Year in Review: 2010

January

-Began final semester in undergrad

February

March

-Turned 22

-Spent spring break at home, resting and reading

April

-Last spring formal, with Sam, my best date in 4 years :)

-Finished undergrad classes

May

-10th Night with the 2010 girls

-Graduated from college!

-Moved home

-Flew to Orlando for job training

-Spent a week lesson planning in preparation for teaching to begin

June

-Began teaching 3 days a week in Greenville NC

-Flew to the ATL for a 24 hour whirlwind teaching trip

-Drove to Richmond for another 24 teaching trip

July

-Went apartment hunting in SC

-Found my apartment!

-Spent 4 weeks teaching in Gastonia and Charlotte

-Visited my aunt & uncle 3 times on my way home

August

-Finished teaching

-Beach week with the family

-Moved to SC

-Began grad school

September

-Got elected to the GEA as the Academic Research Committee chair

-Spent a whole Saturday at a Student Government training session

October

-Survived midterms, thank goodness!

November

-Came home for Corn weekend

-Began working on final papers

-Family came to SC for Thanksgiving at the beach

December

-Took finals

-Came home & saw lots of friends

-Brother got engaged Christmas Eve

-Got the flu

As you can see, 2010 was a year of change. I'm not one for making specific resolutions, because I usually fail at them, but since 2011 will be a year that is mostly stable (no big moves or huge life changes planned), I want it to be a year of small changes: physically, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally. That way, at this time next year when I have to start deciding what my next move will be, I'll be in a mental place where I can look at the big picture and make the best decision for me.

So long, 2010; hello 2011!

Christmas Music Weeks: Days 4 & 5

Sorry I missed yesterday's post; I took 2 exams and when I got home, my brain was fried. So I'll put 2 days in tonight's post :)

Day 4: Favorite Cartoon Christmas song

One of the highlights of Christmas time during my childhood was a VHS tape that we had with a bunch of cartoons, including Frosty. I love Jimmy Durante's voice and this song always makes me smile.

Day 5: Favorite Advent Song

Really, this one probably should have gone first, but what can I say? I'm a little backwards sometimes. The full lyrics and translation can be found here. This song is used at Vespers during Advent and is, I think, really beautiful. I love the simplicity of the chant and, even though I went to a women's college, I do love all male choirs :)

Also, since I figured out how to embed videos, I've edited my first 2 posts to have embedded videos

Christmas Music Week Day 3

Today's selection, favorite Christmas choral piece, will always hold a special place in my heart as a Meredith grad. This is always the last piece of the Christmas concert and the singers from both choirs circle the auditorium and, in the last few years, have started to invite the music alumnae to sing with them. I'm a huge fan of this song, obviously, and I chose this particular version because it's SSA, just like we do at Meredith.

Christmas Music Week: Day 2

Today's selection is a non-Christian holiday song that I've just found (yes, the one I tweeted about). I just think it's an incredibly clever twist that explains Hanukkah pretty well (to this non-Jew, anyway). Also, the beatboxing is great and the singers are pretty cute. I feel like this is a winning combination

Enjoy Candlelight by the Maccabeats.

Tomorrow, I'll be be back with a third song for you and perhaps a picture of my Charlie Brown tree if I've gotten it decorated.

Christmas Music Week: Day 1

I've arbitrarily declared this week Christmas Music Week, mostly because it doesn't feel like Christmas is that close yet (probably because I'm holed up under my exams.

Day 1 is (again, arbitrarily) Favorite Depressing Christmas Song. I'm probably partial to this one because of the wonderful arrangement Dr. W did for Winterfest last year; I actually like his arrangement better, but Diana Krall has a lovely voice. I can't do the red shoe song or the one where the guy meets his ex in the store and they sit in his car drinking and reminiscing... this one, though? Love it. Enjoy!

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's category... it's a surprise!