On October 6th, JMO and I got engaged. We are pretty thrilled about this. If I was a decent blogger, I would have shared by October 7th at the latest.
Please note the classification article under my hand. Classification and Dewey Decimal are my life right now.
I love having a blog, and I love that when I take a step away, it is still here.
This semester has been absolutely insane. In August, when I went to orientation for grad school, I panicked a bit. It didn’t seem possible that I could squeeze two courses in with working full time. But, I have almost made it. There have been many moments of panic, a lot of feeling totally overwhelmed, pure exhaustion, and lots of frustration. I’ve cried many a Saturday morning as I looked at my “to do” list. All that complaining, and what I mean to say is that I am so very lucky. The support of JMO, my family, and my friends has been amazing. Ashley is taking on extra work for our shared classes. JMO has taken on the grocery store and many dinners. My mom and dad have listened to me whine and complain. What would I do without these fine folks? I am so very very thankful for them.
Here is a list in no particular order of other things I am beyond thankful for…
Because I am avoiding reading articles, I could have this list go on for awhile. Life has treated me well; I need to remember this! Things get hard sometimes. When my schedule is filled to the brim, and I am no where caught up in my class – I must remember that I am thankful.
(Images of Tavi Gevinson and Ira Glass via WSJ. Magazine.)
As I was browsing through my Google Reader, I saw Simply Lovely (a lovely blog I follow) linked to a Wall Street Journal article. Before I even started reading, I immediately recognized Tavi Gevinson and Ira Glass. I was amazed that they were photographed together, and I was instantly curiously. They are not two people I would place together.
Tavi has a blog called Style Rookie that I started following a couple years ago. She started blogging when she was 13 about things she liked. She likes thrift store finds and taking her own picture. She creatively puts outfits together and really has insightful things to say. I’ve followed her for the past three years, so I feel a little attached. Tavi is precious, and I admire her ferocity. I love any teenager who has the courage and confidence to be themselves. Being a teenager is tough, and to do it with style is just phenomenal.
Ira is the host of This American Life. I listen to the podcast religiously, he makes the mundane sound fascinating. My entire grad school statement of purpose was about my great love for stories. Ira can tell a story, and get others to tell a story in a way very few can.
The WSJ article was wonderful, basically Ira Glass is a mentor for Tavi Gevinson. He helps her navigate an adult media world and gives her advice. As a teacher, as someone who has grown a lot, and as someone who has watched others grow, I truly believe in the power of mentorship. It is so important that we surround ourselves with positive influences and remember to be positive influences for others. Experiences is invaluable and must be shared.
Both these people fascinate me, and I have even more respect for both of them now. Opportunites to teach and be taught are everywhere.
I’ve been in Alabama the past few days for graduate school orientation at the University of Alabama. They have an exceptional distance learning program for library and information studies. As this trip came nearer, I found it quite difficult to explain to others exactly what I was doing. Yes, it is graduate school, and yes, it is in another state. UA’s program is a synchronous online program, meaning it is virtual class on set days. It is NOT a go at your own pace program. Every Monday I will sit down to “attend” Organization of Information from 6:00pm – 8:45pm. Every Wednesday I will sit down to “attend” Introduction to Library Information Studies. I will be attending classes for the next two years. Ready. set. learn.
This program is accredited by the American Library Association and I have been beyond impressed with all of the faculty and students I’ve met. These aren’t just book lovers, these people are lovers of information in general. There are lawyers, researchers, historians, archivers, those who work in public libraries, and a few teachers. The people in my cohort are from all over the country and we have a few from out of the country as well. I’m nervous about returning to school, but so is everyone else. All of these people have full time jobs and other commitments. It can and will be done.
Walking around campus has made me feel nostalgic about my years in Aggieland. There really is nothing like being enrolled in school. Anything is possible, and learning can take you anywhere and on any path. My road has forked, and who knows where this new journey will lead me.
We toured the Bear Bryant Museum and were able to see the archives. It made me think of the museums I love, and how much they must have in the back. The museum is in the process of digitizing tape and scanning in pictures and articles. Every institution that collects data is currently in the same predicament. Many of my peers have worked with organizations to help with digitization.
There will always be a need for information and Google will not replace the library. Libaries are the keepers of history. Libraries are the keepers of our futures. Read a book people, you won’t regret it.
Once upon a time in Guatemala Lauren and I took a little adventure. We travelled to Livingston, which is a little town that is only accessible by boat. We stayed the night in a bungalow and waited on the end of this dock on Saturday morning. With our overnight bags we sat and watched boats go by. Eventually our boat arrived and we began our journey up the Rio Dulce. 
Riding up the Rio Dulce was part of a bigger journey to the rainforest. Along the river it looked like scenes from LOST, and it was hard to believe that we hadn’t already arrived in the rainforest.
The three hour boat ride was one of my favorite things we did in Guatemala. The scenery was spectacular and we only had four people on our lancha.
These little girls came up in their canoes to sell seashells, turtle shells, and jewelry.
I loved these lily pads. The water is my favorite.
I was reading my cousin’s blog the other day and came across a month old post. I would definitely recommend reading what Brad has to say and watching the TED talk by Brene Brown at the bottom of the post. The talk did happen to be in Houston.
I’ve thought about what Brene Brown has to say about vulnerability for the past few days. American adults are the most in debt, the most overweight, and the most unhappy that we have been in history. We live our lives in fear of what others might think of us and we rarely feel like we are enough. Brown explains that we must be vulnerable and gracious. We have to be grateful for what we can be and ready to accept life. When we do this we are authentic. When we are authentic we can truly love and live. Personally, I wasted time in my life worrying about unimportant decisions and what people thought of me. That was a colossal waste of time. I loved Brad’s post and the talk, because it made me think. Thinking is good.
Because it is summer and there is lots of time for internetting, I found Brene Brown’s website. The post from July 5 where the crowd sings “Ode to Joy” is magnificent. She actually works at the University of Houston and her blog is pretty great. I added her to my Google reader… Summer is good.
