A New Pet?

On my way to work this morning, I abruptly stopped in front of the newspaper stand. A picture on the front page of the paper had begged my attention. It was a baby leopard, born at the national zoo. Unbelievably adorable, this precious ball of orange and black fur pulled at my heart strings like only newborn animals can do (I was overwhelmed with emotion when I saw pictures of little Tai Shan, the panda born three years ago). Early yesterday, two leopard cubs were found alive--the first time in 16 years!

Chocolate Mojitos

After the shower, I collapsed on my apartment couch for a blissful 30 minutes. I awoke and rushed to a clock to check the time. It was 7:10! Dinner started at 8pm, and I had was supposed to arrive at Dan's sisters' hotel room at 7:15 for a make-up touch up. I quickly changed into my bachelorette party attire--a simple, short black dress and tall black boots, adorned with green dangling earrings and a green shawl. I made it to the hotel by 7:30, and with no time for make-up, Dan's sisters, cousin and I hopped in a cab to the restaurant, Coco Salas. Chocolate mojitos are their signature drink, and I had one in hand quite soon after I arrived. It was delicious. The green mint flakes fluttered in the drink, which was topped with dark chocolate shavings. I was given a pink feather boa, a tiara that said "Bride to Be," a garter, and some other bachelorette items, and soon the food came out, one dish at a time.

The scrumptious mac and cheese tart, the portebella mushroom pizza, and my favorite--the goat cheese and beet salad--were all quickly devoured, along with the mojitos. Sixteen of us girls were out on the town, and the group of us sipped and ate, laughed and talked, (some) took shots, caught up with old friends, and just celebrated a night out! Occasionally, a stranger would come up to me and offer his or her congratulations. I would look puzzled for a moment, and then remember between my boa and tiara, the fact I was on my way to marriage was all too clear!

Minutes Become Moments

I felt a burst of excitement as my parents' house filled with family and friends from every stage of my life. On the eve of spring, I admired people's light pink skirts and royal blue dresses. The kitchen was filled with bite-sized goat cheese, chive, and cucumber sandwiches; cranberry scones topped with blackberry jam; and creamy mini cheesecakes drizzled with chocolate sauce. After chit chat and nibbling, my shower guests formed a circle formed to watch me unwrap my shower presents. My grandmother was to my right, handing me a knife to open the more unruly boxes and a glass of water to keep me hydrated. My future niece Ashley sat on the floor, almost as excited as I was for each gift. She diligently made sure every piece of wrapping paper went into a white trash bag, while her cousin, two-year old Yael absorbed the whole shower experience with wide-eyed curiosity. My shower was on Saturday, smack in the middle of a fun-filled bachelorette weekend. Yesterday afternoon, as most of the out-of-town relatives and friends had flown home, I sat in a pedicure chair, relaxing as my feet got pampered. I read an article on mindfulness, and the piece begged people to make minutes into moments. To be aware of everything around you at a given point, to relish and savor that time. The shower was most definitely a moment.

Hello, Again

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I posted on mindful bride. I missed it. I was busy, well, wedding planning! And finishing up some work assignments. But rather than go into any of that right now, I wanted to discuss a meditation workshop I attended last weekend. It was a four-hour affair, complete with several guided sitting meditations, some walking and slow movement meditations, and finally, the most relaxing thing ever--laying down meditation. The course was challenging, especially the sitting ones. I felt my legs grow numb from the lack of circulation, my mind wandering off to all sorts of other topics, and my shut eyes begging to open up and take in the whole world around them. Meditation isn't easy. We had a 15-minute break before the second half of the workshop, and once we returned we entered the laying down meditation. Laying down has its own challenges--namely, not falling asleep--but I found it the most peaceful experience. Closing my eyes, relaxing my body, I didn't think about work, or wedding, or anything else. I just lay. I don't know how long I was there, but when I reentered reality, I felt so calm. I took note of that feeling, and remember it when the world around me gets stressful.

Four Lists Become One**

This weekend, we put our finishing touches on our guest list. Dan and I are on the edge of the millennial generation, a generation not known for snail mail correspondence or staying in one place for too long. So tracking down addresses was difficult. And as people who grew up with spell check--a tool with miminal functionality for editing a list of names and cities--we had to carefully review all the facts with our naked eye. But we persevered and created a beautiful Microsoft Excel document with all our invitees listed alphabetically. Looking through it was pretty amazing: family I've known my whole life, friends from childhood and ones I've met more recently, my parents' friends who I grew up with, family and friends of Dan's that I've gotten to know so well over the last four plus years, and then a few people I haven't met yet but heard lots of stories about--like Dan's uncle in South Africa and his father's racket ball partner. And so, with the "i"s literally dotted and "t"s crossed, we are sending the list to the invitation vendor, who will somewhat magically return them, sealed and addressed, back to us for mailing.
**title created by mother of the bride

The Dress Has Arrived

As it often is, my cell phone was packed away in my purse yesterday so I didn't hear its vibrations. But as I was walking home from work, I saw the missed call. An unidentified Northern Virginia number. Hmmm, who could that be? Then, in an instant, I realized: It was about the dress! It had arrived at Tysons Corner, a suburban shopping center.And sure enough, when I listened to the voicemail, my instincts were right on. It was in! Excitement rushed through my body. Yay! Now, here comes the fittings and adjustments and tying up the loose ends, literally. I am still deciding exactly how to wear my hair and style my make-up, but instead of worrying about it, I am excited for my wedding look. I'm consulting friends, magazines, and my devoted hair stylist. Sure, I know it's a little silly to think about my appearance so much for just one day, but it's really one of the few times I feel comfortable letting myself slightly obsess.

In Like A Lion

So March is my birthday month BUT it's kinda awful right now. My 25-minute trek to work was, well, miserable. The biting winds, the patches of ice---no, no, no! Shouldn't spring be on its way already? Shouldn't the buds be sprouting up on the naked trees? I know I said last time that snow had a calming effect--clearly I didn't know what I was talking about. A calming situation would be me on a beach with a pina colada in hand. In warm weather! But what can you do, except drink hot tea, wear warm clothes, and complain a bit on your blog. And constantly reapply the hand lotion, because as soon as I apply, the skin absorbs the moisturizer like quicksand and begs for more. But then, as I write and vent, I remember that if March is in like a lion, surely it's out like a lamb, as the elementary school saying goes. And I say that not only as a prayer for good weather on my wedding day, but as a reminder that even if the going is rough at times, sooner or later the wind stops blowing, the trees have rich green leaves, and the sun shines brightly on a 70 degree day. And my fruity cocktail is waiting for me.

Snowfall

The weather forecasters said it would happen, but I didn't believe them. Last night was mere flurries, more ice than snow itself. But nothing was accumulating on the streets. When the flakes fell on the pavement, they simply vanished. Something changed overnight, because when I woke up and peered out the window, the streets and cars outside were blanketed in soft white snow. Flakes were (are) still falling from the sky. Again, I think about how snow follows me. Yesterday was my birthday, and just as with my birth and Bat Mitzvah, I was greeted with snow. Last night I was annoyed with the snow, frustrated that it would make all the errands I have to do today more difficult. But as I was going to sleep, I closed my eyes and saw snowfall. The flakes dropping diagonally with the wind had a soothing effect on me, as I drifted into sleep another year older. I was content with the falling of the snow, happy it was falling now and not in three months.