What I'm Listening To...

So if you don't like silly guilty pleasure songs, I give you permission to move on to the next blog. This song came on my iPod yesterday and every time it does I have the same reaction. Bliss! I love singing this song, I love listening to this song. It alleviates a moment of stress. So if your Monday needs a smile, I'll let Nancy Sinatra provide it!



Zooey Daschenel has also recorded this song. I like it too!



Happy Monday!

My Life...

So a fellow graduate student posted this on facebook and I found it hilarious...and unfortunately, quite true.

What I'm Listening to This Week...

Since visiting the Titanic Exhibit, I've rediscovered my soundtrack to Titanic: The Broadway Musical. The music is quite beautiful. It's the perfect balance of the fun and excitement of what the passengers felt and the eeriness and foreshadowing of the upcoming doom. I couldn't find my favorite song on you tube (I wanted the Broadway cast), so here I leave you with the opening of the musical. Enjoy!

Desk Intervention

So I struggle with clutter. I always have loose paper, handouts, articles, etc. all over the place! They are used in ongoing projects (like my dissertation) so as soon as I put them away I have to get them right back out and I am left with piles...everywhere!

After three years, tonight my desk went from this....

To this....

How did I not think of this sooner? I mean, I'm about to have a Ph.D. and never thought of this simple, $6 solution to the craziness that is my desk? Oh my...Maybe it's because my brain is full from reading books like this....

Ph.D. Celebration #9

Really? My attempt to have a small celebratory activity each week of my final year and I've only blogged about nine of them? I will say I've had a few more than this but I have not maintained my once a week celebration. I'm too busy studying for my written comprehensive exams! I guess I'll just celebrate big when I'm done with this silly Ph.D. ha!

This weekend me and several of my favorite gal pals in Tucson went to brunch at a Tucson favorite, Bobo's. The pancakes are bigger than your plate and delicious!

After a fabulous brunch, we headed downtown to see the Titanic Exhibit. It was wonderful! I highly recommend it to anyone!

It's a traveling exhibit so be on the look out! At the beginning of the tour, they give you a boarding pass that resembles the actual boarding passes. On the back of the pass is the name and information of an actual passenger. At the end of the exhibit you get to look up your person to find out if they were saved or lost at sea.

Of the five of us, two were saved and three lost at sea. We heard great stories and tragic stories and it was overall a wonderful day!

What wonderful friends I've been blessed with here in Tucson!

What I'm Listening to This Week...

I love Haydn. I may have shared this cello concerto movement before but it's just so beautiful. It moves me. Today was a stressful day. I am feeling the stress of my dissertation proposal and upcoming written comprehensive exams. Tonight as I was getting ready for bed this movement came on my ipod. It's Haydn's Concerto for Cello in C Major, mvt. 2: Adagio. Whenever it comes on, I simply stop and listen. Haydn only wrote 2 cello concertos (if my memory serves me). I don't know why he stopped at two because both are quite unique and beautiful So sit back and enjoy!


p.s. I was listening to it and writing this blog so I don't know what the video looks like. Consider yourself warned in case it's dumb. In which case, close your eyes and enjoy!

"Close To Home"

A member of the church I attend wrote this song and put together the video to honor those involved in the Tucson shootings. I think he did a really great job. It's a touching piece. Please continue to pray for this city's healing.

Tucson in Pictures

I haven't had a chance to get any good pictures of everything that's been happening in Tucson, but my friend Kelly took some pictures at the hospital where the victims of Saturday's shooting are being treated. You can see them here
To open last night's memorial service, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra played Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man." It was originally written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Orchestra in response to the U.S. entering WWII. I think it's a beautiful piece and was perfectly appropriate for the service.

What I'm Listening to This Week...

Something you may not know about me is that I'm OBSESSED with listening to music on records. To me there is nothing better than listening to a good hit on a record, the way it was originally recorded and played. I love it all! I have a pretty nice record collection having been given my mom's and my grandparents record collections to start me off on my own collection. Well about 2 years ago my record player died and I just got a new one for Christmas! It came in the mail today. Instead of working on that pesky dissertation proposal, I am spending my evening rediscovering my records. One of my favorites is Ray Charles' "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music." If you haven't heard these songs, you are definitely missing out! I highly recommend it! Take a listen!

Tragedy Close to Home...

So I'm sure most of you have heard about the shooting in Tucson yesterday. It was shocking to hear about and know that it happened so close to home. Today I realized it was closer than I thought. Two of the victims, Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard were members of a local Church of Christ. Dorwan was shot while trying to protect his wife. Mavy was shot but is okay. Dorwan passed away at the scene. You can read more about them here. Today at church everything was put aside and time was spent in prayer for all the victim's and their families. It was a very meaningful time of worship. A reminder that God is near always, especially during times of crisis. After church I found out that one of my fellow music education friends was very close to another victim that was killed. My heart hurts for so many people right now. Please pray for the victims and their families. Six have left this world while approximately 12 others are injured or in critical condition. It is my personal prayer that all will be comforted and know that the Lord is good and very present.

If you feel so inclined, send a note of encouragement to Mountain Avenue Church of Christ to let them know their brothers and sisters in Christ are praying for them during this difficult time.

Have a blessed day.

Apple Pie...Mmm!

I seriously love Pioneer Woman. Last night I made my first flat apple pie. It was delicious! Thank you, PW (and Mom and Dad for the cookbook)!

The semester starts this week, so my PW cookbook will probably get put back on the shelf for about...4-5 months while I FINISH this degree and attempt to get myself OUT of the desert! 

Pioneer Woman and Me

So I love the recipes of Pioneer Woman. Unfortunately, I NEVER have time to cook nice meals during the semester so I like to take advantage of the little bit of extra time I have during breaks and do some cooking. My parents gave me Pioneer Woman's cookbook for Christmas and I couldn't wait to try out some recipes. Last night I made her chili and today I made Ranch Style Chicken. I seriously think this is one of the best meals I've ever made.

Of course mine is not as photogenic as the pioneer woman, but just as yummy nonetheless! Oh to not be in graduate school and able to cook good meals on a regular basis...sigh.

Try it! You'll thank me later!