Oh my, I wish I really could catch Flack...but unfortunately, Chad is married. I'll have to try to catch another man.
Alllriiiiiight, I wasn't actually talking about catching a six-foot-three (rosters lie) hunk of man. I've been catching flack from folks about not posting anything on here for a while. Last post was about two whole weeks ago -- I know -- UNHEARD OF!! (Does anyone else love how that girl says that in the Lowe's commercial?) It's just that I've felt kind of tired and unmotivated. There's been so much going on! It's all been lovely and wonderful and...kind of exhausting, I guess. I can say that since we're taking a ride on the Truth Train. Here's the Reader's Digest version...in convenient list form! ( ;;-D double wink!)
1. CHRISTMAS MOVIE WEEKEND EXTRAVAGANZA!!! Will that ever be able to be lowercase? I don't think so. Here's Brandi's recap, and here's my quick one: We ate LOTS of food (I promise you, I wasn't hungry once the entire weekend except for maybe Sunday in church) and watched LOTS of movies. Thankfully, I kept a running list through facebook posts, so I am able to provide them to you here. We watched (in true-to-life order) White Christmas, Jack Frost, A Boyfriend for Christmas, Undercover Christmas, Sundays at Tiffany's, An Old-Fashioned Christmas, Elf, Christmas Cupid, Holiday in Handcuffs, Sleepless in Seattle, and our favorite, Borrowed Hearts. I think that was the whole list, though I feel like I missed a movie on Monday...but probably not. Dotted all among that were two throwdown rounds of Just Dance 2, an episode of Criminal Intent, some General Hospital, a Taco Bell run, and lots of apple cider. It was EXTRAVAGANZICAL. True story.
2. Southern Season run. There's this lovely store that makes my world go 'round. It has gourmet food, wines, chocolate, dishes, cooking utensils, flowers, coffees and teas, decorating accessories, stationery, UNC (and some dumb schools, too) paraphernalia, and pretty much anything I could want in a store (though they could improve the number of attractive heterosexual young males working for them). Including being frequented by a dear friend from high school and college, AND one of my best friends of all time! Sean and Alexandra were both in town when I was, so they came to Southern Season and helped me gather all my goods. It was so uplifting seeing both of them. I've missed them greatly, and their sweet faces made my heart very happy.
3. Wedding prep and conductioning. I know, not a word. Ask me if I care. So, my dear aunt got married this past Thursday (YAY!!!), so the days home before then were a whirlwind of outfit-choosing and people-meeting and wedding-rehearsing and ceremony-directing...yes. I directed the ceremony. Since that role wasn't decided until the rehearsal, I was rather lucky to find that all I really had to do was to tell people when to go, when to cue music, and open and close some doors. It went off with only a few hiccups, but they were all quiet, cute hiccups so it was okay. My aunt was radiant, the bridesmaids were beautiful, the groomsmen were handsome, the groom was elated, and the church was almost surreal. The entire ceremony was conducted by the light of about 130 candles and tea lights arranged about the sanctuary. Gorgeous. I danced my little heart out at the reception for a while, tastefully, of course, since the whole family was there. It was all just right.
4. Party? Really? I'm not a partier, in case you don't know. I "went out" a few times in college, twice since I've been out of college, and I have been to maaaaybe two rather tame house parties in my whole entire life. And so when my 3 1/2th favorite cousin, Megan, called after midnight and told me that some people were having a small wedding after-party at the house, I politely declined. And she pushed, and I declined. And she pushed, and I declined. Push decline push decline put someone else on the phone to push, I decline. Hang up. Who knows what came over me then, because I went into my parents' room, got some jeans (I was sleeping elsewhere to leave my room open for company), threw them on under my loose fleece pajama shirt, and headed over. Many hours and people and awkward living-room dances with semi-strangers later, I headed home. Who. am. I. BUT even though I denied basic tenets of my identity (shyness, homebodyism, good fashion sense in public, and sleepophilia), I did get to spend some quality time with my wonderful cousins, my two new cousins (LOVE them), and some new friends. Yay for stepping up and doing something new!
5. Christmaaaas!! You have got to know that I love Christmastime more than just about any other time of year (except for spring, summer and fall, of course -- they're probably tied with it). I love the family and tradition of it most of all. We're a pretty tradition-laden family, especially when a bunch of us get together. Grandma and I make pumpkin soup (OHHH EMM GEEEEE IT'S SO GOOD) a day or two before Christmas, we have all kinds of togetherness, we try to fix at least one person's life (Andrew was two years ago, I think, and they started on my romantic status for a little while this year. As a result, I have disowned Page.), we have grapefruit and ham sausage and french toast for breakfast, we open stockings and presents one gift at a time, we take houuurrrss to finish up because we ooh and aah and talk so much, and we have a HUGE Christmas dinner around 4:30, followed by the cousins coming over and some serious family time. I LOVE it. :-D
6. SNOW. SNOW. IT SNOWED. IT SNOWED CHRISTMAS NIGHT. WE GOT SNOW. THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND. It supposedly was the first time in years and years that we got a white Christmas, though I feel like I recall a half-inch dusting maybe seven or so years ago. I could be making that up. Anyway, I haven't seen something so beautiful as those enormous white flakes racing downward in the glow of our backyard light, since, maybe, I don't know when. Probably since I drove I-26 through the mountains of eastern Tennessee. Or when I took photos of the peachy sunrise squeezing between the horizon and the pier at the beach this summer. Snow is magic, folks. Pure, unadulterated, alabaster magic. I went outside twice in the freezing cold to marvel and twirl and let crystals settle on my hair and sweater (and you know I had to estimate the depth of accumulated snowfall so I could report to the others). Magic.
7. Leisure. Snow equals a snow day, so we all got to spend an extra day in full family mode. That was quite nice. It just didn't seem right to end things on Sunday. Then on Monday, I went with my parents and grandmother to rendezvous with my grandmother's sister and see them off on their way home. A big plus was that we got to stop at one of my all-time fave restaurants as our point of meeting. Niiice. Since then, it's been lots of movies with my parents, doing some shopping research online (but not buying anything, I swear!), and having brunch with one of my sweetest friends from college, Jenn. It's always a real pleasure to spend time with her, as infrequent as our chances to do so may be. Tomorrow, I have plans to meet up with two more dear friends for breakfast and coffee, three more dear friends for lunch, and probably watch another couple movies with my parents, especially if we can ever find Prince Caspian on DVD. It's going to be a good day.
Thursday = returning to my little home.
It's been a good break, my cherished friends. The time has flown faster than I can ever remember it happening before, but only because I've had so many spectacular things with which I've filled its spaces. I will be sorely disappointed when it ends in a few days. I certainly have been entertained....
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