Finals Week

So...since I have been studying and taking tests and knitting in order to procrastinate...I haven't really blogged for a long time.

It is snowing right now. Really actually snowing. Earlier this year it did this little light fluffy thing that melted in 3 hours but now we are up to around 4 inches and it is still going out there. I don't understand why it hasn't snowed all semester and yet the week when everyone is trying to fly home (and we live in a place where you have to drive a really long time to get to any airport)? It's been going since 6 this morning and 12 hours later it doesn't show signs of stopping and while I don't have any corn for popping I do have EasyMac, oatmeal and cookies so I think I am ok.

I am almost done with my finals, just one more tomorrow. Is it odd that they weren't nearly as bad as everyone made them out to be? They are just a bunch of tests? Maybe it's because I'm an english major and just have to turn in papers instead of do finals.

As mentioned I have been knitting. One of my friends just had a baby so I made her a blaket, and since I am really broke I have decided to make Christmas presents this year so I have been spending a lot of time with needles in hand making a variety of things. The pictures will be posted at a later date. Probably next week because guess what....

I WILL BE HOME!!!!!

Miles to go before I sleep

 How on earth does the body know to get sick at the exact worste time? Finals are in two weeks and final papers are less than a week from being due. Why does my nose choose now to feel stuffy and my throat to feel raw? Do they not realize that I have a parade that I must be in tonight? That is outside...in the cold and humid night-time weather and that I have to sing!

I have been hauling around a box of tissues, wanting to go to bed and sniffling all day. I am not the only one, stress induced colds seem to be sweeping across the campus. I thought I would be safe this time around because...well I realized that my grades are in a good place and I will pass all of my classes even if I fail all my finals so no stress for me!

Yet sadly that is not to be. Tonight, I will be walking in a parade, then running back to my room, turning up the heat drinking lots and lots of herbal tea then going to bed.

Unfortunately, I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

Filler...Meaning I can't think of titles at the moment...

You can choose a title for this entry. I really have no idea what to say. Lots has happened and nothing has happened so what do I report on? The break where I made four scarves because I only left my room about 3 times? The extra class I go to so I actually learn what I signed up for? The fact that today was really bitingly cold and makes it so that I don't want to go home where there are 2 feet of snow waiting for me?

Thanksgiving was amazing. I got to eat with a family. I really think that younger children are an integral part of Thanksgiving dinner and while 10 isn't all that young, it fits the bill. There was Guitar Hero, bird watching excursions, cookies, pie, cranberry sauce and this awesome "Christmas Punch" which is a secret recipe of the family. And while I wish I had been at home with all of the games and fun with my cousins this was an awesome way to spend my first Thanksgiving away from home.

The rest of the break was spent in relaxation. There was no real reason to get out of pajamas so I got to stay comfy and warm all day. I got to catch up on the Christmas presents that I am making and I got to watch some movies that have been on my list. Also I was able to hang out with a roommate who I love who sadly won't be returning next semester.

All in all, I couldn't imagine a more perfect way to spend a week.

A Cultural Phenomenon

Tonight, Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows comes out! Am I going? Yes. Am I dressing up? Still undecided.

I realized though, that this series has been a part of my life since I was 6 years old. I have grown up knowing about Muggles and Quidditch,waiting for my letter from Hogwarts and wanting a snowy owl as a pet. I cheered as Slytherins were beat for the house cup and cried horribly as characters such as Sirius and Dumbledor died. I went to the midnight premiers of the books and now am finally going to a midnight showing of the movie.

Am I sad that this chapter of literary culture will soon be ending? Yes, very much so. I have spent the past couple of weeks rereading the series and if you haven't read them in a while I would suggest doing so because Rowling's writing is amazing. She creates such a number of dynamic characters which manage to grow and develop throughout the whole seven years. I really could rave about it for pages and pages, sadly life does go on and I have a bio lab that starts in 10 minutes.

Quite a Perfect Day

Yesterday was one of the best I've had here. The weather was a brilliant 67 degrees, and bright and sunny, I didn't have too many pressing homework assignments so my friends and I decided to go and visit Lexington.

Lexington is a beautiful tiny town, peppered with boutiques and other fun knick-knack type of stores. We found a wonderful used bookshop, a chocolate store which has been voted the best in America (with good reason) and we got our tickets to the midnight showing of Harry Potter.

Along the way we stopped in a tiny little shop that had everything under the sun. tea-pots, cards, journals, ornaments, piggy-banks, and other beautiful trinkets. Our friend Bren was actually able to find a gift for their little brother there. He apparently likes bow-ties and we found a "emergency bow-tie" in a box. Perfect Gift!

Also there was an "antique" store, run by a man with the worst southern hick accent I have come across. It looked like someone had just emptied 200 hundreds years worth of attic and stuffed it into a space that wasn't nearly big enough for it all.

It wasn't a particularly spectacular day. It was just a quiet, fun day out with friends. Those days are the best...don't you agree?

November

No sun - no moon!

No morn - no noon -

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member -

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -

November!

Thomas Hood

The November Blahs have come upon us. Tests and papers are piling up, and while the weather is beautiful there has been a lull in activities and a listlessness has pervaded the campus. I am trying not to let it get me down, though the only thing that is really holding me up right now is the fact that Harry Potter 7 comes out in 10 days. I am still determining whether or not to go to the midnight showing. Yes or No? You tell me...

My New Favorite Place

This morning, my health teacher decided that he wanted to sleep in and so I discovered that my 8 am class was canceled. After a brief moment of elation I realized that I could've slept in another hour and, because the Lofts are at the top of a disgustingly steep hill I was stuck down on campus until my next class. Wanting to find a warm place I decided to see if the stories about "Hobo Hall" were true.

Hobo Hall is a mythical place that connects the Chandler Building to Main Hall where the heaters never turn off. This means that in the winter it is perhaps the warmest place to be found on campus and you can generally see a couple of students sleeping in this hall.

The stories are true.

I was able to spend a perfectly quiet hour reading a combination of Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix and Dante's Inferno (See Mom! I am doing homework) I believe that I will be spending a lot of time here this winter, because if this week is any indication it is going to be a very, very, very cold one!

New Heights

My procrastination has hit new heights tonight in many ways. Rather than do health, I wrote letters to mail to friends. Instead of reading Dante I facebooked and rearranging my room replaced biology. Yeah, I got bored, didn't want to write essays so I said "Roommates, how about we rearrange our room!"

Mel was totally down for it, she was on the top bunk and hated having to climb down every morning so any excuse to get out of that situation was good for her, Ky is just awesome and loved the idea of moving things around. The one roommate who might have a problem with this isn't home currently so we will bribe her with candy if she gets upset.

So now the bunkbeds are no more! And, what's even better, my bed is now about 4 feet off the ground! If I didn't feel like enough of a little kid before this totally fixes that. Remember when you were little and your feet didn't touch the ground when you sat on your bed? It was amazing. I felt like I had to jump up and down on my bed a few times just for fun.

I love getting to act immature and just have fun with life.

Oh Pillow How I Miss Thee...

Why am I still awake? How am I still functioning? I really shouldn't be.
Last night was an amazing concert done by the Truman Brothers.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Truman/129631414128?v=app_2405167945

This is their facebook link and you really should check them out because they are amazing! I really should have gone to bed after that because I have been seeing 1:00 on my clock far too many times this week. But since I am in college I didn't... I chose to go watch LOTR:The Two Towers so was unable to get home until about 1:00am. So fun, yet so stupid!

Today was just go, go, go. Hitting rotation, football game, elementary school Halloween carnival...I am sooo tired yet I can't sleep. Oh dear I will go apologize to my pillow and hopefully we will make up and be friends again. Night-night

Rain and Midterms

Sorry it has been a while since I have been able to post. Midterms have finally ended for me and now I can stop to take a little breather before the two papers which are due next week. The workload has finally reached what I had always imagined to be a college workload. Reading every night, tests every day, papers due in every class. Yeah, it's hard though thankfully it's not impossible. I can still have my movie nights with 215, keep up my knitting, and (most importantly) read Harry Potter.

Fall, along with midterms has also fully arrived. It has been cool and rainy. I have my rain boots though so all is well. This place is so beautiful. The leaves have almost all changed color and the mountains (well kinda sorta mountains) are all blazing with color. The reds, oranges, and yellows are abundant and make me feel like I am living in one of those nature pictures that are absolutely perfect. I am completely and blissfully happy.

Sorry that I don't have much to say at the moment, life has taken on it's routine and I need to watch myself to make sure that I don't fall into a dull existence, though when you have neighbors that decorate the halls in cobwebs that doesn't seem likely.

The Girls in 215

So after my friends in 215 told me I made them sound like jerks in my last post I decided to send a shout out just to them.

They are amazing. They are my ride to Walmart and my movie watching buddies. And after I had a bad day I got home from class and found this on my wall.

They are amazing aren't they?

Just Got Schooled by a 12-year-old

This story requires a little back-ground.


I am an academic not and athlete, in high school though I decided to try softball for a year. It was a really fun experience yet was something that I don't have any real talent for. One of the beauties of being in a small institution is the fact that I can still play on a sports team and experience the camaraderie which is unique to the team atmosphere. A few minutes into our first practice though I realized that I am in WAY over my head. The girls in 215 are actually going to make me a sign for home games that says "Go #18! Even If You Suck We Still Love You" I am that bad. I lack muscles. I can't really throw, bat or run. But after a few weeks I can tell that I am showing a little improvement so by spring I will be a juggernaut.

Oh! Time for a plug! My team as of this moment doesn't have a field on our campus and we almost have enough money to get there any donations would be so appreciated!

http://svusoftball.triquestfundraising.com/RebeccaRayburn

So now onto the story...

I really had thought that I was making some good progress until tonight when coach had me throw with a 12 year old girl who she works with. Now there really was nothing wrong with throwing with a kid. I thought that's where my level was at actually. I discovered however that this little girl is ever so much better than I am. There is nothing that will humble you quite like getting schooled by a little girl. And not just in the warm-up throws, nope, she kicked my butt in all of the infield drills as well. (Though that is permissable I am an outie not an innie)

One thing I noticed from watching her though was that she did EVERY SINGLE THING we were told to do. She did it immediately, she did it consistantly and after a few times through she did it perfectly. I think that's whats meant when the Lord commanded us to be as a child. We are to obey quickly, constantly and try our hardest to follow our instructions perfectly. I can only hope that if I follow her example I will be as amazing at both softball and life. Thanks little one for showing me exactly what I need to do to get through this season and through this life.

Parachutes and Chocolate Milk

Pig-tails are dangerous things. You wouldn't think so, they seem to be cute cuddly and harmless. Don't be deceived though, this hairstyle will lead to more immaturity than ever thought possible.

Some people have the odd idea that when you are in college you are more mature than you were in high school...LIE. Not true, at least not for me. I love taking naps, eating cookies in class and coloring. While talking to my baby sister I realized that really there are no differences between college and kindergarten. What triggers this set of thoughts, well this week I had pig-tails in one day and that resulted in many joyous escapades.

First there was chocolate milk. My dear friend Trish was blowing bubbles in her chocolate milk after telling her she was acting like she was five, I grabbed my own glass and started racing her on how quickly I could fill my cup up.

As you can see...I won!

That was not the end of my fun, not by a long shot. Later after a long and arduous process I finally was able finish my laundry. Cassie kindly guarded my laundry with me and when we got my sheets out from the dryer we realized it looked like those little parachutes that kids play with.



 I didn't take this pic.

Well without further ado we played parachute. It was quite enjoyable, I was amazed at how big my sheet was.

Finally pig-tails can lead to skipping around Wal-Mart at midnight. Rm 215 needed to make a food run for our marvelous dinner we made last night and I got to tag along because I needed snacks for tomorrows temple trip. While they were looking at bagels I realized that I had run out of crackers so naturally I had to restock. What is the quickest way to get around in your bunny slippers and pig-tails? Skipping of course.

So that's why pig-tails are dangerous. They lead to chocolate milk bubbles, parachute games in the laundry room and skipping around Wal-Mart at 12 in the morning.



Time

Time is a very odd thing. It has the power to simultaneously speed up and slow down. The days can feel as though they will never end and then you blink. Suddenly a week's gone, month's gone, year's gone - a life is gone.

This week has been one of those weeks. On Monday night as I was making my second Wal-Mart trip I really couldn't believe that I have the whole week to go through. Now it's Friday and I really have no idea where my time has gone. Have I done anything really productive? I mean my assignments have all been turned in, I went to softball practice as I was supposed to, I got adequate amounts of sleeping and socializing...

Yet...

Have I been productive?

 

What is the key ingredient to ensuring that the life you lead has meaning? Is it the education I am receiving? or is it the late-night vent sessions that friends sometimes need?  Is it making sure I get straight A's and spend as much time ensuring my success as possible? Or is it taking time to help a classmate who struggles or making dinner for the brand new mother in our ward?

These are questions which seem to have no definitive answer and are therefore all the more frustrating. I suppose it is just a series of personal decisions which we have to make daily and deal with the consequences for life. The key I suppose is to learn which consequences you really want to live with.

Procrastination...

Why do today what you can do tomorrow?

Yeah that seems to be the motto of college. Well tomorrow it might be raining, you may have realized that you have twice as much due as you origially had planned and that assignment that you thought was going to be a piece of cake actually is the hardest thing you have had to do all year. Oh yeah, the internet is out again as well.

Oh Life, you have a sick sense of humor. Of course that's what today is like. It's not really raining so much as bucketing outside. (I would take a picutre but sadly my camera broke.) My shoes are soaked through I have a lab report due in...oh 3 hours and it's on miosis who understands that kind of stuff anyway? (Don't worry Mommy it will be done with full credit just as it always is.) Also there is that article I need to read and the Harry Potter movie is coming out so I need to finish that series again before Nov. 19th And did I mention that it is bucketing and I left my oh-so-cute-pink-and-yellow-polka-dotted umbrella at home because it wasn't that bad this morning?

Ah well. At least life isn't boring.

Growing Pains

When one is in college, it is as if you are in a sphere of your own. Trials are not as trivial as those in high school yet they still are not so dramatic as those faced in the adult world. Our parents are still generally there to bail us out of trouble. Food is still not too hard to find, and though we are doing our own laundry and cleaning, I believe it is fairly safe to say that college is a safe and secure bubble.

This is especially true on a campus where most people are far from home. We are in our own world, the worst problems that we face is wondering how we will get all of our homework done, study for the test tomorrow, make it through sports practice and still get enough sleep that we are able to function. That's not too bad. Really life is full of fun activities and school is really a place to socialize, have fun and be happy.

And then a phone call comes.

Our happy reality is shattered and replaced with an entirely new one. One of the girls in 215 was unfortunate enough to receive such a call. She found out that her parents are getting a divorce.

What can one do to offer comfort when the building blocks of a life are being ripped apart? All I have is a shoulder to cry on and an overabundance of hot chocolate waiting for her when she needs it. Life still goes on in places where we are not. Loves bloom and wilt, lives grow and are lost and all without our knowledge and certainly without our permission.

In our society that has become steadily more egocentric it is really hard to imagine that everyone else is the star of their movie just as you star in your own. It is impossible to think that parents and siblings who are far away from you, rather than staying static characters waiting for you to come back into their lives, are growing and changing without you there to see it.

Perhaps this is because it is much easier that way. It is much easier to think that things will always stay the same. They don't though, you change, your friends change, your family changes, life is a continuous round of transitions. All things must grow or else they are lost.

I just wish there weren't so many growing pains involved.

The Lights Turned Off...God Loves Me!!!

Ok so time for really little entry because I am ready to die because I am so tired.

I had my first college softball practice tonight and well....hahaha guess who's really REALLY  not in shape. Yeah....So when we had team prayer before practice (yeah my school is the coolest ever you have permission to be jealous) I was just silently pleading "Let me get through this and don't let me die. Let me get through this and don't let me die." When I was about ready to die the lights on the field cut out.

Seriously if ANYONE tries to tell me prayer doesn't work I will laugh in their face and call them a liar. Everyone else was pretty sad but the lights came back on after about 5 minutes so I got my break, didn't die, and was able to finish practice.

Heavenly Father is amazing I really can't describe how awestruck I was when they cut out because I was ready to keel over.  I thank the Lord daily for my tender mercies because they just keep coming and coming.
'

Insects....blech!

We  are being attacked by bugs. I really am not happy with that. So I totally agree with Calvin up there in his sentiments.

Before you think I am cruel for thinking that however please take the time to look at the image below.

I have absolutely no idea where those came from. I really hope that it was a little snake because that would have been one HUGE spider!

Yeah and that is why I want them to be gone.

Though despite all the bugs there is beauty here.

This is the path we take to get to our soccer fields.

There was a girls game today so I got to walk in this beautiful path.

So there is beauty everywhere despite all of the bugs.

Picture Time!

So yeah you want me to add some pictures? I finally got some uploaded.

Thats my little desk space. I kinda am trying to take one every night to see how it will evolve.

So This is what I get to see every morning. If I get going really early it's surrounded by mist and is perhaps one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my entire life.

This is me and my amazing roommate Mel!!! She is the bestest ever at everything. Especially all things involving technology. I would die without her help on the computer.

Doesn't need explanation my school just is the most beautiful ever.

So this is our football team. I'm not going to lie our Student Section is not in any way mighty but we do have...

A (boring) married couples section!!!

So there you go! Some pictures of school I may or may not be adding more...actually I most likely will be when there are noteworthy ones but here we go.

Laundry and other boring pursuits.

So I have to be all responsible and stuff now that I am an "adult" so I am sitting here waiting patiently for my laundry to be done so I can have some jeans to wear to a concert I want to go to tonight. Did you know that about 50 girls share one set of a washer and dryer! It's terrible. Thankfully I don't have too much of a life as of yet so I am free friday and saturday nights when no one else is so I can do my laundry. I kinda like it which is weird. But the sound is soothing, and it's quiet here. Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to find a quiet spot when there are almost 300 girls living in the same place!!!

Yay! Wash is done! be right back...

...And...we're good! There are times when I wish I didn't have so much pink in my wardrobe then I wouldn't have to do a separate wash for reds. But I have to so I might as well get used to it.

So, what have I been up to? I have been attempting to figure out Hamlet's tragic flaw. And really I had no desire to be boring and say his "inability to act" like everybody else does because I don't know about you but if a ghost told me to do something like...I don't know kill a king! I would be a little hesitant as well. So I was reading it again looking for something, anything to write a paper on and he started to remind me of Raskolnikov. You remember dear old Rodya don't you. The double axe-murderer who you feel bad for from Crime and Punishment Yeah that guy. So I think his problem is he thinks too much which is bad to do when you are depressed. If he had joined a club or something or had gone back to school he probably would have been fine. But since he didn't have anything to do but brood he went a little crazy and lost it and everyone died.

Wow...I bet you didn't want to know that but that was my thought for the day. Or at least one of them. I like thinking don't you...oh dear what if I turn out like Hamlet or Rask. I had better go do something. But the concert isn't for another hour so I will have to wait.

So I have made some awesome friends here. (Shout out to rm 215!!!) and because of them I didn't get home until midnight last night and was unable to complete my Iliad homework. I think I should go and do that. It's a great book by the way! I love it though it is a little you know - violent and graphic and stuff but if you look past that it can be a pretty great story.

I really feel like I should be putting pictures up or something but I am still figuring all of that stuff out. I shall have my roommate Mel teach me how to do that tomorrow for now...oh well.

Gotta Go! I have over 200 pages to read (yikes!) Wish me luck!

Bipolar lifestles

So my beloved roommate Mel is very good at posting a blog entry everyday and I have realized that I have been quite remiss about doing such things I believe that I should begin. Plus I have some reading to do and well I don't want to and it's not due tomorrow so I shall procrastinate.

So it is hotter than Hades here. Like really really really times infinity hot here. And the humidity doesn't help, it just makes things worse. But then I get to my dorm room and realize that I live in the north pole. (I know it sounds like there is no pleasing me, but going from 90's to 50's is quite a shock) Apparently my roommates all come from very...cold climates. Believe me I love AC it's the best invention well ever but when its 50 degrees in your room it just gets cold and I have recieved death threats when I try to change it. So I guess I have to go around wearing my huge parka, wrapped in blankets in 90 degree weather...go figure.

The heat comes to mind in particular today because I went on an adventure to see if Alexandars (This is an awesome retro ice-cream parlor run by my intern choir director - Nate. He can sing higher than I can it's almost scary) was open. It wasn't. Bad Nate not serving students when they wanted ice-cream! So Mel and I were walking and had to climb up 2 ginormous hills today which really wasn't a..uh..cool experience.

So what would you like to know about school? That we lack school spirit? Though our football team won.(Thats good) That I have perhaps the prettiest campus on the face of the planet. That our library has some of the oldest books in the world. (Though it is quite a varied selection I am going to the W&L library this week I heard it is amazing!) That I got invited to a baptist bbq and movie. That I went to our school musical which was just amazing. That I met a really great guy who makes me want to be a better person? I don't know you tell me.

What do you want to hear?

Similar Disimilarities

So I thought that college would be like a totally different ball game. It kind of is, I don't think I have met a high school boy who told me he was waiting for his finance to come out of class. Also I am enjoying a break simply because I don't have class. Also we are required to bring laptops to some classes. And having to walk up this huge hill to get to my new home. All of that is new.

But there are still kids sitting there bored and snapping their gum. We still have joking kids who will start a round of hangman on the board because the professor is late. Of course we all play along. And we still have all of that confusion of "where oh where shall I sit today" at lunch.

But it looks like it will be fine. I will avoid the people I am supposed to, raise my hand when appropriate and try to look like I know what I am doing.

I am Going To Miss...

Mountains that look like a movie back-drop.
the giggles of little sisters.
Calling up best friends for a drive when I need it.
Card game nights with my Grandparents.
TCBY esp. the white chocolate mousse.
My Books.
My Library.
Frost's Books.
My ward friends.
My ward leaders.
Not really having to do my laundry.
Not having to worry where my food will come from.
Talking about scriptures with my mother.
Going for drives with my father.
All of my stuffed animals.
Having mom around because she knows where everything is at all times.
My fleece blankets.

I'm SOOOO not ready for this.

Eleven Days

While at the drive-in movies with one of my friends I came to a realization. In less than two weeks I will be traveling across the country, leaving behind my family, friends and everything which is familiar to go to a college 2000 miles away, the campus of which I haven't ever seen.

What on EARTH have I got myself into???

I'm not ready to grow up, be mature, or responsible! I still forget to get my clothes out of the dryer when they are done and don't get me started on ironing. I love to spend all day in my pajamas, and color Disney Princess Coloring books. I love nap-time and fairy-tales and the occasional chocolate cupcake for breakfast. Also, the library in Buena Vista leaves much to be desired.

But the tickets are bought, tuition is paid, text books are ordered and I have 3 roommates who expect me to show up to school on the 25th. I have coaches waiting to see me, teachers awaiting my arivial and an admissions advisor who has helped so much in getting me here that I am pretty sure she would come to my house and drag me to college whether I wanted to go or not. So I may as well make the best of it.


Besides I can still bring my coloring books.

Questions

Titles are something that don't come naturally to me. They are something that usually involves a lot of help from friends to get it down, so mine may seem a little contrived. Especially tonight.

We are beginning the arduous process of figuring out how to transport, me, my mom and enough stuff to get me all the way across the country. I will be attending college at Southern Virginia University. It's in the beautiful town of Buena Vista. While it is beautiful, it is also very small. And the nearest airport is about 2 hours away. So now we are staying up all hours attempting to find the best price to get me from here to there.

Other signs that college is coming is that I have met one of the 3 roommates I will be spending the semester with. We share a name, a love of books and sports, and she works in a library while I work in a bookstore. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it?

Well no matter how auspicious a start I will get nowhere without sleep. So for now I will sign off. Hopefully in upcoming posts I will be able to get some pictures up.

Happy days are here again!

The tests are over and all that is left is 3 weeks of nothing. After weeks of stress and daily reviews, of late nights and early mornings it is all over and now summer can (almost) begin. I actually had a chance to kick it off today. For the first time in my life I sluffed a class. For those of you who don't know that particular bit of slang it is cutting class. How I got to senior year without ever having done this is beyond me but I must say it was quite fun. A couple of friends and I went out to the local diner and just ate shakes and had fun. It was something that I have never done before and am now sad that I haven't. It was talking and joking and not even thinking about things that had anything to do with school.

Is this camaraderie what college and growing up will be? If so I wish I had grown up sooner. I can't believe that I have let myself miss out on things like that. Well lesson learned just in time for summer. LET THE FUN COMMENCE!!!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Since this is the blog of a book addict I believe that I should tell you the latest and greatest reads I have come across. Henry Ford created a wonderful debut novel with his story Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It tells the story of what happened to both the Japanese and the Chinese who lived Seattle durring WWII. I know that there are many many stories which are written in this time period and there are times when I need to take a break from them, but this offered a new and different perspective than what I have encountered.

As of yet I have not mastered the art of concise plot summary so here is one taken from amazon.com

Henry Lee is still mourning the death of his wife when he learns that the belongings of Japanese Americans hidden in the basement of Seattle's Panama Hotel for decades have been discovered. Henry is drawn to the basement, and what he's searching for there opens a door he thought he had closed forever. The story switches back and forth between 1986 and the 1940s, when a 12-year-old Henry attending an American school (he's "scholarshipping" as his father likes to say) meets another international student working in the school kitchen. Keiko is Japanese American, the enemy according to Henry's father, but the two become best friends before her family is imprisoned in one of the relocation camps.

What I can tell you is why I loved it. As previously stated, I am very well read in regards to that era and hearing from an intelligent childs perspective can be quite thought provoking. Also this particular subject, the Japanese relocation camps, is one with which I was not too familiar. It makes me wonder what rights will people be willing to see taken away for the sake of freedom and safety? In my opinion, any book which makes you think and provokes questions is one that shouldn't be passed on.

An Adventure and a Half

Well, while spring break was fun (it was perfect weather in the 70's to low 80's. I come home and it's snowing. What is wrong with this state?) there were quite a few bumps in the road.

First: the drive down.
Our youngest sibling is adverse to the idea of seatbelts and screamed "my tummy hurts" for the majority of the ride. And really 12 hours is too long to keep 7 people in one vehicle.

Second: The Hotel
This place was run-down to put it mildly. While the pool was really nice, we were forced to switch rooms twice. The first time we had been put in a room which management knew had plumbing problems (no need for details) the second one had a beehive right outside with bees coming in through the ventalation. It's quite scary to come into a room and see dead bees all over the floor and more flying around.

Despite those it was so fun to come down and visit with the grandparents. We went to museams, baseball games, the Mesa Temple Pagent and the local flea-markent. We got to watch conference together as a family. Watching with the Grandparents was a new experience. We learned new card games to play together. Dirty Dora anyone?

Spring Break!

Did you hear a sound at 2:10 today? That was the signal that school is out for a full week and "Spring Break 2010" has begun. So where will I be going? Mexico? Hawaii? Nope I am off to a better place. I get to go to Mesa Arizona to visit my grandparents. I am really excited to see them but the 12 hour drive is not something that I look forward to in any way shape or form. 7 people in one van...one of which is young enough to make this miserable.

I come prepared however! I have books, pokemon (the original games rock. I am partial to the Blue version), Sudoku, a jounal, and, if all else fails, ear plugs and an eyemask. Wish me luck!

Beginnings

People often think that big changes are necessary for beginnings to occur, yet I have found after all this time (which really isn't all that much), that it is in the innocuous, and benign where true beginnings happen. I had believed that I would not begin to blog until something momentous had happened. I am scheduled to leave the nest and enter college in the fall. That seems to be a perfect time to begin: new life, new start - new me! My life is still happening however, and I see no reason to put it on hold until late August just because that has been declared a "milestone of my life."

That is a lesson just recently acquired.

I have been counting down the weeks until this chapter ends and another one begins. You've read books like that haven't you? Ones where you count the pages, read it as fast as you can, then, once it's finished, you look back and realize: Wow I missed so much...and now it's over.
That was how the Harry Potter novels seemed to me. I remember that I had looked forward to the sixth one since the day that I had finished the 5th and had after over a year of waiting, completed the book by 5:30 a.m. the morning it was released. While there was a sense of accomplishment (I was the first one done of my friends hands down), it was tainted by a sense of loss...of regret. Thankfully I am able to reread the book, a luxury which doesn't apply to life.

We don't get to skip around to our favorite parts of our story. Heavens, we don't even know exactly how our story will turn out or what even the next sentence will be. So what is there to do but to enjoy the words we do have? There may be a few spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and parts that we just want to cross out, but they are the parts that make us who we are, and if we don't spend the time focusing on every part of the story we lose the chance of full character and plot development later on.

So lesson learned: While I will continue my countdown, (it's hard to break a habit which has been in place for over a year) it won't be one filled with longing of being in the next place or bitterness at having to finish the chapter. It will merely be a statement. A declaration. One which won't be checked on quite so often.