Be My Guest Monday! Rooftop Melodies

Hello! Today is another Be My Guest Monday! Thanks for coming by... I've been a bit out of it lately with the crazy computer virus, so my apologies for the late post time on this. But I'm glad you came, because today's post is fabulous!!! Today we have Katie from Rooftop Melodies bringing us some excellent thoughts on what it means to find the extraordinary in the ordinary...

Rooftop Melodies

"Hmmmmm... ordinary in the extraordinary. Or wait, maybe it's the other way around..." I pondered what I would write for Out of the Extraordinary. My mind was blank.

As I mused, the sound of a glass-packed muffler pounded through my window. That vehicle had to be at least a block away, down by the bars where I could hear people talking a little too loudly and a little too enthusiastically. The engine revved over and over and over. People raised their voices. I was annoyed. I find myself often annoyed lately. I don't know exactly why this is, but I am even annoyed with the fact that I am often annoyed. Yes. It's self-perpetuating.

It's times like this when I think to myself (why do we say "think to myself?" To whom else would we think?) "Self, it's a good thing you do not have children, or even only one child, or even a mere husband. You could not handle a relationship. You could not handle caring for anyone other than you. You would quickly become uber annoyed with these people and eventually fall into insanity" Then I begin to argue with myself, "That's so not true. I love kids and I'm sure I could rise to the occasion if I were in a relationship." But I'm not very convincing. I'm afraid I'm right. Er... wrong? No wait, um... What did I say about insanity?

The voices drone into my window again. I want to tell these people that it is late. It's only a Thursday night. Can't they hold off on the drinking for one more night? My neck is stiff from laying on my tummy in bed and typing with my hands above my head. My eyes blink closed. I just realized how tired I am.

Then I decide it really doesn't matter. The act of being annoyed doesn't change anything. You choose your battles. Some will need to be addressed. Some will need to be ignored. And that's exactly what I will do about the fair patrons of Bottom's Up down the street.

Sometimes I just have to remind myself that God gives the grace to deal with every situation he sends. From noisy neighbors to crying children and family priorities to dealing with loneliness and the realization that my plans are not his plans, I'll find the strength in him. And as I remind myself of this fact, I also remember that my iPod will drown out annoying neighbors. My eyes close again and I thank God for the little things, because ordinary, everyday annoyances are what make life extraordinary in its own crazy way.

Be My Guest Monday! Her Silent Musings

Hello! Today is another Be My Guest Monday! Have you decided to be my guest yet? If not, you should!! (hint... just click on the link...) :)

Today's guest is Lauren from Her Silent Musings. When I started my blog I had to decide how much of my deepest thoughts I would actually be comfortable sharing to the public, since the "public" includes my mom, friends, and potentially people from work. What I love about Lauren's post is its simplicity, its transparancy, and the stream-of-consciousness writing style that I adore so much. I dare you to love this post more than I do:

Her Silent Musings...

There is a difference in my writing when I journal versus when I'm writing my story. You can tell. My journal reads horribly; the writing difficult to wrap your mind around either because of the jagged style or ill-scripted handwriting. When reading my story, it sounds like I try too hard, try too hard to be perfect. Often times, when I journal I also try to sound poignant, and more so just come across as dramatic and foolish. Yet when I write for my blog, I find that my voice sounds more authentic and wholesome. I actually sound like a real person delving into her inner soul and sharing pieces of it with people. You would think this would be the same for journaling, even book writing. However, such is not the case. When I'm writing my story, my mind almost feels completely detached from the moment, as if my fingers know more about what's going on than I do. When I journal, I think too much about someone possibly reading my thoughts in the future and I want to sound deep and reflective. When truthfully, I'm just a woman (yes, I'll be turning 20 in less than one month, and will no longer be a teen, so I shall refer to myself as a woman now) who eats goldfish crackers while writing her innermost thoughts.

I bought my parents a Thank You card because sometimes I feel like I don't show them enough appreciation. I can be very grouchy if my mom calls and I'm not in the mood to talk. I hardly ever talk to my dad on the phone during the week, so the only time I'm ever pleasant is during the weekend when I'm at their house visiting. Maybe I'm just looking at myself in a darker light than most; maybe I'm too hard on myself. Regardless, I want them to know that they're appreciated, and I know a card doesn't really do or say a whole lot, but it's better than nothing at all, and it's not like I don't ever say “thank you” to them when they do something for me. Sometimes I don't say thanks, so it makes me come off looking like I think I deserve to be catered to, but that's not how I perceive myself. Maybe I used to when I was in high school and still living with them, but not anymore.

Sadly enough, I'm going to be draining my bank account thin by the next pay period. While I was at Buffalo Wild Wings the other night with some friends, I bought a three-pack of screen guards and a new cover for my cell phone from Amazon, not considering that “Hey, Lauren, you have a doctor's appointment coming up this week” and not even thinking that I would need a refill on my medication for which I would have to pay. So that's a thirty dollar doctor's visit – and my real doctor wasn't even there, it was the head honcho lady who made me feel somewhat like she was talking down to me, which never sits well in my stomach – and then however much my prescription is going to cost. Not to mention, I bought lunch at various fast food restaurants before I went and bought groceries today, still have to buy gas for next week, and pay my car insurance. Ugh...

And then last Saturday my mom and I went to Kohl's where she bought me three pairs of pants for work. I tried them on Sunday afternoon and only one pair fit. My mom asked me if I'd gained any weight since I'd been on “the pill” and I said no, at least it hadn't felt like it. I mean, yeah, my belly's gotten a little rounder because I'm not walking my arse off from one class to another everyday, and I don't dance or cheer or do gymnastics anymore, but I didn't feel any heavier. She said it's possible that I had gained weight, and it disturbs me that this possibility unsettled me.

All my life, people have been telling me I need to gain weight, and the honest truth is that I've always resented their comments. I never wanted to gain weight, even though I knew I was small and could use a little meat on my bones. I don't have an eating disorder, I don't starve myself, or make myself vomit. I'm not obsessed with counting calories and doing two hundred crunches before bed every night. Now, truth be told, I could probably eat a lot healthier than what I do. I eat way too much junk. But since last weekend, I've turned sideways in the mirror many times and longed for my lost abs packed down by lack of exercise and too many Zaxby's milkshakes (too many Zaxby's anything, really).

There's a lady I work with who constantly informs me of her envy over my body and weight, something that annoys me to no end. People have told me they would kill for my body. Kill? Seriously? When I was in middle school, a curvy, curly-haired classmate pointed to my belly at a pool party and said, “That's how I want to look!” I curled into myself a little, slightly embarrassed by the attention, already feeling awkward that I was the only girl wearing pink and blue plaid boxer shorts over my swimsuit because I'd just started my period and was afraid of tampons. I've been accused of having nearly every eating disorder in the book, both behind my back and to my face. People have really surprised me by what they've said, yet looking back on it, I don't feel at all shocked by their words. Thinking of the kind of people they were and the way they treated not only me, but others, too, helped me make sense of the things they said to me and about me, and why they said them. That probably sounds harsh, but it's true. People can be mean, jealous, rude. Eventually, I learned to ignore the remarks. People would say what they were going to say and you couldn't do much to stop them.

So, in conclusion, I've learned that writing just has to be done, gratitude needs to be shown, and acceptance needs to be made. We are not perfect, we are just human. To be human means to be imperfect, sinful, but most importantly redemptive. I will probably never write perfectly the first time, will never say “thank you” enough, and will never look exactly the way I want to, because if I did, I have discovered that I wouldn't need God or His help. Because I am all of these things, I need Him, and will always need Him.

Be My Guest Monday! Living, Laughing, Loving

Hello! Thanks for stopping by today. Today is Be My Guest Monday! I'm looking for people to do some extraordinary summer posts for me... how about YOU??

Today's guest is Angela from Living, Laughing, Loving. You've got to check out her blog when you're done reading this post... if you can't smile after seeing the picture... well then you may just need some help. :) But today you are so lucky to read this beautiful Mother's Day tribute. And so...

A Blink After Birth
by Angelia Sims

<a href="http://youthinkyoucanblog.wordpress.com/" title="Living, Loving, Laughing"><img src="http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af194/iamconfessing/living-1.jpg" width="175" height="175" alt="Living, Loving,Laughing" /></a>

When I was a little girl from age four to ten, one of my favorite stories my mom would tell me was about the day I was born. As often as I could, I would beg her to tell it to me again. Maybe it was for the closeness we shared on that day. Maybe it was because my mom told it with such heart and soul. Maybe it was because I got to snuggle with her under the covers in her big brass bed. She would wrap me up and stroke my hair as she began to quietly speak. Transfixed, I would listen as she recounted the day with perfect clarity.

My mom, your Grandma Dorothy, died while I was pregnant with you. I was only 29 years old. We were so close and I loved her so much. It was devastating to me. But I had your two brothers, and sister to take care of. I could not grieve forever. As much as I would miss her, I had to do the best I could for my family. You were five months in my tummy when I said good-bye to her for the last time.

The months went by as slow and hard as I thought they would be. The emptiness and loss were a hole I could not fill. The boys were a handful, but thankfully your sister, who was eight, was a BIG help. She wished and wished for a baby sister and not a brother. I told her how sorry I was but I didn't think I could have any more girls. I wanted a girl more than anything but just couldn't get my hopes up. It seemed the last possible thing in the world. But in my dreams, I couldn't help but picture a big brown-eyed baby girl.


Two weeks from your due date the doctor informed me that he would go ahead and induce labor. He felt it was time. I had not gained much weight. I was too thin and too unhealthy. In my harrowing days, I had not taken very good care of myself. It was losing my mom. It was raising three children. It was so many things.


I couldn't believe after laboring all day when the moment of your arrival came and the doctor announced, "It's a girl!" I told him, "It couldn't be! I couldn't have any more girls." The doctor just laughed at me. "Of course you can have more girls and you did. She is beautiful. Just look at her."


And you were....you were so, so beautiful. You had BIG brown eyes that peered up at me like an Owl. And you were so tiny too, only 5lbs 12oz, the smallest baby I ever had. Your thin blond downy fuzz on your head was so soft, and how I loved to count your precious little fingers and toes. Oh, I was amazed and in love. I only wished my mom could be there to meet you.


Back in those days, the babies would lay in the nursery while the mom recovered in her room from the medicines and birth. I was laying there in my hospital bed thinking of you and smiling, when suddenly, at the foot of my bed stood my mom. She was standing there looking at me with such love and adoration on her face. She looked right in my eyes and said, "Oh Sharon, you did it again. She is beautiful, just like you dreamed she would be with those big brown eyes. I'm so happy you got another girl."


I was so amazed and startled. I did what any normal person would do, I closed my eyes. I shook my head. When I opened them, she was gone.


Oh how I wished I had not closed my eyes. I wish I would have talked to her. I wish...I wish...I wish....but I didn't and just like that, she was gone. But she WAS there. Really there. It wasn't a dream. I will never forget that moment for the rest of my life.

Her story is both heart-wrenching and joyful. I am usually crying with her at the end. In my heart of hearts, I know my Grandma met me. She gazed at me through the glass. She lovingly reached for my downy head and stared into my big eyes. Oh Grandma, I heard so much about you. What you must have done to visit your daughter in a gesture of comfort, a gesture of reassurance, and a gesture of compassion that you were still there in her deepest period of loss. How much you loved us all. I know one day we will meet again, all of us, and no blink will ever miss that moment.

In loving memory of my mom's mom, Dorotha Marie.

Be My Guest Monday! Nouns Make Verbs

Happy Monday! Today is yet another Be My Guest Monday! You should definitely click that link and let me know if you'd like to be one of my guest bloggers!

Today's guest blogger is proving yet again that the quality of my blog goes up every time I have someone else write for it. :) Please welcome Sabrina from Nouns Make Verbs. This is one of the first blogs that I started following, and I am so very glad I did! Enjoy...

Useful

Tumbling with the waves as they rolled foaming, the glass bumped into the gritty sand. Yesterday the waves were angry, crashing on the shore, but today they slid up, nonchalant, rolling. The gulls skipped out of their way. They were bored and fighting over nothing, because there was nothing to eat, and they fought loudly.

The glass was sharp. It was a bottle an hour ago and useful, but now broken; forgotten, unwanted and broken. Its pieces were pretty but missing from each other and less useful, even dangerous. It skipped along in the grit. As the foam cleared with each wave, the glass glimmered soft blue.

Smallish things scurried past it, over it, under it. The sun above it was a strange yellow ball. There was a constant humming, the power of the ocean humming. The waves rolled the glass along the grit. They licked the shore and rolled the glass, whose sides were becoming dull as it tumbled.

The yellow ball of a sun went down and it was dark. Sometimes the glass was on the beach and there was no water, but the gulls were there fighting over what was left to eat, grabbing and fighting. A gull picked the glass up and flew with it for a moment, then dropped it. Forgotten and left, and also broken.

Haunting waves, moody waves, gentle waves, as the yellow sun rose and sank again and again. Time by the ocean. Time, with waves rolling, is all of time and also is no time, because it is the same always, without mercy. The glass was changing. It was cloudy now, its edges quite smooth. It shone soft blue but in a different way.

It had become useful again, no longer dangerous. The yellow sun rose once again and people came to walk in the surf and laugh at the fighting gulls, fighting about the food they brought. Their umbrellas and towels and laughter filled the beach.

The waves were soft today for the people. They rolled onto the sand like a mother rolling a ball to her baby. The glass tumbled with them and landed at the feet of a young girl who saw things. She picked it up and put it in her pocket.

Be My Guest Monday! Moments of Majesty

Hello! Thanks for stopping by today. Today is Be My Guest Monday! If you haven't talked to me about being a guest yet, why not? Do it now!! I'm always looking for more--there are a lot of Mondays!!

Today is a very special day, because my guest blogger is... me! I have another blog, Moments of Majesty, that I started as an attempt to hold myself accountable to reading some scripture every day and actually thinking about it (amazing how easy it is to do the first but not the second). What started as a 21-day project ended up as an ongoing thing, so I decided I wanted to "go public" with it. So if you follow Jesus, or if you're interested in learning more about him, please give it a look. And please let me know your thoughts/comments/questions on anything I write.

In honor of being completely open with what was originally a personal blog, dear readers, here is a post in which I wrote about what happens when the whole world is looking at you:

Light of the World

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6)

I believe that today you can change "Gentiles" to "non-believers" and realize that this scripture suddenly applies to your life. God has made us a light to shine into the lives of everyone with whom you associate.

The problem, I believe, is that most of us (myself included) don't recognize this and/or don't walk in it. Maybe it's a low feeling of self-worth, that no one would look to us to see God's salvation, or maybe it's because we're still holding on to an area of sin in our lives and we don't want anyone to notice.

But you know what, the light is there no matter what. If people know you are Christian, there is a spotlight shining on you. It's a harsh light sometimes, and it will point out all of your flaws. This light is not necessarily the light from God that Isaiah was talking about. But it's not all bad either. Sometimes we need to realize that we are going to be in the spotlight around people who know we believe in Jesus Christ. They will be examining us to see what makes us who we are, and yes even looking for those cracks in the foundation. Because people who resist the Truth will want to make you out to be a liar.

And when we are hiding in shame or sin, this spotlight is worse than the "ugly lights" that turn on when a bar hits closing time. We can try to pull a covering over ourselves to hide our shame or our dark thoughts and actions, but the world will cast it away and point and stare, and the more you attempt to live in the shadows, the more your actions will be brought to light.

If you accept the Holy Spirit into your entire being, however, you will find that the light around you is actually a light within you. It is the living Spirit of God exuding from your very pores. Because as you open yourself up to God and surrender your own identity to His, the pure and true light of Christ will shine from within you. It will show in your eyes, in your words, in your actions, in your very bearing. And you will find that this light, even though it is softer and much more gentle, completely obliterates the world's spotlight. Because you are welcoming the scrutiny. "Seek," you will tell the people around you. "look into my life and see the joy that I have which is from Christ."

It is this light which will shine through the darkeness of the world. And if you have accepted Christ as your Savior, it is this light which resides in you, right this very moment. All you need to do is surrender to it. Recognize that people will be looking at you anyway with their own judgements and presuppositions, but the more you open yourself to God, the more light will shine through, yes even through your flaws, so that they may glorify God that much more.

You are a light to the world. Shine on, baby, shine on.

Be My Guest Monday! Things I Can't Say

Happy Monday everyone! While it's often hard for me to look forward to Mondays, I always look forward to my blog post, because it's always amazing. And why is that? Because someone other than me wrote it!! Today is Be My Guest Monday! If you'd like to be a guest blogger, please check out that link.

Today's post is by Michelle (Shell) over at Things I Can't Say. This girl tells it as it is, folks. Not in an "oh my goodness I can't believe she said that" way but in an "I don't need to pretend to be perfect because none of us are so let's all just enjoy life" kind of way. I respect this type of writing very much, being one of God's imperfect people myself. :) So enjoy some of what Shell can say today, and find the extraordinary in the...

Things that Make me Happy

It's easy to talk about the bad.

The things that annoy me.

Or go wrong.

I like to take them and spin them to make them funny.

Because it helps me to deal.

But, it makes me seem so negative all the time.

So, today, I'm listing the things that have made me happy in the past week.

*A good morning snuggle from my 3 year-old: always the first one up
*A squishy-faced smile from my 1 year-old
*My five year-old dancing
*Dancing with my husband
*My mother-in-law volunteering to babysit
*Time to myself
*A lunch date with my husband
*The sunrise over the ocean
*Showing up and being perfectly dressed for an event: not under or over-dressed
*Seeing my former students all grown up
*Having those students offer to babysit
*Listening to my boys sing along with the Chipmunks
*Getting a good night's sleep
*Having a best friend who is always there for me

I need to remember those things and add to this list as this week goes on.

Because it is easy to focus on the negative and forget all the good we have going on.

What is something that has made you smile today?

Be My Guest Monday - G is for Guest Posting

Hello and welcome again to Be My Guest Monday! I'm still looking for people to guest post on my blog every Monday for the rest of 2010, so please let me know if you are interested and haven't gotten a date from me yet!

I have to apologize to my guest blogger for today, I was out of town this weekend and completely failed on getting my computer turned on last night to post this. But please don't hold it against her, because this is one of the most intimate and open blog posts I've read, and I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to post it here for you. Today we've got Elle over at A for Effort (B for Blog). What a fabulous blog title, no? And each of her posts starts with a letter. So very fun! In honor of that, today we've got:

G is for Guest Posting

God and I have always had a different kind of relationship; one best defined as complex. I'm not involved in organized religion, but I do believe in a higher power. I think I'm a little too analytical at times to believe that something that I can't see or feel, such as God, really exists. There are times, when I've really needed to, that I've "felt" something—peace, calm, strength; it’s hard to put into words, but I've known in those moments that there was a higher power at play.

After suddenly and tragically losing my youngest sister to domestic violence murder, I found myself being very angry with God, even denying his existence. In my mind, there was no logic that could explain why she was taken so suddenly and in such a violent, horrible way. I'd always heard that God was loving and merciful, and that he decides when it's our time to go. I couldn't understand why a loving, merciful God would have her last moments be so extremely horrific. I didn't know why he'd decided he needed to take her early, and I didn't care. I wondered why it was his right to make that decision and why those of us that wanted and needed her here didn't get a say.

So many times after my sister's death, and after other "dominoes" in our life were falling or had fallen on top of that one, I heard that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I thought that God must not know me too well, because he apparently did not understand that I couldn't handle all that he was giving me. His meaning of "enough is enough" and my meaning were apparently not the same; nowhere near it, in fact. I became increasingly angrier at him, and at times that made me feel good, because I needed to be angry and he gave me somewhere to direct that anger.

At the same time, I found myself needing more than anything to believe that God—or something—existed. I needed faith in something, and the comfort that was supplied by that faith. I had to believe that there was somewhere for my sister's bigger than life spirit to go. I had to believe that that place was good and that she had found peace there. I needed to believe that she felt, all at once, the overpowering love we all feel for her and that she understood that she was loved and that she would be missed terribly. I needed to picture her being greeted and excitedly welcomed by many of those who have gone before us—her paternal grandparents and our maternal grandpa. I believe that my maternal grandma’s youngest granddaughter and husband where there to greet her when she followed my sister a couple months later.

I believe that I will one day be reunited with all of them, and our reunion will be most joyful. I believe that we all, especially her son, now have a beautiful guardian angel watching over us. This gives me peace. Talking to her spirit helps me cope on some of the hardest days. I feel her around, and I know that she hears me. I've gotta believe, that with the continuation of time, my pain will lessen and the harder days will become fewer. Sometimes I find the need to remind myself that those moments of peace and happiness that I feel are what she would want, that I should not feel guilty for them, and that in no way am I tarnishing my memory of her, her meaning to me, or my love for her.

A few weeks after my sister’s death, I saw a quote: "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." I have absolutely no idea where this quote came from, or who it can be attributed too, but no better or truer words have ever been spoken. Looking back, God apparently knew me a lot better than I knew myself. I am way stronger than I ever knew or would've thought I was, and I learned a valuable lesson about trusting that "higher power."

To this day, people make comments about my strength. I'm asked how I got through it all—my sister’s death, interviews with the news media, the criminal trial of her murderer—and the answer is I don't know, but there's a lot to be said for FAITH and HOPE. Sometimes I felt they were all I had and that I had to hang onto them with all of my might. In a lot of ways I’m still going through “it.” It’s a process; one that’s made easier by my faith in a higher power and hope for a brighter future.

My life has been forever altered by the death of my sister, and I will always be a different person than I was before all of this; such is life. We are constantly bending and changing, and our path is constantly being altered. This is my path now, and I have no choice but to continue to follow it to see where it leads me. Giving up is never an option. We all have our paths, and we all will have our obstacles along the way. How we deal with those obstacles determines where the path leads us next.

As I proceed down my path, I will continue to live my life by my moral compass and ever-changing beliefs. I will continue to learn lessons about life and about myself; we must never stop learning. I will continue to make mistakes along the way—there’s no doubt about that—but I will persevere. The best way I can honor my sister is simply by living, facing head-on all that life has for me, because she cannot. I will, of course, hold on to my faith and hope; they will sustain me through the obstacles that will inevitably pop up along my path.

Be My Guest Monday! Two Normal Moms

Hello and welcome again to Be My Guest Monday. If you haven't yet signed up to be my guest, please click on the link and let me know you're interested!

Today's guest bloggers are two of my favorite people who I don't really know in person: Ally and Lela at Two Normal Moms. They gave me my first blog award, and I won my first blog giveaway for their 100th post. They have been uber-supportive and I sooo wish I could go visit them sometime because they just seem so awesome. Well with no further ado, here is their extraordinary story:

Two Normal Moms
We are honored and excited to be guest bloggers here today! Thank you for inviting us!

Here is a little tale. A tale about two normal, ordinary girls, getting ready to start kindergarten. Absorbed in their own little-girl worlds, surrounded by their families, oblivious to the great big world out there.

One little girl was born with a love of animals in her heart, and was (mis)fortunate enough to live on a corner where for some unknown reason, the bad animal people of the world felt it was okay to dump their pets. There were always strays and dumps showing up. So the little girl, with lost kitty in hand, and mom with her, went door to door looking for the kitty’s home. And that’s when she met the other little girl.

They started kindergarten and ended up in the same class. They were both already too big for the tiny kindergarten chairs and they couldn’t figure out why other kids were crying that first day.

They became fast friends, politely calling each others houses asking their parents if they could play. They spent summers roaming the overgrown fields and woods behind each others houses. Pouring shampoo under the drainage pipe that fed the creek to watch it bubble. Lighting a small hill on fire with an errant firework. (It was a small fire, really.) Catching snakes and caterpillars.

They shared secrets. They had sleepovers in the basement. They made other friends. They did other activities. But they always had each other. It was never awkward, in fact, it was always easy.

They graduated from high school, and went on to the same college. One girl went off to become a flight attendant. The other girl moved to Hawaii to find herself. They met the men who stole their hearts. They were in each others’ weddings. They each had a little boy of their own. The boys grew up to be teenagers.

Through it all, they’ve always had friendship. Solid and unfaltering.

Two ordinary little girls, absorbed in their own small worlds, cross paths, leading to extraordinary friendship. Life's a little less ordinary.


Ally & Lela

Two Normal Moms

Be My Guest Monday! Look, Listen and Attend

Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of Be My Guest Monday! Today's guest is Jennee from Cheap Therapy. She's got one of the most vibrant blog designs I've seen in a while, I just love it! And I suddenly realized that I had told her that she'd be my guest on March 15th, except I have her on my schedule for March 22nd. So here's a public apology to Jennee (and anyone else whose schedule I may have messed up). But this post is well worth the wait, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy.

Look, Listen and Attend
I recently did some traveling, and I have to tell you, that I love to travel. Everything about it! Well, with the exception of jet lag and the expenses. Growing up, I would often would day dream about exotic places with sunshine and sand, palm trees and soft breezes. I did a little bit of traveling in my youth, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I really found the pleasure and excitement in traveling.

I’d like to thank Donald Miller for refreshing the desire for travel and life experiences. In Through Painted Deserts, Don challenges, “We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn’t it? It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. I want to repeat one word for you.: Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn’t it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don’t worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed.”

These words have inspired me so much that I did leave. I packed up my bags and moved from Wooster, Ohio then to Nashville, Tennessee and finally off to Miami, Florida. It was the greatest life experience, full of adventure and fears. And I did change. I changed into the woman that I am now. Since moving back to Ohio, my day dreams of travel have become more frequent, and so I packed my bags and took a quick trip across the country to California. Once again, Don sums up how I was feeling. “We are shaped by our experiences. Our perception of joy, fear, pain and beauty are sharpened or dulled by the way we rub against time. My senses have become dull and this trip is an effort to sharpen them.”

Do you look out the window when you are in flight? Have you noticed the texture of the land down below? The dimensions of the earth rise and fall along the ride, the views of mountains and oceans take away your breath when you take in the beauty of the earth. From above, all you see is the natural splendor, and for a moment everything looks harmless and peaceful. There is no crime, no destruction, and no cruelty. There is only beauty.

In that instant, you take a minute to look, listen and attend. It’s what echoes in my ears and mind in moments of silence, whether in a beautiful scenery or in a new experience.

I am starting to think this is what life is all about. We have to look for what life has to offer. We have to listen closely so we won’t be deceived, and most importantly, we have to be willing to attend to life and it’s experiences. The good ones, along with the bad ones.

Life is full of hard work and we don’t always want to see or hear that. We want life to be a pleasure cruise where everything comes easily. But, it is the hard work and the challenges that fill our life with color and textures. “It is difficult to recall, much less recapture, the excitement of an adventure’s beginning when you find yourself in the boring middle of it.” Don says.

Look, listen and attend, to the beauty that you are daily a part of.

Be My Guest Monday! Beyond "Life is Not Fair"

Hello and welcome again to Be My Guest Monday! If you don't know about my goal or if you'd like to be a guest in 2010, please click on that link and check it out.

Today's guest blogger is Amber from Making the Moments Count. Amber has two beautiful children, and she blogs about what life is like as a woman and as a mommy. Her guest post is quite heartwarming. Thanks for sharing, Amber!

Beyond "Life Is Not Fair"

It was a hard day. Crying, errands, crying, diapers, crying, dishes, crying, dinner, and more crying. My arms were tired. My heart was heavy. I was ready for bedtime. Unfortunately, Andrew had another idea. I sat in our rocking chair, watching a movie, and silently bemoaning my situation. It seemed so unfair.

My mind returned to a few months previous. I was very pregnant with Andrew. I had experienced nightly contractions for 7 weeks straight. I was not ready for this child to be born, but he seemed to have other ideas. After 2 days of non-stop contractions, I finally called my doctor in tears. Since I was 36 1/2 weeks along, he informed me they would not induce labor. He encouraged me to head to the hospital to see if the contractions were doing anything. I agreed and phoned my husband.

When we arrived at the hospital I was sure I had not progressed. I was ready to ask them for medicine to stop the uterine contractions. I was tired. I was pleasantly surprised that I had progressed to a 3. We decided to wait an hour and see if I would progress anymore. Nope. We went home.

There, I returned to my depression. It just was not fair.

It was here that I hit pause.

What does it mean to not be fair? How does my cousin feel who recently lost her baby? How does my friend feel who has struggled through infertility issues for years? How about my friends who struggle to keep a pregnancy?

At the end of these questions, I realized Andrew had stopped crying. I looked down and he smiles at me. His smile ripped that murky cloud open and I saw the sun clearer than I had in a long time.

I think it was then that I stopped wallowing in self-pity and I started to thank God for my two blessings from Heaven. My life hasn't gotten any easier, but the burdens have become lighter.

Oh, and in case you're wondering about the ending to my reflection, my little guy came the following morning.

--

Join me on my journey to cherish the moments.
http://makingthemomentscount.wordpress.com/

Be My Guest Monday!

Hi there, welcome to Be My Guest Monday! Today's guest is very special, because it's a bit of a different reason we're posting. Julie from By Julie Anne and I have teamed up on a super-awesome project that we hope you will become a part of, and so we decided to guest post on each others' blogs! So please read below, and then pop on over to her place where yes, you will find my post about the exact same thing. You see, we think it's just that important. Plus, Julie has a super blog over there and she could use a few new followers, just like... you!

Cards4Cancer

Hello!

Janet has graciously invited me to post this week and I am honored to be here. My name is Julie Guthrie and my blog is By Julie Anne. I am a wife with a great hubby, a Mom to three wonderful children and a mixed media artist. I have to admit on my blog I am sort of infrequent, but there is always room for improvement. Now that you know a little about me, let me tell you how I have come to know Janet.

We both became fans of a Facebook fanpage called "Cards for Cancer". I became a fan when another FB friend recommended it to me. I was instantly taken and through there is how I connected with Janet.

Cards for Cancer is a day (April 10, 2010) presented by an organization called Spirit Jump. The main goal is to collect at least 100,000 cards to distribute to cancer centers around the world, to let those who are fighting cancer know that we are supporting their battle.

Janet had already began the team Faith.Hope.Love with the intention to bring cards to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. When I first became a fan Childrens Memorial Hospital was the first place that came to mind for me. (These are both in Chicago). Janet let me jump on board her team and here we are!!!

I do not believe I know one single person that cancer has not touched their lives. Not one single one. My Grandma Tomlin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1979. Back then, at least in my house, the word "cancer" was whispered. It was just something awful that you did not say out loud. And the word breast...well we would say that Grandma had chest cancer.

Through the years it became more and more commonplace. Grandma Kacprzak, a friend's mom, the man who bagged my groceries on Thursdays, the darling baby girl of our closet friends, four other friends of varying ages and my Dad. When he was diagnosed in October of 2003 with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma he was told that he would have a long relationship with his oncologist, as this was the type of cancer that you survive. I guess that was not meant to be as my Dad passed away in May of 2004, just 7 months after diagnosis. Cancer has become the word we say with a sigh now, not a whisper.

Every person that I have mentioned, every person stricken that you know, every person stricken that you don't, they all fight this battle, this valiant battle not to let this disease get the best of them. Some are more successful in the battle and others like my Dad fight until they have nothing left and the go on to the other side.

But what if every person engaged for the battle of their life knew that we supported them? What if they knew that even in spirit, a person that they did not existed, supported them in their fight? That is why I joined Cards for Cancer, to touch lives, to support others that I may not know or even meet, but to let them know we care...we All care!

So join us please! Janet has created a fanpage for the team. The details are simple. Buy some cards, make some cards, get your friends to make cards. Support their battle. Touch lives. When you have completed your cards, just post to us, email us and let us know. we will coordinate how to get your cards and on April 10th we will joyfully deliver these messages of encouragement to ones that need it the most!

Please join us!

Thank you Janet for letting me play in your sandbox for a little bit!

Be My Guest Monday! Life in Chaos

Happy Be My Guest Monday everyone!!! If you're new here, or you've come over from Lora's blog, welcome!! I'd love for you to consider being my guest... just click on this link here: Be My Guest!

Today Lora and I are doing a blog switch! So please check her out (and read my Monday Memories post about my BFF) at Take Me the Way I Am. She just updated her blog design, and it's absolutely fantastic. Makes me realize how badly I need to do mine!! Plus, when she gave me two options of guest posts, I had to choose this one simply because the other one is so beautiful that it must be on her own blog. So please be sure to follow her if you don't already! And now, here is today's fabulous guest post:

Life in Chaos

A few weeks ago, Nashville was covered with a beautiful snowfall. And by “covered” I mean there was approximately ¼ inch of snow on the ground. I wish I were kidding.

The thing about Nashville is that we don’t get much snow. What we get instead…is ice. Which every other place that gets snow acquires as well, but there’s usually a nice little snow cover so that it’s fairly safe to drive on. Not so in our fair city. And when you add in the fact that 90% of the people here have NO idea of what to do on the roads when they get slick…yeah, it makes for an interesting time!

So as much as I like driving in the snow (and truly I LOVE it) my mind is constantly active when I’m driving in Nashville winter weather.

“Remember, if you hit a patch of ice, steer with the skid”

“Brake before the slick spot so that you can clear it with no problem”

“Against all instincts, don’t hit your brakes on ice!”

“See that crazed driver beside you? Get distance from them. They clearly don’t know what they’re doing in this weather."

It hit me one day as I calmly navigated the slick ramp that curves around to the exit home.

I’m much better at driving in chaos than in ‘normal’ conditions.

In chaos, I don’t panic. I simply remember the things that have been drilled into my head since I was a young girl growing up in Indiana. I’ve never (knock on wood) had a winter weather related accident or even near accident.

In chaos, my mind is where it should be. I’m not tempted by the iPhone sitting on the passenger seat.

In chaos, I’m paying a LOT more attention to those around me.

I’m not really sure what all this means. Except that I wonder if it somehow is a parallel to my life.

The last year and a half has been rather chaotic in my life. Losing a full time job, dating a wonderful man, seeing so many of my friends deal with death and divorce. I still sometimes wonder if I’ll ever have a “real” job again, and while much of the chaos in my life is GOOD, it’s still somewhat overwhelming!

And truly, I can’t remember a time I’ve been more…calm.

I can’t claim any credit for this.

It’s God who calms me in the chaos of my everyday life.

It makes sense. In my many theology courses during college I learned about this particular aspect of God in more depth. He’s kind of a pro at this whole creating order out of chaos thing.

But somehow I’ve never made it personal until now.

The God who literally creates order out of the chaos of the world has created order out of MY chaos.

What an amazing God!

Be My Guest Monday! The Negative Space

It's Monday! And here at Out of the Extraordinary that means it's Be My Guest Monday. If you'd like to get this super-cool award and guest post on my blog some Monday, click the link, read the deets, then contact me!

Today's guest blogger is Katherine at One Girl's Journey To The Altar. I have to say right now that this post is awesome, and such a blessing, because due to a communication error on my part, I didn't have the person lined up for today, nor had I set up Katherine with a blogging date. Well: Problem Solved! I emailed Katherine and not only was she quite gracious, but she also had a post already brewing, just for me! Hooray!!! Please go to Katherine's blog after you read this and catch up on her journey (unless you're one of her readers, in which case, please stick around here a little longer!) and give her some support as she reaches the final countdown to the wedding!!!

The Negative Space

This week, high school art class is on my mind. I think it started when I decided to (was forced to) clean out the back of my closet (for more details on what and why of that experience, click here.

One thing I learned from art was about drawing the negative space. I don’t know if they still teach this concept today, but I was taught that when you draw a tree or a face – or anything – attempt to not draw the tree, but the space around the tree. Don’t draw the nose, but draw the space around the nose. So, it’s almost like you are drawing these abstract shapes and not the pre-conceived ideas of what you think the tree or nose looks like.

I guess the good thing is that you can maybe draw a better picture like that. But the bad thing is that, because you are dissecting what is there so it is no longer a cohesive whole – just odd, individual shapes – you miss the beauty of the object, of what is actually a face or a tree.

So, it hit me that I sort of view life through the negative space. I tend to see all the things that aren’t there – or just the abstract pieces or voids – and I miss the beauty of the whole arrangement and what really is there.

Here’s the story of where this hit me this week:

In the same post as the closet adventure, I discussed the birth certificate debacle. Long story short, I needed to get a copy of my birth certificate for my marriage license, and I was annoyed that my mother lost it. So, instead of waiting for her to fix her mistake and get me a new copy (can you sense my anger here?!?), I decided to drive the 45 minutes to Town Hall to get another one myself. I was heading to the other end of Long Island to return something to Crate and Barrel (the only C&B on Long Island), so it was sort of on the way. As I Mapquested the best route from A to B, I realized it took me the scenic route. I don’t know if it was the shortest route, but it was definitely not the fastest. But I had the time, so I decided to take it.

Well, it was snowing on that day (not that that is unusual these days!). It was my favorite kind of snow – enough to be pretty but not enough to be overly dangerous or ruin plans or make me shovel. And as I was driving this route, it was one of the most amazing, scenic experiences I ever had. Through the trees and by the water and over these hills… absolutely breathtaking. I felt like I was in the middle of a black and white picture of this snowy universe that was familiar but brand new at the same time – unlike anything I had seen before. And I am not exaggerating.

And then I realized that if my mom hadn’t lost my birth certificate, I wouldn’t be driving this. I just would have taken the expressway to C&B. I had been looking at the negative space – what wasn’t right, what was annoying. But when I really looked and saw the whole of the circumstances, I saw what was there - the beauty of this amazing gift God gave me in that moment.

So, that is one example. And then I realized I do see the negative space in lots of things. Like relationships, for example. After 36 years of a diet of ‘emotional porn,’ as I like to refer to it – don’t get nervous; by that I mean romance movies, novels, etc – it is easy for me to look at the negative space in my relationship with my fiancé – all things he isn’t doing, all the things that aren’t there….

But when I shift my focus to broaden my view to see the whole picture – I see everything he is doing and everything that is there and everything that is going right and all the ways he daily shows me he loves me…

It was there all the time…but I just wasn’t seeing it. I was too focused on the negative space.

And I think that’s what happens when we dissect life and look at it in abstracts pieces and see all the things that aren’t there. But when we back up and take in our lives as a whole, we can use the negative space to highlight and emphasize all we do have and all that is there…the beauty of our lives as a whole…each moment, each experience, each person. There will always be negative space if we choose to look at it. But on the other side of that negative space is the object of beauty, if we just look a little farther.

Just like those weird pictures where they ask if you see an old woman or a young woman.

It’s a bit of a mind-bender and brain shift… a new way of looking at things…a little uncomfortable and awkward at first. It hurts a little.

But if you look hard, you really can find the pretty young woman. It really just depends on where your focus is.

~ Katherine ~
One Girl's Journey To The Altar

Be My Guest Monday! Me, Myself & PIe

Hi Everyone! Thanks for stopping by on another Be My Guest Monday! If you're interested in being a guest blogger, just click on the link and check it out.

Today's guest blogger is my dear friend Rachel over at Me, Myself & Pie. Rachel is someone I actually knew before I started this journey out of the extraordinary, and I am just loving her own journey as well. She loves to eat, she's learning to cook, and she's a fantastic writer. So read this post, and then go check out her blog! And if you're stopping by from Me, Myself & Pie, welcome!! I hope you take a few minutes to check out my other posts... I'd love to get to know you and maybe have you Be My Guest!

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Life Without Corn Dogs Is A Sad Life Indeed.

First of all, Janet, thank you so much for having me as a guest. I’m honored to contribute to your lovely blog!

Now…I’ll just go right out and say it. I love food. While other people collect snow globes and ski down mountains, my hobby of choice is making, eating and writing about all kinds of glorious food. At least that’s been the case these last few months.

In October I decided to really learn how to cook once and for all by pledging to spend a year behind the apron – making and blogging about a new Cooking Light meal and dessert every week for a year. Julie Powell style, only with less butter.

At first, I was excited to try my hand at fancy shmancy, Martha-like creations, but one thing I quickly learned was that it doesn’t take an extraordinary recipe to make a memorable meal. In fact, it’s all those ordinary foods that seem to make so many moments of our lives...well, extraordinary.

Don’t believe me? For just a minute, try to imagine all the important, cherished and unforgettable events we experience without the foods and drinks that make them what they are. This is what you’ll be left with…

Birthday parties without birthday cakes.
Break-ups without ice cream.
Mornings without coffee.
Midnight gossip without wine.
Third grade without tater tots, chocolate milk and Jell-o cups.
Tailgates without burgers.
Baseball without hot dogs.
Football without wings.
Summer without ice cream and watermelon.
Spring without salads.
Winter without chili and cocoa.
Autumn without apples, cider and donuts.
Top Model marathons without giant bowls of potato chips. And fat pants.
Movies without popcorn.
Sleepovers without pizza.
Prom without spiked punch.
Tea parties without tea sandwiches. Or tea.
Carnivals without funnel cakes and corn dogs.
Grandma’s house without homemade….everything.
Valentine’s Day without chocolate hearts.
Easter without chocolate eggs.
Thanksgiving without turkey and pie. And naps.
Halloween without candy.
Christmas without sugar cookies, gingerbread, and those little powdery snowball things.
Vacations without mai tais and margaritas.
Midterm all-nighters without grande mocha cappuccinos.
Potluck picnics without potato salad, taco salad, lasagna and fried chicken on the same plate.
Weddings without wedding cakes.
Campfires without marshmallows.
Saturday mornings without sugary cereals.
Shopping sprees without food court Chinese.
Pregnancies without taco bell, pickles and Cheese Whiz at 4 a.m.
Anniversaries without chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
Road trips without Cheetos and Doritos.
New apartments without pizza on the floor.
Childhood without mac ‘n cheese, Cheerios and heart-shaped, crust-less peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

These foods make up our lives. Our memories. Our comfort zones. At least mine, anyway. That’s why we talk about them. Obsess over them. Recreate them over and over.

But notice how there are no fancy French names? No required weeks of planning or hours of preparation? They don’t call for expensive imported olive oils or 20-dollar ingredients.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve had my fare share of fancy foods. Expensive dinners I couldn’t pronounce. Frilly L.A. cuisine. But you know what? I couldn’t even tell you what it was that I ate. And I bet I’ll never crave it again, or yearn to make it for my family.

Yet those plain old normal foods above somehow mean far more to me than any caviar-encrusted, rare fruit-infused, bank-breaking cuisine ever could. My life wouldn’t be the same without them. And to me, that makes them extraordinary.

So I leave you with this. Bread. Butter. Cheese. A simple, easy recipe for quite an ordinary food, but with a fresh twist. It’s a divine creation (that even Oprah approves, apparently) that I had on my birthday last year at a little café in Michigan. Maybe it’ll even become one of your extraordinary favorites. (And in the meantime, I’d love to hear about your “ordinary” pastime fare.) Cheers!

Grilled Three-Cheese with Tomato, Basil and Honey

(Café Muse’s grilled cheese sandwich)

Yield: 1 sandwich

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. butter, softened
Honey
1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 slices tomato
2 slices bread (multigrain or sourdough works well)
1 slice Havarti cheese
1 slice mozzarella cheese
1 slice fontina cheese
*NOTE: (I’ve also made it with feta, mozzarella and Swiss, with just as delicious results.)

Directions:
Butter bread on one side with softened butter. Place in pan, butter side down, over medium-low heat. Place mozzarella on one half of the bread and fontina and Havarti on the other. Cook until golden on bottom and cheese begins to melt. Place tomato on mozzarella side and honey on fotina/Havarti side. Place under broiler for a few minutes to heat up tomato. Sprinkle on basil, assemble your sandwich and enjoy a huge bite of summer even if there are icicles on your radiator.

Be My Guest Monday! Lessons Learned

Hello everyone and welcome back to Be My Guest Monday! Today's guest blogger is Working Mommy. She's a wife, a mother, a member of the "working world," a blogger, and she just celebrated both her birthday and her 1-year wedding anniversary. Congratulations!!! Her post is also so extraordinary it made me cry. Well, grab a tissue and read on.

~      ~      ~

A lot of you may not know me...I am Working Mommy from Lessons Learned. I am a brutally honest mommy blogger who works more than I'd like!! Come on by, take a seat, prop up your feet and stay for a while. If you're lucky, I might even provide a few libations (YAY RUM!)!!





I was so excited to get the opportunity to post about something extraordinary in my life and am honored to be featured today!!

So, it took me a little bit to figure out exactly what I would write about. I mean, my parents are two of the most extraordinary people I know. When they were my age, they found out that they couldn't have children of their own...so they decided to adopt me. Growing up we always joked that I was really the one who adopted them. They definitely made me the person I am today and I couldn't be more thankful for their constant and continued love and support!

Then I thought back to a few of my teachers throughout my education career. My third grade and sixth grade teachers made such a huge impact on the future of my education. My third grade teacher always said I would be the first woman President and she never let me become a slacker - even though that was the easier choice. I also had a few high school teachers - my senior anatomy teacher, my junior homeroom teacher and my french teacher (all 4 years) - who would push me to always be the best. They never gave up on me, even when I wanted to give up on myself. I recently found out the my french teacher's cancer has come back and she isn't doing well. My heart goes out to her family.

The one person who I wanted to highlight, though, is my husband. The man and I met on Match.com and after our first date, we knew we wanted to be together forever. We had been talking about getting married and having children in a year or so...but we never knew that a wedding and a baby would occur quicker than we had been planning!!

Not having known the man for very long before we got pregnant concerned me a little. I didn't know how he would react when the babe finally made her appearance in the world. I know now that my fears were misplaced...and I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father! The day of my induction, I was worried about the drugs, being in the hospital, the pushing, my lack of a shower...I could go on forever.

After I was all drugged up (which was FABULOUS, by the way) I was oblivious to most other things that were going on around me. I tried to sleep as much as possible because I knew that pushing was going to take a lot out of me. I told the man that no matter what happened he should just keep taking pictures...because I wasn't going to remember anything and he would be too scarred to tell me the story. It was only AFTER we got home and uploaded those pictures that I found these:

I wasn't quite sure why he took these pictures and the man actually forgot about taking them - until I asked about them.

Me: "These are silly (the man). Why would you take pictures of the IV's I was hooked up to??"

The Man: "It might seem silly to you, but I wanted to take pictures as proof."

Me: "Proof of what?"

The Man: "Well, I have never watched a birth before and I wasn't sure what to expect withe the babe's birth. I took them as a worst case scenario just in case anything happened to you or the baby. Then the nurses and doctors couldn't deny what medications you were on...because I would have photo proof."

Me: "Who thinks of those types of things?"

The Man: "I do...and I'm glad I did."

Me: "Why is that?"

The Man: "You might not remember, but right after the babe came out, your OB was very concerned. She ordered the nurse to turn up your drugs because you were bleeding out. I was scared. I didn't know whether to stay with my wife - who might not make it - or go to our baby - whose umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and wasn't crying. Taking those pictures early made it easier for me to do both and know that I had photo proof, just in case."

I honestly don't know anyone else who would have thought about that...not even my parents would have been THAT observant. So, my post today is dedicated to my extraordinary husband who, even though he acts paranoid sometimes, was able to think of every possible thing - even under pressure.

Be My Guest Monday! It's the Little Things

Hi there and welcome to Be My Guest Monday! Someone must be giving Heather, today's guest-blogger, a few extra hours in each day, because you will be amazed at everything she does. Seriously, I could only put one link on her name, but you can check out her alter-ego at Giveaway Chick. Yes, that's right: Two blogs, and she's doing Project 365. And she wasn't sure that this guest post was "extraordinary" enough. Well, I'll let you be the judge of that, but I know my vote. :)

And now I give you Heather:

It's the Little Things
Ok, so I'm not normally a downer, at least I don't think I am, who knows?  But, I've been thinking a lot about certain items in my life and why they have such a strong meaning to me and that inspired this post. I think people would look at me strangely as if they don't already if they knew the things I would save in a fire, flood, tornado, or any other emergency that would take my home.

Besides my external hard drive which has all of my files on it (pictures of my kids included) I would grab things like this -

my grandma's make up case, my grandpa's coin purse, and my Native American Dolls. Things that don't have a huge monetary value, but a sentimental value that could never be replaced.

I've been participating in Project 365 this year (here's a description of it if you don't know what Project 365 is) and in my first few weeks of taking a picture every day, I have started taking pictures of things that mean the most to me. While I'm taking these pictures I'm noticing that the things that I cherish are things that wouldn't have any value to anyone else (or outside of my family). They are almost kind of quirky.  It's not my computer, it's not my iPod, it's not our TV that I would save if I had to get out quickly.

It's things that other people I love have left their mark on for me. A little plastic dolphin that my brother gave to me when he was a teenager because he knew how much I loved dolphins, things my children have made me over the years, anything that I have that came from my grandparents are the items that are most treasured by me.

What is it about the sight of my grandpa's coin purse that takes me back years to when I'd sit beside him and he'd tell me stories from when he was younger, I swear I can smell the Old Spice when these memories come over me. When I see my grandma's make up case, I flash back to her kitchen, I can smell her perfume mixed with the smell of cigarette smoke and hair spray (ok, possibly not the best combination, I'll admit it) and I can almost feel her beside me. How are we able to attach such strong sensations to these seemingly trivial items? What about those certain items can take us back years to memories that flood us with what we felt at that time?

I am not a psychologist and I don't play one on TV, so I don't have the answer, but I'm so glad that we have that in us. Those items have helped me make it through times when it was hard to go on without those loving hands that helped guide me through my youth, without my grandma there to hug me when I am sad, without my grandpa and his smile that lit up his beautiful green eyes to make me laugh. 

What items do you have that would mean nothing to somebody else but mean the world to you? What would you save if God forbid there was a fire and you could get those precious to you out and only grab one or 2 treasured items in your way out the door? Hold those items close, but more importantly, hold those memories closer because those will always be with you no matter what. 


Heather Manning - Owner/Designer
Digiscrapping | The247mom
Giveaway Chick

Be My Guest Monday! White Elephant Gifts and AFTER Holiday Holiday Parties

Alright everyone, wecome back to Be My Guest Monday! If you're interested in being a guest blogger, please click on that super cool link.

Today I've got such a great guest blogger. Carissa over at GoodNCrazy taught me everything I know about avoiding the dreaded (No-ReplyComment@Blogger.com) problem. As someone who prefers to respond to comments via email, Carissa's "Dear No-Reply Blogger" post helped me to share the knowledge with my readers too. (if you haven't done this yet, please do!) She's also got tons and tons of amazing blog advice--you really must check her out! After you read this post, of course. And now I give you a chuckle with Carissa and...


The Best White Elephant Gift Ever!
And Why AFTER Holiday-Holiday Parties Rock.

My husband's holiday work party got postponed. And then cancelled. And honestly no one was sad. There was already too much going on with piano recitals, school plays, cookie exchanges and decorating the dang tree! Don't get me wrong I love Christmas-time and I love the hubbub too... but at some point in order it retain some semblance of sanity... you gotta pick and choose the items on your Holiday To-Do list...

That party re-scheduled itself for this past weekend. And it was so much fun. And pleasant, and I didn't feel rushed or like I was overdrawn on my babysitting account from asking friends to watch my kids too much!

They still held it as a White Elephant Gift Exchange, and the home where it was held still had Christmas decorations up... I have officially decided THIS is the way to do it. Plan each year to hold a few events AFTER New Year's. What's wrong with the piano recital being scheduled for the 2nd week in January? I'm still happy to hear my 9yrold's rendition of Angel's We Have Heard On High! And like I'm not gonna be thrilled to eat cookies in January, same as December? Hello.

What did we bring home? Seriously. I think the best white elephant gift ever:
A Goldfish! Complete with $2 plastic bowl, food and green vinyl tree. I was the last one to choose a gift; I happily stole that fish. It had already been dubbed "Andy" by the attendees, and passed around a few times. So there you have it. Our children have a new pet goldfish: please meet ANDY.

GREAT Ideas for the Best White Elephant Gifts:
You have to plan ahead for some of them so don't forget!

• Toilet Seat
• Enema
• A Giant Stalk of brussel sprouts. (who knew they grow that way??)
• A Moo Moo
• Date Night Kit: Barry White CD, duct tape, and Nickelodeon Slime
• Dancing Cowboy Santa
• A Sacrificial Sock
• Fruit Cake
• A Box of SOS Pads: (and if there's a $ limit, tuck the cash inside to surprise!)
• Rattlesnake meat in a can
• Pogo Stick
• Blown Up Photo of Self (autographed of course!)
• Paparazzi Starter Kit: disposable camera, and copies of teen beat magazine preferably with Robert Pattinson on the cover
• A Giant Box full of hotel toiletries: soaps, mini shampoos and lotions
• Ugly Lingerie or Loud Gaudy Pajamas
  
• Bottled Peach Pits: plan ahead, and when bottling peaches, fill one with only the pits!
• Goofy Phones: Antlers Glued On or Pink and Furry
• Used Appliances: Like an old dish disposal
  
• Cassette Tapes of Donnie And Marie
• Live Animals: Like a Goldfish, or Guinea Pig
  
• Old Spice
• Fedora Hat: from Ross or other discount store
• Loud Annoying Toddler Toys
• Hello Kitty ANYthing
  
• Bad Home Decor: think plastic light up flowers
• Toilet Seat Warmer (They really make these??)

Come on.. I know you have great ideas too.
What's the Best/Worst/Funniest White Elephant Gift you've ever seen?

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Carissa Rogers of GoodNCrazy.com
Find her on twitter as @CarissaRogers

"In my former life I was a molecular biologist. In my current life I am the chief researcher of bloggy html, parenting dos (and some don'ts), new recipes and for spice I pretend to be a photographer...I started blogging in February of 2008. I love the bloggy world where I share and connect with thousands of people about the happy, the sad, the rotten, and the silly! I have 3 crazy kids and one good husband. I hope to connect with you too!"

Be My Guest Monday! Instant Life

That's right, it's that time again... Be My Guest Monday!!! A great big huge hey-howdy to everyone out there who made their way over from Kathryn's awesome blog, Singing in the Rain. If you haven't seen her blog yet, you need to stop by just to see how beautifully violet it is. Really. I mean, look at it:

I'm positive and relaxed and happy just looking at this gorgous blog. And Kathryn has allowed me to re-post something she put up on my birthday, actually. Since great things happened on September 7th, I asked to share with you, dear readers, these wise words. When you're done, please stop by her blog and check her out. And if you're new to Out of the Extraordinary, welcome! I do hope you'll spend a few moments on the rest of my blog after you're done reading this:

Instant Life
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The very first cruise (and only one so far) that I have been on was on my honeymoon. And I loved it! The ship was beautiful, the water was beautiful and we were having a lovely time! About the second or third day in I started getting sea sick. They said that the ship was experiencing 8 foot waves and that it was not normally that rough. Not knowing I would feel sick, I never brought medicine so my husband went and bought me some from the ship's store. I honestly didn't think the medicine would help any. To my way of thinking the ship was still rocking and the waves were still 8 feet high. How could the medicine stop that? But almost immediately after taking the medicine it calmed my stomach and I felt instantly better! I was amazed, I didn't think I would feel that much better that fast! The rest of the time I did not hesitate to use the medicine if I needed it, I knew that it would make me feel better fast, and help me enjoy our time.

I was thinking the other day how much we want our life to be like that medicine. All around us we see and want instant gratification. Think about it:

Instant Gravy
Instant Potatoes
Instant Oatmeal
Instant Messenger
Instant Approval
Instant Prints
Instant Loans
Instant Replay

and much much more! Just google "instant" and you will get a list of things that you can get instantly. And it doesn't just stop there. How many of you have ever wished for the time to pass to a certain date? Maybe until you get married, until your husband gets home from a deployment, until you have your baby, until you get a job... the list could go on and on.

I don't think it's a bad thing to wish for these things, but what about enjoying the time you have now? Instead of getting everything instantly why not ask God what he has for you to learn right now?

Sometimes, it is a good thing to wait. We have all heard the saying, "Good things come to those who wait." I think that is very true, especially if you are spending all your time worrying and waiting and not enjoying the time now. You can miss out on all the good things that come in between all that waiting. So instead of wishing for something to pass, may it be a deployment, a time period, or anything else, determine to be patient and enjoy the here and now, and see what you can learn! You may be surprised at what God has in store for you!

"We shall never have more time. We have, and always had, all the time there is. No object is served in waiting until next week or even until tomorrow. Keep going... Concentrate on something useful."

"The man for whom time stretches out painfully is one waiting in vain, disappointed at not finding tomorrow already continuing yesterday."

“How much of human life is lost in waiting.”

“Between the wish and the thing life lies waiting.”

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