Knock Yourself Out

The randomness of it all:

• Wedding stuff and more wedding stuff (5 days and counting). On a sad note J's fiance's grandma passed away the other day. She had been weak but everyone held out hope that she would live to see her oldest grandchild get married. J went to Iowa this weekend for the funeral. Americans are not superstitious when it comes to things like this and the wedding will proceed as scheduled.
• We hung out with my parents last night and I realized that it is finally beginning to hit my dad that J will be leaving home for good. Although J was away at university for 8 years, her bedroom remained in tact for her visits home. When I asked if they were going to make any changes to that bedroom my father seemed offended at the thought. At the very least you can take the Tori Amos posters down, I said. This seemed to perk him up as one her posters physically frightens him.
• Went shopping with friends Friday night and was flabbergasted to see that Marshall Field's was already starting to assemble their Christmas trees in the furniture section.
• I look like a freaking apple in my bridesmaid's dress. Every time I wear it, I crave pie. There is absolutely nothing flattering about it. *sigh*
• Got to know some newer neighbors a little better. She's a doctor, he's a professor and they have 2 kids almost the same age as ours. I've been to Sweden before and impressed Anna with my knowledge of Swedish swear words. Also impressive was the fact that neither D nor I mentioned IKEA or ABBA during dinner.
• I think I finally won my parents over to the less-is-more point of view in regards to home decor. My parents have acquired a lot of stuff over the years and everything was on display at one point. It has taken me months to calmly declutter them of their immigrant vacation possessions. "Yes Dad, that Fiberglas replica of Jesus going down Niagara Falls in a barrel IS lovely. Perhaps we can keep it next to the Last Supper lava lamp in the garage."
• American football season has begun which means every week I lose any semblance of a husband for approximately 3 hours at a time. D is a HUGE Chicago Bears fan. The best part for me is that D makes fresh bread from scratch every Sunday that the Bears play. Usually we make soup as well and have friends over to watch the game. Sunday D made 2 loaves of Tuscan bread to go with our Beef, Barley and Vegetable soup. Some people we were expecting had to cancel at the last minute which means that I will be having soup morning, noon and night for the foreseeable future.

I knead you.

Bread before the oven

Bread after the oven

Tuscan bread with Beef, Barley, Vegetable soup.

• My cousins from London arrive on Wednesday with more arriving from the US between Thursday and Friday. I predict little sleep and lots of good times ahead.