Halloween

I’m not a big fan of Halloween. Don’t get me wrong, I love candy. I love being hospitable to people, even if it is just opening a door and handing out candy that I didn’t snarf down. And I sure do love pumpkins, although they are synonymous with Halloween AND Thanksgiving 😉

I guess I just don’t enjoy the holiday like I did as a child.

The last time I actually participated in Halloween (dressing up and getting candy) was as a 13-year old in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. I was Dorothy Gale (because duh, it’s my favorite movie) and I had made the entire costume down to the sparkly red heels. It was a magical night and although I passed quite a few other Dorothy’s, people kept commenting on my dress saying it was “perfect!” and “great!” and that they loved my shoes. I felt super special, not going to lie.

In the nine years since then, I haven’t really done much to acknowledge the holiday other than eat copious amounts of candy and admire/mock/judge people’s costumes from afar.

In high school I would stay at home and hand out candy and watch old scary movies on Turner Classic Movies.

An Afternoon in Central Park

Did I catch you off guard with that title? Were you thinking perhaps I was magically in New York City perusing the sidewalks of THE Central Park? Sorry for the befuddlement 😉

Durham Central Park

No, I’m talking about the Durham Central Park. Home of the Durham Farmer’s Market, various Food Truck Rodeos, and there’s even a skate little park!

The only times I had ever really been to this area of downtown was for the Farmer’s Markets this past summer. Sure, I had photographed the “Durham Central Park” painting on the brick (that I adore), but I had never walked around without a purpose (like trying to find which stand was selling the most colorful flowers/tomatoes/peppers!). Actually, that’s a semi-lie: there was a purpose in going downtown on Friday… it involved fulfilling a requirement for AmeriCorps but that’s another story.

Slow Sundays

I don’t know what it is about Sundays, but I always feel depressed on Sundays. 

I never want to get out of bed, and even when I do, I feel so lazy and out of it. I hardly ever am productive and I really dislike it. A few reasons why I think Sundays are so hard for me:

– I (sometimes) go to a huge church where I’m a nobody. In some ways, I like it… I like the anonymity of it… sitting by myself and listening to God without having to listen to friends chatter back and forth during the service. Being able to focus on Him the whole drive there and back and really pouring out my heart in that time alone. But some Sunday mornings, like today, I just don’t want to get out of bed and go to be alone in that big place. Some Sundays, I don’t want to blend into the crowd… I want to go to a place where people know me and want to get to know me. I want to be recognized and waved at and sat with at church. And that doesn’t happen currently.

Friday Favorites

It’s that time again, folks. FRIDAY. And you know what that means… random links from around the globe Internet that I wanted to share! Get ready to rumble! Or rock-n-roll. Or read…

Did you know the capybara is the world’s largest rodent? Yeah, fact of the day!

I tried this Lightened Up Butternut Skillet Shells from How Sweet it is, and I am officially in love with butternut squash. Sure, peeling and cutting it was a bear, but the hearty, fall-y flavor was worth it. So good!

“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak was adapted for the stage in Chicago. I read half the book a few years ago, and really enjoyed the unique point of view and storyline.

Emily Loerke from Today’s Letters posted about camping & hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome. I really want to be her friend. Looks like such fun!

I found out about Threads of Hope, whose goal is to “break the cycle of poverty through strategies that empower the economically disadvantaged.” I just love the concept of helping people in other countries!

Meet Lucius

I love introducing people to “new” music. Take for example my posts about Milo Greene, Of Monsters and Men, my Durham Bulls soundtrack, and the random recent favorite tunes post. And you may remember how I simply love live music. It moves me. Despite the fact that I have zero musical talent (besides the fact that I can play a few songs like Fur Elise on the piano, and sing loudly in my car), music captivates me.

Call me a nerd, but I love music. Hardly a moment of my day goes by without something playing in the background of my day-to-day activities. And whether it’s classical (WCPE, what’s up?!), a youtube playlist, trying out new albums & artists on Spotify, or listening to beloved tunes on iTunes, I seem to be surrounded by music for most of the day.

My love of music is ever-growing, too, and that’s something I love. I’m not one of those people tied to any genre or era of music… I’m constantly on the look out for new groups, artists, musicians, tunes to listen to. (So send any suggestions my way!)

Just last week, I discovered yet another group. They fall into the Indie category, which I am learning to enjoy more and more.

Meet : Lucius.

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The Visitation

A week after the fact and I decided to post what I typed last Tuesday night after the visitation for my aunt.

(I got home around 10pm last Tuesday, took a hot bath and had a good weep, hopped into bed and started typing until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer)

Let me just say that I hope I never ever lose a loved one again (impossible, I know)… because I would be a wreck. I was a wreck last week and it was just my aunt. I can’t imagine having to bury anyone closer to me…my mother, father, brother, grandparents…

I guess I’m sharing this somewhat personal post to give you a glimpse into my Tuesday last week. It was rough and although I don’t want to relive it anytime soon, I want to remember what it was like. And I apologize in advance for my scattered thoughts.

—–

Tonight was so hard.

NC State Fair 2012

Fall means it’s time for the North Carolina State Fair!

I hadn’t been to the fair since high school, so this year was a big treat. I used to go every year as a kid, begging my parents to buy a bag of cotton candy, or a caramel apple with nuts. Pleading with them to let me play a cheesy fun game, and ride a sketchy cool ride. The State Fair meant I would spend all of my allowance in one place, hoping to find the best rides and games.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate the fair for other reasons, namely fried food & people watching. It’s true, those are the reasons I go. Judge away 😉

There couldn’t have been better weather on Saturday for the Fair… it was sunny and in the 70s, yet chilly enough to wear a light jacket. Of course the perfect weather and weekend day brought lots of people out, and the crowd was somewhat overwhelming at times.

Every year, there’s a record crowd at the State Fair, and this year was no different. Since October 11th, roughly 726,000 people had passed through the gates, and although total attendance was under 1 million, it was still a record crowd.

Since I’m a huge nerd, I really enjoy looking at all the exhibits. From decorated cakes to elementary kids’ paintings, from ribbon-winning rabbits to showcases of NC agriculture, I like it all! This year, my friend and I perused the exhibits, pet some animals, ate lots of food, and watched a pig race. We felt like kids and were totally fine with it!

I think the State Fair brings out the kid in all of us.

An NC Fall

Dearest NC Fall,

I must admit that although I am sad to see the days of shorts, tank-tops and sandals go, a North Carolina fall is my favorite. Not too warm, not too cold… just right!

The arrival of your crispy air beckons me to the mountains, where I think your beauty is most evident. Hillsides covered in shades of red, yellow, orange, are one of the things I love most about your season. Who wants to road-trip to the mountains with me soon?

Already, your vibrant, warm colors can be seen on the trees and sidewalks,