Founder Farmers

Thursday during Trixie's visit, our friend Melissa came to visit from NYC! We all lived in Syracuse at the same time, so it was a Syracuse reunion day!! It had been too long. After Picking Melissa up at Union Station, we headed to Founding Farmers. We got caught in the rain, and only Trixie had an umbrella, which she graciously shared, but its almost impossible to share umbrellas effectively - so apologies for my frightful hair :)



We had a lot of trouble deciding what to get. So we ordered a lot of food. Trixie got some super yummy flat bread - with figs! I have recently become obsessed with figs!



Melissa got shrimp and grits. The portions were huge!



I got fried chicken and waffle with mac and cheese. My eyes were so much bigger than my stomach!



We also ordered an insane amount of appetizers - first time trying pickled veggies - so good. Melissa pickles her own veggies - she is hard core. Do you see the deviled eggs in the background? Heaven.



And my favorite - fried green tomatoes. They were amazing.



Oh, we also got crab cakes. We went a little overboard, but it was so worth it.



After eating ourselves silly, we headed to the Mall. As you can see, it was still pretty cloudy and overcast out.



We then spent some time in the American History Museum. Stumbled on some old school Muppets. We also saw the American Flag sewn by Betsy Ross. It was powerful! First, it was enormous! Then to imagine the scene (start singing the star spangled banner in your head), gave me shivers.



We had a really fun time! We spent the afternoon perusing used bookstores, soaking our feet in the pool and talking bout life, followed by Ethiopian for dinner (post coming) and Fashion's Night Out. It was so awesome of Melissa to come visit for the day - I think we should do it again soon :) K, ladies?

 

Trending.....

Friendships post college is now a popular discussion!  Check out the link to this interesting article from the NY Times.  Man, they should have given me credit for this....

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/fashion/the-challenge-of-making-friends-as-an-adult.html?_r=1

Descent into the "30s"

After this week when people ask my age range, I can now say, "30s".  Early 30s, but still!  I've heard that many things get better in your thirties. Sex gets better, you become more self-aware, more self-assured.  No comment on the first but i know for sure my metabolism has slowed.  But this not a post about dieting or eating habits in your 30s.  It's more about the awareness/sure-of-oneself side of 30s.  Granted I've only had one full year into my 30s but each day brings more hope, a brighter future.  (Could this just be my meds talking?)  I have learned that it truly is better to have loved and lost than not at all.  Friendships evolve.  Some for the better, a few for the worst.  But I'm ok with that.  I know now i don't need a gaggle of women around me to make me feel secure in who i am or reassure me that my hair looks ok, when it really looks like SH*$.  I am opening myself up to new things, new people. Trying to go outside what's comfortable.

I got a book from the library the other day titled, "Lots of candles, plenty of cake".  They got me at cake.  Occasionally in my "gotta get in and out of the library without leaving a path of destruction in our wake" mode, I grab books just based on titles or how the cover looks.  Don't you dare judge me.  You KNOW you do judge a book by its cover.  A book that is bound and has pages with sentences on it, book.  Not people book. ;)  This tactic proves either genius or stupidity, depending on the contents hidden between the cute front cover and the "rave" reviews on the back.  Moving on.  I started a different book written by the author of the afforementioned book and it was hard but a memoir with cake in the title?  Easy.  And it's been delightful.  Even if I've already had to renew it because it's a 7 day book.  I really think I might have adult onset adhd.  Or just a brain that's fried from hearing my name called 20 bajillion times a day and those little people required, no DEMANDING a response.  SO it takes me a little longer to get through a great book than most normal people.  So Anna Quindlen might be my newest hero.  She ties with Peggy Orenstein.  Anna is funny, intelligent and never condescending or rude in her writing.  She lets you know her point without assuming yours is worthless.  I think she might even have taken it into account in her writing.  

So in the book there's a chapter titled, "Girlfriends".  I've only started this chapter but I have already found a gem.  "The older we get, the more we understand that the women who know and love us---and love us despite what they know about us---are the joists that hold up the house of our existence.  Everything depends on them. ....To be a good friend and to appreciate the value of friendship requires honesty and concentration."  (p.28, Lots of candles, Plenty of Cake; Anna Quindlen 2012)  How wise is this woman?!  And I found this book before I descended into mid-life obscurity.  

My point is, I'm expecting my trip into midlife to be full of bumps and tears and the like but I can also expect to grow. The flowers of my tree with become more beautiful and intoxicating with each passing year and decade.  Here's to lots of candles and plenty of red velvet cake.  

PS-those of my  friends who might want to read the previously mentioned book, hold off.  if i've missed your birthday recently or you have one coming up, hold off.  you *might* be getting it for your birthday.  xo

Something

***WARNING: this post is super long and you might want to pierce your eyes out. ;)i am not claiming to be perfect in my relationships. i just need to be heard*** i was once told by a very wise woman this mantra/phrase: one needs something to: -believe in -love -look forward to/hope for -do isn't this true? i find that my life feels complete when all these things are full. i want to live a full life. who doesn't? lately, i've been feeling like a part is missing. one of these "somethings" are going unfulfilled: something to look forward to/hope for. i'm not talking vacations or trips. just daily joys, activities. i don't mean this post to be a downer or a place for me to complain but these are just some thoughts i've had and been meaning to post. (my sincerest apologies to those friends that have been my sounding board on this issue MANY a time.. you truly are diamonds in the rough. my life would not be complete without you in it) since i moved to this small west texas town of ________________, for whatever reason friendships have been harder to make/upkeep. i understand that people are busy. i am. my life is full and sometimes all the energy i have at the end of a busy day is to just sit in front of the telly. catch up on the real housewives of beverly hills. in my mind, if a friend is really worth keeping or mattered to someone, you'd try to see them more often, especially if they live in the SAME town. i know i was a spoiled in previous places i lived. my very best of friends lived right across the street from me. one moved and the other one moved into her house. lucky. in another place, even though i lived in an apartment complex isolated from my friends, i still saw jes and 2 other best friends at least once a week. i never felt lonely. i feel lonely now. a "friend" once said to me, 'oh, we'll never see each other when you move across town to a different ward (LDS/Mormon church congregations are called wards. i never understood why. "ward" always makes me think of 'a ward of the state'. moving on....). i replied,'we'll have to make more of an effort, if it really matters to us.' i've not really seen this person this month at least, outside of church, a whole lot. i understand that friendships are a 2 way street but i am feeling tired of always feeling like i'm calling people to invite them places and it's rarely reciprocated. what if they are feeling this way, you might ask? well then everyone loses, right? i don't believe that they are doing this intentionally. i believe they just are completely clueless. i had told the previously mentioned "friend" one time how i was feeling and she apologized saying she had no idea and that she gets stuck inside her world. i get that... but she does do stuff with other people. i know, because of the damn facebook. i use it to keep in touch with people from my past. it's easier than constantly shooting emails. it's all in one place. i digress. i think i am a very social person by nature. i do well in groups of 2, 4. 3 is a crowd. i'm proof of that. i am the 3rd wheel in many relationships. people may try to deny it but i'm smarter than i look. i feel more than i should. i know i am not perfect in my friendships. i'm not as giving or thoughtful as some. but i try. but in the end, i am thankful for the friends i've had for years, some since childhood. they all live far from me now but please know, you are never far from my mind or my heart. i know i could be a better friend. i will be a better friend.

Pinky and the Brain

No, this post is not about that kid's cartoon from the 90s on the WB about 2 mice, one stupid and one brain (smart). I liked that title so I used it for my post. I like to think that in my "former" life (my life before kids), I was smart. Not uber intelligent, but smart. I did well in HS, did terribly in college (for many reasons, not important for this post)but still smart. I am definitely more right brained that left. In my current life, I think I now have ADD. My brain has to keep track of so much "unimportant" things that all the smarts were ran outta town. I talk to small people all day. Kid people. I post this to give a small explanation (not that it may be needed) as to why I don't post about topics that are of much meat. I leave that to my INTELLIGENT friend, Jes. I'm not saying that I do not care about the things she does. I do. Very much so. I just don't say it as well as she does. So this is why Jes is left to support and defend the social issues of this lovely blog. I'm happy posting about unnecessary things like fashion and poo. Like actual feces. BUt you never know. One day I might surprise you and post something of real importance.

Pinky and the Brain aka June Bug and Jes (in that order)