Talk to Yourself

Hey guys!  

So I know today is Thursday, but instead of doing Awkward and Awesome, I have a challenge for you (and, on that note, for myself).  Recently I've been thinking about writing a journal.  It's something that I've done on and off for most of my life, and I've always loved the idea of having a journal to look back at twenty years from now and read.  To see what I wanted then, and if it matches up with what I have and what I still want.  It never really seems to last, because I usually feel like Wow I sound pathetic.  Why am I talking to myself?  But that's the thing.  I do talk to myself, and if I can take the liberty of assuming this, I think we all do.  My mind is running for most of the day, thinking of a million different things.  I have found myself writing that's crazy on a customer's check instead of my usual thank you because I was thinking about a million "somethings" other than the tables I had waiting for me. 

And here's the thing.  If I'm talking to myself all day anyway, in a completely unorganized and distracting fashion, why not keep a journal of all these thoughts?  Maybe it will help me to focus it all so that I don't find myself rereading entire chapters in a book because I was busy thinking about everything I had to do the next day instead of processing what I was reading.  And as an added bonus, it'll give me one more reason (aside from this blog) to write on a regular basis.  You can always improve on your writing, and like I've always been told, you're your own worst critic.  Maybe if I'm reading over my own grammar errors and improperly formed sentences every day, it'll help me to construct something better.

So here's my challenge for this week, until next Thursday night:  keep a journal, separate from your blog.  Write everything in it that you talk to yourself about (because I know you do), even if it seems silly to write it down.  Does it make you feel better when you're done?  Does it help you organize the chaotic mess that your mind is (or perhaps I'm deflecting the current status of my own mind onto you...)?  

For the next seven days, try to write every night, even if it's only a couple of sentences.  Next Thursday, blog about how you think it helped (or was detrimental towards) you and your every-day life.  You don't have to talk about what you wrote, just how it affected you that week.  Sound good?

I'm putting a button on the "Cool Stuff I Do" tab, so grab it!  And make sure to link back here so everyone can join in! :)

<3 Kiersten

Write on Wednesday (2)

Hey guys, so today's Wednesday and you know what that means, right?  My second attempt at Write on Wednesday!  This little project was started over at InkPaperPen, and each week there is a new prompt for anybody interested to attempt.  Sounds cool, right?

Well, this week's prompt was to log onto your social networking site of choice (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and use the first status update you see as a prompt.  I didn't feel comfortable using any of my friends' status', so I used the most recent update on Lamebook which for me at least, happened to be a photo.  I started the prompt at 10:56, and finished at 11:01.  Five minutes. :)

Source

Eggs.

That was the most recent "love note" topic.  For whatever reason, Natalie's husband, Ryan, had been leaving these notes around the house recently.  Usually they didn't mean anything. 

Natalie opened the fridge, looking for the carton of eggs she'd bought at the PathMark this past weekend.  Sure enough, the carton was still there.  

She smiled, and turned back to her breakfast - an English muffin, toasted with peanut butter and honey on it, something Ryan always made fun of her for eating.  He never seemed to believe her when she told him how good it tasted, and swore he was allergic to peanuts whenever she asked him to try it.  An excuse which the couple's doctor had informed them was just that - an excuse with no truth to back it up.  But she supposed it was just one more of the funny things the two of them shared.  

Reaching out for a glass of chocolate milk that wasn't there, Natalie realized she had nothing to drink, and turned back to the fridge to grab the milk.
As a last minute decision, she decided to boil a couple of eggs.  It was September, but maybe they could scrounge up some leftover egg dye and have some fun tonight.  She pulled out the eggs, and as she opened it, realized that they were all multicolored plastic eggs from March's egg hunt over at the community center.
"I guess we were out after all..."

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Want to join us?  Jump on over to InkPaperPen to add your name to the list of participants for this week!

<3 Kiersten

Weekly Gratitude (2)

Hey guys!  Sorry I'm running kind of late with this post - I just got home from work! 

This week I am thankful for:

1)  The fact that my brother is having an awesome time in Greece.  You know, on a cruise ship...where there are no riots taking place.  I'm a worrier, and I'll admit, I was scared!  But he's having a great time, and will be home in less than a week with some amazing stories!

2)  My new tripod :)  I know I mentioned this the other day, and as of yet I haven't had a chance to try it out because of work.  However, once I do, I promise, you guys will be the first to know!  (I was outside about ten minutes ago searching in vain for the moon, but there's too much cloud coverage to get a picture of it)

3)  My friends.  And the fact that even if it's been a while since I've seen them, we still mesh back together perfectly when we do see one another!  

4)  Now this is going to make me sound like a Harry Potter Generation nerd.  But.  The fact that the movie was good.  Okay, that's an understatement.  Amazing!  I was pretty worried that because it was the final movie, they would somehow butcher it.  But Rowling helped to produce it and write the script and all, so it came out great!  I was very happy with it, and, in full disclosure, cried a couple of times.  Only briefly and quietly, in a way that nobody seemed to notice.  But I still think that says something about the impact Harry had on my generation.  

5)  Pinterest, and the fact that I am starting to get used to it and understand it better.  I actually love having a place to catalog all the lovely images I find throughout the virtual world so that when I want to use it for something, I have it readily available!  I'm thinking a once-a-week Pinterest-Find Post?  What are your thoughts on that?

6)  And finally...you guys!!  It really does mean SO much to me to know that somebody's reading the things I write on here.  And it means even more when you take the time to leave me a little note!  I love getting to read them every day!  So thank you soooo much!!! :)

So what are you guys thankful for this week?  Let me know in the comment box, and don't forget to link up with Love, Life, Lace if you decide to join in on all the fun!

<3 Kiersten

Awkward and Awesome (1)

This is my first week trying out the Awkward and Awesome project!  Exciting, right?  The project was started by Sydney over at The Daybook.  Usually, the posts are supposed to be on Thursday, so I'm a little late this week.  Better late than never though, right?  So here goes nothing

AWKWARD:

- Being late on my first Awkward and Awesome post

- The bulkiness of my new tripod

- The fact that I still haven't seen the Harry Potter movie...

-....and that Harry Potter is officially over, after having been around for more than half of my life

- Figuring out the time difference between here and Greece so that I don't text my brother at 3am.  

- Trying to figure out how to use Pinterest

AWESOME:

- My new tripod!

- The U2 concert (definitely worth the one-year delay!!)

- The quad that I'm going to be living in with my roommates this Fall

- All the lovely comments you all have been leaving!  I love them <3

- Pinterest
- The ridiculously enormous impact that Harry Potter had on my generation

So how about you, Friends?  What's awkward or awesome about your life?  Make sure to link up here, and at The Daybook!!

<3 Kiersten

Write on Wednesday (1)

Hey guys!  So today is my first day doing a new project that I found on Ink Paper Pen.  The project is a way to get ourselves writing something at least once a week, and hopefully in the process, it'll make me write more often than that.  Each week, there will be a new prompt for anybody participating to write on.  The only rule is that you read the other participants' posts.  Sounds good, right?

So anyway, the prompt this week was to pick a song and, after listening to the first line or two, give yourself five minutes to write whatever comes to mind.  You could either pick a favorite song of yours, or turn on the radio and go without whatever you hear playing first.  For my piece, I chose Come on Get Higher by Matt Nathanson.  It's the first song I heard by him, and I love it - it's a very lyrical song, which I thought would be helpful in prompting me to write something.  

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"I miss the sound of your voice.  And I miss the rush of your skin.  And I miss the feel of the silence as you breathe out and I breathe in."

I wasn't the one singing the song.  I hadn't even been the one to think the words, at least not the way he said them.  But I felt them.  I felt every beat of them and more.

I missed the smell of your hair, and the sound of your breathing while you slept next to me at night in our queen-sized bed.  I missed waking up next to you just a couple of minutes before you opened your eyes, having it all rush at me like a wave - how much I loved you in that moment.  In every moment.

I missed swapping sections of the New York Times with you each morning, lying in bed together.  I miss arguing over whose turn it was to jump out of bed at 7am, to go grab the newspaper off of the cold cement front step, still barefoot and in pajamas, before rushing back inside and under the covers to pretend we'd never left in the first place.

I wish you'd never left in the first place...

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I know it's not very well put together - such is my unthought out (is that a word?) writing sans editing. 

But damn, it felt good to write it!  

So thank you if you stuck with me this far to read my short first post.  And welcome if you're here as a result of Write On Wednesdays - thanks for stopping by!

<3 Kiersten

Adventure

It was July 3rd, and we could see so many firework displays right in front of our eyes, as though the flares were being shot off just for us, as though we were the only ones watching them.  Every few seconds, one of us would point out another blue or red streak shooting up into the night sky.  

We could see everything from where we were.  The traffic lights a mile away, directing the traffic at 1am in all different directions.  We could see the houses, their lights going off slowly, one by one as each different family went to sleep.  

It was beautiful.  It was the adventure I'd been itching for. 

<3 Kiersten

Weekly Gratitude (1)

Hello, Friends!

So if you've been here before, you've probably seen these posts from me in the past.  I'm starting back at "1" because I've been spotty about these posts lately.

  If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, Weekly Gratitude posts were something started by Tatiana at Love, Life, Lace.  The point is to reflect, once a week, on the things or people about your life that you are grateful for.

This week, I am grateful for a few things:

1)  About a month ago, I started a new job as a waitress at a locally owned restaurant.  I had never waitressed before, so to begin with, I'm thankful that I was hired!  Most restaurants won't hire somebody without previous experience in the field, and this restaurant was willing to train me!  

So far, I absolutely love it!  My coworkers are great, and I love the job itself.  So I'm grateful for that too!  

2)  Lately, I've been noticing a few new readers.  It's not much, certainly not as many as most of the blogs I read have, but it still means a lot to me.  Comments make me smile every time the little button pops up, and I really do love reading what you have to say!

3)  My friends.  Especially simple things like nights watching Titanic and playing Monopoly.  

I miss my friends at school so much, but at the same time, I love being able to see my friends from home all the time.  

What are you thankful for this week, Friends?  If you do decide to write about it, make sure too link it up at Love, Life, Lace, and let me know too!

<3 Kiersten