The New 70

Grandma Barb

Isn't she beautiful? This is my grandmother, who will turn 70 tomorrow (I can only hope to look this good when I turn 70!) We had a surprise birthday lunch for her in Buffalo on Sunday, and it was well worth the 3.5 hour drive back and forth! The look on her face when she walked into the restaurant was priceless...rarely have I seen my grandmother even tear up, but she looked completely overjoyed.

And so, in honor of her birthday, here are 5 of my favorite things about Grandma Barb:

5. She is an amazing artist...how many people get hand-drawn birthday cards from their grandma?

4. She knit an entire afghan for me and has enough patience to have tried to teach me to knit several times. However, her attempts were futile as I can't even knit one row without dropping a stitch and angrily ripping the entire thing apart.

3. Although she has a dishwasher, she refuses to leave any dishes dirty for longer than 30 seconds. The dishwasher is only used as extra storage space (which I'm sure she would really appreciate me telling people).

2. She loves to take pictures, but is very concerned about the lighting aspect of the picture, so, for instance, if you are sitting in a chair and reading a book, she will jump up, grab her camera, and say, "hold it!"..."wait, tip your head a little to the left...no, to the right now...look up a little...stop laughing, you're ruining the picture!"

1. No one else makes the song, "You Are My Sunshine" sound quite as beautiful. Also, no one else makes me harmonize on this song, regardless of where we are standing at the time. In the middle of the mall? Let's harmonize!

Happy birthday, Grandma! I love you!

The fam, after the birthday lunch

Beaner

Jillian and I, posing before our Senior Prom

June 2001

Some days, it is so, so good to have a friend who just "gets" you.

Pearl Jam!

Finally.

Last Friday night, I FINALLY got to go see Pearl Jam. I have been waiting for years to see them in concert, and for one reason or another, just haven't been able to go. But this year...ohhh, this year was different. I finally got to see them in concert with my friends Steph, Justin, and Gabe in Philly and the concert was SO AMAZING.

The setlist included some of my favorites, like "In My Tree," "Light Years," "Breath," and "Given to Fly"...some awesome new ones, like "The Fixer" and "Just Breathe," and some oldies but goodies, like "Jeremy" and "Alive."

There were so many points at which I, a) got teared up, b) grabbed my face in a Kevin McAllister/Home Alone-style "AHHHH!!!", or c) did all of the above, while simultaneously praying that by some stroke of luck, the concert would never end. I remember that at one point, while they were playing "Jeremy," I just stood there in shock. That was the first Pearl Jam song that I ever learned, the first one of their videos that I ever saw, and I was watching them play it live.

Great, great night. I'm so thankful that I got to go!

And even though they didn't play it, I leave you with some lines from my favorite song off their new album:

once outside the undertow
just you and me and nothing more
if not for love I would be drowning
I've seen it work both ways but I am up

riding high amongst the waves
I can feel like I
have a soul that has been saved
I can feel like I've
put away my early grave

gotta say it now
better loud
than too late
~

Pearl Jam, *Amongst the Waves*