CJ's Ramblings

Greeting the New Year in Style!

2012-01-02T22:15:00.000-06:00

Hello one and all! Here's my first post of 2012! Can you believe it?! This past year seemed to fly by. I am so glad to see it gone though. 2012 marks a big new start for me. But more on that later...time to talk holidays!

For Christmas, I was home Friday & Saturday. The fam went to the Christmas Eve service at our church, opened a few presents, put on our jingle jammies (family tradition...we get a new pair of pj pants), and watched A Christmas Story. Sunday morning we finished opening presents and headed back to MO for the big family dinner. We ended up spending the night, then I came back home with mom and the bro for a couple days before heading to Chicago.

Chicago was a BLAST! I was fortunate enough to be invited along by a few of my friends to spend Thurday through Monday at the Trump Hotel and Tower. We had way too much fun. Lots of fine dining, crazy times, and toasting the New Year! Here are a few of the pics from the trip.

The view from our hotel room

The girls' room

The girls' bathroom...complete with a tv in the mirror

View from the living room

The delicious chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for us when we arrived

My friend Brittany and I getting ready for dinner the first night

Our outfits for New Year's Eve

Goodies waiting for us at Rebar...where we spent New Year's Eve

The boys from the trip! Bobby, Nick, & Zach. They are crazy awesome.

The gang!

Gotta have champagne to toast the New Year!

Big ole sushi boat!

This is one of the many fights between Batman (Bobby) and Bane (Nick). And of course there's Zach.

Our group with the awesome DJ for the night.

And this is what happens when we're told to make crazy faces.

We left this morning to snow and frigid weather outside. Glad to be back in MO where it's a little warmer!

And now here's a little clip of us toasting the New Year!

It has been an awesome holiday season. But I'm glad that the traveling is dying down and I'll be back into a routine. After a couple days in Springfield, I head back home for about a week. Then I'll get back into the swing of weekly sessions and piano lessons. These next 6 months will be interesting for sure. This is the first semester that I'll be out of school. The plan for now is to be in Springfield until June, during which time I plan to figure out how to start my own business. Hopefully by the fall I will have started my own MT private practice in the NW AR area. I've got some great resources to help get me started, and it's a brand new market, so I'm really hopeful!

Well, that's about all I have for now. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's hoping and praying that we all have a great year with many blessings to come! Until next time!

Done and DONE! For Real This Time...

2011-12-21T18:29:00.000-06:00

Hello all! As I am procrastinating finishing up some documentation, I thought I would update you all on what's been happening the last month.

Well, I graduated! Again! I completed my degree and got my MMT! (Master of Music Therapy). Here are some pics!

Me being hooded by Dr. Cassity

Class of 2011 (Winter Commencement)

I'm so cool...

Me and the cuz...he graduated the night before from the Police Academy at Drury.

As you can tell, we really like taking pictures...

Me and Maw (my grandma on dad's side)

So proud!

My holiday plans are crazy! I'm in Springfield until the 23rd, then Laura and I will travel home to Fayetteville. But we're back in the Springfield area Christmas day to have the family get-together at my uncle's house. I go back to AR for a couple of days on the 26th, then I leave for Chicago the 29th with a group of friends for New Years. We stay there until the 2nd, and then I come back to Springfield to start up sessions again. I'll probably go back home one more time before Drury starts back up, because that will be when most of my sessions get underway again. Crazy crazy! And now for some holiday pics of the fam!

Our friend Hayden was over for the cheesy family photo hour, so we made him jump in as the adopted son

After all of the holiday shenanigans, I will get back into the swing of sessions! I'll only have a few until June. It's weird to pick up new clients and only see them for 6 months. I won't have any school though, so I'll have lots of free time. It will be weird to say the least.

Now I'm off to record a CD for one of my clients as a Christmas present! I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May this time be filled with friends, family, and of course, remembrance of the best gift of all! God bless!

Thankful

2011-11-25T01:06:00.000-06:00

I know it's already the day after Thanksgiving, but I thought I would list some of the things I am thankful for. It's good to remind yourself every now and then all that you are blessed with.

I'm thankful for...

my relationship with my Savior and Lord, first and foremost. Without him, I would be nothing.
my family, for all of their love and support. Even when some of them drive me crazy, I know they will always be there for me.
my crazy, crazy friends. It takes special people to understand my crazy and be able to relate to it! :-P
my health. I may not be the most fit person in the world (ha!), but I have no major ailments, and for that I am very grateful.
my church home. It's been tough not having a church in Springfield to go to regularly, but I am so thankful to be able to come back to FBC Farmington and feel welcome and loved.
almost being done with school...for real this time! I graduate in less than a month!
a profession that I am happy in...music therapy combines music with helping people, just what I like!

Now the fun/silly list! I'm thankful for...

chocolate
Pinterest
Snuggies (I admit to owning a leopard-print one)
movies that never get old (The Holiday!)
sunsets
my cats and my dog
the way new books smell
sleeping late
the feel of clean sheets
caffeine
the ability to not get into Christmas mode until after Thanksgiving
iTunes
contact lenses
cardigans
the sound a symphony makes when it's tuning right before a concert
my perfect guy (he's out there somewhere!)

I hope everyone was able to find something they were thankful for this Thanksgiving. Now get ready for the Christmas season! Until next time!

Denied

2011-11-10T11:44:00.000-06:00

I received an e-mail from the Journal of Music Therapy editors earlier this morning. Here's what it said:

Dear Ms. Jenkins,

I want to thank you for submitting your manuscript, “Functional Musicianship of Music Therapy Students Entering Internship,” for peer review. The reviewers agreed that the manuscript addresses an important topic, but did not recommend publication. Primary concerns centered on methodology.

Although your manuscript was not selected for publication, the reviewers did provide some informative and encouraging comments that you may find helpful as you move forward with your program of research (please see attached letter). It is also my hope that the reviewer comments will offer greater understanding for the reasons the manuscript was not selected for publication.

Thank you once again for your submission. We appreciated the opportunity to review your scholarly work and hope that you will continue to keep the journal in mind as a publication outlet for your research.

So, I got denied. I know I shouldn't be upset...I mean, it was my first attempt at having a study published, having very little idea of what I was doing. I gave it my best, and at least it got my name out there as a serious MT. But I am upset.

The part that really aggravates me is all of the work I put into this study, virtually for nothing, and all of the BS I had to put up with to get it here. I relied a lot on the knowledge of my professor/adviser to let me know what I was doing wrong, things I should add or change, etc. I finished this study with such high hopes of it being published; he told me he couldn't see any reason why they wouldn't publish it. And now I sit here, over a year later, not having the study published.

I shouldn't be so hard on myself. It's just disappointing. I can try and correct some things and submit it to a different journal, and knowing my professor, that's what will happen. And I'm presenting this research at conference next week, so at least other people can hear about it.

I guess I'm done ranting about it. Off to class.

Fall 2011

2011-11-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

Hello all! One of the things I love about Drury is its trees in the fall. They are absolutely gorgeous! During my undergrad years, I would walk around campus each year with my friend Erin and take pics. Sadly, E-Mac is in San Antonio, but I was able to get a few pics from this year. Here they are!

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Quick Update

2011-10-20T13:17:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Obviously, I haven't blogged in awhile. That's only because nothing super duper amazing has happened in my life lately. It's the same ole same ole. I'm just getting through these last few classes, doing a few MT sessions, and chillin' in Springfield!

Looking at my semi-professional side, I finally finished my first major research. I sent it off for review the first time at the beginning of September. It was quickly sent back with a few minor corrections that needed to be made, and I sent it off again. I should know by December if it will be published in the Journal of Music Therapy. So here's hoping! I'm currently working on my second research and will hopefully have that done and ready for review by December. And in November, I'm going to the AMTA Conference to present my first research in a Poster Session. Pretty much, I make a pretty poster, stand there for two hours, and answer any questions someone might have. Woohoo for me!

Now for the fun side of my life! A few weeks ago, the music therapy students had a talent night fundraiser at a local coffee shop. My friend Brittany and I got up on stage and did a rendition of a youtube video called "Axis of Awesome" (look it up, it is indeed awesome). Of course I tried to upload the video on here, and of course it didn't work. So for now, if you wanna see it, it's on my facebook wall!

My friend Zach had to have some head shots taken for his portfolio, so I took a few for him. And afterwards we decided to have a Supermodel Documentary Hour photoshoot! Here are a few goodies.

I finally graduate in December! Yay! I am soooo ready to be done. I'm tired of the same school routine. I think I'm finally ready to be a big girl and have a full-time job. The plan for now is to stay in Springfield until next June, then move back to Fayetteville in the hopes and attempts to start my own MT practice. Prayer for that would be greatly appreciated, since I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in that respect.

Well, that's all I have for now. Time to finish my coffee and some laundry before getting ready for today's sessions! Hope everyone is enjoying the Fall weather!!!

The Final Stretch

2011-08-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I probably shouldn't be writing this right now, seeing as I am currently in my professor's office during a research meeting (oops!)...but since he is busy editing my paper in silence, I felt the urge to update.

This is the last day of summer school! Hooray! And it looks like I will be holding onto my 4.0 for a little longer! I had a couple of good classes: Web Design and Language & Development of the Exceptional Child. Both were very interesting, and I gained a lot of resources from both. I just submitted my last assignment, and now wait for the final grades to be in. And since I'm done with school and half of my sessions are on hold until school starts again, I'm taking this next week off! I'll be going home to AR (hopefully tomorrow) to just chillax for awhile.

I can't believe that it's already August! This makes me realize that I only have 5 months, and then I will be done with school forever! I don't plan on getting a PhD or anything, so this will most definitely be it. All I have left is a couple more online classes, a final resesarch, and then I'm done.

Here's some exciting news about me and my profession. I may be presenting my current research project at the national conference this November! It would be during a poster session, which I'm not completely sure what all that entails. But it gets my name out there and shows people I know what I'm talking about! Also, said research project may be on its way to being published in a research journal...can we say LEGIT?!?!

Now for the "scary" part of my life: I have no idea what is going to happen after I graduate in December. I had a job planned out in Monett, MO at a private clinic, but that has fallen through. So now I have to figure out what to do. I'm torn between moving straight back home to start my own practice and staying in Springfield until June (when the lease on the apt. is up) and keeping my current clients to make a little more money. I'll probably end up doing the second option, but who knows. My life is so sporadic right now, there's no telling what will actually happen. I may end up singing to moose in Alaska. So if you think about it or have time, send a little prayer up for me that I will go down the path God has planned for me.

Well, my professor is done editing now, so it's my turn to work! Hope everyone is doing well and staying cool!

Authentic

2011-07-07T23:24:00.001-05:00

Well hello again all! I had a random desire to post a video of one of my original songs today. I've been writing songs since about 10th grade, but I'm always a little leery of showing them to anyone. Here's one of the ones I'm more proud of. It's titled "Authentic." I wrote it a couple years back after helping out at a D-Now weekend. Let me know what you think! If you like it, sweet! If not, I'll still try to be your friend. ;)

Enjoy!

Yep...Still Alive!

2011-06-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

Hello all! It's been quite awhile since I last posted. So here's a little blurb about what's been going on the past few months...

I finished my second semester of my master's program. Best part about it? I currently have a 4.0 GPA!! (minus an incomplete for a research project I'm still working on) All I have left is a couple online classes this summer and 3 classes this fall, then I will be done! I'm so ready to be done with school and move on to being a full-time MT-BC. Which brings me to my next rant...

I thought I had a job lined up after I graduated. I was gonna be working in a clinic as a music therapist full-time. It sounded like a great starter job. But I learned just the other day that this probably isn't going to happen after all. There are some timing issues that are messing things up, and the director of the clinic isn't sure that this is the right time to bring in a new therapist. Sooooo...I'm back to square one. I have to decide if I'm going to stay in Springfield and do some sessions part-time, find a job somewhere else, or move home. I would LOVE to get my own MT thing going in the Fayetteville area. I'm sure there is such a big need for it since there is literally nothing at the moment. I would just have to figure out how to make that feasibly happen. Or if anyone has any job opportunities/suggestions for me starting January let me know! :-P

This summer will be much like the last one. I'll be back and forth between Springfield and Fayetteville the entire time, but I think more time will be spent in Springfield this year. Since I'm a big kid now trying to be a respectable MT, I'm still doing sessions, 3-4 a week, so that keeps me here most of the time. But I'm hoping to make it home at least once a month. I managed to take about a week and go home for Memorial Day. This year we decided to have Cheesy-T Family Photo Hour. Here's one of the better shots:

I know...we're totally cutesies. I'll be back home again in a couple of weeks to get ready for Super Summer 2011! I'm going white school this year rather than a staffer. It's not as big of a time commitment, which is good since I still have to work and take classes.

The weather here has been crazy! One week it's a brisk 65 degrees every day...next week there's 50 thunder storms and devastating tornadoes...now it's in the mid 90s by 11am. Ugh! Makes me want to move to LA or something!

Welp, that's about it for now! Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning to the summer! Stay cool!

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-26T12:52:00.000-05:00

Sooo...I'm getting worse and worse at this blogging thing. It's probably because I don't have much to report at the moment. Life goes on as usual: school and work. Both are going ok. There are moments when I want to rip my hair out and ask myself "Why am I doing this?!" But in the long run all is well.

I actually got a Spring Break this year! I went skiing with the youth group from my church at home. Here are just a few of the pics that I took.

The crazy group I ski'd with most of the time.

Winter Park, CO

Halfway up the mountain

I don't know this guy... I just thought it was a cool pic to take.

Me trying to be artistic...

So happy that we made it up half the mountain!

We had a great trip. I actually ended up driving most of the way there and back. I end up getting car sick if I'm in the car for awhile and not driving, so I opted to be a big girl and drive! There were only a few hiccups during the travel: a missed exit here, a wrong turn there, losing the caravan every now and then. But we made it there and back! I am also happy to report there were no major injuries acquired on the trip, just lots of sore muscles and sunburn!

And now I am back home in AR for the rest of the break. It feels good to do absolutely nothing! I strongly recommend it.

Random update on my "New Year's Resolution": it's not going too well! :-P

I'm still working on more water and less soda, I eat out way too much, and I can't commit to a workout routine. But I'm working on it! I will tell you that I burned over 1,000 calories each day skiing, so hopefully that will be my boost to keep going!

That's about all I have for now. Hope everyone is doing well! Until next time!

Hello 2011...Goodbye Fatty Fat!

2011-01-10T12:24:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I'm actually posting this close to my last one. That hasn't happened in a long time! AND! I've been blogging for a year now! Woo hoo to me! I started last year in January on a snowy day. Guess what...it's another snowy day and I'm blogging! I feel a trend here...

Well, it's 2011! Happy New Year! Of course this is the time of year for resolutions. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and actually making one this year with intentions of sticking to it (a little late, I know, but better late than never). Mine is the generic weight loss one. But I like to call it "getting healthy." I have been so undisciplined and unmotivated for way too long. It's time to get back into the swing of things! I'm posting all of this on here in hopes that it will keep me motivated. So if you see me you can say "Hey, how's that resolution coming?"
So here are a few things that encompass my resolution:

More water, less soda: This is gonna be the biggie! I was averaging around 2 sodas a day, on top of coffee in the morning. I have no intention of cutting out soda all together or stopping cold turkey, so I'm thinking 1-2 sodas a week is good, kinda like a little something to reward myself with. I also wanna boost the water intake. I have a nifty CamelBak thermos (I highly recommend one) and want to drink at least 2 a day.
Chill out on eating out: I eat out WAY too much. It was just so convenient to run through a drive thru at the end of the day and grab something. Well no more! I want to start making menus for the week and shopping accordingly. Hopefully this will put more coin in my pocket!
Pumpin' some iron: I'm gonna get back in the habit of working out regularly, at least 3 times as week if not more. Before I went to Italy I was able to run at least 3 miles with one of my friends...not so much anymore! I have this nifty little gym in my apartment complex and another friend that also wants to start working out more. So I have no excuse!
Portion control: All last semester I would have about 1 1/2 meals a day. I don't eat breakfast, except for coffee. Lunch was sporadic and usually something from a fast food restaurant, and dinner varied. I'm gonna try to implement the snacking routine, little things here and there on a more routine schedule rather than huge meals late at night. And I'm gonna watch more carefully my caloric intake and stick to serving sizes.

Well, there's my plan! If you guys have any other suggestions please let me know! I'm just tired of looking and feeling like this. It's time to get in shape!!! Oh and here's my goal: 30 lbs. by July. Apparently my family is taking a trip to Florida to visit my uncle, so I gotsta look good for the beach! So...here it goes! Wish me luck!

End of the Year Recap

2010-12-28T20:49:00.000-06:00

Hello all! It's been awhile since my last post! (I'm a terrible blogger...lucky to get one a month) So I thought I'd just give a little update since the last one.

Thanksgiving came and went like the blink of an eye. We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. Good times were had by all. We all ate way too much and then played a rousing game of Cranium.

The weeks after Thanksgiving break were nearly horrible school-wise. I was so busy and so stressed! Having a year off of school work and then having to do it all again was not something to look forward to. Needless to say, I finished with flying colors. After completing a research proposal, making an undergraduate curriculum, a final, and two juries, I made all A's! Woo hoo to me! Next semester will be more of the same, except I will have more duties in the music therapy clinic. So good luck to me actually balancing clinic work with school work!

Did anybody else feel like it wasn't really Christmas last week? I don't know what it was, but I never really got in the mood of Christmas this year. Usually it just feels like Christmas, with all the music, the church services, the presents, etc. This year it came and went, and that was it. We had a good Christmas though. Here's a pic of the family we took last year for our Christmas cards!

Aren't we cutesies?! Anyways...mom had to work Christmas eve this year, so the siblings and I headed over to the Johnson house for some fun. Christmas morning we woke up, opened presents, ate a little breakfast, and got cleaned up to head to Ozark, MO. This was the year of DVDs for me. I got The Great Mouse Detective, Fern Gully (it was supposed to be the first one but oops!), Iron Man 2, and all available seasons of The Office. I will not be leaving a tv for quite some time! Mom and dad also got me more rhythm instruments and a bag to use for my MT sessions among other random things. So like I said, after our family Christmas we headed to Ozark to my uncle's house for the big family Christmas dinner. Here are some pics my aunt took of the fam.

Me and the cousin (Alex)

Laura displaying the new tv

Andy and the other cousin (Drew)

Uncle Robert carving the oh so delicious prime rib

The magnificent feast

Uncle Robert reading Luke 2 to all of us before the meal

The Christmas table

The Christmas table full of people!

And here we all are stuffing our faces

So there ya go! A little glimpse into my family Christmas.

This has definitely been a season of prayer for many reasons! So many of my friends have either gotten engaged, married, both, or are pregnant. So many blessings all in a short time. Each time I pray that God will be the center of the relationship and that the couple will continually love, respect, and support each other. There have also been many prayers of healing sent up by me. Both my grandma and grandpa had health issues the end of this year, a girl from my church had a tumor on her brain, and a good friend of mine was in a pretty bad car accident recently. But God is good and put his healing hand on all of them. Things could have been much worse in each situation, but He provided the healing needed. And it was so reasurring to look on facebook and twitter to see all of the prayers being lifted up for various people. God is Good!!!

I cannot believe it's almost 2011! Not quite sure what my New Years' Resolutions will be (if I have any). But when I find out I will probably post it, kinda like a form of commitment for me or something.

Anyways, that's about it for now. I hope everyone has had a safe and happy holiday season! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Until next time!!

St. Louis/Kirkwood Trip

2010-11-14T18:25:00.000-06:00

Well hello again everyone! Last weekend I went up to St. Louis/Kirkwood to visit my friend Erin (who I hadn't seen in 2 years!) while she was home for a conference. The first night I was there, we met up with our friend/former roommate Erica to go to Bailey's Chocolate Bar. If you ever end up in Lafayette Square in St. Louis, I highly recommend this place for a little after dinner adventure! It's pretty much a dessert bar, with sooooo many yummy desserts and drinks to choose from. It was sooooo good!

The next day E-Mac and I headed out to Powder Valley. Our tradition all throughout college was to take pictures of the fall leaves around campus. Since we weren't on campus, we did the next best thing. Here are some of the really cool pics we got.

After we got done at Powder Valley we headed off to the zoo. Best thing about the zoo? IT'S FREE! We used her mom's parking pass to park really close and walked right in. It was a glorious day for a zoo trip. Most of the animals were out and about, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Here's some of the furry little critters we saw.

By far the cutest guys we saw were the prairie dogs. They were working on their different burrows and tunnels, so there were a few with huge wads of straw and sticks in their mouths, like this guy. They were squeakin all over the place at each other! It was so cute. I got a little video of them.

After the zoo we stopped at Sonic for Happy Hour, then I headed back to Springfield. It was a short little trip, but it was a bunch of fun. Thanks E-Mac!! :)

I cannot believe it's already the middle of November! The cold weather has finally hit, the leaves are gorgeous, and Christmas decorations are making their way into everything. I have 2 short weeks of school and then it's back home for good food, good family, and good fun! Hope everyone is doing well!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:05:00.001-05:00

Well hello again! I just realized it's been over a month since my last post, so I figured I would take a break from homework and studying to say Happy Halloween to everyone!

I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween. I hate being scared, I CANNOT watch scary movies (I slept on the couch for a week after watching The Sixth Sense), and I haven't dressed up for it in years. But I do like the candy! I'm having to hold out on munching down all the candy we have until tonight in case we actually have trick-or-treaters come to our door.

Speaking of dressing up, when I go to my nursing home sessions I get to talk about Halloween with all my ladies. I ask what they would like to dress up as or what their favorite costume was. I always get to tell them about the year my mom made my costume, along with my brother's and sister's. Laura was a princess (of course), Andy was Batman, and I...I was a tube of toothpaste. Mom made this long white tunic thing, pasted "TOOTHPASTE" down the middle, gave me a cardboard toothbrush, and put a lampshade on my head for the cap. Priceless. There's a picture floating around somewhere...probably on our fridge at home. I think the last time I "dressed up" for Halloween was freshman year of college. This was a close as it got...

Can you tell which one I am? Yup...I'm the cool kid in the Great Pumpkin scrub top. This was in my Music Theory class. As a fundraiser for music therapy, we went around doing singing telegrams for Halloween. One of my classmates paid for us to get our teacher Dr. Sharpe (the one in the hideous sweater) to dance the Monster Mash with us. And of course, I have video!

And of course my video wouldn't upload. Ohhh...good times indeed. Maybe I'll try again later. This year has been much less eventful. I don't even have a Halloween shirt to wear! I think I have one orange shirt I can throw on in case I have to answer the door and give out candy.

Here's another fun fact about my Halloween: this is the second time I'm in an apartment (not on campus) for the holiday. Last year I was in Jackson. I bought some candy in case anyone came by, because I knew there were some kids in the complex. At the end of the night I had two trick-or-treaters...they were in their late teens/early 20s...one was pregnant. Good times. This year cannot be more entertaining than that.

I hear a lot of confusion about when people are trick-or-treating this year since Halloween is on Sunday. Do they take the kids Saturday night or Sunday night? And what's up with some cities doing it one night and some doing it the next? Silly kids in school. Parents, live it up! Let 'em go out Sunday night! It'll give all the teachers a quiet day at school the next day.

Well, that's all I have for now. Gotta get back to this take-home essay test and study guide. Until next time!

(PS...that's not my pumpkin masterpiece up top...found it on google.)

Fall is Here!!!

2010-09-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

Hello again! Man, it's been awhile since my last post! September is nearly over, and this is my first post of the month! I'm a bad blogger...

In case you haven't noticed, FALL IS OFFICIALLY HERE! I love this time of the year. It's finally getting cool again, the leaves are about to start changing, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks, and all my favorite candle scents are back! I absolutely love taking pictures of all of the leaves. I got really lucky picking Drury as my school...since it's technically a tree farm, we have some awesome changing of the leaves. Here are some of the pics I've taken over the years.

Stone Chapel

This pic of me was taken by my friend E-Mac. I kinda love it.

This was the sidewalk outside the house we lived in my Senior year.

The orange and red trees are absolutely my favorite.

Squirrel! The squirrels at Drury are crazy.

Every year E-Mac and I would walk around campus taking pictures of all the trees. Unfortunately I will have to do it without her this year since she's in El Paso. This is quite depressing.

Time for a quick update on my life! Not much has changed since last month. I'm in full gear in the Masters program. It's a little awkward in my classes since it's just me and 2 other students in all of my classes. But so far so good! I've had one test so far and got an A on it...my second test is this Tuesday. I've taught one class as part of a course requirement...I'll teach another one later in October.

Sessions are going well also! I'm finally seeing all of my clients on a weekly basis...all of them have been scheduled and assessed, so now it's a normal routine for sessions. I'm supervising a couple of students which is both challenging and entertaining. I feel all special and adult-like since I get to tell them what to do and what not to do. Good times!

It seems I may be doing more frequent travels home this month! I just got back from being home, and it looks like I may go home for the next 4 weekends for various reasons! Oy! I don't mind though...it's not a long drive, and I love being home.

Well, I think that's about all I have for now! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the beginning of Fall! Until next time! :)

Back to School

2010-08-21T13:42:00.000-05:00

Yep! It's that time again! Time to go back to schoool! I can't believe it. Even though I got a longer break this year due to finishing my internship in April, it still doesn't seem like school should be here again!

This year is going to be quite different for me. I'm a Masters student now, after practically having a year off from school. I'm entering a program that has only 2 other students that will be in my classes. All of the other music therapy Masters students are equivalency students, which means they still have to finish the undergraduate curriculum. So classes will be quite...interesting, to say the least. I'm also the Graduate Assistant for the program, meaning I get my own office and actually have office hours! I'm not quite sure what work I will be doing...my first meeting is on Tuesday. And on top of all this, I'm doing a few music therapy sessions a week and piano lessons for a family. Whew! I think I'm gonna be a little busy!

Next Tuesday is the big day! Most of my college friends have graduated and moved on, and the rest of my friends are practically gone by December, so it will be interesting socially this year. But I figured I could make new friends by updating my appearance. Here's my new school haircut!

Ha! Just kidding! This is from 9th grade. Aren't you glad I've grown out of this phase? I know all of my friends and family are...they remind me constantly. :-P

Anyway, I know a lot of you are either starting back soon or have children that have started. Did everyone have a good first day? What's your favorite back to school memory? Hope the year's starting off great for everyone! Until next time!

None the Wiser...

2010-08-03T13:03:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in awhile...again! I'm kinda bad at this whole blogging thing. But then again, I haven't really had anything going on worth blogging about. I'm back and forth between Fayetteville and Springfield for the next few weeks. Sessions are going well, and I'm still broke as a joke. This week is a little different though.

I get to stay home in Fayetteville all week! Woo! But this does not come without a price...

I had all four wisdom teeth takenout Monday morning (8am to be exact). It only took about 45 minutes. I was really nervous about the anesthesia, more importantly what I would act like on said anesthesia. But it went a lot easier than I was expecting! Mom said the only weird thing I did on the drive home was try to clean off the clock radio display.

Recovery has been ok. I didn't have to get stitches, so that makes things a little easier. I have this sweet action ice pack to put on my face to help with swelling and pain. I have to take penicillin four times a day for infection. I was also given oxycodone, but thankfully I don't really need it anymore...down to tylenol now! And let me tell you, oxycodone makes you loopy!

I picked a terrible time to get the surgery. Yesterday I missed hanging out with my Sunday School class eating some tasty ribs and a ginormous cake. This week is also my grandma's and my dad's birthdays. They are going out to Olive Garden tonight. I'm not sure if I'll go, but if I do all I can eat is maybe the inside of breadsticks and some soup. No straws, no caffeine/carbonated beverages...all I've had for the past couple of days is ice cream, pudding, soup, and drugs. But I'm hoping this will be a kickstart to some weight loss!

Anyway, thanks for all the prayers, they have definitely helped! Please continue to pray for my recovery. I hear the third day is the worst for swelling and such. Hope everyone is having a better week than I am! Enjoy solid foods, drinking through straws, and carbonated beverages!!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

2010-07-02T16:35:00.001-05:00

No, I didn't just learn to go potty all by myself. But I did just conduct my first session as a board certified music therapist! Now I know this might not mean much to everyone else, but it's kind of a big deal to me! Of course it wasn't 100% perfect or how I had pictured it going, but it was a learning experience. And I did it all by myself.

For the past five years, I have had to do sessions a certain way, do a certain amount of documentation, report to certain people, etc. Now, I'm kind of my own boss. I don't have to ask if I did something right or wrong. I'm not filling out five pages of documentation for someone to grade. There's no one looking over my should to tell me every mistake I make. I tailor the session to how I think the client will best respond. If it doesn't work out like I want it to, it's ok. I will just try something different next week. The only documentation I have to fill out right now are two time sheets. That's crazy!

It's so surreal transferring from a student to a full-fledged music therapist. I still have that feeling like I have to talk to someone about what I should've done differently, what I could've done better. But now it's all up to me. I get to decide what didn't go well and what will change for the next session. I'm the one of the people the MT students will come to with questions and concerns about how they are performing next year. Wow!

Anyway, I just wanted to share that little glimpse of my future now. I'll be doing a session every Friday throughout July, and I will possibly start doing nursing home sessions as well. Bring it on!

Summertime...

2010-06-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a little while since my last post! In case you hadn't noticed, it's summer! Woohoo! This summer has started a little weird for me...since I've technically been done with school since the end of April, my time frames are completely screwed up. And it doesn't seem to be getting much better...

I've been back and forth between home and Springfield for awhile, and that's probably what will be happening for the rest of the summer. Right now I'm at home, and it's been great. It seems like I've been busier than I should be right now, but it's a good busy! I've helped out some around the house and a church, and I've been able to hang out with some of my amigos.

Wedding season has definitely arrived! I know of at least 5 of my friends that are getting married over the next year...3 of them in the course of 2 months! I've been asked to play in 2 weddings this summer. The first one was last Saturday...the next one is this Sunday! Needless to say, lots of wedding shenanigans going on right now! The entire month of June has been full of bridal showers, bachelorette parties, rehearsals, and of course the actual ceremonies. Good times all around...

I'm in the process of getting "jobs" set up for the summer and into the fall. I've been busy with paperwork and initial obligations to start music therapy sessions through a healthcare service. I'm also looking into teaching piano/guitar lessons for a couple of families. Hopefully that will all work out, because I'm gonna need some moolah!

Well, I believe that's the gist of things for now! Oh I changed my layout again! I'm not sure if I completely like it or not, but I thought I'd try it out for a bit. Hope everyone's had a great start to the summer! Stay cool!

Graduation

2010-05-18T00:13:00.001-05:00

Yep...it happened...I graduated from Drury! I now have my Bachelor of Music Therapy. My mom, dad, grandma, brother, sister, aunt, and cousin all came to celebrate with me. Here's a family pic that we got.

Aren't we cutesies?!

Now here's my favorite of the twins and me...priceless

I don't have a picture of me in my cap & gown because I had to trade that in for my diploma. Plus it was so flippin hot! I got out of that thing as fast as I could! But anyway, the whole graduation thing was a good experience. I sat by my good friends, listened to a boring speaker, and was one of only two people that graduated with a BMT, so I feel kinda special. :-P

That's all I have for now! Hope everyone's having a good week!

4 Little Letters

2010-05-05T17:21:00.001-05:00

I have waited 5 long years to type this next sentence:

Hi, my name is Carrie Jenkins, and I am a Board Certified Music Therapist.

That's right, you read it! I am a MT-BC! Wooooo!!!! I took the CBMT exam today at 1:30. It was supposed to last 3 hours, but I'm a fast test taker and got done in about an hour and 45 minutes. I was freaking out the entire time! The test was RIDICULOUS! It's all multiple choice, but each questions is its own paragraph, and each individual answer option is its own paragraph. Ugh...but I survived! And now I am board certified. It's silly to think how much it means to write those four letters and a hyphen after my name. 5 years of school summed up into 4 letter. Good times. So to give you a little update on my life...

I will be graduating next weekend! Crazy! I will have my Bachelor of Music Therapy degree. And what does one do after they get done with school? That's right, more school! I have applied to the Master of Music Therapy program here at good ole Drury and will be starting in the fall. I debated on whether to do an online Masters program or to come back to Drury, but after looking everything over, Drury is the place for me!

I have been going back and forth on what I should do about employment for the upcoming year. I applied to TouchPoint Autism Services here in Springfield a couple weeks back. But throughout the application process, I wasn't feeling too hot about the potential job. After looking at the time commitment they want on top of being a full-time Masters student, the travel requirements, documentation, etc., this job seems like it will just consume me and wear me down. I don't want to have a job that completely exhausts me at the end of the day, leaving no time or motivation to focus on my classes. But then comes along another opportunity...
My music therapy professor informed me of a Graduate Assistant position for the MMT program. The girl that was thinking about taking it decided to back down and keep her clinical hours (in the long run it was better for her). This position does not offer a stipend or salary, but it pays half tuition. Plus there is a lot less travel required, and I would get my own office in the music department! It's not official yet, but I'm 98% sure I will be taking this position. I filled out all the paperwork today. Now I just have to make sure I am actually accepted into the Masters program...and then figure out how to tell the other job I'm not interested anymore. :-P

And what's the moral of this story? GOD IS GOOD! I have been hoping and praying that I am indeed on the right path. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed "God, it's in your hands now. If you want this for me, make it happen. If not, then give me the patience to take the right road." I think I am on the right track again.

Well, that's about all I have for now. I gotta go plan on how I'm going to celebrate! Until next time!

~Carrie Jenkins, MT-BC

On the Move

2010-04-19T15:03:00.001-05:00

As promised a couple weeks ago, I finally have pics of my new apartment! But before showing you those, I would like you to see my final visions of the Jackson apartment.

I would like to mention that I HATE PACKING. I loathe it entirely. This was what my apartment looked like for about 2 days. I packed as much as I could before mom and dad came down with the U-Haul.

Well, we finally got everything packed, loaded, and moved to Springfield. And now, for your viewing pleasure, pics of Laura's and my new apartment!

Laura's bathroom...just as you come in the front door to the right.

The living room. Of course Walter has already taken over.

Another shot of the living room. The loveseat and mirror are courtesy of Scottie & Allyce Johnson. We put a slipcover over the loveseat so it would match better.

The kitchen/dining area. The "wall art" are actually curtains. We use it to tie together the dining area with the living room.

1st view of my bedroom. I have a big girl bed now! Yep...it's a king. :-)

2nd view of my bedroom.

My bathroom

Laura's bedroom. She's still in the process of moving everything over from the dorm.

Laura's closet...it's stupid huge.

Well, that's about it! Hope you've enjoyed my little virtual tour! After about 3 weeks, this place is finally starting to look and feel like home.

D-Now 2010

2010-04-19T00:24:00.001-05:00

Man, this last week and a half has flown by! I went home a couple Thursdays ago. I led worship at church that Sunday. The next full week was dedicated to helping mom out around the house. Monday I did random errands...Tuesday we worked in the yard all day...Wednesday I cleaned the house...Thursday we went to Springfield for the day to see Laura's play. Then the weekend rolled around...

This weekend we had D-Now at our church. It's like a weekend retreat/huge worship weekend for the youth group. Everyone is split up into groups of 4-8 people and goes to host homes. There they are led by college students and go through a curriculum based on the theme for the weekend. This year's theme was "Revealed." Aaron Rodgers was the guest speaker. The Dave Hassell Band led worship. These guys were amazing. Aaron did an excellent job telling ridiculous stories and making everyone laugh while at the same time being able to tie these stories into the message he wanted to bring that night.

I had the priviledge of leading half of the 9th grade girls along with my friend Melanie. We stayed at my house. These girls were awesome. There were some crazy moments, but they knew when to calm it down and focus on the important issues. Oh and if you're looking for any pics from the weekend, don't worry. One of my girls took 500 photos...500 photos in 2 days!

Anyways, I have a confession to make. I hate crying in public. I cannot stand it. I avoid it at all costs. When I cry my eyes get all red, my face gets all blotchy, and I snot everywhere. It's not a pretty sight, and I try my darndest not to let other people see me cry. But alas, I was very unsuccessful this weekend. Saturday night's worship hit me hard. I was completely broken. It was a combination of things...I hadn't experienced a good, deep, meaningful worship time in a long time. And I just felt very convicted about not really living authentically for God; it's so easy to just get caught up in the motions, saying the right things, doing the right thing, but not really meaning it...

Needless to say, I started tearing up during one of the songs. I thought to myself "Keep it together! Don't cry in front of all these people! You can cry in the comfort and solidarity of your room tonight." But then we got into small groups to pray. I took my girls to the side and started the prayer. All I could get out was three words: "God, you're amazing." And then the floodgates opened. I just stood there and cried for a good 30 seconds. I can't remember the last time I cried so much in a public place. Oh, but it was a good cry. I needed it. Being able to just completely let go, take down all the barriers, and just live in the moment with all emotions out in the open was amazing. So I choked out the rest of my prayer and listened to the other girls. And then we sang some more...and I cried some more. I had forgotten how important it is to just sit and listen sometimes. I'm a music major, which is both a blessing and a curse. I can get so caught up in the musical aspect and technicality of things that I forget what I'm really there for. But that night I sat...I listened...I soaked it all in...and it was great.

Whew! That was a lot of typing! But I really wanted to share it all; not just for me to remember later, but for anyone who reads this too, as a reminder to LET GO and let God reveal himself. Stop making the relationship a routine. Be willing to just stop and listen.

Anyway, to sum things up, this weekend was awesome. There wasn't a lot of drama between all of the students. The college group did awesome leading the small group discussions. Scottie and Kevin did an awesome job putting all the technical stuff together. The host homes and food were amazing. It was just overall a great success! Possibly the best D-Now I've been to.

And now I'm off to bed. Hope everyone's had a good week! Hopefully I'll be able to get into more of a routine in the near future. Until next time!

Here, There, and Everywhere!

2010-04-07T18:20:00.001-05:00

So it's been awhile since my last post. I've been extremely busy the past few weeks. While I'm waiting for my laundry to get done, I'll give a little update of my life!

I moved out of my apartment in Jackson last Wednesday. We made an overnight pit-stop in Fayetteville to pick up Laura's stuff from the house, then moved everything to Springfield. I spent the night in a different bed every night for a week, but we are finally all moved in to the new apartment! All Laura and I have left are to hang up the rest of the art work and pictures. But we got a new washer & dryer, reported all the maintenance problems, and have the internet set up. It's a really nice apartment. I'll post pictures of it when we get it all perfect.

Well, I'm finished with my undergratuate curriculum. I had meetings this week with my professors about my internship experience and the upcoming Masters program. Everything seems to be in the works! In the next few weeks I plan to take the music therapy board certification exam and the MAT. Woo for tests...(note the sarcasm).

I had my first real job interview today! A friend that I went to school with told me about a possible part-time opening at the place she works at in Springfield. I e-mailed my resume and they told me to come by. I wasn't quite expecting it to be an interview today...I just though I was coming by to see the facilities, meet people, and schedule a formal interview time. But surprise, surprise! I ended up filling out an application and having an interview! The lady said she would be e-mailing me in the near future to set up a time for a teleconference with another music therapist from the company. That's a good sign, right?

Sooooo....if everything goes like I hope, starting this fall, I will be taking classes in the morning and doing music therapy sessions in the afternoon. I'm a big kid now! And I thought I'd have some down time. :-P

Well that's about it for now. Apartment pics will be up in a week or so! I'm packing up to head back to Fayetteville for a bit. Until next time!

It Finally Happened...

2010-03-23T20:14:00.001-05:00

I'm done! I can't believe I am actually saying those words...I'm done! I'm done, I'm done, I'm done! I finished my last day of internship today! Do you know what this means?! I am done with my undergrad!!! All that's left to do is walk in May! I still cannot believe it...it is so surreal!

When I first moved to Jackson, I thought "This is going to take forever! 6 months cannot go by fast enough." But now here I am, at the end of the 6 months, and it's impossilbe for it to be over. Now I have one week left in Tennessee. And what am I going to do? Chill...relax...sleep in...whatever I want! Of course I'll pack, but probably not until the beginning of next week.

I gotta say, there were some rough patches along the way. Sessions didn't go as planned, I was asked to do things that nowhere near applied to my internship, etc. But overall it was a great experience. I made some great friends and learned a lot.

Now I'm ready to move on to the next phase. I pack up here the 31st, make a stop at home, and head up to Springfield to move into my new apartment! I'll be living with my sister...partay! After I get everything mostly moved in, I'll head home for Easter. Then it's back to Springfield for a few days to see all my friends and hopefully get some things done. I have to take the MAT and the board certification exam in the near future. Oh I also have to apply for the Master's program at Drury. So I'll still be a little busy!

And now I'm going to enjoy a big glass of chocolate milk. I wish everyone a happy week. Keep enjoying this beautiful weather! Happy Spring! Hopefully I'll see you in the near future! :-D

A Few Minor Changes...The Count Down Begins!

2010-03-10T19:16:00.002-06:00

As you may or may not have noticed, I completely changed my blog! Thanks to the genius that is Kyle David Vanderburg, I got a crash course in html editing and tweeked my new template just the way I liked it. So here it is! You'll have to let me know what you think!

I was sitting at my dining room table eating some mac 'n cheese (yes, I'm 8 years old tonight) and said to myself "Oh my goodness self! You only have 2 weeks of internship left! This is crazy!" Looking back, I have done a lot over the past 6 months. And I thought about telling you all about it...but seeing as you are probably not interested in the music therapy-related stuff, I thought I would share some of the more random things I have learned...

Always be on guard, because you never know when you are going to be attacked by a paper airplane.

Fudge making/packaging is REQUIRED at least 2 times during internship.

Napkins are not meant to look like crab rangoon, unless you attend a STAR Center fundraiser.

Always look busy, even if you aren't. That way you won't be asked to do as much.

No matter how stupid something may seem, make the best of it. Because you won't be there for long, and you will soon leave some awesome people behind.

Hope you enjoyed this ramble! I'm off to get ready for church now. Until next time...keep loving this beautiful weather!

Ramble On My Wayward Son

2010-03-08T11:19:00.002-06:00

I realized I haven't posted in a few weeks, so I thought it was time for a little update of my life! So sit back, relax, and get ready to read a whole lotta nothin!

Turns out, I only have 2 and a half weeks left of my internship! CRAZY!!! It seems like it has taken forever, but then I look back and realize it flew by. My last day of work should be the 24th of this month, and then I move out on the 31st. Having that week to pack will be good. I hate packing...hate...abhor...loathe entirely. But I'm almost done! I have really enjoyed the internship. I learned a lot, got both positive and constructive criticism, really enjoyed working with the majority of my clients, and made some really good friends at the STAR Center. However I will not miss Jackson. If you like to shop and eat out, this place is for you...but seeing as I have no money, this place is not for me. I'm ready to get back to MO to be closer to home and see some of my buddies again!

Next ramble! I got to make a trip home this weekend! I used the excuse of needing to get boxes to validate the 6 hour trip. I got 4 boxes...ha! Anyway, it was good to go home. I spent time with my familia. When I got back Andy, Padre and I went out to Chili's. We spent way too much money and ate way too much food. And there was a ridiculous amount of high school kids there! And they were the annoying kind...bleh. Saturday I did a little shopping with mom. I got lots of nice Clinique stuff (BTW it's bonus time again!) and we did some much needed clothes shopping for Andy. I also hung out with some friends at Common Grounds, saw a movie, and went to church. Oh and I got my oil changed! That little place in Farmington is awesome. Overall it was a good weekend.

Random movie reivew! This weekend I saw Alice in Wonderland with mom, Andy, and the lovely Allyce Johnson. I thought it only fitting to take Allyce to see Alice...ha! I really liked it. There's a little twist on the story plot from the original, which makes it interesting. But I shant tell you what it is! It is definitely not kid friendly though! But this is only to be expected, because it is Tim Burton...and creepy crazy Johnny Depp...mmmmmm. But if you are a fan of Tim Burton, multiple personality Johnny Depp, and Danny Elfman music, this is the movie for you! I think all of us that went were pleased.

Final ramble! This weekend I got to feast upon many fabulous food items. At Chili's I had the trio sampler appetizer thing. I got chicken crispers, southwest eggrolls, and spinach dip. All were quite tasty. I later learned that the plastic Chili's to-go containers are not microwavable...oops! Saturday I got to feast upon the beauty that is Flying Burrito. It is pretty much customary that when I come into town my family goes there with the Johnsons. I cannot describe the magnificence that is Burrito. It's like God himself woke up one morning and said "Today, I wish to bestow upon the world a small sliver of heaven in the form of a plethora of greatness surrounded by a tortilla." And it was so. The final awesome meal of my weekend was Sunday lunch. My mommy made brisket with the FANTASMO gravy, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and rolls. To...die...for. I got to bring back leftovers and will be feasting upon them for lunch today...mmmmmm.

Well I think that is all my rambling for now. Hope you enjoyed! And now I shall leave you with this sassy picture of myself taken at the STAR Center Dinner & Dance a couple weeks ago. Enjoy this beautiful weather!!! I will be back home for the Easters!

Home Is Where the Heart Is...

2010-02-20T13:36:00.003-06:00

For the past few years now I tend to get really homesick around this time of year. I first noticed it during the second semester of my junior year of college. I know the reasons for wanting to go home that semester...a lot of different emotions and a few different circumstances just piled up all at once, and I needed to get outta there! But I've had the feeling of needing to go home and get out of my current surroundings for 3 years now at pretty much the same time each year with nowhere near the same circumstances. I really don't mind living in Jackson. I've met some great people, I love the church I've been going to, and my internship is going well. But I still just wanna leave! What is up with me?!

Maybe it's due to the weather change: it's finally starting to become spring. The weather is warmer, the sun it out longer, and it makes me want to get up and go. But being farther from home and all the friends I left makes it pretty much impossible to have a good weekend getaway. Plus having this little furball to take care of makes it a little more difficult to travel...he's so needy! Maybe my homesickness (is that a word?) is due to the fact that there's nothing to do here unless you want to spend money: eating out, shopping, going to the movies...that's pretty much it. And since I am a poor college student that focuses on surviving rather than having fun, I don't like spending a lot of money right now. Or maybe, as pathetic as this might be, it's because of all the mushy gushy love time going on: Valentines Day, people getting engaged, wedding season coming up...it's all a little overwhelming when you don't have a "special someone" of your own. Being around friends and family makes it all a little more manageable, and when I don't have that, I miss it.

Enough of the depression and loneliness. I'm almost done with my internship! And it's gone really well! I've gotten lots of positive feedback, but I've also learned a lot while I've been here. I should finish my last day on March 26th. I'll move out of my apartment the 31st with the help of mom and dad. Then it's a quick stop at home to pick up Laura's stuff, and then it's off to Springfield again! Mom and Laura found an apartment that's about 10 minutes from both Drury and MSU. And the really nice thing is that they offer a shuttle service to MSU, which means Laura doesn't have to worry about parking when she gets on campus. It looks like a really nice apartment, and I'm ready to be back in the Springfield area. And the weather has been great this week! The snow has finally melted, and I don't freeze my tookus off every time I step outside.

Well, I guess it's time to stop rambling for now. I need to clean the apartment, do some laundry, make a quick run to the store for some groceries, and maybe work out...maybe. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! 5 and a half more weeks and I'm home!!!

"Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room." ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Perfect Guy

2010-02-14T18:06:00.001-06:00

As you may or may not have noticed, it's Valentines Day! Or for those of you in the same boat as me, it's Singles Awareness Day! And for those of you that don't care about any of that, it is also the Chinese New Year (year of the tiger) and, according to my brother, the third day of the Olympics. Yay! In honor of this momentous day, I thought I would share with you a song I wrote a couple years back. It's titled "The Perfect Guy." I was gonna post a video of it, but it wouldn't upload. So you'll just have to settle for the lyrics.

The Perfect Guy

If I were Drew Barrymore I’d go on 50 first dates
And with each first kiss I’d think this is fate
If I were Paris Hilton, you’d be hot
And we’d have a little dog that I would carry while I shop
If I were Kate Winslet, I’d never let go
Unless you’re hogging all the clock on which we float
If I were Britney Spears I’d shave my head
And sing to you Toxic while we lie in bed

Cause you’re the perfect guy
You’re the apple of my eye
Even though that line is cheesy
I thought I’d give it a try
You’re just so great that thinkin’ of you makes me rhyme
That’s why
You’re my perfect guy

If I were a penguin, I’d give you a pebble
I’d waddle up to you and we would cuddle
If I were a lobster, you’d be mine
We’ll never leave each other, be together for all time
If I were a seahorse, you’d have my babies
Cause the guy seahorse gets pregnant, and that’s just crazy
If I were a lioness, you’d be my king
And every morning I’d wake up and sing

Cause you’re the perfect guy
You’re the apple of my eye
Even though that line is cheesy
I thought I’d give it a try
You’re just so great that thinkin’ of you makes me rhyme
That’s why
You’re my perfect guy

If I were a present, you’d be the bow
That sparkled in the beauty of the fallen snow
If I were a trinket at a garage sale
You’d be the pretty penny that bought this pail
What makes you so perfect is I don’t know you yet
You’re a great big mystery since we haven’t met
That makes it all the better, cause one day I’ll see
That we’re meant to be together, just you and me

Cause you’re the perfect guy
You’re the apple of my eye
Even though that line is cheesy
I thought I’d give it a try
You’re just so great that thinkin’ of you makes me rhyme
That’s why
You’re my perfect guy

Hope everyone's had a great day!

Walter

2010-02-08T09:58:00.001-06:00

Well, here I am, having another snow day. I don't understand why either, but I do enjoy the extra day of being lazy. I have to admit, living alone can be pretty nice. I can go wherever, whenever. I don't have to worry about cleaning anyone else's dishes or messes. But it gets lonely sometimes too. Luckily, I have a roommate. Well...sorta. I thought I'd tell you a little about him.

This is Walter. He's my buddy. I found him in Springfield last year. He wandered up to my house at school the week I was getting ready to move out. I found him one night before a big storm. I couldn't do anything with him at the time because I was going to a friend's house at that exact moment...plus one of my roommates really didn't like cats. So I left him to fend for himself. The next day he was back. This time Mom and Andy saw him too. They let him in the house and immediately fell in love with him. And to my complete amazement and bewilderment, Mom not only agreed but suggested that we bring him home with us! So she and Andy went off to buy him a cat carrier, some food, and a litter box.

He is a very friendly cat. Any person that comes to my apartment, he sees as a new friend and someone to love on him. And he does surprisingly well in the car! He's made 4 6-hour trips to and from Jackson, and we've only had problems once. Well, since he grew up in the tough ghetto of Springfield, MO (note the sarcasm there) he learned to not like any other type of four-legged creature. When we got him home, he would hiss and growl at both Gato and Ann (our other cat and dog). Luckily, my apartment in Jackson is pet-friendly. So I interited a new roommate!

You're probably wondering why we named him "Walter." Funny story...I was in the kitchen getting him some water. Andy asked me what I was doing. I told him. "I'm getting a bowl for water." His response: "Why did you name him Walter?" He misheard me. But we both liked the name. And now we have Walter. And like any pet we have, he has multiple nicknames: The Walz, Wally, Bubby, Stupid Cat, Walfred...the list goes on and on.

Don't let this lazy ball of fur fool you. He can be quite the handfull. He's very feisty and likes to play, but sometimes plays too rough. We declawed his front paws, but he's got a good little chomper! His breath stinks, he poops constantly, and he would eat an entire bag of food in a day if I let him. He doesn't like it when I sleep late and will sit at my bed and cry if I don't get up. And he sheds like a monkey! And with his white hair, it is noticeable on everything! He jumps up on all my counters (which I am correcting by squirting him with a water bottle...very effective). And he eats anything and everything...the down arrow key on my computer keyboard is completely destroyed. But as annoying as all of this sounds, I have to admit I love this little furball. He keeps me company. It's nice to have someone (something?) to come home to at the end of the day. And it's really nice when he curls up beside me on the futon so we can take a nap together.

Well, that's about all I have to say about the Walz. We are gonna enjoy this snow day by falling asleep watching a movie now. Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

Music Therapy

2010-02-03T09:36:00.001-06:00

I realized that my saying I'm a music therapy student in my "About Me" section might not make much sense to everyone that reads this. So, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you a brief look into my life as a music therapist.

I hate when people ask me the question "What is music therapy?" There are so many different definitions out there and so much we do! Here's the American Music Therapy Association's definition of music therapy:

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

Everyone lost? Great...basically, music therapy uses musical activities to address non-music goals. It's not music lessons and we are not music educators. We address cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and academic goals, just to name a few. Lots of people can benefit from music therapy. We work with people with Alzheimer's, developmental disabilities, Autism, TBI, ADD, physical disabilities, Down Syndrome, etc. Turns out, music is a global process in the brain, meaning it takes different areas of the brain to process all of the components of music. That being said, people can use music to communicate when other means of communication have been damaged.

I pretty much love music therapy. It's the perfect combination of music, medical, and helping people. I love the clients and the therapists I work with. And I'm glad I've stuck with it. It has taken 4 years of school and a 6-month internship, which I am still working on. I should be done with my internship by the beginning of April. Then it's back to Springfield to get my Masters.

Hopefully this helps explain what I do and why I do it. Time to get back to work! Enjoy your day!

"Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words." ~Robert G. Ingersoll

Snow Days & Sundays

2010-01-31T11:43:00.034-06:00

Much like the rest of the country, Jackson got hit with a good bit of the white stuff! It started snowing around 9am on Friday and didn't fully stop until sometime Saturday afternoon. I took some pics throughout to show how much snow we got.

My car after it was all said and done

The parking lot of my apartment complex

Walter wasn't sure what to think of the snow

Off of my balcony

Walter finally decided to venture out for a bit and see what this white stuff was all about

I always love watching the snow fall, but I love watching the people out in the snow even more! I cannot tell you how many people spent 5-10 minutes spinning out in the same spot because of ice on the parking lot. There was one pair that really caught my attention...a guy in a Ford Ranger was trying to get out of the parking lot, but he just could not get enough traction to go anywhere. He would have to back all the way to the end of the lot, take a running start, and try to muster up the tiny little incline at the entrance, but he just couldn't do it! After about 5 minutes of him trying, one of my other neighbors who has a huge Dodge Ram with 4-wheel drive comes driving into the lot. He would speed up, stop real fast, and skid to try and wear off some of the ice. He did this the entire length of the parking lot. After he had worn away a path for the Ford, he got behind him and made sure he actually got out of the lot ok. I just thought it was so awesome that a guy, who may have no idea who the other person is, was willing to get out in the cold, take a few moments out of his afternoon, and help. Yay for chivalrous people!!

We ended up getting so much snow and wintry precipitation that church was cancelled today. I have been going to FBC Humboldt with one of the girls I work with. Everyone is really friendly, and I don't feel awkward there like I did at some of the other churches I visited. They do still have a full choir in robes and use an organ. And let me tell you something, it is really hard to take some of the modern praise and worship songs seriously when you have the organ blaring, a pianist trying to keep up with it, a drummer that wants to take off but can't, and a full choir singing. It's a little whacky at times, but I really do enjoy going. Last week I noticed something about the congretation that really touched me...

The pastor has been presenting a sermon series on fear: how to overcome it, how to use it, how God uses it, etc. Last week was a really touching sermon and got a lot of people's attention. There was a huge response during the invitation. A lot of people went up to pray at the altar. As touching as all of that is, that's not what I noticed...

What I noticed was the love and dedication of that congretation. Any person that went up to pray had at least 3 other people around them praying with them. One person would go up to pray, others would see, and they would swarm around them, offering comfort and support with whatever that person was going through. The love and closeness of that congregation is amazing! And it wasn't just that...I looked over at the youth section during the sermon, and 90% of them were intently listening and taking notes. Before small groups in the morning there have to be at least 50 hugs exchanged in that group. They ask how your week has been, what you've been up to, and how you are doing. You can tell any member of that congregation a problem you have or something you struggle with, and they will love and pray over you without a shred of judgment or remorse. This is a group that genuinely love and care about each other, and it is amazing.

It got me to thinking about other congretations I have been in. I know we all strive to have that close-knit church family that we can go to with any problem or need. We all like to put on the welcoming smile for any visitor and hope they find a place to connect. But does the smile stay? Do we really LOVE the people in our church family? I have to admit, there are times when I don't. There are people I just don't mesh with, and I don't go out of my way to show them God's love through my actions. For that I am truly sorry. I'm working on being less judgmental of people and being more open to newcomers. It's just hard to branch out of your comfortable little pocket that you've always been in.

So this is my challenge; not only for me, but for anyone that reads this: LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE. Embrace the family God has blessed you with through your church. Put aside any negative thoughts or feelings and offer a word of encouragement, a handshake, a smile, a hug. Then maybe we can really start being the body of Christ.

“God didn't put us here for that pat on the back. He created us so He could be here Himself. So He could exist in the lives of those He created, in His image.”

Welcome to da Blog!

2010-01-30T15:34:00.002-06:00

So, here I am in the blogging world! I finally caved in and decided to join everyone else and put up my thoughts and ramblings on a blog. I've thought about starting one since I moved to Jackson but never got around to it. And now that I've had two snow days and not much else to do, I finally got around to making one! Hope you enjoy!

You may be asking yourself, as I am, why have I started a blog? Various reasons actually...boredom, something to do; it's a way for anybody interested to keep up-to-date with my life; it's a place for me to keep my thoughts; the list goes on and on...

I like looking through other people's blogs and seeing how their lives are changing, whether it be for the better or worse. I love seeing the pictures people post. I used to see blogging as pointless and stupid. Why should I or anyone else put personal thoughts out in the open for everyone else to see? But since I already do that through facebook and Twitter, and after seeing how enjoyable it is for a lot of my friends, why not give myself more space to make my thoughts more detailed? So I'm gonna try this out. I've never been very good at keeping a diary or journaling, but maybe this will remedy that problem.

I hope you enjoying reading "CJ's Ramblings"! Now I am going to continue enjoying this snowy Saturday by writing a book report! More to come!