Guess Who’s Living in Our Wall

While putting our master bedroom back together after some renovations, we came upon an interesting find in one of the electrical outlet boxes, and we’re just fine sharing our space with him. Check out the photo below:

I have a dream!

If you look at the drywall on the right – on the blue outlet box, do you see the image of a facial profile? To us it looks like a famous historical figure, hinted at by the quote below the picture. Is that wild or what? Of course had it been the Virgin Mary, we would have sold it on eBay and made some serious cash!

The Kindness of Strangers

Since my feed has decided to randomly re-send old blog entries, I took it as a sign to finally complete the draft of a new one I started two months ago. Enjoy!

Since moving into our new house, we’ve had a surprisingly lovely welcome to the neighborhood. A shame, really, that the lovely welcome is surprising, but it seems in this day and age, there’s not frequent evidence of the kindness of strangers.

The city we moved to is a beautiful seaside community where many people have lived for quite a long time. So, one can’t help but wonder how a very established neighborhood of long-time residents would take to some newcomers.

From our experience, “welcomed” doesn’t even seem like a strong enough word. Our very sweet neighbors, John and Linda Lu, chose to host an open house in our honor. They mailed out invitations to everyone on the street, and we all gathered on a Sunday afternoon to get to know each other a bit.

Now I must admit, we were a bit hesitant about the idea. We just weren’t sure what to expect. We knew that most, if not all, of the people on the street were quite a bit older than us, and, from our experience, the older generation is not often on board with the same-sex marriage concept. How would they take to their new neighbors?

We get to their house and hear Linda Lu proclaim, “Oh, they’re here!” As we ascend the stairs, all eyes are on us. And we immediately feel… fine. Better than fine. Eager and honored. Everyone has name tags on (at first thought… dorky, after a few minutes… adorable), and quickly we have tags stuck on us. Neighbor by neighbor, they come over to present us with gifts, welcomes, glad-to-meet-ya’s, and if-you-need-anything-we’re-right-nearby’s. It’s as if we’re in a room filled with parents and grandparents happy to take us under their wings.

Since that day, it’s been great to be able to say hello to everyone, by name, who walks, jog, or bikes by. We’ve met their adorable dogs on their walks, borrowed ladders and yard tools, and retreated to a neighbor’s house for a much needed glass of wine during some unexpected construction at the new place.

While we’ve had some glitches and too many initiations into home ownership, we feel blessed and lucky to have found the neighbors we have, and we wouldn’t change a thing.

Signed, Sealed, and (Finally) Delivered

I’ve been MIA in the blogging world for quite a while, but with very good reason. After what feels like a lifetime, we have finally purchased our first home! It’s been an exhilarating, exhausting, emotional, and exciting process, and that was just the time between the offer being accepted and the P&S being signed! Here it is:

The house (which is much bigger than it looks – almost 2,000 square feet!) is in beautiful Newburyport, MA, across the street from a large state park with mountain biking trails, summer concerts in the shed, snow shoeing, etc, etc, etc. It’s got three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace in the living room, a big dining room, and a bright and spacious kitchen and family room. A deck off the back leads to the private back yard, which Melissa will happily mow. It’s a great entertaining house, which was really important to us, and we can’t wait to have our friends over! And downtown Newburyport offers great shopping, restaurants, and nightlife for such a quaint community. We’re beyond thrilled!

While the sellers have been, um, difficult to say the least, we forged through the drama to claim this house as our own. They’ve been so unpredictable that we won’t really believe it’s done until we close (end of February), but we’re having a blast envisioning all we will do over time to make the place our own. Everyone is invited to a painting party!

A Top-Ten Experience

There are those moments in life when we’re in the midst of them that we know they’re going to be Top Ten experiences for us. There are obvious ones like your wedding day, the birth of a child, and skydiving. Then there are the more subtle ones; times when you first feel it way down deep – a magnificent tickle of joy that starts at your toes and works its way up your entire being, ever so slowly at first until it kicks up and races into your heart. The impact of these times is usually much less predictable. Sure, you had an inkling that it was going to be fun, maybe even pretty special. But after, you feel it in every fiber.

Just this past week, my friend, Devon, introduced me to a place that’s less than 10 miles from my house, yet that I had never visited in the almost three years I’ve lived here. It’s the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of the Massachusetts Audubon, and it’s a beautiful collection of about 10 miles of walking trails, along which you can see probably hundreds of different types of birds and all sorts of wildlife. Devon and I saw deer grazing only 15 feet away! This place is pretty amazing, but the most incredible part is an experience you can have there that I don’t know where else you can.

If you stand with your arm outstretched and hold bird seed in your hand, birds will come and eat right from your palm! Black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, nuthatches. They’ll come, and they’ll eat. That’s my hand in the picture above with a cute, little chickadee eating and his friend coming to join!

About a year ago, a woman I had just met asked where I lived. When I told her, her face lit up as she exclaimed, “Oh! Have you gone to the Audubon Society and fed the chickadees out of your hand?” To be honest, I thought she was nuts. Birds eating out of your hand? Who am I, Doctor Dolittle? I humored her and let her gush, but thought it just couldn’t be true. If I could find that woman now, I’d offer her a bag of bird seed as an apologetic gesture.

I’m a bird lover anyway (I’m not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby when my landlord made me remove my bird feeder from my office window), but to have them literally eating out of the palm of my hand was such an overwhelming experience; a closeness with nature that made my heart sing. This was a Top Ten experience for me, no question.

I’ve already gone again since I first went three days ago, and I plan on going as many times as possible until the snow chases my little friends away. And I’ll be back at the first sign of spring with a pocketful of seeds.

I Have Finally Taken the Plunge…

For quite a while now friends, colleagues, clients, and just about everyone else on the planet have told me what a wonderful addition this has been to their lives. Each time I heard a testimonial, I would think, “I should give that a shot sometime.” Then… I wouldn’t.

Well, I finally have. I am now a member of (drum roll, please) the yoga world! Warrior pose, downward dog, cobra, prayer pose, plank. I’m not sure what I was waiting for! I love the slowness of the movements, the present-moment awareness, the feeling of open-ness and expansion, the beauty of the poses (well, most of them. Not everyone would agree that my downward dog is a pretty pose.)

After a session, I find I move slower, I’m more thoughtful in my actions, my breathing is more cleansing. It’s sure is a beautiful addition to a couple days of my week. Oh, by the way, that’s not me in the picture above… YET.

If you haven’t taken the plunge, dive in. The water’s fine…

Namaste.

Red Sox Are World Champs – Free Tacos for Everyone!

If you hadn’t heard, the fast food chain, Taco Bell, ran a promotion stating if the Red Sox won the world series, they would give away free tacos during a 3-hour window on a particular day. Well, as I’m sure most of you know, the Red Sox did in fact win. So, this afternoon, I’m at the mall, and, as I’m leaving through the food court, I see about 50-75 people in line at Taco Bell. Today must be the special day! Oh, did I mention that this particular taco, on any normal day, retails for a whopping 89 cents? Boy, people must really love free stuff. I certainly wouldn’t spend an hour in line for an free taco.

In my humble opinion, I think Taco Bell could have taken this one step further and really put some meaning behind it. What about a suggestion to the customers who are saving the dollar to drop a buck in a collection can at the registers with the promise that all money collected would go toward feeding the hungry? Even if only half of those cashing in on the free taco contributed, I’m guessing all the Taco Bells combined would have collected quite a significant chunk for those less fortunate.

Now, the Jordan’s Furniture campaign I would have jumped on. If you bought furniture at any of their locations during the promotion period and the Red Sox ended up winning the World Series, your furniture is free. That’s right. Free. I know people who took advantage of this, and they scored BIG.

Don’t know if I’ll be seeing any of these great promotions in the future as I think the Red Sox have relinquished their title as the Underdog. Nice job, men. Now be sure to share the wealth and donate to those who could really use it, preferably not in the form of a taco.

Some Musical Suggestions

I’ve been listening to some wonderful music lately and thought, “Why keep this joy to myself?” So, if you’re looking for new additions to your iPod, here are my suggestions:

Unglamorous (entire CD) by Lori McKenna. This is Lori’s new album and her first major label recording. She is a local (Massachusetts) folk-country singer and mother of five. I first heard of her music through my brother, Steve, and his wife, Janice. Janice has been a fan of her songs for quite some time, and for her 40th birthday party a few years back, Steve surprised her with an elegant, intimate gathering at a beautiful inn in Connecticut. Part of the evening’s surprises was a live performance by Lori McKenna. Janice even got to sing with her! From that night on, I’ve been a fan. Lori’s been big in the Boston scene for a while, but it wasn’t until Faith Hill heard some of her songs, fell in love with her songwriting, and covered a few of the tunes on her album, Fireflies, that the world got to know her magic. Lori is an incredible storyteller in her songs, so listen closely! I particularly recommend the songs I Know You, Leaving this Life, and the title track, Unglamorous.

Little Voice (entire CD) by Sara Bareilles. I downloaded “Love Song” as an iTunes free download of the week and enjoyed it. Then, I heard more of the CD at my hair salon and loved just about all of it. She’s got a little bit of Fiona Apple in her sound, but is also uniquely her own.

Bubbly (song) by Colbie Callait. This is just a fun, catchy, cute tune. Nothing earth-shattering, just fun to sing along to, and very sweet.

Hey There Delilah (song) by Plain White T’s. I love the simplicity of the sound and of the lyrics.

Into the Wild (Music for the motion picture) (CD) by Eddie Vedder. I just saw this movie a couple nights ago and loved the music in it, all written by Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam fame) specifically for this film. It’s yet to be determined if I’ll enjoy the music without the power of the movie behind it, but with Eddie affiliated with it, chances are likely. (In my humble opinion, one of the greatest recordings of all time is Pearl Jam’s album, Ten).

That’s all that comes to mind at the moment. I hope you find a tune or two in there to add to a play list. I’m sure there’ll be future posts with more.

There’s so much good music out there, much of which never gets heard unless it’s recommended. So, if you think there’s something worth hearing, chime in and leave a comment!

To the power of music…

A Follow-up to My Follow-Up

So, I write my last blog entry about Beth’s memorial service and mention the presence of the Monarch butterfly at the luncheon. Fast forward to yesterday – Sunday. I’m at my soccer game, in position as a right wing defender (where Beth played on our team), ready to start the match. Before the ball is played, I notice a beautiful butterfly soaring around above me. Yes, a Monarch. I point out to some teammates that Beth’s here and ready to play! The butterfly then lands on a leaf about 2-3 feet in front of me – in position as the right wing defender. “Look, gals,” I say to my teammates. “She’s in position!” They couldn’t see her from where they were standing, so I walked closer to point to it. This butterfly let me get right next to her and point directly at her so they could see where she was before fluttering off.

As a side note, yesterday was also the day we received our patches we will all be wearing permanently on our jerseys from here on out to honor Beth (see photo).

It was a wonderful start to a perfect, early fall day of soccer, and I was thrilled to have Beth there with us.

An Overdue Follow-up

Signing on to my blog, I hadn’t realized quite how long it had been since my last post. It seems appropriate, given my last post, to reflect on Beth’s service, held a little more than a month ago.

There was a beautiful and very fitting tribute to Beth, which many, many attended. It truly was the most well organized and well done service I have been to. The way Jim, Devon, Jud, and others coordinated the day allowed us to feel we were all there to grieve, celebrate Beth’s memory, and support each other – everyone. There was space created for all of us to feel whatever we were feeling. Several people, representing the many different aspects of Beth’s life, spoke and all did such a phenomenal job.

The service was followed by an intimate luncheon for a smaller crowd. While we members of Beth’s soccer team first wondered if it appropriate for us to be there, or should it just be family, those thoughts were quickly washed away as people came over, eager to meet “the soccer girls.” They were excited to meet the women who Beth shared this passion with, and we were thrilled to represent.

While at the outdoor luncheon, the largest, most exquisite monarch butterfly spent the day with all of us. As it took turns hovering over what seemed like each and every table, you saw several people smile slightly with communal knowing, as if to say, “Hi, Beth.” Her spirit was strong and present the whole day, and we all left truly filled with joy at remembering her and infused with her energy.

Beth is so very missed and I am reminding of just how much at each and every soccer game. As I arrive on Sundays and assess how many players we have, I scan the group for her face. Although I never see it, I see her spirit each time.

God Has Given Us Another Angel

“I’m not ready,” I say to Missy. “We’re supposed to go visit her tomorrow.” Missy, blankly staring straight ahead, just gently nods her head. We sit silent for 10 minutes or so and then begin our two-hour drive home.

We’re leaving the celebration of a friend’s wedding when I receive the message that our dear friend, Beth, has lost her battle with cancer – an almost three-year battle which she fought bravely, strongly, and truly heroically. We slowly and silently begin our drive, wrestling with the conflicting emotions of joy for our friend who just got married and sadness for us and the world with the absence of Beth.

Shortly into our drive, the sky turns dark. As the rain suddenly begins to pour down, it seems fitting that the Heavens cry with us. They allow us to weep, and together the three of us – me, Missy, and the Universe around – let the tears fall; sitting in that hollow place, unable to deny the void we feel. Then, almost as quickly as the rain began, the skies clear and the sky brightens. It was in that moment that the words appear in my mind’s eye – “God has given us another angel.”

The word “angel” almost sounds too cliché for Beth. She is more of a heavenly warrior. She walked with the gentlest of strength and more grace than I’d ever witnessed. She embodied compassion, love, and true, genuine kindness. As do her husband, and our friend, Jim, and their two children – Jud and Devon. A more unified family you’d be hard pressed to find. The amount of love and wholeness felt in their home is beyond measure.

Beth and Jim were the perfect hosts for game nights, which despite the number of games available, would inevitably turn into a marathon match of Chicken Scratch (a domino game). You could tell everyone felt at home there and that they loved having us. I’m so thankful to have those nights tucked away in my head and heart.

For this shy, new soccer player, Beth energetically embraced me, forever encouraging me to play, acknowledging my efforts, and complimenting me on any little thing I did well during a game. As my friend and teammate Marylou says, it was such a treat to look across the field and see Beth helping to defend our goal.

Although missing her terribly, and still a bit stunned, I’m so incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to know Beth. While I feel the void of her absence, I also take relief in knowing that the separation is temporary, and I look forward to kicking around a soccer ball with her when we meet again.