a little bit of everything...

Cooking lunch with mom, telling funny stories at the table, and loading up on carbs until I think I'm going to fall asleep into my plate.

I may be a Grinch about Halloween and New Year's, but I sure do love Thanksgiving.


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Everything in town is within 5 minutes. You can't drive down the street without someone waving at you. You can't run in the grocery without seven people stopping you to chat. Local businesses just give you stuff. Everyone makes you feel like a superstar when they see you.

I had issues with this place when I lived here, but somehow I forget all of that when I come to visit...










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Even though it's two days early this week, tonight I'm thankful for waffles...


And bacon...



And great friends to share it with. Great end to a short work week!

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Since I arrived at work this morning, I have been downloading, printing, copying, and stapling the near 100 teacher iPad applications that must be read and a decision made before school is out tomorrow. So today, I am thankful for my Glee station on Pandora Radio. The past four songs: Hate on Me (Glee Version), Don't Worry, Be Happy (how did Bobby McFerrin know I needed to hear that this morning?), and A Whole New World (Aladdin), Cherry Pie (Warrant). I have no idea how those really go together, but it's making reading these applications much better.

I love to have my windows open. I'd keep them open year round if I weren't in a state with really hot summers and really cold winters. So today, on a Sunday that hasn't really been all that great, I'm thankful that I get to feel the cool breeze blow through my house for one of the last times this year. The stresses of life are easier to handle when you're sitting by an open window.


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So after I F-I-N-A-L-L-Y got motivated to do my grad school homework, I started working on something even more important... A Facebook forward! My friend Peggy from high school tagged me in one of those "30 Random Things About Yourself" notes. And you know what? After reading fifty pages on budgeting for instruction and budgeting for school activities, then writing a one page (SINGLE SPACED!) reflection on said readings, it's nice to just waste a little time coming up with 30 random things about me.

I love lazy Saturdays!

(And here's the list in case you aren't Facebook friends with me)
1. I am finally FINALLY really happy with my life.
2. I was always better friends with the guys growing up. Now I am friends with my friends' husbands. I like hanging with the guys.
3. I am an expert Google-r. If it's online, I will find it.
4. I have a near photographic memory. I remember what I had packed for lunch when my elementary school burned down, and the c…

Today I am thankful I get to relax. After some much needed girl time with the RDES gang, I came home to an empty house. A quiet empty house. And you know what? It's glorious. I love my friends and I love their kids and I love to have people over. But tonight, I'm enjoying the quiet and peacefulness that an empty house can bring. Because I have friends that would pay millions to have an hour or two of quiet, and I often overlook how nice it really is.


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On this 100th blog post, and the first in a week of thankful posts, I am thankful for my friends. I have long said that if you think you have the best friends, you are wrong, because I do. I know it sounds corny, Hallmark-y, and as my high school teacher friends would tell me, "SO elementary!" but I honestly don't know what I would do without my friends. I'm thankful for the friends that make me laugh (see: Beers, Melissa; also Cornelius, Lindsay), the ones that listen to all of my stories, put up with all of my issues, and love me just the same (see: McMillen, Autumn),the ones that love hearing the newest ridiculous thing I've done (see: McCarty, Megan), and the ones keep me sane through work stress and grad school (see: Holland, Heather). I'm thankful for new friends for letting me infiltrate their group (see: O'Bryan, Andi; also West High Math Department). I am thankful for the friends who do all of the above (see Wainman, Jennifer), and for all of…

If you know me at all, you know I am not a girly girl. Never have been. I have the most precious picture of me when I was about two in a red and white gingham dress and little blond pigtails...and skinned knees. I am that girl. The tree climber. The sports fan. The "I can get ready in 20 minutes including a shower" girl.

That being said, I do have a confession to make: I. Love. Sephora. I could spend hours testing out all of the fabulous colors of eyeshadow and lip gloss. I usually end up leaving with something ridiculous like gold eyeshadow (I mean, really, where do I go that I am ever going to wear this?) or yet another kind of shampoo and conditioner (another confession: I have four different kinds of shampoo and conditioner in my shower right now). When I walk in there, it makes me happy. Plus, you've got to love a store that sells a make up line with this name. (Thanks Christy for letting me borrow the Brian Fuller Thumbs Up for this picture!)



Author's No…

The ABC's of Happiness: N
Nieces and Nephews: I know I already said Family when I was on F, but these guys need their own entry. They are super sweet, really funny (they get it naturally!), and all around great kids. And this isn't all of them. Just a sampling. I have 10. (12 if you count Carter and Hadley, which I do). I love them. They make me smile.

Noodles & Company: Have you heard of this place? My sister Robin and I stumbled upon it on one of my visits to NC, and I have been obsessed since. Anyplace that is centered around pasta (read: Carbs) is A-OK in my book. But a place that lets me get buttered noodles or mac & cheese as a meal...well now, it doesn't get much better than that!

Nachos: And not the fancy kind from a restaurant. The cheap kind from a concession stand. YUM!

Netflix: Although "the group" makes fun of me for using this service instead of the "Hard Drive," it works for me. (Although I think I do need to check into that…

It's been a dreary day today. C-O-L-D and overcast and gray and yucky. Doesn't do much for a girl's spirits, that's for sure. But then I got home, and stepped out of my car, and I saw it.

Do you see it?



The little patch of blue sky behind the clouds? It's there.

I might've missed it. You might've missed it in the first picture. But look at the second one. Do you see how brilliant the blue is? It's barely there, but if the whole sky was lit up with that color, it might hurt your eyes to look at it.

I guess it just goes to show you that when all you see are shades of grey, and you've just about given up, there might be some color out there after all. Maybe every cloud does have a silver lining. Or maybe it has a brilliant blue sky behind it, just waiting to peek out and make you smile.