I’m not gonna lie. We have a lot of stains in our carpet. You would think that we have a small child for the amount of stains we have. I don’t understand… by the end of our tenure here, we had purchased 3 different surfaces for drinks, yet they always somehow ended up on the floor. My husband is guilty as charged for this offense, for fear an accident will short-circuit his laptop. Is it any wonder he’s afraid of accidents? Anyway… we have old stains, new stains, red stains, blue stains. Well, really they’re just brown. But at this point, we’re not really sure where each came from and what created the stain, or even if it was there before we got here, so I just don’t know how to treat them – except for the Coffee Stain.

Fearing that not even a carpet steamer would work on our Infamous Giant Coffee Stain (in which my toe hit a notebook sitting on the couch, which then fell to the floor, which then hit a mug of coffee on said floor, which then toppled to said floor), I decided to go at it myself to see just how bad it was… And let me tell you, I wish I took before/after shots. That jerk is G-O-N-E gone!! Well, it’s not perfect, but it’s a huge improvement. I was so excited that I shimmied around to the rest of the carpet trying the same method – coat with water, blot. coat with dish detergent, blot. coat with water, blot. vacuum.

Let’s just say I was unsuccessful with the other stains.

I had a good talk with Steph today about friendship. Afterward, I was thinking… what works to improve some may not work with others. We may put in all the effort we can, but sometimes, it just needs something different. And that’s okay. I’m not comparing friends to stains, really. But sometimes it’s easier to stick with our old methods of TLC rather than try to figure out what makes people tick (or, what gets the stain out). Maybe it’s worth it, though, because that before/after shot can be quite drastic.

Moving out of the Lovenest is bringing up so many emotions. I want to take the last three years and put them in a slideshow and trap those perfect images into a little snowglobe. Reminds me of a book I just read, The Lovely Bones -

Inside the snow globe on my father’s desk, there was a penguin wearing a red-and-white-stripe scarf. When I was little my father would pull me into his lap and reach for the snow globe. He would turn it over, -letting all the snow collect on the top, then quickly invert it. The two of us watched the snow fall gently around the penguin. The penguin was alone in there, I thought, and I worried for him. When I told my father this, he said, ‘Don’t worry, Susie. He has a nice life. He’s trapped in a perfect world.’

Okay, it doesn’t follow exactly, but I want to be on the outside looking into this perfect world we had, where we somehow stayed toasty during Cleveland winters and lived in peaceful chaos for three blissful years. But as we leave and conflict brews over this ratty little nest, I feel like someone smashed the glass. The peace is ruined, and it floods into our lives to come in our new home.

I know it sounds silly, all this over a temporary home. But to me, the Lovenest represents so much more. It was where I became a woman, a wife, a lawyer. Where I learned to cook fine foods and manage a household. Where Joe and I became one person together. We put up our very first Christmas tree here, becoming a family in and of ourselves.

We will soon start anew, moving into a stage of life where both gifts and expectations are raised. “To whom much is given, much is to be expected.” Am I a big enough woman to accept and envelope these expectations? I feel wholly inadequate to take on a house, a job, maybe a dog or even someday, a family. Yet I want all these things. And how did I feel qualified to handle a marriage, a household, law school .. at the age of 21? What gave me the audacity? And after becoming a lawyer of all things, where did my audacity go? Despite Joe’s constant encouragement and support, I have let guilt and shame over stupid mistakes (I stepped in the newly-laid grout today, things like this) destroy any confidence I might have once had in myself. I try to take on new things, and then I cower back for fear of failure. Then I grow disappointed in myself, and worried that I’m disappointing Joe, who so fervently believes in me. What an ugly cycle. I feel like a little airplane that can’t get off the ground. So much potential, yet so much fear. When will I become airborne?

This year, we decided not to do big anniversary gifts for one another and opted instead for a special surprise. I found something that would be a gift to both of us that we would share – a gift to one another, so to speak! What could we possibly BOTH want for an anniversary gift? Why, tickets to a gourmet dinner at the Cleveland Indians Terrace Club, sponsored by Ferrante Vineyards! It’s got the sports aspect to thrill Joe and the wine aspect to thrill me, plus the foodie aspect to thrill us both! How amazing does this menu sound?

First Course

Roasted Fennel Bread Pudding with Celery and Apple Salad

2008 Pinot Grigio

Second Course

Vidalia Onion and Goat Cheese Tart with Roasted Tomato Confit

2007 Chardonnay

Third Course

Braised Beef Short Rib with Currant Jam, Yukon and Celery Root Puree and Broccoli Rabe

2008 Cab Franc

Fourth Course

Ancho Spiced Beignets with Cayenne Sugar

2008 Vidal Ice Wine

As it turns out, we had even more fun than we thought we would! As we walked in, I noticed that the tables were all made up of between 4 and 8 people  – it was then that we realized that we were dining cruise-style! We ended up seated with a grandma and a great-grandma – later on in the evening we met an older couple -  and we chatted them up about everything from wine to family to Cleveland sports. For some reason, it’s really rejuvenating to talk to older friends and couples and to see people aging happily alongside friends and family. Within 20 minutes, we were laughing, sharing stories, hugging, and just having an all around great time. Four glasses of wine later, we had a fantastic night to remember!

Enjoying a surprising evening!

It’s not very often that one of us has the privilege of knowing someone who is seeking to take their talents, experience, and passion to public office.  That is why I am excited to call myself a friend and supporter of James Levin. Most of us who have expressed excitement about developing the neighborhoods of the City of Cleveland have heard of James and his creative endeavors. A fellow alumnus of the Case School of Law, James used his education to defend the poor and underserved, but soon acted on his passion for the arts by starting the Cleveland Public Theatre, the Gordon Square Cultural Arts District, Ingenuity Festival, and the Bridge Project.

I know him personally through a brief internship with the Ingenuity Festival. Under the guidance of James and his staff, I choked out many of my fears and learned to make diverse connections with artists, scientists, and nonprofit organizations all over the city to capitalize on Northeast Ohio’s strengths in both art and technology.

Last Fall, while busy at his new job as the director of the College of Wooster’s Center for Entrepreneurship, James made time to meet with me for an interview for one of my nonprofit classes. Recalling his journey from law student to innovative champion of the arts and the City of Cleveland, he seemed to have grown wise, but not weathered. As I watched him hop from back-to-back meetings, from a group of professional gentlemen to his former intern, I appreciated his willingness to spend his valuable time with constituencies both powerful and small.

James has the energy, intelligence, and ideas to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the City of Cleveland. District 7 consists of such neighborhoods as University Circle, Little Italy, Tremont, Hough, Glenville, and more – neighborhoods that need to take advantage of their unique histories and populations while fighting through the constant struggles of urban sprawl, unemployment, and poor public image.  Levin’s ideas have pumped more than tourism dollars into the city of Cleveland – they have injected hope, excitement, and positivity into countless citizens.

Cuyahoga County’s new leadership is in your hands this September 7th. I encourage you to support James Levin for County Council. I hope this post has given you some faith in his talents and in his commitment to our fine city.

James Levin with the Brew Crew. Some of these gentlemen paid for Levin's legal defense services in labor for the Cleveland Public Theatre.

Image from http://realneo.us/blog/susan-miller/community-development-lessons-from-rough-rider-james-levin

My last first day of school is tomorrow. I guess that’s not really true in actuality, because my first class isn’t until Tuesday morning, but if I had a Monday class, I’d be starting tomorrow. The past month has been one of the busiest months in memory—since the end of July, we’ve had my brother’s thrilling victories at the All-American Soap Box Derby, Sheila’s bar exam, my ACLU conference, the trip to Potomac and subsequent vacation to Atlantic City, Kennywood, packing, working, Phantom of the Opera, interviewing people to serve as the two other editors for The Gavel, introduction to law review, and two Indians games this upcoming week—and while it’s all been very exciting and generally quite enjoyable, the frenzied pace of the past month hasn’t exactly been very conducive to self-reflection. Hence, the lack of blog postings!

The fact that I only have one year left sorta sunk in… Read the rest of this entry

Watching Julie and Julia—a movie about amazing food—while eating our amazing leftovers from Bistro on Lincoln Park seemed like a match made in culinary and cinematic heaven. We had wanted to see this movie for quite some time, and after a long day of packing, interviews for prospective editors for The Gavel, research, and other hard tasks, both of us were ready to do something enjoyable. Basically, the movie captured the life of a twentysomething woman after she was in a rut and subsequently decided to cook all of the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year and blog about her experiences; simultaneously, the movie captured the life of Julia Child as she learned how to cook French food and as she embarked on the grand experience of publishing a cookbook.

I absolutely loved this movie… Read the rest of this entry

Part of me knows that our unique heritages and ethnicities are, in many ways, culturally constructed… but part of me loves engaging in what I can claim as an innate part of me. While I find so many aspects of many different cultures to be beautiful and unique and I would gladly adopt any heritage as my own, I can’t help but connect myself and my personality with my ethnic background.

I think I often talk about my Iranian side, partly because my generational ties are closer to Iran, and partly because I spent more time growing up with my Iranian relatives. I have never been to Iran, but I love to cook and eat Persian food, hear the Farsi language (even though I can’t understand it!), dance to the music, partake in certain traditions. I was the president of the Persian Club at Case and enjoyed putting on events with delicious food and great Iranian films. We even incorporated Persian traditions into our wedding ceremony!

Our Persian Ceremony

But despite the fact that I didn’t necessarily grow up around my Irish family, I still feel a very strong connection to my Irish heritage. My family traveled to Ireland probably almost 10 years ago now, and I still remember the kind souls, the warm sound of an Irish accent, the quaint houses and historic castles, the majestic green mountains, and the crisp, cool, fresh air. I bought my first cross in Ireland and I don’t really know why I did it, since I wasn’t a Christian. I ended up giving it away. Many years later after I came to faith, my brother gave me a Celtic cross necklace for Christmas. I guess I came full circle. I carried my Irish grandma’s rosary on my bouquet on my wedding day, “something old” that connected me both to my family and to my faith.

More recently, I’ve returned to the joy of Irish music. I had an Irish whistle growing up that I tooted obnoxiously, and I enjoyed playing jigs on my violin. Any time I’m in a bad mood, I know I can put the Irish Pub station on AOL Radio and I’m happy as a clam! My mom and I tried Irish dancing lessons many, many years ago – we were put to shame in a split second by the incredibly skilled footwork.

To top it off, I’ve had some delicious modern takes on Irish food lately, including a great Guinness Beef Stew and, believe it or not, wonderfully bittersweet Guinness Ice Cream!

Guinness Brownie Sundae

I’m not sure if the connection I feel is a construct that I’ve created. After all, I’m many generations away from the country of Ireland. But if my distant generational connection is all I have to connect me with a beautiful culture that makes me feel a little more special and a little more alive, I’m certainly fine with that.

A couple teasers…

Little Siberia

Seafaring Sisters

Our Third Anniversary!

Friends at Kennywood

Clickie to see the rest of our Summer 2010 Frolickings!

We’re finally back from two weeks of nonstop travel. Our itinerary was as follows:

• 7/26 – Drive from CLE- Columbus for the bar
• 7/27-7/29 – Bar Exam
• 7/30-7/31 -  ACLU conference in Columbus
• 7/31 – Drive back to CLE
• 8/1 – Drive from CLE – Potomac
• 8/2- 8/5 – Family Vacation to Atlantic City
• 8/5 – 8/7 – Potomac
• 8/7 – Drive to Pittsburgh
• 8/8 – Kennywood Day, then drive back from PGH – CLE

We’ll hopefully have some pictures up very shortly It’s been such a wild ride, and I am really glad to be home to get my fellowship going, pack up our place, meet Laura & Eric’s little one, plan a party, get ready for Rachel’s wedding…. Things are always busy, no?