Sweet Pea Kate

I love discovery...

I've been humming this for days!

Local

Have you ever done a "local" search on etsy? It's so cool! There are some seriously talented folks around these parts.

I'm off for a weekend in the mountains...

I leave you with a few great finds that came my way this week:

Hurrayic

Lost Button Studio

Both yummy inspired delights. (actually, I thought there were more to share, but, I guess not, oh well!)

Here's to long drives and bridesmaid dress shopping! May you find exactly what needs to be found this weekend.

Grateful

I am grateful.
Humbled.
Today I am grateful for...

Freedom
and healing
and the difference of a year.

For phone calls with the dearest of friends thought lost to eight years of living in different states.  Familiar voices. And the evolution of soul.

New music
and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.

Aunts who know everything
about anything
and bring bagels.

For knowledge, enlightenment
and Battlestar Galactica. (It's so good.)

For my brand new sparkly green lap top with a glossy screen.

Sara.

For sunshine and Mabel
and an up-coming weekend in Evergreen.

For the way his laughter heals.

For citrus ginger honey chicken marinade.

For health and recovery and new understanding. Two and half weeks, pressure cooking-and a new place opened in my heart.

Growth.

For God. Unwavering love. Provision, whispers on the wind.

Stories on pages waiting to be devoured.

I'm in Chicago.

Last Monday my father had open heart surgery--to the tune of five bypasses. Which went swimmingly, we're told, so that's nice.

At some point in the midst of the hazy, hurried choices and hours of hurt filled healing you realize this is your defining adulthood moment. Those first days I felt like a child in grown up skin playing pretend hospital. Signing papers, acting as though I completely comprehended the barrage of medical jargon and information thrown in my lap, trying to hold it together and failing miserably.

I've had a bit of a break for the past 24 hours and though I'm attempting to stop it I find that this morning I'm coming down from the high of stress, desperation, isolation and parallel love, new understanding, forgiveness and caring.

It's a bit much.

Which is why I'm getting up and going to play in the sunshine.

But before that, I wanted to share this incredible music I found this morning via an old friend, Shauna Niequist. I can't find a player anywhere but you can listen to it on the Myspace page, and you must listen to it.

It is my words and music for my husband. Who is Jesus in skin.

The Autumn Film.

Additionally, there is a troop of people out there who have been my saving grace. Who have taken the time to care for me from afar. Who have informed me when I had no information. And prayed for us. And cheered, supported and loved. And read my sleep deprived rambles in desperate moments that needed some connection with the outside world.

There are Aunts who's kindnesses shant be quickly forgotten.

I am eternally grateful. I'm sure to you it seems like nothing, like a blip in a day full of other blips. But to me, in the fog of the world spinning about me, it was priceless hope.

To you I say, thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

And to my sweet husband, who was on the phone every time I snuck off to cry in the bathroom. Who knew what to say, and when to make me laugh. Who's voice brings me back to center. And who has stood by me in the darkest hours of my life...

There are simply no words to express what I feel for you, the depth of gratitude can't be measured...

I've lost it.

Here's what I've decided, Benjamin Linus is the devil. Lucifer. That's my theory. The Island is some kind of hell or some in-between place the bible forgot to tell us about.  eeeh? eeeh? em I right or em I right?

The devil can do anything, even "play" God, he can manipulate humans, he could pull it off. After all people, member what Keyser Soze, er, Verbal Kent said? "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist"---the Island is hidden, it would seem, from plain sight annnnnd all the people we know have some kind of crazy crisis of morality, circumstance and reality.

I'm sure there are some loop holes in my theory, however, I am sure if I mess with the letters long enough Benjamin Linus will spell Beelzebub.

Notice I did not say purgatory.

Dude, they totally ARE in purgatory.

I know it's not a new theory, shut up.

Listen, this is what happens when you no longer have free time. You start to take that hour of scheduled Tivo very seriously.

The other thing that happens? You get very cranky when you've just used up your "before bed reading time" to write this post.

Hi Aunt Jan!

             

"While I fear that we are drawn to what abandons us, and to what seems most likely to abandons us, in the end I believe we are defined by what embraces us" J R Moehringer

My best friend read this quote to me from the book she was reading. (The Tender Bar) I have not read it yet, though it is on my list, along with countless other books. So, if I'm off a little on the quote let me know.

My life is packed full right now, I probably wont be posting very much. (As you can see) Our path is changing and winding around a different landscape. Ahh. Such a crisp breath of fresh air.

Love.

So then you realize... "Whoa, I haven't posted in forever." But then you realize..."Whoa, I have nothing say, share or pontificate on and on about." (it's like my favorite word, pontificate)

Well, there is that recipe slash pictures of the TREMENDOUS onion & goat cheese with thyme and Kalamata olive pizza we came up with. And the building of walls in bedrooms. And the doctors. And the many books I've read since I last spoke to you. And all that TV on DVD. And that fantastic Thai restaurant. And the best friend getting engaged!

So... yeah, I guess I have some things to share... I just don't want to right now. (I'm worn out) So instead, here's a fun little picture of the feel better flowers my husband got for me that lasted the entire two weeks I've been gone.

OH! PS... I'm looking for a really great school bag... something that will hold my books and my lappy. This is the closest thing to the exact thing I want (HERE.) that I can find. My only problem with it is that I'd like it to be a smidge wider at the base.

I'm just wondering if you have any suggestions of where else to look, I've now been all over God's green earth rummaging through racks of bags. I'm at a loss of where else to search. Help.

I would simply like to point out that for persons of immune-deficiency these super-flu-evil-bugs are not a good thing. I would also like to point out that you can refrain from touching anything in public while wrapped in cellophane and dripping with hand sanitizer, (HA! a futile resistance), you will still spend your weekend hacking up a lung, connected to a IV drip of cold medicine, apologizing to your husband who is changing your bed pan.

This looks very very fun. I can't wait.

Perfect Sunday

1998 anyone?

Now, as you can see by today's numerous posts I have the procrastiADD bug. While I should be sitting here writing a paper, (not so surprisingly) I continually find myself pulled in million OTHER creative directions.

This song is one of my all time favorites:

It's on the playlist I'm listening to in the background while pretending to write this paper...

But, only those who know me all the way back to 1998 will understand the awesomeness that is finding that Gap commercial. All you other people will simply wonder why one (me) would waste time on youtube trolling through Gap ads rather than typing a paper.

Which I'm going to do now... for serious.

UPDATE:

Kristen LOOK! It's the LONG version and EVERYTHING!

(I'm done with the paper, promise)

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T’was Grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear…
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares…
we have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far…
and Grace will lead us home.

(have I used that photo before?)

New show review, of sorts anyway.

Free Radio.

Holy Cow. It's real good. Painful, but good. Funny ha ha good...well, painfully funny ha ha good.

It's a little Michael Scott 15 years ago. As an intern. In a members only jacket. Interviewing people on the air.

So yeah, you should prolly just go ahead and check it out.