Saying Goodbye to the (Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl

Well My Dear Readers,

The time has come.

When I started Confessions of a (Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl I desperately needed something. A framework with which to wrap my experience.

I had been struggling for a while.

I was in pretty deep. Deep in the muck of reliving and making peace with past experiences. Opening old wounds and giving them room to breathe left me reeling. Forgetting which end was up. Wondering where the old me went.

The old me that used to see the world as beautiful. Fun. Positive.

Confessions of a (Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl helped me focus on the fun again ... the daily aspects of my life that I may have let slip by if I didn't pay attention to them.

Serendipitous means making fortunate discoveries accidentally. Little did I know how true that would be. Or how much I would learn about myself during this process over the past 20 months.

But it is time to bid Confessions farewell. The decision has been a difficult one.

I have mulled it over for months. Struggling against it not feeling fresh around here. Questioning whether or not I was being authentic. Something just didn't feel right.

Eventually I realized that I needed to step out of the frame with which I had surrounded myself. Serendipitous is about things that happen to you. Accidents. Fortunate, yes. But what happens when you're ready to start making things happen for yourself?

I am ready for that.

I am ready to start taking the steps toward a future that is no longer defined by the past. But instead, a future based on what I see for myself. A future designed in my dreams.

And so, it's time to end this chapter and get to work on making those dreams a reality.

I can't thank you enough for all of your support and encouragement. For stopping by here on a daily basis and seeing what I was up to. SSG is a HUGE part of me and I giggled recently when a friend was asked at a party "will SSG be here?"

Luckily, I am keeping my moniker and will still be SSG to you ... I hope.

You didn't think I was leaving all of you lovlies, did you?

No, pumpkins. No.

I am simply turning the page and writing my next chapter. Won't you come join me?

The Simply Savvy Girl's Guide

I do so hope you will, it wouldn't be the same without you!

Flashback!

Did you guys know that MELROSE PLACE is BACK ON?!

SSG remembers piling into the TV room in her college dorm with all the ladies on the floor (and SOME of the guys who PRETENDED they didn't care what happened) to watch Melrose each week.

I distinctly remember the SCREAMS when we found out that Kimberly was ALIVE!

The Fish and I snuggled in on the couch to check it out ... for nostalgia purposes only.

The twists!

The turns!

The DRAMA!

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz?

SSG ... er ... I MEAN Fisher can hardly wait to see what happens next.

THIS Drive Should Be On a Map

SSG does love a scenic drive. And over her vacation there were PLENTY.

Country roads.

Coastal roads.

Roads to the houses of friends.

Roads to the drive thru of Sonic.

But none compare to the road SSG drove on today.

This is SSG's drive into work.

SSG didn't take this picture because ... well ... it's GOOD. So thanks to Google Images and the 100 places it's posted. SSG isn't sure who to credit. But anonymous cameraperson? Well done.

So anyhoo, SSG drives in and out of downtown Portland on this road that parallels the Willamette River. On sunny mornings the paths are filled with bikers and joggers. And almost every afternoon during the summer a festival is either being set up or taken down and SSG wants to yell at the people who take THEIR SWEET TIME walking across the street allowing only one car to turn right on a green signal.

But that isn't what this is about.

THIS is about what was going down today on the grassy area in that photo up there which is known as Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

TODAY.

Internets.

SSG was driving home when she saw ...

Dudes.

Playing.

Football.

And not just ANY dudes.

But Portland FIREFIGHTER dudes.

How did she know they were firefighters? Because not only were they all HOT. They all wore the telltale navy t-shirts (oh how I heart you navy t-shirts) that said "Portland Fire Dept."

FIREFIGHTERS. Playing. Football.

In.

Front.

Of.

SSG's.

Very.

Eyes.

SSG is PRETTY sure that's exactly what heaven looks like.

(SSG would also like to take this time to apologize to the red Mazda she almost rear ended.)

Last Day of Vacation

So it's Monday evening and here I sit in my office thinking back over the last ELEVEN days I've had off ... how quickly they go.

I head back to work tomorrow, which actually is a good thing. I seem to have buried myself in projects around the house. It seems like when you have one area torn up, everything else gets torn up and pretty soon you're sleeping on your balcony because there is no room in your house.

Not really.

But I am tempted.

There IS a gorgeous yellow moon out tonight, hanging just above the horizon.

Anyhoo ... a few of the shots from my quick trip down to the beach made possible by Oscar (Predo's dog) and Fisher's Auntie K. Thanks again Auntie K! It was lovely!

Though it wasn't so lovely when I first drove in ...

Within an hour though, the meh headed east.

And Predo & I took the dogs down to the beach ... and YES, that would be my dog LAYING DOWN in the water.

Oh! But we're up again and ready to chase the tennis ball.

This was the beach house that Auntie K and I decided would be just fine if it belonged to one of us.

The Cape Cod shingles, white trim and adirondack chairs just screamed Labor Day weekend. The only thing missing was one of the Kennedys.

This was SSG's spot that distracted her while she got a sunburn.

Okay and maybe THIS distracted her a little bit too ...

SSG now has a permanent pattern on her chest and left arm of the t-shirt she was wearing ... a rosy end to what was a wonderfully relaxing summer vacation.

Hope your weekends were fabulous ... and slightly less pink inducing.

xo,

Off to the Beach!

Hope you all have lovely Labor Day weekends!

xo,

Just Peachy

SSG loves country roads and farm stands and decided to hit the road yesterday to see what she could find.

"Open" is such a good word when it comes to farm signs don't you think?

Jossy Farms is in the Willamette Valley and grows apples, pears and PEACHES.

FARM FRESH. RIPE. PEACHES. Internets. It's worth shouting.

I think you'll agree?

A late summer day, walking through a peach orchard?

B-L-I-S-S

And please note Oregon's sunny skies. SSG would like to be balanced on her Oregon weather reporting because ... ahem ... she hasn't always been. Namely in DECEMBER 2008 (she's looking at you 2 week "Artic Blast".)

After this, an SSG can get a little hungry--she had heard a Sonic Burger came to town and was near where SSG was. SSG is nothing if not a fan of research.

Do you guys have Sonics near you? It was DELICIOUS--especially this frozen strawberry limeade slushy thing. Just typing that made SSG wonder if they're open yet. Which isn't a problem unless ... you know, it's 8:30 a.m. and 20 miles away. WHICH IT IS.

(But SO worth it.)

I swung by an apple orchard on my way home and grabbed some McIntosh apples to make some applesauce. Because YUM.

And these ...

Dahlias are SSG's favorite flowers. I think they look much happier at Chez SSG in a Bonne Maman jam jar, don't you?

Nothing cuter than flowers in a jelly jar. I think the residents of Chez SSG agree.

Please Make Her Stop

Mrs. Bob took this picture over the weekend.

How can you say no to this precious face?!

Easy.

You don't.