Happy New Year!

So I finally got around to catching up with my Google reader blog list (368 unread posts at this point), and got inspired enough to write one myself!  Let me catch you all up...

The wedding ended up being just perfect, but not without a lot of hard work and drama on the uphill.  Yes, it was chaos up to about 5 minutes before my sister walked down the aisle, but honestly...it was not unexpected.  It's just how we do things around here!  There were wardrobe issues, hair issues, and most of the wedding party had a cold, including the bride.  But seriously, the ceremony was lovely!  Did I mention that we went with real flowers in the end?

Christmas this year seemed a bit like an afterthought after the wedding buzz, but was also a pretty good time.  My brother was home from college, and it's always a good time having everyone home...even if we are only missing one most of the time.  I think it's really just great being home...

Anyway, 2012 has been somewhat uneventful to be honest.  No big trips or disasters, but I'd say it's been pretty good so far all in all.  I'm still employed and am not minding so much.  It's getting up early that kills me, but it's hardly something I can avoid.

And finally, the picture above... I actually chose this picture because it's the only picture I've taken since my last blog post...  Very sad.  But somewhat relevant.  Some things that this picture says about me:

• Panera Bread has been my favorite place to eat since I came home to Kansas.
• I have never liked lima beans...and still don't.  Even at Panera.
• My boyfriend thinks that hating both lima beans and carrots is ridiculous, but still takes me to Panera on a regular basis :)

Deep in the Wedding Whirlwind

With less than 3 weeks till the wedding, things are really starting to pile up for my procrastination prone family.  Should I clarify that it's my sister's wedding I'm talking about?  That's what you all assumed isn't it.  Yeah...

Anyway, this weekend I dove into the wedding fake flower realm for the first time in my life, and came out a bit disillusioned.  Normally a trip to Hobby Lobby is one of life's joys, but not yesterday.  I seriously wanted to nab a bag of circus peanuts from a check-out line and sprint to the door.

We decided on fake flowers for fiscal reasons, but seriously...  They look...FAKE!  Doesn't that say something about something?  I mean, shouldn't a new bride be carrying real flowers?  Yeah...she really should.
 

So I know Pinterest is old news, but I'll have YOU know that I've been on Pinterest for months and months.  Yes, that's right, I was riding the cusp of this fad back before most people had heard of it.  For those of you who don't even know what I'm talking about (don't feel too bad about being behind), here's a description for you.

Pinterest is a site dedicated to accumulating pictures that catch your fancy as you're surfing the net.  I love this because not only is it handy, but it's gorgeous as well.  It displays all your pictures in such a visually pleasing way.  I also love it because you can follow other people's "pins" and discover new things.

On that note, I've had some strange followers... Apparently it's crazy easy to find other Pinterest members through facebook, and so I've had tons of facebook friends following my boards.  Even guys.  Now, I hate to be sexist, but my boards are centered around home decor, hairstyles and fluffy bunnies, so this has me confused.

In other unrelated news...  We saw the northern lights last night!!!

Fall, fall... GLORIOUS FALL!

One morning, at the end of September, I was lucky enough to head out to the Sorghum festival in Meridan, KS. 

This is for the curious ones: 

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents in addition to the South West Pacific and Australasia. Sorghum is in the subfamily Panicoideae and the tribe Andropogoneae(the tribe of big bluestem and sugar cane).  (Wikipedia)

Technically we went to the Fall Festival, but I'm pretty sure it used to be called the Sorghum Festival.  According to the guys at the sorghum booth, that's what the festival has traditionally been completely built around.  Now it's really just this one booth...  Honestly the stuff looks a bit scary.

Mr. Sorghum told us that we could use sorghum anytime we'd normally use molasses!  Now let me ask you, when was the last time you used molasses?  Exactly.

Still cool though...and ok on a saltine cracker.  Just like I remembered sampling it over ten years ago.  I bet the same guy was squeezing it out of a ketchup bottle even then.  That's just another reason why this festival is awesome!

On a totally unrelated note...

At this very moment, my ipod is submerged in a bowl of rice.  Tragedy.

Snapshots

The Ness Melodeon Band World Tour / My AWESOME Bath holiday

So this is incredibly overdue.  In more ways than one.

But let's not dwell on that.

So far this week I've:

- Forgotten to set my alarm clock twice, but managed to scramble saunter into the office ON TIME.
- Ordered my first pair of Toms canvas shoes.  They are brown.
- Tried on 9 pairs of trousers for work at the local thrift shop. Two of which almost fit...but didn't :(
- Watched the new Jane Eyre and was disappointed.***
- Realized that I'm slated to perform for "special music" at church this Sunday.

 *** The cast was talented, the scenery was breathtaking, the music hauntingly beautiful, and the lines...well...it's Jane Eyre.  Even so, it was completely lacking in any believable relationships.  Jane and Edward said the same lines to each other for the most part, but at the crucial moment, when tears were welling up in Jane's eyes, I was completely tear free.  What could be more disappointing?  I could care less, and was having trouble figuring out why Jane did!  Yeah, Mr. Rochester was pretty attractive (way too attractive for his character mind you), but definitely not worth the tears.  Gaaah!

Guess it's about that time

September has begun, and that means fall is on its way...well...technically.  The 100 degree temps haven't helped it all to settle in...

Anyway...  We decided it was time to disassemble the Christmas tree!  Yay!

In other news, the bi-annual Flea Market is here this weekend!!!

Listener Wooden Heart

I came across this video the other day, in my internet travels, and I thought it was interesting enough to share. I thought the video itself was amazing, and the lyrics are the kind that make me want to read them for myself...more than once.

To make it easier, here they are!

WOODEN HEART (sea of mist called skaidan)
We’re all born to broken people on their most honest day of living
and since that first breath... We’ll need grace that we’ve never given
I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts
and it's not only when these eyes are closed
these lies are ropes that I tie down in my stomach,
but they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather
and my dreams are sails that I point towards my true north,
stretched thin over my rib bones, and pray that it gets better
but it won’t won’t, at least I don’t believe it will...
so I've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship,
to sail these blood red seas and find your coasts.
don’t let these waves wash away your hopes
this war-ship is sinking, and I still believe in anchors
pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart, I still believe in saviors
but I know that we are all made out of shipwrecks, every single board
washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores
so come on and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember

I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it
but we’re making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts
we all have the same holes in our hearts...
everything falls apart at the exact same time
that it all comes together perfectly for the next step
but my fear is this prison... that I keep locked below the main deck
I keep a key under my pillow, it’s quiet and it’s hidden
and my hopes are weapons that I’m still learning how to use right
but they’re heavy and I’m awkward...always running out of fight
so I’ve carved a wooden heart, put it in this sinking ship
hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks
because I am made out of shipwrecks, every twisted beam
lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea
so come on let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, just some tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember

My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water
I wear this tide like loose skin, rock me to sea
if we hold on tight we’ll hold each other together
and not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep
all these machines will rust I promise, but we'll still be electric
shocking each other back to life
Your hand in mine, my fingers in your veins connected
our bones grown together inside
our hands entwined, your fingers in my veins braided
our spines grown stronger in time
because are church is made out of shipwrecks
from every hull these rocks have claimed
but we pick ourselves up, and try and grow better through the change
so come on yall and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, were just tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember

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