Heeeeeeyyyyy

It's odd that I posted my final Things I Love: Letterboxing and then promptly fell off the face of the blog planet. 

I can't really explain why, other than feeling a mixture of a few things:
-a dry season personally as a late-30's single gal
-dealing with death (family members, dreams, plans, budget)
-the realization that only my mom and close friends seem to read my blog, so why am I writing it all out when I can just say it out loud?
-lots of 'unrelated' health issues with big question marks from doctors
-putting feet and action to some bucket list items {#38ventures}
-the fact that I wanted to focus on my fictional book writing and other writing projects instead
-putting all my energy into my M-street fixer upper

Well, what can I say? I didn't do ANY of those last few really.

I'm coming out of the dry season but I still feel like I'm perpetually grieving. Is that a personality disorder in me? Is that everyone? I long for a season of FAVOR, but I seem to keep getting a life of ALMOSTS. Maybe everyone identifies, but I feel alone at times in this near-miss of blessings and almost-but-not-quite-yet dream delay. And though I'm usually a joyful person, hope deferred has made my heart pretty darn sick. {Proverbs 13:12}

I'm not really focusing on my book writing as I'd hoped, and I wish it was because I was rockin' the crap out of DIY land. I'm not. I still have Frog tape on my baseboards from 6+ months ago. You think I exaggerate, but I cannot tell a lie.

I didn't complete ANY of my #38ventures (birthday bucket list for my 38th year) due to a partially dislocated shoulder. Oh, did I mention I finally have answers about why my joints routinely pop out of place while sleeping or putting on a dadgum jacket?? It's called Ehler's Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and I'll file that little pain nugget away into: another post, another time.

Welp, now you know what I DIDN'T do. Here's the upside on what-the-hey I actually DID do: 
-I did the Whole30 elimination diet to figure out what is making me feel so bad (done!)
-I joined a gym to stop pretending like I was going to run/walk outside in Texas (let's get real; no excuses now!)
-Started attending D-Group Bible study and joined the prayer group #theFives to battle my unbelief and lackluster faith in the goodness of God (on the mend! My faith/belief is stronger than ever.)
-I read...a lot! And now, I'm ready to stop reading only and start writing. Start doing. (We'll see how it pans out.)
-I gathered supplies and knowledge for my house stuff and stopped waiting for others to help me. It is all smokescreens & excuses to not get crap done. I mean, somebody's got to scrape those poopy-droopy half-stripped kitchen cabinets...and that somebody is ME.

I can't judge myself for the last few years (or decades if I'm being real.) But what I can do is move forward from here in HOPE. In decisiveness. In trust; that even though I'm doing this stuff alone, I don't have to feel lonely. I've got more to say on all of this but for now, this is my springboard to break the blog silence.
Consider it my confessional.

{T.I.L. #4}

If you have gone in sequential order, you should know by now that I bought a house cottage in an older part of town...the kind of area with big trees (which means lots of acorns) and walkable streets with little shops & bakeries. I mean, it's no 'You've Got Mail' scene, but it is what I'm after.

I know that my house was built around the 1960's (that was probably when it was last painted too. Jeez it's bad.) Because of this, I wanted this to be the opportunity to capture some of that character when decorating or adding to the house.

This leads me to what I've been researching for the last year and to the next thing on my love list:

{T.I.L. #2}

I'm just getting back from a visit to California this weekend, but that is not what this post is about. This post is less important but leads to important news. 

I know this seems silly but it is true. I grew up in Natchez, MS and Taco Casa was our saving grace in that tiny little mall. We looked forward to eating there every Saturday after shopping with our mom at McRae's (read in MS accent: Muh-Craaaaeeys) and charging it all on those new-fangled things called charge cards. Oh, the 80's.

I forgot all about Taco Casa until last year when I saw it in Denton and realized it was the same chain as when I was a kid. And it tasted the same! Those bean burrito memories sure are strong. 

But to be honest, I'm kind of getting sick of Taco Casa now. I've had so many mild bean burritos with no onions lately...they are really cheap and filling. And I need cheap and filling when I have just signed my life away to a 15 year mortgage. Did you hear that?

I bought a house, y'all.

Princess & the Pantry: For the Love of Salad

So, by now you should know that I love Ball jars. But remember? We agreed to call them Mason jars because of the whole 'scream-out-inappropriate-but-accidental-word-choices' thing. There's nothing a good Mason jar can't do. Except maybe to bring me a husband. {C'mon Mason jars, he's out there somewhere!}

You know what I haven't loved? Salad.