Sometimes I write...sometimes I don't, and it's the times in between I think "lately" posts are more than necessary.  So without further adieu...

Lately...

...I've been trying to enjoy the positive aspects of summer and not rush it along 

as I typically do around this time of year.

...despite not trying to rush summer, I've been on the hunt for the perfect oversize cable knit sweater at a price I deem appropriate.  It seems as though this will be a long, often painful search. Wish me luck.

...I've been playing it safe with books which results in reading the Divergent series for the fourth time.

...being more organized is high on my "to-do" list.  See what I did there?

...I've wanted to be outside as much as possible. I cannot get enough of early morning/evening walks 

with the pups.

...I cannot stop listening to "Shake It Off."  Though I've never made my love for Ms. Swift a secret, 

this song is not going to be remembered for its lyrical substance.

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A somewhat mid-year resolution I unofficially made was to be more free with my words.  I don't mean to not recognize their worth, but to not over analyze every syllable to the point of making them worthless.  Writing and reading can be liberating if approached in the right way, and really, I shouldn't care as much as I do if everyone reads my words.  This is where I can be selfish.  This is my space. It's my voice.

I want to carry through on my promise to myself to be brave.  I will be more purposeful with writing in this blog and exercising this opportunity to be selfish.

Happy Friday and cheers to a long weekend!

Short & A Bit Scattered

Every day, we're reminded how fleeting time and life truly are. And I think we have all learned time flies regardless of whether you're having fun or not. It's elusive, much like a rare creature, and those of us lucky enough to catch a glimpse, should hold on as tight as possible.

I'm baffled knowing there are less months left in 2014 than there has ever been, but that's the reality.

Reality, I say much of the time, has no place in my life. The older I get, the less I choose to acknowledge it.  I understand it's there, but often times, I overlook it.

As most of us, I was shocked and saddened by the news of Robin Williams taking his life. It's heartbreaking anytime I learn of someone choosing to leave this world in that way. I cannot begin to fathom the hurt one must feel constantly to the point of thinking it's their only way.  I beg you, if you're reading this and having an inkling of those thoughts, please talk to someone. You are loved. You are wanted. You are needed.

Life and time.  Fleeting and precious.  We don't get enough of either, but we choose how they're spent.

Don't ever use time, or lack thereof, to not do something.  Each day is an opportunity--don't waste it.  Be hopeful and have dreams.  They are so wonderful and necessary.  Last week, I realized, these three things, albeit slightly ambiguous, are true hopes of mine...

+I have dreams of being a wordsmith. 

+I have hopes to be more than I am today. 

+I desire to be apart of something, even for just a little while, 

that has an extraordinary history and an exquisite future.

Realizing this post may seem a bit scattered, I should offer some sort of explanation for it's origin, but I'm not going to.  I just hope it serves as a catalyst to someone for something.

I leave you with these words...

Carpe diem...seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary! 
- Robin Williams