She hit the nail on the head (or I couldn't have said it better myself)

This speaks to what has been digging at my heart for a while.  Please read this note from a fellow pilgrim on her journey to be more like Jesus:
seek first: bitterness in my heart: For as long as I can remember, I've thought that I've got it all together.  I have a successful job, come home and cook dinner every night, ...

Travel (or Things I'm excited about right now)

The list we've all (meaning me) been waiting for is finally here:

Alicia Paulson's (Posie Gets Cozy) Portland List!  

 (photo from travel.aol.com)

Someday, I will travel to Portland, Oregon, and I will visit many places on this list.  After Alaska. 

In other travel news, check out littleindiana.com.  It's a blog after my tourist-in-my-own-town heart.  Through articles and photographs, the blog's creator thoughtfully documents the hidden gems that she discovers in small towns across the Hoosier state (my adopted home).  

Also, the blog has started to film short videos to highlight small towns.  I am excited about the possibility that they will be able to create more films about local adventures.  Here's hoping that there is a sponsor out there for them!

View their video here or on youtube:

Looking forward to growing older

In less than 1 year, I will have a "milestone" birthday. Yup. It's inevitable. You either keep getting older or die. I have been described as a 90 year old woman in a 20-something woman's body, so I guess I am just catching up to where I should be. So, I'm celebrating in a big way:

Going to Alaska!!!!

I hope that I will have someone to join me on this trip (friends, family, any takers???), though I know it is expensive. Over time, I've accumulated lists of sights to see and reasons I have for going there:
--Seeing bears outside of the zoo (Denali National Park & Preserve)
--Whale-watching is so much better there than in the Midwest (Harv & Marv's)
--Lichen and other flora that withstand weather which I cannot imagine (even in space)
--Glaciers
--Wide open spaces, so few people (1:1 person per square mile ratio, acc'd to wikipedia)
--Totem poles and other signs and symbols from a different culture, different time.
--Riding in a train through the mountains
--Northern Lights! 

(photo source: http://www.alaskaantlerworks.com/)

So, who's with me?  Is Alaska your dream adventure or is there somewhere else you'd rather be?

How introverts fit

Check this out:

Timeless Design (or "Old Images I Like")

The Art of Instruction

I'm posting this here because I want to keep it in mind for future birthdays, Christmases, etc. Not necessarily for me, but for so many in my life, particularly those who are teachers, artists, or married to them (which is nearly everyone in my immediate and extended family).

Content (though I haven't read the book, just what's on websites): the charts are from the last two centuries or so of Life in the pre-PowerPoint era. Considering my affinity for that which is enduring and intellectual, I think I would love to spend time in the pages of this books.

Aesthetic: I love the red cloth binding and simple presentation of each chart.

Further thoughts: I would love a wall-chart or two from this book A classroom map of the world (one or two to use as wall-art) would be fantastic additions to my home, though I'm not entirely certain where they would fit in to my little ranch house. :-)

For example:

Source: corporettegrit.tumblr.com via Erin on Pinterest

Take care >^..^<

Finances, Flowers, and Adjusting Priorities

I think I want to start a new tradition for myself:
Buying flowers for myself on Fridays.

(from a dinner party we had for Thanksgiving/Christmas 2011)

Why?

1) I love the outdoors & I want to get as much of it indoors as I can.


2) I no longer work weekends, and flowers will serve a reminder of the blessing that that is.

3) (this is the long one) I'm starting a new budget tracker on mint.com (totally recommend the site!) because...I have started a new job!  Yay!  I am advising students at the local community college system.  I'm about 6 weeks into it and feel so good about what I get to do. My schedule is a blessing and I am so less stressed out!

The new routine is different and I need to remain focused in order to now fritter away my new-found resources: more head-space and soul-space as I have fewer burdens and crises that I feel I must carry, an increase in time at home (no on-duty time), responsibilities that allow me to use my strengths more regularly, and a substantial increase in finances. (How does this relate to flowers? I'll get there. Promise!)

Previously, I had a monthly budget that I had lived on for 3-5 years: pay all the bills and necessary expenses, then try to figure out how to ssssstretch the rest of the paycheck for things like--replacing clothes when they got old and worn, paying for gas to go visit my family in another state, spending a bit on hobbies (fun ingredients for recipes, yarn or fabric for a gift, etc.), and eeking out bits of money to have lunch or dinner or movies with friends.

Now that I've got the basic expenses covered, I'm learning that I can waste a lot of money when I have it. My weakness = food (and craft supplies, but I've been showing self-control here). There are many times when I have to eat a meal by myself and don't feel like cooking. Or I want to try a new recipe. Or I want to treat someone to a nice dinner. These are the times when I spend-spend-spend! I have gone overboard in some other areas since getting a new job, but I know that food is a serious financial drain. I like good food, effortless food, healthy food, and social food. Lots of food apparently.

 (Beef Curry from my birthday, as made by my best friend/roommate's mother)

(We made pita pizzas when a friend and her daughter came over to help tile the bathroom)

So going back to the flowers plan: I love plants. I love how they liven up the wintry gray that is settling in all around right now. I love how they last. They last longer than food most of the time. Sooooo, I'm going to reallocate some of what I have been spending on food into a new budget dedicated to buying flowers and plants on a regular basis and bringing them into my humble home.  Which leads to reason #4:

4) Flowers won't have a negative impact on my physical health (unlike milkshakes and garlic bread).

Love and flowers to you all!
Take care,
Amy

Making connections

Making connections with other people is high on my priority list. Lately, I realized that I have many blog-type connections (meaning: reading and commenting on other people's blogs) with people in various parts of the country/world, but very few in Indiana, where I live. So, I'm on a quest to connect with similarly-minded folks who are nearby.

Oh, and I started a Pinterest account. It's another way to connect and it's even easier than blogging. :-) But I still like a good written account of everyday life and ideas, too.

So, here I go on my quest to find crafty bloggers in Indiana. Wish me luck!