Our vacay...

...on Vimeo!

Here it is! We took a video on the last day of our trip and I finally uploaded it. It was an amazing day...makes me wish we were there all over again...



I <3 the sound of the ocean...

Ugly Jar Update!

I realized that I haven't given the update yet for our "Ugly Jar," if you remember from this post. After a week of tabulating our complaints and counting our negativity, we ended up with around $20 in the jar, mostly due to me (Charlie is so darn positive!). I even tried to "trick" Charlie into complaining by telling him that I purchased a "musical Christmas clock" that plays a Christmas tune every hour on the hour. I knew for a fact that he happens to loathe these "musically destructive" decorations, and I knew he would complain, which he did... and he put a dollar in the jar...and so did I for being sneaky ;)

I have to say, though...it's so easy in our lives to complain about little things, the smallest details of an inconvenience that come up in life-- a traffic jam, a late appointment, a missing pen, an un-charged i-pod when you can really use some music. I was diligent with tracking my complaints...I think it helped me (especially) a better and all-around happier person. I don't think I'm an avid complainer, as I try to see the joy of life, but being a teacher, there are difficult days, and it's easy to find faults with the "system". However, being more conscious of my words was a step toward being more thankful for the blessings that we do have--which are plentiful and something to celebrate. I think we could all use a little of that this Thanksgiving.

We decided to put the money toward the Angel Tree at my school. It's an easy assumption that many of the students were I teach are affluent...which just isn't so. There are students who attend school who don't have much food (if any) at home, take care of their brothers and sisters late at night, and don't have much this Christmas. I see many of them being my school's "translator." This is our way to give back in a place where our love is needed, and where we will see our gifts make a difference. It's true what they say...giving and loving feels good! :)


Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Luke 6:38

The end...

...to a perfect day. And perfect vacation for that matter. Today was picturesque beach weather: low 70s, lots of sunshine, and a very light breeze. We spent about 6 hours on the beach today, smoothing on the sunscreen every few hours, books in hand. We didn't want it to end!

We spent 3 of those hours at Venice beach, which actually had its perks compared to the beach out front. Siesta sand retains water, and because of it's white color, all of the rain made it very cold and compact-- like a brick! Venice beach had warm, fluffy sand and was hardly crowded at all. The three of us ran along the beach, sat under our umbrella when it got too hot (I know, such a complaint, right?) and absorbed our last day of healing relaxation.

Tomorrow is a big day. We'll wake up at 6, leave by 7, and join the thousands of travelers making their way back home from family and vacation. I plan on lesson planning in the car when I'm not driving. At least we have a sandy mess in the back seat to remember our trip by :)

My hands still smell like shrimp and fish from an amazing Captain Curts dinner tonight... I think I'll be full for days.

Perfect Evening :)

I had to jump on and post this...we had the most perfect sunset tonight. It was cooling off as the sun went down (into the mid 60s). But Charlie and I stole a moment on the beach, just the two of us, where we got engaged, to watch the water-colored sky and the sun sink behind the horizon.

My hand at sand art! :)

Sun, wind, and surf.

Today was was a refreshing, windy beach day. It was much colder than yesterday, only in the low 70s with a brisk wind. It was perfect for a light shirt and swimming trunks! We spent several hours at Venice beach. We even let Luna off her leash and trusted her for the first time not to run away. She did great.


Here are some pictures of our day...

Happy Thanksgiving...beach style :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As we soaked up the sun, surf, and breeze today, we were thinking how incredibly blessed we are. :) There is such a peace and healing nature about Siesta. It makes every long hour spent grading papers and writing speeches worth it. It's been hard thinking about our family 1,000 miles away, though... we miss you guys!

Today was another fun journey in the land of Snearlydom. We woke up to overcast skies, and took the dog on a walk, but in typical Florida fashion, we could see the perfect, crystal-blue skies in the distance, so after a hearty breakfast of cheesy scrambled eggs and pancakes (made by yours truly), we leashed up the dog, got our over-sized beach bag together and headed for the dog-beach in Venice!

Luna's first time in the water!

When we arrived at South Brohard beach, we were quite impressed. It's right next door to the infamous Sharky's restuarant, and Luna was so happy to come play with us! (No dogs are allowed on the Siesta Beaches--so this was the next best thing!) It was a ball and Luna had so much fun with the other dogs. She found some friends "just like her" that she could happily play with. It's hard to be so small when most of the world is 3x your size!


Here's some more of Venice beach...

The whole family!

After Venice, we came back to the condo for some lunch, and then the two of us headed down to Siesta beach for some R&R and reading!

Here comes Charlie with the stuff!

Charlie taking a dip...he lost some sunglasses somewhere in there...

After hottubbing and jumping in the pool, around 4:00 we came back to the condo for some time out of the sun. Hankey Pankies will be tonight's Thanksgiving dinner...more on that later. :)

You'll be happy to learn that Charlie is making dessert tonight... Thanksgiving cookies. I've married a wonderful chef!

Ringling Museum!

Today we woke up to gray skies and buckets of rain! But no matter, it's Florida!--it will blow over :)

In the meantime, to enjoy ourselves while the rain dumped its heart into the streets, we ventured to the Ringling Museum of Art. It wasn't at all what I expected. I suppose I envisioned a "circus-shrine" complete with elephants and glittery outfits... but what we found was an amazing cultural journey!

Unbeknownst to me, but logical by all laws of common sense, the Ringling family was filthy rich (mostly by real estate, oil drilling, and investing--but I suppose the circus didn't hurt). This particular compound houses both the Ringling mansion as well as an art museum which was John Ringling's personal collection of art. You would expect this to be a little room of semi-crappy paintings, but no, he has THOUSANDS of exquisite oil paintings, frescos, sculptures that echoes the grandeur of Florence’s Uffizi Gallery. There were works by Rubens, van Dyck, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Gainsborough. And much to my happiness... Velázquez and El Greco! AHHHH! THERE WAS A WHOLE SPANISH ROOM!

Here I am with El Greco! I think I was the only on there this obsessed.

We toured the complex which included outdoor gardens and a broze cast of the original David! It brought back such fond memories of Rome.

We even got a guided tour of the "Venice in the Age of Canaletto" exhibition that had come to visit the gallery, and learned of famous works by renound Italian painters Canaletto, Tiepolo, Guardi, and Ricci. It was amazing to learn, that even in the 1600 and 1700s, tourists came to Venice seeking souvenir art. Many times, art of Venice glorified today was in fact created for tourists. This made me laugh.

Some pictures taken along the way... The goofy....

And the beautiful...

The harbor where the Ringling yachts parked.

The secret garden on the property...which somehow had a great view of the neighbors' yard...hmmm. ;)

The Ringling mansion! I loved the Moorish/Spanish arquitecture. Amazing.

We made it. Yay!

We're finally in Siesta!!! (newly equipped with "Speechright" internet connection!)

It was a long drive--about 11 hours total--but by the time you hit the beach it was worth every minute.

When we arrived we decided to forgo the initial "unload the car step" and headed straight for the surf. That's what it's all about. No matter that it was 9:00 pm. The three of us (dog included!) walked down to the waters edge and sank our toes into the sand. Luna was overwhelmed with sights and smells. Dead fish and crabs on the beach made her jump a clear three feet in the air, and she was facinated by waves. She would jump back as they came toward her, and follow them as they receded. We walked to the spot we got engaged at and sank it all in....and then made our way into the condo.

Remember when? Summer 2008!

After unloading the car and "stuff" (only abuot 25 minutes of labor), we plopped on the couch to watch HGTV.

Bedtime was difficult at first. I think it was all too much for Luna...a long car ride, the new smells, a new place, all which made her very nervous. Maybe we are "lax" parents, but she got ot sleep in bed with us. Actually she slept at the foot of the bed like a good girl and we all got a relaxing night sleep.

Today is rain and more rain... you know. Flordia turrential down-pour style. Thank goodness for my husband, good books, and the Ringling Bros Museum later today. The rest of the trip should be great beach weather!

We've also been playing lots of our FAVORITE Siesta Key game, Landlock. It's cool. It has gnomes and tussicks!

Siesta tomorrow!!!

I just finished this fabulous book called Mine! by Jean Donaldson.

I initially bought it because we've been having some problems with Luna guarding her rawhide bones...she lets out a little growl if you get to close. She doesn't guard her food dish, her toys, or anything else other than her bones. It was bothering me, though, because one day when we have children, I want her to be safe to be around them when she has something. I suppose it comes from being a rescue dog...she's probably had things taken from her all her life. But it's not excuse to be rude!

The book basically outlines a step-by-step method for getting rid of any kind of "resource guarding." The only requirement was a "clicker"... so I went and picked one up from Pet's Mart for $1.50! The principal is, the dog learns to associate doing something "good" with a click followed immediately by a reward (the tastiest treat you can possibly imagine!). It's basically utilizing Pavlov's dog theory.

Our clicker!

In better news, tomorrow we leave for SIESTA KEY FLORIDA. We are overjoyed. Beyond overjoyed, even. As I drove away from school today, I threw my hands up in the air and shouted: I HAVE A WEEK OFF OF SCHOOL! YAY! (Preparing for a sub, is sometimes harder than teaching. KWIM?)

We are going to live this vacation to the fullest. We have plans to beach-bum-it, go out to eat, see a botanical garden, and even make a trip to the dog beach so Luna can splash in the surf. Charlie and I each have 3 books to read, and you best believe they are going to be read cover to cover :)

Sunny Siesta, here we come. Jealous, right? ;)

This is where we got engaged! Brings back amazing memories :)

Good food good friends

Last night we went to dinner with the Zwallys and Hamilkights (Hamilton and Knight, hehe). We tried a Hibachi grill (similar to Beni-Hana) where the food is prepared for you on a large skillet with goofy tricks and entertainment. It was a riot. The girls sat on one end and gossiped about weddings, vacations, and life, and the guys talked about sports, golf, and the like. Perfect night out!


Afterward, we went back to Katy and Andy's to hang out and eat advent calendar Chocolate. :)

The craziest part was on the way home, Jeff, Kathleen, Charlie, and I were laughing about something, and out of NOWHERE a deer darts across the road. Using his flawless driving skills, Jeff slammed on the breaks, and we missed him. The entire car was on edge for a few minutes, and not moment after beginning to laugh at our near-death experience, Jeff lets out a yelp as we blaze over an opossum. Yikes. Note to self: be very alert when driving in Indian Trail!

Our life in Wordle!

Graded some exams and took a break to make a Woordle. Here are the defining words of our life!

I copy and pasted our blog entries from the month of November, and Wordle creates a collage were the most frequent words are the largest. It's art of our life! :)


© 2009 Jonathan Feinberg Terms of Use

Click the link to make it bigger :)

Gimme some down-home bluegrass....

The first thing most people think of when the think of "Bluegrass" music is down home country jammin' with some twang, beer, and foot stompin'. While I have to admit this description is fairly accurate, it alone hardy does this amazing music any justice. ....It was so much more brilliant that we EVER EXPECTED.

Charlie and I attended our first Bluegrass concert with Jamie last night in Charlotte at The Visulite. The venue was a perfect, an inmate theater setting with an ornate little stage, classic wooden bar, and hundreds of unique beers. There couldn't have been more than 300 people there. Our "spot" was only feet from the stage.

First up with a girl named Sarah from the band NickelCreek. She's gone solo and sings and plays guitar and ukulele. She was AMAZING and the harmonies were to die for.

Next was the main show, the Infamous Stringdusters. A band of 6 young guys (most of them about our age) came on the stage for the most amazing showing of band musicianship we have ever seen in our lives-- complete with slide guitar, violin, banjo, 2 acoustics, and bass. It blew us away. Only watching it can do it justice:



Here are some blurry pictures from the evening:

We were so close to the stage!

Deck the halls!

I know, I know... It's NOVEMBER 19TH. That's not even remotely, excusably December. But we decked our halls. Literally with balls of holly and Christmas decor!

Don't be mad... yet. Read on.

We are both very anti-Christmas before December and Thanksgiving. In fact, growing up NO CHRISTMAS movies, songs, or decorations were allowed before Thanksgiving. It was only on Thanksgiving day that we were allowed to break out the infamous childhood Christmas films like Tennessee Tuxedo and the Christmas Pageant and The Grinch. I used to scream and run from the room if I heard talk of early Christmas. It's a coveted holiday.

HOWEVER, Charlie and I have crazy lives, and decorating for Christmas just wasn't in the cards this year. It's a good two hours of work with getting out everything and putting the rest away!

I got home from school today, and after 60 graded exams, plopped on the couch. I got to thinking that the weeks before Christmas are filling up....

This Friday we are going to a bar concert, Saturday we have shopping for Siesta and dinner with friends, Sunday is church/volunteering, entering grades (I take home quite a bit of work these days), and packing for Siesta. Monday is a crazy day of school and I have to get ready for Tuesday, whenI will have a sub! On Tuesday I go to the DMV early in the morning, and then we drive 10 hours to Siesta.

Now, this part--to be fair-- is very relaxing. We have 5 glorious days of beach time. But we aren't home to decorate! We come back late Sunday night, and I have to get up and teach on Monday. Bla. I'll come back to an undoubtedly gross room with piles of "busy work" to grade, and a whole week to teach. By then it's December 1st. I probably won't get to decorating until the 5th, which is our "Nut Party!"

Then, we leave for Michigan on the 22nd. What's the point of having decorations up for 17 days? We'll be in Michigan for the holiday!

This is why I chose to start early.

I have to say, though... it wasn't easy.

I walked to the closet...opened a box...then put it away. I got out our fake tree. Took a look at it and put it away.

I sat on the couch and watched a bit of TV after which point a glance at the calendar stirred me to move again. The dog was starting to become interested as I pulled new smells from the closet.

Here is the before with three boxes of Christmas stuff! Charlie was at karate and I finally got up the courage!

Luna looks like demon dog ;) She was really into it!

Our Stockings! We still need one for Luna. Possible X-mas gift, anyone? LOL.

I decorated the top of our cabinets with our white lights. :)

Our Nativity from the Beyersdorfs in the entryway!


Merry Novembermas!

Obsessions of the Moment.

LOST used to be our obsession. We had the DVDs on loan from Vicki and Chuck, and randomly picked them up one day. We were hooked at episode one. By season four (a mere 2 months later), we vowed we would wait until the 5th season came out on DVD to watch any more, but we eventually caved and bought them on Best Buy online. After watching every single episode up until (spoiler alert) the ENTIRE ISLAND is swallowed by the glowing light of an anomoly (yes, we know!!!), we were devastated at the prospect that we coudln't watch any more until Season 6 in December.

So, with some "time for relaxation" free-time on our hands, we decided to focus are addiction elsewhere....

Here's what we have so far:

1) Documentaries. The beauty of Netflix. Our favorite so far was called "The King of Kong" World-famous Donky Kong champ meets the underdog middle school teacher from middle America who can beat the high score, but the corrupt gaming coorporation stips the new champ of his title, accusing him of cheating. You can't write this stuff. The nerds in us loved it.




2) Glee. So many of our friends said we had to watch it... I think the combination of musical interludes and dry, stupid humor that got us. Go Cherrios!



3) Chinese Takeout. We never eat out any more, but when we dont' feel like cooking, takeout seems like the thing to do. The gooeyness of the crab rangoons is even making my mouth water right now. But boy, Luna hates the delivery guy.

4) Books on tape. Did you know you can download them for free from the library?? Amazing stuff. I'm listening to the Great Gatspy and Charlie finished Aragon a few weeks ago, or as I like to call it, "Nerd Dragon Book" ;)

H1N1 and Joy

What a title! No, these two things are not related. Hehe.

Charlie and I got our Swine Flu shots today-- it was painful to say the least, but I'm glad we got them out of the way. Earlier today, neither of us had intentions of getting the vaccine, due to inconvenience, cost, and the unknown effectiveness, but considering we are 24--the age group that is "high priority"--we decided that we should get them. Besides, I felt like a quick Target shopping trip was in order. :) We now sport matching band-aids and sore arms.

In other news... Charlie and I have missed several Sundays of church due to crazy schedules, so I've been catching up by watching them online. There has been a series on Philippians on the subject of joy. Pastor Steven really captured my attention with these words:

"Happiness is a symptom of circumstances, but joy is a product of perspective."

It caused me to think how many times I lightly complain about the world, my job, and how hard life is, when really, it isn't at all. We have so much-- especially when you put it into perspective seeing what so much of the world DOESN'T have.

Pastor challenged us to make an "Ugly Jar" and for seven days, have a "complaining fast", where each time we utter a complaint, $1 goes in the jar to charity. Oddly enough, we just got a free super-ugly-piggy-bank from Petco during their grand opening. The jar was so ugly, and I thought...what are we going to do with this? Perfect.

Here is the ugly pig that sits in our kitchen. Yes, we drew a face because he needed one! He has to be UGLY!


We'll update you in seven days. This week is long for both of us, so it will be refreshing to be positive! :)

Cards in the yard.

Today was the most perfect weather you could imagine...perhaps summer wanted to make one final appearance before she took her winter hiatus. So, after church and a few errands, we decided that rather than watching the Lions lose, we would take the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air outside the complex. There aren't any benches or seating, so we spread our picnic blanket on the grass, soaked in the late afternoon rays, and played a game of the now infamous Double Bexley...



...which was promptly ruined by the dog.

Ballooning, Baby!

So today, thanks to Laura, we experienced a hot air balloon! It was fabulous-- a trip of a lifetime, and so incredibly peaceful.

That huge balloon fits in such a tiny bag.

We drove out to the Lake Norman area to the "take-off" site. Ursula and Marc are the couple who owns the company. An endearing, intelligent pair, they explained how the balloon works-- from propane to air displacement--and how North Carolina is actually a mecca of ballooners.

It was a divine day to be on the farm...a comfortable 73 degrees. Their property rolled on forever--over grass, trees, and acres of land. They are an animal-loving couple with two horses, a dog, two cats, three ducks, and a chicken...just to name a few. They fell in love with balloon riding their first time up, and now, after more than 2,500 rides under his belt, Marc was the "captain" who took us up for the ride!

Charlie and Ursula filling the balloon with air!

Take-off as described by Marc is as peaceful as the "earth gently moving away from the basket." And it was just so. The ride was breathtakingly beautiful, with clear views for 50 miles (we had the perfect November day). There was hardly any wind, so at times our balloon drifted along at a very, VERY slow 1 mph. But, with views like that, I can't complain. The air is so quiet and peaceful, and the sounds of nature were only interjected by the smooth blasts of the propane tank to take us higher into the air!

I can't say I much enjoyed the landing. After one failed attempt to land in a grassy field, we went onward and upward (literally)! We floated past a very tall tree (I could have touched the branches...too close for comfort) and over a grove of trees, and landed in someone's backyard. The landing was two giant "bounces" and a large tip of the basket. I didn't want to spill out!



A startled couple opened their doors and said, "DID YOU CRASH!?!!?" and then proceeded to take cell phone camera documentation of the bizarre moment. I suppose that's just it about hot air balloons...you never know when you are going to land, and you can't control the wind!

After about a 10 minute ride back to Ursula and Marc's home (we didn't fly far), we drank some champagne and signed their memory book. The sun was just disappearing!

It was a perfect day. Charlie and I can now say we stole a kiss at 2,000 ft. elevation!

We captured the day using a handy-dany video camera...enjoy :)

Honoring Our Veterans

Having Veteran's Day off has been soooo nice. I've been able to relax, read, create this blog, and even sleep in!

However, I can't help but think about why today is so important. It honors the military servicemen and women who have given their dedication, time, and lives for the safety of our country. Originally, it celebrated the end of WWI in 1919, but now it recognizes ALL veterans.

I can't help but think of the people in our lives who have made a difference serving our country. Our friend Chris, who fought in Iraq and currently serves in the US Military, and our friend Katy's brother, who has just been deployed.

My grandfather served in the U.S. Navy for a number of years, and was stationed in Hawaii during the birth of my mother. He was an excellent pilot.

Grandparents and Charlie and I on wedding day!

Charlie's Grandmother Gen at our wedding in July

Charlie's grandmother also served in the U.S. Marines. She was stationed in North Carolina during WWII. Charlie's grandfather who passed away, was also a member of the Army, who was an engineer who fought in Iwojima and Okinawa.

Their story is incredibly romantic because they first met 3 weeks before his grandfather's deployment, but feel and love and wrote letters to one another for his entire deployment (Charlie's mother has most of their letters). When he returned, they married, and were husband and wife for over 50 years. It's a beautiful story and a true testament of love.

Happy Veteran's Day! May we all take time today to honor those who have served our country.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Thanks to a hurricane Ida, we are getting 4 days STRAIGHT of rain! I actually love it when it rains...I find it really peaceful. However, so much rain can be exhausting...especially on my day off. I hate getting into my car, already soaked, because closing my umbrella at the door dumped a bucket of water on my lap. I hope I'm not the only one this happens to.

To make matters worse, our poor little pup was freezing her tail off last night and this morning, and even withholding her bowel movements because of the weather!

So much to my husband's chagrin, I went on PetsMart.com and found this cute little raincoat! (above)

I brought it home, and tried it on Luna...perfect. Bring on the flash floods. ;)