Man, life has been hectic, I tell ya! Actually, let me tell ya...
Since I got back from India I've been pretty swamped. I started volunteering three days a week for Sanctuary Home (the business end of things here in Abilene, anyway), and I attend all the SH board meetings and take the minutes. I'm still coaching gymnastics about thirteen hours a week, I'm taking two English classes, one Spanish and one ESL class, I'm helping plan a fund-raiser for all the missions teams from Highland this year, I'm babysitting for a Bible study group on Sunday nights and most weekends I have another babysitting gig, too.
I'm forgetting something, but I don't know what. Oh. I'm also gearing up for grad school and having to petition to take more than 6 hours of grad credit before I technically finish my undergrad, and I have to figure out where and how I can take six more hours of Spanish before December (when I'm supposed to graduate) since neither ACU nor anyone else around here offers it in time. I'm trying to take it over the internet, but they seem to be finicky about learning a language online. Something about us needing to be able to say the words and not just read them. Baloney, in my opinion.
Anyway, life has been very busy but very good. However, the bad men did make me put Texas plates on my car. I am NOT happy. Neither is my car. The two days directly following the registration switch my normally well-behaved car acted up like that kid Mike Myers played in that one skit. The hyper hypo. You know... with the helmet and the leash holding him to the jungle gym? Yeah, like that. Apparently, my car is just as upset about this whole "Texas" thing as I am. Although tonight I did get an unintentional mini-sermon from one of the kids I babysit. We're sitting there playing with a wooden puzzle/map of the U.S. and the kid (we'll call him Glasses), takes all the puzzle pieces off except for Texas. As you can imagine, the three-year-old in me threw a fit. So I said, "Hey, if we're doing the states we're from, we have to put California on there, too. That's where I'm from." Glasses gave me an incredulous look, paused a second, then said, "Yeah, but that's not where you are. You have to be where you are. You have to be here." Darn you, small child with God's wisdom! I knew he was right so I said he could take California off the map, but he saw I was sad and so he flipped California upside down and attached the two states by their heads. All better!
It seems like all I ever get on here to do anymore is give short updates and then tell everyone when I'm coming home. This time is no exception, but I'm going to try to include more in-between stuff, too. I'll be home from March 13 to March 24, so get ready, kids! I'm totally psyched to see everyone, PLUS two of my friends from ACU are coming home with me! Yay!
Well, I must get to sleep, and then get right back to work!
See you all soon...
Peace,
Grace
P.S. Mom, can you tell I've been using the book you sent me? No misplaced hyphens here!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Hidee-ho, neighbors!
Okay, I know that's kind of a lie since most of you live pretty far from me, but you're definitely a lot closer since I came back to the States!
I really want to encourage all of you to go over to the Sanctuary Home blog and read about our experiences there. There's just too much for me to talk about in another blog, and besides, I was blogging over there while it was happening so everything I could say has been said best already. Even if you just skim through for my blogs, I really think you'll be blessed and challenged by what our team was a part of.
For now, it's.... weird to be back. I mean, it's good, but it's weird. I still keep dreaming about India. Every time I lay my head down I'm transported back to Tenali. Let me just share a couple pieces from my latest SH blog entry:
Life in Tenali really was something completely extraordinary and completely... other. On Sunday, Amanda, Jana and I just sat for a minute after class and talked about our re-entry into American life and how strange it's been. I mean, for two weeks I didn't have keys! I didn't drive a car, I didn't do laundry, I didn't have a cell phone or a laptop... and I had 75 younger brothers and sisters! When we tried to talk about the fact that the trip only lasted two weeks, Jana's eyes got big and she said "There is no way that was only two weeks. No way." She didn't say it in disbelief, either. She said it as a fact. That trip did not last two weeks. It lasted a whole other lifetime. I still dream about India and my family there and wake up a little confused as to where I am and where my Indian family has gone.
I never knew that I would be called to India. I always thought I was better suited to a cooler clime, but God knows best and I'm kinda dense, so I'm gonna go with it. I told the kids and the Palaparthi family when I left that I was going to put a jar on my desk to start saving up money so I could go back as soon as I can, and after I finish my grad work I would really like to spend time doing a long-term mission there. I can learn Telugu, teach the kids English, and help mediate between the Indian team and the American team. I know this is big, and I know it's rather fast to state my intention for such a big commitment, but if God is at all willing, I've got the desire and I've gotta go. I say this knowing that God knows better than I do (as I said, he's God and I'm dense) and that things may change according to what he wants me to do, but this just feels right.
My heart officially has an India-shaped hole.
For now, I'm just asking for prayers. Prayers for SH, for the kids there, for Isaac and Mary, for their daughters and Mary's brothers Rajanikanth and Anil, for Ray and Amanda, for SH's attempts to be granted Indian non-profit status, for the 8 new children we took in over the course of the trip, and for my future involvement with SH... whatever that may look like. I'm resigned to the fact that God is in charge and I don't get to say where I go or when, but this just feels like God's hand is over this, blessing this, and clearing the way for me to go back.
Quick story: Before I left for India I needed to sign up for one more class for the spring. I didn't have any requirements about what it had to cover, I just needed hours. I didn't want to take an intensive Bible class or another Literature class because it would just be too much work with the other classes I'm already taking, but I also didn't want to cop out and just take bowling or whatever. I had no idea what I was going to take, but as soon as I got back from India the idea to take a class about teaching English as a second language popped into my head. Now I had no idea if ACU offered that sort of class, if they offered it this semester, if you had to be an Education major to take it, if it was open, if it would conflict with my work schedule.... yada yada yada. Basically, there were 12 billion ways in which that could have not worked out, and just one small window in which it would. Guess what, suckas? I'm enrolled in the Teaching English as a Second Language class! How freaking exciting is that? The way that popped into my head and how it worked out against all odds (especially since they apparently only offer it every once in a while) just reinforces for me that one of these days I'll be headed back to Tenali to stay.
At least for a while. :)
Welp, love you guys. I should go back to sleep. I'm still having trouble adjusting off of India time so I tend to fall asleep everywhere during the day (I'm working on that) and wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I'm going to go toast myself some tasty Pop-Tarts, climb back into bed, indulge and snooze.
Peace and love.
I really want to encourage all of you to go over to the Sanctuary Home blog and read about our experiences there. There's just too much for me to talk about in another blog, and besides, I was blogging over there while it was happening so everything I could say has been said best already. Even if you just skim through for my blogs, I really think you'll be blessed and challenged by what our team was a part of.
For now, it's.... weird to be back. I mean, it's good, but it's weird. I still keep dreaming about India. Every time I lay my head down I'm transported back to Tenali. Let me just share a couple pieces from my latest SH blog entry:
Life in Tenali really was something completely extraordinary and completely... other. On Sunday, Amanda, Jana and I just sat for a minute after class and talked about our re-entry into American life and how strange it's been. I mean, for two weeks I didn't have keys! I didn't drive a car, I didn't do laundry, I didn't have a cell phone or a laptop... and I had 75 younger brothers and sisters! When we tried to talk about the fact that the trip only lasted two weeks, Jana's eyes got big and she said "There is no way that was only two weeks. No way." She didn't say it in disbelief, either. She said it as a fact. That trip did not last two weeks. It lasted a whole other lifetime. I still dream about India and my family there and wake up a little confused as to where I am and where my Indian family has gone.
I never knew that I would be called to India. I always thought I was better suited to a cooler clime, but God knows best and I'm kinda dense, so I'm gonna go with it. I told the kids and the Palaparthi family when I left that I was going to put a jar on my desk to start saving up money so I could go back as soon as I can, and after I finish my grad work I would really like to spend time doing a long-term mission there. I can learn Telugu, teach the kids English, and help mediate between the Indian team and the American team. I know this is big, and I know it's rather fast to state my intention for such a big commitment, but if God is at all willing, I've got the desire and I've gotta go. I say this knowing that God knows better than I do (as I said, he's God and I'm dense) and that things may change according to what he wants me to do, but this just feels right.
My heart officially has an India-shaped hole.
For now, I'm just asking for prayers. Prayers for SH, for the kids there, for Isaac and Mary, for their daughters and Mary's brothers Rajanikanth and Anil, for Ray and Amanda, for SH's attempts to be granted Indian non-profit status, for the 8 new children we took in over the course of the trip, and for my future involvement with SH... whatever that may look like. I'm resigned to the fact that God is in charge and I don't get to say where I go or when, but this just feels like God's hand is over this, blessing this, and clearing the way for me to go back.
Quick story: Before I left for India I needed to sign up for one more class for the spring. I didn't have any requirements about what it had to cover, I just needed hours. I didn't want to take an intensive Bible class or another Literature class because it would just be too much work with the other classes I'm already taking, but I also didn't want to cop out and just take bowling or whatever. I had no idea what I was going to take, but as soon as I got back from India the idea to take a class about teaching English as a second language popped into my head. Now I had no idea if ACU offered that sort of class, if they offered it this semester, if you had to be an Education major to take it, if it was open, if it would conflict with my work schedule.... yada yada yada. Basically, there were 12 billion ways in which that could have not worked out, and just one small window in which it would. Guess what, suckas? I'm enrolled in the Teaching English as a Second Language class! How freaking exciting is that? The way that popped into my head and how it worked out against all odds (especially since they apparently only offer it every once in a while) just reinforces for me that one of these days I'll be headed back to Tenali to stay.
At least for a while. :)
Welp, love you guys. I should go back to sleep. I'm still having trouble adjusting off of India time so I tend to fall asleep everywhere during the day (I'm working on that) and wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I'm going to go toast myself some tasty Pop-Tarts, climb back into bed, indulge and snooze.
Peace and love.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Vandanamaalu!
Greetings from India! I'm not going to blog right now, but head on over to the Sanctuary Home blog and read all about our incredible adventures and see pictures of us and the kids. I miss and love you all and I'll see you soon!
Peace and love,
Grace.
Peace and love,
Grace.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Can you feel the love tonight?
Okay, did anybody else really and truly love that song? Not just in a "Disney songs are catchy and cute" way, but in a "Yes, yes I can feel the love tonight! Simba and Nala are so meant for each other!" way.
No? Just me? Moving on, then...
Right now I'm waiting for the peach cobbler I made (read: bought frozen at the store and popped in the oven) to finish baking, so I decided to do a shout-out blog entry to the amazing women who comprise my blogosphere.
First of all, I have to give a shout-out to the original blog shouter-outer: Miss Christy. She is ever so fantabulous, and here are just a few of the many reasons why: She is wise and mature beyond her years and loves her God with a fully individualized faith. Her faith is one that has been questioned, nurtured, struggled with, lovingly tended to and driven by a sincere personal desire to know God better. Alongside this is Christy's love for people, especially those who are "out of the norm." Her love, joy and inner beauty spill over into all aspects of her life and onto those lucky enough to be around her, and she is someone whom I can look to as an example. Plus, she knits some truly amazing creations. Jealous!!
Bethany is my sister and my ever-brave pathfinder. She has lead my younger sister and I by example and unerring courage throughout our lives, and has always been an example of the kind of responsible, loving, hardworking, hardplaying, quirky woman and avid sports fan I aspire to be. Perhaps the biggest way she has set the example for me is in her choice of husband, so Danny's going to get an honorary mention on here even though he isn't a lady. D-Fitty is so freaking cool, and has helped me to feel loved and accepted into my sister's new life. I love having a brother, and someday I hope I can be part of a ministry team much like Fitels.
Evie-Baby! The fourth Hall sister! Eve is awesome because she is so intrinsically motivated to do great things with her life. She's run a marathon, biked 100 miles to benefit charity, and is doing it all over again in November! She bakes, she hosts Bible studies, she climbs Half Dome, she puts up with my attempts to freak her out -- is there anything this mega-babe DOESN'T do? Eve is such a special part of my family and didn't even get mad when my Study Abroad session this summer meant that our longer Ireland '08 trip would have to become a shorter Oxford '08 trip. When I think of Eve, I think of giggles, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.
Pat is my second mom, and has been such a source of beauty and love in my life. When I wear her jewelry I don't just feel pretty, I feel loved and cared for. She and her husband have undertaken a huge project to turn a run-down house with masses of potential into a beautiful Victorian dream home in San Antonio. It helps me so much to know that you are so close and so willing to be there for me when I'm so far from my family. That sentence used the word "so" a lot, but that's how Pat is! She's not sweet, she's SO sweet. She's not thoughtful, she's SO thoughtful. Pat is just so so so so so!
Adelle is just too cool. I actually haven't been able to spend that much time with Adelle in person, but our mutual blog-checking keeps us up to speed on each other's lives, and I could not be more excited about the addition of little Scrappy-Doo to the Gabe clan. You are a wonderful encourager, a fantastic mom, a strong lady, and a beautiful soul. May God protect and bless your growing family of Gabes!
Katie is one of my good friends out here in Abilene and I joke with her that she's just like me, only better. She bakes (instead of fake-baking), she reads even more than I do, she drinks tea all the time, is a published author and is just too freaking cute. Katie is an encouragement to me in that I'm not the only one who thinks books are as essential to living as bread and water, and people love her for it. Currently she's over in Oxford working on her Master's (see -- me, only a little further ahead) and having a grand old time, and Abilene just isn't the same without her. Katie, my dear, your fiancé and I miss you terribly and want you to come back to Abilene soon. No, nix that -- I wish I could go be with you in Oxford and out of this dry, flat little town for a bit!
Honorable mention goes to my Mom and Dad. Mom doesn't have a blog and Dad isn't a lady, but they're just too fabulous not to mention. Thanks for all your support and love -- I always know who my number one fans are. Here's to (almost) 24 years of keeping me grounded and loving me for being the weird little kid I am.
Yaaaaaaaaaay! Love fest! I feel like we should all be hippies and live in an eco-friendly commune and grow our own food and wear shoes made of hemp and not bathe for days at a time!
Okay, maybe not that last one, but you know what I mean.
Much love to all...
P.S. The cobbler was so good I just may have a crush on it. Mrs. Smith's Classic Peach Cobbler. Go. Buy. Eat. Die of happiness.
No? Just me? Moving on, then...
Right now I'm waiting for the peach cobbler I made (read: bought frozen at the store and popped in the oven) to finish baking, so I decided to do a shout-out blog entry to the amazing women who comprise my blogosphere.
First of all, I have to give a shout-out to the original blog shouter-outer: Miss Christy. She is ever so fantabulous, and here are just a few of the many reasons why: She is wise and mature beyond her years and loves her God with a fully individualized faith. Her faith is one that has been questioned, nurtured, struggled with, lovingly tended to and driven by a sincere personal desire to know God better. Alongside this is Christy's love for people, especially those who are "out of the norm." Her love, joy and inner beauty spill over into all aspects of her life and onto those lucky enough to be around her, and she is someone whom I can look to as an example. Plus, she knits some truly amazing creations. Jealous!!
Bethany is my sister and my ever-brave pathfinder. She has lead my younger sister and I by example and unerring courage throughout our lives, and has always been an example of the kind of responsible, loving, hardworking, hardplaying, quirky woman and avid sports fan I aspire to be. Perhaps the biggest way she has set the example for me is in her choice of husband, so Danny's going to get an honorary mention on here even though he isn't a lady. D-Fitty is so freaking cool, and has helped me to feel loved and accepted into my sister's new life. I love having a brother, and someday I hope I can be part of a ministry team much like Fitels.
Evie-Baby! The fourth Hall sister! Eve is awesome because she is so intrinsically motivated to do great things with her life. She's run a marathon, biked 100 miles to benefit charity, and is doing it all over again in November! She bakes, she hosts Bible studies, she climbs Half Dome, she puts up with my attempts to freak her out -- is there anything this mega-babe DOESN'T do? Eve is such a special part of my family and didn't even get mad when my Study Abroad session this summer meant that our longer Ireland '08 trip would have to become a shorter Oxford '08 trip. When I think of Eve, I think of giggles, and that's ALWAYS a good thing.
Pat is my second mom, and has been such a source of beauty and love in my life. When I wear her jewelry I don't just feel pretty, I feel loved and cared for. She and her husband have undertaken a huge project to turn a run-down house with masses of potential into a beautiful Victorian dream home in San Antonio. It helps me so much to know that you are so close and so willing to be there for me when I'm so far from my family. That sentence used the word "so" a lot, but that's how Pat is! She's not sweet, she's SO sweet. She's not thoughtful, she's SO thoughtful. Pat is just so so so so so!
Adelle is just too cool. I actually haven't been able to spend that much time with Adelle in person, but our mutual blog-checking keeps us up to speed on each other's lives, and I could not be more excited about the addition of little Scrappy-Doo to the Gabe clan. You are a wonderful encourager, a fantastic mom, a strong lady, and a beautiful soul. May God protect and bless your growing family of Gabes!
Katie is one of my good friends out here in Abilene and I joke with her that she's just like me, only better. She bakes (instead of fake-baking), she reads even more than I do, she drinks tea all the time, is a published author and is just too freaking cute. Katie is an encouragement to me in that I'm not the only one who thinks books are as essential to living as bread and water, and people love her for it. Currently she's over in Oxford working on her Master's (see -- me, only a little further ahead) and having a grand old time, and Abilene just isn't the same without her. Katie, my dear, your fiancé and I miss you terribly and want you to come back to Abilene soon. No, nix that -- I wish I could go be with you in Oxford and out of this dry, flat little town for a bit!Honorable mention goes to my Mom and Dad. Mom doesn't have a blog and Dad isn't a lady, but they're just too fabulous not to mention. Thanks for all your support and love -- I always know who my number one fans are. Here's to (almost) 24 years of keeping me grounded and loving me for being the weird little kid I am.
Yaaaaaaaaaay! Love fest! I feel like we should all be hippies and live in an eco-friendly commune and grow our own food and wear shoes made of hemp and not bathe for days at a time!
Okay, maybe not that last one, but you know what I mean.
Much love to all...
P.S. The cobbler was so good I just may have a crush on it. Mrs. Smith's Classic Peach Cobbler. Go. Buy. Eat. Die of happiness.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Oopsie.
Wow, it's been waaaaay too long since I've posted. Sorry about that! Life has been crazy lately. It's actually been a pretty rough and stressful start to the semester, but things are getting more settled now.
This'll have to be quick (sorry, B!!), but I PROMISE a more worthy update soon.
I just wanted to let everybody know for real about my trip to India that's coming up in December. I'm going through Highland Church of Christ to work with Sanctuary Home, an orphanage in Tenali, India that was started by Ray and Amanda Pettit, a couple at Highland. One reason I've been so busy is because we put on a big Night in India dinner to raise funds for the trip and it was spectacular. Normally when you do a big event like that your ideas start out big and slowly have to get cut down to a reasonable size. With this event, though, all our big ideas just kept getting bigger and bigger. That's NEVER happened to me before, so I know it's gotta be God blessing this trip and the team that's been put together.
I'm going to be focusing on getting to know six orphans while I'm out there. I'm already learning their names and praying for them, and would love it if those of you who feel compelled would join me in that. The kids are Babblu (Koti), Elizabeth, Solmon, Harshanihanth (the Bible group that sponsors him nicknamed him Harry, so you can, too), Malathi and Anusha.
Elizabeth, Solmon, Harshanihanth and Anusha don't have their own pages yet, so you'll have to look through the page of new kids to see their pictures and learn their stories. Unfortunately, Anusha isn't sponsored yet so I'm actually not sure if I'll get to work with her -- kids can't be taken into the home until they're sponsored, so she's still living on her own. This is a background I made for my computer with all of their pictures and names if that's easier for you:
If you're interested in sponsoring one of the 6 kids who don't have a sponsor yet, or just want more information about Sanctuary Home, check out their website. I'm so excited about this and can't wait to get over there and get my hands dirty. If you're of the praying type, please be praying for our trip, our team, and especially these kids. They've all dealt with some truly tough stuff, but hopefully this trip will be part of the healing process for these kids.
And now for something completely different:
My 24th birthday is rapidly approaching, and I have decided that this year I will be throwing an "Over The Hill" bash in honor of my decrepitude. Everyone has to come dressed in all black and the place will be decked out with Halloween decorations. Hey, if I have to be officially mid-20s, I'm going to do it in style.
Bedtime, kids! More soon!
This'll have to be quick (sorry, B!!), but I PROMISE a more worthy update soon.
I just wanted to let everybody know for real about my trip to India that's coming up in December. I'm going through Highland Church of Christ to work with Sanctuary Home, an orphanage in Tenali, India that was started by Ray and Amanda Pettit, a couple at Highland. One reason I've been so busy is because we put on a big Night in India dinner to raise funds for the trip and it was spectacular. Normally when you do a big event like that your ideas start out big and slowly have to get cut down to a reasonable size. With this event, though, all our big ideas just kept getting bigger and bigger. That's NEVER happened to me before, so I know it's gotta be God blessing this trip and the team that's been put together.
I'm going to be focusing on getting to know six orphans while I'm out there. I'm already learning their names and praying for them, and would love it if those of you who feel compelled would join me in that. The kids are Babblu (Koti), Elizabeth, Solmon, Harshanihanth (the Bible group that sponsors him nicknamed him Harry, so you can, too), Malathi and Anusha.
Elizabeth, Solmon, Harshanihanth and Anusha don't have their own pages yet, so you'll have to look through the page of new kids to see their pictures and learn their stories. Unfortunately, Anusha isn't sponsored yet so I'm actually not sure if I'll get to work with her -- kids can't be taken into the home until they're sponsored, so she's still living on her own. This is a background I made for my computer with all of their pictures and names if that's easier for you:
If you're interested in sponsoring one of the 6 kids who don't have a sponsor yet, or just want more information about Sanctuary Home, check out their website. I'm so excited about this and can't wait to get over there and get my hands dirty. If you're of the praying type, please be praying for our trip, our team, and especially these kids. They've all dealt with some truly tough stuff, but hopefully this trip will be part of the healing process for these kids.
And now for something completely different:
My 24th birthday is rapidly approaching, and I have decided that this year I will be throwing an "Over The Hill" bash in honor of my decrepitude. Everyone has to come dressed in all black and the place will be decked out with Halloween decorations. Hey, if I have to be officially mid-20s, I'm going to do it in style.
Bedtime, kids! More soon!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
This one's for you, Bethany Leigh!
Hey, kids! Sorry I've neglected you. Bad college student! Bad!
Alright, what to tell... The weather out here has been crazy! It's rained pretty much every day for the last three weeks or something ridiculous like that when normally it's up in the 100s by early June! So far the temp's been hovering in the high 80's which is truly a God-send for me. For those that don't know, I coach gymnastics and also happen to get heatstroke easily. So to be coaching, in Abilene, in summer, in a gym with no AC -- pretty much everybody was worried. With all the rain, though, it's been super nice and I've been staying cool by wearing these neck band thingies. I actually wear one around my neck and one around my forehead like Rambo. I look ridiculous but MAN does it feel good. It's been an ongoing joke at work that God's been making it rain just for me, and the other day I started walking around singing "Jesus loves me, this I know... For the weather tells me so..." Catchy, right? I think I'm pretty clever!
What else, what else.... Um, last month was my really good friend Brianna's 21st birthday so we went to her hometown in Dallas to hang out with her friends and go dancing. It was so much fun. We went to this one place called Gloria's that has salsa dancing and I had a blast! The second we got on the dance floor a middle-aged Latino/Hispanic guy (I'm sorry, I try to be PC but I still get confused on that one) asked me to dance. I told him I wasn't very good, but I figured out that if you have someone leading you who knows what he's doing, you don't have to know what you're doing! He was AWESOME. I got dipped, twirled, swooshed and I pretty much looked like a fantabulous dancer. Suckas!! After that, though, this strange Asian man who had to be in his 60s grabbed me (didn't ask, mind you, just grabbed me) and pulled me onto the dance floor. You know how normally when a guy leads and he wants you to turn he'll put slight pressure on your back? Yeah, this guy didn't do that. I was pushed, pulled, shoved, yanked and basically tossed about on the dance floor like a rag doll. That wasn't as much fun.
Okay, one confession. I've always prided myself on being the kind of girl who won't say no to one guy (unless I'm honest and tell him I don't want to dance with him) and then turn right around and dance with someone else. However, I broke that rule straight down the middle that night. A couple of guys asked me and my friends to dance, but we were honestly so hot and tired that we needed a break and needed some air. As we were turning away I felt this very gentle hand touch my fingers. At first I thought someone had just brushed into me, but as I turned around this totally gorgeous Latin guy was holding my hand and asking me to dance. My brain turned to mush and I mumbled something to my friends about holding my purse. I almost said no on principle, but he was just cute enough and apparently I'm just shallow enough to ignore said principles.
It was nice. *sigh*
Anyway, on to less nauseating news.
Actually, I think that's it. That's kinda sad, huh? I've just been spending all my time reading. I'm taking two literature classes this summer so I had to read 7 books in June and I'll have to read another 7 in July. These aren't your average novels, either. Three of the books this past month were the Grapes of Wrath (weighing in at a hefty 455 pages), For Whom The Bell Tolls (at 471), and The Last of the Mohicans (at 415). Interesting stuff, but very time-consuming!
I wanna say Happy Anniversary to Bethany and Danny who are officially an old married couple now, having past the one-year mark. May you grow old together and bicker frequently about what to have for dinner.
To close, I'm including some pictures of what my apartment looks like right now because I know my mom likes to imagine what my surroundings look like when I talk to her on the phone. So here you go, Mom. If you don't care what my apartment looks like, then fine. Go suck a pickle.
My fridge. These are a few of my favorite things!
My Harry Potter books and Canadian shot glass collections. I love Canada just a little bit if you couldn't tell.
You can't read the writing on the shirt over my TV, but it says "Think outside the box" and there's a picture of a TV. Get it? Get it!? It's like a joke, but it's also deep.
And in the continuing saga of "Grace has weird dreams," I had a dream one night about getting in trouble for calling my co-worker a woman, penguins, a pirate captain who plundered printing supplies and kidnapped people to make them fall in love and a Drew Barrymore movie (all one dream). I woke up in the middle of the night and stumbled into the bathroom where I wrote it on the mirror in dry-erase marker. If you can make sense of it I'll give you ten bucks. Here's a picture of the manuscript.
Oh, and one more thing. From time to time the realization that the Harry Potter movie and book are only a few days away swoops down on me like a panic attack and wherever I am, whatever I am doing, I have to physically restrain myself from screaming and flailing my arms like a little girl. Such an outburst was very narrowly avoided today during a very serious scene of a movie we were watching for my Lit class.
I need a HP fix quick or I'm freaking going to explode.
Alright, what to tell... The weather out here has been crazy! It's rained pretty much every day for the last three weeks or something ridiculous like that when normally it's up in the 100s by early June! So far the temp's been hovering in the high 80's which is truly a God-send for me. For those that don't know, I coach gymnastics and also happen to get heatstroke easily. So to be coaching, in Abilene, in summer, in a gym with no AC -- pretty much everybody was worried. With all the rain, though, it's been super nice and I've been staying cool by wearing these neck band thingies. I actually wear one around my neck and one around my forehead like Rambo. I look ridiculous but MAN does it feel good. It's been an ongoing joke at work that God's been making it rain just for me, and the other day I started walking around singing "Jesus loves me, this I know... For the weather tells me so..." Catchy, right? I think I'm pretty clever!
What else, what else.... Um, last month was my really good friend Brianna's 21st birthday so we went to her hometown in Dallas to hang out with her friends and go dancing. It was so much fun. We went to this one place called Gloria's that has salsa dancing and I had a blast! The second we got on the dance floor a middle-aged Latino/Hispanic guy (I'm sorry, I try to be PC but I still get confused on that one) asked me to dance. I told him I wasn't very good, but I figured out that if you have someone leading you who knows what he's doing, you don't have to know what you're doing! He was AWESOME. I got dipped, twirled, swooshed and I pretty much looked like a fantabulous dancer. Suckas!! After that, though, this strange Asian man who had to be in his 60s grabbed me (didn't ask, mind you, just grabbed me) and pulled me onto the dance floor. You know how normally when a guy leads and he wants you to turn he'll put slight pressure on your back? Yeah, this guy didn't do that. I was pushed, pulled, shoved, yanked and basically tossed about on the dance floor like a rag doll. That wasn't as much fun.
Okay, one confession. I've always prided myself on being the kind of girl who won't say no to one guy (unless I'm honest and tell him I don't want to dance with him) and then turn right around and dance with someone else. However, I broke that rule straight down the middle that night. A couple of guys asked me and my friends to dance, but we were honestly so hot and tired that we needed a break and needed some air. As we were turning away I felt this very gentle hand touch my fingers. At first I thought someone had just brushed into me, but as I turned around this totally gorgeous Latin guy was holding my hand and asking me to dance. My brain turned to mush and I mumbled something to my friends about holding my purse. I almost said no on principle, but he was just cute enough and apparently I'm just shallow enough to ignore said principles.
It was nice. *sigh*
Anyway, on to less nauseating news.
Actually, I think that's it. That's kinda sad, huh? I've just been spending all my time reading. I'm taking two literature classes this summer so I had to read 7 books in June and I'll have to read another 7 in July. These aren't your average novels, either. Three of the books this past month were the Grapes of Wrath (weighing in at a hefty 455 pages), For Whom The Bell Tolls (at 471), and The Last of the Mohicans (at 415). Interesting stuff, but very time-consuming!
I wanna say Happy Anniversary to Bethany and Danny who are officially an old married couple now, having past the one-year mark. May you grow old together and bicker frequently about what to have for dinner.
To close, I'm including some pictures of what my apartment looks like right now because I know my mom likes to imagine what my surroundings look like when I talk to her on the phone. So here you go, Mom. If you don't care what my apartment looks like, then fine. Go suck a pickle.
My fridge. These are a few of my favorite things!
My Harry Potter books and Canadian shot glass collections. I love Canada just a little bit if you couldn't tell.
You can't read the writing on the shirt over my TV, but it says "Think outside the box" and there's a picture of a TV. Get it? Get it!? It's like a joke, but it's also deep.
And in the continuing saga of "Grace has weird dreams," I had a dream one night about getting in trouble for calling my co-worker a woman, penguins, a pirate captain who plundered printing supplies and kidnapped people to make them fall in love and a Drew Barrymore movie (all one dream). I woke up in the middle of the night and stumbled into the bathroom where I wrote it on the mirror in dry-erase marker. If you can make sense of it I'll give you ten bucks. Here's a picture of the manuscript.
Oh, and one more thing. From time to time the realization that the Harry Potter movie and book are only a few days away swoops down on me like a panic attack and wherever I am, whatever I am doing, I have to physically restrain myself from screaming and flailing my arms like a little girl. Such an outburst was very narrowly avoided today during a very serious scene of a movie we were watching for my Lit class.
I need a HP fix quick or I'm freaking going to explode.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Incoming!!!!
Okay, real quick:
I know I owe you guys a blog, and there's actually been lots to tell, but things have been crazy, as usual. I finished finals and ended the semester with good grades and things are on track for me to go to India over Christmas break to work with an orphanage out there so all in all things are awesome! Sorry if some of you didn't know that I'm going to India (Trisha had no idea until I mentioned something flippantly yesterday) -- but I am! Wheee!
And this just in -- I'm coming home!! I didn't think I'd be able to come home at all this summer, but ladies and gents, I will be in California this coming Sunday to the following Saturday. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat! Holler!
No, seriously. Holler at me if you want to hang out.
See you all soon! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Woot!
I know I owe you guys a blog, and there's actually been lots to tell, but things have been crazy, as usual. I finished finals and ended the semester with good grades and things are on track for me to go to India over Christmas break to work with an orphanage out there so all in all things are awesome! Sorry if some of you didn't know that I'm going to India (Trisha had no idea until I mentioned something flippantly yesterday) -- but I am! Wheee!
And this just in -- I'm coming home!! I didn't think I'd be able to come home at all this summer, but ladies and gents, I will be in California this coming Sunday to the following Saturday. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat! Holler!
No, seriously. Holler at me if you want to hang out.
See you all soon! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Woot!
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