old.

I've been thinking that I should try to start to get into the habit of blogging on a more semi-regular basis.

and apparently I felt that was important to say.

so. I have three valuable things to tell you. valuable is a term that may mean different things to different people. you may find not a single one of these things valuable, which is fine.... but I'd like to point out that you are here... reading away.

ya, still here, huh? mmmm.... there must be some value.

first item of value: last night we had out annual "mall hunt". last year, I

dressedup as a teenage boy. the ugliest one you've ever seen.

and this year I was a frightening old lady. elderly lady. I didn't mean to be scary.... it just happened.

and just in case you forgot... this how I sometimes normally look. I'd say those are pretty good disguises...

anyway. most of the kids found me.... how annoying.

and for the second point of interest! I'm beginning to feel pretty virtually famous. I'm on facebook. I have a blog. I have more than one e-mail. (too many more than one, if you ask me) I help make youth event videos.... and now... NOW you can download something with my voice on it off iTunes. just search Hillcrest Student Ministries. also, if you go to hillcrestsm.podbean.com you can hit some pretty.... lame... er.. uh.... nifty links! check out December 14th. and voila. fame. has. hit. me. square. in. the. face. but don't worry. I won't forget you all. also... I hope you have by now realized what a sarcastic person I am. perhaps too sarcastic for my own good. but while we're here.... in this "that Danielle sure is an odd one" place, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that if you read my blog, you should be proud of it. maybe it's time to be a "follower"... and make lots of comments! or as they say in Australia... make heaps of comments! ;) Tiana. I mean you. (and even if your name isn't Tiana... I mean it for you too) and also.... I will someday figure out how to properly post links. I feel dumb for not having done so yet... I doubt it's very complicated....... if you have advice... feel free to advise. I will welcome it most lots-ly.

and my last thought I'd thunk was this: that day that seemed so far off is suddenly coming all too quickly. I kept thinking today how I leave in under three weeks for Australia. that is.... SO soon! and tonight I said a few goodbyes. that made things a tad more real. I know I won't be gone for all that long... but I'll miss these people!

why are there so many songs about saying goodbye...? it seems that each moment is so much more precious and I have to live so much more in the now moments for fear they'll slip through my grasp too quickly and I won't have the chance to savor each one to the fullness it deserves....

I am glad to go. don't misunderstand me. I'm so excited... and it does feel more real in a good way. and it'll be such a neat experience. I'm so glad to go.... but I feel I'll be glad to come home too. which isn't so bad.

for dinner.

I really enjoy baking... and cooking. but not for just myself. because that's just boring. plus, there's just something nice about eating together. it's makes you feel like family even if you're not. and also, if you are. a family that is. and I decided that I would just be plain selfish to keep the amazing recipes for the things I made today to myself. it was so yummy and I almost feel as though I shouldn't take credit for it, because I just found the recipe on the internet. I just love the internet. since I work at the Library, I often see good recipe books with fancy pictures... and sign them out. I can't even tell you how many recipe books I've signed out of the Library. just lots. and lots. but I hardly ever make the things that are in those books. I've discovered that it's so much better to want to make a certain sort of thing and then just google it. I think allrecipies.com is a wonderful place filled with wonderful things. everything I've made from it has been.... well.... just wonderful. SO... in order to be unselfish, I'm going to share with you what was on tonight's menu. and you can make it tomorrow night.

it wasn't all that fancy.... just super tasty. the main part was "delicious ham and potato soup" (copy and paste the following link into your web browser thingy) http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/delicious-ham-and-potato-soup/Detail.aspx

and then, to go with it, I looked up the recipe for these cheese biscuits I used to make from my mom's cookbook at home. they are actually called "best cheese biscuits" cause they are the best. and they were just as good as I remember them being. simply copy and paste the following blurb to your web exploration thingmabob.....

http://www.food.com/recipe/best-cheese-biscuits-54567

all in all.... a good meal.

and I also promise to not share every meal success with you, as that would transform my blog into a Julie and Julia sort of thing.... and as admirable as that is.... my name is Danielle. not Juli-anything.

rest.

sometimes we get so busy. with life. and all that comes with it. we fill our days with things. good things even. we run here and we dash there, trying to stay standing on top of this wildly spinning world. and then Christmas comes. and we take a deep breath and run a little harder, a little faster. trying to be superhuman.

it seems to me that it just isn't right. like this isn't how we were made to operate. sure... we can, but it just... it just doesn't seem.... right. it seems like we miss out. it seems like you can't stop to smell the flowers when you're running.

and I can't help but wonder if getting sick or getting stuck somewhere or a multitude of other things may be gentle and helpful reminders to slow down .... and it's maybe hard to define what "slowing down" needs to look like....

I like to be busy. but it needs to be a right kind of busy and I think that the world around me has a different opinion than me of what busy should look like. I guess it's simply a matter of right prioritizing. I mean, I like to work. it keeps me busy (insert smile here)... and I get to make money... and I get to do things I really enjoy even. it feels like I'm cheating the system. so... work is good.

but, I need to not feel guilty for not working much more than I need to. I don't prove that I'm a better person by working 60 hour weeks (and I'm not doing that right now... don't worry). it's alright to have a day off and just do things that I enjoy doing. crazy, I know.

and it's not just work. it's all the other little things. and before you know it, you don't have time for laundry or crafting or writing or shopping... let alone a quiet time.

I'm not burnt out. not this time. but I am sick. and I don't have to work tomorrow. so. I may not. I might just take it easy. do those little errands and chores I've been neglecting. but also, do those things I enjoy. and miss. take some time to think. and smell the flowers....

... and not even feel guilty about it.

too short and too long.

it's been too long since I've posted. I've missed it.

life is full. in a thanksgiving dinner sort of way.

it's late, and I'm going to go to bed very soon, so this won't be long. even if it should be.

I'm leaving soon. and suddenly, my time here seems far too short. drat.

I'm afraid I'll have to expand on this thought at a later time. when brain cells are present.

I guess I just wanted to remind myself how to do this whole "blog" thing.

goodnight. sweetest of dreams to you!