A Tribute To Your Misplaced Mix CDs

I have something to say, and I'm just going to make it abrupt because I'm not sure how else to get to the point. My family is moving to Florida in two weeks. South Bend, Indiana will not be home anymore. It's unreal. But it's also okay, because when are things not?

Anyways, there should be an effective way to move out of a house. My family has not figured that out. Our house is not on the market. We still have furniture all over the place. It smells horrible, after 9 people living in a 4 bedroom two-story. As it turns out, there is little I can do to help, so I end up just sorting through anonymous junk in my room. Little did I know, this job would consume a great deal of my summer nights.

Tonight, I've been going through my old mix cds. Mixes that were either gifted to me from multiple friends, handed down from older siblings, burnt with love from yours truly, or even stolen from random peoples' cars. It's been kind of fun because each mix has taken me back to a very distinct memory.

The mix I'm listening to right now reminds me exactly of: 

When: Spring time, junior year 2012, after school

Where: My Suburban (R.I.P. Moo Cow), old St. Joe High School parking lot

What: Eating pistachios, listening to this stellar mix cd by Donny MacDonell, leaned seat back all the way with the windows open

Who: me, myself and I

Why: I didn't want to go home just yet.

Coincidentally enough, here I am, packing up my home, not ready to leave it behind, like all of your misplaced mix cds.

Do me and my 17 year old self a favor and listen to Scenic World by Beirut. 

Sunshinier Days

I'm at my little brother's baseball game. It's raining. I'm wet. I'm by myself. When the earth is gloomy, my attitude towards the earth is gloomy. It's the pits.

Sometimes, I feel really stupid because when I let my heart get all gloomy like that, I let a bunch of silly, pointless stuff get to my head. My big brother calls me a head case. Sometimes, I think we are all kind of similar, at least that is my hope. I think we are all heartbroken about something. Or embarrassed, ashamed, confused or misled about something. On gloomy days like this, I think it consumes us. It should not. We're all in this together. Even though there are rainy days, there are also sunshiney ones on their way to mend you. And with that, I just found a penny, heads up! In God, and in Abe Lincoln, and in sunshinier days, we trust.

Anyways, even though it's gloomy here by myself in the rain, it's still pretty nice.

Here's a story of a weekend that once turned my frown upside down!

Abby suggested that we sign up for a pottery class. A few minutes of research, $30, and a quick phone call later and we were well on our way to being crafty nyurgs for a day. We went to Funke Fired Arts and we cannot wait to go back. They provide all the necessary materials, including cute aprons with ducks on them, and they fire your pots for you (in the color of your choice) to pick them up a couple weeks after the session.

So the next day, we visited a very dear friend's farm. Jerry is our "Cincinnati Grandpa." He was Abby's Alternative Break leader, he is a retired professor, and he is in charge of Nexus Gardens at Xavier, which is where Abby and I have our little garden plot. He had been inviting us out to see his farm for a long time before we finally found a good time to meet for the day.

I could attempt to write paragraphs about what it was like, but it would not do any of it justice. Instead you get a...

Perks of Jerry's Farm List
Personalized tour of the farm
Home-built baseball field and tennis court
Amish furniture
Warm home-made bread straight from the bread oven
Hand-picked asparagus and salad
Home-made granola, wine, honey, and lemonade
Compost
Herb garden
Oven/stove/pots/pans passed down from family
Piano
Collection of little trinkets from all over the world
Meat and cheese from the Farmer's Market
Bruschetta!
Oh yeah, he built/designed it all himself, entire house and all (he even showed us his original handwritten layouts)

It's safe to say that Jerry knows how to live and how to treat the world. When we were complimenting his lifestyle and wishing we lived the same, he would just simply say, "I like to go easy on the earth." Right when we were leaving, we thanked him and tried to make plans to come back soon. After admiring his house one last time, he said (I wrote it down because I liked it so much), "It is simple, but it is comfortable. And that's what voluntary simplicity is all about."

There is a lot to be learned, youngins. Every so often, we all just need some perspective. And then the gloomy days aren't bad at all.

All-American Family

For Your Knowledge, The Magee Family

Dad
Mom
Ryan - 26 (engaged)
Rylee - 23 (married, pregnant)
Torey - 22 (just graduated form Purdue yesterday!)
Me - 20 (merp)
Meghan - 17 (Turns 18 this weekend, headed to Loyola Chicago in the fall)
Shafer - 14 (about to be in high school)
Thomas - 14 (^ lol)


My Family's Monday

Sometime very early: mom and dad take Meghan, Shafer and Thomas to school
7:30 Maddie, Torey and cousin Blake wake up and head to work*
8:30 mom grocery shops
10:00 Torey goes to dentist appointment
12:00 Torey and Blake make a delivery to customer, leaving Maddie to do all the work by herself
3:00 Dad picks boys up from school
3:15 Mom picks Meghan up from school and drops her off at work
4:00 Maddie takes Thomas to eye appointment
5:00 Family run with crazy psycho dog, Murphy, who stops at every mailbox and sprints to the next without hesitation or signs of slowing
7:00 All-American Family Dinner

*Note: We work for my dad. He owns a coffee/water business.

*Note 2: Between said events, Maddie Torey and Blake cleaned 6 water coolers, 4 coffee machines, put away 3 orders of product, unloaded 2 trucks, and cleaned.

*Note 3: Torey and I also applied for other jobs today.

*Note 4: STAY IN COLLEGE, KIDS


Tonight's All-American Dinner Menu:

Slo Joe's
Watermelon
Potato Chips
Baked Beans
Corn on the Cob
2% milk

Thoughts, Words:

Today was good because my parents taught me the goodness of productivity at a very young age. We are the kind of people who see things to do and we get them done. We are certainly doers. And we are not complainers, liars, nor braggers. However, forgive me, Daddy, I have to brag about you and mom just this once.

I realize how blessed I am to have my amazing parents. My appreciation for them has been growing exponentially the more I am experiencing life in the real world. I'm sorry, mom and dad, that it's taking me so long to understand completely. Even though I don't understand fully, I do know this. I am proud of who I am today. I am proud of each of my 6 siblings. We have all come a long ways, and that is all thanks to my parents, whom so graciously, and humbly, raised 7 children in a Catholic and Conservative household centered solely around love for one another, and love for our Creator.

Moments with Dad this week:

Dad: Hey, I like this selfie with all of the family in it. Make it my background, I can't figure out how to do it.
Me: Okay dad, but your apps are completely blocking out your face.
Dad: OH that's perfect! Just the way I like it!

Me: Dad, you have something stuck in your hair!
Dad: Hey good! I love it when things are stuck in my hair!
Me: Why??
Dad: That means I still have hair!

Me: I just want to marry a farmer and get on with my life.
Shafer: Why are you so obsessed with farmers and farm houses? We hear about it every time we drive past a farm.
Dad: You go right ahead, Maddie. Farmers are conservative. We like them.

Mom: I was going through a hard time myself meanwhile all the nurses are worried about you because you had stupid knee surgery.
Dad: Hon, don't be upset. I had hair back then so obviously all the nurses liked me.

Mom: Jeff, you took the last glass of milk and you're supposed to be on a diet.
Dad: What do you mean, I can't have my milk??
Me: Hey, start buying Skim milk!
Dad: Why would I do that when I could just dump water in my good 2% milk!

Mom: Hey, I think we need to throw cousin Lindsay a baby shower.
Torey: She'll be in Poland though
Mom: Well, it will have to be a virtual baby shower.
Dad: I'm busy that day...

Me: (Telling the family about my friend who got a full ride to grad school for Health Administration)
Dad: Maddie, you know what that makes me want to do? Fart. (farts).

Dad: (Sit down at the restaurant, meanwhile, mom is outside taking pictures of flowers.) Kids, we gotta start picking restaurants with smaller menus. It's gonna take your mother years to decide what she wants on this thing.

Dad: (telling us the story of him getting struck by lightning while going to the bathroom) It was like 6 250 lb men picking you up off the ground and slamming you to the ground, and then a whole bunch of debris and glass falling on you. And the first thing I did was think "I'm breathing, I'm alive, where are my shorts?" So the moral of the story is, if you're gonna die, die with dignity. Always put your pants on first.
Everyone: (dying laughing)
Dad: So the next thing I did was say a quick prayer for courage to be able to look at where the lightning hit, because I could smell my skin burning. So I prayed and I lifted up my shirt and waddaya know all that was there was my fat rolls. Now the moral of the story here is fat rolls can save your life one day.
*There is a LOT more to this story. And yes, he actually got struck by lightning.

Dad: (telling us the story of the time they thought their first house was burning to the ground) The neighbors are pounding on our door telling us to get the hell out of there, I run into Ryan's room, get him out of his crib, give him to Julie, they run outside, then I'm following them and look down and realize.... I'm in my underwear. So you bet I ran upstairs and put shorts on!

Mom (at Torey's graduation): Everyone! Picture in front of these flowers! I like them! They're pretty!
Shafer: Mom, we have taken so many pictures in front of random places.
Dad: Kids! Smile for mom! The quicker we do this without complaint the quicker we're out of here.

In Conclusion...
I love you, Mom and Dad. Thank you for building our little family the way you did. This All-American life is more than I ever could have dreamed of for us 9. I love this family.

Nada Worry in the World

So. I just got out of my class called "Administration of Institutions Serving the Aged." I am currently in the process of writing a paper on Alzheimers Disease. And I am soon starting a project in which I have to provide groundwork for a "new service or program" in a long-term care facility. I chose to add a chapel to a nursing home, and I am so excited to sketch pew layouts, look up the cost of hymnal books, and research the best mass times for a retirement community!

Permission granted to laugh at me. I'm laughing at myself.

I guess I'm just really excited about my future career. It will take me wonderful places. I'm learning so much and I'm becoming more and more passionate about this field every day. And I think that's great!

So there, mom and dad. I am doing more at college than just having fun on the weekends.

Okay, that's enough of that, let's talk about how much fun I had over the weekend. 

GIRLS NIGHT OUT! WAAHHHH (feat. Nada, Graeters, and the best friends ever)

Guys, dressing up and going to a nice dinner with your friends is therapeutic and often times mandatory for common sanity. 

Faith in humanity restored: This random guy came up to us when we were hanging out at Fountain Square and gave us all flowers! 

He picked them out of some random flower bed, but a thoughtful gesture none-the-less? 

Just some girls on a mission to spoil their dinner with Graeter's ice cream. 

No regrets on my part!

This is the outside of one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, Nada! It is only a block away from Fountain Square, and it has this relaxed modern edge (and the greatest music ever). It is imperative to make reservations at this place at least a week in advance if you want to eat at a decent hour. In our case, we were a little late to the game and had to settle for a 9:30 pm reservation. I think it's safe to say that none of us regretted it. 

By the way, keep in mind, friends. I say this is one of my favorite restaurants, but only when I'm in the mood to treat myself (which doesn't happen so often) because I grew up on Sam's Club hot dogs and $1 wing night at Jay's local bar. 24 hour Greek restaurants are still a crowd favorite dinner for me, the middle child of 7! All I'm trying to say is, don't worry, frugal Maddie is very much still here. 

^ My hot dates. We started with the trio chips and salsa thingy and the girls ordered mojitos. Tee and Hallie split some weird Mexican salad and steak fajitas. Lauren and Rose got chicken tacos. I had tried three different tacos before (all amazing) and wanted to try a new flavor, so I got barbacoa, which was heavenly! However, the chicken or pork tacos are still my favorite. 

This is just a teeny tiny view of the restaurant. You can see how colorful and unique it is. We had to walk up this wooden spiral staircase to get here. Right behind Tee is this see-through platform where you can see the atmosphere below. Even the bathrooms were beautiful! You could just tell that it's a GNO environment based on the fact that we were surrounded by a group of gals celebrating a birthday and another group celebrating Bachelorette party weekend. Ah, I forgot to mention, the service is amazing!

And to close, a blurry picture of downtown before hustling into an uber to get home and to a cozy bed. 

I wouldn't trade these amazing friends for anything in the world. I thank God for them every day and our amazing support system. They have helped me through some of my hardest days and they have also provided me with some of my happiest moments. 

If you ask me, that's something to celebrate, and often.  

Here's to several more GNOs to come (and to any implementations to our future mommy vacation in Bermuda with our tankinis and swim skirts).

My Month Expressed in Selfies

Upon reviewing the life of Mads over the past couple months, I had to laugh at myself for the amount of selfies I have found. This post is me showing myself how absolutely ridiculous I am for being able to document all my whereabouts for the past month solely through selfies. You may proceed.

Fat Tuesday Selfie

Xavier Basketball Do-Rag Selfie

Montgomery Inn Selfie

Omg-I-was-invited-to-Lauren's-dad's-birthday-dinner Selfie

Torey and Kari Being Matching-Scarf-Dinguses Selfie

(So, my sister Torey and her friend Kari picked me up from Xavier at the start of my spring break and we drove all the way to North Carolina for Torey's interviews for grad school. It was by far the farthest I have ever had to drive - 7 hours straight! It was also the second most breath taking drive, aside from Utah. Dad paid for hotel stays and food all weekend long, thanks dad! It was definitely a girl trip for the books.)

Happiness in a Selfie Selfies

(We went to Myrtle Beach for a day, just because. It was very strange walking on the beach in a winter coat and boots.)

Pumped Because She's My Sister Selfie

Murphy is My Only Friend Selfie                                                              Ball is Life Selfie

Food Friends are Forever Selfie

(for some reason) I-Brought-a-Cosmic-Brownie-to-the-Bar Selfie

XAVIER BUS RIDE SELFIE

Free Green Bruegger's Bagel Selfie                                   Proof I Celebrated St. Patrick's Day Selfie

   

(I love kilts and bagpipes!! Also featured in this parade, a hillbilly float with people in questionable costumes, a collection of Back to the Future cars, many many red firetrucks, a Statue of Liberty that does the limbo, and of course free Bruegger's bagels. The last part was especially funny, because the whole entire parade Abby was saying, "All I want is a bagel!" She nearly had a myocardial infarction when they came around the corner. Fun stuff, friends.) 

Winter Jam Selfie or We-Are-Freezing-But-Still-Happy Selfie

(Not entirely mad about our view while waiting for the gates to the Winter Jam open. Winter Jam is this crazy Christian Rock Concert, and it was only $10! You guys know I always find the cheapest ways to have fun. Yes, we did wait about an hour and a half in the frigid cold to get in, but we made the most of it by playing Heads Up while in line. However, our hands started to freeze while holding my phone up to our foreheads, so it was neat while it lasted. We definitely humored some cranky people in line.)

                         
                              Winter Jam Selfie                                      Scared of Skillet Selfie

(A picture of the crowd at Winter Jam! My favorite part was definitely when Hillsong United played Oceans. I was so surprised! I had no idea they were going to be at this concert and when they played that song, immediate goosebumps. Francesca Battistelli was definitely my second favorite performer. It's crazy how she gets up on that stage in front of thousands of people and still looks so humble. Her music truly reflects her mission. Oh, last thing, there was this hilarious band who had mini-trampolines and had choreographed jump/dances for their songs...and it was kinda hilarious/impressive/cute.)

 Sweet Sixteen Selfie

 My-Friend-Liz-is-Probably-Psycho Selfie                            Caputi and Twebs Selfie

Some Hilarious Doods Selfies

 (Real talk, y'all, it was pretty exciting when Xavier made it to the sweet 16. So exciting that we burnt a mattress in the middle of the street. I just liked standing around a bonfire and pretending it was summer with some of my favorite people. Don't worry. The firemen were all over this real quick.)

I-Got-The-Biggest-Slice Selfie
(yes this is worth documenting)
                                                            Stones XUBB Selfie

Hanging out with my Beautiful Friend Rose Selfie

 Da Fab 4 Goes Shopping Selfie

(These girls have been my best friends at Xavier since my first day here. It's been sad not seeing them as much this year, but whenever we get back together, it's like nothing ever changed.)

High School Best Friends Selfie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(So glad I got to see my girls over Easter break. We only got to meet up for a couple hours, but that's alright! We all agreed that coming home for this break was the first time it actually felt "weird." Like all the sudden, South Bend Indiana wasn't exactly home. Considering the fact that Alexis (right) and her family moved to Kansas and Dana (left) goes to school in Chicago and my family will probably be moving away sometime soon, I think the "weird" feeling was pretty much justified. That being said, it was pretty neat that even though our lives are changing and we are all going our separate ways, as soon as we get back together, we are all still the same best friends and forever supportive and happy for each other. Till next time best friends! Not featured: Madeline and Emily and many many other high school best friends who I will always always love.)

So, to conclude, I must admit, I LOVE selfies!! Sometimes, they are necessary to document the situation and most of the time they provide some serious comic relief later on. Sometimes it's good to just take pictures of your friends, but sometimes it's important to get everyone's happiness documented, including your own! Selfies, you are wholesome and hilarious. You can be gross or you can be cute, but no matter what you are, you are not meant to inhabit in my instagram feed. Therefore, I will house you here, in my little blog.

Next phase, selfie stick??