Dandelion Analogies

A stubborn little weed that insists on shoving its impudent head through sidewalk crevices, hopping over flower garden barricades and taking over well kept lawns, a dandelion is a generally disliked nuisance of the summer months.  That said, as spring has finally sprung I've decided I like them.  They tend to tell a story about the people who  own the landscapes  they invade.  

Let me explain... 

Of course most people claim to hate dandelions, but most don't really seem to do much other than half heartedly douse them with RoundUp a couple of times a season.  Others though, they wage a full out war on the fuzzy flowers.  These people are the ones with the perfectly manicured lawns where every blade of grass is uniform and there are no "extra" hideaways taking up residence.  There are still others whose lawns could probably be more easily referred to as "dandelion patches," which are very similar to watermelon patches.....except no watermelons, just dandelions.  

The stories I was reading on people's front lawns went a little like this: dandelions will appear without fail every spring, that's just how it is.  Their yellow,  fuzzy, impudent blossoms fill children's arms and make bouquets for mom's with allergies every year.  None of this will change no matter which of the above three categories someone falls into.  I guess I was struck by how much time society puts into making a perfectly manicured lawn.  Now don't get me wrong, rolling green lawns do look pretty!  However, I decided I LIKED the little orangey yellow flowers because the houses that had them covering their lawns probably had people inside who decided there was something more important in their lives than winning the "best looking lawn" contest on their block.  They decided time spent with people was more important than time spent trying to determine how they would be perceived by said people.  (All of this makes sense in my head....maybe just not so much in writing).  If we spend all our time working out how we are going to "look" and be "perceived" but don't GO and actually spend time with the people being real, we are wasting one of our most precious resources--time. 

I hope my yard is full of dandelions someday.   :)

Restless.....

Spring has made me restless for all of my years since high school.  Maybe it happened before then, too, but I don't remember.  It is a feeling that makes me want to drive for days, be away from people forever, sit on a mountain top listening to the birds and admiring the handiwork of my creator, spend the afternoon on the bank of a secluded stream trying to coax a Brookie out to snack on my bait, or sometimes it is even enough to just drive really fast.  Something in my head makes me more introverted than usual, more easily tired by other people's troubles, and more prone to just giggling and being silly to try to cope with all of what is running through my brain.

I don't know what causes this.  It could be the long winter's cooped-up-ness that is finally melting into freedom, but I don't think that is all.  Autumn brings this on as well, but not as noticeably, nor as strong.  It could be that I am so emotionally and spiritually "spent" by the end of the winter that I am parched, dry and thirsty for change; change that I know can only come from a change within, but sometimes needs a boost from an external change as well.

It is encompassed by a desire to run, to write, to get "out" of myself.  This desire to leave my shell, my failure and start fresh.  However, I realize this would be futile.  For to truly be starting "fresh" I would have to lay aside all of the lessons I've learned through life, both from failure and success.  This would leave me prone to making even MORE mistakes, screw ups, and tragedies.  This is not the change I want.  I need to retain the lessons, but shed the human skin to reclothe myself in the righteousness of God.

Yup, I fail miserably.  If the only person sewing these garments were myself I would be dressed in ragged, poor quality, strings everywhere and shabby.  Thankfully, there is a master designer who clothes me in more beautiful things than I can imagine.  I still struggle to wrap my head around why, or how he could possibly love me that much, but my heart knows.

I guess if I'm honest with myself, it is my head that is restless; my heart knows right where it belongs.

I Am A Terrible Blogger :)

For Today... April 20^th, 2010           

Outside my window...  SUN! SUN!! SUN!!!!

I am thinking... about what I could have eaten yesterday to make my stomach this angry…….

I am thankful for... dandelions.  =D

I am wearing...  pjs and my Polar Bear Dip 2010 hoodie

I am remembering...  June 2006, when college graduation seemed a million years away.

I am going... God only knows where.  Jobs are in very short supply….more school in the fall I think, but as to where I’ll be or what else I’ll be doing, not a clue!!

I am reading... Crazy Love by Francis Chan……..and all my nursing notes.

I am hoping... I have some directional response/answers soon…..I hate being suspended!!

On my mind... William Wallace and bagpipes *giggle* =P

From the learning rooms... Tests, projects, homework….and only 3 weeks to finish it all in!!! 

Noticing that... I have a lot to pack up

Pondering these words...  “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”  C. S. Lewis

From the Kitchen...  Mmmmmmm I made awesome corn chowder yesterday....the cafeteria food this weekend was pretty bad. 

Around the house...  Mostly clean and picked up....so much easier to study that way!

One of my favorite things... Trout.  Some of the guys on campus had caught and cooked some last night.  Just walking by their window made my mouth water! 

From my photo journal...  Mary and I right before we went ice fishing last month :)  We love our rabbit furs :):):) 

 

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

It's almost April?!?!?!

When did that happen!?!?

It is hard to believe my first year of nursing is almost over, as well as my 3rd year of college. I can barely comprehend graduating in a year. I don't feel near prepared enough to actually be nursing on clients with no instructor to bounce questions off! I'm doing well in my classes, so far I'm on track for my goal of a B in nursing this semester, but it doesn't mean I don't stress about it!!! haha

I like being back in Maine and closer to my family, but there is a part of me that still itches to be somewhere else sometimes. Maine will always be home, I'm just not sure I will always be home. But, I now have friends scattered throughout the US so I guess I could take off and visit them and nurse in their areas for a while, aye? Or go to India and work with the hospitals and out reaches there! (Slumdog Millionaire got me thinking about that one!!!)

For the time being though, I'm enjoying most of my time here, I've been blessed to meet some more friends here and I would be lost without them. I'm applying for an RA position next year. I would love to do that!!! It is a little nerve wracking during the process though because my mind is thinking, "What if I don't get it? Then what?". I'm also praying about my summer job, the economy up here isn't looking so hot and there have been temporary cut backs and pay cuts at the mill. God only knows if they'll actually hire students or not. The applications are up.......but that isn't much reasurrance, last summer we went all the way through orientation before they told us we'd be laid off for a week!!!

My spring break starts on Friday, I can't wait to go home and spend time with my family and friends downstate! And to sleep in a comfy bed that doesn't have springs poking me in the back!!

In April my friends Adam, Estella, maybe Pam, and I are going to PEI to visit a friend of Adam's and to see the Watoto children's choir! We are wicked excited!!!

I can still barely wrap my mind around only having about 7 more weeks until we are out of school, but I guess I better keep focused!!

Hugs, love, e.

Home again, home again!

Well, I survived my finals and flew home on Monday night. Unfortunately, I got hung up at JFK for 4+ hours instead of my scheduled 1.5.......apparently we were waiting for our pilot, but once she arrived they found mechanical problems...yay. Robyn went with my mom to pick me up in Portland....wicked fun to be able to catch up with her while mom slept :). Anyways, I finally got home at 4am....so nice to sleep in my own bed!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I had my interview at Lincoln Pulp and Tissue; I applied through their student hire program. There were 6 other students, including 2 people I knew. I was the first one called in for my interview....AHHH!! lol I thought it went pretty well and a couple hours later they called and offered me the job! :) YAY! Wicked exciting! It doesn't start until June 12 though so I am currently looking for another job until then. Maybe subbing at the elementary school? I don't know.

I'm trying to get unpacked but it is hard because my room is kind of full and I ran out of hangers....haha oh well, I'll make it to walmart soon!

I went to Jacob's baseball game this afternoon....kinda chilly out. They lost. shoot. Hills had her softball game tonight as well but it was far away so mom and I didn't go. She hit 2 home runs and a triple. One home run was over the fence, the other on errors.

It is weird being home and not around all my friends from school but I will be back there soon enough and I need to remember to enjoy my family while I am here.

I may be headed out to camp for a bit while I'm waiting for my job to start....that will be nice! For now I'm just praying the sun comes back out and it warms up!

Hugs to you all! e.

Only 3.5 more weeks!

I'm back at school!

I had a wonderful visit back at home and got to catch up with a lot of my family and friends :)....it was nice, though I definitely missed my friends here at school...

I got back to school very late on Monday the 10th....6 of us split the cost of a shuttle to take us back to school...it was nice to get to chat with the other people and it was funny to see so many GCC people in the Pittsburgh airport...lol

Thankfully the week that I got back was relatively light as far as classes go, especially since the two weeks leading into break were horrendous! I have a chem exam this Friday, hopefully it goes well, I've been studying for it and it I have seemed to understand this section of chem better than the ones in the past.

Our IM basketball game is still undefeated and we have the championship game sometime in the next week. FUN!!!

On Friday night I am doing Relay for Life with the Chemistry Club....even though I don't really like chem! haha My goal was to raise $100, but so far I have surpassed that! :) And I still have one more day to collect donations! People are sooooo generous, it amazes me. I am walking in memory of my friend Olivia and my Grandmother, both of whom passed away this year. On a happier note, I celebrated my "7th Birthday" yesterday!!! My 7th anniversary of being cancer free! :)

Have a wonderful night and please continue to remember the people of VA Tech in your prayers, Els

Spring!

Happy first day of spring!!!!


Today was one of those rare, beautiful days at GCC; the sun actually shone and it didn't rain, not even a drop!!! :) It was actually pretty nice, too, I didn't have to wear a coat! (that NEVER happens!)


This half of the semester my fitwell lab (required of all freshmen) is lovely (NOT) aerobics. It is a wicked fun class where we get to sweat until we can't see and then exercise until we can no longer feel our appendages.....oh, did I mention all the while your heart feels like it will burst and your lungs start breaking out of your ribcage? All of this was in the name of "cardio kickboxing".....sounds harmless enough...but beware! :)


Our IM bowling team is undefeated! Yay!!!! Our IM basket ball team is, too! With the help of 2 forfeits, we are now 4 for 4! :) Tonight we had a game against a team with 10 girls....we only had 6 and one has shin splints really bad and couldn't play more than a couple minutes.....but we won!!!! 34-11!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! SOOOOOO much fun!


Classes are going well, we are finally getting back into chem concepts that I understand!!! (or can figure out!) Bio is going well, I love that class! It is all plants and bugs!!! :) (did I mention my favorite professor teaches it? :) ) I have 2 exams, a big paper and a little paper due on Monday....ick, not fun.


Miss you all and look forward to being home in 9 days!!!!!!! Hugs, E.