Back From The Beach!

Howdy All!

I have returned from my trip to South Padre Island, and am thrilled to report that it was a perfect week! I spent a ton of time praying and writing, and once again, have returned from this vacation feeling both spiritually and physically rejuvenated. Praise God! We had beautiful weather (amazing, considering all of the storms that were brewing in the Gulf), wonderful meals (lovingly prepared by the trips' matriarch, Carol), LOTS of laughter (of the pee-in-your-pants variety), spirited political discussions (what with the Republican Convention being on and all), and just lots of good rest and relaxation (with the possible exception of my friend Tammi, who had her 3- and 8-year old sons in tow. Bless her). The gals I was with also did a lot of shopping, and have very likely single-handedly helped the Island recoup any and all revenue losses caused by Hurricane Dolly.

Speaking of which, many of you have asked what kind of condition the Island is in since Dolly made landfall there on July 23rd. For the most part, the Island has recovered well. There are a few major hotels (including the Radisson and the Sheraton) that have completely closed their doors until Fall in order to do major repairs, and it was weird to see those usually busy and bustling places so quiet. Some businesses have closed permanently, or at least for the rest of the season, but for the most part, everyone is back in business and seem to have not missed a beat!

Almost every single establishment on the Island has some damage to their signage, and that was the biggest indication of the destruction that Dolly brought. I very much appreciated this t-shirt shop's sense of humor:

I wish I had more pictures to share with you from the trip, but unfortunately, I had camera issues all week! The first few days, all of my pictures were turning out dark. Then my batteries ran out, so I bought some more, but they did not work. Grrrr! I finally did get some working batteries, but the next day I dropped the camera and the battery cover came loose, so the batteries would not stay in the camera. Gah! Can I be any more of a spazz? Drama!

If any of you would like to come and see how savagely tan I am, just call me and we'll schedule a viewing.

Tales of a Restricted Budget - #1

Herein you will find anecdotes about how my life has changed since going from a high five-figure corporate salary to a waitress's/musician's wage.

Because I was saving money up for my vaca, I could not afford to get a pedicure before I left. See disgraceful picture below:

This is shameful. This is scandalous. This is a sin against all womanhood. Maybe even against all mankind.

And no, I'm not gonna show you the other foot because it is even worse.

And no, I cannot do my toenails myself because for some reason, when I try to do it, my motor skills degenerate to that of a two-year old.

Funny Thing My Dad Said - #2

I live with my 71-year old father, who is paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a massive stroke he had almost six years ago. Despite this, his mind is as sharp and clever and irreverent as ever, and his only limitations are physical. He has always been One Of The Funniest People I Know, and almost daily, he says something that practically makes me laugh up a lung.

Last week I went to the dentist and had to go straight to work afterwards. I came home that night and was relating to Daddy how goofy I looked when I got to work. I said, "Daddy, I was still completely numb from the novacaine and my face looked all distorted and contorted!" He replied, "Your face has looked distorted and contorted since 1969."

Note: 1969 is the year I was born.

A Good Sign...

Ya'll.

When we got to the beach house Saturday evening, one of the kiddos turned on the TV. I hardly even noticed that he had done so, but then...I heard it. What did I hear, you ask? The unmistakable sounds of the greatest musical of all time, "The Sound of Music." Could it really be that in the very same moment that I was arriving at my island paradise, my favorite movie was on as well? The first movie that moved my heart to song, that set me on a course toward a lifetime love and passion for music?

I turned to look at the TV, and there it was, all of it - the majestic Austrian alps, the chirping birds, the magnificent lakes, the opening strains of Rodger's and Hammerstein's masterful score. And within minutes, the sight of Julie Andrews spinning atop the Untersberg, her four-octave voice reminding me once again that the hills are indeed alive with the sound of music.

Never mind that I own this movie and its soundtrack in virtually every media format. Never mind that I have seen it roughly one thousand seven hundred and forty two times. Never mind that, thanks to the DVD world we live in, watching "The Sound of Music" on TV is no longer the treasured once-a-year-only ritual that it once was.

The point is...it was a good sign my friends. A good sign! A good sign that the week ahead would be a blessed one - one filled with goodness and music and love and laughter and friendship. How could it not be so?


One final note: I had to laugh when I saw that they were showing the movie in closed-caption, ya know, with the words provided at the bottom of the screen.

Um, yeah, like I really need the words...

Greetings From South Padre Island!

Howdy All!

We arrived safely in South Padre on Saturday evening, and all is going wonderfully! I am down here with a group of lifelong girlfriends and two of their kiddos, and we are here for the 12th year in a row! In the past, we have always stayed at the Saida Towers Condominiums, but this week, we decided to rent a house, and I am pleased to report that it is ab fab! It is beautifully decorated, a stone's throw from the beach, loaded with all the fine amenities, and big enough to accommodate us all very comfortably. It has tile throughout, so the sound just bounces all over the place. Consequently, it is a cacophony of noise, clamor, laughter, and racket. Which come to think of it, is perfectly fine with me. I was raised on such noise, you know...

I have been assigned to what is clearly a kids' room. It has two twin beds, and, hilariously, is decorated with a pirate's theme. These are the images that I am falling asleep to every night:

Ok, that Pirate's Cove one is a little creepy, is it not? It cracks me up, because the last image that I typically see before I go to bed each night is this picture of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gesthemane:

Clearly, I am away from home.

Ok, more to come! Stay tuned. Or I'll make ya walk the plank. ARRRRRR!

Funny Thing My Dad Said - #1

I live with my 71-year old father, who is paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a massive stroke he had almost six years ago. Despite this, his mind is as sharp and clever and irreverent as ever, and his only limitations are physical. He has always been One Of The Funniest People I Know, and almost daily, he says something that practically makes me laugh up a lung.

Dad and I were talking the other night, and he was asking me how many kids most of my friends have. I was telling him that it pretty much runs the spectrum - some have one, some have five or six - but that most of my friends have two kids. I went on to tell him that many of them are currently on the fence as to whether or not to have a third. He said, "Tell them all to stop at two. Your mother and I always wished we'd stopped at two."

Note: I am the third child.

I'm Baaaaack...

Hello Everyone!

Your not-so-very-faithful correspondent is back after a nearly 4-month absence. Since you cannot see me right now, please be assured that my head is hanging in shame.

In all honesty, it has been a struggle for me to maintain this blog. This is puzzling to me, because I love to write and I love to share personal anecdotes, as well as offer my thoughts on faith, family, friendship, grief, love, etc. So I recently began to ask myself why I have not been better about keeping up with this blog, and I think I have finally nailed it:

You see, every year, I mail out an "Annual Year in Review" to just about everyone I know. It is generally 6-8 pages long (single-spaced), and is accompanied by anywhere from 20-35 pictures. It provides extensive updates on my family, news about my travels, information about my current hairstyle, and a review of the current state of my love life. It also contains a few surprises, usually one or more stories about some fanstastically embarassing things that have happened to me in the course of the year. It also offers my thoughts on life and faith, as well as the truths and principles that I hold dear.

Put simply, it's very comprehensive. And on top of that, I send a weekly email update out to about fifty of my best friends, letting them know how my weekend was, what's been going on at work, and what my work schedule looks like for the coming week. I'll also occasionally provide an update on my music and writing and other creative pursuits.

So all of this begs the question: What does this leave for The Blog? I'm already sort of giving you information overload, am I not? I have been pondering this lately, and I think I have come up with a solution. Here's what you can look forward to on The Blog:

- Updates on my music and writing career. (I'll remove that from the weekly email).
- How God is moving in my life and in my church.
- Bragadocious tales about my much-adored nieces and nephews.
- Tales of inspiration from folks I meet along the way.

And on the lighter side, six new regular features:

- Confessions of a Dork: Yours truly is a four-star geek, and almost daily, I do or say something that raises my dorkiness to stratospheric levels.
- Tales of a Restricted Budget: Anecdotes about how my life has changed since going from a high five-figure corporate salary to a waitress's wage.
- Pet Peeve of the Week: Pretty self-explanatory. I'll try to keep this light and not too judgemental or negative. I loathe negativity, but we all have things that get under our skin, right?
- A Great Memory I Had Today: Also pretty self-explanatory. I have really good recall, so my head is constantly swirling with memories ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. Some are simply too good not to share.
- Ok Ya'll. This Made Me Laugh: Tales of funny things that I encounter in everyday life. Like when I was at a neighborhood pool over the weekend, and one of the pools had a sign posted outside of it that said, "Pool closed due to fecal contamination." :-/
- Funny Thing My Dad Said: I live with my 71-year old father, who is paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a massive stroke he had almost six years ago. Despite this, his mind is as sharp and clever and irreverent as ever, and his only limitations are physical. He has always been One Of The Funniest People I Know, and almost daily, he says something that practically makes me laugh up a lung.

So, there ya have it. I've always needed structure to perform well, so I think this plan will work. I hope you'll tune in. When I see you, I'm gonna quiz you to make sure you are. ;-)

Love & Kisses,
Kristin