Crochet Projects To Do

I have been looking up some crochet projects to make in my spare time (whenever that is).  Those who know me are aware that right now I am in to hats.  I have had fun crocheting four so far and want to do more.  However, there are plenty of other items I want to make as well.

These are some patterns I have found on the internet that I want to try. 

http://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com/2011/11/liliaceous-scarf-pattern-and-tutorial.html

http://crochetncrafts.com/crochet/clusterandshellsscarf.html

http://www.caron.com/vickiehowell/patterns/hip_hip_beret/hip_hip_beret.html

http://moiracrochets.hubpages.com/hub/Crochet-Diamond-Earring-1

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Trying to Get in Shape

I'm trying... again.  I don't want to count how many times I've tried to "get in shape". I am hoping this time will click.  However, I think... well I hope, that this new system I have is a little more simplicity friendly.  Pretty much what I am doing is I am counting my calories using this website.  I have a daily goal for how many calories I want to consume so as to lose weight, and then if I go over that I have to work it off.  It has made me VERY conscience of what exactly I really am eating.  I got the shock of my lifetime when I found out how many calories were in my favorite coffee drinks.  Even if I ever stop this diet I don't think I'll quite be able to go back to my former eating habits (not that they were horrible, but they weren't the best).  So hopefully this will help me.  I have been religiously sticking to it and have even been working out.  Currently I am riding our exercise bike while watching a Psych episode on my bike.  I call it "Bike 'n Psych".  I know, I'm incredibly clever, you don't have to tell me.  This is my second week of it and hopefully it won't be my last.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Mid-Month Progress Report- February 2013

Life has been busy but life moves on... quite speedily through February I might add.  Where is the month going???  I took the TEAS test (the entrance exam for the nursing program) earlier this week and I scored high enough that I should get into the program!!!! :) I am really excited that is over with and that I did well. :)  And now, onto my mid-month progress report.

Study for the TEAS test INTENSLY

Well, I did pretty well on that... obviously.  However, I am thinking this will be a B because of this: I had a friend calculate how highly I needed to score on the exam to have enough points to get in based on the points I had already accumulated and pretty much I had to bomb the test to not get in so after that I didn't really study too much. 

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books

I need to get on the ball with this!  Not even one completed yet!!!  I have been working on The Silmarillion but am only about halfway through.  Besides that, nada.  However, now I'll have a little more time to work on that.

Take one walk per week

Last week AND this week I took two walks.  I know, I'm amazing. :)

Play only up to three games of Online Dominion per day

I am really proud of myself.  Since making this goal I have stuck tried and true to it.  It has been really good for me and I should probably make it a permanent goal.

Cut down on my computer time

I have been doing so-so on this.  Improvement to be made here.

Write at least three more blog posts this month

I have done two more. I have sort of been ignoring my blog because I had a lot of tests and of course the TEAS test.  I will hopefully be writing a little more though the rest of this month.

Not doing horribly but not doing marvelously!  I need to get busy! :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Over-commercialized and Overrated: My Thoughts on Valentines Day

It's everywhere. Pink and red hearts, glitzy decorations and overpriced chocolates and flowers.  The stores started decorating for Valentine's Day as soon as Christmas was past.  They always have to have some holiday to decorate for. There are several reasons I don't like Valentine's day, and they aren't just because I'm single.
First off, I think if Valentine's day is the only day you are doing anything special for your "significant other", than you're doing it wrong. You shouldn't be taking her out for dinner just because its Valentines day and you'll look like a bad boyfriend if you don't. I am not saying not to do anything special for your "significant other", but if you are just doing it because its Valentine's Day and you never do it besides, then it is more obligation than anything I believe.
Next, I really think it is an over-commercialized holiday and those just really annoy me.  Valentine's Day has an actual history that isn't what it has become now.  I know, I know, it's a conspiracy by the greeting card companies.
Lastly, it ruins the whole idea of "love".  Now y'all know my thoughts on mushy love stuff.  I hate it.  The "love" that teenagers lay claim to today, is not really love.  To quote Blimey Cow, "Love is a verb, it's something you actively do, not something you feel."  In the Bible it says "God is love", not the warm fuzzy feelings between you and you're one week boyfriend.
And as a side note from the anatomy and physiology geek, the heart is NOT shaped like a heart and nothing about the heart has anything to do with love (except maybe it beating faster when he comes into the room).

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Mediterranean Dip

• 
  A new favorite recipe at home is a layered Mediterranean dip.  It combines so many great flavors and it is really pretty healthy too.  So far we haven't made it with banana peppers as they aren't in season right now but I can't wait to use them.  To all who aren't big fans of hummus, I am not either but I still like this.  Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and others have. :)
  

  
  

  Mediterranean Dip

  INGREDIENTS

  For the cilantro pesto:
  1½ cups fresh cilantro
  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  1/3 cup olive oil, divided
  2 tbsp. pecans
  2 tbsp. pine nuts
  ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  To assemble the dip:
  Hummus
  Cilantro pesto (above)
  Cucumber, seeded and diced
  Red onion, diced
  Banana peppers, chopped
  Sliced olives (black or Kalamata)
  Crumbled feta cheese or parmesan cheese
  Oven-dried or Sun-dried Tomatoes

  
  
  
  
  To make the cilantro pesto, combine the cilantro, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, pecans, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse repeatedly until a coarse paste forms.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the processor running, add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth.  Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan.  (If storing for later use, drizzle with a thin film of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto, and store in an airtight container.)
• To assemble the dip, spread a layer of hummus on a serving platter.  Spread the cilantro pesto over the top of the hummus.  Layer evenly with cucumber, red onion, banana peppers, olives, cheese, and oven-dried tomatoes as desired.   Serve with pita chips or vegetables for dipping.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Resolutions- February 2013

I can't believe one month of the new year has already been and gone and we are into the second month of the year.  February?  Wow, we are clipping along. :)  Again this month I am going to try for simplicity this month.  I'll have plenty going on so there is no use in complicating things.  You will notice that I do have more goals then last month but the two I added (computer time and online dominion) should help me with my other goals.

Study for the TEAS test INTENSLY

It is the final stretch.  As I said in an earlier post, I am scheduled to take the test February 12th so that is just around the corner. 

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books

I feel like this was a good number last month, I just had really long books. So this month I'll try for some shorter books and take it easier.  There are several classics that I haven't read that I want to read like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Far from the Madding Crowd and Gods and Generals.  I also have already started The Silmarillion so I'll need to finish that up too.  Then I am thinking of re-reading The Swiss Family Robinson.  With a thousand plus books to choose from (I don't kid on that number, my family has that many), I really am not at a loss for books, but for time. :)

Take one Walk per Week

I really just want to get some sort of exercise done and with the little time that I have that seems to be the best way to do it.  Hopefully I'll do better on this then I did last month.

Play only up to three games of online Dominion per day

I am becoming a little obsessed with the game and especially when I'm losing a lot, I just keep playing so this is to stop me from wasting my time with that. 

Cut down on my computer use

Every time I have "nothing to do" I always pull at my computer.  I need to stop doing that!!!  It is a big distraction and it is straying me away from studying.  

Write at least three more blog posts this month

Three is my magic number when it comes to blog post goals.  If I have a bad month I'm covered, and if I don't, then I get a good looking A+ on my grade. :)

Six goals this month but they are all tough ones so we'll see how it goes. :)
By the way, how do you like the new template? I know it is pretty crazily colorful so we'll see how it works. :)

Linking up with Keli at She Learns as She Goes

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Report Card- January 2013

Well January kind of just flew by.  Here is my report card for the month.  Enjoy!

Study for the TEAS test-B

I have been doing quite well for the second half of January but as for the first half it was kind of sad.  With my test date set for February 12th I'll have to get moving though.

Read or Re-Read at Least Five Books-B

I re-read the entire Lord of the Rings (including the appendices for certain picky people who said it didn't count unless I did). I count that as three separate books even though technically they aren't.  I also read P.G. Wodehouse's Ice in the Bedroom.  Making a total of four books.. just one off. :(

Do Plyometrics at least 3 times a week- D

This goal was only for the first two weeks of the month... I managed to do it only the first week.  The second week we always managed to have an excuse so it didn't get done. :( I give myself a D even though I only did it one week because the first week I did it four times.  

Take one walk per week- F

I did that once...

Write at least three more blog posts this month- A+

As you all will have noticed I wrote 5 more blog posts. Sadly though, that's my only A. :(

Total GPA- 2.2 with a C+

Overall I had a pretty lousy month for grades.  Even though I was trying for simplicity somehow it didn't help too much.  However, I did have a lot of fun this month so I don't have too many regrets. :)

Inspired by Kelli at She Learns as She Goes

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Tolkien Geek?

During the first half of January I enjoyed re-reading the Lord of the Rings and I don't know why but this time it really just clicked for me.  I had read it probably two or three times before that and I had always liked it okay but this time I LOVED it.  In fact, after I finished it I really just wanted to re-read it again.  I was told by one person that it was because I had changed, which is probably true, and by another that it was called "sanctification". :)
However, the real question now is am I a Tolkien geek?  According to my brother not only should I have read the Lord of the Rings (including the appendices) and The Hobbit, but I also will need to have read at least The Silmarillion as well to be a Tolkien geek.  So now I am working on The Silmarillion so I can move up to that much coveted level of geekieness.  After that, if I am still in the Tolkien mood, I might try some others of his works.
I just continue to be fascinated at the whole world that Tolkien created and how he puts so much into it that you could almost believe it is real... you definitely want to.  The style of his writing is incredibly beautiful, something I think will never be imitated, not matter how many Tolkien wannabes there are. However, we will still continue to try.  I know that after I finished reading them I told my sister that I would just have to go back and re-write my whole book now.  Then she accused ME of being a Tolkien wannabe!
So my advice to all of you is this, maybe you never liked The Lord of the Rings when you first read (or tried to read it) but who knows, you might have become "sanctified" too.  So try it again.  I can't promise you'll love it but you SHOULD. :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Life... The Good, the Bad, and the CrAzY

     Tuesday I began classes once again. It was a little weird getting back into the swing of things but I transitioned pretty quickly.  However, I managed to make a flub at work pretty quickly... I forgot to lock the DVD cases for several DVDs and then shelved them. Yep, stupid mistake, and then I had to go back and find all of them and since I forgot which ones they were, I had to go through the ENTIRE DVD collection to find them. Let's just say I had my work cut out for me.
     Besides that though everything is going pretty well with school.  My classes look like they'll be fun and informative, which is just about all one can ask for in a class. I have high hopes for this semester even with Pathophysiology. :)
     After finishing watching through the whole of the TV series Monk last semester, I decided it was time to start a new TV series.  I decided on Psych, as I had already seen a few episodes and liked them as well as having had it recommended to me multiple times.  I have watched the first few episodes and I'm liking it so far.  It definitely isn't as clean as Monk but it is still good.
     I am sure you are all wondering how my Christmas break went (you aren't? Well I'll tell you anyways). Right after Christmas I went to Michigan and spent two weeks with my cousins up there.  I had tons of fun and got incredibly pampered. Then I came back to Kansas and regrouped with a lot of my Dad's family and a friend to go up to Colorado and ski.  This was my first time skiing so I defiantly fell a lot.  However, I am proud to say that on the last day of skiing I didn't fall once. :)  All in all I had a lot of fun skiing and I hope to be able to do it again.
     My dear cousin got me addicted to the blog It Just Gets Stranger recently (link in sidebar).  She just couldn't handle her addiction herself so she had to share it... but why with me???  Since then my shy self has been constantly plagued with the idea that I should be pranking/messing with people.  Why? I don't know, my brain goes weird places sometimes.  So I tried my hand out at it when I was playing my old faithful online Dominion.  It came to me, as things often do, all of a sudden.  I started chatting in the text book, using Spanish.  I was able to convince one person I was a Spanish speaker.  Our conversation was hilarious... fyi "gg" means "good game", we had just finished the game (I won!),  I think I have gone over to the dark side because I was getting WAY to big of a kick out of it. :)

21:41 Eowyn: Hola! Buena suerte!

21:41 stormslayer: hi

21:42 stormslayer: como esta?

21:43 Eowyn: Muy bien gracias. Y usted?

21:43 stormslayer: bien

21:43 Eowyn: :)

21:43 stormslayer: no hablomas espaniol

21:44 Eowyn: si

21:46 stormslayer: habla ingles?

21:46 Eowyn: Un poco.

21:47 stormslayer: What is the correct form to say "goodbye" in spanish?  I once said "vaya con dios" and was yelled at in Mexico

21:48 Eowyn: adios

21:48 stormslayer: Why was "vaya con dios" offensive?

21:48 Eowyn: no sé. means go with God

21:48 stormslayer: or were they simply making fun of me b/c it's too formal

21:48 stormslayer: gg

21:48 Eowyn: Estoy de España.

21:48 stormslayer: ah.

21:48 stormslayer: thanks.

I always knew my 21 hours of Spanish would come in handy.
     On a more serious note, life has just recently intensified.  Last Saturday morning my Grandma had a major stroke.  She has made a lot of progress since then but is still unable to talk. My family and I would appreciate your prayers.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

My Favorite Disney Songs

I got in a phase earlier this week of listening to a whole bunch of "Top Disney songs countdowns" on YouTube.  I agreed with some but disagreed with a lot. To be fair, there are a lot of Disney movies that I never watched a kid and there are some that I watched once as a kid but don't remember because that was the only time I ever watched them.  Most notable ones that I haven't watched or don't remember watching that I know have songs that people love are The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, Princess and the Frog and Mulan. I am thankful that my parents were selective on what movies we watched and they had various reasons for not letting us watch those. Recently I have become familiar with a lot more Disney songs from movies that I still haven't seen but I enjoy the songs.  So here is my list.  I know you may not agree with me but there it is, I didn't agree with the others either.  I have these kind of in three tiers of greatness and then a fourth tier of ones that I still enjoy even though they aren't exactly "great".  Within the tiers, the songs are not in any order.

1. There is no way one could pick the best, so these are just four very dear favorites.

• Under the Sea, The Little Mermaid
• Kiss the Girl, The Little Mermaid
• The Silly Song, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
• Be Our Guest, Beauty and the Beast

2. Just a step below those above... a very little step.

• Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast
• Belle, Beauty and the Beast
• Whistle While you Work, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
• Heigh Ho!, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
• Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
• I Wanna be Like You, The Jungle Book
• Bear Neccesities, The Jungle Book

3. Still very high up there but not quite as great.

• Mother Knows Best, Tangled
• And at Last I See the Light, Tangled
• I've Got a Dream, Tangled
• When Will my Life Begin, Tangled
• Gaston, Beauty and the Beast
• Bella Notte, Lady and the Tramp
• Something There, Beauty and the Beast
• Cruella DeVil, 101 Dalmations

Other Favorites

• I'll Make a Man out of You, Mulan
• Be Prepared, Lion King
• I Won't Say I'm in Love, Hercules
• Part of Your World, The Little Mermaid
• Poor Unfortunate Souls, The Little Mermaid
• Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh
• Heffalumps and Woozles, Winnie the Pooh
• The Unbirthday Song, Alice in Wonderland
• Trust in Me, The Jungle Book
  

  
  

  You will have noticed that to resist a musical quandary I did not include Disney Pixar music or music from non-animated Disney films (aka Mary Poppins).
  Please comment and let me know if I missed any greats or how you agree or disagree with my list. :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.