5th Element.

Five things I've had to be grateful for this week:

1. Inspiration to do and be better. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

2. Exposure to the "If God is so great, why am I so pathetic?" sermon series. Much needed.

3. A nephew who counts down days till he can see me. For real?! Preciously sweet.

4. Pre-fall breezes...in AUGUST. God bless.

5. The first-time-ever decision to separate myself from the bad, at least for 24 hours. Very liberating to someone who has marinated in sad memories / guilt / the loss of her Coast way too often these past 4 years.

High Five.

It's been way too long since I've posted my 5 things I'm thankful for. Or maybe it's just been way too long since I've sat down and thought about all I'm grateful for. Either way, here I go:

1. My family. I have an amazing, precious, sweet, loving family, and I'm not sure how I ended up with them (other than the sheer fact that God knew no one else would put up with me and love me unconditionally!). I'm so excited that I will see them Labor Day weekend, and that we'll get to celebrate my sweet Daddy's 60th birthday together!

2. Where I am. A long, winding road led me to Baton Rouge, and while many of the factors that brought me here are no longer relevant/active, I can't imagine a better, funner city to be in at this stage of my life, or cooler peeps to be here with. Rah, Red Stick!

3. The things we leave behind. I feel strongly about not having regrets, but I also feel more strongly than ever about being thankful that the past is the past.

4. Newness of life. The world got a little happier, a little sweeter, and a little more precious this past Thursday when Noah Price Densmore graced us with his presence. I love the reminders that births bring....freshness, innocence, and a lifetime of new experiences waiting to happen. And I cannot WAIT to meet the precious little guy! I already know he'll be among my faves, since his mommy and daddy are!

5. Trained professionals. I am beyond grateful for the people many people in my life who are good at what they do -- in every capacity -- and that they're using their gifts and talents for good and not evil. And I'm especially grateful this week for those who have used those skillz to help this redhead. :-)

Casablanca

I can't believe I am 32 1/2 and just watched "Casablanca" for the first time today! I didn't feel so bad, though, when I learned that most of the girls I was with were seeing it for the first time, too.

The big-screen showing was part of BR's downtown summer movie classic series at The Shaw Center. It has been one of the most fun parts of the summer. Several girlfriends and I bought tickets to three showings -- one movie per month -- and wrapped the summer series up today with "Casablanca." The first was "Gone with the Wind," and the second was "Wizard of Oz."

As embarrassed as I am to admit my lack of having seen (or that as a kid, I fell asleep in) many of the great classics long before now, I'm also excited to have finally watched the movie where so many great (and often quoted) quotes originated, including:

• "Here's lookin' at you, kid."


• "I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


• "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she had to walk into mine."

A funny aside from the movie is that Baton Rouge has its own Cafe Americain, but I never knew where the name stemmed from. Now that I do, of course, I'm craving it. ;-)

But back to topic: if you're like me and haven't seen "Casablanca," you must. Now. Today.

If you have, maybe watch it again, just for fun. The humor is timeless, and the history was poignant.

And the acting... Humphrey Bogart. Ingrid Bergman. :: happy sigh ::

Fiver.

Five things I'm grateful for this week are:

1. Getting to work with people who also happen to be really good friends. I seriously don't know what I'd do without my girls at CitiPlace!

2. My relationship with my sweet sister. She is precious beyond belief, and I thank God that we remain so close, and that she puts up with me even though she can't possibly understand my life 92% of the time.

3. Living so close to New Orleans.

4. The ability to realize a seasonal thing, that seasonal things are only good for me during their seasons, and that when those seasons are over, it's ok to let go.

5. Having goals to work toward. Sometimes I get frustrated that I'm not at an end result, but I should be thankful for something to strive for. And I'm going to try harder to remember that.

Three Little Words

Last week, boot camp ended.

I have participated in it for the past 8 weeks (give or take -- I'm sort of a slacker), and would probably have seen more drastic results had I a) eaten better, b) exercised between classes, and c) pushed myself harder.

However, I did learn today what I suspicioned: those 8 weeks paid off in stamina.

For the first time, I did not just walk in my Tuesday night running club. (I didn't run, either, but half jogged/half walked, and it really was rewarding!) I am still hoping to be able to at least jog the three miles at some point, but I feel this is a huge step.

If you're in the Baton Rouge area and are curious about boot camp, I strongly encourage you to check it out. It's very reasonably priced and a great way to either increase your current exercise level, or, like me, jump-start yourself into a regular exercise routine.

And those three little words I refer to in the title? Well, I've learned this year that maybe the standard three little words aren't all they're cracked up to be, but these two sets of 'em certainly are:

"Aaaaight, water break." -- Walker

"Good job, guys!" -- Jenn



Rebekah's General Warning: Don't bother looking for me in the picture above, although some of the peeps I met through boot camp are in it. Believe it or not, I was not invited to the photo shoot. I'm sure it was just an oversight.

Good Quote

Let me tonight look back across the span
Twixt dawn and dark, and to my conscience say --
Because of some good act to beast or man --
"The world is better that I lived today."

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox



Amen, amen.

Big Girl.

I've been meaning to post a blog for ages about my recent (and ongoing) display of immense bravery and stamina: I'm giving myself shots every week!

It's true. After being sick every other week since I moved to BR, I was diagnosed this past winter as allergic to almost everything in the air and on the ground in this state. So thankfully, there are injections for that!

I went for a very long time to the clinic to have them administered to me, but finally decided I would -- pun intended -- give it a shot myself. And it hasn't been bad at all.

For me, it's just more convenient, but I can definitely see why many peeps prefer someone else to take care of it for them. And trained professionals, no less. Thankfully, I've never had that commonly held fear of needles. (I guess my phobias lie in other, more random areas?) But it does work out well for my allergy shots.

So....mommy, wow! I'm a big kid now. Yes? ;-)