Officially Accountable

Another whirlwind holiday celebrated and gone! Hubby and I headed to Indiana to see the family this Thanksgiving. As usual, it was a good restful trip, but seemed to go by too fast. As one holiday is buried and another one is being born, somewhere in there is the end of a semester. One more week to teach! Two more weeks of classes! Then, a blissful month off. As winter approaches, and approach it does--we had snow today--I have a few goals set for the winter break. I am writing them in blogstone so they become more real, and so people can help hold me accountable.

Goals for Winter Break

• Read the last Harry Potter book (Sshh--I don't know what happens!)
• Write poems for my thesis
  
• Correspond via written letter with some pals
• Finish editing a friend's book
• Learn how to relax
• Seek a more intentional relationship with God (Hmm... what is the state of my life when Harry Potter is first on the list!?)
  
• Plan a syllabus for the two courses I'm teaching next semester
• Read ahead for one of my grad courses: The Comic Novel
  
• Try to stop making lists

This is not a complete list since I have about 15 other inane things swirling around in my consciousness that are begging to be added. However, those are the big things I've listed. Now, it's official: I'm held accountable.

Another Birthday...Gone!

I remember a few years back; I was living in Bloomington, Indiana enjoying the change in my life and happily welcoming that big and bold 30th birthday. My 20's were nothing to celebrate. They were rough. I guess it didn't help that I spent four of those years struggling in New York City.

Nonetheless, when 30 came to me, I claimed it even before the day hit. I was so ready to shrug off all that had come before and start anew. Now, a few days ago, I've realized, I'm not sure I'll ever welcome a birthday again!

Maybe, just maybe, I'll be excited by the decade changes, but the in between birthdays-- I can't say they do much for me. I can say that I received some beautiful cards, wonderful gifts, and many birthday messages, including the walloping age jokes from Hubby. He earned it, I suppose. He did get out of bed early to make me breakfast and took me to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in Fayetteville later in the week.

My dad tells me (and as every woman over 30 has the right to confess) "Kiddo, you can be forever twenty-nine!"

To All the Girls I've Loved Before...(and Still Love)

So, I've dropped out of the blog loop as of late, I know. For shame. School has been whipping me into shape, or into a real student, rather. My past two years have been really busy, but this year takes the cake. The reason is that I have decided to really put myself into my studies. I've only got two more years left. This is my one and only chance to go to grad school. I don't want to regret anything, including wishing I would have worked harder. So, that's exactly what I've been doing: working harder.

This weekend, however, I took a break. Hubby and I flew to NYC for the wedding of a good friend of mine. Hubby and I had a great time on Long Island where I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. I have to admit though, this is the only wedding I've been in besides my own. Why is that? you may wonder. Do you not have friends?

To the contrary! I have a lot of close friends, but what you have to understand is that there was a time in my life that I thought weddings were silly. I thought they were all about trivial hype. Weddings were silly dreams girls made up that made them more girly. Brides were blind optimists who wanted to live in a fairytale. In fact, when all my close girlfriends were getting married, I asked them not to ask me to be in their wedding in any capacity.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have missed their weddings for anything in the world, but I wanted that distance between me and this thing called marriage. (How sad.) I think part of that also had to do with the fact that I was unhealthily shy as well and the thought of being in front of so many people during the ceremony gave me instant stomach ulcers, but it was mostly fueled by this intense dislike for anything sacred, especially marriage.

So, what gives? What changed? Why was I in this wedding and not any others? I met hubby and my feelings about marriage--about a lot of things--drastically changed. I changed. I evolved.

Through the experience of my own wedding and my friend's wedding this weekend, I've come to realize that one of the most meaningful things a friend could ask of you is to take part in their wedding ceremony. To witness, up close--in tandem, a lifelong commitment between a good friend and the single individual that they have come to love and choose to spend the rest of their life with. I remember how I felt when I asked my girls to be in my wedding. How right it was. And, I remember how I felt when Glen asked me to be a part of his wedding.

See, I didn't know all of this back then. But, I know now. And, as usual, I'm a little late since all my good friends are married. So, I just want to say to all my girls, and you know who you are, I am so sorry. I really missed out.

We're Movin' on Up!

To the East side. With a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y!

We found out this past Thursday that our landlord finally sold our humble abode. (Seriously humble. So humble, we're wondering why someone even bought it!) This revelation is good and bad. It is good because we wouldn't mind living in a nicer place with things like level floors, fewer slugs, and most of all, doors! This is bad because we don't want to pay the rent it typically takes to have level floors, fewer slugs, and doors.

Anyway, I took off work on Friday and we looked at a billion apartments. Finally, late in the day when all hope was lost, we found one that we both fell in love with, which says a lot about this apartment community because we were both dreading apartment dwelling.

Saturday, we put a deposit down and tomorrow we sign the lease and get our keys! We'll be moving stuff all week, but the big moving day is Thursday. I'll send out the new address to everyone soon.

Meanwhile...school starts tomorrow as does one of the courses I'm taking.

Bring it on!

Six Days!

Well, six days to go until school begins. Where am I? Well, I'm almost solidly through chapter 4 of a 9 chapter book I'm editing/ghost writing for a friend. I've got about 300 more pages left in book five of Harry Potter. I haven't yet begun working on my syllabus for my two sections of Advanced Composition, but I know what I'm doing. I've got 5 good poems ready to go into workshop for the fall. I've got all of the books I need for my Form and Theory of Short Fiction class checked out from the library. And, I've worked out what my schedule will look like with the 3 W's: work, working out, and writing. I'm feeling on top of things as long as I continue to work hard this week.

Lazy Days of Summer

Well, I guess that you can surmise that my desk job that sat me in front of the computer for four hours a day has ended, hence, the lackadaisical keeping up with the blog. This is much harder to do from home for some reason. Maybe because there are 500 other things that need my attention here and at work, well, there was very little.

So, there's one more week left until school begins. I am looking forward to getting into the grind again. On the order for this semester are the following: teaching two sections of Advanced Composition for, what feels like, the hundredth time; taking a poetry workshop and a form and theory of the short story. I'm looking forward to both.

In addition to this, I'll be working part-time for Thea at the flower shop; maintaining a regular workout schedule; writing and sending off work to literary magazines; reading lit mags to keep up on what's being published; maintaining my wifehoodness; and being an active-as-possible member at Vintage; and, of course, blogging.


Monday was my last day at the Quality Writing Center. Monday was also the first day of summer, technically, for those in summer school. No classes. So, I took down and installed 33 computers in our department. This was a hefty job, and I didn't think, nor did my boss think, that I was going to be able to get through them all in one day. About halfway through, I thought to myself, I don't think I'm going to make it. But, then, I found it. Internet Radio! My second wind! 80's alternative! You play the Cure, Adam Ant, Siouxie and the Banshees, Oingo Boingo, Pseudo Echo, the Go Go's and I can work til I drop! So, maybe you're like me. Maybe you have a hard time getting things done because you run out of steam. Maybe you grew up in the 80's and have a special place in your heart for TRUE alternative music. If so, I have two words to help get you through your work day: Live 365. (Okay, one word and a number.)

On Wednesday, hubby and I took a day retreat to Branson, MO. We hit the road in the morning and headed to White Water water park. They've got about five or six different water slides, a wave pool (which I think at one point was contaminated by a child--at any rate I saw lifeguards diving to the bottom of the pool with gloves on), and a lazy river. We had a blast. We quickly found our two favorite water slides and repeatedly knocked small children out of the way and stole inner tubes to get to the top of the line. Not really, but, we should have. White Water also has a really creative kids water park that hubby and I will definitely take our children to once we produce them.This weekend, our buddy Ash is coming up for a canoe trip. We're finally breaking in the canoe! Right now the rivers are low, but we're hoping we get more rain today so we can hit the Mulberry tomorrow morning. Otherwise, wherever we go, we'll be dragging our boats along as they hit bottom, which is no fun. Today, we're taking our friend Luke to lunch before he leaves us to return to Mizzou for another year of college.

All We Need Is A Miracle!

Those of you who are prayin' folk, please, please, please, pray for our church, Vintage. We have been looking for a new building for awhile now and currently meet in a punk-rock music hall and before that, a mall movie theater. Well, our search has now been given a deadline. The music hall we meet in is closing its doors permanently, and very soon. While we certainly have an established church, we now just need a building to meet in. So, please pray if you pray, wish if you wish, keep us in your thoughts...Thanks.

Babies, Babies, and More Babies!

Simmer, simmer! I promise you that it will not be via blog that you find out we're pregnant. Unless of course I don't talk to you too often, then, well... (Please don't misread here. I assure you I am not pregnant.)

Meet Annabel. Curly-headed, blue-eyed bundle of energy! Knows exactly how to push her sisters buttons. I chased her around the house naked trying to get her swimsuit on, which only consisted of a swimming diaper, so really, that's a little sad that I had such trouble with it.

Their parents, Tandi and Johnathon, were spending the day moving into a new house. So, hubby and I asked if we could play parents for the afternoon. The girls and I started our day lounging in the baby pool. We three sat around staring at each other until I discovered that both ladies loved being lifted high and then body slammed, mockingly, into the water. I also taught Elizabeth, the 5 year old, how to squirt her sister by cupping her hands together with a little bit of water in between her palms and then squeezing them together--something hubby taught me. Afterall, what are friends for but to teach your children to terrorize each other?

Then, we all came inside, had some snacks, and made a pallet of blankets on the floor so we could watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. We treated them to the original version with the creepy, Gene Wilder. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker! Another favor, no doubt, to the parents.

After several attempts at a nap, and two hours later, we decided that perhaps the girls needed to spend more energy. So, we took a short walk to Walker Park where there is a lovely sand pit and jungle gym, in the sun. In the hot, hot sun. We let them play for about 10 minutes then we began to worry that we were going to give them a heat stroke. So, we packed up and carried the kids back to the house. I now know what my hips are for and hubby, poor, poor hubby now knows the true burn of upper body pain.

After we replenished them with much water, Tandi called to tell me I could bring them home. While I enjoyed every minute of my time with Lizzy and Annabel, this experience really helped hubby and I figure out a few of things.

1.) You cannot raise kids and drive a two-door Honda Civic. (And, I love my car so this is a real dilemma!)

2.) At most, we can probably manage 1 child until that child is old enough to take care of the basics (dressing, bathing, not killing themselves with everyday household objects, helping to take care of another child, etc.) and then we'll adopt one more child.

3.) Cats and children don't always get along.

4.) Hotdog bits will end up in the strangest of places.

5.) Remote controls go to their dying place when children are around. (Tandi, by any chance was there a remote in the diaper bag?)

Keeper of the Melon

Free Men and Games

Last week, we invited a couple of the Freeman boys over to play games. The Freemans are a family we know from church and me and hubby often show up on their doorstep to be fed like strays. Thankfully, they are a giving family! Those of you who attended our wedding met Madelyn Freeman, our lovely flower girl.

Anyway, last Wednesday, Luke and Joel came over to eat Thai food and play Thurn and Taxis, a game about postal routes. Believe it or not, it's a lot more fun than it sounds, as most strategy games based losely on history.

It was my first time to play Thurn and Taxis and I think a good time was had by all, especially me because I won. Yep. I did. I beat hubby by 1 point. Now that's a good game!

In other news, hubby is starting a book club in the fall and we have our first meeting Sunday after church. He has put together a darn good list that hosts a plethera of attributes such as cultural diversity, social commentary, thought provoking genres, and sheer literary genius. The only thing it lacks? Poetry. But, I do understand that that is another club all on its own (where the people are typically much grumpier.)

Fodder

For the past couple of weeks, I've been taking the advice of a friend and getting up at 6am to write before going to work. The alarm goes off. I groggily kick the covers off my legs, and get up from where my hubby lies still in his sleep. I stretch noiselessly, stumble to the kitchen, and brew myself a small pot of coffee, French pressed— a gift from the wedding registry! Then, I trip over a cat or two and plop myself in front of the computer for the next hour and 15 minutes. I'd like to get more writing in, but I don't think I can stand to get up any earlier.

Most of the days, I’ve got something brewing. And, by something brewing, I mean, I take a poem I’ve already written and re-write it. When the page is blank, this method of getting started works like jumper cables—pumping a lifeless battery full of purpose.

Other mornings, I have to deal with the blank page. That was this morning. Needless to say, this morning I had an extra cup of coffee, and spent a lot of time reading other writers to get going (they can act like jumper cables too—I realized that I was heading down a healthier path as a writer when reading good poems inspired me instead of depressed me.) Then, every once in awhile when something stirred in my cob-webbed head, I would write it down—or type it in since I use the computer for composing. By 7am, I had a page. Albeit, the page was skeletal--only half thoughts, some pretty language, and some duds filled the space.

By the time I got to the second page, my next poem idea decided to show itself. Writing is a strange beast. If I sit down to write with an idea, almost always the poem is horrible, trite, and forced. But, if I sit down and just listen, and wait, and wait, and drink lots of caffeine, and wait, and remember to pray, and wait, the sounds turn into words and the words turn into sentences and the sentences turn into ideas and then, a poem is born.


Not that I would tell many people in my writing program this, but I have taken a sabbatical for the past year. I’ve had more pressing and important things to think about, namely becoming a Christian and a wife. And out of this experience, I’ve realized that writing is not the center of my life any more. It’s not the only thing I have going for me.

However, with this nugget of wisdom realized, something interesting has happened to my relationship with writing. I can’t help but take in how good it feels later in the evening when I think about writing and why I haven’t done it, the time of day where I begin to let that stampede of guilt run me over, and I remember, wait! I did it. I did it this morning. I got up, brewed some French pressed, and wrote, and yes, it might have been lousy writing, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is I feel like I’m doing what I should be doing. I’m letting this small part of my life play its part. I’m letting one gift I’ve been given thrive.

And, while writing does not consume the whole of my life, nor even define who I am, it is certainly something I should be doing based on the contentment I feel when I’m doing it and after I’ve done it. This is the time of my life when I should really embrace this gift. This is the time I’ve been given to sit down and think through this writing stuff, how it fits in my life, how to develop some good habits, and to make some dedicated, literary friends. This is a time in my life where I don’t have to get up with kids or really worry about work and how awesome is that? This is a time in my life where getting up to stare at a blank page at 6am is a beautiful thing, and yet encouragingly, not the only thing.

Mega Nerdage II

So, just in case you all didn't have a clear picture of what mega nerdage might look like, I made sure to capture it this time.

Josh, Hubby, and Jackson all as delighted as their hearts can hold! Me? I read Harry Potter in the bath!
This is Descent: Journeys in the Dark, Hubby's new favorite game. This game can last up to 6 hours or so. Hubby, I promise; I will play it again!

Ash Bash 2008!

Our friend, Ash, is leaving us for a better place. Well, maybe. He's moving to Texarkana, but he does have a full time teaching position at a college down there, which is a better place than the world of grad school debt.

This is my first official time on the grill. Everything I grilled, I burned including the veggie burger. And the hotdogs? They split down the center, which, as luck would have it, is a great place for the condiments! Here are Ash, Allison and Hubby gathered in the kitchen.

Hubby started a game of croquet with Max and Annabeth (Ash's kids) and Ravi, Geoff and Padma's son. They are in the background. Heffernan and Geoff, both poets and faculty members at U of A, talk with Mary about...well...only she knows. Hef strikes a mean pose.
Backyard shot of Padma and baby, Ash in white shirt, Ann (Hef's wife), Alex and Keely. Keely is a fiction writer in her fourth year here at the U of A and she and Alex are newlyweds!

Close up of Mary, Keely and Padma. I always wait for the most opportune time to take the shot.
The spread! We had hubby's famous sangria, chips and salsa, lemonade, chips and pretzels, Twizzlers and chocolate, hot-dogs and hamburgers and all the fixins! Oh, and some chocolate-chip banana muffins!
Brock (Geoff) and baby fill their plates.

The man, the legend!

Oh, Ash, how hubby and I will miss you!

Praise Post

For the past few days, I've really been thinking about stuff. For some of you, thinking "Uh-oh" at this point is as natural as your gag reflex, but I assure you, read on. At Vintage, (http://vintagefellowship.org/) our pastors have been leading a series entitled God is Green. Hubby and I missed most of it because we were out of town for a couple of weekends, but we did catch the first and the last sermons.

The first Sunday of the God is Green series focused on appreciating the beauty of creation. We should, more often, sit back and enjoy the things that are around us. At this point during the sermon, hubby looked over at me to snicker since I tend to run, run, run, until I hit a wall. Enjoy what? There's too much to do! Why waste time enjoying when I could be doing!

You know those flat escalators in airports that you can walk down to get to your gate faster? Well, my life is one of those and I RUN! So, this series pulled the plug! And, as a result, I've been trying to focus more on what is around me, how to appreciate it, and by default, how to preserve and take care of it.

What am I thankful for?

1. My husband.
The man, the legend who keeps me young, appreciative, and corrects my grammar when given the chance.

2. Air conditioning.
Seems like a silly thing, but not everyone has the luxury of an air conditioned car or home, and as of late, the lack of air conditioning could be a very bad thing.

3. My jobs. And, hubby's new job.
We would have no air conditioning (nor muffins--read on) without these beauties.

4. Our pastors.
While leading and envisioning the future of Vintage, both have full-time jobs and full-time families. All these things demand a lot of responsibility and they have done a beautiful job. And of course, behind every great man...is a great family.

5. Composting.
Never thought I'd take time to praise decaying matter, but how flippin cool is it to take stuff you would otherwise throw into a trash pile and reuse it to grow produce and plants?

6. Friends and Family
In this area of our lives, we have both been blessed!

7. Double J.
Thank God he moved back to town! Not only did we both miss him madly, but now hubby has someone to play Descent with!

8. Made from scratch, chocolate-chip-banana muffins.
Need I say more?

Mega Nerdage

Last night, Hubby and I and a couple of friends got together to play Descent: Journeys in the Dark.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17226

It's a board game that is very elaborate. In fact, we started setting the game up around 4:00pm and I played until 8:30. Hubby and friends? Much later. The game reminds me of what D&D might have been like had I ever been geeky enough in high school to play it. It took me awhile to get used to the rolling of the dice, counting up kill points, and understanding what was equipped and what was in my backpack, but I think with some time, I could really enjoy this game. And since hubby loves it, I'll try very hard!

While Descent is not on the agenda for this weekend, fun will still be had. Our friend Ash is graduating from the creative writing program and we're throwing him a going away party on Saturday. I'll be sure and take some great pics for you all to see!

Our Two Week Getaway in Fayetteville

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I house sat for some friends while they honeymooned in Spain. I have to say, we loved every second of it--loved it enough to take pictures! We loved how every room was air conditioned, how each room had this thing that swung on hinges--doors, I think our friends called them. We loved how the flooring was level and seemed to be built on a foundation. We loved how the roof didn't leak when there was a downpour, and I loved how the abscence of mold and cat hair made a remarkable difference in my allergies! This place was a treat!

Not only did we stay in a luxurious house (with a whirlpool for a bath tub!) we also got to play mom and dad to Maple, their young and budding lady dog. Daily, we walked her around the neighborhood, which was easier than I thought it would be based on my past experiences walking one stubborn beagle whose name shall remain anonymous!When our friends returned from their long honeymoon, we wanted to greet them with splendor. So, we cleaned up our two week house mess, and I asked my boss at the flower shop, Thea, to help me put together something extra special. And so, she put together something extra special because I certainly could not put something like this together!

While it was a treat house sitting, it is good to be back...yeah.

Family Weekend at Beaver Lake

Well this was my second annual Family Weekend at Beaver Lake, and holding true to form, it was a blast! Hubby and I headed up to Beaver Lake on Friday afternoon to join the rest of family who had been lake-bound for a better part of a week. Unfortunatly, because of my work schedule, we couldn't get out there any sooner.

The whole family converged upon a small cabin that sat right on the lake. There were jet skiis, boats, kayaking babies, games, and not just good, but glorious, glorious food!

If there wasn't rivalry at the game table, then that meant the family was down at the dock.

Baby Emma and Kyle kayaked while Nancy, Cat, and Drake tried to stay out of reach of the paddle. Meanwhile, Hubby and I set sail on the jet ski.As is typical style with family time, we both ate way too much. However, we did eat fish all weekend so that counts for something. So what if it was fried! The ice-cream wasn't fried. Nor were the pie or cookies, so we're good.

Long Awaited Honeymoon Photos!

So, because we were on our honeymoon, we only took a handful of pictures. For those of you unfamiliar, RJ and I went to Mexico. We stayed at an all inclusive resort about 30 minutes south of Cancun. We were there about a week, and for a week, we did very little except eat, drink and be married!










We lounged by the pool most days, but a couple days we ventured out beyond the protective walls of our resort. One day, we went to the Mayan city of Tulum. The ruins are quite fascinating themselves.

But what's even more amazing about these particular ruins is that they are surrounded by the Mayan Carribean, which is a deep blue sea! These ruins have a staircase that led down to the white, sand beach. Of course, we spent as much time as we could at the ruins and then headed for the beach!






























The honeymoon was such a great time for me and RJ to collect ourselves and really embrace our new identity as husband and wife. I think this is exactly what a honeymoon is for, especially if you have planned your own wedding! The honeymoon was a time to wind down, to not be caught up in the bliss of wedding details, and to just enjoy each other and to really embrace the crazy and mysterious bond that we just committed to! This, of course, brings its own bliss.










Proof: I can be content. See?












And, here are some pictures of our return into the real world. According to a couple of different sources, carrying the bride across the threshold keeps the "ground monsters" away from the bride as she is entering her new home.










Once she officially enters the home, she is safe. And to think, these last couple of years prior to being carried over the threshold, I thought it was just my allergies. Dang ground monsters.


















Safe!

This is how we do it...

And, this is how we do things in the south.

After wrangling the 70 year old air conditioner out of our front window,

we have this to show for it. Yeehaw!

Birmingham

This weekend, Hubby and I ventured to Birmingham, AL for a friend's wedding. Henry Tsay--pronounced sigh, which makes for some wicked funny punning-- married his life-long girlfriend, Sharon. We left Fayetteville Friday morning and drove through to Birmingham. We stopped off in Little Rock to eat at the infamous Flying Fish. Below is RJ and the wall of singing bass, which is enough to frighten anyone.
Next, we hit some great shops in the area. One I liked in particular was the store, Ten Thousand Villages. I love this place because, first off, everything is affordable. And second, all of the international artisans who created the merchandise are paid fairly for their work. We actually have one of these stores in Fayetteville, but I haven't been up there yet. Folks--expect Christmas gifts from here this year!

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

Overall, the drive to Birmingham was not bad. We did a lot of talking and listening to a Stephanie Plum mystery novel, which was junk food for our head and we loved it. This was quite a change from our Harry Potter marathon reading. Yes, school is out and we are reading what we want! We arrived at our hotel in AL around 9ish and settled in.

The next morning, we headed to the wedding, which began around 11AM. The church was lovely and the day was not too hot, which is surprising for the south in July. Afterwards, we headed to the reception, which lasted until 3pm. RJ got to reunite with some of his buddies from Wash U. and I got to meet a lot of really cool people I hope to see again.

Then, we jumped in the car and headed to Memphis. We made it in around 7pm and thought about heading downtown to the Peabody to see Journey to the Center of the Earth, but instead, we stayed in and watched tv. This was fine with me since I was getting the beginnings of a sinus infection.

Sunday, we checked out at the last possible minute, and hit the road back to Fayetteville. We arrived home around 6pm and I went to bed feeling pretty lousy. Hubby took care of dinner and spent all of Monday nursing me back to a human state. Good man.

Hubby Rocked the 4th!

Not that he doesn't rock on other days, but this was a particularly well-done day. Both of us have typically spent our 4th of July celebrating, in some fashion, with city or corporate funded fire-work shows. Well, this year, due to budget cuts, Fayetteville decided to cancel the fireworks. I suppose that's better than laying off city workers. Okay, it is way better than laying off city workers.

So, on Thursday, hubby calls me up at work and asks if I'd like to go to a Naturals ballgame. He said they'll be a fireworks show afterwards. Heck yea! Because there is much, much money in Northwest Arkansas, and specifically lots of money in Springdale/Rogers/Bentonville, we knew the fireworks show would storm greatness down upon us!

Well, the evening did not disappoint. We arrived at the sold out game to pick up our reserved tickets (hubby took care of all this!) and made our way to our seats. Truly, there is not a bad seat in the house, but I can say that we had the best seats possible. We sat right behind the home-team dugout and the seats were far enough in the middle of the dugout that we did not have to worry about losing any teeth during foul fly balls.

Later, after we lost to San Antonio, the fireworks show began. Nothing makes me more patriotic than bursting metal and flames, deafening explosions, and Proud To Be An American pumping its trebly self from the ballpark loud speakers. Although I sound like I mock, I really felt it. I did feel proud, but not only proud, I felt fortunate. Here I was, with my wonderful husband, being entertained by fireworks and celebrating our freedom. Can it get better? Well, yes. I'm not a huge fan of gospel, but Elvis belting out "Glory, glory, Halleluiah!", with fireworks, on the 4th of July, well, that's just special.