Summery Fun

I love summer. I absolutely do. I never thought it was my favorite season before, but now I am beginning to re-think that.

The last few day have been close to the epitome of summer, the #1 reason being the Saunders County Fair. It's something I have gone to every year for the last decade. I used to be in 4-H-not hardcore-but I always entered a few projects. One thing I dominated (always with my cousin Emily) was the ice cream rolling contest. We always came up with really awesome flavors- Banana Split, Snickers, Blueberry Cheesecake, and more. It was so fun.

Taylor and Nathan made Chocolate Reese's peanut butter cup- delicious.

We went to the Children's Barnyard and there were some cute animals, including this baby chick. I miss my chickens!

Last year was the first time I had ever gone to the Figure 8 Race. I thought it would be something boring or completely uninteresting to me. But it wasn't. I even like getting hit by dirt clods. :)

I took Melo to the Lincoln Zoo for her birthday on Saturday. It's not a big zoo, but it is a lot of fun.

We saw some animals, like this camel, whose name was Cleo. Unfortunately it just reminded me of cigarettes.

And we saw my favorite animal ever- the river otter!

This time of year is when our Rose of Sharon tree blooms. I think they are so pretty, but you really can't pick a bouquet of the flowers because they stems are not long enough. Sometimes I just pick the blossom and let it float in water- that works, too.

I made Melo a birthday cake. It was a pineapple coconut cake. She actually liked it, which is a result often hard to acheive!

These last couple of days were most definitely summer because I took the time to notice all the little summery things that will soon be gone, as fall comes. Melo and I rode our bikes to the grocery store, instead of driving (we're going green! hahaha) and it was SO nice. The temperature was perfect, there was a slight breeze, and riding through the side streets of Ashland was just...summer. I could smell people grilling in their backyards, and there was also the scent of newly mown grass. Kids were walking back home in their towels and flip flops from spending a day at the pool, and people were out walking everywhere- whether it be with their dog, husband or wife, or baby in a stroller. It was just so summer. And I made myself drink it in because I know it will be ending soon- I will be going back to school, and although the season is technically still summer for almost another month and a half, it just isn't the same once school starts. There is a new smell in the air; maybe it is just the new crayons and pencils (which I still buy myself sometimes!) or maybe it is the leaves thinking about changing colors-I don't know-but whatever it may be, once school begins again, summer is not the same. I am so glad I am able to enjoy it until then!

'Nother blog.

Well. I haven't posted any blogs for nearly 3 weeks. I must post something...quick!

Hmm. Let me rewind the last 3 weeks...I have done things such as work at that good ol' place known as the Golf Shack, hang out with some friends, go shopping,

lay around....and oh yeah- go on vacation! My family (which also included my grandma Norma) and I took a short 5 day trip to Colorado and it was quite fun. Although we didn't do a whole lot of hiking or any other physical activity (which I really wanted to), it was a good week.

Before we left, we picked up my grandma at her house just as the sun was rising- beautiful!!

We stopped in Julesburg, CO for lunch and saw some critters, including this lizard and some lazy cows.

In Loveland, we ate at a fun place called McGraff's.

I got their Pizza Margherita, which I had not eaten since Rome (and this was almost as good!)

I took some pictures of Melo, which I believe could be senior pictures! No?

And of course we saw wildlife (the cows and lizard don't really count)

There was a momma moose! We named her Shirley.

And a baby moose! I can't remember what his name was, but it was something like Walter or Lawrence.

And there were elk on Trail Ridge road!

And we most definitely saw mountains. :)

This was a church in Idaho Springs- it reminded me of California.

And in Breckenridge, we ate at a place (I think it was called the Colombine Cafe) where the tables had names and initials carved all over them. Hence the 'K' with flower, done by moi.

That's all the pictures I will post now, as I am tired of sitting here. But please, be assured that there will be PLENTY more this summer! <3

Briony & Me

I've just finished a marvelous book, Atonement, by Ian McEwan. It was very well-written, with just enough descriptive words to make sure it wasn't overly straightforward, without it being horribly wordy. The main character is Briony Tallis, who is 13 years old for the majority of the novel. She is the one character who continued to draw me in- whenever the point of view switched to any other character, I read a little more quickly, in hopes that I could reach another part of the book where it would once again be told from her mind. I found myself connecting with so many of the insights that Briony discovered, and I think I'm quite a bit like her. One of my favorite parts happens when she contemplates her vast and complex insight of the world around her. She marvels at it and wonders if others share the same abilities. The strange thing is, I have so often wondered the very same thing. Are my senses, which seem so keen and adept, really the same as everyone else's? Or do they hold some sort of superiority over the senses of others? Here is what Briony wonders:

These thoughts were as familiar to her, and as comforting, as the precise configuration of her knees, their matching but competing, symmetrical and reversible, look. A second thought always followed the first, one mystery bred another: Was everyone else really as alive as she was? For example, did her sister really matter to herself, was she as valuable to herself as Briony was? Was being Cecilia just as vivid an affair as being Briony? Did her sister also have a real self concealed behind a breaking wave, and did she spend time thinking about it, with a finger held up to her face? Did everybody, including her father, Betty, Hardman? If the answer was yes, then the world, the social world, was unbearably complicated, with two billion voices, and everyone's thoughts striving in equal importance and everyone's claim on life as intense, and everyone thinking they were unique, when no one was. Briony was surrounded by machines, intelligent and pleasant enought on the outside, but lacking the bright and private inside feeling she had. This was sinister and lonely, as well as unlikely. For, though it offended her sense of order, she knew it was overwhelmingly probable that everyone else had thoughts like hers. She knew this, but only in a rather arid way; she didn't really feel it.

I have felt the very same way, when overwhelmed by my senses and emotions, although I could never get it into words. Certainly others share it, like authors, musicians, and artists, but what about all the other people on this earth who do not happen to be such? I am sure that everyone feels very much, very strongly, although it is not always evident. Perhaps some people express it in ways not thought of, in subtlety and nuance. And perhaps even more take pleasure in not flaunting the complexities of their minds, unlike the many poets and artists. Perhaps, but because of this nature, it can never be certain.

¡Hace calor!

It is hot. Now I'm normally a person who is cold about 95% of the time, so in order for me to complain about the heat, it must be very hot. But not only is it hot, it is incredibly muggy. How interesting the word "muggy" is. I would bet some of my international friends, whose first language is not English, and who may not know the meaning of the word, they might think "Muggy- like a mug?"

Like this?

Or perhaps this type of mug?

Or maybe this?

It really is a strange word. When I think of muggy, however, I think of long, hot, sticky days of St. Louis, where everything is black- from the paved road to the people. Or I think of the county fair, (which I cannot wait for!), getting dusty, dirty, sweaty, sticky, but having FUN. Or playing outside at my grandma's house until she calls us in for a snack- watermelon, honeydew, bing cherries- oh so many delicious summer foods. And of course you cannot forget swimming! My mom waits for the hottest day, slathers on the sunscreen until her face is pasty and she looks like a ghost, and we hit the pool. Afterwards, we always get candy bars (Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme for me!) because swimming always takes so much energy and makes you hungry. Ahhhh, the lazy, hazy days of summer. Blissful, carefree, and incredibly fun, no matter what activity, no matter how muggy. :)

A real date!

My parents are not exactly the most laid back people you will meet. At least, my mom isn't. Because of this, I have not gone on a real date with my boyfriend for...a very long time. I believe the last time we actually went somewhere other than either of our parents' houses, by ourselves, was possibly a year ago, when we went to the Double D Ranch (I had won dinner and a show for 2 at Post Prom). A whole whopping year later, we were allowed to go on another date! (This time, Jesse had gotten a $25 gift card to Texas Roadhouse for his birthday). This was quite exciting- a real date! I met Jesse at the restaurant after he got off work, and we had a lot of fun. The food was delicious and Texas Roadhouse just has a fun atmosphere, with the waiters and waitresses periodically line dancing and such. :) We finished eating in only about an hour, so we decided to go to the Brass Armadillo, since neither of us had been there. With so much to look at, we stayed there almost until closing! I bought two cute little figurines of a boy and a girl ice skating (to add to my collection!) and he found some CDs that he had been wanting. All in all, it was a lot of fun! We took some pictures, too, and were silly. :)

The Golf Shack

Many people know that I work at the Mahoney State Park golf shack, and that I worked there last year. Some people say "Oh! That must be a pretty fun job!" And some take it to the other extreme: "That would be so boring, I don't think I could handle it." Well I must admit it has its share of boredom, where the minutes stretch into hours, and the hours into days. But overall, it is a really great job. The hours are incredible- I can basically schedule when I want to work. It is far from a strenuous job, with the most difficult task being driving the Gator...or picking up mini golf balls at the 18th hole...or dealing with customers who think their putter is too short. I get A LOT of reading done, as well as other various things such as origami, coloring, homework, thinking, and of course...taking photos! I thought I would share some of the best with you:

The bejeweled phone...covered with dust ;)

I thought these shadows were neat

The many colored miniature golf balls

One of lights...I took this on a very boring day

Last, but certainly not least, my favorite! Mini golf putters hanging on an overhead vent

So...spring break is Friday. I am very excited to have a break! All I have left to do before then is write a paper. The idea doesn't seem so bad, but the task itself is proving to be quite daunting. I sat on my laptop for a couple of hours tonight, but kept getting distracted. I believe I have...about 3/4 of the introduction completed. I am REALLY hoping that tomorrow everything will just kind of flow, because I don't have much time. Once I get it done, though, (providing I do) I will be on my way home, then on my way to Minnesota! Ahhh...wonderful. :) 

And once I get back to school, there will only be...about 7 weeks left. Wow. This year has gone by so quickly! To think I have nearly completed 1/4 of my college career...amazing. :)