two down and one to go

So, not only was this probably one of my favorite 4th of Julys ever, but I also accomplished one of my New Year resolutions! What you may ask? If you remember I had three: first, I wanted to donate blood, second, make a lemon meringue pie, and third, ride on a four wheeler. A few months ago I gave blood, but that didn't turn out to well, and for the fourth I made two lemon meringue pies. I'm beginning to become a little worried about the whole 4 wheeling thing now, because those pies where, let's just say more like lemon pudding:) Although I do think for pudding they tasted pretty good.....At least I know how to fix them for next time: use a double broiler. We started out the day early in Bigfork to watch the parade. I have to say I missed not going for two years and was really excited to go. Steven came over to our house early and even though we were a good 45 min early, we still had to park aways away. Oh, well, the walk was worth it. Sorry I don't have any pictures of the parade, but we forgot the camera.

Oh, funny story.... The last car in the parade was throwing full sized candy bars quite generously and Luke and Steven both caught a few. But was 3 enough for Luke? Nope. So Luke chased the car the rest of the way having the guys on the car throw them at him. At one point I guess the guy told Luke that if he could catch up to the car, he would give him 5. He did. All in total Luke came home with 19 candy bars. Haha, my funny brother, but his insanity paid off in the long run (pun intended).

Steven brought over sooo many fireworks, and then James brought over a load too.

People started coming over to our house around 5:00 and I was really grateful it was such a wonderful temperature outside because in total we had around 39 people come over. Yup, quite the group.We had a BBQ dinner and lots of other goodies. I have to say I'm a bit of a watermelon addict:) We so seldom have it, and when we do only for the few short months of summer, so I love the fresh flavor. *yum*While waiting for it to darken up the boys (and girls), played various things. They even had a short lived game of soccer going. I found out I suck at soccer. It was sad to see, but we made up a pretty pathetic game of badminton too. I guess those muscles are still hibernating:)I think James and Steven were really excited for fireworks because we started them pretty early. They were really great though, we had just about everything you could think of, plus more.Some people tried out the stilts dad made for Luke but none were quite the master my brother was!Poor Cleo was sooooo terrified of the fireworks she hid in the van in the garage. We had to lock Shelby up too because she was barking at every "bang" she heard, which as you can imagine is quite annoying after the second firework.The boys put on a terrific show this year! Steven did an awesome job entertaining us all and even did a fantastic grand finale. You can't see too much in this picture, but if you look close you can just make out Luke, Steven, Christian, and Matthew about ready to do some pyromaniac endeavor.

*sigh* It was such a great day. I was never bored and I do think that this was my favorite fourth ever. I highly doubt that I will ever have a fourth that will live up to this one: Great day with Steven, great parade, great afternoon, great evening, great fireworks, and overall just a great time with everyone I love.

I felt like a tourist!

This last week we were given the opportunity to go out boating on Flathead Lake with Bill (my dad's friends and boss from work), Tammy, and Stephen their son. It was probably the warmest day we have had this last year, and it was fantastic to be zooming around the lake. Luke, Stephen, and I sat in the front of the boat and it was really fantastic to just watch the mountains and water go by. One thing that I found interesting was how on different parts of the lake the temperature would go up and down in seconds tremendously. Like I would be really warm one minute, and then putting my jacket on the next. Dad and Mom sat on the bench seat in the back. Bill drove and Tammy sat shotgun (is it called that in a boat?). Haha, my hair was so funny. As long as I looked forward, I was good, but if I looked back, I was like Medusa head:) When I got home I had to work for quite some time to get all the tangles outWe boated all the way out to what I think was Wild Horse Island. We saw, oh, probably around 3-4 mule deer with huge racks. They even had these little forts set up on the shore. I took pictures with my phone, but I'm too lazy right now to get them off:)Luke and I.

We stayed out for over three hours and went all around the lake. We looked at the houses around Yellow Bay, ogled over the castle on it's private island owned by I think the CEO of Pepsi, and over all just had a great evening. It really felt like a mini vacation and reminded me of how much I've always wanted to live on a boat. Maybe someday...... Anyhow, I was so thankful we were able to do this and really hope we can do it again.

I burned

Yesterday was the first day of summer, and you know what?.... it actually felt like it! We have had non-stop bad weather for weeks now and since it was great out Tina, Christian, Mom, Luke, Rachel, and I all went down to Echo lake. The water honestly is still really really cold, but we canoed and kayaked around for a few hours and then braved the water. (Christian, Tina, Mom)My hansome lil bro:)Rachel!!!!!I love this picture! I thought it epitomized the little creature always behind me:)MomLuke and I,

and then Rachel and I.

Overall it was a great day. I really hope summer starts to kick in better now but the expectation of rain is high..... *yuck*. I guess we have to be thankful for all the: mosquitoes, flooding, and pale skin......? No, in all seriousness, there are some benefits of the bad, weather, can't really think of any good ones, maybe no fires? I'm sure there are lots......

Dumb Birds

Yes that is a chicken, and yes it is roosting on the computer monitor. But how in the world did it get there? This story goes back about about two months, when mom had a moment of weakness and decided to bring home two chicks from Murdock's. With chicks, we always set them up in the house with a heat lamp so they can feather in before we bring them to the coop.

A few weeks later, when they were still small, but feathered in enough, we graduated them to the big chicken home. I don't remember what mom and I were doing, but for some reason we weren't home and Luke was going to watch them. The most pitiful sight awaited us when we walked in the door, there was my brother Luke, sitting on the couch, tearing up, with a bloody head featherless chick shivering on his lap. Apparently the rooster had attacked it and Luke rescued it to the house again. A few days later the rooster attacked one of out hens and she had a huge gushing crater of blood on her back. Unfortunately for us, that meant turning our den into a place for chickens to re-cooperate (pun intended).

Right now you might be going "oh, poor chickens!", or "how wonderful that your mom saved them". Well, haha, not! I'm not trying to be a horrid human being with no pity for the harmed beasts, but these birds have made the last few weeks a living nightmare at times. At first it was ok having them in the house. The birds slowly started to recover and I could deal with my room smelling dimly like a chicken coop when I woke up in the morning, but that's when mom started having a emotional attachment. Every day Mom would take the three reject birds out to the garden and then if it rained or when it got late, brought them back in. It got to the point where once mom even said "Hi Meg, I just got back from taking the babies on a walk. Before that we played in the garden together, now I'm bringing them in the house because it was getting chilly out".

Do you see what I mean! They had infiltrated my mothers heart and once she even called them her loves! The straw that broke this camels back was when she started using the same names for the chicks as she did for me! She would be talking and I'd be like "yes mom?", and I'd walk into her talking to the dumb birds. This was about the time that the word "chicken" changed to "dumb bird" for me. It stuck too.

There is so much more to this story that I'm not even going to delve into like: what was happening in the chicken coop, the rooster escaping and then coming back, trying to free range the chickens, buying a pecking block, finally getting rid of the rooster, dad and I going crazy, loosing chickens in the house, stepping in unpleasant stuff, the den always smelling horrid, Cleo chasing the dumb birds, never being able to watch anything with mom in the den without her codling the creatures, them flying around the room, making chick food in the food processor (the worst sound you will ever hear), having them try to attack me, and so much more.

So that brings us to the first picture. I walked into the den to use the computer and I was so startled by that sight my heart was pounding for minutes afterwords. I had no clue what it was at first, and no one really truly expects to see a chicken on the computer.

Last Saturday morning was a great day for various reasons, but one of them was because it was the day we brought the birds out. We finally put the hen with the other chickens, and the two chicks in the garage. But you know what? I don't care that they are still not in the coop, because they are out of the house! No longer does this side of the house smell, no longer do I find a bird under the piano, no longer do I have to share mom with three dumb birds. Life is great, and I can sit here, in the den blogging without hearing the birds scratch, peck and fly at the sides of their boxes. Like I just said life is great:)

I feel like any culturing I once had, is now tainted.

*warning: this post contains pictures of dirty mountain people having fun*

Yesterday my brother had a mountain man muzzle loading rendezvous in Marion. We went as a family, and I have so say I was surprised how much fun it actually was. The era was set in 1840'a and although costumes were not mandatory, would I still be me if I let a good dress up opportunity pass me by?

We got there around 9ish and Luke and Christian went straight to the black powder rifle shoot. I don't know too much about it, but I think they both did quite well. The guns are really loud, but if they had a lot of kick, the boys sure didn't let us know. That lasted a good hour and a half, and then (Luke shooting his gun)(Christian shooting his gun. They actually forgot to bring Christian's gun, so I think he was a little bummed, because he had to use one that he wasn't used to)

The next activity was knife and hawk throwing. They had 21 different stumps to throw both their knife and tomahawk at. Some were really hard; like moving targets, through trees, etc. This was more interesting to watch in my opinion than the rifle. They let me try to throw some and honestly I stunk at it. The men there said I threw like a girl and I never once got either to stick. I would show a picture but it's too embarrassing:) Here is Tina Vestal and my mom. I think they both had a lot of fun. They both love to camp and were enamored with all the primitive doohickeys. After lunch the boys had black powder pistol shooting. Again I think they both did good. They had to hit various targets like skunks, frogs, bears, poles, and coils. When the boys were finished they asked If I wanted to try. I had previously stated that If I was to take a liking to any of the three things thus far I would be most inclined to try the pistol. They laughed at me and said that it was the hardest but let me try anyways. Guess, what... I hit the target dead on, first time ever. Needless to say, I was happy . Because the boys had finished all the activities for the day we had a few hours of free time to do whatever. For the moms that meant taking a walk, for dad, a nap, the boys, I think did some archery, and I sat around the camp talking with some of the older men there.Later that night after a potluck dinner they had some contests around the campfire. The first of which was fire starting. Both the boys tried and had a respectable time of both around 40 seconds, it was their first time ever. I think the winning time was around 5-6 seconds.They also had woman's games, which was a rolling pin throwing contest, Tina and I tied for first, and a frying pan throwing contest, Mom won that, (better not get on my family's bad side). It was fun and they had prizes too. (Luke and I)

For a grand conclusion on the day, they had a story telling contest. Some of the guys had great tall tails to tell. Mom practically forced me to tell a story myself and even though it was pretty pathetic (I was not happy to be doing it) They decided I won (I think just to be nice) and I felt bad for doing such a bad job. Oh, well, I learned my lesson.

Overall, it was a really fun looooong day. They have a few every year and I think I might just go next year.

Techno Man Grandpa

I thought when my classes had finished at the college I would have free time. Like I might actually be bored or something. I was wrong. Music Theory was less work than being home. It's amazing how much effort the house takes just to survive, honestly I had forgotten just how much time everything takes to do. Last Wednesday we celebrated my grandpa's 90th birthday! It was great; Darlene and Wayne wanted to talk to him on Skype and he did. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks! They even sung happy birthday to him and watched him blow out the candles.

Not too much else is new. Luke has a mountain man thing this weekend, so I sewed Luke and Christian a Capote (which is a wool jacket) and I got all my grades in for the semester 4.0, YEAH!!!

I filmed myself signing my ASL song that I did for class and I thought it was so funny I would share it with you all. Don't judge please, I know my dancing sucks!

did you miss me?

Contrary to what you may believe, I haven't fallen off the face of the blog world. I've been so busy with classes and homework lately that I seriously haven't had a minute to spare. So, I'm here with my spare moments to play catch up.

A few weeks ago I went with my ASL class to Great Falls MT, to the school for the Deaf and Blind. We left Friday morning and took the 4 1/2 hour drive on a charter bus. In the group, there were 23 girls and 3 boys including my teacher Collette.
Oh, one neat thing was that our bus driver, John, was from New Zealand. He had some really interesting stories to tell, and was enjoyable to listen to on both the way up and down. When we were going through Glacier, it was scary at times because it was blizzarding, but John, got us there safely, and plus, I always enjoy a adventure. (My spot on the bus)

When we first arrived, a man from the school gave us a tour and then brought us to our dorm where we would be staying. The school is really neat with a separate school building for the Deaf and the Blind students, but with a shared dorm building for both.

That night we all stayed in the dorm and ordered pizza. Since it was with my ASL class, and there were three Deaf people in our group, we had to sign pretty much the whole time because it is rude to talk when you know someone who is Deaf is present. Most of us stayed up really late all talking/signing in the living room learning new signs. Just relaxing around the dorm, yet still learning so much, was probably some of my favorite times on the trip. (The reason Great Falls is called Great Falls)

Saturday morning, after a walk around the school (it was a nice day), the bus driver took us all over to the mall to hang out for a few hours. We had six hours to waste, but everyone was bored well before then. The reason we were at the school that weekend was because of a performance the kids, who went to the school, were giving that night. We ended up coming back to the dorm for an hour or so, and then going out for dinner before the performance at 7:00.

The performance was incredible. There were around 17 kids ranging in ages from about 8-16. The kids were all signing and dancing to music and they did everything from Ghost busters, Firework, Sweet Home Alabama, to Somewhere Over the Rainbow. It was amazing to see the fluidity of their movements and how well they kept in sync. This performance alone made the whole trip worth it. It was an experience I will never forget. I even bought a shirt afterwards!

That night we again stayed up really late signing and I think it was well after 1 when I finally got ready for bed and fell asleep with the sound of people laughing out side my room.

The next morning I had an interesting experience. When I woke up, I think I must have been sleeping wrong and my legs were asleep, because when I stood up out of bed, I collapsed to the floor. It was on the side against the wall, so not only did I fall but I crashed against the heater vent. The girl I was sharing my room with bolted awake and kept asking if I was ok. I said I was fine but when I stood up, I collapsed for a second time. The third time I finally did stand up, but not without a nasty bruise on my arm and a rug rash that still graces my knee and ankle.

By this third day I was in ASL mode. On the way back we signed, laughed, and talked for hours. I was actually sad when we arrived back at the college to go home. Poor Dad had to had to keep reminding me to talk instead of sign for the rest of the day.

Overall it was an incredible trip that, even though I was hesitant to go at first, I'm so glad I did. My vocabulary felt like it had exploded and I only wish I could have retained a fraction of what I learned. I'm really sad that my class is almost over (only one more class), and then, if I decide to continue with sign, I have to do it online. ASL has defiantly been my favorite class, both semesters, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Easter came and went, but was really fun while it lasted. We didn't do anything too big this year, but we did have the Underhills and my grandparents over for lunch and then later the Vestals, Ridge and Hannah, and Rachel came over. Because it was such a nice day, Hannah talked me into taking a short walk with them and it really was a much needed relief from all my homework. (Rachel, me, Hannah, and Ridge)

Last weekend I started my Practical Botany class. It is a three credit science class and is only 6 days long. Unfortunately the days are Friday-Sunday, so I have had, and still am, continuing to have classes everyday for 18 days straight.

The Botany class is actually really interesting and I like the teachers. Friday we had a short lecture and then on Saturday we took a bus to the Conrad Mansion, Cemetery, and lastly Wayfarers Park to look at the different plants. The only downfall that day was that it was really windy and cold. Even after coming home, taking a shower, sitting on the heater, and drinking some tea, I was still shivering. Sunday was much better overall. It was still chilly, but the sun was out, which always gives me a more positive outlook on life. We took a bus down to Eureka and after driving around some, took a short walk down to a lake. Personally, I learned quite a bit about some of the local plants that I didn't known before. We had lunch at the lake in the picture, and later I realized I even got a sunburn sitting there (first one of the year)! We went to a few other locations to look at the different lichens, and than we all took a walk around one spot called Ant Flats. If you couldn't figure out why, the place was covered in ant hills. This weekend we are going to the Buffalo Range and then I think possibly Lone Pine on Sunday. I hope it doesn't rain:( (Sophie Lake)

"Please Fish, for me?"

Yesterday I found out that March is National Peanut Month and because this is the last day of March, I thought I would do a post on peanuts. Most people who get to know me soon find out that I love, love, lub, lub lub, peanut butter. I actually prefer peanut butter to *gasp* chocolate, that is how much I love peanut butter. If I lived on a desert island with only fruit and grass to eat, the food I would miss the most would be peanut butter. I would have to bribe the fish to swim to the nearest inhabited area and bring me a jar before I went the way of most castaways: insane. Come on, I mean seriously peanut butter is like one of the most versatile things out there. You can have it with every single meal of the day without even feeling overly redundant. Like, for example: breakfast you can have pancakes with peanut butter and bananas, a piece of toast with peanut butter and honey on it, or a bowl of oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter mixed in with it. For lunch you could have the original peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple or celery dipped in peanut butter, or a peanut butter granola or energy bar. Now you might ask " Megan, your forgetting dinner. You can't have peanut butter with dinner!". Here you would be wrong. First off you could have a chicken wrap with peanut Thai sauce (my personal favorite), a Oriental salad with peanuts on top, an African peanut stew, peanut butter enchiladas, I've even found recipes for peanut butter fried chicken (I'm not sure how good that sounds to be honest though). Now lastly, desert. This is the easy one. you could do cookies, sundaes, smoothies, brownies, cheesecake, the list goes on. So there you go, you could live on a diet of peanut products without going completely mad in a few days. You might gain quite a few pounds, but I know I'd be happy. Lastly, I decided to leave you with one of my favorite peanut recipes. It's quite simple, low mess, and great if your short on time.

Peanut Butter Quick Fix

First make sure you have everything you'll need. It's really disappointing if you find your short on an ingredient after you start.

You will need:

1 Tb Peanut butter

Spoon

optional: sugar

First find the right sized spoon, not too big, not too small. I personally prefer our small spoons, but it really is up to your personal preference. Next find you jar of peanut butter. I like creamy, but crunchy would work just as well too. If you only have almond butter or another kind of peanut butter knock off, that can work too.

After opening the jar slowly scrape the spoon along the sides of the jar. I like to go in a counterclockwise motion, but again it is ultimately up to you.

The next step is the hardest. When you have your desired amount on the spoon you take it out and close the lid without setting the spoon down. It can be tricky to close the jar with one hand holding your spoon in the other without getting any on your hand*, but after some practise you'll have it.

If you really want a sweet treat you can sprinkle some sugar on the peanut butter. I personally don't really like that, but I've heard of some people who do.

No waiting, cooking, freezing or cooling off is necessary, your Peanut Butter Quick Fix is finished. You can slowly lick it, or eat it all at once. However you choose, enjoy!

*If you do get any on your hands, it's OK to lick it off.

seven chocolate covered espresso beans

Right now I'm watching drips of slush leap off the gutter and then merge with all the other drips into a gushy puddle. I don't like this weather at all. It's a wraith that sucks up any positive feeling and upbeat energy and laughs as we wither in self pity, wishing for a glimpse of a better, warmer future. This morning I even tried picking up my mood by drinking a cup of caffeinated tea and chowed some chocolate covered espresso beans. I had seven in all. Three just didn't cover it, and then one more, and then I was like "whatever!" and decided to have three more. So yup, I should have been little miss sunshine, but I'm not. Although I'm not grouchy, or even depressed, just drained of this weather. If you haven't noticed by now I really don't have anything important to write about, I just felt like typing. So if you were looking for some exciting story, go read a book because from here on out all I'm doing is rambling. Umm.... now that I admitted that I don't have anything to write about my brain just had creative meltdown, maybe I should go back and delete the last paragraph.... Well, if you are reading this, I probably didn't:) I made a really yummy sweet sauce for dinner tonight and left it in the crock pot while I went to music theory with some stew meat, onions and mushrooms. I thought it tasted fantastic, but all three of the other opinions in the the house didn't really like it. Ergo, that meant finishing up my brothers plate, which now sitting here probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had (not that my good ideas come in abundance). I really should be practising my speech right now for tomorrow. But I'm not. No excuses, just not. Oh, I decided I wanted to learn how to do the Melbourne Shuffle! I was on ehow and I found this instructional series and after watching one was like *gasp* "I want to do that too!!!". So from 11:30 to a little after midnight, I was in my room trying to do the running man. Learning a new type of dance really isn't a seldom occurrence in my life. Like just a few weeks ago I was at the college's talent contest and after watching one girl I knew do this funny little dance, came home and learned it in around two days. Then I was on YouTube (wow I sound like I spend my time productively;) and I watched this other dance that is like a cross between the bunny hop and macarana. So I took a evening and learned that too! Or for another example about 9 months ago I learned the Charleston, around 10 months ago the Lindy hop (hard without a partner), oh, and I almost forgot the robot around 5 months ago. Even though I do like to learn all these dances, I seldom ever master them and I go through long stunts of doing nothing. Ugh, I wish that there was like a dance studio right next door that had an instructor that knew every form of dance imaginable and would customize styles personally for you. But there is not, so I will just have to be content with YouTube and ehow. *sigh*

Well, look'e here, I actually did a whole post on practically nothing! This post actually looks a lot like all my journal entrees, so if you ever wondered what I write about in my little green book, here is an example; pointless, disjointed, and climaxless (is that a word?).

on and on and on and on....

Sorry I haven't been posting much, but life has been really busy lately. Between classes and then homework (which honestly I should be doing right now) I don't have much time to just do whatever. I actually probably wont be posting much for the next few months, especially in April, but I should pick it back up in May.
I really meant to do this big post on the concert I went to a few weeks ago, but it just seems too late now. It was really fun though. James and Stacia took Rachel and I down to Missoula and we spent the day shopping at the mall before the concert that night. The concert was fantastic! Mercy Me, Jars of Clay, Lecrae, TFK (which personally was a little much for me), and quite a few others played. We spent the night in Missoula and after stopping at a few more stores got home around 5ish.

(For those of you who don't see me much, my hair really isn't straight, I just didn't want to have to worry about it being curly in the hotel)

A week ago I got my hair cut *Yippee*, and as of today I'm completely done with midterms *even bigger yippee*. I also have my 24 hour heart monitor on, so I feel like a cyborg or something with all these wires attached to me. I hope I'm not miserable tomorrow during classes with it on. One positive thing is that even though people are curious, they tend not to ask about stuff like that. Oh, I also got my learners license again and didn't go through the back of the garage while driving!!!

Lonesome Rowan (Chris Upson) / CC BY-SA 2.0

I hope everyone has a happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!

yesterday was a good day

You know those little things in life, that if you made up a list of your favorite things they might not be on it? But when they do happen they make you smile because you realize just how much you love them. Yesterday I had five of those exact things happen.
First: Compliments from old people you don't know. Unless your a sad mean person that despises all things vintage, I think most everyone appreciates a completely unexpected encouraging word from a grandparently like person.
Second: Grocery shopping. Because I'm in college Mom tends to do the shopping when I'm not around. I forget how much I love just walking up and down the aisle gathering the food we need or might like to try for the next week or so. A lot of people say that they hate grocery shopping, but I find it so therapeutic and relaxing that it almost made me be like "Forget it! Never again will I go to a class because I must go shopping!". Well, not quite, but almost....
Third: This one goes hand in hand with the second one, but it still is a little different. I'm always so happy to find out that my favorite organic Wallaby Banana Vanilla yogurt is on sale. I just love it! It is thinner then other yogurts, but has so much flavor. And you have to admit Banana Vanilla is just way too fun to say. Go ahead try to say it out loud, I know you want to:)
Fourth: When you go to a store to find something specific, but your still unsure of what you want exactly, and after a few misses you finally find it. You can practically hear the hallelujah chorus and you feel like dancing for joy. Because despite all odds against your ideas of what you might have had in mind, as soon as you see it you know that that was what you were looking for after all.
Fifth: When your in a store and you hear one of your favorite songs playing. Often you tune out the background music because you either hate the song, have never even heard it before, or are just trying to ignore it in general. But on those occasions when that one song comes on that I just happen to love, my whole day becomes just a little bit brighter, and I often will find myself singing along much to the embarrassment of not only my family, but myself as well.

I seldom actually think of these things when they are happening, It's usually at the end of the day, while reminiscing the ups and downs that I think "oh, that was really funny!" or "That lady really was nice". I find that it's often the most overlooked things in life that I find the most pleasure in, the seemingly unimportant joys that float into my life and leave it's mark somewhere in between pure happiness, and that quirky surprise

Happy Days

You know those days when you wake up and all you want to do is roll over and try to forget that you saw that little hour hand almost completely diagonal, and then there are the other days when you feel like "release me you blankets of bondage!" as soon as you wake up? Honestly I'm not sure what that has to do with my post, but I was just thinking about that right now.
Anyhow, I have been in an incredibly good mood these last few days for no blatant reason besides that it's just so much more enjoyable to be happy, then unhappy. Wouldn't you agree?
The strange thing about being in such a great mood is that I have had some reasons to not be in a good mood.
I'll start back on Wednesday, which is the day I started my happy high.
After Aural Perception I was in a tired daze, a little mopey, and not talkative at all. Aural P always wipes me out, especially if we have to do dictation (which I stink at). So I came home all "I don't know", "OK", "sounds fine" to my poor family, who sadly has to deal with all my negativity. I went through the normal nightly routine, and then decided that I should listen to some music. Always a cheerer upper. So I was listening to some of my more upbeat songs and I was like "I really want to dance". So before my feet and brain had a full communication, I was up and jumping to 99 Luftballons. That is were my metaphorical life started on a brighter path.
Thursday I went to school and even though I was really nervous about a speech I had to give, I was still in a good mood. Hey, I even broke out in the Banana Boat song in Costco (ask Hannah if you want verification).
Friday I went to a piano concert and I don't know about you, but getting dressed up always makes me feel so good. I love that mental haze you get when you have put on perfume and take a drive. Like, I don't care if I'm in a VW bug, truck, or limo, I smell of something wonderful. Unfortunately are car got stuck in the driveway. Suddenly, I didn't feel quite so lovely, just useless. My mom called Dad and walked to the neighbors for help, while I clod in heals, stayed in the van. We got out pretty quick and where soon on our way. It was a really good concert (even if I was over dressed a little *blush*). The pianist has traveled all over the world playing and just recently came back from the Middle East. She is fantastic at her trade.
Today was the "big" day. The same pianist that I had listened to the night before, I was going to play my Mazurka. I'm not really sure what to call it because it wasn't a performance because pretty much every one's song was still in the process of becoming "their song", and it wasn't an adjudication because we weren't being judged. What it was about was we (meaning the students) would play our songs and then the lady Dr. Jody Graves, would come up and work on it with us to help teach the other teachers there how to teach. Like with one kid she worked on how to sit on the chair correctly, another on dynamics, and so on. With me she helped me with the opening tone, and also worked on getting all the notes in this one measure. Overall, she was really funny and personable. At one time, taking my hands, Jody exclaimed "your hands are so cold" and taught everyone this exercise to warm our hands up. It was defiantly an experience that I will remember.
So, I'm still in a good mood surprisingly enough. Some more things that adds to my superb mood is that homework wise I don't have too much, I'm in my comfy cloths a.k.a pajama pants and a cami, blogging, and planning on making a pizza and chocolate coconut cookies. Life is good, you just have to believe it.

S.A.D.

I'm so tired of grey and white: Grey sky, white ground, white sky, grey ground. It seems to never change. On those few days it is actually sunny it feels wonderful (even if it is only like 10 degrees out). This winter has felt so long. I've heard someone say something along the lines that we have only had around 12 sunny days this whole winter. I can't wait for summer, forget spring, I just can't wait for Summer. I believe this is why they throw Valentines Day right in the middle of the gloomiest month; to get some color into this world. Now it's white...., grey....., PINK, and RED! The change is somewhat a welcome. I'm normally not a Valentines Day person, but this year I have been having fun with some crafts.

A few weeks ago I started making lots of cards. I first drew an anatomically correct heart card, then moved to somewhat morbid cards, to well, even more morbid. I eventually decided that I needed to tone it down a little and started sketching these S.A.D. little people. Yesterday I found this neat craft on a blog where you wrap yarn around a wire. It was a little frustrating at first, but I eventually figured it out. I think it would be fun to do names or sayings with this technique. Lastly I found these instructions on how to make these paper flowers on Green Wedding Shoes, and on a whim decided to give it a try. I like the way it turned out, but seriously what do you do with a huge paper flower once it's done?

Besides these few crafts I haven't done too much in the creative department. My life mostly consists of homework, and because I have been a little sick lately; naps, lots of naps.

I hope everyone has a great Valentines Day this year even if you don't have a special person in your life. It's so easy to find someone or something to love. Just look around and tell them you love them. It can be your parents, siblings, dog, random person on the street, I don't care maybe you even love that flowering bush in your room. God gives us so much love everyday the least we can do is spread it around a bit.

*Yawn*

So, I'm settling back into my old routine quite well; wake up, feel tired, do homework, feel even more tired, go to bed, and so on. This is what my "off" days are like, the other ones look more like this; wake up, feel tired, go to classes, feel exhausted, then go to bed. See the resemblance?
OK, it's not all that bad, but I have to admit it the new sleep schedule is killing me. Although (here is were you applaud) I have been getting to bed closer to 12, rather then around 1:30ish! So I'm not sleep deprived or anything just *yawn* pretty sleepy 24/7.
This is what my new schedule looks like for this semester;

Monday: Piano lessons, and Music Theory
Tuesday: Intro to Fiction, Sign Language, and Public Speaking
Wednesday: Aural Perception
Thursday: Same as Tuesday.
Friday: Homework, homework, homework, and possible some extra sleep:)
(In April I add Practical Botany which will add classes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)

So far this semester is looking similar to the last one, with the exception of speech and fiction. I think Public Speaking is going to be fun. On Tuesday I'm giving a how to speech on "How to jump out of a speeding car", which I'm both excited and terrified about. Also the teacher is really funny, so I'm looking forward to how that class will progress. Fiction I'm still not sure about, we haven't really done anything besides read yet. So far I don't really like it, but I'm really trying to keep a positive outlook and not hate it this early in the semester.
Although it's been over a month since I was at the college It doesn't really seem like it and I'm readjusting fast. I just hope I don't become overwhelmed in these next few weeks.

Times almost up!

I knew my break would go by fast and it did. I had over a month, but I start classes again tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. I have to admit, besides the constant dread of homework, and the stressful overburdened feeling I get on the not so rare occasion, I'm looking forward to getting back to a routine. For the last few weeks, besides the occasional "activity" I'm been completely bored! I have actually had days where I hesitated getting dressed, and some days spent the whole day in sweats, yes you heard me sweats (don't worry not the baggy guy type). So in honor of boredom I thought I would share with you some of my pointless endeavors that I have done in some of my more extreme states of boredom. I've drawn one too many pointless sketches. Watched almost a whole season of Bizarre Foods "cow stomach anyone?" I spent way too much time on the computer; Playlist, Pandora, Modcloth, Anthropologie (which is were the adorable jacket its from..I think), etsy, ebay, just to name a few.

Wrote around ten poems:

The Sorrow of the Stars

Time is blowing the leaves away

to a place so far unseen.

The stars they came and stole the day

and I'll see the last no more.

Why? I entreat the grass to talk.

Why drain the color so?

The birds look down at me they mock,

and with the wind they fade away.

Why flowers bloom ye then ye die?

Why goslings must they feather?

The rustling hillside webs a lie.

The clouds they part in sorrow.

Sun is shedding tears for me,

enamored with my woe.

Infringing on the Willow tree,

I hide my voice among it's bark.

Time has blown the leaves away

to a place I once had been.

The stars did show me their dark day,

to watch with them forever more.

I've done other things like sewn a skirt, did some logic problems (In my most insane state of boredom), baked a lot (I'm suffering for it), and although I can't think of anything else I did, I might have done something somewhat worthwhile.... I hope.

Sunrise Sunset

Have you ever had something that you love to do, yet somewhat terrifies you? For me it is skiing. I don't really know why, but for some reason every time before we go skiing I get horrid butterflies. I'm not afraid of crashing, dieing, falling in a tree well, or any of the common phobias, so I don't really know why I get this way. But as the 10th came creeping up, the day I was to go skiing I was looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.

Yesterday was the day. The 10th. I'm here blogging so I most likely didn't die, break my arms, am in a coma, or still suffocating in a tree well. I can't garantee it, but I think if I go next year I might not look at it quite so dismally.

We have to get ready to go much earlier than I like (I'm NOT a morning person). It takes almost an hour to get to the top of the mountain, but it was beautiful ride watching the sun rise over the snow laden mountains. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, well it could have been about 15 degrees warmer, but beside being negative something, it was gorgeous. If you have ever been skiing on Whitefish Mountain/Big Mountain on a clear sunny day, you know exactly what I saw. When your riding up the ski lift, moving your fingers trying to keep them warm, you look behind you and you can practically see the whole Whitefish era. The lake looks like a glass mirror, and a faint mist dances over the town. It is an incredible sight.

But let me back up. When we first got there we went to get our stuff on and then headed outside for the class. There really wasn't nearly as many people as are normally in the class, and the whole mountain was practically bare (probably because it was FREEZING!). Anyhow, I was in a class with Luke, Christan, Mr. Vestal, and four other people, two of which were snowboarders because they didn't have enough to have a full class. I think it was one of the best classes I've ever been in. The instructor Mike was great. He kept us right at our level and gave us lots of good tips. We did go to the top of the mountain, but we never did anything that I felt uncomfortable doing. I actually really enjoyed skiing this year. Last year I felt like the class was just a little too advanced for me so it was stressful, but this year it was just right, except I missed skiing with you Hannah!

Like I said earlier, twice I think, it was so cold. I was well bundled up, but my fingers and feet kept going numb, and my nose was quite pink. I think they said that it was negative 5 at the top, and around three at the bottom. I believe it. After the class was over I skied two runs with Luke but then went inside. I wasn't really tired, but just didn't have the umph to go on.

On the way home I actually napped which was unusual for me to sleep in a car, I guess I was a little more tired than I had thought. I'm glad I went, and now have a happy feeling about skiing which I hope lasts. I don't think I will get to go again this year, maybe, but with classes and homework about to begin again, I doubt it. Sorry don't have any pictures, Kermit took some, but I never did.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Cross, Blackout

As some of you know, or read on my previous post, one of the things I didn't accomplish this last year was donating blood. I'm not a big resolution person considering I seldom keep them, so I decided this year instead of doing "resolutions" I would make a list of things to get accomplished. An actual list that I could check things off of. I'm a big list person. I could write out my whole life just to have that satisfying feeling of crossing something out.
Yesterday, I told mom that the only day I could donate blood was tomorrow because we are going skiing next Monday and after that I'll be starting college again soon so unless I did it that next day I probably wouldn't be able to do it until summer. Mom wasn't thrilled with going to town so she hooked me up with a ride with Tina Vestal "that" day. It was around 1ish and I was happily lazing around in my home clothes when mom said Tina would pick me up in about a half an hour to take me. Wow, I was like "OK, are you sure?". I got ready really quick and even though I hadn't expected to go that day, still I got in the car and left.
Tina dropped me off at the Red Cross and I went in read their forms, got checked to see if I was anemic (I wasn't), answered their questions on the computer, and sat down in the chair. I'm a little squeamish around needles so I wasn't sure how I would do with the whole thing. I'm the type who asks allot of questions (my inner five year old coming out). He rubbed this yellow gunk over my arm, and when I asked about it he said it was iodine. I was supposed to squeeze this foam ball to I think keep my vein up or something, and when he was sticking the needle in I just looked away, and after a quick poke I was fine. I'm good around blood, so I was just watching it fill my little blood bag down below me. I was surprised on how well I was doing I asked the man questions about like how much blood I could lose without dieing, how long is average for it to take, and other stuff like that. I tried not to be annoying, but I think I just came that way. Tina came to see how I was doing and how long I would be and decided she had time to run to Costco. Not too long after she left I started feeling a little woozy. Like kind of sick, but not too bad. I started hearing/feeling my heartbeat and then the world started imploding around vision and I was enveloped by blackness.
I had a dream I don't remember of what though, something green and white and boxy, and then the nurses or whatever they are were around me. If you have ever passed out you know what I'm talking about when I say waking up is the weirdest experience ever. I had to literally convince myself that going to donate blood was not a dream and that I was actually there, and willed myself to wake up. My forehead was really sweaty and I felt woozy. They handed me a puke bucket even though I didn't feel the need too, and put a screen around me. I saw the man taking the needle out of me and even though I could barely see I was pretty coherent. I asked if he got enough and he said no, and that they couldn't use it. That made me sad, but there was nothing I could do about it. After laying in the chair for a few minutes they asked if I thought I was good enough to sit at the table and I honestly did feel good enough. I sat at the table and drank a bottle of water. The people were really nice and kept asking me if I was OK like every 30 seconds. About two minutes later when the one lady asked if I was doing OK, I almost answered yes, when I didn't feel too hot anymore. They came over to lay me down in the chair again and halfway there I started to go. I told them that I was going under, and that I was almost gone. By the time they got me to the table they were three black creatures guiding me over. They told me to stay awake I think I replied with a "Ahh". They said to keep my eyes open and move my feet around. I did and the world started to materialize again. After a few moments I stated that my ears felt funny, and they did, like water pressure when you swim too deep.
It took awhile before I moved back to the table and felt good enough to leave. They said the reason I passed out was my body hyper reacting to having it's blood taken away, like "Help, I'm dieing here!". If I drink a lot of water and fill up with protein before I go next time, I should be fine. The more I give blood the more immune my body will become to loosing that much.
Overall even though I wasn't able to actually donate blood, I'm still glad I did it. I might have to wait until the Summer to do it again, but now I know what to expect and how to prepare, so I will be ready.