Something Worth Celebrating

I'm gone for a weekend to see some dear friends and family, but mostly to see my lovely friend get married...before she moves to CANADA.

I think she'll look good in red.

Annie girl, I just love you.

Honesty Box On Blogger

Someone called me "the queen of bitterness" yesterday.

And really, it didn't even bother me. Mostly because of who said it.

But it did make me think. I'd like to think that while I have become no less cynical or facetious, I have significantly lessened my tendencies toward bitterness or anger. But I guess when you spend too much time acting one way, you have to spend a whole lot of time acting another way before people will ever forget the way you were.

A simple lesson, right? An obvious lesson?

So why didn't I learn it before I was 22? Oh, well.

You may now slay me with whatever honest comments you have, for the betterment of my life in the future.

Have a great Thursday!

How To Relate To People

Is there a book out there with this title? Can I have one for free? Please?

Do you ever feel like you don't have anything to talk to people about? At least...nothing interesting? I think this is the thing that keeps me from being totally comfortable around new people. It's not that I don't WANT to talk to them, or that I'm AFRAID to talk to them, it's that I honestly have no idea what to talk about.

Remember how between the ages of about 18 and 25 people are always breaking the ice with one question? "So...do you go to school?" What happens when you try that one (even though you realize it's lame and overdone) and then the conversation flops? Also, I tend to believe that strangers don't want you asking them lots of personal details about their lives.
"Are you on good terms with your parents?", "Have you always treated people that way?", and "When did you stop wetting the bed?" are just a few every day examples.

Worst of all, though, is that I feel like I don't fit in a highly populated mold. I'm not very old, but I am married now, so that makes it a bit harder to relate to some younger people. (Hahaha...did you hear me just use the words "younger people"?)
I mean, I still FEEL like I understand that period of life...until I remember that 9:30 is my bedtime and my biggest stressor this week was how badly I needed to clean out the refrigerator. I can listen to what they talk about, and remember it from yesteryear, but I don't really have a lot of recent experience to throw into the conversation.

Then there is the other side of the spectrum. A lot of young married people I know are either having, or working towards having kids. I find it hardest to carry on conversations with parents I don't know well. It's not because they aren't interesting, or totally fun to be around so much as I don't think I have anything to say that would be relevant.
I think this is mostly because everything I do, parents do...only times 100. So if we are talking about dishes, I'm thinking "oh yeah, I had to do almost a week's worth of dishes and it took me an hour and a half" and they are probably thinking "I wish I had time to do dishes at all."
And you know that look you sometimes get (at least, I really HOPE I'm not the only person to get this look), where you can just tell by their facial expression that they are thinking, "yeah, I'll humor you, but deep down I know that this is nothing compared to what I have to do." and they get that plaster-y looking grin and nod a little... (I'm picturing it right now...dang, I feel stupid)
And then I just figure that I need to stop talking, because I obviously sound ignorant.

Maybe that all sounds mean...but mostly I just end up wishing I knew what to talk about.

I have way too many examples of trying to talk to moms about their kids, and the moms end up slightly offended and surprised at how much I just don't GET what they are trying to do. Yikes...how do you bring THAT conversation back to normality?

...maybe that's why they don't ask me to babysit anymore. hmm...ponder ponder...

Anyway. What do you do when you feel that way? Are you happy to just leave people alone and not go out of your way to talk to them? Or do you just ask whatever questions you like so that you can find out more about them? OR, do you do your best Hugh Grant impression to stun them with your charming British accent? (you never know...)

Note To Self:

do dishes more frequently

Fear, Schmear

I am very good at being unnecessarily nervous. Sometimes that nervousness could be more suitably described as intense uneasiness.

Or fear. Whatev.

Being married has given me a whole new list of things to be nervous about. For example, three times since we have been married I've heard of fatal motorcycle accidents occurring in Topeka. Fearful Rachel wants to tell husband never to ride a bike again. But Reasonable Rachel knows that husband is very careful (and that he might not appreciate FR giving him commands and treating him like a child). Hmm.

I realize that much of my uneasiness is completely unnecessary. There is only so much we can do to be careful, and the rest is really out of our control (which is probably a very good thing).

RR seemed to be taking back control, however...

until her neighbor's house was broken into.

So, darling husband took several security measures and showed FR all the ways that he was keeping her safe. He's a good husband.

And on top of it all, he bought FR a taser (not because he was worried about her safety, but because SHE was worried about her safety).

2,000,000 volts.

So now instead of being worried about people breaking into our house, I only have to be worried about accidentally tasing myself.

Things That Happened That I Didn't Blog About - Part III

I made a pie.

For the first time.

It was pumpkin.

Things That Happened That I Didn't Blog About - Part II

Matt and Shelsey came down during the 4th of July weekend for a job interview. It was totally sweet.

So, of course, when they came to our house we had to introduce Baby Jono to Smash Brothers.

He was intrigued, to be sure.


He's kind of a button masher (he got that from his mom). But as soon as he learns to use his little fingers I'm sure he'll improve quickly.

Look at that concentration!

I just love that Baby Jono.

It's so exciting that they will be moving home soon! It's been a good long while.

Jono is counting down the days! :)

Things That Happened That I Didn't Blog About - Part I

Some of my living-in-the-east-coast-for-almost-a-year family came back to Kansas for the summer. We went to Hutch to visit them a couple times.

This is on father's day...without my father. But mom and some sibs came with us to celebrate with Jono's dad.



Sometimes I do weird things. Don't make me explain it.

"Smile, Jono!" My family stays at the camp, and Jono and I stay with his parents.

Talk about relaxing and fun! They live in the country and his mom does wonders with flowers. There are beautiful birds everywhere.

The only downside being my previously mentioned allergies from hell.

It's wonderful to see our families. We've had the pleasure of doing it a lot this summer.

ohmyfreakingstinkingholygoshmotherofmercy

My brother-in-law got a job with Pixar!

aaaaaaaah!!!!!!

Don't Let Me Forget

Every summer my allergies have worsened. Last summer my head was swollen because of inflamed sinuses and I had to take some steroids to bring things back to normal (normal being runny nose, sneezing, phlegm...but not a particularly swollen head).

This summer I thought that since I would not be at camp, I'd be ok. "I work inside all day," thought I, "I don't have anything to worry about."

Hahahahahahaha, hoohoohoo, hehehehe...right.

Sweet Moses, I just want to BREATH again. My poor husband should buy stock in Kleenex, tissues of which can be found in our sheets, under our bed, behind our nightstand and between our couch cushions.

Whoops.

And lest you think I complain too much I will not mention the times when Jono can't kiss me because I can't breath through my nose.

Heh. Ok...that's kinda funny.

Anyway! All this is to say that you, my friends, must NOT let me forget the terror of the summer months. You must remind me of this post next year when I'm debating if I should go to the doctor and pay the bigger bucks for prescription allergy medicine or not.

I'm a friggin' snot factory over here! HELP!

Nothing That Matters

I'm a terrible monster.

Well, probably falling behind in blogging isn't grounds for being called a terrible monster.

So I guess I'm not a terrible monster. At least, not because of that.

Anyway.

Thanks again for your book ideas. Since then I've finished Peace Like A River and Blue Like Jazz, both recommended in the comments by you wonderful people. I also read Criss Cross after Paul told me I needed to (and then followed up mercilessly).

Merciless might be too strong of a word.

I'm being overly strong in this post.

Maybe it's just to make up for other weaknesses.

Maybe I should be saying all this whilst lying on a couch.

Anyway. Again.

I need to figure out what to read next.

Also, I've got some pictures and some not-so-interesting things to talk about coming up soon! (probably)

What does it mean to love people?