September Birchbox

So I usually LOVE my birchbox, I think I’ve only had one or two that disappointed me and honestly this one was my own expectations being too high…. But If you like free stuff take a look!

Swapping!!!

So I am not here today. lol this is not a recording though! I am a member of 20 something bloggers, great place to be a member of! They have a thing they do every now and then where you swap blogs with someone for a day. Now my partner and I are a little late, but here is her post! Melissa is a great blogger, and I’ve loved reading her blog from the start of our swap! You should definitely check her out over at Wrong for all the Right Reasons! I should have a post up over there soon too!!  So now on to Melissa!

 

Good morning, Class. My name is Melissa and this is what I did with my summer vacation….Wait. Vacation. No I didn’t take one of those. I mean, I didn’t attend any of my grad classes. You see, class. I’m a graduate student which automatically means that all the fun is sucked out of my life for nine months of the year anyways. Then I spend the other three months trying to soak up as much free time as possible. I’m not bitter.

But really, I suppose I should be thankful I just get summers off. Well…if by off you mean working three jobs to pay for all the shoes I have, then yes. I had a few fun trips planned. But those didn’t really pan out. It mostly ended up being me working at my art museum job 5 days a week. Then cramming my 2^nd and 3^rd jobs in on the weekends.

In addition to hanging around Picasso all day, I began screening newborns ears at the hospital. It’s a process which sounds adorable, until you get spit up on. Less cute than the newborns, of course were the older Adults I taught as I taught them the importance of English Composition. They were only slightly more patient the newborns.

You see, I don’t mind working. I’m actually very good at it. But at some point I forgot to take a break this summer and the next thing I knew. I was purchasing my books for the fall semester. Bummer.

I study French. One of my goals is to teach English as a foreign language. I love everything about French Culture. And one of the sayings translated to English rings true. “Don’t live to work. Work to live.” It’s a saying I completely ignored this summer.

So in short class, I am cancelling you today and I am going to read a non-academic book , drink a glass of wine, and dance like nobody’s watching. Go do something fun today.

This is a Day to Remember…

“This Isn’t The Kind of History I Want to Be Present For” -Sarah Bunting.

I recently read this essay from Sarah Bunting, she was an eyewitness to this day 10 years ago… I can barely believe its been ten years, I was 14 years old when this happened; and now I’m 24, and I can still remember how I felt and what happened, I saw this status going around on Facebook; “If you asked me if I remembered what I did last Tuesday, I couldn't tell you. But if you asked me if I remembered what I did 10 years ago on Tuesday, September 11, 2001... I could tell you exactly what I was doing. Remember our fallen heroes and let's NEVER FORGET!!” This is how I pray that I will always feel.

America was united when that day happened to us 10 years ago, We wanted to be a force to be reckoned with. We wanted another thing like pearl harbor. Instead they told us, to go out and shop, to not let the terrorists make us afraid to be American. They were wrong. We were strong and united and sitting here today again watching the news I can’t agree more with the quote from Sarah Bunting’s essay. I did always want to be a part of history, but this is not what I was looking to be a part of, but I know I will never forget.

Parts of this post have already been posted here and here.

Once again, I sat at work this morning and watched the news, as they spoke and showed some of the old clips my eyes stung and my throat closed up and I flashed back to that morning…

I remember going to school and laughing as I joked with my friends.
I remember spending the first half of class gossiping and ignoring Mrs.. Tole who was desperately trying to teach us Sophomore English.
I remember glancing at the television in time to see the clock and counting the min until class was done when it suddenly became news and I watched in horror as one of the planes hit the tower.

When they had the moment of silence I felt a tear drip down my cheek as I remembered how I felt that day, I cried out and pointed at that television and then

I remember how no one breathed in that room as we watched the news Mrs.. Tole stopped teaching and we all had our eyes locked on that television set.

I held my friend’s hands in a tight grip and we all were praying that maybe it was like a horrible joke, or when they read the War of The Worlds and everyone thought It was real when it wasn’t.

I remember the bell for class change came and none of us moved until we were forced to, then we ran to Mrs.. Sansonetti's room.
I remember how I didn't like Mrs. Sansonetti at all and how she didn't like me any either, but when Megan mentioned wasn't my cousin in NYC she came over and hugged me just in case.

I still tear up when I think about the feeling in the pit of my stomach that day and the worry about my family.

We didn't have social studies that day, we watched the news, when the announcement came that the district was blocking every single outside channel because the "Images were to disturbing" I wanted to scream.

I still hate the fact that we were blocked out on what was going on because they were worried that we would worry, because it didn’t help any.

I remember we all stared at the clocks on the TV willing the news to come back the rest of the day.
That was the ONLY lunch where everyone was silent. There was no joking, or laughing, or talking, or food flying, there weren't even any whispers.
None of us knew what was happening. I remember going home and finding out my cousin was safe. I cried.
I cried because she was fine, and because so many people weren't.
I will never forget what I was doing that day, I will never forget how in that instant I felt the bottom of my stomach drop and I wanted to be able to fight and get even. Or how the next second I wanted to curl up and cry and pretend it never happened.
I will always remember how everyone banded together after that, how we were a united country, all colors, religions, creeds, we were all together and ready to fight.

I pray that I will always remember….