Just because they sparkle doesn't mean they're not strong enough...

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Don't take it personally. I just can't keep up with everybody and the less well I know you and the less you update, the harder time I have keeping up when your entries get buried in the friends who update more often because I can't read every entry possible. I'm just a busy gal, it's no sign of hate. ♥

Well I have no money with which to shop, but I was eyeing the Apple TV pretty intensely this morning on Apple's website.....

"More Than Words" by Extreme. I love it because there's more to love than just saying it; you have to show it. The lyrics speak to me, as cliche as it is. I'm so TIRED of just HEARING the words but having no actions to back them up.

I've loved this song since I first heard it in the 9th grade. I'm 22 and out of college now.

The Bean of Plymouth, MI. It's this little coffee shop where of course you can also get free wi-fi and baked goods and Italian soda...

Not only is the food good, but the atmosphere is good.

Every nook and cranny is hand-painted and decorated with furniture in every room that makes it look and feel like an actual house- like home. Local bands and artists come and play there some nights and you can listen for free, so there's also support and an audience for local talent to help their careers lift off and build support.

It's the kind of place where you can stay for hours even after your coffee is gone, and you know that when it's closing time you can literally walk over to the center of town there the green is and sit down on a bench and just relax.

When I don't feel at home in my actual home, I come here.

No, I take it back. Here is the worst advice I received.

"Don't go to Franciscan University. You can strengthen your faith from home."

While I don't regret the experiences I had at EMU, my faith got worse over the 4 years of being surrounded by liberal and sometimes atheist views. My faith remained, but it became diluted as I began to rethink and reconsider things, which is a healthy thing, but I went too far in the opposite direction on a lot of things, like sex before marriage. Though I still believe in God, my faith has completely fallen apart, I've strayed far, and I'm not any stronger even though I went to Mass religiously (no pun intended) every Sunday. I didn't have the support of many, many people my own age who thought like me. While being in a diverse environment has many merits, so does being in an homogenous environment where you can strengthen attributes about you and keep grounded in your roots, the things important to you. I didn't have enough of that in my college years, and it was very valuable to me.

What's worse is not only did my boyfriend at the time, the reason I didn't go so we wouldn't be far apart and who dumped me anyway, suggest I not go, but my mom backed him up on that particular statement (though SHE would have been by me either way), so it made it sound even more solid. Plus, since he wasn't Catholic and had a lot of problems with the Catholic faith, I'm sure that didn't help his insistence that I stay here and go to EMU. Plus, I'm sure he would have said that about any far away college, even if it was the better choice for me.

Maybe that's just a reflection on how weak I am that I need to be surrounded by Catholics to stay strong, but I wish I'd never stayed for Jeff. It's the principle of the thing. I gave up my first choice in colleges for him and he couldn't even stick things out. They had a fabulous German program, too that I wish I hadn't given up.

"This too shall pass."

When? Even if it's true, it's such a vague and broad statement. And doesn't do much when you're going through ordeals that last MONTHS.

I'M SO DAMN EXCITED FOR NOVEMBER 20TH!!!!! :DDDDDDDDD

Garrett. :)

Except I don't think Kate would like that. :/

Can't pick Riley because he's dead and only had eyes for Victoria.

But I guess if I had my say I'd pick my Revolutionary War soldier. :)

"If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere, woman."

No. And that would be a fatal mistake for sure.