the weekends

Reason #3624 why I love the internet: The great WWW helped me diagnose my cats with ear mites....who knew?!

Being a part-time teller has its perks, like getting paid every Friday and having two days off mid-week. Working Saturdays, however, is not one of them. Last Saturday I was lucky enough to take off on Saturday so that Jon and I could hit up Homecoming in good ole Grantham. Being back on campus was a blast....the weather was beautiful, there were good friends everywhere, and I got to do the whole girly thing and show off my engagement ring (while screaming and hugging of course). It was almost sensory overload, and my face definitely hurt from smiling so much by the end of the day :)

On Sunday a group of us visited Paulus Orchards in Dillsburg to go apple picking, which was not only tons of fun but a great photo opp. Hillary took our unofficial engagement pictures at the orchard and they came out beautifully....girl's got skill:

This past weekend I didn't have the luxury of a free Saturday, so Jon and I spent a short weekend in New Jersey. By the time we got into town it was already time for dinner, so I felt like I hardly had a chance to do all the things I had hoped to. Ever since I was a kid, I've had so many little families and groups of friends everywhere that it's been a challenge to divvy my time. I remember when my parents got divorced, a friend in school said "That's so cool, you'll have two Christmases and birthdays now!" Not so true. It's more like a balancing act that's for the most part political. 

My mom treated us to an off-Broadway show, The Screwtape Letters, a theatrical rendition of C.S. Lewis' haunting book. (Check out this site if you're interested). Max McClean, the main actor, was truly impressive and it's amazing what he was able to do with only one other actor and one set. Being in New York, specifically Manhattan, made me realize how different of a city it is from Philadelphia. To me, NYC is livelier and more robust compared to Philly, which sometimes feels like it's perpetually ticked off. Truth is I'm partial to NYC because it was practically my neighbor growing up :) 

In other news, my cats Vic and Delilah have ear mites. For the past couple of weeks they have been scratching their ears so violently that they've opened up wounds. After doing some research online and checking out their ears with a flashlight, I found out that they have a common case of these pesky critters. Gross. 

WE'RE ENGAGED!!!

That's right friends, I'm trading in my last name for another one! Here are the juicy details:

The Proposal

Last Friday night I came home from work, expecting to have a quick bite and then go see We Own The Night with Jon. When I got in, Jon seemed disinterested in the movie and said he got some groceries for us to make dinner. Cooking together is one of our "things" and was actually our first date, back in September of 2005. Well, it was as if the Food Network exploded in our kitchen. The table was covered with fresh ingredients and produce: chicken, risotto, string beans, apple cider, and scallions....all for a Rachael Ray recipe. Also on the counter was a little chocolate devil cake. None of this tipped me off that something was about to happen, so I said something like "This looks great, let me go change into some jeans." With that Jon grabbed my hand and told me to wait a minute, got down on one knee and popped the question! I immediately started repeating "oh my gosh" and we both began to well up with tears (even though he may not admit it). My answer was "OF COURSE!" :)

The Ring

So this ring is huge. It's literally a rock, and I hope you can understand that I'm not trying to brag. I actually feel a little ridiculous wearing a piece of jewelry so large. The ring is so very special to me though because it belonged to my grandmother, who left it to me when she passed away. My grandmother's original engagement ring was a single pearl, so my grandfather purchased the diamond for her years later when he was more financially secure (obviously!). Jon asked my grandfather for his blessing during the summer, and coordinated ring details with my mother. Because my grandmother wore the ring so often, it needed to be reset in a new band, as well as seriously cleaned. The diamond is a marquis cut, set in white gold with one baguette cut diamond on each side. Altogether, it's 1.8 carat....whoa! 

The Plan

So far there really isn't much of a plan in terms of wedding specifics. We're still soaking it in, spreading the good news, and enjoying Cloud 9 :) What we do know is that the wedding will be sometime next fall, preferably late October or early November. Our ideal ceremony would be outdoors and at dusk, so that we could have an evening reception. If I had to pick a theme, I'd tell you "simple elegance with an intimate audience." Oh, and I'd love to have a live jazz band playing Louis Prima songs at the reception but that's kind of a fantasy! 

I also must say that one of the most exciting things about our engagement is how our friends and family react to the news. Every time I tell someone I get that rush of joy all over again as if it just happened. So thank you to those who have shared our excitement and celebration :) :) 

autumn driving

Great moment in global warming: Seeking a store with air conditioning while window shopping...in early October :P

Three day weekends are wonderful. Thank you, Columbus, for giving me Monday off from work. So one of my favorite things to do is take a road trip. I love driving on open, beautiful roads which are aplenty in Pennsylvania. Add some fall scenery and it's even better. Well this weekend I got the chance to do a lot of fall driving throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, made possible by Google maps (gotta love the challenge of not knowing where you're going).



After work on Saturday, I made my way to Watsontown, PA to meet Jon and his family at their house. I made it just in time for an amazing dinner, and we capped off the evening with a cozy campfire outside. His family always knows how to spend true quality time with each other, just shooting the breeze over cups of coffee or a glass of wine. On Sunday I had the privilege of joining them for the annual event, Heritage Days, held at Jon's high school. The event is a great tribute to how their forefathers lived and worked in the 18th century, as there are several demonstrations of early American skills such as making apple butter. The area is also known as Fort Freeland, where a battle took place during the French & Indian War. Not only was there a history lesson of how the battle happened, but there was also a great reenactment.



Early Monday morning I then made my way to Monmouth Beach, NJ, to meet my mother there. We spent our day off together, baking cupcakes in early celebration of her birthday and window shopping at Pier Village (you can hear the ocean from that site!). The weather was abnormally warm for early October but gorgeous nonetheless. Having a condo there at the beach is a huge blessing...it's a peaceful place you can retreat to anytime you want. Luckily it's only 1 1/2 hours from Philly, so the last leg of this weekend's journey was quick and easy :)

nostalgia

Reality TV's best dressed award: Heather from Rock of Love
Most anticipated season premiere: Dexter on Showtime

Tuesday nights have become the new Friday nights for me. Having every Wednesday and Thursday off is my little mid-week weekend, and I now look forward to the beginning of the week. I'm hanging out in my living room, listening to my iTunes on shuffle (Incubus was just on, and I almost forgot how obsessed I used to be with them), and I'm belly-full of Mexican take-out. Life is good.

The fall is always a nostalgic season for me, and I think it has a lot to do with school; starting another year a little bit older and wiser is refreshing and promising. I'm energized by the unknown. Especially in college, every year was so different from the next, like short stories in an anthology. I recently (and finally) organized ALL of my digital pictures into albums on Picasa, mostly broken up by school years. I can't believe how many hairstyles and colors/shades I've tried, and it's kind of ironic that au naturale works best in the end :P

I love sort of "reliving" memories through pictures, and it's amazing how much detail you can remember from one photo. Songs and scents are the same way. Counting Crows will always remind me of Mexico, and Victoria's Secret Strawberries and Champagne will always remind me of Christmas. Why? Because I'm a freak with a weird brain, just like you probably. But what I realized as I organized my photos was that while some friends have come and gone, and some trips will probably never be taken again, I felt good about it. So a lot has changed...it is what it is, and I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason. I love those memories, but I'm also creating new ones. More photo albums to come.

Well, it's official! I have off from work the Saturday of Homecoming, so I'll be there :) Jon and I are thinking of going pumpkin/apple picking that Sunday, so if you know of a good place to go let me know please. Or better yet, just come along if you can!