we did it!

painting in green, sunday afternoon

red - last december

painting - last december

catching him with his book stuck behind his waistband - last fall

unedited, leaves - last fall

the library - last year

the semester is over. grades will be posted next week. i survived 15 credit hours, a mountain of illnesses, moving, many accomplishments, new jobs, and a plan for the remainder of my undergraduate education. this is the first year that i haven't filled my break with a job - my job runs with the school year, now. i am spending some time this morning, convincing myself that this break is well-deserved; that the countless hours put in (my day isn't over at 5pm when class gets out) merits three whole weeks of rest. i'm so happy (and relieved) that i could cry. i feel like i am walking around with a well of tears behind my eyes ready to burst at any moment. i did it. we did it.

so, i've got a list:
ypsi flea (sunday)
impression 5 (a really awesome kid's museum in lansing)
snow globes
tackling the big bag of yarn in my closet
hosting a naked lady party? the box under my desk is overflowing
lights at the toledo zoo, and the toledo art museum/glass house
wayne county light fest
make sugar scrubs and chai concentrate for christmas presents
printmaking
visiting with friends and family, but particularly a certain friend i've yet to meet in person, and my sister who gets in on christmas eve!

and of course, an ambitious list of books to read: on goodreads, because with no work and no school, we're down to our last few dollars until mid-january and books are free.

i also discovered an exhibit in chicago titled "write now: artists and letterforms." thank god it's there through april - i imagine this might be useful for my senior thesis, in terms of text functions and what craft can learn from composition (and vice versa). more and more, i feel like my focus is shifting towards narratives and their presence in various texts - academic, personal, image, art. in terms of community literacy, writing as a process and writing to learn, there are narratives present. these narratives are both a personal and social history, as preserved in some sort of thing that either looks like or functions as a text.

these little guys are waiting for their snow globes

from my phone: impromptu printmaking this week, for ypsi flea and for christmas.

the christmas tree. grace has been decorating it all week.

happy break!!!