My roommate and I have had an awesome run so far. We have quite a bit in common considering we had not met until the day we signed the lease together. Actually she is amazing, and I'm lucky to have her as a roomie.
Between the two of us, we run a tight ship and have a neat house for a couple twenty-something college students. Our lives are run by our majors and heavy work loads. Some how, we find time to say hi and offer making extras for dinner to share. I prep the coffee most days, but shes always the one who locks up. We have a nice balance in it all.
Until about 2 weeks ago. I was playing Halo Reach and low and behold, a mouse crawling under neath the bakers rack into an over looked hole which I had previously thought was a poorly crafted cable wire entrance. I hate being wrong, because when I am it usually is pretty bad.
I bought a box of mouse poison shaped as a cheese wedge. A day later, gone. Every last pebble. With high hopes, I warned the housemates (its a duplex) to be weary of any odors reeking of death. So we waited.
On a weekend adventure with Nick to Carmel's Arts Festival in celebration of our one-year anniversary, I get an unexpected call from my roommate. I called her back as soon as I could. "OMG! The rat is prego!" I tried not to laugh as I imagined her standing on her bed, throwing shoes at it. "I'm in the store buying traps, so heads up when you come home! OK?"
Upon my arrival, I found 4 traps along common walkways throughout the house, baited with broken off Singles pieces. I grinned, sighed, collected them, re-baited them with peanut butter, and cautiously placed them in more discreet locations with Nick's help.
I have yet to hear one snap, our prego housepet rat's offspring, or any other sign of damage. Hopefully it will be caught, Nick will rescue us ladies, and peace will grace us once again. Until then, I reside in a house of mice and (wo)Men.
I have decided to take part in the study abroad program open to art majors to go to Italy and Madrid. I don't exactly have all the funding together, but meanwhile I trust my prayers and hard work should help pay back the loans I'll take out for this chance of a lifetime! I'll be spending 6 weeks earning 6 credits towards my studio electives needed for graduating 2 years later.
The costs other than monetarily would be working hard now to have the money to cover bills and such things while I'm away.... and.... um.... maybe not getting an internship of which for I have no leads to date. (I'm seeing nothing wrong here. If you do let me know!)
I won't be able to study abroad outside of the summer due to the progression of the course layout of VisComm. PLUS, I'm told I'll see more in these 6 weeks than I could on my own or even if I put myself yet another year behind were I to take a full semester.
Things you could do for me:
1. Pray. I'll need to keep my grades as my priority. If you have seen me in the past year you know I'm pretty easily caught in living by the budget I set and making sure I account every penny. If nothing else, you would know that I work off my little hiney to earn my green! Pray will practice an ability to prioritize in a way that will benefit me best and whatever else you feel led to (of course)!
2. Write: please, please, please keep in touch. Words of concern, wisdom, love, encouragement, etc. usually take me farther than giving me $5. I'll take the negative, too; I can handle it!
3. Requests. Naturally, if you have artwork you'd like me to play with and perhaps even donate towards my fund for the Italy trip, I'll do my best to cooperate in a timely manner. I'd love a side project! Anything to get me away from work and school!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Make a donation. As I start posting photos of my art work, if you see anything you would like, I would LOVE to give it to you! BUT in most cases, I'll ask for a donation to cover expenses of the work itself and a kicker for my Italy fund.
5. MISC. Sky is the limit guys! I'm not one to put anyone in a box so here is a means of creativity! *WIN: Nothing is totally an option! "Did ya see what I did there!?" *
I'll be gathering things for a gallery show hopefully between Thanksgiving and New Years (after finals) for an auction or something of the likeness. I will try to get bids up online because so many of those I love live somewhere outside of the lovely lines of the Delaware County limits.
I'm a busy gal, but know my heart, ears, and fridge is always open!
Our first writing project is lots of fun! I love the g.a. we have! She is pretty much an angel at 8am. *WHAT A RELIEF*
We are writing our own "This I Belive" essay. If you aren't familiar check it out. Pretty awesome stuff! Just for kicks I'll post my very rough draft. (The G.A. referred to it as a Shitty First Draft and all the freshman freaked. It was the beginning of a good day. :)
Live Life in Child-like Faith
My two-cent worth of wisdom would be: Live the life you knew as a child. Growing up I was such a curious child. I followed those I admired and clung tightly to those I trust.My parents always taught me to build off a solid foundation. Be it forts of pillows and blankets, my character, or the relationships with those few I choose to share the deepest parts of me, I have always done my best to build a cornerstone and proper support throughout the growth of every major piece of life. Though not always easy to admit, I know my parents were wiser than I. Once again, I have found their advice most useful.
Trust. My father was my hero. I would do anything he said in a heartbeat. I knew he loved me and that he had my best interest at heart. I was the lucky kid on the block with the in-ground pool, and a diving board with a spring that I thought could let me touch the moon. I remember when I was starting to learn how to swim. The floaties came off my arms and I was allowed to jump off the diving board. Two whole summers I sat on the steps with full gear on, ready to go: inner tubes, floaties, nose plugs, goggles and flippers covering my swimsuit. I sat watching and splashing as my sister dove down under the surface to get the brightly colored diving sticks.
Faded as the hand-me-down swimsuit my sister had wore years before, I sought after those same diving sticks. Dad stood arms reached out to catch me. “Read. Set. Go!” I ran, jumped with all my might, and hoped to just get one of those sticks. Dad knew I was more anxious than I could physically be prepared for the deceiving depths of the pool and caught me just as I bobbled the surface. I coughed and clutched him closely as he pushed my bum and reminded me to doggie-paddle. “Again?” he asked. My eyes glowing, and a grin on my face; I was found on the board once again within seconds. Had it been anyone else I would not have been so eager, but there was no one in the world I trust more than my father. Same holds true to this day.
Imagine. My sister and I were practically joined at the hip since my birth. I always have respected her opinions because she is the one person I could tell anything. As a child we would play with our dolls and live out our “dream goals” through these characters of our imagination. All these characters possessed characteristics of the women in our own lives, but with our interests and curiosities. I discovered through these games my greatest passion was to love and have a family and the rest here-and-there will continue to fall into place. Thankfully, my sister is still the person I tell all my dreams and goals. She knows my fears and she knows my strengths. More than anything I cherish her because she has pushed me to continue to do that which I love, imagine the impossible and settle for nothing less. Without my imagination, life would be completely ordinary and bland.
Believe. I grew up in church. My parents had my Sunday dress pressed and laid out with my shoes and tights before I was awakened. I went to a private school with thirty other kids in my grade where I stood and said the pledge of allegiance to the American flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible. Sunday through Friday I was in the same 15 archers of land breathing religion. The fundamentals of this faith taught me more about life and that which I value than I probably will ever fully understand.
Tragedy brings us together and breaks us apart. Belief was the glue that kept my family together when I lost my father at the age of ten. I believe all things happen of a reason. I believe in a peace after the storm. I believe in a higher power which restores balance in the world. Because I chose to believe and seek good, I have learned much about life and have begun to understand the course it takes. I have gone through terrible experiences, but hope and my beliefs have brought me great joy.
Child instincts are the most pure of all. Where have these instincts go as I have aged? Did the world corrupt me so gravely that I have forgotten the art of humanity? Can I ever get them back? I do my best to remember the values my father practiced. I study books and philosophy to better understand the world and the people who rule it hoping to make it a better place. I have found the more I learn, the less I know.
The most valuable lessons I carry are to trust, imagine, and believe. The best advice I can give simply put would be to hold fast to the foundations you once clung, to that in which you most believe. And please, don’t forget to live your life in child like faith.
Is there any chance I can just not grow-up but get all the perks? Such as all the pretty things i see on HGTV? Throw in a hot car, and perhaps a ring and a family someday.... BUT I'm ok with dreaming for a while.
Today I became overwhelmed by how greatly God has blessed me. Work overall is pretty great. Good money for the time put in (who isn't a fan of reaping extra green due to marginal-benefit:marginal-cost?) PLUS, I get a discount on our dates AND they work on my schedule so I get all the classes I need NOW!
Speaking of classes.... I got into viscomm! WIN #1! In case you missed the boat I'll catch up you to speed, otherwise jump ahead to : (***) Viscomm= Visual Communication aka: Graphic Design. Its a BFA through Ball State. PERFECT! And just listen to how dreadful my classes are outside of core: painting, printmaking, photography, art history, design, and perhaps even a summer trip to Italy. That means 6 weeks to study watercolor and additional studio electives on the scene where art truly began. WHAT A ROUGH LIFE!!!!
***Thankfully, I've learned a thing or two from my family. I was pretty persistent in getting credits transferred from IU to cover a 100level Math class required for my major. It wasn't the 100 level class I took last semester, either. Seriously, who needs 9 credits of 100 level math classes? Somehow, everything came together and the department chair gave me permission to drop MATHS125 and added credit for the class! WIN#2! and WIN #3: I actually got the last seat in painting. I seriously don't know how, but I'm hankful because I had to drop printmaking once I got into viscomm due to the classes overlapping.
On top of everything, because of my scholarship and being an independent student, I'm pretty much saving everything I earn plus the extra grant money I'm given. How many people do you know who are able to make an immediate profit off of going to college? I'm trying to find ways to build my credit and also am looking into grad school. Pray I get it done in the next 3 years! My 4 year goal was to get it done debit free! It's gonna be hard work, but completely do-able!
Can I get an AMEN!?
Perhaps growing up isn't so bad. Peter-Pan only got some peanut butter and disney movie. I wonder if he would trade his profits for my degree?
My launch week of this new site so far has been a success! I had 94 hits on the first day. I'm pretty excited about it! Trust me, there is plenty more to see from me as the days come along, and I hope numbers will stay consistent.
More important is to me is your feed back as I start to put up my designs and blog posts. I'm pretty good at taking a hard blow, so don't be afraid to tell me if you hate it or you disagree, just help me see your side.
Goals this week: 1.) Start uploading pictures of projects done through summer school. 2.) Do some research on an article I want to write on a topic that I'm SOOOO excited to work on, BUT won't reveal just yet. 3.) Post some sort of blog formatted info on things I'm learning or discovering each day.
Its ok if you choose not to speed read the article and comments, but I recommend you take 5 mins and do so.
I may have been the first high school student to sign up for facebook. It was a great way for me to network with classmates, make plans for the weekend, and also DESTROY whatever positive public rep I may have had. Luckily, I wasn't one of the unfortunate who got busted for drinking under-aged. I was one of the many who got "chewed out" by my parents for have photographs of me at and IU party with a beer in my hand.
WHO GAVE MY MOM A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT ANYWAY!?
Not the point.
The point is, like anything in life, usage must be monitored in order maintain balance of good and evil. That is a different level for everyone on an individual basis.
I'm spread too thin these days. My daily roles as a daughter, sister, friend, room-mate, girlfriend, student, artist, and employee have taken priority above the the status of "addict" of any kind. Facebook may or may not be something I choose to keep in my life, but at this point I'm choosing to forget about it.
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