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| I lead a busy life. I work, go to grad school, volunteer as a youth pastor, and have a photography business on the side. In my busy life, there is a man. This man just put a sparkling diamond ring on my finger on my birthday last tuesday. Since he did, I've found myself continually distracted. Not only is the ring gorgeous, but every time I'm feeling stressed, I see my ring and remember that he loves me. Then, something magical happens. I smile. Even when I'm completely overwhelmed with paperwork and deadlines... I smile. Now, I know that it's still new to me, but i hope that part never changes. It's not just a ring, it's part of my fairy tale story. Sure, fairy tales may be cheesy, and they don't show the struggles that are hidden within the "happily ever after," but they represent something real. There is a love that's deeper (and certainly longer lasting) than a Hollywood marriage. There is a love that reflects the love of God, our creator. There is a love that binds two people like Christ is bound to the church. I believe with all my heart that I have found that love. We both know that there are struggles within the happily-ever-afters. We also know that when we work together, we can grow from them; they don't have to rule or ruin us. After being a bridesmaid 8 times, I am absolutely thrilled to be a bride (I was starting to worry). For me, though, it's not just about being a bride. It's not just about the ring, the white dress, the cake, or being treated like a princess for a day. It means I am beginning a new chapter of life and taking on a new role- the role of a wife. I will gladly add that job to my list. I know there are responsibilities, but I welcome them. Although, I will admit, I get excited about the wedding planning and the details, but our wedding is truly something special. It's a celebration. It's a celebration of the love that we have found in each other and a celebration of God's love for us. Without God's love, we would have nothing to reflect. We are both eternally thankful for that love. I am also thankful for the love and support of our friends and family and looking forward to the celebration of our fairy tale story!! | | |
| Okay... so, it's been a really long day and I'm exhausted. After work and class, I was headed home and, although I was very tired, decided to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up the last piece of my perfect little nephew's first birthday present. Really, I had to talk myself into stopping.... very tired. So, I stopped, and decided to refill my 5 gallon water jug (for my water cooler) while i was there. I finished my shopping and went to stand in line. and stood in line. and stood in line. and stood in line. and... get the picture? No joke, it had to be 15-20 minutes. Ridiculous. I finally get to the cashier and had to help explain to her how to ring up the water and another item (a basketball mom asked me to pick up, that had a barcode printed on it but no sticker), and FINALLY made it to the door. Of course, the security alarm went off. Any other day, mind you, i probably would have been waved on through. Not today, of course... just that kind of day. The lady came over to me and asked what I thought set it off. I pulled out an ink cartridge refill kit. She checked it, and it beeped. So, for some unknown reason, she took it back to a register and passed it over the security tag deactivator. Then, she asked if I had a receipt (should i even mention that this is somewhat embarrassing?). I replied, "I stood in line for 15 minutes for it, but i have it," as I pulled out the receipt and handed it to her. I was frustrated, but was still nice to her, just for the record. She began looking for it on the receipt, asking how much it was. I said "$12.00" as I noticed that there was nothing on the receipt for $12.00. Not only had the cashier not deactivated the security tag, I was charged $14.97 for an item that was marked $12.00. Immediately, she said, "Oh, well just go to Customer Service and get your money back," as she took the refill kit from my hands and over to her little log and started entering the information for a return. Meanwhile, I was trying to tell her that I was just tired of being in the store and wanted to leave. She still handed it back and ushered me in the direction of Customer service. Annoyed, but somewhat appreciative of her good intentions, I went. At the customer service desk, there were two customers in line in front of me and absolutely no employees behind the desk. I stood there for approximately 3-4 seconds, put the refill kit back in a bag and headed for the door, telling the nice greeter politely that it's not worth the $3.00 before heading out the door. Wal-Mart. Blah. Oh well, I had some frustrating points today, but I also had some smiles, so I guess it evens out in the end. :) | | |
| CappuccinoFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A typical cappuccino with foam. Cappuccino is an Italian coffee-based drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and milk foam. A cappuccino differs from a caffè latte which is mostly milk and a only a little foam. The brown espresso is poured in the middle of the foamed milk in the cup, giving the white band around the brown centre. A cappuccino is traditionally served in a ceramic cup, which has far better heat retention characteristics than glass or paper. The foam on top of the cappuccino acts as an insulator and helps retain the heat of the liquid, allowing it to stay hotter longer. Cappuccino originated in post-World War II Italy. The beverage is named after the color of the Capuchin monks habit, which is light/darkish brown with a white hood. The Italian word for hood, "cappuccio", is often used colloquially for the beverage. The '-ino' suffix denotes a diminutive in Italian. Besides a shot of espresso, the most important element in preparing a cappuccino is the texture and temperature of the milk. When a barista steams the milk for a cappuccino, he or she creates microfoam by introducing very tiny bubbles of air into the milk, giving the milk a velvety texture and sweetness. There are also "wet cappuccinos", (3/4 hot milk and 1/4 milk foam), -in Italy called 'cappuccino chiaro', and "dry cappuccinos" (1/4 hot milk and 3/4 milk foam), -in Italian 'Cappuccino scuro' -and "bone dry cappuccinos" (only the espresso and a full cup of milk foam). Attaining the correct ratio of foam requires close attention be paid while steaming the milk, thus making the cappuccino one of the more difficult espresso-based beverages to make properly. Cappuccino was a taste largely confined to Europe, Australia and the more cosmopolitan regions of North America, until the mid-1990s when cappuccino was made much more widely available to North Americans, as part of the new upscale coffee bar chains with a consciously created "European" ambience (such as Starbucks). In Italy, cappuccino is generally consumed early in the day as part of a light breakfast, with croissant, better known to Italians as cornetto. Generally, Italians do not drink cappuccino with meals other than breakfast; however, it is a very common habit in Italy to have a cappuccino and croissant after a night out, even if it is about time to go to bed. In other countries it is consumed throughout the day or after dinner. In the United States, the term "iced cappuccino" (or cappuccino "Freddo") is somewhat of a misnomer since the characteristic frothed milk is generally omitted in the iced variation. Without the frothed milk, the drink is called an iced latte. The term has nevertheless spread in some Mediterranean countries where foam is added to an iced latte just before serving. International Coffee Houses' standards prohibit the preparation of hot milk foam over ice, since it is condusive to the rapid buildup of bacteria. It is possible to froth cold milk using various methods, and such preparation avoids the safety issues associated with hot foam and ice. By the start of the 21st century a modified version of cappuccino was being served by the McDonald's fast-food chain. Tim Hortons, a large Canadian coffee and doughnut chain, began serving cappuccino in the 1990s, but achieved greater success with flavoured cappuccino and, more notably, iced cappuccino. The widespread acceptance in the U.S. of what was once regarded as a taste of coastal urbanites and older Italian-Americans led to many establishments, such as convenience stores, offering what they represent as cappuccino to their patrons. However, that product is usually an ersatz cappuccino produced by machines similar to those that mix cocoa drinks. The drink that comes out is usually produced either from a manufactured mix or double-brewed coffee and bears little relation to the real thing. Similar products result from home use of store-bought mixes usually advertised, more accurately, as producing "frothed coffee."
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