EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!

update your subscriptions, I'm changing my URL!

www.dailyemitasse.blogspot.com

for now...

 

Observation # 3

You know what's bullshit?

When we think of make-belief, magic, or fairytales, we think of unicorns. Really?! We can't fathom a horse with a horn existing in our tangible reality? 

Conjoined human-beings forced to share organs exist, but a horse with a horn? Only in fantasy land.

Reptiles with absolutely no limbs haven't the slightest problem getting from point A to point B, but a horse with a horn? That's just bizarre. 

An entire oak tree exists in the shell of an acorn, but a horse with a horn? Must be the mushrooms talking. 

What is so outlandish about a horse with a horn? 

Speaking of all things fantastical, tell me you're friggin stoked about HP6 this weekend!?! 

Observation #2

This week, I have had 4 friends tweet OMGFacts as though these realizations were their own and they are informing me and the rest of the twitterverse for the first time. Do they not realize enough people follow OMGFacts to not be impressed with their knowledge because it's probably the second or even third time we've read it? Or do they not realize you can just retweet the OMGFacts tweet? I'm curious. 

If you've been guilty of this, let me in on your thought processing.

Drum Roll, Please!

It appears the most grabbing part of this post was the war between coffee and music.

And the winner is?!

drum roll please

....................

Music!

I figure, 
without coffee, my body and mental health may suffer... but without music, my soul suffers.
and 
Soul, you're worth it.

I do miss you ferociously, my dear, coffee.

forever yours, 

emily

Spreading Even More Love

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears....

My dearest friend, Liz, is giving away even more love! This little set of love includes tons of beautiful ways to let those you care about feel your presence. 

I think this giveaway series was a brilliant idea and I cannot wait 'till she uncovers her new branding! This was such a clever and fun way to build up to her big reveal! You will be impressed and want to use her for all your photog needs. Trust me. Her work is infused with all of those intangible yet powerful feelings that are contained within a memory. It's rather indescribable; so go check it out here. Then, go here to enter the giveaway by telling her some of your favourite things. 

In case you're wondering what my favourite things are- candles and music. Send me either. Any time.

Spreading More Love

Happy Monday!

Fun fact? I love Mondays. 

And not just 'cause Mrs.LizCook is announcing a giveaway every Monday this month. 

Since ever (I like that better than 'ever since') I became a full-time working woman (circa 2003), I have loved Mondays. It didn't take long for me to learn that almost every full-time employee absolutely despises the first day of the work-week. However, the underdog and I have always enjoyed each other's company. I think it's the anti-social tendencies of my personality that enjoy a day where most people are grumpy and don't really care to small-talk when they come into work. Which, ironically, results in a more friendly and amiable Emily. 

Speaking of Mondays, are you stressed? You probably are. It is Monday. You do have a lot riding on you this week. You need a chance to unwind, put your feet up, soak... You need help relaxing. I know it. and YOU are in luck! Liz is giving away a  Spa Kit. Just LOOK at that picture! Enter by telling her how you enjoy relaxing. Then, spread the love to be re-entered!

Spreading the Love

Look, don't hate. I know I haven't blogged in a while. 

I actually have an exciting 

new project I'm working 

on, so it'll be 

worth

the

wait!

(If

you're into simplifying your life

and

meeting other people's needs).

Right now, I'm here to tell you about this giveaway. I'd like to take a moment to brag about how a dream I had (literally- a dream I had) is what pushed this girl's career into forward motion. No, I am not responsible for any of her skills- she was born with those. But! I did wake up one morning after a fantastic dream starring Liz as my wedding photographer... and, there, her ball went rolling. She, too, has exciting things happening this year. I have loved watching her career unfold. She has been an exceptionally great steward of her talents and has thus, been entrusted with much.* 

To enter in this drawing, just tell her about someone with whom you'd love to go on a coffee-date. I told her I wanted a coffee-date with cjane. (In my dreams, I know). But, I figured I would avoid sucking up by reminding Liz of all the wonderful coffee-dates we've had... in person... long distance through the interwebs... and even on the phone... tehehe. Liz and I have the most wonderful of coffee-talk. An-y-who, I'm sure you're eager to go enter. So, GO GO GO! Enter, and spread the love to be re-entered. (btdubs, how clever; she's giving away a coffee set this week). GO!

* Luke 16

Wordle

This was fun:
(click it)

Go here to have the same fun.

Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover

Ladies, how many of you have been on a road trip and needed to have a pee? How many of you dread nasty highway gas station bathrooms? Yea, me too. Well, you're in luck! (if you happen to be traveling on Highway 29 in Culpeper, Virginia). 

As we exited the highway, I made the comment "Great, nasty middle-of-nowhere-gas-station-bathrooms". And to my astonishment, I saw this:

A newly-done, spacious, terracotta-tiled, clean bathroom! I humbly apologize for judging this gas station by it's outward appearance.

Friends, if ever you need:

View Larger Map

Routine

I don't even like the news. I don't watch it. I don't read it.

But, this morning, I really wanted The Matriarch's morning routine...

• wake up
• make breakfast for herself and Grumpy
• make and pack elaborate lunch for herself and Grumpy
• read newspaper while eating breakfast
• cut out articles she thinks her co-workers family will enjoy
• take shower
• eventually show up to work (11:23am)
• get some coffee
• check up on everyone
• pass out articles
• check e-mail
• read Google news

I plan to do the same sorts of things when I am 74.

5 - 3 = 2

Oddest thing happened to me today!

Fifty-three weeks ago, I worked at a coffee shop. And at this coffee shop, I had "regulars"; people I could count on seeing every day and, every day, make them the same ol' thing. Regulars are the heartbeat of a coffee-shop. Well, like I said, fifty-three weeks ago, I had to bid farewell to my regulars as a bend in my adventure took me elsewhere. It was bittersweet, as are all the ends of chapters. Well, today, exactly fifty-three weeks later, I saw 2 of my regulars! At the same place! And I haven't seen either of them in over fifty-three weeks! And, no, they did not know each other; she was a morning regular, and he was an afternoon regular. I was delighted to see them both.

Timing Is Everything

Today? Today, I am very grateful for everything about this post.

Fruitful Confessions

The title of this post makes it sound like it's going to be a good one. But don't get your hopes up. This is just me playin the fool.

In recent weeks I have rediscovered my love for the following:

• Grape Jelly... man-o-man. I have been so faithful to my strawberry jam since I started doing my own grocery shopping back in 2002. But the other day, I decided to get a little crazy and change things up. So, I grabbed the Trader Joe's Organic Concord Grape Jelly. Last night, I dove in, not knowing what to expect... let's just say, my enjoyment of it's succulence outweighed the guilt I had for two-timing my strawberry jam. For now, I will be returning to my first love and enjoying every minute of it. mmmm mmm mm!
• Smashing Pumpkins... While we have been waiting 3 seasons for pumpkin-spice everything to come back and warm our souls (God bless the pumpkin!)... Smashing Pumpkins' music has sat dusty on a shelf in my brain for over a decade; I believe it's been since middle school that I actually sat down and enjoyed some of their jams (no pun intended). But, lately, I have been seeking out their melodies and enjoying wherever it is that the piano or guitar will take me... sans the middle school memories. Who wants to relive such an awful time of life?! Not this girl.
• and, to be redundant, Jams and Jellies- of all sorts- I discriminate not. I'm on some kind of fruity kick.

Last night, I made biscuits for dinner just so that I could have jam or jelly... or both. I couldn't decide between strawberry preserves, the above-mentioned concord grape goodness, this new fig jam that sparked my interest, apple butter, my new raspberry pecan honey butter, or black cherry jelly... with such good options, what's a girl to do?! ...

Which leads me to my confession... would you judge me if I told you that dinner (for me, not hubs, he just laughed) ended up being a plate full of roll-halves... one with each type of fruity bliss?!

Happiness

Just a picture of what joy my Labor Day brought me and the hubs. That is:

• a half-peck of apples
• a half-peck of sweet potatoes
• a jar of, yes, Raspberry Pecan Honey Butter (better known as, amazingness in a jar)
• apple butter

and what didn't make it to the car:

• pumpkin-pie fudge
• 2 apple fritters of goodness
• and fresh apple cider

mmmm mmm mm! Makes mouths happy! I just love apple season!

Who Is She?

Allow me to introduce you to The Matriarch. She and her husband (Grumpy) are my bosses. They opened this business 30 years ago and have been successful without letting the desire to go corporate take the fun out of being self-employed.

You could say I, somewhat, revere The Matriarch. If you met her, you would be surprised to hear she is 73. I thought she was in her 50s. She is fully capable and very healthy. She always knows what to do, she's never caught off guard, and she don't-take-no-crap. This woman is quick in wit and thinks on her toes. She always has a plan, works hard, and has no plans for retiring. Though she works more than full-time, runs the business, and her home, she is always a mother, always a grandmother, and loves to chat.

She is in a bridge club that plays regularly, has a lunch-bunch group that meets monthly, loves to tell you every detail of any story over and over again, and watches documentaries with her husband; she is an old lady.

She gardens, always makes a fresh lunch for herself and Grumpy, makes homemade jellies and brings them in for the entire office to enjoy. She takes her grandchildren on adventures planned just for them, tells me to take the day off and go to the museum, and she drinks wine at lunch; she is a young lady.

She has learned a million ways to make life easier and I love to learn from her. She can recite whole recipes off the top of her head, accommodate her entire family's food-needs (grand kids and all) for a two-week long vacation. She turns every day-time outing into some kind of lunch date with her daughters.

If you upset her, she tells you exactly why, but she never treats you differently. She treats everyone like family. She is passionate and educated. She is confident but approachable.

She is fantastic. She is my boss. She is The Matriarch.

Google Reader is one of the best inventions ever...

What does your Reader look like?

Best Giveaway Ever

Seriously?! I can't believe they are giving this away! My new journey would take off if I were to win.

So, there are a ton of thoughts floating around the sea that is my mind. Bare with me.

We just got back from a week of no inhibitions. No, we weren't drunk all week, we were at camp. Have you ever noticed that I link words to their definitions a lot? I do this because I try to be very intentional about my words and I want you to read exactly what it is that I mean... my friend, Chris, calls me a "wordsmith"- flattering. I'm a staunch promoter of saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Youth camp is an interesting thing. Don't get me wrong- if I am blessed with kiddos of my own, I will send them to camp... It's just...the thing about camp is... it's treated like a pill. an unintentional Alanis Morissette reference People take it, feel better, forget they took it, and take another one the following year. and the beast comes out- I'd rather attend a camp void of any vocalized "life-changing" experiences than hear emotional attempts to gain a sense of spirituality. I do realize that I have drastically generalized people- and for that- I am sorry. I do realize and admit that camp can be a powerful venue for people to look outside of themselves and learn something new about their existence and the purpose of it. I just have a really hard time digesting empty proclamations.... I should give them a break; they are teenagers...

lack of smooth transition

After I got home, I ran to the grocery to load up for the weekend (5 extra mouths to feed)... on my 3 mile drive there, I swear I encountered every drunk driver in Atlanta. WTH?! Atlanta, Atlanta, Atlanta, you should really get over yourself. Tsk tsk. I feel like North Atlanta is one big The Hills episode... except instead of people in their 20s- it's people in their 40s who think act like they are in their 20s... apparently, re encountering materialism was rough on me as well... geesh (self-realization- camp really takes a toll on my brain... I'm typically better at harnessing my cynicism... I'm thinking from now on, when husband and I get back from camp, we should make it a point to go somewhere away from people with a bottle of wine... vacation can't come soon enough...

lack of smooth transition

Having a sinus infection has it's perks- I sneezed 15 times yesterday! How invigorating?! One must admit, the love of sneezing validates Freud... creepy. Either way, I'll enjoy every sneeze that comes my way.

lack of smooth transition (man, I am really giving in to the lazy way of writing today... apologies... if I were you, I would not have read this far- props to you)

I've been thinking about dissecting my blog... thoughts on one blog, and happenings on another... I haven't quite decided how or if I'm going to do this... but I'm pretty confident that I should.

That's all for now... I promise my next post will not be so lame.

Good Point

This was written by a construction worker in Fort McMurray . Read on . . .

I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes, and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to earn that pay check, I work on a rig site for a Fort McMurray construction project. At any time I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem. HOWEVER, what I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them?

Understand - I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sit on their butt, drink beer and smoke dope. Could you imagine how much money this country would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

Scenic Routes

Today, as I was getting ready to rearrange my living room (for the 6th time in the last year), something happening outside of my glass door stopped me dead in my tracks. You know those moments in life that are so unbelievable you'd think, "That only happens in the movies"? Right before my very eyes (thanks to the amazing birdiehouse my sister made me for Christmas) a little birdie was learning how to fly! It was one of the most inconceivable things I have ever witnessed. If I had started singing, those birdies would have taken a break, flown right through my door, and rearranged the living room for me!

I love "movie moments" that happen in life. They've been happening a lot more in my life, lately... Actually, I don't think it's that they didn't happen before... I think it's just that I'm finally slowing down enough to notice them. It's nice. I highly advise it. My friend, Kelly, puts in nicely. Who knows what you're missing?! Perhaps it's your neighbor throwing a football back and forth with his son as they walk home all the way from school because he doesn't have a car, or a rainy day that can actually make you believe you live in Seattle, or even a cute little birdie learning how to fly. ... I wanted to tell him that I understood. And that I'm trying to learn to dance. But I didn't dare interrupt; I just watched the rest of the scene unfold.