The rain is killing me.

I have two of my favorite people here at camp again this summer- Holly and Laura.  They give me the tough love I so badly need right now. They are great friends who are always there for you when you need them, and more often than not- when you don’t.  ChrisJ calls us the three of us “The Trifecta”, it is so good for us to be together again. ChrisJ has made me a great playlist that I’m listening to it now. It is perfect for today. I’m sitting in the counselor’s lounge with my laptop, and there is noise and people chattering around me but all I hear is this music. I love when music is comforting, and makes everything else in life just fade in the background. 

It started to rain again last night. The rain makes me weak and feel more depressed than I am. After about 2 days of sun and nice weather to go back to this wet downpour is also taking its toll on me physically. I went to bed with a little sore throat and woke up to a big one. I hate hate hate summer colds! The rain is supposed to stay till tuesday. I hope my sore throat doesn’t.

I’ve been praying for strength and for peace in my heart. I was thinking last night that those things where so far from me, and then I realized that God has been working in me, slowly and in strange ways. I’ve been catching up on my NPR podcasts and just through listen to some of the interviews and stories I have been so encouraged. Here are my thoughts on the two that have really stuck out to me.  

Last night I was listening to AMP’s The Splendid Table, a radio show for people who love food. The host, Lynne was interviewing the poet Nikki Giovanni. Giovanni teaches at Virgnia Tech and shared one of her poems from her new book “Bicycles: Love Poems”. The poem is called “So Enchanted By You”, as she read it, I feel in love with it. It is beautiful, quirky and made me so happy. In the closing of the interview Giovanni said “There’s nothing sillier on earth than falling in love.” I couldn’t agree more. When you think of how love makes you change, do things you’d think you’d never do, and feel a way you never thought was possible;  I can’t think of anything sillier. 

So Enchanted With You

I like
    Boiled turnips
    Boiled potatoes
    Boiled rutabagas
        with butter
        and sea salt
But not every day

I like 
    Fried Virginia flounder
    Fried sand dabs
    Fried smelts
But usually only on Friday nights

I want
    Drop biscuits
    Miniature Parker House rolls
    Extra thin white bread
When I uncharacteristically
        make a sandwich

I like 
    Garlic straight off the vine
    Anchovies anytime
    And good red wines
        ’cause I’m too old
        to drink cheap

I like to pound and grill my veal
I rub my beef
    In a special chili mixture
I really don’t eat
    anyone else’s ground meat

In other words:
    I’m Normal

So this is the question:
    Why am I so enchanted 
        with you 

The other interview from NPR that spoke to me comes from the show Fresh Air and an interview with Woody Allen. The interview consisted of Allen talking about his new movie  ”Whatever Works for the legendary actor Zero Mostel in the 1970s, but then [he] put the script aside. Thirty years later, he dusted it off again when he needed a quick script to beat the writers’ strike.” While I enjoy this interview and getting to know more about Allen he ended with this, “ how could you go thought life you know, taking direction from the outside world, i mean what kind of life would you have if you made your decisions based on you know, the outside world and not what your inner dictaes told you, you would have a very inauthentic life.” An inauthentic life. I’m sure you’re thinking “well duh you’ve got to be authentic or true to your self”. The was something about how Allen said it, and about me hearing that right comment here in my life and right now just clicked with me right now.  I would encourage anyone to listen to the full interview with Woody Allen.

 I got a postcard from France today, an old fellow counselor from my first year.It blows my mind that she through to write me here. Things like that give me hope, and faith in people. Amazing how people keep coming in to my life, remind me I’m not forgotten. Brings me to tears, brings me to my knees. 

 

ChrisJ’s playlist mix for me just ended and so has my post. Perfect.

 

rainready.

blasé

I wish I felt like I had more to write in here today. I usually I can’t wait to post, and it’s one of the first things I do in the morning. Today it’ll be the last thing I do. It was cloudy all day and supposed to rain. I guess I was just waiting on the rain, and it never came. 

I’m reading this book.

I’ll let you know how it is. 

 

Ginger Tree Cover

Bed&other.  

 

Bed Seven

Chair/Stella

Thats all I’ve got. I hope tomorrow is a brighter day.

I’m not so good at this.

BUT, I will give it all I’ve got.  

Last week I was in Kansas helping my Parents and Grandparents on their farm. It was great to be with family and in Kansas. It’s kind of my home away from home. The great part was seeing 5 little bitty barn kitties! Here are a few mobile pictures from the trip. 

Barn Kitties

Dad and Dad's Dad

Mom's Parents

I’ve recently discovered the amazingness of a mobile phone camera. All during this trip it has allowed me to capture pictures that a normal camera might have been obtrusive. Since recently I’ve become a texting fiend- more so when I am away from Justin. When I have my phone out people don’t know I’m taking their picture. 

Little Yellow Blur

 

Grandpa

 

J. W.

I know that these may all be poor quality but all I’ve every wanted to do with my photography is portray people and life as it is. I’ve learned that the best way to do this is with out them knowing. I admire all the people who’ve mad this their life’s work and succeeded in this. 

 

On a happier note- Justin got his little kitty baby this past Friday. As I was driving up to see him we were texting back and forth and he said he wouldn’t be able to take her home with him for another week.  I got to his house before him and hung out, when I heard him come home he was carrying a little Scrambles Baby!!

 

Justin and Scrambles!

I’ve been working together with my Mom to plan the food for her upcoming Women’s Ministries brunch. I’ll be making the quiches for it! I’ve very excited, I’ve been trying out recipes and different crusts. I like compare recipes and talk foodie things. Makes me happy!  I do love to cook, and try new things.  

I’ve pretty happy lately. I was accepted to the GMU Master’s program I applied for! I’m very happy about this and I can’t wait to start in the fall! I would like to be more challenged spiritually in my life, I’m working on that. It’s been a rainy day and I have perfect teeth. I need to floss more so when I do go to the dentist they wont kill my gums!  They’re just now slightly less sore.