2010

My friend and I recently discussed how our years are thematic in nature.  She is fortunate, in that she has, of late, been notified by God on the front end of her year, as to what will be her year’s theme.  I, on the other hand, live the great mystery of discovering my year’s theme on the back end, in retrospect.

For example, at the beginning of 2010, Nikol was enlightened that her upcoming year would be the Year of Abundance.  And it was!  It was an exciting year to spend with a friend in her Year of Abundance.

As another (harshly contrasting) example, at the end of 2009, it was confirmed that mine had been the Year of Adult Conversations.  Over the previous twelve months, several uncomfortable conversations were necessary, all of which evoked this it’s-hard-being-an-adult-sometimes sentiment.  It was a growing year.

2010 has been the Year of Brokenness for me.  It sounds dramatic, and it really wasn’t as awful as it sounds.  There was a litany of physical ailments that simply had me pinned.  I was in a position where I had no choice but to slow down, begin some serious self-evaluating, and peel away some layers.  Know what I mean?

Despite the theme, though, there are highlights to be documented.

So, here we go.  2010, in review:

favorite books (it’s been a non-fiction kind of year)

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose

Choosing Civility by P.M. Forni

favorite new snack food

Tostitos Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips

favorite new recipe
Herbed Fusilli

favorite movie
Tangled

best new travel destination
Kauai, Hawaii

best quick trip
Nashville with Deana

most challenging Bible verse
Colossians 3:17

marked off the bucket list
Learned to water ski (mostly)

proudest craft moment 
Jewelry board

spent my birthday
In Ft. Lauderdale with the whole fam

most hilarious moment
Being locked out of Lil’s beach condo in the middle of the night

most pleasant surprise
Having three Saturdays off this fall

new techno gadget
A netbook, from Mom and Dad as a birthday gift

favorite new iPhone app
Words with Friends (yes, I know I’m a year behind everyone else)

favorite new song
“Different Kinds of Happy” by Sara Groves

2010 was a good year.  Plenty more I'm sure I'm leaving out!

What about you?  What are your 2010 superlatives?

thankful thursday #7

Since the morning after Christmas, it's been just me and Mom, lounging around, braving the return lines in the days after Christmas, hitting up some excellent sales, exercising the pooches, visiting friends, and putting lots of miles on the cars.

It's been good times!

At least three times over the past week, I've been in check-out lines with Mom, and she's been granted the "senior discount."  In fact, I watched her sales bill at one clothing store drop from $79 to around $35 in a matter of seconds (she did have a coupon or two, but still).

In all instances, I sensed that the store clerk was slightly uncomfortable asking whether or not Mom qualified. They want to be helpful, but who wants to ask a lovely lady her age?

It's an awkward dilemma.

"Do you receive our senior discount?" one asked.  Another one was much more crafty (gotta love Chick-fil-A personnel).  He directed his inquiry to me instead, "Do you know if anyone with you is over 52?"

Mom loves it.  She loves that she gets a free beverage at the Chick, or that she gets an extra 20% off her department store purchase.  Better yet, she puts those uncomfortable clerks at ease, assuring them that this is a good thing.

I was feeling grateful today that my mom embraces aging with such graciousness and ease.  So many folks -- women, especially -- see silver hair, or lines on her face attesting to years of laughter, and they want to "fix" it all and go back in time.

Believe me, I know there are some not-so-fun challenges that come with aging.  I'm 32 and already feel a little stiff when I get out of bed in the mornings!

But it's refreshing to see some good-natured aging happening out there.  I hope when I'm qualifying for senior discounts, I'm happy to accept them too.

What are you appreciating today?  Go on, be grateful!

be merry

Have a very merry Christmas!

thankful thursday #6

It's bowl season.

As if the regular football season isn't long enough, empire builders of the sports world like ESPN and the BCS have made it their goal to fill our holidays with enough bowl games to make a person go crazy.

And it's a shame that in so doing, student athletes, coaches and athletic staffs -- who, by the way, are sons, daughters, dads, and siblings -- are asked to travel away from their homes, and celebrate Christmas in a hotel, eating a catered meal, at best.

But this is Thankful Thursday.  Not the time for bitter soapboxes.

I'm so thankful that I have friends and coworkers who invite me into bowl pools!

For our work contest, we pick outright winners; in another one, we pick against the line.  They're fun little competitions.

At our family's house, if there is a football game being played somewhere in the world -- even if it's in Shreveport, Louisiana, for pity's sake -- it's on our television.  That includes games that are being sponsored by the likes of Meineke Car Care and Godaddy.com.

Oh, bowl games, why must you sell your souls to corporate naming rights?

(That is rhetorical, thanks very much.)

So were it not for the bowl pools, I'd have no vested interest in Sisters of the Poor University, and bowl season would be simply unbearable.

Are you in a pool?  If so, I'm sure you're grateful for them, too.

If not, what else is making you thankful today?  Go on, be grateful!

P.S. I'd be extra thankful if Navy could make a comeback here ...

the unlikely benefactor

This past week has been all about celebrating.  Lunches, parties, concerts, gift-exchanges, candlelight services, Christmas movies, sing-alongs, well wishes.

A massage, manicure and pedicure for the self-indulgent (me).

It's been a good week.  Lots of sweet moments along the way, when my heart felt like it might overflow.

But oh, the favorite moment.  It went a little something like this:

In a smokey BBQ dive on the last day of work, my office siblings (that's really what co-worker friends are like, aren't they?  spending all sorts of time together, poking fun at each other, sometimes driving each other crazy?) and I ate lunch together with Wes, one of our greatest friends.

Wes will tell you he has a wrinkled past, but thanks to the saving grace of Christ, he's never been happier.  Wes is also one of the most hard-working, honest, and generous souls I've ever known.  He would, without a doubt, give you the shirt off his back and the shoes off his feet, if it would help you.  He loves helping people.

And, on a side note, he can preach the Gospel like nobody's business!  Not because he's paid to, or because he has a pulpit.  Instead, he's got a story, and a fiery passion.

At lunch that day, Wes shared a story of being shackled in a prison cell.  Although he was saved at the time, he was paying the penalty for a past offense, having been arrested on his job site.

Shortly after his incarceration, Wes's name was called, and his bail had been posted.  He didn't know who could -- and would -- pay his debt.

Upon his release, he met his boss face to face in the waiting room of the city jail.

"God told me to come down here and get you out.  Is there anything else I need to know about you?"

"No, sir.  This was it."

And his boss responded, "I want to help you, and you don't owe me anything."

(Tears are flowing at the BBQ pit, by the way.)

Wes tells that story, because he values the friendship he shares with his unlikely benefactor.

Could the spiritual metaphor be any clearer?  (Love it that God isn't so subtle sometimes!)

Our fallen race deserves the shackles.

We find ourselves in bondage over transgressions.

An unlikely Savior redeems us, sets us free, and says, "You don't owe me anything.  The debt is paid."

And we get to be His friend.

Here's to celebrating the birth of an unlikely servant King.  Be merry!

oreo goodness

Here's a little Christmas goodie for you, particularly if you find yourself needing something quick:

Oreo Truffles

1 package of regular Oreos (you can use mint, if you're feeling froggy)
1 (8-oz.) package of cream cheese, softened (don't get low-fat; it spoils all the fun)
regular or white (or both!) chocolate bark

1. Crush your Oreos into smithereens.  (I do this with the biggest Ziploc bag I have -- the 2-gallon size works well --  and some combination of a rolling pin and a meat mallet.)
 
2. Mix the crushed cookies with the softened cream cheese.  (Use your hands.  It's much easier, and much more fun.)
 
3. Roll this Oreo goodness into balls, one to two bites each, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper.  You may want to pop them in the freezer or fridge for a short spell, to harden them up.
 
4. Melt three-four blocks of chocolate bark.  Roll the balls in the melted chocolate, and place the balls back on the cookie sheet.

You'll get about 3 dozen truffles out of this recipe, so split it between white and dark chocolate as you like.

Mmm, mmm, good!

thankful thursday #5

There are just too many things I'm thankful for today to pick one, so I'm going for a quick Top Ten list of the things I'm most appreciating:

10. One. More. Day.  Until two weeks of vacation.  In a row!  Don't hate me.

09. Unexpectedly stumbling on the perfect Christmas gift for someone on my list who shouldn't be so hard to buy for, but he manages to stump me every year.

08. Haircuts.  Even though it rains every single time I have a hair appointment, I just love 'em!

07. Hairdressers that are friends, too.  CPG, I love sitting in your chair, and laughing with you every time.

06. Hot Bacon Swiss Dip.  You're so much more than an appetizer.

05. The job that affords me the two weeks of free vacay over the holidays.

04. Random, tiny little compliments.

03. Thoughtful gifts.

02. Dishwashers.  So, so glad I don't have to wash every single dish, pot, and utensil by hand after having company.

01. My finger(nail) hasn't yet turned purple after slamming it unmercifully in my desk drawer this morning.

What are you thankful for today?  Go on, be grateful!

pretty things

Mid-sentence during a phone chat today, my friend strayed off track, ooh-ing and ah-ing about something happening at her desk.

Snapping back into our conversation, she said, "Sorry.  I was distracted by pretty things."

We both acknowledged that there was a profound metaphor in that statement, and that blog entries would ensue.  I'm hopeful she will explore that metaphor in the spiritual way it should be addressed, so that I can blog instead superficially, about these pretty things:

I spent the better part of my evening singing along to Christmas tunes and wrapping Christmas gifts.

Gift-wrapping and I have a love-hate relationship:

love:  Investing time to make presents look pretty.

hate:  Backaches resulting from hunching over boxes, ribbons, paper, and tape for hours on end.

love:  Buying fun new wrapping paper each year, to motivate me to endure aforementioned backaches.

hate:  New rolls of gift-wrap that are kept closed with Scotch tape.  There's gotta be a better way.

love:  Keeping all gift-wrapping materials contained and organized in a Rubbermaid storage bin, year-round (making Dad proud).

hate:  The wrapping chaos that occurs in process.

love:  Cutting the gift-wrap to precisely the right size for your box (yes, I have a measuring system).

hate:  Picking that wrapping paper for x gift, unrolling it, watching the cardboard roll appear too soon, and thus knowing that wrapping paper is not, in fact, for x gift.  (And fooling myself into thinking I might be able to use that scrap somewhere down the road.)

love:  A wide, organza ribbon that looks lovely without much effort.

hate:  Curling ribbon that can't stay in line.  Why must you be so difficult?

(conditionally) love:  The gift bag.

As a gift-wrapping purist, gift bags are a little bit of a cop-out.  (Don't be offended, you lovers of gift bags!)  I just like the idea of someone removing a bow and ripping paper off of a gift.  In my head, it sort of heightens the anticipation and the element of surprise.

But I can't tell a lie, after a couple of hours on the floor when my body is screaming, "Please, stop the madness!" a gift bag really is a welcomed relief.  It's just so much less demanding.  A little tissue paper and a quick curled ribbon.  Done and done.

(So, in the spirit of transparency, if you receive a gift bag from me, your gift was probably the last one wrapped in a batch.  Or it was just not going to be pretty if I tried traditionally wrapping it.)

What are your peeves of pretty things?  You know you have 'em. 

sippin' cider

It's snowing in Birmingham!  So gentle, and pretty, and festive!

It's the perfect day to throw on your coziest sweatshirt and curl up with a cup of my favorite hot beverage of the season:

December Cider

1 can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 can frozen apple juice concentrate
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate (which I can never find, so I end up using half of a 12 oz. can)
8 c. water
7 whole cloves
5 cinnamon sticks
dash of freshly grated nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer.  Strain cloves and cinnamon before serving.

Raise a glass to December!

christmas music superlatives

I adopt what I call "life nuggets" from just about all my friends.  They're the evidences of all the people in my life, the handprints they leave on the way I live.

For example, my pastry chef friend, who I met living in New Orleans, taught me to always pick up a pound of stick butter -- unsalted, so as to not alter the sodium content of a recipe -- if it's on sale at the grocery store, because it will always keep in the freezer.  So I do.

My college roommate buys one new Christmas album every year, and that's become one of my own little traditions, too.

Over the years I've collected some very fun albums, and as we're heading into the height of Christmas party season, I'd like to recommend the following favorites for your listening pleasure.  'Tis the season to share!

best vocal



The man can sing', y'all.  That's just all I have to say about that.

best instrumental



He dated Katie Couric, but let's not hold that against him.  This album is perfect for curling up on the couch with a cup of December Cider.

favorites of 2010



 

Do not miss these cuts:

Dave Barnes' "Christmas Tonight" (with Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum)

Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn's "You Came Down" and "Baby, it's Cold Outside" (hilarious!)

most original



This is one of my new favorite Christmas traditions.  Read details on that here.

old time faves that never get old



They still have my favorite arrangement of "O Holy Night" ever.




1992 was a good year for her.  This is an album I love all the way through, until "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" which, thanks to my buddy Brad Phelps, is my least favorite secular Christmas tune ever.

honorable mention singles

These are ten songs that while I may or may not endorse the entire album, they have frequent playtime on my iTunes during the holidays:

"Winter Snow" – Chris Tomlin, with Audrey Assad
"Some Children See Him" – James Taylor
"Children Go Where I Send Thee" – Natalie Merchant
"River" – Robert Downey, Jr.
"Mistletoe" – Colbie Callait
"We're Not That Far from Bethlehem" – Point of Grace
"In the First Light" – Glad
"Labor of Love" – Jill Phillips (on Andrew Peterson's album)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – Francesca Battistelli
"Auld Lang Syne" – Straight No Chaser 

What about you?  What are your favorite Christmas albums, songs, or arrangements?  Your pick might be my purchase next year!

thankful thursday #4

I love Mom and Dad for so many reasons.  Too many to count.

Today, I'm especially loving them -- and thankful-- for their dental genes.  Seriously.

I had my regular teeth cleaning today, and -- Mom and Dad, be proud -- no cavities.

When I was growing up, I don't ever remember dreading the semi-annual dental check-ups.  I seemed to never have cavities, and when all my friends were getting braces, I wasn't.  And then, when all my friends were having their wisdom teeth taken out, I wasn't doing that either.

At the time, I thought that was all very normal, but I know now that in fact, not everyone gets praises from their dentists like,

Have you been flossing?  Your gums look really good.

Did you do a whitening touch-up recently?  Your teeth are especially bright this morning!

That dark spot on the x-ray?  No, no, that's not decay.  That's just a shadow!

I know you love our chap-sticks; help yourself to the bowl of them we have right over there.

You're in great shape.  Some people have those teeth that you just can't make any better.

Now, you show me a words-of-affirmation person out there who doesn't get a little bit excited about those compliments.

What else can I do, but be grateful?  So, thanks, Mom and Dad.  You (and your teeth) rock.

Your turn.  Go on, be grateful!

reconnecting

Does anyone else have people they just adore, and then life takes you in different directions, and you fall off the we'll-keep-in-touch bandwagon?

I sure do.

Sometimes I feel guilty about that, and a lot of times I feel sad.  Other times I know it's just the ebb and flow of life -- there are seasons where certain people are in your life, and other times they're not.  Seasons of closeness, and seasons of distance.

I haven't reconciled all of those feelings, but here's one thing I'm sure of: reconnecting is the best!

After our bublé-icious night, Deana and I reconnected with Sarah, another friend from Starkville ...

... at this darling little cafe in downtown Franklin, Tennessee:

Sarah is one of the most genuine gals I know.  She's an old soul, listens well, and I love having conversations with her beyond what's happening on the surface.  And she's pretty hilarious, too.

I felt rich that night when I flew back into Birmingham.  So overwhelmed with gratitude for the people in my life, even (especially) the ones who I don't see often, or who I'm terrible at keeping in touch with, but who still hang out with me on a whim, on a tiny little Main Street, over fried green beans.

Let this be a little nudge.  Shoot a quick text, or email, or call a person you're missing.

Reconnect!

bublé-icious

Two words about this past week: Whirl. Wind.

The miles I've traveled over the past seven days sure have been worth it, though!

On Sunday after our Big 12 event was complete in Dallas, I flew to Nashville to spend a little time with one of my favorite people:



Let me tell you how much I love this girl.  Deana was my first friend in Starkville.  New kids on the block, no matter how old they are, want to be included, and from the first time she introduced herself to me, she touched me deeply with her warm, welcoming spirit.  I love her kindness and inclusion of others, even today.

She only lives ninety miles from me now, and I don't see her nearly enough.

Now let me tell you how much she loves me.  Deana doesn't even live in Nashville, and the girl drove there to greet me off the plane and whisk us around while we played in Music City.  She's a keeper, I tell you.

And I'll tell you what else, twenty-four hours in Nashville was good for the soul.

We drained that iPhone battery while we navigated our way through downtown; the parking attendant saved us $15 and directed us to free parking "because we smelled real nice" (creepy); I walked slowly with her up Broadway while she limped around on her awesomely high heels; and we laughed together like old times.

But we planned this trip for one main reason:



The Michael Bublé concert.

Now, I enjoy MB's music.  But Deana is over-the-top for him.  The concert was enjoyable for a lot of reasons, but she made the experience ten times better, and there isn't anyone I'd rather have gone with.

And more importantly, there isn't anyone who'd have smelled any better to charm that parking attendant.

thankful thursday #3

I left at dark early this morning for a weekend work event at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

We had an uneventful flight (on which I snoozed most of the way, attempting to recover from the 4:30 a.m. wake-up call, ugh), arrived to the stadium, put in a super easy day of work, and then headed back to the hotel around 5:00 to change for dinner.

And at our hotel ...

... at this time every day ...

... they serve up a hot batch of these ...
 

... and today's batch of double chocolate cookies took the sting out of the 4:30 a.m. wake-up call and put a little extra pep in my step.

Yum.

That's what I'm appreciating today.  What about you?  Go on, be grateful!