today

thursday's ten will post tomorrow (it's a giveaway edition so get ready!)


today, reflect
remember
be grateful


for what little you have
for the abundance you have
for the relationships you cherish
for the ones you long for


life is not perfect for any of us
and we on our blogs often forget to show a balanced perspective


so if today isn't ideal for you
if family gatherings are painful or nonexistent, or you simply can't go for any number of reasons


know that 
i get it
(really, i do)


but there is always
ALWAYS
something to give thanks for.


and sometimes digging to find it means you find other treasures along the way


so today, be blessed
because you already are.

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 11.22

hey, it's ok


...to lick the spatula when making brownies
...to be ready to black friday shop.  i don't do it like anyone else i know...much more relaxed approach, and i still get good deals.  without killing anyone or getting up ridiculously early. (amazon's online deals help a lot, but i actually DO get out and go!)
...to skip meal planning this week, as far as the blog goes.  we have a "plan" but i'm not going to get stressed if we don't stick to it.  hello holiday week!
...to, however, be planning out our open house menu.  i'm including some gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options this year as well as the normal fare, so i want it to be balanced. (if you have favorite holiday finger foods i'd love to hear about it!)
...to love rachael ray, but to be really tired of the "smellavision" comment she makes all.the.time.
...to spend the entirety of baby g's naptime catching up on shows on demand so that i can delete them off the dvr when i get home :-)
...to have way too many photos stored on my computer.  currently in the process of backing them ALL up to disk.
...to be ridiculously geeking out and excited that there's now a container store in my city.  i'm planning on hitting it up on friday, actually!
...to be quite excited to put up our Christmas decor here in a few days.  this will be our first year decorating together, and we have 3 trees planned as well as other fun stuff :-)  we do need stockings though.  nice ones.  any suggestions?
...to be nearly ready to post the giveaway that' i've had for a little over a month and am just now prepared for.  in fairness, it came RIGHT before the wedding.  i've been a little busy.
...to have placed a clue about the giveaway in this list of things that are ok.  extra entry if you correctly guess the right one BEFORE i post about the giveaway :-) (seriously)


visit amber's blog. mostly because she's awesome, but also because she hosts this weekly fun!  join us!

Thursday's Ten: thanksgiving '10

(you should all participate in this one. just sayin')

today i am thankful

- for the table we will gather at with anthony's family.  for them, their hospitality, and their immediate acceptance of me.  and that they asked me to bring something that's traditional in MY family today so i'm bringing green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.  and so incredibly grateful i didn't get a preparatory letter like this one with instructions. (read it.  you'll laugh)

- for the man i love and our time together so far...and for SO.MUCH to look forward to.  for future plans that excite me, for knowing that he loves God more than he loves me...so the balance is alllll gooooood.  and that he's a dork, just like me.

- for emi, who scrunches her face up into "her" chair, who sits on the piano bench more often than i do, who jumps up on the bed to be loved on as soon as i walk in the door, who runs to greet me when i arrive, who sometimes just runs around the house like a crazed animal, who is stingy (but rewarding) with her purrs, who loves to chase a laser light, and who most nights will cuddle with me at bedtime just for a little while.

- for life in the garden, in the herb planters.  and that i've managed to keep a cilantro plant alive for a whole month now.

-  for the fact that i just drove to anthony's apartment with my sunroof open.  on thanksgiving day, people.  it's in the 70s today :D

(and yes, it'll be cold tomorrow.  but i can be thankful for warm weather on thanksgiving!)

- for friends who get me.  and for those who don't, but accept that i'm a little crazy ;-)

- for the spiritual communities that have shaped my faith.  this journey has been a wild ride, for SURE  but i've told many people to buckle up and raise their hands because it's the ultimate thrill ride!

- for the privilege of being called to live this way.  so completely dependent on God for provision and strength that i pretty much live just like this quote:

"But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through"

(Francis Chan)

- for my wii, dvr, laptop and iphone that serve as distractions when i need them, entertainment when i'm lacking, exercise when it's hot/cold/rainy, and connections with those i love. yes, all of them have their downsides, but using them for their intended purpose has been a blessing

- for so many countless things in addition: my dog magnet that has dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds flocking to me and giving me affection.  for starbucks and my ridiculous collection of travel mugs.  for road trips with friends.  for snuggles on the couch.  for naps.  for worship.  for babies and the privilege of watching them grow.  for the families who have supported me and entrusted me with their most valuable possessions -- their children.  for learning about and beginning to operate more fully in my giftings.  for laughter.  for family.  for so.much.more.

and of course...for all of you.  who come here and read what i have to say, who humble me with the way you respond, who encourage me with your friendship.  i started blogging just for me, and i'm ever surprised and blessed that you hang out with me here in this small corner of the internet. so thankful that our lives (and blogs) have crossed paths.  :)

A look back:

*for those of you wondering, the back is still out. The sinuses seem to be somewhat fading, but I've definitely made the back worse after there had been a significant improvement over the last couple of days. I think I've taken about 10 steps backwards, and just hope that future progress is positive!*

Ellen quote that sums me up right now:

"This morning I hopped right out of bed...and by hopped I mean it took 30 minutes, 6 Advil, a pulley system and a handful of sedatives to get me out of bed in a seated position. And I know that you're probably thinking 'Ellen, you shouldn't have to be taking Advil and sedatives together', but the Advil was for me and the sedatives were for Portia; the screaming is killing her...she's tired of hearing me scream."

Sad...but true. Substitute "Lora" for Ellen and "Anthony" for Portia, and you have the partial scenario of me trying to get up off the floor tonight. It was NOT pretty.

anyway, on to the real blogging!

It's been quite a year! Here's a brief look back...

January: New Year's at Anthony's parents house; began "driving Miss Nancy"; Inauguration of President Obama
February: good friend from college visited; sweet Valentine's day; last praise team retreat ever with Randy (although we had no idea)
March: one of my best friends from high school visited this month; 28th birthday
April: Dave Matthews Band concert...uh...I'm sure there were other fun things too. We did join the zoo this month...and I did have one CRAZY day!
May: Anthony and I traveled together for the first time--to see his aunt in Atlanta; started doing some consulting work
June: 10 year high school reunion and reconnection with Dotty; good friend Laura had her baby Israel (and began the many births of summer '09)
July: Camp with youth group + Anthony's family vacation = over 2 weeks apart! Ugh.
August: Laura and sweet baby Izzy spent a few days at my house; went to Texas to a friend's wedding with Anthony and our friend Ben; celebrated a year of dating the most wonderful man :); began working at Catholic Charities temporarily; found out that Randy and LaJuana were moving
September: visited the Jack Daniels distillery; found out about Sam's cancer
October: 2nd annual ghost tour; finally cut my hair to donate (after over a year of growth); went to my very first NFL football game (between my two favorite teams no less!)
November: Thanksgiving with Anthony's family
December: Christmas with Anthony's family; 2 trips to Indiana (one for the Colts game, one for Christmas); got to sing in a friend's Christmas show downtown; also sold jewelry offline for the first time!

Thursday's Ten: Thankfulness

As promised, we're doing this early so that everyone can do their Thanksgiving thing on Thursday!



Today's topic is simple. List ten things that you're thankful for.

If you're like me and trying to narrow it down...I'm going to skip all the normal "big stuff" like my health, my amazing boyfriend, God's grace, chosen family, music, and all that...and focus on some of the little things that I don't normally focus on. So, here's my list of little things I'm thankful for.

1. sweet tea, especially when I'm sick and nothing else in the world tastes good.
2. scarves
3. cuddling
4. tank tops and yoga pants
5. date nights
6. pretty food and beverages
7. the occasional bubble bath
8. beads and beading
9. calendars because I get to organize
10. pictures

There's so much to be thankful for--and so many "big things" on that list. But if I'm to be faithful in small things I should be thankful for those small things too, right?

Happy Thanksgiving all!
(grab the button and sign MckLinky to join up!)

Thursday's Ten (on Saturday)

hanging my head in shame on this one. But in my defense (kind of) I went out with the girls on Thursday night which was the coldest night of the year--nearly down to 0 in Nashville, TN people--and well...my brain just thawed out. Doesn't sound possible? Ok...I just suck then. :)

10 Things I am TRULY Thankful for in 2009

1. Good friends who are keeping me afloat in this tumultuous sea I find myself in. I'm not a big "talker" when it comes to things that are wrong, and I love that my friends GET that. And still, they seem to know what I need.

2. Time to just get away and be with those I love

3. Silly tv shows that just make me laugh.

4. My boyfriend--I'm truly blessed to have a wonderful, God-seeking man in my life.

5. A newfound (well within the past 3 years or so) love of cooking and nutrition. With my history, it's somewhat amazing that I love to cook even for just myself and share my meals with others as well.

6. People who feel they can confide in me for pretty heavy stuff. I've been reminded of that a lot over the last few weeks.

7. Odd jobs here and there from people who are trying to help me in whatever ways they know how

8. My animal and child magnet. I love it that I'm pretty much surrounded by small creatures when I'm in the same room as any of them. :)

9. Vodka. Hey, I really am thankful for it. I suppose I should be classier and say "wine" here, but really...vodka is it for me. And Baileys. And...yeah.

10. God's constant reminders that He is all around me. Even in those places I am not looking for Him in.

Seriously...I know I've done a lot of ten lists on this same theme over the last few (well, 5 to be exact) months. But the thing is...as dire as my circumstances are, as hard as the road is...there is NEVER a lack of things to be thankful for. I have a teeny tiny decorative pillow that hangs on my banister. It reads "Delight in the Unexpected". And I try to. Every day unexpected things happen. It's easy to categorize them as "good" and "bad" right away. But I'm learning that sometimes it's not that easy, not that black and white. Sometimes the unexpected just needs to be celebrated as what it is. Unexpected. Messy. But ultimately, it's just a celebration of life.