Please Come to Boston

We went to family New Years dinner at La Traviata on Congress last night. It’s kind of our little family place. It was a wonderful dinner waiving a heartfelt goodbye to 2009 and celebrating the New Year. As we walked in I saw this billboard and as you all know, I love Shiner. It felt like a great big TEXAS LOVES YOU to me. That’s the Frost Bank building in the back ground. I love Texas, I love Austin. I love being home. Hope you enjoy the shot as much as I did.

Phillip Niemeyer | Picturing the Past 10 Years

Sorry it’s so small, I haven’t really mastered wordpress yet and pictures always seem to be a major challenge for me. But you can click here to see the original in readable original size.

Julie and Julia

I think we all feel like we’ve got a story to tell, we’re just not sure what it is. Isn’t that the truth? You ask someone to tell you something about themselves and they search for something that feels significant. Relevant. Interesting. Justin and I have been talking a lot lately about what I am going to do with my life. He wants me to write, he wants me to take pictures, he wants me to sit there and look pretty. No, seriously. To be honest there are moments where I think he may truly believe that I should be a part time model.. So, as I watched Julie and Julia tonight I thought of us. FOR SURE Justin suggested a cooking blog, A COOKING BLOG. I mean really? Direct quote, “Justin, no one would read it.”

Same topic, scene two. My “parents” – you have to know me to get further explanation as they do not like (read abhor) when I post personal information on my blog. I want to write, and I truly believe that people want to read reality, alas it has become dangerous for me and for my future employment (which we all know I need) to write all about life on here. No less, they don’t like when I write about them my personal life on my blog…

So, I’ve been in quite a blog quandary. What the hell do I write about. Let’s be real. My life as a substitute teacher is just not that interesting. But I had an idea tonight… I am not sure that it’s one any of the above three people will love. But I think it’s relevant, interesting and relate-able. I’m going to pitch it to Justin and we’ll see how it goes.

I love Lighthouse

So as you guys have noticed I have gotten into photography. I would say it is a God inspired outlet for creativity. I always have said that I am not an artist, but an appreciator of art. Well, photography has been the one place where I feel like I can actually see a bit of creativity in my genes. One of the blogs that most inspired me was McMama. She is doing a contest to give away Lighthouse, and I earn an extra entry if I blog about it, but I would also say, check her blog out, it’s incredible.

Also. I broke my foot yesterday, and by foot I mean toe, and by toe I mean my pinkie toe, and by broke I mean I stubbed the hell out of it. I stepped down the stairs into our living room at my family’s home in Austin. While I was away in Germany they bought a new couch that is a little longer than our old one and in my tired morning state my toe caught the corner wooden leg and I heard it snap as it went totally sideways. It was pretty awful and yesterday was one of the more miserable days of my life in the way of sickness and pain, but I am thankful to have woken up this morning to less sharp throbbing and more dull pain. Thank God, because when I was laying on the bathroom floor in cold sweats and throwing up yesterday I was pretty sure that I couldn’t take it, but I’ve decided to not take the pain medication and bear with it, and I’m feeling worlds better.

So that’s the news from Austin. Ready to enjoy the weekend with my family and head Monday to Little Rock to meet Justin’s family… Whoa. What’s happening in my life???

Love you all. I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season. Including a couple pic of the fam and Christmas.

I know it's magical.

A few pictures from life lately

Here’s a little slide show with some little portals into lately! Just click on the picture and it will take you to the album.

Life Lately

The Civil Wars

This is probably not what you were expecting when you read Civil Wars, but I’m loving this song today.  Daniel’s in town, and thus I am not only thrilled to have an incredible friend to work with in the living room all day, and I am learning some great new music.  So, here you go, enjoy.

Feeling this lately

“The cure for anything is salt water–sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Karen Blixen

Why Posting is So Hard

I’m not really sure what the de deal is, I feel like there was a stage in my blogging life when I would post ten times a day, but I’ve just lost my initiative lately.

The weird thing is I want to write. Like to tell you some of my best teaching stories. Like the little girl who asked me if I had been the basador to Germany, and when I told her no she said “oh, because my Dad was the basador to (insert European nation) He worked for George Washington. Or the little girl whose mom was late getting her to Greek school and scolded, “what’s your problem, we’re late, I’m calling you, 1 800 let’s go!” or the little boy who brought me a box of Beacon Hill Chocolates and then sweetly told me that he’d picked the red one out especially for me, it was a heart.

I keep thinking I need to tell you more about my boyfriend, Justin. It’s been one of the sweetest things that has ever happened to me, but he hasn’t gotten to spend much time with my family yet and it seems unfair for them to get to know him via blog, much less for them to get to know him along with everyone else via world wide web… So, I’ve kind of kept the whole thing to myself. However you should know that I’m headed to Texas today alone, but he’s joining next week for Thanksgiving. A big move, the first anyone I’ve introduced to my extended family.

I’ve struggled with how much I should share about my testing, but it feels right for that to stay quiet until it’s done. Just know I’m at the end of it, and it’s a good thing, it’s bankrupting me. Kidding-ish.

Living with my cousin is one of the high points of my life. She and the group of couple friends, and potentially couple friends that we have enrich my life immensely.

I have been loving having the Radcliffe boys here, my friend Jennie from high school and my dear friend Liz was here last weekend.

I’m managing to stay busy. I miss my Aunt and Uncle terribly though and this trip home is exactly what I need. So, here’s to Texas and hoping that some good time home will keep me in better touch with y’all. I have to be honest, with a cute boy occupying my evenings, I spend less time with my laptop than I used to. As well, I can just tap on Jess’ door and talk out what I used to type out. Maybe it’s all a good thing… I’m pretty sure it is.

OK, on flight entertainment is playing 30 Rock. Gotta go.

A little ear candy. She Is Love by Parachutes

It’s about as cheeseball as it comes, but Liz came to town today and she always brings out my inner sap.  It’s a beautful song and I hope it makes you squeeze the ones you love a little extra today.  She is Love by Parachutes.

$10, 10 People, 10 Minutes Can Change the World in 10 Days

So I was initially a little sad that my page has not raised one penny for the girls in Kenya, until yesterday when I got the news that an anonymous donor has promised to match every dollar that we raise from now until the end of the campaign! So thank you guys for waiting until now to get involved, because you’re going to double your money and these girls are going to be changed forever.

Via Twitter (1HOMEMANYHOPES) – follow us
“due to an incredibly generous donor, every dollar donated from now until the end is DOUBLED!!”

You can read more about the organization and the campaign here:
http://www.bostonirish.com/node/13731
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reporters-uncensored/one-home-thirty-two-heart_b_344571.html

Or you can google it, because a lot of us are blogging about it and writing about it, but be prepared to read a lot of different things. All sorts of people are involved for all sorts of different reasons.

If you want to see the girls look here:
Incredibly inspirational and moving video (get your tissues)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cekKD58GE48
Video of the girls singing and laughing last summer
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=293069505102&ref=share

What can you do?

Go to my page and give! http://www.firstgiving.com/stephjohnson

SPREAD THE WORD! Here’s the deal, you can read all the info in the above article or on the One Home Many Hopes website (http://www.onehomemanyhopes.org/) and become an advocate yourself. You can start your own page or direct people to mine.

The goal is to get as many people involved and aware as possible, not HUGE donors (though we don’t discourage them.) So here is what I am asking you to do… dun dun dun.
GIVE $10 ( of course you can give more) – right now, – no seriously, right now.. follow this link http://www.firstgiving.com/stephjohnson and pledge now. THEN, think of ten (or more) people that you think would love to be a part of giving and encourage them to give $10 (RIGHT NOW) and I bet in about 10 minutes, with $10 and 10 contacts you can change 32 little girls lives in Kenya FOREVER. Not bad for 10 minutes and $10.

If reading about this got you really excited and you want to do EVEN more… you can start your own page, and raise $2500. There are gifts for every financial goal you reach, starting with $500.

Also, promote us any way you can. Put us on your blog, your status on Facebook, your websites home page, your small group, break room, class room, Sunday School class, business, family dinner… We’ll take the publicity any way that we can get it.

I can’t tell you how much I believe in this cause. I know that I have asked a lot of you for money personally over the years, but this is so much bigger than that. This is an opportunity to empower these girls in a way that will in effect change their entire community. It is so exciting, and during this Thanksgiving season, what an opportunity.

Thanks for reading and please give $10now, right now, right here and then tell 10 people. Then forward this info or this email to everyone you know that you think might be interested in being a part!

Stephanie Johnson
stephanie@breakinggroundkenya.org

http://www.firstgiving.com/stephjohnson

Also… My co-leader for Boston has already raised $3000 and I’d like to take her down, will you please help? (sorry that was my ego begging… it happens)