Mmm.... So my sister received a text message from one of friends in KC, MO, saying that ColdStone Creamery was offering FREE ice cream from 5-8.
I forgot to mention anything about it until she came home from work. (I had her cell phone during the day and checked her text.) We went to action almost immediately--located the nearest C.C. (which happened to be right down the road), called to make sure it was for St. Louis locations, and headed for the car. It was 7:38 when we arrived. [Sigh] We made it with twenty-two minutes to spare!
The FREE ice cream flavor (Cole's Creation) was created by a boy from the Make a Wish Foundation.--Isn't he nice?--It was chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, sprinkles, and maybe something else. It was a little too rich and chocolate-y for me, but no complaints, right? It's FREE.
It was fun getting to do something random like going out for FREE ice cream. We were texting some friends to spread the word. Everyone should have a chance for FREE ice cream, right? I know you agree. Maybe next time something like this comes along, I'll put it on here. All who read this should go. Yeah, I like that. That sounds like fun.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
White Lily
Today I went to Classic Framers, a picture and frame store that is closing, to buy a mat for my new frame. While the friendly and helpful woman (whom I am assuming is the store owner) was assembling my picture frame, I walked to the left side of the store to view the works of art on display. One captured my attention almost immediately.
The flower on the water seemed to rise off the canvas like a picture in a pop-up book. I greatly appreciate this skill that some artists have. I actually had to study it for a while to realize it indeed was not protruding from the surface. The entire work was rich in color and lighting.
I can't get over how real it seemed.
I continued on, studying some other pictures and looking for the story behind them. This one picture was of a woman dressed in an old-fashioned dress and a brimmed hat outside among flowers and shrubs on a hillside. She was looking down with an almost disturbing expression on her face. She didn't look happy like I expected. This may sound crazy, but I felt sorry that she didn't have a beautiful smile but rather a look of disgust or dissatisfaction; I know she'd be beautiful if she was smiling.
I gazed at other pictures, but my eyes kept returning to the white lily. It stood out among the rest, like it demanded attention. It seemed to capture something I see in myself. It made me feel genuine and vulnerable.
The credit of this fine and touching work of art, White Lily, belongs to Tim Gray. It is for sale at Classic Framers for $185.
The flower on the water seemed to rise off the canvas like a picture in a pop-up book. I greatly appreciate this skill that some artists have. I actually had to study it for a while to realize it indeed was not protruding from the surface. The entire work was rich in color and lighting.
I can't get over how real it seemed.
I continued on, studying some other pictures and looking for the story behind them. This one picture was of a woman dressed in an old-fashioned dress and a brimmed hat outside among flowers and shrubs on a hillside. She was looking down with an almost disturbing expression on her face. She didn't look happy like I expected. This may sound crazy, but I felt sorry that she didn't have a beautiful smile but rather a look of disgust or dissatisfaction; I know she'd be beautiful if she was smiling.
I gazed at other pictures, but my eyes kept returning to the white lily. It stood out among the rest, like it demanded attention. It seemed to capture something I see in myself. It made me feel genuine and vulnerable.
The credit of this fine and touching work of art, White Lily, belongs to Tim Gray. It is for sale at Classic Framers for $185.
Monday, September 25, 2006
"When you're here, you're family."
Happy birthday to me!
Last Friday, 9/22, my roommates and I went to the Olive Garden on St. Charles Rock Road for my birthday. I had never eaten there before, and since I like Italian, I thought it was about time I did.
Two words: Chicken Parmagiano.
Mmm... I ordered the Tour of Italy, which is basically three meals in one: lasagna, fettuccine alfredo (I had it altered to chicken alfredo), and my beloved chicken parmagiano. It was like I had never had chicken before.
I don't usually eat at a restaurant like the Olive Garden, so it was a different experience. It's one of those places where you get automatic appetizers (I'm not trying by best to sound like a hillbilly.); I had chunky vegetable soup while my compadres had salads.
I took my lasagna home and haven't eaten it yet, so I can't comment on it. The F.A. was about the best you can get, and I need not comment on the C.P. again.
Last Friday, 9/22, my roommates and I went to the Olive Garden on St. Charles Rock Road for my birthday. I had never eaten there before, and since I like Italian, I thought it was about time I did.
Two words: Chicken Parmagiano.
Mmm... I ordered the Tour of Italy, which is basically three meals in one: lasagna, fettuccine alfredo (I had it altered to chicken alfredo), and my beloved chicken parmagiano. It was like I had never had chicken before.
I don't usually eat at a restaurant like the Olive Garden, so it was a different experience. It's one of those places where you get automatic appetizers (I'm not trying by best to sound like a hillbilly.); I had chunky vegetable soup while my compadres had salads.
I took my lasagna home and haven't eaten it yet, so I can't comment on it. The F.A. was about the best you can get, and I need not comment on the C.P. again.
The Craze of Facebook, Part 2
Leaving off from my last post, the question here is how much intimacy with friends can you really achieve through online networks like Facebook?
The answer, I'm sorry to say, is not definite. It depends on how much use one gets of the network. When I was an occasional user, I didn't get much out of it. Now I feel like the network has given me a chance to catch up with some people as well as stay current in friends' lives more easily. Basically, the more you use Facebook, the more you have a use for Facebook. (That goes for other networks too.)
Even though I may sound harsh in my analysis of Facebook, I really am a supporter. I just think it's time to get real. Being addicted to Facebook? To use the words of Hank from the TV comedy Everybody Loves Raymond: "Why don't you just drink poison!"
However, it can be honey if you keep it in moderation.
So will I regress from my use of Facebook in the near future and direct my energy toward things demanding more of my time? Maybe...
The answer, I'm sorry to say, is not definite. It depends on how much use one gets of the network. When I was an occasional user, I didn't get much out of it. Now I feel like the network has given me a chance to catch up with some people as well as stay current in friends' lives more easily. Basically, the more you use Facebook, the more you have a use for Facebook. (That goes for other networks too.)
Even though I may sound harsh in my analysis of Facebook, I really am a supporter. I just think it's time to get real. Being addicted to Facebook? To use the words of Hank from the TV comedy Everybody Loves Raymond: "Why don't you just drink poison!"
However, it can be honey if you keep it in moderation.
So will I regress from my use of Facebook in the near future and direct my energy toward things demanding more of my time? Maybe...
Thursday, September 21, 2006
The Craze of Facebook, Part 1
I joined Facebook my senior year of high school (2005-06) and only about five people were in my network. I'd spread the word about it, and nobody seemed to care. I entered college and--WHOA! All of a sudden I'm making Facebook friends as fast as I talk. Even my former peers who could care less were on.
When school first began, I could say that I didn't get on Facebook that often. Over the course of four weeks, I have become a Facebook addict.
My symptoms include staying up all hours of the night making updates, inviting friends, and writing on walls. One night, I even had my sister up with me on Facebook.
"You know, Rachel, one of the signs of addiction is that you begin to hurt others."
My sister needs her sleep. (I, however, seem to be unconsciously trying to see how many consecutive nights I can go to bed after midnight.)
Another symptom of my addiction is that I try to justify my use of Facebook by claiming it is useful and productive. I'll touch more on this after this next paragraph.
You know, I'm not sure if I can explain how I moved from being an occasional Facebook user to an almost everyday user. I think it is like taking something out of context. I used to have Facebook in the correct perspective, but now I act like it is a ringing phone that must be answered. It is a paradox of sorts (like how cell phones are supposed to be more convenient and time-efficient but for many just complicate their lives).
Do we really want to be so "connected" that we have no time for solitary reflection? No time to sort out our own thoughts and gear them toward the Supreme? (There is even a network for movie lovers to find out if they are "movie compatible" with their friends.) The most productive social activity we can partake of is Christian fellowship. It seems we are more concerned with getting ourselves out there on the social map than with what is in us. After all, we need to strive for the balanced life. A social life is good, even necessary, but it should be kept within its boundaries as with the rest of the aspects of life.
The question is this: How much intimacy with friends can you really achieve through online networks like Facebook? I'll discuss this in "The Craze of Facebook, Part 2."
By the way, Chris Carpenter was awarded the N.L. Player of the Week (sponsored by Bank of America) for the record-tying third time this season. Woo-hoo!
When school first began, I could say that I didn't get on Facebook that often. Over the course of four weeks, I have become a Facebook addict.
My symptoms include staying up all hours of the night making updates, inviting friends, and writing on walls. One night, I even had my sister up with me on Facebook.
"You know, Rachel, one of the signs of addiction is that you begin to hurt others."
My sister needs her sleep. (I, however, seem to be unconsciously trying to see how many consecutive nights I can go to bed after midnight.)
Another symptom of my addiction is that I try to justify my use of Facebook by claiming it is useful and productive. I'll touch more on this after this next paragraph.
You know, I'm not sure if I can explain how I moved from being an occasional Facebook user to an almost everyday user. I think it is like taking something out of context. I used to have Facebook in the correct perspective, but now I act like it is a ringing phone that must be answered. It is a paradox of sorts (like how cell phones are supposed to be more convenient and time-efficient but for many just complicate their lives).
Do we really want to be so "connected" that we have no time for solitary reflection? No time to sort out our own thoughts and gear them toward the Supreme? (There is even a network for movie lovers to find out if they are "movie compatible" with their friends.) The most productive social activity we can partake of is Christian fellowship. It seems we are more concerned with getting ourselves out there on the social map than with what is in us. After all, we need to strive for the balanced life. A social life is good, even necessary, but it should be kept within its boundaries as with the rest of the aspects of life.
The question is this: How much intimacy with friends can you really achieve through online networks like Facebook? I'll discuss this in "The Craze of Facebook, Part 2."
By the way, Chris Carpenter was awarded the N.L. Player of the Week (sponsored by Bank of America) for the record-tying third time this season. Woo-hoo!
Friday, September 08, 2006
A Synopsis of Us
I've grown up with my sister, and because we are pretty close, I figured I knew just about everything there is to know about her. I discovered an error in my figuring...
Last night I was lounging comfortably on our love seat with my computer resting on my lap when my sister, Rachel, came into the living room with a pair of pants. Later I realized that she was sewing! I told her, "I didn't know you could sew!"
"I didn't take two years of home ec for nothing," she said.
The stitching had detached near the crotch area, resulting in her looking like her fly was open all the time. She was right to business--taking care of things as usual.
She's the mother of our household, you know. She is the caregiver to my roommate, Dana, and I, and we're not ashamed to admit it.
She cooks our meals, attempts to keep us under control, and when she's not busy tending to us, she's in her room, on her dresser and on her bed, hammering with a push pin in her mouth.
This is where Dana comes in. Dana makes sure we are safe. A push pin in Rachel's mouth?! That won't do! Rachel reaching across a hot gas burner?! We can't have that. (As you can tell, Rachel needs someone like Dana around.)
Dana is the source of hilarity at our apartment. She keeps us going and laughing and enjoying ourselves. She's great; I love her.
My role? I just sit back and take it all in, and every once in a while, I cause some ruckus of my own.
Last night I was lounging comfortably on our love seat with my computer resting on my lap when my sister, Rachel, came into the living room with a pair of pants. Later I realized that she was sewing! I told her, "I didn't know you could sew!"
"I didn't take two years of home ec for nothing," she said.
The stitching had detached near the crotch area, resulting in her looking like her fly was open all the time. She was right to business--taking care of things as usual.
She's the mother of our household, you know. She is the caregiver to my roommate, Dana, and I, and we're not ashamed to admit it.
She cooks our meals, attempts to keep us under control, and when she's not busy tending to us, she's in her room, on her dresser and on her bed, hammering with a push pin in her mouth.
This is where Dana comes in. Dana makes sure we are safe. A push pin in Rachel's mouth?! That won't do! Rachel reaching across a hot gas burner?! We can't have that. (As you can tell, Rachel needs someone like Dana around.)
Dana is the source of hilarity at our apartment. She keeps us going and laughing and enjoying ourselves. She's great; I love her.
My role? I just sit back and take it all in, and every once in a while, I cause some ruckus of my own.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
A Laborious Weekend
School is almost in full swing. I can tell because the schoolwork is beginning to pile up. This Labor Day weekend, my aunt and uncle are in from Harrison, AR, which means that we'll have continuous Hovis family company. Unfortunately, I've been stashed away in my bedroom the majority of today (Saturday) reading, answering a question, prewriting, and I should be reading some other material right now. I think this Labor Day weekend will teach me the true meaning of Labor Day.
I'm trying my best to take one piece at a time, one day at a time (and I'm not talking about Johnny Cash or Jeremy Camp). I just started filing papers for the records office to serve as my Ministerial Alliance hours (Religion majors have to serve 100 hours in school and 100 hours in Church for their scholarship.), and I am about to begin my Federal Work Study under my journalism professor and the admissions director, Terry Dale Cruse.
[Breathe.]
Yes, God is good. A particular paragraph in How to Stay Christian in College by J. Budziszewski (text for collegiate seminar class required for freshmen) has come to mind: "The only firm rock in all this shifting sand is Jesus Christ. Hold on to Him, hold on to His Word, hold on to your partners in faith, and you'll be okay."
Budziszewski wrote this in regard to three modern worldviews that are confusing our generation of college students. I think it applies to my situation though because no matter how crazy my circumstances or your circumstances can get, this holds true: God is supreme. Christ reigns. His hand guides us, and all things are for His glory (See 1 Corinthians 10:31). In a concert in New York, the Christian rock band Third Day's lead singer, Mac Powell, said these words: "In our lives no matter where we can go, who we can meet, what we can see, what we can earn, or be given to us, or accomplish; there is nothing in our lives that can even come close to greatness of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord."
That should be our motivation for all this--every paper we write, every song we may sing or instrument we may play, every study night, every MBU Chapel service, every sport we may practice for or may play, every meal we eat, every meal we may miss, every friend we make... EVERYTHING for God's glory and the joy of all nations. Even if what you're doing or what I'm doing doesn't seem to be making an impact on anyone but ourselves or a few people around us, we are making a serious impact by just belonging to God and carrying out His will.
WOW... my Labor Day weekend isn't looking so laborious now.
I'm trying my best to take one piece at a time, one day at a time (and I'm not talking about Johnny Cash or Jeremy Camp). I just started filing papers for the records office to serve as my Ministerial Alliance hours (Religion majors have to serve 100 hours in school and 100 hours in Church for their scholarship.), and I am about to begin my Federal Work Study under my journalism professor and the admissions director, Terry Dale Cruse.
[Breathe.]
Yes, God is good. A particular paragraph in How to Stay Christian in College by J. Budziszewski (text for collegiate seminar class required for freshmen) has come to mind: "The only firm rock in all this shifting sand is Jesus Christ. Hold on to Him, hold on to His Word, hold on to your partners in faith, and you'll be okay."
Budziszewski wrote this in regard to three modern worldviews that are confusing our generation of college students. I think it applies to my situation though because no matter how crazy my circumstances or your circumstances can get, this holds true: God is supreme. Christ reigns. His hand guides us, and all things are for His glory (See 1 Corinthians 10:31). In a concert in New York, the Christian rock band Third Day's lead singer, Mac Powell, said these words: "In our lives no matter where we can go, who we can meet, what we can see, what we can earn, or be given to us, or accomplish; there is nothing in our lives that can even come close to greatness of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord."
That should be our motivation for all this--every paper we write, every song we may sing or instrument we may play, every study night, every MBU Chapel service, every sport we may practice for or may play, every meal we eat, every meal we may miss, every friend we make... EVERYTHING for God's glory and the joy of all nations. Even if what you're doing or what I'm doing doesn't seem to be making an impact on anyone but ourselves or a few people around us, we are making a serious impact by just belonging to God and carrying out His will.
WOW... my Labor Day weekend isn't looking so laborious now.
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