Time

Since beginning med school, my concept of time has been completely thrown out the window. Med school is weird, for instance, we have no consistent schedule from day to day like in undergrad and classes may end or begin at any point throughout the semester. My perception of time (which is really no perception at all) continues to evaporate as the days of each week all sort of blend together. Mondays feel like Fridays and last month feels like it happened about a year ago. It makes me wonder how this women we just recently read an article about in class viewed time...after a mere 122 years.

Here is an excerpt from the article, it made my morning yesterday!

In 1997, the oldest person to have ever lived died at age 122 years and 164 days.¹ Jeanne Louise Calment lived in France, took up fencing at age 85, and still rode a bicycle at 100. She did quit smoking when she was 117, reportedly because she was nearly blind and felt embarrassed asking for a light. In 1965, when she was 90 and had no living heirs (she had outlived her daughter and grandson), she entered into a legal agreement to sell her condominium apartment to lawyer Francois Raffray, who was then age 47. He agreed to pay a monthly sum, similar to a “reverse mortgage,” until she died, so that he would obtain the apartment. Unfortunately for him, she survived him, and his widow had to continue the payments. In many ways, one can view the life of Jeanne Calment as an example of “optimal aging.”

Fit to be Loved.

Meet Amanda. Her name appropriately means "fit to be loved" or "lovable". And she is just that.

She is the source of all things good.

1. Quinoa stuffed peppers and a mexican fiesta! A welcome back dinner from our beloved weekend off after pharmacology--the class I'd never wish upon a single soul.

2. Bookmarks from Turkey. She spent a year there with Campus Crusade for Christ. In the words of her insightful nephew, "She went there to tell people about Jesus. Can you believe the people there have never heard of Jesus?!?!" The baked peach was dessert from the fiesta night. De-lish.

3. Practical floatation devices. While I won't mar her good name with this crazy idea, I appreciated her
supporting my upside down lifejacket as a means of floating carelessly in Lake Lansing. Mom, Dad, and Mal and her friend Katie came to Lansing last Sunday with the boat. I was more fun than any med student should probably have...

4. Fashionable sunglasses. They are perfect, see picture at the bottom--or better yet see her in real life. Amanda is just fashionable in general...even if she's going to dissect in the cadaver lab. I secretly admire her style and wish I could be one of those people with her own style. For now, I'll stick to choosing clothes they put on mannequins. And admire hers.

5. The Bible and Straight Up Truth. I don't know if you remember, but I wrote a blog a bit ago about how I want "to learn to tell Bible stories like it's my job". Amanda constantly reminds me of this goal by doing it herself. Anytime someone needs advice, encouragement, or discipline, Amanda ever so eloquantly puts her knowledge of God's word to use. It's inspiring.

My friends here are my source of strength, encouragement and fun. I am convinced that there is no other group of people on the planet that I would want to spend the two most potentially fun deprived years of my life with. They make me love being in medical school. Thank God for that. Thank God for Amanda!

Hidden Lake Gardens

Yesterday morning a group of us took a morning field trip to Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, MI (Shout out to the Hunt's hometown!!) We went for a little break from school and to spend some time in nature with God and great friends without all the distractions of home, school, and the like. I woke up before dawn to make some apple crisp, it was such a good recipe, TRY IT! Overall, I was reminded how beautiful Michigan is. Here are some pictures to lure you into going yourself. It's SO wonderful. I'll be going back. And they're open year round so you can hike or snowshoe in the winter! I can't wait to see it in the fall.

Who knew there was more than one kind of hosta?

The Bonsai Garden! I want one...Some were over 50 years old!

My favorite Bonsai Tree from the Bonsai Garden

More of the Hosta Garden!



Part of the Conservatory which had 3 green houses
housing plants from Arid, Temperate, and Tropical Climates