A slice of humble pie... in the face!

I haven't been feeling very well lately, I can't decide if it's a cold or what but it's really taking me out! As most of you in the blogging world know, I quit my job a few months ago, my boss called and asked if I could "save her life" and come work one saturday (today) while she's out of town so I agreed... little did I know I'd be on my death bed with the flu. The store is located where Yamaha Motors used to be. Their main store is now where the pawn shop is and the garage where all the "toys" were kept is where my store is. (Needless to say this makes for VERY hot summers and VERY cold winters). So today I've been sitting in my empty store playing the "woe is me" game, I think you all know it?

- I don't even NEED to be here right now!
- why did I agree to this?!
- I'm freezing!
- It HAD to be pouring rain TODAY!
- I CANNOT feel my toes!!
- I hate that we only have a space heater!
- my back is killing me! I'm so achey
- No one is even coming in today cause of the rain!!
- I wish I was home watching christmas movies... (you get the point).

I went out to my car in the rain, got my lunch, brought it back to the store, opened it ... and then this woman and her 2 kids come in JUST as I'm about to dive into my lunch break! so i'll put that one on the list too

- oh my heck OF COURSE someone comes in once it's time for my break!!
- thanks a lot!!
- i've been in here all day with NO ONE and then someone FINALLY comes in now! great......

The whole time they're in the store they are discussing the christmas gifts they are getting for their 2 other siblings (they must have drawn names?) the whole time the kids are pointing out things for their siblings while the mom is doing the math and trying to find something in their budgets. Finally they pick their items and come up to my desk.... achey, sniffling, and coughing I stand up off my

"Bob Cratchit"-esque stool to ring them up and the woman says "oh my word! you look terrible! (thanks lady) are you sick!?", I replied "oh yeah, I've been fighting this for days!" then she says "you know what always helps my colds? The carmel apple cider from Starbucks! 2 sips of that and I'm all better!" so while ringing her up as fast as I could so I could get to my lunch I replied "oh i'll have to do that thanks...(not)" I gave her the bags "you feel better dear, I just hate to see people so unhappy!"  "okay I will thanks! (get out of my store) have a good day!" Once she left I FINALLY started to eat lunch and I immediately went back to
-my back hurts!
-great now my food is cold!
-what a crappy day!
-is it 6 yet?
-I need to go take a bath... in my crappy bathtub at home
-I'm so sick of my stupid apartment
-I want a house
-I hate living in cedar! i'm so over this place, crappy rainy weather!....

and then the door opened again (letting out ALL the warm air i'd accumulated around me from the space heater) annoyed, I looked up and it was same little lady who was just in here?... she walked across the room, up to my desk, and with a big smile on her face said "here, I could just tell you weren't having a good day and we need you to get feeling better on top of that!" and she handed me a nice steaming hot cup of carmel apple cider from Starbucks... "oh! thank you so much! you really didn't need to do that!" to which she replied "oh we don't really NEED to do anything do we? you get better now!" and she turned and left the store..... wow....  This lady was worried about her budget for her kids for christmas and yet she'll still go get a $5 cup of cider for a complete stranger in the pouring rain! It REALLY turned my entire day around. Out of sheer excitement I tend to skip thanksgiving and move right to christmas and this year i've been trying not to do that but that really brought out the christmas spirit fire in me. Instead of always focusing with what's on my plate I need to better understand that other peoples plates are just as full and I need try to lift others like this women did for me today. Someone else in the world needs you to be that person for them and I hope I can step up and come through for who ever that is.  The lord loves us and is aware of our needs and it's through others that he shows us that.

Senior Showcase

This week is an exciting one for me! My senior showcase is being exhibited here in Cedar City all week. After 5 long years of college and hours and hours of preparation and setting up for this exhibit I must say it feels like a pat on the back to finally see the finished product of my college experience. I've even SOLD a few of my pieces which is an enormous boost to my self esteem I must say :)  I'm coming in on my last semester of college ( and it's gonna be an easy one!) I'm taking ceramics, painting, silkscreen, art history and yoga so this gallery is really my last huge assignment for college (unless I don't pass math AGAIN) and it feels so good to have it done and passed me. now yes, it goes all week and I still need to be there every night but the stresses of it are gone. I'll put up some "Before pics" and at the end of the week (so i don't spoil it for those who are planning on coming) i'll post some "after pics". Thanks to everyone who came opening night! It was a huge success! Thanks to both my families who are driving all the way to Cedar City just to see it! I love you!

This is my poster advertising the gallery, we put them all over town and campus to get people there.

this is our Gallery space right when we got to it. It looks much different now.

 This is me cutting out my pieces onto foam core.

 This is where I was for pretty much 18 hours, hanging and leveling pictures over and over again.