Strayed...

I'm very much the kind of person that loves quotes. All sorts. Funny, inspirational, thought provoking, silly ect.... because of this I end up marking and highlighting my books from time to time. Highlighting things that stick out to me in a number of different ways.

So I thought I would share with you a paragraph from I book that read recently called Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.

In a short summary, the author, Cheryl Strayed, decides to hike the PCT after a string of hardships that happen in her life. The book chronicles her hardships in life before and during her time on the trail. It's very good if I do say so myself.

ANYWAY

In this section she is talking about the moment during her divorce where she is deciding on what she wants her last name to be...

"I pondered the question of my last name, mentally scanning words that sounded good with Cheryl and making lists of characters from novels I admired. Nothing fit until one day when the word strayed came into my mind. Immediately, I looked it up in the dictionary and knew it was mine. Its layered definitions spoke directly to my life and also struck a poetic chord: to wander from the proper path, to deviate from the direct course, to be lost, to become wild, to be without a mother or father, to be without a home, to move about aimlessly in search of something, to diverge or digress. 

        I had diverged, digressed, wandered, and become wild. I didn't embrace the word as my new name because it defined negative aspects of my circumstances or life, but because even in my darkest days-those very days in which I was naming myself-I saw the power of the darkness. Saw that, in fact, I had strayed and that I was a stray and that from the wild places my straying had brought me, I knew things I couldn't have known before." Pg. 96-97

Anyway, this bit stuck out to me so I thought I would share it. Take from it what you may, and I hope you enjoyed it. :)

Bloggers Block

To say that I've had writers block would be an understatement. I'm not sure if it's the mixture of being a bit busy with a side of some rather not so fun decisions that needed to be made, or if it's something else entirely. I can't count how many times I've opened a blank post, and just been at a complete loss as to what to write. It's not even that I haven't had things on my mind either. There has been quite a bit actually, but for some reason when I go to write, words just seem to fail me. I've even slacked on writing in my personal journal, which I write in fairly religiously. Maybe it's that my thoughts haven't been completely explored yet, and that's why I can't write. I haven't fully investigated them, and because I do not have full understanding of them yet, I am not able to write them down. Or I'm in denial...that's also an option.

But anyway, this has taken a very somber turn so let's turn it around with something completely irrelevant, shall we?

I've found lately that I kind of miss sharing my bed with someone. Not in a sexual way, but just having another person to lay in bed with. To have someone to wake up to in the morning. To have someone to curl up to in the evening. Is that strange? Fun fact: I love to be read to, and I love just laying in bed listening to someone reading a loud. That would be nice too.

This post makes no sense.

Video about woodworking which makes me want to learn even more than I wanted to before.

The Staves- Icarus ( Dead & Born & Grown)

Because they are awesome.

Whomp.

I know I've been absent from here for a minute. I've been a little all over the place in just about every sense of the phrase. So, in an attempt to just put something up until I can actually form a proper and coherent sentence, here are some bits and bobs for you.

Lana Del Ray- Young and Beautiful.

This is off of the Great Gatsby soundtrack which is in a word, amazing.

I laughed so hard.

Hug

Have you ever had a day when you just needed a hug, but also just didn't want to explain why you needed it? Just a hug without an explanation?

Yeah, it's one of those days.

The Language of Flowers

This is the title of a book that I just finished that has definitely left an impression on me. The main thing that drew me to this book was that the core of it was about flowers and their meanings. The book even comes with a flower dictionary that you can refer to, and I found out that there is an even larger companion dictionary that you can buy, and I REALLY want it!!!

When I first picked up the book I instantly turned to the dictionary to look up the meaning of my favorite flower: Orchid- Refined beauty. To me, it's so befitting of an orchid. The unique and varying shape of the petals and color combinations are always eye catching, but never loud or abrasive. It's a flower that can stand on its own, and there has always been something about this flower that has caught my attention. Of course, after I then proceeded to look up other flowers that I admire like : Wisteria- Welcome, Poppy- Fantastic extravagance, and Tulip- Declaration of love. Then after looking over every definition present I dove head first into the story. I wont get into the details of it, but it was very good. Sad but moving, and serious but light hearted at the same time.

There is something so very moving about words. The fact that one word can have a definition that expresses so much, and mean so many things is both fascinating and kind of sexy. I have forever been fascinated with kind of obscure words and definitions for the simple fact that the more seemingly obscure, in a way the more beautiful the definition. It's as if these words find there way away from the limelight because they are so full of meaning that it would be too much to speak from day to day. It's as if they are words solely set aside for when they are really needed; when it is so absolutely necessary to pack your words with meaning that you drag these words out of the shadows. So then, to read this book and apply this concept to flowers was so fascinating and beautiful.

I feel like this was kind of a weird rant, but nonetheless I am going to leave you with a few flower/word definitions that I have enjoyed recently.


Koi no yokan- (n.) (phr.) The sense one person has upon meeting another person that they will fall in love

Iris- Message

Meliorism- (n.) The belief that the world gets better; the belief that humans can improve the world

Lavander- Mistrust

Scintilla- (n.) A tiny, brilliant flash or spark; a small thing; a barely visible trace

Azalea- Fragile and ephemeral passion

Cryptic, I know, but just stick with me...

Conflicting emotions are quite the bitch. Feeling one thing, but  doing something contrary to that feeling. Trying to do what is probably better for you, but still wanting to do the thing that might not be. It's a strange place to be in...between a rock and a hard place as they say. Unsure if you should go with what is good for you, or what you really want, which may or may not be good for you, or even a possibility. How does one sort out such mess?

The Staves- Facing West

Weekend Spontaneity

If there is one thing I can say that I love, it's adventure. I love getting out and doing something a little unexpected or unplanned for. This weekend, while it wasn't exceedingly crazy, was indeed fun and spontaneous. It began with my roommates and I deciding to go out to see a movie in Alpharetta at Studio Movie Grill. If you've never been, it a theater that serves you dinner during the movie. You sit at these fun little tables, and you can order various kinds of drinks and a good variety of food all throughout the movie. There was a Groupon for a movie ticket and drink for $5, and considering what movies cost now, we thought that was a pretty awesome deal, and decided we would make a night of it and drive out that way. On the drive there, we saw a sign for Dahlonega and I mentioned how much I like the area and how much fun it would be to go. I then jokingly made the comment that after the movie we could just rent a hotel and spend the next day in Dahlonega. To my surprise, both of my roommates agreed with me that it would be fun to do. So, we talked about it a little more, but didn't decide on anything. Then a little bit later we arrive at the theater, and we brought up the idea again while we were waiting for things to get rolling. We all were getting excited by the idea, and we decided that when the movie was over we would make our decision. So, then 2 hours later the movie ends and we all look at each other and say lets do it! This is the kind of thing you're supposed to do in your early 20's, right? So, we then go to the car and proceed to call all of the local hotels around Dahlonega to check for vacancies and prices. Afterwards we set of to the hotel and after stopping at a local CVS to pick up things like deodorant and a toothbrush and toothpaste, we arrive there around 1:30am to settle in for the night. The next morning we grab some hotel breakfast, shower, and get ready for the day ahead of us. We just spent the day wandering around downtown Dahlonega, spending most of our time in antique shops, and making friends with the local dogs and their owners. I didn't end up getting too much only because the things I wanted were too expensive. I did purchase some old WW2 photographs that I will put it another post.

Anyway, I love weekends such as this. It's fun, and a reminder that it's important to make the most of the time you have. There can be fun waiting for you just around the corner if you just embrace it! 

Anywhoooo here are some photos of things I found this weekend.  

This adorable tea cup! 

Absolutely beautiful table and bench. If I had the money and the house, this would have been purchased.

Awesome luggage set and hat that I found. I spent a good minute walking around wearing this hat while carrying the top bag. It was a struggle not to buy this. 

A frighteningly large portrait of Rhett Butler.

My boots that were....not made for walking around Dahlonega all day. Good for a night out though.