thursday's ten or so: currently (9.6.12)

currently listening to: mostly pandora, bryan and katie torwalt, Jesus culture, etc

currently reading: um, a little behind in that. a book i need to review on here and the hunger games.

currently looking forward to: football, fall clothes and foods, making pumpkin scones with natasha and (crazy!) our first anniversary

currently craving: pumpkin foods, butternut squash soup, and other fall things. unfortunately heat and humidity will keep me from making some of these for awhile!

currently thankful for: amazing husband, wonderful friends, a great job, former nanny families who still call me first for babysitting, and all the other blessings in my life!

currently discovering: all the great new local coffee shops! natasha and i went to the well last night and barista parlor is another new favorite!!

currently organizing: just finished the kitchen (again...really i love doing it so it's ongoing). now working on my closet and getting ready to start guest bedroom 1/office...that will take awhile.

currently watching: america's got talent, switched at birth and jane by design. and more than ready for my main shows to come back.

currently wearing: lots of head scarves, belts, and dresses with leggings. and toms.

currently wishing for: more toms, a great blender, a tv stand for the living room, and bookcases.

what about you? anything currently going on that you want to share? :-)

monday's memory: u2 in nashville

last year we took a walk from anthony's parents house

and entered the spaceship...er, vanderbilt's stadium

 u2 was absolutely amazing.  which doesn't surprise anyone i'm sure :-)  but since they ARE my favorite band, there were several especially special moments for me...the one where bono began singing "amazing grace" and a stadium full of people joined in (in harmony, as nashville is prone to do :-).  

 the one where a blind guy requested a song during the encore and bono brought him up on stage, handed him his guitar to play it on ...and after he was finished bono told him to keep the guitar (!).

there were some of my favorite songs played and many just plain amazing moment. 

and there was anthony's and my favorite moment, where bono ended a song by singing the word "blessings" over and over and waved them over the crowd. 

they say that u2 concerts are spiritual experiences.  that night i found out why.

we can't wait for our next one!

*all photos in this post were taken either with my camera or by anthony's aunt sherrie who also had kick-awesome seats on the other side of the stadium and therefore had different angles :-)

thursday's ten: currently

i ran across this post on one of my favorite blogs last week, and just had to use it sometime.  what better time than for thursday's ten?






currently listening on repeat to
mostly pandora stations, but the new Jesus Culture album gets my attention each time.  may have to be my next purchase with those gift cards i got for christmas!

currently planning to cook
in the next two weeks, new (to me) recipes will include slow cooker Thai beef, a stuffed baguette, gyros, bacon and caramelized onion tart, and some sort of garlic cheesy bread

currently reading
the lost symbol (dan brown)
and a book that i'll be reviewing here soon: close enough to hear God breathe (greg paul)

currently discovering
how incredibly handy my food processor is.  i use that thing at LEAST every other day.  love.it.

currently catching up on the trend of
big bang theory.  we started watching season one on new year's eve and are now partly through season 3. if we didn't have to do silly things like sleep we'd probably be caught up to the current season!

currently organizing
guest rooms and closets.  of course, the pantry/kitchen is ever-ongoing

currently dreading
cleaning out the garage and storage room or as they are known around here the "just put it in the..." areas

currently drinking
the usual suspects of water with fresh mint, daily coffee and the occasional stevia sweet tea, soda stream or diet coke.  we've also discovered the carbonated zevia drinks at whole foods are are liking them too

currently desiring
a juicer...a good blender...more toms...uggs...a north face jacket...and lululemon yoga/dance pants

currently creating
mischief?  i've been more creative in the kitchen than with jewelry or other crafting lately, but i think it's time to make a few fun pieces, even if they're just for me :-)


what's currently going on with you?

it's a great day to SEE U2!!

mmmkay, so i'm a little excited...
because u2 is in nashville tonight!
and we.are.there

in pretty awesome seats, i must add
we splurged a bit
i mean, it is my favorite band
anthony never thought he would have a chance to see them live
when it was announced they were coming
we joined the u2 website to buy our tickets before they went on sale to the general public
a good move, since it sold out extremely quickly!

so...i'm doing boring things like laundry and cleaning
but in a couple of hours
i'll be headed to his parents house
to hang out, have ribs cooked by his dad (mmm!)
and then walk over to the stadium
(yep, walking distance from their place.  yay!)

i talked to a friend this morning who said 'you going tonight?'
and it's pretty common to say when talking about weekend plans
that you're going to 'the concert'
and everyone knows what you're referring to
nashville is kind of buzzing

and for very.good.reason

:-)

have a lovely weekend!

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .11

hey, it's ok

...to consider your bed and couch a kleenex wasteland when allergies hit hard

...to randomly sing/hum songs from musicals while driving/getting dressed and realize it 5 minutes into "surry with the fringe on top"

...to not get that at ALL.  i mean, when's the last time i watched a musical??

...to be a little proud that your dvr is currently under 20 percent

...to really really really dig your new tervis tumbler

(it has cherry blossoms on it and a lid...so pouring a diet coke into it before getting into the car makes spills much less likely.  and with me, that's important!)

...to be way.too.excited about an idea you've come up with to organize and keep track of what's in your pantry, freezer and fridge at all times.  because you like to coupon but you don't want to hoard.

(and yes, that idea involves a constantly updated spreadsheet.  and yes, that squeal you just heard was me geeking out at the thought)

...to geek out over spreadsheets

...to be really really excited about the 5 bags full of clothes that you FINALLY found in storage.  and to be REALLY excited that some of the clothing in them is (a) in season and (b) looks good

...to have hit the borders store closing sale HARD last weekend.  i ended up getting several berenstein bear books (LOVE them) and a couple of other kids books for under $20.

...to (often) just want a nap.  

(visit amber for the original of this!)

lessons from songs: that place you thought you'd be

on one of the cds i asked for (and received) on christmas, the ditty bops cheerfully sing about being
"in between the place you thought you'd be
and where you are"

might i just suggest that actually BEING in the in between spot they sing about
is not quite as cheerful as they make it?

because...the times i've felt that i'm not where i *thought* i would be
the moments i dwell on where i am in life
and compare it to where my expectations had placed me
the former loses.
every time.

but does that have to be the case?
after all, life experiences would be so few
if i was where i thought i would be.

i laugh at my younger self sometimes
when i think that at the age of 18, i thought by now
i'd be married with a couple of kids
and then at the age of 25
i was positive i would never marry and would just adopt
two very small examples of where i thought i'd be
and where i am
(by the way, where i am is SO much better than either of those scenarios)

but there are the other things
by now i thought i'd have lived in my house for almost 8 years
where i actually am is in a spot of ruined credit and a foreclosure to put the cherry on top
by now i thought i'd have landed a job back in the classroom
where i am is completely loving what i do
but without health insurance of any kind (which means that going on birth control in a few months is gonna be tricky...)

however
(and there's always one of those, right?)
i am so thankful for where i am!

some of it has been kicking and screaming
but most of it hasn't
especially once i learned
that my decisions
aren't going to screw up God's plan

they may screw up MINE
but mine isn't the one that ultimately matters, right?

might i (gently) remind you
that if you're not where you thought you should be
it may be because of choices you've made?


here's the thing i'm learning
slowly but surely

i am in the place i thought i should be

it's all about me

my hopes
my dreams
my wants
my supposed needs

but where i actually am?

God is here
and that
THAT
is what makes the place i am
so much better
than where i ever thought i would be.

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .9

(visit amber for the original)

hey, it's ok

... to wonder if you'll ever get caught up on sleep from the weekend's (good) craziness.

... to look forward to your boss's food network magazine delivery every month...possibly more than she does.

... to have been a little disconcerted to see will i am on sesame street (he was great, by the way...)

... to love the smell of new sharpies and other office supplies.

... to find yourself humming/whistling random kids show songs.  it's annoying, but it's ok.

... to find the irony in the quite overweight woman on npt giving parents advice on how to help their kids eat healthy foods and exercise.  ummm...

sometimes the teacher learns...confidence

about 70% of my piano students have special needs
a few of them are autistic
those of you with experience across the spectrum will know that no two of them are alike in their mannerisms and behaviors

however, they can all learn
and most of them thrive when learning piano

one of these students, J, came in today
he is in 7th grade, limited vocabulary, not prone to aggression or acting out
and his "comfort" when he plays is having my hand lightly touching his wrist

this comes from the first few lessons we had together where i would hold his hand and literally show him where to press the keys
he doesn't need it anymore
he reads incredibly well
his ear training is off the charts
(he can transpose flawlessly)
but as much as i've tried to wean him off having my hand touching his
he still insists on it for at least a couple of songs per lesson

today was a little different
after playing over half the lesson with little to no assistance from me
he reached for my hand and i obliged
putting two fingers lightly underneath his wrist as he played the song
and then all of a sudden
he grabbed my hand, placed my finger on the keys and started playing
using my finger

it's a good sign, actually
that he's trying to transfer knowledge
that he's confident in himself
and my heart swelled a little with the realization that he truly gets it

i think i got a teeny tiny glimpse into how God's heart swells
when one of His children gets it

when we stop waiting for a crutch, for a comfort
(although the comfort of God and Holy Spirit is amazing and wonderful and ever-present)
and confidently step out in faith
knowing full well we are doing exactly the right thing

when we stop relying on a feeling
and instead rest in the promise
when we grab God's hand a little tighter
and take off in a sprint

i was SO proud of J today
and i have this feeling that God felt the same thing for me :)

(written on wednesday, 2.2.2011)

thursday's ten: kids shows

i've been totally slacking on the blog the last few days -- a fact not lost on my love who has repeatedly asked when i was going to post again.  this probably isn't necessarily the post he's looking for, but...




today's ten are the shows that i can actually enjoy with the children while babysitting/nannying.  believe me, it's not hard at all for me to come up with a list of WAY more than 10 that grate on my every nerve.  but here are 10 that i enjoy.

1.  phineas and ferb
(um, i may have this set to dvr.  at my house.  where there are no children.)
2.  berenstain bears
(it's kinda a throwback to my childhood...i LOVED those books.  now if only they would do a show of amelia bedelia.  i'd love that.)
3.  curious george
(while i think the man in the yellow hat is pleasantly clueless and possibly dumb, it's a pretty cute little show.)
4.  little einsteins
(maybe i'm just a fan of the music ;)
5.  olivia
(it's just the right amount of cheeky for me.  ha)
6.  good luck charlie
(another that i'll watch on my own.  and the older set that i babysit like it)
7.  veggie tales
(of COURSE.  i love it)
8.  max and ruby
(ruby and max!  sure, their parents seem to be absentee but the kids are all right ;)
9.  sesame street
(i don't love the flying fairy school portion, but the rest is liveable)
10. wordgirl
(yay for positive role models for girls, yes?)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .7

(visit amber for the original)
hey, it's ok

... to have a big.huge.box of those fla・vor・ice popsicles in your freezer just for yourself

... to never have ANY desire ever to watch shows like jersey shore or the bachelor or any "real housewives of blahblah". HOW is that remotely appealing?!

... to get excited about date nights :-)

... to think that sweet tea is quite possibly the best.beverage.ever.  (except water, of course)

... to dislike the musical guests of 90% of the shows you watch.  

... to stay in your pj's on a day off (at least until you go out!)

... to dread taking down the Christmas tree (yes, it's still up.  and that's ok too.  ;)

3 in 30

i love the idea of this!  little goals, 3 at a time, for 30 days at a time!
i found the challenge on this amazing blog, undeserving grace and since it's technically too late to join the actual challenge, i'll just post them here and then join for real next month!  hopefully i'll get my 3 in 30 completed so i'll have a brand new set next month!

here are my 3

1.  play the piano daily.  it's on my "30 before 30" list, and honestly it's something i should be doing as a piano teacher ANYWAY!
2.  exercise 5 out of 7 days each week.  i'm shedding pounds at this point, and grateful for it, but it's mainly because i'm MOVING.  so i need to keep that up!
3.  have a more reasonable bedtime.  i have found that 7 hours of sleep seems perfect for me, so that means i may need to be in bed by 10/10:30 on the nights before my early work days.  and you know what?  that shouldn't be a problem.  so my goal is 7 hours of sleep per night every day...with a few days of allowing 6 hours if there's a late night event or something.

join in!  it'll be fun and rewarding :)

monday's memory: the one with the (cold) girlfriends

it was a chilly night, january of 2009
meghan and laura and i ventured out on the town to enjoy some live music
(nashville has plenty of that!)
and stopped to pose for a quick picture outside mercy lounge

i love time with my girlfriends.
:0)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .5

hey, it's ok

... to have equally wanted all 4 groups left to win the sing-off.  mostly.  but to have been quite excited about the top two, and to have been proud of the US for choosing in the right order :-)
... to love fruit snacks, even though you know there's little "fruit" in them
... to sometimes leave the christmas tree lights on all.night.long
... to get just as excited as the 3 year old co-chef about making sugar cookies together.  and to indulge in a heavily decorated by said 3 year old's sugar cookie.
... to buy 99 cent mint water from trader joe's on occasion just because it's yummy.
... to be overwhelmed with laughter at times when you think about God's provision in your life
... to ignore the healthy options at home and head straight through a drive-thru after a rather stressful last-minute shopping trip.  salads can be had tomorrow.  :D

:-)

Thursday's Ten: Christmas traditions

today's list: your favorite personal or family traditions for this time of year :0)



1. opening one (just one!) gift on Christmas Eve
my parents always let me, and i loved it.  i think i'll continue the tradition with my kids with Christmas pajamas :)
2. Christmas Eve Mass
i'm not catholic, but i love the service
3. sleeping just one night per season underneath the Christmas tree
that wouldn't be hard for me this year...considering the tree is just across the room from where i sleep anyway...
4. black Friday Christmas shopping -- online and in person
i know some think it's crazy but i love it!
5. wrapping presents. it may not be a tradition, really, but i have a rule at Christmas that there will be NO bags involved unless it's just a particularly hard gift to wrap.
i love wrapping gifts.  is that weird?
6. movies -- A's family watches the same movies every year, starting with Elf on thanksgiving night and including White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life...and a few others ;-)
and anthony and i watched Love Actually tonight...and i think we'll do Four Christmases before Christmas day
7. the Advent wreath. this year I put it up late, and didn't prepare by finding any books to do during the season...so unprepared, but hopefully this is the only year that will be a problem.
there's something so peaceful and lovely about lighting a candle and whispering simple words
8. my open house party...that's another thing that just isn't happening this year :( 
but there are plenty to attend, and i hope that next year's will more than make up for this year's lack
9.  caroling.  i haven't done it for YEARS, but maybe i should change that.  my cell group (small group) talked last night about the possibility of caroling sometime before Christmas, so who knows? :-)
we actually snuck to a friends house to sing a song for them last night...which is what brought the conversation up 
10.  playing Christmas music...constantly
normally i have only holiday music playing after thanksgiving.  this year has been a little strange in all regards.  i'm missing directing a choir, i'm missing decorating a space that's truly mine, and i've discovered pandora to play in the car...but i suppose i could choose a pandora Christmas station...

i'm sure as the years go by and i have children things will get even crazier.  but those are the simple traditions i've kept for the last 5 years or so.  what about you?

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .4

 hey, it's ok!

...to possibly love wrapping the presents as much as anything else at this time of year 

...to think that those fruit in a pouch deals for babies and toddlers are pretty awesome...and to consider adding a few to your own pantry since you never eat fruit and this would be one way to change that

...to giggle a bit at the baby terrorizing the cat before actually stopping said baby from said terrorizing

(really all he was doing was standing at the chair she was sitting in and reaching out to pet her.)

...to realize that a good number of your "hey it's ok" points involve children when you don't even have kids yet

...to get a little giddy about "the sing off"

...to kind of wish you could hibernate for this season because it's COLD

...to have been slightly freaked out when the mother of a couple of your students placed an albino ferret in your arms when you were dropping off some music at their house, followed by the realization that the animal was actually quite adorable and very snuggly!

Thursday's Ten: to be a kid again

when's the last time you just acted like a kid?  sometimes we take ourselves waaay too seriously, you know?  so here's my little list for you today.

1.  go swing on the swings at a local playground, or play on the slides

2.  play tag.  or hide and seek.  or flashlight tag (the best of both!)

3.  dance in the rain

4.  actually PLAY with children -- yours if you are blessed with them...and if you're now, i'm certain you can find a parent who will gladly loan you a child or two for a few hours ;-)

5.  eat candy.  not a lot, but remember how you used to love ________ as a kid?  go have some!

6.  have a popsicle.  it'll bring back a rush of memories.

7.  read children's books.  sometimes there are truths in there that span the ages...and sometime they are just plain fun.

8.  use FUN dishes and silverware.  a touch of whimsy in your kitchen or other home decor is nice

9.  keep a few stuffed animals tucked away -- or use them in decor as well

10.  go to events at children's places that are meant for adults :)

(see, there IS a point for this post)

last week anthony and i went to the adventure science center for the "way late play date"

it's a 21 and up event, and yes there are 21 and up beverages served

(2 free drink tickets per person)

we played around with several exhibits

although we spent most of our time in the planetarium

once for a demo of the stars and stuff

and again for a separately ticketed laser show of U2 music

(i was *thrilled*)

pics you say?

here ya go

(all taken with my phone, so sorry they aren't crazy good quality)

 blurry pics of our entrance

 anthony makes a tornado

 we thought this was a green screen until we walked in front.  colors changed as we moved.  pretty fun.

 haven't played with one of these since middle school! 

 the heat thermal screens were way cool

 pretending to pick each other's noses because we're dorks

 we played this weird game

 and neither of us won. some random person came and joined and then left so we never saw our scores.

boo.

 we did giggle at this poster

 not the greatest shot, but you CAN see the skyline from the planetarium wing and it's uber-cool

so my point?  go have FUN today!

it's a great day to get cooking

 

i finally got to cook today: yay!

i know i've mentioned before how i hesitate to cook these days, because i always feel like i'm in the way.

well, over the last few days i've really been resenting that

and i decided to heck with it

i live here

i'll cook if i want to, dammit!

this became even more an anthem this afternoon as i discovered that my olive oil was completely empty

(not because i'd used it...)

and i called anthony to vent 

that i hate feeling like i'm in the way, that i'm annoyed that my stuff (even though labeled) is used without asking, that i sometimes just hate living like this

bless him, he listened

and really, all i needed to do was be mad for a few minutes

i came back home and headed straight for the kitchen

take two, with olive oil this time

and i made my tomato soup, my chicken salad, and reorganized and labeled my part of the pantry

i set a pandora station for worship music

and i even chatted with the nurse who is here today

and i was blissful

:0)

i came back downstairs and went outside to my herb containers

i'd discovered earlier today that some of them had revived

so i bought a few replacements while i was out getting the olive oil

and i dug in the dirt a little and planted the new additions

and i was blissful

and now i'm sitting on my couch

watching tv

blogging

and sipping iced coffee with bailey's creamer in it

and i am blissful

no, things are NOT perfect here

but truthfully, things are never perfect.

and one thing is for sure:

i'm not going to be kept out of the kitchen anymore

as long as i'm not trying to cook while one of the nurses is also cooking for anthony's grandpa

i'm not in the way

and if the nurses don't want to share space

that's not my concern -- they can move to another room for awhile

because i live here too

and dangit, i want to cook! 

 

Thursday's Ten: a more positive spin

as i typed in response to a comment last night, yesterday's post was published to remind myself as much as anyone that while i choose joy most days, some days are meant for sadness...and that's actually a healthy response as long as i don't wallow in it!

but i like joy.

don't we all?

and so today's list is going to be things that make my heart sing.  things that take me out of the sadness momentarily, and lift me to a higher place.  and some of them may be a surprise...others, probably not.

1.  car rides with friends

there's something about a trip, whether 10 minutes or 10 hours, that opens up conversation in a way that sitting over a cup of coffee or meeting at a movie theater won't do.  maybe it's the sunlight tickling the corners of the car and shedding light on life itself.  maybe it's that moment when darkness has descended on the day and you feel safe to talk about what's real.  i find that those conversations often continue out of the car and onto my couch...and it's a blessed time.

2.  knowing i am loved

i have a Godly man who reminds me of that multiple times daily.  i have his family who not only say it...they show it.  i have my family who loves me in the best way they can.  i have church familIES who minister to my spirit and soul.  i have friends who will drop everything just to be with me.  and i have perfect strangers who have prophesied words of love and grace over me.

those are just a few examples...and they are all reflections of the Father's love

3.  a baby

i told a lady in class tonight "you don't have to operate in the prophetic to know that i'm drawn to babies!"  and it's true.  there's something about snuggling a little one close...something about hearing those giggles (or in finn's case, those fake coughs!), something about the innocence and trust.  i love reading a book, snuggling in, and putting a baby to bed.  there's something so tender and wonderful about those moments -- i consider them sacred.  

and as much as i've loved on everyone else's babes, i am so ready for the day when i rock my own little one before bedtime.

4.  emi

the last few months have made her even sweeter.  i feel like she "checks" on me now -- jumping up on the bed or couch with me when i walk in the door, sometimes even jumping into my lap.  she's never been overly affectionate, so i love those moments

5.  hot coffee

it's been so chilly here lately, and coffee just warms my insides and makes me feel...comfortable.  at rest.

6.  hiking

i haven't done it much lately, and i need to.  sometimes a walk in pure creation, conquering a steep ridge, or just crunching leaves underfoot in a forest is exactly the recharge i need.

7.  the prophetic

i don't pretend to understand it all, and i'm certainly no expert...but going to this class has really highlighted my gifts and given me reassurance and affirmation about areas of my life and personality that i had always questioned.  it's been such an encouragement...and honestly last night's class was the very thing that lifted me -- at least for awhile -- out of the funk i had been in

8.  words

reading your blogs -- they make me laugh, cry, think.  

writing in my own -- it gives me a voice, and stretches me to be more authentic and transparent.  

words like "restore" "refresh" "renew"... they give me hope.

9.  ethnic foods

i'm a fan of thai in particular...but going to experience the food of another region of the world is somehow enlightening to me.  i don't know -- there's something about the experience that reminds me to treat each day as a new adventure.  maybe that's a stretch or corny or something...but i somehow relate the two

10.  music

of course.  it's my language.  it's how i felt God speaking long before i ever realized that He actually does speak.  it's how i've learned to speak back to Him...long before i ever knew that He cared about what i had to say.  and so it's special.  it's amazing.  and i never go through a day without it, in some way, shape or form.

will you join me in sharing what brings you joy?  if you post something on your blog, will you let me know so i can read it?  if you don't post it on your blog...will you share it in a comment?  i think sharing these things will make God smile today...and it'll certainly make ME smile!

:-)

 

Thursday's Ten: the random edition

i just realized that i have a LOT of stuff i haven't shared here lately, so (sorry) i'm lumping it into this post :)



1. i get to see bill clinton tonight! he's coming to campaign for the dem nominee for governor of tennessee...and while i'm not really into the whole "rally" idea, i couldn't pass up the opportunity to see a former president for free! i'm actually leaving the house in a couple of hours, having lunch with the boyfriend, and then hanging out downtown for the afternoon. *really* looking forward to it!

2. the whole burning of the Koran thing makes me sad and disgusted. until this morning i had not had even ONE person on my "friends" list on facebook even remotely supporting the idea -- at least publicly. and on my friends list are a LOT of conservatives --both in politics and faith, a bunch that have propagated the idea that our President is of the Islamic faith, and quite a few who are scared of anything but lily-white Christiandom. this morning, that changed. one "friend" i know vaguely from high school said something to the effect of "if he's praying and hears that from God, who are we to say it's wrong?"

on the one hand, i understand the reasoning.
on the other, i think we have to look at the fruit.
the last couple of weeks i've been learning more about the prophetic and how to operate in that gift. and i know this is "out there" for some of you, so bear with me, ok?
the thing about the prophetic is that the message should always be shared in love
if you discern that someone is struggling with depression
you don't want to say "oh, you're depressed and feel hopeless!"
you want to ask what to DO with that knowledge
and speak words of peace, hope and LIFE over them
because God wants to reveal His love to people

i can't help but think that this is similar.
and how on earth is burning someone's Holy Book
showing them God's love and Father Heart?

(i always lose followers when i write stuff like that, so goodbye 3 or so of you. :-)

3. we had an AWESOME time in st louis! i will post pictures here eventually...
although my iphone lost all the ones i took on friday and saturday. i was quite sad about that one...

4. 30 rock is my new favorite thing. in fact, this morning it's trumping all my ideas of getting ready to go see Mr Former President. that should tell you how much i'm loving that show!

5. this weekend is retreat with our youth group kids. since i missed camp this year i'm looking forward to finally meeting our new 7th graders!

6. twitter is becoming more and more addictive. oy.
honestly, i think it's because NONE of my former students or youth group kids are there. or not that i've found. and i'm happy to not have to wonder how people will take what i say there. it's nice :)

7. next weekend i get to take anthony to a place i spent quite a bit of time in as a child. holiday world is not very far from my parents house, and we are (hopefully) meeting one of my best friends from high school (angie) and her husband there for the day.
i'm excited about it...and really hopeful that it's all i remember it to be, lol.

8. and the NEXT weekend i'm going to arkansas (blech) with my friend natasha to see jason mraz! yes, i am fully aware that i live in music city, usa...and that he is here fairly often...but road trips are awesome and especially with good friends.

and for those of you keeping track at home, YES, this means that not one weekend in september am i home. C.R.A.Z.Y. here's to staying home in october! except that i probably won't be staying home the *entire* month...but more on that later

9. hmmm -- this is my favorite day of the year! 9/9 :) my favorite number is 9.
(when i was doing data entry earlier this year i got really excited when someone had entered the country on 9/9/09. i'm a dork...)

10. sometimes iced coffee makes my day. especially when i make it myself so it's way cheap. ahhh...in my new mug from the arch that is the *perfect* shape and size? sometimes it's the simple things...