haphazard musings

Lindsay, Lindsay

quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Well, I think its confused.

Whoops, not that kind of garden.  That is just the beautiful bouquet my hubby got for my birthday.

But this kind of garden.

That darn garden did almost nothing this year.  There's no explaining it really.  Last year it grew like crazy.  We had more veggies than we knew what to do with.

This year, not too much came from it.  We even planted mostly the same thing.

Then all sudden, October hit and it started growing.  And growing.

We got quite a haul last night.

None of the big tomatoes grew.  Only cherry tomatoes, pounds and pounds.

The only other thing the garden grew was beautiful sunflowers.

The walkie-talkie

So funny story.

At Judgement House at our church I have been serving in the registration area.  You know the part where people check in and then we send them out with a guide and a couple prayer walkers to encounter the Gospel in a whole new way.

(That's not the funny part, don't worry.)

I am in charge of getting the groups out the door on time, but not too early.  Its a very precise thing - right on time.

So in order for me to complete this job to the best of my ability, I have been given a walkie talkie.

At first, I just carried it around on my pocket.  But as we found out, the activity center (aka Gym) at Grace is fortified like a bomb shelter.  Seriously, the walls in that place are like 2 feet of reinforced concrete...well, they might not be anything of the sort, but they sure hinder the inner workings of my walkie-talkie.

So they gave me an ear piece. 

Now I not only can't hear whoever is on the other side of the walkie talkie, I also have to look like a dork while not hearing what the other person is saying.

The worst part of it is, 80% of the information carried over the radio is not for me.  So I have to use my internal filter to decide what's for me and what's not.

Newsflash: My internal filter doesn't work.  At all.  Ever.

I can be talking to the person right in front of me, and then unbeknownst to them, I totally check out.  Then my eyes kind of glaze over and I begin looking up at the ceiling like I am trying to remember my lines.

Its like having a million little people inside my head trying to confuse me.  

Sidebar: Ryan thinks this is true of me all the time....

So in light of my new ear piece and walkie-talkie carrying self, my friend Jill share this video with me.  This happens to be the most hilarious guy - Brian Regan.

  

In case you aren't yet convinced of his hilarity, please check out this clip as well (sorry about the weird intro music).

 

Thanks for reading "kirschhhhhh"

Over and out.

KIRSHHHHH.

Love it...Hate it.

As I am reading other blogs, I am often inspired to start a series of posts.  Sometimes they stick and sometimes they don't.

Perhaps this will be one of the times that it will stick.   I think I like the topic.  Its all about me and whether I love something or I hate it. 

So in light of today's pessimistic attitude (hey - it happens sometimes), I am starting with Hate it.

Today I was in class, it had been a bit of a rough day, and I was maybe not thinking as clearly as I should have been, but I chose to speak up nonetheless. 

I love the word nonetheless because you actually combine three words all together and all the sudden sound more intelligent than before.

Anyway, I said my piece and the professor basically looked at me and said, and I quote, "huh."

"Huh."  That's it. 

Then she asked the class, "Does anyone have more to add to that or other related thoughts?"

What followed?

Nothing.

Silence for what felt like eons. 

Apparently no one else got that at all.

This happens to me a lot.  My professor even commented on my paper, "Your reading is nuanced (meaning a difference in) and interesting."

I have yet to determine if that is good or bad...

Hate it.

Oh well, my test went well, and no one laughed out loud.  So all it all it wasn't so bad.

Good night and good riddance to this not so great Monday.

oh the smell...

... do you smell it?

It's the smell of cold weather.

Do you know what that smells like?

You can only smell it on those really crisp mornings.  I have smelled it once this year.  Just once.  But it was good.

I love the cold weather.

I love cold weather clothes.

Its barely started here. (I watched the forecast this morning and they are saying by the end of next week it will be highs in the 50s!) 

The leaves are mostly still green.  But the early ones are beginning to go!  

My favorite time of year.

 

This is the best tree.  But I had to snap it through the car window...sorry.  Go check it out.  Its on Main Street in North Newton.  There is a whole block of them.

And next time you venture outside in the early morning, take a deep breath.  

Breathe it in.  The goodness of fall and the perfectness that is God's amazing creation.

 

Bowling

Bowling - a weird word and a weird sport (I should confess, I have a hard time calling it a "sport."  Shouldn't a sport involve running of some kind? Moving on.)

Well, not moving on too far, because I wonder why we call it bowling.  There is no bowl involved.

But if there was, I would like this one sometime, in Shamrock please.

 

So back to the story.  

Now bowling has become a big deal in the MacAdam famlily.

Now lest you be confused, please note: my maiden name is MacAdam.  So in the future please keep in this in mind. : )

In order to enlighten you about how big a deal bowling is here are some fun facts.   

1. Three out of the five in attendance own their own bowling ball.

Back right, Mom, right front, Dad, left front, Ryan.

2.  Two out of five, own their own bowling shoes, and they don't look like this.

3.  4 out of 5 are outrageously competitive even though they have only bowled once in the last 12 months.

Except for Mom, who has recently joined a bowling league, can't you tell?

Sorry mom, I couldn't resist.  Love you!

Ryan worked specifically on his form.  Check that out!

Did you notice that the picture of Mom and Ryan is exactly the same, just from the other side?  Interesting how from one side it looks like great form and the other side looks totally off-balance.

4.  1 out of 5 doesn't allow photos.  So, he gets a picture of a bad ball.

5.  One out of 5 was in good spirits throughout the competition.

This was her ball.  They were like one unit.  

They had a mutual understanding: I will be gentle if every once in a while you knock down some pins.  

And the little ball that could, did.  

In the 10th frame on the last game, she got a strike and got another chance.  Then she got a strike again.  Then she got eight more.

And that one person who was completely uncompetitive, who made everyone else crazy with her nonchalance, got a 127 and took second place.

So take that!

So much for the uncompetitive spirit. :) 

And to end the celebration, a birthday gift from the kids a massage to help the big 65 year old to recuperate from a big day of activity!

Happy birthday, Dad (even though it was 3 weeks ago).

 

 

 

 

I am loving

Netflix.

It has opened a whole new world of movies to me.  

You know ones that were made before 1995.

And let me tell you there are some seriously wonderful films made back then.  If you need further recommendations, let me know.  I am compiling a list. : )

After you watch the one this post is about, your next should be "Singing in the Rain" with Gene Kelly.  Its perfect in a completely different way than this one.  But definitely worth its weight in gold.

I recently watched "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner".

Its staring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, & Sidney Poitier.

Have you seen it?

No? 

Well you should.

source.

That's the original poster.

Anyway, its about Joey (the daughter of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy) brings home to her very liberal parents her fiancée Sidney Poitier.

It was released in 1967.  It is a movie that really addresses the relevant issues at the time.  When it was in production, it was illegal in 14 states for a black person to marry a white person.  I love that it asks you to think about the issue yourself and make a judgement.  

So interesting.

Its also important to note the topic is still pretty relevant.  Don't you think?

One of the best speeches ever in the last 10 minutes or so.  Spencer Tracy was perfect.

At one point Katharine Hepburn's character says:

[to her assistant, Hilary, in the driveway] Now I have some instructions for you. I want you to go straight back to the gallery - Start your motor - When you get to the gallery tell Jennifer that she will be looking after things temporarily, she's to give me a ring if there's anything she can't deal with herself. Then go into the office, and make out a check, for "cash," for the sum of $5,000. Then carefully, but carefully Hilary, remove absolutely everything that might subsequently remind me that you had ever been there, including that yellow thing with the blue bulbs which you have such an affection for. Then take the check, for $5,000, which I feel you deserve, and get - permanently - lost. It's not that I don't want to know you, Hilary - although I don't - it's just that I'm afraid we're not really the sort of people that you can afford to be associated with.  

[Hilary opens her mouth to say something] 
Don't speak, Hilary, just... go.

source.

Perfect really.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it - rent it.  I will even loan you my netflix copy if you need it!

 

Can you even call ...

... it football when your team loses by a ton and basically had like 100 offensive yards total?

Last week, Ryan and I went to the K-State/Nebraska game.

How'd it go you ask?

NOT GOOD. (In case you live under a rock and didn't hear or read, k-state got smoked.)

We still had a great time visiting with Ryan's family. (even if a few were a little confused about the right team to cheer for.)

We even got some Nebraska folks to play the Wabash.

We drank a lot...

of Cherry Coke (the beverage of champions) and Dr. Pepper (the beverage of Ryan's choice).

We also saw some amazing parachuters from Fort Benning, GA.

They all made a perfect landing.

Then Willie beat the snot out of a Nebraska guy.

Then we cheered really hard for a while.

Then we lost.

Bad.

Real bad.

So bad I couldn't even take a picture of the score board.

I was way, way too depressed.

Then we went to Vista and had chocolate chip milkshakes (Ryan also had 2 corndogs) and everything looked a little brighter.

 

For any of you k-staters who haven't been to Vista.  Be ashamed.  And next time you're in Manhattan go.  Order a chocolate chip milkshake and experience a whole new level of happy.

But going to Manhattan always make me so nostalgic.  I loved it so much.

Still do, but its different now - obviously.

Things change, but it sometimes makes me sad.  Like now they have a Starbucks.  Don't get me wrong, I love a nice pit stop at Starbucks now and again, but in Manhattan they have a few lovely little coffee shops that have character.  They are quaint.  They are local.  They are the perfect study spot (or the perfect place to be noticed studying.)  I miss them.

I miss all the time outside.  I forget how nice it was to be outside every couple hours becaue I walked pretty much everywhere but Walmart.

I miss being able to stay up really late and be able to fully function (and not be Littel Miss Grumpy Pants) the next whole week.

I miss late night roommate conversations about every possible topic.

Whoa...sorry got a little caught up in my reminissing.

But anyway, it was a bad game.  And to answer my own question - No you can't call it football when you lose by 30 points and barely look like a team at all.

Luckily, today things looked up.

Happy Friday!

 

 

A new direction

is what we are looking for - I think.

(and no - that isn't a play on the New Directions you can find on your television on Tuesday nights at 7 pm central time on FOX...but if you are unaware of what is on at the time I would be more than happy to make you aware.)

For a while now, we, meaning Ryan and I, have been drawn into making plans for the future. 

The future - it seems like such a big idea.  And it is.

The future.

I think the thing I struggle with most about the future is that it is so undefined.  Is the future in the next year, is it in 5 years or is it 20 years from now when I will be old-er?   :)

I really like when things are definable. 

But I also think that un-definability is what can make life so interesting.  So I am trying to embrace it.

Anyway, I digress...the future.

The country life.  We think that this is what the future holds for us.  Lately when have been doing some research to find out what that could look like for us.  So we went to visit the White Ranch.

And we fell in love.  Hard.  It kind of left a little bump.

Yep folks, its a white fenced ranch with a 130 year old barn to boot...ha boot, ranch.  ha.

It has everything you need in a ranch:

Beautiful vistas.

A cattle chute.

Several water pumping windmills.

A lovely, stone house that needs lots of little updates - we love projects.

Seriously the best barn in 20 states.

A creepy basement - in the barn.

With a cobblestone floor.

A couple of ponds and a whole lotta fence.

So the question is - What is the future?

Wouldn't it be nice if God drew us a little timeline that said "These are the plans I have for you"?  Well since He doesn't, Ryan and I find ourselves wondering, is this God's plan for us or is it us wanting it to be His plan for us.

We love living here in Newton (never thought I would say that...), but we do.  And we love the friends we have made here.  And mostly we love the church we attend.  Everything about that part of our lives screams "STAY HERE." 

But the place is so expensive.

Its more of a dream than a could be reality...right?

How do you know the difference?

So now you know what we have been struggling with - a new direction. 

We are pretty sure we could love that place forever.  But the future is so uncertain.  The future is so unknown.  The future is so, well, the future.

So, with love, late on a Sunday night, good night. 

I'm gonna go watch Back to the Future.  Now that I said the future so many times, it's (mom I used an apostrophe) all I can think of.

 

 

So funny

So for some reason I think this is hilarious!  Happy Wednesday!

 

Whew what a weekend.

It was a great weekend.  It was totally productive and totally fun.

I thought I would give you a brief run-down.

Friday: I ran 3.5 miles.  Then we moved our good friends Anne and Loren into their new house.  We are so so excited that they are just down the street from us!

Saturday started early.  I was at the Lincoln Perk in Hesston at 7:30.  I love that little shop.  Its usually nice and quiet and they have great food and coffee.

Check out the sunrise.

Sorry about the pole.  Its hard to shoot in the car...

I was able to write a paper, do some reading and catch up on some e-mails and blogging. :)

Then I met Anne, Jess and Levi at the Hesston Barn Sale.

The tree-lined drive way isn't it awesome?

We had a lovely time on a crisp fall morning.

Then Ryan and I headed to Wichita to celebrate Dad's birthday.

I will tell you more of the story tomorrow.  But for now, Happy Birthday Dad!

Sunday was spent at the WSU Library.

We knocked out our class presentation!  It was not a quick process, but it wasn't too bad in the end.

After a lovely evening for another 3 mile run, Ryan and I killed the rest of the evening enjoying one of his favorite movies - McClintock. 

Its true, my hubby is a HUGE fan of old westerns.  I have to admit, McClintock was pretty good.  You should check it out!

I love a weekend full of everything good.  Thank goodness for the beautiful weather and the friends to enjoy it with.

And thank goodness for perfect sleeping weather.