Life is so much...more open now!

Even though I have a few more edits to do on my paper, I'm pretty much done, done, done with my MA. The paperwork has been signed and hands have been shook. No more studying. No more feeling guilty while I procrastinate. No more thinking that no matter what I'm doing, it's not going to be good enough. Because, you know what? It was good enough. Yippee!

So last night I made a healthy dinner. And it was delish. I made lovely roasted asparagus w/ a divine soy/balsamic vinegar sauce. And I baked salmon in a tiny bit of butter and lemon which was perhaps the best salmon I've ever had. And then, I was going to make wild rice and a low-sugar, low-fat strawberry rhubarb crunch. Unfortunately, by the time I went to the store, took Ruffers for a walk, hung out at the football field waiting for a bison cow to give birth (which she never did and now the herd's gone, so I don't know what the heck happened), and got my act together, I didn't have time for the rice or dessert. So instead I had 2 dinner rolls w/ Brommel & Brown butter and blueberry-blackberry jelly. Kind of a starch/dessert in one deal. Life is good, good, good.

Alicia Murphy, MA

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I now have a Masters in History!


This feels weird. Really weird.

Happy Easter!

Lovely, lovely day. I slept with the windows open last night and woke to a glorious morning. The sun was actually warm on my face as I let Ruffers out at around 8:00. The drive to Livingston was perfect. I saw a bald eagle, 2 ospreys on their nest, a big horn sheep ewe, 3 sandhill cranes, and lots of little baby calves. I love when calves are new--for the first few weeks they have pointy little behinds, and that silhouette really speaks of springtime, birth, and cuteness.

Brunch in Big Timber was as good as ever. And, I ate a lot, of course. But strangely, I'm hungry again already. Sigh.

There's green on the hillsides and the sky is blue, blue, blue. I came home over East River Road to immerse myself in the afternoon sunshine.

Now I'm ostensibly studying for my oral exams, which are tomorrow afternoon. I don't really know what else to study, because I feel that I've prepared pretty well. I hope this isn't false confidence. My aim is to not be cursing myself tomorrow at noon.

Good Friday

I may be going to hell. Andrew & I just made up a story that the Easter bunny resuscitated Jesus in the tomb. Then when the rock was rolled away, Mary Magdalene and later the soldiers were awed to find only the Easter bunny, surrounded by brightly-colored eggs, in the place where Jesus had been. That's the lesser-known Easter miracle--how the bunny laid all those eggs.

Yup, sorry God. Just havin' a bit of fun on this holy day.

Highs in the happysphere!

Believe it or not,
I'm walking on air!
I never thought I could feel so free!!
I'm flyin' away on a wing and a prayer!
Who could it be?
Believe it or not...
It's just me!

The Ups and the Downs

Andrew gave his official resignation yesterday. He's moving on to greener pastures--literally. He'll be on a lush island just north of Seattle.

So...maybe I can get his job????

Nope. Colleen doesn't have the funding to fill the position, so that's not going to be an option.

I feel like I'm going to explode under the stress of all this. Either that or have a crying fit.

Singing out the day

Yonder come day,
Day is a'wakin!
Yonder come day,
Woah, my soul!

Yonder come day,
Day is a'wakin!
Sun is a'risin,
In my soul!

Ok...so that's a morning song and it's afternoon. But it just seems like a good, slow, hopefully positive tune to match my slow, kinda happy, sleepy mood. Plus, I'm leaving work in 3 minutes, so that's where the hopefully positive part comes in.