Don't Try This At Home

Look how crafty I am!

I saw this Valentine's garland being made on TV and I thought, "I can do that!" I like Valentine's Day alright, but I don't have a lot of decorations for it because that would just mean more stuff to store and drag out every year. However, I was feeling crafty on the particular day I saw the garland on TV. I thought I would have it made in no time. That's the thing with crafts. They always look easier to do than they really are. The Valentine's garland wasn't so much hard to make, as it was time-consuming. I probably spent about two hours constructing that damn thing. Measuring, cutting, gluing, holding pieces together while the glue dried. It was horrible! Near the end of it it almost felt more like torture than crafting. That's about the time I remembered why I don't craft often. It always looks like fun, but in the end you feel exhausted, and all you have to show for it are some bits of paper and string glued together. Next time I get the urge to craft, maybe I can look at my little garland and remember how grueling it really is.

In Honor Of Good People

I have been noticing lately how there are so many award shows for actors and singers. It is strange to me that so many people like watching these shows. If you love someone's performance, why does it matter if that person gets an award for it? If the award is something to make the actor feel his performance was exceptional, then why do other people have to watch him get the award? I just don't understand. Does it have to do with people's obsession with celebrities? When other important people get recognized for their accomplishments, it is rarely televised. How many award shows do you watch for writers or doctors or teachers or scientists?

I think most people watch award shows to see the celebrities and what they are wearing. REALLY?! Can you even call that a past-time? Unless you a very passionate about fashion or music or movies, I can't understand why anyone would watch an award show. They are just people parading around in fancy outfits.

Celebrities are only people, like you and me. They have no special powers unless you count money or being skilled at acting or something like that. Yet when a celebrity dies, people mourn as if they knew that person. Why is that? For all you know, that celebrity could have been a horrible person with some great skills. I'm not saying you can't feel sad when a celebrity passes away. But think about all the other people who are dying every day, and ask yourself, "Why is this celerity more deserving of my love and sympathy than all those other people?" It would be pointless to be sad every second of your life because people are always dying. But maybe we should be a little more selective of who we honor and who we mourn.

Pretty Feet

Damn my lack of writing ideas. If it weren't for that I would probably write every day. But whatever.

I recently had my first pedicure as a gift from Mike for Christmas. (Thanks sweetie!) I was not expecting much since I am not a huge fan of spas. Gasp! I know, right? Who doesn't like spas? It's not really that I don't like them as much as it is I feel strange and uncomfortable there. It feels odd to me to be in a place where everyone whispers and you are constantly being touched by a stranger and put in uncomfortable situations. You are supposed to relax at a spa, but I find it hard to relax in those strange surroundings. I am relaxed at home. Not so much when I am covered in mud and surrounded by whispering, touchy-feely strangers. Anyway, that is beside the point because I actually really enjoyed the pedicure.

I didn't think there would be much they could do with my feet since I like to think my feet are not too bad looking to begin with. But they scraped and filed and rubbed and painted until my toes looked as perfect as they must have when I was born. It was wonderful! I told Mike I think I am addicted to pedicures now. Never before have I been anxious to return to the spa after leaving. I can now see how people crave the spa. This could get expensive. I would post a picture of my feet, but I have already done that before here, and how many pictures of my feet do you really need? Just imagine pink toenails instead of green.

On a side note, Mike got a new computer monitor yesterday. It is huge and beautiful and wonderful. However.....the blog post screen is slightly more intimidating since it is so big now it takes like 14 sentences just to make it across the screen. Even now as I finish up this post, it only looks like a tiny speck on this massive screen. Well, enjoy your speck.

Mean Girls

On more than one occasion in my life I have had a girl who I considered a good friend, suddenly turn into my mortal enemy for reasons totally unknown to me. I don't consciously do anything to make these girls turn on me, which makes it all the more hurtful when they turn on me. Of course no one HAS to be my friend. But why is it that girls can't just leave you alone when they don't like you anymore? They always seek out ways to injure you psychologically. This is always so confusing and painful because I have the best intentions, yet I get punished for it. So WHY ARE GIRLS SO MEAN?

I know not all girls are like that, because I wouldn't do anything like that. So they are capable of not being mean. But meanness in girls seems to have become a social behavior that is accepted in our country. It's not only accepted, but it's expected that girls will be psychologically damaging to each other. What happened to teaching children kindness, love, and tolerance for everyone?

If you think this is only a problem in school-age kids, you would be wrong. I once believed that girls grew out of this when they got older. But now I know that the problem only gets worse as they get older. That's because they get smarter and figure out more sophisticated ways of hurting other people. What is it all for? Social status? Dominance? Pure hate? Whatever it is, it needs to stop. But how can we stop something that has become so out of control? With little steps. Teach your children the meaning of being kind and doing the right thing. Also lead by example. Be what you wish others to be. With your own small actions, you may just change the world.

A Little Bit County, A Little Bit Rock-And-Roll

It certainly does not feel like January around here. With highs around 50 degrees and no snow, it feels more like Spring already. While I can't say I miss the cold weather, it is a tiny bit disconcerting that the weather is changing so much. But I won't let it worry me too much because there isn't much I will be able to do if the world is ending anyway.

I have mentioned before in this blog how I am interested in all kinds of different lifestyles. Even though I am interested in all of them, some appeal more to me than others. Country would be one that appeals to me. Maybe it comes from growing up mainly in the west, but I like the idea of the country lifestyle. When I was a little kid I wanted to run a farm when I grew up, or at least have all kinds of farm animals. I don't think I knew how much work actually goes into running a farm. Now, you could say I still have that dream, but on a much smaller scale. Maybe I could work part-time on a farm or have a horse, or a cow, or a goat, or a garden. The garden is probably the most likely out of those, but don't kill my dreams!

Another thing I like about country is the interior design. I like warm, cozy, homey, comfortable spaces, and country design seems to embody a lot of that. I'm not the sort of person to go all-out country in my decorating, but a few touches of country here and there would be great.

I also like the values that are usually adopted with the country lifestyle. So called "country people" seem to have a strong love for family, freedom, honor, and God, and a respect and love for the environment. Those are all things I feel are important as well.

Country cooking is also something I definitely love. I have always been a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl. (More potatoes than meat, to tell the truth.) I love fresh veggies, beef stew, steaks, chicken, pot roast, pies, homemade bread, and just about any other kind of county food you can think of. I love food in general, but if I had to choose a favorite style of cooking, I think country would be it. (Although Italian would come in a close second. I couldn't live without pizza.)

The only thing I can't quite embrace when it comes to country is the clothing. I don't mind people who like wearing cowboy hats and boots, Wrangler jeans, and plaid shirts, but I just can't get into dressing that way. But who knows? Maybe it could grow on me.