So. I quit my job.

Like, a month ago. And maybe one day I'll tell you that story. But for now, I'll just tell you what I've been up to with all this free time on my hands!

-I've been keeping up with the latest episodes of The Office. Though I'm just never satisfied with it these days, now that Michael is gone. My favorite one so far? The Incentive. If you haven't already, watch it. Even if you don't follow the show. It's hilarious and heart-warming all in one. All the others so far this season have been meh, so-so, but this one reminded me why I fell in love with this show to begin with.

-I've started a new episode-watching-trend with New Girl. Pretty cute, mostly. Though I probably shouldn't be proud that I've added another tv show to my list of things to do.

-This is my new thing. Window painting.

-And we went to a Halloween party. Though what we really wanted to wear was this:

We actually went dressed like this:

Can you guess what we are?? .....

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich!!! We were singing "It's peanut butta jelly time!" all night.

-My aunt visited us a few weekends ago and we picked out some pumpkins to carve from the local Papa John's farm. She decided to carve the least amount possible, making slits for eyes and a mouth - so I did the opposite. Wide eyes and a huge gaping mouth. Sadly, this technique meant that he didn't last too long, and our little friend is no longer with us, but his memory lives on.

-I've committed to NaNoWriMo. Though I don't think I've fully grasped yet what all that will entail. And I probably won't until I'm staring at a blank computer screen for 9 hours on November 1st, and I realize I only have 29 days left to write a novel (less if you remember the fact that my mother is visiting for 10 days over Thanksgiving break).

-We went to New York City (see post below)

-I finished a photography class with the local community college. It was sometimes boring, but there were a few new tricks I learned that will be helpful in the future. Plus, a kid gave me a macro coupler (which is like a magnifying lens cover) for free. Not exactly as nice as a macro lens, but still awesome.

-We moved apartments, and now have an extra den for only $10 more a month. This was 4 weeks ago, and my back has still not recovered. I am momentarily paralyzed every time I sneeze, and I've concluded I need a cane for my middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. I do believe I may have a serious problem that should probably be checked out. Soon....now....

-Reading! I've begun the Harry Potter quest all over again. I have never. never. never. read them all, one through seven, right in a row. In fact, I've only read #'s 5, 6, and 7 once. It's been fun going all the way back to the beginning, and forcing myself to pretend like it's my very first exposure to the wizarding world and the three amigos.

-I've been trying tons of new recipes out. When I was working, I barely had time to put a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner. But now, I can spend as much - or as little - time on making a freshly made, homecooked meal. It makes such a difference. When we are eating junky, quick, easy, cheap, crummy food, both Adam and I feel just like that: junky and crummy. And we say, "Ugh....nothing sounds good..." all the time. Now, we enjoy a variety of meats and veggies and dinners every night and Adam can take leftovers for lunch rather than eating out, and everyone is just happier all around. Here are some of the meals I've tried so far:
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Chicken Wraps w/ Malibu Dipping Sauce
Sweet Pork Burritos
Meatloaf (not a new recipe)
Butternut Squash Pasta (unfortunately I didn't write down the recipe to this, as it was kinda made up. But, neither of us really liked it too much, so not much of a loss there....)
Pork Chile Verde

-I've joined pinterest (pinterest.com/mrose0905) It started as a great way to organize all the fun recipes I wanted to try out, but since has grown into an everything organizer. Now when I check magazines out from the library, I mark every article that I think had something interesting or useful in it, I look up that article on the magazine's website, and then I pin it. I can then return my magazine to the library, while keeping a virtual copy of my favorite articles. It's great. I'm also determined not to become a poser pinner - if I'm gonna pin it, I've got to do it....

-With that being said, here is the beginnings of the apron I'm working on. I have never owned a cute apron before. And the only apron I once owned was so ugly my dog thought it appropriate to rip it to shreds. Sigh.

Those frills are ridiculous to deal with, by the way...

So! This makes me feel better, at least. Seeing a nice long list of the productive things I've been doing, because sometimes it feels like I just lounge around in my pajamas all day......oh yeah. I do that too.

Love, words, and other beautiful things

*I started this post a long time ago, and never published it. It's a little bit beautiful to me, albeit quite rambling-ish, so I thought I would finish 'er up and get out in the world.
Especially because I know I've been so ridiculously boring on this blog lately.
I mean, really, two posts in the past month? And one of them a book review?
....yeah...



I have always been one of the most emotional people I have ever met

(followed closely by (or perhaps a little behind) my mother).

I am sensitive.

I take things personally.

I cry and my whole day is ruined over

a dying rabbit on the side of the road, his back legs run over by a car -

and I spend fifteen minutes with that rabbit, my dog tied to the distant fire hydrant, and I pet him - he relaxes at my touch and I cry because that's all I can do.

I cry when we don't have enough money

I cry when my Dad says something he would normally say in a joking voice, but this time it just didn't quite sound like a joke.

I cry when my brother is unhappy.

I cry when others are in pain.

I cry when a boy I hardly knew kills himself - I cry and I ache for his family and it isn't until I distinctly hear a voice from God telling me, 

"This is not your battle."

that I am able to stop crying.

I cry when I become an aunt again -

and I cry when I lose that nephew so soon afterwards.

I cry at commercials, too,

and little kid's movies,

and songs on the radio.

I cry when I'm PMS-ing.

But I also cry when I'm not.

I cannot give a talk in church without crying

(Adam once told me, 

"Ya know, it used to scare me when you would cry in public like that.

But now it doesn't bother me so much because I know you're always going to do it.")

I am emotional - 

but I have decided I will not call myself 

"A wreck"

I have learned to be grateful for these emotions of mine. 

It means I know how to empathize and sympathize

I know how to bear another's burden

When I say,

"I know how you feel."

I really feel I do. 

I am not only more susceptible to crying than the average joe,

I also love the deepest love I can possibly muster - 

holding nothing back.

When I love,

I love with all I own and possess and touch and taste and feel.

I give everything to love ---

and it's hurt like hell on occasion, 

(and I'm not just talking about guys, here, either - 

I sure love my besties from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the moon)

but I've never, ever regretted it.

And I think all of this sensitivity and hyper-exposure to emotions and love and depth and intensity, somehow stems from my love of words.

Pathetic or not, all of this big long post about my emotions was sparked by this book. 

Since my book review post wasn't quite enough for getting all this out, 

I had to keep going.

The day after finishing the book, I was watching Ridiculousness, a silly homemade "Jackass" type show where people are dumb and get hurt, and though I normally would have found it funny,
 it felt irreverent, what with that book still on my mind.

I listened to If I Die Young, and it literally hurt me.
It was too soon, too close, too applicable.

Both Delirium and the song allude to many different love poems/poets, including Cummings and Tennyson, and I've since started reading the first poetry I have read since graduating. It's invigorating.

These emotions of mine were overpowering me, and until I got them out,

I wasn't able to think about anything else. 

I tried vocalizing this....all this, ramble....to Adam,

but it all came out sounding lost and pathetic and vague and childish.
And yes, I'll say it again:
A b.o.o.k. did this to me.

Why is that important?

That's how I had my revelation ---

I am not meant to speak.

Not like this, anyway.

No,

this girl was born 

to write.

I have a burning at the center of me that has been there for as long as I can ever remember -- that is only ever quenched when I write.

Words, language, sentences, poetry --

all of it,

it's all become a system of symbols that somehow get cramped up inside of me and I need, I absolutely need, to release it.

I need to create something beautiful - and words are the only tools I know how to use.

And that is why I am participating in
NaNoWriMo
A friend of mine from my church invited me to participate in it with her, and, at the time, I nervously agreed.

But now,
I am geared up.
I'm ready to try the one thing that has been imprinted on my brain since I learned of the existence of words ----
I'm going to write a novel.
I can't guarantee its length, its complexity, its beauty, its comprehend-ability, or its enjoyment-factor (or that I will stop using words the wrong way)
but I can guarantee I will put my whole efforts in writing it.
I have 20 more days to plan it out, but I can't start writing until November 1st.
And then, the month of November will be dedicated to creating something that was once only in existence in my mind. It's exciting.

If you're interested and want to join us, let me know!