My favorite Cat

My favorite Cat besides my niece Kitty is the catfish. It is soooo incredibly delicious and does not really have a fishy taste or smell (if bought @ the right place- trust me, I know!).

Tonight I made Cornmeal Crusted Catfish w/couscous and a salad!

To start out, you dredge the Cat in yellow cornmeal that has been mixed with creole seasoning. I didn't use measurements this time as I have made this dish so often that I no longer need any. However, I will say that you just need enough cornmeal to cover the Cat- nothing too extravagant. And as far as the creole seasoning goes, WATCH OUT, a little goes a long way! If you end up putting too little, don't worry because you can always sprinkle some on the fish after it is cooked and you have tasted it!


After dredging, the next step is to heat up and pan that has either been oiled or sprayed with pam. I start out on high to warm it up, but when I place the fish on the pan I move it down to medium high/medium. You cook the Cat for roughly 5 minutes on each side.

While the Cat was cooking, I started on this great 5 minute couscous that I bought @ Whole Paycheck.

It ended up looking like this:


I also made a salad! I used a spring mix and added cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, red onions, an artichoke heart, freshly ground pepper, parmesan, and an olive oil dressing.



Seriously, this is a really easy and fast meal! You can literally make it in under 10 minutes!!! That deserves an A+ in my book!!! :-)

New Move New Meals

As most of you know, I recently moved to Austin to study for the Texas Bar. Being the type of person who doesn't feel "normal" unless I am always challenging myself, I decided that in addition to studying for the bar, I would also try to really eat healthier. I cannot take all the credit for this though: i owe it to my momma.

The past couple of years my mom has gotten in FANTASTIC shape! She eats so healthy it is insane and exercises pretty much everyday; if I had that type of discipline, I would rule the world... really! Seeing how great she feels and not to mention looks now (even though in my eyes my mom has always been the most beautiful person on the planet!), I decided that it was time I did the same. What I like about what my mom has done is that she does not limit what she can eat in ANY way. She is just really smart and logical about what she puts into her mouth. I want to be logical when it comes to my body, just like her.

My mom helped me drive to Austin. We had a lot of fun on the ride here and the 2 days she was in town. One of the fun things we did was go to whole foods. I wanted my mom to help me pick out healthy stuff, NOTHING bad. I am usually a pretty good eater, but I have been known to buy "bad" stuff and over-indulge! Boy did she help! We did not buy one bad thing!! We got lots of organic veggies and fruits; fresh fish and chicken. I got nothing pre-made so that I would be forced to cook and eat healthy lol. And I have!!! Now, after that long story, I will share a recipe with you :-)

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

I marinated boneless skinless chicken tenders overnight with a ginger teriyaki sauce (that only has 20 calories per tbsp) i got from whole foods.

Then i cooked it in a pan on the stove. I started on high and then moved to medium/low.

Then i cut up a ton of veggies: zucchini, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and broccoli and stirfried them on the stove with a little olive oil! I did that for about 5 minutes which I think was too long because the veggies were not crisp like I wanted! So next time, I will probably only do for about 3 minutes!

After the veggies were done, I threw them in a bowl with the chicken and mixed them around!

I totally spaced out on taking a picture of the finished product, but I assure you that it looked as great as it tasted!!!

Enjoy!!

How To

If you are like me, then you probably enjoy brown sugar on a regular basis. I use it almost every morning in my oatmeal. Something that really drives me mad about brown sugar is how hard it becomes, even when in a sealed tight jar! Some mornings you will find me banging my jar against the counter to try to loosen the sugar; others I will be stabbing the sugar with a knife. Neither of this accomplish much of anything. But I have found a solution that will keep your brown sugar as soft as the day you bought it: MARSHMALLOWS!




That's right! Just throw a couple of marshmallows into the jar and voila- Soft Brown Sugar!

Forgive? SAY WHAT?!?!

This past year, has admittedly been the toughest in the "ships" area- that is friendSHIPS and relationSHIPS. Lots of things happened this year that changed (for the good & the bad- depending on the person) my ships with family, friends, and everyone in between. It's easy to look at the glass half empty and say "Man, my life sucks with all these changes in ships" but I'm trying to be a half glass full kind of girl. I have chosen to look at all of these changes as a blessing in disguise. Let me explain... Like most people, it has always been extremely easy, too easy, for me to hold a grudge against someone who has wronged me in some way. But because of the struggles I have had in my ships this year, I have been blessed to figure out how to let go of grudges and learn how to forgive.

In the past, if someone wronged me or said something that hurt my feelings or offended me in some way, i would emotionally react in a way that was not positive at all. Three stages to be exact. The first stage was to feel sorry for myself and mope around obsessing about the situation. The second stage was rage- reminding myself about all the things I disliked about the person so that it would make it easier to come to terms with the change of the ship. Finally, the last stage was to feel indifferent- or so I thought. I could never really seem to truly be indifferent. I could tell my friends or my mom that I was over it, but deep down I still held a grudge filled with extreme dislike, or hate in certain situations, or just down right sadness. And I have realized this year that all of that stays with u; it is a monkey on your back that you can't get off no matter how hard you try. And it weighs you down and it bleeds into your other ships. Or so it used to for me!

I want to clarify that I am not saying that I have learned some magic recipe that makes you immune to feelings. That's not the case at all. But I have learned 2 very important things that I want to share.

First, forgiveness is NOT AT ALL about the other person; but rather, ALL ABOUT YOU! If you cannot forgive someone, it is going to be like a virus and poison you from the inside out. I used to say "Oh i will never forgive that person for as long as I live" or "I will remember that until the day I die" because I thought that by saying that I was somehow hurting the person because they would know that I would never allow myself to forget what they did. But I have discovered that holding onto the past and holding grudges only hurts you in the end.

The second realization I had came via a book called The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. I am not going to give the book away, but I do need to explain a little bit so that you understand the quotes I am going to post. This book is about a man who cannot let go of the past; he is holding a grudge and it is poisoning him. Anyways, I read something that just hit home for me and has really reaffirmed my "new" thinking on holding grudges and holding any type of ill feelings for anyone in your heart: The main character, Mack, is talking to God and says "I just cannot forget what he did" to which God replies "Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of the other person's throat." This goes to what I said about that sometimes we hold onto a grudge because we don't want to forget what that person did, but its so not about that. Its about releasing the rage, the hurt, the bad feelings you have for that other person. I will admit that since reading this book when I have thought about a grudge that I have against someone that I can't seem to shake off, I have repeated silently to myself, "Let go of the throat" and I've instantly felt like a burden was lifted off of my shoulders. It's so weird, but super cool!

Before, I leave you, I wanted to share another quote that God says in the book that really made me feel that God intended for me to read this book at this point in my life to just reaffirm what I have been pondering; I really do feel that the Holy Spirit was talking to me through this book. And I really think everyone reading this should pick it up!

"Forgiveness is first for you, the forgiver to release you from something that will eat you alive, that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly. Do you think this man cares about the pain and the torment you have gone through? If anything, he feeds on that knowledge. Don't you want to cut that off? And in doing so, you will release him from a burden that he carries whether he knows it or not - acknowledges it or not. When you choose to forgive another, you love him as well."

How To

Ever wonder how to get that pesky garlic or onion smell off of your hands?

Well there are 2 solutions that work and do not require you buying ANYTHING:

1. You can rub your hands against anything that is stainless steel, like your sink, then wash and viola they don't smell anymore!

2. Wet your hands, shake some salt onto them, then wash with cold water!


Now, if only it was that easy to get your garlic breath fresh!

Reservations, PLEASE!!!

I don't watch cooking shows. For some reason I just cannot get into them. Either the host annoys me with their shrill voice or their food looks pretty gnarly. But I am obsessed with the man to your left and his show
"No Reservations."

If you have not seen this show which airs on Monday night on the Travel Channel then you should really make a point to one of these days. If you have seen the show then you probably know why I like it so much- food, travel, culture. These are 3 of my favorite things and these 3 things are what "No Reservations" focuses on... It also doesn't hurt that it is hosted by a handsome middle aged man that looks like he can teach you a few things. ;-)

But really, I think the reason I am so obsessed with the show is because it inspires me. I know, I know, on its face that sounds cheesey, but please let me explain. You have someone who each week goes to a different location in the world and immerses himself in the culture, the food, the people, and the sights. That is so fearless! (Even if he does have a crew there with him to help out). Most people I know, including myself (at this point in time), would never have the balls to do that. But this show makes me want
to do that. It makes me want to push myself. Crazy that a show has the possibility to change my life? Perhaps, but I like it!

Quick Meal: Fish

Tuesdays and Thursdays are extremely busy for me. I am in class literally all day and by the time I come home for both lunch and dinner I am usually too tired to make anything because I "think" it will take too long. In reality it is just an excuse to eat like sh*t and pick up some fast food. Thank God for Quick Meals that are healthy AND delish!!



My sister T introduced me to this fish recipe: Baked Lemon Cod. It is extremely easy to make and really yummy! If you don't like cod, you could substitute it for any white fish such as tilapia or sole.



2 pieces of Cod

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 cup of flour

2 tablespoons of lemon

salt

pepper

paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350
   
   
2. Toss the butter into the mikee (microwave) for about 40-45 seconds (until melted)



3. Add the juice of one whole lemon (usually one half of a lemon is a tblsp)
4. Mix these two in a bowl and set aside.

5. Add the flour, salt, and pepper into a bowl. I like to use a fork to mix the ingredients around. And use as much or as little S&P as you like.

6. Now take the Cod and place into the Lemon and Butter bowl.
   
   
7. Then place the cod in the Flour mixture. I like to tap the fish up and down because the last time I made this I rolled it around in the flour and it got clumpy and gross.

8. Next, place the cod in an ungreased baking pan. Add the remainder of the Butter and Lemon mixture and top it off with as much or little Paprika as you like!



9. Throw the tray into the oven and bake for 27 minutes!

I like to get some carbs and veggies in with every meal, but because I am on the go I need something fast; so no grilling summer veggies here!!!!



For my veggie on a quick day, I like green beans from a can. If you don't want extra sodium, they sell it "salt free". If you have a few extra minutes to spare, you can cut up some yellow onions and tomatoes, saute them in the pan, then dump the green beans in. It gives it a good flavor that isn't so mundane.



For carbs, I like Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Rice. I never thought I would like brown rice, but seriously, it tastes better than white rice! This isn't really a recipe because you just follow the directions box if you are making instant rice how I am. To put it simply: Just take a package out, toss into a medium sized pan, and fill it up with water until about 1-2 inches from the top of the pan. (If you want to give the brown rice some flavor, u can always throw in 2 garlic cloves!) Bring it to a boil and then cook it for 10-12 minutes. When done, rinse off and cut open the package.



Enjoy!

Updates

three things:

1. comments are back.
2. blog is now "public" again because apparently i had to send out invites to people- LAME.
3. in january of this year, i think, i posted a blog about how i wish i could read a book that discussed where different words came from. well, i didnt find a book, but i did find an awesome podcast. its by NPR and it is called "A Way With Words". it is free and it is one of the most interesting podcasts i listen to. check it out!

What We Lost In Law School

as my law school career is coming to a close, ive already begun reflecting on everything i have learned while in it- about the law, about people, about myself. this blog entry is about myself- who would have thought, right?!?! HA!

overall in the past 3 years i have learned VOLUMES about myself. in law school, u are constantly analyzing everything- the why's, the who's, the how come's. it is inevitable that this process will bleed into every area of your life. for someone like me, this is a God send. let me briefly explain why:

a few months before i graduated from college, back in 2005, i didnt know what i wanted to do and i was barely coming into my own. i was @ a crossroad of sorts.... i remember lying in the living room with my mom and telling her that i hated that i didnt know whether i could think for myself. i didnt know if i "believed" what i "believed" because i was taught it, because the people around me believed it, or because i really did believe. i was not referring to religion because after re-reading that sentence it can imply that. what i was referring to was EVERYTHING! i told her that i didnt even know if my favorite color was really mine or someone else's that i claimed as my own.

cut to present day: i am a completely different person than i was back in that memory. i know what i believe in and think about things and i can tell you exactly why. i love that about myself, especially when i think about how just 4 years ago i was the exact opposite.

however, we dont always come out of every experience loving every part of it. hence, the reason for writing this blog. given that law school is extremely, brutally, incredibly difficult, it is super hard (at least for me) to balance everything: classes, homework, family, friends, your health, your sanity, and YOUR SENSE OF STYLE.

i feel like i lost my sense of style in law school. and that sucks. before law school, i used to really care about what i looked like from my hair, to my makeup, to my clothes, to my shoes, to everything... and not for some dumb reason like i cared what others thought of me, but rather because it was just something i loved. it came easy for me... but now, it seems like one more thing to cross off on the "to do" list. its a chore. its a chore to get ready in the morning and do my hair, and my makeup, and find a cute outfit with the right shoes, especially when there are other things that are more important like school work. but are they really?! i mean in order for me to function at my maximum potential i have to take care of myself and be happy. but as we all do when we have more pressing things to worry about, i shove that thought out of my head as quickly as it came in. i HATE that ive allowed this to happen to myself. i mean i honestly dont even care what i look like when i leave the house anymore. wearing the same pair of jeans, flip flops, and white or grey american apparel shirt everyday with my hair pulled up in an ugly ponytail might bother some, but it doesnt bother me and THAT bothers me. i want to take pride in how i look, but i dont want it to be a chore..... how does that happen when you havent paid yourself any mind for so long??

decisions decisions...

very rarely in life do we have to make life changing decisions. we make lots of trivial decisions that likely wont affect our life in any monumental way. but every once in a while, we are all in a position (like the image above) where we must choose a certain path that will affect our lives in a HUGE way. that is where i am at right now... what to do after graduation.

i know i know, graduation is 5 months away. to most that seems like a long time, but it really isnt! i also know that there are a lot of little things (passing community property, taking the mpre, passing the fall semester to name a few) i need to get done before that date that i should be stressing about instead since they are approaching sooner. but the field i am going into doesnt work that way. you must plan and be organized or you will get screwed in the end- just take a look @ my professional responsibility grade if you dont believe me ;-)

i am struggling over my decision of whether to take the california bar and stay in cali or move somewhere else- likely back to texas, but possibly somewhere else like new york. there are pros and cons to each of these decisions and they pretty much even out. i have seriously been praying to God asking him to help me see which decision would be the best one for me, but i have not heard anything back from Him yet. similarly, i dont have a gut feeling about which choice i should make either and that is really really abnormal for me- i get gut feelings about EVERYTHING!!

i get really scared when i think about what i want to do because i know that whatever choice i make is going to shape me and change me in different ways. i dont want to make the wrong decision. you see, im pretty confident about the person that i want to be- the goals i have, what i want out of life, the type of woman that i want to be- and im afraid that im gonna make a decision that will change all of that. i dont mean change because i want them to (because i would be okay with that) but rather because of the situation i am in (which i would not be okay with).

part of me wishes that someone could make the decision for me or that i could toss a coin and base my decision off of that, but then i realize that allowing that would just be BAD news! i have to decide this for myself and im scared. and as i sit here and write this, i think a big part of the reason why im scared is because if i make the wrong choice, i will have no one to blame but myself... accountability of one's actions has always been my strong suit. i will be the first to own my behavior, good or bad. maybe that trait is why i am so scared- ill have no one to blame but myself...

time flys by

i've had this blog for nearly 3 years. tonight i was reading some of my early posts and it made me realize how much has changed: the subject matters, the style, the outlook. they are all completely different. that does not surprise me one bit because anyone who knows me knows that one of my personal goals in life is to constantly evolve and become a better person. that cant happen without change. while most of my changes and evolution have been positive, there have been some negative changes or backsliding that has occurred over the past 3 years. but u know what man, thats what life is about. u live and u learn and u either try to change or u become complacent. and depending on the type of person u are either choice can be okay. im proud of myself. im proud of the person, the woman, that i am becoming. im not without fault and by no means perfect but i feel like everyday i get to know myself a little bit better and this blog is evidence of that...

chicken

Today for the first time in over 4 years, I made chicken. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! I am so glad that I finally have learned how to make chicken!!! It was actually bbq chicken and I used this delicious marinade that I bought @ Trader Joe's yesterday.

I also made zucchini with it. I used a new recipe which calls for olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The zucchini was a little too sweet for my liking, but was still good. Next time though I think I am going to just use olive oil.


To top it all off, my beverage was Simpler Times Lager.

So tasty and a perfect way to begin my week!

sentttt

i just sent something off. keep ur fingers crossed people. i will keep you posted with more details once i find out the results.

Ch-ch-check It Out!!!

Click to make bigger if you cannot read it! :-)

Judge Rachel

i judge people.

there i said it and i see absolutely nothing wrong with it either for 3 important reasons:

first off, i am an equal opportunity judger. i dont discriminate. i judge everyone from a life-long friend to the clerk at albertsons. everyone is judged equally in my book.

second, it is human nature: if we all have a set of values/morals/standards/etc, wouldnt it be pretty much impossible not to compare other people's values/morals/standards/etc to our own and come to a conclusion aka judging them.

lastly, i keep my judgments private. unlike a real judge, i dont write up an opinion and publish it for all to see. once i come to a decision about someone or a situation, i observe, i judge, and keep it to myself either through my journal or just letting it stay in my head.

so after coming clean about my judgments i would now like to be referred to as Judge Rachel. ;-)

changes

im changing my blog settings to be by invitation only because i just realized that since it is public, anyone can find it through a search. that weirds me out. so if u cant view it anymore just ask/request an invite!

i cant believe

that i like this video ONLY because Ben Affleck is in it. HE IS DREAMY!!! Wow, i am kinda pathetic. ha ha!

MK

i HEART Matt Kearney and i am LOVING his new single!

Such A Great Blog

No i am not talking about my own- although I am sure we all agree I could be ;-)

I am talking about this Matt, Liz, and Madeline

You should check it out. Its so inspiring and sad and terrible and beautiful and devastating all at the same time.

I wish Matt and Maddy the best of luck throughout both their lives.

xoxoxo

obsessed

I am obsessed with ADELE.

Her voice is stunning. But don't trust me. See for yourself below!

If you wanna laugh

then you can watch me do pilates. Just Kidding!

But really, if you wanna laugh, check out this site it is absolutely hilarious!!

Passive Aggressive Notes

Enjoy!!

Saturday

On Saturday me, E. and M. had what ended up being a wine and cheese thingy here @ my house. It all happened very organically- which is something I am a HUGE fan of.

Me and E. were just hanging out after finishing a delicious lunch of rainbow trout, steamed broccoli, and an herb salad (all made by yours truly!) when M. called. We told M. to come over and join us for a glass of wine. Well, thanks to trader joes, we took it one step further and ended up making a cheese, fruit, and veggie plate. Then we just sat outside and soaked up the sun listening to some laidback tunes all while chit chatting and snacking on our cheese, fruit, and veggies and sipping on our wine. it was really mellow and nice. me likey. especially because it didn't cost too much and the weather was so great!

note to self: must do again!!

:-)

yayers

i'm officially half way done with my directed study paper. YAY!!

the end.

raves

here are 3 things i am loving at the moment!





1. Mad Men Everything about this show is on point! From the outfits to the props to the language (because didnt you know i grew up in the 50s?!) This is seriously one of the BEST shows on television right now. Watch it!





2. Ono Sushi This restaurant serves probably the best sushi in San Diego! For the quality of fish you get, the prices are amazing!





3. Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier I have been expanding my horizons in the world of beer and trying something new every chance I get. This beer is fantastic! It has the slightest hint of blackberry and it really gives the beer a crisp flavor! Try it next time you are out!

word of the day

remember back in the day when we were in elementary school and we would learn a new word and what it meant. well im kicking it old school and bringing it back.

Today's word is "transparent":

Pronunciation:
\tran(t)s-ˈper-ənt\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle English, from Medieval Latin transparent-, transparens, present participle of transparēre to show through, from Latin trans- + parēre to show oneself
Date:
15th century

1 a (1): having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly : pellucid (2): allowing the passage of a specified form of radiation (as X-rays or ultraviolet light) b: fine or sheer enough to be seen through : diaphanous

2 a: free from pretense or deceit : frank b: easily detected or seen through : obvious c: readily understood d: characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices

— trans·par·ent·ly adverb
— trans·par·ent·ness noun

rant

i was going to write a rant and then a rave entry, but i have been so lazy and forgotten to write either that it now escapes me what rave i wanted to write about. fortunately the rant did not, so here it is.



i cannot stand people who have no manners. but i really cannot stand a man with no manners. This asshole to left of me is just one example of the type of behavior i hate. Monday i flew from jfk to sd. i went to baggage claim and picked my spot (right in front of the drop if you must know). i made sure to not stand too close to those on either side of me or to stand too close to the carousel as i did not want to obstruct anyone's view of the coming bags. i did what any nice, considerate person would do. well that bald fat fuck up there on the left decided he wanted to let everyone know that he was raised in a barn by barefooted creek people with no teeth. so he proceeded to come out of no where (those creek people have a habit of doing that since most of them are thieves and have to be sneaky on a daily basis)and stood DIRECTLY in front of me so that he could find his ugly, trendy red piece of luggage. karma decided to make herself known and this green bastards bag did not come out before mine. so when my bag came down i said super loud "EXCUSE ME!" (that would show him wouldn't it?!) and before looking @ me with disdain, he muttered "I know." This asshole knew what he was doing and thats what grinds my gears! what a fucktard!!! i shouldve slammed my suitcase down on his disgusting foot, but alas, i have manners. :-)

[insert witty title]

almost a week since my last blog. man, i was on a roll!

i've taken to writing in my journal as of late rather than this blog. this got me to thinking about which i like more. im a traditional girl @ heart so it is not surprising that i prefer a "real" journal over a blog. i swear its because of my appreciation for literature, especially good literature- hey, nothing wrong with some narcissism in doses ;-) But really, i like the idea that it is tangible and that my only audience is myself. so i can be brutally honest without worrying about anything such as hurting/offending anyone or being judged. sometimes i feel like public blogs can be written with an audience in mind and that can possibly affect what is written. i also like that it takes me away from the computer for a while to write- practice my penmanship if you will. :-P

there is a great book i have had for a while that is about journals (i cant remember if i have mentioned it before). it gives you ideas of topics to write on and the author shares her journals. it is called "Note to Self" by Samara O'Shea. i really dig it!

oh, i gotta promote something else. i just bought india.arie's new album. its amazing- as they always are. :-)

Positively Fabulous

Today was the first time in a couple of weeks that I was not extremely busy thanks to my hard work this past weekend. School is going really good this semester. I really cannot complain about any of the classes that I am taking. I am actually interested in all of them which is fantastic. I started pilates last week and it was killer. I have not been on a reformer in over 2 years and while it was like riding a bike, the effects were not. ha ha. I am trying to make it to class 3-4 times a week and come Friday I will have stuck to that promise for 2 weeks! yay me! :-) Call me crazy, but I can already tell a difference especially emotionally. My spirits have been so lifted these last 2 weeks and I have managed to hold a pretty positive attitude about everything. That feels great! So speaking of positivity, I wanted to share a quote by Drew Barrymore that I read today. I love what she said and I firmly agree with her! Some of you might have already ready this on people.com, but we can never hear anything uplifting too many times, right.

"I like projecting positivity. I believe that we are all fields of energy and you have the choice whether to be a positive or negative field of energy. I know that sounds hippie-ish but it's what I believe fundamentally. So you could be a bag of toxicity, or you could be a happy, good person that spreads joy. I believe in spreading joy." -- Drew Barrymore, in response to how she keeps a healthy outlook on life.

the fun never stops

not the greatest but still worth listening to.

LOLers!!!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Fox News Fear Imbalance

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

moxie

let me preface this with telling you that i am running on 4 hours of sleep and have a very busy day meeting with professor W and doing hw.

one of the things i love about life and more specifically, the written word is when i read something that stops me dead in my tracks and makes me think. that happened today and i wanted to just share what i read:

"Are you frightened by the weight you possess"

i have no idea why but it just struck a chord with me. so because im all done with my hw, im gonna be a loser and leave the library and think about why i liked that so much. :-)


good day

bon iver

i've been raving about him so might as well share what he sounds like. enjoy.

marathon. HA!

so there will be no marathon blogging today because instead of taking intro to mediation, i decided that i would try to get a directed study instead. lets hope Professor W. writes me back and allows me to do one with her. and lets really hope she allows me to expand on the paper i wrote in the fall because that would make it so much easier!!

saturday

tomorrow i start my intro to mediation course. 1 saturday and 3 sundays. 9-4. im told that this class is easy and a good way to get 2 credits knocked out of the way. not to mention that it is practical... i have also heard that it is extremely boring. with that being said, i think i decided that i am going to begin marathon blogging during each class... until tomorrow at 9 kiddos. :-)

more of the same

as is evident from previous postings, it is apparent that i LOVE words- some for their sound, some for what they mean, some because of a memory.

i love sayings even more though because i get so excited discovering the history behind them. Its so interesting to me!! and i just realized right now that i would love to find out the history behind words... i tried to use the google to find the history of a particular word right now, but could not find any answer to save my life. (i assure u, this was not because my research skills are lacking!) So it got me thinking 2 things: 1. I want a book that has the history behind words, kind of like an encyclopedia of words and 2. if there is not one out there, i wanna write it! It could be called "Rachel's Words of Wisdom"!!!!!! ;-)

Funny word

Convenience. It's a funny word.

Coffee Table

Here's my newest coffee table book ;-)

foreshadow

a teacher growing up taught me what foreshadowing meant. i love that word. i love how it sounds and what it means. i hope i still will...

i got some bad news today and i hope its not a foreshadow of what 2009 is supposed to bring.

i need to take my own advice and realize that life is gonna work itself out and that which doesnt kill u will really make you stronger.


the end.

about to take flight.

Flight starts again on the 18th. Set your dvr's/tivos. the shows awesome.

009

2009. what can i say, if it is just as good as 2008 then i am gonna have one fantastic year!

im turning 26 this year in approximately two months. thats kind of awesome!!!! i truly love getting older and i like reflecting on how much i grow each year. i changed a lot this year... i feel like every year, i come to accept myself even more deeply than i thought possible. i recognize that i am extremely lucky to be able to say that. there are so many people out there that are not yet even on that road; i used to be there so i understand how it feels and trust me, it doesnt feel good.

im undecided if i want to do resolutions. i mean i am kinda as close to perfect as they come ;-)

the one thing that i was reminded of constantly this year was that- life always works out. knowing and believing that really brings a peace over me and i hope that all of u either already understand that or will one day soon. :-)