I can't believe we're almost at April!
Update on my Grannie Gilbert: We're starting 24 hour care now. My shift starts on Friday morning for a few hours before I go into work. She saw her doctor on Monday and he said her disease is progressing alot faster than he would have liked and suggests bringing in Hospice soon. I'm guessing this is due to the cancer spreading to the liver. Once its there it can go about anywhere in the body.
When I was visiting with her a week ago, she was talking about an odd experience she had at her church a couple Sundays ago. The pastor had informed the church of her illness the previous Wednesday when she wasnt there, and the following Sunday she was of course almost knocked down with everyone coming up to give their sympathies. More than a few people, however, had a very important task for her when she eventually did enter Heaven. They wanted her to speak to their loved ones who had already passed on. They were very sweet messages, such as "Tell Daddy that I wrote a song about him." In her infinite knowledge, my grandmother agreed as to not upset the people, but also let them know that most likely their loved ones already knew. Still, I could not imagine the burden put on her shoulders because we truly don't know exactly how everything is going to work in Heaven. We know what the scriptures say, but its not that cut and dry when we get there.
April holds some exciting things. Alex gets to travel to Texas twice for business (Yay for having a job in the event industry in this economy!) It's my last full month of the semester and hopefully will find out if I can keep my job in the MTSU Career Development Center through the summer (Economy not helping on this one). And most importantly, the birthday of my personal little Superman, my nephew Matthew, who will turn 6. Can't believe it!
Hope you are all enjoying the erupting Springtime. It's rainy in Murfreesboro, hopefully giving good watering to my tomato plant!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
In connection to yesterday's post.
For some reason I make time for my online components. Of course, I have my trusty Blogger account. I also hold accounts with Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and the newly acquired Twitter. Alex says I am rediculous with all the "connecting" I do but in reality each one serves a different purpose in my life.
I would have to name Facebook as my overall favorite of all my accounts simply because I connect with friends and family most through it. Granted, Facebook has taken a huge swing in the past 2 weeks, and I'm not fully appreciating the "new look" that everyone is protesting. But still, the fact remains that through Facebook, most everyone uses their actual name and the information of where they live or where they went to high school, college, etc. in order to facilitate finding them.
I had a conversation with someone recently who said "I have this facebook thing, but I really don't want to connect with people." I told him to simply delete his facebook because that totally goes against the purpose of having one in the first place. Facebook isn't for everyone, and I think this dude was a total goob for thinking his anti-social self would magically do a 180 and suddenly want to connect.
My second favorite (starting this morning with its inception) is Twitter. It's been highly publicized as the new "it" website, and I totally agree. This is my website to connect with those people I will probably never meet. True, I'm not really connecting with people such as John Mayer or Lance Armstrong, but instead taking a look through the peep hole at their lives. Twitter is a no frills, no complex applications website such as Facebook. All you do is simply update your status whenever you feel the need, and whoever is "following" you will see it. I'm excited to see where this website will go in the future.
MySpace is my strange side. I don't check on it much, I would say I have only around 140 friends (small number really), and to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of it. I get random friend requests from people who would be the Webster definition of creepy, half the time I find myself criticizing my background more than actually looking at people's profiles, and not alot of my people update too often. So yeah, MySpace is on the downward slope for me.
LinkedIn is simply just what it is. A professional networking site that I really don't need to have yet, but hey, networking never hurts. I won't say much about this since I haven't even logged in for about 4 months now.
Stay sure that I love my Blogger. Love is not even the right word for it. I will have to make one up for it I guess.
Are you connected?
I would have to name Facebook as my overall favorite of all my accounts simply because I connect with friends and family most through it. Granted, Facebook has taken a huge swing in the past 2 weeks, and I'm not fully appreciating the "new look" that everyone is protesting. But still, the fact remains that through Facebook, most everyone uses their actual name and the information of where they live or where they went to high school, college, etc. in order to facilitate finding them.
I had a conversation with someone recently who said "I have this facebook thing, but I really don't want to connect with people." I told him to simply delete his facebook because that totally goes against the purpose of having one in the first place. Facebook isn't for everyone, and I think this dude was a total goob for thinking his anti-social self would magically do a 180 and suddenly want to connect.
My second favorite (starting this morning with its inception) is Twitter. It's been highly publicized as the new "it" website, and I totally agree. This is my website to connect with those people I will probably never meet. True, I'm not really connecting with people such as John Mayer or Lance Armstrong, but instead taking a look through the peep hole at their lives. Twitter is a no frills, no complex applications website such as Facebook. All you do is simply update your status whenever you feel the need, and whoever is "following" you will see it. I'm excited to see where this website will go in the future.
MySpace is my strange side. I don't check on it much, I would say I have only around 140 friends (small number really), and to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of it. I get random friend requests from people who would be the Webster definition of creepy, half the time I find myself criticizing my background more than actually looking at people's profiles, and not alot of my people update too often. So yeah, MySpace is on the downward slope for me.
LinkedIn is simply just what it is. A professional networking site that I really don't need to have yet, but hey, networking never hurts. I won't say much about this since I haven't even logged in for about 4 months now.
Stay sure that I love my Blogger. Love is not even the right word for it. I will have to make one up for it I guess.
Are you connected?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Have I always been like this?
I need to ask my parents I guess.
Trying to be as unpolitical as I can, let me just say that I think some of the people who claim that either they or their kids have A.D.D. are pulling shenanigans. Granted, there are some cases where kids honestly have an attention problem and those problems are dealt with swiftly upon dispensing of correct medication. However, I believe we live in an over-medicated, over-simplified society where your "pains" are met with "Oh, there's a pill for that".
I dealt with this first hand with the person I dated for 5 years through high school and the first two years of college. Over-medicated and still not satisfied, he had a tough road of emotional problems and overall unhappiness that he would not attempt to solve on his own without medication, thus I chose not to put my own happiness for granted on his behalf. Now I have the wonderful Alex who lives in mental peace and is probably the most easy-going guy I've ever met.
*By the way, let me say that my former boyfriend's dependency on medication drove me crazy simply because I don't even take Ibuprofen unless I feel like my head will fall off. The fact that I have to have an antibiotic right now drives me up the wall...*
With all that said, my commitment levels to certain things are for some reason waaayyy out of whack. I find myself going the bare minimum to make the grade in classes (which has never changed since I was a child so no surprise). The problem with this is, I'M IN COLLEGE. The bare minimum doesn't work like it used to. The bare minimum in Principles of Accounting 1 worked for me last semester. Principles of Accounting 2, not surprisingly, builds on 1 so the bare minimum in this course actually doesn't work now (surprise surprise). Other classes are pretty much the same story, half the work, twice the pain on exam days.
I can't help but think that I have (and have had in the past) motivation/ attention problems. I have the end in sight, May 2010 can't come quick enough. For some reason I can't find meaning to the courses I'm taking other than the old standard "because one day you might need to know this." The only time in my "school life" that I can remember actually putting forth great effort was my senior year in high school when I was trying to get accepted at Belmont University. I felt relieved when I did get accepted, and then lost that feeling when I found out there was no way I could afford to go there. Well, take that back, I could have, but I would be in soo much debt coming out of college there would be no reason to ever try to buy a house or a car because I would giving my paychecks back to my student loans.
Karabeth, here is my blog question for you this week: Is there anywhere in the Bible that mentions motivation and how we motivate ourselves?
Hope everyone else is tying up loose ends in their life, for some reason it just doesn't happen for me.
Trying to be as unpolitical as I can, let me just say that I think some of the people who claim that either they or their kids have A.D.D. are pulling shenanigans. Granted, there are some cases where kids honestly have an attention problem and those problems are dealt with swiftly upon dispensing of correct medication. However, I believe we live in an over-medicated, over-simplified society where your "pains" are met with "Oh, there's a pill for that".
I dealt with this first hand with the person I dated for 5 years through high school and the first two years of college. Over-medicated and still not satisfied, he had a tough road of emotional problems and overall unhappiness that he would not attempt to solve on his own without medication, thus I chose not to put my own happiness for granted on his behalf. Now I have the wonderful Alex who lives in mental peace and is probably the most easy-going guy I've ever met.
*By the way, let me say that my former boyfriend's dependency on medication drove me crazy simply because I don't even take Ibuprofen unless I feel like my head will fall off. The fact that I have to have an antibiotic right now drives me up the wall...*
With all that said, my commitment levels to certain things are for some reason waaayyy out of whack. I find myself going the bare minimum to make the grade in classes (which has never changed since I was a child so no surprise). The problem with this is, I'M IN COLLEGE. The bare minimum doesn't work like it used to. The bare minimum in Principles of Accounting 1 worked for me last semester. Principles of Accounting 2, not surprisingly, builds on 1 so the bare minimum in this course actually doesn't work now (surprise surprise). Other classes are pretty much the same story, half the work, twice the pain on exam days.
I can't help but think that I have (and have had in the past) motivation/ attention problems. I have the end in sight, May 2010 can't come quick enough. For some reason I can't find meaning to the courses I'm taking other than the old standard "because one day you might need to know this." The only time in my "school life" that I can remember actually putting forth great effort was my senior year in high school when I was trying to get accepted at Belmont University. I felt relieved when I did get accepted, and then lost that feeling when I found out there was no way I could afford to go there. Well, take that back, I could have, but I would be in soo much debt coming out of college there would be no reason to ever try to buy a house or a car because I would giving my paychecks back to my student loans.
Karabeth, here is my blog question for you this week: Is there anywhere in the Bible that mentions motivation and how we motivate ourselves?
Hope everyone else is tying up loose ends in their life, for some reason it just doesn't happen for me.
Monday, March 16, 2009
When you have those moments...
I have been on Spring Break for the past week and to celebrate this time off from school I made a journey to my beloved Georgia. Upon this journey, I learned many things:
1. Traffic is nothing to mess with.
2. Nature is a wonderful yet sometimes harsh thing.
3. Outside weddings are not to be scheduled in March.
4. God and his peace and serenity can be found anywhere. You just have to be ready to recognize it.
A quick definition:
Chattanooga fakeout- the part of I-24 east which weaves from Tennessee into Georgia back into Tennessee (where Chattanooga lies) and then back into Georgia all within about 15-30 minutes depending on traffic.
I almost didn't survive the Chattanooga fakeout on my journey to Georgia due to 2 tractor trailer trucks who decided to flip and block both directions of I-24. I did however get the chance to sit down in the middle of I-24 when traffic literally stopped dead for an hour. I felt like it was one of those small experiences that I would never get a chance to do again. Instead of the normal 4-5 hours of travel time, it took me 7.5 hours to get to my destination of Athens, GA (home of the UGA Bulldogs woof woof!)
The next morning, I journeyed with my handsome Alex, his brother Nick and girlfriend Joy (who I affectionately call Joey) and two other great girls from UGA to Clayton, GA, a town nestled in the North Georgia mountains. We camped in a lovely area named Sarah's Creek and spent the next 2 days hiking, eating small amounts of food (and feeling full surprisingly) and meditating in what I imagine is an area that God meant just for that purpose. We found waterfalls that I'm sure many other people had found, but I got the feeling of being all alone with just these 5 other people in this huge forest. I didnt think about my current trials and tribulations of my life, just about the beauty of the land and what it means to be totally peaceful. Alex said I transformed into the "hippie" of the camping trip.
My aforementioned "hippie" look in front of a waterfall.
My GQ man on one of our hikes.
Nick and Joy taking a break.
At night, many good laughs were shared and for the first time in a long time I felt like everyone I was with was contributing wholly to my happiness, rather than finding ways to manipulate me or take advantage of me. I'm not saying I usually let people treat me badly, but every once in a while I find myself in that situation as do most people.
I returned a changed being. It took effect immediately upon return to modern technology. Once my phone was recharged and my facebook account was updated, I figured out that a few people in my life really needed to be re-evaluated. My closest friends agreed with me (and I know in the back of their minds they were probably wondering what took me so long). I also have recognized a new passion for camping and I intend to continue pursueing this passion further in the next few months (cheap vacation!).
Alex and I made the voyage to Fayetteville on Monday and skeddaddled around (a word I use from time to time to define doing things of no great importance yet still meaningful to me). Saturday rolled around and we were to attend the wedding of a high school friend of Alex's brother Nick. Remembering lesson number 3, let me tell you I really felt sorry for the poor bride. The good thing was we were under a pavillion and I had an umbrella for the treck to and from the reception hall. The bride was glowing however and I am assured that the rain will probably be one of the smaller memories of her wedding day.
Joy, Nick, Alex and I at Glendalough Manor for the wedding.
Hope you all had a great week while I was resting under the Georgia pines!
1. Traffic is nothing to mess with.
2. Nature is a wonderful yet sometimes harsh thing.
3. Outside weddings are not to be scheduled in March.
4. God and his peace and serenity can be found anywhere. You just have to be ready to recognize it.
A quick definition:
Chattanooga fakeout- the part of I-24 east which weaves from Tennessee into Georgia back into Tennessee (where Chattanooga lies) and then back into Georgia all within about 15-30 minutes depending on traffic.
I almost didn't survive the Chattanooga fakeout on my journey to Georgia due to 2 tractor trailer trucks who decided to flip and block both directions of I-24. I did however get the chance to sit down in the middle of I-24 when traffic literally stopped dead for an hour. I felt like it was one of those small experiences that I would never get a chance to do again. Instead of the normal 4-5 hours of travel time, it took me 7.5 hours to get to my destination of Athens, GA (home of the UGA Bulldogs woof woof!)
The next morning, I journeyed with my handsome Alex, his brother Nick and girlfriend Joy (who I affectionately call Joey) and two other great girls from UGA to Clayton, GA, a town nestled in the North Georgia mountains. We camped in a lovely area named Sarah's Creek and spent the next 2 days hiking, eating small amounts of food (and feeling full surprisingly) and meditating in what I imagine is an area that God meant just for that purpose. We found waterfalls that I'm sure many other people had found, but I got the feeling of being all alone with just these 5 other people in this huge forest. I didnt think about my current trials and tribulations of my life, just about the beauty of the land and what it means to be totally peaceful. Alex said I transformed into the "hippie" of the camping trip.
My aforementioned "hippie" look in front of a waterfall.
My GQ man on one of our hikes.
Nick and Joy taking a break.
At night, many good laughs were shared and for the first time in a long time I felt like everyone I was with was contributing wholly to my happiness, rather than finding ways to manipulate me or take advantage of me. I'm not saying I usually let people treat me badly, but every once in a while I find myself in that situation as do most people.
I returned a changed being. It took effect immediately upon return to modern technology. Once my phone was recharged and my facebook account was updated, I figured out that a few people in my life really needed to be re-evaluated. My closest friends agreed with me (and I know in the back of their minds they were probably wondering what took me so long). I also have recognized a new passion for camping and I intend to continue pursueing this passion further in the next few months (cheap vacation!).
Alex and I made the voyage to Fayetteville on Monday and skeddaddled around (a word I use from time to time to define doing things of no great importance yet still meaningful to me). Saturday rolled around and we were to attend the wedding of a high school friend of Alex's brother Nick. Remembering lesson number 3, let me tell you I really felt sorry for the poor bride. The good thing was we were under a pavillion and I had an umbrella for the treck to and from the reception hall. The bride was glowing however and I am assured that the rain will probably be one of the smaller memories of her wedding day.
Joy, Nick, Alex and I at Glendalough Manor for the wedding.Hope you all had a great week while I was resting under the Georgia pines!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Playing the worst waiting game....
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
-Leo Tolstoy, author
My Grannie Gilbert has been diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as Bile duct cancer. After multiple trips to the doctor (and many vials of blood drawn) we have been told a life expectancy of 6-8 months. MONTHS? Months.... I have to say it over and over to get it through my thick skull. 6 months puts us at September, the month of my birthday. 8 months puts us in November, getting ready for the holidays, for the Thanksgiving feast, many hours spent buying Christmas presents.
I have to keep saying, It's okay you can do this again. I've helped many people ease away from this earth peacefully through caregiving. I watched my two grandfathers both suffer many years with different illnesses, and it was kind of a release when they finally passed. Their pain was over.
But this is my grandmother. She's a matriarch in every meaning of the word. Up until a month ago all she knew was that she had a tumor in some place she didnt even know existed in the human body. Now, she's told she might only have 6-8 months?
I can't lie, I don't want to accept it yet. Karabeth, your post the other day concerning how we need to trust in God and everything he gives us was right on the mark. I'm not bitter, and I trust that God knows what he's doing. But this is MY grandmother. My Grannie Gilbert. Yeah I know I share her with 6 other people, but she's still 1/7 mine.
I'm going through the immature, "This is not fair", I demand a recount, stage of grieving. My heart hurts.
-Leo Tolstoy, author
My Grannie Gilbert has been diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as Bile duct cancer. After multiple trips to the doctor (and many vials of blood drawn) we have been told a life expectancy of 6-8 months. MONTHS? Months.... I have to say it over and over to get it through my thick skull. 6 months puts us at September, the month of my birthday. 8 months puts us in November, getting ready for the holidays, for the Thanksgiving feast, many hours spent buying Christmas presents.
I have to keep saying, It's okay you can do this again. I've helped many people ease away from this earth peacefully through caregiving. I watched my two grandfathers both suffer many years with different illnesses, and it was kind of a release when they finally passed. Their pain was over.
But this is my grandmother. She's a matriarch in every meaning of the word. Up until a month ago all she knew was that she had a tumor in some place she didnt even know existed in the human body. Now, she's told she might only have 6-8 months?
I can't lie, I don't want to accept it yet. Karabeth, your post the other day concerning how we need to trust in God and everything he gives us was right on the mark. I'm not bitter, and I trust that God knows what he's doing. But this is MY grandmother. My Grannie Gilbert. Yeah I know I share her with 6 other people, but she's still 1/7 mine.
I'm going through the immature, "This is not fair", I demand a recount, stage of grieving. My heart hurts.
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