Things I Learned in August (A Link Up with Emily Freeman)

For a few months now, the lovely Emily Freeman has hosted a super fun Link Up in which she shares (and then invites us all to play along) some random things that she has learned in the last month.  Some are quirky, some deep, some fun, some helpful... you get the idea!  

I think it's funny that my #1 thing on last months' list was that I learned that I should be keeping a running list of things that I have learned... but did I do that? No... because sometimes... well - here ya go - let's just start my list:

12  Things that I learned in August:

1. I learned that sometimes I am what some would say a Slow Learner!  I have gotten much better at this - but my downfall is that I can think of and organize and plan on All The Things - but what I lack is Follow Through!  Honestly - as noted above - I had the BRILLIANT idea to keep a running tally of all the amazing things I learned during August... and yet - the follow through to scratch even just ONE of them down... well - it was absent!  You know what they say... the best intentions, and all... still it served as a reminder that this is something that I am (still) working on as a grown up!  I give myself grace - but I also need to give myself whatever is needed to bring about some action! 

2. Attending a Photography Event is way more Fun than it is Scary... in other words, Just Do It!  So... I am not a professional photographer, in that it is not my business and I have no license and I do it as a hobby!  I am a part of a local group on facebook for photographers and I LOVE to lurk... I mean - I have learned a lot from their posts and photos and they are a super friendly group.  I just never actually attend any of the Meet Ups. Like - Ever.  I let the enemy talk me out of it every time.  "They" are all pros and they will spot a non-pro a mile away... I won't belong... blah blah blah!  Anyway - one of the gals in the group plans these elaborate Events several times a year.  Usually they are in a different area and I can easily talk myself out of participating however at the beginning of August, she hosted a huge Boho/Gypsy themed event that was only about a 30 minute drive from my house!  I sort of had to go, right?  I mean - they had an old VW VAN?  How could I not go?  Once I got over myself, I had SO MUCH FUN!  Everyone was super friendly and I will definitely go again the next time she has one close by! 

3. Sarah Bessey is pretty freakin' cool... she mentioned on facebook that readers could get advanced copies of her new book by requesting it from NetGalley - um... for Free?  (OK - so - this was posted right after I got yet another package from Amazon and the Hubby was starting to notice - gasp! - the stacks and stacks of new books that have been Must Read's this summer? So to learn that a blogger/reviewer can gain access to books before they are even available to purchase - and you don't need to purchase them... well - that, my friends, was a banner day!) On a side note - I am only about 2 chapters in to Sarah's book (Jesus Feminist) and I can already tell you I will be purchasing a hard copy of this book... well, at least one copy - quite possibly more! It's that good!

4. We LOVE our small town!  This was more of a RElearning really!  My Honey and I were both born and raised here... we have the majority of our immediate family here and we are spoiled - SPOILED I tell ya - with local fun!  We love the birthday parties and concerts in the park... the local wineries and music downtown... the Farmers market and discovering local eateries... art in the orchard and free movies during the summer on Sunday night! Our little town is less known for these treasures unfortunately - but we are speaking life to our city and believing that God has a plan for our town!

5. As much as I love Sara Barielles - apparently I am not a real fan because there are tons of songs of hers that I do not own?  We started talking Sara on Twitter in August and all these people started chiming in with their favorites and I had never heard of the songs, nor the albums?  Here, I thought I was a fan - but I am missing out on whole chunks of her work... (since I am saving on book costs now, I suppose the Hubby won't mind if I change my purchases from books to music, right? Yeah - probably not... I guess thank God for Pandora, right?)

6.  Speaking of Pandora...  This is not new to anyone really... I mean - I am a bit slow on the techy side of - well - anything, but I was feeling rather sad that my MP3 (yes - not ipod... I am not techy - I said that, right?) died a hot and sweaty death after a particularly intense workout in triple digit heat... we do live in the desert, ya know!  My girlie asked why I just didn't plug my headphones into my phone since I take that with me when I walk anyway! I reminded her that I don't really have any music on my phone. (I only recently upgraded to a somewhat Smartish phone and don't really use it the way it wants to be used.)  She brilliantly said, "Mom - but you have Pandora, right?"  I have been gloriously walking in the morning with Pandora ever since! I love her.

7. Sometimes - your OneWord 365 is better than you hoped! Don't Hate Me Because My OneWord is Surprise!  It's true... it seems that "Surprise" has shown up in some pretty fun ways this month... At the beginning of the year - when I first 'heard' this word - I tried my best to reject it and ignore it... but it wouldn't go away.  Normally a happy faithy girl... when this word came into play - I kept thinking of all the NOT happy faithy ways it could show up!  However, in August I won a Blog Makeover (Thanks Traci!)... I won a new book (Speak Love by Annie Downs... can't wait for it to arrive!)... my hubby surprised me by adding an extra day to our vacation - both in August on the Island - and in October on the East Coast!  We have had some not so fun Surprises this year as well... but in August... Surprises were unfolded and popping up everywhere - in all the best ways!

8. Even though it shouldn't... losing all of my old comments on my blog makes me sad! It's not like I hadn't read them already... but somehow in the changing and updating of my blog, I lost all of my older comments.  On all my blog posts.  Well - only on all the blog posts that I had posted and connected the comments to G+.  When we disconnected that - those comments disappeared! I may or may not have whimpered more than a little bit.

9.   I learned how to have WAY too much fun on a Google+ Hangout... Several of my blogger/writer friends who gather weekly on Thursday nights on Twitter for the #fmfparty had decided that we really didn't want to wait until Allume in October to get to visit more 'in person'... to hear each others voices and see each other talk and laugh (and snort possibly?)... so Andi organized a couple of Hangouts on G+ and oh my Lord did we have fun!  It makes these 8 weeks until Allume seem longer... but stirs up the excitement of truly meeting face to face, with no screens in between! I was reminded once again how God moves through the internet and connects hearts and grows friendships right on down deep before a hug in real life has ever had the chance to happen!

10.  I learned that I am in the season now where I have to bite my tongue and wait to be asked for my opinion with our Girlie...  Yep - it's true! Luckily she still really likes us and she does ask for advice or input on every most things!  For instance, she decided rather spontaneously to take a road trip with two of her best friends (the ones who have been with her since birth!) and they excitedly started planning things out. (Gulp!)

 She had already been putting decisions off, wanting to discuss her choices in classes and course times and professors with us when all of the sudden it's like she remembered she was an adult and could pretty much make her own decisions and do her own things? What?  Thankfully, she is pretty amazingly awesome! Also - this Girlie of mine who wants to stick so close to home... even though the Mama in me is prone to worry... I think the adventure will do her good!  Praying I am still believing that when this little trip eventually takes place!


11.  I learned that I may just have an Instagram problem... As mentioned above, I recently updated to a Smartish phone and the thing that got me the MOST excited about it was the fact that I could now do Instagram! Seriously - out of all the Apps and all the things - it's Instagram that made my heart flutter!  So... what does one do when one is late to the Instagram party? Well - you Instagram EVERY. Little. Thing.  Food... it's a given!  Flowers... of course!  My Cat... why not?  I mean - I am BEHIND, people!  While on vacation visiting my sister, my real camera died... the battery was not fully charged and I did not pack my charger somehow! (Mental panicky note for Allume... Oh My God... PACK the CHARGER!)  Anyway... thank goodness I had my phone, right?

                                      (I suspect they are Instagramming!? I'm just sayin'...)

I'm chilling out a little... I still love it - but I think of Instagramming way more than I actually Instagram now, so I feel like it's evening out!

12.  I learned that just because it is still August and tipping the upper 90's... if Starbucks is offering Pumpkin Spice Lattes - I am drinking them!  Who can wait? 
I also learned that when it IS in the upper 90's and you WANT a Pumpkin Spice Latte... you can make it cold and add a little white chocolate for a little bit of heaven in a Venti cup! True Story.

 (...and you're welcome!)

So what about you?  What have you learned in August? 

I am Linking up with Emily over here at Chatting at the Sky!

 Join us!