The Phoenix Rises

Final project for my ceramics class is a phoenix. But I am calling it a "Dinosaur Dragon Goose Phoenix." It still needs to be painted and fired. 

Autumn Cold Season

I am sorry that I haven't updated lately. My household has come down with a cold or the flu. And I had 2 major research papers due this week, plus my largest ceramics project ever needs to be finished by monday. It is supposed to be a phoenix rising out of flames - but it looks more like a goose cooking in a fire. It doesn't have wings or feathers yet, and its head looks a little whacky. It needs major attention.

I am preparing the apartment for my parent's visit next week. So far I have done ... um... well... nothing. In fact I am beginning to panic. My mother is a clean-freak. And I am not.

I haven't even gone grocery shopping for the Thanksgiving meal. I am sure I will get to the store to find every turkey sold and have to settle for turkey hot dogs instead.

I did, however, manage to do ALL of my Christmas shopping online and have it almost taken care of. I still need to shop for the hardest person to shop for in the whole-wide-world: Jamie. I never know what to get him and always manage to fudge it up and get him the tackiest, thoughtless, hideous, most wretched gift ever. This year I enlisted Slavica to go shopping with me to find him some new clothes or a new jacket. (Or both.) Good thing he never reads my blog, huh?

My day today started off horrible. I didn't sleep but 3 hours last night due to my severe procrastination of writing my anthropology theory paper on Edward Bruner. And I had - up to that point - also thought that I was only getting a C+ in my philosophy class. But today when I got to class, my professor handed me a grade sheet that said I was getting an A! Weird! I almost leaped out of my seat and hugged him. By 1:30 I could no longer hold my eyes open, nor could I breathe out of my nose, so I headed home early. And crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow. Jamie found me unconscious at 5:00 and told me dinner was done; he is my angel!

I am heading out to see the new Twilight movie tomorrow with Slavica. We read the book series and fell in love with Edward. Nothing could keep us from seeing that movie tomorrow. Not even a blizzard.

Thanks everyone who has sent their congratulations on the Pine Ridge Project! I am super excited, but have decided to lay low on it until next semester. I have an independent study with Dr. Amick to make all the necessary plans. So I am going to just wait until Jan. 11th to get the ball rolling again. Final exams are lurking and I need to devote my time to studying and preparing to close out this semester.

Cheers! And Happy Thanksgiving!

 

It's official!

I can now start taking names for the Pine Ridge Trip!!!

May 14-31, 2009.

I will email out an application and trip description to anyone interested in going.

Dr. Amick is going to go as well. Therefore I have 3 spots available. (Me and Slavica are already committed.)

Yipee!!! I am so happy I can't even compose a blog entry!

On a more serious note...

This is a video made by the organization I am working with on the Pine Ridge Project.
Ignore some of the "churchy" stuff. They are a non-evangelizing mission. So as volunteers, we won't have to do religious stuff, or hear any preaching. But I like this video because it gives a good idea of what the trip is all about, and why the Oglala need our help. I think I will post new information on the project once a week just to keep everyone up to date with the project and what my purpose is for devoting my life and career to these people.

Aha! Thank you , Robin for showing me how to post a you tube video!

To go along with my previous post, "Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" I found a really old country music video of Donna Fargo singing the song! If you know me at all, you know I don't care for country music. But this song is so perfect for how my life is going right now! Yes, Kip - I do have a shread of self-esteem left inside of me! lol!

you tube?

I'm trying to imbed a you tube video to this blog. I copy the code on you tube; but when I go to paste it on here, it puts the code under the textbox and doesn't post anything on the blog page.

Anybody got a suggestion? 

The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA!

This has been the BEST WEEK EVER!

Monday, Slavica came over and we watched one of my favorite movies, "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." Then yesterday, our great nation made history by electing the first black American into the White House. Might I also remind you that he is the product of anthropology! (His mother was an ethnographer in Indonesia!)

And today I had a meeting with Dr. Amick about the Pine Ridge Project, and we ended up sitting in the office of Lucien Roy, director of the Mission and Ministry department at Loyola. He is quite interested in my little project, and wants to offer funding, staff support, and leadership training to me as I take this project by the horns and see it through to completion! He was very generous, and made quite an impression on me! I have a follow-up meeting next Wednesday with him to see about Loyola sponsorship, using Loyola transportation, holding a fundraiser, and advertising the trip! Can you believe it?!?!?

I don't even know what to say! I am on cloud nine!

Who would have thought that I would be organizing a university-wide service project? Little old me... 

Someone needs to drag me back down to reality so I can remember to do my homework though. I can't let this project cloud my better judgement of doing well in my classes.

So maybe I should get off the internet and stick my nose back in a textbook.

Halloween

Here are some pictures from Halloween.

The kids had a blast! They got way more candy than they need! But it is all in fun spirit, so I guess I will bend the rules a little! :-P