It’s been a good run darlings.  But I have decided to move to posterous.  Luckily, I last minute figured out how to transfer all of my posts from here to there (I know you would have missed the archives…) and have spent the last 24 hrs editing them to make the transition smooth.

So, without further ado, check out the new site!

And thank you for all the reading you’ve done on this blog

Well, I have to say, I really am not the blogger I once was.  You understand, don’t you?  Life happens.  Of course, many wonderful people manage to blog about their beautiful lives.

I fail.

So, I’m thinking about combining my two blogs.  [Just in case you forgot, this is my other blog]

Not sure what that will look like, but I will keep you posted!  Just possibly get ready to move

Sheesh.  Apparently I’m down to updating like once a month.  & didn’t update at all in September…oops.  Some of that is just that the past month has been incredibly busy (broken record much?)

Let’s cover all the bases right fast, shall we?

1)  New more awesome apartment: really starting to feel like home! Not enough room for all the bajillions of books and clothes I have but downsizing is the way of the future after all.  Besides, it’s just such a nicer space.  Pretty windows.  Gorgeous kitchen.  I loves it.

2) Grown-up internship job-like thing: Whoosh.  I like it a lot; it’s an incredible opportunity.  But man oh man is it a bit exhausting.  The counseling center where I am is like legit understaffed.  In my not-so-humble opinion.  At any rate, I do love my clients.  I’m doing like…real counseling.  Which is c-razy.  But kinda awesome.

3) Classes: pretty much like classes normally are.  Definitely new material, and it is cool because I can see it relating directly to my work at internship.  I am taking: DSM (yay diagnosing mental disorders!  In which case I begin to think that I have every mental disorder ever), Advanced Skills (probably one of my best classes…good times!), Assessment (meh…), CNS Children (fascinating), and Internship Supervision (incredibly emotional and intense, but wonderful and powerful).

4) Working as a Teaching Assistant: LOVE love LOVE it.  It’s amazing.  I have so much fun!  I’m probably a bit of a spaz, but I just think it’s awesome.  It’s also wonderful to get to know the first years.  They are a cool group of people, and I have the utmost faith in their ability to be wonderful counselors.  Yay!

5) Bikram yoga: I’ve finally started doing this again!  It took me a year and a half, but it has been well worth it.  It’s so good for me on a such a number of levels, and I’m enjoying practicing it again.  My goal is to go 2-3 times a week, and I’ve done alright with that (except for this past week ) I really notice a difference.  Hopefully at some point soon I’ll incorporate running back into the equation…but for now, thi sis a good start!

6) Books books books:  I’ve been stuck reading this silly Marilyn Monroe biography.  Which is not to knock Marilyn – I adore her and find her fascinating and wonderful.  But the author of this book is truly a pain in my ass.  So consequently, I haven’t been reading as much as I normally like.  Which is sad because I have such a pretty pile of new books to read through.  Hopefully I’ll finish it soon & then be able to give you a book review post!

7) Fambly: Got to see the WHOLE family at the beginning of September and so enjoyed it   Miss them terribly…

Friends: I’m blessed.  Enough said.

9) The car: Still a POS.  But making it.  Fingers crossed that it will last until the end of this school year!  Also fingers crossed that I’ll get a job at the end of the next year…

10) $$$$: Hate it.  But doing ok.

I think that’s about it…Such is life.  Now it’s time to head to church (yay 1st Pres!) and then go about the rest of my beautiful, beautiful fall Sunday Enjoy yours!

Someone I value & respect very, very much sent me this wonderful email yesterday & I thought I’d share because, well, I like it.  Yay personal growth!…Its from www.tinybuddha.com, titled ‘you make a difference’

• When you show up for the people in your life, even though you’re having a hard day, you make a difference.
• When you share what you’re dealing with, even though it makes you feel vulnerable, and help other people through your honesty, you make a difference.
• When you practice what you preach, you make a difference.
• When you honor your needs to create a sense of inner calm and well-being that permeates your interactions with others, you  make a difference.
• When you cut yourself some slack so you can use your energy to love, create, and inspire, you make a difference.
• When you give people the benefit of the doubt, you make a difference.
• When you listen fully, instead of waiting to talk, you make a difference.
• When you focus more on being kind than being right, you make a difference.
• When you find beauty in the world around you and help other people see it, you make a difference.
• When you realize that your everyday actions are your greatest legacy, you make a difference.

Thanks to all of you who make a difference!

Eesh.  It’s been awhile.  And there’ve been quite a few books.  Soooo…yeah.  Here you go!

1. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas.  I hadn’t read this book in quite awhile, but it was just as good as I remembered.  The way Dumas weaves the plot is just fantastic – and who doesn’t love a good dose of revenge?  It is a bit long, but it reads pretty quickly…especially if you like classic literature.  It’s a thought-provoking story with lots of plot twists and romance and adventure.  Good summer read.

2. Peace is Every Step - Thich Nhat Hanh.  So I borrowed this from Maggie while we were in Vienna…it was an extremely soothing book to read, especially in such a gorgeous setting.  There were beautiful parks everywhere, and while Thich Nhat Hanh is clear that the external setting doesn’t matter the way the internal does, I have to say it didn’t hurt to be surrounded by gorgeous nature.  But even without that, this book would still be incredible.  I don’t know if this makes sense, but it’s like it’s even peacefully written.  The acceptance that Tich Nhat Hanh teaches is just beautiful and makes so much sense.  The book is written in short chapters – it could easily be read in one sitting, or stretched out over times of meditation or prayer or quiet time.  It is full of wisdom

3.  The Gift of Therapy - Irvin D. Yalom.  This book was a gift from my faculty supervisor, the incredible Paige.  She’s kind of perfect.  So, obviously, her recommendation was pretty perfect as well.    Yalom discusses the purposes of counseling, and shares much of his wisdom from his time as a psychotherapist.

Too, Yalom shares how therapy is a gift to those in the helping profession, as well as those receiving services.  The book is written in brief chapters (some as short as a page and a half) that offer tips to the current generation of counselors.  He is so authentic and provides super helpful practical information.  Even when I don’t 100% agree with him, I appreciate his dedication to the craft…and most of the time I do agree with him, lol.  He’s kind of utterly brilliant.

4.  Love Walked In - Marisa de Los Santos.  Ok…there were times I found this book INCREDIBLY annoying.  The author uses two narrators, and the 1st person woman drove me nuts at the beginning.  I loved the chapters told from the little girl’s perspective.  But, eventually, the plot did get pretty interesting, and the book picked up a bit.  But the ending was a little too much of a bow for me…still, it was a sweet read, and easy & mindless.  Another good summer read that doesn’t take too long, but not really life-changing or something I was unable to put down.

5.  Little Bee - Chris Cleave.  Ummm…this book is INCREDIBLE.  Seriously, go buy it now.  And then go buy a copy for me because I was just borrowing it from my fabulous friend, Sarah.  Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it’s about.  Per the inside cover: “We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book.  It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it.  Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this: This is the story of two women.  Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face.  Two years later, they meet again – the story starts there…Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don’t tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds.”  SO GOOD.  SO GOOD.  GO READ IT!

6.  Love’s Executioner - Irvin D. Yalom.  Yep, another Yalom book   I was hooked after the first one.  And so Maggie kindly loaned me this to cart around Europe with me.  However, this book does not mean I am a romantic, as one young Transylvanian man so wrongly assumed.  Yalom’s book is intriguing and full of fascinating anecdotes from his work as a psychotherapist.  Yalom is unwaveringly honest, and he is inspiring as a counselor.  He has a lot of wisdom to offer to those entering the counseling profession.  For anyone who’s been in counseling, it might be a bit of a difficult read – Yalom is, again, unwaveringly honest.  It provides quite the look into his reactions to his clients.  But his love and care for his clients and his commitment to the human spirit of change are always evident.

7.  Man’s Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl.

Another re-read, for summer school.  But I believe I reviewed this one before…still, it is always worth mentioning because it is a simply EXCELLENT book.  And Viktor Frankl is by far one of the most incredible men ever.

8.  Traveling With Pomegranates. - Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor.  Another loan from Sarah while we were backpacking about Europe!  And another fabulous recommendation, I have to say.  I think some of it had to do with where I was mentally/emotionally while reading it, but it really meant a lot to me.  Plus, I read it during the Rome/Paris section of the trip, so I was able to see a lot of the symbolism that they talk about.  Also, I just love exploring more of the Divine feminine.  It’s a well-written book – by both authors – and an especially interesting read for all of those Sue Monk Kidd fans who enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees as the memoir speaks to her conception of the novel.  Also a very restorative book to read, but one you can pick up and put down as needed.

9.  Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin.  Another recommendation from Sarah!  What can I say, we spent a lot of time on trains together, and trading books saved us both a lot of money.  Also, this book is written by a Wake Forest grad!  And it was a super-fun summer read.  As my friend Ellen put it, it was excellent “bubblegum” – and a little bit exactly what was needed after some of the heavy reading I’d been doing.  It’s fun, and the protagonist is complex yet engaging character who I personally found it easy to relate to (infidelity aside…).  At any rate, super fun read.  I’d kind of equate it a little bit to the Shopaholic series if you’re looking for something to compare it to…but it’s very different at the same time

10.  The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery.  I know, I know, I’m a little late on this bandwagon.  This book was immensely popular a couple of years ago, and I had more than one person recommend it to me, but I just got around to.  And it didn’t disappoint me!  It is another contemporary French novel, which I’m obviously biased to love.  The story is kind of complicated to explain, but it is yet another dual-narrator book (gahhh I read so many of these on my trip).  But I enjoyed both narrators and the writing immensely.  The plot is a little slow, but the author clearly loves language and playing with words, which I can totally appreciate.  And the ending caught me by surprise!  Definitely worth a read, tho it can get a little philosophical or pretentious at times…altho I suspect that’s it making fun of itself…

11.  The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  Another loaner from Sarah – she bought it in Barcelona, and it is set in Barcelona!  Um, freaking fantastic book.  Gripping mystery and so much love of words and books…just a really fun, clever read!  It also had a bit of a love story as well…basically something for everyone.  It was also fun to read some of Barcelona’s history while there/right after leaving.  I definitely highly recommend this book, and, again would love a copy if you’re looking for a present to buy me

12. At Home: A Short History of Private Life - Bill Bryson.

Another incredible book!  Bill Bryson definitely does not disappoint – he is predictably hilarious, witty, and highly informative.  This book answers all of those questions we always wonder about (or, at least, that I always wonder about) like “who on earth figured out how cooking works?” and “what was life actually like for folks back in the day?”  Bryson traces the history of the most basic human activities – drinking, eating, sleeping, sex, and entertainment – through the clever framework of his house’s floorplan.  The facts he includes are absolutely fascinating.  It’s a huge book, but a super quick read.  And if you love fairly useless trivia, you will definitely love this

And that’s it for this go ’round!  More to follow later   Hope you’re all well and that you are enjoying some fun summer reading!