hello, august!

Hello new month. Hello new school semester. Hello new haircut. Hello, sunshine.

Wow. This week has been sprinkled in the most amazing, incredible sunshine. Winter? Hardly. On Monday, Mum, Nick, Tain and I sat out on picnic rugs and ate sundaes from McDonald's. Yesterday, we spent the afternoon on an island, and travelled home by water taxi as the sun set behind the mangroves (there will be pictures -- lots of them). Today is just as luscious but I am yet to explore its full potential as I've been trying to make up for all the gallivanting and Actually Do Some Work, which means inside, at a desk, on the computer.

It's the first week of August and the first week of second semester. I can hardly believe I'm into the final year of my bachelor degree. After this semester, just three more subjects and then I'm done! I've started researching graduate programs but at the moment I'm really just enjoying that beginning-of-semester newness -- ordering textbooks, working out assignments due (two entire typed A4 pages listing assignments due. Eek!), wrapping my brain around the subjects.

As always, the selection of subjects has me excited (and my excitement translates into: you get to read about it. Oh goodie). This semester I'm taking:

• History and Literature of the Medieval and Renaissance Periods -- how all of this can be condensed into one subject I do not know, but I'm looking forward to finding out. Stories and history together = awesomeness.
• The Bible as Literature -- I think this'll be delightful and challenging. I love that the primary textbook is by Leland Ryken and I've chosen to do a book by Friedrich Buechner for one of the book-related assignments. Yum.
• Exploring the Christian Faith -- this one's a course in the core ideas of Christian theology. It looks to be very meaty with lots of reading, lots of thinking, and lots of assignments. I have a feeling this one will stretch me but keep me intrigued, too.
• Writing the Short Story -- since I'm majoring in creative writing, it's probably no surprise that the writing subjects prove to be my favourites every semester. The short story is a form that I've slowly been growing to love, and I appreciate that this subject is based around reading and analysing lots of great short stories as well as learning to write them. Among the assignments due for this subject are four short stories, so I'll be kept on my toes. And I also have to keep a creative journal which is thrilling to me because I'm a complete journal nerd.

What new challenges are keeping you on your toes lately? What are you loving reading or learning about? And if you could make up your own niche degree to study (absolutely anything), what subjects would you choose?

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Conversations:

BushMaid -- it really is! And I love how every meeting of someone new becomes its own cool story.

Caitlin -- THE CHEEKS THE CHEEKS! They are her talent and her gift.

Laura Elizabeth -- the headband was originally so people would know she was actually a girl, but now I suspect she asks to wear it ;). The Eagle arrived today! I shall share my response to it with you. Here's hoping it's okay!

Carla -- aaaah! I had thought about Meaghan being an aunty but I hadn't thought about Lachlan being an uncle! How cute!

Rebecca Simon -- those boys are all going to be clones when they're old men :).

We Three -- hugs right back at you! And aren't cheeks just the cutest thing on chubby babies? (Also, I owe you an email) xx

Staish -- <3 <3 <3 Hearts will have to suffice because words fail. I'm so blessed by you.

Chantel -- the cheeks are immensely squishable. I squish them A LOT.

Eweight -- YES!