Lucy

You are my waggy tail, perky eared, treat obsessed, sweet dog who brings me so much joy. I looked a long time for you. During my final visit to the shelter before you came home with me, you were the only one who waited quietly and patiently amongst all the other canines who were freaking out in their cages as I walked by. You were different and seemed comfortable with me right from the beginning. You came to me during a time in my life when I needed companionship and unconditional love.

You've been a part of my life for over 9 months now and every day you greet me exultantly. You are my personal trainer, forcing me to get my derriere off the couch and out on the pavement every day. A natural comedienne, you crack me up and bring me more laughter than I've had in years. Just the thought of hearing you howl (or is that your version of singing) when I sing at high pitches brings tears to my eyes, it is so funny. I love the way you play with your pals at the park and your obsession to follow strangers who have treats in their pockets. You demonstrate how truly obedient you REALLY can be!

No husband, no children yet, but I have you! And you make me happy!

Baby Quilt: The Fabric

I'm getting ready to welcome a new baby nephew and I couldn't be more excited about this. I've decided the one gift I would LOVE to give this baby is a personally made quilt to wrap him up in and make him feel loved. The only problem is that I've never quilted before. I can sew with a machine and I'm generally pretty crafty, so why not try.

I've finally picked out the fabrics I'm going to use. It took quite awhile but I had fun evaluating the colors and trying to figure out which pairings to commit to. I think I have a decent selection that will grow with him (nothing on it says "baby" so even as a 3 or 4 year old, he may still enjoy being wrapped up in it).

Now, I just have to figure out what are some of the best techniques and tips to actually put this thing together.

Dyson DC25

I'm in LOVE!
He's strong, consistent and comes with a warranty. His name is Dyson and he's an "animal". He's purple and rolls with a ball, allowing him to be flexible and get to all those hard to reach spots. I've been the lucky receiver of 3 hand-me-down vacuums in my adult life and have finally invested in a new one to call my very own. This partnership will aim conquer all the cluttered dust, grime, and dirt, making my rooms more beautiful and comfortably homey.

He sucks! I used him for the first time today and was in complete awe to see the immediate effects. Completely grossed out, the bin began to fill with dog hair, my hair, dust, and who knows what else. BLEAH! Upside, my carpet is whiter and I have a newfound sense of "aaaaahhhhhhh".

This weekend, we will have another date and will delve deeper in our relationship cleaning the house.

Dyson is a step toward decluttering and simplifying my life.

Running like a girl

I have a tendency to run like one, but I take pride in that. I certainly wouldn't want to run like a boy. That would require a sex change and, um, that's of no interest to me. Besides, girls look better in running skorts and the t-shirts are cut better. Plus, our running hats come in more colors, like pink!
I'm probably the world's slowest runner (no, seriously!). It sounds weird, I know, but I don't do races to race other people. I generally race against my own goals, like completing the race. A few years ago, I decided to train with Team in Training (to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). I was able to complete 3 half marathons over a couple years. It was probably one of the most rewarding and empowering experiences I've ever had.
I've done smaller races since then (mostly 5Ks) but as I was building my "40 List" the desire to do another one came over me. Of all the races I've been hearing about that seem feasible and fun-filled is the Disneyworld race. After sharing this idea with KBM and KDF, they both showed interest in doing it with me. The idea of Disney characters cheering me on and having a Donald or Mickey or even a Tiara (Princess Half) medal is very appealing. Anyhow, after some discussion and keeping in consideration that they require a 16 min. mile pace, we are considering on running it in about a year and 3/4 from now. It's awhile, but considering that I am the slowest runner right now, it is needed time.
The challenge now is to find a good training program to follow.

On your marks, get set...

Following Faith

^{A big part of my life journey is growing deeper in my relationship with God. To some who are not believers, this is a big idea and probably one that is difficult to grasp, but I'm a believer. I'm a Christ follower. I love my God.
He is my comfort, my peace, and I draw strength from His word. Perhaps this sounds odd to some, but to me, I am more balanced and less lost when I am connected with Him. He inspires me to be a better person; more compassionate, honest, joyful, forgiving, and fearless.
I'm not perfect, in fact, I'm incredibly flawed, often to my dismay. But, He is perfect. So, why not follow One who is perfect than to follow all the imperfection of this world.}

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. -Psalm 36:5

Strawberry Walnut Salad

*****
1/2 bag of mixed greens
thinly sliced fresh strawberries (as many as you want)
dried cranberries
handful of walnuts

Wash and dry greens. Slice strawberries. Place first three ingredients in a bowl. Toss. Toss in walnuts before eating to maintain fresh crunch.

Delicious and healthy!

Squirting Frosting

There is something extremely satisfying with squirting frosting out of a plastic bag and onto a cupcake. How can one say no to the messy sweetness, not to mention the diabetic coma you get after you eat it. After that first couple bites of a cupcake, I'm done. Rather than hoard the dozen, I shared them with others. This Easter and in celebration of a friend's birthday, I made spring cupcakes.

Creative Soul

I'm a creative soul.

I'm a journaler. I journal life's adventures, contemplations, observations, challenges, lessons, and joys. Perhaps what I will share means nothing to others, but to me it's my creative soul. I find satisfaction in expressing and sharing (with whomever will listen) what I experience through whatever artistic mediums might come my way. In this case, it's a blog. I'm fascinated by the idea of newscasting to those who are most personal to me as well as those who are simply strangers sailing the same sea. It's a unique canvas for expression.

I'm a writer of words, expression, language. Not a professional, but passionate nonetheless. Language is what connects people and allows them to convey their emotions. I am fascinated that in English we only have one word for "Love" but in the Eskimo language there are so many different words for the "Love". How can this be? It's beyond my own egocentric cultural understanding but to them, it's life. But, the ability to be able to have these expressions is what fires me to embrace the joy of words.

I'm a photographer. I am often challenged with the act of living in the moment. Seeing the world through a lens and the product that comes from it provides that opportunity to catch a moment that will never happen again. I am mesmerized by those photos you see of people's faces where you can catch the deepest of emotions; emotions that will disappear a moment later. The giddiness, thoughtfulness, compassion, kindness, sadness on those faces are only glimpses into the complexity of our humanness. I savor those moments of emotional connect.

So, here I am... a blogger seeking to pull together these facets of my creative self. I'm hoping it will be a place of expression but perhaps more importantly, a place to exchange ideas, experiences, connections, and friendship.

This journey to create this blog began when I came across another woman's blog in which she created a list of 40 things she desires to do before she turns the decade from 30 to 40. Being in the same spot in time, I am intrigued by the idea of putting a thoughtful list together of things I hope to accomplish before I meet my new decade so I started a list. But, in gathering my goals, I realized that I don't want to be focused on the age but rather the evolution of who I am becoming. I am easily distracted by the fears of getting older and having regrets from my youth so I don't want to focus on the deadline of "turning 40". I desire to celebrate every age I meet and to face it honestly, with joy. I never want to be one of those women who is ashamed or feels the need to lie about how old she is. Aging is a path God placed us on so we can become whole beings and prepare us for the day we meet our maker.

Instead, I plan to photojournalize and scribe the wonderful and mundane aspects of life as I observe it. To guide me, my goal is to accomplish the items on my list of 40 (revisable pending resources and practicality of the goal) before I begin my 41st year.

Here I go. I'm jumping into the pool of blogging. I invite you to come share this journey with me. Please share your insight and observations of life's absurdities with me.

Cheers!