Randomizer

Another randomizer post! Arg! I swear I will find something topical to write about soon. I promise.

- Abigail is at school, and I came home, and nobody is here. I have no idea where all my siblings have disappeared to. This is what life has become, now that the twins have their drivers license.

- Speaking of Abigail, we had a really nice rainy day yesterday. It was gray and dreary and drippy and normally I'd be feeling the lack of sunlight, but instead I was feeling good (the two cups of coffee I consumed before noon might have had something to do with that). So we went over to my house, picked up Allen and Elizabeth, and took them to the thrift store with us. Allen found a suit ($10!!!), Abigail got to pick out a plastic pony for twenty-five cents, and then we took the twins with us for a Burger King lunch date; the twins had to leave kind of early because they had class, so it turned into a just-Abby-and-me date, which we haven't done in months. Then we came home, and Abby sat on me while I laid on the floor (lol) and read about a hundred books before naptime.

- I have started writing again. For a little over a month now I've had stories and characters and plotlines and what now swirling around my head, like an alternate dimension that only I can see (apparently this is my defense mechanism for stress). And then last week I booted up my old laptop and began writing, and the words were just there. Since then I've been slowly but surely adding to my little story each night; right now I'm just working on a small fanfic, but I'm hoping to get back to my original characters soon.

- I updated my winter bucket list and was surprised at how many things I'd gotten done without thinking about it.

- This week I've been contemplating God's grace and the way it's been offered into my life lately. I've been just humbled by the many ways God has touched me in the last couple of months, bringing people, experiences, even song lyrics or movie quotes into my path exactly when I needed them.
I am just in awe, every day, of how His love and grace are so truly sufficient. Beyond words, really.

There... And Back Again

This weekend was good.

:)

After the last hour of (completely terrifying) (nerve-wracking) driving, during which our GPS declared us MIA several times, and I was positive we were going to go over the side of a cliff while making our descent down a mountain in Tennessee, we pulled into Robin's driveway and piled out onto the good, red Alabama clay.

And I felt what I've felt several times now - I'm home.

It's an odd feeling, because I feel just as firmly about my "real" hometown, but the truth of the matter is, over the last few years, I've made good memories there, and a bit of South has wriggled its way into my soul.

Enough philosophizing. :) We had a mission: to put on a bridal shower.

The pictures are still coming to me - I formally handed off photography duties, knowing that I would be too busy hosting without the added stress of trying to capture every detail and moment - so I'll be doing a picture post later, but in the meantime, some moments that stuck out for me:

- Zipping down the highway at 70 miles an hour. I don't think I'd ever driven 70 miles an hour. I kind of understand now why people speed - it was totally exhilarating! (But completely legal, btw, lol!)

 - Getting hugged by my BFF's mom when we arrived. That hug is always a highlight of my trips to Alabama. Few people in my life have adopted me so wholeheartedly, made me feel as loved as this woman; I will miss staying at her home after Robin gets married.

- Having one of the older ladies who came to the shower ask if she could take a set of embellished plastic cutlery home cuz it was "just so special." Go for it! :) Made my day.

- Reading "But No Elephants!" with mah Khy-bear (and finding out that, at long last, they've rereleased it in an affordable paperback!!!). Since I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with him on this trip, that was an especially special moment. :)

- Hanging out at Lime's with Robin, Joe, Maggie, and Chrisy. Stealing Robin's queso (in all fairness, she asked if I'd share with her, but I'm pretty sure she underestimated my love of queso!). Taste-testing Joe's salsa concoction (pretty sure the man cannot eat anything straight from a bottle without "churchin' it up" first lol). Finding (and drinking!) Lime Jarritos at the counter (gotta find a place that sells these locally).

- Oddly enough, driving home Sunday morning, when Mags and Chrisy were sleeping and it was just me and my music and a long, long stretch of highway. There's just something about a road trip that lends itself to introspection, and it was exactly what I needed.

- And, of course, I loved getting to spend some time with my bestie. :) Although the time went by way. too. fast. And I'm so looking forward to seeing her again in a month, when she becomes a Mrs! :)

Randomizer

I should blog... but I can't think of anything to say! :( I haven't decided if this means my life is currently too boring, too full of mundane unimportant things, or if I'm just too malaise-ey to sit down and write. Probably all of the above.

~ I've decided I can't handle any more dreary days. Yesterday was drippy and grey and I felt like someone was sucking the life out of me! After work, I went home, flopped on my bed, watched an episode of NCIS, fell asleep in the middle of the second episode, slept for a few hours, woke up, finished the episode, and went to bed. Very productive (insert sarcasm). At a time in my life when I'm so stressed out that I can barely summon the energy to be a productive individual on a GOOD day, dreary days just make me want to surrender.


~ My latest obsession: Tiny House Blog. Go. Check it out. Dream a little.

~ Speaking of dreaming, I saw the greatest quote a while back and have been pondering it ever since: "Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." (Gloria Steinem)
Isn't that just the bestest idea ever? Makes me feel better about the daydreaming that I've been doing lately...

~ I cannot wait for spring, and I may have stopped to look at seed packets yesterday while I was shopping. My Spring bucket list includes "starting my own seeds" as opposed to buying the plants from the Amish. Wish me luck. :)

~ This weekend my sister, friend Chrissy, and I will be roadtripping down to Alabama for my bestie's bridal shower! I am so psyched. :) Nothing like some open road, stack of CD's, and good company. According to Mapquest, the trip will take us 12 hours and fifteen minutes one way, so in one weekend (72 hour period) we will log 25 hours in the car. Should be fun. :)

~ In preparation for the shower, I've been buying decorations, craft supplies, and other cute stuff like crazy! I can't wait to show you guys pictures of all the coolness - luckily, I can count of my friend Rachael to take good pictures!

Pinned: Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is coming up and I can't. wait. It's prolly gonna be one of the last holidays I get to spend at home with my sibs, and since we made such a big deal of it last year, I'm so looking forward to it this year.

 

So naturally, I've been scouring Pinterest for some good ideas... lol!

 

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Abby and I made these adorable butterfly valentines for her class party next week. Cept we added gold pipe-cleaner "antenna" which I think are just too cute! :)

 



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What a cute little Valentine's Day gift! I can think of quite a few tea-loving friends I have who would love a custom tea bag with a little "love note"! :)

 



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If I hadn't JUST decorated my door for Valentine's Day yesterday, I would totally be making one of these!

 

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I made these cute little candy machines for Christmas, but they'd be equally cute as V-Day gifts!

 

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I. LOVE. THESE. Especially for my lil people. :)

 

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I'm thinking this would be a great way to surprise whoever I draw for V-Day - do this to their door with a "what I love about you" note on each heart :)

 

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Ach! So cute!

 

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Again, I can think of a gazillion friends who would love one of these adorable bookmarks!

 

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If I were throwing a V-Day party this year, I would be making a million of these as decor!

 

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I can't help but think of my BFF, who LOVES books :)

 

 



Starbucks Tuesday Link-Up!

It's Starbucks Tuesday over at Nothing Less Than Bread!

 

I have so had coffee on the brain lately... Think it has anything to do with watching NCIS and a certain coffee addicted character?

 

 

Nah... didn't think so. :)

 

Abby and I were going to go to the indoor pool today with her cousin and aunt, but then Natalie needed us to be here to sign for a delivery (antique doors!). So we cancelled and were gonna go see my family instead. But then the delivery people were late. So we cancelled and went to Michael's for Valentine-making supplies instead, and came home to start making Valentines for Abby's class party next week. Good day all around. But I digress. :) While we were out picking up supplies, we made a pit-stop at Starbucks.

 

My pick today:

Vanilla Blonde Roast

 

I can't actually find this on their website, but basically it's my favorite Veranda roast (lovelovelove) with a couple shots of sugar-free vanilla which complements it so. well. Plus, of course, me being me, I add lots of half and half and Sweet-n-Low. :)

Is it really Tuesday? I have no idea what day it is anymore... my brain is so muddled lately. :) Tomorrow, I have another appointment to see a place - this one I'm actually really excited about! It's a huge room with a "reading loft" (!!! be still my heart) in a great location. I talked to the landlords yesterday and they seemed like great folks, so I'm hopeful. I'm ready to get all this hunting/moving behind me already and get settled in somewhere.

5/7/2009

This, then, must be the answer –
an imperfect peace.

Make friends,
or if not friends
then at least cordial housemates
with your ghosts.

Learn to coexist.

Don’t think that you can shed the burden entirely,
nor that you would want to

but

know that you can adjust the straps
making its weight easier to bear.



For Professor Karlin

Randomizer

Lots of random things have been going on this week! Mostly good :)

- On Friday, I woke up and peeked out from under my covers to see that my room was just starting to fill with sunlight, and I groaned, because that meant it was 5:30 AM and my alarm was going to go off any minute. And then I remembered - it's friday! and I don't have to wake up! - and got to snuggle back down and go back to sleep.

- When I finally did get up, three hours later, I looked outside and did a double take, because everything was covered in snow! But that was okay, because I didn't have to worry about driving in it (and better yet, a few hours later it was all totally gone)!

- This week, I made sure to stock up on decaf black tea and fresh lemons, and Friday I think I had at least three cups of the stuff - strongly brewed tea with two slices of lemon and three Sweet-n-Lows. It's amazing stuff, especially when brewed on an orange Keurig and drunk from a fox mug. :)

- I did a random dive into the Wal-Mart $5 music bin (which I rarely do, it's usually full of crap) and found both a Johnny Cash compilation (love the man in black!) and Il Divo's "Siempre." I was sadly disappointed in Siempre. All the songs sounded sort of the same - sad and intense - and I just felt that overall, the CD lacked any sort of rhythm. But I did love track #5 - "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" - and it's been stuck in my head ever since.

- Moving update: I've put out close to a dozen queries on different places this week, and I went to see two of them. The first was tiny (like, I was seriously wondering if I would be able to fit my bed inside th room, much less any other furniture) and was in an equally tiny house, with a roommate who didn't give me any sign that this was meant to be.
The second was also on the small side, but located in a great area - close to town, close to work, in a safe neighborhood where I could run - and the part that caught my attention was that in the first email she sent me, she asked, "how do you feel about the color orange?" Sign from the universe? Um, yeah!!!
Loved the house (sunny and homey), the room (orange! and spacious) and the folks (a lovely couple with tons of shared interests and values), but the rent is a little more than I had been wanting to pay, so I'm still contemplating... but it looks promising. I have another appointment this week, so... I'm still hunting. *sigh*

- I've become a ridiculous NCIS fan in the last week. It's sad how much time I've spent conked out on my bed glued to the episodes...

- ... In all fairness, though, I don't know whether it's stress, the overcast weather, the full moon, whatever, but I have been absolutely exhausted this week. Like, so tired that two or three night this week I may have come home from work and just gone to bed for the night. Hope I'm not getting sick.