Since Last Year

Whoa! New Year! Where did that come from?

Over the last few weeks it feels like I've just been running around. Seeing lots of friends and family. Playing games. Eating cookies like they're goin' out of style. Rushing to the gym. Traveling. Gifting people with the perfect Christmas presents. Receiving some awesome ones. Saying "See you next year!" to people (it never gets old).

Enjoying the break from classes (not sure how I could cram them in now anyway). Looking forward to only 2 more semesters, baby!!

Made this insanely delicious monkey bread for Christmas morning.

Watched season 1 of Sherlock, after about 17 (well, not quite) people told me I needed to watch it. Loved it.

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Bought Pentatonix albums because they rock my socks.

And now it's cold cold COLD. And super snowy. Couldn't make it up my hill yesterday after coming back from work. Needed some assistance. Embarrassing.

So that's what's up with me! Planning the new year and plotting how I can manage this blog! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you dear readers!

Care for Salt with Your Snow?

I meant to write a Thanksgiving post.

I meant to write a snow-related post.

I meant to write a fun Christmas post like this one. Or this one.

But it is just NOT HAPPENING, people!

Besides school and work, I've got cookies to bake! Presents to wrap! Josh Groban to listen to!

Lots going on. Lots coming up in 2014. Change is coming for me. More on that later.

For now, let me just say one final word on -

how disgusting my car looks right now.

Trucks have been tossing salt around like the Swedish Chef in his kitchen. Like crazy. We've had delays and closings and people freaking out and people running to the grocery store. So, typical winter weather in this area. I love love love having snow on the ground in December as long as I don't have to drive in anything unreasonable. And as long as I can make it up my intense hill (a burst of speed usually helps as I begin my ascent).

So anyway, lots of snow means lots of salt and whatever else is in that dirty mixture that is all over the roads. I hate the gritty feeling under my shoes but I would rather feel that then my legs flying out from under me, I suppose. And as a result of all that road grit, my car is really looking like it's feeling the dismal winter blues. Sorry, pal. There's really no use in cleaning you at this point. Why bother? You'll just get yucky again.

I have almost walked past my car in parking lots because it just doesn't look right. Oh well. At least every other car on the road is in the same situation. Except a few. Really? Are you washing your car every day?

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Anxiously Waiting in My Pajama Pants

I think I'm actually a ten-year-old trapped inside an almost-twenty-four-year-old's body.

Example of the day: Snow Days!!!

I get ridiculously excited. Even when I can't think of anything to do, can't leave the house, and just end up being bored.

But it's a snow day!

The story begins with me. In pajama pants (you can never have too many pairs). Wondering...hoping...glancing out the window.

Actually, yesterday was odd because I don't work until 1pm on Mondays. That's right, I've got the evening shift. So yesterday I went to the gym first, came home and showered, and put my pajama pants back on.

I got ready for work. Slowly. Leaving my pajama pants on.

I ate breakfast. I made and packed a dinner. I did some cleaning. I whipped up a batch of delicious muffins.

I lingered in my pajama pants, loath to put on makeup, just in case...

And then the call came from the library! It was closing early, due to a skating-rink-like parking lot, freezing rain, and slippery roads.

"Wooo-hoooo!" I celebrated alone in my house, causing my dog to perk up his ears and stare at me, the crazy girl with no makeup on and still in her pajama pants.

And today? Two hour delay, baby. The snow day's cousin. Guess I'll be lounging around a little longer.

Soon to come...some new recipes I've been enjoying, with links to blogs and websites. Including the delicious muffins referenced above!

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Oh, Good, It's Dark Already

WELL, we have gotten some lovely snow. I am so pleased that, after such a disappointing previous winter, we got some serious snowstorms and big, fluffy flakes. Especially since most of it was right around Christmas!

And now, it can all go away. Seriously, time for spring.

January, February, March....these months are dismal. No Christmas to look forward to, only long, miserable days of coldness.

The library's pretty quiet, too. I mean, attendance dropped before the holidays. It always does. But it's taking a while for people to get back in. All my programs are low on people and the pages (high schoolers who work in the evenings) don't have much to shelve.

Quiet days at the library are so depressing! With my recent viewing of Les Miserables (okay, and all the subsequent continuous listening of the music), all I can think of as I wander aimlessly through the library is "empty chairs at empty tables."

"My, friends, my friends!" Why have you all left the library?

Not a fair comparison. But I won't deny I haven't thought about it.

Cabin fever, that's what we all have around here. Outside, people are just rushing to get inside. Inside, there's nothing to do either. Bring me some sunshine, quick!

A New Year's Revelation

Another year gone. Yipes. I know it's cliche, but it's true: the older you get the more time flies.

When I was little, days and weeks and months stretched out like I had all the time in the world! I wanted time to pass faster. I wanted to be older. So I could do more things. I wanted to be sixteen, because thanks to Sound of Music I believed it would be the most romantic year of my life. (It wasn't. It was just awkward.)

But now? Zoom! Goodbye, 2012! Hello, 2013!

I have the usual New Year's resolutions. I'm planning on doing some in-depth Bible study with the help of commentaries. I want to make better eating choices. Keep up with the gym, especially strength training. Do well in my classwork.

But there is one last resolution that I've got to be HARD-CORE about:

No more self-diagnosing myself online.

I wouldn't necessarily call myself a hypochondriac, but thanks to the help of Dr. Internet, I've experienced those moments of panic.

I need to do myself a favor and stop googling alleged issues. All I get to see is someone with similar symptoms ask a question on Yahoo Answers and receive feedback from any old crazy with a computer. Someone who can't even spell cancer correctly probably isn't qualified to provide any real answers. Just sayin'.

The internet is helpful for many things, but sometimes the overabundance of information can hurt you rather than help you. I'm sure our doctors would rather we skip the online diagnosing and obsessing and instead go straight to them. Of course, if you're just looking for some general information to point you in the right direction, just use common sense and only check out the reputable sites. (This is an excerpt from the pep talk I gave myself last week....)

Oh, and here's another tip. Stay away from Google Images if you're typing any body or medical-related terms.

You can thank me later.

Fairy Tales, Fevers, and Hobbits

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope yours was as lovely as mine.



The weekend started out rough, with me leaving work early on Friday and languishing on the couch with a fever. I couldn't go caroling on Saturday or to church Sunday, but happily I was able to be at the Christmas Eve service on Monday (inconspicuously coughing into my elbow).

The lazy weekend of rest did provide an unexpected blessing: the chance to tear through the entire first season of Once Upon a Time! I absolutely loved it. A lot does remind me of Lost, which I was a HUGE fan of, and the fairy tale element is delicious. I highly recommend it!

My Christmas "break" has been busy. I'm thankful to have a rest from school, but there have been so many parties and get-togethers and shindigs that it feels like one continuous chain of Christmas cookies! I have loved spending time with family and friends, and I still have over a week left before classes resume. I'm going to take advantage of every minute!

My brother and sister and I went to the midnight premier of The Hobbit, and it was awesome. I really felt the late hour, though. I must be getting old. The beginning dragged a bit for me, but I got into it more as I caught a second wind and everybody left Hobbiton for an adventure. (Seriously, three hours long? I'm not sure if it needed to be.) It was fantastic getting back into Middle-earth and seeing beloved characters like Gollum again! The effects were fantastic, and I loved learning more about the dwarf world. Thorin reminds me a lot of Aragorn. Martin Freeman was outstanding as Bilbo, also. His facial expressions and comedic timing crack me right up. It was nice to just watch the movie without really remembering what happens in the book; it's been a few years since I've read it.

My family has tried to watch some of our favorite Christmas movies (White Christmas, The Santa Clause, Scrooge, etc.) but someone has managed to fall asleep at every viewing. Okay, mostly me. I blame the predictability of movies we watch once a year. I cuddle up in my blanket, mentally quote lines along with the characters, and drift right off. Woof.

So that's what's up with me!

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise; Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark, the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"

Ah, Christmas. The one time of year when theological truth is suddenly blasted from mall speakers and car radios. Thank God for His gift of salvation; Jesus is the only hope for our world. What a joyful time of year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lies I Tell Myself

Here are the top 3.

1. I can lie down on the couch under a blanket and watch a movie without falling asleep.

2. I can just eat one cookie. Then I will have no problem stopping.

3. I don't need to write that down; I will remember it.

Obviously, I lie to myself all year round. But of course this is Christmastime, so I'll make it seasonally applicable!

1. Is there anything quite like reclining on the couch under your favorite blanket, the only light coming from the tv and tree lights? No, I say. For some reason, I always think I can watch a movie curled up in what is essentially my favorite sleeping position. And maybe I'll just rest my eyes a moment during this slower scene. No problem. Plus, Christmas movies are just so relaxing. And comforting. And usually have at least one quiet, peaceful, snowy scene with Silent Night playing gently in the background...

2. Oh, sure. Of course it's true. If you have a craving, just eat one! Then go on your merry way, mouth filled with lingering sweetness, stomach asking for more, fingers already absentmindedly stretching towards the Santa plate. Fine, cookies. You win. I just need to make sure you all taste as good as the first one.

3. Yep, back in September she said she'd love a new toaster. But come December, do you think I remember? Oh, I might have a vague memory of him wishing aloud he had a pair of warmer gloves. But guess what? I had such confidence in my good memory that I never wrote it down. Oh, I'll rememb...what?

'Tis the season! Heh heh.

How Lovely Are Your Branches

Real or Fake?

I'm speaking, of course, of trees.

Do you go out in the frosty air and browse among hundreds of green giants, to choose the most majestic fir? Is it simply not Christmas if you cannot bury your face in pine branches in your living room?

Or do you bring your tree down from a box in the attic? Do you assemble three parts and arrange pliable branches? Do you settle for a pine fresh candle instead?

My family has done both.

Obviously, I love the fresh, Christmasy tree. I love picking one out; I love the smell.

But an artificial tree is nothing to be ashamed of. There are some beautiful ones to be had out there. Ones that you have to get pretty close to in order to tell if they're real or not.

And as for the smell, I recently discovered Scentsicles. Ah, how delicious! Hang them in your tree for a sniff of the real thing.

It's the New Small Talk

I talk to many people every day at the library.

"Hi, how are you?"

"Fine, thanks."

"May I help you?"

"Let me get that for you."

In addition to the library talk, there's the basic small talk.

Especially when the computers are slow. You can only pretend to type something so long, that's all I'm sayin'.

And guess what we talk about the most? You get three guesses and the first two don't count.

That's right, the weather. It's hot, it's cold. It's snowy, it's rainy. It's going to clear up. It's going to get cloudy. I forgot my umbrella, I don't need this jacket. Etc.

I basically get all my weather information from library patrons, as I always forget to keep track of what the weather is going to be.

I do get a bit annoyed with people, though, when they can't discuss the weather without complaining. All week it's blistering hot, right? People start complaining. I don't mind because I love summer. And I refuse to complain when I think of how cold I was a few months ago. (And the library has air conditioning...)

And then all of a sudden it rains and cools off and people complain about that, too! What do you want, people?

There are few days when everyone can agree that it's perfect outside. For some it's too hot, for some it's not hot enough.

Eh, just try to enjoy it. Put on a jacket or find some air conditioning.

When the Wind Blows

Whew. So last week was kind of crazy. I pushed the blog off to the side a bit. Hopefully you were not too lost without it. Well, we're back in business!

The weather has been weird lately. I mean, it's been weird all winter but especially weird now. Rain that smells like spring, birds singing, slushy snowstorms, strong winds...

The strong winds have been not fun. Safe and sound indoors, I still worry about the wind getting me. I know it can't, but it just blows with such gusto!

And in the middle of the night, I'm not awake enough to be rational about it. I'll hear it blowing and it's like the wind is calling to me, daring me to come outside.

Whooooosssshhhhhh, but we'd have so much fun!

I doubt it.

Come on, don't you hear that awesome banging and thumping! That's what I could do with you if you step out onto your porch!

Seriously? You're hurling the trash cans around again? I'm going to have to wander down the street looking for them?

Whooooosssshhhhhh, I'm going to smash your windows and won't that be awesome?

*Gets scared, puts pillow on head, tells head to think logically and calm down*

Whooooooooosssssssshhhhhhhhh

*Imagines entire house being swept up and whisked away, along with cows and telephone poles*

Oh, these wintry springish nights.

Speaking of strong winds, have you seen The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore? It just won an Oscar last night for best animated short film! Check it out below.



By the way, did you watch the Academy Awards last night? I did until I fell asleep! I must see The Artist. I must!

The Mouse Hand

Way, way back in the beginning of my blog, I posted about having cold hands. Here, to be precise.

(Speaking of old blog posts, I was rereading some and congratulating myself on how witty they were. You should probably check them out if you haven't already; it's for your own good.)

Well, I've been thinking about them again. My cold hands. The rest of me will be okay, but my hands will always be cold. It's my lot in life.

When I'm just relaxing at home, my hands will usually get almost warm. I'll bundle up and keep my hands nestled in the sleeves of my Gryffindor snuggie. Yeah, you read that right.

But when I'm on my computer, I can get toasty all over, except for one place.

My mouse hand.

It just pokes out from my snuggle sleeve and turns into a popsicle. What can I do? I have to have my hand free to scroll down pages of nerdy fandom sites, or click on videos of kittens sneezing.

I know I could probably tuck my hand back if my fingers weren't needed at that particular moment. But I forget! Possibly because I can't feel my hand! It lingers out there on the mouse, dutifully scrolling and clicking and gliding along as needed.

Thanks, mouse hand. You're a real good sport. I'll wrap you around a warm mug of tea later to reward you for your dedication in the face of frigidity.

Hi readers! Stay warm, wherever you are! It's getting pretty chilly around here, and I get the desperate urge to run awkwardly everywhere.

Frosty Is Dead

There are few sights sadder on a cold winter morning than deflated Christmas inflatables.

In the evenings, when it's dark and frosty and magical, these inflatables are, well.... Okay, honestly I'm not a fan of inflatables. But at least when they're blown up they can be kind of cute. Especially the snowglobe ones.

And when you're driving around the wealthy neighborhoods with the big houses to see their ritzy outside displays (what, am I the only one? whatever.), everything looks so perfect in the darkness. The lights, the candles, the wreaths. The reindeer slooooowly raising up their heads. Then slooooowly dropping them back down. Then slooooowly raising them up. Aaaand, well, you know.

And then in the morning? The magic is gone. It's almost embarassing to see those piles of plastic wrapping in a heap. It's like they're naked, lying there. And who wants to see the reindeer that have blown over? Come on, people, get outside and make this stuff presentable!

I found an old blog post that I wrote last year about the five types of houses decorated for Christmas. It's pretty good, honestly. I think you should take a look by clicking here.



Tonight, take a spin around and see some good Christmas decorations! Just keep your eyes straight ahead tomorrow morning. Trust me. It's not pretty.

We're All In This Together, Spring

I feel like spring is holding back just a bit. Waiting for something.

So I feel like it's my duty to call it forth. Here are a couple ideas I came up with to usher spring in quickly:

1. Dress like it's 70 degrees instead of 30. If spring sees that you're ready, it will feel more ready.

2. Ignore the snow. Pretend it doesn't exist. In fact, only acknowledge the melting snow. When you see the water, exclaim, "Spring showers bring May flowers!" and gesture grandly with an umbrella.

3. If you should see a bud on a tree or in the ground, get up really close to it and whisper words of encouragement. Its bravery should be applauded.

4. Eat spring-ish things. Like ice cream cones. Or watermelon. And eat them outside so spring will notice that you are heating up with or without it.

5. Say "Spring has sprung!" loudly and often.

6. Organize a game of frisbee or tag outside. Happy feet running on top of the ground will stimulate grass growth.

7. Avoid "Negative Nancys" who spread cold and gloom everywhere they go. You don't need people around you who believe that spring will never come.

8. Each morning, do the dance of spring. This is different for everybody, but for me it involves mostly skipping.

9. Plant fake flowers outside in the snow. This will encourage real flowers to bloom.

10. Put on your sunglasses and prepare for spring!

Spring Isn't Springing

Yesterday, it was 45 degrees. Maybe more. I promise you.

I know that as the day wore on, the wind began to blow. And the snow began to fall. And the temperature dropped...

But I got a taste of spring yesterday, people! It was exhilarating!

Currently, as winter blows back with a vengeance, as if yesterday's hours of bliss never happened, I am extremely discontent. Because it's even worse, now that I've started to remember what spring is like.

When it feels like winter is all I remember, it's not as bad. But that taste of spring? It ruined me.

Yesterday, I thought about what it's like to turn the radio up in the car, roll down the windows, and feel the sun on my face. I thought about running outside, seeing GRASS, and making squirrels and bunnies flee before me. I thought about taking off my coat and putting on my sunglasses.

*Sighhhhhhhhhhh* It's coming......