What I’m Into: April

General Highlights:

I’ll blame the lateness of this post on how eventful April was. April through June is THE BEST time to be in Memphis, but it’s also the busiest. On top of that, I’ve been traveling. I attended the Festival of Faith and Writing in Grand Rapids, soaked up a lot of great wisdom and inspiration, and came home with a pile of books to add to the already hefty stacks around my room!

If you follow me elsewhere, you may have wondered who this guy is. His name is Matt, and we went to middle and high school together. We didn’t really hang out back then, but he randomly chatted me up on Facebook in early March, and we’ve talked every day since. He’s a good, kind, and fun person, we have a lot in common, and I’m just enjoying being in a happy, supportive relationship! I’m still a little stunned by the whole thing (in a good way). I’ll leave it at that right now. :)

 

Reading:

I devoured two books by FFW speakers on my flights to and from the Festival. (Both of their talks were wonderful!) Then I needed a break from deep thoughts and moved on to Heathers-meets-One Direction novel Kill the Boy Band. Despite the title, I was surprised by how dark it was.

 

Music:

I only attended one night of Music Fest this year, to see Weezer, who had been on my bucket list for years. Rivers Cuomo was not too high to perform and the show was great! I also saw Julien Baker, Young the Giant, and Panic at the Disco.

 

Around Town:

Even though the Grizzlies got swept by the Spurs, I was thrilled to go to both playoff home games! Alanna and I bought our Game 3 tickets as soon as they went on sale, but Kelsey surprised me with Game 4 tickets when I met her for brunch that day! It was a miracle that the Grizz made the playoffs at all due to endless injuries, and they fought hard to the end against a tough team. As one homemade growl towel said, “So proud of my team… all 28 of you.” Also, Grizz (the mascot) jumped off an extension ladder and pile-drove another mascot through a folding table, so that was awesome. MEMPHIS VS. ERRRBODY.

Wes, Kelsey, Clark, and I went to opening day at the Redbirds. The next day, we were Twitter famous.

April is crawfish month around here, and I enjoyed them at Rec Room one weekend and at Overton Square another. Matt took me to a great Founders beer dinner at Flying Saucer (the Mango Magnifico is amaaazing). Becky, Gwen, and I checked out and loved the latest hipster hangout, Loflin Yard. There’s a bar in an old locksmith shop and a big yard with abundant Adirondack chairs and fire pits. I’ll be spending a lot of time there this summer.

Alanna and I ran the inaugural Grizzlies 5K!

Food Truck Fridays have started at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. I’m participating now before it’s too hot!

 

At Home:

I had a couple of run-ins with my HOA in April, first for some thin wire I’d put on my gate to keep Rufus inside, and then for the clear twinkle lights on my patio (what kind of Scrooge doesn’t like twinkle lights??). I decided I’d better upgrade the fold-out chairs on my balcony, or they’d send me a letter about that too. So I got these faux wicker armchairs and cushions at Garden Ridge and am very happy with them. Now I just need more time at home to enjoy them!

My perennials are all coming back full strength and look beautiful. I also planted my essential herbs in pots: basil, mint, and rosemary. The mint has already grown about a foot since I took this picture.

 

Cooking/Eating:

After I stayed with my friend Erin the pie queen in Grand Rapids, Matt requested a blackberry pie. This recipe was a win and will be made again (though I used Pillsbury pie crust due to time constraints).

 

Random Happiness:

My older niece just turned four (CRAZY), and I went to Nashville for her Shrek birthday party! My BIL Lance did a wonderful job planning the party and was Head Ogre for the festivities.

I’ve gotten serious about half-marathon training just in time – the race is only a few weeks away! After my 15K in February, I lost a lot of mojo, but I’m finally feeling strong and steady again and my mileage is good. My only complaints are #MidtownRunnerProblems – bad sidewalks, lots of obstacles, constantly trying not to get hit by a car or bus. But I usually plot my route through Overton Park for some relaxation. Anyway, I welcome tips for running a half in hot weather, because it’ll be hot by then!

Your monthly Rufus:

 

Pinterest Quote of the Month:

 

On The Blog:

My FFW recap was my only post here last month, but I also wrote a little piece about the New Daisy Theatre for Memphis Type History, in connection with the RedBall Project!

 

Posts I Loved:

♥ Angie at My So-Called Chaos: What Do I Even Do with A Boyfriend?

♥ Heather Caliri: Beliefs I Wish Weren’t True: Bitterness Is Poison

♥ Jayson D. Bradley: Coming to Grips with Christian Hypocrisy

♥ Kelle Hampton: A Lesson from My Eyebrows

♥ The writing life is so meta: Jody Casella: Day by Day, Good Day

♥ Not my usual scene, but I appreciated this installment of Living with Kids on Design Mom, from a recently divorced mom. Love her style, too!

♥ A local Prince remembrance from Chris Davis in the Memphis Flyer.