The Happiness Smashers

Halloween is just around the corner, and I am pretty excited! I am quite a fan of Halloween. Actually, I am quite a fan of all holidays in general. But as Halloween is nearing, the dreaded Happiness Smashers are coming out. These Happiness Smashers smash much more than just happiness. . . .they smash pumpkins.

I won't deny it. During my high school career, I smashed many a pumpkin. Usually this mask was covering my face, in order to keep my reputation safe. . . . .

But here is the thing:

I always did my smashing the night of Halloween.

That way, I wasn't being too much of a happiness smasher. After Halloween, people usually throw the jack-o-lanterns in the trash any ways. But a week before Halloween???? Come on, people!!

This past weekend (that would be a week before Halloween almost exactly) I drove through Old Farm's parking lot to find pumpkins smashed. They weren't just in the parking lot. They were also smashed on the lawn. And I wondered to myself, what could be wrong with these college kids, smashing other college kids' jack-o-lanterns? And a week before Halloween? It's a sick and twisted thing really.

I think I have realized what the problem is though. .

Some kids come to college and just go a little nuts. These are kids that probably haven't rebelled a day in their lives, and now they feel they can do anything they want. I feel there are quite a few of these kids at Old Farm. Things like this will happen:

• It might be Wednesday night (or Thursday morning if we get technical) at about 3 am, and there will be kids outside my bedroom window. They should not be awake at this time. Let alone outside. But they are. Not only that, but they are screaming. I have no idea why. And neither do they. Basically, the only reason they are screaming at 3 in the morning is because they can. They no longer have curfew, or parents to tell them to come back inside. This leaves me to yell at them from my window. Because some of us actually missed curfew a few times in our life and have learned to appreciate sleep on a weekday.
  
  
• It might be raining. Raining hard. It's cold. There are girls outside. With no shoes on. Playing in the rain gutters. Sliding in the mud. Getting sopping wet. These girls are going to get sick. Then they will skip class due to being sick. And FAIL. Sure, playing in the rain is fun. But I got plenty of that done as a kid. I also went skinny dipping in high school before. Skinny dipping makes playing in the rain gutter when it is freezing outside look pretty pathetic, and not very wise either.
  

This brings me to my pumpkin smashing theory. These kids that never rebelled in high school, see pumpkins on doorsteps and their fingers just itch. They probably heard about smashing pumpkins. But they had in their mind it was a bad and evil thing to do.

Killing people is a bad and evil thing to do.

Some things, I feel, should be experienced, and a lot of these experiences, while in high school. Smashing a pumpkin should be experienced by everyone. So to all those kids that held themselves back while in high school: Go for it! Smash them! But please have proper havoc reeking etiquette and wait to smash the night of Halloween. Some of us took a great amount of time and effort to carve our pumpkins. And we will not be happy campers if you smash our hard work.

Here are some pictures of some amazing jack-o-lanterns. We went on such a fun date last week. Dinner at Iggy's. Pumpkin carving. Carmel apple making. "Hocus Pocus" watching. Did I mention I'm quite a fan of Halloween?

Good thing I lift weights ;)

Best date ever!

Flawless.

This would be my kitty. Which about ended up with 5 legs. Oops.

I would post a few more pictures. . .but I am downloading Adobe Photoshop at this very moment at the same time I'm blogging. My computer doesn't like that too much. So I'll quit confusing her and be done now, and maybe Photoshop will load.

Fear: Life's Opponent

Franklin D Roosevelt was right when he said,

"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

Sometimes I make myself afraid. Afraid of things where fear should not be present. I let myself replace hope, trust, and confidence with this darn fear. I think what I am very most afraid of is being denied. I figure if I don't try, I didn't fail. Which really, not trying is the biggest failure of all.

So why don't I just go for it? What do I have to lose, right? I can do anything I want with my life. My dreams are mine to gain. . .

A couple weeks ago, a group of us went to the corn maze. It was a weekend night, so it was haunted. I had not been to this corn maze for several years. I think the last time I had been to it, I was probably about 13 or so. I remember being afraid when I went to it before. I mean, not like I was scared to death or anything, but I freaked myself out slightly.

Please tell me that you freak yourself out slightly on occasion too? I won't deny it. There are still times when I will take the garbage out at night, and as I begin walking back, I plant this thought in my head that someone could be watching me. Then I begin walking at a faster pace. Then I begin running. Then not just running, but I'm at a dead sprint, until I am safe inside with all the lights on. I know it is quite ridiculous. But really, fear is nothing but a big ridiculous joke.

But back to the corn maze. . .

Our group set off, deep into the corn. We hit a few dead ends at the first, but after that we were on a roll. We made it through the maze pretty quickly. Faster than I ever remember going through a corn maze. Also, the people that jumped out at us were not very scary. They were actually pretty lame. Like I was starting to get annoyed. I wanted to yell at one of them,

"Scare me! You are doing a lousy job."

It is quite the frustrating thing. When you want to feel scared. It's like the time I watched "The Grudge". I think I laughed through that whole movie. There is nothing scary about some oriental creature that makes a weird moaning sound. I think that sound the Grudge made is the same sound I made when I was bored in the car at about the age of 5. Once Shayla and I sat on a bench on campus and just made that sound for as long as we could. We didn't think it was scary. We were laughing. I can't say the same for the people that walked past us though. They may have been scared, but we were not.

So after the corn maze, I was left asking myself,

"What happened?"

I remembered it being so scary and fun, but now it was honestly a big joke. There is a chance that the corn maze has just gone downhill. Maybe the design wasn't as hard to get through, and maybe the workers are not good at pulling pranks and scaring people (I should work in a corn maze). But I think perhaps, I have just grown up a little and realized that I was the one person creating most of that fear for myself. I worked it up to be bigger and more frightening than it actually was.

So the corn maze wasn't terrifying, but it was still a grand time and we had many laughs. I have some fun friends in my life. . .

This is how most things turn out that we find ourselves at one time fearing. And if we are too afraid to try, later we may find ourselves living with regret. Wondering why we didn't just go for it. Too many people live life with fear and never reach their full potential.

I don't want that for myself.

So Kelsey Keller, snap out of it! Go out there and do everything you were born to do. Because you are very capable. And anything can be accomplished if fear is forgotten, and trust and hope replace it.

Even the fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of not having lived authentically and fully.
-Frances Moore Lappé

I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are.

-Frances Moore Lappé

I am not sure who this Frances Moore Lappe guy is, but he has some awesome quotes. Happy Halloween. And take advantage of the one time of year it's ok to scare yourself out of your skin.

Dear Santa. . .

So I realize it tis the season to carve pumpkins and watch scary movies, but I'm just trying to be prepared for Christmas. That's all. I usually procrastinate everything, so I am only trying to break my horrible habit.

I have always had this problem with gifts at Christmas. I don't want to seem selfish.

I want this. I want that.

You know what I mean? So countless times when I have been asked, "What do you want for Christmas, Kelsey?"

I give dumb replies. Like:

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

This is a very unselfish answer. However, the people that I usually tell this to, get me gifts any ways. So I might as well tell them about things I actually want/need, right? Then I won't be wasting their money and taking up my space. So I am posting a "Christmas Wishlist" if you will, here on my blog. I don't think I have done this since I wrote a letter to Santa when I was in grade school. How exciting.

Note also that I do not feel I must have all of these things. It's just a list of things, and I would be a happy girl to get just one thing :).

Christmas Wishlist

1. A stapler. It is getting really old having to mooch off people for staples to hold my math homework together. I did buy a cheap one at Wal-Mart, and obviously it didn't work. Wal-Mart and their cheap worthlessness. But I do not feel like buying another one, because I just want to blame all this anger I'm feeling on Wal-Mart and drag it out as long as possible.

2. Money for my "Spring Break of 2011" fund. It's a great cause. Really.

3. An antique turquoise ring. I love old things. I love turquoise stone. I love rings. It just makes sense.

4. These adorable boots at Head Over Heels that I'm half-tempted to just cave and buy myself. They are so so cute! I am a sucker for boots. They are short boots. Light tan. Straps with buckles on the side. They are Bamboo brand. If you are confused, take me to the mall with you and I will point them out. If you want to get these for me, warn me not to cave and buy them.

(Similar to the ones I want)

5. I really want to get my Phantom of the Opera poster framed, so I can hang it up and show it off. This isn't any poster. It is a poster signed by all the actors off of BROADWAY. Big deal. Ever since it has been mine, it has just sat in the corner of my room, hidden away. That needs to be changed. It can even just be a way cheap frame. I don't even care.

6. There is this cool board I fell in love with at Hobby Lobby. Bless that store. It's navy blue. It has hooks on it, so I could hang keys, necklaces, and whatever else from them. Half of it is a marker board, so i could write reminders on it. The other half is a bulletin board, so I could hang a couple cute pictures on it. Everything about this is just marvelous, can't you tell?

7. A suitcase. Or a big athletic bag at least. I really need something to carry luggage around when I go places. Something very roomy and awesome looking! This is more than a want, it's starting to become a need. My Mickey Mouse bag from first grade just aint cutting it anymore. And you think I'm joking. . .

Um. . .that's all I can think of. I hate thinking of things I want. I like books. . .and clothes. Um. So. Yeah. If I think of anything else I feel worthy of adding, I'll let you know. And if you want to get me something not on this list. . .I honestly don't really care.

Faded Jeans. Get Your Dreams.

"Show me a girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a girl that can't put her pants on."

-Annik Marchand

I read this quote for the first time back when I was probably a sophomore in high school. I thought it was hilarious. Then once when I was asked that infamous question, "What's your favorite quote?" I named this hilarious pant one. I remember my dear friend, Catherine was near me at the time and said,



"Kelsey, I don't know if you should tell people that is your favorite quote."



She is always trying to protect me. I didn't see anything wrong with the quote. But I have always been kind of naive. And looking back on it now, I may have messed up the quote and said,



"Show me a girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a girl that can't get her pants off."



Changing the context from putting pants on to taking pants off may change the meaning of the quote completely. So sorry Cat, that was my bad. You know better than anyone all the things that come out of my mouth that just plain shouldn't.



However, since I've grown up a bit since first hearing this quote, I think it is more than just hilarious. Although I still find it very funny. But it actually means something. Well. . .to me any ways.

Let me break it down for you:

A girl that can't put her pants on. . .

If you forgot to put pants on to go out in public, you would look silly. People would probably blush for you and possibly avoid you. It is just not socially acceptable to not wear pants. Sometimes I wish it were, but it is not.

A girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground. . .

When you think of a person with their feet planted firmly on the ground, you probably imagine a person who will not budge. Maybe you think of someone stubborn. Someone that always thinks they are right. It's their way or the highway. No exceptions.



These people are silly. Because they are PANTLESS.



WARNING: I am about to express my opinion now. You may not like it. If you don't, just push the X at the top of the screen. And if you push that X, consider yourself one of those people that can't lift their feet up to put pants on. I am not asking you to agree with me, I'm just asking to be heard, since I always seem to do the hearing.



I have had it. With what? People and their opinions. . .and their lack of listening to anyone else. It seems like in the world today, people want to be right. And every individual is absolutely convinced that they are right. Everyone else is wrong. People of the world have gotten very good at expressing things, but we all suck at listening. Listening is going extinct. Just like some species of trees are (I glanced at it in some newspaper). Without listening, we are all losing our manners and turning into rude, rude ducks. It is true.



People are rude. People are mean. People think they are better than all other people. Stupid people.



What I am basically talking about boils down to one thing:



Religion. Beliefs.



If listening is going out of style, then bashing on others' beliefs is coming in. And it's hot.



There are these guys on campus. I never stop and listen to them because I don't much care. I like avoiding contention. I like to avoid the ugly and live in my own happy, little world of bliss. And stopping to argue with these guys is not doing my job of avoiding contention. These guys write scriptures on white boards and then tear them apart. They also write LDS beliefs out on their "white boards of power" and tear them apart too. Then crowds of probably defensive LDS students huddle around their boards and waste time they could be using to be happy on pointless arguments with these guys. Don't they realize they are feeding these guys with exactly what they want? They are out there tearing others' beliefs apart because they want to argue. I guess arguing makes them feel smart. Which I do not understand.



I also do not understand how any person in their right mind could feel good about tearing another person down because of something they believe in. What is the point? Really?



I am not being a sorry, picked-on Mormon right now either. Because Mormons do it all the time. Judge. Tear people down. Not all, but some. You will find these some in any religious group you go to. Sure, they don't stand around yelling things and writing messages on boards, but they do it in other ways.



You want to know something I think is true?



There are people who are bad Mormons. Bad Catholics. Bad Muslims. Bad Baptists.



But there are also people who are good Mormons. Good Catholics. Good Muslims. Good Baptists.



No matter what the religion is, you will find absolutely amazing people from all beliefs. Being a part of a certain religious affiliation does not automatically make you a better person than someone else. It is your actions that make you a good person. It is the way you treat other people. It is the way you live your life.



How dare we tear others down for something they have faith in. Just how ignorant and ugly are we? Can't we learn to love people and maybe appreciate that they believe in something that makes them happy? What would this world be without beliefs? A world of hopelessness? Count me out. Each of us deserves the opportunity to find meaning in our life. To find a pair of pants that fits snug on our legs and makes us feel nice.




We were all meant to be different. We are not all suppose to think the exact same way. How boring would that be? Otherwise, we would have a world full of pantless people that can't even lift their feet to walk anywhere, and geez, that would be boring.

She Who Wears the Crown

I remember this movie I use to watch called, "A Little Princess". Apparently it is also a book. Like most movies are. For those of you who have never seen the movie or read the book, I'll give you a short summary. . .



A little girl who lives in India with her father must stay at a girl's school while her father fights in World War I for the British. Her father is quite well to do. She has a crazy imagination and all the girls at the school are instantly captivated with her. When word comes that her father is dead, she has no one to care for her, and the evil head of the school makes her into a servant girl.


I won't tell you the rest, just in case you want to now watch or read the story. It has a happy ending. I will tell you that. But there is something that this little girl says to the evil lady that is very powerful, and I believe very true. She says,



"I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny, old attics. Even if they dress in rags. Even if they aren't pretty, smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us."



All girls are princesses. It's true. Now this does not mean you can walk around with your nose in the air and yell, "Off with his head," every time someone upsets you. We aren't trying to be those types of princesses. But I believe that every girl does have a special glow inside of them that makes them a princess, even if that glow is very faint. Sometimes they just need a reminder. A little kindling added to their light. That's all.



Every girl has the ability to change the world, and bring happiness to those around them. Every girl is special and should never let anyone make them feel less than that. Hence, every girl is a princess.



We celebrated Shayla's 20th birthday last week. We had grand surprises in store for her. I took her into the salon to get her hair done fancy. She had no idea what was going on. After the hair was curled and pretty, I surprised her with one of her prom dresses. We then went out to dinner. I dressed up too. Every girl ESPECIALLY deserves to feel like a princess on her birthday!



A crown was also necessary. . . .

We went bowling with many wonderful friends as well. Here are a few other pictures from the night:

On Saturday, I was once again reminded of how special us females are when my baby sister, Chloe, was baptized. She looked beautiful all dressed in white, and her princess-like glow was glowing like crazy! She is a princess. She is a daughter of a King. We all are. I cannot believe she is already eight. Time flies! My brother, Jace, also baptized her. I thought it was neat that Jace did that. I am so proud of my brother for being the kind of guy that treats girls like the princesses that they are.

More princesses from the special day:

Girls out there:

Treat yourself to something nice. Because you are a princess and deserve nice things. Have a bubble bath. Paint your nails. Wear a crown and run around town if you so please. You ARE allowed to do that you know.

There's No "I" in "Team"

Growing up, I remember being told when playing sports,

"There's no 'I' in team."

They didn't just tell me that. Everyone got told that. Although it's quite possible that I was a little bit of a ball hog in my younger days. But that's besides the point. What I want to state is,

Of course there is not an "I" in the word team.

Thanks, Captain Obvious.

If we tried putting the letter "I" in the word "team" it would be spelled goofy and everyone would pronounce it wrong.

However, I get the point. They wanted to think up some cutesy way to tell people to get off their high horse and realize that you can't accomplish much of anything if you're not all working together. So correct, there is really no "I" in team.

But guess what word does have an "I" in it?

Ok, many words have "I"s in them, but the certain word I'm thinking of is

f r I e n d .


I've been thinking lately, and through my thinking I've came to the conclusion that to be a really grand friend, the first person you have to befriend is YOURSELF.

Think about it. . .

How can you be amused with another person if you can't keep yourself amused?


How can you laugh with another person if you can't laugh when you're by yourself?


How can you trust another person if you don't trust yourself?


How can you like another person if you don't like yourself?


How can you enjoy life with other people if you can't enjoy YOUR life?


I am beginning to feel like one of the very most important friendships to form before forming others, is that friendship with yourself. I am beginning to realize just how many people have crappy self esteem. And none of these people should. They should realize they're great!

So go look at yourself in the mirror and say,

"I am soooooooo awesome!!! I would love to be friends with me!"

If you are a little nervous or do not know how, here is an example for you to follow:

Seriously. Is she cute, or what?

I feel very blessed to say that I am happy with myself. I know I am not perfect, and I have many improvements to make. But they are only improvements. . .I wish to change nothing. I really am best friends with myself. I know that sounds silly, but it feels neat.

You wanna know why?

If there is something I feel like doing, but cannot find anyone to do it with, I just go do it by myself. I am perfectly happy that way too. Sure, I would love to have friends with me. But I don't need them to do everything with me to enjoy my day.

Give it a try. Go feed ducks with yourself. Go on a walk and enjoy the pretty fall leaves with yourself. Go grab a bite to eat out on the town with yourself. It really is fun to try! And once you do it, you'll realize that you have the very best friend you could ever ask for right with you all the time! Not only that, but I am a believer that as soon as you can be a good friend to yourself, you'll realize you can be an even better friend to others.

Always remember when spelling words, there is no "I" in team. There IS an "I" in friend. Realize how special you are. Be a friend to yourself. Then you can realize how special those around you are too!