Forever seems like yesterday

9:37 a.m., 10/7/08

Two years ago today about this time I was getting bobby pins shoved into my hair while I tried to breathe deeply to calm the butterflies in my stomach.  My whole life I had wondered what my wedding day would be like.  I had always pictured a magical day.  As luck would have it that’s exactly what we got.

It was unusually warm and sunny for an October day in Marquette, MI.  The leaves were at their peak color and there was a slight breeze in the air.  On any given day this alone would have put me in a great mood.  The fact that I was marrying the love of my life made it the most awesome day I have ever experienced.

So happy anniversary, baby.  You are my forever.

MP

Forever – Ben Harper

Not talking about a year, no not three of four
I don’t want that kind of forever in my life any more
forever always seems to be around when things begin
but forever never seems to be around when things end

So give me your forever
please your forever
not another day less will do
from you

People spend so much of their time every single day
running ’round all over town giving their forever away
but no not me I won’t let my forever roam
and now I hope that I can find my forever a home

So give me your forever
please your forever
not another day less will do
from you

Like a handless clock with numbers on an infinite of time 
No not the forever found only in the mind
Forever always seems to be around when things begin
But forever never seems to be around when things end

So give me your forever
please your forever
not another day less will do
from you

A conversation from my recent past

Becky:  Where is Meghan right now?

Andy:  She’s in the woods in the back yard cutting ferns for a centerpiece.

Becky:  Of course she is.

AP

Our ten favorite things about summer

10. Driving with the sunroof open.

9. Sandals, flip flops. . .anything but shoes.

8. Milwaukee festivals!

7. Brewers games.

6. Bike rides.  Lots of them.

5. Grilling out.

4. Steve gets as much dog park time as his fuzzy little heart desires.  His dogpark-induced joy is worth the mosquito bites.

3. Live music. Outdoors.

2. Frequent trips to Marquette, MI for hiking, beach time, hiking, good friends, family and more hiking.

1. Drinking outside.  It’s true — alcohol does taste better when you’re outside.

MP & AP

It’s hard to blog when you don’t have time to sit down.

It has been a wonderfully crazy past few weeks.  Here’s a recap:

1. Andy had his first race of the Wisconsin Off Road Series on May 4.  We headed up north for this one and stayed with some friends at their cabin.  It was great to see them since it seems like we are never able to get together.  Their one and a half year-old son is adorable and he was fascinated with Steve.  He would squeal with glee anytime Steve came close enough for him to grab a fistful of fur.  Steve liked him too — little T was the recipient of many kisses.  Steve barked like a maniac until I wanted to strangle him helped me cheer Andy on.  All in all, a great weekend.

2. Last Saturday we hosted Andy’s family for a successful Mother’s Day brunch.  I cooked it up!  I made two egg bakes: a bacon, onion and cheddar cheese combo and a feta and spinach combo.  And no one had any idea I used low-fat cheese and egg beaters.  Muah-ha-ha-ha!  We also had cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit.  It’s really the effort I put into the cinnamon rolls that is worthy of a self toot of the horn.  The Pillsbury packaging is exceedingly difficult to open.  We had four generations of women from Andy’s family there for the festivities.  Pretty cool.

3. Then Sunday we headed north again to see some of my family.  Several relatives were in town to see my Dad accept a well-deserved honor.  Congratulations, Dad!  You are my inspiration.

5. This past Sunday night was the long-awaited Flight of the Choncords concert.  It.was.awesome.  Despite having to sit next to Cackles McGee and Funny Von Notsomuch, we had a great time.   They played some great songs we had never heard before, like Jenny.  The icing on the cake: we got to meet “Dave” (Arj Barker) who opened for FOTC. 

6. And last but not least. . .after months of dealing with massive amounts of sawdust and drywall dust getting tracked all over the house, the day has finally come.  Our basement is finished!  We are so happy with how it turned out.  I am going to have my own craft area and I am beyond geeked.  It’s a craft nerd’s dream.  Lots of decorating to do yet, but it’s looking good. . .

MP

MP + GD 4-Eva

Not since my pre-teen obsession with NKOTB has anyone made me scream and jump up and down with giddiness like Garett Dutton can.  I would wallpaper my bedroom with posters of him and doodle “MP + GD 4-eva” on everything in sight if my husband would tolerate it.  Garrett is better known as G Love, front man one of Andy and I’s favorite bands, G Love & Special Sauce.  And Andy knows that if presented with the opportunity, I would be tempted to break my marital vow of monogomy for the chance to make out with G Love.  It’s cool though–he’s on my “list.”

We never miss a show when they come to town.  We most recently caught them on January 17 at The Rave.  I was within panty tossing distance of the delicious Mr. Dutton at this show and oh lordy. . .there is just something about the way he swings his legs to the beat while he simultaneously plays the harmonica and the guitar that makes me squeal with excitement.  He always plays a good mix of classics and new stuff, but we were pretty pumped that he pulled out some rare songs on us too.  Lots of Philadelphonic, plus Baby’s Got Sauce, Shootin’ Hoops and even Milk and Cereal.  We brought our friend John along to introduce him to G Love’s music.  It was a great time.  G Love & Special Sauce bring energy to every single show, and in the many times I have seen them, I have never been disappointed.

If you aren’t familiar with G Love & Special Sauce, I ecnourage you to check them out.  They have a new album coming out soon, and I am geeked.  In the meantime, click here to watch the video for one of my favorite songs, Beautiful.

 MP

Step Outside

I would like to introduce you my new blog.

Step Outside is a blog for outdoor enthusiasts that provides trailhead destinations and gear reviews.  The site is a snap shot of of places I’ve been and gear I’ve used, focusing on enjoyment of the outdoors.  Trailhead destinations reviews will include locations from southern Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and gear reviews will span backpacks to bike shorts.  The stories will include some of the people closest to me.  My wife, Meghan, my goldendoodle, Steve, and friends and family willing to venture outdoors to enjoy hiking, camping, biking, etc.

Please stop by.  Go take a step outside. . .

AP

Donut the service dog

Andy and I had the opportunity to meet a cool family this weekend.  It all started when Andy posted our travel dog crate for sale on Craig’s list.  He got an inquiry from a guy who asked him if he would take half the asking price for it, since he was buying it for his son’s recently-adopted service dog and he was on a budget.  Without hesitation, Andy responded and told the guy it was theirs–free of charge.  One of the many reasons I love him.

So on Saturday we met up with Chris and his son Colin at the Kenosha outlet mall since they live near Gurnee.  They brougt the service dog, named Donut, along for the ride.  What a beautiful dog!  Chris told us about how they had to raise $12,000 to get Donut, and how they had a wonderfully overwhelming response to their efforts.  Donut is  a three year-old golden retreiver and fully-trained as a service dog.  Part of this cost included training for the family for handling Donut.  They needed the travel crate for Colin’s school, since Donut will be crated for about an hour a day there.

It was such a pleasure to meet Chris, Colin and Donut.  They let us take some pictures, which I have posted below.  We have a major soft spot for dogs, and it felt good to give the crate to someone who really needed it.

MP

Donut the service dog

Donut and Colin

From girly to granola. . .kind of.

I used to be such a girly girl.  Ask my husband and he would tell you that I still am.  According to him, I take far too long to get ready in the morning, and he’ll never understand my obscene salon bills.  But since meeting Andy I have slowly become just a little more outdoorsy, a little more earthy, a little more natural.

I’ll never forget our first camping trip together.  I was so excited, and he was so surprised that I was excited.  It wasn’t exactly roughing it.  It was a short trip, just overnight.  But it was a blast.

Andy bought me my first pair of Keens, my first pair of snowshoes, and my first Denali jacket.  With him I hike.  I showshoe.  I camp–for short stints anyway.  I bought a mountain bike this summer and I am rediscovering the beauty of a morning bike ride.  I worry less about my hair and my make-up and spend more time enjoying the scenery.

Andy has always accepted me for who I am, but at the same time he has always invited me to enjoy his hobbies with him. I have enjoyed trying new things and I have bonded with my husband in the process.  Each of us has a deep reverence for nature, so finding new ways to enjoy it together has been a very cool part of our relationship. 

My brother calls us yippies.  Whatever we are, I can tell you that taking the time to enjoy the simpler things in life has made us happier, more peaceful people.

For New Year’s Eve we took a trip up to Marquette, MI to meet up with my family, meet our new niece and take in some beautiful winter scenery.  We showshoed and hiked some gorgeous trails and took plenty of pictures.  Below are some of my favorites.

MP

Showshoeing at Tourist Park, 12/29/07 (I need snow pants!)

Sugarloaf Mountain, 12/30/07

Wetmore Landing, 12/31/07

 

And last, but certainly not least, our beautiful niece Morgen.

Rethinking charitable giving

As Andy, Steve and I were relaxing and enjoying a quiet Christmas morning, I lazily thumbed through the newspaper–a luxury I rarely get, even on weekends.  One particular story caught my attention immediately: Charities lack funds, supply.  I keep an eye on charitable giving because of my former profession and because of my involvement with some local not-for-profits (NFPs), so I was aware of the food pantry supply issue, but this story was particularly frustrating to me.

Think about this quote from the article: “In this traditional time of excessive food, parties and gift-giving, agencies that improve the lives of the less fortunate have rarely seen such tough times. Demand for goods and services is way up – a problem that has become more acute since last year – and supply is no longer sufficient.”

So with gifts piled as high as the eye can see in your average middle-class home, why can’t more people find it in their hearts to give to charity?  How it is possible that there are people who do nothing beyond plunking a few quarters in the red kettle once a year?  I have some theories, particularly about my own generation, the Gen-X’ers.

• Young people are so busy building their careers, getting married, buying their first houses, etc. that they become very self-focused.  It’s a stressful time in everyone’s life, and money can be an especially stressful subject.  They think that they can’t afford to give to charity because they are saving for a wedding, a house, a baby. . .in reality, the average middle-class person/couple/family has more disposable income than they realize.  It’s just a matter of how they choose to spend it.
• Many were not raised in a household where the importance of giving to charity was properly instilled, so they are not going to actively seek out giving opportunities.  Even worse, many NFPs are missing the boat, because many of these young people have never been directly or passionately asked to give.  Most NFPs are focused on the baby boomers and getting a piece of the huge expected transfer of wealth.  Gen X’ers are capable and willing donors, they just need to be properly engaged.
• People think that in order to make an impact, they have to give a lot of money.  Not true!  Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make a difference.  This year Andy and I sponsored a family for Aurora Family Services’ Family to Family Thanksgiving.  Just $35 provides a family of four with everything they need for a full Thanksgiving meal.  And take it from someone who used to focus specifically on raising annual gifts–most NFPs rely on annual donors to provide a reliable base of small gifts.  When combined, those annual gifts can have a significant impact.
• Another thing I learned in my fundraising career is that many NFPs are not very good at stewarding their donors.  It’s not uncommon for people to make a gift and receive a generic, unemotional thank you letter in return–if anything at all.  NFPs need to do a better job of making donors aware of how their gifts make a difference so people will want to continue to give and/or inspire others to give.  Last year Aurora Family Services published a book of real letters that they received from families who were recipients of the Thanksgiving baskets.  Talk about inspiring!  Not only did it make me feel good as a donor to read those letters, this year I used those letters to encourage others to join the effort and make a gift and/or volunteer. 
• People underestimate the joy they will receive from giving to others.  Andy and I often talk about the fact that he and I might get more out of our gifts of time and money than the people we are helping do.  This year we made a gift to the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County in honor of Steve’s birthday.  The stories and photos of rescued/adopted pets in their newsletter are enough to make your heart soar.  And we both agreed that the highlight of our Christmas was buying toys for an unnamed boy for a special program through the Salvation Army.  It’s pretty cool how it works.  You buy three gifts: one “large” ($25-30), one “medium” ($15-20) and one “small” (under $10).  You label the toys with an age and a gender (for example, boy age 5). The Salvation Army puts all of the gifts they collect into one big room, and struggling parents get to “shop” for their kids, choosing one large, one medium, and one small gift for each child.  Imagine what it would feel like to not have enough money to buy your child a Christmas gift.  Andy and I felt so good about the fact that we could make someone’s Christmas a little brighter.

So I challenge you to think about your own charitable giving, and what else you could do to make a difference in our community.  Your contributions don’t have to be large.  If everyone did something small to help out, we would have a lot fewer problems in this world.  Andy and I have decided to scale back on Christmas gifts next year and get a little more involved in some of these holiday programs that we care so much about.  Truth be told, those projects give us more joy than the gifts we exchange.

MP

Celebrate in STYLE

Hey, if you’re going to celebrate Christmas, why not do it in grand style? That has been Andy and I’s philosophy for the past two years, as we have hosted ugly sweater-themed Christmas parties.  We provide the cocktails and hors d’oeurves, and our guests provide the entertainment with their sweet gear.

Ever get a crazy Christmas shirt from Aunt Edna?  Silly socks from Grandma?  DON’T GIVE THEM AWAY!  They will make up the perfect outfit for our Christmas party.  I have already scoped out the hideous accessories I plan to don at next year’s party.  Think sparkly glass ornaments, delicately dangling from my ears.  They will be a steal at 50% off from Walgreen’s tomorrow.  Booyah.

Here are a few photos from this year’s party.  The alcohol flowed freely. . .enough said.  Each year Andy dresses up as cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, complete with the black dickie.  It’s hot.

Merry Christmas everyone!

MP