Someone recently wished me sunshine in my life. I think that some little grey clouds are going to be hanging around me for a while, but sunshine will peek through eventually.

I'm beginning to get cabin fever at work.

The weather has been delightful and I've been trapped in an artificial arctic. I spend most of my time answering questinos for poor, confused people. When I'm not doing that, I'm laughing with the people I work with and staring out the large windows, wishing I could go on a walk outside. But I can't.

Because of this, I get a little restless and have to walk around a lot and imagine lots of things. Also, I've been really impulsive. Last night I dyed my hair blue/green. I like it quite a lot, but it is a little crazy. That's what the pictures are of. I'll take some cool ones once I get time.

Also, today I had my first migraine since I went gluten-free two weeks ago! I've had little headaches, but nothing huge until today. SO I think this whole diet change might be working. hooray.

crippled conscience

If you're thinking about doing something regarding your conscience-do it. Unless you're content with living mediocrity. Set your crippled conscience free. Sometimes we're so used to our brokenness, we don't care to be repaired.

-Frank May

oh dear. I have quite a crippled conscience. The thick dark cloths of my own sin gag its tiny voice. So all I hear is my sin telling me that it is quite alright to be judgmental, impatient, and jaded. It tells me I'm an okay person living an okay life...all the while my crippled conscience pokes and prods my heart just enough to remind me that it's not okay to just be okay.

little foxes

(This is Emmy. She was one of Jenny's day-campers during week 3. Jenny wrote me about Emmy. She seemed like quite a romantic little girl. This photograph and a couple others of her are some of my most favorites I took all summer. Her face is just too sweet...oh also, you should click on the image to make it bigger...it enhances the viewing experience)

"Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom."

-Song of Solomon 2:15

Today was full of little foxes. These little foxes that ate the grapes on the vine...and even though there are many more grapes left, I, the vineyard keeper, let the few missing grapes spoil the rest of my day. Me getting upset over the pesky foxes definitely reminded me that I am a fallen creature who needs a perfect Lord.

Gluten Freedom and a small list of things I love

My breakfast this morning honestly tasted like eating corn-on-the-cob. BUT it really wasn't that bad. Thus a gluten-free school year begins.

things I love right now:

1) organizing. ever since I got home, I've been on a strange organization kick. So far, I've organized letters, spices, books, desk drawers, the tea cabinet, and my bathroom. I wonder what else I'm going to organize!

2) Listening to Band of Horses and Family Airplane while editing camp pictures.

3) Living camp all over again because of editing camp pictures and writing captions.

4) Listening to certain songs and laughing really hard because of camp (i.e. FAther's hunting in the forest, MOther's cooking in the home...)

5) Telling people about camp.

6) Writing people from camp letters.

7) Journaling stories and things about camp.

so basically....I love camp.

Mary Emily

two random thoughts and a photograph

Breathing is wonderful. God breathed life into man and man has been breathing to live ever since. It's fun to watch people breathe too. People show their breathing so many different ways-through their stomach, shoulders, chest or mouth. There's something calming about breathing in unison with someone you're sitting next to-it's like being knit together by some rhythmic bond. The sounds of breathing are serene as well-the sweet gasp of inhaling and the soft wind of exhaling. All around, breathing is just wonderful.

Cleaning your room after being gone for a long while is such an adventure. It's like adapting to your habitat all over again. Or going through a timeline of crumpled letters and pages from magazines. When you're all through with the sorting, folding, filing, and dusting, you're left with what seems like a whole new living space. How fabulous is that?

(please click to view larger. it looks so nice that way.)

Mary Emily

A New Adventure

Every time I talk about this fall, a bittersweet ache comes into my heart. I'm re-losing (ish) two of my dearest friends, I'm having to say goodbye to two of my other dearest friends, I'm taking 19 hours (that was my own choice, so I'm not complaining), I'm working at ballet (hopefully), I'm getting a bike, and I'm working at Chatt State. Although all these things are scary and new, I'm excited for the new adventure this year is going to be. My goal will be to challenge myself daily to never have a moment that isn't lived out fully.

So adventures and changes will be abundant.

The very first new adventure I'm taking on is going gluten free. For as long as I can remember, I've been sick, exhausted, and plagued by migraines and sinus headaches. SO, to combat this, I'm getting rid of the gluten in my life. It's going to be quite a culinary adventure because I'll have to make most of my own food. Hooray! I get to feel better and become a better cook!

Starting Monday, gluten will slowly be making its way out of my diet. I'm taking this whole thing one meal at a time, because I think it would be a bit much for me and my body to handle to be like BAM no gluten. So yeah, the first week I'm going one meal gluten free, then the next week two, then everything else.

Wish me luck!

Hopefully, I'll be blogging recipes and whatnot.

Mary Emily

p.s. the photograph is from Training Week at camp. The "Pine Forest" (a little grove of pine trees) was full of hammocks all week. Claire is the name of the girl with the lovely hair in the photo)

I'll get back to you someday soon, you will see...

I'm home from one of the most magical summers of my life.

Camp was absolutely that-magical. There's no way to fit the loveliness of camp in words. It would take a whole volume of books. There's also no way to fit the loveliness of camp in one photograph. It would take a whole gallery of photographs.

So instead of trying to give some great summary of thoughts on camp and whatnot, I'm just going to give you this for now.

Maybe someday soon I'll blog the book and post the gallery.

Meanwhile, I hope all of you had a lovely summer. It is coming to a close, but be heartened, the glorious autumn is on its way.

Mary Emily