alexcia in action.

end of august, alexcia playing ball with jimmy [who is not pictured- the guy in the background who is dark is my brother, alexcia's father. this is their place in clearwater.]













she has loved spongebob ever since a little baby- even when she couldn't walk yet and was still crawling. when she lived with me and my parents- i spent a lot of time watching her fave cartoons with her to bond and be with her, and i find these memories are some of my fondest ones. never really watched cartoons til she was born [i mean aside from when i was a child and growing up] so from her i learned new appreciation for cartoons and realized how in ways there is a lot of quirky humor in kid's cartoons that i really 'get' and think very amusing and also that some have real deep meanings behind them with moving stories and often lessons behind it. in ways i think these cartoons can appeal to adults- some seem to be dually for kids and their parents. i really liked that. spongebob was my fave for a long time and when i visit alexcia, if its on, we usually watch it together. i still find it pretty funny and enjoyable. :)

i could've done without nurses' condescension!!

this is an afterthought in reference to entry on my recent ER experience and should have been written with it when posted but i was too sick and overwhelmed to get it all down and of my chest.

so here is another chunk of that experiences which coincides with my ER entry.

the nursing staff was less than professional, this is for sure.

The two nurses I had were a bit aggravating. They were both condescending towards me for some reason. Just because I asked what it meant if I had to have a pelvic exam since the first nurse mentioned this, she got all weird and annoyed at me and started talking really slow, ennuciated like I was stupid or a baby and said she was just telling me that I might have to get one since I said I had some pain in that area and she was letting me know if I did that I would need to do it so they could find the problem etc. I thought her tone was way OUT OF LINE, RUDE and totally unprofessional.

I don't care if she is annoyed or irritated that I didn't get what she was saying. I am sick and it is her job to understand that when you aren't feeling..well, you don't understand everything so quickly and maybe cannot comprehend as fast. Also it is her job to be caring and nurturing because she IS a nurse!! I was quite appalled. but Jimmy seemed unmoved by it all and didnt seem to notice the things I did.

I just felt at that point it was obvious I was very ill, feverish, unable to focus because of pain, out of it because I was very sick and just fraught with anxiety and upset.

I realize the ER is a very stressful place to be and to work in that sort of environment however...C'mon! There is absolutely NO excuse for not doing what you trained to do- and that is to care for and help people who are sick. This includes being ethical and professional. It was severely lacking here but I've had other ER experiences in Chicago and I admit that was not the greatest but I am thinking it was better than here looking back on it now.

Those times in Chicago, I was there for inability to stop throwing up and given a huge painful shot right in my upper thigh/buttock. My reason for going to the ER was very much like this time minus the vomitting and except it was snowing + my ex + I had to take cab at 5am] With all that said...I feel like this recent experience in the ER was wayyyy worse and I was way sicker than the Chicago episode which happened about 10 or so years ago.

Back to the nurses assigned to me in this ER visit..I just felt it was no way to talk to me. I felt it incredibly rude and unrealistic to expect me to be in a chipper mood let alone that I was able to understand everything she was saying when Ii felt so overwhelmed after having to tell my story, what was wrong, symptoms, my medical history to at least anywhere b/t 5-8 different medical professionals (I lost count at some point).

One more thing about the first nurse that very much disturbed/bothered me was that when I expressed fear in what putting an IV entailed and if it meant a needle in my arm and such- her reply was anything but soothing and seemed taunting and almost subtly mean-spirited/hostile.

Expressing fear of needles and not recalling having an iv in my arm in any of my past brushes with ER incidents [which I later remembered I had had back in chicago but it was so vague I forgot and that nurse wasnt as scary plus the IV didnt stay that long in my arm while this was in my arm for hours on end] Anyway the nurse's reaction towards me was unnerving, anxiety provoking and NOT comforting at all. In fact, it seemed sarcastic and made me uncomfortable. I felt very put off with her forceful insensitive personality. She went on to say yes there would be a needle in my arm and what do u mean? this was her FAVORITE part of her job. She laughed. I did not. I did not think she was funny at all. In fact, it upset me but I kept it to myself.

She also made effort to say- "oh i see where you've had blood drawn before there is a scar there..." then went on to say she was trying to get that vein to show by tapping it as since I was dehydrated it was not standing out very well and she'd hate to have to stick me more than once or make a mistake. She went on in this form of talk for minutes only increasing my unease, anxiety, nervousness, and fear.

I did NOT feel like she was a good nurse at all for doing this. I have had many caring nurses who soothe and comfort you, say things to lessen anxiety and calm you BUT this one actually seemed to enjoy producing more fear and anxiety knowing I was someone who was obviously already very nervous and ill at ease. I felt it uncalled for.

The second nurse got mad at me when I was unable to produce a stool sample. She basically was near yelling at me and agitated as if I had done it on purpose. She also spoke to me like I was a baby and like she was pissed off at me and frustrated. The thing that upset me was that I had tried very hard even though I felt I may not be able to do it and went thru the grossness and humilation of it all and still it was not good enough for her.

I felt if she had seen I'd tried she should have been satisfied with that as she had told me to just try, and it was ok if I didn't get it but to at least try..however it didn't seem it was ok when I couldn't get the sample. In fact, it seemed like she felt I had done this to HER on purpose and was trying to go out of my way to inconvenience her and make her job hard. She seemed very nervous as if in training, and inexperienced as if new.

Later this nurse got nicer when I thanked her gratefully for connecting my IV to fluids and taking my blood pressure. After that she seemed to be nicer towards me and dropped that attitude. She was a little asian woman but I couldn't figure out if she was Japanense or Filipino. I wasn't sure but in my mind was wondering the entire time she was in my presence..I never did get her name.

synchronocity.

How to tune in to the hidden meaning of coincidences, those seemingly random events that can guide us toward our destiny.

Jung called it "synchronicity"--random events that occur together in a way that defies rational explanation. You think of a friend you haven't seen in a while, and she phones you. Or, contemplating a business deal, you see a sign that reads "Beware of thin ice," and you know to steer clear. If you look more closely at coincidences, you will find guidance in times of confusion or at key moments in decision-making. We are used to looking for symbols in dreams, but coincidences in our waking lives can be also be read as symbols of where the universe is leading us.


1. Read the Signs


Signs are literally all around us. A friend of mine was feeling stuck in her life. As she rushed out in the car to pick up her child from school, she realized she was heading into a traffic jam. "Great," she thought, "the world is mirroring my sense of being stuck."

Just then a little white car zipped past her and drove straight into the converging lines of traffic, cutting them off and opening a space for her to get clear. As she seized the chance to get out of the jam, she glanced back and noticed that the vanity plate of the white car read: "CREATE." She was grateful for the double message: that when things stall, we are required to create a new approach, and that we don't have to figure everything out on our own. The universe can be friendly, if we'll let it.

Other signs that are "in your face" might include a billboard, a quote on a church signboard, or the first song or commercial that is on the radio when you turn it on.

2. Ask for Guidance

You can ask synchronicity to be your guide. Start by identifying the theme in your life on which you would most like some help right now. Write down a clear and simple request by filling in the blank in the following statement: "I would like guidance on...."

Now get ready to receive the first striking or unusual thing that enters your field of perception as a direct response from the universe to your question.

A friend who was having doubts about her boyfriend wrote down her question, "Should I end my relationship with Doug?" She turned on the TV and immediately found herself watching a character named Doug breaking up with a girl on the phone--in an episode of "King of Queens," a show she had never watched before. She felt that answered her question directly!

3. Get Moving

Coincidences multiply when we are in motion--because we are traveling outside the grooves of regular habit and ordinary time, into a deeper reality. Airports, train stations, and the morning commute are good places to be alert to messages.

You can also consult the "marketplace" oracle. The oracle of Hermes was popular in ancient Greece. Here's how it worked: You entered a walled marketplace and whispered your question into the ear of the statue of Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Then you pressed your hands over your ears until you got back to the market gate. The first words or sounds you heard after you took your hands away from your ears were the response to your question.

Try this in a market or mall. Ask a question in your mind, take ten minutes to roam around, then stop and read the first sign you see. That's your answer.


4. Meet the Library Angel

Open a book at random and see what is staring at you from the page. It may be a theme for the day. Many people do this with the Bible or another sacred book. Or go to a favorite bookstore--used bookstores are especially magical--and see what pops up right away. You may come to notice, even among familiar books at home, that the benign "shelf elf," which Arthur Koestler called the Library Angel, will come and play with you--knocking a book off a shelf or revealing others in unexpected ways--if you are engaged in a quest.


5. Notice That Life Rhymes


Mark Twain said that history may not repeat itself, but it rhymes. This is also true of our personal history. When a name or a theme comes up again and again, it may be telling us that we need to get the message.

On my way to a TV show in Seattle to talk about dreams, I had to wait at a busy intersection. Suddenly the driver of an amazing vehicle painted blue, with a giant shark's fin on top, stopped to let me cross. I remarked to my friends, "The shark will be a theme today." On the air, the interviewer told me of a dream in which she was flying low over blue waters, watching the dorsal fins of sharks circling below. I commented that, if it were my dream, in addition to watching out for "sharks" at work, I might wonder if anyone I knew was challenged by cancer. Sharks don't get cancer, I said, and have sometimes proved to be helpers for cancer patients in guided imagery sessions in which they picture a shark eating the cells of their disease.

Off the air, the TV anchor revealed that her mother, who was vacationing in the Caribbean, had been diagnosed with cancer. I suggested that her mother visualize the shark as an inner healer.

6. See an Opportunity Beyond Every Setback

My rule of thumb is: When you find a door closing in your face, look for the one that may be opening. Here's another example involving Mark Twain.

In Hannibal, Mo., young Sam Clemens read in the paper about a "wonder" plant in Brazil that was supposed to have healing properties. Local businessmen agreed to back Clemens on an expedition to acquire a large supply of the plant. But when he got to New Orleans, he discovered he couldn't get to Brazil from there. Repairing to a local tavern to drown his sorrows, he met a Mississippi riverboat captain who agreed to take him on as an apprentice pilot. From his experiences on the river, Clemens got the material for his best stories, as well as his pen name.

And so, every time I miss an airplane connection or a plan falls through, I am open to finding an opportunity that would not otherwise have appeared.

7. Don't Be Afraid to Get Lost

This is the cardinal navigational law of serendipity. You can only get to the magic kingdom by getting lost. You get there when you think you are going somewhere else and "fall off the map."

Serendipity is a major factor in scientific discovery and invention, as well as in exploration and entrepreneurship. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident. He neglected to isolate bacterial cultures from stray spores blowing around his hospital building before going away on vacation. When he returned, he found that a mold had killed the bacteria in his experiment--and his trained mind recognized that he was looking at an extraordinary cure.

The glue used in Post-it notes was another accident; a scientist trying to produce a strong adhesive came up with a very weak one instead--and recognized an unexpected opportunity.

8. Notice Slips of the Tongue

It's amazing what can be revealed through a slip of the tongue. Pay attention to what's going on when you or someone else misspeaks a name or a phrase. This could be a Freudian slip, or a slip of a more interesting kind.

9. Identify Your Personal Omens






We don't want to carry around old superstitions. But we can often find guidance by identifying our personal omens. For me, seeing a friendly black dog, especially in an unlikely place, is always a sign that something good is about to happen.

I have also received life-guiding messages from red-tailed hawks. Many years ago, wondering whether to leave the city for a rural home, I sat under an old white oak and pondered my decision. I felt that if moving was the right choice, there would be a sign. A red-tailed hawk came circling overhead, dipping lower and lower--and dropped a wing feather between my knees. I accepted the sign, purchased the farm, and found my life entering a new spiritual depth.

10. Be a Synchronicity Magnet

Coincidences tend to cluster around us when we pursue our deepest creative desires. The stronger our emotions, the stronger the effect on our psychic and physical environment, and the more our direction is guided by meaningful coincidence.

The poet William Butler Yeats believed that when our minds are working on a challenging line of inquiry, we attract the interest and guidance of deeper intelligences. Thinking about this one day, I took my dog for a walk in the park--and ran into a cheerful Irish setter called Fergus. His owner explained the name by citing a poem by Yeats. Accepting the coincidence as a sign, I proceeded to make Yeats a major character in the book I was working on.

The world responds to the thoughts and feelings to which we give the energy of our attention. There is no impermeable boundary between mind and matter anywhere in our universe. Through the power of our minds, we can open bridges between the everyday world and a deeper order of reality in which we may find the hidden logic of events--and our own larger stories.

By Robert Moss, author of The Three 'Only' Things: Tapping the Power of Dreams, Coincidence & Imagination.

Visit http://www.mossdreams.com/

la misma luna.

we saw this a week or two ago. and yes, it definitely did tug at our hearts + made our eyes well up in tears for a moment. it wasn't the best film i'd ever seen and could have had much more substance and intensity. it lacked something for me. however the issue explored - highly relevant not to mention heartbreaking-

my big disappointment?

its just the ending seems more fantasy-based than realistic. i don't know that i believe it would have played out like it did. it would not have been that easy.

MARCH 19, 2008

The emotional side of a hot political issue

CURRENT CINEMA: Under the Same Moon

As this election year promises more long-winded debates and endless talking points, expect to hear a lot about the thorny subject of immigration. Sometimes it’s hard to look past the rhetoric to the real lives and families affected by new laws and policy. Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna; opening today in select theaters), a new and powerfully poignant film, gives a face to this complicated issue.

Directed by Patricia Riggen, Under the Same Moon is about a 9-year-old boy, Carlitos, left in Mexico while his single mother struggles in Los Angeles to earn enough money to have him join her. When his grandmother dies, Carlitos decides to find his mother on his own. The journey brings unexpected terrors — from airless car trunks to INS raids in dusty Texan towns. It’s no wonder, given its fine performances, good humor, and deeply emotional center, that this film received a thunderous standing ovation after its 2007 Sundance Film Festival premiere.

the trailer for Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

the website for Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

Ask.com for Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

to a friend

the VeryShortList.com archive

exotic locales, my origins + our sandals honeymoon.

http://www.sandals.com/main/whitehouse/wh-highlight1.cfm

Honeymoon French Deluxe Beachfront Patio Room $2232.50

Original Price: $3,910.00

Book today and save $1,677.50

Our package we chose plus price we were charged - we did get a special deal that Sandals happened to offer recently and the resort we've chosen is all inclusive which means 7 gourmet restaurants, unlimited food, unlimited bar and alcohol, ride to airport to and from hotel, hotel rooms, and plane tix. the only thing we'd even have to pay for is any souvenirs we buy, tips to airport drivers + if we decided to have an adventure or outing outside of the resort such as outdoor excursions [sightseeing] OR a driver in town etc. more than likely we won't be doing much of that as we've been warned against exploring too much outside of resort since it's a very poor island and not safe to do.

so anyway, we have booked our honeymoon, whitehouse resort in Jamaica - outside of montego bay [about an hour away] with sandals all inclusive pkg in a european styled resort with a patio beachfront first floor honeymoon suite.

I have to apply for a passport this weekend [last time i had a passport was when i was 16, in 1988, when my mom took my brothers and i to visit HER homeland- the philippines. long story short, my mom studied as an intern and then became RN via school program in Philippines as exchange student in Chicago, IL, USA months later met my dad, who was white, an irish catholic - american. they dated and quickly engaged in order to not lose each other, i think. they of course married within six mos and my mom got her greencard. she's been an american citizen since before i was born and that was 1971 so i'm very americanized altho recognize my culture and mixed ethnicity to a great degree. because i was raised 'white', it has made it harder for me to feel i fit in any place totally. i never fit in with full filipinos because i was never perceived as looking even remotely asian or pacific islander and even white people couldn't believe i was not white and was mixed. i kind of grew up feeling separated and divided and longing/yearning to fit in and belong somewhere. although, i feel i had numerous issues that made me feel isolated growing up. ]

sadly, that passport has LONG since expired and i am due for a new one. i am all torn up that i have to turn in my past passport of my 16 yr old self due to sentimental nostalgic reasons that i traveled to my mom's country very far away back in 88 and was there for 6 wks. it was one of the most monumental and memorable experiences in my life and in my teenaged coming-of-age years. though the country was very poor and didn't have the luxuries or amenities we take for granted in USA [and it was about a million times more humid and hot than it is here in FL] - it was a great cultural experience. btw, i left as brown as can be by the end of the trip LOL

so anyway that above was a good memory, and i'd have liked to keep the passport book marked with philippines in it and as part of my souvenir from that time, but apparently when you sign up for a new passport to replace an expired one, you have to turn the old one in. i'd like to find out if its possible to just lie and say i lost it or forgot it but worry the extra fee for not turning it in and exchanging for new passport MAY be excessive and unaffordable- moneywise.

anyone out there know?

we need to find out IF we need vaccinations by a dr before traveling to the carribean or if it's required to travel by law although I think Jimmy told me last nite he was told they aren't required by law but I wonder if they are at the very least recommended.

I have never been to the Carribean in my life and neither has he. So it's a bit anxiety provoking but its also very exciting especially when you take a look at the website and link I included at top which shows you the beautiful resort we've chosen, the beaches, island, the sands, the luxury and romance of it all.

I've never done anything like this and never had a real honeymoon during my first marriage becos in all honesty my ex was too poor and made minimum wage, had no credit, had bad credit/bankruptcy etc.

Exotic trips or trips out of the country were not even an option when i was with him and was out of our league so this is something i am not entirely accustomed to, in any romantic relationship inc. marriage.

I look forward to my first real honeymoon and truly hope it will be a specical memorable romantic time with minimal fighting as sometimes we clash with different personalities and natures, I think. It is a five day trip all in all. I think it wll be good for the two of us and want to make it positively memorable for both of us so I'm going to try to be on my best behavior despite my crazy manic mood swings LOL :D

Here is a copy of our travel agents detailed email in regard to the honeymoon pkg we signed up for lastmonth and fully booked our trip and flight with her by making the minimum deposit already.
+++
email from travel agent:

Hey Jimmy and April,

It was great to meet you both yesterday. Please know I am here if you need anything!

Here is the break down of what we discussed last night:

Sandals Whitehouse in the Honeymoon French Deluxe Beach Front Pation Room $2232.50 for the travel dates of December 1- December 6, 2008.

See the airfare choices below. The one I quoted you is the cheapest, however has the worst layovers. So I am sending you 3 different choices. This does not mean this is all there is, I just did not wish to send you too many. When you are ready to book your airfare, I will do further research to make sure you are getting the best price on the flights you choose.

Honeymoon French Deluxe Beachfront Patio Room $2232.50

Original Price: $3,910.00

Book today and save $1,677.50

Description:

Large beachfront room with a patio and views of the beach and or pool. Located on the first floor in the French Village.

Room View:Beach and or pool

Here are some air schedules:

$691.38 for 2:

AA #1773	Dec 01, 2008 06:00AM - 07:00AM	Depart: Tampa/St.Petersburg (TPA) Arrive: Miami International (MIA)
AA #469	Dec 01, 2008 09:40AM - 11:10AM	Depart: Miami International (MIA) Arrive: Montego Bay (MBJ)
R E T U R N I N G
AA #1812	Dec 06, 2008 03:50PM - 05:30PM	Depart: Montego Bay (MBJ) Arrive: Miami International (MIA)
AA #1831	Dec 06, 2008 10:55PM - 11:55PM	Depart: Miami International (MIA) Arrive: Tampa/St.Petersburg (TPA)

Click here: Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa - All Inclusive Vacation

passports + pastors!

[jimmy wrote me the email below from work earlier in the day so now the passport appt is official [i dread the picture becos i know it will come out ugly] - this coming weekend, saturday morning. and the pastor finally has had some communication with us in regard how to work out vows and our wedding ceremony coming at the end of november. since we met him via our historic wedding chapel site and by recommendation and since neither of us are active in any church- we do not know pastor jack very well, just that we had a meeting with him a while back, he is well respected and highly praised by the facility we are holding our wedding in, is retired and has performed many religious and spiritual ceremonies. a refresher for those who don't know. i was born and raised catholic although am not currently practicing. jimmy was raised baptist and became anti-organized religion as he came of age- prob in his twenties much like me. the difference b/t him and i is this: id have liked a catholic wedding but becos hes not catholic, is unwilling to put the work in to even convert [unlike my exhusband] and i am divorced it truly IS a NO-GO!!

 

Plus, his family looks down on catholics since his mother was raised one and hated it and converted and she thinks its silly that people pray to statues YET is a so called devout christian, a baptist. i find her attitude irritating, insulting and hypocritical. i dont see praying to statues or a rosary as silly at all, and think catholic religion evokes something very mysterious, romantic in ways because of its use of ritual. i just feel strongly about what i was born as. and just cos i dont approve with every facet of catholicism doesnt mean i agree with his families anticatholic prejudices/ rants nor does it mean i will change who i am for anyone. so, my compromise with jimmy is to be married by a noncatholic pastor but one who is religious- i think he's methodist and it sounds like they are not as rigid as other more headstrong christians ive met and seen in the past. mainly i refused to have a wedding without any religious based ceremony.  it wasnt too hard to convince since he does come from a strong christian background regardless of his beliefs today, and because he knows in his heart, his mom and my mom would like to see a ceremony that involves god and the sacredness of marriage that is always best expressed in terms of scripture and prayer.

 

that said, this is what my fiance wrote me, technically yesterday about pastor jack!

 

Hi babe,

 

I wanted to share this forwarded message with you.  The officiant, Jack, that will be doing our ceremony wrote me back after I asked him about the rehearsal time.

 

I also just called for a passport appointment.  They only had an 8:15 or 8:30am (can't remember what she said) and an 11:45am, so I scheduled the 11:45.  Hopefully, that is OK with you.  I know it's a little early for you, but I don't want to wait too long to get it taken care of or we'll be even more stressed.  The lady I spoke to said it would only take 10-15 minutes and she said to NOT sign the application.  I think you have to sign it in front of them.

 

Remind me to work on the map tonight.  If I can finish it tonight, I'll make copies here at work tomorrow. 

 

Does the Michael's coupon expire on the 20th?  We can either go tonight and tomorrow, or tomorrow and Saturday so we can buy a few things.  I would like to go to the baseball game on Saturday if that's OK.  It's a 3:30 pm game, so we could either go to your parents or brother and niece's after the passport appointment or come home for a one hour nap and then go if you'd like to do something.  You're welcome to come to the game with me, but I didn't think you'd want to go. 

 

 

I just got back from lunch a little while ago and my head is pounding.  I thought some food would make it go away, but I guess I'll have to take an Excedrin or two.  Anyway, I have a bunch of things to work on, so I'm going to let you go.  Hope your day is going good.  I'll see you in a few hours.

 

Love,

Jimmy

Forward---



From: Jimmy

To: Minister Performing Our Wedding

Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 2:36 pm

Subject: November 28th wedding





Hi, Jack.  I just left you a voicemail message, but figured I'd try you here as

well.  My fiancee wanted to touch base with you on a few things regarding our

wedding on November 28th at the Palm Harbor White Chapel.  First of all, we

wanted to know if 6:00 p.m. would be a good starting time for the rehearsal on

Wed, Nov 26th.  We have some family coming in from out of town and wanted to

make sure they can get to the chapel in time for the rehearsal.  Also, we wanted

to let you know that we will be emailing you our preferred vows in the next week

or two and will also send you a copy of the program about a month or so before

the ceremony.  Finally, we wanted to know if you have a new home phone number or

just the cell phone, as the previous home phone on your business card is no

longer valid.



If it's easier to reply by email, that's fine.  Otherwise, feel free to call me

at your convenience at ***-***-****.  We hope you are doing well.



Sincerely,

Jimmy W. and April K.



Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 12:07:53 PMFrom: Pastor Jack

Subject: Re: November 28th wedding





Dear Jimmy, the 6pm will be fine for the rehersal time. We are on a trip up in Maine and New England and willbe back home on October 16th...my cell is with me and the home phone is out till we get back home and thenwill be back in service. I am able to get some wifi here and there in our travels. So email me your vows orsend to p.o. box 28 there in tarpon springs...and I can meet with you guys some time in October beforethe big date, ok? Pastor Jack

floral madness: we do the work, you have the fun, NOT!

Florist-

we've met with the florist, Laurie, a second time, she kept us there over an hr and the first time it was two hrs. she is something of a nitemare in that she rambles and just when you make a decision, she throws out a whole bunch of new options and knit-picks the tiniest details leaving you feeling stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

we had made the decisions for the most part in the first meeting, a TWO HOUR long meeting, and when we went back this past wkend, for a second meeting...she decided she wanted to go over every single idea that i had pointed out as "pretty" from our first meeting a few mos ago!!! unf***ing believable!! both jimmy and i just looked at each other, almost laughing knowing we were trapped.

laurie would not hear of the fact that we knew what we wanted NOW and went thru every single thing we had said we liked as a possibility from that first meeting. we made headway but we felt she made everything more complicated and decided that we need yet another meeting with her. she is stretching out her time with us for as long as she can and decided to save the 3rd meeting to draw up a new contract for us.

btw, we've stuck with the same bouquets for the wedding party and boutonnieres for all, like i had expressed in an entry a while back.

we experimented with the bowls jenni let us use, with stones and water and floating candle and just added an order of three different colored orchid blooms to have float over each floating candle bowl. there should be approx. 8 bowls to 8 tables.

we decided on a floral arrangement of different orchids for the head table of wedding party. possibly an autumn inspired centerpiece for reception table like pic i shared previously in od. or something with butterfly on it as display

quick picture of experimental clear bowl where u put rocks, petals and floating candles in with water. in my pix below there is no water in bowl, and orchid blooms are MISSING, so just imagine what it might look like, pretend there's water and petals floating on top LOL





...and for the altar we are leaning towards a mix of gladiolas in a coral color, orchids and other misc floral as filler, but it's not definite yet.

along the aisles there may be bows of ivory tulle or satin to decorate every few rows with a small 3-rose arrangement with ivy in the chapel where our marriage ceremony will take place with pastor.

ps

here were some ideas i brought to florist this past wkend, printed off weddingchannel.com just for ideas of style and color in flowers + wedding trends. this seemed to make her more frenzied and more scattered. it was her who told me to bring even the vaguest ideas in, via picture to give her a better hold on my personality and style except that caused her to go into overkill mode and lose focus. jimmy said i ought to have not brought any of it in because it only seemed to add to her hyperactivity and her odd ability to keep us there for an incredibly lengthy period of time over something that seems like it should be so simple LOL


Altar Ideas:

Centerpiece Fall Idea:



Some Bouquets:

btw, this is her card, note the motto. it's so NOT true. the reverse is true- we do all the work and she has all the fun LOL

its sooo hilarious in a sarcastic way. heh

alessi's wedding cake- reserved-quick n easy!

Wedding Cake

over the weekend, we had our appt with alessi bakery on saturday, ordered/reserved cake for wedding day, they will deliver for 60 charge. its pretty reasonable at under 300 for a strawberry shortcake wedding cake with whipcream- includes first tier for bride/groom and she is going to make it ivory with maybe some classic looking scroll design, one huge victorian lilac bow on the side and a few tiny butterfly designs on the side of the cake.

afternote:

we will be going back to michael's this wkend since we have a 50 percent off coupon + prob either get bubble thingies and cake topper or guest book or something. we are both going to use coupon separately

up close + personal: our wedding bands arrival!

suffuse \suh-FYOOZ\, transitive verb:

To spread through or over in the manner of fluid or light; to flush.

HIS- unfortunately Jimmy's was half a size too small due to the fact that the woman who measured him did not do it correctly or upsize seeing its a thicker band than standard And you always order larger when this is the case. His finger/knuckle got very swollen trying it on at the store and they've had to put in an order for a new one. He is a 7 but for larger rings should have been ordered a size 7 and a half. Hopefully his new one turns out perfect. I felt so bad for him [he never wears rings by the way. he is one of those guys NOT into jewelry. i always wanted him to be more into necklaces/rings since i think there are so many cool styles out there. and it can really add to your unique look] In any case, I never expected to find any trouble with getting his ring in or it being incorrect. If anything I expected mine to have trouble but fact is it did NOT. it was perfect. I got mine in a size 4, since its a wider ring and you should always order a half size bigger when wide. My engagement ring is about a 3 and half. Ive got tiny child like fingers LOL







Macro Pix of Mine :D


Btw, my ring doesn't photograph well but the sparkle effect to the white gold is the small scattered clusters of diamonds in my wedding band.

I debated on taking pix of myself with the ring on. The only reason I didn't is because I figured that might be bad luck and I want to save that moment and wow factor for when I am officially married and Jimmy has put the ring on my finger himself during our sacred ceremony of unity and love.

30 days can change the way you think.

proponent \pruh-POH-nuhnt\, noun:

One who argues in support of something; an advocate; a supporter.

We have watched a Morgan Spurlock 30 days show series recently which I've watched before, all of them are moving + you learn. Actually I've watched the entire series. There are 2 or 3 seasons and 2 or 3 discs to each season with 3 or more episodes per disc. All of them are worth watching, wonderfully valuable, and extremely smart, intelligent, conscientious + moving.

As M. Spurlock is extremely intelligent and interested in politics and govt as well as our rights in america and the constitution, his shows deal with throwing two families/people together with often EXTREME and/or disturbing opposite views together in order to teach each side something about the other side. Usually the one side's ideas featured are the most radical in thought and very rigid, very closeminded, and very little room to see another's point of view- very stubborn.

So, despite the fact that both people and/or families are rigid in some way or extremely closed minded to the other side- by the end of the show both learn to feel mutual respect for one another. They live together for 30 days and have to do some of what the host family does just to see what its like and learn about the other side [its like wife swap in a way but focused more on controversial issues and politics/beliefs]

30 Days by Morgan Spurlock is one of my fave shows which I had introduced to J a yr or more ago. Its my dad's fave show also. This is a show that will move anyone with a heart. both sides usually cry or are extremely inspired by each other by the end, no matter how much rigidity and tension exists at the start. Ive nearly cried everytime I have watched an episode of this meaningful show

Morgan Spurlock's shows have tackled topics like: pro-life, animal rights, gun owners who hunt/kill for sport/fun, the jail/prison system, what its like to hold a minimum wage job and survive as a couple w/o health ins. [basically what its like for people lower class], middle east taking away US jobs, religion vs atheism.