Katherine Update

Well, it's been a while. Sorry about that. And I know I've said this before, but this time I really mean it - I'm ready to start writing again. I NEED to start writing again. I'm just so bored and lazy lately. I feel like I'm barely in school because I only have three classes: one which meets once a week and no classes on Friday. So like I said, sometimes it doesn't even feel like I'm in school. Nonetheless, I'm totally ready to graduate. 2 more months and then I'm done with school!!!! Yay!!! Well, then I have to come back to stupid Miami for student teaching, but hopefully that'll go by quick. And at least I get the whole summer off before having to come back here. I'm really pumped about this summer. Crossing my fingers that it turns out as great as I hope it will be, but all that depends. We'll see, but either way I'm still super excited to graduate and super excited about summer.

So here's what I want to talk about - ME! I was reading my last blog entry and realized that I am hopeless when it comes to setting goals for myself. The only goal I've ever had that managed to get accomplished was graduating top ten in high school. And now looking back that seems so completely insignificant. Every new year I make a list of goals, of resolutions to follow, and I never do. It's really sad. So I know it's March already and I'm two months behind, but I'm going to set some goals for myself and I swear I'm going to do whatever I can to follow them! So here they are - goals that are going to help me become Katherine again!

Start praying again - even if it's not every night
Go to church as often as I can - so long as I'm not out of town
Keep up with my journal
Read more - at least put a dent in my HUGE list of books to read
Stop cussing - MUST STOP! MUST STOP!
Get in shape - and by this I mean start going to the rec at least a few times a week
Write in my blog more - I miss writing and sharing my life with people
Save money - yeah...I'm totally broke and in debt...
Be more honest and assertive - I don't want to stop being nice and polite, I just want to work on putting myself and my feelings first sometimes. I don't do it very often.

So, here's hoping that the goals are realistic enough that I can stick to them. Notice how I left out to stop procrastinating? Yeah...that one just isn't plausible. lol.

Katherine

Here's to 2009!

For me, 2008 was a roller coaster ride. There were ups and downs, sudden drops and quick turns. Sometimes I had to close my eyes wanting to cry. Sometimes I couldn't help to smile and laugh. And sometimes I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. But most of all, it just went so fast that before I could blink it was over. Overall though, it was a great year. I experienced some new things, learned some lessons, and just had a great time living life. I wouldn't trade a single moment of 2008 for any reason - no regrets, no what ifs, no if onlys. So now I'm going into 2009 with the same state of mind. It's going to be another roller coaster ride, but it's going to be a blast. So here are some things that I hope will make it even better - my new year resolutions. I know there are a lot, but this way I can at least manage to accomplish a few of them!

New Year resolutions

1. Pray every night
2. Go to church every Sunday
3. Keep up with my journal
4. Read more
5. Stop cussing
6. Get in shape
7. Write in my blog more
8. Save money
9. Stop procrastinating
10. Work on old and new friendships
11. Work on my study abroad scrapbook
12. Listen to more music (more variety too)
13. Be more social
14. Be more honest and assertive (pretty much just stand up for myself and not let people walk all over me)
15. Start writing again
16. Work on my "things to do before I die" list
17. Try not to depend on men so much
18. Live for me

I think it's a pretty good list. We'll see how it goes. Thank you everyone who was apart of my 2008. It wouldn't have been the same without you! I hope you can be there to experience 2009 with me!

With love,

Katherine

Season of FORgiving

So I'm a bit busy with finals and whatnot - less than two weeks till Christmas break! I'm so excited! But alas, I still have lots of stuff to do, so here's just a little something for your viewing pleasure. Since it's the season of giving, here's a FORgiving poem I wrote for class. Ladies, you'll enjoy this one :)

A Woman's Forgiveness

For pulling my hair and
knocking me down on the playground
I forgive you

For laughing with your friends over the note I wrote you in trust
I forgive you

For not asking me to dance
when I got dressed up for your eyes only
I forgive you

For making me wonder relentlessly
if you’re interested or just being friendly
I forg
ive you

For flashing that grin that makes me
mumble and stutter my words
I forgive you

For flirting and giving me hope
when you have a girlfriend
I forgive you

For not kissing me goodnight
when its all I can think about
I forgive you

For the feelings of doubt
and self consciousness
I forgive you

For having fun with your friends
while I stare at a phone all night
I forgive you

For repeatedly promising to visit me
then never once showing up
I forgive you

For saying you loved me
then taking it back so easily
I forgive you

For the fear that I will
never be happy with anyone else
I forgive you

For not treating me the way
I deserve to be treated
I forgive you

For the hours I spent crying
and listening to sad love songs
I forgive you

For months spent trying to get over you
when I should have been enjoying life
I forgive you

For breaking my heart
so I could move on to find the man of my dreams
I forgive you

Come on, let's face it. It's about time a woman forgave men for all the stupid stuff they do. Heehee. Not that we women don't have our own faults...I'm just having a little fun. It's finals time! We all need a little fun!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas :)
Katherine

Looking forward to it

Well, the semester is gradually coming to a close...FINALLY! I can hardly wait! There is just so much to look forward to these days. Normally I'm just looking forward to Thanksgiving break around this time, which I am, but this year there's even more excitement awaiting. So just for a glimpse into Katherine's mind, here's everything I'm looking forward to within the next month or so leading up to the best thing of all - Christmas break!

• Daniel and Potter from the island coming to visit M and I this Friday night
• Adam and his girlfriend, Amanda (whom I finally get to meet!), coming to see M's play this weekend also
• Dad and Mom coming to see M's play Saturday night
• Thanksgiving break!!!!
• ALL of us girls being together over Thanksgiving break for the first time in two years!
• Roller skating and other shenanigans at Acres of Fun over Thanksgiving break
• Thanksgiving food and spending all day with the infamous Henleys
• Being Daniel's date for his fraternity formal the first weekend back after Thanksgiving break
• Amy and Jared possibly coming to see M's play the Saturday after break
• Only two more weeks of classes, and one week of finals before Christmas break!
• CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!!!

That's pretty much it for now. I won't go into the big Christmas break plans as of now. I just need to sit back and enjoy the end of the semester. Shouldn't be too bad. And hopefully it will go by super fast! Keep your fingers crossed!

Until next time,

Katherine

Ahhhhh!

Alright, so I said I was going to start writing in this thing again after a long absence and then I wrote two posts and stopped again. This is just not cutting it! I really WANT to be writing again! I think maybe I'm hesitant to bring this blog back into action because there's just so much more to it than just writing...I have to choose fonts and colors and choose an eye popping title to try to get people to read....then there's the whole issue about the template and layout of the blog itself...and let's fact it, it's just not very appealing. I've gone to just plain black now because it's boring and honestly, that's just how I feel about this blog right now! It's such a love/hate relationship. I love to write, but I hate all this other crap! Can't I just say whatever it is I want and leave it at that? Ah! And I really want to make this blog appealing and attractive, but I'm just too technologically illiterate that I can't figure out how to get it to look the way I want. I need a computer genius to just do it all for me! Any offers? No...?

So despite all this extra drama that a writer just shouldn't have to stress over simply to do a little bit of writing...I'm going to really really try to keep this blog updated AND entertaining AND attractive....but you'll have to bear with me and be patient. I'm still learning here! I know this was kind of a cop out blog entry...and I'm sorry, but it just needed to be addressed. So before I go to start thinking about the topic for my next entry I just have one more thing to address. What should I call this blog?! It began as "Chrysanthemums" which was fitting because it's my favorite name and favorite flower...even though it's the flower of death...lol. Then I changed it to "The Awakening" which is a novel written by Kate Chopin (completely tedius read...but good book in regards to a woman finally finding herself and "waking up" from her hum drum life). I changed it to that because I had an awakening....and now that I'm living in the wake and the actual "awakening" is over I'm thinking it may be time for a change again....so what should I do? Go back to Chrysanthemums, keep the Awakening, or come up with something new? You tell me!

Katherine

Pretty good day

Today I...

• turned off all my alarms and woke up 15 minutes before class started
• thought mean things in my head about my stupid professor for giving us stupid busy work
• found out from a friend that it's the first day of fall
• watched three episodes of Desperate Housewives to try to catch up before the new season starts
• skipped the usual after class nap
• actually started my homework before midnight
• realized that I'll be in the classrooms observing/teaching next week
• realized that I have nothing "professional" to wear for observing/teaching in the classrooms next week
• had a salad for lunch instead of just eating random snack items throughout the day
• crossed nothing off of my list of things to do
• went to a meeting about student teaching abroad...and actually am considering it
• decided I DEFINITELY want to be living on the island again this summer if at all possible
• sat down and just wrote
• walked the 15 minutes home instead of waiting 10 minutes for a 2 minute bus ride (do the math)
• heard from an old friend

Today I made a list of everything I want and deserve in a guy...
and decided I'm not going to settle for anything less

Overall, I'd say it was a pretty good day

Katherine