What every man should tell his woman :)

So I just heard this on Sirius Coffee House courtesy of my DishTV and I LOVE it!!!!!!!! It really speaks to the hopeless romantic in me. All men should say this to and about their woman more often!!!!!!!!! Thank you Steve Earle you made my day. :-D

Sparkle and Shine by Steve Earle



LYRICS
Sparkle and Shine on Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade album

My baby sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
My baby sparkle and shine
And everyone knows she’s fine
She blesses all that she sees
A toss of her hair and a kiss in the breeze
But she don’t love no one but me
And I can’t believe she’s mine

Shimmering she moves
Sunlight all around her
Even when she’s blue
Silver clouds surround her

My baby sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
My baby sparkle and shine
And I can’t believe she’s mine

My baby swings down the street
Big tall high heel shoes on her feet
Walks by and my heart skips a beat
And I’m stumblin’ like a fool
She give me somethin’ so sweet
I can’t sleep y’all and I can’t eat
Sparks fly whenever we meet
I’m breathless ‘cause she’s so cool

Anywhere she goes
I can only follow
She’ll be there I know
When I awake tomorrow

My baby sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
My baby sparkle and shine
And everyone knows she’s fine

My baby sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
Sparkle and shine
My baby sparkle and shine
And everyone knows she’s fine

And everyone knows she’s mine

Griffin house

So I just heard this song for the first time on my Sirius radio courtesy of DishTV and I LOVE the song!!! It's so sweet and nice. Even though it's a guy singing to a girl about this I think that this song could probably be switched around to say "The girl who says goodbye to you is out of her mind." :) I know a few guys that this song (if switched) could apply to their lives. So here you go, a song just for you. :) Because yes, the girl that says goodbye to you is out of her mind. :) I hope you have a better day.

The guy that says goodbye to you by Griffin house

Nightmare revisited

Sally's song sung by Amy Lee from the Nightmare Revisited album

Dream

SOGNO
G. Vessicchio / G. Servillo

Va ti aspetterò
Il fiore nel giardino segna
il tempo
Qui disegnerò il giorno poi del
tuo ritorno
Sei così sicura del mio amore
Da portarlo via con te
Chiuso nelle mani che ti porti
al viso
Ripensando ancora a me
E se ti servirà lo mostri a mondo
Che non sa che vita c’è
Nel cuore che distratto sembra
assente non sa che vita c’è in
quello che soltanto il cuore sente
Non sa

Qui ti aspetterò
E ruberò i baci al tempo
Tempo che non basta a cancellare
Coi ricordi il desiderio che
Resta chiuso nelle mani che ti
porti al viso
Ripensando a me
E ti accompagnerà passando le
città da me
Da me che sono ancora qui
E sogno cose che non so di te
Dove sarà che strada farà il tuo ritorno
Sogno...

Qui ti aspetterò
E ruberò i baci al tempo
Sogno
Un rumore il vento che me sveglia
E sei già qua

© 1998 Edizioni Suvini Zerboni SpA / Sugarmusic
Edizioni Musicali Srl/ Mascotte Edizioni Musicali Srl


DREAM

Go then, I will wait for you
The flowers in the garden will mark
your absence
And rejoice the day of
your return
Of my love you are so sure
So sure you can take it with you
Cupped in the hands that you raise
to your face
As you still think of me and if you need to,
you can show it to the world,
A world that cannot understand
what lives in an uncaring absent heart
That does not know life is only that
the heart feels
That does not know

This is where I will wait for you
Stealing imaginary kisses as time goes by
Time, time cannot erase
The memories and the desire
That you cup in the hands you raise to
your face
As you still think of me
Throughout your journey it will lead
you back to me
For I’ll still be waiting here
Dreaming of your unknown whereabouts
Where the road will be on your return
I dream...

This is where I will wait for you
Stealing imaginary kisses as time goes by
Dream
A noise, the wind awakes me
And you’re already here

Stillness

Oy! Well Christmas is over and we had a lot of fun. I got an UBER soft fuzzy fluffy blanket, some fuzzy slipper boots and socks, flannel pajamas, games, a warm hat, iTunes gift cards (so be ready for MUCH more music), and the list goes on and on. :) All in all it was a fun time had by all. My favorite moments and memories are those times spent with family and friends.
What's coming up in our life now you ask? Well we have to get ready for Nerdfest :) and birthdays :) and a possible good bye :(

But for now...
I'm exhausted and I'm going to go to bed. Tonight I leave you with Sara Groves-A Cradle in Bethlehem from her O Holy Night album.
(We bought this album as a gift for my dad and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for good holiday music. It's fun and beautiful without driving anyone into Christmas overload.)

Goodnight all. Merry Christmas.
~Betania

Something to make you chuckle

Merry Christmas everyone. :) I found this and got a good chuckle out of the first minute. (It's Johnny Cash, Steve Martin, and Kris Kristofferson singing together.) The rest is just nice to listen to. :) I wish they still showed these specials on tv.

(Yes I know that Johnny and his wife are not alive any more. What I mean was that Johnny talked about the true meaning of Christmas and made his specials about having fun and singing with those nearest and dearest to him. Christmas specials that are shown on tv now are nothing like that. It's just a bunch of music stars trying to show off how good they can sing or how great their song is. I don't get the warm fuzzies watching Christmas specials now like I used to.)

So I hope you like the video clip I found. Merry Christmas. :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. May you all have a restful and peaceful "Silent Night".



Silent Night by Priscilla Ahn

Buon Natale

Buon Natale amici!!!!
Merry Christmas friends!!!!

I leave you tonight with the Italian Christmas song, "Tu scendi dalle stelle".



~Betania

Crummy sleep

What a crummy way to start Christmas eve... Last night I couldn't sleep. I went to bed, sleep for an hour, wake up for an hour, and sleep for an hour, etc. This happened all night until I finally forced myself out of the bed at 9am. I'm tired. Worn out. I feel like a dishrag that has just washed a weeks worth of dishes all at once.

Hopefully today will get better.


Closing with some Norah Jones. It's calming and peaceful.
~b

Humble Me by Norah Jones

Goodbye...

Thank you for your answers and honesty. :) I appreciate it. It's water under the bridge. I hope you find what you're looking for... :)



Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do
I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much
than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.

CHORUS
Set me free, leave me be.
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall,
just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.

CHORUS
Set me free, leave me be.
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall,
just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

I live here on my knees as I
try to make you see that you're
everything I think I need here on the ground.
But you're neither friend nor foe
though I can't seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know
is that you're keeping me
down.

You're keeping me down

You're onto me
You're onto me
and all over

Something always bring me back to you
It never takes too long


***For those of you concerned, this post has nothing to do with my husband or our relationship. Our relationship is wonderful and we totally and completely love each other. This post is for someone else.

My favorite late greats :) (LOTS OF VIDEOS!)

I love music from the 50's and before. Does this shock you? I don't know it makes sense to me, after all I am a hopeless romantic. :) So today I'd like to share with you some favorite late greats (Jimmy Durante and Louis Prima).

Buona Sera by Louis Prima (Listening to this makes me miss Italy but reminds me of fun Italian restaurants I've been to/found over the years)




Bigger the Figure by Louis Prima (This is so cute b/c even though she doesn't look like what she used to, he still loves her even more than before.)




When you're smiling by Louis Prima (Does this need an explanation? Just smile.) :)




I'll see you in my dreams by Jimmy Durante (This is where I got my Mrs. Calabash reference from on a previous blog a few nights ago)




I'll be seeing you by Jimmy Durante (Don't pay attention to the Notebook pictures this was the only Jimmy Durante version I could find)

Resta Qui - Stay with me

Goodnight all. I'm finally going to bed. I've listened to so much music today. So much that I'm speaking in song. j/k. :) There is a song I will leave you with. It's the perfect goodnight/goodbye song. It's called Resta Qui and it's sung by Andrea Bocelli. The Italian lyrics and English translation are below. But it is a song about his love for his lover. He loves her so much and doesn't want them to ever be apart (hence the title) because he doesn't want to lose her.
*sigh* I'm such a hopeless romantic. :)
Do you have someone you would sing this song to? I do and he's asleep upstairs right now. I'm going to go to sleep now too and be his angel and slow down time so we can be together longer before he has to leave again for work. :(
Buona Notte
~b

RESTA QUI
Matteo Musumeci / Andrea Bocelli

Perderti così
Come un attimo
Mentre tutto va
Oltre i limiti
Della mia fantasia
Tu che eri mia!

Voli e brividi
Grandi sogni che
Forse realizzai
A che servono
Se tu non sei qui
Qui con me
Anche se ho sbagliato io…

Resta qui con me
io sarò per te
un angelo vero che songa e che sa
prederti la mano
e darti l’anima
resta qui
resta qui
tu che sei mia
un attimo e noi
voleremo là
dove tutto è paradiso se
noi noi saremo là
soli ma insieme.

Lo ritornerò credimi
L’uomo che hai amato in me

Resta qui con me
io sarò per te
un angelo vero che songa e che sa
rallentare il tempo
che non passerà
resta qui, resta qui,
tu che sei mia

Un attimo e noi
voleremo là
ogni giorno che
noi saremo insieme

© 2001 Sugarmusic SpA

STAY HERE


To lose you like that
As in a moment
When everything’s
Going beyond
Your wildest dreams
You who were mine!

Flights of fancy
Thrills and dreams
That maybe came true
What are they for
If you’re not here
Here with me
Even if I was wrong….

Stay here with me
I’ll be yours
A real angel who dreams, who can
Hold your hand
And give you his soul
Stay here
Stay here
You who are mine
One moment and we
Will fly there
Where all is paradise if
We we are there
Alone but together

I’ll come back believe me
The man you loved in me

Stay here with me
I’ll be yours
A real angel who dreams and can
Slow down time
And make it stop
Stay here, stay here
You who are mine

One moment and we
Will fly there
Every day
We are together

Winter Song

Today is the first day of my Christmas Break! :) I'm completely loving the thought that I don't have to be at work today and that I have 2 weeks off. ;) So now I'm at home, warm, and watching the snow fall outside. It's relaxing and comforting. Suzy (the giant beast of a dog) even woke up from her hibernating to watch the snow fall outside.
I found another Winter Song I like. (Surprise, surprise.) While surfing the YouTube I stumbled on a song called Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson. It is so beautiful and perfect to listen to on a blustery day like this. I can't embed it into this post or else I would. But please go to the YouTube address below and watch it.
I think this song is my anthem for December. For so long, even though Christmas was right around the corner, it seemed so distant. The tree wasn't up, I didn't want anything for Christmas, it just felt all wrong.
I LOVE Christmas and it's my favorite time of year. In fact I practically live for this holiday. But this year nothing really seemed right. Every time I listened to Christmas music or when I went shopping for gifts, I felt like I was trying to make myself get into the Christmas spirit. I completely felt like the girls do at the beginning of this music video.
Because we were both really busy with everything else going on around us, I felt like I was constantly running on a treadmill all by myself.
This weekend that all changed. How or why I'm not sure. Really I don't know. Sorry. But everything just fell into place and it all seemed right. I woke up in a good mood. I found that one heart flower and everything around it bloomed for me (you have to watch the video to understand). I don't know how I found it but I did.

It's feels like Christmas now. The tree is up. Almost all of our friends are in town and our family is coming this way soon.
Love is alive. :)

Watch Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUO0gd7cr9o

Merry Christmas everyone.

Love,
Bethany

What does it mean????

So lately I've really been liking this song called Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I heard it again last night when we all were playing Rock Band. I know I'd heard it before that time, but I can't remember where and I don't know why I don't own. Even more important... I don't know WHAT IT MEANS!!!! Why maps? I've tried to research this and I haven't really gotten a good answer. UCSC had an interesting take on it's meaning. Here's their video:



The original Yeah Yeah Yeahs music video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYJjHCZN46U

So what does it mean? Can anyone tell me?

Not enough time

How do you squish and catch up on almost 2 years of life in just a few days? You can't. I love this Christmas surprise but it also bums me out.

What was once a friendship where almost every weekend and sometimes an occasional weekday was spent together...
Then became a move further away in the same state I live and an occasional weekend and/or weekday spent together...
Turned into a 1 1/2 year move almost 5000 miles away...
Gone were the weekends and weekdays together... And THEN...
He came back. :)

So now my husband, our friends, and I only have a few days together with this person. After all, this person has a life outside of our circle and other friends and family who've missed him to. I don't want to be a monopolizer of his time. He does not owe me or our friends any extra time together. I am not this person's spouse, girlfriend, sister, or parent; just their friend. I don't want to make him feel like he has to spend all his time with us, but it really doesn't feel like enough time.

If I was going to be selfish, than my Christmas wish would be that we get to spend lots of time together and that he wouldn't get back on that plane in 3 weeks. But if I wished that to happen, then I wouldn't really be his friend.

Instead...

I wish for him:
to have a good, memorable Christmas vacation
find happiness and contentment in his life
find a job he likes
and someday find the woman that he loves and respects and who loves and respects him back

It would be awesome (for us) if he could have all these things happen without leaving the country. But if he must leave in a few weeks, then I hope he finds what he's looking for and will be back to see us soon.

Not a lot of time left and I'll try to make the best of it and not monopolize his time.

So those are my thoughts?

Those and... that "It's Cold Outside"

Our Truth by Lacuna Coil

I've only heard a few of their songs but I like them. :)



Clock is ticking while I'm killing time
Spinning all around
Nothing else that you can do
To turn it back

Wicked partnership
In this crime
Ripping off the best
Condescending smile

Trying to Forget
(Wasting my time)
We're falling right through
Lying to forget
(Telling more lies)
We're raising our truth

Go on and tease me

Clock is ticking while I'm stealing time
Can't you turn it back?
Stop the cycle
Let it free
Run away

Silent Sneaking
Along my Path
Rugged the Road
But we feel it
Like we're flying

Trying to Forget
(Wasting my time)
We're falling right through
Lying to forget
(Telling more lies)
We're raising our truth

Wow...

So today was a surprising, fun, and exciting beginning to my 2 weeks off. The place where I work is going to be closed for the next 2 weeks and today was my last day until we reopen. :)
I completely didn't expect it to go the way it did. And I don't know what to think. I celebrated a birthday (not my own). Heard about some very sad news that happened in 2 different families. Reconnected with someone who I haven't seen in a long time.
I still have to completely redo the whole house, catch up on my laundry, and decorate for Christmas.
I don't really know what else to say. I'm happier than I was and I'm trying hard to not be stressed by all that still needs done and my brain is processing a lot...






And if I may, close with the famous Jimmy Durante quote:
"Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are

~b

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

What was NBC thinking?!

So I just got done watching the tree lighting ceremony in New York on NBC. It was AWFUL!!!! There was maybe 2 or 3 good performances (TB, HCjr, JF) and everything else was poor. The WORST performance that night was when Beyonce sang her version of Ave Maria. When I first heard it I thought, is this really a song about the Virgin Mary or about Beyonce's lover? Then I went and looked up the lyrics and realized (if I read correctly) that it is about her lover!!!! What is that?!?!?! I'm not posting any videos from this show. I wasted my DVR space on it and my Christmas spirit has depressed itself a bit. If you want to watch it, I suggest you tubing it or going to NBC's website. Below are the lyrics from Beyonce's Ave Maria Song.

She was lost in so many different ways
Out in the darkness with no guide
I know the cost of a losing hand
Never thought the grace of god go high

I found heaven on earth
You were my last, my first
And then here this voice inside
Ave maria

I've been alone
When i'm surrounded by friends
How could the silence be so loud
But i still go home knowing that i've got you
There's us when the lights go down

You are my heaven on earth
You are my hunger, my thirst
I always hear this voice inside
Singing ave maria

Sometimes love can come and pass you by
While your busy making plans
Suddenly hit you and then you realize
It's out of your hands, baby you got to understand

You are my heaven on earth
You are my last, my first
And then i hear this voice inside
Ave maria
Ave maria
Ave maria

Pace

Pace,
I am at Peace.
The fight within is over.
Pace...

Reminiscing

Ready or not the holidays are here! Can you believe it? For me this time of year always brings about reminiscing about the past year, what's in store for the future, my family and friends here and away.

I am SO thankful this year for my friends and family who've been there to encourage and embrace me in all the ups and downs I've had this year. I'm also UBER thankful for a forgiving God. I have truly appreciated this second chance He's given me. I pray that this coming year I will be more consistent in my walk with the Lord and that He will be able to use me to bring others closer to Him.

I miss my friends who are very far away. I have a best friend in Washington whom I miss dearly. My lovely sisters live out of town. Although I got to spend time with them and my cousins this week, it wasn't enough time. I miss all of you as well.
I have another good friend who I miss dearly. He's currently living out of the country. But he's never far from my thoughts especially around the holidays. I don't really know why, except that he's been out of the US for over a year now and although I said goodbye to him so long ago, I never thought he'd be gone for as long as he has. Many times over the course of his absence from our town, I've had dreams where he has come back and he is hanging out with us on guy/girl night. Or he surprises my husband and I with an unannounced visit to our house. The dreams are so real that when I wake up I have to remind myself that they were just dreams. It's somewhat sad.

But then on the flip side, there are many people here near me whom I love and are blessed to be near.
My husband is one of those people. I love him so much and am so happy in the morning when I wake up and see him lying next to me in bed. He is my rock and keeps me balanced. The love I have for him is not the superficial lusting love, but rather the deeper "we've been through a lot together" love. Although I really don't always agree with him, I respect him for who he is, who he's grown to be, and who he will become. God has a wonderful plan for him and I feel privileged that I can share in that.
I have a wonderful neighbor who has grown into a dear girl friend. She also helps keep me sane and her little reminders and words of wisdom she's shared with me have really helped me keep going and put things into perspective when I've felt overwhelmed. She has a wonderful heart and is just the kind of person I've needed to have near me. I hope that in some way I will be able to be as much of an encouragement and friend to her that she has been to me.
I LOVE the ladies from my women's Bible study group. They have challenged me in my walk and quiet time with the Lord. I'm thankful to be included in this group and have learned much from what they've shared during Bible Study.
You have all shown me how important it is for me to draw closer to the Lord and how far I have drifted away from Him. For that, I will never be able to thank you enough.

And so.... I am going to leave you with the following music videos. I love, miss and am so thankful for you all. All of the videos below have reminded of you at various points in my life this year. I wish that we could all be together for Christmas this year. :(
I hope that you all had a good Thanksgiving and will have a good Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour

So... Thanks to our cashback bonus awards courtesy of our credit card, we now own Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour. I have unlocked quite a bit just doing the singing part on my own. (I can't play the guitar and drum to save my life.) I really enjoy it. It's fun and it has given me a new favorite song. It's called Monsoon by Tokio Hotel. Here it is below. Hope you enjoy. :) It's an awesome song to sing. I know it's on Guitar Hero but I think it's also on Rock Band.

Fuzzy eyebrows

So, I was washing my hands today and looking at my too long bangs when I realized that almost overnight my eyebrows had turned into 2 small furry muppets above my eyes. It's scary and creepy. Thankfully my hair salon was able to fit me in today after I vote. :)
Have any of you ever watched Elmo in Grouchland? Mandy Patinkin is in it and his bad minions in the movie would make fun of his bushy eyebrows behind his back.
I tried to find the quote or video clip from the movie to show you but was unsuccessful. So instead, I will leave you with a muppet clip of the Swedish Chef (my favorite character). His eyebrows? Yeah that's what mine look like now. NO lie. :)

A time for everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

We interupt this blog to report on a very bittersweet day

Today when I got to work this morning I had 2 voice mails from my parents urging me to call them back. I knew it wasn't going to be good news. For the past year a dear family friend has had some very serious health problems. He and his wife are like grandparents to me since my grandparents live hundreds of miles away. Last week Jack's health really started to decline and last night he went home to be with his Father in Heaven.
His death isn't a shock to me per say, because of his declining health. But even though he was getting worse, I couldn't bear the thought that some time soon I would lose him.
Please keep his family in your prayers. We can rejoice in the thought that he is in Heaven and his COPD and emphysema are no longer bothering him. He is well again. This little town that we live in will not be the same without him. We all miss you, Jack.

Love,
b

Jack and his wife used to go to Hawaii in the winter time and absolutely loved it there. In their Hawaii travels they discovered Israel Kamakawiwo Ole' (most famous for his What a Wonderful World/Somewhere over the Rainbow song). The IZ songs below I dedicate to the memory of Jack.



Another Hawaiian Like Me by IZ (the pictures in the video are of IZ, not Jack)

You may go, I'll let you go, may god bless you
You'll be mine, wherever you may be
It's a warning, to say Aloha
'cause you'll never find another Hawaiian like me
Oh no you'll never find another Hawaiian like me

You may go, I'll let you go, may god bless you
You'll be mine, wherever you may be
It's a warning, to say Aloha
'cause you'll never find another Hawaiian like me
Oh no you'll never find another Kane'ka like me
Oh no you'll never find another people like us

Playing Catch Up

Okay... So I had every intention of blogging along about our travels while Chris and I were away but the cabin didn't have wifi and so my blogging intentions were shot. BUT do not worry!!! I have pics now and plan on posting them on here along with more stories about our trip. :) All in all Chris and I had a fun trip and it was a nice almost stress free get away. I miss it. If any of you guys get the chance to go to NC, definitely make a stop in the Smokey Mountains instead of driving straight out to the coast. The mountains are beautiful and everyone that we met were very nice and helpful. :) Hope you all have a good weekend!

Happy Birthday gift

So this post is really getting posted today, November 4, 2008. BUT, it should have been posted on my husband's birthday. Technical difficulties in the editing and uploading of this video delayed it's posting. Sorry folks. This is a video I made for my husband his birthday. Enjoy!
Happy birthday honey. You are the one I've been waiting for. :)
~b

NC Day 1 continued

Hello all! So, we made it to NC as the previous post states. We also were able to find our 1st mine way out in the middle of nowhere. It was an interesting drive (to say the least) but we made it to Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine. :) We found a sapphire (YAY!) and a few garnets (tiny ones) AND we learned a lot! Then we tried to find our cabin. That was interesting.... For whatever stupid reasons, Google gave us directions to drive through the mountain instead of getting back on the freeway so there were some one lane dirt roads to negotiate. Once we got to the mountain where our cabin was we followed the road(s) to get to our cabin. The last leg of the route to our cabin involves us driving up a VERY steep incline, 15 plus percent, (some areas being much more steep than that) on a one lane dirt and gravel road UP a MOUNTAIN. Oy! Scary, Scary! But, every bit worth it. The cabin is beautiful and the view is outstanding.
Then we went out to eat dinner at the Frog and Owl Bistro along the main street in Franklin. This involved us going down the one lane steep scary mountain dirt road, of course. *Cringe*
The food was EXCELLENT. It's a cute upscale bistro. I think they were going for a rustic upscale look with dark, gray and mud colored painted walls white square tables, white painted, wood weathered chairs. They also played Jack Johnson, another fav musician of mine, the whole time we were there (AWESOME!). :)
When we were all done, then we had to drive back to the cabin on the scary one lane dirt road in the DARK. But, we again made it safe and sound. As a goodnight to day one, I'm going to close with my favorite Jack Johnson song, Bannana Pancakes. :)
~b

NC Day 1

Well we made it. It's beautiful and the Motel we stayed at was nice and clean, very 1950's art deco style with rental log cabins in the back. Hope y'all are having fun back home. :) Here's some travel music:

Economy

Any time I watch the news it's always: doom and gloom, the economy is going under, we're all going to die, etc. Yes the economy isn't good. Yes it is cause for concern. Yes there are a lot of other bad things happening too. But I'd rather know the essentials so that my husband and I can attempt to be prepared for whatever hits rather than live my life clustered up in my house fearing the worst b/c of the constant bad news the media is feeding us.
SO... here is my ode to the economy, or rather Ingrid Michaelson and Jason Mraz's ode to the economy (sort of) :) Enjoy!

(Lyrics are below the video)



Don't you worry, there my honey
We might not have any money
But, we've got our love to pay the bills

Baby, I think you're cute and funny
Maybe I wanna do what bunnies do with you
If you know what I mean

Oh, well let's get rich and buy our parents
Home in the south of France
Let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
And teach them how to dance
Let's get rich and build a house on a mountain
Makin' everybody look like ants
Way up there
You and I
You and I

Well, you might be a bit confused
And you might be a little bit bruised
But, baby, how we spoon like no one else
So I will help you read those books
If you will soothe my worried looks
And we will put the lonesome on the shelf

Oh, well let's get rich and buy our parents
Home in the south of France
Let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
And teach them how to dance
Let's get rich and build a house on a mountain
Makin' everybody look like ants
Way up there
You and I
You and I

Oh, well let's get rich and buy our parents
Home in the south of France
Let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
And teach them how to dance
Let's get rich and build a house on a mountain
Makin' everybody look like ants
Way up there
You and I
You and I

Pressure!

I've only passed 1/3 of my work shift and already I feel like this:



Pressure! Pushing down on me Pushing down on you.....

Yup. That's what the day has turned into here and I still have 2/3 of my work day left... OY!
How 'bout you Josephine?

~b

NO MORE SAPPY LOVE SONGS!!!!

I promise this one isn't sappy. Aren't you glad? :-D

Do you ever have days where you just are sick of being in the house? Or wives/moms where you walk into the kitchen and you look around and have to clue what to cook for your family, let alone any real desire to cook at all?
Fall is fast approaching and in my area that means winter could come any day now. When winter hits I usually get the "winter blues". I'm sick of snow, little sunlight, ice, slush, and gray.
During this time I need to listen to peppy music to keep me sane, like "Hey Ya!" by Outkast, various Bollywood music, Buena Vista Social Club, etc. Devon Sproule's song "Let's Go Out", although not as peppy, perfectly describes that meh mood. I love this song. It's so clever and true! I found a video of her performing it. It's posted below. Hope you like it! :)
Do you ever get the "winter blues"? What do you do to get rid of them?

Devon Sproule can be found on Myspace and at: http://www.devonsproule.com/

Today

Well thanks to Ellen, Joshua Radin has experienced a huge surge in music popularity and his album is topping the charts on iTunes. You should all def. check him out. His Myspace page has a lot of music or you can visit his website at: http://www.joshuaradin.com/ You can also listen to his music on his site or watch some of his performances.

It's hard to pick a favorite, but I do enjoy his song Today. It's an absolutely beautiful song about 2 people who've found their soul mate in each other. Had I known that this song existed when Chris and I got married, we would have danced to that for our first dance.

It wasn't love at first site when I first met Chris. In fact he gave me his email address and I didn't email or talk to him for 3 months. But during that whole time I couldn't get him out of my head. Any time I complained to my best friend S (on the other side of the state) about not being able to find a good friend, his name would pop into my head. I couldn't get him to go away. So finally 3 months after he had first introduced himself to me, I talked to him. Another 3 months after talking, hanging out as friends, and emails, we were dating. Everything just clicked together and the key people in our lives (parents, family, and friends) were (and still are!) very supportive of our relationship. The song Today by Joshua Radin is our relationship.

Hummingbird by Kris Delmhorst

Below are the lyrics and a video of her singing Hummingbird(poorly made but the only one I could find). If you have a myspace account, you can find the song on either my page or in her site, just do a music search on Kris Delmhorst. Her website for anyone interested in listening to more stuff or buy her music is: http://www.krisdelmhorst.com/

Enjoy!
~b



Hummingbird by Kris Delmhorst

Here in the dark, I won’t even make a spark.
You’re the only one who’s never seen
The way I can light up in shades of gold and green.
I’m just a little firefly, I want to shine for you but I’m too shy,
So when you come around I hide my light.
But when you go away I shine for you all night.

Out there in the sun, I’d open up for anyone.
You’re the only one who closes me
Because I want to be the brightest thing you’ve ever seen.
I’m just a little dandelion, I want to blossom but I’m scared of trying,
So I hide my head when you come into the room.
But when you go away I come right into bloom.

And I can’t look down, I’m way too high,
And I can’t look up, into your eyes.

Well I never was afraid to sing out loud, in front of anybody, any crowd.
You, you make me lose my nerve
Feel like something more than I could ever deserve.
I’m just a little hummingbird, I want to sing but I can’t find the words,
So when you come around I just go still
But after you move on, when I know you’re gone,
Then I sing for you the way I always will

Relationships, boys, and finally meeting my husband :)

Right now, I'm listening to my Myspace music playlist. There are a lot of good songs on there, most by non-mainstream artists. My favorite song on there so far is Hummingbird by Kris Delmhorst.
It's about a person who secretly loves another but is too shy to show it or act themselves around that person. It reminds me of being in school and having a crush on a guy but being too afraid to tell him how you feel.

Once upon a time...
There was this guy when I was in high school, in my church youth group, who was a buddy of mine. I had had a crush on him for 4 years, but was too afraid to say anything to him. 4 years of not ever saying anything that would give away my true feelings about him. 4 years of just acting like his buddy. It finally got to the point where my youth pastor and my youth group friends threatened to tell him I liked him if I didn't say anything soon. But I came from the belief that the guy is to make the first move, not the girl. So I just went on playing the role of his buddy, while secretly wishing he'd ask me out.
My best friend and I used to dissect every little conversation, glance, and interaction he'd have with me to try and figure out if he liked me for more than a friend. OY! Young love... It seems so silly when I think back about it. :)

Finally, during a youth over-nighter event of laser tag, air hockey, basketball, video games, and pool, I was faced with an ultimatum: Tell R. or else one of my friends or youth pastor was going to spill the beans. I think I was just over 16 at the time and was old enough to date according to my parents rules.
But I couldn't tell him. I was too shy to say anything and too afraid b/c I didn't want to get my heart broken. It was safer for me to admire him from a distance than it was for me actually admit it. So I said nothing.

My best friend's boyfriend finally spilt the beans to R. when they were alone and R. didn't believe him! When J told R that I had had a crush on him he wouldn't believe it and especially when he told him I had liked R for 4 years. After that it was awkward, unfortunately. R had been dating someone else at the time when he found out I liked him and didn't really talk to me the rest of the night. It was agonizing for me. I didn't know what he was thinking and I was afraid of losing my friend. I don't remember if we ever talked about that night again. I don't think we did. But we did eventually return to being just friends.
I think part of the reason our friendship lasted was by that by that summer I'd given up trying to have a boyfriend. I had other things I wanted to pursue in my life and trying to find and attain a boyfriend took up too much energy. Besides, right after I turned 17 my family ended up moving to the other side of the state, hours away from R and my friends. So I had to start all over again.

It was so bizarre. I went from always feeling like the ugly duckling at my old school (where my classmates and I had been in the same classes together from Kindergarten on up) to being the "new girl" at a high school who's population was more than double the population of my old high school.

I had a lot of guy friends almost instantly. I'm pretty sure that was only b/c they knew upfront that absolutely NOTHING romantic would happen b/n me and them b/c I had sworn off dating. :) I was "safe" like Switzerland and we could just be ourselves with each other. There was no high school against or teenage drama. I wasn't going to waste my time with it. :)
SO...
When I met my husband (before he was my husband, of course) I wasn't too shy to act like myself around him. We met at church and he went to a different high school than me. I had made it very clear to him, that I ONLY wanted to be his friend, so don't even think about trying to date me.
Well obviously that didn't last. :) As I got to know him, I realized that he was it. He was the first guy that I had actually struggled to try to maintain the "no dating" rule with. I would have dreams that we were dating or married. I couldn't get him out of my head.

When I finally came to the realization that I couldn't dismiss C as just another guy friend, I all the sudden became self conscious. We were dating with the intention that someday it could lead to marriage. But I was too shy to sing around him, or touch him/stand too close to him, and be TOTALLY crazy and goofy around him (like I had been when we were just buddies). I didn't want to lose him or turn him off by doing something stupid.

The self consciousness Kris Delmhorst sings about in Hummingbird had come full circle for me.

I had started out as:
a young, self conscious, lowered self esteem girl with a crush on a guy
To a:
"No one can stop me", "I don't need a relationship to make me someone", high self esteem young woman
Back to a:
self conscious, "I don't want to look like a fool and lose him" girl
So I guess in a way I was like the singer in Hummingbird. Don't worry though, I did grow out of it. :)
Almost 7 years after we had first gone to a youth event together as friends, Chris, my best guy friend, and I got married. I love him so much and am amazed at the way God has blessed my life by giving him to me. :)

So what happened to R you may ask?
Well, we kept in touch, occasionally, after I had moved. One time, not too long after Chris and I had started hanging out, but before we started dating, I went back to the other side of the state to visit R and some of our friends from youth group. My best girl friend and her boyfriend at the time, (J (the one who spilled the beans to R about me liking him)) and R and I went out to eat. We had fun but, I realized that I didn't really feel the same way about R that I had almost 2 years prior. In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about Chris that whole time. (Sorry R.)
After that my grandparents told me that he had gotten married a year or so before Chris and I did to a nice girl I think he'd met at college. I haven't really heard from or seen him since I graduated from high school. I found him on myspace but it's an inactive account. I hope he's happy, though and I wish the best for him and his wife.

The obligatory intro

Hello all. So I've started another blog...yet again. *sigh* I just got tired of posting things to Myspace, Facebook, and other sites. So here is your one stop to find out all about me. I promise that I will keep this more current than my blog about Suzy.

Just a real quick bio. I was born, lived in a few places, finally settled down (for now) got married in '05 to my best friend, Chris. We live in a house that the bank still owns (for now) and have a newf mix named Suzy. She also has a blog but I don't update it much b/c of time and picture upload issues. We don't have any kids (yet).

I come from a musically talented family and growing up, the radio, cds, tapes, or records were always playing at our house. I've been told that I have a good singing voice, but all the women in my immediate family have unique, beautiful singing voices (among other musical talents). I think it was all passed down from my mom's side of the family. Sorry dad. ;)
I love all different kinds of music but I'd have to say my favorite genre of music is folk.
I love finding and listening to songs that deal with what I'm going through now or relate to something that happened to me in the past. It's like the artist climbed in my head, looked at my memory files and wrote a song about them. Creepy, but beautiful.
So these posts will be about my life, my history, thoughts, goings on, etc. I'll try to include a song, lyrics, or music video that is applicable to the post. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the music. ;-D

~b