Jodie.....

I recently saw this meme and thought it would be a whole lotta fun! You, too, may play this ridiculous game by googling "your name + given phrase" and then post the nonsensical results. Game on!

Jodie looks like.....
Jodie looks like a big monkey. Hahahaha! That makes me laugh!
Jodie looks like a young. Intuitive... *squints eyes and becomes paranoid and suspicious* ...since I used to BE a YOUNG.
Jodie looks like she is so happy to be a new mom, it is a little weird to see her all grown up. Yeah, being all grown up is a little weird from where I'm standing, too.

Jodie likes.....
Jodie likes to jump off the boat mid-conversation. Untrue. I do not like jumping off of boats.
Jodie likes her crisps and chocolate. I'm not sure what crisps are but they do sound delicious. I probably DO like them. And yes, Jodie likes her chocolate.
Jodie likes Leona Lewis. Oddly enough, I only know one of her songs, and it has been trapped in my head for the past 3 days... I've been humming and singing it just about everywhere I go. I've now reached the point where if you cut me open I keep bleeding Bleeding Love.

Jodie says.....
Jodie says hello. I do!! I'm powerful pleased to see you! Come in a while and rest ya face! Put yourself level on a chair and stay some more!
Jodie says no to surgery. No she don't. I like surgery actually. Surgery is my friend. It made getting my children to the outside of my body a possibility and I welcomed that wholeheartedly!
Jodie says "at da start of da song is it a different language?? Its confusing!!" Yes, yes, that is exactly something I might say.

Jodie wants.....
Jodie wants to be posh. If by posh you mean smart and elegant and fashionable, then why yes. Yes, I do. I want to be posh.
Jodie wants to play. Mmmhm. I know das real. {And there went posh, right out the window!}
Jodie wants to dance! ...all she wants to do is dance! (And she'd like to be good at it too, if it's not too much to ask.... and um, evidently it is.)

Jodie does.....
Jodie DOES NOT RULE! Alright, alright... don't have to be so hostile.
Jodie does it again. I'm not at all sure what to say about this.
Jodie does not have Multiple Personality Disorder. No, she does not. I know, because I just asked her.

Jodie hates.....
Jodie hates her life and looks, but when she wakes up one morning as a stegosaurus things are even worse. Zut alors! This is terrible! My request must've gotten lost in the mail!! I asked to be a UNICORN, not a STEGASAURUS! Somebody get my people on the phone!
Jodie hates numbers. Oooh, indeed I do. Numbers really expose how unsmart I actually am. I've been known to be over-exuberant about payday because I may have miscalculated by a few tens or hundreds of dollars.
Jodie hates the world. Define "the world" and then we can talk some more about this.

Jodie can.....
Jodie can protect herself. Aw yeah! "When I'm hungry I bites the noses off livin' grizzly b'ars!"
Jodie can can be reached by email. Truer words have never been spoken. {Well, maybe they have, but them words right there are really, really, truly true.}
Jodie can be found playing in and around the NYC area. Why yes I can! Late June, you can find me there! And you can also find me in and around the area of DELIGHTED!

Jodie goes.....
Jodie goes out clubbing. No she do not.
Jodie goes to Paris. Oooh really! When? I want to know when?! I need to brush up on my French and start eating beignets and cwoissan's!
Jodie goes home. Home Sweet Home - there's no place like it.

Jodie is.....
Jodie is back. And forth. (I don't know, people. Nothing else comes to mind.)
Jodie is doing very well. I would drop the "very" and call it good.
Jodie is a naturally talented decorator, who creates beautiful solutions to every room in your home. This is false. I am not a "naturally talented" decorator. I wish this were true of me but alas, it is not. I'm still learning how to marry my styles which I think is something like Romantic Country meets Rustic Cottage Something Or Other.

Jodie loves.....
Jodie loves losing clothes. ...It's like Google doesn't even know me.
Jodie loves adam 4eva. Um, sike. (Or is it psych?) But she does love Stretch 4life! Because he is:

2cute
+2b
____
4gotten

Jodie loves the outdoor life. Yes she really does, as long as The Outdoor Life doesn't actually get on her.

Awww, see? Wasn't that fun?! Now go do yours so I can read that!
And have a happy weekend y'all!

Dually Noted

Note to self:

When swapping books on PaperBack Swap, double-check to make sure that the book you are swapping is, in fact, yours, and not one on loan from someone else. In doing so, you may buffer yourself against high shame, and also having to pay a high price to replace a book which is now out of print.

*sigh*

Duty Calls

Do what you love.
Know your own bone;
gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it and gnaw it still.
Thoreau

I know I've posted lots of quotes lately.
I can't help myself... they're too good to not share.

And besides that, I am (self-proclaimed) WordGirl, am I not?
I'm doing my duty.

Why I Love Sisters

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves
and very much not ourselves ---
a special kind of double.

Silly little cubby all stuffed with fluff...

The spring has sprung
The grass is rizz
I wonder where them birdies is.
- Winnie the Pooh

...willy nilly silly old bear.

Open Season

I used to run.

I miss running.

With spring around the corner I have a stronger and stronger urge to just get out there and run. I want to load up my iPod with new music --- music that compels me to move --- and run until I don't want to run anymore. I think getting to that point would take a while, and that makes me happy, because I want to be out there as long as I can.

I love running--- it allows me to get to go into a world where no one else lives... the way that being under water seems to affect other people. It's like I've stuck my head into another time and space. Running makes me feel really alive --- like I'm sucking the marrow out of life --- it puts me in touch with a part of myself that seems off limits until I'm out there, in my body.

Even while I run and I feel like my lungs are crushing me from the inside I keep going and I keep telling myself, "I am a runner. I am a runner. I am a runner."

And I am.

I'm just out of season.

I signed up for a small group at our church though; a running group. For three months, we'll run every Saturday morning, training to run a 5K together.

Already I'm feeling like a runner again. And I can't wait to breathe in the sun.

{{ideal warm up - crescendo - cool down}}

Sick House

Over the course of the past two weeks, my kids have taken turns being sick with a myriad of symptoms, varying from fever to sore throat to hacking coughs to wheezing and even tossing their groceries on occasion.

I am not a throw up person. I can change any diaper my children can conjure up, but the smell of throw up makes it difficult for me to swallow. [Just like breathing when we drive over road kill. Ugh! I fear I'll get the taste of that stench in my mouth.]

I especially have a low tolerance for hot dog throw up and today, I got to face that fear head on.

Today's round of puke landed partially on me---my clothes and my bare feet.

Yeah, soak that in baby.

I am now back in my pajama pants, because I am that ready to crawl back into my bed. Too bad it's only 1 o'clock.

Oh well, at least I have nap time to look forward to --- even if I'm not the one partaking in that sweet, sweet slumber.

And now, I think I need another Diet Coke.

Edited to add:
PS - Who is "Gazelle Enthusiast"? Reveal your secret identity. Please? :)

Edited again to add:
Thank you "Gazelle Enthusiast" for making yourself known. I never would've known it was you, Stretch. And you know that would've just bothered me. :)

Weekend Getaway, Part Deux: Stellar Saturday

Top o' the morning, at 8 o'clock, coffee was delivered to our room. Cute, little, tiny coffee.

The little handles on the cups were so tiny you had to pinch them. There was no way you were getting a finger through that hole.

Clearly, I needed that little "spot" of coffee... looks like I'd had a long night, whatwith all the thoughts of REDRUM and all.

{A few of you mentioned The Shining in yesterday's comments... um yeah, that's what I was thinking too.}

After breakfast we took the house tour, which I really enjoyed. We got our learn on; the lady who lead the tour was quite knowledgeable. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the tour.

The Calling Card Table

I had never seen a Calling Card Table before, but I love the sentiment behind it. I love most things about that time period. I love the idea of having a family "call upon you" at your home... Things are so different now, and sure I could recreate alot of that in my own home, but I know you would all think I was a freak, plus I may have mentioned a time or sixty, I am a bit lazy. I would however, love to live in a home where all these things were done FOR ME TO ENJOY. That would be splendid. By the way, the upholstery you see on that chair is the original, and it dates back to the 1890s.

Other things we saw that I had never seen before were: knife urns, a humidor and fire screens (to keep beeswax makeup from melting right off the ladies' faces).

I loved this sofa.

And this carriage!!

They even had the Bill of Sale.
How much do you think all of THAT is worth on the Antiques Road Show?!
Well over $1,075 I'd bet, which is what they paid for it.

After the tour, we decided to hit the town. For a second helping of nachos. We tried to see what Death by Nachos felt like. Turns out it feels delicious. But we didn't die.

Or did we?

Hmmm.

After nachos and burgers and maybe even some shrimp & okra gumbo, we went back to the house for a nap. Understandably so. After we woke up, we took a stroll around the home's extensive property.

What remains of an old greenhouse


Stretch's postcard shot of the rickety old wooden bridge
(now complete with steel reinforcements, Thank You Jesus)

My head is down because I'm looking for steel bars that ensure my footing.
I do NOT do my own stunts.

A gazelle we saw late in the afternoon.

So, here's the final breakdown:

tiny coffee + delightful house tour + more nachos + the best Greek/Lebanese meal I've ever had at our favorite place with NO RESERVATIONS on Valentine's night + a full love tank from a fantastic time with my Valentine = Stellar Saturday

We came home Sunday feeling refreshed and connected.

And that my friends, is a very, very good thing. Stellar, actually.

Weekend Getaway, Part Un: Freaky Friday

Stretch whisked me away for the weekend. We had planned to go to one place and he (sneaky little thing) surprised me with an announcement that we were not in fact going to that place, we were going to a different place. A bed and breakfast. He knows that those words are my love language.

I will not disclose the name of the place though, because I want to speak freely about our experience there. And let me just get that out in the open right now... it was an experience.

I'm so glad he took me there!

Also, I have to break this down into two days. Each day deserves its own space. You will soon understand why.

Okay so here we go.

Freaky Friday.

I learned something new about myself. I do not like going into new, unfamiliar territory under the cover of night. Especially if that territory is set back into the woods and involves a wooden bridge. That right there, is a recipe for the booboo jeebies. Oh, and I got 'em.

We pulled up to the place and were greeted by a woman to check us in and show us to our room. It did not go unnoticed that there was a rather large (perhaps half-gallon) bottle of Jack Daniels on the kitchen counter.

We were then lead up a long, narrow staircase.

At the top of that staircase, we hooked a right (because we were in the East Wing) and found ourselves facing the longest, most narrow and also most creepy hallway I have ever seen. Located at the far (dark) end of that hallway, was a door. Actually, the hallway was flanked on both ends by identical doors. Standing smack in the middle of those doors, at the top of the stairway, I realized I was more than a little scared to be where we were.

Now you tell me that doesn't freak you out just a little bit and I will tell you, YOU my friend ARE A LIAR!

But all was not lost.

We settled into our rooms and found this beautiful little sweet treat.

We also found that we didn't know how to lock the doors. Great. Freaky Factor skyrocketing by the second. I'm not going to the bathroom by myself in here.

Meanwhile, other guests are arriving (PRAISE THE LORD) and we were joking about the Jack Daniels lady. I heard her coming up the stairs and said, "Go ask her how to lock the door!!" And then, just for good measure, I added, "Go ask Jack Daniels. Go ask Jackie." {Cause you know, I thought I was so funny, giving her such a clever nickname.}

Well, Stretch opens the door and as this clearly intoxicated woman is descending the stairs he says, "Ma'am, um, Mrs. Jackie, could you tell me how to lock our door?"

Well, I 'bout lost it! I was, as we say, crezzin'- stifling my uncontrollable laughter by burying my face in the bed sheets. It should also be noted that the backside of our bed was the same wall that ran alongside the staircase, so basically what I'm saying is, "Mrs. Jackie" was standing pretty much right behind me when Stretch said that.

To this day, we don't know that woman's real name. We just call her Jackie. But we do know, because she told us, that we were not dressed fancy enough to eat at the Oxbow Restaurant (which is unfortunate because we later found out that the décor there was somethin' else.)

We made it through the night without incident. I prayed y'all. A bunch. Because girlfriend was frightened. I was glad to know Jesus, but I was still some. scared.

And that concludes Friday.

Tomorrow's post, Stellar Saturday. Look for it.

It was really that good. You know, good enough for a "stellar" rating.

For me anyway. See ya then!

{Verbs & Nouns}

I finally got some pictures posted on my other blog, {Verbs & Nouns}.

Feast your eyes mah deahs..

The Useless Trivia, It Just Keeps Flowing

This has been going around Facebook like a stomach bug. Everybody's catching it! People are tagging and being tagged LEFT and RIGHT! But I ain't gon' lie, I like it.

25 Random Stuffs About Me

1 I love laughing. It's my favorite.

2 I'm noticing more and more lines on my face. Smile lines around my eyes, creases in my forehead from a furrowed brow, and these 2 lines { || } just above the bridge of my nose that look like a pause symbol. Most of those lines are just proof that I fret.

3 I love typing. I used to phantom-type words on my legs while I was talking to people. Fancy fidgeting.

4 I lived in a halfway house for 9 months, and I believe it was instrumental in saving my life.

5 I can't decide if I'm more introverted or extroverted.

6 I hate the hunter green/burgundy/navy blue color combo.

7 I have a tattoo. I wish I had been more particular about my choice though --- it should've been a unicorn.

8 I miss singing, but I'm terrified to start up again.

9 I won a Spelling Bee when I was in the 4th grade. Spelling excites me.

10 I have my own blog that I want everyone to read and know about {and love}, and then I get all nervous when I find out people I know are reading and knowing about it.

11 I love that I know how to sew, knit, cross-stitch and embroider. {Oh yeah, and decoupage.---that's for you Holly!}

12 I also love: paper, chocolate mint, gift wrap, swans and rabbits.












13 My love for swans is a recent development. SWANS, of all things. Coulda been worse, I suppose. I could've developed as obsession with leg warmers, and that would just be tragic and unfortunate.

14 I do not have a green thumb. I have killed, in my lifetime, two (2) cacti. (And yeah, I know, no one says cacti but cactuses sounds sooo duuumb.)

15 I miss ballet so, so much.

16 I suck at time management. I am what you might call "of the lazy persuasion".

17 I love nesting---and I also like birds and nests, which is not directly related... Danny says I like the nests&birds so much because he's part egret.


18 I am a word NERD. I love language. I would love to take a class that requires nothing of me but to diagram sentences ALL. DAY. LONG. Just the thought makes my heart beat a little faster.

19 I did not graduate from college. I "took off a semester" to get married and never went back. And now I have all these kids... but I'm okay with that.

20 I used to swim in the ditch when I was little. I also used to walk a tight rope between 2 trees in my backyard.

21 I know how to cut a sweet trail with a machete.











22 I have no friends that I can trace back to the beginning of my life. Only family. Too much moving, and too little connecting.

23 I tend to think of the glass as half empty.

24 I feel very fortunate to have people in my life that teach me truth and give me grace.

25 I love Pride & Prejudice and wish I lived in that era, except with plumbing. "...it's all very (veddy) vexing... I am quite put out!"

A Smattering of Good Words

If you don't like laughing really hard, don't read this. Otherwise, by all means, carry on {my wayward son}. [sorry]

Antique Mommy wrote a fantastic parenting analogy. It is SPOT ON! If you are a parent, you will love this. I just know it. And I believe that you will agree wholeheartedly!

Lastly, what Sue wrote about morning routines is fantastically funny! Trust me, it's funnier than that sentence makes it sound. I promise. It is SO VERY worth your time, because you will relate and you will laugh... if you have little ones to ship off to school that is.

Okay, off you go!