2009's Besties List - Part I

I know what you’re wondering – what is this blog about and how did Lisa pick her “Besties” list? Well, a fellow blogger informed me that another very well-known blogger started a daily blog challenge for the month of December where she listed a “Best of” topic for each day and you were supposed to blog about it. I didn’t feel like doing this every day (mainly because I don’t normally blog every day and it goes against the general flow of my blog), so instead, I decided I’d list all of my “Besties” in one long email towards the end of the month. After realizing how long this was, I have broken it up into Part I and Part II. So here is Part I. Enjoy!

Trip. What was your best trip in 2009?

Alberta, Canada – Banff, Lake Louise, Calgary. Lake Louise is the most beautiful place that I have been in my life. And I’ve been a lot of places. I loved being outdoors, I loved the mountains, and I loved the peace. If I were rich enough and could persuade somebody, I’d buy the lake so that I didn’t have to share it with the other bigillion tourists that were there.

Restaurant moment. Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?

Hard to choose – my fav restaurant at the moment is Benjy’s (http://www.benjys.com/) but I might have to say that my favorite restaurant experience this year (at least one that I can remember lately) was Rudi Lechner’s (http://www.rudilechners.com/) for Oktoberfest. It was my first time there, and we had a ball, eating all of the authentic German food, dancing and singing along with the live music, and partaking in the lovely variety of beers and schnitzels that they had. Here are the men enjoying their liters of beer and more meat then even they could tackle…

Article. What's an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious'd and reference throughout the year.

Ok, I’ll be honest here. I don’t read a lot of articles that blow me away or that I go back to throughout the year. I’m a loyal fan of People magazine (I know, how shallow of me), so most of the articles that I read are really not that inspiring. I promise you that I mainly just like to look at the pictures in People and do the entertainment crossword puzzle in the back (because I certainly could never do a real crossword puzzle). So, I’m choosing an “article” that is actually a blog post by one of my good friends. It’s called “Let’s Be Honest With Each Other” – check it out: http://teamhuss.blogspot.com/2009/09/lets-be-honest-with-each-other.html

Book. What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?

I love reading and have read so many amazing books this year, from the Twilight Saga, to The Shack, to my Bible study book Lord, Only You Can Change Me by Kay Arthur. But, I have to say that the one that had the most impact on me was Crazy Love by Francis Chan (http://www.crazylovebook.com/) which I have blogged about at least a couple of times. I had to read it in small doses since it was so intense. I have not given away copies, but I have referred many of my friends to it and I know that some have asked for it for Christmas. A life-changing book!

Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?

I must say that my birthday party in February at Kenneally’s pub this year was pretty special as it had so many of my closest friends all in one place and we had Kenneally’s yummy pizza and Crave’s yummy cupcakes. However, a night that rocked my world…..hmmm…..my recent night listening to Reckless Kelly in Katy with Leigh & Julie was pretty awesome. We were out way later than old ladies should be, but we enjoyed it immensely and loved the people watching at Mo’s Place. It was classic!

Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

I was supposed to have gone to Deeper Still led by Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer, but my flight got cancelled due to the snow in Houston. Yes, you read right. Snow in Houston. What are the odds? I’ve now rescheduled to go in June 2010 in Denver. I’m pretty sure it will be the hit of 2010!

Blog find of the year. That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year.

I have not really caught up with blogging until the latter part of this year, but I love Cupcakes, Sprinkles, and Other Happy Things by Jenny Simmons (singer of Addison Road) (http://www.jennysimmons.com/). There are some very thought-provoking discussions on there and I really enjoy her writing style. Every time I read her blog, I have some sort of mini-epiphany it seems. That has to be a good blog find, right?

Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there?

I tend to find these moments when I least expect them. I don’t really plan for them, and they kind of sneak up on me. I don’t have a particular moment in mind, but I will say that none of my moments of peace are days or weeks – more like minutes or perhaps an hour or two. Is it even possible to have a moment of peace for a week? Perhaps if I went off to an ashram in India…

Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

My biggest challenge this year was training for and participating in the MS150 (http://www.ms150.org/). I have never been a cyclist, and never really had any desire to be. But, I took this on as a personal challenge, kind of just to say that I could do it, and that I DID it! This is an approximately 180 mile, 2-day bike ride from Houston to Austin to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It was a lot of effort, mainly in the preparation, and took every ounce of willpower that I have in my body. The training rides were loooooong and painful, but I had a good buddy doing them with me, which made them a lot easier. Not enjoyable, but easier. I can’t say that I’ll never do one again, but it won’t be any time soon. It seriously cramped my social life! :-)

Album of the year. What's rocking your world?

Jason Mraz’s We Sing We Dance We Steal Things (http://www.jasonmraz.com/#/music/). I know this is not a new album, but I could seriously listen to it continuously and not get sick of it. I've seen Jason live several times, most recently at the Pavilion in The Woodlands on the lawn, and it was a fantastic concert experience shared with a dear friend. Third Day also has a gem of a Christmas album that is currently rocking my world, as do Casting Crowns and MercyMe.

The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

The best place for what? :-) I’m struggling with this one. I guess I don’t have a “best place”, but here are a few of my favs, depending upon my mood and the happenings of my day: my yoga studio (http://www.bikramyogahouston.com/); my oversized chair beneath the window in my living room; the “porch” of Porch Swing Pub, exactly two blocks from my house; the massaging spa chair at my fav little nail place while I’m getting a pedi; the patio of Empire Café; anywhere I can get comfy with a good book that I’m reading.

New food. You're now in love with Lebanese food and you didn't even know what it was in January of this year.

I’m really not a stranger to any type of food. And I can’t say that I tried a new kind this year, so I’m struggling a bit with this one! But I continue to love ethnic foods - Thai, Indian, Lebanese, you name it! Unfortunately, my eating buddies tend to not be so adventurous :-) I am getting more adventurous with sushi though – does that count?

What's the best change you made to the place you live?

Sadly, I have not made any noticeable changes to my townhome this year, other than hiring a maid who comes every 2 weeks and has been a life saver. So maybe that my house is regularly clean? That's certainly a change!

Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?

Zip lining in Costa Rica – definitely a rush flying over several waterfalls while hanging from a steel cable!

Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves?

The box that the ornament for my ornament exchange came in was just too cute. That’s the main reason that I bought that ornament! A deliciously decorated & ornamental metallic green & gold box that will be perfect to hold someone’s little treasures.

Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What's yours?

I’ll admit that I don’t drink a lot of tea, but I am quite a fan of Tazo’s Wild Sweet Orange. I have it as my mid-morning snack in the office to hold me over until lunch time.

2009 was an amazing year. Stay tuned in the coming days for 2009's Besties - Part II...