dead gator

I travel a lot with my job. With that time I have in the car it is typically filled with deep thoughts, phone calls, prayer, singing poorly, or even seeing dead alligators. What dead alligators! No lie, passed one on my way to Natchitoches today. After witnessing the death of the alligator I quickly saw a billboard saying: “Gator and Friends Park Turn Here”. Um… I think they had one escape and who or what are the friends?! Needless to say after I passed all of this I was in thought about all the weird and crazy things I have witnessed during my travels for work. Remember this is all in Northeast Louisiana… which they would like to say here that were so different than South Louisiana. Which it is, but I’ll let you decide. Please remember that this is over the past year and half with my job, and all of this rarely happens. But, when it does I remember it!

I have seen:

-Chickens covering a front yard.

-My first real field of grazing longhorns.

-Someone riding a horse to Subway.

-Heard someone mix French and English together on a normal basis.

-The original Malboro Man at an event… Cancer Survivor.

-A bar packed at 1pm…I was trying to get their tips for Cancer. They all had their own koozies.

-This is not really a “seen”, but have been called a Yankee more than I can count.

-Drive through liquor stores.

-The Steel Magnolias House

-A factory… like me wearing a hardhat and protective eyewear.

-A restaurant called “Ho-Made”… they serve ice cream.

-Beef Tips…that stuff does not look or smell good to me at all.

-Men dressed up as women to raise money for Cancer.

-A couch with a plastic protective covering.

-People with Hope.

-Obituaries for Cancer patients that were my age.

-Met a 4 year old Cancer Survivor… and then a woman who has been Cancer free for 25 years.

-People that are comforted by Christ.

-People that want you to pray for them.

There is so much more I have seen, and I know that there is more for me to see. Funny how a dead alligator makes you think. This now calls for a suicide bowl as my dear friend Lindsay says. I shall mix everything in the pantry into one bowl as my night snack. I raise my bowl to all the things I have to look forward to seeing and learning! Cheers!

music.

Music. Isn’t it funny how certain songs, artist, or genres remind us of people? Maybe not just people… but major events, vacations, life changing years, special moments, or even food. I’m serious about food. Whenever I make Mexican I put on the Sirus on some mariachi station. Inspirational I guess. Or maybe I think it will make my food taste better. Not sure. Whenever I hear certain songs or artist I typically think of people immediately. For example these I always think of:

*The Beatles. They will always be my Mom; probably the biggest fan I know.

*Van Morrison. Pop. I remember hearing him for the first time in his silver Volvo. Will always be one of my favorites…hence Aaron and I’s first dance on our Wedding day.

*Natalie Merchant. Poor Patti. I made her play this CD in our Nissian Quest every time I got in the van. That Tigerlilly album was worn out!

*Mary Chapin Carpenter. Pop gets this one too. Anytime one of her songs rolls onto the shuffle I will always think of him.

*Vertical Horizon. Nathan + Fall + Car Windows Down = Vertical Horizon. I mean he skipped his prom to take me to the concert. I will never forget that.

*Boyz II Men. Oh, Christi. I mean…we made up a dance to “All Around The World”, which starts in Chinese might I add, for extra credit in 4^th grade!

*Jim Croce. Uncle Phillip gets this one. I think the boys will say that too one day too.

*Brad Paisley. Aaron. I knew I was in when I took him to a concert in Amory, Mississippi for his Birthday. I didn’t know a single song. I do now.

So what songs remind you of certain people whenever you hear them?

i toast to you

So, it is here… I have started a blog.

If you know me, you know I love cereal. I love everything about it, and more importantly it is what I look forward to every morning, snack time, and before bed. I know a little ridiculous.

Aaron and I have lived in Shreveport for 2 years now, and added Biscotti to the family last November. When we first got engaged we said, “ok we’ll live anywhere, but not Louisiana”. Well, God laughed and sent us to Louisiana. Just to remind us that he is totally in control and not us. We wouldn’t change a thing about it. We have learned a lot, grown a lot, seen a lot, and have sweated a lot! The humidity here is something I will never get use to! I hope you will enjoy hearing about our life, and about some other fun things. So I raise a bowl of Banana Nut Cheerios and toast to you as you come and join us on our journey!

My thought for the day: God likes to teach me like I’m Sam’s…he prefers to teach me in bulk, because I’ll carry it around longer.