Behind Infinity

Misty mornings make for great dreamy photos, I’ve found. Saturday was a prime opportunity–perfect lighting with the sun just coming up and beginning to burn off the fog. Jezebelle was unusually happy to go out and play for the camera, too.

{that is some impressive trot for an underworked overfed fatty.}

Work here on the farm is never finished. I spent from 9-5 straight doing chores and working on the barn. My first task was to wire my electric fence. Frankly, it was a daunting one. Stringing the wire wasn’t so hard I guess, however putting in ground rods and connecting everything right was a pretty intimidating prospect, because I’ve never really understood how circuits and electricity and stuff works. But now I do, because putting up my fence was like a giant homeschool science project, all kinds of hands-on learning fun! Apparently I did everything right because when I turned the fence on, my fence tester lit up like a christmas tree, and then the dog confirmed my fence’s performance when she promptly walked into it and was thrown a couple feet, yelping as if she’d been hit with a baseball bat. I felt pretty bad for her, but at the same time it was extremely gratifying to see my handiwork in action. And I feel like it’s payback for all the times she’s tried to bite my horse.

After putting up the fence I shipped in about 1000 lbs of bedding from the Nobel farm down the road (props to Colin for driving the trailer) and unloaded it (all by myself). Fun times. Did some “grocery” shopping at the Farm’n'Feed and then I stripped down Gypsy’s and Max’s stalls practically to the bare floor (several barrowloads) and laid clean bedding. By the time I had raked the aisle and taken care of the trash, it was 5:30, time for evening feeding.

I took some video of Max’s first encounter with the fence. Pretty cute. Also, Gypsy does this cute little rolling thing every time I put down new shavings in her stall. It makes me laugh so much every time. Silly stunts like this make my chores a lot more enjoyable and rewarding.

After cleaning up in the shower I headed up to Tim and Lisa’s for some random fun.

Some of us played games.

Aaron thinks he is The Man.

Stephenie decided it would be good to set the mood with some candles.

Then we sat in a circle and held a seance. Here you can see Stephenie’s demon manifesting itself. Editor’s note: yes, we know that seances are hogwash, and no, Stephenie doesn’t really have a demon.

Seance Suzanne.

(Photo cred, lisa) Supposedly I look like a model in this picture…? whatevs…

Yeah. so that was Saturday.

After the Prose Comp Summative Experience (meaning, there was no exam but we had to get together or the dean would be mad):

Brittany: “I’m going to the beach.”
Loretta: “Do you want company at the beach?”
Brittany: “Do you want to come to the beach?”
Loretta: “Yes.”

So we hopped in the beetle and drove to Kirk Park to celebrate the end of The Most Hellish Semester of our Young Lives, in spite of the overcast sky and 50 degree temp. It was a beautiful experience. I love the beach.
I just realized that my little wondercamera has video-making capabilities with sound and everything. So here’s the highlights of our beach experience (running down the sand dune…tipsy cartwheels…)

(if the embed doesn’t work, try clicking here)

All gone I promise we each only had one.

My friend the supermodel.

While we were walking and talking I mentioned to Red how I sometimes feel like I’m squandering my education because I’m so busy with things like work and friends and animals that I don’t have enough time to spend studying like I should. I mean, if I can write an A paper for Greek class overnight, what would I be capable of if I spent twice as long and wrote it at a time when I was actually coherent, like some kids I know are wise enough to do? But as we talked it became evident that I was thinking about it entirely backwards: “Oh no, life is getting in the way of school!” when really, school shouldn’t get in the way of life (as Loretta put it). It was a comforting revelation. I have not been in years past, I especially have not been this semester, and likely will never be a fourpoint student. But apparently, my worth as a daughter and a sister and a friend and an employee and a person is not defined by my GPA! When I graduate, I may not be the most eligible grad student in the world or the smartest most educated little classicist out there. But in addition to spending these past four years learning, I will have spent them living. And since my whole purpose for being educated IS to become better at living, I will have succeeded.

Loretta, thanks for sharing the crummiest semester of my life. If we had to have such a crummy time, I’m glad we could do it together.

I’m done now.
My last assignment is finished. There’s no more exams to study for.
It’s a really, really odd feeling. That I don’t have any pressing schoolwork to do. Nothing. No assignments hanging over my head. No studying that I should be accomplishing instead of ______. Nothing. My junior year is finished. It’s done.

Sorry. Still trying to process this strange sensation. I can’t quite reconcile it.

So the question is…what in the world do I do with myself now?

I don’t know. I mean, I do have a lot up my sleeve for this summer. (Dr. Rayor: “But you promised me you were going to slow down!”) Anyway, for the moment, I’m just going to do NOTHING.

Because I can.