I'll address my lateness later, but first some advice. People suck. All of us. A lot of us make up for that suck by being awesome a lot of the time, but there's still that little bit that pops its head up every now and then that makes us suck. Unfortunately, family members have it too.
So how do we deal with it? My tip is relatively simple. Unless it's an extreme case, it's realising they're your family, and you love them.
Case in point. My brother, for all intents and purposes, is a complete asshole. I don't help matters a lot of the time, but it's not just me he's an asshole to; it's all of us. So why hasn't he been punched after refusing to co-operate on a simple task and slamming the door in a piss fit, or not contributing money to the family because he's saving it for food for himself? Because ultimately, we love him, and that's not going to change no matter what he does.
That doesn't mean there's no boundaries. By all means, if someone oversteps their mark, you stand up to them and say so. But ultimately, it's about realising that you still love them, despite their suckiness.
And now Winter. Why Winter? Well:
Snow is awesome.
Cold is a lot easier to deal with than warmth-for one thing, wearing more clothes isn't illegal; walking around in public naked is.
This
Win.
And now the last bit. To cut a long story short, me and my family are going through some rough times at the minute financially and emotionally, and as silly as it seems being late for this narks on me. So I'm gonna be absent for a couple of weeks while I try and get my stuff together. But you guys are awesome bloggers anyways, so it won't make much of a difference content wise ;)
Hey guys! Today I'm writing a ~*~*SUPER SATURDAY BLOG POST*~*~ which I totally planned and isn't because I forgot on Wednesday (I've had a busy week, sorry). :( On to our topics! Fall: I love fall, because the weather changes and it stops being so extremely hot (Texas weather sucks in August, usually). Fall, for me, was also the start of football season in high school (and college, I guess, but it's not the same.... in a good way!) and marching band season, so I would always be busy with that and it was a lot of fun. The leaves don't necessarily change colors that vibrantly where I am, but it's okay because the weather feels so awesome! :) Fall is also around the time that I can start wearing long sleeves and fun knitted things. This is great, because I like to knit! This fall, I'm busy with other things, but I'm still enjoying the change of weather. :) Family: As for family, I've realized that the best way to handle most things (like Erin said) is communication. My parents have been divorced since I was really young, so it's just been my mom and me most of the time. Communicating is really important, I think, when there are only two people in a house and there's no one else to diffuse the tension when we get into an argument or something. This isn't exactly family-related, but I've also noticed that communication works amazingly in a relationship with a roommate too (something I've learned from college). Anyway, I'm pretty busy today so I thought I'd get this post off before I forget again! I had a lot of fun reading your posts this week guys! :) DFTBA!
I LOVE FALL! It is the perfect temperature outside, it involves hot chocolate and jumping in leaves! And is is the best season to prove that Colorado is the most beautiful place in the world!
Family.....ugh family.
FIRST, THERE IS A STORY
So last Friday a friend and I from work went to a book signing in Denver for one of my favorite authors. (I HATE DRIVING IN DENVER) After we got our books signed, took pictures with a disposable camera that apparently no one uses any more, and accidentally insult him, we proceeded to Ihop for coffee with two other friends that we met up with at the signing.
from Ihop we were suppose to follow them onto I-25 to get home. Well, we ended up on E-470, instead and didn't realize it until we were WAY past the airport. (which is an accomplishment in itself because if your familiar with DIA, you know its in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE). I don't have a GPS, and by this point no phone service either. Eventually we come to an abandoned intersection, and my friend gets a few bars.
I proceed to call my mother (it's about one o'clock at this point). It takes TEN TIMES for some one to pick up and when they do I'm greeted by my sister in law. We hate each other, and that would take a while to explain why so just accept this as a fact for now. And it is important to note, that for no apparent reason she had been staying at my house for three days already (and will continue to stay for a week). The conversation went something like this:
"Hello?"
"WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!" (I get really stressed when I'm lost, so sue me)
"I didn't recognize the number."
"OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T IT ISN'T YOUR PHONE! Look, I am lost in the middle of nowhere, I need you to get on google and tell me where this intersection is."
"But every one's asleep."
"NO ONE IS GOING TO BE STARTLED AWAKE BY THE CLICKING OF YOUR KEYS ON THE COMPUTER!"
".....well.....I just don't want to disturb any one."
(long threatening pause) "Put my mother on the phone."
"Oh, but she's sleeping I don't think I should wake her up for this."
"PUT MY MOTHER ON THE PHONE."
"But she's-"
"THIS IS NOT A REQUEST! PUT HER ON THE PHONE!"
"I know your stressed but-"
"THIS IS NOT A HEART TO HEART CONVERSATION! PUT MY MOTHER ON THE PHONE OR I SWEAR WHEN I DO GET HOME, IF YOU ARE STILL THERE, I WILL TOSS YOU OUT THE FRONT DOOR MYSELF!"
Needless to say she went to go get my mother. Who took fifteen minutes just to figure out how to use google maps. Eventually I did get home.
My siser in law, has always tried to get me in trouble. For example: I'm sitting in the front room while she is watching T.V., but I am reading my book instead. She starts to cry and tells my mother I am ignoring her. mother yells at me (ARGH!). Example 2: I am doing my homework in my room because if I do it in the living room while she is there I will get in trouble for ignoring her. My mother comes into my room and yells at me for ignoring her (ARGH!). Example 3: For some reason my mother took her shopping with us, argh, and she is manipulating her into buying her and my big brother all sorts of things. My mother's response: I know, but their family.
That is my mother's excuse for anything my siblings or their partners do!
Mom, sis promised she'd go see this movie with me but ditched at the last minute to see her friends. Mother: Well, you shouldn't be angry at her, she's family.
Big Bro just took little Bro's car because his is in the shop. Big Bro total's little bro's car.
Mother: He doesn't have to pay for it, it was an accident, he's family.
Annoying brother in law just ran the car over the weedwacker.
Mother: Don't yell at him, he's family.
While I love my mother, I disagree. Their is a fine line separating what you can get away with as family, and when the family needs to beat the crud out of you. Recking your siblings car and not even offering to pay = crud beaten out of you. borrowing a book and accidentally dropping it in the sink, ruining it = you're family.
"Will you bail me out of jail?"
"No."
"But we're family."
"Yeah, but you were the idiot who went streaking downtown. There's a lesson to be learned here and I'm not going to interrupt it."
I obey this line to a fault and will tell family when they are taking advantage of each other. "But we're family," is not a liable excuse for a lot of situations. Of course this makes me very unpopular but I am sick and tired of people constantly taking advantage of each other because they are family! IT IS WRONG. What kind of moral upbringing did you have anyway? Oh, that's right, the same as me. yet we are still completely different people in these regards aren't we?
Family Advise: SET BOUNDRIES, even if it makes you unpopular.
That felt good to rant about. The only people I really don't get along with in my family are the in-laws, and for good reasons. My siblings and I get along very well.
On a Much Lighter Note
This week was the 75th anniversary of THE HOBBIT!
If you hadn't noticed yet, I am a huge Tolkien fan. Love him to bits. An incredible author. not a lot of people these days appreciate Tolkien for the brilliant man that he was, I mean, he created languages! CREATED LANGUAGES! If you think about how long it takes a language to evolve from it's root language to become a second entity (which is hundreds of years, hundreds) then you can appreciate how incredible making a language, let alone multiple, in one lifetime is; it would take a brilliant, educated, gifted man to do such a thing.
This weekend, be sure to take sometime to honor Tolkien in some way. You can post your favorite quote on facebook/twitter, make a video blog depicting a favorite scene! Recite your favorite poem of Bilb's (DB if it's done in another language ;) ). Or for those literature fanatics, write an Essay on how Tolkien's writings were impacted by WWII. Who wouldn't want to read about that!?!?! Book Lovers: I would highly suggest reading: The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, it will give you a whole new insight and respect for the man.
Or for those who never read the books but appreciate the movies: all day marathon, extended editions.
Below is an independent movie that is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings, which I think is done very well. It's called Born of Hope and is you haven't seen it yet, watch it now.
Long Live Tolkien and Have a Great Weekend!
Avent-Garde
I agree with Erin, Autumn isn't my favorite season either. But I actually like most things about it. It tends to rain here a lot in the fall, and I really like rain. I also love autumn for all its colors, and how fresh and crisp the air feels when it starts to get colder. :) The colder weather is also a perfect excuse to cuddle up and home with some blankets and a cup of hot chocolate. :) Autumn hasn't gotten very far here yet, but I can't wait until the leaves start to change colors! It's so beautiful! Here's a picture I took last year here in Stockholm:
My family is a bit complicated too. Mom and dad got divorced a few years ago, and since then my mom has remarried and my dad has moved in with his girlfriend. That means that all of a sudden my sister and I had step-parents and five new step-siblings to deal with. All of this happened really really quickly after the divorce. I don't know if it'd have been better or worse if we'd been younger when it happened, all I know is that it was really hard when you're in your late teens to suddenly start to view a bunch of people you hardly know as your family. But now a few years later we all get along fine (at least most of the time), and sometimes having stepsiblings has actually been really nice, which is something I never imagined right after the divorce :) So I guess my family advice is that, if your family is facing a major change (like a divorce) and it feels like things will never be okay again, they really will be :) I know how incredibly scary it is when you realize things will never be the same again, but if I could go back in time and give myself some advice, it'd be to give whatever change you're facing a chance to be a good thing. :) At the time of my parents' divorce I just panicked and thought I'd never feel like I had a family again. But that's not what happened at all, and I really wish I'd known that back then.
Whhhhhhhhaaaa? Two in one? Crazy right?? No! Crazy is my current sate of mind. I won't get into it, but a hug would be helpful. Ok so two in one. I will give you the important songs in my life (that I can think of right now, sorry no hyper links or videos. I just finished homework and I still need to eat dinner and I would like to be asleep in the next hour). And then the correct topic for this week is Fall and Family advise. Nicky I hope I am not stepping on your toes by posting this topic first. Trust me I understand being busy and you post when you get a chance!!!
Ok so let's get the ball rolling:
Songs that mark mile stones in my life-
Tequila-not sure by who. Me and my mom would jam to this all the time in the car when I was little
Really any Elvis Presley Song (also jam tunes for me and my mother) Savior- Rise Against. Umm it is kind of my ex's (after break up song) we had a really bad break up and the song is very fitting Fifteen- Taylor Swift. This is my bestie back home (we will get to her in the second part) but we agreed a couple of years ago that was our song Face Down- Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. A song for my ex I don't really enjoy speaking of... Nerdfighterlike- Hank Green. It is not my current boyfriend and I's song (sorry that grammar is terrible I am sure) but we are in nerd love and let me just take a moment and go HOLY CREAM PUFF something like this really happened to me! I mean really! Champagne- Cavo. I don't know why but I really love this song and I have for years and it has never gone away. All at Once- Pete Yorn. This is currently my go to "cry song" thanks to my boyfriend (who introduced me to it). It is actually quite a tragic musical piece, but a fantastic song.
ANY LION KING SONG (I have the entire movie memorizing ans SING EVERYTHING< and I have no singing ability) June- Pete Yorn. Also... I have no idea what in the world draws me to this song but it is one that I listen to over and over.
Well that was more than I thought I could come up with so .. :) Holly I hope you like my list. (I am sure when i wake up in a few hours i will go "SHOOOOOOT I should have put _____ song on the list")
NEXT! The Fall and Family advice.
Fall, or Autumn is not my favorite season. That, would belong so Spring. However, I love to watch the leaves change and I do admit I like it when the weather cools off (though I thrive in HOT weather). When I was younger I loved the fall (not as much a spring) because I got to go back to school, and I still love to learn. I absolutely LOVE back to school shopping. I get this high from buying school supplies (weird yes... sorry but I already know I am weird). However now, I work 40 + hours a week and go to school for 23.5 credit hours. It is a lot and very very little sleep. But, I still love to learn and push though (with a large amount of caffeine).
Family advise. I have a very "interesting" and complicated family. My sister had a kid out of wedlock, and is jealous of me for not having a kid (she is older than I am) , going of to school, and getting to have a life I wanted. However (and you might thing I am crazy as she did) she doesn't understand, for the same reason you will not either (though Savior might shed some light for you) why I am jealous of her for having a baby. Something that can love you unconditionally versus having to fight every step of the way against everything, to be loved in working relation ship. Ok I feel like I got a little of track, sorry. My family advise is COMMUNICATION (and that is spoken with a girl jumping around waving her arms). My relationship has gotten better with my sister because she and I talk, and share how we feel. Trust me it is far better than it used to be. We used to fight constantly.
Now for a little friend advise(as a bonus- but she is so close she is like a sister to me) and a heads up to best friends out there. Yes you might have moved away and grown apart some, but when your best friend like a sister comes to you with BIG BIG news about her new relationship and needs true blue support Do Not, and I repeat DO NOT SHOVE HER AT AN OLD HIGH SCHOOL FLAME! I am sorry You DON'T DO THAT! (breathe... sorry I am better). See I need to talk to her and I know I do but it has been a month since this occurrence and I still want to throttle her. Communication is still key, if this happens USE YOUR WORDS (after you have the ability to not yell scream cry or throttle the person).
So I blogged very very early Tuesday morning because other wise it would not have happened. I cannot wait to read every one's posts! Have a great week!
Soundtrack of my life, hmm, I admit, in the end I didn't think I'd end up with these songs. None of them are my top favorites, but they are all songs I will listen to until I'm old and grey.
The First one is by Sawyer Brown and is called The Walk. It's all about change, and how sometimes you have to do things you don't want too. Every one has these moments, and we've all tried to delay the inevitable change, but it has to happen.
This one I absolutely love because it's about bringing the different people in America together through common hardship. I love how it combines the Country and Inner city, and suddenly you realize the two aren't as different as people like to think. (It's a common fault of humanity, thinking too much.) sure it's not about my life personally, but it's about everyone's life in a way. (Am I getting too out of the box for you? Just tell me and I'll return to my circle.)
Love this song by Needtobreathe. I interpret it as being about stepping out of your safety zone and daring to live. I have a hard problem stepping out of my safety zone, I like it their, it has padded walls. But in order to live you have to fling yourself out on a whimp sometimes and hope you don't land on concrete.
This is a song I love so very much by Casting crowns, it's called Jesus Friend of Sinners. It is so blatantly true about today's Christians, no sugar coating here. we like our loud opinions (opinions are fine, but too LOUD and they just becoming deafening blobs of sound), and we like to blame other people.
WARNING
You are about to enter a religiously opinionated paragraph (s).
Please no torches allowed past this point, and above all WEAR
YOUR FLAME RETARDANT SUITES!
The worst cliques, and gossip I have ever encountered was inside a church *GASP* (it's okay, I can admit this, I am a Christian) *whispers by a church official* But your not supposed to, we're supposed to be perfect!
RULE NUMBER THREE: Everybody has flaws, and that's okay.
the church does get too caught up in appearance and "standing up for god's truth" that they begin to care more about how they would look if a gay couple walked into their church than giving them a friendly welcome.
RULE NUMBER FOUR: I said once in a past post about how first impressions are extremely important. Well it's even more so for churches.
If no one makes an attempt to great me, or notices that I'm new when I walk in the door for the first time, it's not going to work out. Um, but that's what the visitor center is for, isn't it? Are you kidding me? Can you imagine how unnerving it would be for a Non-Believer to walk in the door and have to go to A FLIPPIN DESK IN THE FOYER TO EVEN BE NOTICED!!!!
Un- Believer: *shuffles up to desk after standing alone for an awkward half hour* Hey, uh, how are you doing to day?
Desk Lady With Fake Cheerful Smile: I'm doing well, how may I help you?
Un-B: Well uh, I'm new here and-
Desk Lady: Oh! (hands over Info card) Just fill this out and we'll have the pastor come visit you sometime this week! And I almost forgot! All our guests get a free Jesus Mug! (hands over mug with some sort of cross and church address on it)
Un-B: Uh, thanks......... (walks away and throws card in the trash but keeps mug because, well, it's a REALLY nice mug)
Jesus Mug
Christian slang for the mugs given as gifts to church visitors.
I know what your thinking, I'm getting really off topic, but I'm about to get to the point, just hang on a bit longer.
Some of the most aweful things have happened to me in a church or by the hands of other christians, I love how this song just lays it out as it is. It's almost like Jesus standing right in front of us saying, "Did you forget that ya'll are SINNERS to? Your focus' have become misdirected. FIX IT. Don't make me snap my fingers in a cross formation."
ONE LAST SIDE NOTE BEFORE MOVING ON
If you ever listen to "christian music" you'll notice most of it is cheery.
On days when I'm extra pissed off I just want to through a brick at the stereo
and yell "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE ANGRY FOR ONCE!!?!?!?!!!!!!!
EVEN JESUS WAS ANGRY!!!! BE LIKE JESUS!!!!!!!
Pfhh, that was a rant that's been in my head for a long time. It feels good to release it on complete strangers.
Okay, so this last one is not a song, but several clips that have impacted EVERY American. It's a tribute to 9/11. Already I think people are becoming....Immune? ...... to the clips and yearly tributes. I woke up on Tuesday not even knowing it was 9/11, and I didn't do anything in "remembrance" and I kinda felt like a crappy person. It was one of the most terrifying days of my life and I wasn't even in New York at the time!
I'm beginning to see what it must have felt for those who lived through Pearl Harbor, having to slowly watch as each new year, each new generation, the pain and the grief was slowly forgotten, until it was just another day. One day people will forget the terror of 9/11, they won't feel like crying when the planes hit the tower and they probably won't ever broadcast a Memorial Service. It's a sad thing to come to terms with, but one day it will just be, another day. another bonus point history question.
for now though, I like to keep the memory close at hand, because even amid so much tragedy, America had come together like never before, and maybe never will again. Freedom will always have an enemy, but if we stand together, they will quiver with fear.
Long live America.
Long Live Freedom. And a prayer for the victims and their family's.
sorry for the really long and mostly off topic post today guys. I loved everybody's so far and Erin you have to get yours up soon so I can listen to it too! :)
