Hello? (tap tap) Is this thing on?

Heeyyy-o! Do I really need to explain why I haven't posted in over a month?  Yes?  Remember that little thing I'm doing called "graduate school?"  Well, it got the best of me, but now I've conquered another semester by the grace of God, and I'm on to a brighter future... at least for a month until it starts all over again.

Anyway, a lot happened in the last month.  The most exciting to me is that my little brother (in-law) got ENGAGED over Thanksgiving!  Yeah, I am pretty thrilled about this.  Not only am I just generally excited about having another girl (we picked up Hope earlier this year) in the Bass family, but it just so happens that I am CRAZY for Keith's bride-to-be, Loni.

I had the privilege of being there the night they got engaged.  Kyle and I parked our car at a distance and hid until Keith gave us the "all clear."  It was a damp, soggy night, and our sweet Loni managed to cry off every ounce of makeup, but she still looked incredible!  It was such a happy time, and now we have another family wedding to plan!



Also in the last month I have been to Philadelphia and back.  I went to my very first professional conference, the annual ASHA convention, with dear classmates and a few faculty members.  We had a blast there and I learned so much.  Some of the topics were way over my head, but others were very useful, particularly for my thesis.  We got to meet a lot of famous-to-us people, including Barbara Hodson (!!!), which I'm still freaking out about.



It was really fun to be surrounded by thousands of SLPs and audiologists.  We got tons of free stuff and there were companies with booths set up who were hiring left and right.  It's nice to know that I'm in demand and that I'm going to have a job when I finish!

Philly became one of my favorite cities.  It was so big, and so much more city-like than St. Louis.  This is not a knock to my small city, but it just had a totally different feel.  I can't really explain it except to say that it was fun and I liked it.  One of my favorite parts (a favorite for all of us who went, I think) was the Reading Terminal Market.  I've never seen anything like it.  It was an old train station converted into a market place with tons of vendors.  You could find everything from baked goods, to fresh fish, to ice cream. We ate there nearly every meal since it was right across from the convention center.



More recently, the end of the semester brought much celebration, both at home with my man, and out on the town with my classmates.  This past Friday night, my classmates had a fantastic night out together.  These things tend to bring out my more extroverted self and I am caught on friends' cameras looking ridiculous, but having fun!


(Photo courtesy of the lovely, Martina)


(Photo courtesy of hot mama, Jamie)

I am so, so happy to be making better friends in my program.  We spend every day together, but nights like Friday are what really bring out the bonding.

Our plans for the next month are to enjoy being school-free, visiting as many friends and family as possible, and getting some unfinished projects done around home.  Kyle is already halfway through a thick novel, and I have editing pictures, baking, and piddling.  It's going to be a great month!

Hopefully you'll hear from me again very soon.

Fruit Roll-Ups

I used to love fruit roll-ups when I was a kid.  What kid didn't?  Relatively recently I said to Kyle, "Man, I wish I could get some fruit roll-ups.  Those things were so good.  Why don't they make an adult version?"

On my last trip to Target, I found these puppies.  No sugar added.  Just 50 calories of fruity deliciousness.



Wish granted!

View from our balcony

We never go out on our front balcony.  We're guessing there used to be a door to go out there, but now the only way out is through the window.  Recently I crawled out there to get a closer shot of the glorious tree in our front yard.  The view from up there was great.

This is our view of Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church down the street.  The building is spectacular, and is undergoing major renovation.  It boasts the tallest steeple in the city, and is the second largest church building, second to the Cathedral Basilica on the central west end.  It was built by German immigrants living in our neighborhood in the early 1900s.  It is a jewel in our city to be sure.

Saint Louis is nicknamed the "Rome of the West" because of its deeply Catholic heritage.  This carries over into today.  I marvel at the architecture of my own neighborhood and think often about the immigrant families who lived here.  Most of the houses around me are between 100-150 years old, and were built by friends and relatives who immigrated here together after the civil war in Germany.  Let me tell you, they just don't build them like this anymore, but oh, how I wish they did!

From my balcony, I got a better view of some of the architectural details of our building.  I am amazed by the craftsmanship, and I cannot fathom how they built such places without our modern technologies. 



I often wonder about the families who lived here originally.  Who were they?  Where did they come from?  Why did they come here? What did it look like back then?

 

I love old homes.  I believe in restoration.  I hope I always get to live somewhere that has such deep roots and such a rich history.  

Random Conversational Excerpt

Me: Oh my gosh! Google Streetview is just so cool.  I'm looking at the hotel I stayed at in Paris!

Kyle: That's cool. Today I was looking at the Dixie Barbecue in Jonesboro.

Me: *hysterical laughter followed by typing*

Kyle: You're tweeting about this aren't you?

Me: Blogging.

He knows me.  He makes me smile.

Be a friend.

My Poppy shared this poem with me a long time ago.  It really stuck with me and I think about it often.  Such a good reminder when I start to turn into a "Me Monster."

I went outside to find a friend

But could not find one there;

I went outside to be a friend,

And friends were everywhere!