Country Mouse Musings

It's good to be home for awhile. Wisconsin soothes my worried soul.  Here, I have no need for busy city sidewalks, where my shoes are more important to the passerby than my character.

 I only need long walks on my favorite paths.

And I'd rather have the sound of Amish buggies clattering down the road, than sirens and trains at night, and I'll take soft sunsets and starry skies, over glaring lights and the buzzing crowds.

 I know, that someday I might be separated from this place because life never ceases to surprise a person. But right now, I'm going to breathe in my Wisconsin air and wear a pair of muddy boots, with no one but the cattle to judge me.

And even they don't mind my country mouse ways.

Tuesday Tunes: Alexandre Desplat "The Meadow" and "Benjamin and Daisy"

    It's been all work and no play for me lately but, thankfully, Spring Break is just around the corner!  All of this studying, though, has given me the chance to just shut myself in my dorm room and listen to some incredible instrumental pieces. These pieces, without a single word, convey an enormous amount of emotion. Not to mention, they're great to just listen to while curled up in a blanket, drinking Yogi tea, and writing a paper with the space heater warming my toes. Trust me, I'm an expert at this!
   
So, this week I'm sharing a couple of pieces by the two time Grammy-winning composer, Alexandre Desplat. His music is a new discovery for me, although I've seen many of the films for which he has composed.

The first piece is called "The Meadow" and just because it was written for the Twilight series doesn't make it any less beautiful. I simply consider it outside of the context of the amusing Vampire-Werewolf- Human love triangle.

 The second piece, also by Desplat, is from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and is titled "Benjamin and Daisy." This piece is simple, yet lovely and definitely a great piece for paper-writing! Enjoy and Happy Tuesday!

Sometimes, you just need to wear that little black dress!

There are moments when  my brain does this thing where it decides to present to me every unanswered question in my life ALL AT THE SAME TIME! "Where are you going with your life?" "Why don't you have that figured out yet?" "Oh, and why does your hair look like Barbie's after she was sucked through the lawnmower?" And usually this occurs during a week where I'm tired, or hormonal, or sick, or all of the above. So, sometimes after a week like that, a girl just needs to don a little black dress, put on a pair of heels, and dance with her man. And that's what I did.
 Granted, I think every woman loves those days where nothing in the world can make her lather on foundation, or mascara; those Netflix-bingeing, oreo-eating, "ain't- getting -up- for- nothing- other- than- the- bathroom" kinda days. But, on the other hand, once in a VERY blue moon, it's great to just feel pretty and have someone tell you it's true. After all, we women are beautiful creatures, right? We were made in a way that makes us, to put it simply, admirable.

The aforementioned little black dress, and the man.

So, dear lady readers, if you're feeling down in the dumps this February; if your skin is as dry and pale as mine has gotten, try painting your nails a fun shade, or attempting to create one of those 40 billion outfits you pinned on Pinterest from your own closet, or maybe treat yourself to a day of pampering. You might be surprised at how much of a difference the little things make. If you feel good about yourself, or maybe just a little more refreshed, I promise it'll show!
 Oftentimes, I find myself sinking into the daily routine, the endless motions of getting out of bed and drearily trudging to the shower, slipping into the most convenient outfit available, and heading out the door, only to find later in the day that I had a deodorant stain front-and-center on my shirt, which escaped unnoticed in the rush. Other times, just the idea of brushing my hair sounds as daunting as one of Hercules' labors. I think sometimes, I just forget to care, and to take the trouble to feel good about myself. It's an uphill battle most of the time, and especially during the months where leg-shaving is like bulldozing a miniature rainforest.
Obviously, your happiness doesn't come down to physical appearances, but  they certainly do help.
If not, there's always too much Netflix,  and never enough Oreos.         

January's Cry

January wants to be noticed. I sometimes forget to soak up the beauty surrounding me, but January yelled out to me a day ago and I heard her. The sky was burning red like an ocean of flame overhead and the oak trees standing hauntingly in silent, still rows. Out I went for a winter walk, and my camera came along.
January is waiting.
Don't overlook her.

The Six Phases of Christmas

There seem to be several steps to Christmas every year. In my family it goes a little like this:
Phase 1: "OH MY GOSH IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!"
During this stage, my mom starts making gifts and compiling things for everyone she knows. I'm not exaggerating. Our dining room explodes in a bomb of wrapping paper, ribbon, glitter and sharpies. I'm always amazed because she thinks of everyone from neighbors, to relatives, to that random old man from church that we haven't seen in ten years.

Phase 2: " DECORATE EVERYTHING!!!!"
Out of the dusty basement come the boxes of stockings, ornaments, lights and the prized Christmas village. It's officially time to decorate. My sisters and I have enough energy to practically run a small country and we pump up the music, and roll out the cookie dough.There is, it seems, no limit to what we can accomplish.

Phase 3: (approximately 2 days later) "CAN WE BE DONE NOW?"
I think at some point we reach this stage, but aren't quite willing to admit it. The tree is decorated and the majority of gifts wrapped, so we're feeling pretty accomplished and now all we want to do is sleep, eat, and watch It's a Wonderful Life.

Phase 4: "NO! YOU AREN'T DONE UNTIL CHRISTMAS IS!"
The marching orders come in. Continue on. String more lights. Wrap more gifts. Bake more cookies. You want to watch a movie? That's just too bad. There are Church Windows to be made! And so, we continue on.

Phase 5: "THANK GOODNESS! IT'S FINALLY HERE!"
That glorious moment when Christmas actually arrives is one of complete bliss for children and adults alike and everyone in my family goes to Mass, comes home to eat and proceeds to fall asleep after opening presents. The hard work has paid off.

Phase 6:  (12 days later...) "CLEAN UP TIME!"
"ummmm...... what? Clean-up? What's that? Nah, I don't do that. Can't we just leave the tree up all year? "

                                                 THE END (UNTIL NEXT YEAR THAT IS)

Finals Week

I suppose attempting to start a blog during the craziness of finals week may not be the best idea, but when there's the itch to write, what can a girl do? I've actually never pegged myself as the blogging type, but after leaving my once faithfully kept journals to collect dust amidst candy wrappers and forgotten Latin flashcards, I've decided I still need to write. This may be a failed attempt, but it's still an effort to share my silly thoughts, right?  So in between my merely academic scribblings at college, I'll try to write about life as a nineteen year-old student, living on a mountain in snowy, sleepy New Hampshire, and attending a small liberal arts college. If you're wondering what it looks like, don't worry, I make attempts at  photography too! And now, I need to return to the reality that finals week is here.
                                                  Much coffee will be consumed.

The college's little chapel.

The view I get to see every day on my walks to and from class.

Heading back to my the dorm under falling snow, with the  glow of  Narnia-like lamps guiding my way.