random acts and sprinklers

...for attempted gratitude.  we have a secret trashcan agent in our new neighborhood who rolls our big greens in for us each week.  although i have my suspicions {super cute old man joe from next door}, i can't confirm anything.  so last week, i wrote a note and taped it to the trashcan as a we know what you're doing and we appreciate you and if you ever want to come inside and empty our smelly kitchen trash directly that would be great sentiment.  i taped the note to the can thursday afternoon and rolled it to the curb.

as i left for work friday morning and saw the trashcan waiting there with my note, i felt encouraged.  encouraged that people still practice random acts of kindness for relative strangers.  it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

and then i watched in horror as our front lawn sprinklers came on and drenched both trashcan and note with water. 

can't win 'em all.

happy farmers

...that bribery is alive and well in our public education system.  i'm currently longterm subbing for a fifth grade class while their teacher is on medical leave.  my first day last week, i saw this large jar of candy on top of her desk.  aside from general lesson plans was a single note on classroom management:  no matter what they say, you do not have to give the students jolly ranchers for doing their homework each day.  apparently, another sub had gone through the entire jar in a two week time span a few months prior.  i imagine little sticky hands and the sound of crinkly wrappers all day every day.  shudder.

although i did pat myself on the back for not promoting sugar highs my first day, i did fall for the "we go to lunch 10 minutes early to avoid the long lines" speech.  however, this one benefits me as well as them, so i've been slower to nip that one in the bud.     

one year later

...for our one year wedding anniversary.  once my photographer's booty {thanks, mom} was cropped out of this picture, it became one of my favorites from our first look session.  totally owning my cliche-ness, it's hard to believe that we've been married for an entire year.  a whole year.  it seems like both a long time and no time at all.  i wish i hadn't let myself get so stressed out over our wedding, because in the end it's one day of your marriage story.  being married isn't all puppies and rainbows, but it's work in the best meaning of the word.  i'm lucky and grateful today.

{funny side note: i was reeeeeeeaaaaaalllyy looking forward to establishing an anniversary tradition of sunday brunch at our venue, since gross wedding food is a huge pet peeve of mine.  when i called to make a reservation, i learned that the foxfire grill is now a nightclub.  sad trombone.  husband decided that our marriage broke their mold and they had to shut down.}   

we all scream

...for the love notes that married people leave for each other.  i fell even more in love with my husband when he started making me sugar and dairy free ice cream a few years ago.  {between the two of us, we have about eight billion allergies}.  my job every few weeks is to prep his ingredients like the sous chef that i aspire to be, and his job is to keep desserts on hand at all times.  why we didn't include this agreement in our wedding vows was a serious oversight.    

family love

...for family time {especially even if you're not related}.  i found this one in my archive the other day from the husband's bday dinner at benihana's a few months ago.  due to yuck weather, our party of eleven became just the four of us.  we talked; we laughed; we watched the chef cook our food right in front of us.  the onion volcano makes me happy every. single. time.  i couldn't get ian to wear the giant birthday hat, but i've got fifty more years or so to get on that.       

the weather up there

...for optical illusions.  on my walk the other day, i found myself marveling at these forever long legs.  nevermind the fact that i look like i'm on stilts, i'd be nine feet tall in real life if this picture was real, or even the horrors that would be pants shopping.  for a moment here, i was tall.  alas, my little legs can only dream.   

crock of spit

...for google, which taught me that the key to outsmarting a cranky crockpot {spitting out boiling water onto the kitchen counter is never okay} is not to jiggle the lid around and frown at the thing as i first tried.  instead, it appears that weighting down the top is the more sensible way to go.  who knew?  other googlers, that's who.

side note:  i can totally see my picture taking reflection in the bowl.  that photo course i took back in november has clearly paid off.  notsomuch.  

ch ch ch chia

...for getting my green thumb on.  plants and i haven't always been friends {i once killed bamboo}.  but i'm turning over a new leaf {ha ha} with my new little chia pots.  in a little bit, we'll have basil, chives and parsely that i can proudly declare i grew myself.  i even made these fun little greenhouses out of sandwich bags like the directions told me to.  it's been two weeks or so since this picture, and i'm actually seeing basil looking sprouts appearing.  i've probably jinxed myself by posting that, but i'm proud my little ones have made it thus far alive. 
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mush in the air

...for mush.  back when the husband was still a boyfriend, he bought me this dollar store love is in the air sign one valentine's day to hang in my classroom.  while my fourth graders wanted nothing to do with it, i liked the sentiment.  it now hangs in our kitchen/dining room amongst wedding stuff, and it's a nice daily reminder.  maybe it's less a reminder of love and more a reminder of my ridiculous oversentimentality, but i'm okay with that.