12) Strut your stuff hon, it ain't so bad!
Ok...So I suppose I should take my own advice. No one there gets to see my "strutting" quite yet though.
Anyway, enough hypocritical advice. I really just sort of feel strange. I know that there's gonna be a change, everyone else knows that there's gonna be a change, but it doesn't feel that way. Sure, we're surviving on just egg sandwiches and frozen waffles, sure the basement looks like a box factory, sure Mom has sticky notes all over the counter saying things like "what to leave behind" and "what to carry on", but in reality, the change seems miles away. I think that someday soon it's just going to crash over me, and I'll be immersed in the feeling of being lost and be drowned in the change. Right now, right this very second as I sit on the couch typing this post, I feel the same. My mind is swirling with the thoughts of moving and of the Lovely News, yet I don't feel different.
Also... have you ever had something, anything, no matter how petty or trivial, that you always complained about but never really thought about leaving or giving up? That's what Illinois is for me. I always complained at how flat it was and how there was never anything to do. Now that I'm leaving I realize how much I truly love this place. The corn seems less boring and more naturally beautiful and the sky seems more blue. I value visits into town and to the mall more than before. I can't even imagine leaving here. Maybe this is why my Grandpa can't leave his town. You feel so attached to a place that, no matter how boring you think it is, you can't get up the strength to leave.
I guess you just have to learn to value what you have, because you never know when it may be pulled out from under your feet and gone. :)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Surprise!
11) Even the desert has beauty; Just take the time to look for it.
Well. I have been waiting for something to blog about. Now, don't get me wrong, school is just 'marvelous' (hint hint wink wink) but it just isn't blogging material. However, when life gets boring, you can always expect your mom to create something interesting, and, in this case, life changing. And so it begins...
I had just gotten home from a lovely sleepover at my Grammy's house. It was G's first time, and it actually went well. I was really surprised! Anyway I had just gotten home, and the door was locked. I knocked and Mom opened the door. She let me in where music was blaring and the house was, as usual, immaculate. Then she gave me a huge hug and asked, " DID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME AT GRAMMY'S?" I sort of looked at her thinking well, Mom, I've only been gone a day but I love you? Then, all of a sudden, all of my friends from school here, plus Madgirl, jumped out from behind the island and yelled "SURPRISE!!!!"
I was a bit baffled, to say the least.
So I sort of stood there looking at A,K,E,M,C,S,L, and Madgirl and was trying to put my face into a normal expression as everyone laughed at me. Mom even took this lovely picture! And then I thought I suppose that's why she needed so many pizzas... I finally managed to get my face to move and said " Well, hello there,um..."
As everyone was laughing I was being herded over to the stairs. We went down and M was very excited as she opened my door. There were colorful streamers everywhere and pretty handmade posters on my walls. There were 8 pairs of shoes of all different sizes in random places around the room. 3 presents were lined up on my windowsill. Of course, then I HAD to open them. First C's, which was a pretty card with a sparkly ice cream cone on it, then M's, which held a small jar full of paper stars. She explained in a little card that they were pick-me-up stars, and that whenever I was discouraged I could open one and there would be a message inside. These were a huge hit.The last gift was from S. It was in a manila envelope with a white bow. I pulled out the contents. On top was a letter, saying that this was the rough draft and that the real one would be made and delivered next week. I moved the letter aside and found a blue binder that was the rough draft of a calendar! Each page included pictures of one of the people at the party and had places where they could write their messages to me. It was great! I was very excited to see the real thing.
G came down and he informed us very professionally that there were chips and dip upstairs if we'd like them. The majority of the girls were overjoyed at the prospect of food and stormed up the stairs, while I told them that I'd be up in a moment. M stayed behind. I almost cried, just almost, but since there were people around, I held it together. We went upstairs and had pizza, chips and dip, and delicious red velvet cupcakes homemade straight from the box!
For the rest of the time we learned how to make stars, made duct tape squares, and laughed a lot, as girls do. Everyone slowly was picked up, and the calendar got its final touches, and phone numbers of people not known before were exchanged. Addresses were written down. M stayed over, and the whole thing seemed almost to have been surreal. It made me very happy, but also very sad. It feels so much more final now that I've had a goodbye party, but I would not have had my final days here any other way.
Well. I have been waiting for something to blog about. Now, don't get me wrong, school is just 'marvelous' (hint hint wink wink) but it just isn't blogging material. However, when life gets boring, you can always expect your mom to create something interesting, and, in this case, life changing. And so it begins...
I had just gotten home from a lovely sleepover at my Grammy's house. It was G's first time, and it actually went well. I was really surprised! Anyway I had just gotten home, and the door was locked. I knocked and Mom opened the door. She let me in where music was blaring and the house was, as usual, immaculate. Then she gave me a huge hug and asked, " DID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME AT GRAMMY'S?" I sort of looked at her thinking well, Mom, I've only been gone a day but I love you? Then, all of a sudden, all of my friends from school here, plus Madgirl, jumped out from behind the island and yelled "SURPRISE!!!!"
I was a bit baffled, to say the least.
So I sort of stood there looking at A,K,E,M,C,S,L, and Madgirl and was trying to put my face into a normal expression as everyone laughed at me. Mom even took this lovely picture! And then I thought I suppose that's why she needed so many pizzas... I finally managed to get my face to move and said " Well, hello there,um..."As everyone was laughing I was being herded over to the stairs. We went down and M was very excited as she opened my door. There were colorful streamers everywhere and pretty handmade posters on my walls. There were 8 pairs of shoes of all different sizes in random places around the room. 3 presents were lined up on my windowsill. Of course, then I HAD to open them. First C's, which was a pretty card with a sparkly ice cream cone on it, then M's, which held a small jar full of paper stars. She explained in a little card that they were pick-me-up stars, and that whenever I was discouraged I could open one and there would be a message inside. These were a huge hit.The last gift was from S. It was in a manila envelope with a white bow. I pulled out the contents. On top was a letter, saying that this was the rough draft and that the real one would be made and delivered next week. I moved the letter aside and found a blue binder that was the rough draft of a calendar! Each page included pictures of one of the people at the party and had places where they could write their messages to me. It was great! I was very excited to see the real thing.
G came down and he informed us very professionally that there were chips and dip upstairs if we'd like them. The majority of the girls were overjoyed at the prospect of food and stormed up the stairs, while I told them that I'd be up in a moment. M stayed behind. I almost cried, just almost, but since there were people around, I held it together. We went upstairs and had pizza, chips and dip, and delicious red velvet cupcakes homemade straight from the box!
For the rest of the time we learned how to make stars, made duct tape squares, and laughed a lot, as girls do. Everyone slowly was picked up, and the calendar got its final touches, and phone numbers of people not known before were exchanged. Addresses were written down. M stayed over, and the whole thing seemed almost to have been surreal. It made me very happy, but also very sad. It feels so much more final now that I've had a goodbye party, but I would not have had my final days here any other way.
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