10 Days In/DC Mardi Gras

So it's been ten days now that I've been on my own. Well, I use "on my own" loosely. I've pretty much spent every waking minute with someone as I doggy sat this weekend in Old Town. So I had a chat today with my life coach aka Leslie Stein and made up some goals for myself so that my efforts to improve and focus on me don't turn into leaving no time for me because I've got a free schedule crammed with happy hours, type of thing. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

One of the never at home things I did yesterday was go to Mardi Gras, DC-style at Lin's new apartment. She made homemade shrimp jambalaya and had king cake too. YUMMY. Although the king cake was blue, green and gold, it was pretty good. No Haydel's though.


Blue, Green and Gold!


Lin's HOMEMADE Jambalaya!

But now that Fat Tuesday has passed (and it always make me so reminscent of home!) and Lent has set in, I turn my thoughts to 40 days of self improvement and fixings! First and foremost, I announce to my blogging world, I QUIT SMOKING. I haven't been much a smoker since James left, about one pack a week, but still. I told Momma I'd give up for Lent and I'm giving it a go. So keep me in your thoughts. I've smoked on and off for years, so it's going to be a challenge. But as my uncle always says, ANYTHING is possible with God!

Hoping you have a peaceful Lenten season....

To My Love

Although he rarely reads my blog, I wanted to dedicate a post to my love, James Gordon Durrett. I dropped him off at 830 AM this morning at National Airport. He didn't see my tears as I drove away, and that's for the best. I know that this next chapter is only a new beginning for us both, and I'm trying not to remain in the past. But I want to thank you for three and half years. Three and half years of experiences I never though I'd have, love I never though I'd feel, emotions I never thought were possible. You are my best friend and I am going to miss you terribly. But I know this is for the best and that God has a plan for both of us. I love you forever my heart. I am blessed in so many ways to know you.

New Chapter

So I have literally two days left with James before he moves back to Indiana. As I've mentioned before we've decided to stay together but no one can deny that there will be 900 miles between us, so I ask you all for your prayers and thoughts that we make it through this time. I know he feels a bit like he's starting over, new apartment, new job, new life, which can be a bit overwhelming. I'm trying to see it as an opportunity, an opportunity to better myself physically (no more excuses that I just eat what James eats...HELLO he's like 2 feet taller than me!), mentally and spiritually. One of the opportunities I am most excited (and nervous) about is learning how to be alone. Since I was literally 2 hours old, I needed to be held nonstop. Lin would cry until somebody put her down, I would cry until somebody picked me up. I get bored by myself in like 3 minutes. Now I knew that one day, in the far far distant future, I was going to have to make nice with myself, but I didn't expect it to be so soon! So that's what I'm going to do. Learn to be alone with myself. And like it. Without being on the computer, phone and watching TV at the same time as a distraction. Without accepting (and this is sure to come) Katy's offer of coming to stay for a weekend since I'm heartbroken. Love you Katherine, but I've got to do this. Or just spending every waking moment with my Mom and sister. Sigh. Solving world peace may be an easier thing for me to accomplish.

Oh well. I will be able to fall in love again with photography, which is always a mistress (mister? what's the male equivalent?) thrown to the wayside as soon as I get otherwise distracted. To jump start this new frame of mind, I'll post a few oldies but goodies. Maybe soon I'll have more newbies but goodies!