A clean Christmas slate

It seems most everyone's blogs have gone quiet lately, mine most certainly included. I hope that means everyone is filling up their time with Christmas festivities--and enjoying themselves thoroughly. Justin and I had a great time in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and then I stole away with him to Tampa, where he had to go for a few days for work. I just soaked me up some Florida sunshine. Eddie took the trip with us too and behaved himself for the most part.

Now I'm caught up in a few Christmas festivities, myself. I spent the vast majority of today in the kitchen, baking cookies for a cookie drive for the enlisted airmen living in the dorms on base. I must confess it was a great way for me to try out some new recipes. I wasn't a fan of all the flavors I chose, but I'm giving them away and, more than likely, someone else will be a fan of them! It's a win-win situation.

I was reading something today that got me thinking about what a privilege it is to be rather newly married and able to forge new traditions as a family. It's easy to be somewhere new and missing the old traditions I've always known--especially at Christmas--but I'm blessed to have the chance to build something new with Justin. I was fortunate never to really feel like I was waiting for marriage, but at the same time, I think not looking for marriage left me unprepared and even unappreciative of some aspects of it. Forging new family traditions is one of those aspects. I better not waste the opportunity, and if you're in the same boat, I hope you don't waste it either.

This year Justin and I are going to Williamsburg as our gift to each other. I don't think that will become a tradition...but anything's possible.

So what's a favorite Christmas tradition of yours: past, present, or one you're dreaming of beginning in the future?

And I shall declare this...the WEEK of Thanksgiving

No one is more appalled when stores start putting Christmas goods on the shelves in August than my dear dad. Mine is a family that likes things to be in their proper order, and for my dad especially, that means NO signs whatsoever of Christmas until Thanksgiving. And because Thanksgiving has always been the start of the Christmas season I revel in so much, Thanksgiving has long been far and away my favorite day of the year.

Growing up, the morning was special in itself as my brother and I fought over whether to turn the TV to football or the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. (Sadly, my brother does not appreciate those snippets of Broadway performances the same way I do. Okay, fine. He doesn't appreciate them at all.) I can't help it; there just simply seems to be an atmosphere of happiness and hope for the season to come on Thanksgiving morning that captivates me. Then of course there's the big meal itself to look forward to, which is even easier to look forward to when one has a chef at home as talented and dedicated as my mom. But my favorite part of the day was always when the meal came to an end and my dad would finally allow me to dig out the Christmas decorations and blare the Christmas CDs (usually kicked off with Miss Mariah Carey). I always had the house almost entirely decorated by the end of the day--with some help, of course, from the rest of the family.

For the most part, I still hold off on all things Christmas until Thanksgiving. But something set me off this morning, and you will never guess what it was. Well, I never would have guessed it anyway. Tony Bennet sang "I'll Be Home for Christmas" on the Today Show. That opened the flood gates. When I was in sixth grade, I saw Tony Bennett's Christmas show in Branson with my church choir, and, I'm not gonna lie. It was pretty magical.

So the Christmas spirit started creeping in on me before Thanksgiving this year, and I've decided I'm okay with it. I've been pretty bored (and boring!) the last couple weeks, and this change is refreshing. And besides that, Thanksgiving is pretty late this year. It's not even a full month before Christmas!! So I'm declaring this the week of Thanksgiving. I'm listening to Christmas music as I write this, thanking God for His son, and I might just start decorating at any moment. It is my own home, after all, and several states away from my parents.

Just don't tell my dad, okay?

Be part of a great cause!

http://www.flowerdust.net/2008/11/10/the-50000-shoes-in-50-days-challenge

When else will you be able to buy two pairs of shoes for just $5??

Mooching ideas

Hey friends. Are you feeling creative today? I hope so. I'm in need of some creativity, and I'm looking to you to find it. I may be using you, but I use you because you're brilliant. :-D

I have too much time on my hands these days and am trying not to just waste my days away. Thus, I'm hoping to get a jumpstart on this year's Christmas list, but I'm also hoping for a little help. Any innovative Christmas present ideas--either for this year or for past years? (Is it too early to ask you all to answer that question?) And, as a somewhat unrelated question, anyone cutting back on gifts this year?

Goodbye to wisdom

Boy, has this been one lazy week.

Justin had his wisdom teeth taken out on Monday, which means he was ordered to stay home from work for three days to recover. He was doing pretty well by the end of the first day, but I'm glad he had a couple extra days to rest. But it made for a really lazy week for both of us.

I have to say, though, I wasn't prepared for the post-surgery entertainment. Justin was pretty out of it for the first 45 mins or so, and he was talking and playing little pranks like a 5-year-old. Although, during the first 10 mins I really had to use my imagination to figure out what he was saying, what with all the gauze still in his mouth and the anesthesia wearing off.

After his surgery, two nurses helped him out of a wheelchair and into the car and said he had come out like Rocky. Justin started weakly punching the air, with his eyes half closed and mouth hanging open. He was very effusive with the nurses, telling them thank you and giving them two thumbs up, wanting to make quite sure that everyone knew they were appreciated. Then we pulled into the Walgreen's drive through, and as I was talking with the pharmacist about the order, Justin kept waving and saying hello as she tried not to laugh.

On the way home he was starting to come around more and was repeating some of the stories he had told me earlier. I would finish his stories and he would ask, still in a little kid voice, "How did you know that?" and I would say, "You already told me!" And then he would giggle and say, "Oh. I don't remember." I so wish you could hear him say it in that voice. It was adorable and hilarious.

I hope that story gives you half the chuckle it gave me. I know it's not as funny second hand. Do any of you have amusing anesthesia stories to share?

Bone pickin'...Conquering political indecision

Thanks to those of you who read, thought about, and/or commented on my last post about this election. I don't think I made it clear last time that even though I want to stick my head in a paper bag whenever someone starts talking politics, I would rather be informed. I truly admire those of you with a passion for political issues.

I think the same part of the brain that engages in politics must also be connected to spatial relations. I can't wrap my mind around either. Yet I know that it's important that, despite my tendency to avoid things I don't understand, I must find a way to make the most of my right to vote in the same way I must make myself read a map if I ever hope to get from Point A to Point B. (Even that's not the best comparison. Usually I just make Justin read the map! But I can't ask him to vote for me.) So, here I am writing about politics once again. I really do value and want to learn from your insight.

However, I feel like there are a few things that hinder me from forming political opinions, and this is where I have a bone to pick. First of all, I won't be put in a box. I hate to hear anyone say that "real" Christians have to vote Republican or, on the flip side, that all Christians do vote Republican--or that Christians who do vote Republican do so because they are narrow minded. Frankly, although I'm a registered independent, I do have Republican tendencies, but I'm afraid to admit that to myself because I don't want to start selectively listening to arguments. I see a lot of that happening on both sides, to the detriment of both parties.

Please...help me clear up any misconceptions, fill in the blanks, and connect the dots. I know you won't form an opinion for me, but I'd still love to hear what you have to say.

Civic duty

This morning Justin came home from work at 10a.m., asking if I was ready to go vote. Thinking surely not many people would be lined up to vote a full week before election day, we headed off to the library and discovered we were wrong. There was a line wrapped around the building. We left. I told Justin we had done our civic duty. We had tried.

Okay, so that's not all we did. We went back at noon, this time actually casting our votes. I have to admit, I was a little moved to see so many people turning out, and it's not even election day! I sat next to a man with gray hair as I filled out my voter registration, and I heard him say that he was there to vote for the first time in his life. As much as I'm ready for this election, the never-ending attack ads, and the often less than stellar media coverage to be over, I still admire the significance of this election and how it is making more people than ever feel like they have a voice. I am not one of those people, but I am also not a "political person." I feel like I've taken a real stab this year at trying to sort out some semblance of political beliefs, and I feel like I've learned a little, but mostly, I still have no clue how politics can or should ease our country's problems. I may have voted, but I'm still clueless.

I haven't had many comments lately, but maybe the subject of politics will stir some up. I'm curious, what issue(s) are getting you to the polls this year?

You know you make me breakoooouut

Quick. Name that song. Wait a minute...that's not difficult. Quick. Name that band.

Ah. Good times.

And we are having even more good times here in the Cook household. I haven't written much here about our beagle, Eddie, but he's been ours for a little more than a month now, and oh does he keep us on our toes. He has already been through a surgery (and is doing much better, thank you very much), has had two seizure-like episodes within eight days (but has now been, as far as we know, seizure free for almost three weeks), and has launched an attack on my mother-in-law's sweet, unsuspecting dog, Kira. He grabbed Kira's neck and would not let go, but he didn't break the skin. Which he absolutely could have done, so praise God for small blessings. When we adopted Eddie, he was our prime-of-his-life 2-3-year-old dog. When we left the vet's office a few weeks ago, he was suddenly our middle-aged 6-8-year-old dog. Did I mention he's kept us on our toes?

Beyond that, I'm trying to figure out how to leave the house without him. He does well in the car, thankfully, but he DOES NOT like to be confined in any way, shape, or form while inside the house. When Justin and I shut him up in our room to go for a run one day, he ruined the blinds on one window. He has broken out of his collapsable crate only to break the kitchen blinds, jump up on the kitchen counter, and knock over all the plants on our kitchen window sill. He cannot be contained by a baby gate, no matter how well secured. All this from the dog who is more often than not content to sleep all day on the couch. In all honesty, it would probably be best to leave him unconfined in the house. We've done it once or twice before, just long enough for a 20-min run, and he seems to keep calm under those circumstances. But I'd really rather not have to take that chance, you know? And, for the love of running on a regular basis, we simply must figure out how to be comfortable leaving him home alone.

Last Friday, I thought I had discovered the answer--zip ties. Because Eddie's crate is collapsable, he doesn't have to open the locked door to get out; he manages to knock out the whole front panel. So I wrapped zip ties around the crate where the front and top panels meet, went out for a 35-min run, and came home to a dog still securely confined in his crate. And it was glorious! But then...

Today I had to go see the dentist. But I was afraid it might be too cool to leave him in the car, so I left him in his zip tie fortified crate. When Justin came home for lunch an hour and a half later, he found Eddie loose in the house and his crate looking like this:

You probably can't tell, but it is (more or less) still intact. It is, however, turned on its side and rotated. The left "side" of the crate is really the bottom of it. See the blue rectangle? It says "Petmate" and is located on the still locked door of the crate. If you look really close, you can also see the (white) zip ties still doing their job.

So, just how did he breakout, you ask? (You ask if I haven't lost you by now, that is.) See the black tray on the floor with the bone on it? Well, that is a tray that rests in the bottom of the crate and slides in and out in case the dog has an accident the owner needs to clean up. On the front panel, underneath the crate's door, is where the tray slides out. If you look carefully at the picture again, you can see an open space that runs the length of the crate, and flopped against the "side" of the crate is the piece that hinges to either keep the tray in place or unhinges to allow you to slide the tray in or out. Apparently Eddie forced the tray out and then turned the crate so that the bottom was no longer against the floor. There was enough space between the bars on the bottom panel for him to wiggle through, apparently. Why doesn't the bottom of the crate have the same, more fortified pattern the rest of the crate has anyway?

Our dog is an escape artist. We should have named him Houdini. If anyone has any ideas for keeping escape artist dogs locked up, I'm obviously open to suggestions. Although, I have to admit...I am impressed with the little guy's tenacity.

This week's frivilous reason to be happy...

I never would have thought it would be so much fun for both our teams to be ranked in the top 10. But it is. Total fun. Especially since OK State hasn't been in the top 10 since I've been old enough to care. Go State!

I'm it! Watch out--you may be next.

I feel honored. I've been "tagged" by the talented April Way. My first tag!

Here are the rules:
Link the Person who Tagged you.
Mention rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
Leave a comment to let them know.

Personally, I think whoever tagged April should have amended the rules to say that she had to post six of her most loved recipes. ;-) But, onto quirks.

1. I ran competively from 8th grade until the end of college, and during that time (between injuries) I ran pretty much on a daily basis. For that reason, I naturally got in the habit of taking a shower after running. Pretty much the only time I ever needed to shower was after a run. These days, I'm lucky if I get to run four times a week, and yet, I still feel like if I haven't run, I must not need a shower. Justin disagrees. He is usually right on that point.

2. I prefer even numbers, and I like to eat things that come in small units (such as chocolate chips or M&Ms) in pairs. Also, I respect Roy G. Biv when eating M&Ms. I eat them according to the color spectrum (Fortunately there are six colors--an even number. Whew.), and since brown isn't on the spectrum, I eat it first. Because blue is, after all, the best and deserves to be eaten last.

3. I must have chocolate, or at least sugar, every single day. And let's face it, pretty much at some point during every single meal. (And as long as we're on the subject of food, I would just like to say, April, that I am with you 100%. Why ruin a good cereal by making it soggy with milk? I'll eat my cereal and drink my glass of milk, thank you very much. And seeing as how April is on her way to becoming a world class chef, I feel comfortable following her lead.)

4. I'm not at all coordinated. I can't do a cartwheel (Please, just trust me on this. No matter how good a teacher you are, it's too late for me. I can't be saved.), and I really, really can't dance. I have no moves, and I always feel self-conscious. I blame it on a boy I once liked who, back when I didn't know I couldn't dance, threw coins at my feet during a middle school dance when I was obliviously spinning in circles by myself in the corner. It scarred me for life, and I personally believe it's a small miracle I survived my wedding reception.

5. I HATE packing. Something in me revolts at the very thought. As a result, I pack at the absolute last second and drive all of my loved ones crazy as they wonder if it will be possible for us to leave before the last feasible second. Which we usually don't. Also, if I am by myself, I have an unexplainable fear of being early and am almost always five or ten minutes late.

6. I like to sleep on the edge of the bed, with my toes hanging off the side. It makes me happy.

Shannon, Laura, (I know April already tagged you two already, but we're still waiting for your updates!) Jill, Beth Ann, Haley, and Melissa...you're it!

Confession. And growth.

Those of you who know me well know that I do not like being truly bad at anything, no matter how insignificant. It's not exactly an endearing character trait because, for one thing, it doesn't make me the most popular player in a game of Scrabble or bowling or most definitely in basketball or whatever game I happen to be losing soundly at the time. Although I put up a fight, the "sore loser" in me almost always wins out in varying degrees of disgruntled behavior, anger, pouting, or all of the above. And for another thing, it's next to impossible to learn anything worthwhile if you can't wait out the learning curve or even just the occasional bad day.

Before I was married, I could more or less avoid the things I couldn't do well, with a few exceptions. But I had a pretty rude awakening when I got married. Suddenly I was thrust into a world, well two worlds really when you count the military, that I knew pretty much next to nothing about.

At long last, we are settled in one place for a while, and I feel like I am finally starting to learn a thing or two and, dare I say, maybe even starting to become acceptable if not good at a few new things. I thought I would share some of the things I am learning/have learned, because they are all in some way connected to "conquering indecision," and I haven't really written anything about that yet. So without further ado:

1. All things related to food and its preparation.

This one has been particularly challenging for me because it is pretty well unavoidable. Justin's great about helping, but I still feel like it's more or less my responsiblity. Especially when I'm the one who's home all day. But when I was single, I never cooked (and sometimes didn't eat very well as a result). Which also means I never planned out meals for the week or did that much grocery shopping. Am I the only one out there who has had a strong dislike for grocery shopping because I felt like I had no idea what I was doing? Is that as odd as it sounds?

2. All things related to the military.

By no means am I saying that I have learned everything about the military. Yeah right! But everything I now know about the military is totally new to me, everything from ranks, to bases, to types of planes, to the virtually endless number of acronyms I now hold in my head. Oh the acronyms! I still may not be able to translate every piece of a military-related conversation, but I now speak enough military that at least I no longer dread attending military functions.

3. Taking care of a house/decorating.

I may have had the basics like sweeping and vacuuming covered before, but now I know how to operate a Rug Doctor, clean an oven, get rid of Palmetto bugs (oh, how disgusting), and I have to admit, I'm still working on the decorating thing. Although I have played my role in buying our share of furniture--always an adventure in itself.

4. Buying a house and a car.

Overwhelming even for the seasoned buyer.

5. Taking care of a lawn and landscaping.

I started from square one here too. I had no idea there were so many things to buy in Wal-Mart that I knew nothing about! Tools, grass seed, fertilizers, types of flowers and herbs. This has been one area I've been enjoying learning about, though, without feeling too overwhelmed.

6. Communication.

Communication with Justin and communication with friends and family. Moving around the country has made all of it a challenge. Most recently, though, I have learned that while I am still forming an opinion on a subject, I should just keep my mouth shut and my ears open. Otherwise I will just end up saying something I will feel like a jerk about because it was well meaning but not well founded. I hope I don't do that on this blog, but you never know. Just a warning.

7. Oh yes, and I almost forgot--the thing that inspired this post today in the first place! Don't put syrup in the refrigerator. Ever. "That's just crazy!" But hey, at least I learned before getting married (in high school, but still before getting married) not to put metal in the microwave. What can I say, I led a sheltered childhood.

What seemingly basic things have you been learning about lately?

Cheers

I've been feeling nostalgic today, which is part of the reason for my recent absence, but I've also been just plain busy. Maybe you'll hear more about that later. For now, though, I'm feeling the need for a little inspiration, which sent me looking for a forward a friend of mine sent me a number of months ago. If you cringed at the word "forward," I sympathize 100%. But don't let that scare you away this time. It's still a little cheesy, but this one meant something to me, otherwise I would not have gone back looking for it months later. Enjoy. Then call a friend you've been missing.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Born to be wild

A few months ago my dad scored a real coup. He asked my mom what she would think if he bought a motorcycle. She replied, "Well, what would the gas mileage be?" Quite a change from their early days of marriage when my mom got hysterical at my dad's mere mention of the word motorcycle. Now Dad has passed the required training, has bought his bike, and is revving around the countryside like a pro. I was home for a visit last week, and Dad took me for a 15-mile spin. It was fun, and marked by all kinds of those unusual moments that make up a memorable experience. I was initiated into the "brotherhood" of low fives from fellow bikers. I learned why bikers should always ride with their mouths closed (in addition to the risk of causing an unsuspecting bug to meet an untimely death--yuck--the side mirror provided all the evidence I needed to convince me that flapping lips are the farthest thing from attractive). And when we returned and dismounted, I experienced the loss of all feeling in the lower half of my body for about 15 minutes.

Are we a pair of daredevils, or what?

(This picture was taken a few days later when Mom was on hand to snap a shot. Thus the rainy background. There was no rain when we went for a ride. We're not that wild. Geez.)

Waiting bites

Why is it that when our emotions are highest, no matter what they are, waiting is the last thing we want to do and yet it's almost always the only reasonable choice? I really need to be more trusting of the one I believe is in control. Yikes.

Do you have any "techniques" you use to just calm down and wait?

I have amazing neighbors

I spent two hours mowing our lawn today, and just as I finished up with the front, my next door neighbor came over to tell me that he'd be happy to just keep on mowing our lawn when he finished up with his own. I assured him that Justin was usually here to take care of it, but what a sweetheart, right? And just yesterday my neighbors across the street told me that they frequently pray for our troops, and they added Justin to their list of people they pray for every morning. They even told me that before I told them that he's deployed! So that meant a lot to me too.

Prayer is powerful. For starters, how miraculous that Gustav did as little damage as it did! There are still a lot of people inconvenienced and without power, but praise God that there were so few casualties, and from what I've heard so far, everyone has a home to go back to--including the McBrides! And on a personal note, as I was mowing this morning, it just hit me that you all must be praying for me while Justin's away. I really haven't been sulking in the fact that he's gone, and that in itself is miraculous.

Seriously. That is not an understatement.

The last time he was gone for three weeks, I was a little pitiful, I'm not gonna lie, and I told God that if He ever got me through one of Justin's deployments gracefully, I knew that He would be the reason why. So thank you all very much for your prayers and support!

In the spirit of this post, I'm not going to leave a question this time. But if you have something, anything, you would like me or others to pray for, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

The realities of Gustav

I grew up landlocked in Oklahoma. Hurricanes were not one of life's realities for me. Gustav is making things personal, though, as it threatens to rage its way through Louisiana and also make its influence felt in Pass Christian, MS. Pass Christian, if I remember correctly, was the town hit the hardest by Katrina. One of my former roommates, Leah, and her family (the McBrides) have been living there for the past year, rebuilding and providing hurricane relief. They won't be going far when Gustav hits so they can be immediately available to provide relief once the storm passes.

It's easy for all of us to keep an emotional distance from this kind of devastation when we have no personal connection. I'm just as guilty of that as anyone. But just because we may not have met the people involved does not mean that they are any less valuable and loved in the eyes of God, and we should give these nameless faces more than just our sympathy. So please pray for the people in the path of Gustav. Prayers are far more than just sympathy after all; they are powerful. Pray for the safety of those involved and for the future of those who may lose their home, perhaps for the second time in three years. And pray for people like the McBrides who will be providing relief in the midst of the threat of damage to their own home. Pray that they will be safe and encouraged and a light to those in need of a real hope.

For more on how you can specifically pray for the McBrides and other rescuers, check out the website for their organization, Project Reclaim. You can also go here for information on how to provide financial support if you should decide to help out in that way in the days following Gustav. I promise you it will be money well spent, and you can be assured that every penny you give will go to the relief effort.

Blogs and dogs

I discovered thepioneerwoman.com today, and since Justin left for his deployment this morning, I spent a ridiculous amount of time there reading and browsing through. She has an interesting story about transforming from a city girl to a...well, pioneer woman, and her blog also has a big following because she posts lots of tasty looking recipes! I particularly like that she includes pictures of each step, so even a culinary novice like me can't get too lost. (I think.) I have grand visions of trying out and perfecting several of her recipes while Justin is gone and wowing him when we gets back. Ha. We shall see.

So in the spirit of discovering new blogs, I'm curious. Is there one (a few, several) that you really enjoy keeping up with? What are they? What keeps you coming back?

Oh, and news! Justin and I finally found our beagle yesterday! He is full of energy but at the same time quite content just to sit with you and be loved on. His name (currently) is Elmer, and if you're curious about him, you can see pictures and a short description here. His foster is holding him for us until I fly home from Oklahoma on September 11, when I will pick him up and officially adopt him and have him to myself for a week. Yikes! (Oh yes, and I'm flying to OK for a week. I wasn't sure I should fly home, but when I found out my aunt and uncle will also be in town, that sealed the deal. And on top of that, my college roommate will be in town before running off to England to get her PhD and become the world's leading Shakespeare scholar.)

Things I love about living in North Carolina

Now that we've been in North Carolina for almost three months (craziness!), I thought I'd introduce you to a few of the things I love about this area.

1. Magnolia Trees

They're everywhere and they're huge. There's even one on our property! But really, it's pretty awesome just having trees everywhere you look. Unless, of course, they have been torn down and replaced by ginormous fields of tobacco.

2. Farmer's Markets and Fruit Stands

There aren't as many fruit stands around as there were when strawberries were in season, but I still love being able to buy local fresh fruits and vegetables by the side of the road. I'm getting so spoiled that I don't want to buy them from the grocery any more. Plus, I like learning what's in season when. It makes me appreciate each season more, and I just feel less...processed, I guess. Just this last week I made peach cobbler out of locally bought peaches and an apple crisp from apples my neighbor shared with us that fell off a friend's tree. Yumminess.

3. The Weather in General and the Absence of Wind in Particular

It does get hot and humid here, but for the most part I enjoy the heat and the knowledge that I won't have to put up with very cold or very long winters. And it really hasn't even been that hot. The highs have been staying in the 80s and 90s for the most part. Plus, after training for a half marathon in Altus, OK, and facing a minimum of 10-20 mph winds on practically every single run, I am reveling in the gentle breezes of North Carolina.

4. Day Trips to the Beach

The ocean is an hour away, and we can be at a handful of perfectly adequate beaches in under two hours. Enough said.

5. Weekend Trips to DC

The place where we met, got married, and made many amazing friends is only a four-hour drive away! Plus, there are just a whole lot of cool things to do and see there. Free museums, anyone? Yes, please! I know we won't get up there as much as I would like, but I still love that it's so close.

6. Proximity to Three Major Colleges

University of North Carolina, Duke, and North Carolina State University are all within an hour and a half's drive. That's great for athletics in general, and in North Carolina, basketball in particular. I'm also really looking forward to getting acquainted with the performing arts schedules.

And the thing I love most of all...
7. I Get to Live Here for More Than Six Months!

Although friends will always come and go in the military community, I am happy that my days of having to start fresh every few months has come to an end.

Come visit, and I promise to introduce you to any or all of these amazing North Carolina perks.

What's one of the favorite aspects of your city/town/state?

For four minutes of pure childlike joy, click this link!

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/videogaga/8081/puppets-rule-ok

My morning just got off to an unexpectedly awesome start. Yahoo had the above story featured on its home page, verifying my personal opinion that "Everything is better when puppets are involved. This is just a FACT. And this fact is especially factual when it comes to music." On this Sunday morning, the only thing I have to say to that quote is AMEN! (And that's a very reverent Amen, I promise.) The article goes on to include several music videos featuring puppets, including a couple new (fairly entertaining) ones I hadn't seen or heard about. (I can't, however, say that I recommend all of the older ones.)

But the music video that starts me singing and spinning in circles like a carefree kid hopped up on sugar is Weezer's video "Keep Fishin'." The article has this to say about the video: "Weezer's 'Keep Fishin'' is still perhaps the ultimate puppet video of all time, trumping all others, as it starred the entire cast of The Muppet Show." And trust me, the Muppets add a whole new level of happiness to this already upbeat song. The video was released a few years ago, but its affect on me hasn't lessened even a tiny bit. If you haven't seen it, watch it now! I promise it will keep you tapping your toes for the rest of the day. And if you have seen it, I know you won't be able to resist watching it again either.

Katherine, this one particularly goes out to you.

Enough about me

Time to share some more inspiration. I saw some of these recreations of children's artwork on the talented Rebekah Chapman's blog. They are just so inventive and fun, I couldn't resist sharing too. I'm impressed with the artist, and her recreations make me all the more amazed at the imagination of children.

Very cool, right? Whether you agree or disagree, share a link to or a picture of art that makes you smile.

I am a bad daughter

I shamelessly put my dad to work this week, taking advantage of his mad yard maintenance skills. He helped us figure out and buy a lot of the tools we need and also how to get started on things like getting our lawn/yard in better shape.

It turns out that my yard is a veritable jungle. Thanks to our crazy squirrels, baby and school-age oak trees are growing in all kinds of inappropriate places, including in our flower bed and under existing bushes. Ferns are everywhere too, and some are as tall or taller than our house! Plants of almost every variety are growing without restraint all around our backyard fence (two have already fallen in the midst of one storm), one mature tree just behind our deck is in fact growing up through another mature forked tree, and there just generally seems to be no rhyme or reason to just about anything growing on our property.

So, here a couple pictures I thought you might enjoy from some of our major projects this week. Here you can see my dad and Justin taking down a dead, not-so-little tree that's too close for comfort to our deck and house. Dad's using the rope to direct the falling branches away from the house, deck, and Justin. Those branches had an impressive amount of force behind them!Here's a better view of the tree.Needless to say, that was quite the project. It took us about three hours to cut off all the branches and then cut those up into firewood. But we ended up with a lot of firewood, and Justin and my dad managed not to kill themselves! We did leave some of the tree, though. Here's a goofy pic of the "tree sculpture" we ended up with. No longer a threat to our house or deck!And I won't bore you with this too much (or is it too late already? ;-), but I have to show you a before and after picture of my major project--cleaning out our absolutely overrun flowerbed. This particular task, believe it or not, took me two days. There were a lot of major roots to clear out too.

Before:

And after:

(By the way, that "tree" growing by our front door is actually one of those giant rebellious ferns I mentioned earlier.) Now it's time to fill up the flower bed! Oy. But it sure is nice to finally know how to go about some of this stuff.

What have you recently learned to do that you're proud of?

In exactly two hours my dad will be flying into Raleigh, and he'll be here for a week. I probably won't be posting much this week for that reason. But you never know.

So for now, particularly if you are looking for a boost today, check out this post. I'd like to write more about it, but I'm still taking it in. It's all about allowing the scars that others give us to be a part of our history but forbidding them to define us because God does not define us by our scars. And if you're looking for a laugh, check out the rest of the site, which is all about crazy, silly, downright absurd, or sometimes serious or even harmful things Christians often do.

Now I don't know what to think

Justin and I went to the beach yesterday just because it was close enough for a day trip. We sat on the beach reading, swam, and when we saw lightning appear at 2:00, we went to an ice cream shop that serves Hershey's ice cream, which might just be my new favorite food. Road Runner Raspberry and Chocolate Moose Tracks. Scoops of pure yumminess. Then we drove around the coast some more, but ever since arriving back home, we have pretty much been all about the Olympics. So I promise, I won't write about them forever, but what can I say...I can't tear myself away, and I'm okay with that.

This year I'm still addicted to watching all the sports, but I'm also really intrigued by how China is using its time in the limelight. I'm in awe of it and saddened by it at the same time. If you saw the opening ceremonies, you saw a truly jaw dropping show. Each element was marked by artistry and extreme precision. Maybe any country could have pulled off that kind of precision, but to me, it seemed a mark of what a country that emphasizes the whole above the individual can accomplish. And the whole thing was absolutely gorgeous.

But...it's estimated that China spent $100 million on this ceremony alone, twice the amount of the last opening ceremony at Athens. I know Americans also spend exorbitant amounts of money on sports and big performances, but it's kind of hard to accept that a country with so much poverty would spend such an extreme amount simply to dazzle the world. A friend of mine even told me this morning she read somewhere (and I can't confirm this) that thousands of peasants were hired to build the Olympic structures and were then forced out of the city a few months ago and told that they were not to be seen while the Olympics were going on. China's censorship reflects this same kind of attitude: We can't cure our problems, but we can make them "disappear" so others can't see that our problems exist. That saddens me. And it is contrary to the ideals they so beautifully expressed during the opening ceremony--replacing the Great Wall with openness and desiring harmony with the environment.

That said, I did a little research on how many people are living in poverty in China. Did you know that they have reduced their poverty rate from 64% in the 1970s to 10% in 2004?? If that information can be trusted, that means 500 million people have been lifted out of poverty in one generation. Wow. I truly did not see that one coming. Maybe China is making better decisions with its money than I would have guessed.

If you saw the opening ceremony, what did you think?

The Olympics. Is the thrill gone? Was it ever there?

For as long as I can remember, I have always looked forward to the Olympics, and the summer Olympics are my favorite. If they were a holiday, I would rank them close on the heels of Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is how happy they make me. I love watching the competitions and hearing all the inevitably sentimental stories of what the athletes have gone through to get there. I am fascinated by the 14-year-old gymnasts and the 41-year-old swimmers making a fifth Olympic appearance. Their stories are that much more intriguing to me because, for the most part, unlike pro sports (in my opinion) the Olympics are more about honor, guts, and glory and less about mega fame and fortune.

My favorite sports to watch are the most graceful ones--diving, gymnastics, and in the winter, figure skating. I can't even do a cartwheel, so I am captivated by the performances of people who (literally) stretch the limits of the human body.

But the buzz doesn't seem to be as big this year. Of course, criticism of China/Beijing has been eating up more of the press time, whether that criticism has to do with human rights concerns, pollution, or media censorship. And on top of that, it seems more and more athletes are failing drug tests. That honor I mentioned a few sentences ago? It seems like it's becoming as polluted as the streets of Beijing. Of course, this does not apply to all athletes, but like pollution, corruption can cast an ugly fog over everyone involved. Will our finest athletes ever again be free from our suspicion? I'd like to think so, but this is just one reason the thrill seems to be subsiding.

How does the Olympics, and this year's in particular, rate for you? Are you looking forward to watching any particular sport or athlete?

Cast your vote

I'm tempted to say it's been an icky day. But really, it hasn't been all bad, and it can't be because my friend Joanna is getting married today.

Happy wedding day, Joanna and Ryan!!!
I hope it's been a truly glorious day.

So today I have had a sore throat, which I have the privilege of sharing with my dear husband. Really, as someone who works from home in my pajamas half the time, I have no reason to complain about being slightly ill. Justin, however, does not work from home and is flying tonight.

Then there's the project I took on, supposedly for the month of June, that is still rearing its ugly head from time to time. Most of today has been devoted to it. It's been a nice source of income, but the project is turning into a royal pain. The problem with editing is that there is ALWAYS more that can be done. But at some point, authors and editors just need to call it a day. And it's hard to turn your writing over to someone else. This wasn't meant to be a post about my somewhat mundane editing job (I'm okay with the low glam factor), but now I want to share one story with you anyway. When I worked as an editor in DC, one of our first-time authors (a college professor, no less) was so flustered about having editors chop away at the book she had written with such loving care that she wrote to tell us that in one particularly bad fit of worry, she had driven to work only to discover she was not wearing any shoes.

But on to the real reason for today's post. I found out today that the Air Force will be leaving me spouse-less for the first two weeks in September as Justin goes on his first overseas adventure to Turkey. Justin's mom and grandparents were planning to come visit during that time (and if you're reading this, we'll be calling later to figure out what Plan B should be, I promise), so the timing is not ideal, but as far as I'm concerned there's never an ideal time for Justin to leave. Obviously I wish he could always be around, but his absences are made worse by the fact that I am a total wuss when it comes to being left to myself for any significant length of time. I'm sure you all know this about me. I have to be around people!

But lest I give the impression I am sitting around sulking, let me assure you that is not the case. I'm trying to figure out where I should go while I'm "unattached." The one wrench in my planning is that I will have to put in 40 hours of work from Aug 29 to Sept 9. Any suggestions?

Random acts of kindness

Justin had to work on Saturday and has today off as a result. So this morning was one of those rare lazy mornings when we could wake up without an alarm and still pretend to be asleep even after waking up. So to celebrate, Justin brought me breakfast in bed...and gave me my computer in the meantime. Now that's love...feeding my belly and my addictions. :-)

"...but we do have a Vespa"

Listening to the radio this morning, I heard an interview with a couple who will be traveling 1200 miles in one week on a scooter (well, two scooters, actually) to raise money for an organization founded by missionaries bringing clean water to third world countries (Hydromissions International). This is just one couple who decided to draw attention to a good cause.

Bringing clean water to impoverished communities is an issue close to my heart. A year and a half ago I traveled to Nicaragua for a week to do just that. There were plenty of wells in the community, but they were all open, contaminated wells not fit for drinking water. My "job" there was to help teach hygiene to the community, and we spent a lot of time just playing with the kids too. There was one boy there named Jorge, about 14 years old, who sat out one game of Frisbee because he said his "kidneys hurt." At the time I thought that was odd. I'd never heard anyone say that before, and he might as well have told me that his spleen hurt. Only after I got home did it occur to me how dense I was for not making the connection that kidneys regulate the body's fluids, and anyone without access to clean drinking water could very likely have hurting kidneys! But we are fortunate to live in a society where babies do not routinely die of dehydration and the average 14-year-old boy does not have kidney problems.

So I think it's awesome this couple has taken up this particular cause. They are a young couple, and I'm betting they probably have a scooter because they don't have a lot of money, but they are doing what they can with the resources they have. One line on their website says, "We don’t have millions of dollars or celebrity status, but we do have a Vespa." I don't know whether that line is intended to be funny, but I think it is. It sounds like a version of something you would hear in Get Smart or a Naked Gun movie. "You think you've caught me...but you haven't counted on the fact that I'm hiding this fancy dart gun I have no idea how to use properly." Or in this case, a Vespa (which, fortunately, they do know how to use properly). Similarly fascinating to me is that the couple who founded Hydromissions International spends their Saturdays making soap out of their one-car garage, and this soap is now sold in 19 states (and online). I guess soap and water go hand in hand, but how exactly does one come to ask, "Hey, honey, why don't you and I start making soap out of our garage?" I guess I am just not that creative, and I'm certainly not that much of an entrepreneur. But then again, I think I could be if I just decided to come up with an innovative way to support a worthy cause.

And now it's your turn. If you're reading this, you almost certainly do not have millions of dollars or celebrity status, but what do you have that you should not underestimate? What resources could you use in either surprising or predictable ways for "the greater good"? A particular talent? Clothes you really should donate anyway? Your own blog? If this cause or this couple's journey speaks to you, I would encourage you to spread the word and/or follow this link to donate out of your own abundance. (Or buy some soap.) Even just one month's Starbucks or soda allowance can go so much further toward giving others the gift of clean water.

Playing with semantics

You all have convinced me that inspiration is not as straightforward as I had thought. Jill commented that she was easily motivated but not easily inspired. I found that interesting because I think of motivation as being harder to come by than inspiration. My interpretation is that a person can be inspired without necessarily acting, but to be motivated implies that there has been or will be action. Shannon was contemplating something similar on her blog, asking what it takes for inspiration to translate into action--especially long-term action. So I figured it was time to dig a little deeper.

Merriam-Webster gave me more definitions of inspiration than I wanted, but two of them best capture my interpretation of the word: "the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions" and "the act of influencing or suggesting opinions." So inspiration moves us and has the potential to influence us. Personally, I've found that if I don't dwell on moments of inspiration, I will pretty much immediately forget all about it and very little influence is involved. I'm not sure I've managed to clarify anything with this post, but if you've changed or added to your ideas of what inspires you, I'd love to read your thoughts.

This post has been much more dry than I would have liked, so I'll leave one last question, just for fun. Justin's out flying tonight and I haven't made too many friends here yet, so I'm home alone attempting to entertain myself. When you're home alone and don't want to be and have nothing left to cross of your to-do list, what do you do to pass the time?

These two inspire me

Meet Matt and Ann (if you haven't already). We were privileged to have them stop and stay with us for much of this weekend in the midst of their traveling.

This is a picture of Matt and Ann dancing at our wedding after he caught the garter and she caught the bouquet. They weren't yet dating, but they are now engaged and planning a December wedding! Justin and I are honored to share that part of their history. Individually, they are people you can't help but love--full of talent, energy, and the desire to use all of that to serve God and others. As a couple, it is stunningly obvious how well they complement and bring out the best in each other, and I am so excited to see what God has ahead for them in marriage.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that I think Matt and Ann are any more suited for each other or that God has destined them to do greater things than any other couple. I think it's up to each of us individually to make the most of our relationships. And that is why they are a couple who inspire me--because the love, encouragement, and support they give each other seems to flow from them so easily. I know this will sound cheesy (it can't be helped, at least not by me), but couples like Matt and Ann make me want to be a better spouse and to love Justin better, in a way that will always bring out the best in him. Because bringing out the best in someone means enabling him (or her) to be full of surprises. You never know what to expect when you're headed uphill, and the higher you go, the more magnificent the view.

Whether you choose to share or not, who do you admire as a couple and why? What inspiration can you take from them and put to use to make the most of your relationships, even if it's just for today?

The inspiration behind this blog

So, I've had it in the back of my head for months now to start a blog, but I don't want to start one unless I have something to say. After all, what is a writer without a message? I can string words together all day long, but I'd sure like them to amount to something at the end of the day.

The past several months I've been feeling aimless. I'm keeping myself fairly busy with freelance editing work, but the second I have free time I don't have the first clue what to do with myself. And then I wonder if editing is really what I want to be doing with my time. When I'm home by myself, working or not, it is all too easy for me to sulk in a feeling of loneliness. (Two purchases should help to relieve that problem a bit--a second car, which we bought today, and a beagle, which we will be bringing home in the very near future.) At any rate, the same question has been lingering with me for months. God, how do you want me to serve you with my time? I can't shake the feeling that there has got to be something else.

Part of my aimlessness lately has involved wandering around other people's blogs--whether I know the people behind them or not. During today's wanderings I stumbled onto this post, and it motivated me. I took home two key points: 1) It takes as much energy to dream big as it does to dream small. 2) People who write down their dreams are much more likely to actually work toward them and accomplish them. I've always admired the ability of my friends to dream big. Leah's probably one of the biggest dreamers (and achievers) I know, and she writes down her goals.

I'm not a fan of lists, as Justin will certainly tell you, but I started to think this particular blogger was onto something. The aimlessness I've been feeling lately has nothing to do with a lack of options and everything to do with a lack of direction, for which I have no excuse. I've used marriage and change as my excuse to shut off and let someone else take the reigns whenever possible. And I feel a heck of a lot more boring when I let that happen. It's time for me to stop waiting for direction to fall from the sky (or from other people who indulge me in that respect) and start forming opinions and decisions for myself.

This is where everyone reading this blog comes in. Please, leave comments about your inspirations or about anything you would like to discuss that inspires you or others. You could very likely see a post about it in the near future.

So, how about it? What inspires you?