From a Dockers VP

"Once upon a time, men wore the pants, and wore them well. Women rarely had to open doors and little old ladies never crossed the street alone. Men took charge because that’s what they did. But somewhere along the way, the world decided it no longer needed men. Disco by disco, latte by foamy non-fat latte, men were stripped of their khaki’s and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny. But today, there are questions our genderless society has no answers for. The world sits idly by and cities crumble, children misbehave and those little old ladies remain on one side of the street. For the first time since bad guys, we need heroes. We need grown-ups. We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar and untie the world from the tracks of complacency. It’s time to get your hands dirty. It’s time to answer the call of manhood. It’s time to wear the pants."

To read the rest of the article, go here:
http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/manifesto?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+faithandfamilylive+[Faith+%26+Family+Live!]&utm_content=Google+Reader#When:16:00:57Z

I Think I May Need Prayers

Or better yet, I think my family may need prayers as they stand behind me at this time in my life.

As much as I love my Alma Mater, I must say that three years of school with no summer break is exhausting. Yes, I am EXHAUSTED. I am not necessarily tired in the physical sense, but my mental faculties have been overwhelmed, my mind has been crammed with information, and I feel that it may take a couple weeks of watching movies, reading books, and dwelling in subconsciousness to find my sanity. Is this madness? Do I sound nonsensical?

Jesus, help me! I can't even type. (I just caught myself writing, "Is I mad? Does I sound nonsensical?")

It's the second night in a row where I've found myself in tears over something. In addition to being exhausted, I find myself stressed. Although the former may be the cause of the latter or vice versa, I do have to point out one critical factor which may be in the mix. 1) I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATE.

I do not have a job. I am shy.

But you have good connections.

I hate approaching people, even people I know.

Other things to add to the mix:

2) I need to figure out what is going on with my spiritual life.

3) My grandfather is living the last days/months of his life on this earth. I know that he is going to a better place, but it is still depressing. My family is comprised of fairly quiet, shy, and sensitive folk. They argue under stress; they cry easily. Not a good combination, especially when you're stressed to begin with for reasons aforementioned.

4) People send me stupid requests for things which have no meaning and really no importance. Yet they insist. I'll give you a hint. Ask and then leave me be. I will get to it when I have time or I will say no. Either way, do not press me. It will only proceed to tick me off/anger me and thus ignore you or your request/change my mind in the negative. You will not be pleased, I will not care, and the earth will continue to revolve. (I will probably spend more time in Purgatory.)

I am venting. Please forgive me and pray for my well-being. It is almost Christmas and I am in need of cheer. (I should also go to bed and spare you all from rants that are a result of exhaustion.)

This Is What I Call An Achievement

John Paul II has been declared venerable!

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/john_paul_ii_declared_venerable_moves_one_step_closer_to_sainthood/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+catholicnewsagency/dailynews+(CNA+Daily+News)

Kipper

Kipper
Originally uploaded by andrea.lynch88

A picture I am sharing (cont'd from previous blog post)...

Outside my window ... A black road winding between two rows of clean cut suburban homes. All is lit by moonlight and street lamps.

I am thinking … that tomorrow will be a fun and busy day as we prepare the house for Christmas. We will also be visiting our favorite bakery. In honor of my graduation, my mother is throwing a Christmas caroling/dessert party.

I am thankful for …family reunions, even small ones which consist of all the kids being home for the holidays.

I am reading … Peggy Noonan's, What I Saw At the Revolution.

I am hoping … and praying for my Grandpa's health and (if it be God's will) his recovery.

On my mind …Tomorrow's festivities.

Noticing that … my room is becoming cluttered again due to the arrival of belongings I have collected over my past 3.5 years at school.

A few plans for the week … Christmas decorating, visit to Canterbury Gardens, and Christmas cooking.

From the kitchen …Chocolate. We have a tin of peppermint bark in our cupboard. My sister also received a TON of chocolate from her Kris Kringle at TAC. She came home tonight on the train and brought it with her. It sits in our cupboard with the peppermint bark.

Around the house … As a media major, I enjoy movies and watched many at school. I convinced my mother to sign up for Netflix (which I actually ended up doing for her). Since I got home, we watch a movie a day.

One of my favorite things … home cooked meals. Nuff said.

A picture I am sharing …

*Note: Until I figure out what I am doing with regards to this option, I believe I will leave it blank and put it in a separate post.

I've Done It

Let's see now... the last time I blogged was... you know, I really don't remember. That's the bad news. I always promise that I will post more often, break my promise, and then make the promise once more. I hope this is the last time due to my good news. As of December 12th, 2009, I am in proud possession of my B.S. Degree in Communications Media! Which means... I promise I shall blog more and I am going to try (not guarantee) to post every day. I don't know what I will post, but it is my goal to find something. If I can't find something, I must have a pretty boring and meaningless life. If I can't find something, I need to get my act together. It means I need to get a life!

I'm going to start tonight. I'm not going to start with this post, because for the most part, it is a fairly meaningless post. It is only a bone with a shred of meat. (I will leave it up to you to decide which part of this post is most interesting.)

Three More Days!

In three more days, school will be over... FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! I can't express how exciting I am about this prospect!

Yet, at the same time, it's all rather bittersweet. This is for two simple reasons:

1) Tomorrow is my last day and before that day begins, I need to finish putting together my business plan, demo reel, and trailer. Ah, woe is me! But I know that somehow, before Friday, it will all be over and I'll be done.

2) You have no idea of how much it saddens me to be leaving all my friends. I have so many good memories of JP Catholic and the people here. I love everyone so much.

You have to understand that JP Catholic is like a family. The school is so small (there's about 120 students) and I know EVERY SINGLE ONE. And for the most part, I consider them all my close friends (even the strange artsy ones).

The good news is, I'll be living at home for another year or so before entering a religious order (so excited about this), and therefore, hope to visit the school frequently. We'll see whether or not this actually happens, but that is the plan for the time being.

So, you see (hopefully), my reasoning for being happy and sad at the same time. I'm still debating whether or not I should wear mascara on Saturday for fear that it may all end up running down my face in long black streaks.

My Fairy Name

Love this kind of thing and I just couldn't resist when I saw it on Mrs. Fleming's blog. :)

Your fairy is called Gossamer Moontree

She is the moon goddess's messenger.

She lives in spiderwebbed wonderlands and insect grottos.

She is only seen when the first leaves fall from the trees.

She wears tiny black spiders on her dresses. She has beautiful blue butterfly wings.

Get your free fairy name here!

(My, my... Isn't it such a scandalous looking dress? If I ever meet my fairy, we are most definitely going shopping for something new.)

Update

I thought I should do this again as I now have the ability to update it! :)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars - not yet, unless you count a room, which is under a roof, which is under the stars. :)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland or DisneyWorld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hike
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse - I think so.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - Ireland!
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (in general)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - Indoors :)
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - In the process
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching -- Yes, with the Lawlesses at Dana Point.
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand-new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

New Blog

Don't worry. I hope to continue maintaining this one as well. My new blog pertains to my recently launched company, Flashback Animation Studios.

Here's the link:

http://flashbackanimation.wordpress.com/

Please tell your friends as well! :)

Awww, Ma!!!!!

Do It Anyway...

"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway." ~ Mother Theresa

I'm Getting a New Camera

Two years ago, I went to Walmart to buy my very first digital camera. I literally bought the cheapest of the cheap. It was a Nikon Coolpix. It takes really good pictures in the day, but once the sun goes down and/or if there's low light of any kind, all kinds of picture taking comes to a fast end. Not gonna lie. I've grown sick and tired of my little Nikon. It may be cute and handy, but I feel if I'm going to further my skills and pursue my passion for photography, I should make an investment.

To say the least, it's going to be a rather LARGE investment, but I'm hoping it will be totally worth it in the end. After a year's worth of research I've made my decision. Above is the Nikon D90.

Life is Good

It's Fall! A cool breeze is blowing through the window and is causing the pine trees to stir in front of the balcony. Pine trees? Since when does this girl have pine trees in any near vicinity of her apartment? Haha... well, since she moved into her beautiful new apartment. That's right! I switched apartments for my last quarter at JP Catholic. It's lovely. There's two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen and dining area, a fireplace and a front room. Right now, it smells of the Christmas Cookie candle burning on the counter top. It's wonderfully cozy. *Sigh of happiness...

But the best part of the apartment is the girls that are living there. I am blessed to still be rooming with Lisa. She's a continuous reminder of what it is to be holy. The other two girls are freshmen and they're adorable. Both are so sweet and joyous. All of us have been having a lovely time together. There has been many an interesting conversation (during which Tiffany makes baby hats). Becca was gracious enough to get a television which has enabled us to host a small gathering of girls. We had pizza, fruit, and ice cream and watched Pirates of the Caribbean. We all enjoy cooking and good music.

As for the practical things in life, each girl has good study habits, understands what it means to share the washer and dryer, how to keep a kitchen and apartment neat and tidy, and "indoor noises".

What can I say? I've been blessed and I don't know how else to put it. I am going to be sad when I leave and I have a feeling that I am going to miss these girls horribly. I am most definitely not looking forward to that aspect of graduating.

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.
- Stanley Horowitz

Would You Like To See My Schedule For Next Quarter?

Here is the schedule so far for my final quarter at John Paul the Great Catholic University. It sure looks intense, doesn't it?

Monday:

American Politics: 12:00-2:55pm

Senior Project: Post-Production & Demo Reel: 3:00-5:55pm

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Multimedia Advertising: Commercials & Beyond: 3:00-5:55pm

Thursday:

Business Launch: 8:00-10:55am

Friday (I may or may not take this class; it's an elective):

Logic: 12:00-2:55pm (I might just audit)

Then In October: The Business of New Media

October 1st, 2nd, 22nd, 23rd: 4:30-7:30pm

October 3rd, 24th, 31st: 9:00am-4:00pm

I have to get through all of this before I graduate on December 12th! :)

I Haven't Blogged in Forever

Okay, okay... I haven't blogged in a really long time. It's all for good reason, but I fear that in my absence I've probably lost some of my dear readers. *Sigh.

In my absence, I've been busy beyond all comparison. I landed a job working on a promotional video for a new children's book. (I'll make sure to post it when it's finished.) I've been reading an encyclical per week on top of at least twenty pages of other Catholic social teaching reading. The production of my senior film project has taken up most of my free time on the weekends and I'm happy to say I wrapped that up last Monday. Of course, I'm still running my business. I've also been taking an environmental chemistry class. This class is the only class I've ever taken at JP Catholic which does not pertain to my degree in some way. However, it is required so I will do my best to finish up with all that I have. And so I'm left with only two more weeks before this quarter is over. In that time I have to finish my After Effects promo for my company, write a 10-12 pg. paper on Catholic Social Teaching, write my Catholic social teaching take-home final exam, and study for my science final exam. When this quarter is over, I will have only one left before graduation! Ten weeks left in my college career! (A strange feeling has just washed over me.)

And I've saved the best news for last. A couple weeks ago, I came to a very important decision. It is my firm belief that Jesus is calling me to spend the rest of my days with Him... as His bride. In simpler terms, I'm pretty positive that I have a vocation. I've gotten past the point of tearing up with happiness every time I share this special news with someone. (If you know me in person, you'll have to ask me to tell the story of exactly what happened. I somehow do not feel quite right posting the story for all to see on the world wide web.) I'll be looking into orders after graduation. Therefore, I ask for anyone who reads this blog to pray for me that I come to the right conclusion.

I've Been So Busy

Gosh darn, I was doing so well. I was blogging almost every day, sometimes more than once. Then life happened. I have one week left of summer break (they gave me a whole three weeks) and so much has happened in the past two weeks, I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I must start somewhere.

The first week my aunt and her two kids came to visit my family in San Diego. They stayed at our house. It was interesting experiencing a 4 1/2 year old and a 2 1/2 year old living in an unfamiliar environment for four days. The four year old was probably given more sugar by my mother than she has ever received her whole life. (It's a good thing they live 500 miles away.) Mum bought those tasty little Circus Animal cookies. You know, the pink and white ones with the little multicolored sprinkles. At the park, she bought the four year old an orange dreamsicle. Worst of all, the little one would refuse to eat anything green. For example, I made dinner one night: eggs with turkey, baked oatmeal, and strawberries. There was a bit of green on one of the strawberries, and she looked at it with disdain and gave it to my sister. I probably sound like I'm complaining. Believe me, I love children, but when they're staying somewhere other than home, they're out of their routine, they're tired, you're tired, and it can become overwhelming.

They left Saturday and got on the plane with two guests: me and my sister! The airport experience was uneventful. Both the two year old and the four year old were extremely excited about getting on the airplane. The two year old (my godson) made it clear that he wanted to sit with me and his mommy and the four year old thought it would be great fun to sit next to my sister. Our flight left at 9:45am, which means I got up at 6:15am. We got to the bay area around 11:00am. Our uncle (aunt's husband) is an amazing musician and that very night was going to be conducting and directing the music for a production of Yeomen of the Guard (Gilbert and Sullivan). So, my sister and I got to babysit the little rascals while my aunt and her friend went to see the show. By this point, the two little ones were quite used to their big cousins, which made things, quite fortunately, easy as pie. They were in bed by 8:30. Bridget and I were exhausted. We had both gotten up in the wee hours of morning, traveled by air (which is always exhausting no matter how far you're going), and our other aunt had been visiting all afternoon. We stayed awake as long as we could, debated as to whether or not we should go to bed, stayed up a while longer, decided it was probably okay, and both got some shuteye. Bridget woke up at one point to check on the kids, but I was out.

(For future reference, Bridget and I are generally night owls and excellent late night babysitters. We make a great team. We're both certified in CPR and have taken care of lots of children. Bridget's good with the loud extroverted ones; I'm good with the quiet introverted ones. We schedule ourselves and make sure everything stays in order. For example, with our cousins it was: playtime, bath, books, drink of water, potty, prayers, bed.

Most recently, we've been split up as a result of receiving higher education, but we're happy to watch your little ones if we're in the area and/or are on break.)

The rest of the week was spent traveling to/fro from relative to relative: grandparents, cousins (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), aunts, uncles, you name it, we saw all that were available. We just got back last Friday. Bridget's friend from TAC came for the weekend and we had a wonderful weekend watching movies, eating good food, sunbathing, swimming, etc. Thursday is Dad's birthday and our aunt (another from the bay area who we just saw last week) is coming down for the 4th of July. I hope to put together a Europe photo album before I head back to school, make a French Toast casserole for dinner, wash the truck (it's filthy), and maybe read one or two more interesting books.

"To see the summer sky is poetry..." ~ Emily Dickinson

Just an Observation

When I'm finished with this quarter, I'll only have twenty weeks of school left.

Book Meme

1. What author do you own the most books by?
Probably L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gable series, etc.)

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
I'd say the Bible or the Catechism.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Nope.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
I'd probably say Horatio Hornblower.

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?
Um... good question. Either Jonathan Livingston Seagull or the Anne of Green Gables series.

6. Favorite book as a ten year old?
I don't remember that far back. I read a lot of books as a ten year old. If I had to pick one, maybe Peter Pan.

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
It was probably one of those Strawberry Shortcake books. I was reading to my cousin.

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Crime and Punishment.

9. If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

10. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Five Children and It.

11. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Man and Woman, He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II.

12. What is your favorite book?
I don't have one. I love most all books.

13. Play?
The Jeweller's Shop.

14. Poem?
Not really into poetry. Is it okay to think of the psalms as poetry?

15. Essay?
I can't think of one at the moment.

16. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
J.K. Rowling? Don't get me wrong. I've read all her books, but yeah...

17. What is your desert island book?
Something really long and intriguing... maybe by Dostoyevsky.

18. And . . . what are you reading right now?

Nothing fun. They're all for school, and, come to think of it, the quarter's almost over, so I'm done reading for now. When I go home for my three week summer, I'll probably tackle Brothers Karamazov.

Random

I realized the other day that if I have get married and have kids, they will be homeschooled. Furthermore, I think it will be necessary that my husband be in charge of instructing them in math and science. Therefore, I need to marry a math/science type of guy.

Or I'll live close to my sister or my dad and one of them can assist me. Or the Bagel can just be completely in charge of their mathematical education.