Back to Charleston

Bustin' a move

2012-01-30T11:18:00.001-05:00

How is it almost February? Where does time go? And also where have any semblance of abs I once had gone? The (attempted) remedy:

Mom's cookies

2012-01-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

I"m escaping to Caesar's Head this weekend with some of my old Bible Study when I lived in Columbia. The house and the view are nothing short of beautiful. I'm really excited to sit and catch up and hear what the Lord's been doing in each of our lives. I'm also excited about the batch of home made cookie dough I made. Mom's recipe really is the best. You know the difference between home made and store bought dough/cookies? Salt. I can always taste the salt in the home made stuff. So good.

3 cups flour (I ran out of white and used 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat; still delish!)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup margerine (not butter)
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspooons vanilla
12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

I've already taken a spoon to the container in the office fridge...too good to wait.

So proud

2012-01-26T11:25:00.001-05:00

and excited for Shannon. The girls home she's spent months working on and praying for, opened yesterday. Take a look at Puerta de Esperanza (Door of Hope):

Crown of Life

2012-01-24T10:33:00.001-05:00

As I fought sleep this morning in between the snoozing of my alarm, I was wrestling with some of those pesky, "why" questions. Why does my life look the way it does and the myriad of questions one can travel down in that train of thought.

It is rare for me to have images from the Lord, but I saw a black background and a brilliant white crown. I kept being reminded to pursue the Lord above all else.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. -- James 1:12

it's a girl...

2012-01-23T18:51:00.001-05:00

That's what friends are for.

2012-01-20T10:52:00.000-05:00

Via text

Me: are you going by the Nike outlet by chance?
Maggie: yes, to pick up laces for cbshelto
Me: haha, great. would you mind looking for shoes for me?

Love that Courtney was mooching off Maggie's time before I had a chance to ask. More so love Maggie's willingness to shop for us! Such a good friend.

Chatty Cathies

2012-01-20T08:37:00.001-05:00

For the past few days, per her request, I've called Courtney on my drive to work to make sure she's up (so she can get time in the Word. Go her!). Though I am anything but a morning person, it is nice having a brief chat en route to the office. This morning we covered a wide range of topics:

Will it rain this weekend?

If it does rain, can we stay in our pj's?

What will do for lunch if we don't leave the house?

What clothes did you pack?

Do we need another casserole dish for supper Saturday night?

What's the normal size of a casserole dish?

What are we doing about electronic entertainment to fall asleep to?

You know, the usual...

The facts of life.

2012-01-19T12:35:00.002-05:00

me: hey

Nathan: hey

me: do you do your own taxes or pay someone?

Nathan: married someone

Just down the road

2012-01-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

For quite a long time, each time I drove by an inner city Middle/High School, I'd thought about the kids there and wondered about volunteering in some capacity. When I got back from Haiti, I talked to a friend in the public school system to see how I should proceed with volunteering there. Long story short, it took me about 5 months to actually hang out with a student. Thanks, red tape and poor communication.

There's an after school program where kids can come and do their homework, get tutored, and have a safe environment to hang out for a few hours after school. The times I've hung out with students have been really good, especially when I get to help with homework, especially math. I love math. But, it's hard hearing about these kids' lives -- hearing the reality of what they face. We grew up in the same school district, just down the road from me, and yet had totally different perspectives. I wasn't scared of violence in my neighborhood, wasn't two grades behind in most subjects, or wasn't afraid to get married because that's when I heard you start getting abused, etc.

The past two times I've gone, there hasn't been anything for me to do. Teachers have left and haven't been replaced. Teachers aren't assigning homework because of the testing going on. Apparently, they go through four rounds of standardized testing -- more than most because the school is behind. I know some testing is necessary; I know I don't have all the answers.

The system frustrates me and I know I can't fix it; I keep thinking about the documentary I watched a while back. It makes me sad to see some of these things first hand. I'm not sure if this post has a point, but I am sure it's hard to realize life isn't fair to everyone...

Black Bean Lasagna

2012-01-17T12:40:00.003-05:00

Maggie sent me this recipe and I made it Sunday night. Was great for with few friends, simple salad, and a glass of red. And my lunch this week is courtesy of leftovers. And a friend who doesn't eat black beans really enjoyed it!

2 - 15 ounce cans of black beans.....DRAINED
1 – 26 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 – Teaspoon of taco seasoning
1 - 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese (I used low fat)
1 - 10 ounce package of frozen spinach THAWED and WELL DRAINED
2 - Large eggs, lightly beaten
9 - NO BOIL lasagna noodles (I used about 11?)
8 ounces (2) cups - Monterey Jack with jalapenos

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the beans in a medium size bowl and mash until smooth (used my food processor!), stir in pasta sauce and taco seasoning and set aside.

In another bowl combine ricotta, spinach, and eggs - stir until just combined

Spoon 1/3 of bean mixture in bottom of 9 x 13 (use Pam before) then put 3 lasagna noodles side by side
on top of that THEN 1/2 of the spinach mixture spread evenly THEN scatter 1 cup of cheese over spinach
THEN spread the remainder of the spinach over the cheese THEN put 3 noodles on top of that THEN
spoon 1/2 of the bean mixture THEN 3 noodles THEN the rest of the bean mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven....take off foil (BE CAREFUL) and scatter remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Recover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes (I put it back in the oven a little)

Can be pre-assembled the night before and bake the next day.

New Eyes

2012-01-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

I have the day off from work today. I was going to work anyway, but ended up not...

My to do list was pretty long; a few things have been scratched off, but oh my word, how is it past 3 already?!

I decided to give my contacts a whirl since I had the time. First the right eye. I tried several times to no avail. Took a break. Tried again. This took several tries and finally on the 5th round, I got it in! On to the left eye, where on the 4th round of trying, I lost the contact. Seriously, could not find it. Checked my shirt and my pj pants, the sink, the floor, the bath matt, my bedroom shoes, the counter, the bathroom cabinets...in other words: everything and everywhere.

I was so frustrated. Eventually, I called my eye doctor and they told me to come on down and get another one. In the office, I got the left one in -- on my own, no less. AND my glasses came in. Good times!

In other news, last night was a night of firsts with my food processor. First time slicing my thumb on the blade. AND first time shredding cheese. I'll never go back to hand shredding again!

I know, I know

2012-01-12T09:46:00.001-05:00

this is all over Facebook right now, but I love it. Speaks to my heart so much right now.

What could be better

2012-01-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

than having a ginormous zit on your face? Going to the dentist and the eye doctor. You know, the doctors that will be able to stare at your Texas sized blemish all the live long day.

The good news is multi-faceted.

No cavities! Holla back!
My time at the eye doctor was quite productive.

I took a pair of glasses that have always been crooked on me (I think they got messed up in the mail?) and they fixed them! Now, I can wear them for things other than watching TV and in foreign countries. I also picked out a new pair of glasses. My head is pretty petite so kids glasses are the only ones that fit my face. Trust me, we tried several adult pairs and they definitely looked silly! I was hoping to get a pair of funky glasses -- bright color, strange frame arms, etc. There were a few of these in the children's section that looked great -- until you saw the frame arms. I just didn't think it appropriate to show up to work with "princess" on the side of my glasses. Such a bummer.

AND I got a trial pair of contacts!? The gal finally got them in my eyes. Then, I had to take one out and put it back in. It took a while and wasn't super fun or easy. It also took me a while to get them out last night. However, I think they'll be great in certain situations: fishing, the beach, football games, etc...basically places I'd like to wear sunglasses to. Hopefully with a bit of practice, they won't be as challenging!

In other news, that was the 2nd time I'd had my eyes dilated. The first time I remember my eyes feeling weird for about an hour, but I went back to work and things were fine. That was not the case yesterday, light gave me a headache and my pupils were the size of saucers until I went to bed last night. It was so nice waking up to normal eyes this morning!

Liz is my hero

2012-01-11T13:25:00.002-05:00

I've been re-watching 30 Rock on Netflix. My goal is to get caught up and then be able to watch the current season. Of course, I've fallen in love with Liz Lemon all over again! In case you've forgotten why she's so awesome:

Finger of God

2012-01-10T14:09:00.001-05:00

I told a friend about this movie today and I got the urge to watch it again. I've been watching segments off and on today and am once again amazed at what the Lord is doing all over the world. Some of the things might seem strange, but I find them incredible. You can watch the entire movie on You Tube in 10 sections; I've put the first one here.

Currently

2012-01-10T10:40:00.001-05:00

obsessed with this song:

This picture is making me hungry.

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have to be honest: quinoa is good when you first cook it, but quickly looses its yumminess when eating leftovers. Learned that lesson the hard way. The good news? To compensate for my less-than-stellar lunches, I've been eating yummy suppers (that are still healthy).

I diced Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Put them in my cast iron skillet with a bit of fat (yes, I used bacon grease, but not too much) and some seasoning (my favorite: Tony Chashere's), toss, and cover with a lid. After several minutes and a stirring or two, I remove the lid. And add a pork chop to the pan. Flip after a few minutes. Wait a few minutes more and presto. Easy, tasty, healthy supper on your plate.

2nd Annual Week of Soreness

2012-01-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row, I have celebrated the beginning of a new year with some awesome activities. New Years Day 2011 involved playing Wii dance for hours on end on slate floor with all star friends in Atlanta. New Years Day 2012 involved an oyster roast-turn-dance party in which I busted my moves for hours on end.

Both years, I have been so sore the next day that I can barely walk. Stairs are a total nightmare. And the soreness continues throughout the week. Today is Friday and there are a few remnants of soreness left from Sunday as I move about. The fun activities are completely worth it, but with every painful move, I am reminded that my body just isn't what it once was.

Full of joy

2012-01-05T14:40:00.001-05:00

I'm so thankful right now! Courtney and I are having a conversation about how the Lord has made us and a few things stand out:

From the beginning of our friendship, the Lord has enabled us to compliment one another.
How far the Lord has brought us and how He continues to reveal the person he created us to be.
It feels SO good to be set free of boundaries and rules that we put ourselves under in college. Some of these things were self enforced and some had to do with the people that spoke into our lives.

I'm sure that in another 8-10 years I will look back on my life today and laugh at how silly I was "back then." But I'm ok with that because it means that the Lord will keep moving me forward!

Slavery Footprint

2012-01-04T19:43:00.003-05:00

Maggie told me about this website and I just took the test. Disturbingly, I have about 67 slaves around the world working for me.

Check it out: http://slaveryfootprint.org

2012

2012-01-02T19:37:00.003-05:00

Has been great so far and has included sweet time of prayer with a few friends, an oyster roast/dance party (of which I'm still so sore it hurts to walk!), catching up on 30 Rock which means I started with Season 1 and am currently about 1/3 through Season 2, attempting to get back into Jillian's Shred, remembering how much I love Charleston days with a high of 70 in January (and subsequently how much I loath days like today with a high of 45), and the likes.

Overall, I'm really excited about 2012. For no particular reason, I'm hopeful it's going to be a great year!

Quinoa

2012-01-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

I'd like to eat healthier in 2012 and that means more veggies and less cheese. So, I bought my first box of quinoa. Apparently is pretty healthy and I'm eating it for lunch this week. I added salt, pepper, and cumin once cooked. Then tossed in diced tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, and fat free sour cream.

It's likely I'll be tired of this by Friday, but I'm looking forward to it for lunch today.

Quinoa. That's the stuff.

Highlights of 2011

2011-12-30T11:59:00.002-05:00

A few things really stick out to me as I think back over the past year:

Books. I love to read, but several books I read this year pierced me in ways that I hope I don't forget: Radical. There is no Me without You. Half the Sky. For What It's Worth.

Travel. I don't hop on an airplane all that often, but felt like I did quite a bit (for me) this year. Fun trips to Dallas and Chicago to spend time with good friends and loved ones. And then there was Haiti and Honduras. Life changers.

Awareness. Based on the things noted above, I think God has really been showing me what goes on in the world and pretty close to my own home. The more I learn, the more I don't want to turn my back on the injustices and sorrow.

Food. I still love it. And sometimes I eat too much of it. Especially when I'm with certain people...you know who you are.

Ink. Need I say more?

More Radical

2011-12-29T15:10:00.002-05:00

I read David Platt's Radical earlier this year and it really got me thinking about my life and the world. I thought I'd end the year by listening to some of David's sermons on the same topic. I started them yesterday and plan to finish the series as I close out 2011 and usher in 2012. Check them out here.

'Twas the Season

2011-12-28T11:10:00.001-05:00

For time with family and friends. My days off from work included:

Dad's Christmas gathering with his buddies, one of whom may have grabbed my tush on his way out the door. Classy.

A day trip to Savannah with Nathan and Shannon to take Grammy to lunch. This ended up including a trip to the booming metropolis of Metter, GA to see Big Poppy's grave. I also got a splinter that's still there...and is too tiny to see. The gift that keeps on giving?

Christmas Eve service at church with mom and dad to celebrate the Lord Jesus coming into the world..

Trip to Wilmington to surprise Granddaddy. Late night conversation with a cousin. Too much food. A road trip to Hardee's with Granddaddy -- he scooted while I walked. We didn't eat, but just needed to make sure his Rascal would get him there.

Dad gave mom an iPad which provided lots of entertainment in the car. I'm also hopeful it will help her typing/computer skills.

Nathan and Shannon gave me a Cuisinart food processor; I've already whipped up some delicious homemade hummus.

Today marks my new trend of eating healthy(er) and back to the grindstone of work calls, emails, and talking to people I'm not related to.

If you fry it, they will love it!

2011-12-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

Marifrasier had her Christmas Cook Off party last night. In past years, we've won with chimis and doughnuts. This year Jacqueline and I made homemade mini corn dogs. Yes, they were amazing. We then decided to use the remaining oil and batter for funnel cakes. Third year running, we took home a prize!

As I stood there in my apron and Ugg bedroom shoes frying, I realized something: I have turned into my mother.

My Losing Season

2011-12-22T07:32:00.000-05:00

As much as I adored Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline, My Losing Season just took its place as my favorite. I was teared up in the prologue, and the epilogue, and at words in between - so struck by his honesty and the sometimes harsh brutality of his life. It is not a sappy book, per se, but Conroy has the great gift of drawing you in, weather it's breathtaking scenery or ugly human nature. He shares so much of who he was and who he is; he gives insight to his other books. This book makes me want to read anything of his I haven't yet read.

I was born to be a point guard, but not a very good one...There was a time in my life when I walked through the world known to myself and others as an athlete. It was part of my own definition of who I was and certainly the part I most respected. When I was a young man, I was well-built and agile and ready for the rough and tumble of games, and athletics provided the single outlet for a repressed and preternaturally shy boy to express himself in public...I lost myself in the beauty of sport and made my family proud while passing through the silent eye of the storm that was my childhood (1).

There is no downside to winning. It feels forever fabulous. But there is no teacher more discriminating or transforming than loss. The great secret of athletics is that you can learn more from losing than winning. No coach can afford to preach such a doctrine, but our losing season served as both model and template of how life can go wrong and fall apart in even the most inconceivable places (394-395).

A Year of Graces

2011-12-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Rather than goals for 2012 (though I would like to tone up a bit...a constant goal, haha), I want 2012 to be a year of gratitude and of action. I want to see the blessings that are all around me and I want to put my faith into action. As for the gratitude, Ann Voskamp has this calendar that I'm going to be doing:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/YearOfGracesCalendar.pdf

I've got an Ebenezer Journal at home, but I'm not consistent with it; here's hoping this will help me stay the course for the year...for a lifetime.

1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "till now the Lord has helped us."

Lovely

2011-12-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

It's been warm, even for Charleston. While chilly in the mornings, it has been 70 in the afternoons. I have to say that I LOVE IT! I'll take shorts over a white Christmas any day of the year. This is the view Krissie and I caught on the Battery yesterday. How gorgeous is Charleston?!

This week has been pretty chill -- a real calm before the storm. Starting Thursday after work, the plans kick into high gear until I return to work next Wednesday.

'Twas a good weekend.

2011-12-19T15:42:00.002-05:00

Apparently

2011-12-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

Mary Glenn and Jule are in town. AND I get to have blue cheese chips and a 14 with them! Just like old times. So fun!

Work Lunches

2011-12-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

This time of year, my office eats lunch together and various snacks, dips, desserts to celebrate the Christmas season. We each take a day to bring lunch in and today is my day. We eat too much and try to outdo each other. Today was my day. I took a cue from Nathan and brought in pulled pork done in the crock pot. It is so easy and it was SO good!

Dice an onion and put in the bottom of the crock. Next put in a pork roast (mine was 3.5 lb) seasoned with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings. Then add apple cider vinegar. Nathan does a tablespoon; I did 1/2 cup because I like it. It cooked overnight and then I kept it warming all day before we ate. Yum!

Our menu for the week:

Monday -- bougie pizza
Tuesday -- meat ball subs
Wednesday -- chili
Thursday -- pork and roasted carrots & green beans
Friday -- chicken casserole
Monday -- homemade lasagna

Bring on the exercise!

Cousin Eddie

2011-12-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Sitting in my office. Snacking on a candy cane. Wishing I was at home watching this:

Todd: Hey Griswold. Where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?

Clark: Bend over and I'll show you.

Todd: You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that Griswold!

Clark: I wasn't talking to you!

Lots of Lights

2011-12-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

A few friends came over for supper last night and after a nice meal, we piled in the car and went to the James Island Festival of Lights. I hadn't been since middle school and I have to say, it was pretty cool and quite festive. Yes, we went around 3 times. Good times, better friends, bright lights. Such a fun time.

This was my favorite.

Also loved the winking owl.

Beyond the Gates of Splendor

2011-12-12T15:38:00.000-05:00

I'd heard bits and pieces of this story over the years, but it was cool to watch Beyond the Gates of Splendor on Netflix. The movie tells the story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, their team, along with past and current stories of the tribe in Ecuador that forever changed their lives. If you've got an hour and a half, it's worth the watch: challenging and encouraging.

New Kicks

2011-12-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

Courtney has wanted fancy bedroom shoes for quite some time, but couldn't bring herself to spend $60 on the LL Beans. $10 courtesy of Wal Mart sufficed. She loved the fancy slippers and her Spartanburg friends did too, so much in fact that they procured the $100 UGG version.

To my delight, Courtney found a pair of UGG's for $16! Only in a size 5. Being the friend that she is, she got them for her small footed bestie. When she told me about them, I said, "you know I'm going to be wearing these things all the time, right?!" I got them on Saturday and so far, that has proven to be true. They are SO comfortable! I never want to take them off. Get ready world, me and my UGG's will be taking you by storm.

Wal Mart on the left; UGG's on the right.

For What It's Worth

2011-12-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

I read this book on the planes over my trip. It is similar to Radical, thought it brought different perspectives, and I think in some ways it challenged me more, or at least in different ways. Simon has lived in Burundi, Africa for over a decade and is living with his family in Mt. Pleasant for about a year. I've been blessed to hear him preach at my church several times and have gotten to know his wife a bit. He challenges us to live a life of no holds barred discipleship. I got this book for a penny and paid for shipping -- grand total of $4. The cover also spurred my conversation with Alister the Brit (Houston to DC flight).

We are all just ordinary people, with the potential to do extraordinary things because we have an extraordinary God (13).

We like to have our ducks lined up, and our natural inclination is to play safe. However, it's those very uncertainties which define life as an adventure to be lived, and scream out to us to live lives of faith rather than tightly reigned risk-minimization enterprises (107).

In offering ourselves up as living sacrifices, we die to ourselves - to our right to ourselves. It will undoubtedly be painful, and that pain will be multiplied by being misunderstood by our more respectable brothers and sisters. But we need to remember that the cross was never respectable. It was foolishness, an insult, a shame, a disgrace. ... The Lord will demand everything of you. And when you give it all up to him, he may bless it and hand it back, but on the other hand he may not...(199).

Honduras: Pictures

2011-12-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

Food:

Seriously, how BIG is that lime?!

My favorite creole seasoning! In Spanish!

Beautiful scenery:

Swiss Family Robinson school bus house:

Shannon and I:

Me, Kate, Caitlyn, and Shannon

Honduras: Other things to note

2011-12-05T09:42:00.000-05:00

Fans. For those that can afford them, they are perhaps the greatest tangible asset you can have in Honduras.
You can use your American ATM card and get Limpira out
Kate and Jenn are friends from living together in Mexico for 3 years many moons ago. Small world. I love that connection!
Booze is very cheap and readily sold in grocery stores (I'd say 1/2 of what it costs here)
I love Kate's dog, Barnabas. He's my 2nd favorite dog in the world, behind Sullivan of course. If you're in the market for a pup, I suggest a mini golden doodle.
There's a lot of poverty. It never gets easy to see.
While I'm not trying to minimize the poverty I saw, it wasn't nearly as widespread as it was in Haiti.
5 years of high school classes and 1 college course were definitely helpful for me. My Spanish leaves much to be desired, but it was fun to attempt and use the little I know.
You can flush the toilet, but toilet paper goes in the trash can. This was the case everywhere I went.
Shannon's house had hot water, but this is not a guarantee in your home.
Shannon has a friend, Matt, that literally sold his home and moved to the tin village by the river to live with the people he's ministering to. Talk about challenging.
Restaurants are not good at changing orders. You want to change something, good luck. Shannon's theory, that makes a lot of sense, is that with little to no education, critical thinking skills aren't very developed. While removing cheese and adding meat may not sound challenging to you and I, apparently it is to a lot of people. My time in Honduras really made me value my education and appreciate the skills it taught me that I tend to take for granted.

Love this song:

Honduras: Monday

2011-12-05T09:41:00.000-05:00

Monday was a long day. Real long. I woke up at 6:30 to shower and pack up. We loaded up the car and headed out around 7:35 that morning for the 3 hour drive to San Pedro Sula. The gals were dropping me off at the airport, then hanging out and doing some shopping in town, spending the night, and retrieving a friend from the airport the next day to head back to La Ceiba. Please note that Kate was to buy 5 fans for their house in addition to the ones they currently had. Yes, it's hot in Honduras.

We had a sweet time of prayer in the car and I enjoyed my crackers and Diet Coke. You can take me anywhere and my breakfasts habits don't change much. I told the girls about a house that I'd seen on the way to La Ceiba. Sadly, I wasn't able to take a picture of it in time on the first ride. So we were all on the look out for what I like to call "the Swiss Family Robinson house made out of school buses." We finally saw it! Shannon pulled the car over and I was able to snap some pics.

We made it to the airport and I grabbed lunch: baleada with avocado, chicken tostadas, and a water. It was sad to say goodbye to my friends that graciously hosted me for my stay. They made me feel so welcome that it felt odd to be alone in the airport. I boarded the plane and made my way back to the States. This is where my day got a little crazy.

My original flight was from San Pedro Sula to Houston and Houston to Charleston. However, a few weeks after I booked my flight, they called and said my Houston layover would be replaced with a trip to DC. Let the good times roll. I remembered this the night before and prepared myself for lots of airplane time. We landed in Houston at 3:45 and my flight for DC took off at 5:00, boarding at 4:25. Shannon assured me this was plenty of time so I wasn't worried.

Yet. We landed at 3:45 and was off the plane at 4:00. I waited in the customs line and I waited and I waited. It was 4:05. Then 4:10. Then 4:15. Then I started getting anxious. Then it was 4:18 a gracious couple let me go ahead of them!

Dude at customs: Are you an American citizen?
Me: yes sir!
Dude at customs: Did you bring any alcohol or tobacco products back with you?
Me: No! ... Wait...yes, one cigar.
Dude at customs: Is it a Cuban cigar?
Me: No! Absolutely not!
Dude at customs: Would you be able to tell the difference?
Me: Of course!

And with that he let me go. I sprinted, with my carry on and full backpack on through the airport. Running as fast as I could. I made it to the next line. And I waited and I waited. Then the dude called me up and gave me the ok. Then I took off again...it truly was a work out as I hustled my way up an escalator with the pack on, dodging folks every which of way, all to be stopped at the next line. The dreaded line of removing your shoes and accessories and being x-rayed. I made friends with a nice Mexican businessman behind me en route to San Francisco. We picked the "fast line" which of course turned out to be the line slow as molasses. (Yet, aren't they all?) It was 4:40 and I was on the verge of tears. I really didn't want to be stuck in Houston.

Dallas: could have hung out with friends. Austin: always wanted to go there. Houston: not so much.

I finally made it through around 4:48 and don't think it would have been possible for me to run any faster than I did to gate C45. By the grace of God, I made it. Of course, I was seated in the last row of the plane. Haha. I had to excuse myself to the restroom to tidy up a bit after all the running. Hot and sweaty. Gross.

The front cover of the book I was reading prompted my seat mate and I to start talking. He asked if I was a climber; clearly, I am not. But that's how Alister the Brit and I became friends. We started talking about Jesus, discipleship, my trip to Honduras, sex trafficking, American politics, the global economy, his travel adventures, poverty, and getting involved in our own communities. It was one of those great conversations you have with a stranger. The perfect single serving friend.

We parted ways once landed in DC and I headed to my next plane. At this point, I'm ready to be home. I was on the phone with Courtney when I spotted something wonderful.

Me: Dude. There's a Five Guys in this airport. Do I want a burger?
Courtney: Shut up! A Five Guys??
Me: So, yeah, I guess I'll get one. Yum.
Courtney: Five Guys. In the airport. That is so awesome! Yes. Get it.

And, I tell you: it was awesome. So good. What happened next wasn't awesome, though. I boarded my third and final plane of the day. It was a tiny prop plane and I was so thankful to be in single row of seats, second from the front. 2A -- such a great seat. Well, then, the flight attended said the plane was too heavy up front so 3 of the 5 of us up front had to move back. I was one of the lucky ones that volunteered. Little did I know the back of the plane smelled putrid. Like, really awful. And my seat buddy would be a middle aged snorer with less than desirable breath and the tendency to venture over from his seat to mine. Off and on, I pulled the classic move of putting your nose in your shirt. It was that bad. I also thought the flight was an hour...but it was actually closer to two.

It felt so good, and breathable! to land in Charleston. It was midnight and mom and dad picked me up and took me home.

It was such a great trip. I really loved every minute of it. Honduras, I hope I'll be seeing you again one of these days.

Honduras: Sunday

2011-12-02T12:45:00.000-05:00

Shannon got up and made pumpkin bread for us to eat Sunday morning. After prayer, we decorated the Christmas tree procured the day before. And by we, I mean Shannon and Kate. The lights were strung, along with some fancy ribbon found at the Honduran version of Kohls. We headed to "Gringo Church."

Their team, plus Caitlyn and I, met at the Pettingill's house. We sang some songs and had a time of corporate prayer. Then Mike shared from Romans. We closed by lighting the advent candle, praying, and one more song. We ate a lunch of yummy chili, rum punch, and buttered toast. According to her husband, Erin could have been on America's Worst Cooks in 2007. Then they moved to Honduras. As she got frustrated that she couldn't buy the things she wanted, she started making them and learning what makes good substitutes. She's amazing. She's the one that made the homemade Reese cups. So good! And she told me, "you can spend a few hours making good bread...or you can spend a few days making great bread." While I make good bread in a bread machine, she makes great bread by hand. Her toast was awesome. And the day before I got a sample of a craisen cinnamon bread. Amazing!

At home, Christopher came over to cut the grass and eat some supper. We shredded and showered. Then we picked up Jeffrey (and here: front cover) and headed to Spanish church. I didn't understand much/any of the sermon audibly, but was able to follow along with the hand out fairly well. I loved the worship. I recognized some songs, and got acquainted with others. It was a sweet time and I really felt like I met with the Lord while I was there. We took Jeffrey home after church (most of the boys seem to have a 7:00 curfew) and went to supper. Shannon's friend Heather joined us; they met in language school in Costa Rica and she now works as an intern for the church we'd just attended.

Supper was great; I had plaintains resembling french fries, a taco, and a baleada with meat. During the meal, Kate shared with me her story of ending up in Honduras...falling in love with street children in Peru, wanting to go to Peru full time, meeting Mike Pettingill, spending a week with them in Honduras, and knowing the Lord was calling her there. Regarding her week stay, she said, "there was nothing magical about the week...but I knew. And then I remember being in the shower and praying and the hearing the Lord tell me to go." Then Kate spotted two boys outside of the restaurant; she invited them to sit with us, demolish the rest of my plaintains, and treat them to baleadas. It was pretty cool because they'd actually been to Shannon's old house a few times. We took them home, then Heather, then headed home ourselves.

In our own backyards.

2011-12-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

Courtney sent me this and I think it's worth sharing.

Honduras: Saturday

2011-12-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

After the morning routine, Shannon and I went to Armenia, a neighborhood where a lot of MTW work is going on. She'd been invited to a high school graduation party for Aleilei (sp?). Shannon and the MTW team is close with this family and it was an honor to be there. Graduating from high school is a really big deal when so many kids don't get much of an education at all. They invited us to come over around 10 am; the real party was that night, but the gang in their neighborhood has imposed a 6 pm curfew -- as in, if you're not in your house by 6 pm, we reserve the right to kill you.

Such a far cry from my own life...

The family was quite hospitable. The parents have 6 daughters and the youngest is a son. One of the nephews was scared of white people -- naturally, it became my goal for me to win him over. I don't think that happened. Theresa, the mom, prepared arriz con pollo and homemade tortillas. It was very authentic and very delicious. All cooked on an outdoor stove/outdoor kitchen. I wish I had pictures, but left my camera in the car and didn't want to be too invasive. We hung out for a few hours and just enjoyed our time with them.

Shannon and I ran some errands when we left including going by a gift shop, the ATM, and stopping by the Pettingill's home. We went outside for Shannon to pick up some herbs Erin grew for her and I inquired about a tree in their backyard. It looked like faint green grapefruits. Y'all, they were limes! The biggest lime you've ever seen in your whole life! Erin gave me one and I just loved it. Haha.

We met up with Kate and Caitlyn to do some grocery shopping and then went to the mall for some Christmas decor. We got snacks of baleadas -- homemade tortilla with refried beans, cheese, and egg. I pass on the egg and get avocado. Quite good.

Once home, boys came in and out to be fed supper. We did the Shred, showered, and headed to dinner at Expats: a restaurant/bar owned and operated by an American. The nachos and the margarita were yummy. I caught a brief glimpse of the Clemson/Carolina game before all the tv's became dedicated to soccer. Apparently they even have a phone where you can call America free of charge. I have to say, the setting was fabulous and it can be a nice respite for those living south of the border.

We used the biggest lime ever to make a round of mojitos at home. Y'all, the lime tasted as good as it was big. Shannon and I stayed up pretty late talking that night, before heading to bed. I have to say, I slept really well in Honduras.

-----

That day, the Shred got interrupted so Shannon could take a Skype call. One of her best friends was engaged. To a boy Shannon had never met. She was super excited for them...but it made me see the reality of living so far away, so far from the world you were once a part of. You really do have to count the cost of living for Jesus. Because when He calls us, we are to go. And going means leaving something behind. And leaving things behind can be really hard.

I was thankful to see this reality for their team. An engagement to someone you'll meet after the fact. Losing a parent. Knowing homesickness is likely just around the corner since you've only been gone a week. Not being told that cousins had more children, etc. Life goes on and sometimes others' lives go on without you.

The Cost of Following Jesus

^{Matthew 8:}¹⁸Now^(Y) when Jesus saw a crowd around him,^(Z) he gave orders to go over to the other side. ¹⁹^(AA) And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."²⁰And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." ²¹Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." ²²And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave^(AB) the dead to bury their own dead." (ESV)

Mom's on Gchat now.

2011-12-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

This is a typical conversation:

7:55 AM mom: yuu threre

me: i am

hey

how are you this morning?

mom: wwht yuu gdoiog

me: i'm at work

7:56 AM mom: iim finnr beeen decctrrating anbsd vdrrinkn coffffe

jhhhve yooou frrcopped gfrm trp

7:57 AM yuuur uytrn

me: i'm reading work emails

paying bills

mom: ook ttallk tp yuu lattr.love mmmoma

7:58 AM nnow ytuioo hxve top say bbye so illll no tyuou sare throghh

me: omg mom

sometimes it takes more than a second

for me to respond haha

bye

i'll talk to you later

love you

My favorite is, "your turn." Seems as though we have a long way to go in Gchat protocol. Oh, there's also the bit about her learning to type.

Honduras: Friday

2011-12-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

After the usual routine for me on my trip (waking up, reading the Word in bed, praying with the roommates), our second day of Thanksgiving began: Thanksgiving for the kids. Though this isn't their "set ministry," the girls have a beautiful way of ministering to the kids that live close by. While they live in a really nice house, and their neighbors do as well, not too far away are a few shanty towns made of tin houses. Several families lived in homes and were kicked out by the neighborhood gang. Into the tin they went. There is one "town" on each side of a river close to Shannon's. While the girls tend to stay home and cook/clean/etc. with the moms, the boys look for work collecting bottles, doing odd jobs, etc. Many of the boys come by Shannon's daily to hang out, read, learn to write, hear Bible stories, and eat. This was a day to celebrate with these boys and anyone else that might show up. (And show up they did!)

Kenya, the housekeeper, arrived at 10. She works for the girls two days a week, from 10:00 to 4:00 and makes $10/day. She brings her two year old daughter, Mevis (pronounced Mebis) and y'all, Mevis is as cute as a button. I loved playing with her because she's cute, thought being in the hammock was the greatest thing ever, and is too young to talk a lot so the English/Spanish thing wasn't a challenge! I also have to say, before I forget, that (1) Kenya was an invaluable help -- especially when it came to de-boning the turkey and (2) I could get used to having a housekeeper.

We started cooking but didn't know how many mouths we would feed. It was really fun for me to cook and even more fun to cook with the kids. Giving instructions with limited Spanish was interesting, but it worked out! Shannon ended up leaving to help a family (read about it here; very cool! and also this), and once again, I was in charge of the kitchen...which, we know, I loved. We cooked a 13 lb. turkey, made gravy, rice, box mac & cheese (the kids just love it), green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and apple crisp for dessert. A 13 lb. turkey shouldn't feed 32 people, but it did! Remember the loaves and fishes? Very cool to see the Lord provide for all of these kids and to cook and eat alongside them.

Once Shannon returned, we plated all the food and Kate shared the gospel with all of the kids. PS, Kate has been fluent in Spanish for a number of years and this is a huge asset! It really was such a fun and joyful time.

-----

Something else to note: my buddy for the day was Edwin. We met when I sat down and started reading the Jesus Storybook Bible with him. I was amazed, in a sad way, that my Spanish pronunciation was much better than his and I could read aloud much faster and more smoothly. Edwin was 10 (I think), but I have likely had more educational Spanish. While he has greater comprehension of the language, it was very odd for me to have to correct him on his native tongue.

Edwin continued to be my buddy in the kitchen and was quite the little cook! But I learned that he had been kicked out for fighting with other kids. I was sad that he wasn't able to eat with us since he had done so much, but know that it was the right thing to do to teach him that fighting isn't best and there are consequences to our actions.

-----

Once the kids ate and headed home, we tidied up the kitchen and then I ran some errands around town with Shannon. She drove me by the beach and it was beautiful at night. I also tried my first lychee fruit -- not bad at all, yet not my favorite. Next, we joined the ranks of teeny boppers and saw Twilight. Kate, Caitlyn, and Erin joined us at the theater. The place was crazy packed. We got popcorn and it had been ages since I'd had movie popcorn. So good! I've read all the books and seen the first two movies. This was, by far, the best movie as far as production is concerned. The budgets keep increasing and it shows.

The movie was in English, with Spanish subtitles (this is the case for all adult movies, with children's movies dubbed in Spanish). In case you ever see a movie in Honduras, let me tell you, it is quite different than seeing one in the US. What we might consider rude is deemed perfectly acceptable. This includes talking loudly and yelling comments during the movie, getting up and down and walking around during the movie, taking pictures of the movie, and I must say that every time Bella and Edwin kissed it was as ooohing and awwwing were a requirement to be there.

We headed home for a night of laughing and talking and puzzling.

Honduras: Thursday

2011-12-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

I woke up pretty early on Thanksgiving day which gave me time to read my Bible in bed. That's something that happens about never on a regular day. Shannon and her roommates pray together in the morning and it was a sweet time. It became one of my favorite things about their lives.

And then the cooking began. A few friends from language school were coming over to cook and eat with us; however, they couldn't find what they needed in the store. Finding Thanksgiving foods in Honduras is by no means guaranteed. Shannon left to help them and said the following should be made while she was gone: pumpkin pie, pumpkin dip, apple crisps (one for today and one for tomorrow). I joked and asked how long she'd be gone -- 2 hours? Well, when you end up going to 4 stores looking for something, 2 hours is about right. Haha.

With Shannon gone, I was in charge of the kitchen. One thing about me is I don't often share a kitchen well. I like to be in charge and do my own thing. Since neither Kate or Caitlyn minded, I gladly took over the kitchen. To my surprise, we'd accomplished all the things on our list by the time Shannon returned home, along with Amanda, Bridey, and Sarah. We joined forces and added chocolate pecan pie, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and dressing to our repertoire. Now, someone decided to put sausage in the dressing. This would be a first for me, but it sounded yummy. I was going to cook the Italian sausage, as I was told, and soon realized it was actually chorizo.

I'm by no means anti-chorizo, and have cooked the links before. Yet, it is not my favorite of all the sausages and this crumbly style (tube package) was very different to cook. The liquid content was higher than what I was used to, but alas it worked. We added it to half the dressing and therefore had regular as well as Hispanic dressing. I should note, that of the 3 dressing choices at lunch, I took the plunge and went with the Hispanic dressing. It certainly wasn't traditional, but it tasted quite good!

We loaded up Shannon's Ford escape with all 7 of us and all of our dishes. We ate Thanksgiving lunch with The MTW team -- the Pettingills and the Clows, as well as their friends from Chicagoland. With the kids, there were a total of 19 of us. The food was traditional and delicious. I ate too much; home made Reece's peanut butter cups were my favorite. Yes, I said home made and they were better than the store brand.

The afternoon consisted of eating desserts, getting to know people, drinking some scotch whiskey on the rocks (this was a first for me, but it was very smooth), and playing games like Categories/Scategories. It turns out that I know nothing about Australia...and neither did the folks I played with (guess you had to be there for that). Before I knew it, it was pretty late. We dropped our friends off and headed home. I'd like to tell you that I didn't eat supper that night, but I couldn't go to bed without another piece of chocolate pecan pie.

Some of you know that I love puzzles. My most favorite being Unicornicopia done with B5 back in the day. We started a 1,500 piece puzzle of a scene in London (or somewhere). I'm sad that I won't be able to work on the puzzle until it's complete. I'm also sad that we had to start the puzzle no less than three times due to people putting it back in the box. Thanks el nino and thanks Kate. Don't worry, we had a serious conversation about the puzzle after the last debacle. Kate would love to tell you about it.

Honduras: Wednesday

2011-11-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

I stayed with mom and dad Tuesday night because mom graciously offered to take me to the airport on Wednesday. I awoke earlier than a normal person should: half past 4 in the morning. Mom and I left the house at 4:50 and headed to the airport, Diet Coke and bacon sandwich in hand for breakfast. I got my boarding pass and then headed through the dreaded line where they search your bags. It's never fun and it is especially tragic when they confiscate your four cans of pumpkin. "Are they liquids?" you ask. No. In fact, they are not. However, they are considered to be a paste and apparently pastes are dangerous and the demise of life abundant. I was hoping to find consolation in the fact that the food would go to someone in need; sadly, it does not. Thankfully Krissie called and took on the task of informing Shannon I would be arriving sans pumpkin.

The plane left Charleston at 6:30 and my buddy on the flight was Vanessa, a young gal in a Charleston theater group. We landed in Houston around 8 -- ahead of schedule! I called Courtney as I hopped on the airport train and navigated my way to my next gate. We departed at 9 and as our conversation was coming to a close, I just couldn't stop crying. As we took off I penned:

I cried as I got off the phone with Pip, the plane about to depart. Not because I was scared or nervous. Not because I was fearful or re-thinking my going. I cried because the Holy Spirit stirred me. The Lord has been working. Is working. Will work. I cried because I don't think this is going to be the last time I leave my country for a foreign life. I cried because I think, I hope, it is one of many. And with that comes a strange excitement.

Y'all, we were served a cheese omelet on my next flight. In a bag. Interesting. Seeing as how I don't eat eggs (other than in baked goods and Pad Thai), I gave mine away. Landing in San Pedro Sula at noon, I was struck by how beautiful the country is. And, I have to say, the beauty never seemed to end. Every where I looked, I saw lush green plants with foggy mountains in the background: breathtaking. As I was exiting the plane, a Latin dude, assuming Honduran, looked at me and said, "oh, you're by yourself?" To which I replied, "yes. Is that ok?" His, "well, you need to be careful," wasn't super reassuring.

I had a buddy on that flight as well, yet I couldn't pronounce or fully understand his name. We cruised through customs together and then bumped into each other off and on as we waited for our bus to come. The airport was nice and provided great people watching opportunities. You could choose from Wendy's, Dunkin Doughnuts, NY Bakery, and two Honduran restaurants. Naturally, I went authentic and ate 2 tacos that were great. Afterwards, I wondered if it was ok I ate the produce that they had. Thankfully, it seemed to be!

It's a funny thing to be a minority. I found myself resonating with the handful of other white folks in the airport. Though I didn't want to be just another gringo. But, let's be honest, I was. I tend to make friends in awkward/unfamiliar situations (hence, the plane friends). While waiting to board the bus, a white kid about my age strolled up and spoke wonderful Spanish to the bus dude. My instinctive thought: oh, great, maybe we'll sit next to each other and we can talk, I'll find out how he learned Spanish, oh...his t-shirt says San Diego and I have friends moving there...yes, good friends we shall be.

Here's what took place: as we loaded our bags into the bus (note: first of 2 buses) he looked at me and said, "it says Channel 9 news."
Me: Oh, you caught me staring at your t-shirt? Yeah, I have a propensity for doing that. Mine says Patagonia in case you were wondering.

Well, he wasn't. Needless to say, we did not become friends.

Once we arrived at the bus station, I waited for the bus to La Ceiba. My t-shirt not-friend boarded another bus and I got up to make sure it wasn't mine. Based on another few exchanged words, I'm pretty sure he thought I would end up dead in a ditch somewhere. (Guess what? I didn't!) My plane friend told me my bus was running 30 minutes late. He took his bus and hugged me goodbye. I made friends with a few Hondurans and one let me borrow his cell phone to call Shannon and tell her I'd be late due to the bus.

About an hour later than my ticket read, we boarded the bus. A Coke Light helped me stay awake. Did you ever eat those root beer flavored Bottlecaps? I think that is what Coke Light tastes like. I don't hate it, but it is no Diet Coke. I listened to Simon & Garfunkel, Van Morrison, and Patty Griffin's Heavenly Day as I tried to absorb the scenery. It was so beautiful. Green. Lush. Tropical. Mountains that seemed mysterious. Valleys with rivers flowing through them. I was overwhelmed with God's goodness and me being there.

The bus ride was 3 hours from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba and obviously, I had to use the bathroom. I tried to hold it, but no. I got up and went to the back: no bathroom, just people sitting and staring at me. Oh, it must be up front behind that door. Go up there: it isn't. I'm told it's in the middle of the bus down a step or two. Ok

A few other things to note:

I found the Christmas lights interesting. American commercialism making its way all over the world.
A buddy in the bus stop asked if I was married? Had kids? How old was I? I think she was appalled at my situation. As it turns out, it can be just as awkward to be 28 and single in Honduras as it is in the United States.
I found myself complaining to myself about the bus running late and then driving slow as molasses. Then I remembered much of the OT I'd been reading over the past few months: when the Israelites complained, they weren't as able to see the glory of the Lord. I wish I remembered this all the time.

My bus finally arrived in La Ceiba and I was so excited to see Shannon! She lives close by and it was good to be in a home instead of a plane/bus seat. Her house is really nice and big. She has two roommates that I instantly liked and felt very comfortable with. We ate a yummy meal, chatted, and just hung out that night. It was just what I needed after a long day of traveling. Shannon and Caitlyn have started doing The Shred and so I watched/half way did it that night. Shannon and I stayed up too late talking, but it was worth it. As I went to sleep that night, I could only be grateful to be there. Excited for the day I'd had and excited for what the Lord would do on the rest of my trip.

Oh, and they get real Diet Coke from the import aisle! Yes!

Back in the USA

2011-11-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

After a long day of travel, I am home safely from Honduras. I adored my time there and will be sharing stories as soon as I get some time to do so!

These verses came to mind over and over again during my time there...for me being there briefly, and more so watching Shannon and her team love and serve this beautiful country.

Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;t
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;t2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Busting at the seams

2011-11-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

with excitement about tomorrow! Mom's taking me to the airport bright and early...well, it might not even be bright outside yet. Sigh... My flight leaves at 6:30 am and heads to Houston, before taking me all the way to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. I'll hang out in the airport for a bit, then catch a bus to La Ceiba, Honduras. I'll be staying in La Ceiba with Shannon.

I'm not sure what all is on the docket for my time there, but I can't wait. I'm excited to be a part of Shannon's world, meet new people, see new places, and trust the Lord on this adventure.

It's also a good thing I remembered to ask Shannon if it was ok for me to drink tap water this morning. Turns out, it isn't. The last thing this girl needs is another bout of the cholera.

What I was up to.

2011-11-21T13:01:00.000-05:00

My weekend was full and really great. Busy, but not draining. Friday night I had supper with my small group and then watched a Beth Moore video on patience. It was really good, really challenging, and very "Beth." The most challenging thing was hearing that the people in your life that are "hard to love" are likely placed in your life by God for YOU. I can totally see this in my own life and I think those times are super stretching, but really good. Then, I went to a bonfire for a while before heading home. I also started watching Christmas Vacation for the first time this season. Sadly, I had to turn it off because otherwise I'd have stayed up far too long! I got too into it.

Saturday morning, I helped work at the Lowcountry Food Bank. I had no idea that so many interesting items were donated for those in need...items that this blog is too PG to discuss. I ate a delicious lunch at Santi's and then headed home to pack for Honduras! A friend came over and talked to me while I packed and it was pretty fun. Chinese take out, DVR'd TV, and an early bed time called my name and were a delight that night.

Nathan and Shannon were in town for a wedding so I had lunch with the fam after church. Then, Nathan, Shannon, and I hung out for the afternoon. I showed them where I live and then we played around downtown for a few hours before chilling in Kaminsky's with a beverage of choice. We met back up with mom and dad for a delicious dinner at Husk. Since none of us will be home for Thanksgiving, it was an especially fun time to get together, eat too well, and catch up. All in all, a really great weekend!

TGIF

2011-11-18T14:15:00.002-05:00

Ready for the weekend. Thankful my boss surprised me with this.

To be or to buy?

2011-11-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

What if we wanted to be beautiful more than we wanted to buy beautiful?

The enemy tempts that stuff is what makes us lovely — when the Truth is surrender makes us the loveliest and what is more lovely than love? Love, it knows no other way than to give away.

I read these words on Ann Voskamp's blog yesterday morning and am still so challenged by it...

Sometimes I want to be George Costanza

2011-11-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

and do this:

Kisses from Katie

2011-11-14T11:50:00.000-05:00

I read this book over the weekend and it challenged me in many ways. It's a quick read, but a slow process. Katie moved to Uganda after high school, has fallen in love with the people, and is now mother to 14 Ugandan girls. The Lord called her and she went...

But I am living in the midst of the uncertainty and risk, amid things that can and do bring physical destruction, because I am running from things that can destroy my soul: complacency, comfort, and ignoracne. I am much more terrified of living a comfortable life in a self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus than I am of any illness or tragedy (XIX).

Wilmington

2011-11-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

Wilmington was fun and filled with wishing Granddaddy an 88th birthday, staying up until 2:30 talking to one of my aunts, running errands, being silly, cooking food for my cousin Virginia so she could have a dinner party in her college apartment, an oyster roast, fried shrimp, big steaks, pound cake for breakfast, shrimp and grits, watching Parks & Recreation with my cousin Matthew, reading a book in the car, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some things. All in all, a great weekend with family.

You know what I love?

2011-11-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

I love that today my granddaddy turns 88 today on 11.11.11!

I love that most of our family will be celebrating with him this weekend.

I love that I had lunch with a friend from college yesterday that I hadn't seen in 2.5 years and it was good and easy to catch up and the Lord is teaching us some similar thing though we live worlds apart.

I love that I've been reading some of the Compassion International blogs from Ecuador. This, this and this. And I love seeing what the Lord is doing through this ministry and am more encouraged to pray for my own CI buddy, Rosaline.

I love that most of this week has been in the low 70's. In November.

If you watch Grey's and haven't seen this week's episode

2011-11-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to spoil anything for you. But, oh my word. Shonda Rhimes is brilliant and so are the actors and directors. And I cried like a baby. Best show ever or best show ever?

When

2011-11-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

did I get so old that Friends is on Nick at Nite?? Though it makes me feel old, I love watching and falling asleep to one of the greatest shows ever.

Repent.

2011-11-10T13:02:00.002-05:00

It's that time again...

2011-11-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

for more malaria pills! This morning kicked off the first of seven... They are huge and they are hot pink. But hopefully they are worth it.

Sometimes

2011-11-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

life doesn't go as planned. Sometimes you plan to go on a walk with your friend Beth along the Battery after work. A few minutes into the walk, however, things change. A group of tourists ask you to take their picture. They're an eclectic bunch and y'all start chatting. Turns out, they're in Charleston for a work conference and are in teams -- participating in a scavenger hunt made up of things all over downtown.

Seeing as how Beth and I are both natives, they asked us to help them out in exchange for buying us a beer. We did what any rational people would do: we totally accepted the offer. Ha!

For the next hour and a half, we ran around downtown Charleston with this motley crew, taking their pictures in front of landmarks and finding out historical facts. Along the way, we popped into The Griffon for a beer. Per my suggestion, a round of Holy City beer for all of us!

At some point, we had to part...they had to haul it back to Charleston Place to see if they won and we needed to head on ourselves. I don't know if they won or not, but I'm going to assume that the orange team blew the other teams out of the water. On the way back to our car, another team asked us for help, but we're not traitors! In fact, I'm still rocking my orange bandana.

We stopped by Andolini's for supper. Turns out, Wednesday's special is two slices of cheese pizza and a drink (draft beer OR Coke) for $7. Such a deal! All in all, a great and random Wednesday eve -- good time with Beth, fun new friends, random story, and good pizza!

My hand at baking.

2011-11-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

So I decided to make a cake for Courtney's birthday. I searched the internet high and low for a stellar chocolate cake recipe and landed on this one, which is actually an Ina Garten recipe (one of my favs). Per her request of cream cheese icing, I searched the web high and low for a thick cream cheese icing and found this one.

I saw this cake and decided to try my hand at decorating. It should have come out like this:

Though mine turned out like this:

Not bad for my first try. The top looked great and the sides were good enough. Ha. The cake was good, but the icing was where it's at. You don't use 14 cups of powdered sugar for nothing -- it tastes amazing! Seriously, it was awesome.

True. So true.

2011-11-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

From Cape Cod Collegiate.

ATL

2011-11-07T09:32:00.000-05:00

This past weekend in Atlanta was awesome. Some might even say it was banannies. But, if I had to sum it up in two words, I would say: coconut and perfectness.

Friday night consisted of eating a wholesome meal, deep fried style. Cheese on a stick. Homemade corn dogs. Tater tots as the veggie (go MAPL) and yes, we did squeeze in a salad. If you love corn dogs as much as my friends and I do, I highly recommend making following The Pioneer Woman's instructions and putting on a pair of elastic-waist pants.

Also, I suggest eating lots of fruit: grapes. In the form of a wine glass. It does a body good.

For Free!

2011-11-07T09:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I was one of the 5 people in America that hadn't seen Bridesmaids. But I watched it this weekend, and wow. I wish I could sit in a room today and watch it over and over and over again. Hilarious.

Hilarious.

2011-11-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

Love Barney Stinson!

Thanks, Jacqueline for passing this one along!

Bleh.

2011-11-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

This week has been a rough one. As a private introvert, I tend to keep these things to myself.

I couldn't be happier that (1) today is my last day at work for the week (2) I'm baking tonight and I find cooking to be therapeutic (3) I get to hang out with a lot of fun people tonight and this weekend!

Carrot Soup

2011-10-31T08:39:00.000-04:00

I've never been into cooked carrots too much...until last year when I discovered that I loved them roasted. I saw a recipe for carrot soup on Pioneer Woman and decided to give it a try. Apprehensive, I just made 1/3 of the recipe in case I didn't like it. Well, I loved it! I'll definitely be making this again. For her pictures and humor, go here.

3 pounds Baby Carrots
2 quarts Vegetable Stock Or Chicken Stock (I used homemade chicken stock)
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme (used dried)
1/3 cup Honey
1/2 cup Heavy Cream (used milk)
Dash Of Salt (also added pepper)

Combine carrots, stock, and thyme in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from heat and transfer soup in two batches to a blender (or you may use an immersion blender.) Puree soup completely, then stir in honey and cream. Taste, then add salt as needed.

Cooking at the Kasbah

2011-10-28T08:54:00.000-04:00

My brother is a really great gift giver; last night we cooked and use two of his best gifts: the bread maker and the tagine. He also gave me a cook book with lots of Moroccan recipes: Cooking at the Kasbah {always makes me think of the song Rock the Casbah}. Tried a new recipe: tagine of chicken with eggplant with sun-dried tomatoes. I've had the store bough version of the eggplant from Trader Joe's, which is really good. But the home made version was much better.

Onions, roasted eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, with lots of spices and seasonings:

With the chicken that is also cooked in the tagine:

And a freshly made French baguette to accompany it:

A fun and delicious meal to cook!

Oh, right!

2011-10-28T08:42:00.000-04:00

The other night I heard something that really struck me: trusting the Lord and waiting on the Lord are connected. We are only able to wait on Him because we trust Him. And if you trust the Lord, you know His character and are therefore able to wait on Him.

Simple, yet revolutionary, thought.

Truth isn't always pretty.

2011-10-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

I just bumped into a buddy on the street as I headed back to my office. We said hello and then he asked if I was feeling ok. I said, "oh is my eye red? My allergies started flaring up." "Yeah, you look really exhausted and not yourself..." was the reply I heard.

Apparently staying up too late and oversleeping two of the three work days this week, thus leaving me in a tizzy in the mornings, has taken its toll.

Young Life Banquet

2011-10-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

I went to the Charleston Young Life banquet last night and was reminded all over again why I love this ministry. Young Life is fun (being a Christian doesn't have to be boring). Young Life loves kids (even the ones that are really hard to love). Young Life shares Jesus (whom we all need).

Young Life started in Charleston in 1996 and I got involved a few years later. The Lord used Young Life to show me that, yes, I too, was in need a savior. As I listened to kids share how Young Life was used to bring them to Jesus, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with gratitude. 12 years later, I was sitting at a table with my old YL leaders and was so thankful that they loved me when I was a brat, were honest with me about their own lives, and showed me over and over again what it meant to love Jesus.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20

Making things up may not be the best way to go.

2011-10-25T10:40:00.000-04:00

In a month, I'll be in Honduras; crazy and exciting! Yesterday, I went to look for bus information to take from the airport to the town I'll be staying in. Shannon gave me the website and told me I could buy a ticket online now or when I got there. Well, obviously this A-typer would prefer to purchase in advance.

Should be easy, right? So I went to "buy online" and started filling out my information. Since I'm not Honduran, I don't have an Honduran ID number. Fine, just put in your passport number. Well, I didn't have that with me or access to it. So, I did what every normal person would do: I made it up. I put in 123456789 (not even knowing how many digits your passport number have; which, turns out to be 9!). To me, this would be perfectly fine, because websites only take you so far until you give them the goods, i.e. submit your credit card info. No worries, right?

Wrong. Of course, as soon as I clicked "next" after my personal information it does not take me to another info page. Nor does it take me to the payment page. Instead, it says, "thank you; someone will be in touch with you." Great. My first thought: please don't call me because it is likely I won't understand a word you are saying. I was relieved when I received an email from Mayra about my bus ticket.

However, from the time I submitted my information to the time I received Mayra's email, I found out I'd submitted the wrong bus stop (not shocking). So I asked her about that and mentioned I could give her my legit passport number later on. I'm pretty sure Mayra became alarmed when she realized 123456789 wasn't my actual passport number. {Come on, Mayra, who's actually lucky enough to get that number?!} At any rate, I emailed her my real number last night.

At this point, I'm fully expecting to be flagged by the Honduran bus system and may be called in for questioning. Yet, hoping Mayra doesn't tell her supervisor about some random American who's certainly clueless and potentially fraudulent or terrorizing or something tragic.

Great weekend in Clemson

2011-10-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

I left work a smidge early on Friday and met Beth. We headed to Spartanburg to pick Courtney up and then made our way to Clemson. Well, actually, it wasn't quite as easy as that. Traffic from Charleston to Spartanburg was miserable. After cruising along at 20 MPH for a while, we finally came to a complete stop. Praise the Lord, we were stopped at an exit. We made the bold decision to take the exit and try the back roads; a Garmin, phone GPS, and call to Clark later, we knew how to successfully pass the traffic and re-enter I26. Charleston to Spartanburg is a standard 3 hours to me, but this trip was 3 hours 45 minutes. I'm SO thankful I had Beth in the car with me. I'm sure she's glad she was able to experience my highway driving skills.

The drive from Spartanburg to Clemson was a bit heavily trafficked as well, but manageable. We dropped Beth off, and met Jacqueline at Copper River Grill for supper. It was 8:45 when we got there and we were all starving. Jacqueline got a BBQ pizza. Courtney and I split meals: she ordered the hamburger with bacon and cheese and onion rings. I ordered the meat pizza. It had a layer of pepperoni all over the pizza, then other meats and mushrooms on top. Courtney's burger came with a whole plate of fries. Jacqueline's pizza had a pile of onion straws on top. Basically, it looked like a Biggest Loser meal before Trainer Bob gets a hold of you.

After gorging on not-so-healthy-but-oh-so-delicious food, we headed to the lake house that Jacqueline's mom has been staying in for the past month. This house. The view. Seventy five percent of the house has a view of Lake Keowee. Gorgeous.

We headed out around 8:30 to meet Mr. Bishop and then mosey on to their family tailgate spot. As if we didn't treat ourselves enough the night before, we certainly treated ourselves tailgating. Bojangles biscuits and mimosas for breakfast. Jalepeno pimento cheese, beer cheese dip, fruit, crackers, brie, puppy chow, etc. for snacks. Bojangles fried chicken and biscuits for lunch. Pumpkin beer. Tailgating before and after the game, as well as half time, involved much food and enjoyment.

I hadn't been to a Clemson game since I was in graduate school there. It was SO fun. I love the stadium, all of the people in orange and purple, and the overall excitement. I love it when the entire stadium yells C. L. E. M. S. O. N. one section at at time. Almost gives you chills. And we won! Still undefeated! Other things to note: Courtney taught me what downs are. I felt like I'd learned a new language; football makes so much more sense now! Also, we were able to see Margaret and Amanda at the tail end of the 4th quarter!

When we headed home, we enjoyed sunset club with a great view. For those of you who don't know, we started sunset club senior year. We pulled our furniture into the backyard and hung out and maybe had a drink with all of our friends from about March until graduation. Anytime you have a good sunset, good friends, and a place to sit, do it. You won't regret it.

Sadly, we started eating again and I ate so much puppy chow I could have gotten sick. Thankfully, I didn't! Ginny (Jacqueline's mom) told us about Storage Wars. It was fascinating. We only watched about 8 episodes and then something called Hog Catchers came on...wow. Who knew hog trapping/killing was so intense?!

Sunday morning consisted of a quiet time and finishing off the puppy chow. We took a short walk around the neighborhood, and then Courtney and I had to pack up and head out. We grabbed Beth and decided to carry on with our "Treat. Yo. Self." themed weekend by lunching at Cook Out. A NC style BBQ sandwich, onion rings, and mint oreo milkshake for me. So good. When Beth and I left Spartanburg, we had one more detour to make. My old stomping ground of Clinton, SC. She'd never been to Presbyterian College or Clinton so it was time to rectify that.

The Presbyterian College sign.

Our beloved townhouse, B5.

Isn't PC gorgeous this time of year?

Donors are crazy about statues on campus and to my knowledge, this is the newest one. Also, one of the largest.

Beth and I headed Back to Charleston, grabbed a quick bite at Moe's, and then I dropped her off and headed home. Sure, I'm tired. Sure, I slept through my alarm this morning. But, the weekend was totally worth it! So thankful the Bishops extended their hospitality to me!

Week in review

2011-10-21T09:45:00.000-04:00

This week has flown by and has been a good one. Things to note:

Ran for 20 minutes Monday. For me, that is a lot. Kind of a miracle in fact.
Tuesday night included a lot of time just worshiping the Lord...so good.
Supper with mom Wednesday night. Good food. Fun time together catching up and telling stories. One of those times where your parent just feels like a friend.
Beth came over for supper last night. Good times.
Excited to head to Clemson for the weekend! Haven't spent time there since I was in grad school. It is beautiful this time of year, they are undefeated, and will be hanging out with fun friends.
Treated myself to a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit this morning.
For your enjoyment:

Sweet Home Chicago...part 4

2011-10-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning consisted of lots of debating, mainly political, until we got hungry enough to leave the apartment for brunch. Which, by the time we got there, was straight up lunch. My pancakes and crispy bacon totally hit the spot. We cruised through the Lincoln Park Zoo for a while and I'd forgotten how long it's been since I've seen zebras and the like.

We cooked engagement chicken, rice, and roasted broccoli before heading to Second City. Yes, this is the place where one of my favorites got her start. We saw Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting) and it was quite funny. A little bit crass, a little bit condescending towards Christians, but tuning that out, it was great show. It was a fun way to end a great weekend.

Monday morning came early at 4:30. I got dressed and then Nathan drove me to the airport. Thankfully, the flight left on time and I landed in Myrtle Beach, and made it to work by noon. Long day, but totally worth it. Such a fun weekend in Chicago, good time with Nathan and Shannon, and a great personal mini vacation.

Sweet Home Chicago...part 3

2011-10-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning was pretty chill. I got to go exploring by myself again in the form of a run/walk and it was glorious. Nathan, Shannon, and I headed out to go grocery shopping. This meant going to 3 places: local farmer's market for fresh veggies, including brussel sprouts on the stalk. Looked like this:

We also headed to Gepperth's meat market. In addition to what was on the list, Nathan couldn't pass up a few links of duck sausage. (That was a first for me.) Then, we headed to a regular, and tiny, grocery store/market for the things we couldn't get elsewhere. Once home, we made a pizza for lunch: onions, bell pepper, tomato, duck sausage, and cheese curds (the curds were also a first for me). I'd say we did quite well:

After lunch, we lounged and caught up on some tv. Then we started cooking supper: pulled pork, mac and cheese, to which Nathan's signature is adding gorgonzola for an extra bite, and roasted brussel sprouts. We were cooking supper for some of their friends, Betsy and Will. More on this later...

After showering, etc., we headed to church. Church was really great. The music, the sermon, communion. And, it was really cool to go to church with Nathan and Shannon. I love how the Lord is working in their lives.

After church, Shannon rode with Betsy, Will, and their kid to run by Nathan/Shannon's and grab the food, then head to Betsy and Will's to get the baby to bed on time. Nathan and I took took the train and met them there a bit later. We tossed the food in the oven to heat up and soon enough enjoyed a nice meal. It was a fun time. That is, until my allergies couldn't take it anymore. They have a cat. There wasn't any visible hair, etc. on the furniture and they put the cat downstairs so I was hoping I'd be ok. And I was for a while. And then the allergies hit me like a ton of bricks: itchy, watery eyes. We had to bolt ASAP. Thankfully Betsy drove us home and let me cruise in a store for some Benedryl. Two pills later and my eyes were cleared up; plus, I slept like a baby.

Sweet Home Chicago...part 2

2011-10-18T12:59:00.001-04:00

Nathan headed to work Friday morning, while Shannon and I slept in a bit. We went on run/walk, but went our separate ways. I LOVE meandering through unknown neighborhoods and exploring new places. As an introvert, it was a great way for me to re-charge and prepare for the day. I cruised through Lincoln Park (Nathan's hood), Old Town, and made my way over to the lake. Shannon and I met back up at home, showered, and hit the town. We shopped and grabbed lunch at Flaco's Tacos. I didn't get too much, but a few things, including my first Zara purchase. I'm definitely a summer girl, and was reminded of this over and over again this weekend. One reason: it is really hard to try on clothes when you have pants, shirt, cardigan, scarf, and a jacket. That's a lot of clothing to take on and off... At any rate, I had a nice, low-key day with Shannon.

We headed home and then I headed to meet a great friend of mine from Columbia, Emily. We drank red wine and ate appetizers and caught up and laughed and told stories. When we both lived in Columbia, we hung out all the time...it was a sad realization that we hadn't seen each other in over a year. But the best thing about good friends, is that time seems to vanish when you're brought back together again. Emily lives in the same neighborhood that Nathan and Shannon do, so when it was time to part, I took a leisurely stroll home and found a big bowl of chocolate ice cream waiting for me when I got there.

Sweet Home Chicago...part 1

2011-10-18T10:42:00.000-04:00

I left work on Thursday and headed to meet dad for a quick and delicious lunch. After a bit of convincing, he only ate one sandwich. Ha. Graciously, he filled up my car with gas and sent me on my way to Myrtle Beach. The airport is tiny and people watching was pretty entertaining. We boarded the plane on time and were quickly greeted by the captain who I think would have preferred to do stand up rather than flying. Some of her jokes were better than others. Apparently the door to the plan wouldn't shut properly, and though it was fixed there was a lot of government paperwork to be processed and that was taking forever. Next thing I know, one of the two AC units is down. Don't worry, it isn't needed...but again with the paperwork. At lunch, Dad asked me if this airline (Spirit) was safe; I laughed it off, yet really started to wonder as I sat there with all of these announcements running through my head... Needless to say, we were an hour late getting off the ground.

The flight was easy and I made a friend: Lindsey. Sadly, since I was running behind we had to ditch our original plans: seeing Live58. I was really excited because it wasn't playing in SC. Such a bummer. Instead, I met Nathan and Shannon at Nathan's office and we walked to Hubbard Inn for supper. We all shared some crispy sweet breads with brussel sprouts. If you've never had sweet breads, you're missing out; they are amazing. I had the lamb burger, with mint, red onion, cucumber, feta, and tzatziki sauce. Served with awesome fries, it was really satisfying and delicious -- especially after flying on an airline so cheap you don't get a snack. Shannon and I each had a Goose Island 312; think local Blue Moon. We headed home and I have to say, their neighborhood is really nice. While not huge, this apartment is much bigger than the studio I stayed in with them four years ago.

Oh, Marcia

2011-10-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

I'm grabbing (super quick) lunch with my dad on my way out of town this afternoon. We're hitting up Sewee Outpost. It is a local Mast General Store of sorts (lunch, bait, and a new PFG shirt in one stop) and they have the most amazing shrimp salad sandwiches, among other things.

I got this email from mom just now; she's infamous for her tragic typing:

hhve freeun in cjjcasgp

ddionnt kyet daddddy eat mmor than onne sdabndwwich//////////

lovre mmomma

Hilarious.

Looking forward to Noon

2011-10-13T08:28:00.000-04:00

Leaving work early today to head to Chicago! So excited for this mini vacation and time with my brother and sister-in-law!

Twist on an a Favorite

2011-10-12T16:19:00.002-04:00

I heard Sufjan's version of Come Thou Fount on Friday Night Lights and loved it. Of course, I forgot about it, but was pleasantly reminded of it today. Thanks, Pandora. Enjoy.

Pumpkins.

2011-10-12T14:10:00.000-04:00

A lot of people LOVE pumpkin products. There are quite a few mid-westerners in my office and they really get excited about pumpkin food items...especially something called a pumpkin roll. It's fine, but doesn't make me giddy or anything. And then there is the Pumpkin Spiced Latte at Starbucks. Granted, I don't like coffee, but it never ceases to amaze me how excited people get over those things.

But, there is one pumpkin product I do love. Blue Moon's fall brew. A little bit of pumpkin. A little bit of spice. A lot of enjoyment.

Back in Action

2011-10-10T10:41:00.000-04:00

I was out last Thursday and Friday with a sinus infection and it actually feels good to be back in the office today. That may have something to do with the fact that I really have nothing else on TV to watch. But the good news is, I'm fully caught up on Parks & Rec -- all of season 3 and what has aired of season 4, with the DVR set to record new episodes. Yes, life is good.

In other news, I had a burst of energy last night. This, coupled with the perfectly cool temperature outside, made me want to run. I was actually feeling quite good on my run (never happens, hence I never run) and then my left knee started hurting. It felt like a knife was jammed in there and all of my cartilage leaked out. It still hurts today...like I'm taking the stairs one at a time. For some reason, things like this always happen to me whenever running "feels good."

Example B: circa March 2007. I was running in Shandon (Columbia, SC) and had been going a few miles...feeling really, really good. Up ahead there was a large, cut down tree limb in the road. For this excellent runner? Not a problem. I would easily jump the limb and continue with my proud and easy pace. The limb wasn't the problem; the unseen pile of debris hiding behind the limb was the problem. I landed on my left ankle with all of my body weight, somehow skinning my knee, and bruising my entire left leg in the process.

Of course there were some construction men watching all of this go down. They couldn't have been nicer. One (literally) picked me up and set me on the back of his truck, grabbing a clean cloth to wipe the blood off my shin. The other ran inside to get me a bottle of water. They offered to give me a ride home, but I hobbled the 1/3 or so mile home. When I took my shoe off, a big blue ankle had replaced my previously white, kankle-free one. My left ankle still acts up from time to time and I can especially feel it when it rains. The plus to not having your foot fit in any of your shoes: wearing Crocs to work for a solid two weeks.

The moral of this story: I don't think I'm meant to be a runner.

A bit of a rant.

2011-10-05T15:55:00.000-04:00

It's no question that the state of SC is having some financial difficulties these days. School districts all across the state have spread their budgets very thin just to retain teachers and keep the lights on. Or so I hear...

Every day on my way to work, I drive past an elementary school and everyday I wonder: why are there now four crossing guards to help kids walk across the street? The past two school years, there have only been two. To my knowledge, there hasn't been an increase in students at this school or an increase in kids that walk to school. Everything looks the same as always, but there are twice as many crossing guards.

To me the kicker is, of those four, two stand together and talk the entire time. Really? Last time I checked, it didn't take two men to help one or two tiny kids cross the street. Perhaps worse than this: the woman that is most often times in her car and on her cell phone. The fourth fella is a block or so away from the school.

All of these things grind my shorts. Especially since our county voted to increase our sales tax (now at 8.5%) so that 1% would go towards education. If spending education money this way is considered right, I'd prefer to be wrong.

GOB, Buster, and Lucille, oh my!

2011-10-03T10:01:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Arrested Development. It never gets old to me. So hearing that a new season and movie are actually finally, in the making makes me super excited!

Part of me still thinks this is some twisted and cruel joke, but here's hoping it's not!

So close to TGIF

2011-09-29T11:50:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning sure it was Friday. Realizing it was Thursday was a tough 2 second blow. I grabbed pants out of my dirty clothes bin and tossed them on, knowing they couldn't be any more wrinkled. (I am wearing a new shirt that is cute.) Got to work and forced myself to eat yogurt. A few bites in, it was discarded and a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit was purchased. Well worth the calories today.

It's getting close to noon and I'm still not fully in the game yet.

The good thing is, there's tomorrow. And tomorrow actually is Friday.

Moses

2011-09-28T10:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure who, if anyone, reads this blog, so I'm not expecting anything grand from this post, but what the hell? I've been following the Livesay's blog since Haiti's earthquake in 2011. Moses was dropped off at their gate almost two months ago and they've been caring for him ever since. He most likely has cerebral palsy and is now looking to be adopted...

If you have any interest in adopting him or know someone who might, find more information here.

Mad Men

2011-09-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know I'm a bit late getting on this bandwagon, but seriously, years later I now understand what all the fuss is about. Mad Men is all that it was cracked up to be.

Family Funny

2011-09-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

Mom never/rarely goes to Target. But I just got a call from her:

Mom: Hey, did you return a dress to Target? Red. Extra small.
Me: Yes. Yesterday. Why?
Mom: Well I happened to be in Target and saw a red dress and got it for you. And the check out girl said it was an online purchase returned to the store...and I wondered if it was you that bought it.
Me: Totally was.

How hilarious is that? And of course I paid like $25 online; mom got it for $6.

Camp St. Christopher

2011-09-26T08:11:00.000-04:00

I had the luxury of spending Friday night at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island. 300 acres of beach and nature trails. It is pristine and quiet and so gorgeous.

Half the Sky

2011-09-25T19:28:00.000-04:00

Parts of this book made me want to throw up. I saw it on a blog and decided to read it. The authors give detailed accounts of tragedies that happen to women all across the world. They also give pictures of hope and how change is possible. Folks from George Clooney to Tom Brokaw praise it.

I find it hard to summarize or select a few words from the book to adequately do it justice. From this article: “Half the Sky” tackles atrocities and indignities from sex trafficking to maternal mortality, from obstetric fistulas to acid attacks, and absorbing the fusillade of horrors can feel like an assault of its own. But the poignant portraits of survivors humanize the issues, divulging facts that moral outrage might otherwise eclipse. ... Throughout, Kristof and WuDunn show faith in the capacity of ordinary citizens, including Americans, to initiate change — gutsy at a time when many Westerners who voice concern are ritually accused of interfering. Mingling tales of woe with testimonials to people power, the authors explain how tragedy can spawn opportunity. Their hope: “To recruit you to join an incipient movement to emancipate women.”

Many of the stories in this book are wrenching, but keep in mind this central truth: women aren't the problem but the solution. The plight of girls is no more a tragedy than an opportunity (xviii).

True statement

2011-09-21T08:47:00.000-04:00

Stole this from Betsy.

Hardcore

2011-09-20T09:18:00.000-04:00

Mom and I went fishing on Sunday; it was a great way to end a fun and low-key weekend. Though the temperatures may have been in the 70's, the sun didn't come out and it was quite chilly. I wore fleece pants and a down puffy coat over my bathing suit. I was pretty proud of us for toughing it out in the cold. We didn't catch any fish (I think they were hiding due to the cold!), but we had a great time. Cold or not, the scenery is still beautiful.

The Unicorn Story

2011-09-16T07:37:00.000-04:00

After referencing this story in yesterday's post, I found the email and giggled as I read through it. I'm waiting for the day Leigh publishes a book filled with her brilliant shenanigans. Hope you find it as humorous as I do.

The History of the Unicorn and Our Calling to Univangelism

an Essay by A. A. Stuckey, Mid. East/Unicorn Studies

Prior to the time of Noah, the idea of a horned horse animal would have been completely disregarded. For indeed, there was no such thing, nor were there even fables wild enough to imagine the winsome creature we now know to be the unicorn. Yes, all unicorns can trace their roots back to good ole Noah, for that is where they find their beginnings.

As we all know, Noah was expected to bring all animals two by two to the ark, "...of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, to of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive" (Genesis 6.19, 20 NRSV). So, being the righteous man he was, Noah brought two of every animal and creature into his ark, including white stallions and mountain goats. Now, forty days is a long time for an animal to suppress it's animalistic desires, and Patriarch Ballion, the male white stallion, was in an argument with his female counterpart. It seems that Ballion the Stallion told Lallion, his wife, that she looked fat in her new saddle (certainly a poor decision on Ballion's part). Likewise, it seemed that Jill the female goat was (excuse my crassness and the pun) a bit horny, and her male counterpart, being good friends with Lallion, had chosen to spend his time wooing Lallion (for she was a beautiful horse) instead of paying attention to Jill.

Being of the same general species, Ballion and Jill were kept in the same wing of the ark, and distraught over their ill-fortune, the two became quick best friends. No one would have ever guessed the fate that befell them, for on day 31, after a night of too much horse feed, Ballion made a cuckold of himself, and a pregnancy ensued.

Nine months later, Przybyszewska was born. While Przybyszewska resembled both Ballion and Jill, there was one prominent, yet strange, feature that could not be overlooked. Przybyszewska did not have two curled horns as most goats/rams do, nor was his forehead completely smooth as a stallion. Indeed, Przybyszewska had only one curled horn, smack in the center of his forehead. Przybyszewska lived a happy life, having a child with his half sister Morocco (Morocco had been the first post-flood child born to Ballion and Lallion). This child, a female named Macaroni, still had the one singular horn, but it had much less of a twist to it. On top of that, Macaroni loved carpentry, but she did not use a typical carpenter's tools, she carved everything using her horn. Eventually, as Macaroni honed her carpentry skills, her horn developed from a curl to a perfect (and deadly sharp) horn. Throughout her life Macaroni took many lovers, for her lascivious desires overtook her. By the time of her death, Macaroni had 47 children, all born with one sharply pointed horn on its forehead.

Macaroni had been a beautiful creature, but as her kind grew in number they became less and less accepted within the greater world community. Desperate for acceptance, the leader among Macaroni's children, Kraft, signed his soul over to Satan in exchange for magical skills. Hence the beginning of a lost community. Calling themselves "Macaroni's Children of the Corn" (these mystical creatures really liked all things involving corn, even corn mazes), the community began reeking havoc on the greater Biblical community, and, by the time of Christ, they were forced into hiding to avoid persecution.

Seeking refuge outside of Antioch, Macaroni's Children of the Corn came to be known as "unicorns" (an obvious name, uni referring to their recognition of the one "uni" evil spirit Satan who gave them the gifts of magic and corn referring to their deep love of corn). By the 15th century a large group of unicorns were found living with the Navajo and Apache Indians on the plains of the new Americas. Their migration from Antioch to the Americas is not well documented, but most uni-historians speculate they migrated on homemade boats. The unicorns were received well by the Indians, who were attracted to the magical powers of the unicorns. But the arrival of Europeans brought much calamity upon the unicorn population, whom were again forced to flee. From that time until today unicorns have been known to be found in caves throughout the land. In Clinton many unicorns can be found dwelling in the basement of Belk (did you ever wonder what that side door leads to? well unicorn land of course).

All this to say that the plight of the unicorn has been heavy on my heart as of late. Unicorns once sold their soul to Satan and continue to live in magical sin. As you know "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"... certainly this does not exclude unicorns! They too are hungry for grace! Every magical spell is a desperate cry for the cross. Here is a population of animals who have never even heard the Gospel. Their hearts are open, the challenge is convincing them so set aside their prideful magic loving ways and turn to the Cross.

In conclusion, evangelism to the unicorns is a necessary step to take in the advancement of the Kingdom.

Fighting the battle,

Leigh

Below is a picture of Macaroni and one of her children, Jilly (known as "the timid")

This one's for you, Josh Vickery

2011-09-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if I can do this story justice, but I'm going to give it my all. Last November, Maggie went to a baby shower for one of her co-workers. Naturally, there was a cake. Quite unnaturally, there was a black baby made out of fondant icing on top of the cake. Using her iPhone skills, Maggie snapped a pic and emailed out to a few that she knew would laugh as hard as she did. Exhibit A:

The story quickly became a favorite and Maggie shared the humor at our table at Mary Alice & Steven's rehearsal dinner. Josh Vickery had a few tears rolling down his cheeks from laughing so hard. Any time one of us goes to a baby shower, we joke about having a black icing baby.

Today my department was throwing a baby shower for a co-worker I barely know. Just before I left the office, Maggie and I joked about there being a black icing baby. I showed up late to the shower because I was coming from another meeting. Since I was late I sat with folks I didn't know. Sure, that could be an opportunity to make new friends, but I wasn't up for it. I piled my tiny plate high (per usual) and was disappointed greatly after taking a big bite of what I presumed to be mac-n-cheese. It tasted funny, fishy even.

My luck changed when a seat opened up next to my pals there. First things first, what is going on with this mac? Turns out, it was a macaroni salad...with crab. Let's be honest, shall we? This was faux crab and it was not delicious. Thankfully, they had fruit and chicken wings and chips. I remembered the baby! I asked my co-workers to lean in so I could tell them a story, Maggie's story. I didn't even finish the story when they start laughing with a glimmer in their eyes. "EA?! You haven't seen this cake, have you?!"

NO! Could it be?!

YES! YES! A black baby made of icing!

I got a picture, Exhibit B, below. Interestingly enough, no one thought it was odd that I took the pic.

I immediately text Maggie the picture. She tells Courtney. Neither of them believe me. My boss offers to sign a document attesting to the black baby icing. Just when you think it's an ordinary Thursday, a Wal-Mart cake and a baby made of icing makes life all the more enjoyable.

(Yes, the baby is the same! Apparently Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have a thing for icing babies.)

Little Hipsters

2011-09-15T13:21:00.000-04:00

My friend Leigh is incredibly talented. Two Master's degrees from Princeton, plays a myriad of musical instruments, and is the best writer I know personally. Seriously, remind me to post her unicorn story. Yesterday we had this brief conversation:

Leigh: ea i've just written an incredible song
Me: really??? can you send it to me?
Leigh: it's called "little hipsters" and it's to the tune of "little boxes"
Me: loooooooooooove it. send me the lyrics please
Leigh: okay it's a work in progress but i'll forward it along

For those of you fellow heathens that also used to watch Weeds, you'll recognize Little Boxes as the theme song. I love her version and it is now sufficiently stuck in my head. There's talk of her recording it...

“Little Hipsters”

Little hipsters on their fixed gears

Little hipsters made of irony

Little hipsters on their fixed gears

Little hipsters all the same.

There’s a white one and a white one

and a white one, look, an Asian one!

And they’re all made out of irony

And they all look just the same.

All the hipsters in their city lofts

All got liberal arts degrees

where they studied grammatology

and all started a band.

And there’s raconteurs and bon vivants

and American Apparel employees

and they’re all made out of irony

and they all look just the same.

And they listen to their record players

and drink up all their microbrew

but they don’t have hipster children

‘till they’re forty-two.

And the children go to outdoor shows

and then to the university

where they study business

so they can get out of debt.

And the boys leave to work at banks

and they listen to soft rock

in boxes devoid of irony

and looking just the same.

There’s a white one and a white one

and a white one, look! an Asian one,

and they’re all made from hipsters

and they all look just the same.

For the correct tune, here is Little Boxes:

Paint Chip Art

2011-09-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

Maggie showed me this a few weeks ago and I loved the idea of making art from paint chips. I'm not very crafty, but this was super easy to do and looks quite polished in the end. I got some inexpensive frames and painted them white. Cut up the paint chip cards and taped them on the back of the paper insert that comes in the frame. At some point, I'd also like to do a bigger one with large paint chips.

This one was made with all whites/tans and a pop of dark coral:

I made this one for my room using my prominent colors: blues and greens:

And this one was made using ROY G BIV for Krissie's art classroom:

The pictures are less-than-stellar, but you get the idea.

A Tuesday Morning Purchase

2011-09-13T10:08:00.000-04:00

I just bought a ticket to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Chicago in October! Really excited!

The funny part? I got a sweet deal out of Myrtle Beach on Spirit. BUT they charge you for bags -- even a carry on. Both ways. Which is annoying on principal if nothing else. So, I think I'm going to attempt to pack in a book bag! If I can't do it, I'll just pay for the bags at the airport. But if I can do, I will be so proud of myself.

Feels like Home

2011-09-13T09:12:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I was at one of my favorite places on earth, with some of my favorite people, learning more about what is most important: Jesus. It doesn't get much better than that. Windy Gap is good for my soul; it feels like home. Sunday morning I read these verses and could think of nothing else but WG:

Genesis 28:15,17

(God speaking) "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." ... And he (Jacob) was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."