Joella Appreciation Day 2013

Today, I am happy to say, is a very good day. Because on this day, 23 years ago, Joella Eves was welcomed into world.

I never knew Joella until 3 years ago, but I can definitely say that meeting her has made me into the person I am today. I would not be where I am if it was not for her.

When I first met Joella, I thought she was a bit strange. Which is a lot coming from me, because I am pretty strange myself. But yes, I never saw myself being friends with her, purely because she seemed very settled in the friendships she already had and probably wouldn’t need anyone else.

The first photo I ever took with Joella.
I didn't even know her at all and she asked me if I wanted to be
in this "awkward family photo" with her and Olivia.
I, of course, agreed to it. But I was very weirded out by the
whole thing.

My first time speaking with Joella was at a Student Life Conference in 2010, the very same conference where I decided to give up alcohol for good. Joella was the team leader of the team I was put into, ‘Spark’, and I suggested that we change it to Team ‘Sparkle’, because that is much more fabulous! The ‘Sparkle’ name stuck, and Joella and I became friends based on the fact we were both in ‘Sparkle’ and we would do this fun ‘Sparkle’ catchphrase to one another in a high voice AND with sparkly “spirit” fingers to match. To this day, I believe that I am still in Joella’s phone as: Martinette Sparkle.

Team Sparkle! (+ Yijie who snuck into the photo because our team was so awesome)

One of the times Joella and I hung out after Conference.
She has very good drink-pouring skills.

After Conference, Joella and I would talk now and then if the situation arose, and we both had mutual friends so we would sometimes hung out in a group. I found that Joella was a very friendly person, and enjoyed meeting new people. She was fun to hang out with. I discovered she was also totally crazy, just like me!! So we had that in common.

By the end of 2010, Joella and I decided to live together with a few other girls. In my year of living with Joella, she became one of my favourite people. I felt comfortable enough to come home after I’d finished my day and visit her in her room and talk to her about anything and everything. I have never really done this with anyone else, so this was a clear example that our friendship grew very close. I could always trust her; she always gave very sound advice and always had my best interests in mind. To this day I still enjoy going into her room and hanging out with her there, I know that 99% of the time I am welcome to do so. Ok I lie, I’M WELCOME TO DO IT 100% OF THE TIME! Muhahaha.

Through some very hard times, Joella was like my rock. I could not have gotten through some of my harder days without her. She is a genuine, top-notch lady.

In my six months of living in Mornington, I did not get to see Joella as often as I would have liked, but when I suggested she come visit me, she did it. Last year on her birthday I was completely swamped with Honours work and could only manage a measly text to her, but she did not hold it against me.

This blog isn’t big enough for me to recount all the ways that Joella has impacted my life, and how awesome she is, but a really big moment happened only a few weeks ago.

Joella and Me on my 22nd Birthday.

I was going to break my 2 year-long sobriety because I was feeling emotionally overwhelmed, and she wouldn’t let me. She was literally going to fight me if I tried to have a drink. That right there is the embodiment of a true friend. I tell her that if it wasn’t for her I would not have remained sober, and she brushes it off, but its 100% true. I had every intention of following through. So I have to give her the credit. It wasn’t me. If it was up to me, I would have had a drink. Or twelve.

So thanks Joella.

Joella doesn’t like reading but hopefully she will read this. She probably knows that I appreciate her, but I want the rest of the world to know it too.

She is one of the nicest people I have ever had the privilege of being friends with, and I feel so blessed to even know her and have her as both a friend and flatmate.

She is so fun, and caring, and generous, and she has such a big heart and such a love for the Lord. Her passion for God is incredible! When she’s on stage playing keyboard, she is just filled with SO MUCH JOY! I can’t help but smile.

Typical Joella-Martz behaviour.

She is encouraging and uplifting and always speaking words of life. She builds up instead of tearing down. Sometimes when I say something stupid or mean (usually unintentionally) she will pull me up on it and tell me that she knows I can do better.

She is relaxed and does not get easily stressed out. She reminds me a lot of my Mum, not just because she has dark hair and green eyes, but her demeanour is very similar as well.

Joella does not like hugs, but she knows I love them, so she gives me hugs more often than she’d probably choose. Hehehe. See what I mean about her being caring?! She is such a good friend.

I could go on and on and on, but I think you get the picture.

Me and Joella on her Graduation in 2012. YAY!!!!

Whenever there is a boy in my life who I might have a wee bit of a thing for and she does not approve of it, it’s always because they are not treating me the way that I deserve and she doesn’t like it. But even in these instances, she will be polite and friendly to the boy and stand by the fact that she doesn’t dislike the person, but rather their actions.

I am very grateful to have Joella. She is one of my best friends, and I hope we will be friends forever. I know that sounds lame, but I mean it.

I hope if Joella is reading this that she has made it this far, and if she has, I am proud of her.

Joella, you always wanted me to write a blog about you, and now I have, SO STOP ASKING!!

Hahahaha, just kidding, but seriously ;-)

J, I love you heaps and hope you have the most amazing birthday!!! I hope it is everything that you want it to be and that God will continue to bless you always.

All the boys love you and so do I. Keep the party alive.

M

xx

<3

Life Is Weird

I have the flu right now so this blog post might make no sense at all.

Last night my friend found out that someone close to her had passed away, which really sucks and is super sad, and put things in perspective for me. It made me feel like me having the flu is not the worst thing in the world, which is not what I overtly thought, but I was definitely having a bit of a pity party for myself as I walked out of the Doctor's office after forking out $38 and having her tell me its the flu and I should rest and drink fluids (which is advice I have known about for about as long as I've been alive).

But yes. It got me thinking about loss.

The last person I lost.. well.. she wasn't a person. She was my dog, granted she was my best friend, but she wasn't a human. And when you compare a dog like Sheba, who was effectively like a 12 year old family member when she passed away, to an older family member like a grandparent or other relative, its not really the same thing.

But loss has the same kind of effect on everyone, doesn't it? I mean, it sucks for everyone. You're never going to experience loss and not have it affect you in some way.


I don't really talk about Sheba anymore. I mean, sometimes I do, if I need to, but I don't go on about her and the fact that she died and how hard it was for me. Because I figure people know that.

When you look at his picture, (my longest running Facebook profile picture ever I believe), what do you think of?
You might think, "Oh, that girl looks happy"
Or maybe, if you like dresses, you might think my dress is kind of cute.

But you probably don't think: "Ah yes, this was the night that Martinette's dog Sheba was put down but her parents decided not to tell her until the following morning".

Its weird because I remember this night. My friend Matt had come over to visit me before I headed off to my other friend Jaimee's farewell party. I think we may have watched a movie? And I didn't usually do my make-up like I had this night but for some reason I decided to, and I put on my red lipstain, which I also barely ever did.
I guess you could say I made an effort to look nice for this party.
And I had worn heels, which I also never really did.
And in the picture, I was giving a speech about how much I loved Jaimee and how I was going to miss her, and I must have told some funny stories and that's what Huei captured in this photo.

And the next day, I got the text telling me that Sheba had been put down.
I guess a part of me feels like that picture of me, smiling and happy, is kind of cheating. Because I didn't know Sheba had just died. And it wasn't fair for me to be acting like that when I should have been sad and grieving for her, not out at a party with red lipstick and high heels on.

I've never told anyone that's my attitude towards this photo. I guess its kind of weird to feel that way about something that I've had on my Facebook for so long, and I could have changed it, but I think its better if I just keep it. It reminds me of what its like when your head is in the sand. When people don't tell you the truth about what is happening around you. I didn't know Sheba was dead when that photo was taken, I guess I was kind of a different person then to the one I am now.


Which brings me back to my topic of loss. Loss can change people. Its been enough months now for me to be over the loss of my dog. I am over it, I swear. But what about the people who are still grieving? We need to be sensitive to them as well. We need to remember that loss is all around us and that it is up to us to be kind to those dealing with it, because after all, we're all going to experience loss at one point or another.


But yes, life is weird, isn't it?
Sometimes you think one way and then the next day everything is different.
That's what that picture reminds me of.


I am off to my cousin's wedding tomorrow, and it should be a great time, and I still have the flu and THAT'S OK! Because its not the worst thing in the world.


I don't know if this has made any sense or any difference or if you regret wasting your time reading this, but whatever your attitude towards this entry, I'm still thankful you read it. Especially because the title was so ambiguous!!!


My heart goes out to anyone who is suffering the loss of someone or something they love right now, I know its hard, but you can get through it. I know that's cliche, but its true.
Sometimes its easier to pretend whatever you are going through isn't happening, but I believe its better to deal with stuff than to run from it. That's what I have been learning this year.
Deal with stuff and move forward.
That is the way to be.

I Never Even Wrote About My Summer

Hi Blog,

I'm back, and this time I have a topic of interest.

I have been thinking lately that there are a bunch of things I would like to write about in this blog, but to be honest, I probably wouldn't. For fear of offending someone or turning people against me. I've been watching too much Gossip Girl. I start to pretend that Dunedin is like the Upper East Side, which of course it isn't.

But anyway, I only just realised that I never even wrote about what my summer was like.
I have done it every year since creating this blog so I figured it was only right that I do it for the summer just been.

I realise it is March and that's a bit late to be recounting this information to you, but its better late than never, right?!

I tried finding a photo of me during summertime but there pretty much aren't any. This is probably because my friend Huei who is always taking photos of social events was not in Dunedin over summer.
So be it. Here is a photo that was taken at the very END of summer, during a band practice before church.

Its hard to remember what I did this summer, it went by quite fast, which is not usually the case.

As I have mentioned in previous entries, I did not go home to Kaitaia for very long at all. Most of my summer was spent in Dunedin and it was A-MA-ZING! The best summer I've ever had!!!!!

I had a ton of friends around, there was always something to do, I was working at the Holiday Programme which was super fun, and all round I was reasonably busy. I don't know why I never stayed in Dunedin before. I wish I had!

I could have saved myself a lot of trouble.

For a while I ran poker nights every friday night with some friends, and they were so hilariously funny. We would talk about the strangest things, but it was always a good laugh. I won a few times too. You could put it down to sheer luck. The first few weeks I wasn't even playing poker correctly, I later realised. I never folded when I had a bad hand, because I had hope that something good would turn up eventually.
That is not how you play.

Guess that says something about my outlook on life though.


I recorded my EP this summer, as I have already written about, and now I am playing gigs around Dunedin. All in all, I have had so much FUN! It was actually really sad for me when all the students turned up one saturday afternoon and I knew that summer was over.
I had really enjoyed it. Things are so much easier during summertime. I got to play guitar and sing at church because all the other acoustic guitarists and singers weren't in town, and because there were less people, you got to know those that had stayed behind better.


But that's all over now. And that's ok, because that's life.
I am glad to be slowly catching up with all the friends that I haven't seen in three or so months.

My overall point to this blog: DUNEDIN IN THE SUMMER IS AWESOME!
And you can bet that next summer I will still be here, because Dunedin is the place to be. :)





Stay sweet x

BLOG REVAMP

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, I know you are probably thinking: WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?!
Its Friday, and Martz just went and FULLY CHANGED her blog!!!! What is UP with that?!?!

Well. Yes. I did change it.

I just thought, you know what, I've had the same background for over 2 years, and its probably time for something new. And a new picture doesn't hurt either. I always planned on changing the picture every year.

So now I have.


I hope everyone can get used to the new look. I know its a lot more SLEEK AND CLEAN (aka- boring) but I'm sure you'll get used to it.

I'm 22 now. I don't think a background with clouds and green fields was going to cut it anymore.

In any case though, please let me know how you're finding the new look, if you want to. I'd love to get some feedback.



Keep the party alive xx