It is really starting to feel like summer. (If it would only stop raining here in Nashville? I swear you’d think we live in a rainforest with the way the weather has been.) I love summer. I don’t love the heat. But I love summer.

Here are 10 of my favorite things about summer:

1. Road Trips – trips to the lake, the beach, neighboring cities. For some reason, no place seems to far to drive in the summer. I need to start making some playlists on Itunes right now! (Some of my twitter buddies, helped me start a wish list. Now I just need to find some time to download.)

Macon and Anne Shelton - Lake Texoma 2008

2. Music Festivals – City Stages, Bonnaroo. One of my first jobs out of college was planning music festivals. And I love them. There is nothing better than being outside (when the weather’s nice), listening to good music, drinking a cold beer, and hanging out with your closest friends. This summer I plan on hitting CityStages (my personal favorite) and Bonnaroo (to see what all the fuss is about). I am excited because for the first time in several years, they don’t fall on the same weekend. (more…)

Last night, I returned home after being gone almost a week. And as much as I loved my week with the family at the beach, it was nice to be home. (Or at least back in Nashville, as I expressed here there is some confusion for me about where home is.)

There are times when I have dreaded returning after a vacation. But not this time, and here’s why: (more…)

As I scarfed down my Chick-Fil-A lunch, I started thinking. (I know, you are probably pretty impressed right now at my incredible multi-tasking.) I started thinking, about how fast food restaurants are like old friends. Pretty deep thoughts, over a chicken sandwich and fries.

I am blessed with some incredible friends and each one is unique; each one plays a special role in my life. I need each of them at different times.  Kristie plays the big-sister and work-mentor role; Carey Martin is the go-to for nights on the town or hour-long phone conversations (any hour day or night); Rami listens when I need to complain (about just about anything);  Mindy always takes my side (even when I am wrong); Mary Helen tells me like it is (even when I don’t want to hear it); Courtney, around since middle school, puts everything in perspective; and The Normans are always up for a good-deep philosophical conversation. This is just a sampling, I could go on and on.

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I might be biased but…these days it seems like television, movies, and literature portray thirty-something single women as either 1. glamorous party girls constantly moving between conquests or 2. whiny homely chicks who are immensely dissatisfied with their lives and can’t understand why they aren’t married. (Because they are a drag to be around, that’s why.)

At My Happiest With My Niece, Anne Shelton Porterfield

Don’t get me wrong, there certainly are women out there who fit both these molds, but what about the rest of us? I know this is going to be a surprise to a lot of you, but there are some 30+ year old women out there who are looking for more, they are looking to be more. They are struggling to balance their dreams of being savvy career women with their dreams of being married and having kids – and fearfully facing the reality that they might not be able to have it all. And probably just like you, they are trying to have faith in the plans God has for them, “plans to give [them] a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

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1. I am related to George Washington. I know that everyone says that, but seriously I am. My mom’s maiden name is Washington and our family has one of his four pistols.

George Washington

2. I used to plan all the special events for Books-A-Million and met a long list of famous authors and celebrities in that gig — Pat Conroy (my favorite), Nora Roberts, Paula Deen, John McCain, Joel Osteen, Patricia Cornwell, and Lou Holtz – just to name a few.

3. I Twitter, a lot. It really is a technology you should check out (www.twitter.com). Through it I have found a church, met new friends, and learned a ton.

4. I love to take road trips. Mostly because they area great excuse for me to sing and do dramatic interpretation of songs. One of my many talents. Seriously, you should see me do it sometime — I am fantastic.

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I have fully embraced all things Twitter. It has been a fun way to stay in touch with friends and colleagues and it has been a fabulous networking tool. For those not familiar with the technology, I highly recommend Michael Hyatt’s posts, 12 Reasons to Start Twittering and The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter. He shares the basics on why and how to get started.

But, there is one aspect of Twitter that I really struggle with – the awkward introduction…

An Awkward Introduction

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