Five Sad Things

It feels a little bit strange to be writing about sad things, when I do not feel particularly sad.
But there are certain things about my life that are very, very sad right now.
So I thought I would share them. =)
And they're sad, but not depressing. It's just kind of this feeling of knowing that life is changing, and it's going to keep changing, and understanding that that's the way it's supposed to be, and yet kind of wishing that things didn't have to change.
Anyways... sad things (also known as evidence that nothing stays the same forever):

• Today I said goodbye to my cousin Jason. I don't know if I've ever hugged someone goodbye before and known that I wasn't going to see them for a long, long, long time. I mean, I had thought about Jason leaving before, but it was just sadder in the actual moment than in my head. Jason, you have played a huge role in our group of cousins, and it will not be the same without you!! 
• I realized that I only have 2.5 weeks of co-oping left to do. It feels like I just started! It feels like I have learned so much, but still have so much to learn! I don't think I'm ready to leave. Maybe I could just co-op for the rest of my life? No, I don't want to do that. But yeah... it really has been a learning experience.  I think I have become a better writer, and also learned a lot of things about people and holding conversations and asking questions and recording answers and mac computers. So yeah... I'll be sad when it's over, but I'm so grateful for the experience! 
• The school year is wrapping up....slowly but surely. All I have left to do is math. And a pig and cow eye dissection. lol. But this is my last year at Countryside with this particular group of friends. I cannot believe that 12 years of my life could just go by so quickly. What if the next 12 years go by just as quickly????? what if I am thirty before I know it?????? and what exactly is all going to happen in the next 12 years anyways??? I HAVE NO CLUE!!!!!!!!!!! it's so exciting! =) But I also feel a bit sad that this part of my life will be over, cause it was a pretty good part of life. 
• Math. Math is a sad thing. One minute, you're like "whoa. I understand this! It makes SO MUCH SENSE!!" and then the next minute, you see the words "Graphing Rational Functions" and BAM- it no longer makes sense. Maybe it is not math that is sad. Maybe it is my brain that is sad. 
• McDonalds no longer makes McMinis. I do not know what idiot decided to take McMinis off the menu, but it was not a wise decision. McMinis were... well, perfect. In every single way. There was no flaw. The bread, the chicken, the sauce (the McDonalds in New Hamburg always put the perfect amount of sauce on...)... The really sad thing is that I still get cravings for them. But now I know that I will never eat another mcmini again. This world is a cruel, harsh place. 

And that's it. 

Those are my five sad things. 

Simple Thoughts I Have Had and Lessons I Have Learned In The Past Few Days

• Don't drink coke. I just drank coke, because I was very thirsty, and for some reason, Coke appealed to me. Even though I don't normally like it. So anyways, I drank some, and now my stomach is making strange noises. 
• Don't ever think that you are just going to take a short nap, and that you will wake up refreshed and with enough energy to do twice the amount of work that you could have done if you hadn't taken a nap. Because you will not wake up refreshed or with more energy. You will, in fact, feel even more tired than before, and wish that you had just pounded through the paper that is due tomorrow. 
• People from the Woolwich Observer are not mean, as you may have been previously led to believe. If you happen to run into one of their reporters, you should not panic and feel all intimidated, because that reporter will probably take the time to talk to you and end up being really nice. 
• Prioritize. Seriously. John 15: 1-4 "I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the words I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." Make time to "remain in God", because the time that you spend with Him will ALWAYS be more valuable than any other way that you could have spent that time, and you will not regret it.
• Something that one of my pastors said during communion last Sunday (it's also in the Bible =))... "He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son has not life." It sounds so simple. And yet it feels wrong to say that it actually is that simple because of the intricate plan that God orchestrated and everything that Jesus went through to make salvation possible. So it is completely simple and yet unthinkably complicated. The ultimate paradox. 
• I am insanely excited about this weekend. Do you know why??? (This is going to make me sound incredibly lame... oh well. I guess that it's time to show all of you the real me.=)) I have absolutely no plans!!!!!!!! none! except for mother's day on sunday. But seriously... friday night at home. I can work on school stuff. All day Saturday at home. I can work on more school stuff!!!!! 
• If I was a dog, I would want to be exactly like my dog, Blitz. except for the killing kittens part. Except for that one vicious streak, she is this completely gentle, laid-back dog. And sometimes she runs, but not for long. lol. and she has these insane brown eyes that make you just want to sit and pet her all day. And if you stop petting her, she will put her paw on your arm, and look at you, and you just have to pet her again. She's just so cute! This is coming from a person who doesn't like dogs. 
• The retired men in Woolwich Township are getting artsy. there is one that weaves, one that knits socks and mitts, and one that quilts. 
• Sleep should be optional. 
• Days should be longer. 
• When stressed, youtube is the place to go to. =) lol. "Are you okay?" "Are YOU okay?" lol. 
• the newest development on the ugly sweater: the sweater itself is not actually ugly. it just looks ugly on me. I am the problem here. I just wanted you all to know that. It is not the sweater's fault. 
• I must be stupid. because i am blogging about nothing, instead of finishing a fascinating paper on the Black Death. And the Pied Piper. That dude was creepy (and possibly completely fictional). But seriously... someone should make a movie about him. or write a book about him. Because a story about a guy who played music and led all of the children away from their town out of spite would just be kind of fascinating. Also, I would like to know what he did with the children after he lured them away from their homes. 
• I wish that I was already graduated. 

The Crazy Month of April

I cannot believe that April is over already!! It went by so insanely quickly! And it was awesomely busy! A lot of fun stuff happened this month! Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of a lot of it... So bear with me as I talk. =) 

 Okay, so as you can see, this first picture is a collage of my wonderful cousins! We had an amazing day together! So many memories were made!! Guys, it will take me and Lisa a lifetime to forget the sight of the four of you hopping the Bruce Trail. And I'm positive that none of us will ever forget Tracy! Plus, our picnic was pretty special. The moment that Kenton realized that he had set his drink right in the jar of salsa was special in its own way. =) And Lisa,  you and I have a lot of things that we need to do together in the future. =) It was a great day, and I'm so glad that we got to spend it together! Jason, we're gonna miss you so much! Cousins times just won't be the same without you!

These two pictures are of my class. We had a great afternoon taking grad photos with sarah jantzi (who is the world's best, funnest photographer!). It was so much fun to laugh with you guys and just hang out! I'm so excited about graduating with you all!!! I mean, I am excited to graduate, period. But it is even more special because I get to do it with some of my best friends. I love how we can laugh and joke together. And I will never forget the moment when the following conversation happened:
Me: "I wanna stay up all night and jump around..." (I sang that. because it's a song. and it had been stuck in my head all day. So i sang it. it had to come out.)
Josh: Hey, Jas, who sings that song? (he sounded super-interested. like he actually wanted to know.)
Me: One Direction!
Josh: Keep it that way.
I decided not to take it personally. =)
It was just a generally awesome afternoon. =) I love how we all tease eachother! And on that note... keep up the cute smiling, Josh. =)
And Greg, you do an excellent chicken imitation. I have never seen anyone do it better. =)
I can't wait to graduate with you all!

This is my desk at the Independent!! Isn't it great??? =)

But on a more serious note.... I am loving co-oping. I really am. Journalism is just kind of awesome. Do you know what journalism is??? It's information!!!!! Neat, logical, organized information! There is something comforting about the simplicity of it. You're not required to be funny or witty or sarcastic. I can go home and work on my book or writer's craft and be as creative as I want to, and I really do love that too. But there's something about simply presenting information clearly and logically and figuring out the best way to present it that I really enjoy. You just have to know what you're talking about! That's all that is required of you! And if you don't know anything about your topic (which you often don't), you find someone qualified and learn from them. When you are a reporter, you get to ask as many questions as you want to, and it's okay. It's doesn't mean that you are nosy or stupid. It's what is expected of you! Journalism is the perfect mix of interacting with others and working on your own. There is a certain kind of power that comes with being a journalism. You have the power to talk to anyone that you need to. You have the power to guide conversation. You have the power to tell the truth. In my case, I tell the truth about Woolwich's tree situation, the Kiwanis Lobsterfest, and the Easter Bunny Express. And maybe someday I will have the opportunity to expose the truth about more important things. I think that might be what I love the most about journalism so far. The fact that the entire objective of it is to spread the truth. And that doesn't always happen, unfortunately. But ideally, every journalist would approach each assignment that they are given with the purpose of sharing the truth. I think that the reason that I like this idea of uncovering the truth so much is because I know that God is truth itself, and what better way for me to glorify Him than by sharing truth with others? So yeah... enjoying the Independent. Could almost see myself doing this as a career. The only problem is that I don't know if I'm good at it. lol. but i not only like the Independent because i get to write, but also because of the people there. They're so funny! I am just in complete awe of their wittiness. And I like that I get called "Miss Jasmine" by some of them and "Co-op student" by others. And today, I laughed so hard. Because they're renovating the building right now, and they were talking about how they should have something hanging at the front of the building that kind of symbolizes Elmira. And Chris was like, "We should have something Mennonite hanging up." And then his eyes got really big, and he was like "Hey!!!!!!!!!!! we should hang Jasmine up there!" and I was like "oh, thanks, that makes me feel very special." and he was like "don't worry. We'll send you somewhere nice to be stuffed first." and i was like "You treat me so well. Thank you." anyways... enough about the Independent. =)

okay, that is the end of the pictures. here we go with the words. =) 

Well, I played in a volleyball tournament. And it was tons of fun, even though I was in the process of getting a really bad cold and just kind of felt fuzzy and really tired all day. But yeah, it was fun volleyball! Plus, my team won the tournament. It was my first time ever winning a tournament with guys and girls in it. =) It felt nice... i think i'll do it again sometime. Perhaps on May 19? =) 

And because we won the tournament, I got a gift card. And so I went to the mall and bought a pretty shirt. But then I did something so stupid. I bought an ugly sweater. It is UGLY. i cannot believe that i bought it. it was such a mistake. i am never ever going to wear it. and i can't return it, because it was a final sale. seriously... sometimes... i am stupid. 

Also, I went to Toronto for a weekend. It was a good weekend! I learned a lot... had fun with my class... heard mysterious thumping going on late at night. ;) Oh yeah.. korean food is bad. That is a lesson that will stick with me for a long time. Also, I played "List Everything You Know About The Germans" for the first time in my life. Best game ever. =)  

And I played baseball for the first time this year! it didn't go too badly! I didn't strike out at all. And i somehow managed to never hit the ball straight to the short stop, which is definitely a problem that I have. And it was awesome, because the whole time I was outfield, not one single ball came to me!!!!!!!!! not one!!!!!!

There is a new  insult in the Shantz household! Thanks to Wendy. lol. So she was kinda grumpy the other night, and she had the fridge door open, and was taking a really long time deciding what she wanted to eat. And so I was like, "Wendy, make up your mind and shut the fridge door!" And Wendy turns around and gives me this intense glare and says "You're the fridge." it cracked us all up. it is my new favourite insult. =) 

okay.. i need to go work now. 

hopefully by the end of may, i will be all done my work. =)