Gurl...Git down wicha bad self!

Our dear Hilary is FAMOUS!! Well, maybe not, but she sure did what she does best, and she did it on the news. What's that you say? That would be the electric slide. Please enjoy the following video. Hilary's debut shows up around 01:17. She's about the only white girl with the brown hair and purple dress toward the bottom right of the screen. Woohoo!!!!

Do Over??

So, this morning was one of those mornings. It started out with my alarm clock going off at 6:00am, and me hitting snooze until 7:30am. I put a pot of coffee on and rushed to get myself ready. I managed to find clean clothes, brush my hair and teeth and even put on a little makeup. I was on track, until it was time to make my coffee and head off to work. I pour the coffee, half of which I pour onto the counter. Awesome. I wipe it up quickly, b/c I have to be to work in 10 minutes, and it takes about about 20 minutes to get to work. I open the fridge and pull out the last of my milk. It's not quite enough, so I pull out the new carton of milk, only to discover that the carton was punctured somehow on the bottom, and there is now milk all over my refrigerator, floor, counter, etc. I decide to pour the milk into the empty carton, so I don't have to dump all of it out. I wipe the milk up, and as I go to rinse the sponge off, I catch my coat sleeve on the faucet and water pours into my coat. And cool. So now, it's approximately 8:30 (I'm supposed to be at work now), I have half the coffee I wanted to drink, half the milk I had originally purchased, a wet left coat sleeve/shirt sleeve/cold arm b/c it's only 11 degrees outside.

All that to say, sometimes I wish you could shout out, "DO OVER!" and the day would begin again. Wouldn't that be nice?

New Years Resolutions

We all make them, whether we write them down on paper, or just make a subconscious list. So, I'd love to hear your New Year's Resolutions? What are your dreams for 2009?

I'll start...I have many, but one is this...I want to dream again. 2008 was FULL...full of appointments, parties, get-togethers, classes, practices. It was FULL of stress, hardship, questions. It was FULL of life, joy, laughter. It was FULL. And in the midst of it all, I forgot to dream. I want to dream again, about what is in store for me in this life. I want to be excited about the things the Lord is doing and will do. I want to look down the road and see purpose again. It's not that I lost hope or lost the ability to dream. I just didn't make the time to actually do it! So, this year, I'm slowing things down, and I'm going to dream again.

What about you?

Transcending: Words on Women and Strength by Kelly Corrigan

This is a beautiful video tribute that any woman who has ever had true girlfriends will appreciate. Get some tissues.

Saying Thanks

Hey everyone - This is an incredible chance to say thanks so please take this opportunity to do so!

To all our readers...

I know it's been about 32348459034890454354 years since any of us have posted. I know for me, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind...from our Girl Gone Real reunion, to work, to parties, to holidays...life is in full motion. But have no fear...we'll be posting more soon. For now, I'll leave you with a few pics from our reunion. Our time in Evansville was so good. Catching up with each other was truly a blast!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLE!!!

Happy Birthday, to our Darling Danielle! We love you much!!! From your gurrrrrls at Girl Gone Real!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Here's to lots of candy, except for candy corn!!!

The People in this Crowd Love The Fall. Plus! Girl Gone Real Vlog Style! Yes, I Am Copying Hilary.

We girls here at GGR are a fall-lovin' group of ladies. Over the years most of our reunions have been in the fall. Most of our fall-reunion photo shoots involve red and orange and yellow and brown leaves on the ground. We are usually clad in sweaters. I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that we all REALLY love sweaters. Tiffany even managed to get married in the fall so that our reunion that year could be both autumnal AND nuptial.

We all have favorite fall memories together from our time in college and after (hint hint, comment time, people). Our senior year we all descended upon Tiffany's family in northern Indiana for a fall retreat, and we set the bar high for the rest of our reunions to come. We had a weekend of laughter, late breakfasts, lots of pictures, and coffee made complete with a haunted hay ride, a backyard bonfire, and Momma Rachel's Famous Chicken Cheese Soup. MMM. I could die from a chicken-cheese-soup-induced death with a smile on my face.

Nat and I have started our own fall traditions, too. Since Miles is an October baby, fall is an extra special time for us, and we look forward to watching the massive tree in our front yard turn bright canary yellow (see photo above). Nat and I have perfected our Special Adult Apple Cider Deliciousness and most weekends in the fall you'll find it simmering slowly on the stovetop, making our whole house smell like cinnamon and cloves.

But I digress. I promised in the title that this would be a Vlog. So here we go. A two-year-old's attempt at leaf-jumping, plus Daddy, plus the baby, plus my really super high-pitched supportive Mommy voice:

The Next Big Thing

I just had a great conversation on the phone with a couple of girlfriends from college tonight. One of the girls had suggested a book to me last week called Cold Tangerines in response to a comment I had made about wanting to know God all over again. Long story short, I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian college and have spent my whole life, essentially, in the church. I've just come to a place of feeling like I'm only walking through motions. I don't have an overwhelming passion to know God and who He is as much as I have in the past. It just feels stale at the moment. So anyways, I looked up the author and was able to read an excerpt from the book, which I fully intend to purchase this week, and it was incredible. The author talked about the "next big thing" we always seem to be holding out for. I completely relate to this! It was a definite "a ha" moment for me. How often do you hear this sort of phrase coming out of your mouth, "When I do ____ ____ ____ then I'll feel like I've arrived/made it/found my purpose/etc,"? This is me! In my mind I've thought, "If I can just get a little skinnier, than all will be well" or "If I can just get promoted, then I'll feel like I've really made it," or "When I get married, that's when my life will really begin." The thing is, even when those things happen, I'll probably still want more. But...what about now? What about the moment we're in right this very minute? I've begun to realize that I spend my days with my head down, just barreling through life without even stopping to see the purpose in the little everyday things. I downplay moments where I engage in great conversation with other people, or have an opportunity to help someone in need, or to watch the sunset or laugh hysterically over fond memories. Life has become stale, because I'm too focused on wanting a big "God Moment" where the heavens part and I hear the audible voice of the Lord saying something incredibly profound to me. All the while, I'm missing His still small voice in my daily journey. So this this is what I'm learning: take a moment to really appreciate all that's around you today. Don't let those seemingly small moments slip past you. Over time those small things build to become something really significant.

A Birthday Greeting for Anna

To Anna,


Happy Birthday from your besties at Girl Gone Real. We love you much!!!


So, now, it's your turn. Feel free to leave a special birthday greeting for our darling Anna!!!

Job Interview

What is my greatest strength? Why, thank you for asking. I love that question. No, it's not a stupid question at all. I would love to tell you all about my number one talent.

I am a model procrastinator. You will be hard-pressed to find a procrastinator as talented as me. I come from a long line of quality procrastinator stock--my father and brother are especially skilled. For example, my first year of graduate school I finished finals before my brother finished finals at his university. I drove to Seattle to spend a few days with him and when I arrived, he informed me that he still had one more term paper to finish that day and turn in by 5:00 pm. It was about noon. We had lunch and then we went to the library on his campus so that he could print his paper and run to turn it in. When I say run, I mean, quite literally, that he printed his paper at 4:56 and sprinted across campus to turn in his paper at precisely 5:00.

You would like another example, you say? Well, I have one. My dad got his MBA when I was in college, and we used to call each other on Sundays when we had things due or exams on Mondays:

Me: "What are you doing?"
Father: "Oh, cleaning the garage. And then I think I might plant some grass seed in the back yard. You know, over seed the grass. Make it thicker."
Me: "I thought you never, ever did yard work. That is why you conceived a son."
Father: "Yeah, well. It's either that or study for my final."

Oh, you wanted another example that pertained to me? Well. I think I might just have a pretty fabulous one.

My senior year of college I had a pretty giant term paper due one glorious morning and I had managed to leave it until the night before to finish. Okay, I admit, start and finish. So I was working at the computer lab on campus (bottom of Decker, for all you Ravens), and I decided to go home around midnight to get some food. I went home. I ate. I sat down at my home computer and realized that the disk on which my essay was saved was still in the computer I had been working on in the lab. Now, for those of you who didn't attend my alma mater, you should know that the labs get locked after midnight. I was well aware of this since I had spent M-A-N-Y nights working on papers late in the lab. I jumped in my car, crying at this point, and tore off up the street to campus. Then I got to a red light. And I am not kidding you, the light was mocking me. It stayed red. There were ZERO CARS anywhere to be seen. Not coming, not going, not crossing, not behind me. None. There the light was, hanging from its wire, bouncing with laughter (or the wind, but I prefer to think it was laughing at me, to help explain my next move). I decided that I would peek around, and, upon deciding there were no police cars anywhere, I drove cautiously through the intersection. Oh, guess what happened next?

Cop: "I'm pretty sure you know why I pulled you over. You were at a complete stop and then ran a red light."
Me: "My paper! In Decker! The lab. Locked! Due in the morning! It was so stupid! I know! The light! Laughing! My paper!" [insert crying]
Cop: "Have you been drinking?"
Me: [flustered] "NO! My paper! Due in the morning! Stupid light!"

Lucky for me I got off with a warning. Oh and I'm pretty sure he followed me to campus. I did manage to get my disk, too, an hour later after I called campus security, crying, and begged them to come rescue me. Oh and I finished my paper 15 minutes before I left for campus the following morning.

The best part? I got an A on that paper. That's right! You heard me.

Why, then, should you hire me? After all, procrastination isn't exactly what you're looking for in a potential job candidate. Well, I can see that. I can understand that you might feel a little tense when the Deadline for the Project is Approaching and I am still in Stage One of Completion or whathaveyou. But think! Think of the excitement I will bring to the office as my coworkers rally around me while I sweat it out and turn in all projects just seconds before they are due! Think of the challenges I will overcome on a daily basis to finish goals at the last possible moment!

I can see, now, that you don't quite agree with me on the value in having me as an employee. You think procrastination would be more appropriate to discuss as a weakness, instead of a strength. Well, you say tomato, I say ketchup, I suppose. Thank you for your time, I guess. I hope I'll be hearing from you, soon.

Oh, and one more thing. This interview? The one we've been having? A fabulous display of my procrastinatory abilities. What was I supposed to be doing? Oh, working on my Master's thesis, which I was supposed to have finished about two years ago.

I can see it in your eyes. You are impressed. I can start on Monday.

Angry construction workers and the slow sip of coffee

It is two days before my 28th birthday. I moved to my new city of Chicago when I was 27, and I can’t help but reflect on where this journey has taken me.

Right now I’m sipping coffee. I like to sip coffee in the mornings. Since I don’t live with my parents anymore, coffee now seems to have taken the role of a parental figure, reminding me that yes, I still need guidance even in my late 20s. It calmly wakes me with its warmth, but also reminds me of the reality of the day as the caffeine sets in. Where would I be without coffee in the mornings? There are construction workers arguing outside my window. Who am I kidding….there are ALWAYS construction workers arguing outside my window.

It has been seven months and three days since moving here. In a way, time has flown by. But I have noticed how there are days that creep by slowly, making sure that I take in the heat on my skin, the sound of the emergency vehicle trying to make its way through congested traffic, or the taste of the thai curry on my plate. Those slow days are a gentle reminder of the difficult choice I made to leave the state that I was in love with all in order to simply see what else was beyond. BEYOND. It’s a short word that takes you to places you’ve never been and emotions you’ve never experienced.

Sometimes I play a game when I’m walking down the street. If I hear a large vehicle coming down the street behind me, I will close my eyes and try to guess if it’s a CTA bus or a dumpster. I think I’ve perfected the sound game, but sometimes I will smile and turn my head to see a bus full of strangers, but in reality, see a large dumpster with a depressed driver behind the wheel. It’s a bit disappointing when you see a dumpster trucking down the street, but I’m getting better. The sounds of the city are blaring and beautiful, and I don’t believe I have tired of symphony yet.

I have met people that have opened my eyes to new ways of thought and perspective. My roommate will come home and ask that I pray for her clients who are seeking citizenship. She works with refugees everyday. Her stories could make your head spin. Without divulging personal stories of her clients, I will safely say that their journeys make mine look like a vacation on a yacht. I’m ashamed, but her stories remind me that I rub shoulders on the bus and train with people who have fled wars, famine and poverty all to be a citizen of this country.

I am excited about living here. I feel I haven’t even scratched the surface on all there is to do and see here, but I’m willing to stay here until I have exhausted all opportunities. I will soon change my license over to Illinois residence. I believe I will cry when I actually am taking the screws off of my Tennessee plate to replace it will my Illinois license plate, but time goes on. And, to sum up a wise saying I once heard, “You can always go back home.” For now - I have the heart of an explorer, and I will indulge that until my heart says go home. (IF it ever says that!)

I welcome the age of 28 with open arms. Here to the journey. Here’s to what God will teach me through His mercies, here’s to celebrating with friends both near and far, here’s to going full-speed into my career, here’s to taking care of children I have grown to love, here’s to touring this country through the glorious freedom of road trips, here’s to giving back more than what’s been given to me, and here’s to living life to the absolute fullest extent. Ever seeing, ever learning, ever giving.

Bring it on, 28.…

Quick Entry...

Hello to all our beautiful readers. I wanted to apologize for the lack to blog updates. I know for me, my life has been a little hectic as of late, but in a good way. I will back and posting like a rockstar very shortly. Our dear friend Anna should be posting her first official entry very soon! And, the Girl Gone Real ladies are preparing for a reunion in early November which I'm sure will result in several savory adventuresome updates on the blog, including some new pics. So be on the lookout!

Enjoy the fall weather, say a kind word to a stranger today, and know you are loved!

Liz

Something to Consider at the Polls

A couple of weeks ago Nat and I were at a local coffee shop here on Bainbridge and we fell into a conversation with an older couple there. They were asking us about our reaction to the VP debate, and we started discussing voting and politics in general. They had just returned from a trip to Greece. This was their third or fourth trip there; their first trip had been about three years into President Bush's first term. They were telling us how the first time they were in Greece, many people that they spoke with said things like "We don't like Bush but we know you have another election coming soon;" "We love America and Americans but we hate President Bush" etc. However, this time around, sentiment had changed drastically. "We used to think America was so great," people said, "but then you re-elected George Bush. Why did you do that?" Another man with whom they shared many political discussions said, "You Americans are so arrogant to only send half your population to the polls. Here is a country whose leaders help decide policies for much of the world and who dictate conditions in wars that effect many people who are not Americans, and only half your citizens vote? It is so arrogant. Americans should be ashamed."

I know there is a lot of talk about anti-American sentiment, and that there has been, always, dating much farther back than the last 8 years. However, I think it is very humbling to consider our vote in terms of how we will choose the leadership that negotiates with the citizens of other countries. And maybe you'll think that's just me being a liberal and not being patriotic enough, or whatever, but I think that it is absolutely of utmost importance to consider how our leaders will design policies for third-world, AIDS-ridden Africa, or war-torn Iraq, or even European countries experiencing recession due to the economic decisions we have made in our country. It is incredibly self-centered to believe that America is some kind of isolationist state; we are as much a part of the world stage as anybody else, if not more, and our responsibility at the polls is more than just picking a name we like to say with the word "President."

Girl Gone Real Wordle

Nifty, eh?

No Gas, huh?

So a few of us gals from GGR have the pleasure of living in Nashville, TN, which currently means, we have the pleasure of sitting in mile long lines getting yelled at by guys in monster trucks towing a jet ski as we wait for hours sometimes to get a few drops of gasoline, while the jerk with the giant truck, jet ski, and most likely a couple of gas cans politely hoards all the gas in the city. In case you didn't know, our city has created an artificial gas shortage. And here is a little video to lighten up the mood for all of you cranky Tennesseans who can't find gas. P.S. Pardon the language in the subtitles. But, it's Hitler, and he's pretty mad:

Why I Volunteer

This evening, as I was sitting in sitting in traffic headed the complete opposite direction from home after a very long day at work, I simply wondered "why am I really doing this?"

"This" is going to meet up with a volunteer coordinator at Trevecca Health and Rehab Center, where I will be introduced to a client that I will begin to visit twice a month through the Greater Nashville Public Guardianship Program. I will check on this sweet woman, make sure she looks healthy, hasn't lost too much weight, and I will talk to her. I may even take her to bingo.

The question "why" is one that I have to ask myself, because honestly, I am way too busy. I know it, my friends know it, my husband knows it. I do too much. Full time job (sometimes more than full time), church activities and projects, meetings, social gatherings, weekend trips to see family, and so on. Type A doesn't come close to describing it. But tonight, I realized that despite all of that, I was truly looking forward to this experience. It was a breath of fresh air.

I do it because I need to be reminded, regularly, that I am not the center of the universe. I need this reminder to get through the week- it gives me perspective. I also do it because I can't seem to reconcile reading scripture, praying, going to church, and trying to live a life that is patterned after Christ, without being in the presence of "the least of these" once in a while . I can't not touch them, not talk to them, not hear them, not get into their world. And if my motives sound selfish, I must admit that they are. But I know that no matter what, my actions are in some way tipping the scales of this world toward the good, even if just for a moment. And that is why I volunteer. How could I not?

Ah...politics

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Lessons learned with lots of food and a brush with the law...

...A typical weekend with family :) Well, maybe not the brush with the law part! I ventured up to Indiana for a little extended weekend with family, and I didn't expect to really gain as much as I did from my short time there. While my family is generally pretty close, we don't always get too deep with the issues in our lives, and sometimes it causes a bit of tension during our little reunions. I'll admit, a lot of this is instigated by me, because I tend to be a bit more vocal with my opinions. Anyways, as I neared the exit to my parents' home, I just said a quick little prayer, "Lord, let there be peace!"

The time turned out to be wonderful. I arrived first, followed by my niece, my brother, my sister, and then a couple of aunts, an uncle, and a cousin. So, without making this entry a 12 chapter novel, I'll point out the highlights:

1. Spending time with my aunt Leilani (my mom's younger sister) was precious. I don't see extended family a lot, and I haven't seen my aunt since my uncle's funeral (My uncle passed away this past winter from Lou Gehrig's Disease). She walked with uncle Don for so many grueling months, watching him become less and less stable. She was so strong through all of it, even after his death. I got some quality time with Leilani, and it was so encouraging to see her laughing again and enjoying her time with family. I think through all of this, she has really learned how precious our time on this earth is. I learned a lot, just by her example, about being strong and really picking yourself back up after enduring such a horrendous season of life.

2. Well, my mom's side of the family is Hawaiian and when the Hawaiians come into town, they come with an endless variety of marinated meats, starchy fatty side dishes, treats from Hawaii and a lot of laughs. Spending time in the kitchen with my aunts, my mom, and my sister was so special. I learned why my fried rice never tasted quite like Grandma's. I learned that my relationship with my sister is very similar to my mom and aunt's relationship. I learned the meaning of "Soulfood"--there's something really great about spending time in the kitchen with generations of family, reminiscing about past experience, sharing about life.

3. Well, my dear friend, and fellow contributor to this blog, Anna, came to hang out on her way back up to Chicago. We had a wonderful time catching up. And, we almost got arrested. So, the house next door is vacant and for sale, so over the weekend, we discovered a back door was open, and my aunts, my sister, my mom and I all decided to take a quick little tour of the home. Now, I realize this is pretty much wrong on all levels, but we just wanted to take a look and see what this amazing house looked like on the inside. Well, after telling Anna the story, I thought I'd take her over for a look that morning. As I opened the door, the alarm went off, and a picture of my father's red scary dad face immediately flashed through my mind, as I sheepishly walked back to our house and quickly debate whether or not to say anything. We did tell my parents, and I instantly felt like the little kid who just got into a world of trouble. I really thought my dad was going to pull out his old fraternity paddle and start whacking away at my behind. As the police rolled up, Anna and I laughed nervously, wondering if we'd go to jail, as my father pierced his silent, but deadly glare in my direction. "I'll be right back. Do not go outside."

I don't know what he said exactly, though I would suspect it was something to the affect of , "My dumb kid decided to peek in the house. She's age 7 and mentally challenged," Maybe he didn't say all that, but whatever he did say worked. He came back in, and we all sat down and stuffed our faces with bisquits and gravy. Anna and I didn't go to jail. My dad saved the day, and our records aren't marred after all. I think we'll laugh about this one day.

All in all it was a really great weekend. I'm thankful for family and amazing friends, and for not being a convicted felon.

L.G.