A New Lease

In the past two years, I have lived in short spurts of activity. It began when I made the difficult decision not to pursue a graduate degree just a week before the start of term. I had to scramble to find a summer job, because I had planned to be studying instead of working during 2013. A friend came through for me and not only set aside hours for me at her summer camp, but told me to interview for an open position as the director of the local teen center. The position began immediately, and I was blessed to begin working with the children of my hometown once again.

In the autumn of 2013, I began an internship at Old Sturbridge Village, and worked there through the end of the year. I forged some meaningful new relationships with my fellow history buffs, but 

I also faced challenges with the interpretive process in such a large organization. While at Sturbridge, I was reminded that history and teaching were my two passions, and made up my mind to find a job as a museum educator. Two short months later, I was hired at Strawbery Banke Museum as a camp coordinator, interpreter, and museum teacher. It has now been a year since my first days at Strawbery Banke. I recently became the museum's Roleplaying Coordinator, and I hope that the program will grow and flourish under my direction.

In the past year, I have moved out of my childhood home, leased my first apartment, enjoyed countless days exploring my new home, run a number of camp programs, worked weekends and special events, gone on dates (not so bad), experienced one relationship (not so good), made new friends, reconnected with old friends, traveled to new places, become a bird watcher, had my first cavity, dealt with bouts of depression, continued to pay student loans, focused on advancing my career, been motivated to improve my personal habits, talked with God, considered my future, and dreamed of days to come.

Just a week ago, I signed a lease for a new apartment. It will be the first time I have lived on my own, and it is an exciting prospect. I hope that through this coming year I can use this opportunity to resolidify my faith, establish a lifestyle befitting of a young Christian woman, and reflect on the parts of my life that are most important to me.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know a lot of people who are bitter about Valentine's Day. Personally, I see no reason to be bitter or unhappy. Even if you don't have a sweetheart, a bouquet of roses, or a night on the town, you must realize that love doesn't just come from a significant other. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people who love you and think about you on a daily basis. Why expect them to go out of their way to please you on a single day?

Instead of bitterness, regret, and self-pity, try thinking about your parents, siblings, cousins, pets, friends, teachers, mentors, and all the other people in your life who have had an effect on your life. My life is filled with the love of family, friends, and of my God. I choose to make Valentine's Day a celebration of all my relationships, and I encourage others to do the same. Broaden your outlook and you'll find that love is all around you!

Sunday Sentiment: Summertime Adventures

June 16: My cousin invited me to sing the closing song at her wedding. It was a very emotional event, as her father (my Uncle Dan) passed away in late March. It was also my debut performance singing for people outside of my friends and immediate family.

July 4: A dear friend invited me to join him in Boston for Independence Day. We enjoyed the city all afternoon, and in the evening we attended the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

Halfway through the performance, a lightening storm caused the forced evacuation of the Esplanade. 15,000 people were evacuated into the Storro Drive tunnel in Boston. After 25 minutes we were allowed back out, at which point the Boston Pops played their signature piece "Stars and Stripes Forever". Confetti rained down on us, and the fireworks began.

During the lightening storm and evacuation, the rain held off. As soon as the fireworks started, it DOWNPOURED. But it was a blast (literally)!

July 14: A picnic in Prescott Park along the Piscataqua River with some friends from college. We called it a "reunion" because some of us had since graduated, but I prefer to think of it as the first of many friendly gatherings. Each contingent brought something to add to the feast. I came with my own lettuce, local tomatoes & zucchini, homemade garlic vinaigrette, fresh oatmeal bread, homemade peach-plum jam, and grapes.

All in all, it's been a pretty fabulously eventful summer so far.

The Blessing of Opportunity

So it's a fact: I'm going to be a graduate student. Where will I be? I haven't a clue yet. But I have been officially accepted into three of the four programs to which I applied, including the Museum Education program at George Washington University. To be honest, I think that this program was always in the back of my mind when I imagined continuing my education. At the time, I didn't know how difficult it was to be accepted, but I later learned that although thousands of hopefuls apply, only fourteen are selected. I feel extremely blessed to have been given this opportunity--all these opportunities--no matter what decision I make in the coming weeks.

I once read that only 1% of the world's population is privileged enough to receive a secondary education. Although I wish the numbers were different and that everyone could further their education if they chose it, I recognize that I am one of those privileged few. To think that I am a woman pursuing a Master's degree is baffling when I compare my life with the lives of American women 100 years ago, or women in some societies even today! I am indeed very blessed.

(Also, I couldn't resist throwing in this picture of me wearing my rustic orange dress. I made it in January by altering a 1950's pattern, and I love how swingy it is when I dance. I believe credit for this picture goes to my dear friend Alexa.)

Spring is Here...and HOW!

Let it be known that today, March 22nd 2012, I spent an 85 degree day at the ocean. I dipped my feet in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, sat on the rocks, basked in the sun, collected trinkets at the beach, and gained a few dozen freckles. It was glorious.

The past week has been absolutely gorgeous-- and I don't mean that in the sense that I usually do at this time of year. Once upon a time, I considered 45 degrees and sunny to be the mildest March weather. In a traditional New Hampshire spring, a 45 degree day is rare, and one can generally count on a Nor'easter to sweep the region in the days following. But this week has been the warmest on record; five consecutive days of sun, blue skies, and temperatures above 75 degrees.

In many ways, I am taking the events of this week as a sign from the heavens. On Monday, I had a long talk with God. Since October, I have been an emotional wreck. I haven't allowed myself to be truly happy or appreciative of the blessings around me, and I've fallen away from the confidence and happiness that I have spent the past four years creating for myself.

Much of this emotional unrest has had to do with a relationship that I fell into at the beginning of the fall. In December, all that I had invested in this relationship-- my love, care, time, trust, expectations, physical and spiritual being, personal standards, happy moments, heartfelt discussions, and shared experiences-- was ripped away. I felt shipwrecked, trying to cling to one of these things to stay afloat as dark waves crashed over me. But collecting splintered wood will not help to restore the majesty of the ship.

As the weeks and months went on I tried to keep life in the relationship, even as friends. I am not the sort of person who will push people out of my life. I try as hard as I can to maintain contact and good feelings with others, and the months following our breakup were no different. My friends told me that I had every right to be angry at him--- he was the one who dumped me, after all-- but I still thought that kindness, interest, and friendly outreach would help us both to move on. After too many nights of frustrating conversations, lukewarm interactions, and angry tears, I asked God to show me what He wanted me to see in this situation.

Since my Monday conversation with God, I have been feeling lighter, clearer, and warmer. I have been able to let go of the feelings that have gripped my heart and soul for the past four months. It will take a long time before I can completely move on from this, but God has shown me what He wants me to focus on right now: my future.

The future can be so unclear sometimes. When you're young it looms ahead of you on the path of life, making every step toward it seem like a great burden. Sometimes it looks green and bright, like a beautiful spring day inviting you to run toward it and bask in its glory. Other times it can act like a fat black thundercloud threatening to block out the sun. The funny thing about it is that as long as you walk, and as many steps as you take, you never really get any closer. New experiences wait for you along the path, and sometimes you gather new friends as you walk along.

This week, God has revealed the future as a beautiful spring day. His reminders to me have been in the clear blue skies, the new green grass, the timid purple flowers, the cool and caressing breeze, and the warm sunshine on my skin. My future will be clear, bright, and happy.

Thanksgiving

For so many, Thanksgiving is just an excuse to watch football and consume copious amounts of fattening food. Even those who know their God and talk with Him daily often forget to truly give thanks for all that He has blessed them with. I know I forget. So here are things that I am thankful for:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Pets
4. Food
5. Clean water
6. A place to live
7. Fresh air to breath
8. Access to medical care
9. The opportunity to have an education
10. The opportunity to have a college degree
11. The opportunity to pursue a career
12. The right to vote
13. Clothing
14. Shoes
15. Music
16. The Bible
17. Access to technology
18. Electricity
19. A car
20. A bike
21. Medicine
22. Disposable income
23. A bed
24. Pillows and blankets
25. A sewing machine
26. The skills to make it through every day
27. Exposure to culture
28. Literacy
29. The opportunity to work for minimum wage
30. Having been born in America
31. My ancestors who came before me
32. Those who sacrificed their lives for my right to live as I do now
33. Living under a democratic government
34. Having the choice to make my life what it is
35. The opportunity to worship as I please
36. My faith
37. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
38. The gift of song that God has given me
39. My health
40. Access to the news
41. Good people in power in my local and national government
42. People who care about me
43. My work experience
44. Relationships from the past
45. My relationships now
46. Mentors who have guided me through my life
47. My loving boyfriend
48. The power of prayer
49. Leisure time
50. The ability to move and be active on my own

These blessings are just a few of the many that make up my life, but even though the others are not listed, I am no less thankful for them. I pray that you will also think of the blessings in your life and thank God for what He has done for you, just as those present at the first Thanksgiving must have done.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

A Quick Check-in

Wow. Life seems to be going a mile a minute this year, and I've hardly had time to finish assignments, sleep, or keep up with friends and family let alone have time for my projects and blogging!

Thankfully my life has been well-documented in the past two months, so I'll show the pictures and you can guess what I've actually been up to!

Strike a Pose...for Recycled Fashion Night!

And so begins my Senior year. Have I mentioned lately that I love college?

To Market, To Market...

This summer I found a wonderful book that sparked my imagination and helped me to finish some projects that have already proved to be family favorites. Author Amanda Blake Soule's "Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures" inspired me to create "farmer's market" bags for my sister and myself.

Claire's 19th birthday was a few weeks ago, and I thought that a new all-purpose bag would be perfect for her. My uncle sent us some tapestry fabric samples for my birthday, and they were just sturdy enough to craft into the messenger-style bags. So far the bags have traveled to and from work, the beach, the grocery store, and walking trips around town.



Currently, my bag is being modeled by "Marcia," my new dress form. Marcia was rescued three weeks ago from a community yard sale where she had been turned into a temporary floor lamp. Really. She was wired up and down, and had a lampshade resting on her head. I donated $10 for the privilege to take her home and clean her up. After 3 hours taking out the wiring and scrubbing her with baking soda, Marcia has now been happily returned to her original state as an ACME Adjustable Dressform, Size "A".

Meet Ollie!

Welcome Oliver, the new baby parakeet in our house! He won't ever take the place of our dear loving Pace, but he's already made a new place in our hearts with his sweet eyes and silly antics. Here I caught him sitting in his food bowl, almost asleep.

The 2011 Garden

Swing!

Last night we had a Spring Fling swing dance in the dorm. It was such a blast! Normally we have only a few girls and men who are all regular swing dancers, but this particular dance yielded quite a few new faces, as well as helped me to get to know others in a much more intimate way. I like to refer to the swing dancers of my generation as the "counterculture" of our school, and after seeing these pictures, I'm sure you'll see why!


The first is a photo of us playing "The Charleston Game", and the second is a silly picture that my dear friend Jason and I posed for to imitate the ladies modeling my dress on the pattern envelope. (Yes, this is the new swing dancing dress that I made with my new sewing machine over spring break!) My friends Jillian and Alexa also made their dresses from vintage patterns, so we were really playing up the retro look last night :-)

Birthday!

So I'm finally 21. I had a wonderful birthday full of family, friends, and surprises! For the past few years I haven't been able to go home for my birthday due to previous obligations, but I finally had my chance. It was wonderful. There was a big dinner with all of our family friends, and we served spaghetti with Cincinnati chili, homemade baguettes, and vanilla cake with four layers of whipped toffee frosting. And if an entire weekend with my favorite people wasn't enough, my family surprised me with my very own sewing machine! What a wonderful way to celebrate my twenty-first year.

Music of My Soul

Over Winter Break, my momma, sister, and I took a brief trip to visit my uncle in New York. He lives about 15 minutes outside of the city and often has meetings at the Ralph Lauren offices downtown, so we take advantage of these opportunities to ride in with him. On this particular trip, Uncle dropped us off in the morning, and we took the commuter rail back home that night. During our visit we attended a Broadway show called "Memphis" which has lately become my absolute favorite musical! I am the sort of person that can listen to the same song for hours, and never become tired of it if I like it enough. Unfortunately for my family, I did just this for days and days at a time after seeing "Memphis".

I have such a deep passion and appreciation for music that I often wonder how in the world I would be able to live without it. Many of my friends have very limited taste in music, or no interest in it whatsoever. I attribute much of my love of music to the broad variety that my daddie exposed me to while I was growing up. My parents often tell me that my first full phrases were interpretations of Beatles songs ("I've got a Ticket to Ride," to be specific) and that by the time I was four, I had memorized the words to "Oklahoma", "Hair", "The Music Man", Billy Joel's earliest records, and many Joanie Mitchell songs. Looking back now, I am not sure that many of those lyrics were appropriate for a preschooler to be singing at the top of her lungs... but there it is. Music has been, and always will be a part of me. There is a song that I am reminded of when I think of my relationship to music. Here it is sung by Amanda Seyfried in the movie version of "Mamma Mia".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZnBI8j_6JI

On Monday night, I sang solo for an audience for the first time in about three years. I was a wreck, but it was exhilarating. I was accompanied by three very talented young men; all of whom I have become great friends with in the past year. It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to express myself the way that God intended me to, and I very much look forward to performing with them again.

Valentine Love

Here are some photos of this lovely Valentine's Day. The box is full of handmade and non-handmade Valentines for my dear friends at school. I always feel that something handmade or handwritten is much more personal than something bought at a store, so I made each Valentine as unique as the friend I gave it to.

Tonight in the dorm we are going to have what we call a "Stoplight Party." I'm excited because it has been a sort of running joke since my freshman year in Hall Council that we would host this "mixer" type of party, but at the same time I feel that it could be a little awkward. Each person attending the party must wear a certain color to reflect their relationship status. Wear green if you're single, red if you're in a relationship, or yellow if it's complicated. Stoplight colors, right? The only hitch is that my dorm is the honors designated residence hall, and we tend to have many introverted residents. I will be wearing green and because dating within the hall is very common, and if everyone shows up in red, it won't be very much of a mixer for me ;-)

Either way, it should be fun to dress up and do something other than homework for the night!

Back to Life

After a long break from blogging, I've recently been inspired by some dear friends to revive my blog, and fill it with some of the wonderful things that I've done over the past few months.

Before I totally refresh this blog, here is an update on my life since October 2010:

• Fall semester finished up with a grand total of 7 final research papers, two final exams, and one massive presentation.
• I successfully survived my first semester living with a roommate since my stint as an RA !
• After a rough start to October with the deaths of a dear middle school teacher and my great uncle Jack, we (my family and I) pulled through the rest of the month to finish with a bang at our Batman-themed Halloween party.
• I met some wonderful new people at school over the course of the semester, and I am grateful for the blessing to have them in my life!
  
• As president of my residence hall, I oversaw some wonderful events including Floor Wars, Relaxation Week events, holiday food drives, and a visit to a local nursing home.
  
• I celebrated a wonderful holiday season with my family and friends, rejoicing in the birth of our Lord and the fellowship that the holidays bring!

I am thankful for the blessings of the past year, and I hope that 2011 will prove to be just as lovely!

School is Back in Session

It seems like ages ago that I last posted, and it really was, in the scheme of our fast-moving age of technology. Here is a brief recap of my wonderfully long (and blog-less) summer.

After leaving my position as an RA at the end of May, I moved back home for the summer to work as a camp counselor for my local recreation department. I worked through June at the local bakery (my fallback employment since Senior year of high school,) and helped my parents keep the house together as we anticipated my sister's graduation. Oh, the stress of two children in college. It had begun to wear on me before Claire had even received her diploma.

Aside from working at the bakery and keeping the family sane, I spent most of my time in the garden in June. Each day I would wake up, eat breakfast, dress, weed and tend the garden until about ten or eleven, then work on some project for the rest of the day until work. Within the first two weeks of being at home, I made a potting bench for the back yard, a tin lantern, a nesting box, and about fifteen candles.

As June wore down, Ethan prepared to leave for his summer math program at Hampshire College. We dropped him off on July Fourth, and immediately our family dynamics changed. It was strange not to have him around the house, eating all the cereal from the cabinets or playing Chopin on the piano, but we became used to it. Claire and I both started working the week after he left, but were briefly interrupted by a family reunion in Michigan. It was wonderful to travel this summer, as the previous summer found me away at sleep-away camp.

The Antrim Rec. Department turned out to be the perfect summer job for me, and I felt that I had made the right choice as soon as I started. I learned valuable lessons from almost every aspect of the experience, such as working with the kids, getting along with co-counselors, and balancing my home life with my work life.

Although most of my friends were working for the summer, I was able to spend a lot of time with a few of my dearest friends, which was more than I could have asked for. Barbara and I traveled to Maine with her parents and spent an unbelievable week on Eagle Island. Our adventures left me with an even deeper love and appreciation for her than ever before, and memories that will last me a lifetime.

Too soon, the summer drew to a close as camps ended, Ethan came home, and Claire began preparing for her great departure to Skidmore. I tried to take everything in stride because it was all happening so quickly, but the last night before leaving for school was still difficult. I wasn't sure I had made the right decision moving back to Hubbard and no longer being an RA. I was nervous that I wouldn't get along with my roommate, and that I would have a difficult adjustment to being back in school.

All my fears were proved wrong almost immediately. I feel so blessed to have been able to move in early, because I formed instant bonds of friendship to people I would have otherwise missed. My roommate is wonderful, and I feel as though we share bits and pieces of each others' soul. So much has happened in the past week, that I cannot even recount it, but I praise God for all that He has done for me. In the dark days that I experienced just months ago, I could never have imagined that He would bring me to this contentment in such a short period of time. He is so good to me!

Contentment

Today things are looking up. For the past few days I've been battling a bit of a stomachache which I assume is caused by an imbalanced diet (oops.) I know it's terrible, but this year I have had a bad habit of replacing real meals with cereal or tea when I know the best thing for me is leafy greens and iron. Today I've done pretty well, with one out of two meals so far eaten in the dining hall, and a snack from the cafe in the afternoon.

The weather is beautiful and I tried laying outside to research for my term paper that is due in a few weeks, but I only managed to be on the lawn an hour. As I sit in my room, sipping my Mint Mocha Chill and looking out the window, the sun seems to be taunting me with its warmth. Of course, in New Hampshire, when the sun is warm it doesn't mean that everything else is! A little after 1 o'clock, I laid out my blanket, spread my books around me, and began to read. At first it was nice to feel the hot sun on my back and head, but the wind picked up and tried to blow the blanket out from under me. It was not a nice Spring breeze like you read about in romance novels, but a New Hampshire Spring breeze that comes from the glacial depths of the White Mountains or blows inland off the freezing Atlantic. I am not a particularly attentive person to reading, and as such was distracted nearly every time a petal fell from the tree above me, or whenever a helicopter went by during its training flight. When my hair began to blow into my face so that I could not have seen what I was reading even if I had wanted to concentrate, I decided that Mother Nature was not willing to share nice Spring weather with anyone else quite yet.

I dropped my books and blanket in my room and headed to the cafe to obtain a treat which had caught my eye the previous evening. Being a Thursday afternoon, and having finished classes, homework, and an attempt at researching, I came to the conclusion that this particular treat was warranted. Besides, it would help my uneasy stomach.

I've just finished the last bit of the Mocha Mint Chill, and my stomach does feel better. My friend and I are about to head out on an adventurous walk, which will fool us into thinking that we've done some exercise for the day, and afterward I assume I'll have dinner with friends and go to bed early for once. Yes, my life is fulfilled for the moment. I am content.

Bread, Tea and Marmalade

Last weekend I went grocery shopping for myself (something I rarely do while I'm at school.) It is something I have always enjoyed because it gives me a sense of independence and maturity that is otherwise absent when I rely on dining hall food. Walking down the isle of the market with my list in hand and a basket slung over one arm is so gratifying to me. I almost feel that I am a real person, not some post-adolescent stuck in the limbo that is university.

Since that glorious shopping trip I have had fresh white bread to eat with marmalade for breakfast every morning. Each morning I sit at my desk, thinking about the day before me, sipping my tea and listening to the sounds of spring that come from my open window. Life is good in those few moments, and I am reminded that no matter how difficult life may seem at the end of the day, God continuously provides a time for me to enjoy His gifts.