March 15th - Heather

 1.  A new keyboard and case for my ipad.  My old little (cheap) clam shell keyboard decided it no longer wanted to type the letter T.  As the letter is one of the most common letters used, I thought it best to look for a new keyboard.  A few months ago when I was looking for a new case, the ones that included keyboards and allowed the ipad to sit both in portrait and landscape only came in black....I'm not that severe of a person.  So when I saw a case that did everything I wanted and came in colors, I was a bit excited.  It came in the mail Friday and I'm enjoying it very much.  Once inspiration strikes, I'll be able to whip out my thesis with quick, smooth key strokes....and yes that inspiration can strike any time now...I am facing a deadline after all.

2.  That my mom purchased the aforementioned new keyboard case for me.  :)

3.  I'm also very thankful that she has been been willing to gift me with the funds for my class ring for graduation.  It's slightly surreal to think about purchasing a class ring and graduation announcements, but they have been ordered and should arrive in about a month.  I'm so excited!

4.  Spring break.  I'm not traveling to any exotic locale...but it will be nice to have a week without classes in which to (hopefully) catch up on my writing while still getting some sleep at night.  I know, it's a crazy notion.

5.  Google Drive.  I know it will not replace Word or Pages any time soon.  But I love being able to get to whatever I'm writing or working on no matter what computer or tablet I'm logging on from. 

March 11th - Heather

On campus today, there was a canvas labyrinth set up for anyone to walk through. Below are 5 of my meditative thoughts and reflections from walking the labyrinth. The first three are thoughts that percolated during my walk and the last two are responses to questions posed for reflection afterwards.

1. As I began walking the labyrinth, I thought of my journey through life, the way my life goals build on what’s come before. The path, like the labyrinth, isn’t a straight line, but it is continuously connected. Only I know all the bends my path has taken, and, like the labyrinth, you can’t always see the bend that’s coming up next. The path doesn’t always lead you where you think it will, but it does deliver you to where you should be.

2. On my walk there was a young woman walking the labyrinth as well. She began after me and at the point we would have met she looked around her and jumped sideways to the path she thought would lead her directly to the center. It did not. Instead of following the path, she jumped again and reached the center. After reaching the center she jumped off the labyrinth. Maybe she achieved her goal faster than I did. Maybe she didn’t have enough time. But it made me wonder about the things we miss out on because we’ve convinced ourselves to change course.

3. Along my walk I also came upon some candle wax that had been spilled along the way by another walker. I began to think about how the experience would be different at night and by the light of a sole candle. I’ve always loved candlelight. When I was a child I secretly wished for the power to go out so we could light all of the candles. It’s always just seemed magical to me somehow.

4. What words, symbols, feelings, or sounds best express what occurred? Calm.  Peaceful.  Tall trees and green grass.  Birds chirping.  Squirels scattering.  The feeling of calm entering the labyrinth is interesting. I also feel as though the labyrinth should be bigger so that there is room to do a few yoga asanas when you reach the center. There's just something about the meditative nature of the labyrinth that makes me want to do yoga. The only sound in the room was the shuffle of the cuff of my pants against the canvas pathway.

5. What happened inside of me as I walked today? I stood a little straighter. I pondered a little harder. I was more aware of my breathing and the speed at which I walk. I was more comfortable with the twists and turns the journey of my life has taken. I've always believed in the idea that we are each in the right place at just the right time...and that sometimes we have no clue as to why. I know why I am where I am in this moment. And I caught just the quickest glance of where I'm going, at which point the path curved and the labyrinth reminded me that I'm not there yet and that I should focus on the steps right in front of me.

January 9th - Heather

1.  Impromptu lunch with a coworker.  It was nice to eat lunch away from my desk!

2.  Warmer weather...even though it's really depressing overall to think of 25 degrees (still 7 degrees below the freezing point) as "warm".

3.  The small boost in confidence gleaned from scanning over the jobs that Linked In thinks I'm qualified to apply for...this could be some really handy info as the grant wraps up in the near future.

4. A rekindled infatuation with Words with Friends.  So fun!

5.  This little face looking at me, ready for bed.

January 7th - Heather

Happy New Year!  I hope you welcomed 2014 safely and warmly!  My life is full of distractions (namely this pesky little masters thesis thingy) and while I haven't been very good about posting my 5 things everyday, I have much to be thankful for as the holiday season winds to an end and the bitter winds of winter make the weather outside something well beyond frightful.  Here's what's topping my list today of the many things I'm thankful for:

1.  My car is paid off!!!!  I'm so excited about this.  Financial woes be what they may, two job hunts, and three jobs later (more if second jobs are included)....and my car is fully paid for!  I'll get the title in a few weeks and I kind of want to frame it!  This isn't my first car, it's my second.  But it is my first new car!  Now I can say that every mile on the odometer is mine and it's paid off!!!!  I kind of feel like a bratty toddler dancing and screaming "It's mine! It's mine! It's mine, mine, MINE!" 

2.  Electricity!  As mother nature is doing her best to cryogenically freeze me (without the cryogenics), I'm thankful for the electricity that powers the heaters, blankets and tea kettles.  I can honestly say that I never thought I would see temperatures this cold in my life.  The low last night was around -17 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 50 degrees below the freezing point) with wind chills in the -40's.  The high today is 0 which we'll reach for about an hour before the mercury plunges back into negative territory.  And it breaks my heart to know that there are people and animals out there without electricity or working furnaces.

3.  A full length mirror.  This may sound like a very odd thing to be thankful for.  But it's something I've shied away from buying for years.  I joke that if I can't see it, it doesn't exist.   And I've finally decided that I'm not going to make better health  and lifestyle decisions until I'm literally faced with my weight gain.  It's too easy to find clothes that fit, flatter and mask my bad decisions.  So here's to facing my fears and self in the new year!

4.  Hot chocolate, hot coffee, hot tea, hot cider....you can see the pattern here.  On this cold day, I'm thankful for the bounty of hot beverages at my disposal.  There's not a PolEx troupe singing and dancing while pouring hot chocolate into my cup...but it's piping hot nonetheless (thanks to the electric tea kettle in my office).

5.  The little Memorex speaker/docking station that my iPod plugs into.  I love it for bringing my music to life during the work day and for being pink and for having a cute little pink remote.

6.  And last, but not least, the brave and bundled student worker, Austin, who brought me my campus mail today.  I hadn't remembered he was on campus taking a winter term class and working until he strolled into my office with my mail.  I had been mentally preparing myself for the cold block and a half between my office and the mail room.  And then elation set in when I realized I didn't have to trek out in (literally) sub-zero temps today.