What’s Your Story?

My friends had a housewarming party last night. While I know the connotation of “housewarming” does not mean that the house has to be warm, the rising temperatures in that house gave made me consider this. It was, thankfully, not warm enough to cause me to…um…glisten.

Two minutes after arriving to the party, a friend and I ascended the stairs to the loft. This actually turned out to be somebody’s bedroom. But how were we to know, for there was no bed. (Which begs the question, can it be referred to as a “BEDroom” if there is no, you know, bed?) I sank into a comfy leather couch with my friend and we had one of those good conversations, the long kind is filled with storytelling, poking fun, catching up.

Eventually we descended back to the main part of the house. It was crowded and there were a few tight circles of conversation spattered about the small living room. I wedged my way into the largest of the circles and soon found fingers pointing in my direction. “Okay,” said they, after laughing at a story involving an abandoned warehouse, a bit of fire, and, thankfully, no one hurt or incarcerated in the end. “Your turn to tell a story.”

We told stories.
We talked about short stories.
We shared our personal stories.

Lots of stories.

Somewhere in there, I thought of how I like my posts to be like stories. I wish that, with each post, I could write something so animated that it would draw you in to some specific moment. Be it a insignificant and mundane moment or one that is large and exciting, moments can all be turned into incredible stories.

I like stories that are about moments in life. They are so often filled with vivid detail and so enrapturing. I think this is because they are about the small picture and the time spent on character building can now be spend on little details. Like the way that a tiny yellow fire flickers and dances upon the wick and wax in that way that only candlelight can. Or that wonderful way that the flower shaped leaves of a tulip poplar tree shudder in the wind. You do not even have to know the people swaying to the jazz music emitting from the speaker upon which the candle sits. You do not have to know the best friends who are picnicking under the tree and enjoying the cool breeze.

You simply find yourself becoming enthralled in one of those little moments that, put together, make the story of life.

daily photo: window again

daily photo: window

It's all about the he-said-she-said...

Francesca, the daughter of my very dear friend Sharon, falls right between Alex and Lauren agewise. Some mornings, I will ring Sharon and invite her to an impromptu playdate. Almost all of our playdates are impromptu. Alex and Lauren get quite excited when I ask them if they would like me to call Francesa's mommy. Today, I was on the phone with Sharon and I heard a resounding excited squeal on the other side of the conversation. Since this squeal was not Sharon, I can only take this to mean that Francesca also gets quite excited with the prospect of coming over and playing with my lovely charges.

But then what happens? These darn kids have several very loud and tearful tiffs. 'Tis so frustrating.

When this happens, Sharon and I send them outside (somehow playgrounds resolve problems) and talk, sometimes about deeper topics, but more often than not we go from dealing with the frustrating children in our lives to talking about the frustrating men in our lives.

think time

call it coincidence

call it divine providence

whatever

i call it extra think time

think
think
think

be cool

without playing it cool

who needs mind games anyway

daily photo: brassy

Q&A

Stolen from Missy...

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? No, never.

2. Have you ever smoked heroin? Ditto.

3. Do you own a gun? Um...a glue gun?

4. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? Caramel breve latte.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Only if I'm afraid I might get bad news.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I like hot dogs. I like corn dogs too. I do not really care how unsophisticated that may be.

7. Favorite Christmas song? Happy Xmax (War Is Over) by John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron (Snoopy's Christmas) by The Royal Guardsmen, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Death Cab For Cutie, Love Came Down At Christmas by Jars of Clay. I couldn't pick just one...

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Tea or coffee depending on my mood.

9. Can you do push ups? A few...

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My pearls.

11. Favorite hobby? Dancing.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? Nope

13. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? Laziness.

14. Middle name? Anne

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. 1) Want to powwow... 2) Want to go shopping for clothes but shouldn't. 3) Wish I could find a CD recording of "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe"

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water and whatever soda is at hand.

17. Current worry right now? Undisclosed.

18.Current hate right now? I can't really think of any...

19. Favorite place to be? Hmmm...probably with friends at church.

20. How did you bring in the New Year? Was picked up in the middle of the night by a couple of monks who had commandeered a golf cart. We had a bonfire. Honest.

21. Like to go? dancing? Yes please.

22. Do you own slippers? No...I used to but I never wore them.

23. What color shirt are you wearing? Black.

24. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I never have slept on satin sheets, so I don't know. I don't think I would though.

25. Can you whistle? I didn't learn until I was 20, but then I got braces and I couldn't. But I re-learned through my braces. But then I got my braces off and I cannot once again.

26. Favorite color? Pink...*duh*

27. Would you be a pirate? Um, yes.

28. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower that often. I would if I had a radio in there though!

29. Favorite girl's name? Emily Katherine

30. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing.

31. Last thing that made you laugh? My friends last night.

32. Best bed sheets as a child? Oh, I don't even know.

33. How many TVs do you have in your house? One old decrepit TV in the living room.

34. Who is your loudest friend? None of my friends are really particularly loud...

35. How many pets do you have? Zero.

36. Does someone have a crush on you? Not that I am aware of.

37. What is your favorite book? Currently re-meandering through the Hitchhiker's Guide.

38. What is your favorite candy? Pink starburst.

39. Favorite Sports Team? Clemson Tigers, Detroit Pistons,

40. What were you doing at 12 am last night? Sleeping...

41. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Oh, what am I doing up? It's sooo early. I'm going back to sleep. *sleep* *wakes up again* OMG! How did it get so late???

completely, and perfectly, and incandescently happy

Today at bible study, the subject we were talking about was really great. Something someone said stirred in me to write about it.

But now all I can think about it how I would like a Mister Darcy of my own. *swoon*

Lizzy: Did I just agree to dance with Mr. Darcy?
Charlotte: I dare say you will find him amiable.
Lizzy: It would be most inconvenient since I have sworn to loathe him for all eternity.

Hot Caramel Sundae. On Sunday.

One of the things that excited me most about moving in with other girls was the other girls. I was very eager to experience that whole "roommate" experience that everyone else, it seems, has gone through at least once in their lifetime. What must it be like, I wondered, to come home and have friends there to hang out with? While it hasn't really been quite what I thought it would be, I do like my roommates and the whole housing situation.

Since I moved to my new shared abode, my social life has gotten exponentially busier. It was because new found time and new found activities. I have standing events each night of the week except for Friday and Saturday. I am one of those types that love to be busy and surrounded by friends but every once in a while, needs a night or two spent hauling up alone in the bedroom reading books and grazing on snack foods. This week, I have been so social that the idea of having to spend time with other people at the moment does not stir a single bit of excitement within me.

So here I am, though, closed up in my room like some sort of hot caramel sundae eating recluse while my friends are off eating dinner at Joy of Tokyo and I feel weary. I cannot really pinpoint why I feel weary, but I do. Maybe it is a mixture of slight physical exhaustion and need for alone time coupled with that bummed feeling that I get every now and then. Possibly.

And, you know? That is a-okay. One cannot be forced to be social all of the time. To put on a face for the crowds at all time would be tiresome. Yay for evenings spent snuggled in the comfiest blanket reading books and eating ice cream. ^_^

daily photo: pink starburst

So, last week a dear friend who knows my penchant for pink Starburst gave me a bag full and it is going down in the record books as one of the most thoughtful gifts ever.

daily photo: new regalia

C'mon deliver the letter, the sooner the better

Mister Postman
Mister Postman, look and see
Oh yeah
If there's a letter in your bag for me
Please, Please Mister Postman
Why's it takin' such a long time

another late night post

I am currently trudging through a devotional book right now. I refuse to tell you the title of the book because it is a dumb title despite the fact that there is great content within. I say that I am trudging through it because it is quite difficult for me to wake up and do devotions. I rather enjoy them--it is the extra sleep that perhaps causes confusion. I have sadly tricked myself into thinking that that time is my time. Pffft... That time is not mine nor is this very moment. They are all His and I really should just give them to him.

However, I digress.

In my book this morning it talked about things that we are really great at and/or are passionate about. There are a few things, I suppose, with which I have been blessed to be talented. But really, the question is do I use these things to glorify God? This also goes back to the sermon I heard at church on Sunday. Instead of funneling everything back to ME ME ME!!! do I point it all back to HIM?

Do I glorify God on the dance floor? Does my writing praise Him? What about my photography? My super-nanny skills which I use to tame ferocious babies/toddlers/pre-schoolers?

The only reason I can do anything well is because He has given me that skill. Take for example, dancing. (Betcha didn't see that one coming!) God has given me a passion for dancing. I so love to dance. I am prone however, to get quite prideful when I dance. Sometimes, at a swing dance, friends who are new to dancing throw compliments my way left and right. Have I ever once pointed those praises Heavenward?

Tomorrow is the first COI powwow of the year. While there may be another fancy shawler this year, I am generally the only one in our little ring. I am instantly recognized (it is, after all, a dance easily distinguished from the rest). In past summers, I have gotten much applause upon introduction.

How should I be reacting to that praise? There was once a time in my life that I cast any and nearly every compliment aside. That is probably not the proper thing to do when someone appreciates you. I should, rather, bring up my Father who has blessed me with so many things. One of those things is a love and a talent for dancing.

Even as I write this, it seems a little silly. After all, some reading this maybe will think: it is just dancing. We should all have passions in our life and I (as you probably know) am passionate about dancing. Think about whatever you are passionate about even if that is your education or your stamp collection. So, then, now you know what I mean and it seems a little less silly.

To live in such a way that I am constantly glorifying God should be something I do not even have to think about, not something I have to write about to understand. (This [blogging] is how I work through things in case you were unaware.) While I pray that it does indeed become second nature to me, something tells me that this is one of those things that I will always be working on. (And maybe even blogging about, depending on how these writing skills of mine keep up...)

Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise...

daily photo: from the Publix parking lot

daily photo: friends at dinner

This car hears my confessions

After having the Garden State Soundtrack on repeat for a few days, I swapped it out for a Dashboard Confessional CD on my way home from work today. It has become a proverbial muse for me and every other song brings to mind some sort of topic that would make for an interesting blog. This is quite nice because I feel I have been lacking interesting blogs lately. And, really, what is the point of blogging if all of your posts are boring and you lose your readers. Or worse, you have people that consistently come back to your blog out of pity and skim the posts. These skimmers do not really care what you have to say (and that is fine, I suppose, if that is you) but they feel they have some sort of obligation to keep up with your latest posts.

So, this is me, apologizing, for having posted boring blogs. Despite the boring text, I hope you have been enjoying the photography--particularly birdie and summer daisy.

But I did not intend on staying up late to write about writing (or photos, as the case may be).

I was leaving the house of the singles' pastor this evening with my windows down and my sunroof open. The clammy southern summer night air breezed in as the voice of Christopher Carrabba breezed out. "The Swiss Army Romance" is the particular CD that was spinning rapid pace and sending heart wrenching lyrics from the speakers to my ears as a foggy memory came to mind.

I was in the latter years of highschool and was newly introduced to Dashboard--one of the major loves of my life. The term "emo" was new (at least to me) and the only thing I knew about it was that my oh-so-cool older brother spoke of it with an air of disdain. Because of this, I adamantly did not want to be emo and denied the fact that Dashboard was any such thing.

But of course it is.

But who really cares?

I did. Why? Because I wanted some person to think I was cool. That mattered to me. I desperately did not want to be this "emo" thing (whatever that meant) because my brother thought it was ridiculous.

I used to care so deeply about what my siblings though of me. I desired greatly not only to be liked by them but to be like them as well. I desperately sought approval. This lasted for quite some time--especially with my sister. Gripped by fear of man, I was eager to please and I had no idea how much this idol ruled my life.

My transition (which, I think, is still in progress) was a general weaning away from my desire to receive the approval of my siblings to my realization that I do not have to prove anything to the One who already knows me.

I do not have to earn favor or merit. No acting a certain way just to please Him--after all He can see right through any cover ups. It is okay if I have a huge zit on my face or if my hair has gone all frizzy and triangle. If I am a poor swing dancer or if I listen to "emo" music, He does not care! If I fall down and mess up...for the hundredth, He loves me anyway. It still grips me all the time that the Author of the universe created me exactly the way I am. He knows the lovely things about me just as well as the gross things. Yet even though He knows all this...all my screw ups...everything...He chose me. He picked me up out of that nastiness. He has taught me a heck of a lot (and is still teaching me). And one thing I am learning is that I am HIS creation and He does not make mistakes. He LOVES the work of His hands.

So should I.

My devotional this morning had the following verse at the beginning:
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14 ESV)

daily photo: young charmer

Davis's 1st birthday is tomorrow. For their birthdays, I get the kids clothes and books. Toys come at Christmas time. Apparently, giving clothes and books makes me a lame nanny--oh well. ^_^ Anyway, how cute is this shirt? Not only is this cute, but it is also quite apt. Davis is a very happy baby and always smiling at everyone. He makes my life way easier.

daily skip

Guess who didn't look at her camera once today? Sheesh. I spent the morning stuffing envelopes for Supergreen and then headed to Katie's for lunch. Good conversation. Good advice. Leftover pizza. Sweet. After lunch I headed to Simpsonville to help Janet drop a car off at the airport for when MomBoss & DadBoss get home. Then I headed up to my parents' house to work on my new regalia. It's super pretty. I love my new dance shawl. I'm trying to make nice jewelry to match and none of my attempts are working.

Anyway. Busy day. I'm exhausted. I'll take a photo tomorrow, I promise.

Oh, and certain aspects of life are a constant source of befuddlement. Yay.

A plus? I bought some Death Cab For Cutie music of iTunes today. That makes me happy.

I'm in the middle of reading "For Women Only" and trying to get my head around how guys think. So, I'm going to tackle another chapter. More on the book later--it's rather interesting.

tommy-toes

I need to be up early to make the big bucks and really should be in bed by now. But I was checking my email and while I'm online, I've just gotta say: this whole "no tomato" thing is really ruining my pizza.

daily photo: another day spent at the pool

This time with Sarah and Ali. ^_^

daily photo: I haven't got the slightest idea

daily photo: gotta have friends

Here I am with my dear friend Caleb in the Trading Post conference room. We first met in 2005 at Camp Old Indian. We actually didn't see too much of each other (he was in HA, I was in TP) and I cannot recall if we were great friends or not. The following summer, we became much better friends and I could often be found confiding my insecurities about my relationship to him. And he always had good advice to give. Last summer, we decided that we would not let the year go by without us hanging out or anything at all. Because friends should be friends in the other 9 months of the year too. It is summer again. Like last year, I am not working up at Camp. I will, however, be up every week to dance in the Wednesday night dance pageant. This means that I have NINE days to finish my regalia. Eek.

Oh, but I am so excited about summer being here.

daily photo: birdie

Took this picture downtown after the Scottish parade. It was pretty cool. The dogs in kilts were way cute--but the best picture I took is the one of the bird eating dropped popcorn.

daily photo: not listening to when miss tiffany says "don't touch that part of the camera"

daily photo: summer daisy

setting goals

About 11 months ago, I decided that I would remain single until mid-February 2008. I met Calvin a.k.a. Spartacus in November and, well, the plan failed. Last April, I decided that I was going to remain single for an undetermined amount of time.

I have since changed my mind and decided that I need to set myself an end-date goal. Summer '08, then, is my single season.

Sharon tells me that when I say this, it sometimes sounds like all I am trying to do is keep my options open. This is not all I am trying to do. I'm trying to form deeper friendships without letting my ridiculously silly and often overactive emotions get in the way. They do that. A lot. Here is the thing: finding a guy is not the problem. Waiting on the right guy to whom God is leading me? That's my problem.

I am sticking to my guns (with HIS help, of course).

daily photo: looking up