Peace At Last.

Hello me lovelies! All apologies for neglecting you so, as of late. What can I say? Life has a way of getting out of hand now and again.

Within the last 2 weeks I:

-attained a new job!

-gave notice to my current employer.

-started the new job!

-resigned from the new job.

-reacquired the old job!

-came down with exudative tonsillitis.

-neglected all creative outlets.

-survived way too much stress.

Amidst all those ups and downs, there were a couple of nights that I let the unknown get the best of me. Quitting one job before having confirmed another is not exactly my cup of tea, but it was something I felt I had to do. So, I did it. Then I freaked out accordingly.

I managed to single handedly destroy my immune system via stress. Thus causing my tonsils to make an attempt on my life. >_<

Worry does NO GOOD. None. Remember that.

So, I am currently very thankful to be updating the old blog here. Even if it does mean germing up the laptop. I have a long weekend to relax, overcome my tonsils, and let everything sink in.

God willing, things are back to how they belong.

Deep Breath. Chin Up.

It is far too late to be posting, but I've got too much to blather about to sleep, or hold it in anymore.

I've got a new job. Great right? Riiiight.

New is good. More money is good. Change? Change is bad. Well, maybe not bad, but certainly not my friend. At least not at the moment.

I am a creature of habit. I know this. The thought of leaving my current coworkers kills me. It feels like there's a great big old hippopotamus sitting on my chest. My heart is heavy, and I can hardly breath.

I just wasn't prepared. I mean, I went to an interview, got turned down. 'Nough said. As soon as the answer was no, I went right on my merry way, back into my routine, thankful that I wouldn't have to change. Then, out of the blue I get a call.

An opportunity has presented itself?! One week's notice?! Umm...well...uh...can I call you back?! Ugh.

So, new job starts on Tuesday. It'll take some getting used to I'm sure, but I think I'll like it. The husband person and I can carpool. I'll not be worried about my little nonprofit closing down on me. Well, I'll worry about them, but not whether I'll be without a paycheck or not anymore.

I'm still going to volunteer to teach art at the shelter, and to transport runaway and homeless youth. So, I'll be helping people. I just worry it won't be enough.

I feel so bad for leaving them. I'll miss them SO much. My heart aches, but I feel as if this job is an answer to prayer. I mean, I ask for The Man with The Plan to help my doddering little self along. I don't know what tomorrow will bring. So, I figure I'll follow someone who does.

Sometimes He surprises me is all.

Deep breath. Chin up.

Another One Bites The Dust \m/ (>_<) \m/

How long has it been since you got sucked into this Land o' Blogging? Hmm?

Was it to blather about life in general? Perhaps to tame the need to write? Maybe to support a cause, or maintain sanity? Whatever the reasoning behind it, I'm glad you did.

Communication/expression are such important things to me. To all of us, right? I mean, who doesn't enjoy reading those comments? (If you're the freak that doesn't, keep your bitter little opinion to yourself. ^_^)

I love relating to strangers. Driving home the fact that we are all the same, no matter how drastically different. I especially enjoy reading the rantings of other artists. It silently thrills my soul.

Well, another one has bit the dust, bloggers. A dear friend, and amazing artist. His name is Mark Blevins, and you'd be missing out if you didn't stop by now and again to see what he's up to. So, here. Go now. Go! http://drinksonmars.blogspot.com/

Deep Healing Breaths

So, my blog has lacked a little "pep" as of late. Despite this bloggy hiatus, I've been having an all around happy crappy time. Whenever I think about posting, I decide to spare you all the whining and wallowing, but no more. I've decided to embrace the waist-deep mire I'm inhabiting.

I won't bother back tracking. Let's just start with today...

It's raining. Again. Rain is good and all. Plants love it.

I. AM. NOT. A. PLANT. I miss the sun. I blew a kiss to it when I saw it yesterday. Sigh.

Making the descent into my office via the back parking lot is a dangerous excursion. The steps are old, rickety and (Bon Jovi would be proud) slippery when wet. Yeah. I busted it.

How about a list of outcomes?!

-My khaki skirt now has a big soggy brown spot in the general area of my bum.
-My knee scraped up against the door. :(
-At least two of my toes are broken, for sure(ow-eee).
-My lunch is now muddy.
-I'm cold.
-I hate everything.

So, here's to embracing. What glorious and wonderful things have happened to y'all lately? Care to share? C'mon. Let's wallow.

It helps me to remember that no matter how rotten it gets, I have things to be thankful for. The book of Job always helps me through. It's pitiful, but inspiring.

God is good. He really is. I know, especially in times like these, He is my biggest supporter and friend. So, we're pretty tight at the moment, and that's alright by me. ^_^

Here's The Deal

I was totally going to show my blog some love today, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I have no love to give. It seems as though I am in a bit of a melancholy rut, and have nothing nice to say.

So, in short, I am forcing myself to be a wee bit positive. Of all the things that suck right now, I can say that I'm thankful for a whole heck of a lot. Nothing is really all that bad. God is good. He takes care of me. Seriously.

On that note, I am going to bed.

Icky Blah Hmph

This day has been out to get me. I have put up a good fight, but am now throwing in the towel.

I need sunshine and fresh air to thrive. What do I get? Rain, rain and more rain. So much rain, in fact, that my office flooded. Again.

I have spent the majority of this day wrestling a shop vac to remedy soggy/soured carpet, entertaining my boss' 10 month old son (which was the highlight), and battling a head ache.

My will has been broken. My little light has gone out.

I'll try again tomorrow. Perhaps the sun will too.

List Lust X

Click on this image to visit these lovely little bits of goodness at their home w/Berdene!

I'm going to come right out and face facts here, people. I've not been the most reliable with this whole consecutive Wednesday List Lustiness thing. Heck! I haven't been so reliable at reading/posting regularly, either.

It seems as though I'm not the only one who's been experiencing blog block. A few of you lovely people have just not had the time or material, and you know what? That's okay. I'm pretty sure it just means that life has been asserting itself, which is kind of a good thing. Wouldn't you say?

So, in honor of my lack of stick-to-itiveness/time, I give you a list of quotes that make me feel better about being me. Instability and all.

1. To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else. -Emily Dickinson

2. One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne

3. The things we fear most in organization - fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances - are the primary sources of creativity. - Margaret J. Wheatley

4. The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is. - C. S. Lewis

5. Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity. - Edwin Land

That last one makes me feel like I spend at least a portion of the time God has given me ceasing to be a moron, which is a nice thought. ^_^

20SB BLOG SWAP GOODNESS: Pause it!

Alright Ladies and Gentleman. I'm over here today, remember? Blog swapiness has commenced. So, here he is. The blogger you've all been waiting for. My newly adopted twin, Kendall. Squee!

It seems that no matter how many times I do this, I always feel like the awkward new kid in class. The one who worries if he will stick out like a sore thumb and be treated like a leper. OK, maybe I'm not quite that anxious but you get my meaning anyway. Right? Right.

For those of you who don't know, I'm Kendall from The Confessions of an Odd Duck and I happen to be Heather's partner for this edition of the 20SB Blog Swap.

The hardest thing about guest posting?

Figuring out just what to write pray tell to write about. Aside from being asked to keep it PG-13, I was quite literally given permission to go crazy. Sometimes open-endedness truly does suck. So I was paging through her archives when I found a post on being a worry wort. Hello inspiration, you always know how to appear at the last possible moment.

Now as a college student, I know about worrying. Mainly over paying my rent, paying my tuition, studying everything I need to so I don't flunk out, and trying to maintain something of a social life.

But then there are moments like today when I am walking across campus and happen to look west to see the sun setting. Then I stop. I sit. I watch.

Whenever people ask me what my favourite part about teaching first graders is, my answer is the same every time. Children remind us not to take ourselves so seriously. That sometimes things really are that simple. They bring us back to a place where promises were never broken and where when you called someone your best friend forever, you meant it.

No worries about bills.

No worries about work.

No worries about the four tests you have in the next week.

I must have sat there for at least 10 minutes just watching as the Sun dipped beneath the tree line.

My firsties never let worry or fear stop them from enjoying their lives. Every moment is enjoyed without worrying about the past or future. Maybe I should work on being a little more like that. A little more in the now. Who knew that "wasting time" was so deliciously satisfying?

Because life is a little too beautiful not to hit the pause button every now and then.

Her Majesty's A Pretty Nice Girl

I think it's fairly obvious to everyone that I have a fairly mild, yet terminal, case of the scatterbrain. Apparently, last month I decided to grace 20SB with my presence, and sign up for a blog swap! Yeah. Totally forgot about it! Thankfully, my partner decided to shoot me an email. Bless him.

His name is Kendall, and from what I can tell, he's quite the character. I've visited his blog a few times now, and think he's definitely worth the click. If you're anything like me, though, you might want to avoid Thursdays. They're definitely TMI. ^_^

Okay. So, we may be drastically different, but since I'm the self proclaimed Queen of Comparisons, I thought I'd give Sir Kendall a small introduction via a List of Similarities.

I know no uncreepy way to do this. So, here goes:

1. We wield the ability to strike up a conversation with a brick wall.
2. We have a possibly unhealthy admiration for apple juice.
3. Our general attire consists of jeans and a hoodie.
4. We share an obviously founded loathe of noodly handshakes.
5. Our childhood inability to write neatly resulted in ocd penmanship.
6. We don't smoke, but love the aroma of a pipe.
7. We do NOT understand the strange attraction most gals have to Edward Cullen, but totally have the hots for House. Okay-he may not totally agree with that last part, but he did say he had a pimped out cane.
8. We ♥ Apple products.
9. Deep healing breaths are part of an elevator ride.
10. We ♥ Princess Bride. Sigh.
11. Our ocd spans out from penmanship to encompass the potty and the kitchen...I wonder if he calls oven mitts Po-Po's? It's only natural. They are there to "serve and protect".
12. You'll find us barefoot more often than not.
13. The day we discovered Stuff White People Like was a good day.
14.We share the belief that everyone should know how to drive a stick.
15.We both have the tendency to wander off during guided tours.

So, he's like my twin...only not short and white! So, tune in tomorrow for his highly anticipated post.

Oh, and I'll be posting over at his place. So, come comment. I need moral support, folks. ^_^

*I know. I'm like the scary internet girl that shows up on your doorstep jabbering on about how "we just have so much in common!". Right?

In All My Glory

Let me start out by saying that Shannon made me do it. I've been tagged, folks.

The Rules:

Take a picture of yourself right now.

No primping or preparing. :(

Just snap a picture.

Load the picture onto your blog.

Tag some people to play along.

Evil, isn't it?

Oh yeah. That's me, in all my glory. See the red stripes on my chest? Eczema. Makes you colorful, and ever so slightly diseased looking. It's just wonderful.

So, you can all thank Shannon for this Friday morning shocker*. I wouldn't have subjected you to this, had she not tagged me. ^_^

Now, for my victims. Muahahahaha!

Ari
Jodi
Ashley
Matt (You have to do this one, or I'll come to Denver and kick your butt.) (Kidding-I know you box! ^_^)
Austin

* I still love Shannon. Like her, I just wasn't too terribly thrilled at having to share a photo of myself this fine morning.

They Call Me The Slacker

You know that song, The Seeker? Well, it's pretty much always playing in my head. Only the words are slightly altered. It's The Slacker, and goes a little something like this: I've slept under chairs. I've napped under tables...They call me The Slacker. I've been sleeping for a while(you should be singing this).

Yeah. I shouldn't alter classics, right? What's left of The Who are going to come and get me. Anyhow, yesterday was totally time for some List Lust, and I let it go for a nap. It was a nice nap, and a much needed one, but still. My apologies from Kimchi Kitty, the husband person and I. If they weren't so darn warm I would have posted.

So, without further adieu, some bloggy award goodness in the form of the ever so loved list! The oh so refreshing Shannon(who brightens my Mondays significantly) passed along The Lemonade Award, an award given to sites which the giver shows either great attitude and/or gratitude. I'm not so sure about attitude, but I've got the gratitude down. Along with this award, I must list six unimportant things that make me happy.

1. Art Supplies are pretty darn important to me.

2. My moleskines. Oh, my moleskines. The overflow of my brain pan.

3. My beloved black flip flops. Like $3.oo at Old Navy. Bless them.
4. My Sanrio Pez Dispensers bring me great joy. Especially Choco Kitty.5. Snuffleupagus. 'Nough said.
6. Pinwheels. Oh, the joy they bring me. The only way I'd ever let anyone bury me would be if they vow to keep the grass green, and put a gazillion shiny pinwheels on my grave.

Now, for the passing along. If you feel the need to comment, then you're tagged! No, it's not a punishment. ^_^ Awards are fun!