On Ready Feet

My dearest wish is to be old-fashioned and hipster. And to aid in my quest of pursuing all things classic I received a record player for Christmas. Yes, my family is awesome and thus, I am one step closer to reaching my hip goals! To help in my silly endeavors my sister buys me records and we test each one, trying out the coolness factor. After scrounging around at various thrift shops  we always come home with some treasures. Need some smooth crooning? Grab some good ol' Dean-O. Hankering for some good tunes? Toss in The Temptations. We thought we were in luck. Unfortunately, the epic Carpenter's record we got was...scratched. So, you know how normal records sounds a little different? Well, this one sounded like a poor cat with memory loss. Or a warbling bird who forgot his singing lesson that day. I tried to hum and whistle along,  but every other note their instruments skipped a beat. But I couldn't get rid of the scratche...

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.   Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. The purple-headed mountains, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky. The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one. The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, To gather every day. He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. - Cecil F. Alexander -

Songs are filled with lyrics, books are written  and poems are dedicated to the glory of beauty.  Photographs are taken, videos are used to capture  and words are utilized to describe all things lovely.  Beauty makes me stop walking and loot my pockets for my camera  in order to grasp the extent of what I see.  Beauty makes me silent, my ears intently listening in awe  to melodies and notes I've never heard before.  Beauty makes me laugh when a moment is filled with so much joy  I can't help but reply.  Beauty makes me... ...gasp when I witness a streak of lighting rend the night sky ...crinkle my nose as I inhale the succulent fragrance of flowers  ...jump from dazzling heights into cool, clear ocean waters ...see the hope of things to come ...realize what a wonder it is to be alive.  

I admit it, extinguishing candles should be an Olympic sport. I mean, the amount of concentration required is phenomenal but, believe me, the rewards are exceptional.  Remember on your 7th birthday when you couldn't wait to open presents? I was always anxious, too.  I had to hope that that odd looking bag bequeathed my anticipated Barbie Mermaid and that mysterious tissue swathed box held the desired doll house. How did you end up getting the right presents on that special day? Are you ready for a mind-blowing concept? The ritualistic candle blowing event. I know, I know...right? Who'd have known that all birthday wishes would come to fruition simply by breathing on lighted sticks? My ideal presents appeared when I wished on inanimate, flaming wax. Yes. Alright, so that's really not the reason. But I used to think so. And I'm guessing you might have, too. We looked to colorful, melting things to make our dreams come true. ...

It's been a tough week. Sure, there've been bright spots and good moments. Still, it's been a little rough. I feel all old-fashioned/cheesy when I say this, but when I'm down, I have a "go to" song. It's sung by the marvelous vocals of Cher and sums up what I need to be true of me when life hits. I've copied the lyrics and video, so feel free to make it your "go to" song, too.  Feeling broken Barely holding on But there's just something so strong Somewhere inside me And I am down but I'll get up again Don't count me out just yet I've been brought down to my knees And I've been pushed way past the point of breaking But I can take it I'll be back Back on my feet This is far from over You haven't seen the last of me You haven't seen the last of me They can say that I won't stay around But I'm gonna stand my ground You're not gonna stop me You don't know me You don't k...

There's some things that make people cement together, special stuff that helps buddies become besties.  Best friends aren't just any body, they're a some body with whom you share  every  thing. And every  thing can be any  thing,  like....   ...hey, at least you're together :P ...or worrying about your squirrel friend who was in a pizza earlier ...hopefully, you both like ducklings! ...which is the opposite of un bear able! #pun ...even if one of you is a blue alien, that's totally cool. ...bonus points if you wear matching green. As evidenced by these adorable Disney pals,  it's not what you do, but who you are with that creates the best friend bond.

         It looks ugly.                It feels gross.                        It tastes nasty.                                                   It's bitter . What does this word, bitter, mean? I looked it up and I found: To cause an unpleasant or painful feeling I don't want to be bitter. To be bitter is to be harsh and acrid. To harbor bitter feelings is to get get rid of nice, pleasant feelings. I don't want that. But, sometimes, when life is rough, I feel bitter. I look around me and I begrudge everyone who has a better life. A better job. A better education. A better passion. And that bitterness tears me up inside. It releases cold, uncaring words that sting others, instead of building them up. It allows for an attit...

My stomach is full.  Yeah, like, really, super full.  Like I have a 2-month-old food baby. So, what is to blame for this over indulgence? I have to point a finger at buffet food. Ah, the endless lines of food. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes galore, Nonstop salad and soups, Countless pans of brownies, Oh my! So many yummy choices, and what do I do? I stuff my face and... realize that I didn't need to. I could have said no to certain things. When facing that buffet of choices, I had a choice, too. To buy an iPad, a Mac, an iPhone, an iPod, or not to buy? To spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or not. I don't have to bend to buffet rules. I can eat the macaroni pasta, but decide against the cream pie. 

Breathe in deeply. Gooood, now breathe out. Repeat. I think pretty things make me breathe easier. Pretty things like flowers and happy things like days with friends. I breathe easier when I see the intricate details of nature. Because then I'm like "Gosh, God really knows His stuff." And then I'm all "Man, He really cares." I breathe, because he really does. He crafted that butterfly's wings  and predetermined its flight. He sculpted the flower's petals  and decided when it would bloom. And I think,  "He created me, too." And I breathe out because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

There are some things in life that deserve a special list. My sister and I write those things down, categorize them and do them. That's how we ended up at the Josh Groban concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater.   It was awesome, lemme tell ya. Seeing a Bucket List item turn into reality.   But it doesn't just happen. You've gotta write those special things down. You've gotta categorize them.  There's strategy and hard work involved. It's hard. It's challenging. It's easy to get distracted. You have to budget. You have to plan. You have to get outside of your comfort zone. But it's totally worth it. (Josh Groban is totally worth it :)  So, what's on your List? What are you willing to do to make it a reality?