heat # 26. an 8-minute heat. Ready, Set, Go!

Seat belts fastened, engines ignited, and off to the races! Last night, I experienced the thrill of real racing on a bi-level track with high speeds. Now, I’m pretty familiar with go karts and don’t have a problem with something new but this was an adventure I probably would not have participated in except for that I was given two complimentary passes. I’m glad I did. 

family roots.

My family has many traditions at Christmas time and I always look forward to each and every one of them. As important as they are, sometimes it is refreshing to stray from traditions in order to make room for spontaneity.

On Christmas Eve, after missing three different church services (oops, we did finally make it to one), our family found ourselves driving through memory lane. We drove up and down the hills of Cincinnati in order to drive by all of the former homes of my loving grandparents.

Through the years, we have heard one particular story that always gives everyone a laugh.

Ginny, my grandmother, was on a date in high school when my grandpa hid behind a bush to spy on her. He had a crush on her at the time and was jealous she was on a date with someone other than HIM!

I always had a certain image in my mind of how that story played out. On Christmas Eve Day, we drove past the houses that my grandparents grew up in, just 4 doors apart, and saw the bush that my grandpa hid behind.  It was cool to finally put a picture behind that story.  As we continued driving, my grandpa pointed out the cemetery where my great grandparents are buried. My cousin and I never saw this before and requested if we could go see the grave of our great-grandparents. Maybe this is kind of a morbid thing to do as a family on Christmas Eve Day but a powerful one at the least.

You could tell that it was difficult for my grandpa but important for all of us to experience together.

photos compliments of Tessa Joy

           

We had a very Merry Christmas filled with sentiment, laughter, and of course remembrance of the true reason for the season. Hope you did as well J. 

candy canes.

Have you ever wondered how candy canes are made? It never crossed my mind until I was taken to an old-fashioned candy shop, McCord’sCandies.  McCord’s Candies makes their candy canes by hand – every step of the process.  They have been making them since 1912, which clearly means they must be experts at making them to still be in business.   

Amazingly enough, I was able to witness how in fact they are made start to finish; I even got to hook my own candy cane!  Check out these pictures of the process: 

back to the roots.

With Christmas just around the corner there is no better way to get in the Christmas Spirit by cutting down your own Christmas tree!  Growing up I have always had a fake tree. Now that I’m on my own, it’s time to start my own traditions….real Christmas Tree time!

expressing gratitude.

Even a few days after Thanksgiving day and all the reunions of homecoming I am still stuffed to the brim.   There is no place like home for the holidays. I am blessed. I am thankful!

A challenge from our former President John F. Kennedy as we leave another Thanksgiving meal behind:

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

thanksgiving favorite: cranberry relish salad.

This past weekend I attended my first Thanksgiving meal of the season. During this time of the year, I am always thankful for great friends and inviting homes.

As a way to contribute to the meal, I prepared a quick, simple, festive dish - Cranberry Relish Salad.

If anyone needs something easy to bring this turkey day – here it is:

All you need are 3 cups of fresh cranberries, 1 orange, 2 granny smith apples, and 2 thin slices of ginger. Simply pit the orange and apples of any seeds, put all the ingredientes (your choice if you want to include the orange peel or not) into a food processor, mix, and wah-la! You have your dish made in 10 minutes, tops!

brown county.

Diagnosis: Travel Bug.  Remedy: Brown County - the beautiful boutique town of Nashville, Indiana and the Brown County State Park.

The beauty of autumn trees always brings joy deep down in my soul. Although they come around each year, I can never get over the pure beauty.

These pictures do not do the natural landscape justice but I hope it at least provides a glimpse.

While the season lasts… go out and jump in a pile of leaves!

i am a dreamer.

I want to travel the world, move to NYC for a fast-paced job but eventually raise a family in the suburbs with the quarterly vacations around the world.  In my twenties, I want to travel to Asia and shop the markets of India like in the movie, Eat Pray Love.  I want to sip wine and eat cheese with the natives in the south of France and visit the historical WWII sites of Germany and Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam.  I want to visit Seattle, I’ve never been there – Grey’s Anatomy depicts the city well.  And while I truly do want all of these things, I am living in central Indiana devoting most of my time to my job, leaving at 7:50 in the morning and returning home just shy of twelve hours later. 

Is it wrong to dream of these other worlds?  Now, please don’t misunderstand, I’m content with my life here. I am learning so much as I transition to being a ‘real adult.’ I like my job, I like my friends and life here but I cannot resist the dreaming.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the balance between ambition and being content.   What does it look like to be content with where you are at, yet have goals and dreams that may take you to a different place - whether it is by graduate school, a job, or even a relationship.

I am a dreamer. 

comradery through emerging trends.

As I spend more and more time in the real world, my time in college grows more and more distant.  I find myself isolated to my own little circle consisting of work, family, and friends.  I am distant from the buzzing of new trends that hit you like rain on a college campus.

I want to be up-to-date with the emerging world around me and so I have found myself to become more engrossed and diligent about following particular blogs, subscribing to relevant newsletters, and creating twitter lists that will keep me updated.  To my surprise, these followings have not only stretched my basic knowledge and allowed understanding of current developing trends, but has motivated me to work harder and serve my ultimate best to develop a sense of comradery among other authors.

It’s more than just staying educated and up to date, it keeps me fresh, up on my skills, and reminds me that there is more than just this world I have created around me.  With today’s technology, the world is at our fingertips – from California to the New York Islands. 

state fair.

Walking through the miles-long fairgrounds, in and out of barns and buildings, while experiencing the agriculture exhibits, the 4H competition, horse shows, carnival rides, and fresh from the farm buttered corn; I received a true introduction to Hoosier life.

“There’s no place like home”

packed. moved. unpacked.

Here I am – in a new city in my very own place of my own!

innocence.

Sometimes it is easy for me to get caught up my current stage of life – perhaps like graduating from college and establishing my real adult life for the first time.  It’s natural for my thoughts to be consumed by thinking about the endless possibilities in life.  After spending some time with my adorable nephew, I am reminded that life is about the simple pleasures and spending time with the ones you love.  There is so much more than this new stage in life.  Kids have such a way of bringing joy and keeping you young.

expressing joy.

My cousin Tessa Joy is one of the most beautiful women I know. She is always extremely generous and is one of the few people who can make me feel like a princess.  For as long as I can remember, she has always primped and glamourized my hair and make-up followed by selecting the most flattering and stylish outfit for the occasion. This weekend was no exception. 

Our time together consisted of laughs, confiding stories, taking pictures, and of course shopping.

This is her, she is beyond the best. Check out her blog!

life lately.

As I try my hardest to savor these last days of ‘childhood,’ I have been trying to stretch as much time as I can to spend with friends and family.

Here are some pictures to catch you up on the last few few weeks.

Spending time with my younger cousins, Molly and Brooke.

Enjoying some strawberry shortcake with Nicole.

Relaxing at the lake house with a few of my lifelong friends.

I spent the 4^th of July visiting my best friend in our Nation’s Capitol, D.C.

Drinking homemade root beer at a Civil War Reenactment

And biking 25-miles in Chicago’s Annual Late Ride.