friendship

Friendship is a beautiful thing. In the way of friends, I have one of the very best. Shannon and I spend a lot of time goofing off and laughing, just enjoying each other's company. We talk about Jesus and our journeys with Him. Like most best friends, sometimes we cry and sometimes we laugh. Time with Shannon has always been significant and purposeful...a lifting of my spirit. My world feels a little brighter when she's around. We visit new places, try new restaurants, and do new things. I have a lot of "firsts" with Shannon as she challenges me and pushes me to get out of my comfort zone to try new things. We also share...books, movies, scripture verses, and even a deer carcass. A deer carcass? Yes. Friends, that is no typo. On a recent farm sitting adventure with Shannon, one of the dogs returned to the llama pasture with remnants (very large, furry, and bloody remnants) of a deer. After we decided we should probably move it out of the pasture, Shannon returns to the barn, grabs a shovel, and promptly hands it to me saying, "Here ya go!" Nice. I know your mom taught you the importance of sharing, Shannon, but seriously?? Then I did what I thought any farm girl would do. I maneuvered the shovel beneath the carcass (after gagging a couple times) and carried Bambi's remains to the other side of the pasture fence by the woods. I was pretty proud of myself. That was definitely a first for me. Like I said, Shannon challenges me. Friendship is a beautiful thing. Most of the time. ;)

savannah

I have a confession. I'm a 31 year old Georgia-grown peach and the first time I ever visited Savannah was this past weekend. It. Was. Crazy. Fun. Of course, the fun probably was mostly due to the company I kept. Shannon, her parents, and I all went to Savannah together on our way home from New Smyrna Beach. We went on a haunted history walking ghost tour. It actually turned out to be a standing history tour instead, but it was interesting all the same. We looked for some other sightseeing tours, etc. to see the town, but we opted to bike through the city streets on our own. I can't imagine experiencing Savannah for the first time any other way. I highly recommend it! A few of our choice songs while riding were Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music and Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah from the movie Song of the South. It was carefree and interesting and fun, exactly what I needed. The city itself is beautiful, the history undeniable, and the haunts entertaining. I think I could live there. ;)

30 in 30

For several years now, Shannon (my college roommate and dear friend) has been keeping a list of all the new things she does or places she goes in the course of a year. The number of new things corresponds with her age. So, I'm stealing her idea and sharing my 30 new things in my 30th year. Some of the things may seem small, but it's cool to realize all the new things that I see or do in the course of a year.

1. Got flowers for my birthday
2. Made my first trip to Ohio (Waynesville)

3. Visited the National Museum of the US Air Force, saw the Bockscar in person
4. Ate @ Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, KY

5. Saw Jason Mraz in concert @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
6. Taught 2nd grade
7. Volunteered for the Relay for Life committee for Jackson County
8. Saw a Cincinnati Reds game @ Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH
9. Went tailgating @ the UGA/UF game with the Pollitz/Smetts crew
10. Girls' weekend in Atlanta in October with Shannon (Fernbank Museum, ate at Tijuana Garage and Hudson's Grill)
11. Ate gelato @ Paolo's Gelato Italiano in the Virginia Highlands
12. Went with a group of coworkers to see a midnight showing of a movie (New Moon)
13. Went on a blind date
14. Took a painting class @ Sips N Strokes
15. Met with a prophetic ministry at Daystar
16. Contributed recipes to a fundraiser cookbook
17. Saw Needtobreathe in concert @ Center Stage Midtown
18. Went to Alamo Drafthouse in Austin to see Alice in Wonderland with Jacqui
19. Completed a 21 day fast in February/March
20. Made a diaper cake for Brooke/Wren
21. Took a pottery class @ Good Dirt
22. Read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
23. Made one complete place setting on the pottery wheel
24. Went to Callaway Gardens (biked on a trail through Callaway Gardens and visited the butterfly conservatory, The Amazing Race @ Callaway Gardens, my first geocaching experience)
25. Arrowhead Farm - worked on the horse farm (fed and watered all 17 horses, assisted in breeding Emmy and Princess, got on Bronce, assisted an equine vet with Bobby, learned how to pull a horse trailer including backing it up and parking it, went to a ranch sorting shindig)
26. I made my Christmas gift list in June.
27. New Smyrna Beach with the Pollitz family (and ate at new restaurants: Boston's, Norwood's, Flip Flops, The Garlic)

28. Went sailing on a catamaran in the Atlantic Ocean

29. Saw lightning over the ocean

30. Saw fireworks on the beach

the good dirt

Some of you know that I recently took a pottery wheel class. Since then, I've worked in the studio a couple times each week. I have several random pieces, but my big project is to complete one place setting before the end of the summer. I'm almost done and I'll post pictures of the place setting when all the pieces have been glazed and fired. For now, I'm posting pictures of my first two completed pieces. It took seven weeks to make these two pieces, from throwing the clay on the wheel until the final firing. Needless to say, my new pastime is teaching me patience. :)

karen's top 10 list

Last week, I went to work on a horse farm with Shannon. We also made a brief side trip to Callaway Gardens. Yes, voluntary manual labor outdoors in the heat of the day and five days of absolutely no make-up. It was glorious! Instead of writing all the details of my adventures, I decided to give my Top 10 Things I learned (or was reminded of) from working with horses and geocaching (at Callaway).

10. There is a reason people make comments about "peeing like a race horse". Horses leave a decent sized puddle in their wake. (Thanks, Shan)

9. There comes a time in every person's life where a situation calls for a bluff. Take charge, even when you feel you've lost control.

8. When you're feeling a little unsteady, keep your head up. It's easier to keep your balance.

7. We learn the most about ourselves when we are willing to get out of our comfort zones.

6. Two heads are definitely better than one. Everything is a little easier with a partner.

5. It's important to break up old ground (hurts and fears) so new growth can take its place (serving, helping, loving others).

4. It's important to know where you are, but it's also important to keep your eyes on where you want to go.

3. Laughter can make the most mundane activities a joy.

2. Trust God to use friends to guide you when you can't see your own path.

1. It's not about finishing, it's about finishing well. Keeping a positive attitude and a loving spirit is part of the challenge.

Oh...one more thing. We helped breed two of the horses. Wow. I don't even know how to put that experience into words. Good times on Arrowhead Farm!

Thanks to Greg and Sandy for opening your home to us and for giving me the experience of a lifetime. I can mark that off my bucket list! I will definitely be back to visit!

Green Acres -- Ropin' It Up version

the simple things

I enjoy the lights of city skylines where the energy is high and the pace is fast, but nothing beats a starry night in the country where the simple things are the best things. I love catching fireflies on a summer night and the sound of my nephew's laughter when I tickle him. The best smell is fresh cut grass and the best feeling is feeling at all, whether it's sunshine or raindrops. It's cliche, I know, but life is good.

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." Laura Ingalls Wilder

a tribute to the fuzzy brown couch

I was once asked about my favorite childhood memory. I have two. One memory is of catching fireflies in a mason jar on a summer night in my Nana and Pa's backyard. The other memory is of a fuzzy brown couch at my Nannie and Papa's house in Florida. This couch was in their living room when I was growing up and, actually, it is still there today. To the average eye, it doesn't look like anything special. But to me, it encompasses some of the great moments of my childhood. My brother and I would sleep on this couch when we were visiting our grandparents as little kids. It was also the seating during the grandkids' countless games of charades, marvelously orchestrated by our mothers to keep us kids out of trouble. The couch was (and still is) extremely soft and smooth and before you knew it you were sliding between the cushions or they were sliding out from under you. Even today, we playfully fight over who gets to sit on the fuzzy brown couch. They just don't make 'em like that anymore! :)

Below is a picture of the couch piled high with all the grandkids (and wives). I still love that couch for all the memories it holds and for the ones that are still being made...

L to R: Chris, Rob, Brooke, Me, Lisa, Kevin