Video Contest!

I entered the Living Lutheran video contest! Follow the link and vote for my video, please? Yay! VOTE FOR KATIE

Just in time!

Tonight is the season premeire of Doctor Who on BBC America! And we just signed up for it yesterday. I think Victor must have known that it was coming. I'll be at church but we're recording it!!! I LOVE DOCTOR WHO!!!

Whether the weather...

There is something about a long, loathing winter that gets into your bones and makes your heart soggy. However, on this dreary day, I have received a great epiphany: I love it! Since I was small, the winter has always been the season that makes the rest of the year completely amazing. Living in places like San Francisco Bay Area and Albuquerque really made me long for winter. Yes, it gets relatively cold in these places, but nothing like the MOUNDS of snow that descended upon us in New England this year. MOUNDS that still exist in places.

I love it. Well, let's say that what I love about it is the common pain that we are all facing at the moment. Every person I have encountered has commiserated with me. A little comment here, a sad face there; this weather sucks. Yes, I reply, it DOES suck. And then we are a little closer because people bond in the face of suffering. It makes us happy that another person recognizes how awful we feel about the crappy weather.

And yet you may not see this as such a big deal. Well, let me tell you, I've also lived in the Pacific Northwest and that small amount of 12 months gave me incredible insight to the human psyche. You see, people in that area of the country know that the weather is going to be crap 99% of the time and they are totally ok with that. On a grey day like today, they wouldn't even flinch an eye. When a complain would be voiced, immediately someone would have to say, "oh, it's not that bad." Yes, the sun is not out and it's been raining for about four months, but it's not that bad.

It IS that bad. Really, it is. When you are going through a rough time and someone tells you "it's not that bad" you want to punch them in the face. Sometimes it IS that bad and when we are able to recognize the pain in other people we gain their trust. Sometimes life IS that bad. Our suffering can be relative but to completely ignore the pain others are feeling can only add to their disconnect from humanity. After my season of winter in Seattle I have learned to let people complain about bad weather, even if I think it's not that bad.

Really, I just want it to be warm again, don't you?

Take me out to the ball game!

Yay!! My dad and step mom came into town and we all went to a baseball game! It was really fun and since Martha is a Tampa Bay Ray's fan, she had the best time because they beat the Sox.

photoshop church photos

We had a photographer come to church the other day to capture some candid photos of our congregation. On one hand, it's nice to have some photos of Sunday morning. On the other hand, I would not hire this lady. Yeah, I'm practicing some photoshop skills just so we can save a few.

Happy Birthday Victor!

Ok, so I'm one day late! But I did think of posting a happy birthday message yesterday. It was quite a full day of excitement and adventure...and work.

Victor has now passed the all important age of 35. I think he's starting to feel that his age is considered "old". But since I'm still 27 (yeah, inside joke) he will forever be...um...30. And there's my math for today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICTOR!! I LOVE YOU!!

Talkin' 'bout a Revolution...

Last night I went to my first Revolution Major League Soccer game. It was interesting, to say the least. Still not sure if I can say it was a good game. After being used to watching European football, these guys were like watching a college team. They played Portland and even though the score was tied, Portland was the better team. Ball control, passing, whining; they had it all. I got pretty frustrated a few times and I'm sure to the embarrassment of the people around me. Yes, I might have been "that guy".

AND it was SO Americanized I wanted to puke. Well, not puke really, but it sort of took away from the game at time. Maybe it was the OVER THE TOP announcer, like when they announce the starting line up; it felt like a basketball game with all the hype. BLAH.

But my favorite part of the game is always right at the beginning when the players walk out with the kids. I even get a little choked up.

Happy Anniversary!!

Also, not another joke, today is my mom and step dad's anniversary! Yay!! They were married in 1997 which would make this year their 14th year of marriage.


I'm not going to lie, that was some hard math.


Love you mom and Carl!!!

Cruel Joke

I wish that I could say the joke mother nature played on us this morning was a good one. However, I'm not laughing as I'm sure, many others are with me on this one.

It began last night around 6:30 and I'm not sure it stopped all night. While I was out last night it was difficult to see the road and the flakes were quite large. But I kept thinking how beautiful it all was. Yes, I'm complaining about it because it's Spring for Pete's sake! On the other hand, I'm not really all that crazed. Tomorrow it's going to be 50 degrees and I hope it melts before we to see the Revolution play!

I have decided that this gives me a great excuse to laze around and knit all morning:) Well, actually I'm doing the laundry so I have to spend the time between loads doing something! I have a few projects that I'm making for weddings that are only a few months away. It's going to be TIGHT!! Really, it's my own fault that I didn't get on it sooner. Then again, who else do I have to blame?

Well, time to put the fire on and cuddle up with my favorite knitting! Yay!

Day out!

Today I finally drove up to Lowell to check out the American Textile History Museum. It was outstanding! I do believe it's just what I needed to get me on the way to figuring out where I fit in around here. There were so many things to do and see in England that I'm feeling a bit thirsty but this museum was so fabulous. I'm even going to become a member! Here are some photos:

And did you know that Lowell has a minor league baseball team? Well they are the Lowell Spinners! How much better can life get?

Epiphany

I just realized this morning why I miss England so much. I lived in England for TWO whole years. Not only that, but two whole years in the same house! I haven't lived anywhere that long since I was in high school.


Problem resolved but not forgotten. Yikes.

I think I just need to start taking some photos. SOON!!

I do love Coldplay

Victor was looking through some old photos and found a few from a Coldplay concert we went to in London. It was an amazing show and I even have a few videos from the concert. They really are not very good and I wouldn't want to post crap on the blog. So enjoy this little video of Strawberry Swing.

I love you Coldplay.

I can hardly wait****EDIT

Today, at a farm down the street, is Woolapalooza. Yes, you heard me. I am going to partake in a day of wool at a farm no more than 10 min away from my house. If my bike was assembled (and it wasn't freezing outside) I cold ride my bike.

I promise to bring my camera. Let's see if these Americans know how to do it right.

This photo is from a similar event in England at Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

*** Well, it's noon and I don't think I'm going to head over to this farm for two reasons 1) It's bloody 32degrees outside (wind chill is 20) 2) It's rather expensive ($10) for something I've already seen AND after research it doesn't look like it's going to be anything more than a bunch of sheep...lame...

Or, it could be that I'm getting to be a big sissy!

Wordless Wednesday

Lent 3

I would say these little videos are getting better. Not as dramatic as before but still better. I'm getting ready to make one for the website and it's going to be stellar!!

looking back

I'm up early this morning to take Vic down the street for a 6:15am air port shuttle and rather than stay in bed, I decided to stay awake!

Looking back through photos on the computer, I realized that I took a crap load of photos in England. Now, on the other hand, I hardly take any. And it's weird photos too: my house, spiders in my garden, a snow day, close up of a brick building, clouds...the weird list goes on. What is it about my life now that I've decided it's not photo worthy? This could be the answer to why I've been feeling rather blah about life in these United States. Now that I'm back to the same old, same old everything is the same. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

However, I just might have to organize the past few years of photos before I think about adding too many more to the collection! Yeah, it's a bit overwhelming.


And in honor of St Patrick's day, I'll post a photo of our Dublin trip two years ago. I'm glad we didn't get locked into the crypt of that cathedral...true story.

Happy Birthday, Italy!

150 years ago today, Italy was unified! This is my favorite unification photo from our trip to Venice.

Wordless Wednesday...even though I already posted today

Back in the saddle again

Recently I feel like I'm getting back to the things I used to do before I moved. And basically that means churchy stuff. Recently my pastor got the brilliant idea to do a two minute bible study each week on the texts in the lectionary. Since he got the idea at his laptop, he decided to use the camera on the screen and record it himself. Well, it looked a little weird. If you've ever skyped with someone on a laptop, they usually look a little strange: big close up, looking down on you. Yeah, I couldn't take it so I volunteered to record and edit his weekly rants...I mean...weekly insights:) I'll link to our church's YouTube site and if you are so inclined, check out the video I made as well as one of the older ones and tell me what you think?

Lost but not for long!

My sister likes to get me interesting things for Christmas and I love them. One year it was a chocolate fountain. This year it was a cotton candy machine that uses hard candy to make the fluffy goodness that I love. We busted it open when the family was together at Christmas and it was the hit of the season! Everyone was amazed at how you can make cotton candy out of a Jolly Rancher. After the chaos was over and we packed up to leave, the cotton candy machine made it's way back to Boston.

A few months later I'm invited to my good friend Spencer's 4th birthday party and I decided to bring the amazing cotton candy machine. However, when I got it out of the box, the most important part was missing: the extractor! Well, you can have cotton candy with out the extractor so I found that a replacement was $15 and today I ordered a replacement and all will be right with the world again.

It's the little things, you know.