jamie y. watkins

Author: jywatkins

  • {pretty, happy, funny, real}

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    ~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ {pretty} Chad and I got to spend some time with The Big 5 this week and one of the things we did together was take a tour of Penn’s Cave. The cave floor is covered with a couple feet of water, so you take a boat…

  • The Big 5

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in ,

    My junior year of college, I studied abroad for one semester in Strasbourg, France. Studying abroad in France for five months was, for me, a big thing. I grew up in a family that didn’t really travel, didn’t fly, didn’t venture, so traveling alone for five months to a foreign country was a big step,…

  • The Slow Unfolding

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    Saturday mornings around here start slow. We sleep in as much as time allows, get up gradually and make something delicious for breakfast (or brunch, depending on what time we climb out of bed), like pancakes, omelettes, or biscuits. We’ll probably get out a crossword puzzle while we eat and take turns filling in the…

  • Oh So Graceful

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    The other night, Chad and I went to a minor league baseball game with my parents. When it ended and we were heading back to the cars, Chad stopped to take a picture of the earth on fire (seriously, there was a sculpture of the earth– a hollow globe, iron pieces making up all the…

  • Tension

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    Take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders; let them drop. Unset your jaw. Exhale. Listen. Unwind. Be still. About three years ago I chipped my front tooth biting a pen at work. Later, I chipped that tooth again on a piece of pizza– really, just pizza. It turns out, I grind my teeth at night,…

  • One Patch of Earth at a Time

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    Chad and I have one-third of an acre of land around our little house. When we moved in, it was one-third of an acre of wilderness and overgrowth, but we’ve made some major improvements and subdued some of the craziness. It’s still very much a work in progress– large chunk of our property is wooded, but…

  • Not an Athlete

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    Growing up, I felt some pressure to be athletic. My older siblings all played sports. My sister, Patty, was– is, even now– an amazing runner. Softball, track, wrestling, tennis– my siblings covered a gamut of sports between them and I always felt like I should participate, too. I remember going on a bike ride one time with…

  • Routines

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    Chad and I are starting a new routine. It involves doing a little bit of cleaning, a workout, and a little time for both of us to write, all in the hours after work. It’s ambitious, we know. But it’s summer so the days feel longer, giving us extra time to get things done. I’m…

  • 5:30 AM

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    5:30 am. I’m not a morning person. I don’t get up at 5:30 am unless I have to. But here I am. And I’ve already been awake for probably an hour. I gave in about 30 minutes ago and picked up my phone to play a game and check Facebook. Not much has changed in…

  • When #LoveWins

    —

    by

    jywatkins
    in

    Last week, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. Naturally, it was an issue that brought on a variety of reactions, both positive and negative. My first thought was, it’s about time. It’s about time Love wins this one. Chad and I were married almost six years ago, and it was beautiful, with God at the center…