Inauguration

So today marks a huge day in history, granted it was already going to make the books considering we are receiving a new president, but today is even more historic. Unfortunately I will be unable to watch the first hour of the inauguration due to a class I have, but all in all it is still historic. Whether you wanted Barack Obama to win or lose, I hope we as a nation can stand behind him and support him through the decisions he and our government have to make. Regardless of who became president this election, they are going to have a rough start in our nation due to the recession and the fact that many people believe we should be out of Iraq (what 9 years later?) by now. Obama will however, understand and do his best at running our country like any other president has. 

Cookies!!

The other night, I baked some cookies and finished them up by decorating them last night. This was my first time working with these shapes and they were a baseball hat and a basketball jersey. I think they turned out pretty well and I cannot wait to perfect them in the future.

p.s. hope you like my new background color, the pink was kind of getting old on me.

Never Again

Today along with my classmates and my friend's family we buried my friend that passed away earlier in the week. After a very nice ceremony that was full of tears and laughter (just what he wanted), my classmates and I gathered at the opening of the church for a tunnel and a final farewell. In high school, when a team goes to the playoffs, all the students and teachers gather together in our long hallway and make a tunnel to cheer them on. Devin wanted just that for his funeral and that is what we gave him. My close friends and I have decided that we do not want to bury another classmate for a long time and who know what lies ahead of us, but we will get through it. 

Praying

So my friend and I were looking online the other day when I came across this interesting way to pray. I never thought of it and I like the way that it works. It is called the five finger prayer and this is how it works:

Starting with the thumb since it is closest to the body this should remind you to pray for those closest to you such as good friends and family. 

The pointer finger, coming next reminds you to pray for the teachers, instructors, and healers in your life. 

The tall finger reminds you to pray for the leaders of your country, church, and etc.

The ring finger is the weakest of all the fingers so this reminds you to pray for the weak, sick, and those in trouble.

The final finger, the pinky reminds you to pray for yourself. It is important to remember yourself when praying considering that you already prayed for the rest with the first four fingers. 

Another Angel

Today I found out that one of my classmates from High School passed away. He was diagnosed our senior year with a very rare childhood cancer and was whisked away to NYC and Sloan-Kettering Hospital where he underwent multiple chemo treatments. After 6 months in remission he found out that he had beaten the rare cancer, but that he had developed leukemia. Two to three months ago the doctors told him that there was not much more they could do and that he should go home and enjoy his time there. He did just that by doing everything that he loved and over the weekend was taken to the hospital due to an infection. He passed away today in the afternoon. If you could please keep his family in your prayers, I could not imagine the grief that comes with burying a child. 

Book Review: The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture written by Randy Pausch was written to follow the lecture that Randy actually presented where he previously taught, Carnegie-Mellon. Randy was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and a bout with chemo and a very serious surgery he found out that his cancer had metastasized. He the decided to give a life/last lecture about childhood dreams and possibilities. The book has many great life quotes and it makes you realize a lot about your personal life and how you want to live. Some of the quotes that I enjoyed were:

~We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how you play the hand.

~Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

~The brick walls are not there to keep us out . The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough.

This book was an amazing read and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I give it a  5 out of 5.

Travel Report: Salem, Massachusetts

Happy New Year! I hope yours was safe and happy :) So I recently got back from a 'business' trip to Salem, MA. I say 'business' because I am a first aider for my college and traveled with the team to a tournament there. The bus ride was a little hellish (13 hours) but once we got there it was quite enjoyable. The town is very nice and they many things to do for all ages. There is a port right there so if you are into sailing then you can sail, if you are into art and history then this is a spot for you as well since there is the PEM which is the art museum and the Salem Witch Trials took place here so there is a lot of history. The weather was delightful, however it was a little rough to find food. Almost all of the delis closed around 5 so you had to drive quite a ways to find fast food but there were restaurants and pubs galore. The people seemed friendly there were a few times I smiled at a passerby and they stared at me like I was a witch but whatever, I guess you will have that anywhere. This was not my favorite place to visit but I did like how quiet the town was. When I would wake up in the morning I would go for a walk to one of the millions of Dunkin Donuts in the town and just enjoy the quiet.