Author: Trish

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

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Lindsay (from Wild Ginger Blog) nominated me for this award (thanks Lindsay!), and there is nothing I like more than talking about myself, so here goes.

Here are the Rules:

  • Thank the Blogger that nominated you and link back to their site.
  • Put the award Logo on your blog
  • Answer 10 questions the blogger has sent to you.
  • Create 10 new questions for nominees to answer.
  • Nominate 10 bloggers and notify them.

Questions:

  1. What is your favorite fall clothing staple item?
    A scarf!  Instant comfort, fashionable accessory!  Those two things so rarely align, so I take advantage when possible!
  2. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were a kid?
    My earliest career choice was a veterinarian, but that’s just because I pictured myself petting animals all day.  When I realized that most of those animals would be sick and/or dying, I quickly decided to become a pet-owner and leave the medical work for someone else.
  3. Ice cream flavor of choice.
    Mint chocolate chip, always and forever.
  4. What was one of your favorite things you did this summer?
    I went to Disney World and waltzed with the Beast!  Never has life felt so magical.
  5. If you had to live in another state, which one would it be?
    Oregon.  Well…I say that because it’s the most beautiful state (in my opinion).  But I don’t actually know anyone there, so I don’t think I would want to move there.  I guess I would actually say Texas, because I have so many dear friends and church family there.
  6. If you had to extend a television series one more season, which would it be?
    OOO!!  This is a great question!  The easy answer is Firefly, but that feels too much like saying what fandom has told me I ought to say.  I’ll go with Veronica Mars.
  7. What was your favorite subject in school?
    History!
  8. If Hollywood were to make a movie about your life and you got to pick the actress, who would you pick?
    Jennifer Lawrence – she’s beautiful and weird, which is the vibe I try to give off at all times.
  9. Imagine…you become an overnight music sensation, what is the name of your hit single?
    “This Isn’t Possible,” an overnight sensation adored by people who are overwhelmed by surprised success brought about by hypothetical online survey questions.
  10. What are your plans for the weekend?
    Today is Monday, so…nothing yet!  I’m still readjusting to life in Peoria, and I haven’t figured out what to do with my time.

Nominees:

My Tiny Obsessions
S Jae Jones
Life and Other Disasters
A Lady of Many Names
Rainy Thursdays
Merlin’s Musings
Hello, Tailor
Sashayed
Agony and Agony
Travelettes

New Questions:

We’re going into your childhoods!

  1. What was your favorite movie as a kid?
  2. What was your favorite dinosaur?
  3. Who was your first celebrity crush?
  4. Did you live for school or live for the weekend?
  5. Which Disney princess (or prince) did you most want to be?
  6. When was the first time you realized that life isn’t fair?
  7. What was your favorite animal, and is it still the same?
  8. What was your go-to favorite snack/meal?
  9. Did you get along with your siblings (and if you didn’t have any, did you want them)?
  10. If you could go back to being a kid again, would you?

Netflix Rec: What I Watched in October

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Jane the Virgin
CW
2014 – current
1 Season on Netflix (22 episodes)

Jane is a 23-year-old virgin, determined to save sex for marriage.  When her gynecologist accidentally inseminates her with the sperm of an attractive hotel owner that she works for (and that she kissed five years ago) who cannot have any other children because of cancer, how will she break the news to her fiancee?  And that’s just, like, the first ten minutes of the first episode.

I am forever indebted to my new Memphis friend Jenna for introducing me to Jane the Virgin.  It is over-the-top dramatic in the best way possible.  Based on a telenovela, everyone’s relationships are convoluted and the plot twists are ridiculous.  But the narrator’s voice breaks the tension with snide remarks that allow you to feel above the drama even though you’re totally digging the hilarious twists and turns.

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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Netflix
2015
1 Season on Netflix (13 episodes)

Kimmy Schmidt is one of four Indiana Mole Women who were kidnapped by a cult preacher and grew up in an underground bunker to wait out the apocalypse until they were rescued and realized their whole life was a lie.  Kimmy vows to start over in New York City, making absurd friends and empowering people to live fabulous and free lives.

The theme song is one of the best in existence (“Unbreakable! They alive, damnit! Females are strong as hell.”) and the show boasts some of the quickest jokes in existence.  Titus Andromedon is a true comedic talent who will make you cry with laughter (“But I’ve already done something today!”)  This is definitely for fans of absurdist comedies like 30 Rock, and everyone else will think it’s super weird.  Which it is, but that’s what makes it awesome.

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The Great British Bake Off
BBC Two
2010-current
1 Season on Netflix (10 episodes)

Ten contestants compete in a series of baking competitions to discover who is Britain’s best amateur baker.  I’m not usually much of a cooking show fan, but I loved this show!  After some self-reflection, I came up with three reasons.  One, it’s British, and everyone has British accents: automatic plus.  Two, the people in the show are normal-looking people.  Even the hostesses where schlumpy jeans, and the contestants look like average people from real towns.  It’s so refreshing!  Three, for a reality show, it is decidedly straightforward.  There isn’t annoying recaps of what you’ve been watching before and after commercial breaks, and they announce the winner and loser without reliving the previous 45 minutes and with very little fanfare.  I would watch so much more reality TV if this were always the case!

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Human Planet
BBC
2011
1 Season on Netflix (8 episodes)

Made by the people who created Planet Earth, this show focuses on the various people groups who live on our beautiful planet.  Like it’s nature-based predecessor, each episode focuses on a different climate (desert, arctic, mountain, etc) and the people who live there.  It’s a fascinating look at the ways people adapt to their surroundings and create really stunning things despite limited technology (the 30-foot tall treehouses in the Jungles episode is especially impressive).

That’s what I watched on Netflix in October!  What about you?  Leave a comment and give me some recommendations!

#32DaysInMyCar SUMMARIZED

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I am home!!  This is both a wonderful and horrible thing, like most of life.  While I am so excited to be back amongst family and friends, I am sad to say goodbye to many MORE family and friends elsewhere in the United States.

That has been the biggest takeaway of my road trip:  I have family and friends everywhere.  I had so much fun visiting people, seeing their cities with them and living their lives for a night.  I was overwhelmed with how generous people were, changing their schedules to fit mine, offering couches and beds to sleep on, and giving me food to eat.  It really made me feel grateful for all the wonderful people in my life.   Continue reading →

Oh Hey, Friday! #7 HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ROAD TRIP

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It’s another round of the Oh Hey, Friday! link-up from September Farm and 5 on Friday from A. Liz Adventures!  

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HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ROAD TRIP

1|  Make plans, but stay flexible

Before I left on my trip, I made calendars, lists, and overly detailed schedules for daily travel that included what time I needed to leave one place in order to get to the next place down to the exact minute.  I didn’t end up using those insanely comprehensive plans after the first day, but it made me feel better to know that I had a general plan for how things could go down.

I needed to know who I was staying with and for how long, but twice I changed plans for the better.  Once was to stay with my second cousins in Spartanburg, and the other was to stay another day in Dallas and recharge.  Because I am ever-so-slightly anal-retentive, it was hard for me to accept that plans are changeable.  But being flexible made my trip so much more enjoyable, so make changes when necessary.   Continue reading →

Ransom by David Malouf

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This short novel tells the story of Achilles and Priam, zooming in on their evening together with short descriptions of the events leading up to their truce (Hector’s death) and following (Achilles’s and Priam’s deaths).  It’s a beautiful story that captures the uniqueness of the moment:  a king walks into danger to beg from his son’s murderer.  A hero weeps and embraces the enemy king.  I loved these characters before, and I love them even more after reading Ransom.   Continue reading →

Selfies with Penguins

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I am NOT okay with my road trip being (essentially) over, but if it has to end, I’m glad it ended with today.

I left Erin and Tim’s apartment to meet Kaitlyn for brunch.  She was friends with Michal in Austin, and when she moved to Dallas, Michal told us to be friends.  She’s back in St. Louis (where her family is) after going through some truly hellish months.  It was nice to hang out, catch up in person, and support each other.  I’ve always liked Kaitlyn because of her Strong Independent Woman attitude, but I found yet another commonality between us today.  Neither of us are very interested in mastering anything; instead, our passion is in learning enough to be competent and then moving on to something else.  She’s always such an encouragement to me, and I hope in some small way I was the same for her.   Continue reading →

Awkward Conversations with Old Roommate(s)

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Chrisette woke me up this morning at 7:00 so I could enjoy a three-course breakfast with everyone before they left for school/work.  It was absolutely delicious, and it felt really normal and not all that sad to hug Anju and Ketan goodbye.  Maybe because I knew I would get to see them in just five months, when we all get to hang out in Athens!

As I was making trips to pack up my car, I accidentally locked myself out of the house.  I had to call Chrisette, who had left for work five minutes earlier, and she graciously returned, saying, “I always knew you were one of my children,” as I neurotically said, “thank you thank you thank you.”  We’re family now, I think.

And then I drove for ten hours!  My cold has gotten much better, and although ten hours was a little TOO long, I did enjoy hitting the road again.   Continue reading →

Two of My Favorite Dallas Families

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I’ve got to jump back to Sunday night in order to catch up.  Sheesh.  I’m having a hard time blogging every day lately.  I think part of that is because it’s felt more like real life instead of a vacation, and I haven’t blogged about real life in real time for a couple years.  But I’ve also been sick, so I’m going to ride both of those excuses for as long as possible!

On Sunday night,  I went over to Mike and Libby’s at 5:00 to hang out with Libby and her two sons Jonah and Graham before our connection group.  It was great to hang out with Libby while vaguely driving a toy car over a carpeted road map and calling it “playing.”  At 7:00 our connection group gathered, and it was SO GREAT to see everyone again.  This group is one of the things I miss most about Dallas, and I want every small group I ever participate in to be just like them.  I love that we are a group of old and young, male and female, conservative and liberal, married and single.  Our commonality is pretty much only in loving God and loving each other, and because it is always so encouraging to spend time with them.   Continue reading →

What Are You Reading Wednesday #WAYRW (7)

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What Are You Reading Wednesdays #WAYRW is a weekly feature started on It’s A Reading Thing. Everyone is welcome to participate. You can answer the questions in the comments section of the weekly #WAYRW post or link back to your #WAYRW post on your blog via the link up. You can grab the image above or create your own, just please make sure you link back to IART as the host for this meme.

How to participate:
Grab the book you are currently reading and answer three questions:
1. What’s the name of your current read?
2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a couple of sentences.
3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

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1. What’s the name of your current read?

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a couple of sentences.

I turned the blade.  I was surprised that it hadn’t already disintegrated in my hand.

“I dunno, Randolph.  This thing looks way past renewing.  I’m not even sure it can be recycled.”

If I sound unimpressed or ungrateful, don’t get me wrong.  The way I’d pulled the sword out of the river was so cool it freaked me out.  I’d always wanted a superpower.  I just hadn’t expected mine to entail retrieving garbage from river bottoms.  The community service volunteers were going to love me.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Of course!  Rick Riordan always does an amazing job of combining epic myths with humorous modern life, which is exactly the sort of vibe I strive to accomplish in my daily living.

Sick Day

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I’ve been coming down with a cold, and I finally reached the stage where every part of my face is either is pain or is doing something disgusting.  I was supposed to drive to St. Louis today (10 hours), but Chrisette suggested I stay another day with them and take advantage of a free day of rest and sleep.  So that is what I’m doing!

I’m really glad I wound up canceling flights and just driving to Dallas, giving me the flexibility to do this.  One more reason road trips are awesome!

I haven’t written about the last couple days in Dallas.  I will do that hopefully later today.  But who knows: my priority is napping.