Old Apache Wedding Blessing

Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now each of you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

The week of my wedding, I find this quite beautiful. :-)

Late Night Update

Well, I have one last paper to write as an undergraduate student. This one on the English dialect of Cuba. And then that's it.

So many, many things are still "TBD" over the next week or so--detail things like where we're going to live in less than a month and which furniture to leave by the dumpster AND big picture stuff like what to put in the vases at the wedding and how I'm going to do my hair.

Oh wait. I may have gotten that backwards.

Well, anyhow. It's truly amazing to me all that we've done in the last, oh, year or so together. I cannot believe how different things are than they were two years ago. I've gone from being a girl with a dog to ... a "we" with two dogs. And it's so much better that way. Sometimes I feel a little new-agey and try to send all this positivity out into the Universe--I wish everyone could share in what we're becoming. But that's what the wedding is for, right? Celebrating in community.

That's not far away at all.

Edited to add: I may be slipping away into sentimentality. Oh well. I've always had tendencies toward being "that kind" of English major anyhow. Don't be surprised if some Romantic poems surface here before this whole shebang's over. You've been warned.

How to Handle Stress

Pet the dog:



She doesn't understand stress.

Right Now

So here's the deal.

Right now, I am very busy.

But I started this blog, years ago, because I believe there is something important about marking the passage of time. I decided to mark it publicly because I believe in community, and I like to share.

And I don't want to forget this part of time, either.

So, today, I'm going to mark time.

The last few months have been stressful, but also amazing. I started summer school, and am currently working for an hour and a half, leaving work and spending two hours in class, returning to work for four and a half more hours, and then doing homework for three to four hours each night. I am also planning a wedding for at least two hundred people (our list keeps getting longer--so many people we want to invite), and beginning to think about this major thing called Marriage and Living Together (apparently you're supposed to do that when you get married--who knew?). It's a lot. A whole lot.

But I love it. I love my life. I am grateful every day for the things I've been blessed with (not necessarily in this order): a good, flexible job doing serving others; the ability to delve into literary theory and literature in fresh, exciting ways; an amazing companion/friend that loves me as I love him; two families (and, with Andy's, a third!) that are ever more generous and loving and supportive than I deserve; and even (I know it's strange to list here here) a spontaneously ridiculous dog who guarantees that I never stop laughing. I don't know how I'll look back at these "engagement" months, but they've been more than just rushing from one thing to the next, preparing to completely flip my life. They've been packed with interesting experiences and lots of learning, and, mostly, lots of love.

Not Adding You

Dear Apartment Complex,

Thank you for letting me pay you to live here, and for your offer of "free maintenance".

However, I would appreciate having the broken window fixed (it's been 5 days now).

Also, could we do something about the creepy crawly bugs (centipedes?) coming in every windowsill, doorway, and drain? And while you're at it, the mud dauber nest I asked you to remove a week ago is still there.

Furthermore, I would appreciate it if the sprinklers could be off in ONE grassy area when I take the dog out (really, all we need is one dry square foot of grass--we're not picky here).

When you have accomplished these things, I will gladly "add" you on Facebook. For now, we're not friends. Thanks for asking, though.

Sincerely,
Shannah

Mustaches on a Thursday Morning

Because I believe every day is better with a little silliness... :-)





(More photos from our engagement session with Kara Mercer.)

Sorry I haven't been around the blog more. Things are going really well, but really fast. It's almost three months until: a)I've got a bachelor's degree in English Literature and b)I'm married. I can't believe it! So many, many life changes all at once. I wish I spent more time recording it. I think I'll look back at these crazy days happily.

I'm enjoying it all SO much, but I seem to be running from one list to the next. In my down time and on our trips across Texas visiting relatives (Andy's brother graduated VALEDICTORIAN from his high school last week!), I've been knitting on some socks. That helps, too. Who knew that knitting (presumably a more time consuming activity) actually helps you accomplish more other activities? I guess every knitter knows this, but it's nice to be re-reminded. Hoping to have one sock crossed off the list before classes start up next week. Maybe I'll post a picture...

Happy Mustache Thursday to you!

P.S. If you want your own "mustache on a stick," you can get them from Whiskerworks. Very high quality mustaches! ;-)

Ring

I thought Andy's beautiful choice deserved a better picture than the blurry one from the day he proposed (I might have been shaking a bit there).



:-)