thankful.

Of course this week lends itself to the making of mental lists of things for which we are thankful. My list this year contains all of the usual suspects, including family, health, and safe travels down to Louisiana to celebrate. 

But this year, there's another item on my list. Something I have taken for granted in the past, though I always should have known better. It's something that has largely evaded me in recent months... well, years. It's something I've felt intermittently, sometimes unexpectedly, but haven't acted upon in quite a while. 

What is it? 

Inspiration. Simple, blessed, inspiration. 

I feel it most often when I return to Shreveport, to the Ontario House. Something about this house leads me right into the arms of waiting words. Maybe it's the proximity to so many loved ones. Maybe it's all the work and labors of love that have gone into making this house our family home of so many years. Maybe it's the memories of sitting at the dining room table with a steaming cup of coffee, creating blogging schedules, tapping things out on my beloved white MacBook, scheduling posts for months in advance. 

I don't know exactly what it is, but for reasons I can't adequately explain, I feel immense gratitude, overflowing thanks. 

Happy Thanksgiving to whomever may be out there, reading this. Thank you for being part of this story. 

joyful shreveport.

Well, our Christmas vacation in Shreveport was over in a flash. 

We ate lots of delicious food, spent lots of time with family, went shopping, and saw a couple of our friends. As always happens on these visits, we didn't get to see everyone that we would have hoped to have seen, but that always seems to be the way of it when we're in for less than a week.

This trip was a joyful one, however, filled with memories I know we will never want to forget. And while I'm glad to be settling back into my home routine, I am already missing Shreveport and all that place means to me.

You may have noticed, too, that I didn't blog one bit while there either - I know, slacker. Sometimes you just have to "unplug," right? I am happy to be blogging again, happy to be home, happy to be settling in to see what twenty-sixteen will bring.

home for the holidays.

before the trimmings

There's nothing quite like the time leading up to when we get to travel home to be with family for the holidays. There's a spark in the air, an energy. Everything looks brighter and more festive. 

In the time we've lived over here in North Carolina, I've grown very fond of travel. There's something magical about starting out in one place and ending up in another. Add to that the little details - the wool carry-on bag that I've grown to love even more than when we picked it up in a shop on a sleepy Saturday; the buzz of the airport, with hundreds - or is it thousands? I've never been good with numbers - of people, all going to different, interesting places; watching the planes take off and land in a peaceful, amazing little dance... There is so much about travel to love. 

There's also something so renewing about this time of year. Of course, there is the New Year right around the corner, getting ready to usher in twenty sixteen. But there's just something special about feeling like everything is a little celebration. Nothing is too small to indulge in, nothing is too mundane to be exciting. What a truly wonderful time of year. 

And when we arrive in our beloved hometown, I'm hoping for lots of things, but especially long talks sitting on the cold, comforting wood floors of the Ontario House; the click-click-click of my DSLR and phone cameras, paving the way for memories made and kept; endless cups of coffee enjoyed; long, long talks about the future and where that may take us; but most of all, just love. Love of family - is there anything more fulfilling in this world?

Here's to the holiday season.

sidda snaps | a postcard from shreveport.

see last week's postcard here

siddathornton through the years:
2012 | 2011

sidda snaps | a postcard from shreveport.

see last week's postcard here

siddathornton through the years:
2013 | 2011

sidda snaps | a postcard from shreveport.

lately, missing home. 

lately, curing that homesickness by poring over january photos of the ontario house.

--
siddathornton through the years:
2012 | 2011

a companion and a friend.

on her bed in the living room of the ontario house

I lost a friend in July. I haven't written anything about it yet, because I just didn't have the words. To be completely honest, I still don't think I do, but I knew I wanted to write about her, and to remember her.

Her name was Mollie Jean, but that wasn't what we always called her. She had nicknames upon nicknames, but a few of my favorites were MaiJean, Ween, MahJee, Bibi, Johnny Bear, Jonathan Ellington Bear, and MoWee, just to name a few. When she was a puppy, she often clacked her teeth and would "stamp" anything you put in front of her (especially paper). Dad would say, stamp this for me, and she would.

She came to live with us when I was fifteen. She had a home before ours, but that one didn't work out, so then she became a part of our family. Right after we got her, I was lying on the floor on a rug in the living room, and she jumped up on my back, curled up into a ball, and stayed there until I deigned to wake her and get up. 

She had an attitude. You could always tell what she was thinking by looking at her extremely-expressive face. She sometimes bullied our bigger dog, Riley. She wanted everyone to know that the was the pack leader. We sometimes joked that she knew English, and that we were lucky she couldn't speak her mind. We joked, but sometimes I think it was real.

She ate ceiling tile once. We were doing some remodeling work in the Ontario House, and somehow she got ahold of some of the debris. We found her hunched over in her kennel (which she would never enter willingly) one night and knew she had to go to the vet. Luckily, she came out of that event unscathed, but probably a little bit embarrassed. 

Her favorite show was Gilmore Girls. She would lay in bed all day with me while I was on break from college, and watch it. 

She was always there.

When I traveled home to Shreveport in August, before the fall semester of my second year of grad school started, it felt so weird when she wasn't waiting for me to come home. Mom would always tell her when I was coming home, and she would always sit and wait on her perch on the first few steps of the staircase. It felt weird when she didn't stand guard on the edge of the front porch while we sat outside. It felt weird to not hear her crowing bark throughout the day, as mailmen or neighbors or strangers walked by on the sidewalk. It just felt weird that she wasn't there.

I'll always miss her. She was a companion and a friend, and that kind of unconditional love only comes around once in a while. Here's to Mollie Jean.

--
siddathornton through the years:
2014 | 2012 

inspiration: found. searching for discipline.

serendipitous photographs  

My mom and I ran into a friend while out shopping today. 

We talked about so many things, and it felt so great to reconnect, but it struck me [as it always does when this topic comes up in real life conversations] when we talked about blogging.

She shared that she herself was interested in getting into blogging.

"My blog has been paid for for a few months now," she said. "But it's blank - there's no content."

I want her to start blogging. She's witty, she's funny - she has the BEST kind of dry humor. 

And it made me think. Maybe if I want her to blog so badly, I also want me to blog just as much. And I do. I want to be here. I miss sharing. I miss connecting. 

With the rebirth of The Sunday Currently, I've felt so much joy. That means something, doesn't it? Yes, it does.

Long live blogging. Long live the written word. Long live siddathornton.

the sunday currently, volume 102 | "the monday currently."

when in wyoming

[*Editor's Note: This is the very first edition of The Sunday Currently that is being published on Monday. What can I say? Life happens. See the bottom of this post for additional information on all future editions of TSC.]

Greetings from Shreveport! I know in last week's post, I said I would be coming to you from Wyoming, but we were having such a great time, I refrained from blogging. I did, however, write a few recaps in my journal while we were there, so I will be combing through those later this week to decide what to share here. For now, though, I will say this: Wyoming is absolutely beautiful, and I look forward to going back one day.

I arrived in Shreveport late Friday night, and I've stayed busy since then, with a trip over to Natchitoches on Saturday, as well as a visit to the Gem and Mineral Show yesterday. It feels great to be here, and I'm greatly looking forward to all the adventures that lie ahead for the rest of my stay.

On this Monday edition of The Sunday Currently, I am currently...

reading Go Set A Watchman, by Harper Lee. I was unaware of the controversy until my mom told me about it two days ago.

writing in my Filofax and my Moleskine journal.

listening to the Mates of State Pandora station while I'm in Shreveport. Ever since May 2013, it's become a Shreveport tradition that I look forward to every time I visit. Right now, "Heart It Races," by Dr. Dog, is playing. I love this song, and it reminds me of some wonderful years that I spent here in my hometown.

thinking that I'm so happy to be in Shreveport right now! I love being here to spend time with my parents.

smelling the caramel Starbucks K-cup I just brewed. And the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin lotion from Bath and Body Works that I slathered on a few minutes ago.

wishing I would have gotten up this early for all of the days we spent in Wyoming. It's currently 7:08 a.m., and I've been up now for about 30 minutes. In a little while, I plan to go for a run before getting ready for the day. When fall semester starts back up (a week from today, actually), I plan to be rising at 6:00 a.m. every morning. I've been working on my schedule for the semester, and I'm looking forward to getting into the groove. I am planning to begin training for my first triathlon soon, so I'm going to have to exhibit some discipline with my training schedule. Let the fun begin!

hoping to order my Travelers Notebook soon. I can't stop thinking about it. I will probably share my set-up once I order it and get settled into it.

wearing my already-beloved Jackson Hole t-shirt. I've worn it every day since we got it during our stay there (which I already miss).

loving that we took a day trip to Natchitoches on Saturday. I am already grappling with how to put my thoughts on the trip into words, but I may try to put both literal and figurative pen to paper about it soon. I will probably share it here, too.

wanting to drink my coffee soon. And also, to listen to the mix tape CDs from a few years ago, today. I'm pretty excited about the latter, actually. I found them in a box of old stuff (including my gymnastics trophies) that my dad had me go through last night.

needing a workout and a shower. Both of those things are coming, respectively, after this blog post is written and published.

feeling content. And happy - so happy - that I woke up early this morning. And suddenly lonesome for our cozy Wilmington apartment. And suddenly excited for whatever becomes our house once I have graduated school.

clicking The Sunday Secrets this morning. I didn't read them last week, which I regret. They have become part of my weekly routine, and I don't like to skip them! Also clicking? The Chic Sparrow website, because I'm pretty sure a purchase is in my future...

pssst: last week I talked about how there were going to be some changes to The Sunday Currently as we move forward. Here they are:

1) The Sunday Currently has its own Twitter account! Follow here to be alerted when a new TSC post has gone live, as well as to see your name "in lights" each week as I tweet out the twitter handles of all participants.

2) Each following edition of The Sunday Currently will be published by 10:00 a.m. eastern time.

3) Those who link up with The Sunday Currently will be shouted out on TSC's twitter account the following Tuesday, throughout the day. If you would like your twitter handle included, make sure it is easily accessible from your blog. I will search for about 2 minutes, then I will give up. True story.

That's all for now, folks. As always, thank you for linking up and carrying on TSC's tradition!

What are you doing? Link up and share below.

around here lately.

Hello. Happy two thousand fifteen! It's been quite a while since my last around here lately post, so I thought I would share some images from the last month or so with you all today. It's been a whirlwind holiday season, and I feel nostalgic poring over these particular images. Enjoy!

my family, arriving in raleigh for christmas at RDU

festive decorations in downtown greenville

the road from smithfield to new bern

shopping in raleigh

breakfast at big ed's city market restaurant in raleigh

roaming duke's campus

lounging at the starbucks in chapel hill

our christmas tree stays up until the new year

two thousand fifteen: the year of lipstick and bangs

christmas at the ontario house

drinks at bird cafe in sundance square in fort worth with justin, jesse, & brian

slumber party with austen jane and jordan in frisco

january's book: a moveable feast, by ernest hemingway

a west shreveport sunset

remembering justin's grandma with this north monroe sunset

we started friends from the beginning

lunch at dawg house in ruston with justin's mom

the obligatory travel strawberry cream tea latte while on layover at ATL

Today marks the beginning of spring semester, and with that new beginning, I will also be launching into my new years resolutions/goals for the year. I hope to share them soon! What are your resolutions and goals for this year?

photos via my instagram

the centennial sunday currently.

glen iris flowers

Hello & welcome to the one hundredth edition of The Sunday Currently! It's hard for me to believe that I've sat down & tapped out one hundred different Sunday posts. In fact, to someone whose concept of numbers is a little... skewed... it seems like a much bigger number than it really is. 

I grappled with whether or not I was going to continue weekly editions of The Sunday Currently after this 100-post mark, & after careful thought & consideration, it is with slight sadness, but persistent confidence that I announce that this will be the last in the series. I thought it would be a nice way to wrap up this fun little series, to have a complete set of 100 to look back on. I'm not saying I'll never do a currently post again, nor am I implying that I'll never do another edition of specifically The Sunday Currently. I'm simply relinquishing the responsibility to write & post one each week, on Sunday, at noon eastern, on the dot. In fact, as you may have noticed, this post is not going up at noon eastern. Which brings me to my next point...

Lately, I've felt drawn to getting out & really just living my life, without the bonds of social media & constantly capturing every moment & making sure to do blog-worthy things weighing on my mind. It's felt liberating. I know what that means for my blog, really, but I am optimistic that this space will continue to be updated, maybe with a different kind of content, maybe not regularly, & maybe not forever, but for the time being. You know how people usually say they just know when a blog's time has kind of run out? Well, I won't lie to you & say I haven't felt those feelings about this space, because I have. BUT, I am not yet ready to let it go just yet. I don't know what the future holds for siddathornton, but I know that I'm probably one of those people who will always have a blog. 

I'll share more with you all as these thoughts develop & change. But for now, that's where I am. 

Seriousness aside, I'm happy to say that I've been in Shreveport since Wednesday! Completely surprising my parents was a success, & I think that we have all enjoyed our time here together. I am sad to be leaving soon, but I am also ready to get back home to Justin & Tahoe & get school started!

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  will resume in full force tomorrow. I haven't been good about keeping up with my reading on this trip, since I've been so busy running around! I've missed my daily Bible readings, & I'm excited to get back into them.

W R I T I N G  has also fallen off a bit.  

L I S T E N I N G  to the Mates of State Pandora station - it's been my Shreveport thing for the past few visits.  

T H I N K I N G  that trips home are a treasure.

S M E L L I N G  the French Lavender & Honey that I sprayed - liberally - on myself while we shopped around in Bath & Body Works just a little while ago.

W I S H I N G  I could have done even more than I did during my Shreveport trip. I'm so glad I finally got to meet Baby Austen, but there is so much more that I always want to do. It's hard to get everything squeezed into one trip! 

W E A R I N G  J. Crew plaid & dark nail polish.

L O V I N G  my family & friends who took time out of their schedules to visit with me while I've been in town - it means the world to me! 

W A N T I N G  Southern Maid donuts later. I'm excited!

N E E D I N G  to wash my hair. And pack my suitcase.

F E E L I N G  bittersweet. The Sunday Currently has been such a labor of love for me. I know I'll miss it, but I also know this is the right choice.

this week's posts:

songs from greenville, volume 1

rain in greenville

three from wilmington

the sunday currently, volume 99

Well, folks, it's been a good run for The Sunday Currently. Thank you to everyone who has linked up & commented & Tweeted & Instagrammed about this link-up. It wouldn't have been what it was without all of you. Thank you for helping me to celebrate the every-day & in commemorating the simple moments. Most of all, just thank you.

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

love lists: march 2014.

MARCH HAS definitely been a month filled with travel. 

At the beginning of the month, I found myself skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado. 

And only two days after we arrived back home in Wilmington, 

I found myself on a plane home to Shreveport. 

In the midst of all of this travel, I have noticed a few things 

holding true and catching my fancy. Here they are.

1. Camellias. And all of the other trees and flowers and plants we admired on our walks with the girlies during my Shreveport trip. [Red Buds, Magnolias... but mainly the candy-colored camellias - my favorite wintertime flower].

2. Sprite. I just can't get enough lately. I plan to wipe out this addiction upon my arrival back in Wilmington. It's time to get back to water, folks.

3.  NYX's lipgloss in Beige. The perfect, perfect springtime pink. This gloss, along with my trusty tubes of Carmex, have almost been the only things I've worn on my lips this month.

4. Reading the Bible. There is a kind of excited peace that comes along with finally embarking on this adventure. Well... actually... I've embarked on this adventure before, but I believe I was going about it the wrong way. You see, I picked up the Bible a few years ago and attempted to read it, cover-to-cover, in order. And, well, I didn't finish it. The app that I'm using provides four chapters per day to read, usually two from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. It's proving much easier to read!

5. Heart-to-hearts with my parents. Sometimes you've just got to sit down and get all of your feelings out. My parents were great listeners and great comforts during my trip home to Shreveport, and I am so grateful for that, and them. 

6. Pretty Little Liars. Yes. I said it. Truth be told, this show is a total guilty pleasure. In the past few weeks, I've spent time holed up on my iPad in bed, learning about Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna's totally dramatic lives. And I've really enjoyed it. 

7. House of Cards. This is the show that Justin and I have been watching together. We took a bit of a hiatus while I was in Shreveport, but now we are back to watching full-force. 

8. The Cuckoo's Calling. Such a great book, for real. I can't wait to read The Silkworm.

What were your favorites this month? Please do share.

[Photos: Camellias For Days | at The Ontario House | iPhone 3Gs]

back to wilmington.

As  I bid Shreveport farewell today, I look forward to arriving in Wilmington and seeing my husband for the first time in two weeks. I'll be off later today, praying for safe and smooth travels, hopefully travels during which I will be able to get some quality Harry Potter reading accomplished.

I've also got moments like the one pictured above firmly planted in my mind. These little Shreveport porch moments are some of my most treasured, and I look forward to when I'll arrive back there, ready to spend time with my parents, take the girlies on walks, and eat too much food.

Until next time, my dear Louisiana. It's time to press forward and accomplish some goals in Wilmington before the next adventure comes along. Which, you know, may not be so far off after all...

[Photo: Front Porch Reading | iPhone 3Gs]

the sunday currently, volume 79.

Good morning and Happy Sunday! My family and I are headed to Monroe this morning, for reasons which I will be illuminating later on. Here's to safe travels, catching up with everyone, and just being together.

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  . 

R E A D I N G Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, though to be honest, I have slowed my reading down a lot this week, and I have been focusing on other things. Hoping to get caught up this week, because as you may have seen from this week's recent reading post, I have a lot to get through!

W R I T I N G is something else I haven't really been doing a lot of this week, and which I also plan to get back into as we start anew. 

L I S T E N I N G to the TV in the den and the TV in kitchen. And to the tap-tap-tap of the keyboard as I work to complete this week's post.

T H I N K I N G that I miss getting up early. It just proves to be a better start to the day when you're up before everyone else is. Maybe I'll begin working on that when I get back to Wilmington.

S M E L L I N G the fresh cup of pumpkin spice coffee that I just brewed up. I know, I know... it's not exactly pumpkin spice season, is it? But sometimes, having a little something that you reserve to a specific time of year, during a different time of year, it can be an even bigger indulgence, an even bigger treat.

W I S H I N G I had drunk a couple fewer beers night before last. My body just plain can't handle it anymore. I know that makes me sound old, but really, it's just because I never, ever drink anymore.

H O P I N G for a productive week! I'll be traveling back to Wilmington in a few days, and I hope the time before that and the time after that is filled with things that I both want and need to do.

W E A R I N G pajamas. I snuck downstairs to do this post while everyone else is getting ready. I need to wrap this thing up so I can get back up there and get ready myself. 

L O V I  N G that I got to see my friends on Friday night, then have brunch with Laura and Sarah on Saturday morning, at one of my favorite restaurants, Bistro Byronz. I've missed them all!

W A N T I N G smooth and safe travels to Monroe today.

N E E D I N G to get caught up on my Bible-reading app. I've missed a couple of days, and I'm ready to get back on track.  

F E E L I N G a little sore and a little tired. But I bet this cup of coffee is going to do the trick!

I hope you all have a restful and restorative Sunday. Here's to the new week ahead!

this week's posts:
the sunday currently, volume 78.
kara's feelin' 22.
around here lately.
on simplicity.
recent reading.

[Photo: Front Yard Camellias* | iPhone 3Gs]

*more of these beauties coming later this week on the blog

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

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on simplicity.

How wonderful it would be, to sit in this swing, in the sunshine, and just... be. In a simple kind of world... one with no cell phones... one with no beloved Instagram to scroll. Not even a book to take your mind off of how wonderfully serene it can be in this world. To search the horizon for beauty, finding flowers, and ferns, and crisp, green grass. How wonderful to be distracted by the distant bird's song. How lovely to look up at the impossibly deep blue sky, to feel the late Spring sun on your freckling face.

I know how wonderful. I know how lovely. Because I've done all of those things, in the very place shown in this photo. 

And while I may never sit in this exact swing, in this exact back yard, ever again, I'd like to think I can carry those things on with me. I like to think that when life gets a little bit loud, I can close my eyes and transport myself to this very spot. And I also like to think that one day, in a different back yard, I'll sit on a different swing, with different people, but feel all of the same feelings. 

[Photo: Shady Lane Swing | Sowell Archives]

around here lately.

As I mentioned in this week's Sunday Currently post,  I am currently in Shreveport, and today, I wanted to share a few photos from the time I've spent here so far. Please do note: I have recently had to revert back to the iPhone 3GS, and the camera quality leaves a bit to be desired. We'll be back to normally scheduled programming when I return to Wilmington, where my replacement phone awaits.


It just wouldn't be a trip home to Shreveport without Cantina, which is one of my mom's very favorite restaurants. On Saturday, we were craving this Mexican delight, but we weren't feeling up to changing out of our PJs, truth be told. So, we phoned our order in to Go Waiter, and we feasted within the comfort of our own home. It was just as delicious as always... especially the fresh guacamole and fish tacos.

During this visit home, we have been focusing our energy on taking the dogs for a daily walk. To say they've been excited about it is an understatement. And we have all enjoyed getting in a little extra exercise, too. Also, the girlies have gotten a hair cut since this photo was taken, and they look pretty cute, I must say.

On Monday morning, I laid in bed for a few hours and finished The Cuckoo's Calling. I absolutely loved it, just like I adore everything JK Rowling writes. I can't wait to read The Silkworm.

As much as I have been enjoying my time here in Shreveport, on Sunday and Monday, my anxiety was really flaring up and making me feel pretty rotten. Yesterday, I woke up with the resolve to make the day a good one. And that's exactly what I did: I stayed in bed until I was ready to get up, I watched Pretty Little Liars, I made a to-do list, I worked on a project, I went on a run, and I did some scheduling. The photos above are those that I took on a peaceful, restorative run. One of my favorite things to do when I'm in town is to run in the neighborhood and the park. It definitely delivered.

This may sound strange, but one of my favorite things to get to eat in Shreveport is Chick-Fil-A. I say it may sound strange, because I can get Chick-Fil-A in Wilmington too. I think I like it so much because it just reminds me of lazy nights at home, when my mom and I would decide that a chicken sandwich would just be the best dinner. That's exactly what we did yesterday evening, after she and I and my dad took the girlies for a walk. Simple pleasures, folks.

I know this Around Here Lately post is formatted a bit differently than my previous ones, but I just felt like sharing a little more this time. I still have a lot to share, and all of that will come in good time. Right now, I'm just soaking up the time spent here in my hometown, missing Justin somethin' fierce!

[Photos: "Around Here Lately" | iPhone 3Gs]

around here lately: #benscoterlovestory.

to see more, check out #benscoterlovestory on instagram!

shreveport snapshot: the girlies.

not pictured: hun bun bear