12 January 2011

Thunderstorm

Like the bare fingers of a pale dead tree,
the violet tendrils supercharge the night for just a
split second.


Then--an eternity later--the sky's heartbeat
rumbles across the deep realm of the night.


Honestly, all this dreary weather outside has got me feeling blue. Instead of snow, I would love for a gorgeous thunderstorm to rip through the sky!

19 December 2010

Homecoming...

Well, I'm back. Oh, and I'm a college graduate.

......

I still don't know what I think about this end of a chapter in my life. On one hand, I feel like it couldn't have come too soon, yet, on the other...I feel like it ended before it even began. I've been in school since I was five and now it's all over (unless I choose to pursue a Masters) and I'm really not sure what to do with myself.

I know I'll be writing and working, (and gaming) of course, but for some reason I feel like I should have more of a plan than that. I still don't even know if I'll get a job right away, but I do know that I need the money. (wedding, anyone?) But still...I feel like there should be even more than that.

Perhaps I'm seeking to fill a hole that lack of school will leave behind. Maybe I just don't know what to do with all my free time. I'm still not sure. However, I look forward--as always--to the lessons God has for me.

I'm always up for a journey.

05 September 2010

Answers to Prayer

Well, first, I got to Florida safely, though it felt at times that the airport was doing its best to keep me in Maryland. After about 6 hours in airports/airplanes, I arrived in Pensacola and after a short taxi drive, I came to college for my last semester. I discovered during the drive that taci drivers are crooks and I am so thankful for my own car to go into town while I'm at college.

Second, I got to hang out with some of my friends while I waited for my wonderful Jeremy to get off work, and take a nap. But even better; one of my friends helped me find my room and I discovered that the LORD answered Laura's and my prayers about our room.

1. We are together!
2. We will both hopefully have bottom bunks!
3. We got an end room!

God is so good.

Third, I fully enjoyed my weekend with the Brewer family, and I was so excited to be able to cook a meal for them this time around. My spaghetti was accepted with much compliments. We watched a few good movies and Jeremy and I got to relax together for the first time in three months; it was wonderful.

To all of you out there who followed me this summer, thanks, it's been fun! I won't be blogging again until December, but you will all be in my thoughts and prayers. God bless and happy school years for those of you whom that affects!

01 September 2010

Oh the Deviousness of Me!

So, tonight is my last night in Maryland and I had a secret. A secret I managed to hide from my mother all week up until the moment it was sprung. She will be celebrating her birthday on Saturday, and since I would not be here, my dad and I decided we would celebrate before I left. All day today, she thought I was preparing some food for a going-away party for myself tonight after church...little did she know that the party was for her.

We left our house early to pick up some random things, and along the way, I convinced her that my dad had talked me into a going-away party, and together we bought some cake and ice cream and sherbet for punch. When we got to church, I made her sit with the other ladies and quickly put the cake and ice cream out on the tables, quickly writing her name on the cake with some icing and food coloring I had snuck into my bag.

Well, she was surprised, and teased me about being a brat, but I know she was happy. This was the first birthday I was able to celebrate with her since I started college and I'm so glad we could do it together this September. I love you, Mom!

29 August 2010

A Letter

To Whom it May Concern,

My upcoming departure for college is steadily growing closer, and I find that my feelings are bittersweet. I want to be with my fiance and all my friends, and yet I know already I will miss the freedoms I get to enjoy at home. But...it is my last semester, and I am ready to be done with college. The next fifteen weeks will be good, I can feel it, and God is always good.

Tonight, I said good-bye to most of the people at my church and got to spend some time with Neicy. I'm going to miss her a lot; I wish we could have talked some more. But I plan on keeping in touch, as well as with my otherfriends I'll be away from.

Sometimes, I wish that good-byes weren't necessary; that everyone could be together all the time. But then...well, I guess we would start getting tired of each other. You have to be apart from the ones you love to truly appreciate them, and fall in love with them all over again. So in the end, I guess this time apart can be a good thing, as long as I look at it that way.

Well, I'm not sure if I'll be back on here before I go back to school, but to all my friends and loved ones, I'll see you soon!

Love
~Nichole

21 August 2010

Two More Weeks...

Well, in two short weeks, I will be returning to college to finish my last undergraduate semester, and I am pretty excited. I am so ready to see my wonderful fiance and spend what time I can with him! And I cannot wait to see all my friends! I also cannot wait to be back on schedule again; I get so much more done that way.

Last week, I went on vacation with my family and my mother's parents to Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a bit of a trial once in a while, but we managed to have fun. One of my cousin's got married, and we thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with the whole family.

The pictures below are of the beach where we stayed.

This last picture also includes a poem I wrote while watching the sunrise.
With the wind barely kissed by the dawn
a pale light blushes in the eastern sky;
it turns the gray a blooming rose
as the neverending waves break the shore.
It seems such a simple thing:
the reoccuring rising of the sun,
and yet it is unlike any other,
for this one I deemed to watch.
I watched as the sky was painted,
gilded gold with unseen Holy fingers:
as the water tinged a soft blue-gray
by the sweeping of the gentlest hands.
As the clouds were stained a golden pink
while their backs still cling to nighttime's shadow.
Never before was this landscape fashioned
in a portrait such as this.
This, this is the one and only sunset of its kind.
there will never be another like it in the world.

01 August 2010

Family Fun

I just had the privilege of spending the last 9 days with my future sister-in-law, Dakota. We had a very busy, very fun week! Dakota is younger than me by a little over 6 years, but we have quite a few things in common. Other than running around doing errands for both my parents, I got to take Dakota to several of my favorite restaurants around town, such as: Chick-fil-A, Red Hot and Blue, and Hibachi.

We also got to go to King's Dominion, though we had a bit of a wild goose chase. I completely forgot to print off the tickets until we were 5 minutes away from the park. I quickly asked my brother to use his Droid to find the closest public library and we drove the small town of Ladysmith until we found the library. 40 cents later, we were headed back to the park, this time with tickets in hand.

Other than that, Dakota and I decided to just relax. We watched several movies, including Miyazaki's newest amazing movie: Ponyo. We also played some video games and did some writing. All in all, I had a really fun time with my new little sister.

I hope you have a good school year, Dakota, and I can't wait until we get to hang out again!