a new {mississippi} attitude

Ohhhh, Patti.
She is me (minus the 80s hair, 80s pumps, and serious-as-shit 80s dancing).
No words for how happy this vid makes me.

I've longed to blog about the story of how I arrived here, in this what the heck am I doing? place, Oxford, MS. But when "it" first started happening, I didn't have the stomach to put coherent thoughts to my terror. And then "it" was a done deal, and I didn't have the heart to acknowledge "it" (I must have cried myself to sleep every night for a month). And once I finally hit the road, I found myself computer-less (when the state of Texas owns your MacBook and you have to return it to its rightful owner, blogging on the iPhone and/or iPad just doesn't provide enough appeal to bang out the words you're feelin'). 

I'm thinking today is as good a place to start as any.

Over the past year, I began to process what love is. I have also learned what love is not. Some people are mean. And they let you down. But many, many others are special. Those are the blessings that make life a hoot--the people (and critters) who hug you, bring you cakes, drive you 'cross country to move into a house you've never laid eyes on, pray with (and for) you, press their pink noses & furry paws against your cheek, eat good Mexican food with you "one last time," send you sweet things in the mail (just because), allow you to love on their babies, sit in emergency clinics by your side, put a beer in the freezer for you so it'll be extra icy, take roadies to see you, send you heart-warming texts ... the angels who remind you that you're loved, and that "every little thing is going to be alright" (to borrow a phrase from a text I received today).

I wasn't sure what I was going to say in this blog entry. What I've ended up with certainly wasn't it. I thought about chronicling some of the highlights (e.g., the Jim Beam display at a gas station in Louisiana) of my trip over from Texas (ahh, my beloved). I thought about making a top 10 list of the things in my neighborhood that make me laugh. I even considered a discussion of my shower that turned on this morning (without me in it). 

But those can wait for another day. Today Patti gets the final word ....

Somehow the wires uncrossed, the tables were turned

Never knew I had such a lesson to learn

I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes

Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do

I tidied up my point of view

I got a new attitude.

resurrection & life

Passed this on my run this morning.

Happy Easter.

{good} friday

Image from Oh Hello Friend

twenty twelve

Happy New Year!

from my Pinterest

and it was all yellow

When life

gives you lemons,

squeeze them in

someone's eye

and haul ass.

grant desme

What a long, deep breath of fresh air.

By most accounts, Grant Desme--a standout MLB baseball player in the minor leagues--is due to be called up to the majors this spring. He's one of Oakland's top prospects. Last season, in fact, he was the only player in the entire minors with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases.

So is 23-year-old Desme sticking around for the millions of dollars and off-the-charts fame that are sure to come his way? Nope.

He's walking away from baseball and entering a seminary:

"I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things. I wasn't at peace with where I was at . . . I love the game, but I aspire to higher things. I know I have no regrets."

Pretty darn stout.

listen. stop. why?

HB by Heather Belle. These bracelets are edgy and to the point. More importantly, they're darling. My personal favorite: Stop. From the hbelledesign.com website:

"Nike brilliantly coined the iconic phrase 'Just do it.' Mine is just 'stop.'

I’m proud of this piece. Everyone is so 'PC' these days that no one ever simply says, 'stop it' to themselves or others.

What I’m personally working on stopping is constantly changing. My desire is for you to wear 'stop' (or give it to a friend) and apply your own meaning, such as….

Stop giving your life away to Mr. Wrong
.

Stop world hunger.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself
.

Stop caring about what others think – chances are they aren’t.

Stop making excuses, spending money you don’t have, acting entitled, complaining, or munching on too many chips.

Just 'stop it', please.

'stop' is embossed 14k gold plated matte finish attached to a hand-dyed genuine leather cord imported from Greece. Made in the USA."

Pretty awesome, huh? I adore them and want them all, so I can wear them stacked:

"Buy three Post-Its for a layered effect. Plus, it’s a better deal!

I sometimes wear two, three, heck…or all six of them! I add my grandmother’s diamond tennis bracelet in the mix to make them sparkle. They are fun to mix and match.

Bracelets are embossed 14k gold plated matte finish attached to a hand-dyed genuine leather cord imported from Greece. Made in the U.S.A."