I swear, I didn’t skip Sunday Currently vol. 15. If you want to find out what we were up to last week, you’ll find it over here on Betsy’s fabulous blog! And you’ll find some incredible discussions, good food, great fashion, and, of course, lots of information on being an expat in England and a repat in Washington, D.C., a place near and dear to my heart. And coming up Monday, I’ll be helping her and some other lovely ladies host a link-up discussion on the things that make us feel the most beautiful – please come on over and join in!
This week was incredible. In the midst of work – and making the changes around the house that we needed in order to get my husband set for the telecommuting he starts next week {lucky punk} – we managed to get out and see the sights a little, do some cooking, wander the beach at Waikiki a couple of times, attended the Hawaii Five-O season premiere red carpet party, and went out for a great brunch at the Beachhouse at Moana Surfrider. Today, we’re headed to Ko Olina to check out the new Disney Aulani resort and to have a little birthday celebration!
I feel like I should have some wisdom to offer, now that the world has completed yet one more revolution around the sun since I appeared on it, but other than the stray thoughts I occasionally offer up on this blog, enlightenment has not yet dawned. I guess I’m just going to have to keep bumping along, figuring things out as I go, and having all kinds of adventures with the husband and family and cats in the process. I suffer so
All in all, I’m happy to have another birthday to celebrate, and more time to spend on this earth figuring things out. As much as I want to clutch the time to myself and keep it, and keep adventuring, I can’t regret it’s passage, because the world has somehow managed to keep that time filled beyond measure for me. I’ve done some pretty crazy and pretty wonderful stuff, and looking back on all those challenges accepted has only given me more confidence to face whatever challenges may come.
Waikiki Beach (c) KC Saling, 2013
Currently…
In…a state of slumber when this blog post goes up, probably. I’ve taken to writing most of my posts in advance {translation: usually the night before} and setting them to show up early in the morning so my east coast friends can read them with their morning coffee. That was my usual routine, and if it’s anyone else’s, I don’t want to disrupt it! But once we’re up and around, we’re getting some coffee and heading to the beach!
Feeling…blessed. I don’t care if it sounds cheesy, but I feel seriously blessed. I’m living in paradise, and I’ve jumped through enough of the settling-in hurdles that it feels like paradise again. I’ve been to Waikiki twice this week, met TV stars, eaten delicious food, visited historical landmarks, and am absolutely loving my job. It frustrates and challenges me but it makes me think! Life is good around Hale {house} Saling. Very good.
Smelling…as soon as I wake up? Coffee. And fresh plumeria. The plumerias up and down the jogging path outside our back gate are in full bloom, and I love the sweet, sugary scent of them. Are they edible? Or am I just hungry for birthday cake? I haven’t had butter in a while, and the hubby went and got me something smothered in buttercream!
Planning…the backyard layout. Last week I laid out what we wanted to do to fix up our townhouse, and the backyard is a major part of that. We want to get started as quickly as we can so we can enjoy the backyard entertaining and gardening area we have planned out – and so we can get the herb and vegetable garden going as soon as possible! However, we have to go through the whole HOA and permit process, first. We want to get our plans in front of the October board so that we can get started on the raised planters, stairs, and patio! Until then, we’re ripping apart the closets and starting on the new floor!
Wanting…more time in my day. My work and work projects have kept me busy, but I have a couple of journal articles I need to prep for publication, future conference work to do, a new version of Lightroom to play with thanks to my husband, a beautiful island to explore, dive gear that needs some adventure time, blog posts to write and blogs to comment on, a bunch of neglected stories that will eventually turn into a book, and a whole host of other hobbies, along with a husband, family, and friends who need love. There just are not enough hours in the day.
Needing…nothing. Well, if Congress would decide on a budget, that would be nice. There are lots of folks out there who would like to keep their jobs and feed their families, and I would like to use our savings to work on the house and take trips instead of paying the bills and the mortgage {although don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to not be in a total state of panic right now}.
Cooking…my seared ahi for the first time in a while, and I forgot how tasty it is. Buttermilk pancakes. A delicious acorn squash soup that I hope to be sharing with you soon, because I miss the fall. And whatever else I can, because now that the husband isn’t making his godawful commute in and out of the city anymore, he’s co-opted a lot of the kitchen time and generally has things going by the time I get home. I love his cooking, but I also love my kitchen time, so we’re working out a schedule.
Reading…blogs for fun and professional reading, mostly. I burned through a really engaging book on predictive analytics {not a math book, but one that really dug into the why of big data} that made me want to go back and read Freakanomics again, so I’ve been paging through that recently.
Writing…in my to-do list notebook that has turned into kind of an idea and brainstorming journal. I started doodling mind-maps in there for everything from blog posts to research projects to storylines for books and I’m loving the creativity I’ve been feeling just for putting pen to paper. There’s something very satisfying about doing things the old fashioned way.
Wearing…pajamas at the moment. When I wake up, swimsuit, hat, slippers/flip flops and cute REI cover-up. It’s beach time! And since it’s been a while since I played on Polyvore, here’s what I really would like to be wearing to the beach {it’s not far off, but I’m seriously not paying that much for a towel, even a bright happy one like that}.
Loving…bright colors, beaches, blooming flowers, and living in paradise. I’m not over my homesickness for all things leaf, riding boot, football, and pumpkin spice, but I’d be a fool to not appreciate the wonderful world around me.
What’s on your mind, currently?
KCS
Linking up with Lauren at Siddathornton for the Sunday Currently.