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this would be my Christmas list.
A Vespa. I think I would like this color, but maybe red. I would save gas money and I would feel retro. Isn't it cool? I think I may buy one to ride to school when I live in the Metroplex, depending on how far the school I teach at is from my house.
A Pottery Barn leather chair, because everyone needs a good chair. Isn't it beautiful? Someday... quite some time from now...it will be mine.
An Apple iBook G4 so I can write and access the Internet from the coffee shops around town. This is something I will be purchasing in (hopefully) the near future.
I have to have the iPod to go with my iBook. iPods are awesome! No need to carry a million CD's in your car; you just toss this in and go! You could drive for 10,000 songs without hearing the same song twice. I think you would wind up in Argentina.
All of the top professors in the HSU English Department have motorcycles, so there must be something alluring about them and I want to figure it out. Wouldn't it be exciting to have a motorcycle? Maybe I could get a date!
Dream car number one of two. Seeing this car on the road most certainly turns my head. Isn't it beautiful?
Yes, this is a 50'' plasma screen television. Wouldn't that look incredible setting in front of my Pottery Barn leather chair? I like to think so.
And last but certainly not least, the Mercedes Kompressor. I once had the opportunity to drive a Kompressor and I fell in love within the first 15 seconds. Stare at this photo for a few seconds and you will fall in love too.
Okay, this is my materialistic-if-I-could-afford-anything-in-this-world kick. It's fun to dream big and shoot for the moon. Maybe someday I will rope it and have a few of these things, who knows. My actual Christmas list is just a few things: DVD's, books, etc. I am just looking forward to the break and being able to spend quality time with my family and friends without the worries of school.
What would be on your over-the-top Christmas list?
Thanks·giv·ing (thanks-giving) n. 1. An act of giving thanks; an expression of gratitude, especially to God: a hymn of thanksgiving. 2. Fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians.
I woke up yesterday morning and took a shower, knowing that I had to be at my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving lunch by 11:30 in order to help out. I was pulling on my socks when I realized that I was going through the motions without ever stopping to think about the meaning of Thanksgiving Day. In 1621, the Pilgrims and Indians came together to give thanks for what little they had. They sat around together and spoke of the great things that had happened and the wonderful things to come. Here I am surrounded by so much, so many blessings, and I want share my feelings of gratitude and thanks.
I thought about doing this blog entry as if it were the liner notes in an album. Maybe I will stick with that idea.
I would like to thank, first and foremost, God for all He has blessed me with. All that I have is His. I am so thankful for His grace, mercy, and love, without which I would be lost. I want to thank my family: Dad, Mom, Miles, Mason, Grandma and Uncle David, for your constant encouragement and unconditional love, because I would not be where I am today if you all had not said that the sky is the limit, and that with hard work you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I want to thank Dakota (the adorable Schnauzer) for keeping me warm at night and for continuing to love me whether I look like crap or am in a terrible mood. I cannot forget my roommates Kim and Danielle who will be extremely missed when they move out next month. Your loyal friendship over the last few years is priceless to me and I will always remember the late nights and the laughter. Thanks to Grant who has always been the boy next door, the brother, the boyfriend, the best friend. My love for you is forever, despite distance and time. To Kris Noteboom, the rock. The only man I know that will put up with three whining girls as they drag you all over the Metroplex. Thanks my high school girls: Kimmy, Emily... I cannot believe you have stuck it out with me this long! jk. Without you two, I would not understand the meaning of true friendship. I can truly say that each of you have played such a large role in the person I am today, and I would be such a lucky person to have picked up any of the qualities over the years that make you two so incredible. Thanks to Jason, brother in pop-culture. Thank you for always being there for me, for your hugs, for your sage wisdom, for your offers to beat up ex-boyfriends! Thanks to Cara, for all of the good times; wonderful conversations, Chicken Express sweet tea, and much laughter. Thanks to Rachel, for your compassionate heart and contagious excitement...also for letting me raid your closet! Thanks to Ashley for being my "identical brain twin", bodyguard, and rockstar! To Keren, for always encouraging me and having one of the sweetest hearts I know. To Marjorie for making me laugh until it hurts, being a big sister to me when I really need one, and for sending me real mail! For all of you that I have somehow missed, you have each blessed my life in some way and I am thankful for you. Each of you, listed and unlisted, have made me who I am today. Each of you has touched me in some way, whether it be through years of friendship or just talking over a cup of coffee. Thank you for spending time with me and sharing your life with me. I am truly blessed.
Okay, now that my "thanks" have been addressed, I think the food that has passed in front of me in the last 24 hours should be addressed. I firmly believe that heaven will have a Thanksgiving food buffet, because it brings so many people so much joy! This Thanksgiving, I can honestly say that I ate my weight in food. Well, maybe not. That would be a lot of food! Let's see:
Turkey
Ham
Dressing
Baby Peas
Corn
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Buttered Rolls
Caesar Salad
Iced Tea
Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Chocolate Decadence Pie
Turtle Cheesecake
Coffee
And today, I had roughly the same thing. I don't want to even think about caloric intake, etc. I will think about that on Monday as I open the door to the gym with a great big sigh. Right now, I am full and happy and ready for a good night's sleep! Once again, thank you all for blessing my life. I am grateful for each of you and I just wanted to take the time to say so!
Today is the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break and I am very excited. During the break I am going to rest and hang out with my family and friends, but my main goal is to get caught up on all the work I need to do before I can concentrate on finals. I turned in my semi-complete autobiography on Wednesday, so now all I have left in American Autobiographies is the final, which should not be too bad. In Linguistics I have an interview/report and a research paper to finish over the Thanksgiving break. I am not looking forward to either assignment, but after they are completed all that is left is the final. In Content Area Literacy we have another major lesson plan due the Monday after Thanksgiving and a few other small assignments before the final. As I have said many times, education classes are primarily a lot of worthless, tedious busywork. My only other class is Methods of Research, which I have decided to take an incomplete in so that I have the holidays as well as next semester to wrap up all of my major projects. This situation has me torn because I would love nothing more than to have no loose ends going into next semester, but I also don't want to rush to finish these projects because I would be in the library all day and night, never to see the sun again! Anyway, it feels good to put all of this down somewhere where I can see it. Somehow I think it keeps me more accountable to myself. I really do not want to do any of this work, but having it looming over my head...or rather in front of my head...on the screen motivates me (a little).
Today I went to hear my friend Eric speak in chapel and I was truly blessed and moved by his testimony. (Brief synopsis: Eric was the husband of one of my best friends, Angela. She passed away last December from Glioblastoma Multiforme-- a rare form of brain cancer.) He spoke about his faith and how it has grown since this time last year. He spoke about Angela and her incredible faith, that was always such a witness to me. Hearing him speak really put some issues in my life into perspective, and I thought his testimony was perfectly placed right before Thanksgiving because it made me realize how very, very much I have to be thankful for. Even though Angela went through so much during her sickness, she never complained and she never lost her trust in the Lord or her joy. That speaks volumes to me every time I think of her and Eric. I am so glad that he spoke this morning, and I am so thankful that I went and listened. I know that Angela would be so proud that he continues to tell their story, sharing their faith and love for God with others. In October of last year, they both came to speak/sing in chapel; Angela sang "If you want me to" by Ginny Owens. Today, as Eric read the lyrics to that song, I could see her where she had stood a year before, wearing a blue bandana, singing those words with the truest hope and faith. Though the memory of her standing there came to me so vividly as if it were just yesterday, and though it made me miss her even more, I had a sense of joy in my heart even though I had tears in my eyes. She was there today, her spirit in full-force. Filling me with the same joy she did every time I would see her, reassuring me that God is an ever-faithful God and that she is right where she wants to be, right where she is needed, at His right hand, praising Him for all eternity.
If you have, report them immediately. Armed with Krispy Kreme donuts and sarcasm, they are dangerous. Look at these faces and tell me they are not hardcore.
Before Flickerstick came on stage, we asked a woman in front of us to take this photo. Luckily she was not intoxicated...yet. Before the concert we ate at Campisi's. The place is owned by the Mafia. Our waiter was shifty so I gave him a sideways look. He should be here any minute with his men. As you can see, I gave Emily my jean jacket so if they did come during the concert, the Mafia men would mistake her for me and I could run away, quick like a cat. I still think it's an ingenious plan. I should have left the jacket with her in Ft. Worth. They probably placed a tracking device in the pocket. I am going to go check it in a minute. What would a tracking device look like, I wonder?
This is a photo of my band, "Lady Liberty's Chones". I am the one on the far right. That's Emily on the bass. Kris on the drums. Kim's the lead singer. No, no...this is Flickerstick. During this part of the concert, we were "rockin' and rollin' and what-not", in the words of the great John Travolta.
We were all delusional and exhausted when we left the concert. I think at one point we actually watched the concert like this. Every time I look at this photo I think of the Batman theme song. This was taken in the theatre parking lot right before we got in Kris' truck. For some reason, at 2am, this pose made perfect sense. In retrospect...it still makes perfect sense.
We had an awesome time last weekend. I ate very well and did a lot of random and fun things. Ate downtown. Stayed up until 3am playing guitars and singing duets with Emily. Watched my fair share of VH1 classic hit videos. Ate a lot of donuts. Bought a cool nail file. Ate at a Mafia owned Italian restaurant. Saw an awesome band. Received some great CD's. I need to go to the Metroplex more; look at all it has to offer.
Garden State soundtrack. Mmmm.....
This week has been really good to me. Plenty of sleep. Several cups of coffee with good friends. No research paper hanging over my head. Reconciliation around the bend. Friends coming in this weekend. And, today...I actually received mail, real mail with photographs in it of Marjorie and me. Great day, terrific week!!!
Yesterday I presented my autobiography-- "Standing with my back to darkness"-- to my American Autobiography class. All went well. I did the three different perspectives (therapist, thoughts, voice) and I followed my friend Cara's advice and put on glasses as I read the therapist's lines. It was highly effective. It reminded me of the episode of "Friends" where Joey is going to marry Chandler and Monica and he says he is going to where multi-colored robes and he asks if he can "warm up the audience" because he says, "When you hire Joey you get a minister and an entertainer...you get a ministainer!" I told the people in my class that you not only get a writer but an entertainer, you get a writertainer. People laughed. They don't know I stole it. I will never tell them, so you shouldn't either. Only downside of the presenting experience was that I made my professor cry. I felt like the worst person on the face of the planet. I made Dr. Thompson (my mentor and the professor I admire most) cry. Man, I felt absolutely horrible. I guess when you talk (or in my case, write) about cancer, it touches many people, especially if they have experienced cancer's devastating effects within their family or circle of friends. Well, she has experienced it and at the end of my reading she had to get up and leave. I wasn't sure what to do. I was going to tell you that she never came back and we silently retreated to our cars without speaking, because that would be dramatic and unbelievable. Well, she did come back and we continued class, but we never talked about it. I want to write something that means something to the people reading it, and I want what I write to make a difference and move people, but not if it effects my grade. Just kidding. I felt very privileged to have people listen to it and to get feedback; it was a great feeling.
Side note: I can't really express how excited I am about seeing Bridget Jones Diary 2!!! Is anyone else as excited as I am? There are so many good movies coming out. Which one should I see next?
Okay, with my autobiography over now it's time to get caught up on the insane amount of reading I have. This weekend, Becky in graduate admissions called me to see if I was interested in a small job. I went to talk to her and this "job" is reading a 130 page thesis for $75. With everything else going on I really wanted to say no, but she has no one else and so I took the job. The thesis is about Charles I and Colonialism (yawn). I am trying to keep myself on track, 25 pages a night. We shall see. I am trying to figure out if it's worth it or not, and if I should ever do it again. I wish it was a creative thesis and not a history thesis; I could dig reading someone's creative thesis.
Well, this weekend will be filled with seeing Danielle's play. Hanging out with Kris and Kimmy and Emily who are all coming in town! Maybe grabbing coffee with Cara, who I have not seen in a while. Somehow finding time to work on my Methods projects and reading a gazillion pages. I am at the point where you are not exactly sure where to start. I believe I will start by putting off my Unit Plan for Content Area Literacy and adding some photos to my blog. Hopefully they will appear. I hate this photo program. We will have to wait and see. Until then...
That's right folks. You heard it hear first. I have decided to stop pursuing my MA in Literature and change paths completely. I am now pursuing a much more lucrative career in Internal Medicine. No, I have no license, but let's look past that for right now. This weekend I opened my own practice on Hulen St. in Ft. Worth. It's really close to a Bennigan's, so I am excited! Please come and visit me, but call for an appointment first because I am swamped. You can see my number in the above photograph. That's me with my stethoscope and my sign. My assistant Tabitha worked really hard putting those letters up. I was mad because we didn't have enough space to spell out my full name or the word "available". It looks kind of unprofessional, but then again...that's what I am. Unprofessional and available. Anyway, to recap...I am no longer M. McFarland, struggling graduate student. I am now Dr. M. McFarland D.O., Doctor of Internal Medicine. How did I make this jump you may ask. Well, the answer is simple...because I am awesome!
Listening to Frou Frou again; I love that song.
I had not intended to write today, but I need something to break up the monotony of this research paper. I don't think I have ever loathed a paper like I detest this one, but it will be over and done with tonight and tomorrow I leave for Dallas! Flickerstick, what?! There is a light at the end of this tunnel!
I hope that all of you have had a good week. I mean, how could you not? Bush is President once again!!! That's right W. I had the North Face all packed up, ready to book it to Vancouver if Kerry had won, but thankfully I was able to stay put. Transferring my credits to a Canadian university sure would have been a hassle. As the semester winds down, the work load increases, so I hope that none of you are super stressed. Emily, hang in there...kick the nervous system and all the other exams in the junk!
The research paper I am currently working on is entitled: From the Center of the Universe to the Bottom of the Totem Pole: Hurston'’s Shift from Mythic to Picaresque in Dust Tracks on a Road. Doesn't that sound like a blast? Well, it is! No, not really...but I do enjoy Hurston's writing, so at least some of my research was pleasurable. There is one passage in particular that I like, so I thought I would post it. I have Zora Neale Hurston on the brain. I like typing this on my blog because MLA format is not needed. This freedom is great! I encourage everyone to buck the system at least once today. Do it!
"When I began to make up stories I cannot say. Just from one fancy to another, adding more and more detail until they seemed real. People seldom see themselves changing. It is like going out in the morning, or in the springtime to pick flowers. You pick and you wander till suddenly you find that the light is gone and the flowers are withered in your hand. Then, you say that you must turn back home. But you have wandered into a place and the gates are closed. There is no more sharp sunlight. Grey meadows are all about you where blooms only asphodel. You look back through the immutable gates to where the sun still shines on the flowered fields with nostalgic longing, but God pointed men's toes in one direction. One is surprised by the passage of time and the distance traveled, but one may not go back."
I love that. Hurston's language is incredible, full of detail and poetic phrasing. You should check her out. She also wrote a book entitled "Their Eyes Were Watching God". I hear it is incredible. I am reading it over the Christmas break.
Well, I suppose I should continue working on this never-ending paper. I am thinking of rewarding myself upon completion with a milkshake. Mmm... yes, I believe I will do that. A chocolate malt from Shakes! Makes me want to finish right now! 11 pages down, 4 to go.
Hello friends. My, my...it has been a while since I last wrote. It was Homecoming weekend at HSU, so things here were pretty crazy. This past weekend was the best couple of days I have had since Grant first moved in this summer. It was fairly reminiscent of that time because it was a lot of talking, catching up, going out and doing ridiculous things, looking back at old photos and home videos, etc. (Side note: Grant, I miss you and love you and I can't wait until our next adventure-- snowboarding in CO. It's coming up mister!)
I got to see and spend time with so many people I love this weekend. I am extremely blessed! Marjorie and Carolyn came in town late Friday afternoon and Marj and I went to eat at an old staple for us, Spano's. I love just sitting and talking with her because she has always been 3/4 friend, 1/4 big sister and that is a wonderful relationship for me to have. I got to hear all about what's going on in her life, from her trips through Europe and India to her new album coming out in January. I am extremely excited about the album; it's called "The Real Living God" and I got to hear a rough mix of it this weekend! After SING on Friday I went to Java City with some friends and met up with Marj, Carolyn, Kris, and Yi-fu. We hung out there for a long time talking and listening to the band that was there. Afterwards we went to see my brother in a program at his church called "Judgment House". I am so proud of him! He is a truly talented guy. Who would have thought that the little boy who refused to take off his faded black Batman cape and who wore a Leonardo (Ninja Turtle) mask until it basically fell apart would turn into this awesome young man?! It's incredible! Anyway, we went to see him in that and afterwards Marjorie really felt like she needed to stay and talk to some of the kids that had gone through it and seemed unaffected. She stayed behind and talked to them and Carolyn and I waited. I was kind of worried about her, seeing as how they were teenage guys, most of them had been drinking, and it was already 1:30 am, but she knew she needed to stay. It is awesome the way that God uses Marjorie, and I think she said some things those guys really needed to hear, although she said nothing that condemned them. She approaches people in a very real and raw way, and I respect that so much! She is so much fun and I miss her so much when she leaves. Our friendship is such a gift to me and I know that it's founded in Christ because we only lived in the same town for about seven months before she moved, and we were only close for a little over half of that time, but we are still as close as we ever were. When I saw her on Friday I has not seen her in a year, but it is always as if no time has passed. There is no reason that our friendship should not have faded away. She spends all of her time touring and out of the country, and I seldom get away to visit on the weekends, so we know that it is God who keeps our friendship strong, because He knows that true friendship is a gift, and a rare one at that.
Saturday was the big game vs. McMurry (And they are probably wishing they had never set foot on our field; we whipped them!), and I went to that for a while. I am not a huge fan of sports in general, so I mostly just went to see friends and for the half-time show because I love listening to the Cowboy Band. Marjorie was up and down throughout the game and she took me along with her. At one point, someone she graduated with said, "I didn't recognize you. You look so rock n' roll." Then, throughout the rest of the day she kept saying, "I don't look rock n' roll...do I?" Finally I replied with, "Let's analyze this. You have a nose ring. You have a funky military style jacket. You are wearing some sort of crazy necklace and dangley earrings. And finally, Marj, you have red hair with hot pink streaks. Yes...I would say you look rock n' roll." After this, she didn't ask anymore. I think she has accepted her rock star status. After the game we got drinks at Java City and went back to my parents house where we watched old movies of my freshman year/her senior year and laughed at our hair and what we said and just how different we are. It was a blast! For dinner we met up at Chili's and ate with a bunch of people I have not seen in years: Viv, Terry Sauls, Jeremy Mims, Becky Middleton, Scott Shaw, etc. Then we all went to Sing-- the last night of Sing, for which I am extremely thankful. The show was great (the best night out of all three) and I saw so many old friends: Lauren Fincher, Jeannie, Sarah Biggs, Adrienne, Jessica Sims, etc. and it was so nice to see old faces and to catch up. After Sing I went to Java City (it's ridiculous how many times I went there this weekend) and it was like a reunion! It was great! Afterwards I came home and hung out with Kris, Kim, and Danielle. I feel like I haven't seen my roommates in weeks! It is nice to just sit down on my couch and be at home.
Sunday we had church and lunch out with my grandmother; she invited Marj and Roxie, so it was a lot of fun! I spent most of the day celebrating Sing being over and the fact that I never have to be involved ever, ever again!!! Marj and I went to the mall that afternoon and she bought all kinds of crazy jewelry. I don't know where she gets her taste in fashion, but it's one of a kind and it's wonderful! We sat around and ate and watched movies all afternoon, trying to get out of the rain. My mom made us an incredible dinner and we just hung out with my family, laughing and watching shows like "Trading Spaces". I got to look at Marj's photos from England and India, which was incredible! That girl has been all over the place! Marjorie met a friend for coffee last night, so I went home hoping to get some work done, but that was a mere pipe dream. I went to bed at 9:30; it was awesome!!! I felt like a kid, but it was just what I needed...minus the barking dog.
Today has been nice. I had breakfast with Marj before she left and I had lunch with Mike, an old friend who leaves for Iraq later this month. Talking to him made me realize several things about the state that the world is in, and it really opened my eyes to our country's cause. It also made me see how badly we as Christians need to be on our knees for these troops. Men and women our age are going over there to fight this war, and some may not return. People with families and full lives that they leave here in the US to go to war for our country. Mike conveyed his fear, but moreso his sense of duty and pride for his country; our soldiers are so admirable. If and when you think about it, pray for the troops. The work they do is extremely dangerous, and they are prepared and willing, but fearful. Who wouldn't be? I am fearful for Mike and I worry about him quite a bit. He is a tremendous guy and he has so many incredible things ahead of him.
Well, I have a research paper due this week. How frightening is that? I should probably start getting things together. I am lacking motivation. I am going to go check the pocket of my jeans, maybe I left it in there.
