A Positive Thought For Today

By offering the universe positive thoughts and intentions, I believe she offers a positive return. The universe is cool like that. Offer peace; receive peace. Offer harmony; receive harmony. Offer love; receive love.

For the moments when this concept seems demanding and uninviting...and it sometimes does, the following thought is perfect for me.

Today I say... Change the way you see things and the things you see will change.

Match.com Weirdness

Match.com offers a couple of options that allow you to track who has viewed your profile. One particularly interesting option is the "My Favorites" feature. Here members can file profiles they find appealing away for safekeeping. Also, every subscriber has access to view who has chosen them as a "favorite."

Because I have found that most individuals simply communicate with those they are interested in, I find this feature a bit disturbing. See, I have a couple of  really strange birds that have picked me. These guys are total creepers and view my profile on a daily basis. These people do not appear to have any similar interests with me, they are much too old for my age limit, and they have not attempted to contact me...(which is a very good thing.) This makes me wonder exactly why they continuously view my profile.

For example, I have one specific visitor that frequents my page each day. I'm sure the guy is a nice person, although his photos scare me a tad. I just don't get it...maybe I don't want to know.

Inspiration

I am currently reading the book "Eat, Pray, Love." A conversation just took place in the book that inspired me.

You see...I am an over analyzer. I need to be in control most of the time. I even have a friend that jokes that about how I always need an answer... "right now!" I love moments when you can view life through an uncomplicated lens....moments when you receive simple, graspable clarity...when you realize the importance of letting go. That's what happened for me in this chapter.

The following conversation takes place between the main character (Liz) and her friend (Richard-from-Texas) in regards to a particularly difficult time she is having, including her feelings about a past relationship...

“What’s got you all wadded up?” he drawls, toothpick in mouth, as usual.

“Don’t ask” I say, but then I start talking and tell him every bit of it, concluding with, “And worst of all, I can’t stop obsessing over David. I thought I was over him, but it’s all coming up again.”


He says, “Give it another six months, you’ll feel better.”

“I’ve already given it twelve months, Richard.”

“Then give it six more. Just keep throwin’ six months at it till it goes away. Stuff like this takes time.”

I exhale hotly though my nose, bull-like.

“Groceries [he calls her Groceries, how AWESOME is that?!],” Richard says, “Listen to me. Someday you’re gonna look back on this moment of your life as such a sweet time of grieving. You’ll see that you were in mourning and your heart was broken, but your life was changing and you were in the best possible place in the world for it – in a beautiful place of worship, surrounded by grace. Take this time, every minute of it. Let things work themselves out here in India.”

“But I really loved him.”

“Big deal. So you fell in love with someone. Don’t you see what happened? This guy touched a place in your heart deeper than you thought you were capable of reaching. I mean you got zapped, kiddo. But that love you felt, that’s just the beginning. You just got a taste of love. That’s just limited little rinky-dink mortal love. Wait till you see how much more deeply you can love than that. Heck, Groceries – you have the capacity to someday love the whole world. It’s your destiny. Don’t laugh.”

“I’m not laughing.” I was actually crying. “And please don’t laugh at me now, but I think the reason it’s so hard for me to get over this guy is because I seriously believed David was my soul mate.”

“He probably was. Your problem is you don’t understand what that word means. People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that’s holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it. Your problem is, you just can’t let this one go. It’s over, Groceries. David’s purpose was to shake you up, drive you out of your marriage that you needed to leave, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light could get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you had to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master and beat it. That was his job, and he did great, but now it’s over. Problem is, you can’t accept that his relationship had a real short shelf life. You’re like a dog at the dump, baby – you’re just lickin’ at the empty tin can, trying to get more nutrition out of it. And if you’re not careful, that can’s gonna get stuck on your snout forever and make your life miserable. So drop it.”


“But I love him.”


“So love him.”


“But I miss him.”


“So miss him. Send him some love and light every time you think about him, then drop it. You’re just afraid to let go of the last bits of David because then you’ll be really alone, and Liz Gilbert is scared to death of what will happen if she’s really alone. But here’s what you gotta understand, Groceries. If you clear out all that space in your mind that you’re using right now to obsess about this guy, you’ll have a vacuum there, an open spot – a doorway. And guess what the universe will do with the doorway? It will rush in – God will rush in – and fill you with more love than you ever dreamed. So stop using David to block that door. Let it go.”


“But I wish me and David could —“

He cuts me off. “See, now that’s your problem. You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.”


What an awesome conversation. I love Richard-from-Texas. I think it is funny how we humans complicate things when answers are usually staring us straight in the face. He says to just let go and have faith.

That offers clarity. That is inspiration.

Hawaiian-Shirt-Man-With-Baby

Hawaiian-Shirt-Man-With-Baby totally contacted me on Match. Wow...that is all I can really say.

I absolutely do not mean to be rude, but geez...somebody help this man out! If my father, brother, cousin, uncle, friend, or any other man that I know dressed like Hawaiian-Shirt-Man-With-Baby, I would give him a good smack back in to reality...even if it was 1982. Judging from his photo, I'm guessing it was.

This makes me wonder...in searching for a potential partner, wouldn't one choose a photo from the same decade?

His message reads..."What are some aspects of life that are really special to you?"  Really dude?

I sure hope I can refrain from contacting this one...he's on fire!

It's A Hard One

Today is a hard one. My friend is moving away and I'm sad. Her husband will be attending a seminary, which means they are relocating to Kentucky. It's not like she will be gone forever. She will actually be back for a week each month, but still...it's not quite the same.

I met Julia when I started my job last year and we have become great friends. The girl is awesome...like really, super awesome. She loves the Lord, she is thoughtful, smart, pretty, creative, and hysterical. She makes me laugh harder than anyone else can....like the pee-in-your-pants or snort-through-your-nose kind of laugh. Oh, and she is the best girl in the world to share inside-jokes with....we have like 500.

Let me just tell you how sweet Julia is...she is moving and she got me a gift. Who even does that?

"Survive Without Julia Kit"

Kindred Spirits...

Although I am sad to see her move, I will be forever grateful for the friendship we have formed. I will be sending much love, best wishes, positive thoughts, and prayers to Julia and Lance.

I will be eagerly anticipating our monthly Chipotle lunch dates. I'll miss you, Baldface.

Match.Com - Update

Okay, I decided to do it. I rejoined Match.com. I am going to try to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude during this online dating adventure. I quickly become frustrated with the drama, games, and  uncertainty that dating often induces, but we'll see what happens.

Obviously my goal is to meet someone that I like...and can possibly envision some type of a future with. I cannot lie, though...I am a little excited about collecting some humorous stories to share. I am realizing that part of the fun in dating is laughing at the schmucks.

P.S. I figured out my profile headline. It was actually easier than I thought it would be. I just went with my sign from this post. The headline reads..."Seeking attractive male that is freakin' awesome."

Hoping for the best...

Party Chic

I went to the coolest place last weekend....Party Chic. It is a sweet cafe nestled in the historic district of my town. This place is precious - from the decor to the desserts. Hayley, my neighbor, and I went over on Sunday morning for a mid-morning treat...dessert is okay for breakfast, right?

We sat on a cute balcony overlooking shops, restaurants and people exploring the streets. It was so perfectly peaceful and relaxing. I settled on a mimosa and the peach marmalade/pecan shortcake. It was amazing...really amazing.

If you can make it by this place, seriously do it. It will not disappoint.

Check out our yummy desserts...

Peach Marmalade/Pecan Shortcake, Coconut Cream Pie, Espresso Brownie...(and some potato soup for Hayley)

Just look at that!

How cute is this place?

Morningside Farmers' Market

I am all about eating organic food and supporting local farmers. I headed downtown on Saturday morning to grab some goods at the Morningside Farmers' Market. I love this market...it is super cute and offers an array of items from over ten local farmers. Best of all, produce must be certified organically grown to be sold there.


Here is a little history on the Morningside Farmer's Market:

Our Story

The Morningside Farmers Market has its roots in a farmer cooperative that started with Cynthia Hizer's herb garden at the old Atlanta Waterworks in the late 1980's. In 1995 the Georgia Grown farmers were asked to bring extra produce for a market that would share with the public the same abundance they were offering the chefs. By the second week it was so successful the farmers wanted to start doing the selling themselves. Now, fifteen years later, some of the same farmers and partners are still with us, proud to be serving the community with fresh, organic produce.

 
I picked up some tomatoes, okra, basil, blueberries, carrots, lavish crackers and an olive loaf. Yummy!
 
 

Shopping at the market...

Mmmm....veggies.

Lots of peppas!

 

 

There is nothing like some fresh, organic produce...it's so good! If you're ever in the area, check it out. You can find them here. Support local farmers. :)