Simple Thoughts: Sick days

I feel completely icky today. This kind of thing seems to happen to me about once a year. The last time I felt this gross and sick was around for two weeks after graduation. That resulted in making my graduation from college a memorable experience in an unpleasant way.

But that is beside the point. There is just something about sick days. I mean on the one hand yes you are sick but hey a day of curling up on the couch, an endless supply of tea and crazy game shows, it's not too bad every once in a while. I wouldn't ask to be sick but when I am I think I'll make the most of it. Taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon, getting homemade chicken noodle soup delivered by your wonderful mother and a marathon of House, M.D. not the worst way to spend a day not feeling well. So in the time honored tradition of sick people I will veg out on saltines and soup, cuddle up with some blankets and wear my pajamas all day long! Here's to getting better soon!

Simple Thoughts: Technology

So this is a run down of my Saturday evening. Tucked cozily into my recliner with a marathon viewing of Psych running on my TV. It's raining outside and I have a mug of tea. My dog is curled up on the rug taking a nap. It sounds so old fashioned. Well old fashion as far as I'm concerned, old fashioned meaning my growing up years to me :)

I find it entertaining that another part of this little tableau is the fact that both my mom and I have our laptops out utilizing our wireless internet, facebooking up a storm and solidly dating ourselves as members of the twenty-first century. Oh I remember the days when my computer time was limited to 30 minutes on the giant family computer that sat on the desk in the corner of the living room. When connecting to the internet with dial up took forever and sang me a little song in the process. In the days when my mom knew more about everything than me. And now she comes to me for advice on how to use this crazy machine! Back in the day when you had to call someone on a land line to get a hold of them rather connecting with them via social networking. My how the times have changed. I wonder what newfangled contraptions my children will have to teach me how to operate someday! 

Looking Forward

Look - verb: to use one's sight or vision in seeking, searching, examining or watching

     A lot of things have changed in my life over the past year. My first serious relationship. Graduation from college. Moving home. My best friend got married. Flying on my own. Working a full time job. Paying bills. Over time life settles into a routine and the new becomes just ordinary. I walk the same sidewalks to work every day. Drive home taking the same route. Eat dinner and spend time with family. Occasionally I will have evening plans with friends. To most people that's life as usual but I guess I'm tired of the normal and I crave exciting. Anything to break up the sameness.

     This is about the time that my mind gets to wandering. I think about what life holds for me in the future. I love to dream about an apartment of my own. Where I can paint a wall. Shop for little knick knacks to decorate with. Hang pictures of the people I love. Adopt a pet. Cook dinner for myself. Have a big girl job. Be the only one responsible for me. It never fails to cheer me up. But then comes the waiting. I don't have those things yet and I don't know when I'll get them. 

     

     Recently I heard someone talking about vision. And one of the comments they made really stuck with me - We need a vision to get us where we are going in the future; but we need to balance seeing the here and now along the way or down the road we will wonder what we missed out on while we were focused ahead. So I am choosing to enjoy this season of life, including all the routines, because I don't want to look back one day and wonder what adventures might have been right under my nose the whole time.

Simple Thoughts: Scrapbooking

The one artsy thing that I am actually really good at is scrapbooking. I just love the way colors blend together and putting the pieces of a page together like a puzzle. When it all falls into place I just get this amazing feeling like I've created something beautiful.

 

My best friend got married this summer. And since scrapbooking is something I enjoy and consider myself half decent at, she asked me to put together her guest book from her wedding. My bestie and her now hubby are such a cute couple. They are not your typical couple and knowing this, it was not a surprise that they went with a different twist on their guest book. It was neat idea. They did a photo booth and had people write cards as their way of signing their guest book. 

So this is what my process looks like. I pop in a dvd of whatever show is my current obsession. Then I pull out all my supplies and surround myself with them! Everything has to be within easy reach as I sit on the floor and rearrange a page countless times before I am satisfied with the final layout. Then I take the last step of sticking all the pieces down permanently. And voila a masterpiece is born!

In other news it was 85 degrees here today. Feels like we are jumping straight from frigid winter weather to summer heat. I wore a skirt, short sleeve shirt and sandals! I ate lunch in the park with friends, went swinging, which I haven't done in forever and read out in my backyard until I fell asleep in the sun. Such a good day. 

Proclaiming Springtime

Proclaim - verb: to announce or declare in an official or formal manner.


     It's finally here! And I can prove it. I declared to my family today that it was officially springtime because I have pulled my flip flops out of winter storage. Now for all you hardcore people out there who wear flip flops until we get the first snow... or perhaps even after that, I am a flip flop enthusiast but even I have a limit. It is probably the hardest thing for me to cope with at the end of the summer. Putting away my beloved collection of flip flops, in all their different shades of color that match so easily with any outfit. So let me tell you that their first appearance in the spring is somewhat of a milestone!


     Spring has arrived and my flip flops seeing the light of day is not the only evidence I have. I ran some errands today and of course out of the goodness of my heart I took along my faithful friend. I think of myself as a canine taxi service sometimes because I shuttle my dog around town with me but she is a good anti theft measure! A lovely breeze is blowing and I decided to roll the windows down. Good decision! It is great to smell the spring beginning. From the scent of damp earth and grass to a family sitting out on their patio enjoying the first barbecue of the season. I can tell my pooch appreciates the tantalizing odors in the air too by the way she sticks her nose out the window and lets her ears flap in the wind! 
     
     It must be in the air. After months of cabin fever everyone has to be outdoors on this beautiful day. Everywhere I look I see life blooming after a long winter. The flowerbeds outside my house have buds poking through the dirt, a couple drove by me with the top down on their convertible, the local DQ is open again and families are streaming down the sidewalk to get that tasty treat, and kids are all over the place riding their bikes! After a few days of thunderstorms it's like the world changed color overnight. The grass is GREEN! And the field are a rich brown. I can't wait to see the flowers become bursts of color that just add to the beauty. As I sit and listen to the bird chirping outside my open window I can't wait for the days to come.

Simple Thoughts: Cheesecake

This is my latest endeavor. A foray into the world of baking. Some of my favorite childhood memories are sitting in the kitchen watching my mom perform "magic"! She put all of these powders and liquids into a mixing bowl and out came yummy goodness. For Christmas this year since I recently graduated from college my mother gave me a cookbook of my favorite foods. She took the time to hand write all of the recipes for me as well as putting a note to me in the front of the book. It even had pictures of me as a kid "helping" in the kitchen! Such a great gift.

So yesterday I just felt inspired to create edible art! I think it turned out splendidly. Tonight after work my mom and I sat down and enjoyed some cheesecake together. A pretty good way to end my week.

Experiencing Wisconsin

Wisconsin - noun: a state in the N central United States: a part of the Midwest.4,705,335; 56,154 sq. mi. (145,440 sq. km). Capital: Madison. Abbreviation:  WI (for use with zip code), Wis.,Wisc.

     Today felt like a Monday for some reason. Well that reason would probably be because it was my Monday. I went on a road trip so my week started a little later than usual. I love the freedom my job gives me to just pick up and go for a few days when the mood so strikes me!

     It was a fun little trip! A good friend of mine and I went to visit a mutual friend of ours in the great state of Wisconsin. I always love driving through the country there. There are moments when I feel like I've stepped back in time, with nothing spread out before you but green rolling hills, the ever present herds of cows and big red barns dotting the rows and rows of fields waiting to be planted. It gives me a sense of what life used to be like in a simpler time.

     During our few days in small town WI we got to do some exploring. A trip to the General Store for lunch, which was absolutely amazing! The food there is so good. We poked our heads in several off the main road craft and gift shops. And then dove into the stores of treasures and fun in an antique mall. So great! Wish I could spend all day admiring what someone else thought was junk!

     Another fun activity was spending an afternoon sitting around visiting and being crafty :) We made mini scrapbooks out of paper bags, card stock, stickers and ribbon. They turned out just adorable! I think I might turn mine into a collection of quotes.

      Last but not least we tried our hand at cooking. On our lunch menu was homemade hummus and flatbread. To begin this particular project we had to venture out to the store since some of the ingredients we required are not generally found in a typical kitchen pantry. We had to try two different stores before we found what we wanted but in the end we were victorious! Both of our dishes turned out so well. It was an excellent lunch and a great ending to our WI visit! Now it's back to the daily grind, but lucky for me it's only a two day work week. Looking forward to the weekend.