My friend,
NIKKI DESAUTELLE, called me out on being a cheese ball with all of this advice so I won't prolong the advice anymore. I had like 200 left, but I whittled it down to these ones. The final pieces of advice from
Love and Learn and Pass It On: People ages 5 to 95 share what they've discovered about life, love, and other good stuff by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
I've learned that...ultimately, takers lose and givers win. -Age 58
a person's greatest need is to feel appreciated. -Age 45
time does seem to go faster the older you get. -Age 48
an insatiable curiosity is important to never getting old. -Age 71
big problems always start out small. -Age 20
moving away from my closest friends was much harder to do than I ever thought it would be. -Age 26
what a child learns at home lasts until the grave. -Age 85
there's no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs. -Age 48
the only thing you owe life is to become the best you can be. -Age 31
if you smile at people, they will almost always smile back. -Age 81
it's better to be decisive, even if it means I'll sometimes be wrong. -Age 51
learning to forgive takes practice. -Age 15
it's better not to wait for a crisis to discover what's important in your life. -Age 45
we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. -Age 51
I make the little decisions with my head and the big decisions with my heart. -Age 52
there is always someone who cares. -Age 75
choices made in adolescence have long-term consequences. -Age 49
a fulfilled life is not possible without friends. -Age 39
you should invest in your family first and your career second -Age 48
if you depend on others to make you happy, you'll be disappointed. -Age 60
the most creative ideas come from beginners-not the experts. -Age 62
everyone has something to teach. -Age 51
envy is the enemy of happiness. -Age 73
making a living is not the same thing as making a life. -Age 58
you can't please some people, no matter what you do. -Age 35
if you wait until all conditions are perfect before you act, you'll never act. -Age 64
you either control your attitude or it controls you. -Age 47
the best advice you can give anyone is, "Be kind." -Age 66
even the happiest people have down days. -Age 27
the greatest risk is thinking too small. -Age 61
you should fill your life with experiences, not excuses. -Age 51
a good feeling gets even better when it's shared. -Age 14
you can have a fancy education and still not be very wise. -Age 69
you can't pay somebody to practice for you. -Age 52
worry is often a substitute for action. -Age 50
you can have fun regardless of how little money you have. -Age 63
people don't want advice, but understanding. -Age 40
failures always blame someone else. -Age 62
nothing very bad or very good ever lasts very long. -Age 66
you should treasure your children for what they are, not for what you want them to be. -Age 39
the important thing is not what others think of me, but what I think of me. -Age 38
my worst decisions were made when I was angry. -Age 62
you can always get more money, but you can never get more time. -Age 65
you often take out your frustrations on the people you love the most. -Age 29
when people aim for what they want out of life, most aim too low. -Age 75
you can love someone and still not like him very much. -Age 26
if love isn't taught in the home it's difficult to learn it anywhere else. -Age 51
people are more influenced by how much I care than by how much I know. -Age 54
hatred is like acid. It destroys the vessel that holds it. -Age 56
a woman would rather be complimented about her intelligence than looks. -Age 39
regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow are twin thieves that rob us of the moment. -Age 29
plotting revenge only allows the people who hurt you to hurt you longer. -Age 40
there are still some things I haven't made up my mind about yet. -Age 91
the trick is to live a long time without growing old. -Age 73
when someone gives you free tickets, don't complain about the show. -Age 45
the trip is often more fun than the destination. -Age 62
to get the right answer, you have to ask the right question. -Age 39
it's never too late to improve yourself. -Age 85
when visiting, it takes five seconds to say "hello" but about thirty minutes to say "good-bye." -Age 48
fame is written in ice and eventually the sun comes out. -Age 57
many people give up just when they are about to achieve success. -Age 48
the best way to appreciate something is to be without it for awhile. -Age 14
we grow only when we push ourselves beyond what we already know. -Age 53
you can never have too many friends. -Age 16
there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it. -Age 41
when things get easy, it's easy to stop growing. -Age 53
people are in such a hurry to get to the "good life" that they rush past it. -Age 72
money is a lousy means of keeping score. -Age 71
you can inherit wealth but never wisdom. -Age 51
it's never too late to heal an injured relationship. -Age 57
you have little chance of finding the husband of your dreams in a bar. -Age 29
every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. -Age 85
to keep looking ahead. There are still so many good books to read, sunsets to see, friends to visit, and old dogs to take walks with. -Age 86
you shouldn't do anything that wouldn't make your mother proud. -Age 51
I still have a lot to learn. -Age 92
A Christmas tradition of mine is sharing the article "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus". It inspires me and fills me with hope. If you have read it, enjoy it again. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and read it. (Click to enlarge):
In addition to the number of homes we saw, every other home had a snowman serving as primary keeper of their front yards. Most of the snowmen were adorable; some terrifying, but overall, a welcomed sight. In Dearborn, we came across this snowman that reminded me of Matt Benyo because it has a quiff on its head. Go look at his blog to see some ridiculous photos of us with Brother Chan.
1. ANIMAL is self explanatory (not because of KESHA).
My computer isn't picking up the internet in my house and it's making my heart swell with pure rage. I sat there for 40 minutes trying to get it to work, but it will not. I contemplated flipping my table over or putting my fist through the screen.
This is my post-potter face. WHAT AN AWESOME MOVIE! I went with Brother Chan and at MJR Southgate Cinema 20, they converted all 20 theatres into Harry Potter theatres. Chan and I had tickets for theatre 5, but we bounced to 15. Sister Shelby was in there, but that theatre was a baby. I found out my friend Dave Roldan was over in 3 (which was huge) so Chan and I joined Dave and Jessica in prime seats. While theatre bouncing, people pointed at me and whispered; probably talking about how awesome I looked. A few people thought I was LUNA LOVEGOOD. Wrong. Do I look like a nice nutcase? No. I'm DRACO MALFOY; a mean jerk. One lady came up to me and asked me how old I was to which I answered 23 and she gasped because she thought I was 17. Then she took my picture for something and said I was an excellent Draco. Chan and I settled in theatre 3. It was amazing because the screen was huge, someone started throwing a beach ball around, AND EVERYONE DID THE CLAPS!!! (That's where you clap 3 times at the jingle; epic). The movie started and my heart was racing. I couldn't believe IT WAS FINALLY TIME. I teared up 3 times and cried full on once. It's been amazing watching the series unfold and to see the actors grow. Mind blowing. I am so excited for the second part of the finale. I KNOW I will be crying from start to end. Thanks Harry Potter for making my night, to Brother Chan for joining me, to Dave and Jessica for being awesome sports and to the guy in theatre 5 that held my seat while I went to the "bathroom"!
I've been a sno cone fiend lately. Blue is the only way to go. I had red, but I gave it to Matt Benyo and Nathan Bou. Actually, I have to say thanks to both of them because without their generous donation in the form of a sno cone machine, I wouldn't be as ecstatic as I am. I really do act this giddy when I'm eating sno cones, but I think the blade is getting worn down. When I make them, I have to crank the lever and I do it really hard and I feel like a lumberjack. So, I'm looking forward to when the snow starts falling because I will just go outside, scoop that up, and eat it all day.
The weekend is upon us. No signs of snow yet. I heard rumors that it was supposed to snow. Let's see! Also, Matt and I have a bet going about when they're going to start playing Christmas music on the radio. He thinks by Sunday and I say by Wed. I actually think we're hanging out this weekend (right..?) I'm going to assume we are. Therefore, I'm excited..!! xx Have an awesome weekend, everyone!
I've learned that...
I've learned that... 
We went to this INCREDIBLE neighborhood in Canton nicknamed THE VILLAGE and all of the houses are awesome and brightly colored and they were all decorated and it was THE BEST! I was really embarrassed at first because we were the only older people trick or treating, but then I got over it. One lady even said she was happy to see older people trick or treating because it meant we weren't out doing bad things. Almost every house told us how much they liked our costumes and I'm glad we were both pirates. A few children said my mask looked like: an elephant, a birdie, and a penguin. We got grimmed / the stink eye from two groups of people (including one bad looking Snooki) and I also ran down the street away from a Michael Meyers impostor. At one point, there were these two (probably 14 year olds) that WEREN'T DRESSED UP and they said, "Nice costume" sarcastically; to which I replied, "Look who's talking" and I seriously contemplated knocking them down and stealing their candy. We only trick or treated for an hour, but look at how much candy I bagged!
Well, Halloween was a success. I did a lot this past weekend that I hadn't planned on doing and therefore my Halloween was made! NOW IT'S NOVEMBER 1st! The lay out on my blog has changed as I compose my Christmas header. I AM SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS MUSIC! Words cannot explain. AH! 
Chelsea Kirchoff: Illustration
