Report Card

All work and no play makes Jack (or E.) a dull boy (girl).

Remember this? This was written by a very dull and worn out E. But amazingly enough, E. was decisive (yes, it happens sometimes) and left school to move across the country.

Did living in VA help E. learn how to play again? Mmm, I'd say so!

And I think she accomplished some of these things, too.

So, E., here you go: A+.

(But you still have to learn not to live just for A's.)

Home!

California Home:

-Big windows
-A backyard full of citrus trees! (Does anyone want any oranges?)
-Two-pronged outlets. Adapters adapters adapters! :)
-Waking up to find two cats sleeping on your tummy.
-Your mom welcoming you home by buying little glass jars filled with creamy custard from the Asian bakery. (Your mom knows your dessert preferences well. Oh yes, and she knows of your fondness for little glass jars.)
-Family! 

Well, California, here's to another year of living here and learning to delight in all you have to offer. (Including smog and traffic.) ... (And fine dining, farmer's markets, and a host of musical opportunities!)

Country Roads...

...will take me home.

Hello road trip.

Good-bye, Virginia! Can you believe I lived here for a semester? Thanks for being so good to me. Thanks for all of the lovely Autumn colours, and for lots of snow on Christmas so we could go sledding. I will miss your greenery and fresh air. I will miss my housemate, H.! She is the best!

But don't worry. I still have to post about the snow. And I suppose I should also write myself some sort of report card/general conclusion to this semester-long adventure.

So I'll be back.

Please keep me and A. in your prayers this week. Road trips are long and tiring (in addition to fun and...well..fun, right?). Please pray for good weather, safety, healthy bodies, and general cheer and car-riding jollity.

VA Adventure log will be continued once I reach CA!

Cheers!

A Very Virginia Christmas: First Day of Christmas!

"Are you awake?"

Those were H.'s first words to me on Christmas morning. I, E., immediately answered by describing the past night's dream. It was either about a curry dinner at Biola or me finding out I was the Virgin Mary, except I wasn't pregnant with Jesus. ...Must have been something I ate.

Then H. and I remembered it was Christmas morning. ("Hurrah! Squeee! Snow? Flannel? YAY!") We woke up S., who also described his dream to us. (Killer bunnies? Linear Algebra Tests?)

Then there was much squealing, running down stairs, opening of stockings, more squealing, and unwrapping parcels. It was a very bird-y Christmas for me, and I now have two little owl friends, a ceramic blackbird for pies, and a string of birds and bells for my room. Hoot Hoot! 

We followed the bird-theme by feasting on cheesy-eggy strata for breakfast.

Followed by S.'s Apple Tart, which we pecked on all day.

And we put on all of our Christmas finery (new sweaters, ties, stockings, etc.) to parade around the empty (and freezing cold) campus.

 

Merry Christmas!

A Very Virginia Christmas: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

...And all through the house,

H., S., and E. were frying LOTS OF BACON.

(Only the scent of bacon wafted all through the house. Cooking was limited to the kitchen.) 

They did not attend Church on Christmas Eve for one very unfortunate reason: There was no room in the inn. Literally. The gatekeeper told the unhappy church-goers to reserve tickets for the next service. Tickets?? Harumph. H., S., and E. were too stubborn and cold to wait around for two hours, so instead they drove home and made fudge.

And thus began the culinary merrymaking!

 

H. made popcorn garlands.

(My apologies for the yellowness!)

S. made apple tart/provided entertainment/etc.etc.etc.

Yes. They listened to the 4 Seasons. It wouldn't be a party without Frankie Valli. 

Bacon fried, E. cried (because she was chopping onions), and everyone had a jolly time making the kitchen messy.

After cleaning for a good hour or so, the group read from the Bible, sang carols around the piano (in the style of Little Women), and turned off all the lights to scurry about and fill stockings (in the style of Betsy-Tacy). There may or may not have been much squealing and bumping. Of course, E. slept upstairs with H. since she needed to run down the stairs with everyone on Christmas morning. H. probably was glad that E. didn't have cold feet (for she wore boot socks), and E. was glad that H. had double the comforters.

It was a very merry Christmas Eve.

Just Call Me "Babs"

Wintery!

H. went away for the weekend.

Snow came in her place.

 

 

Bun Tracks?

Little Bear, Lettie and I attempted a group picture:

And then we had our version of Don Rags, during which Let and I discussed Peter Rabbit and plans for Apple Cake this weekend. 

Since man/E. was not meant to be alone, God provided Betsy-Tacy as a companion.

Eeek! I just realized that I have four books left to read, not three. Yipeeeeee!

Well, you know what I'm going to be doing.

Cheers!