Decembering and Such

Right now imagine me being in a white room and looking far away. Then imagine me walking towards you and getting closer closer and eventually knocking on the screen of your computer as if to say "hello? anyone there? I haven't been to this space in awhile!"

I like to think of these posts as conversations between me and different versions of myself. Like if I were to read this a year or two or twelve from now I would be like OH YEAH I forgot about that mindset/idea/joke what have you.

Anyways, on to December-ing:

I love listening to Christmas Carols. Like, it's not Christmas for me without meditating on words from old carols. It's the same year round with hymns. I love the language and how they can just truly help you worship and reflect. I was always the kid looking into the meaning of songs and wanting to know the words. WORDS are so important ! Even if you are down or blue or not feeling Christmas just really listening to the words can bring you such hope and joy.

Here are some of my favorite lines I've been thinking about this year:

"In all our trials born to be our friend"-O Holy Night.   Isn't that cool? He literally came here to help us and to carry our burdens and give us the gift of communion together.

"Joy, Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this! He has opened heaven's door and man is blessed forever more....Peace! Peace! Now ye need not fear the grave, Jesus Christ was born to save!"-Good Christian Men Rejoice. I mean seriously...He came so we could have life! So we didn't have to live by the law anymore, but by grace!

There are so many more, but for now those are some lines that have really beens sticking with me this season.

We went to a Christmas Tree Farm this year, even though we have not one, but TWO fake trees (!!!) we just wanted to roam around and feel warm and fuzzy ect. It was fun! There was hot chocolate, there was FUNNEL cake, there was randimals (aka random animals). There was a teen Mary and Joseph who had a miniature horse posing as donkey who was ACTING OUT majorly. (he didn't like posing). He was brought back to the barn, haha. There were grumpy dads yelling at their kids and wives saying things like "awwww, but it wouldn't be CHRISTMAS if we didn't __________", and teens on their phones, haha. It was rife for people watching.

Here's a few pictures:

 This goat really liked Ted! 

 This one is just plain cute. 

 The rambunctious Lil Sebastian 

Peak n' Peek and Niagara Falls

At the end of August we got to take a little trip! In years past we would have never been able to take a trip IN AUGUST due to my teaching schedule. Usually starting August 1st things begin hot and heavy and I don't breathe again until Thanksgiving. Not this year, hallelujah! A few years we tried doing Labor Day trips and the whole time I would be fielding emails, voicemails, and stress stress stress. It was so fun to be able to get away and not have to worry about what was waiting for me when I got back, haha!

First, we visited a golf/ski resort where Ted used to go with his family as a kid, called Peak n' Peek. I have never met someone who is as sentimental about every single thing from their childhood as he is. I know it's not a bad thing, but sometimes I cannot take another story about the bowling alley or where he took Drivers Ed. (Love you!!!) It's not that I don't ever get sentimental but mostly for me the memories are sufficient, lol. I've found that things are usually better in your memory, when you go back things don't have the same golden hue they did when you were first experiencing it.  When you go back they are just places and they aren't as big as you remember. It's just a place instead of the world as you knew it. And then the ennui sets in. But I digress....This childhood sentimentality worked out in my advantage because we had a lot of fun and I got to go to the spa and spend lots of time in the hot tub, sauna, and pool. Win-win. (He golfed). AND the cool thing about the hot tub was that it was indoor/outdoor. You could literally go through the wall and be inside in the hottub. It was pretty cool weather while we were there and at one point it was drizzling and making the hot tub fog and mist in an amazing way. It was so relaxing! Cool rain, warm hot tub. There were some very bored teen girl life guards there who kept turning the music way down because everyone kept thinking the dial to turn the bubbles on was actually the music volume dial. LOL. They seemed like the most bored individuals on the planet until an attractive male teenage life guard arrived on the scene and then they both lit up like CHRISTMAS TREES. Christmas trees I tell ya! I'm sure its the beginnings of a new CW show called Guarding Life or some other nonsense.

After our quick stay at Peak n' Peek we drove to Niagara. (P n P is also in New York). The drive there was really pretty, we drove through Amish Country and Seneca Nation Reservation. Something AMAZING happened on the way. We turned down a side road in Amish Country that said there was an antique store. While looking for the Antique Store we happened upon a PEACOCK FARM. There were all these peacocks roaming the place and they were selling feathers too! I couldn't even believe my eyes. Now I need to figure out what to do with the feathers we bought. So far I've just been hiding them from he cats so they won't eat them. (I'm pretty obsessed with peacocks since we have a town peacock, whom we love). Incase you were wondering the antique store was closed, but had we not turned down that random country road we never would have seen a barrage of peacocks! (Maybe I should have a peacock farm).


We got to Niagara Falls later in the evening...Ted warned me that the town wasn't that big and wasn't that fancy. You know when you hear about things your whole life, you definitely get an image of what it looks like in your head? The town of Niagara Falls wasn't what I thought it would be (I was picturing a native american inspired Gatlinburg type thing). It was more like, Springfield, Ohio. But Niagara Falls State Park was beautiful. Maybe this is common knowledge and I'm an idiot but I did NOT know there are three different falls and NONE OF THEM are called Niagara?! This blew my mind, hehe. The falls are called Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. We took the Maid of the Mist tour and it was awesome. I'll stop rambling now and a ton of pictures that mostly look the same!

Lush!!! 

Love a good Tudor Style! 

 Yay for ivy! 

 Peacock farm!!!!! 

 The earlier in the day you go, the more chances you have of seeing lots of rainbows:) 

 I kept leaning over the edge of the boat trying to absorb as much mist as possible. I really love mist guys! Hehe. 

 king of the world! 

The Ways of a Hermit and the Ways of Time

When time flies at the speed of light, I remind myself "YOU'VE GOT TO WRITE IT DOWN TO SLOW IT DOWN" (my new motto). It processes my memories and thoughts like nothing else can. Basically August through October were one big blur. I think because the weather was so warm and sunny it seemed like a continuation of summer. And since I'm subbing this year rather than running my own classroom (aka universe) the days are running together. Consider this me slamming on the brakes.

Do you guys remember that episode of the King of Queens where Carrie quits her job to get well mentally and physically? To get lots of projects and self care done? She has all these grandiose plans of doing doing doing but then she totally shuts down and basically watches tv and lounges all day and can't bring herself to accomplish one errand? Do you see where this is going??? Haha. The struggle really IS real!

 The last few days I've done better at making myself do stuff. I think my problem is I am waiting for that kick of adrenaline and that joie de vivre to automatically be there, and if it's not I'm like "OH WELL, GUESS I'LL DO THE BARE MINIMUM TODAY". BUT, I'm reminding myself: adrenaline usually comes to me when I'm very busy. The joie de vivre comes when you feel like you've really earned that 15 minutes of coffee sipping while thinking about your week and what you've accomplished. TOO MUCH DOWN TIME results in a very sluggish me. My lifestyle has slowed basically to a grinding halt and I'm really trying to figure out how to be very useful with my talents in this moment in time where this is my reality. (Could the first and third paragraph contradict themselves more?! Going so fast. Going so slow. Ay yi yi).

I keep reminding myself to fake it till I make it. Not every #girlboss (and I say that with all the irony and sarcasm I can muster) on the internet wakes up feeling like fighting dragons everyday. You just DO IT.  I mean, I do the normal stuff like cooking, shopping, laundry, cleaning, church, family stuff. (seriously, why are there 12 loads of dishes everyday for 1-2 people!!!!) It's like the GOAL STUFF I need to motivate myself on. House projects. Working out. WRITING FOR HEAVENS SAKES. I've been avoiding the basement for two weeks because I knew the computer was waiting for me, wanting me to share my thoughts and feelings and ideas with it. Needing me too. And I've gone incommunicado.

 I'm becoming TOO COMFORTABLE in my hermit ways and I've gotta fight the Carrie Heffernan tendencies. I really don't want to have to like, write a schedule for myself everyday. UGH. But seriously I might have to start doing that to avoid wasting so much time doing RANDOM STUFF.

All of this talk of productivity has really got me hankering for a nap...

stay tuned of more updates on what we've been up to lately. (Spoiler alert: we really did see a unicorn!)

Meet Me in Montauk

*Edit* 10/9/15 Another post from our "funtivities" while at the Women's Therapy Center. A day trip to the Hampton's and Montauk was perfect to get out of the hotel room




August 2014:

I keep calling this summer, "summer of George". It has been the best summer of my LIFE so far. Isn't that crazy?! I am in love with it and enjoying every moment. I keep pronouncing that I am on "island time" and haven't been beating myself up about this or that. God has really opened the door for us to have a truly enjoyable summer and I'm so thankful! I'll try to break down different fun days into blog posts so I won't ever forget all the amazing, tiny, beautiful, things.

Hamptons/Montauk Recap

Have you ever had a day so perfect you can't believe it happened? I know, that sounds annoying and upbeat but IT'S TRUE I have had many of those days this summer! (This is where I would insert a genuine   #blessed but I'll try not to be THAT upbeat, haha).  While we were away on our trip we took a day trip through the Hampton's and ended up in Montauk. It was a beautiful day weather wise, sunny, mid 80's, low humidity. By the time we got to Montauk there was a breeze and it was really nice to be able to wear jacket on the beach.  (I love the sun but HATE sweating).  The breeze wafted around this floral smell from these pink and white flowers growing every where, there were neat little paths leading you to the beach and things were picturesque to the max.  It really opened up my eyes to the beauty of the North Eastern coast. While I love the south and have enjoyed every beach minute at any beach (Southern California, the Carolina's, the Bahamas, Florida) I gotta say, Montauk MAY have been my favorite?! I think it was the vibe: outdoors and beautiful but not neon and cheap. Maybe it was because it reminded me of Moonrise Kingdom as well. Who knows, but it impressed me and I can't wait to go back.  Maybe because I ate the best crab cakes known to man and want to eat those forever.  *Ok, I looked it up and the flowers were wild beach roses. Man, I'm gonna need a candle of that. Seriously, best fragrance ever.

  We drove through the Hampton's on the way to Montauk and every house looked like Ina Garten's house and there were ANTIQUE SALES AND YARD SALES EVERYWHERE!!!!! We stopped at a church rummage sale and snagged some stuff for FREE as they were shutting it down and didn't want haul anything back inside. I got a black and white old school photo of the Empire State Building  photographed from the top of the Rock, some woven placemats for my table, and some random other things I can't remember. The church was also beautiful and parking was easy (which is always a bonus) in Montauk and East Hampton.

Here are a few million pictures; I will be dreaming of wild beach roses and salt water tonight!

(the church with the rummage sale)