I Found Heaven

Post #174: Dedicated to: Got to Get You Into My Life; the Beatles

Today's Thankfuls:

- Spent a wonderful morning running errands with A- and going to Starbucks and Anthropologie, just to bask in the awesomeness that is the store's decorations.

- Went on a drive to Swarthmore with A- and C- and explored their beautiful arboretum area. The above picture was taken by A-. We found a lots of heaven in the flowers. Trees. Green grass. So beautiful. It was a very relaxing hour. I've been having lots of relaxing times lately...ha.

Legopalooza

Post #173: Dedicated to: Atonement; Ian McEwan

Atonement is such an amazing book. I've only gone through Part 1, but I think it might be my new favorite book. You know how in a lot of novels, there is so much excess? So many words and sentences that are just fluff, that can be taken out and the plot/meaning/context/mood/tone won't change at all. Well not in Atonement. I don't know how it's possible, but every single word is important. Every single sentence is crucial. I love reading it. So good. So so so good. I highly recommend it.

Today was rough. Actually, this week was rough, in case you all couldn't tell. (In that vein, sorry if I haven't been communicating much.) But hey, it's over! I mean, yeah, there's still a ton of work to be done and finals to prepare for...but tonight I'm giving myself a break and going to sleep before midnight (hopefully)!!!! I've got a full 8 hours of sleep, glorious, magnificent sleep, ahead of me.

Today's thankfuls:

- Wonderful friends like A- who thoroughly edit my papers and help me realize what my argument is missing, or what my argument has been all along, although never explicitly stated.

- Good Friday. We had to participate as part of the "crowd" during the gospel, and just having to take on this role and saying the words - "crucify him, crucify him" made me feel sick. Never forget how much God loves us, how much Jesus suffered on the cross for us, and how sinful and undeserving we are.

- Being on FAB. Legopalooza tonight...fun stuff.

Still

Post #172

Today's thankfuls:

- I spent an incredibly relaxing two hours listening to Iron & Wine live at the Electric Factory. There were no thoughts running through my mind. None. I was just there, swaying back and forth, listening to the music, watching the musicians play their own music. Just there.

Crazy Aunt Lisa

Post #171

Ohh yes. More Zac Efron. What can I say? ;)

Also, the moon is huge tonight. And beautiful. I know I've written about this before, but it really just blows my mind that the moon looks the same everywhere. Well...maybe not exactly everywhere? But you get the point. If my future boyfriend and I are ever in a long-distance relationship, I'm going to call him every night and make him go outside under the moon. It's a thread that will keep us closer together, even though we might be miles apart. I see what you see, so I am where you are?

Today's thankfuls:

- D- brought her daughter S- into the office today. She is the cutest little thing ever...upon hearing that I was sick, she went to the computer, typed and printed a note, and gave it to me: "Clara I hop you feel better!" Hahaha. So adorable. She was also the silliest kid ever after a long day and two hot chocolates! Little kid laughter - the best.

- Shin Ramen at 2 a.m. Hits the spot.

Happy Endings

Post 170

Sorry guys, these posts are pretty sparse lately. Lots of work + being sick = not good.

Today's thankfuls:

- A paper that was supposed to be due Thursday (that I hadn't started on) got moved to Friday! A blessing.

- Just signed up to eat Easter brunch with a nearby family with some friends. A "home for the holidays" program at school. Yay for home-cooked meals!!

- Bought my flight home. Will be staying for graduation! Really can't wait to be home. May 15!

Sick Child

Post #169

Sigh. I am sick again. Achey, feverish, stuffy nose, congested, sore throat. If it wasn't for the Dayquil I took a few hours ago, I'd be completely useless. Perfect timing, sickness! Way to come when I have a load of work due in the next two weeks. Thanks.

Today's thankfuls:

- A frappucino that got me through the day, and the four-hour nap I took in the afternoon.

- Cookies from K-...THEY ARE DELICIOUS! Even the vegan ones! Thanks K-. You the best :)

OCD

Post #168

Oh hey there, Ryan Reynolds! One of People's most beautiful 2011! Well deserved, Ryan Reynolds, well deserved.

Today's thankfuls:

- Long day of work in the office today, but it was all worth it when a man (who looked vaguely familiar) came up to me when the office was completely packed with students and parents, shook my hand multiple times, and thanked me for when I had talked to his family and son last semester. I was the first person they talked to in the office and they were very grateful, and now his son is definitely coming here. It was so sweet that they remembered me. These are moments that make the job even more awesome than it already is. :)

- Friends who will eat domino's pizza, wings, and breadsticks with you at 1 am. That's true love right there.

- This, and the rest of the Outskirts videos that A-'s sister uploaded. In all modesty, I think this is the best show we've ever had. Best group ever.

Latte

Post #167: Dedicated to: Proud Mary; Tina Turner

It's that time of year again.

Hearts rushing, minds spinning. Eyes wide open, dried, red. Ears don't listen, buds plugged in. Music blaring, clearing minds. Hands writing, typing plastic words of nonsensical logic. Trying. Failing. Then trying again. Looking over, reading sentences, printing endless sheets and killing trees. No need for an alarm, the birds will do. The sun will rise before the bed is unmade. A jumble of everything, brain mush. Everything's gonna sound exactly like this. A jumble of everything. Brain mush.

That is right. The last two weeks of classes are upon us. Due dates and deadlines, due dates and deadlines. It's hitting me now how much work I have to do, and guess what? Haven't even started. Can't wait for summer. Can't wait to be in Denmark.

Today's thankfuls:

- Delicious (and healthy!) lunch with G- today.

- Walking in the rain to Saxby's with R-...the walking in the ridiculously windy rain wasn't that much fun, but the coffee cake and chai tea latte awaiting me was definitely worth getting soaked. I think.

- Mass on a Saturday night. "No one loves you more than God."

- Heckling M- at the Bounce show.

- Fencing party? Sweaty dancing? Gross, but fun.

- Being in the presence of the amazing Have-We-Mettes. I'm going to miss them next year. They are SO GOOD.

Soapy Heels

Post #166

I wish there was more I could do for some people. I can sit here and listen as long as possible, but I wish there was just a way to let them know that really, everything IS going to be all right in the end. I can pray and pray and pray, but sometimes I wish they could rely on God like I do, and share the burden and pain with Him. Because it's going to be okay.

Thanks to:

- An absolutely wonderful and amazing last Outskirts show of the year. It was just so much fun to be out there singing and dancing with all of my girls. I'm going to miss them so much when I'm abroad next semester!! Congratulations, 'skirts. We really outdid ourselves ;)

(Also, apparently the president of our college was there, sitting on the windowsill! Why yes, we are his favorite group. Heh.)

- I have a vase of fresh lilies in my room. My favorite. :)

- Friends are God's messengers. And will always always always be there for you. Don't forget it.

Synecdoche

Post #165: Dedicated to: Pagan Angel and A Borrowed Car; Iron & Wine

I really like the word "synecdoche." I remember learning it senior year of high school, and completely butchering the sound. But now that I know how to pronounce it, I love saying it. Now, that being said, I don't use the word synecdoche in everyday language...at all. But I like it for the same reason I like "hegemony." Not necessarily because of what it means, but because its pronunciation makes it so ambiguous and unique. That makes me feel elitist...as if now that I know how to pronounce certain words, I'm elevating my personal status and looking on those poor individuals (much like myself in the past) who don't know how to pronounce it. Yes? No? Regardless, I like that word.

Today's thankfuls:

- TACO DAY. Totally was not expecting taco day today, which was awesome, since surprises in general are just great.

- Finally submitted all my major/minor/concentration paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoooo!

- Had a study abroad meeting today and am doubly excited about Denmark. (I don't know if it's possible to be more excited than I am...but I also worry that I'm getting too excited, and I wonder if I should lower my expectations just a bit. Ironically, this is exactly the reason why Denmark is the happiest place in the world - they don't have high expectations.)

- Going to sleep early. My goal? Midnight. Do I have work I could/should be working on? Absolutely. But sleep trumps work tonight. For once. :)

Good night, world. The moon says hello.

World Press

Post #164: Dedicated to: Resurrection Fern; Iron & Wine

Yeah, there's going to be a lot of Iron & Wine going on for the next few days, thanks to F-! :)

Today's thankfuls:

- California sunshine bread. Comes but once (ish) a month, and so I took four slices. It's waiting for me back in my room. Heh.

- Last full group rehearsal ever...love the Outskirts.

- Prayer is powerful.

Puzzle

Post #163: Dedicated to: Such Great Heights; Iron and Wine

Today's thankfuls:

- First time getting breakfast since, like, the first week of this semester. And, I had a super productive morning before class! Worked in the library for an hour while listening to Iron & Wine's Such Great Heights on repeat. It was a wonderful way to start the day.

Okay. Now I'm back to being "productive." :)

So Don't Stay

Post #162: Dedicated to: Such Great Heights; The Postal Service

'Twas a great day. Slow, lazy, relaxing, hot, perfect. Did I mention really slow and relaxing? Such a great day.

Thanks to:

- Pinwheel day. A week later than last year's, but still so amazing. It will always put a smile on my face!

- Sitting out in the sun for hours, playing guitar for the first time in a while, reading books for fun and not for class. I never have time to do these things anymore.

- Care package with cookies from my mama!

That being said, I feel like I'm totally slacking off. I need to get back on schedule, start sleeping regularly, and start working harder. Only three weeks of classes left, and there are a ton of papers and finals heading my way. I can no longer spend weekends not doing work!! Ahh!!

French Fries

Post #161

It's Sunday (well, technically, Monday...) and thus begins another week. Good news? Only three more weeks left! Bad news? Still no update on summer happenings. But come what may, right? If I'm not in NYC over break, it's supposed to be that way. And I'll be able to take classes at COC over the summer, and that will be fine. Sooo...yeah.

Today's thankfuls:

- Finishing up my batmobile, which I was pretty proud of, if I do say so myself.

- Being a new member on FAB! And going through a fake interview, getting blindfolded and kidnapped, and taken to a diner. Fun times, and many more fun times to come.

- The thought of over 80 degree weather tomorrow. Oh so great.

Oh Hey

Post #160

Today's thankfuls:

- Going to the Philadelphia Zoo. (Also the first zoo in America!) It was so much fun, and got to volunteer with a crafts table, helping little kids make animal puppets! Also, red pandas are just about the most adorable things on earth. Peacocks are really loud and squack like no other. And, I bought a giraffe stuffed animal. Love it.

- Sundance, and making new friends.

Gotta Get Down On...

Post #159: Dedicated to: Kryptonite; 3 Doors Down

Today's thankfuls:

- Having the guts to call human resources departments of my various internships for follow-ups. Successful? Not really. But did I do it? Yes!

- Singing at the Veteran's Hospital in Philly for patients and nurses. Especially loved the man in the wheelchair who was clapping along, perfectly in beat. It's so nice to bring smiles to people's faces, especially through music.

- Snuggle time with A-. Every single day!

- Shopping and dinner with G-.

- Aaaand, sleepover with G- tonight!

The Decisive Moment

Post #158: Dedicated to: Stronger Than We Know; Lindsey Haun

- Being engaged in class. I'm slowly realizing that I really do love to learn and to challenge my mind.

- Getting great feedback from a guest lecturer in my anthropology of photography class for my final photoessay project.

- That seven minutes of warmth and sunshine out on the grass before it turned cold again.

- Re-washed and dried laundry - clothes are now soft, DRY, and blue streaks are gone from my shirts! (But, alas, whites are still tinted blue.)

- The theory of Fantastic Hegemonic Invisibility. Such a crazy but true idea.

Not in Public

Post #157: Dedicated to: Hairspray

I've been listening to a lot of random music lately. Late nights and long hours in the darkroom = lots of alone time with my marvelous iPod. First it was Audrey Assad's album, then a little Rooney, then a LOT of The Rescues, and now I've moved on to Hairspray. I don't know what it is about Hairspray (the movie), but I really like the songs. Maybe it's 'cause Zac Efron sings in them. ;) And James Marsden. Love it, love them.

Today was just a rough day all around. Rough start in the morning, rough spot in the afternoon, probably going to be a rough night. Although right now, what I'm really going to do (instead of sleeping, which is probably the wiser alternative) is paint. Like I said in my previous post, I bought a new watercolor set, and I'm going to drown my sorrows in painting something for A-. My main sorrow being that my laundry is still wet, stained with blue in the creases (how?!?!? I don't know!!! I hate laundry.) and getting stiff and scratchy. Not. Fun. I should have gotten some quarters today so I could just run another load in the dryer...man. I really really really hate laundry fiascos. At least I didn't lose another sock...

Anyway, there have gotta be some silver linings to such an unlikeable day:

- My dad called to talk about financial aid stuff, and he told me that when I texted my mom yesterday just to say hello, she totally freaked out and worried all day about why on earth I texted her first - in the morning, no less, seeing as how I oftentimes don't even respond to the texts she sends me. Haha. Love my parents.

- Didn't have time for lunch but ate two dinners. Yep. That's the way to go. (And by "the way," I mean the path to diabetes, obesity, death before 50, high cholesterol, heart attack, all that good stuff. Yeah. That's pretty much what my diet is like. Sad times.)

- Catching-goldfish-crackers-in-mouth game.

- Painting while watching an episode of something. Probably HIMYM.

Here's to a better tomorrow. (And better luck with laundry - I've just decided I'm going to wash and dry the stiff/streaked with blue clothes again tomorrow. And maybe they'll just magically disappear? Fingers crossed.)

Zoobs

Post #156

Today's thankfuls:

- Officially signed up for the Anthropology minor today!

- My momma

- I discovered today that the wrappers of my cough drops had inspirational messages written on them! i.e. "Don't give up on yourself." Nice discovery during class.

- Rainy weather that improved because of cancelled class. :)

- Lunch with M- for the first time this school year.

- Hosting an accepted senior from California. I know her parents really liked me...I hope she enjoyed her visit and chooses to come here.

- Starting filming the Outskirts version of "Friday." So funny.

- Being done (ish) with work at midnight!

- Laundry. Clean clothes that smell good are the best.

- A new set of watercolors, paper, brushes, and a palette. I'm ready to explore my right brain.

Fruit...Fruit...Holes?

Post #155: Dedicated to: I Feel it All; Feist

Sometimes I just wonder what I'm doing wrong? Why don't things work out like they do for everyone else? Is it me? Am I destined to be just me for the rest of my life?

But anyway, today's thankfuls:

- I realized during photo class today that I was completely and totally okay with not being the best photographer, or even a good one, because I'm learning and improving (or not. But either way, it's okay). It's something I always struggle with, a mindset I've grown up with - that I have to be the best in everything, nothing less. And I'm so relieved that I'm finally letting it go. Such a relief! I'm not perfect! Yay! I'm hopefully on my way to becoming a better person. And I can be happy for other people who do better than me, as it should be.

- Having someone to eat lunch with, instead of alone in my room. ;)

- Photoshoot with R- after dinner (hopefully the roll turns out okay!) and then sitting in the grass with friends probably being more obnoxiously loud than we should have been, but laughing a lot and relaxing, because it was such a beautiful day.

- Snail mail.

- Making people's days.

I think my soul belongs on a beach. Or a shore...or just anywhere near the water, really. But a quiet shore, not someplace overridden with people. As I was walking back to my room today, a warm breeze (coupled with songs of the summer on my ipod) took me back to August at the Jersey shore, where I sat in a chair close to the ground, listening to the waves gently crashing in, loving the quicksand dissolving between my toes, and slowly falling asleep as a cool but warm breeze cruised by and the sun set. It was the most relaxing I have ever been in my entire life, and I want that right now.

Partyin', Partyin', Yeah!

Post #154: Dedicated to: Persuasion, by Jane Austen

Today seems like a really long day...or maybe I just had a very busy day. Mass in the morning, working on my paper, cleaning the darkroom, working on my paper again, rehearsal, dinner, short nap, finishing paper...yeah, definitely a busy day. And pretty productive, except for a 2-hour nap. :)

Today's thankfuls:

- Father Denny's homily. And all of the really long, long, rambling gospels of Lent. Today: the blind man.

- Being productive really makes you feel so much better about yourself and your work.

- Had a great rehearsal today...I'm so proud of how far the Outskirts have come and how awesome we are (in all modesty). And we're definitely a very close, tight-knit group of girls. (oh, excuse me...women.) I love you all, 'skirts! And I hope I do you guys justice as pitch.

- Finishing a paper due at midnight. Whoo! When did I start writing? Erm...the important thing is that it is finished. And I hope it's good...or decent...

- Four more weeks of classes. Where has the semester gone??

I am off to the darkroom (I think) to make some prints. I hope these prints come out well, 'cause I really like the roll I took this week!

In other news, it's so hard to wait and be patient. I tell myself I'm leaving the future up to God's hands, but I really don't know what to do if everything falls through. But there's nothing I can do, so I just sit and wait, right?

Hello, Cheese Friends

Post #153: Dedicated to: Before the Fall; The Rescues

Todays' thankfuls:

- Sleeping a full 12 hours. That's right. 12 hours. Which also explains my loopiness. Too much sleep or too little sleep...I can just never hit a happy medium.

- Hummus for dinner...yum, mediterranean food!

- Not being productive, but having fun with friends. Quote of the night: "Hello, cheese friends!"
- Late night Wawa runs.

Batman

Post #152: Dedicated to: Can't Stand the Rain; The Rescues

It's Friday! It's also April 1st. It snowed today. Nature's cruel joke...

Today's thankfuls:

- As per usual, mostly fun students and parents in hosting sessions today.

- Wonderful lunch time with wonderful friends :)

- Being productive in cover letters. (As such, not so productive in papers due Sunday...but alas, that is all tonight.)

- A nap that was pretty much like sleeping for the night. My sleeping schedule is just about the saddest thing alive.

- Finishing up my second tube of chapstik. This is only the second tube I have ever finished...like, really, ever. Usually I lose my chapstik within a month or two. Or it melts. Or it just disappears. Or I don't use it. But I can now proudly say I've completed my second tube of chapstik. It's a momentous occasion.

- Sour gummi worms.

- Awkward wedding photos