Life is a rollercoaster.

Apologies for the lack of blogging. Prudence has had a relatively rough go of it as of late, and blogging sort of slipped her mind. But it's a wonder what kind of catharsis one can achieve through the art of writing. That's why I've always been a writer I think!

That said, here's a quick run down of the good, the bad, and the ugly in my life:

The Good

We took a group of 21 to the March for Life from Smalltown, USA, including about a dozen high school students. It was pretty awesome to hear some of the students saying "Next year when we come back we have to ___________" ... so great!

Our motley crew...

I'm on the job market... and to date, while I haven't gotten any phone interviews or offers, I also haven't gotten any rejection letters either. So I guess that just means that I'm in academic limbo for the time being... There are worse places I could be.. so yay.

My niece-in-love was born on January 23 and she is such a blessing. I can't wait to meet her in person when I travel back to Another Small Town.

Sweet lil' niecey-poo!

The Bad

My life seems to be so out of whack (see THE UGLY) as of late. I need something to put some pep in my step, something to set afire to my work. I've started planning my life out again like I used to do, in hopes that that will spur some productivity!

The Ugly

Prudence's proposal defense of THE BIG PAPER was last week... a week ago from today actually. It was... ugly. But, it's better to be ugly at this stage in the game than ugly when I defend the whole thing... or get bogged down in data after passing a shoddy proposal. So... I have my work cut out for me...

(Sidenote: It's taken a week of reflection and thinking to get to this point. And I'll admit, I'm still a touch angry at how the defense situation transpired, but... it's all water under the bridge right now. I knew getting in to this that it wasn't going to be easy...)

And as a bonus, the amazing

I have some really great friends in my life. People have been praying for me for a long time, and when the verdict came last Thursday on the defense, they prayed even more fervently. They care about me. They huddle around me in times of distress. And they know who they are. And if any of you are reading this... I really, really thank you. I think the reason I got through this last week without breaking down and crying and wanting to quit school is the "safety net" of people I call my friends and family. (That, or I'm a really cold and bitter person... I didn't even cry when I saw Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close...)

All the words on this ad are true. It was an amazing movie!

It's as St. Thomas Aquinas said:

"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."

Wanted: CAKE. Cheese or Carrot.

Hello reader friends!

Just a quick update for now - life seems to be somewhat in a lull right now, but that promises not to last for long! So here's a bit about what's been going on in the life of Prudence Thorne...

The proposal defense for the BIG PAPER is a week from tomorrow. I think once that happens I might be able to breathe a HUGE sigh of a relief. And then also begin working on things again, which will make me feel like less of a bum.

Photo Cred: PhD Comics

This weekend, I'm accompanying the youth group from our churches in Smalltown, USA to Washington, DC for the March for Life. It'll be my 3rd march, and I'm looking forward to it!! It's always such a great feeling to peacefully demonstrate and speak out for those who can't defend themselves.

There are a plethora of movies coming out that I would like to see. These include, but are not limited to: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Descendents, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Iron Lady, and Joyful Noise. I'm sure there are others that are missing from this list. Oh... and I don't really want to see it because I think it'll be good, but I think I may see Man on a Ledge because it looks so completely ridiculous. And I'm mad that they weren't more creative with naming the flick either...

And currently, I'd REALLY like this:

Except for with a $hit-ton more whipped cream

Or this:

Mmmmm.... carrot cake.

Because cake always makes the world a better place. I mean, right?

But this is what I'm going to have as there is no cheesecake or carrot cake in sight (SAD. DAY.):

Exciting, no?

Happy Wednesday, friends!!

Coming Soon

Here is a list of things I plan to blog about in the very near future:

• My flight experience to Another Smalltown on Tuesday (this should be up by Thursday PM)

• More on Prudence's Dad and his craziness (based on a conversation about Justin Bieber and what promises to be an adventure in last minute Christmas shopping over the next 2 days)

• The Importance of Family and Traditions (because the season just begs for this)

• Christmas in Another Smalltown (because that's happening in t-minus 3 days)

And of course I'll post about anything out of the blue that happens, because my life is crazy and that's how things tend to be. So... there IS stuff to look forward to!! I just have to get it all written in  between edits on the proposal for THE BIG PAPER.

Until then! Keep it real, readers!

Non-Update Update

Prudence has been busy writing THE BIG PAPER this week. Sorry for the lack o' updating.

Since the last update: Fun things have happened. People have been seen. Friends have been hung out with. Fun has been had by all. And 26 hasn't killed Prudence yet.

Next week, Prudence travels back to Another Small Town  (this time by air.. ooo flying!) for Christmas with the family. There are sure to be updates from that insanity.

True to Life: Prudence's Family Christmas Tree 2011

Plus, at some point, Prudence should delve into the whole idea of VOCATIONS since that was part of the major impetus of starting this blog in the first place. Be on the look out. It's coming.

And, I'd just like to note that this whole post was written in the 3rd person. It's easy to do that when you have a pen-name. That is all.