Monday, December 22, 2008

Everything is Happening

A lot has happened in the last couple weeks. I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism the Saturday before last. I finished moving down from Oshkosh to Milwaukee. Richard and I are still unpacking at the new place, and from the looks of it, will be for at least a little while longer. I’ve discovered a number of things I left in the old house in Oshkosh, but will get back from my former roommates later.

I wish I could say we’ve been busy with wedding plans, but Richard and I are invested in “what is happening right here and now” rather than planning. When we all return to Milwaukee after Christmas there will be more wedding planning, but not right now.

I almost forgot to mention our Christmas plans - we’re currently driving down to North Carolina to visit my grandmother and many other members of my extended family, including my dear cousin Anna. We’re just inside Indiana now and the trees are absolutely coated in ice, they look more like sculptures than trees. The dog is curled up on the seat next to me with her head in my lap. I’m on the computer now in hopes of completing the editing process for Erich and Ash’s wedding photos. It has taken me far too long, but with finishing school, I really did not have time for much else, and I’m sure they understand. I promise to get all the photos to them by January 7th, because I should be passing through town by then and will have the chance to have the whole portfolio ready and can drop it off.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

forward! towards graduation!

So it’s been a busy weekend. One where I spent all day Saturday inside working on papers, except for that hour Ben and I spent shoveling the walk and drive.

April threw a “jewelry party” for her mother. A chance for Mama Beese to display all her beadwork and sell it outside of a gallery show setting. It was quite fun just to see everything she’s gotten done. I didn’t have any money to spend, so I was just there to enjoy everyone’s company and admire Mama Beese’s work. She and I are talking about her making some necklaces for the bridesmaids, I know April and I are excited about it, but I’ll have to consult the other girls as well. Anyway, I’m working on helping Mama Beese set up a shop on etsy. Showing her how to work everything and early next year we’ll spend a day getting photos done for her. So look for her shop Mama Beese’s Got Style to come soon. She does the most amazing beadwork.

Otherwise, the only things I’ve been thinking about have to do with school, so here’s a quick update on the School Work Progress:

- Dracula Paper for Brit Lit - DONE! (finished as of 10:30 tonight!)
- 481 Final Paper (8/20)
- Reflective Essay - 0/3 (I was corrected in my page count, and I’m glad I don’t have to worry about 2 extra pages!)
- Senior Portfolio - all previous work ready, just have to finish the other two pieces (481 final paper and reflective essay)
- “A Person of Interest” - 0/5 (Professor actually cut the page count, which, yay!)

16/36 - just 20 pages left to go, just five more days of class, just six more class periods. then. Graduation.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Graduation approaches




I’m in my final semester at UW-Oshkosh, and it is really and truly crunch time. I have less than two weeks left before graduation, and while updates here have been rather sparse of late, they will be non-existent until at least 15 December. There are so many things to do, and I should be doing them all right now, but I’m taking a break in order to make sure I know what I have to do, how far I’ve gotten and just how much coffee I will have to drink to be sure they all get done.

The short list of what I have to do...
- Essay exam on Emily Dickinson for American Romanticism
- Final paper for Senior Seminar (20 pages)
- Reflective Essay for Senior Seminar Portfolio (5 pages)
- Senior Portfolio (just has to be assembled with previous work, final paper and reflective essay)
- Paper on Female Sexuality as a Threat in Dracula for 19th Century British Literature (8 pages)
- Paper on the presentation of themes in “A Person of Interest” for Asian American Literature (8 pages)

Progress
- Final paper - 3/20
- Reflective Essay - 0/5
- Senior Portfolio - all previous work ready, just got to finish the other two pieces
- Dracula paper - 0/8
- “A Person of Interest” Paper - 0/8

Total: 3/41 pages done.

Yep, there will be lots, and lots of coffee. This page count doesn’t even include the studying I will have to do for my other exam. Oy. Back to that final paper.