Good Reads of 2014

1. Autobiography of My Mother
2. The Lonely Londoners
3. The Mystic Masseur
4. Minty Alley
5. By the River Pedra I Sat and Wept
6. Manuscript found in Accra
7. Pride and Prejudice
8. Run
9. Mi Revalusanary Fren
10.  Sense and Sensibility
11. Little Women
12. Emma

I always look at that good reads challenge of reading a certain amount of books a year. I always look at it and long to have finished at the very least a book for each month of the year. It's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it. Granted, a well few of these were on my reading list for school but that is not in anyway to suggest that I did not enjoy the reading experience.

That is something I truly appreciate about being a literature student. Though it is a lot of hard work and, even more so for me a working student, work crammed into a short space of time with a heavy shadow of desperation clouding my days, pushing me to just get through, it still allows me to do something I love, to study something I love. Words cannot express my gratitude for such an opportunity.

I know this appears a supper simple task for those of your\ who are more bookish but for my I'm feelin' pretty fly about this right now! I will be honest with you. I did not get through all 12 within the year 2014 much to my dismay. I've gotten 95% through Emma and will finish it happily on New Years Day when i finish my ironing :) For while I am less than five chapters away from finishing it. I choose not to compromise the impact of the literature for the sake of reaching a self imposed goal which is to be it's own reward. For ultimately, I do not want this to be an empty experience...I'm taking a page out of the book of a fellow blogger and choosing to savour my season, even in literature.



I am so curious about what my reading list will look like at the end of 2015. What was on your completed reading list this year? I'd love to know! Plus, since we're less than 25 minutes away here and though i am likely to do it in a much more official capacity come morning, Happy New Year lovely readers. Onward, to victory.

Peace. Love. Books.

Christmas in Review 2014

It wasn't a bad time of preparing for it. Tis always the little things that inspire a cup over flowing with happiness.

- Stared at my friend's beautiful Christmas tree (I still don't have one)
- Had my nails seasonally painted by Shellon when i visited.
- Sent out snail mail.
- Made list and went grocery shopping for the holidays, always fun seeing the seasonal produce!
- Decorated the table with a little diy centre piece.
- Broke out the seasonal tee and smiled happily about it.
- Did my nails in red and green and smiled about it.
- Scored THE cutest holiday mug.
- Christmas lights at the gal pal's house on Christmas eve during present exchange makes my heart light up along with the room.

Gifts!

I know so many people think this is in poor taste but if your curious like me, you'll appreciate this haha

- Literature is my boyfriend necklace from modcloth I bought myself because they were having a 50% sale and I LOVE it!!!

- Pocky from my fellow Asian culture loving friend. Tasted it for the first time and it was exquisite!!

- 2015 planner in classic from A Beautiful Mess. Yay!!! I really really wanted this! Unfortunately I also got one I really wanted for a long time  for myself... I wish I'd known too as it's rather expensive and is the main gift I bought myself (I was saving a long time, haha.)

- A TARDIS mug with lid from a friend. I can't bring myself to use it though, it deserves to be on a desk but I don't have one of those so I am content to just stare at it lovingly.

- River Song's Journal from the same friend, my favourite Doctor Who character! We will pretend i squealed and not screamed when i got this. Though lets be honest, 'I'm a screamer' (that's an inside joke and is quoted directly from River Song herself! see, I'm obsessed!! ) haha I simply mean I get really excited about gifts no matter what they are!

- DON'T BLINK Doctor Who earnings from the same friend, I shall wear them to work, like an adult. She gave me a rather Doctor Who themed package which, if you know me well, you know blows my mind!

- A travel mug. from a loved one. It's so fancy you guys!!! Last birthday I got a lovely water bottle. This year, I got a travel mug which is a very valuable gift to me as a working student who has a job that requires her to be itinerant and you know, bleeds hot tea no matter the hour or weather.

---

I honestly did not expect all of these gifts! What surprised me is just how much people listen to me! I had only mentioned these little things here and there in light conversation over the course of this year and the last and...waw. I was just...so touched by these things. I admit I never look forward to getting gifts at Christmas as I do giving them and believe it or not, this is the first Christmas (ever as I didn't grow up getting gifts at Christmas) that I got so very many things, they're only seven things but they are priceless to me! Which, perhaps is why i don't feel too bad about sharing my presents on the internet. This is not a usual occurrence after all.

Perhaps my loved ones sensed how much cheering up I needed at the end of the year. I admit this Christmas was a hard one for me...i had to convince myself to close my eyes and buy gifts for those i care about and myself as the weight of tuition kicked me from behind. It was important however to make the sacrifice, how pitiful would I be if I had nothing to exchange after all?! haha Aside from that...it was really making me quite depressed working so hard at work and school and never buying not even myself anything...I had to do something about it...even if it is something small..thankfully my friends are not material monsters and understand that everything is but for a time.

I am so so grateful for their love and though! Not because they gave me gifts but because they gave me gifts that showed they cared enough to listen to what I had to say.

Planning is definitely on my list of things to do for 2015! How about you? I do hope you had a good Christmas time, I've spent many years without presents so whether you were blessed with them in a material way are not this year I pray that you must be blessed, perhaps with life, with health, with strength, with food or companionship. You know, the things that really last. :)


Enough looking back, who's ready to look forward?!!

Peace. Love. Gratitude.

Musing :: Mind : My Word for 2015 and what influenced it.

Mandala from Susannah Conway's Find Your Word Series.

Will.

Definition: Verb, expressing the future tense.

1.  expressing a strong intention or assertion about the future.
2.  expressing inevitable events.
3.  expressing a request.
4.  expressing facts about ability or capacity.
5.  expressing habitual behaviour.
6.  expressing probability or expectation about something in the present.

Synonyms: tend to, have a tendency to, are bound to, do, are going to, must, want, wish, please, see fit, think fit, think best, like, choose, prefer, decree, order, ordain, command.

Will.
Definition: Noun.

1. the faculty by which a person decides and initiates action 
2. control deliberately exerted to do something or to retrain one's own impulse 
3. a deliberate or fixed desire or intention.  
4. the thing that one desires or ordains  

Synonyms: determination, willpower, strength of character, resolution, resolve, tenacity, tenaciousness, wish, desire, decision, choice, inclination, intention, intent, volition.

Supporting words: I (will), God (will/willing), (will) Power, Strong (willed).

 
Layers under this word: Kill self doubt. Believe, Achieve, continue to aspire.

This word makes me feel: nervous, secure, sure, confident and motivated. It inspires a sense in me.

Other thoughts or feelings about this word:
I must remember that I will become the person who steps boldly into the will of God and the will I have mapped out for my life. Though during the year my will may bend it will not break. I may be beaten but I will never be destroyed. 

 " persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; "

 (1 Corinthians 4:9 KJB)

For my heavenly Father has begun a good work in me and he WILL see it through to the end. 

" being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. "

 (Philippians 1:6 NIV) 

For while I am willing He is the author and the finish, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of all that is was and WILL be.  At the same time I must be prepared to nourish my will so that it does not become neglected and small in the face of difficulty.
   
To me ‘Will’ means: it’s not just a dream, it’s not just the things I want, it is not intangible, it is not a fairy tale nor a star looked upon by reaching eyes and longing finger tips from atop a hill, it is real.

It is not just attainable but it is already in progress. It is not stagnant, it is moving, growing, living breathing and being achieved.  It is not just a feeling, or a goal, it is the future being written as we speak. It is strong. It is beautiful. It will not be broken forever because it is a steady moving course of events, not one thing but many, the very fabric of time, not supremely controlled by the mortal that is me or them but without the shadow of a doubt, guided by thus. It is life itself.


Will is a question, it is an answer and it is a promise.

Peace. Love. Will.