Strolled in to work at 6:45am, coffee in hand.  Unshowered.  Forgot the candy I said I'd bring for little trick or treaters.  Forgot my headphones.  And I'm still just as behind on this deadline as when I went to bed last night.  Today, my friends, is going to be a ride.  Prayers appreciated.  

Happy Halloween. 

15/20

I've been thinking about saying "no" to things.  About how we'll be saying no to 'plans' next month.  I'm a lit nerd right, so I spend my hours alone getting lost in thought about things like: "Huh, it's so odd that the holiday season begins with "NO-vember. It's the month that ends with Thanksgiving, and then drops us off at Christmas - for which we spend lots of time writing shopping lists and wish lists." It just seems odd.  Maybe even ironic, to have the month that marks the beginning of the biggest over-eating, over-indulging, over-spending season, begin with "no."

 I think more than just saying no to plans next month, I'm going to focus on saying no to buying things I don't need.  Spending too much at the grocery store.  Eating sweets I don't need.  Drinking more coffee than I really ought to... or wine for that matter.  Complaining about my day at work to John.  Complaining about [insert word here] to John.

I'm going to focus on what's before me - what I have and what I can work for - rather than what I want.  I'm going to think about how rich I am.  How many thank you letters I have reason to write. I'm going to practice starting prayers with something other than "Dear Lord, please bless...."

I'm going to practice "no" next month.
Then I'm going to be grateful.
Then I'm going to be generous.
Then I'm going to turn 27th! Woot.

John Acuff had a little something to say on bravery today that struck a cord with what I've been ruminating on myself over here and at Uncommon.  

The Ugly Truth About Bravery. 

November is No-Plans-Ember.

For the month of November, we aren't making any new plans.  It's already been hard, as we've had to say no to some truly great offers.  But I think this will be good - a chance to focus on priorities that tend to get last place and fall into the calendar cracks.  For November, it will be different.

If you invite us, we will probably talk about it for a while, going back and forth, both taking turns at the devil's advocate... but hopefully in the end, we'll reply with "sincere regrets" and an attempt to reschedule after the holidays. 

Stolen pieces from Esther and Uncommon today.  So very, very true. 

Studio Oliver Gustav. 

Good morning!  And happy Friday, dear friends.  We have circled back around yet again to this glorious day of finishing and waiting.  Waiting for the weekend.  And this Friday is especially ceremonious at my office, as by 3pm all the networks will be down and by 5 every desk in boxes.  We've been in a remodel (and will be for 6 more weeks), and today marks our move into the first finished floor.  It has been a TRIP - packing up an entire marketing department - yesterday I attacked our WALL of binder coils.  Just binder coil.  Thursday, I alphabetized CDs of project photography.  A few hundred CDs later and I was humming Goo Goo Dolls like I was back in 7th grade.

But come 5 pm, it won't be the weekend yet for us.  We'll be heading to our recent 'second job' from 7-11. AND THEN, it's the weekend.  In celebration, I have worn my newly stolen favorite sweater (thank you Beau).  I hear it's made from real Alpacas.  My favorite wool socks and my boots.  Work appropriate? I'm not sure.  Friday appropriate?  Absolutely.  

This week of work packing has followed a full week of 'home packing' and moving John into his new house.  His beautiful, beautiful new house.  It feels so oddly big.  We're used to both our apartments, so to have an expanse with a real dining area, a living room, a separate kitchen and then THREE bedrooms?  It's crazy.  It just really feels odd.  I like to pace the place.  And a couple nights ago when I was over, I overheard doors opening and closing all over the house.  Over and over.  Apparently, John had just decided to walk around, opening, then closing each door in the house.  Because he could.  Because they are his.  It's pretty fun to watch and be a part of - his first project of course is mounting a retractable projector screen into the ceiling.  Something I couldn't be happier about, as it meas no longer will 100 sq ft be constantly covered by a projector screen. A 100 sq ft, which currently includes his beautiful new fire place.  :)

This weekend - will hopefully mean rest.  I need it.  He needs it too.

Okay, I stole this sort of - I listened in to one of my favorite women wishing one of my other favorite women a happy anniversary.  And I took each word to heart:  

True love isn’t found.It’s carved.Carved out of sacrifice. Carved out of covenant. Carved out of two dying to the loneliness of self to be made into one.You and I, we could let our feet find each other’s under the cotton sheets and we could carve into forever together.
Before there is no more me here and no more you here —we could let the rest be carved away until there only the glory of a wrinkled love left.

From here.   

 

Credit to my sister Kimberly for sharing this... holy cow.  I can't wait to watch John watch this....

JT. Hashtags. Cookies. TMNT.  

He will cry beautiful tears of happiness.

14/20

We finally finished Season 3 last night.  After months of dread, slowing our feet and making us wait until we felt emotionally prepared for it... I have to say, we were upset.  But we were also relieved.  

And we finished just in time to watch the first episode of season 4! 

 

Sincerely, from John. 

I think he's making fun of me. 

(I don't even like pumpkin spice lattes.  There.)

The other night, I tried to catch her.  I chased her down shiny streets, up broken concrete hills.  That girl who loves to run at dusk on cold night, loves to feel the rain. That girl who listens to sad slow songs and sincere old country love songs.  Who loves a glass of wine alone.  Who stays up til morning, trying to escape a story. That girl who sees the best in people.  Who hates to complain about others. Who loves everyone. I tried to catch her. But that bitch is fast!

I chased her for a while, then resigned to try another night.  I promised myself I'd try to catch a better glimpse of her tomorrow.


[Sorry about the beezy, just couldn't resist.  But really.]

One more reason to love Fall... 

Leather bags, books and hot drinks on cold walks. My favorite time of year is here. 

13/20

Wednesdays are generally a really, really hard day.  By the time I get off work, I'm tired, probably feeling sick from stress, and I'm almost guaranteed to be running late to our Berries game.  It's just how they seem to always go - deadlines fall on Thursdays and early Fridays and Wednesday is always a sick sprint to a final draft.

But I look forward to Wednesday each week.  Wednesdays always start great - they are my favorite morning of the work week.  Because Wednesdays, Beau picks me up and we get coffee and then he drives me to work.  :)

So right now, I'm relishing my vanilla latte and my pumpkin spice top pot doughnut, thinking about my Beau, and bracing myself for another Wednesday...

10 Days Until John's Closing Date!!!! 

And his apartment is folding up into boxes and zipties.