New Reads

Howdy Folks,

 Just a quick drop by to say I am reading a new book and it is fabulous! I started it at the lake this weekend and I was drawn in from page 1. That is amazing to me! If you need a new book may I humbly recommend The Friday Night Knitting Club. 

It has mixed reviews on Amazon but I am in love with it already....even though I have not finished it. And I maybe, probably should not be recommending books I have not finished but.....oh well;)

Well Well...

I guess I do have an ear for music after all. A few months ago I wrote a post about a gorgeous song from Wicked called For Good....you can read it here.

Imagine my surprise when I browsed through my fav, NPR and saw this article.

It truly is for good!

PS- I am not an Oprah addict.....but these last few shows have been wonderful. And thinking about the fact that I grew up with Oprah in a way...I mean we didn't have cable in the younger days and so Oprah was on in the background a lot....makeovers.....inspirational stories.....she covered so much during her 25 seasons! I will miss her show and her bubbly personality:)

My Genes

I can admit this now....I am becoming my parents. Yes, when did it start happening you may wonder? I have no clue. I mean honestly, the teenage me would not approve, as my parents were more strict than most and not exactly the coolest set of parents when compared with my friends. (Oh teenage Sabrina....you were a mess!)

People have started mentioning things to me. I have started seeing things in myself more consistently.
 I KNOW that I look like my daddy. I get that the most! However, I also read the morning paper and then leave it opened to where I stopped just like him.

I am SO talkative....that is my mama through and through. And I will admit that I enjoy conversations and communication. It makes me happy:)

I think about things from my father's logical lawyer brain....and our sense of humor is very well matched.

I enjoy people and being welcoming and friendly just like dear Betty:)

This blend of parents and my own "me"ness is a pretty unique combination. I smile when I see my folks in me. I am pleased that I carry my family in my heart and some of my habits. My genes are certainly expressing themselves lately and that is something I can get behind, 100%.

Summer School

Summer was not created for school....this I know. However I will be packing up my things and heading back to school next week.

This summer session is going to be busy but exciting....I hope.

I will continue to mentor UGA student-athletes.

3 classes all crammed into 2 days will be a little rushed....but I will have the other days to preapre and recover;) Summer session has never been my favorite...but I like quiet Athens and less crowded Athens is a great place to be!

Hopefully starting a girls prayer group at church will add a new and refreshing element to this summer.

Of course late nights, study sessions, reading, exercising, visits with my sister, yogurt (yum), and more will also be blended into this summer school session to give me some balance!

The party starts June 2nd (sarcasm) and will take me all the way into Internship in early August. I am thankful for this wonderful FL vacation, that has revived me. Summer school here I come:)

Vacation

"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking."
Earl Wilson


What makes a memorable vacation? I guess that really depends on the person. I can share what works for me of course because this is my blog;)

Three parts location- To me the place is all so important. I have a hard time with the idea of a "staycation". I do enjoy going away. A new setting, an exciting location, a perfect place.

Two parts luxury- I can admit that I like fine travel experiences. Camping is not for me. Going into nature is fine but I want to shower and sleep in a hotel! I appreciate beauty and adding luxurious touches here and there all along the way. A fresh island drink on the shores of a beach in Puerto Rico. Check. Strolling the streets of Venice. Check. The magnificent view of the Nevada mountains from our room at the Wynn. Check.

Two parts travel companions- I am at the point in life where I can vacation alone or with people. I am past the stage of going on trips with a ton of people. To me vacations get too hectic with large groups. Unless by some stroke of luck there are matching personality types involved. Who you travel with has a large influence on what type of vacation you will have.

With all this in mind I am looking forward to my trip to Boston and Martha's Vineyard with Melanie to see Kristin in her home state:) Smaller getaways to South Carolina and Atlanta are also coming up this summer.
My dreams have me vacationing in Greece. I also think a family vacation to California and then on to Hawaii would be blissful.

Laugh

I do so enjoy a good laugh. Life is pretty funny to me and so I often am cracking up as I journey through my days.

I laugh at and with family, friends, strangers, animals, life in general:) This weekend I cracked up multiple times with my friends. Almost every time I talk to my mama on the phone she says something thats just a little bit nuts and has me laughing.

30 Rock, Dilbert, You Tube videos of people falling, my sister and our shared sense of humor, outrageous people posting silly nonsense online, my grandma and her opinions, jokes..........and the list could go on.

Have you laughed well today?

Half Way There!

"A positive redirection can improve one's life immensely." 
 my email signature-             Unknown

I did not mention it on here yet.....but I am officially half way done with my graduate studies in Professional School Counseling. Go me:) I am thankful for the many people in my corner who have showed such care and love to me throughout this journey.

Grades wise it was a good semester. I am happy with my grades and since I worked hard for them I don't feel any guilt for my sometimes "nerdy" ways.

It was a semester of snow and sun. Groups and individuals. Growth and speed. In general a lot of this and thats.

At this point I should know my exact future plans. At least that is what has always been my way. However, not this time. I am open and plan to stay that way until God shows me what he has in store. You see, as long as I am helping others (kids in a school setting to be exact), growing in faith and knowledge of the Lord, and at peace (a lot falls into this category).....at this moment I don't care where I go to find all that. Yeah, you can gasp....that is not typical Sabrina at all. But is is definitely healthier for me and a choice I have made to have faith. 


I will share as I have before.....in May 2012, I will be oh so ready to settle. I am itching to plant some roots somewhere. That is one of the things I yearn for....stability. And I hope that as long as I stay open, look for opportunities and try my best, that stability will come. And I will embrace it with arms wide open.

Only 1 dud

Funny title right? I am referring to my former roommates. I have had roommates for the past 7 years and only 1 dud. Thankfully we only had to live together for one year....and that was long enough.

Anyway, the other three have been fabulous and are now a part of my best friends circle. Now one was Melanie, and you could say that does not really count....but she is my sister and my friend so I count our years together.

I lived with Cherika for two years and Julie for one year. All of those times were during my FSU days and better roomates could not be found. Different personalities but complementary at the same time. We have all gone through some of lifes changes together. Hard times and tears. Graduations and moving. New and old. We have seen a lot together. It is good to call them all my friends! I look back over the years and see that our friendship has been built over time and that is a fulfilling feeling:)

This weekend I got to travel with all of my great former roomates and I was SO excited. I pray for each of these ladies all of the time and look forward to what the future holds for us:)

* I am having such a good break from UGA! I know I will go back refreshed because I have spent my time with those I love from both far and near. The theme for this time has been, No Schedule and Laugh A Lot;)

Blog Revamp?

I have been tossing around the idea of updating my blog format. I have seen SO many cute blog backgrounds and updates lately.

But you see, my friend came up with this unique format over a year ago. She tailored it to my specific needs and wants and I love it.

Then I see other blogs that are more colorful, bright, spiffy....and I get to thinkin. I know there are a ton of blog formats out there...but I don't know about commiting to a new one. Plus my tastes are kind of all over the place right now. I know I don't want it to look too busy.....but I don't want plain either. I want something that goes with my current life themes of: Athens GA, grad school, traveling, and good times. Should be easy to find right;)

It was GOOD!

Being able to visit Tallahassee brings a smile to my face.

I got to laugh with wonderful friends (and two more reunions are set to go before the end of the month).

I got to hear a touching and true lesson on Mother's Day.

I got SO much inexplicable joy from my Roberts babies and my teacher friends.

Sigh....Athens is a wonderful place and I know God has led me there and used me there for his good purpose.

And yet Tallahassee will ALWAYS be so special to me. Because there.....
I learned to love my sister more, in a more mature and everlasting way
I grew in faith and found another church family
I got my first real job and it was one of the best experiences of my life
I was independent
I was motivated, content, and changing
I gave myself time to try new things and meet new people
I was complete yet growing
I came to know God better and the power of prayer changed my life.

Yeah, so you can see why Tally is my second home. It was a true blessing in my life and no matter where I go  fond Tallahassee memories will always be near and  very dear to me:)

My Days in Pictures

 Easter Sunday I had dinner with Stacey and Natalie at my apartment and they both bought over flowers. Loved it! Then Yum! These are my birthday party cupcakes from the too good for words Gigi's Cupcakes!

Just some of the guests (some of my cohort) at my birthday party. Thank You Melanie, Jessica, Lauren, Marissa, Marian, Lacey, and Savanna for helping me have a wonderful time! Pottery painting was soothing! We are a darn photogenic cohort if I may say so!

Then we had a "Prom" graduation party for the 2nd years! What a busy but fun day we had!! The fumes from sitting in the backseat with all of the balloons might have gone to mine and Bronwyn's head!

The NEELY'S!!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful they are. Funny, happy, so wonderfully personable! I want a man who can cook and has a great sense of humor:)

It was a gooooooooooood week!

My Days in Pictures

 Easter Sunday I had dinner with Stacey and Natalie at my apartment and they both bought over flowers. Loved it! Then Yum! These are my birthday party cupcakes from the too good for words Gigi's Cupcakes!

Just some of the guests (some of my cohort) at my birthday party. Thank You Melanie, Jessica, Lauren, Marissa, Marian, Lacey, and Savanna for helping me have a wonderful time! Pottery painting was soothing! We are a darn photogenic cohort if I may say so!

Then we had a "Prom" graduation party for the 2nd years! What a busy but fun day we had!! The fumes from sitting in the backseat with all of the balloons might have gone to mine and Bronwyn's head!

The NEELY'S!!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful they are. Funny, happy, so wonderfully personable! I want a man who can cook and has a great sense of humor:)

It was a gooooooooooood week!

Nickname Please

This is going to seem so silly but in my adult years I have been thinking over and over again that I wish I had a nickname!

There are other things that I should be thinking about I assure you...but nicknames just won't leave me alone.

You see, Sabrina does not lend itself easily to nicknames like other names such as Elizabeth (liz), Melanie (mel) or Jessica (jess). Also, I don't come across as someone who wants to be called by a nickname....but in my heart I do!

Sometimes I am Bree.....laughing, smiling, carefree and wonderful! Bree is the beach girl who is relaxing in a hammock staring at the blue sky.

Sometimes I am Brina......my grandma is the only one who calls me this......Brina is loving, family oriented and unique. Brina likes to visit Jacksonville and spend time doing things I did as a kid.

There is also Sab.....she is silly, energetic, and kind of scattered. Sab is the ditzy part of me who is capable of locking her keys in the house 2x in 1 weekend hahahah!

So you see....I need a nickname. My personal nickname for myself is Bree. I think it is beautiful!

History

What a week for history making events. Terrifying tornadoes, a wonderful wedding (Kate was gorgeous and SO regal), and national justice was served.

Last night I watched as history was reported. It will go down in the history books and I will remember right where I was when I heard the news. Unlike some I cannot celebrate with jubilant song because a part of me wonders about counter attacks (don't go there Sabrina). However, having lost a cousin in the war I can say that the sense of closure is a blessing.

This world is SO huge! News and events are happening all of the time and I am not as informed as I should be. Sometimes the life of Sabrina seems so small. And even though that is a reality the God that calls my life as swift as a breathe also counts the numbers of hairs on my head.

I tell you, a relationship with God.....that makes all the difference. It changes how I see and hear and think. It gives me purpose and peace and passion. It helps me write my little sentence in the history book of life and actually make it worth something that matters!

I promise myself

I promise myself this. No matter the age, or life space. No matter the funds or lack thereof. No matter the emotions or the schedule.

I will celebrate my birthday every year. I will find time to have some fun and be with friends and family. It does not always have to be a formal thing, but it will be something.

Because you know birth is a blessing. Life is a blessing. The biological processes that keep us ticking are all handiworks of a magnificent God.

My weekend was too much fun. I loved it to the 100th degree!!!!!! Last week of classes here I come:)