Saturday, August 31, 2019

Things That Made Me Happy in August

Here is what made me happy this month:
  • A girl saying hi to me, and asking what my name is, while I was shelving movies
  • Seeing hummingbirds at our hummingbird feeder
  • Getting a kiss, and getting to pet, a therapy dog that came to the library, that kids got to read to
  • Getting beads from the summer reading program stash
  • Seeing a hawk while on my library home delivery route
  • Going to a local summer festival
August was much more quiet of a month for me, which I needed after the events from May, June and July.

I am absolutely fine with this list, as it means things are slowing down for me, at least for a while, which is nice.

Friday, August 30, 2019

100 Things I Love

I think I got the idea for this from Pinterest, but I am not 100% sure. Even so, I loved the idea, so I figured I would make a list of 100 things I love.

It took me a while, but here it is:
  1. My family (which includes 2 cats)
  2. My friends
  3. Girl Scouts
  4. Violins
  5. Dogs
  6. Reading
  7. Writing
  8. Photography
  9. Swimming
  10. Bike riding
  11. Stickers
  12. Knitting
  13. Crocheting
  14. Baking
  15. Joni and Friends Retreats
  16. Teddy bears
  17. Country music
  18. Composition notebooks
  19. Coloring books
  20. The color purple
  21. Harry Potter
  22. Sudoku
  23. Chocolate
  24. Things that glow in the dark
  25. Fidget spinners
  26. Beads
  27. Traveling
  28. Flowers
  29. Gardens
  30. Tie dye
  31. Bullet journaling
  32. Solitaire
  33. Mahjong
  34. Pasta
  35. Tacos
  36. Chocolate chip pancakes
  37. Pad Thai
  38. Downton Abbey
  39. Water bottles
  40. Naps/sleeping
  41. 3 Musketeers candy
  42. Cheesecake
  43. Pumpkin pie
  44. Friendship bracelets
  45. Mini golfing
  46. Horses
  47. Horseback riding
  48. Polar bears
  49. Text messaging
  50. Rainy days
  51. Alone time
  52. York Peppermint Patties
  53. Getting letters/cards/etc. in the mail from friends, family
  54. Lists (yes, I love lists!!!)
  55. This is Me song from The Greatest Showman
  56. Country life
  57. Making things out of clay
  58. Painting
  59. School supplies
  60. Butterflies
  61. Lightning bugs/fireflies
  62. Linguistics
  63. Science
  64. Tandoori chicken
  65. The Italian language and culture
  66. Samosas (the Indian veggie dish)
  67. Strawberries
  68. Sloppy Joe's
  69. Pulled pork
  70. Spicy foods
  71. Comforters
  72. Shrimp
  73. S'mores
  74. Bonfires
  75. Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal (with almonds)
  76. Hoodies
  77. Brimmed hats
  78. Fairy lights
  79. Lemons
  80. Planners
  81. Macaroni and cheese
  82. Thrift stores/thrift shopping
  83. Chicken/turkey/other wraps
  84. Dream catchers
  85. The Sims
  86. Backpacks
  87. Messenger bags
  88. Seeing stars in the sky
  89. Ukulele meet-ups
  90. Being an aunt
  91. My empathetic side
  92. My curiosity
  93. Balloons
  94. Fudge
  95. Chicken pot pie
  96. Cream cheese (as well as bagels and cream cheese)
  97. Pasta salad
  98. Eggless cookie dough (it is SOOO good!!!)
  99. Beaches
  100. Pumpkins
Well, there you have it. 100 things I love. What are 100 things you love?

Thursday, August 22, 2019

5 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently in High School

I read an article on girlslife.com, where a college junior wrote about what she wishes she could have done differently in high school, and that got me thinking about my own high school experience.

I never really liked school until I got to college, and part of that was my fault.

Here are 5 things I wish I had done differently in high school:

1. I wish I had done my homework earlier.
I was one of those people who hated homework, and for a good chunk of my high school career, a lot of the time I didn't do my homework on time, and handed it in late. I was a big procrastinator in school (and in other aspects of life, as well), so naturally I waited until the last minute to do my homework.

2. I wish I had gotten better grades.
Because I didn't handle my time with school work very well, and I seldom studied, I didn't get very good grades. Plus, I have a learning disability, so that made it more difficult for me to learn. I didn't do very well in several classes, but the bad grades didn't seem to motivate me to want to do better. I never really cared about grades, and other parts of my daily life suffered as a consequence.

3. I wish I had joined a club.
I was bad at sports, so that was out of the question. But if I had joined a club, it would have made my high school experience much better. I may have made more friends than I did, and I wouldn't have disliked school so much.

4. I wish I had faith in, and believed in, myself.
I am a very shy, quiet person, and I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself in high school. I cared too much about what other people thought of me, and there were a couple classes I didn't think I would succeed in (math being number one). I with how I did in school in the past, I never thought I would be able to do any better. Which, of course, was wrong. But I didn't know that at the time.

5. I wish I had the courage to have asked for help when I needed it.
I am one of those who hates asking for help, so I usually just kept quiet when it came to homework and studying. But if I had asked for help when I needed it, it would have been so much easier for me in high school.


At the end of my sophomore year, I did end up getting help for the rest of my time in high school, and from then on, I did do better in school. I did most of my homework on time, and my grades and GPA went up. But, even then, I didn't like school all that much. I was not a morning person (I am still not), so I hated being in school at 8 am, and I still didn't like doing homework.

Monday, August 19, 2019

My Travel Bucket List

I love to travel, and I hope to be able to travel the world one day. I have never been outside of the United States, but that will hopefully be remedied soon!

Here is my (VERY long) travel bucket list, in no particular order:
  • Disney Land
  • Disney World
  • Hawaii
  • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
  • London
  • Big Ben
  • London Eye
  • Paris
  • Eiffel Tower
  • New York
  • 9/11 Memorial and Museum
  • Rome
  • Venice
  • Colosseum
  • Greece
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • Great Wall of China
  • Mt. Rushmore
  • New Zealand
  • Springfield, Illinois
  • Tennessee
  • Grand Ol Opry
  • Ireland
  • Scotland
  • Netherlands
  • Germany (Berlin)
  • Poland
  • Thailand
  • Singapore
  • Las Vegas
  • Madrid
  • Christ the Redeemer Statue
  • Los Angeles
  • Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Boston
  • Grand Canyon
  • Yosemite National Park
  • Pearl Harbor
  • Rainbow Falls (Hilo, Hawaii)
  • Field of Dreams (Iowa)
  • New Orleans
  • Baltimore
  • U.P. Michigan
  • St. Louis/Gateway Arch
  • The White Mountains (New Hampshire)
  • Great Smoky Mountains
  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park
  • Crater Lake
  • Philadelphia
  • Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
  • Graceland
  • Arches National Park (Texas)
  • Lake Champlain (Vermont)
  • Seattle
  • Harpers Ferry
  • Appalachian National Scenic Trail
  • Devils Tower (Wyoming)
  • Alcatraz
  • Coney Island
  • Death Valley
  • General Sherman Tree
  • Knott's Berry Farm
  • Lake Tahoe
  • Mount Shasta
  • Napa Valley
  • Redwood National Park
  • San Diego
  • Santa Monica Pier
  • Sequoia National Park
  • Universal Studios
  • Stonehenge
  • Australia
  • Cairo
  • Great Pyramids of Giza
  • The Great Sphinx
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jerusalem
  • Leaning Tower of Pisa
  • Louvre
  • Hollywood Sign
  • Notre Dame
  • St. Peter's Basilica
  • Vatican
  • Sydney Opera House
  • Arc de Triomphe
  • Berlin Wall
  • Kiliminjaro
  • Acropolis
  • Brussels
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Matterhorn
  • Pompeii
  • Rio
  • Machu Picchu
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Westminster Abbey
  • White Cliffs of Dover
  • Iguazu National Park
  • Moai
  • Temple of Luxor
  • Brandenburg Gate
  • Cologne Cathedral
  • Terra Cotta Warriors
  • Mecca
  • Sydney Harbor Bridge
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Great Buddha
  • Juliet's Balcony
  • Santorini
  • Berlin Cathedral
  • Helsinki Cathedral
  • Brighton Pier
  • Everglades
  • Kremlin
  • Barcelona
  • Amsterdam
  • Tokyo
  • Florence
  • Dublin
  • Krakow
  • Toronto
  • Budapest
  • Munich
  • Vienna
  • Athens
  • Seville
  • Ho Chi Minh City
  • Kyoto
  • Shanghai
  • Delhi
  • Moscow
  • Beijing
  • Kolkata
  • Chiang Mai
  • Galway, Ireland
  • Oaxaca
  • Mumbai
  • Naples
  • Memphis
  • Maroon Bells (Colorado)
  • White Mountains National Park (try for fall time)
  • The Alamo
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • Ellis Island
  • Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Havasu Falls Pools
  • Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
  • San Francisco (again)
  • Missoula (again)
  • Hanakapi’ai Falls Trail
  • Antelope Canyon
  • Plymouth Rock
  • Blarney Stone
  • Four Corners
  • Bali
  • Costa Rica
  • Tuscany
  • Morocco
  • Patagonia
  • Portugal
  • Iceland
  • South Africa
  • Cotswolds, England
  • Rothenburg, Germany
  • Toronto
  • Bavaria
  • Boracay Island
  • Bolivia
  • Budapest
  • Cinque Terre
  • Iguazu Falls
  • Inca Trail
  • Lauterbrunnen
  • Prague
  • Uruguay
There will most likely be other places I would like to go (and things to do), but so far, this is the perfect travel bucket list for me. I really hope I get to go to as many of these places as possible in my life!

Friday, August 16, 2019

YouTube Channel Favorite: A Pocketful of Primary

A Pocketful of Primary is run by 4th grade teacher Michelle Ferre.

Her channel is a recent find of mine (this year; I think I found her channel around March), and I am hooked!!

Michelle posts videos on school hacks/tips, back to school, items she buys for the classroom, lesson plans, how she uses Google Docs (or other apps for teachers/teaching), after school activities/work, trips she takes, and more.

I have a desire to become a teacher one day (I have had this desire for many years), so I was naturally drawn to her channel.

I love her personality, and her teaching style, and that she truly cares about her children (students) and their success.

I seriously wish I had a teacher like Michelle when I was in school, as I would have liked school more, and would have been more willing to do the work.

I absolutely love her personality, her teaching style, and her channel!

Monday, August 12, 2019

100 Things I Want to Do in My Life

I love making lists, and bucket lists/lists of things I want to do in life are no exception.

There are many, many things I want to do in life, and I hope to do as many of these things as I can.

Here are 100 things I want to do in my life (in no particular order):
  1. Get married
  2. Have kids
  3. Get a passport
  4. Travel the world
  5. Be more confident in myself and who I am
  6. Go to as many Joni and Friends Retreats as I am able to
  7. Make more friends
  8. Buy a DSLR camera
  9. Become a photographer
  10. Become a baker
  11. Write and publish at least one book
  12. Learn Spanish fluently
  13. Learn Italian fluently
  14. Learn Sign Language fluently
  15. Learn French fluently
  16. Play the violin well
  17. Live in the country
  18. Live in a foreign country for 6 months to a year
  19. Go to a professional hockey game
  20. Go to a professional basketball game
  21. Take up painting
  22. Try indoor skydiving
  23. Go to a Blue Man Group concert
  24. See a Broadway play
  25. Adopt at least one dog
  26. Redecorate my bedroom
  27. Learn how to sew
  28. Get my driver's license
  29. Travel to see friends
  30. Go to a spa
  31. See the Northern Lights
  32. Dye my hair a crazy color
  33. Get a tattoo in memory of my mom
  34. Get tattoos in memory of past pets
  35. Host a game night
  36. Have a sleepover with friends
  37. Go to a drive-in movie
  38. Get healthier
  39. Take a road trip with friends
  40. Learn to juggle
  41. Learn to play the piano
  42. Try archery
  43. Swim with dolphins
  44. Go on a safari
  45. See a waterfall
  46. See all the Wonders of the World
  47. Go whale watching
  48. Go white water rafting
  49. Attend the Olympics
  50. Go to Disney Land
  51. Go to Disney World
  52. Ride on the London Eye
  53. Go paint balling
  54. Travel to all 50 states
  55. Try skateboarding
  56. Take a pottery class
  57. Learn how to cook better
  58. Go zip lining
  59. Do a Color Run
  60. Visit Niagra Falls
  61. See the Statue of Liberty
  62. Participate in an Escape Room
  63. Play mini golf with friends
  64. See the Grand Canyon
  65. Go to an Andrea Bocelli concert
  66. Go to a Celtic Woman concert
  67. Leave positive/inspiring notes in random places
  68. Try to learn to do handstands
  69. Pay for a stranger's food or drink
  70. Go on a mission trip
  71. Get a professional massage
  72. Plant a tree (or more)
  73. Try surfing
  74. Meditate on a regular basis
  75. Learn how to barbecue
  76. Go on photoshoots
  77. Learn how to French braid
  78. Learn how to do fishtail braids
  79. Learn how to do a milkmaid braid
  80. Go to a paint night
  81. Get at least one more ear piercing
  82. Get nose pierced
  83. Learn to love myself
  84. Spend Christmas in a different state or country
  85. Spend New Year's in a different state or country
  86. Swim in the ocean
  87. Have a picnic
  88. Exercise on a regular basis
  89. Travel solo
  90. Drive Route 66
  91. Go caravanning/RVing
  92. Have a caricature made
  93. Go to Medieval Times
  94. Learn to change a flat tire
  95. Jump off a diving board
  96. Learn a magic trick
  97. See the Harlem Globetrotters play
  98. Learn to use chopsticks
  99. Try snowboarding
  100. Horseback ride on the beach
There is definitely a lot more than 100 things I want to do in my life, so I will do more posts like this.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

One Thing I Wish I Could Change About Myself

For as long as I can remember, I have not been happy with my body. I don't like how my feet look, how my skin looks, how my hair looks, my eyes...There is hardly anything I really like about my body.

I am trying to learn to love myself, but it is difficult, and a long process.

With as many issues as I have with my body, the one thing I wish I could change, are my eyes.

They don't work like eyes are supposed to. I am able to see, but I have what's called an iris coloboma in my right eye.

Basically, that is where the iris, and in my case the pupil, didn't form properly before I was born. Because of that, the vision in that eye isn't the best.

The issue I have with my eyes is not the iris coloboma, or the not-so-good vision.

It's that they make it look like I am looking in a direction that I am not actually looking in, and they don't move like they are supposed to.

So, people think I am staring at them, when I really am not. Which makes them turn their back to me, or put their hand over their eyes, as if that would make a difference.

Every time people do that, every time they judge me, it makes me hate people more, and makes me want to be around people less and less.

It really hurts me when they do that, but I am too shy to say anything about it.

My eyes are my biggest insecurity, the thing I hate the most. I wish I could accept it, and the reset of myself, for how and who I am, but I just can't

So, this is what I would change about myself if I could. And I REALLY wish I could change it.