Gettin' Dirty... kinda.

Hello, Lovelies!
I love getting my hands dirty... both literally and figuratively.
I never feel so gross (pun intended) as I do when I feel like I am doing nothing.
This has led me to a few new endeavors (I've realized I don't like the word "goal"--too focused on the end point and not enough on the journey):
1. Volunteering, again. It's been a while and it's time to put on my big girl boots, and get down and dirty for what I believe in... more details to follow.
2. Being responsible... wooah. Hold the boat on that one. I'm trying to "Be responsible for what I say and do"... yes, like the Girl Scout promise. This includes cleaning up some past "messes," but it feels really good.
I'm always adventuring and endeavoring and (other action verb here)-ing... but these are my main ones right now.
I'm pumped for classes to start up again, and ready to get back to work on studying what I love.
Much gratitude.

Humble Pie: It's like Perkins... Only Better!

Who knew Humble Pie is served up as a whole pie  and by the slice?
While my adventures have not led me so near the internet in recent weeks (who am I kidding--months), I want to reiterate the importance of what I think I'm doing. I am learning patience and appreciation like I never have before. I learning perseverance and dedication.
When I am frustrated or angry or discouraged, I think of what I am grateful for... sometimes this takes a bit of time. My first thought when I feel any of these isn't "I'm so grateful...", but taking a second even if I'm rushed to feel gratitude, even for the most simple of things, gives me different perspective.
I find this especially when what I love is what's causing the feelings. If I am getting aggravated with someone I love, I think of why I love them. If I am getting frustrated while playing roller derby, I think of why I love the sport and am grateful to be taking part. If I'm upset at work, I remember how grateful I am to have a job.
Some perspective from a person trying to live every day with love and gratitude.

oh. oh yeah, I remember now... I had a blog.
ahem, have.
I have a blog.
yesterday was my first day off in the month of July... and I'm still broke. go figure.
rather than a long list of all the awesomeness I've been creating, but rather share a few morsels.
my girlfriend (finally!) lives in the same city as me! so much love and gratitude.
trying really hard to keep positive about a few aspects of my life, and sometimes this is tough, but really what is bringing me around these days is the ideal I have created with this project.
I have started being grateful at each meal and really taking the time to enjoy my food.
I have started thanking the sun... just saying thanks in a variety of ways when I feel the urge...
Sending gratitude to people I miss, or intentionally loving people and sending them good energy, even if I am in a room with them.
I've realized there's no such things as perfect... I'm gonna be grumpy, or whatever non-happy state of being sometimes, but my ability to pull myself out of those has grown immensely from the Love and Gratitude I've been feeling this year.
So much love, ya'll.

uh oh! ten minutes til the library closes... just a quick check in, then.
my cleanse of all that is gluten-y and animal-y lasted about 2 days... it's hard. and I got whiny real fast.
words to the wise: choose one cleanse, or, as I have decided to do, just monitor and alter the intake rather than complete elimination... ways to stay un-grouchy and keep friends.
loving and gratefulness can sometimes be hard... that is a lesson this year is teaching me. finding genuine gratitude and love when I would rather be yelling at someone is not easy... not that I'm really the yelling type, but we all have our moments of weakness, don't we?
staying in touch with gratitude sometimes even makes me more mad in the instant, but in a longer span of time, I've found that nothing can call me down quite like the slice of humble pie that comes with being grateful and full of love.
oh, 2011, you lovely trickster, you.

My life feels like everything is on fast forward right now!
So much excitement!
I know I posted about PRIDE, but once again, in case you didn't get the message the first time, IT WAS AWESOME!
So... the excitement.
1. My team voted me the Team Spirit Award for our Derby Banquet! Yay! So much love and gratitude to those amazing ladies!
2. July means that this month me and my lovely girlfriend will be celebrating a year! (WHAT?!) ...and now she's going to give me a hard time for listing derby first and her second... I'm leaving it this way ;-) Love and Gratitude for a beautiful year!
3. I have been being social, like goin' out and stuff! I'm a bit of a hermit... and I am enjoying the company and the good times I have been having!
4. New job is turnin' out to be quite awesome... Love and Gratitude for all that is to come!
5. This one will sounds odd... but I am going back to being Vegan and on to a Gluten-Free diet starting today... No, I have no idea what I will eat, BUT I am excited to feel all healthy and good inside. I've done Vegan before no problem, but Gluten-Free is a new one for me, and I love pasta... but I don't like feeling icky... anyway, Love and Gratitude for the maturity in making this decision and for myself. And for not feeling gross inside. Wish me luck?

Love, Love, Love.

What a busy 13 days it has been!
Rounding out my PRIDE weekend in the Twin Cities! Wonderful times, wonderful celebrating, and wonderful organizing! Love and gratitude for the whole weekend!
Also, love and gratitude to New York!!!
I love spending entire days in pajamas with people I loved. This happened, and I am so grateful for that day!
I love car trips!
And cinnamon rolls (and figuring out how to fix recipes which I have "messed up")...
I am grateful for the new job I recently got.
I love finding old things that I lost. Read: one of my many student i.d.s I misplaced throughout my college career recently found its way out of the disk drive on my computer... yay?
I am grateful for my girlfriend... and I love her, too!
I love random adventures to surprise people!
I do not love the smell of used sponges. I do, however, love clean dishies!
I love dancing!
I am grateful for kool-aid :-)
I love spending time with friends!
Love and Gratitude, and a little extra enthusiasm!

on the loose to climb a mountain

on the loose where I am free

on the loose to live my life the way I think my life should

for I've only got a moment and a whole world yet to see

I'll be looking for tomorrow on the loose

That's the chorus from one of my fave camp songs! This time last year I was beginning my adventure as a summer camp counselor. Last summer was definitely a challenging one, but I loved my time at camp and am so grateful for the memories.

I love making up words. Grateful for my friends who put up with such quirkdom (let's go for a ride in my Fatillac)!

I love having an entire day without any obligations... I am choosing to be productive today (and thank goodness for that), but if I wanted I could have stayed in my bed all day. Grateful for me-time.

I love reading. Grateful for the reading time recently! I'm finally reading Fried Green Tomatoes!!! So. Good.

I love having someone to miss. I know I promised no mushy-ness for a while, but, this doesn't count. I am grateful for all the love I feel. xo, MJ.

Love, Gratitude and Fatitude!