Moby Gimli Bat-Cat

Good Morning!

How about a happy cat story to start your day with a smile?

Once upon a time, there was a tiny little kitten. As far as anyone knows, he was only 6ish weeks old when he was abandoned at a PetSmart near Chattanooga. He was black with a grey undercoat and amazingly social, affectionate, and playful. 

One day, a husband and wife wandered into this same PetSmart. They were there to buy a white betta fish and name it Moby Dick (the wife was nerdy like that). On a whim, they decided to go say hi to the cats in the adoption center. They were busy sticking their fingers in the cages and cooing at the cats when they heard a most insistent mew. They looked around to see where it was coming from just as the little kitten crawled out from under the cages. He stunk to high heaven and had fleas galore, but the wife picked him up anyway. It didn't take long to figure out he had no where to go, so the couple decided to take him home and try to convince their landlord to let them keep him. 

On the way home, they named him Moby. Little Moby was so tired that he fell asleep in his litter box as soon as he ate a little bit of food.

They took him home, bathed him, and made sure he had plenty to eat. He fluffed up and settled in very quickly--loving both his makeshift bed and his little mouse. 

But, alas, the couple's landlord was the only soul on earth not completely vulnerable to Moby's charms, and he would not let them keep him. But, after a week of agonizing over the fate of the world's best kitten, HA met Erin. Erin and her hubby have two kids and three other cats, and were thrilled to add this feisty, loving kitten to the mix. So, for about 6 months, Moby lived with them, enjoying kitty-friends and being carried around like a dishtowel by the little girl. During that time, he grew up quite a bit!

He never quite grew into his ears, though, and was known as the Gimli Bat-Cat. 

Then, in March, Erin called HA and asked her about readopting the Bat-cat. He has a knack for mischief that was just a little overwhelming with 5 other potential mischief-makers in the house. HA drove to Chattanooga the next day and brought him home to the Studio. 

The Mob-ster is still crazy, but also crazy cuddly. There is certainly never a dull moment!

 (He's also still not sure if he's cat, dog, or human. ;-) ).

And they all lived happily ever after--including Erin and her family whom we love very much! 

Adventure well, Live fully.
HAK

Scary Ride

Sometimes our adventures are thrilling and wonderful. 

But sometimes, they're just terrifying. 

Sometimes, adventure isn't even the right word. 

Sometimes, it's a nightmare. 

Our worst fears come true, and we find ourselves living in bondage to that pain and anxiety. 

Life is hard. 

Even the good stuff is hard oftentimes. 

So we watch, and we wait. 

We cling to hope.

My little sister was in Into the Woods last night. Frankly, it was a scary play. But it made me think. 

The best things in life aren't wishes. 

Or perfection. 

                                                           Or riches. 

The best things in life give us reasons to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Love. 

          Hope. 

                      Faith. 

                                   Joy. 

Delicate, elusive things that slip thru our fingers like wind and sand and hover in the corner of our visions like strands of gossamer. 

"Hope has a way of turning it's face to you
Just when you least expect it
You walk in a room
You look out a window
And something there leaves you breathless
You say to yourself
It's been a while since I felt this
But it feels like it might be hope." 

"Hold on. Hold on. 

Keep your eyes on the prize. 

Hold on."

~Sara Groves

 Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

Mary Poppins and Walking by Faith

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

Studio Update: My New Sunroom Studio!

Hey, y'all!

The Hubster and I are back to my hometown outside of Atlanta, and I'm just about done setting up my studio! I wanted to sell some early photos with y'all. :-)

My studio is in our sunroom, nestled between the living, dining, and guest rooms. 

 I have this huge, wonderful window, too. 

It's been snowing all afternoon, and I have the best winter view in the house!

 One of my bestie's Christmas gifts was this "Hipster Decorating Set." 

Polaroid cards, strings, and clothespins.

I love it!!

And, in case you were wondering, it's still mug cozy central around here. 

I love these, too! :D

But, wait! There's more!

 Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co. has a mini "store front" in my studio now!

I'm hoping there will be some snowish art soon to come. Until then, stay warm!

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK 

Going Boldly: Atlanta or Bust!

The Hubster and I are moving tomorrow. 
The first move of our married life. 

We've been waiting, dreaming, and praying for tomorrow for over a month (and in some ways, longer). 
He'll be taking a new IT job, I'll be back to doing child care (in addition to Etsy), and we'll be closer to my family and many of our friends.

The Burrow is almost packed. I'm hiding out in our room as I type because it's the last semblance of order in our home. There are boxes and spreads of the last remnants of packing everywhere. 

This move is our dream.
But it's a little heartbreaking to leave our first little love nest. 
We spent our wedding night here. 
This was the first place we welcomed our parents to our home. 
Friends have come up from Atlanta, over from Covenant, down from Cleveland...
More than once faces have lit up in surprise at how often we have company...and just how many people you can fit in our little home! 
John painted these walls and built our furniture with love and care, turning a (very) humble mobile home into a sweet little cottage. 
We grew veggies in the summer, filled wine bottles with flowers, and hung succulents in the windows. 

Obviously we'll still do many of these things in Atlanta, 
but there's something about the first time. 
Our first home.

Woven in all these things are our friends, especially all the lovely ladies I've had to tea. 
One of them, probably the Burrow's most frequent visitor, asked me yesterday how it has been saying our goodbyes this week. 
Honestly, I've been trying not to think about goodbyes.
We're all grown up, and Atlanta isn't far--that means there will still be visits and teas...
 
But I'm going to miss hugging JE and NS almost every day, swapping chocolate chips with SS in the library, whispering in class with KR and MK, Sunday afternoons with our small group...

Then I look forward:
Meals and games and walks and talks with Mom and Dad. 
Tea and coffee with MD, MH, S&FtP.
The Reelets--who are growing up way faster than I care to admit. 
Meals and homework and life with A&AS. 
Breaks and holidays when "my girls" come to town, and we go to the Forum or out for Mexican, or a night in at our new apartment.
New friends that we don't even know yet--other newlyweds, young families, small groups, John's coworkers...
Visits from out of town friends--and a guest room to host them!
Perimeter.
My favorite bike routes.
The luxuries of Target and Trader Joe's. 
A sunroom-studio that I am determined to transform into arting heaven. 
An aquarium--and eventually a cat and dogs, too. 
The Someday Knightlets.  

I hope we'll name our new home...and all the homes yet to come. 
It's an old tradition that delights me. 
I can't put into words the rush I got when I realized that everyone was catching on to calling our home here "The Burrow." It still thrills me. I smile every time. 

So, we gather our skirts (proverbially), our belongings, and our courage and go boldly further south. 
We are blessed. 
We have been blessed here, and blessings won't stop with a move. 
We will grow--in wisdom, love, experience, relationships, blessings, and grace. 


"The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen."  (Philippians 4.23)

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Bonkers for Board Games OR 10 Reasons to Play More Board Games

I grew up playing board games...
      ...Lots of board games. 

Every Sunday afternoon within living memory, Mom, Dad, and I would gather in the kitchen around 3:30pm, one of us would choose a game, and the challenge was on. 
For three rounds (a chance for each of us to go first, I presume), we would vie for the win. Almost, it sometimes seemed, for the title of Champion for that Sunday. 

Granted, I went through the usual teenage jerk phase where I acted like games were dumb, but, for the most part, I loved it.

Clue, Rat-a-tat-Cat, Rummikub, Sorry, Mexican Train... all of them were the bomb dot com if you ask me. 

Then, when John and I got married in May, it didn't take me too long to figure out that we didn't really own any games. A chess board, Uno, Things, and a few decks of cards...that was about it. Crisis. 

And, so, every cent of birthday and Christmas money went to board games, and I got a lot as Christmas presents, too.  Now, we're set: backgammon, checkers, chess, Connect-4, Risk, Monopoly, Taboo, Yahtzee, Rummikub, Clue... The list goes on. 

John and I have played more rounds of Backgammon in the last three weeks than you would believe. And Yahtzee, and Connect-4. Risk, Monopoly. Clue when Mom and Dad were here; Rummikub with Jane Ellen last night.  

So last night I started thinking. While most of us may agree that board games are valuable, we may not have given a whole lot of thought to why. Here's my list:

10 Reasons to Play More Board Games:
1) Community. Some general chatter occurs during games, the family is together in the same room. But it's simple--you talk about the game, maybe related things. It's easy, pleasant. 

2) Relaxation. There's so much hype today about the need to "unplug." Take an hour and play some games. It's a great defrag. 

3) Mental Exercise. Most games involve some strategy or problem solving. You're developing brain strength and stamina in a relatively low-stress. way. 

4) Healthy Competition. Sibling rivalry, general bickering...these things are too common in our daily lives. Games give us an opportunity to compete with each other in a positive way. This includes learning to lose (or win!) gracefully, game talking without trash talking, and sometimes even rooting for another player. I told John recently that one of the things I love about Yahtzee is that I feel like I can root for him even though we're competing. I want him to roll that awesome four of a kind; I can suggest that he take the full house because he may not roll another. Sure, ultimately, I'm trying to get more points than him, but that's not added up until the end, and, to some extent, the chance element of the game will determine a winner. In the meanwhile, we can cheer each other on as we roll and fill up our score cards.

5) Blow off steam. This is connected to healthy competition and relaxation. Sometimes we're just wound too tightly from the other stresses in our lives. Having another avenue of focus and competition can give us a chance to lighten up about the more serious parts of our lives.

6) Humor. Last night, John, Jane Ellen, and I played the.slowest.game of Rummikub EVER. After a few turns, though, it became flat out funny. Our two minute turns became group efforts of board organization in hopes of seeing something new in the hopelessly unhelpful patterns before us. I'm sure there's some rule about board reorganization somewhere, but we were all in on it, and we found it hilarious.

7) Team/Relationship Building. Some games require more cooperation or negotiation, and these are also valuable skills. Plus, group games like Imagin-iff, Things, Taboo, or Apples to Apples facilitate learning about each other as you play. For John and I, games have helped us learn about each other's skill sets and ways of thinking. he will smash me at Chess every time and Connect-4 almost every time. But I'm more likely to win at Bananagrams. This is because he is more mathematical and strategic, where as I loooove words. We trade off playing games that he's good at, I'm good at, or that we're fairly matched at so that we can both be challenged and both have a chance to win fairly often. This in itself is a form of teamwork and bonding so that game time stays fun.

8) Time passing. This may sound silly, but, seriously, can you think of a better way to spend the countdown to New Year's? My family traditionally played Monopoly (or some variation) or Taboo on New Year's Eve, and John and I continued that this year. Chips, salsa, and champagne optional. ;-) 

9) Inclusive. There's a game for nearly every age--from Candyland to Risk, you can probably find something to engage the whole family. C'mon, not even movies do that very well. Plus, older siblings can enjoy/learn about teaching younger siblings their favorite games and tricks. For the record, I still love Candyland. 

10) The bottom line is that games are FUN. We too often forget them in our age of movies and video games, but the tactile, simple competition and amusement that boardgames offer is timeless. Go dust one off tonight!


Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

PS I think all of the above applies to friends as well as family. Just sayin'. ;-)

Little Things

My first thought this morning was simple and exciting: Christmas is in one week!

Of course, I immediately thought of those last few gifts I need to wrap. But I soon returned to a vision of a week hence: fresh waffles and sausage, opening stocking gifts (including a WONDERFUL Barnes and Noble gift card that I happen to know about), making a big lunch to be shared with my parents...the joy of being together on my favorite holy day. 

My thoughts also shifted to the task at hand: finals week. I think this week has been my least stressful finals week ever. Each morning I review, and at 2pm I take a final. Not too bad. This morning I was halfway through, but tonight I am 3/4 through. Tomorrow I will finish up, then take myself on a lovely shopping/coffee/book buying outing. Atlas Shrugged is at the top of my Barnes and Noble list. I've been looking forward to it for months.

Speaking of Christmas reading: I'm re-reading the Hobbit for the first time in a decade, and I'm listening to Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix. Getting lost in books has certainly helped this week!

My hubster brought home two succulents yesterday that are living in mugs on my table. 

Contrary to tradition, I made Snow Day Cake for a party last night. It was wonderful. 

I also made Aunt Laurie's cookies. Yummmm. 

The echoes of a friend raving over my hot chocolate. 

A new book about fish arrived in the mail today. 

Friends coming up for an adventure on Friday.

I made a bright, colorful, far too large salad for dinner. 


So what's the point? 
 I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Christmas delight. 
Tonight, I remind you again:
 
We are busy. There's much to be done these next few days as we prepare for the holiday. 
But don't get so busy that you lose track of these little special things--new plants, favorite desserts, books, friends, yummy food...

They're small, rather daily things that we tend to lose track of this time of year. 

But these things are priceless. 

Treasure them in your hearts. 

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Christmas Time is Here

"Christmas time is here

Happiness and cheer

Fun for all that children call

Their favorite time of the year 

Snowflakes in the air

Carols everywhere

Olden times and ancient rhymes

Of love and dreams to share 

...Christmas time is here

We'll be drawing near

Oh, that we could always see

Such spirit through the year..."

~Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas started while I was still at my parents' house for Thanksgiving, and it continued yesterday as the Hubster and I decorated our Burrow.

 I tried to study today, I really did, but I just keep getting lost in twinkle lights and wrapping paper. I've had my Christmas playlist on repeat, much to Hubster's amusement (I take Christmas a bit more seriously than he does. :-) ). There's already a pile of presents under our tree, plans have been made for family and friends to visit, and I've had a reading list a mile long since July to tackle over break. And all those things are good--wonderful, really--but they're not the point. Part of the point, but not all of it. I'm reminded of some wise words that were said to me about 7 years ago:

"A lot will ring empty here this time of year because it is empty. 

Delight-- TRUE delight-- is other worldly."

~Steve Bennett

I said a moment ago that loved ones, gifts, and enjoyable past times are part of the point. These things reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. And those things are other-worldly. They ring true because they come from Truth. 

My friend Brenda will be delighted to know that the Carpenters are winning my vote for current favorite Christmas album. I've always loved them because they're classic, but, this year, one song really caught my attention:

It's Christmas time and time for a carol
Time to sing about the little King
To fill the bowl and roll out the banel
Have ourselves a fling

We greet a friend or welcome a stranger
Let him sing on cheer him on his way
And celebrate the child in the manger
Born on Christmas day

Good cheer for you and for me
With pleasure and glee to share
Oh, we're so happy to be together
On yuletide square

It looks like snow and falls like snow
Take a moment, take a look about and say
As snowflakes fall
Merry Christmas to one and all

~"It's Christmas Time"

That's what it's all about. Not gifts, not a break, not the hokey-pokey. It's all about the Child in a manger who was the Savior of the world. 

I'd like to share a few words that help me to remember why this time of year is so special to us. 

Emmanuel- God With Us. After millennia of prophecy, each and every one was fulfilled by a child born of a virgin. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14a).

Ichthus- In Greek, this acrostic means "Jesus Christ, Savior." The baby grew up and became sin for us so that we might become children of God and heirs to His kingdom. 

Agape- Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). God himself died on a cross and rose again because of His perfect, overwhelming love for us. 

For some of you, these words ring true. But for others, you're skeptical. You might even think I'm a bit kooky, even uneducated. Hope is out of fashion these days, and cynicism is all the rage--I get that. But we all believe that Christmas is a time for hope, kindness, generosity, and love--why can't we believe that every day of the year? What if our "Christmas spirit" is a lot closer to the real deal than our work-day cynicism and exhaustion? What if we were made for true, other worldly delight? 

Adventure well; Live fully.

HAK

  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I am so thankful that you take the time to read my blogs, and I hope each and every one of you is as happy and blessed as I am today!

In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd list some of the things I'm thankful for!

1. The gift, life, and death of Jesus Christ. Above all, I am thankful for a personal, loving God who gave his Son for me. (Sidenote: looking for a new, awesome album? Check out The Ascension by Phil Wickham. Makes me cry in all the best ways). 
2. My Family: my Hubster, my parents, grandfather, aunts and uncles, cousins. I love you!
3. Friends. I've mentioned my friends a lot on here. My girls, every last one of you, I'll never be able to say how special you are to me and how thankful I am for you. 
4. God's provision for John and I to be financially independent and debt-free as newlyweds. 
5. I started a company this year, and it's the best job in the world. I love my studio time, blogging, receiving custom orders, etc. And I'm already thankful for all the years to come with Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co.!
6. Growing up at and going to school at Perimeter Church/ School. My Perimeter family is a treasured part of my life! I'll be a Perimeter Eagle forever! 
7. Education--both formal and self-taught. I'm thankful for the means and opportunity to go to school through University and to own an extensive personal library for further study. 
8. Travel. I've been to 46 states and 5 non-US countries, and every experience grew my thinking about the world and culture. 
9. Senses. Eyes to see the beauty of creation, a nose to smell favorite foods and perfumes, a tongue to taste those same favorite foods, skin to experience texture and to feel loved ones close in tight hugs, ears to hear voices, music, and nature. 
10. The daily surprises and adventures of life that keep things beautiful and interesting. 

There's ten. Just a few of many. 
Enjoy your family and friends today!
Love and hugs from not-so-hot-Lanta!

Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK

Faithful, not Perfect

"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor;

the enemy of the people.

It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life."

~Anne Lamott

Those of you who know me may be thinking, "Yeah, HAK, about time you figured that out." 
Yeah, yeah I guess it is. 

The greatest expectations I face are the ones I put on myself. I expect too much. I want to do it all. 
Perfectly. 
I still kind of want to do "it all," or at least a little bit of everything. But I'm learning to let go of the perfect part. 

I still want a huge mess of kids. 

I still want to teach--though I'm less sure of when or where or in what role than I used to be. 

I still want a lot of pets--though I think a cow and chickens might be added to the list. 

I still want to paint and write and knit--oh wait, I'm doing that with Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co. and this blog! :-) 

I still want to travel--though when and how is up in the air, but that's maybe half the fun...

But I know there will be days when I'm impatient with the munchkins...

...when I don't get my grading done or when, maybe, I don't make the grade. 

...when I want to turn the cow into steak.

...when I never want to put myself out there in an attempt to sell products ever again.

...when I don't want to leave the house. 

But I'm not called to be perfect. 

I'm called to be faithful. 

These last few months are maybe the first time I've started to be okay with that.

I've told y'all before that I'm a business owner, (now) blogger, student, and wife. The Hubster and I got married 6 months and 1 day ago. I promised myself that I would do it all...perfectly. I would keep the house clean, cook, work, and study--and my GPA would not just stay the same, it would be better. After all, I'm only taking 14 hours, right? HA!
The house is usually picked up, but I don't mop every week any more. You know, we're all fine with that.
I do still cook, but more often in the crockpot. Again, no shame there. Crock pot soup is yummyyyy.
Work, hey, I started a company. I'm not a Fortune 500, but I loooove my job.
That GPA thing. It didn't get better, but it's still quite self-respecting. The perfectionist within has been screaming all semester that I'm a slacker and should get my act together. But, other than relatively minor bouts of stress where I've listened to that voice, I've taken steps toward more balance than I've had before.
I do what needs to be done. I do it well, but I'm not killing myself. And, do you know what, it's a wonderful thing to have time and energy to go to the gym, cook, create, even read a bit, spend time with friends, and babysit. I love it. I feel life my life is full and rich. I love that, once the hubster gets home, I pack all the homework up, and we spend a couple hours watching Burn Notice, playing games, and reading old favorites like Cheaper by the Dozen and My Side of the Mountain. And, perhaps most surprising of all, I sleep well and (usually) enough each night.

So why won't that little voice shut up?
What is it about our lives that is so out of whack that I feel a twinge of guilt when I choose to work on a painting or my knitting rather than putting those hours into writing the perfect Sociolinguistics essay?
Think about that, I'll get back to it in a second...

Until maybe a month ago, I assumed I would go to grad school as soon as I graduated with my BA. At one point I even looked at attending Oxford (and if spousal visas to England hadn't been so complicated, I might have spent last weekend in Atlanta interviewing for a scholarship, but alas, that opportunity ended before it began because you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm not going to spend months on end away from the hubster). But as the time came to apply, I became increasingly uneasy about the student debt that would be involved, the time, starting the school thing all over again, etc. After weeks of angst, a lot of time in prayer, and conversations with a few close people, John and I came to a place of peace. For right now, barring some variable we don't see at the moment, I'm going to take some time off after I graduate and see what life after school looks like--focus on Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co., maybe work at Barnes and Noble, get involved at church, breathe. Maybe the MAT will come in a year, maybe 25, I don't know, but I think that's okay.

But why was it such a hard decision?
Why have I struggled with guilt over, shall we say, "tweaking" my achievement expectations?
(here's a hint in case you've been up on the conversation at Covenant College this Fall--it has nothing to do with technology).

We live in a world where all of us are increasingly pressured to DO and BE something. And if our results, our DOING and BEING, cannot be measured in some way, we feel a twinge of failure. I probably won't achieve Summa Cum Laude next Spring. Two years from now, I probably won't be changing lives in a middle school classroom by being the best English teacher ever (haha). I wanted those things. Part of me still does. But I am not any less by not being or doing them. I'm still a child of God, and maybe His calling right now is more about living and learning than doing or being.

We are not called or meant to DO or BE in and of ourselves.
We are followers. Disciples.

I quit the rat race, y'all.
That doesn't mean I don't want to live life for all it's worth anymore--it means I DO want to live life for all its worth.
Sometimes that will mean hard work, stress, achievement.
Sometimes it will mean a cup of tea with friends when I "should" be elsewhere.
Remember what I said in my post about the old, comfy sweater? Stuff, even GPAs, don't last.
People do.
Invest in relationship, encouragement, growth.
Invest in love.

To tweak Steve Brown,
"Let's think about that. Amen."

Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK

PS I still teared up a bit when my French oral assignment was less than awesome this evening...it's a process... 

The Burrow

We call our home the Burrow. Isn't that quaint? 

For those who were wondering, yes, it's from Harry Potter, home of the Weasleys:

 

We chose it because it's fitting. My little Etsy shop is run from our own humble Burrow:

As you saw in the "Fun Facts" post, we have a lovely little library, and we also have lots of great food. Sometimes, our windows are pretty like this, too:

 It's not much, but it's home, and I think it's Brilliant. :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK