Love Languages

How do you communicate to the people around you that you love them? When do you feel loved by others?

One of my favorite things in existence is the survey on Love Languages. A Love Language just like any other language is a form of communication, with others. Love Languages aren't just expressed through significant other kind of love - they apply to friends, kids, housemates, etc. The five different Love Languages, developed by Gary Chapman, show the different ways that people express Love to each other. They are: Quality Time, Acts of Service, Physical Touch, Receiving Gifts, and Words of Affirmation. You can find more information about all of them on his website: www.5lovelanguages.com.

My two strongest Love Languages that I like to receive are: Quality Time and Acts of Service. Love Languages can change over time, but mine are usually quite strong on the Quality Time and Acts of Service range.

QT means that I really feel loved when others set aside time to really be with me. I feel loved spending one-on-one time with people that I really care about. This also means that distractions, interrupting or not listening to me, and post-poned dates/activites can hurt my feelings. I received a 10 on QT and the highest score is a 12. AoS means that when someone serves me (kindly washes my dishes for me out of the blue or helps me carry the groceries in) it means the world to me! Creating more work for me or breaking commitments might make me feel unappreciated.

My best friend Marian is coming to visit me at the end of February. I am so excited because I have never had a chance to host her in my own space. I've often mad the trip to Pennsylvania to see her and her husband Jesse. We are planning to have a girls weekend full of adventures, intentional talks, and good (healthy!) food! This girl knows that I feel SO, SO LOVED by Quality Time and I can't wait for our quality weekend together! We don't have set in stone plans, apart from breathing the same air for a weekend!

PS - This picture reminds me how much I miss Chaco weather and shorts. 

finish each day and be done with it.

This quote hangs on a clothesline of photographs and artwork in my room. I first heard it at BVS Orientation (maybe retreat?). Yesterday, I just felt awful, horrible, low, and depressed. There was a horrible miscommunication for which I put the blame on myself, I am so over the snow and the cold (BIG TIME), and I'm just feeling homesick for people (that I get to see in a 3 weeks to a month). It just ALL weighed me down yesterday. This morning, I woke up feeling better and pulled this quote down from my clothesline to read it again.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

TODAY is a new day. I can't do much about yesterday, but I am at the helm of today and everyday. But sometimes I forget that...and bad days just happen. And that's okay. Thank goodness for grace, and bright mornings, and waking from sleep.

I started reading some of Ralph Waldo Emerson's quotes on Pinterest and just fell in love with all of them. Then I proceeded to put his book, "The complete writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson: containing all of his inspiring essays, lectures, poems, addresses, studies, biographical sketches and miscellaneous works." I'm looking forward to reading that soon!

What are you trying to leave behind today? 

Prank Wars

the most wasted of all days is one without laughter. e.e. cummings

I would add to that e.e. cummings' quote that the most wasted of all communities is one without laughter. I am blessed to live in a space where my housemates are constantly laughing together - with each other or at each other in good fun. It's a joy to share crinkled eyes, heads rolled back, lines growing joyfully deeper around our mouths as we guffaw, chuckle, chortle, and giggle together. 

Recently, Tim, my housemate, has been playing little pranks on me. His most recent prank happened while I was washing dishes from my meal. He was roaming around the kitchen visiting with me and getting ready to go get Despicable Me 2 at the Redbox. I tried to tell him that there are codes online...but he couldn't find them. So, I dried off my hands and turned around to this: 

EVERY CABINET WAS OPEN! 

I am notorious for opening cabinets...and leaving them open. Tim is hilarious. I CRACKED UP. Seriously, I couldn't breathe. I am so thankful for crazy housemates who sneakily pull pranks right under my nose. 

I felt like that Mom in the Sixth Sense. You know the scene where Cole and his Mom are eating breakfast? She leaves for a second and comes back to find every cabinet OPEN and Cole in his chair.  

Speaking of ghosts, can we talk about how there's a ghost in the top left of this picture!? 

I am so blessed to live with others who love to laugh and help others laugh on a daily basis. I hope that your days are FULL of laughter and shared joy!

Knitting | Cable Knit Infinity Scarf Pattern

My sister had a very specific request for a Cabled Knit Infinity Scarf...Post-Christmas. I found the cable I wanted to create then made a simple pattern around it. I'm really please with how it turned out!

Supplies
Size 11 needles
Two balls of yarn - Vanna's Choice Mustard 170 yds each
*You'll knit using both balls of yarn at the same time.
Tapestry Needle

Pattern
Cast on 22 sitches using two strands of yarn.
Rows 1,3: Knit across.
Rows 2, 4: Knit 5, Purl 12, Knit 5.
Row 5: Knit 5, Slip 3 st to Cable Needle & hold back, knit 3, knit 3 cbl st, Slip 3 st to Cable Needle & hold to front, knit 3, knit 3 cbl st, knit 5.
Rows 6: Knit 5, Purl 12, Knit 5.
Rows 7, 9: Knit across.
Rows 8, 10: Knit 5, Purl 12, Knit 5.
Knit until desired length. I knit until I only had a yard or two left.
Bind off.

Sew ends together with invisible stitch and weave in the ends.