eleneariel | Entries tagged with life

Someone expressed shock that I had no Plans for the long weekend, and I was similarly shocked that given a chance to have three solid days at home, one wouldn't wish to take it.

I took it, my friends. I haven't gone anywhere at all since Friday.

I knocked out so much of my to do list. I took early morning walks, and evening walks. I cooked for five hours straight and then read Blackout for almost that long. I napped under trees with kittens curled up by my side. I listened to chattering birds and tended the herb patch and watched a Bourne movie without even ever figuring out if it was the second or third. I baked bread twice and drank a total of about three pots of coffee.

I thought a lot about London.

I saw the same rabbit three mornings in a row.

And I slept with the windows open.

I spent a peaceful, perfect dawn hour picking blueberries at the farm of a man who owns 8,000 books and has a voice that carries over the blueberry fields like a trombone.

It was wonderful.

I found this dress on a deeply discounted rack at the mall last week and it made me really beyond happy because it is so similar in style and color (I think the color is exact, actually) to that other dress I love so much, the super comfortable just-throw-it-on-and-go blue dress that is actually from Liz Lange's maternity line, and which is sadly starting to show its age in the way of some fading and pilling, which will necessitate its retirement from public life for a more secluded lifestyle of House Dress.

Man, the coffee shop is playing the best mix of music this morning - a lot of the Killers and REM and other random stuff and also I think it might rain today. I hope so.

Also, it is a Good Day. All the world seems new and fresh and good, and Stacy is coming into town tonight. :)

( Day 236 )

This week has flown by. This is the actually the first day this week I've actually had time to eat lunch on my lunch break. I've been hungry a lot.

I started a new endeavor, but I'm embarrassed to talk about it until I know whether it will be a success or not. Because it if it's not, then I'll feel silly.

Tomorrow the huge rummage sale at the Presbyterian church starts! It's famous in these parts. I'm getting up extra early so I can snap up all the good stuff before everyone else gets to it.

windandtherain, I'm going to fill your survey out soon! In the meantime, have a meme:

( the How Well Can You? meme )

Current Mood: rushed

I never really think of myself as being all that southern; I was born in Texas (a source of great pride), but I only lived there 2 1/2 years. Then I spent six years in Florida, which is southern but not southern, if you know what I mean. Then I moved here, to Oklahoma.

But I might have to rethink this, because of the following facts:

1) when looking for a coffee cake recipe in my mother's recipe card file, I ran across one for our old favorite, Jeff Davis pie.
2) for breakfast I had fried cornmeal mush.
3) I think breakfast yesterday was grits, although I wasn't home for it.

Oh, and:
4) I sort of tend to start drawling just a bit when I'm nervous. Or trying to be extra sociable.

Current Mood: restless

I had to go all day without chapstick.

Don't ask. Just don't ask.

Attention, ladies: my friend

savetheolives has some Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation that she's selling; head over a take a look! I'd snap it up if only my skin was darker. Boo.

I finally, finally feel like I've caught up with life, generally (except for the books, of course, that never feels remotely caught up.) And my taxes. I should really do those this weekend. BOO. But right now I have time to do some more minor and insignificant projects without feeling guilty. Like taking an old wooden bed-tray and making it pretty. I just love rescuing something from Certain Doom and giving it a new and useful life.

Probably that's why I have four rubbermaid tubs full of Stuff To Make Cards Out Of, including, but not limited to, old wall paper samples, bits of foil candy wrappers, and hundreds of pages torn from thrown-away magazines.

Of course I'll be happy to tell you. I've been candying grapefruit peel - a delicacy surprisingly more delicious than it sounds - and watching Remington Steele; cooking my last halloween pumpkin and trying

laraemily's Coke Blak recipe (yum!); boxing up items from my LJ Sale and drinking Holy Chocolate ("every sip blessed!")

And I'm only two days into a four day weekend.

Tomorrow a funeral, Tuesday a long overdue and long-awaited catch-up session with an old, old friend, Wednesday figuring out how to make a Bob-and-Larry birthday cake, Thursday a birthday party, and Saturday I work.

But then I have Monday off!

I have not yet finished my Christmas thank you notes, and I feel very, very guilty about it.

Ate all my meals outdoors, criss-crossed ankles with scratches during an ill-advised romp through a bramble patch, and chased down Hagen, who has suddenly become an escape artist obsessed with the outdoors, five times.

Corollary: scolded cat soundly five times. Response: absolute indifference, did we expect anything else?

Now: listening to the rain.

I've had a busy time of it lately. The busier I get the more I see how important it is, at least for me, to take care of myself. I've somehow managed to get more sleep than usual the last few weeks and I can tell a difference -- even if it only serves to make me feel I can stay up later because I'm no longer falling asleep at the drop of a hat by 10:30pm. I'm also seeing how vital to my general wellbeing it is that I find a little time to relax and rest. I haven't done so well at that lately, but that should improve next week, because ...

Friday I'm moving over to savetheolives's grandmother's house to take care of her place while she's on vacation. I always enjoy the extra time alone and the proximity to work, shopping, and the gym. And the fun of planning and cooking all my meals. (The first things I put in my trunk to take along are my two cast iron skillets.) I was going to have a Godfather marathon, however ...

Last night mom wanted to see Godfather II! I'm tickled to share it with her, because it's not the type she normally likes. 3 1/2 hours of that sort of took care of my Godfather craving for awhile, so I think I'll watch Gone with the Wind instead. I packed a box this morning of all the materials I need to make my Christmas cards for this year, so I need a nice long movie to watch while doing it. After all ...

Christmas isn't too much longer! I'll enjoy it tremendously this year, because I've already got all my gift-buying done. Yes, I rock.

(As an aside, this article from the Uncyclopedia made me laugh out out.)

Today I wore a vintage dress, put my hair up in a successful new style, wrote to a great aunt, took another hour long walk with mom, planned a dinner party (how the words thrill!), finished my medieval costume, cuddled with the cats, and drank lemon tea.

War of the Worlds is being broadcast on the radio tonight, and I'm going to go make sugar cookies while I listen.

Plans have changed, not that you knew what the orginal plans were in the first place, and I am traveling this evening to the City to attend a program by Kate DiCamillo, the author of, among others, the wonderful Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread.

And then a late night dinner at the Olive Garden.

So I have a pretty dress on, and I am going to go take Sir Galahad to the car wash even though it's threatening to rain.

La!

I am really enjoying Paperback Swap! I've been using it for several months now. It's so easy: you get three credits automatically just for signing up and listing at least nine paperback books, and then each time someone requests one of your books and you send it to them, you get another credit. Each credit then allows you to choose a book from some other member. It's a cheap and mostly easy way to get my hands on books I've wanted for a long time or need to finish out a series. I'm having so much fun. :)

During lunch I bought a $70 dress for $10. As I told Hannah, it is tres cute. It needs a little *cough* modification, however. Easily done, easily done.

Tomorrow after work I'm going to go hang out at the coffee shop by my lonesome and look really chic curled up on the leather sofa with my books and iced caremel latte. Yes. I need this.

Update: the mango did not taste like a pine tree. It was delicious, and I want another.

I am feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do in life, starting with the list of items to be done today and continuing right on up to Everything I Must Do Before I Die.

I have things to say about Ocean's 13, Napoleon Dynamite, and the new Pride and Prejudice, but it will all have to wait one more day. Tonight at some point I'll be going home...

Friday I realized that it's been six months since asthma has interfered with my life. Yay drugs!

Saturday I turned a $15 art print into a work of art via clever use of antiquing paste, glaze, and a knife. I also talked myself into and out of buying a new camera in the space of ten minutes.

Sunday I found out we have a baby bunny living under our house. He hops out into the yard and it makes me very happy. I haven't seen a rabbit around since we left Florida.

Today I have realized that one of the things in life that makes me the happiest is when I suggest a book/recipe/song/movie/place to someone and they come back later and go you know, that was a really good book/dish/song/movie/place to go. The majority of the time this happens at the library, and it makes me feel worthy of my calling.

I was really busy today. I am sad that I am so busy during my week that I hardly seem to get anything non-essential done, and now my weekends seem even busier than workdays.

Today I got phone-interviewed by the state Department of Health; they're doing a survey on women's health. It was amusing, to say the least. I answered a ton of questions about my physical and mental health (have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes? Had a heart attack? How many servings of vegatables do you eat per week? How many salads? What is your current weight? What was your weight a year ago? Is the difference between them intentional? Answer: YES! I deliberately dieted all YEAR to lose those two pounds!) Best of all were the sex questions. My dad laughed and laughed when I told him about those.

There's a very lethargic fly hanging around my desk. And Hagen's been hanging around the open windows all day -- I feel bad that I can't let him outside, as he is so obviously enthralled with it, but I absolutely refuse.

The weather looks great for tomorrow's lunch in the park, so there. :)

- there is another snowstorm bearing down on Denver! I am excessively amused. The one year I avoid Salt Lake City as a layover destination, and look where it gets me. *facepalm* I would really prefer not to get stuck there, yes?

- I am not a superstitious person, but there is a silver cuff bracelet that I wear during stressful situations and when I am especially tense and nervous. It has some personal significance and when I wear it, I am always reminded both of God's care and the support of my friends, and that no matter what bad things happen, I can't be separated from either. I wore it almost constantly during my mom's health problems, and then my own, and all the uproars at work, and my one and only job interview. And I realized today (after wearing it yet again) that the situations when I wear it basically out of fear, the thing I feared has never happened.

- I'm starting to get realllly excited about Saturday and beyond!

Today was special because dad let me drive the Mercedes. One-sixty we did not do, but yes, the Mo-car purrs like a kitten. Sweet, very sweet indeed. We likes it.

As a side note, I'm always nervous driving with my dad in the car. I don't know why he makes me feel inferior...except that he always thinks I drive too fast, even when though I purposely drive slowly when he's with me. I don't think he likes not being in control of the car. *grin*

The afternoon was spent making chex mix and listening to old speeches on CD -- Churchill, Truman, the Roosevelts, the Kennedys, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's speech to the children of England during the war. There's nothing like hearing history.

We've watched "What's Up, Doc?" twice already this weekend!

I am unsettled in my mind about some things; nothing serious, but I can't seem to shake it. In thinking about this, I decided that the reason I doubt a lot of life at the moment is because it all seems too easy. Ergo, something must be wrong.

Well, it seems logical to me.

PS: this long weekend, my main project (besides beginning to pack ohmygoshtimemovestoofasteeeeeekkkkkk) is reading. I brought seven books home with me from the library yesterday, several of them close to or exceeding the 1,000 page mark, and I know very well that there is NO WAY I can read them all, not even counting the ones I already had here, started, but I am going to give it my best shot. *deep breath* And I can't even take any with me to Boise, because they are all gigantic hardcovers, and means, oh, the horror, I must pack OTHER books to start on the plane, which will probably be the two Prachetts that I haven't read yet because I have them in paperback and maybe an obsure philosophy book I've been meaning to get to for ages.

Current Location: home
Current Music: I've Got You Under My Skin -- Michael Buble

I just confirmed my tickets for the Idaho trip in *counts* 21 days. I didn't dream that I purchased them. They haven't lost my reservation. This is good!

I cleaned (sort of) and the mess is much better. After the weekend I should have a lot of the ~~clutter~~ Christmas presents out of there, and that will help a tremendously. (Oh, the new curtains are up. They are very black, and I like them.)

Things that used to make me nervous at the mere thought of them happening someday don't seem to be so scary after all, now that the time is here. Interesting.

I get to go to work in the morning! Oh, yippie.

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eleneariel

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July 2011

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Joie de vivre

i thank you God for most this amazing day

Entries tagged with life

(no subject)

(no subject)

A Good Day

Busy busy

Southernisms

TRAGEDY

Hear ye, hear ye

So, what have I been up to, you ask?

Busy

Nutshell

Life in transitions

There is beauty in the mundane

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

/I thought I'd pegged you an idiot's dream/

In short:

A weekend in bold

the smell of strawberries ripening in the sun

And a few more things:

Christmas Eve Eve

Mmmmmm cold