Dinner & Decisions

Last night we spent another evening with the Susan Tedeschi band - sans Susan - at Tim’s aunt and uncle’s, as they stopped in Cleveland for a day on their way to Chicago. It was great to hang out with them in a relaxed environment. Everyone was going nuts over the meatballs Uncle Daniel had made, so for one brief and almost undetected moment, I tried just a small bite (I’m quite a strict vegetarian otherwise.) Having accidently eaten meat on several other occasions, I figured “why not?” and it was definitely worth it! That said, I’m still sticking with the veggies!

On the way over to their house, we also made the decision to go with the apartment in Lakewood that we looked at the other day. It’s a huge step of faith, as there are still a few things to sort out. We only did a quick walk through and I can’t remember if there are any closets (which, for some reason, is really gnawing away at my mind) or if there’s a washer or dryer downstairs....but these things are trivial at the end of the day, and renting this place will allow us to rent out the third floor space for cheap to someone in need. I’m excited to get in there and start getting it all prepared for the big move in March!!

lauren.

Pittsburgh

Well hello all. After reading Lauren’s last post, I apparently am now responsible to tell you all about our trip on Saturday! My pleasure...

So we left on Saturday afternoon and drove down with Aunt Kim and Uncle Daniel and Danny and got into Pittsburgh (after a short detour due to a faulty GPS reading, which was rather hilarious) just in time to see Susan Tedeschi and the band do their sound check. We walked in and it was so cool to be there on the stage with them while they were playing. One of the songs was so amazing I almost started cheering when they finished. That would have been pretty embarrassing considering there wasn’t really anyone else there. I suppose I should mention that the reason we were able to be there for soundcheck and get to meet the whole band and everything is because Toto, Uncle Daniel’s son, plays bass for her.

Probably the best part of the whole thing was how cool everyone in the band was. As soon as sound check was over they all came over and said hi and introduced themselves and seemed so grateful and genuinely excited to meet us.

We went to dinner with them and Lauren and I got to sit next to Dave the guitarist who was a great guy and so cool to talk to. I’ve been around a fair number of bands and have never found one that everyone was so nice. I know I keep saying that but I don’t know how else to put it. I was just so blown away with how they received us and made us feel so welcome.

Then was time for the show. After hearing the sound check I was really excited and they absolutely did not disappoint. They were incredible. There is such a difference between “performers that play music” and “musicians”. This was a band of musicians. You could tell that they were having so much fun doing what they love. Susan has this phenomenal HUGE voice for being such a little lady (just like Lauren!) and the rest of her band was awesome. There is usually a point during almost every concert that I’ve been to where it’s like, “ok, this can end whenever, I’ve heard enough” but not this one. Lauren and I agree that we could have listened to them for hours.

Another really cool aspect of the whole night was that Uncle Daniel brought his bass down for Toto to play. This is quite the huge deal because Uncle Daniel’s bass is a 1962 Fender Jazz bass. I don’t want to go in to too much detail but let me just say that it is very very valuable not only in monetary terms but much more so in sentimental value. This is the bass that Uncle Daniel has had his whole life and career as a musician. It is pretty much irreplaceable. There had been much speculation as to when (if ever) Toto would get the bass passed down to him. Well, this was the night. Toto played it for the whole show and then when he was finished and giving it back, Uncle Daniel told him to keep it. Toto was like a little kid, so excited. It was a pretty huge moment to be there for. I dunno, it was just cool.

Overall, the whole experience was super inspiring. Both for Lauren and I. As most of you know I’ve been playing bass for about 8 years now and I’m currently learning how to play guitar. As I mentioned before, Lauren has an INCREDIBLE voice and loves to sing. We’ve talked a lot about taking time and writing music together and getting more serious about it, but we never seem to find the time. Like I said, this weekend was very very inspiring to both of us and motivating for us to make time for that to happen. Hopefully once we’re married and living together it’ll be easier to find the time.

So... yeah. Great weekend. Probably the BEST concert that I have ever been to (and I’ve been to quite a few) and probably some of the coolest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.

A huge thank you to Susan and her band and Aunt Kim and Uncle Daniel for letting us tag along :)

tim.

First Snow

It’s beautiful outside right now - our first true snow fall of of the winter season !!! Tim and I have Mondays off together so we are cozied up inside watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation - classic. We decided to kick off the holiday season celebrations a bit earlier this year because we are both so excited about the upcoming holiday!

Today we went and looked at an apartment in Lakewood - a city that’s known for its artsy, eclectic community filled with unique shops and restaurants. A friend of Tim’s owns a three story house there and is offering to let us rent the top two floors. We both fell in love with the place and already have a vision to rent out the third floor at an affordable rate for someone in need. We still have a lot of praying to do about it but we are excited about the prospect.

This past weekend was amazing .... we got to spend some time with Tim’s aunt and uncle and Grammy nominated musician Susan Tedeschi and her incredible band!! But I’ll let Tim tell you about that later....

For now, I’ve got a bad case of strep throat and need to take my penicillin!

Stay healthy,

lauren.

Photoshop

While I’ve always had an appreciation for the art of photography, I never considered myself an applicant until the day I got my first digital camera back in college.

I like to think that I did decent work, considering the very basic equipment I was using. The shots above are some of my favorites. Ironically, now that I’ve upgraded my camera to something more professional, I actually am less inclined to go on shoots.

Nevertheless, my photography has opened up a few cool opportunities this year (a mission trip to the Dominican Republic) and also brought in a bit of money from time to time.

That said, I don’t plan on ever making a living from photography or even trying to do so. But I would like to reignite the love I have for it. And I feel like something really holding me back is the fact that I still lack an expertise in Photoshop, which is an essential part of the photography package.

So, I’m determined that within the next 6 months, I’m going to be a fully trained Photoshop user, whether I take a class somewhere or buckle down and teach myself. Fact!

Peace

lauren.

How to Help

So I was at work today thinking about that last post that Lauren had made and that picture and just... a lot of things. How incredibly blessed we are here in our country, all of the things we take for granted, how we have absolutely no comprehension as to what true hunger or suffering truly is. This led me to consider what we can do with the gifts and blessings that God has given us. What it is to be a good steward of what God has seen fit to entrust to our care and our discernment in how best to allocate that. This of course does not only pertain to money and material wealth but also our spiritual gifts, mental capacity, and other talents that we are all gifted with in very different ways.

All that said, my initial thought from the picture and... all that, was the non-profit organization “World Vision”. Through this group you can sponsor children in need by providing not only the bare essentials, but you can also communicate by sharing photos with them, writing letters, and also providing for their family by purchasing goats, ducks, chickens, bibles, clothes and many other helpful provisions. Lauren currently has a sponsor child that I suppose will become “our” sponsor child once we are married, and within the next few days I plan on signing up and making my contribution to another family as well. I can only encourage you, if you are feeling moved, to check out the website and consider sharing with those in need what you have that God has entrusted to your care. Click below!

www.worldvision.org

Hope everyone is doing well and know that we love you all!

tim.

Retraction

So earlier today I posted a pretty intense entry based on this picture I came across for work. I’m not sure if anyone had a chance to read it, but I chose to remove it as it just seemed way out of context for the purpose of this site, not to mention the fact that its a disturbing image. I guess I just got caught up in the emotions it evoked.

For those of you interested...you can see for yourself...

The story behind it is incredible and heartbreaking.



http://www.somalilife.com/vbforum/showthread.php?p=656005

Tank McTubbs

For a while now we have talked about wanting a dog. Tim is pretty set on an English Bulldog - the name Tank McTubbs was a joint effort. Personally I think they’re a bit ugly, not to mention the fact that they’re known for their tendency to drool and snore loudly. Nevertheless, there’s something endearing about loving a dog whose face is nothing short of comical and whose stature is the canine version of a football player.

So late last night we were browsing online ads for English Bulldogs in the area, most of which ran for a good $1000-2000. Soon enough we came across some “free for adoption” listings, and replied to the ads out of interest.

Of course, as suspected, there’s a bit of a catch; the dogs are currently being held in Cameroon, Africa. And having seen the way dogs are treated in other African countries, I have a sneaking suspicion that the $200 needed to ship the dog here would somehow end up being a sore waste of money.

Tank McTubbs, for now, will remain a good idea but a very far off reality.