Here I am in California! Yay! Not in Waco this weekend. I sing this evening...right now I'm up and recovering from the flight. It was a long flight. One little girl that is every traveller's nightmare -- she talked and screamed and yelled and protested and whined all three hours of the first flight. I was far enough away that she didn't bother me too much -- but I could feel the people around her cringing at ever "but mommmmmyyyyyyy!" They took my sewing scissors. I should have known, but I figured it was worth a shot so that I could sew a bit on the plane, but no -- they decided that my little gold handled scissors are the perfect way to cause damage on an airplane. Lots of people complain about these little confiscations -- but I figure, as long as I'm getting searched, surely people that need to be searched are having their TNT confiscated too. I hope someone's wife enjoys my sewing scissors.

Wonder of Wonders! Miracle of Miracles! Donald Swann wrote an opera based on C.S. Lewis' book "Perelandra." Is that cool or what!?! Must find a copy...must find a copy!

I'm searching for music for my recital next semester. What to do -- I didn't even know where to look for anything (quite honestly I could care less about art song.) So I did my usual trick of meandering through the art song book section of the library and picking out anything that looked interesting. I just happened to see an orange book with interesting decorations...so I picked it up -- the title:The road goes ever on. "Intriguing" I thought to myself, "isn't that a song from Lord of the Rings?" And it turned out that the book is a collaboration between Tolkien himself...and a composer that wanted to put his words to song. Some of the melodies were actually hummed by tolkien and transcribed to music! YAY!!!! So excited...except for the epic poems which are long, wordy and strophic.... Come to my recital everyone! I'll be singing Tolkien....now if only someone has set CS Lewis to music!!!!

Interesting incident today. I went shopping yesterday, and as a gag I bought a vintage 70's dress. It's brown gingham, empire waist, with plenty of crochet lace and last but not least a little built-on apron -- very popular in the peasant vintage look. So I was in a bookstore this evening attempting to find books 4 and 5 of the Chronicles of Narnia that I've somehow misplaced. So I was meandering around the humor section on the way back from the ladies room, and a man stops me and asks if I'm part of a religious order. He wasn't speaking english too well, so I thought He was asking about my cross necklace. I have this great moment of "God is sending me someone to witness to!" and then he finished his sentence with, "your dress, it is so...unusual." He thought I was a part of a group that rides in wagons, and lights candles for actual illumination...and grows wheat for their on consumption. Yeah. It was great! I think next time I'll make up a story -- bring out a shawl and drape it over my head....then say that I'm a nun in the order of who-knows-what. Mary Beth seems to think I should just play it like a hippie commune leftover -- talk about the sisterhood of daisies or something. I'll have something worked up! Anyway -- try explaining to a foreigner that I wore that dress for fun!

So, fall break is 2/3 over, and I haven't accomplished much on my list. But, my friend's quilt is coming along nicely. She's doing all of the sewing -- I'm doing the pinning. I hate pinning...but its the most crucial part of this whole process...so I think its coming along nicely. My house looks like a fabric shop puked all over my living room. Ah well...I think we'll all be happy when we put all of the zillions of squares together and hand quilt the thing. For a first quilt it isn't turning out too badly! Anyway = I'm off to bed. Church come before you know it

The apartment is clean -- with the exception of the kitchen floor and counters which will get done tomorrow. Sleep will be accomplished shortly..and I am currently reading "So I send you/Workmen of God" by Oswald Chambers. Oh, and I went to Hobby Lobby today, and they were having a half-off of flowering bushes today, so I bought one to keep in my pitcher in my bedroom. So, 4 down! We'll see how tomorrow goes. Maybe I'll even get cracking on my research paper!

Top Ten Things To Do While On Fall "Break"

1. Clean apartment -- if nothing else gets done, this one must.

2.Sleep

3.Keep sewing Jen's recital dress

4.Bake actual food-not involving Ramen, Soup or Pasta

5.Read....something

6.Memorize Little Red Riding Hood for November Performances

7.Hobby Lobby!

8.Write research paper due in November because you know you won't have time to write it the day before.

9.Learn Pieces for Wine Party gig next weekend.

10.Relax -- oh wait, not if I have everything else on this list to do!

Randomness

I'm really very tired and sleep deprived today, as a result of staying up half the night studying for my two tests today. Or rather, I should have been staying up to study. In actuality I read 1/2 of Little Women, 1/2 of Perelandra, and did approximatly 40 minutes of actual Political Science review. I did get up and do another hour and a half of polisci, and I'd studied for Italian on Saturday, so it wasn't a complete blow off. And frankly, as long as I pass that class I'm happy.

In other pressing news, I went shopping today. The weather (Thanks be to Maleldil -- read Perelandra, you'll get it) has reached well below 70, so I got inspired to go shopping. Consignment of course...who can afford to buy clothes off the rack...and I got a new pair of jeans, corderoys, and 4 tops - one of which says "I wish I was skiing." Which I do. I love skiing. Its the only sport I'm even remotely good at. I cought a frisbee last night at youth group sheerly by accident. I clapped my hands because I was excited and a well aimed throw landed between them. It was delightful -- and everyone was very happy for me. However I didn't notice anyone throwing to me when the real game started. Which was good because my team would have lost by the third or fourth time I ducked.

I have two more tests this week. I can't wait to be done with undergrad. This whole semester has been test after test -- not as bad as Matt who's taking 21 credits and making up all of his finals from last semester when he got a gig in California and had to leave early. Now what to do about grad school. I'm really trying not to pu the cart before the horse and take matters into my own hand. God's done pretty well steering my life when I didn't know it, I'm sure he'll keep it up -- but I wish he'd fill me in this time. Oswald Chambers says we should thank God for times of apparent silence, because its in the silences that we learn to Trust him best. I hope so...because some days I feel panicky. Like a kid in a dark basement who's dad has let go of his hand to turn on the light. And the kid starts yelling "daddy where are you?" And the Dad says "I'm still here! Trust me -- nothing's going to happen to you!" Oh for that kind of faith!

In other news, I'm making a quilt. Well, I'M not making the quilt per se. But I happen to have the sewing machine...and a basic knowledge of how to use it. Anyway -- I'm a commodity.

I took a spiritual gifts test today. I'm great at doing stuff, lousy at mercy. I have very little. But I'm a good administrator -- "Martha" if you will. That's ok. I can deal with that - it takes all kinds to make a church...and someone has to clean up after everyone, and take care of odds and ends. Although I usually forget the odds and ends, so I guess I should focus on the teaching aspect of my skills. Or something!

Well, thats it for my randomness. Did I mention I love CS Lewis? I think his writings are brilliant. How could one man think so much? And for the curious, go read some of his fiction opposite JRR Tolkien. You can see where they met to discuss theology and mythology, and even some philology. It's great-- there are some places in his fiction that are very similar to Lord of the Rings, and vice versa. Go read it. You have my permisison! Goodnight all!

God is so amazing! I went tonight to see Shane Bernard in concert -- and it was awesome! I didn't know any of the songs, and usually that makes me so self-conscious that I can't enjoy anything. But it's ok -- I didn't even understand the words most of the time..I just prayed that they would play one song that I knew so that I could join in the worship. And not only did they play not one, but two -- they were my current favorite (I'm desperate for you) and one from childhood that I haven't heard in ages! It was wonderful, and the opening band was from Seattle! So exciting! And God sent someone to pray for me...and what was prayed was exactly what was on my heart -- isn't He wonderful? On that note -- I'm going to bed! Must be up early for church...

Going through books like a weavil in a library

I have two tests on monday. Polisci and Italian. How do teacher do that -- its a conspiracy! Its probably because of our pending "fall break." (Actually a glorified three-day weekend). Here you go kids! Live it up! If they really wanted to help us out with a whole day, they should have stuck it to an actual holiday (ie thanksgiving) so we'd have one more day to travel without missing classes. Ah well, the idiosynchrisies of Baylor never cease...and God wants me to stay here longer? Well, actually I have no word on that one way or another....We'll find out soon enough I guess -- but if wanted to send down fire from heaven and burn up our music school -- fine by me. It would be the fastest way to get rid of the rats..kill em with burning asbestos.