february 23rd ...

last night w + i rented moneyball - a film about the oakland athletics and general manager billy beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. today would have been my grandpa's 89th birthday. i can't help but think how much he would have loved that movie.

wade once said to me, "i wish i had met your grandpa. it's evident what a solid man he was by how much he still is present when your family gets together."  he loved baseball. he loved his old leather recliner. he loved the walk to check his po box every day. he loved bobby kennedy + the rest of the democratic party. and most of all he loved his family.

a few other things that would have made my grandpa, haven hammond smile ...

(clockwise from upper left)

1 // grandpa was full of silly sayings. this was one of my favorites.

2 // grandpa was the biggest chicago cubs fan around. and we were raised to be the same. someday i hope my dad can take our little ones to wrigley to watch a game just like i did w/ grandpa. in the meantime, i think i need this vintage inspired tshirt by adidas.

3 // aren't these po box piggy banks via appalachian craftsmen on etsy cool? grandpa was the postmaster in martinsville, il for many years. and after he retired, my grandparents sold brookfield uniforms. i still have a brookfield pencil & notepad or two around the apartment.

4 // not gonna lie, my grandpa sang this song "he'll have to go" even prettier than jim reeves. okay, i might be biased. but he had a beautiful voice.

5 // yes - that's pert plus! :) i can't remember if it was christmas or his birthday, but one year that's all he asked for! he loved his pretty soft hair!

6 // grandpa was a member of the us navy where he served along w/ his good friend bobby kennedy. i'll have to find the picture of their class together. wouldn't this wool sailor's cap via dusty attic treasures on etsy be fun to have.

kansas city ...

wade's in kansas city until friday.

{then he flies into stl where i pick him up and we head home for shower #2 - yay! but that's a different story.}

i've been to k.c. once.

i was about 10 years old and it was my special trip w/ grandma and grandpa. every few years they went to a convention for brookfield uniforms and they would take one of us grandkids along.

i don't remember much about the trip. (poor memory, poo.) i remember taking a tour of the city ... seeing a big fountain in one of the parks and my first ever dog bakery (which i still think is silly). but this trip was particularly special bc grandma and grandpa had worked it out so that i could SING at the final banquet.

i remember waiting nervously for my turn. and finally walking up to the stage. the band played and i sang my little heart out.

when i sat back down grinning from ear to ear - bc yes, i was the girl that sang at the brookfield uniforms convention, one of the older men at the table tapped my shoulder and said ...

{drumroll}

"so honey, when is it you're going to sing?"

no one could hear me over the band. :(

i'll have to post some pics if i can find them. memories!

good news!

started of the morning a bit rough.

shoe + doggy doo = yuck!

still no word from bank of america = yuck!

so as a little pick-me-up i bought a new phone! oh thank you, retail therapy. guess what, blogosphere?!? i'm getting the droid incredible and it's blogger accessible. it's back-ordered until the 25th but then ... I'M BACK!

i hope you all had a wonderful memorial day.
i went home to martinsville, il (pop. 900 or so) for some serious r&r. i headed north saturday am and did a little garage saling/antique shopping on the way. (we're still searching for several wedding essentials - including 1 TALL crystal candlestick and a 13" cake plate. it will be fun to someday in the future buy things simply bc i like them again - and not with wedding purpose. okay - tangent aside.) my mom & grandma drove down on saturday. and my dad drove his motorcycle down on sunday. it was a quiet weekend - full of afternoon naps and long chats on the back porch.

there is something so relaxing about martinsville.

it's my mayberry.

* maybe it's the haze of the dust that trails me on the gravel roads that lead to town.

* maybe it's the friendly wave from the driver's seat of the tractors as we pass.

*maybe it's the countless hours spent coloring pictures, playing dominoes, & singing at the kitchen table with my grandma.

*maybe it's the memories hidden among the wild strawberries of the garden or the rickety old grand stand of the fairgrounds.

yes ... there is something about martinsville.

{yum!}

how did you spend the holiday?

in other news ... fantastic ridiculously exciting news ... 

we've finally decided on our honeymoon!

*** drum roll ***

we're going to spend 8 fantastic days in MOROCCO!

wade initially wanted the entire honeymoon to be a surprise. but wade and i are lousy secret keepers - from each other at least. (christmas has come about 3 weeks early each year since we started dating!) now however - he promises to keep the details of the trip a secret from me. he has teamed up with fellow blogger maryam in marrakech and together they are coming up with a perfect get-away!

a recent tweet from @MyMarrakesh: Working on honeymoon package for Peacock Pavilions.  *pure magic*  Makes me want to get married all over again.

how exciting!

okay okay - i'm completely over the dog poop! and feeling a little less hateful of BoA. 

hope you have a splendid day! xo.