A few years ago I was really great at writing. We’re talking 2004-2006ish. I had these notebooks that I would write in, and I’d just write whatever came to mind. Usually they were questions. All song fragments. Occasionally a song would be birthed, but that didn’t happen very often. Around this time I was heavily involved in MySpace, and frequently wrote blogs. And I think I was pretty good at writing, mostly because there was a strong sense of un-self consciousness to them. I wrote just because I had things to say and needed to get them off my chest.
But now it’s weird, because it’s changed a little bit. Now it’s like… what do I have to say that anyone would find interesting? How often can I post without annoying people, and on the flip side… how long can I go without posting anything before people forget about me? Is the layout of my blog annoying? Do I need to include more pictures?
Yesterday I updated my ipod. I am still rocking the pink ipod mini I bought in 2005, the one with 4 whole gigabytes. I added the new Taylor Swift album and the Bruno Mars album. I was playing songs for Hannah as I was trying to figure out what songs I might want to listen to in my car when I started listening to John Mayer.
Tonight I was laying here on the couch and picked up where I left off with John Mayer and I listened to New Deep, from his Heavier Things album. New Deep used to be my jam. Well, all of Heavier Things really… but New Deep had this level of self-explanatory love to it. It made me think of being young{er} and drinking blended Starbucks beverages and eating at Muchas with Melissa.
That’s all I have to say about that.
- My friend Brandon writes a lot of beautiful things. Usually in the form of songs, but here is something beautiful he wrote that is not a song {though it does quote one}.
- Charles won a crap ton of Grammys the other night. I didn’t really freak out about that, but I pretty much had a heart attack when he hugged Miley Cyrus.
- I always think I lose my phone and/or my keys. Today I went to the store, came home… and suddenly had this strong sense that I left my phone at the store. I ran to my car, drove to the store and was heartbroken when they didn’t have my phone. I got in the car and checked my purse, and it was in there. Oops.
- At Fresh & Easy {where I did not leave my phone} they had boxes of Apple & Cinnamon Smiles on sale 2 for $3. I was so excited to have a bowl when I got home, but then I realized that the date on my milk was the 16th. After Hannah confirmed my fears with a sniff test, I realized my milk was bad. No cereal for me.
Last Sunday I was able to see precious little Eden get dedicated. Before her dedication, she and I went for a walk around the training college taking pictures. We had some good conversation about what it meant to get dedicated. and then she got a pink Bible. She modeled it and then had me do the same. It was the perfect day to celebrate Eden’s journey so far. I can’t wait to know her when she is 14.
In her fancy dress.
Getting dedicated.
Showing off her new pink Bible.
Eden took this nice picture of me posing with her Bible.
It really was a beautiful day.
And finally.
This was Eden when we said our goodbyes. 🙂
The next day I was at her house for Bible study; she was getting ready to go spend the Toys R Us gift cards she had received. I looked up at her on the stairs and asked if she had picked her socks out by herself. Her response was {obviously} yes. I told her I’d help her find matching socks….. after I took a picture.
She is such a blessing.
I think a creative writing notebook/journal is a MUST when it comes to writing. I know when I was writing a creative non-fiction piece, I kept a notebook of EVERYTHING that was related… filled it completely up, and that was just for like a 20 page piece. I often make my students read an essay by Anne Lamott called “Shitty First Drafts” (it’s online & only 2 pages), and she talks about how necessary it is to just write if you want to find the things you want/need to say. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re saying until you’ve written 6 pages of garbage.
PS: That little girl is ADORABLE! I get the sense she likes the color pink, haha 🙂
I love your blog, no matter what you say.
Also, sweet new font. It makes me want to just keep on typing haha.
What a cute little girl, and how special that you could spend such a momentous day with her. What a great memory.
whaaat are you serious! that is so crazy! i honestly don’t know where i found that picture of you. somewhere on tumblr?
xoxoxo
oh sry im logged in as a work-in-progress. this is @laurenlankford haha