OVERTIME IN SIMI VALLEY// Random snapshots from our day

Set your alarm to 5:45 am
We left the house at 6:30 to head out to Simi Valley. When Taylor has to work overtime on Saturdays, I like to tag along and go to a near by cafe to get some studying in. Thanks to daylight saving, it was pitch dark when we left, but it was actually really pretty seeing the color of the sky change as the sun began to rise. I feel like the rain always brings out the most insane colors.






Off to a Cafe
After I dropped Taylor off,  I camped out at a cafe, and got some studying done and also did a devotional from I John.   It's been far longer than I care to admit that I've done either of those things, so the 5:45 wake up time was totally worth it.





Back Home
When we got back home, we drank our bougie Whole Foods beer (and by bougie what I really mean is just that we didn't get blue moons this time) and played some monopoly deal. Then we made a breakfast inspired concoction with eggs over Taylor's Aunt Tina's delicious brisket and grilled potatoes.  I'm trying to cut back on my red meat.  I've grown up a total red meat eater, but am starting to realize that I can't just stuff that all in my mouth without thinking anymore.  However, in moderation- I can't think of anything else that hits the spot than sunny side up eggs over really good meat over really good potatoes, all on one plate. yum!

I HEART THESE FOLKS :)

I love my church <3

A NEW STUDY BUDDY

Last weekend, Taylor and I had a blast at Alex and Helen's wedding. It was a totally beautiful wedding and was filled with a tons of tear jerking moments. At the end of the night, I was able to grab a small bouquet that Ruby made before I left. They are so beautiful, and have been giving me something to look at when I need a break from drawing shear and moment diagrams or looking at design and response spectra graphs.  I hope I can get around to replacing this desk with a less depressing one, but in the meantime, I really love how the pinks and yellows pop against the black surface.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Thought I'd share a picture of my lovely grandmother on this day to celebrate women. When my brothers and I were little, we'd go to her house everyday after school, and she'd prepare us Chinese treats and make sure we finished our homework before watching TV.  As my brothers and I got older, we gradually learned more and more about her life, and how complex and courageous it was. 

I thought of her and the many women who pioneered a better life for our generation as I was listening to this interview about the Miss Representation documentary that premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival. I don't really identity myself as a feminist, or at least not in the strictest sense (as defined by Betty Friedan in her book the Feminine Mystique).  However, it doesn't really take a feminist to acknowledge the negative affect that the over-sexualization of  women in media has on our dignity and self respect as human beings; and it does make me wonder what sort of legacy we will leave behind for our children.

Caroline Heldman talks about how our system has been set up so that women compete against other women in order to gain male attention. In the interview, she states that the amount of time women spend on thinking about their bodies and habitual body monitoring over a lifetime is the same amount of time it would take to pursue 3 PhDs. That's not to say that all of us without 3 PhDs under our belt should feel bad about ourselves either- a woman's worth is no more defined by her academic achievement than her physical appearance; but it should be alarming that the amount of time we spend looking in the mirror and hating ourselves is not only an incredible amount of time wasted but is also actually causing us to backtrack.

As we allow ourselves to determine our worth (or the worth of our moms, grandmas, teachers, friends coworkers, strangers we see on the street) by our physical appeal to men much set by unrealistic portrayals of women on covers of magazines- we should be none too surprised to live in a society that  has erased and degraded our middle aged and older women, women who are often the people who can have the most profound affect on our lives and society. 

I definitely know that I am not immune to this in the way I value myself and others, and it's sobering to think what a shame that is.  I'm not saying that I'm going to burn all my magazines tonight and throw all my make up down the drain, but it does remind me that I don't need to let these things have power over me, and reminds me to stop and open my eyes to images of real women with true worth.  Women like my grandmother, or aunts and mom and teachers who have poured our their lives and sacrificed their time and energy to love me. 

MORNING STRAWBERRIES// Ready for Spring

The weather has been warming up a little bit, and I can't wait til spring.  By this time of year, I'm totally sick of being cold and missing the summer fruits that make the most deliciously simple snacks.  When I was little, summer was always unquestionably my favorite season- no school, swimming every afternoon, and getting to run around in shorts all day.  Now that I'm older, with the introduction of springtime allergies, and especially after experiencing my first blisteringly hot summer last year in the valley- I've tried to tell myself to appreciate the winter more.  However, by the time March hits, I'm pretty much over being appreciative and wishing that the sun would come out again!