Living the Questions

1. a cold. or bronchitis. eh, either way i'm sick.... 2. wanting to do nothing but lay around and be lazy. 3. fear. 4. the desire to eat a bunch of baked goods simply because it is the holiday season :) 5. wanting to travel. 6. wishing for things i don't have. 7. being cold....ha...who am i kidding? i'm always fighting this :)

so....lately, i've noticed that there are a lot of people who do not use proper grammar. before i go any further, let me say a few things: 1. i do not always know the correct grammar rules. ask my sister. i ask her about things all the time. 2. i understand that no one is perfect. 3. i also understand that sometimes, in certain situations, grammar rules need to be relaxed. maybe to make a point or something (or, for instance, with this blog....i don't use capitals at all and often just put sentences together with some .....). now, to continue. i've never been one to really notice or complain about this. even if i did notice it, it woudn't necessarily make me cringe or anything....i'd just move on with my day. but goodness gracious. i've seen and heard more mistakes from people who shouldn't be making them over this last month or so. and sadly, most of them have been in a school. by the teachers. although, there was one just today that was definitely cri...

a few things from this week: 1. hanukkah began on wednesday night. we have a little girl in our class who is jewish and celebrates hanukkah. she knows that i have some knowledge of judaism, and all week long she kept telling me how sad she was for me that i won't be getting any hanukkah presents, despite the fact that i told her my family doesn't celebrate hanukkah. also, while telling our class about hanukkah, i had a strong desire to sing hanukkah songs with the class. it made me miss my kids at the j :) 2. can anyone else not believe that it is december?? 3. thursday night, my family went to the aso to see handel's messiah. it was wonderful and fun being with the family. on the way out however, i lost my footing on the stairs because my shoe fell off and i slid down the stairs. it is a wonder i didn't topple completely over, but apparently i slid very gracefully, with my legs tucked under me quite ladylike and all (or so i was told....)!! 4. this week at lunc...

postsecret is a favorite blog of mine. i read it every sunday. but lately, there haven't been a lot of secrets that i really loved. until today. isn't this just so sweet???

now that thanksgiving is over, it's official that it's christmas! this means: decorating christmas movies and music holiday drinks and food and such gift giving colder weather which should all make me say yay!!!! but right now, i'm simply not feeling it. i'm not sure why. i just am not in a christmas-y mood. i decorated a little bit yesterday, but today? the christmas spirit is not in me. sad. :(

thanksgiving break!!! i plan to.... go through some of my stuff that's still in piles in the garage make applesauce....yep. from scratch. homemade. see friends who are in town eat lots of yummy food sleep late hang out with the family read books what are you doing???

i had a friend email me to tell me she saw something about me having a job through the comments here on the little blog and had no idea what i was doing. and then i realized that it's been a long time since i simply updated y'all on life. so here goes. the last time i updated at all about this, i was still unemployed from the move back to the atl from good old bmore. sometime towards the end of september, i went to charleston to see some friends, go to the beach, and look for a job or something (i was pretty convinced that was where i was headed). the trip, however, confirmed for me that charleston, however lovely and wonderful and fun, was not where i was going. but while i was there, i was given the number of a guy to call who was looking for a director for an after-school program/apartment ministry here in the suburbs of atl. i called him and got an interview. after about a month of interviews and observations and tests, i wasn't offered the position. i was however...

thank goodness it's friday! and i haven't done a friday favorites post in a long time, so before i get to the pictures, here's my friday favorites for the last several weeks: *having beauty and the beast on dvd! *it's cold outside :) *the holiday season is upon us *being provided with a job...or two or three *living near enough to family that when something awesome happens, i can join the celebration *free work done when the car freaks out and now...halloween goodness! the pumpkin i carved....isn't he friendly looking?? and here he is all lit up! after we carved the pumpkin, i was going to roast the seeds and make the pumpkin into muffins. sadly, my brain wasn't working really well, so the seeds caramelized and hardened to the pan. the pan met its death that day.  halloween decor!  isn't this towel so cute?? and lastly, my halloween hot chocolate! don't you love how the little ghost-mallow is kind of waving to you from on top of the whipp...

1. it is finally chilly enough here to be fall! 2. i'm glad election season is over. really tired of listening to all those blasted political ads. 3. while sitting in meetings today, i looked at my hands to discover they were blue. assuming it was transfer of dye from my jeans, i didn't really think a lot about it. until i got halfway home and saw that they were no longer blue, but normal colored. my hands were blue because i was so cold!!! i don't think that has ever happened before, and that's really saying something. 4. i miss my kids from the j.

i love holidays . almost all of them. dressing up for them. decorating for them. movies. baking. gift-giving. traditions. mmmmmm.... one thing i love is seeing the holiday decor up in all the stores. most stores become like a little slice of heaven during the holidays for me. i'm like a kid in a candy shop. case in point? today, i went to walmart to buy boo-mallows (yep. marshmallows shaped like ghosts and bats) for my hot choolate i'll be drinking while watching the great pumpkin tonight, and they had already started putting put the christmas candy! now, while i think it's far too early for christmas, i squealed a little inside and walked down the aisle just to be surrounded by the green, the red, and the christmas themed hersheys. and then, i turned around...and there were fall themed reeses!! (don't worry....as much as i love all of this, i try to limit my intake of the sugar). this is the BEST time of year.

cool weather. yeah, fall. that little cool blast you gave us here in ga just wasn't quite enough. walking. anywhere. my kids. strangely, the j. rain. festivals.   a church. not being busy. dresses. reading aloud. water. travel. having a place to put everything. knowing my purpose (or, at least thinking i did). my friends. who all live too far away in other states, cities, and countries. 

i love movies. could watch them all the time. as i've had some more time on my hands lately, i've seen a lot of movies on random channels that have made me say, "i love this movie! why don't i own it??" so here's a list of movies i feel like i should own, or want to own when they come out. *the man in the iron mask *10 things i hate about you *penelope *catch me if you can *sweet home alabama *phantom of the opera *the count of monte cristo *despicable me *how to train your dragon *streetcar named desire *gone with the wind *pride and prejudice (the really long, bbc one -- not the kiera knightley one) *the pirates movies *the bourne movies *grease just to name a few :)

one of the things on my list of 25 was to become less dependent on makeup (#13). another was to become more comfortable with who i am (#17). in order to accomplish these two goals (or begin to accomplish them, anyway), i decided to give up makeup for lent . there were a few reasons i chose this specific thing to give up. here are the reasons i wrote back during lent this year: 1. i'm not completely sure how i feel about telling young girls they are beautiful just the way they are, exactly the way God made them, when i walk around wearing make-up and not being exactly the way God made me. 2. i know that i don't completely believe that myself. i don't like the way i look without make-up on. the natural look isn't for me. 3. culturally and socially, wearing makeup is important. it seems to define us. so many of us wear it all the time that we often aren't comfortable without it - just being ourselves. and so, in some ways, makeup becomes a mask we wear. we hide ...

*visits from out of town friends *cooler weather *that the internet works again

today i'm going to update on #3: go to a movie by myself. i've always felt weird about doing things by myself. and for some reason, going to the movies by myself was one of those things that i just couldn't bring myself to do. it seemed like the perfect way to turn something that is supposed to be fun into something that definitely isn't. seeing everyone else there with friends and families, enjoying movies together, while you are alone just invites the "why am i alone? where are my friends?" mood-killing attitude that would hinder your enjoyment of a movie. then, there's also the fact that you feel like you stand out and everyone is watching you to see why on earth you came to the movies by yourself . that's not fun. however, while all of these thoughts are floating around in my head, i also see going to the movies by yourself as a way to enjoy your own company and a way to see a movie that maybe none of your friends want to see in the theater or ...

so, i just looked at my blog and realized it has been about a month since i last posted my friday favorites list and i couldn't believe it! however, that is because i was in nashville, then in charleston, or driving, and the other times i simply forgot. sorry. anyway, here's my favorite things friday... *traveling *seeing friends i don't always get to see while i'm doing said traveling *football-shaped oreos (yep. that's right. they're awesome) *finding new books i like *watching movies like the princess bride or gone with the wind after a long time *peanut butter *fall-ish weather *new seasons of my shows starting (parenthood last week, glee this week!) *getting text messages from cool kids who live in baltimore, then the following phone conversations with them *college football *holiday-themed stuff in the stores *desserts! *hearing how my friends in places far away are doing

ugh...yesterday i certainly was having a "poor me, i'm so frustrated" kind of day. so this thankful reminder list is definitely in order. i'm thankful for... 1) good books 2) the beach 3) the beautiful weather we've had lately 4) friends and family

so, we're way more than 1/2 way into my 25th year. at the beginning of the year, i had a list of things i wanted to accomplish this year. and i wanted to keep updating as to the progress of said list. i haven't. so here's the list again: 1. re-learn to play the piano 2 . read all the books on my shelf i've never read 3. go to a movie by myself 4. visit the museums in this city 5. learn to sew and knit or crochet 6. re-learn my spanish (or at least, start to) 7. cook something i've never cooked before at least 2x a month 8. start saving money 9. try to visit my friends who live in other places 10. send more cards to people 11. read one classic novel a month 12. take more pictures 13. become less dependent on makeup 14. make a meal plan every week 15. become less emotionally-driven 16. open up to those i love more 17. become comfortable with who i am (any suggestions on how to do this?) 18. read through the parts of the Bible i've never real...

how did we get to september already? now that it is september, that means that there are a few things to start looking forward to! certain days: *the first uga game...3days! *the first day of fall....20days! *halloween...8weeks! *thanksgiving...12weeks! *dawn treader release...14weeks! *christmas...16weeks! certain smells, sights, and sounds: *the way the sunlight shines *lots of fall festivals and carnivals *delicious foods *layers of clothes *smells of cider, pies, cinnamon, etc... *decorations *changing leaves *holidays and so much more... i love fall!

as an exercise in being grateful, i'm going to start listing a couple of things i'm thankful for at the moment every tuesday, so i present to you... thankful tuesday! this week, i'm thankful for... 1) spending the weekend with one of my closest friends 2) that my grandma's surgery went pretty well 3) a smidge cooler weather, because it means that fall is on its way what are you thankful for?

if you read this or know me, you know that at the moment, i'm currently living with my parents, looking for a job, trying to figure out what it is that God has next for me (or where, how, etc). now, i've only been here a little while (like, barely even 3 weeks). i spent my summer agonizing over whether i was making the right decision, whether i was following God's leading or my own heart. in the end, i truly feel that i've followed God's leading out of baltimore to....nothing. there's nothing in front of me right now. nothing except searching for jobs that don't thrill me in places that make me sigh with resignation and sifting through a bunch of opportunities that, while amazing, just don't seem quite right. in saying this i know that while it appears to me that there is nothing in front of me, God has better vision than i do and He can see what is in front of me, even if it's a long way off. but that's not what i've been feeling and thinki...

in no particular order.... the fountain i used to see walking up lombard to my apt walking to rita's (ok, and how yummy it was...and being able to walk anywhere period) fell's point i know it's silly, but this was MY tree in patterson... it's where i read, prayed, listened, basked in the warmth, cried....it was my place to go... the gallery the pier the varying views of the harbor this barnes and noble the boats in the harbor...from the inner harbor to canton... the sight and the sounds of them

i've been silent this week...sorry... i feel that there is a lot i could say, but no words with which to say it... at any rate, here are my friday favorites! *no longer living out of boxes/suitcases *using gift cards *discovering that i'm not the only person in my situation , or who feels the way i do *key lime ice cream from ben and jerrys *a working webcam! *the " portrait of a lady " section in my real simple this month. seriously glad those fashions  are coming back! i mean, don't they just look amazing?? *finding old papers and such from college, and remembering how much i loved it! *reconnecting with people *l earning

a nd it's actually on a friday this week! seeing family and friends reorganizing all my stuff, and getting rid of some of it the sounds of summer in the south endless possibilities (which, if i were being completely honest, would tell you that as awesome as it is, it also completely stresses me out) reading new books being able to watch the food network again (i know, weird...but we didn't have cable in bmore for the last few months of my time there, and i missed the food network) old pictures

i have two pictures to show you. just seeing this bookcase makes my heart race a little. isn't it beautiful? found here and how awesome is this idea? single serving pie in a jar! found here from this etsy store, All Jarred Up

late again this week, but i was driving again due to the move.... realizing how truly blessed i am spending time with friends trying new restaurants my favorite flavors being in stock beginning a new chapter in life a bit cooler weather good books

don't we all wish we had that? when we have no idea what is coming or where God is leading or what we are supposed to do, wouldn't it be nice if we felt confidence and peace during the uncertain times in our lives? over the last couple of months, i've really been wrestling with some uncertainties. about everything. who i am. what i'm meant to do. where i'm supposed to be. who God is, and says He is. who God says i am. the path God says for me to follow. asking and struggling. wondering and fighting. crying and laughing. understanding and then being lost in confusion. experiencing peace and then being overwhelmed by worry. but finally, there is a bit of an end. because i've made a decision. one that my soul made a long time before my head, i believe. a decision to follow. to trust. to be uncertain. to leave baltimore . looking at it through my eyes, i can't say that it really makes sense. i have a family here. abounding opportunities t...