from ice cream to college to julie and julia.

with one spoonful of this malted ice creamy temptation i was instantly whisked away to my childhood visits to foster's freeze.  my dad always took me and my standard go-to item was a malted milkshake... i'm guessing it's partly to blame for my elementary school pudginess.  nevertheless, it's a somewhat simple memory, forever ingrained plainly because my dad died when i was young.  the simple memories turned into tangible moments frozen in time; ways to remember what it was like to be with my dad.  and that is as sweet to me as a malted shake. 

growing up, my dad (and later my step-dad, too!) was hard on me in a good way.  once i entered the doors to my kindergarten classroom he gave me lectures on becoming the valedictorian.  while i never made it to such a lofty position his prodding instilled within me a work ethic with the mantra of always doing my best. 

i found a sense of accomplishment in that, striving to put my best foot forward, as unto the Lord.  until i got my first B minus on an english paper in college.  oh the tragedy.  my life felt like it had come to a complete hault as soon as that red lettered grade graced the page of my diligently written (so i thought) paper.  i didn't know what this professor was thinking.  he must not have known that i'm an A student.  i uttered a "he'll learn" under my breath and was crushed for the entire week.  i mean seriously, if that's all i had to worry about in a week's time that sounds pretty swell.  ; )  oh to be in college again.  ha ha.  not really.

fast forward a few assignments.  i upgraded to a B.  still not good enough in my book.  i mean, i was a writer.  i dreamt of being a political analyst and even wrote a paper in 6th grade analyzing the current election (it was the bush-gore debacle of 2000) just for the fun of it.  i wrote for the fun of it all the way back to sixth grade.  and if writing, just because you enjoy it, doesn't make you a writer, what does?  so by the time college age came i was a well-seasoned pro.  ; )

my professor was tough and didn't let anything get by.  he wanted almost perfection... as he claimed he'd never give anyone a grade of a 100 because there's always room for improvement.  i finally landed an A on my last assignment.  but that B minus paper taught me more than an A paper any day... that good ol' lesson planner professor taught me some lessons, for sure.  there's always room for improvement.  there's always room to be sharpened.  his lesson was a light post for life's journey down the path.

and now several years post college i understand it more and more.  there's always so much to learn, always room for improving, always room for sharpening.  because after all, we haven't made it until He says "well done, good and faithful servant." 

my babies have turned to toddlers allowing me more time for reading.  in the seasons that have afforded less reading i always forget how much i enjoy it.  i've read four books in the last two months on good meaty topics and i feel nourished.  sharpened.  shepherding a child's heart and humility were my top two (see my Amazon list to the right).  i can't wait to read more and more.

now i also want to read a book for leisure.  for the sake of a good story.  for the sake of learning how to write well.  putting adjectives in their perfectly dependent places.  putting verbs with nouns to make them jump off the page.  to write with depth, meaning, and meat. 

i cracked the pages of this book and fell instantly for this wordsmith of a writer.  i saw the movie, but the book is even more beautifully said.  i am making my way through it... learning new words and learning new ways to string words together.  what are you reading? 

it's somewhat fascinating to discover what can evolve from one bite of malted ice cream.  thanks for wandering with my brain around and about for a few minutes.


-carissa