Things I Learned This Month | January 2019

After a brief hiatus, we're back to things I learned this month! (The main reason this didn't happen in December is that my brain wanted to remember all the things I learned in 2018. Which was, frankly, overwhelming.)

There's a "magic" lipstick that looks bright green but turns red when applied. 

A friend of mine visiting from North Africa brought me a stick, because apparently it's all the rage there. I was seriously skeptical until we tried it - and it worked. I did some googling, and different sources say different things about the magic. The Daily Mail says that the lipstick reacts to your skin's pH level to turn just the right shade of red. Into the Gloss says that it contains a dye called Red 27 which is colorless when dissolved in a waterless base, but which turns red upon contact with moisture. Either way, it's fun to apply lipstick that looks like it should belong to Elphaba and turns out to be as full of pizazz as Galinda.

Coffee does have its uses.

If you know me at all in real life, you know that I drink tea by the gallon and avoid coffee as if it were drinkable mud. I just don't like the taste. But on some days, it is a valid option to functioning like a normal human. I got up at 3:30 am to take a friend to the airport, and after I dropped her off, I had several hours to kill before going to work. So I hied me to Starbucks, got myself a grande Americano that I doctored liberally with cinnamon, cocoa powder, cream, and sugar, and took my medicine while doing my devotions and lesson planning. It worked: I stayed functional until my classes ended and then went home to take a nap. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I really enjoy the enforced contemplation of MRIs and acupuncture. 

I've been having mild, ongoing ankle issues that are exceptionally difficult to diagnose. As a result, I've spent awhile lying in dark rooms with lots of banging (MRI) and pins sticking in my ankle (acupuncture). I thought I'd chafe at the empty time, but instead I've found myself actually looking forward to it. For once I have an excuse to lie on my back and do nothing except daydream and pray. It's strangely rejuvenating. Silver linings, and all that.

Sometimes you have to learn by doing.

My church is piloting a translation ministry - the dream is to provide simultaneous translation of each evening service from German into English. When I was asked to participate, part of me thought, "I have no idea how to do this." A bigger part of me thought, "I'll never know how unless I try." I got to do a run-through while we tested technology during a service last week, and I actually really enjoyed it. Though, arbitrarily, my brain decided to fly through the sermon (the difficult part) with barely a hitch, and stumble haltingly through the announcements (the easy part). Lesson learned: concentrate just as much on the easy parts instead of assuming that since they're simpler they require less attention.

Rachel Huffington's Ultimate Ginger Cookies are every bit as amazing as they look in her pictures. 

I've been wanting to try these cookies ever since I realized they call for a full 3/4 cup of minced fresh ginger, and they did not disappoint. They smell heavenly, the texture is everything I wanted it to be, and the sharp kick of ginger is a perfect companion to a cup of tea. Also, they are good with peanut butter. But then, I think that just about anything is good with peanut butter.