Thursday's Thoughts

Blue Gesture Series No. 3, 1972, by Robert Motherwell

FEELING: We had a "family meeting" on Monday morning, and all four Fines were in attendance. Tripp and Beesly's presence was requested for comic relief and to boost morale. I must say, they really brought their A-game this time around! There was a lot of slobber and belly rubs — both of which are meeting MUSTS! Now, I like to call this kind of organizational pow-wow a "meeting" because the bossy pants in me has always liked to lead with a notepad and pen. We will pack out in exactly a month (Are you tired of me talking about the dreaded move yet?), so it was time to regroup and hash out the details of the next 4-6 weeks. Sometimes updating "the list" brings piece of mind. As we divide and conquer our to-dos, everything's beginning to fall into place and we can both rest peacefully at night knowing that we've done as much as we can possibly do right now. After months of staring at a bunch of tasks, we're finally crossing things off. Productivity makes me pleased as punch!

READING: I have this thing about magazines. I like to stare at them for awhile before I even open them. I like them to just sit there in a stack and look pretty before I pore over each and every detail. I'm especially that way when it comes to the September issue of my favorite glossies. The anticipation builds, and I finally have possession of the magazines. I really hate for the fun part to be over with, so I wait, and after a week of drooling over the marvelous covers and the idea of having them in my grubby hands, I finally take time to devour the magazine madness. Few things in life bring me this much happiness!

LISTENING TO: Awhile back I was spinning and Lorde's "Royals" started playing. I began singing along to distract myself from the heavy panting and sweaty mess that was happening on my bike. Ever since Beesly was a puppy, she's insisted on placing herself in front of my bike while I workout. I like to think she's doing it as my personal cheerleader. Anywho, I spotted her sitting up in a regal fashion with her paws crossed ladylike just as the lyrics "You can call me queen Bee" played. I have a tendency to associate lyrics with certain moments or people, and this was just perfect! After that, I've listened to the song on repeat and look forward to serenading Beesly daily. I'm pretty sure she loves it and looks forward to it just as much as I do!

THANKFUL FOR: Since we moved to Lil' Puna, one of my favorite activities has been hopping on the roof and watching C-17s fly around the bay. When Flyboy told me they would be closing the local airfield for maintenance and it would be our last time to watch the cargo jets do pattern work, I knew we needed to head outside and soak it all up one last time. I may have got a little misty-eyed in the moment because this rooftop ritual has brought me so much peace and joy over the past two years. It's where we'd take visitors to show off the incredible view. I'd often stand there in the evenings, my chest puffed with pride, and I'd watch FB on local night flights. Some days when I felt really alone and FB was away, I'd hear the C-17 roar, run outside and gaze at that beast of a plane — it made feel closer to him, like it was God's way of telling me that everything was okay and that this time apart would all make sense in the end. We stood there together for the last time on Tuesday night and watched a few go-arounds as the sun set. Blessed doesn't even begin to describe this adventure. I am grateful for the small moments.

THINKING ABOUT: Once we get back to the Mainland, we plan on purchasing a shiny new car. I really hate to think about it because I can't imagine life without the dear Jetta, but it's going to happen. Thankfully, we plan on buying another German engineered piece of awesome. We're currently looking at the Jetta SportWagen and the Touareg. We'd love to get another Jetta or Passat, but we'd like to have this vehicle for awhile and we know it will inevitably need to be family friendly. The "family friendly" detail makes me both excited and nervous at the same time. A lot has happened over the past five years with the Jetta, and it's fun to think about where the journey will take us with this next vehicle. As hokey as it sounds, I'm glad you'll be around to join us for the ride.

EATING: After a week of pigging out while my father-in-law was in town, we thought it was time to cut back this week and load up on fruits and veggies. Coming down from the sugar high and exercising portion control is never very fun, but I found this amazing recipe on Pinterest and I was excited to give it a shot. The Chicken and Grilled Corn Salad with a Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette was flavorful and light; I highly recommend it!

WATCHING: I know I've said it before, but we're big fans of Duck Dynasty. Watch a few episodes and tell me you don't absolutely adore Uncle Si. He's a real hoot! 

LOVING: Madewell's new collection is amaze balls. Have you seen it? Somehow they manage to up the ante when it comes to laid back, simple, and cool. How do they do it? I'm terribly smitten with this Linen Paris Tee, the Shirred Silk Dress in Dot, and these Teddy Loafers in Calf Hair.

What about you? How are you feeling today? What are you up to?