The Way I See It

Weekend Get Aways and Lovely Finds....

I have so much catching up to do! This past weekend my mother and I took a weekend trip to North Carolina. The weather was a balmy 50 degrees for the first day, and we spent it attending mass at Belmont Abbey and meeting my uncle Clint's new fiance, Katherine! The next day, however, the whole state came to a standstill because of the shocking inch of snow (yes, literally one inch). Never fear, we didn't let this dampen our spirits as we found Bronte, A Novel Bistro (how cute is that?!) which served rather large cups of tea and had a wonderful bookstore attached. This would be none other than the lovely place I found this book, Letters to Juliet, for the wonderful price of $8.50. It traces the story behind the story, and has lots of information about love in Italy. Which brings me to the ever joyful topic of Valentine's Day. It wouldn't be February if I didn't share my feelings on the subject. If I was proposed to on Valentine's Day, I would stand there until it was the next day. I think it's a cop out for people who don't share their feelings the rest of the year. If you don't get your girlfriend chocolates for the rest of the year, why should you on Valentine's Day? All in all, I can say that this year it passed will less pain then most years. Although I am convinced Becka was trying to kill me, I do like the present and cards she got me (only because she has been known to do this same act on other days). And I must say I did a pretty splendid job with her card. Edmond got me a lovely Paris book box, and John Chambers made me three cards saying "Thumbody Loves You". Oh and I must not forget Hannah Mason's wonderful treats :)

Marriable

I just finished reading the book Marriable by Hayley and Michael DiMarco. Alyx gave it to me, and the Omaha hockey trip was the perfect amount of time to finish it.

To quickly sum up why I loved this book, it's because it's not like other books!

I know, I know...every single book will say that they are not like the others. And one must admit, that this is true. Every book is told just a little bit different. But it seems that the message and meaning are always the same. Don't date until you're ready to get married. Follow Christian teaching. Guard you're heart. And while this book says those things too, it does so in a totally different way!

I've read Josh Harris' book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, along with many others. But this one stated the point, and then moved on! (yes Josh Harris...moved on!) It was humorous, and fast paced. I wanted to be reading it!

It stated the 10 most common lies that guys will tell girls. I talked about being friends with the opposite sex, and how only gay people marry their best friend.

There were many parts of the book that I would like to post, but I will stick to one, and you can read the rest (after Kristen, who currently has it).

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Top 10 Rejection Lines Given by Women (and what they actually mean)

10. I think of you as a brother (I don't want to kiss you, ever.)

9. There's a slight difference in our ages (I'm not Mary Kay LeTourneau or Anna Nicole Smith.)

8. I'm not attracted to you in that way (again, I don't want to kiss you, ever.)

7. My life is too complicated right now (Instead of "you complete me," you complicate me.)

6. I've got a boyfriend (And his name is TiVo.)

5. I don't date men where I work (And if you quit, I still work on Earth.)

4. It's not you, it's me (It's me not wanting to date you.)

3. I'm concentrating on my career (Until I find someone that I see a future with.)

2. I'm celibate (How many times do I have to say it? I don't want to kiss you!)

1. Let's be friends (You won't mind when I tell you about all the other guys I meet and have a crush on, will you?)

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Top 10 Rejection Lines Given by Men (and what they actually mean)

10. I think of you as a sister (I'm just not attracted to you.)

9. There's a slight difference in our ages (I'm just not attracted to you.)

8. I'm not attracted to you in that way (Um, what he said.)

7. My life is too complicated right now (I can't keep juggling you and dating my new crush.)

6. I've got a girlfriend (I'm just not attracted to you enough to dump her.)

5. I don't date women where I work (I see a nasty breakup in our future, and I need this job.)

4. It's not you, it's me (It's you.)

3. I'm concentrating on my career (I'm just not attracted to you.)

2. I'm celibate (This is getting redundant...)

1. Let's be friends ( I value you as an important influence in my life and can't imagine navigating my free time without you being a part of it. Did I mention that I'm just not attracted to you?)

Quotes...

A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.


At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines... that are way too dangerous to cross.


Denial. It's not just a river in Egypt. It's a freakin' ocean.


Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.


Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking the harder it becomes to know what to say. Or how to ask for what we really need.

Quote...

Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else. ~George Bernard Shaw