Leaves

Dear Leaves,

It's no secret that I love fall, so by definition, you're included in that.  I've been meaning to take some pictures of the changing trees in our neighborhood or along the river, but didn't get around to it.

But, Kyle and I had a lovely evening last week raking (and piling and bagging and stuffing and raking and bagging).  Really, it was a gift to have an opportunity to be outside and smell your fall-ness smell and hear your crunchiness.


I suggested we leave  a big pile of you on the parkway for kids to jump into and play in, but Kyle said he had no desire to rake twice, so into the bag you all went, with almost the same efficiency as Jim Stoner demands.






<-------  So glad I married this one.





Here's to a few short weeks left to enjoy you until spring.  (Leaves that is, not the great outdoors - I have very strategic plans in place so as to maximize my outdoor enjoyment this winter).

Cheers,
Julie




-What do you call a hotdog on October 31st?


-A Halloweenie!

Birthday

Dear Birthday,

It's no secret.  I like you. A lot. 

It's taken me a while to admit that - I feel the social pressure to maintain an appearance of humility, which apparently equates to insisting that one's birthday is "no big deal".  Pish-posh.

I don't think I necessarily make a big deal of you, so much as I just really really like you.  Who wouldn't?

You're consistent.  Always the same day each year.
You're responsible.  Never late.
You're even. Always solid on the 24th - not odd or prime.
You're celebratory. Obviously.
You're beautiful.  Fall is gorgeous, so are pumpkins.
You're globally-minded.  United Nations Day.
You're considerate.  Not too close to major holidays.
You're noble. Feast of Saint Anthony Claret.

So, I'm coming clean: no more pretending that you're "just another day".  I'm embracing that you're special and worth celebrating, because I'm worth that too.  Jesus said so, ergo it's true.

Thankful for dear friends with which to celebrate.  And generous ones who shared gifts, cards, and sentiments.  And of course my parents, who are always good for a Birthday limerick (Mom) and a Frank Sinatra-esque rendition of "Happy Birthday" via voicemail (Dad).  And to Kyle, who indulges me pretty much every day of the year, but especially on you, this special day. 

So, thank you dear Birthday for 26 great ones - here's to many more!

Gratefully,
The Birthday Girl

Update

Dear Update,

It's been a while.  There are reasons.  Some good.  Some lame.

Perhaps the overarching ones being: time (went back to full-time work and enrolled in part-time classes) and blog limitations (I'm realizing the precedent that I set with this whole "letters" thing can actually be quite limiting.  It demands a named recipient, and significantly limits some of my stream-of-conscious thoughts that I'd like to write about, but can't seem to fit within this structure).

So, for now, I write to and about some updates:
-It's fall. I. love. fall.  Not just because my birthday falls in the fall I love all the usual things that anyone who loves fall loves about it: pumpkin-flavored anything, turning trees, smells in the air, approaching holidays, reasons to stay inside and get cozy, better opportunities to bake, no need for air conditioners.
-School.  Ho boy.  It's good.  Really really good.  The first two times I was on campus for classes I couldn't stop smiling - I was giddy. Literally. Called my Mom talking a mile a minute about how academia and Julie have been reunited and the sparks are still there.  I'm so thankful for this opportunity** and am really enjoying my classes and the material.  Perhaps even bigger news is my perspective on classes.  I'm trying really hard to stick to the boundaries I've set regarding time, grades, and material.  Being a perfectionist, and someone who is quite frankly unfamiliar with anything that doesn't start and end with an "A", I've had many moments where I've had to remind myself that grades aren't everything.  I actually received what I'm pretty sure is the first C- of my life. Okay my group received it and we mostly blame the one girl who turned in the paper, but alas, I haven't lost any sleep over this.  I could write more about these boundaries and school and plans, but I'm thinking I'll save that for another letter.
-Travel.  Apparantly the Oostras decide to plan most of our travel plans during October and November.  This happened last year too.  It's all fun stuff: wedding in Michigan, game weekend in Wisconsin, graduation in California, and of course the all-important, don't-you-forget-it-if-you-married-a-Minnesota-boy, hold-on-to-your-flourescent-orange-apparal-please: hunting weekend(s)!
-Work.  The generic answer I have for anyone who asks about this topic is: "transitions".  Depending on who you are and how well I know you, I might launch into the gory, emotive details.  I won't here.  But let's just say this is another area where I'm praying for boundaries and perpsective.  Things have been STRESSful and I'm not really sure what the next few months will look like, so I'm holding things loosely and doing what I can.

That's enough for now ....

Julie