Heaters

Today it's gonna be short, but that's ok.
I'm grateful for heaters. You know, the vents in the house? And when it's cold outside, the vents magically give off warmth at certain times. And if you're lucky, you can be there when it starts. The best thing is getting a blanket and laying down with your feet on the heater vent and tucking your feet into the blanket and then enjoying the warmth that travels up the length of you.
Truly glorious, and I am truly grateful.

My Robe

My sister has decided that she is going to be specifically grateful for something every day of this month. I thought that was a good idea, and so I'm going to do that too.

Today I am grateful for my bathrobe. It was a Christmas present from my uncle Mike and aunt Audrey last year [officially, I think it was from one of their kids, but we all know who buys our presents, right?], and it is one of the most wonderful things I own. It's blue and soft and fuzzy, and on cold mornings like this one, it is the perfect thing to throw on for a few hours.

I've had robes before, but they weren't very good. This one is a masterpiece. It's made by Capelli New York and while I have no idea what that means, I am very VERY grateful for it. There's just something about stepping out of the shower and toweling off and then putting on a warm, soft robe that stops your shivers and goosebumps and makes you sigh in relief.

In this robe, I eat breakfast, drink hot chocolate, walk around in my slippers... I told you, I love it! I recommend it to any woman who likes robes, who likes fuzzy things, and who likes being warm and cozy.

Thank you, Mike and Audrey and whichever cousin officially gave it to me. Thank you, Capelli New York. Thank you, genius who decided that robes should be invented.

November!

November is here! And because of that, I feel like I should post...
The first day of November, yesterday, was awesome. It started with a frost. That just makes me happy. I love frost. It's so pretty!!! Then, as if the first three minutes of my being awake couldn't get better, the heater was on. Let me explain something to you: I am the sort of person that LOVES having the heater on. I take blankets and go sit on the heater and get warm. I have always been that way and I'm pretty sure that I always will be. I LOVE heaters!
Anyway, then we had stake conference, which was FABULOUS. Best stake conference ever, I have no doubt. Then we went to some friends for dinner, and then came home and went for a walk, and it was a BEAUTIFUL day. Perfect walk weather.
And then...THEN.....as if the day couldn't be MORE better, there was a CES fireside with President Uchtdorf, whom I LOVE. He was funny, he was direct, and the Spirit was SO strong. It was the best CES fireside I have ever seen. I can't wait for the text to become available so I can read it again!
Anyway, that was just yesterday! I have no expectations of today, but what a way to begin a month! And November is so much fun already. I mean, I get to see New Moon in a few weeks, and I get to see Carly TWICE this month, it's Sarah's birthday THIS WEEK, and we get Thanksgiving and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade [don't get me started, I LOVE that parade], and then it's my mommy's birthday, and somewhere around there we get our CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!
November is wonderful. It's brisk and cool and there is so much excitement as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, and holiday shopping gets under way.....
Honestly, who doesn't love this month?

A Little Bit of Crazy

I actually have a moment to breathe right now, so I'll enlighten you all on what has been going on.
Last weekend, I drove down to Waynesville, OH for the Saurkraut Festival. It's a HUGE two day event involving lots of adorable craft booths, beautiful paintings, and, yes, saurkraut. Lots and lots of saurkraut. I worked with my friends Lorrie, Susan, Alex, and Sherri at the booth for Mistletoe Memories, a company that makes handmade ornaments for Christmas and then we personalize them right there at the booth, and they are SOOOO cute! We've gotten one every year in my family. They are awesome! Look it up at mistletoememories.com.
Anywho, we set up on Friday, worked from 7:30 in the morning (a very COLD 7:30, I might add) til about 8:00 that night, then ran to Olive Garden, as is our tradition, and got take out, thanks to the many teenagers that had decided to patronize it for their homecoming meal. We were exhausted, drained, and very VERY happy to find our beds that night. Sunday was shorter -- only 8:00 to 6:00. Then we closed up shop, packed everything into our two mini-vans, and headed back to Indiana. I got in at about 11:30. Needless to say, I collapsed into bed.
The rest of the week was mostly uneventful, just working and studying.
Thursday I got into my little car, drove 6 and a half hours to Kirksville, MO, and have been staying with my former college roommate Stephanie, now going to med school and well on her way to becoming a doctor. We've been having a splendid time and it's been really fun getting back to old times.
But when I come back on Monday, it will be back to the grind. There is work to be done!
In other news, my darling neice is growing every week. I haven't seen her in a long time, and she's not my snuggly little newborn any more. Now she's ...well,...more of a baby, I suppose. She's almost 10 weeks old, and I'll get to see her at the end of the month, and I am so excited!!!!
So that's my life at the moment. Some work, some fun, some more work, and some more fun!

Oops

Ok, so maybe I shouldn't try to understand things at 3 in the morning.

I only missed finalling by 25 points. Still, it's a chunk, but it is a right sight better than 40!

Still a bit down, but I can find some comfort food, and we'll take care of that.

A Moment of Pity

It is very late at night, and I am exhausted, but I just got an email about the results of a contest...
I didn't final. I was about 40 points from finalling.
40. That's a lot.
I love my manuscript, and I worked hard to get it as good as I could before sending it in. Yet they found so many things they didn't like.
I feel crushed, at the moment, but it'll pass, I'm sure, and I'll look more deeply at what they said and work it through AGAIN. But one of the judges was published...and she hated it.
One judge loved it. She gave me a REALLY good score.
The other was half and half. She was the most helpful.
I know that tastes are different, but how different? I know I need to just believe in myself and in my work, but when no one else does, it is hard to.

Moment of pity, please, because right now, I need it.

Me and My Movies

I have a problem. [And everyone always says that admitting it is the hardest part, so I'm doing good.] I am addicted to movies. I dream in movie form, I write in movie form, I quote movies [and DANG WELL, if I might be so bold], and I posess the ability to replay entire scenes, and in some cases entire movies, all from the comfort of my head. [No comments about a psych ward, please.]

And I'm not picky, either. I love the basic chick flicks and have an absurd fixation on Regency England films. I love WWII movies. I love sports movies. I love old classics. I love big action movies. I love romantic comedies. I love Disney. I love mysteries. I love the mini series. I love musicals. I love the epic adventure. I love the movies based on historical events.

Confused and astounded? Try living in my head!

But each of the movies I adore so much have their rightful place. I am one of those people that has to have something going on while studying or writing or just plan old cleaning. In cases like those, a movie that I know well enough that I don't have to watch to know what is happening is my choice. If studying, something gentle, say Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman is a good choice. If writing, Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is a favorite, but any romantic movie will do. If cleaning,...well, the spectrum is a bit broader there.

As you all know, I live with my parents right now. They have LOTS of movies. It's great. But I still buy the movies I want for myself because I know I won't live with them forever and I need my movies when I move! It's quite funny, actually.

I didn't know that my tastes were so vast until someone mentioned it to me. Apparently, it's impressive. I don't know about that, but the fact is, plain and simple, I love movies.

I love the story in movies, seeing the change in the characters, the challenges they must face to get to the resolution, and how they get from point A to point Q, so to speak. It's like watching a book....but the addition of special effects and music brings it so much life!

TANGENT ALERT: The music in movies...ugh, I love the music in movies. It sets the stage so well, capturing the emotions of everybody in the movie and out, making us all feel what they feel. As you all know, I cry in movies all the time. My sisters have confessed to placing bets on it. But what some people don't know is that often, it is the combination of story and music that sets me off. If it was just the story or just the music, I might [and I emphasize MIGHT because, hey, you never know] not cry at all. I am a sucker for soundtracks and I adore setting soundtracks for my own books so that I can try to put more of the magic I feel in movies into my pages.

AND NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG POST...

So yeah, I love movies. Going to the movie rental place is like visiting a treasure room. I have to prepare myself before going, or I will rent 20. Going to the library is a little better and a little worse. Better because there is not as much of a selection as the movie rental place. Worse because they are free....

Going to movies....Oh my gosh, I ADORE going to movies. I love the darkened room with the comfy seats. I love the popcorn [....ok, I REALLY love the popcorn, let's be honest] and the candy and the drinks. I love the surround sound. I LOVE IT. And the midnight showing of the opening night is THE BEST because NO ONE has seen it!!!

In college, there was a dollar theater that played movies a few weeks after they hit the regular ones. That was a dangerous place for me. I'll see just about anything for $1. If it was a terrible movie, at least I had popcorn! If it was great, AWESOME!

Another funny quirk is that I have no favorites. I mean, I do, but I don't. I do not have one absolute favorite movie. I can't! There's too many! I can give you a top five...per genre... Oh, sure, if you ask me which one movie I would take on desert island, I'd tell you, but why would a desert island have electricity and a DVD player???

But yeah, there's no telling what movie I will like and not like. People try and guess, but it seems that only I really know...