Deck the Halls

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! It's cold out (there's even snow!), Christmas music is on the radio and shoppers are starting to swarm the mall.  The holidays are upon us.

 

I grew up in a home that, like many American families, always decorated the entire house for Christmas.  There were Christmas tree hand towels in the guest bathroom, gingerbread man oven mitts in the kitchen, garland along the staircase banister and lights hung on every edge of the roof.  Well, now that I have my own little home, I have to start collecting the Christmas decorations that will adorn our living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc. for years to come!

 

I inherited several decorations from my grandmother (which I cherish because of all of the fond memories of Christmas time at her house) and began putting them up at my apartment in college.  Unfortunately, that box didn't make it when we moved up to Illinois, so we had to pretty much start from scratch.  This is where the crafts come in!

Life on Pause

One of my close friends from Baylor got some great news last week.  He landed a small (but important!) role on an episode of the new NBC show "Chicago PD," similar to "Chicago Fire" and created by none other than Dick Wolf, the man who brought us "Law and Order"!  My friend has been living in Chicago and acting for a couple of years now, and has some pretty good success.  He has an agent, he's always auditioning and he gets cast in plays pretty regularly.  I'm so proud of my Baylor Theatre friends who are finding success in the industry.

And it makes me wonder if I'll ever have my chance.

A Look Back and a Look Ahead

I did it everyone!  I made it through the lonely two weeks in an empty apartment!

I also made it through the hassle of moving back into our apartment and making it feel like a home! (photos to come)

I've been back in the land of soybeans and corn for almost a month now.  I kind of thought I'd be twiddling my thumbs waiting for Robert to get back, but between going back to work, trying to get boxes out of storage and figuring out how to survive in this town without a car, I had plenty to do. 

Just A Sparrow

Today was my last day in the District of Columbia.  By this time tomorrow, I will be in my wonderful home state and will have thus concluded the saga known as "My D.C. Summer."   I can't believe it's over.  It has been a wild ride. 

From the day we started looking for apartments in D.C., I knew this summer would be like no other.  But I had no idea how it would all play out.  I figured we'd find a little studio apartment in Northern Virginia we could rent for 3 months and live very simply.  I figured I'd drive out here with Robert on an exciting road trip seeing lands I'd never before seen.  I figured I'd get a great 12 week internship with a theater like Woolley Mammoth or Studio or the Kennedy Center doing marketing or PR or education.  I figured Robert would make tons of money, and we'd get to spend a weekend in New York and go to the beach and go back to Illinois with more in our bank account than when we came. 

Time to Unwind

I love living in the city.  I love the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Even the things I hate, I love.  Like walking to the metro, navigating the throngs of people, avoiding tourists, sitting next to someone on the train for 6 stops who has yet to discover deodorant.  I love these things because of the energy, the excitement, the feeling of power and independence I have.  Even when I am incredibly annoyed, I remember how lucky I am to be here.  And then there are the things that I actually, really love.  Like the history up and down every street, the amazing variety available from Ethiopian coffee houses to Mediterranean  build-your-own-pita eateries, the thrill of knowing that you could bump into someone famous on the street, the beauty of our modern world humming all around us.

Sweet on the Lips, Easy on the Hips!

Greek yogurt cheesecake tarts

Look at this great 4th of July spread!

I love sweets.  I also love not weighing 400 pounds.  We especially tend to be sensitive about our bodies this time of year.  Ah, summer.  Sunshine, sandals and swimsuits (although I think I've put on a swimsuit maybe twice this season...).  We tend to show off more skin, and therefore, we want to keep our meals (and the number on the scale) light. 

Little Miss Independence

Who doesn't just love the Fourth of July?  The cookouts, the fireworks, the prominent display of red, white and blue... It's a day that celebrates the strength and determination of the American people.  And this year, I am lucky enough to be spending this Independence Day in Washington, D.C., our nation's capital.  A Capitol Fourth is a concert on National Mall between the Capitol building and the Washington Monument, followed by an amazing fireworks show.  It's all free to the public, and kind of like the hot and humid version of New Year's Eve in Times Square.  I'm so excited.

DC: The Fun and the Fabulous

       



Washington Monument






The Capitol

I've had my Carrie Bradshaw moment.

You know, from Sex and the City?  It's that moment of taking in the glorious city around you, feeling the rush of humanity bustle about, and charging the sidewalk like a runway knowing that you're fabulous and ready to take on the world.

Reaching for the Future

The Rotary Youth Leadership Award changed my life.

No, I didn't receive it.  The Rotarians in my district decided that I was only good enough to be the alternate, and I did not get to go to camp.

Mark Healy, on the other hand, he thought I was good enough.  He knew I was good enough.  And that's something I cling to.

Mrs. Scott Goes to Washington

Here we are in the nation's capital.  We made it through a fantastic week of Camp RYLA (which I will get to soon) and have arrived at our home for the summer. 

We got in late Saturday night after taking two planes, a bus and walking 10 blocks to the condo.  We are staying with a nice married couple in their late twenties.  They own a very nice condo in northeast DC, and we are renting a room from them for a little more than what an average Texas mortgage costs.  Yeah.  Robert discovered they were looking for someone to rent the room through his supervisor, as the wife also works where Robert is working.

To Love and To Cherish

One down, forty-nine to go.  At least that's the standard goal of marriage right?  To reach your golden anniversary?

My hubby and I have successfully made our first trip around the sun as man and wife, and it's definitely been a roller coaster.  We had a roommate for the first month of our marriage (with whom we shared a bathroom!).  We moved to a new state 800 miles from home.  We spent a quiet Christmas Eve and morning alone in our little apartment and celebrated Thanksgiving while on a plane.  We pay for almost all of our own bills and insurance and are really diving into this whole adult thing.  We've also had some great weekends exploring an amazing city, made fun memories with new friends and felt the joy of settling into our very own little home.

My Sincerest Thanks

It's Memorial Day weekend.  We, as a country, remember our service men and women and all they have sacrificed for us.

But do we really?

We say these things, we sing the national anthem, we post pictures of flags, we take the day off of work.  What does all of that really mean?

For the Love of Mothers

Last week, we celebrated mothers everywhere. I had the good fortune to get to spend the day (and week for that matter) with all of the mothers who mean most to me.  Since Robert had finished the semester and we are gearing up to head to DC, we decided to take a week off to spend some time with our families, and it was lovely.  But more about that later.

Our annual tradition as a society to celebrate those women fortunate enough to have given birth or adopted and reared a child has me thinking about motherhood more than I normally do. I witnessed many stages of traditional motherhood over the week, and some less so.

A Quick Catch Up

Well, guys, I'm back.

It's been a four month hiatus, and I know for most people on the planet, "who cares?"  But I was a little shocked back in February when I had at least five people tell me that they missed my blog.  FIVE! That's a whole hand!

I had actually started a few entries and documented some projects with the intentions of posting them, but taking the time to sit down and write has been at the bottom of my priority list lately.  What HAVE I been up to?  Good question.