"d'amore e di speranza"

I'm sitting here in my apartment on a Saturday night, typing in the glow of lamplight and listening to Porgy and Bess. The past two weeks have been absolutely insane, and I'm hoping this week will not follow suit. I was prepared for a rather slow week until I remembered that we have a band concert Thursday. Oops. That means that I can only work a half shift on both Monday and Wednesday. Hmm. It has been a while since I've updated, but life has consisted mostly of working, eating, sleeping, and limited social contact. All midterms and papers were finally completed as of yesterday, and with a sigh of relief, I tossed all work aside and went out for an afternoon/evening of relaxation. I sat on the stairs of Porter for the longest time, just soaking up the sunshine, chatting with passing professors, and soaking up every detail of my surroundings. I love moments like that where I can just sit and be a part of the world around me. I love being able to find wonder in intricate shadows on brick walls, bird songs, and even the scent and sparkle of water on pavement. The brief repose was followed by lunch at Chili's and an afternoon of much-needed cleaning. I finished out the evening with a wonderful concert. The evening was very cool...almost to the point of being chilly, and the sky seemed to stretch forever in every direction. I could have kept going for forever into the distance. This morning, I baked orange rolls and then went to hang out at Fallfest. Tonight, I went to the Chorus concert, which was "An Evening of Opera." Hands down, it was the best GC&SU choral concert I've ever been to. I left humming to myself and dreaming of beautiful evenings past and present. The moon is bright, the sky is clear, the air is crisp, and I feel as if wonderful arms have been wrapped around my shoulders. I'm looking forward to the beauty of this fall and especially the holiday season. :-)