Chicken Fried

Anyone ever hear this song? It's by the Zach Brown Band. This is such a great song. It completely embodies nearly everything that I love about the South. Sweet Georgia.

It's all chicken fried, a cold beer on a friday night, and a pair of jeans that fit just right.

***sigh***

I know all of my problems won't go away once we move to Georgia. But oh, it will make them seem so much more bearable. Grrr...

Sweet Savannah

The scent of the sun and the pines is just about overwhelming to my brain. 900 some odd miles away and I can still smell the sweet, warm air. God, how I long to be there. Just be in that place that's always, somehow, been my home.

Sitting in that hotel window on our last night in Georgia, listening to the distant traffic and the peaceful vague noise, it hit home. I won't ever be at peace in my head and my heart until I am there. There, free to be myself, to give in to the indulgence of a cup of morning coffee on the porch. To sip the sweet tea by the pitcherful. To drift off to sleep with little thought of the worries of everyday life. To breathe the life that's been waiting for me all of mine. Goddammit, why did I leave there. It was so hard for me to be alone, but it was so wonderful at the same time. I had everything there. No, I know, if I hadn't come back here, I'd never have met Dave. I know that. And I'm so thankful I did. But is it wrong to want both? Him and the other love of my life…. Georgia. He wants to go back too. He doesn't quite get my love affair with the south, but he understands enough to know that's where I belong. Thank god for that. 10 ½ more years. He asked what will the girls do when we leave. I imagine they'll go to college. Or start lives of their own. Either here or they'll follow us to Georgia. That is Lexi's home too. She has that fire in her soul for it like I do. It's strange how a geographical place can take on so much space in one's heart as if it were a living breathing person.
I think often of my dream….. laying on the beach, sipping sweet tea. Watching my young women of daughters flirt playfully a ways down with some passing guys. My husband, Dave, laying next to me, just talking and drinking in the warm Georgia sun. It's so simple and yet so fucking far away. Dammit all.

The Belinda Photo

I was going through my photos from the last time we visited Savannah and came across this one:

I had forgotten how much I love this photo. It reminds me very much of one of my favorite books, BELINDA. It has the feel of "Belinda, on the Wharf". This book is so good, I've read it probably an easy 200 times. The first time I read it was right out of high school.... over ten years ago. Great book. Anyway, this photo reminds me of it. :)

In looking through my photos from the last time we were there, I realize just how crappy my camera is. :( I've been shamelessly dropping hints to Dave that I want a Cannon EOS Rebel for Christmas, or my birthday, or Valentine's day. Or all three....don't care, just so long as I have it before we go down to Georgia for the wedding.

Here are a few more of the photos I took last time we were there:

I had seen a few photos like these online and tried very hard to duplicate them with my crappy little K***c camera. :(

Almost there.... twice.

Yesterday I designed our monogram that will be used on our aisle runner, on the invitations going out for the Illinois reception, and several other DIY projects I have going for this wedding! If you haven't guessed, I'm getting married. In a few months.....and then again at the end of May. Okay, okay, let me explain.



Almost two years ago, Dave proposed to me. Immediately, I said yes! And so began the planning. Long story short, we ultimately decided to have our wedding in Savannah, Georgia.... the long-time love of my life. (more on that later). But when his parents caught wind of it, they threw a fit.... so, I'm the lucky bride that gets two weddings. One in Savannah, the official one, where I, Elise Amber Mirkov will become Mrs. Elise Amber Bass. And the second one, here in Illinois where we will pay waaaaayyyyyy too much money to feed a bunch of people I will never see again. 150 guests, about 140 of them are his family. More specifically, his MOM'S family. People he hasn't seen in years. But that aside.....



So, the first wedding, the real one..... is on March 1, 2009. In Savannah. It's sooooo close. Less than three months. There's so much left to do. I've taken Wednesday off so that I can get caught up on some of the little things without interuption. It's hard to paint an aisle runner with a seven and eight year old running around. :) As the days fly by, I'm getting more and more anxious.