On the death of celebrities and why you shouldn't demonize those who mourn.

Alright, this is going to be an unpopular post, particularly among certain circles of my friends and readers. I just wanted to get that out of the way. But I am rather good at having unpopular opinions, and therefore I am writing this post.

So.

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Let me be the first to admit that most of the "celebrities" that I have admired and been inspired by are long dead. If you want to see a modern woman who is a huge fan of "old dead white guys," you're looking at her. It's the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death today, April 23rd, 2016, and I've been celebrating him in multiple ways. Most of the music that I listen to and the literature that I read was written by those old dead white guys. I'm not ashamed of that by any means. However, that does not mean I am completely out of touch with the modern world. There have been many celebrities in my lifetime that I have admired and who have made an impact on my life, through their words, music, and acting. When Heath Ledger died in 2008, I was devastated to the point of being totally unable to focus on my classes. I felt as though I had lost a friend. The same feeling rose in me again when Leonard Nimoy passed, and Brian Jacques, and Terry Pratchett, and David Bowie, and Alan Rickman, and there are others who I have not named.

We are nearing the end of the fourth month of 2016 and it seems we have lost a disproportionate number of famous people this year, the most recent being the artist Prince. And every time the internet has exploded with tributes for each of these actors or musicians. They touched a lot of lives, that much is clear. The impact these people have on us should not be discredited. Just because they are famous and get more attention than anyone else does not mean we ought to demonize those who mourn.

Celebrity status is a fluid thing, and the fact that these people have found lasting recognition for their talents and audacity and willingness to be themselves is pretty amazing. The personal reasons each of us mourns the death of a celebrity will vary exponentially, but at the root of it all these people have a way of expressing what it means to be human. It's hard to explain to many people, but those who get it really get it.

Four hundred years later, William Shakespeare is arguably the biggest household name ever. We're still listening to the music of Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. We're still reading the words of Plato, Austen, Tolstoy, and Dickens. The influence of all these artists is undeniable. Who's to say any of these recent deaths won't catapult their author's works completely into immortality too? I, for one, do feel like the world is a darker place now that they're gone. And that's okay. I'm not going to dwell on it forever, but let me mourn, and let me remember them well.

They may not be soldiers, but they have had an impact on us in a different way. Those soldiers have fought for our freedom and given everything, and that should always be recognized. We even have a day for that, to show how important that recognition is. But don't make the deaths of musicians and actors out to be worth nothing. They're human too.

Happy New Year (now go for a run!)

One of these days I'll be able to use emojis when I'm on my laptop and not just on my phone. I may be a bit obsessed with them. That being said, HAPPY 2016!!! -throws confetti- Yeah, sure, it's been 2016 for almost a week now. But this is my first post of the year, so y'all can deal with it.

Of course, with a new year come millions of resolutions and goals. I prefer using the term goals because that implies an actual endgame, rather than just resolving to do something. Maybe it's just me, but that sounds like you're allowing yourself an out, right? It's probably just me. Anyway, I've got some great goals for the year, which I will outline at a later date (that's my goal, hehe), but right now I want to talk about something that I started doing last October that I never, ever, EVER thought I would do in a million years. Really. And I'm talking about it because I think you should do it too.



I started running.

Yep.

Me.

Bookworm, Netflix lover, would-rather-be-gaming, me.

I started running.

 I had been trying to start up a 5K training program for almost two years, thinking there was a possibility that I would enjoy it, but none of the apps that I downloaded on my phone, nor any charts, kept me focused enough. I became discouraged. Until I discovered Zombies, Run! in the App Store. A story-based running game?! Also, it's British?! Sign me up! But the initial missions were too hard for a beginner like me, so I had to quit again. But they soon released a 5K training program as a separate app, and I dawdled way too long, but I finally began it at the end of October 2015. It has changed my life. I can run. You have no idea just how amazing that feels.

The health benefits of running are touted by runners (and the media) everywhere, but it's easy to be skeptical of "those healthy runner types" until you try it for yourself. I struggle with mental clarity and a decent sleep schedule, but on the days that I run (and the weeks that I make sure to run more than a couple times), my body feels incredible. My legs are stronger, my breathing has gotten better (seriously I was asthmatic in a bad way and now I really think I've totally kicked it), I have more focus, and being out for a run clears my head and makes me actually happy.




So this app has changed my life, because I get a really awesome zombie apocalypse story, along with my own music integrated in (best playlist so far is My Chemical Romance), and as of posting this, I've got five days of training left and then I can officially start the missions. Seriously, you get to pick up items and run from zombies and build up a base, all while working out! Note, it's not free, but it's the best app I have paid for, hands down.






It's my goal to run/walk 1000 miles this year as a part of a challenge I'm doing called The ONE Challenge. I got off to a slow start, but here's to an awesome year of running. Anybody else want to start up their own running practice? Join me on this challenge, even if you just walk it? We're less than a week into the year, you've got time to begin!

Five Things Friday: Star Wars

It's Friiiiiday! Not that it makes any difference to me since I work from home, and not all that much yet at that. But I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens last night and the hype is still strong with this one. Apologies for the terrible reference. I'm also on Day Four Without Coffee and it's a miracle I'm still alive. I kid, I kid. But it was a necessary move, because my anxiety was through the ROOF and I think my caffeine intake was not helping. (I'm not giving it up forever though, that's just not plausible.) I've felt like a new person these past few days, let me tell you that. Of course, that might be the Star Wars talking since I did watch all six movies on Wednesday and Thursday before going to the theater.

Always did love this guy. <3

One week till Christmas Day and I still don't have a tree. That's more because we added a second couch to the living room and now have no room for a tree but actually have seating space for people so I suppose that's okay. Right? I've never had a Christmas without a tree. Well we do have one; it's a Green Bay Packers tree that stays up all year but hey, we will make that one count because then I feel better.

Sigh, all that being said, it's time for me to share five links that I love and/or just discovered and that I think you'll enjoy too. This week's theme is Star Wars because obviously. Everyone's hashtagging #forcefriday everywhere so I'll join in the fun. (I already did on Instagram, so there's that.)

1. Star Wars original trilogy, as done by Bad Lip Reading. These are absolutely hilarious and you should go watch them right now. I cried, I was laughing so hard.

2. Her Universe. For all the nerdy ladies in your life, even if that's just you. I have a bunch of older stuff from Her Universe, mostly Doctor Who related, but if I had all the money I would get literally everything on the site. It's that cool.

3. If you haven't already done it, go to Google and type in "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away" for some legit awesomeness.

4. Epic Rap Battles of History: Deadpool vs. Boba Fett. Language warning, but it's hilarious and you should watch it, particularly if you're also a comics fan.

5. Feel like discussing the new movie over drinks with your fellow fans? Drink Lab has you covered with their crazy list of Star Wars themed cocktails. Someone try a Bantha Milk Cocktail and report back to me, mmkay?

There you have it. Got any other fun Star Wars finds to add to this list? Happy #forcefriday everyone!!

on focus and inspiration

You know those mornings where you eat sugar cookies for breakfast and don't change out of your pajamas before noon? It sounds nice, but to be honest I'm not all that happy with myself. More for the sugar cookies than the pajamas. Victoria's Secret nightshirts are super comfy and I would wear mine all day long.

Since this is a personal blog, it's time for a rather personal post. Not really a life update, but that'll maybe happen before the end of the year. I have posts queued up to share, just need to edit them and add photos.

Words are taking a long time coming these days. It's a struggle for me to even get one sentence out, let alone enough words for a decent post. I attempted to participate in NaNoWriMo for the first time ever and failed spectacularly. There will be seasons like this, I am told. But when December doesn't feel like December, my Christmas decor consists of a Target banner, and I can't even make it through a Charles Dickens novel in less than six months, I have to wonder. Inspiration sometimes comes the long way round, and I eagerly wait for it's return. Having purple hair for awhile felt like a pretty major inspiration, but I went back red because I missed it and purple isn't the most publicly accepted hair color, haha. Nor is it easy to take care of; take note of that, anyone who wishes to join the purple side.

These days my focus has been all over the place. Applying for jobs is exhausting, as many of you know well. It has never been a simple or easy process for me; generally it comes down to trusting in God and knowing He has the right option for me, even if I'm not seeing it. Being an independent distributor for Young Living has been a huge boost of confidence for me, both in using my oils and sharing them with others, even if things are slow going for the moment.

There are seasons. I know this, even if I don't always want to accept it. And the end of the year is always a time of reflection and usually some kind of sadness among all the holiday joy. But my joy is not my own...it comes from outside of me, from the One who was born to save us all. No matter what struggles each of us is going through, no matter how big or small they may be, no matter how little people may care, He is always there. That is the thought I leave you with on this rather warm and gloomy December Friday. I have plans for this blog, plans that will actually be set in motion rather than merely talked about like an elusive dream. It's been a rough year for my writing, but I do feel that inspiration is coming. It's not too far off.

of peppermint and lemon and lunar eclipses

Confession one: I have erased the beginnings of this blog post three times already.
Confession two: I legit started crying last night when I thought the cloud cover wasn't going to clear for the eclipse.
Confession three: On Packers game days, I have been known to turn superstitious and do everything I can to have lots of green and gold around. Therefore, today I have peppermint and lemon in my oil diffuser...not for any reason other than that the bottles are green and gold (well, yellow), respectively. It smells good too, obviously. Once the dishwasher finishes, I'll be showering and decking myself out in green and gold, probably right up to my makeup. #justhowiroll
Confession four: I've had very little sleep since Friday and, well, it's Monday.
So, time for a third cup of coffee and some deep breathing. Usually helps.

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So, the eclipse. I've seen multiple lunar eclipses over the course of my life. I've even seen a couple comets (one with the naked eye; anyone remember Hale-Bopp??), I've seen many meteor showers, I've seen the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter through the lens of my telescope, and I've even seen the aurora borealis from my front yard in Merna, Illinois. All of those things are amazing, and yet the one thing I always find the most fascinating is a total lunar eclipse. The moon doesn't give off light and yet it shines so brightly, and then you actually get to see the earth's shadow pass over it. Think about that for a second. Humor me. During a lunar eclipse we are literally seeing the shadow of this wondrous planet on which we live. The earth, moon, and sun are concrete things and they share a beautiful dance through the infinities of space that point to the design of our awesome Creator. He set those lights in the sky for us to see by, but also to point to His glory and sense of beauty and order. In an accidental universe, the chances of heavenly bodies lining up so perfectly to allow for eclipses are just astronomical. Pun intended.

When I look at the night sky, I am in awe of the One who created us, and I thank Him often for the universe He created for us to discover and love. There was a time in my life that I wanted to be a professional astronomer; my skills in math were lacking enough to discourage me from that, but space still enthralls me. Those of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook will have seen the two photos I posted that I took with my iPhone through the lens of my telescope last night. Looking up at the night sky is worth it, folks. Always worth it. EDIT: And now this post has a few of the photos I took that night!

Saturday DIY: Small Batch Orange Soda

Today I mended clothes and made orange soda while I watched Firefly. To be perfectly honest, mending clothes is enjoyable, when it goes well. But the real accomplishment was making a tiny batch of orange soda. I discovered the recipe on Food 52, which is one of my two favorite cooking websites. (The other one is The Kitchn, if you were wondering.) The original recipe called for zest of one lime, and I didn't have any limes in the house, but I do have a bottle of Lime Essential Oil from Young Living, one of the few of their oils that is safe to ingest. Besides, I had oranges sitting on my counter, just itching to be made into something.

Once you've read the original recipe and read my version, you'll see there are a number of changes; I can't leave a recipe alone. That, and today I was working with what I had in the house... Therefore, I used the lime oil, a couple of lemons, and plain seltzer water. Quite frankly, it's fantastic.

Orange Soda (serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 oranges
• 2 small lemons
• 1-2 drops Young Living lime essential oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• seltzer water

Zest the oranges and add the zest to a medium saucepan. Add the lime essential oil. Juice the oranges and lemons, making sure you have two cups of juice, then add the juice to the pan. Stir in the sugar.

 

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, let simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture has reduced by 1/3. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, and then pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar. Discard the pulp and zest. Cap jar and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

 

To drink: mix one part syrup and two parts seltzer in a glass filled with ice. Stir it up and serve with an orange slice if desired. Enjoy!

 

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It may seem like this won't be sweet, but with the addition of the lemons in the syrup, you really don't need the lemon-lime flavored seltzer the original recipe calls for.

Pineapple Salsa (raw *and* vegan!)

Confession: I have a Pinterest board just for tacos. And taco related recipes. And probably taco related merchandise. My last Instagram was even a taco, as of this posting. I like tacos as much as I like bloody marys, which reminds me, anyone want to help me concoct a bloody mary with mini tacos and shredded queso as the garnish? I say it's possible. We could use the Sriracha flavored UV. Or I think there's a jalapeno flavored one out there somewhere. Besides, who doesn't put tomatoes on their tacos? Anyone? I don't know you. Ahem.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, here is a recipe that I tried a month ago and then proceeded to not share it. Oops. Still new at this blog-more-than-once-a-month thing. I'm getting there, I promise. Lots of goodies coming your way. But for now, pineapple salsaaaaaaa! It's not as weird as it sounds. In fact, it's oodles better than it sounds.

I discovered this recipe through Pinterest while searching for good vegan recipes for summer. Disclaimer: I am not a vegan and most likely never will be, but I love vegetables and fruit and it's often the vegan recipes that inspire me. So I was directed to a blog called The Glowing Fridge, which has many other amazing posts and you should check it out if that's your thing. And quite frankly, I never thought pineapple in salsa could be good. It's a fruit, for heaven's sake. Buuuut I had all the ingredients, I had just made tortilla chips, and I desperately wanted salsa. And it doesn't take more than 10 minutes to put together. Unless, of course, you're me, and you can't chop up pineapple to save your life. That was an adventure.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced small (about 1/2 one fruit)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced small (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 red onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• juice from one lime
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I may or may not have used closer to 1 full cup...)
• 1/4 piece of a jalapeno, finely diced
• sea salt, to taste

Instructions

     Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and enjoy! Leftovers can be refrigerated for a few days. Also, the original recipe says the jalapeno is optional, but it really won't be as tasty if you leave it out. Really.

I really wish the batch I made had lasted long enough for me to put on black bean and rice tacos because that would have been da bomb. Oh well, it's incentive to make it again before the summer is over!