'Twas the Night Before Orals....

Hello Dear Friends,

So.....................................


Tomorrow is my comprehensive oral exam, the one that I have been moaning about since I first heard about it when I came to Glenville. The one that everyone dreads, the one that if you fail, you fail the class and then you don't get to graduate. So, on the eve of such a momentous event...I am blogging. I am sick of studying for it. I know I have a lot more that I could cover, but I am feeling antsy and bored and actually, to tell the truth...not that worried about it. I thought I would be a nervous wreck and be totally scared and everything, but strangely, I'm quite calm. I know I have talked about it a lot, my friends here at college all know about it, but it is more excitement than dread. I am just anxious to get it over with.

I am going to be the first student to take the orals. Everyone else is taking them next week. I am thinking that the professors will not be as hard on me as the others. I think this for several reasons. 1. They like me. 2. I am getting A's in all my classes so they know I am smart. 3. They know that I haven't taken most of this material for over a decade, so they won't expect great detail. 4. I am going first. 5. They don't want to fail me, or anyone else for that matter, so unless I go in there and can't answer anything, I think I will be ok.

Oh well...I know I will do a little more studying tonight and maybe a tiny bit tomorrow, but I am not going to stress over it.

So...here's to "please, please, please....ask me something I have studied...." and "I'm just going to do my best...."

I will let everyone know how it goes. Keep your fingers, and toes, crossed for me.

Love you,

Tanya

Have You Ever Heard of Bluegrass?

So...I am asking my non-WV friends here. Have you ever experienced Bluegrass music? I have never really listened to any, other than when watching Disney's "The Fox and the Hound" movie with my kids. I had pictures in my mind of old men with no teeth gumming smoking pipes, sitting in rocking chairs, picking a banjo while somebody played a fiddle and everyone did that sterotypical hillbilly dance. It was such a redneck kind of thing. I would have never gone to see a Bluegrass concert. Ever.

Then came last night. The GSC Bluegrass group played at our school lounge and they had invited a group from Kentucky to join them. They played for about 2 hours and I totally enjoyed the entire thing. My dear friend, Mary Sue, even joined them to sing a couple ditties. So...I am a Bluegrass convert. Here are two video clips from last night. The big guy in the first clip is a friend of mine that I didn't even know played an instrument. Apparently, he is one of the best in the region. The old guy with him is a world famous banjo-ist (I don't know what you are supposed to call him), his name is Buddy Griffin and he is the Bluegrass prof here in Glenville.



The second clip is of the Kentucky group. They were really amazing and totally entertaining.



So, I can't say that I will ever purchase a Bluegrass CD, but I certainly will not turn away from an opportunity to attend a live concert.

On another note, we also had our annual GSC picnic that day and there were a bunch of venues. One was a really funny gameshow in which this funny lady would ask some really easy questions for points. During an intermission, my friend Josh got up and preformed his "Evolution of Dance" routine to our great delight. Here it is...at least most of it.



It was a really beautiful day and I had a great time. I will miss the friends I made here and the experiences that I have had will remain with me for a lifetime.

Anyways, talk to everyone later.

Love Tanya

Love Makes You Crazy...Its a Theory I'm Working On...

So, on Monday night, at 8 pm, I decided to drive four hours to Dayton, Ohio to see Frank. I knew he would have to leave the next morning for his work at 7:30, and that I would be very tired by the time I reached him at midnight, but I did it anyways. I also knew that I would have to drive the four hours back the next morning. And still...I did it anyways. I didn't tell him I was coming, I called him on the road. He couldn't stop me...he tried. Anyways, it was really nice to see him and I felt all teenage-ry, and stupid, and like I was back in highschool. What I want to know from all my friends...is what have you done in the name of love? It can be stupid, or incredibly romantic, or hilarious, or insane and please include the outcomes. How was your gesture received? Did it go over well or was it a bomb? Knowing what you know now, would you do it again? Or, if you like, you can tell us about what someone did for you in the throws of passion.

On a completely different note...I only have 2 weeks left! Graduation is on May 9th and I am so ready to come home. Someone asked me today if I would miss Glenville. I told him no...he looked disappointed, so I hastened to reassure him that I would desparately miss my friends, but that I would not miss Glenville...much. I will miss my independence. I will miss just being Tanya. I don't know if that makes sense. At home, I am mother, wife, coach, employee, sister, daughter, granddaughter, aunt and friend. Here...I am Tanya, the student. That is a pretty simple thing to be. I know it is going to take some adjustments on my part, and on the part of my family. I have been away long enough for them to be used to me not being there. I hope it isn't too rough though. During Spring Break, it took me 3 days to get back into being a Mom. It was actually quite humerous how pathetic I was the first 2 days. I didn't cook any meals, I decided not to take the kids to school and I got a headache trying to stop the kids from fighting with each other. I confess I was sort of looking forward to heading back to school. Weird huh? I know doing this "back to school" thing has caused me to grow as a person. I feel much more confident and sure of myself. It has been a very hard thing to be away from home, but I grew to appreciate what was given to me, this opportunity to finish something.

Well, its off to bed. I will hopefully post again very soon. I have some pictures I want to share with all of you.

Love you,
Tanya

Happy Easter Aislinn

Hello Friends,

This is actually a more personal message for my daughter Aislinn. The Easter Bunny contacted me last night and gave me some troubling news. He informed me that my daughters had not spent the time this year to prepare their Easter baskets and as a consequence he said he was going to make them work for their Easter candy this year. He has arranged to make a treasure hunt out of the traditional Easter egg hunt this year. He has little riddles, puzzles, tasks and locations for both Aislinn and Mackendra to do and go to to find the next clue until the final JACKPOT!!!!

This message is actually one of the tasks that Aislinn has to do to find her final clue so she can claim her fabulous treasure. The Easter Bunny requested that I help him out a little bit. I couldn't say no. He's the Easter Bunny!

So....

Aislinn, do you like history and mythology? In order to find the prize you seek, you would need to talk with those whom represent prosperity, authority and longevity according to your mother's relatives.


Good luck,

Love Mom and the Easter Bunny

Eeeeeeee----Yaaaaa!

So, I just took my first class of Martial Arts. Totally cool! I am definitely going to keep attending the free Monday night classes here in college. I am also going to put my girls into it once I get home. I have never had so much fun being punched and kicked at! Our instructor is the sheriff of Glenville and he had this whole "chi" thing going on. He would take someone throwing a punch and flip, chop, strike, strike, chop, twist, pinch, chop, chop, turn, like 2 secs later have the poor dude on his stomach with his face all twisted up in pain. It was so fast and crazy and...darn it!!!! I want to be able to do that!

Let's see....run 10K. Check.
Take up Yoga and Pilates. Check.
Try a Martial Arts. Check.

Cool.

Is there something that you want to try? Another one on my list, is eating squirrel and ramps. Apparently it is ramp season right now and Mary Sue, my friend here, keeps threatening me with a ramp feast. I think she's bluffing (don't tell I said so). The squirrel doesn't look like it going to happen, as it is not squirrel hunting season and people don't usually can squirrel....what?! You can meat here? (Shaking my head in disbelief). But not squirrel. Weird.

Anyways...still surviving down here. Counting down the days.

Talk to everyone soon.

Love Tanya

Its Titled...."Study Break"

Ahhhh...

Indecision + Options + Procrastination + Young Friends = Colorful Toes