Sweet Southern Pearl

Sure, why not? Who cares if someone wants to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.  That's their choice.  Chances are, it brings them happiness, so who are you to say that they shouldn't do that?   I know when I'm stressed or upset, at ANY time of the year, all I have to do is listen to some Christmas songs and I instantly feel better.   What's wrong with listening to songs that celebrate the birth of Jesus? Songs that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Songs that make you wanna be a better person? Songs that remind you of memories and Christmases past and precious time with family? SONGS THAT MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE! What's wrong with wanting the Christmas season to start sooner so you have more time to enjoy it?   I agree that Thanksgiving should not be overlooked.  I'm a huge advocate of being thankful and taking the time to celebrate freedom and what we have been blessed with.  But that has nothing to do with ...

I've been so stressed out the past few days about papers and homework and presentations. I'm graduating next month and I still have so much to do before then.  Yesterday I was trying to work on a paper and I wanted to write, just not the paper. I was listening to worship music and I just wanted to write about my thoughts, not about research.  Some people probably wonder why I blog so much around exam times and when I have big papers due. They probably wonder why I'm using my precious time blogging instead of working on my papers and studying. I wondered the same thing myself. Til I saw this in my homework assignment, which was ironically about writing :     The last line. Research apparently shows that writing is therapeutic. I'd always heard that but wasn't sure if that was opinion. So that must be why I want to write so much around exam time, when I'm stressed out! It's like an escape, and it helps relieve my stress.   Also,...

    Last night as I was driving to church, I saw, much to my delight, that the Christmas lights were up in downtown Boone!!   My mind went back to last year at about this time, when I left class one night in November (don't remember the date) and saw the lights for the very first time ever. I remember being so overcome with emotion and just pulling into a parking spot and journaling right then and there. I poured my emotions on the paper. (I want to find that journal entry when I get home.)   As I drove again, I saw people inside the restaurants downtown, eating with friends and wished I had friends here to eat with (this was when I was living in HP and commuting to Boone two days a week, only coming for work and class, and going back home at night). I looked forward to this year, knowing I'd have people to eat with on King Street. I knew I'd have at least my brother!     This evening , Kacie and I went downtown and looked around in...

These are just a FEW things I've learned in my 25 years that I thought I'd share. (This is the serious list. I'll have 25 not-so-serious ones coming soon!) 1.  You can learn a whole lot by talking to an elderly person. Never underestimate someone because they are elderly. They deserve the utmost respect. They are older and wiser than you. 2.  If you love doing it, it's not work. And sometimes it's better to take the job that doesn't pay as much if it's fun and fulfilling. Money can't buy happiness and I'd rather make less and have fun working than make a ton of money and hate my job.  3.  Don't procrastinate! I still do it, but it's not good. As much as I love the adrenaline rush of turning in an assignment two minutes before it's due, it's really not healthy to be such a procrastinator. Life is much more relaxed when you pace your time and turn things in/get them done early.  4. Be intentional. Enough said. 5. ...

There are two times in the year where I'm much more emotional and nostalgic than others. One time is around May, when school years are ending and people are graduating and moving on in life. The other is late October through Christmas, but especially November and December.       ............................................   Y'all know I love Belk's. I love their clothes and shoes and bedding and jewelry and their awesome sales. I love Belk especially at Christmas when it's all decorated and I'm buying Christmasy clothes or gifts for people.  It has occurred to me that this will be my last Christmas to enjoy the Oak Hollow Mall Belk.  :( People keep asking me if I'm excited for the new Belk store.  "It'll be so close to you!" "It's gonna be bigger and better!" "They'll have more inventory at this one!" No, I am not excited. I do not like change. I do not care as much about the invent...