Project 365, week 1

I'm renaming Photogenic Friday for the year. It just makes more sense.

Here it is, my week in pictures.

January 2

Frozen
January 3

Rough night
Goodbye for another year
January 4

But we love the tree

January 5

Time together
January 6

Chipped
Stoked
January 7

Dwindling
January 8

I don't know what you're talking about

*None of these photos have been edited at all. Right now that is beyond my scope of expertise. I'll continue to play around in photoshop and hopefully soon my confidence with the program will be such that I can enhance my photos. Any advice is welcome.*

About my lack of a post today...

I have this whole post written about Milton and how he likes to chase the dust broom.

It includes a video that has been processing since 1:30 this afternoon. Nine hours. It's longer than my usual video, so I'm going to give it until I go to bed tonight and if it doesn't work I'll be re-filming because Milton is always up for attacking the broom.

Also, I completely flaked on part of my new year's resolution today. If you look to your left at my book list you'll see that it grew by three. I had lunch with my mom and grandmother today and while I was waiting on them I stopped at the bookstore. Big mistake! Their clearance stack had recently been replenished and I just couldn't pass up the three and four dollar price tags. I got all three books for ten bucks. No book lover would fault me for that.

Happy Wednesday! (What's left of it)

Perfect Potato Soup

The highest forecasted temperature on any given day this week is 20.

Twenty degrees. And that isn't until Wednesday. This past weekend didn't see a temp higher than 15 and that only lasted about thirty seconds in the middle of the day.

The best thing you can do during these extreme lows is to go outside as little as possible. And if you do go out make sure you cover up all of you epidermis. I do mean all. Get some goggles if you still need to see, but cover it all up.

After shivering under a mountain of blankets all day nothing seems to warm my body and soul more than a big ole pot of soup.

I love soup, but Andy doesn't think it qualifies as a meal so I don't make soup often and when I do it has to be hearty. Because Andy certainly doesn't look like it, but he can put away some food, and if I don't fill him up at dinner he'll spend the rest of the evening pilfering in the kitchen.

This potato soup has served us well for about two years. I think the original recipe came for a recipe website, but I don't have that documented and I've tweeked it so much I feel comfortable calling it my own. It's very basic, so it is perfect for dressing up and making it your perfect potato soup. Have fun with it!

*This recipe is not vegetarian, but can easily be modified to make it so. Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and leave out the bacon.

Perfect Potato Soup (for cold, indulgent days)

6-8 russett potatoes, peeled & cut into pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 can chicken stock (if you're using homemade use about 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salt & pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese

In a large pot combine potatoes, onion, chicken stock, heavy cream and water. Bring to a boil over med-hi heat and cook until potatoes are soft.

Reduce heat to medium and add the milk, sour cream, butter and crumbled bacon (you can also add in another cup of water if you want a little more liquid). Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the potatoes start to break down and soup thickens.

You can leave the pot alone and let the magic happen while you do something else, or, if you're in a hurry to eat (like I always am) you can help the process along by "mashing the potatoes." I like to use a whisk. It's not as aggressive as a potato masher and this soup runs a fine line between soupy mashed potatoes and hearty potato soup. When it's done you want some potato chunks left.

Serve with shredded cheddar on top and a cheddar biscuit (recipe below) on the side. Comfort food at it's finest!

If you have any leftovers that need to be reheated the next day you might want to add a little milk or chicken stock if you have it. The soup tends to thicken when it sits.

Cheddar Biscuits (recipe from kraftfoods.com)

2 1/4 cups dry all-purpose baking mix for biscuits
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
2 tbs chopped fresh herbs (optional, I use parsley if I have it)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbs dijon mustard
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425

In a large bowl mix together baking mix, cheese and herbs.

In another bowl, mix sour cream, mustard and milk. Pour into cheese mixture and combine.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and kneed about 10 times.

Cut into biscuits and bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

So I went shopping this afternoon...

Guess what I bought.


I bet you can't.


Come on! Give it a try!


No?


Alright I'll tell you.


First I stopped at a gas station and purchased petrol for The Hulk.


And then...


After spending several hours going in and out of stores I went back home.


The end.


Not a damn thing, that's what I bought!

My grievances:

• The sales (if you could call them that) were terrible. I realize that we're in a recession and that stores aren't making as much money, so they want to squeeze every penny they can out of an item, but WE'RE IN A RECESSION! People can't afford to pay full price for things! Not to mention that it's the week after Christmas and there are supposed to be good sales. Come on retailers!
• What is up with all the horizontal stripes? I mean, I can deal with a few horizontal stripes, they aren't the most flattering things, but in the right colors and on the right top they can work. But horizontal stripes in multiple colors and widths on one shirt? Even the mannequins look fat.
• Short people can not wear tunics. If you are short, don't bother shopping right now.
• The clothing is poorly made and ill fitting.
  
• How about the "pencil skirt" that resembles a pencil skirt as much a flip flops resemble suede boots? That was a real joy in the fitting room.

I hate shopping online, but I'm to that point. I love winter clothing and to say I'm disappointed is a major understatement.

What are some online shops that you like? I'm in dire straights here. My Christmas cash is burning a hole in my threadbare pocket. Help!

Feeding frenzy

The bunnies' favorite time of day is treat time. Sometimes they start to beg early, but I usually give them treat each night shortly before bedtime.

They like routine. And so do I.

Anyway, this video shows just how excited they get. They can see me here, but they don't have to see me to know it's treat time. All I have to do is start shaking the bag and they come running. And heaven forbid I don't get them out of the bag fast enough because then the world might come to an end!



Notice how Milton finished his and then tried to go for Brunswick's. I'm convinced that Brunswick eats his slowly to rub it in Milton's face.

Then when I held out my hand Milton is still holding on to a shred of hope. "Please, Sir, I want some more."

Photogenic Friday: Holiday Bloopers

Attempting to get pictures for our Christmas card

They did not care for the box

Halfway through lighting the tree.
Slightly frazzled.
Someone was playing with the camera
I'll give you a hint:
It wasn't the bunnies
Andy's idea of a good Christmas card photo

What are the holiday's like at your house?

Only two weeks 'till Christmas!

I'm off to spend the weekend in festive
frivolity!
Have a great one!

"I'm over vampires"

Andy has had enough.

I, on the other hand, have not. I've had a thing for vampires since the first time I saw The Lost Boys. Swoon.

Unless you've been living under a rock lately you've noticed the recent surge of vampire mania in television and movies.

Last night when a commercial came on for New Moon Andy looked over at me (squealing and clapping in anticipation) and told me he was done. No more. He refuses to be my enabler any longer.

I have to say he's been really tolerant. Because I'm not just into the Twilight saga. Any movie, show or book about vampires will usually hold my attention - at least long enough for me to determine if it's worth my time. Any time at all is too long for Andy.

So I'm trying to get my fix on the sly. I watch what I can online. Books are easier because Andy doesn't read them with me. He can pretend they are about something else.

But I need a date to go see the movie. Who's in? I'm willing to wait a bit to avoid as much of the tween frenzy as possible.

In the meantime I'll just get my jollies from watching The Vampire Diaries online. (I also have a weakness for teen television dramas. Shut Up! I'll grow up when everyone else does!)

What's your guilty pleasure?

I'm shakin' things up!

The Saturday before Andy left he was over at his friend Matt's house. Matt has a little boy and he was watching Saturday morning cartoons while Andy was there.

He came home and announced to me that he had just seen the worst cartoon EVER! We got on Youtube so he could show me what he was talking about.

Have you ever seen Wonder Pets? It turns out that is what Matt's son was watching and Andy thought it was awful. After watching a few clips I actually determined that it wasn't so bad. Of course I have a high threshold for children's programming after enduring an entire summer of Barney several years ago while babysitting. Nothing is worse than Barney, except maybe Teletubbies.

But I digress. We came across this video which is a compilation of the duckling on the show saying his catch phrase over and over again. I don't know why I enjoy this so much, but the first time we watched it I laughed until I cried and then made Andy watch it again.

So of course I had to share it with you. Enjoy!

Green confession

How about this green movement that's sweeping the world?

Anyone have thoughts? Are we all crazy?

I'm not here today to make a political statement on the green movement. I want to tell you a little bit about my own recent green experience.

Andy and I certainly don't do everything we could to join in the effort to make our world a better place. Of course there are some things that I feel are unnecessary. Everywhere I turn something new is eco-friendly and I feel like it's become the new kitsch thing for companies to market their products.

But like I said, I'm not here to make a political statement.

I'm a little friendlier to the green movement than Andy is, but anything that will potentially save a little money is something we can both get on board with.

Three years ago when we first got married CFL light bulbs were just starting to sweep the nation. Several people we knew had started using them and told us they had seen a difference in their electricity pay out.

We were all for making the switch, but there was a problem. I had recently bought a metric butt ton of regular light bulbs. It had been long enough that I didn't have the receipt anymore and most of the packages had bulbs missing. Returning them wasn't an option. It just didn't make sense to throw out the regular bulbs and replace them with CFL bulbs. Not economically and certainly not for the green minded.

So we waited for all our bulbs to blow.

It wasn't until the last month that we needed to buy light bulbs again. When I say I loaded up, I'm not kidding.

We were true to our word and our pocket book and bought CFL bulbs.

My confession is this:

I HATE the CFL bulbs.

They are not bright. At all. I need light people and I might as well be walking around with a flash light. The lack of brightness in our rooms hurts my eyes. I squint a lot and I'm not willing to give up my good eyesight to save a few dollars on our electric bill or to save the planet one light bulb at a time. And it doesn't save any money if we have to spend our electricity savings on eyeglasses for me.

So there you are. We only got one box of CFL bulbs and as soon as the last one blows I'm going to buy another metric butt ton of electricity sucking, planet killing bulbs.

I'll just have to find another way to shrink my footprint.

Summing up the weekend

Friday

• Went to my inlaw's house to cook and help get ready for a scrapbook crop
• Saw my mom and mamaw
• Made pumpkin whoopee pies
• Made baked potatoes rolled in olive oil and kosher salt
• Greeted all the crop ladies
• Began making shower invitations
• Eat pumpkin whoopee pies. Yum!
• Say good night
• Drive home

Saturday

• Wake up at the crack of dawn to Andy's alarm clock.
• He goes hunting
• Go back to sleep
• Wake up
• Walk in the living room
• Greet the bunnies
• See the snake in the floor
• Holy Shit there's a snake in the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Jump on the sofa
• Panic
• Gather myself
• It's clearly a baby, but I still don't want to lose sight of it
• Realize I can't watch it all day until Andy decides to come home
• Run out the door quickly and get the neighbor
• She laughs at me, but saves the day and gets rid of the snake
• Continue freaking out and call lot's of people to tell them about the snake
• Begin watching "Glee" online
• Andy comes home then leaves again to go to the dump
• I'm still watching "Glee"
• Andy comes home and watches two episodes of "Glee" with me
• Take a nice long nap
• Go to the grocery store to get frozen pizza
• Eat pizza, cooked of course, and watch the 10 year anniversary episode of Good Eats
• Go to bed

Sunday

• Wake up
• Walk in the living room
• There isn't a snake in the floor today
• Thank goodness
• Shower and get ready to go out
• Go with Andy to Oktober fest
• Eat German food and attempt to hike up the ski slope
• Abort hiking attempt
• Go on children's hayride with Jessie and Thomas
• Come back home
• Start making travel snacks for Andy
• Bake brownies
• Bake sausage balls
• Bake blueberry muffins
• Do several loads of laundry
• Help Andy get all his things together
• Continue helping Andy

Tomorrow my sweet, lovely husband is leaving me to drive across the country and he isn't coming back for a while.

I'm glad he has this opportunity because it's a free trip and not only has he worked hard this summer, but he spent his springtime taking care of me. He didn't go fishing once. That is a big deal.

He deserves this, but I'm going to miss him. Pray for his safe travel. And that I don't cry too much when he leaves in the morning. It might be slightly embarrassing if he's trying to leave and I'm clinging to his leg.

An autumn hike on a couldy afternoon

Embracing stereotypes

This morning in our kitchen:

Me: (At the sink doing dishes) Can you unscrew the blade from the bottom of the blender for me please.

Andy: (Takes the blender pitcher from me) Have you ever been able to do this yourself?

Me: Sometimes, but it takes me longer and if you're standing right here why not have you do it instead?

Andy: But what if I'm not here?

Me: I'll just wait until you get home.

Andy: But what if I'm dead?

Me: Well, then I'll marry someone else. But first I'll make sure he can take apart the blender for me.

I'm a philanthropist and I can prove it

Rewind to tax season 2008.

For a large portion of 2007 Andy was considered self employed. So our taxes for that year were not pretty. It could have been worse, but it could have been a lot better.

We had to pay federal taxes, but we did manage to scrimp out a refund from our state return. A whole, whopping $7.

I know, how exciting is that? We left the tax office with big plans for our rebate. We were going to treat ourselves with a feast from the nearest dollar menu as soon as the check came in the mail. Anticipation was high.

A month or so later the check came. Whoot! I remember taking it out of the mail box, but after that things get blurry. I think I may have told Andy that it came, but who really knows? At the time gas was through the roof and the bank wasn't exactly close, so I just planned on cashing the check whenever I was in town again.

Maybe a month after that we had a conversation that went something like this:

Andy: Hey, did you ever cash that rebate check?

Me: Oh! No I don't think I did.

Andy: So what did you do with it?

Me: I'm not entirely sure. It'll probably turn up and when it does I'll take it to the bank.

Andy: Well, whatever. It was only $7.

Fast forward to last Saturday.

It's a woman's prerogative to have as many purses as her closet will hold and then stuff in a few more just because she can. Last week, before the family picnic, I decided it was time for a change. So I went into my closet to pull out one of my summer bags. The one I had in mind was a little bigger than my current bag; it had been a birthday gift from my inlaws last year. Plenty of room for my wallet and sunglasses and a book of course and lot's of other completely unnecessary items.

If you're anything like me every purse in your arsenal is storage for a bunch of crap that you never cleaned out. You know, stuff that doesn't really have a home, but you don't want to throw it out, but it isn't worthy to transfer to your new bag. Or you're just lazy, like I am, and it's easier to take out the necessary things and cram the rest of it back in the bag and into the closet.

So I rummaged around for a minute until I finally found my desired tote and I pulled it out. Of course it had to be purged of all the "stuff" still in it. I pulled it all out to sort it into trash and keep piles.

Guess what was in it?

The $7 rebate check from the state of North Carolina.

"Huh." I said aloud and then laid it down and went about my business. It was only $7 after all.

I forgot about it (again) until last night when Andy comes in the living room holding a piece of paper and says, "So how about this tax rebate check? Where did this come from?"

I laugh and tell him where I found it. Then he actually gets defensive and wants to know why I didn't cash it. I remind him of that conversation we had a year ago and that he knew all along that I didn't cash it.

Of course the deadline to cash it is long past due. So I guess I've done my part for the economy. I donated our $7 back to this glorious state.

You're welcome North Carolina!

Things that make me smile

• Walking without a noticable limp
• Eating spoonfuls of leftover cake icing
• Sitting on a bench swing at the park and watching kids play in the creek
• Pretty cupcakes
• Shiny, colorful toenails
• Sunny days with mild temperatures
• Cream cheese burgers
• Andy's laugh
• Milton and Brunswick snuggled up in front of the screen door
• Visiting with some old friends
• Waking up surrounded by luscious, green mountains
• Looking at our wedding album
• A fresh box of crayons
• Cook books

What makes you smile?

I needed a new toothbrush anyway

Until yesterday my mouth has been too swollen to brush my teeth. Getting something in my mouth bigger than a straw is a challenge, much less moving something around and trying not to snag the stitches. So yesterday, after my visit to the oral surgeon, Andy went and picked up a children's toothbrush for me to use. The tiny head is small enough to maneuver around my top teeth. My jaw and bottom teeth are still too sore to try, so I just rinse it with a special solution.

At least it's festive. Andy also came back with a Dora the Explorer toothbrush because it was purple, my favorite color. I opted for the pink lady bugs to start.

Don't you love my halloween t-shirt? I laughed when Andy brought it into the bathroom tonight and promised him that from now on I'd go in the bedroom with him to help pick out my clothes before the shower.

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

Compared to what Stephanie Nielson and her husband Christian have been through these last eight months, my personal trauma is inconsequential.

Read her, love her, and pray for her as she goes in for more surgery.

The incredible shrinking man

It's almost eleven at night and Andy just started making homemade waffles because he decided he was hungry.

You know those commercials with the cartoon woman who gives up soda for water and her cartoon husband just switches to diet soda, and then she only drops like ten pounds and he shrinks by half?

Yeah, I'm married to that man. He's not a cartoon. He actually exists.

Andy will probably lose five pounds this week and I'll gain ten just by close proximity to these waffles.

At least I'm not having to make them, right? Silver lining.

**My stomach just growled. I'm going to bed.**

On being thrifty

*Disclaimer: some of this might be an over share. You've been warned.*

So how about all this talk about the recession?

It's something that I prefer not to touch on much. Mostly because so many people already do and it goes along with my whole "keep my political views to myself" mantra. It's just not something that I enjoy writing about and there really isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said many times over.

But here I am, talking about the recession and how it sucks. Big time.

I lost my job last August. I think for the most part you all knew this, but I never actually said it on here. This was the one place I could come and at least pretend, if only for a few minutes that everything was alright. That I wasn't broke. That my college degree(s) are actually useful.

I have been working, as you also know, for the same ski shop where Andy is employed. It's been nice to be fluid again, even if it's just a little fluid. Jobs are hard to find on this mountain in the best of economical climates, so right now beggars can't be choosers. Although I refuse to go get a job at the McDonald's down the road. If you had eaten there ever you would understand. It's not because it's McDonald's, I promise.

So, needless to say, I've been trying to find ways to still live my life but save money. No one wants to cut back. It sucks to not be able to buy whatever you want. Alright, so I've never been able to buy whatever I want, but there was a time that I didn't have to agonize over every penny I spent.

Back in the fall I made a decision. There were many factors that contributed to my decision, among them was our financial situation. I also took into account environment and things I was exposing my body to.

I decided to stop taking chemical birth control.

It was reaching $60 each month for the kind I was taking. Yes, I could have chosen a cheaper option, but then I would have to screw with my hormone levels after it took so long to find what worked for me. If you're a woman you understand this. If you're a man I'm sorry that I might be over sharing here.

Of course I realize that by stopping I was still screwing with my hormone levels, but at least they were my hormones that my body produces all on it's own. I had been on birth control for eight years and it got to the point that I just felt it wasn't healthy anymore and I made the decision to find another way. We aren't trying to have a baby and don't have a plan to start soon. We are taking precautions, but I won't share that because it's none of your business and you probably don't want to know.

So here I am with all my own hormones and acne to rival what I had in middle school. This is just one of the lovely side effects of going off synthetic hormones. There are many more and as I was on them for such an extended period I'm positive that my body hasn't made a full recovery and there are many more to come.

This brings me to the actual point of my post. Sure the whole birth control thing is part of being thrifty, but there were other reasons that fueled my decision.

I'm talking about skin care.

Have you been shopping for skin care lately? It isn't cheap. Nothing is cheap these days, but in particular proper skin care can rip a serious hole in your budget. I was using a really great name brand. I loved it. It worked well and my skin glowed, but I couldn't buy it locally. The only way to attain it was to purchase online (which I hate) or travel two hours to the nearest counter. It came to the point where neither of those were an option. Gas wasn't affordable and the products were so pricey it wasn't worth their benefit. For a two month supply I spent upwards of $200 and that was just for the basics.

Too much. Way too much.

I had to find another way.

And then I stumbled across a blogger who uses something called the oil cleansing method. I'll try anything once and the theory behind it actually seemed plausible. So that's what I've been doing. I wash my face with a mixture of Castor oil and olive oil (I know it sounds really disgusting) and then use a touch of just olive oil as a moisturizer at night. For daytime moisturizer I broke down and bought the expensive stuff. I can make it last a while because I only use it once a day, but I had to have something with sunscreen. I don't really like makeup so I was going out every day unprotected and I felt like I could feel my skin frying up like bacon. So I caved and found myself a really great tinted moisturizer with and SPF built in. I'm allowed one little splurge, ok?

While my acne isn't totally clear now it's under control. My breakouts are less, but I've noticed that it takes a little longer for them to heal.

I've found other things that allow me to forgo department store products or products that could be potentially hazardous to my health. I guess I'm kind of a purist when it comes to skin and body care and if all the ingredients are man made then why would I want to put that on myself?

I've been researching different home made facial and body scrubs. I've found a lot and I'm trying different ones to see which works better for me. Living up here in the mountains can cause some serious dead skin issues. It's not as bad in the summer so I'm trying to find one that is mild enough for the warmer months coming up.

Also, I stopped using deodorant. Ewww! I know. It's not like I'm not using anything. Every day I wipe my stinky pits with rubbing alcohol and then dust on some baby powder. It works surprisingly well. The alcohol kills the bacteria that causes the smell and the powder makes me feel fresh and soft like deodorant did.

Some of this might seem a little extreme, but like I said it's equal parts economically fueled and health based. I thought I was a little crazy to begin with, but then while I was talking about some of my lifestyle changes with my mom she reminded me that this isn't so far fetched. A hundred years ago women had to do something to keep fresh and feminine. There wasn't a walmart or department store on every corner. They had to make their own remedies. My own grandmother used peroxide to bleach her hair because hair bleach wasn't readily available or affordable.

It's always nice to have a little perspective from someone that lets me know I'm not totally crazy.

What are some things you're doing to tighten up during the recession?

And so it begins

Last summer Wendy's re-vamped their frozen treat menu. Not only did they have frosties, but they also had two flavors, and mix-ins, and milkshakes and frosty floats.

For about two months Andy and I were regular visitors to the late night drive through window because what's better than ice cream right before bed? Especially in an apartment with no air conditioning.

Last week Andy's cravings came back. It's a little early as the temperature during the day hasn't risen above 75 and at night it's sill in the 30's sometimes.

Currently he is out getting his second frosty float in two weeks. As the temperature rises the trips will only become more frequent.

This is not good.

I decided to forgo the trip this time. Not because I have self control. Oh no, think about who you're talking to here. I don't even know what self control means. No, I opted out of a frosty because I decided last night to make a peanut butter pie and spent the day consuming half of it all by myself.

As I have another half for tomorrow I decided that a frosty was probably overkill.

But next week is my birthday week and all bets are off. If I want a frosty I'm going to have one. Even if I ate a whole pie already that day.

Stubble

These past few months Andy has taken a serious interest in cycling. He's always been at home on a bicycle, but he's taking it more seriously now. Making it his summer sport of choice. Something has to take the place of skiing and fishing just doesn't give the same aerobic benefits. While he hasn't given up on fishing (hell will freeze over first) he has decided that cycling would be a good thing to add to his repertoire of hobbies.

He has a new bike. He's slowly purchasing new gear. He's planning on what races and events he wants to participate in.

And he's shaving his legs.

Yes, that's right. Shaving his man stumps. Many avid bikers do so. Something about aerodynamics, as I understand it. Please enlighten me if there is something more to the story.

The point of this is that now he knows what my life has been like for the past fourteen years (give or take). He doesn't complain anymore when my legs are a little prickly. I'm here to tell you that a day's worth of growth on my legs feels like rabbit fur compared to a day on his; which resembles something like a cactus. But it bothers him to have prickles and he doesn't like to sleep with unshaven legs now. Something about the prickles not feeling good. No kidding?

Also, he understands the need to purchase a fancy razor for leg upkeep. He has a nice one for his face, but when he decided to sheer his legs he went out and bought the cheapest disposable razor he could find. Result? A lot of nicks, and because he refuses to use lotion it took them a long time to heal. He did confess to me that he had used my razor after that and it does a much better job. Duh! I haven't asked if he's using it regularly. I guess I'd better. I don't mind if he uses one like it, but I'm not sharing razors.

He has managed to keep it up for several weeks now. I'm interested to see how long it lasts. I must confess it's taken me a while to get used to feeling his smooth legs next to mine at night. It's not all together unpleasant, just different.

And if I thought it wasn't possible for his legs to get any whiter, I was terribly, horribly wrong.

You're due when?

Julie left this afternoon.

Our visits together are never long enough, but always treasured.


I made reference to her "condition" in my post yesterday, but I've never really made an announcement on here.

So, in case you didn't know, my long time friend and her husband are expecting their first child.

I've known since January, but kept her secret because she wasn't ready to tell just yet. As with most first time pregnancies she and Frank are swimming in unknown waters and just didn't want the whole world to know until they knew things were ok. So my lips stayed sealed until I was given the green light, but I still didn't feel alright announcing such big news to the whole world.

So what changed? Well, first of all Julie has blog of her own in which she talks openly about her pregnancy, so I didn't think it'd be such a big deal now if I talked about it from my perspective. Also, she has a bump. A large bump. There's no hiding now. No secret keeping. The bump is a dead give away that there's a baby on the way.

Before you ask me anything I'm going to brief you on what I know:

Julie is due in September
They are not going to find out the gender. They want to be surprised.
She would appreciate it you wouldn't invade her personal bubble to touch her belly. Just don't do it.

There, now that all that is out in the open I can share with you how excited I am about this baby. I can think of no one that deserves to be a mother more than her, and I'm going to be an aunt again! Albeit, an honorary aunt, but who are we kidding? This kid is going to get just as much attention from me as my actual factual nieces and nephews. So, just call me Auntie Joanna.

I have to tell you a little story about Julie's visit. I already told you about how we're still hot, but there was another incident, if you will, but one quite different.

I decided that Little Bunny (that's the nick name she gave the baby at my urging to discontinue the use of "it" in reference to her unborn child) should have a t-shirt from my town. Little Bunny needs to know early where to find Auntie Joanna if Mommy and Daddy are being disagreeable. So I took Julie to our local Chamber of Commerce to pick something up. The older gentleman working there was very friendly and chatty, so we told him that Julie was expecting and that I was gifting a shirt for the baby. He took one look at Julie and said, "Oh, well it won't be long now." Julie didn't skip a beat and replied, "Actually I'm due in September." Old Gentleman got quiet and his face went blank. He looked at her belly again and said, "Well, you must be having four babies!"

What else is there to do in reply to that but laugh? I laughed. I laughed a lot. Julie politely laughed off his comment and made some statement about just carrying big. I think it was an effort not to cry or panic over the possibility that there is some mutant growing inside her that is going to break all infant birth weight records.

Needless to say, Julie's bump is quite obvious. Here's visual proof:


She wakes up in the morning and says, "I'm pretty sure I grew over night."