Wrapping Up the Semester...and filling you in on "Smoke On the Mountain"

Hello hello and hello.

It is now MAY FIRST. Can you believe it? This semester has literally flown by...and with the help of my digital camera that I got for Christmas, I have been able to keep a photo-journal of my semester. Though every semester here at Liberty has its unique and fun aspects. This semester has been especially enjoyable. I feel like every semester here I gain one new dear friend, make wonderful memories, and learn new things. Oh how weird it will be when I go on to the time of life where it is no longer my job to learn every day...that's all I've ever known...

Highlights of this semester are as follows: Pirates of Penzance, helping backstage with Into the Woods, Going to Orlando for SETC, Spring Break in Chicago (&Nashvillekinda), learning in theology class, learning in basic acting class, writing tons and getting inspired for magazine class, Traveling back to Nashville for dad's anniversary, my birthday, and
Smoke On the Mountain.

Smoke opened this past Friday night. And would you believe how nervous I was? We (somehow) put this show together in only 2 weeks. And it went off without a hitch. Duties regarding my role include playing guitar (see above, haha :-) acting and singing. The synopsis of the show goes a little something like this: 'Smoke On the Mountain' is a show that takes place in 1938 at a little mountain church in North Carolina, "Mount Pleasant Baptist Church." The preacher is trying to help the church (which is played by the audience) progress along and thinks that bringing a family of singers in on a Saturday night would help. So the Sanders family are booked for the first Saturday night sing at Mt. Pleasant. There are 6 Sanders. I'm Denise, the younger girl who is twins with (who else?) Dennis. The whole show is a little bit tongue in cheek, poking fun at some baptist traditions, with stirring and sobering monologues by each family member throughout the show. So, for this show not only did I have to learn and memorize dialogue, music, and a monologue, but I also had to learn how to play southern gospel/bluegrass music, learn how to act like a TWIN, and learn how to blend with 5 other people as if we have genetically similar vocal cords and have been singing together for our entire lives.
It's been interesting.
And hard.
And fun.
Oh, in addition, we have had to perfect the appalachian mountain dialect of the souther accent--which you can not confuse with anything like what one would hear in Nashville. It's a different thing. And kinda hard to do, surprisingly enough.
AND not to mention that my boyfriend is playing my DAD! And I have to refer to him as "daddy" about 4 times throughout the show...now, THAT is not easy. but it is kinda funny...

So, the past few weeks have involved alot of time and focusing of energy. But have been a lot of fun. I have a few days off before we do the show again on Thursday. Hopefully in the next few days I will begin to finalize my living arrangements for next year. Which is easily the most annoying aspect of this whole college experience. Anyway, so basically things here are good. And I leave to go to Ocala in a week and a half. My mind really hasn't wrapped around the fact that this semester is practically done. That this is the last week of classes. I sure am grateful for the way my life is going these days...I'm definitely a very blessed girl.