Currently 1.10

With so much focus on interviews and applying to jobs, a pair of smart heels seemed like an appropriate"currently" photo. 

Loving: This may sound odd, but lately I have been fascinated with honey. Not my honey (although I'm pretty obsessed with him too) but the natural product honey. Previously, I had no idea how good honey can be for you! It has so many uses. Be it as beeswax candles (which I guess really isn't honey), chapstick, shampoo, skin care, or even homeopathic remedies. For example, lately, I have discovered that taking a spoonful of honey can help your immune system if you have a bad cold. Sound strange? Its true. I've witnessed it myself. A few months ago, my mom had an awful cold that couldn't be vanquished by any medicines or over-the-counter standbys. On a whim, she started taking a spoonful of honey a day-- and she started getting better. This week, I've had my own case of the sniffles-- out came my honey bear. Think about it: doesn't honey in hot tea soothe a sore throat? Apparently its helpful qualities go even further. If you have bad allergies, try buying locally grown honey and eating a spoonful a day-- it will boost your tolerance to your region's pollen. How cool is that? All hail the awesomeness of kick-butt honey!

Watching: The Biggest Loser. Can I just say how inspiring that show is? To see people who have felt so beyond hope or help stand up, stake a claim on their life, and make a change just makes me want to stand up, throw a fist pump, and yell "You go sister!" Or brother, as the case may be. 

Learning: The importance of kindness. I know that may sound kind of obvious and out-there. But really. Working in customer service lately has taught me that a few kind words (no matter how irritated you may feel inside) can do a world of good. However, my work has also taught me something else: how you treat those in customer service says alot about you. If you can't afford five minutes of kindness to a stranger...you must be living a poor life. We have a tendency to hand out kindness like its in short supply, when in actuality its limitless. 

Reading: After seeing Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Hobbit, I felt a pressing need to brush up on my Tolkien. Today I finished rereading The Hobbit for the first time since I was about eleven. I blush now to admit that when I was young I did not enjoy that book at all. The old story-telling style didn't suit my modernized little mind. I didn't like being addressed by the narrator-- I wanted to be immersed in the story, in the main character--something I was used to in my first-person narrative children's books. But The Hobbit is different--written in a different time--but somehow, timeless. I love that Tolkien's work focuses on the age old strife of good and evil. For the most part, evil is clearly delineated -but when you least expect it, evil can sneak in and taint even the most stalwart "good guys."  I think that's why his fantastical worlds resonate with so many people. In a world where what's "wrong" seems to be becoming more and more confusing...we like having a clear cause to rally to. . Everyone needs something good in their life; some good cause to hold to even if its just your afternoon teatime and a little peace and quiet in your own little hobbit-hole of the world. 

Anticipating: Martin Luther King weekend. After the long stretch of holidays, the one day off for Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend seems like a godsend. A little treat tossed our way to help us get used to working full weeks again. Mark and I have some fun options for that weekend: 1) going to see his brothers and enjoying a snowboarding get-together, 2) having some good friends to our place for the weekend,or 3) seeing my own parents. I guess I could always go actually spend the holiday with Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr himself... or at least his memorial. I live close enough to it to actually be able to do that. But I probably won't... Like every other holiday, I'll spend it selfishly on my self. Whoops. 

So what have you all been up to lately?

What is going on currently in your lives?