tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18402031339776774732024-02-07T13:04:32.929-07:00Ramblings of Emily Rose(and other things)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.comBlogger298125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-29211286621680327032015-02-22T06:31:00.001-07:002015-02-22T06:31:54.511-07:00This My Song<ol style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="first" style="list-style-type: none; margin-top: 0px;">There are four words that I use a lot when I pray. "If it's your will." Most of the time I'm content to leave things with God. I tell Him my perspective and my heart desires but leave it to Him, the Master Author, to shape the best plot. I know that my point of view is limited and I can see in my imagination all the ways that a different outcome could be beneficial.</li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until this week. This week I wanted my way. I felt that God was causing suffering needlessly in people that I care about. I asked Him why He wasn't listening. And then it struck me. <i>Who was it that wasn't listening?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sat down and shut up. And then I heard Him. His promise to complete the work He begins in every heart that belongs to Him. The story will look different for everyone. Some people will have to suffer. Others will have to watch. Each of us is a paragraph in the story of God and what author is going to write the same thing twice? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm waiting on God's timing as He puts the punctuation in my paragraph that will bring me closer to being a completed work. And I wait for Him to put the final touch, that last period, on someone else's story. Someday I know that all of us will share the final chapter, perfect at last and with so many backstories to the same beautiful end with no end. Our song through those endless ages? "Jesus led us all the way."</span></div>
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<li class="first" style="list-style-type: none; margin-top: 0px;">All the way my Savior leads me,<br />What have I to ask beside?<br />Can I doubt His tender mercy,<br />Who through life has been my Guide?<br />Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,<br />Here by faith in Him to dwell!<br />For I know, whate’er befall me,<br />Jesus doeth all things well;<br />For I know, whate’er befall me,<br />Jesus doeth all things well.</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-top: 1em;">All the way my Savior leads me,<br />Cheers each winding path I tread,<br />Gives me grace for every trial,<br />Feeds me with the living Bread.<br />Though my weary steps may falter<br />And my soul athirst may be,<br />Gushing from the Rock before me,<br />Lo! A spring of joy I see;<br />Gushing from the Rock before me,<br />Lo! A spring of joy I see.</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-top: 1em;">All the way my Savior leads me,<br />Oh, the fullness of His love!<br />Perfect rest to me is promised<br />In my Father’s house above.<br />When my spirit, clothed immortal,<br />Wings its flight to realms of day<br />This my song through endless ages:<br />Jesus led me all the way;<br />This my song through endless ages:<br />Jesus led me all the way.</li>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-56618126916778553482015-02-14T04:44:00.000-07:002015-02-14T04:44:33.800-07:00Twenty-twoTime really does go faster the older you get. I think you fit more into that time, though. Maybe using it more is what gives it wings? Wait. This is a blog post, not a soliloquy on time.<br />
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Honestly, when I think about the past year the first thing I do is roll my eyes and say, "Boys." My 22nd year started with my roommate getting flowers at work and continued with friends entering relationships, getting engaged, getting married and... all of the drama that sometimes comes before finding the right guy. I have given more guy advice this year than ever before. I don't know if my lack of experience with boys should disqualify me, but it's too late to go back to that now! Things that I might have had head knowledge about before are now made crystal clear through experience. Boys think differently than girls. Age doesn't have anything to do with being a real man. Men and women should communicate with each other rather than make assumptions. (Though I suppose assumptions are good for the counseling business!) I saw the best and worst of guys this year, from guys standing up for their girls in tough situations to the creeps that think it's okay to treat a girl like a plaything.<br />
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The other major thing that comes to mind is travel. I did a lot of that as usual, but this year was different because I moved twice and because I travelled by car instead of by plane or bus! I am so thankful for the way God provided for all of this craziness. I miss making the trip between the apartment in Georgia and Bob Jones University, but I'm so glad to be back in Wisconsin! I hope I'll be able to travel a fair amount through my 23rd year as well. I want to visit at least two new states this year. I was thinking Alaska and Hawaii. HA! No, I'll keep it a little more realistic.<br />
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This year I learned a lot about myself. Nothing like downtime all by yourself looking for a job for a few months! I realized how out of line my priorities were, mainly my time with God. I also realized just how much I need human interaction. I felt so lost and friendless while I was in Georgia. All I had was Cathy except on my fabulous weekends at BJ. I do not take my friendships for granted anymore. I am so richly blessed in my coworkers and my church family here in Wisconsin.<br />
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Stats from the year:<br />
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Words... Skimming through my journal (which has an entry for every day of the last year because I finally got more faithful with writing) I think that the most used words (not including names) are:<br />
1. UNFI<br />
2. Shelves (referring both to work and my own personal library)<br />
3. Lunch/Supper<br />
4. Cleaned<br />
5. Home (this word was used to refer to the west in general, the state of Colorado, my parent's house, the state of Wisconsin, my apartment in Wisconsin and my apartment in Georgia.)<br />
6. Watched ... movies, kids, whatever<br />
7. Church<br />
8. Walk/walked<br />
9. Read<br />
10. Work<br />
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Music... Based on my Pandora and the play counts on my phone:<br />
1. <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Piano Guys</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Pettit team/Galkin team/Sovereign Grace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Mozart</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Alan Menken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. The Chords Pandora station</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Books... Top three new reads:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Jennifer Worth (<i>Call the Midwife</i> etc)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Other assorted non-fiction </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Harry Potter series</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The coming year looks a little scary from where I am right now. There are so many unknowns. But I'm not worried, I'm excited! The one thing that I know is that this chapter of my life will both open and close with a faithful God.</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-89150971706029623822014-06-29T21:46:00.003-06:002014-06-29T21:47:42.981-06:00He IsThe question sat there on my computer screen, glaring at me. "Could a God who allows terrible things be loving? Or does He even exist?"<br />
For some reason, my heart caught in my throat. I knew that I had an answer, but for one second I couldn't think of it. In that tiny moment, my world turned completely dark. I let the question come from my own mind. "Is God loving? Is He real?" I laughed and shook my head at myself. Because the reality of God in my life is too strong for me to doubt longer than one second. But how can I explain it to someone who doesn't know Him?<br />
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Bad things happen. People die. Children starve. I could make a list long enough to make your head spin. So where is a loving God in all of this? Let me tell you something.<br />
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He is ALL POWERFUL. He can do anything He wants. One of the displays of His power is in His choice to give us a free will. He didn't make a bunch of robots or puppets on a string. He's not just moving game pieces around, winding up toys to march mindlessly in the direction He decides. Our minds and our actions are our own. His creation lives, speaks, acts, invents, befriends, researches, THINKS. And because of <i>our choice</i> to sin we die, we harm, we lie, we kill.<br />
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He is ALL KNOWING. He is aware of everything going on in our world. He knows the famine, the disease, the slaughter, the slavery. He sees His creation turning against each other and against Him. We fight our fellow man because we want to prove we are better than the next guy. We sit in apathy while people are deprived of food and water, babies are aborted and women are enslaved for sex. I am guilty of this apathy myself.<br />
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He is ALL PRESENT. Everywhere. We can see Him in the nature around us. The sky, the land, the animals. And we can know Him in our hearts. From the darkest corners of Africa to sunshine of a tropical island. From the quiet corners of a field to the busiest streets and markets. From the piles of snow to stretches of sand. From the highest mountain peaks to the depths of the sea. He is there.<br />
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He is completely LOVING. In His <i>power </i>He created a people who can think on their own. Choose a path for themselves. He watched us and <i>knew</i> that we were in trouble because we were so focused on ourselves and our own agendas. He showed us His<i> presence</i> in all of creation, but we didn't see Him. So He gave us His presence in another way. He sent His son, a man called Jesus. The very first, the ONLY man to live a completely selfless and sinless life.<br />
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He is PERFECT. Jesus was our complete reverse. Humble where we are proud. Healing where we harm. Loving where we hate. He died for us so that we could plead His perfection when we stand before our Creator and seek admittance to His perfect world.<br />
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He is MINE. I claim Christ as my own. My Creator, Redeemer, Friend. While I am on this earth, I may face danger at the hands of people who are careless or even hateful. People might harm me emotionally or physically. I could die of a disease. God can stop any of these things to happen, but the truth is... It's more loving for Him to allow it. His boundless love for His creation means that He desires for all to come to know Him and be rescued from an eternity in Hell. He uses famine, disease, death and pain to draw people to Himself.<br />
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He is TRUSTWORTHY. I'm okay with Him using my life in any way He sees fit. The road may not always be easy. There will be things that I didn't plan on or want. Relationships will fall apart, friends will betray me. I will make dumb decisions for myself. I will probably be the stress in someone else's life. There will be conflict. Yet I hope to rejoice in hardship because <u>He is my loving God</u>.<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-38995329615787185362014-04-12T23:09:00.000-06:002014-04-12T23:09:45.160-06:00The Monkey SongI recently watched The Jungle Book for the first time in my life. I'm not going to review the movie. That's not the point of this post. I just found that the monkey song was on my mind tonight.<br />
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"I wanna be like you." It's a desire that I think every human faces. We look around at everyone else and think, "Wow. I wish I..." Fill in the blank with relationships, financial status, possessions, personality, WHATEVER. There are very few people who are content with exactly what they have at the exact moment that they have it.<br />
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While this wheel of fortunes was spinning around in my head, it got hung up in an unexpected place. Reverse. You see, all of this time while I'm thinking that I need so-and-so's such-and-such, I've also been thinking about how much other people need to be like ME. I'm holding myself up as an example of why everyone should homeschool, use Verizon as their cell service provider, learn to play an instrument, <b>whatever</b>.<br />
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Clearly folks, I have arrived. I may travel too much to save up for a car. I might eat too much fast food to lose weight. But I *know* what music you should listen to, where you should draw the line for reading/watching things with magic/sorcery, and the only appropriate length for your skirts. Trust me. You wanna be like me.<br />
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In the end, I think of 1 Corinthians chapter 12.<br />
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<quote><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.</span></quote><br />
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From here Paul goes into 1 Corinthians 13. The love chapter. See, God's plan isn't for us to all fit into the same cookie cutter. Sure, there are things that scripture lines out very clearly. Honor your father and mother. Don't lie. Don't kill. But nowhere does it say that a woman who wears pants, a man who preaches from the ESV or a child who sings a Disney song will be denied entrance into Heaven. Let's stop arguing these smaller issues, be content with who we are in Christ and let the world see that we are Christians by our love for one another.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-81678537427915667262014-01-05T22:09:00.003-07:002014-01-05T22:11:23.060-07:00Return of the BlogOne of the things that I decided to do in 2014 was (surprisingly not "blog more") to buy a book every week for the entire year. As is the case with many of life's choices, one thing leads to another. I wanted to keep track of the books that I buy and blogging about them seemed like a great way to do that. Especially since a couple of people have expressed an interest in following my book choices. So here is post numero uno.<br />
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My first choice was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gladys-Aylward-The-Little-Woman/dp/0802429866/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388985003&sr=8-1&keywords=the+little+woman+gladys+aylward" target="_blank"><i>The Little Woman</i> by Gladys Aylward</a>. I remember my mom reading this book aloud to us when I was younger and I still remember many of the stories from it. My clearest thought from the book is this: What a mighty God we serve! I cannot wait to read again of the ways that God taught and provided for Gladys.<br />
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Perhaps I will do a full-fledged review on this book after I read it again. For now I'm just chronicling my first choice. I am planning on purchasing a variety of books... and a new shelf to keep them all on. Some of my posts for the 52 books of 2014 may be short, but you're welcome to stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-88956114920764483072013-04-08T18:47:00.001-06:002013-04-08T18:56:05.922-06:00Hunger Pains from the Hunger Games<br />
Coming from a conservative Christian homeschooling background, I somehow reached the conclusion that any book series that was "all the rage" was bad. From the demonic magic of Harry Potter to the sensual world of vampires and werewolves in Twilight, the reading material that was in style was out of the question.<br />
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Enter Suzanne Collins and her Hunger Games trilogy. With no magic or dark legendary creatures, the only objection I saw many parents bringing to the table was the violence, especially considering that it was children involved. Many tweens and teens of my acquaintance were giddy with joy. Finally! A popular series that they could read!<br />
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After purchasing the trilogy as an ebook and reading through it, I have to give credit to Ms. Collins. She has managed to reach a broader market than Ms. Rowling or Ms. Meyer by giving parents a false sense of security. "No magic or mythical creatures? I guess it's okay." - I heard parents say this more than once. Too bad they didn't look deeper.<br />
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Of course, Panem (America, holding the population of the world) is so far into the future that science can do practically anything. We no longer need magicians, witches, or warlocks to cast healing spells or change the weather. Science and computers take care of everything! Even the elaborate 'ticking clock' arena for the Games in the second book (<i>Catching Fire</i>) is completely scientific. Looking at how quickly the human race is progressing, though, it's totally natural to think that a completely computerized world and such advanced medical discoveries are possible. No magic.<br />
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As for the mythical creatures that many parents, including mine, have struggled with, there are no werewolves, gryphons, vampires, satyrs, or any such thing in the Hunger Games. Ms. Collins invented creatures of her own. And the "muttations" are honestly every bit as scary as any other creature from stories past or present. Moms shuddered at a novel on vampires because they knew what vampires are. Bloodthirsty villains. No mom had a clue what a Wolf Mutt was, though. Some half breed dog? Nope. A human/wolf combination actually created with or to resemble opponents from the Games who had already died. Is that really so much better than a vampire?<br />
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Overlooking the sex issues presented by the series (Finnick's constant nudity, Katniss and Peeta sleeping together, the sale of surviving tributes as sex slaves, off-color comments, etc) and not objecting to magic/science or strange creatures for myself, I still found this trilogy to be lacking.<br />
<i><br /></i><i>The Hunger Games</i> had heart and emotion. My chest pounded when Katniss (the main protagonist) volunteered as tribute in place of her sister Prim. I cried when Rue (another tribute) was killed. I actually felt that the story and characters worked. But Katniss died somewhere in <i>Catching Fire.</i> She suddenly seemed like a lot more of a machine and I found that the supporting cast wasn't offering enough support. We were unexpectedly thrown back into the arena and this time even the reader didn't know who exactly to root for. So I just made myself brush off all of the characters except for Katniss and Peeta. Which made it harder in the long run to accept the characters that were good or at least okay.<br />
<i><br /></i><i>Mockingjay</i> was more of the same plastic Katniss running around never doing as she was told. She has the excuse of having survived two Hunger Games, but I feel that Katniss was a pawn for Suzanne Collins every bit as much as she was a pawn for President Alma Coin. "I have to finish this out, so you're going to do whatever it takes, Katniss Everdeen!" Moving on to what is perhaps my biggest objection to the series: I admit that there is no good way to end a love triangle that involves two good guys, but having Gale's invention kill Prim seemed like such a wrong way to end things. There was no need for Prim to die at all, for one thing, and the Gale vs. Peeta debate could have ended so much differently. Not to mention the slew of other great characters that were killed off in the end. I realize that the entire premise of the series is death, but I honestly hoped that it would end on a happier note.<br />
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As I finished the last sentence of <i>Mockingjay</i>, I felt a hunger for more. Not because the story or the characters were lovable, but because I wanted a happier ending even knowing that it would all still end in the poor and war-riddled land of Panem.<br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-75321052917733228582012-06-01T08:44:00.000-06:002012-06-01T08:44:00.326-06:00How the Camp Laundry Had an AdventureThis is the story of the bedding and such from camp, told from the perspective of one of the sheets. ;)<br />
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<quote>Here is how to have an adventure even if you are only a sheet (FIVE EASY STEPS!):</quote></div>
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<li style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><quote>Start by getting dirty. That's the best way to start a lot of adventures. </quote></li>
<li style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><quote>Sit around for awhile and wait for all of your brothers and sisters and cousins to join you in a ginormous pile.</quote></li>
<li style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><quote>Bribe the washing machine into breaking down. Oh, yeah!</quote></li>
<li style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><quote>Get bagged up into a garbage bag. Make sure that your whole family comes with you, that way when you're loaded up to go to the laundromat, you can take up the whole back of a yukon. It's amazing.</quote></li>
<li><quote style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">When you and your family are all completely loaded up, deflate one of the yukon tires. This makes the fun in the garbage bags last longer!<br /><br />Of course </quote><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">all good things do come to an end, so you will eventually end up in the washing machine. But it's definitely worth going to all of the trouble just to mess with the lives of those who are trying to wash you! </span><br />
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</ol>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-44560604499138501412012-05-31T16:15:00.000-06:002012-05-31T16:45:26.158-06:00First Week in ArizonaAgh.... This whole blogging more regularly? I miss the mark every time. Sorry to those of you who still read my blog! (Kyrstin =) )<br />
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After a whirlwind visit with my friends and family in Colorado, I have moved on to the next segment of my life. I got up early on Saturday morning and headed to the airport. I had a little less than an hour to make it to my gate, so I was really nervous for a few minutes when I went to check my bag. The lines were absolutely atrocious! But I made it to the gate right when they started boarding, so it worked out nicely. No long wait! =) Not that I'll try to cut it super close all of the time.<br />
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My trip to Phoenix was good. I watched Newsies while I was on the plane (hooray for free amazon instant video credits!) and generally enjoyed the trip. Some people are disturbed by turbulence, but not I! =) It just felt like coming down the track on Twister II at Elitch Gardens. lol Maybe planes aren't supposed to feel like amusement park rides, but I'm cool with it.<br />
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I spent the night with the family of a fellow staff member and then a group of us headed up to camp after church on Sunday. I am so excited to be back in Alpine! I've spent the majority of the week cleaning various buildings around camp. It's been SO much fun because I have friends working with me. Last summer I did the majority of the cleaning myself. <br />
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I think I'm going to wrap this post up for now, but hopefully I'll be able to write more later.<br />
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TTFN!<br />
<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-24709934976688275922012-04-20T08:04:00.000-06:002012-04-20T17:16:38.462-06:00Transitions<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Transition</span></span><span id="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span style="font-size: large;">:</span> </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">movement,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">passage,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">or</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">change</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">from</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">one</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">position,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">state,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">stage,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">subject,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">concept,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">etc.,</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">to</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">another;</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> I was born in Colorado twenty years ago and have lived in Colorado ever since. When I was younger, I was certain that there would never be anywhere else that I could call home. This colorful state was my home. It was where all of my friends and family were. </span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> Around 2006 I started blogging on xanga. I made some really great friends through the groups (or whatever they were called) on the website. Suddenly I found that not ALL of my friends were Coloradans and I knew that I was going to have to do some traveling at some point to get to meet them.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> Fast forward to summer 2010. I took a trip to Arizona to meet my blogging friend Naomi. I spent around a month out there - it was my first experience with being away from home for an extended time and pretty much my first time traveling alone. And? I *loved* it.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> Last summer I went to work at Grand View Camp in Arizona, spending yet more time away from home. That's sort of when I started to realize that "home" wasn't really where I lived anymore. It was more of a stopping place to come back to when there was nowhere else to be. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and friends in Colorado and I always miss them when I'm gone. I just began to feel that there was something more waiting for me somewhere - I just couldn't find it.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> A month after returning home from camp, I left yet again. This time I went to Wisconsin to meet another blog friend: Lydia. I spent three wonderful (and way too short!) weeks with Lydia and her husband Doug. I was so sad to leave and started to make plans to return as soon as possible. We even discussed the option of my moving to Kentucky with Doug and Lydia.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> Back home in October, I spent lots of time with various friends and applied for multiple jobs. Nothing came together, though. I began to think that all I needed was to get a very temporary job to make enough money to get back to Wisconsin. Viola! A job opened up for me to house-sit for three weeks. I stayed home for a month after the job so that my mom could go on vacation, then high-tailed it back to Wisconsin. Where I fell even more deeply in love with life. haha It was so good to be away from the city! Not to mention that the more I got to know people, the more I liked them. =) So I decided that I wanted to stay.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> Unfortunately, I had already signed a contract to work at Grand View again this summer. I tossed around the idea of backing out, but decided that I could wait a few months to make my Wisconsin residency official. Not to mention that I really like camp!</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> Yesterday I arrived in Virginia to meet my friend JoAnna in person. I will be here for a few weeks until her wedding. After that, I'll trot back to Colorado for a few days before it's time for camp. Lord willing, I'll be back in Wisconsin in August! My friend Joyce and I have already picked out a cute little apartment to rent together. </span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> I am so excited about my life right now! And I am so thankful that God has worked everything out so smoothly! I never would have thought when I started talking to people online all that time ago that it would eventually lead to an open door for me to start out on my own. I am also glad that I could take so many trips to get used to being away from my family before I actually move out.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> So... That's the latest in my life! I hope that I'll get to meet a few more blog friends in the future! </span></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"></span> </span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-85639669581578299892012-04-19T10:13:00.000-06:002012-04-19T10:13:04.383-06:00VenteTime to cross something else off of the good ol' bucket list! And time to update my readers on where I'm at!<br />
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On Tuesday morning I boarded the bus bound for Milwaukee. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a trip! Wisconsin is lovely in the spring! I had so many mixed emotions about leaving, but I'll explain all of that another time. =) This post is about number 20 on my bucket list: Take a trip by train<br />
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In Milwaukee I switched from the bus to the train. The first part of my train trip was relatively short, going from Milwaukee to Chicago. Once I boarded in Chicago, though, I spend the next 21 and a half hours on the train. I learned a lot in that time. lol<br />
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First off, trains *are* better than buses. Traveling by bus feels like you're traveling mostly with lower class or even low-life people. Traveling by train feels more upper class. Even if not all of the passengers were high class people, they behaved like they were! (Read: much less swearing, no smoking, etc)<br />
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One problem that I had with the train was the price of food and such. I didn't bring as many snacks with me as I should have. I spent $6 on a tiny pizza. So on my next train trip I am going to pack more of my own food and definitely bring a couple of bottles of my own water.<br />
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Another thing that I learned is that if you want to be on time, Amtrak is probably not the best way to travel. My train ended up being over an hour late pulling into Charlottesville. The people working on the train as well as other passengers confirmed that this was normal. Apparently, the only destination that they make on time is either Philly or DC.<br />
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For overnight traveling, I really think that it depends on circumstances. If you can only have one seat to yourself, trains win for comfort. But if the seat next to you is empty, I was actually more comfortable on the bus than on the train. I suppose it really varies, though. Different buses/trains have different seats.<br />
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Trains definitely win in the luggage department. The first three checked bags are free, unlike buses and airlines. HUGE bonus there! They also transfer your luggage for you, while Greyhound does not. I found that to be very nice. It's not always fun to be lugging around two suitcases along with whatever carry-on items. Furthermore, Amtrak treated my luggage a lot better. With the exception of one of my suitcase handles getting ripped, my bags were fine. Whereas Greyhound? Don't even get me started. Mom and Dad bought me a great luggage set for Christmas and the bus trip was my first time to use it. Both suitcases suffered various rips and tears as well as getting completely filthy.<br />
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So that's the run-down on my recent travel experiences! I'm going to go see if I can get a few other posts in the works and get back into blogging!<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-5080417797298825752012-03-14T16:47:00.003-06:002012-03-14T16:47:42.537-06:00If I Believed in Reincarnation...If I believed in reincarnation, I would be absolutely certain that I was a girl who lived in Europe during WW2. The type of girl that hung out with the American military all of the time. It is absolutely ridiculous how many old guys come up to me and say, "You remind me of a girl I knew way back in..."<br />
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It has happened at church. It has happened in stores (especially Vitamin Cottage for some reason...). It has happened at restaurants. And yesterday when I was out for a walk, I got cat calls from an old guy! =O<br />
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Maybe I just have a really common face? haha I really don't know what to think. Do old guys just say that to every girl? I'm not really annoyed by it. Some of them are very grandfatherly and sweet. They are total gentlemen who just can't help but remark on the resemblance that they see. Only once or twice have I actually been a little uncomfortable and wondered if a guy was losing his mind.<br />
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Since I don't believe in reincarnation, I suppose I'll have to settle for the "common face" answer for now.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-64618292140558644752012-03-10T09:17:00.000-07:002012-03-10T09:17:00.646-07:00The Ring[[Special thanks to my dear friend Sarah who helped me to realize that I'm okay in real life and not "so much better as a blog"]]<br />
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There are moments in life that we all look forward to. As kids we itch with anticipation if we have just a little money to spend or we count days until our birthday or Christmas. Then we get older and get excited about driving or getting a job or graduating. For a girl, though, there's one dream that she hangs on to from the time she's very small. Every girl, at some point in her life, thinks of her Prince Charming.<br />
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Unfortunately, a lot of girls think that once she finally has her man, life will be perfect. But there's enough people out there talking about that problem. I, for one, have seen a slightly different problem. Even girls who are completely aware that life will still have ups AND downs seem to want a lover too desperately.<br />
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<i>Why?</i><br />
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I think I figured it out because I started feeling the same way. My thoughts one day were along these lines: "I know that life won't be perfect when I'm married. It might even be more difficult. But I Must. Get. Married!" As soon as I had the thought, I wondered why I felt that way. I have the most incredible life ever! I have been blessed with so many friends around the country, so many opportunities to do things that I might not be able to do if I had a husband.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">As happy as I am with my life, why did I feel like I needed to change it?</span></i><br />
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Change. That's the key word. See, so many people that I know (including myself) are constantly trying to change themselves to fit in better with their friends, family, church, and/or coworkers. We have so many people that love us, but we second guess ourselves and think, "They only tolerate me. I need to ________ if I want to keep their friendship." We're haunted by the fact that people can just walk away without thinking about it when it would leave us devastated. Especially when it has happened before, the fear that it could happen again makes us sick.<br />
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That's why, in my mind, I needed a guy to marry me. Because some day he would get down on one knee and tell me that I was good enough just the way I was. Because he would put a ring on my finger that said to the world, "flaws and all, I want to share the rest of my existence with this woman."<br />
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I don't need that, though! I'm not saying that I don't ever want to get married. I'm just saying that I don't have to have a ring on my finger to prove anything to myself or to anyone else. I don't choose to spend a lot of time with people I don't like, so why would anyone else do that? If the people who spend time with me are at all like me, then the very fact that they choose to put up with me means that they care about me.<br />
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So the ring? Yeah, it'll be cool to have one some day. And it'll be nice to show the world that some guy loves me enough to claim me as his own. But until then? I'm just me, and even if I have room to grow, I'm blessed with many friends who think that I'm "good enough" the way I am.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-91366372839843393712012-03-09T16:26:00.002-07:002012-03-09T16:26:20.715-07:00More Than One Way to Skin a CatI am by no means a world traveler, yet in the past few years I have seen a few different cultures in my treks across these United States. Even though I have spent the majority of my time with other "normal" Americans, I always find it fascinating how differently people live.<br />
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There are certain things that we all do all of the time. Basic things, but there are so many ways to accomplish one goal. I love to study how people live and how they make their lives work out. I like to see if one way of doing something is any better than another. If you are not like that, this post will probably be rather boring to you!</div>
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Dirty dishes. They are a part of life for every person I know. But there are so many ways to deal with them! (Other than letting them sit for an age and a day) Here are a few of the methods I have seen:</div>
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1: "They were never dirty" method. As soon as you have a stack of dishes, dump them in a sink, wash them, dry them, and put them away as quickly as possible. This will leave your kitchen counters clean and make it look like you never used the dishes to start with!</div>
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2: "Kill 'it' before 'it' kills you" method. Wash every fleck of food off of your dishes, then let them soak in a sanitizing sink for a minute or two. After this, place them in a sanitized rack to dry. NO TOWELS. TOWELS HAVE CONTAMINATION!</div>
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3: "All about the bubbles" method: No sink full of water here! Squirt a little dish soap into your rag, wash a dish. Rinse the dish. Repeat. Again. And again. And again. Because you have nothing better to spend your money on than dish soap.</div>
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4: "Pre-Caveman" method: The nice thing about this method is that you don't really need any tools. These people just need soap and water in their sink. They use their fingers and fingernails to get the dishes clean, then stack them in the other sink to dry. (No drying rack) This, my friends, will totally creep out the "kill it before it kills you" type because 'no sink is ever clean even if it looks clean'... =P</div>
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5: "It's all food anyhow" method: If you used that pot for gravy and let it sit all night, that's fine. Gravy is edible. Go ahead and make your oatmeal in the same pot in the morning. You'll eventually wash the pot when it's actually necessary.</div>
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Which method do you use? I think that my method is sort of a combination of the above. =) </div>
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Now aren't you looking forward to my post on ways to brush teeth? </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">P. S. A couple of these are slightly exaggerated for affect. I'm not picking on anybody! =D</span></div>
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<br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-41880305294634584392012-03-03T10:48:00.000-07:002012-03-03T10:48:02.198-07:00Yumminess =DLast Saturday I had a lot of fun helping prepare food for a baby shower. We made some pretty delicious food, in my opinion!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc1oQAPwNWT_lRNKNfIbe-UWnAXNS6NMJdFYjgRDyLgvf01B2aUMdvf8wMIinOOsOms7YxuHJpnqrPGppVLJmwoVdlszi19cxrkGZ5fZZjLwYIAzkiz76oGOoRG-DGBgI-hQwsu0RrEpY/s1600/DSC05754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc1oQAPwNWT_lRNKNfIbe-UWnAXNS6NMJdFYjgRDyLgvf01B2aUMdvf8wMIinOOsOms7YxuHJpnqrPGppVLJmwoVdlszi19cxrkGZ5fZZjLwYIAzkiz76oGOoRG-DGBgI-hQwsu0RrEpY/s320/DSC05754.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wafers with cream cheese and fruit Yummo!</div>
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Pickle Pinwheels =D</div>
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Mini tacos - made in those scoop chips</div>
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Fruit kabobs </div>
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Veggie kabobs and dip (am I spelling kabob right? lol)</div>
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Cupcakes!</div>
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Pigs in blankets</div>
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Punch</div>
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Bacon and cheese... with the cheese on the extra-melty side =P</div>
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I love making food! It can be every bit as much fun as eating the food later! =D I am definitely going to save a few of these ideas and use them again later. :-)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-4026874997005182582012-02-28T09:21:00.000-07:002012-02-28T09:21:00.270-07:00Ninety-SixI just re-read part of my bucket list. Some of that stuff is quite silly. hahaha I do like Adam 12, but why do I want to watch all of the episodes before I die?! What. Ever.<br />
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Anyhow, I checked something else off of my list! =) Number 96 -Try cotton candy. I survived 20 years just fine without it, but I thought that it was a part of "normal" American life that I should try at least once, so I put it on my list. ;) One of my birthday presents from Lydia was a bag of the fluffy insulation-type candy. =D<br />
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My thoughts? It was good, but I'm never going to crave it or anything. I prefer to be able to chew on any non-liquids that I put in my mouth. lol<br />
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Anyhow, I would definitely try it again - especially if I was at an amusement park or something! But if I'm going to go buy candy for myself, I'll stick with York, Jr. mints, and gummy worms. =)<br />
<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-53508960260071348162012-02-27T08:26:00.000-07:002012-02-27T08:26:00.222-07:00Three Things Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1. Wind</div>
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I love wind. I have a friend who is completely terrified of it, but I *love* it! The quiet, peaceful breeze or the wild, tearing gusts. They both make me happy - though in different ways!</div>
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My favorite wind is in the mountains when you can hear it before you feel it. =D</div>
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2. Long Walks</div>
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Healthy. Relaxing. My favorite time to pray. Not to mention that it's downright beautiful if I'm walking in the right place! =D</div>
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3. High Places</div>
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I love to be able to look down on everything so teeny tiny below. And the wind is windier on top of a mountain. ;)</div>
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One thing about heights, though? I like them as long as the descent is rational. As I've mentioned before, the Tower of Doom was one of the scariest experiences of my 20 years of life. I loved the being up high part, but the drop? NOT something I care to repeat! </div>
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<br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-58581010093238308102012-02-24T09:55:00.000-07:002012-02-24T11:21:05.948-07:00Any Other Name<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."</i></span> - Anne Shirley disagreed with this statement and I just might be inclined to side with her. Names really do affect our perception of things and people. <br />
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Take, for instance, the name Ian. I don't want to offend anyone with this name, but the truth is that I have yet to meet an Ian that I like. Hollywood seems to agree with me, too. Think about it!<br />
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Ian Hawke: The antagonist in the chipmunk movies</div>
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Ian Howe: Antagonist in National Treasure</div>
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Ian Bowles: Not as bad as Ian Howe, but he's just a jerk! (From Emily of New Moon)</div>
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Ian Edgerton: Okay, this guy is actually rather cool, but he definitely has issues! I know that he wants the best, but the way he goes about it... </div>
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So... An Ian by any other name would probably be a better person. Based on my experience. =P </div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-92034953113630767052012-02-23T10:15:00.000-07:002012-02-23T10:15:56.268-07:0071Wow... It's taken me a lot longer than I anticipated, but here is one of the blog posts that was supposed to come right after my wonderful birthday! =)<div>
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I'm sure that you all are familiar with <a href="http://ramblinrose506.blogspot.com/p/100-things-to-do-before-i-die.html" target="_blank">my bucket list</a> since I've mentioned it several times, so may I now direct you to #71 on said list? Because I can cross it off now! =)<br /><div>
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A very cool person not only got me goldfish... but a snail, too! I never even thought about having a pet snail, but I *love* my snail. I call him Secretariat. My sister suggested the name and I think that it's "epic" to use today's vernacular. lol</div>
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Unfortunately, the goldfish part of this story is not as epic as my snail's name. You see, I do not at present have a living goldfish. Five goldfish have died in my fishbowl. *sniffle* I think that there must be something wrong with the water - my fish must be drowning! Actually, I have no idea what is wrong. I feel horrible for the poor fish! I read online that most of Walmart's goldfish are sold as food for bigger fish, so I'm trying to comfort myself with the thought that these fish were most likely going to die anyhow. It still makes me sad, though.</div>
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So... I have owned a goldfish and can cross that off of my list, even though it was a brief experience. And I happen to think that Secretariat is the coolest snail ever, so I'm very happy in spite of the fishy circumstances. =D</div>
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Secretariat speeding across the bridge</div>
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The big goldfish whom I was thinking of calling Dodger</div>
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</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-45691844387276735392012-02-15T08:35:00.002-07:002012-02-15T08:35:42.241-07:00Birthday HappinessesYesterday was such a great day! I am so blessed! My phone kept buzzing all day long as friends and family called and texted to wish me a happy birthday. Thanks so much, everybody! <3<br />
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Some of the best parts of my birthday will be in an upcoming post after I load some pictures. For now, I'm just going to say that my friends are too good to me and that I had a lovely day. =D<br />
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Oh, and we watched this really cute movie called Pizza My Heart. It's kind of a spin off of Romeo and Juliet - with a happy ending, of course!<br />
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It was cute and funny and clean... Yay! =) I thought that the girl in the movie was really cute. The guy wasn't all bad, either. ;)<br />
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Anyhow... more to come later on! =DEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-49125851917832234962012-02-10T12:01:00.001-07:002012-02-10T12:06:50.199-07:00Bus Stories6:15 Monday morning... Alan Menken's <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIofSVnpYoE&feature=related" target="_blank">Enchanted Suite</a></i> woke me up to quite an array of thoughts.<br />
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1. I still want to be asleep<br />
2. I love this song!<br />
3. I need to be ready to go in 45 minutes... no snooze button!<br />
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I took a quick shower, threw a few last-minute things into my suitcase, said goodbye to the fam, and headed out the door! Dad and I arrived at the greyhound station at 8 something. My bus was supposed to leave at 9, but there were mechanical issues and we didn't pull out until 9:45.<br />
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I have very little good to say about the first part of my trip, so I probably shouldn't say much at all. Let me just say that the bus was crowded, people kept ignoring the "No Smoking" and "No Foul Language" rules, and the atmosphere was just generally not cool. I was able to talk to an older lady and help her out at a couple of stops as well as sleep a bit, so it wasn't ALL bad. But I was quite relieved when we got to Kansas City and lost the majority of the smokers and all of the ex-cons. (One of whom I'm under the impression wasn't supposed to be leaving Colorado.........)<br />
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In Kansas City I went to claim my bags and found that only one of the two had been taken off of the bus. I asked a guy to help me, but he brushed me off. What's with that? I decided that if he was going to be an ornery jerk about it, I wasn't going to be pushy. But neither was I going to walk off without my bag. I stood there as everyone else took their luggage and left. Another guy saw me standing there and asked if I was waiting for something. I explained that one of my bags was still on the bus, so he went digging through the rest of the luggage until he found it. Now <i>that</i> is the type of person that greyhound should be hiring all of the time!<br />
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My layover in Kansas City was supposed to be 4 hours, but since we were running so far behind it was only three. I was very thankful for that because my past experiences with long layovers hasn't been so great... My time in Kansas City was actually pretty good, though! I talked to this one guy for awhile... I have no clue what his name is, but we had a pleasant conversation about a wide variety of things. =) It definitely helped to pass the time! I also read books and played games on my kindle.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The Story of the Sleepy Girl and the Indian Man</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Once I boarded my next bus and it didn't look like it would be too crowded, I stretched out over two seats and went to sleep. I was sleeping pretty peacefully when someone nudged my foot. I opened my eyes to see this old Indian man leaning over me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"Are you okay?" he asked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"Oh, yeah." I answered groggily. Did I look dead to him or something?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He left and I went back to sleep. A bit later *nudge* there he was again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"We're stopped. Aren't you going to get off?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"No, but thanks for checking." I went back to sleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*NUDGE*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"You should eat something. You should get something to eat. Or I can get you something."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">WHAT IS WITH THIS GUY?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"No, thank you! I'm fine." I said. I was starting to wonder when he was getting off. Oh, and for the record, all of this was happening at 2:30, 3:00, and so on. Not exactly normal eating hours on my schedule!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We continued down the road and I was still asleep when I suddenly jerked awake because <i>someone's hand was in my hair</i>. By the time I sat up and turned around, I couldn't tell who had been there. I don't know if it was someone who was feeling their way to the bathroom or if it was the Indian guy... but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't the Amish kid behind me. lol</span><br />
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My last transfer was in Minneapolis. I got off of my bus and walked into the terminal. I had just found my next bus, which was already loading, when this guy came and tapped me on the shoulder. I was quite afraid that my Indian friend was back, but it was a young man this time. "Hey," he said, handing me his ticket, "Are we on the same bus?"<br />
I glanced at his ticket and handed it back. "Um, yes."<br />
"Thanks! I can't figure this stuff out."<br />
Illiterate, much? hahaha Anyhow, he got on the bus and sat behind me, but he didn't talk to me any more. I was a little relieved... I'd dealt with enough strange guys on the rest of the trip.<br />
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Nothing else exciting happened until the excitement of arriving safely at my destination. =D So here I am, safe and happy! <3<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-41416838847990469852012-02-09T08:54:00.001-07:002012-02-09T08:54:44.701-07:00Road Trip BarsI couldn't find a simple recipe that sounded delicious, so I sort of made up my own. I thought that they turned out really yummy, so here's the gist of what I did:<br />
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1 1/2 cups quick oats<br />
1/4 cup each of walnuts, dried cranberries, and mini chocolate chips<br />
a little less than a tablespoon of dried coconut<br />
4 tablespoons honey<br />
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mix together... if it doesn't stick enough, add more honey. Bake 15-20 minutes (or until edges are starting to brown) in a greased 8x8 pan. <b>Let sit. </b>Cut into bars and enjoy!<br />
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I thought that this flopped because I didn't let them sit long enough. They just fell apart and looked like granola. When I came back later, though, the ones that I hadn't touched were perfect bars! Yummo!<br />
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My bus trip went pretty well... I'll try to post more details on that soon!<br />
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Tata for now!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-7973839215246416132012-02-06T09:42:00.000-07:002012-02-06T09:42:00.036-07:00Three Things MondayOne thing that I absolutely love is the thought that when this post posts I will be on a bus on my way to Wisconsin!<br />
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Three other things that make me happy are:</div>
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<a href="http://www.therussianshop.com/russhop/matryoshkas/matphotoviatka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://www.therussianshop.com/russhop/matryoshkas/matphotoviatka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Matryoshka Dolls</div>
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The painting jobs on these dolls are so wonderful!</div>
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&&&</div>
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<a href="http://assets.babycenter.com/ims/2008/12dec/toes-gallery-ameliaaline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://assets.babycenter.com/ims/2008/12dec/toes-gallery-ameliaaline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Baby Toes -Awwww!!!</div>
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&&&</div>
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<a href="http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_9125-588x391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_9125-588x391.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2011/03/08/homemade-chocolate-syrup/" target="_blank">This recipe</a></div>
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MMMMMMmmmmmMMMMMM</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-33634448342905515462012-02-04T22:46:00.000-07:002012-02-05T00:13:44.426-07:00Happy Inside Out I am so excited about how the next few months of my life are looking! In case I don't have opportunity to post much, here's the plan...<br />
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On Monday I am boarding the bus for Wisconsin. I will be there in WI until mid-April and then... TATADA!!! I get to cross something off of my bucket list by taking the train to Virginia! I will be there for a few weeks to help a dear friend of mine prepare for her wedding. :) I plan to return to Colorado the second week of May. I won't be back for long, though! My travels will take me (almost immediately) to Arizona for another summer at Grand View Camp!<br />
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So yeah... *very* exciting!<br />
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By the way, I watched Dolphin Tale this weekend. It was a pretty good movie!<br />
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There is something so magical about sea creatures. It must have been great for the actors to get to be with the dolphins! I quite envy them. Ish. =P<br />
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Anyhow... I should get to bed. I hope to be able to post while I'm gone, but I really don't know what to expect. We'll see!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-13993859519225115292012-01-31T07:16:00.000-07:002012-01-31T07:16:00.596-07:00Little Choices<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Just two choices on the shelf.</i></div>
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<i>Oh what could the choices be?</i></div>
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<i>Pleasing God or pleasing self.</i></div>
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<i>Oh I would more like Jesus be!</i></div>
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-Ken Collier</div>
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"Soft little choices." It's a phrase that my pastor uses all the time. These are the choices that we make that are "small" but always lead to something a little bigger... then a little bigger... and even a little bigger... until suddenly we find that we are deep in sin. These could be choices of omission or commission, but either can be bad.<br />
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I've been making tons of bad choices lately. Putting off things that I should do or doing things that I shouldn't. Sometimes it's obvious, "this is a soft little choice that could lead to something bigger." Other times it's hard to see and I'm left wondering what little road is the right one.<br />
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<i>It's a slow fade when you give yourself away </i><br />
<i>It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray </i><br />
<i> Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid </i><br />
<i>When you give yourself away </i><br />
<i>People never crumble in a day </i><br />
<i>It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade</i><br />
-Casting Crowns<br />
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On an opposite note, sometimes it's the tiniest little wise choices that can lead us to make greater wise choices. These seemingly insignificant moves in the right direction can have such a huge impact on our usefulness for Christ!</div>
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This week, I commit to look twice at the choices I am making. Will you?</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">P.S. I'm not really that familiar with Casting Crowns and I don't know the song Slow Fade... I just found it online and thought it fit.</span></div>
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1840203133977677473.post-21247350059097062682012-01-30T08:13:00.000-07:002012-01-30T15:43:31.935-07:00Three Things Monday: Places to Dream of<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.travel.usnews.com/images/destinations/111/main_image_revamp_cropped_445x280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://static.travel.usnews.com/images/destinations/111/main_image_revamp_cropped_445x280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Venice. It's so beautiful and romantic!</div>
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Prince Edward Island. It's so beautiful... and the setting to a story I just happen to love!</div>
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London. So historic! The home of Sherlock Holmes! Etc etc etc!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453813142904597764noreply@blogger.com0