make glemonade

My favorite comfort food is probably tuna noodle casserole. But you already knew that. I also have recently started trying new meatloaves, when they are on the menu. A trivial quirk of mine is setting any number that I choose to an even number. Namely volumes, my alarms. Proof: That's all.

1. I want to see the Harlem Globe Trotters. This is cheesy, but true. I've always wanted to see them. Eric and I were making a bucket list a few months ago, just for the sake of having goals, I told him I want to see them and he told me I had to make a separate list for just me hahahahaha. FINE. I'll go see them by myself. I don't care. I ain't scared. 2. My bucket list travel starts off within the United States . There is so much history here that I have not seen. But it feels so doable. You know? I've seen so much of the West, though I would like to see the  Redwood Forest and the Grand Canyon. I need to go to NYC (and see a Broadway musical) and Philadelphia (I really want to see the Liberty Bell--- is that weird?). I'd like to go to Maine for the lighthouses and then Houston, to roam the streets where Eric once proselyted. After that, my bucket list travel includes New Zealand , most of South America but especially Argentina , and then Spain . T...

There was a time in my life when I cried at least 3 times a week. I believe it is most commonly referred to as puberty. Lately I feel like I'm back on that track, but for other reasons. At least I hope so... unless my right boob wants to finally catch up with my left one. I'd be alright with that. But some things are not to share with everyone (did she really just say that after she told us that her left boob is bigger than her right?!). So I'm going to pick a time I cried about a week and a half ago: I read this book. Oh. My. Gosh. Read it in three days.Which is saying a lot considering the last book I read took me 4 months (World War Z--- if you are wondering. Also awesome, just didn't have time). I made Lisa read it and this was the text conversation following: Lisa: Were you crying throughout the last 100 pages of this book? I keep thinking that's it but then another sentence starts the tears again. Holly: Yes. Yes yes yes. Ok, the text convo was...

I am going to leave out people because I don't think they are things. And because it's obvious to me the people that are really there for me, and obvious to them as well, I hope. So here are a few things that make me feel better always: Lizzie, Hobbes, and Viva These are my doggies. They live with my parents. Technically, they do belong to them, not me. I know for a fact that one of my sisters drove 4 and a half hours in a time of misery just to be with these puppies. They are very healing. Especially that sweet boy in the middle. I've dreamt of stealing Hobbes many times. This is one of the first youtube videos I ever saw. Don't even ask me why I think it is so funny, I do not know. Parks and Rec and Scrubs. 

I don't read blogs. I really want to I just don't know where to find them. I've been looking at some that my sister posted, so I'm going to turn this around on you guys. Please tell me which blog you read that completely enhances your life and you would be completely lost without. Much obliged.

You thought I forgot and gave up, didn't you? No. I have just been stuck on #24. A difficult time in my life. I thought about writing a short story of a one time event, but since then I have become utterly lost for words. Paralyzed. The answer is now. NOW NOW NOW! I want to scream. But I won't. So I will take my self-awarded pass. A physical feature I like? Well that will sufficiently not scrape any open wound from which I currently suffer, so I'll take it. My shoulders and neck. They've always been lovely, slender, feminine. My mom will tell you that I should have been a hand model, but I think they are actually too big. They are pretty, but very long.

Off the top of my head, ish: 10. The Story So Far, NFG 9.Your Heart is an Empty Room, Death Cab for Cutie 8. Porcelain, Moby 7. Passenger Seat, Death Cab for Cutie 6.Timshel, Mumford and Sons 5. Jesus of Suburbia, Greenday 4. Heart of Life, John Mayer 3. If Work Permits, The Format 2. Pleasure and Pain, Ben Harper 1. One Headlight, The Wallflowers Currently also loving: Welcome Home, Radical Face Kick Drum Heart, The Avett Brothers Work It Out, Jurassic 5 and Dave Matthews Band Someone Else's Life, Joshua Radin Skinny Love, (as covered by) Birdy Badfish, Sublime 

late night Sunday talks with Mom, when we just weren't ready to give up on the weekend. house phones with cords that stretched all the way down the hall. the Backstreet Boys with Kevin Richardson. having a piano in my home. mix cds with quirky titles. leaving work at work. my bff maegan. Colorado.

This is awesome, because I just found some goals I wrote in my journal about five years ago and let's recap how well I've done. In May of 2007 I made goals up to a 5 year goal. I'll spare you the shorter time periods, but here was my five year: "26 years old, eh? By then I think I want to be married. And I don't think I'd mind having a kid, maybe two. In 5 years I want to have finished grad school--- so have finished in 3 years? That's realistic, right? In 5 years I want to feel like a grown up, but not too much.  I want to be helping in my community--- politically and any other way. Volunteering and working just being locally politically involved. I want to be still close with my family no matter where I live. I hope that although I'll be paying off student loans, that I will be financially stable in 5 years. I want to be buying a home by then. I want to be in love. And I want to live near a big city." Oh, 21-year-old Holly, how could you kn...

1. EATING LATE AT NIGHT.  I honestly do this all the time and the last time I was able to lose weight, well, I did a lot of lifestyle changes then, but one of them was refusing to eat after 8pm. And I'm sure it helped. Since we order in if we eat at work (except in the summer) it unfortunately makes my eating schedule 2/3pm, 7/8pm, 11pm/12am. It's not as bad anymore. I'm trying to eat breakfast even if it's small and then have lunch at 1pm now since I have more control. But oh my. It's terrible for my hips. 2. THE MORE STRESSED I AM THE MORE I PICK MY FACE/LOOK FOR SPLIT ENDS. I seriously can't stand when people look at their split ends, but if my hair is long enough and I have it down I will do it at some point during the day. I try to limit it because I detest it. 3. I DON'T LIKE TO SHARE MY FEELINGS. I don't like to talk about my problems. And I hold them in for a long time before I seriously break down. Sometimes I never break down, which is mayb...

You have to read Lisa's on this one, it's a poem and it's awesome. DARK. I am afraid of the dark. I didn't think I was until I got married and had someone to witness my fear. The good news is I'm confident enough in my skin to not really care about ruining my tough-girl image. I turn the lights on all the way back to our room when I go to bed. Hall light on, living room off, bedroom hall on, hall light off, Light beside my bed on, bedroom hall light off. Worth it. I also will not look at a mirror without a light on. I'm sure it stems from "Bloody Mary" as a child/preteen, but I am genuinely afraid I will see a ghost/spirit beside me. I just don't want to deal with that, so I turn the light on or run by. I also will not run after dark, even if it's with a buddy. I wish I could because I often get home from work when it's dark except now, when it's 105 degrees still... anyways, I'm really scared of being attacked in the dark....

For those of you who do not know already, my mother read to us every night before bed when we were kids. I think it is important to give her credit for this whenever I can, because it instilled in each of us a great love for reading that has no doubt increased our intelligence, cultivated our thirst for knowledge, and of course, given us a hobby that is, well, wonderful. I don't think you will find a Mahan that will not read to their children every night. So thank you, Mom. Although I have not read them since I was a child and she read them to us, I would have to say the books that left the biggest impression on me were A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner (I believe it was the complete set). Revisiting makes me want to read them very soon. I wonder how it will be. “Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to...

Actually since it is a dream job , let's dream that I'm not somewhat allergic to animals. With that being the case, I think it would be really awesome to run a dog shelter OR train dogs. I don't really care about the logistics of the business, I just want to be able to take care of dogs all day long. Didn't know I was a crazy lady, huh? At least it's not cats. P.S. I was raised around dogs ergo didn't realize I am somewhat allergic to them until I left home for college and lost my immunity. I can handle being around them, but some are worse than others. Some don't bother me at all. All cats kill me. I am brutally allergic to them.

Well, isn't this fitting to reveal, based on the gloomy outlook of my "handbag" . Although it is work-centered, I actually enjoy my daily grind. I wake up between 7:30 and 9:30am. I have the luxury of heading in to work whenever I choose. In my busy season (which is September to May) I go in later because the people I work with work late, and I'll be there until 7 or 8pm either way, no point in getting there at 9am. This time of year I am at work around 9am, because it is my slow season I can leave around 5pm. I work all day and I really like my job. Most days. I work with very strong sales personalities that can be just as fun as they are annoying. In the summer I take lunches, September to May I don't. Fall/Winter I would come home around 8 and Eric would have cleaned the house and often prepared dinner for me. I would work on church stuff at night and wake up and do it over again. It was very tiring. Weekends also filled with church quickly. There have be...

Occasionally I use a purse. I have a few small Coach bags, which I love, and a brown Jessica Simpson that is my old faithful. I bought her when I got a raise and I love her. BUT most of the time I am using this: I am unfortunately in the habit of working a lot. So this thing has my laptop, which is dinosaur looking, although not actually very old. It is just a business laptop, so they didn't go for sleek looks. The front of the main pocket has my wallet, passport (the only ID I have with my married name), chapstick, and a few pens. The side pocket has my phone, the front flap has any work receipts. It is cumbersome, but it's nice to have a work bag that is functional. I won it at the work Christmas party, in an ugly sweater contest. My boss told me I only won because everybody likes me. Ha! I guess there are worse ways to win something. But my sweater really wasn't the ugliest.

I think if I had time I could write about this one forever. I will not go back through all my favorite books and find the amazing quotes in them. You should check out my mom's and sisters' blogs, they all had great quotes. Their blogs are linked on my right sidebar. I am going to share with you my all time favorites, that mean the world to me, but I am not going to explain why. From Ulysses by Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson “Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” From The Prophet by Khalil Gibran "But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing floor, Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not...

This is an Eric question. I don't think about winning the lottery, because I don't ever plan on buying a lotto ticket [insert eye roll from Eric--- most people don't plan on buying lotto tickets and winning, but they still think about it]. I think Eric has a plan for any large amount of cash. So I guess I could also say I don't worry about it because he will know what to do! And don't worry family, you are all taken care of by the plan. The thing I would do first is pay off any student loan debt I still had and buy a house. These are probably first on anyone's list (or any other debt they may have), but I am so anxious to pay off my student loans that it is annoying. Let's think about something fun to buy... I know I don't have to be rich to buy these, but I would love to have several dogs and a place for them to play and enjoy their lives, and the time to really play with and take care of them! I would buy a Jeep again. Pr...

Well, I, unlike my sisters, have not birthed a child yet. I know that will be my most proud moment some day in the future. For now I really have to dig deep and think about proud moments in my life. It is difficult, because as I leaf through the proud moment rolodex in my mind, all the memories that pop out are when I was proud of someone else. There are a million tiny moments when I was so proud of Eric for being the strongest, bravest person I know throughout his cancer experience. I was awesomely proud of my sister Lisa when she birthed that sweet baby girl. I am so proud of Jen and Stef for the brave way they face their daily adversity.  My little sister Kelli works full time and kicks serious A in all her classes at CMU constantly. She has multiple scholarships and I even made her send me her last report card so I could hang it on my fridge.   After truly mulling it over, I think most of my most proud m...

So I am much like my sister, Stefanie (her blog post on the subject here) , my first true celebrity crush was JTT. Every girl our age liked him. I was a product of my generation, I hardly had a choice. And this is exactly how I remember him. Oh, Home Improvement! And the Lion King. Who didn't melt when they realized he was Simba's voice?! Then, like Stef, I also must confess my love for the BSB. And my chosen crush was Kevin Richardson. All my friends were obsessed with the BSB, and we eached liked our own one. For your viewing pleasure. My last one is my unique one. Wondering who else remembers this movie... I loved Rocky, but I always had to have Colt as my imaginary boyfriend becuase Stef got Rocky, I had Colt, and Lisa got Tum Tum hahahahaha. Age order. What can you do? 

I was talking to my sister today and became greatly amused as she informed me that most of her blog posts from this challenge get 40-60 hits, but hers on body piercings and tattoos has almost 100. She spoke with another sister and she has had a similar experience. I love all of you nosy people! I will disappoint on this matter: I only have my ears pierced once. I have never had any other piercing and never really wanted one. Maybe not never, but not enough. Let me explain why. When I was very young, the LDS Church (to which I belong) did not really have a strong stance on body piercings or tattoos. They had a general look-clean-and-modest approach, as far as I know. When I was a Mia Maid, which is the group class for 14-15 year old girls, we had a very small group of girls, and I got to know my church leaders at the time very well. It was the year 2000, and President Gordon B. Hinckley was our prophet. In General Conference  he addressed the Priesthood (a session addressed to...