It Was Painful, But I Did It

Just like kicking any addiction, habit, or vice in life, it was tough making the decision to finally delete my Facebook account. I had new complaints about it with each passing day, and the negatives of having a profile really seemed to outweigh the positives anymore. These are a few of the reasons why I finally bit the bullet and deleted my Facebook account. Call me a traditionalist, but I'm hoping that maybe some day my life will consist of more quality phone calls, emails, and maybe even the elusive snail mail item or two.

It may have been a television program I watched late last week that really kicked my butt into 'Facebook deletion mode', but it was something that had been in the back of my mind ever since my husband deleted his account months ago. It was time for me to draw up enough strength and 'unplug' myself from all of the pseudo connectedness that Facebook made me feel.

Facebook seems to do a wonderful job at making us feel that we have tons of friends (around 400 in my case), but in all reality Facebook was only making it convenient for keeping hundreds of acquaintances at my fingertips. What good was that doing for my quality of life? I don't know about you, but I find that keeping up with relationships can be tiring. Friendships take work, and I feel that Facebook is degrading the definition of 'friends'. Growing up, I was always the kid who wanted a few close friends more than I ever wanted tons of meaningless friendships. I guess I haven't changed much in that department over the years. I will forever be the girl who wants to do things all the way or not do them at all. If you don't really want to be my friend, and you only want to keep me at your fingertips when it suits you, then I would rather be without you as my real life and Facebook friend.

After finally deciding to delete my account, I posted a status update letting my friends know that I would be deleting my account and to email me if they wanted to keep in touch. I received only a couple of comments from friends who let me know they wanted to stay in touch, and I received a couple of emails in my inbox as well. Out of almost 400 Facebook friends, I would say that was right along the lines of failure. Either that or their news feeds were too cluttered with more very important things, like Farmville invites or Spotify song suggestions, to notice that one of their friends would be leaving the world of Facebook. In that case, it solidified my decision. Being part of a human advertising experiment was never all that fun.

There are a lot of people who I miss, and would love to stay in contact with, but I prefer more meaningful methods of communication where you actually hear the other person's voice on the other end. Skype me! It's like an old-fashioned phone call but with video included. I'm not saying goodbye to all technology, just the ones that don't make me a better person. And yes, I do everything I can to not answer my cell phone during dinner. Like I said, call me old fashioned.

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Below you can see the video of me actually going through the process
of deleting my Facebook account.

Yes this is actually me.... I rarely wear my glasses.
Try not to laugh.

* I really struggled with the captchas, they don't make those easy do they? *

Did you know that deactivating your Facebook and

permanently deleting it are two completely different things?

{ you can read more about that here }

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I hope to use my new found 'free' time post-Facebook for learning, reading, writing, and

maybe even sending the occasional letter and thank you note via snail mail.

In the words of my high school art teacher,

who was always one of my very favorites,

"Quality over quantity!"

{ Thank you Mrs. Fuller! }

* oh and if you're wondering.... I haven't missed Facebook at all.

Small Town Loving

"Gruene, Texas is the place to be!"

(sung to the tune of the Green Acres theme song)

* this song is amazingly appropriate for our visit to Gruene *

My husband and I are sort of in love with Gruene, Texas. The first time we visited Gruene (pronounced like the color green) was last year in the spring. Little did we know at that time, we would visit the small town again within the next year. Our first trip to Gruene began the little love affair that we now have with the small German-settled Texas town that's located between Austin and New Braunfels.

* our favorite coffee shop in Gruene *

This trip to Gruene was very spur of the moment, and it worked out perfectly to stay the night so we could enjoy the town for the evening. Our first stop while driving through town was the Gruene Coffee Haus. Last year there was a really sweet young woman working at the counter who had a conversation with us like we were quick friends, and she left such a good impression on us (amazing what a little customer service can do) that we made sure to stop by again this time. We enjoyed our drinks, used their free wi-fi to access Hotwire and book another discounted hotel room, and then we walked into town so I could take some pictures! Not much has changed in the year since we visited last, and that's very refreshing going from the city to the small town.

* I still need to buy some Fickle Pickles *

After I captured some pictures around town, we noticed big groups of people heading into the famous Gruene Hall (Texas' oldest dance hall), and we decided we could not pass it up this time. Check out this list of very impressive musicians that have played at Gruene Hall. Upon entering the dance hall, we ordered ourselves a couple of beers and found some open seats in the back of the building. The band playing for the evening was a local Austin band called Stonehoney, and we listened to their music for a few songs. My husband and I enjoyed the live music, felt sort of like we were in a scene from Sweet Home Alabama (city kids returning to small town living), and enjoyed every second spent together around a bunch of happy and fun-loving people. With that being said, we're looking forward to our next visit to Gruene Hall.

* Stonehoney playing at Gruene hall *

* Enjoying some brews and tunes *

After leaving Gruene Hall, we walked to Adobe Verde for dinner and, not surprisingly, more live music! Last year a really great musician, Mark Monaco, played while we ate dinner on the covered porch. This time there was a small band playing in the outdoor dining area. While eating dinner, we looked around at the families enjoying their evening out and had such a great feeling of being at peace with the moment. Needless to day, I am sure we'll visit again.

* music at Adobe Verde *

After our short but sweet time spent in Gruene, we hope to visit again. It's really one of our favorite places, even though we have visited few, in Texas. It sort of feels like home, and that's a good thing.

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Have you ever visited a place that immediately felt like 'home' to you?

Recent Reads

Last night I finished Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Let me tell you, this is a book I will read probably at least once a year. Following her theme of change and adapting to change, it would make sense to read the book often because life is ever changing. The book is 50 years old, but it's still relevant and helpful when thinking about issues we face today.

Yesterday I wrote down, in my handy dandy notebook, a couple of things that Lindbergh wrote in Gift from the Sea. Some of her observations of the world are things I often wonder about today. 

Lindbergh wrote:

"The present is passed over in the race for the future; the here is neglected in favor of the there; and the individual is dwarfed by the enormity of the masses."

"America, which has the most glorious present still existing in the world today, hardly stops to enjoy it, in her insatiable appetite for the future."

I could not believe I had found the perfect explanation for some of the things that have been bothering me. The housing collapse, the "unstable" economy, the Gulf oil spill, and countless other issues seem to be telling us "Hey! What's the rush for?" These are things that happen when you skip today for the future! If you are worried about what your child will choose as a profession when they are 2 years old, then you're likely to miss them growing up along the way. Really, what is the rush? If we don't nurture and enjoy what we have now, then who's to say it will be around years down the road to enjoy later? That goes for family, friends, children, the earth, your favorite beach... you get the idea.

Life seems so busy these days. You have Twitter, Facebook, email, iPhones, satellite television, Internet, and countless other means of "keeping in touch". To me these are often devices that keep people from enjoying the here and now and most importantly from enjoying each other. Your children glue themselves to the television; husbands take work calls while at home with their families; people answer emails while driving their cars. When you watch television, people constantly speculate about the future. Stock owners follow their portfolios like it's their job. Why worry about what could happen? Anything could happen, but you might miss that anything if you're too busy wondering what might be. It's a shame that people put so much time into "keeping in touch" via technology; when each second you spend on your phone, or in front of the television, could be spent with a loved one "in the moment" instead! Instead of moving further apart, why don't people try moving closer to each other?

Sometimes it seems so difficult to enjoy the present, when we're constantly bombarded with people telling us it's so important to plan for the future. There are so many things you can't ever plan for, so why stress out over what you think your life should be? Each and every one of us are exactly where we're supposed to be at each moment. Love yourself each day, and love your loved ones each day.

Thank you Anne Morrow Lindbergh for shedding light on some timeless issues! :)

Texas Time Traveling

We didn't really time travel on our trip to Texas, but it sort of felt like it when we stumbled upon the town of Gruene. The town was settled by German settlers in the mid 19th century, and I think my German side felt quite at home for that reason. Setting our sights on Gruene was like a refreshing step back in time.

Beautiful old main street, amazing local shops and restaurants, nice people, and an all around feeling of being transported at least a little bit back in time. Apparently many of the buildings we visited in Gruene were some of the original buildings from the 1800's! Gruene itself is on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to someone who saved it from becoming a ghost town in the 70's. Now how's that for history?! If you want a great small town experience, visit Gruene, Texas! You won't regret it.

I found this image of Gruene's main street on www.texasescapes.com

Our first experiences with the shops and people of Gruene were great. Not only were we surprised to find this little gem of a small town, seemingly located in the middle of nowhere, but the experiences we had there were unforgettable.

The first place we visited was the Gruene Coffee Haus. The girl working the counter commented on my engagement ring and talked to me about her ring too, as if we were quick friends. You don't seem to find too much of that genuine friendliness in many places across the country anymore. The conversation and customer service were a nice touch; not to mention the drinks were delicious! I wish we could have spent every morning there drinking coffee.

Next door to the Coffee Haus was the Fickle Pickle. Nate and I tried a sample of their tasty treats, and both were happily surprised with how yummy they tasted. I mentioned we were from out of town and that it's difficult to pack glass jars in suitcases, and without even asking the man behind the counter told us they ship to anywhere in the country! We just might have to order us some Fickle Pickles. Gruene sure knows how to make people feel special.

This image is from the Gruene Coffee Haus' website @ http://www.gruenecoffee.com/index.htm

To finish off our first day in Gruene, we ate dinner at the Adobe Verde. We drank Dos Equis and ate Mexican food on their covered deck, while musician Mark Monaco (who writes and produces his own music) played live country music. Quintessential Texas! While enjoying our dinner at Adobe Verde, a gigantic thunderstorm kept us 'trapped' on the covered porch for a while. I was actually rather happy about spending a little extra time there.

Something about the night felt very "Sweet Home Alabama" to me, and I got a little teary eyed thinking about how I was born in Texas and a little part of me felt at home there. I didn't live in Texas long as a child, but it was long enough to make me feel like a part of me still belongs there when I visit.

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** Here are some links for more information on Gruene, Texas: **

http://www.gruenetexas.com/

http://thegruenescene.com/

http://www.gruenehall.com/

Michigan Nostalgia

A couple of summers ago I took Nate to one of my favorite northern Michigan places to "be a fudgie*", Mackinac Island! I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. Actually, I think he found some things more amazing than I did (like the bridge and all of the water). Mackinac Island was always one of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid, and I still love it just as much today as I did as when I was a kid.

* A fudgie is a Michigan term used to describe tourists/out-of-towners who enjoy eating fudge and other goodies that can be found in northern Michigan.

picture of the Mackinac Bridge from the ferry

The island is located in Lake Huron between the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. You can reach Mackinac Island by ferry, boat, airplane, or snowmobile in the winter. We went in August, so we enjoyed the 15 minute ride on the ferry from Mackinaw City. Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City end in "c" and "w" respectively because of their origins. The French fur traders had named the island with a french spelling, and the English in Mackinaw City took on the more phonetic spelling of "Mackinac". (There's a little history for you).

That aside, the ferry ride is usually scenic and fun... unless the water is rough and you're wishing you were somewhere else. You get great views of the Mackinac Bridge from the ferry, and that's always interesting! The bridge is even more fun to drive across (unless you're me and have some fear of being high above the water). I like observing the bridge from shore or water, and I'll drive ride across if I have to get to the other side. :) If you want more info on the "Mighty Mac" you should check out the website: http://www.mackinacbridge.org/

I don't know what it is with me and history these days, but history used to be one of my least favorite classes. I had a hard time getting interested, but now I have a much greater appreciation for history and I'm always in awe of the history and stories behind things. With that being said, there is so much history on Mackinac Island that it could make a history buff cry, or jump for joy... whichever.

the Grand Hotel is so beautiful and... well, grand

One place that still has me in awe is the Grand Hotel on the island. I have still never stayed there, and that's something that is on my travel to-do list. Talk about a step back in time. Everything about the hotel just screams history, and I love it! There are no cars allowed on the island, so the Grand Hotel, which was built in 1887, has a beautiful old stagecoach that they use to pick up guests at the ferry docks. The hotel is a national historic landmark that’s been visited by anyone from US presidents, famous entertainers, and countless families for over a century now. If you want some more info on the Grand Hotel, take a look at the website: http://www.grandhotel.com/

Riding bicycles around the island is a must-do when you visit. It's not as tough as it sounds, because the ride is only about 8 miles on mostly flat land. We rented some really awesome one-speed cruiser bicycles near the ferry dock, and we were on our way. Stopping along the way breaks up the trip and makes it feel much shorter than it is. The entire trip is scenic and relaxing. Remember, there are no cars allowed, so horse and bicycle are some of the quickest ways to get around the island. Our rented bicycles got us along just fine!

I wonder if the people who live on the island love it as much as the people who visit? I sure hope they love it, but sometimes it seems like you never love the place you live as much as visitors love it. Unless maybe you live on a tropical island or something.

I love Mackinac Island. Maybe sometime in the future we'll even stay at the Grand Hotel! I love how Nate was amazed by the amount of water all around. At times it's like you're on an ocean, because land is nowhere in sight. Visiting Mackinac Island brings back so many great memories of when I visited as a child, and I still love the place just the same today. It's amazing how your appreciation for a place can grow over the years.