happy kansas day!

"if i went west, 

i think i would go to kansas"

[abraham lincoln]

my blerg

do you know what i like to call my blog? my blerg. yeah. it sounds better than blog. i hate that word, blog. say it out loud and you'll wonder why that word exists. so do me a favor and if you're chatting with someone about what lame thing kate wrote on her blog, call it kate's blerg. you're welcome.

in other news - the leaves just keep falling off the trees around here. watching them drift to the ground makes my blood pressure spike a little bit. i feel like i'm in a race to get everything productive done before they all fall, because once they do i'll really be feeling the winter funk. and you'll hear about it all winter with melancholy posts yearning for spring.

but.

something to look forward to:

my little bro is coming to town for thanksgiving! i am so stinking excited, i hope he will be able to put up with me for a whole week.

and also, something else super exciting:

my aunt cassy aptly pointed out that my dear grandfather, a veteran who we are all so proud of, would have been so happy with this veterans day present.

k-state tailgating in the good ol days - i love this photo

off to do things,

k and e

not in kansas anymore

there is no one who comes here that

does not know this is a true map of the world, 

with you there in the center, making home for us all.

[story people]

it was so great being in kansas with my dear, dear grammy and assorted other family members. 
that sweet little town will always be my roots. 

to my wonderful grandmother

 

i traveled home to kansas this past weekend to celebrate my grammy's 90th birthday. that is right, 90 beautiful years! i've been so blessed to know her for 26 of them. she is my family's rock and is one of the strongest people that i know. she is witty, she is generous, she is fiercely protective, and she is so loving. i couldn't be more lucky! now i'm just counting down the days until the next holiday when i get to see her and the rest of my crazy/wonderful family.

"it is always sad when someone leaves home, unless they are simply going around the corner and will return in a few minutes with ice-cream sandwiches"

[lemony snicket]

exactly how i feel every time i hop on a place back to the district. this time i had to choke back tears as we sailed home over the beautiful midwestern plains. i cried because i love my family so much and it's a shame not to see them more often, and because life is short, and because school is hard, and because i didn't track down any bobs 47 while i was in town. but then a couple of hours later i saw my little townhouse in miniature out the airplane window and put my [figurative] big girl panties on and got to the business of life.

i'm back.

fourth of july

well, over the fourth of july i headed east to kansas for a family celebration. it was a week full of family, fireworks, and - obviously - fun. i'll let the photos do the talking since i haven't much to say at present (the heat in colorado is currently stifling, but i hear that i have nothing to complain about in comparison to kc and dc)!

be here now

don't let your mind get weary
and confused your will be still, don't try
don't let your heart get heavy child
inside you there's a strength that lies

don't let your soul get lonely
child, it's only time, it will go by
don't look for love in faces, places
it's in you, that's where you'll find kindness

-ray lamontagne