Summer Begins

     I'm just going to start off by saying that I have no pictures. I'm terrible at remembering to take pictures, so here is a picture-less post. Let me amend that, a mostly picture-less post.

     I know summer hasn't technically started yet, but for me, if it's hot enough to feel like summer, grass needs mowing, we work in the garden, and I can go barefoot, then it's summer. Up until this week, I felt like I hadn't caught up from the end of the semester, like I just had lots to do. Summer is supposed to be when you relax and aren't too busy, right?!? Well, the last couple weeks haven't felt much that way.

     Thankfully, this week is starting to feel like summer is supposed to. To me summer is supposed to be busy (although, if it weren't I'd be fine with it), but not stressed. If I could just stay at home all summer I think I would be a happy camper. I'm a bit (ok a lot) of a homebody. My schedule is pretty settled, and I feel like I'm at least mostly caught up. I can finally just "be in summer." 

     Last week, while mowing I stepped on a nail. I was mowing grass without shoes, around a recently burnt scrap pile. I should have been wearing shoes, so I totally deserve the pain I've been in for the past couple days. I had to work Friday and Saturday, so I limped around like crazy all day. My tetanus shots are pretty up to date, so I'm not too worried about that, but I've been soaking it in water with Epsom salt a bunch. It hardly hurts anymore, but I did end up with a pretty nice bruise on top of my foot. In this picture you can see that my right foot is kind of puffy, it was taken on Friday.

     Since I have no pictures, I will just say that I have been busy mowing grass, going to work, sleeping in a bit, spending time with friends, reading (which is great, because I have so much to catch up on), stressing a bit about my future (there are a lot of colleges to choose from, am I right?), gathering eggs, and just enjoying summertime (at least as much as I can... I hate it when customers come in and talk about the beautiful day outside:/).

A Question for You: 

I figured I'd try a question. I know that there are only like 4 people who read this, but hey, y'all answer, ok? ;)

*What marks the beginning of summer for you? Do you go by the date, or just when it starts to feel like summer?

Currently

     I found this survey on a blog I follow, I've been following Julie for a while now. I really liked the survey, so I thought I would do it as well! The survey is pretty self explanatory, it's what is currently going on with me:)

Current Books:
Right now I'm reading "The Forest" by Edward Rutherford. It's a long, slow read, I've read some other books in the process of reading this one. It covers about 1000 years of the history of the New Forest in England. It is fictionalized history. I've read a couple other books similar to this, specifically "Roma" by Steven Saylor. I love that these books incorporate lots of history! I'm able to learn while enjoying the story, it's not just a dry history book. "The Forest" reads kind of slowly, but is worth reading.

If you're really interested in what I'm reading, check out the reading widget and you can see the books I've read this year. I'm aiming for 100, but am falling way behind. It's summer, though, so hopefully I'll catch up?

Current Music: 

I mostly just listen to what's on the radio, but there are a couple songs that I really look forward to hearing: The Band Perry's "Better Dig Two" ( I know it's kind of out of date now), Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child," Pink's "Just Give Me a Reason" and Jason Mraz' "I Won't Give Up." I really, really like songs that have meaning. The Wailing Jenny's are consistently on my list of favorite bands. I never get tired of them!

Current Guilty Pleasure: 

There is a bowl of candy at work, filled with Tootsie Frooties. I love, love, love the green apple ones. Once I start eating them, it's super hard to stop. I ate all the green ones, and then started on the blue ones, and then I came into work and found that my boss had refilled the bowl and there were more green ones:):):)

Current Nail Color:

Simple, chipping, white tips that I did myself a couple weeks ago. Nail polish just doesn't work on my fingernails, so only my toes. I tried fingernail polish and I can't leave it alone. I'll chip the polish off all my fingers within three days:/

Current Drink:

Water. I mostly just drink water. Although Burger King has a DELICIOUS Pina Colada smoothie right now!!

Current Food:

I found, at our local bulk food store, these amazing crackers! They are sooo good, and really healthy, and really low on calories! I crave them all the time.

Current Wishlist:

This dress, in yellow. It's on a really good sale right now, the final sale, I believe, at Divine Modestee. I guess I'll have to decide how much I want it;)

Current Needs:

Actually, nothing really...

Current Indulgence: 

Amber's birthday, and so there is lots of cake and ice cream around!!

Current Blessing:

A great family, and all this free time to catch up on stuff! A picture of my adorable little nephew, for photo evidence of my great family!

And just because I have so many blessings, I'll add on that I got my results back from my classes and it looks like I did very well:) I'm satisfied with all my grades! I definitely owe Mom special thanks for the proofreading she did for me! And Amber, thanks for covering for me so much while I'm at school and work!!

Current Excitement:

Wednesday and Thursday, Martha and I did some extreme cleaning. This evening I came home from work as fast as I could, because some cousins from out of town were here. Also, I'm getting all excited for the cookout next Thursday!! It should be great fun:)

     And that's my Currently. Nothing that exciting, but, you know, stuff. I've certainly been staying busy! 

Going Back to High School: Field Trip.

     On Wednesday night, one of my high school teachers called me and asked if I would go on a field trip with her and two of her students the next day. I didn't have any plans so I agreed. Mrs. Wilson taught a couple classes in high school and then took over teaching the special education class. Throughout high school I was her teacher's aide. It was really fun to get to see her and the girls again.

Here is a picture of us in high school. A couple of my friends and I taught the girls crochet once a week. 

We went to Luray Caverns. Only two of the girls were on this field trip.

Pluto's Ghost. Probably the coolest, in my opinion, column in the caverns. My pictures are all from my cell phone, so they aren't very good at all.

This is a lake. The water is very shallow and very still, so the stalactites are reflected perfectly in the water, making it look like they are growing from the bottom of the cavern as well.

Our tour guide knew exactly what she was doing, and answered questions brilliantly! It is a great cavern! The largest on the East Coast.

They have a sluice set up, and you can buy bags of dirt to pan for gemstones or arrow heads. 

It was a lot of fun!! 

     Thursday was jam packed full of stuff. After I got home from the caverns. I quickly whipped up a batch of bars, took a little nap, I was super tired from staying up waaay too late finishing my final essay, and was off again. This time to a cookout with some friends from school to celebrate the end of the semester. It was great fun! I don't have any pictures of that, however. When I got home from the cookout. I put the finishing touches on my essay, which mom found time to proofread for me, and collapsed into bed!

College Stuff

     While I'm not quite finished with everything for school yet, I'm almost done. Yesterday was my last day of class on campus. Summer break is here:) Just one essay for an online class and I will be finished. I thought I would share a couple highlights of the Spring 2013 semester.

     I took 6 classes. Between class and work I stayed reasonably busy this spring;)

There it is. School.

I had a lot of spare time in between classes. Some of it was spent studying. Larger parts were spent playing video games, talking with friends, browsing Pinterest for delicious recipes because I was hungry...

And, playing with toys from Timeless Toys.

One great thing about living in West Virginia is the beautiful scenery that I get to enjoy during every drive to and from school. A great thing about evening classes, is that sometimes you get out early, and sometimes on those evenings, you get a pretty sunset as you drive home:)

This semester had a lot of snow days! I missed Science 4 weeks in a row, due to snow and spring break. I didn't mind missing that at all!

Over Spring Break I was lucky enough to be able to go to Georgia to visit my sisters. It was great fun. I did something I never have before. I rode a train. Trains are quite economical, and the ride was enjoyable. It was full on the way home, which made it less enjoyable (I dislike assigned seating). It was dark for most of both train rides, and I regretted not being able to see the scenery. Plane travel is much faster, and therefore usually more desirable. But, if you have time, I would recommend riding the train at least once!!

My schedule for the fall semester. One more semester at Eastern and I will be done. Well, done at EWVCTC at least. It was a good semester and I'm looking forward to the fall:)