The world looks brighter from behind a smile.

Rain was in the forecast for today, so we didn't plan the most traditional Memorial Day feast.  Instead, I decided to fix a lovely Mediterranean style dinner that did not rely on the grill or any type of outdoor cooking.  What was on the menu?  Oh, well thanks for asking. Mediterranean appetizer plate- htipiti, pita chips, and kalamata olives with a dash of lemon and oregano First bite... happy customer! :) Dinner grilled (the rain held off for dinner!), seasoned lemon chicken oregano green beans rice pilaf with Parmesan crust It tasted better than it looks, I promise!  Since Tom and I both joined the clean plate club, I'd say that our non-traditional feast was a success :). Thank you, Mediterranean Memorial Feast, you made my day. ... AND... a HUGE thank you to all of the men and women who have given their lives for our great country (and to those who continue to serve).  God bless America and our troops.

After years of wasting my life away playing Tetris and Dr. Mario, I was finally able to put my skills to use today in a real life situation.  Um... exciting! Let's back up for a minute.  I was straightening up the patio furniture at work when I met Carol.  She was a cute and charming woman looking for a small patio set.  Let's just say she's probably had her AARP card for a few years.  She was delighted to find a nice wrought iron set with two chairs and a little table on sale, but she was worried that it would not fit into her Ford Escort.  So was I.  However, I was completely taken by her, so we hauled the table out to her car to see if it would fit before she bought it.  Since cars were parked close to hers, I couldn't actually load it, but I decided that I would be able to make it happen.  I just had to. We had the set still in a box, and it would have easily fit into the car that way, but Carol let me know that she was terrible at pu...

General and I have both been diagnosed with a case of mild, mild, mild obesity.  His diagnosis was made recently by the vet, and mine came from the series of summer dresses I tried on today (purchased just last summer, mind you) that were tighter than Adam Lambert's acid washed jeans.  Yikes. I decided after peeling off this procession of sausage casing dresses (I kid, I kid) that I need to cut down on my bacon consumption (no joke).  Don't worry, I will not be eliminating my crispy pork friend from my diet.  That's just silly.  I am attempting to discover the definition of moderation for myself, however. I also need to add a bit more movement into my life (some call this exercise), since I will not be spending nearly as many hours doing my Depot workout this summer.  The first step (pun totally intended) was a long and pleasant walk with my boys tonight.  I love strolling around the neighborhood with my guys.  Obviously, they...

Of all of the things I've admitted to, this just may be the most embarrassing tidbit yet.  Please try not to judge me.  About a year ago, I started recording and watching The Tyra Show on a daily basis.  Today was the last show ever, and I might even go so far as to say I will miss it. I didn't mean to start watching.  I have seen enough episodes of America's Next Top Model to know that Miss Tyra can be over the top and ridiculous and narcissistic... sometimes to the point that it is difficult to watch.  However, when I could look past all that and into the talk show, I also saw that Tyra had interesting topics and guests and actually had a knack for asking what I was thinking.  She wasn't afraid, once she was done telling her stories, to challenge her guests and to probe them about their own stories-- and oh, the stories some of them did tell!  What more could you ask for from a talk show? There was...

I know her name is Linda because I looked at her name tag. I looked at her name tag because she was sweet and kind and made non-awkward conversation with me while she was scanning my purchases. I don't know why she did this, but I'm glad she did. Linda is a reminder.  It was only after I had a pleasant experience that I checked for her name and truly recognized her worth.  Being the longtime retail and restaurant queen that I am, I know how easy it is for people to identify me simply by my job title.  I have been the girl with the key to let you in the dressing room, the drink filler, the credit card pusher, the waitress, the plant waterer, the cashier, the soil loader, the manager caller, "hey you" or "Miss!" (my favorite), and much more.  I am the means to an end and the middleman between you and what you came to the store for.  I come into your life for 15 minutes at a time, and then you forget about me and go on your merry way. ...

Hmm... I wrote a blog and posted it last night, but for some reason it didn't save or show up.  Weird!  Anyway, let me try to recreate it :). It was a rainy windy night, and I was by myself. I opened up the pantry but nothing looked good on the shelf. I didn't want to brave the weather, and I had been gone all day. Plus, the look on puppy's face was begging me to stay and play. Then I had an idea of what might be great for dinner. A pizza just might do the trick-- Domino's was the winner! So I ran to my computer and pulled up their new website. My pizza was built before my eyes much to my delight. I watched the progress of my order on the handy dandy tracker tool. The heads up on the timing let me know when to start to drool. We hope you enjoy the pizza, they said, that Jacques custom made for you. We sent it out for delivery with Steve at precisely 7:32. When my order arrived with Steve, oh, it was delicious. And to top off all the ...

Happy Glee Tuesday! Since the first time I saw Rachel (Lea Michele) on this show, I have wanted Idina Menzel to be her mom.  I'm feeling pretty smug now that my wish has come true and exceeded my expectations.  These two completely blew me away last week with "I Dreamed a Dream."  I heard rumors that they would do another duet this week, Ga Ga's "Poker Face."  I was so excited, but I tried to hold out from finding the track online ahead of time... that lasted until Saturday.  Then, Tom and I listened to it on repeat for about two hours straight.  On the show tonight, it was, in their words "marvelous."  Exceptional. Idina's resume is full of all of the roles I'd love to play if I had any sort of acting/singing/dancing/hot girl talent, including Maureen in RENT , Elphaba in Wicked , and wife of Taye Diggs in real life.  I caught her once on Soundstage on PBS, recorded it, and watched it every day for a month...

Dear Shout Wipes, I appreciate you saving my shirt tonight.  You see, I was riveted by The Bachelorette .  I cannot believe some of the goobs those casting directors found this season (Shooter... that story?  Really? Hmm).  However, I do believe that Roberto and that guy from Cape Cod just might save the season and give us the hot tub moments and dramatic rose ceremonies we crave (and by we, I mean the two of us who still watch this show).  Unfortunately, my large bowl of spaghetti did not share my love for the show and decided to attack my shirt about it.  Twice. But you... you just stepped in and took charge and saved the day.  I just wanted to drop you a little note to let you know how much my shirt and I appreciate it. Thank you, Shout wipes, you made my day. P.S. Say hi to cousin Tide stick for me!   

90-degree weather + working outside + 8 hours + me= a hot mess One of my friends at work stuck a bag patch on me halfway through my shift.  My arm was so lotiony and sweaty that it did not even hurt to tear it off.  Gross. Enter cold-- er -- lukewarm shower.  I usually adore showers so scalding that my skin is pink when I'm done, so cold is not an option for me.  However, a lukewarm shower was just what I needed to turn me back into a real girl again :).  A few more days in the sweat lodge that is Missouri summer, and I may just be swimsuit ready after all! Thank you, lukewarm shower, you made my day.

My husband is a fashionista.  I got a lot of exercise this afternoon walking the runway from one end of the mall to the other and back again.  As Tom was agonizing for hours (HOURS!) over which shade of brown belt to buy at Nordstrom, I sat down in a plush chair and picked up some reading material.  When I found this little gem, I laughed out loud.  This made me look even crazier than Tom to passersby, and everyone ended up a winner. "Incredibly versatile, the sport coat is the MacGyver of clothing- it can unite a combination of seemingly random components into something that makes perfect sense.  Genius."  Tom Julian Now Tom is really going to want a sport coat!  Heck, I may even want one now... Thank you, Nordstrom Guide to Men's Style, you made my day.

date night what fun Tom, me honey buns Italian dinner tasty food dim lighting romantic mood Fox Theater fabulous place extravagant architecture great space Young Frankenstein tickets free luxury box so fancy funny play "mature" jokes Tom laughed almost choked date night was legit feelin' like hot... well... you know :) Thanks, date night, you made my day.

And I don't know how it gets better than this You take my hand and drag me headfirst, fearless And I don't know why but with you I dance In a storm in my best dress, fearless "Fearless" Taylor Swift I am spoiled today.  After dinner, Tom went into the kitchen to get us some "ice cream" and returned with something that looked a little like this. Inside was something I may have hinted about a bit when I saw it in the Tiffany's catalog a while back.  Side note: Why is Tiffany's sending me a catalog?  I should probably cancel that because I am a sucker.  It is an apple necklace that I thought might be a lovely little celebration once I got a teaching job.  Little did I know that I'd get a job so quickly and that Tom would actually get it for me.  Surprise!  Have I mentioned how lucky I am? Oh, and I still got the ice cream too... cookie dough... seriously lucky. Thank you, little blue box (and Tom!), you made my day.

Here's another one for the ol' blog dictionary (as defined by General Ferri)... puppy dreams: noun 1. Dreams experienced by dogs, characterized by moans, whimpers, growls and involuntary body gestures, such as twitching, tail wagging and lip licking. 2. What I was having (oh so pleasantly about my girl next door Tinkerbell) before Mom and Dad woke me up with their giggling. Related words: cat naps sheep sleeps Sample sentence: In my puppy dreams, I like to run in circles, hoover food, chase my tail, sit on the couch with Mom and Dad, get out all my toys, and hump things. General was so cute with his little legs running during his puppy dreams, especially wearing his special Memorial Day gear. Thank you, puppy dreams, you made my day.

Tuesday might as well be themed Glee day.  If I don't write about something Glee related on a Tuesday, then I've had a really awesome and earth shattering day! NPH was on Glee tonight... OH MY WORD!!  For those of you who are not close personal friends of his(like I am, of course), NPH stands for Neil Patrick Harris.  When I was a child with a gigantic crush on NPH as Doogie Howser, all I wanted was to be his girlfriend (Wanda... that lucky, lucky lady) and to have him type sweet nothings to me slowly on a computer screen while reading them as a voiceover.  If you would have told me then that it was possible to love him any more, I would have said "Not possible!" But I do.  To borrow a lyric from Brad Paisley, Neil , "And I thought I loved you then ..."  I won't bore you with all the details of our love affair.  If you love him too, then you know the millions of things he has done since  Doogie  to win me over t...

Leann has made some questionable choices in her personal life these past few years, but she has also made some incredible music. I love this song down to the very last drop.  When I first heard it a couple of years ago, I listened to it on repeat, as I tend to do.  We took a break.  I put it on a cd and listened to it obsessively in the car.  We took another break.  We're back together as of today. In my dreams, when I'm a country singer, this is often the type of heartfelt country singer I am.  In the car/shower/empty house, it is frequently the type of singer I am as well.  There is something so comforting in the lyrics that can turn any day around for me. I will learn to let go what I cannot change I will learn to forgive what I cannot change I will learn to love what I cannot change But I will change, I will change Whatever I, whenever I can "What I Cannot Change" by Leann Rimes Beauty. Strength. Motivation. Inspiration. Simply good...

When we got home tonight (after a bit of a delay), it was pouring down rain, and we realized that we had not had the foresight to pack any kind of gear... you know, like an umbrella or some coats... However, we are home sweet home safe and sound, and that's so nice.  Tom and I have discussed before that we both have the same fear that we will pull up to the house and find it flooded or burned to the ground.  This may have something to do with the plumbing emergency we found in progress the first day we walked in with our own set of keys.  Welcome to home ownership!  We both hold our breath as we pull into the neighborhood and only exhale once we've made it inside and see that everything is in order and just as it should be.  I love the feeling of the exhale of relief, followed by an inhale of the smell of our house.  After all, every house has its own specific scent, and I am certain that I could recognize the scent of any house I've ever l...

a. pool + sun= hint of a tan b. pool beverages + Brazilian steakhouse= jiffy pop stomach c. Hangover + laughing Ferri family= smiles d. Daria + 50= unbelievable (she's like Michelle Pfeiffer, she ages backwards!) e. Tom + handstands in the pool= entertainment (he only scored one perfect ten and was unable to complete a pirouette, but oh... it was lovely) f. Texas + my hair= "The higher the hair, the closer to God." (a+b+c+d+e+f)= relaxation... ahhhh Thanks, Texas, you made my day.

The Jeep Compass did what two airplanes couldn't do today.  It got us safely to the Yellow Rose Ranch in Texas (the Ferri homestead). We got up at 4:15am and flew from St. Louis to Dallas.  We then flew from Dallas to San Antonio, circled a whole bunch of times, suffered through some nasty turbulence, circled a bunch more times, and ended up in Houston.  Houston is not equal to San Antonio. After sitting on the runway for quite some time with no indication that we would fly today, we took matters into our own hands... and by took matters into our own hands, I mean Tom took the steering wheel of a Jeep Compass into his hands and drove the necessary 4 1/2 hours to get from point A to point B... About 14 hours after our alarm clock jolted us awake this morning, we finally arrived in Medina to celebrate Daria's birthday weekend.  I think I'm going to go sleep about it now. Thank you, Jeep Compass, you made my day.

Tom called up the kennel to see what the absolute latest time was that we could take General in tonight.  We have an early flight tomorrow, but we sure miss that little guy when he's not around, so we always wait until the last minute to take him in.  Tom's conversation went a little something like this. Tom "Hi. What time do you close tonight?" Country Lane "6:30. Are you bringing General in?" Tom "Uhhh... yeah, yeah I am." Country Lane "Oh.  I only asked because he's the last one coming in tonight.  We love General!  He's everybody's friend!"  I hate leaving him, but I'm glad he's in good hands :).  It's also nice to hear that they all like our guy... he's like our practice "child" before the real thing, and it's good to know that we're doing an okay job raising a fine young dog. Thank you, Country Lane, you made my day.

Jay Mohr + The View= Magic "My son yesterday at his school, it was dress as your favorite rockstar or actor day.  He called me on the phone before I was about to do, uh, this big press tour and, you know, I'm super nervous because you want people to buy your book, and he says 'Daddy, today is dress like your favorite star, your favorite actor,' and I'm like ohh Indiana Jones, Hans Solo.  He goes 'I'm gonna dress like you.'  And I'm like right about to go on camera, and I almost start crying, and I go 'Buddy, how are you- what are you gonna wear to dress like me?' and he goes 'I can't really explain it, but they'll know, like, from my energy.'" Awwww.  Sweet.  "Your child does something all day where you just have no idea what they're doing... like why does he take all his clothes off to poop?  What's wrong with him?!" "I'm done... two words you never want to hear because they're eit...

I have to be honest.  After a number of home runs, Trisha Yearwood finally had a strike.  In her cookbook, the lime cake looked like it was magically green and delicious.  On my dinner table, it was magically green, but there was nothing special about the taste... it wasn't memorable in a good or bad way. But, boy did I have fun making it... Tom and I cranked up the music in the kitchen while we got to work, me making the cake and him doing the dishes (something wonderful in and of itself).  We danced and sang and laughed, and it was like a scene out of a movie.  I ended up with lime juice and powdered sugar all over me, breezy and messy and happy. Before I iced the cake, we each took a big ol' finger swipe taste from the bowl (and the homemade cream cheese icing actually was quite delicious). It was nice to have this little reminder that sometimes the fun comes in the making and not just the eating (or the process and not just the end goal, I suppo...

Have you been missing the bad poetry?  No?  Oh, well here it is anyway... ;) So, there's this dress. I've been obsessed. From a catalog, I ripped it out and it was all I could think about. In the picture, it looks so nice. Did I mention it is reasonably priced? Days went by, then I looked it up online. It passed the test... I still hoped it would be mine. Finally, today I selected it and added it to my bag. At long last, I ordered it, and how my tail did wag. I'm smiling so big and wide that it's hurting my cheeks, For my dress will be here (hopefully) in less than two weeks! Did you notice that my terrible poem is in the shape of my new dress?  Woo hoo! :) Thank you, VS online, you made my day.

    I stood there glaring at myself in the fitting room mirror. I’m not sure how it’s possible to dislike a scared little 90 lb. girl so much, but I did. I saw a girl who no one would ever have a crush on or date or love. I saw a girl that no one could possibly want to be friends with because she was such a dork. I saw a girl who didn’t look good in anything, couldn’t do anything, and most certainly wouldn’t be anything. My mom and I had been so excited when The Gap opened at our mall, and we were even more excited to see that they carried a size zero that might actually fit my tiny little eighth grade frame. But, there I stood, the pants hanging off of me, loathing myself. I wasn’t just a size zero. I was a zero. I tiptoed out of the fitting room with tears in my eyes, hoping that my mom would see me quickly before anyone else could, so she could agree that these pants were horrible too, and we could just go home. Instead, she followed me back into the fitting room. ...

At 88 1/2 years young, Betty White made both of our dreams come true by hosting Saturday Night Live.  She was joined by many of my other favorite women from the show-- Molly Shannon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch... pretty awesome. I have loved Betty White since Manda and I used to obsessively watch Golden Girls.  Even though we took a quiz, and I was Sophia and Manda was Dorothy (sorry, Sister), I always loved Rose the best.  She was just so cute and kooky. I stayed up way later than I should have to watch Betty tonight, and I had super high expectations for the show.  It was fabulous.  I'm not even mad.  Betty White proved once again in a number of ways why she is an icon, a legend, and a national treasure.  She joked about her muffin on "Delicious Dish," poked fun at Facebook and herself in a hilarious monologue, and played the silly lady we've all come to know and love.  Oh, Betty. And, of course, Jay Z...

I was a bad girl today. I wore my pajamas until after 12. I spent more than my rewards certificate on my customary Friday afternoon cruise through my favorite Hallmark store. I bought a $3 coffee, even though I have plenty of coffee at home. I made the dog go for a long walk with me, despite the fact that the wind was blowing us both over. I ate two lunches. That's not even the worst of it.  After my stroll through Hallmark (where I actually did have some cards to buy, to be fair), I took an equally pleasurable stroll through Barnes and Noble (where I also had legitimate business to do, mind you).  I left with my expensive coffee in one hand and more than $100 worth of books and a Barnes and Noble special membership in the other.  I'm not even sorry.  When I made it to the car, I took out the books and inhaled deeply.  Don't fresh books have the most wonderful fragrance?  I love the library too, but the smells are...

In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories. The gavel drops, and I am enraptured for another hour. Yes, I may watch a bit too much tv.  That being said, I thoroughly enjoy SVU.  Especially when USA runs a marathon and I get to catch up on all kinds of episodes. This show is able to do something completely unique and unimaginable.  It presents some of the world's most terrible criminals and crimes-- pedophiles, rape, murder, serial killers, kidnapping, etc.  The things they talk about and show make me cringe and feel terrible.  However, trusty Stabler and Benson are somehow able to solve all of these cases within an hour, and the world is a safe place once again. I love all of the supporting characters too.  B.D. Wong is so smar...

I fully understand that my husband is a prize, and I will sing his praises for (almost) every day for the rest of my life.  There are times, every so often, when I get to thinking that he's kind of lucky too.  Today was one of those times.  Not only do I cook (today I prepared a lovely Cinco de Mayo feast), but I also clean.  Not only do I clean, but I also clean toilets. I am not fond of bathrooms, especially public restrooms.  I will go a full eight hour drive from Missouri to Michigan without once stepping foot in a strange stall.  I flew from LA to Australia once, only entering the airplane bathroom to brush my teeth.  I worked at Home Depot for over a year before I ever stepped foot in a bathroom there, although when I did, I was pleasantly surprised that they are as neat as can be expected.  If a porta potty is my only available option, I am convinced that I can hold it as long as it takes (this has been tested up to fo...

We had our last student teaching seminar today.  All of us that were out teaching English all semester got together to celebrate completing (and passing!) our portfolios.  We discussed our experiences and shared something from the portfolios that we were proud of (beyond just finishing). After class, we headed off to the current Methods class to share our vast wisdom with the next crop of student teachers.  I remembered sitting in on this panel during my internship and now here we all were on the other side.  Time really does fly when you're having fun!  I was jealous of all these lucky bums who get to go in and do what we have just finished because they have no idea how magical those next few months in the fall will be.  I reminded myself a few times that the same thing will be true for me next year, and that I am lucky enough to have my own classroom lined up already, where I'm sure I will experience a year more rewarding that I can even ...

Drip. Drip. Drip. Sniffle Sniffle. Drip Drip Drip. Cough. Cough. Drip. Drip. Drip. Sniffle Sniffle. Cough Cough Cough Cough.  Sniffle.  Cough Cough Sniffle Cough Cough Sniffle Sniffle Cough. Water + Benadryl (x2) Ahhhhh.  Thank you, Benadryl, you made my day.

Popular movies and television shows would have you believe that people randomly break into song and dance.  Pshhh... as if.  People don't really do that, do they? I do.  So do some of my customers.  For most of the day today, I couldn't walk two steps in my department without bumping into- sometimes literally- a customer who needed my help.  I definitely walked and lifted off some of the hibernation 10.  Finally, around six o'clock, the traffic in the store died down.  I got to spend much of my last hour obsessively compusively straightening things to my heart's content.  My manager had put on my favorite work satellite radio station, a selection of classics from the disco era. This station is how I came to know and love such fabulous songs as "Hotline" by the Sylvers and "Starting All Over Again" by Hall and Oates.  These songs make me feel as if I'm floating around... or, even better, as if I am roller skating a...

When you work six days a week, That means a one-day weekend, and you must use that one day right, so you don't go off the deep end. Clean the clothes, write lesson plans, Work work work all day. I never thought I'd see again a lazy Saturday. But now that student teaching's done and my class almost is too, Today I allowed myself to think there's nothing that I must do. I read and ate and loved my dog and caught up on my DVR My husband said, "Did you leave the couch?" I did but didn't get too far. Tonight we watched our first movie in hmm... it's been a while. Just us, the dog, and popcorn- three great reasons to smile. Though I'll be sad on Monday and have to cook and clean my boredom away, I enjoyed to the fullest extent My lazy Saturday. Thanks, lazy Saturday, you made my day.