Today was an efficient day.
I met with a familiar nursing school friend, named "Just Kidding", who immediately took the wind out of my sails for my hoped for soon entry into the nursing program. Try as I may to keep my expectations to a bare minimum in thinking that I might just see the starting line (not the finish...the starting) only to find I am always a year away from ever hearing that pistol fire. Oh well. Once I actually become a nurse it will be something else that I am waiting on so, whatever life looks like now is the rest of it. And it doesn't look too shabby. Home I drove to the Sherlock Holmes soundtrack, feeling at peace despite my dissappointment, thinking about life and how predictable it is in its unpredictability. Which leads me to why I loved today.
So we hate the in house bugs, the crickets, roaches, scorpions, etc. but call us wretched if ever a lizard escapes our notice without possessing our full blessing on it to have a full life (with lots of bugs to eat). So imagine our dismay when such a lizard lay trapped in one of our bug motels, who's death is sticky beyond belief. Breathing shallowly with its eyes closed in accepted defeat our sympathy moved him to our top priority. Out came the scissors, q-tips, goo-be-gone, business cards, pencils and kleenex to rush to his aid. Boy was that guy stuck and the more time we spent with him the more we fell in love as hope returned to his little reptile body, breathing increasing in full and his eyes opened with ambition as he realized each little limb was being freed.... very slowly. No skin was hurt, no finger missing, we worked for half an hour till finally mom cradled his newly freed self in her hands and rinsed him clean.
So what did I do today that made today worth enjoying? I saved a lizard from a hopeless grave :) and if such empathy from a selfish human can be given to an insignificant lizard, how does God feel about me? How does He feel about us?
Breathing free
Look at his pretty coloring and his sleepy eyes!
And look at him springing to life and giving me a heart attack and almost breaking my camera
I've known these kids since before my memory kicked in, (which was pretty late but that doesn't matter) and man do I love them. When you're young and you have a strong sense of true friends you hope it only gets better as the years bring on the change. And though our times together look nothing like the dirt clod wars and alternate imaginative or post-apocalyptic stories we pretended I can say it has indeed, gotten better.
Why?
Because we went through salvation together and that bond is stronger than childhood. Phew! Jesus glue is more binding than memory glue. I'm glad He is so giving, nostalgic and sentimental. I'm so glad I can look at each of these people and see them as I remember them as they talk about their grown up woes, joys and jokes (that still make me laugh like nothing else can).
I'm in love. Oh so in love with color. How in the world can it produce so much beauty?? Which leads to my next question: How in the WORLD do the Indians do it? Asia has got something on color, and I'm just happy they share it.
So with failed plans of a personalized Holi Festival last year, naturally we jumped at the chance to get a sort of modified Phoenix version. Ladies and gentlemen, The Color Run. It's a simple 5k "run" and at every kilometer you go through a color zone in which you are painted with holi powder. So many stinkin' people came but I guess that also adds to the "Indian Festival" experience. My sister, family friend and I were unsuccessful in finding the rest of our team (seriously, the crowd was natural disaster size) but in the end we met with success after calling for them via microphone on the stage and reveled in our painted Avatar glory :) I have never felt more like running wild screaming "Broowaa!" in my life. Goodness knows what an actual Holi Festival would do to us.
Yes I did.
Due to potent powder's ability to ruin technology I opted to leave my camera at home and save its use for the aftermath.
My world has felt so small this month with the working of school, the new year, and preparations for my best friend's wedding in March that it has felt like it's packed a year's worth of events into a condensed 4 weeks or so. How timely our reunion then! The Toth cousins came to broaden our borders and to have them leave is a sad thing. Especially since we hit a bizarre wave of spring weather and it's left with them. Though an early tease it was welcomed to encourage our plans of outdoor adventures with zoos, wildlife parks, hiking, sling shots, archery and rock climbing. Not to mention the multiple movie viewings each and every night. I love family reunions :)
What doesn't make me happy? My sister's cat continues to prove to me that in my attempt at living vicariously through her in owning a feline I am forever thanking God that mom kept me from commiting myself to such an animal. Whether it be Tzeitel's innocent curiosity in smearing herself against a freshly painted wall, chewing on a set of shelves I'm attempting to put together, or her out right brattish antics of stealing my face scrubber from my sink and hiding it under the dining table, jumping on my face in the morning and/or attacking me at random around each corner. Life just wouldn't be normal without an arch nemesis and Tzeitel has graciously offered herself up as mine. It's a love/hate relationship. And don't worry, there isn't a fight we face that isn't resolved by the end of the hour... and then reconvened.
From arch nemesis to soul mate, somehow this creature makes my most miserable hours of school work into the best of memories. She spent 24 hours straight with me as I crammed 5 weeks worth of statistics and math homework and studying into a few days. We broke briefly for her to go out and eat or whatever dogs do outside, but I ate, worked, cried, spaced out and slept in that room with her ever snoring and twitching (she's been dreaming a ton lately) self as my moral support. It's such a comfort to have someone pass through an all-nighter with you and still be ready for round two. So really, it's been 48 hours.
I like her :)
Math has me beat. I can sigh now and turn my mind to writing papers for today I made a pitiful attempt at finals. Will the grades suffice? ...Isn't that always the question?
This little prairie dog habitat allowed visitors to feed them treats. Though accustomed to humans they were still skittish and untrusting. All except this one.
He came out for his turn to "keep watch", picked up a cookie and rolled back on his chubby rear end to relax. Naturally, another prairie dog had to come pick up his slack and later you see he was right. Full of a little too many cookies he had to take a rest. :) He understands how the system works
In the handicap of dealing with emotions I am immensely grateful Florence has done it for me. At last, a song for all those who long to be alive in the season that may threaten romantic hope. Not a song of regret over a lost romance or the revel of a present one or even of the fixing hope of a future one, just power in holding the courage to shake it off.
Regrets collect like old friendsHere to relive your darkest momentsI can see no way, I can see no wayAnd all of the ghouls come out to playAnd every demon wants his pound of fleshBut I like to keep some things to myselfI like to keep my issues drawnIt's always darkest before the dawn And I've been fool and I've been blindI can never leave the past behindI can see no way, I can see no wayI'm always dragging that horse aroundAll of his questions, such a mournful soundTonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground'Cause I like to keep my issues drawnIt's always darkest before the dawn Shake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaShake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaAnd it's hard to dance with a devil on your backSo shake him off, oh whoa And I am done with my graceless heartSo tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart'Cause I like to keep my issues drawnIt's always darkest before the dawn Shake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaShake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaAnd it's hard to dance with a devil on your backSo shake him out, oh whoa And it's hard to dance with the devil on your backAnd given half the chance, would I take any of it backIt's a fine romance but it's left me so undoneIt's always darkest before the dawn And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don'tSo here's to drinks in the dark, at the end of my ropeAnd I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hopeIt's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat'Cause looking for heaven, for the devil in meLooking for heaven, for the devil in meBut what the hell, I'm gonna let it happen to me, yeah Shake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaShake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaAnd it's hard to dance with a devil on your backSo shake him off, oh whoa Shake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaShake it out, shake it outShake it out, shake it out, oh whoaAnd it's hard to dance with a devil on your backSo shake him off, oh whoa
