Pause for Personal

I've sort of lost control of my schedule lately.  I've been busy with friends, and parties, and work, and bible studies, and traveling, and heart aches, and body aches, and phone calls, and...and....and....
I usually blog in advance, and that was my plan for the month of March, but I'm behind, far behind.  Fortunately, I am my own blogging boss, and so I pause....I pause for personal 'stuff.'  That is ultimately the purpose.  Thus far, I've got another weeks worth of post coming along thanks to a baby shower I helped host last week, but after that....things might get interesting.  I feel a dust collection, and spider web study coming on....
But I decided for now, to share.  Important stuff.  Unimportant stuff.  Mostly to fill up a day on the blog, but truly just because I don't want to lose 'me' under crafts and creations, and cookies. 
I have to set a goal, even on these random post....so here are 10 random things going on with in the world I live in right now. 
1.  I just read the BEST book.  Oh my gosh.  Yes, it's from the Young Adult section, but, man, is it a feel good.  It's written in poetry form.  The little boy telling the story has immigrated from Africa and describes the United States as a newcomer.  I laughed out loud.  I got goose bumps.  I'm not someone who recommends a lot of books, but this one....this one I love.  Home of the Brave by Katherine
Applegate  It reminds me of some students I had the first year I was teaching....and it makes me so glad I chose this profession because I get to meet kids just like this little guy in the story. 

2.  I'm headed to San Diego in just a few days.....via seeing my cousin preach in Pasadena (my first time to see it in person).  I also get to meet the newest member of my family-Jonathan, and an 'older' new member, Blythe, who I've met, but not as a 2 and a half year old!  I.  Can't.  Wait. 

3.  Before the end of June, I will be attending 10 more showers, 3 bachelorette parties/weekends, traveling to 3 vacation destinations, and joining friends to celebrate 3 weddings.  When it rains, it pours.  It's pouring blessings on my friends, so I've buckled my seat belt, and I've got my blog post ready to roll.  I look forward to each event, what memories I'm getting to make this spring...and blogging about them all.   

4.  I've been running.  I'm attempting my first half marathon on the 25th.  I started by running for 30 seconds at a time in August.  I don't say this to boast in ANYWAY.  In fact, if you saw me run, you'd know laughter is just about the only emotion my 'running' can evoke.  Most people walk faster than I run, BUT.....I say this because it's been a really good thing for me to do because I am the last person on planet earth that would run....unless I was being chased, and even then, at some point....about 30 seconds down the road, I probably would stop and fight instead because running and I just don't get along.  We actually hate each other so much that it's working for weight lose b/c NO WAY am I going to do that and then go overeat.  I can think of any food as a lap now, and 'just say no.'  So, if you need to lose, might I recommend running?  At first, I couldn't believe I could run a lap, then it was a mile, and then it as my first 5K without stopping, and now I think, "Oh good, just 6 miles today instead of 9...or 12...."  Trust me, if you are the last person that would ever run.....I was one person behind you in the line for 'sign me up for that being something I'd NEVER do...."  Just a thought.

5.  With the running, I've been eating healthier.  It's generally frowned upon when one upchucks along the running path, so....I have to eat healthier, but I'm a  salty/sweet eater.  I eat b/c it taste good, rarely because I'm hungry.  It's all mental.  So one deck in my mental battle are Pop Chips.  I heart these things so much.  You can get them at the grocery store.  I get nothing for saying this, I just want to share.  You only get three servings per bag, but each serving is a bowl full, about 120 calories a serving, and it fulfills my salty.  These have saved me. 

6.  OK.....but before I leave the topic of running and health and stuff....my cousin and I were walking around White Rock this fall, and I was looking at a guy with his black lab....emphasis on the dog in this story...really....I'm a dog person.  I, literally, walked off the trail.  It was several inches from the gravel-ee side, and I fell.  I scraped and bruised my leg.  More than that, I have a permanant series of veins that have decided to hijack my left leg and hang out and party....forever.   I can only describe these as a fairly accurate depiction of the Amazon River flowing down and around my legs.  I think it's here to stay, and I just really want to embrace it, and maybe start naming the deltas and using this to teach geography lessons.  ....until I can afford to get those veins popped back into place, and then....I never want to speak of these ugly veins again. 

7.  Speaking of the Amazon, I am headed back in about 4 months.  I could never do this adventure justice....all God has been doing, all God will do.....it consumes me, and so I had to mention this journey ahead.  Please pray for me and the team I get to travel with, pray for money to flow, hearts in readiness to hear what we have to share, and safety along the river.  If we get lost somewhere along the way...I'll let the captain know I've got a map handy on my left leg.  :O)

8.  And in other news, I found a sequin on my chihuahua's belly the other day when I picked him up.  I don't own anything with blue sequins.  I'm not aware of anywhere he visits except my house.  I'm just really trying to understand, but I'm also starting to suspect he might live a double life. 

9. I've been watching the new show Bigfoot on Animal Planet.  I can't even explain it.  I don't believe it, but I'm so fascinated by the lenghts they go through to prove the theory, and I think maybe it's time I pick up a new hobby, or friends, or sign up for EHarmony or something....except if I did the later I should probably delete number 9 and say I took up gourmet cooking, or yoga, or massage therapy instead. 

10.  Last, I've been avoiding this one....I said a sad goodbye to my dog, Max, this past Monday.  Over the weekend he became much weaker and sicker after what I had hoped was improvement.  I blogged about the original event here, but I can't reread it now.  To say my heart hurts is an understatement.  I know that non-dog people aren't going to get it, but anyone who ever loved a pet will 'know.'  I have a Max size hole...and he was 125 lbs so it's a big hole.  Despite the company my other dogs bring, I miss that big ol' guy.  I'm so grateful for all the laughs and energy he brought into this house, and it's most evident now without him here all he did give me.  I knew it was time, and my one prayer was that God would just allow him to pass away at home before he was in pain and I had to take him into the vet.  I had an appointment for Tuesday morning.  God showed me grace, and answered that prayer Monday while I was working.  It's so quiet in my house, coming home isn't the same without him here ready to trot up and let me know I was his world.  I'm not sure what my next step will be in my land of animals, but, no doubt, it'll involve more tears, and lots of love for the two currently hanging out with me and sharing their furr with me on a daily basis.