I See What You Meme

It has been almost one year since I announced to the greater world that I was diving into graduate school again to pursue my Ph.D . What has changed over the last year? When I announced that I was going back to school, we weren't sure if the "on-ground" components of the class would be in-person or virtual. For Fall and Spring, we had to stay virtual. This meant that even though I was in class one weekend per month, I was able to attend from the comfort of my spare room; no need to flex my work schedule or take the train to DC.  As classes started in September, I found a rhythm to my weekly load. Go to work (most days, 8:30-5ish), come home, get in a walk if I'm lucky, eat dinner with the family, chill for a bit. Then about 7 pm, I'd sit down at the computer to work on classwork. Some nights, it's reading (SO much reading). Other nights, it's posting to a discussion group or meeting up with colleagues for a group project, or outlining thoughts for an upcom...

As I mentioned previously , Roger and I recently joined the local YMCA.  Our primary impetus was access to exercise equipment so that Roger could rehab from his recent knee surgery.  It has been a good investment, though.  I'm certainly not averse to exercise. I just have trouble making time for it with everything else going on in my life.  It almost always shoots to the bottom of the priority list.  Now I have no excuse. Generally, I don't do a lot of group exercise. On any given day that I visit the Y, I like to get about 45-60 minutes of cardio in while I read the latest selection from my local library and then do a little bit of strength training. My favorite part of joining the Y so far, though, has been regular yoga classes.   I love yoga because everyone gets to set their own pace. The best yoga instructors know how to make adaptations for the less flexible in the class ( Yep. That's me. ) and, when all else fails, it's the most serene 60 mi...

I often feel that February is the longest month.   I realize that in terms of actual  days, it takes up the smallest space on the calendar.  However, February is the last full month of winter. For those of us who live in the land of seasons, it can be dark, cold, wet, and downright gloomy.  The seasonal cheer of Christmas is far behind us.  Valentines day is done.  The season of Lent is upon us, so for Christians, this is a time of sacrifice and reflection.  The days can drag on. It is around this time every year that I feel the itch of spring.  The Earth is feeling it as well.  Our bulbs are inching their way to the surface.  The leaves are making their final free-falls from some of our trees in an effort to make space for new buds and leaves. The stores are filling with Easter baskets, pastel dresses, and (heaven forbid!) bathing suits.  We have days where the temperature barely pushes 45 degrees.  On other days, we are...

Photo by Britt Reints We often hear the phrase love is blind . One interpretation of the phrase is that when we are in love, we see past the other person's weaknesses.  We overlook their iniquities, usually to a fault.  This does not last. We can ignore and avoid those silly annoyances for a time, but if left out there in the open, resentment of some sort usually sets in. We want the other person to change.  The truth in science suggests that there is a certain amount of blindness in the euphoria of a new relationship but that finding our perfect match involves all of the senses and quite a bit of discrimination.  We are biologically built to find a mate who will meet our needs, physically, emotionally, and socially.  Here is yet another view: when we find ourselves blinded by any challenge, we rely on our loved ones to support us and guide us through the darkness.  Although the blindness can be disabling, forcing one of our senses into isol...

I am finally sitting down to write a blog after almost three weeks of absence.  It's not like I didn't have things to say. The word "blog" has been on my to-do list every since we returned from Boone .   It just didn't happen.   Every time I would set out to write, something else would get in the way.  I was busy in my new job , which has involved some long hours and hectic days of late. I was busy keeping things updated with CJSTUF , getting preparations going for our various fundraisers, including the upcoming Art Auction this October.  I was rehearsing (or playing) at ComedySportz .   I did happen to find enough time to write a piece for Richmond Mom about the latest news at Chick-fil-A .  That seemed to light a fire in the discussion boards.   Oh, and somewhere in all of this I was trying to find moments to relax.  At times like this, I realize that the amounts of time and energy at my disposal are finite and pr...

I came across a thread on a local mommy discussion board recently that resonated with me. The gist of the conversation revolved around this conundrum: how do you balance health and convenience and (further) how do you reconcile the seemingly contradictory health information that we face every day?  Examples : We all know you should wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, right? Did you know that some research indicates that sunscreens may be bad for us ...and for the environment? Plus, now we have to worry about Vitamin D deficiency if we don't get enough sun.  We all know we should eat our fruits and veggies...but do they have to be organic? or locally grown? How many of us can afford a completely organic lifestyle?  Carbs are evil...meat is murder... High Fructose Corn Syrup is from the devil (and yet in everything known to man)...keep your house clean but only use "green" products...  It makes my head spin. Even with all of the supposed knowledge at...