Thank You.

It's funny ... I've never been too keen on celebrating birthdays, mine particularly ... and for no particular reason either.

I woke up sad though, thinking that I would be spending my day alone in daily routine. But in the end, all was well. I have lots to be thankful for.

... like for getting me out the door and to the spa appointment that awaited me yesterday morning. It felt grand to end my treatments with the words

"You're all set, Ma'am. Everything's been taken care of."

And, I'm sorry for spoiling your lunch-time surprise. I didn't mean to weasel it out of you with my early morning puppy tears. But, thank you for taking a half day of work so that we could have a birthday lunch and spend the afternoon together.

Later on, it was wonderful walking into Mom's house, and seeing all the cooperation that went into my birthday dinner. Mom cooked, Dad ran out to the store to pick up some things, Jacki went to pick up my PadThai request, Hay took care of little chores along with Joni and Andrew, etc ...

... and little did I know, you were off all the while with another surprise!

Thank you.

Jason did a wonderful job with my birthday cake.

Last year you brought me to tears with a GRAND surprise party with a surprise Pooh ice cream cake (2 things i love in ONE treat!). This year, a smaller gathering which proved to be more intimate and a Pooh cake AGAIN, though more touching.

Seeing the image of Poohsticks bridge warmed me throughout. Bridges, playing poohsticks, taking walks, chatting on the porch, sitting beneath trees and all other things that have come to encompass our love and relationship filled my thoughts at the sight of the cake. I could not help but be overwhelmed with emotion. It was wonderful to have been able to share that with our family (and literally when I passed out slices, too).

This is the second consecutive year that you've tackled a wonderful surprise and I have now embraced this:

that birthdays are honored to show love towards the celebrant, and to celebrate with loved ones is reason enough to say "it's a wonderful life and i'm eternally grateful."

love always,
A

Happy Birthday

I love you!!!

Enjoy today, smile, laugh, give lots of hugs. I can't wait to see you. Muah!!!

ta dah!

and here it is


see it?


anyway, this was a long time ago.

so i decided to search through OLD entries in what i thought is now a non-existent blog.


so old.


anyway, i went there to look for a photo of mama lola. i know i posted one of all of us a long time ago. i'm still searching.

however, i found this post.

goes to show how much i know about the game. i'm sure you'll pick up on my error(s?)


(NOTE: you may not want to read through the older posts unless you're feeling confident in the love i have for you and our relationship now)


Love You!

Things Are Not So Bad Afterall

Monday was a toughie.


Getting up fairly early is easier for me when there's something to look forward to - and working is not reason enough sometimes. It was much harder because I had not recuperated from the long weekend with the Caron girls, and even harder knowing it would not just be Jacob I'd be spending the morning with; but his sister Sara as well.

My first time with Sara was when she stayed home from school, recovering from a fever. It was an okay time, but she drove me crazy with all the words that would spew out from her little self and that she followed me around everywhere. Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to a peppy day of Sara.

The first thing Sara said to me on Monday morning, after "hello," was "Can we do SpinArt?"

(oy! I wanted to say "For Pete's sake child! I just walked in.")

"Sure Sara, but may I please have a couple of minutes to get situated first? I just got here."

She gave me time, which I was very thankful for, but her usual jabber wore me out.

"Angeline, can you please tell me about 101 Dalmatians while you set up SpinArt?"

"Angeline, can you please tell me more about that girl Jane you were talking about before (she was referring to the movie Tarzan) while we do Spin Art?"

all of my responses to her questions were often interrupted with more questions, of course.

I had to change Jacob's diaper later in the morning so I asked him to come along with me upstairs. Hoping for a breather from Sara, I mentioned that she could wait for me downstairs and that I would be right back. Much to my dismay, she said she'd come up so I could tell her about my family while I changed Jacob and that after he's all clean we could go to her room and set up a family of PollyPocket people.

(oy!)

I gave her the run-down on my brothers and sisters, we also played PollyPocket.

And while we played, I learned something about Sara. She's sincerely inquisitive, sincerely curious, and serious about the answers she receives.

She informed me that her grandfather died some time ago, and asked if I'd had anybody in my family die.

"Yes, my grandmother."

And that's when I began to truly appreciate Sara's curiosity and love of conversation.

"Well, what did she look like? Maybe you can tell me about her," Sara said.

I began to tell her about how poised she always was, had short curly hair and how I don't ever remember her wearing pants ... she was always in a dress. I was suprised to find myself warmed with thoughts of her, and as I continued to tell Sara everything I could remember I caught myself getting choked up.

I regrouped as I concentrated on the answer to this question she asked next:

"But when did she die?"

And felt sad once again when she asked if I "always [saw] her before?"

I did ... until we moved here.

I let Sara know that. And although I didn't let Sara know about how much I loved my Mama Lola, and that I'm not so sure I even let Mama Lola in on that love, I felt it in my heart through that conversation and I'm certain Lola did too.

It's strange ... I arrived at the Mesko's bitter and anxious at the morning I'd have to spend with Sara, but I left feeling thankful for the morning that Sara gave me.

(sigh)

-A

Today, and really everyday since we've been friends...

I was :-(.

Then along came you.
And we played.

And I was all :-).

Thank you.

The weekend flew by way too quickly.


But thank you for snuggling. Any woman who has a husband that shares the same characteristics as you should consider herself lucky.

I do.






-A

You've got me curious...

So where is this new tree? Should I know it? It looks like a great one, and overlooking a city nonetheless. I cannot wait for out next adventure together. We've been to many an urban jungle before, but I am sure the real ones are going to be much more exciting. And while the beaches of Clearwater Fl. were nice, the ones in Cebu are going to be amazing. If you thought the atmosphere at Saturday night's Capitals game was electric, wait until you see the Brazilians samba-ing in the streets of South Africa. My oh my, I could sit here all day and dream about adventures to come. The great thing though, is that even if our adventures were to remain of the continental U.S. variety, I know they'd still be amazing, because we'd be embarking upon them together, which is of course the best part.

SOMEDAY

to the left, there, is where we'll be sitting ... someday.

it's amazing how lost i can get in a grocery store.

on the way home last night i was brainstorming dinner plans, trying to figure out what we had available in our kitchen. regardless of what i came up with, i was always down by one missing ingredient. by the time i got to the cross-section of old ox and herndon pkwy i had decided that a trip to the store was a must if we were to have dinner at home.

it's great to have BLOOM so close to our place! i didn't feel like driving out to WEGMAN'S for a one-item shop ... that would have been silly, and you probably would not have seen me all night.

i went into BLOOM for eggs - just for dredging the cutlets. i really only needed ONE egg; but that's okay. i didn't want to stop at 7 ELEVEN for a dozen of inhumane eggs. puhleez.

the doors to the store slid open and i quick stepped my way down our normal BLOOM-shopping path. i made it past the deli alright, but all the greens and humming of the refrigerator coolers called out to me and my quick stepping turned to a slow stroll. BERRIES and BERRIES and GREENS, OH MY!

"be quick - gotta be home before chris" i told myself.

so i made it through the meats and poultry all the way to dairy without slipping into any of the intersecting aisles of junk. YES! my uncaged free roaming hen eggs. off to the register.

not quite. i spied frozen entrees. for you my love. i thought perhaps sometimes you might want to take a break from your coveted PB&J - from either the sandwich itself, or having to prepare it in the evening (since i'm no good at doing you that favor).

anyway after perusing a bajillion trillion options and coming out with only 3 little boxes, i FINALLY made my way to the register ... though technically this whole time i had in fact been making my way there. just seeing all the sites first.

and that's why before getting there, the birthday cards caught my eye and a big " (GASP!) it's connor's bday on friday." so there i sat for and x amount of minutes browsing through cards trying to find "the right one" in a small pond of greetings - BLOOM is no hallmark. one had me laughing so hard though!

it was one where on the front, a dog sees a deflated balloon, dog eats deflated balloon, dog looks sick. open card. it's a full spread picture of the dog with a funny expression on his face, and as the card is opened the balloon comes out of his rear!!!!! ha ha ha.

anyway, that's where i ended my grocery journey - where my intended 2 minute trip became 40 and buying a dozen eggs cost $46.

what can i say? i got lost.


hope you enjoyed dinner last night! love you.



PS -

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

i'm all alone under here!



-A