Gifts

Who's surprised? Haha.

     

"Godard on Godard", a book I've been wanting since last Spring quarter but have not been so keen on shelling out the cash for (thanks mom). Now I get to spend time sifting through a collection of his earlier essays on film, and interviews about his actual films so I know exactly what he is thinking; and that's all I've ever really wanted...to be able to pick his brain and understand his thought process. In the photo on the top I wanted to pretend I was Jean Serberg on the cover but then laughed; I'm not sure why the iphoto flash is so out of control, or why the glare on the book is so out of control. Christmas was certainly different this year, not so much like Christmas..but at least my mom and sister and her boyfriend were here. Back to Columbus tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad but it's time to go back and try to create something in Columbus because no one's gonna do it for me.

Madeleine

I've been making my way through "Swann's Way" by Proust over break. His descriptions of childhood and memories are lovely but no matter how carefully I read through his passages I can't help but feel I'm always oblivious to something else he's trying to say. I'm about 100 pages into the 600 page book and my favorite part so far has been his recollection of something that is now termed "Proust's Madeleine", in literature.

Basically, his mother gives him tea with some madeleine (a kind of cookie I think may be common in France) and once he drinks it he is overwhelmed with involuntary memories of his childhood in Combray with his grandmother who once gave him the same tea and madeleine combination. It got me thinking, "has this ever happened to me?"

Of course it must have at some point but it obviously passed by unexamined. It's generally associated with tastes but I can't see why the concept couldn't apply to any or all of the sense's. This part of the book particularly got me because I am home for the holiday and I always feel distinctly different and overwhelmed by the changes I go through when going back and forth between Ohio and Tennessee. The difference in the air, the trees, the sounds, the smells; it all creates two entirely different feelings within me. On an elementary level it's like how the taste of black coffee reminds me of the engineering building on campus. I can't recall any tastes from my childhood that evoke strong memories, but I suppose now that I am aware of the effect that once it happens it won't pass by unnoticed. Can't wait :)

Photo by: Spoon and Chair

Kisses

During school, any music that I start to like is generally met with a brick wall of Chemistry, but since it's Christmas break I'm playing catch-up. I fell in love with Kisses this fall and finally took the time to get the music :)  I love their 80's sound, and everyone else's 80's sound since that seems to be the new trend, haha. <3

If you're bored...

Free Time

This is what happens when I have too much free time. I couldn't help myself after the last post..

Poor Tessa

She was really not meant to have the "pupcakes" I bought her. This time they made it 2 hours closer, but I left them in my dad's freezer in Cincinnati. I even went to the trouble of putting them in my glovebox with an ice pack to keep them cold when I left Saturday afternoon. I didn't even mind when I spilled hot tea all over myself in the act of doing so (cursing loudly as it went everywhere and knowing that the boy packing his car up across the street probably thought I was insane). It doesn't matter though; He already knows that I am insane because I run into and out of my house at night so no one "gets" me. Despite my mistake, she gave me an enthusiastic greeting when I came home :)

Yes she is under the blanket. Yes she does this by herself. Yes it is amazing and magical and I don't believe it's real. She actually does this at the bottom of the stairs quite frequently. 

And by the way, I love that 1 out of the 3 times it will actually snow in Knoxville this winter is the day that I drive home--not that it really matters because they are harmless little flurries, but still. I must have brought it with me :(

Advice Column II

Avoiding the situation isn't going to make it any better.

I get to see my pup in 7 days, and this time I won't forget the Three Dog Bakery treats I bought her.

It Happened

I left my house for French today and it was snowing.
I feel like I'm entering a war, and it's called winter.