Here we are, at the end of another year! Here are a few highlights from 2013!
I started a new feature on my blog, called Book of the Month. On the first of every month, I recommend a book that I had read the previous month. It's a little hit or miss, but that's the way reading goes sometimes, isn't it?
A friend and I started a "letter game" for writing. We have now started our second story.
I turned 25!
In June I went to Prince Edward Island, fulfilling one of my New Year's resolutions, and a dream of mine!
Sis and bro-in-law made me an aunt with the arrival of Baby E in July. Bro and I then went and visited them in August.
In October I decided to apply to graduate school. Well, it didn't start out that way. I first just decided to take the GRE, to have that avenue open for me, and then quickly decided to apply to grad school while I was looking around at programs. This meant that the last couple months of the year were spent studying for the GRE and filling out my application. My application is in (except for one letter of recommendation) and I am going to try to forget about it until I hear word.
In addition, this year I've learned a lot about being strong and healthy, as well as the people in my life who love and support me no matter what.
As for my other New Year's Resolutions. I did write often, until about July when I started having to look for new jobs, and then I started studying for the GRE. I'm getting back into it though, and will hopefully have more time to write as 2014 begins. As for the "exercising with some frequency"--I did okay for about the first three months, then I stopped. Then in September I started up again, and I exercise about 20 minutes a day three or so times a week using a work-out app called Sworkit. Not ideal, I know, but it's better than nothing.
Now, to try to see the future and look forward to 2014 . . .
I now have until June to find a new job. Starting in January, I'll go down to working three days a week, so I'll spend the other two days a week "working from home". I'm planning on writing in the morning, and doing some job searches in the afternoon. I did apply for two jobs this month, but have yet to hear back from them.
There is also my grad school acceptance/rejection to get--sometime around March I think. If I get into grad school, then I will not be taking a vacation this year because money. If I don't, I still may not be taking a vacation this year. It all depends on whether or not I get a job. If I am able to go on a vacation, I have no idea where I want to go. I have kicked around the idea of New York and seeing Broadway plays, but I don't think I'd want to go by myself. It can't be anywhere too expensive, since I don't have as much vacation money this year as I did last year. Suggestions? Probably somewhere in the US.
Well, there we are! The year didn't turn out how I thought it would, but then, nothing ever does. I look forward to whatever new adventures 2014 brings!
Showing posts with label Link. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Link. Show all posts
Dec 28, 2013
Apr 22, 2013
Adventures in Writing: The Letter Game
I first heard of the letter game when I read the great Regency fantasy, Sorcery and Cecelia, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. At the back of that book, Wrede and Stevermer talk about how they started writing the book and the process they went through. For them, it just started out as something fun between friends, but near the middle of it, they came to realize that it was more than just for fun and when they finished their story, they went back through the letters again and revised and it got published! Followed by two sequels (though neither are as good as the first).
I read that book when I was about 16, and I loved the idea of the letter game. I desperately wanted to do it, but I couldn't think of anyone to do it with. I thought about my brother, but our writing styles are so different. So, nine years have gone by, and I kind of forgot about the game.
Then maybe about a month, I reconnected with someone that was in my study abroad program when I went to London (which, tangent, was almost FIVE years ago! FIVE! That's amazing to me that such a long amount of time has passed since then.). Anyway, this girl (her name is Becky and she's fabulous. You can check out her blog here) and I started chatting on facebook (actually, commenting on a status update, meaning that the rest of facebook was inundated with our craziness) about period movies, and how we are both romantics, and the books we were writing and how hard it is to keep writing sometimes. And then there was a mention about us writing a story about Rye, the town were nothing happens. Then it was time for me to go to bed, but just like that, there was a spark in my brain, and I couldn't seem to shake it.
I remembered the letter game, and I thought, this is a perfect opportunity. I contacted Becky again and she seemed up for it, and it's been going great! It's completely no pressure, so if things start getting busy in our lives, it doesn't matter. It's just been this amazing experience for me, at least.
Here's a quick overview of what the letter game is: both people create characters, and a reason for them to be writing letters to each other. I have an idea of where I want my character's story to be, and Becky is the same with her character. And then, you just write!
I would definitely recommend this to any writer. It has definitely gotten me into the habit of writing again, after a long time of not doing it. And it's great on letting yourself let go of control over the story. If you've ever taken an acting class (and with my one acting class, I feel like I can say this now, because I totally an expert), you probably know a little bit about improv. The first rule to improv is you always say "yes." No matter what you thought you wanted to do, you always go along with what your improv partner says. This is exactly like what the letter game is: I may introduce a character or a situation, and then Becky gives some sort of information (like maybe that character is a cousin, for example), and I just go "Oh, cool, okay. Let's go with that." It's also great to have another person to go off of, it keeps my writing juices going, instead of just sitting in front of a blank screen trying to decide where the story is going to go next. I even decided to let go of one of my characters and pass him over to Becky (it was strange, it was like I pictured him walking off my page and onto hers.) That takes a lot of trust in someone, but in the past few weeks, I've come to trust Becky's writing. In fact, she makes me want to be a better writer, because she's so good at it. Her humor is amazing, and I'm also so excited to read her letters, because I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.
That was all kind of disjointed, but the conclusion is, this is a wonderful writing exercise. And it's been a great way to reconnect and get to know someone better. I really didn't know that Becky and I had so much in common, which is really sad. And now that I'm writing again with someone, I feel like I can start writing again in my own novel, because I'm getting in the habit. It's given me something more productive to do after work, which is good. Again, I got off of where I was going: if you have someone you can do it with, and you love writing, I would say, try out the writing game. There.
I read that book when I was about 16, and I loved the idea of the letter game. I desperately wanted to do it, but I couldn't think of anyone to do it with. I thought about my brother, but our writing styles are so different. So, nine years have gone by, and I kind of forgot about the game.
Then maybe about a month, I reconnected with someone that was in my study abroad program when I went to London (which, tangent, was almost FIVE years ago! FIVE! That's amazing to me that such a long amount of time has passed since then.). Anyway, this girl (her name is Becky and she's fabulous. You can check out her blog here) and I started chatting on facebook (actually, commenting on a status update, meaning that the rest of facebook was inundated with our craziness) about period movies, and how we are both romantics, and the books we were writing and how hard it is to keep writing sometimes. And then there was a mention about us writing a story about Rye, the town were nothing happens. Then it was time for me to go to bed, but just like that, there was a spark in my brain, and I couldn't seem to shake it.
I remembered the letter game, and I thought, this is a perfect opportunity. I contacted Becky again and she seemed up for it, and it's been going great! It's completely no pressure, so if things start getting busy in our lives, it doesn't matter. It's just been this amazing experience for me, at least.
Here's a quick overview of what the letter game is: both people create characters, and a reason for them to be writing letters to each other. I have an idea of where I want my character's story to be, and Becky is the same with her character. And then, you just write!
I would definitely recommend this to any writer. It has definitely gotten me into the habit of writing again, after a long time of not doing it. And it's great on letting yourself let go of control over the story. If you've ever taken an acting class (and with my one acting class, I feel like I can say this now, because I totally an expert), you probably know a little bit about improv. The first rule to improv is you always say "yes." No matter what you thought you wanted to do, you always go along with what your improv partner says. This is exactly like what the letter game is: I may introduce a character or a situation, and then Becky gives some sort of information (like maybe that character is a cousin, for example), and I just go "Oh, cool, okay. Let's go with that." It's also great to have another person to go off of, it keeps my writing juices going, instead of just sitting in front of a blank screen trying to decide where the story is going to go next. I even decided to let go of one of my characters and pass him over to Becky (it was strange, it was like I pictured him walking off my page and onto hers.) That takes a lot of trust in someone, but in the past few weeks, I've come to trust Becky's writing. In fact, she makes me want to be a better writer, because she's so good at it. Her humor is amazing, and I'm also so excited to read her letters, because I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.
That was all kind of disjointed, but the conclusion is, this is a wonderful writing exercise. And it's been a great way to reconnect and get to know someone better. I really didn't know that Becky and I had so much in common, which is really sad. And now that I'm writing again with someone, I feel like I can start writing again in my own novel, because I'm getting in the habit. It's given me something more productive to do after work, which is good. Again, I got off of where I was going: if you have someone you can do it with, and you love writing, I would say, try out the writing game. There.
Feb 8, 2013
Doctor Who Workout
Last month I started my Doctor Who workouts, so I decided to give a little bit of an update.
First off, I still don't like exercising. I have to really talk myself into working out every day after work. It is made a bit easier by watching Doctor Who. This being said, I have noticed some differences, both physical and mental. I just feel better about myself. I don't think I necessarily have a more toned stomach or arms. But I feel better about those things. The days when I don't work out (or the week when I only worked out once), I definitely feel grosser about my body, and am more inclined to have a lower self image. Who would have thought?! I liked my body before I started working out, at least, I thought I did. I don't get as many headaches as I used to--which could probably also be fixed by taking frequent breaks from sitting at work. But one of the biggest emotional advantages I've noticed is a little bit less anxiety when I work out. In fact, this week, I have/had a couple of stressors and I even started thinking "I should work out, maybe that will help my anxiety about [thing]." Weird. Must be the whole endorphin thing. Good to know I won't be killing my [nonexistent] husband.
Second, I'm probably going to be keeping this up. I might even try to do it more than the 1 to 4 times a week. That's the thing, I haven't been very consistent at it, so I'm going to try to do that better. Also, certain episodes just aren't that great to workout to. I watched one and I only did ten jumping jacks and ten crunches. It was pretty lame, so I need to watch out for that.
So, that's my little update. I'm still not an workout fanatic, but I am seeing some changes in myself.
First off, I still don't like exercising. I have to really talk myself into working out every day after work. It is made a bit easier by watching Doctor Who. This being said, I have noticed some differences, both physical and mental. I just feel better about myself. I don't think I necessarily have a more toned stomach or arms. But I feel better about those things. The days when I don't work out (or the week when I only worked out once), I definitely feel grosser about my body, and am more inclined to have a lower self image. Who would have thought?! I liked my body before I started working out, at least, I thought I did. I don't get as many headaches as I used to--which could probably also be fixed by taking frequent breaks from sitting at work. But one of the biggest emotional advantages I've noticed is a little bit less anxiety when I work out. In fact, this week, I have/had a couple of stressors and I even started thinking "I should work out, maybe that will help my anxiety about [thing]." Weird. Must be the whole endorphin thing. Good to know I won't be killing my [nonexistent] husband.
Second, I'm probably going to be keeping this up. I might even try to do it more than the 1 to 4 times a week. That's the thing, I haven't been very consistent at it, so I'm going to try to do that better. Also, certain episodes just aren't that great to workout to. I watched one and I only did ten jumping jacks and ten crunches. It was pretty lame, so I need to watch out for that.
So, that's my little update. I'm still not an workout fanatic, but I am seeing some changes in myself.
Jan 4, 2013
End of the Week Thoughts: On Ghosts, Geekiness, and Procrastination
Ghosts
I'm pretty sure there is a ghost in the Church History Library (being my place of work). "But, Whitney," you might be saying, "how can there be a ghost in a building that's only about 6 years old?" Well, here's my theory. We've got a lot of books and documents, some of which are very old. So, my theory is that the ghost (or even multiple ghosts) came in with these very old documents, a la Tom Riddle and his diary. You're probably wondering why I have been thinking that there is a ghost at my place of work. Let me tell you. Over the past year and a few months that I have worked at the library, strange things have occurred.
One, the bathroom. Now, I'm not saying that Moaning Myrtle lives in the ladies' toilet, but someone does and who else would live in a bathroom? The automatic toilets are a little too enthusiastic about their job of flushing--unnervingly so. Also, there's this one stall that always looks like there is someone in it until you push open the unlocked door and there's no one there! Eerie.
Other evidence of at least one ghost is the strange things happening to my cubicle. I think a new ghost has moved in the past couple of months because twice in the past two months, my monitors have been moved around and generally put into a shambles, and this week my chair had been messed with! You just don't mess with a person's chair! It takes much too long to get everything back where it's supposed to be. The only thing I can think of is that it's a pranking poltergeist. And then there is the curious squeaking noise . . . but I guess that the book carts explain that one. But it's creepy!
Anyway, that's why I think there is at least one ghost in the CHL.
Geekiness
Simon Pegg once said, "Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating."
I realized how much a geek I am about three or four years ago, and I wholeheartedly embraced it. What is geekiness anyway except being passionate about something and sharing that passion? So, in that definition, aren't we all geeks? Sport geeks, math geeks, fashion geeks, food geeks.
When I started thinking about it, I saw that I liked a lot of things considered geeky--"Star Trek," Star Wars (I'm a purist), "Doctor Who," etc. But I'm also really geeky about books, music, movies, Disney, trivia, and education. I'm not the kind of geek who plays video games (I just can't get into them. Or play them. I usually ending either running around aimlessly or killing myself my accidentally throwing myself off a ledge), and I know next to nothing about technology, science, and math. But I'm passionate, and I'm not afraid of sharing my passions--though sometimes I'm a bit more quiet about my passions than others.
Procrastination stuff
Here are some things to keep you busy when you are supposed to be busy doing something else!
The "Stuff You Should Know" Podcast. With my love of knowing random facts, this is an awesome podcast. I've linked to it before, but it's worth linking to again, because it's awesome. Just this week I learned about Barbie, Bigfoot, and Christmas traditions. I've also learned about black holes, lobotomies, the muppets, vampires, why leaves change colors, and Stockholm syndrome. Seriously interesting.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. This is a new web series by Hank Green which updates Pride and Prejudice. My roommate and I love it! There is a new video every Monday and Thursday, and they are about 4 minutes long. There are also a few videos done by Lydia Bennet, and Maria Lu. The really cool thing about this series is not only is it a great exploration of a relatively new form of media, but it also uses other social media to make a complete story! Each character has a twitter account, and a facebook. I went on Darcy's twitter, and his sister's GiGi's, yesterday and it was fun to get a different view of them. Even though I don't get twitter. Seriously, when it comes to twitter I'm like your 80-year-old grandma trying to figure out how to turn on an iPad. Can you really only see one side of a conversation when looking through someone's twitter account? That seems annoying. But I digress. Check out The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
Vlogbrothers. This is the vlogs of brothers John Green and the aforementioned Hank. John Green is a YA novelist that I discovered last year when I read his amazing book The Fault in Our Stars. Then I read Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines. All are fun, interesting, thought provoking books, with scenes that make you laugh out loud. And that is what these vlogs are like too. There are over a thousand videos going as far back as 2007. At first I just jumped around watching random videos, but then I realized that the videos tell more of a story than anything else, so I started watching at the beginning of 2010. I have as yet to get out of 2010, but I am having loads of fun watching them. Also, John probably has the most ADORABLE baby ever. Oh, and these guys make me feel vastly untalented. Hank writes music, writes and directs LBD, organizes VidCon, rides horses, edits videos, is a biologist, and talks very fast. John writes novels (Printz awards! New York Times bestseller!), also edits videos, knows a lot about conjoined twins, and is a deep thinker. Plus, they have created a community (Nerdfighters) and have been encourage this community to help change lives. That's amazing! I've always said that if I could just change one life for the better, my life would be better for it. So, go on John and Hank!
And . . . I think that's enough to keep you busy for a little while at least.
I'm pretty sure there is a ghost in the Church History Library (being my place of work). "But, Whitney," you might be saying, "how can there be a ghost in a building that's only about 6 years old?" Well, here's my theory. We've got a lot of books and documents, some of which are very old. So, my theory is that the ghost (or even multiple ghosts) came in with these very old documents, a la Tom Riddle and his diary. You're probably wondering why I have been thinking that there is a ghost at my place of work. Let me tell you. Over the past year and a few months that I have worked at the library, strange things have occurred.
One, the bathroom. Now, I'm not saying that Moaning Myrtle lives in the ladies' toilet, but someone does and who else would live in a bathroom? The automatic toilets are a little too enthusiastic about their job of flushing--unnervingly so. Also, there's this one stall that always looks like there is someone in it until you push open the unlocked door and there's no one there! Eerie.
Other evidence of at least one ghost is the strange things happening to my cubicle. I think a new ghost has moved in the past couple of months because twice in the past two months, my monitors have been moved around and generally put into a shambles, and this week my chair had been messed with! You just don't mess with a person's chair! It takes much too long to get everything back where it's supposed to be. The only thing I can think of is that it's a pranking poltergeist. And then there is the curious squeaking noise . . . but I guess that the book carts explain that one. But it's creepy!
Anyway, that's why I think there is at least one ghost in the CHL.
Geekiness
Simon Pegg once said, "Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating."
I realized how much a geek I am about three or four years ago, and I wholeheartedly embraced it. What is geekiness anyway except being passionate about something and sharing that passion? So, in that definition, aren't we all geeks? Sport geeks, math geeks, fashion geeks, food geeks.
When I started thinking about it, I saw that I liked a lot of things considered geeky--"Star Trek," Star Wars (I'm a purist), "Doctor Who," etc. But I'm also really geeky about books, music, movies, Disney, trivia, and education. I'm not the kind of geek who plays video games (I just can't get into them. Or play them. I usually ending either running around aimlessly or killing myself my accidentally throwing myself off a ledge), and I know next to nothing about technology, science, and math. But I'm passionate, and I'm not afraid of sharing my passions--though sometimes I'm a bit more quiet about my passions than others.
Procrastination stuff
Here are some things to keep you busy when you are supposed to be busy doing something else!
The "Stuff You Should Know" Podcast. With my love of knowing random facts, this is an awesome podcast. I've linked to it before, but it's worth linking to again, because it's awesome. Just this week I learned about Barbie, Bigfoot, and Christmas traditions. I've also learned about black holes, lobotomies, the muppets, vampires, why leaves change colors, and Stockholm syndrome. Seriously interesting.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. This is a new web series by Hank Green which updates Pride and Prejudice. My roommate and I love it! There is a new video every Monday and Thursday, and they are about 4 minutes long. There are also a few videos done by Lydia Bennet, and Maria Lu. The really cool thing about this series is not only is it a great exploration of a relatively new form of media, but it also uses other social media to make a complete story! Each character has a twitter account, and a facebook. I went on Darcy's twitter, and his sister's GiGi's, yesterday and it was fun to get a different view of them. Even though I don't get twitter. Seriously, when it comes to twitter I'm like your 80-year-old grandma trying to figure out how to turn on an iPad. Can you really only see one side of a conversation when looking through someone's twitter account? That seems annoying. But I digress. Check out The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
Vlogbrothers. This is the vlogs of brothers John Green and the aforementioned Hank. John Green is a YA novelist that I discovered last year when I read his amazing book The Fault in Our Stars. Then I read Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines. All are fun, interesting, thought provoking books, with scenes that make you laugh out loud. And that is what these vlogs are like too. There are over a thousand videos going as far back as 2007. At first I just jumped around watching random videos, but then I realized that the videos tell more of a story than anything else, so I started watching at the beginning of 2010. I have as yet to get out of 2010, but I am having loads of fun watching them. Also, John probably has the most ADORABLE baby ever. Oh, and these guys make me feel vastly untalented. Hank writes music, writes and directs LBD, organizes VidCon, rides horses, edits videos, is a biologist, and talks very fast. John writes novels (Printz awards! New York Times bestseller!), also edits videos, knows a lot about conjoined twins, and is a deep thinker. Plus, they have created a community (Nerdfighters) and have been encourage this community to help change lives. That's amazing! I've always said that if I could just change one life for the better, my life would be better for it. So, go on John and Hank!
And . . . I think that's enough to keep you busy for a little while at least.
Dec 7, 2012
12 for 2012
Instead of a "Christmas Letter" this year, I decided to do a year in review. For each month I'll recount something exciting or different that happened to me, as well as a book from that month! Cuz that's that way I roll!
January
I started the 8-week experiment! It was an interesting peek into what my future as a wife will be. ;)
Book: Austenland by Shannon Hale (this was a reread)
February
I drove into Salt Lake City for the first time, which made me so nervous, which is funny to think about because I do it everyday now and it's no big deal.
Book: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
March
I went to see Vocal Point live for the first time! Great night out with the fam!
Book: Everneath by Brodie Ashton (Utah author! Support local artists! [Unless you aren't from Utah, then she isn't a local artist, but you should support local artists wherever you are. And still feel free to read this book.])
April
I went to the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple! It was great to have my entire family there with me.
Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene
May
My friend Michael Ann did a craft month and I did it along with her! It taught me that I can be crafty.
Book: Persuasion by Jane Austen (I was grinning like a fool on the train while reading the ending to this!)
June
The JSP asked me to stay on part-time!
Book: Shane by Jack Schaefer (my first western!)
July
I bought my first car! His name is Perry.
Book: Bellfield Hall, or, the Observations of Miss Dido Kent by Anna Dean
August
I took Perry and bro and we headed down to California for a week to visit the sis and bro-in-law. Great vacation! I got to go to San Francisco, which was definitely a highlight.
Book: The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Patillo
September
I did a no spend month in September. It was a good exercise in self control! I should do it more often.
Book: I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
October
I had a pretty rockin' Halloween costume!
Book: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (my Banned Books Week book this year)
November
I moved out of my parents' basement! That was HUGE! Probably the hugest thing I've done in the past two years!
Book: I started rereading the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce (Song of the Lioness quartet, The Immortals quartet, Protector of the Small quartet, and the two Trickster books).
December
I can't think of anything really huge happening this month, except Christmas!
Book: I'm very excited to get Princess of the Silver Wood by Jessica Day George. It's her new book in the Twelve Dancing Princesses series and this one is supposed to be better than the second (Seriously, read the first book, Princess of the Midnight Ball--it's AMAZING!)
January
I started the 8-week experiment! It was an interesting peek into what my future as a wife will be. ;)
Book: Austenland by Shannon Hale (this was a reread)
February
I drove into Salt Lake City for the first time, which made me so nervous, which is funny to think about because I do it everyday now and it's no big deal.
Book: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
March
I went to see Vocal Point live for the first time! Great night out with the fam!
Book: Everneath by Brodie Ashton (Utah author! Support local artists! [Unless you aren't from Utah, then she isn't a local artist, but you should support local artists wherever you are. And still feel free to read this book.])
April
I went to the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple! It was great to have my entire family there with me.
Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene
May
My friend Michael Ann did a craft month and I did it along with her! It taught me that I can be crafty.
Book: Persuasion by Jane Austen (I was grinning like a fool on the train while reading the ending to this!)
June
The JSP asked me to stay on part-time!
Book: Shane by Jack Schaefer (my first western!)
July
I bought my first car! His name is Perry.
Book: Bellfield Hall, or, the Observations of Miss Dido Kent by Anna Dean
August
I took Perry and bro and we headed down to California for a week to visit the sis and bro-in-law. Great vacation! I got to go to San Francisco, which was definitely a highlight.
Book: The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Patillo
September
I did a no spend month in September. It was a good exercise in self control! I should do it more often.
Book: I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
October
I had a pretty rockin' Halloween costume!
Book: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (my Banned Books Week book this year)
November
I moved out of my parents' basement! That was HUGE! Probably the hugest thing I've done in the past two years!
Book: I started rereading the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce (Song of the Lioness quartet, The Immortals quartet, Protector of the Small quartet, and the two Trickster books).
December
I can't think of anything really huge happening this month, except Christmas!
Book: I'm very excited to get Princess of the Silver Wood by Jessica Day George. It's her new book in the Twelve Dancing Princesses series and this one is supposed to be better than the second (Seriously, read the first book, Princess of the Midnight Ball--it's AMAZING!)
Nov 21, 2012
Moving Out and Up: The New Commute
Now that I’m
living in City close to Salt Lake, I’ve decided not to take TRAX anymore. It’s
a little sad, because that means no more funny tales from a TRAX rider, but
it’s better for me. I’m using about the same amount of gas as I did before I
moved, and the scenery is so much better than the icky landscape of the land on
both sides of the tracks. This also means that I can sleep in later than I was
before (yay for not waking up before 6 am!), and I have a nice enjoyable drive
to work. The only downside is that I no longer get two hours everyday just for reading--which means I don't go through books quite as fast as I used to!
I drive up
this one street that, even though it is about 8 lanes across, is beautiful! In
fact, from what I’ve seen, all the streets into Salt Lake are beautiful. When I
first moved, the leaves had just turned their fall colors, and there are a lot
of big, tall trees lining the streets. The only problem with my new drive is
that I want to look at everything! On
one street alone, I pass by four different religious buildings: a Catholic
cathedral, a Presbyterian church, a Masonic temple, and our own LDS temple. And
there are all gorgeous! One day, on my ride home, I looked up and saw the bell
tower of the cathedral peeking over the top of the orange leaves, and I just
thought back to the vacation I had taken earlier this year. I spent a day in
San Francisco, where I was brought to tears by just about everything: the
Golden Gate Bridge and Grace Cathedral. So I was just thinking on that
drive home, looking up at the cathedral, “What if I viewed my own city like the
cities I go and visit? What beauties would I see?” I think I would see
something as beautiful as the changing colors against a stone building.
The next
weekend we had a snowstorm, which means no more pretty fall colors. But the
first day of the storm was on a Friday, so I drove home in it. That day I got
stuck behind a bus, and ending up missing my turn, which meant I got to
discover another street home. This street not only had the tall trees like the
one I usually take, but these adorable early 20th century houses.
The whole time I was driving home, I was thinking, “They look like gingerbread
houses!”
I guess you
can tell that I’m liking my new commute. Another perk of it is that the library
is on the way home, which means that I don’t have to leave the apartment after
I get there if I don’t want to. Our library is kind of small, but since I only
use it to pick up holds, it’s okay!
In the next post I’ll share pictures of the
apartment, and show how my geekiness has revealed itself.
Oct 8, 2012
Podcasts
Lately at work I've been listening to the "Stuff You Should Know" podcast and learning all sorts of interesting things! The podcast is just random information from different articles that the team at How Stuff Works writes. A sampling of some of the stuff I've been learning about: the musketeers, banning books, lobotomy (probably could have done without that one, haha, but still interesting), carrying brides over the threshold, music and emotion (this was very interesting), time travel, tabloids, accidental inventions, stupid crimes, Atlantis, revenge, and more! I'm not exactly sure how long the podcasts are, but some are as short as 5 minutes and some seem as long as 30 (or longer).
Podcasts are a relatively new thing to me, but I am enjoying having them on while I work. I love music, but the beat seems to get on my nerves after a while, where talking changes enough that I can handle it. I have also started listening to the Official Once Upon a Time podcast--one of my favorite TV shows-- and just discovered while looking for the link that there is an unofficial podcast for it too (not just fan)! I may have to take a listen at that . . .
Another podcast I've been listening to is the Boardcast, from the BYU 100 hour board.
So, listening to all these podcasts has got me thinking about how fun that would be. I'd get a friend, or maybe change people each week, and we'd talk about movies, TV shows, books, music, colors, America, or any sort of randomness. But then I got to thinking, it might be fun to make, but would anyone listen? Who knows.
Do you listen to podcasts? What are your favorites? I would love some funny ones to listen to!
Oct 7, 2012
Banned Book Review
How was everyone's banned book week? Did you end up fighting for the right to read by reading a banned or challenged book? (I listened to a great Stuff You Should Know podcast this week that talks about banning books. Give it a listen!)
Well, as I mentioned, I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This is a book that a lot of my family and friends have all read, and I had been thinking about reading for sometime--I just never got around to it. This is a recently challenged book, having been challenged just this year on the grounds of pornography. I knew going into it that there wasn't any pornography in the book (my mother had read it for goodness sake!), but it was interesting to read it and see the parts that, taken out of context, could be seen as pornography (if someone was looking). But we'll get to that later.
Before this I had only read one Orson Scott Card book, and that was just last year. It was called Pathfinder. It was nice to realize that Card just has an interesting writing style, and it wasn't just that book. To me, it seemed that Card just lets the reader infer a lot of information, or he might mention some detail after the fact, which is a different than most writers (and goes against what I was taught in my creative writing classes!). He has an interesting way of looking at things that we think we know about--in Pathfinder, it was time travel, in which he broke all the "rules" we have set up for time travel. In Ender's Game it was gravity, space travel, and the speed of light. I don't read a lot of science fiction (I prefer it in TV and movies more), so maybe to someone who does read a lot of sci-fi, it wouldn't have seemed so different, but I was interested in how Ender reorients himself when in null gravity.
Now, to the "pornography" claim. I, personally, think that the reason a lot of parents challenge books is because they never actually read them. They might open the book up, come across something, and become shocked. Or their child tells them something. Or maybe they just heard something. But the thing is, you can't take something out of context and decide that that is what the book is about. There is nudity in Ender's Game. They mention male genitalia once or twice. But there is nothing sexual about it. Ender starts the book as a 6 year old and most of the book takes place between when he is 6 to when he is 11. He is with other boys around his age. So, yeah. No pornography.
(This next section of hidden text contains SPOILERS--read at your own discretion. Just highlight to read.)
While I was reading the book I was comparing and contrasting it with The Hunger Games. (You can find my review of that series here.) Both are about manipulation, both have children killing other children, and in both the main character doesn't want any part of it. What I think made Ender's Game less horrific, is that Ender didn't know. He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he didn't know that he was being used to hurt and kill other beings. He did know he was being manipulated, but he didn't truly know why. And in Ender's case, he wasn't being used for entertainment purposes. There was a war, and it's horrible that the governments of earth were using children to fight it, at least it wasn't just for the sake of seeing children kill each other. So, there are my thoughts on that.
In conclusion, I think that Ender's Game is a great read, but probably for slightly older kids (middle school age). And I hope that you all did something to participate in banned books week!
Well, as I mentioned, I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This is a book that a lot of my family and friends have all read, and I had been thinking about reading for sometime--I just never got around to it. This is a recently challenged book, having been challenged just this year on the grounds of pornography. I knew going into it that there wasn't any pornography in the book (my mother had read it for goodness sake!), but it was interesting to read it and see the parts that, taken out of context, could be seen as pornography (if someone was looking). But we'll get to that later.
Before this I had only read one Orson Scott Card book, and that was just last year. It was called Pathfinder. It was nice to realize that Card just has an interesting writing style, and it wasn't just that book. To me, it seemed that Card just lets the reader infer a lot of information, or he might mention some detail after the fact, which is a different than most writers (and goes against what I was taught in my creative writing classes!). He has an interesting way of looking at things that we think we know about--in Pathfinder, it was time travel, in which he broke all the "rules" we have set up for time travel. In Ender's Game it was gravity, space travel, and the speed of light. I don't read a lot of science fiction (I prefer it in TV and movies more), so maybe to someone who does read a lot of sci-fi, it wouldn't have seemed so different, but I was interested in how Ender reorients himself when in null gravity.
Now, to the "pornography" claim. I, personally, think that the reason a lot of parents challenge books is because they never actually read them. They might open the book up, come across something, and become shocked. Or their child tells them something. Or maybe they just heard something. But the thing is, you can't take something out of context and decide that that is what the book is about. There is nudity in Ender's Game. They mention male genitalia once or twice. But there is nothing sexual about it. Ender starts the book as a 6 year old and most of the book takes place between when he is 6 to when he is 11. He is with other boys around his age. So, yeah. No pornography.
(This next section of hidden text contains SPOILERS--read at your own discretion. Just highlight to read.)
While I was reading the book I was comparing and contrasting it with The Hunger Games. (You can find my review of that series here.) Both are about manipulation, both have children killing other children, and in both the main character doesn't want any part of it. What I think made Ender's Game less horrific, is that Ender didn't know. He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he didn't know that he was being used to hurt and kill other beings. He did know he was being manipulated, but he didn't truly know why. And in Ender's case, he wasn't being used for entertainment purposes. There was a war, and it's horrible that the governments of earth were using children to fight it, at least it wasn't just for the sake of seeing children kill each other. So, there are my thoughts on that.
In conclusion, I think that Ender's Game is a great read, but probably for slightly older kids (middle school age). And I hope that you all did something to participate in banned books week!
Sep 30, 2012
Banned Book Week 2012
Well, it's the last day of September which must mean it's Banned Books Week!! This year marks the thirtieth year since the ALA created banned books week as a means to fight against censorship. Down with censorship!! (haha, I feel like saying that is a weird meta of censoring censorship . . .) Really, the ALA calls it "the Freedom to Read," which is actually a great way of putting it.
Last year I wrote a blog post about how I feel about societal censorship. I say that I personally choose which books I feel comfortable reading or not, and I always feel that that is a personal decision. For example, as I was trying to find a book to read this week, I researched a certain book that is considered quite a classic. After reading about why it was banned, as well as several synopses, I decided that it wasn't the sort of book I wanted to be reading. But I wouldn't stop others from reading it.
Which brings me to what I have decided to read this week. I wanted to read a book that was relatively new to the "challenging/banning" game. I know of two this last year. The first was A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was banned from the school on the grounds of the negative picture it paints of Mormons. I read this book before the school in Virginia banned it, and, as a Mormon, I found it hilarious in all it's inaccuracies. As, as someone who has studied literature, I knew how Victorians felt about Mormons and was able to use that as a point of reference. I appreciate that someone realized that this was not a good introduction to the religion, but I also feel that it would have been the perfect opportunity to discuss what is a major American religion (and part of the history of this country) in a positive, historical way. In no way did they have to preach the gospel, but talk about historical inaccuracies, and why Conan Doyle would have portrayed Mormons the way he did. That's the amazing thing about literature--it opens up a conversation! How said that the parents and teachers didn't take that opening.
The second book that was challenged in the past year was Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. This actually ended in the suspension of the teacher. This is the book that I will be reading this week. The book was challenged on pornography issues, but no one I know that has read it says there is any such thing. And these are people I trust. Nor does the little I know about the book lend itself to pornography. So I went out (last month before my "no spend month" started) and bought the book.
There are links in last year's post to lists of banned books, or you can go to the ALA website for more information. Please read a banned book and fight for the freedom to read!
Last year I wrote a blog post about how I feel about societal censorship. I say that I personally choose which books I feel comfortable reading or not, and I always feel that that is a personal decision. For example, as I was trying to find a book to read this week, I researched a certain book that is considered quite a classic. After reading about why it was banned, as well as several synopses, I decided that it wasn't the sort of book I wanted to be reading. But I wouldn't stop others from reading it.
Which brings me to what I have decided to read this week. I wanted to read a book that was relatively new to the "challenging/banning" game. I know of two this last year. The first was A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was banned from the school on the grounds of the negative picture it paints of Mormons. I read this book before the school in Virginia banned it, and, as a Mormon, I found it hilarious in all it's inaccuracies. As, as someone who has studied literature, I knew how Victorians felt about Mormons and was able to use that as a point of reference. I appreciate that someone realized that this was not a good introduction to the religion, but I also feel that it would have been the perfect opportunity to discuss what is a major American religion (and part of the history of this country) in a positive, historical way. In no way did they have to preach the gospel, but talk about historical inaccuracies, and why Conan Doyle would have portrayed Mormons the way he did. That's the amazing thing about literature--it opens up a conversation! How said that the parents and teachers didn't take that opening.
The second book that was challenged in the past year was Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. This actually ended in the suspension of the teacher. This is the book that I will be reading this week. The book was challenged on pornography issues, but no one I know that has read it says there is any such thing. And these are people I trust. Nor does the little I know about the book lend itself to pornography. So I went out (last month before my "no spend month" started) and bought the book.
There are links in last year's post to lists of banned books, or you can go to the ALA website for more information. Please read a banned book and fight for the freedom to read!
Sep 17, 2012
Creative Cooking
So the past week my parents were out of town, which meant cooking for myself. It was kind of nice to be reminded that I can take care of myself when necessary, but it also reminded me how creative I have to be to cook for one person. But, it was nice to be cooking for me and to be able to use as many burners on the stove as I wanted, without having to make room for roommates. So, that was a plus. :)
Several times at work today my mind would wander to what I would have for dinner when I got home. The only thing I could think was, "Well, I have some chicken in the freezer." So that's what I decided to do (after looking through everything else in my freezer).
I cut the chicken into strips, then dipped the strips into flour, an egg, and bread crumbs with grated parmesan cheese and italian seasoning. Then I fried it in a pan with olive oil. I like cooking the chicken nearer high than medium, because I feel like it makes the chicken more juicy. I also had a summer squash fried in butter with salt and pepper, and pasta-roni parmesan flavor. It was a pretty good dinner!
The rest of the week I had some leftovers and had dinner with a good friend and her adorable daughter. I also made some really yummy spaghetti sauce from this recipe. I actually ended up making 6x as much (on purpose). The size of recipe here is enough for about three people (I've made it before for my parents and me to eat). I use stewed Italian style tomatoes, but also put in some more herbs. Then I just made some pasta to eat with it. The rest of the sauce went into the freezer for a quick meal another time.
So, next time you're making dinner for yourself, look into making some good chicken or tomato sauce!
Several times at work today my mind would wander to what I would have for dinner when I got home. The only thing I could think was, "Well, I have some chicken in the freezer." So that's what I decided to do (after looking through everything else in my freezer).
I cut the chicken into strips, then dipped the strips into flour, an egg, and bread crumbs with grated parmesan cheese and italian seasoning. Then I fried it in a pan with olive oil. I like cooking the chicken nearer high than medium, because I feel like it makes the chicken more juicy. I also had a summer squash fried in butter with salt and pepper, and pasta-roni parmesan flavor. It was a pretty good dinner!
The rest of the week I had some leftovers and had dinner with a good friend and her adorable daughter. I also made some really yummy spaghetti sauce from this recipe. I actually ended up making 6x as much (on purpose). The size of recipe here is enough for about three people (I've made it before for my parents and me to eat). I use stewed Italian style tomatoes, but also put in some more herbs. Then I just made some pasta to eat with it. The rest of the sauce went into the freezer for a quick meal another time.
So, next time you're making dinner for yourself, look into making some good chicken or tomato sauce!
Sep 3, 2012
Halloween Costume Ideas
I got a Pinterest account last week and proceeded to spend a lot of time looking at websites that certain pins led me to. One of those is Disney Bound, which I think is so creative! After spending about four or so hours on it, I had tons of ideas for Halloween costumes! (Yes, I know Halloween is still two months away, but I want to be prepared in case I have somewhere to go this year. Or whatever.)
I'm not fond of going all out for costumes, so Disney Bound is perfect. What I like about Disney Bound is that 1) it's clothes that you can wear over and over again, 2) a lot of the clothes are probably ones you already have in your closet, and 3) it's subtle. Here are three "costumes" I have been thinking about for Halloween this year (and thanks to Polyvore for having a great site!):
I would have to buy a pair of gray pants and a sweater. But I think this is a very cute idea! I'd wear my hair up in a ponytail with a pink bow.
Female Superman/"Clara" Kent (Not Supergirl, because, let's be honest, she wasn't that great):
Female Superman/"Clara" Kent (Not Supergirl, because, let's be honest, she wasn't that great):
Polyvore didn't exactly have exactly what I wanted. I could either wear my brown skirt or some slacks, and maybe get a brown tie to go with it. And maybe just a plain white or blue button up shirt instead of what's pictured here.
Anyway, I'm obviously having way too much fun with this, but it's been a fun way of thinking of outfits and putting together things. With my blue dress and black flats I could be doing an Alice in Wonderland outfit; or with a green dress and purple shoes, a Little Mermaid inspired outfit. Anyway, have fun looking through the Disney Bound site and thinking up your own character inspired clothes!
Jul 9, 2012
A TARDIS ipod case!
Okay, I am so geeky. But I absolutely love Doctor Who. It's practically an obsession. :) Anyway, last week I was thinking about how I needed to make an iPod case to better take care of my poor ipod (now that it's three years old . . .). But something that was really important to me about the case was that I wanted it to have some sort of pocket or something for me to put my headphones in since I'm really hard on headphones (two pairs in the past year alone) and thought maybe if I had a pocket I wouldn't just wrap them around the 'Pod and hopefully that would make them last longer.
So, I went onto pinterest (which is so dangerous. It's like a blackhole. Which is the reason I don't have one) and looked around at iPod cases. It was so fun to see the things people come up with! I really liked this idea (I'd also seen it done with a teddy bear) with the cute little arms "holding" the headphones. And then I got to thinking about how I have so much blue felt left over from when I made this banner in May. Instantly I thought, "I should make a TARDIS case!" Which I then spoke out loud. And my mother (who is basically a genius) said, "You could make doors that open and close!"
I used this tutorial as a kind of starting place, and then I went off on my own! As you can see in the left corner, I was having some problems with the applique film, as I had never used it before. I also made the mistake of writing "Police Box" on with fabric paint before attaching it to the felt. This meant that when I ironed on the applique film, it kind of melted the paint a little bit. My cutting and sewing isn't perfect, but it just makes it look a bit more cartoony, which is totally fine! I hand sewed the panels on the doors and went around twice, making sure that the stitches were different the second time around. Then I just got out the sewing machine and attached the elastic and sewed up the sides!
I'm actually kind of proud of myself. Maybe I can be crafty . . .
So, I went onto pinterest (which is so dangerous. It's like a blackhole. Which is the reason I don't have one) and looked around at iPod cases. It was so fun to see the things people come up with! I really liked this idea (I'd also seen it done with a teddy bear) with the cute little arms "holding" the headphones. And then I got to thinking about how I have so much blue felt left over from when I made this banner in May. Instantly I thought, "I should make a TARDIS case!" Which I then spoke out loud. And my mother (who is basically a genius) said, "You could make doors that open and close!"
I used this tutorial as a kind of starting place, and then I went off on my own! As you can see in the left corner, I was having some problems with the applique film, as I had never used it before. I also made the mistake of writing "Police Box" on with fabric paint before attaching it to the felt. This meant that when I ironed on the applique film, it kind of melted the paint a little bit. My cutting and sewing isn't perfect, but it just makes it look a bit more cartoony, which is totally fine! I hand sewed the panels on the doors and went around twice, making sure that the stitches were different the second time around. Then I just got out the sewing machine and attached the elastic and sewed up the sides!
I'm actually kind of proud of myself. Maybe I can be crafty . . .
Jun 23, 2012
New Recipe: Asian-style Chicken Salad
I don't know if I've shared a recipe since the 8-week Experiment, and I think part of that is that the 8-week Experiment kind of drained me from wanting to share recipes, even though I have tried some great new recipes since then. Well, tonight I made a new, good, summer pasta salad. I took this recipe, and this recipe and made my own!
Asian-style Chicken Salad
1-16 oz package pasta (I used trio Italiano because that's what I had)
3 spears celery, biased cut
3 green onions
shredded chicken (about 1 lb, I think . . . we had some already shredded in the freezer)
fresh parsley (I actually think that I will leave this out next time, but it was a good way to use some of the parsley in our garden)
wonton strips (I used the precooked ones from the grocery store--they were in the produce aisle next to the salads)
lettuce (I used about half a head of iceberg since I had it in the fridge anyway)
Asian salad dressing (I used Kraft Asian Sesame Seed Dressing and Marinade)
Put everything except wonton strips and lettuce together at least 2 hours before dinner to let the flavors blend. When you are ready to serve, put in lettuce and wontons. You might also want to put on more dressing.
Asian-style Chicken Salad
1-16 oz package pasta (I used trio Italiano because that's what I had)
3 spears celery, biased cut
3 green onions
shredded chicken (about 1 lb, I think . . . we had some already shredded in the freezer)
fresh parsley (I actually think that I will leave this out next time, but it was a good way to use some of the parsley in our garden)
wonton strips (I used the precooked ones from the grocery store--they were in the produce aisle next to the salads)
lettuce (I used about half a head of iceberg since I had it in the fridge anyway)
Asian salad dressing (I used Kraft Asian Sesame Seed Dressing and Marinade)
Put everything except wonton strips and lettuce together at least 2 hours before dinner to let the flavors blend. When you are ready to serve, put in lettuce and wontons. You might also want to put on more dressing.
Jun 18, 2012
Reading Journal Comments
About three years ago I started keeping a reading journal. There were a few reasons to do this: 1) so when people asked for a recommendation, I could just look at my reading journal, 2) so I could keep track of what I liked or didn't like, and 3) for my own pride (knowing how many books I read in a year).
I keep this journal in an excel spreadsheet, keeping track of the title, author, whether or not I liked it, any comments about the book, and when I finished reading it (this is another pride thing, seeing how quickly I read some books). Well, I decided to look through some of my comments from the past three years; here are the best ones:
"enough cheese to make a pizza" (Sunlight and Shadow, Cameron Dokey)
"Laugh. Cry. Love." (The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt)
"Weird, weirder, weirdest" (The American Dream, Edward Albee)
"the girl was so stupid it bugged me sometimes" (Down the Rabbit Hole, Peter Abrahams)
"very literary and deep" (The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho)
"like twilight but, you know, good" (Evermore, Alyson Noel)
"Oh my gosh, Captain Wentworth's letter at the end? So romantic! So much more romantic that that stupid Rochester XP" (Persuasion, Jane Austen)
"exactly what you would expect from a Nicholas Sparks book" (The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks)
"The whole time the only thing I could think about was that at the very beginning the MC writes a letter to a girl who can't read: why did nobody catch this?!" (Poison House, Michael Ford)
"hallelujah! A book in a series that actually has an ending!" (Graceling, Kristin Cashore)
". . . the MC was obsessed with Twilight and thought it was the 'best book ever written.' I have a feeling the author thought so too. I was rolling my eyes and laughing at every part that was supposed to be romantic." (Northanger Alibi, Jenni James)
"It's one of those books you read when you are okay with feeling depressed about someone else's life" (Once Was Lost, Sara Zarr)
"Dickens is a genius!! The Circumlocution Office alone proves this" (Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens)
"for 900 pages, not that much happened, though he was really good at hiding that fact." (Inheritance, Christopher Paolini)
"makes you glad you can take baths" (The Wager, Donna Jo Napoli)
"Victorian England, mystery, and a handsome man? Yes please" (Spy in the House, YS Lee)
While I do not recommend all these books, I have included a link to Amazon for all of them so you can decide for yourself (aren't I kind?).
I keep this journal in an excel spreadsheet, keeping track of the title, author, whether or not I liked it, any comments about the book, and when I finished reading it (this is another pride thing, seeing how quickly I read some books). Well, I decided to look through some of my comments from the past three years; here are the best ones:
"enough cheese to make a pizza" (Sunlight and Shadow, Cameron Dokey)
"Laugh. Cry. Love." (The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt)
"Weird, weirder, weirdest" (The American Dream, Edward Albee)
"the girl was so stupid it bugged me sometimes" (Down the Rabbit Hole, Peter Abrahams)
"very literary and deep" (The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho)
"like twilight but, you know, good" (Evermore, Alyson Noel)
"Oh my gosh, Captain Wentworth's letter at the end? So romantic! So much more romantic that that stupid Rochester XP" (Persuasion, Jane Austen)
"exactly what you would expect from a Nicholas Sparks book" (The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks)
"The whole time the only thing I could think about was that at the very beginning the MC writes a letter to a girl who can't read: why did nobody catch this?!" (Poison House, Michael Ford)
"hallelujah! A book in a series that actually has an ending!" (Graceling, Kristin Cashore)
". . . the MC was obsessed with Twilight and thought it was the 'best book ever written.' I have a feeling the author thought so too. I was rolling my eyes and laughing at every part that was supposed to be romantic." (Northanger Alibi, Jenni James)
"It's one of those books you read when you are okay with feeling depressed about someone else's life" (Once Was Lost, Sara Zarr)
"Dickens is a genius!! The Circumlocution Office alone proves this" (Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens)
"for 900 pages, not that much happened, though he was really good at hiding that fact." (Inheritance, Christopher Paolini)
"makes you glad you can take baths" (The Wager, Donna Jo Napoli)
"Victorian England, mystery, and a handsome man? Yes please" (Spy in the House, YS Lee)
While I do not recommend all these books, I have included a link to Amazon for all of them so you can decide for yourself (aren't I kind?).
Jun 12, 2012
We all have bad days
There's this girl I know and I read her blog. And sometimes, I get really jealous of her. There are times when I feel like she has everything that I have always wanted: a good husband, a spot in the MFA program I want to do if I ever get enough money, a baby on the way. I hate that I get so jealous, because she's really great and I think she's an amazing and admirable person.
And then, in my height of jealousy, she'll post something on her blog (as she did today) that helps me realize that her life isn't perfect and she goes through hard times too. It's not that I rejoice in her misfortunes, because it hurts me to hear that something bad is happening in her life, but it makes my heart lighter to know that she isn't perfect, just like me.
I think that this is something that we all go through. We check our facebook or read someone's blog, and it seems like everything is going great for everyone else. This person gets a great job, this person is on an amazing vacation, this guy just got engaged, this girl is having a baby. All we ever see are the amazing things in people's lives, and then we look at our own and wonder what's wrong with us. "Why am I stuck in a dead end job?" We might ask ourselves. "I've never been anywhere cool. I haven't been on a date in three years. I'm still living with my parents."
I know this observation isn't anything new. There's been news articles about once every three months about how there is a rise in depression because of facebook. But I guess what I'm thinking is, sometimes it's okay to let people know that something didn't go right. You don't have to post only bad things--that's going to the extreme in the other direction--but just to let people know that you run into parked cars too sometimes. Or the thought of going to your high school reunion makes you scared because you're certain you will be the only single person left in your class. You don't always need to plaster a smile on your face.
That's something that I try to do with this blog. I try to be positive when I tell stories about my struggles, but I feel like it's important to let people know that I make mistakes. I make mistakes a lot. I'm a mistake maker. But I also sometimes do awesome things and I want to share that too! So, maybe, the 39 people who read this blog will come to it and realize that they aren't alone when their car breaks down, or a customer at work yelled at them, or they just had the kind of day that only ice cream and a tear-jerker movie can fix.
I've always said that if I could make a difference in one life, I would feel that my life was complete. I hope that maybe this little personal blog, sometime, for someone, somewhere, can make a difference somehow.
Here's a new song I discovered. Remember, we all have something to share.
And then, in my height of jealousy, she'll post something on her blog (as she did today) that helps me realize that her life isn't perfect and she goes through hard times too. It's not that I rejoice in her misfortunes, because it hurts me to hear that something bad is happening in her life, but it makes my heart lighter to know that she isn't perfect, just like me.
I think that this is something that we all go through. We check our facebook or read someone's blog, and it seems like everything is going great for everyone else. This person gets a great job, this person is on an amazing vacation, this guy just got engaged, this girl is having a baby. All we ever see are the amazing things in people's lives, and then we look at our own and wonder what's wrong with us. "Why am I stuck in a dead end job?" We might ask ourselves. "I've never been anywhere cool. I haven't been on a date in three years. I'm still living with my parents."
I know this observation isn't anything new. There's been news articles about once every three months about how there is a rise in depression because of facebook. But I guess what I'm thinking is, sometimes it's okay to let people know that something didn't go right. You don't have to post only bad things--that's going to the extreme in the other direction--but just to let people know that you run into parked cars too sometimes. Or the thought of going to your high school reunion makes you scared because you're certain you will be the only single person left in your class. You don't always need to plaster a smile on your face.
That's something that I try to do with this blog. I try to be positive when I tell stories about my struggles, but I feel like it's important to let people know that I make mistakes. I make mistakes a lot. I'm a mistake maker. But I also sometimes do awesome things and I want to share that too! So, maybe, the 39 people who read this blog will come to it and realize that they aren't alone when their car breaks down, or a customer at work yelled at them, or they just had the kind of day that only ice cream and a tear-jerker movie can fix.
I've always said that if I could make a difference in one life, I would feel that my life was complete. I hope that maybe this little personal blog, sometime, for someone, somewhere, can make a difference somehow.
Here's a new song I discovered. Remember, we all have something to share.
Jun 3, 2012
Becoming a Crafty Woman, parts 3.2 and 4
For week three of Michael's "Becoming a Confident Crafter" series, she gave us the homework assignment of making something for ourselves. The week before, Mom and I had picked out a skirt pattern at Hobby Lobby, so I decided to try to make that. Try. :/
I made Simplicity 2226 (it has pockets which every respectable skirt should have. Also, don't let the name fool you--if this was simple, I don't want to try anything else!). When we measured me, it came out to a pattern size 14 for the waist band, and a 12 for the rest of the skirt. Mom thought that seemed wrong but that's what the pattern said, so that's what I cut out. (I had to pin the pattern on twice, because I was looking at the instructions upside down from the way I had my fabric laid out.)
I never thought of myself as someone who couldn't follow directions very well, but for every step I would read the instructions, look at my pattern, read the instructions, then go ask my mom. Thank heavens I have a resident home ec teacher! Though I did ask her if this was something she had her students do, and she said yes. That made me feel untalented--13 year olds could do what I was struggling with!
By Saturday I had struggled through everything (including putting on the stupid zipper) when I went to try it on. Low and behold, it was much too big. Five inches needed to be taken out. This leads me to believe that my body either defies measurement, or the pattern was wrong, because I ended up being a pattern size 6.
Mom figured out how to fix it without having to take the whole skirt apart (she took out the zipper and took everything from the back seam).
I hadn't finished the skirt in the week for the homework assignment, but that was okay because last week's assignment was finish something undone! I did have some freelance work that took up most of my week, and a bobbin lace class that I started, but Saturday I was able to get it done. I kind of cheated on the bottom hem, and my top stitching (which I did so well on the pockets) ended up really horribly on the waist band--mostly because I was trying to keep the fabric from bunching and then I would swerve, and I didn't want to go back. Oh well, worship flaws!
I wore it to church today, here I am:
Because of the way we (and by that I mean, Mom) had to take it in, the front doesn't quite lay the way it's supposed to, but I don't think I did too poorly for my first try. I wish it were my last, but Mom says I've got to make another in order to make buying the pattern worth it. Sewing is not something I find enjoyable--and I think I'm too lazy to do well. :)
Apr 8, 2012
Sunday Special: Ripples
One of my favorite TV shows is "Joan of Arcadia," which was canceled more than 7 years ago. Every few years or so, I get on YouTube and watch the entire two seasons. The main premise is such: Joan is a typical teenage girl, until one day God decides to talk to her. Appearing in various forms, God asks her to do a variety of tasks. In the middle of the first season, the idea of "ripples" is introduced. Ripples can be either good, or bad. Joan doesn't always get to see the ripples of her actions, but they are always there. One of my favorite times of when she gets to see the ripples is God asks her to take the school bully to school, but she doesn't feel like it made a difference. God tells her it does.
I like this idea of ripples; that everything we do, every decision we make, affects more than just us. A ripple starts at one point, then it spreads, getting ever wider and encompassing more and more of the surrounding area. Our decisions may start with us, but never just end there. Good or baad, the ripples keep going on and on.
What kind of ripples are we sending out?
I really do believe that our decisions, our everyday decisions--where to get a job, what to read, who we talk to--they all will change the world. Maybe not the same way curing cancer will, but the way a butterfly flapping it's wings in China does. Somewhere down the line it could became a hurricane. Every ripple we send out changes something and someone.
We may not always understand why God asks us to do something, or inspires us to do something, but there is always a reason. It will probably benefit us, but it will send out ripples that will affect others. The first drop in the pond never sees where it's ripples go.
I hope my ripples are good.
Mar 12, 2012
Shopping Trips!
Starting on Thursday of last week, I've gone on a bit of a shopping binge. I have a friend at work who has just started a fashion blog (check it out here!) and the first H&M in Utah opened a few months ago, so we decided to go after work and she could help me be more fashionable.
I was so excited about this trip! I love getting new clothes and I'm also very excited to go through my closet and get rid of clothes. (I was going to do that this weekend, but circumstances changed and that will now be happening next month.) I still have clothes I got as a sophomore in high school! It's just time to get rid of things that don't fit anymore (I'm no longer the size 2 I was in high school), or that are worn out, or just not in fashion anymore. Anyway, I ended up spending a little bit more money than I planned on, but I'm super excited about what I've bought!
Here's a little run down on my shopping adventures (I was going to put up pictures, but that seemed that so much work, and I don't really want to try to figure out how to do one of those fun little squares with the numbers and all that. Sorry.):
Thursday after work Melissa and I went to Fashion Place mall, starting in H&M. She went around with me, talking about quality of fabrics (I have no idea about this--seriously, I really don't know what makes fabric good or not), etc. Then I tried on the clothes, got her opinion on them. I got this great little black dress (well, as LBD as you can get as a Mormon) that has this cross draping on it. I'm a fan! I don't really feel like I have much I want to hide, but it accents all the things I want to accent! Fabulous! I also got a black pencil skirt (which I have been wanting forever!), a button up blouse, and a blazer. The blazer was the most expensive item. The dress was only $25!!
From H&M we just wandered the rest of the mall, and ended up at DownEast Basics. They had a little location that was having a warehouse sale. I was able to buy a Maxi dress and a cute skirt for about $27--together! (I obviously love getting things on sale.)
Saturday I went to Payless Shoes because I had a 50% off coupon. (Yes, you read that right, 50% off. It was awesome.) I ended up buying two pairs of flats and two pairs of those little footie socks you wear with ballet flats for another $27. That's less than one of the pairs of shoes, if I were buying without the coupon. And they are super cute.
Then I went to Target where I bought the my first pair of American skinny jeans. (I bought a pair from Primark in London. That was almost 4 years ago and I still wear them. I have never been able to find a pair that was as comfortable in the states.) This is something Melissa convinced me to try.
I'm a little ashamed at how much I spent at Kohl's, but rest assured I did not pay full price for anything. (I mean, no one should pay full price for anything from Kohl's. It's really not worth it.) I love the color coral and it just happens to looking great on me, so I bought a coral shirt, a black shirt, and a purple printed shirt. Also, a pair of fishnet tights, because I've always wanted one.
I'm really excited to start incorporating my new clothes into my wardrobe and getting ride of some of the things that are in it. And hopefully these things will last me for at least a year, considering I am done visiting clothing store for awhile. Bookstores, on the other hand, might need a visit. :)
Mar 3, 2012
You Never Know What You'll End Up With
So, one of my favorite clothing websites, ModCloth, was doing a "grab bag" for $15 last week. Basically, this means that you pay a flat rate of $15 dollars, give them your size, and they send you something. You have no idea what you're going to get, which is part of the fun. Anyway, I decided to try it out. Just to see.
This is what I ended up with:
Which, is basically awful. I mean, maybe if I were 15 years old, and still a size 2. Maybe. But the thing is, this really isn't me at all. I pulled it on over my t-shirt and jeans (not the best way to try something, but I knew just looking at it that it wasn't for me) and laughed. I felt like I was wearing a costume. Well, now I know to stick with the jewelry grab bags.
However, there is some really nice details on this dress. The lace for example:
I love it.
Seriously, a LOT. About 8 layers. EIGHT layers! That's crazy.
I love it. And there is also a lot of netting (tulle, I think):
Seriously, a LOT. About 8 layers. EIGHT layers! That's crazy. At the moment I'm planning on putting this is my craft box (a box that doesn't get much use because I'm not really the crafty type) to take apart later. The netting I can use to lengthen a skirt/dress that is a little too short. The lace would be great to use on a vintage style dress (I'm actually looking at patterns, which is weird because I'm not a great seamstress. And by that I mean, I don't sew.).
It was fun, and the 'rents and I had a good laugh over it. Once we got Dad to understand that I did not order this dress on purpose.
Feb 25, 2012
Week 7: Wait, you want dinner EVERY night?
Okay, one more week. I'm getting a little tired of my self imposed rules, but I am determined to follow them out. I tried out 3 new recipes this week!
For Sunday dinner I started with these two recipes as inspiration. Then I changed, added, and made them my own. These are super easy, and super yummy. We had fruit with them.
Stuffed Shells
20 jumbo shells
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce (again, I used Prego Traditional)
Cook noodles. In bowl, mix together ricotta, eggs, spinach, parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into cooked shells. In 9x13 pan, put one cup sauce on bottom. Arrange shells in pan. Pour rest of sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes.
Monday
Since it was President's Day and yet I still had to go to work, I asked Pops if he would be willing to grill some chicken for dinner. He agreed and I planned to make a pasta salad to go with it. Well, when I got home, I found that Mom had already made a salad for me and planned to steam some asparagus. What a great surprise!
Tuesday
MARDI GRAS!! To celebrate, we had jambalaya. As you can see, this recipe isn't very exact, but as you probably know by now, I don't usually stick exactly to a recipe, so it was fine! I made this Monday night because Superdad had a meeting he needed to leave for at 6. Funny story, after it was made, Dad was helping me put it in a container to put in the fridge. He asked if he could try some, I said yes, then he asked if it was spicy. I said I thought so. He tried a little bit and said, "It's kind of spicy." About two minutes later, I hear him sniffing. I ask him what's up and he said, "Well, it doesn't get any less spicy!" Anyway. We had a green salad and an apple with it.
Wednesday
Daddy wanted to go to Subway sometime before the end of the month because it's any footlong for $5 this month. So, that's what we did tonight. We split a footlong sandwich. We brought it home and had some chips with them.
Thursday
We had a wonderful, basic dinner on Thursday: Shepherd's Pie. So easy to make, which was great because I had to come home quick from work, put it together, then go out to do some errands right after. I made a spinach salad to go with it.
Shepherd's Pie
Combine 1 lb gr. beef, 1 can green beans, and 1 can cream of mushroom soup. (I know that a lot of people use tomato soup instead, and I have one friend who makes it with vegetable soup.) Put mashed potatoes on top. (We use the potato pearls from the LDS Cannery.) Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Friday
So, ol' man went to have dinner with his siblings, which meant I didn't have to cook dinner! Instead I just had some leftover jambalaya from Tuesday.
Saturday
Since today's dinner is something completely new for me, I thought I'd give a play by play of the day.
8:30 am. I put together the coconut chicken curry. As I was measuring out the spices, I kept looking back at the recipe to make sure that they really wanted me to put an entire tablespoon of both curry powder and garam masala. Yes they do. As I poured the sauce over the chicken, my eyes started watering. And it wasn't even cooked yet. I'm thinking this is going to be a lot spicier than I was anticipating.
10:30 am. Start putting together the naan bread (recipe at the bottom of previously linked page). I used the Kitchen-aid to make bread for the first time and it was pretty amazing! I discovered that the plain yogurt I thought I had in the fridge had been stolen by the Frigerator Fairies, so I had to go get some from Smith's. Let the mixer do it's thing, then I put the dough in the fridge until I was ready to get it out and let it raise.
Noon. Plugged in the crock pot to let it do it's thing while I spend the afternoon in Provo. (Can I just say how great all the appliances I have are? Kitchen-Aid mixers that knead for me, refrigerator to keep things cool, crock pot to do the cooking for me, a blender to make things smooth. Awesome.)
3:00 pm. Went to get brother and took him grocery shopping. Bought some Bazmati rice because I forgot to buy it earlier in the day.
4:00 pm. Took brother home to put his groceries away. Called Mom and asked her to take the naan dough out of fridge to raise. She already had! What a great mom.
5:15 pm. Got home from Provo with brother. Started the rice, got the naan ready to go in the oven. For the next 45 minutes I am getting everything ready for the meal. The curry smells great. (Another thought: isn't it amazing how many cultures have a flat bread/pancake as part of their cuisine? Fry bread, pitas, pancakes, anjera, naan, laffa, crepes. Seriously. So cool the things that connect the entire world.)
6:00 pm. We sit down to eat. The curry is not as hot as I expected, but it tastes so yummy! The chicken is really tender. The naan is great, as is the spinach salad I made. I think even Sir Dad-a-lot liked it--even though he says he doesn't like curry unless it's Ethiopian curry. Success!
And now, another different thing. A picture of this wonderful meal.
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