True Confessions/Obsessions on Thursday

Some days, you just gotta spill your guts. These are not deep and intense thoughts; these are silly, random, obscure thoughts that just keep popping into my head at work and need to be shared somehow while not disturbing productivity. So here we go.

• Since returning from my beloved Kentucky, I've been unable to bring myself to wear "real" shoes. Sandals or nothing. Seriously. Oh, and here in the great Northwest, it has been raining almost constantly and has warmed up to a mediocre 65* average. But sandals it is!
• Have you guys heard of Veggie Straws??? They are made by Sensible Portions and I l o v e them. They give me the salty and crunchy fix that chips provide, yet they are made from vegetables and one serving size is 38 straws. Yep. Crunch away, friends! These things are delish. I'm in love.
  
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• Can we talk about Call the Midwife again? Butforrealztho. My mom and I just finished the first season {her first time seeing it} and we are ready to begin Season Two! So exciting! Some friends have said that "something big happens" and I'm really excited/nervous to watch.
  
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• And while we're on the subject of British shows, have you heard of "Miranda" before? Seriously one of the funniest shows out there. "Chummy" in CTM is played by Miranda Hart, a comedian and writer of this "semi-autobiographical" show. She is hysterical. Her sense of timing, her awkwardness, her comical situations- they all fit into this adorable show.
  
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  Warning: "Miranda" has some innuendos and/or conversations that are not suitable for children. But it is not the focus of the show, and it is conversation only. {Exception: one episode in S2 tries to be inappropriate, but again, it's conversation and intent only, and it's played for laughs.}
  Anyway, she is so funny; the females of my family squish onto the couch and watch it from a laptop and would be rolling on the floor laughing if we weren't wedged onto the couch so well. Def a fave.
• Save the Storks. I love everything about this group. Their tactic is to first offer help to abortion-minded women, and then provide them with information and resources. It's wonderful. Check them out at the link below the picture.
  
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• Confession: I watched "Star Trek: Into Darkness." Yes, I'm a nerd. But not for the reasons you're thinking. I watched it because of Benedict...*swoon* Confession: I'm obsessed. Seriously. Cheekbones. Gah. {And yes, that is a Sherlock reference too...see what kind of a nerd I am!?!?} There are probably dozens of other pictures I could have posted, but I will use self-control and only post one.

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Is there anything that can follow up after Benedict? Nope. So I will leave you with the image of Ben...

Random Saturday Musings

Just a few things to share, in no particular order:

I recently discovered the blog of  Laura, and I’m really inspired. She’s active in the pro-life movement, and we have similar goals in terms of our involvement in the movement. She and I have emailed a couple times, and I really admire this young lady! She gave me a really remarkable recommendation: start answering questions about abortion on Yahoo! Answers. Brilliant! So simple, yet so effective! Read her post about cyber counseling!

It snowed back at Home…as in, schools were delayed because it actually stuck. This never happens, and yet it did. And it snowed in my Other Home. This I think is more rare for March. And just when I was about to say “Finally you get what I’m getting,” it starts to snow here in the Frozen Tundra too. Ugh.

I’ve been on a Lord of the Rings kick recently. As in, I’m watching the movies again…by myself…yeah, the extended versions. Hello, I’m a nerd.

L came over today and we watched Anne of Avonlea. Sniff. I love that movie. Makes me want to re-read the Anne books, and then actually advance into the books about {spoiler warning for those of you who haven’t read it and have been living under a stupid rock} Anne and Gilbert’s married life.
Oh, and did I mention {sorry Lola!} that Dahlia and I are going to Prince Edward Island in August?!!?!? Yes we are, shut the front door. Contain your jealousy, everyone. We’ve basically been planning this trip since our sophomore or junior year of college. We were going to go “the summer after graduation!” but then we got jobs and realized that we are grown-ups and stuff, and so we delayed it one summer. But we’re going in 5 months!!! Holla! Or as they say up north, “Eh!”

Oh yeah one small teeny insignificant thing… I started packing. But hey, I leave in 3 days, instead of 30 like, oh you know, last month. But when I say I “started” packing, I really mean it. Just books and things that I won’t be using this weekend. So don’t freak out. I’m not crazy. Or as “Confessions of a Shopaholic” would say, “I’m not a pervert!”

don’t know where to go from here, so I’m going to go finish “The Return of the King.” Peace out!

Saturday’s Somethings

Well, here are the random thoughts going through my head this weekend…

1. going to Target makes me want to get my own house and buy out the store.
2. I want to see if I can crochet a square on the diagonal. it just might work, but first I have to finish a graduation scarf for my roomie! read her blog right here Did I mention she’s graduating!?!?!? holla!
3. my bff and her family are quickly losing their grandfather, her dad’s dad. It’s super hard, and I feel bad because I’m not there with her right now. but I’m praying for her, and I’m sure she’d appreciate it you prayed too! read about her awesome grandparents here
4. um oh yeah, this is my 250th post. woot! this means that I’ve been blogging for…quite some time. I was gonna say however many years, but I think that it’s only this year that I started consistently posting. but still, 250 is a big one, so yay words! :)
5. the other night I got to talk to my bosom friend AJ, and golly talking to her fills me with joy! I get to see her almost next month, which means in a little over 30 days, which means I can hardly stand the month of november! and while we were talking, her hubby and son came home from men’s meeting, and she handed the phone to her son {who happens to be one of my FAVORITE kids ever} and omg he sounded like a little man!!! when I left just a few months ago, he was a little boy; I feel like he’s already hit puberty or something! haha.

oh, btw, I think that “puberty” is one of the UGLIEST words ever. I mean, come on. it means something awkward, is only used in uncomfortable situations, and what good word starts with the “pyou” sound!?!?!? none. there. I said it.

but anyhow, I adore AJ and her whole fam, and I am totes excited to see everyone SOON!!!!!

6. my grandparents continue to crack me up. grandpa is always talking about how his next wife is going to be a 27 year old red-head. Grammie is always saying “see what I have to put up with?” and Grandpa replies “hey, I’m a nice guy. if you don’t believe me, just ask me.” too cute.
7. at work, I am becoming fast friends with Laurie. she’s pretty awesome, if you ask me. she just got back from 2 years in China, studying and sharing the love of Jesus, and now she’s involved in a ministry to international…people {I’d say students, but not all of them are students, so they’re people} and I've gone with her twice now, and it’s amazing and I’m super glad to be friends with her. plus she has a sweet apartment and we watched Downton Abbey there, so you know we’re practically soul mates :)
8. when I came out to live with my grandparents, I left my nail polish at home, and since I've been here {and because Grammie only has pink polish….as in, everything is a shade of light pink. ev. ery. thing. } I've bought 4 nails polishes. the first was NYC brand, and it’s royal purple and it was fab. the paint doesn't go on super smoothly, but it stays on, and the color is great. I just took that off this morning after a week. tomorrow I’m going to try one of my Sinful Colors polishes- $0.99 each! score! if you follow me on insta.gram, you saw that happy purchase. if not, well, wait till I’m home and then come over and we’ll paint our nails!

I hope everyone is proud of me for making myself wait a day to paint my nails, because nails need to breathe {although I thought that’s what lungs were for!} and so I gave my nails Saturday off. but with those awesome new colors, it was real hard. real hard.

9. since 9 is a multiple of 3, I thought I’d do a shout-out here to my 3rd-born sis who stalks me keeps up on my life by stalking reading this blog. Hey soul sister! Make good choices, don’t do drugs, just say no, don’t talk to strangers, and stay sober. the last one is courtesy of {drumroll!} you guess it: Grandpa. what a great life this is.

well, I’m off to watch Game Three of the World Series. Go baseball! :)

All Across the Board in August

Wow. It’s the second day of August already. Dang!

Ok, so we’re gonna go crazy on this post. Just kidding. Actually not. I’m just going to hit you with a bunch of stuff and you can recover and read it later. Ha. Sorta.

First off, I ordered 2 swimsuits tonight! Woot! One of them is my favorite; I think I've had the same cut for the past 5 years. I love it. Come on, girls, how many swimsuits are there that are flattering, modest, and fabulous? Not that many, so let’s stick with a good thing, eh? And on that note, I actually ordered one that was a different cut. Oh, irony, there you are!

Best part? S-A-L-E! Score! Ok, pictures aren't working right now, but I’m sure I’ll have some once they get here.

Secondly, I am in love with this song. Ohhhhemgeeeee!
Steffany Frizzell, anyone? I hadn't heard of her that much, only through Bethel Music, but this morning, discovery! Really loving this song!

Thirdly, and warning, we’re switching gears into serious, how do I bond with my introvert, private, different-than-me-like-night-is-day sister??? Especially when we haven’t lived together (besides the 2-month summer breaks) for the past 3 years, and won’t for another 2 years (she’s going off to college in the fall)?? We’ll be good, and then suddenly we’re not. I don’t know how to prove that I've matured, and we have different schedules so we don’t have a lot of hang-out time. Plus, quality time is my main love language {proof in this post} and she is definitely more introverted and has a limit to the amount of time she can spend with people. Sigh. What to do, what to do.

Fourthly, less serious now, I’m making slippers! What! That’s right; I’m crocheting slippers for my friend E {she’s the hysterical one talking about Downton Abbey on Funny Friday}and if I do say so myself, they look fabulous. Well, it looks fabulous. I’m only done with one. But I’m working on the second one. Check out the pic!

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You can check out the website for instructions, but hers are kind of confusing if you don’t know the stitch {ahem, like me} and I personally you.tubed it and that made a lot more sense. Also, she sews, and I was like, um, I crochet. I hate needles. I will find a way around the sewing! and I did. So that’s my soapbox/pat on the back.

Oh, and if you would like me to make a pair for you, 1) get in line! :) and 2) just leave a comment and we’ll chat.

Alright. First post of August = done. Hope you can recover ;)
peace out, yo

I know this is random…

… but I totally woke up thinking about this, and I wonder what all my dear readers think.

So. You’re a Christian gal. He’s a Christian guy. You like each other. You’re not married yet. But you get pregnant. Oops.

How many young Christians who sin and conceive automatically think about getting married to “redeem” the situation? I’m honestly curious, and first of all may I say I’m glad that abortion is not chosen! But I’m not sure that a quick marriage is the best solution all the time.

I’ll be honest, I have friends who have done this. I’m not sure what the long-term results are going to be, but I’m definitely glad that the child is alive! I’m glad that the families of the parents are still involved with the couple, and I’m glad that so far things are working out for them.

But is marrying the person you slept with always the best decision? I’m not convinced that it is. I think that marriage is something that should be considered long and hard, and that definitely more than 9 months should be spend praying about it and preparing for it.

I’m not a fan of the automatic marriage that can follow a Christian out-of-wedlock conception. The emphasis is on the word automatic, because if this really is the person God has for you, then prepare to be joined to him or her for the rest of your life! But my hesitation is that he or she is not the person God has for you, but the wedding happens anyway. Do you see what I’m getting at, readers? I don’t believe that something can be redeemed by marriage… I think that God can redeem situations and people, and that if marriage is in His plans, that’s great, but I hope someone doesn't get married just because they’re pregnant. Does that make any sense? Comments please?

There are some weird things to think about while getting a massage….just saying

It’s totally true. Ok, for me it’s true. My mind just wanders along during a massage, unless she’s working on my sides- then my mind is pretty much on my sides! But anyway. I was lying there, letting Miss D. work her magic, and I recalled a conversation I had with a new friend. We were talking about life and convictions and men, and alcohol came up. My friend, Miss N, has decided to not drink alcohol, because, as she puts it, “alcoholism runs in my family.” Her sister had pointed out to me earlier that it is one person in her family, but N’s conviction stands strong.

N is pursuing a career in nursing, so she definitely knows way more medical things than I do, but her comment made me pause and think. Now, as a further disclaimer, I am neither scientist nor theologian; I am simply a girl contemplating these ideas.

Personally, I do not think that there is any such thing as the disease of alcoholism. I think that people choose to drink alcohol and then alcohol becomes their god, or alcohol takes control. I think that there are spiritual and willpower issues at work, but I don’t believe that there is a disease.

Now, one might argue that there are researchers who have found evidence of the alcohol gene or something in DNA that inclines or disinclines certain people to become alcoholics. There are two thoughts that come to mind in response to these claims: first of all, these researchers are probably working from a humanist worldview, which means that the researchers believe that mankind is basically good.  This is a false presupposition, but if you base your research on it, of course you’re going to “find” evidence to support that belief. Secondly, hellooooo generational transfer! If you grew up in an abusive home, statistics say that you will be in an abusive relationship later in life. If you grew up with an alcoholic or drug addict, chances are you will be a user.

Anyway, I know that this is a random post, but I just had to get these thoughts out of my head and onto “paper.” Thanks for letting me clear my head. :)

Ok, this is random, but I’ve been haunted by this all week…

And it’s not really one thing that’s been haunting me, but there is kinda an overall theme…

I've been pondering, wondering, contemplating, brooding over a few things recently, and certain pieces of information, fictional and real-life, keep bringing these ideas into my head.

Like the fact that 31 SEALS died this weekend. I have two friends in the military. My family rented jet skis from a place RIGHT next door to an Air Force base. As we came off the freeway, I noticed that the overpass was covered with yellow ribbons, and right as we pulled up level to the street, I saw a soldier in uniform walking across the overpass. The scene literally made me catch my breath: a soldier walking next to a row of yellow ribbons. Wow.

And then there’s this whole thing with this guy…. God told me that he’s not the man for me, and I’m great with that, but I still think back to the 2-hour conversation he and I had about God and living life for His purposes or our own, and I wonder, how could I keep on living if I didn’t know Jesus? Seriously, life is depressing without the love of Jesus!

I guess that’s what’s been haunting me, the rumor of life outside of Christ. I think of the families mourning all the soldiers killed, and all the children around the world who have been sold into some kind of slavery, and all the people around the world simply existing because they know no other way of life. How do ordinary people keep putting one foot in front of the other without Jesus???

To the chagrin of my parents, I've been thinking about getting a tattoo. And although I’m not absolutely sure of how serious I am, I know what I would get. I want the word grateful on my left wrist, because I want to always be reminded of all the things I have to be grateful for, and because I know that there will be circumstances in life where I will have a choice, and I want to choose gratefulness. {Just so you know, Mom and Dad, the tattoo would be small enough to be covered by one of those Italian bracelets we have… and it was our lovely senior-most pastor’s wife who inspired the design.}

Change of subject: I miss my friends!!!!! My BFF is in England {!!!!!!!!!!!}, two of my friends are both in the military and, while thankfully still in the States, are far away, my adventure buddy is in the National Guard and had training for 2 weeks, leaving me one good friend here at home… and then my family went on vacation and I haven’t seen her for at least a week. Sigh. I guess this is the sucky side of becoming an adult. But I am choosing gratefulness, because my BFF will return in just a few short days, and I got to see my military friends this summer, and my adventure buddy is back and we’re hanging out on Thursday. Yipee!

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Soon I’ll be back in school and the most dramatic thing I’ll write about will be the ginormous papers that I’ll have to write (knock on wood!). Anyway. Goodnight, dear readers! I’m grateful for you!

Just Because

In the year 2009, I wrote 43 posts. It's July of 2010, and I've written 33 so far. This will be 34, and the little bit of me that's competitive and OCD makes me want to write as many posts in the first 7 months of this year as I did in the entirety of last year. But I still want to make these posts meaningful, so here goes.

You've probably heard the expression "boys and their toys." This can be used to reference classic cars, tools, generally anything with an engine, or video games. This post will be about the latter.

I know there are too many articles and books written, and too many studies done, and on and on about people who spend their lives in games. We are all familiar with the evils of continual gaming; I remember a Lizzie McGuire episode when Gordo got caught up in a gaming community. I'm not going to get on the soapbox about lifelong gamers... I trust that since you're reading a blog, you're not struggling with intensive gaming. :)

However, I want to spark a curiosity in you about playing games in general. Or even watching movies or TV in excess of 4 hours a week. Why? Why spend your valuable time, made even more valuable by my presumption that this is your free time, playing a game? Why lose yourself in an alternative, imaginary reality when you live in an amazing reality? Why watch a screen when you can live your own adventures? Why listen to special sound effects when you can make your own soundtrack? Why blog when you can just talk to people?

I know. Not all of my questions and reasoning is fair. Great values can be found in some films and shows, and playing games can be a good bonding experience. I understand all this, and yet something in me holds out as a "purist," so to speak. Really, face-to-face interaction produces better relationships, and focusing on a screen during your interaction detracts from the bonding experience. I wish there was a part of me that could accept a happy medium, but right now I can only think in black and white, and I'm not even describing the extremely extreme!

Sorry if I'm rambling, dear readers, but this is what is battling in my head, and maybe you have some thoughts that can clear me up... thanks for reading.

A Funny Story, Imagined

OK, so I was on the bus the other day, and there's this guy who's kinda wierd and he always stares straight ahead and he wears this long trench coat-ish thing, but it's open over his behind but long down his legs.

Anyway, this guy always pulls the rope to request a stop at the college, even though that's where most of the people get off anyway. And I had to wonder, what happened if the bust driver just kept driving? So this is a little brainstorm of this comical situation...and it's getting me away from my math book for a short while! Ha, the truth comes out! Anyway, here goes. Oh, and this kinda has a sing-songy rhythm to it; try and pick it up. 

The bus driver was driving along his normal route. The student was planning on attending class. He had a perfect record he didn't mean to break. He had never missed a class, had never even been late. He pulled the string to let the driver know that this was where he left. The bus rumbled to the bus stop, releasing its exhaust. But to everyone's alarm, something strange took place. The bus driver kept driving, right on past the stop! He didn't even brake as the student leapt to his feet.

Pandemonium broke out upon the bus as people looked longingly at their stops. The bus driver kept driving, unaware of his frantic passengers. The student demanded to be let out, but the bus driver kept on driving. A mother hugged her baby close as the bus rolled through the park and ride. She looked mournfully at her car as the bus driver kept on driving. Realizing that the bus would just keep going, the passengers settled back into their seats, and then something stranger began to occur. The passengers began to enjoy the scenery. They had never paid attention before to the scenic route they took, but now they gazed in awe as the city came into view. The bus driver kept driving through the city, taking his passengers for a ride that they had not planned. And when they left the city, what sights their eyes saw! They saw nice homes, mowed lawns, kids on bikes, and clean cars.

And even beyond the residential area, they saw horses running races with the bus. They saw cows trotting to be milked. They saw hay before it had been picked. They saw grassy hillsides covered with growing corn. And through it all, the bus driver kept driving. Well, there was one person on the bus who was not enjoying the view at all. The student couldn't see the scenery; he could only see the big red ABSENT his teacher would surely write upon his attendance sheet. He began to sweat and squirm when suddenly a small hand touched his arm. "Excuse me, but can you help me?" A small child asked. The student wondered what he meant, then looked around the bus. Because of the beautiful view, many passengers had stood to their feet, blocking the window from the poor lad's sight. The student gave a little sigh, then picked up the child. The boy cried out in delight when the landscape came into view. The student also looked at the beautiful land.

Slowly, the thought of missing class left his mind. His attendance sheet slipped out of his consciousness. All he thought about was the beauty of the land and the appreciation of the small child in his arms. The student realized that even though his education was important, appreciating the small things was more so. He grinned, leaning forward so as to give the boy a better view. The bus was now returning to the city, and the hustle and bustle returned. The passengers seated themselves again, but continued to gaze out the window. The student also took his seat again, and the little boy returned to wherever he came from. The bus driver kept driving, now back on his normal route.

With a wise smile and a twinkle in his eye, he let the student off at the college. The student awoke with a start, feeling the adrenaline rush of having fallen asleep on the bus and nearly missing his stop. He pulled the string cautiously, and this time, the bus driver stopped. The End.