Don't you love Fall?

It makes me want to entertain and make my home cozier at the same time. I think I need this to keep my schedule and grocery list! I know I'd sleep better... In my beachy room...

Sleepless Mail

This time of year, I love to cozy up in my living room, with a pot of coffee and a positive prior plan for the evening. That plan probably pertains to chick flicks. We're talking serious Steel Magnolias, Fried Green forever. Tonight, I enjoyed sprinkling cinnamon in the basket as my coffee brewed, and kicked off the evening with Sleepless in Seattle. On VHS, mind you. Now listen, this was back in the days of yore, when the soundtrack was advertised on the videotape. I received both pieces of media glory for Christmas the year the movie premiered. The perfect follow-up to Sam and Annie is naturally, NY152 and Shopgirl, in You've Got Mail. I love, love, love this film. Especially now that computers no longer sing, "You've Got Mail," and social media has completely taken the mystery out of this dynamite love letter classic. Beyond the darling chemistry of Tom and Meg, what we notice here is the lovers are kept apart until the end of both movies. This is not our average, everyday rom-com. No, this is more. This reminds us of more patient times. Remember when John Steinbeck's son wrote his father, of the anguish of falling in love. "Don't hurry," wrote Steinbeck. "Nothing good gets away."

Hit send.

What do you consider to be your life's work? Well, since I consider myself to be only 27 (ha, that one's for Mamabreak), I might consider my life's endeavor to be largely wrapped up in the ministry of my current project. For nearly sixteen years, I have been writing all of my memories, thoughts, victories, hopes and disasters regarding the brain tumor experience and its aftermath. It takes a while to form that into sentences, but I think I have it now. I sent it off to its first round of editing. And then came the night. I rolled out my yoga mat again. I am making lists of dietary ideas again. I think it's safe to say, I'm back in the joyfulness of editing again. This one, THIS one is near and dear to my heart. In a manner of speaking. #outofmyhead #brain #braintumor #comingsoon #josieblaine #mamabreak

Death Investigator

"I like to think you killed a man. It's the romantic in me." Rick Blaine: "I came here for the waters." "Waters? We're in the middle of the desert!" Rick Blaine: "I was misinformed." Tonight's movie is Casablanca. I returned home today to find the specialized cleaning van parked outside my condo building, and large hoses leading snaked into the door. My first thoughts were of finding a crime scene upon entry. Either I need to get out more, or I just need to finish writing that murder-mystery and be done with it. Thankfully, These guys were just here for the annual carpet cleaning. I should have been sweet and offered them lemonade. Hopefully this year, someone won't be so kind as to grind crickets into the freshly-cleaned carpets. It really doesn't help with resale value if the stairs look like some soul has met their fate. And back to Bogey. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship...

FRIEND-ly

My new neighbors make my condo building like a season of FRIENDS. There's a lot of working out, crafting, movie-watching, day-discussing, and protein-smoothie-iced coffee-drinking going on here. It's much akin to college.

Pickup

It's picking up, y'all. I'm a total pickup gal. Don't misunderstand me. I like a long, lean, black Caddy as much as anyone else. But my heart is deep in Texas and the western ranchlands of Dakota Territory, making me a pushover for a shined-up stepside. That being said, I have hit the ground running this week, and I think I have typed two thousand words daily ever since my alarm went off for church Sunday morning. This can only be coming from The Almighty. I have to get it off to my editor. This story will be done and ready to launch this year, if the Lord is willin' and the creek don't rise! And if it does, we've got Christian friends with taller pickups! Let's GO! #survivorstory #braintumor #outofmyhead

Coming Soon!

"Sometimes the general public seems to be a little put off by someone who is never in a bad mood. Maybe it’s the anti-seizure maintenance med, which is also used as a mild antidepressant. Perhaps, and this is just a shot in the dark, maybe I’m just on a real reality trip, and I’m real thankful to be walking, talking, and independently feeding myself. I can work, live, drive, frequent my favorite coffee shoppe, talk on the phone, take myself to the bathroom, and go to the refrigerator without having to wait for someone to push my wheelchair away from The Feeding Group. Maybe all this constant Pathological Pleasantry is a tangible gift from the Lord, and I am not wasting a drop of it." #outofmyhead #josieblaine #somethingaboutsophia #warmsprings