heathercphipps Gratitude, Happiness, Positivity, Traditions, Uncategorized

End of an Era

I’m sad about something silly. I fully acknowledge it’s silly, but I am genuinely melancholy about it.

We started our vacation with our usual bonus stop in Lincoln to get DaVincis. It’s been one of my favorite places since 1988 when I first tried their hot roast beef sandwich and cheese bread. If you know, you know.

I went to Wesleyan for my undergrad, and I didn’t have a car until senior year. You could really only get two things delivered to Wesleyan in the late 80s and early 90s. (Yes, I am dating myself.)

DaVincis. And Dominoes.

I have never been a fan of what we not-so-affectionately referred to as death disks, so DaVincis got my business. From freshman and sophomore years in Johnson Hall through junior year in the apartment we shared to senior year when we lived on the top floor of the scary house, it was a constant.

I love DaVincis hot roast beef sandwiches.

When we were first married, Justin and I would drive back down to Lincoln on weekends to get them. For a brief, shining moment, there was one at 132nd and Dodge in Omaha. It was always packed. It took forever to get through to them to place a take-out order. But it closed almost as soon as it opened.

Over the years, when we would head west for any reason, we’d stop in Lincoln to eat there. During Covid, we’d drive down for carry out and stop at the park near campus to eat. We picked up sandwiches when we met my parents outside Old Main for a Covid-friendly, outdoor play on the green.

It’s been part of my life for 35 years.

This time when we made it a point to stop by for lunch on our way out of town, I noticed something missing from the menu. You guessed it. No more roast beef sandwiches.

What?!?!

I know it’s just a sandwich, mind you the best hot roast beef sandwich on the planet. I know it’s silly to be genuinely sad about it being gone. But I am.

I also know that mostly I’m sad that I won’t bite into it and remember. Remember freshman year when I would hide out in the garden level lounge until Pam and Missy would rescue me and let me crash in their room. Remember Picture Man and a crazy photo shoot at a hotel. Remember dressing up and taking pictures with Santa at the mall. Remember stealing Easy Cheese from the guys who lived above us. Remember when we realized that the house we were renting only had a bathtub and not a shower.

Those were good times. And somehow as long as I could drive to Lincoln and enjoy a little DaVincis, it still felt like yesterday.

So I’m going to let myself be sad that my favorite sandwich is no more. And I’m going to be grateful for all of those relationships that are still so dear to me.

heathercphipps Christmas, Family, Gratitude, Stress, Traditions, Uncategorized

Embrace the Moment

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If you believe the songs on the radio, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”  And while I truly do enjoy the season, it comes with its share of stress.

I am a planner.  I appreciate a well-made list and feel like an organized life is to be embraced.  Let’s face it, things just go better when there is a plan.  Christmas is no exception.  There are lists for cards and lists for gifts and lists with the details of the many celebrations.

Traditions are not just comforting because they remind us of seasons past; they are comforting because they provide a routine and a plan for the significant moments of our life.  They help us know what to expect.

This is a time for traditions. Putting the star on top of the tree with your dad, opening a new pair of pajamas and wearing them while reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” on the hearth, and snacking on your grandma’s party mix are hallmarks of the season. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

But it would.

Traditions are important. They provide a structure for our celebrations and our memories. They are the stories we tell and the things we look forward to each year.  But traditions change.

Children grow up. People move. Extended families get bigger.  These are good things, and we should enjoy them.

Embracing change is as important as valuing traditions. Every holiday, every day is a gift. We have to find the flexibility to enjoy them all.   In fact, when I really think about it, most of my best memories were things that happened spontaneously or when the plans I made went horribly wrong.

imageLast weekend I had breakfast with some of my roommates from college. We were reminiscing about some of the holiday fun we had.  There was the time I decided to try baking a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin (not a good idea people- use the canned pumpkin). There was the message on our answering machine sung to tune of “Let It Snow”.  And then there was our trip to see Santa at the mall. We spent hours getting ready, put curling ribbon in our hair, and took a million pictures.  None of those things were planned.  None of those things were traditions.

The year I dropped the pumpkin pie on the kitchen floor was awesome. The year of the blizzard when we spent Christmas Eve alone at home was intimate and exceptional.  Every Christmas has been special, and this one will be too.

It should always be the most wonderful time of the year.  We should create traditions with our children, but we should also teach them to embrace change, to enjoy the spontaneous moments, and to laugh when things go wrong.

from your friends at the local co.My wish for you is a week full of love and laughter, time with family and friends, and a focus on the real reason for the season!