Obligatory Thankful Post No. 007

You guys, you know how every year in November I get all crazy about the too-early Christmas music? Well, I’m not sure if it’s the fact that Colorado weather just now turned cold or what, but this year the timing seemed juuuust right. (Do you see how I’m channeling Goldilocks right now?) And it sure didn’t hurt that Pentatonix came out with a new Christmas album to bring the holidays in with brilliant aca-music. #justsaying

I am constantly thankful for the blessings that occur in my every day life…a God that isn’t finished with me yet; my family for whom I have a depth of love that transcends words; friends of all types, far and near that I have the privilege of knowing; a job that I love; a roof over my head (that I now own! #adultinghardcore); a car that is steady and gets me through Colorado winters; not to mention all the luxuries I take for granted far too often.

However, this year I thought I’d use this time to call out some more…shall we say…trivial things that I’m thankful for. Here they are in no particular order.

1. I’m thankful for snacks that keep me sane. As I mentioned in my last post, I started a healthy eating journey this year. In my head I wondered if at the end of it all I would be that girl that would order a kale salad for lunch BY CHOICE and ACTUALLY ENJOY IT. Turns out, that didn’t happen. But what I learned in sticking with the program is that the success for me was dependent on two things (1) making a meal on the weekend that I could eat for dinners during the week and (2) finding snacks that didn’t taste like sawdust. If you’re looking for a list then, well, you know me well. Here are a few of my favorite finds:
   • Strawberry Kashi Breakfast Bars. Low sugar, high in fiber, and they tastes DELICIOUS. Plus, I really needed something that I could stick in my purse to have on-hand when everyone is eating cake in the break room.
   • Ritz Toasted Chips + Special K Cracker Chips. For when you need a salty snack, but don’t want to eat a meal’s worth of calories. The hardest thing here is to stop eating them at the serving size. Trust me on this.
   • Halo Top Ice Cream. Lord bless the genius that came up with this stuff. I’m serious. It’s like a modern day manna from heaven. So far, my favorite flavors are Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Vanilla, and Mocha Chip.
   • Corn GoodThins. Actually, all the GoodThins are pretty great. But the corn ones taste like Fritos and come in handy when you need a tortilla chip substitute.
2. I’m thankful for kitchen tools that make me happy to be alive. Baking is the best. And this year, I discovered a handy little object that makes baking muffins and cupcakes a breeze. The Tovolo Cupcake Scoop came into my life as a $8.89 impulse purchase, but it’s more than earned its spot in my very crammed cooking tool drawer. How do I love it? Let me count the ways. First, it’s under $10. Second, it makes uniform cupcakes and muffins. Third, it renders my former nickname “Batter Hands” obsolete. Need I say more?
3. I’m thankful for podcasts. PODCASTS ARE EVERYTHING! PODCASTS FOR PRESIDENT! PODCASTS FOREVER! So, I discovered podcasts this year mostly because I learned that two guys were starting up a podcast called “The West Wing Weekly”. If there’s anything I love more than (or maybe just as much as) Gilmore Girls, it’s The West Wing. While I have to roll my eyes at the liberal hosts’ opinions on some things, it’s basically one of the most wonderful things that has ever happened to me. I catch myself full-on grinning while I listen and then I have to rub out my cheek muscles so they don’t cramp (#firstworldproblems). I also love the “What Should I Read Next” podcast where host has guests on that are looking for their next read and asks them to tell her (1) three books they loved (2) one book they hated (3) what they’re reading now and (4) what they want to be different in their reading life. Recently, thanks to a friend’s recommendation, I started listening to the “Pass the Mic” podcast which is giving me a new perspective on racial injustice in our culture…and in our churches. I like that podcasts can be a way to get more information, entertainment, or broaden the scope of my understanding with just a push of a button!
4. I’m thankful for Voxer. What is Voxer, you ask? I often describe it like this: if text message and voicemail had a baby, it would be Voxer. Basically, it’s like a long distance phone conversation with a friend that you don’t have to schedule. You send a recording of you talking about whatever to your friend and they can respond when they have the time. It’s been such a great way to keep in touch with some of my friends that don’t live near me…and when I was going through some serious processing earlier this year, these conversations really helped me think things through.
5. I’m thankful Lip Sync Battles. You guys, have you even SEEN the Melissa McCarthy/Jimmy Fallon lip sync battle? It’s absolutely in my top 5. The others, in case you’re wondering, would be #1: Anna Kendrick/John Krasinski; #2: Joseph Gordon Levitt/Stephen Merchant/Jimmy Fallon; #3: Emma Stone/Jimmy Fallon; and #4: Ellen DeGeneres/Jimmy Fallon.*
6. I’m thankful for hand lotion that keeps my hands from cracking right off the face of the planet. Living in Colorado is basically like living on the face of the sun. If you aren’t careful, your skin will be as rough as sandpaper in a handyman’s garage. I think everyone kind of has their go-to lotion to battle the dryness-to-end-all-dryness here, especially during the winter. Mine is L’Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream. Now, I’m not going to sugar coat this – the lotion is expensive. But I find that if I apply it to my hands every night before I go to bed, it keeps the little dryness gremlins at bay. And I really only have to purchase it once a year. In my mind? Quality over quantity, baby. (And yes, I just called you baby. Deal with it.)

If you’re just now coming to because you feel that I’m long-winded and should have gotten to the point sooner, here’s the bottom line: I’m thankful for #allthethings. For realz, people.

XO,

Amy

*I do not condone all the language in the music choices…just for the record. 

It’s true what they say…

…absence makes the heart grow fonder. It’s also been proven that it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. In addition, you should never look a gift horse in the mouth. But, all joking aside, they also say that you don’t truly appreciate something until it’s gone.

 I’ve moved a LOT in my lifetime.  Family friends jokingly refer to us as the “nomadic Haddock family”. And if they don’t, they should.  Here’s the run down, even though I’m sure you couldn’t care less right now. Trust me, I’m building to something.

 Move #1 – From Casper, WY to Gillette, WY (no, they don’t make the razors there) when I was a wee lass.

Move #2 – From Gillette, WY to Grand Junction, CO when I was in 4th or 5th grade.

Move #3 – From Grand Junction, CO to Gillette, WY 14 months after we moved to GJ

Move #4 – From Gillette, WY to Anchorage, AK when I was in 8th grade

Move #5 – From Anchorage, AK to Gillette, WY after I graduated from high school

Move #6 – While I was in college, my family moved from Gillette, WY back to Anchorage, AK. Needless to say, I had a hard time figuring out where the spoons were that Christmas break.

Move #7 – After I graduated and stayed put in CA, my family moved from Anchorage, AK to Katy, TX

Move #8 – When my Grandma passed on, mi familia moved from Katy, TX to Morgantown, WV. They lost my sister, Lindsay in that move – she remained in TX.

So…after all was said and done, I have 2 sisters in as many states and have experienced my fair share pen pals, first days at new schools, and can navigate time zones with ease. Plus, as an added bonus, I learned that even if you DO move back to a state and the friends you left before, life still won’t be the same. People move on, stay put but everybody changes to some extent throughout the years.

It is with this noted and profound experiencial evidence under my belt that I would like to tell you the following: moving sucks.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I willingly subjected myself to the changes of a move 2 years ago August. I think it’s especially important to note that I moved WHEN NO ONE MADE ME. 

 When I first got out here to Colorado, I was a wee bit busy dealing with living on my own, establishing a new church, group of friends, navigating the 8,000 blizzards that Jack Frost threw my way, buying a new car after my first was totaled, getting my car broken into, etc.  It was a tramatic, but rewarding experience, to say the least. There were ups, there were downs. I missed my friends. I missed my family to the extent that I seriously considered moving home. I missed my church. I missed knowing the street names and the fastest route to get to my end destination. I missed my old apartment. These were mostly familiar feelings to me, but there was ONE feeling that I’d never had before.

I missed my grocery store.

I know it sounds crazy. But before I moved to CA and lived in the Pink Palace with my roommate, Holly, I had never before experienced Trader Joe’s.  On the outside, it’s like one of those clown cars – you never know what surprises it will hold.

I could go into Trader Joe’s as a burn-the-toast, ruin-boiled-water kind of girl and come out a gourmet chef. They made it so easy with their frozen easy to re-create meals, their name brand juice, their pre-made marinated meats, their dried fruit. And don’t even get me started on the flower selection. *sniff

For those of you that have never been inside a Trader Joe’s, I feel that there should be a support group for you.  For those of you that HAVE and go on a regular basis, count your blessings. For those of you that used to be able to go that now can’t and go back to visit – please let me know. I’ll do anything to be a part of the magic again.

I’ll leave you with this thought – as it relates to grocery stores, is it REALLY better to have loved and lost? I ask you.

It’s being called…

…arguably the greatest superbowl ever.

 Eli Manning pulls it out at the last second! I won’t lie. There may have been a bit of screaming and possibly even some jumping up and down. 

 I’m so excited…and let’s face it, I just can’t hide it.  Congrats, Giants! 

Even with the win, though, I’m sad. It’s over forever (until next year). Sniff.  Bye-bye football!

Amy’s Consumer Reports

Nine out of ten normal people will tell you that I am no expert on anything…well, except maybe Gilmore Girls. That having been established, I would like to give you my humble opinion on a few of my favorite things of all time (or at least this week).

 #1 – My Patagonia Scarf

As most anyone who knows me will tell you, I am not a big fan of the snow sports.  I don’t relish the idea of ever going down snow-packed hills at breakneck speeds. Seems to me that that’s a good way to get killed.  So, many would draw the obvious conclusion that I’m not really into winter gear, either. While I’m no REI frequenter, I can appreciate a well made and functioning scarf.  This scarf that I now own is a Patagonia brand scarf. I mention this so that everyone will know: A) That I actually own something with a brand that would make fellow Coloradoans proud and B) So that you will know that this scarf is legit.  Now, I don’t know where you live, but here in Colorado it’s been known to get pretty cold.  Even this week, we’ve had to contend with over 50 mph winds that put us in below zero temperatures.  It’s at these times that I like to pull out this scarf.  Please notice, if you will, the width of my scarf. It’s ginormous. It’s huge (like Sputnik).  This means that I can wrap it around my mouth and neck so that I’m not breathing in sub zero temperatured air.  Please also note that it is made of fleece. Wonder fabric, that one. I heart this scarf. Truly, the bestest invention ever.

#2 – My DustBuster

True to it’s name, this little guy really does bust my dirt.  It busts it right up. It says, “Hey, you! Dirt. Get over here. I’m going to bust you up”.  And for that, I love my DustBuster.  This lovely item was a gift from my Uncle Neal who said, “No one should be without a DustBuster!” Turns out, he was right. Now, instead of sweeping my floor and trying to finagle all the fine dirt, crumbs, etc into my dust pan, I simply dust bust them.  Easy. No more dirt. And, on those rare occasions that I give my car the cleaning it deserves, my DustBuster again comes to the rescue in those hard to reach crevices.  I really don’t know how I lived without one!

#3 – Pace Picante Sauce

The story goes that when I left for college, my Mom was able to stop buying Pace Picante Sauce in bulk from Costco.  What can I say? I love the sauce.  The Pace sauce, that is. It’s always been my favorite. Always.  And in the last two weeks, I’ve discovered that I’m a bit addicted to it. I finished up our last 1/4 of a bottle last week and am now 1/2 way through the new bigger bottle. Accept no other in its place. This one is made by folks who know what salsa should taste like. That other stuff is made in New York City.  Trust me.

#4 – Puffs Tissue with the scent of Vicks

You know what? I don’t normally buy into the whole speciality tissue thing. With lotion, without lotion, with aloe, without aloe, anit-viral, viral…if it doesn’t feel like sandpaper on my nose, I’m good. What’s truly important to me is if they are in a cute box that matches the room they are placed in. That’s my level. But, when I went home this Christmas, my Mom introduced me to these fine tissues and I may never go back. I like how the scent of Vicks cleanses the airways and makes me feel all good inside…like I’m getting better. And all of that without the slimey Vicks Rub. I’m thinking this is a better way to go. Just one word of caution. Don’t stick it in your eye. The results will not be pleasant.

#5 – My New Bookshelf

I am so brilliant. I should get a medal. Having no place to house all of my millions of books, and no money with which to purchase a nice bookcase (say from Target or Wal-Mart), I decided to take matters into my own hands. Fully aware that the usual outcome of this decision is chaos, I prepared myself for the worst. Here was my idea – build my own bookcase. Buy some unfinished wood crates from my local craft store and stack them on top of each other to create a cool bookcase. I found out that it worked even better than I ever imagined! Maybe someday I’ll even stain them so they match my room…

# 6 – My new favorite pen

This pen was a re-gift from my roommate who is a teacher. I started laughing really hard when I saw this pen. Let’s see if you do too…

So that’s it. That’s the extent of my market research. I think you can be fairly certain of its accuracy as these results as I have not been paid or compensated in any way to bring them to you. Let me know if you have anything I should add to the list! 🙂

Silence is Golden

I still don’t really get what that means. I think it means that silence is worth its weight in gold…but isn’t an articulate word equally prized? I’m just sayin’…

If you know me, you know that I love music. While driving, I can almost always be heard partially down the street I am traveling on. I can’t help it, I love the beats, the lyrics, the harmonies…I love the feeling that your car is your studio and that you CAN be a drummer. Everyone sounds good singing in their car. I also sometimes have to head bob or move my shoulders to the groovy tunes. I know my sister would bury her head in her hands, but I’m a slave to the art. Can you blame me?

I recently discovered another band/artist that I LOVE. Seriously…I heart this CD. Background…I was the last to discover 4Him, D(ecent) C(hristian) Talk, and numerous other groups. I don’t know what it is, but I’m always coming in late to catch the BANDwagon. 🙂 In any case, I have recently discovered TobyMac.

Originally, I thought I wouldn’t like it because DC Talk dared to split up. I spent many an hour with Nu Thang on repeat and “Socially Acceptable” from their Free At Last tape (that’s right, it was a tape) was my first breakthrough to the world of Christian Contemporary music. So what could be better than that? I wrote all the spin-off albums off.

Turns out, I was wrong. You won’t hear that very often, because this is only about the second time I’ve been wrong in my life. So enjoy it now…I was very wrong. I love almost every track on the “Portable Sounds” CD and it is going to ROCK the HOUSE when I work out using it as my soundtrack.

Sidenote: Does anyone else ever feel like they are in a movie with a soundtrack playing in the back? I almost always feel this way at the gym and when I am getting ready for work. I think a montage plays in my head. Anyone? Anyone? Ahem. Okay then. Moving on…

I did not intend to say any of this so far…but here’s the reason for my post. Yesterday, I got in my car and I didn’t turn on my music. I didn’t pick up my cell phone (and hands-free earpiece) and call any of my friends or family. I didn’t talk at the truck that cut me off.

I just sat there in silence. All the way home, I basked it in. I don’t get how silence has a sound, but it does. It’s like a cotton ball deafening sound. And I love it. There’s so much happening in my life every second that I rarely take time to just be silent and think. I have to tell you that it was a mini-spa experience in my car that day.

I think we take silence for granted. The listening ear of a friend, the walk in the snow at night with nothing around, the lack of white noise. So, give silence a try today and see how you like it. Just be still and quiet…see what happens.

Does this mean I won’t be listening to my rad albums anymore? Now, people let’s not get crazy!

Merry Christmas! Or as we used to say at Term101…Mary Christian!

Prelude to the Giving of Thanks

When I was in High School, my sister Lindsay was in Junior High. This meant, of course, that we were a part of two different worlds, all encompassed under one roof. One such division was the name of our singing groups. Just a small preface: I have to say that there are a multitude of awesome choir names in the vast realm of musical terminology.

I tried out for Concert Choir (everyone with a genuine desire to be there was welcome), Encore (smaller ensemble…a little more difficult to be in) and A ccaprecio (it means “as you like it”. And many people liked trying out for it as it was the elite 8 person singing group few made it into). All of that to say, my sister Lindsay tried out and made it into Prelude and sang her little heart out. All of this is neither here nor there, it’s just that my title reminded me of it.

Ahem…but back to the original reason for this post. With all the helter skelter of the last week, I haven’t really taken time to slow down. I actually think I have two speeds…fast and super fast. This is much like super bad, but without the bad part. My former roommate Holly, however, always puts me to shame in this department. Her speedometer of life tops out at turbo fast. But I digress.

My point is that it’s hard to live life purposefully. I have no trouble walking to my car purposefully (except when I am in heels), but going through my daily routine with a bigger perspective and a “zoom out” lens over my day is not something that usually happens. Judge me if you will, but I have a feeling that I’m not alone.

I think, then, it is only appropriate to use the Thanksgiving Holiday as a pause button and to really take the time to think about what I am thankful for. First and foremost, I’m thankful for my salvation and the fact that God continues to stick with me throughout all my screw-ups. But here’s a few other things that I’m grateful for…

1. No one can push my buttons like my family…but I know that no matter what comes up they have my back. I’m thankful for them.

2. I’m thankful that my sister Lindsay and I have such a good relationship now. There were some touch and go situations when we both lived at home, but growing up has matured us both and I love our friendship.

3. No way when I moved to Colorado did I imagine that I would get a fabulous roommate (not the freaky variety that tended to pop up in my other CA situations….you know, the kind that gypped me on rent, etc.) I’m thankful for Anne…if for no other reason than she laughs at my jokes and is a constant presence urging me to drink more water.

4. Going to work each day is fun! I don’t deserve the job the Lord orchestrated for me, but I’m so incredibly thankful for it. What a picture of grace! AND it came built in with extra cool friends on the side. 🙂

5. Friendship is freaky. It’s hard to navigate the choppy waters of a friendship and keep your bearings in a swirl of emotion. They can be the mark of the best of times or the curse of the worst of times…I have a handful of people in my life that I feel I can be myself with and there is that rare give and take that is sometimes lacking. I don’t know what I would do without them…they are a lifeline. I’m thankful for them.

6. I heart my church. I love the feeling of family and learning from those around me. And let’s just be honest about it…I DIG the floral arrangements at the front of the sanctuary. In all seriousness, though, I’m thankful for my church and the pastors that lead it.

7. Rejoining the world of books has been awesome and it made me appreciate those people that take the time to write from a different perspective than my life (not really that hard to do :)) and suck me in. All the midnight and one a.m. sessions to get through a book have been worth it. So has the coffee…

8. Last and least (at least for this time and place) I’m thankful for the seasons and the Yankee candles that maximize my enjoyment of them.

So that’s my list for now…next week is going to be fast and furious with the forecast showing a strong likelihood for snow. Ah, well…the dry roads were bound to be gone eventually. Here’s to a season of staying on all 4 wheels and AWAY from the evilness that is black ice. Drive safe out there, Coloradans! My life depends on it…