And he walked up and said, "What'll it be?" I said, "The good stuff."

This week I....

~ finished unpacking
~ went to my second to last regular orthodontist appointment. gah! my mouth feels like it did at first. two more weeks. I can hardly wait
~ watched the birth of a baby girl, and said good bye to her and her teenage mom all the same day. not sure I like the immediate departure part of the maternity division of this ministry. makes me thankful that whatever I bind or loosen here is eternal
~ had a key made for the main house. it didn't work. the garage key worked. therefore discovered that I can maneuver an extension ladder three times my height and weight without killing myself or breaking anything in order to reach the roof and climb in the window of my second story apartment
~ celebrated my oldest niece's 16th birthday
~ bought some more African coffee
~ unexpectedly caught an episode of goats mating in the barnyard
~ finally replaced the zipper in the dress I argued a price reduction for because of said zipper
~ finally hemmed my friend's jeans
~ finished some belated birthday gifts. see below. now don't you wish you lived closer?
~ started the next batch of gifts for the birthdays this next week. spread out the occasions people, seriously.
~ bought a vintage sewing tool I wanted to use in hemming my friend's wedding dress tomorrow. found it on Etsy yesterday and met in an undisclosed location today to pick it up from the seller. isn't she awesome to do that for me!!
~ talked to a customer service dude for Ebay via chat....told him I'd 'loved' a couple times since I'd last used my account and therefore couldn't log in since I didn't remember what information I would have used. ahem. *moved a couple times*
~ found the 1957 version of Cinderella I'd been looking for right here on the bookshelf and watched it tonight while eating the pieces of birthday present that didn't fit in the jar. now to find a copy to own.

the best things come in small packages, tis true

real mail makes me happy
more than just about anything else
very happy
this particular package came close to causing the happiness meter to rise high enough to break into pieces and leak all over the neighborhood
it contained a hand written letter; a birthday card; new music; excellent, thought provoking, growth inspiring messages on faith; surprise! an mp3 player with which to listen to said media in modern fashion; and a nifty water bottle to support future jogging sessions and hiking adventures

the mp3 player has yet to wear out any batteries, but I have it on good authority that it will be broken in further soon
there are many jobs on my list that would be made more bearable by excellent content flowing from this little device
most of all, mingled somewhere among the packing peanuts, a friendship of words became tangible, delivered grace in time of need and refueled inspiration for the busy, difficult weeks that were to follow

the view changes only for the lead dog

so
far
behind
in
this
blogging
department
of my life

I have excuses
and reasons
and cute pictures to make it all worthwhile

behind....
get it?

snippets

p 276. ... one of the hard lessons in life: the best way to strip the allure and dreaminess from a lifelong dream is, very often, to have it come true.

p. 327. The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately, or in the long run. - Thoreau

p. 514. Because what good are brains....and how is one thought any better than another if you haven't got a sixth sense, a heart, a center to sort them out with?

p. 537. In a voice that carries the way flat beer tastes...

p. 638. Our greatest fears, like our greatest hopes, often come to nothing.

p. 641. There's not much more I can say without stepping into the beginnings of stories that belong to other people.

the brothers K
david james duncan

smart fridge

...or smart friend
reminds me of hebrews 3:1

dear mom, so I got this really great side job...

I've started giving tours through Amish country. The pay stinks as bad as the air, but....

I would underline this if it were my book, but the library might have something to say....

"And in the present he was surviving. Perhaps even thriving. He didn't know. It wasn't his business to know. His business was to simply keep making the effort."

The Brothers K p. 156

desperate gratitude

It's easier to write in a season of soulful angst. At least for me.
Then what is hard contrasts vividly against the promises and character of God.
When the blessings flow I don't remember as easily that I am still desperate for God.
Thankfullness can be reckless, right?

The season of fasting is over.
The past few weeks, the weekends especially, have been ones of fullness. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. The food and conversation have all been rich. Each moment has weight now. The memories are important as soon as they happen and will be even more so in restrospect through the weeks and months to come. I am aware of the glances between old friends that say more than their words, the studied gaze of new friends learning the landscape of each others faces, the contentment of being together and letting the time flow unnoticed. I take multiple snapshots with my camera and my heart, wanting to make it last as long as possible. Soon everything will change. Several of us are moving. None very far apart, but all to entirely new locations. Classes are starting and stopping. Jobs are changing. We all promise ourselves and make only slightly-veiled threats to each other that we will all stay at the same church and small group, then hold our breath and hope we are right.

These are a few of the faces that represent the souls that enrich my days:

My newest friend, Esther pondering the idiosyncrasies of Amish-land. I'll let her draw her own conclusions.

Kate. Who says her life is like an awkward pool party.

and Jess came for a visit and made me laugh more than I have in weeks.

virtuosity

sweet Maddie with her favorite kitten

Oh, Jona. I love you! (P.S. Thanks for sharing your photos!)

I'm pretty sure this guy is the next Spurgeon or Elliot or Wilkerson. For now he answers to Chad. Chadwick. Chadley. Chadster. Chadderbox. Anything but Chaddy.

This shot has got to be worth money. If not now, someday. If not because his band will be famous then because it's rare to get one of Noah, as just Noah.

We like all his other faces too.

My favorite Leah

Sisters

Daddy love

My ideal man

My view every time I drive away from my sister's home

Yea. Me too.

"A season of quiet fullness that is impossible to resist." Ben Aijian

try to put the words all in a tidy row

name of the wind
by one Patrick Rothfuss

Genius
Delightful
Captivating
Maddening
Demands a sequel
Yet such would cheapen its very nature and reduce it to __________.
I would reread it.
I think I missed something subtle and obvious.
It only took a week for this first pass through it's 662 pages and that was in the throes of a week of family camp and with no all nighters.
I would own it.
I don't own much fiction.
Makes me want to know/use better words.
Maeks me want to cook dinner and invite the characters.
Makes me want to write. again. at all. like that.
Makes me afraid to try.
Makes me want to meet the author.
He's probably obnoxious. sarcastic. brooding. elusive. maddening. charming.
Just the sort of fellow I would fall for.
*snort*
It's a good thing I know he's not old.

Excerpts....

I could, but you reading them all alone and stranded here would just be __________.
See. I need better words.
And more sleep.
Just go look it up and read the flyleaf.
If that doesn't make you want to take a vacation or lock yourself in a room with your favorite chair in order to read it, then it's not the book for you. It's even pretty good when read over a smattering of free time throughout a week. Or two.
I never did like analyzing literature.
Go ahead. Say it out loud. "I'm no good at it either."
Never said I was.
Words are never enough to describe what delights us.