The Big 3-0

My best friend, Elizabeth, was surprised by her husband with a 30th birthday party on Saturday. (Her husband, Curt, has a wonderful blog supporting marriage. They are absolutely a concrete example of how a married couple can live in a modern world and still embrace Godly principles.) She turns 30 on October 5, and I turn 30 on November 20. Several people have made little comments to me suggesting that 30 is the threshold to being old. I disagree. I don't know about everyone else, but I think my twenties were pretty horrible. I spent so much time being unsure of who I was and wondering what path in life to take. I usually felt lost and adrift, even though I already had become a Christian. I have to admit that I did face an unusual number of challenges in my twenties, losing Mom and all of my grandparents, which led to many of my feelings. Luckily, I found a wonderful therapist in Miami who has helped me get on the road to recovering from all that pain. As I enter my thirties, I am excited. I feel that I am leaving choppy seas and entering more still waters. My goals are more concrete and my support system is tried and true.

So, Happy 30th Liz, Happy 30th Me, and Happy 30th Sowders, Rhonda, Lisa, Michelle, Jeff, and all my other 29 year old friends. May our next 30 years be filled with a true enjoyment of life.

On a final happy note, I have finally moved into my own apartment!! Ahh! I am exhausted from the moving, and I have a few more days to go, but I am so happy to be in my own space. I bought a pillowtop mattress that feels like sleeping on a cloud. Also, I bought 400 thread-count sheets that are the softest things I've ever seen. I love my apartment. :)

Survivor Night!

I love Thursdays!! I don't know what it is that makes me love adventure games and races so much. My ultimate crazy yeah-right one-of-these-days dreams is to compete in a game like Survivor or Eco-Challenge. I may never get there, but it sure is fun to imagine it. (P.S. If anyone wants to join my Survivor fantasy team, let me know.)

Speaking of travelling, I am planning on taking a trip to Europe either this May or next. (Most likely next.) I plan to leave as soon as school's out and spend at least a month wandering extensively around the British Isles and visiting Lisa and David in Portugal, of course seeing some of France on the way. If anyone wants to come with for part or all of the time, just let me know.

Miss America

Well, my sore throat turned out to be more than just allergies, so I spent most of the weekend in misery on the couch. Saturday night, I watched the Miss America Pageant. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved pageantry. From the time I was old enough to play Barbies, I have been fascinated with pretty dresses and sparkling crowns. When I was little, I was torn between whether to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Daisy Duke, or Princess Ardala when I grew up. Unfortunately, I missed out on those career choices. I wonder why people are so drawn to sparkling icons. In every recorded culture, there have been people held up as paragons of beauty or virtue. Why do we need these examples? Is it to give us a higher standard to aspire to? Or possibly an impossible standard to escape to? I'm not sure. All I know is that in life decisions I take my guidance from the Bible, and I seek counsel from Godly friends. The older I get, the less I admire external things, and the more I try to "fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.." (2 Corinthinans 1:18) However, if anyone were to come up and crown me with a tiara of sparkles, I certainly wouldn't say no. :)

Allergies

I hate allergies! I have spent all day with a sore throat and without a voice - which is not a great way to control a group of 20 ten-year olds. Anyway, this brings me to a random medical question.

When I rode Mission:SPACE at Disney World, all the spinning made me very ill. (They now have barf bags installed in the ride.) My unpleasant experience led me to wonder why. I know that all of the systems of the body are designed to protect vital functions. For example, tearing of the eyes washes out impurities and pain alerts us to a problem. How do nausea and vomiting restore equilibrium? I have asked a few doctors and they haven't been able to answer. If you know, please fill me in.

On a completely unrelated track, here are my TV opinions for the week. I love Jack & Bobby on the WB. This week's series premiere was enthralling. I hope future episodes can maintain my interest. I have been surprised that I like Father of the Pride. It's animated, but it's been really funny. Joey's cute, but I don't think it will pull me away from Survivor, which, by the way, did not have that strong of a premiere. Oh well, it will get better as the field shrinks. Finally, The Apprentice is already brimming with excitement. In both of the first two episodes, I was surprised by Trump's choices. I love a show that keeps you guessing!

I can't wait for the season premieres of Crossing Jordan, ER, and Joan of Arcadia next week.

Can you tell I'm a complete media geek? :)

Anyway, I am going to spend the weekend shopping for my new apartment. I'm so excited to FINALLY be creating my own space, and to be able to tap into my inner Ty Pennington.

In case you have some time to catch a DVD this weekend, my pick for the week is Rabbit Proof Fence. It is an intriguing story of three aboriginal girls who are forceably removed from their parents and their attempt to return home. If you have time, watch the making of featurette on the DVD extras.

Have a good weekend!

Welcome!

Hello everyone!

Since my wonderful group of loved ones is now spread out over several countries, I thought a blog might be an easier way to keep in touch with people. I hope this blog will be a combination of life updates, random observances, movie and television reviews, and reflections on Christian teachings. Please let me know when you visit the site for the first time and let me know what you think.