Christmas Decorations!

As you drive southbound on I-71 through the city, you will notice no less than FIVE Columbus skyscrapers decked out with red and green Christmas lights.

And one of those buildings would happen to be the jail!

Reason #978 that I love Columbus. And Christmas.

Back to December

I am currently listening to Taylor Swift's new album, "Speak Now". Ms. Swift has yet again compiled a magnificent collection of moments from Kara's Life ca. 1995-2005. All of the hype aside, no other artist speaks quite to me like her. I have loved Taylor Swift music and lyrics since her first, self-titled, album in 2006. I have been moved to tears upon more than once from her music. In fact, while listening to the "Fearless" album for the first time I cried TWICE on two separate occasions. In the car. I nearly had to pull over. I like to think Taylor and I would have been good friends growing up. I'm sure I could have given her plenty of material to work with.

My favorite Taylor Swift songs:

1. Fifteen (This song sums up high school in a cool 3 minutes and 30 seconds)

2. The Best Day (a tribute to her parents! If I sang or played the guitar, I would sing this to mine! Maybe I could just hum...?)

3. Teardrops on my Guitar (corny but cute!)

4. Tim McGraw (you know how a familiar song takes you back? This song explains that feeling perfectly...)

5. Fearless

6. Breathe

7. White Horse

Okay, maybe they are all my favorites...anyway, before this list gets any longer...

On the new album, I was moved again to tears by "Back to December."

"...It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you...wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine...I'd go back to December turn around and change my own mind...I go back to December all the time..."

I know that there are times in my life when I could have sang this song to about 3 different ex-boyfriends. In DECEMBER, no less. Alas, the regrets of young, unrequited love and flighty teenage emotions. I should not have been allowed to drink coffee at such a young age. (That's right, blame your parents, Kara. Ha!) At any rate, "Back to December" is a lovely, lovely song with a plenty of overbearing string accompaniment and a melancholy tone. I love songs like that (See also: "The Lovers are Losing" by Keane)

True, there is a reference to "texting" in the song, but only briefly; let's just ignore that.

Hooray for Taylor Swift!

My Doppelganger?

Sometimes this woman hits just a LEETLE too close to home...but I still love these funny Target commercials. Art imitating life, indeed!

Signs of the Season

1. One of two of our nativity scenes...however the Saviour will not be making an appearance in our diorama until the 25th, as directed by Mr. Morris.

2a. Our holly tree with its winter blanket and crimson berries!

2b. Berry close-up!

3. Christmas presents given and received. Have a look at these lovely Jo Malone soaps from bestie, Homa.

4a. Peanut's Christmas Cut, courtesy of Nancy at the Sawmill Petsmart.

4b. Holiday Bow Close Up!

Here's to keeping those bows in place until the Saviour shows His face! :)

On Sunday Nights...

...I get weepy because Jeremy has to leave...

(its okay, he'll be back soon)

...I stare at my planner trying to hyper-organize the week ahead...

(Boots from repair shop! Workout? Christmas cards! )

...I pray for the motivation to complete all the things I've planned...

(Dear Lord, please give me the strength to not press snooze this week)

...I go to bed early counting my blessings from a great weekend!

Oh! And I watch The Wizard of Oz on TV and snuggle with Peanut.

She misses Jeremy, too.

Thankful For...

1. A happy and healthy family--pets and all.

2. Not ONE but TWO jobs that I love!

3. Little challenges that present themselves, so that I may grow stronger, smarter, and more confident. GROW or GROAN.

4. Faith in our Heavenly Father.

5. The Morris family's non-traditional pre-Thanksgiving dinner HERE!

6. Long holiday weekends to spend with this hottie!

7. Successfully preparing my first suffering-free Thanksgiving turkey! In the past, I'd only done a turkey breast. This year we went all out! I was a little nervous, but the turkey was marvelous! See the pictures below!

8. Yummy Thanksgiving celebration spent with Beth, Tim, AJ & Jeremy! (See #7!)

9. A busy, busy holiday schedule. December is going to fly by! We have something every weekend...including the annual CSO Holiday Pops!

10. Elastic-waisted pants and my Urban Active workout dates with Katie. After all of these thankful things, I am going to need them both!

Happy Holidays, all!

You Can Do Hard Things

Dear Holly:

I know tomorrow is a big day. I am worried, too. But I am right there behind you through all of it, and our Heavenly Father is, too. He knows what's going on. We will, too, one day.

I will paint your toenails and not tell anyone how weird you talk when you are sedated. I will tolerate your husband's sarcasm. We Schafer's seem to get that honest.

I will also be there on the other side of these crazy days, my beautiful Italian sister. I love you.

Send prayers out to this wonderful lady, blogosphere!

Another Kind of Baptism

(Lovely old pictures from my friend, Mike.)

Farewell, Facebook.

A good way to pay more attention to your blog is to delete your Facebook page.

Its true. I just did that very thing this morning before work. And now, look at me, all dizzy with blogging fever. Really, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was ALWAYS checking into the Facebook newsfeed. Then I would check it on my phone a few minutes after putting my laptop away. I will miss reconnecting with old college pals. I will miss interesting bits of news provided by more socially conscious friends. I will miss the birthday reminders! I will miss proselytizing my own interests in a series of "likes" and "links." Facebook certainly fed my inner craving for the totally instantaneous random anything; but the craving was becoming an addiction.

Welcome back, evening hobbies! Welcome back, comfortable carpal tunnels. Welcome back, near vision! Facebook is heretofore not a part of my life. See, I am not so good at subtle restraint or self-control--I'm much better at total annihilation. Broad strokes, my friends. So delete-sies went my Facebook page, its time consumption, and all those compromising photographs of me on a birthday party pubcrawl. Whew.

Unless, of course, you read my blog.

It was really good time. Happy Birthday, Nicki! :)

"Hello, I'm Fiona!"

"I'm Peanut's new cousin. I like chewing newly installed wood trim, wriggling out of your hands, wearing Halloween costumes, and snuggling! Snuggling is my favorite! I am giving Aunt Kara and Uncle Jeremy puppy fever and making Peanut very, very jealous."

"Seriously? What part of 'only child' don't you guys understand?"

An Apple A Day...

Is what I'll be eating for the next 6 months.

Recently, Jeremy and I picked over 20 pounds of delicious Suncrisp apples at the Lynd Fruit Farm.

Our friends Erin, Ryan #1, Kim and Ryan #2 also picked a haul.

Jeremy, as an evolutionary superior human specimen, is very useful for getting the best fruit at the top of the trees. He will thusly survive the winter, aided by the fact his mate has lots of time on her hands and will be preserving apples and pie filling in the following weeks.

Unfortunately, Erin and Ryan #1 lacked the genetic codes necessary to get to the highest branches. However, their superior intellect and human ingenuity allowed them to avoid natural selection once again.

Ryan #2 and Kim are getting married! They are so cute and happy together. I am sure these soon-to-be newlyweds will have progeny galore ensuring the passage of their DNA to future generations. Its the law of averages. :)

Pumpkins were also a steal--$1 a piece. SMASHING, darling. The pumpkin patch was a little picked over...but we found a few beauties.

Peanut is NOT so impressed.

A Marathon October

When I think back on October, this image comes to mind:

Was it a fast-paced race? Or a terror-filled flee from a pursuer drawing ever closer? Or was simply a blur? I am still not sure.

Really, October just BUZZED by. I can't believe its nearly November! We were busy bees this month. Notably, Kristin completed a half-marathon with her friends. (The picture above is actually the male race leaders, of course.)

Way to go, Kiki! It was wonderful and inspiring watching you and your friends! Maybe one day I'll run another marathon, but probably not. You are the family athlete, now, my dear.

Later the same day, Kristin's husby Adam did a marathon of his own, nearly conquering the Dagwood Challenge at the Ohio Deli. That feat involves hammering down the Dagwood and fries shown below. Within 30 minutes. (Cue shock and awe.)

BEFORE

AFTER

Less than 25% of the sandwich left! (Cue shock and awe second time.) Adam said he wasn't really even giving it 110%. Sounds like a rematch is in store! I love how he's still smiling! Ahh, the Ohio Deli, with its reasonable prices and hometown feel. I recommend the patty melt and fries! No pesky stopwatch needed. :)

Picasa Problems

Okay, I just realized my photo collages from Picasa didn't load to my "Work and Play" posts. Rats! I think the problem is fixed, but now I can no longer find the Picasa application on my desktop. FRUSTRATED.

Kara is: a GOOD DENTIST

Kara is not: a GOOD I.T. PROFESSIONAL

Last night we went to the movies, and the nice man at the ticket counter had an iPad. I inquired about it, and he was VERY thorough in showing me all the cool things it can do! (In the words of my BIL, Adam, "He told you how the clock worked, not what time it was." It was bordering on uncomfortable. Macaholics. So endearing.

Anyway, the iPad is now my latest obsession!

"Jeremy...

...can I have a bite of your sparkly donut?"

"Um, no, Emersyn, I think you've had enough."

Clearly.

Work and Play

Its nice when those two things aren't so far removed from one another, isn't it? Recently it seems there have been lots of after-hours work engagements. And that's cool because I really do love the people I work with at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and really, evenings are pretty quiet these days with the absence of Mr. Morris.

Without sounding too chipper, every day I feel blessed to have my job at the pediatric dental clinic at Nationwide. I have to say that I genuinely feel like the people I work with are family, and the institution itself is a second home. I love that the department runs so well. I love that the residents are so motivated and so hard working and so fun to teach. I love that in any given day, I have a half dozen professional mentors pass by, and they are never too busy to chat or offer professional (or personal!) advice. I love that the job is challenging. I love that I leave at the end of the day feeling energized and not drained.

(But there is also this small voice in the back of my head saying, "You still have a lot left to learn, don't you? What do you think you're doing, young lady?")

At the end of the day, I am but a small part of a big machine that simply aims to care for children. Benevolence has its merits.

Speaking of benevolence, and mentors, here's a great example of both: Dr. Ashok Kumar:

This was taken at Indian Oven, which could also be described as the Pediatric Dental Department Cafeteria. On a magnificent autumn evening, the whole department got together to celebrate the arrival of Dr. Kumar's Green Card. Now, after 15 years of patient waiting, he will get to return home to India, see his mom and sister, and enjoy all the perks of being a law-abiding member of American society. Next stop, citizenship, my friend! No one has helped me more during my years of pediatric dental training, but he should already know that. And, I have already made him a big list of items to bring me from India...I know, I'm so grateful.

NOTE: I have just discovered Picasa and will be glued to my laptop evermore, I fear.

Now for the "play" part of this post! Jeremy and I had a busy weekend in the Akron/Cleveland area last weekend. In 48 hours, we watched our good friends Kaye & Neil run the Akron marathon, celebrated our anniversary with Carla & Craig, and met up with Jeremy's law school cronies Jen and Mike (and Mike's new baby, Sydney!). We had a GREAT time. Lola was everything we'd hoped!

Oh, and did I mention it's fall? Hooray!

One Year Later...

and we are still married!  

(I think we look a trifle Stepford here, but whatev.)

:)

Happy Anniversary to my husband, who remains all the things that I mentioned HERE. 

And also, he has tremendous faith in our heavenly Father.

And also, he still really REALLY hates vegetables, but is trying really hard to learn to like them, for my sake. 

And also, I'm teaching him to love yardwork and home renovations.

And also, we're going HERE for our anniversary dinner!

For better and for worse, indeed!

I love you, Schmoopie.