(Belated) Bday Girl

I'm now (officially) the age I feel. 

:)

What went through my mind

What went through my mind when Miles said he was nominated and voted in as Geology Club President:

May is the best month.

Reasons Why May is the Best Month Ever

1.  Market Square Farmer's Market season begins

2. My birthday

3. Fun days at work

4. Barbecues and parties

5. Seeing my parents-- twice

6. Miles gets his life back (& I get to have fun again)

7. Flower blooms and shading trees

8. Summer!!!

9. Memorial Day weekend

10. New books by my favorite authors

11. The sun is up before I get to work

12. Vacation

Did I miss any? I love May!

#WBN2014

Everyone knows I love books, so when I learned of World Book Night, I immediately added my name to the email list so I would know when to apply. That was this this time last year! Last fall, I applied and earlier this year, I was selected. Yesterday, I picked up my box and on April 23, I get to play Book Fairy and pass out 20 copies of Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Basically, World Book Night hopes everyone will go home tonight and read. Not sit at home and binge-watch Breaking Bad... but read. A book. An actual book. Will you join me?


Side note: I've been reading a lot this year, but I haven't been telling you. I'm not sure anyone has noticed or even cares! Mostly, I'm reading mysteries, but I did just start Eleanor and Park. You can friend me on GoodReads!

Side note 2: Does anyone else think of Shakespeare when writing April 23? No? Just me?

Lately

If it's not one thing. It's another. We are constantly busy!

 

 

Snow showers in April | Grill outs with friends | Lewis loves birdwatching

Market Square dinners | Sunbathing

On friendship

About a year ago, Miles and I put down the deposit for our rental house. I began yet another job application and our apartment became a littered mess of boxes and newspapers. We were about to uproot ourselves from Atlanta to Knoxville and it was slightly terrifying... for me, anyway. 

For Miles, graduate school gives you built in friends and support system, but for me-- the wife and outsider-- I had to actually find friends. And let's be honest, the older you get, the harder it is. I was nervous coming to Knoxville that I would be lonely again because it is so hard to break into Knoxville "everyone knows everyone" friendships. 

Instead,

I've been shocked. Life has happened. I was worried that I wouldn't have friends-- a group of girls to relax with-- and it turns out that I was worrying about nothing! I have dinner friends, walking friends, friends that I should really see more of, and even geology friends. It turned out that I wasn't starting all over... I was picking up right where I left off... And it's been a blessing.

Extension on Life

Snow days are precious in the south. Any mention of snow sends the majority of the local population in a tizzy searching for bread, milk, and eggs. Everyone spends their lunch glued to weather updates and giving their predictions as to whether or not it will actually snow.

A couple of weeks ago, we got a decent snowstorm in Knoxville. The NWS thought the storm would hit in the middle of the day, so they canceled school early and I spent the day glued to the TV watching my favorite "test pattern" (aka the Weather Channel) give updates. The storm ended up hitting later in the day, but by morning we had a blanket of 6 beautiful inches of snow. The University let out (a rare treat!), so Miles and I got to spend the day playing in the snow and binge watching TV.

Of course, 6 inches of snow means the city shuts down for at least two days, so I spent all of Friday relaxing, too. Yep, so that means I got not one, not two, but three days off for 6 inches of snow. And it was wonderful!