Autumn Almanac

Wow. It certainly has been forever since I’ve posted. Go ahead and slap my hand. Or don’t.

I would write a post about how crazy busy life has been lately, but that would be an excuse for my lack of posting. Instead I’ll just tell you that I’ve neglected writing for no reason at all. There’s no excuse for it. So here are a few things I’ve been doing rather than writing:

-American Horror Story on FX. SO addicting. I don’t normally like anything from the horror or thriller genre, but it’s a must watch for me every week.

-New Girl on Fox: A TV show starring Zooey Deschanel just can’t be ignored. She’s fun, witty, and incredibly nerdy, which is a perfect combination in my book.

-Exploring on my new bike: I recently had my beloved Cannondale road bike stolen, so I was forced to get a new bike (not complaining). It’s a smooth ride, and so I’ve been intrigued to explore the ins and outs of Keller, Fort Worth, and Denton. What adventures I’ve had thus far!

(stolen bike)

-Bingo: My friend Corey and I joined the older generation in the exhilarating act of dobbing cards with car window paint applicators. I won $5.50 last week! Woo!

Is anyone else excited about the fall weather moving in? I know I am. The aroma of pumpkin spice scented candles make me giddy. How do you prepare for fall? I’d love to know.

It's Almost the Weekend!

I'm currently working on a special post in honor of September 11th, but I didn't want to let this week's post slip through the cracks. So I'd like to share some of my favorite things from around the world wide web.

Although they are a bit out of my price range, I'm completely in love with these lovely trousers.

Along with all my readings for academia, I added this book to my stack. An eye opening look at the fall of the Soviet Union, written by a first hand observer.

A true, yet frightening article from The New York Times about career-less college grads. Have a look.

I definitely wouldn't mind adding these and these to my collection.

My favorite local bookstore, Recycled Books, is having a great Labor Day sale that I will most certainly be attending. Hopefully my checkbook won't suffer too much.

And just for fun, here is my so called "pocket" Russian dictionary.

I hope everyone has had a fabulous week, and have a splendid Labor Day weekend as well!

Long Time Gone.

Hello. My name is Katie. Have we met? You looked familiar, but I haven't been here in so long that I wasn't quite sure anyone would recognize me. It's wonderful to know that you've been so faithful in visiting this place. I'll be sure to be a more frequent visitor to ensure the viewing of your beautiful face.

Anyway, I know it has been far too long since my last post. I pray you'll forgive me if you can find it in the depths of your heart to do so. The past month has been filled with work and more work, but cash flow is a wondrous thing, so I'm not complaining. School begins tomorrow! I’ll be studying at the University of North Texas, and I could not be more elated at the current moment. This is the first summer I have not taken classes, and I'm just hoping that my summer state of mind does not hinder my studies in the beginning. Something tells me it won't be a problem, but that summer state of mind can be pesky at times. Just for fun, here is a rundown of my class schedule this semester:

-Elementary Russian
-Principles of Advertising
-Short Story
-Media Writing
-Statistics

All of which I am incredibly excited for save statistics—math isn’t really my thing. It has been so wonderful to reconnect with you, and we shall do this again soon. Very, very soon.

Habitual Happenings.

I’ve fallen into a routine. Go to work. Come home. Eat. Read. Journal. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Routines aren’t always a bad thing, but they’re not for everyone. Over the last month or so I’ve learned an incredible amount about myself: routines are not for me. Shenanigans are a necessary part of this gal’s life.

As I texted my former college roommate today, we told each other just how much we missed one another. The best part? We missed the things that previously drove us nuts. I missed hearing her talk in her sleep every night. She missed tripping over the large pile of recycling by our front door. I missed having dirt stuck to the bottom of my feet because people liked to wear their dirty cowboy boots into our room. She missed the grit in her sheets. I missed sweeping seed beads off the floor (she does beautiful bead work). She missed the aroma of coffee that occupied our room (I’m a caffeine fiend). What I missed the most? Sharing part of my life with such a wonderful individual.

I went to class and roping practice religiously while at school, but the moments in between those two activities were always unpredictable. So until I can indulge in crazy shenanigans with my beloved former roommate once again, I’ll have to find ways to mix up this routine that I’ve so helplessly fallen into.

What activities do you partake in daily? Is there any mischief you wish to get into?

What's In a Name?

Well, really, what’s in a name? A name is a special thing given at birth to a specific person. Why do they receive that name? People receive these names so that they are identifiable. Why am I writing a post about names, you say? Confusion. That’s why.

I am about to reveal something to all of you that I normally don’t speak of willingly. Many will be shocked and baffled at the information I am about to divulge. I am not the person some of you think I am. My name isn’t really Katie. I’ve been lying to many of you my whole life. I hope you’re not too upset with me. I’m not going to disclose the name printed on my birth certificate because I find that incredibly irrelevant.

Earlier this week I was asked by a friend to revise their short story. When I opened the document on my computer, a named jumped at me from off the page. Not literally, but this name was the first thing that caught my eye. It was the name held by an ex-boyfriend of mine. I was instantly forced on the express train that travels down memory lane without any local stops. Who knew that a four-letter word (I’m not talking about love) could be so mighty? Words don’t have muscles, so how do they bear so much weight? It’s not that I’m heartbroken and still yearning for a chance to be with this person, but the mere fact that, at one point, this person was rather significant in my life. Those memories were woken from a deep, restful sleep.

A name is not just something that a person is called or referred to by, but encompasses much more. Names can hold feelings, memories, and most importantly, life. I’d like to know, are there names that provoke you to reminisce, or cause your stomach to churn?

New York State of Mind.

Travel has been one of the many thoughts rolling around my brain this past month. I’ve been itching to take a brief break from Texas and venture anywhere but here. Don’t get me wrong, Texas is a great place to be, but stepping out of the Lone Star state for a bit never hurt anyone. Currently I’m reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and that has not helped curb my need for travel, it has only accentuated it.

This week I have two days off of work in a row, so my brother John and I are taking an impromptu trip to NYC. We leave early Thursday morning and return late Friday night. Maybe this extravaganza will satisfy my travel urges for a bit, or maybe it will lead to yearning for more exciting voyages. Regardless, I know that it I will be delighted to get away from the one hundred degree temperatures we’ve been experiencing.

Here is an excerpt from my travel journal the last time I was in NYC, August 2010:

“We took the air train to Jamaica station. There we caught the E train, which took us to 42nd street. Once there, we transferred to the 1 train and headed uptown. We made it to 103rd street, walked two blocks, and then arrived at our destination: Hostelling International-New York! We checked in, dropped our stuff in our room, and by this time we were starving. Before we ate, we had to stop at Starbucks for some iced coffee, of course. Then we decided to eat at Mama’s pizzeria (I always go there when I come here). Shortly after dinner we went back to the hostel. A Michael Jackson impersonator met us at the elevator and invited us to watch him perform in five minutes. We quickly dropped our purses in our room, and made it back just in time. His performance was decent, but quite repetitive. After he was finished, Leah and I went down to the movie room and witnessed some of the worst stand up comedy EVER. Beyond awful. I would not like to give a recap, thank you.”

Next week I may post something from my journal from this New York trip. Thanks for tuning in! I’d like to know, where have you traveled recently?

You're the Inspiration.

I never thought I would mutter the words to myself “I wish I was back in Big Spring,” but it happened. Leaving Big Spring was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do over the past two years. Finals weren’t even that brutal. But I’m walking away with friendships that are unsurpassable and memories to accompany those friendships.

Basically, I’ve started a whole new life: I traded my life as a cowgirl for a life full of new excursions and opportunities. Never will I forget what I learned through the people and experiences in Big Spring, though. My first semester of college I had an English instructor who taught me more about life and learning than I ever imagined possible. In high school, I was not nearly as studious as I should have been, but this professor turned my world around. Suddenly, I was doing my homework and studying more for one class than I ever had in the history of my existence combined. She compelled me to reassess who I was as a student not just in the classroom, but also in life. I don’t think she realized how much of an impact she was making on me until I gave her a token of my appreciation (a mixed CD of all my favorite songs at the time) after my second English class with her. Even then, she was more of an imperative factor in my life than she would ever know. Imagining what my world would look like had she not lit a fire under my ass, for a lack of better words, is a frightening picture.

Because of her teachings I will:
-Continue to expand my knowledge of the world in front of me.
-Embrace each moment as if it were my last.
-Look at homework assignments as not something I have to do, rather something I get to do.
-Write something everyday because it benefits me greatly not just as a writer, but also as Katie.
-Use my martial arts background to help get me through sticky situations and everyday events.

I am grateful every single day for the opportunity I had to learn from such an inspiring person. What makes you want to better yourselves, friends?

Celebration Sensation

Happy National Bike Month, everyone! Will you be participating in Bike to Work Week May 16th-20th? Or how about Bike to Work Day on May 20th?



How cool is this bamboo bicycle?

It's hard to beat bicycles and coffee for a cause, and Bikes to Rwanda does just that.

I've had my eye on this Origin-8 aluminum track frame. Check out the rad twin tube design!



Hope everyone's having a fabulous Saturday!

Not Your Typical Culture.

I've been afraid of this drink for a very long time. But I recently overcame my fear of "floating cultures." Have a taste and see for yourself!



Click here for Kombucha awesomeness.

Latest Addiction.

After reading an article in the New York Times about artist Alice Neel, I've been incredibly intrigued. Take a look:





An incredibly gifted woman who used her God-given talents to succeed in this world. She's an interesting character to say the least, but her work is magnificent.

What are your thoughts?

It Withers Quicker Than the Rose

To An Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before the echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

I read this poem as an assignment for my British Literature class, and it has been resonating in my thoughts ever since.

The speaker says how lucky an athlete is who dies young, he can go out with a bang and people will remember him/her for decades to come. This poem is not supposed to be taken literally; he does not want great athletes to die. But the message he is trying to portray states that an athlete who dies young does not have to worry about fading away and living a life that may be full of disappointment and hardship. Rather, they leave this world when they have achieved great success and are at the peak of their abilities.

With the rodeo season coming to an end, this poem really hit home. After the season is over, I’ve decided to give up my rodeo career for a while to focus more on school and other important aspects in my life. This semester, I’ve been successful at the college rodeos and hope to continue that streak with the remaining rodeo. It has been a tough decision to give up a sport that I've been passionate about for so long, but as strange as it sounds, this poem helped give me peace of mind about it. I could pursue rodeo and spend more and more money trying to better myself, and there’s a possibility that I wouldn’t improve. Not saying that I wouldn’t try, but I would much rather go out with a bang. The last rodeo of the season is next weekend in Stephenville, TX. I plan to make it my best rodeo yet and give the performance of my lifetime.

So for now, I’m giving it all I’ve got because that is all I have to give.

Reminiscing

I've been thinking about Russia a lot lately and how much I miss it. This video brings back some fun memories while abroad. Hope you all enjoy!



That's all!

Katie

All You Need Is Love.

After reflecting on some verses in 1 Corinthians this past week, I felt the need to post about love. All kinds of love.

1 Corinthians 13:2-3 states: “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

We, as humans, can have the best of intentions, but if we do not have love in our hearts, then we have nothing. Many times, love is mistaken for lust or infatuation. Lust and infatuation give you a temporary high, but in the end leave you hurt and/or broken. I don’t know of anyone who likes either of those things. The kind of love that is represented in the verses above is agape love. Agape love comes from God and is non-partial, sacrificial, and unconditional. This kind of love is rare in the world today, which is a sad but true statement. Many people today, including myself, have loved or love one another conditionally. But this is not how God intended us to love one another. Conditional love expects something in return and is based on how we act towards each other. Unconditional love is the complete opposite; it sacrifices much and does not expect anything in return.

In all my relationships, whether that is with friends, family, mentors, enemies, etc, I strive to love them all unconditionally just as God loves us. True love is how God loves his children, not the butterfly feeling you get from a boyfriend/girlfriend. My hope is that we all can love each other just the way God loves us. It would save us from some serious disappointment.

One Day Without Shoes 2011

Tuesday was One Day Without Shoes led by Toms Shoes. This is how Howard College participated:







Many went barefoot, then later that evening we held an event called Shoeless Sonnets. People were invited to read poetry, whether that be original, one of their favorites, or even singing a song was welcomed. We showed the Toms documentary and the response was awesome. The turn out was much better than we had anticipated and the audience was spectacular. I am so appreciative for all who came out and supported.

The semester is rapidly coming to an end and graduation is roughly five weeks away! My time at Howard College has gone by quicker than I ever imagined. I think I'm going to miss this place.. but I'll follow up with that in another post.

Hope everyone has a magnificent weekend!

Shoeless.

Tomorrow, April 5th, 2011, I am going One Day Without Shoes so that a child in need doesn’t have to.

What does barefoot mean to me?
On a regular day, it represents the freedom to go without shoes if I choose to do so. It means embracing the Katie that existed years ago as a child. I love to feel the earth beneath my feet even if that means stepping on a rock or two.

What about being barefoot on April 5th?
I am going barefoot to raise awareness because not everyone has the luxury to choose to go barefoot. In many countries around the world, people cannot afford to buy shoes, and therefore just go without. Without shoes, children cannot go to school and in turn, have a greater chance of repeating the poverty cycle.

Doesn’t sound like a big deal, right?
Wrong. Not wearing shoes can lead to serious disease and infection, such a Podoconiosis. Podoconiosis is a debilitating disease that causes extreme swelling, repeated ulcers and deformities, especially in the legs.

The best part?
The disease is 100% preventable just by wearing shoes. The people affected by this disease constantly walk barefoot in silica-heavy volcanic soil, but not by choice.

What can you do to help?
Join the efforts worldwide and go One Day Without Shoes.

Go to: www.onedaywithoutshoes.com for more information.

Will you step up and help raise awareness?

Presh.

Erin and Michael’s friend Katelyn Swanson took some awesome family pictures. She did an incredible job. Here is the link:

http://katelynswansonphotography.com/blog/2011/03/29/king-family-love/

Check it out!

Ms. Swanson does awesome work. Here is a link to her blog and some of her other works:

http://katelynswansonphotography.com/blog/

I have the cutest nephew ever, in my calm, objective opinion. Erin is such a wonderful mother and I look up to her for that. I’m looking forward to watching Amos grow up and see Erin and Michael flourish as parents. It is a new chapter in the life of Erin and Michael as well as the rest of our family, a very exciting chapter, might I add. My prayer is to be the best aunt I can by being strong in my beliefs and values. Also, he is going to need his first pair of cowboy boots soon and I think I know just the person to get him some.

Peace and Love, my friends.

Katie

Cloud Nine.

Some great things have been happening lately. My sister, Erin, had her baby. Amos Samuel King: born on Sunday March 6th at 6:45am. He was 9 pounds 2 ounces, 21.5 inches long and just as precious as could be. I've found that being an aunt is one of the greatest things in the world. Even after 25 hours of labor and a C section, my sister looked as beautiful as ever. In fact, she was glowing. I'm one incredibly proud sister to say the least. The sheer joy that comes with a baby being born is phenomenal. I know I'm a little late blogging about this but there was no way I could pass it up.

The weekend that Amos came happened to be the busiest one of the semester for me. Rodeos and a play festival spread across the state left me with no spare time, not even for sleep. I think Amos knew how busy the weekend was and decided to wait, because I was able to be there for his birth and make it to all my obligations. Even though this may be cliche, I fell in love with him the moment I saw Erin holding him in her arms. Total perfection.

Both mom and baby are doing well. They're visiting Grammy Shaw right now and will still be there when I go home next weekend. I can't wait to see them! My apologies for lack of posting. But I'd like to know, what brings you joy?

Bareback Adventures.

I’m sorry if I threw you off with the title of this post. You may have been hoping for something more along the lines of Brokeback Mountain, but crude humor is not my cup of tea. On the upside, if you like to frolic down memory lane, you are in luck.

Last week, some friends and I decided we would embrace our inner Indian and partake in riding our horses bareback as our ancestors once had. If any of you have ridden bareback you would know that it is quite a physically demanding task. Feeling good about ourselves, we decided to ride the two-mile route that was located just east of our campus rodeo facility. We started at a nice jogging pace then it quickly turned into a runaway mine train. Friend #1 was riding her three-year-old filly (young female horse), which decided she would forget all her training and run full blast like a bat out of hell. Well, if bats ran instead of flew out of hell. In a matter of seconds my horse and I were nearly run over by the hellish bat filly. Good thing my horse has a strong mane or else I would have become best friends with West Texas tumbleweeds on the ground. Once she gained control of her filly, the overall atmosphere of the excursion was exhilarating. It was a nice change of pace and really cleared our minds to say the least. We rode through mesquite tree groves, down through draws and back up rocky slopes like real natives.

Upon return to the campus facility, we were all feeling jubilant and productive that we had utilized our horses for the sole purpose of their existence. Nothing could phase us.. Until the next day. The three of us woke up with some serious inner thigh soreness (maybe tmi?). Note to self: do not ride two miles bareback when you have not ridden bareback since the end of the French and Indian War. Needless to say, bareback was a bad choice (Ron Burgundy accent).



In this instance, I would say that connecting with friends and nature outweighed the pain I experienced post bareback horse riding extravaganza.

An Everyday Muse.

This semester I am taking a Creative Writing class. So far, it has been incredible. It makes me think for myself and helps me find my inner artist. Day one of the class we were asked to record in our portfolios what gave us inspiration, so I would like to share mine with you.

Travelling-Seeing new things and experiencing different cultures can be fascinating. How people live in different societies can open your eyes to so many things. The way I view the world today is completely different than the way I viewed things a few years ago.
People-I love people. When I meet someone new and hear his or her story, it just feels great to me. Everyone comes from different backgrounds that shape him or her into the person they are today. What an amazing thing!
Finishing a good book-When I finish a good book, I am in euphoria! I feel outstanding and it makes me want to go out into the world and do great things. Thank God for literature.
Horses-The sheer beauty that a horse possesses is breath taking. Horses have always been my outlet for everything. If I was angry, sad or happy, my horse could somehow always tell. They are inspiring creatures.
Yoga-This is one of my newer inspirations, but I find that it may be one of my greatest. It is relaxing and allows me to release all my stresses and focus on just me. Namaste.
New York-One of the coolest places on the planet. So many writers and actresses/actors have become successful through the opportunities this city offers. Someday soon I would love to live there. This gives me something to work/look forward to.
Kristen Wiig-My favorite actress. She is currently on the cast of SNL and I find her to be brilliant. She is successful and did not start her acting career until her mid to late twenties, way cool.
Giving-There is no greater satisfaction, in my opinion. To know that you may have made a slight difference in the life of someone else is enough for me.
A nice cardigan-When I’m dressed nicely with a cardigan on, I feel invincible. Maybe that’s nerdy but I don’t care.

So tell me, what inspires you?