{bringin' back} fill in the blank fridays

1.  My favorite feeling in all the world is    when I just finish a run or workout.  I like the way it hurts, yet feels so good at the same time.  So spent, yet energized   .

2.  My favorite smell is  depends on the season -- right now it's probably pumpkin anything.  In the springtime, its lilac.  In the summer, it's chlorine. But coffee is up there on the list all the time.  And clean laundry.  Apparently I have a lot of favorite smells   .

3.  My favorite taste is   sour.  I absolutely love sour things.  Sour Patch Kids.  Lemonheads.  Granny Smith Apples.  Oh man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  .

4. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen was   Concord Falls/the rainforest in Grenada, West Indies. Or pretty much Grenada in general  .

5. The best sound ever is  the banjo.  I can't get enough .

6. A smell that reminds me of my childhood is  apple crisp baking in the oven while we ate supper.  Those were always my favorite nights.  Or clean laundry.  It reminds me of clothes hanging out on the line on Saturday mornings .

7.  My favorite of all the senses is   sight.  I wouldn't be able to do my job without it.  And I love taking in all of the beauty God has created for us .

Have a great weekend!

xo

Hope

Tuesday Tune-Day: Eddie Vedder Says it Better

Okay, judge away.  Yes, I am an Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam fan.  Little known fact about me.  Side note:  His stuff for the movie Into the Wild is incredible.  Beautiful music.  Real music.  

But anyway, don't you just love it when you hear a song that fits exactly what you're going through?  Exactly how you're feeling?  I think it is one of the greatest joys of music.  Lyrics can bring us together.  They help us remember that we're not alone. And this song just fits.  Eddie Vedder says it better than I ever could.  I'll let you use your own detective skills to figure out why.  And...as an added bonus...the ukulele is the main instrument.  Doesn't get much better than that!

Weekending it

Weekends are pretty great.  Possibly the best idea ever.  Usually I use them to catch up on homework and reading, but lately I've been busy having fun instead.  Last weekend I journeyed back to Illinois and went on a road trip with two dear friends from high school/undergrad to Tanner's Orchard.  Is there a better way to spend an autumn morning?  Or a better excuse to wear flannel?  I think not. 

Just look at those beautiful apples.  Okay, so I have to admit that those apples probably aren't actually from Tanner's.  They probably aren't even from Illinois.  Usually you can pick your own apples there, but with the drought this summer the apple crop wasn't so hot.  But they still look good to me!

But, I think we had more fun goofing off, taking pictures, and feeding the llamas and goats.  Yeah, we went through the petting zoo like we were on our 1st grade field trip.  It was awesome -- and I am proud to report  that the llamas didn't spit on me like I feared they would.  We tried all the free samples of cider, apples, salsa, etc.  And then I finally found what I'd been searching for...

...an apple cider doughnut.  And if that photographic evidence isn't enough for you, let me tell you -- it was delicious (and still warm).  Eat your heart our Krispy Kreme.  You don't even hold a candle to Tanner's.

And then this weekend it was Homecoming football time at IU!  Forget hot dogs and beer, our version of tailgating consisted of bagels and coffee.  And the Hoosiers almost won!  You know you root for a losing team when you create a hierarchy of losing.  We only lost by four and everyone was ecstatic.  It kind of reminded me of being at a Cubs game.  But it was exciting nonetheless!

It was cold...but sunglasses were a must.  And now I'm sporting an awesome sunburn with some raccoon-esque lines from my sunglasses.  Can someone please tell me how I can go all summer without getting burnt, but when it's October and forty degrees outside I'm as red as a beet?

The whole gang!  Look at that IU school spirit! So much crimson!

Stay tuned, y'all -- I have a couple more awesome weekends on deck!  Next weekend at Monmouth Homecoming and the following weekend in Chicago to see the USWNT!