Fall Over

Just wanted to take a moment to talk about fall before it's over.

Let me quote a lyrical genuis for you:

When autumn comes, it doesnt ask.
It just walks in, where it left you last.
And you never know, when it starts
Until there's fog inside the glass around your summer heart

-John Mayer

My friend Rosie is a lover of summer. When she experiences a peice of it she closes her eyes and tells herself "this is summer", so she can savor it. I mocked her the first time I saw her eating seasonal vegetables with her eyes closed at the table but it works.

I do it a little differently though. When I want to remember its fall I open my eyes as wide as I can to take it all in, compliment it with a "mmmnnn" kind of sigh and a grin on my face like I know something you dont know. It's particularily flavorful when I get a glimpse of the mountains on my way to work. Delicious.

I'm loving the fall wind in Calgary. It blows around me and tells me fall secrets like a season that would "just walk in where it left me last" would.

"Hello fall, I've missed you too", I tell it. "tell me everything".

I had mail!

In my last post I wrote that my response from A.J Jacobs was pending. To my surprise during a late night log in I found his reply just waiting in my inbox. Which if I can side track, I love mail. Mail to the house, mail to my inbox, that little closed envelope on my phone with a red star marking a message fresh, new, unopened. It's intoxicating. You've got mail.




To catch up on what the hoot I'm talking about, read my post "my life as an experiment"


Here's the mail:




On Sep 23, 2010, at 6:53 PM, Meaghan Abbruzzese wrote:


A.J,

When looking for book recommendations from friends, I always ask for suggestions that fit a certain criteria. Criteria: "won't make me want to hide the cover at starbucks, doesn't pertain to the latest film and makes me feel like I'm a more cultured kind of gal after I read it". I don't remember who recommended your book "The Year of Living Biblically" but I am so glad I read it! It fits the criteria and more. I laugh, I chuckle, I giggle, I full on HAHA! Which, though can sometimes be embarrasing, often just leads to me to reading an excerpt of your book to whomever is around. This always turns into "you have to read the whole book!" Seriously, I'm spreading the A.J Jacobs news everywhere I go in Canada. The "know it all" is my last to purchase and read.

I remember now who recommended it. It was no one. My friend had met you in San Diego at the National Pastors Conference and was really excited. Wish I was there that year.

I really love your experiements and would like to try one of my own. I have a love for the Amish and feel like their sense of community and all that they embrace could really teach my generation a lesson. I want to kick it old school for funsies but really squeeze value out of living as the Amish do. I have the passion to do it and am working on the research.

What's one quick thing you'd want to tell someone before they dive into something like this?

Thanks for your time,

Meaghan Abbruzzese

His response:

Thanks Meaghan!
And I'm so glad you don't want to hide my bearded face at Starbucks.
Good luck with the Amish Project. I noticed they are really good at listening, so maybe devote a day to really really listening.
AJ


Insert huge grin here.

My Life as an Experiment

Look at me blogging within a week of my last post...Here's hoping it lasts!

I've been picking up and finishing some books by one of my new favorite authors, A.J Jacobs. I first read his book "A Year of Living Biblically" two summers ago. If you are interested in some of his reads "the know it all" is another and a favorite is "The Guinea Pig Diaries".

This man is a modern day I don't know what, but he is good! He gets something in his head and then does it (I'd like to say in reason but not really). For example, he decides to live out all the rules in the Bible for a year, reads the encyclopedia a-z, does everything his wife wants for a full month, says only what comes to his mind for a full month and deals with the repercussions. To my delight, the list goes on! He is very smart and very funny. Something I only endeavour to be when I'm in a good mood.

Anyway, all of his experiments have got me thinking I too want to do something weird and wonderful with my life. And then live to write or tell about it. In fact, every time something happens to me that is noteworthy (a funny incident, a run in, an accident, an unbelievable event, a totally ordinary event, a genius though, a stupid thought etc..) I sort of play it all in my head again and again as if I'm telling it as a story. It's very odd but very comforting and sort of rehearsed.

My Experiment:

I truly am considering trying to live as the Amish do. Not forever but for a while. So please understand, I'm not converting. It's going to be difficult to do even in terms of possibly finding a community that would take me (hah!). I actually e-mailed A.J Jacobs to tell him and ask for advice. Response is still pending. Just know, this isn't a passing idea, I'm kind of passionate about it. Just ask me about it and watch for the glimmer in my eyes.

This isn't a new idea.

It's a year into it's brainstorming (which, what a dumb name for just plain thinking) and I'm not sure where the thought was first conceived but I do know it's purposes:

The Amish are amazing in respect to their way of life and community. I want my generation or even world to benefit from it. I love community (see previous post on collecting friends)and I wonder how much of a better person I would be if I indulged in living simply. And in Hard, purposeful, fruitful work. I want to explore it, not because its not available to me now, I just want to do it in a big dress and head covering...I'm not really joking...

I think you know you that this is about more than attire.

If, however, I don't engage in any intentional "experiments" whose to say my life isn't an experiment? Isn't all of ours? I'm in a place of trying, seeing, examining, figuring, not figuring and everything in between. I'm really glad there's grace for that. Also, I'm pretty sure 'experiment' is just some sort of mid year New Years Resolution.

New Years Resolutions/experiments I have tried in the past and their success:

No pop for a year: SUCCESS!

No bread for lent: SUCCESS...WITH A LOT OF CHEATING

Live in my room for ever and ever as told to my mom: 45 MINUTES OF SUCCESS

Move my bed to my closet: ONE NIGHT

No fluids but water for a year: HAHAHA

Live in the north for a year: SUCCESS!

...it goes on...


On a side not and completely related, maybe just not obviously, I'm learning that my relationship with God is more than just coordinates on a map. More than place and time. Something is being healed deep inside me in respect to this. There are times where I feel like I have clear direction and somethings that I just walk.

In this season I'm forced to go back to the one thing that matters. I know Him and He knows me. Often it feels like that's the bottom of understanding and that the rest falls in place when you work your way up. Maybe it's just the core.

meaghanincowtown.blogspot.com?

Back to where I usually am when I am blogging...

Shamefully trying to catch you up with the dtails of my ever changing life.

I feel better when my blogs consist of thoughts or stories, not me going "oops, has it really been that long?"

I used to blog almost everyday. I used to blog so often that I found shame in wanting to blog TWICE a day. Those were my Bible College days where I was either a. in a more thought provoking place in my life or b. procrastinating like there ain't no tomorrow. Its the latter. No shame there.

Back to the big move "down south" as we northerners like to call it.

This thought came to my mind as I was settling in Calgary.

'What do I tell people who ask "Why did you leave the North?" when I don't really know myself?'...

This I do know:

1. I was not unhappy. I was not sick of the North. I was not struggling to exist there.

2. Im going through a transition time. A time of discovery. A time of testing the waters.

3. I don't feel like I'm done in the North, I'm just simply not there right now.

So as to what I AM doing.

I am living with a family that I simply love and know very well. They were and are a huge part of my life.

Im working for a storage company full time and looking into volunteer and ministry positions I could possibly pour into.

Im getting to know my family better spending time with my aunt, her husband and the kiddlets.

Im catching up with some good friends.

I AM LOVING THE MOUNTAINS!

More to come about my time in the North without promising I will become a faithful blogger, which I always do...

As for now, Im going to keep my blog at meaghaninthenorth.blogspot.com. They say home is where the heart is. I have a lot of heart and the North has very much become a home. Perhaps Meaghan is always in the North, in some aspects. Love to all my babies and friends there.

So how about you? Leave me your whereabouts in my comment box or a virtual high five.

Love always,

Meaghan

I'm glad you're in my collection

So Sherrie and I were about to go to bed when I said "are you hungry?" to which she replied "you are hungry?" I love how she knows me. My question was hardly a question but more a statement looking for some validation. We are sitting at the counter eating Ichiban with cheese. At least I am eating cheese with my Ichiban and explaining how passionate I am about cheese and all the places it can go (bread, noodles, cake, fruit, meat...), and then how much I love chicken. I decided that I am passionate about all things that start with "ch". This is not true (except for cheese and chicken).

I am, however, passionate about a lot things including but not exclusive to cheese, chicken, music, dance and people. I was explaining to Naomi, my wonderful house mate, how people are really my hobby. I can spend countless hours on people. Pour money, time and myself into friendship or relationship (whatever you call it). Some collect baseball cards, rocks, coins. I collect people. I love people. People take precedent over most things in my life such as budgeting, work, sleep and personal hygiene (just kidding). Saying that I like to spend time with people might insinuate that I like to be with a lot of people at once. This is also not true.

I don't how this obsession really started but I love adding people to my life. Relationships are really the closest thing to my heart. My favorite kind of person is a funny one but I am a lover of all kinds.

The worst is when someone else does not like to collect friends easily especially if I really want to collect them. It's not like a notch on my belt kind of feeling but a trophy on my shelf. Im proud of the people in my life, that they would allow me to be apart of their world. It's very much a honor.

This September I met Joanne. The first time we met she said "let's be friends", I said "ya!" like we were in grade two. I became very aware of how our friendship was forming. The first time I said "hi it's me" on the phone and she knew who it was, the first time she left the bathroom door open when peeing, the "free to rely" on eachother stage and my personal favorite, the one word inside jokes or looks that tell all without really saying much. Not all friendships are the same. That is ok with me, I treasure them all in their own ways.

The above photo is a picture of some of my hay river friends (im the creepy one in the black with the naked puppet). We called our dress up time "family photo shoot". They are all different, believe different things, are from different places but we share something great. Each other.

Special shout out to Rosie, you are my friend too.

Magenta

I feel the first time I ever knew that Magenta was a color was when I was watching Blues Clues. Id like to say that I was a child but I was a full fledged teenager that couldn't get enough of talking objects.

This post is not about Blues Clues.

"Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I've got a few missing. It's ok though, because I've got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8-color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation.. so when I meet someone who's an 8-color type.. I'm like, "hey girl, magenta!" and she's like, "oh, you mean purple!" and she goes off on her purple thing, and I'm like, "no - I want magenta!"” -John Mayer

This post is not about John Mayer.

I know some of you are wondering who John Mayer is, that's whole different post or few postings on its own. The short story for those who haven't experienced John Mayer is that he is a musician and singer. For those of you who know me and my love for John Mayer's music you know that summing him up in one line back there was a difficult and painful task.

This post is about how I know what John Mayer is talking about in his quote and how I feel about it.

8 color box-type people are not bad, wrong or dull.

64 color box-people with sharpeners on the back are deep, artistic sorts of people who think too much and can sit in one place for a long time and exit the room with their thoughts without ever actually leaving the room.

I often want to be an 8 color box-type person, but I'm not.

I am a 64 color box type person who likes things summed up in 8 colors but fails miserably at that task.

I can't escape it. Sometimes this is good for me. Sometimes it is not. I like it and I don't like it. I would change it and I wouldn't change it.

Neither box, by the way, is better.

Today, while rummaging through tempera paints to find black (oddly enough) I found a tin of Magenta.

Just saying.

YIKER DOODLES!

Whoa baby, its been a while. How does time do this to me?

You and me have an update party to get to!

Update:

It's Spring (okay, you already knew that). What you didn't know is that now that the cafe is closed I became employed with the Town of Hay River! It happened all so fast!

I am officially the summer program coordinator and still working part time at the play school (even the parents call me Miss Meaghan now. Too cute). I re-signed on for the fall with the pre-school but my town job ends in August (hence 'summer' coordinator).

The twist.

I have applied to Grant Macewan for the fall to start a diploma (possibly a degree) in Youth and Child Care. This program is all about councelling, taking care of and hanging out with youth/children in high risk situations/need. So basically Im working towards getting paid for what I already do in my free time and some solid education under my belt to back me up.

NO! Im not leaving the North. Weren't you listening when I said I was back to the preschool in the fall? Im planning to take it distance for the first semester. Im going to "give it a go".

So there you have it! The skinny, the dish, the good 'ol run down.

For dessert:

Ministry. My cherry on top of life. Only that I hate cherries so...my whipped cream on my pie:

Kids club is done for the year. It was a really good time.

Youth kiddies are packing their bags and were headed "down south". You heard it right, edmonton here we come for Y.C. Pray for my sanity. (just kidding, for those who have driven with me on long trips pray, for their sanity. Those kids are getting their tushies kicked at road trip bingo!)

Worship has been great! A big transition is coming up with some musicians coming and going. Were having a meeting this Tuesday to discuss the direction of our team. We're praying we're headed into bigger things for the team, kingdom wise.

Thats about all that and a bag of chips hey? You full of update now?

**Side note (and you thought I was done). My trip to Newfoundland was EXCELLENT. Such a great trip to see my friends Tiffanie and Ian Rowley. Not much compares to Newfoundland I must say. Such a beautiful place.

Love you all, thank you for sticking with me.

xoxox

Meaghan Ellen