Friday, December 31, 2004

2004..ending at last

This is the last post I will be writing in 2004. This doesn't sadden me in the least since 2004 was a complete nightmare. I love that 2005 is right around the corner so that I can start doing something different in the new year. I know I don't require a new year to do new things but it feels good to have a fresh start. Here are my last learning experiences of 2004:

1. Tattoos start to itch so badly that you want to tear your flesh off rather than have it on there.

2. People are much deeper than you would think when you ask them important questions.

3. Love has to wait as long as you can withstand it because it makes you realize how much its worth.

4. I will be 25 in 2005 and it's amazing to think of myself as a grown up!

5. Graduate school scares me to death.

6. I really like tattoos and wouldn't mind getting a few more that are only visible to me.

7. I hate packing and would rather just buy new clothes wherever I end up.

8. You only live once...live it up!!!!

9. Steven is one of the hottest people I know, and I enjoy him!

10. I am so over Indiana!!!

11. California is where I belong.

12. The people who look the least likely to be great, are the best people I have ever known.

13. Joel is my best friend and can be counted on in EVERY situation.

14. Britt and I again....have so much fun together. I can't wait for her to come out for Spring Break.

15. Losing weight is the hardest thing anyone has ever tried to do..I am sure of it.

16. Finding a new job scares me a little but excites me a lot.

17. I love living with Richard and Chris and I am so happy to be in their lives.

18. Pictures are my absolute favorite thing in life.

19. I am pretty sure that everyone grows distant no matter what you try to do about it.

20. Although 2004 was a crappy year, it was one of the best in growing and learning. I appreciate all that it brought me..including the scars!

Thank you all for a beautiful year. I appreciate all of your friendship and love. Stay tuned because tomorrow...resolutions!

~Shalom~

Thursday, December 30, 2004

2004, a learning year

Hello everyone and it's almost 2005~ I am excited about it being 2005 because that is a starting over point. This year has been very hard for me although I have learned a lot. I am looking to find more learning in 2005 and perhaps a little more happiness. Here is what I am learning:

1. Everyone lies about Tattoos. They don't really hurt that badly.

2. You should never do something just because someone else wants you to but do what you want to do because you are only young once.

3. Don't worry about what others like about you...worry about what you like about you.

4. My friends from back in the day in Mitchell, might be the best friends I will ever have.

5. There is nothing better than seeing someone you haven't seen for years and knowing they are happy to see you.

6. There is much joy in having someone say "Gosh, Erica, you look great!" when you have lost a lot of weight.

7. Pictures in cowboy hats are always better than any others you do.

8. I would never get my nose pierced...britt got hers done and she has had a lot of issues with it. Looks cute though britt!

9. Meat lovers pizza at Pizza hut is great no matter what size it is in and feels better when you sneak it.

10. A handshake it way funnier than a high five.

11. My new saying is "Like it was my name!"

12. My friends don't tell me anything!

13. I am going to start backing off from boys...they are poison to me sometimes.

14. A tattoo starts to itch the 2nd day and here is a small suggestion..don't scratch in your sleep..you will wake up crying! :(

15. Brittany really is the best friend I will EVER have. We have so much fun together.

16. I am really sad that Britt is growing up but pretty happy about it too because it means we are adults together.

17. There are times when the most unlikely things happen and you think..."What are the odds?"

18. Lawyers are awful people!

19. I like water so much better than soda.

20. Lubriderm sensitive skin lotion is the key to a great tattoo!

well, that's todays learning experiences. Pretty soon I will be posting my resolutions. I encourage all of you to make goals for 2005 and meet them. You won't be sorry!

~Shalom~

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Learning is great fun...2004

Hello everyone. Another day of great learning experiences. I had an interesting day today already and some of the learning experiences come from there. Here are some of them:

1. If you blow a tire on the side of Highway 37, you better hope you have a great friend named Jarrid to come and help you out :)

2. Pictures are so fun to do and they can really get you out of a funky mood after a blown tire.

3. A cowboy hat looks good on most boys.

4. There are crazy people in my life and it's not just me, they are CRAZY!

5. There is absolutely nothing to do in Indiana when you don't have a car and there is 2 feet of snow on the ground.

6. Fudge tastes great by the pan!!

7. My teenage mutant ninja turtle slippers are HOT!

8. Confidence and intelligence are the 2 hottest characteristics of any I know.

9. My new friends in my life are great!

10. I really love a great set of lips!

11. Solitude is great and I need to find a way to appreciate it.

12. When you hide things from others, even when you have been asked to, they will most likely be mad at you... when it all comes out.

13. I love persimmon pudding and crave it every time I am home.

14. My little sister has interesting gag reflexes.

15. Hilliary's "goth" make-up shade is exactly the color of my face...how sad :(

16. There are these new socks that feel like you are walking in Jell-o. They feel so good on your feet.

17. It takes several days for me to get over my broken cowboy hat.

18. There is a place in my hair that sticks up when I am getting my picture taken

19. I need to exercise or I might go crazy

20. I hate being indoors after only 1 day!!!!!


Ok, I am going to go and work on my New Year's resolutions now since I am stuck in Indiana ...home bound and bored out of my stinkin mind. Thanks for stopping in and keep learning! ~Shalom~

Monday, December 27, 2004

Learning like it's my job...2004

Hello everyone. I am still learning tons in the last couple of days of 2004. I am still in the frozen tundra of Indiana and it's freezing here. The snow is about 2 feet on the ground and it's incredibly hard to get anywhere unless you have a 4 wheel drive. Luckily my dad has an explorer so that has been the basis of most of my traveling. Ok, well here is what I am learning in 2004:

1. Pepper will only take so much and then he will hiss at me and want me to die a horrible death.

2. Mexican Wedding Cake is my favorite cookie (poofernussy)

3. Arby's is still my favorite fast food.

4. Questions directed in the right sense will tell you everything you need to know about someone!

5. A C magnet will properly adjust to create a U magnet.

6. Extreme Makeover Home Edition makes me cry.

7. Turkey makes me pass out...no doubt about it.

8. I laugh a lot in my sleep.

9. My dad's cats should be made into scarves and soup. They are the most annoying creatures that ever graced the planet

10. My pants get tighter the longer I am in Indiana.

11. I love my Adidas running pants.

12. I miss my California people when I don't get to see them.

13. I really don't like when someone calls me "California Chick" and assumes that I have all the time in the world to go to the beach and actually swim.

14. I hate when people say "Man, you can tell you drive in California!"

15. Christmas is a sad time when your family is struggling and you are too!

16. There is a ornament from the Hallmark Collection that is Yertle the Turtle and I love it!

17. No matter how much time passes, what you do, or how much you pretend they arent...Crazy people..stay crazy! (not a sentence for a psychology major to ever say!)

18. In Indiana, there is an "R" in the word wash. (I need to get some more windshield WARSHER fluid)

19. Indiana people still think it's ok to decorate their tree in John Deere ornaments.

20. There is a new redneck dictionary word or phrase "A pair" like....I had to go a pair and see my folks for Christmas"

Ok, there are my learning experiences for today. Hope you enjoyed! ~Shalom~

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Learning still....2004

First of all Merry Christmas everyone. I hope this Christmas finds you all doing marvelous. I am having a beautiful day with my family. My mommas cooking is amazing and I got a new cd that I wanted. I have learned so much this year and although I have struggled much, I have also had a lot of joy. I love you all dearly and wish I could have gotten you all your greatest wish. Here is what I have learned in 2004 again:

1. White Christmas is still my favorite Christmas movie and it still makes me tear up a little thinking of my grandma!

2. Turkey is only wonderful when my mommy makes it!

3. Getting up at 5:00 in the morning and talking with my big sister is inevitable when we both catch a germ from the pentecostals that cursed us.

4. There are people in high school that will do things to you and they WILL remember later when they run into the supermarket. (Hill, this was so funny)

5. The Amish make the best peanut brittle

6. Never pack a cowboy hat in your luggage, they broke my favorite hat! :(

7. Peanut butter is better out of the jar and only when it's Jif Creamy!

8. An Eckrich hot dog is better than any hot dog on the planet. I wish California would carry them.

9. There is nothing Brittany Hates more than stuffing.

10. Snow is pretty when you are inside and doesn't feel good when it freezes your nose hair.

11. It takes approximately 6 tries to get a Mercury Cougar into the driveway full of snow.

12. Don't give people brooms in Ace Hardware to ride just because they are being a witch...mom will get mad.

13. There is a tree in Indiana that has two bushes on each side that are lit up and look like a part of the male anatomy. Use your imagination.

14. Men will stare at you even if you think they are repulsive and know about their STD's

15. Embalming should not be a qualification you list if you want to date someone. Do not take your family to Chastains. ;)

16. There is a noise that comes out of Britt that sounds almost exactly like a duck.

17. A book and some perfume can make your mom happy for Christmas!

18. Your best friends will call you on Christmas Eve and tell you Merry Christmas. I love you "Joshie"

19. That drama queen movie with Lindsey Lohan is even worse the second time.

20. Denny's is the best breakfast in the world after a 4.5 hour plane ride! :)

Thursday, December 23, 2004

Still learning in 2004

Hi everyone, I am still learning as it's 2004. I am leaving tonight to go to Indiana for the holidays. The holidays are going to be interesting because we are penniless...so please pray for my family. Here are some more learning experiences:

1. Never underestimate the power of a good photo! Always take pictures at every available moment because those are what you hold on to in times of trouble!

2. Christmas is never about presents. Even if there is none under the tree, it still feels great to know you'll be eating your mamas cooking and playing board games with your crazy sisters!

3. A gift as simple as a homemade cd can make someone smile if they really love you!

4. Wind chimes are one of the prettiest sounds at a cemetary because they are the only thing that reminds you..you are alive.

5. Your real friends are the ones who will take you to the airport and pick you back up!

6. When the world walks out on you, the best friends will have a drink with you!

7. You can learn to do anything, it's just it is not always that fun.

8. Just when you think someone forgot about you, they didn't!

9. The biggest moments of your life can be captured by just closing your eyes and forcing yourself to make a memory. You can go there again anytime if you use this method.

10. The holidays are harder when you have lost your grandparents. They are the best people to keep Christmas happy!

11. There is nothing good about Christmas Eve being your death date.

12. Morphine patches are a new drug craze and they kill people!

13. I have learned all of the belts in Karate and quite a few other tidbits of knowledge about the art of Karate and Christopher and Joel are both doing it :)

14. The word Joel literally makes me smile from ear to ear...I don't usually notice..others do!

15. You should never let someone else determine your morality but do things because you believe them and find out why you believe them. (Thanks for that one Joel)

16. Journaling is one of the most therapeutic things anyone can do. It releases all of your pent up feelings and completely helps you to not have to disclose everything to actual people.

17. I like things that I thought I never would like. I have turned over a new leaf in being experimental.

18. There are few people who I want to be around a lot ...when I find those people, I should back off and give them space in order to understand their merit in my life.

19. The cell phone has a time and a place to be turned off. Some of those places are obvious like a funeral but others are not so obvious but essential like when spending time with a person you love a lot and don't get to hang with very often.

20. The best calls are never expected but come when you think the person has forgotten you are alive. HE didn't forget! :)

Well, that's today's learning experiences. I am getting ready to get on a plane and head to Southern Indiana for 11 days. Please pray for Safety in my travels and for a good holiday with my fam. Indiana now has 2 feet of snow so I am looking forward to some snow angels, snow men, snowballs, and cabin fever. I will take pictures and load them onto the web-site. I have new pictures today of Joel and Gavin. I will be loading those on in Indiana. Have a great Christmas Eve Eve and I will hopefully write tomorrow as well. Much love and ~Shalom~

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Learning experiences in 2004 Continued

Hi everyone. I hope that yesterday's learning experiences taught you something new as they did me. Here are the next 20 learning experiences I had in 2004:

1. Never chase after a friendship that isn't two sided. It will exhaust you and cause you to be resentful when you just need to take a hint.

2. Go running at least once a day. There is much release in hearing your heels pound the pavement or sand. There is a giant endorphin release that makes you feel higher than any drug could ever do.

3. Be happy when your friends find love. They deserve it and their love could make you stand back and remember what it was like.

4. Love is beautiful. Remember those times where just hearing the word "Love" would make chills go up and down your spine. It can happen again and it will!

5. Never be afraid to wear a cowboy hat in public, it could just be the laugh that you need in the pit of despair.

6. Keep your friends close because you just never know when you will need to fall directly into their arms and always be close enough to catch them.

7. If your tire blows on the freeway, there is always a hero out there sporting a full black outfit and the sweetest smile that ever graced the planet to change the tire like he works for Nascar. (Thank you again Sweety)

8. The most surprising people will help you when you lose your job. They will give you more work to do to make money, call you and find out if you are ok, and have you wrap presents to keep from getting depressed!

9. The word Christian is not about a title, but about a way of life. The people who you think of as great Christians are the ones who will leave you in the trenches. The ones who you are not sure about, are the ones who wear the sweetest fruit!

10. There is absolutely nothing better than taking time in the morning to make yourself a great breakfast and take a walk before your day begins.

11. Allergies go away after years and years...I can drink Orange Juice now and I do almost every day!

12. A V-Tech engine is impressive and I think I want one! (thanks for the explanation friend)

13. I am not the biggest fan of the new mustang. It looks weird to me but I am sure it will grow on me after a while.

14. There is something to be said for almost owning your car and not wanting to enter into another loan. God always has his reasons for keeping you grounded.

15. One of the most attractive statements ever made to me could be "Would you like to come and see my new shifter knob?" I am a car nut and I love when people speak car lingo!

16. The faster ...the better....nuff said FORBES!

17. Dishes are so much easier if you do them immediately. (kinda common knowledge but I am learning more and more every day)

18. Taking a cat to the vet is one of the most horrendous tasks of being a pet owner. I have decided not to have a cat when I "grow up."

19. The more stress that you allow on yourself, your brain will push other things out like things you are supposed to remember like birthdays, payments to be made, etc...

20. My hair is all colors, all lengths, and all textures and can be found in any room in the house and therefore I am suspected to be a vixen! :)

Ok, there are some silly learning experiences but learning experiences nonetheless. I love you all and I'll keep them coming! ~Shalom~

Monday, December 20, 2004

learning experiences in 2004

Good afternoon everyone. I wrote earlier today and wrote about resolutions and how they would be coming soon. First of all I want to take the time to talk about what I have learned this year. I think 2004 was the biggest learning experience of my life thus far..therefore ...I need to dwell on it for a bit and think through some of the learning experiences I have had. I wanted to share this with you over the next few days and make this an ongoing thing...until 2005. I will be making my resolutions as the days progess and posting them before the new year.

Things I have learned in 2004:

1. Never drink 24 shots of anything ...ever! Drinking alcohol can be a very pleasant experience and the taste is great but doing anything to excess can make you do stupid things and say even more stupid things.

2. Take at least 2 weeks to make a very vital decision. Take the time to be alone and think things through. Never make a rash decision especially when you are dealing with someone elses heart.

3. Always be careful when leaving someone behind in your life. You never know what they may do in response to your leaving. Always make sure you know what they meant to you and develop a new type of relationship with them as you leave.

4. Never be afraid to spend money on someone you love. If it's their birthday go all out. Take them to a comedy show, buy them lots of presents, and eat chocolate covered strawberries with them as much as you can. Show them you love them by always surprising them. Never worry about $$$ when it comes to love!

5. Don't trust anyone that has gossiped to you before. Always confide in people who can be trusted and disclosing less is much wiser than disclosing more!

6. Enjoy the big moments in life like walking in to Pomp and Circumstance on your graduation day. Remember all of the sights, sounds, and smells of a great moment. Remember what it felt like to hold hands with a man you love and take a theatrical bow at your shared success.

7. On the biggest times in life, spend them with people who care about you. Spend them with the man who got you through college, the woman who gave you life, and the man who makes your heart skip a beat! Spend them with friends who bring you flowers even though they aren't your boyfriend and friends who hold your heart when it's breaking!

8. Being alone has it's own merit. Do things alone that you want to do but noone else agrees to. Read a great book, go alphabetically through your dvds, take a run, clean and organize, write in your journal, go to the park and eat lunch, cry about how much you love someone, grieve, do all of the things that come naturally alone. Don't ever regret or resent alone time but BASK in it!

9. Grieve things thoroughly. Don't ignore the fact that there are several stages to grief. There is more to be done and time to do it in. Take the time to cry about your losses but take the time to laugh at your memories!

10. Never assume just because you are toting a cart and walking 10 feet away from a vehicle that they can't plow you down! People are NOT watching..you must!

11. When you get plowed down by an SUV, use that as an excuse to slow down. Let the road rash heal, let the knee slowly regain it's posture, and let your dignity come back naturally!

12. When leaving a friend's house late at night, pay attention to the road. There is someone out there either drinking or more tired than you are who is perfectly willing to take your headlight out.

13. A car is a car. It can be fixed and it's worth way less than your life. Cavie forgives you!

14. Dating is a wonderful thing if you date the people that you don't feel you are settling for. If you feel you are settling in the slightest sense...YOU ARE! They won't disappoint. They will take all they can from you and leave you empty.

15. Never try to date someone else seriously when you love someone so much. Love someone with all you have and believe in it. Nothing else is as beautiful as love itself!

16. Virginity(in every sense) is crucial and spiritual. It is a beautiful thing and cannot be competed with.

17. There is no better feeling than looking at the face of your little sister when you surprise her by making her school play!

18. There is not much better than watching your little sister be a star at everything she does! (so proud of you my love)

19. The feeling of having a holiday with both of my parents can not EVER be described in words.

20. Confronting someone about something horrible they have done is not rewarding to you,...but rather the best thing you can do ..for them!

There are the first 20 things I have learned in 2004. I have a grip of things to add and I thought I would stop and let you all know that you had a great part in a lot of these learning experiences. It is wonderful to have you all in my life and you know which numbers you played a part in! There are more to come and I'll email with info so you can see these yourself! Have a beautiful day and take this opportunity to think of the things you have learned this year! ~Shalom~


Almost Christmas

Hey everyone. Life hasn't gotten any easier for me the last couple of days. On Friday I was laid off from my job due to a cutting of overhead expenses. This basically translates to "my boss had no heart!" It was only 8 days before Christmas. I have no idea what the Christian world is coming to. Also, on Saturday I was heading to Corona to see a friend and my back passenger side tire blew on the freeway. My hero, Joel Forbes, had to come and fix it for me and I owe him so much! I am just so lucky to have people who love me!

Overall I am pretty hopeless right now and could use all of the prayers that anyone has to offer. I have a weird life! I am so frustrated with all that is happening right now and today I am going to spend my jobless day making some New Years Resolutions. I will be posting them on here before the New Year because I encourage goals!

Well, I should get on with my meaningless life. Have a beautiful day and God bless you all ~Shalom~

Sunday, December 12, 2004

It's been a while

Hey everyone. It has been a really long time since I have blogged on here because I have just recently come to realize that there is a magical world called myspace. I have gotten into that quite a bit lately and because of that I have ignored my poor little blog. I really enjoy getting to know new people and new internet programs. This is my blog though and I have been negligent to it.

Lately I have been going through some of the hardest things that life has to offer. I have no idea how people honestly do it. I think that life is so much about attitude. Lately all of the things that have happened to me might kill a normal person but God has been so good to me and handed me a serious sense of resilience. I have learned a great deal and I am pretty proud of the way I am handling all of these many serious situations.

In saying that, I wanted to tell everyone that I hope you all have a marvelous holiday season. My plans for the holidays are to get away to Indiana and enjoy my family to the fullest. I have no care in the world about presents or anything like that but I want to spend time with my sisters and my mama and my dad. I want to hang out with my best friends from back home Jarrid and Carrie. I want to drive the old country roads of Mitchell, Indiana and sing John Cougar Mellancamp songs. I want to breathe the fresh air that makes me be able to see my breath because it's so cold. I want to throw a snowball and scrape the windows because they are all frosted up.

I miss home and have not felt very secure in California for the last month or so. I have been having a really hard time and quite honestly it is something that only home can fix. I have no idea what God wants for me in the future right now and I am searching for any and all signs of security until I get there. Overall, I know that God loves me and has all kinds of plans for my life but I am just waiting to see what those are and get some of these scars healed before getting there.

Well, I should get to work on some things I have going but I will try to stay more up on this blog. Overall, please pray because I am going out of town for Tuesday and Wednesday and would appreciate prayers for safety. I am going up to Northern California for a few days. After that I leave on Dec. 23rd for Indiana. If I don't speak with you before then, Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah. I love you dearly and wish I could buy you all your greatest wish for Christmas. I can however offer you my friendship and say Happy Holidays. Have a great week everyone as we are starting out a new one. Make good New Years Resolutions! ~Shalom~