Blunt as a spoon!

Lately I've noticed that I've become far more blunt than I once was. It's not in a hurtful way, but in a "I care too much to lie and I don't have time to give this a positive spin" way.
Strangely enough, this doesn't worry me. I've come to really value people in my life who "tell it like it is" all the time. They are the most helpful. In fact, at least 3 times this week I've said the following:
*I love you too much to lie to you
*Sorry to be blunt, but grown-folks say what they mean

It's working now..but if I continue at this rate, I have a feeling I'll be the old lady in a red hat that embarrasses her family ha ha ha.

How often do you "tell it like it is"?
Who is that person for you?
Do you ever worry about becoming a red-hat lady? :)


and to that end..

It's been a long hard year
and I've been staring in the mirror wondering
just who's staring back.

I realize I've changed
and in this case it's a good thing
For the first time, in a long time, I like what I see.

I remember when this use to be so easy....
before everything I said was true.
Perfect? By no means, but now I hold my head high
because the thing I like most about me is You.

More made-up recipes

Necesity is the mother of invention.....

And this week I needed something fast, easy, and autumn-y.

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese cupcakes:
1 box spice-cake mix
Pumpkin spice
Canned whipped cream cheese icing

Mix the cake mix according to directions and whisk in enough pumpkin spice to make it brown and smelling good :) I'm not one for measuring. Bake in cup-cake tins according to directions. Cool. Use a knife to cut cylinder-shaped wholes out of the middle of the cupcakes and pipe in the cream-cheese icing with a plastic baggie. Leave a swirl of icing on top. Best if warm :)

YUMMMMM

Happy Autumn

Goodness gracious...I just love autumn. I love it so much I think it deserves a better name than "fall". I love the weather, the smells, the leaves, the colors....like most of you, I love this time of year. Sadly, Autumn is also my busiest season. I don't know why things seem to get so busy, but I find myself having to work a little bit harder to get outside and enjoy the favorite things that used to be so readily available. Creativity seems to flow more easily in autumn and inspiration is everywhere. I want to write more, think more, enjoy people more this time of year. I want to retreat to a cabin with friends and run through the corn maze with my growth group. I want to go home and enjoy the mountains (and the apples) with my family. I bought Javi a new sweater and this weekend we'll go up to gold rush. It mays sound funny...but God makes sense in autumn. The artist side comes out and I remember the parts of Him that captured me in the first place.

I feel like the rest of my life is changing seasons right now too. Old things that used to be alive and well are changing colors and falling away, making room for new growth. The air is a little different in my professional life and I fight the busyness of the season for a chance to pay close attention and enjoy the change. I feel like I'm rediscovering God's creativity in my own life just as I do in the world outside. These times are so special, in part because they are so short. Before long, Christmas will be here and a new season will settle in with it's own surprises and famliarities.