Portraying Skewed Reality

Life outside of the pictures and edited video clips lacks the simplicity and glamour that it appears to have depending on the lense used to capture the moment.

It doesn't mean it is an awful and horrible experience.

It just means, an uncooperative day can appear to be beautiful in a snapshot.
What is not seen is the gallon of milk that dropped on the floor and popped, the hair that would not cooperate and do what you wanted it to do, and ice on the windshield when you have barely enough time to make it to work.

However, pausing to capture the picturesque snow and adding a catchy caption sends an "all is well" message to the beholders.

Do we lose reality in our habit of portraying funny, eclectic, artsy, trendy, and pretty images of our lives?

New Way to Follow!

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A Week of Break in the Spring

Spring Break was wonderful!

Scene:  Steph, Holland, Kristy, me, and Holland's car.

Day 1:  A 5 1/2 hour trip became almost 9 hours due to a stop at IKEA and a stop in Mt. Airy (at the Mayberry jail).
Day 2:  Church in Bath County, pancakes and REAL (way too much) Maple Syrup at Bolar, visited with/saw many dear and familiar people, went to WV, turned around and visited a Maple Farm, stopped in Monterey and looked at crafts, visited the Homestead, and went home to relax.
Day 3:  (Steph stayed home)Went to Liberty University, hear Mr. Verwer speak, saw Nick and met his girlfriend : ), hung out with Danielle, went to Barnes and Noble, met with one of Kristy's friends, ate dinner with Mr. Verwer, stopped to say hi to Catherine at work, Sams stop, and then home!
Day 4:  Holland went home to Charleston, Kristy, Steph, and I decided to hike to Griffith Knob, after some driving and not being able to find where to begin, we hiked to the top!  It felt like an 70 degree incline!  It stormed when we got to the top.  Then we went to the river and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows!
Day 5:  RESTED!
Day 6:  Rested, I had lunch with Mrs. Shaver, we went downtown, back home, went to Michael's baseball game (where we beat Covington!), and...I think we made brownies.
Day 7:  Filed my taxes, took Josh coffee, went home, ate lunch, went downtown, ate curry for dinner, hung out with Josh and Michael, went to DQ and got Ice Cream Cones, and watched Hitch.
Day 8:  Slept in, went to Hot Springs (aka, Laura's Boutique) via Douthat, came home, made scones, watched Princess Diaries 2, and packed.
Day 9:  Woke up, ate breakfast, finished packing, went to church, put too much oil in the car (me), Mr. Fenton drained the oil, left for school, and made excellent time (back by 5:30ish), relaxed with some shows and a movie, a little hall excitement, and BED.

The weather was practically perfect, Spring was beginning, the air was so fresh, and it even thunder stormed!

And now, I am at work, back to the norm!

View from Warm Springs Mountain

One Cake, Two Cake, Three Cake, Final Cake!

*Disclaimer:  My grandmother makes excellent cakes and desserts.*
 *Disclaimer 2:  Four cakes were made since Friday.*

Yesterday is definitely deserving of a blog.

On Thursday I surprised Mama for her birthday by showing up at the house unexpected.  I was supposed to be at school in a different state!

Friday Grandmother made Mama's birthday cake.  Due to a slight technicality, the icing did not turn out quite right.  It went from a bit too thick to too runny.

So, yesterday I decided to make a new cake.  I went to the store and bought two cake mixes because I was planning to make two layers.  After getting back to the house, mixing the batter, and pouring it into two round pans, Grandmother came over and broke the news to me.  One cake mix will make two layers.

Shoot.  So, I ladle cake batter from both round pans into a bunt pan.

Two layers later, I take them out of the oven to cool before taking them out the pans.

Guess what?

The non-stick spray did not do its job.  So, the cakes stuck a bit.

Well, after some cake crumble, Grandmother and I managed to flip the cakes and get them layered (using the left over icing she had made...we decided it made great paste).

I began to frost the cake and it began to crumble.  So, once again, Grandmother came to the rescue with the sides of the cake!

After it was all iced, I wrote on the top (it took multiple attempts).

And, then, after putting it on the table, the icing on one side began to fall!

Well, Grandmother helped again, and the cake survived.

And, here was the final attempt.

THE Cake

Oh, yes, so the other cake.

Well, it fell to pieces and will be frozen until Grandmother comes up with some way to rescue and use it : )

And, this morning I woke up, made Mama breakfast in bed (that ended up not being in bed), and made yet another cake (that also fell into three large chunks.  BUT, I think they melded back together due to the heat!).  It is now safely iced waiting for tomorrow!

Can I Have a Camel?

Ah, World Christian Week.  My favorite week of the school year.  Tonight we had fireside chats.  Fireside chats take place with missionaries and students who get together in the lobbies of different dorms to learn about each other and the different mission agencies.

Tonight I learned that in Niger you get to have camels.  It was pretty funny.

Missionary:  "So, how do you call a camel?"
MK (Missionary Kid):  "You don't.  You run and catch them."

Tomorrow is Europe Day...meaning, I will be wearing my dirndl!
That was the best thing I bought while in Germany!  33 euro and I have worn it about four times, I believe.  Tomorrow will be five!

Also, I was just given a warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie.  Thank you, Bree!

And, my roommate and I had yet ANOTHER people connection.  Our worlds collide yet again.

A Summer Tea Party Sounds Nice...

Happy First Day of March!!!

One of my favorite kind of days is when it is cloudy and with an early morning, cool warmth in the mountains (or, a rainy, summer afternoon in the mountains).  It makes me feel like the end of the school year is nearing (which it is not).

The point is, today is that kind of day.  Mmmm.

Ok, on the better things.

1.  Daddy is leaving today to fly to England for a week!  I am so excited he gets to visit with some family!

2.  He is bringing me back loose leaf Earl Grey (tea party, anyone?)!

3.  It's Thursday (which mean, when it is over, it is pretty  much the weekend)!

4.  I am blessed with some of the best friends ever!  I love the time we get to spend together laughing, sharing, and empathizing together!

5.  I get to use a walkie talkie at work (I used to LOVE walkie talkies.  Now, they gave me one!...except it is kind of weird using it sometimes).

6.  Youth group was awesome last night!  I love getting to hang out with them!

7.  It's the little things...like pink finger nails.

Doesn't this look lovely! Pinterest