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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

In Honor of my People...


It feels good to be back, offering unsolicited advice on the internet.
             How ‘bout you, girl in the front row? Yeaaaah, you glad to be here?

I  feel like a bad comedian when I try to think of an opening line for each post. It’s so hard. Maybe we could have a contest where y’all submit potential opening lines and I have to make a post out of them.
    No? Okay. 
   
    “Airplane food! What’s up with that?”

     Today’s post is actually going to be serious. We'll talk about transparency, the importance of authentic friendships, and (inadvertently) chips.

        Don't focus on the chips too much, though.

I’ve said before that I’m an introvert, but really just a little bit. I love people. I love hearing all the different laughs melding together, bumping each other’s knuckles in the chip bowl, and revisiting all the embarrassing stories of the past- the ones that made us friends.

I recharge by spending time alone, yes, but there are few things I love more than a night with my people. I love the feeling of connection, the laughter, the way I can’t stop smiling afterwards. Some dear friends came back to town for the holidays, and I got really spoiled at being able to say, “See you next week,” or “Let’s get coffee Thursday,” or “Wow, it felt so good to say that. I haven’t been able to be my most horrible, honest self in a long time.”
And that’s a rule my people and I have. There’s an understanding that we can call each other at our most horrible, needy moments, and it be okay. Because there will be a time when we'll have to return that favor. We give each other the freedom to not have to have our acts together. It's free therapy.

Note:  I get to be horrible and honest with Robin, but sometimes I just need to unleash that stuff on some people with estrogen. Bless him.
              I’ll keep today’s post short, but I want to challenge you to think of who your people are. Who are the people you call when you can’t stop crying? Who are the people whose phone call you answer in the middle of the night? Who are those people who you haven’t seen in a while, but when you’re together again it feels like not a single day has passed?

Those are Your People. Call ‘em up, and maybe start that pact that you will be honest, you will be horrible, you will always answer, and you will never judge.

You can’t do this with too many, 2-3 gals has always been my limit and if you go too much higher you might be making yourself too available to too many and need legitimate therapy. Be uber intentional with those few, be loving and be honest.

To close, I’ve been reading a prayer from the Seven Sacred Pauses each morning this week and it has been so good. Here’s one for you, my little blogging tribe. ;)

Prayer of the Hour (Dawn)

O Light of God…
Anointed by your morning light I lift my spirit to receive the gift of this new day. Open my eyes to the beauty that surrounds me that I may walk through this day with the kind of awareness that calls forth grateful living. In all of creation let me see the brightness of your face. Shine in my heart and on my life, filling me with joy, creativity, hope, and laughter. Draw me into the radiant glory of your presence and into the small lights of those with whom I live and work. Inspire me to take time for those who are discouraged. May I live with the kind of presence that makes others to feel at home. Great Dawn of God, hear my prayer.

-          Macrina Wiederkehr, Seven Sacred Pauses
 
xo,
Cate

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Food for Thought


Surprise! I have actually not fallen off the face of the earth, although blog activity on here might show otherwise.
       I’d love to say that I haven’t posted lately because I’ve been running marathons and doing extensive community service and other resolution-oriented things, but that’s unfortunately untrue. The thing is that while everyone else makes resolutions and buys running shoes and protein bars in January, I eat the truffles that I got for Christmas and pitter around in my pajamas. I read all the novels I received and watch classic movies. I eat a lot of soup. It works for me. By mid-February I usually get my gumption back and make some resolutions.
 
           Or rather, I run out of truffles and I panic a bit about putting on shorts.

         So this is mostly just a post to let you know that I have not, in fact, forgotten about you. Take heart, gentle reader.  
        To show you  my love, here are some things to keep you entertained while I eat my truffles. Ladies, and Gentlemen, Food for Thought:

  • The creator of Wall E, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo talks about the clues to a great story.
  •     Joy the Baker put out her winter reading list so I added basically all of them to my winter reading list. Don’t stay on her site too long though, or you’ll never come back here again, Imjustsayin.
  •    The latest from Shauna is on its' way! I say that like we're on a first name basis. Like friends kinda. Y'know? Nope? Okay.
 

Resolve to write more this year? Journal52 can help you! Each week they post a journaling prompt, all 52 weeks of the year. 
    
       Alsooooo, The Hundred Foot Journey is at Redbox. Please watch it and cry happy tears like I did. Then make your husband or best friend watch it with you and happy cry some more. Vow to buy it and start a French-Indian fusion restaurant with me.
 

                                 
  Literal food for your face:

Truffles for me, Truffles for you (then let me know how these are! I'll make them when I run out of Lindt truffles, hehehe.)

But if you're still on the resolution wagon, make Ina Garten's Roasted Cauliflower Snowflakes. It's the only food I'm loving more than truffles. So. Good.