Sometimes I Wonder...

...if I'm doing something incredibly, incredibly wrong.

...if I come across strangely.

...if I'm abnormal.

...if I rub people the wrong way.

...if I'll ever actually get to be in the positions I want to be in.

...if I'm just too quirky to be a leader.

...what the heck I'm supposed to be doing differently.

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

Hello, Mr. Sunshine!

I'm sitting outside on an absolutely gorgeous day here in Birmingham.

Doing homework (and actually gettting some done).

Chilling with friends.

Enjoying the sunshine.

Life is good.

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

The Fourth Floor [Yet Another Original Poem By Me]

((I realize that this is two in a row...

but I just want to see how other people like them.))

It nestles on my windowsill

Almost

Maybe

As if it belongs there

My imagination toys with the idea it presents

Runs wild

Free

Picturing my daredevil escape

Open the window

Climb down the tree

Take off across the grass

Barefoot

Do not stop

No

Stopping is for quitters

I don’t quit

I never quit

The wind snatches at my hair

A tangled mess now

But I don’t mind at all

I’m free

I’m in Spain now

Italy

Morocco

Tibet

I’m not stopping

No

Stopping is for failures

I don’t fail

It sits outside my window

Beckoning me

Calling me

This branch of the old magnolia

Whispering adventure to my curious mind

But no

I shut the window

And take the stairs

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

Dance With Me, Daddy [An Original Poem by Me]

A curly-haired girl in twirling skirts

Dancing around the room

Her mother’s pearls around her neck

She trips in her high-heeled shoes

A lilting laugh met with hearty grin

Her father takes her in his arms

He spins with her around the house

His little girl with all her charm

“Dance with me, Daddy, I’m only four;

You’ll have me for years to come.

I’ll be your darling, your princess, your world

While we wait for my Prince to come.”

Sixteen years old with freckled skin

Sitting in front of the mirror fair

Her grandmother’s bracelet around her wrist

She pins up her auburn hair

A timid smile met with nostalgic eyes

Her father pulls her into an embrace

He waltzes with her around the room

While they wait on her prom date

“Dance with me, Daddy, I’m leaving you fast;

Just look at how much I’ve grown.

But I’ll still be your darling, your princess, your world,

While we wait for my Prince to come.”

Somber blue eyes with smudged mascara

Tears stain her cheeks and hands

Her grandpa’s blanket swaddling her form

She tries her best to understand

A broken heart met with loving arms

Her father pulls her up from the floor

He gently sways her in the comfort of silence

He knows how she hurts and more

“Dance with me, Daddy, I’m torn all apart,

And all I can think to do is run.

I may still be your darling, your princess, your world,

But I really thought he was the one.”

Softly he rocks her, his dear baby girl,

He pushes her hair behind her ears.

His t-shirt marked with his daughter’s pain

His shoulder wet with her tears.

A loving visage looks on sorrowful face

It hurts him to see her this way

And knowing inside what all fathers feel

He takes this chance to say,

“I’ll dance with you, angel, my sweet little girl,

I’ll never let you go.

You’ll forever be my darling, my princess, my world,

And I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

A grown-up beauty in snowy white

Her smile lights up the room

Her mother’s pearls around her neck

She slides on her high-heeled shoes

A radiant face met with teary eyes

Her father wraps her in a hug

She kisses his cheek and wraps her arms round his neck,

Her father, whom she loves

“Dance with me, Daddy, before you give me away,

To my Prince who you know loves me true.

But know that I’m still your darling, your princess, your world,

And know that I’ll always love you.”

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

Formula for a Perfect College Night

February 13

+

getting ready in Olivia's room

+

sparsely attended Valentine's dance

+

that awkward middle school dance feeling

+

waltzing and charleston lessons

+

ten more girls than guys

+

random music we didn't know

+

the occasional Britney or Ke$ha or other pop music

+

guys learning to waltz

+

dancing barefoot

+

making up our own swing dance

+

Waffle House at 11:30

+

packing out said Waffle House with eighteen college students

+

new friends

+

old friends

=

perfection

photo courtesy of my friend Captain Kirk

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

I Enjoy Snow.

I really do. I mean, I live in Georgia and go to college in Alabama, so snow exactly a common sight. But this year, both my home and Samford got a good coating of snow...about 2-3 inches in each place, I think.

Snow is so magical, and I was lucky enough today to be walking outside when it started. I got this goofy little grin on my face and started bouncing in my Emus (knock-off Uggs) on my way to the campus post office to get my Valentine's Day package from the parentals. After getting said package, I sat on a bench outside the University Center and picked through the ten layers of tape in the snow.

Why?

Because I could.

Snowball Fight on the Quad

Unfortch, I had one more class to go to, but it was only an hour, (plus a bit more...the professor talked over time today. The snow day of all days! Grr...) and I could watch the snow falling outside the window, so I was okay.

When we got outside, I was in awe. The snow had started to stick while I was in class, so there was about an inch on the ground by the time I got out.

I basically started dancing right there...no lie.

View from the Vail 4th Floor Lobby

So, to put it simply, I've been ecstatic all day long, even if it was just the afternoon classes that got cancelled and all I have are morning classes. Snow totally made up for all of that.

I spent about 2 1/2 hours in the snow: snowball fights, lovely pictures, watching people "sled" down the hill in and on everything from mattresses to laundry baskets to the old trays from the Caf (darn our Caf for going trayless! The only reason we had a tray was because one of the guy RAs had one in his room). One of my friends had his snowboard with him (Why? We don't know, but we're glad he did).

The Football Field

It was amazing.

I love snow.

I'm talking about the snow : )

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

It may not be the NY Times, but...

I'm kind of hooked on reading The Crimson now. I realize that it's a small, weekly, university newspaper and that the amount of typos in some issues would horrify my middle school english teacher. But it's slightly addictive.

I don't read everything. Some things I've heard too much, some things are topics that don't interest me, and some are just straight-out dull. But I do read the Opinion section. I always read that section.

You can find pretty much every popular (and some off-the-wall) opinions in there and their opposition. It can get pretty interesting to read, especially when you go to the website later and see the comments (one article last week caused a massive uproar online).

But sometimes, I get lucky.

Sometimes, there's that one article that I read the headline of and just go "Oh. My. Gosh. LOVE."

There was one this week, and I just about fell out of my chair in class (don't worry, I was reading it before class started) when I saw it.

It was about fairy tales. And I ah-dore fairy tales (more on that in a later post).

It was just such a great piece, about how fairy tales are more real than we recognize. How we live in a constant battle of good vs. evil, and how even the most established of women can be a damsel in distress. How dragons exist and how they can be overcome.

It was brilliant.

(It made me go "Why didn't I think of that?")

So, Corinne Dyer, thank you. It was kind of nice to read an Opinion piece that had nothing to do with politics, religion, or criticism of the university. It was nice to read a piece that had everything to do with me.

"Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be defeated." G.K. Chesterson

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

SuperBowl Time!

The SuperBowl is, in a word, ah-mazing.

(SuperBowl ads are even more amazing, though.)

GO COLTS!

(because I'm a Manning girl. Love me some Peyton and Eli.)

Edit: darn

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

Need You Now

It's almost 1 o'clock in the morning here.

I should be in bed.

I'm not.

Surprisingly, it's quiet on my hallway. Normally at this time of night it is quite loud. Tonight I think they're all at the Sigma Chi party, though.

There's something, some little something, floating around in my brain that I can't get out. There are people I want to talk to that won't answer their phones, but even if I got them on the phone I'm not sure how to articulate what's buzzing around in my head.

It's weird.

Maybe it's February. I'm not February's biggest fan. After Groundhog Day, there's not really much to look forward to at all concerning the month since I've never had a significant other/date for V-Day, I don't work for Hallmark or Whitman's, and I'm not in elementary school anymore.

Maybe it's because I don't have StepSing or Spring Rush (or both, like some of my friends) to participate in like 95% of my friends do. The other 5% are either studying their brains out for Anatomy and Organic Chem, helping out with the theatre department, or something else. And I'm kind of left floating around.

Or maybe I'm just in one of those moods. The ones where I'm confused as heck and can barely figure out which way is up and which is down. Where I have the attention span of a flea, so I can't even be productive and do homework. Where I'm calling someone five times hoping they'll pick up when I know they won't. Where I'm staying up until one in the morning writing poems that don't make sense but that I'm going to submit to the university literary magazine anyway.

The mood where I pretend I'm totally fine and sometimes convince myself, but I know that I'm craving something inside, and I don't even have the slightest idea what it is.

God, help me. Please.

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

~Jackie

I Salute You, General Beauregard Lee

Today, my friends, is the most amazing of holidays.

It is...GROUNDHOG DAY!

I realize I am posting this when Groundhog Day is almost over, but we can all still appreciate the fact that there is still one holiday out there that is not over-commercialized and celebrates one of God's creatures that doesn't often get any recognition.

Now, most of America watches old Punxsatawny Phil up on Gobbler's Knob near Pittsburgh to see if he see his shadow. However, I live in the South, and we respect Phil, but our hearts belong to Georgia's own General Beauregard Lee. That's who predicts our long winter/early spring (No offense, Phil.)

This year, those poor folks up north will suffer through another six weeks of winter because Phil saw his shadow, but we down South will get a lovely early spring. Hooray! (I specifically say 'Hooray' for a reason that will be explained later.)

Groundhog Day is my dad's absolute favorite holiday (even though there is no candy involved). I don't know why, but it's become one of my favorites, as well.

We celebrate Groundhog Day in my family with presents from Greta and Greg Groundhog. Greta and Greg are a very nice old groundhog couple (I think they might have migrated from Narnia when it was under the rule of the White Witch...they have sometimes mentioned that they are friends with a beaver couple and a few fauns) who like to leave gifts for girls and boys who still believe in the magic of Groundhog Day. Now, they are getting on in age, and they are living off their retirement funds, so the gifts are small and practical, but fun all the same.

This year Greta brought me a heart-shaped light-up eraser, some cute pencils, metallic paper clips, Silly Putty, Silly String, and (best of all) Disney Princess playing cards!!! (though Princess Jasmine is not on them, which decreases their coolness some)

There is also a song we sing to celebrate the joy that is Groundhog Day. My father made it up, and I entertained quite a few of my college friends today by singing it. So you all can know the lyrics, I'm posting them here:

Happy Groundhog Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

It's a wonderful, wonderful day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

All the children shout 'Hooray!'

If the groundhog sees his shadow,

Then we'll have to wait for spring!

Happy Groundhog Day

To you and everything!

(this is typically followed by "One more time!" and another round of the song...)

My wonderful father called me this morning to sing to me...it was very nice and much appreciated.

All in all, my Groundhog Day 2010 was fab! Can't wait for Groundhog Day 2011!

Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust.

-Jackie