I know I'm weird, but it's my blog and I can post what I want...

There are members of the human population that choose to name their cars. I am of that group. Except maybe people don't choose to name their car in the same such manner in which I named my car, Bradley Hobart.
I named my car after the billionaire Bradley Hobart.
Bradley Hobart lives in San Francisco and is a technological genius.
He is tall and wears dark rimmed glasses. He is kind and dorky and a little clumsy. But his wit is unparalleled.
This man is so successful that he doesn't need to work another day in his life, but continues to do so to contribute his savant to society. He's just that amazing.
Mr. Bradley Hobart is actually just a fake guy I had some dream about a long time ago. But he was my boyfriend in that dream and he needed to be memorialized.

I told you I'm weird.

P.S. Jimmy knows all about Brad

Overdue

I have a lot of character flaws. Rather than get into them all, I'd like to delve into just one. I am absolutely AWFUL at sending thank you cards.
Truly abysmal.
And it's all in my mind.
Let me explain my thought process...
Someone gives me a great gift.
I am grateful and feel very touched.
I do one of two things- thank them verbally immediately or never at all.
You may think that I am not grateful for the gift or forget about the gesture. Not true. In fact, if I have never verbally thanked you for something you gave me ten years ago, I am still thinking about it. You see, when I love a gift, I want to thank the giver to the extent it changed me. And in order to express the proper amount of gratitude, I must sit and thoughtfully prepare a heartfelt message.
And then that message is never enough. Never.
It just sits somewhere being over thought in my head and collecting dust in my house. And then I feel guilty every time I see that person because I have a handwritten note at home expressing my gratitude that has never seen the light of day. Then time passes and saying thank you for something I received a year ago seems so trivial and lazy.
This is true (and embarrassing and never been shared) I wrote all the thank you cards for our wedding gifts and never sent them. I hand made each card. I still remember the color and texture of the paper. And I used a glossy gold ink pen. I had the stamps on them. I HAD THE STAMPS ON THEM! There is something in me, a great loud voice saying I am never enough, I will never be enough and that my efforts will never match my intentions. I go through each day thinking of all the things I haven't said and things I have wrongly said. I am paralyzed into inaction. I know, logically that this is wrong thinking. Almost every New Year's Eve, one of my resolutions is to write thank you cards and send them. I get all gung ho and write beautiful cards then they sit. And sit. And sit. And then its like that Shel Silverstein poem about returning a library book too late. You know, this one:

What do I do?
What do I do?
This library book is 42 Years overdue.
I admit that it’s mine But I can’t pay the fine - Should I turn it in
Or hide it again?
What do I do?
What do I do?
by Shel Silverstein


If you are reading this post, odds are you have a place in my heart expressing gratitude. Nearly every person I meet and grow close to has a little pocket in this heart of mine reserved for all the gratitude, love and admiration I have for them. So, if you are thinking this right now, "That Stephanie Graham! I gave her a bite of my dessert when we went out to a restaurant 11 years and 3 months ago and she never thanked me!"
Please hear me now.
THANK YOU.
And that's going to have to be enough for the both of us.

Happy Birthday to me!

You guys,
this birthday has been so fantastic!
It all started with a text last Wednesday,
"I was instructed to tell you that you are supposed to not get ready for the day, but instead wear 'active wear' and be Vivy free at your house around 8:15"
I was whisked away by Brittani promptly at 8:15. She drove me to Timberhill, my favorite hike in Napa, where a bunch of my awesome friends were waiting to go on a hike. It was gorgeous!
Then, we went to Napa General Store for breakfast where another group met to celebrate. And so the whole day went from surprise stop to surprise stop with different friends at each place!!!

After breakfast, I was taken home and given one hour for my first costume change. Then, off to an antique store, mani pedis (where I giggled uncontrollably at my feet being tickled). After our nails were freshly done, we went to the OxBow where there was another group waiting to have lunch with me. It felt like living a real life pop up book. After lunch, I was taken to the best book store in town and spent a whole afternoon browsing- that was pure bliss. Nearly as blissful was the ice cream we ate following the book store. Then home for another costume change and dinner at the new Thai restaurant. A new batch of friends at this stop! To end the night, we went to go see 'A Quiet Place'. My friends nailed it.
So hard.
I felt so loved and happy all day long.

Not only did my friends score 100%, my family was on point this year too!
My mom scheduled me a spa day and lunch over the weekend. I felt so pampered.
My dad wrote me a beautiful card from his hospital bed. That was a tear jerker.
My in-laws came over for a lazy (and perfect) Sunday evening outside. We talked late into the night. *I freaking love our backyard*

Today, my actual birthday, I spent reading and at the park and eating a deli sandwich in the backyard (the backyard I freaking love) and sushi tonight. Goodness gracious, its been just a long line of all my favorite things with my favorite people.

I was driving around today feeling so loved and a tad guilty for how well I have been treated.
Many thanks to those that contributed to a fantastic week!

I have an excuse, really, I do...

I know it's for dumbest reason ever, but I stopped blogging in the middle of the good Norway posts because for some silly reason, I can't post pictures anymore. I tried to rectify the situation, but not as wholeheartedly as I could muster. Which, unfortunately resulted in me taking a blogging hiatus for longer than I had ever wanted. I use this blog for my own personal reasons. I love to look back on the  days that may have felt mundane at the time. Because it is those days that are actually with which I build my life. Rather than try to remember each day in Norway, I am choosing to share the stuff I don't have to try too hard to remember. It is a travesty that no pictures will accompany this post, but not so much as if I did not write at all.

Norway. The gorgeous country that I would gladly call home for many reasons. The landscape was not like anything I have ever seen. Until cruising through the fjords, my favorite place on earth was Yellowstone National Park. But the moment I drifted on a ferry in between cliffs higher than any building I've ever seen, I had found a place closer to heaven than I had ever experienced. To tour this gorgeous country just hours and days after losing our home to a wildfire made the place all the more magical. The gorgeous countryside was just a backdrop for the beauty that is my family in Norway. There was no better person to ease my heartache than AnneBrit. She scooped me up with her laughter and cradled me in her artistic hands. Being in her home so lovingly adorned with art and freshly baked bread, mismatched dishes and handmade linens brought healing to me. Learning how to knit at AnneBrit's side was a gift that was better than any souvenir I could have ever brought home.

The rest of the family we met were so kind and welcoming and lovely. Straight up fantastic.
I hope if my family from Norway ever comes, we can be as great of a host as they were. In quiet moments, I plan all the things I would show them if they came. Maybe my hope is that they will read this here blog post, stumble on that last sentence and then book a trip. Because I would love nothing more than to plan a whole tour for them! (Sending these vibes into the universe)

I loved the food. LOVED the food. Except maybe the $70 Burger King! Whaaaa??? It's true, folks. I ate reindeer and cloudberries and the best breads and jams and Swedish licorice.

The details have waned because I too distracted to finish this post (Vivy woke up) so I'm just going to leave this here:
I can't wait to go back.