finding inspiration

I went to a Civil Wars concert with a couple of my friends Wednesday.  Actually, it was a pre-concert concert at a record store in Dallas.  They played 4 songs and signed stuff for people afterwards.  It was a cool venue and fun occasion.
To be honest I didn't listen to them much prior to hearing them live, but they were really good.  This isn't their best song, but it's the only one I got on video.


There is something about music.  When done well, hearing it's creation gets your brain spinning and in turn inspires more creativity.  Isn't it crazy that just two people and a guitar can create something so beautiful whenever they feel like it?  What a gift.

Today is Saturday.  Listen to something good.  Then make something good.  You can even do both at the same time  :)
Happy weekend!

Woodland Creatures

I don't know what it is about this house, but animals come to us from near and far. 

I had my Bible study group over last night for a cookout/pool party--gotta love summer!  [I've found that I'm not the best hostess.  I do things in advance to try and make things easier on myself, but then I always think of last minutes things and run around all crazy-like....there's gotta be a book for hostess-challenged people such as myself]. 

Anyway, we had all enjoyed a cookout and were swimming in the pool.  The sun had gone down and everyone was talking, listening to music, enjoying the occasion, when all of a sudden this BAT comes out of nowhere and starts circling us!  There were shrieks and screams and floaties being frantically swung in the air.  It was memorable :)

Also, lately we've been finding mouse (we hope) droppings.  This is disappointing seeing how our last experience with these creatures had a less than desirable outcome.  And I won't even get started on the sweet stray dog that hung around all day yesterday...

So we have a:
-bat
-mouse(?)
-dog

Why so many animals?  I'm finding out that I'm a much bigger pansy than I would have ever owned up to before... 

Adding a little color

Since I last wrote, the Dallas Mavericks became NBA Champions, my parents got back from Mali, I attempted to make sloppy joes for the first time (barbeque sauce was a mistake), made stuffed jalapenos for the first time, made plans to be in NY in October(?!), got a droid phone, played flag football for the first time...okay, what's going on? Flag football?! Anyway.  Alot has happened.  Life is going way too fast.  I can't believe it's already the END of June!

[Can't think of a good segway...]

Back when I was sick, my sweet mom came over and brought me soup, magazines, and gatorade. [I realize I'm 25 years of age and still need my mom when I'm sick; I'm okay with this.] In one of the magazines there was a 40% off coupon for any Martha Stewart product!
My mind started dreaming of glitter, decorative punches, pretty papers, and then back to glitter. I can't tell you the last time I used glitter for anything. I can't tell you what I'll use it for next. I can tell you that I needed it. And with a coupon, that makes indulging "needs" perfectly okay, right? So I did.

Believe you me, if and when I use this, you will know :)

Our social worker on my floor is retiring so I made these flower poms for her going away party.  Hey, I've got to have something to show for a JoAnne's run right? ;)

And here is sweet Conley.  I think he was a little fussy here, but you can get the jist of cuteness.  He is growing and changing so quickly!

Okay, since I don't know how I can make this post any more random, I will end it now.

Happy middle of the week!  Be blessed.

The perks of running

Ahhhh, another picture from my favorite time of day.

These are the neighbors flowers...I've always liked flowers, but I seem to be on overdrive. Actually, now I enjoy running because I know that I won't only run; I will get distracted and start picking flowers. Really. Take for example:

I've also made up a new sport:  Garage Sale Running.  It's basically what it sounds like.  Start out running and then run from garage sale to garage sale, put your items on hold, and come back with your car to pick it up!  I've only done this once, but I came away with a new lamp shade, some cool vintage envelopes, white cloth napkins, a dress, a floatie for the pool (that has a leak), and a National Geographic book about the United States.  It was a success.

It's funny that I'm writing about running again.  I really don't run all that often, but I guess I've had some eventful runs recently :)

I wish I had a picture of right now....sitting poolside with my roommates at night...listening to the creepy sicadas.  One is eating a popsicle and listening to music, the other is reading, and I'm updating my blog.  My day at work today wasn't awful (probably a 4 on a scale of 1-10) but it also wasn't the best...it's nice to come home and enjoy not thinking about work.  I feel so blessed.

Things I've nearly stepped on

These are the Things I've Nearly Stepped On, 2011 Edition:
[Please note that this was all while running around the neighborhood]

-dead squirrel on 2 separate occasions
-dead cat
and today [insert drumroll]...
-big, huge, dead snake.
I'm so thankful for the "dead" part of that equation....that thing was big, and I was very close to it...

What does this mean?  I hate to be that person that looks for meaning in everything, but seriously.  I've had alot of close encounters with alot of lifeless creatures.  What is up?

For a Monday

Went to a coffee shop after work.  Came home.  Went on a long walk with one of the roommates at my favorite time of day--when the sun has about two hours left.  Had good conversation...on complacency, contentment, and what houses we liked.  Picked some flowers along the way :)  Taco salad.  Decaf coffee.  Cookies.  Dallas Mavericks...even though they have played horribly.  All in all, good day.



Confessions of a Hasty Crafter

After a day of alternating between being passed out in bed and getting up close and personal with the porcelain throne, I was SO happy to wake up today feeling...calm.
First things first, I cleaned my toilet.
Then I finished a project that I started earlier this week.

Fact #1:  I take my camera almost everywhere with me.
Fact #2:  It takes a loving beating!

These two things led me on a search for a camera case.  I really liked this one the best....

But for $120?!  No gracias.

So then I thought, I have Elna! I'm gonna make me a camera case. I was good at first--I even made a rough pattern by tracing onto newspaper. Guys, this camera case was going to be the bomb and fit my camera like a glove.
Then I had several failed attempts. [Ensuing frustration.] Then I changed my game plan. Then [out of haste] I just made a little bag to fit around my camera.

It's okay. Because I was making it up as I went along the flap is too short, the edges are rough on the inside, and...I broke my own rule and hot glued the buttons on! I guess there are worse things. It is functional. It will keep my camera cozy :)

I may attempt the other case later, but for now this will do  :)

I haven't posted in a few days.  Nothing new, I guess.  It's not because I don't want to.  It's because sometimes life feels too heavy.

I love my job.  I feel so blessed to get some sort of fulfillment out of work--I realize that's not always the norm.  The hardest part about my job, I've found, is having to be strong when I'm feeling very weak.
[But...In my weakness, He is strong.]

Nurses Day meets nostalgia

Sooooo yesterday was Nurse's Day.  I didn't even realize it until our manager brought us free pizza and M&Ms for lunch!  It was a nice gesture  :)  After work my mom and I drove down to Belton to witness our friend and the other May 2011 nurses being pinned!  It was neat to see my old professors and a few of my classmates.  WOW.  Blast from the past. 

I wasn't expecting to be quite as nostalgic as I was (despite the fact that I'm a super nostalgic person in general).  When I graduated I was SO GLAD to be out of that place.  And I'm SO GLAD I am where I am right now.  But college was pretty fun (even if I did aquire a temporary heart arrhythmia and multiple undersirable gastric problems). :) 

Mostly I miss riding my bike everywhere, being excited about learning, and of course my old roommates (though I love my current roomies, too!)

 I met Krista on Xanga, before I even went to UMHB!  haha....how times have changed :D

 Alicia and I would often go on photo walks...and just have random fun in general.

 High school friends...true friends....need I say more? :)  Go Ruthless!

 This was when I was transferring from Ouachita to go to UMHB.  My friends threw me a surprise going away party.  So sweet.  That was a really hard move..

 Random fun in Salado!

 Our Capstone Stroke Seminar.  We felt professional :)

 Katie!  We bonded in the library and the rest is history.

 Working on our Capstone nursing project....blah.  But we were in the little white house...man, I loved that house.

Another random photo walk w/Alicia!

I just briefly looked through 4 1/2 years worth of photos.  I am itching to share every one of them, but I will hold back for now.  I feel really blessed in the way that God has ordered my steps.  There have definitely been a several hard, rough patches, but it's neat to see in hindsight how God has shaped and molded me (hopefully) into a better person, despite my resistance to them at the time.  Some things would have been much easier if I had handled them differently.  I've learned about who I was, who I am, and who I want to be....*siiiigh*  I'm sorry if this is sappy.  That's just me sometimes :)

Here's to the future :) 

Sounds like Home

I've heard this song alot and have often wondered who it was by...  Tonight I did my research and read waaaaay too many articles about Alex Ebert and Marfa, Texas.  Ladies and gentlemen, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes:

Maybe I should have already heard of them?  I think so.  Anyway, after the said slew of internet articles, I discovered that they just played in Austin tonight!  See here.  They make me want to put on a long dress, put a flower behind my ear, grab my ukulele and jump on board with them.

Who's in??

Barrell of FUN(nel)

One of the bummers of not updating often is the fact that then I don't know where to start! I will let pictures prompt my memory :)

So me and a couple friends from Tuesday night Bible study went to the Rangers game! I love going to baseball games, even though I don't really watch the game :)

Mostly I like watching other people and eating ballpark food, especially funnel cake. I was really excited when the girl at the concession stand dumped a mound of powdered sugar on top by accident. She started to take it off, and I told her that I didn't mind if she left it :)

So we walk back to our seats, and we're passing this funnel cake around...acting like bears with a honey comb, with thousands of voices droning around us and the breeze softly blowing. And all of a sudden a powerful gust of wind hit us, sending the snow-white powder into flight and finely dusting everyone around us within a 6 foot radius.

My initial reaction was embarrassment and horror, quickly followed by hilarity and laughter. Oh man--laughed so hard I cried. This guy took it like a champ

What you can't see is the powdered sugar on the side of his face, the front of his shirt, on the kids blue shirt in front of him, and the guys shirt/pants that was 3 people down from me.  Sometimes you can't make this stuff up!

Ahhh, baseball gets me in the mood for summer.  Speaking of, our pool is crystal blue now!  And today when I was outside I nearly walked smack dab into this dragonfly

Okay, post ending...now :)

And a happy day to you!

For better

Alot happened this past week! I would list it, but you would be bored. The highlight was that one of my nursing school friends got married! I was honored to take part in her special day. Here we are with our other nursing school friend

It was a fun weekend all around...of course, if a Mariachi band is in that equation, how could it turn out wrong?!

Liz filled me in on the importance of Mariachi music in the Hispanic culture. Apparently her great-great grandparants would have sung the same songs that this lil ensemble performed...the songs have been around forever and won't go anywhere anytime soon--they are passed down from generation to generation. How cool is that?

I wish white people had mariachis. I think I missed one of my callings in life....

Have fun in Vegas, Liz and Jason!

Let the games begin.

Took Elna into the shop for an oil change and a pedicure...and she's baaaaaack!

Ready for many miles together.  Anybody got any good sewing projects?  I am making another banner for a friend at work...but I'm ready for some other green pastures.  AND, Joanne's has a bunch of new fabric...hmmm....

Making up for lost time

Do you remember those kids in school that refused to read books, and would stand firm in their convictions even if meant that the Sparknotes/Cliffnotes/PinkMonkey notes were just as long as the book? *coughCheaperByTheDozencough* Were you that kid? I was that kid.

So I was at Goodwill the other day browsing the skirts (I've been in a skirty mood lately), but when I didn't find anything I ended up walking around the whole store. It's easy to get sucked into that place. WELL, books were 2 for $1.00! I came across "To Kill A Mockingbird," and "Of Mice and Men," and remembered them being on our reading lists way back when. I got them both.

"To Kill A Mockingbird," is mysterious, funny, heartwarming, and everything I look for in a good book. I'm saddened by the fact that I cheated myself for all of those years. Also sad that I'm so far behind in jumping on this reading boat! It's been the cheapest vacation I've ever had.


One of my favorite parts so far....Atticus to Jem and Scout:
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

Happy weekend :)

The sweet, the simple.

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Source
I ran across this quote a couple of days ago. It's sweet and I want to believe it, but is it true? Hurt and pain are awefully real. I wish I could have read it in context, but it was all alone on a page in my friend's calendar.

Anyone have thoughts on her meaning? It would make more sense to me if it said, "which are the ones that matter..." or "are the ones that keep us going..." I do believe that.

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the ones that keep us going after all."
Lauren A.
[I think I just stole her quote...I don't think I can do that...Hey, this is my blog. I say what I want.] ;)

As said by my coworker, "The fit hit the shan"

It's a little easier now to talk about the really bad day I had last week. For starters, I sent a patient to ICU within the first 45 minutes of my shift. Then I had a crazy 3 discharges and 3 admits after that. Relieved that the day was finally over at 3pm, I hit the road to meet up with a friend. But it didn't end there...I got in my first car wreck on the way. Thankfully (so thankful), no one was injured.

Cop: Do you think your car is driveable, or do we need to call a tow truck?
Me: Oh, I think it's probably driveable...

Next time I will actually look at my car before making that statement. About 10 miles down the road I realize my front tire is completely blown out and I can no longer steer my car. Lesson learned.

Depressed, sweaty, and in great need of some ibuprofen, I sat dejected on the side of the road for the second time of the day. I called my dad. Then, the kindest retired fireman came along and changed my tire. We talked about cars (it was a short conversation) and how he has 4 Mustangs that he races. We also talked about his grandchildren. I thanked him a million thanks, and as he was leaving he told me to go to church every now and then. I wish I could have fully expressed my gratitude. It was neat to see that even though he was 'done working' he wasn't done ministering.

It has been a rough week, but I have so many things to be thankful for.
-No one was hurt
-It's only metal
-That guy helped me change my tire right before I had a complete meltdown
-I got a pretty good deal on the rent car

And I can still say with confidence...
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. --Romans 8:28

Daily Dose

of sweetness:

Conley is my favorite snuggle bug :)

A day in the life

of a villager!

One thing I did not know going in to all of this is that in this culture men and women do not really communicate/interact throughout the day. The men go to the fields. The women get water from the river, wash dishes in the river, pound millet (a grain kind of like couscous and rice), cook, repeat.

So my mom and I stayed with the women and children all day. This little kid was glued to my mom. He really liked white people :)

Pounding millet is a big part of their day because they eat it for every meal! When it's prepared, they put it in a big bowl and then put a sauce of some sort (we had peanut sauce and leaf sauce mostly) in the middle. Everyone gathers around the bowl and goes in with their right hand, eating the imaginary pie slice in front of them. :) They roll it into a ball and pop it in their mouths! It is messy and rather fun. I kind of wish we ate like that all the time. Or at least sometimes. And, because there is no running water, you lick what you can and then rinse off with a little kettle of water that's on standby.

At the end of the day, the men come in from the fields for dinner, gathering around the main fire. The women bring the bowl of food to them and they eat. Women and men eat separately from each other. Once the meal has been served, they bring out the tea. There is a traditional two rounds of tea served from a shot glass. The tea is strong and sweet and so good in small sips :) I was told that it's polite to slurp the tea, but one time I gave a slurp that others gave me giggles for in return. haha! I was just being polite! :D

There is something to be said for campfires and their ability to 'feul' conversation, if you will. There were many good discussions there--everything from true stories from God's word, to testimonies of new believers, to words of encouragement in general. The only bad thing about the campfires was that the smoke would find you. Every time. A small price to pay, I guess :)

It was here that we heard Dinbah express his fervor to learn more of the Gospel, saying that he would believe because we kept coming to share. That sentiment was echoed in other villages to which we went. It was here that stories were shared from the creation of the world, to God's promise to Abraham, to the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus. It was here that we cracked and shelled peanut after peanut, where jokes were made and where children got sleepy and fell asleep on bamboo benches.

I love campfires.

Rest, and Cream of Surprise

Unlike other Americans, I am busy. [I kid, I kid!] I feel silly saying that I'm busy because I know that everyone is. But lately, I've felt drained and dry. Like I haven't spent time with the Lord. Like I'm always running. Like my inner hippie has been suppressed. Like I need sunlight, trees, fresh air, good music, and time to just...take life in. The stressed out me is a person I don't really like. I am short with people, get easily frustrated, and eat way too many sweets. Lovely! ;)


Therefore (like that transition?), I am SO excited for this weekend! I'm doing a few planned things, but not much. One thing planned is dog sitting for my friend who has netflix (which I don't know how to work) and an internet that requires a password (which I do not have). Her dogs are cuddly and one of them plays soccer (awesome?! I will get a video).


I will leave you with a patient quote:
When asking about how he was tolerating his diet...
"That....cream of surprise...was really good last night!"
It got my funny bone.

Addition

A new little guy, Conley Monroe Arnett, is in this world of ours!

After many, many, many hours of labor he was convinced (some say evicted) and decided to cooperate. Jennifer and Kendrick were such fighters--the perseverance!

I know it's life, but it's still such a mystery to me--looking at this little human...he was created! It's an amazing thing. When I was holding him for the first time he was a little blob in my arms, very still. Then he started moving around a little and he opened his eyes. I cannot even describe the overwhelming emotions. He is beautiful. God has really blessed us.

The math.

I haven't finished posting about Mali.
+
My sister-in-law's water broke today!
+
A new addition to our family!!!!
+
I have the next 2 days off

=

More posts to come!

We tried, tried again.

With our newfound determination, we once again set out for the village. We made it across the first river just fine, and when we got to Kedougou we stopped to get supplies.

Getting rice, spices, tea, and bottled water might sound like a simple task. Let me assure you that it was not. We went to the village market....and I don't really know what happened, but it took us 3 hours and we ended up with 172,000 (give or take a few) 2-liter water bottles in the back of our car.


We left Kedougou around 4pm to continue. The road was very rough, and often there wasn't even a road visible. Wouri is a very good driver. We drove on and on, through lots of little villages. It wasn't rare for a group of kids to run after us after we passed through, yelling, "Toubobs, toubobs!" [That means white people.]



We drove all day and it got very dark, when we finally reached "The River!" that we had heard so much about (dun dun dun). It did look deep. The headlights of the vehicle reached somewhere halfway across the waters. Dad volunteered to wade across to the other side to see how deep it was. It came up to his hips.

Wouri had gained experience in crossing rivers, I guess, and said, "We can do it." We were all a bit surprised that he was willing and confident, but we went along with it :) So, windows rolled down (in case we needed to bail), and money and cameras around our necks, we crossed. A wave of water came up over the hood of the car....Wouri stepped on the gas...and we made it across!!!! There were many, many cheers when we reached the other side!!!! At this point, I couldn't believe that any of this was happening or that I was even in Africa :)

We continued down the dark road for several more hours. Finally, our GPS was telling us that we had arrived, but we couldn't see the final turnoff. We honked the horn and waited, and then a man ran out of the lion grass to show us the way.

We were there! As we got out of the car we were greeted by a few families in the village who were still up. We sat by the fire, talked, and shelled peanuts. There was one girl (Sira) who kept popping peanuts in my ear and it made me jump just about every time. After a while we went to bed. My mom and I slept in a hut with one of the wives and her little sister, and my Dad/Brother/Wouri shared a tent with some other men. We were in our sleeping bags, laying by the fire, looking up at the thatched roof...we had made it...

If at first you don't succeed...

From Kedougou, we drove about 2 1/2 hours to get to a town on the border of Senegal and Mali. We passed through lots of small villages, and also our first river. The current looked fast, so Wouri drove the vehicle across first (without a hitch) and we walked behind. My dad lost both of his flip flops, but when we got to the other side one of the (many) onlookers had already retrieved them from the water! It was fun :)


When we got to the border town village, we stopped to say hello to some people my parents had met on a previous trip. These women were such sweet hostesses, and even gave us some muffins that were really good! Tasted like home. Then the men (Dad, Kendrick, and Wouri) left to go see what they could find out about the river. While they were gone, Mom drew pictures in the dirt with a stick and the little kids would guess what it was.

On past trips, "The River" (dun dun dun!) has proved to be an issue. Rainy season is from June(ish) through December, causing this river to be unpassable. I asked, "Uh, why don't they just build a bridge?!" [Simple fix, right?] To which my mom replied, "Because there's nothing on the other side!" Nothing, except where we are trying to go. When the men got back, they reported that everyone told them the river was too high and no cars can cross.

With this news we felt a bit disheartened. It was too late in the day to try crossing at another point in the river, which might also turn out to be too high. We decided to go back to Kedougou and think of a plan B.

On the way back to Kedougou, we had to cross that river again. This time, Wouri was more confident since we made it across the first time with no prob. So, we all stayed in the car and went. On the other side of the river, there was a woman bathing right where we needed to get out! We honked at her to encourage her movemement, but she didn't budge. Wouri, being the polite driver he is, didn't hit her, but tried to go around...then....we got stuck. Stuck on a big rock. Our tires were spinning and we weren't going anywhere. Then I noticed, "Hey, my feet are underwater!" So, we got out of the car (with the money and cameras) and walked to dry land.

Of course, by this point we had attracted alot of attention (thankfully!) and some of the villagers came to our rescue to help push the car free. Exciting!


These were the guys who helped us. One of them asked for my email address, to which I replied, "Do you have a computer?!" He said he did. I did not give him my email address.

We made the rest of the trip back to Kedougou uneventfully. There, we decided that even if we couldn't cross the river in the car, we would wade across with our backpacks. One way or another, we were going to get there!

More to come.