Visions of Sugarplum Fairies and Being Thankful

Well, it's over. I am no longer a college kid.  I am a graduate.  Even though I did partake in half of a victory lap, it flew by fast.  I never thought I would start saying things like that, but it's so true.  I feel like it was seriously just yesterday when I was coming home for my first Christmas break... but my education is not over.  We never stop learning, right?  Yes, and I am starting that Grad school thing in Jan. so I have not been thrust into the real real world quite yet.  One step closer though. Scary.

I am happy to report that I passed Spanish 3 with a lot of room to spare and ended up feeling very good about my final capstone project.  You should definitely check it out here:

http://momandy.tumblr.com/

I also wanted to report that I received an amazing graduation gift from my parents - a new macbook pro laptop!!! Ahhh! I'm so excited to set it up and start editing photos, etc.  I feel like it's my baby, I am pampering it. Thank you mom and dad!!! I love you!  My parents have been so supportive of everything I do and I appreciate it more than I show.  We actually had a heart to heart tonight about life, growing up, etc. and they gave me some really good advice: take care of yourself and be who you want to be first then everything else will fall in line.  Words I need to live by.  Lately I have been really wrapped up in things going on around me that I have been failing to see the value of myself and the little things in life.  I've always valued the little things the most and lately I have lost track of that.  Especially, now with Christmas rapidly approaching, it is very important to take some time and reflect.  Reflect back on how lucky I am to have amazing friends and family.  I'm lucky to live in the good U S of A and to have love in my life.  I'm thankful for my MIZZOU education and the fact that I get to continue at the school I love so much.  My last day of class I walked out of Jesse Hall into a snowy filled yard where 5 squirrels were playing.  The quad looked so pretty and right then I realized how much I have came to fall in love with Mizzou (and the fuzzy squirrels!).  The weather this week is actually calling for snow and I hope maybe we can have a white Christmas :).  Snow just makes everything look so much prettier.  Did you know that December 25 was possibly picked as the date to celebrate Christmas because it coincided with the winter solstice, which was a huge celebration, and that way people would remember Christ's birth? Read my tumblr project to find out more....

And lastly, I wanted to say that I have yet to make Bakerella's cakeballs, but I think tomorrow is the day... along with finishing up shopping and sleeping in of course, it is break...

Goodnight, I hope visions of sugarplum fairies dance in your head!

Wait, what day is it?

I’m not sure how it came to be December 6^th, but here we are…

A lot has happened in two months.  I have been working my tail off at trying to not look like a complete fool in Spanish 3 (not sure if I succeeded…), took the GRE, was happy with my score, applied to grad schools with spring admission and did what I told myself I wouldn’t do.  I am staying in Columbia.  As much as I would love to strike out on my own to some new place for an exhilarating adventure, I am not sure right now is my time to do that.  I figure that I will most likely have to move when (if, fingers crossed) I actually get to my career so I have the rest of my life to live somewhere new.  But most importantly, the Truman School of Public Affairs is an amazing school and the price is definitely right compared to the other places I had offers from.  So CoMo is where I stay for two more years.  Currently, I am finishing my last week of undergrad – thank the Lord!  I loved college, but I am ready for something else.  Too much busy work, too many things to study that I no longer care about, too many kids born after 1990 in my classes.  I am so excited to start grad school in January and learn all about public policy!  (nerd alert)  My dreams are probably getting the best of me but it will be nice to see my goals actually set into motion.  I still want to write, and I have really enjoyed my English degree and my Non-Fiction emphasis, but writing is something I have always thought I would do in my free time (see BLOG) and not as my career.  I am looking forward to having a more narrowed focus toward a career goal in grad school.  Right now I am actually procrastinating from studying for a test I have tomorrow…. Opps.  But I always hate it when I follow blogs who never update and I told myself not to be like that and I have been feeling very guilty about not taking the time to not write something, although I feel like all I have been doing in the past weeks is writing.  My Non-Fiction portfolio is due tomorrow, which I feel good about.  I really liked my manuscripts this semester and I learned a lot.  My teacher also made us do “book reports” which is very trivial and the complete definition of busy work, but I actually reread the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and I am so happy that I did.  I last read it in like 4^th grade and as a pseudo-adult I had such a different take on her life this time around.  I bawled my eyes out at the end.  World War II has always fascinated me and it was very interesting to read Anne’s young take on her life again.  Tomorrow is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and I know no veterans will probably read this, but if any of you do, THANK YOU!  It is very important we remember the sacrifices our troops have made and continue to make for our Nation’s safety.  Next week I will be turning in my capstone final project, which is over an eating habit (yay food writing!).  We were required to use different medias so my project is on Tumblr (sorry I cheated on you blogspot) and I will be posting the link.  It is fun and I like it so much I want to share it!  Because of my capstone course was about food writing and I was required to follow food blogs for class, I have become unhealthily obsessed with a few of them.  Reading recipes has become my new favorite pastime.  I am scaring myself.  I have a running list of a ton of things I want to cook and even more gadgets I wish to acquire (like a home treadmill to run off said things I want to cook).  I have also been dreaming of writing a cookbook… This weekend I am going to visit Mike in Joplin and I honestly – I swear I’m not lying- have a working spreadsheet of recipes and websites dedicated to the things I want to make while I am waiting for him to get off work.  My only final (damn you Spanish III!) is next Thursday so I am taking a mini-vacay to JoMo because the next weekend graduation happens, we have an engagement party to attend, then Christmas, he only gets one vacation day and BOOM the holidays are over!  I am looking forward to slowing it down and cooking while attempting to memorize verbs and si clauses and the entire vocab of the chapters associated with natural disasters and politics (maybe that will come in handy in that career thingy I want, si?).  The weekend after next I will have a college degree and be opening up Christmas presents 7 days later.  Time is flyyyying.  One time my grandpa told me to do everything I want to do in life because time truly does go by fast.  I hope I am doing that.  Another reason I am looking forward to next semester is that I hope to have a little more time to spend with friends and not a Spanish book.  I am also looking forward to going home to Ktown and spending time with my family and the puppies and Oliebear!  My mom kidnapped her so she has been ruling the roost (and the dogs) at home since Thanksgiving and I can’t wait to see her again!  

Okay, enough procrastination writing and more note-reading!  And, btw since I haven’t posted a recipe for sooo long here is a smattering of what I want to cook this weekend:

http://www.acozykitchen.com/salted-caramel-thumbprint-cookies/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/muddy-buddy-or-puppy-chow-cookies/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/sugared-cranberry-pecan-shortbread/

http://asoutherngrace.blogspot.com/2010/11/bogged-down.html

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3221

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=800

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/baked-fresh-chili-fries-ranch-dipper/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/crunchy-parmesan-chicken-tenders-recipe/index.html

Sweet dreams!