in quotes.

My week.

Here are a few of my favorite moments. Please note subtle sarcasm.

Tuesday at Work

On the phone

Me, "Hi, we're planning an Easter sunrise service and I just wanted to confirm...oops! I called the wrong people. Sorry!"

quickly hang-up phone

Daynes, "Who'd you call?"

Me, "The cremator"

Thursday Night, 2/24

At the gym at approximately 9:00 p.m. at night; I go running to the worker and say:

"Ohmygosh I've been so busy today that I forgot to go online and cancel this Amazon thing and if I don't I'm going to be charged and I don't really need that and is there any computer here with internet that I can use to get one really quick before I forget?"

Gym guy-"Um, yeah sure."

Friday Afternoon

While making small talk at work:

Me, "Yeah, I'm going to have my directory picture taken today.

Coworker, "Why didn't you dress-up?"

Me, "I thought I did."

Saturday Afternoon

Treadmill,

Me, "&*!%" when I hit the emergency stop button on the treadmill at the 20 minute mark at a running pace and consequently slammed into the machine.

Saturday Evening

Miss Epic pageant.

When a student band came onto the stage and said, "for our first song," my friend (who asked me to go with her because she was supporting someone in it and needed somebody to record it) and I simultaneously looked at one another and whispered incredulously, "first?!"

Sunday Morning

Customer service rep Jordan-"Thank you for calling Amazon, how can I help you this morning?"

Me-"Hi, I'm an idiot. I thought I cancelled my prime membership but I just found out that I did not and I don't buy that many books online and I really don't need it and again I thought I cancelled it but I didn't and I'm now charged for something I'm not going to use and"

Customer service rep Jordan-"Ma'am we can get your money refunded."

Me-"THANK YOU so much!"

10-minutes later Sunday Morning

I open up iCal to add a few things to my do list and discover I've missed a few birthdays:

Me, "darn-it." But the stronger version.

And a few for real favorite moments...

A program at work is over. A Treasure Hunt. Knocking two items off my "things I don't want to do but I have to do" list. Precious family. Community Group. Good runs. Board games and trampoline time with some of my favorite children I babysit for. Sweet friends. Writing a training guide for a new girl at work (which means a new person is coming IN at work which gets me one step closer to getting into my new job). Wednesday Night Prayer.

And a 74 degree Sunday with a borrowed camera lens and no obligations until 4:45 p.m.

Through the saran-wrap.

I don't like saran-warp. I usually throw away more than I use on a roll because it gets stuck together, I get frustrated, and I pitch it. What sparked a blog post with this discussion? That's what all of my foodie pictures are taken through tonight (or a glass cookie jar). I got home from work (a ten-hour day) and some gym time and knew I needed to stay off the computer a while longer so I cleaned. I had to upload some photos anyway so I decided to snap a few for the ole blog but decided I didn't want to do the effort of putting them on a plate or anything. So that's how they currently look. I did play on the title of this post from "through the looking-glass" but this post has absolutely nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland. Well...all of these foods are tea-party worthy. But that's stretching it. And I had to look up to be sure what "through the looking glass" was about. It's been a day...I had to use my hands to make sure I was telling people correct rights and lefts today when giving directions.

The missing ingredient in my banana bread was oil. The fat in it is from the chocolate chips. It's pretty chewy, but that hasn't slowed me down.

I knew waking up this morning, that based on the day before, that work was going to be hectic. As I was getting ready for work and was praying about the day I believe I heard, "grace and mercy cover today." And they did. After getting to work I remembered what I heard as I was gulping down some coffee, and knew I wanted to be drinking more deeply of grace and of mercy than of the caffeine I was inhaling. So I made myself a little reminder.

Fluffy horses.

I didn't take pictures for a few weeks. And it showed.

When I got my camera back in hand I think I had momentarily forgotten how to take pictures. So many were AWFUL. Pressing through my off-period, I think I'm back on track. Sorta. I have more practice time in my future.

Here are a few of some fluffy horses...

Cleaning out the pantry.

Preface:

A sweet friend recently complimented me on how I had been baking and bringing food in realistic portions as of late. I definitely knocked that track-record off tonight.

Goal this evening: Bake.

What needed to be baked: Mint brownies (for someone's birthday).

What got baked: Mint brownie pie, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, banana bread, and blondies.

What sparked this plethora? Well, again, I needed to. AND, I hadn't baked in at least 9 days. There was a void in my life. AND, I had ingredients I needed to get rid of. With new job has come along no weeknights at GAP, so hello open Monday night!

What needed to get baked were the brownies (I told someone I would, so I had to). As I was perusing some cookbooks looking for a brownie recipe (because I DIDN'T want to make brownie pie) I came across a recipe for the Grit's blondies and I thought, ooh! Those look great!" And I said, "okay, I"ll make those too." Then, I remembered that I had purchased the wrong oatmeal (I picked up the Irish steel-cut kind, but grabbed the instant kind by accident...eww), but it had a cookie recipe on the back. So clearly I needed to make cookies! And my bananas were all spotted, so those obviously had to be baked into banana bread. And I couldn't find a brownie recipe I was crazy about, so I ended up settling for a classic, brownie pie.

End results:

The blondies were incredibly easy to make. I didn't have any walnuts so they went without, but I'm not disappointed.

The banana bread...I forgot a key ingredient. I haven't sampled it yet, but I don't have high hopes for it. But it's fluffy!

The cookies....good. Reallllly good.

And the mint brownie pie? Delightful.

Everything, except for the blondies, were made with ingredients I just wanted to get rid off. Bananas, I hate throwing them away. The oatmeal wasn't going to be consumed. And I used the last of some mint truffle kisses from the hoidays for the mint element in the brownies. Check.

Pantry cleaned out, all baking done in less than 2 hours (everything was in the oven or done by the 2 hour mark), and dishwasher running? Success.

New.

Fun testimony...I needed a crock-pot. The Lord gave me one! Here's the story as I emailed it out to a few people...

Last week at church I volunteered myself to make chili for Bigger Vision and I realized I didn't have a crock-pot to keep the chili I wanted to make warm. So I thought, "well, I need to check out the budget and get one."

Then Saturday rolled around and I got a Bed Bath and Beyond giftcard as a gift for a retreat I organized and I thought, great! I can go get the crock-pot! But I felt like I shouldn't get it with that. I waited and on Monday I was talking to someone at work about getting it that afternoon and she said, "ask newly-weds for their extras!" and I thought "whatever. I'm not doing that." I later mentioned this story to the newlywed in the next office over and she says, "oh, do you want our extra crock-pot? It's still in the box."

I now own, for free, a nicer crock-pot than I would have picked out for myself.

I was super-excited about it, and used it twice within the first 24 hours of having it (which tends to be my course of action with each new appliance I receive...within 2 days with the Kitchenaid I had baked 100+ cinnamon rolls, bread, and cookies. And maybe something else).

As I was unpacking it I noticed that it blended in perfectly with my favorite appliance (Kitchenaid!) and my most used appliance (coffee-pot). Ahh...coordinating.

Oh, and another new thing?

A new JOB. Did I mention that yet? Because I'm now FULL-TIME at AFUMC! That is another Lord provision story.

Thanks, Lord.

Saturday musings

Dearest pedestrian by Bath and Body Works,

I'm more than happy to stop for you. You have the right of way, and I'm always glad to acquiesce that to you. However, I do appreciate a warning that you're going to come out into the road. Especially when it's dark. And you're coming from behind a large SUV. And you're wearing black.

I can't see you. I don't have a "spidey-sense" that let's me know you're about to dart across the road. And then stop in the middle of said road when I hit my brakes, turn around (while still in the middle of the road), and double-check to make sure your car's locked. I wasn't anywhere close to hitting you (I don't speed in parking lots. That's just stupid behavior to do that.) I am sorry for the "WTH" look I gave you. But seriously...stop and look!

Love,

me.

I was looking at a clothing boutique facebook page this evening while waiting for some friends to arrive to go to a concert. I was clicking through a few of the boutique's photos, and I saw a shirt that was described as:

"Wear it to the gym or on a date night!"

I haven't been on a date but I'm pretty sure, no, 100% sure, I would NOT wear anything I wear to the gym on a date. I feel embarrased when I wear my gym clothes to Yoforia when I go for post-running fro'-yo'.

Seriously. That is horrible advertising. But maybe I'm missing the clientale they're advertising to. But seriously? Gym or a date? Those just seem mutually exclusive to my fashion sense.

Beach time, please.

I set the pic above as my desktop image on my computer this morning. I had had a snow picture I had taken that was pretty, but I was tired of it. I am feeling that this was a poor decision though. Every time I've looked at my computer since my heart is struck with LONGING for hot days at the ocean. The picture was taken while kayaking in Charleston, SC. It was SO much fun--definitely one of my funnest experiences ever.

While I was driving today sleet/something frozen rained down. Ugh. But everything in its season. And summer will come. And beach-time too, I hope (pray).

And a teaser...I've had a big week...I'm running at energizer bunny pace currently...but I have some fun things to share!