Week 8

This week we tie things up before the end of the semester. Our big Team Project was due and we each focused on part of the Romantic era of Literature. It was perhaps one of my favorite parts of literature and it was a complete joy to be able to spend time reading Keats, who I focused on, particularly over "The Ode to A Nightingale". Overall, it was a very engaging class and I enjoyed the discussion. I do wish that we got to spend more than one week over a big piece of literature, the actual books, but I have no other complaints. I liked the idea of the team project and the semester felt like  lot at first but quickly became manageable as we progressed through the semester.

Week 7

Week 7 was about Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. It was a very interesting read, especially in the way that it was written, using psychological realism and stream of consciousness to present the characters to the audience, using their inner thoughts to showcase their true feelings on any given subject. I liked the way that the psychological realism, the insights given by the characters flowed using the stream of consciousness, a way to encourage the flow between thoughts. I also enjoyed the contrast ad similarities between the characters.

Week 6

Week 6's literature is a little about finding yourself and remaking your life. It kind of shows a way to show your life in literature, It shows the need to find yourself and reinvent yourself when you realize that you are stuck in a rut. I enjoyed this week but it was difficult for me to wade through, The Waste Land especially. I  found it very difficult to read and spent waaay to much time trying to read.

Great Expectations and everything that comes with them

This week was, you guessed it! Great Expectations. I had an absolute blast this week, it was as if I was stepping a bit into my past. This book was something that I had enjoyed as high schooler but never got to sit down and discuss it as a class or with any of my friends. I had the opportunity to do so with my online class and got to participate and finally dissect the book a little. There was some dissecting that I had already done on my own. Pip's aunt and her abusive attitude and Joe's sympathetic but submissive attitude towards what happens to Pip. Some of the discussions that came up that I had not considered before was Estella's attitude towards Pip and then what the actual Great Expectations turned Pip into. He lost sight of his family and became hurtful towards his old home and those left within it. Overall it was a very interesting but entertaining week.

ciao 4 now,
Arwen

Victorian Era

This week we discussed the Victorian Era, we talked about the huge progression made forward during this time and the almost dreamlike state in which people wrote. There were more female writers I noticed as we have begun to me closer to the age in which we are now in. We read Tennyson's "The Women;s Cause is Man's", and Arnold's "The Forsaken Merman". The dreamlike state and the wishes for gender equality, that a woman has as much right as a man and that they hold an equal and important role. That one needs the other to fully operate ad provide the best in a society. And Arnold's poem was a very interesting commentary on the relationship between religion and imagination. Discussing how over time we tend to lose a piece of our imagination and surrender to "growing up", religion if you will. How religion take over our minds and gives us something more concrete to work and play. I cannot wait to see what next week has in store for the class.

Frankenstein

So, Frankenstein was this week!!!!! I was REALLY excited to read this week. I have never read Frankenstein so this was anew one for me.I knew the basic gist of the story, mad scientists creates crazy monster to come to life using dead people spare parts. What I was not prepared for was the romantic side of it, the family that the scientist misses, the cousin/lover (this really bugged me for some reason, it felt like Elizabeth was just a charity case to the rest of the family). The need to fulfill that but the want to not deal with it as well. And of course the big fact the it is not Frankenstein but Frankenstein's monster. That Victor Frankenstein is the scientist that could also be called the monster, but that's for another discussion, but not the actual, created, flesh and blood "monster" that we immediately picture. This week was a heavy week but a good one and I cannot wait to get the rest of the week started.

Romanticism

This week we discussed Romanticism in class and we worked to provide a contrast between romanticism and realism. Romanticism uses mainly emotion to convey an idea across to the audience while realism strives to recreate reality as closely as possible to the literal thing. We spent sometime discussing John Keats "Ode to a Nightingale", where he discusses the ability of the poets to completely immerse themselves n their work, forgetting for a time where and who they are. Conveying all of their emotion and focus into their work.

I did not think about this before but the more I read on the romantic and the era of romanticism the more I realize I am one as well. I thoroughly enjoy the genre and the work and identify more easily with the subject area. Possibly because it allows me to use my imagination and encourages this, so as to better understand the artist and their work.

William Blake

I am taking an English Literature class this semester (it is a block 2 class) and we need to post once a week about the lessons learned so this is the beginning, I am actually really looking forward to the class. As the tile states we really studied William Blake, I had honestly forgotten how much I enjoyed poetry. I love that in poetry one is able to be so melancholic and thoughtful and then so hopeful in so little time. I love that poetry gives you small glances and snapshots of the vent or story taking place. William Blake is interesting because in his "Songs of Innocence " he is able take something so small, fragile, and hopeful (innocence of a child of life) and discuss the melancholic, depressed, and sad side of the issue as well. The growing up, moving on, or the other side of the rose colored glass, the hardships that are present in ever day life as we bid goodbye to other parts of our life, to pieces of who we are, traditions, families, and color.

All is right in the world

So at home tonight, no phone (long story), quiet music and my fellow bloggers keeping me company. I have work, school, and some papers to find but for now, while I am trying to fall asleep I am enjoying the deep quiet that occurs when the world is asleep and media is not pushing for your attention. It is a wonderfilled evening, living in this peace and quiet that this world so rarely affords.

For tonight it is time to dream, it is time to dream dear readers of our hopes and fears, of our strengths and weaknesses. It is time to lay down our wearied selves and hope for a new tomorrow. It is time to let ourselves wonder our imaginations, allow ourselves to be so deeply immersed within our own minds that we forget all sense of self and surrender ourselves to the power of almighty God. To allow ourselves to drift aimlessly among the deep seas and distant mountains. Moving in and out with the ebb and flow of the currents, rising higher and higher to the mountains peak. Take a deep breath and pray. Let all your worries go to God, fall on Him. He wants to take your cross and give you a new one, on suited for you made by Him. I know that this is hard because you think in your mind that He has too many of His own problems to deal with, that how can the God that has literally taken on humanity possibly want to take on my small and insignificant cares and worries. How could He want to take on my cares and troubles when more than half of the world suffers far worse than I? A person who has a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, and food to get me through the week. How?

The answer is simple and just as frightening and overwhelming as the idea of giving this all  to Him, it is because of one small, insignificant, tiny fact. He loves you. He loves us. He has such an overwhelming love for you and knows you. He knows the troubles you are facing right now. He knows where you are and wants to meet you where you are at. Maybe you are working through anxiety right now because nothing in your life, no matter how hard you try is going "right". Maybe, right now, you are so swamped in homework that you can't focus but you have something due right now and you NEED to FOCUS. Maybe your best friend, lover, husband has betrayed your deepest trust and you don't know where to turn or who to trust. Maybe you are so broken that you feel like nothing could ever go right again because you have screwed it up so much already. Maybe you are completely heart broken over a great loss, spiritually, physically or mentally. Wherever you are He knows. And He does not want to meet you where you could or might be but where you are. Right now, at this second, today.

He wants you to be filled with His love. To know that He is there. He does not just love you but He is love. He knows what love you need and has it to give, just knock and let go when he asks for your baggage. Let him take it for you and carry it up the stairs for you. He knows where it goes and what should be done with the baggage that you have been carrying around. I know from personal experience that this is no small feat and He is aware of this fact. He knows just how difficult this may be for you and that makes your act all the more beautiful and important to Him. He can see your effort and is so happy for you.

Today, I am right there with you. I have my small, insignificant worries. Or at least I try to make them small and insignificant when they are, in all actuality, huge and frightening and daunting. And yet, as I said at the beginning of the year, this is a year to let Jesus have because He does, and he know how hard it is to let Him have the year. To let Him do what He will. I love you and He even more so. Let the God who has created the stars in the heavens and the earth that you walk on, let Him and He will whatever your heart most needs now. To our dreams of this overwhelming love we go, tucked safely into our beds. To let the God who has our hearts even when we will not let Him in, come in and take them once more. I love you, He says, I love you.

ciao 4 now,
Arwen

Tomorrow is Another Day...

Spring Break is over and now I am back to the grinding wheel. Professors are assigning mountains of homework, or what appear to be mountains, as we are given every assignment for the next 6 weeks. I am learning what to expect from my courses again and I am moving through some very trying times as I work on handling the things that I should, money, budget and time, as an adult. Responsibly. Responsibility was easier as a child.

It meant do your chores on time. Has the bunny been fed? Yes? Check. Did you clean out the crate? Yes? Check. Are the dinner dishes cleaned and the counters wiped down? Yes? Check. These chores still exist but are shared with roommates, divided among us in our busy daily schedules. This is no small task as we are all working separate jobs with completely different class schedules. Trying to find time in between all of this is crazy for each of us, and is something that I have not been doing well.

On top of chores did I mention the juggling of homework and a crazy but fun part time job? I think I might have. This issue is that I have other things to do as well and reminding myself that studying takes proper focus is a return to the beginning of last semester. Studying for a future career that I do want to be a part of, no matter how frustrating the future prospects might be. The inability of others to treat it like the professional career that it is, ranging from the low pay even though it did at one point require a college degree and certification to the fact that now there are laws being put in place t no longer require said degrees and certifications, something that is very frustrating and now making my efforts null and void as well as putting a damper on those children in the education system (My goal is to be a teacher). We are making teaching into an undesirable career. Something that should be a noble pursuit, educating the next generation. Off my soapbox for now.

Sometimes I think it would be easier to be a Hobbit, removed from the world that I live in, living in a quiet, peaceful setting in the shire. Right now I feel more and more human, fighting the little fights that will eventually culminate into the big fight, whatever that may be.  Especially now with allergies, this time of year is a love hate time of year with these allergies and tests coming up.

I just realized how much of this I have spent complaining. It's one of those days. I hope the weather is as gorgeous for you as it is down here and that you are not plagued by the allergies that are currently consuming my body and making it difficult to breathe (As my Humanities Professor would put it).

Ciao 4 now,
Arwen

2015

     2015 was interesting. Adjusting back into the ebb and flow of ordinary everyday life, letting myself slowly adjust to social media, and slowly re immersing myself into the craziness that is school. Was it  a good year? I think so, even with all of its crazy days and struggles it was a year of learning to grow and I am content in that fact. Growing to let my petals reach the sky, it took a little but I am a better person because I have grown.

     I have a new job that I was growing in leadership in this past year. I gained friendships that I am forever grateful for, the people that I have met have encouraged me to grow and questioned my beliefs, causing me to grow stronger in what I profess to be truth. This year I also moved out of the comfort of my family home into the big, pulsing, huge, wide, and wonderful world. It is new but I have found myself adapting and I am glad for the change. I may have also been a little excited that Star Wars, The Force Awakens came out this year. :)

     At the end of the summer began the school year and readjusting to working and studying, I did very well (just for the record). I have found my love of teaching again and am advancing into the teaching world. It is very big and overwhelming, I may have put off a little too much and now I am playing catch up with a couple of applications... However, I have been told my professor not to stress so I am not going too, I am just going to do my best. In the words of the wise Jedi Master, Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try." I can do it and I will. Time to devote myself and let it happen.

      A lot happened in this past year, including a few rounds with anxiety, and learning how to work through this anxiety (something that I had not dealt with until 2 years ago). However, underneath all of the craziness, there was always a layer of very deep calm. Deep in my soul I could feel Jesus saying, " I've got this.". And you know what? He's right, He's got this. And this year I am going to let Him have my year.


      So here's to 2016. Here's to a new year, a new start, and a lot of brand new craziness. May your year be wonderful and know that I am praying for all of you. Happy New Years!

May the force be with you,

Arwen

P.S. If anyone is curious, I did fulfill my New Years Resolution. I finished a LOT this past year.