i really couldn't have asked for a better day. :)

it started with a breathtaking sunrise...

about a mile later..
this guy made me a little late. :) it's apple pickin' time!

work was okay...kinda had some annoying moments. mostly because i just do not understand how people can put so much energy into complaining about everything. it's tiring just to listen to it, i can't imagine how it must feel to be that 'complain-y.'
we had pizza for lunch. and grapes & salad. which meant i had to do ZERO cooking. yippee. :)

and then....SURPRISE!!!
my friend and former co-teacher, krista, stopped in for a visit. :) i haven't seen her in months, and we made an impromptu trip to the sunflower field that is nearby(ish) where i work.

there were lots of bees.

and butterflies.

and grasshoppers.

it was soooo pretty. :)

on the way home, i finally stopped and took a photo of this old barn that i love...

(sadly, my camera batteries died, so i had to use my phone.)

and some alpacas!

and a nice little farm..

i always say that i love all the seasons....i think i forget just how much i love fall. it's my favorite favorite. :)

i love the colors, browns, gold, burgundy, orange, fading greens, the brilliant blue of the sky... the sound of the wind rustling through the drying corn and leaves...the smells, sweet, smokey, and clean...the feel of the cool, crisp air..ahhh..wonderful. 

after a nice dinner and a chilly walk (hello, hoodie weather!)
the sun went down just as beautifully as it came up. :)

this is what makes me smile:
clouds in a perfect blue sky.

and:
spending a glorious afternoon outside after so much soggy weather.

my days have been pretty full, and yet still somehow pretty uneventful. haha

so it turns out i'm a halfway decent cook. :) and...i like doing it. i have been tracking how long i'm spending washing dishes..average 2.5 hrs. a day. i need to start wearing those yellow gloves, i suppose.
so far i've had only easy meals to prepare, so i guess i can't go getting all excited just yet. we'll see if the kiddos are still lauding my efforts in a week or two. ;)
i don't know if i mentioned this or not, but the one thing i would change about working in that kitchen would be the sink height. the bottom of the tub is even with my knees, so i have to lean waaaay over to wash dishes (for 2.5 hrs...), my back is KILLING me. i tried sitting, but my arms don't reach to the back of the sink when i do, and then i have to half-stand on the chair to get to the stuff back there (and the faucets!), and that is more uncomfortable than the bending. soo..i've put in a request for a sink adjustment, we're not sure how possible it will be (depending on  plumbing), but if it's doable, it's gettin done!

this is what made me smile biggest today:
my favorite iced tea. mmm, so refreshing. :)

Mumford & Sons - Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Lyrics) - YouTube

this is what makes me smile:
morning thunderstorms.
(you'll have to use your imagination because i don't have a picture :P but it was what made me smile the biggest today.)

what. a. long. day.
oh, monday, you are definitely  not my favorite.

good things that happened today:
the sun shining through the fog this morning was gorgeous.
i got followed by a police dude for about 15 minutes...and didn't get pulled over.
several nice hugs.
saw one of my favorite kiddos for the first time since i went back to the preschool..:) i missed him. a lot.
made a lot of progress organizing the kitchen and managed to get all the meals cooked & delivered on time. i got a lot of stuff done today. that felt good.
got 100% on my pathology report.
had a fun time at a surprise baby shower
pumpkin muffins. mm.
and i am prematurely adding going to sleep, because i have been looking forward to it all day long.

this is what makes me smile:
headless (armless/handless/etc.) skeletons..
we are supposed to learn anatomy from this.
his name is seymour bones. haar. haar. har.

another something i found written on a tattered piece of paper, while cleaning...


"Rules for Holy Living
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourself of things such as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."


Colossians 3:1-17


this is what make me smile:
red skittles.

i don't think it's a coincidence that i found this paper folded up on my floor today. 
it was written by me, one year and one day ago. i transcribed it from a tv show that i stopped on randomly while flipping through channels, because something the woman said (not what follows) caught my attention. i don't remember what that was, and it's amazing that i stopped to listen because i tend to not be such a joyce meyer fan..not that i don't think she's a great woman of God, or that she doesn't have a lot of good to say/teach...she's just not really "my type" i guess. heheh.
anyway..i'm sharing her message here, because it is worthy of spreading. it was something that i already knew, but needed to be told, you know? 


i definitely don't have things all together now, but this time last year, i was at a really dark, captive place in my life. i was dealing with a lot of issues that had been hanging on to me, dragging me down for years, and also had a LOT of stress in my life that was affecting my health spiritually, emotionally, and physically. i felt like i was sinking into a pit, and the harder i tried to claw my way out of it, the further i sunk. not fun times. i felt so trapped. and hopeless. and then on september 23, 2010 (which i didn't even remember until i found this piece of paper), i got a kick in the pants while surfing the tube.

"...I do know for sure that one thing the devil will try to tell you over & over & over & over again, is that there is no hope- no matter what you do, NOTHING is ever going to change. And I want to say to you, loud and clear, that the only thing that never changes, is GOD. God never changes, but God can change everything else. Actually, I wanna say that to you again, because I feel like it's really important. The enemy wants you to think that there's no hope-that nothing's ever going to change. But if you put your trust in God, and  you keep praying; as long as you're praying, God is working. And so, the only thing that never changes is God. He never changes, but He can change anything. ALL things are possible with God."

if you would have told me on september 24, 2010, that i would be 2 1/2 months away from graduating from school, would have escaped the prison that was my old job, and would have conquered some pretty steep issues that i've been battling for years....i don't know that i would have really believed you. but. i believed God could change things for me. i really put my hope and faith in that, and i wrote down that message that he sent me-via joyce meyer-it must have slipped off my desk at some point, and has been wedged between it and the wall for who knows how long. but i found it today. and that was no accident. 


i am thankful for changes. :) 


this is what makes me smile:
all sorts of changes.

okay, it's "officially" autumn now...

a list of things i don't like about fall:
*spiders decide it's time to move in with amy.
*it kind of creeps me out when they cut corn at night.

today i cut my finger on a plastic baggie. for serious. i needed a band aid and everything.

this is what makes me smile:
today's sunset, which literally had every color of the rainbow. even green...which unfortunately didn't show up well in photos. :/ :)

this morning i was driving to work (yeeep. first day, y'all.), enjoying the lovely fresh autumn-y views, when i saw a mist-bow. it was very bright, amazingly beautiful, and i feel blessed to have seen it.
and speaking of the first day...it went pretty well, i was offered even more hours, so that is a blessing. i'll be working between 32-35 hours, when i was only expecting 20. very helpful. :)
 it was really nice to see some of my co-workers, and parents again..and the kiddos. but i have to say, i so did the right thing in leaving my old position. just witnessing how things are in there...wow. i couldn't do it. so i'm thankful that God gave me the courage to leave that job. i have had sooo much less stress, and i just feel like an all around "nicer" person for it. i am really hoping and praying that that stress & gunk doesn't start to creep back into my life.
aaannnd. i guess that's it.

this is what made me smile today:
a beautiful sunset. (those can always make me smile, so i kind of feel like i'm cheating, but no 2 sunsets are exactly the same!)

There is no season such delight can bring
As summer, autumn, winter and the spring.
~William Browne

 this is what makes me smile:
color.

woo hoo! i am employed!
PRAISES!!
bonus-it's 10 hours more per week than i was originally offered! DOUBLE WOO HOO!!!
this seems kind of weird to me, (to be so excited) because it's at my old job. the one that i hated...the one that sucked the life out of me. BUT it's a different position..one that i think i will really enjoy. AND it was offered to me on a temporary basis, while i am still looking for something else. can't look a gift horse in the mouth. i'm jumpin' in. 


this is what makes me smile:
having a job (even if temporary) with spectacular hug potential.

it's funny the things that you discover when you're not expecting to. tonight in class, we learned about therapeutic touch and presence. this seems like pretty basic stuff..common sense stuff. things that shouldn't really have to be "taught" or even "learned." it grieves me to know that our society has so little time, compassion or sympathy for those who are convalescing, elderly, or terminally ill. or even just the lonely people of the world. the fact that you must teach people that one of the most meaningful, helpful things you can do for one of these people (or even just regular, healthy, "normal" people), is to simply be willing to listen to them, to spend time with them, to connect, to really be there, to give them your attention, make them feel that they matter..sigh. it makes me sad. and kind of angry.
BUT for only about the 3rd time since i started on this school journey, i felt like i miiiight have an idea what i am supposed to do with all of this. so that was a really nice surprise.

this is what makes me happy:
finding stuff in the yard & turning it into something else.

i have said it before, and i will say it again...there is no place i feel closer to my Creator  than in the forest. i vaguely remember some famous quote about the woods being the most beautiful cathedral...i couldn't agree more completely.
today was the perfect day for a hike. cool, crisp air, a few leaves beginning to change colors. there were massive amounts of interesting mushrooms to hunt out, too. perfectly wonderful.

this is what makes me smile:
not being able to see what's ahead..but trusting that you are still on the right path.

everything i thought about writing about fell out of my ear when i leaned over a minute ago.

this is what made me smile today:
and by smile, i mean gag.

i like to think that, had i been alive during the 1800s, i would have been one of those people who headed west  with a wagon train in search of adventure and stuff. i also love to imagine myself as a pioneer in the old west, herding cattle, and building a ranch from the ground up. or even just heading off to the mountains to live off the grid in a cozy little cabin, living off the land. what i do not like to admit is that i am ridiculously spoiled by modern conveniences. like flush-able toilets. and showers. they rock. :) i don't know why i am perfectly fine going days without a shower (gross..haha sorry) when i'm camping or whatever, but when i wasn't expecting to be without running water, i felt soooo yucky after just one day. lame! haha. what a hardcore survivalist i am!

and speaking of modern conveniences..i wish someone would take into consideration that women drive lawn mowers, too. and some of us have short-ish legs. i appreciate all the radical safety features (like the auto shut off when you take your butt off the seat), but if you make it so that i have to sit on the edge of the seat in order to reach the pedals, the automatic shut off triggers way too often. waaaaaaay too often. and that is kind of very, very annoying. :/ the cup holder is a nice touch, though. :)

this is what makes me smile:
chili's chips & salsa! mmm

some days are pretty crappy, you know?
today was just one of those days. but i'm glad i survived it, & i'm hopeful that tomorrow will be way better....or at least less crappy. :)

this is what makes me smile:
buddies.

we had a massive lightening storm last night...it was pretty cool, i love a good storm...but it knocked out our power until just an hour or so ago. annoying, yes. of course it rolled in 20 minutes before i was supposed to attend a webinar for school. oh well. guess i'll be looking that one up in the archives. there is really nothing to do when it is somewhere in the mid 80s and HUMID and you have no lights. i do enjoy games/reading by candlelight..but it was just too hot & uncomfortable to even try it. so i went to bed. at 8:30. i figured it would be an awesome time to catch up on some sleep..right? nope. tossing & turning when it is hot and yucky does not make for a very restful environment. i didn't sleep for hours...but i got a lot of good daydreaming in. heheh.

before the storm, i went around town picking up applications and dropping of resumes. fun times. i spent a ridiculous amount of time walking around our new hobby lobby, drooling over all the beautiful supplies that i can't afford. it was woooonderful. it kind of made me feel disloyal to a.c. moore, though. hehe

after the job hunting, i was feeling a mite stressed, so i decided to go for a drive and then a walk where i had seen some cool mushrooms the other day. lots of fungus photos follow. (some are from my yard) i found out that i can just use regular AA batteries in my camera...but they last a pitifully small amount of time. i'll have to see if i can find my rechargeables.

this is what makes me smile:
even more fungus among us.

i guess i could have edited some of these...didn't feel like it. hehheh.

today was filled with a string of awkward moments.
a day like that can be very taxing, but also (when it is OVER) serves as some much needed comedic entertainment.

this is what makes me smile:
fungus among us.

coolest thing that happened to me today-seeing the bright, clear, full moon at 6:30am, and then again 15 hrs later. :) it was really beautiful this morning, setting on the western horizon. i WISHED that my camera batteries weren't kaput. and tonight, it's so bright that it looks like it's nearly sunrise. ahh gotta love a harvest moon.

i should have learned a lesson about procrastination today. i almost always wait until the very last minute to get things done...even when i have tons of time to do it before hand. you might say that i am a poor manager of time. or you might say that i just wait a long time, and then allot only the amount of time necessary to complete the task. but i stress out. and feel like i'm not going to make it. but then, i nearly always do, and the outcome is always good, and today's outcome (putting off my 12 page business plan-baaarrrrf until the DAY it was due) was awesome, soo...i guess i still haven't learned the lesson of not putting off until tomorrow what you can do today. unless it's due today. ah well. maybe i'll learn it next time. ;)

remembering the man in black today

this is what makes me smile:
remembering last year's harvest moon. :)

♥ i think this is going to be one of the next cd's i buy.

i was going to post the title track also, but then i probably would have just kept posting and posting until i had all of the songs on here, so i limited myself to one. heheh

i don't have a whole lot to say today. i am just feeling...pretty content, i guess. even though there are lots of things i'd like to change at the moment, i'm rollin' with the tide. i'm thankful, because it really stinks to be cranky mcgrumperson, and i could totally see myself trying to justify being that way right now (with my lame, shallow, humanly, cranky mcgrumperson justifications), but...i'm not. and i am grateful. 

this is what makes me smile:

country roads. 

i saw the strangest thing earlier...it was a large, glowing circle, hovering in the sky above the horizon. it hurt my eyes to look in its direction, but for some reason i kept trying to do it anyway. it was so beautiful! it made me think i heard a chorus of angelic voices...heheh. ;)
so i missed the sun, so what? i haven't seen it in over a week...and even though i am STILL not tired of the rain (unbelievably), i will admit that seeing the sun this evening was a very lovely surprise...especially after all the clouds and grey for such an extended period.
isn't everything made that much sweeter by having to wait for it? :)

this is what made me smile:
(insert angelic choir "oooooooooooo") the suuuuuuuuun! (well...sort of.)

and blue skies!