it's a full moon tonight

Well, Friday after my 2:00 class I didn't want to do any homework, so a friend and I decorated doors! I have a roll of shiny paper and we wrapped my door and my friends' door and made a decoration for our CA's door. That took us most of the afternoon and then three of us girls went to work out and do what we normally do on Fridays: nothing interesting!

Saturday I got up and went to a professor's house to learn about Purim which is a Jewish holiday. (Same professor as Rosh Hashanah) Purim is a celebration of the deliverance from Haman's plot to kill the Jews in the story of Queen Esther. We didn't go to synagogue but we made hamantaschen which is a triangle shaped cookie with jelly in the middle. They were soooooo goood. The cookies are triangle shaped because Haman wore a 3 cornered hat. Other than that we didn't really do much Purim-related but we did talk about the different sects of Judaism which I found interesting.

After the Purim fun, we returned to campus and I tried to do homework. Got reading and my WSS journal done, but not the Spanish studying. Agh. I plan on doing that today.

I've been invited to be in an honor society and I think I shall join, it can't hurt, anyway. I get an extra scholarship opportunity.

Time for me to go off for church. Toodleoo.

busybusybusy

This week is a busy one for me. It's midterm week, so I've got two tests, one was Monday and one is Friday. The test on Monday was my Religion test and I am certain I did well; I didn't feel worried at all when I was taking it. Friday is my Spanish vocabulary test, and I am nervous because I'm having a hard time shoving the words into my head. I'm trying to study, though, so hopefully I will not bomb.

Monday night I helped package meals for an organization called Meals from the Heartland- they're packaging food for Haiti right now. There will be about 2 million meals when they get done. I am going to go again Thursday (tomorrow).

Monday night ended up being drama night for me. My two girlfriends who live together have been irritable and not very communicative with each other, and the rest of us (me and two others) finally just ambushed them and told them to get their heads on straight and grow up. It was an hour-long talk but it was very tiring because I ended up being the mediator. It's scary when one isn't listening and the other is freaking out... However, once we got it all out there, it seemed to get through to them, and I think they are really trying to work on it now.

However a second drama involving one of those girls and one of us others has arisen out of that because the one of us others decided she didn't want to room with the first girl after all, and flip-flopped on her. Once the first girl cools down I think it will be okay.

Tuesday was full of homework and dance class (which was SO FUN!!) and the second-year area tour. I decided which building I want to live in and I don't have to worry about finding a roommate, so I am less stressed about that.

Today I had my classes and after math I started getting a headache because I am getting stressed. Spanish was just about impossible because my head was hurting and I couldn't remember words. It was very frustrating, but I managed to get through the class okay.

Stressors:
- drama with my friends part 1
- drama with my friends part 2
- math homework load plus math test this coming Tuesday
- worries about not being able to complete my Wesley Service hours and get that $500 scholarship
- deadlines coming soon, including Methodist scholarship deadlines and WSS deadline, plus two papers due March 12
- One of my friends from home was in a bad car accident

But there are good things too:
- sending a letter to a good friend and she got it the very next day!
- the sun is shining so prettily and I've been seeing the moon during the day
- Birds are returning! (crows)
- my hyacinth is starting to grow at last
- my room is clean
- I have the Methodist scholarships done, I just need an envelope to send them in, plus postage.
- I get to help feed hungry people with MFH!
- I get to read the New Testament for class. :D
- God is good! The friend who was in the bad car accident was barely hurt, despite the fact that she should probably have died.

Today I saw a fortune cookie paper that read: "Turn your scars into stars" so that's what I'm doing. :)

update

It keeps snowing here in the great white midwest. Fine with me since I live right next to the dining hall! :) Wednesday I saw on TV that we'd had something like 71 days with at least 5" of snow on the ground and that was a record. Snow depth is currently around 16", but we are promised 5" more for Sunday. Yikes. So glad I don't have a car to dig out.

We had a preliminary meeting for my New Orleans spring break trip, which made me super-excited. We're supposed to be helping with Katrina cleanup/rebuilding. I know it will be an interesting experience, no matter what we do.

I think I'm finally over my cold. Well, I quit taking the medicine, anyway, and it didn't make me feel worse, so... yay!

I wanted to go swing dancing last night, but it was snowing like mad and I was nervous about going anywhere in the dark. Didn't go, but the dancing is every 3rd Friday of the month, so I plan to go next time.

However, this morning the snow was finished and I went to Habitat for Humanity. Working for Habitat is fulfilling; I get to make a difference in someone's life. It's great. I don't mind the physical labor; in fact I rather enjoy it. I'm thinking I might want to work for AmeriCorps or Habitat, but for now I will just volunteer. Today I: scraped paint, pulled nails, did some demo on a wall, killed mold, painted, removed cobwebs, swept floors, helped clean up construction materials (ceiling tile = skin irritant), carried ladders, went up on said ladders and cleaned track-lines off the ceiling-wall joints (at one point I was probably 10 feet up on planking), removed plastic from windows, and had fun. :) I even learned some new things, because I learned about Habitat's ReStore, where they sell salvaged or discontinued items. It's in a former dairy warehouse. Really neat building.

Soon I will be registering for May term and fall classes, which I am excited for. I plan to take New Testament Greek! :) I also will be signing up for housing. I don't know where I want to live yet, but there's two choices.

My one friend and I had steak tonight. Woo! Steak therapy is deeeelicious. :D

Well, it's almost 11 and I've been up since 6ish, and I'm tired. So... goodnight.

I finally slept well last night!

I hope the trend continues :)

I realized I needed another blanket and some peaceful music.

Your Hands by J.J. Heller

Beautiful video, wonderful lyrics.

I don't mean to complain, but...

I am TIRED.

I have not slept soundly through the night for at least the last 3 nights. I keep waking up in different positions- I'll fall asleep on my back, then awaken on my side, then awaken on my stomach, etc etc. It's frustrating to wake up at 1 and 3 and 6 and 6:50 for no apparent reason...

On top of this, I think I am coming down with a cold, and so I NEED my sleep more than ever, which is EXTRA frustrating.

Please pray for me to be able to sleep soundly and through the night. Thank you.

I should really go to bed.

I had a great time at my new swing dance class with the same friend who went with me last semester.

I got a 93% on my first calculus test which makes me feel very good about myself in terms of my math ability.

Campus worship tonight was great. We had some mix-it-up leaders and it was good to have.

RLC is doing a collection for Haiti- teeshirts for making bed-mats, money to help in whatever way, shoes because people need shoes, and time to help pack Meals From the Heartland meals. I really hope people respond well to this.

Physically I am not at tip-top shape, but considering it's the middle of winter and I'm not getting enough sleep (again...), I'm actually doing quite well.

I only have a little bit of homework for Friday but I have things to do besides just homework. I need to write up a resume, recopy calculus notes, and pack and write out a thing for this leadership retreat I'm going to Friday night/Saturday. I think it will be good, and if it isn't, at least it's free food and I get to go off-campus! :)