Virginia is for L♥vers

As I opened the latest Southern Living magazine, I was surprised to see an article about a weekend trip in the Shenandoah Valley. The first day of the trip was entitled: Buena Vista to Lexington (16 miles). This was my beloved Buena Vista! This is where I went to college and met some of the bestest friends a girl could ever ask for. Where I became an adult. Where I became who I am today. I LOVE the Shenandoah Valley and I wax nostalgic many times about my former life there. But that season of my life has passed and sometimes I wonder if it will ever return. But alas, I fear that it is gone for good. Instead I dream of my former days as a Buena Vistaian.

I drove those 16 miles from Buena Vista to Lexington and back every single day, and sometimes twice if there was a Wal-mart trip involved. I could almost kick myself at all the times I drove amongst those rolling hills and took them for granted. I loved spending hour after hour in the Washington & Lee libraries smelling the books and dreaming of one day having a ginormous library of my own. And simply walking downstairs to go to church. I feel that if you were to see my heart, there would be a huge chunk completely devoted to Virginia.

Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you…

Lily

Feels like home to me…

Dorothy tells us that there is no place like home. What she should have said was there is no place like homes. And yes I know that that doesn’t make any sense, but it does to me. I have three homes. My parents’ house in Georgia, Southern Virginia, and my Abuelos’ house in California.

1224 Highland Rd in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley is my happy place. When I was a little child I would wake up from a horrible nightmare and cry for my mother. She would calm me down by telling me to imagine my favorite place: Grandpa and Grandma’s house. I love the way it smells. (Mostly of tea rose, mate, and crafts. And yes, crafts have a distinct smell.) I love the way I feel when I am there, and most importantly, I love my Abuelos!

The anticipation from the airport increases by the hour as you drive up the coast with the window open smelling the salty ocean air. And by the time you reach Santa Barbara you think that you are about to burst out of your skin. (Maybe because you need to go to the bathroom.) But all of the driving and flying are worth it when you turn the corner and finally see your happy-go-pukey, and Abuelos waiting to give you a big hug and a kiss.

But alas, my time there is never long enough and I soon have to fly back across the country, but never empty handed. I always depart their house with a suitcase of full of plant cuttings, cloth from the dollar-a-yard store, and new craft projects I accomplished with my Grandma. As I leave I take an inventory of the trip:

Eating: check.
(Grandpa’s buckwheat pancakes with freezer jam, coach’s steel-cut oats, and challenging everyone to a taco eating contest.)

Cuddling with Grandma: check.

Never wanting to leave: double check.

Lily

There is beauty all around when there is no one home.

As the broccoli-bombs fall from the sky, as my mother so eloquently puts it, I begin anticipating that time of year when I feel that our house looks its best. Spring time. All of my parents’ hard work in the previous months begins to pay off when the first lovely bulb pokes its little head out of the red dirt and the grass becomes green again. Daffodils, Irises, Azaleas, Hostas, and Dogwoods permeate the entire yard.

I really love my house.

I absolutely love my yard.

I truly love the Spring.

Except for the pollen.

Lily

I'm not an addict, maybe, that's a lie...

I should be getting ready for work, but instead I am blog-stalking and drinking a diet coke. I wish that I could afford my fav, diet coke with lime. Alas, it is 5 dollars for a 12 pack. Being on a budget sucks.

Lily

Two for the Price of One!

Apparently I am feeling the need to be very "bloggy" today. And yes, I know that that is not a real word, but I digress. Maybe I am feeling particularly chatty because the house needs to be cleaned. Didn't we just clean this place.?! Surely it couldn't have become that dirty since last week.

Oh, but it has.

Blast.

Stupid pollen.

I am adding spaces for effect.

See.

:)

Well I have often thought a great deal about a theory my dear friend Melissa has about house cleaning, and I have decided that her idea is GENIUS!!!
Melissa wants to live in a house make of plastic with a giant drain in the center of the floor. When it comes time to clean you house just hose off the entire place and let it drain. Kinda like the portable toilets in San Fransisco. Melissa does indeed have a brilliant plan, but I am left with a few questions...

Do they make plastic couches?
And how do I get one?

Lily

Speak softly and carry a big stick...

So this afternoon I decided to take my very hyper doggie out for a little promenade, and what to my surprise did I find at the local drug dealer's house? A pit bull shaking the chain link fence while looking at Cletus and I like we were t-bone steaks. Yeah for us. And in all fairness the neighbor only takes drugs. I have no proof that he actually sells them. Any-who, I was praying so hard that I didn't have to curl into the fetal position making sure to cover my major arteries. Since I am a BIG fan of being alive I decided to hoof it home as fast as my little feet could walk. Score one more point in the column for why I need to get a gym membership.

Lily

I can explain, I promise!

I have a JOB!!!

Seriously.

Can you believe it?!

I sure can't.

I was going to the Dollar Tree, one of my favorite stores, and the dry cleaners that I worked at in high school had a "Help Wanted" sign in their window. I went inside in my pj's, yes I wear pj's in public, and talked with Suzanne. She told me to talk to the boss at the main store and I ran home showered, dressed, primped, powdered, and drove straight to the store.

He offered me the job in a few minutes!!!

I started on the 7th and these past couple of weeks have just flown by. Well kinda. My feet and my body are feeling every minute I am on my feet.

I can't believe that all three of us have jobs! Now only if we could get the dog a job...
Speaking of the dog, he is having SERIOUS detachment issues. He is used to me being here almost all day and now he is in his crate the majority of the day. I do not feel comfortable leaving him outside when no one is home. He is afraid of the dog house and will not go in. Cletus woke me up at 4:30 AM one day this week cause he just wanted to cuddle with me. It would be cute if it wasn't so annoying. I looked into having him go to doggie day care once a week, but he hasn't actually gone yet. We will see. My sister just says that I am being over protective. Whatever. ;)

This job was definitely a tender mercy from Heavenly Father and I know that mom is not having as much stress.

And Sallie Mae is happy that they are finally getting their money. ;)


Love the currently employed,
Lily