Tired.

Good hello my dear!

I hope you're well! I am tired. Last week was our first week back at school (and the beginning of my LAST semester) and while it wasn't that holy crap I need a nap kind of busy, it was still rough going from lazing around reading and knitting all day to working Tuesdays and Thursdays and sitting through hours of lecture the rest of the week.

But don't think I didn't read. Oh, I read. I didn't read NYPD Red, like I had promised. I got through the first page and just didn't care. So I read The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins instead.

Now, I have read them before, but I'm still counting it towards my 50 book goal (it fulfills the "trilogy" category on my list). If you have seen the movies and loved them, then you will fawn over the books. It has been so long since I've really loved a series, and I can't recommend this one enough. I love Finnick Odair with all of my being, more than Peeta Mellark (a close second) and maybe even more than I love zucchini tacos.

This week, I'm working on Fahrenheit 451 (I read it once ages ago in high school, but I also slept through 50% of that class so it doesn't count), while I also work through Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis) for class.

I'm taking a class on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tokein- so there will be lots of myth and interesting philosophy tossed about here and there. Be prepared.

A little knitting announcement will come soon, as soon as the yarn comes in.

Things to look out for:

• yarn dyeing tutorial
• Little Bean knitting 
• Hunger Games review
• Fahrenheit 451 review
• semester ramblings

I apologize for this lazy post today. More will happen soon! Promise!

All the best,

M

***

Now Playing:

American Beauty/American Psycho - Fall Out Boy

Something's Gotta Give - All Time Low

On Wittgenstein, Jr.

Good hello my dear! 

I hope you've been well this last week. I've been having some sort of reaction to something- which is the vaguest way possible to say "I feel like shit but have no idea why". I'll chalk it up to anxiety over the new semester starting and call it a day. Soon I'll have finished my Doctor Who scarf, so be on the look out for that within the next week or so. 

BUT I DO HAVE A REVIEW. I finished Wittgenstein Jr. and it was a fantastic choice for the new year. It's quite a book, and I can say whole heartedly that I loved it. As the summary says, we watch as Peters and his cohort try to understand their philosophy professor, who is, without a doubt, a new Wittgenstein. Perhaps calling him Wittgenstein-reincarnate is more accurate. It is a coming of age story in which a handful of Cambridge boys realize they have no idea what the real world will be like and have an inane need to impress their professor. Characters come and go, we get glimpses of their lives together just as though we were Cambridge students as well. Secondly, however, it's a modern retelling of Wittgenstein's first stint as a Cambridge professor. The loss of his brother, his realization that his original work (the Tracatus Logico-Philisophicus) was wrong, and his need  to set it right. Wittgenstein's philosophy is woven in every page, through phrases spoken, actions lived, and the plentiful one-way conversations in class (and I would be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely delighted every time I caught it). 

  I found it difficult to pick up, but near impossible to put down (which only happened when I had to drive as I read mostly in the car). I giggled a lot, but I wouldn't classify it as  a comedy in any sense. The humor I found came directly from Peters, our main character, and his friends- all of whom are incredibly pretentious and entirely Cambridge. Their humor is definitely British- witty and brash, the kind of humor that strikes you with a bit of disbelief and you repeat whatever had you giggling because you keep thinking about it. 


The apparently excessive italics annoyed me for a while, but it just took a bit of training to read them without emphasis and by the end, it was easy to read along putting emphasis on the rights ones and ignoring the others. The words that Iyers chose to italicize don't initially seem to have a reason, however with most words (not all of them, but definitely most) I found that they were from various parts of Wittgenstein's philosophy. A lot of people seem to have trouble with all the italics as there are quite a lot, but it's worth the hassle. 

Another common complaint is the relationship that forms in the fourth quarter of the book. It is hinted at early on, and while many call it unrealistic or forced, I don't find it to be either. It follows relationships of ancient Greek philosophers and their pupils, and is representative of what many presume Wittgenstein had. Without saying too much as to cause a spoiler, I found that the relationship could be entirely plausible (based on being a college student and having friends in a variety of disciplines) and it wasn't forced. I know that quite a lot of readers are tired of having romance thrown into books, but they'll just have to get over it. Some sort of relationship, whether platonic, romantic, or some combination there of will be in any book- and it was a part of Wittgenstein's life and had a place here. 

I think I enjoyed this book so much for a variety of reasons, so here's a bullet-point list: 

• I love Wittgenstein. I suffered through a semester of reading the TLP, the Philosophical Investigations, and many ridiculous conversations (and one very concerning movie) about the private Wittgenstein, and during that time I found what I was looking for. 
• I love philosophy. I mean, I'm a philosophy major with a concentration in religion. I'm down for trying anything that combines fiction and philosophy. 
• My humor is weird. I laugh at the kid who tripped just as hard as I laugh at exaggerated recreations of philosopher's death scenes, so I giggled through this whole book. 
• My friends are a lot like Peters and Company. These pages felt like home, like I was back in PAR 393 studying Wittgenstein again. 

I don't think you need a background in philosophy or Wittgenstein to read this, but I think to understand it well and to really enjoy it, you would need a base knowledge of Wittgenstein (maybe a few Wikipedia articles before hand). 

Next Up: NYPD Red by James Patterson and Marshall Karp. I used to love James Patterson- his Women's Murder Club series was just about all I read during the early high school years (because hell yeah I want women being badasses and solving murders), but I fell out after that. This book will be a test- do I like Patterson or do I fall in with the lower reviews?

Stay safe, stay warm. 

2015. Sorry. Again.

Well, I think we can all agree that I absolutely suck at this whole blog thing. 

I hope that 2014 left you healthy and happy, as it did for me. I also hope that 2015 brings you all that you strive for and you prosper in all that you attempt. 

My main resolution is the old, "do no harm but take no shit". I strive to be kinder, more giving, and more honest in the new year, but I also refuse to back down from adversity and revolution. There is a lot happening in the world and I will be on the side of equality. 

Additionally, I have set the goal to finish all projects before starting a new one and to read more. I read for school, but I have lost my love for reading for fun. Maybe lost is not quite the word, as I still love to read however when faced with the decision of reading or knitting, I always choose knitting (which comes along with Netflix or a good Harry Potter marathon). 

To help with the reading, I pledged to read 50 books in 2015 over on Goodreads and I'm using the Popsugar Reading Challenge to pick those books!

I'll add my books to Goodreads as I choose them and will update the status as I finish. The Goodreads challenge is based on number, which all well and good, but Goodreads doesn't know me very well. When faced with choosing what to read, I get nervous and then usually don't pick a book at all in fear of choosing the wrong one. That's where the Popsugar Challenge comes in. They have listed 50 individual criteria for which books you should read. For example, "a book from your childhood" and "a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't". I still have lots of options for each criteria, but not so many that I can't make a hard decision. 

To begin, I'm reading Wittgenstein, JR by Lars Iyer. It will fulfill either the "a book by an author you've never read before" or the "a book set in a different country" category, depending on how I feel about it later. 

Why Wittgenstein, Jr? 
Well. Because I had a love affair with Wittgenstein and I wasn't quite ready to let go. As part of my final set of required classes, I had to take PAR 393, whose subject changes depending on the professor. I got stuck studying Ludwig Wittgenstein, a philosopher who I was certain to hate. But after a lot of work and 6-hour study groups, I walked away with a B+ and favorite philosopher. When you become a philosophy/religion major, you always hear that "you'll find that one class that just changes everything for you". I'm getting ready to graduate and just now found that one class. So why not read a book about a young group of students at Cambridge University who aim to impress their newest lecturer (nicknamed Wittgenstein Jr for his remarkable likeness in attitude and thought to the one true Ludwig) with a single, noble thought. 

Perfect. 

As I read, I will update here with reviews and new books. I also aim to put my crafts and thoughts here, as well life updates. I graduate on May 9th, if all goes well, and after that who knows! But when I know, you'll know. 

If you so choose, you can follow me on
Goodreads
Tumblr
Instagram

All the best to you and yours. 

***
Now Playing: 
Hozier
Drew Holcombe & The Neighbors
Ryan Adams

Well, I'm Sorry.

I meant to update this blog more often. I really did! I had plans! It was going to be great!


And then, The Man got me down. Work, school, a major project that turned out to be pretty great, and general life got really busy.


But I have a few moments now to catch you up on a few things:

1. I'm a senior! Starting in late August I will be in my senior year of college! Still a philosophy major, still ginger. I'm so stoked to be this close to finishing!
2. I'm an editor. This year I undertook, along with a friend, being co-editor of my university's undergraduate philosophy journal, The Gadfly. Now, don't take this journal to seriously. We're a journal of satire and social criticism- so we're trying to make you angry as well as prove a point and get a few laughs in.
3. I'm knitting! I'm super slow at it, but it's going. My scarf is longer than expected but holy snot balls, batman- I am tired of the stockinette stitch.
4. I'm an almost grown-up! This summer I'm working as an AmeriCorps Summer Associate! I'm working towards ending poverty and increasing food security in my area. Bonus: I get to garden every week. It's fabulous.
5. I am still really tired. I get plenty of sleep, but somehow it's just never enough. Maybe I should have listened to my professor when talked about how you can't "catch up" on sleep. Oh well.
6. I have no idea what my future will be. Grad school eventually, but that's all I've got. Before graduate studies, however, I have a lot of stuff I want to accomplish. I have so much to do before I settle down for forever.

That's all I have for now! Thanks for checking in and keeping up.


later alligator.  


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Now Playing:
Clouded - This Wild Life
Classic - MKTO
This World Won't Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend - Matt Hires

Resolutions

Ah, New Year's resolutions.
I make them. I break them. I forget about them. Then it starts all over. Such a vicious cycle. But alas! This year I will stick to them! This last semester was my roughest. It was also my most successful. I learned so much about myself through my toughest class. It was titled "Self, Society, and the Good Life". Everything I wrote, thought, or said was challenged. It was intense. I walked away with a better view of who I was, where I wanted to go in life, and how to get there.

So that's what this year is all about. The cliche "new year, new me". But instead of creating a new me, I'm cultivating the me that is here now. My goals this year are simple and focus around one word, meraki.

Meraki is a Greek word and doesn't directly translate to English, but is used to describe doing something with creativity, soul, or love. Putting yourself into whatever it is you do, whether it's picking out new curtains or creating a business plan. No more half-assing life. Fully, completely engaged and active in every aspect of life both boring and exciting and giving a small part of you to everything.

I have three goals altogether to help me live the meraki life: health, knowledge, kindness.

Health 
I come from a long line of health problems and it's time I tackle them. I'm currently healthy according to doctor charts that don't make any sense to me, but I'm tired of feeling like I'm 35 and not 21. My year long goal is to lose 50 pounds. But that number is just a number. What I really want  is to be able to keep up with my brother when we run the lake, to wear shorts in the summer without giving it a second thought, and to know that I (probably) won't be taking the same medications my parents are taking now.

Knowledge
Knowledge comes in all forms and I love learning. I hate studying, but I love learning. I'm surrounded by opportunities to learn but haven't taken advantage of them. I'm close to a city full of museums and festivals to visit with friends. I have a stack of books waiting to be devoured. This year will be filled with learning new skills (knitting), finishing old lists (all those boos), and discovering new things (day trips). It's also time I actually learn something in college, instead of just regurgitating phrases for an exam.

Kindness
I'm a nice person. I do the volunteering and the donating and I help people when they ask. But I discovered the Random Acts organization. They're an organization dedicated to making the world a better place, one random act of kindness at a time. This year, I'll be following suit. I don't have any big things planned. I don't think I'll be organizing any huge act of kindness but there will be little things. Leaving thank you notes to my boss, picking up around the house, sending fun mail to my best friend, letters to my sister in Indiana, buying coffee for the next person in line. Little things that might make someone else's day a little better.

And that's all I have. I'm already a good person, but I want to be better. There's so much life to live, so much world to explore and I think it's finally time I get at it.

***
Now Playing:
The Decemberists
Transit
Anarbor 

Christmas Crafting: THE MASTER POST

Holy Tinsel, Batman. 
My fingers ache from all the crafting I've done. And there are still a few to finish up. But here is the big overview of everything I made for my family and friends! 

**Note: this post is best enjoyed while wearing jammies and/or wrapped in squishy blankets with a warm cuppa somethin' in your non-dominant hand**



My twin loves school supplies. Her room is 90% notebooks and pens and 10% bed. I promise you that is not an exaggeration. So it was only appropriate that she receive a composition notebook lap blanket! 

(sorry there's no bedding. I was mid-clean when I thought it would be a good time to play photographer)

Then there was my sister's blanket, which I'm calling the "Indiana Winter Lap blanket". I used somewhere around 110 squares, but I had originally intended to use about twice that number. Unfortunately I ran out of time (I was sewing this bad boy on Christmas day, and by "I was sewing" I mean my mom got to use her new sewing machine). I absolutely hate sewing all the squares together. 

There are three squares types. Your typical granny square (four rounds), a v-stitch square (I modified it to suit my needs) and a ridge square (double crochet in back loops only). Slip stitch those little dudes together and you have yourself a blanket! I added a picot stitch edge (not pictured) and a yellow/white chevron fabric to the back. 

I will never again add a fabric backing to a crochet project. Nope, never. I read several tutorials and we tried our best (thanks, Ma) but I just don't have the sewing skillz. Which means the real reason I got a plaque for "excellence in apparel development" was because I was the only one who didn't make our teacher cry. 




This last blanket is my favorite. In fact, I'm knitting one for myself. Because my new year's craft resolution is to learn how to knit better and I'm a Whovian SO WHY NOT?! This blanket is for my sister and her boyfriend, both of whom are massive Whovians as well. 
  

 

I used this fabulous website to find the colors and I tried to follow their pattern so the rows would accurately reflect that of the infamous scarf, but It just didn't work out. It's still easily recognizable for the classic Whovians. I made it a bit too wide for my tastes, but they loved it. It's a nice little throw for their couch. I didn't follow a pattern, but it's just double crocheted until I ran out of yarn. 

And my final sibling needs something. My favorite (and only) brother drinks a lot of coffee, tea, and other hot beverages of choice. He also loves Star Wars like I love Harry Potter. It's only fitting that I outfit him with the most badass coffee mugs this side of the Empire. 

Boba Fett never looked better. I washed them after this was taken (just to see if the tutorial was right and that my sharpie would not wash off) so naturally the sharpie washed off. I redid them and they came out a lot cleaner the second time round. He was so happy with them!  I also picked out manly tea (including smoke-jumper ginger) to fill them. Sharpie-Mug tip: use a fine-point, oil-based Sharpie for clean lines. If the Sharpie is old, get a new one so you don't end up going over the same lines again and again. 

Muh big bro has requested a mini Boba Fett and I have agreed because I need a reason to make more tiny things. 

I also completed my first commission this season! I hate doing commissions so this will be the last one for quite a while. But hey, now my friend's friend has a rockin' mini-Ozzy Osbourne. 

He was made using the same pattern as The Maine Dolls I made over the summer. The glasses are made from painted and hole-punched Ziploc bag, a twist-tie I found in our drawer, and clear glue. The necklace and safety-eyes were found on Etsy.

And the final craft of the season, beanies. I made each of my best friends a beanie using this pattern. I used Caron Simply soft, and each hat took about half a skein (I am ALL about that two hats for the price of one deal). It actually fits my head, so it's a bit big (I have a large noggin, don't judge). They each got a book along with it (Hyperbole and a Half's new book for Paige and John Green's Looking for Alaska for Amanda).

                                                                                        

                     

  I still have to find something for my niece seeing as hers was probably the worst thing I have ever created. I attempted to make one of those "outline your state in glitter and put it on a canvas" things that were all over Pinterest, but it just didn't work out. I should stick to yarn and coffee mugs. After that, however, it's all about what I wanna make! 

Imma ice my hands while you refill your mug. We'll meet back here after the new year and we'll march on into the wilderness! 

and by wilderness, I mean life. and by life, I mean the internet. 

 **to see how my crafting is getting on, follow me on Ravelry and to see what inspires me, follow me on tumblr!**

***

Now Playing: 

 Sempiternal- Bring Me The Horizon

 Common Courtesy- A Day To Remember

 Your Favorite Weapon- Brand New

Deepest Apologies,

My dears, I extend to you my deepest apologies. 
Twas never my intent to be away for so very long. 
My soul has been bought by a higher power who has done nothing by eat away at my hope and sense of wonder. 
I embarked on a journey with a friend who has since left me alone on a quest for satire and judgement. 
I have explored the readings of Dostoevsky far more than I ever believed possible, all the while my stock of pizza rolls has slowly withered away. 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and with it comes a time no college student accepts with dignity. 
Tis hell week. 
The week that we sleep in library cubicles, cry in dormitory showers, and waste away in the psycholoigcal services center. 
In the coming days I shall write over 20 pages about subjects I once cared about, things I once believed in. 
I shall take exams that do not, in fact, measure my intelligence but my ability to memorize. 
And I shall just hope that it is enough to receive a mark worthy of the higher power's approval. 
Then, and only then, my dearest shall I be able to sleep peacefully and full embrace the season that is upon us. 

If I do not survive, I leave to you everything I have held dear in the hopes that you do not fall victim to the Man.
Except for my Fall Out Boy albums. Those bitches are going in the ground with me. 

***