All I Really Need

Christmas Lovin'

Every Sunday when I leave for church, I look up the street to see if my neighbor went to church that day. He has some health issues, and I rarely see him even though our families are in the same ward and I nanny for his sister. Nine times out of ten, his car is in his driveway. It makes me sad that he doesn't really get out much, but I never really know how to help (I'm not exactly the most gifted socially), and bringing cookies just doesn't seem like enough.

The other day, I Stumbled Upon a list of creative date ideas. I liked many of the ideas on the list (and hopefully I'll get to try them out one day!), but one in particular stood out to me:

Buy flowers and give them to random people on the street who look like they need a “pick-me-up”

Now, I'm not saying I'm going to buy the guy flowers - he doesn't seem the flower type. This just really made me think about random acts of kindness I could do to brighten his, or anyone else's day.

So far, I'm just going to try and get him to come to church with a common friend of mine next week, and I am definitely going to try go give out flowers at Southlands sometime this week, but those are just a few things ideas.

What are some creative random service ideas you know of to brighten someone's day?

P.S.: This is my 100th post! Just had to let you know :)

Vaycay!

A few days ago, I was answering some questions on Hunch when one came up asking if I had a vacation planned that's more than a year and a half in a future. I don't, unless you count going to Montana every year for the 4th of July. It makes me think of how in While You Were Sleeping, Sandra Bullock has been planning a trip to Florence since childhood.
There are a few places I want to go: ComiCon, Frankfurt during Christmastime again. It's habit for me not to plan that far ahead, since I always seem to move and change everything frequently. I just don't really have any specific trips planned.
Well, I didn't.
The question inspired me to plan a trip! Yay! In the spring of 2014, I want to go (with a few people) to Europe, and hike in the Alps. I was looking up flights to Frankfurt, and the cheapest was on Icelandair. Those flights have a long layover in Iceland! That would be cool. Other stops on the trip would include my childhood home in Eppstein, the mountain city of Bern, Milan (which I didn't realize was so far north in Italy), Lichtenstein, Austria, and Muich. It will take a fair bit of money saving, and someone to come with me, but it will be awesome. I'm not sure I've completely convinced myself to make it a full reality though, I'd best work on that.

[desktopart.com]

Schule!

Is it bad that I have mixed feelings about going to school?
Don't get me wrong, I love BYU. Really. It's a great place to be, and I have superbly awesome friends there (even if one of them is going on a mission *cough* *cough* Emily *cough* *cough*). I've been wanting to go back since the day I left. Well, I didn't want to leave in the first place. I was happy in Provo, and had no close friends or connections in Colorado outside my family.
Then I somehow ended up in the singles ward, where I've been the pianist for a year and a half now. In that year and a half, I've made some major changes in my life - changes I didn't think were there to be made. But the thing is, while I was typing the paragraph about BYU, I wanted to say I was happy there, but I wasn't. Sure, I enjoyed myself and was comfortable, but I wasn't really happy. In Parker, I found happiness.
So even though I'm looking forward to going back to the wonderful place that is Happy Valley, it'll be hard to leave the life I've made here. It's just another one of many moves, but this time it's a little bit different.

In other news...I get to go to see the family I nanny for adopt one of their kids! So excited :)

One

one

 

[wuhn]

adjective

being or amounting to a single unit or individual or entirething, item, or object rather than two or more

sin·gle

 [sing-guhl]

adjective

only one in number; one only; unique; sole

The two words essentially mean the same thing, but have somewhat different connotations.

[Photo by Aethiopica]

When I picture "one" flower, I see just a flower. No particular background, no significant detail beyond the flower - one flower, beautiful in its simplicity. 

[art.com]

When I picture a "single" flower, I see one flower, but a flower in a field with no end in sight, all grass, rocks, and sky - and the one, solitary, single flower. 

One is just one, but single is alone. It's a rather depressing word to use to describe oneself when you think about it.

But then, it's better than being lone.

lone

 

[lohn]

adjective

         being alone; without company or accompaniment; solitary; 

         unaccompanied; standing by itself or apart; isolated

When there is a "single" or "lone" flower, it is alone - but it is rarely seen this way. Instead, that lone flower growing in the desolate valley is a symbol of strength, the single rose elegant in its simplicity.

[cafleurebon.com]

Perhaps the lone flower isn't so terrible after all.

[definitions from dictionary.com]

A wind rose

The past six months have been the fastest six months of my life. I feel like I just started dating Jason yesterday, and yet somehow May has turned into (almost) November. Such a short time, yet an eternity by Mormon dating standards. But then, we weren't even in an official "Facebook" relationship until a month ago. Huh. Crazy. I'm not the type to air out my dirty laundry online (well, usually), so I'm not going to. I'll just give you an update, if I can.
Every time someone asks "what's new?" the answer is always the same: not much. Still dating Jason, still working, still at home. I have been getting ready to go back to school though, which I'm psyched about. Am I looking at it as a chance to escape? I registered for classes the other day, changing my major for the nth and last time to Communication Disorders. Funny how my current job would lead me to something I'd never even considered before. I've been working on getting housing, loans, a job, everything I need to FINALLY go back. It's time. I can't wait. Many of the girls I started with as a freshman are graduating this year, many others are on missions, some (but not as many as expected) are married. The guys are all back, which is strange, especially with some of them engaged already. I feel so old sometimes. It'll be weird, going back and having my sister there. She isn't old enough to be in college!
I think the weirdest part for me about going back to school will be the experience of going back to a place and a lifestyle I've had before. It's not the same as going home...it'd be more like going back to one of the places I've lived before and just jumping back in. Except as a completely different person. A stronger happier person. But a person ready to take the plunge back into student life?
I sure hope so.

One More Thing...

We, as Young Single Adults, in general do not like to admit that we would like to get married. The usual fear is that that would make us appear "desperate," which is bad.
And so, I would like to ask, shouldn't we all be desperate? Desperately searching for that eternal love and friendship that will bring us so much happiness? Desperate for the joy that can only come from having a family of our own? Desperate for, oh, Exaltation?
Why is our present pride more important than eternal happiness?
I wish I didn't have that same fear of admitting it; if I was unafraid, I'd share this on Facebook. I'm working on it though, so I'll take the first step:
Hi. My name is Rachael. I am 21 years old, and I want to get married!