Ahh, time for some pictures...my latest project would be making truffles to share with some of my fam over Thanksgiving.  I gotta admit, I've impressed myself!  Now to get them the whole way to PA and still lookin good...

MMM!  These are the select few that survived my taste testing.  ;)

Here's a dark shot of C Amy and I, a Trailblazer chief from Oregon.  These past 2 sessions, I actually had my time off with her!  Is fun to hang out together. :)

Ahh, the summer days I do believe have vanished for the time.  Nights are chilly.  No, downright cold these days.  Night fires are a routine now!

lol...Terri, remember the tube of henna you gave me way back when?  I rediscovered it, but it is a bit old to dye very dark. 

So much for a bit of randomness.  I'm packed and looking forward to some time at Renee's next week!  Been 2 years since I've been around that area.  Hope there's some snow around to play in. 

Currently Reading The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green By Starre Vartan see related

I love bookstores.  It's easy to pick up a book, and an hour later decide that sitting cross-legged in the middle of the aisle might not be the most comfy spot.  Lately I've found myself thumbing through one of the many "green" books...it's hard to avoid them, since they've been taking over the shelves these days.  From "Mr. Green" to "Lessening your Carbon Footprint," I find them intriguing.  I must admit, though some are a bit extreme, they've got some practical advice of how to be kind to the environment.  The funny thing is, most of the stuff rings the same as the advice my thrifty, our-parents-survived-the-depression mom and dad have taught me as a kid.  Ten years ago, this info was old-school, penny-pinching jargon to be tossed out with the scrunch socks and big bangs.  Now, it's trendy and the right thing to do if you've got a conscience and want your kids to be able to experience snow.  I do think twice about recycling and saving on energy, but I guess I see value in finding the balance between taking care of God's creation and realizing, even though it MAY be the end of the world, it won't be the end of my existence.  If I didn't have that faith in my future with God, I'm pretty sure I would be one of those hard-core, save-the-planet people.  But as of now, I think I'll do my part to turn off the lights and accumulate only what's important, but may be hesitant to shell out the bucks for the organic market: the clothes, shampoo, cleaning supplies, accessories, tampons.  Yes, even those can be organic. ;) 

     Camp has been...going.  I'm thanking God for providing me with a co-chief, and an awesome one at that.  Summer has come and gone, with the nights getting chilly and leaves starting to turn.  I'm not ready for that, but there's not much of a choice.  And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my big sis...DARLA!  All of 29 years old.  Wooo-WOOOO!  ;)     

  For some reason, uploading pics is usually a long, painful process for me.  But- cheers!- I've survived it, and might be a bit more computer-literate for it.  :)  My week at home was good; full of fam, friends, a wedding, a trip to the zoo, and lots of my mama's down-home cooking.  so here's a few glimpses to fill you in...

This would be Alicia and Ed, the stunning couple.  It was a beautiful, simple wedding.

Here we are, friends since, kindergarten, pretty much.  Was fun connecting with these girls again! 

Amanda, Susan, and I got to be cake and punch servers.  There's actually a chart to show how this beautiful cake is to be properly cut.

Some pictures from our family-time at the zoo.

Renee making friends. Yee-haw!  The rhinos were small and slow, so us expert pig riders had no prob snagging this one.

Got some quality time with these sistas...the Yoder fam is pretty much our second home!

AJ's the expert multi-tasking driver...taking pics doesn't phase her...not sure if the near-by drivers feel the same.  :) 

I've been mesmerized by the ongoing olympics...at least the bits here and there I've been catching.  Was amazed by the kayaking skills...could use some of that for the Suwannee, sometimes!  I stayed up too late last night watching the men's gymnastics, which are incredible, if you ask me.  If I'd be that dedicated and passionate about my God, wonder how that would affect my impact on my world.  Now that's a challenge.  Go team USA!  (Was watching Canada's scores some, also.)  :) 

I love lists.  So let's do some favs from my day today:

Today's favorite....

tunes:  David Crowder's Sunsets and Sushi

food:  hmmm, that's a tie between the homemade pretzels and that delish cookies n cream yogurt I scarfed down

drink:  Diet Pepsi Jazz...I know, a habit I've yet to kick

read:  the book of Isaiah

smell:  my cinnamon toast scented candle

article of clothing:  definitely the flip flops...bye bye hiking boots; until Tues! 

pastime:  two hour naps....that's self explanatory  :)

movie:  Anne of Green Gables (the last 3 hours)...well, it's the only movie of the day, I guess that qualifies for a fav

place:  the swings at Chau Ram park;  I can't explain the reviving that did for my soul

And that, my friends, sums up my day!  Adios...

Currently Reading Thunder of Heaven: Newly Repackaged Novel from The Martyr's Song Series (Martyr's Song) By Ted Dekker see related

 Ahh, I do love Mondays.  Mostly, because they're a normal person's Saturday.  One word to describe my day:  indulgence.  Indulgence in money spent, food/drink consumed, ppl's facebooks spied on, and, silly as it sounds, books read.  I absolutely love a good fiction adventure, yet somehow it seems selfish to "waste time" on them.  Today, it feels like it was time well spent.  Ted Dekker is one person I would love to sit down with and question about his life.  To be able to compose such intriguing adventures...he's a must-read.

Alas, my post shall have to be picture-less.  My cam's on the blink...sand doesn't mix well with it, at least not when it's located inside the shutter.  Not that I'm missing it that much, though.  My life these days is consumed with...well, what do ya know, guess it's camp!  :)  Had a good Suwannee canoe trip since I last posted, complete with chiggers, alligators, snakes, lots of swimming, sweat rolling by the buckets, with some good problem solving stuck in there...even got visited by an armadillo!  First one that I saw up close that wasn't road kill. 

And summer is speeding by.  With time passing comes changes, it always seems.  Which is what we talked about in church last night.  But "change is a friend, not a foe."  Also, "Challenges are the stepping stones to greatness."  Or so I was told.  Might be that greatness is overrated.  But looking at the story of the 12 spies that spied out Canaan...those idiot children of Israel wanted to GO BACK to Egypt when they got scared and doubted what God had promised them!  But, a closer observation shows more similarities of my life and theirs than I'm comfortable with.  So, to wrap up this lil church time, I'm working on changing my outlook to see obstacles as what they really are:  opportunities.  Much easier said than done. 

Excited about seeing my fam in a month!  Can't believe Renee and her kiddos will be around there, too.  Perfect timing.  :)  And the one wedding I get to be at this year:  congrats to Alicia!  Ed's getting a keeper of a girl.  Will be sad to be home without Bebo, my crazy tiger, around there.  A re-post of a pic of him... 

        RIP, my squeaky kitty.  And he really did, for real! 

A happy Canada Day to those up north!  Until next time...