Free...?

I am DONE!

It's true. I wrote my last exam on Saturday night.
And got home to a house of nicely lit candles, flowers, and friends to celebrate my done-ness with me. Oh yeah, and an amazing cake in the shape of a graduation cap made by a devoted husband. Serious skills, eh?




The weekend was pretty busy, with church and work, so today is the first day I've been able to really take in the reality that I suddenly have a lot more time on my hands. I am torn between taking some time to just rest and relax, and writing a massive to-do list of all the things that have been put off for so long. I think today will be a resting day, maybe tomorrow I'll tackle the to-do list.

I think my piano is calling me...

Looking Forward to...

I am sitting at my table in front of my computer, with papers and books spread around me. This has become such a familiar posture...
I am also looking longingly out the window at my yard, thinking of how much I want to get out there and pull weeds when this LAST week of school drudgery is over. And that made me think of some of the other things I'm looking forward to...

- gardening. James and I are hoping to grow veggies this year, and I would also like to grow some pretty things (flowers) in the yard

- cleaning...there are some places in this house that need some serious attention. Like the tupperwear cupboard. the laundry room. the handmarks and dirt splatters from the dog in the front hallway. the back bedroom/office/general dumping ground for crap.

- establishing a new routine. I'm reallyreally looking forward to not having assignments, and readings, and other things that are constantly in the back of my head saying "You should doooo something..." I will go to work. I will live. That will be really good. More specifically, this routine will involve daily time in prayer and scripture, and daily exercise, two things I was doing ok with, but have really slipped in the past month of chaos. Also, related to this new routine thing, I am going to spend some time really carefully thinking about how I spend my time and energy. This will be a season of not committing to new things, and deciding what things are important to be committed to. A season in which I want to be a human-BEing and not a human-DOing.

- creating. I am going to find a hobby - hopefully quilting - and spend some regular time surrounding myself with colour and making something pretty. I am also going to spend more time with my lonely piano.

- investing in people. I have totally neglected my grandparents through this school craziness, and that's not ok. They won't be here forever. I hope to spend at least 1 day a month with each set.

I can't wait! One week, and I can jump into all of that school-free goodness.

Until then...I have 15 pages to write and fit into a 4-day work week (as in, being at work, and doing school work around that. Not 4 days to do school work. That would be sweet). Topped off with a Saturday night exam. Sigh...

A Beautiful Song

A Facebook friend posted this youtube video on her page. It is a beautiful musical version of The Lord's Prayer in Swahili. (just click on it - I haven't quite figured out how to put the video right into my post).

I just took a break from studying, sat back, closed my eyes, and let this music fill my sunny kitchen.

April 5th?

More like November 5th. It is downright gross outside my window. It is grey, and windy, and cold. The only thing that tells me it is April and not November are the little shoots of green that are popping up. But they are pretty small compared to the rest of the big blah day.

I have a lot to do this weekend. I have a paper due Monday that I am only in the beginning stages of (as in, researching, not writing yet). I have all day today, but most of tomorrow is full, and then I have to have it in by 4:00 on Monday. Yippee.

And then an exam Thursday 9th, another huge paper (15-18 pages, also not at all started) due Monday 13th. And of course, Easter weekend smashed in the middle there. Almost done...

13 days...

happy sigh

Well. It is the last week of class. And that does not really mean anything, except that I won't have to go to class tomorrow. I still have 3 papers, a debate, and 2 exams between now and finished, and I'm a little swamped and overwhelmed by it all, trying to figure how to fit writing around working, and the fact that exam time always seems to correspond with major religious holiday time, and next week I have to add my nephew's baptism, Passover seder, Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the midst of exams and a 15 page paper.
So, needless to say I am busy, and have used the phrase "I'm sorry, but I just don't have time..." a lot in the last week or so. And I don't. But, sometimes you need to make time.
As I was driving to school this morning after dropping James off at work, the CBC kindly told me that my friend Jian Ghomeshi (ok, so, we're not friends, but...who else talks to me nearly that often?) was going to be interviewing Yoko Ono and Bruce Cockburn. YOKO ONO AND BRUCE COCKBURN. A big deal. Yoko Ono fit into my travel time (and, as much as I was super pumped, the interview wasn't that great). Bruce Cockburn, on the other hand, was beginning just as I was arriving at school to segregate myself from the world in a tiny little cubicle in the library to get some writing done. Minor dilemma.
I made a choice. I found a sunny parking lot next to a nice park. I cracked the windows a tad, set the volume just right, laid my seat back.
And I gave myself an hour.
And I listened.
And I watched seagulls soar and dive against a bright blue sky with the tree tops just in view.
And I may have dosed off a tiny bit near the end.
And I was woken up by a group of geese walking past my car honking their brains out.
And it was good.

After my hour, the refreshed me sat up, parked my car and walked to the library. As if this day was just designed to be an oasis in the midst of school chaos, my favourite study carol in the whole entire library was open. AND there has been reliable internet in this corner of the library (so far). This could just be good.

The only down side being that I re-read a whole 300+ page novel yesterday taking very careful notes for my essay that I am planning on writing today. I left the notebook at home.

PS - Bruce Cockburn's new solo acoustic live album "Slice of Life" is being released today. I think that will be my finishing school gift to myself. Check it out.

ramblerambleramble

My husband says I mumble; I say he isn't listening carefully. While I will not admit to mumbling, I will admit to rambling. And will now proceed to do so.
I am SUPPOSED to be using my time wisely and getting some work done in the 3 hours I have between classes. In an effort to do so, I parked myself in the lovely solarium at our school. Solarium meaning, of course, intense sunlight, producing somewhat of a greenhouse effect, plus heaters turned on because it is technically still heat-requiring weather. Just not in a greenhouse at high noon. So, I am squinting at my screen while struggling to stay awake and not actually doing any of my work yet, because frankly, Scarlet, I don't...you get the picture. Also because I forgot to grab the revised syllabus for the class I have this afternoon, and webct is down, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to read. I do of course, have other things I could do, but...refer back to Scarlet. I'm tired of reading and writing.
And just tired, really. Getting out of bed this morning took about an hour of snooze button. And then for some reason, despite the fact that I didn't really have time, I asked James to make bacon and egs while I made muffins and we had a lovely breakfast together...and then I scrambled like mad to get myself out the door, leaving him with all the mess and begging him to put together a lunch for me. Which he did, because he's awesome (awesome here translating to gracious and patient with the fact that this happens a leeettle tooo often). I promised him that his life will undergo a miraculous transformation once I am done school. I may even make the breakfast and the lunch. Maybe.
So, that's it really. I am sitting squinting at a screen in a sauna. I have nothing intelligent to say right now, and I think that is due to my sun-induced stupor. So I am now going to say goodbye, pack up my stuff, and move to the less atmospheric, but also less sweltering library, and hope to have a productive 2 hours before my class.
Ciao, bellas.

26 more days...

I would LOVE to write a nice, long, thoughtful blogpost. In fact, I have a few percolating. Unfortunately, it just won't likely happen for awhile.
I am rounding the last corner in this stinkin' race to the end of school. I am also now working 24-32 hours a week now. And the bulk of my assignments are still yet to be done. Bad combo! 3 papers, 1 debate, 2 exams 'till the end.
And THEN I will be able to sit and ruminate on all kinds of things and share them with you...can't wait.