Tuesday, February 7, 2012

She pinned it....

Over the past few months there has been an observation I have made that I would like to bring to attention. Technology has advanced to an extreme level in the past ten years and I think it is safe to say that it even has advanced greatly in the past three years, with the famous iPad making its debut into the world (Steve Jobs may he rest in peace) and all of the advances in mobile devices etc. With that being said there has been some great websites that have developed along with these new technological devices. Tonight I want to talk about one in particular. This site I have never been to personally, but has been a great benefit to my life in many different ways. One of the main ways being the excellent dessert ideas that people find and then use me as their guinea pig to know if it was good or not (nine times out of 10 it is delicious).
Pinterest.com has become one of the most used sites by females than any other site I can think of off the top of my head. Now, with that said some of you might be thinking "what the heck is this guy blogging about Pinterest for?" I debated the same thing in my head for days. My reasons for writing about this are actually quite easy to defend so hear me out. I'm a guy. I do guy things all the time. I drive a truck. I shot guns this past weekend with my buds. I watched the super bowl this past weekend start to finish and I watch ESPN every day so don't question my manhood for an instant. I write these things mainly to give thanks to the makers of this great site that I have not logged on to and will probably never log on to for various reasons...
I made the comment to some fellow students of mine the other day, that I hope my future wife (bless her heart and please find me) is a frequent visitor to this site. This site makes women better. Now I am not saying that a woman cannot have a career or a woman has to do all the things in the kitchen and do the cleaning around the house. My parents are a living example that its not all Mom's job (though she does most of it and does her job well and I love her for that), but it is a group effort. I enjoy giving it a whirl in the kitchen my self.
The ideas that are given on pinterest are GREAT! The food ideas.... glorious. Especially the desserts. Just the other day I had a waffle that was not just any waffle but a waffle that tasted like a cinnamon roll and had the icing of a cinnamon roll... A few weeks ago someone made these chocolate covered cake batter balls that will probably put a diabetic in a coma but I did ask for a second. Every time I ask where they get the recipe, the answer is always the same- "Pinterest."
Not only does this site have great food ideas, but I heard from some very valid sources (the women in my life) that it has some great ideas for having a nicely decorated house for less money, and learning how to use household items in different ways to take care of the day to day things we have to do in life. If that doesn't have "great wife maker" written on it I don't know what does. Ladies if you have a Pinterest account, I solute you and your efforts to be clever and awesome in the kitchen. Men, if she has a Pinterest account... she's probably a keeper! These are my thoughts.
Ya'll come back now ya hear?!
COLEY
PS. If any of you read this post and have the sudden urge to get a recipe off of Pinterest and make it, I like peanut butter and chocolate.... OK I take that back... I like anything related to food, but peanut butter and chocolate are my favorites.

 



 


Thursday, February 2, 2012

Much ado about nothing....

Oh Brother Shakespeare...
The only reason I entitled this post that is the fact that I just got done reading acts 1 and 2. The story, is typical. The plot, somewhat predictable if you understand the time period. I still haven't decided if I like it or not. The book does force me to think in a somewhat English accent in my head and rhyme without thinking. Hopefully I do well on the quiz... I'm sure I will.
This week has been great. I think attitude has a lot to do with how a week can go. At the beginning of the week I talked myself into trying to stay upbeat and positive. Why didn't I think of that earlier? Sometimes you get into a slump. I'm not saying I was in one, but I knew I could do better and this week, I feel, was the week. The quote had been up on my wall since last semester and I finally put it to the test. Its not that I am a down person. I like to stay positive most of the time. I feel that it is more of an inward thing. There are so many things to be happy about. Life is a great thing. Friends are a great thing. Family is a great thing.
I recently downloaded an app for my cell phone called famous quotes. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a sucker for a great quote. The app seamed fitting and was free so I downloaded it. With this app I am able to look up people, or look up random quotes by just paging through. I do the randomness most of the time. It's more fun and less predictable. I am able to "star" the ones I like the most. Right now the person I have starred the most is Benjamin Franklin. I don't know if the American Foundations course I am taking this semester is actually rubbing off on me or if I really think his words are clever, but he is winning this week so far. The favorite quote by him being "If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing." If that one doesn't make you want to do something to be remembered for, then I don't know what will. How will I be remembered? How will you...?

Ya'll come back now ya hear?!
COLEY



Saturday, January 28, 2012

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

I posted that quote by the great Theodor Seuss Geisel or who most of us know him as "Dr. Suess," as my facebook status a few days ago. I know that the quote is somewhat popular, and some have heard it thousands of times. When I am searching for great quotes, it is almost always on the list. Recently I have searching fro great quotes to live by or great sayings to live by. Most of them are from the scriptures (who wouldn't want to live by the good word of God?).  Some are from famous athletes and coaches (Vince Lombardi is the man), and some are from famous authors, past and present. When I ran across this quote for the first time I liked it for a few different reasons. The first time I read it, I had to read it again to fully understand it. It made me think. A good quote should always make you think. Another reason is because it moved me to do something I don't normally do. I'm not necessarily the type of guy to just come out and say things. I'm a little more reserved, but this quote has showed me otherwise.
I remember my sister telling me just before I went on my mission that the only advice that she would give to me was "Just be you." I have never forgotten those words. "Be who you are." I have seen through observing others, that the people who are not who they really are, eventually fail. Somehow it always catches up to them. In one way or another, it comes back to bite them. Sometimes I catch myself almost stooping down to that level but I never can let myself do it and will never let myself do that. Who really wants to be a failure anyways?
Saying what I feel is kind of a new thing for me. I have never really been one to tell someone how I feel without them asking me first. That has kind of changed in the past little bit. Mainly for this quote. Really if you think about it, if you tell someone something and they really matter to you, and you matter to them, they won't mind. If you tell someone how you feel and they mind, and it really effects them, or they are offended easily, you probably shouldn't be around them anyways. With that said, you might lose some acquaintances, and there is always moderation. There are some things that can be gone without said. If I see a guy on the street and I don't like his haircut, I am not going to go up to him and say "hey buddy you have an ugly haircut!" Yesterday I was in a class and a  student wanted to comment about everything the professor was saying, and as much I wanted to tell her "hey! let the man talk!" I didn't because that wouldn't be right. If it bothers you, and they are your friend, say it.
I would rather live in honesty and know, than not know and never know and wonder for a long time. Honesty for the most part makes life easier. Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes the truth hurts really bad, but sometimes, the truth is all we need to know, and the only way to truly know, is to say how you feel. Sometimes the truth can throw you a curve ball, but at least you know. Sometimes it can bean you right in between the eyes, but at least you know.
Be who YOU are and say what YOU feel because those who mind DON'T MATTER and those who matter DON'T MIND.
Ya'll come back now ya hear?!
COLEY

Monday, January 23, 2012

Oh....the girl that slipped on the ice....

 
So I've had a few things on my mind and need to get them out.... I usually don't post this frequently and in a way I'm proud of my self and in another way that just means I have way too much time on my hands.
I think the thing that triggered this post is the fact that as a friend/roommate  and I were driving to school this morning on a ice chilled morning in the great town of Rexburg, I witnessed a rather cute girl (its Rexburg) slip and fall on an icy sidewalk. To that girl I want to say "I'm sorry you had to start out your morning that way. I know you didn't at all think your day was going to start like that. If I wasn't driving 25mph in traffic I would have probably stopped to make sure you were at least OK. If you would like me to score it on a scale of one to ten.....ten. The way your legs flew up in the air at the exact same time in perfect unison to eventually make you land directly on your bottom gave you the right to receive a ten." One thing that I admired about this moment is the fact that she didn't waste time in getting back up on her feet and continued her quick walk in the grass (smart woman). As I pulled into the parking lot at school, all I could think about was that moment and how I can relate in soo many ways literally and figuratively.
Now I'm not one to come up with these crazy analogies about life and I'm not attempting to do this now but just hear me out for a moment. This girl most likely got up extra early to get all dolled up to go to school and look as cute as she could. The outfit was most likely planned. To be honest I didn't get the best look at her (I was driving) but that ice on sidewalk this morning just tried to destroy everything she was trying for. Her confidence level might have shrunk the moment she hit the pavement. But she got up! Brushed herself off! Checked for blood (I would have too), and kept on walking on a better path than before.
Sometimes in our lives (mine in particular but in most peoples as well), we do everything we can to have the right things happen, or have what we think is right happen, but then comes that nice thin layer of ice in our paths to put us right on our hindquarters. It is those moments in my life where just like that poor girl who slipped on the ice I get back up, brush myself off and check for blood. Then...I keep going. She kept going. (This is the moment where I come up with a good quote.) "The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy. Reality sometimes doesn't make sense. I still don't understand why she had to be the one to take the fall this morning. But I did learn a few things. One-don't try to walk fast on a slick sidewalk. Two- when there is an icy patch in life you're most likely going to fall.... just get up and keep walking, but don't forget to walk with caution. Word.
Ya'll come back now ya hear!?
-COLEY