Yesterday wasn't much different from any other normal day, but it was a good birthday.
Woke up at seven and spent about forty-five minutes with the kittens, then checked Facebook, Twitter and email before eating some toaster waffles for breakfast. Read a book and cleaned until everybody wanted to open presents. Books are always terrific gifts.
I got three Agatha Christies that I hadn't read yet; the other three straight-up non-mystery novels she penned as Mary Westmacott, and then three Jan Karons, two of Father Tim's quotes-notebooks and then a collection of highlights from the series. Also a S.H.I.E.L.D. T-shirt and a gift card I'm probably going to get a pair of those Chaco sandals with.
Worked out with Mom, Trevor and Courtney, then we began snacking on the cookie cake. Trevor and I practiced our target shooting with his new Nerf pistol(a 21-gun salute?) on pop cans sitting on the ping pong table. He and Caleb needed help with one of their video games, and after that got a bit farther along on a short story about soccer that's coming along slowly. (Not much time to write during the school year, and also working on an Indiana Jones-ish adventure story with Ash.)
We got Chinese for dinner and finished up the day with a game of Ticket to Ride. There was ping pong, of course; and I listened to the Thunder game on the radio; that was rough. (Spurs won by 28, now up 3-2 in the West finals.) FB-chatted with Amanda and Jessica.
There were a ton of "Happy Birthdays" on FB, my phone kept buzzing with new notifications and emails all day. It was really something. From church, YT, camp, the homeschool group, BCM people....it was really awesome. Also phone calls from Nano and Dayla, a card from Grandpa and Robbie and a text from Harry. Felt very loved. Tim said that he wanted me back as a counselor again if possible, so looks like I'll head back to Missouri in July.
Today has had more time with the kittens and Rags, reading one of my new books, doing laundry and getting my twice-a-year haircut so far. Tomorrow everybody else will head to the Buckmasters for a chicken-slaughter, and I'll skip that and go to a writer's conference in Wagoner instead.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Around the House
Amy made history tonight. But first....
Rags is meowing piteously to her now-outside-kittens (Agent May, Drysa, Glory and Licorice), it's so sad to watch. Freckles has been keeping an eye on them pretty well, but it's still hard for her to deal with.
Captain did another heroic thing this morning: Fighting off and chasing away a coyote.
Courtney, Caleb and Trevor went to a youth group get-together at the Buckmasters' last night and had a very good time, Courtney then spent the night with Libby while Caleb went to the Coxes' for a sleepover.
They're EXTREMELY EXCITED about camp registration forms being sent out; as are most of their friends. Courtney's also super eager to go back to Mexico in two weeks, and Dad's wondering what that will be like.
Trevor's burned foot is healing, it's just going slower than he would like.
This post has a "Sniffing Around the Place" tone to it. Which wasn't exactly intentional, but it's seemed like it needed to be written, and as Sunny and Copper aren't here...Banjo doesn't have the self-confidence, and Rags is too out-of-sorts to give it a try.
We were looking at pictures of Sunny recently, me and Amy, and we came across one with her and Sport looking at the camera. Amy points and says, "Sport!' "That's right, that is Sport." I smile, marveling. She lives so much in the present, it's hard to gauge exactly how much of the past is saved as memories. So that was really cool to see.
We've spent a lot of time together so far this summer; which she loves. I'm like, one of the coolest people to ever walk the face of the planet to her, which is kinda neat. So we've played catch and dollhouse and Hot Wheels and read books and gone on imaginary grocery-shopping and hair-cutting trips(lots of those), and just generally that kind of thing. This morning we were sitting on the couch and she looks at me. "Where you 'tomach go?" Mom laughs and says, "He's just skinny, not as easy to notice as the rest of us."
And tonight she lost a tooth, so she was the first of any of us to have both front teeth missing at the same time. She handed the tooth to me for safekeeping and proudly marched around showing everyone the new gap.
Caleb watched The Big Green this afternoon, Trevor's been watching The Lone Ranger and MacGyver.
Dad's been busy rebuilding the flatbed trailer, and Mom's been harvesting vegetables from her garden and feeding animals, etc.
At the moment, Trevor is busy making an elaborate decoy of a stuffed man on the floor. Why? "So that in case a bad guy breaks in, and it's completely dark, he'll think that it's a real person and shoot 'em, and that'll wake us up and then I can spring my trap on him and he'll be knocked out!" The decoy is even wearing shoes and wide-receiver gloves. (This is one of many common Caleb/Trevor occurrences around here, where Courtney or I usually point out the obvious(and to them, irrelevant).plot holes in these schemes. Usually it involves them taking a painstakingly long, detailed process of attacking the intruder and saying strange things while doing this. The villian always says "Oh, you're just kids" and then stands perfectly still and allows them to beat him up and run him away.)
Steven's sermon yesterday on time in general was very good. Ten Ways to Destroy Your Child's Imagination was last week's super-interesting nonfiction read.
Rags is meowing piteously to her now-outside-kittens (Agent May, Drysa, Glory and Licorice), it's so sad to watch. Freckles has been keeping an eye on them pretty well, but it's still hard for her to deal with.
Captain did another heroic thing this morning: Fighting off and chasing away a coyote.
Courtney, Caleb and Trevor went to a youth group get-together at the Buckmasters' last night and had a very good time, Courtney then spent the night with Libby while Caleb went to the Coxes' for a sleepover.
They're EXTREMELY EXCITED about camp registration forms being sent out; as are most of their friends. Courtney's also super eager to go back to Mexico in two weeks, and Dad's wondering what that will be like.
Trevor's burned foot is healing, it's just going slower than he would like.
This post has a "Sniffing Around the Place" tone to it. Which wasn't exactly intentional, but it's seemed like it needed to be written, and as Sunny and Copper aren't here...Banjo doesn't have the self-confidence, and Rags is too out-of-sorts to give it a try.
We were looking at pictures of Sunny recently, me and Amy, and we came across one with her and Sport looking at the camera. Amy points and says, "Sport!' "That's right, that is Sport." I smile, marveling. She lives so much in the present, it's hard to gauge exactly how much of the past is saved as memories. So that was really cool to see.
We've spent a lot of time together so far this summer; which she loves. I'm like, one of the coolest people to ever walk the face of the planet to her, which is kinda neat. So we've played catch and dollhouse and Hot Wheels and read books and gone on imaginary grocery-shopping and hair-cutting trips(lots of those), and just generally that kind of thing. This morning we were sitting on the couch and she looks at me. "Where you 'tomach go?" Mom laughs and says, "He's just skinny, not as easy to notice as the rest of us."
And tonight she lost a tooth, so she was the first of any of us to have both front teeth missing at the same time. She handed the tooth to me for safekeeping and proudly marched around showing everyone the new gap.
Caleb watched The Big Green this afternoon, Trevor's been watching The Lone Ranger and MacGyver.
Dad's been busy rebuilding the flatbed trailer, and Mom's been harvesting vegetables from her garden and feeding animals, etc.
At the moment, Trevor is busy making an elaborate decoy of a stuffed man on the floor. Why? "So that in case a bad guy breaks in, and it's completely dark, he'll think that it's a real person and shoot 'em, and that'll wake us up and then I can spring my trap on him and he'll be knocked out!" The decoy is even wearing shoes and wide-receiver gloves. (This is one of many common Caleb/Trevor occurrences around here, where Courtney or I usually point out the obvious(and to them, irrelevant).plot holes in these schemes. Usually it involves them taking a painstakingly long, detailed process of attacking the intruder and saying strange things while doing this. The villian always says "Oh, you're just kids" and then stands perfectly still and allows them to beat him up and run him away.)
Steven's sermon yesterday on time in general was very good. Ten Ways to Destroy Your Child's Imagination was last week's super-interesting nonfiction read.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Books That Need to Be Written
These books, as far as I know, don't actually exist. But the subjects sound interesting, and I love puns, so...yeah.
"Rugs and Carpets", by Walter Walls.
Walls covers all aspects of this topic of floor-drapery, including Middle Eastern history, the Industrial Revolution and today's modern business. 241 pages, hardback.
"Glory Be! Amen, Brother! and Other Religious Sayings", by Holly Lujah.
Why do older folks sometimes shout agreement during a sermon? How can "Bless your heart" mean such different things whether Grandma says it to someone she doesn't like or a good friend? These and other questions are answered in Holly Lujah's newest title. 143 pages, paperback.
"Early Videogames", by Mrs. Packman.
Pong. Galaga. Dig Dug. Donkey Kong. Space Invaders. Frogger. All classics of the industry that evoke pleasant memories and wistful yearnings for a world with less connections. Interspersed are interviews with gamers, in addition to the business decisions that formed the way we see video games today. 302 pages, hardback, paperback or Kindle edition.
"Safety Tips", by Justin Case.
This world's a dangerous place at times....maybe Mom was right about all those things you never listened to. 54 pages, paperback.
"Lions, Tigers and Bears", by O. Myers.
This charming picture book explains how a small cat learns not to be afraid of bigger animals, in announcing their ballgames. 41 pages, hardback.
"Quilts", by Blaine Keys.
A fascinating coffee-table book ideal for those winter nights during a storm when the power goes out. Examines patterns and how their names came to be; as well as the mechanical process and social connectivity of creating quilts. 314 pages, paperback.
"The Big Book of Basketball Stats", by R.E. Bounds.
Every conceivable hoops fact imaginable can be found in this book, as well as a great many inconceivable as well. What year did Abe Saperstein form the Harlem Globetrotters? How important was George Mikan's influence on professional basketball? How far-out was the ABA's original 3-point shot? Find those and many more sports-bar stumpers inside the pages of this book. 422 pages, hardback.
"Ajax vs. Comet" and "Clorox vs. Tide", both by Dee Tergents.
In these books on cleaning materials, the author examines the creation of artificial grime-removal solutions and the branding wars that resulted as marketing has become ever more important. 224 and 253 pages, respectively, both available in paperback or Kindle editions.
"Bad Singers Found Here", by Cole Showers.
Ever wonder what happens to all those American Idol contestants who fail miserably in auditions? Or what made them try out in the first place? Showers on these questions and more in his book which came about, incidentally, in the bathroom, while pondering why good(and delusional) ideas come when least expecting them. 226 pages, available in hardback, paperback, Kindle or audiobook versions.
"COWS!", by Bo Vine.
Everything is covered here, from mating to milking, heifers to Holsteins, castration to curing meat. Stanchions, slaughter, breeds and brands. Cattle drives through Texas and Wisconsin milk-producers. 347 pages, hardback or paperback.
"Town Drunks", by Otis Campbell.
The definitive word on the subject; examining the town drunk's role in small-town society and politics, as well as in popular music, movies and TV shows. 245 pages, hardback.
"The History of Church Clocks", by Father Tim E. Pieces.
Not many know of the interesting twists and turns of how their local church's clocks came to be. Here are laid clues for future sleuthing laid throughout as the author relates the accounts of six such clocks. 361 pages, hardback or paperback. His son Reese S. wrote a book called "Bite Sized Candy"(224 pages, paperback), which if purchased together save 21% the retail price.
"Opera Music", by H.I. Notes.
The complete beginner's guide to opera in textbook format. 674 pages, hardback.
"The Encyclopedia of Pool", by Bill Iards.
Iards puts a masterful new spin on the game associated with gentlemen, murders, con artists, back rooms, and seedy bars, shooting into the game's role on slang and literature, among other things. We chalk it up as a masterpiece. (Disclaimer: Some sections caused our staff to break down loudly.) 477 pages, hardback or paperback.
"Camp Memories", by Lottie Goodtimes.
Remembrances of tales of summer camp or church camps throughout the country. 197 pages, paperback.
"Snoopy: A Biography", by Bea Giles.
From his beginnings at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm to coming to live with Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang, all the way to piloting the Metlife blimp and appearing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade; America's favorite beagle's life story is presented with personal insights from family and friends. 362 pages, hardback.
"Rugs and Carpets", by Walter Walls.
Walls covers all aspects of this topic of floor-drapery, including Middle Eastern history, the Industrial Revolution and today's modern business. 241 pages, hardback.
"Glory Be! Amen, Brother! and Other Religious Sayings", by Holly Lujah.
Why do older folks sometimes shout agreement during a sermon? How can "Bless your heart" mean such different things whether Grandma says it to someone she doesn't like or a good friend? These and other questions are answered in Holly Lujah's newest title. 143 pages, paperback.
"Early Videogames", by Mrs. Packman.
Pong. Galaga. Dig Dug. Donkey Kong. Space Invaders. Frogger. All classics of the industry that evoke pleasant memories and wistful yearnings for a world with less connections. Interspersed are interviews with gamers, in addition to the business decisions that formed the way we see video games today. 302 pages, hardback, paperback or Kindle edition.
"Safety Tips", by Justin Case.
This world's a dangerous place at times....maybe Mom was right about all those things you never listened to. 54 pages, paperback.
"Lions, Tigers and Bears", by O. Myers.
This charming picture book explains how a small cat learns not to be afraid of bigger animals, in announcing their ballgames. 41 pages, hardback.
"Quilts", by Blaine Keys.
A fascinating coffee-table book ideal for those winter nights during a storm when the power goes out. Examines patterns and how their names came to be; as well as the mechanical process and social connectivity of creating quilts. 314 pages, paperback.
"The Big Book of Basketball Stats", by R.E. Bounds.
Every conceivable hoops fact imaginable can be found in this book, as well as a great many inconceivable as well. What year did Abe Saperstein form the Harlem Globetrotters? How important was George Mikan's influence on professional basketball? How far-out was the ABA's original 3-point shot? Find those and many more sports-bar stumpers inside the pages of this book. 422 pages, hardback.
"Ajax vs. Comet" and "Clorox vs. Tide", both by Dee Tergents.
In these books on cleaning materials, the author examines the creation of artificial grime-removal solutions and the branding wars that resulted as marketing has become ever more important. 224 and 253 pages, respectively, both available in paperback or Kindle editions.
"Bad Singers Found Here", by Cole Showers.
Ever wonder what happens to all those American Idol contestants who fail miserably in auditions? Or what made them try out in the first place? Showers on these questions and more in his book which came about, incidentally, in the bathroom, while pondering why good(and delusional) ideas come when least expecting them. 226 pages, available in hardback, paperback, Kindle or audiobook versions.
"COWS!", by Bo Vine.
Everything is covered here, from mating to milking, heifers to Holsteins, castration to curing meat. Stanchions, slaughter, breeds and brands. Cattle drives through Texas and Wisconsin milk-producers. 347 pages, hardback or paperback.
"Town Drunks", by Otis Campbell.
The definitive word on the subject; examining the town drunk's role in small-town society and politics, as well as in popular music, movies and TV shows. 245 pages, hardback.
"The History of Church Clocks", by Father Tim E. Pieces.
Not many know of the interesting twists and turns of how their local church's clocks came to be. Here are laid clues for future sleuthing laid throughout as the author relates the accounts of six such clocks. 361 pages, hardback or paperback. His son Reese S. wrote a book called "Bite Sized Candy"(224 pages, paperback), which if purchased together save 21% the retail price.
"Opera Music", by H.I. Notes.
The complete beginner's guide to opera in textbook format. 674 pages, hardback.
"The Encyclopedia of Pool", by Bill Iards.
Iards puts a masterful new spin on the game associated with gentlemen, murders, con artists, back rooms, and seedy bars, shooting into the game's role on slang and literature, among other things. We chalk it up as a masterpiece. (Disclaimer: Some sections caused our staff to break down loudly.) 477 pages, hardback or paperback.
"Camp Memories", by Lottie Goodtimes.
Remembrances of tales of summer camp or church camps throughout the country. 197 pages, paperback.
"Snoopy: A Biography", by Bea Giles.
From his beginnings at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm to coming to live with Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang, all the way to piloting the Metlife blimp and appearing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade; America's favorite beagle's life story is presented with personal insights from family and friends. 362 pages, hardback.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Not Much Happening
There probably should be lots to write about, but I can't really think of much of anything interesting or newsworthy to tell.
Reading Mitford, watching Amy and Trevor, cleaning, ping pong....
Amy turned seven on Friday, she LOVED all the attention and presents and cake, just the fact that it was her birthday.
Dad, Caleb and Trevor went camping last week.
Rags' kittens are old enough to be outside now; they haven't quite adjusted just yet. She seems relieved, though.
Went to Westville yesterday, it was good to see Nano.
There are lots of things going on in May. Lots of folks I know slightly graduated from NSU recently, Brenna graduated high school last week, and Dylan Steeley graduates this week. Dylan Underwood and Grace Discher got married last Saturday, Daniel and his fiancee Chrissy get married this Saturday, and James Hoover and Chelsea are getting married next week. And Mrs. Hollis is organizing a writer's conference coming up soon.
Feels like I ought to be watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. right now.
Reading Mitford, watching Amy and Trevor, cleaning, ping pong....
Amy turned seven on Friday, she LOVED all the attention and presents and cake, just the fact that it was her birthday.
Dad, Caleb and Trevor went camping last week.
Rags' kittens are old enough to be outside now; they haven't quite adjusted just yet. She seems relieved, though.
Went to Westville yesterday, it was good to see Nano.
There are lots of things going on in May. Lots of folks I know slightly graduated from NSU recently, Brenna graduated high school last week, and Dylan Steeley graduates this week. Dylan Underwood and Grace Discher got married last Saturday, Daniel and his fiancee Chrissy get married this Saturday, and James Hoover and Chelsea are getting married next week. And Mrs. Hollis is organizing a writer's conference coming up soon.
Feels like I ought to be watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. right now.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Sophomore Year in Review
This guy at the campus library last week asked if I was graduating. People do that a lot. And then they look surprised when I say "I'm a sophomore." Almost(but not quite) as astounded as they did last year when I'd say "I'm a freshman."
I just said that people say that a lot. The guy nodded. "You just kind of have that look." People say that a lot, too. Is it a haggard, I'm-so-done-with-school expression? Or more a general aura of serious focus on getting the current task completed? Rushing around everywhere at top speed, maybe?
Well, whatever it is, I'm about halfway to graduation. And then? Who knows?
Folks say college gets easier and goes by faster the closer it gets to the end. I disagree. It gets harder, life gets harder. And time simply becomes an abstract concept you lost track of ages ago, so you're never quite sure how that's supposed to work.
This school year began with trying to cope with Sunny being gone, which hasn't been easy. And then in late October Copper, too... I caught a horrible sinus infection and voluntarily skipped two classes in one day, and then a couple months after that I got the full-blown flu(Missed TWO FULL DAYS of classes there). In between, I got an array of every small little thing you can catch. Had an hour-long dinnertime conversation about going to the bathroom. Gotten lost on a road trip. Took a personality test. Watched from the sidelines at a square dance. Crashed into pals at the skating rink. Been snowed in by blizzards during both Bedlam and the Super Bowl. Didn't get to attend church as much as would be ideal. My braces came off. There were much-needed coffee runs at McDonald's with friends. Watched the Olympics often. And I was interviewed for a magazine article on college survival.
Starting to get used to living with the family again, Trevor enjoys sharing a room. And Amy LOVES having me back. Lots of ping pong and board games, especially a new one called Ticket to Ride. It's kind of like a Settlers of Catan blended with Monopoly. Pretty awesome. Except it makes me want to visit all these places like Seattle, Portland, Duluth, Winnipeg, Atlanta, Santa Fe and Nashville...and all those places in between. Like coming back from Louisville from T4G a couple years ago, we stop at this little gas station in the middle of nowhere early on a late April Friday morning. I run in and grab a couple local newspapers, then pause. "Where am I?" The clerk, a grim-faced middle-aged woman appearing to have a bad day, her face softens as she smiles and says, "Why, you're in Floyd's Knob, Indiana, hon." It's just really interesting seeing different parts of the country.
Looking back over these posts, I've mentioned the BCM a lot. This year has been long and hard to get through, but God is faithful, and He's the director; things will always go according to His script, accomplishing whatever He has mapped out for the story to go. And one of those tools He used was those BCM people. I once heard somebody say this, which has stuck with me; "Maybe sometimes leaders don't know they're supposed to be leaders until somebody shows them how."
Watching the way Samantha led SWAT, or Daniel P. and Ricardo guiding the worship team, Michelle sort of keeping watch over everything and Bob and Deb making sure things are running smoothly, that's been really something to see and learn from.
The basketball tournament was interesting, but I wasn't expecting to go. I'm short, skinny, and I have a strong survival instinct, none of which is very helpful when it comes to basketball(or sports in general). But they needed a sixth player, so that was why I went along. Kind of a backup player as far as the worship team, there are much better guitarists than I am. But I'm the only person who plays mandolin, so that's another small bit I can fill.
Intensely watching the Thunder. The occasional ping pong battles, or snarky-comment-filled games of pool with Jacob and Elizabeth. Jamming out worship music with a half-dozen other guys, or the "Did that really just happen?" moments during rehearsals of the program. Hanging out in the office late at night, or McDonald's coffee runs for conversation and stepping back to appraise things. Napping on the "Softest Couches on Campus" in the living room. Reacting to storm-related crises. Friday fellowship with the Lunch Bunch.
The Thursday-night Bible studies were beneficial, diving deeper than the ordinary Monday-night meetings. There were times where I didn't feel like showing up but went ahead anyway; those seem to be the times God uses especially to remind you of some truth you'd forgotten or sin that needs addressing.
Much like anywhere else I find myself, I kind of stuck along the fringes of each group of people. That will be reflected with my official status of Shadow in fall as Holly and I will technically be working under Susan with leading SWAT, but I may continue on the worship team, and Stephen's thinking of teaching me how to operate tech-stuff, too, for if they need someone else to jump in and help. So I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing in fall, but looking to help out wherever I can.
So I guess what I'm saying is that the BCM is kind of a campus-church, not perfect by any means, but a collection of believers seeking to grow in Christlikeness and encourage one another to hang onto their faith. It made this year a lot easier to deal with.
Class-wise, a lot of the courses I took this year didn't teach me that much by themselves, but making the connections tying them together gave me a deeper appreciation of how wonderful and magical this world we live in is, and appreciation and thankfulness to the One that created it that we can be a part. Example: Food intake can affect our bodies and minds, which causes changes in the brain and actions that can be studied as psychology. Psychology, of course, has a huge impact on great literature, both the reading and writing of it, creating tales and understanding them. The most practical modern way to do that is through journalism, and all writing of any kind in English is heavily influenced by Latin, in nearly every way imaginable. Finally, by words one can influence changes in eating habits and attitudes.
Prof. Semrow's Literature class was amazing; getting to study Hemingway short stories and poetry twice a week, and the fact that she cared about the stuff she was teaching, and homeschool-mom-like tried to teach her students to examine things critically on their own, question some things in the educational system, for example, that could be improved. It was so great that I emphatically recommended Susan also take it with Prof. Semrow, and she loved it, too. Dr. Faulds was terrific; I loved taking his Latin classes, and wish there were more. (Actually, I would love to take almost any course either of them taught.)
Mrs. Bowin's psychology class was interesting. I disagreed with a lot of her theories and ideas, but she was all right with that. In a way, she was a lot like my high school drama/speech teacher Mrs. Jackson.
Basic Editing was maddening at times, but so worth it and enjoyable. Dr. Eversole drilled AP Style into our heads to where we actually can work with it, after being introduced in Cassie's Basic Writing class the spring before. And I've always really enjoyed editing/critiquing things for some weird reason, so that was good.
Nutrition and speech were both rather pointless and unhelpful.
Basic and Advanced Video Production were both stressful. But they also taught me how to use editing software and worked on my sanctification and improvisational skills through dealing with unexpected challenges and getting the job finished as best I could. And it introduced some of the lingo, terms and expectations in working with broadcast media.
Read through Ephesians, Colossians, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and 1 John pretty often, studying how our lives as believers ought to look. The prayers and encouragements of my GBC family was invaluable; the Coxes; the Merediths; Mr. Dugas, Carolyn Osborn, Mrs. Pickard, Ryan McNeil, many others I can't think of right now. One day just as Christmas break was ending, Mrs. Meredith gave me a hug and said, "You know, Wesley, we've been watching and praying for you over the last two years, and I just wanted to say we're so proud of the man you've grown into! It's just...." she shook her head. "It's a blessing."
There's been Edgar Guest and Rudyard Kipling poems to serve as inspiration to keep going, and that Emerson poster on my wall.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was amazing, as was the first season(now renewed for a second) of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Blimey Cow's Messy Mondays has also been a frequent weekly bright spot.
Encouragement, laughter and advice have come from Daniel, Jon, Ash, Amanda and Jessica. And it's been great to have Grandpa and Robbie so close by, or Louise and Harry.
If there were a playlist of songs fitting this school year, like I did last year or for graduation, besides the obvious hymns, that would probably include Steven Curtis Chapman's "God is God", "Magnificent Obsession", "See the Glory", "Declaration of Dependence"; Big Tent Revival's "Two Sets of Joneses", Rich Mullins' "If I Stand", Taylor Swift's "Long Live", Eli's "Stand", Relient K's "Be My Escape" and "Sadie Hawkins Dance", and Miranda Lambert's "New Strings". There's others I could add, but that pretty much covers it, and I can't remember many other significant tunes.
There's been Rags all along, though, and now her kittens. That's been very important, to have those animals there in life.
Squeaked by with straight A's again, so that's another mission completed.
Read through Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death the other day, and working on C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, really enjoying those. Not sure what else I'll find to go through, but it's good to have time to read non-textbooks.
I just said that people say that a lot. The guy nodded. "You just kind of have that look." People say that a lot, too. Is it a haggard, I'm-so-done-with-school expression? Or more a general aura of serious focus on getting the current task completed? Rushing around everywhere at top speed, maybe?
Well, whatever it is, I'm about halfway to graduation. And then? Who knows?
Folks say college gets easier and goes by faster the closer it gets to the end. I disagree. It gets harder, life gets harder. And time simply becomes an abstract concept you lost track of ages ago, so you're never quite sure how that's supposed to work.
This school year began with trying to cope with Sunny being gone, which hasn't been easy. And then in late October Copper, too... I caught a horrible sinus infection and voluntarily skipped two classes in one day, and then a couple months after that I got the full-blown flu(Missed TWO FULL DAYS of classes there). In between, I got an array of every small little thing you can catch. Had an hour-long dinnertime conversation about going to the bathroom. Gotten lost on a road trip. Took a personality test. Watched from the sidelines at a square dance. Crashed into pals at the skating rink. Been snowed in by blizzards during both Bedlam and the Super Bowl. Didn't get to attend church as much as would be ideal. My braces came off. There were much-needed coffee runs at McDonald's with friends. Watched the Olympics often. And I was interviewed for a magazine article on college survival.
Starting to get used to living with the family again, Trevor enjoys sharing a room. And Amy LOVES having me back. Lots of ping pong and board games, especially a new one called Ticket to Ride. It's kind of like a Settlers of Catan blended with Monopoly. Pretty awesome. Except it makes me want to visit all these places like Seattle, Portland, Duluth, Winnipeg, Atlanta, Santa Fe and Nashville...and all those places in between. Like coming back from Louisville from T4G a couple years ago, we stop at this little gas station in the middle of nowhere early on a late April Friday morning. I run in and grab a couple local newspapers, then pause. "Where am I?" The clerk, a grim-faced middle-aged woman appearing to have a bad day, her face softens as she smiles and says, "Why, you're in Floyd's Knob, Indiana, hon." It's just really interesting seeing different parts of the country.
Looking back over these posts, I've mentioned the BCM a lot. This year has been long and hard to get through, but God is faithful, and He's the director; things will always go according to His script, accomplishing whatever He has mapped out for the story to go. And one of those tools He used was those BCM people. I once heard somebody say this, which has stuck with me; "Maybe sometimes leaders don't know they're supposed to be leaders until somebody shows them how."
Watching the way Samantha led SWAT, or Daniel P. and Ricardo guiding the worship team, Michelle sort of keeping watch over everything and Bob and Deb making sure things are running smoothly, that's been really something to see and learn from.
The basketball tournament was interesting, but I wasn't expecting to go. I'm short, skinny, and I have a strong survival instinct, none of which is very helpful when it comes to basketball(or sports in general). But they needed a sixth player, so that was why I went along. Kind of a backup player as far as the worship team, there are much better guitarists than I am. But I'm the only person who plays mandolin, so that's another small bit I can fill.
Intensely watching the Thunder. The occasional ping pong battles, or snarky-comment-filled games of pool with Jacob and Elizabeth. Jamming out worship music with a half-dozen other guys, or the "Did that really just happen?" moments during rehearsals of the program. Hanging out in the office late at night, or McDonald's coffee runs for conversation and stepping back to appraise things. Napping on the "Softest Couches on Campus" in the living room. Reacting to storm-related crises. Friday fellowship with the Lunch Bunch.
The Thursday-night Bible studies were beneficial, diving deeper than the ordinary Monday-night meetings. There were times where I didn't feel like showing up but went ahead anyway; those seem to be the times God uses especially to remind you of some truth you'd forgotten or sin that needs addressing.
Much like anywhere else I find myself, I kind of stuck along the fringes of each group of people. That will be reflected with my official status of Shadow in fall as Holly and I will technically be working under Susan with leading SWAT, but I may continue on the worship team, and Stephen's thinking of teaching me how to operate tech-stuff, too, for if they need someone else to jump in and help. So I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing in fall, but looking to help out wherever I can.
So I guess what I'm saying is that the BCM is kind of a campus-church, not perfect by any means, but a collection of believers seeking to grow in Christlikeness and encourage one another to hang onto their faith. It made this year a lot easier to deal with.
Class-wise, a lot of the courses I took this year didn't teach me that much by themselves, but making the connections tying them together gave me a deeper appreciation of how wonderful and magical this world we live in is, and appreciation and thankfulness to the One that created it that we can be a part. Example: Food intake can affect our bodies and minds, which causes changes in the brain and actions that can be studied as psychology. Psychology, of course, has a huge impact on great literature, both the reading and writing of it, creating tales and understanding them. The most practical modern way to do that is through journalism, and all writing of any kind in English is heavily influenced by Latin, in nearly every way imaginable. Finally, by words one can influence changes in eating habits and attitudes.
Prof. Semrow's Literature class was amazing; getting to study Hemingway short stories and poetry twice a week, and the fact that she cared about the stuff she was teaching, and homeschool-mom-like tried to teach her students to examine things critically on their own, question some things in the educational system, for example, that could be improved. It was so great that I emphatically recommended Susan also take it with Prof. Semrow, and she loved it, too. Dr. Faulds was terrific; I loved taking his Latin classes, and wish there were more. (Actually, I would love to take almost any course either of them taught.)
Mrs. Bowin's psychology class was interesting. I disagreed with a lot of her theories and ideas, but she was all right with that. In a way, she was a lot like my high school drama/speech teacher Mrs. Jackson.
Basic Editing was maddening at times, but so worth it and enjoyable. Dr. Eversole drilled AP Style into our heads to where we actually can work with it, after being introduced in Cassie's Basic Writing class the spring before. And I've always really enjoyed editing/critiquing things for some weird reason, so that was good.
Nutrition and speech were both rather pointless and unhelpful.
Basic and Advanced Video Production were both stressful. But they also taught me how to use editing software and worked on my sanctification and improvisational skills through dealing with unexpected challenges and getting the job finished as best I could. And it introduced some of the lingo, terms and expectations in working with broadcast media.
Read through Ephesians, Colossians, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and 1 John pretty often, studying how our lives as believers ought to look. The prayers and encouragements of my GBC family was invaluable; the Coxes; the Merediths; Mr. Dugas, Carolyn Osborn, Mrs. Pickard, Ryan McNeil, many others I can't think of right now. One day just as Christmas break was ending, Mrs. Meredith gave me a hug and said, "You know, Wesley, we've been watching and praying for you over the last two years, and I just wanted to say we're so proud of the man you've grown into! It's just...." she shook her head. "It's a blessing."
There's been Edgar Guest and Rudyard Kipling poems to serve as inspiration to keep going, and that Emerson poster on my wall.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was amazing, as was the first season(now renewed for a second) of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Blimey Cow's Messy Mondays has also been a frequent weekly bright spot.
Encouragement, laughter and advice have come from Daniel, Jon, Ash, Amanda and Jessica. And it's been great to have Grandpa and Robbie so close by, or Louise and Harry.
If there were a playlist of songs fitting this school year, like I did last year or for graduation, besides the obvious hymns, that would probably include Steven Curtis Chapman's "God is God", "Magnificent Obsession", "See the Glory", "Declaration of Dependence"; Big Tent Revival's "Two Sets of Joneses", Rich Mullins' "If I Stand", Taylor Swift's "Long Live", Eli's "Stand", Relient K's "Be My Escape" and "Sadie Hawkins Dance", and Miranda Lambert's "New Strings". There's others I could add, but that pretty much covers it, and I can't remember many other significant tunes.
There's been Rags all along, though, and now her kittens. That's been very important, to have those animals there in life.
Squeaked by with straight A's again, so that's another mission completed.
Read through Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death the other day, and working on C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, really enjoying those. Not sure what else I'll find to go through, but it's good to have time to read non-textbooks.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
May Daze
I'm feeling a lot like Kansas right now. (It's a Laurie Keller reference; from The Scrambled States of America. Look it up sometime; it's in the children's picture-book section of the library.) How do I know this? Because I"M NOT FEELING HAPPY AT ALL!
Sorry for the shouting, but it's part of the quote; it simply must be shouted. I'm feeling frustrated and worn-out at the moment. And really hungry.
Monday was a night to remember, for sure. It started out pretty typically; with school and classes and everything. There was a picnic scheduled for Ja Li Si's birthday, which was moved into the BCM basement due to rain. So the "Plan B(asement)" worked out pretty well; we just spread a couple blankets on the floor and had the picnic indoors. And we picked out the design for next year's SWAT shirts.
The Monday-night meeting(known as "Impact" for some reason I don't know) was scheduled to be held outside, since it was the last one of the semester, but then the weather decided to be all Oklahoma and rain on us. After pouring down and drenching everything in sight, leaving every flat surface a three-inch-deep puddle, the rain cleared out and BCM leadership was faced with a quandary: Hold it outside as scheduled and brave the rain, or play it safe, hold it indoors, and risk the weather turning nice again? The meteorology team of Stephen, Ashleigh and Justin studied their radars and predicted the rest of the storm would miss us, but everyone else wasn't exactly sure. If they were wrong and it started raining....most of the technical equipment would probably be ruined.
So Stephen and Justin and I found some brooms and team-swept the stage of the ampitheatre curling-style while waiting on word. They decided to take another look at radar and talk to other people, while Susan and I decided to clean the water out of the seats while waiting on word. It was hard work, yes, but it was so much FUN! (I GOT TO clean SOMETHING!! And it was NECESSARY!!) And besides, whether we used the space or somebody else did the next day, someone needed to clear it out. It felt like home; like I was in the family room cleaning up after a flood or ripping up carpet. Anyway, when we'd gotten almost finished we get word from Daniel P. that Project Outdoor Impact was a go, so it was minor touch-ups and getting set up without missing a beat schedule-wise.
It went all right, except for a chilly wind freezing everyone. After cleaning up, there was a bunch of ice cream in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so....well, you can't waste perfectly good ice cream. Especially when there's peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate syrup and other toppings to accompany the ice cream. Bob revealed that the intensity of the set-up was because, well, it was a set-up, in a way. A sort of test of the ability to take calculated risks and trust leadership, and then as a team accomplish that goal to see what the results might be.
Anyway, the ice cream was then cleaned up and most people left; leaving me, Stephen, Elizabeth, Michelle, Jordan, James, Ja Li Si, Ashleigh, Bucky, Haley A. and Caitlyn. So Bucky and James tried to teach two-step lessons, I found myself DJing the small dance party that resulted, and then eventually with it being close to midnight, and nobody wanting to leave until it was officially Ja Li Si's birthday, Jordan grabbed James' guitar and we had a 90's/early 2000's singalong. (Picture a bunch of folks doing "Sadie Hawkins Dance", including the part in the chorus where you sound like a pack of barking seals.)
Everything after that has been working frantically on final projects. (And exhausted spacey looks between studying and sleeping.)
This morning we had our final presentation for MMP, and so are anxiously awaiting final grades on that. And then the afternoon was filled with beginning shooting for my music video for the Advanced Video Production final. I think most of the shots I got were crappy and I'll need to redo them all. But I'm not sure, because the computer lab was locked early, so I couldn't upload the files yet once I checked the camera back in. And that's after switching cameras midway through due to technical freakout problems.
Finals next week; and then moving out and heading back for the summer. Probably I ought to work on the recaps of this school year.
Amanda's been pestering me incessantly in an exasperating little sisterly/friendly way without end.
I've had a lot of Mitford quotes running through my head recently. Among them: "No rest for the weary, and the righteous don't need none!" (Mitford saying, originally from Uncle Billy)
"I like you. You're simple." "I'm probably the only woman in the world who would consider that a compliment." (Father Tim and Cynthia)
and "Philippians four-thirteen, for Pete's sake!" (Mitford saying, originally from Olivia Davenport)
Also tons of Captain America quotes, from both movies. (NEED to see Winter Soldier again....) And the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man comes to theaters tonight. And the Thunder will probably lose to the Grizzlies in an overtime game and be eliminated from the playoffs. Don't get me started on the Donald Sterling or Oklahoman-headline stories...
And my birthday is four weeks from today.
Sorry for the shouting, but it's part of the quote; it simply must be shouted. I'm feeling frustrated and worn-out at the moment. And really hungry.
Monday was a night to remember, for sure. It started out pretty typically; with school and classes and everything. There was a picnic scheduled for Ja Li Si's birthday, which was moved into the BCM basement due to rain. So the "Plan B(asement)" worked out pretty well; we just spread a couple blankets on the floor and had the picnic indoors. And we picked out the design for next year's SWAT shirts.
The Monday-night meeting(known as "Impact" for some reason I don't know) was scheduled to be held outside, since it was the last one of the semester, but then the weather decided to be all Oklahoma and rain on us. After pouring down and drenching everything in sight, leaving every flat surface a three-inch-deep puddle, the rain cleared out and BCM leadership was faced with a quandary: Hold it outside as scheduled and brave the rain, or play it safe, hold it indoors, and risk the weather turning nice again? The meteorology team of Stephen, Ashleigh and Justin studied their radars and predicted the rest of the storm would miss us, but everyone else wasn't exactly sure. If they were wrong and it started raining....most of the technical equipment would probably be ruined.
So Stephen and Justin and I found some brooms and team-swept the stage of the ampitheatre curling-style while waiting on word. They decided to take another look at radar and talk to other people, while Susan and I decided to clean the water out of the seats while waiting on word. It was hard work, yes, but it was so much FUN! (I GOT TO clean SOMETHING!! And it was NECESSARY!!) And besides, whether we used the space or somebody else did the next day, someone needed to clear it out. It felt like home; like I was in the family room cleaning up after a flood or ripping up carpet. Anyway, when we'd gotten almost finished we get word from Daniel P. that Project Outdoor Impact was a go, so it was minor touch-ups and getting set up without missing a beat schedule-wise.
It went all right, except for a chilly wind freezing everyone. After cleaning up, there was a bunch of ice cream in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so....well, you can't waste perfectly good ice cream. Especially when there's peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate syrup and other toppings to accompany the ice cream. Bob revealed that the intensity of the set-up was because, well, it was a set-up, in a way. A sort of test of the ability to take calculated risks and trust leadership, and then as a team accomplish that goal to see what the results might be.
Anyway, the ice cream was then cleaned up and most people left; leaving me, Stephen, Elizabeth, Michelle, Jordan, James, Ja Li Si, Ashleigh, Bucky, Haley A. and Caitlyn. So Bucky and James tried to teach two-step lessons, I found myself DJing the small dance party that resulted, and then eventually with it being close to midnight, and nobody wanting to leave until it was officially Ja Li Si's birthday, Jordan grabbed James' guitar and we had a 90's/early 2000's singalong. (Picture a bunch of folks doing "Sadie Hawkins Dance", including the part in the chorus where you sound like a pack of barking seals.)
Everything after that has been working frantically on final projects. (And exhausted spacey looks between studying and sleeping.)
This morning we had our final presentation for MMP, and so are anxiously awaiting final grades on that. And then the afternoon was filled with beginning shooting for my music video for the Advanced Video Production final. I think most of the shots I got were crappy and I'll need to redo them all. But I'm not sure, because the computer lab was locked early, so I couldn't upload the files yet once I checked the camera back in. And that's after switching cameras midway through due to technical freakout problems.
Finals next week; and then moving out and heading back for the summer. Probably I ought to work on the recaps of this school year.
Amanda's been pestering me incessantly in an exasperating little sisterly/friendly way without end.
I've had a lot of Mitford quotes running through my head recently. Among them: "No rest for the weary, and the righteous don't need none!" (Mitford saying, originally from Uncle Billy)
"I like you. You're simple." "I'm probably the only woman in the world who would consider that a compliment." (Father Tim and Cynthia)
and "Philippians four-thirteen, for Pete's sake!" (Mitford saying, originally from Olivia Davenport)
Also tons of Captain America quotes, from both movies. (NEED to see Winter Soldier again....) And the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man comes to theaters tonight. And the Thunder will probably lose to the Grizzlies in an overtime game and be eliminated from the playoffs. Don't get me started on the Donald Sterling or Oklahoman-headline stories...
And my birthday is four weeks from today.
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