Whew! We made it through the challenge. I, unfortunately, did skip 3 days which was unintentional, but this is the most I've blogged consistently and I enjoyed it. Thanks Katie for setting up everything - especially the link up.
Okay, on to the question. Well, if you've been following this blog for awhile you probably know that I am not loving life right now. Dude's death has been the most life altering and tragic event of my entire life. Getting into law school (Not in yet. I'll know in August) has been an unnecessary struggle that has brought out determination, persistence, and perseverance in me that I never knew I had. My parents' health issues have forced me to take control of emergency situations and remain calm and stable. All of these unfortunate situations have brought out a different part of me. More strength. More resilience. More confidence. More determination. More boldness. More persistence and perseverance. More love. More gratitude. More prayer. More support from my friends and my family -- even from my prospective law schools.
Life is not the brightest these days. It's not all that smooth. But... I am learning about myself. I am pushing myself beyond my limits. I am leaning on God. I am determined not to give up on anything. And all of those are good things. Do I love that all of these scary and tragic situations have brought me to this place? Nope. But, I am making the most of them and becoming a better me. That's something to love.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Day 29: My Favorite Performance or Show
First of all, I apologize for skipping yesterday. We had terrible thunderstorms in DC and the power was knocked out until about an hour ago. It turns out our neighborhood power outage was caused by a tree in my parents' front yard. Ooops! It's technically not our fault because the city is expected to maintain this tree, but anyway, we are real popular in the neighborhood right now. Not!
Anyway, so my picking my favorite show or performance is very difficult. I think the first concert I went to was Celine Dion in seventh grade. But my parents also tell stories of taking me to see orchestras and my pretending to be the conductor throughout the performance. I have always loved music from a very early age.
As a gift to my parents (and myself) I get them a subscription to the Kennedy Center, our main performing arts center in DC. This means we get to see about 6 or 7 shows a year. Just last week in fact, we went to see "Anything Goes". It was really fantastic, but not my favorite show. I think my favorite show might be "Memphis". "Memphis" is based on the story of this white DJ, Dewey, who was one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s. I grew up loving Motown and am the daughter of a white mother and black father, so that might be one reason why I love this show. It did win a Tony for Best Musical in 2010, so obviously, I am not the only one who enjoys this show. I have seen it on Broadway as well as in DC and I'd see it again.
If you get the opportunity, check this out. You won't be disappointed.
Anyway, so my picking my favorite show or performance is very difficult. I think the first concert I went to was Celine Dion in seventh grade. But my parents also tell stories of taking me to see orchestras and my pretending to be the conductor throughout the performance. I have always loved music from a very early age.
As a gift to my parents (and myself) I get them a subscription to the Kennedy Center, our main performing arts center in DC. This means we get to see about 6 or 7 shows a year. Just last week in fact, we went to see "Anything Goes". It was really fantastic, but not my favorite show. I think my favorite show might be "Memphis". "Memphis" is based on the story of this white DJ, Dewey, who was one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s. I grew up loving Motown and am the daughter of a white mother and black father, so that might be one reason why I love this show. It did win a Tony for Best Musical in 2010, so obviously, I am not the only one who enjoys this show. I have seen it on Broadway as well as in DC and I'd see it again.
If you get the opportunity, check this out. You won't be disappointed.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Day 27: My Pets
Sorry to post so late. I am sick and have a headache the size of Texas. Being sick in the summer is really no fun, but I am at my parents' house. That means our dogs are the best nurses.
We have two dogs: a four year old Westie named Zoe and a 2 year old Wired Fox Terrier named Phoebe. Zoe has shown me that I am going to be an overprotective mother. I found Zoe online and had to do all of this research to make sure she was from a legitimate breeder and not a puppy mill. I don't think I've ever done so much research in my life. I felt like I was playing detective trying to find out all of the facts. It turns out she was legit, so I made plans to bring her to DC from Kansas. That was quite a trip in itself!
In order to bring Zoe to the East Coast, I had to purchase a ticket in Pet Class on Delta. She had quite the trip. She left her birth city and drove 3 hours to get to the airport. Then she flew from Kansas City to Dallas. Zoe had a two hour layover in Dallas (I was so nervous they'd forget to put her on the plane!), and then embarked on the last leg to DC. When she got to DC, we met her in baggage claim. One of the airline employees brought her out and she was perfect -- happy, healthy, and clean. We weren't sure what to name her out of three names. Upon presenting the names to the baggage handler, he said "She looks like a Zoe!" He was right and that was her name.
Zoe is a beautiful dog with a laid back personality. I think that's how she survived the plane ride so well.
Phoebe is a different story. Phoebe originally lived across the street from my parents. She was the "daughter" of a gay couple, Mike and Gerardo. Mike flew to Chicago and back in one day to get Phoebe. Mike and Gerardo worked everyday, so my mom would go and get Phoebe to play with Zoe during the day. One day, they didn't call to come and get her and Phoebe stayed at our house for 5 days!! Dad decided to walk her across the street (home) and told them that if they didn't have time to take care of her, we would take her! They thought about it for a day or two and then she officially became ours. This was huge news because my dad's motto was always "One wife. One daughter. One dog. " Now he has two dogs! As far as I know, he doesn't have two wives or daughters. :)
Phoebe is wild and crazy and spunky. She is the opposite of Zoe. The drive each other crazy and are a joy to us. We are so happy to have both of them as a part of our family.
We have two dogs: a four year old Westie named Zoe and a 2 year old Wired Fox Terrier named Phoebe. Zoe has shown me that I am going to be an overprotective mother. I found Zoe online and had to do all of this research to make sure she was from a legitimate breeder and not a puppy mill. I don't think I've ever done so much research in my life. I felt like I was playing detective trying to find out all of the facts. It turns out she was legit, so I made plans to bring her to DC from Kansas. That was quite a trip in itself!
In order to bring Zoe to the East Coast, I had to purchase a ticket in Pet Class on Delta. She had quite the trip. She left her birth city and drove 3 hours to get to the airport. Then she flew from Kansas City to Dallas. Zoe had a two hour layover in Dallas (I was so nervous they'd forget to put her on the plane!), and then embarked on the last leg to DC. When she got to DC, we met her in baggage claim. One of the airline employees brought her out and she was perfect -- happy, healthy, and clean. We weren't sure what to name her out of three names. Upon presenting the names to the baggage handler, he said "She looks like a Zoe!" He was right and that was her name.
Zoe is a beautiful dog with a laid back personality. I think that's how she survived the plane ride so well.
Phoebe is a different story. Phoebe originally lived across the street from my parents. She was the "daughter" of a gay couple, Mike and Gerardo. Mike flew to Chicago and back in one day to get Phoebe. Mike and Gerardo worked everyday, so my mom would go and get Phoebe to play with Zoe during the day. One day, they didn't call to come and get her and Phoebe stayed at our house for 5 days!! Dad decided to walk her across the street (home) and told them that if they didn't have time to take care of her, we would take her! They thought about it for a day or two and then she officially became ours. This was huge news because my dad's motto was always "One wife. One daughter. One dog. " Now he has two dogs! As far as I know, he doesn't have two wives or daughters. :)
Phoebe is wild and crazy and spunky. She is the opposite of Zoe. The drive each other crazy and are a joy to us. We are so happy to have both of them as a part of our family.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day 25: My Grief Playlist
Dealing with Dude's death has been hard -- unbearable, at times. Music has helped a lot. Oftentimes, songs have said the words that I can't even begin to speak. Here is a list of my favorites:
- I Think Of You - Easton Corbin
- Why - Rascal Flatts
- One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey
- Bye Bye - Mariah Carey
- Never Forget You - Mariah Carey
- I Look To You - Whitney Houston
- I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
- When I Look To The Sky - Train
- Everything Falls Apart - Fee
- Lovin' You Is Fun - Easton Corbin
- The Hurt and the Healer - MercyMe
- Save a Place for Me - Matthew West
- Before the Morning - Josh Wilson
- Over You - Miranda Lambert
- Didn't We Almost Have It All - Whitney Houston
- Long Way Home - Steven Curtis Chapman
- My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion (I used to hate this song. Not anymore.)
- Bridge Over Troubled Waters - Various artists
- See you Again - Carrie Underwood
- Rainin' You - Brad Paisley
- Can't Say Goodbye - Josh Gracin
Monday, June 24, 2013
Day 24: The Town I Live In
I'm not trying to brag, but I honestly feel so blessed to live in the town I live in. I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia and still live here today. Alexandria is about 15 minutes outside of Washington, DC. I think it is one of the best places to raise a family. Alexandria has a small town feel, but it is right outside of the Nation's capital with all of it's history, culture, political power and diversity.
Old Town Alexandria, where I live, is not without history of it's own. It was founded in 1749 and was the home of George Washington and Robert E. Lee, Jim Morrison and Mama Cass. Old Town is on the water and served as one of the ten busiest ports in America trading tobacco. I learned this little fact when I googled interesting facts about Alexandria for this post. But, my how times have changed, because now all of the restaurants in Alexandria are smoke free! Thank goodness!
Old Town is full of restaurants and shops. I can sometimes get in big trouble because I can walk to all of the stores I want to shop at. There are a mix of boutiques and mainstream stores like Loft, Anthropologie, Francesca's, Banana Republic, and Gap. We also have three ice cream shops and three cupcake places. Let's just say I can come home a little heavier with a lighter wallet :)
Being that Old Town is historic, the town is supposedly haunted. We have two ghost tours that you can take while you are here. Apparently, someone found a head in the alley right by my condo many years ago. On Halloween, people go and look for the "ghost" of the head. Weird. Creepy. I don't do it. I've never seen anyone do it. I don't want to know.
If ever in the DC area, you shop hop over the river to Old Town, Alexandria. You'll have a great time. Let me know you're here and I'll stop by to say hi!
I need to take more photos of my town. I don't have any really. I tried to download off of the internet and it wasn't working. But trust me, Old Town is beautiful. DC is beautiful. You should come visit!
Old Town Alexandria, where I live, is not without history of it's own. It was founded in 1749 and was the home of George Washington and Robert E. Lee, Jim Morrison and Mama Cass. Old Town is on the water and served as one of the ten busiest ports in America trading tobacco. I learned this little fact when I googled interesting facts about Alexandria for this post. But, my how times have changed, because now all of the restaurants in Alexandria are smoke free! Thank goodness!
Old Town is full of restaurants and shops. I can sometimes get in big trouble because I can walk to all of the stores I want to shop at. There are a mix of boutiques and mainstream stores like Loft, Anthropologie, Francesca's, Banana Republic, and Gap. We also have three ice cream shops and three cupcake places. Let's just say I can come home a little heavier with a lighter wallet :)
Being that Old Town is historic, the town is supposedly haunted. We have two ghost tours that you can take while you are here. Apparently, someone found a head in the alley right by my condo many years ago. On Halloween, people go and look for the "ghost" of the head. Weird. Creepy. I don't do it. I've never seen anyone do it. I don't want to know.
If ever in the DC area, you shop hop over the river to Old Town, Alexandria. You'll have a great time. Let me know you're here and I'll stop by to say hi!
Day 23: Videos I Love
I've realized one thing during this blog challenge. I don't use the internet to its full capacity. There's no way I can even think of naming a video I love on YouTube. I don't use it. At all really. I'm missing out I'm sure. I also wonder why I don't use it. I'm a big pop culture fan, so you'd think it'd be right up my alley. But, no. I guess I'll learn from the other bloggers participating in this challenge. I'll check out the videos they post. But, man! I'd better get with the program!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Day 22: Website I Enjoy or Care About
I am not a big internet surfer. I check Facebook religiously. I catch up on my favorite blogs on bloglovin'. I don't have a website that I repeatedly go back to for a pick me up or something of substance. Throughout the day, I'll check CNN, the weather, cruise travel websites for good deals on my next adventure. But, I don't have any favorites. I think it is because I have a love hate relationship with the internet. I love that so much information is at my fingertips and that it is such an incredible communication device in itself. What I hate is that it can be a time waster and suck the life right out of you. So, I don't have a favorite. Is that lame? I don't know, but I today I don't care. It is beautiful outside, so I am going to step away from the computer and go sit at the pool.
Enjoy the day!
Enjoy the day!
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