The Post I Don't Want to Write

I've felt this post coming on for the last few months actually. My blog has been horribly neglected and my reading has not fared much better. Without meaning to I've made both of them a chore. Especially for the last couple years I've assigned goals and challenges to myself for both blogging and reading. Those aren't necessarily bad but over time I've become more and more obsessed with keeping to deadlines and goals and I'm just not enjoying blogging or reading. I'm behind with my Goodreads yearly reading goal right now not to mention my other challenges and it's stressing me out way more than it should. The sad thing is that I'm more upset I'm not at my goal and not the fact that I've kind of given up reading. Reading is something I've enjoyed as long as I can remember and I'm ruining it for myself by assigning too much structure to it.
I'm not good at doing things by halves so I think to free myself up from this I'm deciding to just let go. If I happen to achieve my Goodreads goal or complete all of my challenges fine, but that's not what I'm reading for. I read for enjoyment or to better myself not because it's another task to complete.

There's another half to why my reading and blogging has been slacking recently though. I've let other things take priority that really shouldn't: Facebook, watching TV shows, ect. While those things aren't bad in it of themselves I've let them take precedence in my life a lot more than they should.

And then there's yet another half (yes I know that's three halves... just shhh!). This half isn't bad in fact I think it's good. I've developed a lot more of a social life in recent months. I actually do things with people now. ;) This has been really good for me as I've never had many friends and it's been great for me to develop good friendships. Most weeks now I have something every evening that I'm not working. This has left me with little free time and what free time I do have I've been filling with the aforementioned second half.

So what does this mean for my blog moving forward? Honestly I'm still not quite sure yet. I might blog I might not. Know though that I'm still reading y'alls blogs and trying to keep up as best I can. Also know that if I didn't reply to your comment I still read it. I can't help it.... I get emailed every time you do. I do appreciate everyone's comments so much and I really should reply more often then I do. I love blogging and I love reading and I'm not leaving either of them behind anytime soon. For now I'm just trying to free myself from the obligations I've imposed on myself with regards to them.
Thank you for your patience in reading this post and don't be a stranger! ;)

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Great Book Giveaway Bonanza Winners!

The luck winners have been chosen!
The winners for the great book giveaway bonanza are Sarah, Sadie and Cryslyn. They have all been notified and will be receiving their book soon in the mail!
Thank you everyone for joining in! It was a lot of fun!

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10 Best Things About Being a Kid

Once again I'm linking up with Mama Kat for a post… she always has such fun prompts. :) Today's prompt is the ten best things about being a kid. Since I'm just out of childhood I'm quite in the know… I assure you. All joking aside though, there are seriously some things about childhood that were amazing that I'm missing right now.

1. Number one to me is clearly the fact that I always thought that parents/grownups knew what was going on and that they could always take care of it. I've grown up….
2. Being outside all day long… okay, not all day long but just about in the summer. Back then I didn't burn either, I just tanned. Now I burn… badly! 
3. I didn't gain weight. When I was a kid I was as skinny as a stick… I seriously didn't gain weight. Those were the days.
4. I was never the driver. I really just don't like driving and I long for the days when the suggestion that Lois should drive would be laughable. 
5. I always believed people… or at the worst they were just joking. Life isn't so simple anymore. People lie, people bend the truth, and unfortunately you can't just take people at their face value. I find this really, really sad and it frustrates me a lot. 
6. It didn't matter if you didn't know what to say or said something stupid. Actually, when your a kid, it's cute so you'd get bonus points. 
7. Your decisions didn't make a big impact on where your life was going… normally. Honestly though, you didn't make a lot of decisions, your parents did… and that was nice… really nice. 
8. School wasn't a big deal… if you didn't do so well, then it was retaught and you try again. There weren't any "bad grades" or "fails". Actually though, that might just be partly me being homeschooled. Not to say I didn't take school seriously as a kid, but compared to now, it's very different. 
9. There weren't all of the electronic distractions. I read a lot but now I play around with my phone, or my computer instead. Pretty much always less edifying then a good book. 
10. Just wrapping everything up, I'd say last but not least, the whole innocence of childhood. Not to say children are innocent by any stretch of the imagination. You only have to spend a few minutes with a five year old to know the mischief they can let loose. What I mean is the little bubble I was in of no major responsibilities. With everything that goes on in my life anymore, from school to work to family I long for the days when it wasn't my responsibility and I need not worry about it. 

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

Vlog- What I'm Hoping to Wear for Thanksgiving

Today I'm linking up with Mama Kat for my very first vlog post. If you have trouble viewing the video please let me know. As I said this is my first time and add in that I'm technologically deficient and I wouldn't be surprised if the result is that the video doesn't work right. ;) Enjoy! 

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

The Versatile Blogger Award

So two posts in a day? What's up with that? Well I just found out I've been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!!! This is my first blogger award I've been nominated for so I'm kind of just a little bit SUPER excited. :) I was nominated by Morgan from Morgan's Blog, which is a fun blog with all sorts of interesting fashion tidbits and other fun stuff. Thank you Morgan!
So I'm supposed to include seven fun facts about myself but as y'all know all facts about myself are fun. ;) So anyways, here are my seven facts. I tried not to include any that you could find anyways on my blog.
1) I'm always cold.... I guess except for when it is like 100˚ but only then!
2) Drinking tea is actually a mood thing for me. I have to be in the mood to drink tea... lately I've been in the mood.
3) I'm a phases kind of a person... like as I mentioned with drinking tea. Sometimes I am in a phase of eating pancakes, other times I'm really into eating salad. However, I am ALWAYS in a greek yogurt phase.
4) I'm always tired. If you know me well, you already knew that.
5) I don't talk to Siri all the time on my iPhone. I really pretty much never do. I can think of a couple distinct times that I remember talking to Siri since I got it in April.
6) I quote movies, YouTube videos, books, my family, and anything else that could possibly be quoted. Originality doesn't exist with me.
7) I saw a meme the other day that said "Having inside jokes with yourself." I looked at that and I knew that was me. Yep... no life. :)

I think those facts about me were INCREDIBLY fun!
So now for my nominations for the Versatile Blogger Award.
Suzanne from Just Another Girl
Kaylin from Average Christian Geek
Hayley from Victorious Heroine
Katie from Katie Lyn
I assume we can't nominate someone who has already been nominated but if I could I would totally nominate Morgan again!
There were supposed to be fifteen nominations but I can't think of anyone else! Sorry if I forgot you!

If you were nominated the rules for the award can be found here. Have a great day!

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

On this Blustery Friday

On this blustery Friday I bring you a quick blog post before I dive into studying.
First off, look to the right... the right side of my blog page. Observe there where it says "Like me on Facebook!" Now, like me on Facebook.
That was simple.
Secondly, get your hoodies out and get some apple cider, hot chocolate and of course TEA cause cold times are ahead!
That's all... have a great Friday! :)

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

Favorite Food Blogs/Websites

I just got done with my second nursing test. I'm SO tired! Whenever I have a test I go to bed early and wake up about four so I can do some last minute refreshing before the test. So right now I'm running on coffee and post-test adrenaline. Today I give you a very lazy post because I have no time because I'm in nursing school (in case you hadn't noticed).

Y'all know I love to cook... especially bake... cookies cakes, brownies... yum! I just thought I'd share a few favorite food blogs/websites so you can enjoy finding some great recipes too! :)

Sally's Baking Addiction
Probably my favorite baking blog right now. I get a lot of my "healthy" recipes from there. However, when it comes to Sally, her healthy recipes don't taste healthy. Love it! :) Don't be fooled though, there are plenty of unhealthy recipes on her blog too. :) I got my healthy brownie recipe from there and my Mediterranean dip recipe.

Ambitious Kitchen
Another new favorite food blog. It has a variety of different kinds of recipes some healthy some not so (but absolutely delicious).

Food Gawker
This is kind of a recipe center. If I can't find a recipe for something I'm looking for on my other go to food blogs I go to food gawker and search and I always can find at least one recipe for what I'm looking for. Most all of my other recipes I have found there.

Picky Palate
Another great food blog I was introduced to by my cousin. I got my gingersnap cookie recipe from this blog.

Annie's Eats
This is the food blog from which I got my pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe which is a absolutely amazing. :)

Do you have any favorite food blogs?

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

VBS Next Week!!!

As I mentioned in my monthly resolution post, July is ridiculously busy... it always has been ever since my family started 4-H and had the County Fair to prepare for. THIS year, I am also throwing in VBS! I know, I'm such a genius for adding to the business. However, I am really excited about helping out as my church hasn't done a VBS in several years. Thankfully my position is a guide, which doesn't really require any planning. All I will really do is get my group of kids (3rd and 4th grade) to each activity and do their workbooks with them. There is also this confusing point system thing that I am pretty positive I am going to delegate to my assistant guide. That's the nice thing about being the guide versus the assistant guide... delegation!
I also get to decorate my classroom, which has been really fun! We are doing a backpacking/camping theme.  Unfortunately I severely lack artistic skill so I keep stealing ideas from my brother's classroom. :) So far I have a big tent set up in my room and some cloth draped over some furniture to look like a waterfall. I also want to make a "fire" with some logs and red and orange tissue paper. Some animal prints cut out on construction paper would also be a cute addition I think. I started on it yesterday and I'll finish up Saturday. Then next week VBS begins! I'll have to post some picture on here when its over of how my decorations turned out.
On Tuesday we had our last meeting before it began and I got my list of children I was teaching. In addition to my own little hyper brother I am pretty sure I got every other hyper little boy in the congregation. It's going to be A LOT of fun.
Is anyone else doing VBS this year or have you already done it? How did it go?

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

I'm a Barista!.... and a Librarian

Yep that's my honorable profession. I work at my college library. Barista obviously sounds ten times more awesome than librarian so I like to hold to that label. However being a librarian is pretty awesome. I've learned a lot and have tons of fun. I have some of the best bosses in the world (one of them is retiring though, very sad) and a lot of great co-student workers. I seriously think I have too much fun to call this job work sometimes. Great memories include vaccuming books, cleaning out the back room, inventory and of course staff lunches! Somedays I love it so much that I want to give up nursing and take up librarianism but other days I am ready to be out from behind the circ desk.
Now I know what you're thinking... librarian? Does that mean you wear horn rimmed glasses and a tight bun on the top of your head? Well I do wear glasses (not horn rimmed though), and sometimes I wear buns on the top of my head. However, I am pretty positive that despite common opinion, horn rimmed glasses and tight buns are not criteria for being a librarian. In fact, my bosses, who are the real librarians here, do not wear horn rimmed glasses or buns on top of their heads and are actually pretty cool. Sometimes they are more up on the fashions than I am. So do not stereotype our awesomeness! You are just jealous.
And speaking of bosses... I have some of the greatest. I have been there so long (three years) that they kind of just treat me like the regular staff. We have great conversations about books and movies. They are interested in what is going on in my life and are always very flexible about the hours I work if something comes up.
Yep being a barista... AND a librarian has its perks. :)

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

Favorite Bad Weather Memories

The last two weeks here in Kansas we were heavily snowed on.  Thursday, Friday, Monday, and then Tuesday, were cancelled for classes.  All the marvelous bad weather brought back very special memories of other times we have had tornados, snow storms, ect.  So here are a few of my most vivid memories.

My earliest memories of bad weather are of tornados.  If you live in Kansas, they are a very real and scary threat. I can't remember any specific one from my early years but I remember what we did every time.  Depending on how bad it was, we would either go down into our basement, which was not a very nice basement, or we would go down into our well, and I don't have to tell you that the well wasn't the nicest option either.  We would sit there until we got the all clear.  Later, when we moved into the house were we live now, my family would go down to our much nicer basement and my mom would always read to us from Little Britches.

Another memory I have, and mostly because we lost power for two or three days, was an ice storm we had way back when I was in fifth grade.  There was ice coating all of the trees in our yard, plus snow on the ground.  I remember spending a lot of time hauling all the branches that had fallen down from the weight into a pile to be burned.  Then we came in and my sister made hot chocolate on our wood burning stove.  That wood burning stove was an asset in many ways, namely keeping us warm, but also because we were actually able to cook food on it.  I remember making Qima (no that isn't misspelled, it is a Middle Eastern dish), oatmeal, and fried eggs on it.  I was actually a little sad when the electricity came back on because I was enjoying "roughing it".

Another "great" storm memory is from just a few years ago when it was raining really hard and our electricity went out.  Therefore, we had to manually dip out our sump pump so our basement wouldn't get flooded.  I will NEVER forget that one.

Do you all have any favorite storm memories?

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

Obituary for a Dog

Molly Gibson Johnson, pure bred German Shepherd dog, died April 5th 2012 during the night.  She was the beloved pet of the Johnson 9.  Molly was known for her exuberant spirit.  No visitor every got away without being licked or jumped on by her.  She may have just been a dog, but she was a wonderful dog.

Daniel and Molly

Molly on the red swing.  Daniel actually took this picture to the county fair where it got Grand Champion and Best Portrait.

Molly and Jason

Molly

Molly during this last summer.

Molly during this last summer.

Molly in the fall.

Jason and Betsy with Molly.

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

Favorite Smells of Spring

Nothing beats the smells of freshly mown grass, the coming rain, or of lilacs.  With spring saturated into all of nature, some of my favorite smells are in the air.  Every morning when I walk to the van to go to school/work I can smell the freshly mown grass and as I walk to and from class I can smell it then too.  It is wonderfully invigorating especially as I walk between classes and toward the promise of a long lecture.  Even from across the yard I can smell lilacs in the wind and as I take an evening walk there is sometimes that faint hint of rain in the air.  I love these spring smells but unfortunately they will be leaving soon as summer decides to beat down its sunny wrath upon us.  Until then though, I'll enjoy the spring weather God has graced upon us.

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

As if Life Could Get Better...

I am sitting here writing with celtic music floating in my ears, a mug of tea by my hand and a keyboard made for typing on.  It seems to my best inspiration for writing comes when I have these three things though sometimes I must be content with a notebook and pencil instead of the keyboard.  I love the beauty and liveliness woven into the celtic music which invigorates me and almost seems to inspire what I write.  A mug of tea warms me and gives me a cozy feeling.  And last but not least, I do need something to write with, and whether it be keyboard or pencil it will capture all of my wild and mismatched thoughts.  With spring break poured out in the week ahead, I think I will be doing a lot of this.  I don't know if life could get better... :)

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

My Favorite Sites

     You may have noticed my gadget that lists my favorite sites and you may be wondering what they all are.  Therefore, whether you may be wondering or not, I am going to tell you and encourage you  to check them all out.
     The first one is Answers in Genesis.  This is the website for the Christian non-profit organization called Answers in Genesis.  You may know them for the Creation museum they started up in Kentucky.  On this website you can find many links to articles about creation versus evolution as well as buy books or audios about creation versus evolution.
     The second link on the sidebar is Apologetics Press.  This is a great website with many very helpful articles about several different issues including creation versus evolution, homosexuality, different world religions, and theological issues.  I have found this website to be very useful when I need to look up information about some issue.
    Blog and Mablog is the website for Douglas Wilson, a pastor and author from Idaho. On his blog he shares about many world view issues and his thoughts on theology plus much more.
      Brink the Books is a blog by four men who share about a variety of different subjects from books to worldview issues.  I often find a nice bit of humor there when I am down.
      Creation Ministires International is a creation oriented orginization composed of several acclaimed scientists based out of Austrilia.  It has much of the same information available on Answers in Genesis but both are very good resources.
      Femina is a blog run by the wife of the aforementioned Douglas Wilson, Nancy Wilson, as well as her two daughters and daugther-in-law.  They post on the cute happenings at their houses', a woman's role, and much more.
     The next link is to I Spy Animals, which I mentioned in an earlier post.  It has lots of information and pictures on many different and unique animals.  It is kid friendly but also fun for adults.
     Movieology is a website sponsored by American Vision. It provides movie reviews with an emphasis on looking at worldviews.  I have found it very helpful when wanting to check out a new movie that is in theaters.
     The Rabbit Room is a online group of authors and songwriters who post about books, movies, and many more interesting topics. They're writing is really beautiful and insightful and I definitely encourage you to check this one out.
     The Way Home is the blog of Mary Pride and her daughter Sarah Pride.  Mary Pride is the homeschooling mother of nine children and the author of the book The Way Home. They share about a women's role, marriage, and much more.
     So that is all of them.  Check them out and enjoy!

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

I Spy Animals

     During the holiday I had the chance to hear about a blog called "I Spy Animals."  So today I checked it out and I was more then impressed.  The blog has tons of information about animals as well as many pictures.  Grownups and children alike will enjoy the fun it has to offer.  So check it out at www.ispyanimals.com and enjoy!!! :)

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

Reflections on an Evening Well Spent

     Last evening my family sat down and watched a movie with popcorn and honey baked apples with custard sauce (I made them and they were delicous).  It was great just relaxing in this manner, especially with the great movie we were watching- Life With Father, which I highly reccomend.  I suppose that having your siblings quoting half the movie as it is playing can be quite annoying, but I also found it made it just that much better.  It made me remember why I loved that movie so much.  It also reminded me what those movie lines were from that I kept quoting, but couldn't recall the origin of.  That's what happens when you quote so many movie lines; they all get jumbled up.  Looking back on my evening spent with family and good food, I must say it is a wonderful precurser to the Christmas holiday.  With everyone in school at work it has been hard to pull us all together in one spot for a few minutes.  That taste of family togetherness was marvelous and I am hungry for more.  With the Christmas holiday looming on the horizon, I look forward to more family time spent eating Christmas goodies and watching old favorites. 

     What are you looking forward to with the Christmas holiday coming up?

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

New Blog Title?

It has been suggested I change my blog title, but I don't want to throw everyone off so they can't ever find my blog again.  The question is, what should I change my blog title to?  I have already had one suggestion that, while quite funny, will not appear on my blog. Anyways, if you have any ideas for a new blog title or if you like it just the way it is feel free to comment with suggestions.  Also, are there any specific topics you want me to write on?  If so, comment with your ideas. 

Have a great day!

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