success

adventure weekend in omaha was just lovely.
jason's friend was delightful.
the food was divine.
we bought new music. which rocks.
and the penguins were definitely my favorite exhibit at the zoo.
also the sea horses.

on the way home i said to jason, "i can't believe i've lived my whole life without indian food and kings of leon." if i were to write a paper on my weekend, this would be the thesis statement.

unfortunately... the rock hard reality of monday sucked up my whole life and spit it back out again... ending in something of an emotional break down. not good. today is a brand new day. tuesday, hello.

i skipped out on class after all the public schools in the area started closing (more snow days.... really?) and headed for home. the roads were wicked awful, but now i've got some extra time to read, write a paper, relax, and attempt to sort out my roller coaster emotions. blech.

-------------------------------------------------------

i think this is what i'm trying to say: i'm getting lost in the every day.
no continuity.
no consistency.

i need to grab each minute. fill it.
put it back right in its place, now.

just wait.
and breath.

give up your endless quest for control and roll with each
brand new chance sunrise sunset.

alright, i'm Yours.

off for a weekend adventure

we both woke up at 4 a.m. sleeping in seems like a hopeless idea for us rather unfortunate daily early risers. jason was able to catch a few more z's while i zipped about the kitchen making coffee, granola & banana pancakes. mmm.

now, we're going to pack (yes! i love packing! it always means an adventure!) and then, we're off to omaha to visit one of jason's friends - who is wonderfully paying for a hotel room for us & we're going to go out to eat & to the zoo! can you tell how excited i am?!

i love meeting jason's friends. i tend to think jason is the coolest person i know, but apparently he picks friends who are cool too - which is a good situation for me - because i love new friends - especially cool ones.

i have been absolutely desperate for an adventure. so sick of winter and being stuck indoors and in iowa and feeling yucky blucky about my whole life. something new is on the horizon & i just can't wait. i realize much of this is simply my own attitude. which stinks most of the time, i'm afraid. i take for granted the beautiful sunrise over the river & cute little house & good food & music & marvelous husband - gifts of every single day.

hoping a breath of adventurous air cleans out this dusty head of mine and i can see each day for exactly what it is. perfectly new.

current playlist:

in the creation of this post, i have just had the terrible, terrible realization that all of my recent itunes additions have been deleted.

i received a new hard-drive, had all my files transferred, but the new music was supposedly not backed up.

i might cry.

praise the Lord, i just burned a new cd with my favorites. at the very least, we've got the old stand-by for carrying the tunes... one has got to love the reliability of a hard disc holding the music and bringing joy.

1. precious love - james morrison
2. twilight serenade - jason myles goss
3. back to the middle - india arie
4. heart of life - john mayer
5. i'm for you - toby mac
6. let it be me - ray lamontagne (yes. still.)
7. forever - ben harper


that's all i've got for now.

love today.

oh heavenly day

the husband is at work this evening.

and rather than work ahead in the homework department (really - who works ahead?) i decided to spend the entire evening in the kitchen.

and oh my heavenly day, i wish i could give you a basket of the goodness that is currently in there. because Lord knows i've already eaten too much of it!

now, my shirt is probably ruined because i have a chocolate smear all the way across my ta-tas... i have no idea how this happened... & the kitchen is actually filled with smoke... i'm not sure how this happened either... nothing is on fire... BUT you need to see these cookies!

1. they are completely 100% good for you. believe it.
2. they are stinkin' de-lish.

please visit sproutedkitchen.com - this is where all the goodness originated.

oat'nana pucks and chocolate & puffed grain morsels. holy cow.

in other news...
my heart has been stuck in winter. and i'm desperate for spring. sometimes before i crawl out of bed and the sun is shining i pretend the grass is green and it is actually 75 degrees instead of -2.
i think a night in the kitchen is exactly what a pms-ing, winter bird needed.
nothing warms my soul like melty chocolate chips.

off to bed to dream of chocolate & spring.

"the things they carried"

yes. this is my 2nd post of the day.

inspiration struck & i can't help it. also, i don't want to read my intercultural communications textbook. so, here we go.

have you ever thought about the things you carry with you every day?

why do you carry them?

my backpack is getting impossibly heavy. but i will continue to throw more things in there every morning regardless.

1. pink nalgene + gabe dixon band sticker.
2. new pens.
3. mini orange plaid notebook. for personal notes. which i love.
4. wallet. not my cute cigarette case wallet. because that one broke.
5. textbooks only if absolutely necessary. sooo heavy.
6. binder. i have 2 separate binders - 1 for monday/wednesday & 1 for tuesday/thursday. black & white if you please with the new calendar from every so lovely sherbet blossom blog stuck in the front pocket.
7. computadora.
8. ipod. shuffle.
9. food network absolutely super tough food containers w/lunch. today - peanut butter + banana + honey pita pockets & raspberry yogurt. yum.

idea...

I'm not a great photographer. In fact, I kind of stink at it.

But, I've been loving on some blogs lately & have decided I'm going to go ahead and try it out.

So, here's to something new.

I have decided make the attempt to develop my inner artist/blogger/writer & make this blog something worthwhile. I need it to get my thoughts & ideas out and well, I might as well make it pretty to look at, right?

And I'm writing it down, letting you know, so that I won't forget about it. Or give up. Which I am sometimes in the habit of doing.

I think I need some accountability in my life & Lord knows I need a challenge.

Hope you're along for the ride... let's just see how this thing goes.

hanging paper hearts.

valentine's day stinks.

i really usually hate it.

this year, however, a few new developments have... well... developed.
and so, i'm reconsidering my hatred.

a.) i got married. does this mean i can now like valentine's day? or i should like valentine's day?
b.) this winter has been extraordinarily brutal. and i'm grateful for any sort of minor distraction from the arctic tundra outside my window.

i have paper hearts hanging in our dining room. and a pretty vintage table cloth with pink flowers on it.

this weekend, i'm thinking of making some special munchies in the shape of a heart, of course. and purchasing an actual present for my man.

i don't know for sure quite yet... but i think my grinch-like heart of stone toward valentine's day is turning.

making lists

i love to make lists.

of things i have to do.
of things i would like to do.
of things i hope to do someday.
etc.

i currently have in progress a grocery list, a homework list, a to do list & a list of fun & easy valentine's gift ideas for an article i'm writing.

i love smooth, black ink on white paper.
sharp, black letters in a white word document.

i'm trying to write a poem. for the up-coming holiday which i simultaneously hate & love. beginning with a foundation of such strong/mixed feelings creates an interesting environment to write on.

i've got lists of people i need to call. because i've been something of a lousy friend as of late.

and i've got a list of things i so desperately hope i can do someday.

on this list:
- travel europe - the whole entire continent, please.
- publish something. preferably a book of poetry. or something else. i don't know yet.
- be a mom.
- teach English.

that's it for now.