31 Days of Books: A Wrinkle in Time

I'm continuing today in the vein of fantasy - because I love it!  But I have to confess I read (and fell in love) with this particular book in 3rd grade... and a re-read is long overdue.  So pardon any lack of specificity.  ("Spe-ci-fi-ci-ty." - JGL to TH in Inception... sorry, couldn't resist.)  Alright, on with the show!

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Title:  A Wrinkle in Time

Author:  Madeleine L'Engle

Published:  1962

Year I read it: 1999

One sentence summary:  Meg Murray accompanied by her brother, Charles Wallace; friend, Calvin O'Keefe; and the three odd Mrs W's (Whatsit, Who, and Which) goes on an adventure in search of her scientist-father after his mysterious disappearance years before.


Three reasons to read it:

• I can't even convey the power of the climax - a struggle between the law and conformity and death against love and light and life.  Of the books and movies you read/see as a child - some stick with you for inexplicable reasons - this would be one!
• This novel was one of the early nerd-slash-social-outcast-becomes-hero books.  Living in a post-Harry Potter world (and thanks to a majority of other YA novels),  this combination has gone from trope to epidemic, but I've found reading the source of a cliche refreshes the notion of it.
• I often can't parse out where sci-fi ends and fantasy begins [it makes for fantastic late night conversations though!] - but this story is a wonderful blending of both.  The fourth and fifth dimensions, tesseracting, far off planets, impossible happenings, adventures and humanity - it all makes for some fabulous literature.
• [Bonus reason:  Whovians would just LOVE this book.  All sorts of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey in here]

One reason you maybe shouldn't:

• It's a children's story and doesn't exactly follow a logical or expected plot progression... [I don't know, does that turn you off? No, ok...good :]

Great quotes:

"...by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."

"Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself."

"Believing takes practice."

"A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points."

“I don't understand it any more than you do, but one thing I've learned is that you don't have to understand things for them to be.” 

"I love you, Charles Wallace."

Every time I've left home for an extended trip or somewhere far away,  I break down just before leaving.  Whether packing up the vans for tour or at the counter for British Airlines, I've had some pretty teary moments.  I can't explain all the reasons why.  Probably some fears mixed in there.  But I just get overwhelmed with the sense that no matter how good the adventure, I'd rather just stay at home.  Even before my summer in England, right before entering the security lines, I wanted to go home.  I wanted to forget about the whole scheme. 

It's the Baggins and the Took parts of me fighting.  And right before blast off, everything Baggins starts shouting "Stay at home and stay comfortable!"

Eventually the Took side wins out... but I'm having a very Baggins morning so far.

Tomorrow...

[via]

I'm heading out on my first, solo-road trip.

I am beyond excited!

I've been to Portland countless times... but its always been to visit family, and the city has become this fabulous, adventurous place without me even realizing it.

Several weeks ago when I found out I would have an 18-day long spring break (yes-18 glorious days!), the Lord suggested I try and get away. So here we go!

I'm going to be staying with my Aunt and Uncle, visiting my grandparents, and hanging out with a friend from Oxford (!!!). But other than that, I have very few plans. I'm going to visit Powell's and hopefully a few other fun spots... but I think there will be a lot of extemporaneous adventures--which is out of the ordinary for me.

[via]

I fully expect to get lost a couple times, and I have no doubt that I'll spend more money on books than clothes, but I think it will be such a fabulous time.

And I just have to give a shout out to my amazing Dad!

This morning he goes, "Now, we're getting an oil change today to make sure the car is fine, and I filled up yesterday so you should have a full tank of gas. And here's my AAA card if you have any emergencies." Oh... so precious! So grateful for him =)

Well, you can be on the look out for adventures in Portlandia over the next several days.

Until then I'll just be packing, getting my maps in order, and picking the perfect playlist for the trip down =)

change is good

So, lately I have been considering some pretty big changes in my life. I have been so tired, physically, and just feeling burnt out. My mom helped me to see that I had placed so many demands on myself. Once she pointed it out I caught myself saying, "I have to do ___," several times a day. She would stop me and say, "No. You don't have to do anything. You only have to choose peace." I started asking the Lord what that looked like for me.

And he revealed the answer very quickly:

I'm not going to school next quarter.

Don't freak out. I will still graduate on time (June 2012 :) and I absolutely love school. Its just that, including summer quarter last year, I have been going to school for nearly 1 1/2 straight. I was really getting low on energy and enthusiasm. Not only that, but I was not going to have enough money for this quarter, my taxes, or a potential trip to Oxford (still waiting to hear back... should find out in mid-april).

So this spring my plan is to get a second job, save as much money as possible, read books that the Lord has been putting on my heart, be involved with church more, spend quality time with friends, welcome a beautiful niece, and visit the cherry trees for therapy!

Really, the Lord told me this is going to be a season of rest for me. Despite needing to work quite a bit, He's putting my heart at rest--and I'm so excited! I have been in a routine for so long and now He's taking me on an adventure =)

I finished Pride and Prejudice for the third time today. "A minor sort of accomplishment, I suppose." I've gotten something different out of it every time I've read it--especially this time since it was for my critical theory class. I love her. I love Jane Austen. She was so ahead of her time. And what a pioneer. I mean, she wrote novels when novels where unpopular--and she was a woman! (also unpopular, haha). And yet, she was one of the first to make novels popular. wow!

Oh, and today, I happened upon where the Austen scholarship is kept in Odegaard. As I looked at all those incredible titles (e.g. Letters of Austen, Austen and the French Revolution, etc. etc.), I was like, "Wow, I can just picture myself in grad school, sitting in front of this shelf at all hours of the night researching her and loving every minute of it." Hahaha...

And, her section is on the same shelf as Keats! Parfait =)

This morning my Mom and I were talking about grad school. It's kind of daunting and yet its getting closer. Did you know that UW accepts only 20 students into the Master's program each year--out of an average of 600 applicants? Yah... that's a little daunting. I joked with my mom, "But maybe I'll get married and never go to grad school."

She just looked at me and I said, "Alright, yeah, I'll probably go to grad school no matter what. I know myself too well. But I don't know how I'll be able to afford it."

She replied swiftly: "Marry filthy rich" =) haha

I don't know what may come. I don't know what I'm doing this summer even. I'm still praying about the Oxford program. I'm also considering going as a tourist. But, I will have a 1 month old niece or nephew then--which would make it hard to leave. Well, it's in the Lord's hands. He's leading this adventure... I'm just here for the ride. What fun!

Breaking habits

I am a creature of habit...

I eat the same thing every day for breakfast. I sit in the same seat on the bus and in my classes. And - I look both ways when I cross a one way street...

Yes... I'm special!

But today is a day to break those habits. I am going to literally "stop and smell the roses..." I paused to just sit and stare at my beloved Rainier. After class, I am going to the UW's herb garden to journal. I may sit and commune with the creator in the Grove... 

Basically - it's time to enjoy the adventure :)

PS - during my little adventure in the herb garden... i totally busted open the back of my pants! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - God has SUCH  a sense of humor! hehe I think He doesn't want me to take myself too seriously :)