Zoom zoom zoom!

I love her so much! :)





Montana, here I come!

I just bought my ticket for Montana to visit Katie and Jordan Holsinger. Needless to say, I'm a little bit excited :)

Dear Paul

"For I am already poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

2 Timothy 4: 6-8

I really love Paul. I love his faith and his furious, unfailing, passion to spread the Gospel of Christ. To me, he is the perfect example of a loyal servant of God.  I can't even begin to fathom all the suffering he endured for the name of Christ.....yet he never let the world get the best of him (or the worst of him, I suppose). Paul lived for a purpose every single day - and he always brought glory to God.

Many times, Paul's life has given me courage.

But then there are other times, like now, that Paul has scared the living crap out of me. If this is my example of a good and faithful servant....one who can confidently say, "I have fought the good fight"....then what does that make of me, when most days I fail to even pray or open my Bible? 

"Faith without works is dead"....so it's time to be poured out!

Learning to love

"There is no remedy for love but to love more"

- Henry David Thoreau

This may sound silly, but I have been bothered by the fact that all of my recent posts have been quite shallow and insignificant. I have adequately covered the "laughter," but where is the love and holiness? I feel that this is a reflection of my heart. For the past four-ish months, my passion for living has been a little lackluster (to say the least). Instead of living life to the fullest with my usual optimism, I have turned into a robot - simply "getting through" each day and holding on to the little things that bring momentary happiness.....like chocolate and crazy elderly people, for example.

But however difficult it has been, I am thankful for these last couple of months because I finally feel like I am learning patience. Instead of moving in the wrong direction simply for the sake of moving, I am happy with going nowhere in the right direction. I've stopped losing sleep from thinking about the future and I am content with my life....even if it hasn't gone at all like I had planned.

And more and more recently I can feel God calling me to be more....and that patience isn't the only lesson that God has in store for me.

I believe it has started with my wonderful puppy, Gabbie, who is teaching me how to love again. Another motivation is a recent family crisis that has reminded me of the sacristy of human life. That we are made in God's image. For a purpose. And that his plans for his children are much greater than our own. I pray that God will ignite a fire in my heart that will consume me from the inside out....and that he would remedy love with more love, and teach me to have joy in all circumstances.

Panda dog

A friend of mine brought this mind-boggling creature to my attention tonight and I believe that it is worthy of sharing with everyone. This is a panda dog. Confused? So was I. So heres the story.....

An abandoned white dog named Columbo, a cross between a poodle and a Maltese, was dyed to look like a panda in order to cover up the stains around his eyes. As a result, the panda look-alike became the most popular dog in the neighborhood. The owner now hopes to use Columbo's popularity to rescue other abandoned dogs, where over 700 of them were put to sleep in Tokyo last year.

A Little Bit Stronger

I LOVE THIS SONG!

My Gabbie girl

Isn't she precious!!!

Meet my lovely lady, miss Gabbie. I have had her for three days and I am already convinced that I could not live without her. She is the toast to my jelly, one might say....and I'm in love! I can't even remember the last time I felt this happy!

She is a three-month-old lab, shepherd, golden retriever and pit bull mix. She is the perfect combination of playful and relaxed, and she is a major cuddler! Everything I ever wanted! She has already learned to sit, and tomorrow we will work on laying down. She is a very good student. 

At the moment, she is passed out on the pillows and snoring like a grown man....it's ridiculously adorable. I can't wait to play more tomorrow!

YAY GABBIE!

Tree time

Sitting by the Christmas tree with a hot beverage (possibly including Bailey's) is one of my most favorite things in the whole world! Amy and I set up our tree this afternoon and the holiday cheer is radiating through our apartment. I already can't wait to come home tonight and simply delight in the glory of the Christmas season and our beautiful tree. I am one happy lady :)

Residents got jokes

Here is an inappropriate joke told by one of my residents that I wanted to share with everyone....

Q: What's the difference between a woman in church and a woman in the bath tub...???

A: One woman has hope in her soul and the other has soap in her hole!

The first thing I thought of when I heard this joke was: Professor Riest.....I am positive that he would feel a great amount of joy by hearing this. He could add it to the countless other inappropriate things he says in the classroom, haha.

SMILE! Hehe :)

Episode 2 of "The Elderly Say the Darndest Things"

There are many things about working at the assisted living home that are nowhere near fun....in fact, some things can be quite dreadful. But then there are also numerous other aspects that I absolutely love. For example, a while ago I wrote about how "The Elderly Say the Darndest Things." Well it happened again tonight. Like always, there were two residents remaining in the living room watching their nightly movie. One was male, the other was female. Again I'll call them John and Jane. Most of the residents were already in bed and things were quiet around the home, so the other caregivers and I were enjoying the peace and quiet and chatting about life (we were actually discussing the awesomeness of rollerskating, lol). This is when one of the girls noticed the HARD CORE sex scene that was taking place on the TV. And I'm not kidding when I say hard core! I can honestly say I've never seen a sex scene to rival it, haha.

So here is the dialog that followed:

Caregiver: "OH MY GOSH! John, what are you watching?!
John: "I don't know! I didn't know it was going to be like this! It's supposed to be a war movie....I thought it would be a bunch of combat!"
Jane: "Well I'd much rather watch this..."

Then moments later this is what I overheard....

Jane: something, something...."drop his trousers and pull his pecker out...." something, something....

Man! How I wish I had heard the rest of that sentence! HAHA!

Skeletons in the closet...or something else??

My director would not be too thrilled with me advertising this story....but it's just too funny to keep to myself!

So at work last night my director was giving a family a tour of the home. He had already spent a lot of time with the family, informing them off all we have to offer and all that jazz....so the only thing left to do was to show them around. The only room that we still have available is one of our biggest rooms that has it's own bathroom and a walk-in-closet. Huge selling point, right?! Well here's the kicker....just as my director was highlighting these points, he opened the door to the closet where he and the family were shocked to find a huge pile of crap right in front of them! There was even a skid mark running down the side of the wall! BAAHHHAHAHA! One of the residents must have been disoriented and mistook the closet for the bathroom, and since the room is empty, this little accident went unnoticed.  Needless to say, my director was NOT very happy. Oops!

Body pillow

I haven't had much of interest to write about recently, but in one of my previous posts I said that I was going to start writing songs and I have been doing just that. As a result, my late-night thinking has developed from  random nonsense to rhymes about random nonsense. I have found it extremely satisfying, but poor Amy can attest to my serious lack of skill in this area. For example, here's what I was thinking last night about my body pillow. I bought it a few weeks ago and have fallen deeply in love. I can't believe I have lived my whole life without one!

My body pillow brings me joy

It takes the place of stupid boys

I wrap my arms around it tight

And sleep until the morning light

Seton Hill

I just got back from my interview at Seton Hill in Pennsylvania and wanted to share this glorious campus with you all. Now.....try telling me that you wouldn't want to attend such a heavenly place?! You can't, right?! Yeah.....because anyone with eyes should want to go here! It's BEAUTIFUL! Let's see if I get in....!

do re mi fa so la ti do!!!

I have struggled with what I wanted to be when I was a "grown-up" for my entire life. I remember in high school saying that I was going to be an engineer, an architect, an actuary.....or pretty much anything that would make me rich. And then in college it was a personal trainer, an exercise scientist, a coach, a missionary, and finally a physician assistant. Unfortunately none of these things have anything to do with my real childhood dreams to be: 1. A mommy, or 2. A singer. Any of you who knew me as a child know that these were probably the only two "girly" characteristics I had growing up. All other attributes were strictly BOY. I wore boy clothes, played with boys, had a boy haircut....I even tried walking, talking and peeing like a boy (and I'm pretty sure my mom caught me doing the last one). But anyway! When I wasn't climbing trees and playing in the mud with frogs, I was probably playing house.....and I was definitely singing while doing all of the above.

So when I was talking to my parents the other night about my future, I made a bold remark against God......He definitely forgot to make me musically talented! Seriously, what was He thinking?! I mean, I almost never stop singing or listening to music.....and I have a whoooooole lot of emotions that could make for some killer lyrics. Therefore, I have decided to ignore my musical handicap and write a song. I have absolutely NO IDEA how to do such a thing. My mom said it's like writing a poem.....well I suck at writing poems. In addition to this obvious set-back, I don't play an instrument or have the right notes to pair with my doomed lyrics. But I'm determined! So wish me luck! And if you're one of my musical friends reading this, I may put you to work at making a tune! :)

Scrub a dub dub...

Scrub a dub dub

Three men in a tub

And who do you think they be?

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker

Scrub 'em up, one, two, three!

First, let's all agree with how weird and incredibly creepy this nursery rhyme is! Who in the world ever thought it was a good idea to put three men in a tub together and then share it with children?! No thanks!

Secondly, and more on the point of my intent, I realized tonight while "scrub a dub dubing" a resident that my favorite thing about working at the assisted living home is shower time. Now.....before you think I'm a creeper or have some sort of strange old people fetish, let me explain why I treasure bathing my residents.

Being responsible for the needs of twenty elderly people, plus cleaning, laundry, dishes, phone calls and whatever the heck else....is a hefty task. Everyday I wish I had more time to give to my residents. I wish I could get to know them better....their life history, their favorite memories, and even their favorite color for that matter....and I really wish I could do more to make their lives just a little bit better by simply being their friend. However, it's hard to spend even five minutes with anybody before I'm called to my next duty.....unless we're in the shower room. This is our sanctuary. This is where I can spend twenty minutes of quiet, uninterrupted quality time with my resident. This is where I really get to know them. And this is where I grow to love them.

(Maybe I'd rather not be washing their booties during this special bonding time....but I guess the pros outweigh the cons lol).

This made my morning....

notice the mileage....

I am easily amused :)

Man of the hour

Norah Jones is a phenominal artist. Her perpetually alluring voice and lyrics make women dream of nothing more than a glass of red wine and a late-afternoon nap. She is definitely my kind of girl. My favorite song on her latest album is called "Man of the Hour" - a love story.........about her dog. When I first heard the lyrics to this genious song I fell in love immediately. Take a minute and listen for yourself:

I was thinking about this song while I was lying in bed last night with my own man-of-the-hour, Jerry. Jerry is my cat who lives at my parents house, and he is my perfect man for many reasons. He's tall, dark and handsome (for a cat, I guess), he's laid back, he loves me, and his favorite thing in the whole world is cuddling. I love, love, love cuddling! And I love Jerry :)

 

Choctoberfest

In honor of the wonderful month of October, Mongolian BBQ has jumped on the German bandwagon with their new promotion, bd's Mongo Okto: Oktoberfest 2010! This is exciting because....along with serving Sam Adam's delicious Octoberfest (so good! once it hits your lips! it's so good) and excessive amounts of schweinbraten, sausage and sauerkraut......we have CHOCTOBER! YUM!

What is Choctober, you ask? Well it's only the most incredibly fudgy, chocolatey goodness ever! The one unfortunate thing about it is that it's only served as a mini. (If you haven't been to Mongo recently to know what a mini is, just imagine one of Applebee's "shooters" and you'll get the picture). Therefore the Choctober is just simply NOT big enough! Can I get a Choctober in a Big Brownie bowl, please? With some ice cream and extra fudge on top, too? YES PLEASE!

So. Instead of honoring October by drinking beer and eating sausage per the traditional Oktoberfest, I have decided to make my own celebration and I'm calling it Choctoberfest. Therefore, for all you chocoholics out there, we now have a justification for our addiction this month. I have already begun celebrating by eating excessive amounts of mini Butterfinger bars - I just so happened to stumble upon a bag that an unlucky customer dropped in the parking lot of Meijer (yeah, I picked it up....don't judge). This was after I fell for the buy-3-get-2 candy bars for free advertisement in the check-out isle.....

Maybe next month I'll come to terms with my problem and enter a rehab program....but as long as it's Choctoberfest, I'm going to live everyday to the chocolately fullest.

Why I need a pet

Isn't he CUTE?!?!?!?!?!

Over the past week, I have been obsessing about having a pet. When I'm not constantly browsing petfinder.com for the perfect pet, I am thinking about all the reasons why I NEED a pet. And not in the usual way that most people think it would be fun  and cute to have a companion....but I truly believe that having a pet would greatly benefit my personal well-being. Did you know that pets are beneficial to one's health???  Check it out!!!

Top 10 Reasons to have a pet:

1. Pets promote social interaction - YES PLEASE!
2. Pets encourage exercise - my life is seriously lacking in this area!
3. Pets are non-judgmental, and love you without condition and don't care what you look like or accomplished that day.
4. Pets encourage laughter and playfulness, reminding us not to take life too seriously.
5. Pets help with depression and loneliness.  Someone depressed will focus on themselves.  A pet gives that person an outward focus, a purpose and someone to care for.  In return they get back loads of love and affection.
“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” 
~ Ben Williams
6. Children growing up with pets develop more empathy - okay so this one doesn't apply right now.....but SOMEDAY  it will :)
7. Mental stimulation. Animals encourage social interaction which triggers memories and encourages communication.
8. Reduced blood pressure.  Studies have found that having a pet actually reduces blood pressure and triglycerides (Working with the elderly everyday makes one aware of such things)!
9. Physical touch - MY LOVE LANGUAGE!
10. Relaxation!

Meaningless

One of my residents passed away yesterday. It was the second death in the two months since I have been working there. What has surprised me most about their deaths is how quickly the world adjusts to their absence. Within only a few hours, the resident is bathed, dressed, packed away and taken to the funeral home, while life at the assisted living home continues as if nothing at all ever happened. Nobody even seems to notice. 

.

The following passage from Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11 speaks the troubles of my heart.....

 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

  "Meaningless! Meaningless!" 

       says the Teacher. 

       "Utterly meaningless! 

       Everything is meaningless."

  What does man gain from all his labor 

       at which he toils under the sun?

 Generations come and generations go, 

       but the earth remains forever.

 The sun rises and the sun sets, 

       and hurries back to where it rises.

 The wind blows to the south 

       and turns to the north; 

       round and round it goes, 

       ever returning on its course.

 All streams flow into the sea, 

       yet the sea is never full. 

       To the place the streams come from, 

       there they return again.

 All things are wearisome, 

       more than one can say. 

       The eye never has enough of seeing, 

       nor the ear its fill of hearing.

 What has been will be again, 

       what has been done will be done again; 

       there is nothing new under the sun.

 Is there anything of which one can say, 

       "Look! This is something new"? 

       It was here already, long ago; 

       it was here before our time.

 There is no remembrance of men of old, 

       and even those who are yet to come 

       will not be remembered 

       by those who follow.

Quote of the Night

You know the TV show "Kids Say the Darndest Things"? Well I think a show "The Elderly Say the Darndest Things" would definitely give it a run of its money. Like children, old people seem to lack a filter between their brain and their mouth....however, the things they say differ in the fact that elderly people aren't quite as innocent as children. Let's just say this wouldn't be a family-friendly program, haha.

So tonight.........it was about 10:00 and most of the residents were already in bed. A male resident, female resident, another caregiver and I were sitting in the living room together. We'll pretend their names are John, Jane, and Emily (respectively). Emily commented on how long John's hair was getting and teased him about letting Jane run her fingers through his pretty curls. Before John could even get a word in, Jane responded with all the seriousness in the world, "I don't even think he has a penis." I died.

These are the moments I live for.

Apwoyo!

Apwoyo is the most commonly used word in the Acholi language. Literal translation: "Thank You." When I first arrived in Northern Uganda, I found it quite silly that the phrase "thank you" was being used as a greeting. To them, saying "Apwoyo" was no different than you or me saying "Hey, what's up." However, this simple gesture is a window into the heart of the Acholi people, who proved to be the most genuinely thankful people I have ever met.
So to begin my blog, I want to say Apwoyo. Hello, and thank you for being a part of my life.

Now let's get down to business. Why am I writing this blog? Maybe it's because "all the cool people are doing it", or because I have always found a sense of peace in writing about my feelings....but last night when I decided to do this it was for two main reasons:

1. When I'm laying in bed at 2:00 in the morning and I can't sleep, there are a lot of crazy things running through my brain at speeds reaching nearly 1,000,000 miles an hour....so I figured that sharing them with the world would not only provide a release for myself, but also a laugh for my friends and a few stray cyber-surfers. So if you enjoyed my facebook status last night...follow me! cuz that was only a preview of the wild and wacky brain of Katie Hunt.

2. I LOVE to read. My favorite books are the novels that get you really super emotionally involved without ever requiring the use of your intelligence....like Harry Potter, for example. Pure bliss. You might be wondering: how in the world does that inspire one to write a blog? Well here's how it works......I love to read. It's like eating Pringles..."once you pop, the fun don't stop." Consequently, I can read one or two novels a week, depending on the length. So let's say that I read two books a week and that each book costs saaayyyyyy about $12.00. Now multiply $25.00 a week (gotta add tax) by 52 weeks in a year and that's about $1,300! As a poor, poor, POOR, striving young adult.....I simply can't afford such a habit! Solution: find a new, FREE hobby - so now I'm blogging!