Books and CD's can be RED, or Blue, or Black...

I apologize for my slacker nature and lack of posts. I have been taking time to read books lately instead of playing around on the internet so much. Two very excellent books, mind you. I live the philosophy that life is too short to read bad books. What's the point? Alas, I only have a handful of books that I will read multiple times. I hate when I already know where the story is going and what will happen. So it has to be the language that keeps me coming back to a book. The poetry.

On that note, the first book I've been reading is Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. I fell in love with the movie when it came out and then happened upon the book after that. While they certainly have similar story lines and themes, they are beautifully different. So the book stays interesting because I always remember how the movie goes before I remember how the book goes. This reading is my third time through and I am discovering it with new eyes. I've decided it is a book about two sisters: one who falls in love too easy and one who finds it hard to fall in love at all. It is the study of this particular difference and how each sister copes with her "problem" through her life (you follow the two sisters from youth to late 30's). Some quotes for your personal enjoyment:
"Goodness, in their opinion, was not a virtue but merely spinelessness and fear disguised as humility."
"He knew exactly how to hit a woman, so that the marks hardly showed. He knew how to kiss her, too, so that her heart began to race and she'd start to think forgiveness with every breath. It's amazing the places love will carry you. It's astounding to discover just how far you're willing to go."
"There's no point being afraid to see people for who they really are, because every once in a while you see into someone like Gideon. Deception and dishonesty are alien to him; sooner or later he'll have to take a crash course in the ABC's of bullshit to ensure that he won't get eaten alive out in the world he's so anxious to get into."

Fabulous, no?

The most recent book I picked up is Don Miller's Searching for God Knows What. I'm only two chapters in but I already enjoy the guy. I read most of Blue Like Jazz my Freshman year and saw the guy speak at the Tivoli a year or so ago. While I know some of my Christian friends can't respect him, I believe that taking his story/advice with a grain of salt (like you should ALL christian "self-help" books and bible studies) is completely fabulous. He is very real and very upfront about our faults as Christians. Here goes:
"The very scary thing about religion, to me, is that people actually believe God is who they think he is." Which discusses the idea that we ALL have God in a box.
And after discussing the idea that people can't change, he says this: "That said, I do believe people change, and I do believe life can get better. I have changed, slowly and with time, the way a tree grows by a river. [... A friend of mine] believes the only thing that truly changes a person is God's truth, that is, His Word and His working in our lives through the Holy Spirit. This makes a lot of sense to me, because the times in my life when I have been most happy haven't been the times when I've had the most money or the most freedom or the most anything, but rather when I've been in love or in community or right with people." -Don Miller

Again, I love it. Makes my mind crank and churn. Hurts a little, all that honesty. But I keep on reading. I like his theory that religion is merely an invitation to know God. That's it. Bottom line. How beautiful is that?

So I've also been listening to a lot of music. What else is new, right? I just made my friend J a cd and am working on a "Goodbye Mix" to leave behind in my stead when I head north. If you'd like a copy, let me know. You might already be on my list. I decided I needed to start keeping track (no pun intended) of these playlists in the event that you might want to download a few tracks for yourself. So here's J's mix. It is mostly about moving on and growing up and dealing with being single (since we are both in the same place, this was an easy cd to make seeing as I've been listening to all these songs on repeat).
Red Head Survival CD
----------------------
Chocolate -Snow Patrol 3:12
Far Away - Ingrid Michaelson 3:04
Time - Chantal Kreviazuk 4:07
Let Your Beat Go On - Brendan James 4:01
Your New Twin Sized Bed - Death Cab For Cutie 3:06
Can't Get It Right Today - Joe Purdy 3:54
Disappear - The Gabe Dixon Band 4:57
On Your Porch - The Format 5:12I
Miss You - Blink-182 3:48
Lately - David Gray 4:14
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane 3:57
Sweet Baby James - James Taylor 2:50
No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses 3:37
The Underdog Spoon 3:42
Intervention - Arcade Fire 4:19
Control Mute - Math 4:36
The Weight - The Band 4:35
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Bob Dylan 3:40
Breakable - Ingrid Michaelson 3:10
I'd Say I'm Sorry Now - Shawn Colvin 2:22

I also picked up Panic at the Disco and Death Cab's newest albums and have made my way through them. My thoughts if you are interested are jumbled. First of all, I bought the Death Cab CD, "Narrow Stairs," right away and my brother and I worked our way through the tracks telling one another to listen to "Cathy" or "Twin Sized Bed." I think this album is sort of a regression into their older style of music. If you were a fan of Death Cab before 2005's "Plans" came out, then you will most likely be a fan of this album. I think it will be a harder album to get into for those that only jumped on the bandwagon with the Plans album. My friend G and I decided that this album hearkens back to 2003's "Transatlantacism," but that both Trans and Plans are better. Don't get me wrong, Narrow Stairs is a great album, but it isn't nearly as cohesive as Plans. I can sit and listen to Plans without stopping. With Narrow Stairs, I find myself skipping around, skipping over, and eventually changing discs. Maybe as the album becomes more familiar, I will enjoy it more. I'm still trying to be okay with the fact that "I Will Possess Your Heart" is 8 1/2 minutes and doesn't get into the vocals until over half way through. It's a shame that I generally don't have the patience to make it to the amazing lyrics (which I will now, of course, quote for you).
"How I wish you could see the potential; the potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound but in a language that you can't read just yet. You gotta spend some time, love, you gotta spend some time with me. I know that you'll find, love, that I will possess your heart."
Only slightly creepy in that incredibly romantic way that only Death Cab can pull off.

As for Panic at the Disco, be prepared for something ENTIRELY different than you've heard before. Perhaps you are one of those that believes Panic was merely a fad of the high school crowd and would phase out of popularity in due time. Ok. Perhaps their popularity ship has sailed because this new album, "Pretty. Odd." has lost the blood pumping peppiness of their former "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out." If you are seeking out Panic! for that "fever"ish sound, you will be disappointed. If you love Panic! for a little more than that, please pick up this cd and give it a try. I adored "9 In the Afternoon" the first time I heard it on the radio. I'm warning you, however, it is one of the most upbeat tracks. You know how "Camisado" picks up after that quiet intro? If it lived on the Pretty. Odd. album, it wouldn't. The most delightful surprise was track 12, "Folkin' Around." I have always loved that Panic! plays with words. Being an English major, I appreciate lyrics that aren't typical. God bless country music but I could probably sing along to any country song the first time I heard it. So "Folkin' Around"... totally a banjo bluegrass sound. AMAZING lyrics, however, cause it to now be track one on my Goodbye Mix. Be prepared for a sound you've not heard before.

Folkin' Around
------------
"Allow me to exaggerate a memory or two
Where summer's lasted longer than
Longer than we do
Where nothing really mattered
Except for me to be with you
But in time we all forgot
And we all grew

Your melody sounds as sweet
As the first time it was sung
With a little bit more character for show
And by the time your father's heard
Of all the wrong you've done
Then I'm putting out the lantern
Find your own way back home

If I've forgotten how to sing
Before I sung this song
I'll write it all across the wall
Before my job is done
And I'll even have the courtesy
Of admitting I was wrong
As the final words before I'm dead and gone

You've never been so divine
In accepting your defeat
And I've never been more scared to be alone
If love is not enough to put my enemies to sleep
Then I'm putting out the lantern
Find your own way back home."

Well I think that's all you need from me, today. Best wishes for a fabulous week!!

update

I get asked a lot what I am up to. I forget that I rarely explicitly say exactly what I am up to on this blog.... that was originally created for that purpose.

So here's the deal. In about a month, I am moving back to Nashville. I'll be staying with my mom down in Thompson's Station and visiting friends and family in the area. I'll stay busy and the time will pass too quickly... and then I will head north to the ever windy city. My anticipated move in date is the 20th. That's a wednesday and I picked it because I generally like wednesdays and they said I had to move in before Friday. So there you go.

Timeline:
June 29th (Sunday) : They are recognizing me at church. Pastor included the word "surprise" when he told me I had to be there....
July 18th - 23rd : Cousin's wedding in NC. Also a nice beach trip with my mom and possibly other fabulous Bradley women
July 30th (Wednesday) : My last karaoke night in town. Plan to attend. I'll buy you a drink.
July 31st and August 1st : My last two days at my coffee shop...
August 1st/2nd/3rd : I begin moving back to Nashville this weekend. Still no decision about whether to transfer all my things to a storage place in nash, leave them here in this storage unit, or leave them on the side of the road. Possible yard sale in the near future.
August 2oth : MOVE TO CHICAGO!! Not sure with what belongings or with what family members. I'll keep you posted. TWO MORE MONTHS!

So I've been applying for financial aid and mailing things north as they need them. I still have to do a writing sample. This could be a breeze (being an english major) or horrifying (being an english major). I'm going to try to knock it out today before work. I'll need a little coffee to get through it. Lol.

Any more questions?

Stuff Christians Like is not RED, unless you turn red in the face from laughter

I LOVE THIS BLOG. Especially this particular post. I get asked to pray out loud a lot... going to seminary and all. This made me laugh quite a few times.

Nikki's wedding was not RED, it was White, Blue, and Black

...and it was so classy! I loved it. Delightful. The minister even screwed up and asked Adam if he wanted to take Lisa's hand in marriage. Apparently the last couple he married had a Lisa. Of course we ALL. Nikki looked gorgeous; Adam looked dashing and handsome. They couldn't stop smiling. It was adorable.

This is my second wedding of the season. And I think my new favorite part of weddings is the style. I think as we get a little older, we tend to have our very own sense of style and it comes across very well in the wedding. Starting back at my friend Katie's and all the way up to today, there have been bits and pieces that simply scream out that this is ----'s wedding. My friend T wore pink high heels with her tea length wedding dress and had all brunch food. J and C walked down the aisle to contemporary tunes and made their local wedding a destination wedding at the same time. Classy. Today Nikki and Adam decked out their wedding party, tables, etc. in black and blue. It was so lovely! Polished. Put together.

....with a little something extra that was completely evocative of the couple.

I LOVE IT! Of course, with every one I go to I tuck little ideas away for my very own wedding. So sad isn't it? To plan a wedding and not even have a groom in mind? Ah well. Girls get the excuse that we've been planning these things since our infancy. I don't know about infancy, but I have said since I can remember that I want strawberries at my wedding. Just my husband and strawberries. Those are my requirements. But... since being a bridesmaid twice, a maid of honor once, living with two brides-to-be, and attending at least a half dozen other weddings, I've been planning. The list has grown.

So for your very special enjoyment, here are my plans thus far.
*Strawberries. They don't even have to be dipped into chocolate. Or on top of a cake. Just need them to be there.
*We will not be wearing a traditional tux and gown. Whatever we wear, expect it to be not typical. Well this "not typical" idea might be the theme of the wedding... I am thinking I want some style of dress that is a vintage cut or something Austen-like. Can I get a style like my grandma's and do my hair in that cool flip thing? I so want to...
*We will be hearing music of the Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin variety. There will be dancing. This will be music you can dance to... and you WILL dance. My husband or I will make you dance with us. No exceptions.
*It will be small. By the time I get married, my friends and family will be so OVER weddings, that I assume only my closest friends and family will attend. You will not offend me if you do not come so long as you send along a card bearing congrats or give me a call later to tell me congrats. These are acceptable options. These are the only acceptable options.
*BLACK. WHITE. RED. These are my colors. I'm not deviating. NO pink. That will just not go over well. I watched the Trista and Ryan wedding prep show the other day and almost threw up at her deep attachment to the color pink. I want it to be classy, not girly.
*It will be a party. You should not be bored and you should never think "just another wedding" or feel like leaving. We will party until I drop. (Is it okay to say until I drop??)
*Simple food. Strawberries. Cake. Punch. Champagne. Want more? I might be talked into other things. Other variations of sweet... or strawberry. ;)
*Back to the black, white, red theme.... I want everyone to wear black, white, or red. Is this an outlandish request? Too demanding? Guess it'll keep the attendance down. I said small, right?
*I will find a way to incorporate stars into my theme. Should I add silver? That's like grey, right? Which is like black and white..... (?)
*We will sing at the ceremony. Expect to sing. There will also be a sermon-ette. Brace yourself for a realistic look at marriage. When I decide to do this, it will not be a fluttering eyelashes lovey dovey thing. I recognize that it will take work... and GOD to make the marriage. I get it.
*I won't stop smiling.

I guess that's it for now. I am sure I've forgotten something. You'll just have to come to the wedding and see for yourself. ;)

bad habits are not RED, they are BLACK

I've been composing a list of things in my head that I wish I could eventually "grow" out of. The things that I just get tired of and rebel against. My bad habits that I wish I could break. We all have 'em. Here are some of mine.

*Brushing my teeth.
There are a few nights recently that I just plain DO NOT brush my teeth before going to bed. This is of course disgusting and appalling... but sometimes I just can't make myself brush my teeth. This might be due to the fact that I was always taught that when you brush your teeth, you should brush them the time it would take to listen to your favorite song. I am thorough. Yes, it takes me about 5 minutes to brush my teeth. Sometimes I just don't want to.

*Wasting time on the computer.
With the recent adoption of Hamilton, I spend a good amount of time in my bed on my laptop. He's wonderful and amazing. And he sucks up my time like no one's business. Why haven't I learned yet to just check my email once a day? Who knows. Bad Hamilton...

*Acne.
This might go along with the brushing my teeth thing, but I don't like washing my face. When I shower, I was my face but I certainly don't wash my face twice a day like I'm supposed to. Thus, I have acne. Actually, I had a span of time when I was deliberate about washing twice a day and it made no difference. I have acne. I will continue to. It is just the curse of being hormonal. Ha!

*Speeding/Accelerating.
I like driving fast. I can blame this on my brother but I'm sure I could blame movies as well. Whatever the case, I like driving fast. I haven't gotten in a lot of trouble with this. I've never had a speeding ticket. (*says small prayer upwards*) BUT I realize I drive in a way that is not GREEN. Both environmentally friendly and wallet friendly. So I'm trying to keep that RPM needle bobbing at an acceptable level. If only I could move north to be around drivers that drive correctly so I wouldn't have to accelerate around ones that can't....

*Piles.
I picked this one up at a young age. I can't break it. I PILE everything. I know exactly what is in every one of my piles. They have themes and subthemes. I get it. This is why it is so entertaining when I attempt to tell other people how to find something in my pile system. Someday, I might seek therapy to overcome this habit. Until then, I pile on.

*Swearing.
A future seminary student swearing? Well, yes. More than occasionally, I have a sailor's mouth. If you know me, you've seen it. It is especially susceptible to outside influence. I keep a rather tight lid on the swearing when I am around my girls or out on the floor at work or around my fabulous grandmothers or at church. Otherwise, I might swear for the fun of it. But, I'm going to seminary. Must start breaking this nasty lil' habit!!

*Eating instead of drinking water.
One of the easiest lessons to learn in dieting is to try drinking water when you feel hungry because half the time we get that "hmmm.... I'm thinking about something tasty" signal, our body simply wants a little H2O. There are good weeks and bad ones. This particular one, right now, NOT a good week. Must drink water.....


Will I ever grow up and out of these little problems? Oh, I hope so. I dearly hope at least a few of them will evolve into comments about how well I take care of my teeth, my skin, my house, and my car. Oh, Henry!

karaoke is not RED, it is white on a blue screen

"Part the seas, don’t be havin' me in the line. / V.I.P., ‘cause you know I gotta shine." -Fergie

This line is about me - for you see, I am a VIP.
I have special access. I am behind the velvet rope.
I have the "keys to anything" I want.
That's right - every Wednesday night... I am the s@%*!

For reasons I can never fully explain, I have become a VIP at a bar. Not just any bar, mind you... but a bar featuring billiards, (*free) booze and blue screens. Oh the beauty.

Yes, Wednesdays have brought a newfoundglory: karaoke. What's that you say? Yes, blue screens of beauty bearing lyrics I never would have guessed. I assume this is because, like MOST people, I fudge the lyrics to half the songs I sing. Also, in general, most people only know the chorus to songs. Or at least only know the chorus well enough to sing on stage. So my first night, I had no idea what half the lyrics were to Manic Monday. But believe you me, I was up there with Sarah singing my heart out. At least people can dismiss the whole charade because of alcohol. Oh, if only they knew....

It is an addiction. I admit that fully. Blu calls it my mothership. I tried to argue and found I had no debate. Karaoke was made for people like me. I used to be a theater person and that whole "being okay in front of crowds" thing never went away. I don't sing well, but I love to sing (generally in the shower, in the car, and occasionally in stores like hobby lobby). Karaoke and I go together like....

Wait. Aren't there song lyrics about this somewhere? We go together like rama-lama-lama-dinggity-ding-da-dong!! (Instanly I wondered if they have that song in the book....).

Of course, the thought remains.... maybe I only like karaoke at MY bar. One more thing to add to the "TO DO IN CHICAGO" list: become VIP at billiard club/bar/karaoke joint.

I'll keep you posted.


*free = "this one's on us" / "the next one's on us" - since booze technically cannot be free or there will be some serious VIP's after them...