Flowers

Well, Brian is gone for the week at summer camp, so I may get some extra blogging in this week. Besides having a little extra time on my hands (I do have a huge list of to-dos, as well as having filled my week with friend dates, so really, not that much extra time), this past week has been a week full of thinking- a little less sleep than I would like, but some good quality thinking, which might make for some extra posts. Sometimes those kinds of weeks are great and sometimes they are tough. I think I used to have the deep thinking times a lot more often. Silence and wandering can cause deep thinking. 

Anyway…sorry for that to sound a little dramatic. It’s not…I’m happy- very happy -a little stressed as previously mentioned- but overall, jeez louise, so freaking blessed and great. 

I only mention all of that because I would imagine that my upcoming blog posts might be a little all over the place. 

Which brings me to my blog point- Flowers. I just started my new book club book today. We are reading The Language of Flowers. My book club is actually my mom’s book club, and I haven’t been able to make it for the last few months, which SUPER bums me out…I love the group, and while I always read the book, it never bothers me that we spend about 5% of the time talking about the book…more just a catch up on everyone’s lives-they are a cool group of gals. But we have been reading a lot of depressing books, it seems like. Which is probably a common thing for book clubs…when you are choosing one book to read and discuss for the month, you want it to be something deep…but it just seems like we have had some especially tough books lately. And I don’t really want to deal with it, to be honest….I wish we hadn’t already done Tina Fey’s book, because that would be exactly what I would need. 

Rambling, so much rambling…ANYWAY…the current book that I just started today, I am LOVING. It has some tougher stuff in it, but is written in a way that moves on from those things, doesn't linger or focus…the main character in the book has had this hard life and she isn’t particularly pleasant, but she gets relief from flowers and their meanings. 

I love flowers. LOVE. I am not a girly girl. I’m not overly romantic. Bows and pink and giggling aren’t things I need in life. But for some reason there is something about flowers. And I don’t garden. I’ve liked the idea and have made an effort to grow things- they always die…so I know nothing about flowers. But it seems like they are one of those things in life that God created just for the sake of beauty. Just to cheer us up and make us feel good. And the idea that different flowers MEAN different things (in this book club book) is both interesting, and so very sweet. 

That's all I wanted to write about...flowers. 

I'm still here....

Oh my word, we are already through the first week of July! I am SO excited about the weather forecast for the next week, because prior to yesterday I had already convinced myself that I was looking forward to the apple spice and pumpkins of the Fall. But that’s right- it is only the beginning of summer.

 

Per usual, when I go a long period of time without blogging, I have attempted a few different versions, but never quite finish, and here I am with a month and a half to catch up on!

 

I’ve been fairly stressed out lately (as stressed as I get anyway…I have really made an effort over the past few years to mellow out in the stress department) and my body has definitely let me know that I need to CHILL. I have had a few canker sores, a sty in my eye, stomachaches, and lots of poor nights of sleeping. I’m hoping that getting back into a regular running routine will help calm me down, and maybe some vitamin D will make a difference? I wish I was still doing yoga…that was always really helpful. Whatever it is, I need to calm down…stress is not healthy.

 

Speaking of getting back into a running routine, I have officially started my training for the Leavenworth half marathon in October! I started a couple weeks earlier than the 12 week program for a couple of reasons- mostly just because I am not in my usual running shape, so I need some time to get back into a comfortable place…I’m starting at 2 miles. Which is a little bit upsetting to me…ever since I started running, 3 miles has always been my comfortable starting place- I could always run Greenlake, no matter how bad I had been about running…but at this point, even Greenlake is TOUGH for me. And then the other reason is that last time I trained for my half, I got pretty bad shin splints after one of the longer runs and had to sit out for about a week and a half…so I just want to make sure I give myself plenty of time. I am so excited to have a reason to train...get some discipline back. I’m doing the race with my aunt and possibly my mom (same crew as the Disney half marathon).

 

I’ve decided to pursue the idea of nursing school. Which basically means I am filling myself with the info regarding the different programs in the area- I know there are about 3-5 pre-req classes I need to take (depending on the program), and so have applied for financial aid, and applied to the various community colleges in the area, and am planning to get going on pre-reqs this Fall. I am SO looking forward to school. And science classes in particular. Obviously I have anxiety about it all (one of those stressors in my life)…student loans, time, studying- I haven’t been in school in almost 8 years- will I be good at it? I’m guessing my brain functions different than it used to when school was a regular thing. And nursing programs are SUPER competitive to get into…will I even get into a program after spending money on the pre-req classes? And then those crazy future worries…will I enjoy nursing, will I be good at it, is this just me in a rut…etc. Thank God for prayer.

 

In other news, the Mariners are still terrible. Brian is funny with M’s…he gets so upset about the way they play, but then can’t wait to get to the next game. He has been to almost half of all their home games so far this season…I haven’t been to that many, but close. They are frustrating to watch…the offense is just terrible. They can’t score a run for anything. There is the big debate about the left center wall at Safeco and how we are a tough home run hitting park…that may be true, but it shouldn’t affect base hits. Other teams are still hitting at our park. But interestingly enough, our offense isn’t nearly as bad on the road…in fact we are pretty okay on the road. But our pitching staff doesn’t do as well on the road…such an unfortunate thing. Anyway…we are still going to a ton of games…for example, this past week, we went to the games on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday.

 

Similarly (though certainly not as bad), the Sounders are going through a bit of a rough patch as well. They haven’t won an MLS game since May! They haven’t lost all of those games, but there have been an awful lot of ties, which is so laaaaame. They have still been winning the US Open Cup games…just on a bad streak in the MLS.

 

In sad news, one of my favorite actors died...ol Andy Griffith. AKA...Matlock. One of my all time favorite shows (I have a season on DVD...and when I was in school I used to set my alarm in the summertime to get up to watch it at 9:05am)....I just always felt a little better about the world knowing that Matlock was out there...and then he died this week. One positive thing that I discovered is that Brian and Andy share a birthday (along with my cousin Tanner), and so I feel like a little bit of Matlock must live inside Brian. Phew. 

Okay, more to catch up on later...maybe another post this weekend. But I must get out and get my run in for the day.