Helpless. Hopeless?

"I wonder why things have to change," murmured Piglet. Pooh thought for a while, then said, "It gives them a chance to get better." ~ David Benedictus

Not A.A. Milne, but it's still a quote that I sometimes find helpful.

Things in life are just taking a terrible turn lately. The worst part is that I'm so helpless to do anything about any of it. Some of my loved ones are suffering very much from hardships that life is throwing at them, and all I can do is stand by and hope for the best. It's a horrible feeling, knowing that you can't help in any way. And this uselessness is also fueling the anger in me that I already feel just because of the situations around me. I'm not an angry person by nature, so I really don't enjoy all of this rage building up in me. Usually I'm very optimistic and patient, but those tendencies seem to have been exhausted over the last couple of weeks. And as much as I'm hurting, I know that it's 100x worse for certain people that I love.

There is a lot of anger, sadness, confusion, and hurt dominating my thoughts right now. It's difficult to find room for hope.

Halloween photos, and a partridge in a pear tree!

Here are a few photos from my Halloween in Disney World! I dressed up as Belle, my boyfriend went as Gaston, and my younger sister was a sailor.








I've been working pretty furiously (for me anyway, being a slow knitter) on Christmas gifts over the past couple of weeks. So far, they're all coming along very well. I need to take pictures of them when they're finished. Here is a list of what I'm working on at the moment:

1 Moderne Log Cabin Blanket
1 Manly Scarf (my own design)
2 Scrunchable Scarves

I'm also considering trying either a Meandering Rib Scarf or a Drop Stitch Scarf, depending on whether or not there's time after I finish these. As I said, I'm a pretty slow knitter.

As for other Christmas gifts, I've decided what most everyone will be receiving. There are still a couple of people whose gifts I still need to figure out. Hmmmm.

I can't wait for Christmas! Since Thanksgiving break starts next week, I'm looking forward to starting work on Christmas cookies. Yum!

Boo to You!

It has been forever since I've written in my blog!

Pretty much life as usual.  I ended up dropping my Senior Seminar and registered to take it next semester.  This wasn't what I wanted, but my thesis project just got too big and messy, and it couldn't possibly be finished in time and be something of which I'd be proud.  But I'll be doing it next semester, and should still graduate in May with no problems!  :-D

This past weekend, I went with my boyfriend and my sister to Walt Disney World for Halloween!  It was so awesome!  I only wish we could have had more time, because there was so much to do and see at the Halloween party (Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, to be exact).  I want to do it again in the next couple of years, but as part of a larger trip.

I've been learning to knit!  My roommate is really good at it, and she taught me some of the basics a couple of months ago so that I could get started.  Since then, I've been building up a "stash" and working on some simple beginner's projects.  A lot of people are probably getting knitted goods for Christmas, haha.

Oh, I can't wait for the Christmas season!  And I can't believe that it's November already.  Now if only it would snow.

Starting senior year!

Tomorrow begins the first day of my senior year of college.  That's right, I'm outta here come May, and with my degree in tow!!  May 8th, to be precise.  That means only 265 days left until I graduate.  I think the last day of exams is May 6th, so there's no telling when I'll officially be done with classes.  So I'll just countdown to the date of my graduation ceremony.  Assuming nothing goes wrong!!  I'm so worried that requirements will pop up that I haven't fulfilled.  I'm hoping to go talk to my advisor about it tomorrow.  I'm a worrier, so I want to make absolutely sure that I'm not missing anything at this point.

Here are the requirements that I have left to fulfill to get my degree (as I know them):

Senior Seminar - 3 hours

Remaining History classes - 9 hours

Electives - 14 hours

That's right, I have more elective credits to fill up then History classes!  (My major is History, in case you didn't know.)  This irks me a bit; I could be graduating in one semester if not for those requirements.  Oh, well.  So my semester for this year is mainly filled up with crap electives, and then my Senior Seminar.  I really, really want this semester to go well.  Here is my tentative schedule as it is right now.  All Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes.  This will be both a blessing and a curse, I know.

9:05-9:55am  Consumers in Society

10:10-11am  Intro to Anthropology

11:15-12:05pm  Senior Seminar

12:20-1:10pm  Principles of Advertising

1:25-2:15pm  Classical Mythology

I know that by the time 2:15 rolls around on MWF, I'll feel like dying most days.  It's like a flashback to my very first semester as a freshman, except without the biology labs.  I'm going to have to figure out a schedule for eating in between.  Most likely I can bring a sandwich and something to drink for my main lunch, and then try to get small snacks in as well.  So if I keep this schedule, that means that in the spring I'll only have to take three upper-divisional History classes and then one elective.

I'm most nervous about my Seminar.  I basically have to write my senior thesis, and didn't want to wait until the semester of graduation to do it.  The professor is one I've never had before, and I've heard she's tough!  Here's hoping that everything goes well for me this semester!  And to all of my friends starting school this week, Good Luck!!

~ Anna

In which I share a poem.

The title of my blog ("She Who Could Bind You") comes from a poem by Sara Teasdale, my favorite poet.  So to begin my blogging experience, I'll post a poem by her!

The Old Maid

I saw her in a Broadway car,

The woman I might grow to be;

I felt my lover look at her

And then turn suddenly to me.

Her hair was dull and drew no light

And yet its color was as mine;

Her eyes were strangely like my eyes

Tho' love had never made them shine.

Her body was a thing grown thin,

Hungry for love that never came;

Her soul was frozen in the dark

Unwarmed forever by love's flame.

I felt my lover look at her

And then turn suddenly to me,

His eyes were magic to defy

The woman I shall never be.

~ Sara Teasdale

Take care, kids!!