Published

Turns out I'm not the only little writer in the family.  Since around April, Husband has been on a committee to write a charter petition for the high school where he works.  Rumor had it that the school board was considering voting it down.  So he wrote a pretty awesome letter to the editor of our city paper and it got published.  The vote is this week, so we'll see what happens!  I think he's incited a revolution, though.  Just call him Katniss Everdeen!

25 for 25 UPDATE!

So I realized at the end of last week, that this past weekend was my half birthday!  Because of that, I wanted to do a little update on my 25 FOR 25!  I deleted the original dialogue out and just put the main objective.  If you'd like to read the explanation behind each goal, check out the original post.  Here goes!

1. Send out 25 cards:
        1. Mom for Mother's Day
        2. Nannie for Mother's Day
        3. Mom-June
        4. Nannie-June

        5. Allie-June
        6. Emma-July
        7. Allie-July
        8.  Nannie-July
        9.  Emma-October
      10.  Mom-October
      11.  Aunt Sarah Lea
You want to get a little note from me!  Leave me your address!!

2. Call family members at least once a week:
I've done pretty well with this one.  Though I did adapt it to more like "text or email several times a weak."  I just can't get over my issues with talking on the phone.  I just hate it!

3.  Remember people's birthdays:
I've been alright with this one.  Though not too many people have had birthdays since April, in my family at least. 

4.  Run 366 miles:
So far I have run 196.95 miles, so I am about 10 miles ahead of schedule this year. Yay!!

 

5.  Run a 10K:

I'm prepared for this, I think.  As you already know from this post, I ran 7 miles straight the other day.  There aren't too many races here in south Georgia, and no 10ks before next spring, so I might have to run one of these up near Atlanta when I visit my family next. 

6.  Run a mile in under 8 minutes:
Not sure if this one will ever be attained!  haha!  I've decided that at least one day a week I am going to try to run a fast mile.  I did that last night and ran one in a little under 9 minutes.  The route I took had a big hill in it though, so I might cheat on this one and try to run it on a track to get my time down.  We'll see!

7.  Finish a 5k, sub 30:XX:
I haven't run a 5k since my birthday, so I haven't really had a chance to test this yet.  Not sure if I will be able to do it, since in my practice runs I'm still around 33:XX :(

8.  Lose weight:
I actually have done alright on this goal.  By my measurement about a month ago, I had lost about 10 pounds.  Not focusing so much on the pounds lost, more so on the way my clothes fit and how I feel.

9.  Give more of my time and money to help others:
Haven't done so well on this goal. :(  I haven't had too many opportunities here lately, but I also haven't really been looking earnestly for them either. 

10. Make 5 recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking:
Notta :(  Dern Pinterest is just so much easier!!!

Speaking of Pinterest, here's a recent Pinterest recipe win!  You should definitely make this cake.  Super easy, super delicious!

11.  Make 5 recipes from the Joy of Cooking: 

Notta.  Again with the Pinterest!!

12.  Attend 5 concerts:
       1. Punch Brothers
We were actually supposed to go to a show this past weekend, but it was sold out before we could get tickets. :(  I blamed this on Husband and gave a pretty authentic rendition of "My half birthday is ruaaaaaaaned!" but then he took me to get pizza and garlic sauce and all was well with the world again.  We do already have tickets for a show in January though! 
Here's who we're going to see!!!!  The Civil Wars singing "My Father's Father" in the California redwood forest (where Husband and I went on our honeymoon)

13.  Read 2 books a month: 

       So far:
       1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-fiction
       2.  Let's Pretend This Never Happened-nonfiction
       3.  The American Heiress-fiction
       4.  Mrs. Kennedy and Me-nonfiction
       5.  The Dovekeepers-fiction
       6.  Unbroken-nonfiction
       7.  The Poisonwood Bible-fiction
       8.  The Silver Linings Playbook-fiction

Welp, I said this would be easy.  But I am currently in a book rut.  I have started 3 different books recently but haven't finished any of them.  Any suggestions?

14.  Read through at least the New Testament:

Not as far along in this one as I need to be.  We started a new Bible study in our Sunday school class, so I've been reading that some nights instead of just from the New Testament, but that's really not a good excuse.

15.  Read the Count of Monte Cristo: 

Have NOT even started this one.  Eck!  That tome is just staring me down, man!

 16.  Create a family tree: 
Actually got a pretty good start on this in my visit with my grandmother a couple of months ago.  Need to get it all organized and written out though. 

17.  Learn to sew:
Not yet!  My parents are coming down in a couple of weekends though, maybe we could do that then Mom?

18.  Watch 25 new-to-me movies:
Ok, I have definitely already accomplished this.  Haha.  Lazy much?  Don't remember all of the titles, but the most recent one I saw was Argo.  A definite must see!

19.  Re-learn French: 

I've worked on this a little bit, not as much as I need to though. 

20.  Take 500 new pictures:
I'm about halfway there on this, thanks to our Darien Trip. 

21.  Go to Wakulla Springs:
Haven't done this yet, maybe soon?  The weather is finally cooling off, as you can see, and it might be time to go! (Why yes, this is "cooling off" for hot as hades south Georgia, thankyouverymuch!)

22.  Go to 3 parades:
I haven't seen an advertisement for a single parade!  I think the highschool's homecoming is soon though, don't they usually have one for that?

23.  Go on vacation to a city I've never been:
Darien trip!

24.  Paint my toenails a different color each month:

I think I've pretty much accomplished this one!  I've tried to take pictures along the way and will post those in April when I'm done!

25.  Write 200 blog posts:
65 down, 135 to go.  Definitely behind on this one!  Yikes!

So overall, I am waaaay behind.  It's actually a little bit embarrassing.  I'm pretty caught up on the fitness goals, but on all of the other ones, I am more than a little behind.  I need to kick my booty in gear and start focusing on the spiritual and intellectual goals as much as I have focused on the physical ones. Anybody got some extra motivation around that they'd like to lend me?!

Skink in the Sink!

Well, it was actually in the tub.  But that title sounded more Dr. Seuss-ish.  :) 
The other morning I was trying to get ready in the bathroom, but Husband aka Mr. McSteamy, was fogging up the mirrors with his fire hot shower.  Steam/humidity and my hair do not get along well. At all.  So I went to the guest bathroom to finish getting ready.  Right before I turned on the hair dryer, I thought I heard a sound from the bathtub.  Now, since before I can remember, I have always checked behind the curtain in the middle of the night when I got up to piddle.  For some ridiculous reason, I think that a murderer would break into my house and be like "ooooh a shower!  Let me hide in there!"  I never said my fears were logical...But anyways! When I pulled back the curtain I saw this guy!  Definitely the most harmless possibility to be waiting behind that curtain.

He was so tiny!  And he was still in that creepy stage where he was transparent and you could see all of his organs.  I went to show him to husband a few minutes later and he was halfway down the drain.  So I'm figuring that's how he got in?  'Cause there are no windows in the bathroom.  Later on that day at lunch I checked to see if he was still in the tub, and there he was just looking at me!  So I got a little cup and rescued him. 

I freed him outside, which I think probably made Martin cry foul, but oh well.  :)  Hope you guys are having a good weekend!

Ahoy!

One of mine and Husband's favorite bands is releasing a new EP in November!  It's available for pre-order today!  You best believe Husband ordered it ASAP!  :)

Photo courtesy of Punchbrothers.com

Below is a live video of Punch Brothers playing their instrumental track "Flippen."  I can't get over how fast their fingers move!  They're such exceptional musicians!

Hair Update!

Well, I was finally having a decent hair day today, so I figured I'd take some pictures to share the new bangs with you guys!  What ya think?

Do you like them all down?

 Or swept to the side?

They're much less annoying when they're all swept to the side.  But I think them being all down gives me a different look.  Either way, I think I like them! 

Stones from the Riverbed

One of the things I enjoy about my job is that I work with people who are passionate about music.  Several are musicians and the others are sound techs.  We share new music with each other all of the time, which has led to my discovering some new favorite musicians.  One such musician is Matthew Perryman Jones who recently released his new album "Land of the Living."  Below is my favorite track from the album "Stones from the Riverbed."  Lyrics are below.  Hope you like it as much as I do!

Silently tracing the cracks
Through the chaos
Grieving what cannot come back

What's gone away
Feeling the weight
Of sorrow's night
You can't find your way through the black
So you pray for light

Everyone's trying to find
Ways to fix it
You know in your heart what you need
To work it out
Looking away to a violent sky
There's a deep dark river
Rising on the inside

And you stand in the water
With your arms crossed
Groaning Hallelujah
And the trees bow to the east
As the sun waits under the sea
Fall into that mystery
Or it will pull you under
Fall into the mystery
Or it will pull you under

It's ok to say goodbye
It's ok to say goodbye
It's ok...

It's ok...
It's ok to say goodbye

The stones in the city walls
Were pulled from the river bed

Seven.

The title of this post is the number of miles I just ran outside.  In 1:16. 

It is also approximately the number of bugs I ate while doing just that. 
I try not to post too much about running on here, because I don't want to be one of those people that is just obnoxious about it, but I was pretty proud of this milestone.  So here's lookin' at you 7.  Happy to meet ya!

And yes, I did take this picture in my kitchen.  Don't judge me.  

It was the only place with a shelf tall enough. 

Chicken hair

So...I got a little haircut the other day.  I was getting that familiar urge to just chop all of my hair off, like I have done a couple of times before.  But each time I do that I end up whining for the two years that it takes to grow it back out, considering that my hair grows at a glacial pace.  "Hair grows an half an inch a month on average" my foot!  Try like 1/16th of an inch!  After I chopped it all off the week after our wedding, I made Timothy promise to not ever let me do that again.  After hearing me whine incessantly, he was more than happy to oblige. 

Dramatic hair chop off 1: Freshman college edition

Dramatic hair chop off 2: Freshman marriage edition (w/ my sweet niece Emma)

So last week, I knew I wanted a change but didn't need to go all dramatic on it.  So, I decided I was going to get some bangs.  I was a little nervous, because I have had bangs before.  And by bangs, I mean thick block o' bangs that followed me through life all the way to 8th grade. 

I had bangs AND a perm going on in this picture.  Double 90s!

After smartly deciding to grow them out in 9th grade, my dad started referring to them in their posthumous state as the "bang thang."  This title was accompanied by a hand gesture, where he would put the back of his hand up to his forehead with his fingers pointed out and wiggle them, as if those bangs had been living, moving creatures with a mind of their own.  So you will understand my reservation in introducing bangs back in to my life. 

While growing out my bangs.  Those silver things on top of my 

head are little clips holding my bangs back.  

Allll of this being said, I went last weekend and got my hair cut.  And not to prematurely disappoint you, but no, I am not going to post a picture of my cute new bangs in this post.  It has been craaazy humid and rainy down here the past week and I have yet to successfully capture these new bangs (in a flattering fashion, at least).  I will, however, give you a glimpse into the comedy that can be my hair.  You see, today I decided to try them out in the curly fashion.  My hair has some natural waviness to it, and I can usually get it to work alright, but I wasn't sure how the bangs would react to a little hair gel and diffusion.  Well friends, some of them rebelled...in a most comedic fashion.  I give you, the chicken hair:

I sent this picture to my mom and sister and my sister's awesome reply:  "How did that happen???"  hahaha!  I was wondering the same thing!  I successfully got that thing calmed down with a little hairspray and tucking (and maybe threatening) and Husband and I went to dinner. 
Well, as soon as we got home, I went to throw my hair in a bun and then used a little clip to keep my bangs out of my face.  Now friends, we all know that Husband is NOT a fan of buns (hair ones, because that needs clarifying).  If you are not aware of his dislike of buns, please read here.  So now that that is established, let's resume.  So I had clipped my hair back and am going about my business when I happened to walk past a mirror.  And guess what I saw...

Those crazy chicken hairs had REVOLTED AGAIN!  At this point, I was quite positive that Husband and these bangs were in this conspiracy together. 

A side view, in case you do not realize just how crazy these little things were acting:

Unbelievable!  So as I type this, I have crazy looking chicken hair going on and am just stubborn enough to act like I don't even care.  Take THAT you bangs! 
Hope you guys had a good weekend and didn't have any chicken bang coups on your hands like I did.  Promise to get better (and tamer) pictures up sometime next week.  :) 

Doughnuts (or is it spelled Donuts?)

This morning from the time I woke up to the time I got to work I was thinking of donuts.  During the week I usually eat dry cereal for breakfast.  Here lately my go to has been Honey Nut Shredded Wheat.  On Fridays though, I usually let myself get a donut or a biscuit from McDonalds.  But this morning I was running behind and couldn't stop for a treat.  So I was overjoyed when my boss walked in with a big box of Dunkin Donuts.  I selected a particularly good looking donut that I could tell was filled with something.  And friends, that donut was the best donut I think I have ever had!!!  It was so good that after dinner tonight I made Husband stop at the Dunkin Donuts so I could get another!  Apparently it is called an "Apple and Spice" Donut.  Quite fall appropriate I think!  The outside is coated in sugar cinnamon:

And the inside is filled with an apple pie filling!

I restrained myself and only bought one.  But still bought some Munchkins too!

What treats do you look forward to on the weekends?

Violets

Back when my parents came to visit a couple of months ago, my mom brought me some African Violets that needed a little tlc.  I perched them on the window in my mud room and in no time they had perked up!  Now they're a pretty green with beautiful flowers on them.  Here's a couple of pictures!

This one hasn't bloomed yet, can't wait to see what color it will be!

I remember as a kid my mom had violets in the window, and I used to love their fuzzy leaves.  They make me quite happy.  What made you happy today?