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I didn’t keep track of too many favorite bits this past week, but here’s a bit of goodness before I go into the loveliness of the weekend:

A new cookie recipe: Coconut Oatmeal Chewies, some of which I added chocolate chips to… think Mounds bar, yum!

The awesome bits about “The Great Merge” in this post from Enjoying the Small Things: HERE.  Gosh I love her blog.

Sunshine today after a few days of cold, rainy dreariness.

Heading to The Big Flea tomorrow with a friend from work.  Mom and I have wanted to go for awhile, so I’ll be taking plenty of pictures, as allowed, to scope out for the trip we’ll hopefully make there together next year!

The rest of the weekend will be spent huddled under cozy blankets, feet scrunched into warm socks, a good book in hand, with hot chocolate or tea nearby for sipping.  Plus maybe some writing, doodling, or other such creating.  And also some sewing.  Generally just keeping busy with joyful things.

It looks to be rather grand.

Rainy Fall Day

“The wet of the rain saturated the bark of the trees, turning them almost black, causing the vibrant fall leaves to glow against the gray of the stormy sky.”

Not a Bad Start

The first Mason men’s basketball game was tonight.  It was just an exhibition game, but still not a bad start.

Yep, we won by almost 40.  Casey is quite ecstatic that the new season has begun and that everyone looks pretty strong.  I said I couldn’t believe it was already time for it and he said he couldn’t believe it took so long to get here.  Although I don’t share his childlike enthusiasm, I enjoy going to the games and I am glad for the excuse to have nights out with him.

Learn Something New 2010

Now that it’s been a month since the project prompts ended, I’ve finished my Learn Something New journal. I actually finished it like a week ago. I had shared the first half of my “learning” awhile back, but here is the full list and a little description of my journal design.

I pulled out some favorite papers, the kind you buy and then stash forever because they’re so pretty, and created 4.25x5.5 journal pages with the paper on one side and orange paint on the other. For the dates, I printed off some caption boxes from Just Something I Made and used stencils to blot black paint for the numbers. For the text, I just free-wrote my “learnings.”

Full list of what I "learned":

1. Today I was reminded that it only takes one to change everything. One smile. One kind comment. One helping hand. One day.
2. Today I decided I need to live my life as who I am already instead of wasting moments waiting to become who I want to be. They may be the same person.
3. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
4. Food doesn't taste as good late at night.
5. If the sun is shining, it does you a world of good to get out in it.
6. I seem to become more homesick when my parents leave my house than when I leave theirs.
7. You must face the direction you want to go.
8. Greater expectations rarely bring greater results.
9. Laughing (at yourself) reduces the get angry and yell reflex.
10. Fall might be my favorite.
11. On Saturday, it is far more satisfying to get up and get to it than to sleep in.
12. God can make all things new... including you... and yes, more than once.
13. Cleaning the kitchen before bed makes for a much better morning, even if it means staying up a few minutes late.
14. Attitude is so important.
15. This year, there's more meaning... it's deeper... I'm thinking about and "learning" less trivial things.
16. I am learning to write down things I see or hear that inspire me so that they wont be forgotten.
17. Sometimes the kids are the grown ups.
18. Spending time with my family, especially in celebration, revitalizes my soul like not much else can.
19. Packing only what you need makes unpacking as soon as you get home way easier… and much more likely to happen.
20. Coming back from Vermont reminds me that Virginia is lonely for me.
21. There is a lot on my mind... and I can let go of it.
22. I admire people who garden to live.
23. Going to the grocery store four times in a week is too much.
24. It feels good to know I'm appreciated at work.
25. Casey will never get sick of me.
26. It's okay to take a longer nap, as long as you get up and go afterwards.
27. It is much easier to be peaceful when the house is clean.
28. Everything is ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.
29. "In the middle of the world, make one positive step." ~ Natalie Goldberg
30. Keep things filling, not just full. A busy life does not mean a fulfilling life.

Too Quiet

As I mentioned on Friday, Casey and I had a quiet weekend planned. After having a fun night out with work friends on Friday, I came home way later than expected and ended up sleeping in until around noon on Saturday. That is way unlike me.

What’s worse is I was completely useless for the rest of Saturday and it made me feel crummy. I don’t like being so lazy! Casey and I pretty much got out of bed only to move to chair and couch, respectively, where we spent the rest of the day. Well, actually, I took a nap in bed in the late afternoon and then in the evening we pulled out the couch bed and watched a “scary” movie. After the movie, it was back to bed.

Fortunately, Sunday was a lot more productive. I got up and went to church, made dinner in the slow cooker, baked some cookies, did a couple loads of laundry, and worked a bit sorting stuff and creating in the guest room. There was not nearly as much sleeping and bad TV watching, though it was still pretty laid back.

On Saturday, I was feeling pretty crappy about the whole thing, but Casey assured me it was okay to take a day off and today I don’t feel as bad about it as I did then. I just don’t like wasting time being a couch potato when there are other, more meaningful things I love to do; on the other hand, it was nice to just hang out with Casey. We may not have interacted much, but it was still time spent together and that’s important.