The times, they are a-changing... 07/05/2009
Every once in awhile I get a little restless, and suddenly something needs to change. I have finally matured to the point where I don't completely up-end my living situation or my close relationships--I unneccessarily re-arrange some smaller aspect of my life. Hey, it makes me feel better. Harrisburgian Delight 06/29/2009
I had the great privilege of being in Harrisburg this weekend with friends old and dear.  I then headed over to Marina and Rick's to pick Marina up for lunch with Amanda. First though, I got a tutorial from Rick on the Palm pilot they (because they are too nice to me) gave me now that Marina has upgraded to an iPhone. I'm beginning to feel very technologically advanced, and more like a member of my generation. We finally got to Amanda's (but not before she started thinking there had been some sort of terrible accident) and then, after playing a bit of spontaneous peek-a-boo with Natalie, left for lunch at Atlanta Bread Co., where we sat in the beautiful outdoors and caught up.  Little did we know our blissful afternoon had just begun. Marina directed us toward the Target across the parking lot from our lunch venue, and so we spent awhile browsing the clearance racks. I found a green scarf that was adequately covered by a gift card I've been slowly spending, and because a) I love scarves and b) I love green and c) I did not at the time have in my possession a green scarf, I carried it around the store for awhile trying to determine if it should become a part of my permanent collection. By the time we left I had pronounced judgement in its favor (and it is at this very moment resting in my scarf basket just around the corner from where I sit....)  It is amazing how decadent browse-shopping can feel when you're with good friends you rarely get to spend time with. But, alas, we were not yet done: Next, Marina (the queen of gift cards as well as generosity) treated Amanda and I to ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. My coffee/pecan/fudge concoction was certainly yummy. Our blissfulness came to a close when I realized I needed to be heading to my next social engagement. It was truly a delicious afternoon--I felt like we were in high school again, without a care in the world or any type of adult responsibility. And, it really is true: Laughter is good for your soul. (Don't let anyone tell you otherwise....)  Next came dinner with Hailey and Abby, two girls who were in my youth group small group when I lived in Hbg and when they were in junior high (whom [seeing as they will be juniors in HS this coming year and seeing as we no longer have "small group"] I will now begin to address as "friends" instead of as "my youth group girls"). The rest of our group were either returning from a trip to Mexico (where they were working at an orphanage and where a good portion of their group suffered from some sort of awful viral/GI thing that I don't want to hear too many details about....) or away in other places. Though we missed them, we made the most of it, eating the heaven that is Moe's and shopping at Target (different Target, but still--two Targets in one day?). My favorite discovery were these chairs, and though I wanted Abby to sit in one she is hesitant to make others jealous of her beauty and refused to be photographed, so I forced her to take this picture. (My MO was that I love these chairs and thought I should keep them in mind for when I grow up and actually have to purchase furniture.) After we parted ways, I headed back to Jody's to let her dog out, and Julie joined me for a walk and long talk. (How much do I love walks and long talks....) Sunday brought church, where I got to briefly spend some sit-down time with Liz (instead of going to Sunday School) and to catch up with her kids Joost and Grace, as well as hold the chunk that Kate has become (ain't nothin' better than a chunky baby to hold onto....) Then I raced across the river to meet Addy for lunch, which was lovely. We reveled in the nice weather on the patio until the sky started to dump rain on us. We decided we did not feel like being drenched, nor did we feel like moving inside and freezing from the overabundance of air conditioning so, since we'd already been talking for 2 hours, headed off to the rest of our day.  The rest of my day involved coffee and animal crackers at my friend Jan's house. I lovingly refer to Jan as one of my "piano-teacher lady friends", and so it was appropriate that we finished up our time together playing duets on her beautiful piano. Oh, when will I grow up and have cool chairs and a grand piano in a room referred to as "living room"? Good thing you don't have to have a traditional living room in order to really live, as this post is evidence of. The best word to sum up my feelings as I get back into life in State College? Grateful. Buddy and Me 06/22/2009
Remember the jingle from the '80s for the doll "My Buddy"? Well, it has been going through my head all weekend, because  I had the opportunity to spend some time with this Buddy. Buddy belongs to my friends Emily and Aden. Emily has been in Georgia these past 3 weeks for an opera program, and Aden left on Friday to see the final performance and to bring her home. I said I would be happy to keep Buddy for the weekend, since on occasion I dream of having a canine companion (until I realize that my crazy life is not conducive to the health of an animal). I could handle a weekend, so I picked him up Friday after class and brought him home. We arrived in the backyard to find my landlady and her dog Dixie out and enjoying the nice weather. Buddy and Dixie sniffed each other for awhile, and we put Buddy on the clothesline chain so that he could explore the yard while we talked. When it was time to get him settled inside (I was having people over for dinner and needed to start marinating chicken), we went to switch Buddy off the chain and to put Dixie on. In the split second after we took Buddy off and before we could get Dixie on, Dixie decided she wanted to show Buddy the neighbor's yard and so they headed off in that direction. At first we stood calling them back, without feeling too much concern (Aw, how cute, look at those two frolicking next door). Gradually we began to realize that they were running into the next yard, and we began to jog after them. Gradually we began to realize that they were running beyond the next yard, and we began to run. Gradually, I began to realize that I saw Dixie but not Buddy, and I began to run faster. To make a long story shorter, after running up and down my street a few times, calling Buddy's name and wondering in my head how in the world I was going to explain to E & A that I had lost their dog after a mere 5 minutes of having him home, I jumped in my car and found him 3 streets away, exploring the yard of a very nice man that I did not know until the moment I barrelled into his yard yelling "Do you have an unfamiliar black dog here?" (or something like that...my memory is a little fuzzy.....) Needless to say, from that moment on, I kept Buddy as close to me as possible and on his leash whenever we entered the great outdoors:   That night, after my friends had left and I had cleaned up the dishes, I put Buddy's bed in the kitchen (where there is the most floor space) and went to take a shower. When I came out of the bathroom I found him zonked out at the foot of my bed, blissfully drooling all over my slippers. How sweet is that? My heart melted a little, and any residual feelings from our afternoon drama melted away (there weren't really any residual feelings, I'm just being dramatic....) Overall, we had a lovely weekend of reading together on the couch,  playing with Dixie (in enclosed spaces),  and lifting our legs whenever possible.  (Well, one of us did anyway....)  He's a cutie, that Buddy! ;-) If you want to be happy, be ~Tolstoy 06/20/2009
I think perhaps no one has given me the gift of being at a time and place when I needed it most like my good friend Heather over this past month.  I have been spoiled by her constant presence in my day to day life ever since school got out, and I think I could probably count on 1/3 of my hand the amount of days I have not seen her in that amount of time. She has opened up her life and allowed me to step into it, in a way that is easy and loving. She has invited me to sit on the stool in her kitchen for hours on end, and made me feel like I am not on this journey called life by myself. She has fed me when I have forgotten to feed myself. She has talked me out of my head, a place I often get stuck. She has brought television (specifically "So you think you can dance") into my life. She has encouraged me when I needed encouraging and prayed for me when I needed prayer. She has also given me the gift of a relationship with her children who are precious and a source of delight.  Are you wondering what has inspired this Ode to Heather? I will tell you: Her departure for a summer in Colorado. Yes, that's right, she and her family packed their suitcases full of clothes and essential toys and flew to Fort Collins yesterday for six weeks of Campus Crusade for Christ staff training. In some ways this may be a good thing: My sleep schedule will go back to normal: No more late nights of watching tv or movies starting after the girls have gone to bed and ending well past my bed time. And,  Instead of giving in to the temptation of spending my mornings playing Candy Land with Kate, taking trips to the library, sitting on the couches in the Holleman living room drinking cold/hot beverages philosophizing about life, sitting in Dunkin' Donuts drinking cold/hot beverages philosophizing about life, sitting at the counter in the Holleman kitchen drinking cold/hot beverages philosophizing about life (a pattern?) etc., I may actually be disciplined enough to get some work done. As positive as these things might be, I'm leaning toward feeling like I have lost two of my best friends (since Kate was with us approximately 85% of the time I cannot leave her out, though I'm not sure what it says about a grown woman claiming a 4 year old as a "best friend".....This is no ordinary 4 year old however.....), and 6 weeks feels like a long time (especially since I will be away for 2 weeks when they get back, we are looking at more like 8 weeks--Interminable.).  There are moments in life when you can point to someone or something and say without doubt "God has done that", because it so obviously came at a time when you were at a crossroads, and the alternative was not pretty. Heather and I would both say that that is the case here, and so the only way to end this is by saying Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow. (Plus one small addendum, since I also need to say thank you to Ashley G., photographer extraordinaire, accompanied by a shout out to Jared, who graciously agreed to let us commandeer his camera for our little photo shoot...) The Reality: Enough sun to convince you that it will be a beautiful day and you should set up your garage sale, followed by a day-long downpour commencing about an hour into it....  Do I look thoroughly woebegone? How about soaked from head to toe? I had gone to NJ to help my mother and sell a few of my possessions as well, and we anticipated a fun day. Instead, by the end of it, we had sworn two things: No more collecting of unnecessary stuff and No more garage sales.  The rain did cut out for about an hour in the afternoon, which gave us some time to dry things off and re-organize....  ...and then it came back. With a vengeance.   When the afternoon was over my dad and I loaded everything that was left up into his truck and unloaded it into a tractor trailor that heads to Mississippi every once in awhile and spends its down time in the parking lot at his work (it is specifically left there for people to leave their donations, in case you were thinking we just dumped it there....). When we got back we packed up Keith's stuff (more like loaded whatever we could carry into the garage) and my mother took a break from making corn chowder to take this series of pictures unbeknownst to us. When we became aware of her presence she said something about capturing "this girl in a hat" on camera. It doesn't happen frequently, but we found it in Keith's stuff and I have to say, by that time I was tired of the rain falling endlessly and so didn't argue when Marlo plopped it on my head--and have never been so grateful for a hat in all of my life. (He looked somewhat creepy in his green get-up anyway, so I guess I was feeling out of place....)   Helloooo? Anybody in there? When I was finally done packing and loading I took a long warm shower and have never been so grateful for a shower in all of my life. Then the day was redeemed by Keith and Marisa coming back to my parent's for dinner, the delicious (forementioned) corn chowder with BLTs and red wine. (You might not think that red wine and corn chowder are a natural pair but I needed to be warmed from the inside out, so that wine was a no-brainer--and, as you may have guessed, I have never been so grateful for a glass of wine in, yes, all of my life.) We finished the evening by relishing in each other's company, tired but happy. In the end I collected money towards my travel expenses for the summer which was my goal, got rid of the extraneous stuff that I don't need, (hopefully) gave it (or sold it for a song) to someone who can use it more, and spent time with my lovely family. What more can a girl ask for? I'm too little..... 06/07/2009
Yesterday I read a book for my class entitled "There Are No Children Here", the story of two boys growing up in the projects in Chicago. It is a heartbreaking story, and makes you want to stand up and scream about the inequalities and tragedies of our country. The youngest brother who is 9 through much of the book often says "I'm too little to understand" to his mother when something awful occurs (like murder, gang battles, drug selling/doing, welfare denied, public housing falling apart, siblings being jailed, friends dying, etc.). It is perhaps the most poignant line of the book. I've heard it in my head over and over since I finished it last night. "I'm too little to understand". Add to the list: Maker of Movies 05/31/2009
The list I am referring to is the list of other career possibilities I am keeping if this whole doctorate thing has an unfortunate derailment, or if I just jump off the deep end one day and start a new life (something I threaten to do on a pretty regular basis, so a back up list is really just being wise....). I'm not sure that Maker of Movies should be at the top of my list, as it doesn't seem to come as naturally to me as some other abilities I happen to possess, but here is my first shot at the art of film. If you happen to have 17 minutes and 49 seconds to spare, and you are at all interested in the life of Lauren Lisa and Geoff that has been cultivating over the last ten years, I highly recommend this video to you: Not one, but TWO decadent evenings.... 05/29/2009
I am one spoiled girl.  Anyway, on Wednesday evening I went to Emily's for dinner in order to meet Amy and Emily's friend Amanda. Apparently (according to E & A anyway) Amanda and I have much in common. The only concrete evidence I was able to collect for this was that A) we both enjoy exotic earrings, B) we both play the piano and C) we both enjoy a good beer every once in awhile. Regardless of whether or not the evidence is convincing, I enjoyed meeting her and spending the evening with these three, laughing and talking about girl stuff. (Gotta love girl stuff...)  It was somewhat of a bittersweet evening however, because Emily is leaving us this weekend for 3 weeks in Georgia at an opera program. We helped her decide which dresses to take with her, and we laughed to see that the shoes she had on with this one made her nearly as tall as me. It was a bit unnerving to be nearly eye-level with her.....  ...so we took another picture at normal height level to return order and balance to the world before we parted ways. It was really a lovely evening. I often forget how important it is for my soul to sit and talk and laugh with a group of wise and interesting women every once in awhile. Note to self: Do this more often.  Tonight was decadent evening number 2.... I had my department friends over for a grill out and even though some couldn't make it we had a hilarious time out on the deck, enjoying the sunshine that finally emerged. I was nervous as of 4 o'clock when I went out and got dripped on by the sky that was cloudy and chilled. By the time I got back home however, the sun was shining and it was actually warm.   There is something freeing about the outdoors, a plethora of grilled beef, and the knowledge that we do not have to meet at school anytime soon. I fear this caused us to be a trifle giddy, but we enjoyed every minute of it. (I did anyway...) This is only a brief telling of only a few events depicting the decadence of my life. This weekend I am playing some recitals and seeing some friends, so I expect good things. I think I am leaving the "decadence" word behind me though--I fear it is losing its meaning through overuse. I'll have to find another word to abuse ;-) A Decadent Weekend 05/28/2009
The weekend started out on Friday with a beautiful drive through the mountains of Pennsylvania into the welcoming arms of New Jersey and it's bevy of agressive driving (a thing I miss, and I appreciate being able to brush up on my skills every once in awhile....). Perhaps more welcoming in the traditional sense were the arms of my brother Dave, randomly in NJ for the day. I met him at my parents house where I deposited my car, then we hit Dunkin' and took our coffee treats to the duck pond our grandparents used to take us to when we were kids. We indulged in the beautiful weather, the aggressive geese, and catching up on life:  Dave then took me to the train station down the street, and I headed into the city for my 10 year anniversary celebration with Lisa and Geoff. First, however, I met Keith for beer and mozzarella sticks (which, according to the cost, are more valuable than gold) at an Irish Pub across the street from Penn Station and under his office building. We indulged in the atmosphere, the fare, and catching up on life. We lost track of time and then scurried back to Penn Station so he could catch a train home and I could jump on the uptown E over to Lisa and Geoff. As I walked away from him I reflected on the gift of two wonderful brothers, and on the strangeness of our adult siblinghood. These are boys I grew up with--I take for granted that I know them well, and sometimes I forget that they have a life that doesn't involve me that we need to catch up about. So it was so good to hear where they are in life and maturity. God has been good to us.  Now, in case you were wondering, you read correctly: Lisa and I are celebrating 10 years of friendship this summer. (I'm not sure how this is possible, since we are not that old...) The beautiful thing about old friendships is the comfort of just being in each other's presence, indulging in good food, good conversation, and catching up on life. I had a wish list of places to go and things to do: Cafe Henri for brunch on Saturday: Check Picnic in Central Park: Check  Geoff's Margaritas: Check Thai Food: Check Shopping in Manhattan: Check Laughing, Talking, Being: Check, Check, Check  Frankie has stopped trying to hit on me, and we have moved into a brother/sister sort of phase where we fight over territory (such as my bread). As you will see in this video clip, he has given up on winning me as is very own, and so has resorted to hitting on my video camera instead: Maybe he's just trying to make me jealous. (This was just one of 64 videos taken during the weekend, which I am working on compiling into a video montage to document our celebration extravaganza.)  On Monday we hopped in the mini (my folding myself in and out of the back seat during the course of the weekend was a sight to behold....) and headed to NJ for some suburban deck dwelling at my parents house. My grandmother came and we grilled turkey burgers and corn on the cob, Lisa made yummy potato salad, Geoff made delicious black bean salsa, and we sat in the perfect weather and reveled in the sun and the company. You might say we indulged in catching up on life. You might also say that I had the most perfect, most decadent weekend, with all of the people I love the most (minus sister-in-laws of course....). I am now on the lookout for a decadent evening, since I have covered all other categories here (day, week, now weekend....). I don't think it will be too hard to find, since my social calendar is full every night this week.... Hooray for summer! A Decadent Week 05/16/2009
Time off from real life is a beautiful thing. I woke up without an alarm clock. I drank gallons of coffee while in my pajamas. I cleaned my darling apartment. I reveled in my clean darling apartment. I read on my couch. I watched movies on my couch. I slept on my couch. I lit candles, drank wine, and cooked scrumptious food. I made brownies and invited friends over to watch a movie and eat them one evening. Some friends couldn't make it, so I repeated it all the next evening with them. I finished up work that had been hanging over my head. I spontaneously joined Heather and Kate for lunch one day. I went with them to the book sale at the ag arena on campus and browsed the tables of used books. I spontaneously dropped brownies off at Heather's a few days later. I did laundry. I switched out my winter clothes and switched in my summer clothes. I cleaned my dresser and my closet in the process. I got a library card at the public library downtown. I browsed the library and took home some pleasure-reading material. I went to Dunkin' Donuts and got a cup of coffee with my gift card. I was visited by Dixie, my land-people's dog, who likes to sniff around my apartment on occasion to make sure all is as it should be. I avoided my office at all cost. I taught my little piano students, but watch this video and you will see that there's really no way you can call this work: I'm not quite sure how I got lucky enough for this to be my life. The grand culmination was a road trip to Altoona on Friday to browse the racks of Gabriel Brothers with Emily and Amy. We found many things we do not need:  We found many things that we put into the "cart of possibility":  We found many things that we do not know how we've been living without:  (Don't worry, I put it back. There is no room in my budget for hideous yellow clothing.)  Monday starts my summer class and I plan on spending oodles of time in my office, organizing papers and folders and cleaning out trash and dust. It is amazing what collects in a tiny space over the course of a crazy semester. The craziness paid off in a 4.0 (which, in the grand scheme of things means little, but is nice to be able to say) and even allowed time for good friendships to grow. I believe we might say that--after only two years--things feel as if they have fallen into place. That--speaking of the grand scheme of things--is pretty huge. Barukh attah adonai. |