spring break round-up

The other day I was thinking and didn't feel like I had done a lot over spring break, but as I recounted parts of my spring break, I realized that wasn't true. Here are just a few of the fun things I've done over break:

Finished The Man Who Was Thursday [Gilbert Keith Chesterton]

Read A Severe Mercy [Sheldon Vaunaken] and The Sign of Four [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]

I took my first solo-road trip and went to Portland for a few days, which included a fabulous visit to Powell's. I also got to catch up with my good friend Maia, whom I met studying in Oxford.

Went to the Cinema twice. Once to see The Artist on a date with Charlli:

 and The Hunger Games with Josiah

 Visited IKEA for the first time as an adult. 

Completed a project with the spoils of the IKEA visit:

Got to get all dolled up for both the CCA Auction

 and a wedding.

Plus my trip to the MAC counter with Christine.

[I still absolutely love playing dress up!]

Checked my inbox and mailbox obsessively for news from Oxford

Stayed over with my sister and her family for a night, where I enjoyed Ross's fabulous steak and re-watching the Downton Abbey Christmas special [sigh =].

Sent my good friend Lois off to England with a fabulous double-header of great period dramas.

Had a Packer-Surface girl date in the sun this Saturday. We walked all around Juanita Bay and got to see a bald eagle.

Also went on an amazing Seattle date with my aunt Kristina.

Worked more shifts to make some extra $$

Got to introduce Stephanie H. to Sherlock (BBC).

Phone chats with my friends from far-away, like Beks and Kristina D.

* * * * *

"Let me explain. No there's too much. Let me sum up."

Overall, I had a marvelous time off. I read leisurely, spent lots of time with some of my favorite people, went on a few adventures, tried new things, had my patience stretched (in regards to Oxford), shed a few beautiful tears, laughed more than I cried, wrote a surprising amount, filled my journal with tons of quotes, survived the Ides of March, missed London a lot, sent and received letters, re-focused for the near future, and learned to choose peace + trust even more.

Ahh... goodbye Spring break, hello Spring quarter.

[photo-credit: Sarah]

The girl, bundled up, stepped through the back door into the cool night air. Walking a ways into her backyard, she stopped, opened her clutched hands, and stared at them. Actually, she was staring at what lay in her hands: several gems--not real gems of course, because, as every girl knows, real gems only come from Papa. No, these where quite fake; but they were sparkly.

She looked at the gems. She looked at the stars. She looked back at the gems.

She had to bury them. She had to bury her dreams. If the dreams were true, only here in the field of hope, only after she buried them, would they grow.

And if they were the true dreams--the ones Papa had put inside her heart before time began--then He would give them back to her. And they would be real gems, fit for a princess to wear. And they would sparkle a hundred times more than they did right now.

She looked down once again at her little fake gems--her ruby, the two emeralds, her light sapphire, and the diamond! Oh, she would miss looking at that diamond, even if it was only glass.

But think of how much bigger and prettier it will be if Papa gives it back, said a little voice.

She sighed, knowing this was true.

One more look at her gems. One more look at the sky.

She closed her eyes, one little tear sneaking out as she did. She kissed her gems. And then, she threw them up, sky-high, and let them all fall and skip around her and come to rest in that fertile soil of her Papa's garden.

For she knew that under Papa's gentle care, the right gems would grow. And they would be beautiful. And someday they would be hers again. But for now she would have to wait. Wait and hope...