Anniversary Plans

Our seventh wedding anniversary is approaching, on June 6.  We always try to do something really cool and semi-local for our anniversary, depending on our work and financial situations during the given year.  For our first anniversary, we went to Cumberland Falls in southern Kentucky to see the moonbow. It’s one of the few places in the world where there’s a “rainbow” at night from the light of the moon, and it’s only visible a few times a year.  We’ve also done the Urban Bourbon Trail in Louisville and stayed at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel there, where Fitzgerald is said to have gotten the inspiration for The Great Gatsby.  

This year, I thought I knew what we were going to do, but now we have two ideas.  And as far as ideas for summertime outings go, they’re pretty much opposites.

This music festival takes place at a pretty cool park in downtown Cincinnati, which would take us a little over an hour to drive to…not to mention finding parking and braving the crowd at 37 weeks pregnant.  And of course, being at an outdoor music festival in the summertime will bring with it certain…ahem, tempting beverages, of which I can’t currently partake.  I’m honestly not sure how much fun it will be to be that hot, sweaty, cramped, and sober while rocking out to some Kacey Musgraves.  Plus, tickets are $79 per person, and we would be out super late and away from Bella overnight.

Augusta is just the next town over from us, about 15 minutes away.  I haven’t spent much time there, but we had a Mother’s Day dinner there last Friday night with my best friends and it is such a cool, quirky little place!  We ate at a cafe that had a hopping pub across the street, and after dinner we walked next door to a pizza parlor that had a walk-up window for soft-serve ice cream.  The row houses are beautiful, and there’s such an artsy vibe.  It’s smaller than our downtown, but more revitalized and consistently….just nice.  This festival is something that is on my radar every year, but it always conflicts with our schedules.  I think it would be a very relaxing day to just stroll through the artwork and vendors, enjoying live music and festival food.

I have to go to graduation on the morning of our anniversary, and Adam will take Bella to his parents during the ceremony, before meeting me and my friends at a diner downtown which has become kind of a tradition in the last few years.  Then, we will be free to celebrate however we choose.  But what will we choose??

Knowing how I operate, I’ll find fifteen other options between now and then! But that’s one of the best things about summertime around here. There’s so much to do within an hour drive or so.  I absolutely love summer in Kentucky! If only we had a beach, my anniversary plans would be complete!

Back to Being Me

It was almost instantaneous.

On Saturday, I worked all day and half the night to finish my research paper on “Araby,” and when I realized that my Theories of Teaching Writing professor had posted our final exam, I used that momentum to just go ahead and get it done.  I hit submit on my final assignment some time after midnight and slept the glorious sleep of those who’ve accomplished something in the previous 24 hours.

Sunday morning, I woke up early, had coffee, made a grocery list, made a wreath, bought flowers for the front porch, had lunch and a nap with my family, did all the laundry, cleaned out the fridge and the cupboards, went to Kroger, and started a new book just for fun.

I’m back.

I didn’t realize just how draining these last ten months had been.  Even when I wasn’t reading or writing or researching, I was dwelling on all the reading and writing and researching that needed to be done.  But enough about that.  Let’s talk about all that fun stuff I did yesterday.

I actually am some kind of weirdo…I like making the grocery list and doing the shopping.  I like to Pin new recipes and make a meal plan for the week ahead. I’m even planning to try my first adventure in freezer meals in preparation for baby Axton’s arrival next month.  I’ve really missed cooking for and with my family, so I’m excited to get out of the drive thru and into the kitchen.  Here’s one of the Pinterest recipes I can’t wait to try this week (Click the image to see the recipe).  Did I mention it’s going to be 80 degrees here all week? Fire up the grill!

Next up on the list of things I’m excited to do now that I’m human again: home improvement projects.  Nothing major, just little things to spruce the place up. Oh, and setting up the nursery.  I’ve been ignoring my nesting instincts by keeping a running list of things to do starting this week, and it has worked, though I hate to look back and feel like I’ve put my life on pause. But that’s a rant for another day.  So, to keep from being overwhelmed, I’ve decided to start with a small task or area and tackle the whole house (inside and out…I’m trying not to be scared…) that way.  First was the refrigerator and cupboards.  Two bags of old crap thrown out: Check.  Now, the front porch.  I made this wreath, only my second so it isn’t perfect, and bought a mixture of plants to put on either side of the front door.

After I hung it up inside to adjust it, I think I kinda want to make one to leave on that door!

I will update with pics of the front porch in all its glory when its finished, hopefully this evening.  Adam is going to complete the front landscaping within the next few weeks, so the whole exterior will have a facelift!

Once I was settled down for the day, I started a new book, and I’m seriously excited about it.  The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

I’m only a couple of chapters in, but basically Harry August lives the same life over and over, always returning to the same moment of birth in the same life after he dies.  He is able to change things, but the general details are the same.  The most intriguing part is the detail revealed in the very first chapter, which was the reason I decided to download this book in the first place:

(from the book description) As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. “I nearly missed you, Doctor August,” she says. “I need to send a message.”

This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.

I brought my Kindle to school with me today so I can use it during reading time with my students.  I am relishing in the thought of kicking back and spending some time just reading for fun.

My nearly instantaneous return to myself has been pretty fantastic so far.  I can’t wait to see what the coming weeks hold as I get back to being me.