301/366: Over Rated

Who.
Needs.
Dishes.

300/366: Garden Brunch

I had a lovely brunch today.
With a dear friend and my mom.
The food was wonderful.
The company was even better.

The atmosphere was unbelievably lovely.
Quite whimsical.
And nothing short...
Of inspirational.

299/366: Little Blue Card

Today I became.
A card carrying member.
Of Sam's Club.

I was quite excited.
Browsing the aisle's.
Noting how much we will save.
On some of our regular purchases.
Now that we will have a place.
To store things.

No one told me about the picture.
On your card.
I wasn't prepared for that part.

On my first visit.
I purchased packing supplies.
And Diet Coke.

Despite the moving across country.
Buying a house.
Living apart from my husband.
While he starts his new job.
Somehow.
Joining the warehouse club.
Is what finally brought it home...

I officially feel.
Grown up.
Blah.

298/366: So Far So Good...

My husband has been gone.
For two weeks.

I am happy to report.
That I haven't killed the plants yet.

Still alive.
Still green.
Even growing a little.
I think...

297/366: Thursday

One of the best parts.
Of Thursday.
Is deciding which pair of jeans.
To wear to work.
On Friday.

296/366: Fortunate One

If your order.

Is messed up.

When eating Chinese.

Evidently they make up for it.

By offering extra fortunes.

You will soon bring joy to someone new in your life.

You will be recognized and honored as a community leader.

Be prepared to receive something special with no strings attached.

The stock market may be your ticket to success.

295/366: A Room Divided

I now have.
A room divider.
Made entirely.
Of boxes.

I have a feeling.
In a few days.
It will qualify as.
A wall.

294/366: Empty Bags

My mom is still visiting.
From the midwest.

Today.
She experienced.
Her first earthquake.
In Southern California.

So glad she didn't pack her bags.
And head back east.
After the first sign of shaking.

293/366: Sunday Funday

Today was a gloomy.
Jammie wearing.
Parked on the couch.
Read a book start to finish.
Kind of day.

292/366: Catalogs

The new Restoration Hardware catalogs.
Came today.

One of my favorite mail days.
Of the year.

Along with Christmas Card Season.
The Vogue September Issue.
And the annual Ikea Catalog.

291/366: Let There Be Color

I went shopping with my mom tonight.
For the first time.
In longer than I can remember.
I added nothing but color.
To my black, white, and gray.
Closet.

290/366: Emptiness

It is amazing.
How quickly a space.
Starts to feel empty.
As soon as you take.
Pictures off the wall.

289/366: I See You

My husband and I.
Finally tested out Skype.
This week.

Best.
Invention.
Ever.

It makes this distance.
A little more bearable.
To see him.
Every night.

288/366: Cupcakes

It is amazing.
The problems.
A good friend and a cupcake.
Can fix.

287/366: Magazines

In our house.

We like magazines.

We have stacks tucked away.

In a corner.

Several.

Casually placed.

On a coffee table.

A few.

Thrown by the bed.

Ready for perusing.

Should one be so inclined. 

Vintage.

Photography.

Hot Rod.

Fashion.

Decorating.

Cooking.

Catalogs.

Monthlies.

Quarterlies.

All shapes.

All sizes.

The big decision:

Should they stay...

or should they move with us?

286/366: Salsa

Guess who ate salsa.
For the first time.
In her 30 some years.
Today.
And liked it...


This girl!!

285/366: Decorating

Since we are leaving a place we love.
To move to another place we love.
I have become completely preoccupied.
With finding cool items that represent California.
To decorate our new home.

My dad very kindly.
Pointed out to me today.
After I bought this pillow.
That I won't want my entire home in North Carolina.
To be about California.

Good point, Dad.
I'm keeping the pillow.

284/366: The Hardest Part

I know.
There are thousands of people.
That spend months and years.
Apart from their loved ones.

So my 4 weeks.
Away from my husband.
Must seem like a drop in the bucket to them.
It's still hard to me.

He left this morning.
I'm so proud of him.
This is the beginning.
Of so many things.

He got in safely.
Had dinner with friends.
Got settled in his new place.

I camped out on the couch.
With mom.
Watched Ryan Gosling movies.
Ate bad Chinese.

2500 miles apart.
For the next 28 days.

Now the part.
I have been dreading all day.
Going to bed.
Alone.
Without him.

I'll get through.
The first few days will be the worst.
And before I know it.
We'll be together.
In our new home.
And all will be right.
In my world.

283/366: Santa Monica

Scott leaves in the morning.
So tonight we had a date night.
At Santa Monica Pier.

No matter where I live.
It will always be one of my.
Favorite.
Places.

282/366: Reality

It is starting to sink in.
More every day.
How much I am going to miss.
Seeing these old chucks.
Sitting next to my front door.
And how much I am going to miss.
The boy they belong to.

Hurry up May 26.

281/366: Parents

My parents arrived tonight.
So nice to have them visit for awhile.

280/366; Bloom and Grow

We all have those moments.
When time seems to stop.
The world seems to screech to a halt.
The universe seems to center.
Around only ourselves.
Nothing else matters.

I had one of those moments.
This morning.

The other day.
I blogged about my frustrations.
With insurance.
About how I need a device.
So I can hear.
Without it... I hear nothing.

Today.
It quit working.
My morning was moving along quite nicely.
It just seemed.
Like it was going to be a great day.

Then...
Silence.
There are people that crave silence.
That long for it.
I loathe it.
Dread it.
Fear it.

However, as much as time seemed to stop.
For me.
In that one terrifying moment.
It really didn't.

The clock kept going.
I pulled my head together.
Started texting and emailing the right people.
Ordered a replacement part.
That will hopefully have me hearing again.
At least for a little while.

Logged in and worked from home.
Despite not being able to drive to the office.

My husband came home.
We knocked items off of the to do list.
For the move.
Together.

And when the day was done.
As sad and frustrated as I still was.
I looked up and stared at the tulips.
On our table.

The same tulips I posted yesterday.
Clustered tightly in mason jar.
Are now in full bloom.
Drooping.
Lovely.

In that moment.
Looking at those tulips.
In my own little world of silence.
I realized that time keeps going.
Whether we want it to or not.
It isn't a bad thing.
Because if we look hard enough.
We will find the positive.

Sure today stunk.
No way around it.
But I made it through.
And because I did.
I grew...
just like my tulips.

Lovely.

279/366: Easter

Peeps.
Tulips.
Eggs.
and Darth Vader.

Happy Easter!

278/366: Starting Them Early

Today we took a break from packing.
To pull Scott's car out of the garage.

Our neighbors happened to be out.
And the boys got a chance to.
Get behind the wheel.

I think they liked it.

277/366: The Box

For years.
I have been saving recipes.
I stash them in the back of cook books.
Wedge them between pages.
Stick them in a ziploc bag in a drawer.

Over the years I have looked.
At many different options for my odd collection.
However, it wasn't until a few weeks ago.
That I found exactly what I was looking for.

A small metal box.
That looks very much.
But not exactly like.
My grandmothers.

It is perfect.
We found it at an antique store.
For $5.
It still has.
Someone's lovingly written notes.
Inside.

I plan to keep them.
And mix them up with my own.

276/366: A Tisket... A Tasket...

Sometimes.
Being so far away.
It is easy to forget.
How nice it is to have parents in the house.

My in laws arrived today.
For a few days.
My parents get in next week.

It's the little things.
That are such nice reminders...

Like an early Easter basket.
From Mom.

275/366: Egg-Static

One of my favorite things.
I do only once a year.

In this house...
We take our eggs seriously.

274/366: Insurance

I have a cochlear implant.
It's not a hearing aid.
It doesn't help me hear "better".
It is how I hear.
There is a huge difference.
Without it, I am completely deaf in that ear.

My poor processor.
Is now 5 years old.
Cracked.
Worn.
Literally held together.
With tape.

Evidently.
I don't qualify for a new one.

I won't ever pretend.
To understand.
The people that make these decisions.

I would like them.
To spend one day.
Unable to hear.
To understand.

Then decide again.
If I qualify.
For one that works properly.

I think their answer.
Would be different.

273/366: Bring on the Bunny

Baskets out of storage.
Eggs in the fridge.
Paas coloring kit purchased.
I am officially ready for the Easter Bunny.
And our Saturday festivities.