september 19

Fri(END), Boyfri(END), Girlfri(END), Bestfri(END). Everything has an END except...Fam(ILY)! It Has 3 Letters that stand for I LOVE YOU.



hug them tight,
love them right,
day and night,
because they're family.

august 7

Over 5000 years ago, Moses said to Israel, "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land." When Welfare was introduced, Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land." Today, the government has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land to China.

saw this on facebook today. funny because it is sadly true.

july 12

"How quiet the woods would be if only the best birds sang."

i may or may not have a new church calling. (thanks to becky for the quote)

july 7

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."
Erma Bombeck

i should have a photo of me with my friends and family on the 4th of july in b-town...but i don't.

june 29

"I can't tell you if genius is hereditary, because heaven has granted me no offspring."
James McNeill Whistler

LOOK WHO'S HAVING A BIRTHDAY!



parvati patil is now a 17-year-old swim captain. she's always had a love of the water.



her beauty is both internal and external.



she is a terrific big sister and friend.



and, although she might hate this fact, she is obviously my niece!



parvati is, hands down, the smartest person i know...and she's got the ACT scores to prove it. she can memorize anything, play the piano like a pro, swim like a champion, and the cameras love her. she was a strong little girl who has grown into a beautiful young lady.

i love you, parvati! i hope your day was fabulous and your year is full of happiness, love, and ice cream!

june 27

"I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down."
Mitch Hedberg



four of my amazing friends are beginning a week-long roadtrip today. i hope they have tons of fun and i wish i could be with them. luckily, their trip will end at my place for a big 4th of july celebration! yay!

may 31

"What do I do when I see someone extremely gorgeous? I stare, I smile, & I when I get tired...I put the mirror down."

i read this on a friend's facebook status today. i thought it was fantastic. but not as fantastic as my wonderful nephew, kirby. today is his birthday. he is now 12 years old. wow!



kirby is one of the most creative, artistic, thoughtful, sweet, handsome boys i know. he can build ANYTHING out of legos, even without directions. he loves sugar and tasty treats almost more than i do. he is a great game buddy. and if you ever need a hug, he's the one to go to...such a good hugger. :) i love that guy.

happy birthday, kirby!

may 14

"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that it's difficult to determine whether they are genuine."
Abraham Lincoln

and happy anniversary to faye and maverick.

may 12

"God grant me the serentity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's ME."



i sure hope the changes, which are about to take place in my life, will play out in real life better than they're working out in my head. yikes.

may 11

"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people."
Orson Welles



matt, todd, and i were recently in portland, strolling through some of the delightful, little shops on hawthorne, when a fridge magnet, with this quote on it, cracked me up. there were SO many things i wanted to buy, but i controlled my spending and only bought a couple small souvenirs. totally worth the $4 splurge. :)

may 8

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."
Tenneva Jordan

and that is probably why i am not a mother. boo.

happy mother's day, mama! i love you! see you in a week!

cinco de mayo

"A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that "individuality" is the key to success."
Robert Orben i actually dread sitting through this, but i am also very excited to have finally completed something. it took me 19 years to earn this little ol' associates of applied science degree. not all of those were spent in school, but they all added to my education.

"The tassel's worth the hassle!"
Author Unknown i am the first person from my immediate family to receive a college degree. the experience has been fine, other than the hassle one particular woman, who calls herself a teacher, gave me. this quote is dedicated to her good riddance.

"Life is my college. May I graduate well, and earn some honors!"
Louisa May Alcott this to me, is more important, but it doesn't pay quite as well, typically.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning."
Albert Einstein it gets me into trouble, but i'll probably keep it up.

"At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear sombreros."
Paul Freund and i'll end with this quote in honor of cinco de mayo.

may 2

"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure. ”
Mark Twain

may 1

sauna solutions by danelle

Hissing steam, rises so hot,
wraps tightly around, like a blanket of heat.
A mental and emotional fight,
cleverly disguised as a physical feat.

The challenge to transform the sweat,
into something not bitter, but sweet.
The choices are much more complex,
than choosing from white or wheat.

An aching head, a chest so tight,
it feels like a trick, not a treat.
Each puzzle is complicated, right down to the core,
no picture is fully complete.

It will require all of my might,
to face the conclusions I meet.
But I took the first step, to enter this site,
claiming my well-deserved seat.

To tackle the ghosts of the future and past,
far more difficult than folding a sheet.
My journeys in life can be ever so great,
depending on which paths I greet.

If I fail to move on and forgive who I must,
it is only myself, whom I'll cheat.
They say our minds are powerful computers,
I sure wish mine had a delete.

Sometimes, to gain a clean slate,
we must suffer an onslaught of sleet.
But, I know happiness is in my own hands,
misery is never concrete.

Support will be mine, if I speak my mind,
no one benefits from deceit.
The future is where I must take aim,
the past cannot compete.

I am strong, I have no doubt,
these obstacles I will defeat.
For now, I am melting, my troubles they fade,
oozed from the souls of my feet.

My mind it was whirling, confused and afraid,
a commander without my fleet.
All I feel now, is hunger and thirst,
so I'm going upstairs to eat.

april 24

no quote today, but hopefully tomorrow i will have a new post on the other blog.

april 23

"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."
S.D. Gordon






i am allergic to spring, but i still think it's beautiful. may your eggs be hidden among the blossoms and petals.

april 22

The greatest man in history had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

(i copied this from somebody's facebook status)



I love Easter. Both the commercial side of it and the spiritual side. I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday, and that your weekend is full of warmth and happiness. Happy Easter!

april 18

"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy."
Robert Anthony

"Happiness is a form of courage."
Holbrook Jackson



i hate this photo of me, but it illustrates the thoughts that are in my head right now. i look like a fool in this photo, but i'm happy. that is a pickled egg in my mouth. i had to be brave to try something new, and shoving the whole thing in my mouth for this photo op put me in a situation where i risked making a fool of myself in a restaurant full of people, but i did it. i know most of you probably think making a fool out of myself comes naturally to me, but sometimes i really have to step out of my comfort zone to make myself look this idiotic.

opening myself up to new situations, tearing down walls i've built up throughout old situations, risking failure and humiliation are not things i enjoy doing. this is a very rudimentary illustration of that, probably a poor example, but it's too difficult to capture the big events on film. for my own sake, i just wanted to document that i can do whatever i put my mind to, and that happiness only comes from exposing myself to situations that could just as easily lead to misery. i'll never know unless i try.

challenge: open the door for happiness, wide open...that means you can't even leave the screen door shut.

and happy birthday to Grandpa DeVar, i'm sure the pepsi, mtn. dew, and birthday cake are even better in heaven.

april 17

“It really was a miracle that things just worked and fell into place, ... I feel like there was a reason why things happened in the way they did. It wasn't just happenstance.”
Aron Ralston



i watched this movie yesterday. i liked it. this quote isn't from the movie, perhaps it's from the book, but wherever it's from, i absolutely believe it. whether the things that take place in my life are happy, sad, good, or bad, i truly rely on the fact that they happened for a reason. i don't always understand the reason, but i know there is one, so i just try to go with it and make it work. i don't always "make the best of it" but i get by.

karen stopped by yesterday (for a reason.) she made matt and me laugh. that felt better than the sunshine we soaked up in the backyard. i don't think she reads my blog, but thanks karen!

challenge: when you go out on adventures, always leave a note or let someone know where you're going. duh.

april 16

"There are two different kinds of people in this world: those who finish what they start, and"
Brad Ramsey



Oh. My. Goodness.

can you believe i'm actually going to finish something i started? i graduate the OTA program in 19 days. only 12 more days of fieldwork. shazaaaam!

challenge: think of an unfinished project you have been avoiding and finish it this weekend.

april 15

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless."
Bill Watterson

"There aren't enough days in the weekend."
Rod Schmidt

"The only reason why we ask other people how their weekend was is so we can tell them about our own weekend."
Chuck Palahniuk

"Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend."
Zenna Scha

"Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you."
Ogden Nash



t.g.i.f.

i'm so ready for this. have a good one.

april 14

"Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors."
African Proverb



this week has been a challenging week. for my mind, heart, and body. a number of things have contributed to this, but overall i am well. all i can say is that i am SO glad my college program has dedicated this last semester to fieldwork. it is a time for me to gain on-the-job experience without actually being on-the-job. hands-on experience, i guess, would be a better term.

i'm still standing.

april 13

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.”
Winston Churchill



a lot of things are changing in my life, right now. most are very bittersweet. i'm trying to focus more on the sweet parts. which really makes me crave doughnuts.

embrace change. make the most of it.

april 12

"Love yourself, accept yourself, forgive yourself, and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things."
Dr. Leonardo Buscaglia



to all of my wonderful friends and family, you are loved. have a terrific day...be good to yourselves. :)

april 11

"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."
Kenji Miyazawa



hugs and love. -nel

march 21

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."
Proverb

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."
Margaret Atwood

HAPPY SPRING!

i don't love to play in the garden, but i know a lot of people who do. i hope you are all able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. may your allergies be kind and your gardens flourish. and may your march be more lamb-ish than lion-like.





happy birthday, aunt jayne!

march 20

"A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year."
Paul Sweeney

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."
Mignon McLaughli

"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that."
Michael Leuni

"An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow."
Author Unknown



happy anniversary to my amazing big sister, mitchel, and her wonderful hubby, hank. i love you guys! thank you for everything you do for me.

and happy birthday to my grandma, too.

march 17

"If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?"
Stanislaw J. Lec

"Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck."
Author Unknown

"A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have."
Author Unknown



may your life be blessed rather than full of blarney. kiss me, i'm (not) irish.

march 16

"There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt."
Author Unknown

"We've put more effort into helping folks reach old age than into helping them enjoy it."
Frank A. Clark




may your wrinkles always twinkle. ;)

march 15

"Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella."
Terri Guillemets

"It was an ideal spring day, a light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white clouds drifting across from west to east. The sun was shining very brightly, and yet there was an exhilarating nip in the air, which set an edge to a man's energy."
Arthur Conan Doyle



the weather keeps teasing me. cold. hot. cold. hot. cold. hot. well, perhaps "hot" is a bit of an exaggeration.

thanks for the picture, cristy! may the knight of spring, upon his fine white stallion, spear the demon of winter in a timely manner.

march 14

"What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it?"
Jenny DeVries

"How do people make it through life without a sister?"
Sara Corpening

"In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL SISTER, SUNSHINE BAND!

I love you!

And to the rest of you...happy Pi day (3.14) I hope you had a piece for me! Yum.

march 13

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

march 12, 2011

"IMAGINE YOURSELF as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.

But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.

You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace..."

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity



*the trick is to be patient. i'm trying.