The biggest and best confession of all

One day, about 2 months and 12 days ago, I was sitting in my office at BYU, pretending to work
(I might have actually been succeeding at the time, it's hard to tell) when I got a phone call from my oldest brother, Bruce. It went something like this:

"So, I just went to the doctor. You know, the single one I've been telling you about." Internal eye roll from me. "We got to talking and I found out he's not dating anyone AND he's going to be up in Salt Lake City this weekend. I asked him if he would be interested in going on a blind date with you. We did a little Facebook stalking and he said he would be game if you are."

Ugh. I had to think long and hard about that one. Number one, my track record with blind dates: not great. Number two, my track record with men in general: not great. But I had JUST said the week before that I needed new ways to meet men my age. I couldn't very well turn down a date with a pretty decent guy (from what I could tell from my own Facebook stalking skills as well as my own brother's testimonials) and then complain about my dating/marital status. Plus, blind dates hardly ever call. So I said, "Sure, what the heck!" I asked a few questions, chit chatted with Bruce a little bit more, and then called it a day at work. I was pooped. I thought a little bit about this David Grygla character, but soon put it out of my mind. He'll never call, I thought.

Well, he called. That night. Like three hours later. And I missed it. Not that I would have answered an unrecognized number anyway, but still. It was 9:00 p.m. by the time I saw
the missed call. I debated calling him back that night. I decided to put it off.

That was Thursday night.

Friday morning, I sent an email to a group of old roommates, polling them as to whether or not I
should call this guy back. Niki's response: "You should go. At the very least, you'll get a free meal and a good story out of it."

Truer words have never been spoken.

So, after a day of hemming and hawing, I called him back on my way home from work. We talked for probably 30 minutes, which was surprising to me since I'm usually a terrible phone talker, and he had me laughing the whole time. The conversation ended with us agreeing to meet up at the Spanish Fork airport the next day for a lunchtime airplane ride to Heber followed by an aerial fall foliage tour. Yes, in his plane. Yes, piloted by him. Was I crazy? Maybe a little.

I think we both went into the date pretty curious. What kind of 40 year old man who's never been
married chooses to practice medicine in St. George? What kind of California girl lives in DC for seven years and then ends up teaching at BYU? Needless to say, the conversation was not usual first-date fare. We could have talked for hours longer. When we parted ways, I wondered what, if anything, would come of it. He said he hoped I would come to St. George soon, and if so, he hoped we could go out again. I said I'd work on it. I was intrigued. Apparently, so was he.

He has called every day since then. I found myself down there the very next weekend.

Needless to say, it has been a whirlwind romance. With him in St. George and me in American Fork, our courtship was done largely over the phone, hours on end talking about anything and everything, combined with intense, alternating weekend trips. There wasn't a lot of point in holding back. We both knew we were playing in the big leagues, playing for keeps. If this wasn't going to work out, we both wanted to know as soon as possible. But it just kept getting better and better. And then, about two weeks ago, I took the plunge and moved to St. George.

I could bore you with the details of our first kiss (which consisted of me leaving church during
Sunday School and driving to St. George on a whim--so reckless!), the week I spent with his family at Thanksgiving, the day I realized I would marry him (the day after Thanksgiving), the day he told me he loved me (which was the day after I realized I would probably marry him), and all of the huge decisions that have followed since. But I know you really just want to know about
tonight.

Dave surprised me a couple of days ago by telling me that one of his colleagues had offered to cover his OB call if we wanted to go somewhere for Christmas. He suggested we fly up to Utah County to spend Christmas evening with his sister's family and asked if I wanted to invite my dad along, too. I, of course, was thrilled. It was my first Christmas away from home, and while we were making the best of it and having a good time with just the two of us, I was happy for the chance for both of us to be with family even for just a few hours. So, as soon as church was over, we headed for the airport and flew up to the Spanish Fork airport, where it all started.

Dave was acting a little funny, but I chalked it up to him being a little nervous about meeting Dad for the first time. After dinner, he started getting pushy about me playing the piano for everyone. He had insisted I bring up some piano music to play after dinner, and I was fine with that until I heard one of the grandchildren tearing it up. I got self-conscious and refused to play. It took careful prodding from Dad (who was in on the plan) and pleading from Dave (who promised to make it up to me later) for me to agree. I went out to the car to get my music and when I returned, Ed had set up his camera with lighting. All eyes were on me, and the parents kept shushing their kids. I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, but I sat at the piano anyway and tried to calm my nerves to play. I decided to play for Dave and Dad and no one else. My fingers steadied, and I started to play the Wexford Carol.

Dave stood next to me at the piano, which I took as a move of solidarity, and I appreciated the gesture. As I began to play, I could feel a little clunking in the left hand. What is that noise, I wondered. I kept playing. The clunking continued, but I wasn't about to stop and point out to people I hardly knew that their piano was a little crappy with a couple of busted hammers. Then Dave noticed the clunking.

"What's that sound?"

"I don't know." I kept playing.

A few seconds later, Dave said, "Seriously, Julie. What is that?" He peered into the piano. I peered right along with him. I stopped playing when I realized I could see something sitting there on the strings. My first thought was, What kid left their Christmas present in the piano? So irresponsible! Dave pulled it out gingerly and held it out for my inspection. When nothing registered on my face, he carefully opened the box. In it was the most beautiful, sparkly ring I had ever seen. And it was for me.

I, of course, burst into tears.

Much hugging and kissing and picture taking ensued. There was a question in there somewhere--and a yes from me--and then the realization that I was going to marry the best man I knew. People talk about how you just know, how it's different than all the rest. Yeah, you can't really do that feeling justice--you've just got to feel it--but boy is it real. And it. is. amazing.

Ed captured the entire thing on video. So did Dad. Turns out everyone in the room knew I was
being proposed to except for me. And I didn't suspect a thing. Not one darn thing. Dave asked me the other day if I liked surprises. I had no idea this is what was cooking.

So, there you go--the biggest and best confession of all. I am in love with the best man I've ever
known. And he's in love with me. So we're getting married.

In the words of my future husband, David Glen Grygla: It's a freaking miracle.

The most wonderful time of the year

This is my favorite time of year. We've just finished up my favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving -- and Christmas is right around the corner. It's also my birthday month, which is always fun. There's a chill in the air, and there's nothing quite like a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket to complete a long, pre-winter day.

It's interesting to think back to this time last year, how difficult Thanksgiving and Christmas were. My heart hurt so badly on all sides of the holidays--leading up to, the day of, and the aftermath. This year, I find that the wounds have mostly healed; I didn't dread Thanksgiving once, and the day of was peaceful and full of love. Of course, that mostly had to do with this man.

He gave me one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had; I have spent this week feeling so grateful for him. He is truly remarkable. Love never felt so good.

It's not Tuesday, but it's a confession

As most of my old roommates know, I have a history of pretty scandalous dreams. In the past it has been mostly making out with people I know with an occasional celebrity thrown in. The last year or so has been pretty quiet on that homefront so imagine my surprise when James Roday showed up in my dream last night.

It all started (the dream) when an old student of mine from BYU-I came into my class at BYU to surprise me. I was probably way more excited to see him in my dream than I should have been, but it's my dream right? My rules, too, apparently. The awkward thing was that the entire class was rivited by this somewhat awkwardly happy reunion of kindred spirits. We took our reunion to the hallway, but when I walked out, it was right onto the set of Psych. I was, of course, now Maggie Lawson--you might know her as Juliet O'Hara. I was supposed to do her scene...only problem is, I'm a terrible actress. So when the director told me to say my line, it was sort of awful.

So, the director told me to take a seat on the couch and make some popcorn while he let Dule Hill do his scene. It was a very long and involved scene wherein he gets to steal Shawn's thunder for once as he draws a poster of the scene of the crime (this made a lot more sense in my dream). So there I am, sitting on the couch, waiting for my stupid popcorn, when James Roday (not Shawn Spencer, and while I wish it was James from Season 1 it was more like James from Season 5) comes and sits down next to me.

He starts chatting me up, asking me how things are going, and I realize that since I'm Maggie Lawson, I'm also his girlfriend in real life. So he starts saying sweet nothings (see, not very Shawn Spencer-ish) and starts kissing me. On the couch. While Dule is monologing. Of course, no one else is paying attention to this little indiscretion. Meanwhile I'm asking myself why I am letting him kiss me since I am not REALLY Maggie Lawson and am still not sure why everyone thinks I am.

Dule's scene ends, the director calls it the best work he's ever done, and the poster is a masterpiece. But when they review the footage, turns out there was an errant elbow or two of mine or James' that made it into the frame, ruining the entire thing. A very typical Psych broo-ha-ha breaks out and I exit stage right.

Needless to say, I woke myself up right about then.

It's nice to know my brain is finally back to its normal functions.

What I did on my summer vacation

Item #1: Survive my first real teaching experience. Yay!

Dad comes to Rexburg!

What my poor students had to look at every day.

Item #2: Go to Island Park/Yellowstone

Vacation at last. I could go back to this cabin every year and love it.
The fire pit made the hours of search worth it.

Take me back there.

Yellowstone did not disappoint.

We were at Old Faithful so long we saw it blow twice.

We took at day at Mack's Inn and Big Springs. Pay no attention to my runner-tanned legs. I fixed that at the beach last week...

Big Springs: Lots of bugs but beautiful views!

This waterfall was most unsettling.

This one was fiercer but didn't give me that same feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Take the picture! Take the picture!"
That sucker was coming right for us.

Yellowstone Lake

The Grand Tetons. The only good part of our not-so-brilliant path home.

Item #3: Go to Grand Canyon

A bit apprehensive pre-helo ride.

Trying to be brave. Once we took off I was fine.

Bright Angel Trail. Someday I will hike rim to rim.

Plane ride > helo ride

This is what my hair looks like at 6:30 a.m. I wasn't nearly as nervous for this ride since John told me planes are inherently more stable than helos (thanks bro!).

Antelope Canyon was the big surprise of the day! Gorgeous!

The Colorado from the air. Someday (maybe) I'll raft it.

Glen Canyon beauty.

It was about 10 degrees hotter on the shore than on the river.
I took care of the heat problem a little later.

Turns out cooling the feet wasn't quite enough.

45 degree water is wonderful when it's 110+ outside.

And now it's time to start a new adventure. I was just hired to teach adjunct at BYU--miracle of miracles-- so I have to leave for Utah on Wednesday. I'm sad to cut my California time a little short (once a year visits are not quite enough) but this is an opportunity I can't pass up. I just hope these three weeks of vacation were enough to carry me through! Wish me luck!

The Men of Lark Rise and Candleford

It's a long list, and not nearly as star-studded, but I could be an early fan of many on this list. Let's first start with the attractive and/or hilarious but taken.

Robert Timmins
(Brendan Coyle)

Brendan Coyle is quickly becoming one of my favorite BBC staples. He played Nicholas Higgins in North & South and John Bates in Downton Abbey (a must-see after you finish Lark Rise to Candleford - streaming on Netflix). He is a bit type-cast--strong, opinionated, advocate for the working man, principled above all--but he plays the part so well. Robert is a devoted father, a loving husband who isn't quite sure he's liking the changing tides of women's rights, and the hamlet's political pot-stirrer.

Twister Turrill
(Karl Johnson)

I have never seen this actor before but he is hilarious. He blames every lazy bone in his body on "the rheumatism" and yet he finds enough energy to get into plenty of trouble around the hamlet and in town. There isn't a penny in his pocket he doesn't spend on drink, much to Queenie's ire. However, his shenanigans are perfectly balanced with his spells where he isn't quite in his right mind: he gets lost sometimes, hears voices, and sees visions. You're never quite sure if he's gone loopy or if he's connected to the earth in a way similar to his wife, Queenie.

Thomas Brown
(Mark Heap)

I thought I had never seen this actor before, but apparently he was one of the King's sons in Stardust. That makes me laugh a lot; those sons are pretty hilarious. Thomas Brown falls into the in-between category of the Men of Lark Rise: he eventually enters the realm of the married but until then (and after, I suppose) he is a most devoted servant of Her Majesty, the Queen, as Candleford's postman. He is also obsessed with being a Christian and is determined to convert everyone around him. His self-righteousness can be wearisome at times, but he also has his fair share of hilarious moments.

--And now we transition in the MEN of Lark Rise. Between Laura and Dorcas Lane, there are many, uh, treats that make their way through Candleford. Some are better than others. Let's begin with the most stable character.--

Alfie Arless
(John Dagleish)

Alfie (or Alf, as he's known in Lark Rise) is Laura's childhood friend. He might even be a little sweet on her, but since I'm not doing spoilers here I will leave it at that. It is really a pleasure to watch Alfie grow from a child into a man in this series. He has a less-than-responsible mother, a father away at sea, and four younger siblings, so he has to grow up pretty fast. He is a man of the land, through and through, and a loyal friend and lover. I love how his story ends up.

Laura's Love Interests

Phillip
(Oliver Jackson-Cohen)

The fact that I can't find one picture of this guy in costume leads me to believe that people feel the same way about him as I felt about my high school boyfriend: better left in the past, better if it hadn't happened at all. I was glad to see Phillip kicked to the curb and with as much passion as Laura did it with. Good riddance. (Sorry for breaking my spoiler rule--I just can't stand this guy.)

Fisher Bloom
(Matthew McNulty)

Why I can't find a better picture of him is beyond me. This hardly does him justice. Fisher the clockmaker. Mmmm. As Mac (my friend who introduced me to this show) said, "Have you gotten to Fisher yet? When you do, hold onto your socks." I had no idea what she meant, but when I got there I knew she was right. Fisher is like every bad-idea/"but he has so much potential" boyfriend I've ever had or tried to have: he is so hot, the kissing is amazing, but you know he can't possibly stick around. Or can he?

Daniel Parrish
(Ben Aldridge)

Be still my beating heart. Seriously you guys. Look up his profile photo on IMDb. YOWSER. I mean, when you meet him as Daniel, he's a total prick. I really didn't think he was going to last. And when he did, I wasn't sure I wanted him to. And I'm still not really decided, except that I think Daniel is the most accurate representation of what real-life-with-a-man-you-want-to-marry is like. There are power struggles, mistakes are made, feelings get hurt, but ultimately you are on the same basic trajectory and you make it work. Plus, the kissing is still really good and you know he'll stick around.

Dorcas Lane Love Interests

I knew I had arrived at adulthood when I realized I wasn't slobbering over what's-his-bucket in that Amanda Bynes' movie, What a Girl Wants, and instead was actively lusting after Colin Firth (who was not the intended eye candy for the teens the movie was aimed toward). I have to say that the fact I was more invested in the following men plants my feet firmly in womanhood.

Sir Timothy
(Ben Miles)

Sir Timothy is the squire of Lark Rise and Candleford, childhood friend of Dorcas Lane, and spends a curious amount of time at the post office. He's also married to Lady Adelaide. I detest infidelity of any kind (real or fictionalized) and so, while the chemistry between him and Dorcas is incredible, it always left me feeling pretty unsettled. I think I have secret fears of marrying the wrong person, and this just kind of added to them.

James Dowland
(Jason Merrells)

Wah wah. What a sad follow up to Sir Timothy. Former Lark-Riser, now-successful hotelier, barging in on Candleford like he owns the place. Not cute. Not charming. Ends up being kind of pathetic. Blech.

Gabriel Cochran
(Richard Harrington)

Man. Or, as Dorcas says, "He's a manly man." A former blacksmith, and down on his luck after the unexpected death of his wife, Gabriel wanders into Candleford looking for work. Dorcas just happens to have an empty forge and a need for a blacksmith, perfect for him to start over. He's hot-blooded and passionate, but can also be quite contemplative. He's not perfect by any means, but he's the just type of man you hope wanders into your life after a long dry spell following a whelp like James Dowland.

And that, my friends, is it. Watch it quickly so we can talk about it!!

Not really a confession...

Okay. Let's give this a go. Just to see...

You all know of my penchant for British dramas/miniseries/series. My newest love is Lark Rise to Candleford. This series is based off of Flora Thompson's memoir of her childhood in Oxfordshire during the turn of the century (1895-ish). The series is delightful--LOTS of familiar British faces and a plethora of healthy love interests. It follows the interactions of the hamlet of Lark Rise with the town of Candleford, conducted largely through the activity in the post office. It sounds iffy, but I promised if you give it a go, you will not be disappointed! All four seasons are on YouTube, so you can watch to your heart's content. One tiny confession here: I spent the majority of my last month in Rexburg watching all 4 seasons, once staying up until 3:30 am watching episodes...

There's too much for one post, so we'll break it into several, beginning with the women of Lark Rise and Candleford.

Laura Timmons
(Olivia Hallinan)

Laura, the oldest Timmins child, was born in the hamlet of Lark Rise. When she turns 17, her parents ship her off to work at the post office in the nearest town, Candleford, with her mother's cousin, Dorcas Lane. I've never seen this actress before, but she's a pretty good Laura. We see her come of age over the course of the series: She falls in love, finds and defines herself and her opinions, and learns how to interact with her hamlet family once she is exposed to the ways of "town."

Dorcas Lane
(Julia Sawalha)

You might remember her better as Lydia Bennett in the 1995 (Colin Firth) version of Pride & Prejudice. She also plays Horatio Hornblower's wife Maria in the A&E miniseries Horatio Hornblower. I recognized her as Maria but didn't make the Lydia connection until the end of season 4 for some reason. I'm kind of glad I didn't, because if I had this image of her giggling at the soldiers in Meriton, it might have ruined it for me (sorry folks). Anyway, she owns the post office and forge in Candleford and is well-known as the most beautiful of the four spinsters in town. She is well-meaning but constantly meddling in everyone else's business...And beware of her "one weakness."

Queenie
(Linda Bassett)

You may recognize her as Mrs. Jenkins from the new Sense & Sensibility. She is fantastic as Queenie Turrill. She is the unofficial but recognized matriarch of Lark Rise--she's lived there the longest of anyone. She raises bees and sells nuts to survive, takes in anyone in need of food and shelter, believes in ghosts and natural remedies, and is kept busy by her mischievous and lazy husband, Twister. I think her character is one of my favorites. I love how close she is to the earth and her people. She's not ashamed of her roots or her poverty. It's a lesson I needed to learn while living in poverty in my own little town this summer.

Emma Timmins
(Claudie Blakely)

She's pictured here with her husband, Robert Timmins (more on him in the next post). You may recognize her as Charlotte from the Kiera Knightly Pride & Prejudice. She plays Laura's mother in this series and does a smashing job of it. She does such a great job especially of portraying that fine balance between being subservient to her husband while also questioning the accepted roles of women, perfect for the time period of this series.

Minnie
(Ruby Bentall)

I love, love, love Minnie. She doesn't show up until season 2, but she is delightful in every way. I have to admit, I was skeptical of how long she would last on the show, but her character takes on such unique and refreshing qualities that you can't help but love her. Her honesty and purity (and her naivete) have me laughing through many episodes. Her love, though, is also some of the most touching in the series.

Lady Adelaide

(Olivia Grant)

I have to admit, I spent most of my time feeling sorry for Lady Adelaide. She's only in season 1, though she does pop back up for a surprise visit in season 3 I think, and she's not even in very many episodes, but she is perfect for her role. I won't say much more than that for fear of giving too much away. Suffice it to say, she is a potent force in both Lark Rise and Candleford.

Margaret
(Sandy McDade)

I have never seen this actress before, but she is perfect for her role. Sometimes I want to shake her, but for the most part I like her. She's the rector's daughter and is one of the four spinsters in Candleford. I think my favorite episode of hers is the one about cricket.

Pearl and Ruby
(Matilda Ziegler and Victoria Hamilton)

I haven't seen anything with Pearl in it, but Ruby played Maria Bertram in the movie version of Mansfield Park. This picture captures these spinster Candleford dressmakers perfectly. It's like you can see in their eyes what vicious gossips they are.

Caroline Arless
(Dawn French)

The "fat lady" from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She is constantly getting her Lark Rise family into financial scrapes. She is well-meaning but has absolutely no discipline. She only appears in season 1 but she sets the stage for the plight of the Arless family through all 4 seasons.

See what I mean: LOTS of famous faces. This should just whet your appetite. The men of Candleford and Lark Rise are not quite as famous, but they sure are lovely...Are you excited yet?

Ahem

Confession: I come back here frequently to relive some of my most favorite moments that I've shared. And I'm contemplating, after a 2+ year hiatus, of revisiting the blog. Mom did love the blog...

Anyway, no promises. I'm just thinking.