Aren't Long Lazy Weekends WONDERFUL?

(SIDENOTE: I always hate when I type up a blog and then read a similar post from someone else right before I post mine.  Oh well...sorry if you are reading duplicate posts!)

This three day weekend was lazy and easy and wonderful....And I loved it!

Being new in a city has some advantages- like more down time.  People have been plenty hospitable, yet we aren't so plugged in that every moment is jam packed. I kind of have a history of overcommitting and over planning, so its nice to have free time.  I honestly think its been good for me to wind down after years of busyness (like 29 years) and I think its been great to solidify our marriage with so much free time these first couple months - best buddies and sidekicks!

But despite our less than busy weeknights, it seems our weekends have still been busy, so having a mostly free weekend was amazing! We had one thing on the calendar this weekend and that was just dinner at a friend's house. Sometimes its just glorious to have nothing major planned.

Long lazy weekends are wonderful aren't they? Perfect for watching movies and baking cookies. Ideal for dinners with friends and walks around the neighborhood with the hubby.  And there was something wonderful about watching football on TV all day without any pressure to get up and go somewhere.  Lazy weekends are great opportunities for last minute get togethers with friends and for attempting new recipes. Perfect for easy gameday lunches of sandwiches and chips. Also ideal for a little trip into the city Monday to walk around and visit a museum. This weekend was also a lovely chance to walk to a neighborhood outdoor movie (GREASE).

 Dave cooked me Sunday Lunch with an old camp recipe involving beer, seasoning and tenderizing the meat with a beer bottle

 Our trip to the portrait gallery

 We really went to the gallery to see this roof of the courtyard (We do this often, go to buildings to see the building, not what the building contains -- can you tell I married an architect?)

A weekend walk to the Iwo Jima memorial

Outdoor showing of Grease

Life is about to get busy this fall...wonderful busy, but busy  -- a weekend babysitting our nephew Jack, 3 weekends of out of town guests, a trip to Lancaster with my sister and brother in law.  I already have Jr League obligations 2 weekends this month. Not to mention, both of us will be working now, so weekends will be busier with handling the house -- tidying up, chores and meal planning.  Plus our weekends need to be busy with final touches on our apartment: hanging pictures and finding those last few pieces of furniture....Then come the holidays....

I don't know when we will have a free weekend with no commitments anytime in the near future, so I am so glad we took advantage of this one.  And, I loved this lazy weekend so much that maybe I will push my busy tendencies aside and try to keep the occasional Saturday or Sunday free. :)  Old habits die hard though!

What I've learned about HOSPITALITY in Washington DC

I'm from the HOSPITALITY state.  Really, look it up.  It has even said so on our license plates at some point in recent history. So I have spent most of my life believing Southerners have the market cornered when it comes to hospitality.  And, although I still do believe that southerners are experts in the area, I've been encouraged and shocked by how much hospitality I've experienced up here.

Since moving here, Dave and I have been invited out several times with our few previously known friends - which was wonderful and kind and hospitable, but not a surprise -- after all, they are our friends already :) BUT what has overwhelmed me is how many people we just met have been so inclusive and welcoming.  We have been invited hiking, camping, to parties, to lunch - all by people we recently met.

My sister has had a similar experience (play dates, dinner parties, etc) in Pennsylvania and we compared notes.  People, in general, have been so welcoming.  But, particularly, church members have gone out of their way to include us.  I have been touched and encouraged by this.  Certainly churches should all be as welcoming and hospitable as I have recently experienced.

And after hearing my sister's stories and sharing mine, I have two conclusions: 

(1) WHILE SOUTHERNERS MAY BELIEVE WE HAVE THE CORNER ON HOSPITALITY, CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE THE ONES WITH A CORNER ON THE MARKET. (HOSPITALITY IS AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF SPREADING/SHARING THE GOSPEL)

(2) CIRCUMSTANCES DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT FOR HOSPITALITY TO EXIST.

The kindness I have experienced has caused me to reflect on hospitality. Southerners throw wonderful parties and we bring meals to the sick or when someone dies.  We often bring holiday gifts to neighbors and friends or welcome gifts when someone moves in the neighborhood....but there is often pressure for things to be "just right."

The thing about DC is no one expects perfection.  People intend to welcome, not throw a perfect party or host a perfect outing.  Another thing that I have noticed in DC (but is not unique to DC) is that the church and church members are primary vehicles for hospitality.  Surely God uses imperfect believers to welcome others, share the gospel and promote fellowship!

 HOSPITALITY IS ESSENTIAL TO SPREADING THE GOSPEL AND ESSENTIAL FOR FELLOWSHIP.

TRUE HOSPITALITY is a risk. It involves vulnerability (particularly when it involves reaching out to new people!) When you place yourself out there with an invitation or conversation, you risk someone being annoyed or thinking you're weird.  It's awkward to initiate, especially when you don't know someone well. BUT - the gospel calls us to take risks, to welcome those into our churches and into our homes.  We all know people who found our Savior due to the welcoming, love and friendship of believers.  We also know people who avoided church or turned away due to the lack of hospitality and friendship of church members. This is not placing all responsibility for someone's choices on us, but it should cause us to remember that we are the hands and feet of Jesus, internationally of course but primarily in our communities.

Last week at church, we talked about how God's spirit produces a community that is inwardly growing and outwardly serving.  Outwardly serving churches are hospitable, cross cultural, evangelistic and merciful --BUT, here's the catch, the way for an outwardly serving community to become cross cultural, evangelistic and merciful is through hospitality.

Hospitality is also an essential BIBLICAL means for believers to establish fellowship with each other. (See 1 Peter 4:9 - Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling!) Community can't fully be built over hymns and a sermon at church -- Community grows through time spent together. This is why churches have community groups and weekly Bible studies -- giving all members a chanced to have fellowship and community with other believers!

HOSPITALITY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE "PERFECT"

We had our first visitor last week -- my friend came over to watch the Ole Miss game and we had snacks and drinks, but our apartment still looked undone. and you know what? It was still a great evening, even with boxes in the corner.

Dave and I have company coming next month and in November. (and then again in the Spring!) We are so excited to have friends and family from home, but we do not yet have a dining table.  or a second dresser, or a bookcase!  We still have a few boxes of clothes and books in the corner because we have nowhere to put them until we purchase a dresser or bookcase.  Not a single picture is hung (our lease says pictures must be hung on approved hooks, but doesn't indicate what hooks are approved so we have to call the landlord and find out!)  We only have one bathroom and sometimes the drain is slow. We certainly don't have high thread count sheets.  We have one air conditioner unit in the living/dining room, so we have to leave our bedroom door open so that air reaches the bedroom!

Although our  apartment is homey enough for us right now, I get stressed thinking about having it ready for company!! But, truth is, the location of hospitality is only a small fraction of the equation. I can't offer luxury, but I can offer hospitality. I can provide a clean safe place to sleep. I can provide access to one of the best cities in America! I can provide a pullout couch with eager hosts!  I can make breakfast and have plenty of coffee :)  I can pick out wonderful restaurants, suggest great sights to see and make sure there is wine and beer in the fridge.  We can have a home of laughter and flowing conversation! I can have baked goods available in the kitchen (And, the good thing about tiny homes is that the smell of cookies in the oven spreads over the entire house!!)

I'm only 29.  One day, hopefully, we will have a nicer home full of kiddos with a proper guest bedroom (or atleast a child's room that can be donated to guests for the weekend!)  I will have better cooking skills and a kitchen table! I will have curtains hung and enough storage space for all our clothes.  But, I am not excused from hospitality until I feel my world is "perfect" enough.  Also, once again, I am 29, with no children, so we have time to invite people over for dinner or football games and welcome guests to our house for the weekend. Fortunately, good fellowship does not require much more than conversation over drinks or coffee!

So, my first lesson from "yankees" (are Washingtonians even yankees?), hospitality is essential to fellowship AND spreading the gospel, and fortunately for flawed people, even imperfect hospitality will do. :)

So come visit, sweet friends.  Our home is far from perfect, but plenty welcoming!

Bubble Up Enchilada Casserole

I love a good mexican dish.  My roomies used to laugh at Dave and me -- we probably cooked tacos/fajitas/quesadillas 3-4 times a month. We just both agree on Mexican --- it's a common theme in our house which is why I was excited to find this EASY enchilada casserole....

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lbs extra lean ground turkey 
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce 
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce 
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (7.5 oz) can refrigerator biscuits, cut into quarters 
1 cup shredded low fat Mexican Cheese 

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2.    Brown turkey in a large skillet or sauté pan.
3.    Add the enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and black beans and stir to combine. Stir the biscuit pieces into the meat mixture.
4.    Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake for 25 minutes. 

 5. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

***It's about 310 calories a serving and there are 6 servings and pretty tasty!

Away from the city: Hershey, Penn.

A couple weekends ago, we were driving back to DC from State College and decided to take a pit stop in Hershey, Penn.  I hadn't been to Hershey since I was in Jr High and Dave had never been, so we were excited to give it a try. They have several fancy paid tours and a free basic tour -- guess which one we took? :) The FREE tour is on a "people mover" and shows you the process for making Chocolate.

Afterwards, we got treats at the ice cream shop.  So so good, but too rich to finish.  We should have split it because we each threw half of our treats away!

Hershey was a fun little stop on the way home -- I don't think the free tour is worth making a big drive for, but going 15 minutes out of the way, sure!!

Oh, and another fun stop, the town next to Hershey, Penn had a SONIC so y'all know I had to have a large FOUNTAIN DRINK! Sonics are rare finds in our neck of the woods so on the rare occasion that I find one, I stop! (We have a wendy's by our house, but its not the same, no diet dr pepper!!)

We love trying to see as much as we can in the area -- sometimes its a historical site and sometimes its just chocolate!! 

Missing the South: College Football

I love college football.  I love the SEC.  I love weekends spent in Auburn or Oxford cheering on my Tigers and Rebels! I love game days spent in the grove with my family and friends.  I always loved tailgating in Auburn at my friend's family's tailgate.  I love Tiger Walk and Walk of Champions and rolling Toomer's Corner. I love breakfasts grabbed on the square at Bottletree Bakery before heading to tailgate in the grove

And, honestly, as silly as it may sound to some, I'm feeling a little blue and a bit homesick this week because Football starts and I won't be there! And, at this moment, I have no plans to be there at all this year unless I can squeeze a game day trip in later this fall.  COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS HUGE WHERE I AM FROM, SO MISSING A FOOTBALL SEASON IS ALMOST LIKE MISSIG A HOLIDAY. And, for those who didn't grow up with college football as such a big part of your lives, this sadness probably doesn't make sense...but it is a HUGE part of my life that is changing this fall.

In the South, College Football...

....is one of my family's main hobbies, way to bond, and way to spend time togethers. We have so many memories of weekends spent in Oxford, so many pictures, so many traditions, etc.

....is something that the SOUTH does best.  In a country that hates on the South, full of people who automatically assume we're lacking in many ways, I LOVE that when it comes to football, there is article after article about the SEC and how dominant it is, about how tailgating in  the South is SUPREME, about how football Saturdays in  the south is like no other place in AMERICA.

....signals fall in the South. Trust me, if there was no college football, we wouldn't know it's fall til the end of October.  College football signals a time for mums, fall colors, the -ber months, and occasionally a slight breeze. (It does finally cool of by late October/early November!)

....introduces the BEST time of the year: football weekends then the HOLIDAYS!

....was one of the predominant ways in overcoming racism.  Integration in Sports helped integration in life.

...is a way to escape, atleast it is for me.  If you had a rough week or if you have a rough summer or fall, every week you get to tune out and focus on football! True, I don't think you should always tune out of reality, but we all need a break at times, and checking out to watching football is probably a lot better than other forms of "checking out."

....unites you with others.  I believe in AUBURN. I love what the school stands for. I like the spirit of overcoming and desire to work hard. I like standing there and cheering on our tigers with a group of people who feel as I do.

....is a form of hospitality.  WALK AROUND the grove and you will likely be invited into someone else's tent to tailgate.  You will run into someone you know or meet someone new and be invited in.  The South is known for hospitality, particularly my home state of Mississippi, and tailgates at various schools are a huge vehicle for southerners to show hospitality to others!!


CREATING NEW TRADITIONS

When we were planning to move, we assumed it would be Alabama, most likely Birmingham. One of the biggest pros for Birmingham (for me, atleast) was it's proximity to Auburn (1.5 - 2 hrs) and Oxford (2.5 -3 hrs).  I had visions in my head of football saturdays, tailgates, season tickets and eventually children in cheerleading uniforms and jerseys!

DC was our first choice of places to move (so we were thrilled when we got the chance), BUT one of the top items on the con list was the lack of proximity to SEC football :(  And, so, we are having to come up with alternative ways to enjoy gamedays and "pluses" to being away.

My main plus is COLLEGE GAMEDAY on ESPN. I usually only get to watch a portion of the show, if any, because I am headed to a game. Now we can leisurely watch the pregame show while doing chores.  Another plus is the ability to watch a LOT of games.  That only happened on the Saturdays I stayed in Jackson. ALSO, I love the idea of going to a sports bar to watch a game.  I haven't done that but once or twice since law school.  I usually fill up on tailgate food on gamedays and never sit down for a real meal, so I am excited to cook chili and hamburgers and hotdogs and other "football watching" meals.  I'm eager to plug in with the Auburn, Ole Miss and MSU (yes, its true, but I did marry a grad!) DC alum groups and going to their respective sports bars to watch the games, maybe meet some other alums! 

So, it will be different, BUT even so, we are planning to celebrate this upcoming weekend, beginning with hotdogs, beer and chips for the Ole Miss v Vandy game this THURSDAY!! (yes folks, 4 days til college football!!!!)  I already have an Ole Miss decorative hanger in my kitchen and an Auburn hanger on the front door.  I even unpacked some of my gameday clothes last week! 

so it will be DIFFERENT, BUT STILL GOOD. I can't help but be excited because even in DC, it's football season! WAR EAGLE AND HOTTY TODDY!

Oh, and luckily, I still have my favorite football date.... (and yes, that's an ole miss hat in the pic below...when you are planning to ask someone for his daughter's hand in marriage in the near future and that same person hands you an Ole Miss cap to wear to the game, you wear it !!!)

My lessons as a "Stay at Home" Wife

In 2 weeks, I get to work again! I can't wait to put on a blazer on and have lunch dates and research and write and take a metro and see people.  I learned a lot about marriage while at home though, and in some ways will miss the luxury of being at home.

I'm linking up with Almost Gypsy Soul for Soul Food Friday -- What feeds your soul? I don't know if I am doing the assignment correctly-- It might be that I am supposed to link to a article or quote ?? But, what feeds my soul these days is learning to be a good wife which I hear is a lifelong process!

My time as a "stay at home" wife has taught me 6 important things about marriage that will be carried on into my working wife days:

(1) Look nice for your husband.  Dave didn't always come home to find me in a sundress and perfectly styled, but I tried to have makeup on and my hair brushed each evening when he gets home, even if it means putting on more mascara while cooking dinner! I was never in my PJ's, although it would be easy not to get dressed all day since I didn't leave the house.  When we had plans or date nights, I made sure I looked cute.  There was only one day when he came home and I was wearing the same gym clothes from that morning -- and that was only because I was unpacking and time got away from me! (ha and he noticed!) It will be easy to dress up everyday from now on out because I work, but I still want to make the effort when we go out, etc. If I can dress up for work, I should certainly doll myself up for my husband! (Luckilly my husband could care less about fancy clothes so shorts and a tanktop and makeup usually does the trick!)

(2) Show gratefulness.  If Dave and I have struggled with anything these past 2 months, its a lack of gratefulness for all the other person does.  I did the flying home, packing, moving, unpacking, most of the cleaning, ironing and cooking.  Dave is making our only income at the moment and pays our bills.  The fact that he works has given me the freedom to look for jobs I want, rather than taking a job at a nearby restaurant. It's easy to focus on what I do and overlook HOW MUCH he does for us.  I've made it a goal to be appreciative everyday -- appreciative of any chores he does, appreciative of how hard he works, etc.  Likewise, it means so much to me when Dave appreciates a meal or chores. I think when we are both working and splitting the chores, it will be a temptation to focus ONLY on what isn't being done, I hope that my goal of gratefulness can be carried on to the next stage of our marriage/careers.

(3) Celebrate! We celebrated our 1 month anniversary and plan to celebrate our 2 month anniversary too. Life is - and will always be- full of challenges, frustrations and well, just boring not so wonderful days.  Why not celebrate small thing with spouses, friends and family? Nothing big, just small things like a note in someone's lunchbox, bringing home a cupcake, enjoying a bottle of wine, making breakfast for dinner or going out for ice cream.  I've had time for celebration because I haven't been working, but I hope we always find reasons to enjoy and celebrate life even when I'm busy with home and work.

(4) Play together OUTSIDE of the house.  And by play, I mean explore, hike, see the city, try new restaurants, etc  It's so easy to just enjoy hanging out (and I am a HUGE fan of that).  One of the things that sucks about the single life is that you have to stay so so busy -- parties, dinners out, movies, bars, etc (and YOU ALWAYS WANT TO JUST TAKE A LAZY NIGHT IN)....but one of the best things about the single life is that you ALWAYS stay busy!! (It's kindof a pro and a con!) When you're in a serious relationship and when you are married, it's easy to just enjoy those nights in  watching TV, but I think it's important to still go out, have hobbies, explore -- like when we were first dating.  It helps that we are in a new city so we are exploring, but I hope we continue to make time together OUTSIDE our home a priority, atleast once a week.  Too much in DC to enjoy, and my favorite person to explore with is DAVE!

(5) Do chores/run errands together.  It's not feasible to do all your chores together.  I obviously did most of the chores while I was at home, but after one really hard trip to the grocery store where I lugged several bags home, we started doing the bulk of our grocery shopping on the weekend (minus a few trips for milk and other staples).  AND we usually do our laundry together on Sunday mornings.  Switching out the loads and carrying the clothes back upstairs and folding -- all while watching TV and eating lunch. Because I do most of the cooking, dishes, unpacking by myself when Dave is at work, I have loved doing these weekend chores together, partly because I love the help and partly because chores seem less like chores when done with someone else :) !!! Obviously, now that I will have less time at home, I love the idea of sharing chores because there is no way I can get the chores done alone.  But, I also just REALLY love our lazy morning of laundry and weekend shopping trip together. :) Doing the mundane with someone else is a lot more fun!

(6) Look for Cheap and Free.  Living on one income in one of the most expensive cities in America has involved buying groceries on weekly special and with coupons, going to free activities, cooking in a lot, packing lunches for Dave --- to save money for the occasional meal out. We have learned to appreciate cheap and free. Even with 2 incomes, I still want to be money conscious because our second job is only a clerk's salary so we won't be making a lot by DC's standards -- and because watching our money and choosing cheap and free is wise and will benefit us as we pay off student loans and save.  Plus choosing cheap and free makes the occasional splurge on a nice meal or weekend trip okay.  I definitely plan on looking for the cheap options even after I start working.

Around the Neighborhood: Oby Lee's

Last week, I met two Jackson friends for dinner at Oby Lee's Winery and Creperie which is in Clarendon and about a mile from our house-- I will definitely going back!  The crepes were good, but definitely the best part was the wine fountain!

With the wine fountain, you buy a plastic card with money on it, kindof like a metro card.  You then put the card in the slot on the fountain and pick a wine and an amount that you want (1/4, 1/2, full glass)  The waiter said that some customers keep their card loaded up and just walk in and go straight to the wine fountain.

I liked the fountain and it will definitely be a place I visit again just because it's fun -- however I can find wine cheaper other places so it's not a place to go all the time. I loved Oby Lee's though, because this is the type of place you can only find in a big city.  Wine Fountains aren't everywhere!