40 Hour Project: 4 Year Roundup

That's 160 hours total for all you homeschoolers out there.

•  Freshman year - Christendom: I made a calligraphy booklet full of Bible verses and quotes.
• Sophomore year - Early America: I copied Johannes Vermeer's The Little Street. This was one of my first paintings and I really enjoyed it.
• Junior year - Modernity: This is probably my least favorite project out of all four years. My first (and possibly last) attempt at Impressionism. I used a picture of a tree/scenery that Katie took in New Orleans as my guideline. My intention was to bring out the colors and layer on the paint. (If you look closely at the tree, there is a lot of texture on the trunk from the globs of paint I put all over it.) But it really just looks amateur and unrealistic. After adding so much color, eventually the colors all came together and turned gray. Just check out the grass. Needless to say, Impressionism is not my forte. In spite of my failure (or perhaps because of), Monet and Renoir will always be among my favorites.
• Senior year - Antiquity: Antiquity is one of the hardest years to find good project you can actually spend 40 hours working on. At the last minute, a few sketches of ancient architecture was all I could come up with. I really intended to draw several. But sketching the perspective of the Roman Colosseum correctly turned out to be no easy task. In the end, I only finished the Colosseum and the Parthenon. (And really, no sketch is ever "finished." Especially mine.) Adding all the cracks and little details in the Parthenon was pretty fun, though.

Sunday afternoon musings

One of the most steadfast Crampton traditions is the Sunday afternoon nap. Almost every Sunday without fail, if you're a Crampton, you're either asleep or bound to be as quiet as a mouse by 3 PM.
Today happens to be one of those rare Sunday afternoons when I can't actually fall asleep. So I decided to be productive and pick up my room, listen to a sermon Conrad Mbewe preached a couple of weeks ago at Christ Church, and write on this sadly neglected blog of mine. (I'd give you the link to his sermon, but sadly, our website is being renovated at the moment.)
Lately, life has been consumed by thesis research and writing, moot court prep (the court was a whole lot of fun to this lawyerly-inclined girl, by the way), reading the Aeneid, preparation for graduation, etc. Graduating actually involves more than I thought - pictures for yearbook, pictures for the slideshow, general information for yearbook, making/sending invitations, and more. And all of this requires a bit more time and effort than I had imagined.
But I don't care as long as I graduate. And I plan to.

I know the general senior mindset is: I'm a senior. I'm so cool. Look at those freshmen. Ha, ha. They're freshmen. I can't wait to graduate and get out of this town. I'm so cool.
Yes, I'll admit that I've experienced some of those feelings. Yes, I'm excited about graduating.
As happy as I am to finally finish not only these four years of high school, but twelve years of education. Twelve years. When I actually write it out, it's mind boggling.
We seniors want to get out of here and move on with our lives. It's in the script.

But honestly, I'm gonna miss this.

I'm so thankful for my education. Yes, I've been homsechooled all my life. No, I haven't just sat in my pj's, watched TV, and gotten all A's from my mom. Granted, there have been many pj days. And I loved every one of them. But my education has not been a walk in the park, by any means. And I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for the challenges, the struggles, and the learning experiences. I'm thankful for Dr. Grant, for Gileskirk, for Aristotle's rhetoric, for Dr. Hill's logic, for Doc Mo's biology, for Mrs. Tate's lit, for Mrs. Rachel's art/music, for Mrs. Culp's speech, and so, so much more!
Dr. Grant has reminded us many times - and rightly so - that education does not end when we graduate high school or college. If we ever think we're truly educated, it's a good indication that our education has never begun.

I plan on taking the next year off; a "gap year," of sorts. Although, this "off" year will not be "off." I don't plan on this being a lazy year while I sit at home on the couch and watch my friends move out and attend various colleges across the country. I plan on working and saving money for next year (of course, finding a job comes first), making a dent in and perhaps completing my fast growing reading list, painting, crafting so many things I've pinned on Pinterest, practicing piano and learning daunting pieces I never would have even glanced at two years ago, soaking in the Word at Christ Church, and doing so many other things I probably won't have the chance to do at any other point in my life.
This hasn't been an easy decision and it certainly was not my first choice. However, I believe this is where God would have me for now and I have no idea what doors may be opened this coming year.

Thy will, not mine, be done.

Little things

Jeremiah sits on my bed while I call out his Latin vocabulary words and he replies with the English: 

"Frumentum."

"Grain."

"Proelium."

"Battle,"

and so on. 

With a wide grin and one proud tutor, he finally nails the Second Declension Masculine chant he's been struggling over. It's all worth it in the end. His wide, curious eyes look up at me, he smiles and says, "This is actually funner than I thought." I smile back and ignore his grammar.

God has been teaching me so much - especially patience. It's not always easy. But not much in life is. One thing's for sure. It always pays off.

I'm really slacking on the titles these days.

At the moment, I'm listening to some Dario Marianelli (favorite Pandora station, hands-down) and soaking in this beautifully still house. I felt the impulse to write. Not really. I'm just avoiding studying.

One. More. Day. And I'm done with my Junior year of high school.

Wait, what?

Yep. Senior year is oh so very, ridiculously close. I can almost reach out and touch it.

Almost, but not yet. That's the catch, you see. One Gargantuan Final To Go. Today is my last study day. I do not feel ready for this Test of Doom. Why am I still here?

Oh, yeah. Now I remember.

Anyway, I'm leaving in four short days. When did that happen? Last time I checked, it was like four months away. Funny how time flies when you're studying. . . oh, wait.

I need to pack.

Summer's just around the river bend.

 

this is about how things have been recently. so much going on, so much to do, so much homework, so much stress. a lot floating around my head.

 but my 40-hour project is finally finished. we had our last day at excelsior and our end-of-year program. i'm exempt from next week's geometry test and i only have one final left. 

unfortunately, the only final left is for gileskirk - and it's 30 pages. yay.

life goes on.

 We like to shake things up in class. Give us a pipe cleaner and we'll take a mile.

 

 Hawt.

Last weekend, Mom & Dad were out of town, Katie was in Jackson, and Jonathan was at Andrew's. And we took full advantage of that fact. Savannah came over Friday night and we spent the night on the town. Saturday night, Kelley and I made some potato skins and some sides and ate out on the porch, candles and Chinese lanterns and all. Then, we watched a movie and ate ice cream. It's spring nights like these that make me want to live outside.

Just two weeks left of school. I've started my 40-hour project. My room once again smells like paint thinner. And I am loving it (painting, not the smell of paint thinner).

Before long I'll be packing for camp and off in the sunshine with some kiddos in my chacos. Can't. Wait.

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.

It still hasn't quite hit me yet that school is out for 2010. I guess it's because I still have "THE test" to take.

These past few weeks have been draining. Physically and mentally. It's over now. So, yay.

It's Christmas time and I'm (basically) out of school. This is good.

You know what else is good? The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Go see it.

More good stuff: I got to play hide-and-seek twice this week with two different sets of awesome kids. You know you're growing up when you can't find [fit in] good hiding places anymore. (I also got to watch Snow White and the old Rudolph claymation! Yes!)

How cute is this?

I watched It's a Wonderful Life tonight with my family. I still have mixed feelings about it. So much of the movie is oppressively sad, but I've finally decided that even the few happy moments at the end make the whole movie worth it.
"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives."

Give thanks.

So what if everyone posted their Thanksgiving posts on Thursday, and those punctual bloggers on Wednesday? Normally I'd probably apologize for being late and get on with it. But, I'm not. Anyway, Thanksgiving: We ought to stop and look around and give thanks for family, friends, home, so, so many things. I think of my wonderful church and the fellowship I can have there with other believers. A church where God is glorfied. I go to a "school" where I have the opportunity to learn so much from a Christian perspective. It seems crazy right now since tomorrow happens to be Monday and I happen to have a busload of homework, reading, and test prep to do, but I am thankful for the opportunity to learn. Not to be spoonfed a bunch of politically correct lies, but to learn truth, to delve deeply. I'm thankful for that. And most importantly, I'm thankful for the God who has loved sinners and sent His only Son to die for an ungrateful people. How can I not be grateful? How can I not love Him? Give all for Him?

No, it's not Thanksgiving day. That doesn't matter. Every day, every single day, we need to stop even in the midst of our busy days to just think of all our blessings and give thanks. Do you realize what has been given you? How much has been poured out? God has given us grace. Be thankful.

I'm also very thankful that it's Christmas time. I can listen to Christmas music without people hating on me. Yay!

Monday. Yes, we all have those Mondays.

I don't have free time anymore. I have no life. Homework ate my life.

But I'm learning discipline. I'm learning things. Important Things. Like what really began that great era of Modernity, its 3 causes and effects, the many (many, many) philosophies of modernity, such as those of Voltaire and Descartes (some men who were really crazy in the head, pretty much). I'm learning to dig deeper, to analyze, and to fully understand the classical literature of the 19th & 20th centuries. I'm being taught math and the rhetoric of Aristotle, of the necessary skills of writing and English and the sciences. I'm learning about music and of the beauty of the art of the Impressionists, which we are learning identify and to copy. (My favorite would have to be Monet, by the way.)

Why am I complaining? I have no right to. This education of mine is a privilege, not a duty, it's not even a right. I think of women of the past who weren't well educated, who didn't have this opportunity that I have. I have this great gift of a good education. So why am I dragging my feet? Why am I complaining? I'm reading Jane Austen for school, for crying out loud! Why on earth would I complain about that?

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." -Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever I do! Yes students, even school, even this busload of homework (that my mind is going back to. . .yet I'm sitting here typing away about it on Blogspot)! Even on Monday when I just don't feel up to jumping out of bed to scribble and scratch away on college-ruled notebook paper with my dull pencil. Even when I have to work at using my brain because sometimes it takes time to defrost after the weekend has done so well at freezing it solid. I am called to do it as unto the Lord. Students, we can go about doing this as unto HIM. Shouldn't we do so with a happy heart? A heart glad to serve Him? A heart so overwhelmed with the love and joy of Christ that doing even the hard tasks would become easy?

(And it might make things easier if I do something which requires thought over the weekend. I suppose pulling out some Sodoku or crossword puzzles wouldn't hurt. . .)

no one likes goodbyes. or homework. these are just facts of life.

Goodbye, happy Summer of 2010.

Hello, Junior year.

Also, I'm getting the birthday blues. My birthday ends and school begins. All in one day. Talk about depressing.

'Tis finished.

School is over, "THE TEST" is finished, Walden is dead, life is good.

Here's a recap:

Friday was the last day of school and end of year program. Afterward we played frisbee, volleyball, busted pinatas, and ate lots of food. It was great.

{We decided to have class in the Alps.} 

Saturday, I had soccer games all day long. After the whistle was blown in my last game of the day, I literally ran straight off the field and into the car. Yeah, I was the one running into the gas station fully clothed in all my soccer apparel (complete with cleats, shin guards, and socks, mind you), asking for the bathroom, running out 5 minutes later in a skirt and dress shirt (still wearing cleats, shin guards, and socks). Of course, no one noticed and I just went on with my business.

Not.

There happened to be a long line the moment I had come in and bounded for the restrooms. On the way back out, I was questioned about my garb and heard not a few chuckles. (Why yes, I did just say garb.)

At least Ellie's graduation was better. :)

On Sunday, we went to dinner at a friend's.

Monday: ate lunch with the class, then headed over to my house to get some studying done. Yes, the only way to prepare for a few hours of studying is to have some fun first. After they left I studied...some more. Then I studied some more. Just as I began to feel my brain slipping out of my cranium, the doorbell rang. Distraction numero uno. The dinner guests were here.

Ate. Talked. Ate some more. Felt guilty about not studying. Put it off. Felt more guilty. Put it off some more. 

Finally, I dragged myself upstairs and permanently fixed my eyes to my study sheets, my Grantian charts, and my lecture notes for a few hours. All the while hearing laughter and noise and excitement from downstairs. And let me tell you, it sounded a whole lot better than the seven different kinds of slavery found in the Bible, or who Andrew Carnegie was, or what the AFL did.
Distraction numero dos, Facebook. Luckily, I escaped that one soon enough.

Studied the night away even after our company left.

Finally, came "the day." Tuesday: woke up, went swimming, gorged on some chocolate, and rode pink flamingos off into the sunset. Or not. Just making sure you're awake, 'cause at this point on Tuesday morning, I sure wasn't.

When we got to the Moellers' house (the place of my doom - not that their house is doom-like, but that their house held the key to my doom: "the test"), and I studied some more. 

After 6 grueling hours, I finished the atrocious, monstrous, silly, unnecessary, cruel test. It was over. I couldn't believe my own eyes.

We went to the lakehouse, partied, rode the boat, went tubing, played poker and balderdash, and ate. It was awesome.

We had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. But instead of marshmallows, we roasted . . our own horrific copies of Walden! Muahahaha.

It is now very dead. Don't be alarmed, we've thrown its ashes into the lake. It shall haunt us no more.

Happy Wednesday!

Almost free at last, free at last

I can't believe my own ears. One more week of school; 11 more hours of inhaling paint thinner and spoiling my clothes, skin, and hair (luckily, acrylics do wash out) with paint, and one more week of testing - and by that I mean, THE test: the ominous, scary, ridiculously and unnecessarily gargantuan Gileskirk final exam. I can make it out alive. I will make it out alive.

Summer is feeling nearer and nearer, almost tangible. It would be exactly four days until I can rejoice and revel in all its Summery glory. But because of the ominous gargantuan Gileskirk final exam, it's exactly 8 days (this weekend included) until I can feel the freedom which only Summer affords. Summer is just around the corner; so close I can almost reach out and touch it. Almost.

I should say that the Gileskirk final isn't all bad. (Maybe some of you will positively disagree - I happen to know a couple of you won't be taking it and are just crying yourself to sleep at night to be deprived of such a delightful privilege.) Things about it are endurable and almost enjoyable. Like, studying for instance. I can endure it with a tasty snack, while Pride and Prejudice or Phantom of the Opera play quietly in the background. Plus, I'll have my dearest companion for company - Horatio, my study guide (why, yes personifying my study guide makes this whole studying thing less of a drab and more of a... less drabby thing. How's that for quick wit?) Then, exam day. Once you get through the butterflies in the stomach and the slight queasiness, you're good to go. You're handed a Snickers' bar, a soda, and a pencil. You have a break, eat good food and discuss what movie you'll see, or where you'll eat afterward with the others. Then when it's (the test, that is) all filled out, checked over once, twice, maybe a third time... FREEDOM! You're finished. Relief floods over you like a river.

Darn. Now I'm freedom-sick. So ready to be finished.

P.S. Just between us, no Facebook = 10x more efficient. But let's not let that get out.

Paints, paintbrushes, and Vermeer.

My hands are covered in paint. My room smells of paint thinner. My back is sore from too many hours of bending over a canvas (which is still mostly white). Best 40-hour project ever. No, seriously. Can you imagine anything better than be forced to paint? I have to paint. This, my friend, this is the life. (Minus the paint thinner part, of course.)

Effervescent is an understatement.

12 days until Joseph graces us with his presence once again.


13 days until the last Friday of my Sophomore year.

25 days until dear Katie comes back to the States, to Tupelo, home.

So much to do, so little time.

Thesis paper first draft due Friday.

BIG opportunity to take Friday.

I'm tired.

It's late.

Yet, I'm on blogspot.

I'm going to think happy thoughts. Summer is only 5 weeks away.

Lemonade, flowers, sunshine, barefeet, sunglasses, swimming, bike riding, reading, picnics, frisbee, friends, flip flops.

My mouth is watering.

{source}

Yay - 1st day getting back in the grind tomorrow. I have to do school tomorrow. Yipee.

WARNING: the previous statement contains explosive amounts of sarcasm.

Goodbye life.


Hello school.

Sufjan Stevens and a victory dance

So Gileskirk ate my life. And then it gave it back to me! Please excuse my exuberance... Oh yes!!!!! The awful-and-ridiculously-abominable-Gileskirk exam is over, and I have successfully passed through the treacherous gauntlet, so to speak. No more school...until January!

After we finished the test, we did what all classically educated homeschoolers would do. Played Nintendo 64. And to top it all off we played Apples to Apples. After Aaron (yeah, the cheat - didn't take the test and still got to have fun) dominated us all in Apples to Apples, we headed over to Malco and saw The Blind Side. (Michael is such a sweetie. And Sandra Bullock actually did a really good job with her role.) And, it was ugly sweater day! But apparently only Luke and I are cool enough to participate in such awesome yuletide celebrations. His sweater was really, really...ugly. Uglier than mine. Yep, he beat me. I tried, but it just wasn't ugly enough! Oh well. Don't worry though, it was still quite grotesque. Trust me.

P.S. Isn't Sufjan Stevens amazing?

Little Joys

This is where I get to be really random, which I have a talent of being... (too bad this talent gets me absolutely nowhere)

1. There are only 11 more days until we get out of school for Thanksgiving break! You have no idea how happy this makes me. This means no school, no homework, no Dr. G, a week at Crampton Farm with my family, and time to enjoy some much-wanted reading. :)

2. This song makes me happy...as does this one. (You just can't go wrong with Chris Thile + the Beatles!)

3. In case you didn't know, this is the proper way to use ski poles.

4. School consumes most of my time, so I guess it gets its own numbered paragraph (but this does not mean it's a little joy). I finished reading The Scarlet Letter today and it was...eh. Don't get me wrong, Hawthorne's portrayal of the Puritans is very, very erroneous (yep, that's my word of the day), but viewed simply as a fictional novel, it's so-so. I felt like the ending was nothing to get excited over, but I was glad when Arthur Dim-wit finally (after 7 years!) acknowledged his sin and took the consequences like a man.

And...I think I do enjoy reading Poe. Meaning, I like what I've read so far. Sure he's a little creepy, but he's really intriguing.

5. This is one of the many reasons why I love Catherine Snyder.

6. A happy life is full of little joys: "A happy life is not built up of tours abroad and pleasant holidays, but of little clumps of violets by the roadside, hidden away almost, so that only those can see them who have God's peace and love in their hearts; in one long and continuous chain of little joys; little whispers from the spiritual world; little gleams of sunshine on our daily work." -Wilson of the Antarctic (don't ask me who that is, cause I have no idea - Amy Carmichael quoted him in Ploughed Under, that's all I know).

7. In just a few short months, Katie will be in Italy (if everything works out smoothly, that is...which is a big if). It is true that you don't really know what you've got 'till it's gone (or almost gone, in this case). Katie's the best sister I could ever ask for, as well as a wonderful example of Christ to me. I love her so, so much. And I don't know what I'll do without her. She'll be in Florence until June (or maybe longer) - goodness gracious that seems like an awfully long time!

Sisters :) ...and Chris Thile

8. Aside from the book, The Last of the Mohicans is a really great movie.

9. I have a new affinity for puzzles. It runs in the family.

10. For those of you who still think that cars, or buses, or trains, or bikes is the only way to get around, this is for you.

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!