The formula for understanding women (as explained by a man)

So my roommate recently sent me this picture with this caption:

"And thus, dear students we have arrived at the formula for understanding women."

Well . . . I think that explains a lot :)

A Quality Life

"A quality life is God's greatest wish for us. Life is to be lived well in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. There should not be a waiting period..." -Elder Marvin J. Ashton

Today I lived a quality life . . . no waiting. It consisted of lunch with good friends, a little homework, wandering through the arboretum, smelling lilac bushes, making plans to plant lilac bushes and iris in my yard some day, speculating about why PSU dyed the water blue in their gold fish pond, trying to catch the gold fish, or at least lure them closer by feeding them gratefruit peel (I know, I know, it was all I had in my purse), no success, but watched my friend then try to scope them up with her Nalgene . . . second failure, then I came home, wrote more of my lit review, laid outside on the sidewalk with Mia and soaked up more sun, wrote more lit review, talked to my home teachers, read journal articles for my lit review, made revisions . . . well you get the idea.

Its a nice thought that a quality life can be so simple . . . and yet I am grateful for the gift.

Growing up

wow, I'm tired tonight . . . during the day I fill up my mind with funny stories and things to write for my end-of-the-day post but by 11 o'clock I've got nothin'.

Today I successfully conquered the stacks in the library after wandering through several very narrow isle to find an elusive book to add yet another reference to my lit review, typed a few more pages, read several more articles and somehow wondered how people can type out pages and pages on demand . . . I'm not such a writer. But it was satisfying knowing that somehow this is all going to contribute to me graduating with a masters degree.

I used to think that was such a grown up - now that I'm in the middle of it, I don't feel grown up, but here I am working towards a thesis. I suppose 27 should feel grown up, but here I am still not. In my Youth Civic Engagement class they say our generation is taking longer than previous generation to takes steps that lead to stable lives that are usually associated with grown ups - things like a career, a house, getting married . . . if that's the measure some days I'm not sure I'll ever grow up :)

But after all its overrated right?

The secret cheerleader

So I started watching Biggest Loser because of I have an a friend who loves it and I like remembering her . . . but now I love watching it when I work out, because it inspires me. Its not so much about losing weight (though that is appealing) what I love most about the episodes is to see how people support each other in their victories.

Sometimes I wish I could do more of that for other people.

When I drive by people that are jogging I say good job . . . not that they can't hear me, but I guess mentally, I want to cheer them on, perhaps hoping some one else is saying something encouraging as they breeze past me plodding along.

Really I wish I could shout it out. Good job! Keep going! You can make it!

They said I should have been a cheerleader on swim team in highschool because I got so excited cheering for the team, but I think I maybe I just wanted everyone, even the underdog to know their victories were celebrated too.

I'll never forget the day I came in dead last (nothing new for me) but I beat my time in the fly and my friend Jenny was jumping up and down and shouting like I'd just won state. That's what its about. Victories.

So here's my shout out to you! Victories in the small and big things, whatever it is today, I'm cheering for you.

Happy

Its a great day to be happy! :) Mostly the people in this video make me happy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YAzAu3Ut6c

Vicks Vapor Rub and other solutions

Tonight I was talking to a friend on the phone who has a nasty cold. She said she read online that if you put Vicks Vapor Rub on your toes and then put on extra warm socks it helps you stop coughing. How your toes and your throat are related - I don't know, but 100% of the people that tried it said it worked. Personally I hate the smell of the stuff, and I don't have a cough, but I wished her good luck and I'm anxious to hear the results.
I couldn't help but think of all the other crazy solutions to life little irritations that we have. I once had a mole on my face. Someone told me if you put aloe vera on it every day it would fall off. So for a week I tried it. It didn't.
Someone else told me that putting duct tape on your wart makes it go away. (Now I love duct tape and believe it holds the world together) But it didn't make my wart go away.
Solutions: that's what we all want in this life.
Another friend and I talked about the challenges of YSA, how to get people to come, how to get them to talk to each other when they come and what to do when they don't. Believe me, as a YSA rep, I could use some major solutions for that, unfortunately I'm not sure it something duct tape, aloe vera or Vicks could handle, but I like the idea of a quick fix.
Despite the fact that I feel a little silly trying quick remedies I can't help but hope, really one of these time the fix is just going to be that easy. After all, who knows . . .

Blue and White Day

So today is Blue and White Day. Its football. I know big surprise for Penn State, but surprisingly thousands of people are still willing to come watch our offense and defense play each other. Blue against white. (Secretly I must confess I don't really understand the attraction, I bought 10 lovely blue and white plates at the thrift store to show my support, but that's about all I've got.)
Surprisingly though, despite the fact that I have yet to attend a PSU football game and I've almost been here a year, I feel surprisingly at home on this campus. It occurred to me the other day, remembering that I was worried after leaving the shelter of a very small church school how I would adjust to all that Penn State has to offer.
And I would like to report I am adjusting just fine. :) I have my favorite chairs, hang out spots down-town and opinions about local politics. Even my license plate says Pennsylvania now.
Funny how I've looked forward to this experience all of my life and now that I'm living it I find it quite satisfyingly normal.

Thankful Thursday

So my friend has a woman that works in his building that seems to have an alliteration for everyday. Today is thankful Thursday and I'm feelin' it!
I don't even know exactly why I'm so happy, or life seems so good, sometimes its nice to be happy for no reason. It feels healthy to not have happiness connected to anyone thing. Just me. It makes so many things good. For example, tonight while I'm blogging I'm eating all of raisins out of my raisin bran . . . I was really craving something sweet. But I love that I can and no one will complain. What a life.
When you come to visit I promise to let you eat the raisin out of my raisin bran anytime you want! I can't wait to share :)

My Thoughts Exactly

“Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.” - Storm Jameson

"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, they ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." - Albert Ellis

"Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain

The best friends

Today I am grateful for friends.
A few night ago I stayed up giggling with a friend about how funny guys are - and even funnier our expectations of them. What, you mean they don't listen to everything . . . or even more draw us out with thought provoking questions?!?!
Its real shocker every time I remember that. :)
In statistics today I whispered through half the class period with another friend in my program about our thesis, IRB approval and the craziness of advisers. We talked about careers, and the tragedy of her adding cayene pepper instead of cinnamon to french toast ( saved by the way with other spices because she's such a fabulous cook. What's not to like about cayenne pepper french toast right?) while still absorbing something about multiple regression analysis.
I got an email that made me smile from another friend who's saving the world, writing a book and with whom I talk about life missions while we paint her office and define our credibility!
And those are only three of many!
I don't mean to brag, but really, I have the best friends!

A Rita Girl

I just finished watching Driving Miss Daisy. I can't believe it took me this long to see it because it comes so highly recommended.
It made me think of people that I've cared for, especially Rita. There is something difficult and beautiful about allowing people to serve you, and she didn't always want it or allow our service very gracefully. But I don't think I would have either.
Who would want people living in your house, making decisions about what you eat, wear and when you get to take a nap, after all.
But I still remember the way she said thank you despite her frustration, loved getting her back scratched, enjoyed my poor piano playing every time, and could do the best rooster imitation. Its a gift to live so gracefully. And she had that gift.

Why I go to church

So have you ever woken up from a perfect dream to the reality of life. That was my morning. Really I like Sunday mornings, they are generally restful, but for some reason this morning I woke up and felt disappointed with life. I even entertained a little pity party, sometimes I just can't shake the feeling that all around me people's dreams are coming true and they live these perfect lives, while I'm stuck trying to figure out how to make it happen.
Despite the fact that I recognize that as a fallacy, I still haven't perfected the art of dealing with disappointment.
You know the funny thing about being single is that sometimes disappointment comes on without any triggers. (as I'm writing I'm thinking that perhaps this phenomenon isn't just limited to single people, but because often my disappointment is connected with that . . . ) I wake up and I say being single STINKS and I could feel sad about it for a whole day if I let myself. Sometimes its hard not to.
Despite that fact- to church I went smiling outwardly because that's what I do fairly well, while inwardly thinking, why do I keep doing this! And that's when I remembered why I go to church.
Our branch presidency changed today, there was a beautiful music number and I received a nice compliment . . . but really none of those things got me through feeling down. I go to church because its comforting when things are hard. Though I have many people that I love and who love me there, its not that, but its the quite reassuring feeling of seeing people around me who keep going just like me. They smile, they laugh they love and they cry - sometimes in front of people and sometimes in private. But they are people living life with hope. I go to church because I do too.

All in the name of procrastination

Dear Blog,
Today I spent 4 hours shopping thrift stores (way too long and dangerous to the tune of $40 = 4 skirts, 6 shirts & a pair of shorts, I blame it on my encouraging roommate), I realized I make unfair assumptions about guys (namely that they are often shallow) and duly apologized for my assumption, sorted my files, cleaned my room, and now I'm doing laundry and blogging.
(What you cannot tell however that I did all that to avoid writing a final paper.
Don't worry I still have two weeks I tell myself. I've done a lot of the research already, all I have to do is just type it up . . . just type it up. Well it was a convincing enough train of thought for today. Ask me next week if I was completely wrong.
I remember that I used to hate cleaning, I like it now. It funny how writing research papers makes cleaning the toilet a pleasant task. But then again, maybe someday writing research papers will become more enjoyable . . . I'm curious to see what will make it comparably so.

Buying in Bulk

It seems foolish that single girl, cooking for one, should buy the family size of everything from spinach to toilet paper . . . but I do. Why is it that walking out of the store with an extra big bag of frozen blueberries where I save 3 cents per ounce feels like a major accomplishment? Now I'm not sure where all this bulk satisfaction comes from, but there is a distinctly satisfying feeling to see my freezer chocked full. Today it was a bag of stir fry.

Now let it be known, I'm not a member of Sam's club or Costco, yet some how I keep being drawn back to the family isle where everything comes in big size. Maybe its coming from a big family, or maybe the savings or maybe its just knowing that I have enough food to feed everyone I have ever met if they should all come over at once. I am prepared. (That is if people like blueberry spinach shakes and chicken with broccoli - after all they don't sell everything in bulk.)

I think this could be a genetic disease. My sister has four crock pots and uses all of them, frequently more than one at once. Or maybe its a disease by association, my roommate has an extra freezer for her frozen foods, or maybe its just instincts of a college student- Buy lots of food before finals weeks to prepare for the long haul.

No matter the reason, I walk out of the grocery store with my bags bulging, fill up the trunk of my car and feel satisfied. I'm ready to feed the world! I only hope they're prepared for it.

All in a day

Its been a good day. Its amazing how sleeping at night makes you feel human.
Life has been full of little coincidences today that made me appreciate people.
I gave a ride to a girl in the parking lot who couldn't get her car started and we struck up a conversation about our churches and what we believed in. She's Russian Baptist . . I didn't even know there were Russian Baptists. I couldn't help but think how glad I was the one to have walked by her and not someone else. She was so excited to tell me about her beliefs, it made me happy.

Then I found out that my statistics teacher was a high school drop out! How refreshing, really he's the best statistics teacher I've ever had and I can't help but admire what came between dropping out of high school and becoming one of Penn State's tops statistics professors. Today he compared regression analysis to making cookies and he brought the ingredients to show us. Nice.

There's a sunset out tonight, I am human and people are good. How can I not love life?

Another Ordinary Miracle Today

After an all nighter last night, in a frantic rush to turn in my final project on time I peeled my eyes open to see what all the hammering was about . . . oh yes a pair of legs and a ladder right outside my window! Really - sometimes I do wish life would prepare you for these things. Taking it as a sign that I should try to sleep during normal hours (that being at night and not during the day) I got up! Life lesson learned, there's no such thing as catching up. . . perhaps that's why I still haven't gone to bed yet!

Despite that fact however, I am victorious after a sleepless night - final project is done, I made at least a somewhat coherent presentation in class and saved myself in the nick of time from yet another parking ticket! (He said he'd only give me a warning this time - now really I thought only policemen and parents had that authority, but I'm not complaining)

After all, really its just another day . . . no its another ordinary miracle day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urv7tyeJ7qE

The Excavation

"Being content means acceptance without self-pity. Meekly borne, however, deprivations such as these can end up being like excavations that make room for greatly enlarged souls."

I know what ANCOVA means

You know its funny how when you start a goal to appreciate life you get hit with a whammy.
Its not that today was really so awful per say, in fact I checked off presentation and report from my end of the semester list.
Its just the little irritating things in life like sleeping through the alarm, running to school knowing I should have put on a little more makeup and done something besides put my hair up, losing a student's paper- looking for it for an hour with no luck. and then working on the never ending papers all day . . . to come home, put on pajamas, eat a sandwich and keep typing away.
Perhaps my only problem is really how unglamorous and undramatic my life is. I think if I could wish it I would add some excitement, yet my roommate reminded me how last semester I had too much excitement in my life. I remembered last semesters finals and trying to make major decisions about classes, thesis, work and a relationship with very red puffy eyes and contemplating running away in any possible manner.
Suddenly, I am very happy in my pajamas, because after all I am quite certain that I can type this paper, I am very confident that I will make it through the semester and I am an accomplished first year graduate student about to put a little check next to that whole year of learning. Not only that but I can tell what ANCOVA is, what it stands for and when to use it. And that in itself is my daily accomplishment.

No fairy godmother

I never really thought I would blog. I have to confess that I thought most people started blogging once they were married, had kids and cute pictures to post. I have none of the above. Despite that fact, in a new adventure to celebrate my life as is, I've decided to blog.
In the middle of a session of discontent with the way things in my life were not happening how I had imagined, and wishing for a fairy godmother I woke up and decided to take action! I would create a blog about how great my life is - I would write something every day, perhaps that made me laugh, that I learned from, or that taught me more about love. (No guarantees that I will only stick to those categories).
Somehow writing about something fulfilling in life is on a daily basis in a public place seems to be a bigger commitment than just writing a thankful note in my journal. I don't know if I really expect people to read this, but I expect to enjoy writing it.
And the act of writing is realization in itself of my very own call to action. After all this life is no dress rehearsal and I'm living it and loving it. Every day.