no stone left unturned

that place

2011-05-31T17:22:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I will pack 6 years of my life into 2 cars and travel 3 hours from that place, but no matter how far I may travel that place will always be near by. In my heart I will carry the memories, the discoveries, and the friendships of that place. It was that place that I came to learn about the world and it is that place that I leave prepared for what the world may throw my way.

LaGrange you are that place that I owe so much, yet there is nothing I can give that will ever repay what you have given me. You will be missed for you are that place; that special place (as corny as it is for me to say this) which truly did challenge my mind and inspire my soul.

The beginnings of a new chapter.

2011-04-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

So after much waiting, some tears, and lots of stress I recieved a letter of acceptance to the School of the Art Insititute of Chicago. YAAAHHHOOOOOOO!

I'm excited and nervous, anxious and ready to go all at the same time. I feel a little like the characters in a story I used to read as a child about a county mouse and a city mouse who had to work to fit into new surrounds. I would be a county mouse; born and raised in the Georiga humidity with tounges that savor the sound of a drawn out word. Chicago will be a change in just about every possible way, but it's time for a change.

Now I just have to figure out how to pay for all this new adventure...

Oh, the things kids say.

2011-02-16T14:37:00.000-05:00

Over the Christmas holiday I wanted to read the entire Harry Potter series (again), but instead I had to study for the GRE. Well I've finally found time to reread them all and I'm currently on the fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I carry whatever I'm reading with me just in case I get a few spare minutes to read and today was no different.

I walked out of my apartment Harry being toted in the crook of my arm. As I entered the dining hall a professor stopped me to show his daughter what I was reading. I stopped and held out my book to show her my copy of the novel and without missing a beat she said "I just started that book and I'm in the second grade." I pretty much walked away at that point. How was I suppose to respond?

Oh no hard feelings but, if I ever see her again I'm going to have something like Moby Dick or War and Peace in my possession. Hopefully she won't be able to tell me she is reading those too...

As per your request Grady--

2011-02-10T14:25:00.000-05:00

My younger brother told me the other day to post some new, here on this blog. It seems he was tired of reading the older posts. I have been so busy the last few months that when I had a chance to sit down at the computer and write something I took that time to rest or do something crafty. So here you go Grady.....

As of late I have been applying to graduate programs for Historic Preservation and all my material is in for each school. It is now a game of waiting, which I have never been good at. When my brothers and I were younger (Who am I fooling? We still do this.) we would try and get out of Mom what we each got for Christmas and then go and each each other. The three of us just get so excited that it's like we are going to burst so we have to figure it out. However, applying to grad school is not the same way. You can't call and ask how the decision process is going and honestly they don't like for you to call and ask if they received you complete application. Or that has been my experience these last few months. So here I am. Waiting...
It's a struggle, let me tell you. I've even started dreaming about rejection and not just the letter that says "I regret to inform you...." but a packet with my application inside which has been bled upon by a red pen. Scribbles in the margins informing me of how everything I sent was inadequate and how I'm a failure as a human.

So to get my mind off possible rejection and the worry of what will happen if rejection does happen I've made myself extremely busy. My planner is crammed full: teaching tap dances for a musical, gearing up for raising money through Phonathon, a couple of research projects, cataloging the work of Lamar Dodd, working with Residence Life, printmaking, craft projects of my own (I have three in the work now,) re-reading the Harry Potter series are just a handful of the things I've been doing to keep myself busy.

So, Grady, I hope this is enough of an update and I'll work on getting better about having regular posts. Now if only we could get you to use that phone in your pocket to call me.

Thinking of you, as always.

Whoo hoo!!!

2010-10-05T20:36:00.002-04:00

I made my first (legit) ETSY sell today!!! :)

http://dancinggrasshoppers.etsy.com

Happy Birthday Mother dahlin'

2010-09-13T12:12:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Momma! Love you!

Cortona

2010-08-31T13:38:00.000-04:00

Cortona, I miss you - the dampness in your air and the taste of your fruit, the laughter of your people and the smell of your earth, but most of all I miss your pure, clean beauty.

When I dream I'm in Cortona sitting in a field surrounded by tall grass with a cool glass of something sweet listening to the birds singing and fluttering amoungst in the olive trees.

It's been four years since I saw the streets of Cortona but I've recently revisited this place, but not on a plane, train, or boat; but from the pages of a book. Under the Tuscan Sun, written by Georgia native Frances Mayes, sent me back to the familiar sounds, smells, and emotions that Cortona can evoke in a person.

One day I'll be walking on those Etruscan stones that Cortona is built upon, but until then I'll be dreaming of that place that contains an old world magic.

Not even a dent

2010-07-29T12:58:00.000-04:00

So after years of threatening to make a t-shirt blanket, I'm finally doing it. 30 t-shirts will soon become one blanket in just a few short days. However taking away those 30 t-shirts didn't even seem to make a dent in my collection of cotton jersey. I'm stilling gonna be lugging around a ridiculous amount of t-shirts. I need to find more ways to recycle my old t-shirts, before the collection gets even more out of hand....

Post - New Mexico

2010-07-29T12:45:00.001-04:00

Ten days of adventure -- from Atlanta to Albuquerque -- approximately 1,392 miles.

It was one heck of a vacation!

Starting in Albuquerque we took our rental car, 'Snapper' (named from what seemed to be a lawnmower motor that resided under the hood) to Santa Fe, Chama, Chimayo, Taos, Cimmaron, Colorado Springs, Denver, and every little place in-between. We did so much but here are a few of the highlights: Governor's Palace in Santa Fe, walked down part of historic Route 66, rafted down the Colorado-Arkansas River, visited the largest REI in the country, rode the longest and highest scenic train, Cumbres-Toltec, crossing in and out of Colorado and New Mexico ten times (this train was used in filming the beginning of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), ate a traditional chuck wagon dinner and a real ranch, went to the top of Pike's Peak (over 14,000 feet above sea level, needless to say the air is a little thin up there), of course went to every museum we could possibly get to including The Rattlesnake Museum, went down portions of the turquoise and fiber trails, and gosh so much more. Here a just a few pictures! :)

Just a little excited!

2010-07-03T13:50:00.000-04:00

I think it's safe to say I'm ready for New Mexico! I mean I'm drinking coffee out of a mug which displays a map of the state (getting my bearings early and enjoying the java, oh yea I know how to be productive. ha.)

It's almost time to hop on that plane and head to "The Land of Enchantment!" And tomorrow is July 4th, my favorite holiday, so I'm definitely excited!

Happy Independence Day all, you'll be hearing from me soon!

Pre - New Mexico

2010-06-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

I think that airports may be my favorite place in the world. Is that weird? I like that the place is full of strangers, each with their own destination and agenda, and yet we all have a common purpose. I like that when you get on the airplane all the people on the plane are headed to the same place, even though those people on the plane may not one another. I also like theaters for this same reason. Strangers sharing laughs, tears, or terror and for a brief time, a connection is made. I guess it's something that brings the human race a little closer together, at least it does for me.

Ok so all that was said to say this...I'M GOING TO THE AIRPORT! :) :) :)

My parents and I are leaving to visit New Mexico. Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Cimarron, Taos, and Colorado Springs are just a few of the places we'll be going. Ten days of travel made complete with rides in the airplane, there and back. I'm excited to raft down the Colorado River, see a Native American Pow Wow, hike at Philmont Scout Ranch, visit my youngest brother, and gosh tons of other things!

I'm excited to be traveling! I just love to travel! If you want a postcard from the great state of New Mexico let me know. Text, email, facebook, snail mail...wait not snail mail, it won't get to me in time...I'll be glad to send you a note!

Mr. Charley Harper

2010-06-27T00:46:00.001-04:00

Charley Harper was an American modernist artist who created wonderful prints of nature. I really enjoy his work, it can make a bad a day good and a gloomy day bright. I wanted to share my love of Mr. Charley Harper's work, just in case you ever have a bad day.

View the wonderful world of Charley Harper

Oh and this book has bee out for awhile and my birthday is getting closer everyday Mom...hint, hint, wink, wink.

Mr. Charley Harper

Dang, that's a big goober!

2010-06-20T22:13:00.000-04:00

Early in my childhood it was decided I was going to marry a peanut farmer, probably because I could eat boiled peanuts from the time I got up in the morning until the time I went to sleep at night. I was teased by my family about this for years. When a Saturday morning cartoon brought to life an image of a man: two teeth, a few wiry whiskers, a gut like you wouldn't believe, and not to mention he wore overalls with a tank top that was WAY to small. This man happened to be a peanut farmer. This farmer next said a quote, which too this day my Father and Brothers still say, "Dang, that's a BIGGGGGG goober!." It was hilarious and from then on when someone mentioned my one-day peanut farmer husband my family said in unison "dang, that's a BIGGGG goober!"

Recently, I discovered the largest bag of peanuts I have ever seen. My mind leapt to the past and that joke we all shared about that silly cartoon peanut farmer.

Well some where out there a farmer of peanuts grew, harvested, and distributed this bag of peanuts. Well Mr. Farmer, where ever you are, I might have bought this bag of peanuts and you would have won my heart with all the boiled peanuts I could eat; at least that was the case until I saw the price.

Maybe next time, Mr. Peanut Farmer...you could buy the bag of peanuts. : )

Just a swingin'

2010-06-11T21:02:00.000-04:00

Our sweet beagle, Belle.

New Title

2010-06-11T12:56:00.004-04:00

The title, no stone left unturned, seems to fit me now, in this moment. Before the title was apart of a song lyric I liked. In a blue rocking chair, in my mind, was a place to do my thinking and dreaming. But honestly, I think and dream in just about any position I can get myself into. So it just seemed fitting to make a change, one that better expressed what I'm about.

I'm going about life trying new things, "leaving no stone unturned."

A hard nut to crack

2010-06-09T15:27:00.002-04:00

While Mom was making decisions about what food to buy at the grocery store, I decided we should get a coconut. Not knowing (and I'm still not sure) how to tell if a coconut is good or not, we just picked one out of the bunch. So home the little coconut came unaware of its soon to be crushing death.

After the fifteen minutes it took to locate a hammer the sacrifice of the coconut was ready to begin.

Whack! Whack! And the coconut just bounced around. Ten minutes pass and still no cracked coconut...twenty minutes pass and still no cracked coconut...thirty minutes pass and finally the coconut cracked! Milk shot out and I had victory! The coconut had been defeated!

If I ever decide to buy a coconut again I'm using a chainsaw. No more rebellious fruit for me. The only food I want to work at to eat is shrimp and crab legs.

Adventures of a disposable camera

2010-05-29T16:08:00.002-04:00

Acknowledging the simple things in life,

as seen through the lens of a disposable camera.

Just a whim

2010-05-27T01:44:00.002-04:00

On a whim I deactivated my Facebook account. I was getting tired of it anyway. I'll be back maybe in a few days, maybe in a few months. Nobody knows for sure. But for now it's gone, that is until I get the whim to rejoin the social network.

Waiting...

2010-05-25T21:23:00.001-04:00

I hate waiting. Who doesn't?

Currently I'm waiting on a movie to download off iTunes. It's rented and apparently I have 27 hours left to watch it because iTunes thought I wanted it to play now instead of after it finished it's download.

The download status reads four hours remaining.

It's going to be a long night....

Goals

2010-05-20T13:13:00.001-04:00

The school year has ended and everyone has gone home for the summer. I can't find a job in LaGrange, so I'm following the example of the students and I'm going home as well. I haven't lived at home for five years, at least not for more than a week or two. It's going to be an odd summer and I'm not sure what all I can do to keep myself occupied. So to help to keep from getting bored or going insane, I've made a list of goals:

Work on my knitted creations for the fall/winter to sell on Etsy
Learn to meditate
Study and take the GRE (I know, ugh)
Go hiking or biking or swimming everyday
Learn to cook (This is a shock for those of you who really know me. I surprised even myself.)
Tackle the massive list of books I've been meaning to read, for quite some time now
Make a plan for the future...

All of this begins June 1st.

What's been on my mind, as of late.

2010-05-20T12:07:00.003-04:00

Some kids grow up gazing at the stars and become astronauts. Some kids grow up chasing boys, chasing girls and become married. Some kids grow up craving the feeling of the ocean spraying on their face and become sailors. Some kids grow up dreaming of new worlds and become science fiction writers. Some kids grow up playing with beads and become jewelry designers. We all grow up gazing, chasing, craving, dreaming, and playing. We grow up to capture the innocent desires of childhood.

I grew up wanting to experience cultures other than my own. I was fascinated by National Geographic, documentaries on PBS, and doing my own form of exploration. My daddy worked at a Experiment Station for the University of Georgia, doing research for the college or agriculture on various plants and livestock; and we lived on the stations property. Daddy had a huge garden full of tomatoes, watermelon, beans, corn, and giant sunflowers my brothers and I would take to show and tell. In spring Daddy would plow the garden plot, or rather garden field, and bits of pottery would be unearthed. My brothers and I would go and collect the shards and over time we had collected many pieces of old discarded dishes. I would weave a story about each piece, imagining it before it ended up a shard in the garden.

Our history is made up of not only our actions and beliefs, but also of what we surround ourselves with. These treasured items may end up buried in a garden but someone has to find them and tell their tale. I want to be that person. I want to travel to find the pieces of the story, to tell the tale which was once lost and is now rediscovered.

I grew up wanting to experience cultures other than my own. I want to become an archaeologist.

April 26, a day in history

2010-04-26T11:40:00.002-04:00

Did you know....

Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix was born today in 1798. He became a very important French painter, take my word for it.

1862 was the year that American Poet, Emily Dickinson, said he had heard of Walt Whitman but had never read any of his work. She had been told that his poems were "disgraceful."

John Wilkes Booth was cornered in a Virgina barn and then shot in 1865. I mean killing the President isn't going to get you far in life.

The year 1921 brought the weather forecast into homes with it's first broadcast in St. Louis, Missouri. Now no one could use the excuse they didn't know it was going to rain that day.

Carol Burnett was born on this day in 1933 and thank goodness she was! The world would not be the same without The Carol Burnett Show.

1994 South Africa makes history with its first multiracial elections. Nelson Mandela, with a landslide vote, becomes President after being a political prisoner.

White woman seeks glowing tan

2010-03-26T14:26:00.001-04:00

Pasty white woman seeks the beautiful warm sun to shine and make her transparent body turn a glowing golden brown. Feel free to contact me with your local shining schedule. I look forward to getting reacquainted with your Mr. Sunshine.

P.S. Don't make me wait too long.

New Blog

2010-03-24T11:30:00.008-04:00

I've started a new blog. Take a look!

http://alifewithouthair.blogspot.com

"How are you?"

2010-03-12T16:47:00.002-05:00

I've been sick lately. You know the rough stuff no one likes to talk about dealing with your stomach and whatnot, well I've had it five days now and I'll spare you the details with this in mind-- it's been rough. In my hour of need (I just could take it anymore) I headed to my most favorite place in the world, the doctor's office. After them taking my information twice, apparently I wasn't sick enough to actually pay attention too the first go round, I went to sit in the doctors waiting room. Surrounded by coughing, sneezing, those who moan to tell how bad they feel--I could just feel the germs floating in the air waiting for me to open my eyes to wide, take a deep breath so my nostrils would get larger, or even yarn to my mouth was wide enough for them to come flooding into anyone of my prime germ entering areas just to set ablaze my already butchered immune system.

After what felt like hours the nurse called me back, trying not to breathe in too much of the germ infested air I made my way, dizzily (from the lack of oxygen) back to the doctors office. And then it happened, "how are you?" the nurse asked. WHAT?!?! I stood there looking and thought did she really, really just ask me that? After thinking what would be the best response I just shrugged my shoulders and said"ok" trying to keep the smart comments at bay.

Sitting in the doctors office wasn't too bad, well the part waiting wasn't bad. Once the doctor arrived there was a lot of washing of her hands and telling me that the worst may be over but I still had a lot to go through. Grreeeaaaatttt, as if three days of toilet hugging weren't bad enough I got to look forward to more of my toilet bowl relationship. In the end the doctor decided that a shot was the best way to get the medicine regiment started. She left and another nurse came in, shot laying on the tray, gloves on her hands ready to go, and then she opened her mouth. "Have you been sick?" she asked, in a overly saturated country voice. No, I thought I just enjoy coming to where germs can enter into my body, killing my immune system, and then waiting for the bacteria to tear my organs to bits and pieces.

Instead I just said "yes" with that did you really just ask me that look on my face. The woman proceeds to talk, instead of giving me the shot, asking next "Have you been throwing up?" Maybe if I wasn't so desperate for some medicated relief I would have said something along the lines of nope I actually think a shot or two a week is good way to build character, alas I again said "yes." Really, really wanting this woman to do her job and leave me alone she continued to ask more questions as if she were Sherlock Holmes. Each just as dumb and pointless as the first. Finally the shot! The woman left and I was able to leave.

The entire ordeal maybe lasted 30 minutes but if felt like a lifetime. Over the course of 30 minutes I had been asked "how are you?" by at least four medical professionals. These being intelligent people, so we think, "how are you?" might be the last question you should ask in a doctors office setting. Now a few days later I'm still feeling rough but better, thank goodness. And I'm hoping upon hope that I never have to go back to the doctors office where they forget being sick means not feeling good and that the question "how are you" should be retired to that place of wrong time, wrong place.

The Stats

2010-03-01T20:28:00.006-05:00

It's been a little over 72 hours since Dancing Grasshoppers made its debut.

The stats so far:

Over 250 profile views. (Most of which I think are me, but still not bad.)
Two other sellers heart my store, not bad for only two items listed.
But, still no sells.

Everything on Etsy says to be patient, so patient I am trying to be.....

...okay so I need to work on my patience but in the meantime I'm still knitting away. In between working on my Rotary application and the regular life stuff I've been trying to find spring and summer appropriate patterns. If you happen to run across and cool pattern send it my way!

Keeping the fingers crossed for a sale!

Check it out, check it out!

2010-02-26T00:21:00.006-05:00

I have a shop. Not a shop on a street or even a shop in a building, but a shop on the web. That's right on etsy.com. Deciding to become apart of the Etsy family wasn't a hard decision. I spend hours on the website already, looking at at sort of totally cool things people are creating. So naturally I wanted to share my handmade creations with the world and what better way to do that than the world wide web. The shop, Dancing Grasshoppers, is now the home of my knitted wearable items. Check it out when you have a minute or two!

http://dancinggrasshoppers.etsy.com

12th of February

2010-02-12T21:49:00.012-05:00

"When all is said and done, the weather
and love are the two elements
about which one can never be sure."

-Alice Hoffman, 'Here on Earth'

In Georgia we are never sure if the snow will stick and stay.
Today it stuck.
Tomorrow we hope it will stay.

"Stop the presses!!" It's an update!

2010-02-11T13:37:00.006-05:00

UPDATE: plans have changed.

1.) I'm not applying to the Peace Corps right now. I like what the peace corps does and I hope to be able work with the organization one day, but right now that's not in the cards for me. I have a few things I want to do first.

2.) I'm now applying to for the International Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, which is what I should have done in the first place. At the end of my undergraduate career I wanted to pursue a masters in archaeology and somehow I got sidetracked. Well, I'm back on track now doing what I should have done earlier applying for a chance to study overseas in the field of archaeology.

I'm nervous and scared about this decision because it's all unknown. Yet with all those feelings I also feel excitement. It's excitement about new experiences, a new place, and new people to meet. I think I'm finally gearing up to take that next step.

Fiber

2010-01-23T09:02:00.010-05:00

I've discovered a passion for fiber.

Fabrics, yarn, and embroidery floss.
I've become obsessed with them all.
I can't stop creating.

2009 should be renamed - Whirlwind

2009-12-31T21:45:00.003-05:00

The whirlwind began early in January. Just days into the new year my mother and I traveled across the big blue ocean to Paris, France. Her first trip out of the country and my second. Eight days in the "City of Lights" turned out to be more than a trip of mother and daughter. It was a trip to be remembered for all time, one in which life long friends could only dream about taking together; it was a trip of a lifetime and I went with my mother, my lifelong friend.

The year progressed into my last semester as an undergrad. I learned early in the year that LaGrange College was to be my home for another year with the job offer of resident director for Pitts Hall. I was thrilled to know I was to be back "on the hill" again. I just wasn't ready to leave little ole' lagrange-- quite yet. The Selu Project was my life that last year of school, especially that last semester. Kacey, Caitlin, and I made several presentations on our research and work with the selu project and even received a Presidential Citation at honors day for our work. The first and only one to be given by President Gulley in his thirteen years at LaGrange College. And to top it all off we made the cover of Columns magazine!

As May came to be on the calendar the reality of being done with college soon set in and before I knew it May 16th was here. I was asked to carry our "Class of '09" banner into the ceremony and I was honored to do so. My family and friends came to see me walk across the stage that day and receive my degree in Art History. The day was perfect and I was excited to share it with those I cared about most!

The summer was full of kids laughing, playing, and learning. I worked at a summer camp in the mountains of North Georgia; teaching classes from archery to forest ecology and snakes. Each week was new and exciting as campers came from all over the country. I made all kinds of new friends this summer and made many memories. The end of the summer ended with a treat; a trip with my best friend, Jane, to the city of Philadelphia. We left Atlanta, Georgia by train and arrived in Philly the next day. The city is full of history and we enjoyed learning about our nation. The trip was just the way we had hoped it would be--wonderful! A great week of travel with a great friend!

Autumn came with lots of rain, but that didn't dampen my spirits. I returned to LaGrange College to work for residence life and the art department. I was (and still am) excited to be back "on the hill" for another year with friends I have made over the years. These last few months have been different from any I have ever experienced. I have have plenty of time to work on projects and think about what I want to do next. I have thought about the Peace Corps, applying for a Rotary Scholarship to study archaeology, and I've even tried being a vegetarian for a couple of months. I have yet to figure out what I am to do in the next chapter of my life but that's okay I still have some time to figure that out as well.

As I look back on the year 2009 I know it will be one that i will always cherish. I made many wonderful memories this past year with family and friends, both old and new. I will hold 2009 close to my heart for it has been a year of many accomplishments, travel, and learning. The "whirlwind" is over for now, that is until tomorrow happens then the 2010 "whirlwind" will begin. I hope that it is as eventful and prosperous as this last one.

"Goodbye 2009 and hello 2010!"

To eat meat or to not eat meat, that seems to be the question.

2009-11-23T12:32:00.005-05:00

I am considering becoming vegetarian-at least as long as I live in the United States. I'm opposed to the food industry, especially the meat industry here in the states. I have issues with these huge corporate companies who feel it is alright to abuse animals and human beings, for their own personal gain. I have many other qualms with this industry but I want to do more research before I make my final decision.

However, I did pick the worst time of the year to go only for veggies (dang, holiday season and it's overflowing abundance of food.) Hopefully by January I'll know what I should do. But until then the verdict is still up in the air.

But until then fast food is out, forever--That is for sure!

Sleep deprived and still no meteors.

2009-11-18T12:09:00.007-05:00

The Leonid Meteor shower happened over the past two nights. Each night I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, peering through my window hoping to see meteors shooting across the night sky. At one point I thought I saw a glimpse of a meteor, through the clouds. But after standing out in the cold for over half an hour I gave up hope I would see another and even started to doubt I had seen one before.

So much for seeing a meteor shower, maybe next time...

Rainy Day in November

2009-11-10T17:04:00.011-05:00

Today, I threw away all sanity and went out
into the cold, wet autumn weather.
Leaving my cozy, warm abode to capture nature.

Scooby Snacks???

2009-11-03T14:18:00.014-05:00

This Halloween Velma and Shaggy made an appearance,

trying to solve the mystery-Where is Scooby Doo?

He was no where to be found and

we even had his scooby snacks!

Saved Fingers

2009-10-22T13:27:00.005-04:00

The Lamar Dodd Art Center has a conference room. This is where I sit and do tasks for the department. It's quite cold in this room. At this very moment I sit and wait for my coffee to reheat in the microwave across the hall. Warm coffee mugs have become the way I keep my hands warm, for if I don't keep my fingers warm they will surely break off while typing from being so fridge cold.

I hear the microwave beep. Times up!!

Ahhhhh, relief....

On the 4th of October.

2009-10-04T22:16:00.002-04:00

" All my life I've been dogged by guilt
because I feel there is
this difference
between
the way I look and the way I feel inside."

-Robert Redford

How true this is.

Knitting one and purling two.

2009-09-28T23:11:00.007-04:00

It's beginning to get chilly out and the leaves will be changing to hues of yellow, orange, and red before too long. How I love the season of autumn! The knitting basket of goodies has come out of the corner as well. Projects are being discovered and soon the buying of yarn will commence. (Maybe this year I can get all my Christmas presents made before it's time to give them.)

Currently I'm working on a ribbed scarf, just to get back in the swing of knitting one and purling two. Then it's off to bigger and more elaborate projects! Fall is the perfect time to knit and when winter arrives I'll be ready and geared up in my homemade warmth!

Maybe this year I'll learn how to knit socks or stitch a cable pattern. Or better yet! Make an afghan! Oh the possibilities are endless, now if only I had enough yarn.....

Journey

2009-09-26T11:48:00.008-04:00

It rained. We sang. But we never stopped believin'.
All in all, totally rockin' concert!

Today.

2009-09-25T12:07:00.001-04:00

Today I found this flower.
Put it in this jar.
Took this picture.

Consider this my forward.

2009-09-23T14:52:00.002-04:00

You know I'm not a fan of the forwarded email. I think they are pointless and a waste of time, however every once in a while one will catch my eye. My dear and sweet MawMaw sent me one today that did just that, it captured my attention. I think it did so because she sent a personal note along with it, "I think this is a keeper, read often. Love you Angel, MawMaw." Simple, short, sweet; just enough to make me curious. So I decided to scroll down and read the words on the screen and she was right it is a keeper, although I still refuse to press the "forward" button. Consider this my forward.

Written By: Regina Brett , 90 years old of Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will.

Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you strong.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and

no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie.

Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37.. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

I made a life decision today.

2009-09-12T16:07:00.009-04:00

Today I began my application process to the Peace Corps. It's a long process, from what I hear. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time about this decision. I know if I'm accepted that it will be an adventure. There would be hard times and times of good fortune. I realize this is a life changing idea, but I want to help and learn about and see the world. I think this may be a way for me to do all of that. After all there are corners of the world waiting, wanting, longing to be helped. I want to aid those who need assistance. I want to learn from those who live it. I want to make a difference in the lives of others. Today I began my application to the Peace Corps.
Wish me luck! :)

Just a little randomness....

2009-09-02T19:00:00.001-04:00

Just a little randomness for the day:

Socks are annoying and are not meant to be slept in.
Running though a rain storm to get to the barn with the tin roof is magical.
In junk stores you can find some wonderful treasures.
Hammocks are for reading good books.
Traveling is for those who like surprises.
Hot sticky days are perfect for long naps.
Good coffee is always the right answer.
Porch swings and rocking chairs make life seem simple.
Words are powerful.
Violence should never be tolerated.
Art is for everyone, even those who don't realize it.
Fluorescent lighting is terrible and should never ever be used.
Trains have a haunting calming tone.
People are complicated.
Have a place where you feel most like yourself and visit it every chance you get.

A Graveyard of Eyewear

2009-08-31T18:20:00.010-04:00

These were sunglasses I loved to wear.
We saw many things together.
Now they are dead.
Murdered.
Crushed by the foot and bottom of something much larger than a quarter.
Now they rest in the bottom of a trash can.
You, my dear glasses will be missed.

With Love, Philadelphia XOXO

2009-08-28T16:01:00.015-04:00

All over Philly, we saw these banners that said "with love, Philadelphia XOXO." It made me feel like the city had been sending me these postcards, writing to tell me all the fun things I could do during my stay in Philly and then finally signing each one, "with love, Philadelphia XOXO." Now I realize that sounds crazy, I do but, that's the way the city made me feel.

My very dear friend Jane and I took at train from Atlanta and after 14 hours we ended up in Philadelphia. We had never traveled by train before. It's not like in the movies but it's an experience I would do over, just with a big heavy blanket (trains are cold, like ridiculously cold.) Once in the city we made our way to the bed and breakfast and the adventure began! The next three days were great! We saw outstanding art at the Philadelphia Art Museum, important historical discoveries at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and not to mention all the sites of historical significance we visited.

This was our first trip with out family or teachers. We decided what we wanted to learn about and where we wanted to go. We did it all on our own. This trip was a big step in our lives and I'm glad we were able to do it together.

Graduation

2009-08-19T18:09:00.001-04:00

In May, I graduated with a degree in Art History and Museum Studies from LaGrange College. Now I realize that was months ago but at least I am getting around to posting about it after a very busy summer (that post will come later.)

My senior year was perfect. Great friends, supportive family, and being in a place that means to so much to me. By the time graduation came around I was in denial about moving on and what I should or would be doing with my life after that fateful day of receiving degrees. Well after being hired on as the Residence Director of Pitts Dormitory, I knew LaGrange College would be my home for another year. But before I could move into the summer or even the next school year, I had a few last duties as an undergrad.

I was asked to carry the class banner for the graduation ceremony (a job which of course I said "yes" too!) The job was even more special to my seeing that both my freshman roommate (aka my traveling buddy and partner in crime) and I share, since she graduated a year before. After walking in with my classmates, my name was soon called and it was my turn to walk across that stage to receive my diploma and shake the Presidents' hand, who instead gave me a hug. After the ceremony it was pretty much a mad house of hugs and swishing black robes (which we had all worked so hard to earn.) Graduation was a great day with family, friends, and professors; not to mention the weather for our outdoor ceremony was perfect!

As I sit back and look at the past four years it's hard to believe that after all the hard work and dedication, I've grown into the person I want to be. I feel like without LaGrange College and the faculty and staff here, who I have become very close too, I wouldn't be that person. I've been influenced by those around me in a way that makes me, I'm very proud to say, the person I always hoped I would be. Graduation day might have marked the end of my undergraduate studies but it didn't mark the end of my love and support for LaGrange College and the memories I've made here. After all graduation marks the beginning of the next chapter while highlighting the past.

Right where I had left it

2009-07-20T01:19:00.007-04:00

I misplaced something a couple of summers ago.

I searched high and low, but it was no where to be found.

I went many months without this something and things never seemed to feel the same without it.

In my search to find this missing piece of me I got serious and intimidating, some say.

I was just searching for that piece that made things fun.

After not knowing what to do this piece came back to me just out of the blue.

It was like being reunited with a long lost friend.

I found my sense of fun again.

I'm not sure why it went missing, maybe it was all the responsibility I had that summer long long ago, or the fact I was pulling more than my share of the weight in a job I had loved but soon learned to hate.

Either way it went missing, but it was found right where I had left it.

My fun was at camp with kids from all ages.

Kids with smiles and kids with laughs.

I found my fun in the eyes of those bright and excited campers, just where I had left it.

They wanted to return it back knowing I had missed it so.

I found my fun this summer in those campers, I found my missing piece in the wonder of learning and teaching, in sharing and laughing, in growing and caring.

I found my fun this summer in those who know how to have fun best.

I found my fun in those who know it's the fun that makes it all worthwhile, I found my fun this summer.

Right where I had left it.

Dear Blog.

2009-05-26T16:06:00.003-04:00

Dear Blog,

I have not forgotten about you. New post will be coming soon and pictures! Just be patient, all will happen in due time.

Until then,

Fleming

Home

2009-05-12T09:51:00.005-04:00

I want to go home. I haven't been home all semester and it's killing me! I know, I know in a few days I can but I would like to be feeling that mountain breeze and soaking up that mountain sun. I need to go home. I need a change of scenery. I need the mountains.

Normal...

2009-05-03T22:19:00.009-04:00

Normal. What is normal? By definition normal is "conforming with an accepted standard or norm." And norm by definition is "a standard or model for a group." So basically this six letter word means conforming with an accepted standard for a group. Normal for each person is different, yet it is something we each strive to achieve. I, like everyone else have that desire for normalcy in life. Maybe on some level I have it, but on so many others I don't. Which I guess may be considered normal to some degree? Who knows, really.

Normal is many things....wanting to have a job, a family, and possibly to appear "normal" to the outside world. Maybe that last one is the one I struggle with the most. My trichtotillomania makes this extremely hard to do, though. When people look at you like your some alien from a far away planet it hurts. I just want to look like everyone else. I'm sure anyone who looks different than your average person feels this way, but this isn't any comfort for me because in a room of strangers I'm the one that looks unlike anyone else there. Looking different is something you are reminded of everyday and every minute. I can never escape it: people making comments, people staring, and walking by my own reflection, everyday I deal with this. One day I won't have this disease and I'll be normal (or what I feel is normal), but until that changes I'll have this desire to look like all the other pretty people in the world.

Now I understand different is a good thing and that is brings a sense of "flavor and excitement" to the world. But trichtotillomania does nothing but make you feel heart ache. Being different in your views, thoughts, and ideas is wonderful but being different in how you appear that's the tough part. I have a desire to be like everyone else, in how I look, but I will never change who I am on the inside. As I'm getting ready to graduate college this fact that I'm not the same as everyone else is really bearing down on me. Although I will be at the college still doing various jobs, which I'm really excited about, there is still this little voice in my head saying "you can't stay here forever." This I do know and I want to experience so many things in the world but a part of me is terrified that this will hold me back. Because I, like you, know that people make first impressions by what they see, and who wants to see a girl who is practically bald? So I guess I want to conform to the norm of society and have a head full hair and look like everyone else out there. I want to be able to talk to my girlfriends about haircuts, hairstyles, and how the bad weather affects my hair. All of these topics are things I've never been able to talk about, one day maybe, but at this moment it's just not the case. I know in the grand scheme of things this is minor really, but for me it's huge.

I've had trich for sixteen years and being twenty-one means I've had this for the greater part of my life. But it's only been in the past few years that I've felt this way. I don't know what changed inside of me or if I just came to the realization that appearances really do matter to the greater part of society and the world. This will change. I know it will, but until then this is the cold hard truth. I know I'm loved and cared about but this idea of normal still resides within me. I honestly hope that people can look past appearances and see who I really am. This girl who wants everyone to be happy and would do anything to make them feel so. I am this girl who wants to do something with her life and explore and discover. I am this girl who wants to make a difference, but who will see these desires and talents if all they see is a lack of hair? There will be people who will see past how I look and want to get to know how I am. This I know. I am truly blessed in my friends and family, I will make them proud. I will be normal, at least to my mind of thinking. I have hope.

in hope, Fleming

a week on the island

2009-04-29T07:32:00.006-04:00

My last spring break was spent on the beach, which ended up
being my first spring break beach trip. Funny how stuff like that works out.

So Cool!

2009-04-03T15:17:00.004-04:00

Today a friend shared this website with me and because I just love the work of Jackson Pollock, I'm going to share it with you! Enjoy!

http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

Enter the site and make your own Jackson Pollock! Note the space bar clears the work and clicking on the mouse pad will change the color. It's TOO much fun!

"Ever Since the World Began"

2009-04-03T03:26:00.004-04:00

Ever Since the World Began, by Survivor, was introduced to me a few years ago and it's a song I go to when things aren't going the way I feel that they should. When I first heard the song it was with a group of friends, a team if you will, a group of counselors that I would work with for several weeks of the summer and this song was meant to show us all how we were to work as a team, be a piece of the puzzle. But as I've grown I've realized how much this song reigns true. It's something I carry with me always and I hope that if you are going through some stress that it brings you the same comfort that is brings me.

Ill never know what brought me here,
As if somebody led my hand,
It seems I hardly had to steer,
My course was planned.
And destiny it guides us all,
And by its hand we rise and fall,
But only for a moment,
Time enough to catch our breath again.

*and were just another piece of the puzzle,
Just another part of the plan,
How one live touches the other
Is so hard to understand --
Still we walk this road together,
We try and go as far as we can,
And we have waited for this moment in time,
Ever since the world began. *

Taking in the times gone by,
We wonder how it all began,
Well never know and still we
Try to understand,
And even though the seasons change,
The reasons shall remain the same,
Its love that keeps us holding on
Till we can see the sun again.

( * repeat)

And I stand alone, a man of stone,
Against the driving rain--
And the night -- its got your number,
And the wind -- it cries your name --
And we search for clues, win or lose,
In this were all the same --
The hope still burns eternal,
Were the keeper of the flame--

A Book of Nothing

2009-03-29T22:15:00.005-04:00

I collect quotes. I keep them in a book called A Nothing Book, basically a book of random quotes and poems, where tucked in between the pages are pictures and memories...my little nothings. Here are a few of my favorite little nothings.

"What lies before us and what lies beyond
us is tiny compared
to what is in us."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

"The best and most beautiful things
in the world cannot be seen or even touched,
they must be felt with the heart."
-Helen Keller

"Every time you smile at someone,
it is an action of love, a gift to that person,
a beautiful thing."
-Mother Teresa

"We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give."
-Sir Winston Churchill

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade,
but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to the benevolent arrangement of things,
the greater part of life is sunshine."
-Thomas Jefferson

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make
is that they can grow separately without growing apart."
-Elizabeth Foley

"The greatest mistake you can make in life
is to be so continually fearing you will make one."
-Elbert Hubbard

Good News!

2009-03-27T11:41:00.005-04:00

Good News! I was asked the other day to be the resident director for Pitts Hall for next year! Of course I accepted! I'm excited to be on the campus of LaGrange College for another year and helping with resident life once again!

Just wanted to share, Fleming

The Selu Project: Unearthing LaGrange College's Past

2009-03-11T10:19:00.004-04:00

At the end of the week myself along with two other dear friends, Kacey Smith and Caitlin Vest, will present our work on the Selu Project. The Southern History of Education Society is hosting a conference at LaGrange College and we were asked to present our research. Below is my part of the speech and I felt this was the easiest way to explain what the project is and does.

The Selu project began on a sunny Thursday afternoon in October of 2007. The campus was busy preparing for homecoming weekend. Earlier in the week we had celebrated the formal ‘groundbreaking’ ceremony for the new Frank and Laura Lewis Library. The old main parking lot had been turned into construction zone, filled with heavy equipment and shipping containers. With the ceremony complete and the equipment on hand, the earth movers began their work. It didn’t take long, however, for all that momentum to stop. What is now the lovely plaza and front of the Lewis Library used to be the Pitts Dining Hall parking lot. These were prized spaces coveted by students because of their strategic location, close to dorms and dining hall. Having parked in that lot for years I never knew that beneath the asphalt there rested items of great importance to the history of the college. With just one scoop of dirt, and the appearance of some bottles and a little bird, the construction workers had discovered a burn pit that belonged to LaGrange College. We didn’t know it yet, but Selu had been born. In just a matter of hours a team of students and faculty were assembled by Dean Buchanan to dig up the area. With only a 72 hour window to excavate the site, our team of volunteers feverishly dug up, very crudely, bottles and shards, placing them into plastic buckets. Dr. Buchanan’s pick up truck was the dig’s headquarters. She had completed a quick supply run, to the Ace hardware store and secured the finely tuned, delicate equipment we would use on our dig: some hand spades, a couple shovels, the aforementioned plastic buckets and some gardening gloves. Having read just enough in “Archaeology Magazine” to be dangerous, Dr. Shirley dug his way into the pit from the west, eventually working his way into its heart. He’s mentioned to us that as he got closer to the center the soil itself changed from red clay to black ash and he could smell the scent of burnt wood. That Sunday evening we all dug until we literally lost light and then continued again on Monday afternoon. This was all the time we had allotted to our excavation since the bulldozers were starting their work on Tuesday morning and this was all the time the builders could spare for our project. After the dig the buckets of objects eventually found their way to the History department for further research. The department gladly took the artifacts realizing that those buckets were an opportunity for students to discover the history which could be told by those tiny bottles.

I suppose some discussion of the name: Selu is in order. From early on in this project, our team had a misson: to archive and research the items that were unearthed. Coming up with a name, however, took some time. After much consideration we decided to call our endeavor The Selu Project: Unearthing LaGrange College’s Past. Selu is the Cherokee corn mother and although we are not quite in Cherokee country we felt the name was too appropriate for our project. The Cherokee creation myth revolves around Kana-Ti and Selu; their Adam and Eve. Kana-TI, the father of game and Selu had two mischievous sons. Upon Selu’s death, they buried her but disregarded her instructions. The boys decided to make up their own way to bury their mother. If they had buried her according to the instructions, corn would have grown everywhere but since they ignored her request, corn only grows in certain areas. Selu derives her strength from the earth, the soil beneath our feet. She is also a powerful figure of femininity which we felt it appropriate given that LaGrange began as a female college. Since we excavated our artifacts from the earth we felt it appropriate to name our archeological project in honor of a woman whose strength empowered a nation. Our artifacts are like Selu. Without them our project would have no substance, no strength.

It wasn’t until the spring of 2008 that the history department began working on the Selu project. Not knowing how to properly care for these items we had to research every aspect of our endeavor. The cleaning and archiving processes were first on the agenda of skills to learn. One key player in this was Gerald Beckham a former librarian and volunteer at the Hills and Dales Estate. He was the first to show us how to use the museum management software “Past Perfect.” Once loaded with the necessary tools, we felt confident in our ability to correctly record and preserve the artifacts, so we began our task of archiving. In the fall of 2008, the Selu project commenced with a team of work-study students eager to participate in something that had never been done on the campus of LaGrange College.

During the fall semester other departments at the college were brought on board the Selu Project. The biology department was given dirt from the dig and Dr. Mallory’s microbiology class began to conduct tests on what kinds of organisms were living in the soil. Placing the dirt in a Winogradsky column, the organisms in the dirt would either go up or down the column depending on the amount of oxygen they need. After several months of the soil being in this column we can now see pockets of different colors which represent the different types of organisms in the dirt. The problem the biologists have run into is that because we so crudely dug up the artifacts, the excavators contaminated the soil; and while the experiment isn’t totally accurate, it does create enough of a picture to know what types of organisms were in the soil during the time of our artifacts.

While the biologists were playing with the dirt the art department decided to join our team and help prepare the Lewis Library exhibit. Next month the college will formally dedicate and celebrate the completion of the Lewis library. We felt an exhibit of the Selu objects would be a fitting way to celebrate the achievement. Our art department has both an art history and museum management studies program under the direction of Dr. Dottie Joiner. Having those students design the exhibit was perfect. Part of the exhibit design included the development of an exhibition catalog. Once that decision was made, however, we realized we had no clue how to take catalog worthy photographs. Photography professor John Lawrence trained some of the team members in how to take professional photos for our catalog; while ceramics professor Tim Taunton, also offered his help on our project. He also allowed his post-graduate student, Laura Tomsheck, to research the glazes on some of our ceramic items to determine where they came from and how they were used at the college. Without the help of Mr. Lauren Pinkerman, director of the Frank and Laura Lewis Library, these departments would have never been able to join forces in this project; we are all working together gathering information for the display being created for the new library.

With all of these departments working toward a common goal the history work-study students continued with the cleaning but we encountered a problem with the metallic artifacts -- we weren’t sure how to clean objects with rust. After extensive research we discovered that our best bet was to perform a reverse electrolysis experiment on the metal objects. By sending electrical current through water we were able to remove rust from the metal. Once our artifacts were rust free we had the opportunity to get some of them x-rayed. At the Southern Orthopedic Radiology center we didn’t make any discoveries about our artifacts but the experience was worthwhile and the list of those involved in the project expanded, now including radiology students from West Georgia Technical College. As the semester came to an end our list of accomplishments with the project was substantial: we had brought together several departments on campus, included the community by interviewing college alumna from the early 20th century, and not to mention archived over 500 artifacts.

The spring of 2009 has, so far, been an interesting one. The archiving and photography of the items has continued, being placed into the Past Perfect software, while a website has been created about our Selu artifacts, by the computer science students. This past week we have visited two archives, the Troup County and Georgia archives researching the history of our institution looking for clues in how our objects would have fit into their daily lives. We have also sent some of our pieces to an appraiser out of Atlanta, Selma Paul. Ms. Paul has been helping with our “dead ends” the ceramic shards which are too small to easily identify. When we met with her we learned that our pink and green striped dishware may well have been made exclusively for the College. We are still working with Ms. Paul and eager to learn what she has discovered about our pieces. So once again this semester our expanded our and now includes Clark Johnson, Troup County Historian, Dale Crouch, Georgia Archivest, and Selma Paul, professional appraiser.

All that we, the Selu team, have accomplished we have done on our own. No archeologists, no public historians, and no preservationists were available on campus; we researched every aspect for our project before we began each task. We continue to be a work in progress project as the artifacts give our endeavor substance to continue with the archiving, researching, and the illumination of the college’s history.

As stated before our first task was to clean and archive and Kacey Smith has been there every step of the way. Kacey…

This is where Kacey gives her bit followed by Caitlin with the researching part and then I take up the rear leaving these remarks...

What began as a small archeological dig has now become an adventure to learn about the history of our institution, expanding out past the walls of the LaGrange College history department. These tiny items that were discovered under the earth have brought community learning to the students of LaGrange, while showing the importance of knowing ones’ own history. These artifacts have also brought to life a time most of us have never known, telling the story of young women from across the state of Georgia who sought fellowship and learning. That tradition continues to this day for the students at LaGrange College. If indeed it is the mission of the college to challenge the mind and inspire the soul, then I can attest that these little artifacts have done that to each and every member of the Selu team.

Winter Wonderland in March? Odd!

2009-03-02T12:48:00.009-05:00

March first brought snow to LaGrange, Georgia.

Looking Through the Glass: A Trip to the Georiga Aquarium

2009-03-02T12:41:00.008-05:00

This was Kacey's (on the right) first trip to the aquarium...any aquarium! These are a few of the things we saw on out trip under the sea!

My Condition,My Curse, My Secret

2009-02-18T10:19:00.002-05:00

Today is Sunday, October 26, 2008. I only write this because I don't intend on posting this for quite sometime but when I do I want it to be understood that this is the hardest post I think I will ever write and at the present moment I'm not ready to share this with just anyone.

I have trichotillomania, which is a stress anxiety disorder. As annoying as this condition is it would be able to deal with easier if I could just mask it with medicine and go about my life and never tell a soul, but it's not that easy. Trichotillomania, trich for short, is a obessive compulsive disorder as well, which basically boils down to it makes me deal with this stress and anxiety by pulling out my hair because chemicals in my brain tell me to do so. Werid I know and if I think it's odd, I know others do as well.

Lately people have been posing questions about my head of hair so here's my story. I have had trich since I was in first grade and I'm 21 now a senior in college, so it's been my curse for the majority of my life. I've been very fortunate in my life to be surrounded around people who have accepted me for me and not been too terribly nosey, but then you have those, strangers mostly, who ask in Walmarts, yelling questions down the street, or just rude people who have no social skills and ask in front of others so that I have to explain in front of them as well. Well for people like those listed I'm usually rude back because it's not any of their business but friends and family on the other hand I do talk about it civially. I've gone through what psychologist call "the hardest times in a childs life" with this disease and although it was hard it was never hindered my from being involved in everything. I danced and I was big into 4-H and held many district and state positions and my trich never stopped me from being myself. I went onto college not thinking about my condition and once again got involved in so many things and stayed at the same institution for four years now and I'm getting ready to start a new chapter in my life after graduation and I realize that keeping this to myself it going to be harder so why not start getting it out there and setting the story straight from my end instead of people making up their own versions.

To be honest I'm tired of hiding what I consider my secret. I recently read a book that felt I could relate to in many ways and one being a disease that is noticable. In the book the character dealt with cancer, now I understand my condition is not cancer but to me it's just as bad, it's my cancer so to say. Although I don't deal with a life threathening disease it does affect my life, every day. I hate people talking about having a bad hair day, because they have no clue what it's like to live in bad hair days. I live bad hair days. There is no way to hide it. It's what I deal with each and every day, my curse.

I often ask why this happened to me, "what did I do to deserve this?" And there is no answer to that. I get angry with God, for long periods sometimes, about why this was given to me; but again this book, The Friday Night Knitting Club, had a passage about dealing with issues and God, which helped me deal with how I feel. I would like to share this with you. (Just in case you too need some understanding on whatever is going on with your life.)

“…I just want to know why this happened to me.
She waited expectantly. The priest looked back at her, pensive, nodding.
‘Well,’ he said, after a time. ‘I don’t know. But I do know it’s not because you did something bad, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s not something you deserve.’
‘It’s not, right?’
‘No, Georgia Walker, it isn’t.’ Father Smith shook his head. ‘I’ll tell you right now that I don’t have all the answers you may be looking for. I am not God. But I can tell you some things that I believe.’
‘Please.’
‘I believe sometimes medical issues just happen—they’re not cosmic tests; they’re not retribution for all the naughty things you’ve done over a lifetime,’ he said. ‘It’s not some moral righting of the universe. It’s just something going wonky with the wiring.’
‘Okay, and…’
‘And I think God cries when we’re in pain; he cries with us and he supports us. But I also believe he stands back and lets us sort things out. Lets the doctors do their work. Lets your body heal itself.’
‘And if it doesn’t?’
‘Then he welcomes you with open arms. God isn’t really about the you know—he’s about the soul.’
‘So if I pray hard enough then I’ll get better?’
‘No, no, that’s no what I mean at all. Praying isn’t a form of divine insurance. It’s just a way of communication, just a way of opening your heart.’
‘By that definition, an honest conversation with anyone is a form of praying.’
The priest tapped his nose. ‘You’re right on there, Georgia Walker.’”

Converstation between Priest Smith and Georgia Walker, The Friday Night Knitting Club

There is no cure for Trichtotillomania. It is something I will have to deal with all my life, but if you think about it we all have to deal with something in our lives, whether it is a chronic illness or not we all have our own conditions, curses, and secrets and it is time for me to let this one go, to accept my trich and move on. It's been a heavy burden for me to keep people "out of the know" so to say, but it is time to let them in and clue people into why I look the way and I do and that it doesn't affect who I am it's just apart of what I am. I hope that when you, who ever you are, read this that you have compassion for if there is anything I have learned from this it is to have compassion towards others and their differences.

in hoping you have compassion, Fleming

this may be the perfect playlist a.k.a soundtrack of my life

2009-02-17T00:22:00.004-05:00

I'm up on a school night at 12:30 playing with iTunes because I'm WIDE awake. Very unusual for me because I usually conk out by 10 (I realize that makes me an old fogy), but tonight is different for whatever reason. Well now I'm trying to get myself sleepy thus I began playing on iTunes and decided to make a playlist for my life, otherwise known as the soundtrack to a movie in which I am the main character. Let's call this movie Fleming's Life. Good title, don't you think? So here is the playlist as of now. It will probably change in a few days, months, or years who knows but today this is what I think and feel as said by music.

Little black sandals-Sia
Life in a Northern Town-Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen
Gravity-John Mayer
Ever Since the World Began-Survivor
Cowboy take me away-Dixie Chicks
When you come back down-Nickle Creek
Lay all your love on me-ABBA
Fire and Rain-James Taylor
How sweet it is (to be loved by you)-James Taylor
I run to you-Lady Antebellum
Blue Ridge Mountain Girl-Blue Highway
We've only just begun-The Carpenters
Escape (The Pina Colada song)-Rupert Holmes
November Rain-Guns N' Roses
Man from Milwaukee-Hanson
Don't stop believin'-Journey
Heaven-Bryan Adams
Can't fight the moonlight-Leann Rimes
Loud Machines-The Less
3 A.M.- Matchbox Twenty
Me and Charlie-Miranda Lambert

25 or 6 to 4- Chicago

I will not take these things for granted-Toad the Wet Sprocket

Mostly these are some of my favorite songs that get me through the good and the bad. Never the less they are great songs and are at the moment the soundtrack to Fleming's Life.

A First!

2009-02-16T23:07:00.003-05:00

Today I had an experience that I have never had before. I found a four leaf clover!

Clovers have always meant a lot to me seeing that I have been a 4-H'er since I was ten. I have always looked for four leaf clovers but never found one until today. Although it was tiny it still counts. Today was special and to commemorate the occasion I wrote this blog...and I took a picture. :)

extremly happy, Fleming

Paris, The City of Lights

2009-02-04T11:18:00.027-05:00

In the movie P.S. I Love You Holly, the daughter, talks about wanting to show her mother the world. That part always makes me cry (not to mention it is an emotional kind of movie) because I have the same desire to show to world to my mother the world. Well to begin our tour of the world we began in Paris. It was the first time Mom had ever been out of the country and I was so excited to be sharing this experience with her! We spent one amazing week in Paris! We went everywhere from the Louvre to Normandy. Here are some pictures to commemorate our week of laughing and learning.

25 You Might Have Never Known About Me

2009-01-30T08:05:00.003-05:00

I did this survey thing on Facebook and thought I would post it here too, just for the heck of it really. So here are 25 things about me you may or may not have ever known. Enjoy!

1.) Traveling is my passion. If I can find a job which requires alot of traveling that would be ideal.

2.) I hate hate hate bananas.

3.) Sabrina (the new version with Harrison Ford) is my absolutely favorite movie. And if I haven't forced you to sit down and watch it I'm slacking as a friend.

4.) I have decided I want to be an archeologist and dig in the dirt all day. Which means no getting dressed up to go to an office, how I do hate being couped up.

5.) I love flamingos and if you switch the A with an E then you get Flemingos...clever I know. But seriously I don't want to be the crazy flamingo lady so stop giving me things with flamingos on it.

6.) I'm on a movie buying craze, I should stop.

7.) I knit while watching really girly movies, which yes I know makes like an old woman, but I've accepted this and I'm totally ok with it.

8.) I collect quotes. All types of quotes. Have a good quote? Send it my way. It'll go in my nothing book...a book of random quotes.

9.) I'm not a fan of water...ok ok I really really really don't like water. But I do like taking long showers. Odd I know, don't judge.

10.) Sweet tea is heaven in a glass. Coffee is heaven in a mug. And I drink both like they are water, except I never drink enough water. It's because I'm drinking heaven 24/7.

11.) I love the lose your stomach feeling. Like when a plane just takes off, or when you go down a zip line, or even roller coaster. I love it. I'm going to go sky diving someday and bunjee jumping too.

12.) I sleep with more pillows than I can count and each one has a specific purpose for being there.

13.) Bar-b-que. If you know anything about me you know that I love me some bbq.

14.) I will one day make a quilt out of all the t-shirts I own. (Which is more than anybody should have in their possession.)

15.) I love mail. Sending it. Recieving it. And one day I will send out a card every day for an entire year.

16.) The mountains are where I feel most like myself.

17.) I have a bad habit of if you burn me then I just sever ties right then and there. Nobody is perfect.

18.) My family is wonderful. Even my two knuckle headed brothers.

19.) The best sleep you will ever get is on a bus. Well at least that is the case for me.

20.) I love love love driving. Martha Ann (my car) and I have wonderful adventures traveling around.

21.) My idea of cooking is microwaving.

22.) I hate stress. Stress is the devil. Which is why I always have a crafty art project to be working on. Stress 0 Fleming more than 0. ha

23.) I don't eat the color blue. It's not natural.

24.) I'm too independent for my own good.

25.) I rarely give out hugs, but when I do you know it comes from the heart.

Some Goals

2008-12-23T16:30:00.007-05:00

I'm getting ready to graduate in May and don't really have a clue what I want to do. All my life my goal was to go to college and get my degree and I never really thought a whole alot about what I would really do with my life once I had achieved that goal. Well the time is drawing near and I've got to make some decisions about what the rest of my life will entail. For starters I want to go to grad school for archeology, but I'm taking a year off to figure out what graduate school I would like to attend. To be honest I wish I could travel and see grand things the rest of my life and not have a care in the world, but the harsh reality to this is that requires the green stuff, money, which I don't have; thus I must find a job. Everyone is curious to know what I want to do with my life and the question "what are you gonna do now?", "what will you do?", and "what can you do with that degree, again?" are questions I hear alot and frankly I'm tired of them. Nobody ever ask what "I WANT to do with my life?" in a positive way, it's always in a way that's kinda well not so positive. Well here are a few things I want to do with my life:

-Follow a band around on tour.
-Visit every state within the United States.
-See the seven wonders of the world.
-Own a major piece of art work.
-Find something I enjoy and becoming really good at it.
-Pet a cheetah.
-Write a children's book.
-Become a Jedi knight...okay that one's a joke.
-Learn to play the guitar.
-Go skydiving.
-Swim in the Mediterranean Sea.
-Become an expert on something.
-Take my Dad to see Australia.
-Send out 365 cards, one a day for an entire year.
-Discover the perfect cup of coffee.
-Live in a major city for a few years, preferably over seas.
-Own a house with a wrap around porch.
-Knit a sweater.
-Hand make all of my gifts for Christmas one year.
-Write a column for a newspaper, on occasion.
-Learn a language and be able to speak it, not just read it.
-Learn to weld or blow glass or both.

These are only a few things I would like to do with my life there are many, many more but that will be another post...

making plans, Fleming

In honor of two very dear people...

2008-12-10T18:46:00.015-05:00

Mom always said love grows in a small home. Not to say it doesn't grow anywhere else but for our family of five it definitely grew in our home. It also grew in the car trips we took as kids all piled up in the back. Dad never liked the idea of gameboys or things of that nature so we had to entertain ourselves in the car. I'm pretty sure we drove our parents crazy, my brothers and I, we would argue and yell even though it never got us anywhere. As time passed we got better about our communication and the yelling stopped and so did the arguing for the most part. I look back on those moments in childhood and realized that's what made us as close as we are today. Today we enjoy spending time together, whether that is going out or staying in we just like being around one another. You could say we are a pretty close family and I would agree with that. When I'm not around my family I talk to each one of them almost every day. We are each our own person with our own likes and dislikes but still we manage to enjoy each others company and get along.
I have two brothers both younger than I and I'm pretty protective of them but in return they are of me too. I remember instances when we were growing up where they felt the need to play big brother and it drove me crazy but now I'm thankful for it, it showed how much they cared in their own way. We love to laugh together and we do it alot, sometimes at each others expense but it's all in fun. To be honest we're a bunch of goof balls. Now we're not perfect by any means we can still drive one another crazy but at the end of the day we enjoy one anyothers company. Since two of us are off at college and other is a senior in high school we all don't get to be around each other for extended amounts of time. It's nice to have the whole family together the holiday instead of just a weekend here and there. We get to have car trips together, still no gameboys, and have some fun together. Now we might argue but who doesn't in small spaces but it never changes how we feel about one another. I am so very thankful for how close we are and I hope that it continues to stay that way. I'm pretty sure that won't change. I would do anything for my brothers, that's how much I love them.

There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother. ~Astrid Alauda

Steeplechase

2008-11-02T21:47:00.016-05:00

As a result of being in a photography class I was given the opportunity to take pictures for the Callaway Gardens Steeplechase. These are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

An ordinary event turned extraordinary!

2008-10-28T13:44:00.007-04:00

The most amazing thing happened to me just a few days ago...I went to a concert. Now yes concerts are fun and most of them are worth the money you pay to get in but this one was very special.

A friend of mine and I went to see Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean in a CMT concert in Columbus, GA. It was a Sunday night and we were excited to be going to see both of these artist. Well as we were walking in we noticed a sign that said "Lady Antebellum will be signing autographs after the show. We were so astounded at the fact we would meet these people we could hardly contain ourselves! We walk out onto the floor and realized that we had seats on the 7th row from the stage and although they were seats at the very end of the row it was pretty cool to be so near the stage.

Well they introduced a new group, The Carter Twins, and they were good and then the opening act, Eric Durrance, came on stage and his group was good as well. Well Lady Antebellum was coming up next and the show was phenomenal! One of the best acts I've seen in quite awhile!
As we were wishing they were still playing Jason Aldean starts his show and he was really good too. He played some cover songs along with some of his hits as well and it made a really great show. But the coolest thing happened...a special guest made an appearance! Jason Aldean says before his next song that "CMT will be filming this next song for some show they will be doing next year and he would be performing the first song he ever learned to play on the guitar: My Home's in Alabama by the group Alabama." Cool I thought I can watch this in a year and say "Oh I was there." Well as the song began I looked around and then looked back on stage and there was Randy Owen!
I couldn't turn my camera on fast enough and I was shaking I was so excited! After the song was over Jason Aldean said he didn't even know that was going to happen. What a great surprise for everyone! So in order to get the autographs we were so excited to get we left the floor to get in line and heard the encore for the line and then here comes Lady Antebellum. The line was pretty long and we were toward the front and I get there and they all stick their hands out and say "Thanks for coming and hi my name is David...Hillary....Charles." So I shook all of their hands, have autographs to prove it, and of course video and pictures, but by far for a $30 ticket it was one of the coolest things that I have ever seen or been around!

still in awe, Fleming

Thank goodness for people who care about you...

2008-10-23T14:09:00.011-04:00

You know people are very interesting. We hang around people who we are comfortable with usually because of common interests and values or morals. We also spend time around people that we admire, for we want to gain all the knowledge we can from thost indivduals. At least for me all of this applies, maybe for others the reasons are different but that would make sense as well for we all require different reasons for being friends with another person. Friends are interesting fellows. They stick with you through the hard times, the good times, and all the times inbetween. They don't do it because you twist their arm to do it, they do it because they care and want to help. Friends come in all types of people and each friend does something different to enlighten your life.

Today I had someone show me how much they care about me. This person has been on this earth for quite some time and knows alot of about life and just living in general. Her demonstrating how much she truly cares was touching, it makes me want to be that for someone else someday. In life you have struggles and those battles of life are what makes you, well you, is how you chose to overcome those struggles. I once heard that "life is a road with many tempting parking palces." I never thought about it much until now if you chose to "park" and just sit through life then in my opinion your insane. There are so many things to see and do and enjoy in life to just sit there and watch time pass you by.

The trials and tribulations of life are struggles unique to each person, but I guess that's what makes us different, in a sense. Because I have been presented with struggles that I will never be able to get rid of I know about how overcoming battles in life can be done and that with the help of those around you it makes climbing those invisible mountains of hardships much easier.

Basically friends make every part of life much more enjoyable. I thank the good Lord for the friends he has given me, everyday I do.

hoping you overcome your struggles and have friends that help you do it, Fleming

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide to not surrender, that is strength."

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

A Secret to Life

2008-10-11T22:06:00.011-04:00

I have been thinking for a few days now what I would write about for my first post. I wanted it to be something worth reading, something profound; then it hit me you don't write profound ideas by trying to they happen by accident the way most great things happen. So knowing that this won't be profound and probably not worth time in reading I'm going to write anyway.
I'm an currently home with my absolute favorite people: my family. I don't think I realized how much they meant to me until I moved away, which I think happens to most people when they move away from what they have know all of their life. I had been away from home before for a few weeks here an there but that never compared to the amount of time I spent away from them when I moved to college. I'm now in my last year of undergrad work and I still battle with not being able to come to my brothers ball games or concerts the same way they came to my cross country meets or dance recitals. But I've come to realize that's the way of life. I've learned that life sends you away from home to experience new and exciting things, but always home is with you because you bring it with you where ever you go. At least that is what I do.
I want to travel and see the world, there are so many things in this world of ours and I want to experience as much of it as I can. I wish there was a job where you traveled for enjoyment not having to worry about deadlines, clients, or presentations. But that's not how life works either, which is why I want to have a job that allows me to travel and learn about culture, history, and well life. Life is fascinating. We all have different ideas about what is life and what makes it meaningful. I think each of us, whether we know it or not have a personal challenge for ourselves, to have a life full of experiences and memories. When we get to the end of life we want to show those around us that we a full life, it's almost a justification of our life for others and ourselves.

There is no secret to life except maybe surrounding yourself around those you love and who love you back, discovering your passion and waking up each day for it, and knowing who you are and never compromising it for anyone. I hope that everyone finds their secret to life, because as of right now this is my secret to life.

hoping you discover your secret, Fleming