Chapter Ninety-Eight: All Things Bright and Beautiful

Sometimes, you have to make time to enjoy the simple things in life. 
My homework assignment from my fieldcraft class was to draw two more trees. I'm still searching for another tree to draw, but I sat outside one afternoon and drew a rickety, bare tree. Being a science/math nerd, I don't sit outside and draw very often, unless it's for a lab. However, on Thursday, I found a nice tree in the courtyard between two buildings on campus, sat in front of it, and took the time to really make it special. It's not the best drawing in the world, nor is it the most accurate...but the sheer memory of lying outside, in the sunshine, surrounded by the tumbling, loose leaves and crunchy grass is what I will remember. I sincerely enjoyed my time outside.

Hmmm?

Hmmm??

Later that day, Nikki and I returned to one of my new favorite places: Gatsby's Coffeehouse. I just love the atmosphere there; besides, we really have to leave the dorm to actually get any work done. I ordered a hot chocolate, and was given the most beautiful cup of chocolate in my life. I have to admit, I delayed drinking it simply because I was so impressed with the presentation.

It tasted delicious, too.

The only downfall to Gatsby's is that they close at 10:00pm, which is much too early for night owls like us. Still, it's a cute little coffee shop with exquisite taste in furniture and hot chocolate, so I will return...often. 

The very next day, after classes, Martin, Mary, Nikki, and I all skipped over to the LHUCA for another First Friday Art Trail. This is sort of becoming a tradition of ours. Not that I mind! We looked at the new, local art exhibits, and even participated in one. In the crowded hallway, there were large, white papers that invited guests to cut and paste magazine pictures, draw with crayons or pencils, and basically do whatever our hearts desired. 

"The Art of Collage: Interactive Exhibition"

Such a Variety

Artists in the Making

Leonardo as an Oscar...Very Funny

My Walt Disney signature is above it!

Also, I drew a pug...

This was an entertaining and popular part of the trail. After we made our marks, we continued on into the other rooms to glance at the other art pieces. I really love the Art Crawl because there is such a variety of art. It's also so cool how this gives you an opportunity to meet and greet with the artists...sometimes it's hard to imagine the face behind the mask. 

Candid Photo?

We also had the opportunity to watch an artist create a piece. Performance art!

Art in the Making!

A Finished Piece

Amazing Skills!

After we got our fill of art and socializing, we headed back home. I picked up Luke and we had a late night movie night. We finally watched The Maze Runner; a movie based off of a book both of us have read and thoroughly enjoyed. It was pretty good! I think Luke has a new favorite movie. 

Super Lame Selfie....(we were tired)

Following the weekend, I promised to take Luke to my new favorite place: Gatsby's Coffeehouse. We enjoyed a romantic evening with beautiful hot chocolates, pleasant lighting, and just enjoying each other's company. I even snagged a cute picture of him.

Made you Laugh ;)

Today in Fieldcraft, we went into the alleyways of Tech Terrace to look at birds. I learned quite a bit today. While I'm insanely slow with spotting birds, I did learn some pointers when I finally do see the animal. Our course required us to purchase a field guide, so by using our naked eye, binoculars, and process of elimination, identifying a bird shouldn't be too hard. My homework assignment is to find five species that we did not see today...this class is definitely challenging me, but at least the homework is fun!

Searching for Birds in the Alleys

Here Birdie, Birdie, Birdie...

That pretty much concludes my weekend fun! Stay tuned...Ash Wednesday is coming... As always, thanks for reading. 

On Sunday, a man was shot and killed while I was attending Mass. While this was a frightening experience for my friends and I, we are safe, just shaken. I invite you to pray for the victim, his family, and all involved in this tragic event. If you would like to read more about what happened, please click here.