delight in life

you can stretch right up and touch the sky

This is shaping up to be a good weekend. Starting off with hitting the Ikea sale this morning, and then headed to a family reunion. Beautiful weather all around, and free breakfast at Ikea. Let's go.

in the summertime

Wednesday was a great night. To celebrate Chris's degree officially being ABD ("all but dissertation"), we went with friends to dinner and when we were still feeling celebratory after the meal, we went to Yogurt Story for dessert. YOGURT STORY IS THE BEST PLACE EVER. You get a big bowl. You put a bunch of frozen yogurt in it. Then you go to the toppings bar and put a bunch of toppings on it. Anything you want! Then you go the register, weigh your bowl and give them 35 cents an ounce. The total price of Chris's and mine was 10 dollars and change. Whoops.

But the place was packed (because of its awesomeness), and there was nowhere for our group of 7 to sit. So we went outside and sat in the grass. The weather was beautiful and the grass was soft and cool and my friends are lovely. I thought "this is a perfect summer evening." And I am so looking forward to many more nights like that. Dear Summer 2009, I love you.

a little bit longer

So, I'm graduated.

It feels like summer vacation. But better, because I'm buying a car. And moving to a sweet apartment. But mostly like summer vacation. I like it.

My family came to see me graduate, and it was fantastic having them here. They are great. The best. They met my friends here for the first time, and having the two groups of people who know me best hang out all weekend was wonderful.

 

When I was a senior in high school and heartbroken that I was accepted to UNT as a euphonium concentration student and not a performance major as I'd hoped, my Dad wrote this on a post-it and stuck it on my acceptance letter:

"All rising to a great place is by a winding stair." - Francis Bacon

I have held onto that ever since. I even have the original post-it around somewhere. My path through college certainly was not straightforward, either academically or personally. But I ended up where I needed to be. I know that whatever I have planned for the next 5-50 years probably will not happen as I plan. But I'm on my winding stair and I'm headed to wherever that takes me. Bring it on, world.

the eggers O

short & sweet.

So far, this weekend has been amazing. For now I will just say I am blessed beyond measure.

post grad hugs

this is why i like her:

After I complained on Facebook about being so tired all the time thanks to projects due at midnight, Molly left this supportive comment for me:

"I don't feel sorry for you because while you're living your new awesome life I'll be awake all night taking care of my infant. And you'll breeze over in your new car all refreshed and well-rested and you'll laugh at me because of how tired I am. I KNOW you will."

She didn't mention that I would breeze by all refreshed and well-rested bearing gifts of Starbucks, but I see her point.

COMING SOON TO A BLOG NEAR YOU

A banner that isn't three months old!

i'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve.

Bill Watterson's Commencement Speech at Kenyon College, 1990 (via Anna) 

Reading a commencement speech so close to my own commencement gives it special meaning.

This reminded me that although my life seems to all be falling into place, what with getting graduated and engaged and jobbed (BY THE WAY BLOGLAND I GOT A JOB), it probably won't be easy at first, and I may not even like my job. Even though I think I will, and I hope I will, things may change. Everything I have planned now may be completely different in a year. And that should all be okay and is just part of the process. (Though I'm sure if something actually happens and I hate my job and everything falls apart, I will not be telling myself it is all part of the process and being okay with it. I will be freaking out with a big ugly cry.)

I am excited.

feeling a little lighter.

I found yesterday that a final that I thought was next Friday has been moved to Monday, meaning I am now done with all classes and tests next Tuesday, four days earlier than I thought. At midnight last night, I turned in two of my 5 end-of-semester projects. The combination of those two things has me feeling loads lighter today. My baseline mood seems to have returned to happy, instead of stressed-out-crazy. And I am A-OK with that.

I even turned on my camera today, which hasn't happened since March. I'm dying to make something out of paper, like my graduation announcements, but that will have to wait until next Tuesday. But dang. That is only a week from today. I think I can handle it.