Life's worth living...living hand in hand

Day 09 – A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

She's the one I call when I'm making a decision, who I cry to when I'm sick (and not just because she can give me medical advice), she's the one I'm most cranky and unfiltered with, she's the one I sing my most goofy songs with... I don't know what I'd do without you, Mom!

I love this photo because mom and I aren't the focus, but we're holdin' hands so tenderly. :)

These photos are from her surprise birthday party--such a fun time to celebrate her!

I love you, Mom! Thank you for getting me through so much!

you're a crack-up

Day 08 – A picture that makes you laugh.

This picture is from our recent Valentine's Fundraising Dinner. There's never a dull moment when living with 6 other girls (note that it is "relatively" drama-free... ;) ) This photo totally makes me laugh because no one else is amused except roommate in the middle back who is ridiculously amused at something...but none of the rest of us know what that something is. Yes, we have a good time together.

It's you, Sugar

Day 07 – A picture of your most treasured item

This one's difficult. My french press? My ukulele? I have some cool things that I very much like. But to take the cake, it would have to be Sugar.

Other than an automobile, it's what I have spent the most money on, it stores my most important documents, my most treasured pictures, it becomes a connecting point with people and a vehicle to the creative. I love the ease of working on a mac, especially with the multi-dimensional work with students (sometimes I have to be a graphic designer, a movie producer, etc etc), the size and weight, the shiny silver coat. Yes, I love my Sugar. ;)

Come on! You know the words!

Day 06 – A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day

 I would love to be a rock star...or a lounge singer...or an amazing singer/song writer. The glamorous life, pretty dresses and nice haircuts...not to mention getting to sing every single night for people who love to hear you sing! That would be the life...sigh.

The Smell of Adventure

Day 05 – A picture of your favorite memory

Hot, dry summer, strange foods sizzling on street market barbecues, independence. Trepidation mixed with moments of immortality, taking on and changing the world. This picture symbolizes youth and adventure, a little girl's smile that grabs at your heart in a way that it changes you permanently. This summer overseas in 2004 changed me. Grew me up. Awakened dreams. Enlarged my vision. Forever.

Livin' the Dream

Day 04 – A picture of your night

Tonight is filled with bustle and activity. Students and I are prepping for our big Valentine's Fundraising Dinner, AND we hosted an activity on campus...

Here's our prep table for decorations, lots of hands making it happen:

Here's our cutting hearts table while most of the students played the "bigger or better" swap game on campus:

Man down! ...but he kept on cutting:

Concentrating hard on our "four on a couch" game:

And finally, some of our props for the photo booth tomorrow night. (Yes, I'm still stuck on mustaches.):

Now I gotta get back to work!

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam."

Hands down, my favorite TV show. It's the only one I track and watch faithfully, the one I'm bummed when they skip a week or take extra long to come back from Christmas. Even when it's not LOL funny, I get excited to hear Kevin talk about "doing da numbers" or see Jim make that sideways smirk at the camera, or hear what ridiculous thing Michael Scott will come up with next. What will we do next season without Steve Carell as part of this crew?!

Many, many thanks to those who helped get me hooked!

Ode to Big Brothers

 Day 02 – A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

 My brother is like none other. Such a character, so "tell it like it is" to his sister, but so tender-hearted and genuinely kind. I have been tormented and doted on in the same afternoon. I have laughed till I thought my guts would fall out (in childhood and adulthood), fought the hardest (in childhood and adulthood, I hate to admit), with Sam. I look up to him with so much admiration and respect.

Sam was always the ringleader, whether directing the "lion tamer" game, "spaceships", playing pranks like putting a snake into my kiddie pool, or telling the funniest jokes. (Dare I talk about "The Burgler?"...ask him about it. ;) )

Already showing love, already making me laugh

Last summer, not much has changed :)

I am grateful to have Sam as the one who knows it all, sees it from the same perspective, and who I can call an amazing friend still. What a good man.

Picture Challenge

I've been wanting to blog more. To take a breather and get my current stirrings out on pap--...er, screen. So when I saw that my friend Jessi had started a 31-day picture challenge, I wanted in. What a good way to get into the rhythm of blogging more often. So here goes: Day 1!

Day 01 – A picture of yourself with ten facts.

1. I LOVE sunshine! (And was made for sunny days!)
2. I love to sing!
3. I love trying new things...cooking new things, trying new foods, seeing new places.
4. I am motivated at the beginning of a project and struggle to finish things well.
5. I love sleeping! (I have to literally drag myself out of bed in the morning, grr.)
6. Folksy acoustic is my favorite kind of music; deep lyrics wrapped around sleepy melodies...yes, please!
7. Grey is my (new-ish) favorite color. I have to intentionally choose to wear different colors at least one day a week or I would dress myself entirely in grey.
8. I am optimistic and hopeful most of the time and feel completely off if I'm having a down day.
9. I value authenticity and openness.
10. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a "Candy Store Maker" when I grew up.

The Art of Having Difficult Conversations

Two weeks ago was the week of difficult conversations. Ugh. It was exhausting, frankly. And awkward. And  pain-inflicting. Then the difficult conversations didn't stop, but seeped right on into the next week. I don't expect they'll stop any time soon. Leadership is demanding, requiring steel guts and thick skin with tenderness and humility; also, the skill of being direct, even when it's so difficult to plow into the hard conversation.

I hate hurting people yet I am reminded of the Proverb that says, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." It's an issue of love and depth of relationship, saying the hard thing. I'm not even talking about "tough love" here, but true love. Loving well.

I do not enjoy difficult conversations. But I have learned along the way that steering away from them often leads to an uglier mess than leaning in, so I am trying to handle it with as much grace as I can gather up. Communicating well is an art; one that I humbly submit myself to. Here's to mastering the art of difficult conversations...even when it sucks.