Five Years Ago in Five Minutes

I got the idea for this post a few months ago. A few of the bloggers I read were posting this as a writing exercise, and I thought it sounded fun.

The rules: Write about what you were doing five years ago. Write for no longer than five minutes!

Here goes nothing...

Five years ago, Seth and I were dating but not yet engaged. He would ask me to marry him the following Labor Day weekend.

I was living in Anderson and was in the process of moving from my own apartment across town to my parents' "mother-in-law house," a move that would save me having to pay rent each month.

I was going into the final (5th) year of my undergraduate degree. Because I was majoring in music education and Spanish, I had to go longer than many of my friends.

That summer, I was involved with La Plaza in Indianapolis, a not-for-profit organization to strengthen Hispanic families through the offering of educational opportunities. I was kind of a vice-principal for their summer program for kids, "Summer Discovery." This was a summer camp that focused on improving math and reading skills. The kids also got to participate in drama, physical fitness (using the Brazilian martial art Capoera), and music. They even did a final program at the end, which was right up my alley. We also went on a field trip to watch a track and field competition. I made lots of great teacher friends, met a lot of fantastic kids, practiced lots of Spanish, and just generally learned a lot about life that summer. Hearing the stories of these kids' home lives broke my heart. They were basically raising themselves! But there was something special about them, probably because of the challenges they faced, and I loved them.

There you have it...5 years ago in 5 minutes!

The picture at right shows me helping Anthony make a sign to hold during the track and field competition.

Stretching Birthday $

Yesterday as I was getting my grocery list ready, I remembered that I had $50 in birthday money to spend! That made my shopping trip all the more enticing.

My first stop was St. Vincent de Paul, my favorite thrift store. I find it easy to shop there because they organize their clothing by size. I wondered how far I could make my birthday $ stretch at a place like this.

I found a pair of Columbia cargo-type shorts, a pair of Old Navy khaki pants, and a pair of Cato brown dress slacks (tags still on) for a total of $9.50.

With the rest of the money, I decided to buy shoes. I have been so good at not buying shoes and purses the last few years, so I decided to buy myself some cool footwear even though I don't actually NEED shoes right now. That's what fun money is for, right? I found gray and blue New Balance tennis shoes on sale for $29.95 and a pair of nice flip flops (with a real sole and thick straps) for $12.95. That brought my grand total to $52.40...pretty close to $50!

Shopping with deals in mind helps your money buy MORE FUN!

How do you like to spend your birthday money?

Cutting Board

Many of you know that I just returned from completing my Kodaly certification at Indiana University. To save money on lodging, my in-laws graciously agreed to let me stay with them at the church camp they oversee outside of Bedford. During the first week, my husband Seth was holding down the fort at our house and taking care of his mowing business. But the 2nd week brought him to camp to serve as head cook for 3rd and 4th grade camp. We got to do our individual tasks during the day and be together in the evenings after dinner. Seth even stayed up late with me when my homework was particularly intense. It was a great arrangement!

One evening when I arrived back from class and went down to the dining hall to eat dinner, Seth pulled me aside; he wanted to show me something.

He had gone out to his dad's workshop, found some thick beech wood lumber, and made a cutting board for our home. I had thought about buying a cutting board for Seth (and me) this past Christmas, but we talked about it and decided he could just make one sometime. I am so glad we waited because our new board is gorgeous (albeit gargantuan)!

Check it out!

I have been searching online to find out what something like this would cost if we were to buy it at a store. The closest I can find is this board which costs $195.00 retail, and it isn't even as big as ours!

Yes, I know I am boasting, but I am just so proud of my husband, and I want to shout it from the rooftops. Will you forgive me?

Most importantly, this is an example of the following guiding principle for frugal living:

Before you buy, think about how you could either make it yourself, buy it secondhand, borrow it, or trade for it.

Thoughts on Lost

Last night, I finished my long-time favorite television drama, Lost. I wasn't able to watch it when it was originally broadcast because we do not have cable or satellite and our antenna does not bring in ABC. This past school year, when Season 6 became available on Netflix, I chose not to watch it, desiring instead to save it for summer when I could give it my full attention.

In the interim, many people have shared with me their disappointment about the way the show finished up. Someone even told me that the last episode would turn me against the entire series. With full confidence in the show's writers, I did not heed the warnings and set off on that final journey.

In just under a week, I have watched the entire sixth season. As true blue Lost fans will understand, my mind is absolutely reeling from what I've seen. Far from being a disappointment, I felt the ending of Lost was absolutely brilliant. I could probably write a book on my thoughts, but instead I will discuss just one element that I found particularly meaningful.

I must begin my discussion by stating that I do NOT believe that Lost is a parallel to the Christian faith. I know that the writers intended to brought out religious themes, some of which were crucial to the show's meaning, but Christianity is not where the show begins or ends.

Still, I believe that great literature (and I do believe Lost to be an example of great literature) invites the reader to draw his or her own conclusions apart from the writers' intent. The best writers are willing to take that risk; they are willing to give the reader some ownership of the literature because they know that the archetypes they use belong to humanity.

Although Jack has at times been a disappointing character, I love the moment when Jacob "passes the cup" to him. He is to be the new guardian of the island's light. After Jack drinks the water in the cup, Jacob states, "Now you're like me." When Jack later passes the leadership role on to Hurley, he tells Hurley the same thing. These particular scenes sent chills up and down my spine because I saw Christ in them.

When we invite Christ to rule in our hearts, he invites us to his table. He offers us the bread and wine that are his body and blood. Essentially, he invites us to fill ourselves with him. He does this because he desires to make us like him, to carve his image on our hearts.

Whether the writers intended it or not, their "passing of the cup" gave me a fresh perspective on my relationship with Christ. I desire to daily drink of his living water and to hear him whisper gently, "Now you're like me."

Backyard Garden Tour

This is the view I enjoy from the top of the stairs that lead into our apartment. This summer, my husband and I are truly living the outdoor life.

When we found out we could not plant our garden on the church's land out in the country, we were disappointed and thought we could not have a garden this year. When we mentioned that fact to our landlord, however, she generously offered us an area of the backyard! This new plot offers rich soil and is close enough that we can easily monitor and care for our little garden. We are growing zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, green beans, and corn. Seth is trying a few new techniques: tomatoes with fencing on either side to support the plants, a raised bed for the green beans, and corn mulch walkways over newspaper to keep the weeds down.

I have enjoyed tending the flower beds at the bottom of the stairs. This year I went all out and even added a weed covering and mulch.

With all the flowers and foliage downstairs, we didn't want our stairs and deck to feel left out. We put wave petunias in a flower box and in pots. They add such a great pop of color to our space and are easy to grow!

We also planted some edible items in this area. In the other flower box, I planted four herb plants, and at the foot of the steps I have two containers, one with a cherry tomato plant and the other with a yellow pepper plant. I am curious to see how well they grow in containers.

Ever since my grandmother passed away (one year ago this weekend), I have been extremely interested in birds. As a result, I have several bird feeders. My favorite feeder is the one I have hanging outside our living room window. Cardinals and house finches are frequent visitors! The picture below is the best one I have of Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal (as I affectionately call them) hanging out on the roof under the feeder.

Living in an upstairs apartment has not stopped us from living life to the fullest! How do you enjoy your outdoor space?