There's a lot on my mind this evening. I'm at work, so consultant evaluation forms are kind of clouding my thoughts a bit, but I do have some pretty good stuff moving around in my brain right now that I just KNOW my blog needs me to put on it.
Buckle up, world.
My IU grad school application is in. It's done, finally. $135, a TON of stress, and a frantic 30 minute panic attack later, I've officially applied to grad school. Yeah, I only applied to IU. Some people might not think that's a good choice, but it's my choice. And I'll deal with the consequences or the benefits. Where I'm at in my life right now doesn't put me in a position to go to any other school. My first reason is location. That's the honest truth. It might seem lame, but I don't really care. My LIFE is in Bloomington right now. I live here, I work here, I have friends here, I have a boyfriend here. It's not merely the town where I go to college. I don't want to uproot. I'm a midwestern girl. I grew up in Indiana. I know the southern part of this state pretty darn well. My family is just a couple hours away in case I ever needed to be home for something. It just works, and I like that. Also, I love my teacher. Ms. Wise is awesome. I'm resistant to changing teachers because I've made such progress with Ms. Wise. She and I speak a lot of the same language, and she has a way of teaching that really connects with me. I'm sure I'd do fine with another teacher, but when I think about having someone new, I can't help but think about what I would be missing. The last reason, and probably the biggest issue, is the fact that it costs so much money to just apply to schools. Frankly, I just couldn't afford it. I'm going to be in enough debt when I have to get my own loans and start paying for my own school and rent (yes, I currently have a pretty good situation where my parents still pay for a lot of my "cost of living," for which I'm very grateful) that I certainly don't need to get a credit card and start charging things like money is fake. Money isn't fake. It's very real. And I really don't have a lot.
Charlie Grable passed away on Monday morning. Charlie was a dear friend to all of us at First Baptist Church. He had been suffering with his health for a little while. While his death won't be easy for us all to handle, especially his wife, kids and grandkids, we all know Charlie's in a better place now, and he's free from pain. He's back to his old self again, probably cuttin it up with the best of them up there! We're all sure going to miss him.
Thanksgiving was last week. I love Thanksgiving. It's a great holiday where we step back and take a look at all of the gifts God has blessed our lives with. I have such a blessed life. God has given me a great family, wonderful friends, a caring and loving boyfriend, a shelter over my head, enough money to get by, food to eat, shoes on my feet, an education, and a job. I sure don't say thank-you to God nearly as much as I should. He gets all the credit. I'd have nothing without Him. The Thanksgiving celebrations at home were much smaller this year. Not everyone could make it in town, but those of us who were together had a great time! It's so good to see family and to spend time with loved ones.
And with Thanksgiving comes overeating. And with overeating comes large Becky. That's what I am. Right now, I'm so large. I'm the largest I've been in my life. My friend Heather posted on her facebook that she feels like herself only in a fat suit. That's EXACTLY how I feel right now! I feel the same as I normally do, just a little squishier and thicker. Not cool. The problem is that I legitimately do not have enough time to eat healthily or to exercise regularly. Next semester, however, this will be a different story. If all goes as planned, I should have enough time to dedicate to regular exercise and a healthy diet. No more McDonald's meals because I don't have time for anything else. Plus that's such a waste of money. Bluh. I want to get back to where I was last year this time. And overall, I just want to feel good. I don't feel horrible now, but I am frustrated. I want to not be frustrated.
Where have jeggings been all my life?! I bought my first pair of jeggings on Black Friday 2010 (aka the best Friday in the universe), and I LOVE them!! They're perfect! They're just skinny jeans that you can actually move in! You can't get more perfect than that. Skinny jeans are great for wearing with boots, but they are so darn restricting! These jeggings (or jeggins as Charity lovingly refers to them...) are just what the doctor ordered! If I had more money (which I most certainly don't...) I'd go right to the store and buy a few more pairs! Want to know a secret? I've already worn these jeggings 4 times in the last 5 days. Woops? Maybe.
I'd like to start a youtube series of myself singing Katy Perry songs in opera voice. There. I said it. That's what has been on my mind the most. lol It could be hilarious. Her songs are so ridiculous. Why not sing them like they're serious and operatic?! Duh. Stay tuned, world.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
13.1 and Done
Well, folks, I did it! I ran the Indianapolis Monumental Half-Marathon on Saturday morning in Indy with some friends from church! We ran for World Vision and ended up raising over $1000 as a group to support a clean water project.
I'll be frank. I never ever pictured myself doing anything like that before. I'm really proud of myself. I'm not in shape, by any means, and looking in pictures, I can see that I need to lose some significant weight, but nevertheless, I'm really proud of my accomplishment! I finished in under 3 hours, which I guess was my goal? I didn't really set a goal because I pretty much had no idea what to expect. I've never attempted anything like this before, and I didn't really have enough time to do the training schedule as I should have. I kind of just winged it. (Wung it? I feel like that should be the past tense of 'to wing,' but spell check tells me it's not. lol) And it worked out!
We met at the church at 5-stinking-30am and drove in the cold, cold darkness up to Indy. It was an incredible feeling to be in a group of about 10,000 people all shivering and in layers of super attractive running gear (sarcasm, y'all). It was an awesome sense of unity! I love things like that, where you feel so close to the people around you because you're all in the same boat, even though you know nothing about them.
Around mile 1, I broke away from the other 3 girls I was running with because I felt too congested in the mass of people, so I just started to run to the empty holes in the crowd. I'm glad I ran it by myself, because I could set my own pace, walk whenever I felt like it, and act a fool listening to whatever crazy music came up next on my stupid little ipod - anything from random music that Jason put on it, to opera, to Lydia's junior recital, to 90's Christian music. I have exquisite taste. lol
Around mile 2, the sun came out. I got a little toasty, so I threw off my sweatshirt (they donate all the clothes that people throw off during the race). That was maybe a bad choice, because I really needed it when I finished!! But oh well. Someone who doesn't have a sweatshirt at all will benefit this winter from something that I tossed aside.
Around mile 6 or so, John Robertson (College minister at SOCC) and I played the "I'll pass you, then I'll stop and walk, and you pass me, then you stop and walk, then I'll pass you...etc." game for a few miles until a sweet jam came on my piece-of-trash ipod, and I zoomed away! At mile 10, however, I started to feel like death. My hips were hurting, my knees were hurting, my ankles were hurting - everything hurt. I had been smiling the entire race because it was just so fun and exhilarating, and the people cheering us on were awesome!! But at mile 10, I just wanted to be done. Like John said, "If there had been a 'It's not too late to back out' bus, I would have jumped right on it!"
But then at the next water/gatorade station... there was... CANDY!!! I had the most delicious mini Reese's cup in the world. Just the pick-me-up I needed to keep on truckin'.
Brenna and Jason were there cheering for me (and for everyone) at Mile 13, and they took some sweet pictures of my gorgeous self (sarcasm)! I was pumped up, and I ran till the finish line! I think. There's a good chance I walked a little bit - But as soon as I actually could see the finish line, I for real ran! I ran hard! 2:57! It felt so good to be done!
When you finish a race, they throw a medal on your neck, wrap you in a space blanket, and shower you with food and presents! I got a sweet hat, a bagel, granola bar, banana, apple, gatorade, and chocolate milk. And I ate it all. Well, not the hat. But I ate all the food! I was so hungry!
I don't know if I'll ever run another half-marathon. At this point, there's really no reason to. I've done it. I'm not addicted to it. I don't need to beat my time. I'm proud of myself that I did this. Maybe I'll do it again someday. But I'll definitely need to train better and buy a new pair of running shoes. Mine are shot.
After the race, I could barely walk. On Saturday evening, I sang in our Studio Recital and by the time I got home, I was hobbling around like a geriatric. It was SO painful. My knees felt bruised. I iced my knees for a couple hours and slept real good. The next day, my knees were really bad still. Today, I discovered an awkward toe bruise on the very tip of my second toe on my left foot. I knew it hurt! Bruised, indeed. But I can almost walk without complaining again! Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back on my game.
Thanks for reading, thanks for caring, and thanks for supporting!
 |
| Team World Vision, from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, Bloomington |
I'll be frank. I never ever pictured myself doing anything like that before. I'm really proud of myself. I'm not in shape, by any means, and looking in pictures, I can see that I need to lose some significant weight, but nevertheless, I'm really proud of my accomplishment! I finished in under 3 hours, which I guess was my goal? I didn't really set a goal because I pretty much had no idea what to expect. I've never attempted anything like this before, and I didn't really have enough time to do the training schedule as I should have. I kind of just winged it. (Wung it? I feel like that should be the past tense of 'to wing,' but spell check tells me it's not. lol) And it worked out!
We met at the church at 5-stinking-30am and drove in the cold, cold darkness up to Indy. It was an incredible feeling to be in a group of about 10,000 people all shivering and in layers of super attractive running gear (sarcasm, y'all). It was an awesome sense of unity! I love things like that, where you feel so close to the people around you because you're all in the same boat, even though you know nothing about them.
Around mile 1, I broke away from the other 3 girls I was running with because I felt too congested in the mass of people, so I just started to run to the empty holes in the crowd. I'm glad I ran it by myself, because I could set my own pace, walk whenever I felt like it, and act a fool listening to whatever crazy music came up next on my stupid little ipod - anything from random music that Jason put on it, to opera, to Lydia's junior recital, to 90's Christian music. I have exquisite taste. lol
Around mile 2, the sun came out. I got a little toasty, so I threw off my sweatshirt (they donate all the clothes that people throw off during the race). That was maybe a bad choice, because I really needed it when I finished!! But oh well. Someone who doesn't have a sweatshirt at all will benefit this winter from something that I tossed aside.
Around mile 6 or so, John Robertson (College minister at SOCC) and I played the "I'll pass you, then I'll stop and walk, and you pass me, then you stop and walk, then I'll pass you...etc." game for a few miles until a sweet jam came on my piece-of-trash ipod, and I zoomed away! At mile 10, however, I started to feel like death. My hips were hurting, my knees were hurting, my ankles were hurting - everything hurt. I had been smiling the entire race because it was just so fun and exhilarating, and the people cheering us on were awesome!! But at mile 10, I just wanted to be done. Like John said, "If there had been a 'It's not too late to back out' bus, I would have jumped right on it!"
But then at the next water/gatorade station... there was... CANDY!!! I had the most delicious mini Reese's cup in the world. Just the pick-me-up I needed to keep on truckin'.
Brenna and Jason were there cheering for me (and for everyone) at Mile 13, and they took some sweet pictures of my gorgeous self (sarcasm)! I was pumped up, and I ran till the finish line! I think. There's a good chance I walked a little bit - But as soon as I actually could see the finish line, I for real ran! I ran hard! 2:57! It felt so good to be done!
When you finish a race, they throw a medal on your neck, wrap you in a space blanket, and shower you with food and presents! I got a sweet hat, a bagel, granola bar, banana, apple, gatorade, and chocolate milk. And I ate it all. Well, not the hat. But I ate all the food! I was so hungry!
I don't know if I'll ever run another half-marathon. At this point, there's really no reason to. I've done it. I'm not addicted to it. I don't need to beat my time. I'm proud of myself that I did this. Maybe I'll do it again someday. But I'll definitely need to train better and buy a new pair of running shoes. Mine are shot.
After the race, I could barely walk. On Saturday evening, I sang in our Studio Recital and by the time I got home, I was hobbling around like a geriatric. It was SO painful. My knees felt bruised. I iced my knees for a couple hours and slept real good. The next day, my knees were really bad still. Today, I discovered an awkward toe bruise on the very tip of my second toe on my left foot. I knew it hurt! Bruised, indeed. But I can almost walk without complaining again! Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back on my game.
Thanks for reading, thanks for caring, and thanks for supporting!
 |
| Mile 13! Almost done! |
Monday, October 18, 2010
It's hard to forgive, but it's even harder to forget...
I feel like I don't even really need a blog post after that title. It's pretty self explanatory. It's really hard to forgive people if they've hurt you hard enough. But no matter how easy or hard that forgiveness comes, it's necessary and healthy. I'm a pretty good forgiver. I try to understand that we're all only human, and we all make mistakes. I try to forgive others no matter the wrong because I know if I were to hurt someone, I'd want their forgiveness, too.
But forgiving someone doesn't take away the hurt. It doesn't take away the fact that whatever that person did has had an affect on you. It doesn't make you forget. Yes, as time goes by, situations and conversations will fade from your memory, but old feelings will always come back. When something touches your heart, whether in a good way or in a bad way, it leaves an impression. The brain can send triggers right back to it, and all the old painful memories will surely come back.
But, don't let recurring pain stop you from forgiving others.
Luke 6:35-38
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
But forgiving someone doesn't take away the hurt. It doesn't take away the fact that whatever that person did has had an affect on you. It doesn't make you forget. Yes, as time goes by, situations and conversations will fade from your memory, but old feelings will always come back. When something touches your heart, whether in a good way or in a bad way, it leaves an impression. The brain can send triggers right back to it, and all the old painful memories will surely come back.
But, don't let recurring pain stop you from forgiving others.
Luke 6:35-38
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
October Update
I couldn't think of a more creative title. I know. That's so not like me.
The last time I blogged was almost a month ago. Man, what's my deal? I need to get back to this thing. You people REALLY want to know what's going on in my life, and I'm letting you down. I apologize from the depths of my heart.
Where to start, where to start...
I hate Comcast.
Now, "Hate," my friends, is a strong word. And I do not use it regularly. But if and when I do use it, it is only in regards to non-human things. I never hate people. That's a horrible thing to do. But if there's one thing I hate recently, it's bloody Comcast.
I don't know why I ever thought it would be a good idea to get hooked on cable television, but I just can't help myself. I guess my old apartment did it to me, since they provided cable and internet to us. Now that I'm in my new place, I have to pay for it separate, which means I have to deal with the cable company. And it blows. I've called 1-800-COMCAST far too many times in the last month.
First - I had the initial installation appointment where the sloppy, smelly technician came out to my apartment, complained, messed up, complained some more, stunk up my apartment (I mean, it WAS like 100 degrees outside, so I'll cut him a LITTLE slack, but still. He smelled like funk.), and barely did his job.
Then - I had cable. It was wonderful. Jason hooked up his Tivo to my TV, and we could record all our favorite shows, no problem. I was watching HGTV like 24/7. Life was grand! :-)
Then It Happened - The "Digital Migration." I still don't 100% understand what the "Digital Migration" means, but all I know is I lost about a million channels and instead of shows I saw a message that said, "Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for a free adapter." Excuse me?! So I got right on the phone. The first woman's computer froze up, so she transferred me to another woman, who, bless her heart, I wanted to beat up. She was the bearer of ALL KINDS of bad news.
First of all - It turns out that since they "knew everyone would eventually be digitally migrated and would require a cable box," that they didn't put a "filter" on what channels I was receiving. So all the channels I was originally getting weren't what I was paying for. They were like a trick. A mean old trick. So, I had to upgrade my services to receive most of the channels that I was already getting, except... and here's the kicker... I don't get HGTV now. Worst thing ever. So, I upgraded my services to the "Digital Economy" package, which is approx $10 more per month. Whatever. I went to the Comcast office to pick up my digital box, and MAN! People hate Comcast. There were a BUNCH of people there, and none of them were happy.
So - I get my new box, take it home, set it up, and get no channels. Ugh. 1-800-COMCAST.
Then - I have cable! It's great. It's complicated, because now I have 3 remotes, but it's great.
Oops - I'm not getting like 30 channels. 1-800-COMCAST. By this point, an automatic woman basically has 10 minute long conversations with me every time I call, and I can't stand that. PLEASE let me just talk to a live human being. I'm no a robot. I don't want to talk to one.
Finally - after the fake woman sends a refresh signal and it fails, I call the Comcast number AGAIN and finally talk to a real woman. She resets the box, and it works after a little while. Thanks.
Oops - The next day MTV disappears. I mean, OK. I can LIVE without MTV, but if I'm paying for it, I want it. Sometimes you just need to watch Teen Mom. I didn't get a chance to call back about that, and I haven't actually checked in a couple days. Hopefully it came back on its own. *crossing fingers*
Internet - I haven't had any issues with my internet really in all of this mess. I mean, sometimes it cuts out and that stinks, but it usually comes back in a few minutes. Alas, now I haven't had internet for a full 24 hours. And of course I'm working right now, so I can't call them. Whatever. I'll deal with them tomorrow. Ugh. Hate that.
The saga continues...
Weddings galore!
There are lots of weddings happening!! Diane and Jim got married last weekend! It was SUCH a beautiful wedding! :-) The reception was so fun, too! Let me tell you a funny story. So they put disposable cameras on the tables so we could take pictures for them to develop of the celebration! For those of you who remember anything about disposable cameras, let me remind you that when you activate the flash mechanism, it makes a reeeeeally high pitch sound. So high that only the younger folk can hear it. (As you age, your range of hearing decreases. Fact.) So, whilst sitting at the table before it was time for us to take WAY more food than we were supposed to, the young folk at our table were like, "Do you hear that? Someone left their flash on... Oh my gosh. That's so annoying! It hurts my ears!" We figured it out. The table of older ladies behind us had left their flash on and didn't realize it. How could we turn it off without flat out saying, "You can't hear this, but it's killing our youthful ears!" I had the perfect idea. "Let me take your picture!!" I used their camera, took their pictures, and turned off the flash :-) Problem solved!
The weekend after next, Jeremy and Samantha are getting married!! I'm so pumped for that wedding, too! It should be a really good time. I'm doing Sam's mom's hair. :-) It's nice to have only one head of hair to do for a wedding rather than six including my own. I mean, I do love it, but it's just nice. And I'm being "compensated" for my time. Thoughtful and considerate, I tell ya!
I'm sure there's more...
but frankly, this is already very long. I'll update more later. Promise. :-)
Cheerio.
The last time I blogged was almost a month ago. Man, what's my deal? I need to get back to this thing. You people REALLY want to know what's going on in my life, and I'm letting you down. I apologize from the depths of my heart.
Where to start, where to start...
I hate Comcast.
Now, "Hate," my friends, is a strong word. And I do not use it regularly. But if and when I do use it, it is only in regards to non-human things. I never hate people. That's a horrible thing to do. But if there's one thing I hate recently, it's bloody Comcast.
I don't know why I ever thought it would be a good idea to get hooked on cable television, but I just can't help myself. I guess my old apartment did it to me, since they provided cable and internet to us. Now that I'm in my new place, I have to pay for it separate, which means I have to deal with the cable company. And it blows. I've called 1-800-COMCAST far too many times in the last month.
First - I had the initial installation appointment where the sloppy, smelly technician came out to my apartment, complained, messed up, complained some more, stunk up my apartment (I mean, it WAS like 100 degrees outside, so I'll cut him a LITTLE slack, but still. He smelled like funk.), and barely did his job.
Then - I had cable. It was wonderful. Jason hooked up his Tivo to my TV, and we could record all our favorite shows, no problem. I was watching HGTV like 24/7. Life was grand! :-)
Then It Happened - The "Digital Migration." I still don't 100% understand what the "Digital Migration" means, but all I know is I lost about a million channels and instead of shows I saw a message that said, "Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for a free adapter." Excuse me?! So I got right on the phone. The first woman's computer froze up, so she transferred me to another woman, who, bless her heart, I wanted to beat up. She was the bearer of ALL KINDS of bad news.
First of all - It turns out that since they "knew everyone would eventually be digitally migrated and would require a cable box," that they didn't put a "filter" on what channels I was receiving. So all the channels I was originally getting weren't what I was paying for. They were like a trick. A mean old trick. So, I had to upgrade my services to receive most of the channels that I was already getting, except... and here's the kicker... I don't get HGTV now. Worst thing ever. So, I upgraded my services to the "Digital Economy" package, which is approx $10 more per month. Whatever. I went to the Comcast office to pick up my digital box, and MAN! People hate Comcast. There were a BUNCH of people there, and none of them were happy.
So - I get my new box, take it home, set it up, and get no channels. Ugh. 1-800-COMCAST.
Then - I have cable! It's great. It's complicated, because now I have 3 remotes, but it's great.
Oops - I'm not getting like 30 channels. 1-800-COMCAST. By this point, an automatic woman basically has 10 minute long conversations with me every time I call, and I can't stand that. PLEASE let me just talk to a live human being. I'm no a robot. I don't want to talk to one.
Finally - after the fake woman sends a refresh signal and it fails, I call the Comcast number AGAIN and finally talk to a real woman. She resets the box, and it works after a little while. Thanks.
Oops - The next day MTV disappears. I mean, OK. I can LIVE without MTV, but if I'm paying for it, I want it. Sometimes you just need to watch Teen Mom. I didn't get a chance to call back about that, and I haven't actually checked in a couple days. Hopefully it came back on its own. *crossing fingers*
Internet - I haven't had any issues with my internet really in all of this mess. I mean, sometimes it cuts out and that stinks, but it usually comes back in a few minutes. Alas, now I haven't had internet for a full 24 hours. And of course I'm working right now, so I can't call them. Whatever. I'll deal with them tomorrow. Ugh. Hate that.
The saga continues...
Weddings galore!
There are lots of weddings happening!! Diane and Jim got married last weekend! It was SUCH a beautiful wedding! :-) The reception was so fun, too! Let me tell you a funny story. So they put disposable cameras on the tables so we could take pictures for them to develop of the celebration! For those of you who remember anything about disposable cameras, let me remind you that when you activate the flash mechanism, it makes a reeeeeally high pitch sound. So high that only the younger folk can hear it. (As you age, your range of hearing decreases. Fact.) So, whilst sitting at the table before it was time for us to take WAY more food than we were supposed to, the young folk at our table were like, "Do you hear that? Someone left their flash on... Oh my gosh. That's so annoying! It hurts my ears!" We figured it out. The table of older ladies behind us had left their flash on and didn't realize it. How could we turn it off without flat out saying, "You can't hear this, but it's killing our youthful ears!" I had the perfect idea. "Let me take your picture!!" I used their camera, took their pictures, and turned off the flash :-) Problem solved!
The weekend after next, Jeremy and Samantha are getting married!! I'm so pumped for that wedding, too! It should be a really good time. I'm doing Sam's mom's hair. :-) It's nice to have only one head of hair to do for a wedding rather than six including my own. I mean, I do love it, but it's just nice. And I'm being "compensated" for my time. Thoughtful and considerate, I tell ya!
I'm sure there's more...
but frankly, this is already very long. I'll update more later. Promise. :-)
Cheerio.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Home, sweet home!
Wow. I haven't blogged in a LONG time! What have I been up to, you ask? Well, lots of things. Back to school - my senior year of college! Where has the time gone?!
It's official! I've moved into my new apartment! I'm so excited to create my own little oasis and haven where I can pretty much live how I want to live and do what I want to do! After all, I don't have a roommate anymore, so I have total control of the place! Hallelujah!
My new apartment is on the north-ish side of town, near the IU Football Stadium. During the football games and around 5 o'clock the area gets a little loud and crazy, but mostly it's so peaceful and perfect! I've been moved in for about a month now, and it's slowly coming together to feel like home!
My neighbor's name is Valerie, and she's a little old woman. I love her. (Even though Jason thinks she might be a Zombie. Oh, Jason...) I only met her one time, but she seemed to be really excited to have a new neighbor! I'm hoping that we become BFFs and sit on our sidewalk and drink tea and chat about things. lol I'm on the end of the row of apartments, so I don't have another neighbor on the other side of me. And no one's above me either! That will be SUCH a nice change. At my last apartment, the people above me were crazy. The first night I moved in, there was a huge fight and I laid in my bed scared that I would witness a murder. :-/ The upstairs neighbors also "moved furniture" a lot. I don't actually really know what they were doing, but there was a lot of loud sliding noises and crashing. They also listened to their music so loud that MY ears hurt downstairs. Ridiculous! Well, I think Valerie won't be listening to any boomin' music or "moving furniture" or getting into loud fights. So far, she seems pretty quiet and peaceful!
Allow me to walk you through my apartment!
We'll start with the living room! When you first enter, you walk right into the living room. It's a good enough size room. It took several different furniture arrangements before I came up with the perfect solution! Jason was helping me, and by the time we switched the furniture for about the 3rd time, we were both SO exhausted. Thank goodness the 3rd try was the best! I got a new couch which I'm SUPER excited about. It's pretty much perfect. I've been dreaming of this couch for a long time. I mean, it's from Big!Lots, but that just means it was inexpensive! Heyyy! Hopefully soon I'll be able to swap out that rocking chair for another gray chair. There's an IKEA trip in my future, and that's going to be my purchase! I'd also like to make some throw pillows. I considered just buying them, but things are always more expensive than I think they're worth. If I know I can make something myself, I don't want to pay more than $10 for it. lol
Let's move into the kitchen! It's my happy room! Yes. It's sunflowers, of course. My FAVORITE! I have so many decorative sunflower things from my room growing up, and then I bought some more in Honduras, and Jason bought me a sunflower thing in Honduras, as well! I figured the perfect place for all of my sunflowery goodies was in the kitchen! It's like the classy version of a country theme kitchen. The table I have was F.R.E.E. My uncle Donnie has had it in the box in his garage for about 2 years, and he finally got sick of moving it around every time he wanted to get around in the garage, so he called one day and said, "I'm bringing that table. If you want it, you can have it. If not, I don't care what you do with it." Those are my favorite words to hear ever. I love free stuff! My microwave and microwave cart were F.R.E.E. also! Sometimes older people at your church just donate stuff that they don't need anymore. Reclaimed!
My bedroom is my little sanctuary. It's so calming and peaceful! My new bedding and curtains were a birthday gift from my parents. I picked them out, but they got them for me. Thanks mom and dad! As excited as I am about the bedding, I'm even MORE excited about having my bed and dresser from back home!! I've been living for 2 years without a dresser, and it's been KILLING me! I used a bookshelf and baskets. Lame. I need me some drawers! Now I have them! And I'm SO thrilled! And I love my big bed, too. I'd been on a twin bed, like I was 11 years old again. Now I can stretch out! :-)
My bathroom is the same-ish as it was in the last apartment. I love my bathroom, though it's hard to take a good picture of since it's a small room. I love my shower curtain. The shower actually has doors on it, but I love my shower curtain and the elegance that it adds to the room, so I put it back up. I'm going to add curtains to the window and a curtain around the sink so that you can't see all the pipe stuff eventually.
That's it, friends! That's my little apartment! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! If you want to come over sometime, let me know! I'd love to entertain you!
It's official! I've moved into my new apartment! I'm so excited to create my own little oasis and haven where I can pretty much live how I want to live and do what I want to do! After all, I don't have a roommate anymore, so I have total control of the place! Hallelujah!
My new apartment is on the north-ish side of town, near the IU Football Stadium. During the football games and around 5 o'clock the area gets a little loud and crazy, but mostly it's so peaceful and perfect! I've been moved in for about a month now, and it's slowly coming together to feel like home!
My neighbor's name is Valerie, and she's a little old woman. I love her. (Even though Jason thinks she might be a Zombie. Oh, Jason...) I only met her one time, but she seemed to be really excited to have a new neighbor! I'm hoping that we become BFFs and sit on our sidewalk and drink tea and chat about things. lol I'm on the end of the row of apartments, so I don't have another neighbor on the other side of me. And no one's above me either! That will be SUCH a nice change. At my last apartment, the people above me were crazy. The first night I moved in, there was a huge fight and I laid in my bed scared that I would witness a murder. :-/ The upstairs neighbors also "moved furniture" a lot. I don't actually really know what they were doing, but there was a lot of loud sliding noises and crashing. They also listened to their music so loud that MY ears hurt downstairs. Ridiculous! Well, I think Valerie won't be listening to any boomin' music or "moving furniture" or getting into loud fights. So far, she seems pretty quiet and peaceful!
Allow me to walk you through my apartment!
Let's move into the kitchen! It's my happy room! Yes. It's sunflowers, of course. My FAVORITE! I have so many decorative sunflower things from my room growing up, and then I bought some more in Honduras, and Jason bought me a sunflower thing in Honduras, as well! I figured the perfect place for all of my sunflowery goodies was in the kitchen! It's like the classy version of a country theme kitchen. The table I have was F.R.E.E. My uncle Donnie has had it in the box in his garage for about 2 years, and he finally got sick of moving it around every time he wanted to get around in the garage, so he called one day and said, "I'm bringing that table. If you want it, you can have it. If not, I don't care what you do with it." Those are my favorite words to hear ever. I love free stuff! My microwave and microwave cart were F.R.E.E. also! Sometimes older people at your church just donate stuff that they don't need anymore. Reclaimed!
That's it, friends! That's my little apartment! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! If you want to come over sometime, let me know! I'd love to entertain you!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Give Peace a Chance
Have you ever been so frustrated you could just spit?
At this moment right now, I'm mad. I'm so mad. I feel used, ill-treated, disrespected, forgotten, and worthless. (Don't worry. It's nothing serious. Just a friend thing.)
My heart is bitter and resentful, and I can feel it squishing up inside me. I need peace.
Sometimes I let things get to me - like frustration and anger - and I forget that I need to pray and ask God to take away all my burdens. I forget that the peace of Jesus Christ is far greater than any sort of justification you can try to make for the way things happen or peoples' regard toward you. I need to pray right now for God to give me that peace once again and to ask that my heart be free from burden and squish.
God's word is my rock. He promises peace if we simply come to Him and ask for it!
~~~~~~~~~`~`~*~'~'~~~~~~~~~~
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:6-7
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."
-Colossians 3:15
At this moment right now, I'm mad. I'm so mad. I feel used, ill-treated, disrespected, forgotten, and worthless. (Don't worry. It's nothing serious. Just a friend thing.)
My heart is bitter and resentful, and I can feel it squishing up inside me. I need peace.
Sometimes I let things get to me - like frustration and anger - and I forget that I need to pray and ask God to take away all my burdens. I forget that the peace of Jesus Christ is far greater than any sort of justification you can try to make for the way things happen or peoples' regard toward you. I need to pray right now for God to give me that peace once again and to ask that my heart be free from burden and squish.
God's word is my rock. He promises peace if we simply come to Him and ask for it!
~~~~~~~~~`~`~*~'~'~~~~~~~~~~
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:6-7
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."
-Colossians 3:15
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I'm becoming my mother...
Mothermorphosis. It happens to all of us young women. It's the thing we dread the most, yet secretly love on the inside:
But.
Slowly and surely we notice that we react to things similarly to how our mothers react. Our voices start to sound like theirs. The way we talk is just the same. And finally - the end all be all of mothermorphosis - we act JUST like them.
Here are some ways I am becoming my mother:
But ladies, take heart! There's no shame in becoming your mother. After all, she raised you (probably). And she taught you right from wrong, good and bad, essentials of life. She's not all that lame in reality, probably. After a few years of maturity, I think that probably most women appreciate their mothers for who they are and the unique relationships we have with them.
Ladies, leave me a comment of how you're becoming YOUR mother! I'd love to hear it!
Until next time, folks.
We become our mothers...Growing up, we try to resist it as much as we can because EVERYONE knows that their mom is SO lame... but suddenly, one day we catch ourselves saying a phrase our mother has coined. Shocked, we pause... regain ourselves... and carry on as our own individual persona - swearing up and down that it was just a fluke, and it will never happen again.
But.
Slowly and surely we notice that we react to things similarly to how our mothers react. Our voices start to sound like theirs. The way we talk is just the same. And finally - the end all be all of mothermorphosis - we act JUST like them.
- We have the same face.
- We talk to ourselves and talk ourselves through things.
- We use the same ridiculous made-up words.
- Our phraseology is the same.
- I am starting to become "teacherly." Better yet, "kindergarten teacherly."
- I often find myself walking into a room, stopping, and saying aloud to myself, "What did I come in here for?" (Happens WAY more often than it ever should.)
- I do silly things by accident. For example: At work, I picked up the computer mouse and held it up to my ear to listen for the dial tone to make sure it was working. Well, I meant to pick up the phone. Oops...
But ladies, take heart! There's no shame in becoming your mother. After all, she raised you (probably). And she taught you right from wrong, good and bad, essentials of life. She's not all that lame in reality, probably. After a few years of maturity, I think that probably most women appreciate their mothers for who they are and the unique relationships we have with them.
Ladies, leave me a comment of how you're becoming YOUR mother! I'd love to hear it!
Until next time, folks.
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