More Color

The Fall colors are just so beautiful that I had to post some more pics. Enjoy!

Fall Days

Today was a truly lovely fall day. This will be my first fall season with trees that actually change color since my couple of fall seasons at Biola U many years ago. I turned in a paper yesterday, and I have two due tomorrow, one of which I haven't even started, but today I just could not focus. I have had an entire day that has been completely wasted on my meanderings through Green Lake and various Sufjan Steven's songs! Here is a little taste of my day...

Sufjan, who I am crushing on big time since going to his concert this weekend (how can a girl resist a guy wearing butterfly wings playing the banjo with inflatable Santa and Superman dolls all around him??), well he has some beautiful music. Here are the lyrics to my favorite song of the day:

For The Widows in Paradise; for The Fatherless in Ypsilanti
(Welcome to Michigan album)
I have called you children,
I have called you son.
What is there to answer if I'm the only one?
Morning comes in Paradise,
morning comes in light.
Still I must obey, still I must invite.
If there's anything to say, if there's anything to do,
If there's any other way, I'll do anything for you.

I was dressed embarrassment.
I was dressed in wine.
If you had a part of me,
will you take you're time?
Even if I come back, even if I die
Is there some idea to replace my life?

Like a father to impress;
Like a mother's mourning dress,
If you ever make a mess,
I'll do anything for you

I have called you preacher;
I have called you son.
If you have a father or if you haven't one,
I'll do anything for you.
I did everything for you

And then there was the walk in the park. A professor started crying last week as he talked about the beauty of the fall trees near our school. Honestly, I thought it was a little cheesy, that is until today as I stood near tears staring at a magenta red-pink tree. Take a look:

Rest

It has been about six weeks since school started, and all the "disruption" is catching up with me. My brain is tired. I am emotional all the time. I am sensitive to everything going on around me, and every thought I have is somehow connected to Martin Buber's book "I and Thou," which means I am living in a really twisted reality!

But in the midst of all this there has been some fun and beauty. Per Sporty Spice's request...finally, some photos!

Beautiful Mt. Ranier from my street on a clear day! I have seen it dozens of times, but it still takes my breath away every time I come upon a view of this massive mountain!

Friend Katie and roommate Stef's birthday party at this weekend's birthday bash and bar hopping (but there wasn't much hopping, just sitting in one bar! We are fierce party animals!)

Roommate Smruti, birthday friend Katie and me:

Paperweight

My roommates and I are obsessed with The Last Kiss Soundtrack right now. You can read about Stef's favorite songs on her blog (http://www.stefshaf.blogspot.com/), and she inspired me to share this one...

Paperweight

(Schyler Fisk feat. Joshua Radin)

Been up all night

staring at you

wondering what's on your mind

i've been this way with so many before

but this feels like the first time

you want the sunrise to go back to bed

i want to make you laugh

mess up my bed with me

kick off the covers i'm waiting

every word you say

i think i should write down

don't want to forget come daylight

happy to lay here

just happy to be here

i'm happy to know you

play me a song

your newest one

please leave your taste on my tongue

paperweight on my back

cover me like a blanket

mess up my bed with me

kick off the covers i'm waiting

every word you say

i think i should write down

don't want to forget come daylight

and no need to worry

that's wastin time

and no need to wonder what's been on my mind

it's you it's you it's you

every word you say

i think i should write down

don't want to forget come daylight

and i give up

i let you win

you win cause i'm not counting

you made it back to sleep again

wonder what you're dreaming

For those that wonder what Mars Hill Graduate School is all about, I think this song is a good picture. Going beyond the obvious sexual nature of this song, I think the idea of inviting someone into our bed to mess it up together is a pretty good analogy. We are being asked to invite others into the intimate places within us, not just for cathartic reasons, but allowing others to mess with our stories...even if it means getting hurt in the process. Because it is just that - process. I tell a story, you enter my story, we mess with it, you may hurt me, but from that hurt I learn even more about my own story, and you learn how to respond better to others. Voila! Mars Hill Graduate School...anyone else want to sign up for this craziness! =)

But there is also a playfulness. We all seem to have this "just happy to be here" attitude that gets us through the days that suck. And there is a sense of profoundness in what we are learning from professors and from each other. Perhaps I am reading too much into these lyrics, but it just fits!