WeGiveBooks.org

Attention Teachers, Parents, or anybody who cares about supporting Public Education in America: A while back my sister told me about a great website where kids can read books online, and then donate a book for charity...just as a result of reading their book. Well, that website has upped the ante a little bit more! On the We Give Books website, you can now donate books to YOUR public school of choice! First you'll want to register for free and select which school you'd like to donate to in your personal settings. Then read a great book, and at the end simply choose to "Give a Book." It's so easy and perfect for giving back to your local school! Watch the video below or visit their website for more info! Hooray!!

New Product Alert!

Jarred and I came across a new product in the grocery store last week. Krusteaz has created a One Step muffin mix. All you do is add 2/3 cup of water to the container...shake...and pour into your muffin cups. It takes all of 60 seconds and there's NO cleanup. No washing a spoon and mixing bowl/slash/let's be real/ no leaving them in the sink to be cleaned by your loving husband! Being that these new One Step mixes were on sale and so ridiculously easy, we decided to give them a try. We've used Krusteaz's regular muffin mixes in the past and always enjoy them, but something this easy couldn't actually be good, right?!?! WRONG! They were DELICIOUS! The easiest and greatest muffin mix ever!! We are soo buying them again!

If you're an "all natural, organic" elitist, then no, you probably won't like them. But if you regularly do muffin mixes from the store, I highly recommend! Enjoy!

Tag, I'm it.

My sweet friend Andrea is playing a little game of "blog tag," and I am to answer the following questions that she thought up:

1. If you could have someone play you in a movie, who would you choose and why?
Hmmm, I'll tell you who I wouldn't choose, Katherine Heigl. And no, we do not look alike.

2. If you won the lottery, what would be the FIRST thing you'd do with your money?
Now this is a tricky one. I would simultaneously buy land for a deaf school in Uganda, give money for a high school to be built at a certain school in Nairobi, Kenya, and book a trip for my dad and I to go to Alaska. Boom. All at once.

3. What songs will ALWAYS bring you out on the dance floor?
It's pretty much a guarantee that if any Journey song or Pour Some Sugar On Me is playing, I'm dancing. End of discussion.

4. What is one quirky thing you do that others find strange?
One thing. Really Andrea? You thought I could name just one thing. Perhaps it'd be easier to try and narrow down to one thing I do that others don't find strange. On the other hand, I've come to believe that many of my strange behaviors aren't all that odd, they're what other people really wish they were doing...if they didn't take themselves so seriously. Let go people, be loose, have fun!! Go Rollerblade while twirling a baton. You know you want to!! Oh wait, you don't? Really? My bad, I guess it is just me.

5. If you could change your profession to anything, without having to go back to school, what would it be?
I'd like to be a Volunteer Coordinator for something. I LOVE recruiting people to give back. I could never have a normal sales job, but selling people on helping others: ding, ding, ding, best job ever!

6. What one superpower would you choose to have?
I'd have to go with the ability to teleport. I use to say flying. But teleporting is like the lazy way to fly, right?

7. Who is one famous person you'd like to meet?
While there's not really any one famous person in particular I'm dying to meet, I'd love to go to Ellen's show. Such a fun audience to be in!

8. If you could live during any time in history, when would you choose?
Although the whole Civil War thing and slavery aren't all that appealing, hoop skirts and elaborate dresses totally are...Take me to Gone With The Wind baby!!!

9. What is your favorite photograph?
Hmmm, now THAT is tough. You've inspired a stand-alone blog post to address this issue. For now I'll give you my favorite picture of you, Andrea:

10. Would you rather be 4' or 7' tall?

4 feet. If I was a boy, I'd go with 7 feet.

11. If you could only do one dance for the rest of your life, would it be the macarena or the electric slide?
Electric slide, duh!! You can do so much with it: twirls, slaps to the ground, shimmies. The possibilities are unlimited!

So there ya go! Love you Andrea!

Ben Crane...My Long Lost Best Friend??

One of the best things about loving any sport, is getting to know your favorite players a bit via interviews, facebook, twitter, etc. While there are many golfers I love, I think I just discovered who has to move to the top of my list...because quite frankly, we are obviously long lost best friends. Ben Crane is a decent golfer, 4 PGA Tour wins to date, no superstar on the course, but respectable. However it's off the course that he's caught my attention. His twitter account says he's "leading a campaign to let yourself go and have fun. Love Jesus, family, golf, and being ridiculous. Join me..." Um Hello? Is that my twitter account or his? In the last year and a half or so Ben has released several hillarious videos featuring himself and other golfers, they're definitely worth YouTube-ing. But it's his latest video that shows the greatest link between the two of us:

Look familiar?? It's obvious great minds think alike:

So as the Fantasy Golf season heats up, watch out Ben Crane, because you're getting some playing time!!

Also, if there are any other freaks out there that would like to play Fantasy Golf on Yahoo with Jarred and I, holla back!

A Major Life Accomplishment

Hear ye, Hear ye. I have a big announcement to make! This afternoon I had a major life breakthough! One I'm sure my mom wishes would have come about 20 years ago. I actually ate an entire package of orange peanut butter crackers...and loved it! (Pick your jaw up off the floor mommy).You know the ones...

Maybe this doesn't seem like such a big deal to you, but I've encountered these crackers many times in my life  and it's never ended so well. These have always been the go-to snack my family and friends take on hikes in the mountains. While everyone munches away, I scrape the peanut butter off each individual cracker and eat it plain. Yes, I was that kid in elementary school who only ate Jelly sandwiches. No peanut butter involved! Ew. Gross.

But I've turned a corner folks! I officially like peanut butter crackers, and it couldn't be more perfect timing! Jarred and I will likely be living off these things in Africa. Bring it on though, because they are delish!!

On The Willows

     For all you hard core Blog readers out there, a new blog was started just a few weekends ago that you might be interested in. On The Willows is a blog for women that discusses a range of topics from movie reviews and Etsy to deep spiritual matters and the nitty gritty challenges of everyday life. It was created by my good friend Stephanie and has contributers from all over the country post about what's on their hearts and minds. While most are women from the West Coast or Northeast, I'm holding it down for the southern gals out there! In fact, you can check out my debut post here! The blog is meant to be both an enouragement to women and a form of Christian community amongst ladies from all over. If you're in the mood for some interesting reading, check it out!

Happy Monday!

That Magical Time of Year...

Let's be honest, January is a pretty boring month. Unless you have a birthday to spice it up or plan some fantastic get-a-way for MLK day, January stinks. The holidays are over, it's cold, spring break and summer are still forever away. Boring. That is until you make one very important realization...something quite magical rolls around each year at this time and it makes me smile from ear to ear. That's right ladies and gentlemen, it's Girl Scout cookie season!!! *cheers and loud applause*

Doesn't your heart secretly leap for joy when you see the first cookie stand outside the grocery store? Don't lie. It does. One of my fabulous former students up here in Boston is a Girl Scout superstar, and I was delighted to buy several boxes of cookies from her last week. This year we went with Thin Mints and Caramel Delights...both staples of course...and a new little treat, the Lemonades. And let me say, I highly recommend them! If your daring enough to stray from your usual favorites, the Lemonades are worth a try! If that makes you nervous, just remember the old Girl Scout tune you sang as a child, "make new friends, but keep the old...one is silver and the other's gold." You don't have to give up your old favorites, just add to your cookie repertoire!

Speaking of favorites...what's yours?

What if you lost your most treasured possession...

What is your most treasured possession? A family heirloom passed down through generations? That shiny new iPhone you just bought? Perhaps some rare collectors item? Each of us have special items that we seem to enjoy more than our other possessions, whether they be gifts from loved ones or things we worked hard to buy. We admire these things. We love them. We take care of them. We treasure them. 

One of the things I love and admire the most on a daily basis is my engagement ring. Although I've worn it for a good 3.5 years now, I still catch myself gazing at it, commenting to Jarred about how much it sparkles in certain rooms. I absolutely love everything about it. I love that my sweet husband had to save up and work his rear off to buy it for me because I had to have this one. It's unique and rare, from a collection that's no longer being made. It's petite and delicate and the perfect ring for me. But what if I didn't have it anymore? 

This question became a reality for me this past weekend. As Jarred and I were preparing to take a weekend trip up to New Hampshire and Maine, we had a bit of car trouble. Well, to be more accurate, we straight up knocked our side mirror out of its holder backing down our alleyway too fast because we forgot our camera at home and were too eager to get on the road. Thus started a downward spiral of events. We hit a pole, out pops the mirror and crap...we aren't going anywhere until this is fixed. But hark, what do I remember? I have some special car putty that I can use to put it back on! Yay! I get the putty, start working it in my hands and think to myself, "oh goodness, I don't want to get this stuff on my rings!!" Of course not, right? Off go both my engagement and wedding bands, which are soldered together to make one ring, and my Clemson ring. I set them on the car to finish my repair job. Finally the mirror is back in place and we are on the road, flying up I-95 to  new adventures on the horizon.

Once we checked into our hotel for the night, right at the New Hampshire/Maine border, we start thinking about dinner options. As we're getting ready to go eat, I start rubbing some lotion on my hands. Now ladies, you especially know that you have to be careful putting on lotion because it can get all up in your rings! Just as that thought crossed my mind, my face went white and I gasped. Poor Jarred didn't know what was going on. "MY RINGSSS!!!, MY RINGS, oh my goodness my rings! They're gone, Oh my gosh, they were on top of the car!!!!! I didn't put them back on. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh...they're gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!" My thoughts were racing 90 miles an hour, which is almost as fast as we were going up the interstate when my rings were ON TOP OF THE FLIPPIN' CAR! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

After the initial startling realization of what happened, my "calm in emergencies" phase kicked it. I immediately started thinking about what to do next. Should we go home? Could the rings have fallen off the car immediately when we started driving? Perhaps they're lying in our parking space? Would the scavengers who roam our alley looking through trash have noticed them yet? It was dusk where we were and would be completely dark in Boston within 30 minutes. There was no time to go home and still have daylight to search. Ah-Ha! Call the neighbor. Maybe she'll look. Who else? The folks I babysit for, they'll look! Sari, my co-teacher, surely she'll go look! Oh my goodness my mom is absolutely going to FREAK (and is probably doing so right about now as she reads this for the first time...eeek!).

As the search party was being sent out in full force, my stomach started to do flips. That sinking feeling just wouldn't leave. I NEVER take off my rings, how could this have happened?! I sleep with them, shower with them, and only rarely take them off for cleaning. What a disaster!

But then, in the exact same moment, something quite profound happened. I thought...this is not a disaster. In the grand scheme of life this is not even a big deal. There are people losing loved ones to cancer. The children I'm going to visit next month in Kenya don't have enough food to eat. I am so ridiculously blessed. These frivolous pieces of rock and metal are not something to freak out over. I know it may sound crazy, but...Perspective, it washed over me. I was more concerned with the fact that I probably should be flipping out more than I was. But then again, should I? No, not really.

Over the years I've actually wondered a good deal about whether or not I loved that ring too much. It's a mere material possession that I won't be able to take with me when I leave this world. In the Bible it clearly says that we should not treasure possessions here on this earth, where thieves can steal and rust can destroy... or in my case...that I can leave on top of my car and send flying to only the good Lord above knows where. But rather we should glorify the Lord with our lives so that we store up eternal treasures in Heaven. While I was sad that my rings were gone, I also had a calming peace that it was okay. It was almost a freeing feeling to be without them because in that moment, I realized the answer I'd been wondering about. No, I don't love my engagement ring too much. I am okay without it, and without my Clemson ring too. I don't need them. During the stress of it all, in my heart I was truly thankful for the time I got to have them, for the time to enjoy them and admire them, but okay with moving on ringless. Clarity is a great thing.

Now let me also say that I'm not delusional enough to think that in my sin I don't have other idols in my life, things I treasure far too much. I definitely do, and I pray God will show me those things in time. But this story is about rings...and it's not quite over yet...

The phone rang several times over the next 45 minutes with updates from my search party, but never to inform me that my rings had been found. That is until my precious husband decided to go join the search party himself, not back in Boston, but in the hotel parking lot. He went out to examine our car and think about the trajectory the rings might have taken. As he was walking out there, an idea hit him, and immediately he knew there was a chance! Low and behold, safely tucked away in the crack between the trunk and back window, to what to his wondering eyes should appear...BLING BLING!!! My engagement ring and wedding band!!! They had traveled from the top of the car, straight down the back window and gotten stuck in the crease. Can you believe it! They made it all the way up the interstate to Maine. How insane!! Praise the Lord, what a gift!! Isn't it funny how that works? More than once in life I've had to realize I was okay without something before the Lord decided to give it to me. Interesting.

Unfortunately my Clemson ring is still at large. Lots of searching but no luck yet. I'm pretty sure I've seen the last of that one. But again...I learned my lesson, and I'm A-Ok! Perhaps I should ponder the meaning of it's absence...perhaps it's Clemson I love too much!

In Loving Memory...RIP Clemson Ring, you were loved...

Midweek Confession Time...

As inspired by my friend Meagan on her blog, it's midweek confession time...

1) I desperately want someone who knits to make me a nose warmer, perhaps with little elastic bands that go around my ears to hold it on. And no, I'm not kidding. My frozen nose and I am quite serious. Heat = $$$, and money can be spent on so many other more wonderful things like flights home to see family.

2) I am now 100% addicted to seltzer water. No I don't mean flavored sparkling waters, while those were my gateway drink, I now only drink the hard core unflavored carbonated seltzer water for the worst addicts. I blame this on fancy pants Boston. Everyone here drinks sparkling waters. At first I couldn't stand it...and now...there's no going back.

3) During this week's Bachelor episode, I had a mini hissy fit over Kacie whipping out her baton in the middle of her date to impress Ben. I mean, how dare she steal that from me?! Now what am I going to do when I get on a reality show one day? She totally stole my quirky thing! Dang it. But somehow I love her for it at the same time. We do share a special bond after all. Never mind that she's actually had training...

Okay, there are my confessions for the week, who's next??

California Dreamin'

About a year ago I started Googling conferences for Jarred to go to. I'd heard enough stories from all his colleagues of the great times they'd had going all over the world for these things. It was time for Big Girl to find herself a vacation!! And it was good for Jarred's resume too, of course. I came across the perfect fit for him at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Yes, please!! I'd never been to the west coast or put my cute little toes in the Pacific (and by "cute little toes" I clearly mean "long skinny, finger like toes" but that just doesn't sound as good now does it). I actually found this conference long before Jarred found out about Puerto Rico, so this Cali trip has been in the works for a long time! I even reserved our hotel room before he even found out if he was accepted. What can I say, I have confidence in my man! Plus discounted rooms at the Four Seasons just weren't going to last forever. Gotta be a little proactive sometimes, am I right? You know how it is ladies. So without further ado, here are some pics!

First we started out with a hike in the mountain-like hills surrounding Stanford. We came across this comforting sign about what to do if we encounter a mountain lion or coyote I think my favorite part is, "if attacked-fight back!" Oh my.

Jarred's ready to fight back...

On Jarred's birthday we went to a Putt-Putt and Arcade place for a little friendly fun and competition. How this ball rested on the hill and didn't go into the water, I'll never know. Dang it!

Love this homemade sign at the course. After one particularly frustrating whole, I began to understand why they had it up!

An action pic of me dominating Jarred in Pop-a-Shot.

For those who don't remember, Jarred and I basically fell in love over Hangman. Needless to say, Wheel of Fortune is our game!!

The next day I surprised Jarred with a trip to the Santa Cruz boardwalk. It's the largest of its kind in the world. And that rollercoaster may not look like much, but I assure you, it's intense!!

Ferris Wheel

 Bumper Cars

Another surprise for Jarred...a helicopter ride over the coast! We do it up right!

I was so excited about this next shot. Our pilot told us that 80% of strawberries in the US are produced there. It's  Driscoll Farms, and I totally recognize that name from the grocery store. Sure enough, if you look, they are grown in Watsonville, CA, right where we were. Love it! 

Toes in the Pacific time! So cold!!

You can see the pain on Jarred's face. Freezing! But nothing I have conquered in the mountains.

We finally made our way up to San Francisco and rode bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was truly breathtaking and so, so fun!



More pictures to come on facebook! Even though we had to battle fevers of 102 while there, we managed to have fun!

New Adventures on the Horizon

As I say goodbye to 25 solid years of life, I can see new adventures on the horizon. 25 brought a new job, a new hobby, and my frist trip to Puerto Rico, land of my hubby's ancestors. Good times! But 26 is stacking up to compete for the top spot of awesomeness. One week from today I'll be touching down in San Fransico for my first ever adventure on the west coast. And better yet, I'm not only taking my handsome husband but one of my best frirends as well! Can't wait to share it with you guys. Also on the agenda, thanks to a exciting yet frightening birthday gift from Jarred, professional voice lessons. EEEeek! Not sure how I feel about this, but it's sure to be an adventure!! Apparently they give you a DVD copy of each lesson, ummm No Thanks! I'm not sure that I ever want to hear my voice recorded. It was a very thoughtful gift though as Jarred knows two of the things on my life's bucket list are 1) to be in a community theatre production and 2) to have enough confidence to sing a solo at chuch. One day...one day. I'm excited to push myself out of my comfort zone and enjoy some vocal training. I hope they don't mind if I bring my own mic!

Time to go Diva Style!!! Bring it 26!

Finding True Freedom, From the White House to the World

It's time for a new book recommendation just in time for summer reading! Ginny Brant (wife of AB for any of you Clemson ASL alumni) has written a moving book about her father, an influential politician from SC who worked for Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Bush. It's the story of his journey to faith through the turmoil of the Watergate scandal. If you're interested in politics at all, love reading about how the Lord works in mysterious and miraculous ways in people's lives, or just like reading a good biography from time to time, this book is for you! Check it out on Amazon!

Learn more about the book and Ginny on www.ginnybrant.com It's an easy read that will leave you feeling more well versed in the history of American politics and more in awe of how powerful God is.



If I Only Had A Brain

Back in the glory days of high school, I once performed a song and dance routine to "If I Only Had a Brain" from the Wizard of Oz. Scarecrow get up and all, I brought down the house (or made people run for the exits). But no longer do I have to wonder what I would do if I only had a brain, because now I know...I do have a brain! And I have the pictures to prove it! So fun! Behold the incredible brain shots Jarred and I got from our research study, crazy stuff!

Lady's first:

I'm just so amazed! That's my brain, MINE, inside my head. My Cerebellum, my sinuses, my parietal lobe and frontal lobe. My brain stem. (And yes, yes I did google those)



 I'm sorry but these just blow my mind. I'm obsessed!

And I can't leave my sweet husband out, doesn't he photograph well?!:

That's one good lookin' brain!!

I highly recommend finding a research study to be a part of! Who knew being a lab rat for a few hundred dollars could be so much fun?! Ahhh, I love new adventures!

MRI Day!

A while back I wrote about a research study Jarred and I volunteered to be a part of for both fun and a little extra cash. Since Boston is the research capital of the world, I felt it only appropriate that being in a study go on our must-do list while we're here. One day, while riding the T, I spotted the perfect study for us. It's all about childhood memories and how they've affected who we are as adults. We signed up immediately, and I was so excited! Step one was to fill out an online survey for $25 each. Money in the bank!! Then we were selected to come into the lab for IQ and ADD testing as well as to fill out a million more surverys and an interview about our childhood memories. For this we received $100 each. And today was our final step...and it was a big one! We went in for MRI's of our brains for another $100 each. It was both of our first times to have an MRI of any kind. I must admit I was a little anxious about feeling claustrophobic, but my disgraceful past as a tanning bed user (back in high school before I had 10 precancerous moles removed) prepared me a little bit. When we got there, we realized it was a full body tube and our heads had to be locked in pretty well so as not to move. Needless to say it could have been a recipe for disaster, but we both made it through (with the help of reciting scriptures in our heads so as not to freak out). An hour in the tube and now we're each $100 richer!! Good stuff!!

Next week we should be getting a CD in the mail with pictures of our brains. Can't wait to share those!!

Just give me an Arnold Palmer Half and Half!

It's officially one week until my favorite week of the year. The first full week of April marks the annual Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Ga, and anyone who knows me...knows I LOVE the Masters. In honor of this wonderful time of year, I've decided to share my favorite new drink. Now I'm not one to take in liquid calories very often as they are typically far less satisfying to me than say a piece of cake that I can chew and savor, but in this case, I'm making an exception because I've found a drink that is just that good. It's called The Arnold Palmer Lite Half and Half, and it's made from the Arizona Ice Tea company. Those who follow golf have been aware of this special mixture of half tea and half lemonade for a long time, but it's the first time to my knowledge that it's being sold nationwide by a mass market company. It's half and half, and it's a whole lotta good! Make sure you grab yours today so you can sip in honor of the The King and 4 time Masters winner during this year's tournament.



And in the coming weeks I hope you'll do me the honor of putting up with posts about my favorite Masters memories...and I've had some good ones! I'm blessed to have been to the tournament on many of occasions as well as to have heard many a great golfers speak while catering for AT&T during the tournament week. But no matter how many times I make it through those hallowed gates of Augusta National, it feels like the very first time. The buzz, the beauty, the excitement, it never fades.

A Love Affair for the Ages

This video just 100% MADE MY DAY!! Coming from South Carolina, I, like many others, have a life-long love affair with Chick-fil-a. There is no other fast food more magical with yummy goodness. The memories, oh the memories. Walking down to the local chick-fil-a back in middle school, rocking my NMS cheerleading uniform before the evening basketball game...eating their perfect biscuits at high school club meetings before school...sharing milkshakes with my bff Ames as we rolled down main st in Gville, windows down, singing, loving life... and how could I forget spending the night outside of a new Chick-fil-a store in order to win a free years worth of coupons. Ahhh Chick-fil-a, I love you. I appreciate you all the more now that I'm so, SO far away.

Please, take a minute, enjoy this video, and reflect on your own personal love affair with the world's greatest sandwich.

If for some reason the video doesn't work, here's the youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hwmOTEx2r8&feature=player_embedded

Sports Aggression..Eeek!

Hello, My name is Mary Ellen...and I have Sports Aggression.

Sweet, mostly kind, and a little crazy. That's how I imagine people see me most of the time. I skip, pick daisies, and sing patriotic medleys. I smile, sew, and hug babies. But apparently it's not all fun and games in the happy-go-lucky world of ME. I tend to get heavily invested in sporting events. When I watch them, this incredibly dark, competitive, and highly inappropriate side of me seems to creep up out of nowhere. I call this "sports aggression," and I'm here to confess that my sports aggression is out of control! During Clemson's recent game against West Virginia, I was chatting with Jarred. All the sudden I looked back through our conversation, and these are the quotes I discovered:

1) I just hope they (the tigers) can keep it up...nail those Big East lovers straight through the heart!

2) Those WV fans make me want to punch them in the face.

3) There are so many WV people there...I guess they really don't work or go to school much in that state though, so it makes sense.

Now, do I really want to punch West Virginia fans in the face? No. Are those comments meant to be somewhat joking and lighthearted, yes! But, oh my, that's a little intense. Leaves me thinking, "did I really just say that!?" I chalk some of it up to the sport being basketball. I've always hated the way it sweeps me up so intensely in its fast paced scoring. Puts me near a heart attack every single time. Yet, it's no excuse. I'm embarrassed. Forgive me West Virginia. I know you're a state of lovely people. In fact, Jarred's favorite athlete of all time, Randy Moss, hails from West Virgina, thanks for him! It's just my sports aggression, you understand.

P.S. I've never been a fan of the "you beat us, we should hope you do well, so we look better" mentality. I hope you get absolutely slaughtered in the 2nd round.

Oh no...there I go again!!

#1 Grandfather Award

I know everybody loves their Pa-Pa...but my Pa-Pa is officially the best! I often call him on my way home from school in the afternoons, and it's come to my attention that my sweet, innocent, Wednesday night supper lovin', 90-year-old grandfather has been watching The Bachelor on Monday nights just so he'll have something to talk to me about. Aside from being horribly embarrased that my Pa-Pa now knows I watch such trash tv, all I can think is "awww Pa-Pa is the best!!!!!" #1 Grandfather Award for sure! And in case anyone was wondering, although he personally liked Chantal because his bride was a brunette too, he knew Emily would win because you could tell Brad liked her the most. I guess you really should keep in mind that old sorority rule, "don't do anything you wouldn't want your grandparents to know about!"...including watching reality tv!!

A Special Love Song just for ME

As I was driving home from school today, I heard on old familiar voice come across the PrimeCountry radio waves. My dear friend Reba was singing a love song that somehow I had never heard before. And trust me, I know my Reba. The very first concert I ever went to was Reba with, at the time, little known Faith Hill as an opening act. In my book, The Nights The Light Went Out in Georgia and Fancy are two of the greatest songs of all time. But still, this song, on air today, I had never heard. And as I listened to the lyrics, I couldn't help but think it was my first love singing straight to me. No, not Reba, but a deeper love and part of my very soul. The Southland itself wrote a lyrical poem just for me.

Whoever's in New England by Reba McEntire (however, in my situation, the lyrics are more appropriately "whatever's in New England" and have been adjusted accordingly)

You spend an awful lot of time in Massachusetts (I know, it is an AWFUL lot, I'm sorry!)Seems Like every other week you've got a meeting waiting there
Business must be booming or could something else
Be moving in the air up there

You say that its important for our future (It's true Southland, it is important, please understand)An executive on his way up has got to play the part
Each time duty calls you got to give it all
You've got with all your heart

When whatever's in New England is through with you
And Boston finds better things to do
You know its not too late 'cause you'll always have a place to come back to
When whatever's in New England's through with you

I hear the winter time up north can last forever (Yes, yes it can my dear Southland)And I've been told its beautiful to see this time of year
They say the snow can blind you till the world you left behind
Just disappears I hear

I've packed your bags and left them in the hallway
But before you leave again theres just one thing you outta know
When the icy winds blow through you remember that its me
Who feels the cold most of all

When whatever's in New England is through with you
And Boston finds better things to do
You know its not too late 'cause you'll always have a place to come back to
When whatever's in New England's through with you

I love you too Southland!! I'm sorry Jarred's schooling made me leave you! When whatever's in New England's finished with Jarred, I'll be racing back home to you!!

Puerto Rican Paradise

Jarred's job as a Ph.D. student researcher has many perks. One of which is free trips to conferences all over the world where he can present a little of this work for an hour or so...and then enjoy the rest of his trip in the sun. It's quite the glorious set up, and we feel very blessed to have the opportunity to travel for such a discounted price. In the fall Jarred wound up in Cancun, Mexico for a week at a conference without me, as I stayed back in Boston to teach. He made sure to call me from the beach to let me know that the resort was,  "significantly nicer than our honeymoon." Well, NEVER again my friend, never again. When the opportunity for a similar trip to Puerto Rico came up, I made sure to ask off work and take advantage of the  cheap trip to Jarred's homeland. And I must say, it's a wonderful, wonderful place. It tropical, it's warm, they know English, and they take U.S. Dollars, who could ask for more? Here's a rundown of our trip:

First, the official scientist business...kind of like the elementary school science fair, only bigger words.

Now it's nothing but fun! Let me introduce you to Hector, the towel elephant, and my mini Puerto Rican flag that I waved continuously as we explored the island.

Our first stop of the journey was Old San Juan. Gorgeous!!!

The next day we splashed around the pool a bit and then rented a car to go Kayaking at a bioluminescent bay. Literally the water glows like a light saber when you move through it. Unfortunatly it was dark and quite wet, so I wasn't able to take my nice camera and get pics. Here some of the pool though!

My pool heels. The picture really doesn't do them justice. I was totally diva style!!

A few shots from the area where we went kayaking:

The next day was perhaps one of the most fun. As we were swimming in the pool the day before, we saw an advertisement on the tv at the pool's swim up bar for the Puerto Rico Open PGA Tour event being held about 30 mins from the hotel. We still had our car from the bio bay so we decided to go for it. We're both big golf fans and our hometown friend Ben Martin was in the field. In the morning we followed Stewart Cink, Angel Cabrera, and John Daly and in the afternoon we cheered up Ben. I'm not going to lie, hearing the announcer say "From Greenwood, South Carolina...BEN MARTIN!!!" was pretty awesome. We made sure to give him a big shout!! Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed during the tournament (which of course made me furious), but here's a few pics from driving in and out of the Trump International Golf Club.

That afternoon after our golf adventure, I caught the Clemson game from the pool. PERFECT!

Overall, we had an amazing trip, and feel so, so blessed to have had the opportunity. My vitamin D levels have been restored and now I'm ready to tackle a few more weeks of winter up in Boston. Well, until Masters week that is!! 3 1/2 weeks until my golf paradise! 

More pictures are to come on Facebook...