No Vacation Is Long Enough

It seems as though just as we begin to plan a vacation, it is over. Two weeks ago I was busy packing and preparing for a vacation with friends to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Today, I am back at work daydreaming about next year.

There are many highs and lows that come with taking a vacation. The excitement, anticipation, and thrill of looking forward to getting away. The goodbyes, long car rides, and empty refrigerators of coming home.

But last week, the highs of time spent with friends far outweighed the lows. Smiles on friends faces, the enjoyment of seeing how we all have grown over the past seven years, the laughter, the sapping up of every minute of the day to spend with each other, and as as always...the arguments, challenging one another, the tears, and forgiveness. With these friends I have learned how to love others, despite what I think are their faults. I have been tested in my opinions, and I have been encouraged in my beliefs. What I most appreciate is everyone's uniqueness (we are a muddled group made up of singers, actresses, small business owners, teachers, lawyers, financial advisors, construction workers, political gurus, and Air Force pilots), their genuine love, and their ability to relax on the beach with a boogie board in one hand and a good book in the other.

"When we are afraid, the least we can do is pray to God. But our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His name have an underlying confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable. Yet our trust is only in God up to a certain point, then we turn back to the elementary panic-stricken prayers of those people who do not even know God. We come to our wits’ end, showing that we don’t have even the slightest amount of confidence in Him or in His sovereign control of the world. To us He seems to be asleep, and we can see nothing but giant, breaking waves on the sea ahead of us." Oswald Chambers

For the past several days all I have seen are huge "breaking waves on the sea" in the form of Tropical Storm Irene. God knocked me to my knees this morning with this quote from Oswald Chambers. Oh me of little faith. Why do I think that I can actually control the weather, taking on the likeness of God? Why do I think that I have control as to how others react to the possibility of a hurricane ruining their beach vacation?

"There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him.

We have been talking quite a lot about sanctification, but what will be the result in our lives? It will be expressed in our lives as a peaceful resting in God, which means a total oneness with Him. And this oneness will make us not only blameless in His sight, but also a profound joy to Him. " Oswald Chambers

Our vacation is in God's hands. May he bless our travel. May we find rest in Him through conversation and by enjoying his creation. May we find joy in eachother, in our words to one another, and in the experience of surviving a possible hurricane together.

In Preparation

I have spent this week preparing for our vacation next week. Laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, last minute shopping and details. I love the week before vacation...the excitement and anxiousness is palpable. I am dreaming of sun-filled soft beaches, reading on the deck in the morning, running by the water's edge in the evenings, quiet times as the sun is coming up, time with friends, and relaxation.

Calorie Burning Extravaganza

When it was time to leave Tunnicliffs Tavern last night after a wonderful meal, Tim and I could barely move our legs. We tried, but they wouldn't move. In fact, they actually screamed at us, "Don't move!" So we just sat, and sat, and sat some more.

This weekend, in an effort to tone our bodies for our beach vacation that is approaching quickly, we hopped on our bikes for a three hour, 40 mile bike ride down to Mount Vernon on Saturday. The trails took us along the Potomac, through Alexandria, and by the most spectacular views, gardens, and beach front houses. It was a great ride but towards the end we knew that we would be feeling it the next day. We could barely sit on our bike seats...we were very sore!

On Sunday morning I woke up when the streets of DC were still quiet and went on a 17 mile run. The first few miles were very hard. My legs were still upset with me for the bike ride the day before. But as they eased into stride my body felt great. I was starting to feel confident about the marathon that is approaching quickly as well (only a little over two months away). I must admit I am unsure if I can do it...if I can actually run across the finish line. The other day it hit me what a daunting task this was actually going to be. I soon found out from my training tips that this questioning is normal.

"The left side of our brain tries to hold us back. Inside the left hemisphere at the top of your head is the center of logic. The left brain solves math problems, organizes and nit-picks, and conducts the structured cognitive activities during your workday. One of the primary missions of the left brain is to steer you in the direction of pleasure and away from discomfort. Any form of stress or perceived stress will stimulate this negative center of logic to produce a stream of messages to "slow down!" or "quit!" or to question your sanity: "Why are you doing this?" Because we rely upon the left side for logical guidance, we listen to these messages. If we're weak or tired, we're very likely to give in to the messages and compromise our goal. Certainly we must always monitor the real dangers which could produce health problems (heat buildup, traffic, overfatigue) and take action when there is due cause. Most of the time, however, our left brain overreacts in warning us long before we are in real danger."

That same day, Tim hit the gym and ran more than he has ever run before. Needless to say our bodies were both very tired by Sunday evening. However, as we sat at Tunnicliffs, slowly putting the calories we lost back into our bodies, we felt great...tired, but healthy and great!

The recent posts over at Becca and Bella got me thinking about my favorite summer food. Beyond a doubt I would have to say the tomato. (This is quite obvious by what I have made for dinner this week.) My parents grow amazing tomatoes. They are always juicy and full of flavor. We used to have tons of them, they would line our counter, window sills, and be piled inside our refrigerator. They were so delicious that we only ate them with a dollup of mayonaise.

This year my parents decided to grow cherry tomatoes as well, and gave Tim and me some in a bag. I caught Tim eating them out of the bag one day...just popping cherry tomato after cherry tomato into his mouth exclaiming, "these are the best tomatoes I have ever had." Must be the PA soil.

As I have grown I have altered my mom's dish a little, adding salt and pepper to the mayonaise to bring out the flavor. I also make tomato, basil, and mozzerella at least two times a week. It is a nice change to a boring old lettuce salad. Put the above ingredients (tomato, basil, and mozzerella) on top of a pesto laden pizza crust and you have a great dinner. Also, tomatoes are wonderful tossed with some cucumbers and red wine vinegar. The options are endless.

Hydrangeas

Talents

I just found this new photographer, Ann Elliott Cutting. (Actually, she may not be new, but she is new to me) Her photographs are pictures of memory, definition, and life. The above photograph is part of her "nature" collection and is described as "Theology. Humankind's natural state as distinguished from the state of grace."

Here is another photo that I believe aptly portrays its intended message. Cutting has defined this photograph, in her portfolio of photos best representing the word "found," as "To come upon or discover by searching or making an effort."

I appreciate the ability of others to use their talents, and to express themselves in ways other than words. It is more difficult than we think. I am often amazed at the dedication that it takes to create, or to stop working at one thing to pursue something that brings us greater joy. It is this joy that causes me to ache to pursue my own gifts as well....to forget about what others think, and to become captivated by my passions. Another aspect intrigues me...the emotions that ensue...the smiles and signs of contentment that I have seen on the faces of those who have made the decision to give-in to their talents and passions, and to fully use their gifts. I have seen this happen in the lives of many of my friends and family members. It is a thrilling transformation to observe.

As a complete clutter freak and a compulsive worker...I love this website (See Jane Work). Design Sponge has more of their wonderful accessories, but I love this chic pen holder which reminds me of the summertime and the beach.

And who is Jane? Well all women are..."Whether our work is in the home, in the office, or, in our home-office, we are expert organizers and multi-taskers who can lead the staff meeting, make the contract revisions, and schedule the vet appointment, all before we’ve had our second cup of coffee."

So, if we are all Jane's, why not add a little fun to our boring brown Staples desk at work or sass up our conventional telephone table at home?

Totally Bragging

Is she not the cutest little girl ever? Cate, my 10 month old neice has uttered her first words...In true Rotzell fashion they were not ma-ma or da-da, but rather, "uh-oh."

Oh So

I love Vera Bradley! I love that Vera Bradley bridges generations-grandmothers and granddaughters can carry Vera Bradley side by side. I love the bright colors and patterns. And now...I love their watches. I found these on the web today and think they are so vibrant and cute. Also, Vera Bradley came out with their new fall colors. Check them out...they are very "ivy league".

When Things Go Right

Have you ever experienced a great run or a really great bike ride? When things just go right, when your muscles are loose, and your body actually starts to free itself and re-energize? This morning I was on the treadmill by 5:50am and after the first five minutes my body felt better than it ever has during a run. And I was really starting to worry because my runs have not been that good for the last two weeks.

Maybe all these months of training are actually starting to pay off? Maybe I actually ate the right thing for dinner the night before, got the right amount of sleep, and stretched for the right amount of time? Whatever it was, I felt like I could run for hours, miles even, and never stop. And for that I am thankful. I just hope this feeling sticks around until October.

Humid Day in the Country

Wine tasting was quite a success...minus the 32 point turns in the limo, the man with his shot-gun, and the unbelievably hot weather. We rode out to the beautiful Virginia country-side past gorgeous brick manors to the vines. We stopped at three vineyards, all of which had stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Or were they the Shenandoah? We weren't sure. The pictures below are taken from Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, Chrysalis Vineyards, and Swedenburg Vineyards. Now off to a 7 mile run since I missed my training yesterday.


Our mode of transportation


Willowcroft Vineyards


Willowcroft Vineyards



Swedenburg Vineyards


Tim and me at Swedenburg Vineyards

Swedenburg Vineyards

Swedenburg grapes

The Vines at Swedenburg

"The Group" tasting Chrysalis wines

Chrysalis Vineyard

Wine Tasting

Tim and I are off to a day of wine tasting. Today, we board a limo that will transport us to the bountiful Virginia wine country. I have tasted the grapes of Virginia before, and was not dissapointed. Salud!

First Things First

Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldridge is the "girls version" of Wild at Heart. Wild at Heart teaches about a man’s longing and desire for a Battle to fight…an Adventure to live…and a Beauty to rescue.

Women (all in their own way) long to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty of the story. I too have found this to be true, although how we want each longing to play out differs greatly.

Although the Eldridge books all follow the same maxim, “God is romancing us…we are in a love relationship with God,” the pages of Captivating have been a constant reminder that before we can love others and ourselves (see ourselves for who we really are…how God has made us all unique) we must first love God. Before we can learn to accept others around us, and ourselves, we must first learn to love and yearn for God. We must deliberately spend time alone praising, worshiping, and loving God. What follows is a life of adventure, romance, obedience, and freedom.

Time in Ireland

An Irish blessing goes,
"May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door."

Although we stayed at the top of a killer hill in Clifden, Ireland (one that definitely left us short of breath but with stronger legs) our time was filled with "warm words," great conversation, and wonderful Irish music and song throughout the cold, mist-filled days and nights. We fell in love with the streets of Clifden...especially Beach road which I tried to run everyday. Our day trips into wild western Ireland were breathtaking. Back in the states, as I sit at my computer in our nation's capitol I am processing the sites, silence, and emotions of the green isle.
Below is a photo-journal of our time in Ireland.

The Clifden School House

Clifden, Ireland
On the Path to Clifden Castle
Clifden Castle
Beach Road, Clifden
Tim and me at Kylemore Abbey
Boats at Kylemore Abbey
Becca and Hannah at a Pub in Letterfrack
Tim on Connemara Golf Course, Ballyconnelly

Connemara Beach
Cate and me on Connemara Beach
Pete, Becca, and Tim at O'Dowds Pub in Roundstone
Tim, Pete, and me in Roundstone
Ferry to Inishbofin
Matt and Abi on the ferry to Inishbofin
Cromwell's Fort, Inishbofin
St. Coleman's Abbey, Inishbofin
Bike riding in Inishbofin
Hannah and me on the beach at Inishbofin
Delphi, Ireland
Geoff and Becca at Killary Harbor in Leenane
Geoff, Tim, and Pete at Killary Harbor in Leenane
Tim and me in Leenane

Ireland

We have finally arrived. I am posting from an internet cafe in Clifden. It is a very cute town on the edge of the ocean making for beautiful breathtaking views...hills, mountains, ocean, bright green, dots of sheep, and jagged rock. I have been running a few miles every day, not far, but very hilly miles along the coast to a castle ruin a few miles away. Gorgeous. I don't have much time, as we are headed to Inishboffen an island off the west coast of Ireland. We are first stopping to get fish and chips and then to the ferry. I will post pictures later, but for a quick fix go to www.fromthebleachers.blogspot.com.