It's a illness really

This weekend I have finally accepted the fact that I am OLD. 

OK, not geriatric in a nursing home quite yet, but definitely not 21 and ready to party. The symptoms had been showing themselves more and more and then this weekend solidified the diagnosis.

So in the spirit of another famous doctor, Jeff Foxworthy...

You might be getting old if:

• Instead of getting invited to keg parties, your invitation list is full of wedding and baby showers.
• You have come full circle and have an early bed time and also need your afternoon nap
• You get really excited about a couch, and appliances, and anything you once could have cared less about
• The kids you used to babysit are now in college and can legally drink
• Sleeping in is now considered 9:00
• Staying out past midnight is crazy and you pay dearly for it the next day
• A bottle of wine will get you hammered, no longer a bottle of liquor, that would kill you
• You hear your mother's voice come out of your mouth every now and then
• A trip to the grocery store wears you out and seems to be the most frequent shopping trip you make
• You clean out your closet and realize that most of it is too short for you to actually wear anymore

So friends, there you have it.  I have caught and am coping with this horrible disease.  If you yourself have fallen victim to this illness, please seek attention at your closest liquor store, but remember your liver calluses have softened and a smaller dose is necessary.

Also, please feel free to add any symptoms you yourself have felt so that others may benefit and self diagnose.


Separate note: I LOVE MY NEW COUCH and it would love visitors!

Making this little house a home (and city for that matter)

So, for those of you who have been keeping up, although it is scary and crazy to admit, I have been in Memphis for 3 WHOLE MONTHS!

Where has the time gone? It doesn't seem like it could have possibly been almost 100 days since I left my sweet Chattanooga...  I would love to report that I am completely settled in, know my way around everywhere and could not love this city more, but that would be a lie.

The truth of the matter is:

1. My house IS coming together, but slowly.  This girl is t-i-r-e-d when she gets home from work, and although I have a million ideas and things on my to-do list, finding the energy is a little more difficult. Not to mention, my ever-loving and patient boyfriend has been working like a mad man and goes back to school on Monday (this does not bode well for my list of things I can't do because I can't use tools).  However, we are picking out our new couch this weekend and have narrowed down the paint colors to a few finalists.  That's progress right, at least theoretically since none of it has actually happened.

2. I have no idea where I am or how to get anywhere I want to go with a few exceptions. I can get to work, Kroger, and now TJ Maxx and Fresh Market.  Maybe not the whole city, but I'm making some progress and for other stuff that is why God created the GPS. Let's be honest, it isn't like a I fully knew my way around Chatt and I lived there for 24 years. My goal is to knock down the amount I call RJ crying because I am lost to once a week, and I'm getting close!

3. In having conversations with other Memphis transplants I have come to the realization that you don't really LOVE this city, it grows on you over time. I am enjoying the company of the people I work with but I am still struggling for some outside socialization.  This past weekend fate stepped in and I bumped into Cat, a friend from college, out of the blue.  Being one of the nicest people in the world she followed up that night and invited me to church with her the next day.  I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone, I went and it was actually pretty amazing.  The service was different than what I was used to, but I really enjoyed it.  The people were all  in my age group and so nice and welcoming that I believe I will drag RJ with me this Sunday to see what he thinks!

So, three months in I feel like a bit of a failure but I am also learning to cut myself a little bit of slack every now and then. I miss my family and friends every day but I know that if I am going to have any shot of real happiness here that I have to actually put forth the effort to make it happen.  As silly as it is, I think that part of me is still holding onto the notion that I can't make friends because I already HAVE friends and I don't want anyone to replace them.  RJ keeps encouraging me to do new things and I guess it is time I took his advice.

Well Girl Scouts, let's hope you're right because my mission is to make new friends, but keep the old...

Things you need to hear

I came across this article over the weekend and browsed but then bookmarked to look at later.

I did that today on my lunch break and I am so glad that I did.

Take a minute, read it, really read it and then tell me if you honestly could not relate to at least 5 things on the list.

 Enlightening: READ

A Love Letter

"I don't have a lot of friends. They are acquaintances mostly. People that pass through my life, making a minimum of difference to me. But, I'm lucky. Luckier than most really. You see I have a few people in my life who mean the world to me. People who make everything seem so much better. A few people who I wouldn't be who I am today without. These people have changed me and for the better. I'd die for them in an instant, but more importantly, I live for them." -Jacqueline McBride

Sometimes I'm lonely and homesick and it is partially my fault and partially all of yours. You all spoiled me.

You girls came into my life and we just fit. If you look at us as a whole it is pretty comical and hard to fathom how we became the little family we are.  But that's just it, we are more than friends, we are a family.  You don't choose your family, your family is chosen for you and you just have to find your place within it.  My heart and soul are split among seven women who are now taking it all across this country in search of their dreams.

The strong, fiercely free spirited part of my heart lives in South Dakota where she's learning that among the chaos you find yourself exactly where you need to be. Everyday I strive to be a little more like her, a little more true to myself, a little more brave. The exuberant, ever loyal part of my heart has started her life in Colorado where she is finally reaping the rewards she has worked so long and hard to acheive.  She reminds me that there is nothing greater than freely giving and receiving love. Nashville has the largest share of my heart, now holding three of the most beautiful pieces. One piece acts as the humored voice of reason who is returning to the amazingly independent women she has always been. No matter how much I see her and how much time I spend with her, it's never enough. The second piece is pure and kind and can make anyone feel like they are the most important thing in the world.  She is starting a brand new adventure and I can only hope she is as happy as she makes me just by being who she is. The third is the piece with the most wear and tear as she has been the one who has gone through every up and every down with me.  She is confident and beautiful and asks for what she wants, I could never have become who I am without her and I never want to live a single day without her as my friend.  The final two pieces are waiting where we all began, in Chattanooga. The very first piece of my heart is here. She was given to me by fate and I am grateful everyday that we were thrown together. She is thoughtful, driven and is ever striving to find her passion. The last piece is unapologetic and independent, she is secretly delicate and has a bigger heart than most understand.  She is my confidant and the one who I can always count on, she is amazing but never gives herself enough credit.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of every single one of you.  We have all started new lives and begun to go our separate ways, but I don't worry about drifting apart.  Our bond is something that can't be broken by time and distance we are connected by unconditional love. I can only hope that one day when I have a daughter she is as truly blessed as I am. 

For those of you reading this: I hope you have friends like these and even more so, I hope you never take them for granted.

I have an obsession

And currently it is peaches.

At work, we are lucky enough to have the local farmer's market come to us every other Friday and a couple of weeks ago I found my favorite thing about Memphis so far, Jone's Orchard.

Honestly, it was luck that steered me to their particular stand.  Everyone had peaches, but Jones were the only ones that were taking check cards and I never carry cash.  I hopped in line behind a nice lady who informed me that their peaches were the best, especially the white ones.  Hold up, white peaches? Yes, White peaches and they are gifts from the gods.  They are so much sweeter than golden peaches, with a light floral flavor and none of the tart punch that normal peaches can have.  Needless to say, they didn't last long and actually were the subject of a morning argument between RJ and I as I tried to take the last of them to work for breakfast.

I am not kidding, if you get the chance to try a white peach, do yourself a favor and buy more than one.

They didn't have white peaches this last week, so I picked up a large basket of their red skins and they did not disappoint either.  We have had peaches in a meal just about everyday and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.

A few of my favorite peachy uses are as follow:

• Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza with peaches, smoky, sweet, delicious.
• Peach Salsa, a tasty dip for chips or topping for any grilled meat of your choice.
• Whole wheat pasta with peaches, scallions, and bacon.
• Sliced peaches, sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with fat free frozen Cool Whip(We eat this almost every night)

They are low fat, good for you, and amazingly yummy so I suggest everyone jump on the peach bandwagon with me!  But I beg you, please buy from a local farmer and not the grocery store.  You will get a much better product and help support your local community.  Definitely a good investment.