I'm a dash of Jackie O. A pinch of Elly May. A splash of Quelques Fleurs. A jigger of pickle juice. My friends call me Boots. My name is JoBeth. I'm just a southern girl who adores a great tune, a delicious meal, beautiful flowers, a frilly dress, and the perfect shoe. I'm married to a curly haired boy I call "The Angler". By day, I'm a healthcare stategist with a passion for NonProfits. I have a Masters degree in food. Literally. I am a registered dietitian, but I do love burgers and chocolate chip cookies. I survived being President of the Junior League. I'm a daydreamer, an avid i-pod shuffler and a novice photographer. I love to laugh. I'm often silly with a heapin' helpin' of sappy. I'm blessed beyond measure and amazed by God's grace. I try to keep my high heels walking in faith one step at a time, It's my prayer to help other women live beautiful, gracious lives.
Like all true southerners, I come from a long line of storytellers. My favorite stories paint pictures. And great pictures tell stories. I hope to accomplish both on this blog. So, grab yourself a glass of sweet tea, kick off your Manolo's and sit a spell on my virtual veranda. Flair and folly awaits.
Do tell!
{ for my style files and daily favorites come visit my tumblr: bootsmcblog.tumblr.com }
Well, I’ve been down with this flu crud for 5 days. No more bed rest and the calendar says it’s Monday again – time for me to get back to work.
I’m feeling about 60-70%. Today is chock full of meetings.
I’ll be sipping my hot tea and chanting to myself this to myself.
I think I can.
Hopefully by the time 5pm comes back around and I can lay my head down I’ll be saying.
I knew I could.
happy monday!
boots
xxoo
(images via Monsecret-lapoesiedemavie.tumblr and miss jill mcdondald etsy)
It’s a sick day here at the McCottage. I’ve caught this terrible fever virus that is going around. Doctor has ordered me to stay home the rest of the week. Like everyone I know, I don’t really have time to be sick. However, I’ve made calls, sent emails and rearranged my schedule to catch up on everything next week.
For now, I’m gratefully accepting these orders to rest. I will take my crazy cough syrup and nap without guilt.
I will piddle on Pinterest,
listen to tunes,
catch up on fashion and home magazines
and find the beauty in these most ordinary of circumstances.
Hugs (and Sniffles),
boots
xxoo
(images via ZsaZsa Bellagio)
Yesterday was a horrible, no good, rotten, terrible day. It stunk.
Part of my well-penned plans – a work part that excited me, thrilled me, got me going in the morning and had me dashing out the door to begin my daily tasks – was deleted from my to-do list in the blink of eye.
Someone changed their mind. Simple as that.
“It’s not personal. It’s business.”
Those lines ripped from the scenes of the classic movie The Godfather and used by Joe Fox to counsel Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail were echoing in my head as I felt the punch to my stomach and the air leave my body in a gasp.
I never saw it coming.
I was disillusioned. Disoriented. Then disappointed. Anger simmered below my surface. I did my best to keep my cool.
I didn’t cry. I wasn’t going to cry. Then I got home, and I cried.
Then, I prayed. I cried out to God the whiney spoiled-brat cry of “why?!”
With the patience of a re-directing parent reminding HIS child once again, God pointed me back to a most unexpected place…my last leadership blog post.
When I wrote that post about aligning personal goals and resolutions with God’s plan for us, I never anticipated I’d be back chewing on those words for myself this quickly into 2012.
Plans change. To-do lists get adjusted in the blink of eye. Were my action items and to-do’s in line with God’s plan for me? I thought they were.
Did yesterday’s blip change my personal daily mission or the God-given vision for where I feel I’m called? No, it didn’t.
I let that sink in a bit. Yesterday’s disappointment may have changed my to-do list for the coming weeks. But it didn’t change my ultimate future. Peace took hold. This hurt was momentary. I would be ok.
Keeping my eyes on the prize, aligning myself and anchoring myself to a higher calling beyond my 2012 means I woke up this morning with an understanding that God was simply reminding me… He’s got this.
Even if I can’t trust others to keep their word, I can trust HIS WORD. His plans are higher.
Do I want that to-do list back? No. Not now.
Today was filled with unexpected, unplanned blessings I never would’ve received without yesterday’s disappointment. The turn around time on this life lesson is amazing.
God has astonished me. Truly, that was my ultimate goal for this year. Right? Didn’t I write that I wanted to let God astonish me? Guess what, he has.
I pray you have the joy of allowing him to astonish you, too.
I can’t wait to see what the next 11 months have in store.
gracefully yours,
boots,
xxoo
(images via misswallflower.tumblr, crushculdesac.tumblr.com )
