The Way I Always Do

April 11, 2017

Back in April, I tagged along with my brother and sister and a few of my sister's friends on a hike. It was the first really warm day we'd had and the trail was buzzing with people. My sister and her friends meandered along while my brother and I took the lead. We stopped every now and then so that people could take pictures or look over the edge or do whatever it was they wanted to do with a short break. 

Somewhere along the way I decided to look for ferns. I didn't know why I wanted to find some so badly, but it seemed important. I told my brother that the woods don't seem like the woods without ferns. Things were really green and there were all these little yellow flowers everywhere, but I couldn't find a single fern. 

I shrugged my shoulders and let it go. We hiked on until we came to this clearing where we decided to set up a hammock and take a long break. My sister and her friends messed around with the hammock while my brother and I climbed around on the rocks. After a while, I took a seat in the sun and my brother took the camera to snap a few shots. 

I was keeping an eye on him, the way I always do when we're out and about, but eventually I lost sight of him. He had climbed down into a dip in the rocks. All of a sudden I heard him yell, "Ferns!"   He came back into view and held up the camera signaling that he'd found my ferns and had taken some pictures of them. I smiled, the way I always do when his sweetness reminds me just how much he loves me. 

Ferns remind me of summer camp and hikes and my grandparents' front porch. They remind me of the cool shade of the woods and nights spent going back and forth between the porch swing and catching lightning bugs. They remind me of growing up and growing old. They remind me of who I am and where I've been. They remind me of days gone by and days yet to come. Maybe that's why I was so set on finding some.

We found some ferns. We finished our hike. We smiled and laughed and took pictures. We made memories. 

A month later, I'm still thinking back on them. The way I always do. 

Exploring the Cape pt. 2

The final stretch of road that took us to Provincetown was amazing. There was sand everywhere except for on the road. The streets of Provincetown were super narrow and I'm honestly not sure how people even get around there during the height of the summer. It was beautiful with a lot of old world kind of charm to it.

We ate our picnic lunch in the safety (and warmth) of the van before wandering down the boardwalk or pier or whatever it's called. A police officer stopped to show Joshua the siren on his cruiser.

We headed back to the car and watched a poor guy load wrestle a port-a-potty onto the back of his truck. The WHIPPING wind was NOT making it an easy task. Hearing Jake and Paul cheer him on with their British ways of saying things made it ten times more funny than it already was. 

The day was getting on and the car had grown silent. We'd seen all that there was to see and we were headed home for a quiet night with Hannah's parents. We'd gone from strangers to friends. The silence was comfortable and interrupted with bursts of conversation or snippets of songs that were possibilities for the reception. Joshua suggested several of his favorites. He knew the titles AND could hum enough of the beat that Jake knew EXACTLY what he was talking about.

 The first day of my trip couldn't have gone ANY better.

Exploring the Cape pt. 1

Getting to MA was an overnight expedition this time around. Normally, I try to catch flights that leave early in the day so that it's not super late by the time I make it to the east coast. It turns out that flying out after dinner, traveling through the night, and then arriving mid-morning the next day is actually really, really nice. I'm not sure if I had a unique experience, but from the way my trip went, I would highly recommend this kind of flying. I kept telling everyone that I felt great even though I was giving it a few days to see if things caught up with me. They never did. 

Airports are always entertaining. It turns out that they are especially entertaining in the middle of the night. I only slept on the planes, so my airport time was spent doing some major people watching. At one point, I was convinced that I was sitting feet away from Anne Lamott. I may have been, but after totally staring at her for the longest time, I changed my mind. People were doing laps. There was a lady talking at the top of her lungs on her cell phone. And then there was a guy who was on both of my flights. He was SUPER friendly and I think he made friends with nearly every person on the plane. He wandered around the gate chatting up whoever he made eye contact with. 

The morning after I arrived in MA, my friend Hannah announced that we were going to pile into the van to explore the Cape. There was a lot of rain, people were fighting sicknesses, and yet, the day was sunny and about as warm as it was going to get, so we needed to make the most of it. Hannah, Jake, Paul, Marja, Joshua, Finn, and I maxed out the mini van with plans to see Coast Guard Beach, The Atlantic Spice Co in Truro, and Provincetown. We took along a picnic lunch and headed out with the whole day ahead of us. 

I've known Hannah since I was 19, but had only met everyone else HOURS before. It was kind of hilarious being in the car with a bunch of strangers who also happened to be British. I kept finding myself tuning out their conversation because A) it didn't feel like it was my business to listen and B) it occasionally sounded like a foreign language. They were all super friendly and a day exploring the Cape was the perfect way to get to know everyone A LOT better. 

Coast Guard Beach was every bit as beautiful as I remembered it. Making our way out further onto the Cape was exciting to me. Especially since tourist season was still at least a month away. Things were deserted and deserted tourist towns make amazing places to explore. We took our time. We looked at what we wanted to look at. We weren't rushed or hurried along by other vacationers. We had almost everywhere we went allllll to ourselves. 

At Coast Guard Beach, Joshua (who is 4 1/2 years old) came over to me and pressed two sea shells into my hand. I tucked them into my purse. That little boy managed to work his way right into my heart over the course of our visit to MA. We played with his toys, making sure the "baddies" and the "goodies" were equally matched. We read books. We ate snacks. We played outside. And in short, we became fast friends. By the time the wedding rolled around, he was my little buddy. He even left his place at the front of the church during the middle of the ceremony to walk down the aisle and wave at me. <3 nbsp="" p="">

Back to the first real day of my trip...Hannah, Marja, Finn, and I chose to stay close to the cliffs to stay out of the wind. Jake, Paul, and Joshua headed straight for the part of the beach where the tide was going in and out. They got as close to the water as they could without getting wet. There was one point where Joshua ALMOST fell right into the ocean. He was being sooooo careful to follow Jake's lead, but the sand was mushy and it was a close call. Jake looked like a Nervous Nellie, Joshua was totally shocked, and the rest of us thought it was absolutely hilarious.

The Atlantic Spice Company is a fun little stop. I overheard one lady telling her friend that her Mom ALWAYS stops there whenever she visits. I can't say that I wasn't keeping my eye out for Mary Higgins Clark, just in case.

And there you have Part One...I've got one more post to share on this day and then a handful of others to cover the rest of my trip! We'll get through them.

Have you ever been to Cape Cod? 

It Was Snowing

Another post I drafted on December 9th. I've got a few coming your way! 

The other day I went to pick my Mom up from work. I went in to let her know that I had arrived only to learn that it was going to be a while before she could leave. In the few minutes that I was in the store, a little mini snow storm blew in. I stepped out onto the sidewalk and immediately took up my "it's snowing" stance. I looks like slower, surer steps, chin tilted down, hands crammed into pockets, and rounded shoulders. I think I may have even muttered something sarcastic to myself. I don't mind snow, but I do not want to get caught out in it. I started my trudge to the car when a sound of absolute glee caught my attention.

I looked toward where the sound was coming from to see a little girl and her Mom. The little girl was looking up into the sky beaming. She had her hands out and her glee had turned into sheer awe. I paused and my "it's snowing" stance melted away into a smile and a laugh. All of a sudden, my memories of those same feelings came flooding back. The Mom had stopped walking and was beaming right along with her daughter. Only, she wasn't delighting in the snow. She was delighting in her daughter. In that moment, there was no hurry. The little girl was completely taken with the flakes falling all around her. The Mom was happy to let her take her time. And I was content to watch.

The last thing I heard before I got into my car was the little girl say, "I love snow." To which the Mom replied, "Yes, you do love snow, don't you?"

The whole exchanged lasted less than a single minute before we all picked back up where we left off. They made their way into the store and I got into my car. Th snow kept coming down and I saw it for the beauty that it was. I sat there waiting for my own Mom thinking about the joy children bring. They remind us to see things the way they're meant to be seen. They remind us that there is no hurry and that life is better when we take our time.

It was snowing and they weren't in a hurry. After that, neither was I.

Christmas Survey 2016

December 18, 2014

Last year, I came across this post on Skylar's blog and immediately took the time to copy down the questions with plans to answer them this year! Feel free to copy them and answer them on your blog. If you do, be sure to let me know because I'd love to read your answers!

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I am terrible at wrapping gifts. That said, I appreciate and prefer wrapping paper!

Real tree or artificial?
We haven't done a tree at all since 2010. If I was going to have one, it would be real.

When do you put up the tree?
We normally got the tree the first week in December and then let it rest in the garage for most of a week.

Hardest person to buy for?
The person that I don't have any ideas for. There isn't one person in particular that this is always true of. I tend to be pretty good at coming up with gift ideas, but occasionally, I will be STUMPED.

Easiest person to buy for?
My Mom. I also always have one million ideas for my sister.

Favorite Christmas film?
Oh, this is HARD. I'll choose Holiday Affair.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
I love it when we do a cold cut buffet for Christmas. In the past I've made broccoli salad and Trish's Bean Dip to go with it.  This goes soooo well with the endless board games and movie nights and lazing around that Christmas vacation brings.

Snow: love it or hate it?
As long as there's no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Colorful or clear lights on the tree?
Clear. 

Favorite Christmas song?
This year? Christmas Night in Harlem. Usually? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen or Oh Holy Night.

Do you celebrate Advent?
YES!!! It's my favorite thing about Christmas.

Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
Stay home. 

Favorite Christmas cookie?
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I used to be sooooooo afraid of them, but then I made them and now I love them.

Favorite Christmas tradition?
Advent and Epiphany. On Epiphany we have atiyfs for breakfast, open the presents from our parents, and have a Middle Eastern feast.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning.

Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The cold? Other than that, I wouldn't change a single thing.

What is the “sil­li­est” fam­ily tra­di­tion you do, or miss doing?
I don't think we have any silly traditions. Do we?

What do you want for Christmas this year?
I need some new sneakers. There are a few books, movies, and cds that I'd like. Reach Records always has a Christmas sale which makes me nostalgic over t-shirts. I'm getting old because there's a face lotion that I love but that's a little $$$, so I'd be quite happy to unwrap a new bottle of it.

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to most this year?
All of them! I'm excited that my sister is home this year. I wish my brother could be here and that Ron and Julie and Jay would come over like old times. Our decorations are still in storage, so I only have the "extra" garlands and lights to hang. I look forward to Christmas as we know it sometime SOON.

I'd love to hear your answers! Feel free to make a post of your own this week. :) 

On My Mind

December 9, 2016

I drafted this post back on December 9th. Everything I wrote is still true, so I'm leaving it here for you to read. Well, everything except, the snow has continued off and on since then and we're up to nearly a foot of snow. :) 

The first real snow is coming down outside. We're on a "winter storm watch" which basically means all of the kids are EXCITED. I dropped the van off to get the snow tires put on earlier this morning, so I'm okay with it. Settle in with a cup of something warm and let's chat...

I've been doing so little reading and writing lately that I almost don't feel like myself. What's something that's such a huge part of who you are that pushing it aside affects you? It's definitely reading and writing for me. I've even attempted to carve out time to go to the library so that I can sit down at a clean table and just WRITE by the big windows. That's another thing...I'm not one of those people who plunks down in a coffee shop or restaurant or library to do something like that, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Going non-stop has me celebrating any day without any place to be. Apparently I need to stop getting so excited. Each time I've had one, SOMETHING comes up.

We made it through tech-week!!!! My Mom and I are in charge of props for my brother and sister's current show. We've done a lot of tasks over the years. This is a first. I was super nervous about it, but I think I may have found my "thing". We'll see how it goes during an actual show. Last night, I actually dreamed about not being able to find something. I couldn't figure out what I couldn't find and I couldn't remember the person's name that needed it.

I've been rejoicing in the fact that God answers prayers. Dwelling on this truth has been so good for my soul!!!! I've got a list of things that I'm praying for. It reminds me to check back with people and to praise God for the ways He responds.

While I did pick up my Advent study (I'm finishing the one I started last year), I haven't put up the Christmas decorations, mailed my Christmas cards, or bought a single present. It's nearly the middle of December. I'm not sure what I'm waiting for!

What's on your mind? 

The Great Book Chase

My love for used books started about four or five summers ago when my Mom and I started scoping out library sales during the small town festivals in our area. Sometimes I'll see a book at several sales before I finally realize that I'd better buy a copy. That's what happened with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I'm not sure who I have to thank for the hunt that began during the summer of 2013 when I decided to buy that first Harry Potter paperback. I'm thinking it's a combination of my brothers, Amy, and Robyn. The four of them were constantly telling me that I just HAD to read these books. Everyone is shocked to find out that I've never read the whole series.

My Grandma bought my brother and I the first three HP hardbacks as they were released. I read them and then stopped. I mean...Number four is LONG. They were releasing movie versions AND I wasn't sure that I would be able to pass the test to get the points I needed for the Accelerated Reading program at my school. I watched my brothers devour them right along with my Mom, I got just as excited about everyone else each November when a new movie was released. But I never read the books.

So, I bought that first book and The Great Book Chase began. I promised myself (and my brothers, and Amy, and Robyn) that I would look for the books and that as soon as I had them all, I would read them. I wasn't sure how long it would take, but I was determined! My rules were simple, each book had to: come from some kind of used book sale, be paperback, and cost $2.00 or less.

As of October 2016, I officially have the entire HP series in paperback. It took years and if I remember correctly, it cost me about $4.29.

I can't remember where I got the first book. I THINK it was during a book sale in the basement of the library in a town 40 minutes away from where I grew up. I wish I could remember, because it seems so important, but I can't. Once The Chase became "official", I started keeping track. In 2014 I picked up the second book at our town's own big book sale that my family used to help with. I was sooo excited about finding it unexpectedly.

Most of a year went by and I found number four at a goodwill while we were in town for my brother and sister's drama class.

Most of another year went by and my brothers were starting to get impatient. I'm sure both Amy and Robyn forgot alllll about it. But, I was always looking. Occasionally my Mom and I would go out with the single purpose of chasing down another book in the series. Last Christmas she and both of my brothers were super close to buying me a brand new set. I told them to be patient, but I knew that I was running out of time. I HAD to find these books. 

The strange thing about HP is that you'll see TONS of Sorcerer's Stones, quite a few Chamber of Secretses, and every now and then you'll see The Goblet of Fire. But, tracking down 3, 5, 6, and 7 seemed IMPOSSIBLE. They just aren't out there. I don't know if people stopped buying after 1 and 2. I don't know if people that have books 3 and up actually LOVE their books and aren't willing to part with them. Either way, it certainly made the book chase a little more exciting.

So, I put a little more effort in this year...I found numbers 3 and 7 at a thrift store that benefits a local animal shelter on June 14th. It was during one of "The Great Book Chase" excursions. We went to every single store, several yard sales, and looked at EVERY SINGLE BOOK they had. We found them and I scooped them right off the shelf. This store wanted $1.00 each, which was okay with me. I was in for a special treat.

Once I got out to the car I was looking at my copy of The Deathly Hallows. It turns out that it's the UK version and it had a bookmark from Italy tucked in at chapter 5. I snapped a picture and texted it to my brother.

After that exciting discovery, we were pumped. Not only was I getting closer to having the whole set, but I now had one book that seemed to have come from some super interesting person. I kept hoping that I'd run into another one of their discards. Before I knew it, summer was over and we were focusing on getting our house packed up. My little HP obsession was on hold.

Then, a few weeks ago, my Mom and I were out on a Sunday after church looking for "relics" for our church's Reformation Day celebration. I wandered over to the books to do a quick glance JUST IN CASE. I found 5 and 6!!!! They were pretty beat up and I debated on whether or not I should get them. My Mom did what she always does and said that I didn't have a choice (thanks, Mom!!!). Books were 75% off that day and so I got them BOTH for about 29 cents.

My set was complete.

I always thought The Great Book Chase would end when it began, on some unsuspecting summer day. I pictured myself plodding through the books at the pool and the lake and out on the back patio. It turns out, I began my journey with HP on a Sunday evening in November.

Something else exciting happened...My sister (who hasn't read ANY of them) has decided to join me! We read the first chapter last night taking turns after every sentence (we never read this way, but I knew it would be a fun memory to make, so we did this time). During the early days of the chase, I accidentally bought a second copy of the first book because I couldn't remember if I had it. She'll read that copy.

The hunt for my set is complete and after spending so many years chasing these books it seems strange to be "done". Maybe I'll start chasing down a set for my sister.

Have you read this series yet?

Do you collect used books? Which ones are you currently chasing after?

Good Stuff

October 14, 2014

Pandora made my day with a notification they sent me this morning. You might get a kick out of it too. It said, "The weekend's finally here! Time to turn Sidney Bechet Radio up. Way up." I think I might just do that! What's one of your favorite stations on Pandora?

Today, I've got an all over the place post for you. It's a cross between a currently post, a what I'm into post, and list of things I'm thankful for, and one of my old "from four days" style posts. You've been warned.

We're heading into the weekend with a very real possibility of a major storm heading our way. So far, we've had a fair amount of rain (typical this time of year) and the wind kicked up last night. The wind is NOT our friend. Please be praying for the coastal areas as they are the ones who will likely end up with the most damage if things go as the weather people suspect them to.

That's that. I had my West Coast friends pray for my East Coast friends last week. This week, we're trading places. I am not afraid, but I do know that this is a great opportunity to seek God in prayer.

Aside from that, I'm going into the weekend with some great times behind me too.

Volleyball started back up this last week. I was super rusty (I had like three HORRIBLE bumps and a handful of TERRIBLE serves. I almost never miss a serve.), but I kept at it and by the end of the night I was ALMOST my old self again. I'm excited to play a lot more and hopefully a lot better in the months to come.

I can officially no longer say that I've never been to Panera. My sister and I went there for lunch last Thursday. I had super high expectations and while the food was good (I was silly and didn't get the mac and cheese), it was a little more than I want to spend on soups/salads/sandwiches. I'm convinced that we just didn't order "right", but the jury is still out for me. Any tips?

This week, my friend Abigail and I met up to go hiking. I am soooo excited to live in an area where I can hike again. We did two loops, saw lots of very friendly people, enjoyed a nice long chat, and stopped a time or two to take in the views. She'll be leaving for MA in a few weeks and I'm going to miss her while she's gone. She's the second person I've met from MA now on this other side of the country...Funny how that works.

My sister and I went for a walk recently which kind of turned into a bit of a picture walk. I've got some shots to share and I'm thinking Monday will be the day for that. Hold me to it!!!! We walked and walked with the goal of enjoying some fresh air and the fall foilage.

As I always do this time of year (since my MA days)....I realllllly realllly want to have a Guy Fawkes party. Apple cider, caramel apples, s'mores, and a fire. Wouldn't that be fun? I'd skip out on the effigies (that thoroughly creeped me out) and maybe watch Meet Me In St. Louis instead. I'm sure it won't happen, but it does sound fun. I mean...I wanted to try to have people over for cake some Sunday AFTER my birthday and that still hasn't happened, so let's just be real about this. ;)

Before I sign off for the day, I wanted to share a few links with you:

Today is Amy's birthday!!!! She wrote a post sharing some birthday wisdom. Check it out and wish her a happy birthday!

My friend Emily mentioned my post in her Weekend Reads roundup. I love roundups and being featured in one is always exciting!

Last night I made Ina's Skillet-Roasted Chicken Dinner. If you need a meal that's easy to make, great for company, and will make you feel fancy, this is what you're looking for.

Want to take a ramble around the yard with me? Here's a post from two years ago today.

Do you have any rambles to share with me? 

What's one recipe (an old favorite or a new find) that you've made and loved recently?

Have a great weekend!

Just So You Know...

The days leading up to my birthday were full of "Oh, my! Your birthday is in ____ days." and "Um...Not to disappoint you, but we don't have anything for you." and "So, our auditions are on your birthday." With a September birthday, it's rare that we celebrate ON my birthday.

When I was growing up, my friends (my two closest friends happened to be a set of cousins) were always out of town on a yearly trip their whole family took. When I was a little older, my brother's football season took precedence. And then there were work schedules to work around. I've learned not to set my hopes too high or to expect too much. By September 12, summer has come to and end and people are trying really hard to settle into their fall routine.

My expectations are low, but birthdays are my favorite. I can't help but be excited and a little hopeful that SOMETHING great will come my way. Just about every year SOMEONE comes through with a surprise up their sleeve. This year, it happened to be my sister.

I woke up knowing that the day would be FULL and yet also realizing that the birthday activities would probably happen on a later date and that was okay by me. I was hoping for a dinner at home with my family in between all of the running around that the day held. Well...First thing that morning, (after my Mom and I got back from driving by a house we might have wanted to buy) my sister said, "If you're taking a shower, you need to go do that. You need to get ready! We have things to do!"

My sister (like the brother that falls in line between us) is TERRIBLE at keeping secrets. She wants to tell you what she is getting you or doing for you and she basically BEGS you to make her share her secret. I am the person that loves those kind of surprises so I plug my ears and say "lalalalaaaaa" and refuse to let them let the cat out of the bag.

I got ready to go and packed a jacket and some water and my camera and we were off for surprise number 1. Once we were on the road, she told me that there were three surprises and that she was going to need a bit of help navigating. She asked me questions about road names and I helped us get to destination number 1. All along the way I was secretly hoping that it was our favorite Chinese buffet, but it was a little early yet, so I wasn't sure if there was something else going on....We got closer and closer and SHE TURNED ON HER SIGNAL! Destination number 1 WAS our favorite Chinese buffet.

We got out and took pictures in the parking lot and then we went in and got seated and she was BEAMING. I mean, I was EXCITED, but she was REALLLLLY excited. When I first got my driver's license, I used to take my brother and sister to do fun things out of town. The thing that meant the most to my sister was going out for Chinese. The year that I taught them, I would take my brother and sister along for afternoon grocery runs and we would stop for a late lunch. It's been a little tradition of ours to make time for a sister lunch on HER birthday. This time SHE wanted to take ME out for MINE.

The food was excellent and we had a great table and we ate until we couldn't eat any more.

Next up was a stop that I couldn't figure out. We drove and drove and we went to a part of town that I knew had NOTHING birthdayish in it. I knew there was a Sonic and a Wendys and a WalMart, but that was all I could think of and neither of us were ready for any more food or drinks. I was genuinely confused. This made my sister even more excited than she already was!

Finally, we pulled up to this mini golf place and surprise number 2 was out of the bag. We got out only to learn that it wasn't open. Now, this surprise meant more to me than you have any way of knowing. In the PNW mini golf consists of wood boards with holes in them set up at the ends of green carpet. One of my favorite summer activities in SC was going to putt-putt golf courses complete with waterfalls and caves and bridges and basically a real golf course made just for families who don't have the time or the skills for real golf. My sister, a PNW girl, has never been to what I call "REAL putt-putt" and I've made a promise that we WILL do it together some day! So, she found the closest mini golf and made it her goal to take me. Again. I loved it!

Since surprise number 2 didn't take as long as my sister anticipated, she said we needed to do something to burn off some of our food. She let me choose, so I asked her if she wanted to walk a trail that reminded me of the one I walked by the canal in MA. She was up for it and I said that it would work as long as we could find a place to park.

We drove and drove and due to college having started back up and a MAJOR construction zone, we couldn't find a good (or legal) place to park. The good news was that our food was burned off AND we were right by destination number 3. The funny thing about that is that my sister wasn't EXACTLY sure how to get to that stop or how to ask me how to get there without totally giving it away. We pulled into the complex where it was to do some walking there instead and she said, "Oh good! It's here!" I said, "What's here?" She said, "Oh, nothing. Stop reading the signs."

It was too late...This is a complex I'm very familiar with and I thought for sure that our last stop was going to be for frozen yogurt. We wandered around for a bit and then headed down the street. Straight toward the frozen yogurt place. But, then, she said, "We're HERE!!!!" I looked up and realized that she was taking me to a bookstore/coffee shop. It's one I've been wanting to go to WITH her since we were here on vacation back in 2014.

Now it was my turn to TOTALLY BEAM. We wandered around looking at books and journals and just checking out the whole store. We weren't in there two minutes when MY SONG (Drops of Jupiter by Train) came on over the sound system. The minute the first chords played I got quiet and said, "This song WOULD play." Everything was PERFECT. We made our way around the store a little bit more before ordering a chai tea (my sister) and a hazelnut latte (me) that we took out to a bench in the sun.

We made it home in time to rest for a little bit before heading out to their auditions....As soon as their auditions were over, we booked it over to a Mexican restaurant (at my Mom's planning and insistence).

We ordered their cheese dip and heaping plates of food (I got a beef burrito with rice and beans which actually turned out to be a bean burrito thanks to our lovely server, but I didn't notice until the next day when I was heating up some leftovers) and just had an all around great time. I spotted my old science teacher and his wife and an older guy sitting on his balcony reading the evening away. All through dinner the phone rang and rang with people hoping to catch me for a quick birthday chat. By the third call, I was laughing when I answered the phone. We finished dinner JUST in time for my brother to make it to call backs.

Call backs lasted and lasted and lasted. I sat in the car reading and catching up on phone calls as the sun set. It was a great way to close out the first day of my 26th year and left me with plenty of time to reflect on how special this "Just so you know...." day turned out to be!

Thank you, dear sister!!!! Your joy in helping me ring in 26 meant a TON. You know that I go back and forth between loving our life in this town and wanting to run for the hills. This day reminded me that there is nowhere else I'd rather be. I love you and your love for me. Running around to each and every one of your surprise destinations was THE most fun I've had in a long time. I <3 i="" nbsp="" u="">

How do you celebrate birthdays?

Are you a surprise keeper or a "Oh, let me just tell you everything!" kind of person?

July in Pictures pt. 4

Remember those sentences I wrote about a night in by myself? Well...I grabbed a camera during that particular evening I was writing about and snapped some pictures during my wander. Here they are, recording the progress of my little garden as of July 30, 2016. The peas were in the height of their production, the cucumbers were JUST starting to take off, and the zinnias were picked bare. The light was just right and I had time to myself.

Years ago, I met this guy while I was on vacation in Baltimore. We talked and swapped info and continued our friendship long distance. My Mom asked about him the other day when I was taking her to work which got me thinking back on that time. Well, the two of us lived VERY different lives, but he was trying to get his life back on track and we had Christ in common. He used to call me after a long day and we would chat about life and our faith and soooo many things. One night, he called and I was out in the garden, so I took the phone out there with me. He asked me what I was doing and I think he might have laughed when I told him I was working in the garden.

I never thought of it as being odd, but I guess maybe it was. There I was 22 or 23 and my idea of relaxing was spending time in the front flower bed deadheading petunias and trimming back the geraniums. That hasn't changed. It's peaceful and calm and there are few places I'd rather be than stooped over things I've planted and tended and nurtured.

Remember that hole I mentioned? As of July 30, it was still there. :) As of today, the cucumbers spread right over it (I never did set my cucumber trellis up this year) and have been threatening to use the pea trellis on the one side while crowding out the zinnias on the other.

I brought mint from our other house with me and plunked it down into the dirt here. So far, so good. I'll take a cutting off of it wherever I go!!! It's from the ranch and my friend Heidi gifted it to me during what I think of as one of the best summers of our lives. Tending it and smelling it and seeing it makes me happier than I can say.

So, there you have it...A wander through my garden just before the sun set on July. AND the conclusion on the July in pictures series.