I Read Too Much

Do you have a hobby?  Why'd I ask, of course you do!  Everyone does actually, some just don't give it that definition.  I have several.  You can read my bio for the full list.  Out of them all, I'd have to say writing is my favorite, though it is the one I exercise the least.  Why?  It's hard.  It's one of those things you actually have to engage multiple parts of your person at once to make happen.  How?  Well, the brain...nah, not going to go there.  Seriously though, writing  IS hard.  This is something that leaves you a lot more vulnerable to critique than any other.  Granted you can keep it in, hidden in the journals that your loved ones generations down the line will stumble upon while cleaning out their attics, or you can be bold and put it out there where the world, should they so chose, to see.  Alas, I do both.  Today, the world won. One of my favorite new sites is Stumble Upon....

Have you ever set out to redecorate a room in your home?  I find this one of the most infuriating things to do as a homeowner.  I swear I have used every color of paint known to man on these walls and still struggle to find that one color that just makes me swoon every time I enter the room. Because of this my walls are a lovely, albeit safe, shade of off white; though I am sure it has some fabulous name like - Barely There, Crushed Seashell, or Not Quite White.  But it comes across as truly B-O-R-I-N-G !  I mean, I have an intense personality and I am NOT afraid of color...heaven's you should see what I wear.  So, how do I take that and transform a room, and not spend a week's or a month's salary doing it?  Here's the dilemma.  I don't know what I like!  I know, right?!  How on Earth do I start when I don't know where to start?  Ok, perhaps I do.  I like red.  I like contemporary/modern, bit not overly geometric....

No, I am not having a 1980's flashback nor am I in love with Boy George.  Although, Karma Chameleon is a catchy tune.  just work with me here... We all have passions in life, mine is writing.  However, I am a lousy writer.  I don't know the ins and outs of sentence structure.  Sure, I know what a noun and a verb are. I can even tell you what an adjective and an adverb are.  But, that is about the extent of my knowledge.  I struggle with the simplest of things, like commas.  Oh...my...word!  I am quite certain there was a time in school (elementary, middle, and high - just for reiterations sake) that an English teacher attempted to drill the facts into my brain.  Sadly, the only thing that I remember is that small little factoid that told me a comma is to act as a natural pause in a sentence.  Well, isn't that a fun fact?!  BUT...it isn't always so great for someone like me who writes like they talk, or rather think.  I ...

There are few places on this Earth I truly love.  Truth be told, there are few I have traveled to.  Regardless, there are a few that keep a little piece of my heart each time I go.  There are those places that are awe inspiring and breathtaking, they are precious reminders of God's perfect creation; then there are those that are mostly man made but leave you just as breathless.  (No, I'm not putting man up there with God, sheesh!)  One such place is Chicago. Every single time I go I long for the chance to return.  In fact, when I was little I used to dream of some day moving to the city and finding my prince charming in a magnificent condo on Lake Shore.  We'd take long walks on Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue.  We'd watch the Bears every time they played at home and I'd never be more than a block from a coffee shop.  However, grown-up life isn't like that, but it is just as wonderful.  Because as a grown-up I...

It's that time of year when many people are planning trips here, there, and everywhere.  That time when the culmination of paid time off is spent visiting places one wouldn't ordinarily go.  Typically my family does the same thing.  Afterall, isn't that the idea behind a vacation?  However, this year we talked it out and decided, "why limit ourselves?"  I know that isn't an easy thing for everyone, and we are rather fortunate due to being so close to a lot of lakes as well as a state park.  So, this year we chose to purchase the annual entry pass to said state park (a 30 minute drive up the interstate) and make it a summer of daycations.  To kick off this choice, we packed the van up with a cooler of goodies, our beach stuff, a change of clothes for everyone (as a precaution), and headed north.  Thanks to some unbeknownst road construction the drive took a bit longer than it should, but for the most part it was a short...

Have you ever seen one of those movies where the main character has had to move heaven and Earth to get to their final destination?  By this, I mean find any mode of transportation to get them to that place they just had to be at by the end of the movie or the plot would go to the waste side?  Well, this last trip that I took was a close runner up to that.  I will post some photos and share a little bit about the time spent in Poland later, today I want to share my travel story. Last Saturday morning I began my journey to Poland.  My first flight was scheduled to leave at 11:10am.  So, naturally I thought if I left my house by 9:30am I would have plenty of time to get there, print my boarding passes, and start my journey.  That, my dear readers, was my first fatal assumption.  For leaving at 9:30 did not assure me the necessary time for two reasons, first I didn't factor in the time my family would take in saying their goodbyes and sec...

This past Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family at my mom's house.  There is just something altogether magical about the day. OK, I admit, magical is not the word to use; perhaps special is a much better choice.  I love Thanksgiving.  Lets start there. Thanksgiving is so many things to so many people.  To me, it is a day that holds no pretense.  What does this mean, you ask.  Simply, it means that the day is filled with no expectations.  No expectations of what did the gift cost, does my hair look the best, is my outfit going to meet approval, will I say the right thing, will I do the right thing, am I loved?  No, Thanksgiving is that day when you shed all those expectations and reflect on the fact that; you had the money to buy the gift in the first place, you haven't had to fight a cancer that robbed you of your hair, you have the opportunity to be clothed completely, you get to spend time in conversation with others who...