Photo-a-Day December Challenge: Joyous

The theme of today's photo is Joyous.  While I know that the sight soon to come before your eyes in anything but joyous for many people, I decided to go with it none the less:

Yes, this is my little cubicle at my internship.  Right now, working in an office is all new and exciting to me.  I'm only there two days a week, and it makes me so happy to walk in, smile hello to people (who are all so nice, and the office is really a cozy and warm place) and sit down at my own little space.  As an introvert, it's perfect.  I get my tasks for the day, and then I'm left on my own to work on them.  I don't run out of things to do, I have my coffee or tea, I listen to music on Pandora or simply sit in the silence.  For me, it is joyous.

What about me?

I have been looking for a full time job for the last six months or so.  It's been a... frustrating process to say the least.  Look, and look and look and hand out my resume and look some more, a few interviews, look some more, looking, apply for a few jobs, get an interview, continue on looking. 

After a while I ran out of ideas and out of steam.  I watched my facebook newsfeed popping up with posts of "I'm looking for a job", soon followed by "I had an interview and they hired me!"  I felt like I was sitting in the back row of  a classroom, waving my hand and saying "Um, God? What about me?  I'm looking for a job too!"  I kept waving and trying to get His attention, trying to ask Him if I was headed in at least sort of the right direction.  There was nothing, and it seemed like God had forgotten that I was trying to find a job too.

As this continued on, I stopped waving and started thinking a little more.  Maybe God was answering me by not answering me... and I began to wonder if finding a full time job was really what I was supposed to be doing right now.  A friend of mine shared something her (very wise) mother said to her on her facebook wall: "Maybe God isn't telling you where to go because He wants you to be still."  So I tried to be still, and I tried to look around and figure out if there was something that I was missing.

The idea of going back to school and getting an associates degree had been brought of once in a while over the past few months, but I brushed it off because I thought what I needed was a full time job so I could save up for a car and a life and a future.  One of my mom's friends works for the local junior college and she kept telling us that we needed to come in and see what grant money we could get and take some classes.  My mom checked into it, and saw that if my sister and I both signed up we could get a pretty decent amount of grant money to cover tuition.  Still, I pushed it off for "later to fit in once I have a job."

I was becoming increasingly frustrated and worried about what was going to happen with my future.  My Knight in his wisdom suggested I pray a St. Therese novena since she's helped us out before.  I grumpily responded that I didn't even know what to ask for... but after a helpful period of adoration, I figured something out and am in the process of following his advice.  

Right now... I think I have an idea of what God wants me to do, and why He hasn't helped me to find a full time job yet.  I won't tell you yet, because I don't like telling people things before they are certain and then having to go back and say, "You know what I said that one time?  Well forget it because never mind."

I suppose the moral of this story is... if it seems like you've been jumping up and down for a long time and making yourself hoarse by shouting "God!  Hello God!  What about me? I'm still here!"  maybe you should stop shouting and figure out why God isn't answering you as fast or in the way you think He should be.  Maybe there is another option out there that He wants you to consider instead.

7 Quick Takes Friday - Vol. 5

1.

It is now officially fall, as of last Saturday.  Hurray!  After how hot this past summer was here in IL... I am ready for the cool fall weather.  It's been mostly in the low 70s and upper 60s - heaven after months of 90s and 100!  I'm slowly starting to get out my fall clothing, enjoying being able to drink tea, and wearing all my fun scarves.

2.

Sister 2 has been reading Les Miserables for school, and so on my last trip to the library I picked up the original cast highlights from the musical CD.  I'd gotten it a while ago and fell in love, but it wasn't until this time around that the Les Miz love spread to other members of the family.  I've never seen the musical performed before... but I am SO excited for the film adaption coming out in December!  I think that it will end up being an incredible production, and I am eager to hear how the music turns out.

3.

From An Edible Mosaic

Twice this week I have tried out two Pinterest recipes, and they both turned out splendidly!  Monday morning is muffin/coffee cake/breakfast bread morning at our house, and so I made Pumpkin and Cheese Spice Bread.  It was the perfect breakfast bread... a little bit of sweetness in the pumpkin, but muted by the cream cheese topping to keep it from being too sweet.

4.

Photo from Erin's Food Files

The second recipe was Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles.  (Can you tell I have a thing for pumpkin and cream cheese?)  I made this dessert yesterday as part of the "Desert-a-Month Club" that we give to our grandparents as a Christmas gift every year.  Each month for the whole year they get a homemade dessert.  This one was pretty simple to make, and it came out tasting delicious!

5.

There is sadness and potential tears on the TV horizon... tomorrow will be the airing of the fifth episode of this seasons Doctor Who, and we will see the final departure of the Ponds.  Amy and Rory have been around for two and a half-ish seasons now, and I've spent longer with them than any of the other companions.  I am excited for the new companion at Christmas.... but yeah.  This is going to be sad.  

6.

On a happier TV note - season two of Once Upon a Time starts on Sunday! OUaT really hit its stride about mid-season last year, and from what I've seen and read, it sounds like they haven't dropped the ball on this one.  We'll get to see Storybrooke with the magic returned and several new characters like Captain Hook, Mulan and Sleeping Beauty.  I am quite thrilled to discover what will happen next.

7.

Your Little Princess Costume Design , a small business that I co-operate with my friend Elizabeth, will shortly be announcing the addition of four new designs to our pre-designed costume line!  If you haven't seen our designs that we have already, I encourage you to check them out!  Elizabeth is an incredible seamstress and artist, and the dresses she's imagined are really lovely.  If you like what you see, and you have a little princess of your own - then please consider interviewing us or featuring us on your blog!  In return, we'll give you 10% off the dress order of your choice.

7 Quick Takes Friday - Vol. 3

1.

There has been a chill creeping into the air as of late, a very welcome change from the 90 and 100 degree weather we've been having around here the past few months!  I am rejoicing in the temperature drop for many reasons, one of which is... it is now cool enough that I can drink tea again without overheating!  In celebration I picked up a few new flavors from the store to try, a vanilla caramel, mandarin orange spice and a chai spice tea.  The vanilla caramel and mandarin orange are fighting for the place of favorite tea right now.

2.

I realized the other day that as of next week I will have been working at the office for four months now!  On the one hand, it doesn't seem like it's been that long already, on the other I feel like I have been there much longer!  I am really enjoying working there, and I realized today that I now recognize almost everyone who walks in the door.  There are some very lovely people who come in, and while some days are stressful, it really is a fun and enjoyable place to work.

3.

Chilly weather and fall also means another one of my favorite things... pumpkin!  I have yet to bake my first pumpkin recipe, but I'm think I will be giving these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cheesecake Frosting a try very soon.

4.

'Tis also the season for new season's of favorite TV shows.  My family and I have already begun watching the episodes of BBC's Doctor Who each Saturday.  Our viewing list will soon be joined by the new season of ABC's fairy tale drama Once Upon a Time, and from the glimpses I've seen in the trailer and photos of new characters, I think this promises to be a very good season.  OUAT really hit it's stride in the second half of the first season, turning out some brilliant episodes, and I hope that it continues with it's winning streak throughout all of the second season.  The new season of ABC's Castle is also starting up again soon, and as I have only seen a few of the episodes, my plans are to start watching the previous seasons and hopefully catch up before too much of season five goes by.

5.

For any writers out there, Ink and Fairydust - a bi-monthly emagazine that I assistant edit - is hosting a fiction contest.  Winners will get their works published in an upcoming issue of the magazine! We are accepting submissions of short stories (2400 words or less), poetry (1200 words or less), and comics (8.5x11 page or smaller). Just email any submissions to Submissions@inkandfairydust.com by November 1st!

-You must be an I&F subscriber to enter (Not a subscriber yet? Simply email Subscriptions@inkandfairydust.com!)

6.

A lesson in paying attention... an older gentleman came into the office the other day, and he was sampling some of the walnuts that a different patient had brought in from her tree.  He proceeded to tell us how the other day, he was eating almonds.  He had them sitting out on the table in front of him, and while he was eating, he took out his hearing aid and set it on the table as well, as he was going to change the battery.  He didn't do so right away, however, and as he was talking to his wife, he continued to eat his almonds.  Without looking down at the almond pile, he picked one up, put it in his mouth, bit down... and realized it was his hearing aide!  We all got quite the laugh out of that one... I wonder how he'll explain it when he orders a new one!

7.

At this weeks meeting of Spirit and Truth (a Catholic group for young adults) we got to hear a little bit of the vocation stories of two of the married couples in the groups.  They each shared how they met, and a little bit of what they experienced during dating.  It was a nice treat to get to hear their stories... as one of the couple's pointed out, you hear the vocation stories of priests or religious all the time, but it's not that often that married couples share theirs.  Yet marriage is just as an important of a vocation, and one that the majority of people are probably called to.  It was very helpful and encouraging to get to hear the stories of young, Catholic married couples for a change of pace.

On the Job

I can hardly believe it's nearly the end of my second week of work already!  Yes, I'm only working three days this week because of Memorial Day - but two weeks have almost gone by.  

It has been a great experience so far.  I am working at a chiropractic office for the doctor that my family and I have been going to since he opened his doors 11 years ago.  It's a small, very comfortable, friendly place to work - as "The Boss" says 'We are the exact opposite of a stuffy medical office.  We are here to make people feel welcome and heal them, not give them a prescription."  This attitude really creates a great, fun environment to work in.  And  - while it does tend to make scheduling appointments and work hours a little crazy - I think it is really neat that The Boss plans when the office is open around his kids baseball games, or other important activities, so that he won't miss out on them.  Many people would just say "Sorry kids, but this is when I am working."

My time has been spent in learning the ropes around the ship.  To date, I've learned how to greet and check patients in, answer the phone, schedule appointments, handle payments,straighten magazines, where the staff's private stash of butter mints is located, how to do stim and ultrasound therapies, always bring a snack with because I invariably end up starving in the middle of my time, no jeans or sandals (yeah... no one told me the dress code so second day I wore  both. ;-) ) and - my favorite yet so far - processing x-rays in complete darkness.  Really, I did enjoy it.  I was nervous I'd mess something up because there can be absolutely NO light in there, not even a light from your watch if it has one, but it was fairly straightforward and I was told I did an excellent job!

Right now there are six other staff members besides myself. I'll give them names so if I refer to them in the future you'll know who I'm talking about.  There is Mrs. Boss, office manager and - obviously - The Boss's wife.  Future Doc, he's been working there for about 2 years, and he'll be leaving in July to go to chiropractic school. Very friendly and knows the names of every single person who comes in and they all love him. Woody - because for some reason he reminds me of him - is the kid who'll be taking Future Doc's place.  Definitely a teenage boy, but nice and easy to get along with.  Dolly Parton, the lady I'll be working the most with once I finish training.  Very nice lady, really friendly, sort of looks like Dolly Parton only not as sacry-old-lady-trying-to-look-young.  I guess it's more that they have the same hair color than anything.  Anyhow, very nice lady.  Then is also Dolly's daughter, whom I only met today, so no name for her yet.  Last is the Captain, the lady who has been training me.  She's strict, particular in how things get done, but as long as you work and don't use your cell phone behind the desk she'll like you and is easy to work with.

Then of course, there are the patients themselves, but I'll save them for later when I have more stories and experiences to share.