So, I've decided that I enjoy nature, as long as it doesn't touch me. Which means I'm going to invent some sort of plastic bubble suit with an AC unit to enjoy nature. I think I would like it that much better that way.
I had fun with nature this weekend, and I had to contain my anxiety when nature started crawling on me in a canoe. I did well, and I'm a good paddler, and I didn't tip us over.
Saturday I met up with Ryan, Heather, and Josh and we went to find Ryan's swimming hole. It is a beautiful area, with Heather and I enjoying a nice rocky beach, avoiding the bees, and swatting at the gnats... but I had fun. There was an interesting mix of people there, not sure where they all came from, but I'm sure we fit right in. Now that I know what it is like, I probably won't be so scared next time and I will actually get in the water. We headed up the Gunpowder to Ryan's step-dad's property and I had my first canoe experience. I'm sure a video camera should have been rolling watching me get into the canoe. I asked Ryan to get in first to help me, then I white knuckled it, paralyzed for the first 10 mins until Dan (Ry's step-dad) reminded me that this was supposed to be relaxing. After Josh got the hang of giving me detailed directions of where to paddle (I wasn't about to turn around and look, and "paddle on this side" wasn't really helping me), I relaxed and began to enjoy myself. It was fun! There just has to be a better way to get in and out without having going through all the mud. Oh... and there was a spider crawling on my foot, which totally freaked me out in the canoe, but I handled myself well.
Sunday I met up with Stacey for lunch, and we spent most of the afternoon catching up. I miss hanging out with her and Kevin. We headed into downtown Westminster to catch one of her friend's band play, which was a lot of fun. I got a little tipsy with Kevin and Andrew, and I had a good time trying to hook Andrew up with all of the biker chicks. Yes, Stacey took me to a biker bar. I fit in so well! But it was a good time, although I am a little sunburned and I have mosquito bites on my upper thighs from wearing a skirt. It was so damn hot, too.
I started my diet this morning, had a bowl of mixed fruit, and will be munching on some more fruit shortly. I'm to eat fruit all morning, then switch to veggies for lunch and afterwards; with some lean protein with dinner. We'll see how it goes!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Focusing
I'm having trouble focusing on doing my homework. I have to do some of the work for my paper now because I have to do a brief presentation on the information I gathered so far next Sunday in class. But I haven't done any of it.
I'm not interested in the subject matter of strategic planning at all, and the idea of doing homework when the weather has been amazing isn't fun. I also need to get my portfolio together for my mid-year review. I don't want to do that either! That involves me getting on my home computer and sending the files to work so I can print them out here.... since my printer doesn't work at home.
I keep thinking about what I want to do instead, and I just really want to focus on me. I want to sit outside in the cool breeze, enjoying the weather, and do yoga. That's all I want to do. Or go out with friends and have an excellent time... although a combination of both would be wonderful. I now understand what my friend Stephanie said about getting to the point of not caring anymore and just doing what you want. But in order to live the life I want, I have to do things I don't want in order to make money... i.e. work. I do want to work, but I would much rather do it on my terms. I can't wait until I graduate!
I'm not interested in the subject matter of strategic planning at all, and the idea of doing homework when the weather has been amazing isn't fun. I also need to get my portfolio together for my mid-year review. I don't want to do that either! That involves me getting on my home computer and sending the files to work so I can print them out here.... since my printer doesn't work at home.
I keep thinking about what I want to do instead, and I just really want to focus on me. I want to sit outside in the cool breeze, enjoying the weather, and do yoga. That's all I want to do. Or go out with friends and have an excellent time... although a combination of both would be wonderful. I now understand what my friend Stephanie said about getting to the point of not caring anymore and just doing what you want. But in order to live the life I want, I have to do things I don't want in order to make money... i.e. work. I do want to work, but I would much rather do it on my terms. I can't wait until I graduate!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Raw Foods and Buddah
No, the two aren't suggested as a path together, but as I read more about both I am drawn to them.
Buddhist philosophy with a purely Christian feel is what I am after. I went to the library yesterday and picked up a few books on meditation and one that I'm finding interesting is called the "Yoga of Jesus." The author explores the idea of what happened to Jesus during the time he wasn't written about in the Gospels, and based on ancient texts the theory is that he went to find the Magi in India. "Christ" is a title that is used to describe Jesus, as it means a true union with the Truth which is God. The author argues that Jesus was fully enlightened, and was a manifestation of God on earth, but we have the power to become like Christ by connecting with the inner vibrations of our Truth. Basically the idea is that in everything there is God, and connecting back to that is what is truly needed. God resides in all of us, and through connecting with that piece of ourselves is living in the Kingdom of God. The author also explains (in a larger work he wrote) line-by-line every piece of the Gospels and what Jesus truly meant by his teachings... of how to love everyone and find God within us.
The Raw Foods diet is a separate piece that I stumbled upon, but it makes so much sense to me. The idea is that our bodies, although evolved, really aren't meant to digest processed food. Its not sure what to do with the extra chemicals and toxins, so they end up getting stored in the cells, considering that I body can't keep up with the elimination of these things. We are tired because our body spends most of its energy digesting the food, and if we put food in our bodies that it is meant to have, we'll have more energy for our lives. Its also supposed to prevent disease and some cancers, increase the skin appearance and help with weight loss. The author of the diet explores the ideas that waste=weight. The extra weight we carry is because we have all of these toxins and chemicals stored as fat in the body.
I'm going to start the diet this coming week, and I'll be blogging about how it goes. A healthy change for me!
Buddhist philosophy with a purely Christian feel is what I am after. I went to the library yesterday and picked up a few books on meditation and one that I'm finding interesting is called the "Yoga of Jesus." The author explores the idea of what happened to Jesus during the time he wasn't written about in the Gospels, and based on ancient texts the theory is that he went to find the Magi in India. "Christ" is a title that is used to describe Jesus, as it means a true union with the Truth which is God. The author argues that Jesus was fully enlightened, and was a manifestation of God on earth, but we have the power to become like Christ by connecting with the inner vibrations of our Truth. Basically the idea is that in everything there is God, and connecting back to that is what is truly needed. God resides in all of us, and through connecting with that piece of ourselves is living in the Kingdom of God. The author also explains (in a larger work he wrote) line-by-line every piece of the Gospels and what Jesus truly meant by his teachings... of how to love everyone and find God within us.
The Raw Foods diet is a separate piece that I stumbled upon, but it makes so much sense to me. The idea is that our bodies, although evolved, really aren't meant to digest processed food. Its not sure what to do with the extra chemicals and toxins, so they end up getting stored in the cells, considering that I body can't keep up with the elimination of these things. We are tired because our body spends most of its energy digesting the food, and if we put food in our bodies that it is meant to have, we'll have more energy for our lives. Its also supposed to prevent disease and some cancers, increase the skin appearance and help with weight loss. The author of the diet explores the ideas that waste=weight. The extra weight we carry is because we have all of these toxins and chemicals stored as fat in the body.
I'm going to start the diet this coming week, and I'll be blogging about how it goes. A healthy change for me!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Speed Dating Revealed
I met April a little before 5:30pm at her office building where we did a last minute fresh-up before heading out to the lounge for the event. It took us about 30mins to get through rush hour traffic into DC, and I missed our turn-off. That is one thing I hate about DC. Most of the streets are one-way, and if you miss your turn, sometimes you have to go up a few blocks before you can turn around, or get through 3 lanes of traffic to make a turn in the opposite direction. I think I went down a street for 1/2 a block the wrong way, but I was following the other out of town car in front of me.
Anyway, we arrived at the lounge and it was a very neat setting. Lots of couches and big chairs, and they were also a hookah bar. There were a few people making use of the hookahs as they were enjoying happy hour. April and I ordered something light to nibble on, as we both didn't have dinner.
At 7pm we made our way back to the side room, where we found a whole bunch of women and hardly any men. I think there were 3 men total for awhile... then a few others showed up at 7pm. Maybe 9-10 men total for the event... but the women outnumbered, as a few rounds of the Speed Dating left a few women without dates.
So... on to my dates...
1. Henry. Henry was a really tall Asian man, either in his late 20s or early 30s. He's traveled pretty much every where in the world, and gets to travel for work. I believe he is an IT consultant of some sort, but mentioned that he uses OD (my field) consultants on some of the projects. I think he really misses his brother, as he kept talking about him living in Japan teaching English. He's also lived in a few different countries.
2. Alfredo. Alfredo was in his late 20s (my guess) and has lived in the Adams Morgan area of DC all of his life. He's very well spoken as he works for the local DC paper covering entertainment news as a reporter. He actually approached April and I while we were waiting for the dating event to start... he liked April. His first date was with her, and then he knew she and I were friends so I could tell that he was trying to get me to put in a good word for him to her. Somehow we got on the conversation of cat-fights and jello wrestling... I think because of the amount of women that were in the room.
3. Praveen. Praveen was in his middle 30s (my guess) and I think he was of Indian decent, but it was hard to tell. He's a photographer and traveling for vacation is his life blood. He was a great conversationalist, and likes the European idea of taking 2-3 months of vacation, having a very balanced life. He loves traveling out west, especially hiking and camping in the desert. He asked me about recent trips, and we found out that we both love Austin, TX. He goes a couple times a year, and told me that I need to check out their local music festivals... so we at least had something in common to talk about. He also lived in Iraq for a year, and has lived in various countries.
4. Sam. Sam was in his early 20s, and moved to DC from NC back in March. He works for the census department. He's still getting used to city life and thinks that sometimes there is too much activity and action. He loves the beach, but really didn't have much to say.
5. Brian. Brain came with Sam and is ultimately into sports. He's played soccer all of his life, and LOVES football. But he also has a love for the food channel. We got lost in conversation for a few minutes about our favorite chefs and different restaurants we like.
6. Shandy. Shandy was born in India and moved to the US a few years ago. He's traveled around the world numerous times and his favorite place was Peru. I mentioned to him that my dream is Fiji, and he recommended a travel book for me to read that he thought I might like. Its about a man who left his busy life in LA and moved to Fiji to interact with the locals and have a relaxing life. Sounds good!
7. Sandye. Sandye was in his middle to late 30s and I think he was of mixed heritage. He was the ultimate high-class business man, wearing the suit and tie. He started the conversation by saying that my friend (he met April 1st) told him all about me, all my secrets, and about the youtube video that he saw about me. He said that he only had one question - did I really do it? Me, not ever backing down from a verbal challenge, made up some story about how I did do it because I was going with the flow and feeling the moment. And... at least I have a video of it for posterity. He got a kick out of that. He then asked if time wasn't an issue, and he could send me anywhere in the world, what were the top 3 places I would go. I told him Fiji, Italy, and Scotland. He then told me that he has 7 trips planned between now and the middle of next year, with Rio being on his top destination list. We got into a huge discussion about work-life balance and how he used to work 12-14 hour days, but is now taking time to relax and enjoy life.
8. Val. Val was of Indian heritage and in his late 30s. He is an IT consultant, and has traveled around the world 4 times, but his favorite place was Switzerland. He told me the best thing to do is to take a globe, spin it, and wherever your finger lands is the place to go. He lived in Australia for awhile and was offered a job in Fiji, but because he wanted to go to grad school he didn't take it.
9. David. David was in his late 30s, ex military, and now lives in DC. He told me that he prefers to meet people in person, and wanted to know why young people don't do that anymore. He said that men are visual and need the human connection, because living life electronically isn't for him.
So... I didn't make a connection with any of them, but it was really cool hearing life stories. If I was to talk to any of them again it would be Praveen and Sandye. Praveen because he was really cool, laid back, and has traveled to some really neat places. Sandye because I know his type and I have pleasure in verbally knocking him off his feet with my wit... he likes to think highly of himself, and I like knocking those types down a peg or two.
I also met the owner of the company - he's an ex-lawyer who started the business about 10 years ago. He said the speed dating events toward the end of the week are really packed - they usually get about 100 people. April and I decided to give that a try one time!
Anyway, we arrived at the lounge and it was a very neat setting. Lots of couches and big chairs, and they were also a hookah bar. There were a few people making use of the hookahs as they were enjoying happy hour. April and I ordered something light to nibble on, as we both didn't have dinner.
At 7pm we made our way back to the side room, where we found a whole bunch of women and hardly any men. I think there were 3 men total for awhile... then a few others showed up at 7pm. Maybe 9-10 men total for the event... but the women outnumbered, as a few rounds of the Speed Dating left a few women without dates.
So... on to my dates...
1. Henry. Henry was a really tall Asian man, either in his late 20s or early 30s. He's traveled pretty much every where in the world, and gets to travel for work. I believe he is an IT consultant of some sort, but mentioned that he uses OD (my field) consultants on some of the projects. I think he really misses his brother, as he kept talking about him living in Japan teaching English. He's also lived in a few different countries.
2. Alfredo. Alfredo was in his late 20s (my guess) and has lived in the Adams Morgan area of DC all of his life. He's very well spoken as he works for the local DC paper covering entertainment news as a reporter. He actually approached April and I while we were waiting for the dating event to start... he liked April. His first date was with her, and then he knew she and I were friends so I could tell that he was trying to get me to put in a good word for him to her. Somehow we got on the conversation of cat-fights and jello wrestling... I think because of the amount of women that were in the room.
3. Praveen. Praveen was in his middle 30s (my guess) and I think he was of Indian decent, but it was hard to tell. He's a photographer and traveling for vacation is his life blood. He was a great conversationalist, and likes the European idea of taking 2-3 months of vacation, having a very balanced life. He loves traveling out west, especially hiking and camping in the desert. He asked me about recent trips, and we found out that we both love Austin, TX. He goes a couple times a year, and told me that I need to check out their local music festivals... so we at least had something in common to talk about. He also lived in Iraq for a year, and has lived in various countries.
4. Sam. Sam was in his early 20s, and moved to DC from NC back in March. He works for the census department. He's still getting used to city life and thinks that sometimes there is too much activity and action. He loves the beach, but really didn't have much to say.
5. Brian. Brain came with Sam and is ultimately into sports. He's played soccer all of his life, and LOVES football. But he also has a love for the food channel. We got lost in conversation for a few minutes about our favorite chefs and different restaurants we like.
6. Shandy. Shandy was born in India and moved to the US a few years ago. He's traveled around the world numerous times and his favorite place was Peru. I mentioned to him that my dream is Fiji, and he recommended a travel book for me to read that he thought I might like. Its about a man who left his busy life in LA and moved to Fiji to interact with the locals and have a relaxing life. Sounds good!
7. Sandye. Sandye was in his middle to late 30s and I think he was of mixed heritage. He was the ultimate high-class business man, wearing the suit and tie. He started the conversation by saying that my friend (he met April 1st) told him all about me, all my secrets, and about the youtube video that he saw about me. He said that he only had one question - did I really do it? Me, not ever backing down from a verbal challenge, made up some story about how I did do it because I was going with the flow and feeling the moment. And... at least I have a video of it for posterity. He got a kick out of that. He then asked if time wasn't an issue, and he could send me anywhere in the world, what were the top 3 places I would go. I told him Fiji, Italy, and Scotland. He then told me that he has 7 trips planned between now and the middle of next year, with Rio being on his top destination list. We got into a huge discussion about work-life balance and how he used to work 12-14 hour days, but is now taking time to relax and enjoy life.
8. Val. Val was of Indian heritage and in his late 30s. He is an IT consultant, and has traveled around the world 4 times, but his favorite place was Switzerland. He told me the best thing to do is to take a globe, spin it, and wherever your finger lands is the place to go. He lived in Australia for awhile and was offered a job in Fiji, but because he wanted to go to grad school he didn't take it.
9. David. David was in his late 30s, ex military, and now lives in DC. He told me that he prefers to meet people in person, and wanted to know why young people don't do that anymore. He said that men are visual and need the human connection, because living life electronically isn't for him.
So... I didn't make a connection with any of them, but it was really cool hearing life stories. If I was to talk to any of them again it would be Praveen and Sandye. Praveen because he was really cool, laid back, and has traveled to some really neat places. Sandye because I know his type and I have pleasure in verbally knocking him off his feet with my wit... he likes to think highly of himself, and I like knocking those types down a peg or two.
I also met the owner of the company - he's an ex-lawyer who started the business about 10 years ago. He said the speed dating events toward the end of the week are really packed - they usually get about 100 people. April and I decided to give that a try one time!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Secret too
I'm full of nervous energy as I get ready to go to speed dating tonight... the usual concerns of "what will I say?" "will they like me?" "oh lord, what if no one picks me?" are passing through my head. But then I've been thinking that it doesn't really matter, I'm just there to have fun.
My hair looks like crap. No, I'm not being harsh, I just need to get into a routine of how to best fix it for the new cut I have. I've been going for the wavy look, but with the humidity it falls by mid-afternoon and looks limp. Maybe I should just start wearing it curled under like I normally do.
I also know now that "The Secret" really works. I tried the feather experiment, which I started thinking about a few weeks ago. I wanted a feather to appear to know that it works... when I came out this morning there was a feather on the hood of my car. Yeah it didn't happen right away, but it happened. On the way over the office today I was using it to hope for a parking space in front of the door... there was one waiting for me when I got here!
Now I'm going to test it out for tonight... I don't know what I'm going to wish for yet, but it'll work itself out! hehe
My hair looks like crap. No, I'm not being harsh, I just need to get into a routine of how to best fix it for the new cut I have. I've been going for the wavy look, but with the humidity it falls by mid-afternoon and looks limp. Maybe I should just start wearing it curled under like I normally do.
I also know now that "The Secret" really works. I tried the feather experiment, which I started thinking about a few weeks ago. I wanted a feather to appear to know that it works... when I came out this morning there was a feather on the hood of my car. Yeah it didn't happen right away, but it happened. On the way over the office today I was using it to hope for a parking space in front of the door... there was one waiting for me when I got here!
Now I'm going to test it out for tonight... I don't know what I'm going to wish for yet, but it'll work itself out! hehe
Monday, August 3, 2009
Enlightenment
I've been drawn to a lot of Buddhist thought recently, especially on the teachings of enlightenment. I think it stems from the need to feel completely connected within my body, and that connection radiates out to the entire world. I'm not turning away from my Catholic faith, but I seek to enhance it to fully experience myself in my body.
That sounds weird, but I get so trapped in my head that I often am unaware of what is happening around me, or what is going on within my body. The way I'm sitting, the breathing that I am doing and how shallow it is, the rapid ringing of my hands when I'm thinking or nervous, my posture when I'm standing... all of those things escape my attention. I seem to only notice things that are in front of my face and that I draw attention to. Even on the physical level, I can walk into the house and not notice the curtains changed unless I have to interact with them. It seems contrary, as I am very observant in things that I am interested in... which I think comes more of an intuitiveness that something is different, opposed to an actual visual understanding of what changed.
I read The Power of Now and am in the process of reading Touching Enlightenment which has had a profound effect on me. No, I wouldn't call it a self-help book, either of them. They are both about experiencing the present within the body and not searching for it among the past or the future. Touching Enlightenment has really been insightful, as it has helped me work through the natural emotions that I am feeling and highlights the stages of change. The fall into what feels like insanity as your body forces you to face the reality that you are not on the right path and need to readjust the way of life you are living is described in detail. I felt that way when I had my emotional reaction to stress and the meditation. That I was losing my mind and it was terrifying.
It is remarkable to me that humans experience this, yet rarely speak of it. It is so private inside, yet speaking about it gets it out. I find that writing about it helps me to process it so its not in my head. Its my extroverted way of thinking.
I've been reading more about the idea of Somatic Meditation, which Touching Enlightenment highlights. Its the idea of meditating with the entire body, and using sensation and feelings to release the build up of emotion that is capture inside. Its truly about escaping into the body, the darkness that is inside, and fully understanding Jung's shadow that may reside in us. I've studied Jung in school, but this book adds an insight to the shadow that is expanded from his theory. The idea that every person we meet, every experience that we have is brought to us on purpose. Its the karma trapped inside of us from unlived experiences that need to be lived... or from past experiences that have never been resolved. I also like the thought that we so strongly focus on the mental image or concept of something that we never see it in its entirety. We limit ourselves by not fully experiencing and rationalizing the experience. It is not until we let go of how we want things to be, that they can start to be as they should. That's pretty simple, yet powerful stuff.
That sounds weird, but I get so trapped in my head that I often am unaware of what is happening around me, or what is going on within my body. The way I'm sitting, the breathing that I am doing and how shallow it is, the rapid ringing of my hands when I'm thinking or nervous, my posture when I'm standing... all of those things escape my attention. I seem to only notice things that are in front of my face and that I draw attention to. Even on the physical level, I can walk into the house and not notice the curtains changed unless I have to interact with them. It seems contrary, as I am very observant in things that I am interested in... which I think comes more of an intuitiveness that something is different, opposed to an actual visual understanding of what changed.
I read The Power of Now and am in the process of reading Touching Enlightenment which has had a profound effect on me. No, I wouldn't call it a self-help book, either of them. They are both about experiencing the present within the body and not searching for it among the past or the future. Touching Enlightenment has really been insightful, as it has helped me work through the natural emotions that I am feeling and highlights the stages of change. The fall into what feels like insanity as your body forces you to face the reality that you are not on the right path and need to readjust the way of life you are living is described in detail. I felt that way when I had my emotional reaction to stress and the meditation. That I was losing my mind and it was terrifying.
It is remarkable to me that humans experience this, yet rarely speak of it. It is so private inside, yet speaking about it gets it out. I find that writing about it helps me to process it so its not in my head. Its my extroverted way of thinking.
I've been reading more about the idea of Somatic Meditation, which Touching Enlightenment highlights. Its the idea of meditating with the entire body, and using sensation and feelings to release the build up of emotion that is capture inside. Its truly about escaping into the body, the darkness that is inside, and fully understanding Jung's shadow that may reside in us. I've studied Jung in school, but this book adds an insight to the shadow that is expanded from his theory. The idea that every person we meet, every experience that we have is brought to us on purpose. Its the karma trapped inside of us from unlived experiences that need to be lived... or from past experiences that have never been resolved. I also like the thought that we so strongly focus on the mental image or concept of something that we never see it in its entirety. We limit ourselves by not fully experiencing and rationalizing the experience. It is not until we let go of how we want things to be, that they can start to be as they should. That's pretty simple, yet powerful stuff.
Family time
On Saturday, about 10 0f us from Baltimore traveled to New Jersey for a family reunion with the New Jersey family. It was great fun! The family in New Jersey is my grandmother's brother's family. He left Baltimore when he married a woman from Philly, and they lived in South Philly, raising both of their children there. My great-aunt Josie still lives in the same house after 55 years, with her children moving to New Jersey.
We went to my cousin Rosemarie's for the reunion, which is in an adorable 'burb of New Jersey off of Black Horse Pike. Her grandchildren are adorable, and I found a kinship with my little cousin Joey (age 7) who loves the show "So you think you can dance?" We had some great conversations on who we think is going to win! hehe
It was great to see everyone again, and my cousin Denise is especially inspirational. She and I have a lot in common, both physically and mentally. She just graduated with her PhD in advanced math and works in the school system as an instructional coach. She's battled her weight for years, and has been single for just as long. She adopted Julie from China about 5 years ago when she was 35, which is where I originally got the idea that I can do that too if I felt the time was right. She and I talked about traveling, as she loves vacation just as much as I do, so we are going to start planning some trips!
My cousin-in-law Tina is a sweetheart, as a stay at home mom with 3 kids. She was telling me about her life, and how she wanted to travel for work and take some jobs out west... but she got married instead. She wouldn't give up her life, but I can tell there is a wistfulness that is still within her. Her husband, my cousin Mike, was a really good musician, but he gave that up to support his family. He still sings at family events, and he has a beautiful voice. This is why it is so important for me to do everything I want to do... I don't want regrets!
On Sunday I traveled to NOVA to have a great lunch with my friend and classmate Stephanie! We had a super time at a new Indian restaurant before indulging in our favorite pastime - shopping for yarn! Yes, I bought more yarn. I know I have so much at the house, but I couldn't resist. It was so good to connect with her, and her adorable cat is so sweet.
Overall it was an awesome weekend! Here are the pictures from the family event:
We went to my cousin Rosemarie's for the reunion, which is in an adorable 'burb of New Jersey off of Black Horse Pike. Her grandchildren are adorable, and I found a kinship with my little cousin Joey (age 7) who loves the show "So you think you can dance?" We had some great conversations on who we think is going to win! hehe
It was great to see everyone again, and my cousin Denise is especially inspirational. She and I have a lot in common, both physically and mentally. She just graduated with her PhD in advanced math and works in the school system as an instructional coach. She's battled her weight for years, and has been single for just as long. She adopted Julie from China about 5 years ago when she was 35, which is where I originally got the idea that I can do that too if I felt the time was right. She and I talked about traveling, as she loves vacation just as much as I do, so we are going to start planning some trips!
My cousin-in-law Tina is a sweetheart, as a stay at home mom with 3 kids. She was telling me about her life, and how she wanted to travel for work and take some jobs out west... but she got married instead. She wouldn't give up her life, but I can tell there is a wistfulness that is still within her. Her husband, my cousin Mike, was a really good musician, but he gave that up to support his family. He still sings at family events, and he has a beautiful voice. This is why it is so important for me to do everything I want to do... I don't want regrets!
On Sunday I traveled to NOVA to have a great lunch with my friend and classmate Stephanie! We had a super time at a new Indian restaurant before indulging in our favorite pastime - shopping for yarn! Yes, I bought more yarn. I know I have so much at the house, but I couldn't resist. It was so good to connect with her, and her adorable cat is so sweet.
Overall it was an awesome weekend! Here are the pictures from the family event:
 |
| Family Reunion Aug 2009 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
