I am listening to "Casimir Pulaski Day" and the butterflies in my stomach have become heavy dragons. This whole album reminds me of visiting Iowa for the first time and singing in the car with Jake, nostalgia is so potent.

Today

9 am- This is my morning. That calendar is one of my most prized possessions, I'm sure you understand.

All I can say is that 5 days seems like the perfect amount of time left.

I am so excited for this week. I am overjoyed! I feel like I am near the center of God's will. I get to take the week off work, I get to see my family! And when I return I will be a married woman and life will be a whole new adventure.

I have some amazing friends and I am sure beyond a doubt that their prayers are carrying me, typical worrier and anxiety-prone Taylor, through this time, on a cloud of joy and peace.

Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart.

For I am a young girl and you are a man without money ...

Now fine sir, where is it you shall take me?

Is it the mountains high,

or is it the deep blue sea?

Of course I like this song.

Today

6 pm- Olivia texted this to me and I laughed really awkwardly and loud in the hallway at school. I love these two girls so dearly. Praise God that we are relatively health! They will be standing, in one way or another, next to me on my wedding day.

On not dying


The leaves do not fall to their death

they are falling to start a new life.

Today

11 am- The colors on my street.

Yesterday

8 pm- I'd love to tell you this story.

I keep noticing the last things I do

as an unmarried woman ... my last

staff meeting, my last women's group,

my last copy editing class, my last

Wednesday where I work from home

while I catch up on laundry and baking.

But I'm not dying.

Far from it in fact.

Here's to new life!

And here's what I made today.

My own recipe "Pumpkin pumpkin cookies."

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup whole grain flour

1/2 cup Trader Joe's pumpkin pancake mix

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon

I avoid a mixer as often as possible, this recipe is easy to mix with a fork as long as you do the wet ingredients together first, then the spices, then the flours. Bake for 12 minutes at 350. Try not to eat all the batter.