Thanks to Josh's parents, we're now the proud owners of an Oscar Schmidt electric Autoharp. Tuning it's a real feat, but I managed to punch out PJ Harvey's "White Chalk" last night (plugged into Josh's adorable Gretsch amp) and it sounded a little like this:

PJ Harvey - White Chalk by conchinette
It's a gorgeous instrument and I'm ecstatic to have it in my life. I'm also grateful to my mom and Tom for gifting me an older Autoharp that needs a little TLC. I have a feeling Autoharps in general need a little TLC.
Thanks to my dad, we're also the proud owners of an iPad 2. The flexibility it gives me in terms of reading and interacting with text is just stunning--an excellent help in planning and reading for my Artist in Film honors class this spring. Here's my watch list so far (which will require some editing, of course):
The Red ShoesPollockPoetryAmadeus Tiny Furniture F is for FakeFridaTideland I'm Not There Tree of Life Grey Gardens
If anyone has suggestions, especially films pre-1930, I'd be grateful.
In the meantime, I'll be studying the below (an excellent accompaniment to Moby Dick-- a book I only, at age 34, have just nearly finished):