"Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon…and the orchards'll be in blossom…"

(Yes, that quote was necessary.)

SO.  This week, due to Easter's proximity, I have two weeks to get done a little less than a week's worth of homework (there was a lot of 'week' in that sentence).  Yaysies!  I'm attempting to be diligent and use the time profitably, of course, but sometimes it's tempting to just take a full-on break (not a good idea if you're like me) ;D

Thusly, "getting on the computer to work on a poetry presentation for British literature" turned into a half-hour Pinterest spree pinning OUAT gifs and collages.  Behold, the fruit of my searching labors:

GUYS IT'S SPRING AND I'M SO RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY ABOUT IT.  The birds are trilling of a morning again, and it isn't black as midnight at 4:30 p.m., and--*lowers voice*--my dear, darling, beloved cherry tree is starting to hint at blossoms.  I'm ecstatic :)

Speaking of the cherry tree, I want to share with you all the benefits of impromptu swing-making, as discovered by me sometime last year.  As you know (obviously), we have a cherry tree on our property.  I adore that tree, and I mightily wish that it'd stay in bloom longer than a few weeks, but we shan't complain.  Anywho, sometime last spring, I spontaneously decided that I wanted a swing under said beloved cherry, and so I determined to make one.  Somehow I recruited my younger brother into helping me, and after a good bit of trial and error, we managed to construct an extremely makeshift swing by drilling two holes in a thick plank of wood my father had on hand.  (This plank is just long enough to be able to sit on it comfortably.)  We then used a random length of rope that was lying around, knotted and contorted it into handles that fastened under the holes in order to provide security, slung the ropes around one of the tree's thick boughs, and voilà!  We had ourselves a swing :)

This is an enterprise I highly recommend, if any of you ever have a hankering for a plain-and-simple, good-old-fashioned swing under a favorite tree.  It is sheer bliss to be able to tramp outside and loll in a swing while either reading or composing poetry with God or whatever it is one can feasibly do on a swing.  Of course, the blissful nature of these pastimes is considerably lessened if one wants to be reading masterpieces like Ivanhoe and instead has to read Wuthering Heights for school (which, in case you didn't know, is like literally the worst book to have to read on a swing, under a cherry tree, on a beautiful spring day).  There's also always the vague danger that the rope (which is really more like sturdy cord, if the truth be told) will snap and you'll fall and break your femur.  BUT if you can get past those drawbacks, nothin' beats it ;)

I'm re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, and OHHHHHH MY HEART.  Atticus though.  I just--isn't it weird how you can want to be married to a guy, want to be his daughter, and want to be his neighbor friend all at once?  This story is just doing something to me, guys.  I mean, all the parts when life happens and one of the children starts to cry and suddenly find themselves pressed against his vest…I want to get to bury my head in Atticus' shirt front.  There, I said it.  I admitted to the weirdness of my soul :P  And seriously, how was Gregory Peck so flippin' perfect for the role?!?!  That movie is basically spot-on for an adaptation, guys.  It ain't getting any better than that.  *siiiiiiiiiigh*  Anyway.  Moving on.  

My mom and I are re-watching the Anne movies for the umpteenth time :)  (Btdubs, go read this.  Whoever made it understands life, I tell you.  It does contain some language, including abbreviations, just so you know.)  I really love this story.  It's so…good (#vocabularyofficiallyexhausted).

I have a new look in store for spring, and I'm really excited to put it together :D  Howevuh, I think I'm going to wait at least until April starts, because I really do like the look I have now and I feel like I just changed it :P  What do you all think?  The new look will probably have to stay for quite a while, so…

You know what's awkward?  When you sign up for a semester of free voice lessons that music students at the local college are offering, and the (really awesome) girl who's tutoring you begins to undermine the foundation of your choral training xD  ('Cause there is a WORLD of difference between choir-singing and solo-singing, as I'm only now starting to fully comprehend.)  

I can't think of anything else to say, really.  I just felt a need to post randomness in conjunction with pretty pictures :)