Dear Future Boyfriend

Happy Valentines day! A song came on my ipod yesterday and it made me think of you, so this is me just dropping a note with a quick heads up. You probably don't even know me yet, but here are 20 things you might need to know up front:

1. I have Popsicle feet and cold hands. Yes, it will startle you often and I'm sorry about that. Please don't pull your hand away simply because mine happens to be frozen.
2. I apparently shed like a German shepherd, so prepare to find blonde hairs on your jacket, in your car, on your person... sorry.
3. I don't like Salt and Vinegar chips or Greek olives and I probably never will.
4. I don't understand the art of good condiments. I generally take my sandwiches dry, so if i'm making a sandwich for you, be patient with me when I skimp on the mayo.
5. If you spontaneously dance with me while we're cooking, or anywhere at all, I'll probably fall in love with you.
6. Sharing what I love is one way I say "I love you," so when I share a favorite movie or song, please don't ridicule it. I'm sharing a part of me with you.
7. I have a small mouth. Thus explaining my horror when the waitress at Red Robin brings out that huge burger. (How ever am I supposed to bite into that?)
8. Sacrificing my sleep is another way I say "I Love You."
9. I'm going to want a bite of your food, and I may just sneak a french fry or two.
10. I like to talk...a lot, but it'll feel useless if you don't talk back. I'm shooting for deep conversation, not introspective monologues.
11. Just fair warning, I really won't like it if you are playing on your phone during sacrament meeting. That kinda irks me.
12. I am the world's worst rock skipper; can you teach me? I also need tremendous help with my Frisbee skills and bubble gum blowing skills.
13. I'm a mouth breather, so I sleep with my lips slightly ajar. Also, since my nose isn't too helpful, if you kiss me too long, I may need to break for a breath.
14. I bruise like a peach and i'm probably not going paint-balling with you because of it.
15. Yes, everything can be made into a song, and any word can lead to song lyrics.
16. Honestly, I melt for love letters. If you write me a heart-felt letter for my birthday every year, I will be completely satisfied.
17. I love going on walks with you - anytime, anywhere, any season.
18. I'm a planner, so if you've made a plan and a back up plan for our special evening, I'm going to be super impressed.
19. If you can tell i'm getting frazzled, just pull me in for a hug and kiss me on the forehead. I'll be fine quickly with a good dose of affection.
20. I promise to be incredibly patient, but in return you need to be patient with my heart. I am thinking through everything and need time to do so. :)

Did I just scare you away now? I sure hope not because when I love, I love deep. I want to surprise you at work or school with a homemade lunch, and help you study for that horrible final. I want to write you a love letter and make you feel better. I want to take you to places you've never discovered and to thoughts you've never considered. So whenever you're ready, let me know! Otherwise, I'll find you later on. Happy Valentines day.

Love,
your future girlfriend

---- For more----
Meghan Trainor's "Dear Future Husband" - Click here
Amanda Torroni's poem - Click here
Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" Click here

Oranges

Sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than the sweet, tangy taste of an Orange.

 I once named oranges to be "ambrosia".

Although I don't love the orange dusting it leaves on my fingers, I will always adore the scent lingering on my skin. 

My grandpa used to love oranges. I remember him peeling an orange all in one peel. He would hold the spiraling rind up for me to admire before handing me a section of orange. I felt I had accomplished something magnificent the first time I successfully peeled an orange in one peel. I wish he could have seen it, maybe he did. 

When I think of Christmas, I often think of oranges. Our neighbor religiously gives us a giant  white box of oranges for Christmas each year. And for as long as I can remember, I have found an orange stuffed in the foot of my stocking Christmas morning. I asked my mother once why we always received an orange, to which she told me about her parents growing up during the depression. She told me that oranges were considered a great and expensive treat. I had never thought of oranges that way before.

As a child, I played a lot of soccer games. Half time seemed to always include orange slices. I remember putting the soft side of the slice in my mouth and sucking out all the juice. I would discard the rest and reach for another. My mother told me I was wasting the orange that way.  

Oranges are apparently the cure to all sickness. Whenever I felt a cold coming on, my mother would tell me to eat lots of oranges. I know it is because of the vitamin C, and to this day I grab an orange when my throat is feeling itchy. Whoever said "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" must have mixed up his fruits. 

Wintertime is orange time. It is the fruit I assume to be in season during the winter. Why is that? Do oranges grow well in the winter? All I know is that oranges and apples were my affordable produce purchases during those winter semesters. However, I remember a specific summer night watching the meteor shower out on the tramp. There were oranges and grapes, blankets and stars, and life was perfect for one evening. 

They are simple things, oranges. Rarely anyone's favorite fruit. They aren't even my favorite fruit, but they are a constant. They are reliable. Sometimes they are a pain to peel, they get stringy fibers all over, and sometimes they are sour, but I guess we are all like that sometimes. Perhaps if we are willing to dig deep, pull away at the strings, and endure the occasional sourpuss, people can be our ambrosia.