Random Thoughts

Well, February has been a busy month so far, thus the decrease in posting.

So, some random catch-up thoughts...

I watched the movie Groundhog Day with a friend last week (the day after the real Groundhog Day).  It had been years and years since I had seen it, so I remembered the premise, but not the details.  I forgot just how many times poor Bill Murray had to relive that terrible day...it was almost painful, but still funny.  It did make me think about how I would feel if I woke up & had to relive my day over again.  Would I be happy about it?  Would I choose to live it differently?  Some days it would be nice to rewind and start again...refrain from saying that stupid thing, take time to be present with people, use the time more wisely....  And some days, maybe it's just better to move on & put things behind you.


I also learned this week that I own 14 pairs of jeans!  Yikes...when did I become THAT girl?  Now, 90% of said jeans were bought from thrift stores and even the ones bought new are several years old.  But still.  It kind of makes me sick.  Perhaps it's time to simplify a bit.


Some things I've enjoyed this week:

Being in the kitchen & trying new recipes

Made this:  http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/08/11/texas-caviar/#VP95RLuTxSak8udR.32



And something like this (can't find the actual recipe I used, but similar): http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/23/want-to-eat-an-entire-bowl-of-cookie-dough/

Sounds strange, but really tasty!

I cannot take credit for this pretty pie, but I did enjoy eating it!

Cider - love trying new flavors

Sunsets - a great Friday night surprise

Be Careful What You Wish For...

...well, my snow is coming down in full force!

Who wants to go skiing??

Saturday

I can't believe the weekend is half over!  Today was a good day, but didn't really feel like the weekend since I had to go into work.  We had a volunteer meeting at 1pm, which stole a lot of my day, but it was fun...great turn out and got to meet some neat people.  Getting excited about the festival coming soon!

After the meeting, I decided to check out Goodwill and scored some good finds.  Then, I thought I'd quick grab some groceries before going home.  Little did I know the grocery store was a mad house.  Not only was it Saturday, it was the day before Superbowl, the day before a forecasted snowstorm, and apparently they were having a big sale.  A perfect storm of "S"s!  I could not believe how many people were there!  Every checkout lane was open and every line crossed the main aisle and spilled into the clothing sections.   It was nuts!

I decided to just have a good attitude and not get frustrated.  I tried to smile at people as much as possible and encourage the checkout guy (who was not shy about sharing his true feelings about the situation and emphasizing how LONG of a day he had to work!  Seriously...8 whole hours!).  At one point he asked for my ID and I got a good laugh when he said, "Oh...you look more like you'd have been born in '93!"  haha  I'll take that as a compliment.

Despite everything, it was a fairly productive day.  Made some Superbowl snacks, froze some smoothies for the week ahead, did some laundry & some cleaning.  Not too shabby.

And, I felt pretty satisfied when I created this from my groceries:

Food art.  Pretty, right?

Guess I should have bought some blueberries!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

As I was leaving work today, a thought crossed my mind that I didn't think I'd ever have:

"I wish we had more snow."

Anyone who's known me for at least a couple years could tell you that winter is not my favorite season.  In fact, it's been at the bottom of the list for most of my life. (Probably all the years since I outgrew school snow days.) However, in the last year or two I've tried to have a better attitude about it.  

When we got our first snow this winter in November, I decided that this year was going to be different.  I made a declaration on Facebook (because of course that's where you declare your most important thoughts  & goals) that I was going to embrace winter.  I wasn't going to complain.  I was going to enjoy it.

And I have.

Now, granted, we haven't had the worst winter in history, but it's been cold and off-and-on snowy.  And I haven't really minded.  I've noticed how pretty it is.  I've enjoyed my new snow boots.  I've enjoyed shoveling.  And I've toted skis around in my car for weeks.

The last sentence being the reason for my opening thought.  In my effort to embrace winter, I actually bought skis and then the snow melted!  I haven't even put them on once!  So sad.

So, now I'm wishing for snow (gasp!)...

And apparently it's working because just a few hours later, I was driving through this:

And looking like this (while stopped to get gas...not while driving!):

Bring it on!

(just for a little while...then bring on 70 degrees in March!)

Crunchy

I'm pretty excited that I just ordered this yesterday:  http://www.culturesforhealth.com/kombucha-tea-starter-kit.html

Can't wait to try it out!  I'll let you know how it goes! :)

Silence

Sometimes I wonder where my future is headed.  I question why God brought me to this place in time, and why certain things happened the way they did.  Leading up to and during college, it felt like my path was pretty clear, like God was directing me and giving me purpose.  I think some of that is a natural result of the necessity of making decisions about where to go to school, what to major in, etc.  Everything I was doing was in pursuit of a specific career (little did I know it was a career I wouldn't end up wanting).

Since graduating, the path hasn't been quite so defined.  I can't really complain -- I love my job, my church, my friends, and I'm pretty happy with my life as it is -- but sometimes I wonder what else I could or should be doing and whether God is really guiding me in a specific direction.

The other day, I read this in My Utmost for His Highest, "Abraham went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all self-sufficiency was destroyed; there was no possibility left of relying on common-sense ways. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not of displeasure."

When I think of Abraham, I think of someone who was very close to God.  He clearly heard from God and followed his leading.  He fully trust in God, to the point of leaving behind everything he knew to go to an unknown place with an unknown future.  I think of him being in constant communion with God...but thirteen years of silence?  That's a long time!  And yet Abraham still believed.

I love that last sentence because I'm sure it was easy for Abraham to think God was not happy with him if he was silent for so long, but He had a purpose in the silence.

It's easy for me to think that God is displeased with where I'm at when the days feel quiet.  Did He get tired of me not listening?  Am I too complacent? Did He give up on me? Did He move on to someone else?

Or maybe I'm asking the wrong questions.

Maybe He's teaching me something in the silence.

Maybe He's working on something I can't yet see.

I need to learn to wait.  And to listen.

I wish...

• I could travel more
• More of my friends lived closer
• Coffee & chocolate could be as nutritious as veggies
• Teeth didn't get cavities
• I could dance
• College classes weren't so expensive
• I could go skydiving again
• I had a personal hair stylist
• Legs didn't have hair
• Gas prices would stay under $2/gallon
• Weekends were 3 days long
• Summer camp could be real life
• I was sleeping right now