My Quiet Place

The world's largest pot of coffee wouldn't be enough to wake me up today...

We all have a "quiet" place, right?

For some people, it's in bed. For others, it's in at a spa or in a hot tub. Meanwhile, others claim that it's wherever their family isn't.

And for those of you that don't have a quiet place... I suspect your insanity may get the best of you soon. You should get that checked out and find a quiet place ASAP.

No, seriously.

I'm not sure what I'd do without my quiet place.  

First of all, I wouldn't have a blog, because it seems to be the only place that my head is clear enough to think of things to write about. So that would just be sad for you. 

To boot, I wouldn't have any friends if I didn't seek out my quiet place frequently. Just trust me on this one.

Finally, I would go insane if I didn't have a quiet place, because, frankly, I like to be alone. Some would call me a recluse. I'd tend to agree with them, though I'd rather not be associated with a group of poisonous spiders. Maybe if I could be a blue recluse... that'd be kind of cool.

In all seriousness, though, I do have a quiet place, and I do love it. My quiet place can be found...

Woman Talk

I slept in until 7 AM. I must be sick or something.

Just out of curiosity... how many languages do you know?

5? 7? 2?

Or do you just know 1? (Hopefully no one knows less than that)

I think a lot of us fall under the same category that I'm in: a language "sampler."We know bits and pieces of about 10 different languages, but if we had to survive in a country that spoke any of them, we'd die.

It's not a bad thing. It's just how things are.

For instance, I know bits and pieces of Spanish, French, Chinese, and Krio. I also do know how to read Ancient Greek, but that's about as useful when speaking as knowing how to swim while standing on your head.

However, what I didn't realize until just recently is that I'm slowly learning a new language.

A Grab Bag of Goodies

I finished The Hunger Games books in 3 days. Now what on earth am I going to do with my life?

Sunday, Sunday, gotta get down on Sunday...

Oops. That's supposed to be Friday. I'm pretty sure someone forgot to tell this girl that, though:

Because it's Sunday, and because Sunday is awesome (and, to boot, I'm pretty rad myself), I wanted to share a few blogs with you that I follow. I do this each week because, frankly, I'd want someone to do the same for me. And I think Jesus tells us to do stuff like that on a regular basis, so I'll take his word for it.

So here are the blogs you NEED to visit today. Yes, this is a need in your life. Fulfill it.

SSquared - This blog is probably one of my best kept secrets... until now. Stephanie, the author, has some great insight into a lot stuff that happens in life. She has her own perspective on things that you can definitely appreciate and understand. 

The Life of Kai - So this might be cheating, since I've shared Kai's blog before, but he has started posting regularly as the result of a very cool writing challenge he's taking a part in. So click on that beautiful little link and let him know what you think (catch the rhyme there?). 

Two Hiccups Blog - And, as always, a blog for the moms, because moms are awesome. Including this one, who has a lot to say about homeschooling, faith, and anything else she can think of!

Short. Sweet. To the point.

Just how I like it. And, I suspect, how you like it as well.

So give these people a visit (remember, it's a need you have!) and give them a follow as well! Have a fantastic Sunday!

And the Winner Is...

So I slept until 8 AM for the first time in months, thanks to some good ol' fashioned melatonin. Felt amazing.

So I hear there was a book giveaway going on around here...

Maybe? Maybe not?

Ooookay. Just kidding!

I'm looking to give away a free copy of Out of a Far Country by Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan!

So, without belaboring the point any further... 

The winner is...

Hannah!

Congratulations, Hannah! I'll be getting in contact with you to get your mailing information.

Be on the lookout for more giveaways around here! I love giving out free stuff! Lucky you!

Have a great weekend!

Backwards

I'm beyond happy that our Friday workday is only 3 hours.

Whew. It's been a loooong week. Wouldn't you agree? Even around here on Life Before the Bucket, things have been a little unusual. Here's a quick recap:

• We've got a free book giveaway going on until tomorrow morning at 6 AM CST.  Click HERE to enter!

• I introduced everyone to Thing #1, Thing #2, and Thing #3. They're insane little secrets, so if you missed them, check 'em out!

• You guys have been beyond generous with your comments. I LOVE hearing from you, so keep it up!

And now, because it's Friday, and I have a million reasons to celebrate that, it's time for...

Five Minute Friday!

Here are the rules, per The Gypsy Mama:

Rule Uno - Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
Rule Dos - Link back to the Gypsy Mama and invite others to join in. (GO JOIN IN!)
Rule Tres - Get a little crazy with encouragement for the five minuter who linked up before you.

And today's prompt is...

Backwards

Ready... Set... Go!

Well, this prompt is just too coincidental. Just four days after I wrote about all of my insides being backwards (Thing #1), this is what I get to write about again. But, you know, I'm proud of it. I'm proud of sometimes living a backwards life.

You see, I didn't grow up with my dad around much. He lived with us until he was 12, but even that shouldn't really count. So, because he was never around, I missed out on learning a lot of things that my mom didn't quite know how to do. For instance, I have no clue how to hunt.

However, that doesn't mean I haven't made the most of my situation. It may be backwards, but I've taught myself a lot of things that my dad forgot to tell me about. For instance, getting the girl of my dreams. I'd say I did pretty well in that department. Other than that, though, there are a lot of little things that many of us rely on fathers for direction for.

I mean, I taught myself to grill (with a little help from my mom), taught myself how to fish (with a little help from a friend), and taught myself to do some more important things, like stand firm in what I believe in.

Now trust me when I say that it wasn't easy. Though I've survived and turned out just fine, not having a dad was hard. It's still hard. I wonder a lot about what it would be like to have him around today. It was almost three summers ago that I took off to Sierra Leone, arrived back in the US, and found out my father had passed away at the age of 40. Now that was backwards.

STOP!

I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, and feedback. What was your relationship like with your father? Or are you a dad yourself? How do you want your relationship to be different with your son than it was with your dad?