Christmas Reads

In less than 2 weeks, I will be on a 6-week-long Christmas vacation. Can I get a 'hallelujah?!' Unfortunately it will be bittersweet (I think bittersweet might be my favorite word. . .and chocolate flavor).  This is my last Christmas break that will probably last longer than 7 days.  I'm never going back to Westminster to study, and I will be leaving the US for another 4.5 months.  Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely ecstatic to be going back abroad, but it's hard to imagine another phase of my life is coming to an end.

In order to stop thinking about the inevitable, escaping into the world of literature is a good place to start.  December is perfect for cozy-ing up next to the fire with steaming hot cocoa, light folk music, and a tattered used book recently released from its sparkly red Christmas wrapping. I know I'm ready.  And since working at summer camp hindered the completion of my book list (in addition to Capstone taking up my "fun" reading), a lot of these books were from my list created this past June. 

1. Until the End - Christopher Pike
2. Bones of Betrayal - Jefferson Bass
3. After the Funeral - Agatha Christie
4. A Study in Scarlet and the Sign of Four-Arthur Conan Doyle
5. The Princess Bride - William Goldman
6. This Side of Paradise - F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth GIlbert
8. The Naming of the Dead - Ian Rankin
9. Extras - Scott Westerfeld
10. Endless Night - Agatha Christie

11. Mere Christianity-C.S. Lewis
12. Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury
13. Captivating-John Eldredge
14. The Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingsolver
15. Blue Highways - William Heast Moon
16. Any remaining Nancy Drew novels in my room
17. Danse Macabre - Stephen King
18. The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer
19. Lemony Snicket: The unauthorized autobiography

20. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

xo
Hills

Thanksgiving in Scotland

Meant to post this yesterday but got a tad distracted while cooking :) This was in The Globe yesterday!

’Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the town, Americans were stirring, shopping around.  The Scotsmen were snugged in their beds without care, about to experience a day of great share.

On this day last year, I woke up at 6 in the morning, caught the earliest bus to town, and headed over to my American friend Tori’s flat to do some serious cooking.  Cooking mass amounts of food like never before — especially for Tori, who wasn’t much of a chef, let alone learning how to cook a complete Thanksgiving meal for 16 non-Americans.  It was a learning experience for both of us on multiple different levels and a true moment of realizing how far our friendship had grown. Doesn’t the saying go “Friends who cook together stick together?”

The night before the big event, Tori and I scrambled to find ingredients for the classic Thanksgiving staples. “Pureed pumpkin?” the Tesco worker stared with confusion, “We only have pumpkins around Halloween. . .” 

“Fried onions? Like sautéed onions? I don’t know what you mean. Let me ask the manager.”  

“Well, there’s this boxed stuffing that might work. . .”

So pumpkin pie was out of the question, the green bean casserole tasted a little bit more exotic, and the usually hearty stuffing was more akin to a baby food texture, but in spite of all the mishaps, by the grace of God alone (and maybe the help of Food Network), it was the most successful meal of my cooking career.  We had one 10 lb. turkey stuffed with vegetables, two turkey breast rolls, a vat of creamy mashed potatoes, two green bean casseroles, bread rolls, cranberry sauce, an apple pie, an apple cake, stuffing and gravy.  

After a 14-hour day spent cooking, watching American football on Jonny’s TV, streaming a Thanksgiving episode of “Friends,” and eating, drinking and laughing with 16 dear friends, I learned what Thanksgiving means to me.  It’s about being thankful for old friends, new friends, old traditions, and new traditions and the opportunity to share life with others, mashing together a bowl of delicious memories. 

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for my parents, for encouraging my love of cooking (from my dad) and my love of baking (from my mum).  If it wasn’t for their inspiration as a kid, spending my weekends and school vacations oohing and aah-ing at their skills in the kitchen, I never would’ve been able to pull-off this American tradition unknown to my new found friends in Scotland.  And even though Tori wasn’t well-versed in culinary lingo, she was the perfect side kick, helping me assemble multiple dishes with a calm and cheerful attitude.

xx
Hill

Artist of the Day (Nov. 21, 2013)

Today's artist is Johnny Flynn.

While studying in the library, sometimes I get a little distracted by my Spotify account.  Browsing the homepage with so many suggestions, it's hard not to click on a few and see what happens.

Today when I got on to find some good studying music, Johnny Flynn was recommended to me because I listen to the Scottish alt. rock band Frightened Rabbit. After one click, I've listened to almost 10 of his songs.  It's mellow, poetic, soothing, and has a mystical darkness about it.  Flynn is an actor, poet, song-writer and a member of British folk group the Sussex Wit before becoming the frontman of the group.  His strong vocal range and methodical lyrics compliment his shy, boyish blonde-haired, blue-eyed presence on camera.  It's a great combination of intrigue and talent.

Here's a duet called "The Water" with Laura Marling. The lyrics are perfect for a dreary November afternoon in the library!

xx,

Hill

Poetry Corner

Within and Without

When do we stop floating?
Do birds ever settle
in one place?
I flit, I flee, I disappear.

Are humans like doves?
Innocent creatures
bound to one soulmate-
two souls, settled forever.

I don't belong here,
I don't belong there;
I float along the parallel,
within and without
the sky, a hopeful friend.

Pillowing pink clouds
arouse romantic feelings;
the littlest things
satisfy a wandering soul.

But even the sky disregards
a wingless bird,
drifting, drifting,
constantly drifting.

When do I stop floating?
When will I be a dove?
Wingless birds drift,
stuck,
lusting for another branch, another home, another soul.

I flee on my feet,
I flit through pages
I disappear on planes,
a wingless bird trying to fly.

wingless birds
don't have a home
wingless birds
travel alone.


xx
Hill

lather, rinse, repeat

It looks like the same form.  It looks like the same program. It looks like the same country. It is the same country, but it isn't the same country.

It's finally official, I've re-applied to study abroad for another semester at the University of Stirling after my completion of studying for 2 further semesters at Westminster.

Yep.  I'm lathering myself with Scottish shampoo again.  I'm repeating the second wash that a lot of study abroad students don't bother with.  I'm actually going back to the same school, in the same country, more than a year after my first journey abroad.

Some of the biggest questions/comments I've received are as follows:

"Will it be the same?"
"So, who's the guy you're going back for?"
"But you'll miss the last semester of your senior year!!"
"Aren't you sad to be leaving Westminster?"
"You aren't gonna graduate on time, are you?"
"Why do you wanna go back to the same country? Couldn't you go somewhere else?"
"Why do you want to leave Wesminster?"
"Won't you miss us?"

And the answer is always "Yes or No. It's the last chance all of my friends will be in the same place in the UK, and the classes fit my interests better. I also might want to live there someday so I need to go back to decide if that's still the case."

Everyone is getting a little fired up about it, but I haven't even been officially accepted.  Yes, I will miss a lot from back home, that's always going to be the case.  But I have the rest of my life to live in western PA...I've already been doing it for 21 years, I think it's okay if I leave for 4 months again.

So I'm lathering, rinsing, and repeating. And it feels pretty good.

xx
Hills

Artist of The Day

It's been practically eons since I last posted an "Artist of the Day" blog, but I couldn't resist after I re-discovered the Ryan Gosling band that sprang up in 2009.  Somehow I'd forgotten about their incredibly creative self-titled album.

Dead Man's Bones is a rock duo consisting of critically acclaimed actor Ryan Gosling and his friend, Zach Shields.  Gosling and Shields take turns on vocals and both switch up instruments for different songs on the album.  They met in 2005 and discovered they shared a mutual obsession with ghosts and a mutual love for music.  Because of this, they decided to write a love story about ghosts and monsters in a musical format but when that fell through, they made an album instead.  The album features the Silverlake Conservatory of Music's children choir.

So what is so great about Dead Man's Bones besides the beautiful face of Ryan Gosling and his attractive musical partner? Their creativity.  I haven't heard a track of music like this for quite some time.  Every song offers a different experience for the listener.  And as a fan of horror movies, crime novels and dark plot lines, the eeriness behind every track was pleasantly fascinating.  Each time I listen through the album I get something different out of it.  And not to mention, it's the perfect album to listen to on a dreary fall day with a cup of pumpkin coffee, a Bath & Body Works "Leaves" scented candle and a big, cozy sweater.

The above song isn't on their album, but this one is called "Name in Stone." I'm a huge fan of the film noir feel the video has.

I've been wanting to hear them perform live (and how awesome would it be to go to a Halloween-themed concert with a costume?!) but the only light I could shed on their touring situation was in the below article.

http://www.gigwise.com/news/83139/ryan-goslings-band-dead-mans-bones-asked-to-tour-with-gaslight-anthem

Cheers,
Hill xx

Senior Year

 

So. Senior Year.
I may or may not be in denial over the fact that graduation is in May. ALREADY.
After spending a summer working at Camp and having time to ponder life and the future in a kayak in the middle of the lake, I have realized that I shouldn't really be all that worried over what my future is going to hold. I have come to the realization that I need to stop worrying so much over what the year is going be like and what will come after graduation. I really just need to put all my trust in God knowing that He has a plan for me. As much as I want my future to be handed to me in a neat little envelope all figured out and stress free, you and I both know that it doesn't exactly work like that. The bible verse that has been my computer background for the last few months has been sitting in the back of my brain is Psalm 31:24, which reads:

 Be brave.

Be strong.

Don't give up.

Expect God to get here soon.

 

But it is totally true. He really does answer our prayers in the quietest ways. Even though there are times when I just want Him to scream what He has in store for me, He is whispering His plan for me the quietest He can.

 

So as I run around my house like a chicken with my head cut off making sure I have packed everything I will want to have at school. I need to just BREATHE. and remind myself to keep breathing. and know that my future is there, patiently waiting for me to figure out what it is.

 

for now.

megs