Garden Walk

Sorry, friends. I am a terrible blogger. I wish I had more thrilling things to write about...but it seems that I'm stuck with writing about James, Oliver, and me. My regrets. My life right now is simple. Let's see...James is writing papers, and I am working furiously, trying to do well in my new job in the ER (which I'm loving). Every morning, James and I drive a half-hour to Orchard Park, NY, where I take an Anatomy and Physiology class, and James works in a factory. We are constantly discussing the pros and cons of having only one car, and we've come to the conclusion that it's good, because it makes us dependent on each other. We're still thoroughly enjoying spending the greater part of every day together, which I count a major blessing. I am still taking my prerequisite courses, paying double for tuition, being an out-of-stater (miserable), and enjoying my classes. The plan is for both James and I to apply to graduate school in Buffalo for next year (2008). James will apply to UB for his PhD, and I'll try my darnedest to get into that 12-month Accelerated Nursing Program at UB. We love Buffalo. We're hoping to stay here for a while...turns out we have some great friends just over the border, and we are liking our life here. The architecture in this city is staggering. There are some of the largest, most beautiful homes I've ever seen, just planted all throughout the city. We've got the Frank Lloyd Wright house just around the corner, and other architectural jewels lining the Buffalo streets. And right now, the flowering trees are blooming, the air is cool, and the sky is brilliant blue. The streets are lined with trees, and we're finding out that Buffalonians take impeccable care of their yards and gardens. In fact, James and I are planning to take the much talked-about Garden Walk, where over 260 Buffalo residents open up their personal gardens for the public to tour...if you want in on this, come visit during the last weekend in July! We'd love to have company!

Old Coat

"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." -Austin Phelps

I must say, this is James's and my motto....holes in our socks, but by George, we just found a beautiful old copy of Austin or Wharton at the used bookstore downtown. Anyhow, the purpose of this post is to show off the beautiful new bookshelf that we just received from Mom and Dad Van Wyck as a wedding gift. Hand-crafted in a New Jersey woodshop by a talented craftsman (Dad!), it finally made its way up to Buffalo, where its new home was anxiously awaiting it! Mind you, we did have to turn the place upside-down to find the PERFECT spot for it (just ask Andrea and Jennifer, poor girls; they had to deal with the most particular, yet indecisive couple in the history of time when they helped us move, re-move, and finally fill the bookshelf!) It's made of oak, with a "Colonial American" stain. It holds about half our books, which is a feat, I must say. Thanks, Mom and Dad Van Wyck! We love it! The astute viewers among us will also notice that above the bookshelf hangs a beautiful painting of a Scottish countryside church at sunset, a gift from Mom and Dad Ziegler. The two fit perfectly together. Symbolic of the perfect union of families...on that cheesy note, I'll sign off to recover from my run--I can't stay inside, now that Buffalo is finally thawing out! It was 75 degrees today!