Caught in a Wave

Well, as you may have noticed, I have not been blogging recently. Heck, I have not been blogging consistently since last year! What can I say? I have returned to nursing school in Portland and am busy making preparations for opportunities I can add to my resumé.

I promise I will share all... eventually. I just wanted to express my sentiments about returning to nursing school. It is similar to being caught in a wave while body surfing. Feeling like I am tumbling about, enjoying being completely encompassed by water, but also annoyed about the salty sting the water causes - all the while struggling to keep my eyes open to not lose sight of the surface. I may be caught in another wave once I surface, but fortunately, this is where my allegory ends. I have no chance of drowning nor will I panic and retreat to the shore, giving up on an exciting venture.

Anyway, I just thought I would inform everyone that I am looking forward to several parts of my future including providing more consistent blogposts, making more YouTube videos, traveling... and celebrating my birthday this Saturday of course! In the meantime, I am currently very active on Twitter and Instagram (my information is in the Contact page).

Coco Avant Chanel

This post is a brief reflection on the movie Coco Avant Chanel, a movie I recently watched about the early life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. Before watching it, all I knew about Coco Chanel was that she had something to do with perfume and fashion.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I now know that Gabrielle was raised in a French orphanage. She and her sister were performers and part-time seamstresses. In the movie, Gabrielle moved in with a gentleman who grew to love her. She instead fell in love with another young gentleman (although it turns out he was engaged to an Englishwoman).

I could not help being astounded by her blatancy and her biting sarcasm. What with the times, it seemed as if she might be a feminist, however, as her story enfolded I doubted that was her solitary aim. Gabrielle seemed to me more like a woman who wanted the world to leave her alone and let her do what she wanted. I thought of how she and her sister were dropped off at the orphanage by their father and not given any explanation why, how she and her sister made a living doing what they could to survive, and how her sister fell in love with a baron who never married her.

What struck me the most about Gabrielle was that she did not accept what could be changed. It was not necessarily her courage or her rebelliousness that supported her defiance (if one can even call it defiance) - it was her decisiveness and cunning. Gabrielle was not ruthless nor proud nor naïve. She just figured out what she wanted, went, and got it. As simple as that.

I looked up some of her earlier designs and compared them to the Spring-Summer 2014 Haute Couture looks. Although it may be said Chanel's designs are classic, I might go above and beyond and say they are elegant and evoked the same response Gabrielle did: striking, yet effortless.

Super Bowl XLVIII

At the moment I am watching Super Bowl XLVIII with my family at home. There happens to be lots of yelling and munching on snacks. My feet are freezing, but I refuse to move from my position on the recliner in front of the television - not because someone might steal it, but because I do not want to miss the game.

I am live-tweeting the game and as I do, my pride in the Seahawks grows. I am what one might call a "bandwagonner." I did not follow the beginning of the season, mostly because I had just started nursing school. Reading about sports is more complicated that watching sports, so I simply did not keep up.

Watching the 12th Man from my seat, however, I wish I had kept up. The intensity of the fans and their uninhibited joy whenever fortune is in the Seahawks' favor is contagious. I imagine myself a true fan for the next few hours.

I think being part of the 12th Man is like being a member of the Church. It does not truly matter when people join in the celebration, what matters is when and what they celebrate. For instance, coming together for mass every Sunday for the Word and the Eucharist is similar to gathering for games and eating Skittles (ahem, thank you, Richard Sherman) or Rally Fries (different sport, but still).

Earlier this morning at mass, Father had stated that although he knew we were all fairly preoccupied with the Big Game this afternoon, he wanted us to turn our focus to the real reason we were gathered. Of course, my mind then wandered to the game and whether anyone would accost me about my recent public support. Then, as the RCIA members gathered after the Liturgy of the Word, the thought struck me.

No one should give anyone a hard time about supporting a good cause. And with that I say proudly:

GO HAWKS!

Taking Care of Sore Muscles the Easy Way

My muscles have been feeling a little sore from yoga strengthening sessions, especially my legs. Despite all the stretching I have been doing, my legs are still fairly stiff, so I decided to try an Epsom salt soaking solution. I found the Dr. Teal's brand at my local pharmacy and decided on the Relax & Relief solution with Eucalyptus and Spearmint. 

As I ran the bath with the Epsom salt, I smelled the glorious, refreshing scent of the herbs and knew I would be soaking for a while. I grabbed a book from my currently reading pile, played the jazz mix my sister compiled for me, and settled in.

The bath left me feeling rejuvenated and my legs felt like new! I am so grateful for the soaking solution. The scent lingered in the bathroom for a few hours, but as it smelled so good it was a welcome guest. Also, there was plenty left for future baths which was nice - a great value!