New Year, New Job, New Home

On December 31st, I officially moved into my new apartment in Wichita, KS.  My new town is about one thousand times better than my last town on first glance.  My new apartment passed muster with my dad, and I may be in love with it.  The ceilings are high, and the rooms are big enough for all of my my American stuff having.  I have found a grocery store, but still need to find a yoga studio and a salon.

The new job is definitely a win, even if it technically started in 2011.  I have found my new team fun to work with, my new business partner enjoys life as much as he enjoys work, and my new boss wants work to be fun.  All around making it a positive move.  We open the store in about 2 months, and I can't even imagine what life is going to be like until then.

The new year is full of hope.  With so many changes that are just arriving, the new year strikes me as an empty book case.  Not in a pessimistic, that book case is empty, sort of way.  More in a I can't wait to shelve the new books from this year sort of way.  When I look back on this year, I want to have found everything as fulfilling and satisfying as I am hoping it will be.

Join me in celebrating the new!

is science or art more essential to humanity

Many of you who know me, probably think they know what I would say to answer this question.  I think science has it's place in furthering the philosophical questions we pose of ourselves and great thinkers.  Wondering at the amazing things that God has done and created exceeds the bounds of our current understanding and drives the need to find out more scientifically.

Art, however, expresses that wonder and awe.  Art finds itself at the heart of our humanity.  Beauty cannot be scientifically quantified, but can be artfully described.  Art spans words, drawings, music and performance.  Art is a center of debate for education, censorship and expression.

Happy Anniversary?

Dictionary.com defines anniversary as 1.the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event: the tenth anniversary of their marriage. 2. the celebration or commemoration of such a date. 3.wedding anniversary.

As you can see, the dictionary even promotes an air of celebration with the word anniversary.  I have been hearing radio reports and news specials all about the 10th anniversary of 9/11/01.  But I wonder if there is a better word.  I am not comfortable with the connotations associated with an anniversary of such an horrific event.

what do you most enjoy or miss about being single?

I think I'm going to start planning my own honeymoon for one. Celebrate me and my choice to be single.

I have a lot of things that I enjoy about my single status. Since it's a weekend, it's fresh in my mind that I have spent the weekend reading, driving, shopping, and generally doing what I want to do. I make purchases without discussing it with someone else.

But most enjoy....
I most enjoy that I have space of my very own. I need solitude to rejuvenate and relax, and not having to share space when I come home is almost magical after a tough day.

what historical time period would you most like to visit

I am not the sort of history buff that enjoys the dates and names of specific events. But I am the sort of history buff that likes to imagine what it would be like to be a part of the suffragette movement, or march with MLK, or see Jesus perform a miracle, or be a person attending any key moment in the turn of events of humanity.

The key word in the question is "visit". I would not like to live with out the equal rights of voting and working that I have now, and I don't want to live without a hair straightener and takeout. Visiting a different era, like Back to the Future or Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, that could be interesting.

I think I would like to visit the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The eloquence of the letter, the feisty nature of the message, the heat of the summer and tempers of all involved would make for a great sense of patriotism and gratitude for their initiative. I would like to see the debates and hear the dissent. Oh the drama of forming a more perfect union of states that recognize the equality of all men!

what was the most fun you ever had at a party

Parties are not my sort of thing. I'm an introvert, or in the party scene a wallflower.

I've been to a few crazy bashes in my college days. I had one heck of a 23rd birthday - bring your own bottle of wine anyone? Actually, some people were supposed to bring cheese. I don't think anyone did. And there were no leftovers. And as fun as it is to throw a party with that much wine involved, there are two that are more fun in my mind.

When Stephanie was getting married, we threw one heck of a bachelorette party. A little NKOTB, a pineapple pillow, a great board game, and four women. Stir it all together and the neighborhood thinks about 200 people were at the party. Oh yeah!

And lastly there was the new year's that everyone stayed at my place. I made a million course meal and had a bottle of wine. But everyone brought wine too. And we had great conversation and ate great food. Then, sometime around midnight, our friends from New York called, having had just as much fun as we had. That's some party - four friends in Wisconsin plus two friends in New York land!

what would you like to most ask God

what does "in his image" really mean?

The Happiness Project

Our founding fathers believed that all people had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As I am reading the book The Happiness Project, I find that many people may not actually believe this profound thought.

I'm caught on the difference between happiness, joy and satisfaction. And for the last six chapters, I have been wondering what right a Christian has in doubting her own happiness, joy or satisfaction.

Now that the author is tackling the money issue, I am questioning her statement "Prosperity allows us to turn our attention to more transcendent matters - to year for lives not just of material comfort but of meaning, balance and joy." Really? The rich are the only ones who can search out happiness? That feels like a shallow statement, and highly elitist. Also, it is contrary to our forefathers, and dashing the hopes of all the individuals throughout the world currently fighting for freedom from oppression.

Money can cause strife, worry and discontent. But if it is "the root of all evil", can it bring happiness, joy or satisfaction? It brings a new pair of shoes that will go out of style. It brings a down payment on a house, that means a monthly obligation. It can buy education, which can enlighten or breed more discontent.

Money is necessary, since we do not live in a society that barters for goods and services. But it is not the answer to happiness. Take pleasure in your moments of happiness purchased, but base your life's happiness on things that are not as fleeting.

what's your favorite Easter memory

For me, I remember many Sundays with awesome dresses, hats, shoes and pictures. I remember a navy blue sailor type outfit for one year. I used to always wear hats for Easter Sunday.

And brunch is a mainstay on Easter Sunday. Buffet, made to order omelets, ham, scalloped potatoes.

Living in Milwaukee, far away from my parents on key holidays, I was invited to the Kaletas, the Welters and the Browns. And all celebrations were warm and fun.

I'm not sure if this memory took place on Easter, but it's about Easter. So I'm going to let this memory be my favorite Easter memory.

One Sunday, I was in the back seat of the car. We were driving to church. I was reading my Precious Moments Bible. It has these cute pictures of precious moments figures in various biblical scenes. I flipped to the end of Matthew, and I read of Jesus' death and resurrection. I remember crying, and praying. And since that day, I have known the constant love and joy of being a child of the King of Kings, a co-heir of Christ.

would you be likely to survive alone in the wilderness

For this question, I think we have to analyze the wording. Alone is okay with me. I have been known to take vacations alone, spend entire weekends alone. I am rejuvenated by alone-time.

The wilderness is the part that worries me. Big bugs and snakes are gross, and sticks get stuck to garments. It's all a very uncomfortable place for me.

I can't imagine that I would actually survive alone in the wilderness without serious trauma.

would you like a quiet life of safety or a life of great adventure and uncerntainty

Uncertainty is defined as doubt, hesitance or lack of assurance. How terrifying a thought to doubt or be unsure. However, the times in my life that I have felt proud of my accomplishments, it occurs to me that I forged into the unknown.

When I was in high school, I braved rejection and told a very cute, intellectual sort that I liked him. He didn't return my feelings. But I remember planning my outfit, preparing for the route I would take to run into to him, my sweaty palms... And learning that rejection didn't make the world end.

I chose a university many hours from my parents and course of study reserved for men. I didn't have funding for such a choice, but I worked hard. The local drug store, campus safety, and residence life all helped me pay my way through school.

I do enjoy playing things safe when it comes to jumping out of airplanes or climbing mountains. I do not think life is something to play safe. We have only one life, and God has made a beautiful earth full of beautiful people to see.

Uncertainty also means unpredictability. What fun I shall have!

what remains undone that you have wanted to get done for years

Well, it's been a year since I've posted on my blog - actually more. It's been a year. I turned thirty, which is a dramatic milestone in itself. I'm in a different state, and I have new friends.

I've found a great church at Clearview in Bloomington. And I am anxiously awaiting the reopening of the Farmer's market in Downtown!

But today's question from the cube is about what I haven't done that I've wanted to do. And in the answer to that question lies the reason why I am blogging once again! I need to exercise my writing muscle a little in preparation for writing essays for admission to grad school.

I remember being a young girl, early teens, investigating colleges and universities. I remember perusing course catalogs, excited for the prospect that I could study anything. Comparative Feminist Religion and Literature - absolutely! Hebrew - definitely! Chemistry - for sure! How beautiful that there is a place that you can go and learn whatever your heart's desire.

And picking one field of study is torture, pure torture. Picking something specialized, well you can see the issue. As a person who has the strength of learning, you've probably figured out that grad school has always been a nagging thought. So, nag no more, thought! I've requested information, I've purchased test prep books, and I am resolved to go back to school and continue my quest for knowledge!

Wish me luck :)

When you're down, what do you do to feel better?

I usually eat, shop, or call someone. If it is a deeper feeling, then I definitely pray and drink some tea.

Would you choose to be the worst player on a winning team or the best player on a losing team?

I think I would rather be the best on the losing team. I don't want to bring the team down.

I think I want this book....

A collection of British personal ads, featuring "If I wear a mask, will you call me batman?"

Check out NPR's story about this book.

What's your favorite quotation?

I love the story of Esther in the Bible. And I'd have to say that there is a scripture from this story that has always been a favorite :
"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

If you could all human beings one virtue, which would you choose.

Honesty, and the desire for honesty. Most of my drama comes from people telling untruths or "protecting" someone's feelings.

Question of the moment

I recently bought a box of questions designed to inspire conversation in a group setting. Most of the groups I hang with have no problems creating conversation without inspiration. So I thought I would use the questions to help inspire my blog posts. Feel free to answer the questions yourself in the comments.

Here goes the first one:

If you decided to go on a spiritual journey, where would you go and what would you do?

I fear that my thoughts around this question are distinctly transcendental with a side of Buddhist. My life has been a series of spiritual journeys, guided by life lessons and meditations on the Bible. Every day that I wake up, I thank God for one more day on this earth. And while travel is something I would like to do, I don't think my spirituality nor my understanding of my purpose on earth would be particularly strengthened by a trip to a "spiritual" or "religious" place.

Instead, I will continue to start each day with a word of thanks and praise to God, ask for the strength to make it one more day as a believer, and meditate on his precious word. I think the journey God will lead me on will be as exciting and adventurous as any I could create for myself.

Andy Warhol

Today, I saw the Andy Warhol exhibit with Kari. I like art, but I don't always get art. Warhol is in the bucket of art that I don't get. I read everything the museum offered and truly don't understand what the purpose is. I saw the painting Eggs in black and white and in color. In impressionist art, the point of something like that would be to study the light and it's movement over the earth and other items. In modern and post modern art, I'm lost....

However, I still enjoyed the exhibit. I just left with a confusion headache.

Hello. My Name is Ashlee, and I'm an Introvert

This article, via Deidre, is spot on in describing introversion. For anyone who is an extrovert, there are some very key ideas proposed in here for dealing with those of us who are exhausted by dealing with other people.

And don't be surprised when I politely say "I'm an introvert. You are a wonderful person and I like you. But now please shush."