Despite what some may have expected...

...the sun still rose this morning, birds are still singing, America is still America, and for the most part, our lives will continue pretty much unchanged, despite what happened in the election last night. 

And four years from now, the same will happen. And four years after that. The world will go on even though some of us don't get what we want. And until we all learn to accept that all we can do is all we can do, the President included, we're going to waste a lot of grief. 

On a brighter note, I'm looking forward to seeing what the next four years has in store. Good luck, Prez!

Good At Things

I just discovered this new book by Andy Selsberg. I basically love anything in list form, but a published group of lists with an encouraging, funny message? Count me in. Some of the "skills" are funny (forcing people to acknowledge how adorable your baby's foot is), some are genuine (battling inner demons), and some are facetious (telling professional coaches what to do). 

What are you good at? I'm good at handling throw up (TMI? Let's be real, I'm an early childhood professional and that's basically a qualification), watching the same movies over and over (ie The Dark Knight, Inglorious Basterds, and Dawn of the Dead), and giving late birthday gifts.

...those count right? 

P.S. - While I was linking to Amazon, I discovered this book in the "More Search Results"...what a gem!

Flaunt It

I just LOVE it when people are proud of who they are. More specifically, when women are proud of the way they look. Whether that's tall and thin and model-like or short and curvy. I have a dear friend who is just barely over 5 feet and a voluptuous little thing, and she just exudes confidence about it, and I love it.

But, I also know it's easy to not think that way. I am 5'4" and curvy to be sure, and when I try something on that I know would look just SO much better if my hips were a little straighter or my bust was a little bit smaller, it's a little discouraging.


So, here are a few things about myself that I (almost always) love that society probably wouldn't encourage, just to remind myself (and yourself!) that they're beautiful anyway:

- Hips that look a little bit like any extra bit of fat on my body
just decided to settle there and hang out.

- A broken-looking nose. Not Owen Wilson-broken, mind you, just maybe like Owen Wilson
after the first time he broke it, not the fifth.

- The roadmap of scars spanning from the top of my left foot from a run-in with a 2'x4'
to the chickpox scar next to my left eyebrow.

- I wear my glasses pretty often. They're about an inch and a half tall.
That should be all I have to say.

- Calluses and permanently bent fingers that make my little hands look sometimes like a little boy's. But those calluses took a month and a half of climbing to make so I'm pretty darn proud.

- That weird, unfortunate, impossible-to-get-rid-of, under the belly button fat that doesn't go away no matter how many lower ab-workouts I do. Which, consequently, isn't that many. 

- An almost-permanent farmer's tan. I'm not even a redneck....

Be happy with yourselves today, friends! Even though it's hard to do sometimes. You are beautiful! 

Happy Leap Day!

One of Those

(Is anyone out there a Pinecove-r? "One of those WHATS?!")

Anywho, I'm talking about one of those days. Or weeks. You know, where it just feels like too much. Too much work, too much class, too much homework, too much whatever. 

I have a feeling this is going to be one of those semesters. Not in a negative way. Just in a "falling-into-bed-totally-zonked-every-single-night" kind of way. "Absolutely-no-social-life-because-homework-is-my-best-friend-and-they-are-really-jealous" kind of way. Which means that it'll be very rewarding to make it through this semester of 19 hours of class, and 25 hours of work a week. It'll be trying, rewarding, educating, and faith-stretching. But that's okay, because sometimes that's what you need.

Happy weekend, y'all!

Sometimes...

on a really long, 

tiring, 

sneeze- and cough-filled day...

God just happens to know that you really, really need something to keep you from saying, "Meh," to the world and just laying down in bed and watching Gangland for about 50 hours...

and so He makes sure that the care package your sweet, precious, too-good mother sent to you is waiting on the porch when you get home from work...

and you still feel like saying, "Meh," to the world, but decide to push on through.

Thanks God! And Mom! 

Also...

Guess who lost 7 pounds since ... the last time she weighed herself? (a month ago, ish)

Holla atcha girl!!

Short But Sweet

Gi^vIng^ Thanks^: 

-Hot coffee on a cold night with a lot of studying yet to come

-Good company for study breaks

-Iron & Wine radio on Pandora 

Today...

...be joyful!

Thanks!

Gi^vIng^ Thanks^:

- Spending the holidays with people I love! Thanksgiving will be the Cooksey's in Abilene, and the Winchester's in San Antonio. And the Worden's for Christmas! I love being around lots of people around the holidays. It just doesn't feel like the holidays without that!

- My puppies! Murphy got neutered on Thursday, and he's recovering well. Still just as rambunctious as ever! But you can tell he's getting older and can calm himself down better. And Bear is just the same little lovebug that he's always been!

- Having Fridays off. Not having class, and only having work every other Friday afternoon is the BEST. I get a chance to take care of errands, make calls & emails, catch up on homework, do some reading, and anything else that I need to do. It's really nice, and a luxury that I know I definitely won't always get to have!

Thanks (pt 2)!

Gi^vIng^ Thanks^:

- I really like my house. I know that a lot of college students can't exactly say the same. I have roommates that I get along with, our house is conveniently located close to campus and only two blocks away from the bus stop, we have a big back yard for the dogs to run around in, and so far, the heat/AC/dishwasher/water hasn't gone out yet...which is really nice. Of course, it is still a rent house, so it's not perfect. But it is a home.


- Speaking of, I like my roommates. We kinda clashed a lot at first...three girls living together = problems. Pretty much anywhere you go. But we've worked everything out now that we've been there for a couple months, and things are going well. Whoever gets up first makes a big pot of coffee in the morning, we all really like white wine, and we have a chore chart on the fridge. 


- Netflix. We don't have cable at said house, so Netflix (and watching TV at Rex's house!) is how we get by. It's really nice to be able to watch at least some stuff at home! 

Thanks-Giving!

Today I am starting a November-long thankfulness quest! I know I'm a week late. But better late than never! I just have so many things to be thankful for and I know that I don't always think about it. Or, I do think about it, but not long enough! And documenting things is the best way (for me, at least) to remember them. So, here we go! 

Gi^vIng^ Thanks^:

- I have the most wonderful family anyone could ask for. A couple weeks ago, I was having a really rough time, so my mom drove to Lubbock to spend the weekend with me. Little Taylor worked so hard this season to get moved up to starter on Varsity volleyball! She's so sweet and funny and smart and a great sister. My dad is the best. He's funny and supportive and encouraging. And my extended family on Mom and Dad's sides are wonderful. I love spending time with them, and I'm so excited that the holidays are coming up because that's when we get to see each other! 

- I have Rexie for a best friend. At the risk of getting mushy and silly, he really is the best friend I could ask for. He keeps me positive, is always so encouraging, and he gets really excited for me when I have a good workout. And he raves about my cooking. What else could you ask for? 

- My family and I have the resources for me to be able to get a degree from Tech. I know there are a lot of people who don't get the same opportunity. And I know I take it for granted, but I really am blessed by that.

- The rec at Tech has cross-training machines. Y'all, I know it's silly, but with my knees/hips/back, high impact exercise like running really sucks. Ellipticals and cross-trainers are like heaven. It's the little things in life sometimes. 

What are you thankful for?

Courage.

"Courage does not always roar,

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice

at the end of the day, saying,

'I will try again tomorrow'."

- Mary Anne Radmacher

Brand New Day

Recently, it's sort of dawned on me that I complain too much. Don't we all, though? It's too hot/cold/windy, I'm tired, my knees/head/feet/hands hurt, I have too much homework, I work too much/not enough, I don't have enough money, so-and-so is getting on my nerves, blah blah blah...

How silly is that? "I have too much homework," - really? I should be saying, "I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to better myself through higher education, making it that much more likely that I'll be able to get a good job one day." Or, "Despite my few health problems, I am generally healthy and blessed with a body that functions as it should (most of the time)." 

Starting right now, 12:27:33 on the seventh day of September in the two thousand and eleventh year of our Lord Jesus Christ (is that right?) I, Claire Raeann Winchester, am going to go an entire 24 hours without uttering a single complaint. Hopefully more than 24 hours. But that's a good start. I hope you'll do the same. Because even positive people complain sometimes.

Think happy, be happy. 

That's all for me today!

Good Thing To Remember

"Little by little, one travels far." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Happy Saturday!

"If you want to be happy, be." -Leo Tolstoy

First Day of Summer!

Happy Summer Solstice! 

What are your plans for (the rest of) the summer? Any fun vacations? Visits to family? Big parties planned? Or maybe all three? We'll just be here in good ol' LBK, taking classes and working. But I'll be having a girl's weekend on the lake with my roommates in July, as well as a trip back to Abilene for a big, family birthday party. And then a weekend on the lake for my birthday in August! And I'm hoping I can slip in a trip to Ruidosa somewhere in there too (but shh...Rex doesn't know about that!). Anyway, be praying for at least a little rain this season for us here in Texas...it's getting pretty dangerously dry. 

Hope you are excited about this summer and already enjoying the season!

(Photos found here, on this gem of a Flickr. Don't you just love all of his work?)

Embrace.

So I just discovered My Concrete Sky, and I am in blog love. Her designs are beautiful and they are pure truth. This one is my current favorite, and is exactly what I needed for this last week, today in particular. But now, class is over, and only two finals stand between me and a little bit of relaxation before summer school and nannying kicks off. 

But, whatever you're doing this week, I hope it goes smoothly. I hope you're happy and taking each moment as it comes, because honestly that's all you can do. 

I'm praying for you, whatever you're doing! 

Agenda for the Week!

Well hello friends! Today marked the beginning of my personal Hell Week. Let me explain. Today, Tuesday: Final presentation for Child Development, book test over Friday Night Lights (fascinating book, by the way, less fascinating movie). Wednesday: Final presentation for Speech, group project paper due. Thursday: Final project due for Music, final exam for Child Health & PE. Friday: Final exam for Speech. Monday: Final project for Children's Science. Tuesday: Final exam for Texas History, final project (part 2) due for Music.


Whew. That's exhausting just to sit down and plan out. Anyway, hope you're having a good week, maybe send a few prayers my way just to ensure that I make it to Dead Day alive and all in one piece. 




(source)

10 Things

ZZ Top on vinyl reverberating through the house

Vanilla cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese icing

Perfect weather for taking Murphy on a walk

An obedient, relatively calm Murphy to take on a walk

Jimmy John's #14 with avocado and cheese 

Baking with all the windows and back door open

Crafting and sewing projects with a wonderful friend

Singing in the car at the top of my lungs

Feelings of accomplishment and productivity

A couple of really good test grades

These are the things I'm holding onto today. Today would be a textbook day to wallow in past bad decisions and missteps, harsh words and hurt feelings. But these are the blessings God has sent me to remind me that life is always beautiful.