Hellooooooooo Out There!

I know, I know, it's been forever since I last posted and I'm sure you all have been dying of anticipation for my next blog post. ;-) I apologize.

But honestly, I haven't had two seconds put together! It's amazing how quickly time can go by when you're working. Already I've been home a month and in some ways I feel like I never left. Life goes on at McD's the same as always - crazy, busy, stressful and yet somehow retaining an element of fun, creativity and adventure. It helps that I've rekindled some old friendships from last summer and made a few new ones as well.

However, for the time being, I've asked to cut back on my hours so I can focus on practicing piano and writing scholarship essays. I tried working full time and still keeping up with piano and such, but that was just definitely not happening. It's a bit of a risk, but I think a safer one than going an entire summer without practicing. Let's hope those essays come through! (Loving to write has to come in handy sometime, right?)

Besides practicing and writing, I'm also trying to get in my 45 volunteer hours before I go back to school. If you know of anything I can do to earn them, let me know! :)

It's raining here at my little house in the woods. The sky is dark and stormy and I'm inside, cuddled in my blue and yellow rag quilt with a hot cup of Constant Comment tea. If you don't know what Constant Comment tea is, you should try it. But now I'm just rambling.

I don't have any pictures to post of me or my family or stuff around me today. And I'm too lazy to take one. But I saw the coolest kitchen ever the other day, and as this is kind of random post, it should fit on here perfectly. I saw it and fell in love and said to myself, "Self, I would very much like to have a kitchen like that someday." So I pinned it.

I mean, is that not fab?

Anyway, hope you all are enjoying your summer and staying well and happy! Adios! 

I'm Going to a Party

A choir party to be exact. I love choir parties. Actually, I just really love choir and choir parties are like everything good about choir plus good food and extra time with choir friends.

My sister decided to make a cheese ball. Cheese balls are pretty awesome.

Sarah is pretty awesome. 

I decided to make brownies. Brownies are my favorite. 

I like brownies so much I borrowed a friend's kitchen twice last semester to make them, aided by my accomplice, Cara. 

I miss her. We're going to make brownies and lots of other stuff next semester in our very own beautiful kitchen. We will have parties of epic proportions. B-) 

Well, I will see you all later. . . I have some brownies I need to taste-test! 

Toast. . . French Toast

I don't have to go to work until eleven today, so of course the natural outcome of that was a breakfast that involved strawberries.

Can you say YUM? 

Now I'm ofski to help promote world peace by making Krabby Patties at the Krusty Krab! Hope you're all having a splendiferous* day!

*Splendiferous is actually a word. Who knew??

We Went Strawberry Picking

Today is my day off so we decided to go on an 

adventure in a strawberry patch in Nokesville. 

The Strawberry Patch 

Sarah

Me
 

And I'm Still Rolling Along. . .

Ahem. I was all excited about being a faithful blogger and it's been TEN WHOLE DAYS since I posted last. I am ashamed. :( 

But to bring you all up to date: Exams are over. I survived (barely) and I'm home! My dad and my uncle came down and helped me clean and pack and then took me to Disney World! We spent half of Friday in Animal Kingdom and the other half in Epcot. We even stayed for the fabtabulous fireworks and braved the rain in our Mickey Mouse ponchos. Fun times. :-D

Since I've been home I've been doing a bit of spring cleaning, unpacking and catching up on watching "Lark Rise to Candleford." It's good to be back with the home folks, eat real food, and see rolling hills of green again. I missed Virginia a lot. 

On Thursday I called McDonald's to see if they had a place for me and they asked me to come in Friday morning! I guess they missed me. :-P I worked eight hours yesterday and today. Last summer I was nothing but a frightened young whippersnapper so I didn't dare ask for Sundays off, which I regret. This summer I asked Jackie right off about not working Sundays and she was totally chill about it. Yay!

Also on Thursday, I spent most of my morning quite ruffled and troubled because I could not get our vacuum cleaner to work. I was distressed over this because my room was in desperate need of vacuuming and my allergies were flaring up something terrible and if your vacuum fails WHAT CAN BE DONE???? I researched machines and they're all frighteningly expensive. I grew more impatient and frustrated by the minute and I spent several hours on this search for the affordable-yet-powerful vacuum. I eventually gave up and decided to check my grades and financial aid again. My grades were posted (well, all but one) and my financial aid package was complete and <drum roll. . .> I found out I got a another scholarship for next year! ! ! And then I laughed at myself for how wound up I'd gotten over a stupid vacuum cleaner. My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills (and is quite generous about them) and I was wasting energy worrying about a dust-sucking machine. That's embarrassing. :-P 

And is if that weren't enough to put all my worried feelings back where they belong, my dad came home that night and fixed the vacuum for me and I was able to vacuum all around the house without buying a new one after all! It reminded me of Matthew 6: 

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

And why are you anxious about clothing? 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: 

they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon 

in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

So yeah, I just wanted to share that in case any of you all are worried about anything. We have Someone watching out for us Who knows our every want and need and holds back no good thing from us! :) Take heart and happy weekend!