SNOW. With FREAKISHLY HUGE SNOWFLAKES

So on Monday the temperature went from 52 F to 28 F within less than an hour. Fortunately, there were no tornadoes or otherwise dangerous weather systems moving through at the same time.

Also fortunately, it started snowing. Big, heavy wet snowflakes. I kid you not--these flakes were easily 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.

Don't believe me? Well, let's just have a look-see.

This is from the back door.

A few flakes on my sleeve...

See those white patches?? I've NEVER seen snowflakes that big before. *spazzflail*

I finagled Mom into taking a picture of me standing in the freezing cold...my hands are clenched because they were already going numb from just a couple of minutes outside.

Javert has a phobia of looking at the camera. -.-

After five minutes: "Can we go back inside yet?"

Ahem. So yeah, I got a little excited...it's not every day we get a big heavy snow. It stopped after a couple of inches, but still. I hear that Thursday is supposed to bring 5-7 inches. We'll just see if that actually happens or not.

Sunday Morning Study: Week 6

After three chapters on the different types of guys, the girls get one chapter on their types. Apparently women aren't as complicated. :P 

To stick with the 3 types, the book categorizes girls into 3 types: Dreamer (Prophet parallel), Servant (Priest parallel), and Go-to Gal (King parallel). The traits are, generally speaking, subtler versions of the male traits. This is in conjunction with women being a completer, not a competitor. The focus of the chapter is more on becoming a good example of one's type, not only for marriage but also to be an example to those around oneself.

The Dreamer type is more creative, a little disjointed, full of ideas and plans. The trick is focusing those ideas and creativity and harnessing it to be useful. To quote the book: "Spend your youth honing down your gifts and developing skills." I'm definitely the Dreamer type, with maybe a slight dash of the Go-to Gal (but that's probably because my mom is the latter and her traits have rubbed off on me a bit).

The Servant is  more along the 'sweetheart' lines, with a mothering streak a mile wide, helpful, happy to serve where needed, etc.

The Go-to Gal is strong, capable, and 'oozing with confidence'. (This is my mom to a T, for those of you that might not have met her.) Basically they have a tendency towards dominance, they know what they want, when they want it, and how it's all going to get done, and they get. things. DONE.

With those in mind, on to the notes. It's VERY short this week because (a) there's only one Bible verse, and (2) I procrastinated until 10:00 Saturday night to make said notes. I'm a terrible teacher. D:

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Chapter 6: Three Types of Women
Focus: Live and learn well

Example: 1. One that is a representative of a group as a whole; a sample; specimen.
2. Someone or something worthy of imitation or duplication; a model; a pattern; exemplar.

Model: A person or object serving as an example to be imitated or compared

Exemplar: One that is worthy of being copied; a model

 1 Timothy 4:12 -- "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

(Next week's chapter is on knowledge. I'm alternately looking forward and dreading it because it emphasizes going out and doing something constructive to learn things, and I've already got SO much on my plate...sigh. Hopefully I'll be able to teach it at least.)

Sunday Morning Study: Week 5

Behind again, I know...school has knocked me down and pummeled me into submission. >.< But here goes!

Chapter 5 deals with the king-natured man (Mr. Command). To be honest, this is one of the types that I dislike the most. Part of that may be because the examples I've seen personally have always been poor ones. The forceful, bossy, rammy sort of guy has always rubbed me wrong, which is just my personal take. But, this study hasn't been here to tell me what all I like to hear and know about, so let's get started.

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Chapter 5: The King

Focus: The king-natured man

Subjection

Subject: under the power or authority of another; owing obedience or allegiance to another

In subjection: subdue to be in obedience, submitting oneself to another

Philippians 3:20-21 -- "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Colossians 3:18 -- "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."

Titus 2:4-5 -- "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Titus 3:1 -- "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good."

Hebrews 12:9 -- "Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplines us and we respected them for it. How much more should be submit to the Father of our spirits and live!"

James 4:7 -- "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

1 Peter 2:13-18 -- "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good we should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."

1 Peter 3:1, 5 -- "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives...For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands."

1 Peter 3:22 (concerning Christ) -- "...who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."

1 Peter 5:5 -- "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 

"God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble." "

1 Timothy 2:11 -- "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission."

1 Timothy 3:4 (concerning overseers) -- "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect."

Summary (as quoted from the teacher's guide): "When a Kingly man, lost or saved, is treated with honor and reverence by a good help meet, she will find that her man will be wonderfully protective and supportive. In most marriages, the strive is not because the man is cruel or evil; it is because he expects obedience, honor, and reverence, and is not getting it. He reacts badly."

 The book of Esther is a fantastic example of a woman treating her husband (Xerxes) with honor. Instead of crying about her fate and wondering why God had let her be married to a pagan man during such a dangerous time, she got proactive, treated him to three special meals, and appealed to him as her lord to save her people. She could have accused him of being cruel and uncaring, or given him grief for allowing evil men to influence him...but instead she made a humble appeal and won his favor.

In no particular order.....

The past two days have felt like two weeks. So, in no particular order (and with some pictures tossed about) here's what's been up.

(1) Tuesday was a one-year noniversary, as evidenced in the last post. That in itself is/was exhausting.

(2) My grandmother also passed away on Tuesday at 3:18 PM, 45 minutes after I had left to spend a couple of days at a friend's house. She was 93, still at home, and the last time I saw her was Tuesday morning around 11:20. She was sitting up, lucid, and gave me a hug goodbye before I went to work, so I got to say goodbye at least. I haven't cried yet, but today I've felt like I'm about to at any moment.

(3) My friend Shelby and I decided, seeing as how we're both single and boycotting Valentine's Day, that while I was there we would watch the most emotionally devastating movies we could possibly think of and settled on The Green Mile and Schindler's List. I had no idea what the former was about, and had read the book of the latter but still wasn't quite prepared. They were both exhausting and traumatizing--I'm glad I saw them, just to say I did, but I'll probably never watch either again.

(4) On Wednesday I went with my Shelby's family to St. Louis for a doctor's appointment for her younger sister. Three hours there and three hours back, with quick visits to Trader Joe's (I love that place, and have decided that we need one here XD), World Market (for bacon chocolate), and Whole Foods tucked in there somewhere. It was a very long day...but fun too. I have pictures from the trip, to be added towards the end of this post.

(5) I'm behind on my schoolwork, but all I feel like doing is crying and sleeping. I think it's a combination of lack of sleep and being emotionally pummeled all week. O.e But I want to post some pictures before signing off, so here goes.

This is Sherlock and Watson (no joke, that's actually their names and it cracks me up to no end) snuggling on the couch. They like having their bellies rubbed.

Getting ready to watch The Green Mile (and apparently Shelby hates having her picture taken....... O.e)

Tom Hanks!

Last time I was at World Market in Florida I got bacon chocolate, and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since then. So when I saw there was a WM in St Louis I practically dragged the others in to show them. (The St. Louis one was bigger and cooler with a wider variety than the one in Palm Coast, actually. Just so ya'll know. :P)

To be honest, the strawberry/salt one was much better than the bacon chocolate. As a die-hard bacon fan this is hard to say...but it really was better. So delicious and sweet and salty...gah.

Yeah, so somebody can't seem to make a normal face in front of the camera. XD

Shelby's youngest sister was sick with a head cold, so we sat with her out in the van while the others went in to the hospital. We were parked on the roof so after a while we got out to run around and take pictures--I'm hardly ever on the other end of the camera, so I gave it to Shelby and let her have at it.

Crazy windy.

And sunny. It was almost blindingly sunny, actually. Being on the roof of the car garage probably didn't help either.

That's not my hat, by the by--Shelby let me borrow one of her cloche hats. Downton Abbey has me wanting to bring hats back in to style.

"MAJESTIC!!!!"

(I was trying to pull a Thorin-Oakenshield-looking-majestic thing and just ended up looking deranged. Sigh.)

I think this is the only normal picture I got of S. She won't stop making faces, gosh durnit!

...case in point. XD

The spoils from shopping...I think that going into natural food stores (stores in general?) is dangerous. There were so many delicious things to see and try and buy...gah.

One Year

"She had a letter written...to [him], then a second, then a third. [He] had replied to none of them...Then she thought of [him], and her heart turned dark at the place that had been his."

 --Les Miserables, Book 4, "To Trust Is Sometimes To Surrender"

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It's been a year ago today. I'm not as upset as I thought I would have been, but neither would I go so far as to say I'm happy about it either.

I was going to draw a little comic-type thing to illustrate exactly how I've felt over the past year, but I didn't have enough time and I don't have enough faith in my art to get across what my mind is seeing. But I jotted down some notes throughout the day, and it's been interesting to put into words precisely what the last year has been like.

Imagine a tree, if you will. Not an enormous one, but decently sized and thriving. And one day this tree was deliberately uprooted, leaving disturbed earth and torn trailing roots. Of course, it doesn't die immediately. The uprooting is just the beginning of a slow death--the drying of the limbs, the leaves strangled and withering, and the tree itself settling into its new prone position. The roots cannot grab hold of the earth again. Its only lot is to die.

After a while the disturbed dirt is smoothed by wind and rain and whatnot. The tree itself starts to turn back to the soil from whence it grew. But one day there's a green sprout...and the next day another, and another, until soon the tree is covered with growth. From death has come life--nothing quite as majestic yet as the original tree, but there's potential. The jagged edges are softened.

But there isn't a day yet when the carnage is completely forgotten. The edges may be softened, but they're still broken. The scars may be covered, but they're still tender.

Intellectually speaking it's 'all been for the best'. Physically, spiritually, and mentally, if things had gone through, it would have been an uphill struggle through a variety of unpleasant, deep-rooted issues. While I like to think I could have 'made it' I honestly don't know. But a day doesn't go by (speaking quite literally now) when I don't wonder what might have been, or memories blindside me, or I think 'what are you doing these days? How are you doing? Do you ever think of me at all?'

If I don't think too much about it, I'm all right--and I've gotten pretty good at fielding memories and shoving them away before they can have much impact.

I used to get angry about this...these days I'm just sad.

Be Not Like Frost

Apparently my little brother's band that he's currently in is called 'Be Not Like Frost'. Since I'm in a literal/contrary mood today, the theme shall be frost.

 

At the beginning of this week there was a heavy frost. Since then it's been alternating between freezing cold and raining--I'm not complaining about the rain, but I do enjoy a bit of sun occasionally.

I will say that my new camera does fantastic macro shots. I haven't wanted to do anything else at all simply because I'm loving the macro function.

(This is the dog's new favorite perch. Every time we go out he's clambering about on there.)

I've been doing some different editing for these pictures--where I usually run Soft Light and Contrast over them in Photoshop, I'm expanding a bit and doing more with various layers and functions on the layers. I think it gives them a lighter, dreamier quality, whereas my usual editing makes them look a bit heavy on the shadows. 

These are old asparagus berries. I have no idea if they're edible or not--I've never been desperate enough to try one.

Please excuse the random nature of this post--I'm too tired to give it much though aside from the pictures.

Is it just me?

I feel like I'm in this very awkward stage of life where persons of the opposite sex say they want to be friends, but when it comes down to it they really don't want anything to do with you unless there's something more. I'm well aware of the fact that guys and girls at my age are looking for mates, but there have been several occurrences over the past year where a guy has been friendly for a few weeks but, upon seeing that a romantic relationship isn't an option, they vanish.

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. But it's gotten to the point that if a guy even talks to me, I automatically assume that they're angling for a catch. This has also gotten to the point that I try to subtly ward them off so that I don't become friends and then have to have the uncomfortable 'no-not-looking-for-a-boyfriend-sorry' conversation, followed by a quick vanishment.

Case in point: some friends introduced me to a guy last year. Don't get me wrong, he and I agree on a lot of issues but we also disagree on some important ones, enough to give me some major pause. A couple of weeks ago he wanted a DTR ('define the relationship' talk), and I had to try to let him down as gently as possible without beating around the bush. 

I HATE DTRs, by the by. I've had to wrangle my way through few and they aren't my favorite thing by a long shot. I also try to be as blunt and straightforward as possible, because I hate playing games.

But anyway. After that, zip. It's not the first time it's happened, but it always makes me a little disappointed. It's as if a guy can't be around a girl without trying to see if he can score with her. 

Am I wrong? Do guys only associate with girls if they see a romantic possibility? Or do I just attract guys who have ulterior motives? (Or do all guys have ulterior motives? O.e)

Thoughts? Anyone?

Job Applications: The Sequeled Sequel

I'll stop sequeling everything after this, mkay?

Just a quick update: I got the job out in Colorado! *flails* For the bare minimum of details: I'll be on the housekeeping staff, it's for all summer and part of the fall, and I'm nervous and excited at the same time. It's going to be AWESOME.

In other news, I went riding for the second time this year at a friend's house. They had me on a green Morgan mare--she's only been ridden a few times, but she seems willing enough. They're trying to get her to collect and not be so sloppy and 'strung out' in the various gaits--I'm not too good at collection to begin with (that is, knowing what it feels and looks like), but I tried. 

It was a lot of fun to ride something other than Colletta. The Morgan, for example, is much taller and has a much bigger and rounder stride than Colletta. (I love C, but she's got these little short legs and is basically pony-sized so it's a far different ride) Her trot and lope were both really nice, and the only casualties have been my shoulders from trying to hold her face in and my behind from wearing the wrong kind of underwear. (TMI? Oh well, I don't care. XD)

There was talk of riding the Saddlebred stud, but I didn't feel ready to tackle that. Apparently the stud is nice, but he's a little green and a much different ride from the Morgan. Here he is in all his high-stepping glory:

(This was taken last summer--the only difference is that he's got a winter coat now)

Maybe next time. :P

And now? It's back to the daily grind of school--I am determined, DETERMINED I SAY, to get this class done before I leave for Colorado. So here goes.

Sunday Morning Study: Week 4

There were no ice storms to disrupt church today, so consider me back on schedule! 

Chapter 4 deals with the priest-natured man (Mr. Steady). What I find about this personality type is that they're very common--or at least, more common than one might think. They're not noticed much because they quietly go about doing their thing without a lot of fanfare or directing, but their absence is noticed when they leave because they DO do so much. As it's said in this book, he won't invent the lightbulb or lead a revolution, but he'll be on the light-bulb building assembly line or falling into the revolutionary ranks. His very stability and easy-going nature makes him probably the easiest type of guy out of the three for a woman to be married. 

(This isn't to say that there wouldn't be problems--any relationship between two people is bound to have some at one time or another--but they're far different and fewer than what one would run into with the two other types.)

On a side note, I mentioned to a guy I know that I think he's a Prophet-type, and he brought something quite interesting to my attention. He agreed that he had certain Prophet-like tendencies, but his parents think that he's a Kingly type, and he said that he works like Steady. He also mentioned that while guys have certain stronger personality traits, it's well within their capabilities to work on those traits and whittle away the bad, retain the good, encourage this and squelch that, etc. In other words, they are fully capable of developing as a person just as women are expected to do so in this book.

Like I said a few weeks ago: I like this book, but I also disagree with parts of it. I'm sure it wasn't meant in this way, but a lot of times it comes across (when describing men) that men's personalities are set in stone and the women are the ones that need to change, not the men. I know it's not all that black and white, but that's just what it sounds like sometimes. */side note*

The role of the wife to the priestly type is to be modest or shamefaced (in words as well as outwardly), cultivate her own skills to the honor of her husband and family, show initiative in ventures, and be well-rounded, accomplished women. They won't expect miracles, but being lazy or immodest in speech and actions is very disheartening for a guy who is trying to make a go of it. He wants an equal partner, not a slug or an unwise floozy.

Anyway. Before I ramble on too much more, here are the actual notes.

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Chapter 4: The Priest

Focus: The priest-natured man

Shamefacedness: 1. indicative of shame; ashamed

2. extremely modest or shy; bashful

Idleness: 1. Inactive

2. Lazy, shiftless

3. Lacking foundation; useless and worthless

4. To pass time without working or in avoiding work

5. To move lazily and without purpose

Proverbs 19:15 -- "Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry."

Ecclesiastes 10:18 -- "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks."

 1 Timothy 5:13 -- "Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to."

(The above concerns widows and younger widows, but I had an interesting thought about the above that I'll address at the end)

Proverbs 31:27 -- "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." 

Ezekiel 16:49 -- "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."

(In the King James translation, 'unconcerned' is 'idleness')

Romans 12:9-21 -- "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil or evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; 

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Hebrews 6:9-12 -- "Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case -- things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

1 Timothy 2:9 (KJV) (concerning shamefacedness) -- "In like manner also, that women should adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobermindedness, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly array,  but, as becometh women professing godliness, with good works."

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Okay! Time to tackle 1 Timothy 5:13 up there! *cracks knuckles*

 Whenever I read the 'going from house to house saying what they ought not' bit in the past, I always thought of a person literally going from house to house and gossiping. But the longer I stay on Facebook and read blogs and associate with things online, the more I realize that those venues are being used much in the same fashion. I'm not about to call for a mass exodus from Facebook...but let's face it, there are a lot of people who use those venues for less than noble purposes.

(Is 'Facebook' and 'noble' in the same sentence an oxymoron?)

 The people group I'm thinking of specifically are young ladies of a certain age that (a) don't have jobs, (b) don't go to school, and (c) are unmarried. I was in that place a couple of years ago, and I cringe at the amount of time I spent going on Facebook or chatting online with people and feeling sorry for myself because I wasn't having the grand time that everyone else seemed to be having. I'm not one for gossiping, either then nor now, but having a lot of free time to waste bred a great deal of discontent and might have turned to gossip and nitpicking at people if I hadn't gotten another job and started classes. 

I have a friend who has been having a lot of trouble from girls (and their mothers) who are of this particular type of group. These girls and their mothers are the worst offenders! And to make matters worse, they say these things in the name of Christianity and to 'sanctify' others, when the end result is to tear down the very ones they profess to be building up.

I agree that going to college isn't for everybody, and some people are unable to work. But sitting around waiting to get married and doing nothing in the meantime is not only unproductive, it breeds malcontent and murmuring and gossip. That's why Paul says to encourage the young widows to remarry--these days, we're able to work and be productive when marriage isn't an option for the foreseeable future. 

So my opinion? BE PRODUCTIVE. Ladies, we're not meant to sit around waiting for life to drop a husband or other opportunities in our laps. Go out and grab life by the throat while you still can! Get a job or get a degree or volunteer or do SOMETHING--anything to keep from being discontented or a busybody or a time-waster. It doesn't help you, and it doesn't help anyone around you to be a taker instead of a giver.