girlfriends....

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/roomies/1173629/?__cid=thefilter

i watched this video the other night and could not stop laughing. there is NOTHING like a best girlfriend. regardless of where you are at in your life it is always amazing to have that one person to turn to. and you can't please everyone and that is something i am just starting to learn. you have to live your life and the people that care will come along for the ride. and the people that don't.....well.... that being said i am so greatful to have some amazing women in my life who i can depend on no matter what happens. "hey booooooooooo....pong.....snl skits.....walking....shopping carts....random pictures.....wet lawns....i'd rather give a phone # then....i hate that my neighbors live here....i love kids....the move....kenny chesney....did you just call me a ( ) in the bathroom....the way you always spell that c word....crickets and barking dogs....'your inside jokes are really cute and all'......" i love you i love you i love you....you're my person xoxo

Martins West Pub

i went to this new restaurant in rwc (climate best by government test) on tuesday evening. they serve authentic british pub food with a twist. all their menu selections are created from items that are local and seasonally grown or caught. there was a very cool ambiance. very cool high tables and chairs and a very knowledgable wait staff. i was a little apprehensive when i first saw the menu (i am one of the pickiest eaters EVER). but i decided to be adventurous. we started off with the fromage blanc gnudi and the seasonal pasties (pronounced like pasta but with a long E at the end, not like pastry minus the R "because that's what strippers wear" said Derek the owner). i loved both of these, the pasties are small pastries filled with delicious sweet corn and mushrooms and the gnudi are basically little balls of cheese served over sweet peppers. yum!!!!! for the main course i ordered petrale sole, served over broccoli and fresh shell beans and surrounded by clams with a fabulous sauce. delish! i also can't forget the wine (Josef Leitz, "Dragonstone" Riesling, Rheingau 07...). this was the perfect riesling, delicate and refreshing and not too sweet. it paired perfectly with the sole. and last but not least the amazing dessert (sticky toffee pudding with homemade brown sugar icecream) need i say more. overall a delectable dining experience!!!!

http://www.martinswestgp.com/

my sister ....

many things lately have been reminding me of my her... i was cleaning out my garage the other day and i found some old poems she had written. she was such a talented writer and a musician and such a free-spirit. she shaved her head in 8th grade and didn't care what anyone else thought. she had her own unique style. one time we were going somewhere and she asked me if her outfit matched. i emphatically said YES! and she said ok....i'm changing. LOL! she and i were very different. it has been 8 years now and i don't think of her with sadness every day. i try to focus on the happy memories, but sometimes i really miss my sister. i miss my sister when i see other people with their sisters. i miss my sister when i play with my nephew and niece and think of what an awesome aunt she would have been to chloe. i miss my sister at weddings when i think of my own wedding some day and that she won't be there. but thoughts of her do not always make me sad. i think of what an amazing person she was. i think of her confidence and her stubborness and her passion for life. i see bits and pieces of her in chloe and i love it. she will forever be in my heart and memories.

someone gave me this poem shortly after the funeral and it has always stuck with me. sometimes you don't know what to say. sometimes what you say is the wrong thing. sometimes it's better not to say anything at all.... altho it is written from a parents perspective i think it applies to all forms of loss.

Please
(by Rita Moran)

PLEASE, don't ask me if I'm over it yet. I'll never be over it.
PLEASE, don't tell me she's in a better place. She isn't here with me.
PLEASE, don't say at least she isn't suffering. I haven't come to terms with why she had to suffer at all.
PLEASE, don't tell me you know how I feel, unless you have lost a child.
PLEASE, don't ask me if I feel better. Bereavement isn't a condition that clears up.
PLEASE, don't tell me at least you had her for so many years. What year would you choose for your child to die?
PLEASE, don't tell me God never gives us more than we can bear.
PLEASE, just say you are sorry.
PLEASE, just say you remember my child, if you do.

PLEASE, just let me talk about my child.

PLEASE, mention my child's name.
PLEASE, just let me cry.

my sister's keeper...

....saddest movie EVER! i generally do not like books made into movies but this was an excellent adaptation. it was provocative and heart-rending. it shows a terrifyingly perfect view of a love like no other that a mother has for her child and made me want to run home and hold my little angel. to anyone who has experienced the illness or loss of a child my heart goes out to you.

http://www.mysisterskeepermovie.com/#home

"i do......"

i have been to a few weddings lately and it got me thinking.... i love going to weddings! i love everything about them. i love all the little details...photo booths (go kelly!), candy bars, favors, chair bows, etc. i love when people write their own vows (really love this!!!) but what i really love at a wedding is when you can see the love in the couple's eyes and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are making a commitment for life. it is awe inspiring and makes this borderline idealistic realist want to cry with happiness. in my experience it is very rare and i am honored to be a part of it.

dubg froyo...

...more commonly known as willow glen frozen yogurt....all i have to say is YUM!!!!! well that's not all i have to say.... definitely #1 on my list of favorite froyo places. sweet retreats is a close second, but eating dubg makes everything right with the world for the time it takes me to finish a 9oz. original tart or whatever other tart is available (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry....) with mixed berries. seriously amazing. everyone please try it. corner of willow and lincoln....open 'til midnight fri. and sat. and 11 the rest of the week.

away we go

so i have been wanting to start blogging for awhile now but finally got around to creating one today. yay!!!!