Topic of the Day... things I wanted to do, but never go to do........

I looked on my dashboard and I have 5 blogs! 2 were from my Vienna trip over a year ago... my personal blog and my blog for my writing class. A blog for my student teaching experience... and I wrote more for the high school part of it than for the general music. Another blog for which I fill people in on my married life with my wonderful husband... Russell. :) And, this blog where I ramble on... and on... and on... about all kinds of different things. I do like to ramble on about coffee, as if you didn't notice the picture of a cup of coffee for the background. :) 


Speaking of coffee, (and the title for this post...) I am curious as to what it would be like to be a barista. I spent a lot of time with a friend who was a barista in her former job. She sort of taught me how to make espresso, but the process seemed complicated at the time. My cousin is a certified barista. I just never ventured into that area of the job market. I also spend enough money on coffee... at least since my college days. I love going to coffee shops and just sitting there with a journal or a good book... or meeting a friend for coffee. The smell & taste of coffee... both drip and espresso are amazing! Although, I swear my coffee filters that I buy give my coffee a bitter taste... or maybe that is just the coffee, and that taste is an acquired taste? When I have coffee at my Grandma's house, or at the store, at school... any where put my place... it doesn't have that bitter taste! I mean I love putting fancy creamers in my coffee to make it taste like actual espresso, but I feel like with drip coffee, the entire reason why you make drip it is to enjoy the natural taste. But, I don't want to taste it if it's going to taste bitter! Should I just bear the taste? You're probably laughing and thinking sarcastically to yourself... what a dilemma! 

I am a musician... I play the flute. I am okay at the other wood wind instruments... double reeds not so much, even though I had a blast learning about them and learning how to play in my under grad methods courses. I have the same ability as my dad to reach the high and low registers beautifully on the trombone. I was talking with Russ and some other low brass musicians in the basement of the music building and just messing around with Russ's trombone. Keep in mind that I what I was about to was the envy of the other two trombone players with us. I hit a high note, and then a low pedal note not really knowing how difficult that is for some people. One of them jokingly glared at me... laughing and shaking his head. Two instruments that I would love to learn more about are cello and piano. I would love take lessons in both! Granted I passed the silly piano proficiency exam by a thread... which doesn't say much in the "real world" of teaching. I learned how to "play" the cello in my strings methods class, but that was only for 8 weeks. But, it is never too late to do the things that you have always wanted to do. 
I remember in the movie Patch Adams, one of the characters who was about to die, had a wish to do something that she had always wanted to do (something like that... maybe it was one last thing she wanted to do before she left this earth... any way...). She wanted to put her hand into a pot of noodles, and pinch a noodle until it split into two pieces. I haven't seen that movie in a while, but that part stood out to me. I remember watching it with my mom and she said that she cried during that scene. 


I don't mean to be lamenting about things that I have never done, or have wanted to do... I do really love my life and what God has provided for me. I also love God, most importantly! He puts these desires into our hearts for a reason... it's all apart of his timing for if & when they come to reality. He has called me to be a wife, a teacher and he called me to work in a scrap booking store one to two times a month. He also called me to teach reading... still scratching my head on that one... I thought I figured out why.... but the reason will come clear eventually. 

For those of you who know me, I love to journal! I really hope that blogging will not replace writing in journals, like emails have replaced letters... or like facebook has really...  Another topic, another time. 


I love you all & God bless! 


Jenna

Better!

Also.... I am feeling much better than yesterday. It was well worth it to take a sick day & just rest. I'm glad I took care of it before it got worse. :)

Russ & I also took part in SOS Radio's share-a-thon. :) Such a great feeling to contribute to a great organization to help make it so the word of God can be heard. We may never know the impact of it, but I feel blessed that God put it on our hearts to support SOS. God has used SOS in my life to change my attitude... and listening to God's word in music helps me get through the day. If you don't listen to SOS already... you should!!! 

http://www.sosradio.net/

Excited!!

So many exciting things!! 
UM Homecoming festivities start tomorrow. The GMB is playing at the Holiday Inn Parkside tomorrow night & I'm looking forward to enjoying the music as a spectator :) My friend Katie and I are going to be band guards Saturday for the football game. I'm looking forward to put on all my Griz Gear and cheering on the Griz, but most importantly the MARCHING BAND!! GO GMB!!! :)

As I said in my last post, I've been really getting into finding coupons over the internet. Okay... I have been watching Extreme Couponing on TLC... but really?? Who wouldn't want to save even just a few dollars on groceries and just living expenses in general? So I made my own little binder to keep all of my coupons, with scrapbooking supplies :) (Imagine that right...)

We now have cable and internet and I love it! Obviously being able to ramble on on a blog just like this one ;) and the Hallmark Channel!! Frazier and Golden Girls are on at a perfect time! Maybe not such a great time considering watching it will cause me to get less sleep... but it's so much fun... they are such great tv shows!! :)

Okay, now really... time for bed. :) Love you all... all my reader(s) :-)

Jenna Johnson 

Loving Life!

Hi All!


So, I just have to share with you how incredibly blessed I feel right now!
Recently I haven't been feeling so blessed. I caught a cold at the beginning of the week and I took a sick day from work to recover. I do feel a lot better now.
Now the blessed part :)
I am loving married life! My husband is SO sweet, I couldn't have imagined someone better to spend my life with! I have a wonderful family and amazing friends. My 3 jobs could not be better!
Today Russ & I went shopping later in the afternoon. I had so much fun looking for coupons on line for us to use when we buy groceries. That was the high light of my day :)
Our apartment is coming together slowly and it is feeling like a home more and more. I'm loving decorating and adding my scrapbooking touches to our cozy little abode. :)
Just thought I had to share that.... with who ever reads this :-) Check out our blog on married life as well. (Are blogs for people to read or for your own enjoyment? Because, right now I don't know if any one reads this so I am guessing for me at least... they are for my own enjoyment. :P Oh well.) Well, time to relax and call it a day... and correct some tests... with a hot cup of Theraflu. :) Good night all! Much love,


Jenna Johnson :)

HAPPY :D

Today was a good day! I went to farmers market for the first time this summer! I bought some awesome strawberries and snow peas. I went out to lunch with a group of my good friends and went with my friend Suzie when she bought her Chocos! :) She says she feels officially like a Missoulian. I went home, took a very long nap and awoke to my fiancee at the door with a Yankee Candle. I sent him a text asking him to get one, but I wasn't expecting him to actually get me one! We made banana bread and it is currently baking in my oven. :) 

As far as I know, I can move into our apartment on Tuesday, July 5th!! I'm so excited! Uncle Wayne is coming down to help me move. I just really hopes that the company calls, because I would feel really bad to have him come all the way from Libby and I wouldn't be able to move. But, I am grateful that he is helping me! 

So far the wedding is coming along. We're still trying to find a place to have our rehearsal dinner, but we will get it done! I looked on our wedding website and it said that our wedding is in 36 days!! :D Crazy! 
Well, I'm going to call it a night for blogging. Here are some pictures from our, yet another, trip to Libby last week end. Enjoy :D

3 am... well, this time, 6:30 am :)

I didn't go to bed last night! I know it's going to catch up to me. I just haven't been on a normal sleep schedule. However, my reasoning behind is..... Russ and I going to Libby later today to visit Uncle Wayne. Last time I had trouble falling asleep at descent hour, so if I don't get a lot of sleep, from now until when we leave, hopefully I will be able to crash and get back on a normal sleep schedule.... or just wishful thinking? During my all-nighter, I attempted to bake chocolate chewy cookies, but subbing out a different hot chocolate mix for Hershey's, but that failed. I'm hoping that I can revive the cookie mix later because I subbed in Dove for Hershey's, and I don't want to throw it away! :(  

I ordered another book that I can read soon.... as soon as I finish Alan Alda's autobiography. It is Mike Farrell's autobiography, Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist. I'm so excited to read it! I had to order it at Barnes and Nobel because they didn't have it in stock, but it was so worth waiting! Here is his website: 

http://www.mikefarrell.org/book/info.html

I met him way back in January or February of '09 (I can't remember which.) Himself and James Cromwell came to the U to talk to the public about the death penalty. 

Yup :) Now if I could meet Alan Alda, I would an even happier little peach. :)  

 

Summer!

The first day of summer was yesterday, and it was such a nice day! Today was nice as well. Missoula City Band had it's first performance! I am in the flute section and it is such a fun group to play in! Players of all ages and all walks of life. I get to play with friends, colleagues and a few great teachers in the Missoula area. After the concert I went to Big Dipper with Michelle and had some cotton candy ice cream. Yum! A great way to end the day! Now I am hungry, so I'll end this post and probably write more in the next couple of days. Love & Peace, 

Jenna

Libby MT

I went to Libby Montana to visit my soon to be Uncle, Wayne Johnson and here are the pictures that I took! Just thought I'd share because I love going to Libby for visits, it's so pretty there!!