pretend it’s Friday. mostly because it’s Monday, again.

I wrote this last Friday with every intention of posting it…until I looked at the clock and realized that I only had time to hit “save” before rushing out the door and making it to my haircut a few minutes late.

Today is a good day. I woke up unusually happy, had an amazing cup of coffee, our office still smells like crawfish from the grower meeting/appreciation dinner last night, and I just got a free pork loin- the whole loin, like the entire length of a grown, huge pig! (Not sure what I’m going to do with it all, but hey, free food!) Oh and I’m wearing my henna-elephant-looking shirt with pink pants. Sounds ugly…and it might be, but it makes me smile. I feel like this is a good weekend to go on an adventure. Not sure exactly what and where, but it just feels like one of those “kill a Saturday without actually killing anything” kind of weekends. I’m excited though I don’t know why…Fortunately, Mamie is on her way here now and is a great partner in crime for trips/adventures/weird stuff. We will probably end up in a strange hole-in-the-wall coffee shop instead because we are old ladies in 20-something bodies, but either way, we will have a time!

Here is one of the places that I want to go to soon…maybe not this weekend since it’s several hours away and Mamie is already driving 4 hours just to get here:

 

The Windsor Ruins

Windsor Ruins are the columns left standing from a huge mansion that was constructed near Port Gibson, MS in 1861. Though it’s said that the mansion never reached completion, it housed both Confederate and Union soldiers during the war. After the war it was used for large parties and was burned down in 1890 when a guest’s careless cigar was dropped. The mansion housed over 25 rooms, each with their own fire place, and a 4^th floor that held an observatory room that overlooked the plantation and river. It cost the family around $175,000 to build, which is nearly $4.5 million today. After the house burned, the family donated the ruins to the state and it is now on the National Historic Register. There are still bricks left in the rubble pile that are good for the taking, so I’m told. (So of course, I want one.)

Speaking of history, I will be the first to tell you that I love school. I know, it’s weird. Most people can’t wait to get out of school and get to college, and then get out of college and get a real job. (Though most want to go back to college as soon as the real world sinks in.) I thought that it was just the college lifestyle that I have been missing so much, but as it turns out, it’s the classes. I came to this realization after the ridiculous amount excitement that struck me when I discovered that the W (Mississippi University for Women- though it’s open for men now too) is offering life enrichment classes. I could go back to college except for the fact that I’m broke and will be paying off student loans forever as it is, and I don’t feel like writing a dissertation to get another degree. But enrichment classes are in my price range! I missed the deadline for the spring semester classes so I’m crossing my fingers that they offer them again in the summer. If not, I’ll be anxiously awaiting fall!

There’s your fun and fashion (my outfit) for today.

Has anyone else seen the knock-off Girl Scout cookies that are being sold in grocery stores everywhere?! Coming from a lifetime-member of the Girl Scouts, I am personally offended that someone else is ripping off our specialty. On the other hand, I’m excited that I can now get them year round!

And speaking of grocery store finds, check out this giant can of tuna that we found! I didn’t even know they sold these in regular stores. I figured you’d have to order a can this size!

 

Biggest Tuna Can Ever…and a lovely model 🙂

And there’s your food from Wednesday that I missed….

Happy 2^nd birthday to the baby girl who showed us all the God still works miracles. From 14 ounces at 4 months premature, to 17 whopping pounds, she has come a long way. She couldn’t open her eyes when she first got here, but as she learned to open hers, she taught us to open our own as well. I love you so much baby Henley, and can’t wait to watch you grown into an amazing and beautiful woman just like your momma!

Wishing everyone an adventurous weekend. Only one week until Gin Show and 5 days until I try to convince Alex to take me to the Josh Abbot concert in Starkvegas. Get excited!

Also, go read Gone Girl if you like suspense stories. It was weird, but I liked it.

Love always,

Addie

“You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then they let it go. They don’t want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something.”- Mitch Hedberg

traditions

There is something to be said for traditions….I’m not sure exactly what because to me traditions come with more of a sense of pride. It’s a feeling you get, all swollen up inside you, that makes you so excited and proud at the same time. Or at least that’s how I feel for most of the traditions that I have been a part of. Some things are so special that they cannot and do not need words of explanation; they can only be expressed through feelings.

I have been a part of and witnessed many traditions over the years. One in particular, I got to re-live last night: “the Schindlers trip.” Ever since we were old enough to drive ourselves, a few of my friends and I have been making trips to Schindlers, always sitting at “our” table and ordering the exact same thing to eat: order of skins and baloney burgers all around. Our names were written on the wall several years ago, and have recently been covered by a “Boulevard Brewery” sign about a year ago, permanently (and now secretly) designating that area for “our” table.

In high school we typically visited “the hill” about once every two months, but now that we’re all in school and spread out all over the map, we can only go when it fits into our schedules. Every time the door opens and the smoke of the bar fills my lungs, my heart begins to sing, knowing that I will shortly be singing my favorite songs from the juke box, trying to play pool, and chowing down on a deliciously greasy baloney burger…and more than likely, finishing off the afternoon/night with a short road trip over the “sisters” and wherever else Mamie the navigator decides to take us. The simple word “Schindlers” brings up some of the best memories that I have ever made and always makes me anticipate the next trip. Last night’s trip ended in an obvious trip of “sisters out on the sisters” (inside joke), levee riding, bed surfing, and running through a pivot. Nothing short of anything I would expect to experience on a typical Shindlers night. I guess you can take the girl out of the Bootheel, but you can’t take the Bootheel out of the girl.

I was also really happy to see some familiar faces in the smoky, little hole-in-the-wall, last night. A small group of girls from Sikeston high school were gathering as we were leaving. The thought that they might be continuing our tradition made me smile.

I cannot believe how fast summer is flying by. It seemed like it was going to last forever until July hit. Now I will be leaving for school in a short four weeks. I haven’t even been to the river yet this summer! AHH! Guess I need to get on that soon, along with moving furniture from Murray, and picking out decorations for my new room in Mississippi. I bought some throw pillows the other day, but that’s as far as I have gotten. I found a rug that I liked, but of course it was $600, so I think I’ll pass. I have learned that my latest hobby is home décor, but it is a depressing hobby because I usually find that the things I love the most are the most overly priced. That’s when inspiration strikes and I get my “I’m pretty sure I can just make that” ideas. So far I have made three pieces that I fell in love with, and saved almost $100! Yay for creativity, sewing machines, paint, and glue!

I’m so happy with the way that this summer has turned out so far and I still have one month left, that if all goes as planned, will surely top the rest of the summer by far! I love where my life is heading and can’t wait to see how it all turns out. Not that I don’t ever run into setbacks, but I always try to stay positive about life and understand that without the bad, we couldn’t appreciate the good. Resiliency and humbleness are some my favorite words to live by. I love when I can feel the joy in my bones…today is definitely a good day! Keep smiling!

Love always,

Addie

“Dating is like trying to make a meal out of leftovers. Some leftovers actually get better when they’ve had a little time to mature. But others should be thrown out right away, No matter how you try to warm them up, they’re never as good as when they were new.” –Lisa Kleypas