Jason and I have a Fall Bucket List that we've been working on for the last month or so.
Nothing like waiting until the night before Halloween to check off the "decorate a pumpkin" box!
{I tend to chew on my tongue when I'm concentrating.
Some people call it weird.
I prefer to think of it as endearing.}
{Pumpkin guts are gross and stinky.
I ditched any notion I had of roasting pumpkin seeds thirty seconds into the whole process.
So not worth fishing through all that slime.}
{Thank heaven for a husband with power tools!}
{Clearly, pumpkin carving is serious and intense work.}
According to a timeline I created during my freshman year of high school, by the time I was thirty-five I would have been a flutist for various Disney orchestras, married to a Young Life area director, and the mother of three children.
The fifteen year old version of me was incredibly idealistic.
In real life, I have been a youth ministry intern, a teacher, a cancer prevention educator, an admin assistant at a college, married a Young Life area director (got that one right), and would still love to become a mother. I have traveled across Europe, traveled through some of the western US, lived in Texas, settled in Tennessee. I have known grief, known heartbreak, and known incredible joy.
The fifteen year old version of me forgot to include all that on her timeline.
Yesterday morning, I woke up and let Knox out. Still drowsy from staying up late at my surprise party the night before, I climbed back in bed and fell asleep for a few minutes. I woke again with a start.
"It's my birthday!"
Knowing I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, and not really wanting to, I crept out of bed and snuck away to the den. I snuggled into my reading chair to begin a now sixteen year old tradition. Every year on my birthday, I wake early to read through Psalm 139 (my favorite one) and look through the Creative Memories album my Mom made me as a high school graduation gift. That album contains my story, my birth and the nine years that followed.
This time I read the psalm and it seemed brand new. In a year when I have wrestled with my faith in a way I never anticipated, I found myself wishing I'd read it more often.
"You hem me in, behind and before and lay your hand upon me."
God has had His hand on me all this time. He has never abandoned me. He been in front and behind me, hemming me in to safe places, even when they didn't feel that way.
"...in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
He has known each day, each trial, each joy, each struggle. And he knows the ones to come. They are not strange to Him. He created them.
I found myself breathing a prayer of tearful thankfulness for this life that I've been given. In these last weeks where I've struggled with patience, I suddenly found renewed strength to wait for the days that my Father has already created for me. I prayed that I would live this next year with purpose and joy.
Thirty-five years is a gift. And each year that I tack on after this will be a gift. As I sat cozied into that chair, with the story of my life literally laid out in front of me, I marveled with new eyes at the possibility. "Tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver
I will love fearlessly.
I will create.
I will celebrate others.
I will nurture the love that has been given to me.
I will honor the strengths that God has given me.
I will learn from my weaknesses and my failures.
I will embrace what I have.
I will wait with joyful anticipation to see the days that my Father has created for me and my family.
Lordamercy, it's been a doozy. Not bad, really, but just weird. Busy, frazzled, funny, odd, ridiculous, and then some. But filled with some really good things.
October twenty-first through the twenty-sixth has been brought to you by....
The 2 Bridges 5k with my girls, Peyton and Lindsey. We pretty much rocked it (Peyton's first race!) and I have big plans for making a little movie out of all the pictures and videos I took while we ran/walked.
Visiting Ketner's Mill for the first time and enjoying freshly made apple fritters. YES.
My most ambitious crafty endeavor yet and a time honored tradition in my personal Halloween costume history. Jason's request which just makes me all sorts of giddy and happy like a schoolgirl in love.
Breathtaking views from work that make up for what a pain in the keister it is to get up here some mornings.
A Thursday night filled with all sorts of my favorite people.
One more Halloween sneak peek. I am only an overachiever when it comes to crafting.
I'm told that the weekend ahead holds good things.
Tonight, going to bed before 11 p.m. is more important than blogging.
Dealing with some disappointments of the day by creating order out of a sewing pattern was more important than editing pictures.
Hitting publish on these four lines and going to snuggle with my husband is more important than spending any more time feeling guilty that I haven't blogged since Friday.
Finding a balance between blogging (good for my brain and my writing) and living the life in front of me (oh so good for my heart) is turning out to be pretty important, too.
My Monday was actually a second Sunday, two quiet days at work since the kids were on fall break, lots of time with friends...I don't have one single complaint.
{Staff Retreat/In-Service. We were allowed to wear jeans to work and they had fresh Starbucks on hand. Definitely eased the blow of sitting in the same room for 3+ hours.}
{Hooray! Reunited! Good as new!}
{October Photo a Day, 16 - Something I Wrote at our staff retreat. Notes from an amazing devotional and doodles from when the speakers lost me.
{October Photo a Day, 17 - The Fruit of my crafty labor on Wednesday}
{October Photo a Day, 18 - A living room full of friends Made Me Smile on Thursday. You're looking at an answer to prayer...}
And yet, Friday is just as welcome as always. The weekend is shaping up to pretty delightful, too. Babysitting some of our favorite kiddos, more college football, pumpkin pickin' and carving, and perhaps a country arts fair along the Sequatchie River.
I promised you a blog post on Tuesday and then...nothing. Since there doesn't appear to be a riotous uprising in my comments demanding to know where said post might be (which is good, I can only handle so much bloggy guilt) let's just push on.
The thing is, it's not like I don't have blog posts swirling around in my head. It's just that real life, the life right in front of my eyes, was more important. And I know that might sound like a given, but as a girl who loves her social media it was actually a really healthy step for me to be OK with not blogging for a few days. The hours spent at my sewing table, the conversations on the sofa with Jason, the notes that got written, the hours across the table from a new friend- those were the voices that needed to be heard. So I listened.
You know what else I like to listen to? Songs performed by the Glee cast.
{Most awkward segue EVER. Whatever.}
This shouldn't surprise anyone who's read my blog for over a year. I was hooked as soon as it started and it's provided much needed inspiration and encouragement at times. There's a solid chunk of songs from the show on my phone, always ready for me to belt out on the way to work. So I got to thinking this morning that I should share with you my Top 5 Favorite Songs from Glee. Here we go...
5. "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy"
You need to know that I am a huge Judy Garland fan (Wizard of Oz, natch) and a huge Barbara Streisand fan. So when Kurt and Rachel did this song, I was enthralled. I love the wardrobe nods to the original performance (you should go watch it if you haven't ever seen it) and how Rachel mimics some of Barbara's mannerisms. This song was also the start of two rivals becoming friends, and the thought of a good Judy & Barbara song bringing people together just makes me happy.
4. "I Dreamed a Dream"
Pretty much from the minute they started playing up the idea of Rachel's mother being out there, I knew that she had to be played by Idina Menzel. (Sidenote: I just heard my friend Reen give an "Amen!" ) She stole my heart as Elphaba in "Wicked," and she and Lea Michelle even look alike! It was destined.
"Les Miserables" was the first show I ever saw on Broadway and I have no idea how many times I've sung this song since the first time I heard it in eighth grade. The fact that the writers used it as a vehicle for Rachel to hear her mother for the first time made me sob when I saw it and still makes me tear up. I mean, it's her mom! And she's never met her! And they've dreamed this dream! But it's been killed! Ok, maybe not killed, but man those writers are good at the emotional manipulation.
3. "Funny Girl"
A.) It's from "Funny Girl." A Barbara song. You can't go wrong with this.
B.) It's a song that Rachel Berry would pick. "Exactly what I would have done. Barbara. I could do it in my sleep."
C.) Idina Menzel.
D.) That moment at 2:34 when the strings are swelling and Rachel says, "Miss Corcoran?...I'm Rachel Berry.... I'm your daughter." (you have to imagine it, I couldn't find a video of the actual performance from the show) AND LET THE WEEPING BEGIN.
2. "As If We've Never Said Goodbye"
I'm constantly in awe of how the writers and producers pick songs that pay homage to pop culture or Broadway and convey so many of the emotions of the characters on Glee at the same time. This one does that splendidly. Kurt has just come back to McKinley after some intense bullying made him transfer out for a while. I absolutely adore how triumphant Kurt around 2:45. And as cheesy as this may sound, that last line, "We taught the world new ways to dream," is (I think) absolutely true of the entire show.
1."My Man"
Lea Michelle has performed several Barbara songs in her time as Rachel, but this one is my absolute favorite. If you've ever seen the 1968 movie version of "Funny Girl", you know just how heartbreaking this song is within the context of Fannie Brice's. So there's the power of that and then Lea's incredible voice? I'm a goner. Put this one on repeat and belt it out. Totally cathartic.
It was hard to limit myself to five (and not end up with any "Wicked" songs in there), but these are the ones I come back to over and over again. A show about show choir has never made me happier...
No, I haven't already flaked on this whole blogging thing. Just taking a day or two to be silent and let things percolate. Back with something other than pictures tomorrow, promise!
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{Nothing says Sunday afternoon for me like a trip to Jo-Ann's for crafty supplies.}
{October Photo a Day, 14 - Finding photos that my best friends took while I was away from the table definitely make me laugh.}
{I took today off since the college kids are on Fall Break. I slept through Jason leaving, but I adore his style of a love note.}
{October Photo a Day, 15 - Miracle of miracles, two weeks in a row of actually having a plan for dinnertime at The Petree House.}
First, autocorrect on my phone decided it wanted to show off just how well it knows me.
{Sidenote: Sometimes I don't know a student's name so I have to write down other characteristics that will help me identify their photo later. It's weird, but it works.}
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In a moment of idiocy late Wednesday night, I decided to see what my engagement ring looked like on my right hand. Note to self: when the ring doesn't go on easily, YOU STOP TRYING TO GET THE RING ON YOUR FINGER.
After trying almost every trick I could find via Google (except one that I just couldn't bring myself to do) and my finger swelling by the minute, the only option was left was to have an experienced jeweler cut it off. Props to my friend Ruth for a.) assisting me with all the various tricks I tried, b.) laughing at/with me as I cried over how sad and ridiculous was my predicament, and c.) pointing me to a reputable jeweler.
Absolutely breaks my heart still, but it will be back together and good as new by Tuesday. Very painful lesson to learn...
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After I got home from work, I was doing a little tidying up around the house when I heard Knox's nails scratch across the hardword floor and saw the storm door fly open. Turns out that a storm door which doesn't quite latch on its own and stray cats wandering within Knox's line of sight is the perfect combo for him to practice his fifty yard dash. No lie, that dog was out the door, across the street, and up a tree in four seconds flat!
I watched in amazement as he climbed the tree in our neighbor's yard trying to get to that cat. He perched there for a moment but when he realized just how high he was he jumped back down. The neighbors saw it too and came out howling with laughter.
Once I got Knox back to our house, I went back over to chat and ended up coming home with two pounds of smoked barbecue, a bagful of fresh peppers from their back yard, a recipe for apple spice cake, and an invitation to come back over and learn some impressive cake decorating methods.
Retired neighbors are the best.
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We ended the night with a spontaneous double date with Jordan and Lindsay.
{October Photo a Day, 12 - Outstanding menu on the table}
While I do have some suggestions for them in terms of ambiance (spring for real candles, guys, the battery powered tea lights are lame), I can heartily recommend the food and beer!
Delicious dinner, excellent company and two hilarious episodes of "Modern Family" was pretty much the perfect way to end this eventful day.
To make the end of the day even sweeter, I'm looking at the start of a three day weekend. Hooray!
Perhaps like me, you have found yourself in an intense season of debate. You've been weighing the pros and cons of each side, examining the merits of each player, listening to the various arguments for why one is a better choice than the other.
It's difficult and confusing at times. Controversial, even, especially down here in the south. Yet, the time comes when you know you need to just take a stand, pick a side and make your voice heard.
Well, it's my blog and my voice and I'm just going to be honest with y'all.
The only choice for me this year and any year is the original cast of "Steel Magnolias."
And if you disagree with me..well, as Ouisa said, you can just take it and shove it where the sun don't shine.
Pink may not be my signature color, but you can be sure I know the difference between blush and bashful. One is much deeper than the other.
From these women I learned:
...that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of manure.
...if you can achieve puberty, you can achieve a past.
...that which does not kill us makes us stronger.
...there's no such thing as natural beauty.
...time marches on and eventually you find it's marchin' across your face.
...grape or aubergine- doesn't matter because nobody cares about that grape shit.
...all gay men have track lighting. And all gay men are named Rick, Mark or Steve.
...personal tragedy should not interfere with your ability to do good hair.
...if you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me!
...I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence.
...laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.
...and most of all, the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize! *
There is no one other than Sally, Olympia, Shirley, Julia, Dolly and Daryl who could fill the roles of M'Lynn, Clairee, Ouisa, Shelby, Truvy and Annelle.
NO ONE. Not any cast that Lifetime picks, no ma'am. I watched about a half hour of that heresy and it didn't come close to the treasure that is the original. They couldn't capture the depth, the strength, the humor, the need to nurture and protect even while maintaining a beautiful facade {"I don't know how you're doing on the inside, but your hair's just holdin' up beautiful."}
If you haven't seen it or just want to watch it for the hundredth time, come on over and watch it with me anytime!
Love y'all more'n my luggage,
Your Southern Drama Queen
*For the record, I didn't have to look up a single one of these. They are so deeply ingrained into my genetic makeup now that I'm likely to pass them on to my children in utero someday.
