Also, I’m writing this on my new MacBook Pro! My other computer went on permanent vacation apparently, so.. I love this thing so far. I’m coming from using Ubuntu Linux and I love Linux, but I also love much of this. I’m actually surprised to see the little similarities here and there too, even if it’s weird since I’ve never used a Mac. My only complaint so far is that I can’t seem to calibrate the monitor.. everything is so very yellowy or green. I’m also coming from a matte screen, so it’s definitely very noticeable. I’ve tried going through the calibrating process, both the easy and advanced and well, apparently I suck at it. lol I’m going to have to get someone who has better eyes to do it for me. lol

Also, can you believe Christmas is next weekend?!

My dad, my sister, brother and me in the glasses. I was about 11-12.

Our kitty, Ana.

Went into Baltimore the other day to go to The Bookthing of Baltimore, which is a free bookstore. I LOVE that place.

Just cool packaging that I like, ha.

Me! Sam took the original of this, though.

And Christmasy!

[you can find me under "ohlauren" on instagram.]

For those of you who don’t know, my dad passed away in July at 61 years old. He was battling lung and brain cancer for the past year. I was thinking that I’d maybe do some kind of tribute post as my first post coming back, since I have lots of great pictures to share, but I don’t have it in me right now, maybe later.

It’s been a pretty rough few months since then. I lost my mom eight years ago, when I was 20, so it was kind of double-hard, if that makes any sense.

A few weeks before my dad died, my husband’s uncle died from cancer as well. I only met him a few times, but I really liked him a lot. And then last week, a friend of mine was killed in a car accident coming home from a pro-life conference in Georgia. She was newly married and 5 months pregnant with baby Sophy.

http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/09/students-for-life-staffer-unborn-baby-die-in-tragic-accident/

The passenger in the car with Kortney died this morning. I didn’t know him, but the entire situation is so tragic.

Like I said, it’s been rough, but I would like to get back into things, and this was kind of my hump to get over to start posting again, so expect more (hopefully happier) posts here soon.

This is my first time using this stitch too, I think it’s a back stitch, I’m actually not sure, I read about it months ago and then randomly decided to try it, never really checking to see it if was right or anything. (That’s kind of how I roll..)

I was originally going to add the words “foxy lady” to it, but I loved the fox so much as is, that I don’t think I can do it. Isn’t he cute? Should I name him? All foxes makes me think of the Fox and the Hound, which is my favorite Disney movie, maybe I’ll name him Todd.

My legs are so covered with bug bites, I counted at least 26 of them, at quick count and I’ve barely been outside! Apparently living near the water means a lot of mosquitoes, gosh who knew?

Chrissy from Whimsical Poppysmic does this feature called Awkward & Awesome and I don’t nearly have as many of either as she has in her crazy life, haha, but I totally have an awkward to share.

I found this really cute vintage bike on Craigslist in Baltimore for $30. It had new blue tires on it, and the bike was tan/brown vintagey, brown seat, 10 speed. So, I contact the seller, it’s still available, I set up a time to come and buy it. We get there, and get this.. she sold it! And it couldn’t have been more than about 10 minutes before we got there because we actually ran into the person who bought the bike. What on earth? Who does that?

Anyway, on to the snail mail.. Oh! This first one? The person actually wrote the letter on this piece of paper & folded it into an envelope! So cool.

This is from Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio, which is on Lake Erie and I’ve been once with my family – we drove up randomly one day from the Pittsburgh area, where they’re from. it’s really pretty and peaceful.

I stole this from Amylou from amylouwho. I thought I’d throw something in this bloggy thingy here that never gets updated anymore.

You can also add me on Goodreads if you don’t follow me already! Also, if you do this survey, let me know!

1. Favorite book – Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

2. Least favorite book – Ok, I HATE this book. It’s HORRIBLE. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

3. Book that makes you laugh out loud - The Demon Underground series by Parker Blue – Bite Me, Try Me, Fang Me. Oh my gosh they’re so ridiculously entertaining.

4. Book that makes you cry - The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers, Never Let Me Go, Memory Keeper’s Daughter.

5. Book you wish you could live in – Maybe The Great Gatsby, that sounds cool.

6. Favorite young adult book – The Tillerman Cycle by Cynthia Voigt

7. Book that you can quote/recite – None.

8. Book that scares you – The only maybe scary book I can think of that I’ve read was Rose Madder by Stephen King. I don’t really read scary.

9. Book that makes you sick – Well, obviously that one as well.

10. Book that changed your life – No novels, but there are a handful of non-fiction Catholic books.

11. Book from your favorite author – Chris Bohjalian’s Double Bind.

12. Book that is most like your life – None, I’m weird.

13. Book whose main character is most like you – I hate to say this, lol, but kinda maybe Bella from Twilight. lol The nervous cute thing fits me I guess.

14. Book whose main character you want to marry – Ooo, Dimitri from the Vampire Academy Series, Richelle Mead, haha.

15. First “chapter book” you remember reading as a child – The Babysitter Club books, maybe. I think there must have been stuff before them, though. Wait, when did I read The Indian in the Cupboard books or Charlotte’s Web?

16. Longest book you’ve read - Not sure, the Harry Potter books get pretty long toward the end.. Actually, probably The Count of Monte Cristo, but I think I read an abridged version, but even abridged it’s still really long.

17. Shortest book you’ve read - Five People blah blah Mitch Albom.

18. Book you’re most embarrassed to say you like – It doesn’t really embarass me, but it seems to make other people go crazy, Twilight series.

19. Book that turned you on – No idea.

20. Book you’ve read the most number of times – I don’t reread books.

21. Favorite picture book from childhood – all the Little Critter books, especially Just Me and My Dad.

22. Book you plan to read next – Not sure, but I have to finish reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver and The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman.

23. Book you tell people you’ve read, but haven’t (or haven’t actually finished) – I don’t really tell people I’ve read them, but I’ve probably consider them read on places like Goodreads.. some assigned high school classics I never finished.

24. Book that contains your favorite scene - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, pretty much, oh, every scene.

25. Favorite book you read in school – The Count of Monte Cristo, Martian Chronicles, The Jungle, Fahrenheit 451, The Great Gatsby. Didn’t much care for the girly classics.

26. Favorite nonfiction book – I haven’t finished it, but  Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter. The Revolution by Ron Paul

27. Favorite fiction book -  The Stolen Child by Keith Donahue.

28. Last book you read – Walking on Broken Glass by Krisa Allan

29. Book you’re currently reading – Already said.

30. Favorite coffee table book – Um, magazines? lol

31. Favorite adventure book - Gulliver’s Travels

This one was from when we went to Tennessee back when I was in elementary school. It was the only real vacation we ever went on growing up. It was pretty cool though. I got to ride in a helicopter, go ice skating, go horseback riding on a trail and see bears, all firsts. (And uhh, I think except for the bears, the last time I did any of those things!) We also went to Dollywood.

We had to wake her up so we could sing Happy Birthday to her and give her her birthday ice cream. Stiinky Puppy LOVES ice cream.

Turkey Hill? Yay, my favorite! (We also got some chocolate syrup for us, of course.)

Blowing out her candles.

At this point she was about ready to eat us..

Give me my ice cream!! Please?