Photo day 10- Nature

I am stumped on day 9: person who inspires me.  But I have an idea.  In the meantime, I decided to skip that day and move on to Day 10, which is nature.  That was easier for me.  And to be honest, as obsessed as I am with fall and winter, I could camp out here.  Maybe I will.

This is dried thistle.  My dried thistle which sits on the window ledge in my bathroom.  It has been my favorite flower since sometime in college.  I like that it's purple.  I like that its unconventional.  I like all that it symbolizes to me.  It's a prairie flower, and by nature hardy.  It manages to survive cold winters, dry spells, and scorching heat.  It's beautiful, but also difficult to get ahold of.  It's been through a lot, and it takes a more adventurous person to appreciate it for what it is.

My life has been one that has made me hardy and somewhat of a survivor.  And while I certainly think my life is beautiful for what it is, it has also left me with some prickly spots.  Just like a thistle.  So today I'm thankful for all the people in my life who appreciate me for who I am.  They are willing to look beyond the areas of pain that make it so easy to pigeonhole me, to the person that I really am.  Because none of those prickles have ever defined me, just like the thistle.  And I'm also thankful that God has a reason for every prickle, every draught, every cold winter, every scorching summer that I'm asked to survive.  I'm thankful that He brings forth brilliant colors and healing through it all, just like he does with the thistle.

Day 8: Favorite Color

Favorite Color:  Something Impossible for me to nail down.  I love all colors.  But here is something I find very invigorating.  This is the night stand in my guest room, which has a lot of teal and orange.

* antique shoe- from my Grandma's house

* Bayous of Louisiana- flea market in Hot Springs, AR

* Egret glass thing (technical term)- flea market in Hot Springs as well

* Red Ryder book- Recycled Books, Denton

Sunset this evening, Crossroads, Texas

Day 7: Something Funny

A couple years ago (probably more like 5), Urban Outfitters had a book in the store on Church Signs Across America.  Anyway else remember this gem?  It was hilarious.  We all know the generic ones.  My favorite cheezeball slogan was "God answers knee-mail".  Presh.

This summer I saw a classic one at the Baptist church on Scripture street.  It said, "I Know a Place Hotter than Texas."  Ha freakin ha baby.  Of course, living through the hell that is a Texas summer (pun intended), I found that one slightly effective.

But this sign near my house on 720 might take the cake.  I mean really, "We're not all in the cemetary."  What is that even supposed to mean?  Is it because it's this teeny tiny white clapboard church that looks like it's for old people?  Is it because there is a little cemetary behind the church?  Is it because Halloween just passed?  I seriously have no idea, but thank you sweet Methodist church for the quality laugh.

Photo Day6.... Books

This is my Book To Do List (that I've bought so far.  I actually have lots of books I want to buy and read posted to pinterest also.)  I am currently working on "The Princess Bride" because I just finished "The God Who Is There, which was part of the Schaeffer Trilogy book you see.  I felt I needed something light.  After I finish Bride, I plan on moving back to Schaeffer to finish off Escape to Reason and He is There and He is Not Silent.

I've technically read halfway through The Time Traveler's Wife.  I'm determined to finish it, but honestly, it just can't capture my attention.  The only thing I really enjoy about it honestly is that it takes place in Chicago and there are numerous references to old punk bands.  I don't know that I would recommend it, but the cover picture and colors are really pretty I think.  They've had good marketing, which is half the reason I buy books.

The bottom book is one I've looked for for years, ever since I was 18 and took a random history class at the local community college.  My professor referenced this book.  It basically talks about how 4 basic generations have cycled through American history.  The way it cycled made sense. I don't remember all of them.  1 was like the generation that does what they are supposed to.  The GI generation being the most obvious.  Then there were the rebellious generations like the 20s and the 60s.  I don't remember what else, but it sounded fascinating and I picked it up literally for like 97 cents on amazon.

Anyway, to tie this to Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for reading.  For the escape in to other worlds.  For the challenge to my current thinking.  For the inspiration it gives me.  For the way it changes the way I see myself.  For the freedom it gives me to break away from things that held me back.  For the way it is through reading the Bible that I grow closer to God.  For the times each day I get to read to my sweet class.  For the way it goes so perfectly with snuggling with a toddler or in your favorite chair or in your bed.  For the way it goes perfectly with coffee and cold nights and snowy mornings.  There is no pastime more closely associated with comfort to me.  I love reading.

Thankful.... for pretty mornings

Here are my attempts at photographing the morning sky.  I actually have enjoyed the morning sky ever since the time change (and I can actually see it).  It's one of the perks of living on the outskirts of town, as a pass several cow and horse farms on a regular basis.

I'm mainly thankful that every day is new.  Especially this year.  For whatever reason, this year is proving to be a lot harder for me than a lot of years.  I never thought that I would say that after last year, but here I am, saying that.  All that to say, I am thankful each day is a new day and a new opportunity to start again and try to make it better.  I'm thankful for hope, because without that, I wouldn't have made it through the past year and a half.  I'm looking forward to several new mornings, and I'm especially looking forward to the morning when I feel like I've emerged from the desert that is life post divorce, single parent, difficult class...  I'm thankful for each new sunrise that reminds me I'm one day closer, and that God will make all things glorious is His time.

Thankful.... for Fall

I love fall.  It is my favorite season.  I love Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday.  I wish I lived up North so I could have a 'real fall'.  I try to be thankful for the bits of yellow, orange, and red we do get in Denton.  It's a heck of a lot more than we got in Louisiana!  But still.

Today my goal was to photograph leaves.  This is the best of the ones I got on the way to work today.  Taken on FishTrap road in Aubrey.  There are some really nice fall trees up here right now.

Don't you wish you could just sit under this tree with a good cup of coffee, a good book, read and escape.  I do.  I could use a good relaxing day like that.  7 work days until Thanksgiving break!  Now that's something to celebrate and be thankful for!

Photo challenge: Happiness

Today's photo challenge is happiness.  I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with something creative.  Unfortuntately, today is one of those days where my brain is on overload of interventions, student data, how far behind I am on the scope and sequence, how far I have to go to get my kids on level, etc, etc, etc.  Creativity is not high on my scale today.  I don't have it in me.  But here are my attempts.

Happiness is..... coffee in the morning.  And this new holiday flavor of coffee mate I got.

Happiness is..... pulling out my ridiculous pair of socks from high school that I will.not.let.die.  They are completely comforting puff balls of marshmallowy excellence.  I'm sure they don't make them anymore.  If they did, I might buy more.  Sweatshirts, leggings, big Catholic school socks, feet propped up= comfort= happiness.
(side note- I totally impulse bought leg warmers at H&M this weekend.  I have been excited for the cold front to come through so I could wear them.  As I pulled these bad boys on this afternoon, I realized they had quite a bit in common with my leg warmers.  Perhaps they aren't so ridiculous after all?  I think I'm going to have my sister take a totally wacky indie fashion photo, stick it on pinterest, and see what happens :)

Happiness is..... breakfast at dinner.  Coffee, eggs, apples, love.

Happiness is.... laughing because your toddler has helped himself to your dinner.

Happiness is..... taking 'comfort food' to a whole new level of lounging on the table.  Go on Jude, enjoy yourself.

Please note how clean my plate is.  I ate hardly any of it.

Happiness is.... beating your mom to her own food.  He actually completely ate the eggs on the first plate.  I had to go back and make a whole new couple eggs.  Rascal.

Also, today I'm thankful for being able to go to bed!  Seriously.  I'm that tired.

Day 2: Smile

Smile- Boy if this picture of Jude's smile doesn't show his personality, I don't know what does.  Megan is way in to my camera.  She babysat for me Saturday night.  I found this beauty when I uploaded my raspberry photos yesterday.  The day 2 gratitude photo challenge was a smile.  I'm sorry, but this was just too perfect to pass up!

I am absolutely thankful for the ornery boy smiling in this photo.  He is my gift from God in ways that I can't even wrap my mind around.  He was definitely never planned, but God in His sovereignty used him to motivate me to get out of my marriage and file for divorce.  I'm so thankful to have him, because he defied so many odds.  Scientifically, it was pretty unexpected for him to come at all.  Plus, having him marked the first time I ever told Michael no, the first time I ever stood my ground.  I often wonder what my life would be like if I'd ever given in to Michael and not had him.  There are no words to describe the gratitude I have that I didn't give in to him, the gratitude I have to God for giving me the strength to stand, the gratitude I have for having this hilarious, adorable, loving, wonderful embodiment of all that is grace and God's goodness in my life.

James 1:17- every good and perfect gift is from above....


Side note:  The other day Megan was over and playing around with Jude.  She playfully smacked him on the bottom to which Jude replied, "Noooo... that's mine!!!!"

Died.Of.Cute.The.End.

Thankful... for Raspberries

If there is one food filled with memories for me, it would have to be raspberries.  I cannot eat a single one without thinking of my grandma.  She made the best raspberry-pineapple jam in the world.  I really meant to learn how to make it before she died, but I didn't do it.  One of my many regrets.  There's nothing in this world quite like her raspberry-pineapple jam combined with my mom's thanksgiving biscuits...

My grandparents lived on an old farm in Ohio practically their entire married life, which spanned 50+ years.  Growing up, it was one of my favorite places to go.  I was fascinated by being in an old farmhouse and thinking about all the kids who'd run in one door and out the other.  I fell in love with the wild farm cats and their incessant litters of kittens.  I could romp through the woods for hours imagining I was Huck Finn.  Most importantly, I could go pick raspberries off the bush and eat insane amounts of them.  I would spend hours picking raspberries if I could.  It's amazing my lips aren't permanently stained.

You know how some places just seemed truly magical when you were a kid?  That's how Grandma and Grandpa's farm was for me.  I still love raspberries in any way, shape, or form.  I still eat them and remember all of those wonderful days of summer berry picking.

I am so thankful that I was blessed with so many good memories.  I am so thankful for the relationship I had with my Grandma for the first 26 years of my life.  Despite the distance, she made sure she had a strong relationship with us.  I always loved knowing she loved us and wanted to spend time with us.  As I've grown older and can reflect on the people who've impacted my life, one thing stands out to me about my Grandma.  She had an incredible amount of grace.  She really did her best to make people feel loved and welcome no matter what was going on in their life or hers.  I pray that God will mold me in to someone that gracious as well.