Like Homecoming, but with less sobriety and more fun

Love me some Black Cat '09

Yellow Class-Valkyries '13

We ain't got no marching band
We ain't got a foot ball team
We ain't got a lot of things
Thank god that we've got Gold and Green!!!!

Crocheting Like Crazy

I thought I would post my latest projects and newest inspo that is helping me become a complete knitting/crocheting fiend. This hat was based on bon-bons with little bobbles al lthe way around it and a stretchy brim. Buddha is helping out with the modeling.

I've been working on my first big cable knitting project. and dagnumit, it is hard to keep track off. But this pattern (below) is my inspo, with the ribbing base and the double weave of front crosses and back crosses. The ribbing actually makes it easier for anyone attempting to cable because you have to read your own stiches instead of attempting to continually count. It is a scarf I'm working on and it is in a lovely purple, and has 4 of these patterns across. But knowing my knitting speed it will probably be done next winter.

I've also reinstated my love of Love Story and Ali MacGraw wardrobe. Maybe it is because of the weather finally being autumnal and me being on a college campus, I just feel like a ingenue. Specifically I am obsessed with her hats! and just made myself one in warm peacock colors with a flower on the side.

As soon as I get suitable yarn, I am setting out ot make this kind-of amigurumi Buddha.

My latest amigurumi: a hedgehog for Megan Mits, my lovely best friend who just turned 19th and has a severe thing for hedgehogs. and you can slightly see my Ali MacGraw hat in the background. Sorry for no better picture yet of the hat, webcam doesn't do it justice.

Southern Women

This week has been a blast of family Kearney fun. As normal, Kearneys usually have the most fun when together. We went to Taylor Swift and Julianna and I touched her hand! And Mommy and I attended "Celebrating Eudora," an amazing concert at Agnes Scott.

Here are my thoughts concerning both.

At Agnes over the past weeks, I've realized how much I love being from Georgia and identifying with Southern Tradition. These feelings culminated between these two concerts, even though Taylor is from Pennsylvania, her fan base is the modern Southern girl and Chapin Carpenter is from New Jersey, her Americana has always spoken on a specific level those below Maryland. I think one of the reasons Agnes is still thriving when other women's colleges are switching over to coed is because it is in the south. President Kiss is driving the college in the right direction, with the support of the surrounding community, striving for an institution that makes Southern women. Strong, sassy, independent, rooted in history, but growing towards a future.

The Southern woman in my mind that these women with guitars sung to was the one who called Welty "Miss Eudora" before she could read. Her favorite B-52 is Kate. Her family visited Rock City and she got a souvenir ceramic. She would rather have a wisteria covered wall at her home then attend an Ivy League school. April doesn't start for her until dogwoods bloom. Houses, in her mind, are supposed to have front porches. She sings both Gladys and the Pips' parts in "Midnight Train to Georgia" until she marries a man that will be gladly sing back up.

When I was little, I dreamed of escaping Georgia. I wanted to go to school and live anywhere but here. I wanted to go to Philadelphia and go to Bryn Mawr, alma mater of Katharine Hepburn. But Agnes is perfect for me. And I'm thinking because Bryn Mawr raises roses of women, with pretty petals and plenty of sassy thorns, but those thorns are on the outside of the flower. A southern magnolia keeps the thorns and sass to herself on the inside of the petals.

Work Study!

Last night was my first official job as a Writing Center Student Aide. and surprisingly it is a lot like what I did at the High when I volunteered there. Making sure people sign in, and avoiding conflict. At least so far. I work again tonight. Yay!

And my first American Lit. paper is due tomorrow. omg. it is going to be awesome.

First Week in Review

So

I love it here. Agnes is absolutely amazing. I won't bore everyone with orientation overview because it was boring. But I will tell you some highlights!

The Food-Omg, best college food ever. Alice, my adorable roommate, has heard me rave about it. But they have these phenomenal soups. And one day foccacia, mozzarella, and arugela sandwichs! amazing

The people-I love the people I've met so much. They are all so different and quirky.

Frozen Yogurt-I forget what the place is called. But there is a delicious froyo place downtown that if I knew about before coming, Agnes would have number 1 a lot sooner.

Classes-Latin 201, American Lit Post 1700, History of Greek Civ, Modern Dance and Mindfulness 101, crazy hard, but crazy fun.

This week we'll be volunteering tomorrow together as a class. I'm starting my work study job as a Writing Center aide and my first paper on D.H. Lawrence's opinion of Benjamin Franklin is due on Wednesday!

I feel so collegiate. Like Ali McGraw in Love Story. Except without the unnamed fatal disease.

First Two Days: Report

So I officially love Agnes Scott, but hate orientation. I want to go to class!

My roommate is like a cooler version of me. Alice is so sweet and nice and super smart. I haven't really met anyone else who I'm super close with, but I think that will change once classes start. I just hate the act of mingling, learning someone's name only to forget it.

The room is all decorated with polka dots and blues and green. My classes seem to be locking themselves into place. Latin 201 and Mindfulness 101 for sure still. Possibly American Lit survey, because I have to get it over with sometime or Lyric Poetry. and I really want this Greek Civ. class now after meeting the wonderful Classics Department.

I haven't had an official meal yet, only like continental breakfast and special meals for the orientation. That starts tomorrow if I manage to not sleep through breakfast. And tomorrow I am going to Tech! To see Megan, Christy and Katelyn, and possibly Jamie Wingo.

Musings on Musicals

So I love musicals. Everyone knows this.

But I was thinking what makes me like a musical. I thought of a few concise things that should be included in case someone were to make the musical of all musicals. Take note.

1. Nuns-Nuns are hilarious. They just are. In Sound of Music, "(How Do You Solve A Problem Like) Maria" is crazy funny, and witty with the incorporation of their prayers as subtle choreography. When the nuns steal the car parts from the Nazis, good triumphs evil succinctly and humorously. And "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is oddly jocular, just because Mother Superior's mouth is so large.

2. Prostitutes/Underwear Scenes-Not in a kinky way. But these scenes, like The Ballet or "Many a New Day" in Oklahoma or "Lovely Ladies" in Les Miserables allow for really, really amazing costuming and choreography. And some cool minor key changes. Even wholesome Singin' In the Rain has Cyd Charisse in "Broadway Melody," who pretty much is the creepy gangster oddly flexible prostitute. Another good underwear scene is in An American in Paris when Gene Kelly first gets up and dances in his tiny apartment.

3. All Male Scenes-While I realize this is extremely difficult, I do tend to enjoy large dancing scenes with all men. Examples-"Barn Raising,"Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, 1776, "Kansas City," Oklahoma, and all the Jet and Shark scenes in West Side Story

4. Gangsters-Notably West Side Story, but "The Farmers and the Cowmen," Oklahoma, and Guys and Dolls. Gangs allow for more athletic dancing and fake fighting atypical of floofy musicals, or adorable scenes like "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" from Kiss Me Kate.

5. Anything Bob Fosse or Stephan Sondheim related, or that doesn't smell of Andrew Lloyd Webber-As a self-respecting musical lover I cannot say I enjoy ALW. Phantom-sucked, Evita-sucked, and Cats was only good because T.S. Eliot wrote the lyrics.

Movie Review-Julie&Julia

ohmygoodness, wonderful!

Two of my favorite actresses, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, and the adorable Stanley Tucci were amazing. Meryl Streep, in her eternal beauty and classiness, captured Julia Child's oooOOOOooooos and 6'2ness without making her into a caricature. And Amy Adams with her wonderfully crooked teeth and whole-hearted earnestness takes the viewer on the desperate journey from secretarial pool to cooking school.

In comparison to the book, the movie is a lot less political, at least in the Julie plot line. And the softening of the complete depth of despairs that in more gastronomical circles is known as aspics, upset me a little just because in the book, Julie Powell's journey is so miserable and triumphant in the end. But the movie is technically not just an adaptation of Julie & Julia, it is also an adaptation of My Life in France, by Julia Child, so this wonderful edition does call for some cuts from the nominal work. Paul and Julia are adorable together, and when she says that her cook book is his too, it shows how beautifully codependent they are on each other and the meals they share.

But the unsung hero of the these two women's lives, the books and the movies is the recipes. We are shown the direct link between the women and how it affected their husbands, friends and lives. But they also touched so many other people, which was beautifully shown in a scene from neither book where Judith Jones, Julia's book editor, cooks Boeuf Bourguignon. This woman, who is not a housewife, but instead a working woman, not in a kitchen, but a publishing house, cooks a stew and falls in love with the idea that she CAN cook. And that is what Julia has done and will continue to do for generations. The movie captures that better than Julia's accent or Julie's struggle and that's why I enjoyed it so insanely much.

Waffle House-they should call it Waffle Home

I love these kids, and waffle house. This will be our last WaHo adventure for awhile, which is severely sad. Katy's face found another dimple! and Will loves his toast.

John and me. We're so cute, when we hang out I feel like I am 15. He's the best pretend little brother ever and a beast at eating eggs and waffles.

All About Agnes

My future alma mater, Agnes Scott College, is a women's college in Decatur, GA. I'm planning on majoring in English Lit., and if I can swing it, Classic Languages, but my schedule may be too hard to fit another major in, so I may just minor in it.

I'm so excited about being in Decatur, right near Eddie's Attic, and near enough to Georgia Tech to be able to visit Christy, Megan and Katelyn. And anyone, please feel free to visit me; I love Decatur already and would love to adventure around with someone. Anyway, the above picture is of the library at Agnes Scott, one of the main reasons I picked Agnes. The lamps are so gorgeous! Even on a completely superficial level Agnes is perfect for me. I cannot imagine going anywhere else.

One Week

As of today, I officially have one week until I move out to Decatur for college at Agnes Scott. I can't wait to be in Atlanta with Christy, Megan, Emily and Katelyn, and of course, everyone in Class of '13 at Agnes. I'll be working on packing, unpacking and re-packing all week until I get the right proportion of shoes to clothing to books ready for school. Class schedule is still completely up in the air, but I know I'll be taking Mindfulness 101 and hopefully Latin 201, which I placed into, I just have to register for it. And at least one English class and a requirement class, something like History or Philosophy or even Modern.