High Five for Friday!

1 ~ Business Writing Class

Doesn't sound like it would be, but that class can be a blast.
We're supposed to be working on proposals for a program for our college, which actually is pretty interesting, but we talked about every type of project but that for about half the class Wednesday.
But classes like that are usually only fun because of the professor. . .

2 ~ Professors Who Cancel Class on Fridays

Yep, it's my Business Writing professor.
He's awesome.
And to his credit, he cancels class on Friday because we turn in a report on our work, so it's not like we're getting a totally free pass.
But still.

3 ~ I got the internship I really wanted!

I've been volunteering at a local non-profit organization for about two semesters, and the work I've been doing has become more and more computer based and complicated.
(One of them actually didn't realize I was a volunteer and was about to hire me as a consultant.)
But now, I can get college credit for working, and I'll get a ton of experience!

4 ~ Mushrooms

I just love mushrooms, but we don't often have them.
We did last night, and that made me very happy.
And while we're on the subject of food. . .

5 ~ Doggy Antics

. . . Our dog Bud has a bad habit of begging.
We don't cave.
"Never?"
"Never! -- Well, hardly ever. . ."
But last night, I heard the telltale sounds of happy licking.
I had dropped some food earlier and picked it up and threw it out, but I figured Bud was just savoring the vapors.
Um, no.
He climbed onto my chair and ate an entire bowl of fettuccine alfredo.
Doggone it.

Writing Well is Hard

I'm in a senior seminar this semester. We're all working on either fiction projects or poetry projects.

For those of you who have read my poetry, you've probably gathered that 1) I'm pretty good at free verse, and 2) anything not in free verse is not my cup of tea. 

Now fiction . . . fiction is my cup of tea.

You could say that I've had a bit of experience writing fiction.

I self-published a pretty short book about two years ago, and most of the people who left reviews liked it.

This semester I'm aiming for a full-length novel.

Oh my giddy aunt, y'all.

You have no idea how hard this is.

Keep in mind, this isn't necessarily for enjoyment, though I'm sure I will enjoy it for the most part.

This is for a grade.

And credits.

Mostly the credits.

But get this: there's a prospectus.

We've gotta outline it.

We've got to cover everything from beginning to end, no plot holes.

And we're likely going to get critiqued.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining -- I love critiques of my stories. Love them. It makes for a better, more coherent, more detailed story.

But gosh . . . it's hard.

But hard is good.

First of the Last Days

Oh my . . . that sounded much more bleak and apocalyptic than I meant it to.

What I'm talking about is the first day of classes tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I'm a senior.

It'll be the first day of the last days of my college education.

And while I'm really excited about that, I'm kinda bummed, too.

I feel like I've just hit this point where I'm ready to have a degree and start being a productive member of society, but I feel like I want to do so much more.

I want to go to Europe.

I want to own a salon.

I want to learn fencing.

I want to go to the beaches in Florida.

I want to see snow. (Not in August, obviously, but I do.)

I want to write what I want to write, but I don't know what I want to write.

I guess tomorrow is one step closer to all of that.

Yep, I suppose it is.

My, Oh My

It's August 15th. 

Summer is over. 

My, oh my, where'd the months go?

My younger sister started her dual enrollment at the local technical college this morning. My younger brother starts his freshman year at the Citadel this weekend. I start my senior year next week. 

My, oh my, where'd the years go? 

I guess all we can do is honor God with our hours, and trust Him in the moments, because He sees the years behind us and the years before us. 

Those years are made of months, weeks, days, hours, and moments. 

Live them well.

FOOD

I always get teased about my reactions to food.

It’s amusing, really.

Heck, I even have a Pinterest board of nothing but food.

I come home from school and ask my mom what's for dinner and if it's something I really like, I get excited over it, and she laughs at me.

I go to the cafeteria with my friends between classes and if they have something I like, I get excited over it, and they laugh at me.

I guess it's just because I'm a picky eater, so when there's something I like . . . I get excited.

I think it all boils down to this:

(I used it again!!)

Coach Purse Birthday Giveaway!

A special birthday giveaway I'm participating in with Brie!

Wow, the time has come. 

I'm turning the big 25

Ok, I won't be 25 till the 20th but still....
When you're sitting there at 5 thinking of being 25....wait no one is thinking about being 25 when they are 5 years old who am I kidding.

When you're sitting there at 10 thinking of being 25 you assume that is the age when people die. 
When you're 15 thinking of being 25 it seems so amazing because you can be an adult and free of your parents.

When you're 20 thinking of being 25 you think that it is 5 years away, no need to think about it, wrong. 

I've decided to give one of you lucky ladies something I would want for my 25th birthday. 

A COACH PURSE!!!!!!

This bad boy (MSRP $358) is oh so pretty in person and smells heavenly. Don't judge me, you know you would smell it. I've contemplated not giving it away just because I've fallen in love since it has been chilling in my closet. 

A few ladies have joined in to help me give away this amazing purse and we are also giving away 3 ad spaces!

1) Nikki @ Chevron and Sweet Tea

2) Kim @ The KO Story

3) Jess @ Tooth N Nails

4) Erin @ Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink

5) Alyse @ The Enchanted Owl

6) Michael @ Crazy Tragic Almost Magic

Well ladies I can't wait to see who is going to be the winner! The giveaway ends on Tuesday the 19th at midnight and I'll announce the winner on the 20th! Yep, on my big day one of you ladies will be getting a present!
I'm sorry but this is only for people who have a US residence.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Year's Giveaway Winners!

First off, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the Giveaway! It wouldn't have been . . . well, anything without y'all!

I also want to thank those who entered!

Now, out of the 18 entries, we had 7 winners!

Hope you'll join me in congratulating . . .

Gayle

Ronit

Karrie

Andrea

Meg

Betsy

Beth

Congratulations to you ladies and thank you all!!

Waiting.

I will be the first to admit it: patience is not one of my strengths.

It's not easy being patient.

And something's occurred to me lately that I thought I should share.

Shouldn't it be (theoretically) easier to be patient on God?

That's not to make Him sound slow or anything, just our perception of time.

I mean, we know He's promised to provide for us.

We know He'll bless us.

And we know He has our best at heart and in mind.

So why are we so antsy?

We know the answer, but just in case you don't want to own to it, I will:

we want what we want when we want it.

I do. And I'll bet you do, too.

And nothing's wrong with wanting something (assuming it's a good thing).

But when we let that get in the way of trusting God, we end up making the thing we want - or sometimes even the wanting itself - an idol.

If God wants us to have it, we'll have it.

If He doesn't, we won't.

Waiting's hard.

I know it is.

But if you're waiting in God's time with a good attitude . . . it'll be worth it.

Always.

What are you waiting for?

T'was the Day before Christmas . . .

. . . and all through the house,

only one person was stirring because she slept all afternoon and woke up at 11:30 PM and didn't go to sleep til 6 AM so now her internal clock's as confused as her.

Sigh.

Oh well, I did get my Christmas shopping done, and I did have the guts (or stupidity?) to venture going to Walmart on Christmas Eve. 

That . . . is not advisable.

Nope.

Wouldn't do that unless you have to. 

I saw the strangest thing there, by the way. 

I know there's this quip about fruit cake - like how there's everything in it but fruit. I wouldn't know because I've never had it.

But I do know that nobody seems to like it, which has always made me wonder why the heck people make it.

But at Walmart, near the checkouts, they have a box of fruit cake. It really didn't look appetizing. At all. 

And here's the scary part: some had been bought . . .

Anyhoo, hope I didn't spoil your appetite!

Merry Christmas!

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and I am sooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!

Last year, I fell epicly short of 50,000 words by about 47,500 words.

Yeah . . .

But this year I have new hope!

No, not Star Wars I/IV. 

Hope that I'll get ahead in my school work and crank out a 50,000+ word novel!