When I was a kid, a popular t-shirt slogan was "Be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet." I don’t think I could get by with wearing one at my age. Too bad.

I have come to realize that I have a lot of issues. Yes, I know.....everyone has issues. Well, I am evaluating and, hopefully, working on mine. The list goes on for miles. Literally. So I won’t post it here. But, for anyone who knows me.....I promise I’ve identified the many problems and the bugs are being worked out!

It ain’t easy (no one ever said life was easy. That’s too bad.). I am very often overwhelmed. What do I work on first? Will solving one problem make it easier to tackle the next? And what CAN’T be solved? I try not to think about that one. One thing I’m not doing is tracing back to past to find out WHY these are issues in the first place. I know sometimes knowing the source can be helpful.....but I really want to avoid the blame game. I mean, I’m 37 years old. If there was something I missed or wasn’t taught in my childhood, it’s time for me to get over it and deal with the here and now. Blaming parents, teachers, friends, bullies or even myself seems counter-productive at this point. Moving on......

So right now I’m tackling several things at once. And I have good days and bad days. But I also have people that I look up to and that are great role models and I keep plugging away trying to emulate them (nevermind that one of them is almost HALF my age.)

All I ask for is that people in my life be patient. I am not happy with the status quo and the annoying things I do will change.....even if it takes me 50 years to do it. I hope I take more steps forward than steps back (the backwards steps are inevitable, however). I am not proud of my past....I’m not proud of my present. I have nowhere to go but up....I hope.

I just keep listening to this:

How bad do you want it
How bad do you need it
Are you eating, sleeping, dreaming
With that one thing on your mind
How bad do you want it
How bad do you need it
Cause if you want it all
You’ve got to lay it all out on the line

Le Chateau Singleton has become a reality. Weeeeeee!

While most of the country is boo-hooing the current housing market, we first time homebuyers are yelling WOOT! I lucked into a cute two-story house on the east side of Nashville for a song (no pun intended). While the home-building experience had it's ups and downs, it is finally over and I own a little piece of grass on this big, blue ball!

Actually, I'm still waiting for it all to sink in. I don't FEEL like a homeowner. People tell me that comes with the first mortgage payment (yee haw). But I am slowly getting settled in and I hope the place is presentable in the near future. Decorating is the worst.....it takes me months to figure out where to put things on the walls. And now that they are MY walls, it's even harder! Puncturing holes in your own place is a little harder than an apartment. And I now know why people buy all new furniture when they move....my stuff just looks so drab and boring! I need to be on one of those HGTV shows.....make them come in and make my place look fab!

But I'm totally happy with my purchase. While I never expected to buy a house all by myself, it was a definite learning experience (and it will be kinda nice to do stuff to it that I don't have to run by someone else )

Let's see......last September I took my first trip to Europe.....this September I bought my first house.....what will I do for an encore NEXT September???

It seems that the theme of September 11th is helping others. I'm all for any occasion that encourages giving....who wouldn't be?! So I want to share an organization I just heard of that makes giving interactive and fun!

Last week Oprah had Bill Clinton on to talk about his new book (I love Bill), Giving. One of the things they talked about was an organization called Kiva. On Kiva's website (www.kiva.org), you browse individuals from all over the world that are requesting loans to start or help their self-owned businesses. You can read about the person and why they are requesting the loan. Then you donate an amount to help them. So, for example, I found a gentleman in the Ivory Coast that requested $1,200 to expand the products available at his grocery store. I donated $25 and many others did the same and Mr. Mamadou reached his goal!

But here's the fun part.....it's a loan. So the people pay the money back (each loan has different lengths). The money is put back into your Kiva account and you can either take it and run, OR......you invest in someone else! My $25 can be used again and again.....and at a time where I am having to be careful of every penny going out, that is so cool to me!

Anyway, the Kiva website obviously explains all this better than I can. And if you go there and there aren't any businesses available to donate to, don't despair....because of Oprah and Bill, the site has gone nuts (such a good thing!!!). Keep checking back as they are always adding new people.....

I hope you all give Kiva a try.....but no matter what, spread some love today

So I'm building a house (in case you haven't been within 10 miles of me in the past 6 months and heard me talk incessantly about it.). I found out today that we are finally in the last days of home-building hell. My closing date has been set for one week from today. Oh.my.god. I'm ready but I am so not ready.

See, all this was supposed to be done in July. And then the first week in August. Then the second week. And so on and so on. I have unpacked more boxes in the last month then I've packed (you know, things I could live without for two weeks.....but not for two months). There have been times where I was so frustrated with the lack of progress that I was ready to unpack altogether. But it looks like this date may stick for real. Which means I'm about to become a homeowner. Really. They have no idea what they've done.....

So now starts the whirlwind of setting up all my utilities, scheduling the movers and the home security installation, spending gobs of money at Home Depot, changing my address and figuring out how to acclimate my cat to stairs.

So let the stress begin! I have no idea what I'm doing! And I'm doing it all alone! Weeeeee!

Please send wine....lots and lots of wine.... 

I am a geek. This is no secret. I was in band, I spend a lot of time volunteering, researching things on the internet makes me happy, and I still watch all the holiday children's specials. Now you can add knitting and crocheting to the list. I've even managed to combine my yarn craft obsession with volunteering! Nashville's homeless will be sporting some really fun hats this year....



But I never thought my hobby might become a business. One of the girls from Hands on Nashville (the group I volunteer with) liked a scarf I had made to donate. She asked if I would make her one and she would pay me. Really?? Yes. Really. So in two short hours I had her orange scarf ready to go. She and I had a "business lunch" where we completed the transaction AND she put in her order for a scarf and hat set. Later that day I get an e-mail from one of her co-workers....."Shay's scarf is so cute! Will you make me one?" This is great! I'm making a little extra money doing something I love and I didn't even have to try! And it's really a win-win because my stuff is cheaper than if you bought it in the store (and you get an original!).

Anyway.....I don't know how many people will ever actually read this blog, but here are some pictures of what I've done so far:

Knit and crochet projects

I'll be adding stuff all the time as I make them. If you're interested in me making you something, just let me know!

In 5 days I leave for my solo trip to London. Oh.my.god. I'm trying very hard not to stress out because I am just so damn excited I can't sit still! I do have a little worry about the flights.....since I fly standby and flights are very full. But I know that once I get there, it will be a whirlwind of sights, people, pictures and wonder that I am halfway around the world!

Everyone asks me what one thing I can't wait to see. And, you know what, I can't think of any one thing. I just can't wait to soak it all in. I am doing the total tourist thing.....seeing every big name site there is. Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus. I just hope I can squeeze it all in to 5 days!

This is going to be a big test for me. I am traveling to a foreign country by myself. I am not exactly an extroverted person.....but I am going to be forced to talk to strangers. And anything that goes wrong will up to me to fix. I can't turn to the person next to me and say "So? What do you think we should do about this?" It's a little scary.....but I have no doubt that this will be a confidence-boosting experience.

So this time next week I'll be in London. Can you even stand it????

I'm 35....almost 36.....not too shabby in the looks department, good sense of humor (if sarcasm is your thing), I love sports and have nothing above and beyond your run-of-the-mill emotional baggage. So, why am I not married yet? Well, there's no easy answer and I can't pinpoint it myself. But I have a few theories on the subject:

1) I'm picky. Basically, I know what I'm looking for and I will know it when I see it. I am looking for the perfect man....for ME (there is no such thing as the perfect man for every woman). This man will have faults, but they will be faults I can deal with. I just don't want to compromise on things I feel are important. This is someone that has to put up with me for years to come! I don't want a man who feel he has to "settle" for me and I can imagine he would feel the same. (contact me if you want to see "the list" )

2) We're not ready. That's right...neither me nor my future husband has gone through, learned and experienced all we need to before we meet. Maybe there's a communication skill I need to learn....or maybe he has to experience one more heartache.  Everything that happens to either of us shapes us into the people we need to be when we finally meet each other. I'm sure we've all seen those cutesy t-shirts that say "God isn't through with me yet".....well, it's true. I figure the better trained he is when he gets to me, the happier I will be!

All I know is that he's out there somewhere and we will meet when the time is right. Not everyone has to get married before 30! God has a plan....I've learned not to question it....and because I've been patient, I believe He's going to bring me someone even better than I could ever imagine. I just have to wait a little while longer....

(and, Mr. Right, if you're reading this.....HURRY UP!!)

   Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes knows that I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan. And anyone who has to suffer with me day after day knows that tomorrow is Dave Day! I will be pointing the car northwest and heading to St. Louis for the tour opener tomorrow. I couldn't be more excited! This is better than Christmas!

My friend Laurie (for whom I blame this addiction) is a 6th year member in the fan club (I am but a lowly 2 year member). Lengthy membership can have it's privledges when it comes to tickets.....Laurie is my hero in this category....I owe all my good seats to her! And tomorrow night is no exception.....we are on the second row. AND we are off to one side....on the end....see where I'm going? In case you can't.....we are but mere steps from going forward to the railing. Front row, baby! I'm getting all vklempt justing thinking about it!

So, while most of you are reading this, I will be on my way to another incredible concert experience. Put this one down as #14....and I don't plan to stop anytime soon 

The days surrounding my 35th birthday last summer were mostly spent in bed....depressed about officially reaching my mid-30's and seeing 40 in the future. I was certainly not where I thought I would be by this age. I'm not married. I still rent an apartment and just get by. I haven't traveled the world.  And I was still trying to figure out who I was. Then something amazing happened. I woke up and realized that I could either keep living like I was and be depressed that same time next year at 36 OR I could do something about it. I decided to do something.

In the approximately 10 months since my "epiphany", I have made more progress than I have in the last 20 years! I started therapy (hey, I was a psych major....I can admit this!) and discovered I had social anxiety. I can't believe how much more comfortable I am around people now. I decided to give positive thinking a try.....I'm still not a die-hard optimist, but I've shed a lot of the pessimism to reach a more realistic mindset. But, mostly, I have put God much more toward the forefront of my life. Things really are easier if you admit that God is in control and you let Him do the work He needs to do instead of fighting it!

So I may still be 35 and single (my positive thinking tells me he's out there somewhere!).....I may not be very well traveled (London later this year) and I may not be in a great place financially (though finally around only $5,000 in debt), but I am happier than I have ever been! Good things are gonna happen.....and I can't wait.....