(pc: The amazing Hayley!)

Adios, teenage life. I'm really not sure anything will really change, except that I won't add "teen" to the end of my age. I don't necessarily feel older, but perhaps a bit more adultish. 

19 was a hectic year. I started off 19 with sickness (what we now think was Covid, but I survived so does it really matter?) and a college roommate who was becoming less and less my roommate. We got sent home mid March, and I ended my first year of college online. 

It was one of my goals to quit my job at McDonald's, and I am very happy to report that I did. I learned a lot from working there, but I am thankful that that season of my life is over. 

Once summer came, I was full time at the bakery, which proved to be a blast and a half. I loved every (well, nearly every) minute of being there, and I got to decorate so many cupcakes, cookies, donuts, and I learned all sorts of new production things. I grew closer with my friends there, and we enjoyed many many good conversations. 

Over the summer I was also teaching my music students, and it was good to see them stretch and grow in their musical capabilities. 

I also broke my first bone over the summer, and also spent lots of time with my sister at her apartment. 

The fall semester was complicated, stressful, wildly fun, and entertaining. I roomed with a new group of girls and that was an excellent idea. I took the most breaks, and somehow did the best possible academically, which was nice :)

 

Christmas break was extra long, so I of course spent time working. 

So that sums up 19. It was hectic, not only in the world, but also for a college/working girl. 

(pc: HAYLEY!)

In my post last year, I said I would like to. . .

. . . get through my freshman year with grades that are well-earned ... which I did! :) Freshman year's cumulative GPA was 3.893.

. . . work at the Beethoven Festival... which I unfortunately did not do, due to the pandemic and that sort of gathering and event being highly not advised. 

. . . quit at McDonald's... which I did! 

. . . keep teaching over the summer... Also did! 

. . . make more time for friends at school... yup, did that too!

. . . remember more often that God is in control... eeee, more or less. Worry and stress are still very present.

. . . keep a cheerful attitude. I realized a few weeks into school that most people (me included) only focus on the bad things... mostly! My roommates help me with this endeavor! 

. . . take my Mom riding... nope :( There was never an opportunity, although I did look into it a couple of times.

. . . enjoy my last year as a teen! :) ... I guess you could say that I did. :) 

(pc: The amazing Hayley!)

So now, what are some goals I have for 20? I'm not sure I have specific things this year, other than to 

... keep working and teaching

... continue my friendships here at school, specifically with my roommates

... spend more time with my Mom this summer! (well, always :))

... be committed. I don't want to have half-accomplished things sitting around. I want to be fully invested in my work and have a good sense of priorities. 

... and one other thing I hope will happen but will leave a secret for now. ;) 

~Olivia

aka

Stick

A reflection

This semester has been all but normal, if I can even trust us all to remember what normal was. My Covid test did come back negative, thankfully. Several weeks later, one of my suitemates had to quarantine due to close contact with someone who did test positive. The three of us that were left bonded quite a bit over that time, and I am very thankful for their friendship. 

Now I am finishing up the semester from my room here at school, in a state of semi-quarantine. We are allowed to leave our rooms for meals, and occasional trips to the library, but other than that we are stuck with our roommates. I actually haven't minded at all, except that some friends left right away, and some more recently. The campus is a sort of ghost town again. 

However, there are many bright sides. The walks I've taken this semester have been beyond expression. Maybe that's exaggerating, maybe not. Ang (roommate) and Hayley (suitemate) and I spent several hours in the bluffs together, hiking, sitting and admiring nature, talking, and journaling. 

Classes have been demanding on all of us. There were tears. There were little fights and temper tantrums. There were days of procrastination, and days of celebration. I can't wait for next semester.

Sticky notes are also a plus from this semester. We have over 150 between our two rooms, with motivational quotes, goofy sayings, Scripture verses, or some note of equal cheer on them. The rule is to hide them for someone else to find randomly. One favorite from my roommate says "Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you." I really do have great friends this semester. 

Music and design are still my passions, but this semester limited both of these areas, so I was forced in a way to explore different avenues. My Philosophy of Art class is an example of this, but in this case it was very enjoyable. 

Well, I need to work on finals and presentations. Sorry for such irregular posting. 

~Olivia

 

(me, John Paul, and Joel)

Happy Thanksgiving, folks! Sorry I've been so absent here lately. 

College eats time, much more than I thought it would. It eats sleep too. And what ended up being sacrificed was my blog. I'll still keep it up, and post occasionally. I hope you enjoy reading what is here. 

I'm on break, as you can imagine. I got back right before the storm hit on Tuesday, and spent yesterday and today with family. Tomorrow and Saturday I work, Sunday I go to church (I get to see all "my" little kids ahhhhhhhhhhhhh I am so excited!), and then Monday, probably late morning, I'll head back to school. 

I brought back Thinking Theologically homework (unit 5 reading), art (painting and designing), and music fundamentals (identifying triads and sevenths and inverting them). So far pretty much everything is done, so now I have a bit of time before mixing up some food. 

Our trio had it's recital on Sunday. It went very well, and the audience has a collective opinion that we radiated energy. It is a relieving feeling to know that every spare waking minute doesn't have to be devoted to trio rehearsal, although I do highly enjoy time with them. Next Saturday we have our chamber orchestra concert, and then Sunday we're taking a trio trip to Rochester to see the symphony and choir perform Handel's Messiah. The 11th is the last day of class and Joel and I have juries and then the Razumovskys will be playing in a recital in the evening. Then, probably near first thing in the morning on the 12th, we will pack up our belongings (well, mostly just instruments and music), and head back to Joel's and my home orchestra for a concert later that evening. We may end up going right back to school that night, or we might spend the night. It all depends on finals, which start the 13th. Sophia will be coming back with us, and I am excited about that. She'll get a taste of my crazy college life, and be there for Friday, Saturday (a final, a Christmas brunch at church, a BHC rehearsal...), and Sunday. Sunday is the Blue Heron Consort (oops, you don't know about that yet. Sigh. John Paul and I got into a local choral music group, and our Medieval and Renaissance concert is the 15th). Monday I have three finals (I think). Tuesday Sophia will head home, and my parents will pick me up and we'll head to IL to see my Grandma! 

I actually won't be home on Christmas break until the 21st or so. I need to come up with a work schedule for break, and all that fun adulting stuff. 

How are my readers doing? 

Olivia

Eeeeeek. I haven't posted in about nine and a half weeks????? You may be wondering if I made it out of camp alive.

Hey.... it's been a while hasn't it?? 

I've had my senior recital and graduation reception, written TONS of thank you notes and organized the many gifts... you guys were generous. Anyway, I've also counted the weeks until I move out---and it's only ten! I've got a lot to do between now and then, so wish me luck. I start my second job on Monday, and I have a wedding this weekend and next, and college orientation in there somewhere. I'll be making the trip to that on my own, so I'll get used to the drive and hopefully not get lost. Oh, and find the coffee shops along the way. :) I've also got an intense ten-day music festival/camp/kill-yourself-doing-what-you-love-thing in July at my college campus, so I'll actually get to live on campus for a bit. 

What have you been up to? I'd love to hear!

Why I am going to college, Part 2

This isn't so much about why, as in how it's all working. But I had to keep with the theme, ya know. 😉 Oh, and I got this posting idea from Victoria Lynn's blog. 

Interests

Why I am going to college, part 1

    

    I think it's safe to say that in most Christian circles it is either considered wrong for girls to go to college or that they only go to find husbands (otherwise called an M.R.S. degree). However, I think there is another category

Hello everyone! It's been just over two years since I started my blog, and I thought it was about time I re-introduce myself to my readers and say hello to the new readers... so here goes!

Life

I haven't been sharing much with you all lately, sorry! It's been rather stressful but in a boring sort of way (if that makes any sense!!). 

Work:

I've been working every

Abortion, debunked.

I am really thankful I had a writing class and a speech class before this semester's government class. We had a speech assignment this week: abortion---to restrict or not to restrict?

The Standard Has Been Set

Hello Friends,

     This is my most recent paper for Academic Writing. My previous paper received an -A, and this paper an +A. The standard has been set, and my next paper in progress is about my generation. I'm not sure I'll have trouble with the word count this time! 

     Forgive with me for all the scrolling, this paper has 761 words. 

One Way My Mother Shaped Me

When we were little, my sister and I would beg our mother to take us to the barn where we boarded our horse Sunny. When she said yes, we would excitedly change into our “barn clothes” –grubby play clothes and mud boots. I remember when we drove up and saw the big sign, painted green and yellow with a big bay horse on a swing. “Horseplay Ranch,” it said. The brown metal-sided barns were filled with hay and lockers for tack and brushes. Other barns were lined with rows of stalls. One of the biggest buildings was an indoor arena, which also played house to dozens of barn swallows.

When I was five, on one of the glorious days I got to go with Mom, she was riding Sunny in the arena. I was sitting on an overturned five-gallon bucket, sporting a black corduroy sweater and my little yellow rubbers, watching Mom and Sunny and waiting for my turn to ride. Sunny’s hooves kicked up puffs of dust as they went around and around, and her hocks clicked as she trotted. The swallows flitted in and out of the arena, feeding their hatchlings, chattering to each other, and then swooping out again. Something landed in my lap with a little flop. I squawked as I looked down and saw a baby bird wiggling around. It was warm and fuzzy, with little feather tufts on its head. I cupped it in my chubby hands and delighted in how cute it was and hoped it wasn’t injured.    

Mom dismounted and came over. She explained how sometimes the baby birds would get sick and the mama birds would push them out of the nest. This little one didn’t look sick, so perhaps the nest was over-full and one of its siblings had knocked it out by accident. We nestled the hatchling in a corner where the other horses and riders wouldn’t step on it. The nest was too high to be able to put the baby back up, and if it was sick we didn’t want to have it pushed out again. The little bird was one of the first animals we’ve rescued together. My mom knows all about animals and caring for creatures. She’s taught me something new and different from each rescue.

I didn’t realize I had taken on my mother’s love for animals until a few years later, when my mom and I rescued a young bunny out of a crowded hutch which it shared with birds and filth. When we cleaned him up he rather resembled an Oreo cookie. We named him Hiccup. When this little bunny came along, he had a sinus infection that left him wheezing, hiccupping, and sneezing. We had to constantly clean his face and paws, even at night. He lived in a corner of my room—the only corner where sheet music wasn’t piling over everything—and every hour of the night he would wake me up with his sneezing. I would roll out of my cozy bed each time and clean his face, letting him breathe for another hour, then roll back into bed. I lost a lot of sleep over one little bunny, but because of what my mother taught me I couldn’t let him suffer. Seeing him recover was a satisfactory experience. I appreciated being able to sleep more than one hour at a time, and not waking up to a panicking bunny but instead being greeted by a healthy animal with a ready appetite. He didn’t live much longer, but I had applied my mother’s love to life and been rewarded. Of course, I enjoyed animals before, but then I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my time and effort to them.

My mom is practical. She is sensible. But she does have a soft spot, and that spot is for animals. My mother shapes my understanding of care and comfort, when to help and what to do when it’s too late. She shows me the bond an animal and a human can have. She gives of her time and energy. I admire my mom, and like Bly I say it is a great thing to be able to respect one’s parent. These short tidbits in my life matter because they opened my understanding of my mom and of who I was becoming as a person—how I was taking bits of my mother and making them my own. These stories came to mind first as an example of learning from my mother and spending time together. 

Thanks for reading! 

Goodbye work, hello school!

Yesterday was my last day of working at the bakery. In some ways I was sad to leave, but in other ways I am excited and relieved to be moving on. I learned a lot there, from kitchen skills to people and communication skills. I am welcome there whenever I want to put a few hours in, or come Christmas when the order sheet gets to be very long. So perhaps I will work there a few more days this year.

For now, I have about 11 days of resuming home life before I commute to the nearby (nearby as in an hour away) college for PSEO classes again this fall. It's looking like I'll have 12 credits. If I do well again this year I may, possibly, hopefully, make it on the Dean's List. That's being awfully optimistic, though. I'll be taking speech, economics, academic writing, orchestra, and piano and harpsichord. All the classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays, and orchestra is for sure on Tuesdays. Lessons will vary. Tuesdays will be looooong days, no doubt. I'm going to be working at getting better at note-taking in class --- so Wednesday morning when I go to do homework I remember what actually happened in class. Any tips on note-taking?

I'll technically be a senior in high school, which is a funny feeling. Senior pictures and recitals and all that are on my mind. . .

Wrapping up

Hello friends! 

One more week till finals week! 😊 My ACT test was rescheduled due to the huge snowstorm we had last weekend (we got 10-12 inches) and it is Saturday. Sunday is a composition major's recital that I am performing in --- he wrote a really cool string quartet for us high schoolers. Then next week I'm in a student recital, and there's a party for a retiring professor to go to. 
We are waiting on one piece still for orchestra, and we have three rehearsals left, so there's going to be some sight-reading I'm sure. Then the week following we have our Humanities final on Monday, dress rehearsal in the evening, and the concert on Tuesday. But I think for now that's all the things I have during that week. 

THEN hopefully it will be relaxing and not stressful... and spring. Maybe? I will still have some classes at home to finish up, but the travelling back and forth to SMSU will be done.

How are you, dear reader? I love hearing from you.

Adventures

Well, friends, it's been a while. A month, to be precise. . .

Dad and I just got back last night from a college visit. It went really well and I do like the college. We left on Saturday, got to the hotel at around 7pm I think, and went and grabbed some Culvers for supper. Then we went to find the church so we knew where it was. We did find it, and it was only a literal five minutes from the hotel, so that was nice.

Sunday morning we found out what "home-style" breakfast was at the hotel, and then got ready for church. The church was good, it could have been better, it could have been worse. They were having an unusual service that day, so in some respects it was hard to see what the church was really like. After the service we had some Mexican food (part of what made the service unusual was the Mexican families --- the mother of one man had made all the Mexican food for lunch). I had never had Mexican food before so I had to learn how to eat it. They had a tea --- hibiscus flowers made into a tea --- it was sweet and almost sticky. It was good though. Anyway, after church we went to the local grocer and got some supplies so we didn't have to eat out for every meal. Then we went back to the hotel and I finished reading my book and Dad rested. Then we attended the evening service at the same church, and ate supper.

Monday morning we headed over to the college and from 9am-2pm I attended classes (Graphic design II and Fantasy Fiction), had a meal at the cafeteria with a violist student who takes lessons with my teacher, and met professors. It was really great and so different from the last time I visited which was a hurried rush and go here and do this thing, so I really didn't get to enjoy it as much as this time. After that we went to a nearby state school so Dad could say hello to his co-workers and friends over there. Then it really started to blizzard, so we made our way back to the hotel. We got cozy and ended up watching The Princess Bride in the evening. 

Tuesday, yesterday, I had one more class to attend at the college, so I did that, and then we went and checked out of the hotel and checked the road conditions. They looked decent, so we grabbed some Caribou and headed home. The roads were patchy. We got home around 5pm. 

It's good to be home.