Time has passed...

Too much time has passed. My last posting was nearly 10 days ago and I'm amazed at what can happen in that amount of time. I'm also amazed at how disconnected I feel from myself when I don't track my daily happenings and thoughts. Now I feel as though there is too much to discuss in this small space, so I will spare you the boring details and just touch on the main points. One thing that can't be overlooked is where I am right now. You guessed it; I'm spending my last day here at home before heading back to my chaotic life. It's not always chaotic for me in the city, however. In fact, it's typically far from it, and for that I am very lucky. But these last 3 weeks of the fall semester are not going to treat me as well as the first 8 weeks did, I have a feeling. I'm okay with this. I know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. I will be confined to the "quiet" room on the 8th floor as I crank through a huge term project, 2 small speeches, a final speech, 2 art projects, and preparation for 4 final exams. Oh, and toss in wrap-up of some extra credit in there. Surprisingly, this does not make me anxious or nervous. I will take it one task at a time and just keep on crossing things off of my list. After all, that's all I can do.

Anyway, for the time being I am enjoying the simplicity of life here at home. The air is cold and stiff. Although the sun is shining, it does not give off much heat. The leaves are bare and there is a thin layer of ice covering the once flowing river to my right. Winter is here, whether we want it to be or not. I will accept the entrance of winter into my life. In return, it has given me another successful holiday that was filled with more family time than I expected to receive. It gave me cozy days with my parents and sisters next to the fire, a house full of family on Thanksgiving day, and an afternoon of football with even more family yesterday. It also gave me the new and exciting experience of "Black Friday", which was a thrill, to say the least. And much needed conversation over coffee with my big sister Shelby, something that was way overdue. It seemed as though every day brought both new and familiar faces, different kinds of excitement, and a huge amount of happiness. The kind of happiness that can only be felt here. I am amazed everytime I come home at how much my family means to me. It doesn't always take a holiday for this realization to happen, but it definitely helps. I am also amazed at how warm the mood is around the holidays. It's a warmth that is taken for granted, I will admit. But definitely shouldn't be.

Nap time with one of my nieces next to the fire...