Enrollment time

I'm constructing my Spring semester schedule, and it is looking quite wonderful! I met with my advisor today and found out that I only need to complete 12 more hours and I will have my degree! I only need one more Art History class and three upper-division non-major classes. I spent the last hour looking at which classes I'm interested in and what would work with a schedule I want... I'm about 90% set on the one I have so far, which means that I will NOT have any classes on Friday, only one on Monday/Wednesday in the AFTERNOON, and the rest on Tuesday/Thursday, starting at 9:30 and ending 2:15.

This will be my first 12 hour semester since my sophomore year, a nice end to my career at Washburn. It's perfect. :)

El carro

I really hate having car trouble. I'm so frustrated at my own lack of knowledge of basic car maintenance, or just knowing what to do in a simple situation. I usually rely on my dad for car issues, and of course nothing major happens while he's here, but as soon as he goes out of town, I've managed to leave my dome light on overnight, draining the battery, and leave my headlights on for ten minutes at a Sonic drive-in. I'm so absent-minded when it comes to my car! It is nice though to have friends available to help you out when the support of your parents is temporarily gone.

At 22, I still feel very much like a child. I'm frustrated at feeling like this, and just want to cry for feeling so helpless. The next time I'm at the library, I'm getting a car maintenance book for dummies. Totally serious!

On the positive side of this situation, I have learned some things:

1. Maybe I should take a break from Sonic.
2. Make visible little signs in my car, instructing myself to turn off all lights and take keys out of ignition before exiting the vehicle.
3. How to hook up jumper cables (thank you worker at Sonic!)

Quoteables

"They're so idealistic, those veterinarians."
-Mom

"I don't want to look ghetto-fabulous, just fabulous."
-Emily K.

"I don't have time for facebook AND eBay. Facebook is fun, but frankly I don't care what John had for dinner."
-Marty Lagae

"I love you. You're a catch. Everyone loves you. You've got a nice chin."
-Tricia

"Is it okay if instead of having Bible study tonight, we work on party decorations?"
-me
"Yes, okay, as long as we promise to talk about Jesus and pray. ;) haha."
-Rachel Martin

"I could always snap better with my right hand than with my left."
*snaps with left hand* "Nothing."
*snaps with right hand* "Everything!"
-Tricia

*Editor's note: There IS a context with all of these, but some of them are just more funny without it. :)

It's getting all serious up in here!

Some grownup issues I must write about:

I registered for the GRE yesterday, and in the words of Mr. Williams and Mika: "Ka-ching!" It's a pretty big commitment now, and I feel like it has really initiated me into the process of applying to grad schools. This whole process is pricey! The cost of the GRE (you have to pay $150 EACH time you take it), the cost of applying to each graduate school, plus any additional travel expenses. It was really nice talking to Kate yesterday for a while about the GRE and other application questions I had. It is great having a friend who just recently went through the whole process. I'm taking the GRE on November 16th, which gives me a little less than three weeks to study for this 3-4 hour long test!

Yesterday I drove to Lawrence to talk with the Director of Graduate Studies in the Art History department at KU. I asked him about some questions I had about the application process, and he also gave me an overview of the program. I had originally thought that obtaining a GTA position (graduate teaching assistant) would be nearly impossible as a first year student, but he said they are now actively looking at first-years. It sounds like a very ideal situation! Not only do they pay for your tuition, but give you an additional $14,000 salary. When I told Kate about that, she laughed and said that it was sad that's how much I'd be making after getting a college degree. But honestly it's better than nothing and sadly enough, about four times as much as my current "salary." The GTA's in the Art History department usually work in the slide room, preparing slides for classes, give tours at the museum, and assist professors in grading undergraduate papers and tests. I would love that! The more I look into graduate school, the more I want to go! At this point I'm thinking about just getting a Master's, and possibly finding work in a museum, not necessarily as a curator, but more in the background part of things.

I also asked the director about what kind of qualities he looks for in a student applying to the program. He said that a lot of emphasis is on knowing how to write well (why they ask for a writing sample) and having good verbal skills. For my reference letters, I'm going to ask Janzen to write one for me of course, and I even thought of my English 300 professor, Raylene. She would provide a good report on my writing skills, and she really liked me. ;) haha, so that helps! I asked Dr. Janzen after class today if she would help me write my professional statement and with other various parts of the application, and she told me she would be happy to do so. I love her!

When I got to my Art of Africa class, we were originally going to review the images in our chapter for today, but I ran into Janzen just before I got to Garvey. She was bending over, trying to get a white hair off of her black skirt; I don't think she even noticed the dog running loose on campus as he brushed up against her. She's adorable! She said she was heading over to the Union to pick up a copy of the New York Times for news in Africa. When she got to class, Reinhild said that she had been handed a copy of Invisible Children in the Union, calling it a "serendipitous meeting," and announced that we would be watching that instead of having a lecture. I saw Invisible Children four years ago here at Washburn, and honestly I feel like I was a much different person then. It was more powerful and moving for me to watch it this time.

The Incredibles' tiny designer lady

Edna Mode-- my Halloween inspiration. :)



I love her little proverbs... "I never look back, dahling, it distracts from the now."

Oh, Julia

I know that Julia Child is getting a lot of buzz right now, and maybe it's cliche now to write a blog about her, but I don't care. I am enchanted by her! I'm reading her My Life in France and have fallen in love with her and with the idea of France. Julia's husband Paul captured some really lovely photos-- I really love the ones she included. Reading a book like this is bittersweet-- I love the way Julia describes the sights, smells and tastes of Paris, but my envious side yearns to go and experience it all for myself. This is how she describes her first meal in Paris:

"I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection."

I first wanted to read My Life in France after seeing Julie and Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams with my dear friend Tricia. We both loved Meryl Streep's character in this movie, and you could see Julia perfectly through her. Julia was fascinating-- a perfect blend of compassion, joy, chatter, honesty and robust laughter. She is one of the most well-known chefs and she began by barely knowing anything about cooking. I left the theater enchanted by Julia Child, her photographer husband Paul, and by lovely 1950's France. The book is better. Not only do I love Julia's descriptions that create vivid mental pictures of Paris, my mouth never stops watering!

Houses in Trees

When I was eight, I asked my dad to build me a tree house. I went to the library, looking for books that would give me the best ideas for a design of my very own. I always thought they were such magical sources of wonder and mystery. I think having a tree house growing up definitely helped me develop a better sense of imagination, imagining other magical fantasy worlds. I only had to climb up the rope ladder and suddenly I had a place in the air, sitting on my platform that separated me from the tops of little bushes and trees. Here are some other ones I LOVE, the last of which is a well-known building project in New Zealand:

A million different things on my mind other than my paper...

Soft cushy pillows. Warm blankets. Enchanting mushrooms. Fairy dust. Old books. Epic stories. KU. Growing up. PhD. H20. Feist. Vermeer. Yatates. Union. One perfectly sewn heart. Longing. Hollow. Uncertainty. New friendships. Colleagues. Checklists. Fresh language. Impatience. Long-suffering. One-sided. Tree frogs. Edna. Arnolfini. Missing Roswell. Wanting/fearing change. Feeling inferior. Tulips. Pumpkin Spice. Roses. Milk Chocolate. Tired eyes. Pictarone. Red coats. Grace. Redemption. Old bridges. New beginnings. Individuality. Possibilities.....

On the bike again

Emily and I biked down the Quinton Heights hill this afternoon, without helmets, of course.......... aaaaaaaaaaand, it was absolutely terrifying!

It is cold!

As much as I love the Lumberjacket and am fully devoted to it, I have found myself shivering in it as of late. It just isn't sufficient in this cold weather! And believe it or not, my regular coat is beautiful but also not very warm. It is definitely hard to pick the perfect blend of fashion and practicality. Here are some options I'm considering:

The manila mystery

Do you ever use manila envelopes?

I rarely do. I didn't even know where to find them at the store, but I fortunately found one at my dad's desk that I used to turn in all of my Peru stuff to the International House. I didn't even know that place existed actually until I found out that's where I had to turn in my application. Crazy! The things you learn after going to the same school for five years.

Anyhow... I scrambled around all morning trying to get everything together at the last minute-- medical release form, copy of passport, copy of transcript, reference letters (I even got a very nice one from Janzen!), WTE Declaration. I was walking out of Morgan for seriously about the fourth time this morning, happy I was finally done and proudly carrying everything in my huge manila envelope. On my way out, I walked by a guy who was also carrying a manila envelope! I felt like there was an immediate connection or that we could be manila friends, because who buys those? Who needs them on a daily basis? Who are those people? Lots of businesses use them all the time, but for me, they are used very rarely. They are quite handy.

My Peru application is in, and done, which means I got to cross off a whole bunch of things on my to-do list. Everything else will eventually get done! It will all be fine.

A renewed passion for learning

Remember Mercedes from Human Impact class? As I went from Garvey to my car in the circle parking lot, I was walking quickly, shuffling my little feet to get out of the cold. I lift up my head by the bell tower, and I spot Mercedes, rolling backpack and all, walk right by me! I instantly got a big smile on my face. I haven't seen her since last December. Delight!

In other news, I'm rethinking graduate school again... meaning, I'm considering going to grad school next Fall. I'd really like to go to KU, but I should really apply to more than one place in case they don't want me! UMKC is my other consideration. If I'm going to be really serious about this, I need to get going on upcoming deadlines with the GRE and all this other craziness. I started considering grad school again, because I think teaching art history is something I'm really interested in. Hartley, my first art history professor, taught in such a way that invigorated me. I got goosebumps all the time in his class just through the amazing way that he would explain art works. Last night when I was working late at the museum, I walked down the hall on my break and just stood outside Hartley's class for a little while, experiencing that same passion for art history when I was a student in his class. I've never had a professor like that, and I think it's really a shame that he only teaches survey classes.

Today for Art Criticism, we were each paired up with one or two people in discussing a particular philosophical essay from our textbook. This is the first college class that I've genuinely felt like a collegian, a real academic! There's about eight other girls in there and most of us have had classes with each other before, so it's nice to have that comfortable familiarity. This is my sixth class with Janzen, I can hardly believe it!

Anyhow, all this to say that I'm enjoying school again, no matter how crazy stressed out I am. I want to learn all I can about art history. The end.

I loved spending time with my giggling friends Rachel and Tricia last night. :) I love you girls!

Just a quick one...

I was sitting in both of my classes, furiously taking notes and actually engaging in the lecture for probably the first time all semester. Good thing it's hitting me now, halfway through! I'll take anything at this point. And now I'm on my break between class and work, and this is usually a time I would take for messing on facebook, doing pointless things, wasting time, but I am actually going to start on homework NOW before the museum! I feel motivated and goal-oriented. Bring it.

On the Mind...

I feel like I'm juggling a million things right now, trying to maintain a social life, barely keeping up with school, working two jobs, Bible studies, constantly going from one thing to the next. I'd like to prioritize, but honestly I don't know what needs to go. School started two months ago, and honestly I never feel like I was ready for it. I'm definitely not giving it the time I really need to, which leads to pulling all-nighters in my procrastination. I think above all else, I really need to give school a big priority. It's crazy to think that last year school was really all I did, and now I just try to fit it in where I can.

I really don't like being a busy person. I look forward to Monday's because it's my only day where I don't work at either job usually, I only have two classes, and a huge chunk in the afternoon free. The rest of the week is taken up by going from one place to the next-- school, work, home, back to school, on to the museum-- it's very exhausting! I don't know why it's so hard to focus this semester, I don't know what the problem is. On top of it all, I haven't been making time for Jesus time, which I so desperately need! I try to fill my life up with everything else that doesn't satisfy, when I really just need Him so much. It's really hard to follow Him and to live a life that truly glorifies Him. I get so tired of my roller coaster of my walk with Him. I so want to constantly be growing closer to Him, not up and down like it has been for a while. I'd really like an older woman to mentor me, I think that might help my growth a lot. A lot of it too is knowing where to read in the Bible. I feel lost in that area. I usually just read from the New Testament, but what I'd really like is to keep it fresh, to learn new things, to get a different perspective on something I've read a hundred times.

On a study break, I decided to focus on something I could control-- cleaning my room. I put a ton of clothes away, threw things in the trash, swept the floor and now I don't feel quite as crazy. I think if anything your bedroom should be a peaceful place! I still need to decorate and put pictures on the walls and everything.

I hope I can stay up tonight and try to get more done on my essay exam. I'm almost done with my third cup of coffee tonight, and I feel like a lot of my energy is gone. I'm going to try and drudge through it tonight so tomorrow won't be quite as stressful.

Almost time, kids...

So, Spring Semester classes are already listed on the Washburn site, and I think I pretty much have my schedule figured out.... Here's what I'm thinking at this point (and please note that this will be my LAST semester at Washburn! Exciting!!!)...

1.Early Modern Art (cubism, impressionism, expressionism, etc. All the ism's basically)
2. Art of the Americas
3. Spanish Composition
4. Literature for Young Adults
5. Spanish Translation
6. Kansas History or Social Psychology

Another 18ish hour semester, but then I will be DONE, and I'm gonna have a big PARTY to celebrate! And you're all invited!

Enchantments

Today is the first day of October! I woke up and genuinely felt the same way as if it were my birthday, sheer excitement! October is magical-- the brisk air becomes more apparent, the leaves turn a beautiful array of golden tones, hot drinks taste that much more amazing, corn mazes, pumpkins and of course you have all month to look forward to Halloween! I'm thinking of having a party at my house that night. What are your plans?


There are small moments when I'm on the bike where I think just by glancing over at something for a second, I have an immortal image burned on my brain the rest of the day. I rode home from school yesterday going down the sidewalk on Huntoon, facing the speeding cars going down the opposite direction. I felt like I was totally protected just by a small curb and a sidewalk, even though I felt a bit like a fish swimming upstream. It's a bit intimidating facing a hundred bumpers all coming at you. I glanced over once to my right when I heard the sound of little boys shouting, and captured an immortal moment in my brain: A pair of boys were sword fighting using large sticks, slapping the wood together to make a curiously loud contact sound. I felt like they should be wearing tiny prince crowns. Fencing is timeless! It reminded me of this magical Glosoli video. I think when I have kids someday I will not own a television for a while simply so that they can nurture their imaginations a bit.

Another small moment was as I was racing down another street, my slightly puffy sleeve caught the wind, and I glanced over and saw it billowing. I couldn't help but smile like a crazy person, smiling at their own sleeve! Later when Emily and I were flying down Indian Hills, I looked over and saw a large patch of corn blazing with the light of the sun. I couldn't take my eyes off of that beautiful sight!