When you have those moments...

I have been on Spring Break for the past week and to celebrate this time off from school I made a journey to my beloved Georgia. Upon this journey, I learned many things:
1. Traffic is nothing to mess with.
2. Nature is a wonderful yet sometimes harsh thing.
3. Outside weddings are not to be scheduled in March.
4. God and his peace and serenity can be found anywhere. You just have to be ready to recognize it.

A quick definition:
Chattanooga fakeout- the part of I-24 east which weaves from Tennessee into Georgia back into Tennessee (where Chattanooga lies) and then back into Georgia all within about 15-30 minutes depending on traffic.

I almost didn't survive the Chattanooga fakeout on my journey to Georgia due to 2 tractor trailer trucks who decided to flip and block both directions of I-24. I did however get the chance to sit down in the middle of I-24 when traffic literally stopped dead for an hour. I felt like it was one of those small experiences that I would never get a chance to do again. Instead of the normal 4-5 hours of travel time, it took me 7.5 hours to get to my destination of Athens, GA (home of the UGA Bulldogs woof woof!)

The next morning, I journeyed with my handsome Alex, his brother Nick and girlfriend Joy (who I affectionately call Joey) and two other great girls from UGA to Clayton, GA, a town nestled in the North Georgia mountains. We camped in a lovely area named Sarah's Creek and spent the next 2 days hiking, eating small amounts of food (and feeling full surprisingly) and meditating in what I imagine is an area that God meant just for that purpose. We found waterfalls that I'm sure many other people had found, but I got the feeling of being all alone with just these 5 other people in this huge forest. I didnt think about my current trials and tribulations of my life, just about the beauty of the land and what it means to be totally peaceful. Alex said I transformed into the "hippie" of the camping trip.


My aforementioned "hippie" look in front of a waterfall.
My GQ man on one of our hikes.

Nick and Joy taking a break.

At night, many good laughs were shared and for the first time in a long time I felt like everyone I was with was contributing wholly to my happiness, rather than finding ways to manipulate me or take advantage of me. I'm not saying I usually let people treat me badly, but every once in a while I find myself in that situation as do most people.

I returned a changed being. It took effect immediately upon return to modern technology. Once my phone was recharged and my facebook account was updated, I figured out that a few people in my life really needed to be re-evaluated. My closest friends agreed with me (and I know in the back of their minds they were probably wondering what took me so long). I also have recognized a new passion for camping and I intend to continue pursueing this passion further in the next few months (cheap vacation!).

Alex and I made the voyage to Fayetteville on Monday and skeddaddled around (a word I use from time to time to define doing things of no great importance yet still meaningful to me). Saturday rolled around and we were to attend the wedding of a high school friend of Alex's brother Nick. Remembering lesson number 3, let me tell you I really felt sorry for the poor bride. The good thing was we were under a pavillion and I had an umbrella for the treck to and from the reception hall. The bride was glowing however and I am assured that the rain will probably be one of the smaller memories of her wedding day.
Joy, Nick, Alex and I at Glendalough Manor for the wedding.

Hope you all had a great week while I was resting under the Georgia pines!

Playing the worst waiting game....

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
-Leo Tolstoy, author

My Grannie Gilbert has been diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as Bile duct cancer. After multiple trips to the doctor (and many vials of blood drawn) we have been told a life expectancy of 6-8 months. MONTHS? Months.... I have to say it over and over to get it through my thick skull. 6 months puts us at September, the month of my birthday. 8 months puts us in November, getting ready for the holidays, for the Thanksgiving feast, many hours spent buying Christmas presents.

I have to keep saying, It's okay you can do this again. I've helped many people ease away from this earth peacefully through caregiving. I watched my two grandfathers both suffer many years with different illnesses, and it was kind of a release when they finally passed. Their pain was over.

But this is my grandmother. She's a matriarch in every meaning of the word. Up until a month ago all she knew was that she had a tumor in some place she didnt even know existed in the human body. Now, she's told she might only have 6-8 months?

I can't lie, I don't want to accept it yet. Karabeth, your post the other day concerning how we need to trust in God and everything he gives us was right on the mark. I'm not bitter, and I trust that God knows what he's doing. But this is MY grandmother. My Grannie Gilbert. Yeah I know I share her with 6 other people, but she's still 1/7 mine.

I'm going through the immature, "This is not fair", I demand a recount, stage of grieving. My heart hurts.

The Brethren by John Grisham

As my first John Grisham book, this was a good one to pick (nevermind that it was free). If you are interested in politics and the "puppet masters" behind politicians, this is the book for you. This is one of those books where the first few chapters alternate between two different situations, then by the middle of the book you figure out how the two are linked. It's not much of a thriller, rather a thinker. Makes you think about what our politicians really believe in versus what they are told to believe in. Makes you think just how involved our government can get in your life if they want to. Makes you think about what inmates can do from behind cell bars...

I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

The Recycling Bug has hit!

We'll see how long the sting will last...

Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping for a cleaner environment just like the next guy. But also just like the next guy, I have no time for all of the required separating of the glass, paper and plastics (and the subcatagory of about 50 types of plastic). Believe me, one of my best friends has hired a recycling collection company, and I don't think its really saving him any time with all the hoops he has to jump through, and I happen to think he's good at jumping. :)

Leave it to your fearless crocheter to find a way to blend love with environmental responsibility. I had seen project patterns for "Plarn bags" on ravelry.com for a while now, but today I finally dove into actually considering making one. You can check out how cool these bags look here. I think they are very cool and maybe I'll actually start taking my own bags to the store if I can put my personal touch on them!

So now you know exactly how ridiculous I am and I'm okay with that.

While I have the time...

I have been so busy lately with my schoolwork, but I have also been taking quite a few "me moments". Like all day yesterday, I sat in my beautiful cabin and finished Revolutionary Road and continued work on the (hopefully) adorable sweater that I am making for the soon-to-be-one year old Aidan. Late last night after watching some mind-numbing television and visiting my dad to swipe some of his Lemon Creme girl scout cookies, I started The Brethren by John Grisham which has so far turned out to be an interesting book. I'm hoping it will keep me more engaged than Revolutionary Road , which I have heard was a very boring movie.

So other than those books and the crocheting and the schoolwork, nothing much else has happened, which doesn't make for good blogging. I do enjoy reading others blogs though, so keep it coming Karabeth and Karen!

I got an award!!!

Thank you Karabeth!!

I will have to post links of all the blogs that I read tomorrow, just wanted everyone to see my little piece of happiness.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Allyson

Pictures from the last Month or so

Just thought I would share the pictures I just uploaded!


Posted for you Karabeth: Brent, Dad, Me and Mom. Please ignore the faces, we weren't all ready for the camera!


Proof of my masterwork! Nick, Clay and Alex with their new hats


Alex and I at his birthday dinner


Alex and I sitting on the couch with G-Daddy (his paternal grandfather who shares Alex's birthday as well) and his Step-Grandmother Katherine