An Ode to Things

I know that "the most important things in life aren't things," but that doesn't stop me from being grateful for and excited about a few things now and again. Right now those things are:

• Sweatpants.  I love dressing up for work, but starting my day early takes its toll and I'm always glad to be able to come home and effectively put on pajamas. 
• Earplugs. Now I can more easily ignore everyone else's video games and shouting and Lost marathons so that I can get homework and sleeping done.
• Smash Books. It's a nice little way to get my creative juices flowing as I ease back into making things again.
• The car I'll be buying this month--a green 1995 Ford Taurus. (I'll be paying for it this month, but will pick it up in Utah on my way to school this fall.)
• The  the new Heber J. Grant scholarship that will help with my tuition for my last three semesters!
• My books. I have lots and have decided that I'd probably rather re-read my old stuff for the next little while rather than looking for old stuff. I haven't read many of my books since high school (so it doesn't count). 
• Spotify. It saves me so much money and disc space. 
• Gifs. There is seriously one for every situation.





































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Gratitude, Nov. 10

Today I'm thankful for the feeling of having everything going the way it should. Times like this are rare, but I've had that feeling for the past few days and I'm really enjoying it. I have my act together, I'm focusing at school better, and my apartment is spotless (because it's Thursday). I figured out how to do cat-eye eyeliner this morning and I just feel at peace with everything. I'm really glad I've had this time to have everything be okay, because it's the usual way of life to have at least something be somewhat to terribly wrong. And that's the way it should be. It makes the good times that much better.

Gratitude Nov. 8

I slept in for a while today. Okay, until noon. (My old medicine made me sick, but this one makes me sleepy.) I didn't feel like getting up, either. So I read my scriptures for a while. And I felt so much better. Then I was able to get up, go to the gym, and get ready for my day (I was ready at 4 and still haven't left the house.) BUT I would have just slept all day if not for my study. So today I'm thankful for the scriptures.

Gratitude, Nov. 7

Today I'm thankful for modern conveniences. My apartment is heated. We have indoor plumbing. We have cable. I have the appliances that allow this roast beef sammich I'm eating to be warm and perfect. I've got the internet and Spotify and so many books. I like my stuff and I'm glad I have it.

Thankful List One

I really did mean to do one post a day in November to talk about the things that I'm grateful for. But that doesn't mean that I can't make up for it! I'll also do my best to keep up for the rest of the month.

• First off, I am thankful for second chances. All types, from the grace of Christ's Atonement to a teacher letting me redo a bad paper. 
• I'm thankful for my lovely roommates who understand that I'm often freezing and lend me their electric blankets and also put up with my enthusiasm over my TV shows silly things.
• I'm thankful for my (still not dead!) cell phone that lets me stay in touch with my friends and family but mostly my mom.
• I'm thankful for my patriarchal blessing and the comfort, insight, and hope it brings to my life.
• I'm thankful that I'm from California. (I was almost from Orem...not that there's anything wrong with that.)
• I'm thankful for peanut butter M&Ms. Seriously, they're the best kind.

Lists and Letters

Things I Hate, but Have a Morbid Fascination With

1. Jersey Shore

2. Snow

3. Economics 

Dear Cadbury,
     I will be eternally grateful for your having created the Caramello. Keep up the good work.
                         Love, Brooke

Reasons I Think the Federal Government Hates Me.

1. I never got my birth certificate back when I got my passport.

2. The Social Security Office has my birthday wrong.

Dear Summertime,
      I love, miss, and desperately need you.
                              Love, Brooke

Awesome Things I Did This Week

1.  Read de Tocqueville

2. Learned John Lennon's middle name was Winston

3. Made beautiful and delicious cookies.

4. Listened to Adele almost nonstop.

"How do you fight LOVE?"

A Capella Love Song of the Day #8 Iris by Goo Goo Dolls

Today I'm in an unusually good mood.

Maybe because I found this at the grocery store and I can make my favorite vegetarian tortellini soup like I do every Valentine's Day. 

Or maybe because my morning class is cancelled tomorrow.

Or maybe because I got a phone call from two of my favorite people.

(photo by Jill Rich Photography)

Okay, it's probably all of these, but most of all because of the knowledge I have that Christ lives and that to follow Him is to have a secure hope for the future. 

(The Master's Touch by Greg Olsen)

Chivalry is Alive...and Adorable.

Yesterday I needed groceries. Noelle and I walked to Broulim's together, but she had to take off for class before I had everything I needed (my list was a tad longer than hers). So I was left to carry three bags, two baguettes, and a gallon of milk by myself. The icing on this cake--I forgot my gloves. I felt really silly walking home in the cold. Partway down the street I hear someone clearing their throat. I step to the side and a kid in headphones zooms past me to get to campus. I guess I was walking kind of slow trying not to drop all my food in the dirty snow. My fingers hurt from the cold and the bag with my yogurt and steak sauce was starting to rip. At the top of my street, I ran into a gentleman who offered to help. I was too cold and flustered to say more than "yes. Thank you! What's your name?" I think his name was Tyler, but he saved me from dying and/or having a mental breakdown walking home from Broulim's, and I'm thankful that he did that for me.

DONE.

This semester is OVER. 100% DONE. Now I get to go home and relax for a few weeks. Well, not the whole time. Remember when I said I'd never go back to Baskin-Robbins? I'm eating those words now. They're cold and taste like a paycheck. This post really has no point but celebrating the end of a wonderful semester. I had great roommates, a great FHE group, a great ward, and great classes. I'm so grateful for the people that helped me through. Anywho, I'm off to play Robot Unicorn Attack until the bus arrives.

The Thankful List

• I got home before Idaho and Utah got attacked by that "blizzard."
• My momma knows how to cut hair.
• My brothers aren't embarrassed to be seen with me.
• They also jumped to help me find a jazz standard to audition for Vocal Union with.
•  New headphones & boots (major lifesavers on multiple levels.)
• Los Angeles
• Good music
• Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan
• The Beatles (on iTunes!)
• Clean water
• Vogue
• Cars
• Cousins!
• Modern communication
• Memory cards
• My camera
• Time to relax
• Time to work
• AMERICA
• Good friends
• Jesus Christ