Celebrating the Season

Finally! 

It snowed last night! We took the Texas kids outside to experience Michigan's wonder. I enjoyed the excuse to take pictures. :) 

We love snow!

The children's faithful mother, documenting their lives... 

No day in the snow is complete without a cup of hot chocolate. 

All too soon these kidos will be flying back home to Texas. I'm not going to see their faces for a while...I think I'll miss that. It's been nice having them around. :) 

Sincerely, 

{dm}

Something New

My friends, the writing challenge is over. It has been over for quite some time. I stopped writing for my blog after Thanksgiving break, but I didn't stop writing. I certainly wrote over an hour everyday; I had to, there were so many dang papers to write for finals! I calculated over 50 pages (double spaced). I guess that's not too bad, but depending on what I'm writing, those pages can really take some time!

I am very pleased with the creative material I produced over the course of this semester. I found it so beneficial to be alone for a bit and gather my thoughts before the day began. Aside from my blog, I'm 18 pages into a story/book. Plus, I'm going to send out some of my poetry today for publication. We'll see what happens! :)

Enough of that though, I am excited to move on to the next purpose for this blog.

I'm going to China in approximately 24 days!!! 

There are no words to express my anticipation! I know it's going to be a challenge, but no doubt an unforgettable experience and an incredible opportunity. I plan to post on this blog regularly (my goal is once a week). I'll be taking pictures and such too, which will be good. I needed to take more pictures this fall. There is a significant lack of pictures here!

我讲汉语的一点。Wŏ jiăng Hànyŭde yīdiăn (I speak a little Chinese). I have the vocabulary of a two year old, but I'm getting there. I'm afraid once I come face to face with a native Mandarin speaker, I'll incidentally forget everything I know. Ah. I hope not. I'll keep practicing. Let's hope I'll be up to par. 

The loving sentiment of an overjoyed roommate.

There's no doubt I'll be missing friends and family back home. I'll be gone for over four months (January 14-May 27, 2013)! How does the saying go? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Haha. I hope so...

That's all for now. I'll be keeping you all posted! ;)

Sincerely,
{dm}

Realignment

"Is this real
Is this real
This life I am living?"
                      --Tlingit or Haida song

I tread the empty sidewalk
My brown-laced shoes pass
along the concrete slabs
while my head hurts from things
I have forgotten a year from now

The windows reflect a face
of someone I cannot recognize
I have so much I need to do
trying not to think of purpose
I look down at my brown laces

At home an old man sits in peace
under a lamp on page two hundred
or three hundred sixty-seven
Perhaps I do not want to wait
until I am ninety-eight for that

What serenity of soul to stop
and take the laced shoes off
and discover solace in the solitude
I need escape to a soundless place
For in stillness silence is something

In the break of day's beginning
no sidewalks no shoes just soul
with a book or without a book
in thoughtfulness in prayer
in these moments I remember

--

{dm}