Poetry

Why is poetry so hard to understand?  Why can't we just say what is on our minds?  Why can't we take life at face value?  It would be so much easier if we could.  I would get more sleep, not worry about quizzes, and overall enjoy life much more.

But that is not what life is about, is it?  Life is full of twists and turns.  It is full of hidden meanings and messages.  It is full of people who look beyond the surface, and so we too must look beyond what we see.  That is the scary part of life.

The nice thing though, is when you begin to look beyond what is there, you begin to see what is hidden from view.  It is all quite wonderful... and that is my breakthrough for the day!

Alexandra

The flesh is the surface of the unknown.

- Victor Hugo 

The Horrible ....

.... part of life is when you get writer's block.  It is so not cool.  (and my imaginary friends are talking to me... so I don't know what is really going on up there).

I love to write (most of the time), but sometimes I can't get the words out.  That is just crappy.  There is no other word for it.  I am stuck and I suck at writing (when this happens).

So now I am listening to classical music, thinking about my life (never a good thing), listening to the wind howl, and trying to figure out how to get two to three pieces written by Wednesday.

Help!
Alexandra

Discipline allows magic. To be a writer is to be the very best of assassins. You do not sit down and write every day to force the Muse to show up. You get into the habit of writing every day so that when she shows up, you have the maximum chance of catching her, bashing her on the head, and squeezing every last drop out of that bitch.

-Lili St. Crow

Superhero Movies

I really like superhero movies.  They are wonderful and great and make me smile.  So instead of writing about superhero movies, I am going to list the ones that I have seen and or want to see.  (and you should totally comment on which movies you love in the Superhero Movie Genre)

Batman:

Batman Begins

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight Rises

Spider-Man:

The Amazing Spider-Man

X-Men:

X-Men

X-2: X-Men United

X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men First Class

Captain America:

Captain America: The First Avenger

Thor:

Thor

Thor: The Dark World

Avengers:

Avengers

Hulk:

The Incredible Hulk

Iron Man:

Iron Man

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 3

Happy Movie Watching!

Adding Another

I am (unfortunately?) adding another course to my schedule.  The nice thing, is that it is an online class.  The not so nice thing, is that it is an online class.  They are kinda a catch-22.  But I shall prevail.

This course, is Juvenile Literature.  I think it will be a fun class, but I could be wrong.  It is all about reading.  I am cool with that.

The books I will be reading are:

• The Lord of the Flies
• Monster
• Annie On My Mind
• Giver
• Go Ask Alice
• Catcher in the Rye
• Demon's Lexicon
• Diary of Anne Frank

Of this list, I have read 2, so that is good(ish).  I will be entertained by not knowing what will happen, and I can cross off a few more books from my 'Want to Read' list!

All in all, a somewhat good day!

Lots of Love

Alexandra

Sleepy Me

It has been an interesting week, but the thing that has gotten me the most, is my sleepiness.  I am so tired, and that is so unusual.  I 'try' to get a good night's rest, but I'm in college, and that doesn't always happen.  So I decided to look up some interesting facts and such about sleep (possibly to put me to sleep).... but I digress.

Here are some wonderfully interesting facts about sleep that I discovered from the National Sleep Foundation:

1. Man is the only mammal that willingly delays sleep.
2. The higher the altitude, the greater the sleep disruption. 
3. In general, exercising regularly makes it easier to fall asleep and contributes to sounder sleep. 
4. Divorced, widowed and separated people report more insomnia.
5. More than eight in ten survey respondents think that people often or sometimes misuse prescription sleep aids.
6. Caffeine has been called the most popular drug in the world. 
7. In general, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. However, some individuals are able to function without sleepiness or drowsiness after as little as six hours of sleep. Others can’t perform at their peak unless they’ve slept ten hours.
8. We naturally feel tired at two different times of the day: about 2:00 AM and 2:00 PM. 
9. Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise.
10. Newborns sleep a total of 10.5 to 18 hours a day on an irregular schedule with periods of one to three hours spent awake.
11. When infants are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become "self- soothers," which enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night.
12. Eighty-two percent of healthcare professionals believe that it is the responsibility of both the patient and the healthcare professional to bring up symptoms of insomnia during an appointment.
13. There are individual differences in the need to nap. Some adults and children need to nap. However, the majority of teenagers probably nap in the afternoon because they are not sleeping enough at night.
14. Snoring is the primary cause of sleep disruption for approximately 90 million American adults; 37 million on a regular basis.
15. Scientists still don't know — and probably never will — if animals dream during REM sleep, as humans do.
16. Some studies show promise for the use of melatonin in shortening the time it takes to fall asleep and reducing the number of awakenings, but not necessarily total sleep time. 
17. One of the primary causes of excessive sleepiness among Americans is self-imposed sleep deprivation.
18. According to the results of NSF's 2008 Sleep in America poll, 36 percent of American drive drowsy or fall asleep while driving.
19. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the fact that their leptin levels (leptin is an appetite-regulating hormone) fall, promoting appetite increase.
20. Rates of insomnia increase as a function of age, but most often the sleep disturbance is attributable to some other medical condition.
21. And did you know seasonal affective disorder is believed to be influenced by the changing patterns of light and darkness that occur with the approach of winter?

Well I hope you are all getting enough sleep!

Love Ya!

Alexandra

Goodreads

You know you have a problem when you type in the letter 'G' in your search box and the first thing that comes up is Goodreads (not Google).  But I am fine with having that problem.... it makes life fun and exciting and interesting!!

Reading is such an essential part of my life.  I live and breath books (and writing - heck, I might even post something of mine up here one of these days... food for thought).

My mother says I have a problem, but I don't really think so (well not too much of a problem.  It is just a tiny one!).  I am always reading and forgetting to do my chores.  But hey.  I could be doing worse things.  I could be going to wild parties or getting millions of tattoos, but I haven't... and I most likely won't.  But like a good child, I can see that I have a bit of a problem, but I am not going to change that one bit.  No.  Instead, I have decided to have a reading challenge.  75 books in the year 2014.  Completely doable!

I will stick up the little Goodreads Book Counter under the Themes Content so you can watch me 'struggle' through the year with my books.  Honestly, I give it until August to complete the 75 books, but I might just surprise myself.

As of now (when I typed up this post on Friday Night), I have read 4 books, but I have a feeling by the time you read this, the number will have gone up by one or two.

So I encourage you to check out my Books page to see what all I have read both this month, this year, and since I started this blog!

Enjoy and Read... Alexandra

Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.

-Joyce Carol Oates” 

Starting Anew

Classes started today.  Yay!  I am really, truly excited about this.  I am a total nerd and accept that.  My schedule for this semester is very appealing (which makes for a wonderful semester all in all).  My Monday's are a little bit fuller with five classes and giving a tour (I am an Admissions Ambassador, if I haven't told you that already).

I am really excited for my classes which include:

• Creative Writing
• I will be contracting this class as an Honors class, so I will keep you all up to date on my progresses, and might even let you read a few of my works .... possibly
• British Literature II
• I am super excited about this class because I love Brit Lit.  It is so fun and exciting (and isn't about some dead dude and his day to day business - written as a diary)
• Applied Animal Nutrition & Lab
• This class is for my minor (Animal Science) and I am super stoked.  I love learning about livestock!!
• German 202
• The only redeeming thing about German is it is my last semester
• Introduction to Independent Studies
• This class is an Honors Seminar class which are really fun.  I will (in theory) by the end of the semester, be able to submit my Independent Study proposal and begin my work on that

So that is my life until May.  Throw in working as an Ambassador and training for my position as an Orientation Leader (I help incoming freshman and their parents prepare for school and register for classes), my days will be filled with fun and excitement!

Happy Start of Semester

Alexandra 

America's future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.

-Jane Addams 

Laughing So Hard

Do you ever have those moments when you are laughing so hard that tears are running down your cheeks, your stomach feels like you have just finished doing 1000 sit ups, and you are sitting there looking like an idiotic hyena because you are laughing so hard it is silent?  I just had that moment.  I was clicking around on Pintrest and stumbled upon a post with this caption: "Took me 15 mins to read this because I was laughing so hard I couldn't see. Seriously. Read it."  Seeing that, I had to read it.

I clicked over to the link, and began to read.  I giggled at the first few lines and then the tears came, the uncontrollable laughter (that was silent), the aching stomach... and my first thought was, "I have to share this with everyone reading Ramblings... It is perfect."

So I encourage you to click the link below to bring you to the page (because of copyright infringements and all) and laugh your butt off!  Enjoy.

The Fart that (Almost) Altered My Destiny 

And now, here are a few pictures I thought you all might enjoy:

This Happens All Too Often (I did it at work on Friday to my friend Kayte)

Best movie quote ever

So very true

Best Day Ever!

Lots of Love!

Alexandra!

Catching Fire

Oh wow.... I am actually writing about a movie that I saw in theaters.  Call the presses.  This is really big news (it like NEVER happens).

So my father (a wonderful and unique man) wanted to see that "flaming movie - Burning Fire" or as the rest of the world knows it, Catching Fire... Like I said, he is unique.  So my wonderful daddy took me and my mama out on the town (we went to the downtown theater), bought mom a Diet Coke and Popcorn and me a Cherry Icee, and we watched Jennifer Lawrence Rock!

Like every movie, I got mixed reviews on how the movie turned out.  Either people loved it because of the Capital or hated it because of the Capital.  I just forgot how little of the arena there was in the whole grand scheme of things (in my defense, I read the books two springs ago ... it was finals week and I was decompressing.  Don't judge).

But I did think that the movie was wonderful.  The actors were perfect, the camera wasn't shaky, budding romances came out, and I teared up a little at Finnick's speech with Caesar.

If you haven't heard what the movie is about, here is a brief overview:

Katniss & Peeta return to District 12 after they win the 74th Hunger Games, but the games are not over yet.  They are the newest distractions of the Capital, used in hopes of keeping people's minds away from the real problems.  As the 75th Hunger Games come around, a twist is added into the plot: The tributes will be drawn from the pool of victors.
Katniss and Peeta must work together and with others in hopes of surviving the 75th Hunger Games and President Snow...


So you should all go out and see Catching Fire before it leaves theaters and you have to wait FOREVER for it to come out on DVD!  It was wonderful and I loved it (and so will you!)

Alexandra

I want you guys to forget everything you think you know about the games. Last year was child's play. This year, you're dealing with all experienced killers.

Catching Fire, 2013

A Harsh Morning Wake-Up

Mornings are not my forte.  I enjoy sleeping and my warm bed.  Obviously higher powers were not thinking that was all going to work out for me.  And that is just harsh.

The morning started out normally – me shutting off my alarm, dad bursting in to yell me out of bed, my light being left on, and me going back to sleep.  Lazy, I know – but it is Christmas Break…  But that is when all hell broke loose.  I was sleeping, when suddenly the dog started barking her ‘intruder’ bark, mom was running around upstairs, and the phone started ringing.  Chaos.

Mom then started yelling at me (and I was now up the stairs looking ruffled).  The water heater guy was coming today, the dog (who is 100 plus pounds) was on attack mode, mom was on a conference call in her home office, and I couldn't find the dude.

I run back down stairs and into the garage, and no one is on our parking pad.  No one.  I then fling open the walk through door and peer over the very large bush we have that is in front of the wall that wraps around the hill that blocks the view to the driveway, and see the FedEx guy’s truck.  No water heater guy yet… just a package from FedEx.

So I head back upstairs, walk across our frozen deck to retrieve the package, and curse the higher powers that so unceremoniously got me out of bed.


Sleep Well!
Alexandra

I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?

-Ernest Hemingway 

Beauty

My cousin posted a link on Facebook about beauty - real beauty, not the factitious beauty we think we need.  Lizzie was once labeled as the "World's Ugliest Woman".  She was told to go kill herself by total strangers.  She is a survivor, a wonderful speaker, and has humor that will make you beam.  I encourage you to check out this link to her TEDx Talk.  She is beautiful, and I hope I can be like her one day.

Alexandra

“Sometimes people are beautiful.  Not in looks.  Not in what they say.  Just in what they are.” 

-Markus Zusak, I Am the Messenger

30 Years

Thirty is an interesting number... most likely...  But to my family, the number 30 holds a legacy.

Yesterday, my parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.  They have made it through thick and thin, crop failures and booming harvests.  They have survived two children and one smelly dog, and they still love each other!  I give them two thumbs up.

With thoughts of my parent’s anniversary, I couldn't help but think of my brother’s wedding.  In June he will say ‘I Do’ to one of the most wonderful women I know (and a bonus is – they love each other too!).  My brother’s wedding date is on my grandparent’s anniversary.  60th Anniversary.

Thirty year gaps between the boy’s big days….

But that’s not all….

My brother is 24, my father is 54, and my grandfather is 84…

Thirty years.

It is interesting how numbers shape our lives.  A little strange, but wonderful.  With that, I wish my parents another 30 years, and everyone else a happy January.

Alexandra

The World is Frozen

It is cold out.... and I mean like really cold.  The world is literally frozen, and that is beautiful in its own way.

I have a love for the cold, and that most likely makes me a little strange, but I am fine with being strange.  That is what makes me, me.

The irony with the world being frozen is that I could not see Frozen with my friend the other day.... cars were not starting the best and we didn't want to get stuck in Sioux City (you know, with us not living in the city and all...).

With the real temperature being really cold, everyone should curl up with a book, a cup of something warm, and a fire crackling in the fireplace.  I will be reading Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead, and soon you will hear all about the wonderful adventures of Robin Hood.

So go and make a cup of this delicious Cocoa:

Homemade Hot Cocoa
Yields 5 Servings

Recipie From Momables

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Hot Water
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 4 cups Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Directions:

• Combine the cocoa, sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.
• Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
• Stir in the milk and heat, but do not boil.
• Remove from the heat and add vanilla; stir well. Serve immediately.

Read On and Stay Warm...
Alexandra

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” 

-Charles M. Schulz

The Countdown

It is that time of year.  You know what it is.  School has been out for nearly a month and you have been stuck indoors with your family and only your family.  Yeah.  At first it was all wonderful, but then you realize that you haven't talked to someone your age in three weeks.  That is the exact moment you begin your countdown til you can go back to college.

I have reached that moment, and I am not too sure how I feel about it.  It is tantalizing and wonderful, and I have been doing this for three years now (oh man, I am old).

So my countdown is thus:

Bridal Fair with mom, Steph, and Amy = Check
Frozen Cold Day (complete with birthing) = Check [and this one will be talked about in a post or two]
Laundry = Pending
Facial = Tuesday
Packing of the Car = Tuesday Night
Dentist = Wednesday
Brookings Bound = Wednesday after Dentist!

And then I will be back with my roommates (who most likely haven't cleaned or checked the mail.... but I just shake my head), I will clean my room, unpack, make some food, go food shopping, put my school supplies together, squeal over my new books (I have gotten 7 from Amazon!!), and get ready to work on Friday!

The countdown has begun, and though I love my family, I need to get away for a bit!!

Stay Warm
Alexandra

The Mortal Instruments

As I mentioned yesterday, I have been on a bit of a Mortal Instruments kick.... so in true spirit, I will give you a brief run-down of the first movie of the Mortal Instrument Series - City of Bones.

The story line is the same as the book (who'd have thunk), but there are a few differences that I did enjoy.  One of the main differences is the expansion on Jace's musical skills.  I love piano music, and he plays a wonderful little ditty by Bach.... and Jamie Campbell Bower (the actor who plays Jace) was actually playing.  I give him kudos for that!

On the same theme of music, I also really like the soundtrack... and am currently listening to Heart by Heart by Demi Lavato at this moment (hehehe).  The music is intense and soft all in the right places, so the soundtrack gets two thumbs up from me as well.

Taking a closer look at the characters, here is the rundown and how I thought the actors did at playing them:

• Lily Collins as Clary
• She did a wonderful job for this part (and I was so happy that they did not cast 15 year old actors for these parts)
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace
• Well Mr. Campbell Bower is gorgeous as is Jace, so it was perfect.  He also captured Jace's flippant attitude wonderfully
• Kevin Zegers as Alec
• His eyebrows matched his dyed hair!  And he was stuck up but not enough shyness
• Jemima West as Isabelle
• Perfect
• Robert Sheehan as Simon
• In my opinion, he was a little too muscular
• Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane
• He needed to have more flare (much more flamboyant in the books....)
• Jared Harris as Hodge
• This was the exact picture I thought of when reading the books
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine
• When reading, I pictured Valentine as a gray-haired muscular bloke, but Jonathan Rhys Meyers did a great job at embodying Valentine's insanity... which worked quite well

So those are my thoughts!  Check the movie out and spread the word!

Alexandra

Clary Fray: You play that piano as if you've lost your only love.

Jace Wayland: Unfortunately, my one true love remains myself.

Clary Fray: Well, at least you don't have to worry about rejection.

Jace Wayland: Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.

Movies and Books

I was having a movie night with my friends the other day, and was wondering what we should watch.  So naturally we went to Walmart and RedBox, only to discover that the movie we wanted wasn't in stock.  And me being me, I told my friend that I would just buy it from Walmart.  What is the movie?

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

But I am not here to talk about the movie (well not until tomorrow!).  Instead, I am here to talk about the book.

When I was watching the movie, I couldn't help but wonder what all was different from the book, but naturally, I had read the series a solid 100 plus books ago, so rereading was in my future.  I love to read books over again.  This is mainly because I pick up on so much more the second (or fourth) time I read something than I did the first time around.  So... the book....

City of Bones
Book One in the Mortal Instruments Trilogy turned Series
by Cassandra Clare
2007

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...


I really love how Cassandra Clare writes (total writer envy right here!)  But I think what really makes the book are the memorable lines of dialog by all of the characters - Jace being in the forefront.  Here are a few of my favorites:

“Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?'

Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself."

"At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland."

"Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.” 

“It means 'Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black Than the Widows of our Enemies Since 1234'.” 

“Don't order any of the faerie food," said Jace, looking at her over the top of his menu. "It tends to make humans a little crazy. One minute you're munching a faerie plum, the next minute you're running naked down Madison Avenue with antlers on your head. Not," he added hastily, "that this has ever happened to me.” 

“That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I' am a badass, and I recognize that you, too, are a badass,' but they don't say anything because they're Wolverine and Magneto and it would mess up their vibe to explain.” 

and finally the one I quote often...

“What do you want?"

"Just coffee. Black - like my soul.” 

I encourage you to read the series if you haven't, and reread it if you have!  Also, check out the links below for more inside scoops to life!
Alexandra

GoodReads & Cassandra Clare's Website

“The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed.” 

-Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

Double Solitaire

My family calls it double solitaire, but I have also heard it called Nerts.... so whatever floats your boat!  This is a wonderful game!  My grandmother taught me how to play it way back when, and now my mom and I have tournaments all of the time.  We play cut-throat, and the boys get really mad when we play.  I think the fastest win was less than three minutes for me (and I totally whipped my mom's butt).  One of the best parts of this game is that you can pick it up anytime, so there is no need to make a huge production of it!  The rules are a little interesting, but oh how it is fun to play.  So here is what you need to play:

1 Deck of Cards per Player - Also have to have a different back design - (up to as many people as who can fit around a table)
Pen and Paper to Keep Score
Your Game Face

Rules:
Each player deals a pile of thirteen cards in one pile, twelve cards face down and the thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up, side by side and not overlapping, to begin four work piles. The remainder of each player's cards are held face-down as a stock; these cards will be turned three at a time onto a face up stack, forming the player's waste pile.

Players play simultaneously as fast as they like, not taking turns, moving cards around their own area according to the rules given below, and where possible building on the foundations in the common area. The players' main objective is to eliminate their pile of 13, by playing cards from them onto their work piles or onto foundations. A player whose pile of 13 is exhausted yells "Nerts" or "Out", at which point the game immediately ends.

Players are only allowed to use one hand at a time to move cards, but may hold their stock in their other hand. Only one card at a time may be moved, except when moving a block of cards from one work pile to another. You can only move cards within your own area and into the common area. You cannot touch another player's area or take cards out of the common area.

If two or more players try to play to the same foundation at the same time, the first played card (generally the one which ends up lowest in the heap) stays there, and all other players must return the equivalent cards they had just tried to play on that same foundation pile to their previous positions. If there is a tie which cannot be resolved, both cards stay.

A player's four work piles begin with one card each. Work piles are built in descending order, alternating color, overlapping the cards. You can move any card in one of your work piles onto another of your own work piles if it fits, and any cards on top of the card are moved go with it. When a space results, it may be filled by a card from your pile of 13, your waste pile or another work pile. The exposed cards of each of the four work piles (i.e. the lowest ranked cards of each pile) are available to be played onto the foundations.

Cards from the top of your pile of 13 can be played onto empty spaces in your work piles. If they fit, they can also be played onto one of your existing work piles, or they can be played directly onto a foundation. When you have played the top card of your pile of 13 you can turn the next card of the pile face up.

Foundations piles are built in the common area. They are always begun with an ace, and can be built up by playing the next higher card of the same suit (for example the nine of spades on the eight of spades) until the king is reached. Players can always start new foundation piles by placing any available ace in the common area. Other available cards can be played onto an existing foundation where they fit, provided that another player doesn't get there before you. Any player may play onto any foundation.

You can turn over cards from your stock three at a time and put them face-up onto your waste pile (the waste pile has no cards at the start of play). Be sure to keep the cards in the same order when you do so. The top card of your waste pile may be played to one of your work piles or to a foundation pile if it fits. If there are only one or two cards left in the stock, place them on the waste pile, and then turn the waste pile over to start a new stock; do not pick up the waste pile and place it underneath so that you can deal three cards.

If it happens that all players are stuck (no further legal moves), or no one wishes to play any more cards, then everyone picks up their waste pile to re-form their stock, and then puts the top card of the stock on the bottom. (This happens frequently in a two-player game and rarely with more players.) If you get stuck but others can still play, you have to wait for everyone else to get stuck (or decide they do not want to make any more moves) before you are allowed to transfer your top stock card to the bottom.

When someone calls "Nerts!" play ends and scoring takes place. Each player scores one point for each of their own cards that they managed to play into the common area. To determine this, the foundation piles have to be sorted out according to the owners of the cards - this is why it is necessary that the decks have different backs. All players except the one count the number of cards left in their pile of 13 and remove that same number from their number from the foundation cards.



So it sounds a bit confusing, but once you get it, the game is quite simple.  I hope you play with your family!!
Alexandra

Resolutions

I have never put much stock into New Year Resolutions.  People make them, people break them, but I have been putting some thoughts into what I want 2014 to look like, and I think I have come up with a few ideas:

1) Lose weight
This is completely overdone, but I know I need to shed a few (dozen) pounds.  My incentives are to look good for my brother's wedding and to not cringe when the nurse takes my weight at the doctor's office - I thought they were good reasons

2) Homework Completion Time
I have classes mainly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday... so I am going to do my homework on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - No more waiting until the last minute

3) Start (and maybe finish) my Independent Study
This is on the docket for classes, so I thought I could add it in here for double the incentive


I only have three resolutions, but I believe that they are good ones.  They will make me think and work, and isn't that what it is all about?

Well I hope you had a wonderful 2013, had a fun time bringing in 2014, and feel free to share your resolutions with me!!

Alexandra

Don't change because a new year is coming up but change for your own personal growth no matter what resolutions you make, they start with you.