Through Rain or Shine

As of right now, it's really through the rain.  At least two weeks of massive rain (at least that's what it feels like) in Charleston and now rain in Lexington.  I'm hoping it rains itself out by the time winter comes around so that it doesn't snow like crazy.  I have a weird feeling though that it'll probably rain/snow for the whole winter.  I'm going to hibernate if that's the case.  So I'll need someone to make sure to mail me rations every week or so.

I had my first day of teacher training here.  A little overwhelming because the district here so different from home in many respects.  I'm too excited though.  I can't wait for the school to begin.  So far so good.

So, JB has said that I'm able to paint from room any color I feel.  I admit that I do like the color my room is now (a deep salmon pink) even though at night when it's darker, the walls close in a little.  I am thinking about a gray lavender.  I love the color purple but I don't want the pinkish undertones.  I made that mistake when I painted my room at home.  I didn't realize then (about 5 years ago now) that I chose a pinkish lavender.  It is just too pink.  But I think I'm going to do what they say on those home makeover shows.  After priming the walls, I will put on a few different trials of the paint and see which one looks the best in all the different lights.  So far I think the ones I want to try are called Ginger Lily, Sea Lavender, and Fortnight Lily.  Love love love Sea Lavender!  But watch it be the worst out of the three.  Sigh.

The last idea on my mind tonight is the meaning of names.  Ok, so this has been on my mind for a while.  Have you ever wondered if somehow you were named correctly even though your parents were really thinking about the meanings instead of the sounds of the names?  Well, my first name Christine means Christian or anointed.  And my middle name means warrior.  So together I would be an anointed/Christian warrior.  This makes me wonder since almost everyone I know that is named Christine also seems to be "anointed" somehow.  Maybe not in the classical sense of going to church but very spiritual in their own way.  I would like to think that I am an anointed warrior in some way...in teaching and in helping my friends.  I am not be the one at the front of the picket line in either case but I will fight to the end to make sure my friends are always well treated.  I do wish I could have handled the last roommate situation a little better.  I should have defended JB a lot more than I did to the evil-forest-up-her-behind roommate.  I just didn't want to make things worse for JB after I left but in the end it didn't matter.  Lesson learned though.  Maybe in a few years I'll write about how I have fully grown into my name.  Look up your name and see if you fit your name.  Plus, it's so much fun to look at what your name day is.  Yes, yes, I know that I am a geek.  :)

I'm having trouble posting pictures at this time so hopefully I can show you a few new ones I took lately.

My Usual Friday

Right now I am sitting at one of my auntie's houses.  It's the usual Friday round of watching my mom and her friends practice their folk dancing.  I know, I know.  It probably sounds very boring to a lot of people.  It used to be boring to me.  After all, I have watched them for years since I was at least six years old.  Now, call me crazy but I love it.  True, sometimes it does get to be a little much since I am the only one under the age of 50.  Overall, this reminds me every Friday that I have an awesome family and we have good friends.  I don't know how to describe the feeling that I get when I am sitting at the dinner table (sometimes banished to the coffee table because I'm still the youngest) or when I just listen to the conversation flow around me as I understand the gist of what they are saying or even when I watch these amazing women teach themselves dances from videos.  I guess all I can say is that I find that over the years I have found respect, peace, and love through all these practices.  Plus, I am beyond thankful that I do NOT have to be the one to do the dances.  I sometimes think they made the children (i.e. my cousins and I) dance just to torture us.  I can say that I am happier here being with my family than going to the bars feeling like a piece of meat at the market.

I babysat for the cutest and beautiful baby today.  JM, my cousin, let me watch her while she went to work.  I must say that I have fallen in love with her laugh and her growling.  How could you not when she growls at her Noah's Ark animals?  As we took a nap today on the couch, I admit that I am starting to long to start a family (in my mind, if only I have a baby that good).  I know I could definitely wait for a while.  I am still a little selfish and definitely not yet financially stable.  I will overcome one of those two this fall when I start my job (woooohoooo!!!).  A baby takes so much more than I can give by myself.  One day though I know I will have one when the time is right.  Until then though I have a gorgeous baby to cuddle, snuggle, and growl with.  :)  Thanks, JM!!!  :)

Funny thing, talking about my mom's dancing and JM makes me remember back when I was younger.  I think I did talk with JM about this and maybe ZB too.  I remember anticipating the weekend all the time because I knew I would see JM and ZB.  Our parents always had something going on Saturday and if we were lucky we would be able to spend the night at someone else's house.  Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing my school friends.  But the weekends were just something special.  It was like a whole other world where the kids run in and out between adults trying to get food and drinks.  We also played long and hard on the playgrounds making up different games or even playing tennis if we had a chance.  I definitely would not even think about leaving out the bowling alley.  This just goes to show you how different our world was then to what it is today.  Our parents would allow us to go to and from the bowling alley which was a couple of doors down from where they were.  I don't remember ever playing but we had to get fries there.  Loved it!

Now thinking about this makes me a little sad too.  I always wanted my children to grow up with JM and ZB's children.  When we were younger, it never occurred to me that we wouldn't live close together or that we wouldn't have children at the same time.  I am hoping that I will be able to create a similar environment with my children no matter what the circumstances were.  Does anyone have similar childhood memories?  I always wondered if we were just really lucky or if everyone has something similar.

Now on to the last thing.  I have been such a slacker with my sewing lately.  I know I shouldn't be mad at myself.  It's difficult though because there's so many things I want to try but I just don't have the energy.  We'll see though because I'm housesitting for my cousin, Ina, this week starting tonight.  I'm going to bring my sewing and see if I can someone get some inspiration in a new, more spacious place.  Hopefully, I'll have some pics of things I have finished the next time I post.  Until then, have a great weekend.  :)

The Whirlwind Weekend

OMG!!!  Haha!!  I have wanted to use that expression.  There's just something about it that made me feel very teeny bopperish.  Anyway!  What a whirlwind weekend with such an awesome ending that I cannot express it!  I'm sure everything can tell though with all the random exclamation points.  So I ended up getting a call on Tuesday night for an interview in KY for Friday afternoon.  Definitely squeal worthy.  I drove up on Thursday and had an awesome time with JB.  Talk about nervous though.  I couldn't really sleep that night.  The next day I felt all stuffed up yet sniffly.  So I was sort of stupid and took a Benedryl right before my interview.  Yes, I know that it was a kind of silly move.  I just wanted to be presentable and at least then I wouldn't have to worry about that during the interview.  The interview itself was good.  Then double squeal worthy!  I received an offer to teach first grade.  Ok, it's more like quadruple squeal worthy!  I want to say thank you to JB for giving my resume and being the best roommate.  So I am more than excited and ready to start already.  :)  An old picture from Keeneland in KY.  Oh, how I will be there soon.

Tonight I ended up watching Jon & Kate Plus 8.  I have never really watched it.  Well, bits and pieces and if I can't get out of it when I am visiting someone.  Yes, I think all the kids are cute and yes, I also think that it is pretty neat about what they are doing.  I just don't see the fascination with them really.  To each their own though.  It does make me sad though to hear all these things in the media.  My take on it is that every marriage goes through tough times and theirs may be tougher because the media and their show are in their faces.  Yes, I do know that celebrities go through that.  I don't think it's right when the media does it then too.  I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes people grow and change without realizing it and they just need time to sort through it all.  Who knows what the outcome will be but hopefully they will work it out.