And kid you better get the picture.

Day 13: A fictional book.

I got this book from my aunt when she was cleaning out her classroom, probably when I was 11 or 12 years old.  I was drawn to the book as it it was a mystery story, a brother and sister searching for a treasure, as well as two children who vanished many years ago.  The book had an element of fantasy that intrigued me, but what hooked me on it was the weaving of transcendentalist thinkers and ideology into the story.  It was very different from anything else I had read at the time, so it stuck with me.  I still have the same copy I got all those years ago, and take time to read it about once a year.  It’s a great book for children, but I would recommend it to anyone.

Day 12: Whatever tickles your fancy.  (This is a day late, but in all fairness this is what was tickling my fancy yesterday.)

Watched the first 4 episodes of Summer Heights High with Kalyn this weekend, so now I can quote the show to someone other than my cats!

Day 10:  A photo of you taken over ten years ago

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of myself.  It is my 2nd grade yearbook photo.  And since you can’t see my whole outfit, yes, that is a handknit sweater skirt set with lace ruffles on it.  The orange on my nose is a stain on the photo itself, though it kind of looks like some weird birthmark.  But my favorite part is the look on my face— not smiling, brow half-furrowed… 

It’s also kind of weird, because I know it’s me, but whenever I see this picture, at first I just kinda think that it’s some cute kid I know.  I wonder where she went.

Day 9: A photo you took.

This is one of the many old and broken down cars Fords scattered across the “yard” area of my grandparents’ farm.  My cousins and I used to spend ages exploring and adventuring through the back yards and fields of the farm when we were younger.  My grandmother calls it junk, but I’ve got nothing but good memories.

Day 8:  A photo that makes you angry/sad.

I wasn’t actually sure what I was going to post for this photo and it took me until the end of the day to figure it out.  This is a photo that represents a horrible trait I have:  MY BIG FAT MOUTH.  Lately, my friends have bestowed upon me the moniker of “Joe Biden” because I am very adept at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.  Usually, it’s just saying swear words in front of tiny children.  But once in awhile, it’s making a joke or saying something without thinking that ends up hurting someone’s feelings.  Today, it was the latter. I don’t want to go into great detail, but I will say that I spoke to a friend who’s feelings were very hurt by a comment made by another friend.  I had shared the comment with her boyfriend in casual conversation (without thinking) and he shared it with her in a flippant manner that ultimately led to her feeling very hurt and confused about the person who made the comment.  Had I not said anything to begin with, the whole situation could have been avoided or at least postponed until a time when the two friends could have had the conversation themselves without me getting in the middle.  (This is probably more confusing than not explaining anything, but oh well.)

Needless to say, I feel horrible.  I’m upset at myself for, once again, being at least partially responsible for causing unnecessary pain to someone I care about.  So this picture, of my big fat mouth, is what is making me angry today.

Day 7: A photo that makes you happy

This is a picture of me with 4 of my closest friends (from l to r: Stoney, Kim, Me, Kalyn, and Tess) on one of the best days of my life: front row at the Bruce Springsteen concert in Des Moines on September 21, 2009.

So many things fell into place to make this perfect day happen.  First of all, Des Moines was not an original stop on the tour but was added at the very end.  Then, we had general admission tickets and showed up early so that we could get a wristband to get into the pit, which we did.  Then when it came time for the random draw that determined who (of the 500 of us who got into the pit) would get to enter the arena first, our numbers were within the first 20.  Even though we were waiting for 4 hours from the time we entered the arena until the time the show started, it was completely worth it.  We were right in front of Little Steven’s mic and just a few feet away from Bruce’s mic.  They played all of my favorites songs and a few that I didn’t know were my favorite until I heard them played live that night.  At one point, Bruce knelt down in front of us and Stoney got to wail away on his guitar.  I even had a moment of sustained eye contact with Stevie during one of the songs toward the end and that moment of connection just made the night all the more magical for me.  Also, it was two days before Bruce’s birthday and the last show before a short break on the tour, and when Little Steven led us all in a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday,” you could tell Bruce was touched by it.

This picture was taken right after the concert was over and what I love is how absolutely ecstatic we all are.  And while I’m sure it would have been a great concert no matter what, I don’t think the experience would have been as rich and wonderful had I not been surrounded by four of my favorite people in the whole world.  There were a lot of icky things about that day (the rain, the long wait until the show started, standing for about 7 hours straight, and how tired and gross we all felt as soon as we left the arena), but every time I look at this picture, I can’t help but smile.  It was the perfect day, with the perfect people, and this photo just says “love” to me.

Day Four: Your Favorite Book