Distracted

I was so distracted today. I have no idea why. I think what happened is that my alarm clock woke me up out of a really deep sleep, and then I was grumpy the whole morning. I don't think my outlook improved until after lunch, which was late for me.

I had such a great week last week and yet I seem to be experiencing some anxiety tonight. For no reason apparently. At least it there doesn't seem to be a focus right now. That can be frustrating for me sometimes. Normally, if I can identify the cause of my anxiety, I can think about it, journal about it, and generally deal with it. When there's no focus, I have more difficulty getting back to a more peaceful state of mind.

Inspiration

My sister and brother-in-law came to visit this weekend.

My sister came in on Thursday night, and we spent Friday at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth. I also introduced her to frozen custard. We ate at two of my favorite restaurants in town, the Love Shack (burgers) and Zoe's Cafe.

When her husband arrived on Friday night (late) we all decided to sleep in  on Saturday. Thank goodness. I needed it. I told them we were going to get Texas Barbeque before the football game, which we did, and we ate ourselves sick practically. We were really full. And funny... about an hour after that, my sister's husband asks when we were going to eat dinner. Seriously?

We didn't quite make it through the whole football game as it was hot, and my sister started feeling sick. So we made the decision to leave. When we got back to my apartment, I turned the game on the radio, and we all napped. After the game was over, and after our naps, we decided to go downtown and get creative. Christian, you inspired us! We went downtown and started our own alphabet mosaic and just tried to take some fun pictures too. I really enjoyed getting creative with those... I might even start joining in on (photo) scavenger hunt Sunday!

After our creative session downtown, we decided to cook dinner. So we went to my favorite grocery store, Central Market! It is the Ikea of grocery stores. Anything and everything you can imagine. A whole room of produce! A whole room filled with wine and beer! Loose leaf spices, tea, and cereal!

So we baked salmon and asparagus for dinner as well as some zucchini and onions. And what dinner would be complete without dessert? We got a selection of cheesecake, cupcake, and a chocolatey seven layer bar, and ice-cream of course.

It was delicious, and I have left-overs.

I took them to church, and we went to lunch after with another friend of mine. After I dropped them off at the airport, I taught a cello lesson and went for a bike ride. I took my camera though, and I think I got some good shots.

It was a great weekend. I feel rested and ready to start the week.

"A" -- is for alphabet photo scavenger hunt

Sunday -- Section of stained glass at my church

"D" -- my favorite letter so far

Lonely Sunflower -- was the only one in this patch of (mostly) dead grass

Spotted on my bike ride today

The Scots

I find it interesting that I met a guy from Scotland right before I did a presentation to the Scottish Clans of North Texas. He needed help with a research project from one of the other librarians who brought me in on it for some advice. Since then, I have seen this guy everywhere. He's a non-traditional student here, meaning he is not a typical 18-22 year old student.

Well, tonight, he stopped by the desk (where I was working) and informed me (in his delightful Scottish accent) that I am one of the two most adorable people he's met on campus. He wasn't trying to flirt, he meant it sincerely. And I gotta say, I don't hear that very often, and it was kind of nice.

Rain

I worked a lot last week. Too much in fact. My boss even noticed and asked me point blank when I was going to take some time off. So I did today. Coincidentally, it rained. For those of you who don't live in Texas, we have been experiencing the hottest summer since 1980. There is an extreme drought in Texas and it is impacting the ecosystem. Fish are dying, birds are dying, the deer are abandoning their young, and there's not enough water to support the cattle. The beef industry in Texas is large, and though beef will be cheap for a little while (because the ranchers are having to sell them off before they die), the prices will start to increase, drastically. All that to say, we really need the rain here in Texas. It hasn't rained like this all summer.

So this is a rare occasion. So was my decision to go home early this afternoon.

I realized why I don't like taking time off... when my mind is relaxed, it wanders, and though I really need the rest, I am reminded of my loneliness. It would be really nice to have someone else to share these quiet moments with. You know, eat a few muffins, watch the game together. Laugh a little. Maybe go walk in the rain, because that's today's blessing.

September sunset

This sunset caught my eye tonight...

Missing

I had one of those kinds of weeks that just really had a lot in it. Every day seemed long and challenging. I have to work tomorrow, and most of the day on Sunday as well, so I am feeling a little stressed out. One of my friends is having a rough time. We talked a little about it, and it made me realize that often, the little things I worry about in my week are not as significant as I make them out to be. Sometimes I look at my life through this lens of stress, overwhelm, and "I'm too busy." But when I am able to step out of that a little, and look at my life without all that emotion, it just becomes a "to do" list, and all I have to do is work my way through it, without all the stress and drama. I had those moments this week. I was busier than I have ever been, but I felt really grounded. I may or may not have gotten more done in those moments, but I know that I felt more productive, which probably means I was.

Perhaps the long weekend helped... I got a lot of rest, and got to talk to ALL of my best friends. It was amazing. It is challenging to be away from all of them. I really, really, miss having people to do stuff with on a regular basis. That's the hardest part about moving away.

Texas Heat

This has been the hottest summer I have ever lived through. So many days over 100 degrees. The heat has finally broken (a little). Still in the high 90s, but it feels cooler. So, I give you "the heat breaks in suburban Texas." I have come to appreciate cloud cover, even if only for a short time.