miscellany monday - August 30

Miscellaneous bits from the past week…

one.  I have a new nail polish that is just making me ever so happy. It’s called “Fairy Teal” in Sally Hansen’s Complete Salon Manicure line. I painted my toes with it, and it’s just the perfect not-too-bright blue-green for my pigglies. I keep sticking my feet out at Bruce telling him to the gorgeousness of my toes, which he does of course!

two.  I have recently become addicted to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And I thought you all should know.

three.  The college peeps are all back in town, and we had a luncheon after church for them. So much fun! Small groups start this week, tonight and Thursday, and we’ve got 26 signed up – including 13 who were not part of small group last semester. YAY! I just love those kids!!!

four.  I went antiquing Friday afternoon. That’s not usually something I would do, but I was looking for some silver-plated spoons for an artsy project. I went to the Antique Market Place on Burnt Poplar Road, and I was overwhelmed by all the amazing stuff! Furniture, toys, dishes, and jewelry! Oh my gosh! - the JEWELRY!!! I must go back at a later date and with more money. Yet as excited as I was to see all the treasures, I found myself growing a little blue as I walked the store. I realized that many of the things I was seeing reminded me of Mom. And how I miss her so much.

five.  I want to make everyone aware of this cool penny-pinching site. http://www.groupon.com/. Basically, you sign up, and every day you get one email. In the email will be one deal for a local business which you can either purchase within 24 hours or ignore. The deals are things like discounts to restaurants, ice cream parlors, maid services, oil changes, spa treatments, etc. All sorts of stuff! And the deals are pretty good. I bought a $25 gift certificate for a local upscale steak house for only $10. And I also bought a $12 gift certificate to a gelato place for only $5. I almost bought a maid deep-cleaning service ($179 value) for only $30, but couldn’t decide if I was really THAT lazy just yet (though I think I am). So check it out!

Rekindling the Love

Dear Little White House,

I am not sure when it happened, or why, but apparently you have turned against me.

No longer do I come home to find you comfortable, fresh and clutter free. Now, you greet me at the front door with cobwebs and dead leaves. Your living room is a whirlwind of dust and dog hair and various piles of papers. Your bed is never made, and your closets are almost empty since clothing remains on the floor. Your bathroom floor is covered in stray hairs, and your dining room looks more like an office than a place to entertain guests, with all of the numerous books and papers and files. Your laundry room confuses me – which pile of clothes is clean, and which is dirty? Your kitchen is overrun with dirty dishes, and your fridge displays assorted Tupperware containers with various concoctions from who-knows-when. Please don’t get me started on your oven…

But why, little white house? Why?

Am I not a good caretaker? Have I not loved you enough? I fear perhaps that I have not…

So starting tonight, I will rekindle the love I once had for you. I will de-clutter your rooms and mop your floors. I will wash your counters and fill your closets. I will even scrub your toilet. And when I am all finished loving on you like you deserve me to do, I will gently sweep your front porch and put out your welcome mat once again, inviting all of our friends to come and bask in your warmth and comfort.

I apologize for ignoring you for so long.

Sincerely,
Becky

Miscellany Monday - August 23

Randomness...

1 The semester officially began this weekend with freshman move-in on Saturday, and upperclassmen move-in on Sunday. I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am to see all my college peeps again!  I have missed them so!  I am also really excited because this semester, we have a few non-HPU students joining us!  Just one more of my prayers answered.  :)

2  Our church had a community yard sale this past Saturday, and it was a huge success!  The hubs and I were able to get rid of some things, and we each scored a few deals too!  I think the most exciting thing about it though, was how much the community seemed to enjoy it!  We had so many visitors!!!  I have to express my excitement about the 3 storage boxes I received by trading a rug with Ellen.  They are really pretty (blue, green, and yellow), and they are perfect for containing art supplies!  Yay!

3  I have a hot date tonight with one of my college peeps.  She recently lost a friend of hers in a tragic accident, and I haven't seen her since she found out.  I cannot wait to give her a hug!  And in spite of her grief, she sent me a message late last week reminding me of the way God is compassionate.  Sometimes, these college students blow me away with their perception.  Tonight should be fun!  We are going to a new place to eat and then maybe a little shopping.  Can't go wrong with that!

4  I am so in the mood to go shopping for fall clothes!  I keep getting these catalogs showing scarves and sweaters and boots and jeans...  Oh, how I love fall!!!  Dear Autumn, please come soon.  I ache for you.

5  While I am yearning for fall, my crafting spirit is starting to feel like Christmas.  My favorite annual magazine (Quilting Arts Gifts) just came out with the 2010-11 issue, and it has me feeling all inspired!  What should I make first...

6  Yummy in My Tummy! I came across this recipe for Pork Chalupas at AllRecipes.com.  And it looks and sounds so good, I might just have to try it this week!   

Let's Chat

I am sitting here feeling like I should blog, but not really wanting to because I don't know what to blog about. So there's this internal struggle within me, one side saying, "Say something - reconnect! - you haven't blogged in a while." and the other side saying, "relax - do it tomorrow - no one is missing you."  It probably doesn't need to be quite that dire, but I do like a taste of the dramatic now and then. 

I could tell you about Donut World, this amazing local donut place I discovered last night.  Some friends mentioned it to us, and I stopped last night on my way home to get a dozen.  They were SO FRICKIN' GOOD!!!  But talking about donuts doesn't really seem that exciting....

I could tell you that my sister-in-law had to go to the hospital over the weekend.  Remember Bruce's sister Jen who is building the house in FL?  Well, she worked so much that she got overheated and dehydrated and such.  Poor Jen!  At least she is home now and feeling better.  She's such a great gal!  But then, why would you want to hear about people I know?   

I could also tell you that my new job is really going well.  Actually, it's awesome!  I feel great about it!  But I am sure you all are tired of me talking about work....

I could tell you about this new project I am working on.  It's a wallhanging made out of repurposed wool.  It will take a while to complete, but it will be worth it.  I especially like the muted colors I used - darker than pastels but lighter than jewel tones.  But I can only talk about my art so much, right? 

Oh, or I could tell you that Dillards is going out of business or something because the entire store is on super-clearance.  Bruce and I went there Saturday, and bought him some great shirts (plaid of course)!  But do you really care about how I spent my weekend?

Instead, I think I will tell you that God wants to hear us tell Him all of these things and much, much more.  He loves each one of us so much that He craves open and free communication from us.  He wants to hear all about our discoveries, our loved ones, our jobs, our passions, our daily events - and then He wants to hear everything else too!  I think sometimes we are too selective when we pray - we think, "Well God already knows about such-and-such, so I won't bore Him with that."  Or we think, "Why would God care about that?"  I also think sometimes we overthink our prayers to the point where we feel like we don't have anything to pray about...so we don't.  We don't pray at all.

Where along the path of life did we forget that He just wants to chat - about everything and anything?  It's not so much about what we say, as long as we are saying SOMETHING. 

And you know, once we open our hearts to communicate, it's amazing what comes out....  :) 

"Say something - reconnect! - you haven't prayed in a while.  Relax - do it today - He is missing you."

I'd rather...

I think we can all agree that life doesn’t always work the way weu’d like it to. We make our plans, and sometimes even the simplest task doesn’t happen the way we wanted it to. We don’t always get what we want, or even what we prefer. And I think we all have our “I’d rather’s.” I do.

I’d rather be in the mountains than at the beach.

I'd rather be with Bruce than with anyone else.

I’d rather have 20 dogs, all at the same time, than parent one child.

I'd rather go to the doctor than have to go to the dentist. But I’d rather go to the dentist than have to go to the hairdresser!
 
I’d rather clean any room in the house than wash the dishes (Or better yet, I’d rather pay someone else to do ALL of that for me!)

I'd rather be barefoot than have to go shoe shopping.

I’d rather not do anything than do something half-heartedly.

I’d rather watch any other type of movie than watch a chick flick.

I’d rather text than talk on the phone.

I’d rather be employed full-time than be a starving artist. But I’d rather spend my time creating than climbing the corporate ladder.

I’d rather have silence than have background noise.

I’d rather ignore difficult people than confront them.

But I’d rather confront difficult people than have them hurt someone else.

I’d rather go coffee-less than have to drink a cup of cruddy brew.

So - what about you? What would YOU rather?

Miscellany Monday - August 9

1. I love my new job! My boss is amazing. She is a super-busy lady, but is so nice and quite laid back. She gave me a hug on my first day! Ha ha! The other folks in the Dean’s office are sweet too. There’s another Becky, and she is a hoot! And everyone has been very friendly and extremely welcoming. I also like the actual WORK that I do here. Yay!  I took a few random photos of my office…

I feel like there's a spiritual lesson in the paper clips...

Do you see it?

2. There is a creature of some kind under the house in the back room. It was scritching or gnawing or something last night – or rather this morning at 4:30! The dogs were not amused! Neither was I. Like a crazy woman, I got down on my knees and scolded it quite loudly this morning in the hope that it would scare it away. I mean, can it not take up residence in one of the old barns on the property?

3. Scarlett is painting me some fun little seashore pictures for my new office! She has the paint, sand and seashells done, and will add some Bible verses and more ModPodge the next time she’s over. I am EXCITED!!!

4. Bruce preached yesterday. It was his third sermon (I think), and every time I hear him up there “in the pulpit,” it blows my mind that this is where God has brought us. We had lunch/staff meeting with Keith and Leslie after church. My mind is also blown by them – that God has given us such awesome mentors and friends.

5. I have been obsessing about Yellowstone lately. I really want to go there. I’m thinking maybe May. Have any of you been there?

6. College peeps start arriving back to school this week – well the RA’s do. The rest come back intermittently after that – classes start on the 24th. I am excited!!! I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s summer, and get back into the swing of “college life.” Oh, and this also means I can start creeping on Justin Timberlake at the Palladium Starbucks again, with my college friends, and it won’t look so creepy. (Right?)

Bucket List

I've been working on my "Bucket List" - you know, the list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket... We all have those things, regardless of whether or not we write them down.  But I am a LOVER OF LISTS, so of course mine are getting typed up.  :)

I feel pretty good about mine so far.  I feel somewhat confident that I can accomplish all of them if I live a decent-length life, and that's exciting.

I'll be going places:
Go to Yellowstone
Go to San Diego Zoo
Go to Colorado
Go to Maine
Visit some place outside of continental US
Spend time in a big city

I'll be doing things:
Go white water rafting
Be published in a magazine
Be an expert of something
Sell art
Sculpt something

I'll be learning:
Take a felting class
Attend an art retreat
Learn to use a sewing machine

And I'll be serving:
Lead someone to Christ
Teach something
Volunteer somewhere
Go on a mission trip

And that's just SOME of what's on my list.  Hmmm....  what else should I do?
What's on YOUR bucket list?

Miscellany Monday - August 2

Happy Monday, everyone!  Bruce and I are back from Florida, so all of my musings today will be regarding our trip. 

1.) Grandma Robertson's chicken and dumplings are still amazing.  I had them for the first time at her house in Maryland when Bruce and I were just dating.  I loved them then, and I love them now. 

2.) I fell in love with swimming this weekend.  Well, I guess technically it's more like "paddling" or "floating."  I just like being in the water.  Mom and Dad have a wonderful pool, and we were in it every day.  GLORIOUS!  And swimming in the ocean was heavenly too - though slightly chilly.  It kind of makes me want to have my own pool someday - I wonder if I would feel the same if I have to do all the work to keep it clean.

3.) Dad took us to the Daytona Flea Market on Saturday (where I bought some new silver earrings and two cute owl brooches!).  He also took us to Krystal for lunch, and he knew the lady that worked there because he frequents it so often.  I love seeing him in his element!

4.) While I am quite happy I no longer live in Florida, I was reminded of how Floriday has its own unique, striking beauty.  The palm trees, the open spaces, the wide skies, the beaches...  so lovely!

5.) We met our friends Steve and Emma and their kids for breakfast on Saturday.  It's CRAZY how different our lives are now, but it's so awesome howGod has lead each of us to the place in our lives where we are all happiest.  I love to see that! 

6.) Mom was as gracious as always.  She has this way about her that makes you feel at home instantly.  And she does all these little things that make you know she's thinking about you - the mini banana bread loaves, the candy suprises, the bathing suits and towels always getting washed...  Love her!

7.) Jen & Ben's house is coming along.  I cannot believe how gorgeous it is!  Their patience and hard work is really paying off!!  I am so excited for them. 

8.) Bruce actually let me drive this time!  Wow, he's getting lax in his old age.  Ha ha! 

9.) I always feel better about myself when I have a little tan, like I have now.  But I am also scared of skin cancer.  Why must the sun be so bad for us?

10.) Oh, and root beer Slurpees are now my all-time favorite