Photo Challenge Day 3: Shadow of Anything

This photo challenge is kicking my butt.  I thought it would be fun to try to find things every day to photograph.  Then the first thing was "name" and I had no idea how to picture it other than to write it first.  Original and artsy, right?  And following that an older picture of outdoors because the world is so dry right now outdoor pictures aren't that pretty.  So I decided I had to take a shadow picture for today and I ended up with two!
Last night, we went to the Twilight 5K and another Skunk Runners concert.  I PR'd at this race and got 3rd in my age group (which was really big this year-- 20-39!), which meant I won food this year.  Last year I got 2nd in a much smaller group of runners and was the only one that didn't get chocolate in my prize.  I got to listen to Danielle sing again and spend time with her.  Shannon cheered my on at the end of the race and it was so awesome to hear someone yelling my name.  Her voice and the fact that the girl who was about to pass me just had a baby a couple of months ago made my last "kick" that much faster.
This morning, I woke up and met Danielle for an 8-miler.  It was the worst 8 mile I have done in a long while.  There was some walking and a visit to a hotel to get ice.  Eventually, we made it back to her place, but it took a lot of energy.
She stayed for smoothies for breakfast and went on her way.  I fell asleep soon afterwards and woke up in time for Jim to talk me into biking to the Open Range for burgers.  Later, we went around town running important errands like picking up icecream left for us at the Helzer's house and picking up freezer bags so I can freeze bananas before they become completely useless.  Then, after some more computer time-wasting, I went in search of an evening shadow.
Jim and I ended up at the park where we thought a swing picture would be cute.  Then I got on the tire swing and Jim pushed me around.  I have decided it's good we do things like tire swings when we are little-- I was getting motion sickness!  It's so nice to take an evening walk with my husband and spend time with him.  I high recommend going to a park with your spouse and swinging for a while, or climbing on the jungle gym.  It's simple, free and fun entertainment with someone you love!

Photo Challenge Day 2: Outdoors

This picture wasn't all that recent.  But that is my husband "playing in the sand"  at our local beach a while back.  I think that was the most fun he has had in his car.  Ever.  And it worked out well that I could use the excuse "I want a picture!" to avoid the more uncomfortable but also more accurate "I'll throw up in your car!".
I grew up in the Black Hills.  Trees, waterfalls, creeks and tall hills characterize the ultimate outdoors for me.  I don't think I miss the trees and hiking trails and lack of rattle snakes until I am back in the Hills and smell the pine.  But, I don't miss them enough to move back.  The people I've met here and the life I've been blessed with make this place our home.
And part of our home, something completely different than what I grew up with, is a large lake with sand beaches.  This is what a day outside is to us.  Sometimes, we bring the dogs up and David leaps through the water (he hasn't figured out "swimming" yet) and the little dogs run as fast as their little legs can go.  Sometimes we go up and watch the sunset with ice cream.  Sometimes, my husband just drives around like a crazy person.
I'm not as much of a lake person as others.  Luis has a boat and we've been out once with him and they seem to love the lake.  Others go to read, go to swim or get on jet skis.
My time outdoors currently is a little uninteresting.  Running around town in the mornings, biking to work and back, walking to downtown and back, sometimes biking the bike path to church events.  Since Jim is the proud new owner of a road bike, we might be making a trek to Lewellen on our bikes to go to the Most Unlikely Place (restaurant with that name).  I don't know if I will survive it, but Jim sure is excited. 

Photo Challenge Day 1: Name

I ran into a snag of having a personal blog yesterday.  I love sharing what is going on in my life for old friends who don't live close by, sharing what my life is like to strangers (shout out to Stu!) and having conversations with locals about what I've written.
The problem I found was the normal Monday morning conversation.  I walk into the store and Bob asks "how was your weekend?"
"Good.  I sold THREE bikes on Saturday!"
"That's right, I read that on your blog!"
Oh yeah...the blog.  I sometimes forget that people read what I write and remember it.  I am running out of interesting things to say in every day life because I'm saying them here!
That's not really why I decided to do this, but I thought it would be kind of fun.  I've decided to do a photo challenge for the next month or so.  Above is the list.

Today is Day 1: Name
I was going to be creative and post a picture of a name of someone or something else that meant something to me, but frankly, I'm all out of creativity right now.  So, instead I just wrote my own.
My name is actually kind of cool in it's origins anyway.
My parents names are Jay and Kay (no joke).  So, if I were a boy, my name would have been Jake K-something.  Since I was a girl, my initials are KJ.  My middle name gets people confused with it's "y", but it's just the typical middle name "Jane" spelled to reflect my dad. 
Maybe it's my age-- I guess I'm in that age group that loves baby names-- but if we are blessed with children I know their names already and they reflect my parents idea of using initials.  But I'm not sharing these names in case someone likes them enough to use them before I get a chance.  I'm not afraid, though, I would name my kid the exact same thing anyway.  But, I'll just avoid the confusion early.

Go, Go, Go!

In order to show my support for my husbands interest in biking, I am helping him raise the funds for his bike.  So, this morning, I got up at 4:30 for my run.  Normally I don't see 4:30 on Saturday mornings, but it was nice to run a long run and only see three vehicles the entire time.  I had a great per mile pace because I didn't have to stop for traffic.  After some weight training and a shower we packed up my car and went to the Harvoy's house to set up for her garage sale.  She already had customers, so we quickly set up my small table (that's right, I'm a garage sale crasher!).
I sold TWO bikes and a few other relatively big ticket items with very little haggling.  I was stoked!  Jim was $200 closer to his bike fund goal!
Jim wanted to go to North Platte to check out bikes and we needed a few NP specific items so as soon as I packed up my one sack full of remaining items and dropped off Rosie's tables at her house we took off down the road.  We spent a little time at the bike shop testing things out.  While there, a wife was buying her first racing bike and the husband was tempted to buy one himself.  When he overheard me getting on the "used bike" sell list, he got some more information.  He offered to drive through Ogallala on his way to Imperial to check out Jim's bike and would pay the price he was asking and even let Jim hold on to it while his other one came in.  So, we shopped rather quickly and came home.
I did a speed clean of the house in case they came in.  I do my best cleaning when I'm under pressure.  I somehow managed to do the basics (sweep, mop, vacuum, bathrooms, dishes, counters, dust) in a half hour.  I even got some organizing done before they came. 
He liked the bike and will be picking it up when the other comes in!  Yay for Jim, another $300 towards his bike purchase!  If you are wondering... yes, his bike is going to be pretty expensive... yikes.
So, a picture from the garage sale.  Rachel was very kind to let me join her garage sale, and I'm so glad to spend the time with her.  Her dog, Mat, was a big hit and I really enjoyed loving on him.  He made himself comfortable in all sorts of places around the driveway.

 

Week in Retrospect

Sorry, faithful readers, for not posting for a week.  I have made a few attempts but end up not finishing a post because something comes up.  Whoops.
On Monday night I was so stinking productive that I haven't felt bad about the relaxing evenings I have had since.  After work I re-did our budget (going percentages for a while), gave the dogs a bath, washed the cars, housed off the house, cleaned the interior of the house, made dinner, cleaned up after dinner, took a shower, wrote a blog post, did laundry, yoga and read some before falling asleep. 
On Tuesday of this week I went to the store in the afternoon and painted the lesson room.  It just happened to be a perfect equation... the room needed sprucing up +I have a lot of extra paint +I like to paint +Seth was willing to help+ I wanted something to do Tuesday afternoon = Fun painting day with Seth.  What a fun kid, he's got a great sense of humor.  He brought out a more morbid sense of humor in me (I think we joked about death 3 or 4 times!).
With that project done, the rest of my week became all about "the bike". 

(Picture above; Seth in our newly painted music room... with curtains on the wall!  Light blue walls, dark blue ceiling and dark blue curtains on the back.  It looks a lot nicer in person... hard to photograph...)

Jim has decided he wants a really nice racing bike.  To save you some reading time I'll just say I'm not thrilled with the idea for a lot of reasons, but I gave him a set of terms that I would agree to and he has agreed.  If he can raise the money (no pulling out of savings for stuff like this!) and wears his helmet every ride, he can get his new bike.  Because I want him to be happy (and don't want him to resent me for not letting him getting his bike when he wants), I'm helping him sell stuff to raise the money.  I will be at a garage sale tomorrow at the Harvoy's if anyone is interested.  I am also selling some of my things for his goal... which is perfectly fine as these are things I should have sold last year at our small garage sale. 
If anyone wants a cruiser bike with basket (burgundy bike brown basket), or a smaller frame adult mountain bike, I'm asking $50 each. 

Before I publish this I would like to ask my "regular readers" a question.  I am thinking of doing a couple of series of posts... one about our town by taking pictures of my favorite places as I visit them and another as a "photo challenge".  Would this bother anyone?

How To Be The Awkward One

I drove all the way across the state, attended a wedding and had a blast with my closest friend and didn't bother to pull out my camera once.  Sorry, folks, I dropped the ball on this one.  Since this blog was kind of supposed to document things like this happening, I feel like I disappointed some people.
But don't be dismayed, I got a picture (the blessing of strangers posting pictures of me on facebook!).  So while I did not take this picture, I'm in it.


The girls in the following picture are the wives of the ushers.  The pretty girl to my right is the only other person that didn't meet at SDSMT.  The two on the far end are the ones that tried to include me in conversation... if I had been anything but my uncomfortable self they might have enjoyed my company.  Unfortunately, when I get shy for some unknown reason I tend to come off a bit cold.  Sorry, Dyan and Deanna, you are sweet ladies and I think we would really get along if I wasn't such a social idiot.
Anyway, the drive to Fremont was fine and uneventful.  I sent a message to Shannon when I got there (Shannon-- I thought it was really sweet you asked me to send you a message when I got there!) and went straight to bed.
Woke up and went to Valley... about 15 minutes away.  I met Danielle and we ran a six-miler, showered at the YMCA and then had an awesome breakfast at Delcious! Bakery (the "!" is part of the title).  It was awesome.  Peaches N Cream pancakes worth more calories than I normally eat in an entire day... totally worth it.  Then, Danielle, I think noticing my distress about this wedding, took me shopping in Omaha.  I was a bad influence on her buying some things at Old Navy.  It was so much fun and SO neccessary to have this time with my friend.  Because...
when I got to the wedding an hour early and Jim was busy I stood beside a bunch of guys who have known me for a few years but for some reason decided not to talk to me.  A couple have always been kind of jerks to me anyway so I didn't really care, but others just avoided me anyway.  Why, I don't know.  I actually tried to be social with them, but failed miserably. 
The wedding, while beautiful, was Catholic, and as someone who have never been to a Catholic anything, I was confused by the chanting and up and down and pauses.
There was a party bus I was supposed to be a part of but there weren't really enough seats, so I took our car to the reception and ended up in the parking lot of another wedding.  It took seeing a completely different bride getting out of a limo to realize I was at the wrong location.  Luckily I still beat the party bus to the reception.
I was sitting by the women, trying to get to know Kim (pink dress) and talking to Dyan and Deanna.  Deanna and I might be really good friends if we spent time together.  She is health conscious and very kind... someone I naturally gravitate to.  But the way my brain shut off I'm sure she would avoid me next time.
The drive home was nice, following my husband in his car the whole way to make sure he was awake.  To keep myself awake, I broke into the snacks I received at the hotel as a wedding guest... cheese and peanut butter crackers, oreos and everything else I would never eat except I was dangerously close to taking a nap while driving.
Tonight we got a lot of house done and Jim pulled weeds.  I hate yard work.  With a passion.  I hate yard work so much... I think I would rather pull teeth than pull weeds.  I.  Hate. It.  So. Much.

Anyway, here is the picture from the wedding.  These ladies are all so pretty I felt so strange being a part of this picture!

Situational Self-Conscious Disorder

2nd Post of the day.

*Warning*-- Personal opinion and slightly girly stuff will be the topic of this post.  Read at your own discretion.

*Warning disclaimer*-- Girly stuff... but not gross stuff.  So it's safe to read if you choose too...

I'm pretty self-conscious.  I dare say very self-conscious.  It's like a situational disease, a product of being taught to self-evaluate from a young age and being ridiculously sensitive.  Basically, I sometimes have the emotional stability of a teenager... like I said, it's situational.

Certain events, certain people and certain surroundings make me a lot more self-aware than others. 

For instance, this weekend I am going to a wedding.  Weddings already make me uncomfortable since I have never been to one where I knew most of the guests, except for my own (which made me uncomfortable in a whole different sort of way!).  The guests I do know at this wedding are people who, not by their own doing, are "triggers" for my mini-self-pity-party.  I don't really fit in with this group of people.  They have always been athletic, fun and smart.
I'm instantly shy in this group of people and can't break out of my stupid little shell.  I can't seem to think as quickly and I suddenly can't think of a single "cool" thing about myself.  So, I get through the time with them, painfully aware of every awkward thing I say.  My clothes don't seem to fit right... I somehow magically balloon to a bigger size, my glasses become extra dorky and every single stereotypical "geek" thing about me is magnified.  I sink in behind Jim, keep as quiet as possible and react in the same way my mom does in these situations-- offer my help a lot or make excuses to go to the kitchen (I don't know how many times I've done dishes at other peoples houses because it was easier than being sociable!). 
Weddings aren't the only place this happens-- youth group used to be a big one (actually, that's why I went every single week... I was determined to get over being freaked out),  school in general was a big one, parties in general, any time attention is drawn to me unless there is an instrument in my mouth.  My mom's side of the family, reading an unfavorable number on the scale, having one of those "hair days", breaking things at work (which I do way more than should be acceptable!) and times when I am put in an authority position have a similar effect of shrinking my spirit.  

I know this is really ridiculous.  Logically, I know that being so focused on myself in these situations is not only destructive in it's negativity, but pretty darned selfish, too.  I mean, instead of creating relationships with these people I fuss with my hair and avoid eye contact.  And I know that by doing this, I become the awkward person I fear I am instead of just being my normal, everyday awkward.

And the strange thing about this whole thing is most of the time it is a non-issue.  In speech class, when I knew I had to do it, it was not a big deal at all to speak.  When I play bass in the worship team or do anything at church I'm not worried.  When the door "dings" or the phone rings at work I have no problem answering cheerfully and being somewhat personable.  For some reason, while grocery shopping I'm particularly confident (If anything confuses me, it's this).  When I give lessons I am loud and crazy and not at all concerned.  When I write on this blog I give way too much information to be concerned about what people might think of me.

My goal as a Christian woman is to not be self-confident and not be self-conscious, but put my self aside so I can focus on glorifying God.  To serve other people and let His light shine through me.  I guess I'm still working on that.  As I get older, these times of being self-conscious are fewer and farther between.  It could be because I'm slowing learning or it could be that I'm getting good at putting myself in comfortable situations. 

And as is my style, here is an only slightly related picture.  One person I've never felt awkward around is my dear husband.  Listening to some 90's pop on my Pandora station over Jim's system this evening, I heard one of the N*Sync songs of my middle school years.  I ran to the garage where he is was working and brought him inside where we danced in the living room "middle school style".  Rory thought it looked like so much fun she wanted to join, so we let her balance herself between us.  CUTE!

And by the way, two of the greatest people on earth are getting married on Saturday!  Jim's friend Drew has always been my "favorite" Jim friend, if that makes any sense.  I don't feel awkward around him at all because he does such a great job of caring for everyone around him.  And his bride to be, though I've only met her once, is a beautiful and sweet woman.  I am so excited for them to start their lives together and celebrate their union.  

Homemade Floor Cleaner.

Tonight, my focus was cleaning the house, a little more organization (more drawer organizers!) and trying to save money while cleaning.  I made some homemade floor cleaner.  Most people that read this have probably tried this or are doing it or really have no interest.  So me posting the "recipe" is probably pointless, but since it's quick I'll give it to you-- 1/2 C Vinegar and 1/4 C Lemon Juice to 1 gallon water.  I cut everything way back to fit in a 32 oz spray bottle (finished off a windex bottle a while back) so I could just spray and wipe.  Worked pretty well and the lemon took away the vinegar smell and my floors are shiny.  It doesn't work miracles, but for the long term, this is way cheaper than buying floor cleaner and I am not too worried about the dogs licking the floor... though that would make them messy again...

 I have laminate flooring, but my mom used a similar recipe on hardwood when I was growing up (but she used more vinegar... or didn't use lemon... I just remember the house stunk afterwards!). 

Have a good night!

Entry

 1 Peter 4:9 says I'm to show hospitality to others without grumbling.
Titus 1:8 lists hospitable as a positive attribute.
even the "Proverbs 31 wife" is hospitable (I wish this lady hadn't been so darned awesome.  It's a lot to live up to!).

At one point in the not-so-distant past I believed that hostessing was a gift only bestowed to certain people and since my gifts were not of that direction I was allowed to ignore these verses.  I thought of it kind of like having someone on worship team who just couldn't carry a tune.  That was until I realized that there are no verses requiring people to be on the worship team or in the church choir (you can make a joyful noise elsewhere) but there is no loophole for hospitality.  It's there and it's important.

And I understand why.  I basically became a Parrish through Sunday afternoon dinners at the Parrish house.  I spent hours with that family before Jim and I were ever officially dating.  People get to know you in a special way seeing your house and how your family operates and you get to know people by spending time with them, asking questions, building relationships. 

I love the entry into my house.  It's plain, efficient, kind of pretty.  It's also the introduction to my house, my life and what people are about to experience in the crazy Parrish household. Here, the food may not always turn out perfect, I might forget to offer you a drink, you might have a dog of any size jump at you at any moment and we might ask you to play Gran Turismo or Guitar Hero.  Here you will be welcomed and the conversation cherished.  Here I will build relationships and do what God has asked because he has given me here to work with.

Worst. Ever.

I'm a casual runner.  You can translate that into "slow".  I have done very few speed workouts primarily because I don't know what those would be.  I was never trained to run-- I just put shoes on and went.  When I started adding miles and running with someone I started reading up on it.  I bought shoes that were appropriate for my pronation and read up on form and other running related things.  I figured out what "PR" stood for, found a definition for fartlek runs, etc.
One of the things a person reads while researching running about a million times is that not all runs will be great.  I don't know if it's said as encouragement or if it's just an easily forgotten truth.  Regardless, it's probably the most made comment on running that I've seen.
As someone whose primary objective with running is to continue doing it for years to come, I thought that I had experienced this.  I've had those days when it doesn't matter how good my form is or how well I pace myself I still end up going a bit slower and feeling tight the whole run.  It's usually a "bit" slower, though, not anything drastic and I still feel great afterwards.

I would have loved one of those days today.

But I'm going to chalk today up as a learning experience.  I had other obligations this morning that pushed back my run to around 10:30.  I talked Jim into joining me because he loves running in hot weather and 80 degrees is just his thing (crazy man!).  Out we went on one of my typical routes.  I was very aware of my pace, trying to stay below what I think my 5K pace is (but let's be honest here, I don't really have any idea what my 5K pace is) so that Jim and I were running "easy" and together.

At one point, Jim cut off and met me later so I could get some more miles in.

By the time I got to him, my legs were cramped and I had a side cramp all through my right side.  It was about this time that I realized I hadn't had anything to drink at all yet today and had one little yogurt about 3 hours prior.  80 was feeling pretty hot, but I was on the other side of town and had at least two miles to get home.  So, I stretched what I could and kept going.  Every half mile we stopped until finally we walked the last half mile.  By then I was wheezing and felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen in.  I was embarrassed as the supposed "runner" of the family, being catered to by my "newbie" husband.  Luckily, he's a sweetheart and was just encouraging the whole way.

It's a humbling experience to not be able to go your normal number of miles no matter the reason.  And since I find it important to remain humble, I'm going to share a picture of me post worst-run-ever.  At one point, the thought of people seeing me after a run would have horrified me... it's why I ran inside for so long.  I got over that when God gave me a running partner, but I rarely do anything but go straight to the shower and doing my hair before anyone else can see me.   
Today, I feel like I earned every one of those horrible miles, so this picture, as embarrassing as it is, is a truth I can live with. 

Those Extra Expenses and Annoyances

There are three very expensive and annoying objects in my home.  They also happen to be three of my most prized and favorite possessions.  Oh the dogs.  My lovely, crazy, fun, tedious dogs.
David went to the vet today for a variety of reasons that added up to just enough we wanted him to visit.  He had a full day at the vet complete with x-rays and pills for the next two weeks.  So much for having a cheaper month.  But I am glad to find out our big puppy is going to be okay.  And when we got to the vet, everyone was so impressed with my good boy.  He sat, shook hands with a stranger, laid still for a while and jumped up to look over the counter at the secretary.  When Jim picked him up, he got up on his hind legs and hugged him.
Yup.  Our David was totally worth the extra expense. 
Then there is Rory.  Sitting on the floor petting my little princess, I saw a chunk of fur fall out.  So, I started plucking (I am suddenly reminded of my mom's constant fussing over me... I can already see what kind of mom I will be...).  

You might think that I have a bald puppy running around, but she still looks just as furry as before.  This is going to be a long summer.

My Knight

I got myself in trouble today for sending a quick google message to my husband.


"this sucks.  I should have had you fix my printer last night!  I have to print something for basically every student today!"


Just a half an hour later, while I was in a lesson, my husband walked into my music room, grabbed my laptop and disappeared.  He fixed my printer connection!  Then he went back to work.


Who does that?  My awesome husband, that's who.  I didn't do anything to deserve such awesomeness.  I noticed after he left that he had sent me a message right after mine.  "I'm coming to rescue you."



So that is what the modern Knight in Shining Armor looks like.

Routine Switch

This time of year my routine switches.  I start biking to work, Jim and I start meeting at the park for lunch, we start walking the dogs in the evenings.  Generally, even though I tend to be pretty active in the cooler months, I'm even more active in the summer.  More grilling, more salads, more smoothies.  What isn't to love about summer?
Well, except the bugs and snakes and lawn work.

I enjoy these lunch dates in the park with my dear husband.  Last year we only had a few lunches ruined by sprinklers or mosquitoes.  Yesterday, we enjoyed the sun while a lawn mower got inconveniently close to our bench.  But that's okay.  Lunch without TV, extra snacks or dogs distracting us is just a nice way to spend an hour every day. 

Spoiled

I can't deny, even in the slightest, that I live a pretty cozy little life.  I am totally spoiled in every way I can think possible.  And this is not just because I'm a privileged white female in America, though that's a part of it.

I started life with parents who took care of me.  I had to work for things, but if I ever needed anything they took care of it.  They paid for lessons, month after month, on instrument after instrument.  They bought reeds, cleaners, instruments themselves.  They came to concerts, driving across the state for some.  In college they paid for car insurance so I wouldn't have to.  They paid for our wedding and our honeymoon.  Today, we still receive kind gifts from them like Omaha steaks (GREAT birthday present, by the way!).  They loved me, even when they didn't say anything.  I was never afraid that my parents would do anything harmful to me.

I transitioned from being under my parents care to my husband, who spoils me worse than they did.  I am treated, on a daily basis, like a princess.  I'm daily affirmed in my marriage by a husband who loves me, thinks I'm beautiful and likes to tell me so.  He refuses to let me open a door for myself if he can help it (something I've come to expect of all men... which sometimes gets me into trouble).  He works hard at his job and takes good care of me.  I remember once Taine whispering to me in church "he adores you, doesn't he?".  He really does and I haven't the slightest idea why.  We also both have the bad habit of buying things the other says they want... which is why I'm typing this post on a new laptop.

At home I am also spoiled by three loving dogs.  Three dogs who can barely stand me being in the room without some love and attention.

I'm spoiled by living in a town of amazing people.  People who offer blankets on a cold night at the beach without being asked.  People who watch out for me while I run, or offer rides when I'm walking to work.  People who visit the store just to say "hi".  People who are kind and encouraging. 

I'm spoiled by going to a fantastic church that welcomed us so quickly and allowed me to get right into playing music... the gift God has given me to worship Him with (another thing He has spoiled me with!).

I'm spoiled with a job where my bosses are Christians and I go every day knowing I'm going somewhere I want to be.

I'm spoiled with friends who stretch my limits, who encourage me and who I would gladly jump off a bridge for. 
I'm spoiled with a beautiful home and the capacity to care for it.  I'm spoiled with the ability to be active.  I'm spoiled with a not-so-terrible-looking face.  I'm spoiled to have a functioning brain. 

I'm spoiled to have a Savior who was willing to forgive this spoiled brat regardless of her many faults.  I'm spoiled that I've had 25 years of these blessings. 

And I know at any time it all can be taken away-- except my Savior.

And today, the day after my birthday, I was spoiled with a trip to a movie and a husband who helped clean the house and brush the dogs.