Guilty Pleasures

Oh, I've got them. Who doesn't? Here are my top 5.

1. General Hospital. I've watched this off and on for years. I go in phases where I watch it more frequently, but it's a soap opera, so even if I miss a day week month year, it's not at all difficult to quickly catch up. I've heard rumors that it might be going off the air after nearly 50 years. Even though I don't tune in every day, I'll be super sad if it goes away.

2. French fries. I  know they're incredibly unhealthy, but they just smell and taste so good! On my bus ride home after school today, I sat next to someone with a bag from McDonald's. Omygod I wanted some right then and there. I didn't. It's actually pretty rare that I have the opportunity to enjoy such deliciousness.

3. Good TV shows. I'm not exactly sure how to define a good TV show, but there are definitely a few besides GH that I enjoy more than I should. If a show sucks me in, I could easily be lost for hours.

4. Waterfalls. It sounds weird, I know, but if I'm out hiking or running or biking, and I hear the sound of rushing water, I almost have to find the source. There's just something about watching the rushing flow of water that I find exhilarating.

I want to visit Croatia one day just to see this!

5. Brownies, cookies, pretty much anything sweet. If it's around, I will eat it. It's almost as if they are calling my name. I'm a nibbler. If there is a plate of cookies leftover cake a pan of brownies *ahem* any of the above on the counter, I will snag just a bite. every. single. time. I. pass. them. It's definitely a weakness.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Link up with Stasha @ The good life.

Back to Blogging: A Post I Wish More People Had Read - "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls..."

NOTE: This was originially posted on December 3, 2009. SITS Back to Blogging event challenge today is to re-upload a post you wish more people had read and explain why it was important to you. Visit the link for a better view of the original posting. I included all the original photos, but I didn't re-create the formatting or the links. It's definitely one of my favorite posts! The original is WAY better. :-)
 
But I just can't help it!


It's no secret that both Jeff and I LOVE waterfalls, as described here and here.

For me, it's almost even stronger than love. Is that possible? Is anything stronger than love? It is what binds us, after all.

For me, it's almost like a drug. If I'm out for a walk or in a park, and I hear the sound of rushing water, I can't help but go. chase. that. waterfall!! I keep listening and walking...and listening and walking...until I finally find it!

This past summer, I even convinced Jeff to make a pitstop on our road trip to check out the waterfalls in Sioux Falls, SD. You can read about that here.

A few weeks back, I took Sallie for a walk. I heard the unmistakably, wonderful sound of a waterfall, but I couldn't find it. anywhere.

Today, we went out again but this time hiked even closer to the river.

There it was again. An ever-so-slight, but deliciously exhilarating, sound of rushing water. It didn't take me too long to gasp at the beauty as I turned my head.

There it was!! Complete with icicles. Wow.

Now I didn't happen to have my camera with me - just my phone.

If you look real close, in the back center, you can see two streams of water going over the small cliff.

The camera on my phone doesn't have a zoom, so I knew that I needed to get closer.

Down we hiked. Sallie and I.

Closer. But still not good enough to satisfy my need.

Down. Down. Down.

Finally I could get a shot from the front.

This shot was difficult to get because Sallie, does not get my fascination with waterfalls. She was trying her darnedest to get back up the hill. Guess it reminds her too much of getting a bath. Something she does. not. enjoy.

Back at the top of the hill, I tried to capture one last shot of some icicles. Gorgeous!

I realize they are a little difficult to discern (darn no-zooming-camera-phone), but trust me. They are there. Kind of dead center, hanging from the blob of greenery.

Flashback Friday: 1996 - Memorial Day

We were so suprised to see snow still on the ground in the middle of May! We had to play!

Memorial Day weekend, 1996

I went up north to Duluth (and beyond) with some friends for the weekend. It was so much fun. We got lost a few times. Angie got to drive her dad's brand new car. We visited Gooseberry Falls and the Splitrock Lighthouse (which apparently turns 100 this year, or so I read on a bus billboard recently). We laughed. a. lot.

Click here to see a few more pictures from this weekend. Mostly, the pix are of waterfalls. Waterfalls are probably one of my favorite things to see in nature.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls...

But I just can't help it!

It's no secret that both Jeff and I LOVE waterfalls, as described here and here.

For me, it's almost even stronger than love. Is that possible? Is anything stronger than love? It is what binds us, after all.

For me, it's almost like a drug. If I'm out for a walk or in a park, and I hear the sound of rushing water, I can't help but go. chase. that. waterfall!! I keep listening and walking...and listening and walking...until I finally find it!

This past summer, I even convinced Jeff to make a pitstop on our road trip to check out the waterfalls in Sioux Falls, SD. You can read about that here.

A few weeks back, I took Sallie for a walk. I heard the unmistakably, wonderful sound of a waterfall, but I couldn't find it. anywhere.

Today, we went out again but this time hiked even closer to the river.

There it was again. An ever-so-slight, but deliciously exhilarating, sound of rushing water. It didn't take me too long to gasp at the beauty as I turned my head.

There it was!! Complete with icicles. Wow.

Now I didn't happen to have my camera with me - just my phone.

If you look real close, in the back center, you can see two streams of water going over the small cliff.

The camera on my phone doesn't have a zoom, so I knew that I needed to get closer.

Down we hiked. Sallie and I.

Closer. But still not good enough to satisfy my need.

Down. Down. Down.

Finally I could get a shot from the front.

This shot was difficult to get because Sallie, does not get my fascination with waterfalls. She was trying her darnedest to get back up the hill. Guess it reminds her too much of getting a bath. Something she does. not. enjoy.

Back at the top of the hill, I tried to capture one last shot of some icicles. Gorgeous!

I realize they are a little difficult to discern (darn no-zooming-camera-phone), but trust me. They are there. Kind of dead center, hanging from the blob of greenery.

Journal Topic #2: Describe the perfect day. Put in as many details as you can. Make it a possible day, not a "dream" day.

The perfect day would include the sun shining and birds singing for sure! It would begin after a restful night of sleep—waking up, not to an alarm, but to my internal clock. It would definitely begin with some time communing with my Father in Heaven, through prayer and scripture study. Without the Lord, my day would fall very short from perfect. Perhaps after breakfast, my day would take me on a walk outside with my wonderful girl, Sallie (our dog), and my camera. I would take pictures of the glories of God—the flowers, the trees, the birds and the squirrels.

Wait scratch that…

Instead I would pack a picnic lunch and my husband, Sallie, and I would take a drive up north to a state park where we could romp and play. We could hike and take in the beauty of nature. We would find whatever waterfalls might be in the park, because we love waterfalls…at least I do! The rush of the water is so powerful. After waterfalls, my favorite thing is flowers. We, of course, would have the camera, so we would take some great shots of our day. We would walk hand in hand together around the park, soaking in the warm sunshine. We would make plans about our future—where we will live, how we will raise our children. We would share our testimonies and discuss the gospel and how it has blessed our lives.

We would eat our simple picnic lunch—turkey sandwiches with Muenster cheese. Carrot and celery sticks, perhaps some radishes, on the side with water to drink. After lunch, we would return home, drop Sallie off in her crate and grab our temple bags. We would attend a session of the temple together and reflect on our day as we pondered the mysteries of God.

Our day would be capped off with dinner at our favorite restaurant, where we would enjoy a juicy, perfectly cooked steak, a steaming baked potato, and glorious green beans. Ooh, and some cheesecake for dessert. We would look into each other eyes and be filled with love for each other and for our Father in Heaven who made it all possible.