Oscar Festivities

I like to live tweet the awards shows.  It amuses me.  The other thing that amuses me are the awesome dresses.  Thank God women and stylists have recalled that there are some options other than strapless in the world.  These are my favorites of the night: 

And this was hands down the worst.  The thing looks like a bad craft project or some costume from a bad scifi movie.  The alien queen might wear it.

 

My Takeaway

Dealing with Disappointment

Here I sit in Nicaragua.  It's about 6:30 am.  I'm up at 6:30 because I didn't realize my cell didn't switch over automatically.  Nice.  Nevertheless, it's really pretty this morning, and the birds and I are having some quality time on the porch. 

We drove around Managua last night to show Jen the city and a mini bite of the culture.  Managua is not a pretty city.  It's the capitol, but it's worn out, dusty, and very poor.  The city's state buildings are mostly unused or in disrepair from an earthquake in the 70s and the combination of numerous dictators, the most recent "president" preferring to conduct business in his compound rather than say, the legislature building. 

As we drove around and looked at the poverty, the shanty towns, the kids washing windshields for 10 cents American, we were chatting about the past and future of this country and how the actions of a government have literally brought their country to ruin.  With no hope of change.  Change has to come from the top down when literally everything is running on empty.  I'm not gonna lie, it was a little depressing.  These people live in constant disappointment.

Every now and then in my faith I take a moment to ask an existential question.  Right now I guess the biggest one for me is whether or not Jesus is big enough.  Yeah, I know, not really ok to ask that is it?  We are just supposed to slap the smile and say yes.  I've lived in and around Christianity my entire life, though.  And so have many of my friends.  And I guess what I wrestle with right now is when friends struggle with depression, or family has hurts so big it feels like they might just rip us open, or a new friend is drifting away because she doesn't have joy in her life.  Is Jesus big enough?  I think sometimes we are sold the line that Jesus is like a pill.  Take one and feel better in the morning.   Well, ok, but let's be real.  It doesn't work like that.  No one is asking for a pain free life, but when we encounter that pain shouldn't Jesus be enough to work it out or work a change?  I've got plenty of my own disappointments I'm still working out.  Honestly, some of them I don't feel like I should have to go through.  And I ask that question, where are you in this Jesus, and why?

Jesus in Nicaragua.  Jesus in the poverty and the prostitution and the life with constant struggle.  Jesus in our humanity and our depression and our desires unfulfilled. 

I don't know.  That's my question for right now.  So there you have it. 

Reading the Fluff

As I'm packing my carryon for the plane there are some vital things to go in it:  laptop, money, passport, movie choice(in case the plane movie sucks), and what I never leave for the trip without--books.

I have a lot of friends who read deep and intellectually stimulating books, and then write riveting reviews of in depth insights thereby gained. yeah....well....I read a lot of fluff.

Don't get me wrong, I love debate and stimulating conversation but the first choice for me almost always when I'm looking to get away is a novel.  Scifi/fantasy usually.  Romance sometimes.  Mystery sometimes.  As long as it has a good plot and great characters, I'm in.  Sometimes I want to be the kind of person who will take Piper's latest tome along and finish it and then talk about how prayer and faith have new shades of the rainbow, but mostly I am at peace with my fluffiness.

So off to Nicaragua I go with my latest scifi novel, and Velvet Elvis.  Just in case. ;)

Trippin'

In two days I will be on vacation with 2 of my dearest friends.  In Southern America where my roots are.  On the beach.  Ridiculous. 

This is the place we are going:

YAY!!  I can't wait for some sun and some sand and some salsa dancing.  :)

These are the ladies I'm going with...

Minus Faith :(

Yay for vacation and days of peace before wedding season insanity takes over my life again.  Bring on the R&R. (and the rum)

One Delicious Day

Valentine's Day this year has been a total win.  Let us recap:

1.  Started the day out by delivering gifts guaranteed to bring joy to certain couples today.  While wearing red.  I was in fact, the Valentine's fairy.
2.  I went to work on a beautiful, sunny, warm day.  A hint of Spring in the air.  Please God.
3.  Went to lunch with a new photographer friend.  A delish lunch at the White Hart, so fun.  Said new friend surprised me with a valentine.  Said new friend also can rock purple tights and I want to be her when I grow up.
4.  Had a meeting with some clients that turned into an impromptu engagement session.  On Valentine's Day.  Please.  Perfect. 
5.  Number 4 means I got be outside all afternoon.
6.  I wore my favorite red jacket today because it was warm enough not to wear a jacket.  :)  This red jacket is purely pretty only.
7.  I had Japanese food with my husband, followed by a fantastic movie.  See Go With It.  Adam Sandler + Jennifer Anniston = hysterical. 
8.  I had a date night with my hunny.  Did we go over that? ;)
9.  Ryan loved his gifts this year.
10.  I got a text from a friend saying that God showed up in a BIG way for her today. 
11.  I got a reminder from Misty that we are leaving for Nica on Sunday!!  YES.
12.  Jen called me for Valentines day hahaha!!!
13.  I'm in bed and it's 10:15. 
14.  I have a healthy family. 
15.  I have a heart full to the top with love. 
16.  Amanda shared a fantastic new song today.
17.  Owl City was cuter than cute today online...http://owlcitymusic.com/vday
18.  Got confirmation on our small group retreat and it's all booked.  Love that.  The retreat is my favorite thing we do every year. And it's always, always full of life change.
19.  Misty, Vilma, and April are all on board for Project 52 next week.
20.  Finally have some headway on the website.  Sheesh. Programming.
21.  I had a dream last night that Faith was dressed as an American flag due entirely to the shoe we saw on Saturday that looked like this.
22.  Monday did not suck at all.


I think that 22 reasons for a beautiful day are pretty fantastic.  Love it.  God is good.  Valentines Day is good.  Love is good.  The end.

Love Day

I know.  It's cheesy.  It's commercialized.  It's a Hallmark holiday.  But I love it!  A day purely to celebrate the people around you, in your life.  A day set aside to say I love you in a big or small way.  Yes please.  Preferably with chocolate.  ;)

I know I've said it before, but I will say it again.  I am richly, and deeply blessed with friendship and relationship.  So friends and family, thank you for being who you are in my life.  I love you.  Happy Valentines Day. 

A Truck Ran Over Me

Or at least that's how I feel.  I haven't had the flu in a few years, so I'm honestly a massively big baby about it.  But then again, what good is the flu if you can't lay around in bed all day watching movies?  I ask you. 

The worst thing about this is that my sister in law came over last night and made apple pie.  I have to exist on a diet of crackers and ginger ale for one more day.  That's just sick AND wrong.  :) 

Sweet Escape

Every now and then a bug bites me.  Not the love bug.  The travel bug.   My best memories from my entire life involve good buds, and a far location.  From highschool camps in the Amazon basin or high Andes desert, to Miami's South Beach with the girls or Nicaragua's volcano island with Misty. 

I don't know what it is.  The new horizons.  The break from the routine of the everyday.  The freedom to breathe freely, maybe.  The laughs, definitely.  All I know is sometimes I just have to shake the dust off my life and my feet and run for it. 

So in the spirit of this sentiment I get to hit up Nica again in a week and a half for fun.  Going with Jen and Mist.  My two favorite redheads.  My heart can't wait.

Sing it, Gwen.

Some Days

You just breathe in, breathe out.  And break some crockery.  Or blast a really good revenge song and sing it loud.  Or blast it and dance around to it. 

Today is that day.

I Need This Tonight

The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

ya oh oh no

So When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley If You want me to

Desire

This is hot.

And so is this.

A great shoe is like a great love affair.  Only it never ends.

Random acts of Today

I had lunch with my dear buddy, Wade-O.  I was giving him a hard time for only blogging once in a bimonthly period.  If we're lucky.  But here we are at post numero dos for the day.  Perhaps I'm a lil too into sharing. 

I love my baby sister.  She makes me laugh and makes me cry with equal intensity. 

I'm about to go work out, but I need. to. finish. this. edit.  Good grief it's taking forever today.

Facebook addiction has reached an all time low in this country.  Now we have cars that update us on our news feeds. Really. 

Love is the most glorious and painful thing in the world. 

That is all.

secrets have a way

of biting you in the ass

every time

honesty is always the best policy

affere

Wicked

I've held out on seeing this play for the simple reason that everyone else is doing it.  But this week, I've been loving the soundtrack.  And so I cave.  It's going to be in DC this summer.  I like the Glee version of this song a lot.  Several heart emoticons worth at least. ;)

Feisty

Last night I almost fell over laughing.  I was smack talking due to the great guac debacle of 2011...trying in vain to sound like I actually might know what I'm doing in the kitchen....and my friend asked me if I'd been drinking....

This is still cracking me up, 8 hours later.  As my nearest and dearest will tell you this Latina has a lil bit of a feisty rebel in her.  Andy loves to tell the story of how when we met I couldn't stand her.  In my defense, she said hi my name is Andy and here are the rules.  Rules are right up there with the flu and airport security lines and the DMV waiting area. 

So, yeah, I front like I'm tough.  And love to talk a lil smack sometimes.  And I'm allergic to rules.   But I'll break my own heart before I'll break yours.  Jesus is good at rounding out my rough edges and I want to be like Him in the way that I love people.  Even when smack talking.

 My Andy girl

A Series of Unfortunate Events, Followed by a Single Fortunate One

Well, the last 24 hours have been interesting.  I started yesterday sitting in this very spot, having barely made it to work because some schmuck spilled oil all over the road.  Nothing ever happens in Lynchburg, so the city workers were thrilled to have a catastrophe to work on and shut down every street in a mile radius of where my building is.

Now mind you, I could park and walk to the building(amongst the hazardous materials) but it was unsafe to drive.  Le sigh.

Having made it up here finally, I rushed about doing last minute things and was about to leave when H popped his head in and asked if I wanted to join the crew downstairs at the Tea Room.  And by Tea Room, I mean this little establishment....

So I popped my head in to say hello, and was greeted with...."you're the lady who always wears black!  You a witch?" 

Really. 

BAHAHAHA!  How awesome is that?  Please, I want to have that reputation.  People will be very nice to me.  And in this neck of the Lynchvegas woods, it's a good thing. 

Fast forward to us in Ryan's Mini rolling through DC like mega gangsta's....until we hit a huge pothole.  Got a flat.  Limped into the parking lot.  And sheepishly went inside. 

Ever heard a man cry in pain over his car?  Yeah, it's not pretty.   Fast forward to the end of the party, we are still waiting around on roadside assistance that doesn't assist much.  So I get in a cab to head to the hotel...leaving my capable man to deal with the situation. 

I tell the cabbie where I want to go, and he tells me to get out!  FOR REAL.  So I get out and flag another cab down.  He takes me...and as he takes me he's explaining how he's from Northern Africa and speaks Arabic, and studied in Libya.  And our hotel was not close, it was a 20 minute ride.  I'm making small talk and smiling alot and internally I'm like, please Jesus I don't want to die right now, please don't let him be a terrorist..haha! 


Around 7 Ryan makes it to the hotel full of stories of prostitutes and shady tire dealerships and Nigerians....

All that to say:

The party was a total win!  Love these people.  SO grateful for the experience.  Made some connections that will be lasting, I hope.  Cheers!

Timing is Everything

God is so good at speaking truth exactly when needed.  Jeremy's every word was just straight to the heart tonight.  Convicted again that my light does not need to be the light of Crystal, but the light of Jesus.  Self dying.  Little funerals. 

I am so blown away by the grace continually poured out on me.  Love this song. 

miss you
your smile
the way you laugh

how catching my eye you just know
the internal joke

adventures and wanderlust
can take you far
but pinky swear

that it will never be so far
you forget me

friend

Country Strong

Well, I started out wanting to write a blog about social media and how it builds community.  Cuz I know there are a lotta voices saying the opposite, but instead I went to see the movie Country Strong tonight.

It was terrible. 

Bad acting, weird plotline, semi decent country music....eh.  Coulda lived without it.  BUT at the end of the movie Gwyneth Paltrow sings a song called Home. 

And as I was sitting in the theater watching her do a bad impression of Faith Hill, I wondered where exactly I would call home.  Home can simultaneously be South America, California, Lynchburg and Canada for me.  And then, since I was viewing a movie full of bad cliches, I thought...home is with the people you love. hahaha!

But it is.  And at the end of this day I am grateful to have a lot of people in my life who love me.  Who know me.  Who are my home.  No matter what part of the world I'm in. 

I serenaded Ryan with this song on the way home.  He lurved it.  And I am country pretty.  Just for the record.  ;)