Let's Bust a Recap : Closer Than a Sister

Well, this post is being brought to you today by sheer willpower and self-discipline. I just have not been in the blogging mood lately what with a hurricane landing a tree on my house, wrangling workers into putting our new roof on, having our nieces here for a few weeks, some back and forth with them to and from Alabama, and now the holidays are upon us. Oh my! All I really want to do is sit by my cozy Christmas tree with a hot cup of tea and watch Christmas movies 24/7. 

But that's just not the way real life works and actually, using all the determination I have to write this blog post is fitting because today's subject was a book I read for a women's book club that my church hosted this summer. Your girl is a hardcore introvert so it took a lot of personal resolve to make myself go to the Tuesday night meetings. I muscled through and, if memory serves, I only missed three out of the eight meetings so I'll call that a win. I recruited my BFF Christina to read this one too and she totally cheered me on from Florida as I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to attend the book club up here in North Carolina—usually spending time on the phone with me as I drove to the church and even reading a chapter aloud to me one week when I got behind but still made myself go to the meeting. Because that's what a sister will do.

Closer Than a Sister by Christina Fox was published in 2017. It is an exploration of Biblical friendship and an exhortation to cultivate and care for those relationships. The book is structured in three parts: A Community of Faith, Living with Sisters in Community, and Challenges in Sisterhood. Part I lays out the foundation for the book, explaining from a Biblical viewpoint how we were created for community and how it is Christ that unites us and actually deepens our relationships into more than friendship. This felt very much like a review for me, but I liked Fox's personal—though still intelligent—style of writing. Part II is the practical side of living in community and it makes up the largest chunk of the book. Fox covers topics on helping each other; mourning, rejoicing, and growing together; exhorting one another; and learning from one another. I found this section of the book to be the most helpful and the most challenging. Part III dives into the difficulties and obstacles one encounters when trying to cultivate and foster community. As someone who is still navigating an out-of-state move after living in the same town my whole life, this section was the most encouraging for me. My closest friends no longer live close enough to come over on a whim, kick their shoes off, hug my neck, and settle on my couch for a chat or help me with a project or run errands with me just because. It's been a tough transition and we're over three and a half years into it. I honestly don't know what kind of a state I'd be in if my mom and sister-in-law didn't live right up the street. I probably would have already convinced Cody to take me back to Florida. 

All that to say, I think this book is a great resource, particularly if you are having to cultivate a new community from scratch. I may end up reading it again next year. I am truly thankful for the built-in community that fellow believers experience together. It is such a gift. But all relationships take work and intentionality, and reading Closer Than a Sister was a deeply needed reminder for this girl who has been doing life with the same friends she's had since she was seven years old. That closeness just takes time, there's no two ways about it. 

Have you built a solid community to do life with? And if you did that as an adult, please share all your advice with me! 

Casual Fridays

Wow. It has been a hot minute since we've caught up around here. I think this is the longest I've gone without blogging since I started this whole thing, and let me tell you: the temptation to just throw in the towel is real because there is a stack of books waiting to be recapped sitting in my little home library and some of them still date back to last summer. We're doing great. I'm sneaking this post in today so that when I look back at the blog archives, it will seem like I only missed one month instead of three which is the actual truth because the two posts I published in May were technically scheduled and ready to go in April. Oy to the vey. Let's ease back in with a chatty Casual Friday, shall we?

First of all: hi. This is what we look like in case you forgot. And if you missed it, we've been North Carolina residents for over a year now. So this photo is basically in our back yard. We are nestled right in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and sandwiched between a national forest and a state forest. There's a waterfall around every corner.

And speaking of living in NC now: it snows here, y'all. We got nearly two feet of snow in January and we didn't know what to do with ourselves. I'm sure our neighbors thought we were crazy because we were outside playing in it like a couple of kids. We were sledding down all the roads in our neighborhood, laughing and squealing like we were ten years old. All Cody's winter wonderland dreams came true, and you know what? Sitting inside by a cozy fire drinking something hot and reading a good book while there is a blizzard outside is not a bad life. Driving in it was terrifying, but we survived. 

In April, we went down to Myrtle Beach, SC for my littlest sister-from-another-mister's wedding. Funnily enough, this was the first time we've ever taken our dogs to the beach, and I think Cody had the most fun he's ever had on a beach in his life. Meggy was a beautiful bride, and her reception turned into a mini-Class of '06 reunion for me which was fun. I also convinced two of my BFFs to share an Airbnb with me so the whole weekend was basically one big party.

Also in April, my baby had a baby. I can't. I'm very "in my feels" about it, and you better believe I immediately drove down to Georgia to snuggle that little man. 

And speaking of being "in my feels" (as the kids say), my best friend and her babies came to visit a few weeks ago and I took her oldest out for a little date to one of my favorite spots and don't mind me crying into my Dr. Pepper over here while I stroll down memory lane remembering the day she was born. She's totally a teenager now and an amazing artist and writing her own books and somebody please stop time, for the love. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to May... 

...in May, I got to exercise my constitutional right to vote in the 2022 primaries. This was my first opportunity to vote as a resident of North Carolina. I'm so very grateful to live in a country where I'm afforded this opportunity. Even though politics and politicians can make me want to bang my head against a wall sometimes, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. God bless America. 

Also in May, Cody and I celebrated ten years of marriage. I actually got back into my wedding dress and my husband patiently indulged my request for a mini-backyard photo shoot. We watched our wedding video together, looked at photos, and went on our traditional date to Barnes & Noble and the Melting Pot. We also officially checked North Carolina off on our goal to #SeeAll50, but that's a post for another day. May is a crazy month always, and I blame my blogging failure entirely to that fact. Just in our immediate family, we celebrate three anniversaries and four birthdays. My brother and sister came in to celebrate our Mom's 60th birthday, but I have been strictly forbidden from posting the photos I took with them online. Oh wait! We did take a nice family photo at the Olive Garden. So here's that:

May also turned out to be my last month delivering packages for Amazon. I made it almost a full year. It was a good job, but I don't miss it. After a few too many less-than-safe driving experiences and being so entirely exhausted on all my days off, my husband and I decided the cons were starting to outweigh the pros of me having this job, and I gave my bosses my notice. I had great bosses, and delivering packages in the mountains of Western North Carolina certainly whipped my body into shape. I don't know if I would necessarily recommend being a delivery driver, but God provided for us through this job and I'm glad I was able to do it while it lasted. 

The first weekend of June saw us on a roadtrip to my beautiful Florida. Two of our nieces were having their first dance recital and there was no way we were going to miss cheering on those tiny dancers. We, of course, had to spend an afternoon with our boy, my sisters and I went to the beach for a day, and I got together with my book club. It was a jam-packed weekend trying to see as many people as we could and do as many of our favorite things as possible. (You know I came home with a stack of books from The Book Shelter.)

As I already alluded to, my best friend and her kids came for a visit the first week of July. Auntie Hannah had all the fun catching up with these babies. Our 4th of July fireworks got rained out, but that couldn't keep us down. We ate a lot of food, played a lot of games, and had a lot of fun. 

Y'all. I have a bush of the most gorgeous purple hydrangeas in my yard. Let me start this section off by saying I have the blackest of black thumbs. My house is where plants come to die. But these hydrangeas have been blooming on their own like crazy this summer and it has brought me no end of joy. 

And while we're on the subject of nature, deer and bunnies and all kind of fun animals hang out in our yard. We see them on a daily basis. There is also a mama black bear with two small cubs that have been making the rounds in our neighborhood, but I haven't caught them on camera yet. I tell ya: it's a whole new world for me up here in NC. We've gone from lizards and sand hill cranes and gators to woodland creatures, and it's a fun change. 

And one more backyard photo. Because apparently I'm turning into my mother and taking pictures of things like spiderwebs. Here's a handy link to when I recapped Charlotte's Web on the blog. You're welcome. 

Last week we celebrated my Gramma's 89th birthday. And because we are so redneck and Polk County people till the day we die, we stuck a giant match in her cake when we couldn't find any birthday candles. Gramma and I have been alone on the mountain a lot this summer because my parents and Cody have had to travel a lot for work and having her all to myself has been really special. We have a standing Wheel and Jeopardy date each night which basically keeps me going while Cody's away. 

Are you still with me? I know: this has been a lot. But that's what's been going on around here lately. I also have to tell you that Cody read Little Women (one of my all-time favorite books) and watched all three of our movie adaptations with me this summer. He loved the book, and was properly indignant over the liberties taken in the films. His favorite was actually the newest adaptation starring Saoirse Ronan as Jo. 

Anyway, I leave you with this photo of my puppies, because aren't they just the sweetest? Be on the lookout for some actual book recaps coming your way next week, and drop me a line telling me how your year has been going!

Let's Bust a Recap : Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La

Y'all know I can't make it through a year without reading something by Robin Jones Gunn. In fact, I took a look back through all the year-end recaps I've posted since I started keeping a record of books I read and blogging about it, and in 2017 I read seven of her books. 

First up for 2021 was Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La, and (no big surprise here) it was a delight. I've slowly been making my way through the Sisterchicks books since 2017, only reading one each year, and this is the fifth one that I've read. The Sisterchicks books are the last of Robin Jones Gunn's novels that I haven't read, and I've only got three left. 

Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La was published in 2005 and in it we find childhood friends Amy and Lisa fulfilling a 30 year old promise to each other on the trip of a lifetime to the City of Lights. The book is chock-full of all the signature adventures Robin's characters find themselves in on these international trips. From getting their luggage stolen—and returned!—by a con man, to searching out old friends of Amy's Grandmére, to climbing the Eiffel Tower, Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La made me laugh and cry just as every other Sisterchicks book has done. After finishing it, I immediately bought a copy for my own childhood best friend because it reminded me of her and our relationship so much. 

I love how Robin can write a novel that remains faithful to real-life experience while still uplifting the reader and encouraging the heart. While I haven't found myself in all the same situations that Robin's characters encounter, I can always relate to their emotions and reactions. I often find myself nodding along in agreement or giggling conspiratorially with the sisterchick on the page. 

I'm sure with all the Robin Jones Gunn books I've recapped or mentioned over the last six years of blogging (and God bless all my real life friends who have to listen to me rave about them in person), I'm starting to sound like a broken record. But I am a tried-and-true fan, and I can't recommend her books enough. They are my go-to books when life gets too hard for me, and it is certainly no coincidence that I immediately picked one up after moving to NC. 

Who is your go-to author when life is too much? 

And P.S. my book is pictured with one of my favorite prints that I picked up from a street vendor on my own jaunt to Paris in 2008. 

Maryland

On Thursday, October 17th, Cody and I drove 16 hours straight from Winter Haven, FL to North East, MD. That's right. We stayed in a small town named "North East". They're real original up there in Maryland. We made this trip for the wedding of one of my best friends from college and figured while we were there we would knock out a couple of states for our Bucket List goal to visit all 50 together. 

After a solid night of sleep in our hotel in North East, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day and made the hour and a half drive back down into Baltimore to explore the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

Fort McHenry was the site where Francis Scott Key penned the words to our National Anthem during the War of 1812 after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy. We really enjoyed our visit. The grounds of Fort McHenry are beautiful and the exhibits are informative and interesting. We got to see parts of the original crossbeam (which wasn't excavated till the late 1950s) that supported the broad stripes and bright stars through the harrowing night of battle. They actually have original cannonballs that were fired on the fort  by the British which was cool to see, and everyone working and volunteering at the fort was so knowledgeable and friendly. 

~gigantic monument of Orpheus dedicated to Francis Scott Key and the soldiers of the fort~

~sneaking a smooch behind the armory~

After we worked up a hearty appetite hiking all over Fort McHenry, we went down the street to L.P. Steamers for Maryland crab cakes and crab chowder before making the hour and a half drive back up to North East to get ready for the wedding.

Friday night was all about celebrating Karsch (which I will continue to call her even though her name has legally changed) and her groom.

10/18/19

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early, got checked our of our hotel, and drove all the way down to Assateague Island to see some wild ponies.

When I was in grade school, Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry was one of my favorite books and I have always wanted to go to Assateague Island to see the wild ponies. After about an hour of hiking around, I wasn't sure we would see any. But then we stumbled upon a couple...then a couple more...then several all grazing together!

Can you spot the two wild ponies behind us?

They were beautiful and didn't seem to mind our presence at all. I felt like I could go right up to one and pet it, but we were given strict instructions by park rangers and in writing to keep a schoolbus length between us and them so I grudgingly followed orders and let them have their space. I didn't get to see a whole herd of them racing down the beach, but I really enjoyed our day on Assateague Island.

That evening, we stayed in Delaware (the other state we checked off on this trip) so I'll be posting about that next week. Have a Happy Valentines Weekend with whoever you love!

Maryland : done.

Have you visited Assateague Island or Fort McHenry? What is a historical site that we cannot miss in our quest to #SeeAll50? 

Casual Fridays

Y'all. Casual Fridays have just died over here. Forget about it. So much time has passed. Where do we even start? I'll tell you where:

07/04/18

Because freedom and true love and the freaking 'stache. We spent our 4th of July eating way too much food and admiring Cody's magnificent facial hair. RIP The Mustache of 2018. Also, we played Euchre. Because I finally gave in and learned to play and now I'm addicted and can't stop. If you know this game, come play with me. 

Now for a proper bookish start to this post:

Here are some of the gems I've picked up at The Book Shelter lately. I think I've had pretty good self-control (considering the first time we went, I ended up with 14 books), but Cody's still a little fearful whenever I announce I'm heading for The Book Shelter. I've been back twice since that fateful anniversary trip, and along with all these fantastic books (including that Beth Moore Esther workbook which had nary a mark in it) I also scored the entire series of Parks & Rec on DVD. Because not only do they sell books, they sell board games and movies and video games—oh my! Have you read any of these? If I had to choose between Their Eyes Were Watching God, Rebecca, The Language of Flowers, or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for my 2019 book list, which one should make the cut? ("All of them" is an entirely acceptable answer.)

I'd probably be going to The Book Shelter a lot more frequently if I wasn't running off to the beach every spare day I get. Most of my trips have been solo, but I did manage to drag my BFF with me one day, and we ended up witnessing a totally casual wedding. (#memories) When we noticed they didn't have anyone to take a picture of the whole group, I sashayed my little bikini-clad body over to offer up my services as an impromptu photographer, much to the chagrin delight of my best friend. The family was very appreciative even though Christina wanted to melt into the sand. As you can see, my toenails haven't been entirely neglected this summer. That purple home pedi was flawless, but the beachy coral pedi was smudge city which has brought me to a new conclusion about smudgy pedicures: the nail polish brand matters. Anyone else find this to be true? 

I alluded to this in my God Is Able recap, but I didn't mention that my husband totally surprised me with these fun summery porch furniture cushions and they are making me so happy. Our porch chairs have been cushion-less since Irma, and I've been loving being able to (comfortably) spend more time outside this summer. 

06/04/18

I set a new world record Yahtzee score. (Ignore all of our confused faces, I was trying to figure out how to do a screenshot. #technicaldifficulties) But really though. 620??? That has to be a world record, right? Right?!

07/15/18

And speaking of my fellow Yahtzee Nazis (I just came up with that. Can I trademark it? Or is it offensive?), I squeezed in the quickest weekend roadtrip to see some of my favorite people recently. They're just extremely lucky I didn't smuggle my nephew home with me. Serious tears when I had to drive away from that baby. They're moving to Germany and even though they're really psyched about it, I'm still hitting my knees every morning asking God to make the Army change its mind. #sorrynotsorry Check Little Miss Thing eyeing her daddy like, "Gosh, you're so embarrassing, Dad!"

07/26/18

I got a few sweet hours with my other favorites yesterday. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are getting real good at faces-on-command. I treasure every second with these precious girls, and I hope they always love coming to Auntie Hannah's house. 

The puppies are doing good. Although between the two of them, I've cleaned up more puke this week than I would have preferred. Colonel likes to eat baby wipes so all trash cans have long been placed out of reach of either mangy mutt, but this week he managed to snitch two wipes that were literally sitting right next to me while I was changing a diaper and naturally they came back up a couple days later because baby wipes are not digestible, y'all. Don't eat them. Major regurgitated his breakfast Wednesday for no apparent reason. Perhaps he felt left out? The world may never know, and I am so over it.

Last summer around this time, I started a segment on the blog entitled "Adventures in Coloring" because my husband got me this insane grown-up coloring book. In the entire year since then, I have managed to complete two more pages. Two. And recently started a third. I'm obviously slaying. My hubby thinks the fish lips page doesn't even look finished because of how much I left white, but look at those teeny tiny scales, y'all! Haven't I done enough?!

I let some random stranger at a Fantastic Sam's hack up my hair a couple weeks ago because I was so bored with it, but, as is usually the case, I was immediately remorseful. It's hair. It grows. Whatever.

And if you've actually made it to the end of this post, I have a serious question for you. I have Mere Christianity and Othello lined up for my August reading, but I can't decide on which novel I'd like to tackle next. Should August include The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard, or Song of Deborah by Bette M. Ross? Help!

Did you make it this far? How's your summer been? To sum up: nail polish brand recommendations, 2019 book list choices, Yahtzee props, coloring encouragement, August novel vote. Annnnnd GO.