Relocation...For the Most Part

Having more than one place in which to write my thoughts has begun to be a little more complicated than I thought. Mainly because I've only been writing on the other blog, as I'm sure you've noticed if you've checked the dates on this blog at all.

Now that I've made the transition from having a full time job, to working on my writing full-time (which, by the way is truly God-given and a HUGE blessing), I've realized that what I want to focus my thoughts on will be more of the food/travel side of things - thus the need to devote my time to the other site.

All that long winded-ness to say, you can start catching up with me at the Taste of Wonderland blog. I try to update this blog more than once a week, so if you care to drop in you can get your fill of what I've been filling myself with lately!

Taste of Wonderland

Oh, and please let me know what you think once you get there. I would really love any comments, criticisms, or suggestions!

No Interruption, Just a Little Godly Detour

Lunchtime rolls around, and I've got food on the brain. In reality, I've had food on my mind since finishing my last bite of oatmeal for breakfast. Today it just wasn't enough and my stomach was loudly protesting, announcing to all coworkers that I had not been properly feeding it. Therefore, something to nosh on was the focus as I set off for lunch to retrieve something I could eat back at my desk and appease the powers that be; my belly in this case.

I began my journey by heading to Whole Foods, my go-to lunch spot, when suddenly Zoe's Kitchen came to mind (unusual for me, considering I can hardly eat anything on their menu). But I was already on my chosen course and didn't want to deviate. Before driving any further however, I spotted a roadblock at the stop light. It was actually construction work going on, and the road to take me to that organic mecca that is Whole Foods was closed. Taking it as a sign, I instead heading towards Zoe's.

Of course being me, I couldn't just walk into Zoe's and order something. I first had to park at Publix a few stores down, and go in searching for what edible delights they might be able to offer. If you've experienced my kooks around a mealtime, you'll have witnessed that in fact I honestly cannot just pick a dining venue and be done with it...I must seek out all my options first! Not surprisingly, there was nothing to be had at Publix, so I finally made my way into the overly crowded Brentwood location of Zoe's Kitchen to pick up something to go.

Unfortunately, they did not just sell sandwiches by themselves, so I was obliged to choose a bag of chips to accompany it. I walked out, food in hand, and headed back to the desk I had been perched at for hours already that day.

Fast forward to quitting time (finally!). Driving home, the traffic was more than averagely horrendous, and I was forced past my normal exit and had to go about 10 minutes out of the way. Getting off the interstate and approaching the stop light, I waited, along with many other tired commuters, for the light to change. That's when I noticed the bearded gentleman standing beside my car with a sign announcing he was a former Vet and in need of assistance.

I suddenly knew what all the detours of the day had been for! That unwanted bag of chips served it's purpose as I rolled down my window and gave the man some chips, a dollar, and a big smile. Thanks Lord, for little reminders that everything has a plan and purpose. Even those mundane tasks such as finding a place to grab a bite for lunch!

Will Plan...For Travel

Here I am, I'm pawning myself out. I have such a need to travel, explore, and research for my upcoming book that I am marketing myself to the general masses.

Have an upcoming trip you'd like help planning? I can do that!
Know of anyone that needs to book a vacation to Disney in the next year? Let me help!

Not even that, but I paint as well...have I mentioned this in the past? I believe I've said it a few times. I've decided that after our trip, when my head is full of information, my notebook full of ideas, and my fingers itching to get to work, I will keep them busy not just with pens but also with brushes. Hopefully the resulting paintings will be worthy of a spot on someone else's wall.

Jeremy and I both work in order to travel (and eat while on these travels!) But in order to explore, we gotta get some funds. Just last night we were discussing the inconvenience of money. Why must a flight cost so much? Isn't there a cheaper way to get across the pond?

If you come up with something creative (such as stowing ourselves on a shrimp boat or working our way across the water as Flamenco dancers on a cruise ship), send the ideas my way! I'm up for just about anything...somewhat ethical that is!

Boredom By Any Other Name...

...Is still boredom.

I contemplated the Shakespeare quote as I sat here trying to think of something to do at work. Juliet's musings of Romeo's name..."A rose by any other name is still a rose," made me realize that call it what you will, my boredom is not going to be resolved by finding something else to copy and file. I've checked out from this job mentally, having moved on to something a bit less tedious. What is that, you ask?

Well right now it's planning a trip to Europe! Shakespeare's words are even more appropriate with the realization that I'll be staying in a hotel next door to his birthplace for a portion of the trip. I can almost believe that with all that history and creativity seeping through the ancient walls, I'll only be able to speak in iambic pentameter and dream in visions of Midsummer Nights. Oh, how I love dwelling on things that revolve around new places, comfy hotel beds, and regional foods I haven't tried!

With less than 30 working days left here at the office, and an entire world awaiting me three days after that last Friday spent in boredom, I simply must research, plan and dream in the meantime!

CountDown to Freedom

Well, I finally did it - I put in my notice at my job! I was very nervous, simply because there's always that nagging feeling that I'm disappointing someone, but I gave them an ample 6 week time frame to find a replacement, so I'd say that it pretty fair! Only 33 working days to go and I'm a free woman - able to write as I please and not listen to the harpies that dwell under these bright, glaring lights.

Maybe that's a bit harsh - either way, I'm excited! I know that God has placed me in this exact moment, with the time left here at the office being spent growing in areas of patience, tolerance, and forgiveness! (Things that I am currently lacking in, anyway). Come on July!

Back From Wonderland

Our vacation in Disney was everything I had hoped it would be, as cliche as that sounds. I don't know if there could be a better traveling partner than Jeremy, who was genuinely excited about all the silly little things that I was...it was even HIS idea to ride It's a Small World! Rides aside (and there was plenty of time spent doing that), we lounged, explored, and ate more than our tummies could possibly endure.

Speaking of food, I'll be doing an in-depth food review on an online Disney forum. I'll post the link when I've gotten it up off the ground - for now, I'll just say that it was the most amazing dining experience I've had to date! And yes, I had those Mickey Waffles more than one morning of our stay - the chef even made them Vegan for me.

A Flood of Emotion, But Maybe Not the Right Kind

Everyone has been talking about the horrible weather, and the effecting results, the entire weekend and on into today. As I look at the photos online of all the wet wreckage, I can only wish there was something that could have been done. Since I live on top of a large hill, and on the third floor no less, I was completely uneffected. However, I think my emotions were effected because of that, as well.

Empathizing with someone means you can literally feel what it would be like to take someone's place. You feel the emotions they have and the pain and hassle they are going through. I honestly haven't experienced that. YES, I sympathize, but empathy is quite another emotion altogether. When natural disasters like this occur, and they turn up in the news at least once a year, I always watch with interest and horror. But it's a detached form of interest. I can't truly know what it feels like to lose something dear, have something I own torn to pieces, or what it's like to rescue what you can of your possessions. And for that I THANK GOD! Thank you Lord for sparing me so that I can be a blessing to others. Help me be a better servant of you and use my health and abilities to aid those that don't have them right now.

There are those of us full of compassion, and those that can organize those compassionate hearts and direct them in the best ways to accomplish something huge. Both are gifts in their own way. I want my chance to organize a change in something!

When No Means No

It all started with a very innocent thought. White and sugar coated, this thought was of the international cuisine and beverages I could consume by attending the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot this Fall. Only desiring to stay for a few days to stuff myself, be entertained and perhaps write a review for a few magazines, I had intentions of getting a very part time job to fund my Disney habit. Applications were sent to various bookstores, articles were submitted to various magazines, and all was met with resounding silence. Crickets really - nothing.

Last night I sat down and asked God what He was trying to show me. It was obvious from all the "no" responses I had been getting (not just from the part time gigs, but from interviews for full time positions, as well) that He really wanted to teach me something in all this. What He showed me was a repeat of almost two years ago. Giving up what I hold dear (control in this case) so that He can really birth a new work in me. This was also shown in October 2008, when I got a very clear message to quit my job and move to Colorado, which resulted in Jeremy and I getting married. This time, I'm not sure what all He has up His sleeve, but I do know He finally spoke to me after much prayer about the premise of my book-in-progress! So...on to planning, revising, and much outlining of future chapters. Scary, but so exciting!

A Taste of Wonderland

Over at A Taste of Wonderland, things are getting off to a decent start! As an update, my post Have it Your Way - The Disney Way, was accepted into the Disney Blog Carnival that a Disney community of writers hosted. I was excited, and will be submitting another article to them on May 1st. I'll keep you posted if I make it in round two, as well.

Please take a moment to check things out over in Wonderland, and if you have anything to add, please comment! I always love to hear thoughts other than my own.

What's Your Kind of "Page Turner?"

What do you want to read about when you come across a blog, whether you're subscribed to it and check it daily, or you wandered in for the first time because of a catchy title? Personally, I enjoy reading about books, food, and subjects in literature ranging from fairytales to gritty, nonfiction accounts of the real world.

I love hearing someone's perspective on world issues that they are passionate about...to an extent. Yes, I want to hear what PETA's up to, as well as what Youth With a Mission's latest project happens to be. What I don't want to hear is someone stating as fact something they've only heard through the grapevine or from some rumor-mill website they thought was accurate. A perfect example; I do not want to hear that Olive Oil puts toxins in your body if you cook with it. That is a completely false statement, yet I've read this on more than one "health" blog recently. Needing to find out the facts for myself, I found a scientific website that proves that cooking with olive oil at 350 or less is not only harmless, but healthy for you. Healthy people have been doing it for thousands of years!

Enough of my rambling though, what does a reader love in a blog? What makes you, being that reader, come back for more? Inquiring minds long to know.

Order Up!

After countless revisions and an attempt to come up with an introductory sentence that wasn't too big or too small but JUST right, I finally hit send on the email to Travel and Leisure. I then said a big prayer that the email would make it to the best pair of eyes possible without going into someone's trash box immediately. The scariest part of giving your ideas to a total stranger is that there's the liklihood of never getting a response, or worse still having them explain why you actually suck and should flip burgers for a living. At least, those were the nightmares running through my head all night as I tossed and turned.

Today I haven't heard anything. I have to learn to let things roll off my back and keep coming up with ideas that will one day sell. Of course, I sent these emails last night to large publications notorious for taking weeks to respond to anyone, much less someone they haven't worked with before. Waiting with baited breath is too hard when you run out of oxygen and everything begins to get hazy. Time to just breath, relax, and keep writing.

A New Addition to the Family

I love writing, which is perhaps why I blog on a somewhat consistent basis. I also love that occasionally I discover someone that finds me worth reading and will take my ponderings and come back with a comment of their own. It is for this reason that I've decided to create an additional blog - one that centers on something other than myself.

As you know, I freely give my opinion and will continue doing this and giving my "well-thoughts" right here. But when I began to analyze the blogs that I myself follow, it wasn't someone's personal blog unless I knew them personally, also. More often, it was something related to topics I was interested in. This ultimately consisted of food, restaurants, healthy food, not so healthy desserts, and Disney. With that in mind and every finger itching to start a new project, I launched a not so personal blog that will be related to just those things.

Entitled A Taste of Wonderland, I hope to be able to give people a little bit of what I've gathered from other's blogs - information I didn't know before, on topics I want to know MUCH more about. I will be writing the first article this weekend in the hopes of submitting to a Disney Blog Carnival where it will hopefully be featured among other's of similar topics. Wish me Luck! I'll keep you posted.

It's Gonna Be a Good Friday

With the day off tomorrow and the promise of warm breezes and clear skies, I'm preparing myself to spend the day outside writing. Now that I have a clear idea of the story I want to tell (or at least, more clear than it's been in awhile), I'm getting excited to finish the outline so that I have something complete to pitch to my literary agent. God has been revealing a few things to me about what direction to go in and what type of characters to include, but coming up with the details it takes to jot down thousands of words is a massive undertaking. But one that I am ready to begin!

Nothing is more inspiring than an outdoor cafe, watching the many varieties of people come and go, each with stories of their own I'll never get to hear, but can easily imagine. In some people I can almost visibly see the cartoonish conversation bubbles above their head, allowing a glimpse of what's on their mind at the time. In others though, they seem like a blank slate, allowing me to take some creative liberties and insert my own bubble over them. Tomorrow I'll take notes of this kind, and will assume that someone like myself is most likely doing the same to me - although since I pretty much wear my emotions on my sleeve, no matter the outfit, they'll have an idea what's going on in my head. Tomorrow will be full of joy, but also rich with intense concentration.

Rolling out the Red Carpet at Whole Foods

Hungry and in a rush to grab some groceries and dinner on Sunday night, I parked at the grocery store and began trekking across the parking deck behind a very European-looking couple that was taking their time, holding hands and being very affectionate with one another. Both were wearing dark colors, he in a denim jacket and biker boots, and she in a turtleneck, skinny jeans and combats. Just as the doors opened to welcome us into the edible dream that is Whole Foods, I overheard the guy say something with an Australian accent, immediately making my ears perk up and my curiosity peak. I had a good inclination who this couple could be at that point, but needed to make sure - so I followed them to the bakery/candy aisle (needing a few items from this section anyway, I couldn't be labeled as a full fledged stalker). At this point I was certain that I was in the precense of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. I've spotted him in other Nashville locations and really didn't have an interest, but this was my first encounter with her. Having been a big fan since her Far and Away days, I couldn't help but take in the radiance of her skin and feel a pang of jealousy at what daily spa visits can do.

They quickly left that aisle (he wanted Easter candy, while she looked around seemingly uninterested) and headed to the prepared foods and hot bar area. As luck would have it, I was getting dinner for Jeremy and myself, so I mentally took notes of what she was grabbing as I laddled my own food and picked out a few things for Jeremy. Just as I was grabbing the tongs to get some chicken wings for him, Mr. Urban walked up beside me to read the labels on those same wings. Nicole walked up at the same instance and stood on my other side, and both talked above my head about the selections they had to choose from. I silently prayed she wouldn't think the sticky glazed bird limbs were mine as I stole a glance at her bowl and noticed it was spilling over with colorful vegetables and not a drop of sauce.

Very soon though, I had had my fill of celebrity, so I grabbed a cart to continue my shopping and check off the items on my page-long list of ingredients for the week ahead's meals. The experience was fun, but I was ready to get on with life and back to my hungry partner.

Good Things Take Time...and Many Ingredients

I've begun a lifestyle change of sorts where my eating habits are concerned. Included in this, I've stocked up on organic produce, haven't had any dairy or red meat, and I'm actually turning on my oven. Typically, we either eat out or pick up food from a restaurant at least 5 times a week, but this week marks a huge change in our house. It's not really even a matter of finances, but more the contents of the food that has me whipping out the cookbooks from now on. I've already noticed a pretty significant difference in just a few days of bringing loads of veggies for lunch, fruit to snack on, and protein bars to keep me energized....picture a child that has had too much sugar on a long car ride, and you'll get a picture of me right before I can leave work in the afternoons.

Tonight I'm making roasted artichokes and butternut squash with some balsamic chicken. However, what I had thought would be pretty straight forward and simple has become a bit more daunting as I've looked over the instructions from the recipes I've found. Who knew that an artichoke had to be clipped before preparing? I'm up to the challenge however, if for no other reason than I've loved springing out of bed for Yoga in the mornings without the typical groan escaping out of me (quite as much).

We're All Mad Here

What makes someone odd isn't a particular way of dressing or hair styling. It isn't a certain mannerism or way of speaking. What makes someone odd is simply not being like those around them, no matter what the majority of the people look or act like. I thought about this today as I drove down the road and observed the flightless birds that were jogging by my car (Oh wait those stick figures are women, oblivious to the fact that the world is meant to live with food involved). Then there was the enormous man smoking an even bigger cigar, who sped through a red light driving a...Mini Cooper. So large was he, his stogie, and his inflated ego that he had to roll his window down and hang half his body outside. Turns out though, he wasn't odd either. I was the odd observer in this culture of less is more where food is concerned, and more is more in regards to status, price tag, and self consumption.

Today I'm loving my self. I want to be odd, quirky, and different when it comes to the normal ways of our media driven, money hungry culture. I'll be a vegan or a carnivore only to please myself and my health, and I'll only buy according to what makes me and my little family happy. Thank you Lord, for making me as Mad as a Hatter!

Preventative Measures

At my office, each person is allotted a certain amount of PTO days (paid time off) which rolls all vacation, sick, and personal time off of work into one lump sum to be taken at your whim. Unfortunately, what this has meant for me in the last week is that I've caught whatever vile sickness has been passed around from person to person for the past month. No one wants to waste their time off being sick, so they drag in their infestations, allowing it to cover all surfaces and contaminate everyone else. It's spreading like wildfire, and I'm just now getting over it myself.

Today I was asked if I was on antibiotics - I'm sure the person questioning me was trying to assess whether they would be the next victim. Unfortunately for them, I've decided that I'm coming to work with only Dayquil in my system, not wanting to waste any precious PTO days inside when I could have spent it at the beach later this year. A smart boss would stop this madness by quarantining the less than healthy employees until any trace of the cold virus was gone. Unfortunately, it's continuing to latch on to unsuspecting victims.

Fairie Tales and Pitchers of Ale

I've begun my campaign early for a St. Patrick's Day trip to the far away land of Leprechauns and limericks within the next few years. Surely if I can save up a bit here and there (not counting my other planned getaways between now and then) I can be wisked off to Ireland where St. Patrick's Day is more like Independence Day, not just an excuse to drink yourself into a state of oblivion.

After our recent trip to Dublin for our honeymoon, I didn't want to leave. Everyone we met was a friendly face with sound advice, all of our meals were full of flavor, and our castle hotel was one of the most memorable parts of our entire trip.

Now, I'm going to go ahead and discuss the upcoming trip as if it is destined to happen; that way maybe I'll wish it into existence! WHEN we go, I would like to stay in a smaller area of Ireland and tour the countryside, exploring ancient ruins and green fields as far as the eye can see. I know I'll spot a pot of gold while there, but that may just be my own savings I've taken with me, ready to spend!

Sounds Like Irony

There's no point in discussing the pains I went through this morning when getting up to go into the office after a few days of vacation time. Everyone goes through it - we could all sing the same sad song. The boredom that ensued once I sat at my desk and switched on the computer (even though I had countless emails and a pile of paper yet to be filed sitting under my nose) is yet another verse in that same tune. What I didn't count on was the silence that screamed at me for hours on end, never even pausing to take a breath. It seemed to hum into my ear like a hummingbird, flapping its wings at an unimaginable speed as it hovered above my head. It's still there in fact; never tiring, never wavering from its post.

What struck me as amusing was the moment I logged onto my blog account to begin writing something for the day. Without a theme in mind, I scanned over last week's posts only to discover the most recent topic about the harmony that a combination of friends, drinks, and music can create. From the glow of that evening a few nights ago, to the glare of the day that still lies in wait for me here, I realize that sometimes you really can hear time stopping. But it allows you to pay closer attention to the soft whisper of opportunities yet to come.

The Sounds of Relaxation

There's a certain sound when an instrument is played - a pulling at the strings that is a combination of both good tuning and fingernails - it has inspired our small party to sing, laugh, write, think. After this noise invariably comes the pop of a cork from a just-opened wine bottle - more laughter, feet tapping on wooden floors, and the welcome sound of food sizzling on the grill. Freedom comes in many forms, but tonight the warm lights from candles and the distant sound of surf meeting sand makes me realize just how at home I feel while at the beach - and just how much I would do to make this a permanent reality for me. Vacations are wonderful at digging up those buried feelings and putting them under your nose, making you smell the salty desire you hadn't realized was so strong; creating in you a deep desperation to not only watch the sun set, but to watch it rise and perform that ritual for more than a long weekend. The sun is at its most radiant when it can see its reflection through an ocean.