V-day...

Thursday was Valentine's Day, aka my least favorite holiday. This year wasn't so bad. My apartment watched Beauty and the Beast, which I've been wanting to watch for over a month. So it was good. And I did work and went to classes, and went to a meeting at which we read Medea as a V-day treat. What better way to celebrate than to read of a crazy angry lady plotting to destroy her unfaithful husband? Then I watched a bug crawl across the ceiling. I turned off some of the lights, and it left the dark one, and slowly made its way to the lit one. Amusing.

So, besides feeling on the verge of nasty sickness, it was a good day. And, apart from continuing to feel almost very sick, I'm still doing ok. Wrote some poetry last night. It has been too long. And now I'm reading a book with one of the best titles ever: Dead Souls.

A random poem from last night...

I watch the ice creeping
across my path,
and laugh at the wind's
taunting breath.
I am armored against
the cold,
cautious and ready
for the harshest blast.

Odd glances darting past me
as I walk
slip through my unconscious
as through a sieve.
I grin at the hidden sun,
warm in my cocoon,
unbothered by strangers
or grey skies.

Then I am caught by two eyes
watching me tenderly,
and all my layered preparations
peel away,
and I
shiver.

an American tradition

I watched my first Superbowl yesterday. Patriots fans are amusing to watch. I ate the last cookie. And I'm way too competitive; it's a good thing I DON'T watch sports regularly. It's so much fun to mock that I don't want to get attached. I still think their outfits are ridiculous, though.

And all my apartment-mates have returned, so I am no longer all alone and bored. It's much more cheerful with all of us around. I also had a good, long talk with someone today, so all that grrness that bottled up last weekend has drained away. I feel much better, much encouraged. And I smelled sea air, and saw geese and seagulls. Good to get off-campus. Good to find honest sympathy. Good, good, good. Still tired in body, but not so tired in emotion.

You fall down, down, down, and then suddenly realize you've somehow been pulled back up into the open air, and it's one of the most ecstatic, beautiful feelings in the world. Vita bona est.

and the thorns of doom...

... in addition to all my other adventures, I bit a thorn.

There I was, minding my own business, enjoying my blackberry strudel, when wham! it bit me! This was in my strudel:



Isn't that scary. About a finger-length! In my food. But, of course, I shall not let this frighten me. I'll still eat blackberry strudel. It's too good to give up because of this.

from Christmas break

Over break I did some baking, mostly recipes that involved hazelnuts. This is our first project: Austrian Hazelnut Cake. Isn't it pretty?

We also mad Hazelnut Buns, and a loaf cake. And I made oatmeal muffins. Also did sewing: a shirt, and a dress (which is not quite finished). I felt like an old-fashioned girl, and it was good.