The 30 Day Photo Challenge Day Six

Another beautiful day today.  Thank You God!

The 30 Day Photo Challenge:  Day Six

A photo of someone you would like to trade places with for a day.

Well, there's the part of me that would like to be a supermodel to know what it's like to be tall, skinny, and beautiful.  Then there's the part of me that would trade places with an actress to see what working on the set of a movie is like, or to get to go to the Oscars.  I would also love to be a famous author for a bit, like J.K.Rowling, just to experience what it is like to be so intelligent and creative.  I also thought about being Oprah for the day so that I could use her money and power for good things; no, make that "Godly" things.  She already does good things, but if only she were an out-spoken, born again Christian, she could have such an impact.

However, though it may seem random, I would choose to be...

Lisa Ling.  She is a journalist, reporter, co-host, and much more.  She is intelligent and talented, and makes it a point to cover topics that range from sex-trafficking to the war in Afghanistan.  I would love to be smart enough and poised enough to have her job; she is doing great things and has earned my admiration.

Hope everyone had a great Monday and a great January.  Let's see what February holds!



The 30 Day Photo Challenge Day Five

What an incredibly beautiful day God gave us!  Sunny, tempatures around 62, not even a chill in the breeze...I wouldn't be opposed to this weather hanging around until summer.  We've had our share of snow.   Lexi and Kiya enjoyed our extra-long walk today, and I do believe my time in the sunlight might have urged my cold to finally ease up a little.  Triathlon is right around the corner and it's hard to train while sick!

The 30 Day Photo Challenge:  Day Five

A picture of your favorite memory.

Hmmm.  When I saw this, I knew that if I really thought about it, I would spend over an hour narrowing it down.  My pile of grad school homework awaits, so I thought it best to just choose amongst the pictures that are available to me.  I do have a list of runners-up in the favorite memory category (and by favorite, I'm talking not just "I had a great time" or "I'm so glad I did that" but memories that either changed my life or helped make me the person I am today):

*Papaw pushing me on the swing.  This was a frequent occurance throughout much of my childhood.  He would push me on the swing he made for me himself that hung from his big oak tree in his backyard.  We would talk, laugh, and think together...and it always began with Papaw singing "round and round and round she goes, where she stops, nobody knows!" What a sweet, precious memory to hold onto.

*Mom reading to Stacy and me in bed; this tradition began as soon as I was old enough to sit upright, and it continued I think until adolescence.  When Stacy was born, she joined as well. Stacy and I were both very skilled and advanced readers in school thanks to our time reading together, and mom helped instill a love for literature in me so early on. 

*Christmas Eve at Mamaw and Papaw R.C.'s.  Aunts, uncles, cousins everywhere...mass chaos...fun.  Very special and missed, since those times stopped after Papaw died years ago. 

*Slumber parties with Trisha; we were both always "older" than our other friends, it seemed, and our time together was spent in deep conversations that I will treasure forever.

*Europe with Megan and Stacy.  Hands down, that trip was probably close to the best time of my life.  To experience Italy and France (and a little bit of Switzerland) in the way we did is a gift I will never forget. 

*Christopher proposing to me, on the beach at twilight...magical.

*Honeymoon (and not for those reasons, people!).  There was something so special about that first week we spent together as husband and wife, exploring the beaches of the Dominican Republic, knowing we had nothing but time.  I think we both appreciated the fact that we could laze about in the room, watching TV together, knowing that it was ok to fall asleep because one of us wouldn't have to get up and drive home. 

*My time spent doing plays and musicals at Theater Bristol from 5th through 8th grade.  I loved the theater and I still do, and I will never forget the dreams I had of being an actress.

*Our road trip this summer.  Visiting Tommy and Shari and touring D.C. by bike was so amazing, and navigating to and around New York City made me feel accomplished.

But alas, I must choose a picture of my favorite memory.  To some, it may seem bland or boring.  But for me, it just feels right.  Here is the only picture I have available to me of this memory, though I know there are better ones at my parents' house:

This is 6-year-old Shelley, fishing off of a rocky jetty at Blind Pass Beach between Sanibel and Captiva Islands.  On day one of this challenge, I wrote about my love for the island and the connection I feel to it.  My papaw bought a condo just before I turned 2-years-old, so all of our vacations were spent here.  When I was about five, my dad decided I was old enough and big enough to go fishing with him.  This was a big deal.  He would wake me up long before sunrise.  We would drive to the bait and tackle shop where he would buy 50 live, squirmy shrimp (that's what's in the orange and white bucket in the picture).  Then, it would take a good thirty minutes to drive the island and make it to Blind Pass.  By this time, the sun would be rising...since I fished with dad so many mornings, it's safe to say we witnessed many beautiful sunrises together.  Climbing the rocks was dangerous and dad had to help me when I was younger.  After finding a good rock to sit on, the fishing began.  We would catch ladyfish, red snapper, jacks, snook, and even an occasional stingray.  If we were lucky, we would almost certainly see either dolphins or manatees.  We would take a breakfast break.  To wash my hands, dad would use the windex he kept in the van and paper towels (this memory just made me laugh out loud).  Then, to my mother's chagrin, breakfast would be some deliciously sugary dry cereal (think Froot Loops) and sometimes even cookies!  Not just any cookies; Keebler Elf rainbow cookies.  I guess I should blame dad for my sweet tooth. 

As I got older, I enjoyed just fishing in silence next to dad.  We didn't need to keep a conversation going.  I would relish the feel of the salty breeze and taste it in my mouth.  I would closely observe the tiny hermit crabs scurrying to safety as the waves crashed over the rocks.  I took in the power and the tenderness of the turquoise gulf; it both terrified and thrilled me all at once.  I saw schools of fish speed by as they swam for their lives when the sharks were hungry.  I watched as the first few people arrived at the beach; women would spend time sifting through the millions of beautiful shells that washed onto shore in the previous night's storm, and sometimes other dads and their sons would join us on the rocks, casting their lines into the water.  I remember always noting that never once did I see a dad out their with his daughter; only with his son.

Obviously, this memory is special to me because of the time I got to spend with my dad.  But even so, I think it only gave me extra time to become part of the island.  I would always feel like I was one with the water, the sand, the breeze, and the sun...I got to experience nature at its best.  I thank God for those times.

Just for fun, since these pictures were on my computer, I thought I would share some more pictures of little Shelley on Sanibel Island (well, there are a few where I'm not so little, but it's ok):


2-year-old Shelley on Sanibel (not pictured to my left:  Megan Booker!)




Daddy giving me swimming lessons at the "poo". 



Shelley and Stacy waiting on Dad and Uncle Tim to get back from deep sea fishing.  Also trying not to be the landing spot for pelican poop.

Hello, little bird.

Come back, little bird.



Bubbles!



Ha!  Teenagers.  Well, I don't know about the bird.

Sunset at the condo.

Sunset at Sanibel.

Fishing with dad on those same rocks; I think I was fifteen here.

I hope everyone is as blessed as I am to have wonderful family memories.

The 30 Day Photo Challenge Day Four

Day Four:  A picture of your night.

This is my night; sorry for posting a picture of my nasty foot, though.  After a long day of playing volleyball in the Eastman tournament, my injured foot deserves some ice-pack loving.

You know who/what else deserves some lovin'?  My husband.  Why?  Besides the fact that he's my husband, you mean?  Because this husband had cleaned the entire house by the time I got home.  I'm talking dusted, cleaned bathrooms, did laundry, and vacuumed.  We usually spend Saturday mornings cleaning together, and I was simply going to neglect the weekly cleaning this week since I was playing ball.  Then I come home, exhausted, sick, feeling miserable, to find a lovely clean house.  It's his birthday weekend, he worked all day yesterday, and still chose to be a servant to his wife by doing the chores.  Not the first time this has happened.  What a blessing!  

As Christians, we are supposed to serve our spouses; in fact, we are supposed to serve all whom we encounter.  This is much easier said than done, especially when God's word can be taken and misinterpreted.  In today's modern world, many people know and recognize the verse from Ephesians that commands, "wives, submit to your husbands".  When we think of what that says, we associate submission with weakness and loss of power.  This is not the case!  Dan Lacich, who maintains a blog entitled "Provacative Christian", argues that there is more to the text than just that verse.  He references Ephesians 5:21-33 and explains that submission means letting our husbands guide us, but not control us.  We should serve them out of love and reverance for Christ, as long as our relationship is built on faith, loyalty, and trust.  In the same passage, husbands are called to lay down their lives for their wives, just as Christ lay down His life for the church.  Anyone who has been in a relationship probably knows that we should put our loved ones before us, and I also think anyone who has been in a relationship knows how truly difficult this can be at times.  However, when we read these verses in Ephesians, we are reminded of the fact that a marriage between man and wife is also used as a metaphort for Christ and the church:

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.



When we serve our spouses, we are serving God in one of the best ways possible.  God is pleased when we put our spouses before ourselves, but He is most pleased when both husband and wife put God first and foremost in the marriage.  I am so grateful to have a husband who puts God first and seeks Him daily.  Christopher shows me he loves me everyday in many ways; cleaning the house is only one of those ways.  But, on a night like tonight, I'm more grateful than he'll ever know!

To view Dan's blog, click the link below:

http://provocativechristian.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/provocative-bible-verses-wives-submit-to-your-husbands/

I challenge you (and myself) to be servants this week in the best way we can find. 

The 30 Day Photo Challenge Day Three

It's Friday.  We actually made it through an entire school week (although Monday was a 2-hour delay and Wednesday was early dismissal).  But we made it five days none the less! 

Today is my bff for life's birthday.  My bff for life is Christopher Martin, pictured here:

Christopher and I have been in each other's lives since our freshman year at Central High School.  Technically, I guess, I've known Christopher for eleven of his birthdays.  One particular birthday that stands out is his 18th, where several friends and I surprised him at his house before a home basketball game.  He was napping, and his mom actually let us go wake him up, which I'm sure was embarrassing.  She had a Cougar basketball cookie cake for him that we all enjoyed.  Lauren Cassell and I then proceeded to roll and saran wrap his car during the game...then it rained...and he wasn't very happy about that. 

He is 26 now; we're getting older.  I am so grateful that Christopher chose me to be the one that he will celebrate every birthday with here on Earth, until we are called to an eternal celebration together in Heaven.  I wish I could give him everything he wants and deserves on his birthday; he gives me so much everyday.  I love him.  Feliz Cumpleanos, Mr. Coach Martin!

The 30 Day Challenge:  Day Three

A picture of the cast of your favorite TV show.



I didn't even have to think about this one.  Automatically, my favorite TV show is The Office.  Christopher and I have every season on dvd and just watch them all on rotation, as well as the new episodes every Thursday night. 

My favorite characters include Andy "Nard-Dog" Bernard, Dwight K. Shrute, and of course Michael Scott, who is leaving soon.  I am not sure how the show will manage without them, but I hope they try; my week is easier when I know I have a new episode to look forward to!  I also enjoy Glee and Criminal Minds, but I don't watch them as much as I do The Office.  People sometimes tell me that I remind them of Pam, and I must admit that Pam and Jim's love story is much like mine and Christopher's.  Just another reason I love this show!

The 30 Day Photo Challenge Day Two

Today was a great day, even though the exhaustion and sore throat are still lingering.  Had a surprise visit from Mrs. Riden-Bacon during class today and my kids were great, all 35 of them!  I shall probably reward them with something chocolate.  I am rather fond of my classes for the most part.  Hope they don't make me change my mind.

I'm also so happy to be blogging by our gas fireplace.  The logs came with the house, and our Christmas present from the rents was to hook them up to a propane tank.  Took a while to get everything working, but I am finally enjoying their toasty warmth!  Thank you Mark, Robynn, Danny, and Glenda!

The 30 Day Challenge:  Day Two

Day 2 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

Next to my sister, Megan is the person that I have been closest to the longest.  Technically, I've known her longer than my sister since Megan and I have been friends since the womb!  Our moms were friends since elementary school.  Then, after getting married to their husbands, they moved into the same neighborhood with only one house separating them.  And, amazingly, our moms got pregnant at pretty much the same time.  I arrived on June 21st, 1985, and Meg followed shortly after on July 3rd.  Our childhood was spent at each other's birthday parties and an occasional trip to Sanibel with our families.  Holiday gatherings were especially fun, as Megan and I (and later on, Stacy) made up skits and dances and performed for our parents.  Those home videos are priceless and should never be seen by anyone but us.  Although we never went to the same school, many afternoons consisted of meeting on the "hill" between our houses and passing the time away in the Booker or Wingate household.  Out of our many slumber parties, I'm particularly fond of the night we lazed about on Megan's couch, watching a movie, and discovered a large cave cricket in the floor in front of us.  We were both too terrified to leave the couch, and I had to use the bathroom.  I think eventually we braved it and put a trash can over the deadly creature so we could sleep in peace. 

As we got on into high school, we saw each other rarely.  Then, about the time we were ready to graduate college, the opportunity arose for us to go to Europe for a month with King College.  The picture above is of the two of us on a train to Florence.  It was a wonderful trip and a great way to re-kindle our friendship!  I feel so blessed to have had her as a bridesmaid at our wedding, and although she resides in Knoxville, we get together whenever she's in town.  Shelley and Megan:  Friends in the womb (just not the same womb!)

The 30-Day Photo Challenge

The 30-Day Photo Challenge isn't a diet.  It isn't some sort of spiritual fast, either.  It's actually a proposal that I've seen going around on Facebook.  Usually I ignore such things, but I actually believe that this one provokes thought and consideration.  Following the specific instructions, the goal is to post a different picture every day that corresponds with each day's "thought".  Perhaps a little cheesy, but sometimes cheesy is ok with me. 

DAY ONE:  A picture of you and five facts about yourself.

1.  Currently, I've been on this planet for twenty-five an a half years.  The last eighteen of those years have been spent as a born-again Christian, loving and serving an awesome God.  Until He returns or calls me home, I hope to continue seeking Him!

2.  While there may be no place like home, and while I do adore East Tennessee, my favorite place in the world is Sanibel Island, Florida.  Sanibel holds the keys to my childhood's memories and dreams, and somehow, when I am there, it unlocks the free-spirited, un-burdened part of my soul.  Since I was two-years-old, I have spent every single summer and some Christmases at Sanibel, and it has only been since I got married that this has changed.  Christopher will testify that I sometimes cry (yes, cry!) when I think about the fact that the days of packing up the truck with my family and heading down for a 2-week-vacation are over.  I feel like the real Shelley is in Sanibel and is meant to reside there one day.  My ultimate dream for my life would be to live on the island and work in the library a few days a week; in my flip flops and tank top, I'd just hop on my bike and ride to and from work.  So simple.
3.  I am a book nerd.  I love to read, and I have trouble understanding why other people don't love it as much as I do.  Perhaps the right book has never landed in their hands.  When I think of my own personal favorites, these books comes to mind:
*The Harry Potter Series
*To Kill a Mockingbird
*The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns
*The Secret Life of Bees
*The Book Thief
*Night
Books empower us; without them, our society would be nothing. 

4.  There are some weird things that only the people closest to me know.  For instance, only a few people know about my obsession with two particular celebrities:  Dolly Parton and Steven Tyler.  Opposite ends of the spectrum, I know.  I don't even like country music, but for years I have just LOVED Dolly herself.  I have a few CD's and songs that I do enjoy, but it's just her that I adore.  I love how honest she is; she's funny, spunky, and charming.  She's delightfully and purposefully trashy in a classy sort of way.  I want her to be my best friend. Honestly, if I had a dinner party where I could invite five people from history to the present day, she would be one of them.  (Elie Wiesel, Esther, Harriet Tubman, and Cary Grant would be the others). 
As for Steven Tyler, I've loved Aerosmith ever since I can remember.  I genuinely love the band's music and I adore Joe Perry too.  But I guess I have just always like Steven Tyler's bold, in-your-face personality.  His stage presence is fantastic and not quite as goofy as Mick Jagger.  I thought Steven Tyler was selling out by doing a show like American Idol, but after tuning in for a bit the other night, I thought he made a fantastic judge!  And yes, I've considered auditioning just for the chance to meet him.  I would do it. 

I would.
5.  I love my husband.  I love my family.  I love my animals.  I (sometimes) love my job.  And I suppose that's all there is to it.

The Cat Lady

Well, we made it through a whole week of the new school year...almost.  We had a snow day on Friday which was much welcomed by me; I felt terrible (and still don't feel well) and I slept in much later than I EVER do.  I took advantage of the extra day to get some of my grad school work done.  My throat hurts, my glands are a little swollen, and my body is fatigued and achy, but I really don't like the thought of a $50.00 co-pay to go to urgent care.  Yay for the new insurance! Not.  My triathlon training is not going so well because of this sickness and an aggravated tendon in my foot that has been on and off since October.  It's hard not to get frustrated right now.  I don't have access to a pool, even though there is a nice one at work, so I don't even know when I will get to start training for the swim portion.  With my foot acting up, I can't force myself to run or even do anything high impact (like P90X plyometrics).  All I really have right now is the indoor trainer for my bike, so my quads are on major overload!  Anyway, I'm just praying this week for strength, energy, and healing.

On a different note, I feel the need to talk about cats and dogs.  To begin with, before going to bed last night, I watched two episodes of Animal Hoarders.  If you haven't seen that show, you'd be horrified to see how some people live with so many animals.  Christopher and I have two cats and two dogs.  Now, the dogs are really my step-dogs; I inherited them when I married Christopher.  There truly is that feeling of them being my "step-dogs"; neither one of the dogs is a dog I would have chosen myself.  In fact, my whole life I have longed to have a golden retriever and had been planning on getting one when I got my own place.  Then Christopher and I fell in love, and, well, that's that.  No golden retriever for me until Lexi and Kiya are no longer with us, and that's ok.  Lexi and Kiya stay outside; we purposely bought our house with a large, flat backyard for them to roam around in.  My dad and Christopher also built a beautiful 6-foot-fence all the way around the yard so that Miss Jump-Over-Anything-In-Order-To-Escape-Kiya would be secure.  Lexi and Kiya are ok, but even Christopher has admitted that he would trade both of them for the dog of his childhood, Tara.  I didn't have a dog growing up, but I have always loved them.  I can name several dogs over the years that I didn't care for very much, and Lexi and Kiya aren't my favorite, but there is no doubt that dogs are possibly the best companions to have ever walked the planet.

Kiya in the snow.

Lexi with her big bone on Christmas morning.

 

Christopher with the mutts; summer 2009.

Except for cats, that is.  I had a love and fascination for cats since I can remember.  Pictures of a 7-year-old Shelley wearing a cat nightgown (The cats are on the front reading the "Caterbury Tails") are proof that I was even willing to wear cat clothing.  A birthday cake with a Lisa Frank cat design comes to mind as well.  My family got Oreo for me when I was only 7.  Oreo was a regular ol' black and white tabby.  Extremely lazy and easy-going, Oreo was an indoor-outdoor cat.  He typically went to bed with me, then woke me up around 3:00 am to go outside, not to be let in again until the next morning.  Oreo was likeable because he was friendly, never meowed, and would gladly curl up on my (or my dad's) lap.  He didn't jump up on counters and he didn't wreck the Christmas tree.  He was content just to be alive.  In my later years of college, Oreo began to lose weight and was very sick.  In hindsight, I let him live far too long after he became so weak; it was in September of 2007, when I was 22-years-old, that my mom, Christopher, and I scooped him up and took him to the vet.  I will spare the details of what it was like in that room.  I was very much aware that my sobs and tears weren't only of grief for the loss of my pet, but for the loss of my childhood that he represented as well.  Fifteen years is a long time, especially when those fifteen years include me progressing from a child, to an adolescent, to a teenager, and to a young woman.  The doctors wrapped him up for me, and I let my tears fall on the little bundle in my lap in the car ride home. He is buried in my parents' backyard.

Oreo.

Before I go on, I must note that it always surprised me how many people hate cats.  I am blessed to have families (on both sides) who love cats and a husband who loves them too.  Yes, I've met several cats I don't like.  There are some that are mean, irritable, and cause nothing but grief.  But aren't there dogs out there that fit that description as well?  Sure there are!  I find that people who don't like cats are people who have never really been exposed to them, and therefore don't understand them.

Just weeks after Christopher and I got married and moved in together, we got Fitz and Rhea.  It was kind of an accident.  Christopher had made the deal with me that since I was having to postpone my dream of having a golden retriever, he would buy me the cat of my choice.  I had already mentioned that I would like an orange cat.  On a typical day of running errends, we decided to take a stroll through PetSmart, just to browse.  And it just happened.  The Washington County Animal Shelter had several cats up for adoption, and we immediately spotted a tiny, orange and white tabby.  We asked to hold him, and when his kennel was opened, another unusual-looking kitty scurried out as well.  This kitty looked half-calico and half-gray tortoise shell, with what looked like a fiery flame on her face.  We held both kitties in our laps, just 10-weeks-old, and the lady mentioned to us that we would get a discount for buying two kitties and not just one.  These kitties were brother and sister; how could we resist?  So, without food, litter boxes, or any other necessities, we held the kitties and drove them home.  A year and a half later, Fitz and Rhea have become family.  Yes, they picked apart our leather furniture until they were old enough to be declawed.  Yes, they climb up in the Christmas tree and send needles and ornaments everywhere.  Yes, we have a house full of cat hair.  But they make me so happy.  Fitz is laid-back, lazy, and cuddly.  Rhea is spunky, smart, and full of affection and personality.  She is as smart as most dogs I know; I am not kidding. 



I guess I felt compelled to write this tonight because of something that happened in the early hours of the morning.  I woke up at some point in the night on my back with Rhea nestled on my chest, purring loudly, and Fitz curled up against my side.  They were warm, soft, and peaceful.  I placed a hand on each of them and just reveled in how happy I was.  Then I almost laughed outloud.  Here I was, curled up in bed next to my husband, surrounded by my cats, thinking about how such simple things bring so much happiness.  I am sure the happiness that a mother feels when she holds her child surpasses this, but seeing as I'm not hoping to have a child in the human form anytime soon, I am taking advantage of the affection I feel for my animals. 

I hope to be here on Earth, 40+years from now, rocking on the front porch with Christopher, golden retriever at my feet, and a cat in each of our laps.  It may not fit the stereotype exactly, but if teenagers living down the street want to call me The Cat Lady, I will be ok with that.

Fitz and Rhea the day after we adopted them.

Little Fitz.

    

Little Rhea.

Big Fitz.

Big Rhea.

And lots of love.