October

I am recognizing the last day of September by expressing my gratitude for October! I have several good friends born on this month, it's fun to dress in costumes for Halloween, and the fall season is generally in full swing. Apart from the Christmas season, this is my favorite time of the year. This is the month where many young people are knee-deep in school, but the consecutive holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. are approaching. I like October, and I am grateful for it.

Leadership Training

My responsibility in my local church congregation has to do with coordinating music in church meetings. This evening the local church leaders held a training meeting for those with any leadership position, including leadership in music. the meeting was very helpful because in it I gained a greater understanding and sense of vision for how I can better serve other people with the responsibilities I have. In the church it is all about being of service to others and by extension of service to God (See Mosiah 2:17, found on page 148 in The Book of Mormon). I am grateful for the training and what I learned from it.

Improv Comedy

I have tried improv comedy before, and I know for a fact that as of now it is difficult for me to perform without a script or rehearsal. That is how I know that improv is a true skill. I very much enjoyed an improv comedy show tonight, and seriously laughed a lot. I am grateful for the entertaining comedy skills of those who were in the show tonight. I am grateful for the laughs.

A Comment on Chivalry

This is a rather small thing, but I truly am grateful for it. I am part of a percussion ensemble and often we need to sit or kneel on a tile floor, but we use foam mats for comfort. Today I joined two other people in a separate room for practice and we didn't have enough mats to have two per person. So, it just happened that one person got to sit on two foam mats while the rest of us had one each. We practiced for a while until it was time to pack it all up. As we got up to put things away, the lady who got the two mats said to the two of us: "Thank you for letting me have two, you guys are such gentlemen."

I really appreciate comments and compliments like that, even the small ones. Such comments are the only reasons I need to be convinced that the attitude of respect and courtesy known today as chivalry is still very much appreciated.

Le Petit Nicolas

Only very recently have I discovered this cute little French cartoon from several decades ago. I heard about it in my French class and tonight I watched a movie adaptation of it. the movie was in French (with English subtitles) and it was so funny! I appreciated the humor, and really enjoyed it. I might want to look up the actual cartoons now.

Hand-Me-Down Mallets

I am currently taking private percussion lessons because I've always wanted to learn a bit of percussion. Randomly and thankfully, we happened to have a couple sets of mallet sticks that I could use to practice with. Otherwise I would have to buy new ones myself. I am grateful to have them, and grateful for my mother who first had the idea to pack them with the rest of my college boxes a couple months ago.

Teachers Who Care

These past two days, I thought about how fortunate I am to have good teachers who care about the success and progress of their students. No teacher is absolutely perfect, but I've noticed that most if not all the teachers I've had (at least the ones I remember) have been inspirational and encouraging. I could tell they cared about what they taught and who they taught. this semester I happen to have more such teachers in school. My mind goes especially to my encouraging percussion teacher and my understanding French teacher. Both subjects force me to go just barely beyond my current capabilities, and I enjoy every day of it.

A Good Laugh

Talking with my roommates tonight, we had a couple of great laughs. It's not very often that I laugh myself to tears, but this was one of those times. I always appreciate those times. There's always something to smile about.

Lessons of the Old Testament

Today I am grateful for the valuable lessons from those well-known Old Testament stories such as the stories of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. I am grateful for the lessons they give about God's timing, how He knows what He is doing, and that all who trust in Him receive everything they need in this life.

American Football

Football, another fun sport to watch, especially with friends. It's impressive to me that the very basic objective of the sport is so simple, but there is a network of reporters and writers who discuss it and the players for hours.

Dish Soap

Where would I be without the means to completely clean dishes? I am grateful for the product and the chemical process that breaks down unwanted leftovers and allows plates and silverware to become clean again.

A Student Country Band Outside

This was unexpected, but I stumbled upon a study abroad fair outside on campus. Part of the spectacle was a country folk band providing an appropriate underscore for the exciting event. I wasn't part of the fair, but I walked by it during lunchtime. It brightened my mood in the middle of a very busy school day. 

Finally Up to Speed about Panem

So, I finished reading the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy today. I devoured the book in a day and a half because I enjoyed the story so much. I will say that I am definitely learning my lesson about spending too much time reading in one day. My eyes got really tired by the end of it. I am grateful I am finally finished with this Hunger Games thing (I'm a bit behind on it because it became popular while I was busy serving as a full-time missionary), and honestly I enjoyed the ride while it lasted.

Now, I will get back to my schoolwork.

Some Free Cereal and Milk

On my way back to my place after another long day on campus, I walked past a booth that had free cereal and milk. It was one of the better late dinners I've had in a while.

"Put On Your Sunday Clothes When You Feel Down And Out."

Today was busy like any other normal school day. On top of all that, I had a visit to make tonight as part of my accepted responsibilities. I walked quickly back to my apartment, tired and a bit worn out. I changed into church clothes for the visit, and I noticed I felt better about myself and what I was doing. I was to go with a friend to visit someone nearby and share a brief spiritual message, and it was a good visit. It felt good and right to get into my church attire (including a white shirt and a tie) to fulfill this important obligation and in my efforts to be a blessing to others, I was blessed with greater peace and comfort as I put first things first. I am grateful for the chance to put on my Sunday clothes and serve.

The Cello's Ability to Double-Stop

I am most certainly biased, but I think the cello is among the greatest of all the instruments. Of course, it does have its limitations. For example, a cello doesn't normally play more than one note at a time. The exception to this is the "double-stop" in which the cellist moves their bow just so as to vibrate two strings simultaneously. This technique, when done well, sounds so good and it is one of the many things I love about cellos.

Disclaimer: Of course, all four classical string instruments (violin, viola, cello, string bass) can do double-stops, but I'm in a cellodic mood right now.

Music and Dancing

I had a wonderful time at a folk dancing activity. I had forgotten how fun square dancing was! The energy of the music was infectious too. I couldn't help but be happy and have fun. Also, tonight I participated in a bit of cleaning in my apartment with a roommate while we listened to party tunes. Washing dishes and wiping counter tops has never been so fun until music and friends became involved.

Movies

I am grateful for movies because watching the new Star Trek movie with friends tonight was a great way to take a break after all the homework and classes I had been busy with the entire day beforehand.

Imperfect People, Increasingly Improving

As I participated in a Wednesday night service at the temple tonight a thought occurred to me. It is not a new or deeply profound thought, but a good and gentle reminder: I am among many people who are just as imperfect as I am, and we are all working toward greater happiness. There are so many good people in our communities and in our world, and we are all working toward improvement and progression. I am grateful for that.

The Quietness and Academic-ness of Libraries

Today, I had a lot of homework I needed to get done before tomorrow morning. I decided to go to the campus library because I knew from experience that if I studied at my apartment my friends and roommates would distract me and I would end up hanging out with them for a couple hours and not get my work done. I really appreciate my friends, but I really needed this schoolwork done before I spent time with them.

The library is truly the perfect place to study for three reasons: it's quiet, I have all the resources I need there, and the whole atmosphere is such that I stay motivated to study and be a better student. For lack of a more professional-sounding word, a campus library has a great amount of "academic-ness" to it that is very conducive to learning and study.

Ping Pong

I am grateful for ping pong. It's fun, it's easy (for the most part), and most importantly: when you smack the ball really hard it flies really far. That's fun. Also, I am grateful today for ping pong because I was able to do some male bonding with a roommate while playing ping pong.

Vests

Today's post will seem a bit random, but as I express my gratitude for all my blessings it should stand to reason that some of those things I am grateful for would be kind of random anyway, right?

I am grateful for vests. Why would I be grateful for vests? First, they are classy. Second, they are versatile in that they can be worn with or without a jacket and can work with or without a tie, and they always add some class to any outfit. Thirdly, if you are wearing a tie, a vest keeps it from flying around in the wind or getting dirty, in a classy way. Vests are very useful and classy, and thus they are a blessing.

Then There Was Rain

We had quite the impressive rainstorm today. It came suddenly and looked fantastic from inside the library. Thankfully, the rain let up a little bit by the time I had to walk back to my apartment, but it still rained enough for me to enjoy it before I ran into a friend who offered me a ride. I appreciated the rain today, and that I got to enjoy it, and that I saw a friend who was kind enough to drive me through the rain as well.

More Than Half A Dozen Chance Meetings

Walking between classes today I ran into several people, probably 7 or 8, I recognized from recent times past. Good friends I met on campus last year, people I've known for many years from back home, and other friends from extracurricular activities. I am grateful to be surrounded by a network of good people during my years at school here.

The Internet

I have my days when I am frustrated with internet of computer system problems. Such days make me very grateful for the 95% of the time the internet and the computers actually do work.

Three Daily Meals

Though I had a decent dinner today, I express my gratitude for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was the second day of the school year, and though I planned to take sufficient time for breakfast and lunch, I took time to do other things so I had less time to relax and eat. By the time I finally arrived at my apartment tonight, my roommate told me I looked so tired. I did do a lot of physical, mental, and emotional work while running on a very quick breakfast and a small lunch. I survived, but it sure made for a long day. I appreciate each meal for different reasons, but today I am grateful for the collective blessing of breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the society and culture in which I live.

Haircuts

My hair was getting way to long for my liking, so I got it cut this morning. I am grateful for the way I feel more confident, and even a little lighter, after getting a good haircut.

Labor Day

Labor Day is meant to commemorate the laborers, the working men and women, of our nation. Of course, for most of us it is a holiday away from work. That is true with me because I pretty much had the whole day free with no work and no school until tomorrow.

I did work hard though. I spent some time planning the next few days and seriously pondering the next steps for my education and career goals this year. I also did organizational work with my posters and notebooks and my journal. As the day draws to a close, I am at my leisure and it feels wonderful.

So, what am I grateful for, exactly? I am grateful today for work because it makes leisure a much greater blessing afterward.

Divinity (The Candies)

Today, I decided to make some Divinity candies just because I could. It is a more gourmet kind of sweet, but easier to make than one might think. Not only am I grateful to have them made and getting ready to be shared, I am grateful for my friends who helped me make them. Let's face it, cooking is a lot more fun with other people.