Currently… (aka: the I’m-Tired-So-I-Need-a-Blog-Prompt Post)

September 16, 2012 by · 3 Comments

One of my favorites…I don’t even know the original source. :)

Current Reads: Just finished Kisses From Katie, which really is worth a few separate blog posts in itself. Such a fantastic read. Still working (and haven’t gotten far) on Water For Elephants. (Have any of you read it? Is it worth it?) Also, in a very unlike-Mel move, I read this the other night. It was hilarious, it was political, it was everything I don’t typically enjoy. But it was short, which was why I was able to make it through the whole thing…in about an hour, I think. But since I don’t talk politics in this space, I won’t tell you about it. 😉 It’s free for Kindle right now, though, if you’re dying to read it.

Current Playlist. Oh, goodness, I just made a new running playlist that is enough to get me out of bed early. :) It’s amazing how changing up the tunes makes me want to run out of sheer curiosity at what’s coming next. That, and I had a really fantastic praise time with my Father the other morning…I’m pretty sure He shuffled the songs in the perfect order Himself. Love when He does that. :)

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Today? Chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick. (I did have a partner in crime if she wants to admit it. ;)) Golly, it was so good I’m gonna dream about it tonight. Really. (In my defense, I have not been to a state fair it what could be termed almost-eons. Therefore, I deserved whatever I wanted to eat on a stick. And it was a completely justified indulgence. :D)

Current Colors: Dark blue for the jeans that it’s finally cool enough to wear. Lots of gray and black. I need more color…I know, I know…as one of my faithful blog readers has been telling me.

Current Fetish: Lately I’ve loved going through my closet and finding things I’d forgotten I had. Yay for “new” outfits! I think I wore THREE things this past week I hadn’t touched in several months. :)

Current Food: I think I admitted it already. See: shame-inducing guilty pleasure. 😉

Current Drink: Oh boy, oh boy! So very exciting. I am drinking…Airborne. To kick the cold I came down with yesterday. Thankfully, between that and DayQuil, I am somehow not feeling completely cruddy, which is usually not the case.

Current Wishlist: I need a new pair of jeans. The practical side says I should go with my favorites at Maurices because they go with everything. And because I love them. And because the price is about the best I’m going to find for a decent pair. The completely off-the-wall side of me…wants these. In the bright blue. Or green. :)

Current Needs: Prayer. But I don’t really want to go into details in this post, so I’ll just say jeans. ‘Cause I need them, too. But I’d appreciate your prayers, too. :)

Currient Triumph: Honestly, just doing life with my girl and my hubby. Striving to live fully and love well.

Current Bane-of-my-Existence: I don’t really have one today that I can think of. I’d love it if Maelie would still take her afternoon nap, but I’m not going to term her awake-ness as that. It balances out when she goes to bed at 7:30, anyway. :)

Current Celebrity Crush: I always leave this one blank. But if I have to choose…and my hubby already knows this…I’d have to say Dennis Quaid. Just because. That’s all.

Current Indulgence: Man, that cheesecake is coming back to haunt me…in the blogging world, anyway. 😉

Current Mood: Anxious, a little. But mostly content. It was a really good day…I like those.

Current #1 Blessing: I’m a daughter of the King. I’m blessed with a wonderful hubby, an amazing daughter, and pretty awesome friends.

Current Slang or Saying: Aduh. (The Indonesian equivalent of ugh or stink.) Oh, goodness/good grief. (I need to find a few new phrases!)

Current Outfit: Black running shorts, a tank top, and a gray workout jacket. (Strangely, I did not…and have no plans to…work out today.)

Current Link: I linked enough things in this post. :)

Current Photo: Please excuse the messy hair and slightly streaky makeup…it was a good day. It was also a busy one. (And, yes, in case you’re wondering, that IS Elmo in the background in his underwear, sitting on his little plastic potty. You’ll NEVER guess what we’re working on at our house…) 😉

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, family, friends, just life, Maelie, reading, running, uncategorized, where I am

Monday Smiles

September 10, 2012 by · 2 Comments

So, for a Monday, today wasn’t half-bad.

There were some smiles…

A beautiful, perfect day. 70’s. Sunny. Can the weather just stay exactly like this forever? We can all dream. :)

Spreading sunshine. Maelie and I went to visit a sweet friend at work and took her coffee and a gift ’cause it’s her birthday, and I love celebrating a birthday…even if it’s not mine! We even got Mae to sing parts of “Happy Birthday”. T’was sweet. :)

Outside playing. My cool girl is such the climber. She can now scale the side of her clubhouse. It still makes me nervous, but I can smile, too. She’s just growing up so much! I love taking walks up and down the street with her…we have the best conversations and even sing together. So fun.

Encouragement. Sometimes it comes in the simplest forms…like a chat with a friend or a smile from a stranger…both happened today.

Hope. There’s something I’d like to see happen…and it looks like it might.

Swinging and guitar-playing and puking. WAIT…did I say puking? Yep. However, in this house, we are giving thanks that Maelie threw up due to all the swinging she did (not because was sick) AND that she missed my guitar by about an inch. The sweet girlie is feeling just fine now in her happy dreamland, my jeans are in the dryer, and my guitar is packed away (and puke-free). ALL blessings. :)

Much-needed laughter. Sometimes it just feels good to laugh, and singing with Mae tonight provided some pretty great moments. Caught on video, nonetheless. I laughed so hard I cried…and it felt so good. Families need to laugh together often. (And I can almost guarantee that there’s at least one good video coming to a blog near you very soon!)

How was your Monday? I hope a happy one. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, coffee, friends, just life, Maelie

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday

August 31, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Kinda liking this link-up.

It’s not really my blogging habit to get into weekly fads…though I’ll link to them occasionally. I just like the freedom to write what I want on any given day.

But I’m incredibly tired of thinking this week 😉 and so a Friday link-up, especially for THIS Friday…is perfect.

Wishing you all a great weekend. :)

Over this Labor Day weekend I will be going for an early Saturday morning run, scrubbing down the pool before packing it away for eight-ish months, singing with my favorite praise team, and going to a picnic/BBQ at our sweet friends’ house. Ok, so those are the things that are planned. I’m sure there will be a lot more going on…especially with a two year-old in the house. :)

With the political debates going on right now, my thoughts are that I have a rule to never talk politics on my blog. But those of you who know me don’t have to think too hard to know which way I lean. Just sayin’. 😉

Today was our regular Friday. Plus lunch/coffee with some friends. After the insanely up and down, down, down week I had (which I’ll potentially process bits of tomorrow) it was nice to just be. Plus Mae sat still in a coffee shop for over an hour, just chillin’, drinking apple juice, playing ponies, and coloring. Dare I even HOPE that we might be past the please-let-me-run around stage? Maybe. :)

The best thing I’ve cooked recently is oh, goodness. Well, post-surgery, there hasn’t been a ton of that happening. But I did make a taco pizza last weekend that was pretty good. I didn’t know I could make taco pizza. Yay for me! :)

The last thing I bought was well, not counting a birthday gift for a friend today, I bought a skirt on clearance earlier in the week. I love Target 70% off clearance racks. Well, if we’re being honest, I love all things of the Target variety. But I’m willing to be patient if I can nab a skirt for $5 instead of $18. Which I did. Score. 😀

The best movie I saw this summer was HAHAHAHAHAHA! (That’s me laughing really, really loud…with a possible snort thrown in there, too.) Potentially because I only saw one movie this summer. No, I saw two. I take it back. As in, watched them both on DVD, not in actual theaters, either. The Vow was good, though I was a teeny bit disappointed with the ending. The friend I watched it with was much more fun than the movie. 😉 I don’t know…I’m just not so much a movie girl these days. Not sure why.

The best book I read this summer was Oh, golly, now I have to admit the things that I read. 😉 Drawing a huge blank here…and I read a lot. I re-read a Sophie Kinsella that was pretty good…her books always leave me laughing hysterically. (That wasn’t a new read, though.) I did finally start Water for Elephants, and I think it will be good. Also wanting to go back and read/finish the third book of The Hunger Games trilogy.

Sig

Filed Under: Fill-in-the-Blank Friday, friends, just life, Maelie, where I am

Small Moments

August 28, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

About a year ago I took a job at a little coffee shop about ten minutes from my house. It was a job I only worked at for four months, but during those months, I met some pretty great people.

One of those was a coworker…for some reason we worked together quite a bit, and he would spend a lot of time working on things there while he wasn’t actually on the clock. He’s a believer, passionate about missions, a phenomenal musician…which gave us plenty of good conversation topics. We also had Peru in common, and once we downed almost a whole bottle of Inca Kola between the two of us. (Helllooooo sugar. But GOOD sugar. ;))

You know how some people just shine for Jesus? He’s one of those. It was evident in everything he said, everything he did.

When I stopped working there, I saw him a few times after and once went to a concert he was performing at his church. After that, we kind of lost touch though I’d see a status update here or there on Facebook.

But somehow I missed his big news…until tonight.

He’s heading to Nashville to record. With a Grammy-winning producer.

I am truly so, so happy for him.

Sometimes I smile at the irony of small moments…how someone can be in your life for such a short period of time but leave an impact. He’s like that. And I really can’t wait to see what God is going to do through him.

It’ll be BIG.

Blessings to you, Judah…I’ll be first in line to buy your album. :)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, coffee, friends, just life, music, remembering

Aaaaahhhhh…

August 26, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

It was one of those days that I didn’t intend to be a day for sanity, but it turned into one. I have my wonderful, lengthy-nap-taking (today, anyway) daughter to thank for a lot of it. 😉 And the rain, ’cause I LOVE a rainy day. Pretty sure if it was relaxing, it was part of my Sunday.

I slept ’til 8. I never do that. It’s kind of my own fault, but maybe more of the fault lies with the author of the book I started at 10 pm last night. Yeah. After one, I made myself turn off my Kindle and go to bed. (Guess what I’m doing as soon as I’m done writing tonight????) 😉

I went to 10:45. Well, we do that every Sunday. But I really love my church family and friends. So it was definitely relaxing. And we sang a few of my favorites today…always a plus for this music lovin’ girl.

I ate a burrito. I guess this was relaxing in that I can nix Taco Bell from my I-can-eat-this-after-having-my-gallbladder-out list. Bummer, kind of. At least pizza seems to be ok. THAT would be devastating. I should point out that I ate On the Border the other night and was just fine…so it’s clearly Taco Bell. Clearly. 😉

It rained. Like, not pouring-so-much-there’s-an-extra-pool-in-our-backyard kind of rain, but it was still gray and drizzly enough to be the perfect Sunday afternoon. I wore a hoodie and sat on the back porch and drank coffee while…

Maelie slept. Oh, yes she did. (Thank you, rain.) And while she slept…

I created. One of my favorite craft-y things to do, besides painting, is make jewelry. I fixed a bracelet for a friend first, and then I started playing with wire to see what I could come up with. I made a ring that turned out ok…and daisy earrings that are pretty sweet. They still need a bit of perfecting, but daisies out of wire that are worthy to wear as jewelry? I think they’re one of my favorite creations so far. :) Oh, and I worked on a painting a little, but painting on the back porch when it’s raining doesn’t really work. The air was too wet, and the paint wouldn’t dry. I’ll finish tomorrow. :)

I took dinner to our neighbors. Grandpa S (as Mae calls him) is having surgery tomorrow, so we figured they didn’t need to worry about dinner tomorrow night on top of that. Plus, it’s always nice to go over and chat with them. We are pretty blessed with our neighbors. :)

We hung out with Mae and each other. Minus the part about Tobin completely skunking me at cribbage, it was a good family night. Nothing big or exciting…just us. It was nice. :)

I sang to my girl. Still one of my favorite parts of the day. I love that she’s now starting to sing along and even match pitch. Scary, I know. But also cool. She’s out for the night…

And I’m gonna go finish my book.

:)

G’nite, friends!

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, church, coffee, family, friends, just life, Maelie, Tobin

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday

August 24, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

I found this link-up awhile ago.

Love the idea. :)

So, tonight, I’m linkin’ up!

My favorite thing to do on Friday is hang out at church. I know that sounds a little weird, but every Friday morning, Maelie and I go to Immanuel to help with wrapping bread and delivering it to places in our area. We also get to see some pretty great people/friends then, too. A little blessing that’s an important part of our Friday and of our week. Oh, and I also like looking forward to the weekend. Who doesn’t?! 😉

This Friday I did the above. Plus a no-nap afternoon from the princess, coffee with a friend/playtime for our girls, and then dinner with them plus the hubbies. A good Friday. Defintely.

The best thing about a weekend is having all-of-us-together time. Even though life isn’t always easy with a two year-old and we’re very-imperfect human beings, I love that we can do little things together like play outside, go for walks, have ice cream dates. I also really look forward to church.

Now that summer is almost over I’m feeling the strange paradox of sadness and anticipation. I love the free and wonderful of summer that bring with it flip flops and swimming and sunshine and extra friend time. At the same time, I love fall. Early morning running, coffee on the back porch, sweater and jeans weather. Perfection.

The best thing I did this summer was ummm…??? I don’t think I can choose just one thing. I love friend and coffee time in general, and there were some oh-so-good times that included just those. Probably the highlight was the trip that Maelie and I made to the farm with our dear friend. We loved it. And she is still talking about it. :)

The thing I’m looking forward to about fall is leaf-crunching while I run. I…ahem…will actually go out of my way during a timed run if I see leaves that need to be crunched. And, of course, the sweaters and jeans…and the combat boots, too. 😉

If I had to be stuck in one season for the rest of my life, I would choose spring. (Funny that I did this for several years already. And let me tell you all…year-round summer is not all it’s cracked up to be.) I’d choose spring for the fact that it can kind of be anything on any given day. There’s a chance of snow but also a chance of a really beautiful, sunshine-y day. I also love the new life that emerges…such a beautiful picture of how our Father is continually teaching us to grow.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, coffee, family, Fill-in-the-Blank Friday, friends, just life, Maelie, remembering, Tobin, where I am

Thursday Thoughts

August 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Hmmmm…that’s such nifty alliteration.

Ahem.

Actually, no. I didn’t even think about it ’til it was already written. That could potentially make me even more cool.

It was my first normal Thursday…”normal” as in Bible study, lunch with friends, playtime for Mae, minus the guitar lesson today…but, still. It’s nice to be back to the only form of routine we know.

I still really love Thursdays. :)

I’m not throwing coffee into the mix tonight, though. I’ve been extra tired since last week and figured I don’t need to add anything that may potentially keep me up. Right now, Sleep. Is. Good. :)

Today was a day of unexpected blessings. Seeing a dear friend at Bible study…and being able to connect with her a bit. I’d missed her. A get-together tonight with some friends, which I decided to attend almost-last-minute. It ended up being really, really good…nice to chat with people I don’t always see. Some time to catch up with a dear friend…she always makes me smile.

There was also time to process this afternoon. I really use that word too much…no worries, I’m completely aware of it! :)

I’m getting restless, and I know it. I love my daughter so much. The days we spend together are wonderful, even the tough ones, and I wouldn’t trade being home with her for anything.

But I need an outlet.

I was hoping it would be my book. You know, that thing I’d planned to have finished several months ago? Yeah, that one.

Unfortunately, I can’t always just pull words out of nowhere.

I can’t fix my laptop (the one that seems to have gone permanently ka-put) so I can actually write from the couch or in bed…I only get so much done sitting in a chair at a computer desk.

Maybe the one thing I can do is try to get a little boost of confidence from somewhere. A writer’s group, maybe? A friend passed on some info today about one. I think it’s time. I need to decide if I’m going somewhere with this or not.

It seems like everyone out there thinks they can write a book. I know that was a pretty general statement…it’s just that I so badly want it to be me. The one who actually finishes what she started and maybe even sells it.

It seems like such a far-off dream.

I’ve always been ok with being a dreamer, but I’m also realizing more and more that I need to decide.

I hate the unfinished.

For now, while I wait for the words to return, I’ll putter around here. Sometimes deep, sometimes not.

But always…always…I’ll be me.

This place is still my heart. And I hope you’ll still stop by.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life, random, where I am, writing

I Really Love This…

August 20, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Maelie had a play date with her sweet friends this morning. (M & E are just a few weeks older than she is.) I just think this is way too adorable…SO much cuteness! :)

I can’t believe how much they’ve grown up! So fun. :)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life, Maelie

Blessings for Today

August 17, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

I read a really good reminder this morning in the book, Jesus Calling.

“Accept each day just as it comes to you. Do not waste your time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances. Instead, trust Me enough to yield to My design and purposes. Remember that nothing can separate you from My loving Presence; you are Mine.

I love it.

I love, even more, how God knows exactly what I need each day…and how He always gives it.

It doesn’t always look the same.

Sometimes His measure of mercy, from an earthly perspective, looks far bigger for one day than it does for another. On days like Wednesday, when I was fighting pain and desperately needed healing, it was more tangible.

Today is different. Yes, there is pain, but it’s more manageable and isn’t the type that I spend time crying to God, begging for healing.

He knows my needs each day and gives according to what He knows I need…not according to what I think I need.

I love that about Him.

The rest of today, and for at least the weekend, I’m going to intentionally focus on those blessings…however He chooses to give them.

Today they came in simpler forms, but were no less than blessings…a friend offering to take Maelie for the morning. A nap. Tobin being able to work half a day in the office. A shower and the energy to do my hair and makeup. A visit from a friend. A facebook note from a friend. A chocolate banana smoothie from my hubby. Friends who are bringing us dinner tonight. A chance to slow down and reflect. A smiling girl who understands mommy’s “owie” and continually reminds me that Jesus will make it better.

Tell me that I’m not one of the most blessed people on the planet.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Lotsa love to you, my friends.

:)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life, Maelie, Tobin, what I'm learning, where I am

There’s No Place Like The Purple Couch

August 16, 2012 by · 2 Comments

I’m back. :)

So I ended up taking a two day hiatus from the blog. And that’s ok. I need to give myself permission for things like that.

Especially when abdominal surgery is involved. :)

So the gall bladder came out on Tuesday.

The surgery itself was fine…I cried a little when they took me back to the OR and made me say goodbye to Tobin. But they gave me some type of sedative that had me floating within seconds, and before I knew it we were in the Operating Room. I vaguely remember them moving me to the operating table and strapping me down, and the next thing I remember is coming out of it all and doing something totally Mel.

Yeah, when the nurse asked me what I needed, I told her I wanted a hug.

Thank God for nurses who oblige strange requests, and even better, don’t make the patient feel like a complete idiot for asking in the first place. 

She totally gave me a hug and then held my hand ’til I came to a little more.

:)

At the time I thought it was completely normal to need a hug…now I roll my eyes at myself. However I suppose it IS better than spending the entire operation talking to my surgeon about something obscure. (Which, to my knowledge, did NOT happen. Another thank You, God.)

Tuesday afternoon was full of morphine and naps and a visit from my daughter and some sweet friends who were definitely good for my heart.

But since I was still in pain, the morphine continued to be administered.

By the next morning I still couldn’t eat anything or keep more than a tiny sip of water down, and I had a headache on top of all of that.

They figured it was the morphine making me sick, and I had to wait it all out for several hours before I could have anything more for pain. Or nausea. Or my headache. I’ll spare you the details, only to say that it was a miserable 4-5 hours.

I remember lying in that bed having a conversation with God. There was a lot of pleading with Him just take the pain away. I’m so thankful that in moments of weakness like that…especially when praising Him and giving thanks to Him were the furthest things from my mind…that He still hears prayer and answers it.

He sent a few things…a text from a friend, a phone call from my pastor, a quick chat with a nurse…to help take my mind off of the pain, too.

Once they were able to give me different pain meds and they kicked in, I perked up. I actually ate jello and crackers and even half of a turkey sandwich around 11 pm. (That is SO me…again.) :) I watched part of the Tonight Show and managed to get a decent night’s sleep, which I think is what really helped.

Today was ok…less pain, though it is still there and will be for a few days. I was blessed with some pretty great nurses who were there, for the most part, all three days I was in. It was nice to be on a first-name basis. :) Though when Tobin and Maelie came to get me around 1:30 this afternoon, I was definitely ready to go.

I went straight to our purple couch and have been (mostly) resting there since. A couple friends have stopped by, and those visits were definitely spirit-lifters. Life is good.

It’s always good to look back after a few not-so-easy days to see God in the smallest details. Gallbladder surgery was nothing earth-shattering, but it was still nice to have those reminders of His love and care.

Well, it’s getting somewhat late, and I can’t wait to crash for the night.

On the couch.

Oh, there’s no place (at least for now) like the purple couch. :)

Thanks for your prayers, friends.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, encouragement, family, friends, just life, prayer, what I'm learning, where I am
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