Only Recently Well Read

Growing up I tried lot of different activities. I danced, I sang, I played sports. There is a long list of hobbies that I took part in, but listing them here would bore you to tears. I tried just about everything. With every new opportunity, I knew it was going to be the one thing I would do for life. It never was. I enthusiastically persuaded my parents allow me to take piano lessons. I quit two years later due to lack of interest and talent. I begged to take dance. I quit that too due to lack of interest and talent. I tried out for cheerleading, made the squad and asked for parental sponsorship for all of the uniforms and fees required. I quit after a year. The list goes on and on. Somethings lasted a month, others last years, but in the end. I did not seem to be as interested in them as I thought I would be in the beginning. I would guess a lot of kids were like this. Some were forced to stick with what they asked for. I pitched fits frequently. So eventually, I was always allowed to give up.

Of all the things I "loved" doing as a child, reading was not one of them. I hated it. I liked being read to. I liked the stories. The act of reading myself was miserable. I learned to read pretty early, but it was not my great passion. Reading was what the kids that were socially challenged did. I was socially inclined. Reading was not for me. Fortunately, my parents made me read anyway. In elementary school, all I wanted was to get my ears pierced. But getting them pierced would cost me. 11 chapter books. I tried negotiating a low price, but was denied. The parents held firm to their price. So, I quickly skimmed through them and received two holes in my ears. In high school, I read one book per summer of my summer reading and spark noted the rest. Reading was slow, uninteresting and antisocial. After graduating, I picked up a copy of Pride and Prejudice. I was no longer forced to read. I would not be test on any material. I figured it was worth a shot. Something changed. I loved it! I immediately started reading everything I could get my hands on. All of the books I skipped reading in high school I read. I bought new books. I read and read and read. I had found what I loved to do and it was wonderful. Every book opened up a new world and new adventure. Each one was different. It didn't get old. So far, I still love to read. I'm hoping this is one of those things that sticks around for life. I don't consider myself a well read person. There is so much more to read and know. It's difficult to know where to begin. Books are like people. Each one is so uniquely different. You can't just lump them all together and define them. You have to get to know them. You can judge a book by its cover, but you might be horribly wrong.

Oklahoma to Alabama to Oklahoma to Alabama to...

Living over 700 miles from where I grew up sometimes gets a little complicated. I love my family and want to be there for every activity that happens. But I love my friends in Norman and want to be there for every activity that happens. This can be difficult when there are things going on in both places. Especially around the holidays. As of Tuesday at 1:30pm, I became officially unemployed. That's exciting. I was offered a job at Republic Bank and Trust, but regretfully turned it down due to family commitments and weddings I am involved in and promised to be in or at. I am happy with that decision. (I guess I shouldn't have said regretfully then). Over the past couple of days I have been concerned with how I am going to make it financially until I return to Norman in mid-January to see what other job opportunities I could find. I have brainstormed different part time seasonal businesses I could start...Annie Mac's Holiday Snacks seemed to be the best of all. Basically, I would send out something to people that have Christmas parties in Huntsville and see if they need someone to bake things for them. And then they'd pay me. Simple right? I think so. I will still potentially do that.

Today, my dad called me and told me some happenings at ministry he runs in Huntsville. They are in need of someone to work at their preschool from now until the holidays. I said that I could do that. It seems like a pretty good deal. I will get to be at home for the holidays, getting paid and directly working with people. The downside, I already have a lot of plans in Oklahoma between now and Dec. 25. So, I will be in Huntsville for a week then drive to Tulsa for a few days then back to Alabama and stay for a little bit then back to Tulsa then back to Alabama then to Georgia and back to Alabama and then finally back to Norman. I'm going to need some good music. Suggestions?

Etsy

I've heard about Etsy for a long time, but have not spent a good deal of time looking through the stuff talented people all over the country make by hand! It's great! I am a sucker for hand crafted, one of a kind (or at least not mass produced) stuff. It is inspiring. I want to start painting again, learn to sew better and just do awesome stuff. I would also love to learn how to make pottery. Become a potter, as it were. Here are some of my favorite things I've seen on so far.



This is a watercolor print. You can buy it for $12. I really like the style of the trees.

This is a ceramic mug. ha. I like that it is just "brown" but there are so many other colors making it just brown. It can also be bought, but for $20.



This is a rubber stamp to put in your books. I would probably get it to say Anna McDowell rather than Stacey Burns. I think that could get confusing. $13.50

This seller has a lot of cute post earrings. I really like them. And they are only $4.50-$6.50. Right there is a deal for buy 3 get 1 free on all of the seller's stuff. Woot.

I guess that wraps up this post.

Job Update #3

I have a second interview on Wednesday for the bank job. That seems like good news. That's all I have at the moment.

Job Update #2

I have officially put in my two weeks notice at La Baguette. My last day will be November 10th. I'm pretty excited about this! No, I do not have another job at the moment. You might be thinking, "That's crazy!!" It probably is. But I do have two interviews this week. So, I am hoping that something great comes from one or both of those. The first one is today (Thursday) at a consulting company for a receptionist job. They work with companies to help them reduce the amount of energy they use. That seems pretty great of them to do that. Ha. The second one is tomorrow (Friday) at Republic Bank and Trust for a teller position. A bank is where people deposit and withdraw money...along with many other things. I am pretty excited that people are at least interested in talking in person with me. That seems promising. I am trying to trust God in all of this. He is faithful and good even when I am not. I am thankful for that.

Fictional Couples.

Over the past month or so the topic of fidelity among "fictional couples" has been addressed briefly several times. I am amazed at how in television and books we often hope the heroic person cheats on their tyrant of a spouse because the "other" person is SO much more likable. I think this all the time. For instance, in the television series, Glee, Will Schuester the show choir director is married to a woman, Terri, who outwardly lies to him about being pregnant, demands a better house and nicer things that are way out of their means of living, and manipulates his every move. The show does a good job of portraying as a terrible person to be married to. Will does his best to provide for her, takes on a second job but still does not reach her expectations. So, we don't like Terri...she's terrible. But we do like the guidance counselor, Emma. She is sweet and caring and is totally in love with Will Schuester. They are friends and talk often. The entire time I am watching this show I find myself wanting them to end up together, completely forgetting that he is MARRIED and she is engaged to someone else. This is something I feel like no one would be pulling for in real life. But for some reason in television, movies, books, theater or other made up media and art forms I find myself wanting things to happen to people that in real life would be awful and forever damaging to people. We hope people have affairs. We want people to get killed. We want what seems like will make that person happy in that moment, but neglect the overall affects of their decisions and the last results that it would have on the people if they actually existed. I find this interesting. And all the more evidence to our total depravity. I am not saying that we should not necessarily be watching or reading things that contain these things, but that I have become aware of what I am apparently hoping for with these people it completely contradicts what I believe in actual life. I don't feel like there should be such a divide. I could be wrong. This entire blog could be completely incomprehensible. My bad. Thoughts?

Job Update #1

My second round of job searching has begun! I spent all afternoon researching and applying to jobs personally and electronically. I am really hoping something materializes soon. I traded shifts with a girl at La Baguette, so I am not working on Thursday. That is good news because it gives me the whole day to beat down the doors of potential employers. My thought process is this...I'm not making much and my job is really not great, so I feel like I can find and easier job for the same amount of money. I am hopeful. I'll try and keep this updated. We'll see how that goes.

Kind of depressing and Concerts!!!!!!!

To update those that actually read this blog, my life is different than I expected. It has been a surprising roller coaster of trying to make life everything I want it to be. I think that is the problem. I need to let go of trying to MAKE it something it is not. I am trying to be everything to everyone and I feel like I am failing miserably. I think more than anything I am worn out. I wake up too early and go to bed too late and work really hard the 8 hours I am at work everyday. I am constantly wishing for a slow day or an early out...those usually don't happen, but it's a great day when it does! I am still looking for other jobs. I am hoping something more consistent and "real job" like comes up. I am praying. I am realizing that not getting enough sleep or rest makes me crazy. I have WAY over reacted to things that are definitely not big deals and really under reacted to things that are. It seems like in the past 5 years I have been pretty consistent in my reactions to things and I am unsure of my sanity.

On a good note, I am going to a lot of concerts this semester! Michael and I recently went to go see Blink 182. It was at least interesting. We were stuck in traffic for two hours in Dallas and missed the first two bands, but it turned out ok. Blink 182 are definitely entertaining in one way or another. ha. Also, on the line up there is U2, Brian Regan, Ben Folds, hopefully Regina Spektor and Jon Foreman with Switchfoot. I have decided I really like concerts and seeing bands and hearing music I listen to in my car on on my ipod. It seems like a worthwhile experience.

Things are going to get better. I am hopeful.

I'm no good at blogging

The last blog I wrote was all about how worried I was to move back to Norman and find a job. I have to tell you, it was pretty stressful. It's definitely possible that I made it more stressful on myself. I have good news though, I got a job!!! Praise to God for that! I basically spent half of every day for the first week I was back putting in job applications and talking to managers and driving around trying to find other places to apply. I just wanted something to start out with. I fortunately walked into La Baguette, a local french bakery and cafe, on a day that they were about to start sorting through applications for a new employee. They hired me that Friday and a started the following Monday. Not bad for 5 days worth of looking. I am not completely done searching for a job...I am going to stick with this one for awhile. A job with some money coming in is better than no job at all and no money at all. But I would like to be working somewhere with more of a set schedule. It is difficult to make plans for anything when your schedule for the week is set 12 hours before it starts. But I am thankful. God is good and he has provided!!

I also got a new roommate!! Her name is Natalie and she is awesome! She is the new OURUF intern. I am so excited about the year she has ahead of her and I am even more excited that I get to live with her and be her friend! She arrived on Sunday after 32 hours of driving from Florida. She spent yesterday unpacking and we rearranged the entire living room. I really like it! Sally won't even know her own house when she gets back. I miss Sally, but I am very happy to have someone here. The past three weeks of living by myself have been strange, quiet and at times a little scary (I can pretty much psych myself out over nothing). So, yay for new roommates!! It seems like people are slowly starting to return to Norman. I am looking forward to everyone coming back. So, hurry back please!!

The Same As Usual

So, I have done a very poor job keeping this thing updated on my life. Honestly, there isn't a whole lot to update. I've been living in Huntsville with my parents, working for my dad about 30 hours a week, visiting friends whenever I can, reading books, and searching for jobs back in Norman the best I can from 700 miles away. So far nothing has come of the job search. I have received a few leads on jobs, but they don't seem to materializing into anything. I am heading back to Norman next Friday (July 17th) to hopefully be reunited with one of my favorite roommates and possibly some other friends. After the weekend I will begin my job search in person and make these people want to hire me!!...or at least I hope that's how it will go. If any of you know of anything or anyone that is looking for someone to do work for them, even babysitting or whatever just to keep my going for longer, I would appreciate it.

I've recently started reading a book on prayer, A Praying Life by Donald Miller, which has made me think about prayer a lot more. I don't understand it. I know that I am supposed to be praying, but I have no idea how it works. I am cynical when things happen and I have prayed for them and I am angry when things don't happen and I have prayed for them. This doesn't seem like a good place to be in my prayer life. I feel like them more I read and research prayer, the less I understand about it, but, also the more I know that I need it. I know that God calls us to pray and that he works through prayers, but I don't know why or how. I want to know more and I am hoping to continue reading scripture and books about the reason for prayer, but I am almost certain this is one aspect of the Christian life I will never understand. Thoughts?

Not Sure

My year of interning has come to a close, as most of you know, and I will not be returning for a second year. However, I will still be living in Norman and sticking around the RUF community. I feel as if an era of my life has ended. The end of the school year and Summer Conference was extremely difficult for me. For the first time in five years, I am not expected to show up at RUF or really have to be involved at all. Of course, I still want to be there and will be, but it is not necessary since it is no longer my job and I am not a college student. I got my degree. (though it's not helping me out very much at the moment). RUF has been an huge influence in my life and I am sad to not be directly involved. I signed up for the internship and moved out to Norman expecting to do an amazing job and change lives and show people the Gospel, but instead I was shown the Gospel, my life was changed, and the people that I was hoping more to minister to ended up ministering to me. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to love and be loved by the students of OU. So many people have reached out to me and loved me and welcomed me into a wonderful community. Thank you to those that have done that.

The next couple of months I will be in Huntsville working for my dad and searching for a job out in Norman. I am hoping to return in the middle of July to seriously look for something to do. To be honest I have no idea what that will be and that is terrifying. I am not sure what is next for me in life. It will be different. People say different is okay, but I'm not sure.

Day of Fun

It's so nice to be back into the swing of things now that the semester has started. We had almost a full or week of normality, but this week OU has been closed for the past two and a half days due to ice and snow. I would definitely say there is more ice than snow though. It's white, but very VERY slippery. I think there is something so comforting about being inside and bundled up with a blanket and some tea. I almost feel as if time has stopped over the last couple of days. Groups of people have been getting together and hanging out, playing games, watching movies. Typically, my days are filled with meeting with people at specific times and a variety of activities that require me to show up relatively close when they start. It's freeing to not be constrained by time and have the ability to just go with whatever comes up and stay there as long or as short as I want. Timelessness. It's awesome. I feel like I have experienced that several times this week. I would like my whole life to be like that. I think being on time and setting times for things is an important and necessary thing to do for life. But ideally it would be great to live life as things come up and enjoy the moment you are living for what it is. I think I generally am somewhere else wherever I am. I can't say that the past two and a half days have been altogether impressive with what everyone did or conversations people had, but they have been so fun, unrushed, and low key. It has been great. I'm assuming the ice will be mostly gone by tomorrow and everything will be back to normal. That is exciting too. Woot. It's definitely been several days of fun.

2009

I am twelve days late on posting a new year's blog...but here it is. Yay 2009!!! 2008 was a great year for me...or the second half of it. Actually all of it had good things and good learning experience. I am excited to start another year and so far 2009 has been fantastic! I just got back from Winter Conference with RUF. There really isn't a better way to start your year than hanging out in Colorado with great people, great teaching and great scenery. It was beautiful. The only downside was the result of the National Championship game. I've gotten over it now. Actually, I was over it within 5 minutes once I realized that Ole Miss is actually the number one team in the nation, since they were Florida's only loss of the season. Woot! Hotty Totty!! I know that that is poor logic, but just let me be deluded into thinking that.

Also, in 2009 I got two new roommates. They two and a half days I have lived with them have been awesome!! It's going to be a great semester. I am so excited to see what this semester brings. I feel settled in Norman and hopefully interning will be ballin' this year. I am going to Peru for spring break with a couple of students and the RUF from the University of Texas. I'm really excited, but I have no idea what I am getting myself into. Peru Mission, the organization we are going to volunteer for, seems like an incredible organization. I can't wait to find out more about it and see how God is using the people in Peru to advance his kingdom.

Honestly, 2009 has a lot going for it right now. That's exciting. It's totally going to chumpatize 2008.