Out with the old, in with the new

I am currently sitting in my comfortable, new-to-me, green granny recliner with my kitty snug between myself and the arm of the chair, and it is wonderful. I am feeling somewhat exhausted. I really need to get onto a decent, normal people schedule, but I don't really want to. I like my way of doing things, even if it isn't the best way. But, I know that's a problem. I will probably eventually give in and have a normal schedule.

January has been going well so far. I had a lovely time with friends over New Years. One of my friends positively spoiled us by making a completely homemade feast of turkey, noodles, apple pie, etc. I made wassail, which was a hit. It's my favorite holiday tradition.

I also went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D. I'd never been to a 3D movie before. We thought it was going to be on the IMAX screen, but it wasn't. :-( It was, however, fully entertaining. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie, and though it wasn't made originally for 3D, they did a good job with it. The landscapes especially stood out. There was a scene with black tree branches and the end scene with roses that absolutely popped. Even if it hadn't been in 3D, it was still nice to see it on the big screen. I had gone when it first came out, but I didn't appreciate it as much then as I do now.

Also, I just found out that they changed the date of the Tough Mudder I signed up for. They moved it from March to June, which is a really good thing, both for safety and for my personal training. Cold water obstacles in Indiana in March is generally ill advised, so I'm glad for the warmer weather. I was worried about getting wet in cold temperatures. Also, I really don't think I would have been ready for the race in March, as I haven't been up to training yet. I need to focus on getting my energy up and eating better before I can really exert myself. But, now the Tough Mudder will be after the mini marathon in May, so that will be interesting. I think I'll just train harder for the mini, so I'll be in better shape to recover and run the Tough Mudder.

I have had a small epiphany. My friend pointed this out, and she is right. I basically always need to be busy. I need things to do, or I go a bit crazy. As I say, better to be busy than bored. :-)

TTFN

Merry Christmas!

It is so nice to have a real job with vacation and holiday time. I am so glad to be able to spend time with friends and family. One of perks of working in an academic library vs a public library.

This holiday has been fairly low key, but full of laughter. And, I suspect there is more laughter and stories to come with New Years.

 My main plan is to sleep, eat, and catch up with people. Preparing for the holidays is always crazy, and this year has been no exception. Probably moreso. I did get out most of my Christmas cards, but really failed when it came to Christmas cookies. I need a better plan for those. I hope to pick up some Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and maybe decorations for next year, as they should be on sale now. I need to supplement my card supply. Also, I could not find any Christmas paper for my newsletter this year, so I had to settle for clouds. It seems that the Christmas newsletter has been deemed obsolete and/or pompous. At least, that's what the guy on the radio said. I do like the holidays, but I also appreciate the slowness of January, when things get back to normal.

Happy New Year.

A Sense of Place

It is so nice to be in a place that is more or less permanent. I know that I am where I need to be for now, and it is a good feeling. It makes it so much easier to be in community with people. I have been thinking about how different this year is so far compared the the last year I was here, 3 years ago. I feel like I am making better connections with people in church, and I am starting to feel more established. I think it's also easier for people to invest in other people's lives when they know that they will be around for awhile, as opposed to moving away in a year or 2. Being in transition is no reason not to make friendships and invest in a community, but it's harder. I do, however, feel a decided lack of gumption this year, which I'm not quite sure why. I felt more motivated to try to be an "adult" and take care of myself, but I lack motivation in some areas.

In other news, I sang in church today for special music. I was helping my friend rehearse for special music last night, and she roped me into singing with her. We decided this at 10 PM last night, but it turned out rather well, I think. We sang How Great Is the Love, alternating verses (she sang the 1st and I sang the 2nd) and singing the chorus together. I harmonized with her (most, not all of the lines), and it meshed well, according to honest, outside sources. I had a good time, but I was nervous, as I have never sung in public like that before. Which is not to say that I have not sung in public, but singing while walking down the street or for my grandpa in the nursing home or in the lobby of my dorm does not necessarily count.

Thursday is Thanksgiving, and then the holidays are upon us! I have a lot that I want to accomplish this holiday season, and I really need to get started on some things. I think that procrastination is one of my besetting sins. It's been with me for a long time, and I really need to work on abolishing it.

My apartment smells like awful incense or stale cigarette smoke that someone attempted to mask. Bleagh.

I want to move to Charleston, South Carolina. It is the perfect city. It is beautiful, fairly temperate, with a great historical district, and it doesn't feel like a city. I spent the last 3 days in Charleston at a library conference. The conference was excellent, and I enjoyed my time there. While in Charleston, I made a pact not to eat at any restaurant that I could find somewhere else, and I followed that well. :-) Charleston has excellent food. Eating well there reinforced the idea that I have not been eating well, and I need to take better care of myself in regards to nutrition. Which means I need to cook more. Which will also help the budget.

On e of my 3 flights, I sat next to librarians who attended the same conference. Flying makes me nervous, but it was ok. The first plane was smaller and seemed a bit rickety, but we made it. Flying out of Charleston, I sat next to a gentleman from South Africa. He was also at the same conference, and it was interesting to talk with him. The last flight was on a huge plane, the type you see in movies, and it had the individual screens with movies and TV in the seats, which was really cool. It helped calm my nerves and helped the flight go faster. I watched an episode of CHiPs (old 70s cop show) and most of an episode of Friends. :-)

The conference was very good, but busy, and I'm rather wiped out. And also a bit overwhelmed with everything I need to do now, personally and professionally.

This week will probably be rather busy and go by quickly. Time just speeds along anyway. It's unreal how fast everything has gone. I feel like I moved up here yesterday. Though I do feel much more established with my job, though still learning and figuring things out. I'm pretty sure I was one of, if not the newest librarian at the conference.

Good night.

Don't Stop Believin'

Whew. It's been over a month since I last posted, and there is a lot to say, but not much time. I am going to a friend's house to hang out tonight. I need to freshen up, as I went on a run earlier. I have been going on runs with my friend's mini fox terrier. She is full of energy and fun to run with, and it gives me more incentive to actually get out and run. If I tell my friend I'm coming over to run with the dog, then I have committed myself.

I have discovered the delectableness that is Greek yogurt. Both Chobani and Oikos are very good. I don't really like yogurt, but Greek yogurt is different. It's thicker and not as sweet as regular yogurt. And, I like the fruit on the bottom.

I went to my friends' wedding in b-town last week. It was a good weekend, and I had a great time. It was so good to see friends in b-town again and celebrate my friends' wedding. I was able to get in a lot of visiting, including a visit to the public library and with my old neighbor. And, I danced and talked the night away (literally). Good times.

I should post more, but maybe later. I need to get back in the blogging mode, but we'll see.

TTFN

Theater is addicting

Signs of a callous heart:

Lost 1st love for Jesus
Fail to love and tremble at God's Word
Content with where you are spritually
Discontented with your lot in life or where you are in life
Look to your own efforts to earn God's favor
Are bored with the things of God
Complaining
Do not accept God's rebuke
Too lazy, apathetic, or bored to hyper listen (listen attentively and actively)
No intention of obeying what God clearly tells you in His Word
Obedience is a bother rather than a joy

Needless to say, the sermon was convicting today. Very convicting.

The play is over, and it went very well. It was good, but I am glad that it's over. I really want to try out for Scrooge the musical, but I don't think it would be right or fair, given my schedule. Some of us from the cast went out after the show, and I had a blast. These ladies are a hoot. We are planning on getting together later, and I'm looking forward to it.

This is the first day of fair week. I hope I can go at least one day. I really enjoy fair food, and I like walking around and seeing the sights. Especially the animal barns. Jersey cows!

I also bought Big Bang Theory season 4, and it is hilarious. I wasn't big fan of season 3, but season 4 proved it's worth. The characters are growing and changing, and there are new characters, but I don't think it's a bad thing. They are still funny, and I think it is good to let the characters grow. Normal people grow and learn from each other and pick up different habits while still staying true to themselves. Also, I think Jim Parsons who plays Sheldon won an award (Emmy?) and he completely deserved it!

Love and blessings.

Zeal

Today's sermon was on zeal, and it was different from all the other sermons on that subject I have heard in the past, and it was refreshing. The pastor emphasized that our righteousness must be placed in Christ. That we cannot earn our salvation, that what we do must come from resting in Christ, being in Christ, and that we should want to do things because we love Him, not because we want to be a good person, or even because we want to be a good Christian. Our zeal must be rooted in knowledge and in the truth. It was refreshing to hear that, because zeal can so often be misplaced and dogmatic. But true zeal is really just an intense love for Christ and resting in Him. And, I will say that this is the first time I ever heard the Darwin Awards used as a sermon illustration. Rather gruesome, actually.

I am blogging more infrequently, due in part to the fact that of those of us who started blogs after college, only 2 of us are left blogging. I have begun posting more on facebook, but I am careful when I do that, as I have so many different "friends" that I only post things that I don't care that the whole world knows about.

I was going to go to Cedar Point yesterday, but I came down with a cold, and did not feel up to it. So, my friend and I went to the paint your own pottery place in town. I painted a coffee mug and saucer. It is light blue and chocolate brown with vine and flower accents. I am not very artistic, but it was a lot of fun, and it was good to get out and do something yesterday.

I found a show on Netflix that is a British comedy from the early 1990s called Waiting for God, and it is about 2 friends in a retirement home. It is very comical, and though I almost want to be like Diana when I am old, (she has a withering wit and a caustic tongue and is hilarious), I will more likely be like Harvey, who is a dear, sweet, daft old chap who is Diana's partner in crime. They are a hoot!

The students are back and classes have started. Work is rather busy right now, and I had my first reference desk shift. I wasn't able to answer all the questions, but I did get a high five from a student that I helped, and it made my night. :-)

We have the weekend off from play rehearsals, but after Labor Day we will be rehearsing every night, and probably long rehearsals, as we will have less than 2 weeks before the show. At least all my lines are good. :-)

Blessings