Makes me happy

Right now, while I am sitting at work my firefighter is at home painting the guest bedroom so we can have it finished (I use that term loosely) by the time company comes next week. Do you know why else it makes me happy? No? Well, I will tell you. I get to have an orange wall in this room (I don't know why he is complaining, it is the color of fire, and fire makes him happy). And just so everyone does not think that I am lazy, I did paint 3/4 of it on Saturday. I could have finished it on Sunday, but I was to busy driving my wonderful firefighter around after he had had to much to drink (the Cowboys played at 10, they won, but it also means that the party started early).

I'll post pictures soon of my orange wall (soon is another term that I use loosely).

Nicknames

My whole life I have been known as Celeste-Pie. I remember being a teenager and telling my mom I did not want her to call me Celeste-Pie any longer. She just kind of said OK and looked away. A few months later she told me that I would always be her Celeste-Pie. After that I just got over being called Celeste-Pie. Now, I love it. I am Auntie Pie, Auntie Celeste-Pie, and still just Celeste-Pie (Note from the author, years later the author was reading her mom's journal after she had passed away and the only thing written in her journal on one day was that Celeste asked me to not call her Celeste-Pie anymore).

Some of my favorite nick-names now are the one's the my Firefighter calls me randomly. For instance, every now and then he will call me Goddess Divine, and this I love. He does not call me that very often, but it always brings a smile to my face when he does. My other favorite nickname from Steve is sunshine. This is especially the best when he looks over at me first thing in the morning and says it when he is still groggy. It makes my heart go pitter-pat...

Serenity

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

I think perhaps this should become my mantra. I have heard this prayer hundreds, maybe even thousands of times. I have some family that is clean and sober, and that is what it always represented. I never really thought about what it was actually saying, until now...

Serenity, basically means peace and tranquility, as I am sure you know. For those of you who don't know me really well, I am a lover of people. My heart breaks for people. I also wear my heart on my sleeve. That is why serenity is the part I need to focus on. I need to be peaceful and calm in the midst of situations that I have no control over. How does one remain calm in the midst of situations that are overwhelming? That part I don't know, not yet at least... However, that is why it should become my mantra or prayer. In order to be a positive influence of change in the midst of life, I have to be aware of what I have no control over, and let it be. Let me tell you, it is physically and emotionally draining to try to do it otherwise.

Cravings...

So, I am not pregnant, first of all. I am the type of person that craves the same thing for weeks and weeks and then, I don't eat it for a year. Right now I am craving peanut butter. I love it. I have a jar of it on my desk and a spoon and I just eat it with a spoon. Sooo gooood. With Thanksgiving coming up I am also craving cranberry sauce. Specifically jellied cranberry sauce. I could open a can and eat the whole thing in one sitting all by itself. Last week when Steve and I were at the grocery store he was messing around with me asking if I had everything, only he was asking me if I had crazy and absurd things that we never eat. He asked if I had jellied cranberry sauce and when I told him I threw a couple cans in the cart he just looked at me. Stunned? Appalled? I just don't know. Either way jellied cranberry sauce is still fabulous in my book.

One Joy

One joy of not being in school right now is that I have regained the ability to read whatever I want, whenever I want. I have just finally read The Alchemist, a book someone... gave me a long time ago to read, and I have started My Sister's Keeper, a book I have wanted to read for years, but never had a chance in the midst of the short break between semesters. The break between the semesters was the only time I allowed myself to read fun books, because for some reason when one is reading some historical novel or something else, reading up on Hofstede is just not as exciting. I realize most reading this blog will have no idea who Hofstede is. He made a lot of advances in Intercultural and International Communication, as for as reading goes though, not so much fun.

So, reading whatever I want= very fun. Not having to worry about homework= very fun. There is still a big part of me that wants to be working on my master though, hopefully someday in the near future.

Let's be honest...

It feels like the world is falling all around me. In the midst of everything that is going on I am trying to keep my head up and do my part to keep others moving.

It makes me more thankful for my life. While things are falling apart around me, my life is continuing. Situations around me make me that much more thankful for Steve and the relationship that we have. Also for him as a person, his gruff exterior is giving way to his love for me and for my family. I am so thankful to have a job and that Steve has a job so we can afford to give ourselves a wedding in the midst of financial stress with so many others. I am thankful for a family that loves, even if the love is shifting and changing, as is the nature of the family.

I won't lie, I have had some emotional break-downs in the midst of everything that is occurring in my life. However, I see that though the storm rages around me, I continue. Now I just hope that the perma-sick to my stomach feeling that has been going on for the last couple days will mellow out.

Mondays

I hate the Mondays where you feel like you never even had a weekend, and then all of a sudden, it is Monday. Hmph! Other than that, things are moving along. I'm starting to get excited about the bridal shower. I'm really excited about Thanksgiving in Reno, especially about getting out of "life as usual" for a couple days. Until then, back to work I go.

Today

I am having one of those days where life just kind of slaps you in the face. I don't know if it is a wake-up call or what. I think one of my problems is that I just care to much, that kind of sounds weird or conceited, but I care A LOT. I wear my hear on my sleeve, which breaks quite often for the smallest and most random things. I remember being back in seminary and praying one day that my heart would be broken by the things that break the heart of God, and I kind of think he did it. So, now I am trying to learn to guard my heart a little better, so I don't get as upset by these various things. And like I said, today I am getting slapped in the face. Life is good.

Voting

Well, that is what I did this morning, and I hope everyone else did the same.

A few things I have been wondering about lately...

I am wondering how to more actively plan for my future and my goals. How does one get a plan of action for the rest of their life? How does one formulate a plan to even achieve short-term goals?

I am wondering how Christians have made abortion the ultimate evil in the world of politics, and they can ignore so many other things (dare I say, sins)???