Star Spangled Eyes

Yesterday I began my new peice of "artwork". I found some crappy (easily ripped) huge peices of paper laying upstairs and I decided to use it. It probably would have gne to waste otherwise since its the color of concrete and whatnot, but I like it. It almost reminds me of parchment paper. I'm having fun with it, even though I've already ripped it.

I got the idea from a National Geographic magazine with a picture of a Chinese man covered in soot. He works in the coal mines that are heavily active in China. I feel like, if I really want to go there I've got to spend a lot of time thinking about all the different aspects of this place. That's why I'm doing a giant image of this soot covered laborer with red eyes with yellow stars in them (representing the chinese flag). Any time I put into my art peices reminds me to think about what and why I'm creating. It's a reminder of where I want to go and to align my goals correctly.
Although, I am VERY well aware of how easily I stray.
It's a human condition that can't be shaken because life isn't a straight line.

So even if I don't go. I'll know I took the time to think on it, atleast.

Otherwise I spent the rest of my weekend cleaning and greeting a new family in the area. :]

CHERRY BOMB

Let it go on and on!
I really love the music Spoon makes. It's some of the funnest stuff I've ever heard in my whole life.
I just can't help but dance. What I really love is the drums and bass. They are always very catchy, not to mention the attitude of Britt Daniel, the lead singer.
Keep it up guys.

Anyway today is about my plants. I really don't know if my green pepper is gonna make it, so I'm gonna plant some more and try again. I'm also gonna try for tomatoes too. Anything I can eventually eat makes me happy. Today I took some pictures of some flowers growing in my yard. I'm glad the heat isn't withering them. That means that my watering is having an obviously positive effect. That seems obvious I know, but I've actually drowned plants before so yeah...I was a little worried.

Here they are! I would totally call them Cherry Bombs, but I'm sure that's not the real name.

I can see a lot of life in you.

My green pepper plant is dying :[
The heat is exhausting and after a week of vacation away from the garden the plants are all sad looking.
They've gotten much better since I've returned, but my green pepper...I don't know if he's gonna make it.

This past week has been filled with Vacation Bible School activities and I've enjoyed leading the childrent hrough song and dance. It's great to see children smiling and enjoying learning about God. How can I not smile myself? There's a chance of working with Awana youth ministry as music coordiantor, but I doubt I'd be able to handle that load as well as several other things. But to turn down such a great opportunity, that as well is a shame.
We'll see what happens. :]

I finished ODD HOURS by Dean Koontz. It's a really fun book to read, but I am assuming there will be a fifth book due to all the open endings in the book.

read-a-holic

Books Books Books.
It's all about books lately.

This week I only finished one off my official list.
It was Gaurds! Gaurds! by popular UK Author Terry Pratchett. It's very comical if you like British humor, and I liked it more than I thought I would. The last book I read by Pratchett was Eric and I found it incredibly difficult and boring, but maybe I will get it better if I try again? We'll see. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Although this is the Graphic Novel cover for the book, I think it best describes the characters.
















The book I finished after that was not on my list. One of my favorite authors, Dean Koontz, created a brilliant story with Dragon Tears (which is what I read), but not quite as good as Life Expectancy. I know the titles sound kind of corny, but they are great books. Life Expectancy being on my top ten if I had one haha. Dragon Tears really makes you think about whether or not you're paying attention to what's going on in the world on a less than global scale. The tragedies, the ridiculous abusrdities of human evil. At first, it makes you feel helpless but by the end hope is, as always, not lost in a Dean Koontz book.

So now I am continuing Jung Chang's Wild Swans and have gotten 14 chapters into Koontz' Odd Hours (without having read the previous three books in the odd Thomas series, sadly). It's a fasta nd easy read as I am noticing. I definitly think I will become and Odd Thomas fan even in the midst of his end (or is it?).

Just Do it.

Things are getting..different around me. I have taken on a much larger load of responsibility lately, for my mom mostly. For her...health I guess. When I move she doesn't think I'll be able to handle it and she can't handle that. And thanks to that I've decided I could handle it, but I want her to know I can handle it. Therefore I've taken the path of resposibilty and family, which I thought I had always cherished, but now I realize how much I did not.
Thanks mom, for the life lessons and all.
I refuse to let you become emotionally or physically sick due to the insecurities I left you with.
I will prove myself to you, so that you can be well and have peace of mind when I'm gone.

Add the 7 classes I'll be taking, other voluntary activities, and you've got a pack full next five months with early mornings and high activity.
I think it's worth the sacrifice.
Priorities must be put in order= God, Family, School, Work, Friends.

Only God will get me through this. I'M GLAD.

Somewhere Else

Big Decisions. Intermixing with Little Decisions.

Meaning= I'm leaving Argentina.

I'm going back to good old Kentcuky, where I have always been reluctant to leave.

After doing a heavy bit of major thinking I realized that I can get to China faster if I really want to.
And I do want to. I want to teach there. I want to travel.
And I definitly want to see my old friends before I go far far away (again).
But this means I wil have to go back to the states first in order to work and save money etc. It's a little complicated and very detailed to explain.



I will be going out on my own for the first time and I am trying to lean entirely on God. Because just barely after two days I've already started to freak out. When things don't fall into place as easily as we like, we freak out.
I had freaked out, but I must stay confident in God. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do and you have to let Him deal with it and be confident that when you do trust Him, you'll be taken care of.

Even if my plans go off into some randomness I won't understand. I have to trust. I have to.
If I don't I'll just sit around freaking out.

So I set up some goals I have. I have to find a place to stay. I job close to there. And hopefully a bike since I won't have a car. I've started getting rid of all the materials I won't be able to take back tot he states with me. I'm terribly attached to my books and knick knacks, but they just will not be able to come.
And I have to find a way to start earning more money despite the onset of a heavy classload.
Effort! Effort!

Blah. What a confusing post I'm sure. :]