supposed to be

I'm supposed to be somewhere else right now. An ocean away. In a place I've been wanting to go for nearly 10 years. Ireland. I'm supposed to be renewing my vows.

But I'm not. I'm here. And the only vows I'm renewing are ones to myself. I've made it through a day that marks beginnings and endings, light and darkness, "death" and life.

I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling, but I'm feeling really grateful. Grateful this day even happened at all 5 years ago. Grateful for all the days that have occurred between May 26th, 2007 and May 26, 2012. Grateful for all the lives weaved in and out of my story in these 1,826 days. Grateful for the life I shared with another and the life that no longer exists. Grateful that someone very wise told me, "Choose to heal. You're worth it."

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (romans 8:26-28)

Tried

I tried and lost at something tonight. I took a risk. It was nerve-racking, but I did it and while it didn't play out---I'm happy to have given it a shot.

Facing fears and learning... That's what I'm up to these days.

Quote

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." - C.S. Lewis

This is a photo of Gregory Alan Isakov singing my favorite song, "If I Go, I'm Goin" at the Blue Door. Amazing show. Catch him on the road if you have the chance.

What I Know

Faithfulness exists.
Grace is limitless.
Goodness will always win out.
Light overcomes darkness.

Quote

"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." --Carl Jung

"You choose who you are." --LuAnn Johnson

Mushy

There are some days that I wonder if I'll ever recover the pieces of my heart that are still broken and missing.

I wonder if your heart reshapes itself and learns to love in a different way because it can't ever love the same again. Because the original pieces will never all be back in one place.

I'm feeling those missing pieces today. My heartbeat is out of sync. It feels like it is still inside another person. A person who doesn't exist. Who isn't here. Who still has a few of my pieces.

This moving on, healing, forgiveness thing is not for the faint of heart. It's for marathon runners. It's for Olympic athletes. And today I feel like the water-boy; the 7th alternate for the pole-vaulting team.

This is hard. I'm letting it be hard today. Tomorrow I may be running a half-marathon. Or practicing for my Olympic debut. You never know with this crazy d-word journey.

17 Years in 5 months

      Ira Glass is the host of the popular radio show This American Life on NPR. I sit at a desk for 9 hours a day at my job. I do repetitive tasks with spreadsheets and if you haven’t fallen asleep just reading that, you can imagine that I get very bored. I’ve gotten sucked into the world of podcasts and got hooked on This American Life. So hooked in fact that I paid for their iPhone app that holds every radio show from 1995 to the present. At the end of 2012, that will be around 884 shows. Within the next month, I will finish the last 2 years (1997-1995.) That will be just over 830 shows.
      Because I listen to about 7 hours of TAL a day, I’ve gotten to know a lot about the regular contributors to the show. Specifically, I’ve gotten to know a lot about the host, Ira Glass. Part of that is because he shares a lot about himself on the show, but I also google him several times a week. I can’t help it. I’m obsessed with him. He’s one of the best interviewers I’ve ever heard. He makes everything interesting. He conveys a genuine sense of care to anyone he talks to and he always wants to know more. I think that’s what intrigues me the most. I feel like he’s already very intelligent and yet every show he’s eager to share with his listeners the newest nuggets of information he’s gathered. He has a strange voice, he wears huge glasses, and has the dorkiest laugh. He also uses the same script for every show. Every show starts the same. “From WBEZ Chicago, it’s This American Life, I’m Ira Glass. Each week we choose a topic or theme and bring you a variety of stories about that theme. Our show this week, (title). Over the course of the next hour we will explore this topic using ________ acts. Act One, (title.) Act Two, (title.) and Act Three (title.) Our first story is by, (contributor.)  Act One, (title.) Here is, (contributor.) ”  Trust me. I’ve listened to the show over 700 times. I love the consistency. I love everything about the way the show is put together week after week. It’s pure gold.
      I started with 2012 and worked backwards. It has been hilarious to listen to the de-evolution of technology. I remember listening to a show from 1998 and in Ira’s closing statements he says, “If you’d like to purchase a cassette tape of this broadcast you can write us at WBEZ....” I cracked up in my cubical. Cassette tapes?! People were WRITING the show to purchase a CASSETTE tape?
      Another funny moment from this last week, Ira interviewed a woman about email. They were going back and forth about AOL and that little, “You’ve Got Mail” person. I was dying laughing. This lady was so overjoyed.
      I’d encourage you to give TAL a shot. I think you just might fall in love with Ira Glass too.

Favorite Episodes (in no particular order):
#454: Mr. Daisy and the Apple Factory  (follow up with #460: Retraction)
#449: Middle School
#111: Adventures in the Simple Life
#109: Notes on Camp
#90: Telephone
#370: Ruining it for the Rest of Us
#393: Infidelity (Act II, especially)

The year of music

So without trying, this year has turned into the year of live music. Here's what's happened and is on deck. Some great stuff in store!

Jan 18: The Staves and The Civil Wars @ Cain's Ballroom (Tulsa, OK)

April 13: The Avett Brothers @ Brady Theatre (Tulsa, OK)

May 6th: Gregory Alan Isakov @ The Blue Door (OKC, OK)

June 2nd: The Staves and Bon Iver @ Brady Theatre (Tulsa, OK)

July 27: The Avett Brothers (again, they're that good.) @ Chesapeake Arena (OKC, OK)

Looking to add some of these hopefully before the year is up:
- Brandi Carlile
- Ben Rector
- The Head and The Heart
- Mindy Smith

Always searching for Patty Griffin, Glen Phillips, Counting Crows and Ryan Adams.

That's all.

juggle juggle

This is a picture of me juggling.  I'm so daring, right? Well, I'm not very good at juggling. I'm starting to feel the squeeze of life. I remember these times in college. When everyone needed something at the same time, every class had a huge paper due the same day, and you felt like because of all of that - you also were missing out on some great stuff. 

That's what it feels like right now. I've got a paper due, I'm having to miss class due to a fundraising event I planned, said fundraising event, and it's Easter weekend. I want to do yoga, I want to support my friends speaking this weekend, I've got friends having babies, friends who are pregnant, friends having major life stuff, and friends who live in DC that I keep playing phone tag with. DO YOU SEE HOW MANY BALLS THAT IS?! (that's what she said.) 

Oh, and I'm working full-time too.

It's exhausting and I feel like I need more hours in the day to be able to give everything the right amount of attention. I want to be a good employee, I want to be a good student, I want to be a good friend, I want to be a good aunt, I want to be a good neighbor, etc. Obviously, no one can be good at everything all the time. I'm not even sure all the scales have ever leveled out at the same time. But I want to believe they can. 

My mom used to say, "This too shall pass." I find myself saying that aloud, writing it on sticky notes, and trying to tattoo it on my forehead backwards. All of this will come and go. It will be over and I'll be on to the next thing. Win or lose, good grade or bad, a great event or not, Tuesday will come and Wednesday means I start the next thing. It all will pass. 

PS: Final d-word mile-marker is coming up on Saturday. Looking forward to acknowledging it and letting it pass.

School is cool.

Remember when I was like, "I'm going to apply for grad school." Well, I did. And I got in. And I started about a month ago.

I know it's early. I know it's going to get hard and it's going to be a lot to juggle, and it's going to sort of rule my life til December 2013. But so far, it's not that bad, I'm juggling, and it's not ruling my life. And I'm really enjoying it.

NOW. Let's catch up on my new year intentions!

PEACE: this is more challenging than I anticipated. Yoga is definitely a stabilizing force for helping me practice peace.

QUIET: i'm really enjoying this one. Sometimes I work without music. I drive home without music. Sometimes I'll go sit out on my deck and just listen. Other times I'll lay in bed and just look at twitter and be quiet.

PLAY: this is harder now that school is in the picture. However, I try to carve out at least one night for time with friends and FUN. (It's been more like 2.5 nights)

FOLLOW THRU: so far, I'm doing fairly well with this. I've learned to think things all the way through and be realistic about what I can commit to. Now, I just need to work on being on time.

RISK: biggest risk to date has been starting grad school (potentially doubling my school debt.) :) I already feel confident it's a risk that will pay off.

CHALLENGE: I feel like I'm being challenged in lots of areas of my life. Yoga, school, work, counseling. friends, and church have all had challenges or been challenging. Learning to love it.

MOVE: I'm doing my best to keep moving forward. The biggest milestone is coming up on April 7th. Looking forward to leaving it in the dust.

RESPOND: 9 times out of 10, I'm breathing, waiting, and responding.

CONSISTENCY: I can do better here. I'm doing okay, but I know I can do better.

HONESTY: #realtalk. Grateful for friends I can be honest with, who are honest with me, and communities I'm a part of that accept me where I am.

INVEST: working on it! I need to prioritize my time and money better so I can invest those things better.

GIVE: this will always be a work in progress. Trying to be better at being generous with grace.

PRESENT: better than I have been. The iPhone needs more time-outs.

REMEMBER: trying to take pictures, remember, read, and write. (obviously school is keeping me from being able to blog!)

DANCE: duh. easiest intention ever.

PS: I also gave up soda on January 3rd. I committed to the whole year with Kristen. And we have some serious consequences in place for breaking the pact. Happy to report I haven't had a Dr. Pepper (or any of his friends) since!

That's all I have right now. It's time to read about 60 more pages before class tomorrow. Thank for supporting me on my journey back-to-school.

Quote

"One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful." - Sigmund Freud

Ebeneezer: stone of remembrance

This has been a weird week. Not necessarily hard, but it's felt weird. It's felt "off." I couldn't put my finger on it. I was feeling the usual stress to get everything done at work. I was feeling lonely but figured it was just because I had to spend my weekend laying on my back instead of running around and being with friends. I was feeling a weight on my chest. But it dawned on me at about 3:00pm today that this was a heavy week in my life last year. This was the defining week. This was when life got real. Choices were made. Words were spoken. Promises were broken. This was when the fog got really thick. I don't hate that I'm sentimental, but it can get annoying that I remember every little piece of every little thing that happened.

This weekend last year, my dad got on a plane, my sister got in the car, and my family all got together to do what you do when life gets crazy hard.

Eat.
Laugh.
Organize. 
Protect.
Be together.

I've been kinda angry this week. Especially tonight. I didn't want to be home alone mulling over thoughts of last year. I didn't want to venture back into that fog. But a funny thing happens when you look back and see how far you've come. You remember how good it feels to not be back there anymore. It feels good to be almost 20 pounds lighter. It feels good to be taking care of myself. It feels good to be healthy. It feels good to be playing music again. It feels good to actually buy groceries and make myself a meal.

I needed to acknowledge that this weekend was here. I needed to raise an Ebeneezer and remember it's "hither by thy help I've come." Another milestone for the rear-view mirror. Another sentimental anniversary reclaimed and turned into something good. 

Bye.

Whatever comes, we shall endure.

I heard this song, "Feast or Fallow" by Sandra McCracken back in the Fall sometime. I honestly don't remember, but I remember mentioning to Brandon that we should sing it sometime together for church. It symbolized a lot for me and I felt like it would be a very powerful thing for me to do. In high school and college, I helped lead worship on Wednesdays and for a Sunday night service we used to have.  With the help of two mentors, I taught myself guitar and started singing and playing back in 9th grade. Playing and singing were a big part of who I was pre-seizure. After my seizure, my coordination wasn't the same and I didn't have the energy to play anymore. My guitar gathered dust. I took a solid 2 years off of singing or playing. I've helped out on the "praise team," (one of my least favorite church terms ever) a few times over the last year or so, but haven't played my guitar in front of people since 2008. I was scheduled to sing with Brandon at the beginning of January (as I have several times before) but it got pushed back to the 15th. The 15th happened to be my birthday. Brandon emailed me a week before and asked if I'd be interested in doing Feast or Fallow for offertory on that Sunday. After some freaking out, I agreed to do it if he would play and sing with me.

I was proud of myself for accepting the challenge instead of running from it. I was proud that I felt like I was ready to be vulnerable in front of people again. I was proud to sing a song that felt like it came from my own soul and experience. I was nervous as I've ever been, but it felt good. It felt right. What better way to celebrate a birthday than to re-claim my guitar. Re-claim my voice. And proclaim that whatever comes, we shall endure. My fields have been dry. My winter was long. The earth shook beneath me on more than one occasion. But what I've come to know more powerfully than anything else is every word in the chorus is true.

When the fields are dry, and the winter is long
Blessed are the meek, the hungry, the poor
When my soul is downcast, and my voice has no song
For mercy, for comfort, I wait on the Lord
In the harvest feast or the fallow ground,
My certain hope is in Jesus found
My lot, my cup, my portion sure
Whatever comes, we shall endure
Whatever comes, we shall endure
On a cross of wood, His blood was outpoured
He Rose from the ground, like a bird to the sky
Bringing peace to our violence, and crushing death’s door
Our Maker incarnate, our God who provides
In the harvest feast or the fallow ground,
My certain hope is in Jesus found
My lot, my cup, my portion sure
Whatever comes, we shall endure
Whatever comes, we shall endure
When the earth beneath me crumbles and quakes
Not a sparrow falls, nor a hair from my head
Without His hand to guide me, my shield and my strength
In joy or in sorrow, in life or in death
In the harvest feast or the fallow ground,
My certain hope is in Jesus found
My lot, my cup, my portion sure
Whatever comes, we shall endure
Whatever comes, we shall endure

2012: the best of intentions

I'm not calling these goals. Or resolutions. These are the boundaries by which I'm going to try to operate in 2012. These are my intentions for the new year.

PEACE: let it go. practice peace.

QUIET: shut up. be still.  l i s t e n.

PLAY: life is happening. participate.

FOLLOW THRU: do what you say you're going to do. show up when you say you're going to show up.

RISK: you can't calculate everything. jump without looking. take a chance on something or someone.

CHALLENGE: yourself. your mind. your body. your soul.

MOVE: don't stall out. don't stand still. keep moving forward. keep changing.

RESPOND: breathe. close your eyes. think. don't react.

CONSISTENCY: be the same in all avenues of life. at work. at school. while driving. with kids. with adults. online. in person.

HONESTY: ask for help when you need it. call a friend when you're lonely. answer questions with the truth. #realtalk

INVEST: with no regard for personal gain. with friendships. with time. with your life.

GIVE: be generous. with time. with resources. with grace.

PRESENT: be where you are, 110%. leave your phone in your bag. look people in the eye. hug them. say i love you. be fully present.

REMEMBER: take pictures. write. tell stories. reminisce. jog your memory.

DANCE: every day. especially the hard days.

I would love to hear your intentions for 2012! And I would appreciate you holding me accountable to mine. Happy Second Day of the New Year.

(If you're looking for some good suggestions, read this article.)

a tinge of sadness. a bear hug to the new year. and some hope.

I did these things: got a job, learned to row crew, went to two NBA Thunder playoff games, came back to yoga, lived alone, learned to be a d-word, made some new friends, sold some stuff, bought some stuff, got in a wreck, got my first speeding ticket in 10 years, said too many unwanted goodbyes, cried gallons of tears, laughed to the point of exhaustion.  

I went to these places: Hawaii, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Washington DC, Memphis TN, North Carolina.

I got to see: friends become parents. strangers become friends. family come together. marriages get stronger. people change.

I was: weak. tired. sad. confused.

I am: strong. resilient. healing. growing. happy.

I have: hope.  and lots of it.

Today has been an emotional day. More emotional than I expected if I'm completely honest. There was a lot I wanted to say about this year, but after much reflection, I've realized none of it matters anymore. It's over. This year is 7 hours from being behind me. That's all that matters. I think we all know I've been looking forward to a new year. A fresh start. A beginning that's not tainted with the sting of the d-word.

And it's finally here.

2012,
I greet you with a smile, a couple of tears, an excited laugh, a nervous twitch, and big 'ole bear hug. It's so nice to meet you.
-Cara

New Year Report Card

I made a list of efforts last December for the new year. Since there's only 10 days left, I think it's time for a final grade.

1. Be nicer. (React slower, keep your mouth shut, be stingy with your opinions.). Final Grade: B+ I think I've learned how to respond vs react, act with dignity, be more free with grace and keep my feelings to myself. Still room for improvement and I don't act the way I wish I did 7 days a week...but I'm different than I was. And that's what's important.

2. Honk less. (Be a nicer driver in general.) Final Grade: A- I've had a few moments that weren't my finest, but don't really honk anymore!

3. Volunteer at a local non-profit. Currently considering Infant Crisis Services, Citizens Caring for Children, and CASA. Final Grade: D- I get to volunteer some, but not nearly what I had in mind. Let's remember I also wasn't working full- time when I made this list!

4. Show my face and get to know students at Destiny Urban Academy on a regular basis. (I'm on the board of this school and have only visited the students once in almost a year. Not acceptable!) Final Grade: D- I suck.

5. Send more mail. I think I've sent a total of 5 cards this year. (Not counting xmas cards.) It's always fun to get mail!
Final Grade: A! I tried to send birthday cards, anniversary cards and just because cards. It feels good to send and receive mail.

6. Play some music on a semi-regular basis. (Meaning, an instrument. That guitar is collecting dust!) Final Grade: B- Open Mic has become a favorite time in my empty bedroom.

7. Be vigilant about date nights with your husband. Pick a night and guard it like Fort Knox. Final Grade: Disqualified due to ineligibility.

8. Get serious about your health! Stop watching Biggest Loser and start making changes! Final Grade: B+ I started strong, fell off for a couple of months, then came back really strong. Feeling great and loving yoga! (And I did stop watching Biggest Loser.)

9. Get involved on some level at church. Join a small group, go to a class or bible study. Dare I say Sunday School??? Final Grade: A! I joined a SS class. I even attended the class Xmas party.

10. Take your friendships to the next level. (Remember special times (bdays, anniversaries) LISTEN, be thoughtful, and be REAL.) Final Grade: you'll have to ask my friends...but I think/hope I've been a better friend. B+

11. Take more pictures of your life. Final Grade: A- I actually have recent pictures with friends and family now!
Some are even framed.

I'm working on a list of things for 2012! Stay tuned!

Music: part II

I told you I would put together a list of heavy-hitter songs for you that have been especially powerful to me. This is not everything, but it's enough to get you started. Some of them have everything and nothing to do with this year. You're welcome.

1. "Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson (This version from "Live at the Artists Den is my fave.)
2. "Poison & Wine" by The Civil Wars
3. "Northern Lights" by Bowerbirds
4. "New York to California" by Mat Kearney
5. "The Weight" by Joe Cocker
6. "Rise" by Eddie Vedder (This song inspired me to learn the mandolin.)
7. "Dublin Boys" by Antje Duvekot
8. "Angel From Montgomery" by John Prine (sung by Bonnie Raitt)
9. "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain" by Ramblin' Jack Elliot (and it has to be that version.)
10. "Paranoia in B Major" by The Avett Brothers

This is just a sampling. I'd love to hear what you think of these songs and how they hit you.

In yoga tonight, Mandy said, "Strength is not typically gained from things that are easy." I really like that. (And I know she's right.)

30 more days

30 days after today, I get to say goodbye to 2011. I have all kinds of emotions about it, but mostly I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to start a new year that won't be overcast with the direct shadow of divorce.

I'm also looking forward to my first travels of the year. My first stop is Pennsylvania. Hopefully the next stop is Seattle and the train to Wenatchee, WA. I'm sure there will be a trip to DC at some point in the Spring. And already on the books is Sloppy Sober Tour 2012 to Aspen, CO.

Just 30 more days. Newness awaits me. I am eager to give it a bear hug and say, "It's so nice to finally meet you."

Thankfully

I've tried really hard this year to be grateful for something or someone as often as possible. It helps keep my head in the right place. It keeps me grounded and present and positive. Here is a list of a few things. I hope your thankfulness is more often than just on a holiday about Pilgrims and murdered turkeys. I'm trying to make it a habit.

Grateful for:
- a job.
- my mom.
- new friends.
- old friends.
- church.
- neighbors.
- Bauer. (PS I miss him.)
- counseling.
- healing.
- patience.
- newness.
- yoga.
- strength.
- overcoming fear(s).
- family.
- heritage and legacy of/from my grandparents.
- twitter/facebook. That sounds dumb, but I can't tell you how many people I've met and how many messages I've received that I wouldn't have otherwise.
- Memphis.
- a God who makes all things work together for good. Even divorce.
- Kristen, aka Kel, aka the only person who has felt what I feel and speaks the language of divorce so clearly with and to me.
- my former spouse and all I learned about marriage, ministry, God, others, belief, doubt, respect, listening, guitar, music, photography, and being open-minded because of who he was and who we were together.
- a reliable vehicle.
- good health insurance.
- less seizures than last year.
- new babies who think I'm pretty cool and 2 year olds who can talk and are hilarious.
- Coach Taylor winning an Emmy.
- free food.
- paid time off.
- the ability to travel to see my friends who live away from here. ( Hi Tyler, Emily, Jen, Zach, Dax and Aleah. See you soon John & Kim, Steven and Cheryl!)
- the iPhone.
- selling the sentimental to make room for new memories.
- milestones.
- sleep/rest.
- restoration.
- health.
- seasons. Both literal and figurative.
- music.
- traditions.
- quiet.
- podcasts.
- road trips.
- sunsets.
- late nights with friends.
- change.

I could go for days on this subject. I hope you could too.

Merry Giving of Thanks to you and yours!

Inciting incident

Well, I did it. I created an inciting incident for myself. I threw out something that has potential to change my story.

I sent in my application packet for grad school. I have one thing left to turn in and then an interview. But I'm doing it. I'm not looking back.

I've applied to SNU for the graduate LMFT program. I will pursue the additional coursework to obtain my LPC (license.)

Fresh starts, new adventures and lots of learning coming January 2012. Cheers to inciting incidents.

Expletives

I'm really pissed off right now. I need some ideas of what to do with my anger. Got any?

In the meantime I'm going to yoga and hoping to namaste this in the face.

Bye.

Limbo and Music

Fact: My freshman year of college, I won limbo...on roller-skates. Yes I did.

2011 has pretty much been all about living in limbo. Another fact: I absolutely suck at living in limbo. I don't like too many unknowns floating out there. D-word life is all about the limbo. Stupid d-word life.

I've sold a bunch of stuff the past week and I'm co-hosting a garage sale this weekend for even more selling of stuff. It feels good. But at the same time, my house is getting empty. My walls are getting bare. The sound is getting echoey. I'm acting like I have a place to go and someone to go there with and I don't. Is this one of those horse before the cart things? Or leaping before looking? Whatever. I just keep going forward with the waves that seem to be drawing me toward the shore. All the while I'm wondering if I'm really in a rip tide or an undertow and I'm actually being carried back out to sea.

Have you heard the song "Restless" by Switchfoot? It's off their new "Vice Verses" album. It's as though Jon Foreman has been living in my soul. You should listen to it. It is exactly how I feel right now.

I've noticed the last 3 or 4 months that certain music has become more powerful to me. There are some amazing songwriters who have been through some serious pain. The reason I know that is because I have been through some serious pain. Their songs rattle to my core. They ring out in my bones. I've never had that kind of experience with music before. It has been beautiful and moving and sometimes creepy as I hear thoughts from my darkest time(s) articulated so beautifully by people I don't know. I'll try to remember to make a list of the songs I'm referring to. In the meantime, look up Restless.


I've got to stop staying up so late. Seriously. Bye.

This time last year...

... I was on a three week trip on the East Coast visiting friends and shooting weddings. Well, my former spouse was shooting the weddings. Reminiscing on some sweet memories of those visits. :)

Pictured below: Virginia, Pennsylvania, DC, New Jersey, New York.

Memphis in pictures: Day 4 aka saddest day ever

Sunday. Last day. Headed home with full hearts and huge grins. We drove the extra 10 minutes to hit Mississippi and then came back to say goodbye to Memphis. I can't speak for Kristen, but I was genuinely sad to leave that city. We were pretty quiet as we made the trek across the awesome bridge over the Mississippi river into Arkansas. We sang some but spent most of our ride home talking about the trip, reflecting on this year, talking about our families and our dreams for the future. Great day.

Memphis is pictures: Day 3

Civil Rights Museum. Memphis BBQ @ Rendezvous. Graceland. Sidewalk cafe with live music. Elvis statue. Ernestine & Hazels. Beale Street again. Fancy night out. Trolley ride. Celebration.

*Same as the last two posts. All from our phones. All by us. All edited in Instagram.

Memphis in pictures: Day 2

Beale Street. Lunch at Rum Boogie Cafe. Stranger #2. Sun Studios. Afternoon quiet time at a sidewalk cafe. Glamor Shots in a field. Three tries at eating dinner....but the food was worth the drama. Hotel cable and down comforters. Enjoy.

*all images taken by me or Kristen on my iPhone 3GS or Kristen's iPhone 4 and edited with Instagram.