Dropping the Ball

I hope everyone out there in cyber land is doing well. Things here are really good, but busy! I feel like I am juggling one too many balls and waiting for them all to drop. I start paying attention to something that is important to me, then I start to worry about the things that I am not focusing on. I think my grandparents are probably about ready to disown me, it's been so long since I've seen them. Michael thinks that I worry too much, and I am begining to suspect that he is right. School and work are both keeping me very busy. I am also training for Robie Creek with a friend of mine. Some of my girlfriends and I are going to San Juan Island in June to run another 1/2 marathon. After Robie that should be a piece of cake!
I rode my bike to work yesterday. It was so nice, I have been pretty nervous about riding with all of the snow we had in the valley this winter, and I hate riding when it is dark out, but I was able to leave work by 6 pm last night and get home before the sun was down. I know its early to start thinking spring... I just don't seem able to help myself...
Michael and I have been taking short weekend trips when we can. We drove to Idaho City to ski a few weeks ago, but their snow groomer was broken so we spent the day wandering around looking for antiques. We went to McCall two weekends ago for our Valentine's/ Christmas present to each other. We skiied into a yurt and had a catered five course meal on the lake as the sun set with a big group of our friends. The way back was lit by tiki toarches, and it was so much fun skiing in the dark. We stayed the night with our friends that live in McCall. On the way back to Boise we stopped at Terrace Lakes and saw mom and dad for the first time in weeks. We swam in the pool and took our time getting back to Boise. Last week we hiked up into the foothills with Ripley to watch the lunar eclipse. I really do have spring fever, I miss those foothills so much! right now it is so wet that you can't go up there without causing serious havok to the trails.
We've planned a trip in April to see Peggy and Scott. They will both have birthdays around the time that we are going, so that will be great. Lots of love to you all, -M

I missed you, too

I'm sorry for not posting in such a long time. I've been very busy at work, and with school starting I've been exhausted and not into blogging at night. I promise to be better as I've had several people unhappy with me. It is nice to know that y'all are out there actually taking the time to read about what is going on in our lives. Love to all, -M

Thanksgiving

How can you not love a holiday that is all about gratitude (and lots of food and football)? We should have gratitude holidays all the time. They should all be about gratitude! I am thankful for:

• My family. My wonderful, perplexing, supportive, sometimes crazy family. Every single one of them is amazing. From our dear cousin just getting through with the monsoons in India, to our other cousin and her husband, aunt, and lots of second cousins just getting ready for a frigid Norwegian winter. From those here in Boise that we don't see nearly enough of, to my sister and her family in Indiana - which seems so much further away during the holidays. My grandparents that are an inspiration to everyone. And my brother and my mom-in-law who made the trip from one side of the state of Oregon to the other just to be here with us. My father-in-law in California and all of Michael's sisters and brothers - the ones I met and the ones I didn't. And my new sister-in-law (and dog-sitter extraordinaire) and of course my husband and our menagerie of beautiful mischievous dogs and our grumpy cat. Our first Thanksgiving as a married couple will be filled with the sounds of a family - loud and laughing and hungry all sitting down together for dinner. Even if we aren't all in the same room.
• My friends. My beautiful, fun-loving, friends. Every single one of them is incredible. I am so blessed that I can't even begin to list them all here. So many changes in the last year. New babies, failed relationships, new triumphs at work, races run, weddings, new love. Another year has past and I feel even closer to them all. They are spread out all over the world and the country and the state, but they will all be right there with me when I sit down at the Thanksgiving table.
• My failures. Weird one - I know. Just stay with me here a minute. With each time I have failed, I have learned a lesson. Only four months into this marriage I have learned so much(Insert here: I am VERY THANKFUL for Michael's patience). Every bad day has helped me to appreciate the good ones that much more. Being married is like having a huge mirror put in front of your face. It forces you to look more closely at some of your "traits" that maybe need a bit of work. I am grateful for my failures, because they are teaching me how to succeed in this life.

I try to make it a point each day to find something to be grateful for. There is no way I could list all of those things here. The big three are above, covering most of it. The most important things in life are not good jobs and nice houses. Fancy cars and expensive clothes. Everyone intuitively knows this, but what better time of year to remind ourselves then right before the gluttony of Christmas begins? Lots of love and gratitude to everyone out there that takes the time to read this blog. Be safe and happy this weekend. -M

November Blues

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Things are going well, as usual. We live such a charmed life (insert knocking on wood here). I am running in a Turkey Trot tomorrow morning. If our team wins we all get turkeys, which would be great since MJ and I are cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving again this year. Peggy is coming up from Portland next week for an extended stay, which we are looking forward to.
We were going to remodel the bathroom next weekend, but now I am not so sure. I really hope we can get it done by Christmas, we are having a tough time picking out all of the things that we need and there is probably a bit of procrastination of the daunting task of doing it ourselves built in there, too. Hopefully soon I will have before and after pictures to post and you can all ohh and awe over our amazing bathroom remodeling skills. I wouldn't hold your collective breath, though.
I have been to two baby showers in the past month and have another one next week. It's raining babies in our crowd. We figured out the other night that out of the 12 members in our Bunco group, 8 have had babies in the past year and a half or are pregnant now. Crazy.
I signed up for a marathon in February. It's in Huntington Beach, California and I am already looking forward to some warmer weather, even if it is only for a weekend and ends with me torturing myself for 26.2 miles. I love the crisp fall air and crunchy leaves, but by the end of November it starts to get cold and soggy here. The time change forces a ride home from work in the dark every night. The dogs get restless from being cooped up. MJ and I get restless from being cooped up. The transition to winter is frankly a bit depressing. I am learning to love winter, but until it snows and its time to ski it's just dark and damp and a big fat bummer.
I can't wait for Thanksgiving weekend, though. Four days off of work and a huge amount of food shared with the family sound like just what the doctor ordered for the November Blues.

Happy Halloween!

BOO!

We didn't dress up this year, so we tried to dress up the yard as best we could... apparently it was too scary... we only had TWO trick-or-treaters and to be honest their costumes were not all that great. Sigh.
Hope you all fared better on the ghosties and goblins front than we did. Lots of love, -M

A few of our favorite things...

How could you not love Michael? This is our email chain from this morning...

From: Michael Johnston
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 10:51 AM
To: Michelle Headrick
Subject: :)

Happy wife=happy life...........what makes you happy?!

From: Michelle Headrick
Sent: Friday, October 26,2007 11:20 AM
To: Michael Johnston
Subject: RE :)

Not in any particular order…

A happy husband
A clean house
Dinner at Grandma’s
Healthy pets & family members
A run through crunchy leaves on a brisk fall afternoon
The sun on my back
Camping next to rivers
Fires in the woodstove at the cabin
Cooking a new recipe
Warm socks
Cheese plates
Hugs from my husband
Hiking in the foothills with the dogs
Emails from India, Australia and Norway
BSU winning football games
Indianapolis winning football games
Wadding in the ocean
Writing in my blog
Joking around with my parents
Re-decorating a room
Planning an trip overseas
Coffee shops
Snuggling in bed with a new book
Riding bikes on the Greenbelt
Champagne
Putting on pants that are not too tight
IM’ing Peggy
Skiing into yurts
Browsing in antique shops and thrift stores
Watching my husband fly-fish
Listening to music and drinking dark beer
Looking in people’s windows during late night strolls through the neighborhood
Planning kitchens
Getting dressed up and trying a new restaurant
Yoga
Massages from my husband
The smell of lavender and pine
Bunco
Long soaks in the tub
Road trips
Brand new empty notebooks
Wine flights at the winebar
Hanging out with my brother and sister
Planting stuff
Bookstores
Girl’s Night
Reaching goals that I never thought possible
Old scuffed up wood floors
Watching the dogs swim in the Payette
Candlelit nights

You?

Michelle

From: Michael Johnston
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 11:54 AM
To: Michelle Headrick
Subject: RE RE :)

Not in any particular order.....bacon, wife, and pepper bacon.

Indy & GV

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late... I've been busy at work and busy with life and frankly have had a bit of writer's block.
We went to Indianapolis the weekend of October 6 to play with Kathy, Joe and the crew. Saturday afternoon, getting in on time (weird) Joe and Kat picked us up at the airport and whisked us off to a weekend filled with 90 degree days, parties, football and sharks.
First up we headed to a 30th birthday party for Kat hosted by Emily and Andy at their beautiful home. We were thrilled to finally meet Grace in person after practically watching her grow up in photos. It was probably overwhelming for MJ to meet the Hodsons and Kathy and Joe's friends all at once, but he held his own. Joe BBQ'd up some skewered beef, veggies and chicken while the rest of us sat around chatting, sipping wine and beer and listening to music. Courtesy of the Indian Summer we continued on late into the night as the cicadas started to sing. The conversation never once stalled. My favorite part of the evening was Andy's annual question put to the birthday girl about the best day of the past year. Kathy couldn't pick just one day, which I think highlights just what an amazing year it was for her. For all of us, really.
The next day we spent most of our time downtown taking in all of the sights and sounds of a city that loves its football team. Mike and Maureen very generously donated their tickets to us for the Tampa Bay/ Colts game and MJ and I were both treated to our very first honest-to-goodness NFL game. It was loud and raucous and absolutely fabulous. MJ got the one souvenir he has always wanted - a foam finger - and all of us got a hash mark in the 'w' column as the Colts did not disappoint on the field.
That night we went back to Joe and Kathy's very comfortable couch and watched the BSU Broncos first half against New Mexico State. Joe commented that it was like watching a high school team play a college team and I'd have to agree. We ended the night with a game of cut-throat Monopoly, one ear still on the BSU game, which eventually had to be conceded at 2am (the Monopoly game, that is).
The next day Joe shuttled us around to do all sorts of things - the Children's Museum, the art museum, and the Butterfly Pavilion - but everything was closed. We ended up at the zoo instead with a dolphin show, lots of various animals (to be expected at the zoo, I suppose) and a shark exhibit where they actually encourage you to "pet" the sharks. Quite an experience and a good ending to a great weekend.
Last weekend Cori, Dawn, Wendy and I headed up north through the blazing trees decked out in fall colors to the cabin in Crouch. Mom and Dad got a kick out of the girls. We all laughed so hard that night... my face truly hurt. Pete and MJ met us up there and we all enjoyed a pulled pork dinner thanks to Wendy (and her mom's recipe). The next morning Dawn made breakfast and we lazed around until it was time to go home for some more "football action" (MJ's words).
Now I am at work, no plans except for the bulbs I have been trying to plant for almost a month now. Oh.. and Josh Ritter is here this weekend... and its Barber to Boise... and Bunco...
Well, one of these days things will slow down. I'm not complaining, though. I hope everyone out there is enjoying a beautiful fall filled with weekends with friends, family, and football (or whatever you enjoy watching or doing in your free time). Much love to all, -M

Turning Thirty

Last weekend at the cabin Carol, Mom, Jan and I all discussed getting older. The consensus among everyone but me was that turning thirty was the hardest milestone that they had reached so far. Since I haven't yet gotten to forty I couldn't weigh in on their theory, but I can see why they think thirty is tough. There is a definite divide between your twenties and your thirties. I think that especially for a woman that aging can be a really hard thing. I could go on and on about how our culture doesn't value the wisdom that comes with life experience as much as we value appearances and youth, but I think the real issue is that milestones as we age force us to evaluate what we have accomplished in our lives thus far and also, of course, what we have failed to accomplish. Obsessing over what we view as failures is destructive and unhelpful, but a very human thing to do. A wise man once said "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."

Kathy from the top of the Eifel Tower, Spring 2004

So, for my sister, who turned 30 yesterday I have a few things to say. In the thirteen months and thirteen days between our thirtieth birthdays I have learned to not be so hard on myself, to not be in such a hurry to get everything done, and to enjoy the ride. Kathy, we are so proud of you and what you have accomplished. You are an intelligent, beautiful, brave person. You spend each day with children that will remember you for the rest of their lives as their very first teacher. You are a loving wife, a compassionate daughter and the best sister anyone could dare to ask for. In our twenties we took a trip to Paris in the spring together. In our thirties I'm thinking somewhere a little warmer... love you, Kat. -M

Autumn Afternoons

Friday night MJ and I walked over to Westside Drive-In, a neighborhood icon and grabbed some meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. One meal is enough for both of us, and the food at this place is not your typical drive-in food so we were very satisfied. We spent the rest of the evening at home, chatting over a bottle of wine. Saturday morning I got the rest of my plants snuggled into their new home as rain drizzled down all day. It wasn't really what most people would refer to as rain - but in Boise we'll take what we can get... mist, sprinkles, drizzles, dew, downpours, torrents and just plain showers are all welcome here. My new plants will love it, and the snow pack in the mountains is (knock on wood) a good omen of the winter to come. I'm actually looking forward to breaking out the skis this year.
Saturday night after MJ got off work we drove up to Garden Valley to meet up with Carol, Jan, Mom and Dad. It was almost a complete reenactment of our weekend up there with them last year. A late dinner, little wine, a little Balderdash. Wet dogs in and out the door. Rain hitting the metal roof. Cozy as it gets. Nothing smells better than the ground in the woods after a good strong rain. Nothing says fall to me more than a drive along the Payette as the leaves start to change and a night spent in stocking feet playing board games with family.
Sunday as we drove home we stopped by a nursery in Horseshoe Bend.
*A side note here: I linked to this nursery's website because I am amazed that a business in Horseshoe Bend has a honest to goodness website. I'm not sure if that says more about the prevalence of the Internet in our lives these days or how far Horseshoe Bend has come in the last few years.
Anyway, they had some very creative ideas. MJ's favorite was a flower bed. It was an actual old rusty bed frame filled with flowers. I liked the kitchen complete with an old stove and stock pots and frying plans filled with succulents. I can't wait to see what that place looks like in the summer. It will definitely be on our list of places to stop when we are heading home from the cabin.
It was a quiet weekend, exactly what we needed. I hope everyone out there had the weekend that they needed to have as well.One of these days I'll charge up the batteries on the camera and start taking pictures again. Love to all, -M

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Last night we (Granddad, Dorothy, Mom, Dad, Carol, Jan, MJ and I) went out to dinner to celebrate Grandma's 85th birthday. She has the energy of a 25 year old, and is an inspiration to everyone that knows her. Aunt Jan organized the surprise meal last night and also read aloud one of her famous limericks. We stuffed ourselves with cornbread and pie and chicken fried steak. We laughed a lot. We watched Grandma open her presents. We skoled and toasted an amazing woman and her wonderful spirit.


Happy happy happy, Grandma. And many more. We love you so much!

Weekend Update...

My brother Scott was here all weekend from Eugene and it was bliss. On Friday night we had him over for dinner (some fantastic grilled sirloins and MJ's famous wasabi potatoes for the epi-curious) before going to see Bright Eyes downtown. I always enjoy listening to MJ and Scott talk about music since they both know so much about it and all I know is whether I like it or not. In the end we all agreed that it was a great show. Afterward we grabbed the dogs and hiked into the foothills to look at the stars and throw sticks for BB to fetch.
Saturday morning Scott, Mom, Dad and I participated in the KAT walk. The walk was benefiting education for the prevention of kidney disease. My mother manages a home dialysis program in Idaho and Eastern Oregon so this is a cause that is near to her very big heart. Our entire family is so proud of her and the work that she does, and it was nice to be there to support her and the staff and patients of the Boise office for the first annual event.
After the KAT walk the four of us rode our bicycles on the greenbelt downtown to the Saturday Market. The Market runs all summer long featuring fresh produce from local farmers and a great selection of art and craft booths including things like metal sculpture, photography and pottery. While there we picked up freshly homemade (and by far the best I've ever had) chicken pot pie and veggie lasagna for dinner that night and took it up to Grandma & Granddad's so Scott could see Aunt Jan, here visiting from Norway. We alternated between chatting on the deck and hovering around the TV watching the BSU homecoming game, and had a really nice dinner and visit. Later that evening Scott and I headed downtown to meet up with MJ at World Cycle. Scott just bought a used mountain bike so Michael looked it over and made a few adjustments. My brother had to leave the next morning, which always makes me sad, but we are hoping to visit him in the beautiful state of Oregon soon. Hopefully before it is too cold and wet to ride some trails.
Sunday morning I dragged Michael with me to our local nurseries looking for fall deals on perennials. I am focusing on the front yard now because it is so hard to find things that the dogs won't eat or run right on over in the back yard. Next year I guess I'll have to start addressing that with more containers in the borders or some sort of fencing. Anyway, we found a beautiful Japanese Maple and a lot of other shade plants - Astilbe, Joe's Pry Weed, Northern Sea Oats and a couple of other new ones I haven't grown before. I can't wait to get home from work tonight and get my hands dirty! Planting is one of my most favorite things to do. Sunday night Michael's boss and his wife had us out for dinner and to give us a wedding present. They are such generous, wonderful, fun people and their kids are a riot. We had a great time and stayed a little too late... I'm a bit sleepy today.
I hope everyone out there had a great weekend as well... now I am going to take a nap...
Love to all, -M

My husband and our dates...

A couple of dorks mooing in cow hats at the Tillamook Dairy on the Oregon Coast last year.

Before we were married Michael and I would set aside the money and time for at least one date alone together per month. We’d go to the classic dinner and a movie at the Flicks (Boise’s theatre for indie flicks). A lot of times we’d go to see a concert. Once we drove to the top of 8th Street and had a picnic. Another time we had a picnic at Albertson’s park as the sun set. A memorable one we went on a sushi/ martini tour, hitting a couple different restaurants in one night sampling rolls and lemon drops as we went.
Since our big event in July we’ve decided to have our date night on the 18th of each month. Last month we got all dressed up (Michael wore his suit and I wore a dress) went to Milky Way, a nice restaurant downtown and then out to a pub to listen to some live folk/country music by a local band. Next Tuesday Michael and I will celebrate two months of wedded bliss. We are deciding between two options for our date this month... going to one of my favorite plays - Little Shop of Horrors at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival with wine, cheese, and bread dipped in olive oil on their lawn is one idea; going to Boondocks an amusement park out in Meridian for laser tag, batting cages, bumper boats, go karts and greasy pizza is another.
I think that the fact that we are going back and forth between two such diverse options is hilarious. I believe what that says about us is that even though we are still figuring things out on this journey we’ve decided to take together, we really enjoy each other and it doesn’t matter what we do together - high brow or low brow or somewhere in between. I feel very lucky to have married such a truly fun, intelligent, warm, caring person that is interested in seeing a play and still enjoys playing around.

Busy Weekend... (nothing new there...)

This weekend we tackled yet another front of the house project. This one involved beefing up our posts on the front landing. Previously there were just two 4x4 posts, so we got up early Saturday morning and went to BMC West to pick up some 1x4 & 1x6 cedar to wrap the posts with.
A side note here: I really miss working at the lumber yard. The corporate world is just, well, different. I am so weirdly proud of our place up on Franklin Road. MJ compared Home Depot to the Walmart of building materials after seeing it the first time. Is it strange for a woman (and environmentalist) to be so attached to a place that sells studs & siding? I couldn't say, but the smell of fresh cut lumber early in the morning truly warms my heart!
Anyway, MJ had to work so I started our project by myself until the BSU game started. I love the feeling of using a nail gun, its very powerful. I was getting some bemused looks from people walking by, and had more than a few comments from our neighbors. My mother and grandmother and cousin Amy and mother-in-law Peggy are phenomenal sewers (or is that seamstresses?). My sister knows her way around a sewing machine as well. I never have learned and always felt like some day the sewing bug would just bite me and all those good sewing genes would finally manifest. I've always wanted to create, I've longed to take materials and make something of them. As I was happily humming under my breath nailing the cedar onto the posts on Saturday morning it occurred to me that maybe I was destined to create using a different medium than Peggy, Amy, Mom and Grandma do. It was one of those (as Oprah calls them) 'Aha!' moments.
Yesterday we finished the posts and MJ spackled and caulked his little heart out. He's really, really good at finish work which is going to come in handy when we move our efforts into the house over the winter. We were laughing together by the end of the day, which I take as a good sign. I know some of my friends have said remodeling projects can put a bit of strain on a marriage!
I'm hoping to post photos of before all the tile and post projects and after in the next few weeks after we get done painting. Next we have a gravel job to do on our front strip between the sidewalk and the road with some container projects and then (weehooo!) a new willow fence. Can't wait!
Hope everyone is doing well and discovering their passions in life. Love to all, -M

Post Wedding Pics - North Idaho

Self portrait I

Fountain in Sandpoint
Self portrait II




Contemplating life's mysteries or wondering when the heck were going to get some breakfast? You decide...

Self portrait part tres

MJ & I with Josh Ritter

A beautiful venue for beautiful music

North Idaho is... hmmm... how can I possibly do it justice? I keep erasing everything I write about it because I simply cannot explain what an incredible spot North Idaho is. There are vineyards, rolling hills, huckleberry plants lining the roads, a very tempting looking amusement park, mammoth mountain lakes, universities and colleges tucked into every nook and cranny. North Idaho is the best of Western Montana and the best of Eastern Washington rolled into one. We were there the second weekend in August for the Sandpoint Music Festival and couldn't have had a better time. In Coeur d'Alene we walked the streets of downtown in awe of all of the antique shops, restaurants, public art, and quirky places to shop. We bought un-filtered olive oil that had been pressed there in the shop by a family owned business and have been enjoying it since our return dripping from bread and in MJ's case covered in Parmesan cheese. At the music festival we saw Madeline Peyroux, a French Canadian that sounds so much like Billy Holiday her voice puts a shiver down your spine. We also saw our favorite singer/songwriter Josh Ritter, a North Idaho native. He was gracious enough to stand for three hours after his show to meet and greet all of his fans as he always does. We had him sign our wine cork as we did in Stanley and were a bit thankful he didn't remember us. I'd hate for him to feel like we are stalking him when we see him again next month at the Egyptian Theatre in Boise! We camped in the car while we were there and had a fantastic trip, staying at the family cabin in Garden Valley on our way home.

Pictures post wedding... camping trip with the girls

MJ fishing as Zach looks on wistfully

Sleeping beauty... Geneva manages to make even sleeping in a tent in a flannel sleeping bag look glamorous!

Ripley just cannot accept the fact that MJ is NOT a morning (or even early afternoon) person

The first weekend in August we headed for the hills for some fun in the mountain sun. Our camping spot was above Idaho City. We had just girls (Kim, Tobi, Geneva and I) the first night, MJ, Ripley & Wendy and her dogs joined us the second night. It was important to me to spend as much time with my friend Geneva as I could steal away before she went back home to Australia. We camped in a gorgeous area... probably the best place I have ever "car camped" (this is what we call camping when no real effort or hiking is involved in getting to the camp spot). We were on a bit of an island, so the river wrapped around our tents. I woke up a couple of times late into the night and just layed there looking at the stars and listening to the river. We saw a lot of little creatures such as frogs and snakes... the usual suspects - deer & hawks... MJ caught a few small(ish) fish... our friend Tobi grilled up the thickest, juiciest, yummiest steaks ever... the four of us finished all the wine the first night... the sky was FULL of satellites, shooting stars and constellations and since there was a burn ban we sat for hours just looking at the heavens and chatting the night away... good times...

New Picture Website

http://picasaweb.google.com/skipbashnard

This is a link to a photo-sharing website that MJ put together. I haven't seen it yet, but feel free to take a look when you get a chance. Hope all is well, -M

Late Summer in the City

It's no secret that I am in love with Boise. I love the river and the fact that our citizens had the fore site long ago to protect its banks and create a path (our greenbelt) for people to enjoy. I ride my bike home on it most days, even though it is a bit longer than riding through downtown. The greenbelt wanders along next to the clean water of the river through several large parks filled with people laying on blankets enjoying the warmth of the sun, geese honking at ducks, ducks ignoring the geese, kids on paddle boats in the pond, the football stadium with the sound of the marching band practicing, adults on rafts in the river floating lazily by, an occasional bald eagle swooping into the river looking for dinner. It's an amazing commute, kind of like the utopia they try to create at theme parks that usually falls flat and ends up feeling a bit creepy.
I love the foothills and the fact that our citizens are currently fighting to keep the development away from our trail system. I rode my mountain bike last night from my front door to a system of trails that I had never even seen before. It's not that I don't get out a lot, I do. And I've lived here at the base of these hills my entire life. It's just that we have such an amazing variety of trails in this city, just short of 100 miles of them in the lower foothills alone. Its hard for me to venture out of the Hulls Gulch area because its my first love, but there is so much more to explore! I love how friendly people are. How mountain bikers all feel a need to smile and wave at you as you ride by. How people with dogs will step off the trail for you to pass. How the runners, almost completely out of breath as they huff up a hill still take that extra effort for a friendly "hello" and a quick wave. Last night I went back into Military Reserve where there were several softball games going. The sound of a cheering crowd as someone rounds the plate is enough to make you turn off your MP3 player and just soak it all in.
I love Boise's downtown. I love living three blocks from art galleries, and an independent music store, and great restaurants, and fun bars filled with live music and vibrant people. I love the little wine bar down the street. The couple that owns it met in Boise even though she's from England and he's from Brazil. Further down is a pub that only sells beers on tap that are micros from the Northwest. Across the street one of our friends plays music on Thursday nights. Kitty corner from that is a little hole in the wall that sells the best burgers in town, and the owner's wife used to work with my mom. I even love that hardly anyone you ever meet is actually from Boise, but they probably know someone that you know. There are about three degrees of separation between everyone in this town.
I love the Northend. I love the huge trees that cause the sidewalks to be like roller coasters because the roots push them up do far. I love walking through our neighborhood with the dogs at night and looking in people's windows as they eat dinner, or vacuum, or talk on the phone while gesturing wildly with their hands. I love how one house can look like it's about to fall over and the one next to it looks like it could be on the cover of Cottage Living. I love how the schools are all made completely out of brick, have huge playing fields, and are tucked away into the neighborhood. I love how an old hippie, a lawyer and a sculptor all live next to each other on the same block. I love going to Hyde Park and sitting on the patio at Luck 13, where Michael and I met, and people watching. I love the anticipation this time of year of the leaves changing colors and setting the entire area on fire. I love the smell of the Northend, so much so that I won't even try to describe it.
I hope everyone out there is cyberland is in love with where they live, too. Don't let the horrible behavior of one sad, pathetic man (that I never voted for) color your view of Idaho. Boise is only one small part of an incredible state that seems to only get in the headlines for disturbing reasons.
Lots of love, -M

Even MORE pictures!

Our pictures from Todd turned out so great that I don't seem to be able to stop myself from posting them... the funny thing is that he hasn't even "worked his magic" on them (as MJ likes to say) and done any of the touch up work or special effects yet. I changed a couple of them to black and white myself just for fun... so... there will probably be a couple more in the future... hope that's OK with everyone!

What a month!

Wow, the past four weeks have been crazy! It's all self-inflicted crazy, but crazy none-the-less!
In addition to getting married we've been camping three times, installed slate tile on our front walk way and steps, went to a baseball game, spent as much time as possible with my friend Geneva while she was here visiting from Australia, drove through three states to go to a music festival in Sandpoint (near the border of Canada) and I still managed to make it to work and Bunco.

Shew... I. Am. Tired.

Sorry the thank you cards haven't gotten out yet. One of these days...

More Pictures From Stanley