Day 340 - A Treasure

I was out and about today running errands and I stopped into the local Stuarts Draft Antique Mall.  I've lived here 9.5 years and have never stepped foot in there.  Today I stepped in 25 minutes before they closed.  

The place is ENORMOUS!!!!

25 minutes resulted in a pretty quick scan of the entire place.  I'm sure I missed a lot. 

The only thing I've ever really collected (other than books and pictures) has been blue canning jars.  I don't have many - maybe 8 or so.  I used to have a few more but they have gotten broken over the years.  :(  

I love the cobalt blue ones.  They are just so dramatic and..... pretty.  

I spotted this gem in the windowsill.  It's so lovely.  It's a 1902 made in Italy (still had the sticker stating such on the bottom - but it came off when I washed it) 'Abigail's Useful Jar.'  Ha!  

It will be useful for something in my house - though I'm not sure what just yet.  

My favorite form of recycling:  finding new homes and uses for old things. 

Day 339 - Pacific Sunset

These are a couple of sunset photographs from the West Coast - taken in September of 2007.  I believe these were taken near Wedding Rock in Patrick's Point State Park in Humbolt County, California.  

I was honing my photography skills.  :)

Day 338 - Matt's Maryland House

Last night we were talking with some friends from church about Matt's townhouse in Maryland and all the renovations he did.  We mostly talked about how he painted the living room with TEN different colors.  Fully painted the entire living room with two coats of paint SEVEN times.  He was a crazy man, then.  

But it turned out stellar. 

It used to have awful pink carpet and pink walls.  He yanked the carpet and installed beautiful cherry hardwood floors (with the help of our brother-in-law, Aaron and myself.)  Repainted everything.  New carpet.  New appliances.  Tiled the kitchen and downstairs bathroom (with my help.) 

It was a ton of work.  And it sold in 8 days in a crappy housing market.  :)

This is the staircase.  :)  It was a 3 story townhouse - so the center stairwell was cool. 

Good job, honey.  You made it a beautiful house. 

Day 337 - My Great-Granny

These are pictures of my great-grandmother, Dolly.  She was my mom's paternal grandmother (her dad's mom.)  She lived to be 94 and was someone I got to spend a lot of time with as a child.  I am so grateful for that. 

She was a tiny little one - but tough as can be.  She buried all 3 of her sons and her husband.  She lived alone on her farm until she was 90, I believe.  She kept her hair long and braided it into a bun everyday.  She had Dobermans.  She would yell at them "hear me!  hear me!" when they would not listen.  She had a car that you pushed a button on to start.  The water at her house was collected via cistern and was the best tasting water EVER!  (I think that had something to do with the charcoal filter.)  She used to make rhubarb pies that I was a fan of.  Her Christmas tree was always a live, prickly cedar.  She hated carnation flowers.

She was still playing church-league soft ball at age 85.  I'm not kidding.  The local newspaper actually did an article on she and I playing for the same team.  I was the youngest member, she the oldest.

Quite a woman.  The bottom picture is of my brother and I and her - she wanted to ride in an airplane so our family physician, Dr. Susong, took her up in his plane for her 90th birthday.  So cool.  

I don't think I want to live to be 94 - but if I do, I hope I can be as strong and active as she was.  I also hope I am brave enough to do something new when I'm 90.  :) 

Day 336 - What's the Story, Morning Glory???

Morning Glory.  Morning Sun.  Morning Frost.

Glorious. 

Day 335 - Thankful

I'm thankful today for many things - including my family.  I have multiple forms of family - which is a blessing I do not take for granted.  Last weekend I was able to feast with my biological family in TN.  Today I shared a feast with the Bowman family here in VA.  Such a tremendous joy I have because of these two families of mine.

We had not taken a picture of all of us together in TN since Matt and I first started dating back in 2004.  That picture can be found here.  Hee hee.  None of us have changed a bit, have we?

In the current picture, front row, we have:  me, my mom Mitzi, my aunt Edie, my cousin Katie, (on the floor) my niece Eliza, my sister-in-law Kristie, and my bestest bud Candi.

Second row:  my great-aunt Marie, my grandmother Catherine, uncle Frank, grandad Bob, dad Bobby, and my brother Jason.

Rounding out the back:  my bestest's hubby Jonathan, my hubby Matt, and Katie's hubby Charlie holding their son, Sullivan. 


What a crew!  :)

Day 334 - Sophie Close Up

:)

Day 333 - The Ipad and Its Babies

We were in TN this past weekend for an annual family get-together.  It was awesome, as usual.

I found it funny that we all had apple devices.  So I took a picture.

The Ipad and its babies.  How cute.  :)

Day 332 - New York Fountain

This fountain is in Central Park in NYC.  Matt and I went there for my first trip last year. 

:)

Day 331 - A Cute Kitten Video

This is a kitten that we bottle-raised as a foster last summer.  We found a good home for her but she was hilarious while we had her.  A very fun kitten, indeed.  :) 

Day 330 - Hannibal Snowster

Looking through some older pictures tonight and found this one from the massive snow of 2009.  It makes me laugh out loud for some reason.

I think she looks like Hannibal Lecter.  Hence the title. 

Ha! She IS crazy for her frisbee.....

Day 329 - Our Engagement Story

The vet student we had with us last week got married the same day we did.  Naturally, we shared our 'stories' including our engagement one. 

Here's ours.  :)

So, Matt and I met via Eharmony.com and our first date was in September 2004.  We broke up in September of 2005 and got back together in October of 2005.   We then broke up in January in 2006 and got back together in April of 2006.  After a really crazy couple of months and a very difficult weekend (that is another story all to itself) we broke up for the last time in January of 2007. 

For me, there was no doubt in my mind that our relationship was over.  It was done and time to move on.  Matt was convinced I was his wife, but let me go. 

We both dated other people. 

After several months apart, I was finally able to realize that I was really, really angry at Matt.  I wrote him an email and explained a whole lotta stuff to him.  He reciprocated.  Thus started a dialogue that led to a real friendship between us - one of the major things lacking in our relationship up to that point. 

After many months of this newly developed friendship between two people who knew each other really well, things started to change.  Matt became undeniably convinced that I was his wife and began to pursue me - gently but deliberately.

I was still dating a guy named Jonathan.  My relationship with Jonathan was very healing and helpful to me.  He enabled me to really laugh and be silly again - something that had been missing in the serious nature of mine and Matt's relationship.  But God began working in my heart and I was soon sure that Jonathan was not my future.

And I was still clinging to the belief that Matt was not, either.

I won't go into all the details of the months of October-December, but let's just say that those couple of months were absolutely the most confusing of my life.  :)

By late November I had refused a proposal (with a ring) offered to me by Jonathan and I had returned a ring (a plastic one) to a long time friend in order to put to rest any hope of future romantic endeavors with him.  And there was Matt, up in Maryland, with a ring on hold - just for me.

It really was the story of 'three rings' for me.  Crazy times.

Matt and I met again on December 8th, 2007 at Luray Caverns - the exact place of our first date.  We even wore the same clothes.  Dorks.

It was a date to determine if we did, indeed, have a future together.  And it was confirmed to me without hesitation that we did. 

The next Saturday was December 15th.  Matt had his final exam in his class that morning and was flying to Spain later that afternoon.  I had no expectation to see him until Christmas, when he was going to come to TN to visit me and my family. 

I knew we would be getting engaged soon and I told Matt that I did not want to be proposed to at Christmas and I did not want it to happen in front of other people (like my family.)

Matt called me once he was out of his exam and told me that he was recently having a conversation with his neighbor about the walkway lights we had installed at my back walkway.  Odd. 

A few hours later he called and asked me to go out and check for the wattage of the lights.  He told me that it was written on the side of the stakes going into the ground.

"No it isn't.  There is nothing written on the side of the lights" was my reply.

He insisted that I go and look.  I was frustrated and sighed but begrudgingly got up to go and look.  I was still in my PJ's and had not showered.  I kept Matt on the phone as I went outside to prove him wrong.

As I went down the steps towards the lights I saw an open black box sitting in the leaves in front of one of the lights.  In the box was a ring.  My ring. 

"Where ARE you?!?" I said into the phone. 

Matt stepped around from behind the garage and said something lovely and wonderful while down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  I said 'yes.'

He was only there a little less than an hour as he had to drive to Dulles because he really did have to fly to Spain. 

He took his exam, drove to his sister's house to get the ring (he had it delivered there as to speed this day up), and then drove to VA.  Then he drove to Dulles and flew to Spain for a week-long business trip. 

It was a crazy day but a good one.  This picture is the only true engagement picture we took because, as I mentioned, I was not showered or dressed in real clothes.  Ha.  :)

Day 328 - Playing Chess

So, this picture was taken by my good friend, Dana.  I was in my first year of vet school at UT and all of my crazy cool friends were seniors at ETSU (2 hours away!)  I was sad and lonely without them.  :(  Sometimes, when I was really lucky, they would come and visit me! :) 

This particular weekend, Dana (taking the picture), Erik (wearing the bandana), and Rufus (wearing the pleated pants) came to Knoxville to hang out with me (wearing the sweater vest.) 

We were hanging out at West Towne Mall and somehow started playing chess on the checkerboard floor.  I'm pretty sure they were just refreshing my memory on how the individual pieces moved, but judging by the looks of the 'crowd' we had around us, given enough time, we likely could have launched a full-fledged game. 

Sweet memories.  Great friends. 

Day 327 - Our Back Yard

This picture was taken April of 2009 and this was the last time our back yard looked this nice.

Until today.

8 hours of physical labor, cleaning, raking, scooping, mulching, and leaf-blowing later..... and we have a clean yard again.  Almost. 

Shew.  Time for bed.  And ibuprofen. 

Day 326 - Sam and Chad

Ahh, good times.  These are my buds from vet school, Sam and Chad.  We went to this game with Matt (he and I were dating) and Samantha was pregnant with their first son, Cole.

They just welcomed their second son, Logan, to the family.  I'm thrilled for them and happy that everyone is healthy and well.

Day 325 - A Bull

This is a bull I sedated to examine because he could not swallow and his tongue and all sorts of grass and hay were hanging out of his mouth.  The farmer did not have a chute to restrain him in, so I darted him with the dart gun on a trailer and waited for him to get sleepy.

Here he is sleepy.  His tongue is hanging out very near to his own manure.  I'm sure if he could say so, he would say that he is grumpy.

Today I am grumpy.  I am this palpably irritable thing. 

My skin is super sensitive.  I woke up at 3am with severe leg pain that kept me awake for hours.  I am stressed for no good reason.  Normal noises are physically painful to my ears (like nails on a chalkboard.) 

I've been this way a couple of times during my illness - and I realize that is what is causing this. 

But that doesn't make it any easier.  Especially for my poor hubby.  (Sorry, hon.)

So, I'm going to go and read in bed and hopefully fall asleep and stay asleep with the help of some ibuprofen and benadryl and pray that tomorrow is better. 

And I will also pray that tomorrow I do not write such long run-on sentences. 

Day 324 - Family Photo

Little Baby Aspen is growing up fast - and with 3 big brothers, she'd better!

I got to take pictures of this family for their Christmas Card this year.  It was a challenge (to say the least) to get them all looking at me at the same time, much less smiling and somewhat in focus.  :)  I'm very happy with this one, though.  Yay! 

Day 323 - October Leaves

I took this picture on October 21st of this year.  It was morning, it was golden-light, and my mind compelled my feet to move and go outside.  "Go - go capture the change of the seasons.  Go - go behold the beauty that is just outside your door."  

I listened and got up. 

Mostly because my dear friend had written this post a week earlier. 

I'm copying and pasting it - but you can see her other brilliant writings here. 

Thank You for October leaves, Father.

Friday, October 14, 2011

October

Four months ago, the hillsides tumbled green upon green. Valleys and rises were determined by a narrow spectrum of shadows and brights. More or less, the landscape was monotone, summer lazy, and supple. Confident maple leaves hung in all their twenty-something vigor, acquainted with hearty rain and heated winds, thinking they knew what there was to know.

I remembered being that age, so I didn’t laugh. Instead, I was tender, because October visits us all.

Yesterday, thrown handfuls of yellow leaves hung like stars against a navy green wood. Spots of light clung to branch with newfound brevity, sensing their weakening connection to familiarity. That which has nourished will release. In the glory of dying, in the flame of brilliance, each little golden body realized that it would pass through the womb of falling to the earth.

I beheld contrast upon contrast. Each life manifest its individuality, because this is what happens in the season of death. The green has gone, the true has come. The covering of the corporate is no longer.

Ochre grasses were painted willowy and bowing in their individual lines. There were tufts of silver grey, slices of red, bushes burning like a hearth. White seed pods cast their children upon hope of spring. Shrubs fussed over their holiday decorations, and fifteen stubborn trees held desperately to the last of their lime like thirty-nine-year-old women.

Autumn awakens. Here, depth is defined by variation.

Most of my life, I have walked among a summer’s faith where two-dimensional promises were made by a pleasant Western culture: “Jesus will perfect my marriage. Jesus will make my children wise, and strong, and moral. Jesus will help me obtain financial abundance. Jesus will make me confident, exegetically sound, and able to collect a little flock of admiring disciples. Jesus passes out health in twelve steps and truth in five points. I will walk manicured and full of my own right choices into a ripe old age of comfort.”

Perhaps. Yet often we imply that the Jesus we worship would never allow us a season of uncertainty, or vulnerability, or war. We think he wants us to be fat, full of ourselves, and sure. We know belief tumbling in summergreen strength through valleys and heights, simple and monotone, making promises of happily ever earthly after.

It is a breed of faith easy enough to manage among wealthy people expecting pleasant things. That is why the anomalies are so horrifying: sicknesses, disasters, misunderstandings, prisons of all sorts, Novembers in June. The story shouldn’t go this way, we think. Dyings are such a shock, for the Jesus we have loved is pleasant and easy, and we shop for him until we find him sold our way.

A thousand times I have read the words, but who ever believes them without October skies grown low and grey? You have died. The old has gone. The new has come. The old shell must be sucked of its green juices and tumble down, resigned to the contrast. For there is another world, and it is often winter here when spring there rises.

The veins of fallen leaves read like hymns, yellow-running, red, and holy. They are prophets of a new dimension.

My life is gone.

Behold what is left:

Brilliance.

Day 322 - Stepping Back

My pictures lately have been lacking much 'story.'  I've been a bit busy with a vet student visiting (she's great!)

So, it was time for a more substantial post.  Here I am - likely age 8?  9?  Somewhere in there....

And it has 3 of my favorite things present:  a dog, a baby calf, and me wearing my favorite color - purple.  :) 

I remember this day.  Likely because there was a picture taken to commemorate it.  My dad took me out in the field because a mother cow had wandered off with the rest of the herd and left her calf alone.  Usually, these calves 'stay put' as their mother tells them to do until she comes and calls for them.  This one was likely only a couple of days old and mom was not nearby - though we were on the watch for her.  :)

The dog in the pic was my first dog, Jasper.  He was a really great dog. I think he is posing quite well for this pic.  Heh.

I always wanted to be a vet.  I always loved animals and it was a job that interested me for lots of reasons.  My great-great-grandfather was a veterinarian (even though he did not go to vet school - he was awarded a license to practice based on his experience and knowledge.)  My other great-great-grandfather was an MD - so I get the medical gene honestly.  My dad wanted to be a vet - but didn't like school so much.  I think I partly wanted to be a vet because I liked the profession and partly because I wanted to make my daddy proud of me. 

I have enjoyed this profession immensely.  I have been so blessed to work here in VA with the family of Commonwealth Veterinary Clinic for 9.5 years.  And though I am not leaving, I am stepping back a bit.

I just formally reduced my hours to part-time status. I am going to work 30 hours a week instead of my normal 50-60 hours. 

I have been ill since our wedding 3.5 years ago.  This stubborn tick-borne illness has wreaked havoc on my body and worn me out - literally.  It's time.  It's time to give my body time to heal.  Time to rest.  Time to enjoy other aspects of my life.

I am beyond thankful for having a boss that supports and loves me.  And I am in awe at how God is providing for our clinic during this time.  It's just amazing.

So, I will still be doctor Leslie who gets to play with cows and dogs - but I'll just be doing it a little less often.