Weekend Links: 2/10/12

For your web browsing pleasure this weekend:

• Remember to breath out - Ever get overwhelmed just reading about what everyone else is doing?  You suddenly feel like you SHOULD be exercising, cooking organic, painting a room, homeschooling and knitting winter caps for the whole family...before bedtime rolls around tonight!  I think you will enjoy Stephanie's post over at (in)courage.
• Puzzling - Michelle of Graceful is doing a series of posts titled '29 Days of Quiet' and I am really enjoying it.  (Hmmm...there is that theme again!)  I think I may pull out a jigsaw puzzle for the sitting room this weekend.  I love doing puzzles with my kids.
• Hair-story - Deidra at Jumping Tandem wrote about her life through the lens of her hair.  Her story took me back to an elementary school playground where another second grade girl named Patricia mentioned that she had spent the weekend at her auntie's house having her hair ironed.  I never had the nerve to ask her exactly how that happened, but I will always remember the mental picture that arose of her leaned over an ironing board while her aunt pressed her hair with an iron.  And then I remembered Kim, who sat behind me in Mrs. Avery's fifth grade Arkansas History class and always played with my long hair.  (Kim's younger brother grew up to become a household name in the Sports world...my closest experience with Celebrity!)  I never liked to have my hair touched because I was so tender headed, but Kim was so gentle that it was actually quite relaxing and I would fight falling asleep in class.  Man, it has been a long time since I've thought about Kim or Patricia...thanks Deidra for the flashbacks!

Oh, and by the way, I poured out a Santa puzzle in the sitting room last night and just like a charm, Bri joined me in there within three minutes of sorting the pieces.  Sweet!

This Is Going To Be A Challenging Week!

I don't know how you feel about it...but my God has quite the sense of humor!!

Just yesterday afternoon, I poured out my heart to all of you and let you know how excited I am about our upcoming Grandmas trip to NYC.  I told you all about my frantic pursuit of a 'Mix and Match' wardrobe that would make for lighter and easier travel.  I even told you about all the different things I have been looking forward to seeing and doing while we are there.

Frantic thinking...anxious expectations...giddy with the thought of it all!!!

And then, I go to Wednesday night Bible study, where for the first time in forever I did not complete my homework.  (A Huge Red Flag that my priorities may be off!)  As the video portion begins, I hear the challenge: Be Still!

If I want to hear from God, I have to Be Still...Sit...Wait.  What?  But, I have so much to do!  I need to pack and to plan and to...'be still'?  Wow!  As I listen to the video and take notes, I see it written by own hand.  "Am I missing out on being filled because I won't be still?"  Hmmm.

And because He loves to make me laugh out loud at myself...and he knows how quickly my mind goes back into "To-Do' mode.  He reminded me again this morning in the Scripture reading. 

"Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to Him, but pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone.  Be brave.  Be strong.  Don't give up.  Expect God to get here soon."
Psalm 31:23-24 The Message

He also knows how stubborn my heart can be.  So for good measure and reiteration, He threw in the voice of Chuck Swindoll as I drove in to work saying, "Be Still".  (I have searched and searched for the actual words he opened with because I really wanted to write them down...but I was driving down 290 and did not consider it a wise thing to do at the time!)

So, I think the challenge this week is going to be to still my thoughts as well as my heart and body in order to stay close to Him. 

It is not that preparations do not need to be made...but they are not to be my focus.  Listening to Him is!

Gettin' Giddy Wit It!

One week from tomorrow I will be 'Leaving On A Jet Plane' and headed northeast!  I find that I am already in an 'Empire State of Mind"!

That's right, it is Grandmas Gone Wild time again and we are heading back to the "Big Apple"! 

It is a place I never, ever thought I would visit.  Couldn't even imagine wanting to visit...and yet, this will be my fourth trip and "I Love New York"! 

I find myself wondering if it will be "Snowin' In Brooklyn" when we arrive.  And I can hardly wait to see the "Bright Lights" of "Broadway"!

Okay, I'll quit quoting song titles...but you get the picture!  I am excited!!!!  And I am ready to go!!!!!

I can't stop thinking about what I am going to pack...and that is no small decision!  I am TRYING to pack lightly this trip.  It hasn't happened on any of the previous Grandmas Gone Wild trips, but a girl can dream can't she? 

Actually, I just don't want to be burdened lugging all that stuff through the airport.  I read articles where people can pack for a long weekend in an overnight bag.  And I want to be one of those people!

So...I am attempting to make sure that everything that goes into my suitcase this time can (and will) be worn at least twice without looking like a repeat!  I usually return home from a trip with almost half of my clothes still clean and ready to go back in the closet.   

I have been working on getting my clothing into more of a 'Mix and Match' style since coming home from Boston last year.  I am trying to think more basics with just a few trendy things thrown in for interest.  And now that my closet has been purged and neatly sorted, I am finding it much easier to get dressed without wearing the same thing repeatedly.

I do confess that I have also started perusing Bri's Lucky magazine for fashion tips because I am stuck in a Mom-Rut, y'all!  I had fallen into the "I don't like my body type now so I will just cover it with anything big and loose fitting until I get time to exercise" trap.  Problem is, I am now going on year five of this trap...I still don't exercise...and I don't like the way I look in the clothes I have been wearing.  So, I started googling fashion tips for my body type and taking notes. 

Guess what?  Belts are my friend again!  And I now know why I like to wear certain jeans over others!  It may cost me a little bit of money to get this wardrobe updated...but I find that I am not wasting money on things that I decide later I don't like or that can only be worn with the same thing over and over.   And guess what is even better?  I am going to New York (where it is still winter) but I live in Houston (where winter never came) so most of my new items have been found on CLEARANCE!!!  Score!

Okay, I think I'll go listen to some Alicia Keys now!

"New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you,
Hear ït for New York!"

 Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsforsong.net/