Bliss

There are certain things I remember with starling clarity.

Too many of those moments are about humiliation or hurt, but I also recall some very happy moments in my life.

A few days ago, I decided to make a kettle of German knoephla soup. Knoephla is probably on my list '5 favorite comfort food' meals. I have made it so often that I don't need to think while doing it and I've gotten much better at making it. I can get the dumplings plump, the seasoning right and I've quit scorching the milk! I have a problem scorching things as I tend to be impatient.

Anywho. I had a nice kettle of knoephla and Tyler and I took a bowl to the balcony and ate under the stars. It's that time of summer where the nights are very cool and a bowl of hot soup is heaven. There was a light breeze and no bugs and we had found some random music channel on the TV playing opera. Yes, it's definitely a weird combination but I would say it was perfect.

We had one of those conversations that makes me forget we've been dating for four years. It's still new and exciting and romantic. Sometimes I'm amazed that we still have so many things to talk about. I hope we're still in love and eating under the stars in 40 more years.

I told him that this was one of those moments I hoped to remember forever. I felt calm (so rare for someone with an anxiety disorder), safe, and I was loved and warm. I got to thinking about other moments in my life where I had that. It was a fun exercise and I'd recommend trying it yourself-- very much a 'count your blessings' sort of deal.

*I remember laying outside in my grandparent's backyard on an old quilt. My grandpa gave me a butterfly net and I was trying to catch something. We ate strawberries together that we pulled out of my grandma's garden. He told me, "They taste better with a little dirt on them."

*I remember in 6th/7th grade, it was fall and my mom took me to Menards. She bought me some of those clear stickers for my bedroom window. It was Winnie the Pooh characters playing in piles of leaves. Later when I was in my room applying them, I had the window open and could smell fall (the smell that is part cold air, leaves and part chimney smoke). My mom called me out to the kitchen and we had slices of banana with honey, toast and hot cocoa. Just an average day, nothing special but she and I were very happy.

*I remember taking a trip to St. Louis. I was in a hotel room with Laura and Rehema (exchange student from Tanzania, Africa) and we were laughing so hard that we were gasping for air. I think it had something to do with the Swahili word for 'butt' being "taco."

Those are just some of my moments. I hope I have years and years to create more. But life is a fleeting thing and we have to try and create bliss moments wherever we can.

In other bliss-related news, I have a new fave show... Tyler found out that our TV pulls in channels like National Geographic that we didn't have before. I started watching "Cesar Millan: The Dog Whisperer." And I LOVE HIM. This youtube clip shows part of a show I watched the other night. Observe what happens when Cesar tries to acclimate Gracie, the puppy with a chicken (who Gracie wants to eat). The chicken has an interesting reaction...

I laughed for 10 minutes straight when I saw this clip... literally had tears. That poor bird!!



My idea of bliss -- naptime ;)

Video game nostalgia

This was my FAVE back in the day... I miss it :)

Higitus Figitus

I really enjoy Christy's blog and her fun quotes/clips from "Friends" or "The Office" tv shows. I think I shall steal this concept for my space but I plan to dedicate it to my love of Disney movies.

This weekend, being all sick I went home and watched the classic, Sword in the Stone with momsie. This is one of my all-time fave Disney movies. This scene in particular is a classic. The fat squirrel is my hero. Although, the part of me which operates as "sexual harassment panda" can see she is clearly harassing poor Squirrel-Merlin.



And I've wished MANY a time that I could pack in this fashion...



It's a classic film and still enjoyable at 23.

I'm a sad panda

Today my job is to talk to 8th graders about sexual harassment. They are not like the sixth graders-- who want to tell me about everything -- they refuse to participate or even nod along. It's takes a lot of coercing. And I try to be cool and all but sometimes I feel like this:



It doesn't help that I seem to be in recovery from all the wedding fun. My throat is all red and swollen and I feel like it's 800 degrees in every room I'm in. Mostly I just want to sleep. I have been eating lots of oranges and also a blizzard from Dairy Queen (never a bad idea).

I think I'm burned out in general. I feel like quitting each of my extracurricular activities. I don't want to volunteer on any more committees or go to any events. Just work and then home. My bad I know but there's just so little energy to go around. It's a constant struggle to keep going.

I'm all excited because next week is the french fry feed. One year ago memory flashback time: YAY FRENCH FRIES!

Oh the memories

Free Online Dating

Dear Joel, Tom, Christy, David, Laura, Jim & all others I annoyed in Mr. Palmer's science class,

Question #15 made me think of all of you. Remember the day that I refused to accept this idea?

Here is the question:

The color of a pure red rose in white sunlight is a result of the fact that:
a) The rose absorbs red light only.
b) The rose absorbs all white light.
c) The rose reflects only red light.
d) The rose reflects all light except red.

HA! Anyone recall the day when I challenged this theory? I was like, "nope, nope, nope-- don't believe it." Well all that drama paid off. Cause when I got to this question I knew exactly what answer they wanted...

....
...
...

Still think it's a load of crap though

:)