Summary

Oh, guys...

I'm apparently terrible at updating stuff. Although anytime that any of you update, I most definitely read, so you are not updating in vain.

This summer can be summed up pretty easily, I feel. Work, Adam, Warped Tour, Eating and Free Box.

Natural building is tough. Don't be fooled. I've been keeping a journal of my work over at erinisbuildingstuff.blogspot.com. So if you really are aching for details, that's a good place to start. Or just wait another couple of weeks and talk to me in person.

Adam's been up here almost the whole summer. He's gone home and to Canada a few times, but I would say that he's been here almost 75% of the time. He would come to work with me, so nobody seemed to mind that he was staying here. I guess it's good that he was here, because I have hardly seen anybody else this summer. Lilly a few times, but nobody else, really.

Lilly, her sister and friend and I went to the Warped Tour to set up a booth for the Rainforest Action Network. We handed out stickers, temporary tattoos and information and got people to sign a petition asking Bank of America and City Bank to stop funding coal fueled power plants. We also got to see several shows, including The Horrorpops (my favorite), Katy Perry, The Color Fred, Motion City Soundtrack and many others. I spent far too much money. Our table was right next to a table of anarchists, so we made friends and I bought books.

I've been eating a ton. My garden is beautiful. It hasn't been the entire time- it got pretty overgrown for a while, but Richard hired Katie (the gardener from last year, former SENS house resident, Berea Grad, awesome person in general that some of you may or may not know) to come clean it up really well before Libby, David and Zac(h/k) get here (so that it's not entirely overwhelming.) I've been trying to eat as locally as possible this summer, buying my food primarily from the farmer's market and Happy Meadows, if I can't get it from my garden. Last night I made pizza using local tomatoes, basil, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and amish cheese (and organic flour!) Be jealous, my children.

Also, the free box down the road has been my main supplier of weekend shopping. Today, somebody awesome decided to get rid of some very cool vintage dresses and skirts and I snagged them. Which is not to say that I will wear them daily, but I will love them daily.

I'm going home next week. I have only been home once this summer for about a day and a half- my sister moved out to Montana and I was visiting with her and the rest of the family during that time. So next week is going to be nice- no working or worries or anything. I'll have time to visit Chimney Rock and Asheville and some of my favorite people (although several of my favorite people will already be going to school...) Then, back to Berea and getting to see some more of my favorite people (YOU GUYS!), getting housemates and going to class.

I'm enthusiastic about all this.

Never again...

I was posting to say that never again will I blog.

But that's a lie, so ignore this.

CARSSSSZZZZZZ!!!!!

dudes! i just bought a car!!! it's a 2006 Scion xa, gets up to 40mpg with standard driving (which puts hypermiling potential above sixty!!) It's a four door hatchback which means you all will be super comfortable in it, and the total cost is less than one semester of the tuition i'm not paying for!!! It should be almost completely paid off by the time I graduate, and it only has 30,000 miles on it! It's kind of funky looking, like it's trying to be a smaller version of the smaller version of the SUV, but it's going to LAST. And the best part? If i fold down the back seats...I can sleep it in!! And that's all I could ever ask for. :-) I can't wait to see you guys!

http://www.scionlife.com/scion/xa/RS3.jpg

http://www.edmunds.com/scion/xa/2006/consumerreview.html

Thursday Night Lights

Monday night I left Peoria for LaGrange (which is a Chicago suburb) with a friend of mine to visit a friend (Nate) up there. We've done some big fun thing each day.

Tuesday: Brookfield Zoo
Nate works there this summer as a tour guide, so we got the scoop on all the animals. Zoos are pretty fly anyway, but Brookfield is one of the top zoos of the nation, so it was cool. I hadn't been to a zoo in quite some time. We have one back in Peoria, but on a scale of 1-10, it kind of blows.

Wednesday: Shed Aquarium
There were fish and other aquatic animals. Nothing too terribly awesome because we would have had to pay extra for really cool stuff, which we didn't want to do. We were spoiled by Nate because him working at the zoo got us into other things for free.

Thursday: Field Museum
Way awesome. One exhibit they have right now is about mythical creatures and their potential origins in different cultures. I found out that in China, the phoenix is a symbol for peace and good times. Not the reason I got it (since I didn't know that last year), but I thought it was very fitting and have chosen to take it as a sign.

Thursday night was the main point of this post. My friend who I drove up to Chicago with left, and after he did, Nate had me go on a jog with him. (I rode a bike while he jogged.) What the prick didn't tell me before we began was that it would be 10 miles. I wasn't really mad at him because you can't really be mad at Nate for anything, but I was slightly perturbed. Then we turned onto this path out of his neighborhood and were in the woods by a large creek, and I could see literally hundreds of lights, flashing like paparazzi. They were lightening bugs. I don't know how it is where you all are staying, but there has been a noticeable decline in the lightening bug population in Peoria throughout my childhood years, so this was a very special sight for me. It was so peaceful in the woods and it was so beautiful. All there was to see was the long reaching shadows of the trees, the flashes of the lightening bugs, and the occasional ray of moonlight through the leaves, but it was beautiful.

Right now I'm in Boston for Oxfam CHANGE Leader training. I just arrived this morning and will be here until July 25th. This is my last planned adventure for the summer, and I am glad for it. I don't mind being away from home or being home for long periods at a time, but it's hard for me to keep adjusting when I'm gone for one week, home for two, gone a few days, etc. Not that I'm complaining; I've had quite a good time on the trips I've taken this summer. I just like to feel grounded somewhere.

I pray that life continues to treat you all well!
~cocoa_goddess



how's that, david?

So, that's that annnd

no harm done.

People, I am in a foreign country taking classes, and I update more than you!

Honestly!

Today I finished the journal I began at the very start of the trip. I am sitting here in the Knowledge Center with a bar of Toblerone.

One thing I need to say about Turkey is that they are not uptight people. They also don't really follow any rules.

For example, we went to a mosque one day (by now I think, 'Mosque, DULL') and after we finished the visit, putting our shoes back on, we saw a sign that said, 'Sitting on the steps is strictly forbidden.' Naturally, about fifty people were sitting on the steps. And the sign was in English and Turkish.

It's very freeing to be in a place where people are just over being so (BU-REA)ucratic and paper-oriented in everything they do, and so they just stopped.

We in the U.S. have yet to reach this awesome state of existence. If the people were just like, 'F thıs W2 form,' it would be effed!

Honestly.

Okay, well so much more to tell you all. Or most of you.

The End

Trash Peters

We caughts an illegal fish and ates it illegally (woooo!)






A piece of collection of random objects which are taking over the truck (and sometimes our snacks).

Our last "field."

This is more to say "I can't talk right now" than to talk right now. Roo, I'm sure you're busy too and on my one town day my nose is always itching from the fury which is Computer Work and by the time I get groceries and a week's worth of books it's too late to beg or bribe the Coworker to hang out just a bit longer so I can make some phone calls. Has anyone heard from The Tara? Someone should post on her behalf. Heh.

Looking forward to getting back to KY.

Libby

Just to save you from any distress

There was a terrorist attack at the U.S. Consulate here today. Three gunmen attacked and killed three Turkish guards who, in turn, killed the gunmen. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, but it has been condemned in newspapers throughout the Middle-East. We have been told to lay low for a time. Our campus is far enough outside of the city, so we are alright. The attack was on the European side anyway.

SO I am fine and stuff. It's too bad about the guards, but I'm glad the gunmen got what they deserved.

Turkey is treating us well, and we are telling people we are from Toronto. So far, most people speak French or German to me when they are trying to sell me things, so I am flattered.

Okay folks, you'll have to wait for the full report. I write every day in a book about this place, so you won't miss a detail. That might be a bad thing, depending on how much you care.

Okay, peace.

Make Peace and Eat It

This pizza contains excellent ingredients and good dough and morels (yes morels!) and anchovies! (It was eaten mostly by coworker. I like cheese best.)

Cheese for me!! These pizzas were both the most delicious pizzas I've ever eaten, much less made.

I've been staying at Coworker's place on the weekends and I found this moth on the back door one night. It's a sphinx moth, can't remember the scientific name. But huge and beautiful!

Alien face.

So Coworker got an ailment and I went hiking all by me onesie. Which was ok. I hid from a moose (a more vicious beast cannot be found until the far reaches of the northern tundra reveals the horrible Polar Bear and its cousin the Kodiak). But the moose turned out to be a deer. Much like the West Yellowstone police report which went: "A moose was seen on highway 20. The moose turned out to be a deer and the deer turned out to be dead."

I slid, I fell, I climbed. I lost control on shale-shard slopes and gained enough speed to get a decent amount of air when launched by said speed and the seat of my pants over a little cliff. I landed on sharp things. I laughed. There was a little blood, but no tears.

I made bread. I kneaded it for thirty minutes and in that time formed a bond that made it that much tastier to eat. I steamed it in the oven to make french bread and I hacked off pieces of my loaves all week to eat with cheese. Chic, in a very wilderness kind of way.

And I got paid.

And all is well.

I have more freckles than a marble Buddha.

I think that's how you spell Buddha.

OOO, confession - one day of hardcore bushwacking and climbing lowered my fat reserves enough that I craved Burger King and could not control myself. First fast food eaten in about a year though. And I wanted to vomit.

Libby

I have to try

to learn a little Turkish.

It is difficult though.

I just landed in Istanbul today and there are no planned excursions until 4.45 this evening... AKA 16.45. This military time is insane.

I did not bring my computer with me so I will not be updating often.

k bye.

Oh my!

I had no idea. I actually have to leave the state on Thursday. It's a very good thing that I realized Friday was actually not the 19th of June.

Whew.

I've been shopping a lot lately, which I hate, not because I don't like shopping, but 1) because I feel guilty leaching all this cash from my Mom, and 2) because the money could be put to such better use... in Istanbul.

Seriously. My grandpa gave me 1,000 dollars towards my trip. How can you convey thanks for that? I mean, it was his tax return, but still. I don't think I ever got mine. Cursed filthy Republican administration/IRS bastards.

La la la











Anyway, so yeah. Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk is actually a lot better than I thought it would be. It did win the Nobel prize in literature, but I thought that didn't mean much when I started. It's been such a drag. But now that I'm almost done, I realize it's simple genius. You don't have to care about the individual experiences this man had while you're reading it. At some points you even think how ridiculous it is that he assumes you will care. But really, I don't think he assumes you will care. I think it is written as a way for him to expel the bile of his soul, his hüzün, his past, and his city, all in a way that is most easily understood when read as a private diary, stolen from a dresser drawer. This next chapter "First Love" is really great.

Sometimes I don't know if a warm feeling is coming from a certain social interaction or all of the wool I wear. That's confusing.

So I advise trying to be more sure about that, although you women are likely already in tune with that sort of thing.

And remember, grease is the word.

Liver Basket

I found a raven skull.

And a duck skull.

(This snake was singing "I Believe I Can Fly." It was quite touching. So I helped him fly (PPS. You can see a little prong of guts coming out of him. Very cool.). )

Fun in the Mountains with Libby. You can have some Too.

Life is lovely.



And snowy.



We went on our first field mission this week but it only lasted two days. It rained. It snowed. It even hailed. And the dusty dirt we had sped across the first day - sunny - soon became North Carolina red clay which stuck to our feet in uneven, heavy loads which enabled us to slide across (and down and up and over) it as if we were skiing. But with far more effort than skiing. As mud is a little bit thicker than snow. Or water.



I dug my first latrine hole. We had our first campfire. We slept in a tent under the rain and snow and it was lovely. I have a perfect coworker and even though he tends to forget things sometimes or make mistakes he accepts problems so well that I almost like working with him better for the mistakes. And anyway my pride requires that I at least be better at some things. Even if they only involve computers.



I am buying a car. And it is not a Civic. Apparently the demand for Civic's because of their reputation has driven up the cost. I am looking at Hyundai Alantra or something and something something something and something can't remember. But it will be manual. It will be under $140 a month. It will have a bike rack and a roof rack. For my kayak. (Big Mack)



And now I have to pee. Goodbye.

Just So You Know: Episode II

Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger. You may see a strangerrrrrr across a crowded room. And a-somehow you may know, you know even then that somewhere you'll see him/her again (and again).

Just thought i ought to let you know. You know, in case, you know... you hadn't... heard.

Okay, well among the many things I have to write are those thoughts that have been in my head for a while now.

1) Overpopulation

Besides being the cause of most of our problems here on Earth, it is also a point of personal anxiety. Is the choice of having children still a choice for all of us? I don't think it is. At the rate of our population growth, global warming will only increase and even if it didn't, we have enough water tied up in crops, animals, and people to make the idea of feeding twice our population with the same amount of water unimaginable. It's not going to happen. Something needs to be done. Free birth control everywhere? Voluntary sterilization for those who desire it? The Pill for men? Does that exist yet? Just one of the thoughts in there...

2) Impeachment buzz

Kucinich brought the impeachment procedure again to the front of our minds. Personally, I don't think G.W. is the one at the helm, so I don't really think his removal would be that much of an improvement. With Cheney at the wheel, all Muslims will be shot on sight! In the face!

3) Futility of politics

Even though I am excited about the possibility of Obama "restoring" America to it's once fabled glory (something I'd really like to see), it's not going to matter in the future. Look at it this way; We're constantly screaming to lower unemployment, reform Social Security, and better education, but these things don't happen. We're obsessed with the economy over most other things, even though WE created the economy, and now we are slaves to it. We should be focusing on making the planet inhabitable again, and, sorry to say, but that's not only going to be with solar panels.

4) The end of the world

Yeah, I guess it's got to end sometime. Why not sooner than later?

5) Stupidity of humanity in general

Sometimes I look at humans as though I am not one of them. I feel like an outsider. I feel like I do nothing normal by the standards of my age. Most of my social interactions lately involve me pretending to be involved and interested. And I am, to an extent. I mainly can't understand what we do to ourselves. Also, I can't imagine most other people having to think on this ridiculously universal level for the amount of time that I do. I hate it, but mainly because I feel alone in doing it. Not SOLITARY, but like the people I bump into on the street won't understand the depth of a sound of a footstep or understand that maybe they can't understand it. Golly!

So it's not been an incredibly cheerful few weeks, but I mean, what's the problem with that? If I were to imitate cheer in my daily life, a lot of people I don't care about might be a little more comfortable, and those I do care about would be watching movies anyway, so what's the problem? Besides, I don't want to try to cheer myself up. When I have moods I imagine they're there for a reason, and I don't really consider them moods anyway. Something like what I'm in I doubt will ever leave me. Yes, recede into the background, yes, sway a bit to one direction or another, yes, develop and update itself in episodes and editions, but not much. So far this sounds like a total fool, so that's all folks.

my new celebrity obsession

Hey cool kids! So, sorry I've not posted anything until just now. Here's what I feel are the main highlights of my summetime thus far:

• Movies: When I was back in Berea, I made a list of things I wanted to do this summer. Later that night, I lost it, never to be found again, but I remember one thing on there was to go see every movie I wanted to in theaters since I had been deprived of my normal movie-going experiences for the majority of last year. I've been four times to see two different movies (and those shenanigans have to come to an end because despite movies only being $4 or $5 here, I cannot afford that all summer). I saw Prince Caspian and Iron Man, the second being the source of my post title. Call me a conformist, if you will. I don't care what you say,though. As Tony Stark, Robert Downey, Jr. is both a bad ass and sexy as hell. The wallpaper for my laptop is currently from Iron Man. Mmmmmm... That is all I have to say on that matter.
• Piano: I began piano lessons about two and a half weeks ago, and I must admit that I've been very excited about it. So far (including today), there have only been two days that I haven't practiced since I first began, which may not seem like a huge deal for any of you, but in my thirteen years of playing instruments, I can't remember having practiced any instrument for more that three days in a row.
• Planning the Rest of College: I have decided that I want to double major in Spanish and sociology with a minor in peace and social justice studies. To do this, I'll be hella busy for the remainder of my years at Berea. I set up a tentative schedule that would allow me to still graduate in four years, but it also means I take summer classes and have 4.75-5.25 credits for each of my remaining semesters. In an email with my advisor, I mentioned possibly doing this in five years, but he advised against that, saying the school frowns upon people staying for five years. I can understand why, but it's not as though I would be staying for five years because I screwed around the first couple ones; a double major is a lot of work and can take time. What he suggested was that I stick with four years and sociology with a minor in Spanish, but he's just an advisor, meaning, I don't have to do what he says. I think I'll talk to some other profs and such when I get back in the fall and see what some other people have to say.

I guess those are the main things that are going on for me. For the regular, day-in-day-out kind of jazz, I've been enjoying the time spent with my sister, niece, and the rest of my family. I'll be vacationing with my aunt and uncle at Lake Erie from June 14-23, and then I plan on playing in Berea from the 25th to the 29th.

I hope all of you are safe and are enjoying your summers! I miss you dearly!

Copious amounts of love from your one and only,

Cocoa Goddess

Oh, Istanbul

People, I AM NOT THERE YET!

Also, I go to West Virginny on Thursday. Then Istanbul on the 19th/20th.

Just had to untangle the one knotted ignorance of the general blog. There ya go!

So I like watching trees blow.

There’s hope. It doesn’t cost a thing to smile.

1. 1. It is hot in South Carolina and I am in my parent’s empty house.
2. 2. India Arie and Tim McGraw are amazing artists (and David you agree whole Heartedly I can feel it from Turkey)
3. 3. I am moving up to DC on Sunday.
4. 4. I saw my Grandmother (mom’s mom) for the first time in like a year this weekend. It was wonderful
5. 5. Eeekkk… I got a hair cut on a whim today…. And I now have bangs. They will probably grow out by the time school starts don’t worry. But I kind of love them. Espically now that I have found and wear these huge sunglasses all the time.
6. 6. I have written two new poems and I like them both a lot
7. 7. I saw Erin. That’s right it was wonderful. Me and my little sister Carmel drove Elizabeth up to her internship on June 5^th and we drove back to South Carolina the next morning.
8. 8. We had a WONDERFUL adventure. Carmel and I drove and she read Harry Potter aloud to me. It was intense and when the Dark Lord was coming to the Malfoy Mansion I looked down and was doing 100 mph. No good. Then we stopped for lunch at the Beantree Café in Tennessee. Team we are so taking a weekend trip there next year before it gets cold. We waded in the river and then thought we needed to go rafting. Carmel, silly mortal, didn’t have her bathing suit. But it was okay that she didn’t in the end because they weren’t rafting that day. I made friends with one of the raft guides and he promised to take me the next time I’m there.
9. 9. Did I mention it was 105 degrees outside!!
10. 10. I got my reading from Mexico and it is kind of boring. I feel like a really bad student. But then again it is summer time.
11. 11. I miss ya’ll.
12. 12. I have a road rage problem. Today, I sort of lost it and flipped an ass hole the bird once he had gotten off my riding my back bumper. Then get this he was stopped right in front of me at a stop light. That’s where driving crazy prick gets you waiting for the light to turn. We were both turning left and when the left turn light went green he just waited till it turned yellow before he would turn. I had to wait for the next light. This is why I will never have Bahá’í Bumper stickers on my car.
13. 13. I have a great and wonderful idea for a business. I am going to start a plant nursery/coffee shop/and florist shop. It is going to be called Ridvan (which is an Arabic word for Paradise) The back is going to be a big courtyard with a tile floor and tons of plants. All of them will be on sail naturally. I’ll also rent out the back for weddings and high class parties. Also during the hot summer months I’ll pitch tents for people to drink coffee inside. But my winter business will be the coffee shop. I will need a greenhouse on my farm. There is much more to this plan the I’m sure any of you are interested in reading.
14. 14. I am wearing one of my father’s button down shirts and it smells like him even though it just came out off of the line. The smell makes me feel like everything is going to be alright.
15. 15. I love my mother. And I’m glad not to be on Accutain anymore.

Idea

I think we should post our summer addresses. So I can send you nifty rocks and bits of elk bone and whatnot. Ok.

Epic Cocoa!!!

1. Beef Case

2. Sausage Wallet

3. Chicken Satchel


These were the topics of conversation (and various "inside" jokes) between my coworker and myself. If you remember my speculations on this person - based on the fact that he is named Jason - suffice to say I was far, far off the mark.

I also forgot to mention last time that I am officially driving an official vehicle. No kidding kids. The license plates say "U.S. Government - Official Use Only" and it makes me very happy to have my snot-nosed nappy-headed self at the wheel of such an auspicious "rig." However, Jason and I were forced to attend a FS "defensive driving" class yesterday. If you've never been forced to attend a class like this they can devolve to the point of playing charades in your chairs, pretending to react to a deer on the road, or a flash flood, or a psychotic passenger attempting to butcher you with a rusty coathanger. Really. I lie not. Fortunately this one was short as it was a series of "orientation" seminars for the seasonals. We smugly left after the two hour bit on driving and those watching us leave wept openly.

More on Jason - quite possibly THE ideal person to be doing this job with. No danger of any of a variety of hanky-panky or piddledy-diddledy or awkwardness or eagerness or nothingness. Seriously. We will get along great and I am SO relieved about that. It could have been a horrible summer if he had turned out to be anyone else. Speaking of anyone else. There are two men from the Czech Republic in the house behind mine and they can't understand anything I say because I talk too fast. But I love them like puppies. And their housemate builds ships? Or at least has the most beautiful kayak I have ever seen in my life. And a young couple of 23 lives in a cabin at Cottonwood and I hate/love them because they are perfect to be together. Not in an "I'm so going to barf all over you if you don't STOP IT!" kind of way, but because they like to be outdoors, they like to kayak, they like to hike....they like everything they both do, and they both like doing it together. Bastards!

And speaking of bastards Dustin is officially a bastard. And I am officially depressed about that. And other bastards. And all bastards. Speaking of which, there is a plant called a "bastard toadwort" which I learned about this morning. I am taking a crash course in taxonomy and botany and soaking it all up like the unrecognized genius I used to speculate (in high school) that I was. I am. Smug.

And I discovered the Snake. Which is a river. Which lives down my driveway and across the road from my house. Love it. Cold though.

Love you too.

Libby

If I were going to own a cat, I would name it Idget.

Oy.

I have had a very busy last couple of days.

Adam came up Saturday night and left this morning- the second was our two-year mark(ish), so it was nice to just be together and relax. We played video games in Woods-Penn, went bowling (I scored 80 and 98), ate A LOT, made delicious oatmeal raisin cookies, saw two movies (Sex and the City and Prince Caspian) and petted lots of kittens. It was a happy time.

I started my internship officially on Monday, although I've only had meetings. I've been feeling a little silly at these meetings- not fully understanding everything and not being able to contribute- I don't know near as much about design as the rest of the crew. Today, however, I met with one of the homeowners and Phil (other intern) and we had sketches of the earthbag home and such- I understood and talked and now I need to type some stuff out and send it out to the rest of the group. I'm feeling useful, finally. I also know exactly what tools I need to buy, which is an exciting thing. Shopping! (You can keep up to date with my internship on my blog for my folks back at home on this site.)

I think Ruhiyyih is coming to see me tomorrow. I must call her back...

All of your plants are still alive so far.

I have fallen in love with the SENS house gardens. I'm very anxious about tomatoes and summer squash coming in. I picked a head of broccoli the other day and enjoyed that thoroughly. I also picked flowers (there are so many poppies here!) and decorated a little. (You can keep track of my eating habits, kinda, at this site.)

Just a technical thing- If you guys want e-mails when someone posts something or comments, let me know. I have the capability to have this thing automatically e-mail you. I am very god-like.

My bangs are poofy.

A man

gave me a cup of coffee just now because I hadn't bought one.

It tastes horrible, but I am drinking it anyway.

And now I am writing and telling you all about it.

Yesterday I wrote a couple letters, one of which I have yet to send. This is why I know I'll be home before 3.

I wrote in my Istanbul journal a few times. It's mostly crap.

I don't think I'll be able to pull off the creative thing this summer. Any kind of creation I see, writing, movies, photography, paintings... it all just looks like predigested cud. Perhaps this is because of my own constant rumination, but I can't see worth in it. Oops!

Okay, bye.

would God like that?

probably not.

Greetings from the woods…

That’s right I have returned to the peace, have returned to a life without a schedule, I officially looked at a clock about twice today. I have had 3 cups of really good Persian tea and am really pretty much in heaven.

As some of you know already, I paternal grandmother fell a few weeks ago and fractured her right knee. She is completely layed up and is confined to a wheelchair, well really her recliner in the living room. This is the woman who is use to feeding a household of 10-20 depending on who was staying over for a few weeks. She was also the first woman to sit on South Carolina’s Board of Chiropractic. Needless to say she is fiercely independent and values her mobility. So I know my folks have moved in here to take care of her. My dad, little did I know, closed his office in Greenville (the closest thing to a city in upstate South Carolina, about a two hour drive from their house in Clemson). My mom is in the middle of her practicum for her counseling degree and is also taking a full load of summer classes. My little sister Carmel (13) is homeschooled and has been staying home with Grandmother for the past couple of days. She is the one who is heading off to Detroit to dance with American Ballet Theater. Rebecca (17) is still in school and her year doesn’t end till June 4^th or so (poor poor soul). But her best friend Olivia has been living with my folks too for the summer. Olivia’s parents just had a very painful divorce and Olivia is struggling to make sense of herself and her new life. My parents, Olivia, Rebecca, and Olivia’s folks got together and consulted and they decided that Olivia needed some extra help, love and support so, she better move in with the Young’s for a while. It seems to be working out really well for all parties involved.

Now that you my loves have a bit of background you should know why I am ridiculous happy as I write. The house that my grandparent’s built is in the middle of the woods in Easley South Carolina. It is three stories high and all wood. It has high ceilings and lots of skylights. It has big wood stoves and lots of windows. I slept on the third floor last night right under a window and four skylights. As the sun started to warm my face as it came up this morning. I opened my eyes and all I saw was the brilliant green color of sunlight though a canopy of big green poplar trees. I just sighed and knew I was in the woods and my family was all around me and there were no cars going by and no E-mail to check, and no rehearsals, and no homework to finish. Another sigh and it felt like it was going to be alright.

I got up and fixed breakfast then the day got started with a washing of my big silly Labrador Retriever Zoey! I have had Zoey for 10 years. We grew up together what can I say, she is basically the best dog a girl can ask for. She gave me one litter of puppies when I was in seventh grade, five girls and one boy (figures). Zoey is now old and getting really fat and sluggish and needless to say living in doggie heaven after her brief stay in purgatory at my parent’s city home. She moved out to my grandparent’s house two days after my grandfather passed (last October). Well, Zoey got a bath this morning and a comb once all 75 lbs of her dried out. I cleaned the bathroom. Then we had some lunch grandmother, Carmel, and I. Then grandmother and I sat out on the porch and I read out loud to her. My grandmother is a brilliant painter and sculptor. She is also a diabetic. She started to lose her sight when I was about half way through high school. She now can only see light, dark, colors, but can still kind of read with huge glasses. So this afternoon on the porch I got to read out loud to her.

Then she mentioned that some tomatoes needed to get into the ground. Much to my bliss I found big compost pile, lime, and everything I could possibly want to do any and all gardening tasks over the next two weeks. I got to pull weeks and cultivate some soil for a few hours before Carmel went to the studio to take a much deserved Ballet class. Grandmother loves horror movies and is a CSI fanatic. So we spent a few hours watching some disturbing nonsense on the TV. In all honesty I think we were both very much asleep. Then I made some dinner and daddy came home.

I don’t have internet connection here but I think I might go into town tomorrow to post this and book some plane tickets. But I have a lot on my mind right now and taking care of my beloved grandmother and working the earth is exactly what I need before facing the big city for two months. I love you all so very much and can’t wait to read about all of your adventures! You are in my thoughts and prayers all the time.

Love and light,

Ruhiyyih

May 27, 2008

constrictive expansion

the first solid week of summer vacation during the summer of my freshman year at berea college...epic

my mother's friend (aleta's) brother passed away recently and i am so proud to have a women so selfless that has provided meals and support for the grieving family.

exceptionally short fuse for hypocrisy and false superiority.
still in denial-shock (?WTF) about holladay(s)

i spoke with my four year old brother aidan about the logistics of death

aidan: what are all those flies doing?
anthony:well they are helping the possum--i think that's a possum--turn back into dirt
aidan: why?
anthony: because he died
aidan: did the possum go to be with god?
anthony: yeah, buddy--the possum went to go be with god
(all animals go to be with god, even when the beta fish went down the toilet, the sewer system flushed out and that fish flopped into the hands of jehovah jireh and if you ever tell my little brother anything different i will cut you)
aidan: i don't want to die. i don't want the flies to turn me back into dirt.

anthony: little dude, you aren't going to die for a really long time and a lot of very cool and wonderful things are going to happen to you between then. don't worry, when you die, you'll go to be with god and you won't need your body anymore so it will become a part of everything.
aidan: okay (goes off to play on the tire swing, he looks worried)

i remember spinning until i was dizzy and wondering if the world outside the window was spinning, if it was only in the windows, or if it was only behind my eyes...

okay holden caulfield...

reading shakespeare for the summer
as you like it--fantastic, definitely my new favorite
the tempest--fantastical, but loose, not his best work
taming of the shrew--hysterical
twelfth night--flat, dull and muted "some are born great..." adage
much ado about nothing--very satisfying, full and intricate

trying to remember that berea is no heaven and to take advantage of the time with my family as i have them now, but it will feel soooooooo good to come home (just wrote that unintentionally for real) to berea, i miss my beautiful friends.

reflections on bardstown:
serious wigger community
mohawks are not cute
in wal-mart parking lot the other day andrew commented: if you turn your head sideways you can change direction in a boat. laughed my ass off.
so proud of the man he is becoming.
way way way cooler than anything i expected.

mom's made a geode a symbol of external unremarkable-ness and internal struggle , growth that produces beauty

i'm pretty sure this "naked" pomegranate juice has fermented

life is beautiful as always
if you read this, know that i love you

There is Murky Rot aFoot.

my neighbors

another neighbor (he said he won't be around all summer, but I'll probably check on him anyway).

the first neighbor's fancy-pants fake-ass "i'm in the WEST!" driveway entrance. I'm pretty sure no one lives there. I taunted them endlessly and no one came out.

Dudes. I have not seen a pair of heels or other shoes-of-questionable-function since I arrived. I arrived Wednesday.



The Dustin has come and gone and due to the gas-hogginess of his vehicle will probably not be back for some time. I'm not sure I'm sad about that. He is hyperactive. I am sleepy and bookwormy. He will only take one nap a day with me. Brat. No, it was great to see him. We went hiking (I'm loving simple sentences. A reaction to a full nine months of College-Level interactions.). There were moose. They scared me and did not want to drink whiskey with us. Or Dustin.



Job is wonderful, the forest service is my first crush since sixth grade (not the italian kid, the non-italian) and I think I'm going to marry it. Everyone seems to love what they do (minus the one day of office work that goes with most positions) and it shows.



There is a greater number of good-looking men in this town than in the whole state of Kentucky (you're not from Kentucky David, and are therefore beautiful) but they are the "beanie-wearing, skateboarding, cool-beer-drinking, adult-hippie" types that I tend to dislike. Until I realize I don't. Which sometimes never happens. Funny how that works. At any rate, zero to negative interest for that anyway. Kentucky has me trained I guess. God damn Kentucky.



There is a microbrewery (or two?) in town. It scares me. I am horrible in bars. I hide behind people and pull my hood up to hide my dreads (because there is no meaning but Granola for dreads in this town) and squeak at the bartenders until they come over and accuse me of being twelve. But the beer is wonderful, and after a half an hour or so (felt like it) I managed to purchase a sixback of a delicious stout (the thickest I've ever had).

And...much much more!

Like - I am back in awesome-boogar land and loving that.

And - next year I could (probably) easily get a volunteer position with a biologist which could (probably) easily count for credit or internship of some kind. As the current biologist's boy is a freshman biology major. Pooh to freshmanness. Heh. Oh, and I passed all of my classes apparently. Very well apparently. I AM smug.

Boo-Lib

so this is it

this is what i've been doing lately.

yesterday i sat in a coffee shop with my friend Ashley
as she played pokemon on her gameboy.
yesterday i washed all of the windows on my grandma and grandpa's house (both sides)
and put the screens back in.

today i watched like every Rambo film (awesome).
today i saw three people i know walk into the coffee shop.

the end.

I look like my brother.

I went back up on campus today. It's quiet without all you guys. But I'm liking the SENS house. I made bread!
I hope you are all doing well too.

Hello fabulous people. I'm excited about this. I will be here most of the summer but will be taking several trips as well (all in the country though: sulk) Come visit me and Erin!

I suppose this is necessary

Just to let you all know, this is my schedule for the summer. I don't even know how this happened.

Okay, on Friday or Saturday I am heading back to Michigan. I have to move my trunk and boxes into the SENS house before I do, of course.

I will chillax with home friends for a brief period of time. Hopefully reintroduce myself to the cool kids of Grand Rapids.

Between then and June 20, we will be going to West Virginia "for to go" rafting.

We will then return to Michigan or go see Asheville (because my mother loves the place).

Michigan to Cincinnati (the airport)
Cincinnati to New York
New York to Istanbul

[insert classes, travel, and creativity here]

Istanbul to Athens
Athens to Istanbul, or maybe Crete

Istanbul to New York
New York to Cincinnati
Cincinnati to Michigan
Michigan to Berea
Berea to SENS house.

My oh my! What business I have. I believe I may faint!

P.S. - Harry and the Potters are touring this summer! I believe I will be going to their Ann Arbor, Mi. show on August 5th. If you're a fan, go here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15891741230

and find the date they are touring near you!

In the Beginning

As requested by Ruhiyyih and Libby, I have created a blog for us all to share! Let's play with it!