a word-filled one to make up for the lack

Here's all my randomness and thoughts just for you.

1.  I can't stop listening to Bon Iver and Coldplay lately.  Me = love Coldplay for years and years now, and it's not going away any time soon. Sometimes the old albums seem new, all over again.  I would LOVE to see them live this summer when their tour swings through, but tickets are over $100 for nosebleeds.  Yowza.
Bon Iver has become beloved just within the last few months. Welcome, new band.  Welcome.

2.  I get incredibly inspired when I'm driving.  True story.  Fact:  I rarely listen to music in the car.  I don't have any radio stations programmed.  I have 6 CD's that rarely get changed (Battlestar Season 4 and Viva laVida have been in there for years, I think.)  Maybe it's the quiet, or maybe the rush of images that pass by.  Whatever the case, I'm forever coming up with story ideas.
This brings me to yet another reason I love my iphone.  Siri.  Siri is my best note taker.  She will type out what I can't bear to forget while I'm keeping my eyes on the road and my hands on the steering wheel. If one of these little nuggets of an idea ever truly becomes a book, I think I will have to thank her in my acknowledgements. It would only seem right.  

3.  I've been sewing up a storm lately.  A present for a friend and more note cards.

4.  Guys, I have to be at work at 5:45am tomorrow morning.  Can we all please have a moment of silence for my loss of sleep?  These last 2 weeks have been out of control busy.  And by that I mean it has not been abnormal for me to work 10 hour days.  It's been slightly overwhelming.
On the positive side, I have been thanking the good Lord over and over and over for my sabbatical.  If I hadn't had those 3 months, I would be a mess right now.  I can see so clearly how much that break was water to my soul.  My Father knew exactly when I needed that rest.  And He filled me up for days like this when I was going to be poured out.

5.  Three cheers for going running today after beginning my work day at 6:30am and working until 4pm.  That, my friends, is a huge accomplishment.  We won't discuss how long I ran.  It's just important that I didn't let my laziness win.  And it wanted to, dear goodness.  It wanted to.

6.  Do you read Ali Edwards' blog?  If not, you should.  She is a scapbooker, but don't let that turn you away if you aren't into all that paper and glue.  I have so enjoyed her fantastic advice on creativity and living a creative life.  Her words have been running through my head lately as I get frustrated with myself that I have only pulled out my DSLR ONE time since January.  "It's ok."  So I'm taking more iphone photos right now?  That's okay.  So I don't have a pile of photos to edit? That's okay.  Follow your creativeness and it may lead to a place you haven't been before.  An even more inspiring one.
I will say that I have kept up my 1 photo a day on Instagram for almost 4 months now, and I definitely don't want to stop.  It's been inspiring and freeing.  And it's been ok.  The documentation is just as important as the file size.

7.  I think Claudia Jean Cregg may be one of my favorite television characters of all time.  I've been quite taken with her lately.  I keep trying to think of stories I could write just to have AJ become one of the characters.  Her performances always make me sit up and pay attention.  She totally deserves that shelf full of Emmy's for CJ.

Night, all.
It's time for bed.
Even if it is only 8:45pm.
Please read #4.

xoxo,

Cottage Girl