Last Snow

Lawry brought the end of winter with him when he came, but just before he arrived we had a series of very cold WEEKS.  Including the storm that completely shut down Chicago--which is impressive, 'cause they are used to winter misery up there.  So after our stuff yourself almost to the point of uncomfortable we went on a short hike.

He's proud because he just invented snowbaseball.  It's a wonderful sport really, our snow was just old and more icey than fluffy.  Then we walked down to the lake, and when Russell saw the birds standing in the middle of the lake he said--it's frozen over!  We actually saw some people ice-fishing, but I think they are silly... it was above freezing, ice fishing sounds reckless at temperatures higher than 32 degrees. Despite that...

"Golly, we should get married" #5 (maybe, I don't remember at this point): You invented snowbaseball! And, you got pretty lucky with the frozen(ish) part of the lake.

Counting down the days to TEXAS!

-MJ

Maybe March Doesn't Fit in the Spring Rhyme Because It's Mad

I've always wondered what comes before the "April Showers."  You know, "April Showers bring May Flowers," but poor March was always left out of the cute rhyme for the spring months, and well that's just not fair.  So this year, March decided to make a name for itself, and it decide to snow, in Dallas, in late March, and dump about an inch on the ground.  I was just shocked at the fact that even though I was 1,000 miles away from Bloomers, the snow followed me for one last hurrah (or "wallop" in the words of weather.com) .  Well, snow, you can try to knock me down and take away the warmth, but I think I'll just try to melt you away with fun pictures...

Like one of mi hermana! Who, by the way, was the cutest child, ever. My dad has this slide show of family pictures on his computer, and she's just adorable.

And one of the Spanntastic Two! Blake's face by the way doesn't reflect coldness so much as it reflects that she lives in Houston now, where winter lasts for like 13 hours. :)

I wanted to go to the playground because I thought the colors would provide a fun contrast to the pictures.  They do, but I wish it had been light out; it would have made the colors "pop" a bit more.

 

Blakey and I "enjoying" the only snow she's seen this season because of her current exile in Houston ;)

Bracing myself for "April Panic Mode" and hoping it brings "May Light Work Load,"

MJ

Snowlympics

Snow is an active thing.  It means you have to leap over puddles, shuffle through slick spots, stomp around to get all the snow off your shoes, and march over the mountains of shoveled snow.  It much more active walking, but its a better work out I guess. So it's not terribly bad.

Anyway, I take phone pictures of the snow, and since it's been a while since mon last blog. I just thought I'd share some IU in 12 inches of accumulated snow pictures :)

Realizing I blog a lot about snow and waiting for spring,

MJ

Narnia?

Not quite, but perhaps similar?  This is after about, eh 30 something odd hours since the last snow

Chilling at IU,
MJ

Coldly Physical

Does that sound sketch? Perhaps... Anyway, weather.com insists on describing the winter storms in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic in terms of physical abuse.  The latest news from the cold front:

Winter storm will be a WALLOP...

Snow POUNDS...

HISTORIC Snowstorm...

Two-pronged ATTACK...

Thinking weather.com engages in hyperbole,
MJ

Winter was showing off for you

 

Guess who brought a winter storm with him??

In this picture there's probably about 2 inches of snow, it fell in like 2 hours, which is quite fast, for snow.

The next morning, we had about 4-5 inches total.  It wasn't so bad because it had completely stopped by sunrise, so the roads were pretty clear and Russell's plane took off on time!  Winter put on a show for Lawry this weekend :)

Rusty came to town on a spur of the moment visit! And we took this picture just off of RUSSELL ROAD! Rusty got a full-time position at Reynolds and Reynolds so he decided to the take the rest of the week off from his part time job before he starts full-time on Monday! Praise the Lord! Russell's really been hoping this full time job would go through so he could get some good work experience and work on his computering skills.  I'm hoping his job sends him up to Indianapolis on occasion :) Also, this is super fantastic because I'm 90% sure I'll be in the ATX this summer, so we'll be in the same state and only 2 hours away! Which is still far, but when you compare it with the 14 hours and a time difference we currently have, it's much much better!

Lawry and I ate at A LOT of places!  I think my favorite was the Israeli place, but we had good food all around! We visited Upland Brewery, Stonecutter's Coffee, which is a coffeehouse turned tapas bar on Friday evenings, Bloomington Bagel, Falafels, Mother Bear's, and the Bakehouse for some studying!

On the way to Indy...

Waiting for March,
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

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

Catching up on my correspondance...

So my first full day back in Bloomington and a two day snow storm blew through.  I think we got about 3-4" of snow.  Snow isn't so bad, but you know it should stop.  Or come all at once, or like in half a day or something.  When it goes on for 48 hours, it's a bit much.  There's just SOOO much! I wonder, when will the snow go away? How long does it take for it to go away? March? :)  I'm adjusting to the wintery spell, no crazy driving stories or anything!  In any case the promised pictures!

My car after about 5 minutes of getting snow off with a swiffer broom. I hadn't quite yet bought my industrial brush deal.

Out in front of my apartment waiting for my car to warm up!

The seasons of IU!

  I would take more pictures for you, but it's cold! You'll have to be happy with a few, I did make a special trip to take this last picture.  I did it for you! Because you are my bloggies and I lurve you.

Almost done with all 10 seasons of friends.  Is that bad?

Doo doo doo doooooo,

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

This is my wintersong to you...

Me in my winter coat and snow boots!  I also have other snow gear (not pictured) :)

Downtown Bloomers on a wet/snowy winter's eve...

The semester is finished! And Texas in less than 24 hours! WHOOP! HOOK'EM! SIC'EM! GIDDY UP! SHOOT DANG! BOY HOWDY! YEEHAW!!!  WELL I'LL BE!!! WHAT IN THE SAM HILL?!?! Yeah, that's all I got, if you have any more TEXAS catchphrases...post'em YA HEAR?!

Things I must see/have/eat/do whilst in the GRAND REPUBLIC:

*eat Mexican food prepared with the loving hands of someone that doesn't speak English
*eat barbeque prepared by someone with opposite political ideology from mine
*see mes amies et mon petit ami
*FARMMMMMMMMM
*be outside

So, let me say that Bloomington has had snow this winter, but the week we really got snow, I didn't have time for pictures.  That is my apology for only giving you a picture of Christmas lights.  In January though, I'll bring you pictures of snow.  It snowed all day today, but no stick.  It was fun to watch.

Love,
emm. jay.

Hope, Football, and Love

Just an article someone shared with me.  Be warned, I cried, but I cry at everything nowadays, so take it for what its worth.  But it'll definitely at least make you tear up :)

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

Keeping my tootsies warm whilst the Bllllllizzzaarrrrrdddd rages on,
MJ

Dreaming of Tacos and Barbeque during Midwestern Winter BLAST

So yes, Texas is HOT in August, but I think I'll take miserably hot over miserably cold.  It's supposed to feel like zero degrees (which in my head I'm calling "love" degrees, like tennis, 'cause it sounds warmer) when I leave my apartment tomorrow.  Well, at least it won't be negative degrees???

So, mini blizzard(?) today.  COLD squalls, constant snow, but thankfully minimal ice.  I'm still mesmerized with the way snow falls, so it was hard to be annoyed with the precipitation.  The cold wind though, that got old fast.  Also, got my SNOW BOOTSIES for my FEETSIES today! Except they are too small, must return.  But Rusty helped me find an even better deal online.  What a good boyfriend!  New shoes should be in on Saturday.  In time for one week of cold! They will be very worth it.

N*SYNC's "Merry Christmas" is a little bit more enjoyable when snow is falling.  And you are indoors.

Wearing two or more of everything,
e-me.ho-ta (¡español!)

Foreboding Snow, Endless Eggnog and Non-Slip Soles

The first snow came today!

But no, no pictures, no camera phone pictures, because I didn't have time! But pictures forthcoming!

So, I'm excited about snow.  It's pretty, it's white, it's fun.  But it's mocking me! It's saying, "Look how I pretty I am! Love me! Want me!" But it's just a false sense of security, soon it will be saying "HA! And you thought moving up north would be easy.  Try digging your car out for an hour, see how easy THAT is!"  --This is the foreboding

Also, I made pumpkin pie a few weeks ago and I had to buy eggnog to make it.  The result? Wonderful pie and lots of left over eggnog.  So I set out on a "use up all my eggnog" experience! I've now made three recipes (pictures, also forthcoming)!  All of which were super tasty!  But the eggnog is STILL not all gone!  What more do I make?!!! How can I make it go away?!

Lastly,  I ordered some SNOW BOOTS a little over a week ago.  They are still not here.  This does not making me feel any better about the foreboding (see above).

No time to enjoy snow, but enough time to blog,
MJ

Thanksgiving, Part II

From Philip Yancey's Disappointment with God

...My friend Richard had asked, "Where is God? Show me. I want to see him"...If you want to see God, then look at the people who belong to him - they are his "bodies."  They are the body of Christ.
"His disciples will have to look more saved if I am to believe in their Savior," said Nietzche to such a challenge.  But maybe if Richard could find a saint, someone like Mother Theresa... "There- see her? That is what God is like.  She is doing the work of God."
Richard does not know Mother Theresa, but he does know me.  And that is the most humbling aspect of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit...He will likely never get a personal glimpse of God in this life.  He will only see me.

I want to keep this short, but I wanted to share this because it is immensely humbling, but it's also beautiful.  Some of the people I have met this semester, in my loneliness, in my frustration with graduate work, in despair even, these people who have befriended me, fed me, shared coffee with me, they have done the work of God.  I got a "personal glimpse" of his "body."  So, I post this bloggie for two reasons, one, I am grateful to a loving God for his work this semester, and I am encouraged by the way he has done his work.  We are not all Mother Theresa or Dorothy Day (both women, eh?), but God lives in us and if are just obedient to love God and love others, selflessly...well, I don't know exactly what comes after that for each individual person, but I know that action will further his glory and his kingdom.  And that's cool.

Also, Texas: 2 snow days; Indiana: 0 snow days... The lower Midwest is losing!  I am okay with this for now.  But I can smell the snow now, it's due shortly.

Blessings,
em.jay.