Hello, friends, and goodbye 2019!!! 

    In the past I've written recap posts, where I share some stats and goals. I remembered while at work today that I'd better get to this year's post tonight. I hope it finds you well!

    

    Let's start with the stats. My top viewed post was I Went Outside to Gather, and my top month for views was May, with 635 views, which, if you break it down is 158 views a week or 22 views a day. 

In my last new year's post, I only had three goals. Keep working, go to college, and find new places to take music.

Did I keep working? Yup. And if you'd told me that I would be working at McDonald's I would have just snorted. It was and is a mental struggle to work there, and it is hard to force myself to go there and be nice to customers and to stand in puddles of grease all day. However, there is the bakery, which makes up with fun and happiness the cringe of McDonald's.  Hopefully I'll be able to quit McDonald's and only work at the bakery and the Beethoven Festival this summer. 

Did I go to college? YUP. And learned a lot, I would say, while managing to keep good grades and juggling all the rehearsals. 

Did I find new places to take my music? I think so. I ended up with Blue Heron, unexpectedly, and that took me some fun places. Our trio also put on a recital, which I wasn't planning on. So, yes, I think so. 

This year brought a lot of discipline and prioritization skills which I wasn't expecting, and a lot of stress, naturally, with going to college and all. It was a big year. I graduated high school, had a senior recital, went to camp, went to college, worked two jobs plus teaching, and somehow managed to stay coherent (mostly). We put down our "big" animals too. 

Now you might be wondering what my goals for 2020 are. I saw a neat idea about having 20 goals for 2020 but I'm not sure I have 20. 

I would like to. . .

. . . get through my freshman year with grades that are well-earned

. . . work at the Beethoven Festival

. . . quit at McDonald's.

. . . keep teaching over the summer

. . . make more time for friends at school

. . . remember more often that God is in control.

. . . keep a cheerful attitude. I realized a few weeks into school that most people (me included) only focus on the bad things. 

. . . take my Mom riding.

. . . enjoy my last year as a teen! :) 

Well, that's all for now! Happy 2020 everyone!

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach my your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long." 

~Psalm 25:4-5

You may have noticed..... I redesigned my blog!

Life Update

Life has been quite busy, and I haven't been a particularly steady blogging schedule. . . you probably noticed. 

School: 
I am working on my second paper for the philosophy class my Dad is teaching. It's on Marxism, in case you're curious. College Algebra is going fairly smoothly, and it's actually kind of fun when I know how to do it! :) The other subjects aren't that interesting. . . not anything to shout from the rooftops.
I am all registered for two things this upcoming semester (as a PSEO student) at a state college nearby. My sister is taking the one class, in the humanities department, with me, and then I am on the wait list for piano lessons with one of the music professors. If someone drops out, then I am 1st in line to get in. 

Travel: My Mom and I leave a week from today for NH. I do enjoy flying, and for some reason, airport food. I don't know why, it's just good. The airport in Chicago has some more uncommon places, and of course in NH there is a Dunkin Donuts in the airport! :) We come home the day before my Mom's birthday, and I already have her gift and card wrapped and ready for when we get back. Then three days later, the college class starts. So the long two days a week start, and I am actually excited for more practice time. But I do know it will be an adjustment. Oh, and somewhere in there I take the driver's licence test. . . ! 

Church: Still so encouraging, as always. I love my church and the families that make it up. :) I am pianist for Childrens' Choir again this year, so practices are still weekly, though now that I think about it, our last one is this Friday already. And of course I'm still in the adult choir, on the rotation for pianist, and violinist the other weeks. We went caroling, which I always love too, although this year we didn't do the outside residential caroling, which kind of had me sad, but I stayed warmer that way for sure! :) 

Music: Again, I return to the lovely squeal-worthy subject --- MUSIC! :) The competition is in a MONTH! Only one month away!!! Eek. It's going to be a tough one again for sure, no doubt in my mind. Part of me has resigned to second place again, and the rest of me is still fighting for first. Sometimes I feel really confident, but, as we all know, pride goeth before a fall, and so usually the next day I am glum and uncertain. Other than that, I am working on shifting with the first finger up and down two octaves on one string.  .  . 
Orchestra is on break right now, but starts again when school does. I miss it. 

Photography: Not gotten out much with my camera. I need ideas on what to take pictures of! I did do some designing, and we have a printer that can print color. I can't give too many details until after Mom's birthday! :) 

Blogging: I do have a really long post coming. . . about college. I did add the art tab, which was new and fun, and now I can add other drawings to it, which has motivated me to draw more. Other than that, I am not having much inspiration to post much. I almost posted a no-fail recipe today. Maybe some other time? 

Christmas events: Since Mom and I leave just two days after Christmas, we're not doing anything huge and big this year. But that's okay, I don't mind.

I think that about covers it! Did I leave out anything you were wanting to know about? 

Musings and Callings

(a fairy lost in thought)

      This post comes after quite a bit of musing and thought, on my part. In Christian circles, generally not the ones I have been raised in, there is much discussion about callings. "What is your calling in life?" "What does God want you to do?" The problem I am finding with these, however, is that the word calling has many different meanings. "How do you define calling?" I want to ask these people. Some say things like "My calling is to feed geese" or in other cases "My calling is to be a women pastor" Ummmm, yeah, I don't think that's biblical, yet you are tacking a somewhat-associated-with-the-Bible word onto it to justify it? Or to clarify it? It doesn't make sense to me. Is calling a word that used to mean one thing and now means another? Probably.
     You can read all sorts of articles on what your calling is, and take quizzes as well. It's surprising that someone who doesn't even know you knows what you'll end up doing with your life. ;) One of the first sources that came up was Oprah. No, I did not look at it. Others include Tiny Buddha, WomenLeaders, and Pick the Brain. Interesting.
     What will you say when someone asks you what your calling is? The problem, if it is one, that I am running into is that I have so many many interests in life. How to choose what to major in in college, or minor in, or get a job in, or pour my time into? Music, animals, crafts, children, orphans (kinda the same thing as children.....), graphic design, art, all of them? I really would like to go spend some time with missionaries, work with kids, orphans, the elderly, the homeless. I think my heart is too big. It may not sound like a problem, but I'm running into some! :) There is not enough time for all of them!
      Anyway, what are your thoughts on callings? Do you think you know what yours is? How did you know?

The Book of Knowledge Series Comes to a Close / Summer Schedule

("Violets. Eeyore. Eeyore.Violets.")

     It is with some sadness that I conclude the Book of Knowledge series here on my blog. I did end up enjoying writing about what I read and that is something I didn't think I'd enjoy at the beginning of the semester. Hopefully next semester I can do it again, and my writing style will mature some more.
    As for the summer, I would like to continue writing here so as not to lose the habit of writing. But what shall I write about? I thought maybe I could pick ten books I think everyone should read and write a post on each book explaining why everyone should read it. Would that get monotonous, do you think? I'm also going to try to get more readers. . . something I'm not sure how to do. Summer is looking like an especially busy one, so I think I'll cut back to one or two posts a week.

   Adios to the Book of Knowledge series! 

  Olivia

Bonus post: changes

Hello! :) 

They've been some changes here and I thought I'd point them out. Maybe you've already noticed, and if so, good for you!