Luna and the Color Run

(amazing artwork by Viria)

Without reliable internet at home, I feel like my blogging has dwindled down to nothing.  

Sighhhh....

Makes me so sad, but it's just such a pain to take hours to post just one little thing.  

Anyway...

What I've been up to lately:

Watching the Harry Potter movies again.  How brilliant are those stories?  I mean, really.  I know we've all heard the pomp and circumstance over them a thousand times, but I'm still in awe when I rediscover them after a while away.  I just re-discovered my love of Luna Lovegood (and the absolutely perfect casting of her character in the movies).  And then there are the Weasley's.  I can never get enough of them.  

Instagramming it up.  I'm obsessed.  I think it's been my "blog" for the year.  My sweet little iphone has been the only consistent place that I can get internet access, which means Instagram is about the extent of my online-ness (besides some email and a little Twitter).  

Running.  It's a love/hate relationship we have.  I hate doing it, but love that I have done it when it's over.  I do think having a goal to work toward is helping immensely.  Oh, right....my goal....The Color Run.   I can't freakin' wait!! Lately, I've been listening to Pandora's 80's Cardio Radio while I run.  So many great song.

Still missing camp.  It's just so quiet around here.

Getting super excited for the Renaissance Festival, which starts up soon and very soon.  It's my favorite tradition of the Fall.  The food, the shows, the people watching.


So for those of you that have been asking (my sister included) where I've been, there a tiny post for you to read.  You're welcome.

reading now

Has anyone ever read Wool?
I found it on Amazon when I was looking for books for my Kindle.
It took me a while to get into it, but now that I'm in Part 4, I'm hooked.
I enjoy dystopian novels and this fits right into that category (Brave New World, anyone?!).

What are you reading right now?
I'm really far behind on my Summer Reading List.
It's going to have to roll over into a Fall Reading List.

roller coasters and camping

Hooray for calm, relaxing, camping weekends.

My family was (and still is) big into camping.

Let me define camping...travel trailer with air conditioning, bathroom and sink.

That's how we roll.

Anyway, this weekend has been my light at the end of the long summer.

A weekend away with my parents at the campground I grew up going to.

Plus....wait for it....a trip to King's Dominion.

Hey-o! Roller coasters galore.

We also went to downtown Fredericksburg to do a bit of antique shopping.

So many fun things.

And such crazy expensive prices.

Vintage is "in" now and the prices reflect that.

Our day at the park was amazing.

No lines.

Walked on to almost every single roller coaster.

The weather taunted us for a while but ended up being perfect.

Cool.  Cloudy.  No rain.

It was a sheer delight.

Dear S came down to share in the free fun as well.

My dad's company had given him 4 free tickets to the park plus free food too.

Free day.  Good weather.  No lines.  Brilliant.

This was the roller coaster that actually scared me when I first saw it.

I'm big into roller coasters and will ride just about anything without a second thought.

This one...eeesh.

That hill looked crazy high and straight down.

I was nerrrvous.

But I walked up to the line, got on and screamed my head off with glee.

I may never ride that one again though because after the hill, everything got fuzzy.

Out of focus and wouldn't go back into focus.

Tunnel vision and things started to get grey around the edges.

Yes, I almost passed out on the ride.

Had to close my eyes and breathe.

It was so fast.  SO fast.

My mom had the same experience.

Never had that happen to me before.

So while it was THE BEST hill I've ever been on on a roller coast, the rest of it was too intense for my little body I guess.

We had a super fun day and rode tons of roller coasters 

and finished up early because of the "no lines" thing.  

(yes, my parents ride/love/are obsessed with roller coasters.  they instilled that love in all their kids)

We did a little more shopping the next day and found some gems like this clock.  

And this sign that Don Draper must have left behind.  

And this sign that I wanted to get badly, but had a price tag that was beyond ridiculous.

All in all it was a fun, happy end of the summer weekend.

Every summer should involve a roller coaster ride or 10.

Echoes

(a perfect ray of light over a perfect water lily in the neighbors pond)

Camp is full of echoes this week.

By that, I mean that every little nook and corner is whispering of all the things that, just one week ago, were full of life.

Walking by windows, I hear voices of counselors and campers talking and laughing and getting ready for the day.

The beach is nothing but echoes of glee filled screams and splashes.  The sounds of the boat motors that I can pinpoint from any place on the property (even inside my house).

The pool, right now so still and serene, echoes of diving board jumps and whistle blows.

The gym, which used to be lit well into the night, is now closed up and dim.  No dodge balls banging off of walls or music playing while kids cheer.

Snack shop has no lines and only the echoes of cans opening and ice cream wrappers being torn open with reckless abandon.  There aren't hoards of people waiting there to chat and cool off.  This is especially disheartening.

I see it like a movie.  The main character is looking out over their surroundings and the empty background transforms into shapes of what they miss.  A face.  A child running in slow motion, almost transparent.  A happy group of friends waving or smiling.  That's how I picture it.


This week, every year, is always so difficult.  One would think that after 14 years I would have learned to deal with it all better.  The emptiness.  The loneliness. The quiet. The giant hole that is left in my world when every one leaves and camp is over.

I know it's really rather silly to feel so down and depressed over something that really isn't the end of the world.  But it still is hard.  It's the end of something I held dear for 10 weeks.  It's goodbyes with people I had come to love and spend time with.  When you are forced to abandon everything and everyone else that exists outside of this property, these people, these kids somehow take on a comfort zone of familiarity.  And then it's ripped away yet again.  I have to discover how to exist without them once again.  I'm allowed to go back to those friendships I've ignored and it's almost confusing.  What?!  Who am I?!  Where have I been?!  In a coma?!

These are my feelings this week.

Happy and full of life, right?

Prescription:  one week of misery and then it's time to get over it.  No one likes a Debbie Downer.

And thank you, Jesus, for the friends that are here to stay.  They are my lifeline.  I adore them.

return

I never know how to return after being gone so long.

For example...what do I start with?

Do I tell you how melancholy I am today because camp ended Saturday and life is too quiet and lonely?
That seems like a huge downer.

Or do I tell you about the time we went to the carnival to celebrate my roommate's birthday and we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl and I laughed till my sides hurt.

Or perhaps about Smoothie Night 2012 and the crazy 80's outfits that abounded.  Such a good time.

Or how our water at camp has been un-drinkable for 4 months and turned half of my clothing and swimsuits orange, not to mention my skin and everything in our bathroom.  Grr...so frustrated.

Or perhaps how I have 517 (honest Abe, that's the number) posts to read in my Google Reader because I haven't been online in weeks.  Overwhelming.

Or how about how I'm back in the office and being inside all day feels like torture after a summer in the sunshine.

Or maybe I'll show you how I completed my summer photo challenge and posted a photo every day of summer camp on Instagram.  56 photos.  Actually, I've been posting every day 8 months, but the summer challenge was specific to camp.

There are so many choices.
So many stories.
So much of life that has gone by.
I'm learning to accept that there are times when it will be desolate here.
And that's okay.
But for now, it's good to be back.
I missed you.

xoxo,

Cottage Girl

spilling out

I miss writing.
Oh, how I miss it.

I miss mixing words together.
Stringing thoughts into paragraphs.
Thinking up the best word to exactly fit what I am thinking or feeling.

I miss the click-click-click of the keyboard as I type.
I miss the scratch of the pen on the paper of my journal.
I miss re-reading the words that spill out.

These things, and so many more, I miss so much.
I've always been a big writer.
Stories, journal entries, blog posts.
Since I was a little girl, I had to find a way to get the words out of my head and on to something tangible.

I start to feel a bit crazy when I can't write.
Like my mind is completely filled and the faucet needs to open up and empty everything out.
I run around looking for pen and paper and just start writing.
Everything comes spilling out.
Word after glorious word.
It's fantastic.

Anyway,
I miss writing here.
So very much.
Just wanted to tell you that.

on my radar

I have a small semi-life outside of camp during the summertime.  

Okay, not really, but I like to pretend I do.

Here are a few things on my radar as of late:

Amazon MP3's and Cloud Player app for iphone ~ this is, like, one of my favorite things all summer.  The app was just released for iphones a few weeks ago and it is already my favorite, besides Instagram, of course.  

Great things about it?  Well, #1: it's not itunes (itunes = my extreme dislike) #2: Amazon gives away free music/free music credits all...the...time.  I have 41 one songs (including two full albums) in my cloud right now and I paid about $2 for all of it.  Follow @amazonmp3 on Twitter for all the freebie info.  They were giving out $3 mp3 credits just last week.  

Music I'm loving right now:  The Bloom album by Beach House (99 cent sale on Amazon) and the new Cornerstone album from Hillsong Live (99 cents after $3 in free credits).  Plus Rivers and Roads by The Head and the Heart (sniff, sniff, Chuck) and some Ingrid too.  

TV:  Our DVR died, you guys.  Sad, sad day.  We lost all of Downton season 2 and a bunch of Sherlock episodes and my favorite Emma that the BBC did a few years ago.  Ugh.  Plus, Dish (our current provider) dropped AMC.  Not okay.  No Walking Dead or Mad Men?  Not okay at all.   

I've watched very little TV recently (besides my Dr Quinn marathon when I was sick 2 weeks ago).  Truly, it just hasn't been appealing lately.  I've watched a few episodes of White Collar season 3, and they were fantastic.  That's a great summer show.  I love recommending that show to people who need something to watch.  

Books:  I am now currently in the middle of 5.  Wool by Hugh Howey (a self published book I found on Amazon and downloaded to my Kindle).  The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (not to be confused by The Boy Who Could Fly, the 1980's Disney Channel movie that I watched about 45 times as a child.  anyone else?) The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery (free on my Kindle). Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller (I will finish it this summer and return it to you, my dear brother.  I will.).  And I just started The Soulkeepers by G.P Ching (free through Amazon Prime on my Kindle).  I like variety.  Always been one of those people who is in the middle of a bunch of books at once.  And I'm still loving my Kindle.  

Treat:  My favorite thing at snack shop right now is Horizon's Chocolate Milk.  Good gracious, it's delicious. A perfect bit of chocolate without all the calories and fat that are in candy.  

Movies:  I've seen two movies lately and both were just ho-hum.  I think The Avengers ruined me for the summer.  It's bad to start out with the best one because everything else just pales in comparison.  The two "ho-hum's" were Brave (it was fine, but didn't wow me like most Pixar movies do. ex: Wall*E and Up) and The Beasts of the Southern Wild (it didn't live up to the ridiculous hype it's been getting).  The Dark Knight Rises is up next.  Oh, and I watched The Artist again and it was just as lovely the second time.  

Podcast obsession:  A few months ago, I found Kevin Pollack's Chat Show by way of hearing that a certain Zachary would be on it.  After listening to his episode, I dove in head first into the library of over a 100 other interviews, downloading them and listening to them constantly.  I just finished Damon Lindelof's, and can I just tell you that I was entirely enthralled.  No joke.  It was fascinating to hear the story of how he became a writer for TV and ended up doing Lost.  I'll be listening to that one about 7 more times, I'm sure.  Nick Offerman's is also fantastic.  He is fascinating.  

****WARNING:  I would rate this show with a giant PG-13 or higher.  There are no censors online, so the language can be harsh at times.  You've been warned.  

Other than that, it's just been boat repairs, hot summer days, lots of sand and brackish water and a couple children.  Okay, more like 200 children.  I do love that summer is a completely different lifestyle for me.  I don't miss TV.  I don't get bored often.  I'm busy and investing in people and trying my hardest not to melt into a puddle.  My days are filled with things that most people dream about doing.  Driving boats and having conversations.  Getting snack shop treats and going to the pool.  Don't get me wrong.  It's tough and exhausting.  But I wouldn't trade it for any other summer job.....well, maybe a house sitter on Oahu's North Shore, but still.  This job is pretty fantastic.  

Side note:  It has taken me four days to post this.  If I could just get a decent internet connection... It's so incredibly frustrating.

the third week

Week #3 of Summer 14.

Week 3 turned out to be pretty crazy.  Why?
Well...

1) We started a day late because of the power outage caused by that crazy storm the Friday before.  First time I think that has ever happened and I hope it will be the last.

2). It was blazing hot.  I mean, I felt melted by 10am H-O-T.

3) I got sick with a yucky cold.  I realized just how sick I was when I was sitting on the beach on that hot Tuesday morning and I wasn't sweating.  It felt comfortable.  Fever.  Yes, indeed.  And I lost my voice too after all the yelling I do at the beach.  It still isn't back.  I miss it.

4) Lots of great conversations with the staff.  So very much younger than me, but oh, how I love them.  I just l-o-v-e them.

5) I got to spend a good chunk of time in our neighbor's backyard while my roommate was house sitting for them.  It's a dream of a back yard (Day 15).  A pond, full garden, green house, chickens, flowers everywhere.  I sat for a long time watching the frogs in the pond and wandering through the yard.  I didn't even mind the crazy hot evening.

6). The jellies are here.  They arrived with a vengeance this week. We didn't have a single jelly fish last summer.  Well, this summer is making up for that already.  They are everywhere.  And huge.  Some of them are the size of a dinner plate.  Jelly fish stings are happening constantly now.  I hate it because there is nothing you can do for a jellyfish sting to make it better. I feel so bad for the kids when it happens.


On to week 4.  Or Teen Week, as we call it.  Lots and lots of boating going on.  But it's only going to be in the temperature is only going to be in the upper 90's.  Bliss.

written everywhere

If only the Lord would write words on Target's parking garage walls.  

Imagine seeing the Psalms written all over the place.  

In the sky.

On the road.

On buildings and roof tops.

In ocean waves and sandy shores.

On rolling hills of green.

Sounds like a perfect idea for my next photography project....

Sweltering

Week #2 of my #campsummer14 project on Instagram.  

Because of the power outage last week, I couldn't post last weekend, so here it is a bit later.

Week 2 was lots of HOT days.  Close to 100 degrees mostly every single day.  Yes.  Hot.

I was talking to one of my camp co-workers about the weather the other day.  You know how people say that you talk about the weather if you can't think of anything else to mention?  It's like a safe topic of nothingness?  Well, when you spend 85% of your day outside, the weather becomes essential.  I check the updated forecast about 37 times a day.  Praying for rain (we haven't had a good rain in over a month).  Looking out for storms that would affect our activities on the waterfront.  Planning my day around the hottest part of the day if it's going to be sweltering.  Case in point:  the weather is important when you work outside all day. 

Week 2 was also one for the books because we had that crazy storm that knocked the power out on Friday night.  No running water.  Trying to feed the kids breakfast with no power.  No phones.  We managed (read: the Lord showered mercy upon us) to have one random phase stay on giving us limited electricity to get the necessities.  And we got two generators hooked up so that we could have running water.  

The campers were gone by 11am and we were left to die of heatstroke in the extreme heat.  Thankfully though, the kids were pretty much unaffected by the loss of power.  Had it happened a day or two earlier?  Nightmare.  But, as hard as it was the days that followed, the Lord was gracious and the damage was minimal.

And lastly, Week 2 was the week we had problems left and right with our boats.  Those two old workhorses are showing their age with a vengeance this year.  We haven't had two boat working simultaneously even once this summer.  It's been tough, but again, the Lord is gracious and we've been able to move the schedule around and get all the kids through their activities with just one boat.


So there we go.
A quick re-cap.
Week 2.
Over and out.

Zombie apocalypse

When I look back over the past few days, I realize why it seemed so entirely overwhelming:

Friday Night 11pm: the power goes out during one of the worst thunderstorms I've ever witnessed. I literally thought the cottage roof would blow off. Tree branches and trees crashed down.

Saturday morning: try to feed 120 kids breakfast with no power. Initial clearing of debris from walkways.

The rest of Saturday: temperature soars to 100. No AC or fans. Venture out into town, but it's like a zombie apocalypse happened. No working streetlights. Flares all over the roads. Grocery stores with empty selves and no power. Restaurants crammed with people trying to stay cool.
Go to a neighbors house for a party. They still had power and blessed AC. Sleep at this house because the cottage is now 90 degrees inside.

Sunday: No church because there is no power there. Fight the 500 other people at Panera trying to get breakfast at one of the few shops with power in the area. Temperature is close to 100 again.
Call every family that is supposed to be coming to camp that night to tell them we don't have power and can't have camp. On our cell phones because we don't have working phones. Every single family for 170 kids.
Have a meeting with the staff asking them to go to a house with power because we can't take care of them.
Sleep at neighbor's house again still too hot to go home. Get sore throat.

Monday: wake up with a cold. Perfect. Start cleaning away debris at 8am. It takes 4 hours with 15 of us working.
Power finally restored!! Call back 170 families to tell them camp will open that night.
Clean out fridge full of spoiled food at the cottage.
6pm Registration for week 3.
10pm management meeting.
Cold now in epic form. No sleep. Watch TV and drink hot tea because medicine won't work.

Tuesday: morning activities on the beach. Try remain conscious, but now have a fever. Get coverage for the rest of the day and spend the afternoon and evening on the couch sleeping, drinking water and watching lots and lots of Dr. Quinn. (I love you DVR). In the AC. Glorious AC.

I'm so ready for things to get back to normal. And I'm also incredibly thankful the Lord kept us safe during that crazy storm. Now I just need to feel better...

112

I have 112 (that is the real, true number) posts that are waiting to be read in my Google Reader.
That seems highly overwhelming.
Plus, the intreeenets is still painfully slow here in the ol' Cottage.

So, instead, here is my first week at camp in photo form.
I gave myself a little photo challenge, and I must say I'm enjoying it a crazy amount.
One photo each day with a quick sentence or two to describe it.
They are all taken with, editing on and uploaded with my handy dandy iphone.

Photo app details:
VSCOcam for editing/filters.
Phonto (free) for text.
Picture Frames Free for diptych.
Instagram posted.


***this post brought to you by a slice of PW chocolate cake.  Make some for yourself.  You'll thank me.  
***my friend, M, ate a piece of this cake right before we took that last photo.  See how happy she is?!

because I like to obsess over things

I've been desperately trying to blog for a few days now.  
But the intreenets is not cooperating. Driving me nuts!    
Today was a minor reprieve, so here we go.  
A post I have been trying to write for almost a week now...



Things I am obsessed with lately.
Because I'm a girl who gets crazy obsessed with things randomly.

1.  Amazon Cloud App for iphones.  It just came out about a week ago.  Amazon is always giving away free credits.  I've gotten about $5 worth of free music in the last month.  Follow them on Twitter to get in on all the fun.  The cloud has 5G of free storage, too.  Side note:  I'm am not a fan of itunes.  In fact I despise it.  I buy 99% of my music from Amazon.  Their sales are the best.

2.  Boats, boats, boats.  This is my life.  Making sure they are running.  Putting gasoline in them.  Praying that the "sick" one will be "well" soon and that the "doctor" can figure out what the heck is wrong with it.

3.  Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.  Wait, what?!  'Tis true.  I love me some Dr. Mike.  My blog friend Allison (whose new blog is the bees knees. seriously.  you should check it out!) admitted to her favorite ridiculous TV show recently.  I feel the need to come clean as well.  My favorite part of the ridiculousness that is Dr Quinn is when the acting/writing is so very bad that I can't help but literally laugh out loud.  I love it.  I just love it.  And I DVR it and watch several episodes at once.

4.  Raspberries.  They are all a'bloom right now.  I've already gathered a bunch on three different occasions. I took some to my parents on Saturday (Happy Father's Day, Poppa) along with some shortcake from Trader Joe's (oh my, delish) and some whipped cream.  Heaven.  And they have been going in my cherry/raspberry/pineapple/spinach green smoothie.  It's the best one I've made in a long time.

5.  ER Season 14.  My Netflix has been full of it.  I squeeze a few episodes in on the weekends.  It's just as delightful as the first time around.  Archie....Morris...

6.  Phonto and VSCOcam. I've been exploring the fun in adding text to my photos on Instagram. I'm trying to do a photo with the day # text on it every day for camp this summer.  A little photography challenge for myself.  Side note:  I've kept up with my other challenge too.  5 1/2 months of a-photo-every-day on Instagram.  And I'm still loving it.  It tough some days and a pure delight on others.  But looking back through them makes me giddy inside.

7.  Running.  I didn't do it once last week.  But I think about it and obsess over it every single day.  It felt really good to get up early this morning and go before my crazy camp day.  I still didn't like the running part.  Nope. But I do love how I feel after.  And by "feel", I mean glad that I didn't let my laziness win.  Mental victories even if the physical ones are small.

8.  Waterproof iphone cases.  Because my phone has to be on me at all times, even at the beach, I've been researching cases like a crazy person.  I'm so scared I'll drop this expensive piece of my life into the river and it will sink straight to the bottom. This one popped up on Instagram this week and now I'm in the "do I spend $60 on a silly phone case" debate.  Anyone know anything the scuba suit vs. lifeproof?

That's enough for now, I think.
I hope the waves of the internet decide to go my way more often.
I sure do miss blogging....sigh....

2 point 5 seconds

My sister came to visit with her brood last week.
I got to see them for about 2 point 5 seconds.
Staff training ate up all my free time.
That was tough...

My littlest niece just turned one.
I can't even believe it.
I found the cutest books (that I wanted to keep for myself) to give her for her big day.
She's such a peanut with hot red hair.

It was torture knowing they were so close, but I was too busy to get away.
Hopefully they won't forget who their auntie is.

I'm already contemplating a visit when I'm released from these 22 acres.
Perhaps a long weekend in late summer?

no rhyme or reason

My life has no rhyme or reason lately.

For instance, here is a list of the things I have done in the last few days.

Taught the new staff to safely drive a boat (at 6am).
Gone to the health department to get my lifeguard license renewed. (and be be-littled by the lady at the desk)
Mail out 6,141 newsletters.  This is not an exaggerated number.  (and be be-littled by the guy at the desk)
Take an hour to put gasoline in 2 power boats (we have to do it manually now.  NOT fun.)
Tie-dye t-shirts with the new summer staff girls.
Do a cleaning check out for a building that 20 boys had been living in.
Have a deep conversation and give advice with compassion and grace.
Answer the phone 459 times (exaggeration, but it really felt like that many)
Go running (I'm particularly proud of myself for doing this after teaching a 6am boat class)
Laugh with friends.
Made my first smoothie for the summer (peach, pineapple, OJ, chia seeds)
Answer emails.
Make lists.
Hand the gift shop over to the girl who will be in charge of it this summer.
Tow a boat to the marina to be fixed (Now both boats are officially broken.  Uh-oh.)
Pray, pray, pray.


This is just off the top of my head.  There are about 20 other things that I've already forgotten.  Never a dull moment around here.

Summer #14

Oh my.
Summer is here.
Did you notice I've been a little MIA lately?
That tends to happen when camp is in full swing.

We are deep in staff training around here.
Lots of new faces and names to learn.
Lots of teaching and learning.
The excitement of all that is before us.

Summer #14, here we go....

"Fulfill your ministry"

My pastor challenged us this morning with this little section of scripture from 2 Timothy 4:5...

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 

Could there be anything more appropriate to hear right before I begin 10 weeks of summer camp?
"Fulfill your ministry", he kept reminding us.  "Whatever that may look like for you."

Yes.  Exactly what I needed to hear today.
And something I'm going to post in my room in a place where I can read it 10 times a day.

He's the sweetest

I love to read.  

Surely you have gathered that from my many, many posts on books.  

So imagine my glee when I opened this, a birthday present from my brother.

How sweet of him to know what I would so greatly enjoy?!

I'm already filling it up with lots and lots of titles.

My summer reading list may be a tad bit longer now. 

Right now I'm trying out Wool by Hugh Howey, which has received nothing but rave reviews.  

So far, it's intriguing.  

Anyone else read it?

Next up is Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. 

I can't believe I haven't read any of his books with as much as I love his shows.  

I think he has such a fantastic way with words. 

And I'm also into Story Girl, by L.M.

I can't believe there are still books of hers that I haven't read 20 times.  

This one has been on my self for years and I just haven't been able to past chapter 4.

I did love Avonlea back in the day, so surely I'll love it.  

I like to be in the middle of about 7 books at any given time.

This makes reading while traveling problematic.  

I have to have options, which means a tote full of books.

I can see this little gadget becoming my new favorite traveling companion.  

Thank you, dearest brother.

I think of you every time I use it.

Love you!

on the radar

I was all ready to post last night and then...blam-o.  The power went out.  Awesome.  Thankfully it came back on about 3 hours later.  It didn't get too hot and humid in just 3 hours.

Anyway, here are a few things on my radar lately....

The Two Towers.  I'm watching it yet again.  I realized this time why I love it so much.  The Rohan.  Edoras. Eowyn and Faramir, two of my favorites, enter the story.  And how  Aragorn and Arwen's story is shown in flashes.  It's so beautifully shot and makes me want to immediately blow all my savings and go to New Zealand.

Snow White and The Huntsman.  I can't wait to see this one.  Chris Hemsworth is quickly becoming a favorite.  (ps...did you know his little brother is Gale from The Hunger Games?  Crazy, right?!)

Valtari.  Came out this week. My copy is on it's way at the moment.  Vinyl addition.

VSCO cam.  I'm addicted to this app.  The website explains it as "less as more" and it is.  The filters are perfect.  And the amount of editing you can do in your phone is just amazing.  I'm loving it and taking lots and lots of photos just so I can play with it more.

Reading.  I've been reading some Story Girl, one that I have actually never read.  I know.  An L.M. book I haven't read.  It's a miracle.  And then reading House of Dreams, or at least the last 4 chapters because I just needed to read the part about Captain Jim finally reading his Life Book.  And then the ending of Little Women.  I never tire of Laurie and Amy's chapter at the end.  

Newsies, the musical.  I think it's hilarious that Broadway is oooooing and aaaahhhing over it right now.  As a crazed fan of the 1992 movie that the critics hated, I just can't get over all the attention the musical is getting.  I want to see it.  To compare, of course.  But I bet it won't be as good as my high school self remembers the movie being.

Bed time.  It's here.  I'm tired.  It has been a long week.

Night, all.

Cottage Girl

TV gushing

(sorce) 

Last week was the season 2 finale of Sherlock on PBS.  

I just feel like I need to implore you once again, dear readers, to give this show a try.

It's 2 seasons.

Each season only has 3 episodes.

90 minutes per episode.

And they pack a wallop.

I'm going to say that I think it's the best thing on TV in years.

Truly.

The casting is perfection.

The characters are endearing.

The dialog is snappy and witty.

The story lines are sharp and intriguing.

Benedict Cumberbatch is the best thing since....I don't even know what. At first I wasn't sure how to take him as the famous Sherlock Holmes.  But he won me over before I was even half way through the first episode.  His performance is magic.  His facial expressions and wit make the show.

Martin Freeman, well, I became a huge fan of his years ago when he was on the British version of The Office. I just can't wait for him to be Bilbo this December.  He is the perfect Dr. Watson.  The finale of season 2 was his shining moment.  Wow.

So there's a little TV gushing for you.
I haven't done that in a while.
But this show is too good to just breeze by.
Looking for something fun to watch this summer?
Sherlock is it.

haunting

(photo found here.  Story behind the photo found here)

I posted this exact photo back in 2010. 

It still haunts me. 

Tacked onto the forefront of my brain forever.  

I think about it every American holiday like today or the 4th or Veteran's Day.  

Just seemed appropriate that I should post it again, 

since I haven't stopped thinking about it all day.

I am so blessed to live in this country.

Never want to forget that my freedom comes at a great price.

Thankful for the millions who have sacrificed.  

Today, I remember them....

Wood Between the Worlds

Remember that part of The Magician's Nephew 

when Digory and Polly found the Wood Between the Worlds? 

Narnia was just a dip in one of those pools, as was a 1,000 other worlds.

One of my very favorite parts from the entire Narnia series.  

One of these days I will pick up my real camera again.

But for now, I'm in awe of what my little iphone can do.

The quality still blows me away at times.  

insanity around the corner

This week was one of those weeks that, by the end, felt like a freight train out of control.
Extremely busy days at work.  Interviews/boats/pool/meals/phones/gift shop/decorations.
I've been wanting to blog all week, but haven't had the chance to sit down and actually do it.
It was crazy-cakes.

Then, every evening was busy as well.
All fine, fun things, but still.
No down time to do things like laundry or clean.
I did get to see Battleship (fun summer flick with Tim Riggins in all his short hair glory.  And Landry too!).
I did get my haircut (love it).
I did get to watch a scary movie (actually watched about 15% of it. The rest was too scary to actually look at).
I did get to spend time with friends and have great conversations.

Oh, summer time is upon me.
Crazy, long summer days.
And it's finally hot here.
The pool opens this weekend.
Staff are arriving.
Camp insanity is just around the corner

Background

This is the photo on my background on my computer at the office at the moment.
It's California.
Venice Beach, I think. Not sure.
6 or 7 years ago.
I can't even begin tell you how much I just love it.
(must print it out.  must)
I dream about living in California about 30 times a day.

What's your background right now?

Where is my Flynn Rider?

My hair is ridiculously long right now.
Too long, in fact.
Because it is so baby-fine, long = too much weight.
It's needs a trim, like bad.

One of the perks though is that I can play with it.
Milkmaid braids. The best hairstyle when you need to wash your hair, but don't have time (or hot water).
Low buns with vintage scarfs.  Also great for bad hair days.  


And then there is always the pencil bun for those hot days in the office when we haven't turned on the air yet.

Since I am outside in the sun and heat all day for the entire summer, I appreciate being able to get my hair the heck off my neck.  It's hot!  I'm all about braids and ponytails and buns every single day.

I really want to master the braided crown, so I can be all Empire Strikes Back Princess Leia.  But I can't, for the life of me, master the backwards braid.  Hours and hours of practice still yield a giant mess.  That regular old French braid is the only thing that comes out every single time.

Okay.
Hair post complete.

The Cottage hot water heater sat in the middle of the kitchen most of the week.

If you are Sherlock, you might have deduced that meant there was no hot water during that time.

Correct.

After boiling water to take a bath after a hot sweaty run, I was again reminded how often I take the little things for granted.

This week I was reminded to be thankful, oh so very thankful for HOT water at the turn of a knob.

It is a wonder.

hear ye, hear ye

I've been running at least 20 minutes/2 miles for the last 2 weeks.

Now, to some of you, like my college roommate who have run (or are still running after having several children) multiple marathons, this may be no big deal.

But to this little 5'2" girl who has always struggled with anything having to do with sports or athletic ability, this a thing of epic proportions.

It is something that I'm immensely proud of for myself.

Proud because I'm not letting laziness and hatred of running win.

My sister asked me when I was talking to her about it the other day, "so do you like running now?"

My answer was a firm and hearty "no way."

It is still not something I look forward to.  It is still a chore.  It is still mostly miserable the whole entire time.

But...

I love that I haven't let my laziness win for 2 months now.  It's more exciting that I'm learning to defeat my selfishness than I am learning to love running.

Now, when that pool opens, I may have to trade my running shoes for my swimsuit because by golly, I do love swimming.  That is something I look forward to, want to do and miss quite a bit when I can't.

song and TV

I found out about their new album when I was watching The Vampire Diaries season finale last week.  The last 3 minutes (dear goodness, those last 3 minutes) "Dauðalogn" was playing in the background.  I shouted out loud, as we were sitting on the edge of our seats "It's Sigur Ros!"  I didn't recognize the song, so I went hunting online only to joyfully find out their new album comes out at the end of this month.  Eeeep!

You can see the clip from TVD here. (I've watched it about 15 times....just while typing this).  But major spoiler alert****if you haven't seen the season finale yet, or if you ever plan on watching the show, don't watch it.  It will all be ruined for you.  But if you could care less about TVD (but you really should watch it!), the song is fantastic. It may turn out to be one of my favorites of theirs forever.

Then the other night I was watching We Bought a Zoo and was so excited when I remembered that they/Jonsi did the soundtrack for the movie.  So many great songs.  And they fit so well with the whole mood of the movie.  The red kites at the end...hello?!   

If you haven't ever listened to Sigur Ros, you are missing out.  I first heard about them from another blogger who posted their Glósóli video years and years ago.  And then The Bro let me borrow all their albums, and I was hooked.  And then...I saw Heima one night with him and I was moved beyond words. It's probably the best video I have ever seen in my entire life.

Sigur Ros.  New album.  This month.  Yessssss.

beauties

My sister sent me the most lovely present for my birthday.  

I can't get over how beautiful it is.  

Anyway, I just had to take a photo of how it was packaged when it arrived in the mail.

Note:  I took these before it knew what was inside.  

It was hard to wait.

Once the box was open, there was this pretty-ness.  

Because I love wrapping presents so very much, 

the whole opening of this was a sheer delight.  

I appreciated the detail and care that went into the wrapping,

just as much as I did what was inside.

Hello, beauties!
They are even more lovely in person,
let me tell you.
So delicate and charming.

Ignoring my wrinkly old lady hand.
Look how lovely they are.
And they perfectly fit my doll sized fingers.

The rings are from the adorable shop Lumafina on Etsy.
The polished sterling silver ring is was a gift from my parents on one of their trips to Alaska.  The gold is a little gold nugget from an Alaska mine.  This ring never leaves my finger.

Thank you, dear sister.
I love them so much.
And I think about you everytime I glance down at them.
They are perfect.
xoxo