Spidery Handwriting.

This summer will be busy. Super duper.

I will be working at the ice-cream store, completing American Literature II online (which promises to be a fun class if i devote myself properly), and sifting through my Great Grandma's stories which will eventually become my Senior thesis.
Check out these hard to read pages...but it's been fun already.


Last night I discovered my Great Grandma had tea with a Danish prince.
The lady I remember with silver-white hair and a wrinkled face is proving herself to be an
exciting and classy woman.

To Mom.

Here's to my Mother, and everything's she's done for me...
From teaching me how to thrift store shop
mailing me tea and honey at college
teaching me to bake
and always being there.
Happy Mother's Day!

Summer Things

Junior year of college is completed, and I'm ready for summer.
Here's a little of what I plan to do when I go back to my little village of Cedarville, Ohio :)

1. Bicycle Rides
I love riding on the country roads around my house,
and shhhh but I love to find old graveyards and have picnics with the old folks.

2. Yellow Springs Farmers Market
What could be better than fresh jams and jellies, garden fresh veggies
and early morning outdoors...mmm i couldn't say.

3. Firefly lanterns
My brother's and my favorite pastime when we were growing up...
i plan to reawaken the firefly adventures this summer

Currently on my mind: summer smoothies and tunes. Hmm Hmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjCa8i5JDF4

"California Sun"

Well I'm going out west where I belong
Where the days are short and the nights are long

And I'll walk a little walk I'll twist a little twist
I'll shimmy a little shimmy I'll fly a little fly
Yea we're out there having fun in the warm California sun

Well, I'm going out west out on the coast
Where the California girls are really the most

Where they walk and I'll walk They fish and I'll fish
They sin and I'll sin They fly and I'll fly
Where they're out there having fun in the warm California sun

Well, the girls are frisky in old 'Frisco
A pretty little chick wherever you go

And they walk and I'll walk They fish and I'll fish
They sin and I'll sin They fly and I'll fly
Where they're out there having fun in the warm California sun

We're out there having fun, yeah, in the warm California sun

Favorite.

I love Little Women.
And on a rainy Saturday, I can't think of a better way to spend my time.

Well, of course baking is a wonderful option, too.
I couldn't decide which one to do, so I did both . . . and ignored Shakespeare (which I really shouldn't do -- he requires so much attention right now).
I made a triple layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for Easter Sunday. Can'twaittoeatityummm....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oOkHN4XHzU
"Gotta Have You" The Weepies

Craving Adventure.

Downtown Seattle summer adventures.

More than Busy.

I am drained.

I realized this week how tired i am, emotionally, physically, mentally.
This semester has been hard in many ways. I'm taking 21 credit hours and I have to plan my life by the minute in order to get my homework completed and have time to work two jobs, see friends, eat, and sleep a little. Every time I turn in an assignment that is only half of what I wish it could be, I feel guilty, tired, sad. I try, but I fail so many times.

I desire to live life to the fullest, but does that mean stretching myself to the limit? Instead of writing a paper on literary criticism or Victor Hugo, I long to have conversations with the people that I care about. I long to serve like I did this summer in Vietnam, rather than thinking about myself, my time, my homework every day.

I have asked myself multiple times if school is worth it. What is the point? Then sometimes my professors pull a strand of light from the dusty words. Strands of truth about life and people, and God's grace. And I again devote myself to my classes.

God's grace is a beautiful thing.

Where would I be without his grace to withhold me when I feel as if I am going to fall into a heap on the ground. It is his grace that allows me to be human, to forgive myself for my faults and keep living for Him. It is his grace that allows me to believe in Him, in his love, his forgiveness, his power.

This semester I read through 1 and 2 Samuel, and I read of David and his struggles, which were far worse than my own. God was teaching him to trust and to obey. Perhaps this is the lesson I need to learn as well. Yet even with this knowledge I feel drained.
Hopkins (as usual) says it best:

"Peace"

WHEN will you ever, Peace, wild wooddove, shy wings shut,
Your round me roaming end, and under be my boughs?
When, when, Peace, will you, Peace? I’ll not play hypocrite
To own my heart: I yield you do come sometimes; but
That piecemeal peace is poor peace. What pure peace allows	5
Alarms of wars, the daunting wars, the death of it?
O surely, reaving Peace, my Lord should leave in lieu
Some good! And so he does leave Patience exquisite,
That plumes to Peace thereafter. And when Peace here does house
He comes with work to do, he does not come to coo,	10
He comes to brood and sit.

I long for peace.