I'm anxious.

I know, I know. You're like all What else is new?

But I get on an airplane in two days and the only thing going through my head is Is this a good idea?

Because the decision to go back to the state of my birth and the land of my childhood was all mine. I pushed for it.

I felt a...

pull.

Sometimes I think back to my life 20 years ago (or more!) and the memory of it seems kind of... hazy. Early onset senility? Possible. Or maybe it's just that my life has changed so much since then and I've been gone for so, so long. It seems like a different person lived that life.

Such a cliche!

But it's what I'm feeling.

When I get to Boston I'll be staying with the only person from high school that I have any real contact with. (Sorry, Facebook. You're not that real.) She grew up around the corner from me.

Not figuratively.

Literally. Around the corner. You would walk down my street a few feet and bang a left. (As they are wont to say in Beantown.)

She has since bought and now resides in her grandmother's old house. It is kitty-corner to my childhood home. Someone else lives there now. Do you think I should knock on their door the way they always do in the movies?

Probably not. But maybe when I see it at least, maybe then I'll remember that it all really happened.

I really and truly rode my sky-blue banana-seat bicycle down that street. I really and truly trudged in and out of the bulkhead doors dressed in a full set of snow pants and moon boots (moon boots!) after sledding down a steep hill at the edge of my very own yard.

I really and truly spent summer days swimming in my neighbor's pool and choreographing elaborate dance routines with my friends to Summer Lovin'. I really and truly spent the evenings playing kick-the-can until my mother rang the bell telling us it was time to come in.

I really and truly wore saddle shoes to junior high. (Nerd!) And stepped into a limousine parked out front on my way to prom. (Didn't matter. Still a nerd!)

Is that what it's going to take to make it real again?

Will seeing be believing?

Soon enough, I guess I'll find out.

*Pronunciation key to my home town's name:

Residents will pronounce it Woo-bin.

The rest of us, myself included, should pronounce it Woo-burn.

Now you know!

Grace has an old friend... which sounds strange to say for someone at the ripe old age of eight. And yet Grace and Scott's history is long.

And even though a few more miles separate them now (although not too many)... they are still fast friends.

So on Saturday evening, these two old friends shared a few hours to take an important step in the gospel of Jesus Christ, baptism.

They dressed in white while their friends and families gathered around. There was beautiful music, meaningful and heartfelt talks and even a little laugh or two.

And afterwards there was food, naturally! And goofing off. And a lingering feeling of contentment and joy... the kind that comes with knowing that you've been blessed and the understanding that family isn't always limited to those who share your bloodlines.

Although truth be told, we have a deep fondness for that kind of family too...

So here's to old friends, loving family members and shared moments of joy. And here's a little extra to a young girl in a white dress from a very proud and happy mom.

With love...

We saw this story on the news last week. I guess it really had an impact on Grace because she chose to highlight it in her writing assignment. She needed to choose the most interesting current event she could think of and tell why she thinks it is so.

Her text: There are a lot of current events going on. Of course, I should only tell you one. The main current event was a mother's baby accidentally on the railroad tracks when a train was coming. But thankfully the baby was okay. This news was very frightening and interesting. There are a couple of reasons why I think it's interesting. First of all I think it's amazing that that baby is still alive. Second of all, I think it's interesting to watch that baby fall on the tracks. This current event was awesome (yet very scary!).

Do you already know about The Art of Manliness? Probably? Possibly? Not at all? Oh good, in that case I'm really excited to tell you about it.

It is a website created to "talk about all things manly - both the serious and the fun - but with the ultimate eye toward encouraging readers to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, men." (Click here to read more about the genesis of The Art of Manliness.)

Some of my favorites -

The Lessons in Manliness Series: Click here for a fascinating look Jimmy Stewart. Manly!

The So You Want My Job Series: Click here for a cool post on being a name consultant. As a matter of fact, I do want that manly man's job.

Or maybe you want to click here for a review of the manliest mustaches of all time? I'm not always a fan of the mustache... but that was clearly before I was remembering Tom Selleck, Clark Gable and the Swedish Chef.

So now you know what I've been reading lately. How about you?

A reluctant cheerleader, a coy Morticia, an emo Harry Potter and a showboating Hanz (minus the Franz) wish you a happy Halloween...

Disco Stu to Younger-Version-of-Himself-Ben while queuing up the next song on Rock Band.

Stu: Hey, do you want to sing a Journey Song?

Ben: Um... which one?

Stu: Dude, does it matter? It's JOURNEY.

And this is why I love my friends.

*This is decidedly not Fifi's dress.

At the costume shop:

Grace: I really think you should be "Fifi the French Maid" for Halloween.

Me: Really? I don't know. I think in order to pull that off I'd need to be a little more... um... (thinking to myself: sexy, indiscriminate, easy.... skinny.)

Grace: (Filling in for me).... Pretty?

Maggie reviews the pumpkin patch

The Hey Hay Jump: Uninspiring

Tree House Slide: Wearisome

Tree House: Ho-hum

Wooden Cut-Out Photo-Ops: Tiresome

Wooden Train: Tedious

Coyote Mountain Slide and Panning for Marbles: Moved me to tears

Crude Wooden Rocking Horse: Totally freaking awesome