fantastical life

Hey.  So it's Thursday.  I have a big assignment due tomorrow that I may or may not have even started yet...but I am happy tomorrow will bring the weekend because on Saturday Kaylyn and I are seeing The Decemberists, with Laura Veirs to open.  Yay!

I feel as though I have been especially introspective this week.  Both Sunday's church service and last night's RUF topic put me into moods.  One theme that came out in both services was that as we grow in Christ, we become increasingly aware of our sin and our need for God.  It led to the question that I mulled over...are we just as certain about God's forgiveness as we are about the depth of our sin?  Not that this is a new idea or even something that I haven't considered before.  For myself, I so much focus on my sin and give brief time to the glory of God for his salvation.  But this week I came to see it in a new light: when I dwell on my sin, I continue to put the focus on myself.  But when I equally grasp the certainty that I have of Christ's forgiveness, I am focusing on Him.  And it becomes a mindset of thanks, of worship, rather than depression, which so often is my scenario.  

Life has been good here.  It rained for about 8 days straight, but the past two days have been inordinately sunny.  I may have been the only person in the entire southeast who liked how much it rained.  

In the above picture, the left is a cat creamer, a birthday gift from Ellyn.  The right are two cow-pigs, salt shakers that I got a while back.  Such is our life, at Poplar.   Literally that picture describes our life...sadly.  Sitting around at our house being antisocial and lame.  And baking a lot. 

That was my birthday cake!

I wanted to post pictures from the shower but I didn't upload them yet, sorrrry.  

How are you all? Why did the font just get smaller?  What is going on. 

Anyway, so you all know how my neighbors have tons of cats, right?  So at first we just named them: Pearl/Dwayne, Amadeus, Blanket, et cetera.  They hang out on our porch a lot, especially Pearl (the black one).  On Tuesday, Pearl and I bonded for like an hour and I gave her milk from a little saucer.  Today when I walked home from class, she was stretched out on top of the mailbox and when I walked up she greeted me!  And followed me around rubbing up against my legs.  I think it is love.  

Mary

practice- 5:00 sunrise-6:30

:)

Jodie drool on my guitar

So, this weekend Cara and I have been house-sitting for this family in Princeton Hills. Thursday night, Friday night, and tonight is our last night. It has been really fun. The bed is so incredibly comfortable, and there's a tv in the room with us, so we've just been lounging around watching tv. Last night was Battle of the Woods, and we won by a lot (35-7)! It was really exciting. Today after Cara and I managed to detach ourself from tv in bed, we went to Bruegger's for breakfast, and then came back and watched Get a Clue, which was especially entertaining. Now I'm home though, and have been messing around on the guitar and piano. Lately, I've just been taking my guitar out onto the balcony with Jodie of course and playing there, its really fun. I'm glad I'm playing again. I still can't really play that well, but its fun anyways. Actually, I have a present for you guys. I decided to record this for my 3 favoritest people in the world. Its really awful, I mess up multiple times in it, and please excuse the fact that I sang the lyrics as is (if you follow). Anyways, despite that, thought it might make you happy, so did it anyways. Enjoy:

i love reading your updates SISTERS!

(above, is ong-awesome phsyics genius on our floor, me, and phoebs)
hey.

so i am currently in the hallway working on homework due friday! i'm slightly ahead! i really like that our floor hangs out in the halls and does work and whatnot almost every night. it makes it much more enjoyable.

everyone here is very friendly, at least the ones of talked to. so i'm making moreish friends. classes aren't hard this week, but next week i have two tests and two essays :( oh, and i'm sick. but luckily my classes haven't been too hard, so i've had lots of sleeping down time. medicine is my friend.

looooove lindz

longest day ever

just got home from being at work from 7:30 am until 9:30 pm.

this is what i signed up for? WHAT?????

haha, jk. it was parent night (also known as "back to school night") so i had to meet all of my students' parents in all of my various roles... they mocked through their students schedules so i had to present info to my advisory, to my 2 classes that i teach, and then in the learning center (although i wasn't alone there, i was teaming up with karen davis and rico reed, the two other learning specialists that work in the learning center with me.)

i had a mini-panic attack about it all at about 6 o;clock, thinking omg this is so stressful ahhhh i can barely think straight and i haven't eaten dinner and i have to talk to all these scary parents ahhhh!!! then i just decided i would pretend they were all mom and i calmed down a little. and then it actually went GREAT! and my last period (7th, one of the times i teach) i made the parents laugh like 5 times!! and i didn't even think i was funny but apparently i have a middle age sense of humor haha

love you mary. hope those tests fly far far away.

strawberry tea

dear three tests in two days,
please go away and leave me alone.
regards,
mary


i need to dye my hair real bad.

i felt that i needed to take the time to take a picture to show ya'll how bad my roots are.
...which is clearly code for 'i am procrastinating studying'.  i digress...

i have actually been really good about preparing for my tests, i started studying on monday!  i have my religion and human sexuality tests tomorrow, and nutrition on friday.

this saturday we are hosting an r. wood ceramics shower for olivia.  http://rwoodstudio.com/   i am making lemon tarts and maybe garlic feta dip for the occasion.  i think it will be fun.

it is rainy in athens right now, and i am enjoying it.  how are ya'll?


mary

tomorrow's just a song away

seeeesters!

you are all considerably OLDER than the last time we saw each other. (that = sideways way of saying happy birthday to mary and lindsey!!!) i hope you both had wonderful days!

things with me are good but i swear days are elastic - stretching longer during the week and compressing to tiny little things on the weekend. which is to say this one ended way too quickly and i still have so much work to do. today i left for work at 6:45, got home at 6:15, and then did 2 more hours of work at home (at least.) and i still don't even feel close to "on top of things." just treading water - survival mode at this point. trying to stay 1 or 2 days ahead as far as planning. giving my first test tomorrow, which is good - test days are good for teachers, means no talking and lots of time for planning while students are taking it.

this weekend was really fun for me, friday just crashed and did not much at all, but saturday went on a long run (3.5 miles! go me!!!) and went out to dinner/drinks with stephen tusken - was in the band at vandy and we were always good friends. he would share his girl troubles with me freshman/sophomore years. we went out to a bar in d.c. to watch the vandy game and i actually ran into 3 more vandy folks i knew, including one that also went to brentwood high. so cool and random. saw whitney at church sunday, and other than that really did nothing but sleep and eat over the weekend. (and eat and eat.)

getting up at 5 am tomorrow to try to work out before work. bedtime for me!
hope i can see you all reasonably soon. mary maybe your phone works now so i can call you back?

Quidditch

So, it's Monday

Life has been exciting I suppose. Friday night Becca and I went to the Frist center, but didn't stay that long because we really wanted to go to Urban Outfitters, which we did. Saturday I had my senior pictures. I thought they were at one o'clock, but mom found out a little after nine that they were actually at ten, so it was a mad dash to get ready. I showered, tried to pick out my outfits, made mom blow dry my hair while I put on make-up, frantically straightened my hair and got ready. But in the end I'm glad I had an earlier time, because then I got it over with. Not a fan of getting senior pictures. NOT FUN. After it was finally over though, I went to Kelsey's and we began preparing everything we needed for Quidditch. We were able to find enough hula hoops, so we taped them all to pvc pipes, and they looked decent. We also found some bludgers and took care of other little things like that. That night, I went to my friend Sarah's house, and we just sat around her fire outside for a long time, it was fun.

So, Sunday was the infamous Quidditch match. It was so much fun! It was fairly frantic getting everything ready, especially since we had someone cancel half an hour before, and one of our subs never showed. Plus, we had trouble securing the goals in the ground, we're going to have to think of something else for our next game. But eventually, we played! It was hilarious, it took less then a minute before people were falling over and tripping and all of that. We definitely had to revise a lot of the rules, but we got it so at least we could somewhat play. Unfortunately, the snitch thing didn't really work out. But thats just because our sub for the snitch was awful, she just stood where we all could see her so it took about three seconds for the seekers to get her. Eventually, we gave up on it because the seekers were getting annoyed with running, so they just joined in as chasers. But Gryffindor definitely won, so that was really exciting! Plus, I think everyone agreed that we should definitely play again, so in my head that means it was a success.

I love all of you so much, wish I could be in four places at once and visit all of you!

Ba nah nah nah nah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDlQm5jFL50

Oh heyyyyy.  I'm sitting on my couch at home right now, back from classes.

This weekend went by fast, but it was good.  It was a game weekend but I don't care/didn't buy tickets.  Friday night my friends took me out to dinner for my birthday and then we had people over that night.  Alison made me grasshopper cake- mint chocolate icing on chocolate cake!  I got some cool presents, including a grow-your-own dinosaur kit, and a ticket to see the decemberists in a couple of weeks.  Woop!  Hannah came and stayed with me Friday night and all of Saturday.  Saturday morning all of us ate breakfast on the porch.  My friends are ridiculous and made a ton of food for my birthday:

-asparagus and red onion frittata
-sausage
-baked oatmeal
-sweet potato hashbrowns
-monkeyyy bread

It was all delicious and made me feel special, and full, on my bday.  Hannah and I hung out and walked downtown and just caught up.  It was really good to see her.  That night, Ellyn and Al Pal went to the game and Becca, Hannah and I went to see Inglourious Basterds.  Which was awesome.  I liked it a lot.

This week isn't too exciting.  I have 3 tests in 2 days, Thursday and Friday.  Big partay!  Ah, what's new with you guys?

Weekends are.....

Hey. soooo. i'm really lazy. its exhausting having to constantly be in social situations. today was service first where we went to different st. louis underprivileged schools and painted rooms and made murals/pictures/decorations. it was all right. not as exciting as i thought it'd be. but a good way to spend a saturday.

it rained today :( and it's supposed to rain for the next four days. there might not be any zoo :(

i should be doing homework but i'm not.

 

i have been eating too much

arbitrarily posting pictures is fun! nice one mar!

i love you all so much

dude... just had a really good night watching fight club with friends on my floor!

Mom is sitting with me

"Hello to all the daughters"...says Mom.

We are sitting on the bed in the yellow room right now.  We have been busy cutting up fruit and pound cake for tonight: Olivia and Andrew's engagement partayyy.

Mom and I both hope you are enjoying your day off, long weekend.  Lindsey: have fun at the zooooo and HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY!!!! Woo hoo.  Mom says, "She's nineteen, right?" Yes.  We miss you all and Mom wishes she could celebrate your birthday with you.  "Aww", says Mom.

Rachel: have fun at your meet and greet?  With the church.  I talked to Whitney on Thursday and I think y'all have plans.  I'm jealous tell her hey.

Love ya mucho.

Mom & Mar

welcoming labor day weekend

hello beautifuls

i'm sitting in the yearbook back-room right now during 7th period office working. I've been thinking of you guys a lot today, and realize i haven't filled you in in a while (haha, in in)

anyways, so last weekend i went to the 80s dance. it was WILD. and by wild, i mean not at all, as there were about 30 people there total. still fun though, as i always love an excuse to dress up. also, on sunday i babysat for the first time with kelsey. it completely reassured to me that i made the right choice in asking her to do it with me. she's always optimistic, works great with kids, and we never run out of things to talk and laugh about.

later today we have our first pep rally. that should be exciting to have one as a senior. but, i'm not going to the game tonight oh well. instead, i'm hanging out at kkhita's with some other people, which'll probably be more fun. then tomorrow i'm spending all day with kelsey as we're going to have a huge lord of the rings marathon. we're going to get up in the morning, go grab food someplace to go and take it back with us where we will attempt watching all 3 extended additions in one day. yes, i know i'm cool.

so, for my quidditch update, i'm beginning to get stressed about it all. we've had so many people respond to it, which is really exciting, but lots of people have been coming up and asking to join part it in. which i think would be awesome. however, some of the people we don't really know that well, and so some of our original team members don't want them to join because they'd feel uncomfortable playing against them. which i guess i understand, but i'm getting annoyed of everyone coming to me and asking me what "i'm" going to do about it. some are saying that i should tell them we already have our two teams full and that should be that. which is really irritating me because since i don't actually mind having other teams, i don't feel it should be my responsibility to make enemies by telling people they can't join. but i mean really, if i had heard someone else had thought of the idea of a quidditch team, i definitely would've wanted to join no matter who it was and would be mad if they didn't allow me. so i'm just getting a little overwhelmed with it all. sad. but i'm still really excited, our first match is a week from sunday!

anyways, i'm really excited mary to have you home tonight! yesterday for some reason felt especially weird coming home to an empty house, don't know why, but it made me think how happy i'm going to be to have someone to come home to over the next couple days. and rachel, i'm absolutely dying to hear about your first day with students. mom said it went well but she didn't hear much cause you wanted to skype us. lets make that happen! and lindsey, i love you oodles and i hope i can skype with you sometime this weekend as well. enjoy your labor day weekends, are all of you off?