Bedtime Stories is really cute. It's a funny, wholesome movie, and I loved the part where the main character refuses to read "Rainbow the Alligator Saves the Wetlands." :-) I don't think I've seen a movie in theaters since Hancock. I think I saw Wall-e before that. Oh, Pixar is coming out with another movie. It looks a bit like Danny Deckchair (though I've never seen Danny Deckchair). This old curmugeon airlifts his house with a ton of balloons and a little boyscout is trapped on his porch. I'll probably see it because it's Pixar and I really like Pixar's movies. Oh, they are also coming out with a sequel to Night at the Museum. I am excited about that. I love all the history. Especially the little miniature cowboys and Romans.

I have a very relaxed morning and afternoon today, and it is wonderful. I'm heading to a friend's house to celebrate the New Year, which I'm looking forward to.

I'm going to make wassail tonight. Wassail is a family tradition for Christmas and New Years. It has cranberry and apple juice, a clove studded orange, and cinnamon sticks. You heat it in a crock pot and serve it hot. So good.

Moderation

Last spring, I received a comment on my blog, and after following the links to see who commented, I was taken to a site that tried to scan my computer, saying I had a virus or spyware. Scared that I really did have those things, I took my computer to ITS, and they checked it out and my computer was clean. This incident, however, caused me to enable comment moderation, as I'm sure you know if you've tried to comment. :-) I'm still relatively new at this and a bit wary, so if I am unsure of who someone is, I am more likely to screen the comments. Comments are most certainly welcome though, as it is dull without feedback.

I'm going to see Bedtime Stories tonight. I realized that I kind of like some of Adam Sandler's movies, and this one looks very cute. "It started raining gumballs." :-)

I love two day weeks. Hooray for holidays!

Resolutions

I have truly entered grown up land. I am considering New Year's resolutions, and one of them includes exercising at the "gym" more. Sigh. I also came across an interesting resolution as I was reading Boundless today. One poster decided to read more books this year, and I think that I would like to adopt that resolution as well. I have been slacking when it comes to reading, and I would like to get in the groove again. However, it would be more fun if I had people to share this resolution with. I found a website called goodreads.com, and it is kind of like facebook for book lovers. You choose books you have read, are reading, and want to read, and you can write reviews and see what your friends are reading or recommend and join discussion groups. Does anyone know anything about it? It looks really interesting.

Lots and Lots

I had a very good Christmas, but it was too short. I miss the month off that I've been used to for the past 4 years. Actually, this is the first time in my life where I haven't had at least 2 weeks off for the holidays. It's ok though, because I only work two days this week.

Travel to and from my grandparents' house was crazy, though getting there was better than coming back. On the way back, I drove through the thickest fog. I had never driven with such reduced visibility. I decided to take the longer way back, as I was not going to do Chicago if I couldn't see the road signs. It's funny, but driving in fog has a lot of spiritual applications. I couldn't see very far ahead of me, and even when we know where we are going, or plan to go, in life, we don't know what's going to materialize out of the fog. Life is that way. I can lay plans, but I can't see very far ahead. I don't know what the Lord is going to provide or how He's going to curve the road ahead of me. All I can do is keep driving and keep trusting Him. Some days are foggier than others. Some days I can see clearly, and others I can't, but I really want to. I guess that's why it's hard to trust. I want to know what's going to happen, but I just have to believe that wherever the road leads and whatever happens, God has my interests and the interests of His glory and kingdom in mind.

It was so good to be with family and friends again. I was able to go out for lunch with Kara and her sister, which was fun, though I did add some extra tins to her luggage. Sorry. :-)

I so enjoy getting together with my family. We all can just laugh together. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. They crack me up, and we can just be ourselves.

My dad picked out some good CDs for me, including Brave Combo's "Polkatharsis" and the best of Allan Sherman. Allan Sherman is an older version of Weird Al. His most famous song is the Camp Granada song, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah." So funny.

There was a wicked wind last night. It woke me up, and I was worried about a tornado, especially as where I am living is a very bad place for tornados.

Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all. I will not be able to post for awhile, as I am going into the no wireless zone. :-) I am a bit nervous about driving tomorrow, as it is a busy travel day and the weather is iffy. I liked snow a lot better when I didn't have to drive in it so much. I'm very excited to see family and friends again. I realized that this is the first holiday that I have not spent preparing for with my family. I also realized that it will be the first time that I will not be there for my brother's birthday in January. :-(

I still have a lot left to do, so I'm going to catch some Zs and get up early to finish it all. I can't wait for break and to relax. :-)

P.S. I am going to miss the Christmas carols at work. I enjoyed all the different CDs and songs. Especially the Muppets Christmas. :-)

Today I...

Decided that my favorite time to go to Wal Mart is 9 PM on a Friday or Saturday night.

Got lost in Jackson. Jackson is like Decatur. I was not comfortable there, and ended up going home without finding the mall. Oh well.

Saw a car get pulled over while I was stopped at a red light. The police car was marked, but did not have a light bar on top. Tricky! It had lights on the sides and inside that went on. I don't like that. I like police cars with the big light bar on top. That's how I identify them. :-) I've seen some with a thin, flatter light bar, and those are tricky too, as they almost look like a sunroof.

Discovered Faerie Tale Theater. They are new at the library, and though the acting and special effects aren't that good, I really like them. They are funny and stay pretty true to the real fairy tales, not the Disney versions. I watched Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers, and The Twelve Princesses, which was actually the Six Princesses. Ha. They actually had some big name actors and actresses in them. Susan Sarandon was Beauty and Angelica Huston was her sister, Vanessa Redgrave was the wicked queen in Snow White, and Vincent Price was the magic mirror. The mirror was great! :-) Robin Williams and Christopher Reeves are also in some of the others, but I'm not sure which ones. I think Robin Williams is the frog prince. I think I'm hooked. :-)

Bought Legally Blonde. I really like that movie for some reason, and I now have the full version. I'm tired of the TV versions.

Discovered that as the holiday season has progressed, I've become less cheery about it. It really can wear on you, which is so sad.

Tried to be a better housekeeper. A slow work in progress, but I'm trying.

Sunday, Here Comes the Week

For those of you who were wondering, no, I am not confused on this issue. :-) I do, however, find it ridiculous when even the application is liberal/politically correct. It's an application, it should be neutral. Sigh. Oh well.

The holidays are still crazy. I have a Christmas lunch tomorrow with the library and a Christmas dinner with the college on Wednesday, both of which I'm looking forward to attending.

We did Bethlehem Marketplace with church this weekend. They are going to switch it to every other year, but I'm glad that I got to do it this year. We recreate the town of Bethlehem. I was the "spice girl," that is, I sold spices. I was right next to the governor's "palace" and close to the slave trader and the jail. It was fun talking to the passing centurions, who were skeptical about the Messiah. People bought things from the vendors to give to the baby at the end. It was rather fun. I also got to burn incense, though I ran out and couldn't burn any today. I think the sellers on the other side missed it, as the donkeys were a bit strong smelling. :-) Sadly, the goat did not give birth this year. That was so cool last year to see the new little kids. Goats are so cute.

Church and Sunday school were good today, that is, convicting. There is so much that I don't understand about God and His love, but I'm so glad that God loves me and hasn't given up on me.

Merry Christmas

Umm

I just filled out an application that had three options under the word gender: male, female, and uncertain.

We Interupt This Program

Yesterday morning, Rod Blagoyevich, governor of Illinois, was arrested for attempting to sell Barack Obama's open senate seat. Hurray! He had been under investigation. He knew he was being investigated, but he did it anyway. Get him out of there. Wow.

Things are really busy. I have lots of cookies to make, applications to fill out, essays to write, Christmas letters to send, and other activities to fill my time. Whew. The holidays really are busy.

I had a wonderful weekend. Three friends came down and we went to the Messiah on Sunday. The Messiah is so beautiful! It is the full embodiment of art. That is what art is supposed to be: beautiful, excellent artistry, and glorifying to God. It lifts you up and causes you to contemplate "the higher things." It was so good to be able to see it with friends and hang out. It's not the same without them.

Food and Baking

I had to share this. I just bought Cornish game hens! I'm going to attempt to cook them for New Years. They were on sale, so I bought them. I don't have any idea how to cook them, but I'm sure I can find a recipe off of Food Network. It will be interesting.

I also bought fake garland with lights in it. Hurrah for festivities. I have a lot to do, but I love the Christmas season.

I just finished a personal statement essay for grad school. Whew.

I have two governors. Blagoyevich is depriving his citizens of their historical and cultural heritage, but Granholm might possibly deprive her citizens of their lives. She has decided to cut spending for...plowing and salting. Now, Michigan is a northern state. We get a lot of snow. Less plowing and salting = bad = dangerous. The local city government has cut funding as well, so it might get a bit interesting around here.

I thought I had more to say. I guess not. I ate good Nigerian food over break. And watched a lot of The Closer.

Oh, I also bought a down comforter! I got spoiled in the nice hotels I stayed at and started to desire a down comforter. So, we braved Black Friday and I found a real down comforter, as well as a cool pair of argyle tights and a cute tunic shirt that reminds me of an afghan from the 70s. :-)

Love and Joy

Save the History!

I'm home for Thanksgiving, and it feels weird to be here without a lot of stress and work that needs to be done. I always had homework and books that I had to bring home with me, research papers to work on, etc, but I don't have that this year, and it feels...different.

I don't really pay attention to the news or things like that, but I was looking at the newspaper today, and our governor, "Rod," is closing down historical sites and parks due to the budget. I am mad! Among those closing is a site in my area. They are also closing several forts, an Indian museum, and places in Cahokia and Vandalia. (not Cahokia Mounds, though) These are good and pertinent aspects of Illinois history, and he is just going to cut funding and shut them down. Now, I am in favor of privately owned sites, but I realize that is not always possible, and since they are already state funded, it is not fair, especially at this time, to cut funding. Isn't there other pork that could be cut? Some places have raised the funds, but with the economic situation, I think it would be harder to raise funds for a historic site. With things as they are, I think it more likely to give to places that provide aid for those in need over a historic site. Is he punishing the downstate areas because we are not a democratic bastion? Can't he get rid of his excess jets? No one needs 3-4 private jets to get from Chicago to Springfield. No one. Our state is such a mess.

Bullseye

My brother downed his first buck this morning, a two year old nine pointer. It's been a long time coming. Congrats!

I just found the coolest thing ever. I was looking at someone's blog who takes really good pictures, especially wedding pictures, and she photographed a wedding that had a reception in a library! It is a beautiful, turn of the 20th century library with several stories of stacks and stone and everything. I'm not a fan of having a banquet in a library, but I would love to 1) have access to such a cool library and 2) have wedding pictures taken in said library.

MelCat, How I Love Thee

MelCat is amazing. For those who do not live in Michigan, this state has an amazing interlibrary loan system where libraries within the state lend to other libraries connected on MelCat, which stands for Michigan e-library Catalog, I think. Right now, I have a record of Revolutionary War songs, a book of Greek war songs and anthems, several CDs, and a book on mullets. I'm also waiting for other holdings, among which is a book on the Norwegian resistance in World War II. Having a strong Norwegian heritage, I am looking forward to reading it. Hopefully it is well written. I really enjoy having access to music, as my library doesn't have the best eclectic and world music, which is what I like. And, I have found Brave Combo on MelCat! Brave Combo does polkas like no other. They are part of what I call "fringe polka." They have a mix of polka, Latin, and possibly some Jewish. They have quite the blend, and their songs have crazy fun lyrics. For those who have wondered, my title is lyrics from one of their songs, "Mystery Spot Polka." Their Christmas CD is great too.

Time has really gotten away from me. I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving and November is soon to be over. Aaah! I am very excited to go home for Thanksgiving though. Turkey legs!

I am doing pilates, and I enjoy it. This week has been brutal. But that's not a bad thing.

They are doing the Messiah again. Yay! It's so beautiful. They did it my freshman year, and now I get to hear it again. I lucked out on the 4 year rotation. :-)

The Purpose of Education

I read an article about a community college that is thinking about starting a program for students that are undereducated and not ready for college but still want to attend college. They plan to use non-conventional teaching methods like gaming technology or simulations and it would be for people who have a middle school or low high school skill level/education. I am not necessarily against the program, as I believe that all people should have a chance to be educated and succeed. I do, however, have a problem with what the director of this program said. He said, "Our real goal isn't for us to get them educated. It's to get them employable." Going to a liberal arts school, I was taught about the liberal vs. the servile arts and how education should be for its own sake and not necessarily for the sole purpose of getting a job after four years. I believe in a balance of both. It is important to be an educated human being and learn how to think, contemplate, and discern the good, the true, and the beautiful. But, most people don't get paid to sit around and read and contemplate all day, so it is also important to get a job and work, hopefully in something that you enjoy and that elevates and edifies you as a person. It is important to have both aspects to an education, and that is why it disturbed me when I read the above statement. If a program is only caring about the servile arts and how to get someone a job, then they are leaving out a very important aspect of life and humanity: the ability to think, reason, and contemplate. Not everyone enjoys reading great literature or learning about important persons and events from the past or the underlying ideas in our society, culture, and heritage, but I believe that these things are essential for a person to know to be a good citizen. To be a good citizen, one must make informed and good decisions personally as well as collectively. And to make those decisions, a person must be well educated. If a school only seeks to teach a skill so students can get a job, then they are neglecting the soul and "inner self" of those students. I believe, however, that a modern secular education, even if it is a liberal arts education, does neglect the soul and "inner self" of the students because it does not provide them with a source of morality and truth.

It has gotten very November. Rain. Snowy rain. Complete cloud cover. November is my least favorite month. Fall is over but winter has yet to begin.

Stop Here, I Want Out

I am sick of the economy and politics and world events. Everything is worry, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I try not to think about it, and I do ok at that, but then someone brings it up. Or I do. And then its in the consciousness. It's almost enough to make me want to be a farmer in the old west. Just worry about the basics: survival. But I don't really want that, it's just tempting sometimes.

I had believed the saying that if we were never sick we couldn't appreciate being well, but now I don't think I believe that. Being sick makes you appreciate good health more, but when you have good health, you still appreciate and enjoy it. I would much rather appreciate the good without having any bad mixed in, but it will always be there. Situations, no matter how good, are never perfect. There is always something missing, some way that it could have been just a bit better. I think it works the same way with the bad, though. Things could always be worse. There's usually a little good in with the bad.

I may fail at many things, but at least I know I can make a mean chocolate chip cookie.

I'm Back

Well, I'm back from DC. I had a good trip and survived my first (and second) flight. Because I am oh so subtle, the girl next to me could tell that I was nervous and she was nice, though really tired from campaigning. Flying is like a bus ride, only not on the ground. I liked the return flight better. It was less crowded and I was less nervous. It was really good to see my friends again. I wish that I had more time to spend with them, but our grown up jobs get in the way. :-) Things are a lot different. It's hard to believe that they live in DC. It was kind of hard for me to believe I was in DC. One thing about plane rides is that you are simply plopped into a new area without having the assimilating factor of seeing the scenery flash by and change as you enter the new place. Driving gives more of a sense of arrival and belonging and understanding the new area, I think. We were able to eat at good restaurants in the area, however. I had Vietnamese, Italian, and American. The Italian had good atmosphere, we ate outside, but I think I enjoyed the cheeseburger and fries best. :-) The Italian bread was really good though. The show went well too, which was good. I enjoy talking about the college and my job, so that was good. The hotel was really big. I'd never stayed in such a large hotel. There was a lot of staff. The first night I was kind of pacing, looking for a friend and one of the workers kind of yelled at me. I guess I was making him and the guests nervous? Anyway, I think he thought I was a high schooler running around. Oh the joys of looking young. Sigh. That night I was awoken by my neighbors who came in at 1 AM loud and possibly sloshed. I was not impressed. Then, at 7 AM, I heard knocking and "Room Service." I did not order room service. I thought about it, but I did not actually make the call. So, I got up and through the door told him that I did not order room service. This went on for a bit, and I even asked what it was, thinking I might have ordered in my sleep or something. Nope. I then informed him I was not a Mr. and went back to bed. The rest of the conference, however, went much better. My floor was invaded by lawyers, however. A law school association. So I had a bunch of lost wolves running around in suits. ;-) I also got to go to the zoo, which was really close and FREE! Yay! So, all the pictures I have are of the zoo. I am really bad at taking pictures. I have a bunch of pics of flamingos, otters, and a multi colored squirrel, but no pics of friends. I am really bad at that. Sigh. I have yet to upload. I'll try to get a pic of my glasses soon. Sorry for the suspense. I can't wait to see everyone in February. And yes, I am coming home for Thanksgiving.

Pictures will be coming this weekend. Sorry to make you wait that long.

I Can See

Things are much brighter with my new glasses. I'm still adjusting, but I really like them.

Retro Sunday

Today was retro Sunday. No, we did not dress up in 60s and 70s style clothes. The computer and media center went down so we did everything "old style" with the hymnals. It was so good! We sang all hymns. I liked it so much! There is nothing wrong with going retro, back to the hymnals. We had organ too, and I didn't mind it. I'm not a big organ fan, but it was beautiful today. The sermon was very good, as always. It was about Jesus as Lord of our education. In Sunday school, we went over the story of Mary and Martha, and the leader made us raise our hands as to whether we think we are a Mary or a Martha (in regards to hospitality). I think I was the only female to raise her hand for Mary. Most of the men considered themselves "Marys," though there were some confessed "Marthas." :-) I don't know if it's because I haven't had much experience with being a hostess yet, but I'd rather talk and converse than worry about the meal. Though I do like to cook for friends and serve a meal. I just think the conversation is the best part, which is supplemented and heightened by the food.

I'm making chicken right now. Almond and parmesan crusted and fried in butter. It smells so good! I hope it turns out. It worked for fish, I figure it would work for chicken. My main worry is to get it cooked through.

Please pray for me on Wednesday. I guess there is a first time for everything and Wednesday is my first flight.

Home

I'm home for the weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday. We had a big party and open house, and it went well. My aunt and grandma threw a very good party, and now I get to reap the benefits of taking leftovers back with me. :-)

Emily did this activity, and I decided to do it as well. I often get comments about my weird collection of music, and I am curious to see if anyone recognizes any of the songs. :-) I have excluded the classical and foreign language music. :-) I am putting my ipod on shuffle, and I will write at least the first line of a song and you please identify the title and artist. If it is a common song, the artist may vary. So, here goes.

1. Lord I wish I could praise you with adequate words, but you leave me speechless.

2. Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last. 59th Bridge Street Song (Feelin' Groovy) Simon and Garfunkle

3. Don't run from the bad and the beautiful, or all the hurting they provide.

4. I hear people saying we don't need this war, but I say there's some things worth fighting for. Have You Forgotten, Daryl Worley

5. Our packet is the Island Lass.

6. I hear the drizzle on the road, like the memory it falls. For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her, Simon and Garfunkle

7. Some of them come down, some of them running, some of them looking for a way out of confusion.

8. As I went down to the river to pray, studying about that good old way. Down to the River to Pray, Alison Krause

9. What a dream I had, dressed in organdy. For Emily, Wherever I may Find Her, Simon and Garfunkle

10. Sitting here la, la waiting for my ya ya.

11. Roland was a warrior from the land of midnight sun. Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, Warren Zevon

12. All the colors of the rainbow, all the voices of the wind. Testify, Avalon

13. Oh what a parish, a terrible parish, oh what a parish is that of Dunkeld.

14. This is me, for forever, one of the lost ones.

15. Bleeding in the darkness, the cell was cold and black, driven to unconsciousness by the stripes upon his back. I Will Praise the Lord, (not sure of artist, mime song)

16. Fire and lightning from heaven fall.

17. A mile from Glencagen (sp?) on the road to the sea, stands a yew tree a thousand years old.

18. You girls and you brothers, you won't reach where we're going. No intimidation than to show that you care.

19. There's a place up ahead and I'm goin', just as fast as my feet can fly.

20. It's crowded in worship today. As she slips in, trying to fade into the faces. If We Are the Body, Casting Crowns

21. In the summer time, when all trees and leaves are green, and the redbird sings, I'll be blue, cause you don't want my love.

22. Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk to you again. Sound of Silence, Simon and Garfunkle

23. Everybody's got a waterbuffalo, your's is fast but mine is slow. The Water Buffalo Song, Veggie Tales

24. And so what we have learned applies to our lives today. What We Have Learned, Veggie Tales

25. Life was filled with guns and war, all of us got trampled on the floor.

26. If you like to talk to tomatoes, if a squash can make you smile. Veggie Tales Theme

27. Have you ever seen a boy with funny clothes, a girl with braces on her teeth or freckles on her nose? I Can Be Your Friend, Veggie Tales

28. I do love, shortenin' bread.

29. I'm walkin', I'm talkin' about you and me, I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me.

30. In the early morning rain, with a dollar in my hand.

I didn't want to stop at 25, so I did an even 30. Some artists' albums come up a lot. And I skipped a lot of classical, instrumental, and non-English language. Also, I don't necessarily listen to all of these songs often, but they're in my library. Give what info you can. Have fun!

So, yes, the songs didn't shuffle real well. Notice the plethora of Veggie Tales songs. :-) There are actually a good amount of recognizable songs. Not as many obscure ones as I thought there would be. Keep guessing. :-) I'm filling in the info as they are guessed, so you know which one are left.

There is a lot to say in a short post. First of all, Kira and I are OK. Yesterday I went to Ann Arbor for a U of M School of Information (specifically library science) open house. It was very good and I learned a lot about the school and met some nice people. Who knows, I might get talked into archives. But probably not as my main focus. Anyway, Kira graciously offered to drive me there and pick me up. We were within walking distance, but when I got out, I decided that driving would be quicker and I asked her to pick me up. As we were turning, we got into an accident. Both of us are fine, and it was not Kira's fault. The other car ran a red light and we had the green. They T-boned her car and her door is smashed. We were wearing our seat belts, for which I'm grateful. The other driver was not as well off, as she had to go to the hospital. Because we were in the city, there were witnesses and the police and ambulance came quickly. It upset our weekend plans, but I am just very glad that we are ok, and I hope the other driver and passenger are not injured.

In other news, there is a church potluck and it is parents' weekend, so it will be busy. I should have made a double batch of cream cheese roll ups, but I only had one thing of cream cheese and didn't think to get another this morning when I had to run to Wal-Mart for tortillas. My roll ups look kind of puny. Oh well. I also made meatballs. Well, prepared them. I just put them in the crock pot. Hopefully they turn out. I don't have a ton of confidence in my cooking.

I need to get ready for church.

Blessings.

Whew

It's finally the weekend. It has felt like the weekend ever since Wednesday. My friend came down on Wednesday to see me and to see two AMAZING shows. It is also fall break, which was too bad, because the theater troupe that came is so good! They did a production of Hamlet about 2 years ago, and it was amazing. They did the first book of the Iliad by Homer and Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare. The Iliad was really modern, and I didn't like the music, but it was amazing. I loved the soundtrack (loved it!) of Comedy of Errors, but it was a bit much for me. Also, the play itself is not one of my favorites, though I was able to appreciate it better.

It was so good to see my friend again. I'm glad that she is close enough for us to visit. Hopefully I can go out there sometime and explore her new city. :-) Also, I need a very large wicker, basket like hamper. I want to do a costume of Paul in the basket escaping the city.

I hope to have a relaxing, sleep in, take a walk, bask in sunshine, read books, veg with TV day. The gamut. :-)

Oh, and look at grad school aps. Yuck.

Homecoming Weekend

I'm wiped out from this weekend. Two friends came down for homecoming, and I had a really good time. It was nice to have people to cook for and entertain. On Friday we went to the bonfire and fireworks and walked down the luminaried sidewalk. It is so pretty. Fireworks were ok, but they didn't last long in the sky. We think it's because it was so chilly. On Saturday we actually went to the car show, which we had never done before. There was a bright orange Model A, and I wanted my picture with it. It was so me, even though the color was a bit garish. :-) But, my batteries were dead, so we had to run to Kroger. I'm glad it happened though, because when we came back to take my picture, I got to talk to the owner of the car. Yay! We then ate lunch and there was ice cream again this year. Another yay! They had a parade again this year and Mac had a "float." It was all pizza boxes. It was great. The Delta Tau Delta's had a purple tank that was really good too. Those were the only good floats, though the Pi Phi's had bubbles. We then went to the game. I think we won. We left a bit early to get to Oakley's before the rush. One of my friends played in the pep band, which was cool. It was really sunny and being in the sun for a long time really saps the energy. Then, we watched movies last night. Overall, I had a good weekend, though it was bitter sweet, as I missed my other friends. It's not the same. I didn't have anyone to yell bloodthirsty chants with.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

I absolutely love fall.

I found a way to wear my favorite orange sweater to work.

I locked myself out of my house and car and had to call to have my "land lady" bring her key to let me in the house. I found out that I was locked out when I was on the phone with my mom. She thought it was funny. It was. Funny that is.

Oct. 1 is the first day of deer season, bow hunting. Shout out to my brother. He has been looking forward to this day since the last day of deer season last year. He and I were actually at Wal Mart at the same time, but not at the same Wal Mart. He to get last minute hunting supplies. Me to get last minute baking supplies.

Here and There and What Fun

I am finally coming to a better understanding of life. I think. There will always be bad. There will always be something to counteract the good, to dampen the joy. But, one should focus on blessings and what the Lord has done, to keep things in perspective. Things are not perfect, but whenever I have a bad attitude or complain, my blessings and the Lord's goodness stare me in the face and I realize that I am being ungrateful.

I love my job. I got back from a forum on free markets put on by the college, and I had a very good time. I stayed with my exhibit and talked to people about it. I met some interesting people and had some good conversations. And, I got to stay in a nice hotel and eat good food. I also got some good sleep on a very comfortable bed. Feather pillows and down comforter. Aaah. It was also so nice to be around other people. As a student, I was used to being around a lot of people (relatively) and now I'm in a much smaller circle. I like to meet new people and have good conversations. I met a Canadian guy who says "about" like me. :-) Also, I had a good amount of down time, and one of the other workers asked me how I kept from going crazy just sitting around. I was reading a book and enjoying the solitude. I had times where I was surrounded by people and times where I could just be. And I like that. A good mix. Also, the wait staff was very kind to bring me my meals. I will have to post a pic of the first dessert. Amazing! They had chimes that they used to call people to dinner and it was the same intervals of the hymn that goes, "Almighty God, Father all glorious, oer all victorious, come and reign over us, ancient of days." The chimes went to the "Almighty God" part, and I would then sing the rest. :-) It is nice that I have a job that has a little bit of traveling to keep things interesting. :-)

Well, I'm going to eat a bit. TTFN

I am not going to be at church when superintendent Ramundo comes to preach. He has a very interesting style. He uses literary devises to the extreme. Instead, I'm going home that weekend for my mom's birthday.

This is fair week, and I went to the fair 3 times. I love fair food. Fried food is so yummy. :-) I have a weakness for fried food, as long as it's not greasy. I don't do grease well.

Not much to say. I'm doing laundry right now and I think I'll go on a walk soon.

Toodling Around

Well, a bit more than toodling. I had quite the adventure today. I went to Ann Arbor and back and survived some of the worst traffic I've ever been in and the GRE. Also getting lost. Quite the day. First off, my plan was to leave several hours before I had to take the test and go to the Shar showroom. So, my test was at 1 and I left here at 9:30. I didn't make it to Ann Arbor until 2 hours later. Uff da. There was a really bad accident on 94 East, and traffic was really backed up. I was close to an exit, so I was able to get off, but it was really backed up too. If I would have stayed on 94 I probably wouldn't have made it to the test. But, I trusted my little GPS and took a country road back way, which put me on 94 past the accident. There was no one behind me. It was strange to see a 6 lane road so empty. Then, I took the GRE and got a decent score, enough to get me into grad school. :-) Yay! Then, I got royally lost trying to find a certain park to wait for my friend. That was an ordeal, but it was such a gorgeous day and a scenic route, so I didn't mind. It was definitely the Lord today, because usually I get really frustrated and upset, but He helped me deal with the driving adventure.

Gotta go. Btw, I am getting caught up in the Yorkshire miniseries Flambards. I like it. :-)

God is Not a Warm Fuzzy

Modern Christianity likes to describe God as loving, good shepherd, kind father, meek and mild, etc. God is love. Yes, He is, but so often Christianity is painted as a warm fuzzy, a good feeling, an intimate walk with God who is always there and never runs out of love and mercy. And this is all true, but it is only half, and behind these truths is the implication that you will always feel happiness and joy, you will always feel close to God. If you think about the reactions of people who encountered God in the Bible, however, these are not the emotions evoked. Some people fell down dead. Awe. Fear and trembling. "I am undone." Encountering God is a scary thing. When I am getting closer to God, I don't necessarily feel better. This goes counter to what we often think. We throw around phrases like "refiner's fire" and "purify." These are painful words. When God works, He works against our sinful nature, and that does not feel good. Sometimes it's through circumstances and sometimes it's through our relationship with Him. Sometimes God is abrasive. Like sand paper. Or like fire, burning away the impurities. I think (and hope) that I am coming to a better understanding of how God has and is working in my life. What He does for me, and against my sinful nature. It's hard. But He also gives good times. He does give some warm fuzzies. The times when you are filled with praise and joy. And it is good. But it is not always so, and we should not expect this. Just because we don't have what we consider to be the appropriate feeling doesn't mean that God isn't there and that He isn't working. Fear and trembling. Awe. Frustration. They are powerful emotions and He can use them just as well as joy, excitement, and contentment. Fear and tremble at His might. Be frustrated with your sin and incapacity to ever be good enough.

One of the keys to the Christian faith is dealing with and realizing the reality that we will Never be good enough. It's a part of human nature to want to do things for God, to earn what He's given us, but we can't. We should want to serve Him. That is very important and shows that our faith is alive and real, but it will never be good enough. I cannot earn my way to heaven. I must simply bow at His feet, pleading for the blood of Jesus to drench my sins.

Count Your Blessings, Name Them One by One

Reasons why I'm glad that I'm here:

1. The snack bar now has fried mushrooms.
2. They are doing the Messiah this December.
3. Aquila, Shakespeare theater, is doing TWO shows: The Iliad and A Comedy of Errors.
4. I have found an very good mechanic place.
5. Little brother dog: the Bean.

1. My church family.
2. Ministry and worship at church.
3. Close proximity to friends.
4. My job.
5. My co-workers and employer.

These not necessarily in order. But I am very excited that fried mushrooms are finally at the snack bar. I asked about them all last year, and now they're here! And they are very good.

Exploring

Things to be shipped from the depot. Notice the coffin. And the chickens.

The depot was so cool. It was from the early to mid 1900s and the things that look like butterfly nets by the wall are actually devices to deliver messages to someone on a moving train. So cool!

Another view of the depot office. I would love an office like this one.

Picture of a root cellar. That is real food. Potatoes and pears.

This is Ann Arbor, not Sauder Village. This is one of the fairy doors.

Shout out to Angy.

A CPS guy.

On Saturday Jessie came down and we went exploring. I wanted to see some of the sights in the area, and I asked one of the librarians if she had any suggestions, and she mentioned Sauder Village. It is about an hour away in Archbold, OH. It kind of reminds me of Rockome Gardens, but more authentic and a bit less cheesy, though to be fair I have not been to Rockome Gardens since it's had new management. Anyway, we had such a good time! Every building had someone dressed in period garb and they gave a mini tour and explanations about the building. Many buildings were little shops and people were doing authentic crafts. They actually made the wares in the stores like in the weaving shop, basket shop, tin shop, broom shop, glass shop, pottery place, etc. We both bought leaf tea in the herb shop. I had to buy a tea ball too, as I had never bought leaf tea before. Strawberry Tingle Rooibos. It smells good. Jessie bought 100 Monkeys tea. :-) We spent about 4 hours there and it didn't feel like that at all. There were other people there, but it wasn't crowded, and we often were in the buildings alone and were able to get a personal tour and information. We talked about pigs feet with a lady in one of the old houses from the early 1900s, the guy in the woodshop made us wooden hearts from a pedal powered saw, and Jessie tried her hand a basket making. There was also an old printing press that still worked. It was so cool!

Our favorite, though, was definitely the barber shop. An older man was our "tour guide" and he new so many cool things. He showed us the curling irons for the handle bar mustaches, the hand powered clippers, and the personal shaving cups. Also, I now know what the barber pole stands for. In the middle ages, the barber also acted as a surgeon and bloodletter, and the white stood for bandages, the red for blood, and the blue for the veins he would tap into. Rather gruesome. He was so cool, but we didn't get the chance to go back and tell him that he was our favorite. He was replaced by a younger guy in a red barber vest. Sigh. We were disappointed.

The village had some Mennonite roots, so they had a display on the CPS, and I took pics for Angy.

Also, we really enjoyed the depot. It reminded me of playing around after meetings as a child and sneaking into the old depot outside the meeting house. Many of the buildings reminded me of the Rutherford house and its out buildings. They had a doctor's office and jail too. Their's were better kept, though.

I am so glad that we found Sauder Village. It's not that far and it was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Fun activities and good conversation and friendship. I'm glad that I now have some time to explore the area. The main thing is to have people to explore it with.

Coming Again

My house feels like the 2nd Coming. I call it my house, it kind of feels like my house, I treat it like my house, but it is not my house. And anytime the owner could come back and find my dirty dishes and blanket and unvacuumed carpet. And not be happy. It's really not that bad, we just have different standards. So, now when I leave something undone, instead of being able to just leave it until later, I have the feeling of, I hope she doesn't come back today and see my dishes. I think that's what I do with God too. Leaving things just a little undone, just a little unprepared. Well, I need to keep my life and my house in order. Because they could come back any time.

Also, I feel like I'm in the middle of a mine field. Especially when I drive at night. Deer are everywhere. I've seen several in the middle of the day.

I am moving on in the past. Other people moving on in the future. They are starting new jobs in new places, meeting new people, making new friends. I have the advantage of familiarity, but the disadvantage of feeling displaced. What I was used to only 3 months ago no longer applies. I now have to figure out new things in an old place.

They're Back

I had a wonderful weekend. Friday wasn't too hot, but Saturday and Sunday were. Friday was faculty/staff meeting where the president spoke and proceeded to freak me out about world events like the war in Europe and the situation in Iran. I then went to the faculty/staff dinner which was supposed to be in the arb but was in and around the music building due to the weather. It was hot and muggy and though I did know people, I wasn't necessarily overly comfortable or close with them. But, it was a good meal.

Saturday was the Free Fest with the church which is essentially a carnival to let the community know that we are here and we care. It went over very well and I had a good time serving food and working the football toss game. Sunday was of course Sunday school and church, which was good, as always. The sermon was about having a hope of something better than this world. It was a big encouragement to me. I have something to look forward to, not to fear. It reminded me a lot of my dad because he often talks of the hope of heaven and being disillusioned with this world. Then, I worked 3 hours at the library because it was freshman move in. Handed out a lot of applications and answered questions. After that, I raced to Wal-Mart and then back home to throw together an oriental salad for the church potluck at the pastor's house. I had such a good time there. Just talking with people and sitting outside under the cool shade of trees. I am so blessed. And I miss two friends, as do others members. They've been asking.

I need to plan some meals and then run to the store. I'm afraid it will be Wal-Mart, as that's what I'm most familiar with.

I also hope to meet up with some college friends tonight. The first three weeks were not bad, but now I feel like I am surrounded by peers and I don't belong anymore. I don't share in their experiences. It's kind of weird. But I like my life right now, and I don't miss papers or having homework hang over my head. I leave my work at work.

Baby Steps

I just did a happy dance. I did not procrastinate. I had to revamp my resume, and instead of waiting until tonight when I am tired and out of sorts, I did in now, after work. This is a rarity for me, and I am very proud of myself. It very well might not last, as old habit die hard, really hard, but it's a step. Hopefully.

I am making potato soup, out of a box, which goes against the grain, but it is supposed to be quite good. I bought it from one of those home food parties, and the food really good. Later in the fall I'm going to get my mom's potato soup recipe and make it. She has the best potato soup. I also want to try my hand at fried sweet potatoes again.

I am a fan of breakfast for dinner.

The students are coming back. Honors' retreat and then RAs.

I am listening to "Turkish Groove" music. Good stuff. But I like "Gypsy Groove" the best.

I know several people who are starting teaching jobs this year and they didn't do the education program, but I did and I am not teaching. Funny how that works.

I get to go to Bible study tonight! We are going through Ecclesiastes. I'm bummed that I missed half of the book. It's really good when you can discuss it with other people. I love Bible discussions in Bible study and Sunday school. I learn a lot from others because they see things differently and God speaks to people differently.

Blessings

Communist regimes are perfect. People are perfectible. That's why they can make their coaches sign contracts that state that their athletes will never get injured. That's why they can refuse to let a little girl sing in front of a crowd and put a cuter lip syncer in her place. That's why they bulldoze house churches and arrest pastors and evangelists. If you make enough demands, if you get rid of the people who are causing trouble, if you get rid of the "diseased" of society, then things will be perfect. I despise China. And fear them. That regime is so ridiculous and scary in its skewed logic and "crimes against humanity" better known as terror tactics. And they have the biggest population in the world and a booming economy.

I made soup today. Greek soup with orzo, eggs, chicken broth, and lemon. It was pretty easy and tastes ok. I'm not sure about the lemony taste. I used lemon juice instead of a fresh lemon. The recipe was out of my new ethnic foods cookbook that I got from the Dawn Treader. It was compiled by Community High School in Ann Arbor.

I cannot find matzo meal. I want to make matzo balls. I'm going to try the natural food store. Maybe they'll have it. There is obviously not a large Jewish population in this area. I did find a mix for matzo balls and soup in Market House, though. But I don't want instant matzo balls. I want to try to make my own.

Moroccan history is rather interesting.

Wisdom literature is not a good foundation for theology, but it makes good trimming.

I want to make cookies. But I should make zucchini bread instead tomorrow because I have a zucchini. I believe the housekeeper/janitor left us some produce yesterday, and that's what I snagged. I left the peppers for more adventurous eaters.

A lovely weekend

I had a lovely weekend in Ann Arbor visiting with friends. We got in about 7 or 7:30 PM and then went out to eat at Jerusalem Gardens, which serves Middle Eastern food. We ordered a pot of Turkish coffee, which was very good and unique, and were then wired for the rest of the night. :-) Good food, good friends, good conversations. Stayed up late. Then, in the morning we had chocolate cake for dessert. And listened to Bill Cosby's sketch on feeding his kids chocolate cake for breakfast while we ate it. So good and so funny! I think it is on youtube if you want to listen to it. We then walked around downtown, went to the Dawn Treader and 10,000 Villages, ate Thai food, and then saw a production of West Side Story that night. A full weekend, and so good to see everyone again. Weekends are hard if you don't have anything to do.

Second week of work, here I come.

So far...

It is raining really hard right now. Maybe the grass will get green and soft again. Dry prickly grass is not pleasant.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday. It has gone by so fast. Ugh, cliche. There is some adjusting to do, but I think that it will be fine, even though it is a computer job. I sit and research coins all day, but it's actually very interesting. I'm learning, which I like to do. And soon all I'll be able to talk about is coins. At least it's better than talking about Burger King all the time. :-) Coins are more interesting than you may think. There is so much history attached to them.

My car needs new spark plugs and maybe new wires. Ugh! I have new wires, but the old spark plugs may have ruined them. I'm not pleased, and I need to get it fixed so I can travel this weekend. It should get done tomorrow while I'm at work. I hope the wires are still good.

I ordered a book in Russian today. It has some information that I would like, but unfortunately, I cannot read Russian. So, hopefully some of it is in English. Also, I miss my German major friends. I wish that they could translate things for me. :-)

The steam is swirling off the asphalt and the sun is bright orange, sparkling off the leftover rain, shining among the trees.

Starting My New Adventure

I am back here, sitting in my shared living room with my "landlady." More of a friend, really. I don't get wireless access in my sitting room, but I do in the living room/dining room area. It is hard to believe that I am going to be here for a whole year. I was getting excited on the way up here, especially with the sunshine after the rain shower.

Last night my parents and I went to Stoney's, which is a restaurant in the bustling metropolis of Dalton City, population 600. It was surprising to find such a nice restaurant in such a podunk town. One of Dad's co-workers plays in a country band and he and the female singer play at Stoney's every Thursday. They were quite good. They played a lot of country western, which is Dad's favorite, though they did some modern country too. The entertainment was good, and so was the food. I don't think that I've been to such a nice restaurant. It is a very good steakhouse, with things like frog legs, chicken livers, and calamari on the menu. I ordered the crab cakes, which were very good, as was the twice baked potato. Then, the waiter brought out a tray of desserts. Oh, I wish that I would have had room! The gooseberry tart looked quite good. And, it was all hand made because they have a pastry chef. The one down point was the fact that my brother could not come with us, as he had to work overtime.

I have errands to run tomorrow and a lot of unpacking to do.

Cafeteria Conversation

I am going to miss Saga. Not the food, but the conversations and the people. Cafeterias are not about the food but about the friends eating the food, together. Two meals a day (no breakfast) for four years is a lot of memories and a lot of conversations. So, I decided to post some of the top ten Saga memories. Not necessarily in order. Feel free to add ones that you think should be on the list.

Last supper
Christine
Gannon Canon
Jess eating with her eyes closed
Guys smuggling oranges up and out with hats and twine
Matthew's enterprises and trip to Vegas
Alicia's new knowledge
Thanksgiving dinner
Strawberries and chocolate
Laughter

I feel like a 5 year old

You know how kids sometimes decide that they are going to help out Mommy and Daddy and end up making a bigger mess than the original. I'm there.

The night before, Dad asked me to tidy up the house and vacuum for Mom, as she's been busy this past week. So, I did. I decided that I was going to do a thorough vacuuming. As I was moving to a different part of the house, I saw some dust and rusk coming out of the zipper, but I zipped it back and kept going. Turns out, the vacuum is not bagless. In fact, Mom had just had it cleaned and hadn't yet put in the new bag. And now, it is all dirty again. Go me.

The local United Methodist church is having a blood drive on Thursday and they are giving away Cardinals blood drive T-shirts if you donate blood. They seem to think that this is a draw. I plan to give blood, but I will not accept a T-shirt. I am a Cubs fan and have an acute dislike of the Cardinals.

In other news, we had quite the night last night. There was a big storm, lots of branches down all over town and our power was out all night.

'Ello, 'Ello

I am back from visiting. Two visits in one week. I went to see a good friend in Indiana last Thursday and came back on Saturday to hear a senior viola recital, which was beautiful. However, I had a wonderful time with Miss Moore and her family, who were gracious enough to allow me to invade. :-) She is a very good sports announcer, and I was allowed to sit in the press box as she called the play by play for the Agape League, which is a baseball league for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. I had never been to a game like that, and it was fun. We decided that I was the color announcer and She was Len Caspar and I was Bob Brenley, the Cubs announcers.

Then, from Monday to today (Thursday), Mom and I went up to visit my grandparents. We also went out to my aunt's house/farm/camp. She runs a camp for mentally and developmentally disabled adults. I was also able to see my cousin and her son (who is adorable!). There were water gun fights, smores, campfire, and a very impressive air guitarist. On Tuesday, Grandma took Mom and I and one of her friends out to a Japanese fusion restaurant. It was a very nice restaurant. I'd never been to one. They also had Japanese gardens that you could pay to walk through, but we just went to the restaurant.

My grandparents have an interesting assortment of old records, and I love their two record, volume 1 of old radio bloopers. So funny! I laughed so hard. My favorite is an old radio show with two convicts talking in prison. One asked the other how he got his 99 year sentence. The reply: Some dirty squeal pigeon stooled on me. Priceless.

Also, I bought a Veggie Tales CD and it has a mix of Veggie Tales songs in different languages with different, world/international beats. I love it! The best of both worlds: Veggie Tales and world music. I've also been listening to modern gypsy music, which is my current favorite CD.

TTFN

Sad day. Matt Murton was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics (A's) for an American league pitcher who can reportedly pitch but almost assuredly cannot hit. The redheaded outfielder will be missed.

Brave New World

I just finished Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It is an amazing work, especially in a literary sense. His knowledge of literature, particularly Shakespeare is excellent.

I do not like the ending, but I suppose that it avoids a preachy Randian ending like the one in Anthem. (Though I believe Brave New World was published before Anthem.) The Savage knows what is good, true, and beautiful, but he is still flawed. In his revolt against the "perfection" of civilization, he moves in a completely opposite direction. He argues with the Controller for the existence and necessity of God, but he in turn has an incomplete and flawed view of Him. Christianity is mixed with animism and Native American rituals, and he does not grasp the redemptive power of Jesus' sacrifice and God's love. Instead, his acknowledgment of his own failings, feelings, and flaws overwhelms him and he turns to penance and asceticism. And, when he ultimately gives in to his desires, he subjects himself to the ultimate penance.

I could not help but compare this book to 1984 by George Orwell, as well as think back to other futuristic books such as the aforementioned Anthem by Ayn Rand, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. While reading A Brave New World, I expected it to include eugenics, euthanasia, and a totalitarian society as intolerant of nonconformists as the society in 1984. It is, however, a much tamer and nicer society. The people are entertained and kept docile like the people in Fahrenheit 451, though they are allowed to read books, but new books, not old ones. Everything hinges on comfort, instant gratification, and happiness at the expense of the good the true and the beautiful. Dissidents are exiled to islands, not tortured and ultimately killed as in 1984. In reading A Brave New World and thinking back to 1984, I believe that 1984 is the scariest book I have ever read. A Brave New World is not half as frightening as 1984 because I do not see it as being plausible. With my knowledge of human nature, 1984 is a more realistic possibility than A Brave New World as the society depicted in Huxley's book would not be able to be accomplished without killing people. It is rather tolerant, mainly because they keep the people drugged up and "happy." But to achieve this, there would have to be the experimenting with the embryos and older humans, the killing of dissidents, the suppressing of people, things that Huxley downplays, which in turn makes his book more palatable.

I finished this book in practically one sitting (all 300 pages) and enjoyed it. It makes one think and question when one reads it. The society is opposite ours in many respects. Why is this bad? What is wrong with their society? What is wrong with our society? How do we look at relationships? What do we value? In some respects, our society has come closer to the society in A Brave New World, and that is not good.

I smell good: of motor oil and dirt bike exhaust.

Book list

I found this list that someone posted, and I decided to do it myself. It is not the best list, as there are books on there that I do not consider great (or have even heard of, for that matter) as well as books that should be on there but aren't. However, as there are so many good books, that must be forgiven as it would be very difficult to compile all the good books on one list. There are just too many. Also, if you want book suggestions, perusing this list may help. I have read 29 of their top 100, and many of those were reading required in high school or college. Just because a book is required doesn't mean it is drudgery to read, though. I enjoyed many of the books I was "forced" to read.

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

The Rules:
1) Look at the list and put one * by those you have read.
2) Put a % by those you intend to read.
3) Put two ** by the books you LOVE.
4) Put # by the books you HATE.
5) Post.


**1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
*2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
*3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
*5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
**6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights
*8 1984 - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
*10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
%11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
%14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
*16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
*21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
*22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
*25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
*29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
*30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
**33 Chronicles of Narnia- CS Lewis
*34 Emma - Jane Austen
**35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
**36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
*40 Winnie the pooh - AA Milne
*41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
#42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (does on tape count?)
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
**46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
%49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
*54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
%58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
*61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
%65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
*70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville (1/2 way)
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
*73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
*87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
#92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
*98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
*99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Double Dactyl

This is one of my favorite poems as it was so much fun to write and I really like the form. It's rollicking. The lines are dactyls, which mean feet of 3 syllables with the first stressed and the second and third unstressed. Each line has two feet, (six syllables). It also requires the first line to start with nonsense words and one line has to consist of one six syllable word. Great fun. If you write in dactyls you start to think in dactyls. Try it sometime.

Hoitety-Toitety

Grandmother Mergatrude

Crams in her noggin the

False information.

Cavorting anonymous

Antiestablishment

Loonies in lingerie

Shock her the most.

(If you want the complete rules for the form, look it up)

War

What is war? Is it Hell, like the popular phrase? I don't know from experience, but I know that it is a nasty business. It is horrible, it is death and suffering. It is the product of a fallen world. "There will be wars and rumors of wars." It is, however, a fact and a presence in this world and it is sometimes a necessity. I believe that war, however, is not limited to this world. I believe that there is a spiritual war, and we are involved. We are warriors whether we want to be or not. I think that we often discount the power and influence of the spiritual world. We attribute things to coincidence and we tend to caricature the devil and his servants. We also tend to make angels into soft, feminine figures. Instead, when the Bible mentions angels, they are described as warriors. As having fiery swords like the angel standing guard at the garden of Eden. Angels are fighters. One angel wiped out the entire Assyrian army. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers. And I often forget or act like this does not affect me and that I can do what I want and sit on the fence. That is a dangerous mindset. Thinking that what I do doesn't matter. It does.

That was a tangent. I watched the Patriot last night. It is one of my favorite movies, even if it has been criticized for being inaccurate. Also, today I went to a fish fry in support of a soldier from my area who is being charged for his participation in the Iraq war. What is acceptable in war? War brings out the worst in people. You follow orders. It's for the good of the cause. Is an order good, is it bad? What happens if a soldier refuses to obey orders? Chaos. When does a soldier decide what orders to follow and what orders to disregard? Do they even have that luxury? Some things are obvious. Don't kill innocent women and children. Don't burn churches full of civilians. But what if you can't tell if the person is a soldier or not? What if they don't wear uniforms that distinguish them as the enemy? What if they are trying to kill you and will go to any length to do so? What if the enemy does not have the same scruples and moral code that you do? What if they don't follow the "rules of war?" What then? What then?

There was something to the old ways of fighting. With all the rules and "gentlemanly conduct." As the soldiers bayoneted each other and died in the field.

Lazy Bum

Being a lazy bum has its advantages and disadvantages. It is good to relax and I now have time to do things that I couldn't do before. I can be more spontaneous. If someone calls me up and asks if I can go out or help them with a project, I can usually go. On the flip side, I don't necessarily get much accomplished. There are always the plans and projects, but they invariably don't get done because I have time. And then I don't. Soon it will be time to go back to Hillsdale. I tend to be more productive when I am by myself, but not always. I like making my own decisions, doing things because I decided to and want to, not because I have to or am told to. Things get done, they always do. Eventually.

I am now 23. I like that age. It seems like a good age, though I don't know yet. We went out and ate Thai food and then went to see Kung Fu Panda. The movie was ok, but not really my thing. Some funny parts and pretty good for Dreamworks. I'm really looking forward to Wall-E, but I may have some difficulty finding someone to go with me. I also received the A and E Pride and Prejudice for my birthday. So excited about that. I'm so glad that I have my own copy.

My best thoughts and ideas seem to come at night. I guess that's why I often post late at night. I just feel kind of dried up right now, though it will probably pass. I wish that I had public library type access this summer. I like watching episodes of British television shows. I caught an episode of Allo, Allo, and it is really funny. It's about a French cafe that is a hub of French resistance in WWII. I would like to see more episodes. I'd also like to get ahold of Robin of Sherwood. It's from the 80s, and I think it's a grittier, more mythological and magical take on Robin Hood. I am interested in different perspectives on Robin Hood. So far, the best portrayal of him and his band is in the book Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Anyway, we get BBC catalog's and I look through them to see if there are any shows that look good, then I try to find them on Melcat. But, I don't have access over the summer. Aye well.

TTFN

Doldrums.

Thy words were found, and I did eat them: and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

It stinketh

The water has subsided. We have a yard again. The houses on the other side of the highway got it worse than us. Some people actually have water damage in their houses. We are very blessed. We have been praying really hard all day that it wouldn't rain. We are supposed to have storms, but it has bypassed us so far. Some of the worst part of flooding is the smell. The smell of stagnant pond and dying worms and decaying vegetation.

I guess Wisconsin has been hit really hard too. Wisconsin Dells had houses floating away. At least that was the footage on the weather channel.

This is a bit depressing, but it is the news here.

I went put putting with a church youth group last night. It was a lot of fun. I like the youth pastor. She and I are going to be working with the jr. high kids at VBS later this month. It should be good. Lots of community service. :-)

Now I Know How Noah Felt

We have had a flood. Ten inches of rain last night, I guess, and we were already saturated. I woke up to find my backyard a lake, connected with the other backyards in the neighborhood. My brother constructed a waterfall and a river to drain into the street. I call it the river. The last picture is of the waterfall and the one before it is of the river. The pictures don't really do justice to what we've dealt with. Mom and I cleaned the street drains, scooping out the leaves and trash so the water would drain better. Our waters are just starting to recede because the big culvert in the back was draining into us. Route 133 was impassable, and the whole South side of town was under water. Before this, we have had storms, and at least one tree was uprooted and others fell down or lost big branches and limbs. No one can remember it ever being this bad, even thinking back to 50 years ago. We've flooded before, but never like this. We are blessed, however, as it has not damaged the house. Please pray that it would not rain anymore. We cannot handle it.

I mentioned the storm. Well, a storm with tornadoes came through yesterday. That was the storm that uprooted the tree. Yesterday was wedding rehearsal and today was the wedding. Many roads were impassable and people were unable to make it to the wedding, which was disappointing. The wedding was beautiful, and not just physically. The music went well, and I did not make any major blunders. It was a beautiful, sincere, Christian wedding. Short though. I'm used to weddings with sermons in them. :-)

Again, I'm up late. I should probably be better disciplined. Don't believe the time on the post, though. My computer is still on Eastern time.

Faith

Preaching was really good at Bible study tonight. I was reminded about what Christianity is. If I really believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on a cross for the sins of myself and everyone else in the world and that only an active faith in Him will grant eternal life, then I should act like it. If I really believe that if people do not have a saving knowledge of Christ they will go to Hell, then I should not be complacent. I should want people to be saved. It is easy to be complacent, not bother people or make them uncomfortable, let them do what they want. I believe what I want to and you believe what you want to, that's OK. No, it's not. I should pray not only for people but for opportunities to share my faith. There are good and bad ways to share one's faith. It's a lot about timing and often about just answering questions when they arise. Talking about faith and religion can be daunting and uncomfortable at times, but it is good to know what you believe and be willing to share and articulate these beliefs when asked about them.

Home

It's almost 2 AM and I am not sleepy. I was wondering why, as I looked at the screen and realized that I had a Coke. I rarely drink pop, especially the dark caffeinated stuff, and that's probably it, though it was several hours ago. I tend to post at night. Usually late at night.

Not a whole lot to say. Home is home. I feel very indolent. I don't want to really do anything, but mainly I feel like there is nothing to do. So I bum around. The main thing is that we have a lot of rain and storms. The river is really high and the water is leaping out of the spillway. Some farmers still haven't finished planting, which is not good. And, they may need to replant because of the water. Water water everywhere.

The music rehearsal went ok. The bride and mother of the bride like it, so that's all that matters. This is the first wedding in which I'll be by myself instead of in a quartet. There is a pianist, but I have a solo piece without piano as well. The main thing is getting the rhythms for Pachebel's canon together, which is coming.

I want to be motivated. Home is just so different. I will be helping with vacation Bible school at one of the local churches. I'll be helping the youth minister with the junior high students. It was good to finally meet her.

You know, it really is true about Hillsdale. It's the people. I miss you all.

Coming Home

I'll be coming home soon, though I still have a ton of packing to do. I'll be home in the evening. The main thing to do is to prepare for the wedding next Saturday. I'm starting to stress about it, mainly because other people are stressing. But, I found out that I have a "violin solo," which was kind of a surprise. I have a song that I can do for it, though, and the bride OKed it. Whew.

Probably the best thing about this extra month here has been getting together with my friends. I'm excited about being here next year because I will be close enough to get together with my friends on a fairly regular basis. It will be a more central location. When I'm home, I'm so far away from everyone as I'm the furthest south out of our friend group. I got to meet families and pets and it was amazing.

Very tired. Not very coherent. Night.

"When we find only ourselves, we find Hell. But when we find that we are made for a delight that already exists at the end of things, we find Joy."
On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs by James V. Schall

Update

Sorry, no new pictures, though Mom is sending some that she took on a CD. She took more than I did. Things are rather dull and routine around here. There isn't really anyone around, and I have been subbing more. I just finished a 3 day sub job in jr. high LD. Tomorrow I am a floating sub, which means that I will go where they need me instead of staying in one room.

I biked up to the store today. There is a basket on my bike, so I decided to pick up some things. I really dislike this whole "go green" thing, but I like the idea of saving on gas and money. I'm going to try to be thrifty this next year. We'll see how it goes. I don't know if I really saved that much, as the prices are higher at the closer store, but I do think that I save some. At least I like to think that I did. The weather is so nice around here, sunny but cool, and I enjoy riding the bike.

Have you ever wondered why the idea of an unmarked grave is so upsetting to us as human beings? I think it is because even if it is just a name on a stone, we want some reminder that we existed and meant something in the world, and being buried without anything left to posterity letting them know that we existed is very hard to handle. It's rather egotistical, especially when people erect huge stone monuments. I existed, I was important, I was rich. Look and see. But in the end, we all end up the same: mouldering corpses. It doesn't matter if you have a gravestone or not. What matters is where your soul ends up eternally.

Finished

Graduation was Saturday, and it was better than I thought it would be. I did not cry, though I did get a headache from sun and not enough water, I think. Jess and I were able to sit next to each other, as she was the only European studies graduate and I made sure that I was the last English major in line. We were two seats away from being separated by a row. I would have been so upset. It was such a big day. So much excitement. I wasn't very good company for my family. After graduation was a combination of a let down of emotions and a headache from the sun. My friends and I then had our last time of togetherness, going to Savarino's for a bit and then talking in the basement. It was memorable as the last time. Late night talk sessions just happen, then cannot necessarily be planned. I'll miss us. The Whitley herd. Walking around in groups of 8. The Whitley 2nd floor sorority. Hanging out in Jess and Meg's room. Everything.

The campus is so beautiful right now. Everything is beautiful. Green green. Full of rainy mist that seems to infuse the grass and enhance the chlorophyll. The green of spring. New green. The flowering trees are waning, but they still fragrance the air. I love walking along the street at night and smelling the air. The sun. The rain.

I enjoy taking bike rides when I get home from work. I am subbing for the rest of this week and almost all of next week. It is peaceful around here, but somewhat lonely. I'm hoping for a pizza and a movie night on Friday, maybe get to know some of the girls who are still around for summer school and such.

Here are some pictures of graduation. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the pictures turned out well.

In the process of turning a page

I should post, but not much to say. I'm in the process of cleaning my room, and I don't really want to, but I need to, as my parents and grandparents are coming for graduation. I am graduating tomorrow. It's rather depressing. It's not like high school where I was definitely ready to graduate. I just wanted to get out and move on. College, however, has been such a wonderful experience that I do not necessarily want to just get out and move on. Especially since I'm not really moving on, at least not physically. I think it will be a weird limbo type of stage next year. I won't be a student, but I'll still be around and interested in the same things students are.

It is absolutely gorgeous today. I have my blinds and a window open. There is a flowering dogwood outside my window and a Japanese maple.

Back to cleaning.

And it hits me.

Today was the last Sunday together with my friends at church. I will still be there, but they will not. And then it sunk in. I am staying, and they are not. I will be here next year, and I am also staying until the end of May to sub and work. It will be really weird being around with all the students gone. It will be really weird being here with my friends off on their own. It will be weird to have a life without school. I've been in school ever since I was 6. Wow. Then, after a year, I will probably go back to school. I'm so happy for this opportunity, but it will still be a transition. I will have to get used to a whole new schedule, housing arrangement, life. At least I will still have my church family. But I won't have the people who I'm closest with to share it. I'm looking forward to new opportunities. I only hope that I can use my time and my resources well and to truly be a good steward.

Sunday school was really convicting today. We talked about faith being shown by our works and how we usually only use the "good steward" line when it pertains to helping others and not when it pertains to our own spending. We say we need to be good stewards when it comes to giving money to a poor person on the street, but we don't say it when we want to spend our money on movies, junk food, etc. It's true too. It's so easy to waste time. So easy to just do whatever I want. The sermon was also really good too. It was aobut how our focus should be on heaven and a better place. This world is not our home, and if we do not want God's best and if we do not desire to live fully for Him and to ultimately be with Him, then we really have issues and do we really have the spirit of Christ?

OK...

Well, I rather liked my last post, but in checking up on someone's comment, I believe that I got a virus or spyware. Ugh. So, please do feel free to comment, but make sure that I know who you are.

Subbing is going. I have subbed for two days, and I already have stories. First grade was quite the adventure.

Also, my computer is being worked on, but I'm not having withdrawal symptoms yet. :-)