Dashing through the (rain) ..

Friends, I cannot believe how quickly November and December flew by. What with planning for our grand Christmas adventure (more on that in January!) and moving into my new home, I guess I was busy!! Thank you for your well-wishes on my home purchase. I'm happily settled into Berkley, which might just be the best kept secret in Oakland County. It's just a lovely place to live and everyone is so friendly. (I attended a block party last night for the holidays and really enjoyed myself - and those who know me well, know how I feel about small talk ...) I feel blessed to be settled. Below is my link to the Before/After album per your requests. Thanks for your interest & excitement for me. The house, in its most current form, is a labor of love by some of the most important people in my life and I'm hugely grateful for their help ..... Mom, Dad, Pat (and Catelyn, in spirit & with cute zebra dishes), Kate, Bramanda, Michael Lauchlan, Aunt Fran and Jan. I couldn't have done the painting, choosing, plumbing/electric, moving, storing, waterproofing (especially with all this rain!!) etc, etc, etc without their help. Enjoy the pics!
Phillips Avenue

My living room all decked out for Christmas .. you'll notice touches of Grandma Parker. She LOVED Christmas and all that it celebrates (including all things shiny, glittery, and sparkling). I miss her especially this time of year.

Many Christmas blessings to you and your loved ones. Despite the lack of snow and abundance of rain we've had in Michigan this fall and beginning of winter, as I write it's beautifully sunny and I can't help but think that as 2011 closes, the sunshine is what's to come in 2012. I wish the same for you. And what better way to end a rainy fall than in the rainforest! COSTA RICA, here we come!!!!!!!!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

At long last, I purchased my first Michigan home two weeks ago. MAJOR props to my phenomenal real estate agent who worked her butt off to ensure my hunt and purchase remained as positive an experience as it could. If you're looking for a home anytime in the near future, I will happily pass along Kristine's info. She's dynamite! I will be residing in the beautiful city of Berkley (go Bears!) and enjoy the company of new, wonderful neighbors by Thanksgiving including some of my favorite co-workers. There IS a picture below but I'm waiting for the grand reveal of the inside when the cleaning, painting, and setting up house is completed - stay tuned. When Kate and Amanda Davies visited my bare boned home for the first time, Kate excitedly said to Amanda, "Won't it be so fun to hang out here?" which basically sums up my sentiments exactly. While it will be sad to move out of my parents' because we've really enjoyed the time spent together, I am super excited to curl up in front of my fireplace with a glass of vino and a good book in time for the holidays. Cheers to that!

Shortly after purchasing my new home, I traveled to St. Louis, MO for the third time this year (smooth trip home this time - yay!) to celebrate the nuptials of my dear friends Doug and Christy Porterfield. What a blessed affair it was and to stand beside this beautiful couple as they spoke their vows to one another honored me. The love in Holy Family Church as they celebrated their love for one another through this Sacrament reminds me how fortunate I am to believe in a God who loves us SO much he wants us to be THIS happy:

Those who witnessed their celebration of unity and those who did so in spirit joyfully embraced the happy couple as they begin their life together as married people. As I looked out into the congregation, I thought to myself, as I have so often when in the company of the Porterfields and their family and friends, how fortunate they are to have such a wide circle of people who love them and how lucky I am to now call these people friends as well. Their ceremony, and the ragin' party which followed, demonstrated the love Crist and Doug radiate from themselves as individuals and a couple; one can't help but be touched by such an outpouring.

Clearly the blondes outnumber we brunettes. I've gotten over it. Almost.

CK(P) gathers friends wherever she goes; we feel blessed to call one another friends because of her.

Oh, my girl. What a blessed friendship blossomed from that one night in Hot-lanta. Sigh. 

 Since I bought a house, I figured why not take one more plunge in a short period of time. After growing my hair for nearly three years, I cut just over 10 inches off this week for Locks of Love, an organization which makes wigs for pediatric cancer patients. Despite the fact that MY hair will go to kids, my heart is with all those who - or know someone who - struggles with and lost the battle to cancer, especially my sweet grandma Parker. My mom went with me and unintentionally shot a video of the actual chopping (the iPhone really is genius). I've included it below. Here's the final result:

Miss Krista did a killer job and I'm getting used to the lightness of head. We waged bets on how many 9th graders would ask me if I got my hair cut and proud to report only two did - imagine how many would've asked if I did it early in the year. #progress! One darling did say, "Wow, Ms. Clancy, you look different" with a tone of sheer incredulous. A conversation promptly ensued during which I shared with him the merits of delivery IF he hoped to have any success with the ladies in the future. Oh, what a gift it is to shape young minds .....

All in all, October was a good month and November's off to a good start, too! I'm off to paint the bathroom on Phillips Ave. Come visit soon :)

Oh, and here's that video - the music, which happened to be Krista's ringtone, timed itself perfectly.

These are a few of my favorite things ..

I'm fighting with the bank for the second time this year. The-Bank-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named is the most reckonable force I've faced and the problem is that the rules keep changing. It's hard to keep up, really, and not a super fair fight. Thus, I've been on an emotional roller-coaster which seems to be near the end and the end, my friends, is unfortunately not the result for which we've been praying. Instead, I'm focusing on the simple things in life - my favorites - that make the roller coaster (not something that I enjoy which much exuberance in general) a tad sweeter.

1. Giraffes : One never forgets the first giraffe she kisses. Mine was at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi, Kenya, and at that moment, I fell in love with this regal creature. Since then, I must confess, I've spent many hours with others. Those long lashes, that lengthy neck and miles of legs, the fantastic patterned coat .. Yowza, what a looker. However, I'm not a girl that falls in love on looks alone .. I appreciate their gentle spirit and wisdom of their approach to life. Giraffes languidly saunter through the day. They reach for the sky. There's a lot we could learn from giraffes.

Tiff asked JT if he built the giraffe puzzle for her; he replied, (quite vehemently, I'd imagine, if I know JT and his 'nos') "No, Sarah." The picture was taken and subseqently sent via iPhone.
made.my.night.

2. Rainbows : On my way to Brad and Amanda's my eye caught sight of an incredible rainbow .. we're not talking a double rainbow here, folks, we're talking TRIPLE-wide rainbow. The best part, though, was answering a call from Kate, interjecting my observation of the rainbow before she could even say hello back , and her response : "That's why I called you!! I didn't want you to miss it." That's a real friend right there.

As is virtually always the case, the picture doesn't do it justice.

3. Yoga : My cousin recently joked with me that my yoga classes were becoming like others' AA meetings or something .. I always need to know where the closest and next one is, STAT. Well, starting yesterday I need look no further than my very own place of work. A group of us will gather on Monday afternoons for the next few weeks (though I hope it will catch on!) to work with Tommy Mack, yoga instructor and personal trainer. I've practiced with him quite a few times now and love his encouraging and gentle style. I won't gloss over the fact that it regularly kicks my butt, something I'm told makes him really happy. Anyway, he said at the end of class yesterday, "Maybe this is the first time you've taken a deep breath today." For me, this actually was true; it was just a blah day. That hour on my mat when I could stretch out my body in tune with the breathing and smooth tunes made for a mood-changing experience. Doing it with my friends/co-workers made it all the more enjoyable.

4. JT : Very little in life puts me in a better mood than "SexyBack". I know, I know it's overplayed but it's just so damn catchy! Now that it's a rarity on the radio I appreciate it all the more. This recent moment of joy came between the rainbow sighting and my Declan-time, which makes it all the more swoon-worthy.

5. Cupcakes : I.love.cupcakes. I love eating them. I love receiving them. I love sharing them. I love watching people go to the Cupcake Wars over them. It's not an obsession. Or at least it wasn't until Tiffany and I decided to take a cupcake decorating class and then .. well, they've taken on a life of their own, really. I've eaten a number of them in the last week or so and let me just say : there is not much better than a plain ole Vanilla cupcake with vanilla bean frosting. Or a Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcake. Or an Almond Cupcake. Or a S'mores Cupcake. They're basically good for any occasion and they just make me smile. Do I need to defend myself further? Nah, I didn't think so ......

... and I saved the best for last ...

6. Engagements : My dear friend Kate became engaged this weekend to her love, Dennis, during the best/worst (depends for whom you root!) UM - ND match-up in years. You now know how much I love Kate that I reference football, of all things, in my blog. Even my dad commended these two Wolverines on the win once he congratulated them on their engagement. These two are a special couple and I look forward to spending many more hours in our future together playing Cranium and on the dance floor. What a gift they will be to one another - and to those around them . Cheers, Kate & Dennis!

~~~~~
Life is sweet, I just need little reminders sometimes. :)

Kids, kids, and more kids

I've spent a lot of time with kids in the last few weeks .. nothing like the innocence of a child to restore grace! First and foremost, my cousin Nora and her husband, Al, welcomed Frances Charlotte to the world on August 27th (Catelyn's birthday!) and I met her yesterday. What a sweet little peanut she is. As much as I loved cuddling with her, sweeter still was witnessing my grandma, 90 years Charlotte's elder, hold her. Life is such a blessing, isn't it?

Frances Charlotte, daughter of Frances Nora, granddaughter of Frances Josephine, and great-granddaughter of Frances Cronin Clancy

My boy, Declan, eating the banana - how could I resist this face??
It made him so HAPPY!



I've also been going back to my baby-sitting roots quite a bit lately. I miss Amanda's kiddos like crazy and can't wait to get my fix of them on my next visit but until then, I've spent quality time with Declan Davies and Booker Hedges, the two youngest men in my life these days. I enjoy Declan's company so much in fact he convinced me to let him eat a banana in my presence, the first person I've willingly allowed to indulge in that particular activity in, oh, 28 years. I like him that.much. and I'm grateful Brad and Amanda let me play with Mr. Declan. Marisa and Tim allow me to keep company with their little darling Booker occasionally. His vocabulary exploded in the last few months and he carries on quite a little conversation for someone his age; his current favorite topics include trains and puzzles, though he's a fan of reading books too. We rocked before bed last night and it warmed my heart. Lastly, the Davies, the Macks, Kate and I took a Sunday zoo trip which confirmed to me that as much as I love the zoo, it's more fun with kids. JT and Declan became fast friends and Harry snoozed through the whole trip. Sigh, to be 2 months again :)

Finally .. it's been nearly ten years since I lived at home but it didn't take me long to (a) take over at least double the amount of space I used to maintain while living there and (b) indulge in kid-like activities like ERMA's. For those of you reading unfamiliar with Erma's Frozen Custard, let me just say .. as long as Nance & Rick keep buying me the Flavor of the Week, I know they're not *too* annoyed by the fact my stuff is all.over.the.house (despite Nance's snide remarks about the guest room and how she looks as if she's embarassed to be seen in public with me).

PS. Declan's Fan Club: I would argue that wherever Declan goes in his future, this will be the excitement with which people in general greet him.



Back to school, back to school

In my best efforts to fully enjoy my summer, I chose not to be tied down to anything .. unfortunately that included my blog. Oops. Looking back on it, the summer was full of friends, relaxation, and virtually no travel for the first time in seriously ten years. Now that I'm already into week two of my SEVENTH teaching year, I'm grateful for the down time I look for myself.

The big event of this summer was our very own Clancy Royal Wedding - what a beautifully personal gathering of love Pat and Catelyn created for their big day. I felt honored to be a part of it and so blessed to gather with friends & family to celebrate their love. Cate sent me a text yesterday with a picture of her  official driver's license sporting her new last name - welcome officially to the fam-damily, Cate!

Her vision for the attendants and the reception hall was so creatively stunning and the bright colors of green, pink, and orange really complemented she and Pat's personalities perfectly. Of course, I was happy she chose green for me :) As my best friend Julia will tell you, we always hoped to wear lime green in a wedding one day.

The news which really pales in comparison to the wedding is that, for the time being, I'm living on Windsor Woad (spelling intended) again. My dear mother refers to me as the Mole given I've taken up residence in the basement AKA my brother's former 'suite'. I'm fortunate to (a) have a place to live while I await my closing date for the little house in Berkley and (b) enjoy my parents' company immensely. They are fun to be around and my mom cooks really well :) We've seen some movies, checked out the farmers' market in Rochester, and I've spent quality time in the hammock -- life is good.

What's really fantastic about life at the moment is that it's - for the first time in what seems like forever - totally calm .. little to no stress and just content with my friends, family, and appreciating the small things. Whew --- I'm a lucky girl.

Now that school has started I hope to be more regular about this posting bit .. keep me honest, people!

SUMMER!

Today is the kind of day which inspired that 'Pure Michigan' campaign .. and with it comes the excitement of SUMMER. The sun shines, a beautiful breeze blows, and I feel quite carefree. I have a whole week of nothingness and social engagements to enjoy before I fly to FL for CHWC prep with Mags. In the meantime, I am enjoying the sun, time with family and friends, and sleeping .. I've snuck in some quality not-for-school reading and indulged in my bad TV habits. All in all, a nice little summer break unfolds before .. grateful for friends, my family, and me-time. As the phrase goes, 'Life is Good'.

Tonight I'm taking in the spectacle known as the California Dreams Tour with my girls Tiffany, Kate, and Sallia .. can.not. wait for an assuredly hilarious evening. Let the good times roll .. I'm on my way to pick up a blue wig for the occasion. When in Rome ......... pictures to come!

New beginnings ..

I listened to the Mumford & Sons song a few times yesterday .. I kept forgetting to listen closely to the line about grace and yet, it's been on my mind the last few weeks as the Florida chapter of my life truly comes to a close with the house's sale in the coming weeks. Before I left two years ago, my dear friend Maggie gave me a framed needlepoint with this phrase on it : Every ending leads to a new beginning. I read it every morning while brushing my teeth and it's a good reminder to take in stride whatever the day may bring .. I'm not so good at that, most days. I easily get bogged down by the day-to-day nonsense and forget the small blessings of the restart I'm given each morning. The selling of the S. Lincoln Ave house closes a door of that life and allows me to move forward; it's from that place I'm inspired to write this blog .. the notion of rolling away the stone, finding grace, and restarting sounds pretty darn good after a few years of challenges. I don't mind a challenge now and again, but honestly, I'm ready for those new beginnings. Thus, let's roll away our stones ...

Peace --