27:00.002-05:00

Today was my last day at my most recent job. It was a brief stay, more brief than I was expecting, but moving on is the right thing for me to do. I have a few prospects in the freelance realm, just so I can keep a paycheck coming in while I search for the job I really want.

The trouble is, I don’t know what I really want to do. There are plenty of things I can do, but I believe I am the type of person who has to truly love what I do during the day. I know a lot of people who do what they can do to make their living and do what they love to do in their free time. I’m not sure I’m wired that way.

Out of curiosity, I would like to solicit your thoughts. What can you see me doing? I’m tempted to add “within reason” to that question, but then I’m afraid I’ll only get safe suggestions. So, throw ’em out there!

Another visit to the world of movie-making

2008-10-11T09:47:00.007-05:00

A few months ago, one of the actors from the movie David and I worked on in 2005 called to ask if I could do some voiceover work for a film he's making called Helena. For the teaser, actually. I happily agreed and made my way downtown to a studio one day after work. It took all of half an hour (and I had all of one sentence to say), but it was a pretty cool experience.

Well, the teaser is up on YouTube now, and I'm in there for three seconds. Take a look and listen for me from 0:23 to 0:26.

My very own plug

2008-10-08T20:52:00.003-05:00

My dear friend Melissa is cooking up a whole new business! Check it out here.

And if you're in the market for her services, I highly recommend her.

Highly.

Four things

2008-10-05T20:22:00.007-05:00

Melissa has tagged me to share a few things with you.

Four things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Working at PIL
2. Living in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago
3. Listening to the Backstreet Boys pretty much all the time
4. Getting myself into major credit card debt

Four things on my to-do list:
1. Find a job
2. Find a job
3. Find a job
4. Find a job

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Camp counselor
2. Receptionist
3. Production editor
4. Tour guide

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:
1. Any and all of the Harry Potter movies
2. That Thing You Do!
3. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
4. Singin’ In the Rain

Four places I’ve lived:
1. Chicago
2. Jönköping, Sweden
3. Sarasota, Florida
4. Chicago (again)

Four places I want to visit:
1. Alaska
2. New York City
3. Japan
4. Sweden (yes, again)

Four television shows I watch right now:
1. The Office
2. Lost
3. Cash Cab
4. Eli Stone

Four things you might not know about me:
1. One week from Tuesday will be the first time I have left a job without having another one to go to.
2. I’m 35 and have no idea of what I want to be when I grow up.
3. I keep forgetting to ask God for his help in this.
4. Numbers 1 through 3 scare the crap out of me.

Four things I like about being married:
1. I get to live with my best friend for the rest of my life.
2. I'm constantly learning new things about my husband.
3. I’ll always have someone to share every aspect of my life with.
4. I'll never have to wonder if that perfect guy will call me after our date -- I live with him!

I now tag . . .

Sarah
Laurie
Erikka
Megan

Fall is coming

2008-10-04T13:11:00.003-05:00

This morning I was invited to a last-minute brunch with my friends Melissa and Kjersten. We went to Tre Kronor, where we caught each other up on the latest in our lives. On my walk home, I passed this tree. The few branches that have turned color -- along with the chill in the air on this otherwise sunny day -- are signs that fall is coming.

Hot apple cider, wearing sweaters and light jackets, brisk morning air, apple picking (which, I must admit, I did for the first time this year, and which I still need to blog about) . . . all are things I love about fall.

But soon enough, winter will come and ruin it all.

Hasta la vista, Honda

2008-09-27T15:07:00.008-05:00

Nine and a half years ago, I bought my first car. It wasn't the first car I'd ever had, but it was the first one for which I paid everything. My 1999 Honda Civic HX has taken me safely from point A to point B -- even when those points were as far away as Florida, where I lived briefly -- and has given me very little trouble.

When David and I were married, we each brought a car into the mix. I was pretty sure we could get by with one car from the get-go; David needed some time to feel things out.

About a week and a half ago, David emailed me to say he'd called our mechanic, Brian, to ask if he had any recommendations of a place to sell our car. He admitted to only using the car once in the prior two weeks. To go get beer. At a convenience store three blocks away from our apartment. Brian had one recommendation, Wheels of Chicagoland in Northbrook. We called and made an appointment, but decided to go to Carmax first, just to get a comparison quote.

The quote we got from Carmax was quite a bit lower than we were expecting, but we weren't surprised, because it's Carmax, and we'd heard that their quotes are often low. But when we got to Wheels of Chicagoland, we were surprised to hear that their quote was identical. However, because the quote from Carmax was the same, Jeff at Wheels upped his quote by $100. Still not quite what we were hoping for, but better than a kick in the pants, as my mother says.

In addition, our mechanic will get $100 for referring us. And, should we ever refer anyone to Wheels of Chicagoland -- hint, hint -- we, too, will get $100.

I will not lie. When I walked away from my car, I got choked up. I laughed at myself for it, but I did. I looked over my shoulder a good four or five times to catch a few last glimpses as we walked toward what will now be known as "our car," David's Chevy Classic.

Another thing I was sad to say good-bye to was this:

I bought this sticker before North Park College made the change to North Park University, and I held onto it until I bought a new car, knowing it would have a longer life than if I were to affix it to the window of my old, used car.

I'm glad that we are now a one-car household, but it will be an adjustment. For one, I'll have to remember that I'm driving an automatic. And for another, I'll have to remember what the car looks like when I'm searching for it in a parking lot. I think I'll be okay, though.

Life is full of adjustments right now. I think getting rid of this car will be one of the easy ones.

Bye-bye, bruise

2008-09-24T21:36:00.008-05:00

It's been three weeks and a day since I had my cyst removed, and, though there is still evidence of a bruise, it is much less noticeable. I'm amazed it took as long as it did, but at least it's fading.

I still have one more day of Sweden to report on, as well as our day o' apple-picking fun with our neighbors, but that may have to wait until next week. Much is going on that is going to take up my time and energy over the next few weeks.

In the words of The Terminator (but much less ominous), I'll be back.

Ain't love ducky?

2008-09-20T09:48:00.010-05:00

Shortly after David and I were married, we were presented with two rubber duckies decked out in wedding garb, a gift from our nephew Isaak. Since that day, they have had a home on the windowsill of our bathroom. A fitting place for rubber duckies.

Over the past few weeks, life has been difficult for me at work, and that has made life at home significantly less pleasant than usual. Please don't imagine shouting matches or angry words being slung back and forth. Just a lot of tears, questioning, confusion, self-deprecation, and wishful thinking.

Because I have felt badly for being the cause of this stressful time, I have tried to do little things to let David know how much I love him (and how sorry I am). One of those things was to re-position our wedded duckies thusly:

It was my hope that their bills would meet, resulting in a ducky smooch. No such luck, but at least the idea was there. (And yes, it's a bit disturbing to me that the bride ducky's bum is sticking out of her gown.)

David noticed and was appreciative of the sentiment. But it wasn't more than a day before I came home and found the duckies re-positioned yet again:

Now, if you study the photo, you will see that David constructed a bed out of Post-it notes, complete with Post-it pillows. You will also see that the groom ducky (representing David, of course) is being nearly shoved off of the bed by the bride ducky (representing yours truly). This is a fairly common occurrence in our nightly life, and David has to wake me up on occasion to tell me to move back to my side of the bed. Whenever he pokes fun, I give him my best pout and say, "But it's only because I want to be CLOSE to you."

I love you, David. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and wisdom. This too shall pass.

The North Park flood

2008-09-15T19:16:00.022-05:00

This past weekend, our neighborhood received somewhere from seven to nine inches of rain, which severely flooded many areas near us, as well as the campus of our alma mater, North Park University.

Though I know these photos won't mean much to those of you unfamiliar with the campus, I wanted to post them for those who know what these scenes looked like before the rains came. They were taken around 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

Facing south on the west side of the river

Facing northeast from the west side of the river.
There are usually six to eight feet between the

bottom of the bridge and the river.

Water spills through the barriers

The north side of Magnuson Campus Center

The parking lot of Anderson Hall

Peering over the sandbags as the river rises toward Carmen Avenue

The river meets the walking path to the south entrance of the LHA.

On the Kedzie bridge, facing west.
There are usually two to three feet of space between the
low-hanging cement slabs and the river.

The river has already begun to recede, which is great news. Three of the dorms had to be evacuated due to loss of power, but they are slowly regaining services. The basement of the campus center building (which houses the boilers and air conditioning units, etc.) is completely filled with water; after a full day of pumping it out today, only a foot and a half of water has been removed.

While much damage has certainly occurred, we are grateful that no one was injured. Additionally, David and I are fortunate to live just far enough away that our building was unaffected.

It seems that the rain has stopped - something else to be thankful for. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been evacuated from their homes and who have lost their possessions as a result.

Catching up

2008-09-13T11:24:00.010-05:00

There have been quite a few events that I haven't had the time to post about (not to mention the fact that I still have one last day of our Sweden trip to share), but I wanted to post some pictures of our Saturday last weekend.

David and I drove out to Rockford, where he grew up and where his parents still live, to spend the afternoon and evening with them. We have seen them a few times over the summer, but never in a setting conducive to relaxation and conversation. Always good times; we just didn't have the chance to really talk.

After a nice lunch out on his parents' sunporch, we took a drive through Rockford, a town full of beautiful old Victorian homes and waterfront parks along the Rock River, to the Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden. We have been there together once before, but on a pretty day like last Saturday, it was an ideal setting for strolling and chatting.

We arrived on the tail end of one wedding and saw the beginnings of another, and enjoyed the sunshine and vibrant colors of the flowers. For David's mom, who is extremely knowledgeable about plant and floral life, this is always a chance to see what's new on the grounds.

It was cool in the shade (hence, David's mother, Marty, in her fleece), but when the sun came out, it was very comfortable. We had such a nice time relaxing together, and we had some good laughs, too:

After our walk through the arboretum, we stopped in at the gift shop, which is across the hall from the banquet room. It was set up beautifully for a wedding reception, and some of the bridesmaids were milling about. Three little flower girls, donned in silk dresses with silk flowers circling the hems and floral wreaths in their hair, came running into the gift shop. Marty saw them and said, "What pretty flower girls you are!" Not really giving much attention to her comment, two of them headed straight to the gardening tools, and we heard one exclaim, "Oohh! Hammers!"

Back at the house, we showed them a brief DVD we made of our trip to Sweden (we still haven't gotten around to printing out actual photos to put in the lovely album my parents gave us for our anniversary), after which the men took a catnap on the couch while Marty and I continued to chitchat. It was so nice not to have an agenda, other than our 7:30 dinner reservations in town.

Dinner was an experience for all of us. David discovered a swanky little place called Brio, which serves food in smaller portions, a la tapas, but the cuisine is widely varied. Marty and I each ordered a spinach salad with raspberries and fried brie to start, while David and Peter ordered a mixed-greens salad with walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and slices of apple. Our entrees ranged from blackened scallops (me) to lamb (Peter) to beef medallions (Marty) to duck (David). And, for good measure, we ordered a serving of elk to share, just so we could all say we've tried it. Everything was delicious, and the smaller portions were perfect for Marty and me, who so often find ourselves leaving restaurants with to-go containers.

The Van Duzer Pinot Gris we shared was a perfect addition to the meal. And the label was so pretty, our server, Dan, had the bartender re-cork the empty bottle so we could take it home with us. (It now sits on the beautiful high-standing desk [similar to this one] that was given to us by David's sister and brother-in-law, Heidi and Brad, with a wicked ceramic cork; all it needs is some lamp oil.)

The atmosphere of the place was so relaxed, we took our time eating. In fact, we didn't leave until 10:40. I didn't take any photos because the place was dark enough that I feared my flash would annoy our fellow patrons.

Though David and I didn't get home until after midnight, it was a day well spent. Since we rarely see his parents (especially in comparison to the numerous times a week we see mine), it made it all the more special.

Happy weekends to all!

I feel pretty . . . oh, so pretty . . .

2008-09-08T21:12:00.010-05:00

When I went in to see my ophthalmologist last Tuesday, I was a bit nervous. The purpose of my appointment was so he could remove a cyst that had been sitting in the corner of my right eye for the past two years; I don't really remember when it actually appeared for the first time, but I know it's been at least that long since people started telling me I had "sleep" in my eye when I didn't.

Sitting in the examining room chair, I listened as he warned me of the risks involved: the cyst could return, it could become infected, he could slip during the procedure. Those sorts of things. I signed off on the consent form, knowing that he would do all he could to keep any of them from happening.

He talked me through the process. Cleaning the area, applying the iodine, injecting the anaesthetic. He then held up a tweezers and scissors, telling me he was going to cut the cyst off. A few painless snips later, he held up the little white globule and said, "You're done!"

Easy enough, I thought.

As he was wiping away the iodine, he said, "Well, the bad news is, your eye is black and blue." I laughed a little and he went on to tell me about the ointment I would need to pick up at the pharmacy later in the day.

I thanked him, but before I could get up from my chair, he told me he wanted me to know what I looked like, so I wouldn't be surprised by people's reactions as I went out into the world. I expected the area to be swollen, red, and perhaps a little bloody. Then he held up the mirror.

Tuesday, post-procedure

Yep, I had a bona fide shiner. Basically, I looked like I got mugged on my lunch break. The following day, David had an appointment with the same doctor to have his eyes checked. He joked with him about giving me a black eye, and the doctor apologized; I honestly don't know if he expected me to bruise up the way I did.

It has been nearly a week, and while the actual "wound," as the doctor called it, has healed up quite nicely, I still have a rather colorful right side. Despite the fact that the bruise never spread under my entire eye, my skin has yellowed all the way to the outer edge. One of my co-workers said, "You don't just have a black eye; that thing is technicolor!"

Today

Sweden: Day nine

2008-08-31T07:51:00.043-05:00

Today was the day we determined we would head back to Gamla Stan and to some more of the sites and do a little shopping, but I also wanted to see about getting up to the top of the Stadshuset (city hall, left) tower to get a view of the entire city. This would be one of those things that was new to both David and me, and I was excited about it.

We made our way to Stadshuset and walked around the grounds a little. It was a beautifully sunny day, which was a nice change from the couple of grey days we'd had prior. There were a lot of other tourists in the area, as well as people who had simply decided that the front lawn would be a nice place to sit and read a newspaper or a book.

There was some construction taking place on the railings down by the water, so there are some photos that really aren't worth sharing, but I think we'll make up for it!

Though there was a long line to make the climb up into the tower, we decided to wait it out. We were tempted to leave a few times because of how long it was taking, but didn't want to miss out on a potentially wonderful view of the city. We were not disappointed.

Riddarholmskyrka

Another church

Globen, the entertainment arena

There were also interesting shots to be taken on the tower itself:

Frid på Jorden
(Peace on Earth)

The walk back down gave us a little more time to take some pictures, too, as there is a museum of artifacts about halfway up and all sorts of artwork here and there along the way. But mostly David had fun with the interesting interior architecture:

Having enjoyed the view from atop Stadshuset, we set out for Gamla Stan. The buildings are so quaint and colorful, and the photo opportunities are endless.

One of the things I wanted to show David was the narrowest street in Sweden. I'm not 100% sure of the history of why it is called a street (or how/if it has changed in the many years since it was first called a street), but we turned the corner onto Mårten Trotzigs Gränd.

The streets of Gamla Stan are always buzzing with people perusing the many shops and eating in the various restaurants.

This square was particularly charming -- I wish I could remember the name.

We walked toward the water and saw a ship of which David's great great uncle was once the captain, the A.F. Chapman. It is now permanently moored and used as a youth hostel. We were unable to go aboard, but the photos serve as a nice memory.

While down by the water, we purchased tickets for a dinner cruise that would take us out into the Stockholm archipelago. It was our biggest splurge of the trip (other than the trip itself!), but we had a few hours to wait before we could board. Seeing as we hadn't had a real meal, we stopped at a waterfront cafe and ordered shrimp salad sandwiches and a glass of wine. This shrimp salad was much like the salad our friend Stefanie bought for us the night before. Det smakar jätte-gott! (It tastes VERY good!)

Our timing for this late lunch couldn't have been better. As we sat down under the large orange umbrellas, it began to rain. We stayed perfectly dry and enjoyed eating down by the water. The rain passed quickly enough, and we found the S.S. Stockholm in plenty of time for our cruise to begin.

It was a beautiful night to be out on the water. The food was delicious, and the sites were stunning. Unfortunately, the motion sickness pills I took didn't really do the trick, so I wasn't feeling all that well for a portion of the night. I took a couple more and they kicked in quickly, allowing me to enjoy the rest of the evening.

The ship's interior

Sunset on the ride back

Sweden is a beautiful country, no matter how you look at it.

Note: I added a few more photos to day eight -- I felt like I skimped a bit upon my first posting!

Sweden: Day eight

2008-08-22T22:12:00.012-05:00

It’s been a while since I wrote about our trip, but the photojournal is not yet over! Day eight found us back on the train to Stockholm, where we took some photos of Klarakyrkan, which is just a few blocks from the central train station. We then hopped back on the train and headed to Östermalmstorg, where we met the daughter of our friend Johan. Stefanie had met my parents a few years back on their last visit to Sweden, and she was eager for the chance to meet us and show us some of her favorite Stockholm sights.

We began with a walk through Salu Hall, a giant indoor market at which she used to work, before she took us to lunch at a nearby outdoor cafe. Then it was back on the train and over to Skansen. Earlier in the morning, we had bought Stockholm cards, good for free admission to all museums and on most forms of transportation for 48 hours, so it didn’t cost us anything to get in.

Skansen, on the island Djurgården, is a large outdoor museum that has a zoo, aquarium, shops, and a replica of a 19th-century town, complete with actors in traditional dress performing jobs of the time. We walked through the zoo, where we saw lemurs, apes, bears, moose, and seals. Before leaving Skansen, we stopped at a cafe for coffee and a sweet treat.

Lemuren (the lemur)

A mama moose

Skansen architecture (above and below)

The homes of foreign diplomats

A crowded bus brought us back to Salu Hall, where Stefanie treated us to a variety of herring and what we would later learn was one of the most delicious shrimp salads ever made. After another train and another bus, we were at Stefanie’s home, where her father, Johan, greeted us with open arms. His younger daughter, Denise, welcomed us warmly and introduced us to her friends Tina, Elin, and Isabelle.

Johan gave us a tour of his home, which was built four years prior (my parents saw it in its early stages of construction), and then poured us each a glass of wine to sip as we sampled the herring and shrimp salad. Johan grilled as we sat on the deck and got to know his family and their friends.

As we ate dessert, Johan's older son, Henry, came home. He was kind enough to drive us back to our apartment, as we were too far away for a quick train ride home.

Stefanie, Henry, A-M, David, Denise, and Johan

It was so nice to spend time with these friends, and we look forward to when they come to Chicago again (or for the first time, Stefanie!).

Needs vs. wants

2008-08-14T12:04:00.010-05:00

The practice of purchasing only what we need and picking and choosing the items we want is something that David and I have done in phases over the past couple of years. And now, at a time when we have had to plunk down significant amounts of money to repair both of our cars, it is hitting me (again) that buying what we need trumps spending money on things we want.

So, I am making a list of things that I buy here and there that I do not need, and I am going to do my best to not buy these things for a good long while.

1 - My weekly “Friday treat” at Starbucks. This was something I began this summer, mostly because I enjoy having an iced caramel macchiato on a warm day. At first, I felt okay about this because it was “only once a week,” but because my purchase replaced my breakfast, I was spending $5.14 each Friday morning for a drink and something to eat. That’s anywhere from $20 to $25 each month.

2 - Music on iTunes. Sure, it’s fun to have new music now and then, but do I need it? We have an entire CD tower full of music that I love, much of which I haven’t listened to recently. At anywhere from $7.99 to $12.99 an album (or $.99 for individual songs), there were times I spent up to $25 in a month on music. I’d much rather save that money and put it toward purchasing a season of a television show that I can watch while I exercise. It’s a much better use of that money for me.

3 - Lunches out during the week. This is one thing I have gotten very good at avoiding. For the past four or five weeks, I have brought my lunch to work every day. On the days that I used to buy a lunch, Jimmy John’s was most often my take-out of choice, and a Turkey Tom sandwich with cheese costs $6.22. That’s not even including a drink and chips, though I usually opt out of them anyway. But if I were to go to JJ’s once a week, I could spend up to $25. And let's not even mention the cost in calories!

4 - Brand-name food items. Groceries add up. We all know this. So if I can get something for less because it’s a generic brand, I’m going to buy it. What I really need to start doing is buying my produce from a market instead of Jewel, especially in the summer when we’re buying more fruit. But convenience has, thus far, won out.

5 - Clothing. This is on the list more so because, in the past, I have had a tendency to splurge on something because it was cute or on sale or because “I deserve it after the week I’ve had.” But the truth is, if I’m not replacing something I’ve given to the Friendship Center, or if it’s not a bridesmaid’s dress, I don’t need it. I have gotten much better at this over the years, but I still have moments when I struggle with wanting an item of clothing as opposed to actually needing it.

6 - A quick meal on the way home. We were on track with this for a while, thanks to the Menus by the Month blog, but the unpredictability of summer has made it difficult to keep up with that. The result? Ordering pizza, heading out to Chipotle, or stopping at the store to pick up a few things on the way home from work, none of which is cost-effective. As we head into fall, which will bring with it MBA classes for David and work on the church newsletter for me, it will be more important than ever to create our monthly menus, shop accordingly, and stick to them.

This isn’t to say we’ll never splurge or that we’ll deny ourselves anything and everything we like. After all, David and I very much enjoy our monthly date nights and count them as a priority. But I would rather put the money I’ve been spending on the above items toward our house fund. I’ve even found myself saying, “If I don’t [go to Starbucks] [buy that album] [get that dress], that money can go toward a house” lately.

It’s working so far . . .

Summer fun

2008-08-04T21:00:00.011-05:00

Sweden: Day seven

2008-07-31T21:10:00.007-05:00

Our much-needed down day after four days on the road. We did laundry in the morning and walked into downtown Årsta for lunch and to pick up some food for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning. It was a good day for relaxing mostly indoors, as it was chilly and rained on and off.

I took two photos.

"Årsta Center"
(The blue sign says "Library")

The entrance to our "flat"

Back at the apartment, we watched a couple of movies on DVD as we lounged on the couch. The first, Something the Lord Made, was a dramatization of the very first heart surgeons, Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, and their extraordinary partnership. It is well worth watching, especially if you are a fan of Alan Rickman or Mos Def. The other was Groundhog Day, which we watched while eating macaroni and cheese with korv cut up into it. Just like home!

Sweden: Day six, or "The longest day"

2008-07-26T10:17:00.031-05:00

One more day trip before we return the rental car. This one brought us north of Stockholm to a teeny town called Sundborn. As you can tell from their web site, Sundborn is known, primarly, for being the home of Swedish painter Carl Larsson.

The drive north provided picturesque views of fields filled with bright yellow flowers, and purple flowers along the highway. Though we saw many moose crossing signs, we saw no moose. It’s not surprising, really, seeing as fencing has been put up along the highway to prevent moose from being able to enter.

Carl Larsson’s home was easy enough to find, thanks to the smallness of Sundborn. It was fun to walk across the bridge that has been painted to look like a rug (and which afforded a pretty view) to get to the road leading to the house.

While we waited for our English tour guide, we snapped a few photos of the grounds behind the house.

This statue stood by a second building on the grounds. It is the artist’s rendering of Carl Larsson himself. I smiled when I saw that she used a stuffed horse’s head for his head, as Sundborn is located in the Dalarna region of Sweden, known mostly for its Dalarna horses.

The words on the card:
The flowers and the glass balls are the joy of Carl's life.
The black bands are grief. The mirrors reflect the world as Carl painted.
Just as the artist intended. Please look closely, but be careful with him -
he is extremely fragile.

Our tour guide, Tanja, is one of 200 descendants of Larsson, as are all of the employees of the site. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the house, but if you look at any of Larsson’s paintings, you’ll get a good idea of what it looks like. It was fun for us to walk into rooms that we have seen depicted in paint, and to find that they were just as he had painted them. He painted on many surfaces in the home, and often those paintings were of his family members. In addition, his wife, Karin, embroidered a small tablecloth with each family member’s name around the hem.

So welcome to the house of Carl Larsson and his spouse!

The tour took 45 minutes, and then we were free to walk around the grounds and visit the guest shop. We did both.

We stopped in a restaurant not far from the house, but seeing that a sandwich buffet cost nearly $17 per person (and still not realizing that things simply cost more in Sweden), I suggested we get back on the road and find something less expensive on the way.

This beautiful birch forest was near where we had parked our car:

“On the way” became a stop in Gamla (old) Uppsala, which I mistook for the location of the Uppsala Cathedral.

It was raining in Gamla Uppsala, but we walked to the pretty old church anyway and took some pictures. There were signs for a restaurant on our walk up to the church, and we made a note to stop and get something on the walk back.

Let the children come to me.

However, the restaurant was closed, which is just as well, because their lunch special would have cost us nearly $30 per person.

We trudged on . . . getting ever more hungry . . .

Uppsala Cathedral, another place I have been to and wanted David to see, was as huge and beautiful as ever, even in the rain. We ran through the drops and entered the tall, heavy doors.

After spending about half an hour in the cathedral, I was exhausted from lack of food. It was close to 6:00, and we hadn’t eaten anything since 10. Leaving the cathedral, we drove through the streets of Uppsala in search of a restaurant, but found nothing. Apparently Uppsalans don’t eat.

David suggested we just get back to Stockholm, fill up and drop off the car, and then we could pick up some food at a grocery store on our way back to the train. The promise of food kept me going.

About 45 minutes later, we were back in Stockholm and heading to Avis. We wanted to make sure we knew how to get there before we filled the tank up with gas and then drove around using it up while we searched for the place. Finding Avis was the easy part.

Finding a gas station near Avis, however, was another story altogether.

We drove around Södermalm for about 20 minutes, but no gas stations could be found. David proposed that we get back on the highway and get gas at the first station we see. Sounds great, I said. But getting to the highway proved a little more tricky than we had expected, and we ended up on a wrong street taking us further south than we wanted to be. At this point, we had an hour to get the car back.

Finally, after another 10 minutes of driving and searching, mostly in hungry and frustrated silence, we got back on E4 heading north. And north, and north, and north. A gas station presented itself at long last, and we filled up the tank and picked up some Pringles, if only to have something in our stomachs. It was now 8:10.

We got back to Avis around 8:30 and did a final check to make sure we hadn’t left anything in the car. As I dropped the key into the slot, I said, “I rid myself of you!” and we began the walk to ICA, their grocery chain.

By the time we returned to the apartment, it was 9:30. We whipped up and scarfed down our quick dinner of tortellini and fell into bed.

We interrupt this photo journal . . .

2008-07-24T07:28:00.006-05:00

. . . to introduce Ethan Joseph and Ryland Joy, born Friday, July 18, to my dear friends Valerie and Greg.

Big brother Gabriel, who will be two tomorrow, is excited about them, often asking to "hold babies."

Congratulations to the happy family!

Sweden: Day five, or "I hope y'all like pictures!"

2008-07-20T16:57:00.016-05:00

On to the glass kingdom! David and I departed SVF and Jönköping on a rainy Sunday morning, purchasing our first tank of gas on our way. Eek! At nearly 14SEK per litre, we spent a pretty crown to fill 'er up.

Our trip to Växjö took a little under three hours. When we got into town, we found the tourist bureau, but it was closed. But since the Swedes are an accommodating people, a metal box in front of the building displayed an invitation to take one of the brochures inside. We did so and made our way to McDonald's to grab a cup of coffee and peruse the pages. Unfortunately, the brochure was prettier than it was helpful.

We walked back to the car, which was parked a couple blocks away from the Växjö cathedral, and that was something I knew I wanted David to see.

Baptismal font

Arch detail

Glass altar

Tree of life

Tree of life detail

The exterior of the church was equally as beautiful as the interior, and I was glad that the rain has subsided so we could take some pictures.

Back at the car we determined our route to Kosta and, a few wrong turns notwithstanding, we were there in about half an hour. I initially took a photo of the front of the building, which read "Kosta Outlet." I thought, "Oh, cool, they must have a glass outlet now." Wrong. Walking through the front doors, I quickly realized that we were in a mall. I then feared that maybe we were in the wrong place altogether but, when we found a legend of the grounds, discovered that this crazy-huge mall had been built up in front of the glass factory since my last trip.

We passed through all the shirts and shoes and handbags and found ourselves in front of the original building, which reads in huge painted letters, "Kosta, Grundlagt ["established," more or less] 1742". Did I take a picture of this building? No.

My cousin Anne-Louise had told us that she didn't believe they allowed visitors to watch the glass blowers on Sunday, so we were pleasantly surprised to see that they did. It cost some money, but it was worth it. We found some seats up front and watched a man create a vase. We then moved to different seats to get a better view of another man creating a pitcher.

The finished product

While we watched the glass blowers, it began to pour outside. Running between the drops, we entered a shop that sold glass blown by students of the factory, and then ran to an exhibit hall featuring glass from Kosta through the years. It was nearing 5 p.m., and I wanted to be sure to get to the glass shop before it closed, as I had a special order from Melissa for some snowball candleholders.

I also was in search of a particular glass horse that I had seen in years past. The candleholders were there -- and cheap as could be compared to what they cost in the States -- but there were no more horses. I did, however, see another, more modern glass horse that I thought was interesting. But we went on our way without buying it.

No Kosta for you!

Before heading back to Stockholm, we made one last stop at a Moose Shop, or Älgaffär, which sells all things moose. Aprons, napkins, bottle openers, games, bibs, socks, keychains, t-shirts, mugs, coasters, magnets, tote bags, wall hangings, sculptures, ties, calendars . . . you name it, they had it. They even had real moose!

We didn't take the time to see the live moose, as we had long drive back to Stockholm ahead of us. But we did have a great drive back up through some of the more rural parts of southern Sweden.

A stop at a gas station/McDonald's was in order, as the gas light began blinking. I don't think I've ever spent $17 for two meals at Mickey D's, but it was food and it was fast.

It felt good to be back at the apartment for the night. I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't know where I was. That's a sign of good sleep!

Sweden: Day four, or "Why I should have bought a backpack"

2008-07-18T17:55:00.006-05:00

The plan for this day had been to drive from Jönköping to Växjö and into glasriket (the glass kingdom), which includes Kosta, Boda, Orrefors, and 12 other glass factories. We knew we wouldn’t see them all, but had hoped to see at least two of the three we know best.

But my back had other plans, and I spent most of the night trying to find a position that would put an end to the intense ache I felt (no doubt the result of lugging our heavy and awkward duffel bag, which had been slung across my shoulder, to Avis the day before). Neither of us got much sleep until about 4:30 a.m. -- poor David -- when I took four ibuprofen and stood in a hot shower for ten minutes. I could feel the pain wash away.

Downtown Jönköping at 3 a.m.

When I woke up at 8:30, David suggested I catch up on some sleep, and we re-worked our plan for the day, opting to stay closer to Jönköping. The glass factories -- a longer trip -- could be done the next day.

We drove to a small artists’ community called Smedbyn. During my stay at SVF years before, we were brought there on a field trip of sorts, and I bought some ceramic renderings of Santa Lucia, a starboy, and an angel, which I display each Christmas.

Knowing that the man who made them passed away a few years ago, I wasn’t expecting to find any of his pieces for sale. I was expecting more of the shops to be open, though. Out of nearly 20 shops, only four were open. And yet, the location is still as quaint as ever.

Not finding much in Smedbyn, we drove north a bit to Gränna, where we had stopped for polkagris the day before. The ferry to Visingsö was to leave at 3:15. We arrived at the ticket window at 3:10. Perfect. The trip took 20 minutes, and we stood at the bow and watched as the island came into view.

The first order of business was to find a late lunch. Restaurang Solbacken was nearby and had a deck overlooking the water. We ordered a couple of pizzas and found a table. About half-way through our meal, a light shower fell, but after five minutes, it was over. The sun shone the entire time.

We walked a short distance to Visingsborgs slott, the one-time castle of the Swedish monarchy. It is now in ruins and in such a fragile state that fences have been put up around it. Very different from my first trip there, when we were allowed to walk through it and have a photo taken while sitting on the edge of one of the window openings.

Tre flickor i ett slott, 1992

David near a dungeon-like entrance

We didn’t have a lot of time before the last ferry back to the mainland, so we made our way from the castle to Brahekyrkan, the 17th-century church built for Count Magnus Brahe and his family. Across the street from the church are the cemetery and wooden bell tower. Magnus died before the church was completed, and his nephew, Count Per Brahe the Younger inherited it.

On our walk back to the ferry we saw what was probably our favorite Swedish road sign:

Upon our return to Jönköping, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up something light for dinner, as well as breakfast for the next morning, and went back to SVF. We strolled around the grounds a little so I could see my old dorm again, and then we went back to our room to eat and watch the three-hour marathon of Scrubs that was on television. It was a good chance to relax and catch up on writing in our trip journal.

To come: Växjö and glasriket.

Sweden: Day three

2008-07-15T20:15:00.017-05:00

It was the Fourth of July, and we were in Sweden. If David hadn't reminded me of our own country's holiday, I would have forgotten completely.

We pulled together a duffel bag of clothes for our two-day trip to Jönköping, Ulricehamn, and Växjö, and made our way to Södermalm, where our rental car awaited us. However, we didn't know exactly how to get to Avis on foot from the train station. A nice young woman attempted to give us directions, in English no less, but we ended up going too far out of our way, wandering for a good half hour. I finally asked a newspaper-store owner how to get where we needed to be, in Swedish no less, and actually understood his directions. We were there in a matter of ten minutes.

The men at Avis got us to our car, which ended up being manual, so David asked that I start out driving. Initially nervous about driving in a foreign country, my fears were quickly alleviated, thanks to David's amazing navigation skills.

We enjoyed our three and a half-hour trip to Jönköping, taking in the beautiful farmland and fields full of bright yellow flowers. As we drew nearer to the city, the waters of Lake Vättern came into view. Unfortunately, there were too many trees in the way of our passenger's window to get a good shot from the moving car.

We did, however, make a pitstop in Gränna, the home of polkagris (peppermint candy). Knowing our nieces and nephews would enjoy the sweet treat, we picked up a stick for each of them, as well as one for David and a black licorice lollipop for me.

They were just finishing up making a batch, so we took some pictures of that, too:

We then drove to Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola (SVF), where I studied 15 years ago. It was good to be back on the campus, which looked pretty much just as it did then. Shortly after arriving, though, we had to make our way to Ulricehamn to meet my relatives.

Anne-Louise met us in downtown Ulricehamn and drove us to a park overlooking Lake Ätran . . .

. . . and then we followed her to their farm for dinner with her mother, Ulla-May, and brother, Bengtson.

The farm at Varnum

The American flag was flown in our honor

The main homestead, built in the late 1600s

With Bengtson and Anne-Louise

David with Ulla-May and Anne-Louise

After a delicious homemade dinner of two quiche-like meat-and-cheese dishes, salad, and rolls, we were on our way back to Jönköping, talking about what the next day would hold for us.

Sweden: Day one

2008-07-13T10:44:00.018-05:00

Okay, friends, here it is. Day one (and two, if you want to get technical) of our trip to Sweden. I figured it would be easiest to break it down day by day, showing you a select few photos over the next week or so.

Last Wednesday, my parents -- now both fully retired and loving it -- drove us to O'Hare Airport, where we boarded flight 946 bound for Stockholm.

We had a mostly uneventful flight, though there was a little turbulence that caused me to grip on to David as though the end were near. He laughed, of course.

It was nice to have a small television screen in front of each of our seats, on which we could watch a movie (new and old releases alike), play a video or card game, or guess at some trivia. We watched Definitely, Maybe, which was cute and passed the time nicely.

Upon our arrival at Arlanda Airport, around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, we got our tickets for the express train to Stockholm, which takes a swift 20 minutes -- much better and less expensive than the alternative: a 40-minute cab ride.

We did take a cab from the central train station in Stockholm to the apartment we were staying in, just so we were sure to get to the right place right off the bat. Thanks to our friends Derek and Carin, we had an adorable place to hang our hats for the week, and it was a short two-block walk from the train station. Very nice for making our way in to Stockholm each day.

After arriving at the apartment, we fresh-ened up and got our bearings before making our way to Stockholm and Gamla Stan (the old town).

Not really having any goal other than keeping ourselves awake until at least 9 p.m., we just began to walk. We walked through the winding, shop-filled streets of Gamla Stan, taking a few pictures here and there, and trying to find someplace to have a little lunch.

We saw many things we knew we'd see again later in the week, so we held off on photographing or stopping in to see them.

One thing I thought would be fun to do would be to see the Vasa Ship Museum, which I saw 15 years ago when I was last in Stockholm, on the island of Djurgården.

David was up for it so we made the walk over. It's a very long walk, which I hadn't remembered, but well worth it.

The Vasa was built in the early 1600s and sank upon its maiden voyage in 1623 -- before traveling one nautical mile. Beginning in the 1960s, she was salvaged, and the museum was begun in 1987. Work continues on the ship today.

The Vasa Ship

Taking a rest next to a member of the crew

Weary travelers

Vasa Ship Museum exterior

After leaving the museum, we took a ferry back to downtown Stockholm and headed back to the apartment, stopping at a small pizza place in "our" neighborhood for a light dinner. We then called our parents to let them know we had arrived safely, and were in bed by 9.

Vi är hemma*

2008-07-12T14:25:00.003-05:00

It was an incredible eight days, and we have a ton of pictures, but first I need to rest and do some laundry -- and maybe weed out five or ten or fifteen of the best pics -- before I write more.

* We're home

Mini date night

2008-06-28T11:21:00.006-05:00

It was Friday night, and David and I were lying like slugs on our living room couch, watching re-runs of Seinfeld on DVD. The night before found us doing the same thing, only the show of choice was Arrested Development, and only we fell asleep at 7:30.

To prevent our Friday from imitating our Thursday too completely, David, in his infinite wisdom, asked, "Is the Bunny Hutch open?" I said I didn't know, but ice cream sure sounded good. Again, wise David asked, "Do you want to go play miniature golf?" Anything to get me off this couch on a Friday night!

We were off to Novelty Golf, which, as those of you who have grown up in Chicago know, has advertised using the same commercial since, oh, 1972. After playing the first course, which I won, David was easily convinced by the cheery cashier to play the second course for half price, which he won.

By the end of the evening, the mosquitoes were out in full force, so we headed over to the Bunny Hutch to get our ice cream. But when we got there, I realized that the Bunny Hutch is not what it used to be. I expected to see a long list of ice cream flavors (I always used to get bubblegum when I was a kid), but the list they now have contains all of ten flavors, none of which were the least bit enticing.

So we hopped back into our car and headed west to the Chocolate Shoppe, which has become known for its annual theme and subsequent re-decoration of the interior. We found many families and kids enjoying their ice cream outside, despite the humidity, and we joined them on a bench eating our double scoops of raspberry rhapsody and black cherry (for David) and moose tracks and mint chip (for me).

It was a fun way to end the week, even moreso because we hadn't planned it. If I had known that in advance, I would have brought my camera, but there are some things we just have to rely on our memories for.

What did you do this weekend that was fun and unexpected?

T-minus nine days

2008-06-23T09:37:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we took a mini-trip to Galesburg and Urbana, Illinois, first to witness the wedding of our friends Anne and Kenny, and then to see our friend Cara perform in a musical. Both events were wonderful in their own special ways. We enjoyed two beautiful days for traveling, and it was good just to be together. Whether we were talking about anything and everything or driving in silence and watching the clouds change form as they traveled across the beautiful blue sky, we enjoyed the chance to be together, and to get out of Chicago for a bit.

Upon our return, it hit me that we are now nine days away from our departure date. Sweden is, quite literally, just around the corner. Tonight, we will meet up with Derek and Carin, who have rented out their apartment to us while they spend a few weeks in the States, to get the keys to their place and find out what we need to know before we go.

Then the whirlwind will begin. Picking up travel necessities, finding the right kind of adapters for our electronic devices, determining how much money to bring and converting our dollars to kronor (crowns), renting a car, making sure not to buy any groceries we won’t eat before we leave, doing a packing test-run, and keeping life in general organized between now and when we leave.

These last few days are going to go by quickly, I’m sure.

The verdict is in

2008-06-20T08:38:00.008-05:00

It's too short. While I love John and he gave me a great haircut, it's too short to be easily manageable. Well, easily manageable by me. Which is sad because, ultimately, after spending 15 minutes blowing it dry (most of which time was spent on the back of my head where my curl is, and much of which time was spent sweating under the heat of the blow-dryer and muttering frustrations under my breath), I like how it looks.

I just hope I figure out a way to do it that isn't so time-consuming -- or that it grows out even just a little so it doesn't look so silly when I don't straighten it -- before we travel to Sweden.

In the meantime, I'm going to find a smaller round brush in the hopes that I will be able to manage the crazy, curly shortness that is the back of my head right now. Or possibly ask John if I could ever pay him enough to come to my house every morning at 7:15 to style it for me.

Happy Friday.

The verdict is still out

2008-06-18T21:33:00.003-05:00

It's really short . . .

Gettin’ strict: My six-month re-resolution

2008-06-12T12:24:00.001-05:00

Because of the busyness of the last couple of months, David and I have not been keeping up with our monthly, let alone weekly or daily, menus. We haven’t eaten poorly, necessarily, but we also haven’t eaten as well as we probably could.

In addition, I have been slacking a bit on my workouts. Though I’ve gone almost every weekday, I have majorly skimped on my cardio.

The combination of these two things has caused my weight to creep up. Seeing as I had only five more pounds to go a couple of months ago, this is frustrating to me. I now have ten.

So, starting now, I am getting strict with myself. I will plan a week’s worth of healthy meals and shop for them, I will watch my portions, and I will lessen the number of sweets I allow myself. I will work harder at the gym. I will lose ten pounds.

And then I’ll have to maintain it . . . eek!

June 9, 2008: One year

2008-06-09T12:09:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe, but today is David's and my first anniversary. Where the past year went, I do not know.

We got a jump-start on the celebration, going to Ravinia to see/hear James Taylor on Saturday night. It was a stormy, wet night, but we had so much fun. It was definitely a night we won't forget.

My mom and dad joined in the celebration, inviting us over for a delicious London Broil dinner last night, and giving us very thoughtful gifts: a photo album to fill with pictures from our upcoming trip to Sweden (which begins three weeks from Wednesday--yikes!), and a journal to take notes of what we do each day while we're there.

This morning before I left for work, David and I exchanged our gifts. I gave him some super-fun cufflinks made from Scrabble tiles, one with each of his initials. As for me, he went above and beyond and gave me a second wedding band, identical to the one he gave me a year ago today.

During the morning, I surprised David by having my dad leave a gift including a card, a jar of his favorite Jelly Belly flavors, and a gift certificate to a local burger joint in his office. He was especially surprised because he had left his office to get coffee, and when he returned, my dad -- who had gotten one of David's co-workers to open his office -- had left the gift bag on his desk. Score one for Ann-Marie!

Tonight, when I arrived home from work, a dozen red roses were in a vase on our coffee table (and our friend Cara was in the living room, too, but that's a whole other story!), and there were three calla lilies in a vase on the television cabinet. After Cara left, we walked to our favorite dinner spot, Tre Kronor, and enjoyed a delicious meal, which we followed up with a viewing of (can you believe how addicted we are?) The Office. While we watched, we sipped a glass of Whidbey Island Pinot Noir that we bought on our honeymoon and took a few bites of our wedding cake, which, thanks to an amazing wrapping job by my mom and sister-in-law, tasted nothing like freezer.

Happy first anniversary to us! Here's to many more!

The Brunch Club lives!

2008-06-03T08:37:00.004-05:00

A new post is up at the Brunch Club page.

The return of the blogger

2008-05-31T16:40:00.012-05:00

I know.

I KNOW.

Where have I been? What have I been doing? Is everything okay? Why am I not blogging?

I've heard all the questions (and the taunts, EMann). And here are your answers:

1 - At the end of April, I resigned from my position as University Editor at North Park University in favor of that of Deputy Copy Editor at Rotary International. This move was the result of much drama, difficulty, and sadness, but I truly feel it is the right move for me. I began on Monday, May 5, and will be working, primarily, on The Rotarian magazine, which is a monthly publication. I have much to learn, but I am certain my new boss will walk me through it patiently. And no, they didn't give me a badge.

2 - A week before my last day at North Park, I helped to host a retirement party for my dad, who has served North Park for the past 33 years. It was a beautiful celebration honoring this man who has given so much of himself to his alma mater and to its students, alumni, faculty, and staff. David and I were charged with putting together a photo montage of Dad's life, and I think it turned out quite well (if I do say so myself). Maybe we'll figure out a way to post it here sometime.

3 - We hosted Easter at our apartment, which gave us the opportunity to spend the day with this cutie-patootie:

Katie

When I originally began this post (three weeks ago), I wrote that she would soon be joined by a new sibling. But the writing of that post was interrupted - I kid you not - by the birth of said sibling, which was a whole big crazy thing in itself. I'll share more on that later. For now I'll just say, it's a girl!

4 - We also celebrated the 97th birthday of David's grandpa, which allowed us another day of fun with the aforementioned cutie-patootie.

5 - David and I celebrated his birthday by going to see the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field. It was our first game of the season, and they won, which David has never seen them do when he has been to the park. It was a bit of a chilly day, but it was a really fun way to wish my husband of almost one year a very happy 26th birthday!

Happy Cubs Fans

6 - On Mother's Day, we hosted both of our sets of parents and celebrated our wonderful mothers, as well as David's birthday, by grilling on David's early anniversary gift.

7 - I took a day off to assist my sister-in-law Susanna as she set up and facilitated a retreat centered on the story of the prodigal son for Faith at Work, an organization that works with people to help them discern God's call in their life. It was so good to see Susanna in good health again, and to spend two days with her working on this thing that she has created and that people respond to so strongly.

8 - We spent an afternoon honoring my mom, who has retired from the Latin School of Chicago after 22 years there. She was given a very sweet, very funny send-off by her two teammates, Rose and Carrie, who actually went so far as to say that they worry they won't know what to do once she's gone because they've always thought of WWJD as What Would Jan Do? Well, that, and neither of them owns a watch.

Rose, Jan, and Carrie

9 - A few weeks after I left North Park, my former co-workers got together to give me a belated farewell party, which doubled as a farewell for our friend Josh, who has moved to Ecuador to work with a soccer ministry there. Things got a little silly toward the end, and I may or may not have been the one behind the Charlie's Angels pose.

Michele, A-M, Megan

10 - Over Memorial Day Weekend, we went to Michigan to visit David's sister Sarah and her family. While we have a plethora of photos and stories to share, I'll have to save them for another post.

11 - This morning, my brother was in town for a few hours after spending a week in the Boundary Waters with his college buddies. His flight wasn't until 4, so David and I joined him and my parents for brunch at Tre Kronor. We sat outside and enjoyed the delicious food, the cool breeze, and the chance to see Pete again.

12 - We discovered The Office. Need I say more?

the o.c. and me

2008-04-03T17:05:00.005-05:00

thanks to kelly, i now have a new way of keeping myself on the elliptical trainer and motivated for more than 20 minutes at a time. she suggested that i download an episode of an hour-long show and watch it as i exercise, thereby guaranteeing at least 42 minutes of entertainment (um, and exercise).

after a good half-hour surfing itunes, i decided to buy the first episode of the fourth season of the o.c. the o.c. was a guilty pleasure that i shared with my cousin emily when it first began to air, and she and i watched the first two seasons regularly. then, she got a new job, our weekly get-togethers stopped, and i didn't keep up with watching the third season. but, as with any good soap opera, i picked up a season later and still know exactly what's going on.

after burning a whopping 595 calories in 45 minutes while watching the first episode, i knew this would be the way to go for my cardio-only days. so i downloaded the entire season. who knew a silly television show could have health benefits?

sweden 2008 minus two

2008-03-31T13:38:00.005-05:00

almost two weeks ago now, david and i bought our tickets to sweden. it was a bittersweet moment, as we did so knowing that steve and melissa, our intended travel partners, would no longer be joining us. due to unforeseen circumstances, they have had to allocate their trip funds elsewhere. namely, toward a new and slightly more expensive apartment. while we are really sad that they won't be able to join us, we are so happy that they were gifted with this apartment at a time that was perfect for them.

so now david and i must plan our trip. thanks to an old college friend, we are fortunate to have relatively inexpensive lodging just a short tram-ride from downtown stockholm. i am in search of an email for my relatives, who i haven't seen in many years, hoping that we can visit with them for a while on one of our day trips. we'll need to rent a car, and i have emailed my travel-agent friend anna to see if she can tell us where to do that and what it might cost per day. i have also sent away for a free brochure highlighting sweden in 2008.

some places we know we'll want to see are:

- växjö (a.k.a. the kingdom of crystal)
- jönköping (home to svf, where i studied while in college)
- stockholm's old town (gamla stan), which houses the vasa museum (vasamuseet) and skansen (open-air museum), for two
- the picturesque town of hjo (i regretted not buying an "i [heart] hjo" t-shirt last time i was there)
- an original ikea, perhaps

i'm sure there will be plenty of other places we'll want to go, but this is a small starting list. it's been fifteen years since i've been there, so i have forgotten a lot.

in the meantime, i'd better bone up on my svenska!

no, no . . . not that!

2008-03-28T14:52:00.006-05:00

i'm afraid there's no way around it. it's here, and it is . . .

the plateau.

i have hit one and, unfortunately, it does not in any way resemble this:

for the past couple of weeks i have been in an exercise slump. sure, i still go to the gym five mornings a week. but i'm not working out as hard or as long as i was when i started out, and i've become lax in watching what -- and how much -- i eat.

i'm holding steady at 150, which is good, but i still have five more pounds to go if i am to meet the goal i set for myself in january. if you were to go to my sparkpeople page you would see that the date by which i was hoping to achieve this is a mere four days away. so that's not going to happen.

the questions i have are these: how do you work through a plateau? how do you get un-slumped?

i welcome any and all suggestions for re-motivating myself.

better late than never

2008-03-25T14:55:00.005-05:00

two christmases ago, i was given the gift of a super-funky, super-loooong scarf, hand-knit by my friend laurie. she made it while she was traveling in sweden that fall and thought it was kind of fun. but she didn't expect that i would fall completely in love with it and wear it every cold day of the past two winters.

this year, i commissioned her to make a matching hat. as she had many other projects on her plate (more christmas and birthday gifts), i told her not to rush. good thing. if you read her blog post about this hat--my hat--you will read that it wasn't a lickety-split, easy-knit operation. instead, she had difficulty getting the size right, and had to unravel the thing more than once. oh, how badly i felt for asking her to make this beast of a headwarmer.

but last week at choir rehearsal, she presented to me, in the most exasperated manner i've seen her display in many moons, THE HAT.

my hat.

my hat that i now love just as much as the scarf that preceded it.

so what if i've only gotten to wear it twice now that the weather is warming up? next winter, i will be all about my new hat!

and i will never ask laurie to knit anything for me ever again.

thanks, laurie!

i feel as though i should be blogging

2008-03-19T11:21:00.003-05:00

but i have no idea what to say.

i could tell you about the super-fun time we had with our friends luke and chrissy on monday night.

i could tell you about the fact that today is my sister-in-law's 40th birthday (happy birthday, susanna!).

i could tell you about my banner day of cardio yesterday (55 minutes and 476 calories--wahoo!).

i could tell you about my purchase of enchanted last night.

i could tell you about the cuteness that was a little, pink post-it love note on the bathroom mirror this morning.

i could tell you about our disappointment over steve and melissa's likely need to pass on our sweden trip.

i could tell you about how much i hate google pages right now.

i could tell you about the concerts i'm going to be singing next weekend.

i could tell you about our upcoming easter dinner, which we will be hosting (!) at our abode.

i could tell you about laurie's and my fun day of shopping on saturday.

i could tell you all of these things . . .

but . . .

meh.

tag

2008-03-10T11:37:00.006-05:00

melissa tagged me (almost a week ago—oops!), and i am now supposed to list ten things about myself. fortunately, this melissa did not tag me, as she just shared one hundred things about herself, and i did that a while ago. so here are my ten:

1 i am fairly well addicted to lost.

2 i really, really wish i could hold my own in conversations about politics.

3 i love being married to my best friend, and i highly recommend it.

4 i’m in love with our nieces and nephews. can't get enough of 'em! and i wish that the majority of them weren't so far away.

5 i feel really victorious when i get home from the gym, especially on days when i have to force myself kicking and screaming to get out of bed at 5:10.

6 i would check email and do household chores 24 hours of day if i could.

7 i yawn way too many times a day.

8 i’ve been trying to lose the last five pounds.

9 aside from the goals i’ve already reached in my life, i want to have children, stay home with them, work from home while they are young, and hopefully do so (at some point) in a home that we own.

10 i really love the end of the work week. no, really. i think it's unnatural how glad i am to get out of the office, and that was even the case when things were good.

and now i tag megan, erikka, nancy, and sarah.

alive

2008-03-07T09:42:00.004-06:00

i should probably pop in here to let y'all know i'm alive and well. things at work have been less than sunny for the past few weeks, and that was the reason behind my last post. because i don't know who reads this, i am restricted from sharing anything more. just know that i am doing fine, especially between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 8 a.m.

happy friday.

solace

2008-02-26T19:06:00.002-06:00

god leads us along
- george young, 1903

in shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet
god leads his dear children along
where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet
god leads his dear children along

some through the waters, some through the flood
some through the fire, but all through the blood
some through great sorrow, but god gives a song
in the night season and all the day long

sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright
god leads his dear children along
sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night
god leads his dear children along

thanks, melissa.

obamafied

2008-02-19T09:24:00.006-06:00

this is not a political post. simply an opportunity for some fun wordplay:

funny things, scales

2008-02-17T20:54:00.004-06:00

it has now been a little over a month and a half since melissa and i began our early-morning workouts and since david and i began a more regular eating schedule. for the first few weeks it was hard to tell if i was losing any weight, or if i was losing a little weight and gaining muscle. for a while i had no idea what i weighed. it didn't help that our digital scale gave readings all over the map. david stood on it three times in one morning, and his weight spanned an 18-pound range!

so, out went the digital scale and in came our new, analog tanita scale. while it's hard to know just what i actually did weigh when we started our work-outs, i can say with some certainty that, on our new scale (which accurately registers the weight of items for which we know the poundage, such as my dumbbells), i am currently at a weight of 151 pounds. this is a good thing. it means that i have lost somewhere around seven to twelve pounds. nice range, huh? this post helps to explain that.

i am supposed to visit my doctor again this month so she can track my progress, but i may put it off a few weeks just to see if i can drop a few more pounds. i'm not going crazy with this, but if i can get back to 145, i'll feel like i've accomplished something. and, as an added bonus, my driver's license will be correct again!

i'm gonna sing, sing, sing . . .

2008-02-10T17:02:00.000-06:00

for many years now, i've thought it would be a good idea to take voice lessons. what has stopped me, you ask? primarily, the cost. that, and the motivation to actually find a teacher who wouldn't scare the bejeezes out of me.

my search ended this morning after church. our youth choir director, linden, sang a solo during the service, and i was -- to say the least -- impressed. to put it more precisely, i thought, "i wish i could make my voice do that."

i had seen a flier advertising voice lessons with her before, but didn't think seriously about it until today. seeing on the flier that her students must be at least 13 years of age, i approached her and asked if there was an age limit. she said there absolutely was not and, in typical linden fashion, jumped up and down while she asked if i wanted to take lessons with her.

so, we agreed that i would be one of her pupils (for a very affordable rate, mind you). once i find out my rehearsal schedule for cantate, i will set up a few dates with her. i'm thrilled at the idea that someone is willing and able to work with me to better my voice.

in the meantime, i need to go get ready for our church's evensong service tonight, for which i am singing in a small group. la-la-la-la!

super blah xlii

2008-02-03T21:11:00.000-06:00

i've never understood the appeal of football, and other than the e*trading baby commercials ("i really underestimated the creepiness") and the vitamin water ad in which a jockey gives shaq a congratulatory pat on his posterior, it was a pretty dull night. (well, as dull as watching the super bowl with my best friend can be. we always have fun ;) )

for what it's worth, congrats to the giants.

back to business

2008-02-02T11:21:00.001-06:00

i woke up this morning with very little cough left and the pleasure of free and easy breathing. finally! from my side of the bed i looked over at my dresser, on which sat my gym clothes, just waiting to be used. i hopped out of bed and threw them on, excited at the prospect of returning to the gym. thanks to the recent snowfall, i got a little pre-workout workout brushing off david's and my cars, and then i was on my way.

let me tell ya, there are a LOT of women who work out at 8:30 on a saturday morning! i was surprised at the numbers of people there, but glad to get an exercise bike so i could ease myself back into my cardio. after a half-hour there, i moved over to the free weights for some strength training. though i didn't watch the clock, i probably spent another 30 to 40 minutes there.

it felt so good (a) not to be sick anymore and (b) to get back to doing this crazy thing i was sure i'd hate doing on a regular basis.

tonight we will attempt a new fish recipe before heading over to our church's tenth annual coffee house. i'm looking forward to some fun performances by members of our church family.

happy sickness-free weekends to all!

home again, home again . . .

2008-02-01T08:22:00.001-06:00

sickety-sick.

today is day four of this cold, which seems to be moving around my head and chest, but which refuses to leave. i attempted to go in to work yesterday, but by noon i was feeling achey and shaky and knew the best place for me was bed.

i'm also on day four of no exercise, which is a real bummer for me. i was really optimistic that i was going to go every day this week, despite the fact that melissa was not able to go with me. but alas, it was not to be. my eating habits have been less than stellar, too. nothing sounds good when you're sick, you know?

happy friday. bleh.

out of it

2008-01-30T15:06:00.000-06:00

today is my second day home from work, having caught a bad cough and fever from david, who was sick over the weekend. though i'm feeling better, i'm experiencing a sore throat from the coughing and body aches from being in bed (or at least lying down) for a good portion of the past 48 hours.

i knew i wasn't well enough to go to the gym yesterday morning, but i still attempted to do some weight work at home. that didn't last very long, as i became nauseated and needed to lie down. but at least i tried. last night i knew i wouldn't be going to the gym or to work today, so i set the alarm for 7:30 (for david) and resigned myself to the fact that would be doing no exercise. it's surprising to me that, after only three and a half weeks of this new agenda, i am finding it disappointing not to work out.

while i was home today, however, my new resist-a-ball arrived, which i'm really excited about. i plan to use it for weekend days when i don't plan to go to the gym but want to get in some good strength training. first i have to pump it up.

also, while being home for a couple of days, i was reminded of just how funny ellen degeneres is. particularly after the receipt of her hawaii chair! too funny.

hopefully i will be back to normal tomorrow.

this is women's workout world, right?

2008-01-24T14:46:00.000-06:00

by way of beginning this post, i must state that i am aware that women have a wide variety of interests and that no one should ever be kept from doing something they like because it once was associated with the opposite gender. that said, when i walked over to the magazine rack at the gym today -- the gym that is open only to women -- and found it filled with golf, car and driver, and motor trend . . . and completely devoid of the usual fare, like real simple, people, and better homes and gardens . . . i was a little disappointed. where did they go?

i may bring my own magazine tomorrow.

fyi: ratatouille rocks

2008-01-21T14:45:00.001-06:00

i posted a recipe for this tasty vegetable dish over at menus by the month. check it out!

quality friday: holding steady

2008-01-18T11:40:00.000-06:00

thirteen early weekday mornings have passed since melissa and i began our work-outs together as goal buddies, and i am happy to report that i have gone all thirteen days. that's every workday morning for two and a half weeks, folks. i've quite surprised myself. not only that, but i have continued to keep track of which exercises i am doing — both strength training and cardio — and the foods i am eating. thank goodness for sparkpeople!

the combination of my new work-out regimen and david's and my new meal schedule has brought about some changes in me.

1- i have a new bed time (10 p.m.) and, with the exception of last night, when i got home from choir at 9:50 and was wired, i have stuck to it.
2- waking up at 5:10 has only gotten easier.
3- i have more energy all day long.
4- the days when melissa can't join me don't make me want to stay home (no offense, friend!).
5- i am more productive and am doing a better job at keeping track of daily life.

as far as my weight loss is concerned, i haven't seen much change in poundage. yet. but i have seen changes in the shape of my body. i showed david my tricep the other night and said, "look! i have new muscles!" and i do.

the next couple of weeks will be a true test of my devotion, as melissa may only be able to go with me one or two days next week and not at all the following week. let's hope i can hold steady then as well as i have been so far!

happy (quality) friday, everyone!

menusbythemonth.blogspot.com

2008-01-15T15:35:00.000-06:00

you asked for the menu (and by you, i mean kelly), so the menu you shall receive!

when david and i began our monthly menu, i thought it would just be a piece of paper we taped up next to our calendar-calendar (why neither of us thought to write the meals on that calendar, i'll never know). but after telling melissa about it, she mentioned it to audrey and to samara, who also thought it was a good idea, and who also wanted to swap recipes with the others of us who were on this quest to think ahead about what foods we'll prepare and, hopefully, eat better in the process.

and so, the four of us began (yet) another blog, cumbersomely named menusbythemonth.blogspot.com, where we will do just that. share our monthly menus. in the case of david's and my first installment, there are very few meals that are linked to sites where the recipes can be found, but i hope this will change over time.

feel free to stop by and see what's on our plates, so to speak. and, as i mentioned over there, if you would like a recipe that isn't linked, just let me know. i'll be happy to email it to you.

enjoy!

a month of meals

2008-01-12T17:45:00.000-06:00

in an attempt to eat better, and to make sure we eat real food for dinner, david and i sat down last sunday afternoon and created a month of meals. not everything is über heart-healthy or low-fat/low-cal/low-sodium, but it's food that requires preparation beyond heating the oven and unwrapping the pizza.

when i mentioned this to melissa, she suggested a menu swap, and then she went and made her own monthly menu, complete with links to the recipes! our menu isn't that fancy, but it's done. more importantly, we're sticking to it!

addendum: i will certainly share my recipes, as soon as i figure out a way to link to the ones that aren't currently online. stay tuned!

newfound determination

2008-01-09T09:32:00.000-06:00

it occurred to me that those of you who read this little blog of mine may not know the multi-faceted reasoning behind my new exercise/healthy eating regimen. so, here's the scoop:

during a recent visit to my doctor, she suggested that i lose ten to fifteen pounds. according to her scale (and other doctors' scales over the past two or three years), i weigh 163 pounds*. after initial feelings of annoyance (and, yes, defiance), the following list of reasons to lose the weight came into my head:

1- simply put, i am not in good shape.
2- i've been saying for years that i want to work out regularly and eat more healthily. it's time i follow through.
3- as if i weren't set in my ways enough, it's just going to get harder to change my habits as i get older.
4- one day, david and i would like to be parents. better to get into shape and take care of myself now so i don't have to do it in a pinch as we await a child's arrival.

that list made, my goals are these:

1- lose the aforementioned ten to fifteen pounds.
2- exercise three to five days every week for at least an hour (to start).
3- eat healthier foods and watch my intake of the less-than-healthy.
4- cut out daily sweets.
5- drink more water.
6- get more sleep.
7- make a weekly/monthly menu in advance and shop for it (more on this later).

now, as long as i can keep from becoming this girl (thanks, cathy!), i think i'll be just fine:

* after some research and reading, i have learned that weighing oneself in the morning after "using the facilities" and before eating will give a more accurate reading. for me, this resulted in a weight of 158 pounds, as opposed to the 163-pounds-at-2-p.m.-in-the-
doctor's-office-with-my-clothes-on i thought i weighed.

fish-delish!

2008-01-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

day three at w3 is complete! we did a little ab work with exercise balls today, which, as much as it kills, will be done by me again next time i go! i've heard that it takes about 21 days to form a habit and truly make it part of one's routine, but as i told melissa in the car this morning (as i chattered away on my post-exercise high), i think we've pretty much sold ourselves on this new practice.

the other thing i'm sold on is sparkrecipes, where i found this delicious salmon dish. we hosted my dad for dinner last night, as my mom is still in vermont, and we thought he might like something home-made and not from a can. like salmon? garlic? mustard? give this a whirl:

baked dijon salmon

4 salmon filets
1 teaspoon garlic salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 teaspoons dijon mustard
8 tablespoons red onions, sliced thin

preheat oven to 400 degrees. rinse salmon in cool water and pat dry. sprinkle garlic salt on top; rub in.

melt butter in pan; add mustard and stir.

place salmon filets on large piece of tin foil. pour mixture over top of salmon, using a spoon to coat the sides. spread onions on top.

wrap in foil,
sealing securely so butter won't leak. set directly on middle oven rack.

bake for 20 minutes, or until salmon flakes off with a fork.

åtnjuta!

inspired

2008-01-03T14:22:00.000-06:00

yesterday morning, cold as it was, i was excited to start out my new exercise regimen with melissa. what i didn't expect was that, last night, i would say to david, "i think i want to go again tomorrow." so, this morning, when the alarm went off at 5:15, i ~~sprang out of bed~~ snoozed it until 5:30, when david wanted to be up, got into my workout clothes, and made my way out the door.

after shivering in my sub-zero car while the engine warmed up and the frost melted from my windshield, i almost changed my mind. almost. but i didn't. i drove my little car to the gym, threw my stuff in a locker, filled up my water bottle, stuck my headphones in my ears, and i did 2.45 miles on the elliptical, burning 300 calories and causing me to drink nearly all 24 ounces of water in my bottle.

then it was on to the free weights, where i spent a good 20 minutes doing various body-toning exercises. i finished off with a few more body-toning exercises on the machines and was on my way by 6:40.

i think i'm going to like this!

resolution tag

2008-01-02T11:05:00.000-06:00

miss audrey has tagged me to share with you a list of my resolutions for 2008. seeing as she is such a dear, sweet person and good friend (and seeing as i have a little head start with yesterday's post), i will oblige:

1 work out on a regular basis. for real. if you read yesterday's post, you know that melissa and i have committed to each other to work out mondays, wednesdays, and fridays at a nearby gym, waking up before the crack of dawn to get a jump on the day and to get it over and done with before 5 p.m. rolls around and my couch begins calling me. i also plan to go one weekend day, as well, and possibly even throw in a fifth day during the week, if i feel so led.

2 create a weekly menu of good-for-us foods and stick to it. this will require research, smart shopping, and making the time to do it. wish me luck.

3 lära mig svenska igen. (learn swedish again.) this is in preparation for our trip in july, but also because i've always wanted to know more and be able to have a real conversation without having to apologize for my lacking knowledge.

4 sing more. and i don't just mean in general, like, around the house or in the shower. i have not been able to take advantage of singing with cantate as much as i usually do this past year because of other things like weddings (ours and other peoples') and taking on new responsibilities at church. but i plan to start out with a february or march concert (details are still forthcoming, even to the chorus members) and see what else they have in store for the year. voice lessons have also been on my mind . . . we'll see how ambitious i am.

so there you have them. my resolutions.

now i tag:

laurie
sarah
megan
emily
melsie

2008? already?

2008-01-01T14:39:00.000-06:00

it's here. a new year. where did 2007 go?

even though i wrote about making resolutions last summer, i feel the need to do so again today, as it is january first. my good friend melissa and i have decided to join forces and be workout buddies, or "goal buddies" as the people at sparkpeople call them. another good friend, laurie, got into her workout regimen by starting out with her friend nancy. and now, even though nancy doesn't join her every day, laurie has found her groove and become a daily exerciser.

melissa has been a member at women's workout world for close to three years and convinced me to join. for a wee $19 a month, i really couldn't say no. the thing i could have said no to, however, was our plan to meet at 5:30 three mornings a week to drive over to the gym and exercise for an hour. and yet, i have had to fight myself at the end of the work day to make myself go. i am hopeful that having melissa as my accountability partner will make it easier and even more enjoyable to do something that is so good for me.

so, here's to my goal buddy!

'twas the day after christmas

2007-12-26T18:10:00.000-06:00

. . . and all through the house,
dishes sat 'round unwashed, untouched by either spouse.
the presents, unwrapped, could be found here and there,
some used (like d's tetris), some set aside with care.
though snow did not fall and the day was not white
'twas a merry christmas for all, and for us a good night.

i'm not feeling witty enough to write out a re-creation of the full poem, so my abridged version will have to do. it was a different year this year. a grown-up year, you might say. with all six and a half of our nieces and nephews celebrating christmas with other family members, we were completely without child-inspired fun this year. and yet, it was a memorable first christmas as a married couple.

we spent christmas eve day making spritz cookies (david) and pepparkakor dough (me), and attending our church's annual service, which always ends with me tearing up at the sight of our packed-out church filled with candlelight, as each person in attendance holds a candle and sings "silent night". then we had dinner and opened gifts with my parents and aunt and uncle.

christmas day began early -- 5 a.m. to be exact -- as we woke up for our church's julotta service. we sang with a small ensemble and enjoyed a continental breakfast afterward, during which time we congratulated our friends amy and sean, who became engaged christmas eve. yay!

we spent the rest of the day with my parents, who came to our apartment for lunch. we all got a chance to nap during harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban and enjoy a chance to relax and visit.

a few weeks ago i had mentioned to maren that i might post my pepparkakor recipe, but it never happened. sorry about that, mar! i'm posting it now, along with our spritz recipe. enjoy!

swedish pepparkakor

1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon clear corn syrup
2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 T. hot water
1 large egg

sift together:
3 1/4 cup flour
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves

mix ingredients with electric mixer in order given. refrigerate overnight. roll out VERY thing and bake in 350-degree oven until lightly brown (3-5 minutes).

spritz cookies

1 cup shortening or butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg

sift together:
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon extract

cream butter, adding sugar gradually. add unbeaten egg, sifted dry ingredients, and flavoring. mix well.

fill cookie press half full. form cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.

bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.

cookies can be decorated with sugar sprinkles or frosting and red hots (a la the wreaths at the left).

merry christmas and happy new year!

we do live in the windy city

2007-12-23T20:06:00.000-06:00

need proof? take a look:

we were awakened at 2:30, 3, 3:30, and 4 this morning by the sounds of rushing winds and sirens. when we got up for church, david called me into the living room to take a look at the above scene. amazingly, the car sustained very little damage.

all day, however, the winds have been brutally strong and bitter cold. a shock after yesterday's 50-degree temperatures. i'm hoping that the winds calm down for those who are needing to fly on these pre-christmas days.

some enchanted evening

2007-12-23T19:12:00.000-06:00

last night was another date night, and according to david it was my turn to choose the restaurant and the movie.

as we had two rain check passes to see a movie in evanston, the result of a botched attempt to see american gangster last month, i/we chose to indulge ourselves a bit in our choice of dinner locale. i hopped on to metromix.com and looked up evanston eateries. ruling out places such as jimmy john's and taco bell was pretty easy, but what was difficult was to branch out from our usual favorites, the flat top grill and davis street fish market among them.

then i saw the web site for the stained glass wine bar, bistro, and cellar. it looked absolutely charming, and the menu looked as though it would appeal to both of our palates. we were right! so, if you're ever in the neighborhood and able to splurge, i highly recommend it. the atmosphere was soothing and warm, the service was speedy and friendly, and the food was delicious. i think i devoured my butternut squash soup appetizer faster than i've ever eaten anything. ever. yum.

following our delicious meal (which left not a smidge of room for dessert), we made our way back to the theater that had been oh-so-packed a month before in the hopes of getting tickets (and seats) to see enchanted. it must have been our night, because we got in just as the previews were starting and took our seats.

the movie was really cute, though it didn't have me laughing out loud as much as i had hoped that it would. but amy adams, who i absolutely adored in junebug, did not disappoint. nor did alan menken, whose music had me tapping my toes.

all in all we had a lovely date night. next month it's david's turn to choose . . . duhn duhn duuuuhn!

;)

so, we had a glögg party

2007-12-19T16:20:00.000-06:00

and life has been just a little bit crazy since then. i've been busy finishing up our christmas shopping, wrapping the gifts, and jumping back into things at work since returning from vermont. now that i have that (mostly) under control, here are a few shots from the night. and don't be fooled by the goofiness. i had all of one glass of wine all night, and no glögg until well after our guests had left! i can't speak for david . . .

oh! that face!
i'm chalking it up to exhaustion.

what we were really going for:

(thanks for bearing with us, melissa!)

the party was great fun, and it was made all the easier by david's hard work and preparation, as well as the helping hands of my mother and laurie, who made cookies for us to share. we now have them coming out of our ears, but christmas is coming; we'll have plenty to bring for our family celebration.

here's a shot of the pots we used to serve the two different recipes of glögg. the one on the left is one we bought this year, and the one on the right belongs to my parents. we have searched high and low to find one like my parents', but to no avail. so melissa suggested that i post about it here to see if anyone else might stumble across my blog via google and say, "hey! we have one we want to get rid of!" smart girl, that melvel(uce).

so, if anyone is looking to sell a tall, copper glögg pot with a spigot in front, you just leave a comment and let me know how i can contact you. tack så mycket!

home again, home again

2007-12-15T23:12:00.000-06:00

jiggity-jig. after a crazy turn of events in which my original flight was canceled, i returned to the little yellow house for a two-hour nap and a little bonus cuddle time with aaron, flew out seven hours later than planned, waited for a delayed flight out of washington-dulles, and finally arrived at o'hare at 1 a.m. this morning, i am home. the plus side? i got to see both of my nephews and my sister-in-law for a few extra hours. the down side? i had to say good bye to them twice in one day. but it is good to be home again with my loving husband, who made sure that, during the five days i was gone, our apartment was readied for tonight's glögg party, which was a success, if i do say so myself (not that i have any right to take credit for it).

first, a few photos of our nephews, with whom i spent the past week:

aaron enjoying cheerios

isaak in his spiffy christmas sweater

relaxing on the couch

after-school fun with the boys

pulling himself up on his feet -- baby-proofing, here we come!

isaak the private detective assesses the situation
with gretchen, aaron, and a-m

it was a wonderful and difficult week, and i am so glad i went. susanna is doing really well, but she has a long road ahead of her still, as she regains the strength to get herself around the house, take part in normal daily activities, and care for her children. she has been told not to lift more than ten pounds, which rules out aaron, who (when i took him to his nine-month check-up this past wednesday) weighs in at 19 lbs. 9 oz. her sister is returning on monday to spend another week with them, which will be a great help. i am just so grateful for this positive outlook for susanna. as peter said this week, "we're bummed we can't come to chicago for christmas, but susanna is here." 'nuff said, big brother.

photos of the glögg party will be forthcoming. i need more sleep first.

homeward bound

2007-12-12T19:58:00.000-06:00

three weeks and one day after being admitted to the hospital, it looks as if susanna will be just that tomorrow. she has been doing very well -- despite understandable feelings of being cooped up and distant from her family -- and was slated to enter the rehab clinic today or tomorrow. however, after an evaluation by a clinic rep, she was deemed too high-functioning to need their services. at least on a 24-hour-a-day basis.

so, what we are expecting is that she will be released from the hospital tomorrow and will come home. after that, she will be visited on a daily basis by a physical therapist, who will work with her to build up her strength.

the sad news is that she has been told she should not fly at christmas, which means that they can not come to chicago. however, because they were unable to be with kari in boston for thanksgiving, they will probably drive to be with her, depending on how susanna is feeling at that time. isaak hasn't been told about that possibility yet, because there simply hasn't been time for peter to have the discussion with him.

we don't know yet what time she will be released, but we will be ready.

aaron and i had a good day today. i got to play mommy a little and bring him to the pediatrician. he is a happy, healthy little guy (i do hope to post some pictures -- probably after i get home), and his smile just cracks me up.

isaak is as creative and interesting as ever. he loves to read, to draw, and to pretend to be whatever imaginary character strikes his fancy. so far this week he has been isaak the professional photographer and isaak the private detective.

it's hard to believe i leave the day after tomorrow. i will sleep well on the planes, i'm sure.

all's well

2007-12-11T08:35:00.001-06:00

i arrived yesterday afternoon just a little later than expected, and the first nineteen hours have been great. aaron is sleeping now, so i just thought i'd pop by to say i'm here and all is well. when he wakes up, i may bring him to see mommy. but we'll see how the day goes.

if it's not one thing, it's another

2007-12-07T16:05:00.000-06:00

susanna has been in a semi-private room since yesterday, and the boys have been to see her. she was expected to have a visit with a physical therapist this morning to get her muscles moving again and just help her regain some strength.

and yet, today, she is having another procedure. the doctors found a small nodule between her lung and chest wall, which they had thought would be re-absorbed into the body, but hasn't been. so she is in the radiology department right now, and the doctor sounded hopeful that he could go in with a needle and get it out.

my mom is on a direct flight home as i type, and i know she returns with mixed feelings: wishing she could stay to help, but feeling exhausted from being 67 and keeping tabs on a six-year-old and an eight-month-old for two weeks. granted, she chases after four-year-olds all day at school, but the past two weeks have had the added dimension of emotional exhaustion.

i leave on monday for five days in vermont and, as pessimistic as it may sound, i would not be surprised if susanna were not to be home by the time i leave to come back to chicago. her body is going to need a lot of time to recuperate, and if she can get physical therapy at the hospital, or perhaps at the rehab center, it will be important for her to take as much time as is necessary to do that and to do it right.

so that's the latest from lake wobegon.

update, as of 7:30 p.m. cst: susanna had the nodule removed and was returned to her non-icu room -- yay! she was in good spirits today when my mom went to see her one more time before getting on her plane back to chicago.

thirty-five

2007-12-05T21:21:00.000-06:00

today's the day i turn thirty-five. the big three-five. i'm not sure why, but thirty-five was more ominous to me than thirty. perhaps because i am now thismuch closer to forty. FORTY. oy.

in spite of that little thing called my fear of aging, it was a wonderful day. first off, we received good reports from vermont. susanna is to be moved out of the icu as soon as a room becomes available. after work last night, peter stopped by to visit her, and said that she was looking one hundred times better and that her spirits were much higher. both very good things. my mom is going to take the boys to see her tomorrow.

this past weekend, i celebrated my birthday with my family, which was a bittersweet time. with mom in vermont and worries about susanna, there was a tinge of sadness, but it was good for all of us to be together, if not for my birthday, just to be together.

today, several of my friends and colleagues wished me well in their own special ways: a delicious lunch at campeche (thanks, melissa!); a "gift card," hand-written on a post-it note, good for dinner with megan after the craziness of the holidays has subsided; a virtually uneditable document wishing me, "marie-ann", a "hApPY,birzDay", compliments of my boss, the lovely lilian; and a sweet holiday ornament and cute card from co-worker melissa. not to mention the ecards and phone calls i received from many other friends and family members.

in addition, david's (and now my) niece and nephew, emily and nathan, called me from michigan to wish me a happy birthday and to tell me, after nathan stepped on a blue inkpad and tracked footprints on the carpet in emily's room, that he stepped in "unk." and i received my first birthday card "for my wife." talk about a memorable moment!

meaning no disrespect to all of these wonderful friends and family, i must share with you one of the top birthday wishes of today, left on my phone by isaak:

the snow continued to fall today, which normally would bug me. but i walk to work now, so who cares? i kid. sort of. david and i went to our favorite spot, tre kronor, for a quiet dinner for two, followed by a viewing of roxanne, one of my christmas gifts from my aunt and uncle. gotta love steve martin (unless you're david, but it's my birthday, so he lovingly agreed to watch it).

photo taken on the one-year anniversary of our engagement,
but could just as easily have been taken tonight.

i am so blessed in so many ways. even if i am thirty-five.

not so fast

2007-12-04T08:40:00.000-06:00

we got ahead of ourselves with all that "home-going" talk. susanna had a ct scan late last night in order to make sure she was clear to be moved to the rehab facility. but at 1 a.m. my brother was called and told that the scan indicated fluid around her heart. she had a surgical procedure to drain the fluid, which was a darker color than the doctors expected. they say this could be the result of her recent infection, or perhaps she'd had another infection at some point in the past that was never detected.

at any rate, susanna is back in the icu and on a ventilator. peter is feeling as though this will never end, and isaak misses his mommy. and why wouldn't he? peter is with her at the hospital until she wakes up, but then he has to go to work. their pastor is going to be with them and will possibly stay for a while during the day so susanna has company and someone to keep a watchful, caring eye on her.

keep the prayers comin'.

one step closer to home

2007-12-03T20:27:00.001-06:00

it seemed that susanna would be on her way home today or tomorrow, but she has had a couple of rough days due to her move from the peace and quiet of the icu into a regular hospital room. regular hospital room equals regular hospital chaos. as a result, she has not been able to get much sleep and woke up sick this morning. she felt better by the afternoon, but susanna is one who truly needs to listen to her body when it tells her it's getting tired, and she just can't do that in a noisy hospital wing.

as the doctors want her to get well as soon as possible, they have decided to move her one more time, this time to a rehab facility that just happens to be located a couple of miles from their home. i like to think that this is a metaphorical move as much as a physical one. she will probably need to stay there for another four to six days, which means my mom will not be able to see her actually make the move back home--a sad thing for both susanna and mom.

a couple of things for the "on the upside" list:

one - aaron slept a solid twelve hours last night, giving mom and peter the chance to get a very good night's sleep.

two - susanna's brother todd will be arriving tomorrow; he will be a great help around the house while my mom entertains aaron (and possibly isaak, who had a snow day today and stayed home with aaron and farmor). susanna should be home by the time i arrive next monday afternoon. i hope i have the stamina for it. there is much to be done, and much will fall to me so susanna can recuperate. mom is taking notes of aaron's eating and sleeping schedule so i know what to expect when i get there. if ever there were a time to find out if i've got what it takes to be a mother, next week will be IT.

and no, i'm not making an announcement.

thanks again for all your prayers and encouragement. things are definitely looking up.

out of the woods

2007-11-30T15:44:00.000-06:00

susanna is being moved to a regular hospital room tonight. this is terrific on so many levels. not only does it mean she has improved enough to not need 24-hour attention, but it also means that her boys can see her again.

kari went out to rent a portable dvd player so that the family can have a movie night at the hospital, per susanna's request. she also indicated that she would like to drink coffee and eat oreos. :)

god is good.

sweden 2008

2007-11-29T13:32:00.000-06:00

more than two years ago, when david and i had been dating for less than a week, we got together with our friends steve and melissa one afternoon. somehow the conversation turned to travel -- travel to sweden, in particular. i told them i would love to go back sometime, and david said that, despite his full-blooded swedish heritage, he has never been. neither melissa nor steve has been, either, and melissa suggested that we all go, and that i be their tour guide.

initially, i laughed. i haven't been to sweden in 14 years, not since i was on a choir tour for two weeks. granted, i had studied there for six months during the winter prior to that tour, but it's been 14 years. what good would i be as a tour guide? and yet, it would be a trip to sweden. we agreed we would plan for sweden 2008!

last night, we met to discuss timing and an incredible offer for lodging that we simply can not pass up. so, we are going to sweden for ten days in july 2008! ja sure, you betcha!

i have a feeling i'm going to be frequenting sites like these over the next few months.

stockholm

as you can see, our weemes have gone ahead to do a little scouting and research for us.

better and better

2007-11-28T09:37:00.000-06:00

susanna is doing much better. she will probably have her ventilator and chest tubes removed today, which is a very good thing. in addition, she was talking and joking with kari this morning, and pete says her anxiety about the situation has decreased dramatically, which will aid in her recovery, too. whew.

my mom arrived yesterday afternoon and got to see susanna for a little while. today mom and aaron are going to spend the day together doing all sorts of fun things like laundry and grocery shopping. whee!

susanna's brother will be heading out there next week, and i have purchased a ticket for december 10-14. it will be good to see them and to be able to help in any way i can. and even nicer to know that, most likely, i will be able to see them again a mere ten days later when they come for christmas.

as my mom said today, "things are looking really good, but that doesn't mean we should stop praying." amen to that.

in other news, david and i approved our wedding albums last night, as well as our parents' albums. unfortunately, that means that it is most likely the parent albums won't be ready in time for christmas, but we have some other items to give the 'rents to tide them over.

we also received two large framed sets of photos, which we have now hung in our apartment, as well as a silk-framed four-photo folio, and two mini albums of ten images each. now if we could only get started on our thank-you notes. ugh.

looking up

2007-11-26T16:53:00.000-06:00

susanna's surgery today was successful. the doctors removed some more infected fluid from her lung (which they said looked like chicken fat--lovely), and said that her left lung is all clear of infection. they expect she will need to stay in the icu for a few more days, but then will be moved to a regular room.

in the realm of good news, the doctors feel susanna will recover quickly enough that she will be able to get on a plane to come to chicago for christmas.

my mom leaves at 7:45 tomorrow morning for a week with the family.

upgrade

2007-11-25T18:30:00.001-06:00

just got a call from my mom, who had just talked to pete. in his words (or perhaps they were kari's), "susanna no longer looks like hell warmed over. now she just looks like hell." i suppose we'll take what we can get.

susanna is still in the icu, and she is scheduled for an endoscopic surgery at noon tomorrow, during which they will remove a "rind" that has grown on the inner lining of her lung, which in a way is a good thing. it means her body is working to heal itself. basically, the rind protects the lung from any infection in the area. the body will reabsorb the rind eventually, when the infection has been gone for a good long time. however, because the doctors drained the infected fluid, they want to remove the rind earlier. this will allow her body to begin the post-infection healing sooner.

the boys are doing great--all three of them. peter has gotten a few good nights of sleep, thanks to the help of friends and family, isaak is over his bout with the stomach flu and laughing at the antics of mr. bean, and aaron is now drinking formula from a bottle and slept straight through the night last night.

setback

2007-11-24T12:57:00.000-06:00

susanna had a bit of a setback yesterday. she’s still basically recovering well, but more fluid was removed from her right lung. she’s still in quite a bit of pain but has a pca (patient-controlled analgesic) device, so she can push a button to get pain relief on her own schedule. they put a chest tube back in, and because she’s had ct scans, they could place it precisely where it needs to be. the scans showed that the lung has built a protective covering for itself, which is a natural occurrence when there’s infection, but that covering can only be removed surgically, and that may not happen until monday. they want to be sure she doesn’t have any infection before they do anything invasive. so she’s still in icu, where she can be monitored best and conditions are extremely sterile. she’ll have another ct scan on monday, to check her left lung, which now has a small pocket of fluid. this fluid could be reabsorbed by her body by then, but they will be checking on that.

it’s pete and kari’s understanding that, even though this is a setback, it isn’t something that would be considered unusual or unexpected. they are just disappointed because she was doing quite well, so hopes were up for an earlier release next week.

thanks to all for your prayers (or good vibes or whatever it is you do).

update

2007-11-23T07:25:00.001-06:00

susanna is doing much, much better. the fluid was drained from her lungs and no more has built up, so the doctors are happy about that. she is still in the icu, but peter is hopeful she'll be moved out soon. my mom is planning to fly out next week for five or six days and then i will piggy-back on her trip and spend a few days helping out.

peter and the boys were able to enjoy a nice thanksgiving-day meal with some of their good friends. please continue to keep susanna and the whole family in your prayers.

giving thanks

2007-11-22T08:42:00.000-06:00

thanks·giv·ing – [thangks-giv-ing] – noun

1.	the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to god.

2.	an expression of thanks, esp. to god.

3.	a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.

4.	a day set apart for giving thanks to god.

today is a very different thanksgiving day for my family and me. any other year, we'd be giving thanks for the usual things--food, shelter, jobs, health, family. but this year, the last two items on that list are at the forefront of our minds, as my sister-in-law susanna lies in a hospital bed in vermont, recovering from pneumonia. it appears that the worst is past, but she is still in the icu and will probably be in the hospital close to a week. even though they have drained the infected fluid from her lungs, and even though she was able to breathe on her own all night without the aid of a breathing tube, i can not yet breath a sigh of relief.

today we give thanks that peter was wise enough to call for an ambulance. today we give thanks for doctors who discovered the pneumonia and know how to work to treat it. today we give thanks for east-coast family and friends who are rallying around our family, who feel so very far away. today we give thanks for cell phones and email, making speedy communication possible. today we give thanks to god for all of these things, and more. and yet, we still continue to pray for continued healing and full recovery.

may you not take for granted the things and the people for which and for whom you are thankful this year.

the one with all the trivia

2007-11-21T10:43:00.000-06:00

christmas came early to our home last weekend. friday evening found david and me running a couple of errands, one of which brought us to best buy to purchase an xbox 360 for david. his buddy steve has an xbox, which is great for when the guys want to get together and shoot stuff up (a lovely image, i know). but sometimes david would like to have the guys over to our place for guy's night, too. and so, the xbox 360 is an early christmas gift. or, as david says, "my christmas present for the next ten years." five, maybe, but not ten.

on our way to the cashier's counter, i saw , perched ever-so-strategically on a nearby shelf, a new version of the popular movie game scene it?, only this one was even more up my alley. that's right, it's the friends deluxe edition! and at a tenth the price of the xbox, i easily justified adding it to our purchase.

well, we played it for the first time last night. it was easier for me than original scene it? (which may have something to do with the fact that i wasn't playing against the king of all movie knowledge, luke), but still not much more enjoyable for david, who just doesn't have a freakish brain like mine. at least not when it comes to entertainment trivia.

we ended the evening by playing a couple rounds of halo 3, at which i have no skill whatsoever. david was patient with me and helped me get my bearings, but it's just not something i'm good at. perhaps there's a friends game for xbox?

may you all have a happy and relaxing thanksgiving day.

'tis the season

2007-11-17T19:38:00.000-06:00

. . . for making glögg! in preparation for our christmas shindig, david has made two large batches of the swedish spiced spirit, and promptly displaced three shelves-worth of pantry items to store it.

skål!

quality friday: feelin' like a million bucks

2007-11-16T12:44:00.000-06:00

since our office's move to a new space, i have been using my ipod shuffle more often, as i am now more prone to hearing the goings-on of all of my co-workers. it's not as bad as i was anticipating it to be, but still nice to be able to drown out the conversations from time to time. lately, i have been playing (and re-playing and re-playing) the barenaked ladies' "if i had $1,000,000". the happy guitars and silly lyrics are perfect for a friday, so i thought i would share them, as well as an old video of steven and ed performing it on a canadian kid's show in 1990:

if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you a house (i would buy you a house)
if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you furniture for your house
(maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)
if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you a k-car (a nice reliant automobile)
if i had a million dollars i'd buy your love.

if i had a million dollars
i'd build a tree fort in our yard.
if i had a million dollars
you could help, it wouldn't be that hard.
if i had a million dollars
maybe we could put a little tiny fridge in there somewhere.
(we could go up there whenever we wanted to.
we could have, like, snacks and beverages . . .)

if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you a fur coat (but not a real fur coat, that's cruel)
if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you an exotic pet (yep, like a llama or an emu)
if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you john merrick's remains
(ooh, all them crazy elephant bones)
if i had a million dollars, i'd buy your love

if i had a million dollars
we wouldn't have to walk to the store
if i had a million dollars
we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
if i had a million dollars
we wouldn't have to eat kraft dinner.
(but we would eat kraft dinner.
of course we would, we'd just eat more.)

if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you a green dress (but not a real green dress, that's cruel)
if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you some art (a picasso or a garfunkel)
if i had a million dollars (if i had a million dollars)
i'd buy you a monkey (haven't you always wanted a monkey?)
if i had a million dollars, i'd buy your love

if i had a million dollars, if i had a million dollars,
if i had a million dollars, if i had a million dollars,
i'd be rich.

of flowers and friends

2007-11-14T21:24:00.001-06:00

now that fall is half over, i finally found an autumn wreath to hang on our front door. thanks to the folks at the dried floral shop (.com, of course), this lovely arrangement now graces our entryway:

and while we're on the topic of gracing our entryway, my former college roommate katherine did the very same thing this past weekend. she was in town for her cousin's wedding and, while she could have spent two nights with her family in a hotel downtown, she asked if she could spend one of those nights at chez ann-marie (and david) so we could spend some time catching up. she didn't have to ask me twice!

her plane didn't arrive until 8:35 on friday night, so we stayed up until midnight talking about what we've been up to for the past year since we last saw one another. david was out enjoying guys' night, sparing him from any boring old-friend chatter. katherine is a friend with whom i can truly pick up where i left off last time, and it's always easy and fun. may it not be another whole year until we see each other again!

avid reader wanna-be

2007-11-12T09:53:00.000-06:00

this morning it was brought to my attention that it is assumed that the books listed in the “on my nightstand” list are being read by me simultaneously. considering the fact that the three listed are only a few of the volumes stacked one atop the other next to my bed, i should probably note which book i am actually reading.

at the current time, i am making my way slowly through love you, mean it. written by four women widowed by the september 11 attacks, the book is about the bond they forged as a result of that horrific experience. it is not one that is easy to read, nor should it be. but whenever i get around to reading, i either have five minutes before i have to head off to something else, or i am in bed, and i fall asleep before i can turn the page.

thomas merton’s no man is an island was given to me for christmas last year. i am contemplating putting aside love you, mean it for the next week or so and doing an intensive reading of merton’s book so i can discuss it over thanksgiving with my sister-in-law heidi, who gave it to me.

barack obama’s dreams from my father is one i have wanted to read for a while. i will get to it when i can.

there are other books on my nightstand, but they have been buried for so long below the books i really want to read that i can’t even remember right now what they are.

what books are you reading?

shutterbug

2007-11-08T16:05:00.000-06:00

laurie loves to take pictures. she has taken photography classes. she carries her camera with her nearly everywhere she goes in case she sees something to snap. she has become her family's designated photographer. and she's quite good at it!

the people at the chicago tribune must agree, as they used her photo as their home page link to a photo gallery of fall colors today:

pre-monday blues

2007-11-04T23:44:00.000-06:00

the look on my face here pretty much sums up how i feel about returning to our newly renovated office space tomorrow. it's not that i don't like the space; i do. very much, in fact. it's that the general feeling in the office these days is ridiculously negative, to say the least. makes it hard to be the positive one. but i'm going to keep trying.

story of a weekend

2007-10-30T17:28:00.000-05:00

is it possible to feel relaxed and rejuvenated after a weekend away with three kids, age six and under, and a three-month-old puppy? before this weekend i would have said, "nuh-uh." but then we spent three and a half days with david's sister and brother-in-law and their brood in michigan. despite the busyness of the weekend (which included preparation for and the execution of their church's 125th-anniversary celebration), we had a terrific time.

we arrived just after midnight friday morning, greeted by sister sarah, all comfy-cozy in her bathrobe. abel, the trial-basis beagle puppy, was asleep when we arrived, but we two dog lovers quickly roused him for a selfish cuddle. i think we fell in love with him right then and there.

we spent friday with sarah, nathan, and laura, while dad marc worked on the celebration preparation. when emily came home from school, we took abel to the open lot behind the church to run around sans leash. the day was cool and crisp, and emily and nathan had great fun chasing him through the tall grass, while i enjoyed following laura around and keeping her company. david, of course, was taking photos left and right. he's our own personal paparazzo, and we're grateful for it.

it was all fun and games . . .

until abel found the hind quarters of a rabbit in some bushes by the near-by track. lovely. i'll spare you the photo taken by my hubby. marc successfully rid the dog of his newfound prize, and we all went home to wash our hands, mouths, and any other part of us that abel had so lovingly licked post-find.

saturday i woke up with a raging headache reminiscent of the early stages of my vermont experience, so i took some aspirin and slept until noon. it was a blustery, grey day, so we stayed inside most of the day. that night, sarah and marc went out for dinner with some friends from church, so david and i got the chance to give the kids dinner and put them all to bed. this also included, for emily and nathan, a craft time to make signs for the church celebration the next day. i am proud to report that we made it through the night with no tragedies.

should we send this to the people at the north face?

sunday was the big day. the church's 125th-anniversary celebration. the morning service was very nice and was followed by another chance for david and me to babysit while sarah and marc took the guest preacher to lunch. when they returned home, david and i took a quick trip to the lake to take pictures.

it was the evening potluck and program, however, that truly made the day. members of the church volunteered to cook turkeys and prepare various side dishes and desserts, and everything was delicious! after enjoying dinner and conversation with a few of the church families, everyone was invited into the sanctuary where we had a good ol'-fashioned hymn sing (much too short for my tastes) and then saw a slideshow detailing the history of the church. in addition, members of the church shared stories of the church's part in their lives. it was a sweet time filled with laughter and tears of gratefulness and joy.

as sunday was our last night there, we four adults stayed up far past the kids' bedtime to play scattergories and have a glass of wine. why is it that the camera never seems to make an appearance when only grown-ups are present?

sadly, it was also that night that sarah and marc made the decision that abel would not be staying with their family. there was a nice man who breeds and trains beagles who was willing to take abel, so they knew he would be going to a home where he would be getting the attention he needs, but the idea of telling emily and nathan about it was not one sarah and marc relished.

monday morning, the kids were up early, as usual. emily had a day off due to a teacher's in-service, so when david and i awoke, everyone (save marc, who was granted the right to sleep in post-celebration) was in the living room watching tv and playing quietly.

david and i joined them around 8:30, after which time sarah began to make a nice, big breakfast for us. i went to check on abel, who had messed his cage, so i took him out while sarah and marc cleaned up.

we sat down to eat and, by mentioning abel, emily gave her parents an opening to break the hard news. she wasn't happy, but she understood why he had to leave. i am such a softie, i had to fight back tears at the sight of her sad face. even worse was when david and i left that day and had to say our good-byes, not only to our family, who we miss and wish lived closer, but also to this puppy we had taken care of for a mere three days. we both knew that, if we owned a home or even if we lived in an apartment that allowed pets, we would have come home with a new puppy yesterday.

abel!

it was a full weekend, one that could have exhausted us easily. instead, i came home feeling relaxed and ready to face the week.

i may post more pictures from david's camera later in the week. he really does have a better eye than i.

per your request

2007-10-25T17:23:00.000-05:00

a couple of you have asked that i post the recipe for the cardamom bread that david and i made last weekend. so, without further ado, i bring you . . .

cardamom coffee cake braids
from the kitchen of les c.

2 packages dry yeast, dissolved in ½ cup warm water
1 ½ cups warm water
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 eggs, well beaten
½ cup melted butter, cooled to lukewarm
1 teaspoons ground cardamom, or 25 pods, finely crushed*
6 - 6 ½ cups flour
¾ cup instant non-fat dry milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon

dissolve the dry yeast in ½ cup warm water. let sit for five minutes or until yeast bubbles. put the 1 ½ cups warm water in a large mixing bowl. stir in ¾ cups sugar, salt, eggs, and dissolved yeast. add ½ cup of the flour. then stir in the cooled melted butter. mix the dry milk and cardamom with 2 cups of the flour and add, mixing very well. add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

knead** until smooth, adding small amounts of flour as needed. place in large, greased bowl. cover and let rise in warm place until doubled. punch down and let rise until nearly doubled. divide into four parts. cut each part into three sections. roll each section to elongate and braid after placing on greased baking sheet. brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Let rise about 30 to 40 minutes or until light. Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Makes 4 braids.

* after tasting the final product, it became clear that the amount of cardamom could have been doubled. this will depend on your own personal taste, of course.
** we used our mixer to do all of the mixing and kneading, but it was brought to my attention--by les himself--that kneading it by hand may produce a lighter, fluffier coffee cake. just an observation.

as my swedish friend magnus would say, "enyoy!"

tempus fugit

2007-10-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

busy, busy, busy. here's what we've done over the past week, in no particular order:

* worked on our respective church projects (web site for david, newsletter for me) all. week. long.

* baked homemade cardamom coffeecake (at left). oh, did i say cardamom? i meant carda-yum!

* had dinner with friend and former college roommate, jennie, at nonno pino's. it was good to catch up, and i think i may have nudged her thismuch closer to starting her own blog.

* had a stress test as a purely precautionary measure. as i approach 35, i want to find out what condition my heart is in, especially now that i am exercising more regularly. results to come soon.

* david made a batch of yummy chili, filled with vegetables, to store away for a chilly night.

* bought two new imacs (!) for the apartment -- no more squinting at my 13-inch laptop screen to see the newsletter layout!

* baked amish friendship bread, thanks to a starter from church friend linden. it is deee-licious!

* visited ikea, where we ate dinner and bought shelves for david's desk (gotta make room for that imac).

* went to a second birthday party for our niece, katie. it was a beautiful fall day, perfect for swinging in the back yard (-->) and for asking brother-in-law brad to take a few pics of david and me as potential christmas card material. (you'll have to wait to see which one we chose.)

* listened to a beautiful concert of early music from the americas, sung by cantate.

* grilled steaks and watched back to the future: part two. the steaks were wonderful. the movie was not.

what's new with you?

these boobs are made for walkin'

2007-10-15T16:25:00.000-05:00

my apologies to those with little or no sense of anatomical humor, but this is one of the many statements heard in 2004 when my friend joey and i took part in the susan g. komen 3-day breast cancer walk. the fact that the words were sung, karaoke-style, by a breast cancer survivor (and the fact that more than a few participants were wearing brightly blinking breast pins) made it seem completely normal to us. as if those were the original words to the song made famous by nancy sinatra. and it was moving to hear her end the song, singing, "one of these days these boobs are gonna walk all over cancer." the cheers were deafening.

it is memories such as this one that have caused me to consider doing the walk again. i have wanted to revisit the 3-day pretty much since arriving home that hot august day three years ago. despite the heat, the thunderstorm that required evacuation indoors from our campsite, and the long hours on foot, none of it would come close to what people suffer on a daily basis in their struggles with cancer. and this is why we walk.

other life events have precluded me from taking part over the past three years. but this year, i am determined.

i have contacted a few friends to ask if they might be willing to join me. initially met with a negative (by which i mean uncertain and thereby less-than-enthusiastic) response by one, she was surprised when her husband said he would do it with her. especially if my husband were to join me. innnteresting! nothing is set in stone yet, but it looks as though a team may be forming. i'll keep you posted, and if you have suggestions of a team name, drop in the comment box. better yet, if you want to join us, check out the web site for the details. all you need is a buddy to share your tent with at night (and hopefully train with until the walk).

think about it.