Learning to rethink what is "good".

Beau, my wonderful husband, and the most wonderful man in the world, is so smart. Since I have known him, he has encouraged me to eat natural, organic food. And through him, God has changed my whole way of thinking about what I put into my mouth. Now, we do our very best to not eat anything processed, and most definitely nothing that includes "bad stuff". This label of "bad stuff" is how I like to refer to anything that is either un-pronounceable (is that even a word? Doubt it...) or unknown, and of a chemical nature. In other words, if what we're buying has ingredients that just don't make sense, then we don't buy it.

Now, for those of you who know me, I bet you're wondering, "How in the world is she doing that with her gigantically large sweet tooth?" One day at a time, y'all. Seriously. Most of the time, I'm fine if I just don't buy it or don't eat it. Couple of days after I eat something with refined sugar, I'm back to not even wanting it. BUT SWEETS ARE JUST SO MUCH FUN. I'll keep you updated on my status...Pray for me. ;-)

And along the sugar vein, I'd just like to say that Corn syrup, even the "old-fashioned" kind that is not labeled "High Fructose" is still bad for your system. I'm sure that I'll catch some flack from that one, but the reason I know this is because in my experience (and countless "experiments" which means I ate what I wanted to that wasn't organic-- for the sake of science, right?) three to five days after I ate the infamous corn syrup goodie (either High fructose or not), I WANTED TO EAT EVERYTHING IN SIGHT. Well, a little exaggeration, but seriously it was a true test of distraction and willpower to not either snack more than I should, or buy junk.

Thank God that His Spirit continues to convict me, and love me into obedience, and also that He has given me a true and faithful husband who gently reminds me of the harmful effects, both short- and long-term, that this unnatural ingredient has on the body.

And that wonderful husband has planted a garden full of beautiful, organic fruits and vegetables that he grew from heirloom seeds. He truly believes in the Sustainable Lifestyle, and growing and raising most of your food in the backyard. What started out as an experiment, with some trial-and-error, has erupted into gorgeous deep green watermelons, and so many ripe heirloom tomatoes and peppers that we can hardly eat them before we have to either can them or give them away.

This may seem cute, or even novel, but what really makes it a work of art is the TASTE.
I can't even describe it. I am in awe, both of the amazing nature of God's provision, and also of the ability of Beau in the garden. Y'all, there are so many different colors and flavors and juicy-ness. It floors me that anyone would eat any different, no matter what the circumstances, if they only knew.

So, here's to health and happiness, and God's blessings until next time!

Back to School!

So, today is the last Saturday of the last weekend of the summer before school starts. The last day of nothing to study and the last day of guilt-free lounging, surfing the internet, and general playing.
I'll soon be gleefully up-to-my-ears in Music History, Verdi History, Theory, German, Vocal Physiology, and songs. Lots and lots of them. We, as first-year grads, have to put together a Recital Program of 8 or more songs by the end of the semester, I think. New songs? Don't know. Maybe I can convince my teacher to let me do a couple of oldies-but-goodies. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous in that I haven't really learned this much music in a while. I can do it though! I'll definitely come out on the other side with better sight-reading and memorization skills. Which I truly need!

The Conservatory is so nice. And all the people, especially the staff, are all so kind and helpful, and very open to hearing your problems or worries, and doing their best to help you find a solution, and quick to offer a word or two of encouragement. Which is so nice in this Dog-Eat-Dog world of Music Performance I've taken a swan-dive back into. There is a lot of competition, 59 grad students in Voice, and SO MANY sopranos. I knew that that would be my lot in life as a Soprano, but to really feel it is another thing entirely.

So, I'm steeling myself, and storing up reserves of energy and relaxation for those times that I will definitely need it over the next four months of the semester. I just have to keep reminding myself that I CAN do it, no matter how hard or discouraging it may be from time to time. Beau is so great about keeping that in the forefront of my mind. Especially lately. He is a constant source of comfort and motivation for me, and I couldn't imagine life, much less embarking on this great adventure, without him.

Well, on a lighter note, we love our new house in Petaluma! It is such a great place to relax and truly feel at home. Yes, it's small, but it is all we need and the dogs love their big back yard! We have more peaches than we know what to do with from the tree-o-plenty outside. And, even though they're not Chilton County peaches, which are the absolute BEST in the whole wide world, they are sweet and yummy.

AND, we have three pretty rose bushes! One that has big yellow blooms, one that has light lavender blooms, and the one right by our door that has small, sweetheart flowers that are that fire-engine red color that, in a shirt or on your lips, would stop traffic. My favorite!

I'll post pictures of our new home soon.

More to come!

Goodbye Retail--hello Music!!

Tomorrow is my second-to-last day working retail. I currently am the Assistant Manager of a BCBG store here in Petaluma. I've been in retail with three different companies for the past three years. And while it does have its pros and strong points, it has a lot of cons as well. I am so thankful that God has given me such a wonderful opportunity in going back to get my Masters. And I am especially thankful that He has provided for me to not have to work but a couple of days a week in what I truly hope will not be a retail job. I just can't express to you how happy I am about this. It's not that Retail is bad or wrong, it's just that it is wrong for ME. I am thankful for how God has provided for me and then for us through retail. But, thankfully, it is time to move on.

Yippee-kaiyay and Thank Ye' Jesus!!

More on the Music part in the next episode. :)

Technology--well, sort of.

I have caved in to modern technology. Well, only a little. The twitter-n-tweet thing still
evades me, and I probably wouldn't know what to do on an iPhone if I had one right in front of me. I still don't have internet access on my phone. And I kind of like it that way...I like that if I want to get online, I have to go to my PC, sit down, and make an event of it. Then when I'm done, I go downstairs and watch TV or read or practice. Not usually more than one at a time. Although I will flip through a magazine while I'm watching a show with my lovely husband, Beau. Who does not understand this and gets his feathers ruffled a bit because he claims that I'm not watching. Which is only halfway true. Until the movie gets good and I have to ask him to rewind the important parts because I was reading in my Lucky about what the Must-Have accessory of the moment is this month.

So, for those of you who don't know, I have been accepted into the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for grad school, and I start in August. And I would just like to admit to God and everybody that I still kind of feel overwhelmed and a little inadequate. I know I'm not, but I just need to dive in to the Theory/History/Phoenetics/Language review for the rest of the summer and know that I was good enough to get in, and I'm good enough to study there. Period. So that old nagging Naysayer that usually rests on my shoulder can take a hike!! Get on up outta heah.

Beau and I have finally found an adorable little house with a huge backyard to live in next year! It's in Petaluma, which is about 40 minutes North of San Francisco, and is such a cute town. It's about the size of Wetumpka, or maybe a little bigger. But it's close to other towns that are larger in population and size, so it doesn't feel that small. I love it!

And we have two canine children. Gideon is an American Bulldog who lives life with Gusto. Seriously, the dog loves everything he does. And he does it big. 85 pounds big.
And then there is Bruiser, a Black Lab/Golden Retriever mix who is 4 years old and is definitely the quieter one. He has deemed himself our Guard Dog and is a faithful protector. And I love him for it.

So that's us. Wish us Godly guidance and strength as we start this new chapter of our lives!