It's the little things

Polka dots found here and camera smile card found here

Last night was one of those nights that consisted of snuggling on the couch, watching Modern Family, and eating Oreos and peanut butter with the husband (he's a recent convert to this practice... as recent as last night). Anndddd it was wonderful. I totally pre-ordered J.K. Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy, and I'm now on that constant watch of clicking the "track your package" link every few hours as I impatiently wait for it to arrive. Of course, my excitement isn't quite to the Harry Potter level of mania, but it's there. Believe me. 

This week I've really been trying to focus on the little things. The things that can bring a smile to your face and make a day a better one. Sure there are big things that can do that (hello marriage!), but there are infinite little things that when noticed are the ones that create the bigger things. I had an incredible advisor whose mantra was all about the little things in life, and boy was he right! Dr. A is a firm believer that a hug, a written note, or even a surprise candy bar can really boost someone's day from being terrible to being wonderful. It's just about taking the time to care about others to notice what's important in life. 

I was lucky enough in college to have the love and support of people who taught me the importance of the little things: friends who would leave sweet notes on my bed, bake me cookies when I was feeling the imminent stress of failing a test in 12 hours (I have my melodramatic moments), or would propose a spontaneous trip to Sonic for happy hour drinks. Even looking back on husband's and my courtship, some of the moments that stand out are the ones where he left me notes and Skittles (or a Reese's pumpkin/Christmas tree/heart/Easter egg... you know, the seasonal goodness) hidden in the library shelves while I was studying and sent me texts with the dewey decimal codes to go find them (nerd alert). It's these types of things that remind you of love and friendship, and that someone cares enough about you to take time out of their busy lives to reinforce that you are important to them.

So now that I'm down to the last few wedding thank you notes, I'll be back to my old fashioned practice of writing letters to friends, because who doesn't love getting a handwritten letter in the mail sandwiched between your electric bill and your unwanted junk mail? And I'm going so far as to challenge anyone who reads this post to also take the time in the coming week to write just one of your friends or family members an encouraging note to remind them of how special they are in your life. You may never know that they are having a stressful or bad week, but I can promise you that your note will make their day a little bit brighter and will remind them of how special your friendship means to them.

Called to Love

Presidential election years always present me with a strong case of emotions. A whole heaping basket of them, but one of the big ones that sits in my stomach is fear. And to be honest, it's not fear of who gets elected, but rather fear of what our country and our people are becoming. Election years tell you a lot about people. And I mean all sorts of people: family, friends, employers, colleagues, strangers in the grocery store, people on the news. 

Haven't you ever noticed that things get tense during an election year? It's like we, as Americans, get prepped and ready for a year of war. We all draw lines in the sand and point fingers and offer ultimatums of sorts. The cable news stations become a battleground of words. Words of hate and insults and half-told truths and slanderous lies. Some of those words have a basis of fact and have been twisted into incredible tales. Others have no truth to them at all. 

And the worst part is we all listen to these words. We take them and mold them into our own and then we become the ones saying hateful things about people we don't know. Terrible things that we don't bother to fact check or even doubt because surely everything that is said on the news is factual. 

Haven't you noticed the direction that pretty much all of the candidate ads are running? Lucky me, I now live in a swing state, so every other advertisement run on TV is talking about the election. All of them have some backing of a super PAC or special interest group, and none of them help me to know who to vote for. All they do is incite fear or anger and further divide this country into three sides: one to support each candidate and one for those in the middle. And the sad thing is, other than at the debates, pretty much all you'll hear out of our candidates is undermining words about each other.

We are becoming a people that think it's okay to be disrespectful towards others. We've gotten to the point now that if our candidate doesn't win, instead of standing behind the chosen leader, we lurk in the shadows and slander him for four years until we can elect someone to replace him. And guess what? It doesn't stop there. The boundary for disrespect is never black and white. We, as humans, live by example, so all the time we spend disrespecting a candidate teaches us and others that it's okay to disrespect other people, too. Generally the ones that aren't like us in any way.

We as Christians are called to love, not insult, not belittle, but love. And in this case, love is a synonym for being encouraging, just, and respectful. We are fortunate to have the privilege to live in a country that accepts people for who they are, what they believe, and what they look like. It's a country of freedom in almost every sense, and it truly is a beautiful and rare thing. And we as Christians are called to love on all those people (in that tricky "love your neighbor as yourself" bit (Mark 12:31)), even the ones that don't look or think or act the way we do. I know it can be easily forgotten, but Christ hung out with and loved on everyone, especially the ones whose voice was never heard (lepers, prostitutes, the blind, children, etc.), and He called us to do the same: to share his word and his love with all of the peoples (Matthew 28:19). 

We should also remember that Christ clarified one day that what one eats doesn't make him "unclean" but rather what he says (Matthew 15:11). So all I'm asking is to mentally wash our mouths out with soap and remember our character and respect for others in these last weeks leading up to the election. Our votes may be important, but our integrity and duty to love one another are infinitely more so. 

It's not you, it's me

It's finally starting to look and feel like fall around here, and I'm totally lovin' it (Isn't it sad that I actually thought of the McDonald's "I'm lovin' it" campaign after typing that? Oh corporate America, ruining our thoughts and now making us think of yummy hot fries. Do not get distracted... Keep reading and consider taking a run after finishing this post). 

I saw these lovely flowers outside our local Wegman's (code word: AWESOME grocery store, beating Whole Foods any day), and if I wanted to be cruel, I would have purchased them. You see, I suffer from the occasional black thumb, and the likelihood that these beautiful mums would have survived long term in my care are slim-to-none at the moment. I blame the fact that our "balcony" is barely 2 feet deep, so I can't step out and enjoy the flowers or really even see them everyday (Check back with me in about 10 years and see if I have killed our plants when we live in a house). So until then, I might have to avoid the garden section at the grocery store. It's not you, it's me...

In other news:

• Fingers crossed, husband and I have applied for our next apartment, and we're really excited about it (and obviously hopeful that it'll be ours)! Not too sure about the timeline, but if we hear good news, you'll be sure to know; otherwise, don't ask... 
• This weekend we're embracing our Virginia residency and incredible weather and hitting up an orchard to pick our own apples. Being the fruit-lover that I am, let's just say this has been on my to-do list since before we were married... 
• I have survived the first two weeks of getting back into a weight room without any embarrassing tales to tell (thank ya very much), but plenty of sore muscles to go around.
• While watching Grimm last night, a small spider lowered itself from my ceiling. What perfect timing you have Spinnetod-wannabe. I promptly grabbed my running shoe and killed it once it landed on the floor.
• Today marks the 5 month anniversary of taking on a husband and a new name, and I have loved every day of it!
• Husband and I will be cheering on our Dawgs from afar this weekend (ha, when have we not?) and pulling for a 4-0 record at the conclusion of our game versus South Alabama.
• And if you need a good laugh and have missed the coverage on the Apple iOS6 maps mistakes, please hop on over here. 

Lessons of Marriage: 11-15

11. Husband and I have a baaaad case of puppy fever. (Side bar: did you baa like a sheep when reading that line? It was intended... I mean a little bit, anyway.) As I demonstrated in this post, we have a tendency to not so subtly take interest in cute dogs (still attached by leashes to their owners) and take pictures of them. It helps us to cope with our jealousy and small square footage apartment issues until we, too, can join the pup club.

12. Even when cute furry faces are darn near irresistible to adopt, the voice of reason can still infiltrate our minds and remind us that now is NOT the time to adopt a pup and name it Scout and live happily ever after as a family of 3. True story, husband and I have almost adopted three eligible (we don't puppynap!) dogs, and we somehow have managed to weasel our way out of all three spontaneous (and separate) adoptions. Hooray for being responsible? Yeah, we didn't feel all warm and fuzzy either. 

13. Experience doesn't always prevent mistakes... especially ones dealing with laundry. Note to self: possessing almost 10 years experience of washing your own clothes still does not give you the option of zoning out while loading the washing machine and opening it up later to one red towel (the obvious culprit), one beige hand towel, and now two pink-and-blue striped kitchen towels and a baby pink towel (once a beautiful shade of comfy white and now the perfect addition to a little girl's bathroom). I guess it's husband's turn to handle the laundry now... 

14. We have the whole navigating a new city thing down to a science.  As long as we attempt it together that is... Unlike me, husband can actually use a compass AND a map (I can read one, but my skills of stepping out of a metro portal and immediately walking in the correct direction are a bit lacking...). However, he is not always the most observant individual and can therefore get majorly lost on the way home from the previous destination. <Enter Kat's breadcrumb method> I function by the Hansel and Gretel method of leaving a trail to lead me home. To do so, I simply remember what I've passed on my way: landmarks, funny signs, unique buildings or trees, and I use those images to walk backwards, so to speak. It helps that I have something of a photographic memory, but I have slowly taught husband to note his surroundings (and he's gotten pretty good, too. I'm so proud!). 

15. It is a pretty rockin' thing that husband is an EE (electrical engineer for you non-engineer types), especially when this girl has no idea how to make heads or tails of the html code that she's trying to alter. Three cheers for husband who helped this newbie blogger figure out how to format pup pictures to sit side-by-side without even breaking a sweat. I guess it helps that he is an EE... And you better believe I'll be battin' my long eyelashes for his help in future posts and blog layouts ;)

Corollary to Lesson 1. Husband will not touch leftover Asian food of any variety. So pretty much all food cooked in a wok (that is SUCH a fun word to say by the way) is allllllllll miiiiiiiine, and I'm not complainin' about it. 

Friday Fun.

Some days (or weeks in this case) you just can't help but have a song stuck on repeat in your head. Half the time, it's something embarrassing that you really wish you wouldn't subconsciously hum aloud until it's too late and you're already blushing in a full elevator... 

But other times it's actually a song you enjoy being stuck in your head (for the meantime anyway). A song that brings joy to the day or makes you want to go run. Thankfully, this week's episode of Broken Record Singles is brought to you by Fun.'s "Some Nights," and if you've been living under a rock and haven't heard it yet, please enjoy! And perhaps this post will act as a passing of the flame to someone else's mind to harbor this catchy tune. 

Eight-legged foes

I've always grown up with a healthy imagination. One that every now and then I wish was a little less vivid and a little more practical...

Case in point: today I found a ridiculously large spider in my shower (Think a diameter of 2 inches, which in my Monster Book of Monsters makes this guy a legitimate threat), and I'm thinking "Really? Couldn't you live in my closet? Or at least somewhere our lives would never cross... Like next door?" For most, the biggest fear of encountering a giant insect is actually killing it. That is not the case with me. My safety protocol calls for grabbing one of husband's shoes (Chacos are perrrrfect. And yes, I may own a pair as well, but his has waaaay more surface-area-to-killing ratio and aids me when I misaim or when the little giant decides to make a break for it), working up some self-confidence, and simultaneously holding my breath while hitting the intruder. 

So that should be it you may ask? Ah, but it is only the beginning. This little giant has friends, most likely of the Aragog and the Forbidden Forest variety, and when he doesn't come home with fresh meat, they'll come looking for blood. Mine. So the next ten minutes are spent looking over my shoulder for a possible second to finish the duel or even an angry mob of spiders that will haul me off like they did Harry and Ron. And when that frightening period is over, I start to breathe a little easier, and my more pragmatic side takes over with its own form of an eye roll. Welcome to the workings of my brain.

Midweek Musings

I know, it's Tuesday so it's not quite midweek... but I'm allowing it since I'm including Saturday in my update. That makes it okay, right? Right. 

So Saturday was epic. Only in the sense that if you're a Mississippi State fan like husband and I are, you experienced something that hasn't happened in a looooongggg time (try since this married couple was in the 4th grade. whoa). MSU won its second game of the season against Auburn making them 2-0 (I know that to other teams, that's not a huge deal, but to us it totally is). And if you know me well, then you know that I grew up an Auburn fan (season tickets and all), so the win was extra special to this girl. 

This was also the first MSU-Auburn game that I've missed seeing in person since I was in middle school. While the rest of my family was in Starkville battling for a win (or a loss if you're my Auburn alum parents), husband and I were stuck up here trying to soak up the game as best we could from a mere 15 hours away. The best I could come up with was to buy these lovely mums to mimic the beautiful flowers on Starkville's campus.

On another note of this memorable win, Saturday was the first MSU game for this cute little boy (my sweet nephew)! As you can tell, Tyler came very well prepared for those loud cowbells, and his crazy Aunt Kitty is super proud of his school spirit at only 10 months.

Sunday was quite possibly the most surprising day of all. On our way home from church, husband informs me that he wants to go shopping. Um, can you repeat that? Surely I misheard you... This is a dream come true! So we drove to an outlet mall nearby and we (meaning I) picked out husband some shirts and belts and a total swoon-worthy sports coat (yes, I have an unhealthy obsession with menswear... No, husband's friends, I will not be turning him hipster or indie. His best interest is at heart, promise, even though I totally saw an Avett-like plaid vest in the store and joked about buying it for him...). This picture doesn't do the herringbone justice (blame the weird fluorescent store lighting), but doesn't husband look dashing in it? 

A total mom move to take his picture in the store, but the coat was begging
for its debut picture. Can you blame me? I didn't think so.

Also, we saw this impressive vintage car in the parking lot. Whoever owns this car must love it a lot because it looked to be in mint (clever choice of words, non?) condition... Looking at it, doesn't it make you want an ice cream cone? Or is that just me? 

Today's exciting bit of news was that the new Avett album, The Carpenter, came out. And yes, I'm already listening to it over and over again... No shame.

Ah, it's nice to see artwork that isn't as frightening as the last cd.

And finally, today husband and I are joining a local gym. I'm strangely excited about it, even though I haven't done any regular weight training since high school sports. So fingers crossed I won't do anything embarrassing or awkward (but let's be honest, it's most likely inevitable)... You're welcome, husband, for being such good entertainment.

Berry Adventures: Great Falls Park

Upon moving here, it didn't take long for us to discover that we are surrounded by many weekend activities that we weren't privy to in our home states. While the southeastern US embodies such a beautiful and laidback atmosphere, it is not quite the cultural or outdoor hotspot that the northeast is recognized for. Over and over again, husband and I are reminded that this truly is the area where our country was fought for and founded a few centuries ago (back when the only claim our south had was that it served as the alternative to going to debtors' prison and thus established some of our farming heritage... how delightful. Go Georgia!). 

Being slight nerds, we get a little excited when we pass a town that says it was founded in the 1700s or 1800s and have the stone houses and towns to prove it. Plus this part of the country has mountains all around which really means there's more to the local terrain than the plains to which we're accustomed. So combining cool historical towns with beautiful landscapes results in a newlywed couple willing to explore in our free time.

First up: Great Falls Park

The overview of the park is that our dear first president was obsessed with this idea of connecting the Potomac River to the Ohio River to further trade in the area. Buuuuuut there was this slight problem (among others): the Potomac has a beautiful waterfall of cascading rocks (known as the Great Falls... surely you saw that coming?) that had to be bypassed. The project took seventeen years to build, only for its use to be discontinued thirty years later... and good ole Washington died before seeing his obsession completed. I know, I know kind of a downer, but on a positive note Congress eventually made this area a park, and we went to see it in all its natural beauty over Memorial Day weekend (yeah, a little while ago, tell me about it).

If I were a bird, I'd totally hang out here, too

I must admit that we have major puppy fever up here. Like, it's bad. So in the spirit of sharing our germs, here's one of our first sneaky/creepy pictures of other people's pups (we live vicariously and with a lot of jealousy):

Oh hiiii. Do you smell something? Our jealousy of your owners? Wanna come home with us?

After seeing the falls, we elected to continue snooping on the other dogs hike around the park and soon came across these two. The guy on the left was definitely the spontaneous one and the other... not so much. Let's just say it was entertaining watching these two from across the river, and that the one sitting down was sitting for awhile...

And husband is quickly becoming an expert on finding the perfect rock/ledge/wall to use to prop a camera up for a couple pic so as to avoid the awk-ward newlywed solo shots... Proof is in the pudding (what does that even mean?):

So our recommendation is that if you're in the DC area and looking for a park experience away from the National Mall, head on out to Great Falls Park! Great way to spend a beautiful afternoon.