Monday, December 20, 2010

it's a wonderful life

am blogging soundtrack: HC, Jr's When My Heart Finds Christmas
am blogging sustenance: Stonyfield Organic Greek yogurt


I'm a lucky girl.

No work today until 1pm. Woke up early and spent the hours so far making teeny tiny butter cookies that I will then lather with the most heavenly lemon glaze. After they cool and set, it's into some super retro jelly jars that I picked up on my last visit to the 'Burg. Then: tie 'em up with a pretty ribbon and spread some Christmas cheer!

After a (very) brief work day, I think I'll go out and pretend that I haven't been done with all my Christmas shopping for weeks . . . It happens every year. I'm all organized with game plan in mind sometime around my birthday. Then execution and the occasional small change in November. No wrapping until the tree is up after Thanksgiving. A few days of busy prep work. Then I just sit back and admire the bounty for the weeks preceding the big day. But now that we are firmly in Christmas week, I'm getting itchy! I kinda want to start all over!

Tonight we meet up with Clayton's parents at their favorite restaurant for tasty, tasty prime rib and Madrigal singers. Fun, right?! The annual family outing already took place but we missed it trying to get out of DC last weekend. So they took pity on us and tonight it's Lawry's: the sequel. Already salivating just a little:)

Tomorrow, another short work day - love me some pre-op clinic! - and then dinner and drinks with two of our favorite people, Brad and Lisa. Brad's birthday was last week so we're going to do a little combo celebration of both him and Baby Jesus. Yay!

Wednesday, a little bit longer of a work day but still likely to be ridiculously easy. And then, my Clayton Christmas. We're making a special dinner - rack of lamb with a creole mustard crust and a rosemary jous, lemony maple sweet potatoes, and fresh berries with cream for desert. We'll wake up Thursday morning, pretending it's Christmas, and tackle our stockings and previously mentioned under-the-tree-bounty. Our first Christmas in our new house. So sweet:)

The airport and Missouri follow. And then it's Haller Family Christmas and I can't WAIT! Sisters and smiles. Grandma and goodness. Parents and presents. Nieces. Nieces. NIECES!

Did I mention that I am one very lucky girl?

Thursday, December 16, 2010

it's my party and I'll cry if I want to

It's already Thursday and my vacation week is nearing it's end. It's been a great week filled with spa days, shopping, lunch dates, reading, good food, movies, and holiday spirit. And I have my fancy stay-cation with Clayton tonight and lots of Coby graduation festivities this weekend still yet to come. Very successful week off where I somehow managed to find that allusive perfect balance between relaxation and fun. But I'm a little on the sad side and don't have even half of a good reason for it. Problem. Solution: Sappy made-for-TV-Hallmark-channel Christmas movie here I come!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

it's not over til it's over

Listen
We don't call the shots here
We don't make the rules
We take what we get, get what we can
And it's learning the hard way
Here on the streets
You can't build a dream, without a plan

(Passion speaks) Let them hear you speak
(Play for keeps) They play to win, we play for keeps

Chorus: It's not over 'til it's over
It's not over 'til we get it right

The odds are against us
They say we don't stand a chance
But there's no giving up, no giving in
When push comes to shove
You got to fight for what you love
You do what you must, do what you can

(Passion speaks) Let them hear you speak
(Play for keeps) They play to win, we play for keeps

It's not over 'til it's over (It's not over)
It's not over 'til we get it right
It's not over 'til it's over (Don't go giving in)
It's not over 'til we get it right

The odds are against us
But you know we still stand a chance
But there's no giving up, no giving in
It's not over

It's not over 'til it's over
It's not over 'til we, 'til we, 'til we get it right
It's not over 'til it's over
It's not over 'til we, 'til we, 'til we get it right
It's not over 'til it's over
Don't go giving in now

Sometimes you find comfort in the darnedest things. Starship. Who knew?

Monday, December 13, 2010

it's a nice day to start again

Natalie,

Hello dear, dear friend. It seems like forever since I last wrote to you. And even longer yet since the last time we got to chat. Most of that's my fault - the days just seem so full and they speed by so fast. But I guess I'll throw a little of the responsibility your way, too. If only you'd get over your need to live a hemisphere away!

Those busy days I mentioned most recently took us to some of your favored old stomping grounds. We spent the weekend in DC visiting our friend Carolyn for her birthday. Clayton hadn't been since he was a kid so everything seemed new to him. But even though I saw stuff I hadn't seen before, for me it was like one big memory rush. The springtime trip our junior year of college where a super grown up and sophisticated Nat showed me around her new home. The much, much colder New Year's return a few year's later when we drove through a snow storm to deliver your car to Virginia. Remember our drinking night at Old Glory in Georgetown? I walked by it Saturday night and couldn't believe we had ever been that young. And as I took a chilly look at the South Lawn of the White House, I recalled standing in almost the exact same place thinking how lonely the city looked right after 9-11. Clayton and I had a great time with great friends in a great city. But it made me miss you like crazy!

Speaking of Clayton, It's amazing to me that I have finally found my brown-haired boy (I upgraded from the brown eyes!) and you have yet to meet him. Remember all those late night talks, phone conversations, and emails where we dissected the male species and dreamt of who we would share our lives with? I think it was only a few years ago the last time we played MASH:) You always had a crush on someone new and I for so many years lived my crush life vicariously through you. Well this crush just ain't going away, Buggie. He's everything you could possibly want for me, everything I've ever wanted for myself. And I'm keeping him!

Work has been crazy. But isn't it always a little that way? Or, at least for me. But my priority rank for work has definitely changed over the last several years. And I have you to partially thank for that. I distinctly remember a conversation we had as we were driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains on a beautiful fall day. It was one of our birthday rendezvous adventures, I was about to turn 30. The week after that milestone I had to face some of the hardest decisions I'd ever been asked to make. And those decisions changed my life path forever. You were pretty harsh with me. And for the first time made me acknowledge that while I may have chosen medicine as my profession I didn't have to make it my life. It was a wake up call for me. And certainly helped me make my decision to leave Mansfield, take a sabbatical, and get my life back on track. So, in case I haven't said it previously, thank you:)

The holidays are upon us and I'm so looking forward to heading back to Missouri to spend them with the family. You wouldn't believe how big (and beautiful) the nieces are! Wanna know what I want for Christmas, Nat? To see your smiling face and hear your unmistakable laugh. To give my oldest friend the kind of hug that I reserve for my sisters. The kind of hug that feels a lot like home.

With love,
Amy

Thursday, December 9, 2010

it's a good day to be alive

Today's loves:

* mid-morning coffee break with Em

* wonderful little old ladies who tell me they don't know what they'd do without my "pretty, sweet face" smiling down on them each day

* organic beeswax chap stick

* Clayton getting home early from work and greeting me with smooches after a long day

* that super helpful wine guy at Whole Foods

* the smell of Nikki's homemade pesto

* leggings

* knowing there is just ONE more day to go in the Fall 2010 work marathon, vacation here I come!


Saturday, December 4, 2010

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well. Except for the stubbornly green grass and 70 degree weather;)