Current obsessions

These are the things that are "it" for me right now...

The Newsroom. Currently re-watching the 1st season (after having just watched it for the first time 2 months ago).  It's just as good, almost better with each re-watch.  The characters are some of my favorites ever.  Sometimes I manage to find a place to watch an episode of season 2 (currently airing on HBO).  Kinda like a treasure hunt to find a friend who has On Demand.

Wish I Was Here.  Zach Braff's new movie is currently in filming in LA.  How do I know this?  Well, because I'm a Kickstarter backer for the movie.  Every week I get a playlist with new music and a ridiculously well made video highlighting a different person on the crew and what their job entails.  Can I just admit that it is one of the coolest things I've been a part of in the online world?  Zach is so appreciative and generous with his backers.  We get tons of behind the scenes scoops and info.

Mint Julep tea. Or any tea really. I can't stop drinking it.  A cup in the morning.  And one again at night too.  It's bad.  I don't need the caffeine.

The National.  Listening to Trouble Will Find Me on repeat.  Over and over and over again.  I'm of the opinion that one should listen to a piece of music until you are entirely sick of it and can't hear it one more time.  It's how I roll.

Writing.  Whether it's on pen and paper or typing away on a computer screen. I'm obsessed with getting the words out.  It feels good.  Honestly, it's been a while since writing has seemed appealing. I've missed it.  Intensely.  I've been a scribbler since I was in elementary school.

Reading.  I recently finished Life As We Knew It, and I can't stop thinking about it.  It's about a girl and her family and their story of survival when the moon gets hit by an asteroid.  The story was alright, but the idea behind it and what the family goes through when the earth's weather changes was fascinating.  As I was finding the link for the book, I found that there are 2 more books in the series.  I had no idea.  Awesome.

Now, I'm almost finished with Kisses From Katie.  I've been reading her blog for years, so it isn't really anything new.  However, her story and how she loves Jesus and lives her life is something that is always good to be reminded of.  When I start to get frustrated that I can't afford something I want, I think about all the children that she helps who have no food or clothes or parents.  Good for perspective.


What are you obsessing over lately?

Tea trip

One of the things I was really excited about when going to the Big Apple was going to a David's Tea storefront.  I first heard about David's Tea this past winter and have since placed a few orders.  There are no actual stores in my area, so I usually just take a chance and order something that sounds delicious in the website descriptions.  I've only gotten one kind that wasn't really as good as I was hoping it would be. The rest have been so yummy.

Coffee isn't for me.  I always think it smells heavenly, but can't stand the way it tastes.  Tea, on the other hand, is perfection.  I'm blaming my British grandmother and my mother who drinks hot tea constantly every day, all year.  

David's Tea has multitudes of flavors to try.  They have new flavors for the seasons, cute mugs and containers, strainers, etc.  If you love tea, you should give them a try.  Black tea is my favorite type and their Read My Lips is the most perfect chocolate, black tea ever.  

I might have gone a bit nuts in my purchasing while I was there.  The girl working at the counter was so patient and let me smell lots of different kinds based on the flavors I already loved.  I ended up buying so much that they threw in my cup of hot tea in for free.  So nice.

I've been drinking the Mint Julep constantly.  It's ridiculously delicious.  I want some right now just thinking about it.  The infuser was my splurge (okay, the whole lot was a splurge, but hey, I never go to Starbucks).  It works so much better than a tea ball because the holes are so small, trapping all the tiny leaves inside and letting the larger leaves float around freely.  Love it.  Worth the money.

If you love tea, check out David's Tea.  You won't be disappointed.

NYC: Part IV

I think the city is good for us right now.  The hustle and bustle.  People everywhere.  We need that.  This week is usually so lonesome with everyone leaving camp and it being so quiet.  But, here, we can be surrounded by people and feel their energy and life.  It doesn't feel so sad.  The city is good for us.
-paraphrasing what my roommate so wisely said while we sat in Times Square processing our meet and greet with Zachary Levi.  I was still shaking all over like an excited puppy.

So true.  The week after camp ends is usually a lonely, melancholy time.  All of our summer staff/friends scatter across the country.  The tiny, skeleton crew that runs the rest of the year at camp is left kinda shell shocked, battered.  It's hard to describe in words, but if you've ever lived the camp life, I'm sure you totally get it.
Hence, the city, the busy-ness, the life everywhere feels comforting, not overwhelming. The city really was a very good idea for us.  Maybe this should be a yearly tradition....hmmm...

There was the cutest little park (again with the parks and the nature) right across from our hotel.  Lots of cute tables and chairs.  Shade trees.  Complete with a freakin' waterfall?!  Awesome.  Wish we could have spent more time here.

We spent a few blissful hours sitting in Rockefeller Center, which I know is a huge touristy area, but I just love it so much.  Literally hours, sitting in the shade.  People watching.  Making up stories of where this person and that family came from.
There was a farmers market right in front of the NBC store, so we grabbed some fresh (and ridiculously delicious) peaches for the ride home.  It was a little strange to be shopping for baked goods, jellies, fruits and vegetables looking up at 30 Rock and the Today Show set.  Weird, but great.

Wish I could have brought these home with me.  I'm a big Parks and Rec fan.  Ron Swanson.  It's my favorite comedy on TV right now.

(First Date playbill signed by Zac, Rose petal that blew into our seats at the show, metro cards, receipts from the bus, hotel, metro and Shake Shack, First Date ticket stubs, David's Tea bag, scrap paper from the hotel)

I always love and hate at the same time cleaning out my bags at the end of a trip.  So many mementos and memories attached to them.  I used to save everything and then realized that I have no room for such things.  Now I take photos of all of it and they get stored digitally instead.  Except the playbill and ticket stub.  I kept those!

Thanks, New York City.  You were lovely and adventure filled as you always are.  You were the perfect 2 day vacation at the end of crazy summer.  I'll be back soon.

NYC: Part I / Part II / Part III

NYC: Part III

The day after my roommate and I saw First Date, there were no plans on the agenda.  We had only been done with camp for 4 days, so having no plans and no where we had to be sounded like perfection. One thing we wanted to do was eat a Shake Shack, so we jumped on the subway and went to the Madison Square Park location.  

Side note:  I am notorious for eating terrible food when I go on trips.  I'm so focused on what I'm going to see and do that I never even think about food until I'm hungry.  I'm all about the adventure.  Food is just an annoyance.  All my foodie friends are so annoyed when I get back and they ask me, "so where did you eat?!!" and my answer is always "I don't know.  Some place."  They just can't comprehend that I don't care what I eat.  I made a promise that I would do better on this trip.  I did for at least one meal.  That's an improvement, right?

S and I realized that we gravitated towards parks.  Even in the big city, we were looking for nature.  Camp girls at heart, I suppose.  Madison Square Park was lovely.  

One of the reasons I was excited about this location, besides it being in a pretty park, was that it was used in an episode of The Newsroom.  I have been ob-sessed with The Newsroom this summer.  And the scene at the Shake Shack was one of my favorites.  

The burger was good, but I have to admit, it wasn't nearly as good as the burger I had at Good Stuff Eatery a few days before.  [We had gone there because my roommate is a massive Top Chef fan (I've never watched it) and has been wanting to eat there for a long time.  It really was delicious.]  The Shack Attack concrete was super yummy.  I want another one of those at this very minute.  Yum.  

We got there early and ate an early lunch since the line usually get ridiculously long at this location.  While we were there, I was texting with a friend back at home.  She told us to run and get in the view of the line camera so she could see us.  How crazy is that?!

There we are.  Hello, America.

We were right by the Flatiron building, so of course photos had to be taken.  It's so charming.

The Empire State Building is always so regal and old Hollywood to me.  King Kong.  An Affair to Remember.  Staring at it takes me back in time.

There really is something strangely magical about this city.  It has a totally different vibe than any other city.  Every time I visit it, I find new corners that I really love and think "maybe I could live here for a year".  But then I start to miss the river and the grass and the openness of life in the country.  Apparently I'm a country girl at heart.  The water has a bigger draw on my heart than the concrete jungle.  And you know what?  I'm totally okay with that.  That just makes trips like this to the city even more special.

NYC: Part I / Part II

NYC: Part II - The Show

I have re-written and re-worked this post so many times.  I still don't know exactly how to put this experience into words.  You know those times in life when things feel totally surreal and out of body?  This was one of those for me.  

The reason for this trip to NYC was to see First Date.  It is a brand new musical on Broadway staring Zachary Levi.  I may have mention before that I kinda think Zachary Levi is just adorable.  

When I heard he was staring in First Date, I immediately knew I had to go see it.  My lucky stars (and Jesus' kindness) were aligned and Living Social had a deal for tickets, which I scooped up immediately.  The tickets were for front row seats, which my roommate and I found out when the usher directed us to the middle section, front row, basically sitting with our knees under the stage.  Almost too close for comfort.  Like sitting on the front row at the movie theater.  I could have tied Zac's shoes, if they had been untied.  It was all kinds of fantastic.  

The show is fun.  It's light hearted.  It's fun-ny.  Laugh out loud funny.  The small cast of 7 people is fantastic.  It's 90 minutes with no intermission, and it flies by.  It's the story of a guy and girl who are on a first date.  The other people are their friends, the waiter and their ex's that pop up often to give their opinions and "wisdom" on how things are going.  The songs are catchy.  It's rather crass at times (think: Rent), but not overly so.  And Zac is absolutely, perfectly cast.  He shines in this role.  Not only his voice, but his comic timing makes the show.  He had to stop several times and wait for the audience to stop laughing so loudly that they were drowning out his lines and applauding his small quirky movements and perfectly timed quips.  He definitely makes the show.  

After the show, we zipped outside because I had heard that he would give autographs and maybe photos to the people who waited at the stage door.  The rest of cast slowly trickled out and signed a few autographs before disappearing into the beautiful New York City evening.  

Then some mysterious speakers began to play music and out the door with a happy "Hi, guys!" appeared Zac.  He immediately began signing autographs as all 100+ of us, crammed into the gated off, stage door area were excitedly waving playbills and happy faces at him.  "Did you guys like the show?"  he asked, to which we all enthusiastically answered "yes!"  "Aw, thanks.  Be sure to tell your friends.  Tweet it.  Instagram it.  Let everyone know, would you, please?" 

He was so kind.  So generous with his time.  He said after a few minutes, "just pass your stuff up for me to sign.  I'll sign it and send it back (ps...his fans are all so nice.  Everyone was offering to pass things forward and make sure it got back to the right person.).  Everyone gets a picture if you're patient.  I'll stand here and you can come up."  To which we said a collective, heartfelt thank you and he responded with a genuine "you're welcome" like it was no big deal for him to take 2 hours to sign things and take photos with perfect strangers.  

I watched him make small talk with handfuls of people as he walked along the ropes signing thing after thing.  He looked at them in the eyes.  He acknowledged them. He laughed and smiled and listened.  Over and over I heard him say "thank you.  thank you for coming."  Genuine.  

He finished signing and then began taking photos.  

Zac has said multiple times in various places (like his own Twitter feed) that he loves Jesus.  After meeting him in person, I must say that his compassion and kindness toward people shines Jesus so brightly.  It was inspiring.  Sounds silly, but when you see someone love others (especially strangers!) well, it makes you want to do the same. 

So, thank you Zac for giving your time.  Thank you for being so kind.  Those of us who were on the receiving end of your kindness saw how Jesus' influence in your life has impacted the way you treat others.     

***Zac's shirt is from his company The Nerd Machine.  They just raised over $200,000 for Operation Smile through Nerd HQ at Comic Con in July.  You can watch all the Conversations for a Cause (which are crazy fun) for free here.  

NYC: Part 1

NYC: part I

I went on a quick trip to New York City this week to see a show.  

I'm sure you want to hear all about it, right?  

Well, here you go.  

Part #1:

On this trip to the city, we (my roommate and I) took a chance and decided to take the bus.  It was $30 roundtrip.  You can't even pay all the tolls with $30, not to mention gas and parking.  Needless to say, it was a good choice.  3.5 hours and we were through the Lincoln Tunnel and in the heart of the city.  Awesome.  

There were a few things I wanted to do in the city on this trip.  One of them happened about 2 seconds after I stepped off the bus steps.  Literally.  Two seconds.  

I've been reading Love, Taza for years now.  It's one of my all time favorite blogs.  I knew that the chances were pretty much .07% of me seeing her in the city.  However, I looked up from stepping off the bus and saw her zipping by me, pushing her two adorable kids in the stroller.  I instantly recognized them and kinda freaked out a bit.  She was walking quickly through the mass of people, but I did about 3 double takes and knew without a doubt it was them.  

If I wasn't so surprised, maybe I would have had the guts to say hi.  But what do you say to someone that has no idea who you are, but you follow their blog and know lots about them?  Do you call their children by name or is that creepy?  Is it okay to ask them for a photo because you feel like you are meeting a celebrity? Is that weird?  Oh, well.  I didn't have time to settle all these things in my head before they were across the busy street and we were headed in the opposite direction.  I took it as a sign that this was going to be a great trip full of epic moments.  

It was.

On this trip, I used the HopStop app constantly.  It's kinda like Google Maps.  You put in the address of where you are (or where you want to start) and then the address (or place) where you want to end up.  Then you can use a bunch of different options to get there like walking, cab, subway/rail, bus, etc.  It also gives you the smartest route if you want to use it.  We used it to find out how long it would take us to walk and then about how much it would cost to take the subway. Good maps and easy to follow.  Really liked it.  It's available for lots of cities too.

We decided to pick up the tickets for the show we were going to see while we were relatively close to the theater district.  Plus, it was nice to walk after being on the bus for hours.  

**Side note:  we only took backpacks since we were only there for one night.  Perfect decision.  No luggage to cart around the city.

   

(my roommate said I had to have a photo next to the crazy large photo of Zachary Levi that was at the theater)

The theater was easy to find and we got our tickets and realized that the show started an hour than we thought it was going to.  Epic moment #2.  If we had waited and picked up our tickets later, we could have missed the show.  I don't even want to think about it.  But instead, God was smiling on us and epic moments just kept coming. 

After tucking the tickets away for safe keeping, we headed out to find our hotel.  It was a longer walk that we knew we would do later, but at the moment, it was nice to stretch our legs and see the city.  

We stayed stayed at the Pod 51 Hotel.  Really liked it.  One of my favorites that I've ever stayed at in the city.  It had personality and wasn't cold and institutional like most budget hotels.  Our room had a bunk bed with a sink. We chose a room with a shared bathroom, which meant we used the bathrooms in the hallway.  In our room, there was a sign with a light next to each numbered bathroom.  When that room was in use, we could see the light illuminated.  Super easy.  And the bathrooms were ridiculously clean.  Each bath"room" had a toilet, shower (with rain shower head!) and sink.  Small, but manageable.  And after our tiny cottage bathroom, it felt normal to us.  No big deal at all.  I would do it again. 

There was also an adorable little lobby area with a bar/restaurant.  The furniture was modern style with bright colors and metals and wood.  Charming and inviting.  There was a long table with a strip down the center with outlets running along it.  Perfect for charging phones and computers.  We used it a few times and got drinks too.  We also played a game of backgammon since there were several board games out for guests to use.  

There was also a rooftop terrace, which we checked out, but didn't use during the day because it was too hot while we were there.  I do wish it was open later than 10pm because it would have been a beautiful view of the city at night.  

The only complaint I had was that our room was on the hallway (thank you, hotels.com) which meant it was noisy at night.  Bathroom doors, room doors and elevator door slamming all night.  The door to our room wasn't soundproof at all.  If I stayed there again, I would request a room down the hallway away from the bustle of the everyone.  Other than that, it was a fantastic deal in a clean, fun hotel.  And it was 4 blocks of Rockefeller.  Score. 

One of the partners for the show we were seeing was Uber.  They are a car service.  If you signed up for them for the first time and used a code they have, you could get a free ride (up to $20) to the theater.  We took advantage of that and got a ride in a fancy black car all the way to the theater that evening for free!  The only draw back was that the traffic was bad and it took our car about 30 minutes to get to us.  That meant we had to change our dinner plans and just grab something quick to eat before the show began.  But it was nice to ride in style and step out of a quintessential New York black car at a Broadway show.  For free.  

Next: Part II - The Show....

quiet

(my Starbuck costume for this year's Smoothie Night)

Hard to believe it, but summer is over.
Camp is finished.
And it is way too quiet around here.

Funny how you get used to having 200 people around you at all times.
Then suddenly, they are gone and the birds are the only things making noise outside your window.
Kinda sad, but then again I did get to have both Saturday and Sunday off completely this weekend.
Whaaat?!
That's wealth and riches right there.

So this week, instead of moping around and feeling melancholy, I'm running away to the Big Apple on an adventure of epic proportions.
EPIC.
Because sometimes you need a break.
And sometimes a mini-vacation is just what the doctor ordered.

xoxo,

Cottage Girl

last week

We begin our last week of residential camp tonight.

I don't even want to think about camp being over, even though we do have one more week of day camp left.  Thank the good Lord.

Anyway, I've been writing quite a bit lately and wonder if I should post of it here.

It's more personal in nature and makes me feel quite vulnerable.

But writing it has been so freeing and inspiring.

Maybe one day.

I don't know if anyone even reads these ramblings anymore as my posting has become quite sporadic.

I guess it doesn't really matter anyway because I write for myself, not to gain followers.


But this week....

This week is all about finishing well.  Loving well.  Caring for others well.  Giving and pouring out as much as I can.  It's about being grateful and thankful for the ministry we are allowed to do here.  It's about giving my Redeemer the glory He is due in this crazy life I am granted.  It's about being open and honest and sharing what He is doing in my heart and my life.

This week is also about laughter.  Lots of it.  Last night, I laughed harder than I think have in literally years.  Laughed so hard I couldn't breath and my eyes were pouring tears and my sides ached.  It...was...the...best.  I'm thankful for friends that I can laugh like that with.  They are a treasure near and dear to my heart.

Dear summer camp,
I love you so much and wouldn't trade you for millions of dollars.  I love that you are a fast and furious 11 weeks.  I love that you force me to say goodbye, even when goodbyes are my least favorite thing in the entire world.  I love that you show me (and everyone else too...) my faults and failures .  I love that you give me the opportunity to serve others in a way that I enjoy more than anything else in life.  And I can't wait to do it all again next year.

Xoxo,

Cottage Girl

Lessons

Every camp summer tends to focus on a theme for me.  Not necessarily the one that I expect it to be when the summer begins.  By the end, I can see how God has been weaving a thread through my life.  

For instance, I have had incredibly hard, heart wrenching summers that have taught me lessons like forgiveness.  Those are always hard summers to live through, but beautiful ones as well because I learn so much and and see God break me and destroy me only to gently put me back together again.  Those summers are life changing.  Those summers send me life lessons that I can't forget and wouldn't have learned any other way.  

"Come, let us return to the Lord;

for he has torn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down, and he will bind us up."

Hosea 6:1

Then there are joyful, happy, wonderful summers.  The Lord teaches me joy and peace and love.  I look back over those summers and can do nothing but be thankful for the wonder that is the joy of His presence.  There are lots of happy memories of those particular summers.  Usually it involves a few people that have become near and dear to my soul.  I would re-live those summers in a heartbeat.  

"And I will betroth you to me forever.

I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, 

in steadfast love and in mercy.

I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.

And you shall know the Lord."

Hosea 2:19-20

I have summers where I am too focused on myself.  All I can see around me are my needs, my hurts, my problems.  Everyone else is revolving around me.  Everything and everyone fits into a place that either hurts or helps me.  Dangerous summers, those ones.  I end up at the end of the summer not learning anything because all I care about is myself.  It's so easy to do. It's much easier to care about what effects you then to worry about how you are serving others. I almost always find that at the end of summers like these, I am melancholy and discouraged. It's basically a wasted summer. 

I have such an opportunity here to learn and grow. It is completely up to me how I choose to spend my days. No matter the circumstances, my heart needs to be in the right place to hear the Lord and be open to His leading. And this is true of any time/place/experience in life. It just seems a little more intense here at camp. And maybe that's why I love it so much. I fear being complacent and lazy and staying where I am in my relationship with Jesus. Camp is a perfect place to be challenged. 

This summer's lesson is still to be determined. 3 weeks left to go. Lots can happen in 3 weeks...

Jelly fish drama

Kids freak out about jelly fish.

I know this is a strange sentence to begin a blog post, but it must be said.

I think that kids think that jelly fish are like sharks.

They hunt them.

They stalk them in the murky depths of the water.

They lurk about seeking their tiny legs and arms and fingers.

The kids are convinced that the stings from jellies are like electric shocks.  Like a taser.

The stings will render them helpless, lifeless, basically close to death.


Fact:
Jellyfish do NOT stalk, seek out, nor follow people.  They lazily float along. One must walk/swim into them to be stung by them.

Fact:
Their stings are annoying and hurt for 30 minutes at worst.


I try to share these facts lovingly with the kids.  About 500 times an hour.  Most of the time, it doesn't matter.  A pieces of seaweed floats against their skin and they flip out and scream that they have been stung and run onto the beach as quickly as their little legs will take them. There is hollering and wailing and one would think that their limbs have been severed.


It would be funny if they weren't so traumatized.  I do feel bad, but at times, it's hard to be compassionate with the over-reaction.

Just a brief glimpse into the life at the waterfront during summer camp.

Jelly fish drama.

It is inevitable.

online favorites

During the summer months, I spend very little time online.  

This is mostly because I still don't have reliable internet at home.

Despite the limited time, there are a few sites and apps I still check in with often.

These are my "go-to's" when I happen to get online.

1. Feedly

I read a lot of blogs.  Just love them.  They are like mini auto-biographies.  Mini-idea factories.

After the news several months ago that Google Reader was being discontinued (boo), I began looking around trying to find something that could take it's place.  After trying one or two that just didn't work for me (really didn't like Bloglovin'.  not user friendly for me.  also, the Pulse app.  it was fine, but you had to manually add all the blogs/sites you want to follow.), I started googling the best feed readers.  I saw a few people mention Feedly on various message boards and gave it a try.

Best things about Feedly, for those of you who read a lot of blogs....

I transferred my entire list of feeds from Google Reader in about 5 seconds.  I didn't have to manually add all of the sites that I follow.  Major bonus.

It's very user friendly with lots of options to set up the layout how you want it.

Beautifully designed and well maintained.

I actually started using it even before Google Reader died because I enjoyed the interface better.



2.  Twitter

Why Twitter?  Well, it's Comic Con weekend.  Duh.  I have loved getting the Nerd HQ play-by-play.  Plus, it tends to be the way I keep up with the news of the world at the moment.


3.  The Nerd Machine channel on YouTube

Nerd HQ panels stream live.  It's the next best thing to being there.  I've caught a few panels just as they started and have laughed right along with the audience that is there.  One day I hope to make it to Nerd HQ live-and-in-person.  As for now, thank you Zachary Levi for your live feeds and for the fun that is Nerd HQ for those of us who can't go.  So much fun.


4.  Amazon Cloud Player (app especially)

It's pretty much the only way I've listened to music as of late.


5.  Instagram

Because it's still my favorite social media site out there.  I'm addicted to photos. I have just passed 1,000 posts.  What?!




What apps or sites are you loving right now?  What are your go-to sites during your limited time online?

Heat wave

I am sitting on my kitchen counter with my Air on my lap, trying to get a wireless signal.

True story.

A girl has to get internet somehow, right?

It is currently 5,000 degrees outside and my shoulders are a nice dark red/brown.  That happens when my sunscreen melts off my skin by 11:00am.  Reapplication doesn't work when you have to towel off the sweat.  Yuk.

Other than those facts, it was a fine morning here.  I spent most of it IN the river to try and stay cool.  The river now has colder water than the pool.

Note:  I did not in any way say cleaner.  Ooooh, no.  That is most definitely not true.

Last night, I jumped in the pool at the end of the long day only to realize I was jumping in a giant bathtub of tepid/warm water.  How refreshing!

Today, the sand at the beach was like hot lava.  Burning, scalding, hot lava.  The kids were running around screaming, "It burns!  It burns!"  It does, kids.  I'm right there with you.

So basically we handle the heat really well around here.  We ignore all heat advisories and warnings.  We spend almost every second outside when the experts advise us to stay indoors.  We drink lots of water though.  And we take a dip (or 30) in various water contraptions (troughs, rivers, pools, hoses).

Side note:  one of the counselors was spraying the happy kids with the ice cold hose water while they were crabbing today.  They LOVED it.  Didn't catch any crabs though.

This heat wave won't stop us.  But we sure will be glad to bid it farewell at the end of this week.

A good hearty kick in the pants out the door.

Toasty warm and thankful for working air conditioning,

Cottage Girl

you must

"You should write a book."

"Really...you should."

"You could write about camp. Think of all the stories you could tell."

"You could write about your grandparents' stories.  All those letters and correspondence you have are just waiting to be turned into a book."

"You have such a talent.  You must write."

It's so nice to know that my parents believe in me.  Even when I don't think I can write a single coherent sentence.  Maybe one day.  One day, I shall be able to get these stories that I just know are swirling around in my head out. 

Until then, photos shall be my stories.  For they are definitely my outlet right now.  

it's for me, definitely

This is my life, you guys.
And I love it.
Children everywhere.
Children in the water everywhere.
Always wet.
Always sandy.
Always salty-water covered.

Splashing
Screaming
Yelling about jellyfish
Laughing
Finding shells and crabs and minnows

Camp life isn't for everyone.
But it is definitely for me.
I'm so thankful that God literally threw this place in my lap 15 years ago.
My life wouldn't be complete without the impact it has had on me.

Three cheers for loving where God places you...
Hip
Hip
Hooray!

Time travel

I have been deep into a book that takes place during WWII.

I can't put it down.

Ever since I was a little kid, I would get lost in the stories I read.
The characters would haunt my thoughts.
I would read for hours on end and not be able to get the story out of my head until it was all over.
And even after it was over, a good story would stick with me for days/weeks/months.
I would find myself starting to pray for the characters before laughing and realizing that they weren't real.

This story is real though.
And some of the things in the story, I don't think I'll ever forget.
It's almost too crazy to be real.
And it so well written that I find myself reading way too late into the night.

Both of my grandfathers fought in WWII.
My maternal grandmother was a war bride, coming to America after she had married my grandfather.
I think part of the fascination of the story, besides how absolutely enthralling it is, is hearing about what the world was like when my grandparents were my age, or actually, probably a little bit younger.
How different their world was.
How scary those times must have been.


Also, I have been watching Australia again, which I loved even though I know many people did not.  Baz is a great story teller in my opinion.  Anyway, it is also a WWII story.  I'm surrounded.

I've found myself several times looking up from the screen or the "page" (Kindle) and doing a double take to realize it's 2013 and there aren't bombers or ladies in beautiful 40's dresses (Nicole Kidman's entire wardrobe in Australia...hello?!)

Getting lost in a story is one of the best things in the world, is it not?

24 hours off

(sometimes I can't stop staring at the clouds, especially when they look like this)

I don't have much time online these days.

Mostly because I don't have internet at home and leaving the property (camp) during the week proves challenging sometimes.  I haven't left since last Sunday.  Today is Saturday.  Almost an entire week.  Nice.

Anyway, I read this post the other day when it popped up in my Twitter feed.  It was too good not to share. Such beautiful sentiment.  I especially loved this part:

"It's all about realizing - Love doesn't happen when you arrive in a certain place.  

It happens when your heart arrives in a certain place - wherever you are,

right where you are, dirt road Africa or side street America."

-Ann Voskamp

I also (finally) finished Searching For God Knows What.  Loved the last chapter so much.  He was paralleling the Romeo and Juliet with the love of Christ with the Church.  I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  And now I want to watch Luhrmann's version, which is my absolute favorite.  

Lastly, been loving reading through the parables in Matthew right now.  I've realized, in the last few years, how I am so much like those people that Jesus was sharing the stories with.  I learn through stories.  I see through characters.  Our Savior was creative and artistic.  He used stories and laughter and miracles to teach life changing lessons.  He knew it would be hard for us to listen to a list of rules and do's and don'ts.  I'm just starting to understand how beautiful that is.  

Now, we are all taking a deep breath and relishing in an entire day off tomorrow.  Twenty-four hours.  I can't even...wow.  We have 3 weeks completed.  It's hard to believe.  

trapped

(Iceland via The Commons)

I'm currently trapped in The Black Hole while a thunderstorm rages outside.  Buckets of rain and my car parked far from me.  I'll happily stay in the land of free internet and 1,000's of books, thank you.

I finished up my free 70 pages of The 5th Wave yesterday on my Kindle.  Now, it's all I can think about.  Fascinating story and I'm left hanging and the local library doesn't even have any copies of it yet.  Oh the torture.  I may actually have to purchase the rest of it because I just have to know what happens.  Purchasing books is on my "frivolous" list.  I always feel guilty doing it when I can find just about anything for free at the library.

Anyway, I'm finishing up my 29 hours off for the week.  Granted much of that I would love to spend sleeping, but that's just silly.  Tonight, a whole new pack of children arrive, excited beyond words and full to brim with energy. We begin again.  Loving, playing, swimming.  Making sure they have the best week of their summer that we can manage.  And always showing them Jesus because without that, well, it's all just pointless.

Rain finally stopped.

Signing off...


ps...I REALLY want to go to Iceland.  And Sigur Ros' new album is not helping the situation.

random thoughts

There's something about writing that is so calming to my soul.  Kinda like sitting by the ocean side with the sand covering my feet and the wind whipping my hair.  Like taking a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding.  Writing just makes the crazies go away.

Sometimes, when I sit down to type out a blog post, I have no earthly idea what to write about.  Like right now...do you want to hear about the 2nd thunderstorm of the day that is rumbling around out side at this very minute?  The one that sent the campers and staff running (no, really.  RUNNING) into the gym because the wall of water (rain) was thundering down the river towards them.

Or perhaps, you'd like to hear about how we only have a trickle of water pressure right now.  For the entire camp.  It's super fun when you are trying to take a shower at the end of the day to wash off the sunscreen/bug spray/saltwater/pool water/sweat/grass/sand/dirt off that has collected upon your person through out the day.  And washing clothes?  Now that's funny.  It takes about an hour to fill up the washer.  I feel so bad for our facilities guy.  He has to keep this 70 year old place running and alive for 200 people every day.

Or how about how I love eating meals with clumps of friends.  We chat and laugh.  Oh how we laugh at the silliest things.  We talk about random things and silly things and unusual things.  And it's just fun sometimes to know that there will be a table of friends to join at meals on the little staff porch each day.

Maybe you'd like to hear about how the jelly fish were so bad yesterday that I was continuously scooping them out of the water for almost 2 hours straight.  Bad.  I've never, in all my years at camp, seen them like that.  And it was totally out of the blue too.  The day before, there had just been a few here or there.  And then the next day...plague of jellyfish.  It created quite the drama filled day.  Because, you see, campers have somehow gotten it into their head that a jelly fish sting is pretty much like a shark attack.  Why?  I have no idea.  It honestly doesn't hurt that bad.  They seem to think that these floating piles of goo can sever one of their tiny limbs.  Or at least send them to death's door.  I try to explain to them that jellyfish don't have eyes, nor do they hunt humans like polar bears.  That logic doesn't seem to work, however.  Instead I deal with blind panic and screams of terror when their life jacket straps brush against their legs in the water.  All part of the joy of working with children.

Finally, how about I tell you the story of how Friday's mean Friday Night Snack Shop and I'll be in the middle of the chaos once again until 11pm.  It's always a late night and it's always one of my favorite nights of the week.  There will inevitably be jokes about how hot cheese that comes in a can isn't really cheese.  And probably a few comments like "how in the world can you eat that much candy?" or "can you really drink 5 sodas tonight before you go back to your cabin?" or "how old ARE you?"  That last one is for me because I may state a few times that it's way too late for a person of my age to be awake with those young kids.  I will probably eat something that isn't at all nutritious but is 100% delicious. I won't feel bad about it either.

Okay, brain feels less crazy.  Done.

Watching, reading, listening

Let's talk entertainment for a bit, shall we?

It is one of my favorite topics, you know.

How about we check in on that Summer Movie List?

I have already checked 3 off of my list so far.

Iron Man 3:  I loved it. Already wrote that, but it merits another mention.  If the second one was a little disappointing to you, then #3 will be redeeming.  Funny, good story, great ending.

Star Trek:  I must admit that I liked this almost more than Iron Man 3.  The story was so good.  And I can't help myself, I love that Cumberbatch.  And he is all kinds of fantastic in this one.  It was a perfect sequel to JJ's first go-around.  Highly recommended.

The Great Gatsby:  Loved it.  So Baz. Big.  Showy.  Loud and beautiful.  The story was sad (no shocker for those of you who have read it).  My roommate didn't enjoy the story because she said it was  depressing, but I'm a sucker for good depressing, sad story.

Still need to see: Much Ado, Bling Ring and maybe Man of Steel but everyone has been saying how horrible it is.  Maybe I'll skip that one.


Other forms of entertainment:

TV:  I've become obsessed with The Newsroom. The Bro has been telling me to try it for a few months now, but we don't have HBO.  Then randomly our satellite provider had one of those free HBO weekends with a Newsroom marathon.  Score.  I'm a big fan of Aaron Sorkin and especially The West Wing.  If you are too, then this show is something you would love as well.  It's fantastic.  And I have no idea why so many critics have been so down on it.  The cast is adorable and I loved them instantly.  When the writing is good (as Sorkin's tends to be), I've realized that you don't have to grow to love a show.  You love it 20 minutes into the first episode.  The Newsroom is one of those gems.  

Books:  I read finished Everyday about a week ago.  It...was....horrible.  It was an interesting idea and I finished it only because I wanted to know what would happen and if it would redeem itself.  It did not.  It was all around bad.
Currently reading: Searching For God Knows What and The 5th Wave.

Music:  I'm loving and playing on repeat Oh How I Need You by All Sons and Daughters.  And then there is the Sigur Ros album.  I just got it on vinyl yesterday and can't wait to spin that thing all summer long.  Delightful.

What are you watching, reading and listening to lately?  I have no earthly idea what the rest of America is into this summer.  All my "news" comes from my Entertainment Weekly delivered to my mailbox every Thursday.

Camp Life

Guys...this is where I work.
I know.
It's ridiculous how beautiful it is.
And honestly, I hardly ever take it for granted.
I still take photos of amazing sunsets like this at least once a week.
I still sit on the sandy shore and soak it all in.

This is summer number 15 here.
Sometimes I can't even believe it.
Other times I wonder if I've ever done any thing else in life.
College?
Was that real?
Did I really have a life that involved summer vacations?

Sometimes God completely blindsides you and knocks your plans totally out of whack.
Sometimes He has something prepared for you that you couldn't even begin to imagine.
That was what camp was for me.
Completely out of the blue, it was dropped in my lap.

And now, as I'm deep into this summer, I'm again in awe of how ministry works.
It is hard.
Probably the hardest thing I've ever done.
Grueling, humbling, exhausting.
It is also beyond words amazing.
One of the best things I've ever done.
Laughter, friendship, joy.

For those of you who have lived in the camp world, I know you get it.
We could talk about eating junk food and Popsicles when it's 5,000 degrees outside.
We could talk about being so tired that every little thing is funny/hysterical/the best.
We could talk about how kids are the craziest, funniest, most challenging little people.
We could talk about the difference between camp friends and non-camp friends.
And you would get it.

There is something so unique and amazing about camp ministry...
Something that I love and will love until my dying day.
Even in the exhausting thick of it, I always want more.

back again

A new MacBook Air has recently come into my possession (the battery life is crazy good).

Posting shall once again be a thing that I actually do.

May take a while to get back into the swing of things, but I'm so happy to be back.

Hopefully on a more regular basis.

ps…I haven't used a Mac since 1999.  I think I need to go to the dummy class at the Apple store.  

Movie time

(this photo has nothing to do with this post.  we had a bonfire the other night and I thought it was pretty.  the end.)

Summer movies.

They are so...much...fun.

Don't get me wrong.  I love a good indie or a super serious dialog heavy flick too.  They make up most of my very favorite movies of all time.  And there are a few on this list.

But there is something about it being 100 humid-degrees outside, being bundled up in a dark, frigid movie theater with 150 other people watching things blow up or aliens take over or super heroes save the day.  It's comforting.  Like Jimmy Stewart at Christmas.


Onward...

1.  Iron Man 3 (Already saw it and loved it.  I would watch Iron Man:10 and probably still find a reason to love it.  RDJ is perfection in that role.  And add in Gwyneth and I'm hooked.  Yes, this is absolutely #1 for me this summer)

2.  Star Trek: Into Darkness (I was a big fan of the first one and have always loved the Next Generation movies.  All I needed to hear were the words Benedict Cumberbatch and this one went directly to number two on my list.  And then there's that adorable, hysterical Simon Pegg too...)

3. The Great Gatsby (As a big-time Baz Luhrmann (Tina Sparkle!) and Leo fan, I can't wait to stare at this one.  Even if the story is blah, it will be a feast for the eyes.)

4.  Much Ado About Nothing (Two words.  Joss Whedon. Joss made it.  I will watch it.  That's just a rule.  It's funny to me, all the people who now fall all over him.  Those of us who have been singing his praises since the 90's with Buffy have always known what a genius he is.  Nerds win again, Hollywood.  And the story of how this movie came to be is, like, the coolest thing.)

5.  Man of Steel (Superman has always been my favorite superhero.  The last Superman movie was so terrible.  I hope this one redeems him.)

6. The Bling Ring (Sophia Coppola's new movie?  Yes, please.  I love how she tells stories so quietly.  With so much detail in the little moments of a scene.  I adore her style)


Honorable Mentions: Despicable Me 2, World War Z, Elysium, Oblivion, White House Down, The Heat

What's on your list?

Summer Reading List 4th edition

I've done a reading list for the last few summers.  It's a way to keep track of what looks interesting and give myself something fun to look forward to in the midst of a crazy summer at camp.  Summer movies and books have become my tiny, summer vacations/my escape amidst working 90 hours in the baking, hot sun.  Something fun and cool and relaxing.  An honest and true summer vacation has become a thing of the past (my 15th summer here at camp) for me. So it sounds silly, but these are little things that I really look forward while everyone else is packing their bags and heading to new places.

Here we go...my reading list for Summer 2013:

1.  Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking  (This is definitely me.  Excited because I think this might be very eye-opening.)

2.  Just One Day (A new book from the author who wrote a favorite of mine. I've actually already started this one because it was surprisingly sitting on the shelf, available at the library.)

3.  The 5th Wave (Found this one highly recommended in the pages of EW a few weeks ago)

4.  Unbroken (Last week, as I was helping out kids on our Caterpillar Crawl, a teacher started telling me about this book.  She described it in such beautiful detail that I immediately put in on my list of things to read this summer.)

5. The Autobiography of Mark Twain (I'd like to chip away at this one a little more.  It's so big that I've decided it's okay to just read bits at a time, mixed in with other books.)

6.  Partials (Started this one in the bookstore or the library a while ago and really liked it.)

I'm sure there will be a few more YA books thrown in the mix.  I always have a huge list of those to read.

What are you hoping to read this summer?  I always have leave room to add a good recommendation.

____________________________

Book nerd side note:

I jumped on the Goodreads bandwagon, and must say that I love it merely for its organizational help.  The way I used to organize my books has dramatically changed throughout the years.

I have kept a small Moleskin in my purse for years.  I'll write down quotes or phrases or things I want to remember.  I've also always had a running list in the back of each notebook with books that I want to read.  That way, when I finished with a book, I'd automatically have another title waiting.

Then I got my iPhone and that notebook didn't see as much use as it used to.  Instead, I would snap a photo of a book that looked interesting to me and then save it my photo album under a "books" file.  That way, I could see a the title and the author's name with just a few simple clicks. So easy.

Then I finally decided to give Goodreads a try when I was looking at book recommendations one day.  I've never really thought much about the website because I don't really care that much about the rating and review side of things.  I probably could get really into it, considering how much I love hearing what other people are reading and enjoying, but it just hadn't drawn me in yet.

I downloaded the Goodreads app on my phone, and I was hooked.  You guys, they have a barcode scanner.  It's magic.  You just scan the book you are looking at and then you can place in one of your lists (I have a "to-read" list).  Now I have a running list of the books I want to read and a super easy way to add to it, if I want to.  And my phone is always with me when I shop or go to the library.  It's the best.

Are you a Goodreads user?  Do you find it useful?  Have you found books you love through the recommendations?


Previous summer reading lists:  2010/2011/2012

Oh, May...

Sometimes I dream about a parallel universe where the month of May doesn't make me want to curl up in a ball and cry in a corner.
A world where it's full of picnics with sun tea and sandwiches.
A world of warm spring days spent gardening or taking long walks.
A world that where May is just another month in the year and the schedule doesn't change that much.

Unfortunately, that isn't the case in my life.
May is met with great trepidation.
It means extreme stress and too many things to complete.
I've already had freak-outs and mental breakdowns (hello, last Friday).

I have so much to learn about letting Jesus be my peace.
When He is my center,
my crazy life can do whatever it wants and I feel unshaken.

That's what I'm working on right now.
A constant struggle of self vs. Jesus.
More often than not, self wins and I have to again ask for forgiveness and start all over.
Thankfully, I'm loved by God who chooses,
no...delights,
in forgiving me and reaching out yet again when I fail.
And as soon as I acknowledge that selfishness,
oh how the peace flows.

I'm loved beyond measure.
I'm forgiven.
I'm treasured.
Yes, life is out of control,
but God is not!

Radar

Here's a few things on my radar lately...

Society6 is my new favorite thing.  I already ordered two prints from one of my favorite photographers who I found on Flickr years ago and now follow on Instagram.  It was hard to whittle my choices down to two.  But now that I've seen the print quality, I will happily order more.   I also love this, this, this and this from various other artists.

My brother posted this video on FB the other day.  And now Big Sur has moved up 3 more spots on my "must go there" list.  Right after Iceland and China.

The Veronica Mars Movie Kickstarter reached $5 million!  That deserves an exclamation point.  They also broke the record for most backers.  My roommate and I got in on the action the day the Kickstarter was announced. (We constantly re-watch, quote and still adore that VMars.)  It was so fun to watch the numbers climb and get excited with all the other marshmallows.  It's over now, and I must say I'm going to be so sad to not have that counter to watch.  What a fun month.  LoVe forever.

Kickstarter in general is a favorite of mine and has been since before the VMars movie deal.  I personally love the app and am constantly looking at all the creative and fun ideas.  So many creative people.

I'm currently reading and loving this.  What a fascinating human being, that creator of Apple was. Crazy, but fascinating.

Just finished Matched. It was good.  I wanted to know what happened.  But it was no Divergent, by any means.  And I must admit that I've seen it for years and haven't picked it up because the cover seemed so silly to me.  Then I read what the story was about and decided it give it a try.

Iron Man 3 comes out in about 3 weeks.  I'm just slightly excited.  Okay, maybe I've been counting down the days since they started filming last year.  And this picture that Gwyneth tweeted last week...awesome.

Speaking of Gwyneth, I spent a good long time going through her new cookbook in the book store the other day.  So many of the recipes looked delicious.  And the photos were so beautiful.

I'm still obsessed with Dr. Quinn.  Constantly re-watching episodes.  Today was the classic season one episode where Sully gets beaten up and temporarily paralyzed.  Dr. Mike nurses him back to health and convinces him not to kill the man that tried to kill him.  That show is like comfort food.  It's so silly and predictable, but I love it so much.

I've about finished up one year with Amazon Prime, and I will happily sign up again.  It has been well worth the money for me.  I order from Amazon often and love the free 2 day Prime shipping.  And then there are all the Prime Instant Videos that I've watched, now that there is an app for iphones.  And I've read a few books for free from the Prime Kindle lending library.  It's been a great investment.  I highly recommend it.

I made this delicious (found via Pinterest) treat a few weeks ago.  A not-so-terrible-for-you sweet that is actually delicious!  I added a bit of agave because I'm not a big fan of honey.  It was a big hit with friends too.

And lastly, I turned 36 this weekend.  Gulp.  To celebrate, I spent the day antiquing with my mom.  She was super sweet to buy me some of the treasures I found.  It was such a lovely day, and we got chocolate!

Resurrection Day celebration

My sister and her crew were in town for Easter this year.  Of course, we had to do some garage door photos.  It's become a tradition.  Even at their house.  That bright white backdrop hardly ever fails, especially at my parents house where the light is always perfect.

Since I was my parents house, I went to church with them, but I have to say that I desperately missed my church.  We always have baptisms on Easter.  It's become a tradition since we moved into our first permanent building a few years ago. It's energizing and exciting. There are a few that are planned and then there are always one or two that happen in the moment.  People in dressed in their Easter clothes who meet Jesus for the first time and take that immense step of faith.  It's amazing to see Jesus change lives right before your eyes.  I missed it.  I missed the worship too.

But it was nice to see old friends (my parents church was the one I grew up going to) and be with my whole family.  And then have a meal together afterwords.  That doesn't happen very often any more.  I take it when I can get it.

I hope that you all had a lovely Resurrection Day, as well.
Hopefully it included a few silly face photos.

ps...anyone else love Easter almost more than Christmas?  It's so joyful and alive and the weather is warming up (or attempting to.  ours was rather rainy and chilly).  It's a celebration focused more on church than presents and gift giving.  And there's always loads of chocolate!