Good Morning!
I've actually been quite productive in my studio lately, but I'll write more on that later. For now, I need to fill you in on a new adventure:
The American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure Bike Ride.
The Hubster, Audrey, the sweet 7th grader I nanny, and I are joining Audrey's Aunt Stacey and some friends in the Atlanta 2014 Ride.
Who: John & HollyAnne Knight and Audrey Sylvester
What: The American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure 28 mile Atlanta ride.
When: May 18, 2014
Why: To raise money for diabetes research, raise awareness about all types of diabetes, and celebrate the champions who live with diabetes every day (Like my Hubster, who has had Type 1 for 13+ years).
How Can You Help:
- We need prayer: for safety in training and riding, for this ride as a whole to raise lots of money for research, and for that research to find new and better ways to fight, prevent, and CURE diabetes.
- We are FUNDRAISING. We need to raise a minimum of $200 each in order to ride, and we'd like to go above and beyond that. The fastest way to donate is by going online. Follow these links!
Donate to HOLLYANNE
Donate to JOHN
Donate to AUDREY
THANK YOU!!
Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK
Happy Friday, everyone!
As y'all may know from Facebook and Instagram, I set up my aquarium this weekend.
29 gallons of Amazon River happiness.
The tank is still cycling, so we'll see if everyone makes it through these critical next few weeks, but for now we have 2 striped angel fish, 6 lamp-eye tetras, and 6 cory catfish (3 different varieties: 1 green, 1 julii, and 4 sterbai...we kind of bought all the leftovers at the pet shop).
I knew that these fish were very different from each other (even though angels, tetras, and corys are a pretty common community tank combo), but since this is my first community tank, I'd never had the opportunity to see how different species reacted when introduced to a tank .
By the end of the day, I had a few thoughts:
Tetras
My apologies that they are so far away, but they are shockingly camera shy. Just trying to get this shot was an adventure--the angels love to hog the limelight!
So how did they handle their big ol' home?
As soon as the dropped in they just started puttering around like it was no big deal. They've explored some since, but they were overall pretty nonplussed by the whole thing.
Angelfish
We call this guy Quatro (he has 4 stripes), and we also have Trip (3 stripes). Quatro is certainly the dominant one and has decided that he loves the camera...though he hasn't quite figured out how to hold still. haha.
Anyway, these guys are about the size of a quarter and already growing. Quatro has shown mild signs of aggression (that dominance thing), so we're hoping that doesn't become an issue as he gets bigger (they'll both be bigger than my hand at full size). But let me tell you, that tough guy act was NOT a thing the night we put them both in the tank. They both had freaking panic attacks. If I hadn't been so worried about them adjusting well, it would have been funny. They had been moved from a crowded, bare store tank to my wonderfully planted Amazonian haven...and they were having a cow. It was ridiculous.
Cory Cats
If you are not an aquarist, this may be the first time you've heard of "cory cats." Corys are catfish and members of the family Corydoras. They are small, usually growing to 2-3 inches in length, and they are much more active and diurnal than many other catfish. They are very peaceful and prefer to life in schools. Really, they're like a bunch of swimming puppies.
The top photo is of my Green Cory and the bottom is a Julii Cory (We also have 4 sterbai--they look a lot like the Julii, but without the black dorsal and the stripes on the side). I bought the Green Cory first because he was just so active and playful, and we got the rest to keep him company.
Unlike the tetras who took everything in stride or the angels who panicked, the corys seemed to embrace being introduced to a new home. As if on an adventure, they immediately began to explore their new tank and make themselves at home. It was only a day or so until I found they'd dug quite a hole against one of the logs to give themselves a new hidey hole, and I've found them everywhere from under the java fern to lounging on the Amazon Sword leaves. I often find them swimming excited laps or all piled together in a corner.
So, what's the point?
Here's the point:
I want to be like the corys.
I don't want to act like life is either no big deal or the scariest ride ever.
I want to admit that I may not know or understand it all and embrace new things with a bit of excitement, making a conscious decision to focus on the learning, growing, and process of life rather than a race for perfection.
I want to focus on the good stuff. For example, corys typically prefer to school with their own species, but we couldn't find 6 of any one species, so we just bought all the oddballs--and they all seem to be getting along just fine. They'd rather have 5 other corys of 2 other species than be alone I suppose. I want to embrace the folks in my life without expecting them to be perfect or just like me. I just want to do life together, each teaching and learning.
As I told y'all, I recently started a job as "Mary Poppins" for a teen girl and her teen brother. We've been spending the last few weeks learning how to do life together. They and their dad keep talking about stuff that I'm teaching them, but let me tell you--I am learning so much and being so blessed by these kiddos. They ask me to plan and be patient; they ask me to try new things so we can figure out paths to success; they ask me to walk away from my homework for Apples to Apples or biking, or just a story. They ask me to laugh and love and, most of all, just be with them. They ask me to make time and room in my schedule, my thoughts, and my heart for them. We're not just alike; none of us are perfect. But, like corys, we're finding friends and safe places and room to swim and time to discover, and those are treasures.
Keep calm and Cory on. ;-)
Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK
Howdy y'all!
As you know, I recently started a wonderful nannying job as "Mary Poppins." What you don't know is that one of my new kiddos, Audrey, is a super awesome artist!
She has been taking classes from a local artist, Larry Smith, and this is her latest work in progress.
Here's a few questions I asked her this afternoon:
Why do you like to paint?
A: It's relaxing. When you have so much to do, and you finally get to sit down to paint, it's calming.
What do you plan to paint next?
A: A fox in the snow from a photograph my friend's grandfather took.
What other creative things do you like to do?
A: I like to sculpt polymer clay, and I like to paint with watercolors. And I occasionally sketch.
Watch out, Etsy, she's heading your way in a few years! ;-)
Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK
For the first time since I started writing, I have a back-log of blog ideas. BUT, for today I simply want to pause and reflect:
I start a new job today.
I'm going to be "Mary Poppins" for my best friend's youngest two siblings because their mama went Home unexpectedly in October.
I'm neither mom nor sister, but it's my job to love and care for and teach these two young teenagers in the best ways I can so that they continue to grow and so their dad has more time during the work day to provide for his family.
I woke up this morning feeling daunted.
I'm excited beyond all belief--I love these kids, and I love nannying.
But I woke up this morning staring my own weakness in the face.
On the one hand, I'm well equipped. I've got about 8 years of nannying experience under my belt, I'm a great cook, and I have a lot of confidence in these kids. But it's a new road for all of us. School, doctors, dinner, home responsibilities, spiritual growth, love and encouragement...my job bumps up against and includes all these things. It can be overwhelming to think about.
I ran myself in circles for awhile this morning before I came up short:
My inadequacy is not what matters: Jesus matters.
Walking by faith, being faithful in prayer, lifting these kids and their family and all of these responsibilities to the throne of grace daily, hourly, minute-ly. That is what matters.
This job has been on my heart for the better part of two months.
I feel called to it, and I'm so blessed that God moved us back to Atlanta, and that I have this opportunity.
Join me in prayer for these kiddos, their family and friends, and for me as I seek to show them Jesus in how I love and care for them.
Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK
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