Oh, Good, It's Dark Already

WELL, we have gotten some lovely snow. I am so pleased that, after such a disappointing previous winter, we got some serious snowstorms and big, fluffy flakes. Especially since most of it was right around Christmas!

And now, it can all go away. Seriously, time for spring.

January, February, March....these months are dismal. No Christmas to look forward to, only long, miserable days of coldness.

The library's pretty quiet, too. I mean, attendance dropped before the holidays. It always does. But it's taking a while for people to get back in. All my programs are low on people and the pages (high schoolers who work in the evenings) don't have much to shelve.

Quiet days at the library are so depressing! With my recent viewing of Les Miserables (okay, and all the subsequent continuous listening of the music), all I can think of as I wander aimlessly through the library is "empty chairs at empty tables."

"My, friends, my friends!" Why have you all left the library?

Not a fair comparison. But I won't deny I haven't thought about it.

Cabin fever, that's what we all have around here. Outside, people are just rushing to get inside. Inside, there's nothing to do either. Bring me some sunshine, quick!

Fairy Tales, Fevers, and Hobbits

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope yours was as lovely as mine.



The weekend started out rough, with me leaving work early on Friday and languishing on the couch with a fever. I couldn't go caroling on Saturday or to church Sunday, but happily I was able to be at the Christmas Eve service on Monday (inconspicuously coughing into my elbow).

The lazy weekend of rest did provide an unexpected blessing: the chance to tear through the entire first season of Once Upon a Time! I absolutely loved it. A lot does remind me of Lost, which I was a HUGE fan of, and the fairy tale element is delicious. I highly recommend it!

My Christmas "break" has been busy. I'm thankful to have a rest from school, but there have been so many parties and get-togethers and shindigs that it feels like one continuous chain of Christmas cookies! I have loved spending time with family and friends, and I still have over a week left before classes resume. I'm going to take advantage of every minute!

My brother and sister and I went to the midnight premier of The Hobbit, and it was awesome. I really felt the late hour, though. I must be getting old. The beginning dragged a bit for me, but I got into it more as I caught a second wind and everybody left Hobbiton for an adventure. (Seriously, three hours long? I'm not sure if it needed to be.) It was fantastic getting back into Middle-earth and seeing beloved characters like Gollum again! The effects were fantastic, and I loved learning more about the dwarf world. Thorin reminds me a lot of Aragorn. Martin Freeman was outstanding as Bilbo, also. His facial expressions and comedic timing crack me right up. It was nice to just watch the movie without really remembering what happens in the book; it's been a few years since I've read it.

My family has tried to watch some of our favorite Christmas movies (White Christmas, The Santa Clause, Scrooge, etc.) but someone has managed to fall asleep at every viewing. Okay, mostly me. I blame the predictability of movies we watch once a year. I cuddle up in my blanket, mentally quote lines along with the characters, and drift right off. Woof.

So that's what's up with me!

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise; Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark, the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"

Ah, Christmas. The one time of year when theological truth is suddenly blasted from mall speakers and car radios. Thank God for His gift of salvation; Jesus is the only hope for our world. What a joyful time of year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Rock On, Fellow Drivers!

I'm pretty sure that one of the most wonderful simple pleasures is driving in the car on a beautiful summer day.

(Was that sentence too long and awkward? Pretty sure it was. Don't feel like changing it, though.)

If I had unlimited money for gas, I would want to just drive for hours in the countryside, windows down, breeze blowing my hair into an unrecognizable puff, music blasting.

And I can sing out as LOUD as I want, experimenting with all kinds of harmonies and rapping unrecognizable words because I'm not exactly sure what I'm singing!

And I can dance as much as I can while buckled down into a seat, which means wiggling around awkwardly and pumping a fist in the air or waving it out the window!

I feel free, I feel young! I feel like I can just drive away from all responsibilities, like I'm driving towards adventure and awesomeness.

Friends in the car? Sure, bring 'em in! We can all party together, as long as I the driver don't get too distracted. Because I have seen WAY too many movies that have a frightening montage of a carful of youngsters goofing off and not noticing the semi until it's too late. ANYway...

I love driving in the car in the summertime. Especially when I'm not going anywhere in a hurry. I can just hop in and go...to the park, to the store, to find ice cream...

And it's sunny and easy and perfect. For a few moments, it's all good.