I would like to share with our readers about Josh's amazing capacity for making sandwiches. Although many of you may never have the privilege of eating one of his sandwiches, it would be a crying shame for me to let such talent go unnoticed by many people who know him.
Josh makes incredible sandwiches. Given the most menial of ingredients, he will cut and grill until he has made something masterful. Some of my favorites are the tuna melt, the egg and cheese delight, turkey and cheese, and pretty much anything else you can put between two pieces of bread. Oh, I forgot to mention the grilled cheese. Maybe an everyday sandwich for some of you, but for me, a grilled cheese sandwich a la Desch is an experience. We ate them for lunch today, and it was almost lifechanging how good they were. Josh just has an uncanny ability to take all of his sandwiches to the next level. I wish for all of your sakes that at some point you will be around our house when the griddle pan comes out and Josh gets going with the bread knife and his other sandwich tools.
I stepped outside this morning to put the mail in the mailbox at work, and although it was warm like a spring day, it lacked something. You know that smell in the air that lets you know spring is on the way? It's earthy, maybe a little bit wet... one of my favorite smells in the world. It didn't smell like that. In fact, the air smelled curiously like lawn fertilizer, which was a disappointment. For all of the warmth I was hoping to sense that spring was coming, but I think today is a just a winter day posing as a spring hopeful. Maybe we'll see spring coming in the next few weeks. Hearing the birds in the morning is one of my favorite things to wake up to. Bring it on, I'm ready!!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Riding Out a Beautiful Weekend
Well, Folks, here we are. Another weekend come and gone. Our's was just wonderful- restful, relaxing, and of course, so much fun. But we've got to back up to our Thursday night dinner at Calvert's, the fancy restaurant where I won dinner for Josh and me by guessing the right number of M & Ms in a jar.
We both ate filet with a twice-baked potato, green beans, and an iceberg wedge salad. Yum! Picture this with me. Josh and I are at this really nice restaurant where the cheapest dish on the menu is $22, with lots of people who look well-accustomed to eating in such luxury- do you think we felt a little out of our league? But it was so fun. The waitress came to our table and asked what we wanted to drink... Josh got a cocktail, and I said sheepishly, "Can I just have a Coke?" Probably not their most commonly heard drink order, but whatever. We got a lovely key lime pie for dessert, which was amazing. Key lime pie is soooo good. I can't think of a time that I've eaten a piece of key lime pie and been disappointed. Some are definitely better than others, but key lime pie is such a foundationally good dessert that it's hard to be dissatisfied. I also think it's a good way to end a big dinner because it sits lighter than something like chocolate cake with caramel, which is good going down, but can sit in your stomach for a long time after you leave the restaurant. So we got our luxurious eating fix for a while- it was wonderful.
We met Marnie and Chris in Greenwood, SC, for dinner on Saturday night. That was such a blast!! We met at Cracker Barrel, and the food was good as usual. As we were saying goodbye, Marnie began brainwashing Baby Desch that she is his/her favorite aunt already and she loves him/her more than all of his/her other aunts. Baby Desch is at a very vulnerable position, and I think he/she is easily swayed right now, so anyone else who wants to be favorite aunt (basically any of my other sisters and Josh's sister) had better get with the program and present your case to Baby Desch, who is currently taking applications for Favorite Aunt.
Yesterday was also a wonderful day. We went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon relaxing, which was wonderful. For lunch we made some amazing mashed potatoes!! Some of you know that one of my greatest cravings in this interesting experience has been for mashed potatoes, and the batch we made yesterday was the best yet. We used Yukon Gold potatoes and beat them into submission with our stand mixer!! It did such an amazing job!! You could have put this in an IV drip and it would have passed through with no problem. So yummy!! Josh felt a little sorry for the potatoes, who got a thorough, embarassing whipping from the mixer whip. But we didn't feel sorry enough to not eat them.
Well, I guess that's about it from here for now. I hope that ya'll had a wonderful weekend!
We both ate filet with a twice-baked potato, green beans, and an iceberg wedge salad. Yum! Picture this with me. Josh and I are at this really nice restaurant where the cheapest dish on the menu is $22, with lots of people who look well-accustomed to eating in such luxury- do you think we felt a little out of our league? But it was so fun. The waitress came to our table and asked what we wanted to drink... Josh got a cocktail, and I said sheepishly, "Can I just have a Coke?" Probably not their most commonly heard drink order, but whatever. We got a lovely key lime pie for dessert, which was amazing. Key lime pie is soooo good. I can't think of a time that I've eaten a piece of key lime pie and been disappointed. Some are definitely better than others, but key lime pie is such a foundationally good dessert that it's hard to be dissatisfied. I also think it's a good way to end a big dinner because it sits lighter than something like chocolate cake with caramel, which is good going down, but can sit in your stomach for a long time after you leave the restaurant. So we got our luxurious eating fix for a while- it was wonderful.
We met Marnie and Chris in Greenwood, SC, for dinner on Saturday night. That was such a blast!! We met at Cracker Barrel, and the food was good as usual. As we were saying goodbye, Marnie began brainwashing Baby Desch that she is his/her favorite aunt already and she loves him/her more than all of his/her other aunts. Baby Desch is at a very vulnerable position, and I think he/she is easily swayed right now, so anyone else who wants to be favorite aunt (basically any of my other sisters and Josh's sister) had better get with the program and present your case to Baby Desch, who is currently taking applications for Favorite Aunt.
Yesterday was also a wonderful day. We went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon relaxing, which was wonderful. For lunch we made some amazing mashed potatoes!! Some of you know that one of my greatest cravings in this interesting experience has been for mashed potatoes, and the batch we made yesterday was the best yet. We used Yukon Gold potatoes and beat them into submission with our stand mixer!! It did such an amazing job!! You could have put this in an IV drip and it would have passed through with no problem. So yummy!! Josh felt a little sorry for the potatoes, who got a thorough, embarassing whipping from the mixer whip. But we didn't feel sorry enough to not eat them.
Well, I guess that's about it from here for now. I hope that ya'll had a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Plans For the Future
Josh and I have decided when we move to our new apartment in Evans that we'd like to try growing a garden! Now, if our general housekeeping skills are predictors for how our garden will fare, it's not looking too good, but hopefully we'll be able to plant some things and keep them alive! We've got seeds for all types of flowers- Oriental poppies, California poppies (we're big poppy fans), impatiens, daisies, pansies, etc., along with seeds for herbs like parsley, coriander, basil, rosemary, sage, and cilantro. I can't wait to try! I've never tried to keep that many plants alive, so we'll see how it goes. If our project fails, we can always go back to growing geraniums in pots outside of our door. That seems pretty fail-safe.
Another thing I'm hoping for at our new apartment is a clothes line. There's nothing that smells quite as clean and fresh as clothes that have been dried outside in the sunshine! I'm hoping that we'll be able to find some room to hang up a string and let our clothes enjoy the great outdoors. That includes Baby Desch's diapers! We're planning on using cloth diapers, which obviously will create a lot of laundry (which makes us cringe, as you realize), but will hopefully prove to be a cheaper and more earth-friendly choice.
Josh and I are excited to have a blank slate to work with at our new apartment. We're excited about making it home- hanging pictures, arranging furniture, filling vases (hopefully with flowers from our garden- keep your fingers crossed), making room for Baby Desch, etc. We're hoping that you'll all be able to come and see us in our new home!
Much love from Martinez!! Have a great night!!
Another thing I'm hoping for at our new apartment is a clothes line. There's nothing that smells quite as clean and fresh as clothes that have been dried outside in the sunshine! I'm hoping that we'll be able to find some room to hang up a string and let our clothes enjoy the great outdoors. That includes Baby Desch's diapers! We're planning on using cloth diapers, which obviously will create a lot of laundry (which makes us cringe, as you realize), but will hopefully prove to be a cheaper and more earth-friendly choice.
Josh and I are excited to have a blank slate to work with at our new apartment. We're excited about making it home- hanging pictures, arranging furniture, filling vases (hopefully with flowers from our garden- keep your fingers crossed), making room for Baby Desch, etc. We're hoping that you'll all be able to come and see us in our new home!
Much love from Martinez!! Have a great night!!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Valentines Day!
Ahh, Valentines Day. A holiday dedicated to pink, hearts, candy, flowers, and love. What's not to like?? I've always loved Valentines Day, even when I was younger. I woke up this morning excited, and appropriately put on a pink shirt, pink shoes, and a heart in my hair to celebrate the day.
Josh and I are gearing up to move in just about 4 weeks, which is exciting and sad too! We both love our apartment so much, even though it's small, poorly insulated, sits next to some occasionally quite loud neighbors, makes weird noises when you pour water down the drain (?), and has a couple burners on the stove that heat way too hot way too fast. We've painted it orange and red, we've covered its walls with beautiful pictures, we've lovingly arranged our furniture, we've tried (usually in vain) to keep it clean. And now we're leaving a month and a half before our lease is up to move into an apartment that we'll be able to better afford on our post-baby income. We love this apartment- our first home!
We're not moving very far away- probably about 9 miles or so from our apartment in Martinez to our new apartment in Evans. A local family has graciously offered us their guest apartment over their garage for our new home, and we couldn't be more grateful or excited. We know that this will become the place we treasure as home, but for now, we'll miss our little home in a small corner of an apartment building on Blue Ridge Drive as we make the transition.
Well, anyway, I hope that each one of you enjoys your Valentines Day!! Here's to love and the color pink!
Josh and I are gearing up to move in just about 4 weeks, which is exciting and sad too! We both love our apartment so much, even though it's small, poorly insulated, sits next to some occasionally quite loud neighbors, makes weird noises when you pour water down the drain (?), and has a couple burners on the stove that heat way too hot way too fast. We've painted it orange and red, we've covered its walls with beautiful pictures, we've lovingly arranged our furniture, we've tried (usually in vain) to keep it clean. And now we're leaving a month and a half before our lease is up to move into an apartment that we'll be able to better afford on our post-baby income. We love this apartment- our first home!
We're not moving very far away- probably about 9 miles or so from our apartment in Martinez to our new apartment in Evans. A local family has graciously offered us their guest apartment over their garage for our new home, and we couldn't be more grateful or excited. We know that this will become the place we treasure as home, but for now, we'll miss our little home in a small corner of an apartment building on Blue Ridge Drive as we make the transition.
Well, anyway, I hope that each one of you enjoys your Valentines Day!! Here's to love and the color pink!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The Significance of the 13th
Thanks, Josh, for sharing the wisdom of Confucius.
Now I (Betsy) have something to say myself. As of today Josh and I have been married for 9 months! In some ways it seems like we've been married for a really long time, but in other ways, it doesn't seem like very long since we were spending practically every waking hour on the phone. I know that my sister Carrie and Casselbuddy, Jim, and Josh Mather can appreciate how much time we spent on the phone. Yeesh, my phone thinks that it's been on a 9 month long trip to Tahiti since so much less is required of it these days than the same time last year. It has now taken up the practice of spontaneously dying in protest if I try to use it too much, even if it says that there's plenty of battery. My phone has gotten flabby.
Anyway, I'm so thankful to the Lord for 9 great months. Josh is so enjoyable to be around. He makes me laugh with what he says and how he is. This morning when he got up, even his curls made me laugh! He had a big one sticking up in the middle of the madness. I am continually humbled by how deeply he cares about my needs and wants and treats me so lovingly even when I act really ugly to him. He continues to redefine my ideas of how much it's possible to love someone.
Have a great night, ya'll!!
Confucius Say
According to a mystical ancient Chinese birth chart, we are having a boy. Where did we find out what Confucius has to say about our baby? A magazine? A palm reader? No, our hospital (at birthing class) handed us a chart.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Cruising Along on Monday Afternoon
I find that Mondays are always a special challenge in many ways, primarily, getting out of bed in the morning. Let me set the stage for you. First, anyone who has ever lived with me knows that I have a snooze problem- that button gets a lot of use in my bedroom. Second, our apartment has very poor insulation, so even if it's not that cold outside, for some reason it's freezing in our bedroom. Third, we have an amazing down comforter on our bed. It is the warmest thing I've ever slept under!! I love it because it's not too heavy or too hot- just right. Plus, it's covered by a duvet with a bright orange and yellow poppy. So not only is it warm, but also beautiful. Fourth, I think it's fair to say that many people struggle with going back to work after a nice weekend. Josh and I are no exception.
All of these factors add up to a slow start on Monday morning. But by this point in the day, I've gotten over the Monday duldrums and am looking forward to a busy week! We have our favorite show tonight, 24, from 8:00-10:00 (a 2 hour special! Woohoo!) at the home of our friends Carl and Maryann Sewell. Tomorrow night we go back to Lamaze, and between now and then we have to complete our homework of practicing relaxation techniques. How classic! Josh and I are putting off homework to watch TV!! This throws me back to Covenant days. Wednesday night we have a special Valentines Day youth group, which will be fun. Thursday night we have our Valentines Day dinner at Calvert's, which we're really looking forward to.
On Saturday night Josh and I went to a square dance along with Mr. and Mrs. Desch, who were in town from Peachtree City. Let me tell you, a good time was had by all! Who knew that square dancing could be so much work? We danced in the 4 couple squares, did a few different line dances, and one very long contra dance. It was such a blast. Josh looked so cute in his western shirt and jeans! If you want to see a fine example of dancing, you need to look no further than the Desch men. All of you know that Josh is crazy about dancing (as evidenced at Emily and Rob's wedding, after which he threw up in Mom and Dad's yard- too much exertion for one night!), but you may not know that this trait was inherited. Mr. Desch made us all proud in one particular line dance that the rest of us chose to sit out of since we were tired out from the long contra dance. He was going grapevining right and left, stepping back, and had a fabulous kick turn. That dance alone was newsworthy, and when put together with the rest of the night, Mr. Desch's performance was nothing short of show-stopping. I think he'd be right at home in Nashville.
By the way, I'm happy to report that Josh and I did a whopping 7 loads of laundry this weekend! Yes, that's right folks! 7 loads! We're back to having an empty laundry basket. We'll see how long its emptiness lasts. I'm projecting that we'll have to do some more laundry around Easter, but we've got several long weeks until then so I'm not going to dread it now.
Enjoy your Monday!
All of these factors add up to a slow start on Monday morning. But by this point in the day, I've gotten over the Monday duldrums and am looking forward to a busy week! We have our favorite show tonight, 24, from 8:00-10:00 (a 2 hour special! Woohoo!) at the home of our friends Carl and Maryann Sewell. Tomorrow night we go back to Lamaze, and between now and then we have to complete our homework of practicing relaxation techniques. How classic! Josh and I are putting off homework to watch TV!! This throws me back to Covenant days. Wednesday night we have a special Valentines Day youth group, which will be fun. Thursday night we have our Valentines Day dinner at Calvert's, which we're really looking forward to.
On Saturday night Josh and I went to a square dance along with Mr. and Mrs. Desch, who were in town from Peachtree City. Let me tell you, a good time was had by all! Who knew that square dancing could be so much work? We danced in the 4 couple squares, did a few different line dances, and one very long contra dance. It was such a blast. Josh looked so cute in his western shirt and jeans! If you want to see a fine example of dancing, you need to look no further than the Desch men. All of you know that Josh is crazy about dancing (as evidenced at Emily and Rob's wedding, after which he threw up in Mom and Dad's yard- too much exertion for one night!), but you may not know that this trait was inherited. Mr. Desch made us all proud in one particular line dance that the rest of us chose to sit out of since we were tired out from the long contra dance. He was going grapevining right and left, stepping back, and had a fabulous kick turn. That dance alone was newsworthy, and when put together with the rest of the night, Mr. Desch's performance was nothing short of show-stopping. I think he'd be right at home in Nashville.
By the way, I'm happy to report that Josh and I did a whopping 7 loads of laundry this weekend! Yes, that's right folks! 7 loads! We're back to having an empty laundry basket. We'll see how long its emptiness lasts. I'm projecting that we'll have to do some more laundry around Easter, but we've got several long weeks until then so I'm not going to dread it now.
Enjoy your Monday!
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