Hearts, Chocolates & Eye Rolls

Valentine's Day is great and all. Really, I'm a big fan. Hearts all around.

But listen, we need to go over a few things.

Like taking pictures of the flowers and chocolates your sweet patootie sent you and posting them on facebook.

Just don't do it, okay?

It's the love equivalent of Farmville.

You're much better off sending pictures of your love loot to the select girlfriends who will be the most jealous. That way, you get the Valentine's envy you desire without making your other 564 facebook 'friends' roll their eyes and gag.

I know it makes me sound like I have Love Day issues but I really don't. I just happen to like getting better flowers than all my friends.

Don't judge me.

Cherry Earrings

My Grandmother (aka Bududder) was cleaning out her jewelry box when she came upon these earrings. Adorable cherries with little gold leaves. I remember them so vividly from my childhood it immediately brought back a nostalgic feeling.

She wore them to church the following Sunday and grinned at the compliments.

A few days later at breakfast she jumped up and ran out of the room. She came back with the cherry earrings. I proudly wore them to work and thought of her all day.

Food Porn

I have dreams about food a lot. Either my foodie tendencies flow into my subconscience or maybe it's the fact my tv is on Food Network 90% of the time.

Actually, it probably has something to do with the fact that I read cookbooks before bed like novels.

These are just some of the characters that made it into last nights dream.

Behold: FOOD PORN

The Guy That Said Goodbye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oG1IfQx9Oc

New Guy sent this video to me about a month ago and with the impending anniversary of Mr. X's (albeit beneficial) departure I find myself listening to this song.

Popping Pills

WHAT THE CRAP IS GOING ON?!?!

I don't get into all the mystical mumbo jumbo of astrology but my good friend Brooke does. She informed me a couple of weeks ago that Mercury was in retrograde. This apparently means that all mammals go nuts and flip out. Hmmm...yep that pretty much sums me up lately.

You see, it all started because I was happy. And that made me stupid.

(cue flashback music and soft-focus montage)

(enter a tall, handsome man)

After the Year of Sorrow in 2010 my doc suggested (ok, down right insisted) that I go on Prozac. It was all well and good until I realized the 2 very important catches with such medicines:

#1 - When God, the Rx and life in general starts to improve, it's easy to miss a dose.

#2 - They really mean it when they tell you not to abruptly discontinue use.

I felt life somewhat returning back to normal & stopped taking them. Cold turkey. Not my smartest move.

Then things sort of snowballed.

Three weeks off the Prozac, Mercury apparently freaking everyone out, female biology (ahem), and the tiny fact of coming across the 1 year anniversaries of painful events does not make for a pleasent Jenn.

I'm afraid those closest to me - Mom, Dad, Bud & New Guy - are feeling the brunt. Last night I felt more like myself than I had in a while. It was nice to see myself again. But around 10 a.m. this morning I was on the roller coaster again. Poor New Guy got caught up in a facebook IM with freak out Jenn. It wasn't even 20 minutes later (after he abruptly signed off to escape) I realized how stupid I was. Sigh.

At least I can feel myself coming back a little.

Sometimes there's nothing left to do but beg God to calm me down and ask him to not let me ruin any of the wonderful relationships He's blessed me with.

Thank you

Today New Guy & I have been dating for 3 months.

I know, it's incredibly girly of me to get excited each time a month goes by but I do.

New Guy is incredible! He's so smart & funny & kind to me. He has a wonderful Christian heart. His family is warm & loving & genuinely good people. He is tickled pink when I cook for him, even when it's plain comfort food. During Christmas (my FAV time of year!) he not only took me on a surprise drive to look at lights but we listened AND sang along to Christmas songs the whole time!

We have a million inside jokes & it seems like we add more every week. He lets me talk about Doondaddy (and sometimes cry) as much as I want to. My OCD & his neat freak tendencies match up nicely. He likes snuggling up to watch a movie. He's sweet to his dogs. We both like 'old fashioned' words & phrases such as tomfoolery & top drawer. Sometimes he ends a text with 'xo.'

If he reads my blog I'm sure he's gagging by now but I am so happy I just had to post a note in grateful admiration that God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve by bringing him into my life.

So New Guy, if you stumble upon this thank you for a wonderful 3 months.

You are top drawer.

xo

Well hello 2011, you look gorgeous

I'm one of those people (read: hoarders) who saves my OCD-laced planners from years gone by. Why? Well, part of me thinks it's a hoot to go back and read some random reminder of spending the night with Haley or college finals or job interviews. The other part of me is simply helping out the poor staffer from E! True Hollywood Story who researches my life should I ever get my 15 minutes of fame.

I purchased my spanking new 2011 planner and literally COULD NOT WAIT to transfer my info and kiss 2010 goodbye and good riddance!

The past year has been the hardest of my entire life and I seriously thought about having some type of tribal burning of my 2010 planner as a cleansing a la the 'ex boyfriend bonfire' on Friends. Give last year the proverbial finger. Instead I decided to keep it with the others. A testament to what I made it through...and lived.

So I sat down with my new planner and marveled at the crisp pages. 365 new chances. 12 months of possibilities. 4 seasons of promise.