I want a hippotamus for Christmas!

Hehe, not really... it was just playing on the radio, and I couldn't resist on writing it down! Really, though...welcome back, world. I have not been an active member of society in a good 2 weeks. So much has happened, most of which is simply a huge blur of piano practice, concerts, writing papers, studying, writing papers, writing papers...

In a way, I can't believe that the semester is over, yet in another, it seemed like an endless inferno, if you know what I mean. After all that work, all we have to look forward to is the scariest little piece of paper in the world...THE REPORT CARD. It seems unnatural and wrong to have an entire semester of blood, sweat and tears (ok, hypothetical blood, but real tears and sweat) and all that we get is a single sheet of paper saying "This is how you did. One little number will tell us and the rest of the world, what kind of college student you were this semester. Effort doesn't matter. This little number does." It just doesn't seem fair.

At least someday my kids won't say "Excuse me, mom, but what was your GPA in college again? I am going to base my love and affection on how well you did in (oh, hypothetically) American Literature in college, not on the love which you shower upon me through taking care of my every need day in and day out."

I don't want to sound like a complete pessimist...because I'm not - those who know me know that I can't help but smile, even in some of my worst moods. There were some absolutely wonderful things that happened this semester, and in true list-making form, here are some of them, to be shared for the enjoyement of all.

First, some of the funny things which my professors said:

• "I can't believe I married this wastrel!" - Dr. Jordan, on telling the class his horror when he found out that his wife, a graduate of Hillsdale, hardly ever cracked a book in any of her literature classes, while he had been such a diligent student in college that not a single word of an assignment had been neglected.
• "To make it up to you for keeping you inside on such a lovely day, we're going to talk about sex." - Dr. Bushey, on trying to validate keeping us inside on one of the last nice days of the semester, by giving us an "interesting topic" in our Modern Art course.
• "I think the next time that I make cookies for this class, I'll make Jackson Pollock instead of Mondrian" - Dr. Bushey, on her surprise for the class on the last day. (For those who don't understand the hilarity of the joke, Dr. Bushey had spent hour and hours making multi-colored cookies with straight black lines, and little red, blue, and yellow squares.. a hassle, but in the style of the artist Mondrian. Pollock on the other hand, worked by dribbling paint in squiggles all over the place - hence, a lot easier to frost cookies in such a style.)

Now, for wonderful memories which happened with friends:

• Meeting Patricia Polacco with Christine, the only other person in the world I know would actually *care* about meeting Patricia - she is a children's book author and writer, and we met her right at the end of the year when we'd been in a children's lit course all semester.
• Going to the Humane Society with Jen, Julia, Huff, and Schlegel to play with the puppies.
• Studying Modern Art flashcards with Katie the last night of school from 1-3 in the morning. Amazingly, it was a lot of fun and we actually remembered all the works at the exam.
• Going to Switchfoot with Bridget.
• Going to Shane & Shane and David Crowder with Scott, and seeing Matt Wish for the first time in forever.
• Getting to sing the part of Hansel in the orchestra concert.
• ***Feeling like I finally have a home church, and a place within it!!!!!!!***
• Seeing Narnia with Christine and her 7th grade class, and all the laughs we got out of the trip (Christine laughed so much that day it brought her to tears three times)
• My unexpected call from my friend Flash while she was standing by the sea.
• Seeing Wicked in Chicago, and Dean and Giles's engagement there.
• Figuring out bridesmaids' dresses with Giles.
• Living in the suites with my wonderful roomies.
• My time spent with all my incredible friends, even if it was limited due to my hectic schedule.
• Going to the Mazza Museum.
• Getting into reading more on my own...having the burning desire to really, truly, be self-educating through books.
• Drinking *way* too much coffee. ;)
• Embracing singleness with Christine...and loving it.
  
• Finding a secret hideout. If I explained anymore to you, then it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?
  
• Reaching a long-standing goal of playing Rachmaninoff's Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33, No. 4.

Too many other things to think of right now.
I'm just blessed to have gotten everything done this semester...and confident in Who got me through it.

Merry Christmas to all of you! Don't forget what made is so important.

But for now... off to decorate a Christmas tree. :)