A Mini-Rant!

Okay, so I have the same professor for two of my courses this semester. He put the final exams in week 11 (this week) because he is going to be leaving the country in the next few weeks. In the second class today, we were discussing marking and the final. The course outline says we were to have four pop quizzes throughout the semester; we have written three quizzes. The final is Thursday. I decided to ask how the last quiz was going to be graded (was it going to be worth double?) because the T.A. said it would be worth more. Well, apparently my professor thinks it would be a great idea to have a "pop quiz" next Tuesday -- AFTER THE FINAL EXAM! How extremely wrong is that? A "pop quiz" after the "FINAL EXAM" in an "optional lecture".

Grrrrr....

One Down, Three More...

I've officially finished one of my courses for the Winter 2007 semester! Crazy!
Social Welfare: DONE!!!

Norah Jones' Concert

Heather and I are going to a Norah Jones' concert on May 11th in Toronto. I have an extra pair of tickets. I'm planning on posting them on eBay, but I thought I'd offer them to my friends first.

Let me know if you're interested! :o)

Happy

Today I spun around in the rain, with a very cute girl who was giggling.
It made my day.

Then the cute girl sent me a text message that said...

"Open your eyes and see...
The wonder of a life so wonderfully free..."
-More to See, Hillsong

Thanks cute girl. ;o)

The Nasty 'S' Word...

... is the word SHOULD. Last semester I was informed that using the word should in my vocabulary really negatively influences the way I think and feel. It is a word that often times implies guilt. I really tried to eliminate 'it' from my lexicon.

Today I was reminded of the negative connotations associated with the word should. I was told that it is a word derived from the Anglo-Saxon word scold. I have not yet investigated the truth of the origin, but I was told, "If you use the word should while making decisions or in conversation, it's like scolding yourself or the person in which you are associating the word with."

Interesting. Interesting indeed.

Resting in His Arms

Last night, Becca shared with me a touching story about singing her niece to sleep. Her story reminded me of an evening last May while I was babysitting a sweet little girl. Mckenna’s bedtime routine consisted of giving her a bottle, while rocking her to sleep. Have you ever held a child and noticed that sometimes they fight going to sleep? As they fight going to sleep, all they do is exert more energy, making them even more tired. This was the case with Mckenna. But eventually, she started to ease more into my arms and she fell asleep. She was so incredibly peaceful. I held on to her for quite sometime while I realized God was teaching me a lesson. At times, I fight resting in His arms, just as Mckenna fought falling asleep that night. When I fight, it wears me down even more and makes me even more tired. But as soon as I do trust and let go, He gives peace and He carries me. Perhaps it’s not as easily said as done, but He’s faithful and provides perfect peace.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee." -Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)

Happy Jackie Day!

Today is Jackie's Birthday. A few years ago, we promised each other we would never forget the other's birthday.

So Jax, I haven't forgotten.

I like your birthday because it allows me to celebrate YOU!
It needs to be an International holiday.
Hunny, I so look forward to when we celebrate together! :o)

I L-O-V-E you, babe.
Happy Birthday!

Our Couch Talk

Picture Amanda, Liz and Tricia talking on the couch. Then Tricia and Amanda engage in a random conversation...

Tricia: "You look like you only have one leg."

Amanda: "Would you still love me if I had only one leg?"

Tricia: "Would you still love me if I made fun of you?"

Wonderful Gifts

Two of my fantastic friends, Heather and Rachel, gave me a gift.
They asked to spend the night.
I was so incredibly thankful.
They make me smile.

And my awesome brother called me yesterday to see how I'm doing.
And my sweet housemate Gabs called to say hi.
And my buddy Nate called to give me his daily update.
I'm blessed.

And two of my extraordinary friends listen to me cry over the phone.
Wow.
I love you girls.

Thank you all.

Let It All Out - Relient K

Let it all out (Get it all out)
Rip it out, remove it
Don't be alarmed, when the wound begins to bleed

'Cause we're so scared to find out (What this life's all about)
So scared we're gonna lose it
And knowing all along
That's exactly what we need

And today I'll trust you with the confidence
Of a man who's never known defeat
But tomorrow, upon hearing what I did
I will stare at you in disbelief
Oh inconsistent me, crying out for consistency

And you said "I know that this will hurt
But if I don't break your heart, then things will just get worse.
If the burden seems too much to bear,
Remember, the end will justify the pain it took to get us there."

And I'll let it be known (At times I have shown)
Signs of all my weakness
But somewhere in me, there is strength

And you promised me (That you believe)
In time I will defeat this
'Cause somewhere in me, there is strength

And today I'll trust you with the confidence
Of a man who's never known defeat
And I'll try my best to just forget
That that man isn't me

And you said "I know that this will hurt
But if I don't break your heart, then things will just get worse.
If the burden seems too much to bear,
Remember, the end will justify the pain it took to get us there."

And you said "I know that this will hurt (I know this will hurt)
But if I don't break your heart, then things will just get worse.
(Things will get much worse)
When the burden seems too much to bear, (Seems too much to bear)
Remember, the end will justify the pain it took to get us there."

Reach out to me
Make my heart brand new
Every beat will be for you, for you

And I know you know
You touched my life
When You touched my heavy heart
And made it light

Psychology of Death & Dying Assignment

This semester I am taking the course Psychology of Death and Dying. I have found this course to be very interesting and it has also challenged me to evaluate my own thoughts, feelings, beliefs and knowledge of death and the process of dying. I would highly suggest taking this course if you're looking for a really good Distance Ed (although, if you have lost a loved one recently, I suggest waiting a little bit -- it has it's difficult moments).

This week my group has a discussion. The topic is:

Is it normal to desire death? Are people who seek death, by definition mentally ill or unstable? Should society intervene?

I have already posted once with my own reaction and response, as well as mentioning the supporting course material. But I have four more posts to do this week on the topic and I think it would be beneficial to include the thoughts of others. So, I am curious to see if anyone has any thoughts on this. I have no idea if people even read this blog, but if you do... do you believe desiring death is normal and why?

I FINALLY FOUND IT!

When I was asked to come home for my Grandpa's final moments with us, I quickly grabbed a favourite picture of him with my two cousins, aunt, and myself. I knew that we would want to display the picture at the funeral home when Grandpa died. I stuffed it in one of my binders because I only had about twenty minutes to pack my things before leaving for the hospital. Much to my disappointment and discouragement, I could not find the picture when the time came for my cousin Meredith and I to put together all the pictures to design displays for visitation. Everyone knew about this picture and were so disappointed.

Well, I FINALLY FOUND IT! :o)

Bottom from left: Meredith (cousin), Grandpa, Aunt Lisa
Top from Left: Me, Dawn (cousin)

I love this picture so much! I know the picture was taken at least eight to nine years ago. Wow. I think I love it because I am close to this side of my family. We're not just family; we choose to be friends, which indicates that we really love and like each other. Grandpa looks great in it. You can tell he's happy and he loves us. AND to top it all off - it's colour coordinated!

Jackie Sings National Anthem for Leafs

I've posted before about my talented friend Jackie. She sang at the Leafs game once again on Tuesday evening. A friend of mine found that it was posted on YouTube, so check it out!

Jackie Sings National Anthem for Leafs