20 something.

i remember being a kid & looking at those attractive, well dressed, 20 somethings sitting in the libraries. they were smiling, reading their books, doing their homework, & drinking their coffees. & i always thought to myself, "they look so happy, yeah, they must be really happy."
i envied them.
but here i am. i am a 20 something, barely, but still a 20 something. & i may spend days sitting in the libraries, i read my books, i do my homework, i drink my beverages, and sometimes i smile. i forget to sleep and i reckon that's part of being a 20 something. i am currently sitting in my apartment, on my couch, listening to cheap trick & the carpenters & wearing a snap back.
i'm a 20 something.
i remember being a kid & looking at those 20 somethings. wondering what it would be like to be a 20 something. well. here i am, a 20 something. i ask myself sometimes if i'm okay with where i am at the age of 20 something.
& you know, i think i am.
i'm a 20 something. & i'm okay with it.

p.s. tay blogged. check it out right here.

i won an award & you might've too.

i won. that was so nice of mrs. naulus over here. she's a gem and a half. go her. plus she & her husband are the cutest. i used to drool over their realtionship in my institute class. its fine. so fine.
i am flattered because, well hun, i think my blog is pathetic. alls i've got on here are pictures of my feet in various places. cause. . . well . . . i don't even know. compulsion i reckon. but whatever.

here is the deal.
rules are as follows.
1. everybody posts eleven (11) facts about themselves.
2. answer the questions asked by nominator & come up with eleven (11) to ask those you nominate.
3. choose eleven (11) people & nominate them. share the love yo.
4. leave a love comment & tell them of the gift you are giving.
5. & no tag backs.

miss mandi comes up with eleven facts.
1. i watch movies with subtitles. that way i can glean quotes word for word.
2. i want to be an english teacher. or a park ranger. i have inner turmoil over this.
3. i shopped at DI & Savers before it was cool. you think i am kidding. no. i am not.
4. i love greasy food. greasy dives are my favorite. they've always go the best french fries.
5. if i had the talent i would write a book someday.
6. i still by actual cds.
7. i go to crowded resturants with a book to find peace & quiet.
8. i've a thing for seventies folk.
9. frozen chocolate chip cookies are my favorite treat.
10. i like to talk politics & religion. even though it makes me want to punch people in the throat.
11. i'm in love with the idea of naming all my babies after novels or influential people in history.

Cait's questions n' stuff.
1. how did you meet your husband or significant other? college. the very first day. he was a dirtbag & i told his roomie that i refused to come over if he was ever there because he was not what i wanted to associate myself with. cool huh?
2. if you knew you were dying tomorrow, what would you spend your day doing? hiking in my chacos. i would hike to a waterfall & watercolor with the fresh spring water. i would go on a picnic with my family & loved ones. & i would roast marshmallows over a campfire & sleep beneath the stars in a hammock. i'd enjoy the outdoors.
3. what is something on earth you could not live without? pen & paper. 
4. what is your favorite resturaunt of all time? zupa's. i know i should be a little more adventurous but  a TBA & a half chicken enchilada chili just hit the spot every time.
5. what is your biggest fear? the unknown. i hate not knowing what to expect or how to prepare myself. it causes a significant amount of stress.
6. what is a habit of others that makes you super uncomfortable? sneezing. i never know whether to say "bless you" or not.
7. if you had 1 million dollars what would you buy first? a brand new pair of chacos. mmmm.
8. what is one of your biggest dreams? to hike mount kilamangaro. can you imagine? gorgeous.
9. if you could go on a date with one celebrity, who would it be? neil diamond. neil diamond. neil diamond. 
10. if your house were burning down & you could only take one thing what would it be? that's a rough one. but i think my shoebox of photos. there are hundreds in there. those are memories.
11. what is your favorite recipe? haa. what's cooking?

please answer these.
1. if you could meet any author, past or present, who would it be?
2. what is your patronus? please explain in two or three sentances.
3. favorite time of day & why?
4. what is your favorite thing to do by yourself?
5. crayons, colored pencils, or markers?
6. favorite quote & what it means to you?
7. if you could meet anybody in the blogging world who would it be? (please leave a link.)
8. what do you want to name your first child?
9. what is your "go to" comfort food?
10. who is your hero & why?
11. what is your favorite family tradition.

i nominate. . .

my little sister megan. she's fifteen & livin' wild & free. she's adorable.

miss emilee keele. man is she one talented chick.

lovely meredith. i like her. quite a lot acutally. i've never met her but i feel like i should.

linds. her writing is perfection.

liv. she's an inspiration.

mardi cause she's a crackup.

shelbie girl. she's got one fantastic brain.

& four more of you. tag you're it. most of the peeps have, like, already been ther done that.
so if you haven't. please do n' stuff.
good day.

because duck face is too mainstream.

we choose to go with horse.
go roomies.

happy list.

this summer has been quite hard.
quite hard.
to keep myself going i have developed happy lists at the end of each week.
this week i figured i would share.

.chris jones. (this summer would be a joke without him.)
.chris pearson. (its love.)
.snickerdoodles.
.poetry.
.norah jones' "little broken hearts" album.
.family time.
.the color peach.
.making plans for the future.
.feeling in love.
.sweet potato fries.
.innuendos.
.babies.
.floral dresses.
.good books.
.high pitched laughs.
.paychecks.
.packing.

i need these lists.
they remind me life is good.
that is all.

happiness is old friends.

summer is underway.

cause there's been a whole lot of this...^....up in here.
i am feeling pretty good about this up & coming summer.
punk rock will be the sound track. lots of ramones, violent femmes, the fixx, the clash, & sex pistols.
you ever tried punk rock as your work out music?
yeah dude. it pumps me up.

i have friends.
two.
i love them.
my blonde boys make me laugh.
we laugh a lot.

swim lessons has started. obviously. ^.
charred skin & blistered feet never felt so good.
i still miss a certain someone terribly. i blame my road rage on that.
i love smoothies. & pinterest DIY scrubs.
they don't lie. my skin feels like butter. even after the pool water.
its awesome.

one time stephen hawking said this.
"quiet people have the loudest minds."
he was right. it is the quiet kids that i am most worried about.
because i never know what they are thinking.

summer is my favortie season.
i love it.
& its here.
three cheers.

nah nah nah.

once upon a time there was light in my life.

but now there is only love in the dark.

nothing i can say.

a total eclipse of the heart.

nothing to do with this post.

just loving me some bonnie tonight.

duuuuude.

i said goodbye today.

to friends i have had most my life.

to people whom i love with all my heart.

though it's silly, i feel as if the world is ending.

everything is packed.

said goodbye to the highschool and the turf.

took a breath. crossed my fingers.

& my head is filled with thoughts.

friends.

gonna miss these kids.

growing up together was sure fun.

gold.

homeboy is going on a mission. dallas texas baby. can i get a yee haw? so. exciting. so. so. so. exciting. my little jameson is growing up so fast. braces off and mission call. all in one day? ah. where does the time go?
and i am a gold medalist.
so yeah.

coo coo ka choo.

ammon. is dead. but not really. but kind of he is.
we must really love ammon. cause we.....
a. killed a deer for him. (really though. we did)
b. stayed up all night for him. and then went to school.
c. went to ihop for him at 2 am.
yeah. we love ammon.

also. here are eleven things i love about ammon.
1. his mullet. his mullet always makes us smile.
2. how kind he is to my best friend. just melts my heart.
3. his laugh. contagious.
4. warped sense of humor. its cool.
5. he is obsessed with super heroes. obsessed.
6. imagination....
7. he's a real picky eater. i admire that.
8. when he's passionate about something. he's real passionate.
9. harry potter.
10. he can roller skate circles around us. he can even shoot the duck.
and 11. ammon is love.

k see ya ammon. have fun in hawaii.
word.

JOhanna.

shade of choice. spring green.
animal love. well, i would have to say a hippopotamus. because it is the second most feared animal in the world. you get between a hippo and its watering hole, you are seriously done for. really though.
obsessions. side bags. zupas. simon and garfunkel. art. abs and children.
inspirations. my family. a good movie or book. but really, once i read a good book or see a movie, i'm like, "i wanna be like that." or. what i observe in the world.
guilty loves. taco amigo, fruit roll ups. (<something that has shaped you. uh. gllll. probably. well...uhm. probably the closeness i have with my family.
odd talents. i remember people in movies and i remember other movies they have been in. i can make a mean sandwich. cooking. i am a really good cook. i want to be a chef. i can do impersonations really well. and i can tell if someone is related from their mannerisms.
love to smell. gasoline. uhm...fruit roll ups...? on a cold day, that stiff kind of smell. i dunno..cold air. i love the smell of my cabin like up in the mountains and. california. it has a different smell. its sweet. freshly baked goods. and sunday night.
musical genius'. simon and garfunkel. peter, paul, and mary. beatles. andre bocelli and also probably enya.
flick of choice. oh. that's hard. i love "remember the titans." regency movies like "pride and prejudice." BBC anything BBC. i guess i'm old fashioned that way. and chick flicks. chick flick comedy. i don't like cheesy.
era in time. probably i would want to go back to when Jesus walked the earth. either that or the 1950s.
say something about yourself. well. i'm five four and a half. i have blonde hair with a hint of ginger. blue eyes. soccer is my passion. i am a true cougar...but i am going to be an aggie. i have had a lot of hard times in my life, but through them i've become stronger. i hate name brand clothing. i like going on adventures with my friends. i love being outdoors more than anything. i love humanitarian work, i want to travel to other countries and do that. i like wen people die in books and movies. it makes it more memorable. i can memorize music lyrics really easily and i want to die in a really cool way.

the miss loves johanna. jo is my best friend. when we are older, we will both marry robinson boys. so we can be "mrs. robinson." like the song. i can say anything to her. and know she will listen. we practically live together. we jinx each other often. she is a beast movie critic. and i find all the flaws. picking out movies is a long, interesting process. they should film us. we have the same music tastes which makes picking a station easy. she's an intellect. she's hilarious. her laugh is contagious. she loves to serve. she loves her family. she is the best friend a girl could ask for. hey thanks jo.

"what would you attempt to do. if you knew you could not fail?"

post script.
don't you just love this picture of johanna?

said you wouldn't leave me.

my name is miss mandi. i hate being cold. i love peanut butter. i sleep in a sleeping bag. and neil diamond's voice calms my soul.
also. i have friends.

like. jameson. he's great. he has the prettiest blue eyes. and he has the voice of an angel. he could sing me to sleep. he plays the guitar like a master. and he is really into sleeping and swimming. his hair feels best when its dirty and your fingers get tangled. his laugh makes me smile. and his family is the greatest. i will probably marry him.
there are the boys.
i love the boys. also known as the patriots. we have had some excellent times. though the boys have dwindled in the past year, we can still get together and have a riot. there is never a dull moment. as long as you have the boys and you know how to laugh.
then. i have clari. clari is a babe. we enjoy playing. and saying things like, "why don't you want me?" i make her sit in the back of the car, because she is the darkest of us all. she laughs at nearly everything. which makes others laugh also. we teach swim together, you bond over swim lessons. she is spiritual. she's on seminary council and she has a way of smashing her face up that i absolutly love. she is my dance partner. i can't dance as well, if she isn't around. boys love her. girls want to be her. she is a brilliant lady.
i also. i also have johanna.
she too has a contagious laugh. we have similar music tastes. we feed off each other. she loves fries. and she in generous. she pays for everything. she nearly kills me when we drive. she is an amazing soccer player. and she's pretty funny. we consider her a ginger. she is really loud. and she gets pretty good grades. she makes others laugh. and loves dressing up. she has a great family. she isn't picky. and she's real neat.
in a nutshell. i have great friends. and i love them lots and lots. kelsey. kelsey gave me this idea. thanks kelsey. friends are the best. i would say.

also. i went to the grocery store with the ma today. and while i was there i pretended to be sherlock holmes. i took note of all that was around me. you should have seen those aisles. packed shelf to shelf. with people shopping for the big feast. i talked to people. asking them what their holiday traditions were. people are so neat. they come up with the greatest things. i even found someone who has mexican food instead of turkey. now, that is my kind of meal. the holidays are so great. seeing those shoppers made me smile. just a little bit.

you should try orange flavored cocoa. speaking of cocoa. they make cocoa flavored ice cream. you know, "a cocoa a day keeps the chill away."

and 30 days of truth. number 5.
question. what is something you hope you never do?
answer. i never want to outlive any of the children i might have. that would be horrid. to watch a child die. and i hope to be diagnosed with depression. cause those commercials are right, depression hurts. and i am being completely serious.

don't fret. only one day of school left until the break. i reckon we can do it.
also. don't forget to thank Jesus.
xo.