thoughts on a friday afternoon

link

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, Tall, light, dark, can, decaf, low-fat, nonfat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino." - Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

+ + +

Last night I was watching You've Got Mail for probably the 21st time. And I think it's the cutest movie. But Lydia wanted to cuddle, so I was snuggling with her, and every single time I laughed she would do the most adorable little forced giggle, and then look at me to make sure I noticed. And we had the "battle of the pause button," because she figured out the movie stopped and I tickled her when she pushed it. :)

 

+ +  +

Tomorrow I get to go back to my hometown to spend a few days with my bestie. And you know what, I've been thinking about this lately, but I don't really think of it as home anymore. I think I finally got over being upset about movie, and think of this area as home now. I'm not resisting learning my way around and making friends. I'm not terrified every time I leave the house.  I can see ways that I  have blessed in moving here two years ago. I have a good church, and a bible-study group that is really good for me, in being able to study and learn, and also learn to become more vocal and articulate about harder things. I left some friends behind, but I've made more genuine, good friends in the two years that I've lived here than I ever had before. When I start to think about how angry and upset I was, I regret expending all that emotion and frustration. Yes, it was hard. Really hard. But it was a good thing.

+ + +

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand." Psalm. 37:23-24

+ + + 

I am so ready for spring this year. This rain and cold has been starting to get to me, and the past two days have been sunny at least and I've been so happy. I can't wait until it's warm and happy out all the time, and I'm not longer freezing all of the time. ;) I'm in such a raspberries and lemonade mood. At a coffee shop a few days ago I just wanted a strawberry lemonade, but they couldn't make it, so the barista and I decided on a lemonade rockstar with strawberry flavor added; and then I proceeded to drop it all over my car right there in the drive thru. (But she was so nice and made me another one and helped me clean it up.) Yesterday, in a fit of spring fever I made a lemon cake, which I do every spring. And I remarked something about Lemon just tasting exactly like spring, and Caleb came to me quite perplexed. "Why does lemon taste like spring? You can't taste spring. It just happens!" gosh. When did he get so smart?

link

+ + +

 After reading My Life in France by Julia Child I ordered several dvd's of her cooking show from the library, and I love her even more. Not only is she full of confidence and adventure and totally inspiring, she's just adorable. I'm a messy cook. After I get done cooking the kitchen is usually a disaster and it's a big job to get it cleaned up, but hey, the food tastes great! :) But I noticed that Mrs. Child is a messy, slightly klutzy cook, but she also doesn't let it faze her. In fact sometimes it strikes her as funny, and you can see that she is trying hard not to laugh in the middle of the show after spilling something all over. She'll try to flip an omlet in the pan and end up spilling it all over the stove top, but instead of freaking out or being upset she just picks up the pieces and smashes them back together saying something like "If nobody is in kitchen with you nobody has to know!!"

+ + +

Lydia just woke up from her nap, and we're going to go play outside for awhile. It's the thing that makes her happiest. At the moment she's standing in front of me with amazing, wispy bed hair, chattering in the cutest munchkin voice about nothing in particular. :)

 

Head in the Clouds // Book Review

Head in the Clouds
Karen Witemeyer
{3 Stars}
I picked up Head in the Clouds by Ms. Snelling earlier this year at the library, completely on a whim. I didn't know anything about her writings or the book, but the cover caught my eye. It featured a woman dressed in a bright yellow dress, completely caught up in a book, about to step off a porch into thin-air. I had to laugh, because it was something I would do. (And the first thing my sister said when she saw it was, "Becca, you'd totally do this!") The back cover shows the book flying through the air.

    So I took it home and thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't your typical christian romance book, which are usually stupid, either rambly or too fast, and more romance than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I love cute love stories, but I'd rather read a sweet book than one seeped with unnecessary details, especially if you're writing from a Christian perspective.

     But Head in the Clouds was pretty adorable. And I loved the fact that she didn't really glorify the love story. It was a thread throughout the whole thing, but the plot was more centered on a kidnapping/child recovery theme.

Adelaide was very lovable, and relatable. Being the klutz that I am, I enjoyed her "awkward situations" thoroughly. Lately my own life has felt like my name should be used as a definition for awkward in Webster's dictionary. So it is always nice to find reassurance in the fact that other people humiliate themselves regularly in public by falling over randomly and tripping on nothing, or just acting like a complete spaz. (Even if said person is entirely fictional. Somehow it helps...) But she was so much more than a klutz. She was independent in the best way, spunky, intelligent, impulsive but still sensible. And I loved the way that she treated Isabella, (who hasn't spoken since her mother died.) And the creative ways she draws her in, and peaks her interest.
    All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was cute, and not too deep, so perfect for an evening of just relaxing and not wading through a Dickens novel. :)

these are a few of my favorite things// 06

+ quiet

+ getting things done

+ having awesome little brothers who are more than willing than to remove the flock? herd? pod? of lady bugs that have decided to infest my bedroom.

+ Happy daffodils  (they're my favorite flower. ;)

+ good conversations with good friends

+ it's almost spring, which means we might start seeing the sun! (!!!!!)

+ electricity and hot water. (our power was out last night, which always make me thankful for lamps and showers. ;)

+ coffee dates

+ Happy books, like "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good," by Jan Karon and "My Life in France" by Julia Child.

+ "The Lord's loving kindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him." Lamentations 3:22-24

+ Ice cream!

+ Cuddling with Lydia when she's still sleepy and teaching her to give hugs.

+ "Greater is He living in me than he who is in the world." (Paraphrase of 1 John 4:4)

+ "Never miss a good chance to shut up." Will Rogers

+ Roots Run Deep by Jadon Lavik 

+ baby bunnies. (so far my sister has had a couple doe's have babies in the past few weeks, and they are pretty darn cute.)

+ watching master and commander with my little brother a couple days ago. (It's cool that he's old enough to really hang out with, but also, he's turning 18 this year!??)

+ the wind outside. (so it knocked the electricity out for a while, but I love it anyway. Makes me think of Goldendale.)

+ having fun with my sister while shopping. (she's a good one to take with you when you're not supposed to buy any more clothes. ;)

+ working on some piano pieces again. it's been far too long, but it's cool that my fingers and mind still remember how to take sheets of music and make music happen.