Sitting in my car while Miranda carried the conversation it seemed as though someone blew a dandelion puffs behind me.

The peices of the puff danced on my windsheild as if they could hear the meldoy inside the car. I couldnt remember the last time I blew a puff of dandelion, which I think is just as important as anything that we find important in a day.

When things are making me down I don’t want to record them. Putting things into writing gives them a little too much residency that I don’t want to give them. These past couple of weeks just been hard for a various of different reasons. I have written when I have been down before, but nothing I wish exploring on here. Which is just a long explanation why there has been a lack of updating here in a while. Not to say things have to get 100% better before I post again, I just cant seem to put things a side to write. I got to finish watching Narina this past week with the facts about CS Lewis turned on. CS Lewis’ writing is always an inspiration to use whatever creative gifts God has given you. So I hope to stop stuffing those soon and live life, whether a good or bad day with some form of creativeness given to His glory. Its been too long since I have done that.

Apparently I have now have a reputation to take photos of the things I cook. I don’t cook as often as I wish so maybe I’m a little to proud of when something turns out really good. Like my Easter dinner I cooked for my family last night. My most prized piece was the tart that I was worried during the filling making part I had somehow screwed up. But I didn’t and it turned out wonderfully. I’m eating a leftover piece of it as I type. You just get to enjoy a picture (the rest of the Easter dinner can be found at flickr .)

I just found one of the coolest stores on the internet. Its called Koo de Kir . Here are just a few of the items I want from it:

Have I made you a fan too? (Im seriously considering the tea pot and cups. Goes too well with my red kitchen don’t ya think?)

Apparently the weather reads my blog. It rained today instead of being sunny, even though I did say Easter afternoon is when I was going to spend time in the sun with a book. Still was enjoying this lovely weather but of course it rained on my sunny parade (pun intended).

I wrote my last post to turn to my frustrations (there was a pile of them last night, some still remain) to something no so consequential (or something that cant flight back). I read my current book “Cooking with Mr. Latte” to cheer myself up a bit. My mom asked if Id cook Easter dinner since she has to work I don’t. I’d said I would. Discussing the menu last night turned into a very frustrating conversation that had me close to just not wanting to do it at all (Lovely attitude, I know). As silly as this is, the book helped take me to a better cooking place. Love the comfort that books can bring me; even in the smallest ways.

On my way to work this morning I put in Andrew Peterson’s news offering “Appendix A” (demos and remixes and live songs). It started off with one my favorite of his songs “Land of the Free” and when it gets to the part of the song where it goes “because I’m feeling pretty good in Tennessee” then it brakes off to clips of different recordings of Andy singing the different towns he had played that song live in. He said “becasue Im feeling pretty good in Tuscaloosa” and tears swelled up in my eyes. I’ve been missing what part of my heart calls home lately, more so the relationships I dearly miss. Just hearing the name had me on the edge of tears, bringing feelings forward I didn’t know I had. Then I went on to listen to “The Things About Airplanes” to which the line “I’m sitting next to this over dressed man but I only want to be sitting next to you” and I think about how I miss Jason. Then my thoughts carried to my dad had mention wanting to listen to this new cd (he’s Andrew Peterson’s newest biggest fan) and how he doesn’t get to take plane trips with his new job. His new job is different of course (whole sale vs retail) but it doesn’t seem to be liking it as much as any of us thought. And my mom had to get a part time job too because of the pay cut. I think of the changes my family has had to go through the past few months and how this are still adjusting. My mom probably would of been a bit more understanding with my suggestions of dinner items. Most of her arguments about not sticking to traditional dishes was the practicality of the costs and dishes. She’s more tired with a job on her feet all day, making it very different to come home to a well rested mom instead of the calm housewife. I’m in tears trying to pull myself together before I reach my parking lot having to head into work. But I’m thankful for the tears because I don’t know if I would known of my feelings without them. Lets just hope Andy doesn’t make me cry every time I listen to his cd or else I’m just gonna be a teary mess.

Spring break is in full bloom here in sunny San Diego. Its as if the weather knows the spring break for many schools is this week and its being perfect beach weather. Why did it not know when I went to North Carolina during the chilly months and give me the snow I so desperately wanted? No, I will not get over lack of snow. Weather will listen to the cries of frat-brats spring break sunny weather pleas but leaves my cries unanswered. But that’s not to say I’m ungrateful for this sunny weather. When I was in downtown San Diego on Tuesday my arms got a little pink color to them. First time my skin has spent that long of quality time with the sun. Everyday when I have left work I’ve wanted to sit outside with a tank top and board shorts reading a book while soaking up this lovely sun. I think my pink arms were telling me to stay away from the sun just a little bit while they heal from the pinkness. Oh but what was I doing in San Diego you are wondering a couple of moments ago? I was visiting the USS Midway with the youth group. I was a bit worried to what kids on spring break would think of a naval ship tour, maybe a little too educational for their break from school but they seemed to love it. Anything that’s historical I usually can find something to get excited about. I’m not a military person (mainly because I can never marry one. I cant handle someone going away for that long time. This coming from the girl who’s in a LDR, I know) or have a military family or anything of that sort. But for part of the time we had a tour guide who actually served on the USS Midway and he had great stories to tell as he walked through the island (aka the tower on the ship). Of course I took lots of pictures but they are in the process of being developed but will be posted on flickr shortly after I get them. All of this say is that I have only two more days till my day off (and easter. yay for easter.) that maybe by then my arms will no longer be pink and I can enjoy a book in the afternoon after sunrise service but before cooking easter dinner while ignoring the weather (using it just for its sun doesn’t mean I like it).

Dear Kari,

Thank you very much for giving me the gift of Miranda Stone’s music. It hasnt left my car’s cd player since I put it in. Love her song writing and the music is just wonderful. I look forward to knowing her words soon and singing along with her in my car as Im driving down the road. Miranda is our kind of girl, I can tell.

Love,
Alisa

Its been what, a week now? A week to get used to the day light lasting a little bit longer with pushing the hours ahead one hour. Every year it just takes me a while to get back into the swing of things. Its the worst “jet-lag” feeling I’ve had, without getting to go anywhere. I’ve been tired all week and working early mornings which probably doesn’t help any. I don’t like spring forward at all; I want my hour of sleep back. I don’t get anymore done with the sun being “out” an hour longer than it did before. Bottom line I’m just tired of being tired. Alright, now that’s off my chest, I’m going to go clean out part of my closet.

Carla and I have a moving blog. Add to your feeds or bookmarks and comment often.

Venti Adventures

Finally got around to reading “If You Can See Me Now” by Cecelia Ahern. I have been a fan of this author ever since judging her book “P.S. I love You” by its cover in Costco. I still love her first as my favorite of the three she has written but I enjoyed “If You Can See Me Now” more than “Rosie Dunn” (which has now been renamed to “Love, Rosie”).

“If You Can See Me Now” is about Elizabeth who has taken over the role of parent to her 6 year old nephew. And I’m realized giving a summary of this book would give a way things Id want you to find out for yourself from reading it, so no summary but just know, I stayed up one too many nights reading this book.

What I like most about Cecelia’s characters is how relatable they are. Elizabeth is lonely, has past things to deal with and understand herself. You grow to care for her and the other main characters in the book, which I believe is what causes the not wanting to put the book down at night problem.

So if I was giving stars, I would give this book a 4 probably. Its different than other fiction books when it comes to a storyline. The storyline traveled quite nicely. Main characters were great and personable. It was an easy read, could of sit down in an afternoon and read it, which is only its chick-lit type feature. If you have yet to check out Cecelia’s work, this book would be a great one to read. But then again I’m wanting to reread “PS I Love You” after this.

I remembering sitting in Red Lobster with my parents. I don’t believe we got lobster or why that was the restaurant I had chosen, but I remember what we talked about. My parents where giving me what has been known in the Christian circle as a “purity ring”. It was a small silver ring my mom and I had picked out at the Christian bookstore a few weeks back for this night. My mom had typed out on pretty paper a commitment to go along with the ring. The understand of what purity means in God’s eyes, what the symbol of this ring was to me and how it can be a helpful reminder to me. I was thirteen and three years away from the legal age (according to my parents) that I was allowed to entertain young men as boyfriends. Safer to get before me those silly week long or summer camp romantics turned into something real I suppose.

Getting a purity ring seemed to be the thing to do in my youth group. I remember being one or the first in my circle of friends. We had the same ring and it was a topic in the youth group. Our small group leader would ask us how we are sticking to our commitments, which for most of us was rather easy since we weren’t allowed to date. After the hype of it fell, I remember wanting a new ring. Not because I didn’t like the one I had or had changed my mind on this whole purity thing. With so many of my friends “into it” and having the same ring, some of what made it special was gone to me. I don’t remember when exactly, but I bought myself a new ring (my parents were only willing to pay for one that they thought was the first was still just as good) and sealed the deal again with a Frappuncino (I was like 14, the right age for drinking a Frappuncino). Somewhere over the years, I lost that ring I had bough, probably because it was a 6 and way too big for my finger but was that was the only size they had. So, in high school I searched again for the right size and a fitting ring for me. My original purity ring sat (and still sits) in my small jewelry box too small for my finger. It wasn’t till I was near the end of high school or out of it I found a circle of hearts I wanted as my third purity ring (sounds so wrong). It was again a little big, so it stayed on my middle finger to help not lose it. And I still to this day have it, but a couple of days ago it had to be taken off my finger.

This past week when I was at work in the afternoon I was doing a very common afternoon cleaning of the cold beverage station. Part of that is moving the blender, cleaning behind and under and the actual blender. Well, when I was putting the blender down from moving it, slammed down on my finger. I saw it happened but I didn’t feel anything but then my finger started to feel tighter. I realized my ring had caught the blow instead of my finger. But being not the most expensive ring, it smashed into a flat shape cutting off the flow to my finger. I started to pull it off and reshape it so it wouldn’t hurt, but it wouldn’t move. It started to hurt and turn my finger colors and panic started to come over me. I tell my manager what is happening and she says “just put butter on it and it will slide right off”. I put butter all over it, which didn’t make it budge at all. My finger,now covered in butter, has now turned to a dark shade of red/purple color. I ask my manger for something, anything to get this off my finger. She finally finds a pair of pliers and squished back into a circle shape and off my finger it came. One of my coworkers, totally oblivious to my panic asked why my finger was all red. His reply? “I hope it wasn’t a ring you really liked” I told him “Well, I did like the ring, but I like my finger more.”

So here I am once again without a purity ring. Wonder if workman’s comp covers such things?

A handful of you know this already, but it’s officially official (I told my boss) in June, I’m moving to North Carolina. I can hear the gasps of excitement or maybe that’s just me. The Shearer’s have of offered me a room in their lovely home in McLeansville, NC (right outside of Greensboro). It also comes with a doggie named Biscoe and a cat named Marissa whom both seem to approve of me in their home. I’ve talked with a Starbucks manager in Greensboro about transferring to their store. Apparently Greensboro is the place to be when it comes to the Starbucks world. They just opened a new one and plan on opening two more with in the year, so they will need experience partners. I’m still church “shopping” but I enjoyed a Sunday at Grace Community Church and would like to try it again. It was fun to start thinking of this place my new home and starting my new life there with connections of a house, work and church.

It’s been less than a week since I have returned from North Carolina and I still have bells on from moving. I know myself though, the more days that go on here I will return to really enjoying life here. Too keep my excitement alive Carla and I have already started plot- I mean planning out trip together across the country (Tuscaloosa Twosome Does America). Some of you remember when I moved to Alabama, Carla and I had an audio blog . We plan on doing that again, with even more updates than before. Planning this trip keeps the excitement going in my big move in June. I will start typing up on a calendar my packing plan (Im going to turn into Monica) which all will be on my moving blog which will be coming soon.

So theres the news and whats been going on with me.

So, tonight is daylight savings right? Set the clocks ahead an hour. Check. And who gets to open her store in the morning? Ohhh yeah that’s ME! 4am is gonna come really quickly…