Life in Starkville

Wow, it has been a long time since I have updated my blog. I don't know if it because I have been too busy to do it and or not really been sure what to say. Maybe a little of both. I hope that I don't bore you with my thoughts of the past few weeks and what is to come over the next few.

I think that the last time I wrote it was my first day of clinical dietetics. I have now finished three weeks. While I have learned lots I still have miles to go. Kelly and Kim (the dietitians) have turned over all iron supplement educations and most other diet educations over to Meghan and I. We all have lots of projects to do. I have created a fiber presentation and give it last week. I am working on a flax seed presentation currently and will give that in a couple of weeks. Not to mention we have numerous case studies to do. As you can tell they are keeping us busy. But I really love what I am learning. So I think that I made the right decision about going to grad school.

Many of you have asked if I am making friends. The answer is yes! My roommate, Leanne and I have the best relationship. Just this afternoon we planned out our menu for the next 10 days and then went to Wal-Mart to purchase our goods. We are also very dedicated to our school work. Yesterday for about four hours we sat in our kitchen and did nothing but work on homework. I am so thankful to have someone that is just like me and loves to be on top of school work. I have been very thankful that she keeps inviting her friends over to our cute house. I have become friends with most of them. I am also very thankful for the RUF intern, Jessica. We have hit it off great and talk pretty much every day and try to see each other as often as possible. So the Lord has provided friends, one of my answers to prayers.

I think that yesterday was the day that I missed Auburn the most since May. It was Auburn's first home football game something that I had not missed in at least five years. Because it was not on TV I found a local radio station that carried it and listened in to the pre-game show and thoroughly enjoyed every second of Auburn football. I am thankful I had friends at Jordan-Hare that were texting me and sending me pictures! While I was listening to the Auburn game on the radio I had the TV on the Miss State game. My new team did not fare as well... they lost their season opener. A couple of friends kept getting on to me because I referred to Miss State as your team... they said that I had to say our team because I am a student at Miss State too. Still working on that one. Don't worry you Auburn fans I still bleed orange and blue! War Eagle!

I will be leaving this upcoming weekend...Beth is getting married. Crazy! How are we old enough to be getting married. This will be my fourth wedding to be in this year and I think that it is my tenth or eleventh wedding to attend this year. Phew! I guess that it is just the phase of life. It is exciting though!

I promise to update more often from now on! If you are in Starkville or the state of Mississippi let me know!!

Policies and Procedures...

Well today was my first experience with clinical dietetics. Meghan (my rotation partner for the next year) and I were sent to the cafeteria with a couple of huge notebooks to read the hospitals policies and procedures and to study for our diabetic exchange quiz that we will take tomorrow morning. After about three hours of reading we return to the dietetics office and they told us we were free to go home! What?! Not what I expected but I did not complain. I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon kicking around Starkville with my friend Drew from Auburn and working out at MSU's awesome rec center. Wow, this is the only thing that I have found that I like more than Auburns version.

This past weekend I got out of Starkville for a short vacation. A friend since birth, Claire Woods (Maddox) got married in Birmingham. It was a beautiful wedding and my sixth to attend this summer. It was a Farnsworth-Woods-Weiznecker family reunion basically. Seth and I decided that we could join in on the sibling dance because had know them just as long as their siblings. Lets just say that our parents got a huge laugh when they saw Seth and I out there cutting up. This was the third wedding in a years time and Beth's will make a fourth. Busy year for these three families.

Have I mentioned that I am excited that my roommate is finally joining me in Starkville. Leanne is set to arrive in about an hour and I am so excited. She was here last week for a few days but left for Mobile to finish out her summer. This big house was getting lonely by myself so I will finally have someone else here! Yay! ....we love guests too!

Let the Internship Begin

I have two days under my belt. While I am still very much overwhelmed I am starting to settle in. I knew from the beginning that I would feel overwhelmed and a little stressed. I must say that these past two days I have been so grateful for my Auburn education. While there were days at Auburn I hated my degree and wanted to change I can now say that they were preparing me for what I am doing right now. So it is exciting to see the hard work pay off!

I must say also that Dr. Fellers is a legend. Whenever I say that I am from Auburn University their next comment is, "oh you are one of Dr. Fellers students". I will complement her on a great job of teaching. I seriously don't think that I would be at this internship if it had not been for her and all the connections she has all across America.

Leanne left me to go home again today. We have determined that we are going to be the best roommates. We like to do so many of things around the house the same way. As we were cooking dinner together Sunday night we kept discovering similarities that we have. We have set a cooking schedule too...we are going to cook at least 2 nights a week and make enough for us to share a meal together and then there will be left overs that we will eat on the other nights. I am pretty excited about expanding my cooking abilities.

Thanks for your prayers for me while I am in Starkville! Life is going well and I can't wait to post the next adventure!

Trip to Starkville

My day started off rather earlier considering I had a late night. My dear friend from Auburn, Cabray spent the night with me on her way to Auburn. We played Spades but got our butt's kicked by my parents. Then we got really excited together about Auburn football. A little after 1am we decided that it was bed time.

It is just over 3 hours from my house in Sylacauga to my house in Starkville. But I like to take my time getting places (well actually normally not). But today I did a Tour de Alabama en route to Starkville.

My first stop was Selwood Farm. I had to return a dress and drop off a printer. The Hill's were incredibly generous and had muffins and coffee waiting on me. What a sweet send off to the next chapter of my life. I stopped in Birmingham to do some returning of items. My highlight though came at lunch when I ate with Caroline. We had not seen each since Sarah Nell's wedding and this was the last time that we will see each other for several weeks. This past week I realized that we were really splitting ways and that I would not have her at my side each day in class and to help work on each project. We think so much alike and it just makes me want to cry to know that we will be completing grad school at different locations. But we both feel very strongly that this is were the Lord is leading us. It was a teary good-bye! Then I headed to Tuscaloosa. Did some more returning. Dad suggested that if I went to see Papa I might get some gas money out of the deal. Well I did! Ok, it was worth the stop for other reasons too. He seemed in the best mood that I have seen him all summer (that is saying a lot). Across the river I went to the Lucy household. Anna and I enjoyed some good catch up time. And Nathan was home...he got a haircut! What? Very short and something that completely took me off guard. Not bad though.

The hour and half drive seemed to tick by ever so slowly. I thought that I would never get to town. But I finally did. The unloading was easy and I really did not have much to do in the room. So thankful for that!

Mrs Lydia Allison came and picked me and took on a tour of Starkville. I learned how to get to Wal-Mart and several good coffee shops. I don't know what I would have done without her help. It was just a great evening of learning my new surroundings!