Overhead and closer up there

See the Earth's fadin' nations

Shuttles, spaceships, satellites

All gathered up there hypnotized

I may climb the highest fences

Face the worthless consequences

Obscured, shattered is the sky

Another lesson learned in time

Many lacks of confidence

In hidden useless conversations



I live to justify to say the reason why

- Mobile, See Right Through Me

Diversity?

So, I have been pre-interning in a second-third grade split classroom for a quarter of a semester now, and absolutely love it. Good thing, heh. I am at an urban school in Kalamazoo called Washington Writer's Academy - amazing school, seriously. I am sure I will have plenty more to share in the upcoming year (since I will be doing my internship here too.)

Today, my mentor teacher addressed the Core Democratic Values. Diversity was one of about eight that were highlighted. Now I really do not mean this in a critical way at all, because my mentor teacher is absolutely awesome, (he has a great sense of humor that the kids often are slow to pick up on, hehe.) Yet after giving a pretty good idea of what diversity meant, he explained that our classroom was a diverse classroom. That is what got me. The class is 3/4 African American, about 15% hispanic and maybe 10% caucasian. Similar socio-economic status. This really is not diversity. A diverse classroom should really include almost equal amounts of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Caucasians, Middle Eastern Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans.....

I am also reading a great book by Jonathan Kozol called The Shame of A Nation that discusses the restoration of apartheid schooling in America, that is simply showing me so much more - this issue of non-diversity on such a broader spectrum. I absolutely recommend this book if you want to get fired up about something, because at times I just get so frustrated I have to pause for a few (games of Snood that is ;-) .) If you look at so many of the schools named Martin Luther King Jr Elementary/Middle or Rosa Parks or Thurgood Marshall ... the main population - almost always over 90 percent - is African American. How can we consider this diversity??? CERTAINLY that is not the dream that Martin Luther King had envisioned.

Time to get off my soapbox... for now ...

What to Do With Fall

Are you bored? Do you like birds? If you answered yes to both of these questions, guess what, you can do something about your boredom while helping out the birds! Grab some string, a pinecone, some peanut butter, and some birdseed. Tie the string to the top tip of the pinecone. Then what you're going to do is spread the peanut butter all over the pinecone, and then pour the birdseed all over - it will stick to the peanut butter. Such a simple process, and you have a birdfeeder! Just hang it outside on a branch, and watch all the birds fly to it.
*This is also nice for the birds if you have lots of squirrels - who are usually pretty dominant on birdfeeders that are big and can support their weight. They certainly can't balance very well and eat on a pinecone hanging from a string.

If you are a fan of leaves or are an avid leaf collector, there is so much you can do by simply pasting leaves onto pages to create a story. One picturebook had its pictures made entirely from assorted leaves, and it is so much fun for students and children to look through. (If you're interested, look up Lois Ehlert: 'Leaf Man' and 'Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf.') There is actually another great picture book out there called 'Cinderlily' by David Ellwand and Christine Tagg, and it took this same idea by using all flower petals to create pictures to go along with the Cinderella story. It's actually a really gorgeous book. Even looking at these books can be great inspiration.

Fall To Do

Yes! The best season, in my opinion, is just about here! (First day of fall is in just a few days!) There is just so much to do - outside with the crisp air and changing leaves falling in piles. I have just a few suggestions for making your Fall memorable, as I would personally feel saddened if you didn't make the most of it (it is my favorite after all - even if it didn't contain my birthday.)

* Apple Orchard - I haven't actually been to one to pick apples, but it sounds like it would be tons of fun.

* Haunted House - these are so much fun - I mean it's Halloween season, you're supposed to get scared. I remember this one time, I took a couple of my friends with my Dad and I as a 'birthday party' deal, and it was awesome. I was actually pretty freaked out because this cloaked figure on stilts was chasing us through this maze with a chainsaw - he was pretty talented because he really was literally chasing us on stilts.

* Cider Mill - how can you go wrong!? Hot, fresh, tasty donuts, warm apple cider, crunchy crisp caramel apples... It's even fun when you go to a big one and can see the process they go through crushing the apples and making it into cider. You can even find places to pick up some gourds for decoration.

* Pumpkin picking - also a good time, especially when you get a great pumpkin that has the perfect shape for carving into a jack-o-lantern.

*Raking leaves into a big pile and jumping in them - of course, this is a lot easier for kids.

* Going out on Halloween, whether you are actually young enough to get some candy, or even if you are taking younger siblings out. Costume-watching is the funnest part, making giving out candy enjoyable too.

* Camping - how can you not? Now I am not a huge hardcore outdoorsy person, but spending a weekend out in the woods is one of the best stress relievers and bonding times you can get. Taking hikes, roasting marshmallows, sleeping in tents, bonfires, offroading, it doesn't get much better, especially if you are lucky enough to have some exciting adventurous friends. Ghost stories can also be fun at night, even playing tag in the dark. Exhilirating...

* And one of my favorite parts is the Fall and Halloween decorations!!! haha, let me know if I missed any big ones.

Cell Phone Craze

So what's the deal with this new cell phone craze? It seems that everyone is getting a new phone - whether or not their plan is up. Now I will admit that I let my best friend talk me into getting the Razr phone - but that was because my plan expired at the beginning of August, it was supercheap (because four people split a family plan that we got so they gave us a deal), and because my phone was gettin old. But I really feel that I should mention I miss my old little phone - partially because it was my first phone, it was small and had what I needed, and nobody else had that phone - it was unique. I also have to mention that I LOVE the speakerphone feature on the new phone.

I am just having a tough time grasping all the new features coming out on the phones. I'll be honest, I hardly ever use the camera on my phone. But I don't need a video camera, I certainly don't need it to be an MP3 player... now it's just becoming another contest - but hey honestly good for those companies. And I am wondering how much battery gets sucked up in using those hi-tech features - it better have one good battery!

Well, I just felt like jotting down some thoughts. That's pretty much all, hehe.

Tips for beginning teaching

Whew, my first week and a half in 2/3 grade has been full of awesome opportunities and building great relationships. But even in this short amount of teaching, I have learned firsthand and heard from others some great suggestions and survival tips:

* Caffeine is underrated - it's a miracle worker!

* There's nothing wrong with hiding a stash of food - since you're ready for lunch at 10:00!!

* While developing relationships is essential, always being a friend is overrated - kids have friends already, you need to be a role model.

* Do not underestimate students - they really are clever and skilled manipulators hehe.

* Sometimes you need to take a minute to breathe, so get the kids up and dancing & moving periodically - they love those CD recordings with explicit directions

* You will never appreciate large padded chairs more

* Rain is bad news - kids NEED to get out to run around. If you don't have headache meds handy, someone in the building has to!

* 3:00 really is a fantastic time

* Choose your battles, and learn your kids' habits and ways so you can adapt and live with each student more easily

* If you're going to give out candy, do it at the end of the day! (Sugar highs are quite undesirable.)

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul...

-Emily Dickinson, excerpt from her poem Hope...

I think it is an understatement to say that hope is a part of everyday life - it just plays such an invaluable, amazing role in life, in living. I recently found out that my Grandma has cancer (which should hopefully be able to be removed with a histerectomy). I can picture my reaction once I read the email from my aunt. I sat there for a second to process it, cried for about five seconds, and then didn't feel miserable. Now I am definitely the kind of person that cries at tearjerkers and even thinking about shots, but not at this moment. Why? I realized that it was because I had so much hope for the best, I had a feeling that everything would turn out okay. It was hope. Hope for the future keeps us going, is responsible for optimism that lifts our spirits. What is living without hope? Hope helps you look forward, it gives you reason.

More Fun Facts That You Never Knew You Never Knew

Ever heard of an animal that doesn’t drink water? What about a replacement for the Easter Bunny? Well, perhaps you have not heard of the little Bilby. It’s actually a pretty cute little animal, looks like the offspring of a mouse and bunny. These creatures are endangered species in Australia, where they often purchase these pets in place of rabbits. And they really don’t drink water, they just ingest it in the food that they eat. (Here you can see a picture: http://www.greenapple.com/~jorp/amzanim/bilby.jpg )

Here is a picture of quite possibly the scariest-looking little animals I have seen. And it’s called an Aye-Aye …. Aye-yay-yay is right!

http://www.oddanimals.com/images/788623107.jpg

These are found in Madagascar and are considered endangered, due to the destruction of its habitat – as well as because many are killed on sight, as they are believed to mean bad fortune in some parts of Madagascar.

Fun Fact Time

I am sure everyone has heard a ton about how to eat in healthy ways and understood the common sense nature of nutrition tips. But I have decided to include some suggestions on foods that you might not consider eating.

Did you know that Eskimos have a much lower rate of heart-disease, even though fish is considered a high-fat diet? It’s the healthy fats (yes, not all fats are bad.) We need certain fats in order to absorb nutrients, keep cell membranes protective and functioning, and transmitting nerve signals and firing. Eat more fish.

Ever heard of Goji berries? Well … I hadn’t before. Probably because they are from Tibet and Mongolia. They have an amazing amount of vitamins (high in C, several B, and E), minerals (21 trace minerals), and amino acids (18+!). There are plenty of other nutrients and compounds these berries contain, but I figure since I can’t pronounce any of them it’s unlikely that anyone will remember their names.

I probably do not need to tell you about cacao (chocolate). Just know that the healthiest form of chocolate is the purest form, without all the additives and extra sugar. The cacao form is much richer in antioxidants (3x more than green tea), magnesium, and more. It was actually used in many things centuries ago – many different types of diseases and even mental health (serotonin and dopamine increase, to name a couple, for mental well being.)

Hemp – yes, hemp, is one of those hidden treasures – actually, let’s say it is a more ‘underground’ treasure than hidden. Just try thinking of it from a health standpoint – the hemp seeds won’t make you high. (I can hear you muttering ‘darn.’) In China about 6000 years ago, it was used as a source of protein before soy, also containing all the additional amino acids that human bodies need but cannot produce. It also has many similar qualities and nutrients that fatty fish do, like fatty acids.

Camu-camu is a Peruvian miracle fruit – containing 20 to 60 times more Vitamin C than an orange! In addition, it contains many other vitamins and minerals necessary to our diets, as well as antioxidants. It is extremely useful as an anti-depressant, and helps diminish anxiety, panic attacks, and hyperactivity. It also has antiviral properties, aiding in fighting viruses like herpes and mono. (You will also be seeing this fruit on the ingredient list to anti-wrinkle creams and hair-strengthening formulas.)

Those are just a few fun sources of nutrition to look at if you are looking to spice up your diet in a healthy way! Most information found at http://www.healthlounge.net/superfoods.htm

Thy Eternal Summer

"Thy Eternal Summer shall never fade."
~ William Shakespeare

Good ole Will. This seems to be a really fitting line from Sonnet 18 as the Summer comes to a close. (It is still plenty hot in Michigan, but September and school is creeping up!) The problem with Shakespeare is that we have to be careful assuming what he is talking about. Without taking a Shakespeare class or devoting a good amount of time to his literature, many word choices, puns, and so on fly right over our heads. I can't claim to be an expert, and that was pretty much my disclaimer.
Bringing me to my point: this simple line is full of meaning. Summer lasts forever. Not literally, of course, but in our memories. This has been a great summer for me, and I hope for you too. Everything that has happened remains in our minds - we may tear up or laugh our asses off, but no matter what, these Summer memories really are eternal. If there could be a tribute to all the experiences of the season, all the fun times, funny situations, friendly arguments, confusing jokes, priceless moments, sad departures and reminiscing, this would be it for me. I just wanted to share it, hoping it has some meaning for everybody who shared their Summer with others, or even spent valuable time with themselves.

Take a second to relax

So, I sure had the funnest half hour of my life trying to log into this account to post more - almost gave up too! Good thing there are great people to give support and fabulous suggestions. But I did in fact learn a lesson that I feel compelled to swear - mainly because it seems fitting to share one of my favorite quotes that I tend to use as an away message.
"When angry, count to four. When really angry, swear." Mark Twain
That really is not the lesson that I learned, it is just what I did. (In my head - my roommates don't seem to appreciate the obnoxious phrases and words that seem to seep out.) The first part of the quote is really practical and a great help! But even though Mark Twain is one of the forerunners of American Literature, there just has to be a better solution than getting upset and aggravated when really angry. Trust me - I was really angry, and swearing didn't help - okay, it did make me feel a little bit better. But I can tell you that sitting back in my chair, taking my hands off the keyboard, turning and looking out the window - even just for a few seconds, and taking a couple deep breaths made the situation enormously calmer and easier to concentrate on. It helped me to rationally figure out a solution - or at least consult others for help. Point is, relax and take a deep breath. If you have to, punch a pillow - I also find screaming into a pillow is an incredible stress relief, as long as you breathe eventually.

Ya know...it also helps to write down your passwords.

By the way

By the way, I would just like to apologize for not keeping up! I was actually on vacation for three weeks - Disney World for a couple of those! I sure made a lot of memories, even had my sister and myself write some interesting ones down in a notebook. But wouldn't you know it, that notebook is back home in Detroit. So one of these days, I will share with you some interesting/amusing travelling tips and some ideas of what you would see on the way down to Florida.
Of course, DisneyWorld was awesome. Everyone just has to go at least once in their life. Not anywhere can you go to Morocco and have a guy ask you if you are a princess. (Okay, I know he didn't really mean it, but hey, it was fun.) This was my third time, a little more relaxing, but deadly hot! Sigh! My first tip is go when it is not blazing summer!!

Laughter

Laughter is an instant vacation...it is a tranquilizer with no side effects...at the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities. Laughter is the shortest distance between two people... yet ... laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on. Laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. Nothing shows character more than what you laugh at. The person that knows how to laugh at himself shall never cease to be amused.

I love finding a collection of some of the truest statements I could imagine. Just reading these simple statements are enough to bring a smile to my face - I think of laughter, and it makes me want to laugh - it really is contagious. Ever have those moments where you are with someone and they are just laughing like crazy, you aren't quite sure at what - or even you know what, but can't understand just what is so funny, but you can't help but joining in and before you know it you are bouncing laughs off of each other and your stomach hurts? Or when you are watching a movie, a character says something funny but you miss it - however, your moviemate starts laughing. Why do you laugh?

Colors that you shine....

Can you feel it crush you does it seem to bring the worst in you out
There's no running away from these things that hold you down
Do they compicate you because they make you feel like this
of all the colors that you've shine this is surely not your best
But you should know these colors that you're shining are

Surely not the best colors that you shine

I know you feel alone yeah and no one else can figure you out
But don't you ever turn away from the ones that help you down
Well they'd love to save you don't you know they love to see you smile
But these colors that you've shined are surely not your style

I know you're feeling like you're lost you've drifted way to far
But you should know these colors you're shinig are surely not the best

- Colors by Crossfade

Independence

As it is almost the Fourth of July, our country's Independence Day when Thomas Jefferson was finally finished with the Declaration of Independence - which was no short, quick task, I thought that it might be fun to look and see what other significant dates in history symbolize days of freedom and independence:

Australia : January 1, 1901 from the United Kingdom

Azerbaijan : October 18, 1991 from Soviet Union (I jotted this one because I love saying its name, and it's the day after my birthday)

Bahamas : July 10, 1973 from the United Kingdom (man, looking through this list, TONS of places, specifically smaller islands, belonged to the UK ... who remembers their history?)

Belgium: October 4, 1830 from the Netherlands - Belgian Revolution

Brazil: September 7, 1822 from Portugal

Central America - numerous countries including Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala on September 15, 1821 from Spain and Mexico

Greece - March 5, 1821 from the Ottoman Empire

Lebanon - November 22, 1943 from France (interesting, in the middle of World War II)

Mexico - September 16, 1810 from Spain - not recognized, though, until September 27, 1821!

Trinidad and Tobago - August 31, 1962 from UK

On Change

I was thinking about some changes in my life - some big ones, little ones, even changes that I don't know are happening. Change is probably the one thing you can depend on in life, so I thought that this would be an interesting 'research' topic. Looking through some quotes, every single one seemed 100% true, but I thought that I would share a few. (The first is from my memory after watching a great, touching movie that has stuck with me for the longest time.)



Change can be so constant, you don't even feel the difference until there is one. - Life as a House


The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. - Charles Dubois


Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw


Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - Leo Tolstoy


The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. - M Scott Peck


Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.


We know what we are, but know not what we may be. - William Shakespeare

When life hands you lemons...

So everybody gets some lemons in life, meaning everybody gets dealt some tough cards. (It's interesting to think of as many plays on words as you can for getting a raw deal... hmm... future project?) Anyways, one of the most famous is: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. However, for the longest time, and I am not sure where exactly I heard this, my motto has been:

When life hands you lemons, say, 'I like lemons, what else ya got?'

This may just seem like a smartass remark, but if you think about it, any answer makes sense - depending on your personality. Making lemonade is a sensible thing to do, doing what you can with what you have. Asking what else ya got, could be taunting, egging life on, or it could be learning to appreciate what you're given, even sour make-your-eyes-squint-and-mouth-pucker lemons. Even such a little phrase leaves room for such huge interpretation...

Rainbow ...

William Wordsworth (1770-1850): an English poet who played a major role in the Romantic Movement. I find him to be one of my favorite poets, and I can also credit one of my favorite poems to him. I thought I would share it with you, as today, I saw a rainbow that brightened my day.

My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began,
So is it now I am a man,
So be it when I shall grow old
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man:
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.


There are so many topics of discussion in this poem, so much that I could explain and describe (especially since I did an in-depth study and presentation of this poem in my high school AP literature class.) However, I think that you just have to appreciate this poem at face value, since it really hits you as truth, inspiration. I would rather not ruin this poem by beating it to death. If you think of nothing else while reading this poem, consider 'The Child is father of the Man'...

Create

Create:

To cause to exist; bring into being.
To produce through artistic or imaginative effort: create a poem; create a role.

pay-off

So it was really funny actually. In my last post, I put up that it was Valentine's Day in Brazil. At work today, there is a woman who works there that has been practically everywhere, and I believe she is actually from Brazil. Has houses in tons of different countries. And she brought in this Incan dish for us to try, and she mentioned something about Brazil. And I piped up, 'Oh Monday was Valentine's Day in Brazil!' and she looked at me in amazement and was like 'Oh no I forgot!' and said how her husband is in Egypt and she forgot to say anything about Vday.

She became so interested in me, hehe, and asked if I had a boyfriend from Brazil. Unfortunately, no. I don't think the boys there need to look elsewhere...

But that was just a fun little situation. This plethora of useless information comes in handy!! Turns out it isn't useless ...

Celebrate!

I was just taking a look at some different events going on today, and stumbled across what other countries celebrated today - it's hard to remember that our holidays aren't the same everywhere!

Chaco Peace	Paraguay
Independence Day	Philippines
Queen's Birthday	Australia
Dia dos Namorados (Valentine's Day)	Brazil

Kinda funny to see. Interesting - Valentine's Day in Brazil isn't Feb 14th ... so ... I thought that it was supposed to celebrate St. Valentine, whose day is 2-14 ... but ... hm I am perplexed. Any answers?
Well, Happy Birthday to the Queen in Australia... and hurray for the Philippines, let's go set off some fireworks. It's a similiar day in Paraguay - Chaco Peace is basically celebrating the signing of a treaty to end the Chaco War (Chaco being a province of Argentina).
Anyways, just a few tidbits of info for ya.

Celebrate!! (Who cares if it's your country's day?)

Simple Life Lesson

Life Lesson # 1253.58 = Keep your legs, arms, and coats inside the 'vehicle' at all times

So, I am reminded of this time when my best friend and I had just left the ice skating rink (barely alive and a lil bruised), and were walking to the car which was parked by this giant sledding hill. These guys were packin up their discs and sleds, and i had the ingenious idea to ask them to borrow their sleds for a run down the hill. They agreed after a few winks and we trudged up the snow-covered mountain. Then we were flyin down the hill on their discs.... except the next thing I knew I flipped and was somersaulting down the hill the rest of the way.
.... Lesson: do not wear a long coat that can get caught under your sled/disc!

Needless to say i was covered in snow, cold, bruised more, and quickly gave the sled disc back to the guy.

just remember these life lessons! i love you all and want you to live :-p

Re 6-6-06

So when you think about it, (oh and if you didn't notice, the world did not end on tuesday), it really wasn't the right date. 06/06/2006? Why the hell is a 2 in there? If the date really was symbolic of the apocalypse, it would've happened long ago on June 6, 666. Or it will happen in another 4,660 years. But anything for a good movie and some good freaking out... I hope you did pay your bills and went to class/work.

action

Thou shalt not stand idly by.

Duh! If you want something done, get it done. Laziness may pay off now, but hard work (or any work for that matter) pays off in the long run. Don't sit around and be bored if you don't want to - go out and do something. It's better than feeling the stale air of boredom. And it really doesn't matter what you are accomplishing, whether you are watching a movie with a friend or taking a walk around the block. Just a breath of fresh air or some good company does a world of good.


Action is involved in every part of life. It's just up to you what kind of action you are going to partake in - active or passive. (ha, active action...) But no really, there are some days where you just need to do nothing - but it's when you know that you are actually doing nothing which makes it feel so good and relaxing. Yes a fine line between doing nothing and doing nothing. ;-)

P.S. On the other side: One of my favorite phrases/excuse for being lazy and feeling good about it is the opposite of what I said above: Hard work may pay off in the long run, but laziness pays off now.
It all depends on your mood =) Just do not complain if you feel that you did nothing and are going to pay for it. I will tell you that I am a 99% procrastinator, but I still get everything done even if it is at the last minute, and I totally accept that I procrastinate.

PS

PS In case you forgot, the world is apparently coming to an end on Tuesday: 6-6-06 ...
So if you have any late bills, fret not!

.... juuuust kidding ..... pay your bills! keep up your correspondence! invade not!

But when you think about it, all the symbolism that comes from numbers is kind of interesting. Six being evil and the sign of the devil, seven representing unity of the world and God, perfection, forty being pretty symbolic as well. Now I remember learning for maybe a day in my high school religion class, but this would be a fun research topic. Now that I finally have some free time. So if I find anything exciting out, I will fill you all in and keep you updated...

... provided that the world does not end on Tuesday. ;-)

Helpful Hint #1

So, I just recently arrived back home from my brother's wedding. Had some homework for my online class due by midnight and worked on that for a bit. My roommate informs me that her bathroom is wet on the floor, so I go into check mine. Well, I set foot on my floor and immediately slip and fall half-way, banging my hip into the door. If you can picture it, a nice sheet of water is spreading across the floor. Now, we called maintenance, but they got there after we had fixed it. However, he said that he was impressed since most people would have just watched the flooding go on.
The worst part of the matter was, what to do with the water on the floor? We did not have a mop. And maybe one crappy towel. Not enough. So my tip to everyone out there, even if you do not think you will ever need it, is to have a mop on hand. Even if you never use it, it is always better to have one than to be without it, as we have learned this lovely evening. (And even more important than the mop is a plunger. Now that is just detrimental to your health to be without.)
Oh adventure...

On Sleep!

Sleep - such a huge infatuation! (Of mine at least.) I looked in the mirror on Sunday morning (scary, I know) and noticed that I looked different - I actually looked alive, awake. I had actually gotten a decent amount of sleep, and it showed. Crazy that something we sometimes take for granted and do not get enough of can impact us in so many different ways - crankiness, inability to pay attention in class, inability to function properly, desperation for caffeine, and more...
Yet on the other side, at times you can't help but not wanting to sleep - you don't care that you are missing out on that unconscious heaven, because you are afraid of what you are missing! I admit that I am a night owl, and it's mostly because I am too concerned with staying up - socializing, watching that enticing show (it had a great preview!), just hanging out - or during the school year studying and doing homework.

The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late. ~Charles Caleb Colton

Here are a fun couple of other quotes about sleep and naps, too:

Most people do not consider dawn to be an attractive experience - unless they are still up. ~Ellen Goodman

Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002

I'm not asleep... but that doesn't mean I'm awake. ~Author Unknown


People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. ~Leo J. Burke

If a man had as many ideas during the day as he does when he has insomnia, he'd make a fortune. ~Griff Niblack
* so true, I have so many great ideas when I am lying in bed - or in the shower*

and just for fun, here is a great poem by one of my favorites, Wordsworth, on sleeplessness:

A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky -
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless...
~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

oh to sleep ....

Perfection

There are just so many small things in life that we need to appreciate - because without them, really, what would life be? If you are looking for a smile, even a laugh, sit down and just take a minute to think about some simple, little experiences or things that make your life better, that make your life your life.

To me, all of these things in my life are just perfection:
* that feeling that you get on the ultimate drop on Rollercoasters
* the enjoyment of a Caramel Frappuccino, including its whipped cream
* watching a storm come in over the ocean, sitting on rocky cliffs
* the color change of leaves in the fall
* peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into 4 triangles
* watching the excitement of little kids as they run and try to catch and pop bubbles
* sitting with my Mom on the boardwalk in Algonac, watching the ferries come in
* then getting Dairy Queen, even though it wasn't a hot summer day
* knowing the answer to questions on Jeopardy
* seeing that someone has mentioned you in their away message online, or better yet their profile
* when the warm sun comes out on a cool day, and when the hot sun hides behind the clouds on a sweltering day
* when you see a picture of yourself that really looks quite good
* friends writing poems about you, whether funny, sad, happy, or a combination
* sneaking Little Caesar's crazy bread into the movie theater
* coming home with a basket of ripe raspberries even though you fell into the huge prickly bushes twice
* although 'there's no such thing as a free lunch' and 'everything has an opportunity cost', anything FREE without any strings attached is always a bonus

These are just some small things that came to mind that have really made my life all that it is .... these things in a word are perfection. Find the perfection in your life.

Life is an adventure

I was looking over a satirical list of things that I had learned in high school, and actually came across something that really holds true ... which seems to be a recurring theme because it was in one of my college lit classes as well.
If any of you have heard of Joseph Campbell, you know that he is a great writer and leading man on mythology. A phrase that he goes on in essays, movies, tales to describe is that

"The Hero's Journey always begins with the call to adventure."

This is such a true statement - if you've ever read Beowulf, King Arthur, Lord of the Rings, or seen Star Wars, you see this truth. Yeah, it's a pretty simple, basic statement, but can also be an impactful philosophy. Take advantage of opportunities that are given to you. Explore your world. Carpe diem! Rise up to challenges, make your life an adventure - even in little ways.
I think that this really applies to my new start in this blog, because this is a new adventure for me. It's going to be so interesting to explore my own thoughts and ideas, even mental notes that I make during the day, or random sidenotes.

Another thing is that I really would love comments from others. They are extremely welcome ;-)

I think that since the name of this blog is Life Lingo, I would pick out words that have to do with that particular blog, just a word that I can take from the post and try to apply to my life or use in some way - even if it is just repeating a silly word a few times a day.
The word from this blog definitely has to be adventure. Life is an adventure.

Hello World

I'm an amateur at this, but having my own website blog is still pretty damn exciting! So bear with me while I figure this out, hopefully I can post some fun, interesting stuff - facts, quotes, lyrics, ideas, comments, you name it.

-Xtina

Thanks to B-lain for setting this up, and thanks to everyone in advance who inspires my blogging.