Showing posts with label seasons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seasons. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

this lady looks distressed, doesn't she?
but guess what. 
she has it easy.
see the sun shining through the trees behind her?
see her long-sleeved cozy sweater? {...even though the sun is shining through the summer-leafed tree...}
see her perfect hair and manicured nai...oh wait. that's not relevant.



one wednesday morning...well, no...actually, it was a tuesday night...i unwittingly locked my keys in my car because i didn't immediately get out after i turned off the car. i was on the phone, so i took out the keys, put them on the seat beside me, and sat in the car for about 10 minutes. when i was done, i picked up my purse and coat, stepped out of the car, locked the door, shut it, and went inside.
but i didn't realize my mistake until wednesday morning...5 minutes before Joey needed to leave for work in my car.
now.
under normal circumstances, i would've gotten a wire hanger, finagled it into the car thru the crack, and hit the unlock button.
BUT.
during the night, it had iced. and it was still under 20 degrees outside {chill factor of 5 degrees, by the way}, which meant that the door was frozen shut. 
no way was i going to stand outside {in the freezing cold} and try to push thru the thick layer of ice barring my way to the unlock button.
so we called the locksmith thinking that it would cost around $40. he finally came 30 minutes later. and, standing in the freezing {freezing freezing} cold in my pajamas, he said that it would cost...wait for it...$100.
yes.
you heard me.
one hundred. bucks.

no way. hosea.

and i told him so. to his face. {in the freezing cold.}

not in those words, of course.

but he took pity on me and offered to call his boss and see if he'd let him knock it down a bit. which his boss did. 30 dollars worth.
i had no choice. i had to accept. {in the freezing cold}

blah.


a few days later, Joey asked if he could borrow my car to take to work. so i went to find the keys. i looked in my purse. in my room. in my pockets. on the bar. on the couch. in the couch cushions. 
no luck.
here's how my thought process went.

"oh no...i didn't immediately (please, God) get out of my car this afternoon (please, God, don't let them be locked in). this is horrible. OhGodohGodohGodohGodohGod."
{please don't misunderstand and think that i was taking His name in vain. no. it was a genuine plea to Him.}

i ran out to my car and peered through the glass. 
there they were. 
on the seat. 
just like before.

 my inner Luke Skywalker yelled, "Nooooooooooooo!!!!!" 
{yes, i did just reference Star Wars and reveal my nerdity.}

 i walked back into the house, head hung low, and told Joey.
Joey, being the sweet man that he is, didn't tease me, didn't heave a sigh.
he just said he would look at it and see if he could get it out. 
we went out to the car.
Joey tried the door handle.


and it opened.

and Joey, being the annoying man that he is, teased me unmercifully. {i love you, Joey.}

now.
would i rather lock my keys in the car than have my car stolen because i was dumb enough to leave the keys in it with the door unlocked?
yes.
but God was merciful to me.
He let me be dumb.
{oh wait...He doesn't have to let me. i can do that all by myself.}

the moral to this story ----
always, always check to make sure the car isn't unlocked.

Monday, February 21, 2011

the peace of wild things




When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,


I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.


I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.




And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.


— Wendell Berry

Friday, January 7, 2011

the snow is falling, the wind is blowing...




the view of mount leconte from our top deck



a house in the distance. bright spot



we basically all stood around and looked off the back porch for the first day



pipe tobacco is one of the most wonderful smells in the world







we fit 7 people in this telephone booth. that's right. 7.



aand this picture wouldn't turn right side up. but that's 7. 



creepers in the fir tree

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

fall. fever. is now.


 happy first day of Fall.


crunch a leaf today.

 
wait, what? 
oh. right. that's what my car looks like. except...not quite as skinny and old ladyish looking.
:) 
i'm excited.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

bust a move

I realize I haven't posted in quite some time. 
I have no excuses, and I'm not going to try to diagnose why I haven't. 
I will just say that I hope to be more consistent and regular this fall, because...

I'm going to be living in Texas till mid-December!

(Yes, I realize that bluebonnets won't be in season during my stay. 
And I don't think I'm going to be near very many longhorns...or just plain old cows for that matter. 
But you get the idea.)

Crazy, right? 
I know.

Plans for my future have changed so quickly and unexpectedly.
I've gotten a job (or rather, was offered a job) as a live-in nanny for my second cousin. 
She's got three adorable little boys (yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. I'm not going to think they're so precious after living with them for two and a half months. To that I say, quoting Alfred, Batman's butler, "Nevah."), and I will be sitting them three days a week while she's and her husband are at work.
Also, I'll be about 45 minutes away from some of my best friends in the whole wide world, so hopefully I'll get to spend some time with them! Yay! 

This is new.
I didn't really ever think I'd leave home until I went to college, (and yes, I know that two and a half months away is not exactly "leaving home," but it's the closest I've ever come to it (and also, there's a good chance that I'll be going back next semester for a few months)), so I haven't had quite as much time to get used to the idea, but I'm very excited about it. 
Adventure! 
A little more independence and a good stretch of the wings! 
Especially since I'm (hopefully) going to be buying my first car from my [other] cousin. 
It's quite a delightful prospect. 
And hey, I can even call myself a Texan for a little while! 
{hat tip to Mama's home state}
Must get a cowgirl hat. 
Just kidding.

Anyway...

"Psh. Right, Eleanor. You're gonna post more regularly. Uh huh. Sure."

Yes. 
I will.
Why, you ask? 
Because I don't have a journal. 
And plus, even if I did have one, I probably wouldn't write in it. 
But I can type faster than I can write (a sad sign of the age we live in), and so I'm going to use Fiery to journal this new experience.

"Oh, great. We're gonna get every little detail about her life and every stupid bit of junk that passes through her mind."

Yep.
Pretty much.
Enjoy!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

"well, it's sunny with a high of 75..."...wait...nope. more like 110.




i'm in Texas for two weeks.




Texas in August.





i think i just evaporated.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

home

land where my fathers died
land of the pilgrims' pride




from every mountainside let freedom ring



What are you doing to celebrate?







Saturday, June 26, 2010

summer? i think i love you. harmony hill? i know i love you.

i'm so indecisive. 
when it's winter, winter is my favorite season.
when it's summer, summer is my favorite season.
so right now, summer is my favorite.
but don't quote me on that.
it could change.

so far, it has been...everything i wanted.
and lots i didn't want. 
lots i tried to avoid.
oh well.
that's life.

it doesn't ever really feel like summer has started until Harmony Hill (and Camp Moriah (or in this case, this year, Harmony Highlands)) happens. but then once it's over, there is only 1 & 1/2 months left! NOT very appreciated by the graduated class of the current year who are trying to complete a certain amount of priorities before the school time comes again.
oh well.
it's incredibly worth it.




saw the sunrise every morning for a week. 
that right there will make you love God even more.


...and the singing was heavenly...
most of the time...
except for that one time when the basses in the girls' ensemble got off. :)




my brother kinda rocks.
"just sayin'..."


i'm pretty sure this is one of very few pictures that C and i have together. ...maaan! i wish Louisiana wasn't in the way. but while i'm wishing, i might as well just go ahead and wish for teleportation abilities. psh.




yay john and catie! i'm rootin' for y'all! 
...aaaand y'all have pretty eyes. 


the Ns.
i just want to say...it makes me very happy that there are people out there with which one can feel an instant connection. i think they just might be some of my new favorite people. 
no joke.




kneeeees!! aaaa!!! ...i promise it was unintentional and just that once. promise.


this is my "little buddy." ok. i don't like to use precious when it comes to kids because it sounds like those cheesy people who are always talking about how they remember when you were born and how they just "loooove" babies and all that good junk...
BUT...
she was precious. straight up. precious.

and now i will leave you. not to return for...probably a while. i haven't been that inspired lately. obviously. hence the lack of posts. but i'll be back! never fear, younglings. i'll be back. (i know you were all waiting with bated breath for that proclamation.) 

ok. now i'm just rambling. 
peace out.


{photo credit: beatrice and chelsea miller...and moi}



Friday, June 11, 2010

this summer

i believe in going to bed with wet hair. in spur-of-the-moment trips and surprise visits. in french love songs, produce stands, and breakfast. and i believe in dancing when and where you feel like it whether music is playing or not. i believe in early morning walks, in stopping the car on the side of the road and climbing that rocky cliff. and walking through the field of beautiful weeds even though you know you'll get bitten by critters. i believe in tomato sandwiches that are so juicy it drips down your arm. especially in driving with all the windows rolled down.
i believe in open windows.

Monday, May 17, 2010

...almost...here!



it's coming.
 it's coming faster than we realize. 




i can almost taste the popsicles.

i'm gonna pick a blue one. 
'cause the blue ones are my favorite.


which one will you pick?

Thursday, April 15, 2010


"No! Really?" you say.
"I'm completely serious." I return.

(You shake your head and turn away. 
"Silly child. She obviously didn't note the sarcasm dripping from my voice.")

But really. I do. Like this paper I'm writing? (You've probably read about it if you keep up with Katie at all.) It has my stomach twisted up in all sorts of crazy sailor knots. 
Oh, and our puppy? I'm so concerned that she'll grow up to be a horse of a St. Bernard and bite people all the time and have to be put down.
Oh, and Katie's recital that's on Mother's Day? Yeah. I'm freakin' out about that, too. Will we mess up?! I'm positive we will at least a tad! AAAAA!
And you'd think I wouldn't worry that much about things like how tall our grass is and how much it needs to be mowed, but you know what? It's really bothering me. Like...crazily much.

I need to learn a lesson, though. Choose your battles, Ellie. If you're going to worry (even though you shouldn't), choose something worth worrying over! In a couple of years (heck, in six months) you won't even remember these worries existed!

And you too, you hear me? Be happy! Stop worrying! The world is too beautiful to be worrying about the little things.
Here are some pictures to help you out. They made me smile.




 



Comment and list three things you're happy about and let them soak into you with all their might.
Happy. Not grateful, not satisfied, not complacent, but things you're happy about. 

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Snippets of Now...because I don't have time for anything more than a few snippets.

Thesis paper. 12 pages long. 'Nuff said.

Rilla of Ingleside. My escape.

Graduation pictures...somewhat fail...somewhat awesome.

Snow predicted. Phooey.

Graduation dress picking-out-time. Must. Find. Perfect. Dress. Or not.

Braces soon. Yay! Dork summer.

Harmony Hill anticipation. Too soon.

Red Badge of Courage. Blah.

Iron &  Wine discover. Love.

The Valley of...Indecision. Life after graduation.

Texas trip memory sustenance. Maybe they'll last till Harmony Hill.

Anthropologie open in Mtown! Woopee!

Sun, please come back. I love you and miss you.

Sleep...come to me. Thanks. Sincerely, Eleanor.


Spring fail.








JUST KIDDING!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

She needs to read the rest of the Bible


Aww, aren't they cute?


NO! You're wrong!
They're evil. 
They come into your home and think they can have full rein!
They die and leave their crunchy little carcasses right in the walkways!
Those are not the actions of something cute.


--Conversation with a Ladybug--

Me: "Um, hi, ma'am? What are y'all doing in my rooms?"

Ladybug (her name was Gloria): "We just came in here to hibernate for the winter, woman. You got a problem?"
  
Me: "You don't have very good manners for a ladybug."

Gloria: "Um...that's because I'm an Asian Lady Beetle, ignoramus."
Me: "Oh...well...even so."

Gloria: "Ahem...you were saying?"

Me: "Oh, sorry. No, it's fine that y'all are here, but do you think you could tell your family to quit dying right where I have to walk? It's kinda gross to step on them."

Gloria: "You're stepping on my cousins' bodies?!?! How can you be so crass?! How can you desecrate the dead like that?! Go around them, Big-Foot!"

Me: "I'm sorry! They're just so small, and when it's dark, I can't...really...see...them. Um...What do you plan to do about their funerals...burials...bodies...?"

Gloria: "Um...don't you read the Bible, heathen? It says, 'Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' We just leave them. They'll disintegrate eventually. It's the best way."

Me: "But you expect people to step over them and not desecrate their bodies?"

Gloria: "Yep. I do. What are you gonna do about it?"

And with that, I promptly went and got the vacuum. I'm sorry, but I'm not about to take that much cheek from something so much smaller than I.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010


beams of lustage are shooting forth from mine eyes.
::sigh::

Chuck---
on one hand...you inspire me...and for that, I love you.
on the other hand...you make me wish for Spring to come...and for that...
you're not helping any.