Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Feels like Christmas! September 21, 2012

Filed under: Cooking Experiments,Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:40 am
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I just wrote a blog last week about how last Friday felt like my birthday! We had strategically waited to get new phones. I was happily learning all the features of my iPhone 4s. We also had a half off coupon for The Melting Pot. The savings were a part of the excitement of getting such nice experiences. I was a little giddy with how great the day went. That was where the blog post came from.

The “Free Day” Latte Maker!

Well, now I get to do it all over again… but now it feels like Christmas in the Scott household. It takes a little explanation, but the end result has been pretty awesome.  So here is the story. A few months ago, when Jeremy was very sick, he stayed home from work and and signed up for a bunch of free stuff. He called it “Free Day”. He mainly got a bunch of free plants, but he also signed up for golf clubs, kitchen stuff… etc. Pretty much anything he could for free. Jeremy has great luck with getting picked for stuff like that. Last Saturday the UPS man dropped off a big box at our house. The return label had been torn off so we had no idea what were opening. Turns out it was a very expensive one-touch latte maker. Jeremy got very excited and pulled it all out. He made himself a drink and told me how awesome it was.  I informed him that we had a Keurig and a Mr. Coffee Maker. We didn’t need a third coffee making device for a house where only one person drinks coffee. Apart from a lack of storage space, it seemed a little excessive. Jeremy did some research and realized that the latte maker was worth a LOT and was returnable to Macy’s. It didn’t take too much twisting to get to him to take it back and take the money instead.

Just like Christmas!

After returning the latte maker, Jeremy went on a shopping spree at Costco. He was able to get all this stuff with the money he got from the latte maker – plus have some left over. He bought a new stick blender (which he is using to today to make his homemade salsa). He picked up a Dyson vacuum which was on sale! I didn’t make him do this! It was his suggestion. We also got some Christmas decorations and a new decorative pillow. It was like Christmas when I got home to discover all the goodies.

One Happy Amy!

For those of you who know me, I’m major OCD when it comes to cleaning. I’m a neat freak. There is no way around it. I love to clean. It makes me happy. Jeremy knows this and saw a Dyson as an investment into my cleaning obsession. Of course, I couldn’t keep it in the box for very long! I needed it out! Once we figured it all out, I vacuumed the whole house – even though I vacuumed the day before. It was amazing all the stuff the Dyson got out of our carpet. It was almost scary! I think my carpet audibly sighed with joy from being so clean. Oh wait…that was me! I’ve always dreamed of owning a Dyson vacuum. I can’t believe I got it for free.

I might have laughed at Jeremy when I came home at the end of “Free Day” but now I have some serious respect for “Free Day”.  I’m blessed to have a hubby that shares his winnings and thinks of me! I would have never asked for something so nice, but he was generous. I’m fairly positive that he is happy with his purchases as well (He was singing while using it)! He loves making salsa and pasta sauce. We did a ton of research last year about stick blenders and food processors, but we couldn’t make a decision. Getting it for free made it real easy to pick one! It’s a happy day in the Scott household! Just like Christmas!

 

Cycles September 20, 2012

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:26 pm
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Toby sleeps while I sort clothes

It’s amazing how life just cycles. Things that were once clean get dirty. Clothes that were once washed and folded get worn. Wake up. Work. Eat a meal. Clean house. Do laundry. Feed the dog. Over and over again. It will always need to be done again.  Want to know something? I don’t mind. I really actually love it. I love that things will come around again – a chance to do better, a chance to be better. Nothing is final. Each day is a new gift. Starting over fresh, I live the same life cycles, but each is a new opportunity.

I’ve been away from home the last few days. Way from my laptop and my blog. However, with technology these days, my phone is like a mini-computer and I can pretty much do most things on it. Still… there is something about not blogging and not pulling out the laptop that feels like a small break from the normal flow. It’s good to unplug. In fact, I should really digitally unplug more often. The world won’t stop if I’m not connected to it. I know this. Breaking the blogging cycle is always good for a few days, but I am ready to be back at the keyboard. Ready to write my thoughts. All over again. Never ending. They cycle just like my days.

Being away from the routine has drained me. Constant interaction with people has made me tired. This week as a staff we discussed the book You Lost Me by David Kinnaman. As the only one in the 18-29 age range in the room, I become the mouthpiece for a generation. I felt the pressure of accurately representing the book and my fellow Mosaics. I had given myself a pep talk at the beginning of the retreat on how I really wanted to be quiet in the meetings. I’m naturally quick to voice my opinion and I’m not sure that everyone appreciates that. Instead of jumping in, I wanted to asked into the conversation. Oh, how the sound of my voice can be tiresome. I did my best. I shared my heart. I was honest and real. And it left me spent.

So now I am home. I slept a glorious night in my own bed. I woke up not knowing what day it was. It was a busy day at work trying to make up for being out of the office. But now I’m home. In my familiar territory. My sacred ground. This quiet place where God and I hang out – just like Adam walking through the garden (except for not as cool, I’m guessing). The rhythm of life is starting to settle around me again. Those comforting cycles. Wash clothes, fold clothes. Sort through clothes, purge excess. Upload pictures, blog.  What does the rest of the day look like? Things I’ve done many times – dust the house, clean the bathrooms, make cookies, read, go to dinner with a student.

For the great adventurers in the world, this cycle, this rhythm might get old. For me it is life. It gives life. I am blessed by each day that I get to love God and love others. I am blessed by the quiet, by the patterns, by the routines. This is my joy. I don’t have to be flashy, or important, or put together. I just get to live one day at a time. Making the most of each cycle.