Blessings in Disguise

Has anything lucky ever happened to you? It's freaky, right?!

Lately I have been pretending like I have an iota of control over my life. The truth is, I don't. Things can change very rapidly. My D.C. post fell through and I have been given a new assignment--and it's a REALLY exciting assignment. But even so, I am having trouble adjusting to the fact that I will leave in less than a year. I thought I had more time.

Sometimes unexpected twists of fate are blessings in disguise. David and I are excited for the next stage in our lives, but meanwhile we are enjoying our life here. Stay tuned for when I announce where we will be going...

Picture by dazeychic at etsy. Check out her whole store; it is fantastic.

Poetry and Prose

Hey Friends,

If any of you are interested in literary events in the DC area, the editors of One Seven Five Three are hosting a reading on Sunday August 9th at 5:00 PM. The readers will be UMD students Kim O'Connor for poetry and Dave Green for fiction. It should be a great opportunity to meet writers in the area and to become acquainted with the One Seven Five Three bloggers and the staff of the Sakura Review. Feel free to contact me via facebook or e-mail if you need more info or are interested in coming. This is definitely an event you won't want to miss!

Horay for getting things done!

I am having a wonderfully productive morning running errands and getting things done that have been hanging over my head for weeks. It feels great to finally have some useful administrative time. I even got some exercise and returned a lost dog to his owners. Pour me another cup of coffee, I'm on a role!

Image from Inside the Loop.

Flag Day!

Every A-100 (foreign service training) course includes an exciting and long-anticipated ceremony where each officer finds out where he or she is going next. This is done by announcing each post city followed by the name of an officer who then walks to the front of the auditorium to receive a flag of the country where he or she will be going. This week I found out my new assignment:

In case you are wondering, this is the Washington DC flag. After my husband texted the news out to some of his workmates, a friend of ours allegedly spent a while researching what DC stands for. No, we are not headed to a foreign country; but we are pleased with the news because it means we will get to spend some more time in this great city. I will be working in public diplomacy, which is perfect for me. It is hard to believe that training will be over soon and that I stark work on Monday. Eek!

The first of many faux pas...

I know my European geography really well, my friends. But the rest of the world--well, let's just say I'm improving. I am terribly ashamed to admit that during a French exam, while interviewing the test administrator about his native country, I couldn't understand the French name of his homeland. He even gave me a lot of hints: that it was a small island in the Caribbean, that it was close to the Dominican Republic, that they spoke French and Creole, etc. The fact that I was clueless does not bode well for my score. But I will never make that mistake twice.

Happy Birthday America!

This weekend I am going back to my home town to celebrate the Fourth with my family. This will be David's first Fourth of July in UA and he is in for a treat. My neighborhood goes all out with cookouts, fireworks, a parade... and to top it off, my dear friend Mary is getting married. I can hardly wait. Fire up the grill!

4th of july by roysie featuring Old Navy

What are your plans? Wishing you all the best this weekend!

Three Wishes for Wednesday

This summer I would like to...

1. learn photography (photo via shutter sisters)

2. start sewing again (image by simplicity found via katy elliott)

3. keep a journal (image by Gennine found via shop talk)

David and I have completed a few crafts this summer and it has inspired me to do more. Now if only I could discover an endless supply of energy and a way to make days 48 hours long... That's not too difficult, right?