another one down

one final on thursday and im done!
even though last week was much much busier than this one

A printmaking finale due
Advanced drawing final due
Art history final

why all art subjects end on dead week i'll never know
but i am grateful for it.

printmaking class was a hit and miss this semester
I went in thinking that this was going to be my area
as the class went on however
my mind changed rapidly
my prints came out messy, spotted, unclear, uneven and with scumming everywhere

but
as the semester went on, my prints improved
my composition more interesting
my images more involved...

now everything can be " a cool print"
my thought process turns everything into a print now
though i only know of one technique
im eager to learn more about the others

the work is absolutely worth the reward
working almost 4-5 hours on one pressbed
tired, ink everywhere, frustation
all to pull out 5 exact editions
and they have to be exact! identical! or its pointless
always 5!

such a struggle in the beginning, but now ive improved
at least i think so...

this could be my area still

{ hopefully post pictures soon}

5

I am grateful for dinner conversations

I am grateful for my beat up car which is capable still of running me around town.

I am grateful for creativity

I am grateful for lily

I am grateful for considerate professors

for once

for once
i am not the one rushing
for once
i am not the one trying to finish on time
for once
i am not stressed about due dates
for once

i sit in class
writing
reading
listening to music
as i watch my class
hastily working to get their work done
when mine is already hanging on the wall

for once
i can sit

WV

with lily napping on my arm next to me,
im trying to type with as little motion as to not disturb her with as possible.

she is my quiet company.
where once i lived with two very loud girls,
now i enjoy the silence of my growing puppy..

This past weekend
a part of my Finland visited me
Lisa
Shes not from Finland, but Kansas

She went to classes with me
tailgate and football game
hiking to coopers rock
and my two favorite places in Morgantown
Black Bear and the Blue Moose
and then a visit to open-mic nite at SoZo Cafe with a fantastic street walk-in visit from the
High Street Jazz Band!

I like to think she experienced the true culture of Appalchia
{ even though she disagrees about the pronunciation of the term}

and through her, i grew to love Wv a little more..

showing her pridefully all that Wv has to offer; showed me just how much i love this state.

During the WVU football game
{ my first game in over a year, since my time abroad, and of the season}
just before the kick off and the beginning of the game
i started feeling this emotion, this love for Wv that i always knew was there, but had never realized.

I Love West Virginia!
i love its mountains and rivers
its bridges and lakes
its winding back roads
the people
the music

Entering Wv after picking up Lisa from the PIT airport, we hastily found "Country Roads" to play over the car stereo.

the tradition
the pride

of West Virginia

Renew

I'm sitting
right now
in the hidden,comfortable
leather chairs in Panera

enjoying a new found love of bagels
ive never really been one for bagels
now i cant get enough
{ got one at starbucks yesterday, but panera
offers more cream cheese and starbucks charges 40 cents..
capitalists.}

anyway, today is move day
no longer will i be subjected to an inconsiderate roommate situation
                   "          waken up at 4 am by said roomates
                  "           be afraid to turn the corner in fear of what may lye on the floor
                                       "          putting shoes on when i leave my room

once going living on evansdale
and if things go well, will probably still live on evansdale for next year
but with three competent friends this time!
evansdale wins three to one in living situations

i've decided to:
         make to-do lists
         + make to-do lists for the next day
         watch and enjoy more documentaries
               {with a website that offers all documentaries ever created for free} !
        dig deeper into all realms of vegetarianism
        actually do and complete assignments on time
                { to self: really now! this is your 4th year, get it right already!}
        move on and stop waiting

thats alot of things to start,
better make a to-do list for it all

hopefully, in this new place
which is clean and stink-bug free
{i guess has infested all of the east coast, not just my current house, fooled me}
i can really involve myself in my work
both artistically and academically
to really read and savor information
to graduate with honors

we will see

all i know for now is
that im moving!!
today!
this evening

and i'm content with just knowing that for now






   

good change

Last night at Newman, we watched the documentary Food Inc. with food activist and author Michael Pollan.

It not only confirmed my plans with vegetarianism, but it also opened my eyes to whole new areas of consumption.
Areas concerning food production, distribution and the environmental impact that the whole food industry brings!!

It made everyone think about what was on our tables, in our hands..where it came from and how it came to be! These are important things to consider when shopping in our readliy available grocery markets.

Anyway,
 i'm already writing a ten page paper on this topic, with its concerns in europe,
but still...this is not a place for paper planning...
this is a place to think
freely
to write
freely
and to express my inner most thoughts,
the ones that dont always get the most attention.


Today
I am grateful for comfy grass that i took my nap on this afternoon with kt pino.
I am gratefull for water on this 90 degree day
I am gratfeul for understanding friends
I am grateful for new talents
I am grateful for not working today!

This idea, of expressing the 5 things you are grateful for daily.
It started in my journals in Finland, yesterday was the first day since
and then again today

Its good
to recall what we are aooreciative of...

Also
today
I had dinner with DeVito and we were discussing Newman ideas
and she  told me that she always felt that i ahd the ability to see multiple perspectives
from people

which i guess is true, ive never really thought about it

But i do, maybe its the way i was raised. always around different people
raised with an open-mind about alot of things, despite the struggles.

this is a random blog
life is random
sometimes
so this post works with today, because it is random
today was that for me


Nerves and butterflies
I reread my old post about butterflies from hemlock trails, coopers rock
one of my favorite places
He was always the main point in many of my old posts.
Now hes not even the main thought
          at least he wasn't, until he came up again
called again, messaged again

why??

it makes me nervous to think that he might be actually thinking about this again!
you dont get a million chances here
people rarely get second chances
and he did!!

isnt that crazy enough, how much i gave
not again

people dont get a million chances.

a random day
a random life.

missing something

I feel as if im missing something
something ive gained
and have worked so hard to get..
..
this faith
that ive worked at, read for, prayed for
longed for
a long time, has been slipping

Why?

because im not with the same kids anymore
because i dont have the drive to go to mass anymore

Im doing the bare minimum here and it shows. I ger angry easier now, more sad about things that never used to bother me. I feel tired and broken down.

I went to mass tonight, the first time in a long time...and Fr. Bekehs homily was, as always, a dagger to the current events in my life.

Make God First
Pray with God for help
Reach your full potential with God.

I was there once...
at the peak of my faith journey
so strong and filled with Christ love.

I feel as if i've lost all of it..

{sigh}

I have not given up hope, i will get back there, just gotta start from the ground up again i guess....
start praying again
reading again
listening  again!

 everything again, how'd i let my self get here! Again?!!

good grief indeed, it is good grief

more

I should write more

my last post described how blogging kept my world in focus, kept my mind sharp
somehow

i havent been able to keep up, with anything latley!!

It's frustrating

This new living situation is turning out to be more stressful than i had hoped.
I moved away from home, I moved away from stress
to move into what!

I'm looking for a new place, but with my new birthday puppy..
its making things a bit difficult
I still love her though :)

I'm on craigslist everyday, I look through the paper everyday
hoping to find something available that'll meet my standards.

Everything happens for a reason

I know this at least

New Times

New job 
New house
New roommates
New puppies

This summer is ending on a good note
School year starting on a good note

Soooooo much has happened since ive last updated 'my life'
on the internet for all to see.
But I wont worry about all of that now
I will just write about the present time
present moments 
and future ones to occur....

{ the point of a blog after all}
 i suppose, right? 

hopefully ill be able to keep up with it during the school
it is good for keeping my thoughts in order
for keeping my mind focused on whats important
in this ife
right now

Are we there yet?

....

what to write 

its been so long

perhaps its time to reconnect with this ole blogging world

it was helpful

in its time...

now its a bit of a distant memory

but life moves on

...

and so the blog must move with it!