Friends!

I don't usually talk about my day to day happenings, but Saturday was such a great day that I feel it needs to be documented. In photos.

Well, Saturday I spent the day at a college where several of my friends go. Fifteen of us from camp staff met up for the afternoon.

I'm still not sure how this worked out so well, it was very spur of the moment. However, I know many of greatly needed this reunion of sorts. I know I did.

First, I stopped at the football game, and hung out with some of my most favorite friends from high school. Especially this beautiful creature. She just got the lead in Oklahoma! I'm kinda extremely proud of her. Imma buy her flowers.

Next! I headed of to the soccer game to watch the funniest boy I know dominate in a sport I once played against him in. Ah, playing on teams for sports that involve balls. What distant memories. Anyway, turns out he wasn't playing because his team was up 3 - 0. This, however, was convenient for him, because he was very eager to leave the sidelines to show me his blister as soon as he saw me arrive. Win - Win situation, I guess.

I spent much time with this particular camp friend, Clare. I love her more than I can even express in words. She's beyond wonderful, and one of the most beautiful people I am blessed to know.

After this, we went to Pizza Ranch, even though I clearly expressed my objection due to price. I was overruled. This is okay. It is delicious, I know, I am just not a $9 eater. There are pictures of this, but she has yet to upload those pictures. This is okay. Picture people sitting at a booth. Alright. Wonderful. Do any of you have Pizza Ranches around you?

When we came back, we saw a lot of dorms, smelled a lot of boys living quarters, took a lot of pictures, caught up like crazy, and ate a lot of dumdums.

What are you supposed to do in a dumdum picture? I was not quite sure. Clare wasn't either. She carries around a bag of dumdums with her. This is why I love her.

One boy we met was talking to us for a little while before I got up to head to my other friend's room. When I came back, he saw me in the hall and said something to me I didn't quite understand. I asked him to repeat himself and he said, as if surprised, "You're a little person!" Friends, how do you respond to this? I am already a socially awkward person, so trying to respond to a socially awkward comment is particularly difficult for me. I think I just mumbled some sort of a protest on how I wasn't that short and walked away.

Oh, it was a fun day. Leaving that night was a very hard thing to do. I needed to see all those familiar faces. Big colleges can become exhausting.

Now, a few matters of business:

As Paige commented for the last blog, the painter's name is Leonid Afremov. You should check him out, they're gorgeous!

Lex, I'm excited that you tagged me, and I'll answer the questions in my next blog!

Let me leave you with a blast from the past:

(Mystery Music Video...)

See you soon!

Favorite you, Favorite me.

"You forget everything. The hours slip by.

You travel in your chair through centuries you seem to see before you, your thoughts are caught up in the story, dallying with the details or following the course of the plot, you enter into characters, so that it seems as if it were your own heart beating beneath their costumes."

- Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

I am so picky when it comes to things I put on my wall. I fear my house will have blank walls, simply because I am afraid of committing to wall decorations. For this reason, I have a huge problem with posters. If I'm going to purchase a giant poster, I have to absolutely love it and want to stare at it quite often with immeasurable joy.

So, while the big annual poster sale here at school has quite a fun array of pictures to sort through, I can never commit. No film means enough to me to devote 36 x 24 inches of my wall to, and having actors/singers/famous figures on my wall makes me uncomfortable on a daily basis. Some photographs are quite gorgeous; however, I can find ones I like better and print them in a much less obnoxious size. Those little kids are cute when they kiss, sure, but nope... don't want them on my wall. Now, art. See, I do quite enjoy your style, Andy Warhol, but I need to be honest with you: You, as a person, kind of creep me out. I can't be seein' your face before I fall asleep.

So, after I was done searching through all the posters that resembled Giant Commitments of Personality, I found the 9 x 12 posters of actual paintings. Now, these I can handle. I purchased two. They aren't my all time favorite paintings, but I am quite happy with their addition to my humble abode. I bought this one by Claude Monet and this lovely one by Vincent Van Gogh. Both in non-threatening sizes.

Speaking of paintings, I saw this online (also pictured above) the other day and fell in love with it. I don't know who painted it, though, and I can't quite make out the signature. It's my desktop picture right now. Maybe, some day, I'll take a leap and commit to a Giant Commitment of Personality size.

Is it kind of creepy if I almost bought a (small) of of the Lady of Shallot? It's truly a creepy painting to represent an utterly depressing piece of literature, but I love that poem! I definitely geeked out senior year when we read it. I think I feel in love with it because of the part in Anne of Green Gables, when she acts it out. Because I love Anne. So much.

Okay, anyway.

I finished Interpreter of Maladies. It was a collection of really, really good short stories. Nearly every single one depressed the heck outta me, though, and they all ended with little to no resolution. But they were so wonderfully written!

Time to write. Let's talk about paintings. Do you have any favorites? Favorite artists?

See you soon. :]

I Own a Tree

If you be my star

I'll be your sky

you can hide underneath me and come out at night

when I turn jet black and you show off your light

I live to let you shine

I live to let you shine

But you can skyrocket away from me,

and never come back if you find another galaxy

far from here with more room to fly.

Just leave me your stardust to remember you by.

- Gregory and the Hawk

My roommate's method of compensation for lack of sleep is by taking a nap. My method is a handy dandy beverage called an americano. Okay, so one is probably more healthy than the other, I know. But, I've always been a make-it-through-the-day kind of gal. Usually.

When I woke up for my 8 a.m. class, it was 42 degrees outside, so I planned to spend the afternoon in the library. However, it is now a gorgeous day outside. Perfect for a t-shirt and jeans. You know what that means, Mom? I found my tree, just like Rory. When I made the executive decision that I was going to study outside and get my daily dose of vitamin D, I knew the selection of location was of utmost importance.

This was going to be the day that I picked my tree. This was going to be the moment that I chose the bark I would lean against while reading literature, writing thoughts, and while becoming a little less ignorant towards dozens of subjects.

Okay, so maybe I'm placing a little too much nostalgia on this choice, especially since during 4/5 of my time here, the temperature is too cold to even utilize this particular function of trees... but I didn't want to let my mother down. I'm no where near going to Yale, so having a tree like Rory is the closest she's going to get to having a daughter live her life vicariously through Rory Gilmore.

Anyway, I picked a strong, healthy-looking maple. I think we'll get along. Now to think of a name.

Two guys across from me are tightrope walking between two trees. Props, gentlemen, props. It's fun to see people pass time with activities that don't involve electronics. It's even more fun when they're hipsters. I would go over there and try it for myself if it wasn't for my infamous lack of balance and the fact that I just heard one of them say, "I'm usaully really good with balance, but I feel like a two year old on this thing!"

Book update:

The Late Homecomer = done.

I liked it. A lot. It was a wonderful Hmong memoir told in a very personable manner. I loved learning not only facts, but also feelings about their past and the adversity they faced in both their previous country and America.

Reading this week: Interpreter of Maladies

Randoms:

I almost bought two-toned saddle shoes from UO today for $8.79 total, after using free shipping and 10% off. Alas, I did not. That's how careful I'm being with the ol' pocketbook. Tear.

I was just reading my Sociology book and came across this sentence:

"Applying the scientific method to the social world, a process known as positivism, apparently was first proposed by Auguste Comte."

Notice anything odd? Maybe it's just me, but "apparently?" Apparently to whom? The author? What!? Auguste Comte either did or didn't apply the scientific to the social world. So, author, if you just found this out prior to writing the article, you don't need to let me know that he "apparently" did this. If he did, he did. Goodness sake, that's such an odd word to place before a fact in a textbook. I'm so confused.

Go listen to good music, and I'll be back soon.

:]

Hello, September.

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

Greetings. :]

I am now nearly finished with two weeks of school. It's been a bit stressful, actually, for reasons entirely unrelated to school work. However, it's mostly unimportant. Just one of those unexpected added stressors.

A few of you wanted to know the novels required for my multicultural lit/film class. I am more than willing to share! Many of them are uncommon, but they all are intriguing, in their own way. I will list them in the order we are reading them.

1) My Antonia by Willa Cather

- This book we've already read and discussed. It had some lovely shining moments, but all in all I found it to be way too unnecessarily descriptive, which made it a long, drawn-out read.

"I was something that lay under the sun that felt it, like the pumpkins,

and I did not want to be anything more. I was entirely happy."

- My Antonia

2) The Latehomecomer Kao Kalia Yang

- This is a Hmong family memoir. I'm currently reading this book for next Tuesday's discussion. It's a big one to fit in a week!

3) Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

4) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

5) When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

6) Always Running by Luis Rodriquez

7) Flight by Sherman Alexie

8) Night Flying Woman by Ignatia Broker

So, one novel a week, with the exception of a few weeks when we have to watch a film and respond. I am rather excited about this, as well, because one week the movie is Crash. Have any of you read any of these? Thoughts? I may write a bit about each of them as I finish.

Now, have any of you read any of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays? Oh my! I have recently discovered their brilliance. The first one I read was Friendship, which lead me to reading his others, which lead to me wanting to share so many quotes from them. However, I will just tell you to read a few, so that I will not jip you of context. You can find them all here and here. I love how he takes a topic so many have written on, like friendship, and causes you to explore it in a completely new way. Anyway, have a read.

Today I was hit by a cool breeze that oddly nostalgic. I think I'm excited for fall. Also, I don't think I told you that I purchased tickets for a Mumford and Sons concert. I definitely definitely DID! Also, in the news of exciting events, I also got a Gap $50 giftcard for $25 through Groupon. If you live in a big city, you should definitely check this site out! It's free, and there are amazing daily deals! My best friend goes to college in Chicago, and she introduced it to me.

Alright,

this is a fantastic song,

this is a fantastic video,

and I will talk to you all soon.

:]

Summer is dead.

"Like clockwork, summer has begun to hide.

The path of adventure that leads to its capture awaits."

I don't know how I feel about this.

Actually, yes I do. I'm really truly excited. I've just... had a hard time emotionally transitioning to/from everything at a ridiculously fast pace. It's like... graduating from high school and moving to college the next day. Without the "I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" feeling. These past few weeks have accounted for some wonderful memories, though. I tried to upload a video of the rubber duck race we went to, but it's not working. Sad.

So many people here just light up my life. It's like constantly being surrounded by those cheesy affirmation posters, but here people genuinely mean it. It's such genuine love. And the HUGS. The other day, I was trying to tell a dear friend a story in the dining hall. It took three times as long to get through it because of the numerous peole that came up to her and I to give us hugs, give us backrubs, or tell us we're fantastic. It's humorous, really.

.... I just started to write a list of things I'll miss at camp. It was too long, so I deleted it.

Right now, I think I'm pulling an all-nighter. It seems to be the smartest option as of now. It's 3 am, and I have about an hour left of work to do. I'm passed my body's "Time for sleeeeep!" stage. Now it's "Well, if you're still up, we might as well keep kickin'." Also, I really really want to see the sun rise. I kind of just want to make coffee and go to the lake to watch it, even if it's by myself. Tomorrow for the banquet, I will just look like a zombie. This is okay. Zombies have their perks.

I AM IN LOVE WITH MUMFORD AND SONS. Case closed. No question. Check them out. Start with The Cave. Mostly because that's where I started, but also because I think it's genuinely my favorite. Then, come to their concert with me. Okay thanks.

Tonight, I watched Pelelope (pictured above). For those of you who aren't very familiar, as I wasn't, it's about a girl born with a pig nose. Oh, wow do I stink at summorizing movies. Anyway, many parts made me upset. Because, reguardless of the fact that they (including her family!) thought she was too hideous to go out into public, she was still BEAUTIFUL and no one saw it. This movie also solidified the idea that James McAvoy can just marry me now.

I just ordered eight fictional books for my multi-cultural lit. class. This is exciting to me. However, I am also starting Atlas Shrugged. I just laughed out loud. I'm literally reading Atlas Shrugged for complete fun. I feel like Hermione when she discovers Nicolas Flammel when she picked up a huge, dry book for, "a bit of light reading." I heard Atlas Shrugged was very good, though. It's just so... huge! It started as an inside joke with one of my closest friends. We're going to listen to it on tape together, now. How's that for helping you staying awake at night.

Koodos to Abbie for recongizing my Into the Woods quote. :]

Linkage:

A fantastic ukulele choir covering Kids by MGMT. {clickeh}

A talented talented guy named Alex Goot covering Dynamite. {clickeh}

And Mumford and Sons, The Cave. Just so you don't forget. :] {LINKEH}

Now I'm wondering about you guys. Did you have a great summer? The greatest?! Just mediocre? Why?

See you soon. :]

Favorite.

"Just because someone doesn't love

you the way you want them to,

doesn't mean they don't love you

with everything they have."

It seems silly to me to post a blog about happenings in the past 24 hours, as if I have been updating you quite frequently this summer. Which is very untrue. However, a summary of the summer thusfar would be vague and scatterbrained. Therefore, I'll make it quick.

Here are a few things I've learned:

- Cheering your friends up by being a loving friend does not translate to cars.

- Inception is fantastic. I would even say this is Joseph Gordon-Levitt wasn't in it. I promise.

- I throw my hands up in the air, sometimes.

- Candy cigarettes are still $.15. How they have survived years of inflation is beyond me.

- Hayville, MN has a Hay Fest. I can only imagine the exciting festivities.

- There are Walt Whitman coloring pages. I am so excited about this.

- I enjoy water this summer.

- Silly Bandz are brilliant.

- Zac Efron is just as attractive, admittedly, in person.

- Don't be fooled by the "soothing cherry" flavor. Liquid NyQuil is still as repulsive as it was when we were ten.

Now, I just thought I'd pause to share with you a fantastic poem. This girl, Shawna Howson, writes like a modern Dickinson. However, she's definitely not as creepy and promiscuous as Dickinson. :] This is one of my recent favorites of hers. You can read more of her stuff here.

You turned to me, the vivid green

It lit your eyes, the skies, the trees

You said, "My darling, flee from me

The dark is coming, I am weak."

I stood to ground, you held my eyes

We watched bleak death brew in the skies

The wind, it ripped, and tore, and blew

In shrieks I stood and turned to you.

"Who will love you? Who will fight

Back these demons in the night?

Who will whisper songs of day

To keep the ragged shades at bay?

Who will forge through death and trees

And haunt your lips so you can breathe?

Who will hold your eyes till light?

Who will love you, who will fight?

My love, I'll slay hellhounds and wraiths

I'll grapple time and wind--and chase

The deepest shadows from your face

Till they are far, and you are safe.

For if I leave you in this grass

My only love, I don't dare ask,

Who will dance with you come sunlight?

Who will dance with you come sunlight?"

Now, book talk. Has anyone read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro? I've recently heard fantastic reviews. This is before I found out that it is coming out on film soon, and Carrie Mulligan (An Education) is starring. AH! So, I assume it has to be fantastic. Anyway, reviews are appreciated. Don't give too much away, though!

Move-in: 22 days!

Adorbz: Russel

Be back soon. :]

Rooted.

"Friend, it's getting late.

We should be going.

We've been sat here beneath these flickering neons for hours.

While I am cracking their code, you are deciphering me

For i am a mystery, I am a locked room in a tall tower."

Your telescope eyes see everything clearly.

My vision is blurred, but i know what i heard echoing all around.

While I am tuning you in, you are deciphering me.

Not such a mystery, not such a faint and far away sound."

I've arrived at my third week of camp. Things are going well. Busy, as always, but so good. Lots and lots of thoughts have entered my brain. This is okay, except for the fact that they have now entangled themselves, making it nearly impossible for me to coherently speak them aloud.

I took this picture last night on the way to campfire. It was so gorgeous outside. The sunset illuminated every living thing and made the Earth golden.

I'm currently reading Mere Christianity, and currently listening to Brooke Fraser. She has such such such amazing lyrics. I love her. Her entire Albertine album is phenomenal. Coincidentally, she has a C.S. Lewis song on that album. Her lyrics are the ones above (but not to the C.S. Lewis song, because I'm not that smart to put two and two together).

Another listen worth taking time to enjoy is the music of Jillian Edwards. I just found her yesterday. I'm sure there are more, but I often forget things.

Last week I had to take mug shots of over a hundred teenagers. It was awkward.
Yesterday I had to clean out a popcorn machine. It was awkward.
Our bathroom just went 5 days without toilet paper. It was awkward.
There is a penny in our shower. Wait, what?

Yes: I have a car now! For good!
No: I wish to see my beeessstt friiend.