College is the New High School

shirt: maurices
key necklace: key an antique from flea market
jeans: target
bag: gift (i know it doesn't go with my outfit very well, but i love it lots.)

I have my class numbers scribbled with black pen on my wrist.  My jeans are new and not yet broken in - they crease uncomfortably when I'm sitting in science lab.  My shoulders erect, chin up, trying to look several years older than my sixteen.

I'm not just a homeschooled highschooler going public for the first time.  I'm a homeschooled highschooler going to college for the first time.  Where as before I only had one person in my English class - me - I now have twenty or more, and most of them are college students.

What's up with that? 
PSEO.


Do those letters mean nothing to you? 
Post Secondary Enrollment Option.

Do they still mean nothing? 
PSEO is a program for highschool juniors and seniors, which makes it possible for them to earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree at the same time.  Imagine having a four year degree by the time you're twenty!

And best of all, if your state offers PSEO and you are qualified for it, they will pay for your tuition and necessary books.  Do you know how much a college textbook is? We're talking $135, give and take.

Two years of free college may sound pretty good, but PSEO is not for everyone....

How do I get qualified for PSEO? 
Firstly, you must make sure your state offers it.  I believe only sixteen or seventeen states do.

Then, in MN at least, they will examine your high school transcript and check your grades.  Then, you take a PLAN test.  Mine had four sections - reading, English, math, and science.  After getting a passing score on that, you will take the Accuplacer test at the college you hope to attend.  If you score high enough on that, you should be set for PSEO.

But it isn't just your academic scores.  During PSEO, you will be surrounded by college students, using college language, etc.  Will you be able to handle this? So far, I haven't had a hard time at all, but it is only the first week. :) It depends on how "sheltered" you are and what school you have attended before.

If you are mature, firm in your beliefs, and able to get passing scores on the various tests, I would heartily recommend PSEO for you.  It's a great way to get ahead in life. (And save money.)

If you have any questions about PSEO, or advice about past experiences, please let me know.


- Ellyn

Thrifting

I was feeling whimsical today - creative, even.  Like... well, you might say I felt like spending money at a thrift store.  So my ears really perked up when my mom mentioned taking the boys to town for haircuts.  (She just got nine stitches in her finger, so she couldn't clip them herself.)

We have three thrift stores in our little town, and I hit two of them.  At one I swiped a pair of skinny jeans for $1.50.

At the other one, I got two casual shirts for $1.00 each, and two books for $0.30 each.  Deal? Deal.

i wanted a babydoll shirt like this when i was thirteen and never found one....

hail, shirt, jeans, and books.

The designing book was a real find.  And I couldn't resist Specials by Scott Westerfeld...even though I haven't read Uglies or Pretties yet.  Come on, it was thirty cents!

I'll post days four and five for Lérowen's challenge tomorrow, as I have to get offline.

- Ellyn

A Little Bit of Small Town Flavor

Today, my family and I paid a visit to the event of the summer - the county fair.  When we moved about two years ago, we switched county fairs.  I like this one a lot.

4-H-ers almost dominate it, which means lots of horses, drill team performances, and barns full of livestock, photography, Lego creations, and other products of hard-working young minds.  Our family is not part of 4-H, but we enjoy marveling at the creativity and skills of others.

Not that those good qualities passed us by or anything... 

sarah on raisins

One of my favorite things to do at the fair is people watch.  I take in everyone - the groups of young teens giddy at newfound independence, the wispy-haired kids silently marveling the soft fur of a bunny rabbit, and the old ranchers - hats clamped over balding heads, spurs polished and secure on clunky boot heels as they sit back to watch the youngsters ride. 

county fair talent contest

Of course, we all enjoy the cool thickness of a smoothie on a hot summer day and the greasy contentment a french fry bucket can bring.

vendors hawking their wares

I loved watching my friends in a timed O-Mok-See horse show.  I miss you, Grace!

grace on mariah

And then there's the colorful world of the midway - where stray tickets fall underfoot in the hurry to board the Tilt-a-Whirl and Tarantula.  Kids form lopsided lines, jigging in excitement while they wait to pop balloons, chuck rings, and send their stomachs up into their throats.

my least favorite part of the fair :)

Yeah, honey, I'd take a horse over the ferris wheel myself.

little girls, big dreams

I was surprised how many people I recognized at the fair, from other social activities / classes in town and such.  I'm pretty good at remembering faces, but still...that's a small town for you!

a random cowboy on a pretty horse

Are you a regular guest at your county fair?

Love from a tremendously tired,

Ellyn

Pie Day!

We went to the ____ Pie Day today :) What fun! Apparently, this town has an "Official Pie Day" every year, and this is the 21st year they've done it. I just love small town gatherings. We each got a slice of pie, and for the sake of variety, I was adventurous and got a slice of peach raspberry. I usually stick with the traditional apple and peach, but I was glad I didn't do that this time.

What else has been going on? Our cat, Icicle, came home two nights ago with a crooked jaw. He could not close his mouth, eat, or drink. We all knew that we might have to put him down if jaw surgery was too expensive. It was a sad night. However, the next morning, we took him in to the vet, and she found that it was only a dislocation. She put his jaw back into place, and now Icicle is home and happy. :) And that makes all of us happy too, because...what would life be without our amazing Maine Coon cat? It would be just sad, that's what it would be.

Indy and I have been riding a lot as well. I've been going to the stable in the mornings because its cooler, and I don't have to worry about him sweating too much. We are practicing our gaming skills, even though if I took Indy anywhere professionally, he would not be a gaming horse. Maybe reining, or western pleasure. But gaming is a good place to start. :) What used to happen was Indy would try to run sideways toward the gate whenever I turned around a barrel. (There isn't a way to close the arena where I ride.) While racing back, he'll get over-excited and run through the gate and all the way to the barn, if I can't slow him down. Once, he almost slammed me into the fence on the side of the arena. To solve the problem, I put one barrel at the end of the arena, and every time we stop at the barrel, he gets a treat. It really works, and he has calmed down a lot while we game. Our time during barrels went from fifty seconds + to around thirty-three. Which still isn't very good, I realize, but even so... :)

Torn Heart is officially finished. I don't have to touch it at all now, except the dedication page, the back cover, and the chapter titles. CHEERS!! But seriously, I don't know how people write sequels. At the moment, I am pretty sick of the world and characters I created. Which is to be expected, after reading it and editing it through four times. My big problem now is the cover art. Since we're thinking of self-publishing it, I have to come up with that myself. My idea is to have a friend model with a horse and a bow (which I have), and then I can edit the picture to look sort of...surreal.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

Fair Day

We went to the county fair today! My favorite part was the horse show (duh), and I snapped lots of pics. Maybe I'll be competing next year :) Here are a few of my favorite photos. And hey...if you ever need photography opportunities, go to a fair! You get horses, food, cute baby goats, and colorful spinny things shaped like dragons. What more can you ask for?

Git 'er home!

I love this flag picture. I gave it an antique tint.

Tails up! It's a floating horse! :)

Ferris wheel. By the way, I hate rides. I just take pictures of them.

My friend Grace.

Check out that nice lean!