9/22/2008

Pretty close to perfect

It was almost magical. Yet, completely and utterly mundane. I wish I was as good of writer as some of my blog friends, but I know I don't have the words to paint the picture of what I so badly want to share. I will try my best but know that I don't really expect you to get it. I just want a record. A record that I can cherish when my car is one day full of arguing boys headed to football practice or chatty girls going on and on about the latest drama in their juvenile world.

Headed home on a long, straight stretch of highway. Underneath the oh-so-big (I can't believe it is really this big) Texas sky with the sun beginning to go down. Windows down. Feet on the dash--almost hanging out the open window. Alone in the car with my husband. Perfect songs on the radio.

No looming decisions, no second house payment, no real worries.

Just me and Clay and a time of peace that I have so desperately longed for over the past few months. I know other storms may come in the future but we will cross those bridges when we get there. For now, I am just going to close my eyes and enjoy the wind across my face.

9/17/2008

Late night and a little random

It's a little past one in the morning as I begin to type this blog. I am wide awake as I often find myself. This past year there has been a lot of being wide awake in too the wee hours of the morning, pacing the house, working, doing anything to get rid of all the nervous energy welling up inside of me. But that anxiety seems to be leaving....all of that is really another blog post. One that I have been waiting to share for months on end and will hopefully be written in a few weeks.

No, tonight is not about fret or worry or useless energy. Tonight I am just plain awake. I hate when I am up this late on Tuesday since Wednesdays are my longest and most energy consuming days of the week. So what do I do, I look through my books. When we moved to Texas, wait no when we moved to our 1st house (as owners) in Knoxville, I gave away my bookshelf. Thinking, well actually, I don't think I was thinking when I left it in the garage with all of our other "old" furniture to be carted off by Goodwill. Ever since that day, we are just shy of two years now, my books have been in boxes.

There is something you have to know about me--more than most any material possession in the world I love two things: stationary and books. My friend Shannon says it is because I am an old soul. I don't know what it is but I love books. Its not so much that I like to read them (well, I do the first time). On nights like this I love to look through them and see what I circle, underlined or made notes about. It just always makes me reminisce about what was going on in my life when I read the book or think about how I have changed since that time.

Tonight, though, I came across a special book....my high school yearbook. It was actually my junior yearbook which I haven't flipped through in years. Usually, my senior year is the one that has the least amount of dust of it. In fact, I use it fairly often.... in fact, it seems every time I get a friend request of facebook, I need to remember "just who the heck is this person."

Rather than looking through the pictures, I read the things people had written. And, I think I almost woke Clay up from laughing out loud. I mean, one guy took up an entire page and seriously wrote, "I really think that song is true 'God must have spent a little more time on you.'" This is NOT a guy I dated. Just a guy I was decent friends with. I would really like to know how many girls' yearbooks he wrote that line in and what kind of return he got on his investment. I know I thought he was an idiot but even back then I was pretty cynical. Then, there is the completely blank page with the paper clip and a note still attached. The note reads: "Brooke's page" I don't think my best friend wrote in my yearbook senior year either. It was always one of those "we see each other so much, let's not waste time on yearbook signing day."

When I was little, I remember reading an entry in my mom's yearbook that said, "Good Luck with George or Fred." She married George and to this day claims she has no idea who Fred was. I used to think she was lying and didn't want to tell me who this Fred guy was. Now, I totally understand where she is coming from. Tonight as I read, I couldn't remember what some of these people were talking about. One girl told me she loved me and my mexican boy....I am 99.9% I never had a Mexican boy. I wonder what my child is going to think when he/she reads through my yearbook....

So, what picture of you does your high school yearbook paint?

9/09/2008

The cutest cake I have ever made

This week I made a cake for my friend Ralonda. While I may not be much of a girly-girl, I LOVE this cake. I found the idea on a website and I am pretty sure if Ralonda could be a cake this is the cake she would be.

I need to work on my fondant bows, but I thought it turned out ok since it was the first one I ever completed. I worked on one before, but Bear ate it the loops before I could assemble them!

The cake received a lot of great response and I am thinking about having a booth to take orders at our church's "craft fair" Not sure if I am going to go through with it or not but I am now taking suggestions for my cake "company"'s name... I use the term company loosely. I am not sure how many cakes I will really ever be commissioned to do, but a little extra money from time to time will be nice.

9/07/2008

I loveeee FFL!

It is that time of year again. Oh, how I love this time of year...

the crisp fall air...no, I live in Texas now so fall doesn't come until the first week of December.

the joys of college football....no, Tennessee has decided to put its focus on the basketball program so Saturdays this time of year aren't quite what they used to be (although, hope remains for a few upsets this season)


No, I am talking about the start of the NFL season. Years ago, I despised NFL football, much like I still despise all other pro sports leagues. However, last year I got hooked on Fantasy Football and I think it may be my new favorite thing.

Thursday night was the opening game and all it did was make me LONG for Sunday. Today Clay and I have watched football ALL DAY long. and i love it.

Between the two of us, we are playing in four leagues. Playing in so many leagues makes it difficult to really cheer on your players. All day Clay and I have been cheering on our guys only to remember that we are playing against those guys in other leagues. Needless to say, it has been a little frustrating especially since I am not sure Clay and I are going to win any of our games. But that is okay I still love Fantasy Football. Besides there is only one game I care about winning...

the one I play against Clay.

should be an easy one ;)