10-31-08
NaBloPoMo…huh?
So this year I’ve decided to particiapte in NaBloPoMo…kind of like NaNoWriMo but for blogs.
10-09-08
it’s the small things
1. eating lunch outside – in high school we sat on the sidewalks, in college we moved up to tables outside of restaurants, and here i head to bryant park when i can. there’s something to be said about drinking diet coke with my eyes closed and feeling the sun beating down on my [sunscreened] face. it’s a moment of peace, where my phone is on silent and i’m not attached to a computer so i can simply just be.
(photo of times square by brett gullborg; ironically, i don’t have any photos of times square)
3. quality time with any combination of roommates – when you live with 4 girls it’s both rare to have time with only one or time with all five. i intentionally try to spend time with each of them and cultivate a friendship that is one-on-one. also, on the rare occasion that all five of us are home, i walk away from the conversations feeling refreshed and encouraged.
before our impromptu trip to jersey–target + p.f. changs = bliss
4. airports and airplanes – i love the anticipation of sitting in the airport, knowing you’re going somewhere different even if only for a few days. i love that airplanes have been such a constant in my life for the last 4 years. i love sitting on the plane and having those 2, 3, 4 (sometimes more!) uninterrupted hours where i can listen to music and pour my heart out on paper. i love landing safely and knowing it’s only going to a few minutes until i get to see someone i know and love. 
this is what i do on planes: write, listen, and take photos when i get bored
6. dinner with old friends – sitting across from people who have known me forever, people who have watched me grow up and become. listening to their stories and realizing that the very core of us never changes [and in most cases that’s a good thing]. knowing that after all these years i can still trust them. loving them for who they were and for who they are, and knowing they feel the same about me. belly laughing with them at things only we understand. realizing that we are all so different that if we met now we probably wouldn’t become friends, but grateful for the circumstances that brought us together so many years ago.
7. surprises – i get this from my dad – he loves to surprise people. he shows his love by giving gifts, especially to my sister and me, and he will go to great lengths to find the best gift he can to surprise us – one day i’ll write about the car i got when i was 14! this past weekend my sister and i gave our dad the best surprise ever. we conspired to fly me down for his birthday, and when she took him out to eat i showed up at the restaurant. the look on his face when i walked in and he realized what we’d done is one i will never forget! the trip only lasted two days, but knowing we made my dad feel loved and important is something that will last forever.
birthday dinner!
9. porches – i grew up spending Sundays at my grandparents’ house on their farm. after dinner all of the adults escaped to the porch to sit in rocking chairs and continue their conversation. they always seems relaxed and young and carefree, a contrast to the busy weeks they all had. to this day, porches are one of my favorite things ever. drinking a cup of coffee on the porch in the morning with nothing but my Bible, a journal, and a pen, or in the evening equipped with good friends and great conversation (and bug spray), sitting on the porch is just good for my heart.
10. getting mail (not bills but the fun kind) – there’s nothing quite like getting home after my 45 minute commute and wearily walking up the stairs, through the door, and into the kitchen and seeing a letter or card or package addressed to me! knowing that someone took the time to write something or put a package together, address it, and go to the post office or mailbox so that i can have something tangible to read or enjoy makes me happy.
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this quote hung on my wall during college and now is taped to my shelves at work:
So, all three commenters of mine – what little things make you happy?
10-03-08
sing out, sing out…your voice is all you have
can’t! stop! listening! to! volume III
[volume I]
[volume II]
some recent faves, and as always, the lyrics that I love and/or my own thoughts for your reading pleasure:
return, needtobreathe *
["I’m giving you my heart to break again; Oh I’m leaving you a way to get back in...return to me"]
(this song reminds me of a true love story, a story of loss and redemption that only God could have written. oh, and, of course it reminds me of edward and bella, specifically in new moon (book 2) of the twilight saga. what’s that you say? you’re wondering when i’m going to stop talking about twilight? answer: not any time soon)
gotta find you, joe jonas
[i blame my good friend leslie for this one - but it's truly a good song. so what if it's on the camp rock CD?]
the resolution, jack’s mannequin
[ "There's a lot that I don't know, there's a lot that I'm still learning..."]
(this is on jack’s new CD…and i’m not so sure about the rest of it. maybe it’ll grow on me? i love them so much and i really want to love their new CD…)
rest, nevertheless *
["hey, I know that you're scared/ to look in My eyes/ when you know that something's wrong/ I'll wait as long as it takes/ for you to find grace/ that's been here all along"]
and also, augustine:
["love is an ocean/ caught in a storm/ breaking down walls/ and taking its form/ the
farthest from safety/ but the closest I've come/ as we come undone..."]
currents, dashboard confessional
["the air is visceral around us/ turning in its simple steps/ on slow currents/ and I watch as it pirouettes and spins in slow motion/ a long drag comes/ a slow dance/ in a halo of ember"]
(pretty sure i just like the word “visceral”)
God of this city, chris tomlin
[where do i even begin with this song...God uses this song to break my heart for new york city time and time again. chris tomlin didn't write it (though he sings it well), bluetree did, and the story behind the song can be found here]
sorrow, flyleaf
["familiar breath of my old lies changed the color in my eyes...soon He will perforate the fabric of the peaceful by and by"]
(another edward and bella song, but more importantly, a beautiful reference to Psalm 30:5)
walk you home, karmina
["even the brave may depend on someone/ the moon only shines with the help of the sun/ it's not as safe when you're walking alone/ i'll walk you home"]
divine romance, phil wickham *
[from his newest (FREE) album singalong...so good! you can download it from his website]
disturbia, rihanna
[one of those fun songs you can't get out of your head!]
* get the whole album…you can thank me later 