Where legal research meets holiday cheer

The list of things I liked about law school is sparse indeed. But I can now add festive holiday decorations to that list.

There are two major legal databases that attorneys use to look up cases and statutes. Both companies try their best to get future lawyers hooked on their database while we are still students, so that after graduation we'll pay the big bucks to use their services. They buy our love with free lunches, gift cards, and points. Oh, the points.

My first year of law school, I researched with both databases constantly, for the sole purpose of earning those beautiful points. They can be redeemed for some pretty choice prizes, and I wanted very badly to have enough by graduation that I could cash them in for a fancy projector or a nice camera.

But my interest waned during my second year, when I started working and didn't have time to go to the lunch classes that earn you major pointage. Plus, one of the companies hired a new rep, and he really annoyed me (and was stingy with his points), so I sort of boycotted them for a while.

Still, by the end of my third year, I had a pretty huge point stash. Not big enough to send for the big-ticket items I'd had my eye on, but I did okay.

From the first company, I ordered a dutch oven from Le Creuset (I LOVE Le Creuset, mostly because of the colors. Probably it cooks well too, but I don't know what I'm doing enough to be able to tell the difference.) And I got a box of ramikins with the leftovers.

I looked through probably every prize in the online catalog for the second database, but nothing caught my fancy. So I redeemed my points with them for a cash card that is good only at certain vendors.

And Home Depot is one of those vendors.



And Home Depot has Christmas lights.



Fabulous, giant, LED Christmas lights.



So the hubs and I had a shopping spree, and I fulfilled a lifelong dream of having my very own home decked out in lights. And now we sleep in one cheery, colorful little house.

Happy December!

Love, J

Namaste, Guruji.

Sri Pattabhi Jois, the father and guru of Ashtanga yoga passed away last weekend at the wonderfully old age of 94. His teachings have been passed on to many, and the world was lucky to have him for so many years.

I was very fortunate to learn of the school of one of his top students just as I arrived in Seattle and began law school, almost three years ago now. David and Satya's "Ashtanga Yoga School" transformed my mind and body during my first two years in the city, and without it I am positive I would not be graduating next month. Law school challenged me in a most unpleasant way. I had expected it to be like running a marathon: painful, but in a satisfying, rewarding way. Instead it was more like being run over by a truck: just painful. And I would have given up.

But as I felt increasingly isolated from my study of the law, I was at the same time drawn into my Ashtanga practice. From Guru, through my instructors, I learned the joy of ritual and discipline. I learned to let go of the things I cannot control and to be grateful for my many, many blessings. Here's a very cheesy truth: yoga gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I'd be so ready to get to the studio and onto my mat that the desire would cut through my depression and propel me on my short walk there at 5:30 each morning. And then when my practice was finished and I was hot and sweaty and calm and poised, I'd think, "why not go learn about the law for a while?" School just seemed so harmless after pouring all of my concentration and effort into my breath and body for two hours. After the complete exertion of my practice, I didn't have the energy to maintain my anxiety about the rest of life.

AYS is gone now, and so is Guruji, but both have given me a taste of what I hope will be a lifelong habit of finding great joy in spending a couple hours each day appreciating my body and the world around it.

Namaste Guruji.

PS ~ I haven't gone yet, but this movie is in Seattle for a couple more days. I've heard amazing things, so go check it out if you get a chance. I'll see you there!

PPS ~ This is the school where I'm so excited to practice once we're back in Spokane (Mysore classes again!) but this is the one I've found in Ballard in the meantime, and it's very good too (but it's more Baptiste than Ashtanga, in case you're keeping track).

"It's a good thing"

I have to admit that annoying as I find Martha Stewart, the girl knows her crafts. I've seen her on TV a few times, and she is more than a little rude, but goodness is she a whiz in the kitchen/garden/basically everywhere. So you can imagine how completely beside myself I was this morning when I came across this at my bookstore:

Awesomeness in a hardback

The book is a freaking work of art. I cannot wait to try my hand at some candle/soap/silhouette making. One project I will not be trying is the seashell wastebasket shown on the cover, because, honestly, ew. Martha, you drive me nuts in person, but good job on the book. (I also like your really old book where you meticulously document your total renovation of an old schoolhouse. That one I found at Value Village, so it gets extra points.)

Other things that are making me smile right now, in no particular order:

- The hubs is making our bread today. I've been making all our bread from scratch the past few weeks, because it's fun and tastes so good. The dough also makes killer pizza crust, so the batch takes care of several of our meals each week, plus makes enough to give a blob of pizza dough and a loaf of bread to the family upstairs. Hubs really hovered over the project last Sunday, so I promised that he could take over bread-making this weekend, and he's cute-excited for it. I'm just ready to eat a fresh, warm slice.

Who wouldn't want a piece of this?

- Sun! It's not that warm out today, but it's definitely springy and sunny out. I even busted out a little skirt to wear on our bookstore bike run earlier. And it smells sooooo nice out there too.

View from our front yard

- And finally, studying for the bar exam. I'm actually enjoying this for a few reasons. One, I'm way ahead of schedule. I like taking care of stuff super-early; it gives me the same smug sense of satisfaction that I get when I'm all stocked up on something (for example, when I've made a freezer full of meals or bought a huge new bottle of olive oil). Also, some of the stuff is sort of interesting. Like, did you know that when you stop payment on a check, the stop payment order always automatically expires after 6 months? So someone could still present the check to the bank after that 6 months and it would be paid if you didn't renew your stop payment order. I didn't know that. Third, I get to make flashcards to help me learn some of the stuff, and I always enjoy seventh-grade activities like making flashcards. Plus, I know that studying for the bar will only be fun as long as I don't have to do it, so I'm enjoying it as much as I can now, because in a few short weeks I know I'll be singing a different tune.

AND:

- I'm weeks away from being DONE WITH SCHOOL - oh my goodness, my eyes well up with tears of joy whenever I think those three beautiful words.
- Next weekend's my big birthday trip to Denver to hang with Dad and attend a mini-reunion.
- The next weekend I'm pretty sure G will be making a Seattle run to hang out with us for a few days, which is a relief because I miss her!
- I've finally got Amelie from Netflix, and since it's everyone and their dog's favorite movie, I'm curious to see what all the fuss is about.
- The hubs has a police-job interview at the end of the month. Yay!


So basically, I'm having a great day.

Love,
J

PS: Happy Birthday, dear Lauren! I love you!