Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Books: a love, hate relationship.


It has been forever and a day since i last wrote. Camp is over once again and i am back at school, reading my days away. Once again, camp was lovely, one of my most favorite summers in fact. But oddly, i was ready to move onto the next thing. I am not sure what that something was because the sound of school sounded daunting, and had nothing else on the agenda; i was simply in the mindset of that i have come and done what i set out to do. I have been mulling over the idea of going back for one more summer, but alas, i must quit because right now i have a million other things on my mind. I am already far behind in readings for class; i am unsure how i will ever catch up. It's not that i haven't been doing them, it's just that there is so much. Today i read a book titled, The Idea that is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World. A very interesting read and i thoroughly enjoyed it. However, i still have a rising stack of books/articles/textbooks that need to be read. Next item up for tonight is Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. It needs to be completed with a discussion guide by next Friday; the book is 434 pages! I might die. I love books, and long books have never scared me. The problem is i am unsure when i will read all of that in just a week with everything else. I guess, somehow it always gets done, no sense in worrying. 

I love all my classes. I am once again with the famous Diana Magnuson and Gordon William Carlson, my two favorite profs. They sure are work horses, but i still like them...sometimes. :) In G.W.'s class, there were three of us who had had him in his Classics in Western Political Philosophy, so he picked on us immensely and scared the sophomores immensely with his direct questions, which are intimidating. One poor girl completely forgot the Pledge of Allegiance when asked to recite it during class. I felt bad for her, she was so embarrassed. Anyways, i shined in his class when he asked me to tell the class all i knew about the Pledge, which was actually quite a lot since it fascinated me during one of G.W.'s previous lectures. I left feeling pretty confident. 

One funny story and then i should read for class again. So, last year when i was in G.W.'s office and discussing my thoughts on grad school and working in a museum, he somehow got the impression that i was a man hating type of feminist. Not really sure which part of my thought process gave him that idea. Anyways, he continued to tell me a story about when his daughter was at Bethel. A certain young freshman boy was pursuing her and gave her a book to read before he would date her. The main thesis of the book was that females should be completely submissive to male authority in the marriage. G.W. asked me what i thought she had done after reading the book. I responded that she probably gave the book back and said, "no thanks". He laughed and he will forever remember that day in AC211. In class he was telling this story to the entire class and asked me to tell the class how it ended and worked out for the hopeful couple. G.W. likes me. I am much more confident beginning my second class with the famous G.W. than i was last semester. I am thankful for that bit of confidence.


Friday, June 8, 2012

And i'm off...again!



Hello all. i realize that i have not written in almost three weeks, but i have an excuse for that...pathetic internet here at home. anyways, my mind is everywhere right now as i am finishing up all my last minute packing for camp. i have had two weeks to start and go through my college stuff and figure out what i need for camp, but i waited until today to start, hence the mind in 1000 directions! i am really excited to get back up to camp. i don't normally do so well with change, and with all the staff changes it can be challenging, but this year seems to be shaping up well and it will be more than i could ever expect, i'm sure. tomorrow i will head out for minneapolis and stay with brookie and eric where i will meet up with the lovely katie, who will drive up to camp the next day with me. this summer i would like you all to keep a few prayer requests in mind for me.

1. safe travels. the trip is 17 hours one way and i will be going to some camp friends' wedding during my time at camp on top of all the traveling we do on our days off.
2. the new staff. that we all mold well together and new and intentional friendships are formed.
3. energy. energy to get me through work that can get to be monotonous, especially after a few years of doing some of the tasks.
4. focus. 

if any of you would like to write me while i'm up at camp, i would love to hear from you and maybe if you are lucky, i will send one back! here it is:

Camp Paradise
Gretchen Luhmann
P.O. Box 657
Newberry, MI 49868

P.S. i almost forgot to pack my watch and alarm clock. that is a big no-no at camp paradise!

i hope you all have a jolly good summer and i will see you soon!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sweet.


that it will never

come again is what

makes life so 

sweet.



-Emily Dickinson


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Life right now.



as i sit in my living room, trying to muster up the energy to actually start a paper and listening to my roommate play her guitar, i am realizing that life is good right now. even though i had no idea how everything was going to get accomplished these last three weeks of school, i have realized that i do not need to worry. in  the end, everything always works out, so that is not on my mind so much tonight. today was spent with some of my siblings, their families, and my parents. we enjoyed each other's company, ate great food, and had a lovely campfire complete with the first s'mores for the summer. it was a lovely prelude to this summer.


 i feel like i am in a weird stage of life where everyone is starting to move on with their lives and going after their dreams; i don't really know where i am heading right now, but that's okay. we don't always need to know where we are heading as long as we are enjoying the ride. so, that's what i am doing right now. also, most of my friends are older than me, so that makes a difference too and i need to remember that.


i actually started running again. more consistently rather than sporadically like i have been doing this spring. i don't really like running unless it is a race. i need a running partner. exciting news: i got new running shoes today. so happy. some more exciting news: my toe, that i hurt last summer, is now fixed since i went back to the doctor to have it looked at again. so happy. last exciting news: the doctor also fixed my wrist that has been hurting. what did he do, you ask? he just popped a bone back into place. all that pain, for nothing. oh well, it isn't the beginning of arthritis, which both mama and i were worried about, so that's good.


i feel like i am rambling.


music is powerful. i have always known that, but there is just something about a song that can comfort you like nothing else. i think instead of starting this paper, i should just go lie in my bed and listen to some music and maybe read a fun book. or better yet, i will write. i haven't done that for awhile. yep, i am going to. 


good night.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

A Few Good Days.



These last few days have been much needed. Due to assessment day on Wednesday, I didn't have class, which left class on Monday and Friday. Pretty great, huh? Anyways, Tuesday arrived with Brookie heading over to sew, run, drink coffee, talk, and eat. Great day. Wednesday came along and I really should have done more homework, but a roommate suggested we watch a movie and walk to cub for ice cream and a movie at night. Of course, me, not being able to focus, enthusiastically complied. Probably should not have done that since I spent the morning running, working out with a roomie, and working at the library. Anyways, I did it and we watched Moneyball, which was fantastic, so it was okay that I procrastinated yet another night. Today, Jennifer picked me up and I hung out with her and her two youngest munchkins for the day. Also great. It was just so relaxing to go and just sit and play with the babies away from school. I feel like I am going on and on about school, but right now I am very conscious that I am still here and many other students are winding down with their school year. As for me, I still have a month, so that has been a little disheartening and made doing homework even harder. whew... So basically, if anyone wants to do anything fun and pick me up from school, I'd be in! ha! Just kidding, but seriously... As for right now, I better get back to finishing the assignment that is due tomorrow that my prof told us not to wait until the night before to do. I am SUCH a great student. (sarcasm)

P.S. If you don't really know me, I am really into sarcasm. Sorry if I have ever offended you. :)


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

checked out.



once again i have fallen way behind on writing. not only have i neglected my blog, but it seems that i cannot possibly write anything. i checked out long ago...even before spring break which exacerbated it exponentially. as of tonight, i am off on easter break. i love no class on tuesdays and thursdays. :) i'm trying to remember everything that i kept adding to my mental list of things i had to write about. let's see...

so, i keep a list of crafty things i want to do/small little goals that i want to work on. some of these crafts include skirts, my quilt, a sign that i have been sewing for quite some time but haven't finished yet, my cowl that i started a coons age ago, etc. my two main goals is to learn how to play guitar and train to do a half marathon! the only problem is i don't know when the heck i will ever have time to accomplish them. i always think, "after school gets out, i can really get busy", but then camp comes and i think "i'll do some of them at camp!", but then that doesn't happen either and i am back at school and nothing productive ever happens at school. so, ya see, i have a real dilemma.

we signed up for rooming for next year just tonight. now i really need a bike because i will be way out in the boonies, but i will have a kitchen! what i am trying to say is that if you have an extra bike just lyin' around, give me a call! while we are on this note, if you have an orange station wagon or a jeep grand wagoneer also lyin' in your pile of treasures, give me a call, for these are my two dream cars. what the heck, if you have any furniture that could be useful in a college dorm that you were hoping to get rid of, give me a call ;) i promise, i am done now!

one thing that has been on my mind a lot is a j-term trip next january that will travel across germany, france, belgium, and england. it is a world war one trip and i am thoroughly excited for the people that are planning to go, the profs that are going, and the trip itself. it sure will be swell.

i promise,
i WILL right more soon.


Monday, February 27, 2012

PARCELS.



tonight has been grand.
nothing happened; it was true bliss. after leaving my room at 7:30 this morning, i finally was able to come home by 6:30ish. this week is the week of tests; i had a ten page paper that was due this morning for my Classics in Western Political Philosophies class (it may just be the hardest paper i have ever written), a test this morning, a test wednesday morning, and one on friday. like i said, it is the week of tests, but that also means not too much homework. so many things happened today that confirmed that i am doing what i am supposed to be doing and that is always a welcome feeling. after much thought, i have decided to drop the education part of my degree; i have spent time talking to my much admired professor, diana, about it as well as one of my new favorite profs, the distinguished intellectual, gordon william carlson, who is retiring this spring after 40 years of teaching at bethel. he's quite the fellow. i decided that i am passionate about history; i have been since i was a little girl, and so i have decided to pursue only history and a political science minor since i am already half ways there...and maybe one day go to grad school. yikes. i also realized that i am not passionate about teaching per se, but i do love helping people/talking about history and hearing/telling stories. so what am i going to do, you ask? i'm going to work at a museum...my dream since i was at least an eighth grader and maybe even earlier. i have had wonderful teachers that have believed in me from the start and they have talked to me about this with complete faith in me to make something amazing.

today, as i walked into g.w.'s office, he looked up at me (let me remind you that i have only met him four weeks ago and he and i are just becoming friends)(also, we get along g.w. and i. i am an old soul and he is an old man)and said, "well, how is my brilliant scholar doing today?" i think he likes me because i'll always sit and listen to him talk after class as everyone else rushes out. this man dearly loves to hear himself speak and i dearly love to listen. :) anyways, i also met with a career counselor this afternoon. i made an appointment after one of my roommates boasted of the great staff that helped her figure out all her major stuff. i took a personality test and guess what the top two jobs were? it was too perfect, my results came back that people with my similar results were either a curator or an archivist. so, that's what i am going to do.

i have decided that one of the first big purchases that i will buy is going to be camping stuff. two of my friends and i have this plan to just jump in a car one weekend and drive north, pitch a tent somewhere, hike and explore, and just sit by a fire, drinking warm things and reading lovely scribblings. yep, we are going to do it. this weekend, for funsies, two of my roommates and i went and hung out at r.e.i. Bad decision. i left with a backpack that is also like a nice daypack for hiking and other sweet things. it's so cool, so now i want to go hiking even more than ever. oh, the reigns of college that hold me back! not really, but it would be nice to just be able to leave. not that i think that i will be able to do that when i am a "real" adult however. :) i think that's it for tonight. must.do.work.
now that i have four less credits, i will try to actually post more.
good night.

oh, also here is a picture for annie flaunting my new necklace that came in the sweetest little parcel today.