Happy Things

Well, as Granger would say, "'Ello 'Ello 'Ello!" I've actually missed this little blog.

Life's been grand, and also a bit overwhelming lately. I'd like to recap the last three months, but setting that expectation just means I'd never write anything. (This lesson I've learned from months of empty journal writing due to that one week I still need to write about. Duuuuuuuumb.) So I've been wondering, "If I ever do blog again what should I blog about?" This is what I came up with. Honestly, amidst all the craziness there are some things that are bringing a lot of joy, a lot of peace, and a lot of strength into my life lately. Here they are blog readers. You can respectfully nod and mumble to yourself, "How lovely that Elizabeth has that in her life. I'm ever so happy for her" etc... Or you can go explore a few of these things yourself, because seriously I have pretty good taste when it comes to coping mechanisms.


 First, Granger. Granger Smoot Bouchelle. With a name like that how can you not be entertaining? Here are some of the greatest hits of the last few months:

"Well, I'm gonna change and then head to the gym."
"I wish I could go to the gym...."
"You can come with me if you want."
"Okay! Lucky thing I'm wearing socks!"
"Yes, that is quite lucky."
"Do you think I'll need an exercise headband?"

(As a side note to this one Granger has become a bit of a gym expert. It's a blast to watch and he is learning that yelling across the gym so I can see how fast he is running is really not appropriate if there are other people there. Baby steps.)

"NEENA! How do I turn on your shower?"
"Turn the things to the right, like I showed you."
*Twisting, squeaking, and other various sounds occur*
"IT'S NOT ACTIVATING!"

My Mom stumbles into the kitchen early one morning with her pajamas on. Granger looks up at her.
"What a dish!" My mother stares at him in shock, unsure where he learned such a phrase and wondering how to respond. Finally Granger pipes up again:
"Can you explain to me what that means? And is it appropriate?"

"Hey, wait a minute Granger! Don't you have scouts tonight?"
"Yeah. But there was something I didn't want to try."
"Oh yeah? What was it?"
(With lowered voice and furrowed brow)
"The waltz."

Second,  my chocos. I seriously wear those bad boys almost every day. I would post a photo of my impressive choco tan, but feet are ew.

Third, Cabin Pressure. It's this British radio show and it's hilariously witty and cheerful and I love it. Enjoy this clip and then go figure out where to get it! It's wonderful! Arthur is my best friend

Fourth, my car. Mostly these little guys that drive around with me everywhere.

I've found that when life is a lot to try and manage successfully, it helps to have something to remind you that there are good, happy things waiting, and that there are far more important things than tests and jobs and to-do lists.

Fifth, Music. I saw these guys in concert last week. Ridiculous. The Head and the Heart

We were actually there for this show (Kathryn and I, that is. My favorite concert buddy.) We spent the first bit by overly energetically affectionate lesbians, and the second bit by Matt and Holli Coates. That, my friends, is the definition of  improving one's situation.

But I've also fallen in love with these guys lately. Pretty much they're on repeat in my car all the time. The Oh Hello's But I always, always come back to the Avetts. Always. In the last month I've fallen in love with some new ones and listened to some old faithfuls  about five bazillion times. If you don't love these guys I get it. I really do. But I wish you did.

Sixth, My job. I have a fabulous job. I work with some of the brightest, funniest, most loving and sincere children in the world, and I even like the adults too! I always struggle at the end of the school year because I know how much everything changes. But I think this next week will be particularly hard knowing that so many of them are moving on to Kindergarten and I'll be in a different class in the Fall. I get attached. One of the most powerful things I've come to know through teaching is that our ability to love only expands as we grow. I never thought I could love, respect, and enjoy any child I taught as much as I did this one:

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

And seriously, this is the tip of the love-of-the-little-children iceberg.THE PHOTOS WOULD NEVER END! But this year I have added so many to the list of fantastic children I've been able to work with! I can't wait to do the same thing next year.

Seventh, Have I ever mentioned that I live in a gorgeous place? Oh, I have? Every blog post? Well, here's a video to prove it. Please excuse the loud music in my car. It was just a loud-music-in-my-car day.



Eight, Cumberminis. As of some developments last night this merits its own blog post. Coming your way very soon. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained. (Though when I told Granger about it his response was to turn his head away and mumble "Pitiful". But I think it's great!)

Nine, Grad School. More specifically that I am 1 1/2 courses away from being done with my coursework for grad school. Student teaching in January and then this long, tumultuous journey will be behind me and I will expect everyone to call me "Master Elizabeth". Because I'll be a Master. A Master of Special Education. Don't call me that until I've earned the title though, no matter how tempting it may be.

Ten, the gym and Olaf. You may not see how these two are related. Well, they're not. I just didn't want to end with eleven things instead of ten. For those of you who don't know, I love Olaf. I love him. So my wonderful family gave him to me for my birthday.

Actually, in this post-gym photo I am sweaty and gross and in my gym clothes, so I guess they are related after all!  

And the gym in general has just been great for me lately. I've been actually running, and I still read while I'm at the gym so I enjoy that a lot. If it wasn't for the gym I think I would be far less emotionally stable. So I guess everyone who interacts with me ever should also be grateful for the gym. Am I skinny yet? Allow me to answer with an entertaining photo via pinterest:

So no. It's fine.

Borrow a coping mechanism! Seriously! They're all really great ones! DO IT! And feel free to share your own because I love hearing what brings people joy. Or at least stops them from crying over things like road kill or the end of The Rescuers Down Under. My friend said that happened to her recently....

November

This month was one of the longest and most eventful of my life. The term "emotional roller-coaster" is pretty insufficient but it's the only one that comes to mind. And it all began at the beach.

Myrtle Beach, to be exact.

We spent four calm, beautiful, peaceful days at the beach. I read books, walked, thought and thought and thought. I knew that I loved the beach but I didn't realize at the time how important that long weekend at the beach would be for me. It was nourishing and regulating and calming. We need that in our lives more than we go seeking for it!

Gift From the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindbergh is my beach book. I take it with me anytime I go to the beach and read from it randomly. This trip was so long I was able to read the whole thing, and let me tell you, I love this book. Here are some of my favorite moments in this book:

“Don't wish me happiness
I don't expect to be happy all the time...
It's gotton beyond that somehow.
Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor.
I will need them all.”

“I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable.” 

“The most exhausting thing in life, I have discovered, is being insincere."

And just one more.  “Perhaps this is the most important thing for me to take back from beach-living: simply the memory that each cycle of the tide is valid; each cycle of the wave is valid; each cycle of a relationship is valid.”

Do you see why I love this book? There were so many perfectly timed reminders and perspective switches for me. Reading at the beach-one of my most enjoyable life experiences. 

 What's that? Oh, yes we did ride in a helicopter. Have a look.

It was awesome. Granger said so. 

 The weekend after we went to the beach I was able to attend a TEDx conference at Virginia Tech. If you're not familiar with what TED is, let me introduce you:  Prepare to be forever changed. Here are a few of the talks that most impacted me that day.

 Heroic by Nature, Cowardly by Convenience 

Re-creation Through Recreation

 Launching Lemons into Space 

Forget What You Know

 Disruptive Design via Additive Manufacturing

I have thought about these talks everyday since I went to the conference. I'm a TED fan. Also, I was super brave and went all by myself. So brave! So worth it!

My friends Maddison and Helen went with me up to the parkway. Again, bragging about where I live.

This spot is ten minutes from my house. No big deal. 

Granger earned some extra bucks and decided a sibling date to Applebees was in order. He's pretty serious about salmon; I mean, check this out.

Eats his dinner like a real man!

Actually, Granger was pretty inspired to have us go out to dinner that night. It was some good Granger time that, again, I didn't know how much I needed.

The next afternoon I was told a dear friend of mine in Utah had passed away. The next two weeks were a whirlwind of emotions and planning and conversations and  travel. You can read the post I wrote about Noah here. I'm not even going to attempt to define my feelings about him or his family right now. While I was in Utah I was able to reconnect with some of my dear Clear Horizons Academy friends. These are truly wonderful people who I absolutely love.

Me and James! I love love love this boy. 

I'm not sure you could say the four of us really worked together, but we did work at the same place. Usually when I was around these girls things felt way too much fun to be called "work". 

Wonderful Sabra Allred. I didn't realize she was in town and I definitely fell apart when I saw her.

 My Eddie-lovin' friend Jaime. This amazing woman makes some beautiful children.

Holli Holy Eyes. One of my nearest and dearest friends. So great to talk to each other in person, rather than just on the phone. 

This woman. I adore her. I hope one day I can be just like her.

And Lindsay. Honestly, I don't know how I would have coped with the last month of my life without Lindsay. She has been my sanity. And I'm in love with her son. 







 But I have to say, the absolute highlight of my trip was this person:

Marley girl. We're betht friendth.

I want to be Marley when I grow up. I absolutely love, respect, and adore her. It blows my mind that she loves me so much, but I'm so so so grateful for her friendship. She's the best.

One day I'll write about my flight home, (following the most painful goodbyes of my entire life), and the three wonderful men who took care of me, saw that there was a sane, capable person under all of my teary fatigue and were so very, very kind. As I said to one of my friends who called me in the airport, "I'm a very calm mess". I firmly believe people were sent to help me through a really, really tough day. Stories for later.

I know, I know, longest post ever. But guess what, it was the longest month ever so it kinda matches up.

Two days after I got back from Utah my family left to accompany an SVU travel study trip to NYC for Thanksgiving. The trip was really a great time; I didn't feel anywhere near emotionally ready for it, but by the end of the trip I had the moments I had needed to feel a little more myself and a little more stable and hopeful.

We went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was freezing and long and worth it. 

Granger's typical subway pose. 

My Mom, me, and Lady Liberty. 

Went to the MOMA. Walked around a corner. Oh, there's Starry Night. Just hanging out. 

A room with Monet canvases that took up entire walls. Beautiful. 

We also went to the Museum of Natural History. Some of you may recognize "DumDum". Granger and I were thrilled to meet him. 

And Teddy! I'm a fan, so it was lovely to share a bench with him. Granger was clearly delighted. 

My darling sister waiting for lunch. How cute is she?

I found this little sketch at the MOA and I quickly became obsessed with it. 

There's something very powerful about it to me. 

I mean, look at that. Amazing. 

We went to see Cinderella- a fabulous escape and also fulfilled one of my 99 goals. The show was fantastic. It's a lovely little tale anyway but they changed some of the story and there was so much more progression and meaning to it all. I loved it.






But the most impressive thing about this trip was that I drove one of these:

through this:

There were SO many people and SO many cars and I drove through it. Twice. I'm a freaking rock star.

Many, many things to be grateful for this month and a lot of pain to go along with it. Not a month I'll quickly move on from. Each of the experiences of this month keep replaying in my head and I think I'll be learning from all of them for a long, long time.

To all of you who actually made it to the end of this blog post, send me your address and I'll mail you a candy bar. You deserve it.