Some good reads out there in bloggy land...

While I'm working on some posts of my own, here's some other good stuff to read. Go take a looky loo!

"Christians are weird about counseling." It's true. We are. And sometimes that makes me really sad.

"Unbound" I've been reading Angie's story and writing for years now, and I always walk away with a good strong word. This time was no different.

Mocha Momma is a new blog find for me and I am really appreciating the fresh perspective she's bringing to a host of thoughts rattling around in my head. I'm kind of jealous of her "Drag Queen Tupperware Parties" experience and "On Writing" is the kick in the rear I've been needing when it comes to putting my thoughts to paper (or blog.)

"I Was Previously Unaware That Such A Bridge Even Existed" You know what's a really great last line when it comes to parenting or, as I discovered in 2001, teaching? "This is not up for debate." Thanks, Mom.

If you're not reading Abby's blog, you really should be. I'm just sad we didn't discover WIWW before I left Texas, because I could've really used her spiritual gift of fashion live and in person.

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                                                                                Source: google.com via Leslie on Pinterest

It's true. And you never know what that battle may be. In my own life and in some new friendships, I've been grateful for the kindness and mercy of folks who understand the battle of depression and anxiety. Heather Armstrong, aka Dooce, has been a loud and persistent voice in that discussion. And for that, I am very, very, very grateful. 

Do me a favor? 

Click over and read "Autumnal Equinox". 

Then, be kind...

Shockingly, yes, sometimes I don't have anything to say.

Here's the thing.

When you're unemployed (five months, please dear lord, don't let it be going on six...) and your days consist of working out, endlessly submitting resumes and cover letters, a fair amount of moping, and general housework, there's not really a lot to write about. Add to that the fact that this season of my life has me processing some stuff that I don't care to share with the entire Internet (thank the lord for a fabulous therapist) and, well, you have a southern drama queen whose mouth is generally more quiet than chatty these days.

{Jason might beg to differ, but he's bound by sacred vows to listen to me, right? He does it so well, my ever patient husband...}

But.

There's always a but.

I've always loved having this space to write about anything and everything. The problem is, I started this blog almost six years ago when there weren't many blogs and only my nearest and dearest took the time to read it. Six years, a marriage and two states later, there's a lot more people reading than before. Some of y'all I've never met but we've become friends anyway through this crazy thing called blogging. You've encouraged me, cheered for me, prayed for me (and Jason), loved on me through your blog comments and emails. For those folks, I legitimately call y'all my friends even if I've never seen your sweet face in person. That's just the way it works.

 And truthfully? There's probably some people reading my blog who I would rather they didn't. However, that's the deal you make when you have a public blog and I'm cool with that. Still. What to do to maintain this space as a place for me to be authentic?

Well.

A dear, funny and wise friend encouraged me that my blog doesn't have to be where I spill my guts all the time and that she'd love to see me just write about the things I like. Hmmm, write about the things I like....sure, I can do that.

So, that's what I'm going to try to do. I like writing. I need to write. I need to focus on the good in my life, the joys that are coming, the gifts that are present but perhaps I don't dwell on enough. I'm not foolish enough to call this a blog comeback, because we've all seen how that's turned out on here before.  Still, I needed to write this. I needed to write it out, this new "vision" for what blogging could look like for me. For a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve, it's good for me to strike some sort of balance between sharing all the emotions that run through me and shutting off completely.

So.

I have a running list in my head of things I want to blog about. For accountability's sake, I'm going to start this list here with the idea that then I'll actually write those posts. Stay tuned to see if this actually works...

- My weekend in Nashville with Allie and the Country Music Marathon/Half-Marathon
- Oprah's last show (Seriously, I took notes. SO GOOD.)
- Sitting in a room of seventeen women waiting to interview for the same job
- Celebrities, diets, exercise and is it all for real?
- Glee and the gloriousness of its last four episodes

This post brought to you by Project Reclaim My Blogging Mojo & the color orange

I love writing. I really do. When I go back and read the last months or years of this blog, I remember that. Still, I haven't been motivated to write here as I'm sure you've noticed. I'm not going to blame it on the business of life or teaching or anything else because, let's face it, I have plenty of time to read blogs and a hundred other thing out on the web.

So why am I not writing? I think it's just been plain old laziness. I have blog posts swirling around in my head all the time but I haven't been disciplined enough to write them out. Well, enough is enough. It's time to get disciplined. So you heard it here first- I will post every day this month, my birthday month.

I'm going to have to ease into this, so here's a little pictorial blog from a few weekends ago. For the first time ever, Jason and I attended a University of Tennessee football game together. It. Was. Awesome.

Behold....

{I swear, my top has orange in it.} 

{One of my sweet students from last year. Love that kid.}

{Seriously. How awesome are those pom pom pants?}

And really, is there any better way to end a post than with orange checkered pants? I didn't think so.

To Everything There Is A Season

And the season has come to go private with my blog.

I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Pondering what that might mean, weighing the pros and cons, laboring over a decision that might hurt some people’s feelings {lordy, that sounds vain} but will ultimately grant me quite a bit of freedom.

I love my blog. I love writing. These days, however, I find myself doing too much self-censoring before I even start typing. And then I don’t type at all. I’m learning that not typing, not writing, not feeling free to release my thoughts on my blog is not healthy for me at all. I need that outlet.

When I started this little diary only a handful of people knew about it. I know my readership {can you call about 80 readers a day a “readership”? I am.} has grown and I’m so grateful for the little circle of new and old bloggy friends that I’ve made. But….

It’s time to go private. For me, for my heart, for the words that need to be set free on my own little piece of the internet.

I’ll probably be back at some point. I won’t flatter myself to think that you, dear reader, might check by that often to see if I am back. Who knows? When I come back it might be under a whole new blog. Now. Wouldn’t that be an adventure?

Thanks, y’all…

Love,

Leslie

{I’ll be sending email invitations to friends, family and those of you who I have an ongoing friendship/bloggy relationship with. If you’d like an invite to continue reading, feel free to leave your email address in a comment. I’ll probably be pretty particular with these so please don’t be hurt if you don’t receive one. Thanks for understanding…}

Envelopes

I save them.

When I open the mailbox and find one of those rare and precious hand addressed beauties, I usually save it along with the card it so carefully held. I have boxes and bags full of cards and envelopes that I have saved over the years, some as far back as third grade.

Hello. My name is Leslie and I’m an emotional packrat.

But when you have aunts that use calligraphy for their everyday handwriting, each envelope is a work of art. And so it becomes not just an envelope, but the warm, enveloping hug that Aunt Joann would give me had she handed the card to me herself.

Or then there’s the sassy envelope from my Marmee on my birthday. The one where I know she picked the stamps especially for me and used the labels I got her for Christmas because she loved them that much.

When I pull this envelope out, I remember the faithful way a former student wrote me even when I was several states away and how finding it in my mailbox made me feel that much closer to North Carolina.

Then there was the time my sister was the one in far away Texas. The two months she was in basic training for the Air Force were excruciating and I lived for those times when I found an envelope like this in my mail slot. This envelope told me my sister was persevering through the likes of which I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Or the envelope that couldn’t be for anyone but me. The one that was filled with wisdom and love and encouragement and more faith that I could have ever imagined. The one that helped shape an epoch in my life.

The one that made me wonder if the mailperson giggled upon reading the back of the envelope.

Or, best of all, the envelope that bears the lovely and delightfully old-fashioned script of my Grandmother. Because now that she’s gone, every time I see that beautiful handwriting of hers, I remember the tender love and simple faith that spilled from her letters. The prayers that went behind her words is there too.

All in one simple envelope.

Sabbatical

I’m going to be taking one for the next couple of weeks from my little piece of the internet.

Teaching has me particularly busy as I continue to find my footing in the midst of a new kind of curriculum and a school culture that is different from what I am used to. I’m loving every moment in the classroom {check out my classroom blog if you haven’t already} and need to make sure I’m giving it all the attention it needs in these first crucial months.

In addition, I always want to make sure that whatever I put up on my blog comes from an authentic place. I can’t really do that right now so I’m stepping back for a bit until I can. Healthy boundaries, you know?

Now if something incredibly funny happens in my classroom or I’m otherwise inspired to write about things that I can, I’ll post. But I just wanted to let y’all know that I will most likely be scarce around here for a while.

If you’re looking for some other blogs to read in the meantime, check out the ones I have linked in my sidebar. There’s definitely good stuff there! Thanks, y’all…

This post is also known as “Too tired to write a real post so I pulled out the ol’ Facebook tagging/forward thing.”

Three names I go by:

1. Leslie {pronounced “Lez-lee”, my mom insists she meant for my name to be pronounced with a z.}

2. Leslie Ruth

3. Lulu. That’s what all my friends’ kids call me.

Three jobs I’ve had in my life:

1. Frozen yogurt girl at Zack’s Yogurt on Robinhood Road in Winston-Salem, NC

2. Peanut brittle maker at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri

3. Teacher, aka BEST JOB EVER

Three places I’ve lived:

1. Long Island, New York

2. Abilene, Texas

3. The wonderful, the beautiful, the one and only southeast {I couldn’t pick between TN & NC}

Three favorite drinks:

1. Shirley Temples

2. Caffeine free Diet Coke.

3. My husband’s version of sweet tea. It is suh-weet.

Three television shows I watch:

1. Grey’s Anatomy

2. Army Wives

3. Will & Grace. Over and over and over again.

Three of my favorite foods:

1. We’ve discussed the power of macaroni & cheese already.

2. Bananas

3. Krispy Kreme donuts {not that I’ve had one in almost three months}

Three of my favorite restaurants:

1. Macaroni Gril

2. Wendy’s

3. Panera

Three things I couldn’t live without:

1. My husband

2. My sister

3. My Marmee

Three things I can’t stand:

1. People who smack their lips while eating. SERIOUSLY.

2. Teachers who refuse to delight in their students

3. When Carolina loses to Duke in basketball

Three things I’m decent at:

1. Making my dog happy

2. Writing: notes, blog posts…maybe one day a novel?

3. Conveying passion and excitement to my students

Three things I’m looking forward to this weekend:

1. Beth Moore’s simulcast. A church in Amy Beth’s town is showing it!

2. A long workout on the Riverwalk

3. Writing a weekly letter to someone I love very much

Three things I’m addicted to:

1. Reading blogs

2. Collecting cute/sassy/chic stationery

3. Bags of any and all kind. Purses, tote bags, laptop bags…you name it, I’ll want it.

And now you’re wondering why you even read this blog.

I got nothing. NOTHING. So you get pictures of my ridiculous dog.

Slept like this as a puppy. Still does it.

Every time we’re in the car, this is where you can find him.

Bokeh, anyone? Eh? Eh?

How can you not love a happy dog like this?

Oh my lord, he is so weird.

Mopey Moperson.

So totally embarrassed in his too small Tennessee Vols sweater.

Oh yes, he gives high fives.

Ok, life won’t really kick into high gear until next week when I FINALLY GET INTO MY CLASSROOM!! And then I’ll have all sorts of lovely stories about nesting and new students and getting back into gear as a teacher. Until then, I need some inspiration. So. Be one of the first three people to leave a comment with a blog post suggestion and I promise to write about it.

Within reason, people.