Baby Carrots, Mary Poppins, and the Jelly Bean Drawer

Just a little bit of the randomness of me...

I was talking to my co-worker (we share a beautiful office) Karlee Kelly the other day and she stopped mid-sentence, looked up at me, and asked me this question. "why do you think they put baby carrots in salad?" I began to laugh out loud. I have no idea why people do that. It's not like you can comfortably stab the carrot with your fork and it's just not kosher to go picking through your salad. So what are they thinking?

Karlee has this drawer that has everything...now when I say everything I pretty much mean it. Every day she is taking something new out of it or putting something random into it. It seems to spontaneously spit out gum 24 hrs. a day. So one day I just started laughing. She looked over at me (all serious because she was in fact actually working...we do that some times). I couldn't help it I had the perfect name for her drawer of tricks...The Mary Poppins Drawer! You know the bag Mary Poppins has in the movie... the one that eveything (the lamp, rug etc.) comes out of. Yeah, that was Karlee's drawer.

It started in around Easter. I'm not a huge candy/sweets fan but I am a sucker for jelly beans. I just love the little things. It doesnt' matter what brand, if they are speckled or not, or even what colors they are...I just love jelly beans. You can find them year round, but Easter is the gold mine for jelly beans. So I decided to stock up. Soon my co-workers took noticed and would end up taking "jelly bean breaks", then our volunteers caught wind of the jelly bean drawer and it even spread to the neighboring nonprofit that works next store to my office. I was amazed at how those little candies could bring together people. Still to this day I will open my drawer and randomly someone will leave jelly beans. It makes me smile (and happy to eat them).

...Stay tuned for plenty more random's where these came from...

Heart Picture # 5: The Simple Singing Heart

I was sitting on a old trunk and she was sitting on a window seat ledge. It wasn't her guitar sot he relationship was new. She was beautiful although it was the end of a long day. She was content to play for her captive audience (after a little coercion and a few practice songs). He was wrestling with a girl in the other room-not paying too much attention-to the music.

Then out of the somewhat chaos surrounding me came a beautiful simple melody that seemed to melt the room. Such sweet honest music that I began to feel like the mysterious old trunk I was sitting on was floating out into the Sea."...Over the sea and far away she's waiting like an iceburg. Waiting to change but she's cold inside. She wants to be like water..."

She sang the words, "...I wish it were simple, but we give up easily. You're too close enough to see that you're on the other side of the world to me..."

He recognized a favorite song of his and the wrestling faded, the house was still but full of a singing heart and then two. The harmonies he sang seemed to echo the songs lyrics. He was on the other side of the room-another world, but when they sang together is was simple, it was magical.

I had never heard the song before and I imagined myself in the water and the fire of the lyrics I was hearing..."and the fire fades away. Most of everyday is full of tired excuses. But it's too hard to say. I wish it were simple, but we give up easily..."

Listening to them sing my heart seemed to echo those sweet words, "I wish is were simple...".

Passion!

It's not often that you meet someone that is completly full of passion. Everything they do is passionate. They live life with a purpose and if even if they don't know exactly what they are doing, they do whatever they do with passion.

It seems that this kind of person is addicting. You know what I'm talking about. They are happy, their life seems to be a "bloody dream" (as far as most people can tell) and they have something that they are just extremly talentd at doing (or multiple things).

I know a few of these people in my life and I tend to want to be around them all the time!

There is one in particular that makes me giddy inside whenever I see him (yes, even still). He is so passionate about life, about his art, and about the gospel. Whenever he walks into the room he brings with him a great sense of presence. Spending time with him is incredible! Sometimes when we would be together I would want to stand close to him just so that some of his greatness, engergy, love of live, and passion would jump from him heart to mine and hopefully his heart received a little of that from mine. His kindness is engrained into his soul, his sense of humor makes my eyes laugh, and his touch is magical. Anyone who has the opportunity to get to know this guy is going to be better for it.

...and yes ~T~ this one is about you!

In the meantime...

I know there's a saying out there that goes something like this...Life is what is happening while you are busy making plans.

A good friend of mine was talking to me and he said, "Kylee, just pray for me in the meantime!" That phrase has been swimming in my mind ever since.

The meantime....what is that? I've heard similar phrases like, "Joy in the Journey", "Stop and smell the roses,""Live the questions,"and many more. I guess it's that time between making things happen in your life, between accomplishing dreams, goals, and asperations. And while I seem to be a little biased about how fantastic my "meantime" is-not everyone is so blessed.

Today in my office we had a rally for Foster Kids. They came in and put together some speeches and got a chance to hear what other kids had to say about issues they face. I got to thinking about some of thier "meantime". Ultimately they want to be placed in a home, to have some committed consistant adults in their lives (some kids will even be adopted) but in the meantime I can't even tell you the hell that some of these kids go through. One dramatic example is a 7 yr old that has been in 11 different homes already.

I don't know how you spend your "meantime" but I plan to make my meantime meaningful!

Bus #71 Watertown

So there I was a few weeks ago sitting on bus #71 Watertown, minding my own buisness when I see this beautiful caterpiller walking up this ladies pants leg. I motioned to her and she flicked it to the ground. I was in no mood to see the caterpillar guts all over the floor so I picked it (don't know the gender) up and it took a ride with me to Harvard Square where I put it in some weeds for safe keeping.

Last week I was riding bus #71 Watertown and my roommate was telling me how the other day when she was on the bus there was man who had a boa constricter taking it to his office for the whole 6.6.6 day and all. What's even better is that the man sitting on the other side of her had a paraket on his knee. Who are these people?

Today as I was riding on bus #71 Watertown the unheard of happened. I must tell you first that there a few things in this life that I absolutely hate, not jut really dislike, but hate ( including the devil, toothpaste, and sunflowers). This really big lady gets on the bus and in her bag is two huge, gigantic Sunflowers. Eww just writing and thinking about them gives me the heebie-geebies (the antithesis of quibblies). Now for those of you who don't this about me I HATE Sunflowers. Partly because I am very allergic to them, partly because I feel like they are taking over the world (you see them on everything nowadays) and partly becasue...well...I just hate them. I would have moved to the back of the bus but it was full. I tried to look anywhere but at them, but they were just so HUGE! The stupid things were like big eyes looking at me and laughing. I almost got off the bus and then realized I would have had to wait for another bus or walk to the Subway. (Yes, this is how much I abhore those sick, sick plants).

Having said all this I truly do love bus #71 Watertown. It is my means of transportation and much humor.

Puddles of Rain

you can fly if you want
all you have to do is let go
but you don't know how to let go, do you
you are so worried
thinking that if you stand in one place too long
the earth might swallow you up whole
so you run through the rain
pouring down your face
and you are soaked to the bone
but you are smiling and that picture haunts me
then you stop and start stomping in puddles
and then you are gone

Haven & Ben

She thought she was ordinary, but she was anything but. She would describe herself as simple, and that was true if simple were the Eiffel Tower. No, she was different, complicated.

He was 100% bonifide guy. He loved sports, love sacs, meat, and hated anything to do with shopping, talking, and musicals. He thought he was pretty good looking-even if he wasn't, but it just so happen to be that he was...pretty good looking.

She tried to be all tom-boyish liking sports, hiking, and rock climbing, but she loved the color pink...

He tried to be sensitive by going with his girlfriend to the opera, but he fell asleep before the 2nd Act...

Who knew that on the oppisite sides of the US there could be such messed up, complicated, drama filled people who entirely needed each other and had no idea...

TO: my magic closet friend...just a glimpse

Heart Picture # 4: The Guitar Lesson

he cradled his new guitar like a child
his face held an anxious stare
hands crooked and awkwardly placed
teacher training them to be there

and playing her favorites one by one
teaching him what she could
he wanted to learn every chord she played
and I knew one day he would

It was quite the scene played on the floor
in my room but I didn't care
for moments like this are what we live for
I was just thankful to be there

and playing they seemed to get lost
time just didn't seem to matter
and even when I went to sleep
they kept up the harmonious clatter

and I learned a lesson though silent I sat
that a teacher can fuel desire
and watching the student learn from her heart
one more thing for me to admire

Sash introduced me to this beautiful flower commonly known as "Bledding Heart"

here's Sasha! She is the wonderful (micheavous) girl that I mentor. Sasha and I like to do lots of crazy things whenever we get together.

On Saturday night we were able to put on a musical concert program for The Ferguson's (the place we stayed) family and friends. It was great to be able to share our talents and our testimonies.

Picnic lunch on the DC Mall

Here's the gang! (Left): Aaron & Cheryl (Right, back to front):Luke & Ami, Marie & Jasmine, Michael Adam & I'm taking the picture

This Cathedral was amazing! I just about died walking up the hills (asthma combined with humidity and no sleep for way to long) but it was well worth it. There was an amazing organist playing a huge pipe organ inside and I just wandered around for a while. There were beautiful arches and gorgeous stain glass windows. This place holds lots of history and many many prayers.

Here on Manassas Field we learned about the first battle of the Civil War (they thought it would be a short battle and the only one) the Battle of the Bull Run.

I went with a bunch of amazing friends to Virginia/ DC for Memorial weekend. It was amazing! This was one of my favorite memorial sites we visited. It was really special to be in DC on Memorial Eve. We were able to hear a great concert on the Mall and it was all about remembering those who fought for freedom and those who still are. It made me think of how blessed I am to be an American!

On our way home K.Marie and I decided to stop and play hand games on a tree....no worries this is normal for us!

Crazy kooks!

How fun!

The Green Monster!

T and Kylee

K. Marie and Kylee

AFC Mentoring One-to-One matches

What Up! Seth and Marie doing thier thing!

I did it! I made it to a Boston Red Sox game! Yeah! This night was really neat because it was Mass Mentoring Night at Fenway Park. So there were hundreds of mentoring organizations there. The opening pitch was thrown by a boy who was able to tell his match story briefly. All the mentor/mentee matches were wearing special blue t-shirts. Because some of our matches (my mentee Sasha couldn't make it) couldn't come I was able to invite a few of my friends. It was great to have them there with me! Go ReD Sox! We won which made it even better!