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!

Weekend XXX :: uncle nick

My brother Nick is in town for a week, supposedly to catch up with everyone but really to meet the new little pork chop. On Sunday, we all had a family picnic together, and Nick got to spend some quality time with Abby Victoria. Things went along swimmingly.

And Abby thought the attention was grand -- at least for a little while.

But eventually it was all too much. She Is Not Amused.

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Conversations:

Katie -- I can relate to that, too. So many of my dearest friends are ones I met online. One of them (hello, Ruth!) I met when she lived in far NSW but now we're both south east Queenslanders. It's very cool. Hopefully you, too, will end up with an excellent online buddy right around the corner (and I mean that in the least weird way possible)!

Laura Elizabeth -- I still haven't found The Eagle available ANYWHERE in Australia but I finally caved and ordered it from Amazon UK. I hope it arrives this week! I've lurked a few YouTube clips which of course are all a bit slashy owing to the bromantic nature of the story and I like what I've seen. I hope it's not too terrible!

Jessica -- it's definitely a cool story. It amazes me still, now, four years later! Haha and you're right about the 'present husband' bit. I amended it a little ;).

Mothercare -- she is :)

Rebecca Simon -- yes, it's such an awesome little present from God! I'm amazed how many people I've met long distance who have become friends to keep in touch with throughout all the new seasons of life -- you included!

Bek Axe -- YOU are the seriously cool one.

[lately] skate park

I don't know if I've ever told the story here about how I met my incredible friend Anastasia. The short version is: we met online. But not only does that sound weird and possibly a bit creepy, it also fails to tell the full story. Basically, we were both part of a LiveJournal community dedicated to keeping handwritten journals. Staish's pages were amazing, sprinkled with prayer poems and beautiful handwriting, and (yes, this part is possibly a bit creepy) I kept coming back to her posts when I needed fresh inspiration for my own journalling. It was evident she was in love with Jesus and exuded creativity.

From there, we became actual LiveJournal buddies and then MySpace pals (back in the day, hey?). We were commenting back and forth on MySpace one day when I informed Staish I'd be moving from WA to Queensland. 'Where in Queensland?' she commented back. 'Brisbane,' I said. 'Dude, I live in Brisbane!' was Staish's reply. Then I realised my mistake and amended it: 'Actually, it's [little suburb south of the city]'. The next reply from Staish: 'I LIVE THERE!' Sure enough, in what can only be a God thing, Anastasia lived five minutes down the road from my family's new home in Queensland. Crazy, crazy stuff.

We talked about meeting up and then one morning I found a package in my letterbox with a map to Staish's church -- attached, with ribbons, to a block of chocolate. Then followed incredibly awkward trepidation pre in-person meet-up followed by amazed and bewildered joy as we realised we could be Real Life Friends in even greater measure than online buddies.

It continues to amaze me that God could randomly introduce such a spectacular person in such a neat way. Now, I experience withdrawals if I don't get catch up with Staish once a week. We talk about books and God and her present and always husband and my future one. We watch movies and do craft and gush over Moleskines and laugh at awkward things and both love art and teenage fiction. Anastasia is a blessing in my life and I'm so so pleased God introduced us.

And I guess I got a little carried away because that was really meant to be an intro to our afternoon expedition taking pictures at the skate park near Staish's house. Never mind: people are always the real story, right?

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Conversations:

Caitlin -- I'm making handwritten notes of all the posts I want to write ;)

Katie -- I don't think I realised how easy wireless makes things until here I have it again and it's bliss!

Laura Elizabeth -- good observation skilz! I was definitely being photobombed in my own house. Tain was proud of his ability to make it in the shot (again and again!). Also, I am an intense nerd so I loved that your comment included homework for me. My definition of RALIOISM is: the state of fustration which occurs when your attempts at a picture are repeatedly thwarted by photobombing attacks.

Un -- I'm back!

Carla -- internet, I love thee!

Samantha R -- I missed being more caught up on everyone's worlds. Really looking forward to being better at staying in touch. xx

Well hey

Remember those ads which said This Is Your Brain, On Speed? Well This Is My Face, On Wireless. Yes, after four months, the Housie has connectivity. There are some bugs to be ironed out (too SLOW, with the occasional entire drop-out of internet all together), but we HAVE internet. More than that, however, I also have neighbours -- my parents and smallest brother have finally moved into the main house next door to the Housie. I want to call it The Big House, but that has jailbird undertones, and The Mansion sounds too pretentious. Regardless, they're here, and we're all looking forward to life resuming some aspects of normalcy. I'm also looking forward (optimistically) to spamming you with all the posts I've written in my head lately. Stay tuned.

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Conversations:

Laura Elizabeth -- you're really too nice! I love that about poetry -- that it's possible to connect with the words without always understanding the story or true significance underneath them.

Samantha R -- YES. Exactly. <3

Project 52: seven

I crave belonging (I suspect we all do).
We hunt it out wherever it is to be found.
We band together in tightening circles
And bear the marks of our believed belonging in
The intricate carvings on our skins,
The unparalleled symmetry of our faces,
Our shared seeming inability to belong,
Or the fact that he said, ‘you, too?’

We search for our best fit—
A tiny head nestled into mama’s collarbone;
His hand in yours like hook with eye;
The three of you slunk against a rusted rail,
Together looking outward.

And sometimes we find it, but sometimes we don’t
(or we do, and it no longer fits).
The belonging we stretch for
Falls just outside our reach
Or abrades, coarse surface to coarse surface.
And we are homesick
Though this is where we’re meant to be.

Take your heart and wade on with courage
Through present tension to future tense.
We are rooted in earth but ethereal
Never full belonging
Where we won’t be long.

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Conversations:

Samantha R -- you said it beautifully :)

Asea -- I heartily recommend the Crafternoon -- as heartily as I recommend trips to Australia :D

Project 52: six

You know how, in this world of swiftly-shifting modes of social interaction and everyone so busy being somebody that sometimes it's hard to be us (like two or three people, themselves, together), it seems like there are more missed connections than caught ones, more awkwardness than ease, and it sometimes makes you wonder (though you know you're being more than just a little Eeyore) if anyone really finds each other any more? Well, they do.

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Conversations:

Samantha R -- thank you, friend. xx

Eweight -- thanks, lovely. xx

Ruth -- ah, what gave you the idea that I'm not in love with the fine establishment known as Sizzler? ;)

Rebecca Simon -- I wish you could come along to one of our crafternoons :)

Katie -- it is indeed a fun way to spend an afternoon. :)

Harri -- you're my original crafternoon buddy!!! How I wish we could have one together now :). Yes, that's Abby. Isn't she a little chubbykins?

Laura Elizabeth -- I'm devastated! I just saw a book for sale called Kids' Crafternoons! I wanted that word to be alllll ours!

Crafternoon!

One of the things on my holiday wishlist was to launch Crafternoons at the Housie -- and last week, the first one happened. There were sweet cupcakes, a sweet baby, and some sweet crafting action. My mum worked on her wholecloth quilt while my sister Lauren made baby thank you cards. Staish cut pieces for some adorable strings of bunting, and I played with my art journal and some stitchery work. Happy days!

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Conversations:

Un -- Tain wouldn't have even noticed :D

Mothercare -- :D

Laura Elizabeth -- the lucky is all on my side. He's so hilarious and fun :D.

Staish -- I get to see you tomorrow! And thank you for your always beautiful words.

Rebecca Simon -- <3