Mathematical Miracles

I took a math placement test today, after doing no math for two years.
I didn't study.
My relationship with math is comparable to oil and water. I loathe math. And I suck at it.
Honestly, a lot of my answers were guesses.

I didn't think I'd get into the class I wanted to. I placed into the class at a different college--two years ago. Of course THIS college wouldn't accept those test scores...but that's a different story.

Miracle of all miracles,  I placed into the class I wanted!!
Thank You Jesus.
Even though Christmas isn't a part of my vocabulary this year, no festivities, decorations, or presents, this was one of God's *many* gifts to me this month.

And now I finally feel as though my winter break has really, truly, FINALLY begun!!!!!!!!!

I found two more cool things from weheartit.com and I have to share before I go to bed.



I hope everyone experiences Christmas miracles this week--no matter how big or small they are!

~Lena

Truth.

 
(we heart it)

Studying? DO NOT READ!!

IMPORTANT:

If you are cramming for finals, the following sites you absolutely must NOT visit, for fear of hours of wasted productive time. They are as follows:

www.cakewrecks.com (being a baking junkie and a fun-country person, I get a kick out of this site)
www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com (never ceases to amaze me how awkward some of these get...)
Anything that ends with blogspot.com. (Bunny-trail galore! Need I say more??)
www.yahoo.com (I can forever click on the newsfeed and read articles/watch videos)
www.youtube.com (sure, good for getting good study songs. but much easier to just, well, watch videos.)
www.craigslist.com (not just for finding jobs or cool junk. it's amazing what you can read on this thing!)
www.twitter.com/ (easy to spend HOURS clicking on tweets,retweets, pics, and twitter accounts)
www.weheartit.com (I think the creativeness intrigues me.)
www.tiffanytreece.tumblr.com (shameless plug! I spent forever looking at this. I just discovered it yesterday, and well, it is bringing me oodles of happiness!!)

* disclaimer * sometimes these sites have some, well, inappropriate content...so I can't take any responsibility stuff that isn't perfectly 100% clean. As always, browse smartly! =)


It sounds like I seriously need to unplug and get a LIFE. Or maybe a less dorky life. At LEAST I'm not spending 95% of my internet time on Facebook. I cannot. stand. facebook.

Okay, Sociology. I HEAR you already!! I must go now.
Toodles! I hope if you have finals this week you are focusing better than me!!
Before I go, I must share this--I found it yesterday and cracked up when I read this. I don't like this cartoon. I've never watched a full episode of Spongebob in my life. But I think this is hilarious. : D Enjoy!!

Four. More. Days.

ahhhhh, blog. What did I ever do to procrastinate before you?? You indeed are a very easy and tempting choice when trying to avoid studying for my final exam. At all costs.
Okay, I want to be random for the moment.
Manafest's " Every Time You Run" is awesome.
And if a boy out there has a crush on me, he'd better serenade me with Shane Harper's "Rocketship" or Jason Derulo's "It Girl". Yeah, I'm kinda being a whacko girl right now. I don't care though. =)

Looks like my family will be moving Thursday, right after my final final. Yay. I hope so, cuz the weather probably won't be cooperating after that!

FOUR more days until sweet, oh so sweet, freedom!! (Funny, I just wrote a definitional paper on freedom, and now this word has a whole new level of meaning to me. I guess I actually DID learn something in college!! What a concept...)
Anyway. Freedom, of any form will be won-der-ful. I am also...

looking forward to some peace.

and quiet.
And, oh God, let's not forget
 normalcy.

I think I've forgotten what that is.

Because I've now wasted oogles of time, I must go now. Here's a picture that I found on weheartit. because I love that site. And Tenth Avenue North. Which is where the lyrics from this song come from.
And it's just good to be reminded of truth sometimes.

3 down. 9 to go.

Hello Cyber world!

Celebrating tonight with a post because... I am DONE with one of my four classes. Absolutely-positutely done. Let the people rejoice!! =)
I am still planning on going and giving the professor a gift on Wednesday for being the wonderful professor that he is. Although the class was controversial, I have to give him props for not being slanted and being that kind of wonderful professor that makes you feel special and important (even though he has, like probably 300 students currently). So, I'll be buying a Chick-fil-A sandwich with no pickles, an order of waffle fries, and in case he can't accept food, a nice book. The book is always a good fall back, no matter what professor you have.

I hate how professors pile on work at the end of the semester, and consequently I have a bunch of stuff to do before I can claim my winter break. It'll come before I know it, and then I'll move my family back home 100% and life will be NORMAL.

Whatever 'normal' is.

Anyway, random Q: has anyone heard of the websites ending in xxx? like, www.buy.xxx? It sounds like a porn site to me, but I saw advertisements for it several times tonight. I'm very curious about that. Surely we have enough .com .org .net sites to do without resorting to .xxx, don't we?? Apparently not.

Happy Monday, almost Tuesday, almost winter break!!!!


Love,
         Lena

::My Week of Randomness::

Made a batch of these today for the fam

Definitely what I'm wondering about lately...

Luh-ve this song, and the choreography! <3
They should get back together. Just sayin'.

    

Getting ready to do this, only the harder version.
If only it were that easy...

Can't WAIT!!!  =

Saw this musical this week,
which was TOTALLY awesome.
Made my heart happy. :)

       

Still thoroughly enjoying this on a daily basis.
Thank God caffeine is legal. 

And did this Monday, an unexpected joy and thrill. =) 

 

And last, but not least... still waiting, hoping, and believing.
I am still looking up. 

.:::All graphics found at weheartit.com.:::

Amazing Date

Not much to report, except that it is for the first and only time in my life, it is
11/11/11!!!!
How seriously awesomely cool is that???
When I was little, my favorite time of the day was 11:11 (well, that and 12:34). It never occurred to me that someday the DATE would be 11/11/11. I remember being excited about 9/9/99, but this is way cooler.

Unfortunately, life is so crazy we're not going to do much to celebrate except have a little schnapps in hot chocolate tonight. My mom heard somewhere that schnapps day is celebrated any time the year, month, and date are the same, i.e. 10/10/10, 11/11/11, 12/12/12... you get the idea. My family like never drinks alcoholic beverages, but we thought a little splash in our mugs of cocoa tonight would be O.K.  : )

So here's to  schnapps day and my favorite date of the year!!!

     11-11-11 11/11/11 11-11-11 11/11/11 11-11-11 11/11/11 11-11-11 11/11/11 11-11-11 11/11/11

Kinda fun to look at. And write. You should write your name tonight at 11:11 on 11/11/11 just so that you can document the fact that you were alive at such a cool moment in the universe. yeh, I know I am seriously weird...
But I'm OK with that. : )

Happy Friday!

~Lena

Here we go again

How many hours are in the day??? I thought Daylight Savings gave us more time! Well, not really. But at least give the illusion of more time.
Soooo many things to do!With the semester starting to tie itself up, more work is piling on while I'm losing concentration and focus to get 'er done. This is a summary of the lovely assignments I have left:

• Philosophy chapter reviews and a presentation I still know nothing about (??)
• Two Sociology tests, only God knows when, and 12 journals I've yet to start on. Don't tell me about it.
• Continuing Government homework, quizzes and discussions weekly, in-class paper to be written beginning of next month, and a final over 7 chapters
• Paper due for English comp... when? I dunno. But it's a definitional argument, something I knew nothing about a week ago and it's HARRRRD!!! Waaaa! 

PLUS, let's add in: 

1. Visiting grandparents over Christmas break and planning an Anniversary party (major milestone year)
2. moving back home, probably over Thanksgiving break.
3. Fighting a proposed cell tower in our neighborhood, yay for technology (sarcasm drippeth). Robbing us of our financial, physical, and environmental security is not cool! 
4. Starting a possible *dream* job with the library (I've applied a DOZEN times over the past three years and I get my FIRST interview with them NOW of all times of my life?? Seriously???)
5. Figuring out my Spring school schedule
6. The (dun dun dun) Holiday season. I can tell you RIGHT now, NO Black Friday shopping, much as I used to live for it, NO whipping up a Norman-Rockwell style Thanksgiving dinner, and NO Christmas decorating. If I have to move MORE crap in and out of the house for holiday cheer I am going to barf. 
7. Observing anywhere and everywhere like crazy because (don't ask me how I did it) but I am a college SOPHOMORE and have 12 hours left of basics left and I still have no freaking clue what vocation I am going to choose to work in for the rest of my life!!!!!!!!!!! How's THAT for a reason to be freaked out?!?!?!?!?

Ugh. I am tired. I am sooooo stressed right now. I am sorry to use this cheerful blog to be the displayer of my grumpy attitude. If you knew me in person I wouldn't be like this. I promise. But, you would know that I:

1.Like italics a lot. a lot a lot.

2.Enjoy using CAPITALS to emphasize my raised voice, cuz you can't hear it when I write it... dang technology

3. Use lots of ?!?!?!?!?!? to show EMOTION cuz I'm a very expressive person and when I write you can't see my face!!!!! Again, dang technology. 

Well, I think I can go use a good workout session at the gym to vent some of my frustration and stresses. so,  until I use the Joy of Cookies (which I really don't need much more of. It's not even the technical holiday season yet, and I've already gained my allotted 5 pounds + some.  dang stress) to vent! 

THIS is what I need right now:

Yeahhhhhhh. Fat chance, but I can dream!

Wilton Cake Class Wrap

I'm happy to report that I finally finished my cake class!! It was a lot more prep work than I originally anticipated, but it was fun, therapeutic, and worth it.

Today we had to bake, ice, and decorate a cake...although the cake had to be pre-baked and pre-iced before class. Without further ado, here's my piece of art (pun intended)

My cake! :) Single layer, chocolate (my dad's pick), heart-shaped
FYI, choclate cake's really hard to ice well! *disclaimer*

Disclamer: I just learned how to do roses TODAY.
I'm in much need of some practice--I know. 

Close-up of the border and detail...just ignore the cracks. :)

Tia's cake

Her detail's different, yet similar.
Her roses are bigger, more detailed, stars instead of dots
and a piped border instead of a star border.

Close-up of her roses. They look a lot better than mine! 

Final products. =)   =)

Interestingly enough, our cakes turned out a lot like us. My sister and I are very similar in some ways. Sometimes we're mistaken as twins in our looks. Oftentimes we're on the same wave-length and  have 'surround sound' reactions, comments, and questions. (which is awesomely entertaining)  At the same time we are both distinctly different in interests and personalities. Kinda cool. :)

So now you're probably wanting a slice, and for that I'm truly sorry. I'd actually give you a huuuuuge piece if you were here, because I'm sick of cake. BUT you can go take a Wilton Cake Decorating Class, and soon  your kitchen will be overflowing with baked goodies for FOUR whole weeks!! So go sign up! =)

Happy Sunday y'all!

~Lena

the (un)joy of living

Because I am sooooo peeved at life right now, I am going to act out my little form of rebellion right now by posting instead of being productive for the following reasons:
-The house is a pit
-I haven't had 'me' time in what seems like AGES
-The icing (I LOOOOOOVE icing) that we have to use for the decorating class I'm taking tastes sucky, and is full of nasty stuff for you (besides the fact it's horribly nutritional devoid of everything but fat and calories)
-the decorating class takes LOADS more time, energy, planning and MONEY than should be legal, and I kinda figured out that I suck at decorating. So much for my dreams of working at a bakery...
-Homework has been screaming at me for the last month and I can't focus on it to save my life
-My room is now a pit because I just spent the last half-hour turning it upside down, searching for receipts from MONTHS ago (the story of my life...)
-the more time I spend trying to be productive the more crap and lists continue to pile up. I'm suffocating in my own self-created world of lists
-WHY oh WHY does humanity have to do every single freaking thing on a COMPUTER!?!?!?!?! Why can't we do things the simple, old-fashioned way? We are NOT evolving for crying out loud, we should NOT act as if we have to make our lives as efficient as a computer hard drive!!!!!!!!!!
-Fall break seems to be arriving as quickly as cold molasses, but never mind that because I don't have classes on the days of the break!
-Christmas break will n.e.v.e.r. come fast enough
-Can we please not start talking about the holidays already? Or the new year? I need a break, not more stress of festivities piled upon my back!
-I'd really, really, really like to be able to put time on pause and just sit for a while. Just having a week that isn't chock-full of urgency would be a miracle.

Thank you very much for the gripe/dump/peeve session.
Love,
Procrastinating Peeved Polly

P.S.
I really
really
cannot leave being such a grump pot. Much as I would like to.
 And, as the old song declares
Count your blessings, name them one by one
count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings! 
Name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
So here's a blessing or two...although they're gonna be hard to think of!

-Three of my favorite songs have played in the last half-hour
-I couldn't do this before today:

-And it is filled with yummy pudding. Although my decorating skills still suck.

-The weather has been gorgeous this month. Unusual for October.

-I live in a free country

-I live with people who love me 

-The Lord does exceedingly abundantly more than I could ask or think

-Jesus lives inside my heart and is my closest friend

-Jesus is coming back soon! 

Yeah... that kinda puts things in perspective. =)

The Joy of Icing

Man, I am making up for lost time!! Funny how I do that... when I journal I tend to go through dry-spells and then I'll write like four times in a week.

So... what happened today?
It rained. All. Day.

And you know what, it was kinda wonderful! Even though while running errands I got soaked. And driving was much more tedious. It's been a very, very long time since the last good rain and it was so refreshing! I'm one of those people who enjoy rainy cloudy days--so the inconvenience wasn't too bad, in my opinion.

On another note, I am hoping to extend my joy of cookies :) to other realms, such as... cake decorating! I think it'd be totally awesome to get a job at a bakery, so in order to make myself more hire-able, (is that a word?) I started a cake decorating class today with my sista!  It's pretty fun, and not terribly challenging. I love icing so this should be right up my alley. :) So long as my hand muscles get used to squeezing a piping bag for several hours on end...
Who knows.. maybe my joy of cookies blog will become the joy of baking blog. = )

Here, again

I'm baaaaaack!!
For the moment, anyway. Life is just too darn crazy to try to blog about it all the time.
As you can see, I updated my look. I don't know WHY in the world I chose a beach with purple/gray skies--I have no interest in decorating with the color purple, much less paint my personal blog in it. Furthermore, I found the template under "Travel", and I am most certainly no traveler. Emotionally, yes. Physically, no. Spiritually, hopefully yes. So we may be changing the color/template quite soon... but for now I am happy with it. Beaches, and purple are, actually, both calming things. That may be quite good for me.
Just checking in to the blogging realm to see if all was well, and surviving without my help. ; ) Apparently it is, and I'm needing to give my homework some attention, so... tally-ho!

An Ode to Joe

Thank God for coffee.

I cannot believe that two short years ago I used to think I hated it. Now I'm a lost soul if I don't have my cup every day at Noon. I've perfected my concoction of instant coffee, cocoa powder, and french vanilla coconut creamer to such a level of awesomeness that it should be on a Starbucks menu. Of course, It's hard to decipher whether I'm really in love with the actual drink or the  caffeine buzz I get afterwards. Either way, I'm in love. Even on the 111 degree days of brutal heat I still have to have my steaming cup of coffee (some days there are a few ice cubes to cool it off a bit though).
This little ode brings me to question whether I am a bit on the obsessive side about this coffee thing. But, whilst sipping the last drops from my coffee mug, enjoying the feel of caffeine pulsing through my veins, I really couldn't care less.

Long live coffee!!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

It's tempting for me to just think about fireworks, hot dogs, and patriotic cake decorated in strawberries, cool whip, and blueberries when I think about Independence Day. But lately I've become more and more aware of how blessed we are to live in a nation that is FREE. That's really what tomorrow's holiday is all about: having the courage to stand up for freedom. It's a biblical idea--that's what Christ came for--it is for freedom that Christ came to set us free. 
I am so thankful for the courage, diligence, and fortitude our founding fathers had to break away from the only home, life, and government they ever knew and begin life on foreign soil all in the name of freedom.
Today, this freedom we're so blessed to live out is threatened and not such a promised idea. That makes the freedom I already have as a citizen of America even sweeter. 
I love my country. I am so thankful the Lord placed me in America at this time in history. I am so blessed. 
God bless America!

Still alive over here!

Well.................
so sorry for having disappeared for so long. My family has kinda been running in thousands of different directions for the last month.

I had my play at the beginning of the month, which went

stupendously.

My summer, which feels like it has just begun, is going

swimmingly.

Except I don't know what to do with myself, suddenly not having rehearsal four nights a week until midnight and performances on the weekends.

Which makes my future two months of summer freedom somewhat

unsettling.

The only thing I know I'd like to do at the moment is go chase the ice cream truck that just went down my street.

It was playing music that I used to hear from the jack-in-the-box as a child.
I hated that thing. It made me tense up,and my stomach would turn as I waited for this puppet-clown thing to jump out at me.

It's amazing to think what adults give toddlers to play with... talk about scarring your childhood!

Come to think of it, I might settle for a cup of coffee instead. I like the caffeine buzz!

I guess you can tell I'm feeling a little discombobulated at the moment. More than anything, I am
excited and thankful for two full months of FREEDOM!!! 
and the joy and thrill of being on stage with five dear ladies who have become like family.

Kickoff!

We have officially experienced the kickoff of summer at our house... we had a Key Lime Pie!!

My Grandma used to make a fabulous recipe with 1/2 cup of lime juice and we found it today and made it for company. It was sooooo yummy!!

I've also officially become pooped of the kitchen. In the last 24 hours I have made:

1. A batch of my famous chocolate chip cookies for a cast rehearsal/get-together

2. 4 12" cakes
3. An overly gourmet icing to put on two of the four cakes that included mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, AND whipping cream

4. A pumpkin pie

5. the Key Lime Pie

I must confess, though, that I did not make the pie dough from scratch. (Thank you, Pillsbury!)

Just in case my claims seem too outlandish to believe, I have documented my baking marathon with photos. Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic of the sliced cake... I shall try and remember to do that for future posts. Until then... enjoy the view, but no drooling please. ; )

The Key Lime Pie
(I didn't make meringue cuz no one in the
family seems to like it besides me... boo.  )

Birthday cake with gourmet icing

                     
                                                        The Pumpkin Pie

And for proof that I did indeed bake them all at the same time?

There you go. :) Man, was that fun!! 

Phones and Otters

Hello hello!!

 I am loooooving summer!!!!!! It brings such a wonderful break from the assignment after assignment after assignment of school.
Thank God we've been getting a lot of rain so our drought is gone, so grass is green, flowers are blooming and the temperature isn't too hot (yet!).

My sista's birthday is Monday-- she has the perfect time of year for a birthday...not too hot or cold, not during or right before school, early enough in the summer that people aren't vacationing yet--so we're going to have a few people over for a small celebration. She doesn't like much hoopla so it will be quiet but very, very sweet. :)

I've finally gotten a new phone!! My whole family is up for renewal and we found a great website (www.amazonwireless.com) and you can get really expensive phones for ONE PENNY!! It's amazing... you should check it out. Anyway, I had a EnV3 before and really liked it. The LG Octane was really similar but I thought it was a really, really ugly version of it. So I decided to get a LG Cosmos Touch, then swap it out for the Octane if I didn't like it. Well, the Cosmos Touch has so far been a BLAST!
I loooove the operating system, the design, the feel, the style, everything!! I have to admit that in the store I saw a picture of an adorable sea otter on it and after that I was a goner. It looks very similar to this little guy:


 

Admit it-- you just went "Awwwww!" didn't you?!? Hook, line, sinker... I was sold on the dang phone because of ONE PICTURE!!!!
I am such a girl.

Well I have a room that needs to be cleaned... so I must say adieu.
Before I go there's  a verse that's just been making me thing and I wanted to share it with you:

He delivered me because He delighted in me.
~Psalm 18:19b

Wow. Just think about that for a minute; it'll blow your mind.

Rapture...right?

Okay.
So, I have to say discuss the hype going on about May 21 (which at the moment, started like... one minute ago)
I am a self-professed big rapture freak. I've been excited about it since I was young. I've constantly learned about it, read books on it, listened to Left Behind: the Kids audio series (which I've listened to dozens of times... I LOVED that series!), heard my pastor preach on it, and have watched experts talk on aspects of it (www.prophecyinthenews.com!!), I am fairly sure that something big is happening soon. Like, within the next year.
Yeah. I know. I can picture you, blog buddy, furrowing your eyebrows, shaking your head, and thinking, "This girl should be put in the loony bin!"
BUT--that's just how I live my life on a daily basis. The rapture is an imminent thing, so technically that's how Jesus wants us to live, always ready for His return!

Now on Mr. Camping's prophecy that the rapture is happening tomorrow and the world's ending five months later??

Absolutely. And. Completely. Un-Biblical.

God bless him, I'm sure he believes he's right, but there's NO chance that the rapture will happen today!!
A mathematical equation is not the key that unlocks God's secret date for the rapture. Sorry, that ain't how it works, y'all.
You really wanna know what's gonna happen and when? Look at Israel. It is God's timepiece to world events. And, just FYI, Israel's been in the news quite a bit lately. :D
Bottom line, what really upsets me is that anyone who isn't a Christian is going to have even MORE reason to mock Christianity when May 22 rolls around and life is going on.

So anyway, I guess I just want to say: enjoy your Saturday. There may be a chance of precipitation where you live, but I'd estimate that the chance of Doomsday is 0%.
But, as Gary Stearman on Prophecy in the News appropriately encourages:

Keep looking up! 

:)

Oh, the drama...

Aaaaah!
Life is soooo crazy right now.
Today is the first Thursday I haven't been to school since, like, all the blizzards! :) And I have every right to NOT be at school... cuz
THE SEMESTER'S OVER!!!!
Just thought I'd reiterate that. :D It felt so good to sleep in past 6AM!! Whoo!

I am, however, just trading one stress for another,
with construction going on everywhere, and trying to have a show in the middle of it--and Steel Magnolias only has, like five more rehearsals until tech week! And we're far from being done...

But that's OK. If I remember right it's like this in just about any performance. We're down to the wire and things are not coming together properly but then on opening night, things just magically come together! A strange yet wonderful mixture of nerves, talent, and team work somehow creates a masterpiece of a show. :) Happiness.
I was having a horrible time trying to get into the groove of Annelle because it's been so horridly long since I was in my last show. I was almost like having to relearn all my acting techniques... stage movement and directions, creating and becoming a character, speaking in a believable accent for long periods of time... all that. But a few days ago I put on some legit 1980's outfits, and it was like my dweebiness just began oozing all over the place and I finally felt like Annelle! It was such a wonderful feeling. Then it kinda went downhill from there, because last night--exactly FIVE practices before tech week--we lost an actress. And when you only have six people in a cast (especially in a complicated production like Steel Magnolias) , there's automatically 1. a ton of dialogging 2. a ton of blocking  3. an imperative need for each actress to know what she's doing and 4. be at every practice.
Thankfully we have a replacement who I think will be wonderful.
And, really, this kind of drama is expected around this point of practice. Things are starting to come together and everyone is supposed to be stressed out! We have a really strong cast so I'm not concerned.

Is anyone else experiencing a more chaotic and crazy summer than they expected?
Anyone taking a wonderful trip or enjoying a new job?
Or is everyone else bored out of their minds and would like some of my stress for some excitement? ;)I'd be happy to share!! :D

~Annelle

It's a storm! It's an earthquake! No, it's...

Outside, I hear a lot of commotion, scraping, loud noises, and incessant pounding.
No, it's not a thunderstorm.
It's the roofers.
The last time we got a new roof I was so young I don't remember a thing about it. But I do know that it was just me, my sister, and my mom at home, huddled inside the house with black drop-cloths covering all the windows. My dad was at work and we didn't have any pets at the moment.
Now, the whole family is home and we happen to have a dog who is rather skittish (thanks to her original owners) and freaks when it storms outside. And well, to a dog, replacing the roof sounds a heck of a lot like  a thunderstorm.
Thankfully she seems to be quite calm now that we've reassured her that the roofers are "our friends" and I sat and pet her so that she would relax.
Unfortunately they haven't started putting on  the new roof yet so the pounding and hammering that will shortly follow will cause a whole new level of flipping outness.
It's kind of interesting... hearing all these people up on your roof. The sound has a soothing white noise effect (in a weird way). I'm sorta wondering why it hasn't been added to the soundtrack of soothing sounds for all the insomniacs out there. ; )
Thankfully there are no black tarps over the windows yet. I might have to leave if the do that. It'd be a bit too claustrophobic for me.

FINALLY

I truly never thought I'd see the day that I would get to say this, but I am finally done with school!

Yes, that's right! As of 12:20 this afternoon, I am a free woman!
 I have just survived my Freshman year of college!!!
And not to be a childish Disney freak  or anything... but I have to do this:

Yeah. I watch the HSM movies. Call me crazy but I actually like them. :)

 What time is it?!?

SUMMER TIME! Yeah-- school's out! 

One of the best lines in that song? "We can sleep as late as we want to!" No more 8:00 class! Wooohooo!

 Okay. I'm done now. :) 

I hope everyone else is enjoying the sweet freedom of summer too! 

Hangin' Around

I really don't have anything productive to say today, but I thought I'd pop on and post something fun. Like this cute little guy:

                                                                                    (weheartit)
Just because I could, and I'm feeling happy and hopeful and perseverant right now.
I'm not letting worries or cares weigh on me at the moment, and it doesn't look like Mr. Squirrel does either.  And why should he? If the Father cares for every sparrow certainly He cares just as much for every squirrel. ;) I'm thankful that He watches over me and cares for me in every detail of my life too.
Sometimes it's nice to take a minute and be reminded that my Father God:
knows the very number of hairs on my head, has all my days written in a book, and keeps my every tear in a jar. 
 Hmm... maybe I'll go hang out on a branch for a while too. It looks pretty fun! :)

The Best We Can Do?

Tonight I was duly disappointed...
in my generation.
In our society.
In my passion.
And in my college.


The college I am attending put on three One Acts this weekend. Each act was directed by a theatre student.
I almost auditioned. I didn't, because I was afraid I wouldn't have the margin for rehearsals every night.
Now, for a different reason, I'm glad I didn't.
The first act of the play consisted of, as best as I can remember,

• At least three uses of the middle finger (once was two hands at once)
• four uses of the 'F' word
• two uses of the 'S' word

In the FIRST ACT alone-- which was about a thirty minute production!! The second act, thankfully, was actually not insulting. The third act started out as a bit questionable, but when the discussion quickly turned to a man doing lewd sexual act with a woman and his desire to hurt her with fingernails... along with the 'A' word and another naughty word... my friend and I had to get up and leave. 

I wish I had asked for my five dollars back.

I was, when I was three years younger, seriously naive, and overly optimistic about our society, an aspiring theatre major. 'Was' is the operative word. Now, I realize that if this is the best a community college in the heartland of America (and the Bible Belt) can do, then I have no hopes of ever going to New York or L.A. and finding any form of media I would ever want to be a part of.

I thought the Arts was all about expressing yourself in a creative way. Forgive me, but I do not consider the use of the 'F' word or the middle finger as expressive. I consider it just the opposite-- an uneducated, offensive, and obtrusive way of expressing yourself. It's what one resorts to when he or she has such a small vocabulary that he or she is unable to find a word to describe such strong feelings he or she is experiencing! If you are a talented enough writer, actor, or director, you shouldn't ever have to stoop to such a low level to express what you are feeling with the middle finger or the F bomb!!! You shouldn't want to!  Aren't there facial expressions, other words, other (non-offensive) gestures to get across what you are wanting to say?!?! Isn't that what you go to a college acting class to learn?? Do we have to resort to using a high schooler's expressions of disgust on a college stage?? Aren't we better educated than that?

I am ashamed to say that a portion of my college tuition went to support the creation of that production. And, better yet, my college tuition has hiked all in the name of building a bigger, better theatre to host more of these such productions!

That isn't art. That is a lewd, disgusting, uninspired, uneducated use of theatre. Directors have captured the attention of fellow human beings who want to be drawn in by the stage, not turned off by it. If this had been my first theatrical production to attend, I would never go back to a play ever again.


 Just for the record, the people in the audience weren't entertained by these little immature obscenities. I could tell by their reactions--they were shocked and not appreciating or enjoying what they were seeing. I'm afraid this is only a small glimpse of our culture's new norm: a steady decline of morals and a steady rise of immoral and offensive gestures/words to get our points across. 

Wake up, people. We can do better than this.

Theatre!!

So... you know what I said a few posts ago about not getting cast in that play I auditioned for??
Well, I was wrong. For the first time in THREE years I have finally arrived back on stage!

Wooooohoooooo!

Anyone who has been bitten by the acting bug knows how frustrating it can be when no good parts/plays are coming along and when your schedule simply won't allow a production. It's frustrating. It's annoying. It's disheartening.
My mom has a term for it: creative constipation.
Ew. A bit graphic for me... but I suppose it does sum it up quite nicely.
So anyway, I have to tell the story about how I got the part. It's quite fascinating. But first I have to tell you that there is a running list of "special" things that happen to me on the 22nd. My birthday being the most pertinent. I also met an all-time favorite singer, donated a foot of hair to locks of love, among over things. This story, as you will see, is no exception.
  The last part I got cast in was on March 22, 2008. It was on a Saturday night, and my mom, sister and I went out to eat for Easter dinner because we don't have family that we get together with over Easter. Earlier that week I had auditioned, and hadn't received a call, so I knew I wasn't cast. I sadly dropped the script back at the library, feeling horribly bummed and telling myself "better luck next time!" Just as we got in the car, my cell phone rang-- and what do you know? It was the director giving me THE part that I was dying to play. It was probably the most wonderful production I'd ever been in. The cast, the story, the characters, everything was magical for me.

Fast forward three years and one month. I had auditioned for a production-- I guess I should tell you that it's Steel Magnolias-- last week and didn't get cast in the play. I was really disappointed-- I've auditioned for several plays and ALMOST got cast but for various reasons never did. My mom, sister, and I went out to eat for Easter dinner on Friday, April 22. In the midst of my fake mashed potatoes and blackened tilapia I got a call on my cell phone-- the director-- asking me if I would like to play the part of Annelle!!!
At the same theatre (that I've always loved) on the same day of the month doing the same thing with the same people.
                                                            On the 22nd, NO LESS.
Coincident? I think not.

Well, I have to go. It's late and I'm sooooo tired!

Happy Tuesday!
Annelle :D

THAT'S my King!

Happy Resurrection Day! I hope everyone is having a wonderful and blessed day with family. Today, after a very, very long drought and lots of prayer for relief, it began raining. It started after midnight and rained on and off all day long. It was so welcome and appreciated, and very timely, in my opinion. :)

A few weeks ago I was taking a class and they showed this video. I've been thinking about it and thought I would share it with everyone, in case you've never seen it:

Whooo! This video gives me goosebumps and a lump in my throat all at the same time. THAT'S my King! It's unbelievable what a loving, forgiving, kind, powerful, attentive, steadfast King Jesus is. Do you  know Him personally? If you don't you're missing out on the relationship you were created for. Meet Him now. Jesus wants to be your Lord and Savior and Friend and King!

My pastor said that when we take communion, we take it in remembrance of Jesus' death until He comes again. I've thought about it hundreds of times before, but today it really struck me-- in remembrance of His death until He comes again. And the only reason why He's able to come back for us is because He's ALIVE!  He's coming again. I can't wait. I'm so ready!

Waiting--
Lena

Busyness!

Yes. I am still alive.
I can't believe how long it's been since my last blog! I guess I just kinda forgot about posting for a bit. And I'm still learning the ropes on having a blog. I don't know what to talk about besides stuff going on in my life, but I don't want it to be all about me. I'm going to be working on that part. 
So what's new with everyone?? 
I don't know that I mentioned my new job... but I'm working at a bridal shop, selling any dress that isn't a wedding dress. So far, so good! I'm actually selling and restocking/pulling dresses so I don't have an hourly commission to make. Thank God! I do NOT want to be on that performance treadmill of trying to sell, sell, sell all the time! 

I also auditioned for a play that I didn't have time for. A mixed blessing... I didn't get cast. It totally sucks cuz it's been like three years since I've gotten to act. But my family's anthem is "God either says 'yes' or 'I've got something better'" so I'm just trying to tell myself that when the time's right I'll be on stage again. 


What else is new? 
Oh. My family surprised me yesterday. With a new bed. My dream bed. 
A way too expensive bed. One that I've drooled over but never in my wildest dreams actually thought I would own. I also thought that I was in on all the family secrets and that I would never be surprised by anything simply because I'm too sleuth-y.  Right? Wrong. My sis and I went shopping for new cell phones and when we came home I went in my room and what did I see in my room? Not my old dumpy headboard (bought from a garage sale for $10) that's ugly and embarrassing and hidden behind pillows. No, quite the opposite. This amazing, exquisite, piece of furniture was actually in my room holding my mattress: 

Is that carving not exquisite? Here's a close-up:

I was shocked and speechless and thrilled all at once. 
I don't deserve it. I shouldn't have it. But yet it was given to me simply because I am loved. Reminds me a lot of God's grace. 
I am so thankful. And blessed. 
Thank you Jesus. Thank you, family! 


So what's new with everyone else in the blogosphere? More blogging to come (hopefully) in the not-too-distant future!  


Lena

TV

Hello Blogging People!

Sooooooo I'm in a major state of procrastination once again... I have a massive science test tomorrow that I CANNOT, I mean cannot bring myself to study for. woohoo. I know I'm going to be kicking myself tomorrow, but I just don't care at the moment. So I'm here, blogging instead. Which makes me happy.

I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately on TV. Not that I watch that much of it... I would, but most of the stuff is pretty gory and I find it more painful than enjoyable to watch, so I either watch reruns that air at random times of the day or game shows. And the occasional reality TV show, but that's neither here nor there. :)
Anyway. My mom was watching Grey's Anatomy last week (I saw parts of it too, but I was watching it at the gym so I couldn't hear the dialog). From what I could tell, it was a weird combination of Glee, a Broadway play, and a soap-opera. Torres was (from what I could tell) in a car accident, and was having an out-of-body experience. All the while she was singing to the Universe. All throughout the episode, the cast was singing to/about Universe as if it were God. I don't know about anyone else, but I find that more than a little odd. Or is there something else going on about this episode (since I don't follow it regularly) that I need to be enlightened about??

Our culture, which I believe has shifted dramatically in the past few years, has become more and more absurd, and the weirder the content becomes the more enthusiastically the American public seems to accept it. Like V, the new series featuring aliens inhabiting earth. Am I out of the loop here or something? I don't find this entertaining to watch. Is it too much to ask for normal TV shows like Reba, Home Improvement, West Wing? I feel dweebish because I still like watching the Disney channel. But at least I know I'm not going to be watching someone's guts splattered all over the concrete and reenactments of someone shooting a bullet into someone's head half a dozen times.
I'm not against watching TV shows. I want to watch TV shows. I'm just not the type of person who enjoys blood, guts, and gore every time I sit down on my sofa!!
Ugh.
Well now that I've got that off my chest, I'm-a gonna go study for my big, hairy, scary test tomorrow. :) yaaaay!
I hope you have a fantastical Wednesday!

~Lena

To Date or to Court, That is the Question

So it's been a crazy weekend.
But with beeeeautiful weather! 90 degree weather, blustery afternoons, and sunshine! It feels good to wear shorts again...
Today my mom, sister, and I discussed the hairy, scary topic of....

DATING VS. COURTSHIP

Dun dun dun!!!!! 

I know that there are very, very opinionated people on both sides of the subject, while others are on the fence about the whole issue and are quite content to stay there.  

I personally know people of both persuasions, and in the past, oh three years or so, I've actually hopped the fence completely on my beliefs. I hope not to offend any blog browsers, but I'm going to state my beliefs on the whole subject because this blog is my personal platform to spout my opinions on subjects... which is good because if I'm in a group setting chances are I won't speak out on stuff. 

I do not believe in courtship anymore. I did, once. But I've personally seen too much legalism in courtship and I believe that if a couple has been saved by grace and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb they are completely set free, are new creations, and are able to have a godly dating experience. I think the courtship view is good in theory, but it stands on the belief that you must live by a set of man-made rules to keep a man and a woman  out of trouble because they aren't strong enough. Let me ask this: if Christ is living in you, then how can you not have enough strength? Is it you or Christ who is going to be giving you strength? Is Christ not strong enough to lead you and the person you love in a righteous, God honoring relationship?

And if a Christian is completely free to live in the grace and love of God, then must a couple go back to man's rules in order to have a godly romantic relationship? To quote the Apostle Paul, "having been begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3)  Putting ourselves back under the law--under the bondage of man's authority--is putting the effort back on ourselves, on our flesh and our effort to try and have a Godly relationship. Where's the focus--on ourselves? Or on Christ? I believe it makes us self-reliant instead of God-reliant. Romans 8:14-15 says:  "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"

I have a real problem with living a life of grace and freedom then going back to man's rules to discover how to have a godly relationship with the opposite sex. 

Don't get me wrong, I believe in remaining a virgin until I'm married-- I've had a purity ring since I was thirteen years old. I don't think it's wise or smart to date 100 different guys just because they're there and dating is considered 'fun'. I believe you should date with a serious, non-flippant attitude. But I don't believe courtship is the only way to find your mate if you are a Christian. 

So there you have it. My two cents for the night.

Thanks for reading my rant! 

Feel free to chime in if you vehemently agree, disagree, or wager somewhere in the middle. I promise I won't bite!
Lena ><>

The 'Fun-ness' of Spring

I've given myself exaclty seven minutes and twenty-three seconds to update this blog. So I'd better type fast! Life has gotten sooo crazy this past week! But I'm glad. It's a good crazy. Catching up with friends, getting homework done so that I only have seven more weeks of school left (can you say WOOHOO?!?!) and... starting a job! :) I'm strictly working only one day a week so that I can stay on top of the responsibilities I already have until summer comes. The first day wasn't so great, but it was because I started on a Saturday without training so I was forewarned that it wasn't going to be a good experience. Once I know what I'm doing I think I'll love working. 


Can you believe it's spring already? I'm excited about that. Tulips are blooming in the neighborhood, and I love going for walks without being really cold. I forgot what it's like to hear birds chirping outside my window when I wake up in the morning, and dandelions (although they're considered a pesky weed by most people) make me happy. Especially when they're seeds and you can kick at them and watch the seeds float into the air. 


Aaah! Only forty-five seconds left. 
I guess that about wraps it up for me! 
Oh, one more thing... I'm not so sure how to write a blog, so if anyone has any suggestions or help on how to be a better blog-writer, I'm all ears!! :)

Have a good Monday!
Lena

(we heart it)

Surviving the Semester Slump :)

   Is it bad to be ready for school to be out when you're only halfway through the semester? I'd like your thoughts on this. Are you ever sick of college long before you can see the light at the end of the tunnel? Or do you love every second of it? I thought I would really, really enjoy being a college student. Unfortunately, I'm not as thrilled with it as I hoped. Don't get me wrong-- it's interesting, I'm learning a lot and I'm getting good grades, but maybe because I'm a newbie (second semester Freshman) then it's just a tad more stressful for me than for others. 
I'm sure that once I declare a major besides "Undecided" then things will heat up. I'll be studying more interesting subjects and not just required ones, I'll be with more similarly minded people, and hopefully I'll be smart enough not to schedule an 8 AM class!!!! That wasn't the brightest thing I've ever done. Ah, well.

 So, any readers out there who are seasoned students, any advice for surviving EIGHT more weeks of school?? Looooove to hear any thoughts!! :)

BTW, I hope I'm not droll or boring to anyone... it's been a very interesting week and really slow yet weirdly busy all at once... and I can't really talk about it. And it is a bit weird feeling as if my blogs are being sent into the vast world of blogerspace and not being read by anyone. Trust me, I'm more interesting than dry toast and will be talking about more than just school and baking in the very near future. 'k? 'k. =)

~Lena

Proud to be Green-- and Red!

Day five of spring break. And I've yet to get any  real accomplishment under my belt. Except I now have a wonderful monologue memorized (not from a play... oops) and a couple of articles for two papers I have to write in my health class. Never mind that I've only completed 10% of the 90% of work I HAD planned on doing, but we're just gonna focus on the positives here.

Like the fact that I have done quite a bit of baking: a batch of my WORLD famous (maybe exaggerating that a bit) Chocolate Chip Cookies, a batch of pumpkin muffins, and of course, banana bread. My mom was also in the baking mood and made a cake (boxed) with a homemade fudge frosting that totally made up for the Duncan Hines boo-boo.  You know, I really should work in a bakery with all the baking I do. I'm planning on getting a job (being a college student and all it's a tad overdue) so maybe I'll consider it...

Is anyone else out there experiencing a more productive break than I am? I'd loooove to hear about it! Maybe it would give me that extra "umph" to get up and DO some stuff!!

Oh, and before I go, I must say Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! My family and I all have Irish blood flowing through our veins and aren't ashamed to admit it. I even have the red(ish) hair and curls to prove it. Even though I haven't put on green today I'm proud to say that I haven't been pinched yet! Hopefully I can keep it that way.

Well, I guess I'd better get productive for a while.
.: Lena :.

Spring Break and Shattered Assumptions

Hello blog world!

If I was ever under the impression that a college student relaxes during Spring Break, then this week would prove my notion horribly, horribly wrong. Granted, life for my family has been amped past "Normal Chaotic" and has recently reached "Neck-Break Speed Chaotic" but that's sadly pretty un-surprising. But this being my first 'official' spring break (for reasons which I will not be sharing with le reader), I was (maybe unrealistically) expecting to have at least a little bit of a relaxing week. Not one that is chock-full of:
-Stress
-Homework (shouldn't that be illegal??)
-Huge, life-altering decisions
-Cleaning
-A to-do list longer than I am tall.

Now I'm not a big partier, and I wouldn't go to Acapulco over Spring Break if the trip was handed to me on a silver platter. But I thought this week off may include... oh, I dunno, FUN?!?

I think I'm going to go bake some cookies.

I hope your Spring Break is less eventful and more 'relaxful' than mine!!

Love,
       Lena

One Of the Things I Love Most

  Yesterday I had to bake. Usually when I bake I make cookies, but this time I didn't care what it was, as long as it included flour, sugar, and an oven. While browsing through possible goodies, I noticed I had two rather large bananas that were on the verge of being inedible, their peels were so dark. My family is very picky about bananas and their ripeness factor. My sister likes them green-- almost to the point that there's a distinct crunch sound when one bites into it (ew.) My mom doesn't have a great passion for bananas in general, but she likes them just a tad more ripe than my sister. I, on the other hand, will eat them at almost any stage of ripeness, as long as the peel is more yellow than brown. The bananas from yesterday were past the hope for any of us to eat, so I decided rather than waste them entirely (especially in light of my family's recent new-and-improved grocery budget) I would bake banana bread. Usually I make muffins; they tend to stay moist longer and are easier for a grab-and-go snack food, but I found myself mixing the batter and pouring it into a bread pan rather than a 12 cup muffin tin. I also wanted to use the small toaster oven, because I felt too lazy to turn on the large oven and heat up the entire kitchen... but that's just a happy coincidence.

  Have you ever noticed that getting in the kitchen and baking is like stress therapy? Maybe it's just me. But when I'm looking at the recipe, life seems to simplify itself. Suddenly I know what I'm supposed to do: measure out two cups of flour. Add one cup of sugar. Beat two eggs in a bowl and combine with one teaspoon of vanilla and one cup of buttermilk. The guesswork is gone, and I can focus on one task: baking. Best of all, I know when I'm done. I don't have to worry that I didn't do my task well or that it's going to require my attention again. It's measured or poured into its baking device and, voilà! You pop it in the oven and can count on having a wonderful baked goody in less than an hour.
It's so predictable. And comforting. Sometimes one needs a bit of that in life.
So next time you're stressed, try it! Bake a batch of brownies. Or a three-layered cake. Even a batch of cookies. It doesn't have to be from scratch, but it needs to be something that you love. Find the joy of baking.  I guarantee you won't regret it.

Happy Monday!
Lena

Introduction!

If you're reading this, chances are you have at least a slight interest in cookies/baking/sweets... and if that's true, then we're going to get along just fine.  you might be wondering, what's with the blog title? I'm so glad you asked! :)

1. I have a passion for baking. Particularly baking cookies, and everyone who has known and loved me for long enough is in love with my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. ( I also have a passion for sign language, ACTING, reading, singing, laughing, and many, many other things. But that's a story for another day...)

2. I've learned that through the highs and lows of life, if all other 'happy fixes' fail, the comfort of baking cookies has never let me down.

3. Baking cookies puts unmistakable and irreplaceable happy in my heart. It brings me joy, no matter how stressful, grumpy, or sad I get. Thus, the blog title: The Joy of Cookies.

I guess I should also tell a little about why I started this blog, seeing as this is  the beginning to a (hopefully) long and satisfying blog life. I started this blog because:
1. I looooove to write!
2. Having a platform to speak my mind on issues is important to me (probably because I usually am not brave enough to speak up in groups)
3. I want to let people see the writer in me
4. Connecting with others in cyber land is a undeniable aspect of my generation, and... well, if I can't beat 'em, I guess I'll join 'em.


So. There you have it. A very condensed introduction about the Head Blogger of The Joy of Cookies.


Yours truly,
Lena ><>