I am so happy that it is finally fall weather. Who would have thought that fall would take so long to arrive. When it should be closer to winter weather, we are barely holding on to the mildness of autumn. Yet, even the weather is constantly changing from day to day. For example, at the beginning of last week I was wearing long sleeves and a raincoat. Then, mid-week I was back to short sleeve t-shirts and today I have drug out the heavy coats with a freeze warning out. I guess that's Memphis weather for you. The fall weather has definitely gotten me into the mood for the upcoming holidays. Talking with my fellow collegians (important sounding, huh?) we agreed that we are ready for a good home-cooked meal. I know, it's hard to believe that you can actually get tired of cafeteria food and a diet consisting of pizza, ramen noodles, and fast food. No wonder people gain that freshman fifteen. They gobble up any edible food they can get their hands on once they get home.

In my last entry I wrote that I was going to help at the Baptist Student Union's dinner theatre, go to eat Indian food, and go to a training seminar. Well, the dinner theatre went great. The food was great, the servers did an excellent job (ok, maybe I am a little partial), and the directors and cast put on a wonderfully entertaining play. They were able to raise a lot of money for missions. We had to dress up as servers and, of course, I wore some uncomfortable shoes. My inner-hillbilly shown through and I went barefoot the entire night, with the nastiest feet to prove it. Yes, all those important manners and etiquette that your mother taught you are put to good use while at college. Yet, for some reason I couldn't get anybody to give my tired feet a massage at the end of the night. Also, my college group went to eat Indian food downtown at Amber Palace. Did I like it? Well, at least I can say I tried it. The seasonings just weren't for me. We had fun and were brave, trying everything on the buffet. Memphis is neat in the way that they have so many different authentic restaurants you can try. Don't worry, though, there is still a McDonald's on every corner if that isn't your thing. Lastly, I didn't get to go to the seminar because it was canceled. That's okay because, as you can see, I had plenty to entertain me and also had the nice surprise of my "second" family, the Mehrs, picking me up and taking me to dinner.

This past weekend I was in anticipation of Thanksgiving break. My mom and sister came down for a visit and we went to RP Tracks for some yummy sweet potato fries, tofu quesadillas, and burgers. Every visitor to The University of Memphis must go to RP Tracks and try it out. Then we hung out and did a little shopping before my sister had to go to a try-out. It was really nice getting to see them and made me even more ready to go home for a break. Then, my friends and I went downtown on a horse-drawn carriage ride and salsa dancing. We had a blast!

This week I have only two days of class, because my Wednesday classes were canceled. Then, it's off to Jackson to spend time with friends and family this Thanksgiving holiday from Tuesday night until Sunday evening. I am so excited to see my out-of-state relatives and my friend Rachel from here is coming home with me. Once I get back from Thanksgiving, it is going to be a two-week spiral of class, papers and final exams. Then, it's home for winter break. That's one of the coolest things about college. When we get off for winter holiday, we get out before all the regular schools and then are off for a whole month. It will be so nice to have a break from class and be able to have a fresh start on next semester. I will try my best to write when I return from Thanksgiving holiday, for it will be so hectic that next week when I return. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and can find something to be thankful for.