a note to our friend in the gulf

Dear Gustav, 

First of all, I don't understand your name.  

Secondly, please don't.  Just don't. 

Just go away.   

I have plans for the weekend and next week, none of which includes cleaning up debris,  living without electricity, or having trees through my roof.  

There is already a line to get gas here and bottle water is running low at the stores.  I am in no mood for such none-sense. 

Please, for the sake of my sanity and those around me, take you and your friend Katrina and be gone. 

Thanks. 

Your friend, 

Heather

a hair accessory and a sax player

the olympics have been so much fun to watch. the competition, the glory, the heartache, the cute little chinese men walking around backstage. I love it all. Truth be told, the summer olympics could consist of only 2 sports and i would be completely fine. swimming and gymnastics. the swim thing is a new love, and i think the reason is obvious: michael phelps. he is a freak of nature and i love him. the other love, gymnastics, is not a new relationship. this has been a longtime love of mine. i am assuming it steams from my deep desire to be a gymnast. but alas, talent and athletic ability is required. I can do a cartwheel. no more, no less.

But there is one thing I do not love about the olympic games: the scrunchies.

Is it a requirement for all gymnast to wear such hairpieces? Perhaps there is an advantage of wearing such a garment? I understand the hair must be in place, but what I do not understand is why they resort to the fabric covered elastic band, surfaced in the 80's. There must be a better way. I commend you, Shawn Johnson, for not wearing a scrunchie every performance. Yes, you wear a ribbon tied in a bow, but I find that a better alternative to the bright pink scrunchies your teammate, Nastia sports. I challenge you, gymnasts, do away with your old ways. Break away from old habits. It will be well worth it.

But I do congratulate you, Shawn and Nastia, on your medals. I think you're both cute.

On a darker note, LeRoi Moore from the Dave Matthews Band passed away. He was a huge part of my high school and early college days. I thought, honestly and with my whole heart, that if Dave I would only meet, he would surely leave his wife and come be with me. So I spent a lot of time and money listening and traveling to see this band. LeRoi, rest in peace.

i do love lists.

so i am copying a few people, mainly MSKS, by letting the blog world know a few things i simply can not live without.  the rules are simple: list things that makes your life better, excluding the obvious like loved ones (including sophie. duh).  

i like this.  life it about the small things, right?

so here you are, my simple pleasures in life:

1) diet coke.  I am not ashamed to admit this addiction.  i only drink 1 a day (most days), so i like to think that this addiction is under control.  i like coffee, but only on certain days, in certain settings.  i can't really explain it.  it hurts my stomach at times.  i prefer my caffeine cold and in an aluminum can. 

2) hgtv.  my guilty pleasure.  i can't think of any show on this channel that i do not like.  i love house hunters.  i think suzanne wong is just presh.

3) bobbi brown concealer.  it is thick enough to last all day and covers my sometimes rather large under-eye circles.  an instant confidence booster. 

4) lip gloss.  there is little more i can say about this topic except that i love the feel of shiny lips.  on me, not trey.  didn't want there to be confusion. and my lip gloss doesn't have to be expensive.  drug store brand will suffice.  i love lip gloss so much so that a few years ago santa claus left me a whole box of lip smacker lip gloss in my stocking.  it was love.

5) fresh markers.  this also holds true for sharpies.  i love new markers.  new, juicy markers.

6) our hammock. it is large and comfy and in the most perfect shady spot in our backyard. trey, sophie and i can all sit in it comfortably.  that is until sophie's leg gets caught in the rope. 

7) text messaging.  MSKS, we are in an agreement.  Laura is the one that finally talked me into paying the $7.00 to get this incredible invention.  i thought it to be a waste...until my first text was sent.  now i consider myself a master at predictive text.

8) our ipod and speakers.  we love having music playing, so the recent purchase of a fabulous docking station was a great buy.  we love it.  and with a remote control, i feel like i have the musical powers. 

9) bubble bath.  again, drug store brand will suffice.  i love bubble bath.  in fact, i don't remember a time in my life when i didn't enjoy a good bubble bath.  sans the years spent living in community living (ie the dorms and kd house). i dare not get in the tub there.  shower only for me, thank you very much. 

10) comfy clothes.  i love to look cute, mind you. i love getting dressed up and wearing heels.  but at the end of the day, all i think about it comfy clothes.  i feel fairly confident that if socially acceptable, i would wear sweatpants and large t-shirts daily.  but i fear the rath of stacey and clinton, should that ever occur. 

happenings

hi blog land.  i've missed our daily chats. 

a lot to catch you up on.  naturally, i will number for easier reading. 

1) house is still on the market.  after i made a conscious effort to no longer think, worry or stress about the lacking of potential buyers, a great couple called us.  they are a young couple, much like ourselves, only younger, more newlyweds and with a baby on the way.  They were presh.  and loved the house.  i am not getting my hopes up.  they said they are looking at 1 last house today and then they will make a decision.  hooray for cute couples wanting our home. sophie even liked them at first sight.  if that is not a sign, what is? but i will not worry...

 i will keep you updated. 

2) last weekend trey and i staffed the happening.  familiar with such an event? allow me to explain for a moment. the happening is a mississippi high school retreat that 

began 20 years ago by the united methodist church.  it happens 3 times a year (i think.)  trey went through when he was in the 10th grade.  it was probably the most influential tool in helping build his relationship with christ.  he remained very involved throughout his high school days.  when he was in college he went through the journey - which is a slightly different college version of the happening.  following me? i went through the journey my freshman year in college.  my sophomore year I was on staff with trey.  that was our first meeting - remember that story? he didn't remember me, notice me...nothing.  oh well.  then we met a year later for a 2nd time and the rest is history.  when we got married he became an adult leader in the happening and since it was such a powerful part of his life, he really wanted me to be a part of it as well, so 2 years ago i, as an adult, went through the high school happening.  Now, 2 years later, we are on staff together.  it was so fun!  i will say that no sleep and no bath is a little challenging, but these high schoolers are amazing.  I loved every minute of it! if you are in high school or college or you have children those ages and live in mississippi - i highly recommend the happening and journey. 

here are a few pictures of last weekend. 

happening #55 staff

trey leading music

my personal favorite that someone took. a candid, no doubt. look closely for me. i am in mid-yawn.  i require sleep. 

3) While we were at the happening in ocean springs last weekend, sophie was on vacation at kristen, rob's and henry's house.  she was there from thursday-monday morning. she loved it.  as you might have guessed, henry bossed our little girl around. he told her when and where to sit, 'mone, sophie' (come on sophie) and nite-nite, sophie. he also fed her kidney beans.  i am sure she loved it.  so much so that when she was returned to us on monday morning she had matted kidney beans on her back and tail.  i dare not ask how it got there.  needless to say, she slept all day...after her bath, of course.