Vacation Round-Up

I have returned (very late Friday night) from an impromptu trip to the beach with some of my cousins.* To sum up the list of characters: my cousin Jo and her husband Todd along with their kids A and Doodle, my cousin Ryan and his wife Terry and their kid Baby Cash, and my cousin Doda. And me of course! I've struggled recently with family drama...as discussed in my last post things with my mom have been weighing on my mind a lot lately and I don't really have the chance to really deal with those feelings. I live with my grandmother (my mom's mom) and any mention of my mother really upsets her, so I try to avoid any mentions at home. I obviously don't want to upset my dad by talking about things a lot. And truthfully I just hate focusing on everything, even if talking it out probably would help me deal with things. Usually I just work around my frustrations and focus negative energy into positive things to distract myself.

ANYWAY, the point is, I had the opportunity to tag along on my cousins' family vacation. It's been roughly six years since I've been to the beach and I've missed the experience. Mostly though I just enjoyed being away from my troubles. I spent a week reading in the sun, playing with the baby cousins, and hanging out with my older cousins. I ate good food and had a few drinks. I played in the ocean and allowed myself to be in awe of the greatness of creation. I watched dolphins swim in the ocean and went to the aquarium. Basically, I lived free for the week. I set down my burdens and relaxed. And it was the best time I've had in such a long time.

I'm truly grateful for my family. I realize I focus on them a lot, both here and on Twitter, but that's because I've committed myself to surrounding myself with people who love me and that I love. Family is a sure fired way to do that. They have seen me at my very worst and have loved me through it all, and the same is true for them. Sometimes they drive me crazy, and I'm sure that I grate on their nerves at time. I don't always fit in...I'm not sporty and I my idea of an outdoor activity is reading in the shade**, but I'm accepted in spite of my oddities. And when things are gross and bad and I need somewhere to hide out, I always have a place...or ten. And there will never be a way for me to express how blessed I am to have this group of people tied to me indefinitely.




*Honestly, I should make a tab just to keep track of my relatives!
**We won't even get into my crazy liberal ideas.

BFF Antics

Earlier this week my grandmother had an appointment with her endocrinologist and I volunteered to drive her to Roanoke for her appointment. This was not the best choice I've ever made. Two of my aunties came along and we planned to meet BFF1 for lunch and some shopping afterwards since my grandmother's appointment was in the town where she currently lives. This didn't work out as planned because even though we left on time we also ran into a wreck on the interstate and were almost late for the appointment. This frustrated one of my aunts. The other was upset because she had things to do at home and wasn't excited about a day spent shopping. I ignored the overwhelming silence in my car on the ride to Roanoke and tried to make the best of the situation. A feat made easier because my bestie is used to these dramatics and when she met us at the doctor's office she helped distract me from the uneasiness. We spent our time in the waiting room sitting side by side playing DrawSomething with each other and laughing at how terrible we are at the game and chatting about various things. After the doctor we went to lunch at a pizza bar, and that was AMAZING and tasty. After lunch we embarked on Speed Shopping. Literally. I went through Target at a jog, grabbing random items that were on my shopping list so that we could GET OUT IN A HURRY!!! I needed to buy a pair of jeans, but didn't have time to try on. I'm not so upset about THAT...I absolutely HATE trying on pants.*

During the awkward lunch and doctor's visit and all through Speed Shopping BFF1 and I chatted about various difficulties we have dealt with recently. We had been out to lunch the previous day since she was in my town (her hometown) which ended with me almost in tears over my cheese fries. I know, right! Why are there tears if cheese fries are present?! Turns out that even after six months, conversations centering around my mother can cause emotional turmoil. I'm blessed because BFF1 handled it like a CHAMP! So we revisited my emotional breakdown the previous day and also talked about how she is sometimes uncomfortable in the area she currently lives and also about how we just miss each other. She only lives about an hour and a half away now, but that's a big adjustment since she had previously lived 15 minutes away from me since we were in fifth grade. We have adjusted well, but things are a lot different and sometimes it is really hard to be far apart. We talk to each other constantly throughout the day and we have a group of shows that we "watch" together while texting comments about the content, but the time we spend together via phone or computer dwindles during the summer. To counteract that we have started a "book club." It's not really much of a book club with just the two of us, but we're testing the waters for now. If we enjoy it and are successful we may expand and include some of our other friends.** For now we're slogging through Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews, and when we've finished I'll update this with our progress/success. Hopefully it will be a fun activity to share. I love reading and she doesn't read many novels, but we both love funny girls and The South so MKA was a good starting point for us. Mainly I'm looking forward to sharing an activity with someone I adore, that I miss on an almost daily basis.

I have to say...I have mad respect for you guys that move away from your childhood friends and your families. Perhaps you are better at making friends than I am, maybe you're just braver...but I get absolutely verklempt whenever I think about leaving this tiny place that has been my home for 28 years.


*Or shirts, or dresses, or basically anything. It sucks.
**Who are we kidding, we don't actually have that many friends...hence the two man book club.

Summer Break Thus Far

So far summer break has been HECTIC! This isn't really unexpected, I've had cousins around since Thursday, have a family cook out today for Memorial Day, and have been attempting to get paperwork done before the work day at my office since I have to use that day for file review/updates. So far I've had a mani/pedi to celebrate the start of summer, baked cookies, made Nutella swirl ice cream pops, and froze lemonade so I can attempt to make my very own Lemon Berry Slush.* All of these things were accomplished with E by my side. I also had The Clone over Friday night, and have been plagued by allergies which thoroughly  ruined all my plans to work outside yesterday. Instead of weeding my herb bed and restacking wood so I can hang my hammock, I slept on the couch for three hours and watched several episodes of ANTM. I know, I live the high life. 

Right now I'm letting tea steep so I can make sweet tea for out cook out, and trying to plan a summer reading list. Also highly exciting plans. The plan for today is to spend the evening with the family, swim in my aunt's pool while trying to avoid being drowned by the cousins, and probably have E back tonight for slushes and movies. Now that she is out of school I'm sure I'll have her here at least three times a week, probably more. This is always fun, but slightly exhausting...sometimes I have trouble keeping up with a nine year old, especially one with so much energy! Hopefully this summer with little to no work will give me the time I need to work on some projects here at home and to successfully deal with the stress I've been under due to family drama. I'd like to start next school year a happier, healthier person and I'm planning to use this summer to do make that happen!

*Hands down my favorite thing on the Sonic menu.

#BestSummerEver*

THREE AND A HALF MORE DAYS!!!! Just one partial week and then school is over and summer is here! I am so stinking excited. Last summer I tried to do this thing where I highlighted all the things that made my summer great. I did some amazing things: I took a road trip to Orlando for LeakyCon with BFF2, I spent a lot of time with my family (especially The Fantastic Four) and my besties, and just generally enjoyed my summer. I spent some time reading. I marathoned some TV shows. I also got bogged down by work. Luckily this summer I'm not working and I truly plan to make this the Best Summer Ever.

Of course I have a HUGE list of things I'd like to get completed over the summer. I have the room redecorating project to prep, several major projects to complete for my Maw-Maw, and the weight loss/exercise goals. I also have a reading list** that I'd like to work through and I'll probably spend several evenings watching TV shows and have movie marathons with The Fantastic Four. Doda is already planning on us watching the all of the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies. Because they aren't long enough, we need extended footage of the Fellowship!

But more than anything I just want to enjoy myself. I don't have a problem working, but recently I've really needed a break. So, unlike LAST summer I plan to make regular updates and share all the excitement with all of you!***



*Stayed tuned on Twitter and on the blog for this fancy tag, which will highlight all the adventures I have in the next two and a half months.
**Which I'll post in a separate page as soon as I finalize it, until then you can always follow along with my GoodReads account.
***Really, guys. Regular updates! You'll see. Promise.

BEDA August 1-Introductions

I signed up here and agreed to do BEDA! Now I just have to make an effort to show up each day! Here is a simple introduction post, questions courtesy of Rachel, but the questions were posted on the BEDA blog. If you're doing BEDA you should check them both out!


What’s your name?

Rochelle, but I'm RARELY called Rochelle. For family and close friends it's always (ALWAYS) Chelle. Unless I'm in trouble of course, then I get the full thing: Rochelle Shanlea. Which is the name you can see if you find me ANYWHERE on the internet

How old are you?

27 almost 28.

How long have you been blogging? (Or is this your first try?)

I started blogging in 2008 for a previous job where I worked as a Youth Services Librarian. When I left that job in 2009 I started this blog. I don't post regularly, but I always want to make the time to write here. I try BEDA every year, and while I've never actually managed to complete BEDA on my personal blog I always enjoy the experience!

How did you come up with your blog’s name?

I live in an EXTREMELY small town in rural southwestern Virginia and I've loved books my entire life. Small Town Book Nerd is the best way to describe me!

What’s your Hogwarts House?

Ravenclaw

What do you like to read?

Everything seems like a cop out, but it's true. I read mainly young adult literature, but this year I have also been drawn to memoirs and biographies. Since graduating high school and college I've been on a quest to reread the classics that were thrust upon me (and I hated) as a student to see if with age and choice my opinions of these have changed, so I also randomly pick up books from my cousins' reading lists and read along with them.

What do you like to watch?

I watch Netflix for hours at night while I am doing paperwork for my job, so it's hard to narrow my choices down. Right now I am making my way through Swamp People, Supernatural, and the BBC versions of Robin Hood and Merlin. Doctor Who, House, Bones, Haven, Pretty Little Liars, reality TV: DWTS, Project Runway, ANTM. I enjoy a variety of shows and am general up for suggestions.

As far as movies, I generally watch romantic comedies, Disney cartoons, teen flicks with the girl cousins, movies based on books, and fantasy/action/superhero movies. The Cousins* and I particularly enjoy Indiana Jones, X-Men, and Lord of the Rings.

What’s the best song you listened to today?

Man, these "likes" questions REALLY get me! It is nearly impossible for me to narrow down choices, and I generally have background music at all times. If something isn't playing, then I'm singing something in my head.

Today (and for quite some time) I've been ridiculously in love with the songs "In My Life" by The Beatles** and "Dear Yoko" by John Lennon.

Have you done anything really fun recently?

I attended LeakyCon this summer with one of my best friends. We drove from Virginia to Florida and it was THE BEST thing that I've done this summer.

In addition to BEDA, are you doing any other awesome things in August?

School starts again on the 18th of August, so I'll be going back to work. However, until then I basically have three free weeks to just hang out. There are a few training sessions and work days that I have to attend, but they are child free so they will still be relatively relaxing. I plan to use my days to swim in my Auntie W's pool, have sleepovers and movie days with The Cousins.

Anything else you’d like to add?

A question that I frequently get is "What EXACTLY do you DO?" I'm usually rather vague due to confidentiality issues, but I refer to work a lot on this blog. So, to clarify, I am a Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselor. To break that down: basically I provide behavioral therapy to kids who are at risk of being removed from their homes or from school due to severe behavioral issues. We intervene and help our clients learn appropriate ways to react to anger, teach social skills, and just generally help them deal with any issues they have that prevent them from succeeding in school/life. I spend all day every day in the classroom with clients. Last year I worked in the seventh grade in a middle school in my county. This year I'm not 100% sure where I'll be, but right now it looks like I'll pick up with my previous clients and move with them to eighth grade! Joy of joys! Prepubescent boys are ALWAYS enjoyable...especially when they are bigger than me.***

Is there anything YOU would like to know? Feel free to ask! I'm relatively friendly and am always willing to respond to questions.


*The Cousins: Doda (14), The Clone (14), Jerry (12), and E (9). Also referred to as The Fantastic Four. Occasionally this core group is extended to include two of the younger cousins A (5) and Doodle (3) but generally ONLY refers to the original four.
**In all actuality, if I have heard a Beatles song there is a 99.9% chance that it will have been THE BEST song I have heard that day.
***Apparently I look REALLY young. Last year I was mistaken for a middle school student more than 10 times AFTER the first grading period ended.

Goodbye Summer Program, Hello Vacation

I have the next three weeks off work! Kind of. I have several required training sessions to attend to ensure I'm prepared to deal with emergency situations in the classroom/school setting, and in theory I will have a caseload BEFORE school starts this year* and I will have some workdays where I update files and write treatments plans and other fun stuff at our office with my coworkers. This is always manages to be a fun experience AND a bummer all at once. It is so much fun to be with grownups and not have to worry about kids. Lunch dates, lazy days, and laughfests with coworkers that I don't see frequently because we are spread across the county and we only see each other a handful of times throughout the school year make these days awesome. However, these days are also a bummer because we are just swamped with file work. Write reports about treatment, coming up with treatment plans, reading about our clients and discussing cases with our supervisors and coworkers can be stressful. But by and large I enjoy workdays, and am looking forward to three weeks without clients.

So, what does one DO with three weeks free of work? I plan to read and catch up on some TV shows that have been abandoned due to work issues. I have several sleepover dates planned with The Fantastic Four and plans to watch Doctor Who with BFF2.** And I'm considering doing BEDA since I won't have to work for the majority of August. I know, I know. BEDA, it's not like I've EVER managed to actually DO BEDA, but at least I'm persistent! Right? So get ready for updates about First Aid training, movie nights with the cousins, and babbling entries about the books I'm reading! I hope you guys are EXCITED!


*Does everyone remember how much fun it was LAST year when I didn't actually have a caseload until the first day of school? No? Go read about it here.
**She's never seen it before and I love it enough that I am thoroughly  enjoying rewatching it with her.

Updating the TBR List and Packing Extravaganzas

I spent my long weekend doing a lot of random things. I hung out with BFF2,  I did some paperwork, I drove a total of eight hours to pick my uncle and cousin up after their two hour flight "home," I watched fireworks, and I did laundry. I mean a LOT of laundry. A ridiculous amount of laundry really. And since I hate laundry with a burning passion I decided that I would go ahead and pack for my upcoming vacation. In six VERY SHORT days BFF2 and I will depart for Florida. I am EXTREMELY excited about this trip. I haven't had a real vacation in several years. I went to Chicago earlier this year to visit a friend but it was just over a long weekend. THIS is going to be a seven day trip that includes a road trip, a theme park, and HARRY POTTER! And my best friend of course.

While packing the books I plan on taking with me I came to a startling realization. When I made my Summer TBR List I picked several books that are the first in a series. This is a problem. I don't actually feel like I can add MORE books to my list to accommodate the series books, but I know myself well enough to know that I won't be able to just read the first book in a series. THEREFORE I am going to have to spend some time rearranging the TBR list. I spent the day pouring over my shelves and making a list of possible alternate choices.  I realize this seems silly, but honestly having that list and knowing which books I've set a goal to read has really helped me stay on task this summer bookwise. It's been nice to just read through the list without worrying about shifting through my shelves (and piles) in order to choose a book. Soon I will update my TBR tab and you can see what I've decided to read!

And yes, I realize that I'm a nerd who just spent an entire blog entry talking about a Harry Potter themed vacation and a reading list!

My Little Town

The good thing about transporting kids to the summer program is that I really get the chance to appreciate how beautiful it is where I live. Last Sunday as BFF2 and I drove the route I would have to drive this past week I was awestruck at how everything around me was so bright and pretty. All I could see was GREEN. Hundreds of shades of green. Mountains, fields, trees, grass, assorted flower stalks. It seemed as though the entire world was steeped in the color. Throughout the week I have snapped photos with my (not so fantastic) phone camera, and I have already decided that my actual camera will have a home in my work bag for the rest of the summer. Since there is no way I can describe the beauty that surrounds me with words, I've decided to take the easy way out and do a photo-blog this week, so that all of you can absorb the pretty as well!

There are always mountains in the background and it is hard to find any areas that are flat in my county.

Tipsy-turvy fence posts.

The hills are ALIVE with the sound of music.

Even the fields are hills! 

There is whimsy in everything here.

Road sign leading no where.

Our mailbox

But as usual, there is no place like home.

The long and winding road, that leads to my door.

Sunset in the mountains