Ignorant Historian

1.  If you had to purchase all your friends’ gifts at one store for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Does Amazon count? Because that’s pretty much where I buy the bulk of my gifts. If I had to pick a brick and mortar store, I guess I’d choose Target…at least it’s my favorite place to buy stuff for myself.

2.  What is more difficult for you: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel?

Looking into someone’s eyes when they’re talking to me. Because I don’t know what they’re going to say, but I (usually) know what I’m going to say to someone else.

3. Not counting in the midst of a storm, where’s the windiest place you’ve been?

Definitely where I grew up: Wichita, Kansas.  It’s pretty much always windy there, and is like the 7th windiest city in the United States.  I remember watching outdoor scenes in movies growing up and thinking how fake they were because they wouldn’t have wind.  I didn’t realize that in many places, wind is abnormal and not an everyday thing.

Now, any time it’s windy, it reminds me of home.

4.  In what way is today better than yesterday?

I’m wearing socks that match my outfit. Yesterday I accidentally wore white socks with brown pants and shoes, and it bugged me all day.

5.  Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Yes, but probably not because I blog, but because I’ve graduated and all that.  Though reading book blogs has made my TBR list huge.

1.  What do you value most in other people?

Being real. Not fake and not who they think I want them to be, but who they actually are, honestly. I hope I offer the same.

2.  What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Growing up, it was Carmel DeLites (Samoas with milk chocolate instead of dark…different names because they’re made by different companies). Now it’s Peanut Butter Patties. Didn’t get any this year, because nobody asked me! I think I need to look into being one of the mystery customers that girls get extra incentives to find. I always hoped I’d find one when I was a girl (sold them for 11 years!).

3.  If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

Definitely the mind. Losing my mental faculties is actually my biggest fear with aging, not wrinkles or bum joints. Though my mind is definitely already going downhill (along with my body), so can I go backwards and have the mind of a 22yo forever?

4.  Have you ever danced on a table, bar, or other platform?

I’ve danced on a stage, which is technically a platform. I’m not sure that’s what the question is asking, but I don’t lead a scandalous life.

5.  Are you wearing socks right now?

Nope. I rarely do in the summer. Which makes the 30 pairs of socks in my drawer a bit out of place. (I didn’t count…if very well could be more, but I don’t want to know)

It’s fall.  As in, it’s no longer summer.

Wednesday I went to work in my usual flip flops and short sleeves and froze all day, even though I had my sweater on.

When it was time to go home, I was looking forward to walking out into the warm day, but instead, I encountered cold rain as I left my building.

That’s when I gave up.  I went home, put on socks and my mom-made warm flannel pj pants, and nestled in to a good book (okay, “good” is relative…it was Twilight).

And I’ve not worn my flip flops since.

Does any one else live in denial that it’s no longer summer?

Photo by *Micky

A couple of weeks ago, Caity blogged about ideas for personal blogs.  Being a personal blog writer, I took note of several of her ideas.  One of her ideas was to write about your dream wedding.  Perfect follow up to yesterday’s pursuit of marriage, no?

Of course, the downside is that if a perspective husband reads my blog this week, I might come off as desperate.  Yet, yesterday’s post was the outworking of my inner wrestling, and today’s is just for fun.  I don’t spend much time thinking about that day, but of course I talk about it with my girlfriends from time to time.  I’ve also been thinking about it a bit more now that Riley and Amanda are tying the knot.

Given the fact that only one half of the couple in today’s simulation is known, absolutely nothing is set in stone (except for that half of the couple…I’m still planning MY dream wedding).

So here are my thoughts on how I’d want it to go down (in no particular order):

Groom: I have a few ideas, but I’ll keep them to myself.

Dress: Something flattering?  I guess that shouldn’t be a question.  I do want something flattering.  I think my bridesmaid dress is flattering, so maybe something like that.  Which, umm, I’ve never shown you a picture of.  So something like this (Amanda…isn’t this kinda like the other dress that I tried on?).  Not so much bead work, though.

Ring: I guess this would be figured out before the rest (well, except the groom!), but I’m kinda going out of order here, anyway.  Yellow gold, with a solitary diamond, maybe round.  Nothing fancy, and preferably not overly expensive. Something that looks like this.

Bridesmaids: If I got married today (uh, late notice, huh?) I would have 5 bridesmaids.  Scratch that…I wouldn’t, because they wouldn’t be able to all make it in time for me to get married today!  Regardless, I think they know who they are.  They’re some great ladies!

Their dresses would probably be lilac, because I’m obsessed with that color right now.  I always have liked periwinkle,  so that’s a strong possibility as well.  For sure, it wouldn’t be a shade of orange or red, but anything else could be fair game, theoretically (which this all is!).

Flowers: I LOVE flowers, but I’m not a fan of them off the plant, for whatever reason.  Probably, I’d keep this simple.  My favorites are tulips, but they’re so seasonal, so unless I time things right (and really, I’m not going to worry about this one!) I’d probably do something like single gerber daisies for my bridesmaids and a cluster of 3 for me.  Ooh, I can picture that…that’d be kinda cool!

Shoes: I’d strongly consider going barefoot.  I love heels, but I also love being barefoot.  Maybe my bridesmaids as well…but definitely not any of the men.  Men’s feet are ugly!

Location: in a church.  Though a marriage is a marriage no matter where the wedding ceremony, I like the symbolism of doing it under God’s roof, so to speak.  Though this would quite possibly be an issue with my family, I’d want to get married in my church, here in North Carolina.  Though I still consider Kansas home in many ways, I want my wedding vows witnessed by those who I’m asking to help me keep them.  I’m thinking my brother getting married closer to home may have paved the way for me to do this, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there…

Vows: Write our own.  Not trying to buck tradition for tradition’s sake, but I think that the vows I’ve heard at several friends’ weddings were scriptural and poignant, not trite.

Engagement: Short, unless providentially hindered.  Three-six months would be nice.

Reception: I always joke that I don’t want to go to mine, but will leave after the ceremony.  I can’t imagine what the backlash would be on that, though!  Seriously though, I’d go for more casual than elegant, more like a party than a ball.  No dancing.  No way.  (and no, it’s not b/c I go to a Baptist church…it’s because I can’t/won’t.  Except in the privacy of my bedroom.  Or the kitchen, when my roommate’s not home.)  Food would also be casual…snacky stuff, but lots of it.

Cost: As cheap as possible.  I know this is easier said than done, but there are few areas where I wouldn’t be willing to skimp.

Attendees: all of you! (Well, except you, creepy dude, who just stumbled onto this!)  Children would be welcome, for both the ceremony and reception, though I might have childcare available for the littlest ones during the ceremony so that my new-mom friends won’t have to excuse themselves halfway through.  I don’t plan on it being very long, though!

So, since this is all hypothetical, you don’t have to hold your tongue about the tacky decorations or the rap music I walked down to the aisle to (no, I wouldn’t).  Seriously  what do you think?  If you’re married, what’s one thing that you would have changed, if anything?

Thanks for sticking with me last week.  It was rough, but the good kind.  Saturday night after Power Camp and all wedding activities were done, I crashed and slept a solid 10 hours.

Sleep is definitely a great pick-me-up, right?  But Friday I got another one…

A surprise package from my parents!

I opened it and found two of my favorite things from home…

Cucumbers fresh from my dad’s garden

(oh that’s a lovely picture…I was on my way to my last day of camp!)

and flannel pajama pants fresh from my mom’s sewing machine!

I wish I had video of me opening the package, because I definitely squealed!  Cucumbers are my favorite veggies, and I ate at least one a day in the summer growing up, either plain or creamed (2 parts whipping cream, 1 part vinegar).  It’s a running joke every time I talk to my parents that they are eating cucumbers, so it meant a lot that they took the time/money to send them to me.

As far as the PJ pants, I had already hinted on the blog that my old pairs were getting very thin.  That happens after you wear them everyday for a couple of years!  So obviously, I was quite happy to get three new pairs: one with monkeys, one with frogs, and one with ladybugs.

Thanks, Mom and Dad!

I don’t know if it’s summer or the excessive number of 24 episodes I watched over the holiday weekend, but I’m lacking in bloggy inspiration.  Even the week of posts I usually have ready to go have dried up.  There’s no lack of desire to blog, but I’m missing my muse.  If you see him, let me know (you didn’t expect me to have a female muse, did you?).

So, now I’m up to no good again, stealing blog ideas.  Actually, some of my best ideas come from others…I love that about blogging.  While Amy Beth is off galavanting in the land of the pyramids, she left behind these questions (with her answers…obviously the below ones are mine):

1. What is your current obsession?

Could be getting back on track with my schedule after the holiday weekend.  Other possible answers include SYTYCD and 24 (I had to stop in a good spot…actually, they’re all good spots.  I hope I have a chance to watch more this weekend!). 

2. What are you wearing today?

I’m wearing my favorite brown skirt (SO comfortable and cute), a bronze-colored lace pattern shirt (hard to describe, sorry), and brown flip flops.

3. What’s for dinner?

Probably soup, spaghettios, or pizza.  It’ll be after water exercises, and I need something quick and effortless.  And I haven’t gotten groceries (except for 24-watching junk from the grocery store in walking distance) in a couple of weeks.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?

Allergy medicine.  I had run out, so I stopped taking it, but my throat got incredibly after a couple of days.  I had been putting it off since Walmart sells the 30-day supply for $4, but the cheapest drug store sells the 20-day supply for $10.  It was worth it though, to get my throat feeling better.

5. What are you listening to right now?

Nothing, music-wise.  I only listen to music in the car.  So I guess the correct response would be my fingers tapping the keyboard.

6. What is your favorite quote?

Favorite?  This is hard.  I love a good quote, which is why I regularly post them here.  Reading through them makes me want to re-read all those books!  Since I have to pick one, my favorite outside the Bible is this one from C. S. Lewis as I keep going back to it:

“He wondered for a moment if it was Mars he was looking at; then, as his eyes took in the markings better, he recognised what they were–Northern Europe and a piece of North America. They were upside down with the North Pole at the bottom of the picture and this somehow shocked him. But it was Earth he was seeing–even, perhaps, England, though the picture shook a little and his eyes were quickly getting tired, and he could not be certain that he was not imagining it. It was all there in that little disk–London, Athens, Jerusalem, Shakespeare. There everyone had lived and everything had happened; and there, presumably, his pack was still lying in the porch of an empty house near Sterk. ‘Yes,’ he said dully to the sorn. ‘That is my world.’ It was the bleakest moment in all his travels.”

You’ll have to check out “It’s a Small World” for the context.  Gives me chills.

7. What language do you want to learn?

Turkish.  I haven’t put much effort into it though, because I don’t know how useful it is except when I take trips there.  I do think that this time around won’t be my last…I’d love to make a commitment to go every year, or at least every other.

8. What do you love most about where you currently live?

My church, hands down.  When asked if I would be willing to move for work, I answered unhesitatingly that I want to stay in Raleigh, and it was for this reason. 

9. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Right now, I’d love to just get in my car and drive down to Florida and spend a couple of days on a beach.  Or I’d travel to Europe or Australia.

10. If you could do or be anything (career wise), what would you be?

A writer, almost more than a mother. (not that those are mutually exclusive)

11. What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?

My pj’s?  Can that count?  What does this say about me??  Mom, if you’re reading this, they’re getting awfully thin…

12. Describe your personal style?

Style?  How about “ordered with a side of quirky.”

13. Do you collect anything?

Postcards.  Comments. (hint hint)

14. What makes you follow a blog?

It has to be well written.  Can be from any walk of life, but the writing needs to draw me in.

15. What makes you comment on a blog?

If I can relate.  A post might be well done, but if there’s not a single point of connection, I don’t comment.

16. What is the most enjoyable thing you did today?

It’s still early, so my day’s been mostly business.  Writing this post, though, has been enjoyable, so I’ll say that.

17. What’s your favorite thing to do when you have free time?

Usually I’d say reading, but I haven’t done a lot of that lately.  I spent most of my free time lately watching 24, and can’t wait to get the opportunity to continue the adventure!

Go Tarheels!

As I approach my 4 year mark of living among Tarheels, I’ve become one of them. Sure, I’ll still be a Kansas girl at heart, but my love for the state of North Carolina has grown and grown. I finally broke down and bought a Tarheel t-shirt.

I suppose I still could have been North Carolinian if I had bought a Duke, NC State, or Wake Forest shirt, but I always have gravitated towards UNC. When I was in high school, I remember seeing Carolina Blue and thinking it was the best color for a school. Then, I found out that UNC had a basketball tradition, and that was certainly something I could respect. After Roy Williams moved back there, I was basically a goner. Once I moved to North Carolina, I was sold.  I still root for my Sooners and my Jayhawks first, but I was pretty pleased to see UNC win the Final Four.

Purse

For those of you who aren’t sports fanatics, I bought a cute new purse the same time I bought the shirt.  It’s functional, allowing me to hide the book that I always carry with me, as I’ve gotten some negative feedback lately.  I think it just might be the title of the book I was carrying around, Special Topics in Calamity Physics.  Don’t worry, it’s a novel.