fairy tales

This afternoon I went and saw the movie Enchanted and it was really cute. Next to me were are few young girls with their popcorn, frozen coke, and candy in a nice little carrier box. Ha. Which probably cost at least $5, ah! My mom and I went to a movie last year and got the smallest popcorn and pop possible- good thing there were two of us cause you needed two hands to carry each item, gross. Yet is it just me or is it hard to go to the movies without the snacks? No, you don't need 64 oz of pop, or a pack of candy for $3.50. It's ridiculous in size, desire and price but such a part of the movies for some stupid reason, or some stroke of genius by some marketeer back in the day. And at the place I went today, you can even get a Starbucks coffee. Life is complete, ha.

So back to thoughts on this movie. I am a sap, a romantic, so a fairy tale is great. Princes and love and happily ever afters. So the premise of the movie is a princess from the animated world who ends up in the real world "where there are no happy endings." Sad. No happy endings? Surely that is not true? Yes there are horrible things that happen in life and life is hard, but there is hope and there are happy endings, not perfect everything goes exactly the way you think it will but still. I saw a book today and it was by a lady who things that we need more celebration and need to be disciplined in celebrating. I think the book was lots of little stories about seeing God and hope and life in the ordinary things. Ha, this lady is so me, she even loved dinner parties. So basically, I'm not saying that bad things don't happen, I'm not denying hardship, but why stop there? Why dwell in the negativity?

I have an English friend and when we first met, he basically said Americans lie. English people see things the way that they are and we Americans make it up, make things seem better than they are. To which I said that he saw the negative side of the way that things are and I saw the positive. So we were both seeing the same things but the interpretation is the difference. Not failing to recognize when things are crap, but not failing to see good in normal life too. God is good. Life is good. (not perfect or easy)

day before the turkey

Last year at the Thanksgiving dinner I made everyone go around the table and say what they were thankful for. And I said that I was thankful for this adventure that is life, hence the name for my blog. I think life is a crazy adventure and you never know what's going to happen next or where you'll end up and so many things are out of your control, yet so much turns out so differently and usually better than it would if you were to plan it and control it. But there's a price to pay too, a sea of uncertainty at times. Times where you are on an adventure but not sure where you are going or what that'll look like. I'm not always so good in those times, times of trusting God and waiting and seeing where he leads. But it is good and you learn a lot. And you make it to the other side of the uncertainty and think "why did I worry?"

Life is an adventure too cause there are so many experiences that you get to have and you think "wow, is this really happening?" Take time to cherish moments and be thankful for where you are at.

friday afternoon

So I am sitting in a coffee shop and there's a Dad and daughter playing Uno and it is basically the sweetest thing I've ever seen. I love chilling out in a coffee shop and since Mom's house doesn't have internet, I have the privilege often. The different people that come to places like this are interesting with varied degrees of stress. You have the people who talk to each other and smile, then you have the ones that come in, have a coffee and are gone within 5 minutes. Sad. Then you have the ones that are working on computers (or pretending.) And the people who come in to have a chat. Oh how I love coffee chats!

How important those moments are when there is no where else that you have to be. And how valuable the people are that you can spend those moments with. How often to we hurry through life, like getting something done in the next three seconds is going to change the world. I am one of those people who needs to remember to slow down.

Last year we had discussions on what rest meant. The conclusion that we came up with was being present.

So the little girl who was playing Uno came over to me. "I like your apple" talking about the glowing apple on the back of my computer. Then we talked about her doll which is wearing pajamas but apparently has a church dress, and other dress, and back pack, and coat, and this and that. So cute.

I love when you get to interact with people generally and it is always nice to talk to people that you've never met and probably won't see again. Like the man in front of me just turning around asking what book I am reading. Cool. (right now it is the Alphabet of Grace by Frederick Buechner, but to be honest, I'm on the first page)

Or last weekend, talking to people at the train station as the train was delayed or the guy who sat next to me who was traveling four hours to purchase bookmaking supplies. (better than the internet cause you can see the colors of the leather more accurately) It makes me sad though that you interact with so many people that you really won't see again. Seems weird. Like you get a glimpse of their story but don't get to find out what happens next. Left with the curiosity..... what color leather did that guy purchase? Does the girl I met at the train station get back with her boyfriend? Will the guy from the station get to go home for the holidays? Will he finish his marketing studies? Will the little girl's doll get to wear a dress? Simple things but still questions that I'll never know the answers to and people that you will probably never see, and never know if you did. (I may not recognize them either.) Strange.

faith, naivety, foolishness

So where is the balance between having faith or being optimistic or just being naive? And is being naive a problem in the first place? So what if things don't work out. Wouldn't it be better to try something and have it not work, than to be so planned and timid, that no steps are ever taken? Challenges are needed, steps should be taken. Now I am not saying that you should be an idiot and be stupid about things. Where's that line anyway? I guess you have a trust in God and go with things and see. A classic quote from my mom "Chels, I don't know if you have faith or if you're just being naive. And yet things seem to work out for you." Life's an adventure, eh and we just have to see what happens.