Jewels722 asked for….
“Mmm, your class, the music you've been listening to, deep thoughts, not deep thoughts, and your mom jokes.”I am a very eclectic music-listener. I go through about two week phases, where I will only listen to one genre religiously at a time. The most recent is Christian, but before that was country.
Deep thoughts as of late surround Chris West’s Theology of the Body. I was able to hear him last Wednesday. Once again, an amazing talk!
Not so deep thoughts…my IQ is possibly being brought down by watching the Office and Project Runway.
Your mom jokes… I do not know I have used many lately…. Just add “your mom” to any insult thrown at you and that is
how I roll.
The thelilflower asked for….About you and Billy! Things you've learned? Your life as a real-world adult? Life in general? Your spiritual life? Not a whole lot to say other then things are going very well. Time together usually includes Frisbee and eating my mom’s food :-p. The family loves him. Mom said if anything happens, he can stay and they wish me the best.
Life as a real-world adult is a bit tricky to answer as I do not find that I am quite there yet. I am not a full-time teacher, nor am I living on my own, two indicators that would consider me a full-fledged adult. Though I do pay rent to live at home (as I would prefer it), it still does not have the same feel of being out on my own.
The difference between school and life after school might be a better question to answer. The first thing that comes to mind is the stress level. It was certainly more extreme in college. Though I had an amazing time in college, staring at my computer with Kate Turabian’s book of hell on my lap all hours of the night to meet a 12noon deadline is not something I experience anymore.
There is an element of stress that goes along with teaching, but I do not find it to be a characteristic that defines me in my state of life. Granted, the stress of “finding a job” is substantial, but I know it will not be long-standing (at least I pray it will not be!). The most stressful of times for me are when they turn in papers. Yes, it is a lot of work for them to write the paper, but it is a lot more work for me to grade them!
The spiritual life has always been something that has had its ups and downs for me. While I do not think I am experiencing what Saint John of the Cross calls “The Dark Night of the Soul,” I do find myself combating apathy and laziness on a regular basis. I am currently reading Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. Though I am not thoroughly impressed with the book, he does bring up some very poignant ideas on how to live one’s faith. One thing he mentions is self-discipline and how essential it is to a life of prayer. Simply put, self-discipline is not something you accomplish overnight, but in the everyday decisions you make. So, to combat the apathy and “not feeling like praying today,” I remind myself that it is the little decisions that allow me to delve deeper in my spiritual life. Having Billy to keep me accountable is an enormous blessing and motivator, both for myself and for our relationship.
littlebook asked for…
Fun adventures, your relationships, frustrations, joys, what you'd do if someone gave you $500 to spend in a day...Fun adventures have included apple picking,
football games at Centreville High School,
trying to navigate around Stone Bridge High School,
venturing into DC for birthday celebrations
and visiting the National Museum of American History.
I have also greatly enjoyed adventuring down to North Carolina to spend time with Billy’s family. They are absolutely wonderful and I feel at home every time I am there.
Jeaniegirl5585 asked for….
books you've read. 
books you want to read. 
adventures you want to go on.Not exactly sure where I want to go. I know I want to go hiking before it gets too cold, and I would love to go to Europe. Maybe backpack…
zedland asked for…
things that really annoy - or surprise - youThe first thing that comes to mind that annoys me is going to sound so trivial, but it has become a pet-peeve of mine. I have noticed that a trend among girls is to put their hands on their hips and point their elbow straight out when taking pictures to make their arms look thinner. Which, I think it does, but now that I know this “tactic,” it is all I notice in the pictures Put your hands at your side, you are beautiful!
Things that surprise me… the self-centeredness among people. Perhaps I have been living in a bubble my whole life, but what I find shocking and horrid, others find completely normal. To completely disregards all others for the sake of oneself, the selfishness that goes along with it, is disgusting. Moreover, this is not just a few, but this is the trend. Then again, the selfishness of others does not necessarily surprise me… (but it does annoy me).
How good a cored apple, filled with a bit of butter and cinnamon and sugar, microwaved for three minutes, however, is surprisingly AMAZING.
ent from town to town going into shops, stores & mercantiles. He was very careful not to purchase anything that cost more than a nickel, where he would hand over one of these gold plated nickels. The clerk would accept the coin, and in most instances give Josh back $4.95 in change, which he happily would take. By the time law enforcement caught up to him, he had visited hundreds of towns & had amassed a small fortune!. 