First Day of Summer

Water, Water... Water?

 
Monday marked the first week of summer school. *groan* *blech* *moan* *complain*  Actually, I should not really be complaining.  I am only taking one class and I have been really diligent about working every day and getting things posted super early.  What can I say, I like having a buffer -- a big buffer!  But, to be honest -- and I know you have heard this at least a dozen times -- I do not like school!  It is a means to an end, and I am so excited that the end is finally peeking over the horizon!

So, every morning this week, I have woken up and hit the books.  Lydia and I have to share my laptop for the classes we are both taking because she has an older version of Microsoft Office on her computer.  I take the morning shift and she takes the afternoon and evening shifts.  (Her class has waaaaaaaay more busy work than mine.)  It actually works out quite well, since it leaves my afternoons free for exercising, laundry, cleaning, and cooking.  Today, though, my daily schedule is all out of wack since we have no running water.  There is an external leak near one of our neighbors, so everyone's water had to be shut down to fix it.  It is amazing how much you cannot do without water.  My first thought was, "Okay, I'll delay my exercising till I can shower.  No big deal.  I can wait."  But as I wandered around the house preparing to do my usual regime, it hit me: no doing dishes, no washing laundry, can't clean the bathroom, cooking will dirty up the kitchen which I can't clean.  What can I do?!?!  I can vacuum!!!  Afternoon list: 1 - vacuum; 2 - pray for restored water!    To top things off, when I was making my meal-replacement shake, I did not check that the lid was properly snapped down.  Yes, it sprayed everywhere -- on me, the counters, the floor, and no water to help clean it up.  It really makes you appreciate the little things in life.  It also reminded me of all those who do not have access to clean water.

World Vision is one of my very favorite charitable organizations.  Their site states that they are "Building a better world for children."  One of their projects is bringing clean water to communities lacking in this precious commodity.  You can read about their Clean Water Fund and donate HERE!  So, while I sit here in my shake-splattered shirt and greasy hair, I think I'll make a donation, then pull out the vacuum cleaner and count my blessings.  Have an amazing and blessed day, everyone!!!

 

Society 6

There is an online company called Society 6 that I absolutely love!!!  It is the coolest concept ever -- artists upload their original work to the site and Society 6 will print it on a myriad of things such as t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, laptop cases, throw blankets, stationary cards, mugs, and good-old-fashioned prints if you are looking for something unique to brighten up your walls.  Their quality is excellent, service amazing, and products so much fun.  I have always enjoyed buying unique items (especially clothes) and supporting small artists.  Through Society 6 I can do both!!! 

Society 6

"Hogwarts" by DTBase+ on a Unisex V-neck in athletic-grey

"Archimedes" by Cat Vickers-Claesens on a 13x13 Tote Bag

Reggie the supervisor checking out my red heels

Photos by Lydia

The Legend of the Uterus (Dun Dun DUN!)

The Awkward Yeti has become part of our daily-dose of laughter since Lydia scooped up the book "Heart and Brain" at Barnes & Noble a few months back (it is also conveniently on Amazon if anyone is interested, just follow the link!).  I am now subscribed to The Awkward Yeti's Facebook fan page and Instagram.  I can't call myself a true fanatic since I do not own a t-shirt yet, key word being "yet."  This particular comic had us girls in stitches.  We think it is a fairly accurate representation, though we agree tea and cookies is our preferred sacrifice.  Sadly, I don't have any cookies, the last one was consumed yesterday.  So I am sitting here with cinnamon tea and a laptop instead, far fewer calories and just as distracting.  I have always been happy being a girl -- most of the time.  But like with anything there is always good times and not-so-good times.  That is why God made sisters and girlfriends, so you have someone to complain to when when Aunt Flo (or is it "Flow?") comes calling.  Also, if there is a no one around to suffer through your grumbling, there is always the internet!!!  Happy Friday!!!

  

"What Ho" -- Bertie Wooster

Where Did "Blog" Come From?

While sitting over cups of tea, and complaining about the gloomy grey weather, Lydia and I had this conversation.

Me: "I need to blog today."

Lydia: "Where did the word 'blog' come from anyway?"

Me: "I don't know!  It must have something to do with keeping a log, since it has the word in it."

(Silent puzzling followed by looking it up on the oh-so-useful internet.)

So here it is, straight from Wikipedia.  Now I know Wikipedia gets poo-pooed by the academic world, but I have always found it to be an excellent source of information.

          The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger^[9] on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog", was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999.^[10][11][12] Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog", meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms.^[13] 

Web log, weblog, we blog, blog, makes perfect sense!  There is an inner need in the human race to record and remember.  Museums all over the world are full of clay tablets and crumbling bits of parchment, the last remaining remnants of people now dead and buried.  One of my favorite rides in EPCOT Disneyworld is Spaceship Earth, the giant "golf ball" shaped thing.  It takes you through the history of communication.  You begin with simple cave paintings, travel through the papyrus fields of Egypt, join medieval monks as they painstakingly copy fancy manuscripts, and journey through the age of the machines where the printing press and telegraph come to life.  You end in the here and now, the "future."  The wireless era.  The blog era.      

Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty...

No need to use a pillow when you have a little brother handy.  Bertie and Reggie turned 1-year old on May 9th.  Bingo turned 9-years old on April 1st.  Time is speeding by so quickly!  But time brings amazing things too.  Bingo was not thrilled with the little guys when they first arrived, and now the three of them are best buddies.  Cats are truly the best kind of pet.  In my opinion at least.  ;)

Summer Slimdown

Over the past nine months my level of physical activity plummeted to a very low level.  One of the unfortunate side effects of studenthood.  I spent the majority of my time sitting, sitting in my car, sitting in class, sitting in the library, sitting to eat, and sitting to watch a movie or read in my free time.  All that inactivity combined with holiday eating, regular eating, snacks...what can I say!  I am a foodie!... led to too much of me.  So, I have embarked on a summer slimdown challenge which I have been faithfully sticking to for the past twenty days.  They say it takes twenty-one days to break an old habit or instill a new one.  My scale has not shown a drastic decrease yet, but I have seen a big improvement from regularly exercising.  I am looking slimmer and feeling great!  Just in time for swimsuit season too!!!           

Just Live

This is a post I wrote on April 11^th, but did not have the will to actually hit “publish.” 

Today, I pulled out my old laptop.  My 2007 Vista that is literally starting to fall apart but I can’t quite bear to part with.  The thing was/is a major pain, as my fellow Vista users can understand.  It was my graduating-from-high-school-get-me-through-college laptop.  This May will mark nine years since I graduated from high school; nine years!!!  I have moved on to another more reliable laptop, and have yet to graduate from college.        

            I was in one of my dearest friend’s wedding back in February, and today she sent me a link to the pictures.  They were gorgeous, it was truly one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to.  But, as I looked over the photos with me in them, I felt a weird sensation of not recognizing myself.  “The fancy, not-typical hairdo and dress probably has a lot to do with it,” I thought and shrugged it off.  But tonight, while perusing through my old laptop and a bunch of old picture from around four years ago, I saw the old me.  The happy me. 

            Six months ago, my mom had a stroke, and life changed.  Mom had the rare type of stroke, a wet stroke.  The 10%.  During those first few days in the hospital I passed multiple signs explaining the acronym FAST – face drooping, arms uneven, speech slurred, and time, call 911 fast.  That information doesn’t help when you don’t show any of those symptoms.  I came to hate those signs. 

Mom’s recovery has been astronomically fast.  She was home from the hospital in two weeks with no bells or whistles aside from a borrowed walker, and even that was discarded after a week.  Everyone who visits is amazed, and it is amazing.  But life is so different.  I’m so different.  I have always felt that if I just work harder, I could fix it.  Whatever the “it” may be.  But, this feels like my life was shoved in a blender and liquefied.  Things in the past have caused my life to crack and even crumble, but I could always reattach the pieces and patch the cracks.  But how do you fix what has been put through a blender?  How do you glue liquid back together? 

You don’t.

I always try to be positive on my blog and in my public life.  My private home life is where the venting happens.  But, there is a fine balance between being positive and being real.  While I don’t plan on airing all my complaints and life’s boring details here, I do think being a bit more real wouldn’t be such a bad thing.  So, being real, some days are hard, some days are frustrating, some days are great, and some days are just okay.  But, the key is to get up every day and just live.  Just live.  Live.        

A Peek into the Past

       Today was the last day of classes at William Jessup University!!!  Now I just have a week of finals to survive (AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!).  My western civilization history class, definitely my favorite class this semester, required us to do an interview and presentation-style write up of someone who lived through the many Cold War decades.  My Grandma made a special trip up just for this project. (Thank you, Grandma!) We talked about many different topics and I learned several new things about my own family history.  Sadly, I had to limit the information down to just a few subjects, but I think the project as a whole turned out very well.  I have always felt my blog is like a scrapbook of my life, and I am very happy to be able to preserve this little piece of family history within its virtual pages.  I hope any passerby’s enjoy this peek into the past too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Flies When You are Not Paying Attention

I found a photo album from the first year we moved up to Grass Valley.  How is it possible we went from this...

to this,...

or this...

to this so fast!

And I cannot even wrap my head around the fact that we have gone from these little girls..

to these adults!!!!

I guess I better pay close attention and soak it all in before life slips on by.

Theoretical Blogging

“What are you doing?”

“Blogging…theoretically.”

“Oooh, theoretical blogging.  Is that like being a philosopher?  Just thinking about something but never actually doing it.”

“I think I will start with this conversation.”

“Truth is more entertaining than fiction sometimes.” 

... but what to blog about now? 

Here is a picture of our new cats.  Reggie on the left, Bertie on the right.

They will be a year old next month.