Proud Aunt

I had a wonderful holiday with my family! More pictures will follow, but for now, here's a sampling of some of my favorites.

Labels: family, holiday

My Year...According To Facebook

This made me smile. Try one of your own with the My Year in Status application.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Labels: holiday

Large And In Charge

Y'all, I'm starting to feel fat. The holiday snacks are catching up with me. I did good on Weight Watchers last week - or so I thought - but lost only a mere pound. My pants are tight. Actually, my new jeans are loose and they are a size smaller, but my old pants are tight. So, I know it's a lie. An evil marketing ploy to make me feel skinny when I'm not. My jeans are a good enough size for me, but it's all a sham.

I just ate an apple. After a truffle. I guess I thought the apple would make the truffle fat go away. Yeah right. Probably just extra calories.

Any of you in the holiday food slump as well?

Destiny

I searched high and low for these gorgeous and most perfect boots above. I'll spare you the gory details, but between them being sold out online and not in my local Target or five other stores I called (that showed up as having them in stock), I was sad. Oh, and they are discontinued.

But I am relentless.

You know how it is...I had already envisioned a bajillion outfits - all dependent on the glorious boots above. If only I had them, I would always have something cute to wear for a variety of occasions. I was on the verge of writing a post begging all my blog readers to scour their local Targets for the Mossimo Kady boot in cognac, size 7.5.

They had to be my destiny. I even bit the bullet and bought leggings a few weeks ago (recommend Hue brand sold at Belk's) and a fabulous tunic at Francesca's Collections. But, alas, how could I wear this without the boots above? And did I mention they were a mere $30?! Anything remotely close was in the $150+ range online.

I found my size in black at a store 20 miles from my house...but the black looked like plastic. However, they were a great fit, and that's what I really needed to know. I had already seen the ones I wanted, but in a size too small, so I knew the material was quality.

On a whim, I called the Asheville, NC target, as my sister lives in the area.

Cue overly dramatic music.

THEY HAD THEM!!!

Sara went and picked them up for me. Precious sister she is!

Next up: the perfect pair of skinny jeans. Don't worry; I'm not delusional - there is a difference in the kind of skinny jeans high school/college girls can wear and a woman near her 30s can wear (how am I near 30?!)...so I will make sure they are appropriate.

Don't you just love a happy ending?

Labels: family

One Year Later

I can think back exactly one year ago at this time and I know what I was doing. I was frantic, packing, rushing to get out of town. I still remember the phone call from my mom and I knew that he was doing very poorly.

It was an awful day and the months to follow were even worse. I think missing him has been worse than that day. The shock has faded and now longing has taken its place.

For a long time, I guess there was an illogical part of me that felt if I thought long and hard enough and assigned proper blame that he would come back. If I could just put the pieces together, than maybe something could change. But it can't. And I still have anger and blame. Real life is nothing like Grey's Anatomy or House; that's for sure.

Last week, my entire family gathered around his grave and prayed for him. The top of his tombstone reads "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful." He would like that. And above his name is the word Professor, because that's what he was to his very core.

Last night, I prayed very hard for him. I read verses for him. I told God that I was praising Him in honor of my grandfather. It was one of the first times I have felt true peace.

My heart is still a bit heavy today. There is a lump in my throat. I can still hear his voice. I hope I will always be able to hear his voice - not just literally, but figuratively. The life he lived was a lesson in kindness, tolerance and gentleness.

And I write this, "A Long December" by Counting Crows plays on Pandora. Of all the songs - this one. These lyrics still get me:

And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass