New Year's Resolves

As a new month is just about to begin, I thought I'd check in with my New Year's Resolutions.

I'm not so much a big fan of making HUGE decisions or statements come the start of the new year.

I shoot for attainable things.

1. learn military time...√

((phone, computer, and ipod clocks all set to it))

2. say "baggel" instead of "bagel"...√

((I'm surrounding myself with northerners))

3. lose less bobby pins...√

((bowls and altoid gum tins strategically placed in my room))

4. eat more baggels...workin' on it

((SUCCESS))

I Like Love.

"When you love someone, 

you 

love the whole person, 

as they are, 

not as you'd like them to be."

Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina

Parrot Tulips

My all time favorite flower is suretainly the tulip.

(The bird of paradise is definitely second, with hydrangea and Queen Anne's Lace tied for third.)

Recently I discovered a new kind of tulip...

Meet my new favorite flower...

The Parrot Tulip

My favorite, yellow:)

I love the feathery texture of its petals, what a beautiful representation of God's beauty!!!

((Overwhelmed by beauty is this Maddy's mind))

Kiwi Kiwi Kiwiwiwiwiw

I lova lova love love kiwis.

When I went home on Thursday, my sweet mommy-moo gave me a kiwi knife spoon that came in a kit and some delicious kiwis.

Knife/spoon ((spife? knoon? ifespoo?)) is my new favorite utensil. 

It beat out spork by a small margin.

It's a good day to eat kiwis.

((happay is this Maddy's tummy))

Fear (FULL) and Trembling

I'm currently sludging (joyfully) my way through Fear and Trembling by Keirkegaard. 

This passage really stuck out to me in my reading this morning:

" But what no one has the right to do is let others suppose that faith is something inferior or that it is an easy matter, when in fact it is the greatest and most difficult of all. Some understand the story of Abraham in another way. They praise God's mercy for giving him Isaac once again, the whole thing was just a trial. A trial-that can say a lot or little, yet the whole thing is as quickly done with as said. One mounts a winged horse, that very instant o e is on the mountain in Moriah, the same instant one sees the ram. One forgets that Abraham rode on an ass, which can deep un no more than a leisurely pace, that he had a three-day journey, that he needed time to chop the firewood, bind Isaac, and sharpen the knife."

The Weather Is My Homepage.

One of my hobbies is being hyper aware of the weather conditions.

As a young lass, I always enjoyed the weather portion of the evening news;

this ritual helped me get really excited about the coming day.

I like the idea of being aware of the predictions involving 

natural phenomenons

--YES I consider daily weather a phenomenon in nature, it's so beautiful!! And hello we could very well wake up one day to a nice good morning sky of flaming fire or black abyssiveness!!!-- and then 

ACTUALLY WITNESSING THEM...

like seeing/hearing that it's going to rain and then 

SEEING IT RAIN!!

Ahhh simple pleasures.

Since I'm temporarily not on facebook ((for really no reason in specificular)) I HAVE to have something that I can check constantly.

I finally made weather.com my homepage because it was my most visited website.

I just realized an epsick, hip, new, heel-kick worthy feature...

YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE WEATHER WILL BE LIKE EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES!!!!

((ECSTATIC is this weather-obsessed chica))

Gone Fishing

This afternoon I was overcome by an urge to go fishing.

I was reading the short story "The Big Two-Hearted River" by Ernest Hemingway.

It talks a lot about fishing. 

Actually the whole thing is about fishing.

I think there is supposes to be a deep underlying meaning about the main character's return to real life after World War I. I'm really excited to learn about that second meaning in class tomorrow.

But right now all I want to do is go fishing. 

((I also mostly just want to go fishing with the guy in the middle here...his face mirrors my excitement.))

Puncho Weather

It's a beautiful back and forth sunny/cloudy day.

Quasi-consistency is my favorite.

I'm snuggled cozy in my puncho (poncho).

~Watching Gilmore Girls~

Anticipating a glorious evening at home with the family and friends.

((Deeply peaceful is this puncho-d Maddy))

Big Feet=Big Heart

I love running on the beach because I get to see all the footprints that have made their mark in the sand.

Sometimes I look for a set and try to run in it for as long as I can.

I've noticed many a thing in doing this (and had some crazy animal encounters through the years) but I've mostly been delighted constantly by the different sizes and shapes of prints I've seen.

I feel like my life is a great big sandy beach. 

There are many footprints on that beach, 

left by many different kinds of people.

Some of these prints are weird and I don't understand how or why they are there.

But they make the beach what it is and I am thankful for what I have come seen and come to understand because of them.

I know the contours of some by heart, patterns that are permanent to me.

There are many deep and big and clearly defined footprints,

those that have been left by people who have profoundly changed me.

I had a conversation with one of these big-footed friends yesterday that really left me thinking.

I'm excited to go back and walk in the path that these footprints left, examining and enjoying the thoughts that were shared and the wisdom that was offered.

((Feet lovin' by this Maddy girl))

Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes....

Being partially Irish-

and by partially I mean a really small part of me...like maybe my big toe is Irish-

I do believe that I have the freedom to celebrate this day in any way that I want.

Which means I'm wearing red, white, and blue

((with green shoes))

and planning to feast on 

LUCKY CHARMS

all day.

((joy-FULL is this Maddy tummy))

What the World Needs Now...

Love Sweet Love

Tonight I had a lovely conversation with an old friend about the love languages.

I was sharing with her about how fascinated I've become with how people receive and give love differently.

My whole life, up until a few months ago, I assumed that everyone THRIVED off of encouraging words the way that I do.

Once I realized that wasn't true a lot about my world as I relate to people changed.

I began to recognize that if I truly want to speak love into someone's life or situation, I must seek to meet them where they will be met. (Otherwise it's like I'm standing at the bottom of a pit trying to shout a deeply valuable message to someone standing at the tippiest top of a mountain...)

I want to deeply know people.

I don't want to project my assumptions of love on them based off of my own experiences.

Silly Maddy.

I'm a work in progress consumed by the GREATEST LOVE OF ALL.

And currently workin' out how to translate that into a tangible love to the people around me.

Good thing I love lovin' people.

((Loveful hearted Maddy))

π π π π π π π π

Happy Pi(e) Day!!!!!

I've been viciously craving lemon merengue pie for the last many many weeks.

I can't exactly remember a time when I wasn't craving it. 

Yesterday, I discovered a new restaurant up the street that I immediately stereotyped as a pie-worthy place.

I rode my yellow bike on over, walked in, and asked if I could have a slice of lemon merengue pie.

My little heart felt giddy with joy when the sweet lady behind the counter answered with a yes.

I smiled the whole way home. 

Best slice of pie. Ever.

I'm going to try to get a job there.

I promise my intentions are honorable...

and by honorable I mean based off of my insane cravings.

...

Today in honor of Pi Day (3.14), Georgey and I are making grasshopper pie.

(((Happy is this Maddy heart)))

That Leaf Girl: Part Two

Time change = Summer is on its way!!!

Which means spring is now.

Which means the leaves on the trees

are highlighted by new happy bright flowers.

Which means my eyes are ever upward

and I've only tripped once.

((Happy Maddy))