Irish Fair in Saint Paul!

Hello Everyone!

This past Sunday, I went to the Minnesota Irish Fair on Harriet Island in Saint Paul!
The venue was beautiful! All the tents on the lawn, the fried food smell in the air and the Celtic tunes keeping everyone in good cheer...It was fun!

My parents and I saw the Irish Step Dancers with their sparkly outfits and bouncy, larger-than-life hair. Mom and I kept pointing and saying, "I'd wear that one, Ooo, or that one!" Those girls are so talented and it looks like a lot of fun. Something not too many people know: I did Scottish Dancing when I was in Elementary School. I wore a white dress with a plaid sash. It's more like country line dancing. I didn't get very far, because I didn't want to compete. It was all for fun.

Next we saw all the FOOD! We eventually had some Fish'n'Chips....YUMMMM! Then, in Irish Tradition, we needed some Good Beer. I finally found one I like! I'm a casual drinker, at best, so this is kind of a big deal. I tried Finnegan's Irish Amber and enjoyed it! It has a sweet, smooth taste with a little zing. Those who are of age should try it if you like sweeter drinks and haven't found that beer yet. I'm still a cider fan, but this is a good beer for me.


We also enjoyed all the tents full of different items of Irish culture. My mom and I enjoyed the older sheet music! The titles, illustrations and topics were categorized by name. So all the songs about Dublin were on the same wall etc. And I found a whole section of songs with the name Kathleen* in them! *my middle name, in case you didn't know :) It's a popular name! haha We all enjoyed the LIVE items too...the Irish Dogs! They were so sweet. The Irish Wolf Hounds were huge! Some were taller than the little children...Insane! But I can understand why the Irish tamed them and brought them along on hunting trips. I would want them on MY side, for sure!

But my one weakness is the market place...All the silver knotted jewelry; the rings, earrings and other fine pieces...LOVE IT! The most interesting item we found for my dad would have been the Utili-kilt. It's a kilt that functions as a utility belt and a casual cargo kilt to wear almost anywhere. If they hadn't been so expensive, we might have been more tempted. My dad was more attracted to adding to his instrument collection by adding a bow drumb. He didn't find 'the one' but he has a good idea of what he's looking for. There was a music shop that had these beautiful harps on display. I melted! haha I eventually went home with a sterling silver right-hand ring and dangly earrings. The ring is crafted with the most unique celtic knot I've ever seen, and, believe me, I've been looking for one for years! And the earrings are  celtic classy :) Best market visit ever! Crowded, but eh, there are worse things...haha


The Grand Finale, for us at least, was hearing The High Kings perform! They are legit, from Ireland! The harmonies were heavenly, the guitars perfectly plucked and strummed to create a festive atmosphere of people singing, dancing and swingin' their drinks to the beat. Love that Celtic Sound!



Overall, my parents and I had a ball! Now whenever I head to Saint Paul, I'm going to Harriet Island.

all my love,


~Jess



Comimg Up Next: The Renaissance Festival!

MOVIE REVIEW SPECIAL!!! 2010

Hello One and All!

This is the one you've been waiting for! JESSICA'S MOVIE REVIEW SPECIAL! 

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am the go-to person if you want to know about movies and the cast members. I know far too much about movies (new and old) and love sharing that knowledge. I like having active discussions about movies, so if you agree or disagree with me, let me know!

I go to the movies to be entertained and to share that experience with others. So that's what this blog is all about: starting conversations by sharing some of the films/programs I've seen so far this year. I'll give a number of stars out of 5 (scale seen below) and a snippet what I thought of it.

Enjoy!

*=Poor
**= Okay
***=Good
****=Great
*****=Awesome

In Theaters:

Avatar *****
Best of Everything Film of the Year!
This is one of the films that has it all! I know that everyone loves it, and I have an idea why! The fictitious planet seems real; the people, the vegetation and exotic animals. I wish it were! Gorgeous film. It was an awesome adventure! The only thing I could have lived without was the obvious tree-hugger overtone...But it does show how our society's 'need' for energy sources can destroy everything if we're not careful.

Toy Story 3 *****
Best Family Film of the Year!
From start to finish, this film was a treat! Visually stunning, the story was engaging and the new characters were excellent! They rounded off the story really well. I'll admit, I teared up a few times near the end...I can't wait to see it again! I believe in the magic of animation :)  

How To Train Your Dragon ****
TS3's Only Competition for Best Family Film! So Best NEW Family Film!
 This was the most original family film I've seen in years! I loved the Viking culture, the characters and the dragons! Toothless reminds me of my baby kitty :D The flying was amazing in the theater! The creativity behind this film was impressive!

Alice in Wonderland***
Most Upbeat Tim Burton Movie of the Year!
I was expecting to see everything from the original film in computer animation, but nope! Burton changed up the story quite a bit, but it was fun! Since I've read the book, it was fun to hear Johnny Depp quoting the random poems. He was the strongest character but I also enjoyed the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen and the Caterpillar. The only character I was turned off by was Anne Hathaway as the White Queen...I sensed she was making fun of her Princess Diaries role or something. I hope I'm wrong, but there was something insincere about her performance. Maybe it's just me :P Overall: Crazy, but that's what Alice in Wonderland is all about.

Iron Man 2***
"I love Robert Downy, Jr!" ~Lesley Decker, biggest fan
This was the perfect movie for Lesley and I to see together! I loved the technology, action and, of course, Robert Downy, Jr! *sigh* Les and I didn't like the new casting of Rhodey, but Don Cheadle tried. But that's what was wrong, he tried to be like the other guy instead of making the character his own. Lame! My favorite character other than Iron Man himself was Mickey Rourke's baddy Vanko! He was fantastic! Overall: Fun ride!

Inception *****
Best Action/Thriller/Mind Bender of the Year!
Chris Nolan is a genius! To be honest, I enjoyed The Prestige more, but the idea for this film must have been extracted from MY dreams! I have vivid dreams all the time so I enjoyed the general idea of not realizing you're dreaming unless something strange happens. The ending is very debatable, but I think that's the point! The only thing I would criticize about the movie is that sometimes the story dragged when I wanted it to speed up. Risky move when the audience is revved up by the desire to see how it ends. Great 'food for thought' type movie.

Twilight: Eclipse ****
Best Twilight Movie!
I wouldn't consider myself a Twihard, but I enjoyed the books and I make sure to see the Twilight films the first day/weekend they are released! Actually, my first experience with the story was with the original movie. I lost my breath! No lie! So for the next month or so the Twilight Saga became part of my bedtime ritual.
This movie sets the standard that the other films should have been at as far as the quality of photography and makeup. The vampire skin finally looks believable! The script is still very weak, but that's why the books are better. Everything happens over a longer time so it doesn't surprise you when Edward wants to marry Bella etc. Speaking of Bella, well, Kristen Stewart, I was relieved to see less spastic shaking from Miss Stewart. For this we need to thank the wonderful director and editors for choosing to do mostly close-ups of her so the shaking was out of the frame. Thank you!
Overall: Enjoyed it! Love the back stories of the other characters (boo on them for setting Rosalie in the wrong time period, grr!) and that the films are getting closer to the epic-ness of the books.

Clash of the Titans **
This is purely an action movie. Not much story (well, at least they started with a good story!), but the action scenes were the focus. Sometimes the fighting was a little overdone, and so were the few 3D elements. From seeing the trailers, this movie seemed to have it all: the cast, the special effects, and a great story! But it fell flat. Fun, but nothing too memorable.

At Home:

The Hurt Locker ****
I had been looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time and it didn't disappoint! Even before it won the Oscar for Best Picture, I wanted to see it. According to the trailers, it seemed like a witty war drama like those made in around WWII era. It turned out to be deeper conceptually because of the character-driven nature of the film. Some of the characters, like  Jeremy Renner's Sgt James, were just crazy but very human. The cameos were impressive too! David Morse, Guy Pierce and Ralph Fiennes! I think it won Best Picture because it takes you by surprise and keeps the tension pulled at just the right moments. Very human story about war and how it changes people and shows their true colors.

The Young Victoria***
Very sweet historical romance. The costumes and sets were fabulous! The story was told tenderly and succinctly. The writers incorporated many of the memorable aspects of the relationship between Victoria and Albert; the stockings, their taste in music, and their genuine care for one another. Rupert Friend was perfectly cast alongside Emily Blunt's vivacious Victoria! This film shows that sometimes romance did grow and blossom once upon a time... 

The Blind Side ****
By the time I saw this film, I was sick of hearing how great Sandra Bullock was...but since witnessing her performance, I totally agree! This was the best move she could have possibly made because she was playing a character, a real person, instead of the same modern women she usually plays. She truly transformed herself into someone else. That is the ultimate compliment for a actor. The overall movie didn't need to be nominated for an Oscar, but her performance did! I think they did it to recognize the impact this movie has on America. It's one of the highest grossing movies of this year because people were touched by it and told their friends to see it as well. Also, Tim McGraw was perfect! He didn't stick out like Taylor Swift did in Valentine's Day (I shiver thinking about her and that movie...not my favorite...) Overall: Heartwarming story and Sandra Bullock was AMAZING! 


Invictus *****
I have wanted to see this film for along time so I was pumped to see this film and it didn't let me down! I enjoy movies based on true stories. Definitely the most uplifitng Clint Eastwood film I've seen. I almost wish it had won for Best Picture, but, of course, the Academy can't pic something with such a positive, clear message. haha Morgan Freeman was fantastic and Matt Damon wasn't annoying! Bravo! Their accents were exceptionally believable. I would put this film in the same category as Chariots of Fire because of the way sports, politics and human nature are revealed through outstanding circumstances. I am also pretty confident that I understand Rugby! Witnessing the man power needed to play that game was impressive! Overall: Loved the Eastwood style of this engaging story.

Little Big Man ***
Dustin Hoffman became my hero after seeing his performance in this film! He plays the same character from the time he's a teenager until he's an extremely old man. Hoffman still holds the record for longest lifespan of a character, even more than Brand Pit did as Benjamin Button! The film follows the unpredictable life of a boy growing up in pre-Civil War era America. Raised by Native Americans, he understands their culture, and becomes a man of two worlds as he learns from the whites he encounters, including the idiotic Col. Custard as he fights the Sioux. There's some slow parts in the film as he 'discovers' himself, but it's an epic movie that I hope my friends are willing to give a chance.

On TV:

Phineas and Ferb*****
Honestly, I'm addicted to this show! Every time I watch an episode I genuinely enjoy every character, joke and musical number. It's the best show Disney has produced in many many years. I hope that they will keep this show on the air! I can't get enough of the brilliance that comes from every episode. 

Larkrise to Candleford ****
This is the best family show from PBS/BBC because it brings my family together every week with quality characters, universal life lessons and a genuine charm that can't be beat! The series revolves around the happenings in two early 19th century Oxford-shire villages; rural Larkrise and the more prosperous market town of Candleford. A young woman, Laura, from Larkrise works at the Candleford post office run by her mother's cousin, Dorcas. Laura witnesses these happenings as they apply to her life and to those around her. Simple plots, but great human characters. I can hardly wait for the new season to begin! They left it at a cliff-hanger as Laura is pursued by two very eligible young men :) swoon! Check it out when you can find it on your local PBS station!

Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express *****
From Masterpiece Mystery on PBS comes Agatha Christie's Poirot!!! The production value for this series has soared! The latest in the series, Murder on the Orient Express, was exceptionally mysterious and explored what justice really means. Dun dun DUUUN! Before the episode aired, they produced a special program where David Suchet, the actor who IS Poirot, traveled on the real Orient Express as Poirot would have! Definitely a possible honeymoon idea ;) haha There is something terribly romantic about trains...and exploring Europe in general. What an adventure it would be! Anyone who loves mysteries and hasn't checked out Agatha Christie's Poirot needs to NOW! 

John Adams: HBO Series *****
Ok American History buffs, you need to check out Paul Giamatti and Laura Liney as John and Abigail Adams! This HBO series is available on DVD and is a must see for anyone who wants a more accurate depiction of how our country was born. All your preconceptions of figures like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington will change! Some for the better (Washington was the sweetest man!) and some for the worse (Franklin was crazy!). Giamatti and Liney are perfectly cast and they carry the story, making these figures fully human. Watching it made me think: What would I do if I were in their place? Every step they took was a big risk, but looking back over 200 years, I'm thankful they did.

~FIN~

If you've gotten this far it means one of a few possibilities:
A: You looked at the star ratings and probably didn't read the blurbs.
B: You actually read the blurbs!
C: You skimmed through the blurbs and read the ones you were interested in.

However you got to this point, thank you for reading and I hope you found something new to discover for yourself. Please let me know if you agree, disagree or have questions about any of the films listed. If you think of something I should check out, let me know! I'm always on the look out for good entertainment.

Thanks again and Blessings to you!

all my love,

~Jess

Kroll Komes to the Twin Cities

My friend Matt Kroll came to visit from Sioux Center, Iowa! We met in Chicago through the Chicago Semester program. Out of all the crazy fun things we did, we missed out on swing dancing. After the great experience at Tapestry Folkdance Center, I knew that was the place that Matt and I could make that idea come to life.

So here's the low-down of our fun-filled weekend!

Thursday

SWING TIME!! @ Tapestry Folkdance Center! Social dancing is such a blast! Everyone's so friendly and willing to dance. An extra treat was running into a few people I knew including Jen Jorgensen from Rosemount High and Katie Gard who I went with last time (she was there with another group). The world gets smaller all the time, especially when dancing brings us together :)  

Friday

We went on a Trader Joe's run to get snacks for the Game Night at my place. We got fun cheeses and meat to put on crackers. For supper we went to Pardon My French (my favorite new restaurant) Before company came, Matt had the idea to make peach smoothies! Joining us were David Allen, Ali Wulf and Jen Mike. We enjoyed getting to know each other while playing games and chatting.
We played:
LadderBall aka Lawn Nuts (oh boys... haha)
Farkle (new favorite game!)

Apples to Apples

Catch Phrase (Davids face was too funny for words! He's so intense!)

Best Quote from the night!
Game: Catch Phrase
Players: Matt to David.
The phrase: "nail clippers."
Matt's description: "Use these to shorten the protein on the end of your toes."
There was a pregnant pause to digest what he said and we all keeled over laughing! LOL

Saturday

We enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the Lebanon Hills lake. No, we did not get lost like the poor mother and child who did earlier that week. But I can understand how easily that could happen. We saw plenty of wildlife including a half a dozen little turtles all chilling on a fallen tree. They know how to enjoy a beautiful day!

Next, we trekked up to Minneapolis/St. Paul to the Sculpture Garden, Summit Avenue and Grand Avenue. The Traffic was not helpful between the Cities, but we survived! The best part of the Garden was, for sure, the Spoon and Cherry fountain (with a family of ducks! So CUTE!). But what was also amusing were the different wedding parties taking pictures there. One bride had, basically, a prom dress on with tiara! haha On Grand Ave, Matt especially liked the Cooking store. He drooled over almost everything in there! There were many items that we just laughed at because they were items that you would only buy if you had too much money. haha I hit the jackpot with that stop :)

For supper we went to Noodles & Company! LOVE! Then had a bon fire in the back yard roasting marshmallows and playing ladder ball/lawn nuts in the moon light.

Sunday

Tagging along with my parents, we attended Community of Hope Church. We got some lunch and then went on a bike ride around Rosemount, the high school and some of the neighborhoods. I finally met Matt's aunt right before he left. It was very sweet of her to house him since my place is packed!

Overall: The time with Matt was awesome, tiring but completely worth it. Now I have a sun burn, bug bites and my body is sore all over...that means it's summer! haha Again, definitely worth it to be with a good friend :)

Next Time: MOVIE REVIEW!!! (Yes, I saw INCEPTION!!!)

Take care everyone!

all my love,

~Jess

Special Times with Lesley and Cirque de Soleil!!

One of the adventures I forgot to highlight was the extraordinary opportunity to see Cirque de Soleil: Alegria with Lesley! She got tickets to see them through her internship. Her supervisor approached her and a few others and said, "You may not be getting paid, but there are some perks" and slapped down the $70/person tickets! THANK YOU LESLEY FOR CHOOSING ME TO COME WITH! It was a night of entertainment and wonder that I will never forget! :)


The seats were in just the right spot: above the main floor, but not in the upper balcony. We sat next to one of her fellow interns and her mom. As it turns out, all the people in the floor seats were able to interact with the clowns. Yes, clowns! *I'll go into that later* I had never been to the Target Center before, so it was fun to explore. To get there, we chose to park at the Mall of America and take the Lightrail to the station which let us off a few blocks away from the Target Center. With plenty of time to spare, we were able to get some snacks (popcorn and nachos yumm!) and settle in to our seats. The stage was interesting to look at with all the ropes hanging from the ceiling and the patterns on the floor. It was a forest like theme with cool greens, blues and some yellow for highlights. You can check out the photo! We were a lot closer than the picture makes it seem.

Overall, I would describe Cirque de Soleil as a modern circus complete with live music, singers, clowns and acrobats. The costumes were mostly fairy-like to go with the forest theme. But they varied depending on the type of talent they had. The show started out with the clowns and the band came in playing instruments like the sax and accordion. The role of the clowns were to be the comic relief (by mocking the acrobats) and fill in the gaps between acts so the other performers had time get ready for the next act. They were quite amusing! Sometimes they interacted with the audience in the floor seats. Once, they brought a guy up on stage and he did everything they asked! Including tumbling, jumping and speaking in their weird little non-language. It was really funny!

The performers were all incredibly talented! While the band played/sang original (beautiful!) music, we enjoyed:
1. A trapeze artist on a high swing (very lovely, but a little nerve racking cuz she was swinging above us!)
2. A group called the Power Track who bounded through the air with help from trampolines built into the stage floor!
3. An incredibly buff hand balancer who rotated himself on little pedestals(Jacob Black has nothing on this guy's abs! haha),
4. Male fire dancers with leather outfits (keehee)
5. A ribbon dancer who could hoola hoop on every part of her body (including her knee! still can't figure that one out...)
6. A "flying man" who swung himself from a centralized rope. Kinda like they did in Billy Elliot.
7. Russian Bars: basically, human spring boards! There were two guys holding each board and a guy in the middle flipping again and again, higher and higher!
8. Two contortionists (twins, I think) who formed shapes together on a rotating platform. They creeped us out a bit...
9. The grand finale: Aerial High Bar routine (most of the second act, mostly because the nets below them took up the entire stage). These guys were so graceful and fearless! It was incredible!

Ultimately, I can die happy after seeing this! I would recommend it to anyone who can get decent priced tickets. The quality is so high, the feats so unbelievable, that it's a must see!

Thanks again, Lesley, for choosing me to share this special performance with. Love you!

Next Time:

Matt Kroll comes to Visit!

The Movie Review Special! *maybe I'll see Inception! :)

Take care everyone! 

All my love,

~Jess

Dancing Through Life

Here are some of the highlights from my first summer out of school. While not looking for jobs I have been dancing, camping, attending weddings and seeing great movies. More is yet to come, I'm sure so I'll try and write a bunch of shorter posts instead of long ones every once in awhile. We'll see how that goes! Thanks for reading and enjoy the stories...

Adventures with Katie Gard

Lately I've been getting invitations from my dear friend Katie Gard to hang out with her during her spuratic trips to the Twin Cities. Usually her reason for being down here has something to do with her sisters, Jennifer and Susie, but sometimes she gets these grad ideas of an adventure we can embark on. These adventures have revolved around food and dancing! We went to Whole Foods, specialty bakeries in the Cities and Noodles & Company. (One of my favorite fast-ish food places!) The dancing was fantastic! More-so the second time than the first. The first time, Katie had an inch to go salsa dancing since she had recently learned the steps. Katie has a lot of style when she dances so it was fun to watch her! 

We decided to go to a Latino dance/bar near the U of M. We thought there would be more authentic dancers, but most of the people there did it for more...social reasons...and we witnessed this firsthand. There were two guys who occupied us for most of the night. They wanted to dance close as they practiced their English. We  tried to be kind but as it came closer to the time for us to leave, we had to give them an ultimatum; only one more dance! haha They kept begging us to stay but we left. It was a learning experience, indeed.

Our second time around was absolutely magical! We went to Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis for swing dance lessons and a free dance afterwords. Katie's sister Jennifer joined us, which was a treat! We learned the lindy style of swing. It's more fluid than East coast style. The guys basically do everything and we follow. I finally learned to follow! It's a big step for me not to calculate in my head where the lead may be taking me. I thought that was my duty, but I've found that it's more trouble for the lead when followers do that. And it's more fun as a follow just to be swung around and around till you get dizzy! This happened quite a lot, actually. Many times we found that some partners were all about the spins and almost completely forgot the basic steps. There were a variety of people. Many of them our age! Everyone was asking everyone to dance! It was a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Most of the guys would dance with you once and then move on, but they were very kind gentlemen. 

One in particular, an older Asian gentleman, shared his philosophy of dancing with me...He asked me: "How many feet do you have? How many hands? Two, right? Well, there's only so many ways you can move them, so you don't need lessons to know how to dance. Just move!" He was such a gentle lead. I felt like I was gliding across the floor by Fred Astaire himself! Not surprisingly, Astaire is one of the people this gentleman 'learned' from. :)

I can see how in previous societies, like Jane Austen's, that dancing was an acceptable way to find someone to marry. While dancing, you find out pretty quickly how compatible you are physically and conversationally. And swing is fun enough that it won't get too serious if you don't want to. This was the perfect environment to meet some quality people. Thanks Katie for the fabulous adventure! Hope to have more soon :) 

I can't wait to go back to Tapestry. Hopefully I can bring my swing-dancing friend, Matt Kroll with me ;)


Rachael Wittern (now Green)'s Wedding 

On June 26th, my friend Rachael Wittern was married in a lovely ceremony to Aaron Green. I had never met the groom, but since he had survived Rach for a few years, I guess he could handle her ;) No, no, in all seriousness, when I observed them together I could tell that they enjoyed each others' silliness, but, more importantly, she seems to genuinely respect and care for him. They seem perfect for each other in that they want to take the journey God has planned for them together. The ceremony was beautiful because it was personal and family oriented. The ring was bared in a locked case by a secret agent wearing shades! Hilarious! The reception hall was decorated with Rachael's favorite animal, the frog :) I was so thankful to be there to celebrate with her and her family. 

After we saw the bride and groom off, I spent some quality time at a cabin with Jen Marks, Meg Griwac and Katie Gard. Monica Filman needed to head home, otherwise she might have stayed with us. We were able to just hang out and catch up on each others' lives. We asked silly and hard questions while the rain pounded down outside. We were cozy, and very tired. It had been a long week for them preparing for the wedding, so they had earned a good rest. The time we had together was such a blessing. 

Camping with Ruth and Sam

Ruth, Sam and I planned a little get together for the 4th of July weekend. We camped in Guthrie Center, Iowa at Springbrook. Our campsite was by the creek, among trees and had plenty of room for all of us to park our cars. We successfully set up our own tent and built a few fires! I brought my new little brill to grill some hot dogs and buns. We also had a fire pit where we roasted marshmallows and threw in little smoke bombs to celebrate our country's birth. Sparklers were our favorite way to celebrate! We put them in our empty bottles to make them look like lamps haha! I had my first experience catching lightning bugs/ fireflies! I had never seen so many in my life. They were enchantingly beautiful bobbing around the creek...On our little hike we picked up some snails whom we named and created soap opera-type scenarios as to how they all were related :) That was our perfect first day...

We awoke to rain, rain and more rain...so we took the hour drive to Des Moines and the Jordan Creek Mall. It was more fun to be dry in there than to be soaked outside. We explored creative shops like Teavanna, toy stores and the huge Sheills with two-story tree inside. So you could argue that we got some outdoors experience there :) 

Since the rain had not stopped by the time we returned and there was a strong chance of a storm coming, we packed up our campsite and checked into a nearby motel. The woman at the desk was, at first, very suspicious of us. She grilled us with some questions about how old we were and such, but when I told her that we had come from the campsite and didn't want to get caught in the storm, her attitude lightened considerably! She gave us the room closest to where we had parked. We felt bad about bringing all our muddy things into the room but we found something that no one expected...a pair of socks that had been kicked off in the night by the previous sleeper...EWWWWW! So that was the bed we set up the tent on. Didn't feel guilty at all for doing that. We just hope the owners would change the sheets then! We slept in our sleeping bags on the other bed. We played Nertz till we passed out. The next morning we had breakfast outside on my picnic blanket. Since Ruth had announced her move to Colorado, it was a sad parting for us...but not without the hope of a visits in the future. 

Those are my adventures so far, but more are sure to come! I'm still actively looking for a job. Just need to figure out where the Lord is leading me.

Coming Up: My Movie Review Special!    

Blessings to you all, 

~Jess 

The Graduate is Still Learning

Hi All!

Even though I've been a graduate for almost a month, I'm still learning things about interviews, job search and other life subjects including love, family and friendship.


Interviews: I haven't had many yet, but my first one was not what I expected...

Lesson Learned: Don't get emotionally tied to a job, no matter how assured it may seem. I learned the hard way that sometimes you have to give up what you think you want for what is right for you. I wanted to take over a job for a friend, but her boss and I couldn't communicate very well. But the Lord turned it into a blessing because I was able to contact a program for disabled adults that I could work for. I'm keeping my options open, but that's part of my next lesson.

Job Search: I have so many interests and things I could do, I feel rather lost when searching online or on company listings...

Lesson Learned: Find what you want do to and focus on jobs around that industry or job description. I'm finding that I'm not as attracted to pure PR jobs, I like the communications-type jobs. I also am trying to stay in companies that focus around subjects I'm interested in like people with disabilites, the arts, books, music.

Networking: I've been using every connection my family and I can muster so that I know what's out there for me.

Lesson Learned: People are very willing to help! A few of my mom's church friends got together with me and gave me a huge list of companies I should check out for in-house communications and publishers in the area. I've also found connections through friends and extended family. The people I've contacted have been kind and helpful in letting me know their wisdom, where they work and what they do. It's been fun getting to know new people and places I could work.

Place to work: I thought I wanted to work at a small agency but since I was told about the flexibility and security experienced with larger companies, my perspective has changed a bit.

I've been working with my mom's preschool class the past few weeks so I'm sad to not see their beautiful faces every day, but I'm glad they are getting a summer break. They've earned it! I love those little ones. I'll miss Paige, Logan, Austin and Clara the most. They are so precious!

Love: I recently watched the movie "The Young Victoria" and the love story was impactful for me. I had heard exerpts from Victoria's diaries and some of the details stuck with me. She didn't say much about her wedding night except that he helped put on her stockings in the morning. So sweet! The movie depicted their relationship and life situation very, very well! Their love seemed so pure, genuine and suprising considering it was, ultimately, an arranged marriage. He did seem to give her an inner strength that she lost when he died 20 years later. And that the glorious Victorian era was made possible through his hard work by her side.
I've been praying, subconsciously, that my marriage be something like theirs in the sense of their near perfect compatibility and their similar dreams. I just need to find my dreams and come along side the one God has in mind for me. That gives me peace, finally, after all these years of fretting about who I'm going to be with. The past few years I've haven't thought about it, but now that I'm on my own I think a lot more about it.

Family: Since my grandma moved in with us this weekend, I've seen a transformation in the way my family supports each other. It's been a little overwhelming but we're all helping out as we can. Lesley and I both tend ask what we can do before we head out to do our thing. I've moved downstairs with Lesley since Grandpa needs to be in my room. It's worth it knowing that Grandma can stay on the same level of the house most of the day.

Dad Update: Dad is done with his treatments as of a month ago. We haven't had time to tell everyone because we had Chicago, Graduation and transition into summer. But a month out, he's doing great. Almost too great! haha Sometimes I wish he would rest a little bit, but I guess he's just used to using all the energy he has he just keeps on using it up. But now he has more to burn! Go, Daddy, go! He's tearing up the yard, literally, and getting it beautified so that we can enjoy being outside in thie lovely weather.

Friendship: To be honest, I'm in a social desert right now. I'm reaching our when I can, but hopefully now I can be more purposeful since I'm not so busy. So if  you are inspired to drop me a note, a phone call, a text, please feel free to do that. I would welcome it!

That's all for now! Keep my job search in your prayers and let me know how I can pray for you.

Blessings,

~Jess

An Insane Week!

Much has happened so here's a low-down of the BIG EVENTS in my life; Leaving Chicago and Graduation! 

Wednesday, May 5th

Last Day in Chicago, Last Day of Classes: Dad arrived to pack me up after a crazy day at classes. Everyone saying goodbye, turning everything in and relieved that it's all over (at least for the graduates!) 

Dad and I walked along Lake Shore just far enough to get all the way down to where we wanted to eat supper; Heaven on Seven. The atmosphere was a little squished, but that's because we were crowded with walls full of different kids of Tabasco sauce. Oh glorious! The food was excellent because it was true to the Creole food we had in New Orleans a few years ago.

That evening we packed up all my stuff with welcome interruptions from friends saying good bye. I miss you all!

Thursday, May 6th

Dad and I drove back to Minnesota with a stop at Wrigley Field on our way out of Chicago. We also made a pit stop for lunch at a German restaurant in Wisconsin. Good Choice!

Friday, May 7th

Headed down to Orange City with my parents and sister in time for the beautiful Baccalaureate service. That was worth the trip down to worship with my classmates. I'm going to miss the Chapel, the fellowship and all the hugs! Later that night, Sam and I were able to catch up with others from our class at a grad party hosted by a few mutual friends. We ran into many friends who we wouldn't have seen otherwise. One rather memorable encounter involved Jill Swanson, Sam and Susan. We created and practiced a language where every word started with "V" For example you would say "Vello, Vow Vare Vu?" We became quite good at it! But sometimes we would get confused about what a person was saying and they would have to act it out. Jill and I found out that we both had the same sinus surgery! We were relieved to know that someone else had gone through it too. Although, I must say, that my experience was more pleasant than Jill's...poor girl had a horror story of a time of recovery! Praise the Lord that didn't happen to me, but I'm glad I took the time to recover well. Anyways, the night was great for connecting with people again.

Saturday, May 8th

GRADUATION DAY! That was the morning I got all dressed up in my lovely new dress, conveniently covered with my robe (haha) and topped off with the cap precariously perched on top of my head. We walked together, listened and laughed while Vonder Bruegge described the excitement of what we were going through. He tailored it to most majors, showing how brilliant and witty he is. Ironically, he was the first prof I met four years ago. Very fitting for him to send me out into the world!

TODAY

After all the traveling, I took some time to recuperate.  Now I'm working with Brandon, helping out with Mom's preschool, and actively looking for a job!

Prayers would be most welcome! I'll keep you all posted!