We'll Never Forget

I'm not sure where to even begin for this post. It has been a difficult morning. Jarrod and I woke up to watch the ceremonies remembering those lost on September 11, 2001. I remember that day so vividly, as I know everyone in my generation and those before do as well. As I watch these people remembering their loved ones and see young children who were only babies when they lost a parent that day, I can't help but cry. It's so heartbreaking to remember the feelings of fear and pain and outrage of that day. I think about how much that day has affected me, and I wasn't even personally involved in it. It's the collective feeling of being an American and America was attacked. It feels personal to me.

On that day in 2001, I was in my sophomore year of high school and would have been in first period Yearbook when the first plane hit, but at that time, so word had gotten to us, of course. I then went to second period Spanish and it was after that class that I first found out about it. I walked out of my class and a friend of mine caught up with me. He was an office assistant for second period, so he'd heard what was going on from the office staff. He asked me if I'd heard the news, that the World Trade towers had been bombed and there was a fire at the Pentagon, because that was what was being reported at the time. It had to be around 9:45am that I found out.

I continued on to third period History, and being only 15, did not understand the weight of what was happening. I remember walking into class and making some joke like, "We're all going to die!" and the classroom was buzzing as everyone had just found out. My teacher walked in a minute or so later and told us, "You guys don't understand the severity what's going on right now." I remember the classroom going silent. We all went into the classroom next door because it has TVs in it and started watching what was happening. The rest of the day is somewhat a blur. I remember standing there watching live as the towers fell. We were all in disbelief and tried to comprehend what was happening. I think we stayed in there for the duration of that period and then the school called an assembly in the auditorium.

I stopped by my mom's room, because she had just started teaching there and her classroom was nearby. I don't remember what we talked about, but I remember feeling better having spoken to her. At the assembly, I remember coming together and watching more on a projected screen and our teachers trying their best to help us understand and praying for those involved.

I can't believe it has been 10 years since that day. Seeing video of that day still hurts. Remembering those feelings at the age of 15 is still haunting. It's still difficult to understand that there are people out there in the world who would want to hurt you for no reason, at least any reason that would make sense to you. I wonder how the world would be different today if this had never happened. Are we a stronger country today? We are at least are more prepared for whatever threats may come against us. Are we more unified as a people? Probably not. But on this day we are. Today, as a collective people, we remember those whose lives were needlessly taken. We remember those who gave up those lives in order to save those they could. We think of those who lost those they loved the most.

And today is a day when these thoughts are in the front of our mind, but even as we continue from here, we'll never forget.

The "Mushy Stuff"

My parents have always had a wonderful, loving relationship. They set a great example for my sisters and me of what it takes to make a marriage work. They also weren't afraid of being affectionate around us and I remember we'd always cover our eyes with our hands and say, "Eww, mushy stuff!" So, in honor of Valentine's Day, here's my "mushy stuff."

This time of year always brings out all those lovey-dovey feelings, not just because of Valentine's, but because this is the week that I met my husband for the very first time. This past Wednesday was actually the 5 year anniversary of that very date. This is how our love story started out...

It was a typical Thursday night in February my sophomore year in college and I was going out with the girls (Rea and another college friend). We went to a downtown Raleigh locale that will remain unnamed (because it's way too embarrassing to put out there for all the world to see!) I won't go into all the details, but I actually had some drama going on with a couple different guys who turned up at the same place that night. So when I saw this amazingly handsome guy standing on the steps across the room, I decided to go for it and ask him to dance. (Ok - so it wasn't as much "asking" as it was "grabbing his hand and pulling him out on the dance floor." What can I say? I know what I like.) We had a lot of fun that night, and I gave him my number at the end of it.

The next day I went to Myrtle Beach with a couple of friends for a concert at the House of Blues. It's actually while I was at that concert that Jarrod first called me, but we couldn't talk too long so we said we'd get up once I was back in town. That Sunday, we came back from the beach and I had just settled down to work on a paper that I had due the next day and hadn't even started on when my friend called me and said the guys, including Jarrod, were going out to eat and had invited us. I decided the paper could wait. I remember hanging out at the restaurant and giggling about the guys with my friend when we went to the bathroom. He was so shy though, it was very endearing.

And two days later was Valentine's. I had to work that night at my restaurant job, and I won't go into all the details of that night, but let's just say that I got flowers from 3 different guys that night (none of which were Jarrod!) but at the end of the night, all I wanted to do was talk with him for hours. It was the first long, real conversation we had. It was pretty awesome. I think it was about a week after that, that my parents came out to Chapel Hill and we were having lunch and they asked me if I was seeing anyone and I remember saying, "I've got my eye on someone..."

Then 4 years later, on February 13, 2010, Jarrod and I had an amazing dinner at the Angus Barn and at the end of the night he asked me to marry him. It's a pretty good bookmark that 4 years, nearly to the date, after we met we decided officially to spend the rest of our lives together. It's been the best decision I ever made.

Farewell 2010

It's that time of year again... where we start reflecting back over the past 12 months and looking at what we've accomplished and where we fell short. This year is a little different for me. Usually I'm always ready for the year to end and another to begin. Christmas is a great way to wrap up the year, but the New Year always offers a new beginning and a chance to start over. I'm a big fan of starting over. I like that feeling of moving into the next phase fresh and with a clean slate, and that's what the New Year has always brought. But this year, I'm going to be sad to see 2010 go. This has by far been the most monumental year of my life. So many of those major life events happened in the past 52 weeks. So here's my TOP 10 OF 2010:

 

1. I got engaged on February 13, 2010 to the most amazing guy.

2. We bought a house together

3. I spent a weekend in the hospital

4. I moved... twice!

5. Jarrod graduated from NCSU

6. I planned a wedding in 5 months.

7. I married the love of my life on July 24, 2010

8. I moved in with a boy!

9. We started a family with our puppy, Rylie

10. I learned what it's really like to be an adult.

 

I don't think you can get much more packed into 1 year than that!

 

I've been on my own for over 2 years now, but this year taught me a lot about responsibility. I've had to deal with a real budget and learn how to live within those means. I've had to take into consideration that pretty much all of my decisions now not only affect me, but affect my husband as well. I've had to balance family and friends and puppies!

 

But now, I'm sad to see such an amazing year of excitement and celebration and growth move into the past. At the same time, it makes me excited to see what 2011 will bring. I've already got a lot to be excited about: my sister's wedding, 25th birthday (ok, maybe "excited" isn't the right word), 1st anniversary, my puppy no longer being such a puppy. I like to go into each year planning for it to be better than the last, although 2010 is going to be pretty tough to beat, but I'm gonna give it my best shot!

 

So from our house to yours, Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year!

Mama Lindsey's Biscuits

This past weekend I made a trek out to historic New Bern to see my lovely grandmother Mama C. She's one of the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet. She's 4 foot 10 and makes me feel like a giant! (I"m so used to being the shortest one in a room unless the other person is under the age of 10 that it's an odd feeling being so tall). I had never made the trip out to New Bern by myself, but looking back , after my grandfather, Big Daddy (yes, I realize that's a sorta funny name for a grandfather, especially since he was only 6 foot 2 and that's not like THAT tall, but when you're 3 years old, he's HUGE!) passed away nearly 5 years ago, I started wishing I'd spent more time with him. So I've really enjoyed the past years of getting to know both of my remaining grandmothers better. 


Mama C and I had a lovely time. She was this beautiful home where the upstairs is a condo and the downstairs is a street-front shop called "Art of the Wild." She and my grandfather opened it to sell his wood carvings of birds, which, by the way, are incredible! This man probably had more patience that just about anybody to be so attentive to all of those minute details. Here's a bird that he carved for my parents. A good story here: it's so life-like, our cat took a bite out of the tail!

I learned a fun story while I was there, too. Mama C told me that Big Daddy started carving on his way home from the war (that's WW2 for the historically uninclined). He took an old apple crate or something and carved a duck out of it with a knife. He had a good relationship with his sergeant who loved the carving and asked to keep it. Mama C told me that years later, the 2 of them met up with that sergeant and she got to see the original carving, which she says was not very good, hah! Especially compared to how great he got over the years. 


So Mama C and I minded the store for a bit, then took an extended lunch break to eat chili and make Mama Lindsey's Biscuits! I must confess, I told Mama C before I came that I HAD to learn how to make them while I was there. I've been wanting to learn for years. This is a recipe passed down from Big Daddy's mother. I'm not sure if it goes back beyond that, but it's one of our few family recipes that are still family favorites. I've never been a huge fluffy biscuit fan, but these are different. They're smaller and flatter than something like a Bojangles biscuit. (I should've taken a picture when I made them!) These are one of the very few items that I will continue to eat until they're gone... despite how full I may be. 


It was so fun getting the chance to bake with Mama C. She'd already set everything out in little cups and bowls before we started, it was cute. We put together one batch while I was there and they came out so great! Well, they tasted great, the form could've used a little work, but she gave me some tips for better looking biscuits. She boxed the rest of the batter up for me to take home and try again. I made some for Jarrod and me the next day and this time they came out perfectly! They were exactly as I remember Mama C making them all those years growing up and my whole family sitting at the table devouring them! Those are some of my most wonderful memories growing up and I'm so excited that someday I'll be able to make Mama Lindsey's biscuits for my children and pass along the family recipe.