Thursday, March 26, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Long time coming!
Well, hello everyone, all of my faithful blog readers, all those who remember that I keep a blog, what with all of my infrequent postings and all.
I'm doing quite well, currently sitting in a room at the visitor's quarters at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. It's good to be in Texas, let me tell you. The boy of mine is currently completing a simulator event -- which gives me some time to myself. As I've read 350 pages of Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov and about 100 pages of Tolkien's The Return of the King in the last 3 days, I thought I would take a short break from reading.
So, what's up with Tabitha? I'm sure that's what you're all asking (right? right?). Last you heard I was writing a senior paper and in the midst of wedding planning. Since then, I've handed in my paper, entitled "Fearful Humans and a Loving God: an essay on the love of God, and humans response to it." The senior essay evening was a lot of fun, beginning with heading over to the college presidents house and having a blast talking with our fellow seniors and advisers who also were there. Returning to campus and ringing that bell sure felt good, too!
Returning to class after a month off was a bit tough. It took a while to get back into the swing of things, and getting seminar readings done well was awfully difficult! Things got a little easier as the weeks wore on, though not due to the material! For the second semester of senior year, we read Darwin and genetics masters in Lab class and study Einstein's special theory of relativity in Math. In Language class we read Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse. Seminar consisted of Nietzche (Beyond Good and Evil), Wagner (Tristan und Isolde), Conrad (Heart of Darkness), and James (Psychology, briefer course). It's been quite the semester so far.
Fortunately, my senior oral was scheduled for the Thursday before break began. That was both nerve wracking and nice -- it was early, but done with! I was a little nervous because my essay was fairly New Testament based, but my committee was mostly Jewish. I knew they would ask me hard questions, and ask me to substantiate my claims. They did. But that hour just flew by. And a lot of people came! Thank you, to all who did come. It really meant a lot to me!
And now, spring break. I spent the first few days in Annapolis, working full time (getting in my weekly hours in two and a half days, how funny!), and hanging out with Jonathan and Abigail. We played a whole lot of games of Settlers of Catan, had a blast, and ate some pizza along the way. It was good.
I flew down to Texas in a day-long journey Tuesday, hung out at the airport for a while waiting for my love, and journeyed with him to Wendy's for a late-night dinner. He's been busy while I've been here, studying a lot, mostly with two sim events a day. But I can be with him, and that's what I was really looking for. Fortunately, the Brothers K is another 400 pages long, so I've got plenty to do while he's studying.
Today marks the three month mark before our wedding (the date is June 13th, for all curious folks). Things are certainly falling into place. We are getting married at Weems Creek, with the reception to follow in the dining hall at St. John's, a beautiful building. I bought my dress over Valentine's weekend, but I won't tell you about that here, for fear of manly eyes looking over this post. . . (Sorry, Brett!) But I will say that the pearls I got from my man for Valentine's day will go perfectly with it. We've picked our menu items, figured out the favors, sent the invitations, partially planned the ceremony, and the attendants mostly have their ensembles together (helps when several of them will be attending in uniform!). There are still a lot of things to be done, but I truly feel as if things are falling into place nicely.
I just have to graduate first, on May 17th. :D I don't doubt that I will, fortunately, so that should be a breeze! And then we'll get married, and life after commencement shall begin, in the arms of my flyboy, somewhere here down south (the navy hasn't told us quite where yet!). I can't wait.
Yours,
Tabitha
I'm doing quite well, currently sitting in a room at the visitor's quarters at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. It's good to be in Texas, let me tell you. The boy of mine is currently completing a simulator event -- which gives me some time to myself. As I've read 350 pages of Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov and about 100 pages of Tolkien's The Return of the King in the last 3 days, I thought I would take a short break from reading.
So, what's up with Tabitha? I'm sure that's what you're all asking (right? right?). Last you heard I was writing a senior paper and in the midst of wedding planning. Since then, I've handed in my paper, entitled "Fearful Humans and a Loving God: an essay on the love of God, and humans response to it." The senior essay evening was a lot of fun, beginning with heading over to the college presidents house and having a blast talking with our fellow seniors and advisers who also were there. Returning to campus and ringing that bell sure felt good, too!
Returning to class after a month off was a bit tough. It took a while to get back into the swing of things, and getting seminar readings done well was awfully difficult! Things got a little easier as the weeks wore on, though not due to the material! For the second semester of senior year, we read Darwin and genetics masters in Lab class and study Einstein's special theory of relativity in Math. In Language class we read Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse. Seminar consisted of Nietzche (Beyond Good and Evil), Wagner (Tristan und Isolde), Conrad (Heart of Darkness), and James (Psychology, briefer course). It's been quite the semester so far.
Fortunately, my senior oral was scheduled for the Thursday before break began. That was both nerve wracking and nice -- it was early, but done with! I was a little nervous because my essay was fairly New Testament based, but my committee was mostly Jewish. I knew they would ask me hard questions, and ask me to substantiate my claims. They did. But that hour just flew by. And a lot of people came! Thank you, to all who did come. It really meant a lot to me!
And now, spring break. I spent the first few days in Annapolis, working full time (getting in my weekly hours in two and a half days, how funny!), and hanging out with Jonathan and Abigail. We played a whole lot of games of Settlers of Catan, had a blast, and ate some pizza along the way. It was good.
I flew down to Texas in a day-long journey Tuesday, hung out at the airport for a while waiting for my love, and journeyed with him to Wendy's for a late-night dinner. He's been busy while I've been here, studying a lot, mostly with two sim events a day. But I can be with him, and that's what I was really looking for. Fortunately, the Brothers K is another 400 pages long, so I've got plenty to do while he's studying.
Today marks the three month mark before our wedding (the date is June 13th, for all curious folks). Things are certainly falling into place. We are getting married at Weems Creek, with the reception to follow in the dining hall at St. John's, a beautiful building. I bought my dress over Valentine's weekend, but I won't tell you about that here, for fear of manly eyes looking over this post. . . (Sorry, Brett!) But I will say that the pearls I got from my man for Valentine's day will go perfectly with it. We've picked our menu items, figured out the favors, sent the invitations, partially planned the ceremony, and the attendants mostly have their ensembles together (helps when several of them will be attending in uniform!). There are still a lot of things to be done, but I truly feel as if things are falling into place nicely.
I just have to graduate first, on May 17th. :D I don't doubt that I will, fortunately, so that should be a breeze! And then we'll get married, and life after commencement shall begin, in the arms of my flyboy, somewhere here down south (the navy hasn't told us quite where yet!). I can't wait.
Yours,
Tabitha
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A handshake, a bottle of champagne, and a chance to ring the bell.
Basically that's what we're all working for right now. When we turn in our 4 copies of our Senior Essays Saturday evening sometime between 10 and 12 at the President's house, we'll get a chance to shake the hands of the President and Dean of the College, be handed a bottle of champagne for our very own, and then head back to campus to fulfill another tradition, the ringing of the bell:
I'll let you know how it goes!
The bell of St. John's College's McDowell Hall will ring between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 8 as 114 seniors at the third oldest college in the country continue an annual tradition that marks a senior rite of passage. Each of this year's 114 seniors will be allowed one celebratory peal marking the completion of a major senior paper that is due that evening.
Seniors will turn in their essays to Dean Michael Dink before midnight February 7 at a reception at the home of President Christopher Nelson in Annapolis. Then they return to campus to ring the bell in McDowell Hall's cupola. (There is not a bell-rope to pull; the seniors press a button to sound the bell.)
This spring, seniors will participate in formal, hour-long oral exams on their essays. These examinations represent the culmination of the students' academic life at St. John's, and seniors typically choose topics of particular interest to them from their studies of the foundational works of Western civilization.
I'll let you know how it goes!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wintertime in Annapolis
There isn't much going on here lately, but I did see a snowplow this morning! I don't exactly know what he planned on doing with the 1/8" of snow that fell last night, but maybe the guy will have some fun. :D After being in Idaho for the three weeks of Christmas Break, I guess I'm a little cynical.
Classes started back at St. John's on the 11th, but we seniors have off until the 6th to write our senior essays. This time off
In any case, I'm pleased with my progress so far, and am looking forward to the rest of this week as I revise like mad. I've got my red pen out, and I'm going through my 13-page draft and tearing it apart. As gruesome as that sounds, it's one of my favorite parts.
The final draft is due February 7th, at midnight, and it should be between 20-40 pages long.
Then a few more weeks of class before Spring Break. . . for which I'm mongo excited (a visit to Texas and my fiance is in order!).
On the wedding front, planning is finally falling into place, albeit slowly. Legwork that I've been doing since coming back to school is paying off, and some of the more significant decisions are being made. We know the date -- June 13th -- and some other things are on the verge of being decided. I'll let you know more about those in a later post.
In the meantime, my laundry is calling. .
T
Classes started back at St. John's on the 11th, but we seniors have off until the 6th to write our senior essays. This time off
can be an exhilarating time for you and your adviser. You can make that possibility more likely if you start early, but in a leisurely manner, and make good use of your adviser.
In any case, I'm pleased with my progress so far, and am looking forward to the rest of this week as I revise like mad. I've got my red pen out, and I'm going through my 13-page draft and tearing it apart. As gruesome as that sounds, it's one of my favorite parts.
The final draft is due February 7th, at midnight, and it should be between 20-40 pages long.
Then a few more weeks of class before Spring Break. . . for which I'm mongo excited (a visit to Texas and my fiance is in order!).
On the wedding front, planning is finally falling into place, albeit slowly. Legwork that I've been doing since coming back to school is paying off, and some of the more significant decisions are being made. We know the date -- June 13th -- and some other things are on the verge of being decided. I'll let you know more about those in a later post.
In the meantime, my laundry is calling. .
T
Monday, January 5, 2009
Christmas Eve
It couldn't have been better!
I've been in Idaho for the majority of my Christmas Break. It's been extremely snowy, with about 3 feet sitting on the ground for the last few weeks. It's snowing again today with another 5-7 inches expected.
Brett was here for the first two weeks that I have been, but flew back to Texas yesterday morning.
Christmas Eve was the most memorable day of the break so far. I got a pretty special present that I needed some help unwrapping:
Wrapped in seven layers of boxes and wrapping paper, the box I unwrapped at the end included an engagement ring from my boyfriend of 14 months. The ring is amazing. Brett chose so well.
We're pretty happy about the whole affair, and have begun planning a June wedding. More details will certainly follow!
Tabitha
I've been in Idaho for the majority of my Christmas Break. It's been extremely snowy, with about 3 feet sitting on the ground for the last few weeks. It's snowing again today with another 5-7 inches expected.
Brett was here for the first two weeks that I have been, but flew back to Texas yesterday morning.
Christmas Eve was the most memorable day of the break so far. I got a pretty special present that I needed some help unwrapping:
Wrapped in seven layers of boxes and wrapping paper, the box I unwrapped at the end included an engagement ring from my boyfriend of 14 months. The ring is amazing. Brett chose so well.
We're pretty happy about the whole affair, and have begun planning a June wedding. More details will certainly follow!
Tabitha
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