"It's too hot to handle" -Cruel Summer

I need this.
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Originally, I had about 8 paragraphs written about how life is bringing me down at the moment. I had typed about how my time is consumed with school or nothing at all. I started to comment about how hard a long distance relationship is. Deviling deeper, I was brought to think about how my life really isn't how I pictured it when I first began college or, hell, this past school year.

Then I remembered.

It's ok.

It's ok to be down. I can grieve for what could have been. Being angry is not a sin. But more importantly, it's ok, because everything will work out.

Yeah, I might not be where I think I need to be. Things can be falling apart and completely out of control, but God has a plan for me. He knows what I need, and He will deliver. I can be frustrated at not understanding what the hell He has planned. Yet, being frustrated and not having faith are two totally different things.

I have faith that He will take care of me. God will not leave me out to dry whether it's about a summer class or relationships or my future career. But sometimes it's hard to know when or what I should do.

"Oh God, why do you make it so hard?! Why do I feel rotten?," is something that I have found myself crying out lately.

Even though He's already given me the answer (to trust in Him), it doesn't make life a walk in the park all the time. Through it all, I try to remember.

It's ok.

hagandaaz.

"Ever since the accident she did both - laugh and cry - at unexpected moments." - A Soft Place to Land

This past weekend I embarked on an adventure. I flew up to Baltimore, Maryland to visit my boyfriend. It was not the first time I flew nor was it the longest flight I have ever been on (flying to Japan takes the cake), but it was the first time I flew all by my lonesome. I was a bit nervous, but I was even more nervous about sitting in between two strangers.

In order to calm my nerves, I bought a book. Buying books always brings a soothing feeling for me. This time I picked up A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White. Little did I realize that this book was not the best choice to read while flying in a plane.

Right from the very start, I was introduced to Naomi and Phil Harrison. They are a couple who have two daughters, Julia, Phil's stepdaughter, and Ruthie. In the prologue, Julia and Ruthie recount how their parents died in the Spring of 1993. Ruthie was in seventh grade and Julia was a sophomore in high school. Quickly, I discovered that Naomi and Phil were killed in a plane crash.

"Great," I thought to myself. "I'm about to board a plane, and I'm reading about how people died in a plane crash."

Atlanta, Ga. is the home of Julia, Ruthie and myself.

I made it through the prologue while sitting in the plane on the runway for a rain delay. While waiting, I started to read about what happened to the sisters after their parents slipped away from them. Before I knew it, I was sucked into the life of Ruthie: how she was forced to leave her life behind in Atlanta and start anew in San Francisco, how her relationship with her sister was influenced by outside forces and how the death of her parents continued to haunt her. The one constant in Ruthie's life is her sister.

Soon the story moves from Atlanta to San Francisco.

Even though she becomes somewhat bitter towards Ruthie, Julia is always Ruthie's big sister. She tries to protect Ruthie from blows life has thrown their way. Through her protectiveness, Julia ends up hurting Ruthie. And Ruthie, in turn, hurts Julia by blaming her for their parents deaths. However, throughout reading the book I couldn't help but think about a saying that I learned early on.

I don't know how many times I have heard the saying, "You can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends." My mom was fond of saying this to me when I was younger. She would use it for when I would have problems with friends or when I would fight with my younger brother. It's true. No matter what, I know that my family is going to be there. For me, I will be forever linked to my brother. Ruthie and Julia are also forever linked together; they have their disagreements, but in the end their sister is there for the other one.

Myself and Nick, my younger brother, at a Braves game!

I enjoyed the book. The beginning and middle were full of colorful characters, experiences and memories from Ruthie. Yet, the ending is lacking. I found myself wanting to know more about a certain discover and how several things played out. But I understand why the author ended the way she did. I had traveled with Ruthie and Julia from 1993 to the present day. They didn't know how these things turned out, so I wouldn't either.

Overall, I was left with a greater appreciation for my family. I know that we will continue to have our disagreements, and push each others buttons. Yet, through it all, I can always be sure that my brother will have my back and be there when I need him the most no matter how far the distance.

Do I think you read this novel, then call your sibling (or closest person to it) and tell them you love them?

I think so.

4 out of 5 roses.

"Girl, where did you find that?" - Woman at Goodwill

As a college student I am forced to find cheap entertainment. Often I relish being able to go visit a state park for $3 or renting a movie for around $5. However, I absolutely positively enjoy going to thrift shops and browsing. Today myself and my partner in crime, Maygen, went to some of our favorite haunts - the Goodwill's in our hometowns.

Our goal for the day was to search for items to go in our "apartment" at Berry. In the end, we each found something that we plan to use in our homey space. I found these wonderful plates that appear unbreakable. Maegan discovered this red teapot along with six matching cups. We were able to quickly establish that these too are resistant to our touch (Maeghanne dropped one in the Goodwill ). Yet, we stumbled across these items, because we combed the store including the clothes, toys and pictures.

Maigeen with part of her lovely tea set.

Thrift shops and places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army never cease to amaze me. Because of them, people are able to embrace one of the 3 R's: reduce, REUSE and recycle. By receiving donations from people in the community they serve, these places reuse pretty much everything. I have not found a better example of turning someones trash into another's treasure. They have become the means of how a community takes care of its own.

I am also drawn to these establishments because of the people. The people who work there, the ones who shop and the individuals who donate. You never know what or who you are going to bump into at the Goodwill. Just today Megan and I "ran into" some people she new at her local Goodwill. We also had several conversations with people about what they were looking for, what we had at the time or some sparkly shoes. At these places, people are not snobs. Weird, maybe. But what they truly are is a community.

Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't go to these places. I have more than I need. In fact, I have to clean out my closet a lot. Often I combat the feeling that I am taking something away from someone who truly needs it. Then I look at my dinosaur cookie jar or my other new purchase (seen below) and those thoughts fly out the window. Honestly, who buy these things other than me?

The newest member of my Goodwill treasures.

Goodwills and other establishments like them are treasure troves. Not only of the material kind, but of the person kind.

Do I recommend going to the Goodwill, playing dress-up, digging through a bunch of crap to find that one item that calls to you, and making sure that you race a dump truck there?

Do I even have to answer that question? I think it's kind of obvious.

5 out 5 roses.

Below are several finds from our day at the Goodwills. They pretty much rocked our socks.

You can even buy hair there! I defintaly saw Meegan eyeing this peice.

These gloves were the apple of several people's eye (hence the title of this entry).

According to Maygean, she needs more feathers in her wardrobe. I agree.




The dress that reduces your breast size.

The dress that got away. My one regret is I didn't buy it :(

Pretty in Pink!

I should have gotten this one too. Oh well, there's always next time.

I can only hope this was a bridesmaid's dress.

This. Dress. Is. Awesome. Period.

The granny look.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

On another note, sorry for not posting recently. I was on vaykay with my family, and I will soon be flying to Merryland at the end of this week. I hope to have another review up by next Monday at the latest.

What have I gotten myself into?

I am challenging myself for a year. Really challenging myself. I don't know if it's because I'm slightly masochistic or really passionate, but I'm doing it. I am giving up meat (I can still eat seafood though) for a year starting today June 1st. I have my reasons for doing this. Having thought through them all and contemplating this for awhile (well about a month or more), I think I can do it. My reasons are as follow (in order of importance/impact):

1) It will broaden my horizons in the realm of food. I like a lot of foods, but to be honest, I'm a pretty picky eater. Since my earlier years, my palate for different taste and textures has grown. However, I often find myself getting tired of eating the same type of stuff over and over (mostly something with chicken). By doing this I am going to be forced into trying new things, which brings me to my next point.

Color, color and some more color.

2) Bye Bye Comfort Zone. Hello I-really-don't-want-to-do-this Zone. Like I said above, I am going to be forced into trying new things...even when I really don't want to.


3) Saving the environment. The meat production industry uses a lot of water to process meat. This is water that could be used somewhere else. The rain forest is mostly being cut down so that cattle have more room to graze. The amount of corn that is used during meat production is ridiculous. Land that is farmed for corn could be used for something else.

If my biology class taught me correctly, cows aren't supposed to eat corn, right?

4) Treatment of animals. Don't get me wrong. I love a good hamburger, some chicken or bacon anytime. I really do, but honestly I want something to have a semi-happy life before I eat it. I mean what if we were being farmed to eat? You would probably want a kind of blissful exist before the slaughter.


So those are my reasons. You can like them or leave them. Either way, I have started this journey. Be prepared for an entry every now and then about this, because I'm sure that when I go through the massive cravings, well, you'll know.

Tonight I will not review my experience, but hopefully there will be one at the end of all this. Wish me luck and keep smelling the roses!

Clauds