Me Day

It really is as peaceful as it looks. 

Chillin in my gorgeous easter socks. I still can't get over my fuzzy pillow.

^Life

Today I took three finals. That's right. Finals. And you know what that means? That means the semester's almost over! Bless you beautiful finals.
Anyhow, to celebrate I declared today a Me day, a date with myself so to speak. And so in the name of chivalry I had to get myself ice-cream because, at least in college life, every good date involves ice-cream. And the best part about a date with yourself? When you share, you get double :).
Then I took a walk because gosh darn it, the world is so gorgeous this time of year! This morning as I was walking up to campus the wind whispering through the trees told me they need some appreciation. I thought, that's not so much to ask in return for all these beautiful blossoms scattering the sidewalks. And the trails around campus are so peaceful.
Then I rented a puppy to play with. Because, yeah that's what you do in college. But no shame. Sofie was adorable. And nothing makes fast friends like a cute little puppy. Sofie made me famous :) and oh so happy.

Meet Sophie

She curled up like this all on her own

And then we took naps . . . :)

Then, as the grand finale, I started packing because I'm just that excited to come home. Packing may not sound like the most fun way to end a Me Day, but it is what you make of it. I jammed out to "All Star" and "Smash Mouth" and my oh-so-kind date made me popcorn.

Candidly,
Cookie

Writing from the Heart

So I'm a college freshman living in the freshman dorms with a couple papers to write, sunk deep in the momentary bliss of procrastination and not even feigning a fight with my bottomless craving for anything sweet and preferably chocolaty. Last night was no exception. I came home from work wanting ice cream when, whata ya know? my two good friends came down the hall with ice-cream from the vending machine. I had found my justification and no sooner found myself enjoying a small pint of cookies 'n cream while listening to music and talking about -- Can you guess? Boys.
I'd actually been waiting for another friend to come home so we could go running -- by now it is almost 10:00, the perfect time for a run -- so maybe I hadn't really thought through the ice-cream . . .
I was saved when she proposed a movie instead.
Have you ever watched "The Dead Poet's Society"? If you haven't, cancel your plans for the day and watch it. Maybe it's because I'm an English major, but I got chills and goosebumps and little warm fuzzies. Okay, so maybe some of the warm fuzzies came from the chocolate my friend brought over to share, but seriously, it's a great movie.
Afterwards, I wanted to try writing a poem like the one Todd creates in the movie - literally a spattering of the first thoughts that come to mind, continuing down the various paths of a frayed piece of yarn until they magically wind themselves up and come together. Often the poem knows where it wants to go before you can direct it there, so quit racking your brain for Shakespearean couplets. Quit studying a topic until your passion has burnt out beneath the heavy air of eloquence. Quit looking to reason and logic. Look in your heart, and write.
Well, here's my first attempt. Can't say it's flawless, but beauty never was.

I want to write something more beautiful

More beautiful than the way the praying mantis

Strokes a lotus flower

As he bequeaths his prayers to the wind

On which the birds fly forth like a hurricane

That whispers sweet destruction

As it turns the malting leaves

In slow and wistful swirls

Circling back again and again like time

In it’s perfect clockwork

Counting the moments that seconds can’t measure

That dreams can’t encompass

And hearts can hardly hold

That fingers cannot type

And lips cannot impart

Because they are so ordinary

That eloquence and ornaments are gods

That sit aloft and mean to my heart nothing

Candidly,

Cookie

And I was Happy

I was reading an article yesterday in which it asked the reader the question, "What do you want? What do you really want?"
I stopped and thought about this for much longer than I think the question was intended to merit, and I do believe it was intended to merit some thought.
I'll admit when I read "what do you want?" the first things that came to mind were the generic superpowers. I want to fly, I want to be insanely intelligent, I want to breath underwater and run like lightning.
Then I thought a little deeper. I want to be able to sit and watch the sunrise without any thoughts of obligations and worries and without any awareness of the passing time and the tense anxiety such tends to bring.
I want to sit on the beach reading a good book, hearing the waves crash, feeling the wind blow drops of sunlight into a fine mist, without ever having to get up for a drink or a snack and with nothing to draw me back from the beach until my book is finished.
I thought about these things, but ultimately I dismissed them all. They all shared one problem: they were things I could not have and no one was ever the happier for wanting what he could not have.
You may wish to fly and that is a fine wish, but you will never get your wish and so it can bring you no joy. Me, I would much rather wish for some simple thing I know I can obtain, and upon obtaining it, I will find joy.
And so, what is that I want? What do I really want?
A hug.
And you know what? That very same day, I got my wish.
And I was happy.

Life is good. And so are these great people. Spent a whole day playing at the park after a delicious picnic. When a bunch of kids came out to play on the other playground I began to wonder what group they belonged to. Was it a summer camp?  Oh yeah, school's in session.
As much as I love school, it was great to forget for a day. Short sleeves, shorts, playgrounds and bike rides . . .The seed of summer's been planted. Hurry up and grow my precious seed!

Candidly,
Cookie