April Showers...

 I don't know what your particular emotions are on the uneven types of weather, such as this one, but trust me, when it showers/rains, it is a good thing! It means that it is finally Spring (or is the evidence, rather when the flowers bloom, and people are sneezing from the pollen flying everywhere in May?)! Bother...it is a good thing! It is when the earth is finally ready to show that it is ready to spring (sorry, the best I could come up with), much like a bunny (oh, good one!) out of a groggy, dismal, seemingly eternal winter (I don't think I can say this enough) finally. No more snow days where the earth seems like it is in a bad mood, so you immediately think that you have the excuse to be in a bad mood (though it is rainy...so it is not much better...) (it must rain in order to bring forth new life!), or personally, for me, I am moving to Idaho soon (I know), so currently I am seeing my last few days of working at one of my town's movie theaters (yes, we are still open, even in this pandemic, we are just barely starting to see good movies with some business, like Godzilla vs. Kong or...other movies), or on this day exactly, it is two months until the day I get married...but you're moving too fast there (I wish it would move faster 😉), these are my monthly goals for the month of April!

1) Enjoy and celebrate Rushton & Tara's wedding.-Yes, it is true, before I am getting married this year, my sister is. She is getting married this week, in fact, in the same place that I plan to get married. Goodness, it must be hard on my parents to let go of their last two children so near to each other, but you can't deny nature. You meet the right guy, or...man when you meet the right man, and no one should have anything to say about it (other than the slamming heart while you are with one another). Maybe this wedding could be a practice for me since as of right now, I have never been to a ceremony done in the temple, so I guess this could be a preview. Not to say that I don't wish my sister and her husband all the happiness in the world, because I do, it is just that I am feeling a strange emotion of anticipation, don't worry, this mood is not new to me. Butterflies are already erupting in my stomach, and this isn't even my wedding! I guess that in this current deal that we are in with COVID-19, I don't know what to expect for this occasion (trust me, I hate that...it is like the Godzilla movie I mentioned earlier, it is crazy popular at the theater, but it is a Godzilla movie, everyone knows how it is going to end). Not my wedding, so I shouldn't worry about it. Tidbit about me: I worry about EVERYTHING unreasonable. That is what created, or formed this particular goal to sit back, relax, and just enjoy (or celebrate) Rushton and Tara's wedding (I'll send you kisses from over here in Colorado to you, Mikey, my love 💕).

2) Use creativity to break up monotonous days (with painting of writing, possibly...).-I do enjoy being creative extensively...maybe too extensively, if that is even possible, I also love doing what I can to help out in the world (I know that creativity and service is a good oxymoron, but hold on, this idea could turn into something that's beautiful...creative or not, I'm confusing myself). I have recently started a YouTube channel dedicated to my weekly ponderizing to help myself find an outlet for things like this. I have only made a few videos so far, but it is actually pretty fun. I put one new video out every week on Sunday, studying and mentioning my thoughts on a particular scripture and how it connects to me in my life. I post the videos on Facebook too, if you happen to not be that YouTube savvy. That activity helps me break up the monotony on Sunday, but arguably, that is only one day a week. I want that shower to be on my life every single day or rather as much as I can possibly fit it in. I recently submitted my response to a story prompt on Reedsy with a little something on the myth where Loki gets banished, or punished for eternity, or at least until Ragnorok. It is a common Norse myth (don't believe everything that the movie tells you, because Loki is the trickster god, and death is just a part of life that we all must go through), but I decided to tell it from the not too often seen where he is the antagonist perspective of Loki. Actually, my inspiration came from a friend who told me of a story that they are writing, or rather planning where the bad guy isn't the same as what everyone thinks according to tradition. I thought that was interesting (since my storytelling is classic, and often cliche), so I decided to have my own go at it. Another tidbit about me, in one of my favorite high school classes a few years ago, one of my nicknames was Loki since I was a bit unexpected and my writing could go anywhere, as far as the story that it told. I also still am working on a story that I hope to finish someday soon that takes place right in our future. It isn't and never will be like Gerald N. Lund's The Alliance, or one of the stories in The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins or the like, but it means to offer a new perspective of what is happening through the viewpoint of one person that everyone is blaming, but no one can ever do everything bad by themselves (we aren't all a god of mischief). Also, as long as I am talking about creativity, I recently saw this fun paint-by-number thing at my Nona's house in California that was awfully artistic. I fell in love with it immediately. Since my birthday is in April, I included it on my wish list for something artistic...hopefully not assuming too much, thank you. (It is only one week away!)

3) Create a cleaning schedule for your apartment.-This is one easier said than done...or maybe I just haven't learned it yet, hence this goal. I am moving back up to Idaho in a few days to my own place, where I will live by myself for a couple of months, so I need to learn how to keep this habit, even while I have no one in particular to impress. Having one of these said schedules will greatly help me to manage my time and make the chore, or chores more bearable than anything else, really. I know this is true. When I was a little girl, still sleeping on the top bunk of mine and my sister's bunk bed (she got the bottom), before I was in a car accident that nabbed me of all my climbing and/or physical athletic activities, I tried to make my green bed everyday before breakfast, or at least before school, and doing this made it easier to think, helped clear my mind a little (which was why it was a good before-school activity). This showed me that having a cleaning routine made, and will make (because I'm not dead yet) it easier to acquire all of the cleaning solutions for the task at hand. Clean room (or house)=Happy (less crazy 😜) me. I have to start somewhere. 

4) Create meal ideas for different food.-Becoming a chef is a dream, though I try to keep the dream more realistic, at least for the moment. Maybe I should try and watch the cooking channel a bit less...no I thought I was being realistic. (And also for the argument, it isn't even the cooking channel anymore, or rather it is episodes and series that I find about cooking on Netflix, or Disney+. Currently, I am watching a version of Nailed It, but in Spanish (with the translation, I am nowhere near that good.) Right now I am cooking, or making myself sandwiches when I can, and I consider that an accomplishment since I am one-handed. My mother and others want me to stop making desserts, don't worry, I am, with things like this soup recipe and the like. Sandwiches, soups, and I also know how to make salads (but arguably, who doesn't?). Does anyone have a simple recipe that helps constitute a meal that I can make out there that doesn't start with an s? It would be much appreciated if you gave it to me. I'm hanging by a string here! (Also, this excuse is good...it just isn't the best for your health. 😋) Also a healthy, simmple recipe following the picture...

Simple Tomato Soup

-1 Tablespoon tomato paste

-200 Grams chopped fresh tomatoes

-1 clove garlic, chopped

-150 Milliliters vegetable broth

1 Handful whole grain pasta

5) Go on walks as much as possible.-It is true. I do like cake, or rather, I love cake but I also love going on walks. Ever since I was little, I loved going on walks to basically anywhere, of course when you put the slight handicap that I earned when I was 11 years old, there had to be some stipulations put on me as to where and when I was able to walk. For one, they weren't allowed to be that long anymore (I have tripped and fallen more times than I would like to admit...once I even broke my nose) (do not try to walk quickly in the middle of winter where you know that you are walking on the icy ground--I'm no skater), and it is always better if I walk with another person (though I break this rule often...yes, I have tripped and fallen and bruised my face and/or knee more times than I like to admit, but with every one of those falls, I learned something more in the art of walking). I learned how to fall, and get myself back up again, particularly, not to quote Batman, because I have never fallen down a well, wherein my fear of bats was originated. I learned how to fall, which hip is preferable that I fall into, or toward. I learned how to not fall on my mouth (along with bone-breaking, I have fallen and cracked my smile, needing replacement with artificial teeth and my jaw is in a little bit of a different place now and gets sore more often) (shut your perfect, God-given mouth about it). My family has looked into getting me a therapy dog, seeing that going on walks isn't something that I plan to stop soon, or ever so that I have a place to fall if I ever do fall...because I will. With that one, I have my worries too, since I am moving away in less than a month. What if the place that I live doesn't permit dogs? What if I never fall again? What if I don't really need it (I don't really want to pay for it...dogs are great, but they are just one more thing that gets added to the bill)? Here's a picture of my niece, Claira standing with her kid (get it? since it's a goat.). What a workout! 

6) Practice putting make-up on daily with different hairstyles.-Okay, confession time (waited until the 6th goal for that, that's good), when of all the blessings that the world has to offer, you are blessed with one able hand, it is really hard to do your hair. I can brush it, put hairclips in it, and put a headband in it...but that is about it. Several people have told me that they like it better when I leave my hair down anyway, and though this makes me feel some better, I still feel that I have plenty of untapped potentials that I can, and should recognize! For one, I have looked up how to braid your own hair if you have one hand, and though it looks really difficult, especially if you happen to have short hair like little old me, it is possible. Anything is possible. There may be doubters out there that need to be reminded of that. In fact, I have braided my hair once...it was really flimsy and it fell out of my hair, but I did do it. Maybe I need to realize that I can't become better at doing any activity if I don't practice (welcome to my life 😝). So, if I need to practice, I should only practice and I will get better. This can apply to several different ideas, like playing the piano (or any instrument), knitting, or sewing (all of which I have done...except for any instrument that tried to attach with absolutely anyone, I only know how to play the piano) (Michael knows how to play the violin, but I digress). Also, the reason why I threw the little part about practicing putting make-up on too is this: when I can't put my hair up, I feel like a less-than, like I shouldn't even try. This is a really bad practice. Everybody is worth something, even if they feel like they aren't worth anything. That little voice on your shoulder (I like to call him the devil-angel, talks like a devil, but sounds like an angel) (not to mock any of my favorite singers out there, like Brendon Urie...I still love the way that his voice sounds, so sue me (actually...don't) telling you you are way less than you ever could even dream of being is wrong, don't listen to it. Don't give yourself up. Just try. You never know unless you try, and if you fail, try again. Don't hide behind that fan, show who you really are! (Also, if you don't know who Brendon Urie is...trust me, he has a really good voice.)

7) Read Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis for the book club.-My book club is really getting a start, finally...who said that? I did, and I was thanking you. It is now taking suggestions, and this comes from one member that said that they really like the Narnia books, by Clive Staples Lewis (no wonder why he went by only his initials in his pen name) so looking at our yearly book challenge, I decided to choose one for our April monthly read this year, since it has a twist (kind of like April Fools), at least it did for me. Personally, I did not know that Caspian wasn't even a Narnian (although, strictly speaking, the old kings and queens aren't Narnian originally either, coming from the wardrobe). Maybe that is the reason for the struggle in his rule...no, for the same reason as before. (Forgive me, I am not that far in my read as of yet, I have only read one chapter.) Don't get me wrong, I have read the Narnia books by this genius of an author, it has just been too long since I last read them. Bring it. Sometimes the best parts of reality lie in fantasy. 

Rains, come on down! I dare you...😉