reading.

It's no secret that I like to read--and that I read a lot.  I read all the time and pretty much whatever I can get my hands on: fiction, non-fiction, harlequin romances.  I'm a little ashamed that I like to read the latter--it's definitely not from my days of training as lit student. And it's probably not something my dad would like to hear either, even if they have been updated for the contemporary reader (meaning Fabio no longer graces the covers, instead there are artful illustrations on bright backgrounds).  I don't think I'm ashamed that I'm reading terrible writing because obviously the writer's aren't that bad--they're published! I think that I'm more ashamed because I'm training my mind to like all that junk, and it makes it ten times as hard to sit down and work through Faulkner. 

I've come up with a solution: Keri and I are starting a summer reading challenge.  20 books worth reading by the end of August.  In between the hard ones, we're alternating library romances--we anticipate pool reading, and I just don't see us reading Elizabeth Gaskell at the pool.  Sam's picked a few books he considers essentials, but I want to see what the internet thinks: dad? any suggestions? What's on your summer reading list?

Once we narrow it down, I'll publish the final list of 20, and I'll make sure to give weekly progress reports, plus book reviews.  Speaking of book reviews, here are some on books I read a few months ago.  Naturally since marriage has consumed my thoughts since January, they deal with that.  But, even if you're single, they're great to read.

The first book is Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage by Edith Gelles.  I picked this up off of a give away table at work, and although it doesn't quite fit in a beach bag (it's pretty lengthy, and kind of cumbersome to wade through), it's a great read.  I found myself underlining, taking copious notes, and responding to some of what Gelles assumes about our heroine--Abigail.  Gelles focuses, mainly, on the marriage of two people who didn't spend a lot of time together.  It's interesting to see the people behind the Revolution.  I've never been a huge history buff; I barely know the dates.  However, seeing the people behind the history makes it interesting.  On top of that, Abigail Adams might be the best woman--ever.  Gelles writes that John abandons active participation in their marriage really early on (it was page 65 of the book).  She says of the marriage that Abigail "would suffer and struggle and all the while grow in strength to endure and make the decisions she must make to tend to her world--and his--in his absence.  He with her blessings--mostly--would turn his attention to the national struggle." Wonder what would happen to the national struggle if so many of these Revolutionaries didn't have women holding the fort down at home? Although my early notes wrestled with the idea of John abandoning active participation (when is it ok for a woman to ever completely do that?), I'm starting to see that marriage is a partnership.  Anyways, good book.  Great insights.

The second book is a non-fiction / memoir type by Elizabeth Gilbert.  Most notably the author of Eat, Pray, Love, which I ate, prayed, and loved.  Well, not really, but I did really like it.  Coincidentally, Committed came out about the same time that Sam and I started planning the wedding. So I bought it in hardback (which I never do); I just thought I would like it that much.  The problem with non-fiction / memoir type books is that they are just that: non-fiction / memoir type books. They're not particularly self-help, and although some of them profess to be able to help you, they're really just the story of one person's experience.  Gilbert's story (from the beginning) is that she was in a relationship, it went bad, she went down, so she journeyed through it and wrote the best-selling first book.  And then she wound up falling in love again and following her love to the jungle of South America.  Which is kind of where this book picks up.  They travel a lot.  And they decide, even though they had both sworn off marriage, to get married, mostly because of legal immigration issues.  Gilbert decides, because she HAS to get married, that she's going to learn everything she can about it.  Only, she chooses some kind of crazy people to ask.   And she looks at a lot of historical evidence that basically says marriage is a crazy institution (not exactly the best book to read right before walking down the aisle, folks).  Here's one of my favorite parts. It's kind of long, so you can quit reading at any time. 

"Do I sound like I'm trying to talk myself into something here? People, I am

And if you're still with me, the book pretty much ends there. I didn't feel comforted.  I felt I was crazy for even thinking about entering into this seriously backwards institution.  But I think that Gilbert has it somewhat right: maybe I didn't need to search through the whole of Western marriage to determine that we have some things backward, but I get that the leap shouldn't be easy.  I think if we're always slightly uncomfortable, we're better off in the end.  At least, that's what I'm telling myself.  So, read this one at your own risk--mainly, don't read if you're about to get married.  But if you're already married, go ahead, Gilbert might surprise you.

my new love.

it's kind of tall, a little bushy, and has a whole lot of green.  what? did you think i was talking about a new man?  already? i'm not that fickle! no, silly, it's gardening.  and specifically, my garden.

ok, so it's not a garden in the ground, but it's the best i could do with my shady back areas.  Lots of herbs: mint, parsley, 2 basils, lemon balm, cilantro and some tomatoes. i wanted to plant some lettuce, but we have a lot of bugs...so i was hesitant, and then it was too late.  i can't wait until we live somewhere i can have a true garden: raised beds and every vegetable out there.  i could go on and on in an ode to fresh produce, but for now, i'll just stick to the topic at hand.  what i have: specifically, tomatoes!

first up is a fine speciman; i can't remember the name, but it's a looker.  pretty leaves and yellow buds.  just a few short weeks ago, it was tiny--maybe 3 inches tall.  at the advice of a seasoned botanist (or the cashier at the botanical garden plant sale) i stripped off more than 3/4 of it's leaves and buried it about halfway in the dirt.  and to my amazement, it's huge! now it's even outgrown the stick, so i'm wondering what to do.  (any help from the internets?)

 

 

it's even too big for a cage, i think.  but we have tomatoes! see? 

 

 

and blooms for lots more.  i can't wait. i can think of about 50 things i can do with tomatoes, and the first is to eat one like an apple.  grow fast!

oh, but the real reason i came to the internet (besides to profess my love of gardening) is to decide if this cherry tomato is just really stunted or if it's going to grow into a round bush? 

although i bought this one about 2 weeks after my first plant, it has not grown at all.  it is definitely a cherry tomato (surrounded by marigolds because did i mention the bugs?).  anyways, if any of you have a green thumb, and you read my blog...any advice is appreciated! don't you just love spring?

f is for fielder.

i had to have a good photographer, right? priority number one--even above the dress. and you know--i searched high and low. but after all of the searching and the hair-wringing, i couldn't have been happier with my photographer.  she captured every single moment that i wanted plus a ton more.  thanks, reena! here are just a few of my favorite moments, starting with f. 

so, to be fair, i predict a few more wedding posts.  even on facebook, i've only been able to narrow it down to 82! didn't she do a great job? 

pink peonies.

i call them PEE-uh-knees. my grandma calls them pee-OHN-knees.  technically, i don't know which of us is correct.  how have i lived my entire life without declaring them my favorite flower before now? lately, i've been obsessed, like used them in every single arrangement i've made, and i've done a few over the past 5 days.  i've used them as the star in mother's day bouquets and as the jumping off point for kelly's baby shower flowers.  i just can't get enough; today i whined that i wanted one for my desk at work, but i had given them all away.

it's odd. i'm not very girly-girl. ok, so with the exception of wanting a sparkly ring, i don't make typical "girl" choices at all: i don't really have any pink clothes.  and i'll almost always choose blue  / green over any shade of red or pink.  but i melt for pink peonies.  

in other news, i'm thinking of changing the blog name.  i mean, i've already completed the process of changing my last name and until we actually get to adding more names, it doesn't really work.  i have a couple of titles in mind, so i might try them out.  you'll be the first to know... and i promise to start blogging more regularly.  i've really missed this corner of the internet. 

one quick thing.

Parker's famous! (again.) 

Before the wedding, Parker and I went to one of our local favorite photographer's studio so she could model our new favorite anchor collar.   Turns out she'll do anything for a treat, but get on the white paper and smile.  For a photo editor's dog, she really needs to be more comfortable on set, right?

And if you're not reading the magazine (shame!), you missed her debut as staff mascot in a Santa hat. 

You can find more of our favorite anchor products at coastalliving.com, but for cute pictures of Parker, come back here! 

married life, part 1.

i have a secret.  even though it's only been a few days more than a week of being married, i really like it. obviously, that's not that surprising, because why else would i have married him, right? but, there's all of these added perks: like someone else to clean the bathroom or take the dogs out.  and the food, my God, the food! when you're dating, there's always this voice in the back of your head that whispers, "don't eat the whole cupcake," or maybe "leave a little on your plate." well, maybe not for you, but it's mostly been there for me for the past, oh, 15 years.  except a few weeks before the wedding, sam and i were eating at Outback (i know, we live in Birmingham and need to get the desire to eat at chain restaurants out of our blood!), and i was hungry. like, hadn't eaten in 24 hours hungry.  so i finished every last bit of my salad, steak, and sweet potato, plus the appetizer and bread. and the waiter, he commented on it.  twice. his exact words? "that's beautiful man; she's a keeper," because i ate all of my food. so maybe, i don't really have food issues in front of sam. all that to say, i've certainly felt a little free-er about eating my full share!

we ate a lot in Savannah.  the city is definitely made for eating. all of the magazines and guidebooks encourage it, and who are we to go against the recs? we had pizza, fresh seafood, and y'all, we ate at Paula Deen's the lady & sons.

 *my plate: fried chicken, mac-n-cheese, black eye peas, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes

it turns out that we were lucky enough to be in Savannah on a rainy Sunday where the lunch buffet for the most Southern restaurant on the planet wasn't completely full.  we did have to wait until 2:30 to eat that Sunday lunch, but yes, it was worth the wait.

*Sam's plate: fried chicken, bar-b-q, mac-n-cheese, rice, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans (salad & bread off to the side)

Our cute waiter, a Southern transplant from Pennsylvania, told me that Paula's tea had converted him. now, he drinks Southern sweet tea or none at all.  isn't that the cutest?  I think my Southern accent outed his; either that or he heard sam and I ponder if his was real or not because about halfway through faking a "hey y'all, can i get ya some more?" he told us it was fake.  (as if i didn't already know!) but we forgave him when he told us how some of the cooks had been with Paula for at least 15 years. and how every recipe comes straight out of the cookbook. the gooey butter cake, for example, better make 145 squares...that's a lot of cake. i can't even show y'all pictures of my dessert because, sadly, i could not finish it.  or my own plate, but i can show you sam's: he was a trooper and didn't leave anything for the dogs out back. after much testing, though, i concluded that my mom cooks about the same.  so yes, it was delicious, but it wasn't exactly anything new.  i guess i never knew how easy i had it.  mom's Sunday lunch never had a 3 hour wait!

 *that's just bones and sauce, y'all.

we had a great mini vacation.  it was nice to rest, watch a bunch of movies in a great hotel, and spend all day walking around a gorgeous city. Savannah was beautiful: all southern and spanish moss-y. i have a feeling that if you want a great St. Paddy's day celebration, you should head that way. the city was still partying the weekend after. (plus, they have no open container rules! birmingham, why don't you take your cue from a sister city?) Highly recommend. (the marriage and Savannah)

the wedding.

*photo yanked from facebook.  thanks, steven! 

I know that it's only been a whole four days since I tied the knot, but since I'm already back at work, i thought the internet should know about my wedding. What that means for you is that I've stolen photos from family on facebook.  But as soon as I get the professional pics, I'll share! It was absolutely perfect. I mean, I'm sure there were minor issues (like this weirdo in a motorized seat / kite that kept flying over the beach), but I'm happy to say I didn't even notice.  I also didn't notice the dolphins.  As in, I don't know if they showed up. Probably because I was too concentrated on this: smiling and walking down the aisle. 

*photo taken by Sarah M. 

Just in case you're wondering, we didn't have any music.  But my grandpa (that's his head in the picture above) hummed the wedding march as I walked down the aisle.  Now, for the pretty pictures, because seriously, i have the hottest husband ever. 

*sam's cousin, heather's fiance, steven shot these.  i love them! 

This is purely to show my hair, which looked awesome.  My hair stylist, Ashley Sparkman, totally rocked it.  And how great were the pockets in my dress? I stuck my lipstick in there and was good to go!

*my mom and i: taken by keri!

Speaking of great, I can't wait to see and show you the photos my photographer ended up with.  After all the searching, I wound up with the best photographer ever.  She totally got what I wanted and was so nice to everyone.  

You can ignore my face here; I just thought it was a good shot of my dress.  Plus, you get the lovely "poop free zone" sign.  

The best part about the day, besides getting married, duh, was hanging out with family.  Our wedding was so small that we were able to spend time with the people we love most.  Of course, there were a few people missing that we would have loved to see, but I loved not having 200 people there.  Instead we had about 40...give or take a few.  So that left more cupcakes for me! 

Be back with more when I get them.  And don't worry, just because I'm not planning a wedding means I'm shutting down the blog.  I'll be around for your reading pleasure!