you make me feel

Mmmmmhmmmm......

i believe the sun also rises

Oh yeah, I'm home.

Since rolling into the Bay around 2pm on Wednesday, I've spent copious amounts of time with Steph & Family prepping for the wedding, worked a shift for my dad, taken lots of naps, talked to Canadian Mike at COTW on the phone (!!!), bought a new bathing suit, went to the eye doctor, did some Ebay-ing (Seychelles shoes and Anthropologie skirts, to be precise), and have not unpacked a single thing.

I enjoy being home because it gives me a chance to decompress from a frantic 9 months in Davis and then, once properly decompressed, to get excited about the next frantic 9 months. Talking about the graduate program hasn't gotten old yet, which is nice, nor has talking about the new apartment and the new(ish) boyfriend and the (frighteningly impending) future.

Being back at home makes me feel very adult and very childish all at the same time. Steph and I are amazed that our 1st period PE class freshman year at St. Francis was over 8 years ago now - sometimes it feels like we ran the mile together just last week - but at the same time we are proud to be college graduates, going to grad school and getting married and expected to be real adults. Being 22 is such a funny age because I'm not entirely sure where I stand right now. Sometimes I'm a big adult and ready to take on the world and other times it's my first day of high school and I don't know anyone in my homeroom and have a huge zit in the middle of my forehead.

I just want a peek at my future sometimes, just to make sure that everything turns out OK. Will I be a good teacher? Will Daniel and I get married next summer? Will I stay in Northern California (perish the thought!)? Will I eventually get to do AIDS education in Africa? Will I get back on stage someday? What if all these things I'm so passionate about get pushed aside for something else that I haven't even thought of yet?

You see, I often come home and get overwhelmed with all the possibilities. I don't think about them much in Davis because I'm preoccupied with papers and junior high students and the drama of small town living, but I come back home to a house so big and a Bay even bigger and I think about all the places I could go and all the people I could be and I pray that God, in His awesome power, crafts something undeniably "me" for me, so that I can be everywhere and do everything and accomplish something incredible for Him.

I come home and I want to write novels and travel the world and be an amazing mom. I come home and want to learn how to cook and sculpt gorgeous abs and build an impressive library of books no one has heard of but that everyone should read. I come home and I remember who I am - where I came from and what I came through and, most importantly, who I've always wanted to be.

Hold me
Break me
Mold me
And Make me more and more like You

you will be the one to lead

Last night I babysat for a new family that I met through Oasis at UCC. I've had Sarah in Oasis Childcare for about a year now, and she's an absolute doll, so when Linda called me and asked if I would watch Sarah and Lucas on Thursday evening, I gladly agreed. As expected, the children were angels and we read Winnie the Pooh stories all evening.

I remember a lot of Winnie the Pooh from my childhood, but mostly in the form of TV shows and movies, courtesy of Disney, not the original stories by A.A. Milne. I think I would be a lot more into Winnie the Pooh had I been in the possesion of something like this which, of course, I am now desperate to own.

These stories are funny, folks. And in a very adult way too. They are quick and intelligent and sarcastic and gave me several good chuckles.

A sampling from "In Which Pooh Invents a New Game and Eeyore Joins In":

"How did you fall in, Eeyore?" Asked Rabbit, as he dried him with Piglet's hankerchief.

"I didn't," said Eeyore.

"But how---"

"I was BOUNCED," said Eeyore.

"Oo," said Roo excitedly, "did somebody push you?"

"Somebody BOUNCED me. I was just thinking by the side of the river
- thinking, if any of you know what that means, when I recieved a loud BOUNCE."

"Oh, Eeyore!" said everybody.

"Are you sure you didn't slip?" asked Rabbit wisely.

"Of course I slipped. If you're standing on the slippery bank of a river andsomebody BOUNCES you loudly from behind, you slip. What did you think I did?"

"But who did it?" asked Roo.

Eeyore didn't answer.

"I expect it was Tigger," said Piglet nervously.

But, Eeyore," said Pooh. "Was it a Joke, or an Accident? I mean--"

"I didn't stop to ask, Pooh. Even at the very bottom of the river I
didn't stop to say to myself. 'Is this a Hearty Joke, or is it the Merest Accident?' I just floated to the surface, and said to myself, 'It's wet.' If you know what I mean."

In other news, Daniel is home for Father's Day, my mom is coming up tomorrow to help me finish packing, and Mindy is getting married this weekend! Come Monday and Tuesday, I'm off on the Mystery Trip (I'm not even positive where we're going!) with The Edge and then I finally get to move back home. Glorious.

It's hot out.

where oh where can i find someone, anyone

For my birthday, my old boss Sarah gave me two potted plants - a trailing ivy and some tiny little flowers - which I promptly killed. I didn't think I was bad at plants, but I'd never really had plants, so I don't know why I thought I'd be good at them. Daniel was over as I was packing up my room the other day and he saw the empty ivy pot and asked what I was going to do with it.

"I dunno. You should buy me a plant at the nursery and I'll try to keep it alive. It will be like a love fern," I joked.
"That's a good idea. Maybe I will."

I then proceeded to pack the pot at the bottom of one of my boxes because, honestly, who buys a love fern?

Apparently, my boyfriend.

I came home from our work party today (catered by the Buckhorn!), to find this:


There was also a poem (because what's a gift from Daniel without a poem?):
I love a semi-sunny spot,
I love to show my color off.
I love to watered every day or two,
But most of all, I cannot help but love you!

(notice the subtle watering directions hidden in the poem!)

This means several things:
1) He unpacked my boxes to find the pot and then repacked them
2) I have a love fern
3) I have to keep it alive!

He told the lady at the nursery that I killed my last plant and she suggested a cactus, but he says he has more faith in me than that. I say he's full of wishful thinking. But I'll try. You know, cause it's a love fern.

(does anyone know what kind of flower this actually is?)

moved with the shakers

What with graduation looming and many people moving out of Davis, there has been a general negative attitude about our fair city lately. I understand, being a Davis-hater myself in the early years, but this sleepy little town has grown on me, and I'm excited to be here for a while longer. In honor of the next two years, I give you Megan's official list of Things I Love About Davis:

-Farmer's Market and Picnic in the Park
-the parade and Doxie Derby on Picnic Day
-strolling through the Arboretum
-Alpha Gamma Omega and the AGO house in general
-our many quirky town characters
-University Covenant Church
-how I can get a suntan just walking to class in the springtime
-the Varsity Theater
-Ciocolate, Crepeville, Ali Baba, Cafe Roma, Thai 2K, Common Grounds
-ADX alums in nearby Natomas
-relative proximity to skiing, good theatre, wine, and home (Tahoe, San Francisco, Napa, and the Bay, respectively)
-the Quad on sunny days
-the ducks, especially when found in unexpected places like at bus stops or in the Voorhies fountain
-The Mondavi Center (but not payroll reports)
-Nugget sandwiches for dinner
and in honor of my education:
-The English department, School of Education, and Professor Hurst (happy retirement!)

This post brought largely to you courtesy of the DavisWiki (another favorite)

sing and dance i play for you tonight

I wrote this on Monday after Senior Night, but didn't get around to posting it until now because I've been lazy with pictures. Oh well.

I didn't expect to really feel much of anything, let alone cry, at my Senior Night. I have, afterall, been technically "alum or something" for a whole semester. And I did pretty well until they started praying for us and then Kristen Jones said that we were ADX to her, and that for a long time, whenever she thinks of ADX, she'll think of us. That got me thinking about Kassey and Bronwyn and Kelli and Aubrey and the Valentine twins and then I started to cry because regardless of what happened this year, ADX has been my home and these girls have been my sisters and my friends and when I think of ADX, I think of all the girls from the last two Senior Nights and how much they loved me and cared for me and changed my life with their honesty and their desire to see me grow.

My prayer for ADX is the same as it has always been - that they grow in spirit and in truth, that they strive for authenticity and compassion, that they be real with eachother and with God, and that they continue to be a light on our campus. I don't know where I would be without ADX and without all the girls who have gone before me encouraging me and pushing me and believing in me. They have supported me through messy breakups, jobs across the country, applying to graduate school, and discovering who I am. They didn't doubt me, judge me, or quit on me and when I needed to step away, the ones who mattered understood. I have been humbled and blessed beyond words.

What a lucky life I lead.

(Although whoever submitted the picture of me and Neal from spring semi for the senior slideshow? Not cool at all. I was honestly rather offended. You know better.)

Pictures of girls in black:

ADX's class of 2006

Obligatory Senior Butt Shot

Sassy

With Pauline, as per tradition

With my girl, Lindy

VPs past and present

We're leaving ADX in excellent hands

2/3 of my little sisters - Jackie and Kimberlyn

the opposite of war isn't peace

Today was the second annual Epic Quad Battle. There was even an article about it in the Aggie. I happened to get out of the office early enough to catch a bit of it and took some pictures:


The Southern army was outnumbered at least 4:1, but put up an impressive fight. Check out the kid getting pummeled in that last picture. Ouch.

Why do we do these things? No one knows. Welcome to Davis, kids.

hey la la hey

A few photos from last weekend:

Clos du Val

Mmmm, grapes!

Excited to be in Napa!

Chimney Rock

Yay! Wine!

Patriotic vineyards

Diamond Creek Vineyards

The valley

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

That's a big princess cake!

meet me here

My college career is ending in 5 days with as little fanfare and excitement as posisble. I haven't sent out graduation announcements, I'm not having a party, I'm not even walking. I'm just pleased to know that I'm done and that I finished well. I'm proud of what I've accomplished here and what I'm moving forward to do and all I really need is a pat on the back from my dad and to know that my parents are proud of me. Which they are.

Last weekend was seriously a whirlwind. On Friday night, I got comp tickets from Mondavi to the Pacific Edge Film Festival, so Daniel and I went and saw some pieces by Melinda Stone, specifically the Market Street Project, which we were both really interested in. On Saturday, we met up with Alex to go see some of our kids play in the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, and then on Sunday morning after church we left for Napa. After some winetasting and winery-visiting, we drove down to Millbrae for cake and card games with Daniel's parents and some of his cousins and on Monday morning we visited my mom for a few hours before coming back up to Davis so I could be at elections for ADX's 06-07 eboard.

I can't believe it's Thursday already and that this upcoming weekend is upon me so quickly. Steph's bridal shower is Saturday morning at California Cafe in Palo Alto and I'm so excited to go and celebrate with her. On top of all that UCC's Annual Celebration is Sunday night and they've asked me to be there so they can honor me for my work this year, but I think I have to babysit, so that's kind of a bummer.

So I guess even if I'm not walking or throwing a huge graduation bash, I'm busy enough as this quarter draws to a close. Last night marked yet another fabulous evening at the Denison House after Worship Night at the Edge with grilled chicken kabobs, rice and corn curry, wine, cheesecake, and chocolate covered strawberries in celebration of Daniel's birthday. I have been blessed with some incredible friends and sitting around Alex's huge dining room table, drinking wine and playing "Blind Ignorance" is always a nice reminder.

Pictures from Napa soon. And my brother moved back home. Life stays interesting.