checking in & ramblings

So this week has not gone exactly as planned, but that is life! :) I was called in early to work, so I have postponed my final until Saturday. Thank goodness the online testing center is open 7 days a week! I did not jog in the last 2 days, but my ankle is needing a rest from the impact. I walked 2 miles each day, so I don't feel too much like a couch potato... or a spud, as James likes to call me. :) I am hoping to get my follow up x-rays done a bit early this time, to see how my exercising is affecting the spots on my last xray. I do not like that the doctors are unsure if they are cysts or if the tumor growing again. The fear hits me some days, but most of the time I choose hope.

My church meeting and my photo shoot that were scheduled for SUnday have both been postponed, which I appreciate. I need that day of rest to recharge! Ah rest... how I love thee and need thee. I LOVE working with kids, but they suck energy like cute little tics. :)

I find myself consistently stopping each day and thinking that life is good. We have officially been living in Boston for 9 months. Through the surgery, recovery, worrying about finding a job, adjusting to roommates, and everything else that came with this transition, we have managed to find in this city a feeling of being home. I look forward to next year, starting fresh with no ailments, with our own space, and without the worries of financial instability. The personal "weeding" I have done within my relationships has been painful, but has also brought a peace that I have never felt. I know I will be dealing with feelings of loss, evaluations of boundaries, etc, for a long time, but it is a step I had trouble making in the past. The freedom that comes with boundaries is a bit shocking! Lastly, these steps to personal health (the cutting of excessive sugars/refined grains, the daily exercise, the slow changes to my sleeping patterns) have been so greatly influenced by my environment. I am baffled how someone could live in this city and not want to be their healthiest. I love Boston and I truly wish more of my loved ones could experience this city. I can't begin to describe how wonderful it is. To live in a place that values education, health (not being skinny & tan, but HEALTHY), being involved in the local community (and helping the global community), good food, museums of all shapes and sizes, health care reform, etc etc etc... I mean come on... we have the Sam Adams Brewery! :) haha. But seriously, I have come to think of Boston as one of the greatest cities, and I am happy to see how living here has changed my life.

A fluffy pooch has jumped in my lap and demanded my attention. While I am excited to have some space in my on apartment next year, I will dearly miss Igor the wonderpooch. I must take advantage of every opportunity with his sweet little face. On that note, I am signing off. Au Revoir!

Just so you know...

Music Mondays- busy bee

I am patiently waiting to buy tickets to the upcoming David Gray/Ray Lamontagne tour (and want to pee a little with excitement just thinking about it). In honor of that, here is a video of David Gray. As Alison just said... Here's hoping I don't pee my pants!




I have a crazy busy week ahead, so this may be the last time I am on before my next music monday. Then again, when I'm crazy busy, I suddenly get the urge to write on here. Is it procrastination? Is it simply that I need an outlet? Who knows. Maybe both.

My schedule this week:


Monday:
Gym (check)
Post blog (check-ish!)
Run errands for Cutlers
Take final (please do good please do good)
Work the afternoon

Tuesday:
Work 7am-6pm
Jog... somewhere in here!

Wednesday:
Gym
Clean house
Work 1230-6

Thursday:
Jog
work 1230-overnight


Friday:
work midnight-6pm (finish overnight with girls)

Saturday:
Church spring clean up
Work: late afternoon - evening

SUnday:
Church meeting
Photo shoot


Lather, rinse, repeat.

:)

Day of Rest

I have come to realize that I do not like having plans on Sunday. I typically reserve Sunday for de-cluttering and rejuvenating. A typical Sunday morning (such as this), I can normally be found taking stock of everything I want to take care of. On this day, I find great joy in doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, reviewing stacks of letters and bill that need response. There is time to have a healthy breakfast. I feel motivated to do homework. My afternoons are usually filled with photo editing, reading, and a blog if there is time. :) A walk is thrown in at some point. We end our day at church (I love having an evening service). There is something so refreshing about this day. It may not sound like rest, but to me it is.

Don't get me wrong, not every Sunday is spent inside. I also love having no plans on this day because of the freedom that it provides us. I spontaneous trip to the coffee shop, lunch with friends in the area, a jog to the local park. Perhaps hopping on the train and spending the day in Cambridge. I enjoy these outings quite a bit. I simply prefer to not have my Sundays committed to any specific event. I love having a day set aside to do whatever I want/need. I find this necessary to a healthy soul.


How do you spend your day of rest?



In other news, we spent a good 10 minutes of our morning naming this fine fellow...



Meet Borrislav Hippolytos Romanov IV. He comes from a long line of bunny royalty that date back to the finest pets in the House of Romanov. Or so his papers say.

New Look, new thoughts (sort of)

I get bored so easily. I used to rearrange my room every few months, and I always loved changing the art on my walls. I realized the one time I felt commited to my original decor was when I had the chance to paint and really coordinate everything. Even then, however, I still swapped out knick knacks. :) Having to live significantly more on the frugal side, I have had to curb that habit. However, I am still making changes where I can. Today, it was on my blog!

James and I have only 2 more months in our current apartment. While most of me wishes James could have moved up to the PhD early for practical reasons (James being closer to finishing, the extra $, etc), I recently have found myself thinking about the little joys that would have come with it. Not knowing 100% if we will be here in just over a year means there is a lot we have to hold back on. We likely won't be painting in our new home, not knowing if the investment will be worth it. We do not feel right getting a puppy since we do not know if we will be uprooting again (every time I think of this, I run to Igor and hug him). I am enjoying classes but will be disappointed if I finish my prerequisites but then can't continue in a program here. One thing that makes me feel good is knowing that I will be here as long as I am needed full time for work, and hope to be here longer because I LOVE the girls I work with. I am so happy here... I would love to finally feel settled!

Music Mondays- inspired

Todays seal of Awesomeness goes to those around who continue to amaze and inspire me with their talents & endless creativity. I realized that most of the people I keep close are pretty creative. Their life and the things they create are beautiful and inspired. Within my immediate family alone, there is a writer, an artist (with many outlets), a budding weaver, a designer, and a photographer. I was recently told my family was an artistic powerhouse. My friends continually blow me away, be it in their careers (this week alone I saw a friend perform in Cats, and visited another to view the exhibit he runs for worldvision), their hobbies (blogs, photos, music, painting, ), right down to their day to day habits (cooking, the eloquence of a simple email, DIY projects). I was speaking with a friend of the family I work for, and after answering a few of her questions, she paused and then simply said "the people in your life sound incredible". I just smiled and replied "they are". :)

On that note, here is the new music video from Stomacher. The lead singer is someone who is not as present in my life anymore, but whose years as friends I will always cherish. :)

Christian is sadly my new dirty word

I can't help it. I so frequently find myself wishing there was another word I can call myself. Frankly, I don't think God would blame me if I started saying I am not a Christian. Maybe that is a bit far. I guess that I don't like calling myself Christian. The word is so overused, so tainted. I do not believe it stands for much good anymore, it is so rarely associated with what the true definition is. I used to think that the people who gave it a bad name were just those few loud and crazy, but I am realizing that the loud and crazy are larger than I realized. I am not one who will say "they are not REAL Christians", because I think that they believe in what is at the core, they believe they need salvation. It is everything else that baffles me. Every single grey area in the bible that is so twisted to match some political agenda or some ideology that makes them feel superior (while saying they are humbled in it). I have a lot of pride, and I know that. It just physcially hurts when I see the growing numbers who are so closed minded. I am disgusted by those who speak Christianese and still somehow think what they have to say is deep and profound. Most people's take on the bible has much to do with their own personal desires and worldview. "Love the sinner, hate the sin"... what does that really mean? Because I think the way Christians tend to live that out is completely ass backwards.

Christianity is supposed to be based on the person and the teachings of Christ. I simply do not see that within "the body" anymore.

As always, I love God, I love Jesus, I need salvation. I do my best to understand what he tried to teach. I just think we are a disgrace to it.



** EDIT:
I then am blessed to read things like this and remember I am not alone
http://jenny-willis.blogspot.com/2010/04/kingdom-is-rich-soil.html

Honesty

It's like being pregnant... you either are or you aren't

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

sometimes you don't.




(unless you're this guy, then you're just screwed)

I have had so much I wanted to write about and yet I can't seem to find *cough*make*cough* the time. So here are the bullet points:

- I decided I would like to run a 10K in the fall. It is a women's only run, with the course covering my favorite scenic views of Boston. http://www.tuftshealthplan.com/tufts10k/. I have never even ran 1 mile before. The training makes me feel a bit pathetic, as I currently can't run more than 1 lap without having to walk for a bit. However, the constant work outs for 7 months is plenty of time. Phew. Does anybody want to join me?





-I went to Game 2 of the Sox/Yankees opening series. They lost, but I definitely enjoyed myself. I also have found myself keeping up with other games both online & on the radio, and I question if my body has been taken over by an alien.





- I like work. Work is good. :)






-I met my new Doctor, and I think she is fantabulous. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon.


And lastly, since it is a music monday,and I'm excited for Glee to return this week, here is my song of the day:

Music Mondays- will they ever be on the right day? :)

In honor of the Game tonight, I play a video that makes me jealous I was not there on Sunday. :)



So good!

100

I just scored 100% on my midterm for Drug Calculations. There is a good chance I'm prancing as you read this.

:)