I hit a landmark with my last post and didn't even know it...it was my 400th post. How crazy is that?

Yesterday was a fun day - we went to a Renaissance Faire for the day. It was officially a youth group event but only two of them ended up going. I was disappointed - it is tiring planning things that they say they want to do and then no one shows up. I know it is not the activities that are important but it is still upsetting to me. Anyway, in spite of all this, it was a good day. It is very cool to go each year - and see totally different things than you saw the year before. The best part of the day was the falconer talking about birds of prey. It was very cool to see his 4 month old owl just walking about 20 feet away from me. I was also intrigued to learn that owls grow to their full size after only 45 days. So many things I did not know!

Today didn't start out well. The change in the weather is apparently wreaking havoc inside my messed up body and I am having a flare up of my fibro. How can fall be my favorite season when it is also the season when I suffer the most? It is terribly depressing and upsetting.

On the bright side, I had lunch with my friend Kris today. We haven't had time to get together this summer because of my maddening schedule so it was good to see her. We caught up over some great food and then parted ways so she could go watch the Phils win and I could come home and procrastinate the lengthy to do list. As usual, I'm doing my catch up now, at 10 PM. I got a meal made for a person at church who had a baby this week (and one for me) and at least started some wash...but that is only the tip of the iceberg. I feel so lazy, yet I know I'm not lazy. I am just terribly fatigued and then I get overwhelmed and nothing gets done. And this is where I am at right now...hopefully I can get a few more things accomplished before bed, for tomorrow is back to the grind.

Last night, I was caught off guard - by a situation I was trying to convince myself and others I certainly did not care about. A loneliness and sadness over a lost friendship...that just got me sobbing. I have prayed for reconciliation in this situation, for things to return as they were, for this person to put aside what has caused this rift. And today in reading one of my favorite blogs, God gave me a word - a word I desperately needed: Scratchin' the Surface: Max Knows and So Does God

I may have done this meme before...so if so, bear with me. Maybe you'll learn something new!

Some Facts About Me:

Three names you go by?
Trish
Dish
T

Three physical things you like about yourself?
my eyes
my hands
my hair color : )


Three parts of your heritage?
irish
english
welsh

Three things you can't stand?
fake people
mean people
chaos

Three things that scare you?
fires
tornados
other things I cannot control

Three of your favorite shows?Scott Baio is 45...
Private Practice (I think...still new but I liked the pilot & really liked the episode tonight)
The Today Show (I really struggled with this one but I watch it every morning, really enjoy the hosts...and frankly I am a news junkie)

Three movies you watch over and over again?
You've Got Mail
Sleepless in Seattle
Serendipity (or any other John Cusack romance, really)

Three movies you would like to watch?
Flywheel
Feast of Love (going this weekend!)
The Queen

Three of your everyday essentials?
cell phone
email
a good book (and THE good book!)

Three things you want in a relationship?
respect
love
laughter


Three physical things about the opposite gender that appeals to you?
smile
hands
shoulders

Three bad habits?
Saying yes to everything
Not writing things on my calendar & then double, triple or quadruple booking myself
Leaving the wash sit in the washer (or dryer) until it has to be rewashed

Three career you're currently considering pursuing?
Full time youth ministry
Teaching
Lady of Leisure

Three of your favorite hobbies?
scrapbooking
photography
reading

Three places you want to go on vacation?
Hawaii
Bermuda or Jamaica...somewhere with blue water and white sandy beaches
Ireland

Three kids name you like?
Aidan
Grace
Lily

Three things you want to do before you die?
Travel to the places listed above
Marry my prince charming
Have a family

Three things that stereotypically prove you're a girl?
I hate spiders & bugs
I don't like to get dirty
I like to get my hair done

I'm so excited that Katrina over at Callapidder Days is hosting another reading challenge! I love looking at the lists others make and adding to my already growing list of books to read! For more folks participating (and their lists), head on over to Katrina's!

My list, such as it is at this moment...

Fiction
Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon - the first book in her Father Tim series, coming out October 30th!

Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury. This one is just out (got it Saturday!) and is a sequel to A Thousand Tomorrows.

Between Sundays, a new novel from Karen Kingsbury (can you tell I love her books???), coming out on November 6th.

The Yada Yade Prayer Group Gets Decked Out. I absolutely love this series and am so excited for this installment, coming out on October 2nd!

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, because everyone in the world seems to be recommending it!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, also highly recommended by many folks.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, because I want to see what all the fuss is about.

Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. I am addicted to her books & am reading through them all as fast as I can! I was so excited to see this new one.


Nonfiction
3:16 The Numbers of Hope by Max Lucado

Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels. I got this at the Leadership Summit this summer but haven't gotten very far into it as of yet.

Labels: Reading

I love fall. The change of seasons, the slight chill in the air, the leaves turning beautiful colors, the sun setting earlier...and the routine. I always loved school - waiting impatiently for summer to end so I could get back to my friends, my books, my routine.

I still crave the routine fall brings. And I feel like I am almost there. We started youth officially tonight and next week my evening Bible study for women begins. Those are my two weekly evening commitments and I am eager to be started with both and get into my fall routine.

But I am still left today feeling like I can't keep up. I don't know how people with families do it. The wash and dishes here are neverending. Something is always in need of being dusted, wiped or vaccumed around here - not to mention the care and feeding of the furries. I know I should not be complaining but I am just so weary. I know that this is not unique, that people have this but more and it probably seems silly for me even to be saying this. I guess part of it is that the burden of all things in my life falls squarely on my shoulders and sometimes the weight is too much to bear.

I will say that my little list from the other evening is coming along ok so far.
*My alarm is waking me up a half hour earlier. Monday I jumped out of bed and got some things done before work, which was terrific. The rest of the week, I had trouble getting up but at least was awake.
*I have brought my lunch each day this week so far - but tomorrow I am offsite during the lunch hour. I imagine I might get lunch there, so technically I won't be buying my lunch, so that is helpful.
*I am going to work on my running list tonight before I go to bed. I need to have it somewhere handy so I can have the satisfaction of crossing things off.
*I haven't started my study (next week!) and haven't endeavoured to start the decluttering. I did clean this week, though, because the landlord was coming - so that must count for something, right?

Click here...

So much for posting more often!

As usual, my life has been a whirlwind. Nothing too exciting is happening and some things that have been taking up a lot of my time and energy I can't post about.

I said to my friend at work the other day that I want my life to be different. There are many things I am really content and happy with in my life - I am blessed, and I know it. But there are some other things - two in particular - that seem beyond my control and I get frustrated by my seeming lack of ability to change them. I am trying little things to try to make a difference in these areas of my life but then another problem arises and I am again discouraged. I know that things take time and I may need to start trying to just change small (very small) things one at a time and be patient.

Patience is not my thing.

So for now, here are a few things I want to try to do. Now that fall is upon us and a routine will be returning to my life (youth, Bible study, etc.), I feel like it is a good time to start implementing change. These things may sound stupid or minor to some but this list is frankly not for them! So bear with me, my loyal two or three...

*Start bringing my lunch to work four days a week
*Get up a half hour earlier each weekday
*Sort through some clutter that is affecting me more than it should by its sheer presence
*Work on my Bible study a little bit each and every day (we are doing The Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore - I can't wait to begin!)
*Keep a running to do list out somewhere I can see it and make sure I am accomplishing the things I need to

So that is all for now...nothing much more to say or report tonight. It has been a long weekend - mostly a good one - and I need to get to bed early so I can try to get my attitude adjusted for the week ahead.