got my head in the clouds.

While I haven't loved the effect of daylight savings time on how pitch black dark it is when I leave work everyday...I swear Massachusetts fell off the mainland and is floating somewhere near Nova Scotia... I must admit that my 4:15 p.m. view today was rather nice...

paw paw.

I want to apologize for the few posts this week, and take this opportunity to introduce some of you to a pretty awesome fella.

This last Saturday evening, my Paw Paw passed away. He's been feeling a few of the effects of old age the last two or so years now, but his final decline came and went pretty quickly. I want so badly for all of you who didn't know him to understand just how precious and wonderful this guy was and how much he meant to my family.

It's hard to explain to people that your grandfather is gone...and then explain to them that you weren't actually related to him by blood in the first place. It's hard because people think you're overreacting during the loss of a "family friend." It's hard because people are confused as to how you can be so upset. It's hard, mostly, because I've never had to defend the love or relationship our families have. But please hear me: This man, his wife and theirs are and will always be my family.

It's hard to quantify how much I love them...or justify why I do...but I think you should know that I saw my Maw Maw and Paw Paw every single day of the week but Saturday from the time I was six weeks old until the day I turned 16. Technically, yes, they are "neighbors." But I have honestly never thought of them that way or lived a day in my life that they were not a part of. They're just my Maw Maw and Paw Paw.

They came to every graduation. To every birthday. To every grandparents' day at school. My brother's and my senior pictures are hanging on their living room wall. I spend Christmas Eve with them every year. I sit with them at church every Sunday when I'm at home. They saw all of my plays and recitals. They saw all of my victories and helped me when I stumbled. They raised me to be strong and sweet and caring and giving. They're the most selfless people I've ever had the pleasure of loving. And they are both, in every imaginable way, my grandparents.

That being said, I really wish you all could have known Paw Paw LeRoy "Jack" Hull. He was just about the coolest guy I've ever known. He was a real cowboy. Like...for real! The hat, the boots, the bolo tie, the 'tude -- the real mccoy! He was our personal Texas Ranger. A man's man who was strong as an ox, smart as a whistle and as sweet as the candies he'd always carry around.

He was raised with absolutely nothing, served our country in two wars and was married to the sweetest woman in the world, Christine, for 52 years. If ever you need a picture of a marriage filled with selfless, unending and Godly love, look to them. The last time I saw them together was this passed August and they were still perfectly in love. He was a cross between John Wayne and Bill Cosby -- crazy cool, devilishly good-looking and madly in love with his wife.

Paw Paw was such a gentleman but he had the mouth of a sailor...if he needed to. (Looking for an example? Ask William about the one time he got run over by a car and Paw Paw nearly literally chewed the head off the guy who did it. Thinking of that story reminds me that I should also tell you that he could run fast...if ya ran over his grandchildren.) He loved eating and times of fellowship. He was hilarious and he loved to celebrate! He gave the greatest hugs and always made you feel welcome. He'd go out of his way to show you he loved you...and he never let William or me feel like anything but his own.

Part of the way Paw Paw would make you feel welcome was by talking to ya....a lot. That man could talk for hours, about anything! And, boy, he experienced enough in his life to have an anecdote for everything, so he was a wonderful (but long-winded) storyteller. If you'd sit with him for a little while, he'd tell you about his children, and grandchildren and great grandchildren. If you sat with him a little while longer, he'd tell ya about how he use to work at the river mill and growing up in Texas and how he got his name "Jack" from his dog with the same name (apparently, he always came when they called the dog). And if ya sit with him long enough, he'd start talking about the war and great books he was reading.

Paw Paw loved to read. And my favorite memory of him is when I would find him reading his Bible at the kitchen counter. I asked him once when I was younger how many times he'd read it, and he simply said he'd lost count. (That frustrated me so, back then, because I wanted to hear a quantifiable number so badly! Little did I know how impressive not knowing was, after all.) And then he encouraged me to read mine, too. And that's always stuck with me -- his desire to know the Lord and how earnestly he wanted us to know Him, too, by leading us by example. Don't get me wrong, he was stubborn and could get frustrated like anyone else. But his faith was strong in the Lord and everyone around him knew it.

Without a shadow of a doubt, that's what has gotten me, my family and my Maw Maw through this last week. Yes, it is certainly hard, and almost unbelievable, to live in a world that Paw Paw is not in anymore. And yes, we will all miss him dearly in every moment of every day. But truly, my friend, it takes my breath away to know that he is celebrating with the Lord right now in a new, perfect, painless body and that he was there within an instant of leaving this world. My heart aches because I probably won't get to see him as soon as I thought I would, but my family also knows a comfort and peace like no other as we continue day-to-day in our own lives.

I was able to go home this week to be with my family and Maw Maw. She's a resoundingly strong woman, but I know this is hitting her harder than she probably could have anticipated. She told me this week that after 52 years of marriage that it is just so hard to believe that he is so far away. Please pray for her during this time as she moves into a new phase when, for the first time in my whole life, she has no one to take care of but her self. It will be difficult, but I beg for your support through prayer and time with her (if you have the honor of knowing her).

I was his Katy Coo and he was my Paw Paw. This man has left such a mark on my heart, my character and my view of the world, and I will miss his sweet, precious spirit so incredibly much. I hope now you all know him a little better, and understand how much I was his and he was mine.

Love you, Paw Paw.
katy c.

2011: the year of j. lo

Jenny from the block is back, y’all.

Like, in and out and around it – all over the block. If you’ve watched any television this year, you’ve been hit over the head with Jennifer Lopez and, likely, something she’s selling.

From lip-gloss and razors to European compact cars and her own low-cost clothing line, Ms. Lopez is representing it. At any given moment today, more than ten commercials – that’s four brands – could be seen on television with J. Lo as the centerpiece. Not including other brand associations like Coca-Cola and Ford who sponsor “American Idol,” of which Lopez is a judge, she is currently a brand ambassador for Gillette Venus razors, L’Oreal cosmetics, the Fiat 500 automobile and Kohl’sdepartment store. (And, unfortunately, the on-screen time here does not include advertisements for her 2011-released “Love” album and tabloid-news scoops of her divorce from Mark Anthony.)

While research to back me up is pretty shallow, I feel confident saying that you’d be hard-pressed to find another celebrity out there right now with as many overlapping product spots to her name.

Honestly, I think the decision by advertisers to choose the beautiful Lopez as their campaign’s voice after, say, she already had two other companies under her belt is… uncreative?… lazy?… cheap?… stupid? Personally, whenever she pops up on the boob tube nowadays, I just exhale an unbelieving sigh and try to figure out what she’s selling me this time. It’s exhausting trying to remember what I should buy next from her and, quite frankly, it all just starts to blend together…which I’m thinking can’t be in the brands’ best interests. (Until this post, I could only recall one name of the brands she represents, though I’m fully aware of her current domination of the airwaves.)

She does look great driving what is probably a tough sell in SUV-loving America…and I’m sure every woman would love to use the same cosmetic products as one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful in 2011…and she does sell glam-garments-on-a-budget well (she is Jenny from the Block, after all). And while I don’t agree with how many spots are overlapping right now, I must throw some kudos to the one-strike marketers who have intelligently created a few online-appropriate behind-the-scenes, interviews and quirky-skit ads, found within their corporate YouTube channels.

Check ‘em out…

Just Another Day at the Office – Kohl’s (1)

Just Another Day at the Office – Kohl’s (2)

EverSleek Behind the Scenes – L’Oreal

PS — She has an app.…is this real life?!

friday fun day!

No school or work today...so Susan and I celebrated with FRIDAYYY FUN DAYYYY (ayyy, ayy, ay....)! And it was WONDERUL!

I used my Zipcar, which is conveniently housed in my back yard, for the first time and we were off to Peabody for some CFA -- my first since July!! And, as luck would have it, it was free peppermint milk shake day...so we obviously took part in the free giveaway because, after all, it is FRIDAY FUN DAY!

With happy bellies, we popped over to the coastline in northeast Mass. One word: B-E-A-UUU-TIFUL! Wow. I'll let the photos speak for themselves, but basically the rest of the afternoon consisted of Susan and me driving a little bit, hopping out of the car to snag a pic and enjoy the view (repeat x10) and buying some fudge for our friends :)








The first group of photos are from Gloucester, MA, the setting for the movie "The Perfect Storm..."

See that little hiccup of something or other on the coastline, right in the middle? THAT'S BOSTON! We drove nearly an hour (half the state's width!) out of the city and could still see the buildings clear as day! This state is S-M-A-L-L!

And these next photos are from Rockport, MA, where the movie "The Proposal" was filmed and called Alaska. We even hung out in the Fudgery which is in the film!

Recognize that boat house and dock? We're 99% certain that that's where Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds board the boat after she scales that ladder in heels!

We topped off our day with a quick trip to Target and then I was off to community group at church! It was DEFINITELY a Friday Fun Day that will never be forgotten, and certainly one that must be repeated soon!!

say cheese,

katy c. 

mrs. piggle-wiggle.

Well, the inevitable has apparently happened. I've turned into one of my most favorite characters from one of my most favorite childhood books. The most unfortunate part?? The hickville-grocery-store-wannabe name...

Proof? Let's inspect the opening line...

"Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside-down house and smells like cookies."

Thus, I'm pretty sure I'm turning into Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Except, my house isn't upside down, it's just crooked. And it doesn't smell like cookies, but cake. Evidence?

Lawyered.

So now our lovely Wednesday-night treat has morphed from an iced cake into a science project gone terribly wrong as all the icing has run of the top of that mountain and down the sides. You can just call me Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

(But not really, because I'll punch ya, just as I would if you made fun of my roommate's TV show selection and/or poster decor. Please and thank you).

say cheese,
katy c. 

the great explainers.

Need a refresher course on what Health Communication is (ahem, William Capers...) and what in the world I'm setting out to do in this crazy world? Check out the fancy spread my program got in the school's alumni magazine, Expressions.

final countdown.

Final countdown to the final, real Christmas-break break of my life, courtesy of Jocelyn's very creative sister, Jenny. As she tears one off everyday, it's a very nice reminder of how soon I get to see my own family and friends again :)

say cheese,
katy c.

it's beginning to taste a lot like...

CHRISTMAS!

The red Christmas cups are back, and PTL that means GBLs are, too! 

Happy first day of Ginger Bread Lattes!! Mmmm!!

for my favorite ghouls + goblins...

...a happy health'y Halloween laugh for ya!
(thanks, Claudia, for sharing!!)

is this real life?!

En route to church tonight, I see this...Snow. A lot of it. In October.

Is this real life?!?!

who's that coming down the tracks?!

IT'S THE MEAN MACHINE IN RED AND BLACK!!

Dawgs beat Florida tonight and I am one happy Katy Capers :)

In celebration of me and my team's awesomeness, Emily decided to dress like muah for Halloween! Slash, it was totally an accident that we think exactly alike and wanted to root on the dawgs in similar apparel...

say cheese,
katy c.

a-corn-mazing.

I had a fabulous adventure tonight with some great people :)

It all started when a truck EXPLODED on the highway, which kept the train Emily and I were riding on from moving forward. So we hopped out and trekked the two miles to church in snow-worthy temperatures...

Joined by a merry crew of friends from my church's community group, we all piled together and drove to Ipswich, MA to a corn maze for some freezing fall fun! And so began two hours of slippin' and slidin' on post-snow field dirt, hollering out for our friend Gerald, "I think we should go right!" and "We found a clue!" exclamations...as well as confusing and willy-nilly elections of new leaders to guide us through the eagle-shaped maze. We never actually found the exit (drat!) but it was really a great time....though we may have ruined our shoes..

Wrapped up the evening with a trip to IHOP, which reminded me of my Granny and Granddaddy who would treat us there with hot chocolate whenever we'd go visit, and snagged a photo with our hilariously opinionated waitress, Roberta. It really was a wonderful time! Not necessarily clean fun, but definitely good fun :) It was a-corn-mazing!!

say cheese,

katy c. 

contrary to popular belief...

I am not dead.

I absolutely apologize for the seemingly unending blog silence these last few weeks -- I was swallowed up by school and work and GSA obligations, and the blog just fell by the wayside. I'm not dying in a ditch, but rather (ironically) glued to a computer screen at all times for some reason or another...just obviously not, ya know, for the blog.

Still, during my time in the blogless abyss, I was actually thinking of you and snagging life pics! Hard to believe, I know, with the little evidence I've shown since September (Agh! So embarrassing!), but here are the few that survived during the dark days...

Jackie, Jean, Joanna, Joc, Emily and I went apple pickin' in western Mass...

Then I made an apple crisp...

...and Jocelyn Ann really enjoyed it!!

We continued supporting the Georgia Bulldawgs, and even accompanied our new friend Florian as he watched his first ever American football game!

Emily and Susan discovered Boston Organics, which brings (very photogenic) local produce right to your door!

And Betty Croker kept on bakin' when I made us some homemade banana bread muffins! Yummo!

And we celebrated our one-year anniversary of attending the Head of the Charles Regatta Competition by....attending it again :)

I received some library-white-board wisdom during midterms week...

...and now we are at today and it's SNOWING OUTSIDE!
Moral of the story: I must stick to my commitments or the forces of the world will conspire against me!!

say cheese, again, please ;)

katy c. 

scotttty!

Jackie, Susan, Joanna, Jocelyn, Emily and me :)

Afternoon with friends today at Clery's Pub to watch the dawgs play (Hooray! Back at 500!), then to a mixer at school for our graduate program and two others, and finally at Goody Glover's in the North End! Loves my friends, mucho.

say cheese,
katy c.

an apple a day.

Free apples at Emerson today!! Behold the McIntosh, Honeycrisp and...another one that I can't remember :) But it was delicious!!

Happy apple pickin', y'all!
katy c.

beta.

Seven one-hour video tapes. One media room to pull the footage onto my computer. One verrrry long afternoon.

priscilla, to go.

"...my dinner with Priscilla...and I DID enjoy it!!!!!" - Uncle Mitchell

Check out the awesome blog he keeps while in China...eating things like Priscilla....
http://mitchellmercer.blogspot.com/

more cheese, please.
katy c. 

the devil made me chew it.

Best. Dessert. Ever.

Y'all. Go make these right now.

They're called "The Devil Made Me Chew It" brownies and they're TO DIE FOR! The recipe is from hungrygirl.com and one brownie is a mere 150 calories...a rare find for a delicious dessert! And, bonus, it has the easiest recipe ever...

Ingredients:
- One box devil's food cake
- One 15 oz. can of pumpkin

Directions:
- Heat oven to 400*.
- Mix two ingredients.
- DO NOT add any other items (not even water!) or face ruinin' it!!
- Scoop into cupcake tins.
- Pop 'em in the oven for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Like, so stinking good. Go. Eat. Enjoy.

say cheese,
katy c.

moves like jagger.

Care Bear (aka Carrie Butler) is here!! We (mistakenly) traveled around a hemp fest, into a sidewalk cafe for the best steak salad ever at Abe  Louie's, to the top of the world (not via hemp fest, but via an elevator to the Pru) and allll the way to Little Italy. I miss her mucho!!

priscilla.

My date tonight, Karan's python snake. I didn't love it.

tippity top.

It's often too easy to get bogged down with the monotony or stress of day-to-day life and forget the beautiful, interesting and miraculous people and things surrounding you. So when I forgot just how spectacular Boston is, I was quickly snapped back to reality by the breath-taking, expansive view from the fiftieth floor of the Prudential Center Skywalk...LOVE this city.

back in the starbucks again.

Fall has fallen, and that means that my fellow HCommers and I are back to frequenting our local coffee shops and favorite libraries to get our study on. Today's location of choice: Starbucks at Harvard Square in Cambridge. It really was the most productive afternoon of checking items off the list among Harvard students, ceiling-to-floor scenic windows, big comfy chairs, antler chandeliers and (of course) the wonderful scent of a strong brew.

Wish us luck! We're diving into another semester!
katy c.

ain't nothin' finer in the land...

Recently inducted into Bulldawg Nation: Susan, Emily and Joc!

Than a loud, obnoxious Georgia fan!!

It's official, these girls are my favorites. Not only do they let me talk their ear off about Georgia football/Coach Richt/Power-Ranger-wannabe uniforms/the tradition of tradition/the Arch/Athens/etc. (none of which are they loyal to, as they hail from Minnesota and Cali), but they also humor me by learning how to call the dawgs and being legitimately upset when they can't quite pull through. Yes, my heart is broken from the loss (!!!). But it is also filled with joy by awesome friends who truly....get me. And are patient with my yelling. And my constant stand-sit-pace-repeat action. And my general hatred of any type of visor. And my going a little bulldawg crazy.

That being said, this is the second week I've let them watch a game with me at Clery's, the UGA alumni association bar in Boston (loads of wonderful khaki-wearin', polo-sportin', barkin' Georgia fans!), and the second week that my dawgs have lost the "W." So, if we can't pull it out next week against Coastal Carolina, we're gonna have to start playing with some variables here to see who our lucky charm isn't.

I'm kiddingggg....sorta.

Say what you will, GO DAWGS!
katy c.

i've FALLen and i can't get up.

Happy Fall, y'all! And a warm welcome back to my favorite festive hot drinks at Starbucks :) 

Rehberg's Fall favorite, the pumpkin spice latte :) Yummo.

nice and cozy.

New bedspread for a new school year! Haley made me do it.

black and white and red all over.

No BFF bracelets here, folks. Instead, HayReh and I got matching red TOMS this weekend to complete our fashionable UGA looks!!

GO DAWGS!

katy c. 

they're baaaaack.

First week of September, thus streets crammed with U-Hauls and sidewalks filled with unwanted couches, mattresses and lamps. I'm not sure if you can tell, but there were SIX U-Haul trucks waiting at the intersection next to my apartment. Loves it.

happy anniversary :)

Today marks my one-year anniversary of living in Boston! Can you believe it?!?!

WOW! Time has flown by and it truly seems like only weeks ago that I stumbled into this crazy city with a suitcase stuffed with T-shirts, a mind filled with curiosity and a heart overflowing with joy! At the same time, though, I have done so much and learned more than I could have dreamed to (both in and outside of the classroom) and met some of the most beautiful, daring, caring and different people that most folks couldn't encounter in a lifetime -- it seems like a year has hardly been enough time to squeeze it all in! It may have started with grad school, but it's morphed into so much more. I have hit the halfway mark in completing the task on my life checklist of living in a big city, away from home and familiarity and...though some times were bitterly cold...I would not trade one single season, day or experience for a year outside of my beloved Boston.

Obviously, it wouldn't have been the same without my gorgeous roommate and friend, Jocelyn Ann, who is forever making me smile, letting me whine until I'm tired and allowing me to eat a lil something naughty without judgment ("don't judge me!"). I have been blessed by the fantastic group of young women in my class to learn from and joke with and share new experiences with -- being an SAO sister at UGA paid off in our sea full of estrogen! And I can hardly forget the hysterical stories, "seriously?!" moments and lessons learned that come from working in a college health center, alongside some of the most sincere and loving co-workers a girl could never even dream up!

Being away from home for this long has allowed me to really decide what I do (and don't) like about the South, what my future career will (hopefully) look like, how to survive a real winter, how to embrace every single difference in myself and others, how to function without a car, and what it's like to finally be the odd man out. These things have changed my perceptions, my beliefs and my opinions forever -- praise the Lord! Most importantly: I've had the opportunity to see what I want out of life...and to discover that I want to attack it every morning with excitement and vigor...to realize that I'm forever grateful to the Lord for blessing me with and preparing me for everyday...and to continue to challenge myself to accomplish/tackle/experience/explore new things every.single.day that are simultaneously photo-worthy!

This blog has served me well in keeping my memories and anecdotes and discoveries neatly organized, but I can hardly say that it reflects even a drop of all that I have learned since my journey began one year ago. My family has been so patient with my semi-unexpected journey away from home and my best friends have kept me sane when this ole world up here seems so far away from everything normal! I'm forever grateful to all of them, especially my Mom and Dad, for encouraging my jaunt even when I know it wasn't always the easiest at times (i.e., Weiser always being relegated to picking me up at the airport).

This post is certainly not in keeping with the rules and regulations regarding succinctness for this frame of mind, but I'm in charge so I'll allow it this once. Thank you to everyone who reads and comments and shares! I'm a horribly stubborn and opinionated person and, because you put up with that, you get the old blog design back (after one too many tantrums, I'll add). Here's to many, many more :)

say cheese,
katy c.

PS -- If you haven't already, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the blue "Join This Site" button to become an official tfom. follower! There's no T-shirt or membership badge, but sometimes the leader's kinda quirky in an embarrassingly entertaining way :)

crayon.

School is just about back in session, and with it comes me running around like a chicken with its head cut off, scampering from work to internship to GSA meetings to speak on GSA Q+A panels to help run immunization clinics to co-hosting GSA mixer events to the gym and then hopefully home. Now, whether a chicken scampers or not, I can't be sure -- but I do know that eventually my head will stop spinning and the world shall be right side up again! In the mean time, I have Mr. and Mrs. Emerson to entertain me :)

view from the top.

A shot of the beautiful Boston Common, Emerson Campus and Boylston/Tremont intersection from the new Graduate Student lounge, sponsored by the Graduate Student Association (of which I am now the Information Officer! Yay!). 

act of total disregard.

At home sick today (sad face), but between my Sudafed naps and ingesting massive quantities of liquids, I had a nice giggle over a day-time television joke that doesn't quite hold water anymore. Certainly, it's still funny but not for the reasons intended :) Meanwhile, everyone in Boston has a phone stuck to their ear on the train, talking about the most personal of personal.... TMI, a lot and often.

cough, cough, giggle,
katy c.