Saturday, August 24, 2013

Berry Picking at Kelder's Farm

"Have blueberries whenever you are low -- destiny will change and you will be high."
(Adam Voichester)

On the 2nd weekend of August, Sam and I went berry picking with some friends at Kelder's Farm in Kerhonkson, NY while we were upstate for a church retreat. It was a beautiful August Saturday, and we had a lot of fun looking for ripe little jewels of sweetness (which were perfect for the English summer pudding I made with them later), walking around the farm, and meeting the world's largest garden gnome.

Lots of veggies to pick, too

Blackberries


Blueberries

Little Avery loved the blueberries

Raspberries


Around the Farm

Such a pretty scene
My berry loot and friendly giant garden gnome

That was 2 weeks ago. This past Wednesday, Sam took the USMLE Step 2 exam, and we met for a nice dinner at Caffè Storico at the New-York Historical Society; thanks to Grace for the birthday gift card!

This weekend, our vacation has officially begun. Today, we're going to Citi Field to watch the New York Mets play the Detroit Tigers, and early Monday morning we will drive down to Washington, DC and spend a day and night there, then head to Virginia Beach for a couple of days. We haven't seen a beach since our honeymoon in Antigua last July!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Reflecting on 30+ Birthdays

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"
(Satchel Paige)

Consider the question above, and feel free to share your answer and reason with me below. My answer: 27. It's rather arbitrary, but I feel it's a solid age, bordering the mid- to late-20s, when you've had a good deal of adult life experience but your future is still wide open and your body and mind are intact.

I know age is just a number, and some say 30 is the new 20, or 40 is the new 30, but unless they are referring to Hollywood (where some 50-year-old women act and dress like they're 21), I disagree. Once I went from 29 to 30 I wanted to stop counting the years, but truly, as long as my life is full leading up to my senior years, I'll be happy to grow old gracefully.

The Last 5 Years

I didn't have birthday parties as a kid, and as a result, I've never been excited about my own birthday, but as an adult I've definitely had good times celebrating with friends. Looking back on the past several years, I know I have much to be thankful for.

My birthday: 2008-2012
(In 2009, my nephew was just over 1 week old!)

Celebrating with My Husband
  
On the morning of my birthday, August 1, Sam made me a delicious homemade cronut, stuffed with vanilla pudding, fried in butter, topped with cinnamon sugar, with lemon and vanilla glazes...


That evening, we had dinner at Nobu New York in Tribeca, which was the first time either of had been to a Nobu restaurant, so I'm glad we went to the original...


I also found out that a mystery rose gold watch that was shipped to my office was from Sam...


Thoughtful Friends and Family
  
Another unexpected package I received contained frozen chocolate-covered bananas, reminiscent of the Bluth banana stand...


I was given several lovely gifts from friends and family, which always takes me by surprise.

Lunch in Brooklyn
  
On Saturday afternoon, we had a family lunch at Moim, a modern Korean restaurant in Park Slope, and then Belgian waffles from the Wafels & Dinges truck...


Back to Tribeca
  
My friend Leslie reached out to a bunch of people and organized a great dinner at Macao Trading Co. on Saturday night...

(Bottom left image: Christine M. / Right image: Jennifer C.)

...and drinks and dancing at M1-5. Both places are located in Tribeca (sometimes stylized as TriBeCa, for "Triangle Below Canal Street"), which is close to my office and easy to get to from Brooklyn.

(Top image: Jennifer C.)

Now I want to take the time to reflect on my goals and dreams for this new year of life and the future. I hope that my 30s, 40s, and even further down the road, God willing, will be full of good things and that my marriage, family, and personal and spiritual development will only grow stronger and more fulfilling.

(Image: Pinterest)
(Image: Pinterest)

When I'm 64, I wonder what my life will be like... Until then, I'll try to view each passing birthday as a blessing! So, how old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?