Something To Keep In Mind

"We will never know abundant life until the unseen and eternal realm is home to us in our everyday experience. Until then, we will be living according to appearances, and appearances will never lead us deeper into the life of God. Only faith will. God wants to bring us to the point where we say, "I live by what God says about the things in my life -- situations, people, and myself."

-Dan Stone, The Rest of the Gospel

Closing of a Chapter

This has been a hard week for me. I feel like writing it out and talking it through will help, but I don't really have this post laid out in my head so please forgive me if it comes out jumbled.

For the past 6 years this week has been one of excitement and anticipation with adrenaline carrying me past my natural energy levels. It has stayed the same through the other parts of my life that seem to change. I've heard countless speakers deliver dynamite messages on leadership and personal growth. I've been challenged and humbled and seen creativity like I've never known it before.

It is Catalyst week. And it is the first time since 2005 I haven't been involved.

I noted the start of this week with hesitation and by Friday I felt heart ache like I had just gone through a break-up. You see, the Catalyst conference was my favorite part about working at Giant. It is the reason I got involved with the company in the first place back in 2005. And this year just reminded me that I'm no longer there. I remember thinking in February as I was ushered out the doors that maybe I would be in a better place by October so I could come back and still be a part of the conference team. As it turns out, I'm not there yet. I'm still hurt over having to leave and being so quickly discarded by a company I worked hard for and by people I respected.

I was asked to take up my position again this year and without a second thought I said YES. Then right after I hung up I had second thoughts. The Holy Spirit was shining a spot light on part of myself that I haven't dealt with before. I'm often willing to disregard myself (not in the admirable way) in order to be a part of the "cool" thing or "cool" group. It happened in elementary school with the popular girls. It happened in middle school with my perceived social status. It happened early in high school when I had the choice between sticking up for my best friend or flirting back with a certain boy. It was happening again this year with Catalyst. After hanging up, I realized that I had just committed to work 4 long, hard days on my feet, training and running a team of 10-12 volunteers and selling my heart out all for a company that was so quick to get rid of me earlier in the year. They don't care about me and yet I was willing to turn the blind eye to that glaring fact and use all of my energy to make money for them just so I could have an all access badge and walkie-talkie. I had to call Amberly back and tell her I had spoken too soon and this year wasn't going to work. I really feel like that was the right decision.

You know that part after a break-up when you want to still call the person and be in touch? That's what I was like this week. I had to sit on my hands to not text Amberly or just show up while they were setting up or even during the event. I talked to people last night who had been to the event and I wanted to hear details and know how it went. Like checking up on an old boyfriend. I was a little sad when I realized that I was holding out hope that they would call me and tell me they needed me there or that the event wasn't the same without me. That call wasn't coming.

I know reading this, it probably seems a little crazy just about an event. But thinking through it last night I realized that part of the heart break is linked to not being a part of something that I've been a part of for so many years. There are few things that I'm a part of these days and I always thought this was a constant. Catalyst isn't the be-all-end-all. Clearly, life will go on. To me, it has just been the confirmation of change of season and closing of a chapter. I'm trusting there is good that will come from all of this and I hope I can catch a glimpse soon.

October 1

A belated "RABBIT" to you all. Please pretend you're reading this on the actual 1st. I had every intention of posting then, but am quickly realizing that my intentions don't really make anything happen. But that's a post for another time. I didn't want this to pass without giving recognition to one of my favorite days.

Now, you must be saying to yourself "Self, why is October 1 different than any other day". I'm glad you asked. Not only is it Fall-ish and beautiful and often the start to the end of the year, but in my world it is also the Official Unofficial First Day of Christmas Music. In fact, I'm listening to a Christmas mix now to get in the spirit.

This tradition actually started when I was in high school. The summer after my freshman year, Zach went off to college. Sarah and I spent tons of time together as we headed into fall and I noticed that she was listening to her Amy Grant Christmas CD (you know the one) on repeat. When asked why, she said it made her feel like Christmas was closer which meant Zach would come back home from college. She didn't live to see Christmas that year, but I've never forgotten her love for the music and excitement for the season. While I can't bring myself to listen starting in August, somewhere along the way decided that October 1 is an acceptable start date.

Fast forward a couple of years and I'm living in West Palm Beach. Liz, Shelby and I wake up and head off to school on one bright and sunny October 1st. To properly honor our homemade holiday, we rolled the windows down and BLASTED Christmas music on our way to school. Much to our chagrin, the motorcycle cop 1 mile down North Flagler didn't carry the same passion for October 1 that we did, which resulted in a speeding ticket with my name on it. For going 45. Really, sir? If I'm going slow enough for you to walk out in front of my car to pull me over, clearly you don't really think I am a threat. According to my memory, the encounter ended with one of us mumbling "and a Merry Christmas to you, Sir" as we got back on the road.

Now a few more years down the road I can't get to October 1 without smiling to myself and humming a Christmas tune or two. To be honest, I can't go all Christmas non-stop from October 1 to the end of the year (I only have so many renditions of O Holy Night) without going crazy, but I'll always mark October 1 as the starting point.

Liz and I exchanged texts this year deciding that this is one of our favorite PBA memories....even if it did result in my parents getting postcards about defensive driving classes available in South Florida.

And in case you weren't able to mark October 1 properly this year, here's one of our favorites for you:

Gee, I'm Glad It's Raining

Anyone else know that song from Earnest Goes to Camp? Yes, I know how ridiculous that sentence sounds when reading it out loud. It's the one somber moment in the movie as Earnest stares longingly out the window of his cabin. He's singing to his pet turtle. Man, I've gotta watch that again. My high school friend, Sam, and I used to sing that together. Mainly because he's the only other person (besides Zach) that I've met who knew it. Wow--how's that for way too much information? Can you tell I've had my cup of tea this morning?

But truly, it is raining. I'm sitting in my pajamas sipping a huge cup of green tea and feeling extra thankful for the holiday. See, I'd been prepping myself mentally to work today. I typically work Mondays and since Starbucks is open this fine Labor Day, I just assumed I'd be the one spilling, err I mean, serving the coffee. But alas, I got the day off and for that I couldn't be more relieved.

Anyway, back to our normally scheduled programming. I started to write this morning in continuation of my last "update" posting. In the meantime, I should tell you about the 2 silly things I saw on pinterest.com (aka: the best time waster EVER). First, is a pin/recipe for gluten free play-doh. Now, please correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't a gluten allergy strictly dealing with the consumption of wheat? Are you going to make that recipe with the plan of your kid eating it (because you know they will) or are you making it because it has the words gluten free in it and that makes you feel better? The other curiosity was a pin for taco quesadillas. Admittedly, I also clicked on it to read the recipe.....until I realized that I already KNOW the recipe. A taco quesadilla is just like a regular quesadilla. Right?! I've seen different words put in front of "quesadilla" to make them sound intriguing. Apple/Brie, Bacon/Chicken, even Pizza. But taco quesadilla is direct repetition. I've gotta stop there, because reading back I sound a little nutso. I just thought I'd give you a peek into the mystery world of my brain. I find little things to keep myself entertained. It's a wonder I'm not an only child.

OK, promise to continue the update later. Now it's time to go snuggle my favorite new born baby burrito, Allie Joy Johnsey.

The Latest

I've had an on-going list of ideas of write about. I've put "blog" at the top of numerous to-do lists. And then the days run together and here we are a few days in September. In 11 days I'll be 30 1/2. Can it be true? Maybe this is a theme. Can there be blogs based purely on procrastination? I feel like that is the opener to each of my posts. An excuse to where I've been and why I haven't been writing. No more of that now. On with the chlorophyll (more like bore-ophyll). *Last sentence is a quote from Billy Madison although I am often the only one partaking in the giggle after I say it. So sue me.

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING:

-Since I posted an update, I've gotten a job at Starbucks. I thought this would fit perfectly with my school schedule, give me something to do during the day (besides celebrate no-pants-weekdays all by my lonesome), and give me adequate access to delicious caffeinated and highly sugary drinks. What I didn't take into consideration is the udder exhaustion that comes from waking up at 4:00 to stand on my feet all day. I've been getting home feeling like I have mono and crashing hard. I didn't take into account that this is my hardest semester yet and I have 4 classes and a lab to finish before December. That said.....I've turned in my notice. My last day is next Saturday and I'm counting down the minutes. These few months have provided some entertainment (mostly laughing at myself) and from others, but I just can't operate like this for much longer. I'm not sure what comes next for jobs, but am trying to trust that God knows what I need and will provide.

Anytime you're having a sad day, just think of me smiling at a customer as they leave and telling "You're wonderful" only to realize I meant to say "You're welcome". Or me filling up a cup of oatmeal for a customer's order only to have a freakish arm spasm that causes the oatmeal to fly across the floor and splat in a cat-barf pile for everyone to work around. Yup, that's me.

-I've also been helping out with PushStart Kitchen (aka, Zach's new cooking adventure). I've been his server on Friday nights so Cristina doesn't have to rush out of her office to get to the studio in time to serve and entertain 10 strangers. I'm getting better at pouring water without picking up the cups, although I don't trust myself with the wine bottles yet. It has been really fun to get to work with Zach (makes it pretty easy since we share a brain) and see all of the positive recognition he's been getting. TBS sent a film crew to tape one of his dinners for a show they are airing in December. And another film crew came over from Birmingham to film an entire episode of a show they are going to pitch to different TV Networks....all about Zach and Cristina. I just saw the promo trailer they finished this week and it looks so great. Even has some bluegrass tunes in the back which I think sets it apart from the other typical food shows on TV right now. Added bonus? I'm in that first episode. Sara had reserved the entire table for that night, so she and I are sitting around the table with her friends as he is serving up dinner. Last weekend he and I traveled over to Birmingham to do a private dinner for 30 and we're heading down to Destin in 2 weeks to do a wedding reception for 40. Now I just need a wealthy investor to come along so I can officially become his personal assistant. Can't you imagine those office antics now?

-School has started again, as I mentioned earlier. And it is a brain buster. I ugly-gried through my Thursday night last week. And while I attribute most of those waterworks to horomones, I do realize that I am close to being over my head in this language business. We're officially working on simultaneous interpreting which means I'm signing as a person is speaking (or vice versa and speaking as someone is signing) without breaks or pauses to catch up. Gotta put my game face on to make it through this semester....although I think I've said that about each semester so far. It's hard to believe that this time next year I'll be done. Heck, this time in 9 months I'll be done. My classmate, Hannah, and I have started referring to this program as our ASL baby. Get it? 9 months? I'm hoping it flies by quickly.....and that someone throws me shower. OK, that last part is a joke.

Now, I was going to make this a multi-category post including other things going on. But since this one has already stretched so long. And since the pizza man just knocked on my door. And since I just found Grease on ABC Family Channel. I think I'll end here.

Happy (long) Weekend.

Where I Am Right Now

“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us;

we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

- C.S. Lewis

Me Again

So, I'm that girl. I've left this blog high and dry for the past month. Not to say it's without excuse. I've been pretty busy. BUT, the longer I stay away the harder it is to come back. The blank screen stares me in the face and I feel like I've missed too many opportunities to give quick updates. Anyone else get writing stage fright?

I want to jump back in and thought the perfect way is a list of randoms. So here you go.

*Pert Plus is one of my favorite summer smells. It instantly takes me back to the college group beach trips down to Santa Rosa.

*I ate a steak last night. Said steak was medium rare. I survived, but can't say I'm excited to do it again.

*I'm a little jealous of the college kids who are packing up and driving back to their campuses for the upcoming school year. Makes me want to drive South on I-75 for approximately 9 1/2 hours.

*I have a new favorite Starbucks drink. It's called a Teardrop.

*Flossing makes me feel like a real grown-up.

*I find myself missing London. Even during the chaos of the riots. Eight years later and my heart still beats for the Motherland.

That's all I got for now and I've gotta go change over my laundry. Apparently, my bed just isn't going to make itself. More on life to come.

Hugs and Tickles.

A Good Word

I went to lunch with my old Giant co-workers a couple of weeks ago. That is always a bitter sweet time. We were such a close team for so long that not seeing them everyday is a downer. They are great women and I do enjoy the chance to catch up and hear about their lives. Yet, it always breaks my heart a bit to reconnect with them knowing that I'm the only one who is gone. This time of unemployment has been an unexpected challenge and seeing them just brings back the flood of memories that I had there (right up until I was dismissed of course). Still, I'd rather stay in touch than not, so I went.

Rhona was one of my favorites. She is a sweet soft spoken South African woman who seems to have a direct line to God's phone. She could always detect when something was going on with me before I had to say anything. OK, that isn't really a gift since I'm sure I wear the majority of my feelings on my sleeve. Rather, she had such a gentle and caring way of approaching me. Praying and asking God for a word on my behalf. Bringing intentional encouragement instead of the typical "you'll get through it" that is often thrown out haphazardly.

She came to our lunch and before I left she slipped a little card to me. I opened on the way home and have read it countless times since then. Here's what it said:

Becca,

I asked the Lord to give me something to share with you today, and here goes:

Don't give up! God wants you to know that He has been in every season of your life, not one has been wasted. He wants to remind you that you are precious and valuable to Him, and He is very aware of you.

Do not be afraid, as long as you have your hand in His you will not need to fear because He is in charge. May not understand, but you can trust Him.

Love you much,

Rhona

Amazing, right? I am blown away. There are words used here that litter my daily thoughts. Specifically the idea that there are times in my life that I've wasted. Seasons of my life that can't be used. I have another post on that coming soon. I just wanted to share this sweet encouragement.

I've made the card a book mark in my latest pre-bed read. Ironically enough, it is called Walking With God and speaks directly to the concept of being able to hear from God about your life. Prayer doesn't need to be a one-sided speech thrown to heaven. Instead, it can be a two-sided relationship with both speaking to and hearing from God. Ok, so writing that makes it seem like that description should have a big DUH behind it. Of course, as Christians we are taught this. But just how many of us really put it in to practice? I'm not typically a John Eldridge fan, but this one is really impressing me.

Blessings.

My Life Is Complete

Moments from shutting down my computer for the night, I stumble upon this gem.

Now I know I'll have great Zack Attack dreams.

Overdue

It occurred to me last night that I haven't posted pictures from my week in Minneapolis. Oops! They are top heavy towards the beginning of the trip since we worked during the week. So here you go..close to a month late.

I arrived super late Friday night after standing-by in the Atlanta airport all day. We just went home and crashed. First thing Saturday morning we got up and headed east towards Wisconsin for a cabin visit. First, we stopped in the oldest town in Minnesota to do some sight seeing and shopping. It started out kinda gross and rainy...hence the fashionable rain coats. We happened to strike gold since there was an art festival setting up. This is us in the food truck section...near the donut truck since we instantly thought of last summer's mini donut craze. Next to the donut truck is the fried pickles truck (I had to run past so I wouldn't eat them out of business) and then the fried cheese truck.

I think this is the bridge we took to get over to Wisconsin which is just minutes away on the other side.

The town had all sorts of cute little stores so we wandered through a few. I found this gem on display in one of the store fronts.

Can you believe there is an actual Crazy Cat Lady game?!

Before we hit the road again, we made sure to stop in one of their favorite bars for happy hour and pull tabs. When in Rome, right? And no.....we didn't really win. I must be bad luck because I have yet to win more than $2 on a pull tabs ticket.

Once across the bridge, we pulled over in another small town to walk out on a looooooooooooooong pier. The sun finally decided to come out and we were taking advantage of the nice day that apparently is a myth in Minnesota after their harsh winter. This is my feeble attempt at an artsy photo.

And a fun pic of Shelbs and Dan....my hosts/babysitters/entertainment/tour guides for the week.

Through the years Shelby and I have driven to and through many a state and following in the Meloy way...we always shake hands at the border. Wisconsin was no exception and we even pleaded with Dan to pull over and snap a picture of us with the sign.

Shelbs and Dan were excited to make a slight detour to introduce me to my very first fried cheese curds. I felt squeamish last summer when we stopped at a jerkey store and bought fresh curds so now I had to try them fried, right?

They were just as delicious as promised and they went down well with a Jeremiah Weed and lemonade...my favorite summer cocktail.

We got to the cabin mid-afternoon and headed straight out in the boat to do some fishing. This apparently was set to be a trip of "firsts" for me since I've never really been fishing. Of course we got an action shot.

Sadly, the fish weren't having any part of our leech temptations. Really...we used leeches. Well, Dan used leeches while Shelbs and I kept our safe distance from the red cooler. He was kind enough to bait our hooks for us.

This was the best catch of the day!

Photo-op as we were packing up and heading in for dinner.

We got back to the cities on Sunday and headed to Pam and Dale's for dinner and cocktails...and to watch The Apprentice finale. I was pulling for Marlee Matlin.

Shelby was showing them something on her phone when I told them to smile...hence the featured pink iphone. I loved getting to see her parents and hang at their house. Funny that a house I've only been to a couple of time would have familiar smells and memories. We went over again later in the week for another dinner/drinking/laugh fest.

[Enter many day of no pictures. We fell into a daily routine during the week that didn't call for many pictures. Well, as routine as Shelby's life can be. I was blown away by her ability to multi-task not only her life and to-do list but projects for at least 4 other people at the same time. On any given day she is managing Chris's life, juggling multiple real estate deals, picking up odds and ends tasks from the country club ladies (who all live in uh-mazing houses), executing temp projects, and handling whatever goes on at her house. If I had that job my brain would explode within a week, but somehow if fits her perfectly. I was just along for the ride.]

Here's a fun pic of Shelbs changing the sale sign to SOLD on one of her properties. I had to document the moment :)

During the week we went and worked on a project for a company called Julia Knight. They are a home decor company that sells stunning bowls, picture frames, cake sets, platters, wine and cocktail accessories among other things. I checked out the website before I went and didn't think much of the different pieces, but once I had them in hand I loved every single one I touched. The colors are brilliant! This one was my absolute favorite.

They needed a few extra hands so I was able to go and work as well. Shelby and I were in charge of running inventory on their in stock items, pulling and packing it up, shipping it over to a professional photography studio and then unpacking it all. They were getting ready for the semi-annual catalog shoot. So adding to another first was getting to see a Target commercial being shot while we were unpacking our stuff.

I also got to see see a food shoot for General Mills one morning. One of the random errand ladies who call on Shelbs is a food stylist. She emailed in a panic because she left her phone at home and asked if we would bring it to her. So I got the tour of her fancy countryside home (I can't believe I didn't take a picture of it) and then rubbernecked my way in when we dropped it off at the photoshoot. There are some really cool jobs in this world.

Wednesday night, we went downtown to help out a non-profit that Shelby works with. They help mentor inner city teenagers who are wanting to go to college and further their education. They were having a fundraiser that night at a $4 million pent house condo and just so happened to need a few greeters. We jumped on the chance and got to tour the condo after our shift was over. I didn't take any pictures up there because it didn't seem to fit the wine-sipping mingling atmosphere of the guests. The view was more beautiful than the interior of the condo, but I'm still marking it as a first in my book. The first time I've ever been in a pent house. Extra fun to be there with Shelbs since we used to always speculate about the PH button on the elevator in our apartment building in WPB. Now if we could've only made it up there!

Anyway, here's a picture of the building from the parking lot. They've kept the remains of some of the old factories which gives a really cool feeling of modern and historical in the same area. The pent house we were in is in the building closest to us in the picture, so you can't actually see the top here. I just thought it was a fun angle.

Shelby had a packed schedule during the day Friday, so I thought I was going to be sitting at Caribou all day armed with my laptop, book and more mochas than one person should really have in a sitting. I was surprised to see Dan walk in and declare it Dan Day. We hopped in his car and headed in to town so I could get the full tour of Minneapolis and St. Paul. We drove through the different neighbors and around many of the 10,000 lakes (or so it seemed) and pointed out every White Castle restaurant we saw. It was fun! He gave me background and history on the areas and the houses were to.die.for. Gorgeous, old, huge and I'm sure jam packed full of ghosts. We stopped at one of his favorite Italian restaurants for lunch and then continued the tour over by where the pent house was. We got out and hiked across one of the old bridges and then went down to water level and explored.

The Stone Arch Bridge from down below.

The super spooky abandoned Pillsbury building.

Now a shot of me from the top of the bridge.

We wrapped up the tour and headed back towards home to meet up with Shelby for cocktails and dinner. Since we got to the meeting point (mall) early we went inside and wandered around. We spied a shop that was carrying the Julia Knight stuff we had just been working with all week. I knew it was expensive, but nothing on our work lists actually had the retail prices so we went in to do some "field research". The platter I showed you earlier was being sold for............$195! Holy cow. Looks like it shall live on my wish list instead of my counter top. Ha ha. Here we are posing with the window display. I'm sure the people in the mall thought we had a loose screw (or 3).

Afterwards we made a happy hour stop and then dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Thanks to the randomness of Facebook, we found out that our friend from PBA, Josh, was in town for a wedding. So we picked him up at his hotel and went out for a quick drink and chance to catch up. Josh dated our roommate Heather so we saw him a good bit our last year in Florida. We were always "Team Josh" in the race a couple other boys were in for Heather's heart. For the record, he didn't "win" that race, but as life turns out, it's really better that way. I'm sure I haven't seen him since we left in 2003, so it was fun to reconnect and hear about his life in Colorado now.

We crashed that night and were up first thing the next morning for me to catch a flight home. I had an amazing stay and loved the chance to get out Atlanta for the week. It was the perfect mix of busy and peaceful and just what I needed in between my semesters. Shelbs, thank you for being an amazing hostess and friend. I loved getting a peek into your day to day life and also the time we got to just sit and chat whether out on the dock in Wayzata (Minnetonka?) or in our pajamas on your comfy couch. Already looking forward to the next time I get to see you face to face.

Love and cheese curds.

Pinterest

*Before I start this post, I should tell you that the posting below is a total mistake. Ha ha. I started another blog for my study group and meant to post this video there. I was more than confused when I signed on last night and couldn't find the video posting I put up for them. (Mainly a joke since he spends his time applying make-up instead of signing). Funny, none the less. So please excuse the random posting below.

Now....on to pinterest. Have you heard of this? Are you as obsessed as I am? I remember confessing a couple of posts ago that I love dreaming and collecting ideas. My problem is not always acting on the good ones I have tucked away. I dream about the day I have my perfect dream house or the time and finances to make all of the creative crafts I have in my brain. I don't want to be the girl who realizes at the end of her life she had a ton of great ideas but never acted one them. Woah. Bet you didn't think I could pull a life lesson (and epitaph) out of pinterest, huh? Well, I did. [deep bow]

In an effort to establish a new behavior, I celebrated the end of my Spring semester with an artsy-fartsy project that originated from the archives of pinterest. I'm sure you've all seen them. The yarn covered letters. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what could go on the wall above our TV and I thought that would be just the fit.

Here's the picture from the original posting. Actually, here are two. Same idea but different postings.

from here.

from here. I can't find the original posting to see what blog or Etsy page it came from.
While I wasn't able to find the squared letters, I did come across flat wooden ones that seem to work just as well. I had an empty frame that I got a Goodwill last year that happened to match the sage green of our living room well. The bonus is that the letters fit perfectly inside the frame without any need to attach them to the wall. I'm pretty pleased with the final product.

Please excuse the bland white wall. That's the name of the game in apartmentland.

And here it is in perspective above the TV. Now to get rid of that terrible IKEA coffee table/TV stand. YUCK. My apologies for the pictures. I don't have a fancy schmancy camera and can barely handle the functions on the point and shoot. :)

If I had it to do again (which I guess technically, I do) I think I'd like to see how these flat letter's look when they are wrapped thicker with multiple layers of yarn like the L.O.V.E picture above. I thought about doing it but couldn't bare the thought of then un-doing it if I didn't like it. I also need to go back and color in the little spots with Sharpie that didn't get covered by yarn.

So there you have it! I keep stumbling upon more and more cute and affordable craft/gift ideas so hopefully I'll have more to post in the future. Or least the next time I get a break from school.

Drag Queen Receptive

I started my lab hours kicking and screaming (silently, of course). Here's one of the first videos I came across. Che, if you're interested he also has a 38 minute tutorial on make-up application on DVTV. Be warned...he takes a LONG time to cover up the 5 o'clock shadow.



I can pick up the main jist of what he is saying, but I know I'm missing more than I'm getting right now.

3-BT

Well, hello there. It's been a while since I've posted anything here. Don't know if anyone still stops by. I took a week vacation at the end of May and got out of the habit of posting (even if it was irregularly). I know a lot of people start blogs and then drop them once the newness wears off. I don't want to do that.

Since writing a 3 week update seems a bit daunting, I thought I'd wade in. I know I've posted about the Three Beautiful Things blog before. I don't check it consistently, but I do love the idea -- listing the small things noticed during the day as a way to remember simple joys. Tracking time through thankfulness is a great place to be.

So here are my three for today:

* First of the day laundry means I'll start the week on clean sheets. Now just looking forward to a hot shower right before bed time.

* An afternoon rain shower cut pool time short, but also brought a little cool front that helped motivate me to get a 30 minute walk in. Bonus: listening to podcasts make the walk go quickly.

* Coming back to my apartment, I spy a group of neighborhood boys learning how to play cricket from their dads. (Their Indian, which seems culturally relative)

Hope you've had a fun and relaxing weekend.

A Tease

Since finding my camera, I've been inspired to finally give you the tour of my apartment. I don't have the time now to walk you through each room...and apparently I need to learn how to use this camera because all of my shots are lame.

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a view of one of my favorite angles in the Living Room. Really, the whole apartment is open except for the bedrooms and bathrooms, so I should just call it the "communal space" but you know....it's where we do the living. It's nothing fancy, but I sure do love the natural light that shines through the windows. And this couch (I can say that since I'm sitting on it presently) is amazing.

Oh, and I'm going on a multi-city vacation starting tomorrow so hopefully I'll come back with an arm full of pictures and stories to share. As my mom would say, "ta ta!".

FOUND IT!

That's right. My camera is no longer missing. We can sleep soundly knowing I don't have to tell my parents that I lost my brand new birthday present. Ahh. So listen to how it all went down.

I've been sick over it all week. I keep praying that I would find it but came up empty handed whenever I searched. I even had Debi searching her house for me. Then yesterday morning I stayed home from church to have my own worship time. I started talking to God and told Him I knew that He knew where it was. I knew He could see it right then. I prayed that He would show me. My reading focused on the prophets instructing Israel to remember everything that God has done to be sure to always tell those stories of His goodness.

Not long after that I got a clear mental picture of where the camera was....but I was too nervous to check. It was my last place of hope so if it wasn't there, I would be really disappointed. I put off looking all afternoon but when Sara and I got in my car to go to the grocery store I had to check. There it was. In the console exactly where I had pictured it! Cool, huh? So I thought I'd share the whole story since my lesson was remembering and telling the goodness of God.

I even drove over to my parents house to tell them I had found the camera they didn't know I had lost! Now I'm not letting this thing out of my sight.

Home Church

"Make me know Thy ways, O Lord;

Teach me Thy paths.

Lead me in Thy truth and teach me.

For Thou are the God of my salvation;

For Thee I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Thy compassion

and Thy lovingkindnesses,

For they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth

or my transgressions;

According to Thy lovingkindness remember

Thou me,

For Thy goodness' sake, O Lord."

~Psalm 25: 4-7

It Went Like This...

So I think I mentioned that I got caught up in scanning some of my London photos last week. I meant to just grab a few but once I started I just couldn't stop. I have some of them tucked away for another post idea, but I have these that I thought you'd get a chuckle out of today.

For some reason the idea of sequence photos always reminds me of college. Probably of the collection of 'wow-mom-cool-cow' shots we have. And maybe an incrimination series of Liz and a bowl of spaghetti that will remain in archives unless provoked.

Here is my London series shots. Well, the Italian Coastline to be exact.

What started as a fun afternoon adventure ended with $314 worth of scooter damages, 2 rows of stitches, ruined kahki pants.....and a great life story!

Odds and Ends

It is a steamy, humid night in Atlanta. The bullfrogs are croaking and I'm trying to catch a breeze through my open window. We've gotten used to having low electric bills (thanks to no heat or a/c) and I'm trying to see how long we can keep it up. It just doesn't seem fair to have to use the a/c in May. I don't even think that is technically summer yet. So I sit here suffering...with no pants on :)

I went to Six Flags on Saturday. Man, I love that place! It was Deaf Appreciation Day which meant Deaf people got a discount on ticket prices. A group of students from our program-including yours truly- went as volunteer interpreters to work at the ticket booth and guest relations. As it turns out, we were over staffed which left me to ride the rides. No complaints here. I got 4 coasters and 1 kiddie ride in before the night was over. It was so fun--I just love all the memories that come back from being there. I remember riding the Mind Bender with my dad when I was around 7 or 8. My favorite blue headband fell off mid-loop and I kept trying to bend down to retrieve it. In high school I'd go with church friends and school friends. At the top of the parachutes ride (the most tame of all) is where David first kissed me one summer night. The dumb boys and I got season passes our senior year and went all. the. time. Dee Dee and I even got a season pass the year we lived together. I wish I had pictures from all these memories, but I guess you'll just have to use your imagination. Except for the first kiss. Don't try and imagine. Waaaaaayyyyy too awkward. Really. I can tell that I've aged since those days. I woke up Sunday morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Still....it was the best way to rack up those pesky volunteer hours. I'm already looking forward to Deaf Day next year.

Yesterday was dedicated to writing my last final. It was take-home essays and I just kept procrastinating until the last minute. I came home after church (great message in the Love, Sex and Dating series if you're interested), took a 2 hour nap and then spent the rest of the afternoon/evening writing. It may or may not have felt like this at times:

At least it did in my mind. No, Sara wasn't sneaking up behind me with a naughty sign and I definitely don't still have the ladybug collection...or most anything seen in this picture for that matter. For those of you unfamiliar with this photo: this was taken as I was attempting to write my last paper as an undergraduate student. The girls were goofing off in the apartment and all I wanted to do was join them in playing instead of write some psych paper for B.Lewt. I'm pretty sure this is the closest I've ever come to flicking the double bird.

In other news, I've lost the brand new camera I got for my birthday this year. Yeah, the one I was going to use to take pictures of my apartment and life to show you. I don't know where it is and it is driving me crazy. I'm not one to lose things which makes it all the more frustrating. I took it to the Turner's for our Royal Wedding Party (which is why I haven't posted about it yet...I have pictures I want to upload) and I haven't seen it since. I just keep telling God that I know He knows where it is and I hope He shows me. What's worse is that I feel like I'm finally ready to take some apartment photos for you. After being here 9ish months, we got a few more things hung on the walls last weekend and I even made some DIY home decor to go over the tv. The bare wall has been mocking me this whole time but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out...and am equally pleased that I took action on some of the ideas I've been stocking up on.

This afternoon I spent about an hour scanning in pictures from my London semester. I meant to only do a few to include in the Royal Wedding post (if I can bring myself to do it so late after the fact...and if I can find that dang camera) and ended up scanning about 30 randoms. So I'll have to do some more British posts. Maybe a top 10 of favorite moments. Until I get my ducks in a row, here's one for you:

OK, so this is actually in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. I just giggle everytime I look at this photo and think back on this cold, rainy day. My friend and I posed for pictures in the square and each of us were covered in pigeons. I guess the birds are so used to being fed that if you hold your arms out they will come land on your hoping for food. So we did the typical photo-op, but this guy just wasn't ready to let go. Long after the other birds were gone he was still hanging on. He didn't care that we were beak to beak and I was even flapping my arm like a wing trying to get him off. I love it.

And on that most random note, I'm going to bed. Dad and I are driving up to South Carolina tomorrow. I'll think of you as we shake hands at the border. He has some undeveloped lake property up there that he wants to check in on and I've never gotten the official tour. So he and I are going to head up for the day and possibly stop at the outlet mall on the way home. Yippee!

Seis de Mayo

I realize I haven't posted much recently. Busy-ness and sleep took over my life in unbalanced proportions. I find that coming back is tricky because I feel the need to fill you in on the past week, and yet writing it all out gives my brain a cramp...and I'm sure your eyes panic at the thought. So instead, I will enact a trusty strategy I would use during the London semester abroad when I'd get behind in my journal and would want to catch up without missing anything. It also just so happens to be one of my favorite past times. A list.

Since last week I have:

had more caffeine than water

read a few chapters in "One Thousand Gifts"

ushered a mother duck and 7 baby ducklings across a parking lot

slept on clean sheets

finished my 1st full year as an interpreting student

prayed for strongholds to be broken and passion to be restored

yelled "SURPRISE!".....twice

woken up at 5:00 a.m. to watch THE royal wedding ceremony [another post coming for this]

declined a few job opportunities

sipped a grape soda

held 2 sweet babies

worn a fake mustache

toasted with a shot of whiskey

registered for my summer semester

walked in the rain

gotten sunburned knees

sung along at a concert until I was horse

filled out 3 professor assessment forms

watched elderly people clap out of beat to hip hop music

roamed the isles of hobby lobby

dreamed of different times

won a game of chicken foot

spent time with Julie and little Madelyn

made a DIY decor piece for our living room

crammed a semester's worth of work into an afternoon

read Israel's genealogies in I Chronicles

said hello to Courtney

said goodbye to Courtney

packaged a few care packages

had my first taste of Mississippi Mud Cake (I don't regret it!)

sat in afternoon Atlanta traffic

collected new recipes (including one for sangria)

eaten queso

fought off multiple headaches

won a tennis match

celebrated Sara's birthday with a walk to Starbucks and a breakfast party

gotten misty-eyed watching tv

relived memories from 12 years ago

applied for jobs

assisted a caterer in making 345 pieces of garlic toast (and wore a hair net to do so)

impulse shopped at Target

laughed until my sides hurt

eaten one of Zach's gourmet meals for Suenie's birthday

....and missed you girls dearly.

Love, Sex, and Dating

Got your attention, didn't I? Ha--I promise this post is family friendly. Andy started a new series this past week with this title. It is brilliant. I know you girls are married and didn't even spend much time in the single scene, but you still might enjoy listening through the next couple of weeks. If you have other single friends, I highly suggest you pass this along. Sara and I went last week and it was so good. A packed house (predictable when the pastor says he's going to talk about sex) and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the lessons.

Love, Sex and Dating

So there.

I know I've been MIA recently and I plan on getting you all caught up...at least on the essentials. For now, my bed is calling.

Happy Humor Thursday

It's finals week and I'm living in Stressedville. What better way to get through this mountain of work than to find funny clips of Will and Grace on Youtube? Here are a few of my favorites.

This one's for you, Jaspy:


And possibly my favorite of all time:

Musings

Wait. Are musings supposed to be serious? Do they contain deep thoughts? If so, I believe I've made a terrible mistake in naming this post. Nevertheless, here are a few of my thoughts before I call it a night.

1. I found myself in the middle of a Friends episode today and it made me chuckle to myself. I was actually cleaning the bottle of dish soap that sits at our sink. Some of the liquid soap had dripped down the sides making it sticky. So as I'm rinsing off a bottle of soap, I got a picture of Monica Gellar pulling out the dust buster to clean her vacuum. And now I can identify. "Hi, my name is Becca. And I might be OCD."

2a. We have big storms heading our way tonight. School was cancelled in the middle of class and I hightailed it home only to sit and watch hours of coverage by the news with the wind barely blowing. I'm not saying the storms aren't serious. The death count and video coverage says they are. I just think that sometimes the news feeds off of fear. I usually love storms but after watching a few minutes of the news, I was nervous and antsy and anxious for Sara to get home. So I turned on The Voice instead. Please told me you watched. How good was that show?

2b. As I got ready for bed, I walked around the apartment to make sure all of the windows are closed and blinds are drawn in case the storm does hit as badly as warned. I felt like Kevin McAllister preparing for house war against the Soggy Bandits in Home Alone. Now let's see these tornados try and get in. Not really. Flimsy venetian blinds aren't going to keep a storm out. Fingers crossed it goes North and South of here. And that my bullfrogs and Abner, the bright orange koi, find a safe spot in the pond to wait out the worst of it.

{Amen.}

It's Summer-ish

My bedroom windows are open and I fall asleep to the sound of my ceiling fan spinning on high and the bullfrogs croaking.

In the past 2 days I've been barefoot more than I've had shoes on. That leads me to realize my desperate NEED for a pedicure. What was life about before spa chairs and "Florida pink" polish?

My porch door is open and I can hear the birds chirping all morning and then the thunder rumble from the brief afternoon storm. Then I take a break to sing a bar of Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks. It only seems right.

I played tennis Friday night and Saturday morning. Both times I realized that my breathing was labored--not because of the physical activity, but the extreme humidity in the air. I now know what life inside a cloud is like.

There's a bowl full of cous cous salad sitting in my refrigerator. Right next to container of guacamole. And in case you're interested in having the beset cous cous salad in town, here's the recipe Sara taught me last year. 3 cups cous cous (I use whole wheat), 1 can of black beans, 1 green pepper, 1 container of cherry tomatoes-halved, 1 small container of feta cheese-chopped finely, 1 red onion-chopped finely, 1 cucumber-chopped finely, balsamic vinaigrette, ground salt and pepper to taste.

The family sat out by the pool yesterday afternoon to get some sun. I rolled my pants up in an effort to get any ounce of color on these pail wintery white legs. Later in the evening I realized that my knee caps were the only ones to oblige me. So that's how it's gonna be, huh?

I catch myself dreaming of trips to Six Flags and Stone Mountain. And what would the laser show be without some Dippin' Dots and maybe a glowing necklace?

I can't stop listening to You and I by Ingrid Michaelson, Eet by Regina Specktor, American Honey by Lady Antebellum, and Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles. The perfect warm weather soundtrack....open sunroof required.

All is well in the world.

Today's Focus

"Keep your tongue from evil

And your lips from speaking deceit.

Depart from evil and do good;

Seek peace and pursue it."

-Psalms 34: 13-14

I Owe You One

An update, that is. I'm fighting a headache so hopefully I can remember it all. Last week was so busy, I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. So while I may or may not still be in my pajamas, I'm trying to stay productive.

Last Wednesday Sara and I (along with 2 of her dancing friends) headed down to the Fox for the filming of America's Got Talent. We got there just in time and as we headed in the doors, a guy stopped us and asked if we had seats. When we replied "not yet" he cocked his head to his left shoulder and spoke into his head set and then ushered down the isle....to almost the front! I didn't hear him, but apparently he told the headset that he had some camera friendly people coming to sit. So we were placed about 6 rows directly behind the judges. So cool! I yelled "I love you, Howie" but not loud enough I guess. I didn't want to make a total scene. At one point before it started, a guy came by and was coaching us on how to act--cheering and booing. He was telling us we would be on screen the whole time so whatever we did, the camera would see. So even if you aren't a fan of the show, I recommend watching the Atlanta audition to see if I made the big screen. I can't imagine they'd keep us on for long if so because we were seated in a mass of young high schoolers who were doing anything but paying attention. By the second half of the show the whole row behind me was asleep. That can't be good for ratings. We had a great time--although we all agreed it was way more exhausting to sit in the audience than just watch. We saw a couple of singers, a magic act, a one man band and son, some BMX bikers, jugglers, and the coolest dance act I've ever seen. I hope they go far.

Saturday, I spent all morning and afternoon at school for a workshop. It was so interesting, but I was seriously dragging tired. I grabbed a grande non-fat caramel macchiato on my way home (my new fav) and chugged it before heading back out the door to the Tim McGraw concert with Sara. I'm sorry to report that was the LOW of the week. It was at a venue neither of us had been to before, so we followed the parking attendants....who really just scammed us. They told us we were a block away from the amphitheater (more like a solid 15 minute walk that took us on a bridge over interstate) and then charged us $20. Boo. On our walk we realized that all the other closer lots were charging $10. Then when we got in, we scoped out the best seats. If you can picture an outdoor arena, we had lawn tickets. So while we knew we'd be towards the back, we figured we'd go sit on the hill against the back wall. That way, if people were walking in front of us, our view wouldn't be blocked. Really--worst. decision. ever. Soon after we sat down, I realized that we were surrounded by Atlanta teenagers in the shortest shorts (I'm talking cheeks exposed) and strapless dresses with cute boots on. It was a fashion parade....not the redneck crowd I was hoping for. Before the main act even came on stage, I saw a girl no older than 17 walking and barfing at the same time. The kids were insane. Drinking. Groping. Smoking. Making Out. By the time Tim came out I was over it. It felt like I was sitting in the middle of Sodom and Gomorrah. OK...maybe that is a bit extreme, but it was disgusting. And it was so distracting I don't remember much about the music itself. We saw some kids get kicked out and security break up a couple of fights. As the night went on, some of the boys figured out they could run up the hill and pee on the wall behind us. Eww. One kid finished peeing and then walked over and tried to buy a beer off of me. It took everything in me not to laugh at him in his face. Then later some young couples came up there and were up to no good (the b.y.o.blanket and pants unbuckled kind). The temperature dropped so Sara and I were bundled up to our chins in fleece blankets. By the time we decided to leave (we stuck around until the encore started) it was literally like walking through a brothel. Countless (well, maybe not countless but I wasn't willing to look down and try and count) horny teenagers coupled up and going at it and one kid passed out in the fetal position by himself. It was really sad. It was an interesting study to see the kids freeze and all pay attention to the music twice--for the 2 songs that currently play on the radio. I started listening to Tim McGraw when I was their age so now I have memories attached to most of the other songs he performed and they didn't even recognize. So we counted that as a bust.

Yesterday I played tennis at Olde Towne, which is one of the old tennis clubs I used to take lessons at in middle school. It is now owned by pro tennis player Robby Ginepri and his family. His sister was playing on our opponents team, but a different line that I was. Michelle and I played line 5 and had a great match. It was the first time in a long time that I've felt like my game was on. We lost in 2 sets, but no shame there since we both played our best. Mom came out to watch and told me as we were walking off that Mr. Ginepri (Robby's dad) had commented on how impressed he was with my serve. Not that it really means anything, but nice compliment anyway. I left there at 5:45 and had my friends coming for dinner at 6:45....and I hadn't gone to the grocery store yet.

In true procrastination, I had only decided what to make for dinner yesterday at noon. So I hit the store and got home about 15 minutes before the girls arrived. We had a great night together and I even tried a new recipe. I really liked it and have a hard time judging how good it is by how much everyone eats. One girl had 2 servings but the other two kind of picked around theirs. I enjoyed it and it was super fast, so I'll make it again. And for all of you lovers of recipes as I am, here's what we had. I went to Publix and got the Roasted Garlic Bread (it's rustic french bread with whole cloves of roasted garlic baked in)--so good. Then we did a simple spinach salad with red onion, yellow pepper and cherry tomatoes. I found a great new salad dressing--Raspberry Merlot. Then I made a ravioli dish with shalots, lemon and peas. It was really refreshing and felt springy with the lemon addition. [This post is getting lengthy, so if you want to exact recipe, email me or comment and I'll send it your way.] For dessert I made the famous peach dump cake. It was late by the time I took it out of the oven and so I think we ended up eating some out of obligation instead of really wanting it. So next time I'll prep ahead of time for that or just not do dessert. We sat around and chatted and played one round of Jenga before everyone called it a night. I fell into to bed at 11:30.

So there you have it. Today I got up and showered first thing...and weighed myself to find out I lost 4 pounds last week. YES!!! I guess those weighted squats that left me hobbling did some good. Looking forward to keeping this momentum going.

Now I'm off to job hunt. Please cross your fingers, toes and eyes that God will lead me in the right direction (and kinda quickly). Love you more than jelly beans!

Inspiration

from here.


from here..