Thursday, August 21

these days

I know so little.
I realize this is the stage one usually finds themselves in after college, but really, I know so very little.
I didn't see this one coming, with all of my effort to know at least some of all.

As you can draw from these words, I do not have much to write about.
I have been praying for God to make some decisions for me.
I am living a blessed life with little direction, but indeed blessed.

I saw 5 red leaves today. Where did the time go?

Wednesday, August 13

an aerial view

after being on the airplane for hours today, I wish to make some art about the neat way land is ploted. Even in what seems like the middle of no-where, there are clean lines dividing property and different kinds of growth. It just seems funny to me that the land below from west to mid-west looks consistenly planed and organized,as if one person charted it. The jagged mountains here and there are a nice break. In addition to this tour of land I looked at differently today, I noticed the magnificence of clouds. I remember years ago I was disappointed when the plane could pass through them effortlessly, I had wanted them to be full enough to jump on, but today this became incredible to witness. These cotton candy forms hold this unique shape while also moving. And we can pass through these water droplets without feeling anything! And the angle at which I saw some clouds today was very interesting. I think the side view was my favorite, I could see the almost flat bottom floating with bellowing mashed poatoes atop. I will post the art when it is produced. It was the neatest roller coaster (of love). And I will need a new Riddlers' Revenge anyway now that Magic Mountain is closing.

I was on the airplane today because I went home! I first flew into Seattle and met Tori at the airport. We flew in a couple days early to help and thoroughly enjoy spending time with Claire before her wedding to Nate on Saturday. I was on a healthy-eating break. All the food was fantastic, and more local, well-roasted coffee than you could ask for. We ran wedding errands, visted roommate Kristy selling berries at the Olympia farmers' market, enjoyed the fresh air smelling of pine, loved visiting with the love birds' families, had such a fun bachelorette night on the town including so much dancing the night away, ending at a diner called the Reef. We don't really know why the Reef is called the Reef besides the one fish tank on the back wall, but the twelve of us entered, really wanting pancakes and bacon. After we ordered the chef informed us that from 2-3 breakfast was no longer served, but lunch was. hmmm, fries and a shake it was. The wedding was perfect. really. I will let those two tell you more. I now understand why we have receptions. The people gathered, who all love the bride and groom, want to spend more time together to celebrate the nice engagement that took place, the party can't be over. Well we felt this way even after the reception and spent the last night in Olympia well. I brushed up my new dancing skills once more and finally received my pancakes and bacon from the Reef.

Caleb drove a van full of us drove down to Portland the next day. We visted some friends at a church Chad works at, called Adsideo. On this Sunday there just happened to 25 friends from different times and places who were attending. I was reminded of what a blessing it is to know and be known and to run into people who when you spend time with them, you leave thinking "why can't I be with them more often?"

My mom, sister and I then enjoyed a drive to Nampa, along the Columbia most of the time. At the McDonalds in Baker City, I ran into two people I knew, man was I getting closer to home.

My next two days in Nampa/Boise were wonderful. Truly. Because I have already written a lot, don't have pictures yet and am anxious to get back to a sleeping pattern that consits of more than 2-4 hours, this will be all of my reporting of the trip for tonight.

As you might have guessed after a visit I am confused about what my new home should look like. But while confused I enjoyed a dinner with the beautiful family I have here in Kansas, my other home. And for today felt at peace.

Friday, August 1

okay okay

(in reference to the previous post)
4 days later and 4 shifts later, I really enjoy my temporary job. And that is probably good, realizing it may have to be more than temporary. I am thankful. The qualities I praised the Boise store for, still stand, but I appreciate the Kansas City store for new reasons. I enjoy many of the people I work with, I now have a grasp on how they run things and this seems small, but I was trained at the cash register! I have practiced scanning items since I was 4 with my fisher price shopping cart, it is my favorite zone to work. I left Nampa and Boise where I routinely interacted with around 10 groups of people, and these ladies at Anthropologie have become a new group, sort of a community- I see them 4-5 times a week. And I am thankful for the familiarity.

I am now at a LatteLand. A local coffee shop around the corner from work. I have had maybe 5 espresso drinks in a whole month, but when lifestyle permits, this will be more regular, now that I found a new flying m. The aesthetics are not the same, I cannot call 5 baristas close friends, and this is not called Jesus-Land, as the Nampa Flying M was sometimes referred to as Jesus-M. I think this nickname came from the heavy protestant/Nazarene/LDS crowd who frequent flying M. I loved this because this meant catching up with a few friends each visit and often times sharing biscotti with my grandparents, but I don't mind the non-Jesus LatteLand one bit. I was actually taught a lesson. Upon my first visit, it looked like the girl making my drink would take a while to warm up to me. I assumed. I was corrected. She was very friendly and asked all about Boise. I assumed someone would be judging me, and really I was the only one judging. The next time I came in, one of the baristas asked "So why did you move here from Utah?" I did correct him, not wanting to be from Utah, but close enough.

Design firms are not really hiring, but I will follow up with all of them this week. I am trying my hardest to be okay with the unknown. And I have the truest blessing of friends I will continue living with until September.

I enjoy hearing from all of you and hope we may all enjoy the end of summer.