In the hands of a Master Teacher

I feel like every day at the moment I am being taught something new.

I keep looking back on my life to this date and am so surprised to see the lessons that I have learned along the way; and with that knowledge comes the feeling that I have so much more to learn. I want to reflect on the life lessons I have gained. I'm not sure what they are specifically but perhaps if I type I will have time to pause and truly discover... well... myself, really.

"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."

I love the way books influence your thinking. As Harper Lee, author of the above quote, also said:

"The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that."

Drip Drip Drop...

Faith in the Future

Don't Look Back...

I'm gonna smile...

There's a bright full moon outside, so I guess the werewolves must be out tonight. Well, it's almost full anyway. It looks absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and I'm just going to enjoy the smile it has put on my face. I'm trying to take time, before I go back for my 2nd year at Medical School, to breathe in life and bask in the wonder that surrounds me.

I have roughly two weeks to do this. So I'd better get basking!

Ben's return

Something excellent this way comes..

Working hard... and maintaining a smile!

I haven't been able to blog as often as I'd like because I've been working some very long hours!

This week I'm working four days worth of 15 hour shifts. It'll be quite a strain, but I think I should be able to cope. Just got to keep smiling and get through it!

I do love my job. I'm working as a Health Care Assistant; and though you could say that really, what we do is the 'dirty work', it is a service that people really need in order for their lives to keep some semblance of normalcy. That is so rewarding. The people who I visit are, for the most part, so grateful for the time you spend and the care you take. Not only that, but all the families have their own ways of being lovely. They really do make us feel welcome in their homes. It is very rare for their frustrations to leak out onto us. Though perhaps that could have been phrased a little better, because sometimes it's not just frustrations that leak out!

Finding myself

My new theory about love and men...

Je voudrais un baguette, sil vous plait...?

Love is a powerful thing.

It's a small word that can change so much.

It lifts you up to heights you never imagined

and it can make you feel worse than waking up from your worst nightmare.

In the right hands; it's a gift,

in the wrong hands; a weapon.

You have to be careful who you give your love to.

I am a member of the facebook group "Disney gave me unrealistic expectations about love".

The random elements that make up my life...

The bubbles, the bubbles, the bubbles, the bubbles, the bubbles... my bubbles!

The View... and the climb...

Today I got the amazing opportunity to go with the Lichfield YSA to the Malvern Hills, Benbow's Farm and Gadfield Elm chapel, which are beautiful church history sites, from the times of missionaries such as Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor and Brigham Young.

We had a lovely day with great food, great company and we were showered with kindness.

Bitter and the sweet

Giggling again... :)

Life has taken a slightly serious tone recently- or my view of it has- so I thought I'd write on here a few things that I have giggled at or had fun with today.

I worked for 18 hours yesterday/today and as soon as I got finished I was in dire need of three things:

1) Sleep

2) Cuddles

3) FOOD

What better way to celebrate birth than a near death experience?

Becky, my younger sister, turned 18 this weekend and it has been a very active, crazy birthday!

For one thing, she decided we would go coasteering on her special day...
I don't think we knew quite what to expect when we got there, but we soon found ourselves scrambling, swimming, crawling, climbing and jumping!! I was so proud of myself for the things I did- though admittedly there was a definite moment where I began to have a mental breakdown on the side of the cliff. I was dizzy and shaking with my toes hanging over the edge! However, I did it- and all the pictures that you can see of a small figure hurtling towards the sea are, in fact, me!

Be Perfect???

I have been thinking a lot recently about the Saviour in light of me reading 'Jesus the Christ' and the New Testament and generally reflecting a lot on the atonement and how it applies to me. I think I've never really taken the time out to understand why we have such a need for what Christ did for us. However, I've come to understand more recently how essential it is to everyone to learn how to apply the atonement.

Sabbath day...

I'm not exactly Carrie Bradshaw, admittedly, but I couldn't resist putting this picture up on here because to me, that is what I like to do and how you will often find me. On my bed, typing on my computer, with my phone to my ear.

Side note: (Not to worry anyone but there was a spider in my room earlier, in the right corner. Now it is nowhere to be seen.
AH! On closer inspection, it has now been located on the wall behind me. They're sneaky things, those spiders. I might even just have to spin around so it can't creep up on me...)

As much as I try to pretend I don't care...

I'm going to leave the above sentence unfinished. It seems more appropriate that way!

I've had a good, unproductive sort of a day. I made cupcakes... the same Black Forest ones, but more substantial in size this time. And I added a little bit of edible glitter so it looks like a fairy has kissed them.

Goldilocks

Today, at church, a father of two little boys brought his sons over to say hi to me after the meeting had ended because he had been reading to them, and decided to tell them that I was Goldilocks when I was younger. I was asked questions about the episode with the three bears, and what I had learned from the events. They eagerly stretched out their little hands to shake mine and, on walking away, I contemplated the joy of being a little child. It must be fun when anything is possible.

Something for nothing...

It has really struck me lately as I've been reading about yet more MPs expenses as it becomes more and more apparent that there are very few Members of Parliament in Britain who have not dishonestly procured things that they are not entitled to. The sad thing is, the question that immediately comes to my mind is:

How many of us are guilty of, in essence, the same? How many of us would not bat an eyelash at taking stationary from our place of work, or taking a longer break than we should... how many of us are actively seeking 'something-for-nothing'?

Simple Things in Life...

I had such a great night tonight, but it's nearly 1am and I'm not tired at all. I slept all day today as I worked 10pm til 8am last night and have become nocturnal.

I've just come back from a great multi-stake activity in Leicester where I had a lot of fun with my 'band'- Mark, Randall, Kirsty and Kelsey- The "Mostly English Rejects". :) Hehe... It was nice to let my hair down and be around amazing people. Everyone needs a good giggle with the YSA from time to time. Tomorrow we have volleyball all day and hopefully a lot of YSA will be at that too. :)

Putting tears in perspective, via Flight of the Conchords:

Laughter is the best medicine...

I had such a great day today...

We can just ignore my morning. The electricity died at home so I had no hair dryer and had to go to Med School looking like a drowned rat, which was pleasant. Then in the exam room I managed to trap my finger in a broken chair so I was in blinding pain when the exam was starting. But, oh well, when it ended- my day got better.

Grinning...

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth" “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” “Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”

Men, Men, Horrible Men; I've said it before and I'll say it again!

These lyrics from Calamity Jane just came into my head!

One down...

Well, it would probably be wrong of me not to mention my exam today. It happened. It really did. It was not exactly the thrill of my life, but it's over and that is a definite plus. Nothing else I could do; could've been better, could've been worse. Let's talk about something else!!!

10 Confessions:

1) Sometimes I'm super-harsh to people just for fun (admittedly, it's less fun if they get upset)

2) I facebook stalk... regularly...

3) I'm a bit messy...

4) I understate things (see above)

5) When I feel low, I often think about what material possessions will make me happy...

6) It takes me a while to put things in perspective (see above!)

7) I am jealous of married people

8) I have fairly good ideas about what my wedding will be like... I wouldn't say that it's planned, but I have thought about colours, dresses, shoes, make-up, hair, cakes, photographers, invitations, guests, transport, honeymoons, food, table-layouts, flowers etc in great detail and have even visited sites such as http://www.designedbythebride.com/

9) I eat rubbish food just because it's easier to access. I would usually rather eat nice/healthy food- I love lettuce and carrots and cucumber and tomatoes and peppers... (YUM!) but will open the fridge and thing, "eugh! effort!" and grab a chocolate bar.

10) I have been known to build outfits around shoes... I never buy shoes that match... but I will buy shoes and then buy something that matches them... or just pray that I have something in my wardrobe!

Blessed!

I've been thinking a lot today about people in my life who are amazing.

I am so, so lucky to have the things that I have and to be so enveloped in love.

I don't really want to mention specifics! There have just been so many people that have gone out of there way to do things for me recently- from the sublime to the ridiculous! It's just been nice. Obviously my family are people in my life who do good to me most consistently, and I've felt that recently. I sometimes don't really know how to express my gratitude. But when I've thought about it lately I've realised that sometimes it's just doing the little things back to acknowledge that you notice the effort... I've started to look at things around the house with the frame of mind, "if you don't do it, who will?" followed by: "and why should it be them and not you?"

Attempt at Cupcakes....!

Ok, so yesterday I decided that I would do something fun and productive with my day, other than just revise, so I thought that the best thing to do to motivate me was to produce something yummy.

I found a good recipe on the internet, because I've been thinking about making Black Forest Cupcakes for the longest time!

Here's the recipe, incase you want to make them- I RECOMMEND IT!

Post-its

I have post-its all over my room at the moment. 

Attempt at poetry...

I just wrote this poem. I do that on occassion! They're usually not very good, and usually are a bit too wordy and don't express very much. But, it's how I am feeling right now and what I am thinking about and I just feel that it might be nice to include this on my blog. I haven't given it a title- that's a lot too pretentious... feel free to laugh at my feeble half-rhymes!

Very general thoughts about all superficial aspects of life!

Again, I have had a bit of a funny day mood-wise.

I got some really sad news today, which I won't refer to specifically on this blog- just to say that life is fragile and we must treat people around us with love and respect.

I'm currently sitting in bed, cuddling my very soft teddy... Mister Actual Something. I call him 'Mister Act' for short.... :)

Maybe I'm in denial... but...

These lyrics seem to be speaking to me today:

"I should be out in that driveway stopping you

Tears should be rolling down my cheek

And I don't know why I'm not falling apart

Like I usually do

And how the thought of losing you's not killing me

I feel bad

That I can stand here strong

Cold as stone, Seems so wrong

I can't explain it

Maybe it's just

I've cried so much

I'm tired and I'm numb Baby I hate it

I feel bad that I don't feel bad

Dawning Realisation...

I feel like today has been a very strange day in terms of my emotions. I feel like I may have been walking around in the dark for quite some time, actually, but light is starting to appear and I feel like tonight I've stopped being paralysed emotionally and have taken more than just a tentative step in a certain direction.

Book of Mormon

Wedding!

Today I got the opportunity to attend the wedding of a friend of my sister and I. It has to be said that I am not the biggest fan of weddings. They tend to overwhelm me... I don't know what it is about them...

but, anyway, it was a lovely wedding.

Do you know- I have observed that weddings never go completely smoothly. But the main thing is that at the end of the day, the atmosphere is set by the love that is evident. So, I guess my favourite parts of a wedding are the bits that others might find slightly cringe-worthy... the outward affection... the way the groom's voice cracks up when he tries to express how much the bride means to him... the little looks... the smiles... the obvious joy in each other's joy. That is truly memorable.

Nearer, Dear Saviour, to Thee

It's Just the Way I'm Feeling...

Eugh...
I'm just feeling really rough at the moment, and I'm finding it hard to pull myself out of the ditch. I have great friends and their support is invaluable. And a great family.

I woke up this morning and thought, "I should go swimming today." I think I will. I'm trying to get my brain in gear, and I suppose some physical exercise could help. I was trying to find my brother's weights too- but I guess I'll have to go and get mine from the house in Birmingham.

On Time by John Milton

Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race,

Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,

The song on this video is "Lead me Home" by Hilary Weeks.

New determination

I haven't blogged in absolutely ages! It's been 2 months!

My life has seemed to fly by, to be honest... so much has been happening and I feel like I lost track. In more ways than one! I am now more determined than ever to reign everything in and try and get something right... I need to get my life back on track.

Music...

I'm feeling in the mood for a bit of musical inspiration, and so here it is:

The nicest thing anyone has ever written or said about me:

"Harriet is an exceptional student and always has been. During her time at school I was constantly amazed at her capacity for learning and ability to reflect at an extremely profound level. Her ambition is only tempered by a leaning towards humility on her part and the result is a young woman who would be an asset to any educational establishment. For as long as I have known her, Harriet has enthused about a career in medicine and has a natural curiosity of the sciences.