T'was The Day Before Classes...

T'was the day before classes
And a student was blogging
"Doesn't this sound familiar?"
She thought while logging

"I did this last year!"
She exclaimed in her head
"This is sure to get boring
for people who've read

All of my other posts
from last year and on"
But with no more ideas
Originality was gone

So she sat and she thought
and decided at last
That her readers would forgive
and let this one go past


It's that time of year again. There's snow on the ground, excitement in the air, and the hustle and bustle of crowded stores. Yes... it is the beginning of a new semester.

With just one day left before classes, I'm organizing, reorganizing, and preparing myself for what is sure to be an insanely busy semester. I am taking 6 courses, as follows:

-Intermediate French
-Classical Humanities
-Trig/Calc
-Geomorphology
-Maps and Mapping
-Geography of Wine

It is quite a full schedule and is not made better by the fact that four of those courses are on the same day. Hopefully this Spring semester won't be curses by a dropped math course like last Spring. I am also going to try to juggle in extra-curriculars, which will be an enjoyable challenge in its own right. Although it is very busy, I am certain that it will be a very enjoyable semester. I am finally on the proper course of action to graduate when I want to and to study subjects that I love. I feel that this will be a semester that will really shape who I am and who I want to be.

Wish me luck!

Until next time.

New Year, New Experience

So, I have already missed my resolution of posting once per week. Last week was rather hectic and emotional and, due to lack of time and internet, I was unable to post.

Last week was so busy because my grandfather died and we all wanted to be up there with him. We received a call on Sunday night that he had had a stroke and was in a coma. My dad and brother drove up that night and my mom and I flew up Tuesday to be with my dad and his family. We packed out whole family into a tiny hospital room where Grandpa was lying and stayed with him as we talked about all of the memories we had. We were told that he could hear us, and so we kept conversation going constantly in hopes that it comforted him.

At one point, the nurses had to check on him and we had to leave the room. We weren't gone for more than a minute and he passed. It was almost as if once he couldn't hear us talking anymore, he decided that that was his time and he left the room with us. He passed peacefully and without suffering, and that is all we could have hoped for.

The week then proceeded with arrangements for the wake, funeral, and burial. My one job during this time was to make the centerpiece candles for the meal following the funeral. I felt that this would be my contribution and gift to him.

I have never seen a dead person or someone die, nor have I ever been to a wake or a funeral. The whole week was a new and overwhelming experience, but there was also so much beauty in certain aspects of it. The peacefulness of my grandpa, the eulogy given by my father and my uncle, the flowers we each placed on his coffin. Each of these were so beautiful and symbolic and made me remember the good times and memories with my grandpa.

While he will be dearly missed by everyone he has touched in his life, he will surely find peace and happiness in his eternal life.