Archives for August 2014

I realize that most people are probably sick to death of hearing about how I haven’t finished my book yet (assuming that anyone is actually, you know, reading here anymore, especially given my sporadic posting over the last three months). I’ve been sick of it, too, mainly because I feel like the process has dragged out for SO STINKIN’ LONG. I could probably list 15 reasons why the time factor was way more challenging with this one – starting with the fact that I wasn’t doing any speaking stuff when I wrote the first one – but the fact of the matter is that none of the reasons really matter anymore because last night around 10:30 I finished the last of the edits.

ALL THE WAY FINISHED.

WITH THE WHOLE THING.

It occurred to me this morning that when I finished A Little Salty…, my fellas and I high-fived and whooped and celebrated. But when I finished Home is Where My People Are, I put my head down on the kitchen table and bawled my eyes out.

AND IT IS DONE.

So today has been a pressure-free delight. Our next door neighbor came over this morning to play with Alex, so I turned on GameDay, and I planned out a menu for the week (last time that happened: I DON’T EVEN KNOW), and then I went to the grocery store. I made lunch right here in my very own kitchen (as opposed to, for instance, the inside of Chipotle), and then I took a nap. The fellas left to run some errands while I was asleep, and I slept so hard that I had no idea where I was when I woke up.

So that was delightful.

And now, of course, we are AWASH in football. We’ve watched Auburn and Arkansas and Alabama and West Virginia and we’re about to watch my beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs play Southern Miss. The last time State and Southern Miss played was 1990, and when State scored at the end of the 4th quarter to win the game, students started throwing EVERYTHING. I was at the game with my friend Bubba, and as we were jumping up and down and up and down and up and down, we heard a loud “THUD” and realized that I’d been hit in the head by a very large (and thankfully empty) liquor bottle.

Sweet memories.

Anyway, we’re not in Starkville for the game today, but we’re about to tune in to the SEC Network and watch and eat supper and hopefully cheer the ‘Dogs on to victory.

Thanks for all your sweet emails and prayers and encouraging comments – I am so grateful for them and for y’all and for the Lord being sweet enough to give me some words. And now that the book is finished, we have all the time and bloggy space we need to talk about snack crackers and music and TV and dips and and wide-legged pants and whatnot.

You have no idea how happy I am about that.

Hope y’all are having a great weekend!

In no particular order:

1. I finished writing the book, OH HALLELUJAH.

2. Now I’m editing the book – and about four chapters from the end.

3. The editing process is my favorite part – I LOVE IT SO.

4. This time around, though, I have been a little emotional during editing.

5. And by “a little,” I mean, “CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME SOME TISSUES?”

6. Alex is playing football this year.

7. In the past I kind of decided that I just wasn’t much of a sports mama, that I wasn’t nearly as obsessed with whatever he was playing as I thought I would be.

8. Make no mistake: FOOTBALL HAS CHANGED ALL OF THAT.

9. What makes it the most fun, though, is how much our little guy loves his team. There’s kind of a neat story about all of that, but I think I’ll wait until the end of the season and maybe let Alex tell it. David and I have been so proud of him.

10. Friday afternoon I drove to Memphis and went to Living Proof Live with Emma Kate.

11. I can’t even write about it yet. But it was a special time.

12. We also got to have lunch yesterday with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews, and it was hysterical.

13. I went to sleep at 10 last night and then slept for two hours this afternoon, so I think I’ve recovered from my quick little trip.

14. It’s the Green Chile Festival at Chuy’s right now, and I would just like to wholeheartedly recommend the Beef Fajita Flautas if you happen to go to a Chuy’s before the festival thingie is over.

15. They are seriously delicious.

16. SEC football starts this week, so obviously my days will have renewed zeal and purpose.

17. I haven’t gotten to watch the SEC Network nearly as much as I’d like, but as soon as I finish these edits, I will be ALL OVER IT.

18. Travis released a new worship CD, and I have listened to “Take Me To The King” about 492 times in the last three days.

Oh, it is so good.

19. Back-to-school has been great. I am loving my “new” job (same place – just a different role), and the fifth grader is happy as can be. David will probably be glad when I figure out how to plan a week’s worth of meals again, but between work and writing, the culinary side of things has suffered.

20. Hazel is adjusting to the school routine. She is still the longest dog I have ever seen. And while I was in Memphis Friday night, she somehow grabbed a blue pen off my nightstand and painted her toenails. David sent me this picture.

Bless her.

21. My friend Lindsay posted this video on Facebook earlier tonight, and it’s still just as delightful as it was back in the 80s.

22. I’ll be back in a couple of days – hopefully to say that edits are finished and I am about to watch so much college football, OH MY WORD.

Thanks for being so patient, y’all!

Love,
Me

Well, it’s 3:47 in the AM. I’m not awake by choice, mind you, but I fell asleep watching TV, and then I woke up around 2, and my body is convinced that it’s time to get up even though THREE FORTY SEVEN. My 40s hate me.

So, since I have been such a wayward blogger lately (I’m still working on the book – and while I hoped that I’d finish this week, my schedule didn’t have much wiggle room for writing, so tomorrow is a BIG DAY O’ WRITING provided that I get some sleep between now and then), I thought I’d link to some stuff and some things.

This is really just an attempt to bore myself back to sleep, but we’ll see where it goes.

And here’s the book cover. I love it a lot.

This book is much more of my story than the first book. I didn’t plan it that way, but that’s just how it started to turn and move, and I think that’s why it’s taken me so long to write it. I feel like it’s been 85% thinking/praying and 15% writing, and that has been a completely different experience than the first one.

Nobody cares about this kind of stuff, I know. But I feel like I need to explain because I’ve missed blogging a lot and I just want you to know that I really haven’t been just sitting around and watching Bravo.

NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

All righty. The things.

– “Only Jesus”

I watched this video for the first time tonight (last night, whatever), and it was the perfect song at the perfect time. I needed it. Still do.

– Audiotree Live Session – The Oh Hellos

Around the 24 minute-mark they sing a new song called “Dear Wormwood,” and I nearly came up out of my seat at the Panera when I heard it. Somebody preach one time.

– Wherever the River Runs by Kelly Minter

I adore this book. It is beautifully written, it is inspiring, and it is thought-provoking. You will not finish reading it and feel like there are 44 Gospel-driven initiatives that you need to start. However, you will finish reading it and look around your neighborhood and your workplace and your family and your community and think, “Who have I missed?” Can’t recommend it enough.

– The other day my friend Nicole reminded me of this video (opening credits of Music & Lyrics), and it has made me laugh so hard. And here’s the even bigger thing, FNL fans: THAT IS JASON STREET, Y’ALL.

Okay. I’m a little drowsy now. I’m gonna run with it.

Please know that I miss you terribly and I’ll be back soon. :-)

Have a great weekend, everybody!