An old tube of acrylic paint+a photo copier+ a sharpie+ a boring orginizer= a well spent evening.

Turned out alright.

The Lord gives...the Lord takes away

Yesterday afternoon, a someone stopped by looking for a copy of the church's annual meeting. "No problem", I thought. There had been nearly 30 copies of it lying around the office. (had been being the key phrase...) Apparently when I recycled the extras a couple weeks ago, I neglected to notice the copy in my filing cabinet was missing. So I left my desk to go check in a different cabinet; no luck. So after apologizing and kicking myself internally, I sat back down at the computer to work. Strange...I had been working on a Word document, but it's not open anymore..."Did I save any of the work I've done since lunch?" (Covers face with hands) 2 hours of tedious formatting work, gone.
On the bright side, making lots of stupid mistakes right before I leave this job will make it easier for someone else to fill the position and look really good doing it.

At Last....(not to be confused with the Etta James song)

Yes, even in a weedy lake, kayaking is one of the world's most perfect leisure activities. And considering it's nearly August, I've been anxious to get out on the water. July 17. Better late than never...

Tour de Force at the MIA

Combining old movies, art and biking? Whoever thought up this should be promoted. (Or at least get some chocolate. ) It would be worth going just to see the bikes, then you throw in the world-class art institute with it's free admission (and the fact that there's a great pre-raphelite exhibit right now) and there really are few better things you can do with a fine summer evening. Oh, did I mention the free beer? Yeah. There's free beer. And a complimentary rock concert. I love Minneapolis.

Well, that's a first...

I slept in a parked car at a gas station last night. Nothing quite like curling up in shotgun and waking up every hour, on the hour between 1am and 6am to cultivate a gentle and quiet spirit. Brushing your teeth and changing in restaurant bathrooms. Consuming large amounts of coffee in an attempt to keep you focused on the road. Road trips are fun. =)

Fruit, nuts and chocolate, oh my!

In preparation for our 22 hour drive down to Minneapolis, I went shopping today and stocked up on some foods. Here's what's on the menu:


Though the label "vegan" scares most people away from the almond crunch, I don't know a single person who's tried them and doesn't now try to steal my office stash. (not that I have a hidden stash of food at the office...)

Reflecting on the blessings of being from "the land of liberty"

Don't misunderstand me, I am aware of America's faults. Having lived nearly a third of my life off my native soil has given me a unique view of my country's impact on the world, for good and for ill. The whole of western civilization has much room to improve. That being said, I'm proud to be an American; to bear the name of a country that has struggled for independence from its very beginning. I'm glad to have absorbed that passion for efficiency and quality, for welcoming people from every nation and becoming one people from many. Yes, I'm British and German/French as far as roots go, but it would never occur to me to call myself any of those. I'm an American, free and brave. As a woman, I can decide what to do with my life. I can be educated, work, and live on my own without fear. I will not be forced into an arranged marriage. I have the freedom to go to church where I choose without persecution (going to China showed me just how beautiful and delicate this freedom is). Praise God for America! Mock my country if you will, but my national pride remains. I'll keep my citizenship, thank you.

What fun is communicating merely with words?

Saying "I don't know" while equally expressing it in body language seems to double the impact.

20 songs that always make me smile...

Everyone's got them; that song that gets blasted when it plays on the radio, the album that gets listened to on repeat endlessly. So here is a non-exhaustive list of some of my favorites ( in no particular order):

1. "When I Fall in Love"-Nat King Cole (actually, any of his songs do the trick)

2. "Three Little Birds" -Bob Marley (yeah, it's a stoner song. But it's not too far from Luke 12:22-30....)

3. "Here Comes The Sun" -The Beatles (most Beatles songs work too)

4."If I Had a Million Dollars"- Barenaked Ladies (couldn't find a good version of the full song, but this was funny)

5."Think"-Aretha Franklin ( a shower song if I've ever heard one)

6."Your Smiling Face" -James Taylor (needs no explaination)

7. "Le Cygne" ( The Swan)- Camille Saint-Saëns (as played by Yo-yo Ma. Anything with a cello just melts my heart...it's so lovely.)

8. "Carolina in My Mind" -Alison Krauss (If more country artists sounded like this, the world would be a better place. She's what makes bluegrass palateble. )

9." I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" -Jim Croce (music has a way of making hard things easier to say...couldn't find his original, so pick a cover, any cover.)

10. "The 59th Street Bridge Song"-Simon & Garfunkel (makes me want to dance in the street and dress like a hippie. )

11. "Geek in the Pink"- Jason Mraz (this version is almost better than the album one...either way it's a fun one.)

12. "I Saw the Light" -David Crowder Band (reminds me of singing gospel music down south.)

13. "Turn Me On"-Norah Jones (Love her voice. Can't emphasize that enough.)

14. "What a Wonderful World" -Louis Armstrong (how can you not smile? )

15."Hit the Road Jack"-Ray Charles ( a great dancing song.)

16." 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)"-Gorillaz (I have my brothers to thank for this one. Who doesn't like giant moose?)

17."Just the Two of Us"- Will Smith (Gotta love a father/son song. )

18. "We Will Rock You" -Queen (it's a guilty pleasure band. I love their vocals and the beats rock. )

19. "Thriller" -Michael Jackson (and no, this isn't just because he's recently desceased.)

20. "Variations"-Andrew Lloyd Webber (sadly, this version is both too slow and bad sound quality...but it's a great song, and there's a cello. 'Nuff said.)