Guess What

I. am. finished.
No more florescent lights! No more chapters to read, papers to write, no more verbs to conjugate. I am done. It is over! Doesn't it feel good?
I have approximately 2 weeks sans school and then I have a 2 week Maymester and then I leave for Greece. Oh my! That just hit me right when I wrote it. Oh Dear.

In other extremely exciting news, thanks to my dear sweet folks, I have had my transfer credits reevaluated and I have received an additional 2 classes worth of credits. This means I have only 8ish classes left to graduate. Unfortunately, the art department stayed true to its pretentious and merciless stereotype, thus denying my studio credits which would have let me graduate in December. I must now remain for another year in it's entirety. Though this is a most off-putting thought, I am extremely excited about 2 less classes to suffer through (which additionally means you won't have to hear about them).

Anyways, I have the day off. It is 10:45, my first day of summer, and 85˚. Beach, you say? Don't mind if I do.

Honbons- and Other Greats From the South

We had such a lovely week with the Hons! I'm quite put out now that they are gone. Everything seems slightly less colorful. You know, it's quite rare to find folks so charming and likable. Little gems they are. I'm just fascinated with these people.

We spent all of our free time talking and laughing and partaking in destructive eating habits. We had seafood, burgers, ribs, candy, sweet tea, strawberry pie, key lime cake, cinnamon rolls...the list goes on and on. I still feel a little sick actually. We enjoyed beach lounging, a downtown jaunt, Bowen's Island, and countless games of Shanghai- of which I am proud to say, I dominated. 

We spent our last night together on our newly lit patio listening to music and sharing Sto-ries.

I miss them already!

Bazinga!

My oh my! I just can't seem to find the time to delight you with the unimaginative and redundant elements of my school year. I'd be pleased to see anyone make that exciting. I have been, however, thoroughly satisfied with this week as I have skipped most of my classes, finished most of my projects, and even gotten time off work. As I said, the Honbon's are currently residing out at the beach and I've yet to stop giggling. We have all been eating in excess since they've been here though I decided this morning that we are counter-acting the food with our incessant snickering, cackling, and guffawing.

In other news, Grandma has become fixed on an old house on Condon drive, again. Apparently she's become a bit hostile about it and has resorted to name calling and verbal assault. She is stringing along a poor realtor and has gone to visit it at least twice this week. Bob is quietly standing in the background while Ruth bulldozes any and all who dare chastise the probability of success on this raving endeavor. 

Home Time Things

Despite my ill temper prompted by a repeatedly procrastinated Mythology paper, Sunday was a lovely day out. We took advantage and enjoyed plant spotting and a Dad meal on the patio.

All continues as usual here. I have merely two weeks of school left (whaaa???) and am furiously writing and painting and reading things. Ellen has been busy with her current 5 suitors, all of whom have some kind of deal-breaking quality. She has been on numerous dates lately and I'm sure she'll slap me in a few days for announcing this. Dad continues piddling and practicing his golf swing. He has recently invested in a TV remote that speaks english. Needless to say he is more than enthralled and preciously handles this remote. Mom is busy with her new job (!!!) and now more fully appreciates her days off. She says they are "rare" though she works only 3 or 4 days of the week. Either way, we are very proud and she seems to be enjoying it and making lots of foreign friends. 

This week our friends the Honbarriers are in town for a beach visit so we are most excited to spend our evenings goofing off, laughing, and eating sweets. As for other things, I am beginning to get nervous about my summer plans and I caught Ellen red handed stealing candy from a stash that I keep hidden in my drawer. She ate almost an ENTIRE bag of chocolate, out of my drawer, while I had approximately three pieces a week ago. Did she think I wouldn't notice? 

Charleston Peace One Day

For your information this is my 100th post!
In honor of celebratory things I give you this, "Charleston Peace One Day". CP1D (as my professor calls it) is a non-profit started by none other than my professor herself. It is actually a wonderful organization promoting positive peace and working towards awareness and participation of peace day. There is an official peace day, by the way, established by a Jeremy Gilley- the founder of the organization Peace One Day whose mission was to establish a peace day (which is now September 21st) and on that day have a global cease fire. Jeremy's organization is an international hoopla causing all kinds of positive action to take place on a global scale. A few years ago he was able to get a few Middle Eastern countries to agree to a day-long cease fire so that medicine could be delivered to otherwise off-limits areas. Because of this many many children were given life saving vaccinations. Anyways, you can read more about his mission here: Peace One Day
My professor (an adorable little woman) has started the Charleston branch of the organization focusing on community togetherness and non-violent communication- (something the stagnant slapper should read about). You can learn more about her cause here: Be Peaceful

For my final project in her class I threw a Tie Dye party on account of associating tie dye with hippies and hippies with peaceful demeanors. And marijuana. Yes, I threw a party for my final. And it costs thousands to go to college. Please.

We had peace cookies (no weed brownies), drinks, posters, a DJ, and a charity called Pulsera who sells bracelets woven by Nicaraguan children and all the money pays for their schooling and shelters. I bought a bracelet made by a boy named Martin Perez. I have a little picture of him and a note he wrote in spanish. I do not know what it says. 

Read about Pulsera here: The Pulsera Project

Overall it was a success and apart from ruining one of my favorite sweaters, I am pleased with the results.

Bonne Hall Goofin'

Why Hello there! I know I'm a horrible updater of sorts. I apologize. My classes are winding up and now I have even more mundane, yet time consuming tasks to complete before the end of the year. When not wallowing in self pity because of these tasks, I've been at work! Actually, I've been so busy with work that I still haven't unpacked from the big move (which is why you've still not seen any pictures). I've been getting up with the sun in the mornings and getting to my beautimus Boone Hall in time for the sunrise light show in the drive way.

This weekend in particular was extremely busy over in the strawberry fields. We had over 1000 pickers before noon! I lucked out and was sent away from the pickers to charm and deceive drive-by produce buyers. Basically this means I sat around doing homework in between customers. I was quite bored at times actually- as were a number of the workers who were run off from picking by the curt and mannerless Mt. Pleasant townsfolk. 

I had available for purchase; pre-picked strawberries and assorted greenery including onions. An odd mix.

The guys were working behind me all day, staking the rows of tomatoes. Two of the guys have taken to deceiving me into extra tasks. Yesterday they convinced me we were staying open for an extra two hours. I believed them and started to throw a tantrum until they began giggling like children. When there is nothing to be done the guys come visit me in my tent. Sometimes they eat their lunch, sometimes they sort the produce, and sometimes they just talk to me. They all fiddle with things; tools, rope, buckets, etc. Sometimes they look at my school books and try to read my papers. Yesterday the two tricksters told me they would teach me to drive a tractor this year.

One of them snapped this picture of me contemplating the offer.

Also yesterday a surly woman scolded me for the "high" prices that "doubled since last year". She was very condescending and made me feel awkward and glum. Unaware of my dismal state, little Alberto just happened to swoop in with this pint sized flower arrangement within minutes of the sassy woman's departure.

It's like I work in Stepford. Anyways, it's usually seven or so when I leave, just in time for "the golden hour" as I make my way back down the drive way.

Garden Things

The other day Mom and I had a planting day and I made a little film about it.

Goofin'

Sometimes we just dance.