Saturday, April 25, 2009

Pig flu

You know that teacher I had who only talked about bird flu? You know, my political science and psychology professor (he taught both classes...in theory)? I wonder if he is telling all his new students now that we're all going to die from swine flu.

(Picture credit: I just looked it up under Ask Images.)

Friday, April 24, 2009

What's in a name?


A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

Or at least that is what someone once said. Anne of Green Gables disagreed, not that she's real or anything.

I have the worst time coming up with names for things. I mean, "Life According to Me" isn't exactly original. We have had several dogs and we have all been allowed to contribute ideas for names for the dogs and mine are NEVER picked. And when I tell people I like the name Jemima people seriously groan and say, "but...all the kids at school will call her AUNT Jemima! You can't name a white baby that!" I mean, for real people! Haven't you seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? The little girl on that show was named Jemima and she was pale as could be and blonde. How did the name become associated with one race or another? Besides, I plan to homeschool my kids so that takes care of the whole "kids at school will make fun" arguement. I also like the name Penelope since watching that movie at the Wiberts and when I said so the person I told groaned at me too. Tsk tsk tsk...

Well, this post isn't supposed to be about names. I only wrote what I wrote above because I can't think of a name for this post. Just skip it all.

Ahem...this post is really about period dramas. Masterpiece Theater is playing Little Dorrit and I saw the end of the fourth installment last Sunday. I watched the first three yesterday when I visited Jacqueline and Olive for the afternoon. Jacqueline has highspeed (lucky!) and we watched it on the computer. Now I can't wait for Sunday so we can watch the final installment and see if Amy gets her man!

The other night Pride and Prejudice was on. The new one. Starring Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFayden. I hate that one! If you have seen the version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle I just don't think you could prefer the new version. I thought that Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFayden and all the other actors and actresses were very dull, didn't have very much enthusiasm or expression and talked too fast. The one with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is so much like the book, the movie script is practically a word for word match to the book. And in the new movie they speak so fast it's hard to really understand and appreciate the way they speak their lines...

One of my favorite things about these movies is how they talk. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed North and South, Wives and Daughters, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Bleak House and now Little Dorrit is because they usually speak so well. After watching them I think I speak better. I really do! And their vocabularies are so much larger than ours. I think they are able to express themselves more intelligently and keenly than we do now.

I am not saying we should speak just like the people in those stories do, but wouldn't it be kind of neat if we did speak well like that? I wish I spoke better. For goodness sake, 'like' seems to be almost every other word I say. I don't remember when I started doing that or how it crept into my language, but now I say it without thinking about it and I don't like it. I think I need shock therapy, and not the kind used by chiropractors and dentists for muscle pain either. I mean the kind where you get zapped when you do or say something you should not. I wonder how effective that is?

I daresay we would all benefit quite a bit from reading those books and even watching those movies. Yes indeed! If I do say so myself. ;)

The 7 Week Itch

It's that time of year again! Birds are chirping, flowers blooming, and the pollen is everywhere. And that is my problem! You see, not to disgust anyone, I have mentioned before that I get pretty bad spring allergies. I think they were worse when I was little. As I've gotten older I have learned more about managing them, and moving quite a bit probably makes a difference too. I may not be exposed to a certain allergen here like I was when I was little.

But regardless, the pollen is at work and it is making me itch. My nose itches, my eyes itch, my throat itches and my skin itches too. Since I was little my skin has reacted with something whether it is pollen or something else in the air and it makes my legs and arms and sometimes my neck itch like crazy. It's like having poison ivy without ever coming into contact with poison ivy. When I was a little younger I thought that it was a reaction caused by me inhaling the pollen or something but now I think it has to do with my skin actually being exposed to it. Because as long as my legs and arms are not exposed to the outdoors I am usually fine. This means that for several weeks during the spring I cannot wear skirts or shorts because...well...I already said it, it makes my skin itch and it is SO annoying!

Luckily for me, I think I have gradually been outgrowing this reaction because my reactions are less severe now than they were when I was younger. Or perhaps I just know more about how to take care of myself (by wearing long clothes and not scratching). And lucky for me (so far) I usually am not made to mow the lawn because I can't keep my neck covered and my neck starts to itch horribly. Plus my eyes start to itch and my throat and nose start to itch...

It's not pleasant.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Catching up

I finally got a chance to catch up on my blogging! I miss the good old days of blogging when we had high-speed internet...let us take a moment to mourn the passing of those days...okay, that's long enough!

So spring break is over. Boy it was nice to have a whole week off school! I only had to work 2 days too so I had a nice long break. On Monday I spent pretty much the whole day with Becca. We had a great time. We had tea and cinnamon rolls and Becca made a skirt using the directions for drafting a pattern in Sew What! Skirts. Her skirt was great! It was "eco-chic." We also watched a movie and had dinner and did some grocery shopping. All in all a fun day. I brought stuff to sew and I cut out a lot of stuff but in the end I didn't do any sewing. I brought my Janome that used to be my Grandma's and I couldn't figure out how to use it so I will either wait to sew the pieces I cut out until I learn how to use the machine or I'll just use my old machine that is falling apart. I'm sad that my old machine is slowly dying. I have fond memories of that thing! Another reason I didn't/haven't done any sewing is because I've been feeling so foggy. I'm having such a hard time concentrating these days. I have a follow up appointment with my doctor at the end of the month and I'm really hoping for some answers!

This week was crazy! Not only did I have to go back to school but there was something of an explosion at work on Tuesday. I went in to help out since it looked like a busy day and I got to witness my boss have a meltdown on my co-worker about the way the office was so disorganized and things weren't getting done and a whole bunch of other stuff. It was one of those situations where throughout the whole day you could cut the air in the office with a knife it was SO tense! I was ready to look for a new job. I've written here before that I have been kind of frustrated with work and when all of that happened I felt like it was the last straw. Wednesday wasn't that much better until the afternoon and then things started to calm down and go back to normal. I worked with my boss alone on Friday and we had a good day. I was able to talk to her about what had happened on Tuesday and I am hoping that it was a productive conversation. Basically we both agreed that since there are 3 part-time assistants and no one is there full time that no one is really on the same page and no one is really communicating with each other we are going to have to find a way to come up with some solutions to those problems so that things are run more efficiently. Since all of this took place though Pam is now looking for a new job and Dorothy said that if Pam leaves then she is leaving too. Dr. Hartman doesn't know any of this. So it is looking like there is a good possibility that she will be losing 2 assistants rather soon and she knows I am leaving in the fall to go to WVU. I have decided that I'm not going to quit working for her this summer. Hopefully since Tuesday things will have gotten better and since I talked to her maybe we can find a way to work out a system that will make the whole office run more smoothly. Besides, knowing that she might be losing 2 assistants soon I just can't quit on her too. I mean, I know I can, but I want to give it another chance and see if things get better now that everything is out in the open. Sometimes working in an office full of women can be really difficult. I feel kind of torn sometimes because she has been really good to me in that she has given me a job and been very supportive of me going to school and working around my schedule. When I asked for more hours she gave me more and things like that. Yes, she drives me out of my mind sometimes, but hey, it's a job and probably one of the best ones I will be able to get around here.

Speaking of school, I think I'm getting a little nervous about it. I sent in my deposit to reserve my spot in the Nutrition program and next week after I get my paycheck I will send in my housing deposit. Not know exactly where I will be living and who I will me living with makes me very anxious since I've heard horror stories about awful roommates. WVU is known for being a party school and it stresses me out to think that I might get a roommate who is into drugs or brings strange guys back to the room and might cause a big problem for me. I guess I will just have to trust God to take care of all of those things.

I've been thinking about that Keith Green song, Jesus Takes Care of the Rest. It is very applicable to where I am now. I know that Jesus loves me and I know that He is always with me. So why do I worry so much about things I can't control? I want to be able to live life without worrying what is going to happen. Jesus promises to provide for me. I should be able to live without a care in the world with that knowledge. That's my goal.

Well, only 3 (or 4) more weeks until the end of semester. I can't belive how close we are to summer vacation, AKA freedom! I am so excited for summer vacation. It's going to be lovely! I think I'm going to get a few extra hours at work too (definitely so if both Pam and Dorothy quit) which means I can finally pay off this semester and save up for this fall. Plus I think I will have a lot of preparations to see to for this fall. I'm trying to be excited...I hope I like living in Morgantown.

Well, I may not be posting again until after finals so if I am absent you will know that I am busy trying to keep up with everything in my life right now.

Hopefully I will be back soon!

A much anticipated visit

My cousins Erin and Caitlyn came down from MA this weekend to meet Olive. It was very exciting because I haven't seen Erin in almost 5 years and I've never met her daughter, Cheyenne. Cheyenne was almost born on Leap day last year, Olive was born on April Fools day. It was wonderful to meet Cheyenne. She is a sweet, intelligent girl. At 14 months she is already saying 2 word phrases and has a vocabulary of about 150 words (my cousin Erin, being the very involved and devoted mommy that she is, made a list of most of the words she can say and it is about 150!) and can tell you many of the sounds that different animals make. I wish we all lived closer so we could be more involved in each other's lives. I have a great extended family.So I guess Cheyenne and Olive are second cousins? First cousins twice removed? How does that work? Erin and Jacqueline are first cousins so I'm not sure what that makes their daughters. To make it easier we just call them cousins.
Proud (and rightfully so) mommies.

Aren't those little ducky (or are they chicks?) clips cute? Erin bought them off Etsy! Cheyenne pulled one out of her hair so we put in in Olive's hair. She has a lot of hair for an infant.
I do hope it won't be another 5 years before our next visit. That is too long.

I really want to get up to MA this summer to see my Grandma. She has pretty much lost her eyesight and is having a hard time finding ways to keep busy. I think she is discouraged and a little depressed. I want to see her before something happens to her. Especially since I will be starting college in the fall and I don't know how easy it will be to get up there.

Lord willing, something will work out. In the meantime I really enjoyed my visit with the girls.

Happy Easter

A day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Who gave his life as a ransom for ours. What a precious gift!

John 15:13 (New International Version)

13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.


We celebrated over at the Frey's house. It was nice to see them again as well as the Curtis family. I can't believe how much their kids have grown.

I did some baking for the occasion. I tried the Strawberry Sugar Bread recipe from My Messy Thrilling Life's blog. It was good. It tasted a little like a zucchini bread. I would make it again.

I got this idea from the same blog. Rice krispy treats on popsicle sticks made infinitely better by dipping in melted semi-sweet and white chocolate and pareils.
They were rather awkward to transport. They were drippy and sticky so I stuck them in the freezer hoping to harden the marshmellow and chocolate enough so they wouldn't fall apart or make a huge mess. It was fun, but I wouldn't recommend making everything the morning of whatever occasion you are taking them too. I cut it very close to making us late because they were more labor intensive than I thought they would be.

I hope everyone else had a happy Easter.

Jude

Mom's new dog, Jude. A Havanese. At 4 months old he weighs 4 lbs. A far cry from Solomon at 4 months. He weighed about 35, 40 lbs.
He is a cutie.

Beautiful Baby Girl

Meet my beautiful niece, Olive Evangeline.


She is a love...I think we'll keep her.

Loverly Spring

The weather this weekend was absolutely glorious! These are the flowers that were blooming at my sister's house. They moved into their home last weekend, only a week and a half after having Olive. It is a cute house with a lot of potential. And pretty flowers outside.Holly and I went to the park this evening. It was too nice to stay indoors. We just caught the end of the spring blooms. Most of the trees are turning green now. Even so it looks much better than it did during the winter.

I love how velvety the grass looks during this time of year. And I like the shadows from the other trees behind us in this picture too.

After walking around a bit we ended up swinging on the swings for awhile. Until Holly got motion sickness and needed to stop. She ended up laying down on a picnic table under one of the pavillions until she felt a little bit better.

You have to get these moments of enjoyment in before the allergies really strike and keep you housebound. The way my sinuses are acting right now I think that time is just around the corner!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. Henry David Thoreau

Isn't that a nice quote? When I think of the life I imagined for myself as a younger girl it doens't quite match up with my life now. But isn't it better that way? Isn't it better not to have as much control as we want to have? Isn't is good to know our Creator is all-powerful and all-knowing and that He LOVES us and has a plan for us? I'm glad that I don't have to totally rely on myself to make my future. Sure I have an idea of the life I would like to have, but one thing I'm learning is not to make definite plans. Things generally don't go according to plan and the detours we take are usually for our own good, right?

But I suppose I can still go in the direction of my dreams, pursuing the desires that God has put in my heart and hoping that He will fulfill them. I'm just trying not to be too attached to my dreams/plans so that I will be open to what God wants for me.

Speaking of good quotes Corrie Ten Boom said once "I have learned to hold things loosely so that it doesn't hurt when God pries my hand open and takes them away." Well, if that wasn't an exact quotation it was pretty close.

Well, I am off to the shower and my bed. I'm really tired and tomorrow Mom and Dad are getting their new puppy! Yes, they're getting another one! A Havanese this time. I'm way behind on blogging and pictures.

G'nite~

New Baby, Thoughts on my Job, and Acceptance.

1. The new baby is PERFECT! We love her. And once I get home from work I will try to upload a picture or two of her. But no promises because our internet is SO SLOW right now. I hate dial up.
2. My job is driving me crazy. Cray-zay! I was so frustrated on Wednesday that I felt like...well, not quite crying, but I was pretty bummed. I don't know. Our new hygienist Missy was here and so was Pam and Maria and when there are other people here my doctor hardly ever talks to me. I think I just figured out that she doesn't need to talk to me when there are other people here. And that's fine. It's just that for the longest time I thought she wasn't talking to me cause she was, I don't know, mad at me? I was at the hospital with Jacqueline on Wednesday morning till 2 AM. I didn't get home till 2:30 AM and I called my doc around 6:45 and left a message on her phone saying I'd be in late. In time for our N2O patient (my co-worker doesn't assist on N2O patients), but not by 8 AM. Honestly, I just couldn't survive off 3 hours of sleep. I ended up calling Pam too since I couldn't speak directly to Dr. H. and I let her know what was going on. When I got to work I found out that Missy was working. I didn't think she was coming in till Thursday so I wasn't there to help her out on her first day (I could get her x-rays, instruments, etc if I had been there, but instead Pam had to double between Doc and Missy). I thought Dr. H was mad at me for not coming in on time. It made me really upset. And then I shook myself and told myself, "I only had 5 hours of sleep (which was interrupted because I woke up to call in and say I'd be late), I just witnessed an intense and emotional situation while helping Jacqueline deliver Olive. I have 2 classes today besides work and I think that what I'm feeling is just exhaustion." And yes, I was exhausted. Knowing what I'm feeling definitely helps me get through a tiring situation, but it doesn't change the fact that since I took this job here with Dr. H I have felt so inept and insecure at my job. I've never felt this way. At all my other jobs I was one of the best employees, I gave 110% effort, I enjoyed myself (except for my brief time at Country Hell. I mean Country Treasures.) and was pretty satisfied with the work I did. I know that all jobs have their ups and downs, but this one has had a lot of downs. I feel like I've tried really hard to be a team player. I've been really flexible with my hours (I took a cut in hours and pay to come work for her and I've covered lots of shifts for my co-workers when they were sick, on vacation, or just needed time off for personal things like out-of-town company/ dr. appts), I don't even really assist that much, I spend time assisting, working the front office and then on Fridays that we aren't seeing patients I clean the office. I've worked hard, but I've had a hard time adjusting to being 1 of 3 assistants and sharing rooms and adapting to different systems than what I was used to when I was Dr. H's only assistant and I had my own system and knew what was in my room(s) at all times. It's a big change. I feel like those things aren't noticed and the only things that are really noticed are when I get something wrong. Like times when I don't know where to place the suction, or what to put into each room for a procedure, etc things that slow us down. I'm not the kind of person who needs to be praised every time I do something right. It's just that I feel like I'm not doing anything right and my Dr isn't really communicating whether or not I am really irritating her or whether she is just stressed out about beginning her own practice and it is making me so frustrated. It's just so different from the other office and from what I thought it would be. I can't wait to go to school this fall so I can leave. I hate feeling that way.
I stopped by Dr. Bonner's office yesterday to show them pictures of the baby (I was showing her picture to anyone who would look at it...she is such a beauty!) and it was so good to see everyone. They seemed happy to see me. Even Dr. Bonner. He gave me a hug and told me not to be a stranger. And to bring more cookies next time (I stopped in during Christmas to drop off some cookies I had made). I missed them. It is nice to know that someone is glad to see you. Throughout the years I've struggled with self-esteem and have had a hard time believing people like me or enjoy my company. Another reason why I'm having a hard time with all that is going on at work.

3. So yeah, I guess now would be a good time to mention that I was accepted to WVU's Nutrition Program! This August I should be moving to Morgantown and working towards becoming a Registered Dietician. I'm really excited about it. Scared, but excited. :)

I hope it will be a good situation. I hope I will learn a lot and enjoy what I'm learning. I hope that what I'm learning will help me be healthier. I just hope I make the most of each opportunity that presents itself and that I will grow closer to God and meet new friends and enjoy being more independent. And I hope that I will find a job that I enjoy! I hope that regardless of my situation I will find time to give thanks for all the blessings I have and that I will see beauty in every day. And I hope I will still be able to be a big part of my niece's life. It makes me sad to think that I'll miss out on a lot of her baby-hood. I just really hope that one day I'll grow up and stop caring about what others think and that I'll be sure of myself and not easily intimidated by others. I hope that the only thing that will matter is what God thinks of me and that I won't feel like I need other people to respect me.
Being young/growing up is not a picnic. Life in general is not a picnic, but if I had to say one thing right now to younger girls it would be: Don't be fooled by what you see on TV, watch on movies, read in books about what youth and childhood and teenage years are supposed to be like. In a lot of ways life is what you make it. You have some decision in how you want to view things. You can see the glass as half-empty or half-full. And trust God and believe that He loves you.

On another note, Becca and I are moving out west to find ourselves husbands. I'll let you know how that goes. It can't be until I finish school so we have 2 years to plan it out and decide if we really want to go. Hopefully there will still be some good guys left when we get there. *cheesy grin* :)

Okay, I'm officially done complaining. I didn't want to use this blog for a dumping ground, but I had to get some of this stuff out of my mind and out where I could see it and analyze it and eventually come back to and say, "that was silly and didn't even matter in the long run."

Now I'm going to go enjoy my weekend and cuddle my niece. She is just SO beautiful. And sweet. And she smells good. And her skin is so soft. So so soft. And her little fingers and toes are so itty bitty. You should see how small her fingernails are. And did I mention that she's beautiful?

Thursday, April 2, 2009

I was a homeschooler...here's proof! *As was previously posted on facebook*

[ x] Own/have owned a denim jumper
[x ] You were at least 13 when you got your first "trendy" haircut
[x] Everything in your closet at some time was referred to as modest
[x] You do/have tucked things in that shouldn't be tucked in
[ ] You have been a member of at least 3 co-ops
[x] You were a true 16 and never been kissed
[x] Your mom drives a van of some sort.
[ ] You have at least one childhood picture where you, your mom, and all you siblings matched
[ ] You are/were/will be a PSEO Student
[x] At some point in your life you were more comfortable with adults than kids your own age
[x] Have studied ways to defend your beliefs, debate, and/or create laws
[x] Used uber conservative ABecka curriculum

TOTAL SO FAR- 9

[x] You use big words that most adults could not use in conversation
[ x] You can use the words sublime, epiphany, and cognizant correctly
[ ] You have a favorite word. AMAZING!!!
[ ] You have an understanding of Latin root words and how to use them (huh?)
[x] People from the outside world are referred to as "public schoolers"
[x] You or one of your siblings knits.well? maybe not
[x ] You laugh at the decline in literacy in America
[x] You score constantly higher than "public schoolers" on standardized tests.
[x] You have no concept of cafeteria food
[ ] Family vacations are/ can be referred to as "Field Trips"
[ x] Traveling on said vacations have included stopping at historical site markers along the way
[x] You have never been in a public elementary school, middle school, or high school during regular school hours
[ ] You have gone to or been involved in a homeschool convention... more then should be allowed.

TOTAL SO FAR- 18

[x] You read books on a regular basis
[ ] You have taken part in a political protest
[ ] You were a Pride and Prejudice fan before the movie
[ x] You were a Lord of the Rings fan prior to the movie
[x] You were a Chronicles of Narnia fan before the movie
[x] You speak a language other than English (if you count sign language...I can't speak Spanish to save my life!)
[x ] You dream of dating characters from books instead of celebrities. (I have fallen in love with book characters...I hate celebrities!)

TOTAL SO FAR- 23

It has been assumed that you:....
[ ] Have won many spelling bees
[x] Have no social life
[x ] Have no friends of the opposite gender
[ ] Are extremely inept
[x] Only listen to classical music
[ x] Play piano or the violin (and it's true I might add!)
[x] Do not own a pair of trendy jeans.
[x] Have no knowledge of drugs or alcohol
[x] Don't date, only court.
[x] Have never been to a "party"
[x] Know no other beliefs other than what your family believes



TOTAL SO FAR- 32

You have been asked more than 10 times in your life:
[] If you wear pajamas to school
[ ] If you get perfect grades because your mom grades you
[x ] If your mom teaches you or if somebody else's mom does
[x] How do you meet people
[x] Why you aren't in school
[x ] If you get days off whenever you want
[] If you're going to be home schooled through college
[] If you have a big family
[x ] What your parents are protecting you from
[ ] To quote something famous
[ ] For the answer, because supposedly homeschoolers always have all the answers


TOTAL SO FAR- 37


You have "rebelled" by:
[x ] Listening to "worldly music"
[ ] Wearing black fingernail polish
[ ] Wearing tight clothes or letting your midriff show or showing off what color of boxers you are wearing
[ x] Watching a *gasp* PG-13 movie
[ ] Breaking dress code
[ ] Listening to music with a beat
[ ] Dancing. Especially dances that involve contact for longer than 2 seconds. With somebody of the opposite gender. Scandalous!!!


TOTAL : 39

1-10 You're not really a homeschooler...you just do school at home
11-21 You're a homeschooler, but not what the world expects
22-32 You're a homeschooler(I knew it!)
33-? You probably wouldn't have facebook to begin with...but congrats you're the stereotypical homeschooler

Tag your homeschool friends and see what they are!