Exactly...

11 hours and 28 minutes until the end of 2007!

Where does the time go!?

Mirrors and Smoke

I wanted to find this song on YouTube, but could only find this video. Not exactly a Jars of Clay music video, but a fun twist.

Bad Kitty: Tiger attack

Video:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22396451#22396451

Merry Christmas!!!

Easy going day...

Slept way too late, had some quiet time. Worked on prying another batch of so called "Never-Fail-Fudge" from the pan. It was greased this time which I'd forgotten to do before, but these ended up much too gooey. The remedy for which I hope will be more refrigeration. Although it was suggested that the goo be used for a spread on toast, which sounds pretty yummy to me. I then decorated the Christmas tree with the ornaments that our family has collected over the years including ones that were made by us kids long ago. Three old old Beatles records were played on the phonograph as I did this. Good stuff. I know, not exactly Christmas music but I was in the mood for something different. This evening will likely be spent wrapping gifts and possibly reading some of that 600+ page book about Africa that I need to read before I go. Joyeux Noel!

Today...

I left the house and locked the door behind me. But, I brilliantly had left the car keys inside and also did not have a key to the house. So, I got to go around to the addition on the house and climbed through a window. It went surprisingly smoothly.

Task Force

A Task Force at Houghton College recently submitted a recommendation on the subject of dancing for the Statement of Community Responsibilities. This recommendation will be submitted to the Board of Trustees by President Mullen this coming February. We'll see what becomes of all of this....

Ouchies...

I get the rest of my vaccinations for Africa today. That's gonna be a blast. I hope I'm not too old to get a lollipop when I leave. :~)

Unique license plate...

VAMANOS

"Lets go!"

The Chase

This was done by some of the East Meets West Honors kids last year. I have not idea how they got some of those increadible shots. And yes, that is the one and only Pres. Mullen.

3rd Sunday of Advent

Due to the snow this morning and the threatening storm we stayed home for church today. It was a special time. It's good just to have some family prayer, singing and Bible reading. Blessings on this 3rd Sunday of Advent as we remember the coming of our Savior and anticipate His return.

Sheesh

My parents went out to the Christmas party for my Grandma's assisted living home. I felt like kind of a jerk for not going, but had been driving all day and wanted to rest. So, after throwing in a load of laundry and meandering around the house, I went back to the addition, or "the Dugout" as my dad likes to call it, to see what was on TV. It was freezing back there. That room doesn't get any heat unless the little wood stove is going. I sat and watched in the cold for a bit but noticing my toes going numb I decided to build a fire. "I can do this, I've done it before without smoking the house out." So, I put in the paper and kindling, I even made sure the vent was open. Hit the "strike anywhere" match on the side of the cast iron stove and got some flames going. But wait, smoke started poring out even with the door shut. It got really thick and as I was ducking below it as it rose, I went and opened the door to the outside and opened one of the windows all the way. The room quickly got even colder and the fire was soon out. When the smoke had dispersed I closed the door and window and sat back down on the "foo ton." I wasn't about to try that again. Not tonight anyway. A second one of those crime investigation shows came on, this one was called "Without A Trace." It looked interesting so I stayed and bore the cold. When it had finished I left the room, feeling slightly disturbed by some of the gore and the troubled family that was portrayed. It makes you grateful for yours and saddened by the state of some of the world. I'm rambling. So now I'm up here on the computer trying to type with cold hands and feet and smelling like smoke. "Well done, Lydia." I guess I've lost my touch for the wood stove, at least for tonight. I think I'll go down and move my stuff to the dryer. It's good to be home.

Unique license plate...

This one passed me on the thruway today.

SNGL4LFE

Foux De Fa Fa by Flight of the Conchords

This was sent to me from another student in my French class. God bless the French.

All alone in Houghton

Everyone left today and the campus center is quite empty, except for an Academy kid on his phone speaking a language I don't understand and other high schoolers playing video games. But I'll be hitting the road in the morning. Bye Houghton. It will be many months until I see you again.

On my mind lately...

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

Bill Nye: The Science Guy

Yesterday my roommate, Sarah and I were reminiscing of the old PBS shows that we watched as kids. You know, some of the ones that they just don't make anymore: 3-2-1 Contact, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and Bill Nye: The Science Guy. I thought I'd heard that Bill Nye had died and that was perhaps why his show was no longer on the air. An Ask.com search came up with the following article. Though it's a wild idea, if you know anything about the show, it is pretty funny. Oh, and we couldn't find any REAL evidence of Nye's death.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28326

Saturday...

My last Saturday in Western NY for quite a while. Too bad it has to be spent in the library. Six days until freedom!!! Woohooo!

We've been getting some good snow today.
It started @ 8:00 am and is just now slowing.

Hydrate!!!

Well, it's been quite the eventful week. I came back from home on Sunday, and Tuesday morning I experienced my first ambulance ride and visit to the emergency room. Yeah, I'm OK and almost recovered now, but that wasn't the best experience of my life.
I'd been feeling sick the week before break, went home and was (I thought) better. Then, Monday night I felt kind of feverish and did not sleep well. Tuesday morning I got up still feeling sick, felt queasy and was trying to make my way down the hallway to the bathrooms. I could hardly stand and was dizzy. I ended up blacking out and unbeknownst to me I continued down the hallway. I then fell backwards and hit my head on the floor. Yeah, kind of scary. There was some concern about hitting my head but we think that didn't harm me besides a bit of a bump on the noggin.
It turned out that not only was I sick with a fever, but the diagnosis was dehydration.
The whole thing was very odd. But, the ER took care of me and hydrated me with an IV and thank the Lord, with four days of guzzling water, juice and Gatorade, I'm almost back to normal. It just goes to show how fast these things can happen to anyone.

I am happy but also saddened as I look back on Thanksgiving break at home.
Glad to have spent time with family and friends, but sad to have left that beautiful place and its people. But school here isn't all bad, after all it's Houghton. I should cherish the time I have, since I won't be here for next semester. PS: it's likely that I won't be posting much over the next few weeks. Just to give a heads up.

Back to Houghton safe and sound.

Now it's 3 weeks of pluggin' away, then some freedom!

Today 2:45 pm...

3937 North Road... here I come!

Yum!!!

Just came back from East/Gillette Hall's Thanksgiving dinner.
Super delicious, but I'm super full!!!
PS: you've got to try pumpkin pie-cheesecake!

Lucas...

I just received a nice long email from my brother in Vietnam. He is well, but wrote much about the seasonal flooding that is happening in the city of Hue where he is living. I am very proud of him being over there on his own, working with and studying the development of their healthcare. Yet, he will be away from us for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

Last night...

Went to a forum put on by the ROTC group here about Christians in the Military.
It was interesting and quite informative.

"Blessed be the tie that binds,
our hearts in Christian love,
the fellowship of kindred minds,
is like to that above."

I'm super excited...

that my friend Kashmere will be coming to VT for this Thanksgiving break as she is a native of Washington St. and can't make it home. It will be her first time in the Green Mountain State, and boy is she in for a treat.

But, I need you Vermonters out there to tell me which site etc. you'd pick to show off this place (preferably something other than the Diamond Run Mall, though I suppose that's not out of the question).

FYI

The men's basketball team from the College of St. Joseph in Rutland, VT
is coming to play Houghton tomorrow!

Today...

The first snow flew...I broke out the wool coat.

XC AMC Regionals 2007

Women: 3rd place
Men: 5th place

3 individuals going to Nationals!

Well done Houghton Highlanders!

"Le coeur a des raisons que la raison ne connait pas."
~Pascal

("The heart has reasons that reason cannot understand.")

Awkward turtle moment...

Tonight, walking back to my room in East Hall from the laundry room, laundry basket in hand, going the basement way to 3rd new. Definitely walked into a space between two doors heading to the stairwell, successfully interrupting an affectionate couple. Awkward!

4 weeks... 3 months from today

Four weeks from today I will be going home.

Three months from today I'll be flying to Africa!

And I'm equally excited for both.

Why do I feel like I'm always posting about Houghton?

Probably cause it's where I am and where I rarely leave during the semester.

Interesting Chapel

So, today's chapel was by a guy named James Keady on "Behind the Swoosh."
He talked about Nike and others' sweatshops and the workers' minimal salaries.
It was eye opening and somewhat disturbing. He also made a point about how our concern for this kind of social justice issue really relates to Jesus' mindset and living out the "Gospel Truth" by following His lead.
I think there's a MySpace page about this, you should check it out.

Could someone please tell me who actually gets homework done over college breaks?
Though I've tried, it just doesn't happen!

A wise woman once said...

aka: my mother

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Way to go Highlander Ladies!

So, today we had a cross country race at none other than our good friends' but "rival" school, Roberts Wesleyan. Personally it wasn't my best race so far this season, but our women's team pulled through even with one of our best runners out of the race. We ended up winning the meet, which hasn't happened much for us since I've been here at Houghton, if at all! We're looking forward to our last home meet of the season next week!

Great Surprise!

Yesterday I receive such a nice package in the mail from the folks back home in VT at North Chittenden Wesleyan Church. It was full of all kinds of things to eat and enjoy. I especially liked the homemade card picturing the verse on the plaque outside of East (now Gillette) Hall.
thanks so much everyone!

It was an amazing Houghmecoming, inauguration and parent's weekend.
We had perfect weather too!
click on the box to see the homepage's info. on it.

Library!

10:00 on a Tuesday night in the library.
1 hour to go.
Gotta finish this French paper!

Isaiah 41:10

"Have no fear, for I am with you;

be not afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and give you help;

and uphold you with my victorious right hand."

Happy 26th Anniversary To My Parents!

You should hear their story sometime.

What If I Stumble? (Great song)

Calling all alumni, parents and friends of Houghton...

to Houghmecoming 2007, Parents weekend and the Inauguration of President Shirley A. Mullen.

October 4-6

This year it's a 3 for 1 deal!

Back in Houghton

Got back from Houghton's beautiful Star Lake campus this weekend having spent five days there for cross country preseason. Great times... running twice a day, doing VBS for the local kids and being introduced to the greatest new (at least to me) game: "Adirondak/Hillbilly Golf." All ya need is some plastic pipes, golf balls and string. The tournaments can get pretty intense.

I'm home!

I've been back in the U.S.A. for 4 days and now am preparing to head back to Houghtown.

Thanks for your prayers everyone. I mentioned asking my hostess to church and I'm afraid that after all, she wasn't able to come with me. But that doesn't mean the Lord wasn't still working. I had the chance to buy her a New Testament and Psalms along with a little booklet about finding hope in times of trouble (all in French of course). That Saturday morning I had a nice breakfast with her and gave her the little gifts including some info on the churches I had visited there in Quebec. She was very happy to receive them and praise the Lord, she said she would read them while she is at work as she needs things to read there. I never got to technically witness to her but I mentioned how the Psalms are special and comforting to me and she seemed interested to read them further. I'm trusting and praying that the Word of God will now be working in her heart as she reads it. I may have just started to plant the first seed and God only knows how He may work in her life.

couldn't get the pictures to rotate: my computer's screwwy! (or maybe it's just me)

This is old news but.....

Locks...

of Love

At first I felt like "Jo" from "Little Women"

Just a thought....

It`s kind of cool to be in another country and to have the occasion to say that "I`m an American." It`s not something I`ve had to say much in the past, and to say that I`m from Vermont; everyone says it`s a beautiful place, and boy are they right.

Magnifique!!!!

So, I take back the part about not enjoying the "Cirque du Soleil" show. It was awesome. This show was presented more like a traditional circus and was really well done with live music accompanying all of the acts. Lot`s of amazing acrobatic feats but no lions, and tigers and bears (probably for the best, the circus really isn`t the place for animals).

Good news, I invited my hostess to come to church with me and she was very excited to come and visit. The Lord is good.

À plus tart (later)

Checkin` in

So, I`m on my third week here at Laval. Boy does time fly.
Things have been going pretty well, the school work is starting to pick up and I have my first tests this Friday!
This Thursday evening I am going to a "Cirque de Soleil" show which should be quite the experience. I`ve heard it`s a great show though possibly kind of sketchy. So I`m hoping it won`t be too scandalous so it can be enjoyable. I`ll post on how it goes. Hopefully there`ll be lots of lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

If anybody thinks of it, you could pray for the woman whose appartment I am staying in. I would really like to be an example of Christ`s love to her as she seems to possibly be searching. She had said that she is Catholic though not practicing and she knows that I go to church on Sundays. I would like the Lord to give me the courage to ask her to come to church with me one of these Sundays. When I was leaving for church yesterday she sort of yelled out the door for me to pray for her. I know God will open doors, but sometimes I feel like such a weak example and I know I couldn`t do it without Him. Thank goodness for His grace and ability to work in spite of our failures and weakness.

Theft!!!

So I was advised to bring a bike up here to Québec for easy transportation around the city.
It was indeed a good idea and I was very fortunate to buy a used (very good) bike for only 50 dollars a couple of weeks before I came up here. I even bought some accessories like a side view mirror and such.
To make a long story short, I have been here for a week, and because of my getting used to the new busy schedule I have just been taking the bus to school but I had fully intended to begin riding the bike as my main means of transportation. However, this past Saturday I had an activity during the daytime and I wanted to take my bike to school and ride it home that afternoon, but being me, I was running late and ended up having to take the bus. It was an amazing day. I thought I was going to some kind of state park, but it turned out to be a mountain hiking adventure, which was fine with me but it was very tiring after the 10 kilometer hike.
So, after an evening of walking around looking for a cheap bite to eat with a friend, and ending up going to a supermarket, I headed home at like 9:00. And what did I find???
My bike, which had been locked up to the front porch of the apartment all week WAS GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All that was left was the severed cable of my lock. That really put a bummer on the end of a great day.
I`ve kept thinking of things I should`ve done differently like have a different lock, even though thought did go into the one I bought. Thankfully I had only paid 50 dollars for this 300 dollar bike and I hadn`t left the seat and stuff on it.
It`s a lesson learned, but also is one of those events that doesn`t really make sense especially with how merciful the Lord had been in getting me this bike. I`ve been thinking that it`s one of those times when we really have to ask Him for thankfulness in the midst of hardship.

so it`s a bus pass for me now. C`est la vie!!!!

Bonjour de Québec!!!

Hello from Québec City!

I`m here at the University of Laval for the next 5 weeks.
Today was the third day of the program, and I was feeling pretty strong with my French, but to be honest things have been pretty stressful this first week. But, I guess that`s to be expected.

There are lots of extra curricular activities to sign up for and courses to juggle. Today I actually switched classes to one level above where I`ve been the past couple of days. It was a stressful decision but I think it was the right choice. I know things are going to get easier as the weeks progress, but it`s interesting how adjustments and decision making are made harder because of having to pretty much speak all the time in français plus, just the difference in culture for a small town Vermont/ Houghton girl.

But, since my parents and I arrived last Friday night (with a bit of a delay at the boarder) we have seen the Lord working and blessing this experience.

My parents stayed a few extra days for a bit of a vacation and on Sunday we visited an absolutelly wonderful little French speaking Baptist church within walking distance from where I am staying. Though I couldn`t follow the whole sermon, it was an amazing experience with the people being so welcoming and the faith of the community being so obvious. It was a blessing and I hope to be attending there while I am here.

It`s also incredible how my off campus housing has worked out. I am staying with a very kind retired woman who is also renting a room to another young woman who is in her late twenties.
"Madame" has a little dog named (get this) "Moustique" (mosquito)! which is definitely a plus for me. Naturally, she is French speaking and knows very little English so the opportunity for communicating in French is also great. She has also mentioned that she has "un petit probleme avec le santé" a health problem, and I was reminded by my parents that the Lord may use me to show her His love and peace during my time here. So if any of you think of it, you could be praying that He would be opening doors and maybe stirring her heart.

Well, I have to go catch the bus back to the appartment now before it gets too late.
I`d truly appreciate prayers for my adjustment here and that Jesus would be at work in me and that He`d be doing mighty things this summer.

my cross country team mug shot

Sunny Day!

It's a beautiful day!

So glad my home is in the beautiful Green Mt. State.

DONE!!!!

Well, there's one burden slightly lifted.
I finished my French placement tests. I think they went ok, but for my slow test taking skills.

So, didn't think I would ever start my own blog, but I decided it wasn't such a horrible idea. Hopefully this will be a good way to keep in touch with friends and family while I'm at school and abroad (Canada and Tanzania). However, wouldn't count on me posting while I'm in Africa next spring. (not much computer access where I'll be).

Having trouble putting up a profile picture though. I also can't seem to figure out how to put language accents on French words except on Microsoft word. Any advice?

my new blog

So, just created this.

Now I gotta go finish my online placement tests for Laval later this summer.