It's so true!

I printed this out, showed it to my mom, and put it on the refrigerator. ;)
(Click image to read original size)

From Broadway

Some songs make me wish with deep intensity that I have a performance-worthy singing voice. The soundtrack to "The Last Five Years" is an example of this. The songs drip with romance, intensity, and reality. Up til now, I've heard only select tracks from the musical, but thanks to Anderson I can now listen to the whole thing! :-D The number "The Next Ten Minutes" makes me want to cry. :-X


As to my wish, I am taking voice lessons this fall, so we shall see where that leads me!

*Disclaimer* If you check out other numbers of the musical, just wanted to warn that a few of the songs contain some profanity.

Jumbled Friday

The last week of my summer is almost over! I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee and Playbill Radio
while thinking about the things I want to be doing and the things I should be doing. I'm quietly jubilant because I wrapped up Drivers Education classes this evening with a 100% on my final exam! My bedroom is a mess of clothes and papers and text books and I need to think about organizing a bag for Monday morning. I need to be on campus around 7:30am *ugh* (thankfully this is not my schedule for all of semester).

Today I was planning on heading up to UMBC to see a couple friends and help them move into their new dorms. Ended up shopping around Wal-mart with one of the friends for dorm supplies; still fun and good to see him. <3

Remember my 10+10+80 plan? Well, I'm already behind. I'm currently recovering from paychecks that had unpaid vacation weeks in them. :( Thankfully I'm not behind on bills, but I did have to borrow from my savings and am anxious to replenish it!

Thanks for sweet well wishes concerning my cold...I am pretty much better! I went this morning to the chiropractor to have my hip and back looked at, and am still a little sore. All the pain seems to be settled as low as possible into my tail bone. :( I think I will sit with some ice tonight!

Have a wonderful weekend, loves!

"Kiss Me and Smile For Me"

I took the day off to nurse my cold, with favourable results. :) Should be back to my normal self tomorrow.

This song was on my mind this evening. The movie "Armageddon" was one of my favourites, but I don't remember this being in it. :-/ Anyway, this cover is lovely. Enjoy!

Pass The Tissues

Pictures that pretty well describe my current state:














I added cayenne pepper to the tea. Good for natural and speedy mucous killing! :)

I am at work, and didn't even bother wearing make-up today because watery eyes render it useless within ten minutes.

Speaking of tissues, has anyone seen or read "The Time Travelers Wife"? I have not read the book, and saw the movie last night. My date and I found it to be much more gut-wrenching than we expected! I didn't actually cry (I was already sniffling from my on-setting cold :p) but it was definitely a story in which I genuinely felt for the characters.

Old Friends and New Connections

Hello to the friendly ladies that have dropped by my blog the past couple days! I think we all found each other through Oh,mishka; a lovely blog about lovely things. Check it out if you have not already!
The Blogs of Note feature is a really fun way to experience new blogging styles and meet interesting people. I feel a little daunted at making my blog as follow-worthy as those featured are, but for now I will keep writing for myself and not worry too much about it. :)

I've completed evening three of Drivers Education classes (there are ten over a two week period). I found out that one of my fellow students lived for years one street over from me, and we played with all the same people growing up! It's crazy. :) We rattled off name after name, our faces lighting up with mutual recognition. Moments like that are fun. Between coffeehouses, community college, church, and Facebook (:p), the world grows smaller and smaller in this town.

Working at school was nice today, but reminded me that summer is drawing to a close. In the fall three of my dearest friends are heading to the university around the corner. Life will feel different for us next semester, and maybe slightly lonely at first. I'm trying not to think of what is lost, but rather to treasure what is gained.

http://xkcd.com/610/

A Week of Retreat

I have mixed feelings about my vacation being over. I treasure time with Patty, and the change of scenery was very nice. But nothing really went as planned, as far as seeing or doing things we had planned. We traveled on Saturday, rested on Sunday, shopped on Monday, and then on Tuesday Mom pulled her back out. Her ability to walk being severely limited, and not wanting to leave her alone much, we mostly stayed at the cabin for the rest of the week.

So I spent lots of time laying around in the sun or on the water (kayaking around the pond or swimming out to the floating dock), reading, goofing around with Josh, taking pictures, and watching movies on TCM. We don't have cable at my house so I enjoy when I get some time to watch the oldies! I discovered "The Greatest Show On Earth" with Charlton Heston. It's directed by Cecil B. DeMille (same as "The Ten Commandments") so it's a great spectacle movie.

I also went hiking (once) with Patty and Josh. I appreciate the beauty of the outdoors, but I'm not a big fan of hiking. Go figure. We went to the beach on New Castle Island, which is on the coast of New Hampshire. Went shopping in Freeport, Maine for the second time. It has lots of brand name outlets, and I clothes shopped with Josh. That was a nice time of bonding for us, which we badly needed. Tensions at home have driven us apart in the past months, and I think that a week with no alternative but to hang out with each other reminded us both how much we appreciate each other.

The weather was chilly and the pond was beautiful in all its moods. I was up early one morning to keep Josh company while he fished, and we watched a gorgeous thunderstorm roll in. The thunder echoed around us as the sound bounced off the water. The rain got so thick we couldn't see across the water to the forest beyond. We stood on the deck sheltered by tree branches as long as we could, enjoying the wind and rain and lightning. Other days were sunny, and the fluffy clouds and blue sky reflected on the pond's surface. Some afternoons the breeze was strong and made little waves that would lightly toss the kayak to and fro. Other times the water was glassy and still. My paddles would slice gracefully through and leave ripples in their wake. The evenings that we had no clouds, stars reflected on the water and the trees that closet the shoreline were dark and haunting.

I had LOTS of time to think. The first couple days, especially at night, it was a lonely feeling to be separated from all the things I usually use to distract me- my friends, the Internet, work, texting :p (due to lack of service). After I got used to it, I journaled and allowed myself to think back on this year. I've been hurt and loved and victorious and humbled and changed, and in my day to day life I think I fight to ignore what I should be acknowledging.

The shopping- I got a long sleeve tee at The Gap in Freeport that is super cute and soft. Also bought a shirt in Ralph Lauren (because I'm secretly a label snob at heart :p). Both are tops are striped. Outlet shopping is so fun and guilt-free! I tried on the most adorable winter trench coat in Banana Republic, but couldn't justify buying it. At an art gallery in Portsmouth I bought a small red vase, and an antique shop in Northwood I bought another vase, a little Wedgewood piece. In the same shop they had oodles of post cards from all 50 states that I wanted to spend all day looking at. But I skipped to the Maryland ones and picked out two, a view of the harbor skyline and the other a painting of Johns Hopkins. Both are from the early 1900's.

Mom recovered somewhat after a trip to a chiropractor and an urgent care doctor. After muscle relaxers, Advil, and lots of rest she was walking by the time we needed to travel. I felt badly she missed out on her vacation, but enjoyed the time we got to talk, eat dinner, and watch movies together. Another less then desirable aspect of the trip came when we drove home. Josh mysteriously got very sick to his stomach and progressively worse as we got closer to Baltimore, and we spent some time on the side of the road in Pennsylvania taking care of that. :(

We're finally here, for better or worse. I'm back at work, Drivers Ed classes start tonight, and school starts in two weeks!

Counting Down The Hours

This time tomorrow we'll be on our way to New England! (Northwood, New Hampshire to be more specific.) I am looking forward to being in what I consider heaven on earth...nature, quiet, starlight at night, kayaking, ocean, lighthouses, country stores, old homey buildings..and seeing Aunt Patty. :)

I haven't really started to pack, so I suppose I must get to that. I'm not feeling well today and am worried about being sick over vacation. Also, the long range forecast is calling for lots of thunderstorms...here's wishing for the best!

Be back next Saturday!

P.S. I got my learners permit yesterday! Woo hoo!! I start drivers ed the week I get back, and I'll be eligible to take the driving test in January. I'm so excited to be finally be accomplishing this!

Tacked Up For The World To See

I think the corkboard in my room in its present state is a good "snapshot" of my current life...

1. Ticket and wristband from Anberlin concert at Sonar
2. Audrey Hepburn calender (new fabulousness every month!)
3. Ad from Avon to donate toiletry kits to soldiers (great idea!)
4. Sticky note with a degree name from University Of Baltimore written on it- "Community Studies and Civic Engagement" (I'm currently researching and considering pursuing it!)
5. A notecard from my best friend. Recently I was going to adopt a kitten, but it didn't work out. So she made me a sweet little card with a picture of a kitten on it. :)
6. Recent photo of Selene, the little girl in Boliva that I sponsor through Compassion International.
7. Program art and ticket from "I Hate Hamlet", the student production I directed/acted in.
8. A list of things I'm saving for. It includes: trip to Indiana for my cousin's wedding, school books, and getting a black dress I found in a thrift store altered.
9. Scrap of paper with "Sinatra and Friends, Reprise Records" written on it. Got that in a vinyl shop in Fells Point when I asked about the Frank Sinatra cover of "Leavin' On A Jet Plane."

Awhile back I started covering my corkboard in wrapping paper. Over the years I'd put glitter and stickers all over it, written on it, and torn it all up. It's good to make old things look new again!

July

As has become my custom this summer due to lack of regular blogging, I will recap the last month...

The 4th of July is probably my favourite holiday (competing with Christmas) and this year it was very nice. I mostly spent the day with Shannon, Jeremy, and John, and went to the Arbutus parade (watched that by myself, which was actually nice), out to lunch, stopped by a cast mate's birthday party, and watched fireworks.

I worked a lot in July...this summer has been the first time that I regularly worked five days a week. I feel like I don't have much savings to show for it, probably because I buy clothes and eat out too much. ;) However, I've been able to pay all my bills on time and pay for drivers ed, along with a few school expenses. I was blessed to have my fall tuition paid almost completely by financial aid.

The middle of the month was City On The Hill, the leadership/political camp that AMF puts on for high schoolers. I served as student support and speaker coordinator, along with orchestrating details of daily tasks and the student application process. The week was incredibly challenging, both personally for me and as for the staff as a whole. Working one on one with students and leading groups of kids was incredibly affirming to me, both as a person and in my relationship with God. One big lesson was that I can always use my weaknesses and mistakes to encourage others. If I was not out learning life, and failing and succeeding, I would have nothing with which to minister to others. I was blessed to again spend time with the Stieglers, who have a 40-year marriage and a testimony that blesses all who hear it. Listening to them share one evening of their dating relationship and life together brought me to tears, and reminded me of the type of relationship I long to have with someone one day.

Right after City I spent a week housesitting with Shannon. I worked during the day and enjoyed lazyness in the evening of just cooking, watching TV, and hanging out. Late in the month a couple friends from Pennsylvania came down to visit me, and we spent an awesome Saturday roaming Fells Point and Harborplace.

July was an incredibly busy and fullfilling month, and August isn't shaping up to be any less!

10+10+80=?

I'm starting the 10, 10, 80 plan with my paychecks. Probably you've heard of it before, but it's something I was impressed with when a speaker at City On The Hill talked about it. Pastor Paul Schindler from Living Hope Church spoke about stewardship, and encouraged us to tithe 10 percent of our money, save 10 percent, and use the remaining 80 percent for expenses. A fellow staffer says it really works for her, and I want to have a consistent system of managing my money. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one works out.

Since a couple homemakers read my blog, I'd be curious to hear your opinions or advice about money managing!

Ten Minutes Worth of Blog-Worthyness!

I'm on campus working today. It's a really gorgeous sunny day, I'm feeling happy, and I'm wearing a new dress that is so comfy and pretty I want to wear it all the time. :) I ate lunch outside with a good friend, and then went to visit the Student Life Building to make sure that Barnstormers will have an office this semester (we will). Then, still on my lunch break I made a stop over at registration building to take care of some things. I was all done and decided I must have candy, and at the vending machine is where my day got a little extra nice...

Two little boys were playing with the buttons on the vending machine, and commenting about how they didn't have enough change for the candy bar they wanted. The older of the two pulled his brother aside and said "let her go next" (referring to me). I was wishing that I had enough change to give to them, and thought about buying them something with what I had left. As the candy I had bought for myself came out of the machine, TWO candy bars came out instead of one! The boys were watching me and said "Oh wow, she got two!" I asked them, "Would you like one of them?" and the older boy said "Sure! and I'll share it with my brother!" :-D I loved it. The candy was an extra big Kit Kat bar, so I'm sure they enjoyed it. As I walked away, I heard the boy exclaim to his mom (who was a few feet away talking to someone) "Mom! That girl got two candy bars and she gave one to me!"
I'm not sharing this to brag, but rather because I felt so tickled that two candy bars came out instead of one so that I could share them. I love when God gives us little blessings like that! To top off the moment, when I left the building I saw one of my City students waiting at the registration office! :-D We were really happy to see each other, and she is coming to work to visit me later.

It's been a really good day filled with really simple, good moments. And it's not over yet!

Relationships aren't easy (or are they?)

Feedback wanted on a thought from church today: "Stop having a relationship with Jesus."

It is important to have more than just a relationship with Jesus? Do we instead need to understand "abiding" in Jesus?

I heard it put this way: Many different levels of human interaction can be called a "relationship." You have a relationship with someone you golf or shop or jog with, and you have a relationship with the person you're married too. The levels of closeness differ, but it's all relationship.

"Abiding" however, is what Jesus talked about in John 15. Or like a baby in the womb, who does not just have a relationship with his mother, but cannot exist with her. That baby literally abides within its mother.

It's easy to have a relationship with Jesus- if it means visiting church, praying when I'm sad, singing songs, etc. Abiding is hard, and definitely something I'm struggling with. As the pastor put it this morning, it's possible to live without Jesus if all we want is a relationship.

But what would my life look like if I were abiding in Him?