T-Minus 10 Days......

Well, I am down to my last 10 days in the 'Burg before I head to the 'Burgh! :)

This summer has been a fabulous one, spending time with friends and my precious godson. I couldn't have asked for a better way to decompress before starting the biggest undertaking of my entire academic career.

May was a great month - first, my sisters and friends at church threw me a celebration to congratulate me on moving to Pitt. It was an amazing time. It is so nice to know that there are so many people who genuinely love and care about me (and my family). We spent the evening eating great food, playing Spoons and Apples to Apples and talking about old (and new) times. Speaking of Spoons, thanks to Libby Richie who gifted me with my own engraved spoon so that this newly minted "country gurl" can teach all my new "city friends" our fun past time. By the way...Pastor Margaret (aka: Pastor Piledriver), I have not forgotten about our plan to set up a spoons tournament for Ladies Retreat. I will practice and I am gunning for you!!! :)

Then, I left town the next day to spent 5 days with Michai and my girl, Kessa. Michai is the light of my life. He truly is the closet thing I have to a son and I am so thankful for the relationship that I have with him and his mother. Kessa and I have been friends since I graduated from Wesleyan in 2005. We have seen many ups and downs in our relationship, but we are still as thick as thieves. I was more than honored when she asked me to be her son's godmother. Our week consisted of taking Michai to see his first movie (Shrek 3), heading to Nathan's end of the school year picnic and a girls night in Philly at Warmdaddy's. Can't wait to see them again in August!

I ended the month catching up with Marybeth (my R.O.P., or Roommate of Power). Marybeth and I have known each other for 8 years. I was in her wedding but I hadn't seen her since before her daughter Lucy was born. This summer, she gave birth to her second child, a son named Jude. We spent the day doing what we have always done best: eating Chick-Fil-A and catching up on old times. I was also able to see her lovely sisters, Lydia and Stephanie. It was the best. Can't wait to see them again soon! Love all of you girls like family!

Since then, I have been lunching, taking in tons of movies, learning to play Guitar/Band Hero and a host of other activities. All of this may seem mundane to the untrained eye, but this is the first summer in six years that I have allowed myself the freedom to simply "sit back and enjoy the view." It has been an experience that I will not soon forget.

I have a few more plans slated between now and July 22nd.....I can't wait to see how it all turns out. Attached to this blog, you find the following pictorial representation of my many adventures: Peggy and I headed to girls night (Dinner and Eclipse), a shot of one of the many hours wasted on Peggy's couch playing Guitar/Band Hero, my beautiful godson, Michai, getting bunny eared in the movies, Celebrate Erica party group shot, Spoons Match, Lunch on the Richmond Trip. Please enjoy!

Until next time, my faithful followers.....

.great weekend.

I had the honor and privilege to accompany the Novice and JV debaters of JMU to Novice/JV nats this past weekend.
I forgot how awesome and utterly tiring debate is. Imagine it: hundreds of really intelligent kids carrying 50 lb tubs of evidence all across a college campus to see who can out-talk each other until there is only two people standing - it is a blast.
Congrats to the teams, they did an amazing job. I was really proud to say that I was JMU faculty this weekend.
Thanks to Paul and Mike as well for letting me come along - I will miss my opportunities to do this in the future.
In the words of one of our lovely debaters (Nikki), "Debate is Life, everything else is just Prep Time."
Well said....

.the beginning.

Hi All:

I want to begin this post with a shout out of thanks to my friend Bethany Harrison Suhr for inspiring me to start this blog.

It was in reading her blog that I think I discovered what my new activity (and hopefully mindless pastime) will be: blogging. Beth, I hope to do this justice. You rock sister, love you lots!!

So, what can I say? I hope this space will give a forum to keep my family and friends abreast with day to day of my life as I begin this new journey.

For those of you who may not know (or for those who have been living under a technology rock for the last few weeks), I am moving. Yes, again!

I have received a fellowship to attend The University of Pittsburgh starting this Fall. I will be pursuing my Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Communication and Rhetoric (with a concentration in Media and Culture).

So, in about four (hopefully short) years, I will officially be able to be addressed as Dr. Erica Clarke! ;) Although some of you have been addressing me this way for awhile, it will not be official until 2014.

Hence the blog....I am banking on the fact that this is going to be an interesting journey and that someone may have an interest in how it unfolds. So, I am going to attempt to keep track of all the beauty and pain, joys and sorrows and the stuff in between.

Hope that you enjoy it as much as I do - maybe we will learn something along the way.

They say, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

I am praying to be a body builder in May, 2014! ;0