Princess Charming-But-Only-After-Caffeine-Consumption

In between reading Chaucer and DesCartes, Latin tests and job hunting on the web, I've found myself thinking a lot about where I'm headed in my life and just how much of that involves this handsome ginger I happen to be dating and I think I'd like to do a series of posts about relationships. Not to go all sentimental on you, but just because I have a lot of weird ideas that need to be spilled and vented properly.

Since starting my first serious relationship I've had the realization that I am SO unprepared for marriage. In my book, that's the entire purpose of dating, to see if that person is someone you would spend the rest of your life with. Hence, why I was not allowed to date in high school, because when you still need your mom to drive you to the theater, it just doesn't make sense.

On the other hand, I'm not advocating that people go out "hunting" for a spouse once they reach a decent age, which seems to be a fairly common concept, especially among Catholics and Christians. If you've reached seventeen and you feel the need to start talking to that older guy with the pit bull next door, just stop and breathe. There's no need to do that.

The right person for you will come into your life at some point, and when they do, it'll be fantastic! But until then, calm down. Relax. Go have some adventures, eat some Starburst jelly beans, try underwater basket weaving, and DON'T PANIC. You can wait around listening to Taylor Swift songs and expecting Prince Charming to fall from the sky, or you can live life, and while you're out star-gazing from the Rockies, or becoming a Marine Biologist,  you might just find that other person in the most unexpected way possible. I honestly believe that when you stop fretting about it, you become that much happier and as the lovely miss Audrey Hepburn said:

On the other hand, if you are currently in a relationship and feeling all those tingly feels, think about what that means.

I know for me, maybe due to those baby-doll toting instincts that started around age two, I grew up determined that I would just get married as soon as humanly possible. Now, however, I look in the mirror and think, "Me? Get married right now? Umm...... hahahaha! NO." It's not because I have an aversion to marriage, or that I feel drawn to a fancy little desk job somewhere. Nope. For me, it's simply a realization that I have so much to work on before I can be a dependable spouse for any guy, whether it's the one I'm currently dating, or someone I'll meet 10 years from now. How can I expect a Prince Charming when I'm essentially Princess Sometimes-Charming-But-Only-After-Caffeine? It's a two way street, people.

I've been told that marriage is difficult; really, really difficult and when I find myself struggling to get my teeth brushed and makeup on before 2 p.m. every day , I just realize that in no way am I in a responsible enough state of existence to be someone's wife, or mother. I want to be ready and capable before I make that leap. I  understand that no one can ever be 100% prepared, but it would be great to at least be somewhere around half that, or maybe to just be able to choose an apple over a dozen Chips Ahoy when the scale indicates it's time. At the very least, I want to be kinder, stronger, sweeter, and wiser. Not perfect, just better. Is that too much to ask?

Obviously, everyone is unique, but I just want to say to any one considering marriage, or searching for "the one," try not to rush into things. If that person really loves you, they'll understand that it takes time to figure life out, to grow, mature, and have a few crazy adventures before the serious stuff begins. And if you feel like he or she is nowhere to be found, stop looking around every corner for him. Take some time to focus on your own personal growth. The more you've grown in all the best areas of your personality, the better it'll be when things do get difficult, as they undoubtedly will down the road.

So, from Princess Charming-But-Only-After-Caffeine-Consumption to you... drink ALL the coffee and work on that charm stuff. It'll be okay. 


YOU HAVE NOW REACHED THE END OF MY CRAZY RANT. THANKS FOR READING!

My Bucket List for Life

Life is crazy. It surprises me at every turn. Just when I think I know exactly what's coming next, it
throws a new adventure my way, or a roadblock pops up and I have to travel a different road. I used to feel like I could only take so many roads in life before the journey would end.

Lately, however, my heart has been telling me otherwise. I think my natural inclination is to fear the unknown, and yet to long for it with every fiber of my being. I want to accomplish so many things, but I'm always fighting my fears. Will I ever have the money for that? What if I get injured? What if I don't succeed? And the list goes on and on and on. More times than not, these thoughts win out. My heart is not a terribly courageous one and that's not something I'm proud of; it's just the way it is. I'm not sure why, but I feel always so cautious in the face of life's wildness.
Lately, though, I've decided that I need to stop fearing the possibilities, and instead of asking, "How?" ask, "Why on earth not?" I'm not willing, as cheesy as this may sound, to continually live in a state of caution and fear. I want to have adventures, and not just tiptoe along my road, but run, leap, and dance!

So here is my bucket list. It is a compilation of my ideas of what I want to accomplish before I reach the end of my road.
Some of them are silly. Some serious. But I hope that one way or another, they all come to be.

MY BUCKET LIST OF AWESOMENESS

1. Write a book (any book will do!)
2. Have said book published
3. Travel Europe (especially Ireland)
4. Dance in a public place with a loved one
5. Teach literature and writing
6. Improve piano skills
7. Learn German
8. Pet a Giraffe (I LOVE giraffes!)
9. Improve painting and drawing abilities 
10. Open a photography studio in my home
11. Catch a HUGE fish!
12. Go ice fishing (maybe that should have preceded 11?)
13. Write for a magazine
14. Drive a big black pick-up
15. Go to a concert with thousands of people
16. Make homemade bread successfully
17. Improve knitting skills
18. Try surfing
19. Have my own garden
20. Earn multiple degrees (I almost have my first!!!)
21. Have a stranger offer to buy me a drink
22. Try all kinds of new foods
23. Read as many books as possible
24. Watch the sun set from the top of a mountain
25. Be someone's maid of honor
26. Try a fried pickle
27. Improve sewing skills
28. Visit each of the 50 states
29. Drink coffee at a sidewalk cafe
30. Watch every Alfred Hitchcock movie ever made!
31. Drive a mini-cooper
33. Walk the Camino
34. Go skinny-dipping (again, that is...)  
35. Learn how to freaking French-braid
36. Learn how to curl my hair (yes, at 19, I still can't)
37. Go on a mission trip to a foreign country
38. Own/help operate a thrift store
39. Have a leading role in a play
40. Become more educated about music and art
41. Ride in a hot air balloon
42. Star gaze from a mountain
43. Have my own writing studio
44. Learn how to tie a tie
45. Be more adventurous with my style
46. Get in shape (you knew it was coming, didn't you?)
47. Milk a cow
48. Sing a solo, or duet in front of a crowd
49. Grow stronger in my faith (this should be number 1...)
50. Find sea glass at the ocean
51. Dance and laugh more frequently
52. Try a shot of Tequila ( or maybe two, or three...)
53. Go rock climbing
54. Own a fully functioning typewriter
55. Smoke a whole cigar
56. Learn how to ice skate and rollerblade
57. Catch some crawdads (don't ask)
58. Do a crazy road trip with friends
59. Write about the things I experience
60. Stop doubting that I can accomplish numbers 1-59

What's on your bucket list???

A Few of My Favorite Nerdy Things: 3 Sites for a Rainy Day

Lately, in my interweb wanderings, I've found some pretty fantastic sites that you should definitely know about, especially if you're someone who would identify yourself as "Nerd," and/or "Bibliophile," or just plain "bored."
DRUMROLL......

1. First up, if you're someone who consumes books like chocolate and are in need of a new read, there is a fantastic site called BookMooch.com where you can exchange your already-read, no longer wanted books for new books that you DO want. Basically, BookMooch uses a system in which, after listing ten books to give away, you receive a point. That point can be spent on books you want, which you request from other members. When someone requests one of your listed books, YOU pay the postage and send it to them, but when it's your turn to receive a book, THEY pay for it. The bottom line: this is a fun way to clean out your collection and get some new reads, without much damage being done to your wallet. Remember too, media mail postage is the way to go!

copyright: bookmooch.com

2. Next up, is the lovely website for bored people known as StumbleUpon.com This site is the ultimate cure if you're feeling uninspired, or simply want something other than Pinterest to entertain you. At  www.stumbleupon.com you will need to make an account (don't worry, it's free) and then choose different categories that you're interested in. Some of mine include writing, photography, and coffee. Then, you hit the big red button that says "Stumble" at the top of the page and "Voila!" it brings up other great websites, articles, blogposts, and videos that pertain to your chosen interests. It's just a great way to explore what's out in the world, that five minutes before, you might not have known existed. So cool! Check it out!

copyright:stumbleupon.com

3. And last, but not least, is a site that I recently joined called The International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club their URL is http://geekgirlpenpals.com/ and essentially what this awesome site is all about is connecting geeks from around the world. By geek they mean anyone with a somewhat nerdy interest. . It could be anything from a Dr. Who obsession, to knitting. You can sign up to get a pen pal, which is great if you're like me and still believe that letter writing is the ultimate form of communication. The site also organizes what are deemed "Swaps," in which you register and are paired to receive something in the mail from a fellow geek. Each swap is different and they change each month. Sometimes you swap tea, sometimes geeky cards, or sometimes just surprising random gifts. I did this for the first time recently and was paired with a girl in Canada. It's a lot of fun and you're put into different age categories. They accept people from the age of 14 on up, and you're paired with others in your age group. This site is open to both genders now, too. So the bottom line: it's a really cool site for anyone who loves geeky things and/or snail mail, or just wants to connect with like-minded people.

No Copyright Infringement Intended

So there you have it! Three new amazing sites to check out on your next rainy day! Enjoy!

Country Mouse Musings

It's good to be home for awhile. Wisconsin soothes my worried soul.  Here, I have no need for busy city sidewalks, where my shoes are more important to the passerby than my character.

 I only need long walks on my favorite paths.

And I'd rather have the sound of Amish buggies clattering down the road, than sirens and trains at night, and I'll take soft sunsets and starry skies, over glaring lights and the buzzing crowds.

 I know, that someday I might be separated from this place because life never ceases to surprise a person. But right now, I'm going to breathe in my Wisconsin air and wear a pair of muddy boots, with no one but the cattle to judge me.

And even they don't mind my country mouse ways.

Tuesday Tunes: Alexandre Desplat "The Meadow" and "Benjamin and Daisy"

    It's been all work and no play for me lately but, thankfully, Spring Break is just around the corner!  All of this studying, though, has given me the chance to just shut myself in my dorm room and listen to some incredible instrumental pieces. These pieces, without a single word, convey an enormous amount of emotion. Not to mention, they're great to just listen to while curled up in a blanket, drinking Yogi tea, and writing a paper with the space heater warming my toes. Trust me, I'm an expert at this!
   
So, this week I'm sharing a couple of pieces by the two time Grammy-winning composer, Alexandre Desplat. His music is a new discovery for me, although I've seen many of the films for which he has composed.

The first piece is called "The Meadow" and just because it was written for the Twilight series doesn't make it any less beautiful. I simply consider it outside of the context of the amusing Vampire-Werewolf- Human love triangle.

 The second piece, also by Desplat, is from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and is titled "Benjamin and Daisy." This piece is simple, yet lovely and definitely a great piece for paper-writing! Enjoy and Happy Tuesday!

Ash Wednesday is Weird

Today is Ash Wednesday, a bit of a strange day to both those who practice the Catholic faith, or another religion which observes this day, and those who don't. Even though I've grown up with this tradition and have had a priest press his thumb into a dish of ashes and proceed to smudge them in the shape of a cross on my forehead every year of my life, it still seems a bit, well, unusual, maybe even unsettling. However, the words said by the priest are intended to startle. "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." I mean, it's weird and unconventional. This is the one day during the year where I'm starkly told, "Look, you're made from nothing but dirt, and someday you'll be nothing but dirt and worm food in the ground again."

I didn't take this one, but I like it and I found it on the interweb. :)

 It's a scary thought; one that might not make a person terribly fuzzy inside. I mean, where's the happy-go-lucky Heaven talk that we're used to? No one WANTS to think about death. We trot blissfully along, sharing our memes on Facebook, complaining because we missed the last episode of The Bachelor, and making our Dunkin' runs each morning, griping about how slow traffic is on the way.
We just had Valentine's Day, with all these cute, albeit overpriced, pink cards, and giant stuffed animals and thoughts of love, romance, and gushy-mushy feeling-ness. Then, BAM! Ash Wednesday sneaks in so quickly that we could miss it if it weren't for the fact that someone's telling us we're going to die. (Not exactly my favorite self-esteem booster!)

"Carpe Diem" Taken in Warner, NH

  And yet, I know that without a doubt, this is, in fact, one of the most important days of the year, because if it weren't for that oh-so-strange tradition of wearing a cross of ashes upon my forehead once a year, when else would I stop and consider that life is short; that I could die tomorrow; that nothing is certain in this world and that maybe I need to love a little more? Sure, Valentine's is the day that claims to be all about love, but in many ways, I think Ash Wednesday is the better reminder of  how to love. I'm not talking about the Taylor Swift "Cherry lips, crystal skies" kind, or even better her, " You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess" stuff. I'm talking about loving that guy at work whose voice grates on you like nails on a chalkboard, or the girl who doesn't wear enough deodorant; about having a sincere compliment for that student who always seems a bit down at school, or saying hello to that guy you usually avoid because his Facebook posts are all about cats. It's the tough love that Ash Wednesday reminds us of, saying "Wake up! You have only a tiny, tiny piece of time to love and give and when you're tired, to give some more!"
So yes, Ash Wednesday is weird; weird and beautiful, and absolutely necessary in this world of superfluous, silly, and stodgy happenings. It reminds us of the simple fact that we are human, that we are mortal, and that life will be over in the blink of an eye.

       

Sometimes, you just need to wear that little black dress!

There are moments when  my brain does this thing where it decides to present to me every unanswered question in my life ALL AT THE SAME TIME! "Where are you going with your life?" "Why don't you have that figured out yet?" "Oh, and why does your hair look like Barbie's after she was sucked through the lawnmower?" And usually this occurs during a week where I'm tired, or hormonal, or sick, or all of the above. So, sometimes after a week like that, a girl just needs to don a little black dress, put on a pair of heels, and dance with her man. And that's what I did.
 Granted, I think every woman loves those days where nothing in the world can make her lather on foundation, or mascara; those Netflix-bingeing, oreo-eating, "ain't- getting -up- for- nothing- other- than- the- bathroom" kinda days. But, on the other hand, once in a VERY blue moon, it's great to just feel pretty and have someone tell you it's true. After all, we women are beautiful creatures, right? We were made in a way that makes us, to put it simply, admirable.

The aforementioned little black dress, and the man.

So, dear lady readers, if you're feeling down in the dumps this February; if your skin is as dry and pale as mine has gotten, try painting your nails a fun shade, or attempting to create one of those 40 billion outfits you pinned on Pinterest from your own closet, or maybe treat yourself to a day of pampering. You might be surprised at how much of a difference the little things make. If you feel good about yourself, or maybe just a little more refreshed, I promise it'll show!
 Oftentimes, I find myself sinking into the daily routine, the endless motions of getting out of bed and drearily trudging to the shower, slipping into the most convenient outfit available, and heading out the door, only to find later in the day that I had a deodorant stain front-and-center on my shirt, which escaped unnoticed in the rush. Other times, just the idea of brushing my hair sounds as daunting as one of Hercules' labors. I think sometimes, I just forget to care, and to take the trouble to feel good about myself. It's an uphill battle most of the time, and especially during the months where leg-shaving is like bulldozing a miniature rainforest.
Obviously, your happiness doesn't come down to physical appearances, but  they certainly do help.
If not, there's always too much Netflix,  and never enough Oreos.