Dear Reyna - An Answer

         To my younger self...

        I changed a lot this past year. Not so much in personality as in preferences. The land had a lot to do with it, but more on that later. How would I describe myself now? Well, I'm like you, but a bit wiser, I hope. I think I've gotten better at dealing with feelings, but still haven't mastered it. Definitely a lot more countrified. Stronger physically. More serious (not necessarily a good thing). I finally have real-life friends here that I get along with, but I long for someone I can do something more than fangirl with. Talk deep stuff, and ramble about fields and cows and hunting without getting a blank stare. God, please send someone like that into my life. I think I'm a bit calmer than you, looking back on some of my older posts. I don't stress as much as I used to, and I've finally come to a place where it's easier to trust the Lord for my future and not feel the need to make everything go my way. James 4:13-15 is a wonderful reminder.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

        However, just in the past month I have found myself having trust issues about something I've never really struggled with before, but God is gracious and I'm getting over it. See, I'm not perfect after all. :P

        Hey, I have a lot more animals than you do, as well as the family 74 acres. You never dreamed I'd have a cow, did you? Or an alpaca? Or a rabbit? Okay, you probably did think about the rabbit. Yes, you did. Yes, I have one!

         All right, I'll answer your questions. 

• No, I haven't gotten excited about driving yet, although I did start the online portion of the drivers' ed.
• Heh, my first semester full time at the junior college... It's been good. I'm ready to be done, let's just say that. I'm totally motivated to get it done even more quickly now. :) And yes, I still have your box kite and admire it almost every day.
• Yes, I'm still working at the bakery. Also, I'm the official cleaning lady for the yarn store - I even have my own key - as well as babysitting a lot. 
• How many shop samples have I knitted? Oh, a lot; I don't really know. Although I'm procrastinating like mad on the one I have now - it's a top-down shawl and these beginning rows are taking f o r e v e r. This sample was my favorite:

• Yes, I'm still teaching piano lessons. She's learning a beginner version of Pachelbel's Canon, Goodbye (form Hachiko), and various other songs.
• I never did master Test Drive, although I learned this song, which was a feat. Also this one which I love. The recital was different this year - she did and honors recital for her advanced students. I played the second song I linked to, a duet with a girl from my church who also takes lessons with my teacher, and sang In His Eyes from Jekyll and Hyde with another girl.
• I occasionally pick up my brother's guitar and play a bunch of songs, learning chords as I need them, but I haven't played my fiddle in a while.
• What do I like now? Cows. Rolling hills and seeing the whole sky. Fences. Flannel. Boots. That's my country side, which has been growing. My fangirl side has too. The third Hobbit movie was good - there were many things I didn't like, but there was no possible way I could have disliked the movie. Yes, I cried. A lot. No, I haven't gotten over the sadness yet. What do you expect? Marvel is a big thing. I saw Age Of Ultron when it came out on my birthday (which I still need to review), and IT WAS AMAZING ASDFGHJKL okay I'm done. Ehehehe... So many feelings. This was me rushing to the theater with too much excitement.

•  No, I haven't read Sherlock again *adds to list of things to do this summer*. So far they are:

1. Get my driving permit.
2. Get my hunting license (I've just taken the online class.)
3. Start an Etsy shop.
4. Build my cow a pasture.
5. Get angora rabbits (I put this on here because it was on my summer list before I accomplished it early.)
6. Read The Complete Sherlock Holmes.

• How many skirts do I own now? Probably about the same amount plus a half dozen. I've gotten rid of some since last year so I'm not sure about the difference. I did a huge clothes clean-out since my style is based on necessity now, so I don't have a ton of clothes.
• No, I haven't sewn a corset yet, although I'd like to. That kind of went to the bottom of my list when we got the land. Oh, my hair is pretty long. To my waist; I think it has grown close to two inches. I wear it up in a bun, yes. Lately, though, I've been braiding it more, as like this. Sorry for the blurry face, but, ya know, flying fluffy purple internet monsters and other creepy things. :)

• Ah, yes, I need a fishing license. That was the thing I was most dreading about this birthday. :/
• Yes, I bought a bow! And it's lovely.
• Yes, I love milking Eponine. :) She had three gorgeous babies and her milk is absolutely excellent.
• Do I still want to live in Tennessee? Well, I still think it would be nice, but I'm not like MUST. LIVE. THERE. or anything. I've also acquired a love for the Northern Plains, like Montana, Nebraska, etc. 
•  Am I different? Yes. But not too much. I don't regard you with any more embarrassment than I do some of the things I've done quite recently... No, I still think that drawing of Eponine is very nice; I haven't been able to draw one any better to this day.
• I haven't finished my novel yet - haven't worked on it at all this semester. It's a good thing my friend talked me into NaNo last year because that will not work out this fall. 
• Oh, letters. I haven't done any of those either this year. All my friends probably think I've dropped off the face of the earth. I feel really bad for neglecting them so, but I hope to start up again soon. 

        It's been fun, little me. Although I'm way cooler because I have a cow, just sayin'. ;)  

Blessings,

Reyna