New Shop/New Ventures/New Year

So I've created a lil shop on Cafepress with some funny t-shirts and things. Feel free to check them out~! Although you do need to magnify the t-shirts a couple of times to read the text, it's well worth it. :) It's a new venture and we'll see how it goes. :)

 Any feedback on design is most helpful. Thanks~!

http://www.cafepress.com/rooksforcrooks

Thanksgiving

I had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at my boyfriend's house this year. It was nice to make pecan pie and not worry about any other cooking. I have so much gratitude for Kevin. :) It was also nice to stay home on Friday and not worry about getting trampled to death. I usually get very annoyed at shopping malls and retailers this time of year; I can't stand the crowds and the hysteria.

I'm glad the weather is still nice, I finally had a chance to go my favorite park and it was beautiful. I love the fall.

November Naps

I love days like today when I could sleep in, read, and write without having to worry about getting anything particular done. Life can get so hectic sometimes that it's nice to just breathe.

I do miss going to the park and going hiking, though. Cold weather usually keeps me inside, but I might bundle up and go out-of-doors. I miss taking pictures!

It Ain't All Roses, but Good Wine Cures Many Evils

Yay~! I got the internship I was hoping for; I'm very excited! Remaining calm is a great strategy. Often things work out more easily when we're not busy panicking about them. :) This month has been very hectic with all of my school projects and things, so I'm quite glad that things are winding down and getting finished.

Not everything is roses, though. I found out there is one class that I will absolutely have to wait to take in the fall, which means an entire year's wait before I graduate (I had been preparing to graduate in the spring, except this one class is only in the fall-drat!). But I'm trying to take that in stride and not be too traumatized by it (although it's hard; I was really looking forward to graduating)!

I also read a piece in Western Humanities Review that got me to thinking about the plight of education and low-salaried teachers and this is what I've concluded:  

When we short-change our teachers with pay, it becomes a class struggle. The gap between the wealthy and the ever-shrinking middle class becomes more prominent when children and teenagers are not taught the value of an education. This, in turn, means that an entire generation of youth is primed to become an underpaid labor force. The rich become richer.

Hope vs. Snow

Yay~! Despite the snow, I'm feeling quite content and pleased with everything right now. Everything in my life seems to be coming together much more smoothly than before, and I also have an interview, which is always good news. I'm pleased with the progress I've made in the past year, especially with my writing. Although I have much to learn, I feel that my skills continue to grow at a fast pace. I'm so thankful for all of my wonderful professors at Weber State who have helped me along my path and encouraged my successes. ^_^

"Things Fall Apart"

Just like in Yeats' poem "The Second Coming," (and also the book by the title of Things Fall Apart, which I haven't read, but I hear it's quite good) this month has been pleased to "fall apart," by all manner of small and large things. Since my small corner of the universe is busy being in upheaval, I'm going to try to be the calm center of the storm.

Of course, we shall see how that pans out, but it's always a good idea to remind myself that it's not the end of the world (what with dental bills, classes that are MIA in my last semester before I graduate, job-searching, and too much homework, that's quite a tall order lol) but I must remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and more importantly, hot chocolate in the cupboard! :D

Music will be the center which I find myself, that, and meditation and gratitude until the storm washes out.

Gratitude

October has come and gone! Which is quite unfortunate because it's my favorite month, and Halloween is my very favorite holiday. Alas, I was too ill to enjoy it! I do enjoy November as well, though. This is a good time for me to consider all of things I'm thankful for.

A few of those things are my friends and family, my school, Weber State, and all of the little things in life that make my life more enjoyable like hot chocolate and Harry Potter.

The first real snow of the season has hit, and as one who despises snow, I will soon be wearing my winter boots and mittens and hibernating as much as possible. :)

September's Reflections

During September, I always get excited because it means the fall is coming.
I love the changing colors of the leaves, the cooler weather, and the upcoming Halloween season. It is also a time for reflection. Autumn for me is a time to become more serious, to set aside the frivolities of summer and roll up my sleeves and get to work, especially with writing.

Along with this more somber, yet joyful spirit, I also take time to reflect on the tragedy of September 11th and take a moment of silence to honor our lost loved ones that day. Although we lost many lives that day, the spirit and love those citizens brought to the world endures and lives on through the blood of their families, children, and friends. Courage is brought out in our greatest need and it did not fail us that day. The best of us is reflected in the love we have for each other and for humanity as a whole. United we stand.

So whenever I feel that things might be better, I look around and see those I love, and I know that no, it could not get any better than this. It is a beautiful world, after all.

Beauty Peeking Between the Looking Glass

We are a skipping stone, our love throws a ripple in the universe. We will know ourselves reflected in the eyes of another and soon we shall each see beauty beneath the sea foam, running in the currents of our veins and pouring forth into the world. Beauty peeks between the lavender shadows of twilight beneath the trees.  

All the world is beautiful, sometimes we just need to look in another person's looking glass to see the world with new eyes.

Remember to look.