Five reasons you SHOULD watch the Bachelor and BELIEVE what you see.

No, that title is in no way sarcastic. Though I think most of us would simply declare the Bachelor television show as irrational and unrealistic, there are several great lessons to be learned:

1. First of all, "love" makes your emotions insane. You think that you'll be perfectly blissful every moment of falling in love with someone? HA! Forget it. Your emotions will be up and down, in and out: you'll doubt, you'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll enjoy it. Fairy tale "I knew it the moment I met you" is rare.
2. People are stupid. They make dumb mistakes. They say the wrong thing at the wrong time.  Just because that person you are on a date with says something you don't appreciate, be forgiving. We all say and do stupid stuff. Especially under pressure.
3. Hot people on the outside aren't always hot people on the inside. If you are looking for someone you are instantly attracted to, that person will probably be instantly attractive because they are in great shape with great style and great hair. That shape and style and hair will one day all be gone. Then what are you going to do? Dump them for their lack of hotness? Attractiveness grows from getting to know someone who is kind, gentle and generous. Attraction grows as you realize there is someone else in the world who enjoys your company as much as you enjoy theirs. 
4. Romantic love means nothing. I repeat, romantic love means nothing. All of those females, one male. And suddenly all those women are in love with and fighting for the same man.... If those jittery feelings inside you are your indication that you've found the perfect mate, how do you explain that twenty-five women all feel that about the same man? And how do you explain his turmoil over choosing one female over another? If it were right, wouldn't he just know? Not a chance. Romance comes from a deep, connected relationship. Not from that bubbly feeling. Romance comes after the relationship is built, not before.
5. We're all a little star-struck, wishing for that fairytale companion to sweep us off our feet. We have these dreams and are unwilling to admit that they are indeed dreams that have no basis in reality. Not only do those people on the screen need a wake-up call, but so do the rest of us. Love doesn't happen on a TV show, or in movies, or in a song. It is built slowly over time with patience, forgiveness, endurance, a strong will, faith and hope. 

More brain mal-functioning.

My body has decided to wake up several times a night, and because of this I am able to remember many of my various dreams. For better....or for worse.

Jim had chosen an invitation for us to mail out. Except it came out HORRIBLE. There were lots of photos of OTHER people and buildings, none of just us. It had a tropical theme, but it looked like the di-cut machine had exploded. Jim wasn't happy that we had to go back to the printer to get it all fixed. And I don't blame him. It was a dungeon lair with metal doors, and the walls were seeping with water. After descending into the lair, we came upon a large open room with ramps and stairs leading down to a platform above a black pool of water. My oldest nephew and his parents were with me, and my nephew was running around the walkways, then stopped to stare over the edge of the railing to stare into the water.

That's all I remember. And still no explanation: Except I have been thinking about my nephew lately, and we are planning to order invitations this week. Hopefully the printer doesn't work in a dungeon.

It's all in My Head.

Amy Adams was a Junior High school teacher. She was started to go berserk. She stomped/ran to the white board to write.Then she got insanely angry, her eyes turned red and yellow like a monster, she leaned in towards a set of four students, glaring at them, hitting one of them. Then the scene turned into a nasty, furious brawl. Everyone was in a fight. The fight wasn't like something you see in the movies, but real and nasty.Someone was sent through a pane of glass near the front of the room. The last images of the dream were of people all cut up, with paper-cut like looking cuts all over their bodies, but no blood. Loved ones were bent over each individual.
One poor kid had his kidney's hanging out, so they covered him with a sheet.

Disgusting images, aren't they. This was a dream I had last night. Usually I am able to figure out the source of my dreams from things I have seen or experienced at some point in my life. This one was totally out of the blue. Maybe a combination of "I Am Legend", "Enchanted", and an awkward Junior High experience, but nothing really to that level. 

But thankfully, it was preceded by something much more entertaining. Jim and I were required to have a civil marriage before we could be married in the temple. So, a week before the temple sealing, we had a ceremony and reception. We were going to do anything we wanted. The next weeks reception would be formal and socially normal. But for this round, I wore a dress that I've worn before as a costume but can pass for a wedding gown. In an 18th Century style French aristocrat dress, I was scrambling to get my hair done. I had forgotten to get earrings, so sent my sister to grab some since I couldn't move very fast in the dress. I finally got my hair up, but was more than 30 minutes late for the ceremony. Jim was also dressed in 18th Century French aristocrat clothing, complete with a pony-tailed wig, and high-heeled white boots. My sisters and I danced into the room to pop music to begin the festivities. It then jumped to after the party. Jim and I changed into normal clothing and got in his car. We drove around some familiar streets for awhile. Jim was incredibly nervous. We decided to get a Red Box. I decided on "Young Victoria." That dream ended, then the nasty nightmare ensued.

Dear Brain, 

I see no connection between the two and now you make me feel like a psycho to jump moods so quickly. What?!

I'm grateful for....

A fantastic man. With more than marriage as a life-change coming up in the near future, sometimes I can be a little beside myself: Confused, lost and full of worry. Life has simply become overwhelming. Though the future is bright and full of hope, taking action to secure a few minor details (graduation, job, etc.) has been very difficult. There are so many options, so many wonderful possibilities, I had worked myself into an indecisive rut. And yet, this man of mine is patient and supportive. He's willing to say, "Dear, you might need to rethink your strategy." He talks me through my own thoughts, listening to and validating them. With a hug and a kiss, he assures me the future will be happy and he will help me get wherever I want to go.

Cheers to you, My Dear, for putting up with me and pushing me to pursue a goal and go for the gold.

P.S. Happy 7 months (or 3 months) on Friday.

Lamentations of the Ill.

I have always tried to have the attitude that having a cold, the flu, or any such not-so-life-threatening illness, is something to be grateful for. It's a chance to slow down, take a needed breather from a busy life and realize how grateful you are that each body-part performs it's normal function properly. Today, I am grateful for a functioning throat that allows me to speak and sing. The ease of communication is something we take for granted I think; a luxury we frequently abuse by not caring to communicate with others properly. Communication can build or destroy a relationship in mere seconds. I am grateful my vocal chords work, and my lips move in-sync.

Also, I am grateful for the ice cream and flowers brought to me by a loving fiancee.