Currently: July 2022 edition

Hey-hey, ladies and gents! We’re officially at the end of the second full week of July…which means we’re only 85 days away from my wedding…and my life is unsurprisingly wild 😂

“Wild?” you ask. “What is ‘wild?'” Well, “wild” for me means that I’m running a small business, while at the same time keeping a close eye on certain wedding-related deadlines (like logging names into the RSVP feature on our wedding website, mailing invitations, getting my dress altered, etc.), while at the same time keeping up with ordinary life and enjoying to the fullest my last three months at home.

Is it any wonder that I completely forgot to send out my monthly newsletter this month? I think not. The nice thing about that delay is that it’s giving me a chance to finally switch over from the dreaded MailChimp to the much more functional MailerLite. I’ve decided not to worry about getting a July newsletter out into the world, but instead focus on releasing a new-and-improved August edition of The Wordsmithery on time. (Don’t worry, you won’t need to resubscribe.)

So with all that said, how about a quick “Currently” post? This is one of my favorite “go-to” templates for a blog post when things are crazy but I’m itching to write something.

Reminiscing over: my recent trip to Colorado. My aunt asked me to be her assistant at an art festival where she’d be promoting her pet portraits (you can check out her work HERE), so I accompanied her and my grandmother to a small, somewhat “high society” mountain town just west of Colorado Springs. The art festival was interesting, and confirmed for me that modern art is not my cup of tea. But the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. I got to see the Garden of the Gods, and we took the cog train up to Pikes Peak, where I literally cried at the sight of the Continental Divide. When C.S. Lewis describes the “inconsolable longing” we feel at the sight of something so beautiful that it makes us yearn for a Far Country…that’s exactly what I felt at that moment.

Other MAJOR highlights of this trip:

• I got to meet Temple Grandin, world-famous animal behaviorist and autism activist! She was WONDERFUL. It’s a long story, but I actually met her at a private dinner and sat across the table from her, and she and I had a fantastic conversation about Star Trek, the importance of arts and practical skills in education, and animals.
• I also got to FINALLY meet, in person, my dear friend and one of my favorite humans of all time: the lovely Lancia E. Smith. After almost three years of writing for her online magazine, Cultivating, and communicating with her via phone calls, Zoom, and texts, it was such a joy to spend two days with her and her husband Peter.

Reading: far fewer books than I read in 2021, but again, I don’t think I should fault myself if some of my old routines and hobbies have had to take a back seat this year. I am reading a few books, though:

• Pilgrim’s Inn by Elizabeth Goudge (it’s about time)
• The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson (working through this one with Caroline)
• The Mystery of Marriage by Mike Mason (re-reading this one after breezing through it the first time)
• Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith (I feel much more comfortable with this book than with Joanna Gaines’, which, I must admit, overwhelmed me)

Writing: I wrote a new piece for Cultivating last month, and it’s one of my favorites I’ve ever written. “A Tale of Two Rings” sheds a little light on vulnerable parts of my story that I’ve never really shared before (like the fact that yes, I really did do some research on Anglican convents at one point in my desperation to find purpose in my singleness). I hope y’all enjoy this article–and while you’re there, be sure to wander through Cultivating‘s new site!

Planning: our wedding!!! We have invitations, napkins for the reception, my dress and veil (yes, I love them 😉), a completed guest list, most of the decorations, and a functional wedding website. We also have engagement photos, courtesy of my talented brother and sister Ben (the photographer) and Katie (the coordinator)…

You can see more of our engagement photos here 🥰

Watching: I’ve elected to avoid Thor: Love and Thunder, since I’d like to protect my brain cells from shriveling up and dying, thank you very much. But I did see Top Gun: Maverick earlier this week, and that theater ticket was 100% worth it. The first Top Gun movie had a mediocre plot, in my personal opinion (sorry, fans), but between the heartstring-tugging story and the soaring music, the second one is absolutely fantastic. Go listen to this track from the musical score–“The Man, the Legend”–and notice the beautiful melding of the Top Gun Anthem and Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand,” and tell me if it doesn’t make you want to either fly or cry.

Also in the “Watching” category:

• Jurassic World: Dominion, which was definitely the weakest of the Jurassic Saga but still gave me everything I wanted (Owen and Claire as parents, Dr. Grant and Ellie reunited, and a baby raptor).
• Titanic. I’ve never seen it before, but I went into it with abysmally low expectations…and I’m actually enjoying it??? I’ve been obsessed with the Titanic since I was a kid, and the movie definitely does the ship justice. I can’t decide who’s prettier: the Titanic or Kate Winslet.

Waiting: to see how Operation Lionhearted fares next week in the 2022 Realm Awards!