:: the poetry I promised, like, a long time ago ::

(but only sort of, because it's only one.)

this past summer, I rediscovered trumbull stickney's 'mnemosyne' and couldn't get enough of it. I'm not really kidding here; I think I read it every day for more than one week (although I can't be sure about that). I read it a lot.

'mnemosyne' is haunting in a quiet, somber way; but the upshot of the poem doesn't seem to be unhappiness as much as the sadness of memory. memory is almost always sad, it seems to me. the memory itself may be good, but I always finish reliving those happy memories with this little sigh -- like, I'm not actually able to do it over again. once you're past, you can't go back.

anyway, I feel like stickney takes a very personal memory and opens it up to the reader, makes it a memory for us all to experience and relate to in our own way -- whatever our own memories, our own stories, he lets us remember them and feel the same sort of sadness.

read the poem, in the link above.

then watch this haunting (in its own way) video, 'mnemosyne' put to music by ljova and the kontraband.

(trust me. it deals with a woman in an orange coat, drinking a coke, and walking far out into the misty country.)

:: speed-reading, summarized ::

are you finding yourself lacking time to read? here are some one-line book summaries of your favorite books so that you can relive the glory in .2367 seconds.

- - -

our mutual friend; or,
A Dead Guy Resembles An Alive Guy Who Gets Married And Inherits A Whole Lot of Money

a room with a view; or,
Fate Is Italy

all quiet on the western front; or,
I Am Using The Bathroom In A Field And Eating Everything I Can Get My Hands On

the scarlet pimpernel; or,
A "Really Smart" Lady Doesn't Even Know Who Her Husband Is And Almost Gets Him Killed

the glass menagerie; or,
Glass Is Fragile, Unicorns Don't Exist, Cute Guys Are Jerks

mara, daughter of the nile; or,
A Guttersnipe Gets Hired To Kill Her Secret Crush And Curses In Babylonian

a separate peace; or,
I Get Myself Confused With My Best Frenemy

secret garden; or,
Two Kids Get Healthy By Playing Outside

catch-22; or,
McWatt Sings

north & south; or,
Cotton Mills Were Really Romantic In The 1840s

- - -

:: fall in all its break-y glory ::

"break-y glory" haha. I don't know what I was thinking. *chuckles quietly to self

I'm in a really, really good mood right now. like, the power literally just went off because we're in the middle of a gorgeous rainstorm, but my computer has hours of power so I can keep typing without having to save in the middle, but that's not why I'm in a good mood. it just has to do with everything.

today has been so productive. I worked on my martin luther paper for history class; did a big chunk of my math project; completed my resume for gen 101 (have I mentioned UGH but I did it); sent in my vaccine information; finished, photographed, and uploaded this week's journal drawings for art 106; and that means I have not only very little to do tomorrow, but

I HAVE MONDAY AND TUESDAY OFF BECAUSE IT'S FALL BREAK!! BOOYAH!!!

also, I love rainstorms. 

and we have earl grey tea (which is my favorite, with a little sugar and some cream). 

plus, it's friday, and I just like fridays a whole lot. maybe because I'm in love. xD *cracks self up*

let's see, any other reasons today has been good? good hair day. of course, it only happens when I'm not on campus, but it makes me feel really gorgeous all day. 

   sitting on the floor in my pjs.

   dropping crumbs everywhere while I try to eat and do homework at once.

   utter gorgeousness.

WHATEVER. my hair feels good, okay? 

I've found a little more time to read recently, and that feels fabulous, too. I always forget how much I love the way my mind feels while I'm reading -- which is a really odd way to put it, but I'm not super good with describing anything feelings. 

there is a confession I have to make, though. yesterday was national poetry day, and I utterly dropped the ball. several months ago (as in, maybe mid-august), I realized that by this time I'd be swamped and I should get together some posts on poetry -- pictures, a video or two, typography, you know. but I never did it, as dr. seuss would say, and now it's too late. I was going to host this whole amazing poetry PARTY, basically, and devote an entire week to the glorious stuff, but only collected material for maybe one post and then didn't even post it on the second. 

   guess there's always next year. oh well.

some spontaneous inspiration has hit me during class, though, so I'll be posting a little more frequently. probably. maybe. hopefully. 

have a wonderful fall break, everybody, because I definitely will. even though for anyone to have more fun than I do is basically impossible. sorry guys.

:: oh, life, the glorious cycle of song ::

I've been absent. (gosh, I'm even starting to talk like a school-person.) I have had a lot of class-related time-consumers, like actually attending and then repeatedly applying class-learned procedures outside of class and either in my room or the library cafe (cheap coffee and today I ate a bagel (I LOVE BAGELS)). but I'm not going into particulars, because you don't want to hear about it.

no, trust me. you really don't.

let me sum up (and I swear, I say that way too much):

- gen 101 is completely unnecessary to my college education, and I cannot wait for it to be over in mid-october. may I repeat, CANNOT WAIT.

- 3d art and foundation drawing are both going really well, I really enjoy them, but I have blisters from today's 2+ hours of plaster reduction and that's not a happy thing.

- history is pretty fascinating, but I have a 10-page paper due in a few weeks that is stressing me out of my cotton-picking mind. like, seriously, it's not coming together as quickly as I remember previous research papers doing, so I'm... well, stressed. it's dumb of me, but a fact.

- math. hmm. well, I get the concepts (basically algebra (blushes for self taking algebra in college)), but my teacher is terrible, bless his heart. he really stinks. and I have this big ol' "project" that I have to do -- I think to show that I understand what's going on in the various formulae? but I've never done something like this before, and I think I'm allergic to letter grades below a B (at least in theory). this means that, once again, I'm stressed and moderately terrified. (I did what I'm sure was terribly in the quiz tonight, partially due to the coffee-on-an-empty-stomach routine that I performed earlier. stupid, stupid rat creature.)

and that's an overview of my first month and a half of college. it discourages me immeasurably to remember the 3.75 YEARS of this I still have to do, all of which I am currently incapable of paying for. I mean, class by class, I'm sure I'll have fun (I do enjoy it to some degree right now, no pun intended), but I get home exhausted and overwhelmed.

fall break is this week. I will have several days to catch up and get some rest -- for both of which things I am exceedingly grateful. WOO.

:: in a mood ::

we are the music-makers

and we are the dreamers of dreams

wandering by lone sea-breakers

and sitting by desolate streams

world-losers and world-forsakers

on whom the pale moon gleams

yet we are the movers and shakers

of the word forever, it seems

:: what to expect from college ::

exhaustion.
stress.
frustration.
panic attacks.

then to look at the cons...

just kidding! it's not nearly so bad. I mean, yes, I have experienced all those things so far (except the panic attacks, hahaha! wouldn't that be just too dramatic), but they really are the downsides. I'm enjoying it so far. for the most part.

anyway, if you want to see what CLASSWORK is like -- and believe me, that was a NEW CONCEPT for this SHELTERED HOMESCHOOLER -- here is a picture of some of mine.

ta-da! and would you believe this is basically extra credit? because it wasn't even assigned!! I am an overachiever.

really, I was waiting for my instructor to show up and I couldn't get that rogue valley song out of my head and I am so excited about the leaves falling and the strikingly blue sky and the crisp air and the apples, so I wrote 'autumn' over and over and some nice little autumnal quotes (mainly keats, but one not keats) and then, inevitably, the first verse of That Rogue Valley Song.

which I will now proceed to show you, because my life is so devoid of other-than-college that I can only supply pictures relating to... college. sorry. I'm trying to read castle rackrent, really I am, but that might have to wait until fall break. when I will be working on my research paper, so... so yeah. my life in a nutshell. or piece of binder paper, whichever you prefer.

:: towards september ::

my current favorite band is this little I suppose indie group called rogue valley.

they have the best feel -- it's like autumn, condensed into acoustic guitar and layered vocals. I seriously can't get enough of them.

I've gone through different favorite songs so far (blackberry moon, rockaway, rutting moon) but right now I think it's mountain laurels.

from the western edge of highway one
to the east of appalachia
I got my ticket baby here I come

following the crows
and colors
towards september... 

it's a beautiful, sad, colored-leaf song about loving but the ever-present reality of death.

when I lay these flowers
on this grave
do the math to find the final age
oh, I think of all the different ways

darling, don't be 
long in waiting
...the darkness
won't be long
in taking
you

and the music video is so reminiscent of our virginia road trips when I was younger that it almost made me cry. this is a beautiful song for autumn, so if you're ready for summer to end and to follow those crows and colors.....