Day Two: a quote from your favorite writer

So for those of you who have never heard of Emily Giffin, she is absolutely amazing.  Next month she has her first novel going to the big screen “Something Borrowed” with Kate Hudson!  I absolutely adore her and have since I sat in the Charlotte Douglas airport almost two years ago waiting for a flight to Tx to take me to Cozumel.  I decided that we had a long weekend of relaxation ahead of us and that it had been far too long since I had picked up a book.  And so I found “Love The One You’re With”.  For those of you who know where I was in my life in 2009 and where I am now…  I think this next one will make sense for you.

"Maybe that's what it all comes down to. Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. And maybe making that choice, again and again, day in and day out, year after year, says more about love than never having a choice to make at all." ~Emily Giffin (Love the One You’re WIth)

 

Day One: a quote that describes you

So, for those of you who don’t know me too well, let me just briefly touch on the fact that I have been striving… no, struggling to not only find myself, but to define myself.  To accomplish something more than being a hot mess who wears her heart on her sleeve and strives for success in everything she touches.

For those of you who do know me well. you know that I may have re invented myself, but I have failed at my objectives.

Here are several quotes that have brought me back to where it is that I am reaching for.  I hope you enjoy.

Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge. So it is incumbent on me to know my self, to know it completely, to know its minutiae, its characteristics, its subtleties, and its very atoms.  ~Khalil Gibran

The body is a house of many windows: there we all sit, showing ourselves and crying on the passers-by to come and love us.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

I think this one best illustrates where I have been up until very recently but I thought that it was still very important in describing me given that I am subject back to these ways if I let the first quote slip for any number of seconds.

People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself.  But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.  ~Thomas Szasz, "Personal Conduct," The Second Sin, 1973

This.  This is my goal.  To create this beautiful God fearing woman who knows herself well enough that the second quote becomes obsolete based on who I am in myself and in my faith.

15 Day Quote Challenge

Yes, you know I have run out of horrible ideas for the blog on my own when you see a new challenge.  And while I like to think that I did okay in March, it is definitely time for another one.  I can’t promise they will all be stimulating, but I can promise that with the help of the publishing tool on windows live writer, there will be a blog published every day for the next 15 days including this one!

Here’s the list, enjoy!

15 day quote challenge

Day One: a quote that describes you
Day Two: a quote from your favorite writer
Day Three: a quote from your favorite book
Day Four: a quote that makes you laugh
Day Five: a short quote
Day Six: a quote from a song
Day Seven: a quote you disagree with
Day Eight: a stupid quote
Day Nine: a quote from someone you know personally
Day Ten: a well-known quote
Day Eleven: a quote about love
Day Twelve: a quote about friendship
Day Thirteen: a quote about cats
Day Fourteen: a quote about something you love
Day Fifteen: your favorite quote

Several Topics, One Random Blog

Okay, so for years my preferred genre of music has always been country.  But thanks to my Aunt and my recent trip to NY, I have been getting into the pop genre probably more than ever before.  I literally pulled in to a property yesterday with the windows down and the sun roof open blaring Cee-Lo Green’s F**k You.  Cutest song ever.  I have also managed to cause some controversy on my facebook page by using Rihanna’s lyrics as status updates.  “Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.” and “Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me!”  So yeah…

Has anybody seen my motivation?  I really seem to have misplaced it.  I am finally down to under 30 e-mails in my work inbox but have a growing pile of “stuff” around my desk that does not seem to be going away on its own!  Help?!

Picnic menu!  As some of you know, I’m having a picnic tonight and I have finally finished the menu.  So here it is!

Appetizer: Bruschetta.

Diced Roma tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil served on toasted french baguette.

Main course: Chicken & Steak Kabobs.

Chicken and Steak Kabobs with zucchini, yellow and red bell peppers, and onion with a side of garlic and olive oil potato wedges.

Dessert: Cheesecake.

Raspberry swirled NY Style Cheesecake.  The only thing I am not making myself.  Thank you Lowe’s Foods.

To Drink: Hard Cider

Wood Chuck Amber Cider.  This is a new attempt.  My confidence was shaken slightly last night when the grocery store clerk told me that he was a much bigger fan of Hornsby’s, but we shall see!

Lots going on this weekend and a trip to Myrtle Beach next weekend.  I’m sure you will hear from me before then but be on the look out for pictures when I get back!

Word of the Week, Round 8!

Carleton College-

circumspect \SER-kum-spekt\ (adjective)

1. careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences : prudent

Example Sentence:

Jillian is a very circumspect person, so she did some serious thinking before she agreed to the job.

My Children Will Do It Differently

I feel like there are two types of parents.  The kind that truly want to see their children do better than they could have ever accomplished, and actually provide them with the necessary tools to do so; and then the type of parents who have severe jealousy towards their children's successes.

I’m just going to lay it out there – those of you who are jealous of your children?  You’ve been going about this whole parenting thing all wrong.  Without the growth of your children, our society ceases to grow as a whole.  If your child is expected to do things the same exact way that you did things because that is how your parents parents did thing…  Where is the progress?  If your child’s education isn’t important because you did just fine without a college degree…  What message is that sending to your child?

Everything that I do now is all in preparation for raising the family that I hope to have some day.  My working 50 hours on top of pursuing my undergraduate so that I can get my masters in accounting to work another 60+ hour a week job?  That is for those children that I don’t have yet.  The house and the life insurance policy and the savings?  For the children that I don’t have yet.

What are you investing in the future of your legacy?

Our job as adults is to feed into the children around us.  To nurture them with love, praise, and constructive criticism.  The goal of having children should not be to have an extra set of hands, or so that you can force them into the opportunities that you never got to pursue.  Get out there now and pursue the dreams that you have so that your children may have their own dreams.

And even if you had children before you were able to pursue those dreams?  Do NOT take it out on your children.  It is not their fault.  You were blessed with a miracle, and it is your job to let them know that they are just that.  Help them realize their dreams, and be there for them.  You will have plenty of time to create new dreams for yourself once you have taught them how to be the awesome person that they are capable of.

Yes, I know that I don’t have children.  No, I don’t really care about how hard it may be and how I “don’t understand”.  That’s the beauty of having my own blog!  Tough noogies.  Think about it.  Now get to cracking!

Facebook Experiment – You all suck

Alright, so those of you who are friends with me on facebook know that I tried to get some user participation for this blog.  Complete and total failure, even with the promises of anonymity I could only get 4 of my 400+ facebook friends to answer the following questions…

What was the lamest excuse you have used to get out of a date?

What was the lamest way someone ever told you they loved you?

So here are the answers for the awesome people ballsy enough to answer the questions!

My Lamest excuse was doing laundry to get out of a date. I made it out like I was leaving really early the next day and had to get it done.

Lamest excuse to not go on date was I had to wash my hair. Guy actually fell for it and asked about next day. I said no I had to dry it and he hung up.

I am lame so i don’t turn down dates, they turn me down... unless they're fat lol

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"hey fuck you asshole!!"

Lamest way to say I love you- would a marriage proposal be almost the same? Spouse said we should start a savings account so we could get married. LOL gotta love a man who thinks savings...lol

Crappiest first I love you was when a former gf texted it to me for the first time. Seriously that's not something you text the first time you say it.

on my birthday when i was drunk i looked at said boyfriend and said "someday ull love me then ull understand" he then grins and hides his face then tells me he already has been in love with me for over a month

Ha, ha, thanks all!