If you can read this, thank a teacher

My week at a glance:
Thursday consisted of loads of homework, errands to Barnes & Noble and Sam's, and a trip with some friends to Birmingham, Alabama to see Chris Thile perform in concert. It (meaning the concert - not homework or errands, of course) was amazing and he was amazing. He plays the mandolin - I know what you thinking; "The mandolin??? Really?" but he makes the mandolin cool, trust me - and he has an amazing voice. Listen to him here.

On Friday, Excelsior was actually kinda fun - we got to paint in art, our lunch wasn't cold, and literature was...interesting, to say the least. Then, after school I got to see friends that I don't usually get to spend much time with. And I started Eudora Welty's short stories. I haven't even finished the story I started and I think I'm already a fan of Eudora. :)

Luke and Eleanor - they're enthralled with Dr. G, I promise

This is what happens when Hugh Morris participates in class discussion. Um, yeah...it was fascinating. And educational.


:)

On Saturday, I had a wonderful time with my wonderful friend, Colleen. Then we headed over to the annual McCoy cookout, where we ate, attempted to play frisbee in the mud pits while it was dark...and cold- very, very cold (My toes are still thawing out.) - sat by the fire, enjoyed all the great things about Fall, and played "kemps" with the over-enthusiastic-card-player-Hugh and friends.

The McCoy/Strevel field.
I can't take credit for this picture - it's Jennifer's. Thanks Jennifer!

Spartan Cookout

After the Race for the Unborn on Saturday, the Johnsons were kind enough to have the whole team over to their house for a cookout. Here are some highlights. (I had to pick only some of the pictures, which is really hard for me. I just want to add them all!)

(Old barns are really great. Especially this one.)











And, everyone must know that today - October the 27th - is my dearest friend, Katie's, birthday. And I wish her the best birthday ever! Love you, Katie! :)

Heaven is our home

How easily do we forget this:
"But this is not our rest. Bless the Lord for a better. Heaven is our home, and we but sojourners here in the wilderness for a while, soon to be away. Let us have our lamps brightly burning, listening for the summons. I plead with Jesus to come with the pale messenger and let me see His face all through the dark valley. I shall know that dear countenance the moment I fix my eyes upon it - its features are engraved upon my heart." -Mary Winslow, Heaven Opened.

The Race for the Unborn 5k

Everyone has to come this Saturday! Here are the details.

Let me impress you with my amazing math skills

Cold weather + an early morning race + an afternoon soccer game = one really tired, really sore, and really cold girl.

And,

Cold weather + fireplace + hot cocoa + a good book = :)

I'm pretty much an incredible mathematician. Pretty much...

Happy Get To Know Your Customers Day!

Some thoughts on this incredibly brilliant holiday:

Okay, seriously, how much rain can we possibly get? I've played one soccer game and the season started weeks ago. All my games have been canceled due to what? Go ahead, just guess. Angry parents? A referee shortage? No. RAIN.

But it does have its pluses. I haven't had to referee a single game yet. That's a big plus. But frisbee was canceled tonight. That's a definite minus.

Dr. Grant, his utterly brilliant lectures, and his enthralling "opportunities" (which is just his own way of saying, test) have continued to brighten my day - day after day, after day, after day...well, you get the point. He and his bow tie never cease to bring a smile to my face. He's taught me all the things I just couldn't live without knowing. Like, did you know that the Star Chamber was instituted in 1627 by Charles I in order to enforce his supposed divine rights? Or that the Presbyterian remonstrance was established in 1634? Or that Jenny Geddes (who knows how to spell her name...she was a milk maid for cryin' out loud!) hurled her milk stool at the archbishop and brought about the demise of both king and archbishop? Yeah, neither did I.

So I finished reading The Last of the Mohicans last night. Oh. My. Word. I still can't get over the ending. You know those great books with the amazingly happy ending that stick with you and just make you feel all warm and happy inside? Yeah, well this wasn't one of them. I don't mean to spoil the book for those of you who haven't read it yet, but, I mean really, what kind of author kills off the two main characters?! I mean did Cooper just one day tell his wife, "I'm gonna a write a book with great characters - better than the world has ever known. Everyone will love them...and then, right at the very end, I'm gonna kill 'em all! I'll show 'em who's boss! Yeah, that's just what I'll do." And that's just what he did. So, I've decided this is how I'm going to imagine the ending. This is how it should have been: Magua is running away with his captive, Cora, and just as he thinks he's won, Uncas jumps out from behind him, kills him, and tells Magua as he's dying, "[Insert something really clever here]". Then he sweeps Cora off her feet, tells her he loves her, and you know what, they live happily ever after! Dreams do come true [in books], I always knew it! Yay!

P.S. - This is a real holiday. I'm just sad I missed National Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work & School day yesterday. Greatest holiday idea EVER!

MC Invitational

It's all so wonderful; that sick nervous feeling you get in the pit of your stomach the morning of the race (or in some cases, the night before), the sinking feeling when you get to the meet/race and realize it's reality...it's really here, and you're really about to run this race, the loud ear-ringing gunshot that's almost as loud as the sound of your pounding heart the second your legs begin to move, the dry-mouth and aching lungs before you even reach the 1 mile mark, the gut sensation you get when you realize you're not even half-way through the race and you already want to keel over and die, the crushing weight you feel when you glance at the next hill knowing you'll have to find the energy somewhere to make it up that hill, the aching muscles, the hoarse (and harsh) screams of the angry coaches, the inaudible murmurs of the crowd as you pass by them, the huffing and puffing sound of your lungs when you reach the last stretch of the race, the way you have to clutch and grasp for support from anywhere or anyone when you finally cross the finish line and you can't feel your legs, the cold water rushing down your too-dry throat, and the pats on the back after it's all over. And the best part is, I get to do it all over again next week! Yippee. I'm trembling with excitement, honestly.

And, contrary to my strong convictions, I didn't die. God rules over all things, He's in control: before, after and, yes, even during the race.

Well, I don't understand how so many actually enjoy this...but I do feel great after it's all OVER! This weekend at the Mississippi College Invitational, the Spartans girls varsity team took 2nd place in the 1a-3a schools! Julie, Danielle, and Catherine all placed in the top 15!! We even got this awesome plaque.


...We enjoyed it while it lasted, since they're taking it back now and giving it to Corinth, who was 3rd. At least we got our picture with it and were recognized as 2nd. Ah well, life goes on.

And it's always neat when people ask you where you're from and what school you run for and you tell them you're homeschooled. Most of the time, the response is "Oh" and this blank stare and then they don't really say anything else. But then after the race we can say, "Yeah, you just got beat by a homeschooler." But we wouldn't, cause that would be mean. Just for future references, never underestimate homeschoolers. I mean, look at Tim Tebow (who, by the way, I just found out was homeschooled, thanks to Mrs. Mary Jo). I'm sure there are countless others as well...I just can't seem to think of any at the moment. Anyway...

GO SPARTANS!!!

Wow, just wow

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Just a few random thoughts:

1. Singing in the Rain never gets old; Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds - pretty great stuff right there. We watched it tonight and afterwords Kelley, Catherine, and Jonathan were putting on hats, creating their own tap shoes, and inventing choreography.

2. My parents left for Sante Fe, New Mexico Thursday morning, so it's been an interesting couple of days. We've managed fine so far. Jamie, Katie, and I have taken turns at being mom/dad. We turned it into a fun weekend with snacks, movies, and a trip to Smoothie King. None of which are regular occurrences at the Crampton household. This has been a treat. The kids have really enjoyed it...mainly because of the junk food, though. You can tell they don't get much of that around here. I'm still definitely ready for my parents to get home. We all are. But everyone needs some time away...even parents. Especially parents. So we'll just have to put up with it for the time being, at least.

3. I'm loving this weather. Fall is incredible. This is the beginning of my favorite month of my favorite season. Everything about Fall makes me happy; the colors on the leaves changing, the smells, the air, the temperature, the cool nights, hats, scarves, coats, hot cocoa, reading by the fire, hot cider. Ah. :)

4. AND, we're not allowed to run in the Myrtle cross country meet tomorrow. I know I should be sad, but I'm not gonna lie - I'm not. Jamie told me this this afternoon and I was literally jumping up and down when I heard the news. Yes, for the first Saturday in FOREVER I can sleep in, no pressure about chugging water, going to the bathroom a ridiculous amount of times, or pushing myself to my death in the morning!! I can stay up as long as I want (but I should be getting to bed now) and sleep in!! You have no idea how happy this makes me! (Sorry Mrs. Heather - I hope you're not reading this.)

Like I said, random. No, I'm not going to attempt to tie these thoughts together. I leave that skill to Dr. Grant. Goodbye and goodnight.