Childhood memories

I’ve got a gazillion. We all do. How often do you randomly remember something that had escaped your adult mind? Lately, I have had that happen several times, and today proved no exception.

So, it is very clear that I am a fan of music. Anyone who knows me or reads this can probably deduce that. Weird quirk? I love love love scores to movies. I have…quite a few. I enjoy all kinds of music, but I really do enjoy tons of movie scores. I’m an orchestra fan, and have been, as far back as I can remember. Which, before today, was as far back as 12 years old, listening to the Titanic score. However, today I was reading random articles online, and ended up reading some article that mentioned The Lion King. And I had a flashback of sitting back in my parents bedroom in the first house I remember, rewinding the VHS over and over and over again to listen to the same 35 seconds of music. I was 9. I know that might be embarrassing, or silly, but it’s just another piece of who I am, and what makes me, me.

I’m including a clip of the last 9 minutes of The Lion King, the part i played over and over started around 4:23 of the vid, and ended at 4:55. Seriously, rewound that VHS over and over for seconds of music. Do you remember rewinding VHS tapes? That shit was not easy. Worth it? Heck yes!

Happy Friday

Life is so different

Things are so different these days. I look forward to cleaning the house and reading books. I call people to hang out and they actually want to. I invest time in others and they invest time in me. I’m almost always busy with something. I have projects I want to do this summer and every intention of doing them. I have people in my life who genuinely care. It’s pretty cool. I’ll have more, I know it’s been a while. I’m just saying,  life is different, and different is good. So so good.

Holy swoon.

Listening on repeat. Lovely!

Faith

I need to remember this daily.

I’m kind of a nerd.

It’s official!!! I’m going to Denver in just over a month. ACK! (you remember Cathy, from the Sunday funnies? That’s where I got that from.) Spending the weekend with the Gabb’s, and seeing YTG in Boulder. The following is a description of the show from the Boulder Theater website:

eTown continues to bend the rules in it’s 21^st season with a very special radio show taping featuring two of the hottest, emerging Indie Rock groups currently on the international touring circuit. On April 1, eTown hosts Nick and Helen Forster welcome Young The Giant and Civil Twilight for debut performances in eTown. This one-of-a-kind live radio show taping will afford attendees a rare, up-close-and-personal experience with both visiting artists, through music and conversation.

More than just a typical concert, each eTown taping is a unique live entertainment event that combines musical performance, information and inspiring conversation.

Um, are ya kidding? Seating is general admission too, so hopefully the Gabb’s will indulge me just a little and get there early. I’m sorta like a 12-year-old right now, and that’s ok. =) It’s nice to be excited about something. I know I’m extremely lucky today. My life is pretty unrecognizable from a year ago. Even from 6 months ago! I’m very grateful for that.

Smiling is good for the soul

So, assuming everything gets approved, I am going to Colorado for the April 1st show of Young the Giant. They’re playing in Boulder, and Bethany and Mike live in Denver, and they’ve asked me to stay at their place, and will pick me up and drop me off at the airport, and will come with me to the show, and and and and, I’m very excited!!! It will be a quick trip, leave on Saturday, back on Monday, but I was having wanderlust in a bad way and this was a great opportunity – spend time with the Gabb’s and see Young the Giant?? I’m elated. Like, cannot contain my excitement, sitting at my desk grinning like a fool elated. God is good, life is good, things are good. Things are not easy, day by day things can seem like trudging, but the god of my understanding likes to remind me that even when things are ho-hum, they’re still better than the alternative. That just when I think I’m stuck in a rut, all the pieces fall into place for something I couldn’t have made work or imagined on my own. I am surprised daily, at what happens when I decide that my way isn’t going to work, and decide to turn it over.

Love it.

Young The Giant

I pretty much love everything about them. I love the imagery their lyrics create. I love the raw In the Open videos they made. I am a little bit consumed with Young the Giant right now. I’m ok with it.

So that whole cooking thing…

It’s actually pretty fun. I’ve learned a few things already. For example:

My kitchen is small, but because I am my mother’s daughter, and clean as I go, I’m able to work all right in it. I have a great sense of accomplishment when I take all the pieces and parts, throw them together, and the outcome is good. I’m grateful I’m in a position to be able to afford the groceries to cook on a whim, because that wasn’t always the case. If I continue to cook foods heavy in dairy I’m going to have to work out twice as much in the gym, so I’m going to try to find some healthy stuff too. I like the time it takes to prepare and cook food. It keeps me busy, it keeps my mind occupied, and I can share with those who might want some. Because most recipes are made for families, and well, it’s just me here. In the future I think I’ll try to cut recipes in half, but I didn’t this time, and can share with a girlfriend and her daughter. There will be a lot of trial and error in this. I don’t like working with raw chicken. I shouldn’t wait until 9:00 to go to the grocery store to start. I’d like a lot more spices in my cupboard. I’m making spaghetti tomorrow night.

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I like learning – this has been fun so far. Last week Jennie and I made buffalo chicken dip and salsa rolls. This week, I made broccoli chicken casserole. I have left over chicken, broccoli and rice (separately) because I misjudged the size of my dish, so I’ll figure out what to do with that tomorrow. Tonight, what I can say is, I enjoy cooking so far, and although I’m starting off with easy things, at least I’m starting off.

(I’ll be working diligently in the gym tomorrow)

For now, I’m watching the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 and going to bed What a great start to my weekend!

Books books books!

I love to read. Love it. I have, since I was a very little girl, say 3 or 4. If a book has the ability to catch my interest, I tend to go overboard. I’ll finish a novel in a day. I have the tendency to get lost in a book, and lose track of time, forget to eat, ignore the phone, and realize how cut off I’ve been once I shut the book for good. I’m also a re-reader. You read that right. I clearly remember my dad offering me 5 bucks to read the prologue of The Da Vinci Code because I was lying across a chair in the living room, reading the 4th Harry Potter book for probably the 7th time. I still have books on my bookshelf from elementary school. The BFG, with the corner chewed off. Where the Red Fern Grows, which makes me cry every time, but is so good I can’t stop reading it. The Cay, Call of the Wild, all sorts of childhood books. They’re fun to go back and revisit. My dad has loaned me several books that I really should get started on. Lately it seems I don’t have much time for reading at home. I read some at work, when things are slow.

The thing about being a voracious reader is that, I tend to struggle to find writing that challenges me. I’m currently reading some Sherlock Holmes and I love that there are words that I have to look up. I love the style of writing, the way people spoke back then. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle does an excellent job of providing the reader with details enough to imagine the place he describes. I can see the steamy ports and grimy streets and hear the clip-clop of hooves as horses travel through Tottenham Court Road. He, describes in detail things people are wearing and how they’re sitting because, by definition, the character Sherlock Holmes is a man who deduces much from little. Ah man, I love books!

Time to cook!

That’s it. I’ve found too many things on Pinterest that I want to cook to put it off any longer. I’m doing it. I’m just going to dig in and try to throw myself into the middle of it and hope to get over my stupid phobia and cook because it looks fun, its better for me, and it is a hobby that would occupy some of my time.

Here’s the thing. I think about food constantly. I obsess about it, and that isn’t something easy for me to admit. I hate it. But I think maybe, if I start to cook, I might alleviate that a little bit. It may have the opposite effect, and if it does then I’ll have to stop. But if I know what I’m making and I know what is in it and I took the time to prepare it and have some pride in what I’m doing, then maybe I’ll love it. And maybe the incessant thoughts about food will let up. And maybe I’ll find something I’m really good at. Or really suck at, but enjoy. I don’t know, I just feel like I’ve got to try.

Baked Parmesan Crusted Mayo Chicken, buffalo chicken slaw rolls, grilled asparagus with lemon zest and feta, broccoli and mozzarella stromboli, jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich?! salsa roll ups, honey lime chicken enchiladas…are you kidding? My stomach is ROARING right now! And that’s just the tip of the iceburg. I’ve got dips, pastas, appetizers….all kinds of yummy goodness that no one else is going to make for me, I’m a big girl. I need to just get over it and do it myself. SO I’m having movie night with my sister-in-law tomorrow and I’m going to make something to take over. I just haven’t figured out which one yet. Wish me luck!