Gaining Skillz

A few weeks back, I organized a Habitat volunteer day for graduate/faculty ministry and it POURED down rain that day.  I don't know if you know this, but apparently Indiana is turning into the set for Jumanji (speaking of, has that ever been a Josharade?  Someone please remind me of how Sperl acted that one out, thanks!).

In any case, I learned a wee bit about vinyl siding, but mostly I primed drywall with mes amis.  This is Jenn, she's a brilliant economist-to-be.  I'm so humbled to spend time with all of these brilliant, inquisitive and Jesus-lovin' folk.

And here's one of me doing some verk...

The woman whose house we were working on from was from Toluca, MX.  And, I don't know if I've mentioned how much I love Mexico and Mexicans, but, Venezuela aside, Mexico is my favorite country, so of course I had to strike up a conversation with her.  She told me she arrived in the states 9 years ago from Toluca to Wisconsin--and I thought DFW to Bloomers was a change!  It was great, she was excited to have a home, and I shared in that with her for a bit.  It's great to step outside of my woes regularly and remind myself that there are many things going on in the world--both good and bad.

Saying my goodbyes to my community and friends of the past two years... (too short!),
MJ

PS - These fotos are not mine... they are courtesy of Sue, my Kenyan public policy friend

Keep Austin Weird

My Ode to Texas
Texas, Our Texas,
Why were you freezing?
Snow was the weather I was leaving!
Canceling a day of the conference with a thin layer of ice
That was not very nice.
But, still you have lots of good beer
So, we passed the free day with cheer.
Besides the temperature
The Mexican food was excellent for sure.
Breakfast tacos with chorizo and cheese,
Give me more, please.
Sister and Lawry,
I could not stay longer and for this I am sorry.
Texas, you are full of things and people I love.

Hoping the groundhog was right and Spring is near,
MJ

Just A Little Further?

Hello November,
When you come around, I am normally doing quite well in my work, but you bring so much stress that you unnerve me.  I find myself hesitating about the quality of my work, my level of production, stressed about upcoming final papers and increasingly focused on myself.  This week, 48 hours passed when I only talked to Lawry for about 30 minutes to an hour total.  We both took it in stride, but of course it made me sad, since talking to him helps me with the madness of graduate school.  November, when you are in full swing, I'm often thinking, "I don't know how I can finish this!"
This morning, before you really started to usher in the end of fall, I went on a run.  I meant to run just about 30 minutes, a little over 3 miles out at the cross country training track.  It's really a beautiful course, like a meadow with a wide path running all through and around it.  So, I was really looking forward to the early morning run.  When I got there, people were arriving for a cross country meet.  I like to run, but I'm no super runner, so I quickly got the heck outta Dodge, but then I had to figure out where to run instead.  Long story short, although I could have cut my run really short several times--because I was knocked off my normal course--I ended up running for 50 minutes, and I loved it.  I got tired around 35 minutes, but then I remembered what my sister says about running.  She says, "I figure, if I can push my body to do this, I can better ask my mind to do difficult things, too."
I was listening to worship music while running today. When I got home, I started doing some crunches and Sara Groves "When the Saints" came on.  What a good song; she sings about the sacrifices and actions of the saints.  I hadn't heard it in a while.  I want to spend of myself. On school, on Lawry, on God, on friends, on family, on others, on teaching.  I want to think about when I can choose to go a little bit further.

Oh when the Saints go marching in, I want to be one of them.

Missing home,
MJ

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

7 Months Left

I just got my wedpage emails reminding me I have 7 months left 'til the Wambrano Love Spectacular. My first thought?

"Oh, shit."

 But, it was shortly followed by, "Wow... 7 months! Just a little over half a year!"  I think my second response somewhat balances my initial thought? Whatever, I don't care if it does or not, there's a lot of wedding planning, thesis writing, teaching, and reading to do and they are all take up more than their fair share of time!  In healthy news: Put the bookmarks in your pages, drop your writing pens, and pause your researching 'cause LAWRY ARRIVES THIS WEEKEND!  In his honor, I will write three pages of response paper riff-raff in order to stay caught up on my work :)

Also, I started volunteering at a local organic foods pantry here in town two hours every week...

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Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

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Waiting for Lawry (not Godot... oh my gosh, put your NERD shields on...),

MJ

The Last Weekend Of Summer

 Yes, that IS lattice work.  My roomie and I made the best of our last weekend of "freedom" from the throws of grad school.  Well, we are actually well into the throws, but decided to bake pie anyway.  Delight.  This is also our prize for A COMPLETELY RESTORED LIVING ROOM!! Yay for a normal, non-water-stained ceiling!

 Holy Michigan Peaches.

Such.good.pie.

Getting Fatter,
MJ

600 miles later

After about 15 hours in the car, a stop over in St. Louis-Louis, dinner at the Chuck Berry bar in STL, breakfast at St. Louis Bread Company aka Panera, a detour to Jesse James' hideout, the world's largest rocking chair (again), and a highly embarrassing moment at an Oklahoma toll-booth, I made it back to the great state of Texas.  Just finished my first year of graduate school at Indiana and it is crazy to think about the last time I made that long journey.  Without getting all saptastic, life has changed a lot since last August.  Graduate school been quite the adventure with several high moments and quite a few kicks in the hind parts.  All in all, I have been blessed.  God has been faithful, he has provided for me in unexpected ways, he has challenged me in my school work, aspirations and my relationships and he is shaping my life.  It's not always comfortable, but it has been good.  :)
One of those good things is that Lawry got to make the better part of the drive with me.  We met in St. Louis Louis, he met me at the airport!! And, then we drove the 10+ hours to DFW through Missouri all the way to Tulsa and then down to the Dirty Lew.

Lawry really wanted to stop at the Jesse James hideout.  This is us on the the lookout for the town sheriff!

 Once the world's largest McDonalds...

Russell as a frat guy... popped collar, tough guy face, big sunglasses... see big sunglasses aren't just for girls...

And now, STATE LINE Pictures! Not glamorous, I just like 'em for some reason.  Maybe cause the destination feels closer

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma!!!! Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!

AND BEST FOR LAST...

AH!!!!!!!! TEXAS!!!!!!! The stars at night are big and bright (CLAP CLAP CLAP) DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!

And the Oklahoma-Texas line... the RED RIVER!!!

Texas, Our Texas! All hail the mighty state! Texas, Our Texas! So wonderful, so great! Boldest and grandest withstanding ev'ry test! O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest! God Bless you, Texas! And, keep you brave and strong! That you may grow in power and worth throughout the ages long!

Eating tacos and saying "y'all,"

MJ

Life to a T. Swift and K. West soundtrack...

 

Undergrad Party 2010!! HOLLA!

This is me in my tights, boots and oversized sweater before heading to the undergrad party!  All this undergradie-ness got me reminiscing on the good times before I became a semi-adult.

When I think "college," there are a few songs playing in the background of my mind.  I think "SexyBack" and "Gold digger." "Crazyboutya" and "Brown Eyes" are also staples of my undergraduate existence.  Finally, "Our Song" and "Womanizer" and "Single Ladies" have a strong hold on my fonder memories of college.  What can I say?  I like to dance.

Also, I think of dorm rooms.  The cramped lifestyle, the living on-campus, the freshman year experience! Tagging along with that, the apartment I lived in my junior year, and the BONSAI my senior year.  Man, I loved college.

I loved the time Hurricane Ike blew through College Station and Blake, Blair and I went outside to jump in the SQUALLS! Ashley was out helping refugee type people because she is such a nice and less self-centered person than me.  I bet she doesn't blog.

Missing undergrad a little bit,

MJ

Just be patient 'til spring!

Just in case you've forgotten what spring is like. But, of course, mon bloggees live in Texas or the tropics.  So, you've practically got spring all year round.  In any case, something to remind us of what awaits...just a little over a month!

Also, inspired by Moollay's list, I am making list of my own.

Some AWKWARD instances in my life:

1. People check my left hand now and tell me about it.  This isn't awkward in it of itself (I do it to people with serious boyfriends), I'm just awkward, so it makes me nervous...visibly.

2. Impostor syndrome.  It's real, but the awkward thing about it is that you have to say stuff in class and submit questions and junk, but I feel like a phony (thanks Holden) so I always get REALLY hot and red when I talk in class.  My heart races a little bit (read: a lot bit), and then I get nervous and sometimes say too much (about nothing) in class.  Sometimes class is no fun.  But, perhaps if I spent more time reading and less time blogging, I'd be better off? Nooooo....

3. I sometimes touch people too much when I talk to them.  This can be particularly awkward for people that DON'T touch people when they talk.

4.Today some solicitor or whatever came and took pictures of me and my students while I was meeting with them.  It was awkward.

5. I decided I'm not the HUGEST fan of winter.  This isn't awkward, it's just something I wanted to share.  It's mini-blizzarding again today in Bloomie.

 This is what shows up on my dashboard when it's blizzarrrddddingggg outside.

Wondering why cocoa is pronounced coh-coh and not co-co-AH,

MJ

I'm committed to...

Dear bloggees,

This semester, I have decided to make some super commitments, and I'm publishing them to the world to keep me accountable to them.  Hokay:

1. I am committed to my friendships at home.  I will call and keep those connections and make it clear I care about those people.

2. I am committed to calling my parents at least every other day to let them know everything is going well.

(Right, this picture isn't one of the Bible, but I didn't want to risk being too cheesy, so and I like this picture. Okay)

3. I am committed to daily Bible and prayer time in the mornings for 30 minutes.  This is always something I've been "committed" to, but no excuses this time, not for sleep, not for work, not for food.  For man lives on the Word that comes from God. (Matt. 4:4)

4. I am committed to investing in my life here.  I want to be a more active member of my church, of this Bloomie community, and of graduate school.  I will take the focus off of myself and think about others.

5. I am committed to fun! I will take time off from work.  I will sleep.  I will pursue relationships with friends and people in my cohort.  I will do the things I have always loved to do.

Also, I think I'm going to try a bit more things from the realm of cooking.  I am hopeful enjoying my life will help me thrive a bit more in graduate school.

Lastly, poached my first egg today.  I think I liked it, but I was so nervous the entire time I was making it, so perhaps I'll like it more next time.

Committing,
MJ

You've said the magic word.

What, "please?" No, CHOCOLATE.  Bloomie-town is having a CHOCOLATE festival at the end of the month.  Activities include chocolate pancakes, chocolate olympics, chocolate with wine, chocolate prom, chocolate mystery theater! Chocolaty, chocolatier, chocolatiest! I may start saving up some money to attend some of these events.  I love chocolate.

I've completed my first week of the semester and I intend to reward myself soon.  But I may hold off and celebrate with a friend.  Plus it will allow more time for me to work-out and preemptively burn off the calories I will ingest in choco-fest.

Not saying much, just very excited about chocolate,
MJ

NT Wright, again. Oh man, he's good. And British.

This quote actually follows the quote I posted a few months ago.

"That goes, by the way, with the irony that often those who are most stridently anti-Darwinian in their account of how things began, are most strongly implicitly social Darwinian in terms in the way they look at money and power."

-NT Wright at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY

Something to chew on.  I don't think NT clearly expresses enough that this isn't a blanket statement... but I don't disagree with him.

Okay, great first day! Very busy, I have implemented a new schedule and it is rocking! Well, one day worth of rocking, but I like it a lot so far!  Also, I see some Indianans wearing the same amount of clothes I would wear for a 50 degree day in College Station, but it's 20 degrees here.  So when I go outside with my earmuffs, gloves, hat, snow boots and two of: socks, pants (one pair of tights, which are apparently pants, and a pair of pants), sweaters, and coats, I sometimes feel a bit silly, but that feeling goes away when I am warm and not freezing.

Hoping the rest of the semester looks as good as today,
MJ

Back in Bloomie!

Boujour mes amies!

Oui oui! I have returned to the blogosphere! I doubt you missed me too terribly much since I got to see most of my readers whilst I was out, but I missed you! Well, I don't know how that logic works, but whatever, I missed connecting with you via (I'm pronouncing this vy-AH, for increased fun) internet!

Speaking of increased fun, Molly (my Ft. Worth counterpart) and I have vowed to have more fun this semester.  These vows are serious! Not as serious as Molly's upcoming nuptials, but nonetheless, very real!

So, I'm back here working on schedules, organizing, and junk, but the winter wonderland is making it quite difficult!  I bought an industrial(y) snow thing and brush deal for my car today.  It's actually no big deal up here, but down in the Promised Land, people would think it was overkill.  Which is why I miss the Promised Land, because you don't need to spend 5 ish minutes getting snow off your car.  I prefer rain.

Well, the people asked, and I am a deliverer, but not with a capital D.  I have pictures of the blankets of snow, but because of the lack of internet connection, I can't put them up quite yet.  Most likely you will get high(ish) quality winter shots of my winter adventures starting tomorrow!

Using a swiffer broom to get snow off my car,
MJ

Is anyone among you...?

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.  Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.  Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  - James 5:13-14 (ESV)

This is what we did yesterday at church.  It was wonderful.  I prayed for my writing, because graduate school has just knocked all confidence out of me, I feel like I'm rebuilding the way I think.  It's good and I see positive change, but it's a struggle, a very hard struggle.  I sang praise for the way the Lord has reassured me of his provision through the people I've meet and the jobs he provided.  I don't want to just be happy about that, I want to be joyful about it (if you haven't heard my spiel about joy and happiness, I'll write about it some other day).  And although I didn't get anointed (long story, but it was not a come down the aisle thing), I know that the prayer of others can clear the pathway to healing (for me that means the homesickness that comes and goes).  Anyway, I must get back to writing, but I feel like God is calling me to admit that I feel weak when it comes to writing, and I just need to admit that, pray about it, work on it, and continue praying.  I'll probably turn in my seminar paper and not feel just FANTASTIC about it, but I don't believe James means that this prayer will miraculously give me the writing abilities of a fourth year.  I think that prayer (and admitting it to the INTERNET! or just my three bloggees, but this is a quick and efficient way to tell many people at once) will help me deal with pride issues that are really at the core of this lack of confidence (odd how that works, but it's true).

Okay, back to writing!  Women in 1970s Mexico City!  Patriarchy! Photography! Hooray!
emm.jay.zee.

what grad school looks like

(on a bad day, well, not so bad, but on a tough day!)
inspired by Molly's good day entry

Taylor Swift.  A lot of Taylor.  Actually, not that much, cause I can't read and listen to music with lyrics.  But I can write and listen to music with lyrics, so when I have writing to do and I'm home alone.  It's me and Taylor!  And tea...mmm tea.

Also this picture is two things: how I need Taylor for some extra fun in my life, and how I feel about the research term papers (very plural) ON TOP of all the assigned reading.  I may read more books this year than I read in all four years of undergraduate.  I'd bet money on it.