Things in Lists

Things I Find Easy:
– Being happy when Dr. Wile E. Coyote comes home for lunch and seeing him when we’re both at home in the evening (which, such as last night, was 9pm. Other times I’m home.  Other times I’m at work and it’s like 6 or 7).
– Writing Christian-based stories, poems, and blogs (and, if you’ve been following my blog here for awhile, may have seen a few stories and poems here and there, also! Feel free to check out the archives).
– Sleeping in our super-duper comfy bed (thanks, Papa Meyer!).

Things I Find Difficult:
– Remembering that my husband loves cell biology and is also a neat freak because of it (thus, the farm girl in me who doesn’t mind dirt and fat in meats gets only a tad annoyed).
– Researching agents who represent christian authors (and trying to figure out how to go about this whole “publishing” thing).
– Being a morning person after much disrupted sleep (because the whole symptom thing kind of stinks).

Things I Find Often:
– That I like to pray for my husband because God is super faithful.
– That I  looooove to write (and make lists, apparently) — I can’t stop, even if I tried.
– That I notice the MS, especially when I forget about a few of the exercises.

Things I Find Sometimes:
– A crabby husband (but don’t worry, he’s usually good at letting me in on why he’s stressed and a little….uncooperative?  Then I can help).
– An empty notebook (you know, the college-ruled kind that is on sale right now for back to school stuff.  *cough*).
– Stretching works!

Things I Find More Often Than I Thought I Would:
– An Anna hug when needed eases some stress and brings comfort; a Doug hug when needed is a release of tension and anxiety and no-more-words-just-ahhh.
– More than one book on our bookshelf by one author.
– Stretching works.

Things I Plan on Finding:
– Date night every week (smiley face).
– A whole lot of students that I can teach something at my music lesson job!
– A helpful exercise routine that my PTs keep telling me about..

Things I Hope to Find:
– Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment is amazing!
– An agent who is interested in selling my book!?
– What? Not even strangers notice the MS?

 

Other Things to Update You With:

– Dr. Wile E. Coyote is adapting to this med-student thing, and by next year, he’ll have it down.

– Work for me at Sound House Music has picked up a bit (and we expect it to pick up more with school starting and word getting out that I can teach all percussion, brass, woodwind, and piano).

– I have an infusion scheduled for Friday because THE ORDERS FOR MY MEDS CAME IN (after three weeks to a month of this hassle, mind you, but it did come!).

 

Sign-Offs:

– Peace out.

– Love you all!

– I like lists.

Anna

Cloud 9 has just landed in the real world. Gulp.

Today, it hit us.  All these changes?  Everything that’s going on?  Here is what we’re dealing with this year: first year of marriage, first year in a new culture, first year of med school, first year of my job.  New friends, new church family, new place to live.  All of this is catching up and trying to drag us down.  We’re not used to being married yet.  We’ve been married for a little over a month.  We broke down Dr. Wile E. Coyote’s schedule yesterday, and it looked great on paper.  But today, the FIRST day, it is a whole lot harder than it first seemed.  I don’t like when Dr. Coyote puts so much pressure on himself, and is that normal for med students?  And the headache that always comes with switching infusion sites, sending orders, and getting authorization AND insurance right where they are supposed to be has arrived.  I have gone more than two weeks past the last time I was supposed to recieve my medicine, and my symptoms are getting worse.  I have to be extra careful now.
But you know what?  It wasn’t long after we got here that we found friends and a church family.  They already love us and lift us up in prayer– I’m speechless.  And all the people at home that are praying for us?  We are so blessed.  I feel like that has been the theme of my life as of late: seeing all of God’s blessings in my life.  And, to top it all off, I started reading Ephesians today.  God chose us and predestined us as his adopted children.  He lavishes his grace upon us all, and we, his children, have access to his mighty power!  God takes every trial or bad thing that happens to us and uses it for his glory!  Not even the best author ever could do that!  Just God.  God, who loved us so much that he sent his son, who came to us and taught us and DIED for us.  When I love someone and I don’t see them for awhile, I might send them a Christmas card, but this?  Unheard of.  Everything God’s about is totally opposite of this world, and it’s quite amazing.
I have been warned by Dr. Wile E. Coyote himself that his appetite will be going through the roof (make four servings of every meal- two for Dr. Coyote during dinner, one for me during dinner, and one for my lunch the next day.  Got it!).  I have also been noticing that he is the best procrastinator ever (he is currently running a neck ahead of one of my sisters, who won’t read this blog post anyway).  Reason numero uno why he left his video game systems at home.  My husband is going to be an awesome doctor once he finishes up this adventure that he just began.  He is the only one I know that tells me excitedly, “I love this.  It’s biology all the time! Woo!”  He came home for lunch today, and I didn’t even get a chance to say much, because he was excitedly telling me what he had been learning that morning.  Everyone nerds out about something.  (What do YOU nerd out about?)
Prayers would be much appreciated for Dr. Wile E. Coyote and his studying, my MS, and my job.  We are trying to be spouses to each other at the same time as encourage one another and get things done.

I love you all, my readers!
Anna

Three Year Blog-iversary! (and random stuff)

Oh, hey, everyone.  It’s been awhile.  It’s my three-year blog-iversary.  Just mentioning the fact.  My stuff has been all over since I started, and it’s pretty much still that way.  I have grown and maybe even matured a bunch since I started.  But I’m still me, so I still think about things like I always do.  Today, no poetry (but I have a bunch of others you could check out while you’re here if you haven’t).  I’ve been learning how to shamelessly plug and advertise so that someday, people like you might pick up this book and recognize the author “Anna E. Olson” and at least read the back of the cover.  Not that I’ve even sent in my book proposal yet, but the book is pretty much done.  But I haven’t had time for it lately anyway.  You may be wondering how life is going, as I am student teaching general music to a bunch of heart-melting kiddos and still involved in a lot of things and dating this awesome guy who had a great med school interview today and will be hearing from two different schools this week.  If you pray, stop right now and just say a little prayer for the med schools, that he’ll be accepted and they’ll think it went as well as he did (and, of course, that God will be there, leading throughout).  Okay, thanks.  Wherever he goes to school next year, I’ll teach.  There is so much else that will have to happen, but knowing a PLACE is the first step.  Also, pray for this teaching thing.  I’ve been getting pretty wiped lately, and I can’t use my fingers as well as I used to.  I don’t think I’ll ever play like I did last semester, but I’m okay with that.  God’s got better plans than me just being a musician (trust me, I have, like, options A, B, C, and D in my head.  I’m hoping that God will combine a bunch of those).  Updates:

Student teaching.  Exhausting, and I’m realizing more and more how quickly one has to move, and therefore how much STUFF a teacher has to have planned.  There’s a ton.  I get to teach RHYTHM next week, which is one of my favorite things and makes my top-14 list.  Probably.  Unfortunately, there’s not really other people or students that are as fascinated with rhythm as I am.  And the first graders haven’t even SEEN rhythm before, so I’ll introduce that to them, as well (kind of freaking out, kind of excited).  It’s fun, being with those kids!  I’ve got two more weeks before I move to the middle school band.  And I’ll be qualified for everything in South Dakota, so I could potentially do everything or anything in a town located in, for example, Indianapolis or Kentucky.  Just saying.  And that’s exciting.

Dr. WEC walking with me! 🙂

Dr. Wile E. Coyote.  Because you are all wondering (probably, like three of you: my aunt, my grandma, and somebody who is about to go and creep on my Facebook page because they missed something…”who?”  Yeah, go and check out our pictures, we’re adorable).  So, the distance thing is challenging, especially when he works second shift and I don’t get home from school until after he’s gone for the night.  But we’re making it work.  Have any of you done distance relationships?  How have you made it work?  We will get to see each other a weekend in October, and I know people who have to be apart and/or Skype alone for a lot longer than we’ve had to do.  (Katrina and Seth, I give you guys internet high-fives right now.)

Other stuff.  So, I’m section leader of the percussion at the College/Community Band.  There are five of us, which is way more fun than ten, because we all get to always play!  And I’m in percussion ensemble for the semester (because I love it), and a lifegroup with the church I go to here in Sioux Falls, I’m discipling two girls (a sophomore and a junior at Augie), and I just signed up to be on the visitation outreach team through church, as well.  I’m looking forward to it.  And, of course, I’m lesson planning and trying to get to bed early because I get up early, and talk with the pre-doc.  Smiley face.

Faith thoughts.  I’ve been feeling like God gives me themes each week.  Whatever the sermon is on seems to be what I read in the word, too.  Maybe.  This week it’s been about serving others.  Or if I read about something in the morning, a lot of things will relate back to that.  AND Dr. WEC and I talk about what God’s been teaching us all the time, so that’s really encouraging, too.  I watched the Avengers last night with one of my roommates and made a list of some spiritual analogies so that I could include them maybe in my book proposal.  It just astounds me sometimes.  I LOVE the storyline of the movie, because all of the other avengers movies are tied in.  I also LOVE the storyline of God’s story.  The authors of both really think things through and tie things in together and make some things come back and have perfect timing, and just…EVERYTHING!  It makes me excited.  Because I’m an author, too, although not a good one, yet.  I respect things well-written.  Which is why I’m drawn to BBC television and cast aside the American stuff.  Off-topic, just thoughts.

Anyhoo, I hope you all are doing well.  I like reading blogs of friends because I like to keep up on you, too!  And a lot of my stuff lately has been updatey.  More stuff to come.  It won’t be so long in between this time, I hope.  Have a blessed day!

Anna

Falling and Updates

I fall a lot.  I mean, not as much as I used to.  Experience has made me better at miraculously catching myself at the last minute.  I wear a Bioness brace on my left leg, and when I describe it as “a bionic, electric brace,” all the little kiddos at school are impressed. It lifts up my foot higher than I can on my own.  Also, I trust God to metaphorically fall, which is improvement from my younger years.  See?  I am so much better at getting back up.  And getting hurt less—or maybe noticing it less?  Better at gracefully falling, too.  I don’t think I actually bruised when I fell onto a counter a little over a week ago.  That one was funny—it was like slow motion and I had time to realize that I was falling and greet the counter before I hit it.  I fell on Thursday night, and it happened fast, so when I realized I was falling, I thought, “uh-oh.”  Then I was just like, “huh.”  I remember after I went on summer project in 2011, I fell head over heels for Jesus.  I don’t know if I’ve gotten back up from that, but I don’t want to.  Speaking of head over heels….

On Monday and Tuesday, I had appointments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  Just so happens that Rochester is almost a halfway point for Dr. Wile E. Coyote and I.  He came!  I liked him tons before, but I think I tripped over my own feet during our days together.  It was the first time we’d seen each other since December 2011, and though we’ve been Skyping regularly, holding hands was even more fun than looking at a blurry screen because one or both of our internet connections isn’t all that great.  Just like giving someone a look instead of snapchatting it to them is more effective, so is physically being with someone.  We know of couples that have made it through Skype or email or letters alone, so I understand that we’re kind of fortunate (especially that Skype and email are free and so easily accessible…), but it’s still hard.  PATIENCE is what we’re learning.  And I guess it’s good for our communication skills or something like that.  (Find a positive when there’s negativity looking down at you!)

Update on student teaching: I am loving it, and I get more tired all the time.  I am taking on more and more (slower than that, but faster than I think), and it won’t be long before I have full reigns.  Scary, I say.  The good thing is that there is an actual teacher in the room, so that when I have an “oh sh*t” moment as he refers to them, he is right there to snap the class back into shape.  I am slowly learning names.  My cooperating teacher doesn’t think it’s super good that I know any names at all yet, because they are the names he keeps calling out for talking in class.  But we play name games with the bigger kids.  It’s scary when they decide to call on me too, and I’m scrambling for names I don’t know.  Was there a Hannah somewhere in this class?  Or maybe a Jack.  There are tons of Bradens.  I have not miscalled a name yet.  During that game.  When I’m teaching a song and I call on a student, I ask that student their name.  Knowing names is huge for discipline.  How I wish I knew the names of some of the boys in the last first grade class of the day.  And, do all little boys find it more fun to sit with their knees inside their t-shirt, or is it just the ones that are “cold” when they come to the music room, even though we’re roasting in there while it’s 95 degrees outside.  The things I wonder.  I am learning tons, though, and it is so fun!  Ask me, and I will sing you a song that will get stuck in your head and you might not like much.

Friday (tomorrow, today, yesterday…depending on when you read this) starts Lifelight in South Dakota, and I am so excited to discover the things that God is going to do there!  It’s a free Christian music festival with Christian bands that’ll be there.  Like Building 429, Newsboys, and others that I don’t remember right now because it’s not a good time to think.  I’m not at school right now, silly.  The ground at Lifelight is a little uneven, and it’s HOT outside.  Will I fall?  Probably.  But I’m used to it by now.  Besides, the ground is softer than cement.  (Gravity and I have a love-hate relationship.  This is why I call myself an earth bender when asked.)

Anna

 

The Correct Path? (Is it even possible to find?)

Once upon a time, there was a writer who liked to write.  And a blogger who liked to blog. (Same person.)   She was not only a hobby-writer, but also a musician and a soon-to-be teacher, as long as this next semester goes well.  And then, this writer/blogger/musician/teacher, wanted to add something else and so she had a genius idea to go to seminary.  This person that I’m talking about in third person is actually me, if you didn’t guess, and I want to do everything.  Oh, and I hobby-compose music, too.  It’s super fun.  But if I try to do all of the previously mentioned things, will I be only “okay” at everything?

Let’s ease up as I remember that the Lord has totally got my back and my future, so I don’t have to worry about that.  Whatever I decide to do will be in his will, even if I become something totally different and unrelated to all of the above.  If I suddenly became a janitor, that would be God’s will, too.  But I don’t foresee that happening EVER, and we get the point that everything we do is in God’s will.  Don’t you think he is bigger than that?  Of course he is.  He has not just chosen ONE path for your life.  When there are options before you, you get to choose.  We were given freewill, after all.  And don’t get into a big argument about Calvinism, because that doesn’t matter.  Yes, we have options.  We can chose any path before us and it will be the right one.  I was Skyping with my friend Ola on Sunday, and she was sharing about how we are each unique.  YES.  We are unique and the Holy Spirit is in each of God’s children.  And that, my friends, is incredible.  In Exodus, the Holy Spirit came to one man and the tabernacle was built perfectly.  The Holy Spirit is in each of us, so no matter what we do, it won’t be wrong.  The Spirit will USE us wherever we are and whoever we’re in contact with.  Our job is to remember him and let him live through us, so that these things are possible.  Not saying that they aren’t if we don’t, but it certainly makes things easier and makes you, the person who asks the Holy Spirit to move through you, more aware of what he is doing.

But sometimes I doubt a lot.  Actually, a lot of times.  My music ed prof talked about me filling out job applications while I’m student teaching when he saw me today, and I get really excited, because it would be so fun!  But what about seminary?  How long will that wait?  Until I get burned out from teaching?  The average music teacher lasts about three years.  But to spite that number, I will make myself go at least four.  Not that I like to spite statistics, but I kind of do.  How many years will I teach before seminary?  Because I want to do both.  And also, a book that I finished this summer is being copy-edited by a friend/neighbor/retired English prof who I’m giving horn lessons to (and she is my very best student in SO many ways).  I’m pretty excited.  I need some prayer there, please, ‘cuz I’m planning to send it in to some publishers at the end of the summer.  (Smiley face)

The Lord has a unique path designed for you, and you get to choose the direction.  Well, God is ultimately in control, so he will use the direction you take for his glory.  Pray and ask him to use the steps you take!  And, if you get impatient with life like I sometimes do, just remember that his timing is ALWAYS perfect, whether we like it or not.  God can do some pretty awesome things in the waiting-period, just saying.

Anna

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20+ Things I’ve Learned So Far This Summer

I have been learning so much this summer, and I’ve had incredible opportunities to give music lessons, write, compose, and even read from the stack of books I’ve held since Christmas. As I was reflecting on all of this, I, being the kind of person I am, made a list. So here it is. 20 things I’ve learned so far this summer:

1. If a student is willing to do a lesson every week, give them a lesson every week, even though it’s summer.

2. How to tell if a student has practiced, no matter what they tell you.

3. Mothers have a lot of power over their kids and love to hear that their child is improving.

4. I can teach students, no matter their level (yay confidence boost!).

5. A student will practice more if: they were humiliated by lack of knowledge at a previous lesson (unintentional on my part), they like their instrument and know that they are getting better, they have a nagging mother, and/or teenage hormones that want them to impress their young female instructor (who looks younger than she is).

6. I’m a good encourager (already knew this, but now in a new situation, I guess).

.7. If our neighbor, Tim Louwagie, cuts hay, it’ll rain (no matter the forecast).

8. Pongo (our dog) isn’t as bad as I thought, and talking to him instead of myself is deemed socially acceptable, even preferred.

9. No texting while driving tractor.

10. I’m more like my dad than I thought.

11. I can’t cook unless the food item was frozen and/or came from a box.

12. Whomever I marry must be able to cook or like frozen dinners.

13. I really love a lot of things and can’t wait to graduate and dive in to life.

14. Though many have a hard time understanding me, my mom usually knows what I mean when I say something.

15. My parents get credit for my humor. If you don’t get any of it, I don’t think you qualify as much of a friend, sorry.

16. Mowing lawn affects allergies, especially if it’s a bit windy outside.

17. Mowing lawn going fast isn’t the smartest thing if you don’t want it to be sloppy and you get paid by the hour.

18. This farmyard can hold 50+ cars at a time, if needed.

19. MS is super annoying and sucks a lot, but I am way better at dealing with the heat than I was a couple years ago.

20. God’s plan and his timing are perfect, no matter how grumpy I am about it.

I’m pretty sure I could make this list 50 and would still have things to say about what I’ve learned so far this summer, but I’ll only give you some. I’ve also been learning and experiencing a ton how God hears us and answers our prayers. Some much sooner than others, but it’s a great thing. I prayed about giving lessons at home, cuz it didn’t sound like there would be anyone. ¾ of my students get lessons from my house. I prayed about getting this story I’ve been working on published, and I’ve received tons of assurance and encouragement from others on the journey. I also have decided on seminary after I’m done with undergrad at Augie, and I am super excited to begin the search process and see if I can’t teach at the same time. I told a friend that it’s like I metaphorically got earwax removed, cuz I’m hearing God tons. It’s great. That would be 21, probably. God is awesome—period. What are you learning this summer?

Anna

God’s Awesome Plan is ALWAYS Better Than Mine

It all started when a prof of mine asked if I was giving lessons this summer and added “(HINT)” at the end of the question in an email.  I thought I was going to be staying in Sioux Falls all summer, so I went right to work, contacting the right people to reserve space and get everything lined up at my school.  And then, I didn’t get any of the jobs I applied for in Sioux Falls, so I made the decision to be home for the summer.  I had already been in the works for arranging lessons in Sioux Falls, so I decided that I’d just commute.  It’s only a two hour drive.  Knowing I’d be home over the summer, I called the local music store near there and talked to the owner about giving lessons.  He said he wanted to meet me before recommending me to anyone, but that I could teach percussion and brass, as there was already a woodwind instructor there (himself).  “If there are lessons to give, you can give them.”  Well, that didn’t sound very promising, so I stuck with my decision to be in Sioux Falls, as well.  And then.  I don’t know many facts, but apparently an area middle school band director just left, so a few of his students were wanting summer lessons, so they called the local music store.  So far, I have one student in Sioux Falls and four at home.  I am alternating weeks there and here, choosing Tuesdays to be my lesson day.  Percussion is my main instrument, so I am doing that in Sioux Falls, but I am doing both percussion and brass at home.  I did take trumpet lessons last semester and I understand how all the others work (I’ve played them all, just not recently).  I am student teaching next semester, after all, and teaching all the instruments in lessons in the school.  And, I’m only teaching one non-middle schooler.  Have I mentioned that I want to teach beginners and middle school?  The one non-middle schooler is an adult who wants to refresh her skill and just get playing again.  I don’t know what that will be like, and I’m kind of nervous for that one, but seriously, things are just going perfectly.

When I look back on this last spring (was it spring?  It was like, winter, summer, bleh), I am kind of amazed.  I fought so hard to stay in Sioux Falls, but God’s way is always best.  Obviously, he didn’t want me there.  I even turned down a part-time job there because I felt that I was supposed to—first, because I thought I was going to get this last full-time job, but now, I realize, because I was supposed to be here.  God blows my mind all the time, and this situation is no different.  So much good has been happening here at home, and I’ve only been here for, like, two weeks.  As my last post talked about, I get to help out with this century farm party.  I’ve actually been helping out on the farm, and I’m really loving it.  My sister, Laura, was always helping dad out before, so there was little for me to do.  I know she’s sad that she’s not helping out on the farm this year, but I honestly don’t think I would get to do what I’ve been doing if she were here.  She is stretching out her independence, and I know that she is learning a lot about herself and just what it is to be independent in Sioux Falls where she is working this summer.  Laura, if you’re reading this, I love you a ton, and I am in no way trying to be mean.  I’m just in awe about God’s work.  My appreciation of this farm has grown as I’ve been learning about its history, and being able to help out in the ways I have been has certainly enriched this appreciation, as well.  My dad, and all the farmers in this family before him, is just awesome.  Seriously.  My sister Christina is working out near Rapid City this summer, so this is the longest time it’s been just me and the ‘rents since before Christina was born (really? that’s kind of crazy!).  I am keeping probably too busy, this being summer and all, but I love every moment of it! (God continually leaves me full of awe, which isn’t “awe-ful,” but only some.)

I hope all of you are having a great start to your summers, as well!

Anna