I am in love

Hee hee, I made you think twice right? Yah, the whole love thing is just to say that I am in love with the Les Miserables sound track. Now before you stoop to the “then why don’t you marry it?” forth grade thing, I need to remind you that music is my passion so I am allowed to say that. I understand that Tabor would never do it, but I sure wish that they would.
Hmmmm what else….oh yes, about my last post, I am pretty sure that I am a porch swing being sprinkled by the occasional breeze from a sprinkler. That is just about right.
Well, I think early to bed for me tonight because this week is going to be a bear. (Huge, looming projects and papers are my favorite!!!!!)

Song: A Little Fall of Rain

what would you be?

If you were an animal what would you be? Honestly, think about it and tell me. It is interesting for me. I am pretty sure that I would be a golden retriever, or perhaps a bearded collie. I can’t really tell you why, but those are just about right. Or perhaps, and don’t think that this is too cheesy; it might be a dolphin just because I love the water.
If you were a kitchen appliance what would you be? This is one that stumps people. I am thinking that I am going to go on the lines of a warm appliance, mostly because I hate the cold. Not a toaster, because you can burn things so easily in them, and it takes me a while to truly warm up to people. Maybe more of a teakettle. It is kind of old fashioned, and timeless at the same time. It is also used for comfort or medicinal purposes.
If you were an object out of doors what would you be? I think I will leave this one up to you. Perhaps I will answer this down the line, though I am leaning towards a sprinkler or a porch swing.

My KMEA day (TGIF)

Well, to day I had a surprise. I went to KMEA (Kansas Music Educators Association) and pretended to be a Kansas music educator. It was kind of fun. I talked to the Emporia state people about their masters program, and I also talked to the Kansas City school district people about working for them someday. I have often thought in that direction, but I would want more schooling or more experience one or the other. I also ate some amazing free chocolate, pizza, and a tiny cup of pie. It was super good. My friend Lee was there also and it was so good to see her. I miss her bunches.
So here is the other deal in my life. It is 1 am and I have no clue what I am going to do tomorrow. I could go back to the conference, or I could drive home and see my sister, parents, and do laundry because I am running out of clothing. I am also trying to save my money and going to kmea tomorrow would be detrimental to my savings.
I watched the movie French Kiss tonight with some girls. It was a good film, but completely unrealistic. (isn’t that the definition of a chick flick? Honestly, whose life turns out that way? Her fiancé leaves her and she is magically able to get over him within the blink of an eye because handsome European thief sweeps her off of her feet by accident. HA! I am normally not a party pooper about these kinds of films, and even though it blows my mind, I liked it. Why did I like it? Is it because I am a hopeless romantic? Is it because it took place in Parris and I got to see places that I have been? Or was it sheer entertainment? Shoot. I will never understand.
That is about all folks. I am running out of nothingness in my head to write about. (and I still don’t know what I am going to do tomorrow.

Happy Birthday to my lovely sister

Today is my sister’s birthday and I would like to pay tribute to her on her special day.
I first met my sister in the Kansas City airport. I was young and hyper jumping up and down like electricity with no grounding wire, and she was a wide eyed infant 14 weeks of age and chubby as can be. I am pretty sure that I liked her, it is hard to remember emotion at that age, I do remember that my favorite jelly bracelet broke that day and I carried it around hanging out of my mouth. My mom didn’t like it she said that it was gross and that it looked like a worm. I remember the plane landing, and my first glimpse of Kati and the man carrying her. The last thing that I remember about that day was the toll booth on the way home. (strange yes, but what else do you expect from me)
Another favorite childhood memory of my sister was when I was in elementary school. I am not sure of the specific age, but we still were into dress up. We played the imaginary game Princess Lilly Feather Flower with my best friend Jana. Kati was always Princess Lilly Feather Flower and we addressed her as such while blinking on every syllable. (sounding like, Prin cess lil ly fea ther flow er. Yah, I know, it was awesome) Another awesome game that we played was nuns. We ran around with arm chair covers on our heads as our nun caps.
Sad to say, Kati and I did not get along so well through junior high. We finally started to see eye to eye around my senior year, and today I am happy to say that she is one of my greatest friends.
The next picture is one that I love. It is from last year, and now a year older she is 18 years old. Crazy as ever, and full of spirit.
Happy birthday young’en

Tonight I learned something

Tonight I learned something about myself. I consider myself to be an optimistic person that has faith in people, and I genuinely think that I am. Yet, tonight I learned something new. I have known it all along somewhere in this stream of subconsciousness, but I never put it all together. Well, here it is.
There are some people in this world in who I will never loose faith in. No matter how many times they disappoint me or fail to live up to my standards, I will still have faith that they can and will learn from their mistakes and right them later on. Yet, I do not give myself that freedom. When I am with people (meaning guys, even guy friends, yes you guy friends if you ever might possibly read this), I give up on me. All that it takes is a couple of odd glances or loaded comments and I am ready to re-format my whole personality. I say to myself, “Well Jen that was only about the goofiest miss placed comment that you ever could make, now keep your silly odd mouth shut and reformat yourself into an attractive (and I never believe that either), demur (ha! Snow ball’s chance in Ahem), sensible (wouldn’t know it if it hit me in the head), person. But the problem is that I am not demur or sensible and because of this I give up on me. I say, “social skills, I just need social skills, (or like Napoleon perhaps I need wicked num chuck skills, or mad dance skills.)” Yet, (there is always another yet) I have dawned upon the stone of truth on which is inscribed, “If you keep faith in so many others who have disappointed you, then why do you give up on yourself? If you have problems that you are willing to work out with others and live with them, then why in Bob’s name do you have a problem living with yourself.” So I dust off my boots and say to the me in the me “Self, you don’t have to hide among the other parts of you that are all stage scenery (fake and alterable). Lay it all on the line; that is how you will discover truth about you and your friends.” So when I want to be serious I will be, and when I want to speak with nothing in mind but what escapes from my soul (even if it is about the most out of touch thing ever) I will. Even if no one laughs, cries, sympathizes, or identifies.
So, yah, that is about all. Ha, I just about apologizes for thinking out loud, but I decided that apologizing would be conflictual with everything that I have dared to admit. So I will instead leave you with a good night till it be morrow.

I have lost the ability to be witty

I don’t have much to say tonight. The choir sang tonight at the president’s banquet. It sounded good, and it made me excited to get to go on tour with such a good group. California here I come. Hopefully I will have more to say later. At this point in time however I am somewhat speechlessly rambling. (if that is possible at all) It is a good thing that this is Friday.

I am not listening to a song, but if i was it would be "Something Good" from the The Sound of Music.

Tonight I am glad that I am a music major

Tonight I am glad that I am a music major. There are many times during my life in which I sit back and wonder why I do what I do. It almost never comes back to me in a logical form. In fact I wind up answering myself with a “duh, because before college you thought you could sing.” Now I know that I can’t sing, but at least I am learning.
Tonight however I am renewed, refined, inspired, and a little hot and bothered. I know that a King’s Singers concert is not supposed to have that kind of effect on me, but to tell you the truth it was one of the most amazing displays of talent that I have ever seen. Imagine six men of all shapes and sizes standing together as one on stage thinking together, breathing together, hearts beating together, and listening, tuning to each other in perfect harmony. (wow, just thinking about it gets me going) It was amazing. The first half of the program was more serious literature with language, but the second half was more popular. My favorites were, well I can’t choose. They did wonderful arrangements of black bird by the beetles, and good night sweet angel by I can’t remember who. They also did a song about the creation and the fall of paradise called timepiece about how the world was perfect until Eve noticed that Adam had a wrist watch on. It was amazing how they tuned their voices and brought them in and out. Wow!
Well, enough of my swooning over voices. (and the berry nice looking bass, I am all about the blond curls.)
I hope that you someday have the opportunity to be moved by music as I have this evening.

Song: I am currently resting in the bliss of remembrance of this musical evening.

My KC Weekend with The Fish (Jill)

We left early Friday afternoon so that we could make it to KC before supper time. We succeeded in arriving there around five-ish or so. The apartment that we stayed in was great. It had two bedrooms a living room, dining room, two baths, and three men, James (brother to Jill), Todd (a friend), and Jordan. (a friend of a friend). We got to go out to eat Mongolian Barbeque on Friday night followed by going to the movies to watch Hitch. (Will Smith and Kevin something) It was a great film. Everyone has to see it if they like comedies with romance in them. (correction, not a romantic comedy, but a comedy with romance). After watching hitch we came back to the apartment to watch The Ring. I had seen it before but it was still a kind of edgy movie for me. Jordan, who had never seen it kept tensing up during the suspense then yelping and jumping onto the couch whenever something would startle him. (He was more amusing to watch than the movie.)
Saturday we slept in way too late, then headed down to shop on the plaza. We went into the discovery channel store (It was so fun) and a couple of clothing stores. (I got a shirt for five bucks and wore it hmmm yesterday.) Then we went into Barns and Noble and got hung up in the books for forever. I was, of coarse, drawn to the classics, art, home decorating, dogs, and plants. It was a wonderful time. Book stores are so relaxing.
Saturday night we went to THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY!!! YUM. Peanut buttercup fudge ripple cheesecake. Amazing. Then later, I saw Napoleon Dynamite for the first time. It is a great film. Napoleon reminded me of a combination of people that I knew from high school.
Sunday we went to church, out to eat, then back to school where I went to the missions conference then watched The Notebook with a bunch of girls and cried like a baby.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend.
I learned a lot about eyes, med school, bachelors, and the history of why Elmdale has its name in rocks on the hill above it. Ask Jill, she will tell you.

Song: All I Ask of You – Phantom of the Opera

What am I going to wear tomorrow?

This weekend I spent quality time with my friend Jill and her brother James in Kansas City. It was a frivolous weekend full of fun, entertainment, and good food. Really good food! There are a bunch of great stories to tell, but alas I am spent and I must say goodnight. Perhaps tomorrow I will have the gumption to tell you all about it. I have just one thought to leave you with. Although I can not see the results of today, or the workings of tomorrow I know that God is here, and He will be there tomorrow as well. It is my choice weather I see Him or not. It could be easy to ignore Him tomorrow. (ahem, extremely easy, cough) Yet, He will be there weather I choose to acknowledge that. This is what I love about Him. He is the master of being there all the time. He is the master of time....

Song: It's Not Easy Being Green

Random note of encouragement

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small,
uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for GOD to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. "GOD, how could you do this to me?" he cried. Early the next day he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because GOD is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain, and suffering. Remember that, the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of GOD. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels like their hut is on fire today!
I had one of those mornings when I needed something like this, and my friend Dani sent it to me last night. I checked it this morning just when I needed it the most. God is good. He loves you and he is here to rescue you.
God Bless you!
Song: Islands in the Stream

London

Here we are in London outside of the "tube." Hey, you can't go to London without getting into a phone booth. Just another wonderful experience. Expect more to come.

Song: Hey! Baby - Bruce Channel

Telephone 

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, SNOW! (to the tune of the song in White Christmas)

I am getting kind of worried. I am getting to be more of a procrastinator than I ever have been before. The problem is that this semester is the one that I need to be on task more than ever before. This new blog habit is not helping either, but at least I can admit that it is part of the problem.
Tonight I went sledding for the first time. Honest to goodness. It was awesome!!!! We went out to Marion to where the hill slopes steeply down then up quickly to a road then slopes down the other side of the road. (It has a launching effect at the end if you can keep up your momentum) I didn’t expect to be scared the first time I went down. I was terrified, mostly because there were serious sledding injuries at my school last year. But, I overcame my fear, picked up my feet, and launched down a massive hill at the reservoir. I flew! I soared! I landed! I bit my tongue! The trek back up the hill was tiring, but it was all worth it. My next trip down was on an exercise mat with three or four other people. The mat spun out and I wound up hitting the bottom of the hill first and then flying through the air. I Flew! I Soared! I Landed! I Bit my Tongue! Then I played it safe for a while until some people showed up with a mad sledding disk. The disk was my favorite so far. I FLEW! I SOARED! I LANDED! I BIT MY TONGUE! All in all it was wonderful. Next time I go sledding with a jump at the end I will refrain from laughing and screaming all the way down for the sole goal of keeping my teeth together so I can Fly Soar Land and Not bite my tongue.

Song: Indescribable – Chris Tomlin

A random rescue of vegetation

Tonight I saved a plant. It was struggling for life in a cruel, harsh environment. Yes, it is true the care giver of my new plant was a mad scientist. He was bent on leaving the plant “to the wolfs” and letting nature take its course. Little does he know what love and care can do for a plant such as this. My plant now sits happily near my window. It will live a long and happy life free from its former oppressor.
I also bought a book from the library for $0.50. The Women’s Guide to Houseplants. I am beginning to fear that my new infatuation with plants is becoming an unhealthy obsession. I never guessed that I would resort to pilfering…ur…um…rescuing small seemingly insignificant foliage. I am beginning to think that my super hero villain alter ego is Poison Ivy. At least I haven’t placed my love for house plants above my love for the human race. As cool as plants are, people with personality win out every time. Now, people without personality…..
P.S. Jesus is the love of my life, even above people, puppies, and plants.

Song: Paper Flowers

Where has the creativity gone?

Where has the creativity gone?
I am utterly disappointed. Have super bowl commercials gone down hill? Yes, I believe that they have. I mean, what’s with showing the same mustang commercial over and over again. Honestly Ford, not cool. I did however enjoy the commercial that showed a man getting ready for a fancy at home dinner with his wife. He is shown cooking, cleaning, getting the table ready and keeping a meddling cat out of all of his hard work. Just as his wife walks in the door, the cat spills the spaghetti sauce onto the floor and gets sauce all over. The man picks up his cat by the scruff of the neck and to the wife it appears that he has killed the cat. The sauce (looking like blood) is everywhere. All of this just to prove that the company would not judge without knowing the facts of the situation. Who sits around and thinks of these things. Cheers to that guy! (No cheers to the Tabasco guy. He needs to go to church)
Cheers to the Patriots. Yes, I admit, I have kind of favored them since their first super bowl as underdogs. I have felt the need to stay loyal to them, (mostly because I know very little about other football teems) and they have been loyal to me. Thanks guys.

Song: The Luckiest, Ben Folds

So this is my life

Wow, life is a changing thing. I have had a bang up year. No fooling. I recently got back from a one month study in Europe. Well, most of the study was done in preparation to the class. I will never forget the fond memories that I have of each country. My favorite town/city state was Luxembourg. I went exploring with three of my friends in a garden that looked just like the garden from Ever After. It was a beautiful evening with the moon on the water. I kept thinking, “Prince charming is going to walk around the next bend in just a moment and sweep me off of my feet.” (There was no sweepage) oh well, I liked it anyway. The best thing that I did on my trip was buy a ticket to Les Miserables. It was amazing; the stage, the music, the talent. Wow, just wow.
So now I am back in the Burro. I was reluctant to come back, but now that I am here I am remembering how much fun this place is. Yes, I know that practicing and homework can be a drag, and yes, I know that Lynn is going to try to destroy me, but somehow all of that is ok just because I am here with my friends. Last night I sat in a room with about nine people for hours sometimes talking, laughing, or almost sleeping. It was a comfort that no matter how many times I have to define sonata form life will all be ok.
P.S. Mike did an awesome job on his play. It is the best I have ever seen him.
Well, I think I might go try to pass out playing (squeaking) the clarinet. Wish me luck, or at least extra lung capacity.
Jen

Well, hi

Somehow I feel like my first blog post should be significant, but it's not.