Tap tap tap...

Is this thing still on?

It's been so long since I last posted, that any apology or excuse I make would be an insult to anyone reading this post, so I'll refrain and simply jump in...

Life has been happening.  Traveling, softball, t-ball and lots of swimming is where my time has been spent.

Sadly, death has happened too.  A co-worker lost her husband of 22 years in a tragic accident last weekend.  I am really proud of all the ways our corporate staff has pulled together in support of her.  Without blinking, everyone has picked up some area of her responsibilities to allow her the time she needs to figure out her and her son's new world.

With the nature of my job, as well as our relationship, I have visited often to deliver food, paperwork and the like to her.  I've seen very few people as heartbroken as she is.  My cousin who lost her husband to a heart attack at 42 and my uncle who lost my aunt last October are it.  From all appearances, they all had very similar love stories.  When I think of any of them, the other is immediately involved.  They were so connected that it was a struggle to see them as individuals.

Today, while visiting my co-worker, she said several had asked if she had any regrets.  Her answer, "only that he isn't here.  I never felt anything less than fully loved by him."  I told her I knew he had to feel the same - and that is beautiful.  That folks, is the real-life fairy tale.  Sure they had struggles, but through them all, they were loved by each other unconditionally.  And while their time together was cut short, they are so lucky to have had that kind of love. 

It's not available to everyone.

When words don't come...

Pictures do...

The first three photos were taken during the Blog Gals' Spring Fling 2012 at Madden's and Downton Uncorked in Bryan.

This last one was taken in the backyard of Jenn's house - she was an amazing hostess anad the bluebonnets in her pasture were breathtaking! This picture is being printed (as I type!) as a wrapped canvas for my new house. I love that I am incorporating a picture I took from a precious friend's house in my new home.

Who's afraid of commitment?

A few years ago an acquaitance joked I might be afraid of commitment (after I relayed that I had tried soccer, softball, basketball, swimming, etc. for one year each). If that were ever the case, I don't think anyone could accuse me of it now.

On December 22nd, I made a commitment that will last until I die. I had permanent eyeliner done. And I love it!

My coworkers and I had been talking about it for a while. One jumped in and had her lips lined and the other had her eyes done. I was impressed with how both turned out and called to schedule my appointment.

I walked into a spa-like room - there was calming music, a waterfall fountain and a super comfortable bed/chair/table thing set up. I settled in and the artist and I talked about what I wanted. She removed my existing eye make up and applied a numbing gel. Then she turned out the lights and left me to relax for about 30 minutes so the numbing could work. When she came back in, she made an initial slit with the tattoo gun and applied more numbing gel. The slit burned a little - like a papercut, but wasn't exactly painful. After another 20 minute wait, it was time for color.

The sound of the tattoo gun was a touch unnerving at first, but I got over it pretty quickly. She started by lining my upper right lid, then the lower lid. I felt pressure and a slight tickle, but it was not painful at all. The outside corner of my right lower lid got a little uncomfortable. I must have flinched a little because she asked me about it. I told her it hurt a little, but I could bear it. She wouldn't allow it - and instead applied more numbing gel and did my left eye.

About halfway through my left eye, she commented I was the easiest client she'd ever had. I told her I was afraid of being the biggest wuss, so I had retreated to my happy place. In my mind, I was on a white sandy beach in Mexico with a cabana boy supplying bottomless strawberry daiquiris. She laughed at that.

She finished up my left eye and wiped the excess ink off my lids. I was surprised it was over so quickly and told her I would have to cancel my second daiquiri. She finished my right lower eyelid and that was that. My eyes felt a little heavy as I drove home - puffy more than tired.

I applied a cold eyemask to help with swelling. It had holes for my eyes, so I could continue with plans - helping with Christmas decorations, wrapping gifts, etc. By the time my mom saw me that afternoon, I had minimal swelling, but had developed some bruising. The next morning, they were more swollen (probably from sitting up and doing too much the day prior), so I reapplied the chilled mask. By Christmas eve night, I was back to normal and wore a light coating of mascara. I did the same for church on Sunday.

By Tuesday, I wore my regular make up. It took me less than 10 minutes to put my face on - a huge improvement over my 20+ minute routine. I know that sounds like a ridiculous difference - but I would apply eyeliner, then clean it up, then mascara, then clean up any smudges, then apply eyeliner again most mornings. I'm so much lower maintenance now, haha!

Thursday Tunes

These three songs have topped my playlist lately. I recommend them highly and hope they speak to you as well.



Sorry it's a concert video - but it's pretty good quality.



Another not great video - but that just makes it easier to listen to the song at work since you know you are not missing anything visually. Ha!



This one has spoken to my heart lately.

I saw Tenth Avenue North in concert on Friday and it was a great show. Trevor Morgan (first video) opened with a few acoustic songs (amazingly talented!) and Third Day headlined (also fantastic). Enjoy...

Be unstoppable, Inspire envy & Push on

Yesterday morning I woke up with a seriously sore throat. It was so bad, I battled my inner cheapskate and stopped at the gas station to get lozenges. After paying 10 cents less that what a whole bag costs at my local big box store...I immediately popped one in hoping for relief.

About an hour later, I opened my second one and noticed this...



Apparently Halls is now putting inspirational messages on their cough drops. Did you know this? My initial response was that it's a little ridiculous...but as I've thought more about it, I think I might just like it. After all, when could you possibly use some cheering on more than when you aren't feeling 100%?

The messages vary from those pictured to "nothing you can't handle," "march forward," "take charge and mean it," etc. Pep talks for when it hurts to talk...or swallow...or if you're coughing (which I'm thankfully not!). What would be your slogan of choice?

Ghostly!

About two weeks ago, I made cake balls for a dessert fellowship at church and also for a co-worker's birthday. For that particular batch, I used Nutella instead of icing to mix with the baked cake. They turned out delicious - if you ever wanted a variation using a wholesome chocolate-hazelnut spread (which totally cracks me up in the commercials...as wonderful as Nutella is, let's be honest about it's nutritional deficiencies).

Anyway...after we got home from church, my mom had an idea to make them ghost-shaped using orange flavored cake mix (I had no idea this even existed!) and vanilla almond bark. We also made a vanilla cake version and colored the icing with food coloring so those ghosts would be orange inside too (I would recommend coloring the cake itself too - so the color is a little more vivid).

Here's how...

Ingredients
1 cake mix - any flavor
Oil, eggs, butter, water - whatever your cake mix package requires to bake the cake
1 can icing - in a complimentary flavor to your cake (and not the whipped version - though if it's all you can find you can use 1 1/2 containers to make it work)
1 package vanilla almond bark (chocolate works for regular cake balls but wouldn't have the ghost effect needed for these).
1 T shortening or canola oil
miniature chocolate chips
white sanding sugar (optional)
cupcake liners (for serving ease, also optional)

Directions
Two days prior to serving, bake your cake mix according to package directions - adding food coloring if desired. Cool completely. Crumble cake in a large bowl. Stir in icing until completely incorporated. Using a small serving spoon (meaning the big ones in your silverware drawer you can't exactly eat with due to mouth size restrictions, but not the large ones you use for serving up Thanksgiving dinner), place some of the cake mixture in your left hand (unless you're left handed, then you may want to use your right). Roll like a snake so that the mixture compacts. Set the bottom of your snake in the palm of your hand so the base flattens, then using the fingers of your opposite hand, shape into a ghost. I liked how the indention of my fingers made the ghost shapes more draped like Pac-man ghosts. Place formed ghosts back in the pan you baked the cake in (I'm all about less dishes, folks). You'll likely need an extra container depending on the size of your ghosts because they don't stack as well as balls do (now there's a sentence I never expected to type). Chill overnight.

When you are ready to cover and decorate...Melt almond bark in microwave according to package directions. I like to add the shortening or canola oil between an interval of melting. I found it makes the almond bark smoother and a little shinier too. Lay waxed paper on your work space while bark melts and get your ghosts/balls/whatever shape you molded (I won't judge) from your refrigerator. If coating balls, use two forks or a spoon or whatever works best for you, to dip and completely cover, then set on waxed paper to harden. If you made ghosts (or I imagine this would be true with snowmen too), I found it easier to set them about an inch or so apart and then drizzle the melted bark over them with a spoon making sure they were totally covered. This allowed a thinner coating (stretching our bark) and created a neat draping effect that I thought worked well for the ghosts. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and use mini-chips to create the eyes and mouth. Alternately, you can also poke holes in your ghosts with a toothpick and insert the pointy side of the chip. My mom found this to work better since the bark seemed to melt the chocolate chip. Chill overnight. Place in cupcake liners to serve (unless it's family, then save a tree and just set them on a platter).

I hope you enjoy!

Walking Her Home

This song was one of several played during the slideshow at my Aunt's celebration of life service. I still cannot listen to it without tearing up. With a few detail changes (mostly in timing at the end), it is the story of my Aunt and Uncle. It's also the love story I've prayed for and dreamed about my whole life. It saddens me for my Uncle's loss (and their kids too) and also to realize I'm too old for being walked home.



I think it's time for a new dream.