There are certain things in life that you automatically discard by age 12 because they are no longer socially acceptable among your peers. For me this included getting rid of my stuffed animals that ferociously guarded me for years while I slept. When the time came, they were packed away in tubs; somehow this seemed much more humane than giving them to Goodwill. There they patiently slept for quite some time, waiting to be loved. I honestly forgot about most of them until a good friend of mine gave me the cuddle bug again, the need to have something to hold onto when I sleep. So down I trod into the basement to dig up these stuffed animals. The first thing I noticed was how they had lost their 'loved on' smell and they smelled like a wet basement. Yet, I brought my three favorite upstairs to reclaim their position as my bed sentinels.
Ok, here's the thing... when I was 7 a dozen stuffed things in my bed was comforting; now it's just flat disturbing. For the sake of my sanity, I had to narrow it down to one partner, Emily. She is a Golden Retriever puppy with a green collar covered in little bones. Adorable!
This same friend of mine who gave me the cuddle bug surprised me with a new addition to my collection. He is a teddy bear named Alex (the bear;) and he wears sacred colors... orange and blue! (Go Illini!) I must say he is a very good snuggler, and he smells amazing! It's astounding how little it takes to make a girl's day and how childhood obsessions that seemed so uncool only a few short years ago can all of a sudden be unbelievably comforting once again.
9.30.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
9.28.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
True Love
Known fact: I love my horse.
Known fact: There are days when there is a significant part of me that says to the same horse, "How do you feel about being a slightly sticky adhesive that kindergartner's just looovve??"
Yes, I know... some may say cruel. Trust me. After spending the better part of an hour on the back of a 1200 lb animal having a silent war dealing with whether or not we should trot collectedly and be gorgeous, or whether we should plop around like we're fresh off the race track, this solution does not sound in the slightest cruel. And then we have the issue of why in the world we would canter in hand when we can gallop around like a Thoroughbred with serious mental issues? Ah yes... the joys of horsemanship. Any horse owner can testify that you just have those days when you can say, "This is how you do it, dear pony."
And they say, "Yeah, I get it."
"Then do it!!!"
"Well I could.... but... no."
"*!#$)*)(*)(#*$)(@**"
Then after allowing the animosity to fly uncontrollably out, you are able to think much more clearly and you realize that glue factories are a wonderful, God-given gift. My Quarter Horse gelding, under all the "dur-dur-dur" disguise, is a stubborn mule with a big rear end! However, I am more stubborn and anyone that knows me is well aware that I get my way one way or another. Therefore I held my ground and the mule finally cooperated to an acceptable degree.
Whew! It's hot outside. I think I'll be nice and give you a bath. But, noooo... That would mean the mule would have to walk into the wash stall that he's been in 20 times in the last month. No amount of bribing, pulling, begging, backing, beating would persuade him to take a step into that stall. Now you can only imagine how frustrated I was after fussing with this thing I call my horse for twenty minutes. Barn owner walks in and offers to help. "I DO NOT NEED HELP! I NEED A GUN!" Outwardly I was barely maintaining composure and was willing to take what I could get. So she takes the lead rope and he goes right in like it was a sugar coated mountain of apples. Mule. Absolute. Total. Mule. I swear he was laughing! Ugh.
Naturally I did not hang around the barn just to give him extra hugs and kisses and as I sped out the driveway, all in a fluff, I couldn't help but laugh. How stupid! It's the little things like getting into a mental war with my horse and winning that truly keeps you humble. You can't always have a perfect day. And as I look back at all the events of the day I smile. Hmm... what kind of mischief shall I stir up tomorrow?
Known fact: There are days when there is a significant part of me that says to the same horse, "How do you feel about being a slightly sticky adhesive that kindergartner's just looovve??"
Yes, I know... some may say cruel. Trust me. After spending the better part of an hour on the back of a 1200 lb animal having a silent war dealing with whether or not we should trot collectedly and be gorgeous, or whether we should plop around like we're fresh off the race track, this solution does not sound in the slightest cruel. And then we have the issue of why in the world we would canter in hand when we can gallop around like a Thoroughbred with serious mental issues? Ah yes... the joys of horsemanship. Any horse owner can testify that you just have those days when you can say, "This is how you do it, dear pony."
And they say, "Yeah, I get it."
"Then do it!!!"
"Well I could.... but... no."
"*!#$)*)(*)(#*$)(@**"
Then after allowing the animosity to fly uncontrollably out, you are able to think much more clearly and you realize that glue factories are a wonderful, God-given gift. My Quarter Horse gelding, under all the "dur-dur-dur" disguise, is a stubborn mule with a big rear end! However, I am more stubborn and anyone that knows me is well aware that I get my way one way or another. Therefore I held my ground and the mule finally cooperated to an acceptable degree.
Whew! It's hot outside. I think I'll be nice and give you a bath. But, noooo... That would mean the mule would have to walk into the wash stall that he's been in 20 times in the last month. No amount of bribing, pulling, begging, backing, beating would persuade him to take a step into that stall. Now you can only imagine how frustrated I was after fussing with this thing I call my horse for twenty minutes. Barn owner walks in and offers to help. "I DO NOT NEED HELP! I NEED A GUN!" Outwardly I was barely maintaining composure and was willing to take what I could get. So she takes the lead rope and he goes right in like it was a sugar coated mountain of apples. Mule. Absolute. Total. Mule. I swear he was laughing! Ugh.
Naturally I did not hang around the barn just to give him extra hugs and kisses and as I sped out the driveway, all in a fluff, I couldn't help but laugh. How stupid! It's the little things like getting into a mental war with my horse and winning that truly keeps you humble. You can't always have a perfect day. And as I look back at all the events of the day I smile. Hmm... what kind of mischief shall I stir up tomorrow?
9.25.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
Silly Bandz vs. Leather Bracelets
There are two types of girls: those that wear silly bandz and those who rock out a leather bracelet. Reasons for the particular girl's choice vary. Those who wear silly bands either a) actually think they're cool, b) wear them because everyone else does, or c) they were cheap at dollar general, so, why not? All of these girls are widely accepted and viewed as sweet, normal, gurly girls. On the other hand, when someone sees a girl with a leather bracelet they immediately come to the conclusion that they are definitely a punk who has serious problems and cannot be trusted. I have a clarification to make on behalf of teenage girls everywhere. Consider the following: a girl with a leather bracelet very well might be a a) punk rock/edgy chick, b) a stereotypical hard core poser, or c) she just might have a boyfriend!!! Then what happens when you see a girl with Silly Bandz AND a leather bracelet? Is the assumption that she is a gurly girl with issues??? Or is she just a gurly girl with a boyfriend??? hmmm.... That is up to personal assessment and the viewer's outlook.
I am not at liberty to say of which general category I fall into, however I can say this: Don't judge a book by it's cover... you may miss out on the story of a lifetime.
I am not at liberty to say of which general category I fall into, however I can say this: Don't judge a book by it's cover... you may miss out on the story of a lifetime.
9.24.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
The Days that Pass
It's my relief;
but my biggest pain.
It's easy;
but most difficult.
I want it so badly;
but am afraid to lose.
You say you envy;
spare yourself the pain,
the fear,
the knowledge,
the want,
the youth,
the yearning,
the reality.
The pain of knowing if your arm
were an inch longer you could reach it,
the fear of ruining something unbelievably perfect,
the knowledge of the Truth,
the want that pushes you towards the wrong,
the youth that you 'want to protect'
but can't shed fast enough,
the yearning of having a companion that holds you forever,
never letting go,
the reality that ends your illusionary high.
The immediate pain is enough to crush,
but the eventual relief liberates.
Then there is the hope,
harder to see
but distinct in the future.
It draws closer with every passing day.
Thank you to those who help us to see through the fear, knowledge, want, youth, yearning, and reality... without you the hope would be lost.
but my biggest pain.
It's easy;
but most difficult.
I want it so badly;
but am afraid to lose.
You say you envy;
spare yourself the pain,
the fear,
the knowledge,
the want,
the youth,
the yearning,
the reality.
The pain of knowing if your arm
were an inch longer you could reach it,
the fear of ruining something unbelievably perfect,
the knowledge of the Truth,
the want that pushes you towards the wrong,
the youth that you 'want to protect'
but can't shed fast enough,
the yearning of having a companion that holds you forever,
never letting go,
the reality that ends your illusionary high.
The immediate pain is enough to crush,
but the eventual relief liberates.
Then there is the hope,
harder to see
but distinct in the future.
It draws closer with every passing day.
Thank you to those who help us to see through the fear, knowledge, want, youth, yearning, and reality... without you the hope would be lost.
9.23.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
ANNOUNCEMENT
Pumpkin Spice is back at Starbucks!!!!!!!!! :) Yesterday I made my regular rounds to the promised land, and what do you know? A lovely young lady with a green apron came waltzing up to my table with these adorable little mini cups! Immediate smile! For those of you who haven't already figured out what this meant... it meant free samples! I rarely turn down anything free and I NEVER turn down anything free at Starbucks! It was a Pumpkin Spice Latte in blended ice..... it almost rivaled the Mocha Frapp... note the almost! Anyone who loves coffee like I do will melt in the hands of the newest addition. Try it!
Inspired
Every great writer needs inspiration. Ten percent of that inspiration is the people that encourage you to continue, 40 percent comes from the things you choose to write about, and 50 percent is having a great writer to model and to learn from.
Here's my inspiration:
10%- You know who you are.
40%- The only things I ever write about are the things that I see everyday, such as Mocha Frappuccinos and horses.
50%- I was introduced to my favorite writer, a poet actually, in the second grade. His name is Robert Frost, a perfect example of someone who only wrote about what he knew. Frost has been described as an ordinary man intensified. Upon first glance his work may seem rudimentary, for his favorite subjects are things that you and I may see or be a part of daily. Yet his wisdom reflects someone who is here, been, and gone. When reading Frost's work you are being let into a much deeper world than that of the ordinary poet. Frost judges, but rarely condemns; he is fundamentally serious, but never pompous. He accepts the world's contradictions without being crushed by them. In one of his most recent poems, The Lesson for Today, he concludes:
And were an epitaph to be my story
I'd have a short one ready for my own
I would have written of me on my stone
I had a lover's quarrel with the world.
"I had a lover's quarrel with the world." No reviewer has written, none will write, a more accurate summary of the poet's spirit. On another account Frost said of himself, "There are two types of realist. There is the one who offers a good deal of dirt with his potato to show that it is a real potato. And there is the one who is satisfied with the potato brushed clean. I am inclined to be the second kind. To me, the thing that art does for life is to clean it, to strip it to form." Frost's writing always displays the principle of "the clean potato". He isn't afraid to call it like he sees it and he most certainly has an unforgettable impact on his readers.
Cleverness, imagination, ingenuity, inventiveness, originality, resourcefulness, talent, and vision. These are all words that can easily be linked with true inspiration. You know where I find mine. What is yours?
Here's my inspiration:
10%- You know who you are.
40%- The only things I ever write about are the things that I see everyday, such as Mocha Frappuccinos and horses.
50%- I was introduced to my favorite writer, a poet actually, in the second grade. His name is Robert Frost, a perfect example of someone who only wrote about what he knew. Frost has been described as an ordinary man intensified. Upon first glance his work may seem rudimentary, for his favorite subjects are things that you and I may see or be a part of daily. Yet his wisdom reflects someone who is here, been, and gone. When reading Frost's work you are being let into a much deeper world than that of the ordinary poet. Frost judges, but rarely condemns; he is fundamentally serious, but never pompous. He accepts the world's contradictions without being crushed by them. In one of his most recent poems, The Lesson for Today, he concludes:
And were an epitaph to be my story
I'd have a short one ready for my own
I would have written of me on my stone
I had a lover's quarrel with the world.
"I had a lover's quarrel with the world." No reviewer has written, none will write, a more accurate summary of the poet's spirit. On another account Frost said of himself, "There are two types of realist. There is the one who offers a good deal of dirt with his potato to show that it is a real potato. And there is the one who is satisfied with the potato brushed clean. I am inclined to be the second kind. To me, the thing that art does for life is to clean it, to strip it to form." Frost's writing always displays the principle of "the clean potato". He isn't afraid to call it like he sees it and he most certainly has an unforgettable impact on his readers.
9.21.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
Wingless
I am a firm believer that there is no possible reason why a person would get up any earlier than they absolutely must. Yet, if a character must rise before their liking, they might as well start their day off in the place that they love the most. For some this place might be their own kitchen or perhaps on their front porch rocker. In my case there is no place I'd rather be at 6:00am than in a dirty, dusty barn. I know! Unlikely choice! I'm a country girl with an absolute obsession with horses. The last four days I have been filling in for the usual barn worker (for lack of a better word). Being as I haven't worked in a barn for over a year, I had forgotten how much work taking care of a whole aisle full of hungry horses truly is! Having a dependent that you can lean on (quite literally) makes the work well worth it. One of my best friends calls it the Unwritten Dependency Plan: We feed them. They don't kill us. :)
I love being the first one through the barn doors on a crisp fall morning. Naturally at 6:00 in the morning my senses are not nearly as adroit as they otherwise would be, say at 8:00am. The doors creaked stiffly open, resembling my own feelings and movements. I took my first uneven step into the barn and was immediately greeted with a whinny. A nicker. The lights. A muzzle. Another, and another. All in a row. Suddenly my eyes brightened and the spring in my step returned from the previous day. Ahhh... I've been missed. And then off I trotted to perform the morning chores with flare.
9.20.2010
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By:
sanitymochas
5.02
5.02- Life as we know it would cease without it. But why? It's just a number, isn't it? Don't be silly; nothing as ever as simple as it seems. Not only would the entire numerical system be altered in this number's absence, $5.02 represents the price of the overall inspiration for this blog.... the Mocha Frappuccino. Some might view such a motivation as meaningless, something unworthy of their time and consideration. That is merely because they do not share the same exhilarating drive that can only be attained through the straw of a Starbucks cup. Without Mochas you can have absolute assurance that a good percentage of the American population would fail epically in all endeavors requiring any sort of sanity. Yes, when all the world is crumbling down around you, is it a black cup of Folgers that keeps you going? Hardly! The luscious taste of the Mocha Frappuccino, however, is comfort enough to suspend us through ANY situation.
Now obviously there is only so much to be said about a drink, no matter how desirable. This blog is dedicated to all the people who are shaping me into a young adult. Nevertheless, one person in particular deserves to be recognized for his support and loving arms, strong enough to lift me out of the depths of despair. It is this very person who first introduced me to my sanity (the Mocha Frappuccino) and who I pray will be a part of my life forever.
It is will all confidence that I embark on this crucial journey... discovering the true meaning of Sanity through Mochas.
Now obviously there is only so much to be said about a drink, no matter how desirable. This blog is dedicated to all the people who are shaping me into a young adult. Nevertheless, one person in particular deserves to be recognized for his support and loving arms, strong enough to lift me out of the depths of despair. It is this very person who first introduced me to my sanity (the Mocha Frappuccino) and who I pray will be a part of my life forever.
It is will all confidence that I embark on this crucial journey... discovering the true meaning of Sanity through Mochas.
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