a pinch of this and a pinch of that. . .and everything in between.

I came in from a bike ride around the neighborhood just before a summer storm hit. Nothing like a bit of exercise after a hearty lunch to work things off. . . or a perfectly-gloomy overcast. Sometimes rainy days just hit the spot - like a cup of black tea, drowned in milk and too much honey. . .enjoyed in a dark shower. Just sayin'. As I twisted my hair into ritual after-washing knots (to "lift" my waves - otherwise my hair is flat as pancakes, ) I had the sudden inspiration just to write. About EVERYTHING - because I love it.

The other night my family sat around my laptop - dying, taped together, and threatening to turn off if breathed on - to watch an episode of The Waltons. "Goodnight, John-boy." I can relate so much to this simple "TV family," and who doesn't love John-boy? I married him several years ago. ;) But anyway - currently our only working DVD player is on my lovely little laptop. I need a new one SO badly. . .but every once in awhile it brings my family together (nothing rare, since we do EVERYTHING together,) to watch a good old show. . .This time one particular quote stood out to me: "either your a writer, or your not." John-boy loved writing, but throughout the series we hear him saying: "I want to be a writer." 

I don't know whether I'm "a writer" or not, or even if I write well. I  love my fiction blurbs and characters - but most of all, I enjoy non-fiction writing. I suppose that's why my blog is mostly article based. Its like that in real life too - once I get going on a topic I love, there's just no stopping! I blab, and talk, and ramble, and make an idiot of myself. But that's me - and most days I feel like Rapunzel: "I am a despicable human being!"

So. Right now my three youngest sisters are watching one of those budget-y Bible cartoons, the ones that are completely un-Biblical and mostly corny, but fun nonetheless. We usually spend time throughout the show explaining, "no Lidia, that didn't happen. No, there wasn't a girl called Sally in the Gospel of John."

This post has been evolving, added on to, deleted and changed for the past couple of days. Gotta love random ramblings. Which reminds me - one simply can't get too old for American Girl. . .or Little House on the Prairie. . . or Nancy Drew . . .or The Bobbesy Twins. I still read them - though that MAY mean I'm excessively  immature - not that I care. :P I can conquer all, especially after reading this wonderful little gem: 

". . .he never wasted regrets on his lack of height and never found it an obstacle to his acquisition of anything he wanted. Rather, it was [his] compact smallness that made him what he was, for he had learned early that little people must be hardy to survive among large ones." - Gone with the Wind

Wise words to live by for this 4'9" 20 year old. I think I love Gerald O'Hara. ;)

- I'm wearing my favorite over-sized t-shirt; black, cozy, and printed with a picture of the worlds greatest Irish guys. Gotta love lazy-ish shirts for lazy-ish days. Especially when there is sewing to be done. . .and you find yourself pasted to the computer screen (the dying lap-top screen, at that! :P )

Speaking of . .you are all probably wondering HOW last weeks concerts went. That's right folks, concert"S". . .I saw my favoritest Celtic group (boooo Celtic Thunder!) 3 times, totaling 5 concerts in all since August of last year. As always Anna and I had a blast with the guys - special talks with my FAVORITE King, Darren Holden (one of the worlds most talents singers and musicians, might I add, plus the nicest guy in the universe,) "huggies" from Brian, a "special Martin picture," and hellos from Finbarr. And they loved the brownies Anna made for them. . .Darren called them "cakes." hehe (see Anna's post for full overview.) Oh! and we were able to see a stunning performance by Cherish the Ladies Sunday afternoon. . .very talented musicians, jaunty music. . .I ♥ it. Hm. Beginning to think my Irish-obsession just isn't normal. . . my mother was born in Italy, after all - and aren't Italians supposed to hate the Irish? :P

L-R: Martin, Finbarr, Anna, Yours Truly, Brian, Darren.
Note that this is an excessively frightening picture of me. Just sayin'. The guys were sooo tired, poor things - they just aren't used to our lovely Ohio heat. (not that we Ohioans are either, but I'd imagine its worse coming from the rainy Emerald Isle.) This was Sunday night - we spent the whole day at the festival with the family. Friday some wonderful friends and fellow fans picked us up. . .

I am formulating a wonderful post - at least *I* think its wonderful. It'll be full of boasting and scare all my readers away, I'm sure. j/k j/k A vlog is in order. . .and one knows their world is small if they spend hours thinking up exactly the right setting, what to say, how to say it, things like that. PLUS, there is a very huge possibility that I might start another blog; an utterly girly, go-against-my-stance-of-not-being-too-girly-blog, because I'm a girl, and I can't help it. ;) TLRoS summer will still be here, and it won't change. That's all I'll say for now. Btw, on the topic of blogs, I can't stand my new header. The rose is beautiful, I don't mind the editing, but really, the wording is HIGHLY unprofessional looking. Bear with me - it'll be fixed soon.

Summer is all about happy-things. Sitting on a hillside watching the sun set over an apple-tree framed pond. Listening to mom read aloud from Gone with the Wind (be still my heart!) while munching on cookies. The scent of chives and other garden-goodness from the tiny plot next to the house. Walking over a freshly mowed lawn. Drinking sinfully-chocolaty-coffee-ish frozen mocha's from Panera.

Loving life. Because spontaneity IS living. . . and chocolate covered espresso beans.