I Blew It... But I Have a Good Excuse

Ever since I started this blog, I have blogged at least once a month. Well, I blew it. I missed June darn it all. I did go to New York City and then to Tampa in June, and then Nashville over the 4th of July, and then Nashville again! The last time was for a new grandbaby!!! Kate Rebecca, born July 15th, 8 lbs. See Becca's blog for photos.

Why all this travel? Because I love it! I went to New York City on a trip sponsored by the UAH Music Department. We went mainly to see the New York Philharmonic perform, attend a master class with their principal trumpet and to tour the Lincoln Center and the Philharmonic archives. It was all simply amazing. My best friend from high school joined me on this trip, and we took in a lot of shopping, museums and shows. Into this 5 day trip we jammed in (on top of above mentioned NY Phil activities) Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, a jazz group at Birdland, the MoMA, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Little Italy, Chinatown, Staten Island Ferry, a walk through Central Park, Times Square, Hell's Kitchen, shopping on Park Avenue, shopping in SoHo... gosh I don't even remember it all. But it sure was a blast!!! Oh yeah, we went to Brooklyn for pizza at Grimaldi's and then walked backed to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge.

I got back on a Sunday and then turned around on Tuesday to head to Florida with my best buddy Machiel. Road Trip! We stayed with my half brother John, who is the best little brother a girl could ever have (even though he pinches). He has a darling little girl and a beautiful home. He took us all around Tampa and it was fantastic. We went canoeing on a river and saw two alligators (yes, I was scared!), we went on a eco-tour of the bay and saw sting rays and dolphins. We spent a little time on the beach, went swimming and picked up living sand dollars off the floor of the gulf. We ate some very good food, at Bern's, at a crab shack on the beach, and at an awesome Cuban restaurant. John drove us all around and showed us some beautiful Florida scenery. Florida isn't all about the beach.

On the way back we stopped in Gainesville where I was born and grew up. We found my old house... which was one of only two homes left on the street I grew up on. The rest have all been torn down, and now they're putting up condos. We drove around Gainesville and I showed Machiel some buildings my architect daddy designed.
We also walked around my old school, PK Yonge. Nothing like a walk down memory lane.

In other news... the Beatles is coming to Rock Band!!!

Design Inspiration

It's that time of year... school's done and I can focus on my other hobbies, one of which is scrapbooking and page design.

I just came across a web page that really inspired me, and it was about how they were inspired for their designs. It's a scrapbook page waiting to happen. Really cool layout... check out the J. Crew web page. Clicking on the various pages takes you even more cool pages about design inspiration.

The quote on the page says:
"Creativity comes from everyday life in New York-- from being surrounded by its culture, people, architecture and history." M.W.

Wish of the day: I wish I was a better photographer, with a better camera.

I Am Going to BLOG Today

Blogging? What's that? Has Facebook replaced my blogging habits? Why do I never blog anymore? Do I still read blogs? These questions, and any more that may come up, will be answered...

What's blogging? Blogging is a web based journal of sorts that people have to actually go to to read. Unlike Facebook where your status is broadcast to all your *friends*, with blogging your friends have to actually seek you out. And I think Facebook status updates have become the lazy man's blog. Or maybe I feel with my blog I have to be creative. No, that's not it. Facebook status updates demand a sort of creativity, only packed into a tiny one liner. Maybe it's the shortness of FB that makes it easier. Or maybe I never blog anymore because of time constraints placed upon me by desire to totally immerse myself into this full-time college student trying to keep her 4.0 thing. Hmmm... I think I'm on to something.

I do still read blogs. My daughtered clued me into RSS feeds and that makes it easy to read the blogs I like to follow. So I think blogging has not died for me. It's still important, but I just haven't had the time. So now that I have a breather... let's blog.

Today's subject: Inspiration.

Here are some random things that have inspired me lately...

The Shack, by William Paul Young. I was curious about this book after my therapist recommended it to me. Yes, I go to a therapist, but that is another story for another time. She wasn't sure if it was something that would offend me with it's strange slant on some Christian beliefs, mainly the concept of God, but she had been inspired by this book. So I borrowed it from a friend (Thanks Jennie) and have tried to read it off and on for the past three months. The author included an anonymous quote I could really identify with:
Growth means change, and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.

Ali Edwards. This woman just inspires me. One of my favorite parts of her blog is the "Inspired by" sections. (Thus, this blog). Ali Edwards is creativity... her whole life emits a creative force. I am inspired by her blog, by her photography, by her stewardship to the planet, by her mini-books, by her home decor, by her love for cardigan sweaters and by her love for her family.

Quotes. A quote I read today hit home with me... "Once in a while you have to take a break and visit yourself." (Audrey Giorgi) Find yourself a source of inspirational quotes and check them out every now and again. Some of my favs: Inspirational Sparks and The Quotation Page.

Lindsay. My little granddaughter is an inspiration to me as she reminds me that this is what life is all about: Love, relationships, family, giggles, hugs and hide and go seek. And as we get close to Mother's Day I just want to say that my daughter Rebecca inspires me with her mothering skills. She is a great mom. I am so proud of her.

The store World Market. So much fun! I could spend hours there. I bought some Digestives. They are yummy British cookies with the funniest name!

I could keep going but I'll stop at five. I'm glad I can look around me and find inspiration in my life.

*25* Okay Already

I keep getting tagged in the 25 things notes. It first started with a 16 random things note and I should have taken advantage of that before someone upped the ante to 25. Then someone came up with a clever 25 one word answers for those strapped for time I guess. I'll get to that one later.

So here are my 25 random things about me.

1. I love to travel, especially to Europe. I can't decide which place I love more, Italy, Great Britain or Austria/Switzerland/Southern Germany.

2. I don't like mushrooms, mustard or pickles.

3. I need a haircut. I don't know what style to go with though. I'm hating the amount of time it takes to blowdry my long hair now.

4. I love my girlfriends. You know who you are!

5. I really like being in college. I love the atmosphere, the discussions, the learning and even the homework (most of the time, but then I get cool homework assignments like listening to all the Beethoven symphonies).

6. I really like my young college friends who just treat me like one of the guys.

7. I like facebook. I don't think I'm addicted to it in the bad sense. I don't do any of the extra apps. I just like to keep up with people that way. I do check it almost everyday.

8. I like humor. I love a good belly laugh and I don't get enough of those in my life.

9. I have an iPhone and I love it!

10. My children are the best kids in the world!

11. I HATE doing the dishes. And so, obviously, do all of my children. Is that something that can be inherited?

12. I have performance anxiety and am nervous about my recital.

13. I wish I had more time to read. I have so many books on my to read list.

14. Ditto with movies. I love to watch movies and have a lot I want to see.

15. I love to cook but I have to be in the right mood.

16. When I was little my favorite colors were hot pink and purple and I wanted to be an Art Teacher when I grew up.

17. I was born in Gainesville, Florida to an architect father and a freelance artist/stay at home Mom.

18. I think cheese and chocolate are the two best foods on the planet, in their many varieties.

19. I like to make invitations to parties, baby showers and bridal showers. I had fun designing my poster for the recital. Maybe I should go into graphic design?

20. I love how music permeates my home. From the Planets blaring from Josh's speakers this morning to West Side Story from Kristen's computer, to Josh's first notes on his newly taken up instrument the trumpet, to whatever the heck it is that comes out of Bryan's computer. I love hearing music in my home.

21. I like making music too. I'm finally learning to find the music, and to be the music. That's what it takes and sometimes I have it and sometimes I don't.

22. I love teaching. I loved teaching at my church, I love teaching my flute students, I love teaching sectionals and band camps.

23. I think texting is a great way to communicate. I realize some may not agree, but in some ways it's the perfect communication tool, especially if you don't want to interrupt someone with a phone call if you know they'll be busy.

24. I like wearing cute shoes, and I love wearing comfortable heels. Yes, they do exist. But ever since I hurt my lower back/SI joint I'm not supposed to wear heels. It really stinks to have to wear sensible shoes.

25. The best thing about winter is scarves. I love scarves.

Now here's the deal. I'm supposed to tag 25 people on facebook to do the same, but I'm going to let you guys off the hook. Do it if you want. Meanwhile, time to go back to cooking a fantastic pork roast dinner while being serenaded by Joshua's awesome Polly Wolly Doodle skills on the trumpet.

Words

I haven't been feeling the inspiration to blog until I read someone else's blog today. One of my favorite scrapbook artists is Ali Edwards. I love her life outlook, her creative ideas, her simplicity, and her talent. For the past couple of years she has inspired others to do some really cool things that frankly are way beyond just *scrapbooking*. One thing she does is come up with a word for the upcoming year. I've been thinking of doing this and have had trouble coming up with just one word. She even has a whole list of words to pick from that others have used in case you get stuck.

And then it struck me.

Brave.

That's my word of the year. And then I thought "Be Brave" and a whole list of some of the *B* words struck a chord with me.

Baby- Got a new grandbaby on the way!
Back- Get my back fixed and be able to live pain free once again.
Balance- got to work on that physically and mentally.
Be- yeah. Trying to accept me.
Bear- all things, hope all things...
Beautify- my home needs attention
Become- What? I'm not sure. Better, I guess. (ha- another B word!)
Begin- new beginnings are always good
Behold- sometimes I just need to stop and take a look
Believe- I definitely need to believe in myself a little more, and strengthen my beliefs
Blaze- new trails?
Blessed- count my blessings
Blog- anyone think I should blog more?
Bloom- where you are planted
Breathe- Oh yeah. I need this one. I find myself taking deep breaths just to get through the day.
Brighten- Too much darkness
Build- relationships

It's a little ironic that someone whose is possessed with the letter A, or at least in making straight A's, would lower herself to choosing the letter B. Perhaps someday, in honor of my children who tell me "it's okay to make a B, Mom", I will make that B.

So this year, instead of a list of New Years Resolutions, how about just picking a "word of the year"?

What's your word?

Here's to being Brave.

Middle of the Road

No this isn't a post about my political views, although that's what I like to think I am.

This is literally about the middle of the road, or rather things I've seen in the middle of the road recently. I don't why I've all of a sudden seen such odd things lately just lying in the road.

Today I saw a pillow in the road. And a stalled car right in the middle of the interstate, center lane. Stopped.

In the past month I've seen black shirts (no I didn't pick them up, I have enough already), I've seen a couch in the road, yes, really, and I've seen a several dead squirrels. (Squirrels are not killed by cars, but by indecision.)

But I have to say the weirdest thing I've seen in the middle of the road was a port-a-potty. Right there on the top of the overpass on Memorial Parkway. It was hilarious.

I'll keep my eye out for more crazy stuff in the road. At least I'm not the type to stop and pick these things up! Besides, what would I do with a port-a-potty?

Perfect

I love it when the weather channel gives me this:

Today

81° | 61°

Sat

83° | 61°

Sun

81° | 61°

Mon

81° | 59°

Perfect forecast. PERFECT weather. I need to get outside.