Reasons to love life

Since moving to North Carolina my fiance and I have had many life decisions and huge changes to shape our current situation. I mean one year ago did I ever think that right now I would be sitting at a table covered with guest lists for parties and wedding invitations? Heck no. One year ago I was resisting the common belief that we were going to have to get married because that is what people do. I had much more lofty expectations for my engagement (the time I am engaged, not the act of being asked) and when it would occur. I have to say Justin did a great job of letting me get to a happy place that was ready to get married and not feeling bullied into something because that is what someone told us we needed to do to justify our relationship. I will say that I really do feel that our engagement has been a really wonderful time for our relationship and I honestly can't wait for this to grow and take us to new places. (PS I worked with a man who gave me a hard time about not being married last year, he actually said to me if I wanted to stay in the South and teach I had to get married, it made me very opposed to the idea. I have never liked being told what to do)
I digress. This week I have been reminded a few different times that I am so thankful for where we are right now. I said where and that has multiple meanings first we will focus on geography.
Living in North Carolina after a few years south of here makes spring time more magical than before. I love spring! LOVE. There are so many reasons to love Spring; to begin it is when I was born. I mean if you can't love the season of your birth what can you love.
The azaleas are blooming in the backyard, sunsets are back to our side of the lake, and I can walk the dogs after I get home from work in the light. Who would rather it be dark when you wake up and when you get home from work? Who would rather everything be dead and dreary? I know there are some of you out there who love winter and I am sorry that I can't join you in that, but I must admit even though this was a pretend WNC winter it was enough to serve as a serious reminder of how much I LOVE spring. (it was nice to ease Justin into winter with snow only 2 times and only one snow day from school, no need to overwhelm)
Next, being in a purple state during a presidential election has really invigorated me intellectually. Although I am not working in a place that is stimulating in the same way as I was last year has not bothered me as much as it would if I were not challenged and always ready for discussion the way I am here. I was reminded of the joys of living in a truly politically diverse area this week a few times. First, and most emotional for me, I was downtown Asheville and in Pack Square were some people protesting for Trayvon Martin. I had to turn right past there and heard them saying we want justice for Trayvon. You know, no matter where you are on the case it is impossible to not agree with the statement that Trayvon was wrongfully killed. This is the same park I have seen many protests in, and for some reason each one of them make me emotional. It is just amazing to live in a country that allows each citizen a freedom of information and freedom to make their own decisions, but wait we do not stop there we actually allow citizens the right to protest and try to convince others of their point of view. At the bare minimum making others aware that someone cares about the issue is a freedom that has been taken for granted by so many of us, and living in a place where people freely express opinions is just fun.
Last weekend while we were running errands Justin mentioned that is it different living in a town where every Saturday there is a group of people protesting outside the Bank of America or the Wells Fargo in town with signs saying we are the 99% and other occupy ideals. I could not agree more and I take it a step further, it is downright fun to see people actually fulfilling the ideals of a republic.
Finally in our geography, I love the fact that people here are active, and outdoors, and try. Maybe it is the spring weather or the fact that we live on a lake, but it just makes me happy that there are people running, fishing, and boating constantly around here. The dogs and I have been watching the fish from the rocks and they have been barking away at all the people who are out and about just to destroy their perfect little lives by walking past our home. (BTW Zimmie looks so funny with her hair all cut except her face, it really looks like a photo shopped dog with a skinny body and a fat face)
Outside of our physical location and the things it offers is where we are in life. It is nice, I got a promotion at work, we are finally getting things back in order from the last few years, and planning a wedding all at the same time.
I have honestly loved planning wedding stuff so far, it is really fun to think about the things I love most in life.
It is also really fun to think about the actual event and all the friends/family who I will see in relation to this event. I actually get excited to see and hope that all my family will be able to join us for the big day in celebration, and I hope that we are able to meet all your wildest expectations for a wedding thrown by Emma and Justin. (read: not super bridal but wear a fantastic hat if you want to. I personally tried on a feather hat today, unfortunately it was a little small for my head otherwise this may be a challenge to all our female guests to present themselves in fab hats)
Justin and I have been through a lot since meeting, dating... and we are honestly in a place now that we have not previously found. We are both old enough to know what makes us happy, and with our experience of the last few years we are able to find things to do that cost nothing (or very little), generally together making both of us happy. It is just a great place of life we are in and I could not ask for more from life.

And last of all today in downtown we were prompted to enter a wine shop and she talked us into buying a $15 bottle of French champagne (thats right) so I have enjoyed my first bottle of real French champagne to date and it has proved fab! Love life!!

Fortune Cookies

Like many of you (I am guessing) when I get a fortune cookie the first thing I think is, I really don't want to eat this "cookie". Eventually I fall to cookie pressure, mostly because you have to break the thing open to get to the fun part. Also like many of you, I find fortunes to be fun, and usually funny after adding "in bed" to the end of the sentence. I don't know what the numbers on the back are supposed to be, Asian people are so weird about numbers I should pay more attention though that may be the secret to high achievement. (Take that Tiger Mom I said numbers on the back of fortunes, not preventing your kids from having sleepovers!)

Then this happened...

Justin and I had Chinese food late last year, sorry I am not Sheldon Cooper and can't give you the date, lets call it early December. There is always the question, which cookie do I want? You never want the fortune that doesn't make sense when you add in bed, and moving forward I need to know about those numbers, must create high achieving kids. Anyway, on this day we both read our fortunes and were shocked about what they said. (Context: Justin's dad passed away in November and the daily little reminders really were taking a toll. I was not helping matters with my constant engagement hints and wedding planning before ring, I was just trying to give us something to look forward to.)
Needless to say these fortunes have given us things to think about many times since. We placed them in the window above the kitchen sink along with the champagne cork we shared upon our official engagement! (and a few other champagne corks, I happen to be a Mimosa fan)
If you can't read them the fortune Justin got said: You will overcome difficult times. No matter how many times, or how many way I tried to be supportive of him in his difficult time sometimes random words from a cookie have more impact. Upon reading these words it almost clicked. While it was OK to be sad and grieving, and that void will never go away; he was going to overcome it! He has to right? the fortune said so. (And it has the key to our future children's take over of the world on the back, come on lucky numbers)
My fortune reads: A bold and dashing adventure is in your future. How right can two cookies be? Seriously the fake wedding planning is fun, the real stuff I could mostly do without, but I could describe wedding planning as a bold and dashing adventure.
I guess I am not your average girl when it comes to wedding. I didn't dream of this day as a girl. I didn't have a vision of a big fluffy dress and doting ladies at my side. I am uncomfortable with asking people to do things for me. Now don't read that and say, hey she has asked me to do something before. Sure I can say hey something needs to be done, do you mind doing that? What I mean is asking someone, Hey I want to spend a weekend trying on dresses and I want you to watch, you are going to have to fly, spend the night in a hotel, and eat out; see you there? Just typing that makes me feel anxiety about having asked people to do it. The worst part though is actually spending an entire day trying on dresses. Talk about exhaustion. I did have a great time with my great friends who insists they wanted to do this with me, and that they had fun. Thank you, both for showing up and lying to my face about wanting to do it!
One more thing that I have a hard time with in relation to wedding planning, related to the previous but a little different. I get offended when people tell me this is my day. The looks I get when I tell people it is not my day, it is a day to celebrate a relationship I have with Justin and we want to include our friends and family in that celebration, could confuse Sheldon Cooper... hmm bad comparison. They could confuse a person not easily confused. This is not "my day", I have no desire to have an entire day centered around me, music that only I like, food that only I like, the list could go on. I am doing my very best to think of my guests with every decision I make, and then I ask Justin if he thinks that works. If not, it is a no go. Those decisions, and they are plentiful, have been an adventure for sure. I am so thankful for all the help I have had in gathering information and I can't imagine feeling, truly feeling like all of these things were what I want only. Talk about pressure, I just hope that everyone likes the booze we provide and has fun dancing. Justin and I will remember the ceremony for the truly gigantic step it is everyone else just needs to have fun celebrating that with us!

The moral of this story, I don't have any idea other than keep those fortunes and figure out what the numbers mean.