She Loves - Series Day 8: Worry Not

Philippians 4:6-8 - Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. [NIV]

I cheated today and read this at the beginning of the day. I needed it today; Friday started off feeling more like a Monday, and an ugly one at that. With several fires to put out before the 9:00 hour was even over, it seemed liked I had a target painted on my forehead that I didn't know about.

Fortunately, I had the chance to step away from the desk for about 30 minutes to bid See-you-later to Mare, Derrek & Cooper before they embarked on the 12ish-hour journey back to Vermont.

cooper!
[& humans.]

I am grateful that Cooper's new humans [aka Mare & Derrek] included us as part of their journey to get him, affording us a small but invaluable window of time to spend with good friends. The next time we'll see you, buddy, you'll be a giant! 

Back at work, I started the process of detangling the web of ridiculously unnecessary problems created by irresponsible people temporary inconveniences that are part of the nature of my line of work... always a process. I was pleasantly interrupted by an unexpected visitor:

hiiiiiiiii! 

I gotta tell ya, if ever I believe there is too much on my plate for me to handle in a sane way, God reminds me that He's got this, and plugs all those leaking holes in the ship with good people, good fortune and a gentle, stern reminder of this: Quit your worrying, girl, and tell me what you need. 

Talk about a direct answer.

That girl up there [Becky] has been my goal when it comes to adventurous spirits. Among my small inner circle, she is the one who obliges her inner adventure the majority of the time. She somehow balances adulting with recreation, usually in some service-minded, bigger picture kind of way. If you've never heard me describe her impact on my life in a few sentences, here it is: She's my R.A. from freshman year at UC, teammate on both college & rec soccer teams, mentor, friend and peer. She made me run every step of Nippert stadium in one pass, forced us to do annual blood drives and pushed me to my physical limits in training more than once... and we're still friends ;). She is selfless, compassionate and is both the most patient and impatient person I've ever met.

And there are some big [new] adventures on her plate, fast-approaching and in no means minor. One of the many reasons I respect her so is that in spite of her constantly taking life by its horns and dragging it behind her, she is still human, and is still able to acknowledge very human tendencies to worry or excessively weigh out the future. The unknown. The what-ifs. And then she shrugs and takes off head-first into that unknown. And 9 times out of 10, comes back without regret.

And I think today I needed her to swoop in - literally. It felt as though I couldn't shake a lingering sense of frustration through the work day: one of those days that hands you an interruption just about every time you try to get something done, ya know? Where everyone has an emergency, and people prove that their word and bond mean about as much as hot air in a pillowcase - ya know?? *Sigh.

Stop worrying. Stop rushing for one second and let the seconds come to you. Pray. Listen. Breathe. 

I wasn't sure how today was going to play out, but it ended just fine, because that is what happens when I start over-dramatizing things. I had more valleys and plateaus today than peaks, but I'm certain that's how it's supposed to be. We are not to worry, because that's not just useless - we're specifically instructed not to.

Today I am thankful for chicken + waffles, road trippers, baby German Shepherds, adventurous spirits and the not-so-subtle reminders that all. is. well. ♥

Happy Friday, bots!

xo | cms 

All-Over Saturday

Hello, weekend!

I guess I should go ahead and disclose now that Taste of Belgium is currently serving their seasonal gingerbread waffles, and... well, GO.

yum! 

Nom nom nom nommmm!
We took our time today, getting through our to-do list at home. I had originally slated us a trip to IKEA for some Christmas shopping; Rob jumped the gun and went ahead and ordered everything online. That saved us both the drive there and the "fun" of traipsing through the pool of lawless goldfish that is the typical IKEA in-store experience. *Whew!

Oh, and Rob christened our house with the first fire of the year, while I started in on another knitting project today: This one's for Jess!

fireside knitting ♥

Stella was less-than-impressed with the fact that my knitting needles were getting more attention than she was, and have, for the past couple of weeks.

awhhh.. love you, pup-pup.. 

Poor girl. I promise that once Christmas is over, the knitting will cease to take up every evening. Okie? ;)

Trish invited us to join her and some friends in Newport, so on a last minute decision we obliged, meeting her and some coworkers at Hofbrahaus on the Levee.

:) :) 

Always a fun time (:
It's been a while since I've visited Hofbrahaus, and Rob's first time there, so we'll naturally be back. I couldn't tell you the last time I actually went to Arnies, either, but that happened, and was a blast in itself.

♥♥♥

We made a lot of good decisions today. We also made some not-so-good decisions today. This is the worst of it, and while it seemed a wise choice at the time, I'm making a note for next time [like I usually say] to never let this happen again:

yes... yes that is lucy blue's.... :/ 

All around I think that's a win. Happy Saturday! 

xo | cmd 

Vote | Hire | Eat | Be Merry!

Haaaaaaaappy Tuesday!

How'd you start your day?

vote, vote, vote! 

I did see someone post a note of caution to the uninformed voter, saying that the greatest service he/she could provide was to stay as far away from the polls as possible. I can't say I disagree; I think by now our nation should be fairly aware of what happens when ignorance shows up in hoards to cast a ballot. I did my best to exercise my due diligence today, but must admit that I had absolutely no business siding in/on certain matters, so for those I refrained. I felt a twinge of guilt that I wasn't more educated, since these issues clearly held enough weight to show up on the list, but that didn't excuse me enough to be a voice in a matter foreign to me.

For those of you who made informed votes that reflect your personal and religious beliefs today, THANK YOU!

On to work it was; today was a good day for a hiring event, which is exactly what Elisa and I scuttled out the door en route to SuperJobs.

fall hiring event 2014!

I love these things!

elisa & me..
... and of course our creepy corner-face-sign-guy... 

The job fair was a blast, as they always are, and, as tradition dictates for these things, was followed by a quick bite at Findlay Market just around the corner.

taste of belgium at findlay market. that's a win! 

I've been skeptical of the weather as we progress into the Autumn season; it's either tolerable or flat-out gloomy, which presents quite the Midwest-standard for dressing in the morning [hint: layers]. We were happy to be able to peel off our coats for this one, and enjoyed lunch on the sunny patio in front of Market. On our way out, we each grabbed a different vendor snack for back at the office, and caught a glimpse of some uplifting artwork on the way out:

♥this is otr! 

And yes, it's nearly 11pm and I'm just now finishing up the at-home work to which I committed in lieu of being gone for the majority of the morning. I had the privilege of helping Sydni with her homework earlier, and catching up with my better half on some upcoming transitions in his and my professional lives - I've got it made and I am thankful, tenfold for the day I've enjoyed.

Happy Tuesday!

xo | cmd

An OTR Saturday

A weekend morning just isn't the same without a Lumberjack-appropriate breakfast.
That being said:

nom nom nommmmmmmm

One of my biggest shortcomings is the fact that I am not a morning person. Becky, one of my greatest friends, is one of those early-risers not only embraces but celebrates the chance to hit the ground running while the moon is still watching. I'm the person who wishes that the moon would just stay.PUT. for another 15 minutes, at least... every day. That's why the weekends are the perfect mornings-at-my-leisure, and that is something I like to commemorate with elaborate breakfasts.

'Cuz let's face it: nobody is getting that^^ on a Monday morning. At least not until I graduate into that phase of life my grandmothers both seemed to accept, that included crosswords and coffee at 5am. Maybe then. ;)

With our mid-morning bellies full, Rob set out to write an estimate for work, followed by a mission to finally finish winterizing the boat. I joined forces with Becky to go explore the new Homage store that opened in OTR a few days ago.

homage cincinnati!
1232 vine st
cinci, oh 45202

It's a cute little dive - very college bookstore-esque, which is great if that's the type of shopping experience that works best for you. I did enjoy the inventory, but must admit that I'm much more of a Mica 12/v kinda girl when it comes to buying local. That's not to say that I won't be back, because I have a feeling I most definitely will be.

It'd been several hours since my Lumberjack breakfast experience; Becky hadn't eaten either, so we popped in for a quick lunch at Taste of Belgium. 

at the bar.. yum! 

^ You can't really go wrong with mid-day TOB. 

To round out our little OTR excursion, we topped off the afternoon by making an appearance at Park + Vine. Mark my words, for as many times as I go there and don't buy anything, you all just wait for the day I make it big. I'll be there nonstop... and I WILL buy one of everything off the homemade soap wall. And probably a[nother] Eno hammock. And a[nother] Be Ohio Proud shirt. 

because... yes. 

And that's how you maximize just three short hours in OTR; of course there was plenty that we didn't get to, but we've both seen many of the other digs already, and there's no reason not to re-visit at a later date, either. I'll happily say that this is one of the few aspects of city living that I love: local shopping! 

We headed back to the house, somehow finding ourselves in a discussion on The Hunger Games trilogy all the way home [yes, we watched the whole first movie as soon as we got there]. We pulled up to the answer of why our larger carved pumpkins looked like big empty bowls instead of the creative masterpieces they once were: 

ah.. ha! caughtcha. 

Oh well. Kids gotta carve, squirrels gotta eat. That pumpkin came straight from the earth, so I'm really not mad that this little guy snagged a snack. At least now I know I'm not crazy, and that the pumpkins are not actually self-dissolving. :)

It's only mid-evening now; Becky's gone off to a family costume party, and Rob and I are here looking forward to a night of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING planned.

Did I mention I love weekends? ♥

xo | cmd

10 Reasons Today Was Bigger Than Words

This [slightly backdated entry] might take a while.

I truly don't believe me telling the tale of today is going to do any sort of justice to how happy I really am right now.

My friends from Illinois & Virginia are here, and we have wasted no time since they arrived.

I suppose the best way to tackle this would just be chronologically. So, deep breath, and... go.

➊ || Breakfast. This was a null question as far as where we would go; Taste of Belgium is the only contender for breakfast whenever we have visitors, especially first-timers. I wanted to wait until tomorrow when Marianne would be with us, too, but she's on the Daniel fast for Lent right now and wouldn't have been able to enjoy it with us... so... yeah.

"i'll just take the usual, please..."

➋ || With breakfast out of the way, our next order of business was basically a blank slate. I decided that since we were already in OTR, it was the perfect opportunity for a visit at Findlay Market. We ran into Becky just briefly, and I was able to say hello to Mike, too, super-awkwardly as I was being overly self-conscious about knowing the details for his surprise birthday party later in the evening. Hah. I don't think Market will ever get old, and I love that.

[photo by marianne ;) ]

➌ || Down the street from Market: Rhinegeist. I had forgotten that Bockfest was this weekend, which meant an overabundance of extra people literally everywhere. It's not a bad thing; really it makes the place feel fully alive with families, friends and even pets. Of course Rhinegeist in and of itself is a playground worth mentioning, so we were fine spending the nearly three hours there that we did.

friendssss!

a bunch of outta-towners & some cornhole

hiya!

my soulless, naturally-ginger, acca-amazing best (:

[my] better half!

"and now the brown folks will demonstrate brand loyalty..."

yay, home brew!

 ➍ || Eden Park. The Donald A. Spencer Overlook is still my favorite place in Cincinnati; I don't know that that will ever really change. While I honestly wouldn't declare it a majestic view or breathtaking vantage point, a part of my heart will always stay on that hill. I wasn't always as level-headed and in touch with myself as I am [on my way to being] now; there were many days and evenings spent sitting on that wall, alone to regenerate and reflect on a direction that I'm just now starting to actually find. I'm more than happy to share that with the people I love.  

eden park || donald a. spencer overlook || cincy, oh

➎ || Jungle Jim's. Rob peeled off between Rhinegeist and this part of the mission, since he was on the bike and a chill was setting in. Plus, I've dragged him to JJ plenty of times, so he's plenty familiar with the labyrinth that is JJ. I of course picked up some mochi, edamame and hummus before I left, but I more enjoyed the reactions and purchases of my visiting friends.

first stop: the restroom.
& good friends don't let friends go at life alone...

ali & her cheee-eeeeeese!

in honor of the not-yet-here marianne...

➏ || Eli's BBQ. Again, this is a no-brainer for infrequent visitors. Marianne's still not here, so we took advantage again of being able to inhale the sweet barbequed loveliness of Eli's without the accompanying guilt trip.

eli's retrieval crew ;)

➐ || INSERT MARIANNE HERE. Yes, that's right, she's HERE. The four of them are here. And that makes me happy. So. Very. Freakin' Happy!

this girl.. is here!

➑ || Mike's [SURPRISE!] Birthday Party!! Becky invited us some number of weeks ago to what would be a surprise birthday celebration for Mike, held at Jenn & Jordan's farm out in the western plains of Cinci. The gap of time between Marianne walking in the door and us all walking right back out was just a matter of minutes; we were soon en route via the truck to help celebrate Mike's 50th birthday. Oh, and did I mention there were baby goats and bonfires [not... combined, though]? Because there were. And it was all... just... perfect.

baby goats.

bonfires + friends!!

Here are some ways to treat your friends at a bonfire goat birthday party: 

diversify them ;)

synchronize them

♥ them.

chop them.

laugh with them.

wonder... at them..

laugh more with them.

admire, respect & thank them.

take pictures of them.. taking pictures of you.

appreciate them, wholly

let them... go hiking?

& creep them!

 Haha. They... are the best. ♥ Happy birthday, Mike!

 ➒ || OTR. Okay, so this probably wasn't the highlight of our night, but I promise I had good intentions. My plan was to introduce my friends to the soulful goodness that is Magnolia Sons, the band from Tennessee that frequents The Drinkery on the first Saturday of each month. They are so contagiously energetic, and I knew my friends would dig it. The reason I don't often make concrete plans like this is because of unforeseen hiccups like tonight: a] MS only played for the first half of the evening; the second half was booked by some other still-fun-but-definitely-not-MS ensemble, and b] it's Bockfest. There were lines of night-owls around the block at most places, which was a nightmare once you actually got inside. Sardines in a can. No good. We passed the time by pushing through crowds and taking a couple pictures before we wised up and headed home.

these girls..♥♥

& they're the three best friends that anyone could ha--- what?

 ➓ || Family photos!! Duh... SO, almost one year ago to the date [25 April 2013], we were all gathered at Ali's house in Collinsville, and the cameras were out in full force. We captured an unplanned photo that would be coined the Awkward Family Photo for the rest of its existence. Our one goal of the entire weekend was to recreate that. Mission. Accomplished:

25 april 2013

08 march 2014

Things that make me a bit sad: Ali, Tim & Damanji are leaving in the morning, due to some obligations they have back home tomorrow evening.
Things that mildly counteract that sadness: Marianne will be here until Monday. There's nothing like a slow withdrawal.
Things that remind me it's all ok?: We're doing this again in September before Tim ships out to Korea. We'll all really cry then.

For now, gooooood night to a truly amazing day!

xo | cmd