It's My Birthday!

It has been a completely wonderful, fantastic, unbelievable weekend - truly a whole weekend of happiness. 

My life is good :)

Fun trip to the Museum of Science and Industry + delicious dinner at the Athena restaurant in Chicago's Greektown on Friday to celebrate the Hoosier Guy & my 1st anniversary together.

A day of homework, then a fabulous dinner with Hoosier Guy and his momma on Saturday night -- Hoosier Guy surprised me with some pretty jewelry I'd been eyeing a few weeks back.

Sunday was a delicious lunch prepared by Hoosier Guy to my specifications for his momma, my momma, himself and me.   Coconut Cake TO DIE FOR.  mmmmmm.

Lots of laughs, lots of fun -- enjoyed every minute.

Here's to 38!

There goes October, here comes November

September 29, really?  My last post?

Where has the time gone?

*Another 5,000 pages+ read
*A book review
*Research for three lit reviews
*Reading.  Yes.  Always.
*Sleeping (occasionally)
*Travel to Florida to deliver Grandma to Dad & Stepmom's house
*Visit with friends in Florida
*Travel to Michigan with Hoosier Guy for romantic weekend
*Breathe peacefully for the first time in a month

More later ... I don't know how much later, but later.  Promise

Ridiculous. Just Plain Ridiculous.

I've had a million thoughts in my head since the last post.  I mean, really, probably two million, at least.  I just haven't had the energy to post.  Not on Fridays, not on Tuesdays, not just whenever.

I'm reading something like 1000 pages a week (which, if you add it up, over the course of the semester I will have read at least 16,000 pages or roughly ~ 4,000,000 words.

So maybe I'm out of words here.  For now.  I hate that.

Life update:  I'm good, life is good, loving my existence.  I love the commute into Chicago now - probably because it is so very peaceful and relaxing.  Sure, it takes awhile, but all I have to do is: a) find a seat and b) give my ticket to the conductor.  This isn't rocket science people.

Life with the Hoosier Guy is fabulous.  Truly lovely.  I was nervous (of course) when we first started talking about it, scared to make that jump but even more scared not to.  Here we are, nearly two months in and I just feel like my life is damn near perfect.  I'm happy I made the move in with him.

Other than reading (which I do constantly), I go to class, work at my graduate assistant job, commute and sleep.  On occasion I do things with friends when we can all find a mutually agreeable time for fun.  This can be difficult but I am trying.

I head back to Florida in a few weeks with my Grandma.  She's moving there with my Dad and I want to make sure she arrives safely.  This should provide some fodder for the blog, fo' sure.

Dear readers, I miss blogging.  I hope to get back to a regular schedule soon.  Or maybe I just OD on blog posting when school is out for the semester.  Who knows?

6 Word Fridays: Move

This week's word is move ... and for me (as well as several fellow bloggers) this is so very appropos!  Thanks Melissa!  http://melissacamarawilkins.com/blog/

I stretch, I yawn, I move ...
slowly from my warm bed, easing out
from beneath a cozy quilt, purring cats,
and away from my Hoosier Guy.

Three days a week I move
from country life to city life
learning more each passing week and
loving every minute of my experience.

Other days I move from couch
to chair for my plentiful readings
require lots of time not moving,
just sitting, grasping new concepts. Learning.

This weekend I move via car,
to visit friends and family in
Indianapolis - fish fry, girls night out,
lunches with friends galore. Moving never
felt so lovely - I am home.

6 Word Fridays: Exchange

If you don't try it ... you might not know you like it ... 6 Word Fridays!  This week's word is 'exchange.'

****************

I exchanged my free time for
a ride into Amish and Mennonite
country.  Traded fast highways for county
roads and following a one horse
buggy.  Hoosier Guy and I were
on a mission: fresh local food.

We entered the produce auction in
awe.  Aisles and aisles of nature's
bounty: pears, apples, potatoes, cabbages, corn,
peaches, pumpkins, cushaws, peppers, mums, melons.
All in large quantity, all waiting
for a buyer, two or three.

I bought some molasses cookies - yum!
We had our bidder number - ready
I stood back, watching the auctioneer
move through the aisles, auctioning off
the hard work of my neighbors.

In the end, we exchanged money
for delicious, home-grown veggies, fruits and
baked goods.  Little green slips of
paper for a summer's efforts by
my Amish and Mennonite neighbors.  Hoosier Guy
bought some tomatoes from a girl
was buying a new dress with
her proceeds.  Others had similiar goals.

They thought the exchange was fair,
I wondered how we could process
our auction bounty in a timely
manner - tomatoes yesterday, peaches are tomorrow!

The Oatmeal - really, go there now.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/minor_differences4

I know I've mentioned the Oatmeal before, but really, folks, if you aren't checking out his work, for shame.

(gets out her fingers, making the 'shame shame' motion)

This is the latest installment in Minor Differences - so worthy, please check it out.

For the record, this one made me laugh especially hard.  I'm 37 and Hoosier Guy's kid is rapidly approaching 17.  He is in luuuuuuvvvvv with a girl and after hearing his grandmother tell me about how she watched he and his girlfriend make out all afternoon, well, this one was a little too close to home not to share.

And no, I've not smothered Hoosier Guy with a pillow.  Nor has he threatened to smother me.  All good. :)

6 Word Fridays: Easy

 This week's word is 'easy' and I'm back ....

Easy living is a life well lived,
from my walk to the postoffice
to a meander for delicious gelato
I'm loving my time here in
small town Indiana.  The pace is
calm, the setting picturesque, truly Rockwell.

Then I take my easy life
to Chicago, via train, 3x week
Still easy - sit back, relax, ride
click clack sounds of train wheels
taking me to my other life
the life of a Ph.D. student

The readings are challenging, the work
is thoughtful, I am happy here.
From leafy green rural Indiana town
to booming, teeming, big Chicago city,
I am happy - it's easy here.

Organized Chaos (and life as I know it)

The movers arrived and the stuff was placed where it goes (sort of).  For people like Hoosier Guy (who haven't moved complete residences -- e.g. all your belongings from House A to House B), the boxes, furniture and assorted madness was and is overwhelming.  He keeps a clean and efficient household, with not much nonsense to spare. I have some level of nonsense - and it is all now in residence.

Good news is that things are coming together.  I have some stuff that needs to be dispatched to others but overall it is starting to come together.  I have plenty of work to be done yet but it is showing signs of improvement. 

I'm happy to be here and ready to start school (one week from tomorrow).  Life as I know it is still changing and I'm so excited for all the promise of what is to come.

This weekend was our first weekend with his boys post move-in.  I'm still learning the intricacies of "boy" as I have only had a sister, so the notion of "boys" and their particular brand of nonsense is all new to me.  It will be an adjustment for all of us but overall, it is going quite well.  They are great kids and I enjoy learning about them. 

Overall, a good life change.  I'm happy, life is good.

The first week ...

This first week has been busy - so much done and so much yet to do. 

The movers have not arrived yet.  That's scheduled for tomorrow at 8 a.m. 

In this first week, I've worked hard around here to make it a 'home' for me.  For those of you keeping track of these things, it has been 6 years since I've lived with someone -- and that last someone was my Hex.  In a strange, weird, odd, bewildering twist of fate, I moved to Hoosier Guy's house six years to the date of moving out of the Hex's home.

The kitties are making themselves at home here.

I'm happy.  Life is good.  I start classes August 22 ...

Official Relocation Notice

I am now a resident (once again) of Northwest Indiana -- about 15 miles from where I grew up. 

The last two days, Hoosier Guy and I, along with two cats, lots of possessions, a Honda Accord and a car top carrier, have commuted from SW Florida to NW Indiana, a distance of some 1100 miles.  

I am happy to be here, but tired.   More info soon ...

(special note to reader CJ: I waved at you as we passed thru Macon :)  )