Camp.

Not really sure how these two things correlated, but today at church, i was looking at the stained glass widows. It had been a gray, dreary morning (the best) and the effect it had on the windows was phenomenal. Along with the music we were singing and it was pure bliss. The strange part, i had the biggest desire to be at camp and i have been thinking about how wonderful it will be all day long. Oh, summer, go on and hurry up your arrival, please.

Mornings and School.

i just love early mornings. When i am the only one up and i can smell the coffee brewing, it just makes me so happy and content. My roommates get up shortly after i do for their 8:00 class, but i just need a few minutes by myself. This morning was exceptionally great. i was ready to head out to the high school class i have been observing, and had some time to just sit, read, and drink my coffee while watching the snow coming down outside. It is so much cozier when it is still dark out and the lamps are on; it makes you feel so content to sit in a warm living room while watching the snow come down. That is also why i love nighttime as well; that feeling of being home where it is oh so warm and cozy is the best feeling in the world for me.

With only three days left in my junior world studies class, i have decided that i have really enjoyed it. At first, i was scared that they would seem like they were my age and that i would not be adequate enough to be teaching in a high school classroom setting, but it has been surprising. They actually seem really young. i mean, really young and i have never had a hard time answering their questions. i have been shocked at how much detail i can remember certain events, so that has been a big relief for me.

Highlight of today: The students have been taking semester tests and they were not in my classroom at all today. The teacher and i were just correcting tests and he had been looking for a video to show to his senior class next semester. Well, he came across a video that was made by a student that used to cheat and the purpose of the video was to tell kids not to cheat, but he actually told how he used to do it, so i am not sure if it is actually the most effective video, but it was so funny. My cooperating teacher and i actually watched it twice and completely cracked up both times. It was phenomenal. Maybe it was funnier in the context of my classroom makeup, regardless, it was stinkin’ funny.

Have a Listen.

Confusing.

I'm feelin' this lately. This interim i will start my introduction to education classes and am sort of nervous that i will find out that teaching is not for me, which would result in utter loss of what to do with my life. The more i think about my idea of a book/coffee/antique store, the harder it is to get it out of my head. That store is my dream job. Who knows, maybe it will happen someday.

Sweet Louise.

I went with Brookie yesterday to run some errands and to just hangout and she introduced me to this band that opened for Blitzen Trapper and Dawes. They are fantastic. Seriously, I can't stop listening to them. If you need some car dancin' music, here you go! Here is just the first song from the album, but they are all simply, darling. Have a listen...

Nonsensical.

I am feeling irrational and nonsensical.

Today I am writing a major paper for my history class. There have been many times when I have planned my weekends to get homework done, but let's face it...I can't do much on Saturdays. I am convinced that Saturdays were not meant for homework; they were designed to take a break, have fun, and watch movies. I physically have a hard time actually doing homework. Oh man...

This paper that I am writing is a paper comparing and contrasting two early American colonies. First off, I hate comparing and contrasting. It's stupid. (me being irrational) Second, I am having a hard time getting the religious and economic side to run smoothly. I have all these ideas in my head, but cannot get them out in a manner that actually makes sense. Like, did you know that one of the main reasons the Great Awakening was so powerful, was that George Whitefield was able to advertise and cheaply produce his written works so that people showed up for his sermons? And he didn't do too well in the south because, well they were Anglican, and most of the people did not read or write and were too spread apart to have thousands come together to listen to him. Fascinating. Anyways, I will quit boring you with all this talk of the economy in the 1700s.

These next two weeks are going to be hectic and it is times like this that I wish that I could quit school and do something fascinating with my life. Oh well, it is snowing and I would quickly go for a night by a fireplace while reading instead of this. In two weeks I can! Oh happiness.

Lord, help me.

Well, since it has been more than two weeks since I last wrote, I decided it was time to finally write. I am sick...and I have no motivation...so that is making it very hard to get anything done. And, with one and a half weeks left of classes, I have no time to not have motivation.

Two weekends ago I went down to the little quiet town of Preston, where Dwight and Amy live. While at their house a couple of weeks earlier for Tate's birthday party, Amy invited me to go on a tour of B&B's, so two weekends ago I drove there and was greeted by the most hospitable little boy yelling out of the back door, "Come in, Gretchen! Would you like something to drink?" Tator Tot is too precious. For real, it takes a lot to be more precious than him. :) I came back for two days of classes before I was able to head home for Thanksgiving, which was sort of stressful as I was trying to write a couple of papers.

Once again, home was lovely. By the time it was time to go, I found myself wishing that I could just stay home until Christmas break. Now, I am stressing over how I am going to get a couple of big papers done by next Monday. Yikes...It's not hard for me to write when I actually know what I will be writing about. I actually love to write, but it is so hard to come up with topics. So, right now, I'm lost. With being sick and all, I just wish I could crawl up into my bed and sleep or watch movies until it is time to go home. Not sure if I will make it these next couple of years. Until spring of senior year, I will be taking 18 credits plus I will have two jobs. I wish I could be done now, how wonderful that would be.

On a different note, I want to make these. Mama, get ready, because we will be doing this when I get home for Christmas break!