We Danced Through the City Streets

This evening my sisters and I danced through the city streets.

Four times a year my family goes to watch and listen to the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. Tonight was one of those four times. We had 8 tickets and I was one of the luckies who got to go.

The symphony itself was, of course, wonderful. Want to make me happy? :) Just take me to Abravanel Hall, and let me listen to the strings weave in and out of the woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Sigh with a smile.

After the program was over we headed back to the car that was parked underneath the Church Office building – so we took to the broad sidewalk along South Temple to reach our destination.

As we started to cross the street, leaving Abravanel Hall – the beeping noise from the 'walk' signal caught my attention: Beep, beep. Beep, beep. It was like a bird. And so what would any person do but mimic a bird going, beep beep, beep beep. My sister laughed.

The city then seemed to come alive with noise. Actually, it was more like music! And so my two sisters and I danced to the music...all the way down South Temple. We would listen, and hear – then with open, fluid and free-flowing movements we would create dances that would mimic the sounds we heard: The dang dang of tracks, the clip clop of the horse and carriage, the rush of falling water, the movement made by cars, and sometimes it was rather calm, surprisingly.

I love the streets of Salt Lake City in the evening.

MY NeW DRaFTiNG TaBLe

Upon this table shall the principles and elements of design be explored and expressed through lead and ink on paper. Mysteries shall unfold and wonderment be defined. Spaces will be created to invoke rest, reprieve, enjoyment, laughter, and beauty. A reverent anticipation ensues...

I love my profession.

(And for those who wanted to see my table in a more obvious fashion, email me or come on over!)

.

It has never been more clear:

Faith is not something man possesses in order to bypass sorrow and suffering. Rather, man has faith to endure sorrow and suffering, and to endure it well. And if so, he always comes out stronger.

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I've always found this a trying time of the year. The leaves not yet out, mud everywhere you go. Frosty mornings gone, sunny mornings not yet come. Give me blizzards and frozen pipes, but not this nothing time. Not this this waiting room of the world.

- from Shadowlands (ranked very high on my list of favorite movies)

Today is the first day I can sincerely say that I am ready for LeaVeS.
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5 years ago to the day

It was five years ago to the day that I entered the MTC in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Five years sometimes seems like a long time ago...and other times, just right around the corner of the past. Missions are funny things, in an interesting way, and in a good way. What a life! Those sometimes long, and yet so short, 18+ months taught me an incredible amount about life and reality; and opened my eyes, ears, mind and mouth. It's sometimes hard to put into words the experience of a mission and right now is one of those times. Very hard, overwhelmingly rewarding, absolutely draining, bursts of energy, reoccurring blisters, ample tears (of joy and sadness), big smiles, hearty laughter, never-ending work, eternal love...sigh with a smile. I still try to keep up with my friends from Recife, they keep my soul grounded. And it has been a great blessing to watch them continue to progress and grow, and I continue to do so through them. So here's to some memories!


At the airport with the family


Typical street scene in Pau Amarelo, and yes - he is carrying a rather large pile of cardboard, etc. on his head.....


Coconut water...great beverage on a hot day


Olinda!


My MTC district - 8A - Love you guys!! We went into the field together


My dear, dear Familia de Santana


Melo and I on a P-day, lunch hour


Home - 2nd area


Gardner, we cruised


A short cut


Another short cut - if only there really was a train!


A dear sister, Iracema


My boys + Jackie


Tired shoes, and yes I was still using them


Our way in and out for a bit


Lunch with a recent convert...fish!


Football...it was played anywhere and everywhere!


In Brazil you can never go wrong with a thumbs-up, it's just what you do! J&C - my Brazilian grandparents


Last lunch - S. Johnson and I with the Penhas, good friends of my father


My first visit back and two of my favorites

HaPPY BiRTHDaY!

This is my MoM – she's amazing and wonderful and today is her BiRTHDaY! (Birthday being said in a Bilbo kind-of fashion.)

HaPPY BiRTHDaY!

This post is dedicated to you.

I think many people like to brag about their mom – and I am no exception. She is - as I said above...amazing. Completely amazing. And allow me to tell you why.

My mom is completely unselfish. Time is everyone's but her own. She has dedicated the last 32+ years to her family (and many years before that to her siblings and parents), which numbers 11 kids, five grandkids and a husband. (That's a lot of years being pregnant). Phew. She has spent countless hours helping us with school projects, music lessons, prom dresses, church responsibilities, home chores, extra-curricular activities, etc. My junior year-emerald green prom dress was a knock-out I must say – all thanks to her and her keen capabilities (it was still talked about years later mom, but we won't mention anything about my sophomore year prom dress, hee hee).

My mom is the handyman around the house. If it needs repairing or fixing – mom's got it. Her favorite aisle is the power tool aisle at Lowe's or Home Depot. Yes – she loves a good power tool. She has done all of the painting, wall-papering, tiling, tinting, staining, molding, and resurfacing of the wood floor year after year. This past year she bought herself a miter saw and was oh-so-excited. Not only does she keep the house together physically, but aesthetically as well. She has covered and recovered couches and chairs, the pillows, makes all of the window treatments, puts up pictures and paintings – makes sure the paint color is just the right hue so as to compliment the furniture or the carpet – or whatever else. She really knows how to make a house a home and when she gets done with one room it's on to the next! This winter when our basement was being re-finished she would sneak down after the guys, aka professionals, were gone to re-do what they had done. Lack of detail she said.

My mom is an adventurer! She loves to be outdoors – up in the mountains. She makes for a great hiking companion. I have climbed Mount Timpanogos only twice, and both times have been with her. She loves to be active and to be mesmerized by God's beauty. She takes that spirit of adventure into everyday living as well. She takes on a day with vigor and enthusiasm – however tired or worn-out she may be. She just keeps going. Sometimes it makes me tired just thinking about it. She also likes a good adventure when it comes to food. She adores fine food (agreed upon!)– gourmet if you will. But having many other opinions in the household, she doesn't get as fancy or creative as she sometimes would like to, but we are learning to become more open-minded as we see a new dish brought to the table.

My mom has an overwhelmingly big heart. She is always concerned and thinking about others. She cares for EVERYONE! She has lost countless hours of sleep just to stay up until 1 or 2 or 3 in the morning talking with us kids about our lives, our concerns, our thoughts, etc. She cares about the details of our lives and that love carries over to people outside my family as well. She loves to have people over for dinner and didn't mind when I would show up Sunday with someone I had just met that was here from Switzerland, or Africa, or wherever! She has a gift I believe, to reach out and relate to all that she comes in contact with. She has touched many lives...many that she isn't even aware of I am sure.

My mom is beautiful, just beautiful. People can't believe that she is in her mid-fifties (sorry for giving it away mom) and that she has given birth to eleven children. 'You look so good!' they say. (Having children does not make you fat, she says) When all of us girls go out to eat together the waiter thinks it's just a bunch of girlfriends going out for a bite to eat. They never suspect we are all sisters (seven at that) out with our mom. (But you know...they are right, we are just a bunch of girlfriends going out to eat!) Sometimes people say I look like her...that I get my eyes from her. If that's the case – then am I ever thankful.

My mom is strong, in many aspects. But what impacts me the most is her spiritual stamina. She is so full of faith and is a seeker of truth and knowledge. She loves, loves the Lord. She always is striving to be close to him and seek his guidance and counsel for all areas of her life. She has an understanding of the Gospel that has come through living it, and by spending hours in prayer, study and temple work. Constantly she is teaching her children the blessings that the Gospel brings and sometimes when I stop in at the house after 10 at night, I walk into a family scripture-study session. She knows the power of the Gospel and she has taught that more by example and the life she lives than by anything else.

“She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her....Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.”

In short, my mom is one of my very best friends and I love her.

I LoVe You!

Your daughter.

101

I was informed by an avid blogger that when one is about to accomplish the feat of publishing their 100th post, it is tradition to write “100 things about me.” That's a lot of things. I lost count. This is my 101th post, oops; hee hee...so

101 things about me:

1) I am allergic to cats, 2) I like cucumbers and 3) love beets, 4) my favorite color is green 5)My favorite vegetable combination is carrots and broccoli 6) In kindergarten I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up 7) I live with 15 plants 8) I look better in browns and off-whites than in blacks and stark-whites 9) I generally prefer diamonds over pearls, but 10) I do have a pearl that my dad gave me that I adore. 11) I am almost OCD about odd numbers 12) I like wind chimes and 13) want to build them someday. 14) I have lived in Brasil, 15) Ecuador, 16) Arizona, Idaho, and 17) watching movies in the theater is exciting, (although I only get around to it a couple of times a year). 18) I love water, whether to drink or to look at 19) I am dazzled by the night sky and 19) love to gaze at the mesmerizing moon out of my bedroom window. 20) I like dogs but 21) I don't know if I'll ever own one. 22) I have always been a fan of monkeys and 23) I am giddy about clean linens. 24) I am intrigued by Michael Faye, the man who walked across Africa, 25) I have used Crest whitening strips twice in my life, 26) I do not like cream puffs or liver, 27) I have four toothbrushes. 28) I have eaten shark, cow tongue 29) and cat food. 30) I have a fly rod with all the gear and 31) have caught only one fish with it. 32) I have a banjo that I 33) haven't played for awhile. 34) I love to camp and hike 35) I have felt the effects of tear-gas (riots in Ecuador...no I wasn't rioting...I was just trying be 'National Geographic On Assignment' and get some good shots). 36) I am desperate to get to Italy 37) I like to read 38) I prefer having a sunroof 39) I mostly really like it when someone orders my food for me 40) I can be very indecisive 41) I don't always have to be right 42) meeting new people is adventurous 43) I love going to the symphony 44) European architecture/style 45) Color is life....give me color 46) My next instrument is the mandolin 47) I would like to take violin lessons again, 48) skipping rocks or just making a splash. 49) The trunk of my car is still clean, 50) I like chess, BIG boggle and 51) speed scrabble 52) I tried learning Italian on my own..”io posso!” 53) I like graph paper 54) I like to people watch and 55) create lives for the people I watch 56) I am a day-dreamer 57) and a romantic 58) I like tall windows 59) and need natural light 60) I usually don't like how people plant their tulips 61) I abhor left-out milk, 62) I am fascinated by Rio de Janeiro and have 63) been there twice. 64) I played on the high-school drumline my senior year and 65) like softball belts 66) Sometimes I eat steak for breakfast 67) I don't like toll-painting or crafty items for my personal home décor 68) I am a believer in concert etiquette 69) fireworks make me happy 70) as do frogs but 71) I am NOT tough nor happy when it comes to spiders (once there was a spider at my apartment and I had to call my brother to drive over to kill it...ewk – can't deal with them) 72) I like to dance with my siblings and 73) they say I should make up moves that could be shown in public, 74) I am quite taken with Celtic music 75) I prefer brown over blond for a guy and 76) If I was to have a different hair color I would choose raven-black 77) Jungles and forests are captivating 78) and I always wanted my room to be a jungle when I was younger. 79) I haven't ever bungy-jumped and 80) never plan on it. 81) I have horrible motion sickness, 82) I love to laugh, even adore it 83) I like to see others laugh 84) I am fine with losing a game a chess 85) I prefer a canoe over a speedboat...most days, well – I take that back..either or. 86) I have been sailing on lake Sammamish and sea kayaking off the coast of Lopez island 87) I have two little girls named after me 88) I try to always learn 89) I am a sucker for the bargain book table at Barnes and Noble 90) I really like patterned tights and socks 91) Garden-grown tomatoes are the only way to go 92)Huckleberry picking in bear country is exciting 93) I traveled 14 hours just to drive a tractor 94) I have never been to a hockey game 95) I want to learn how to paint 96) Get a map - I love a good road trip 97) I don't really care for hard candies, like skittles and starbursts, and 97.5) cantaloupe makes my throat itchy 98) Taking naps in Central Park...ah...R&R&R&R&R&R. 99) Jeans and a hoodie = my favorite outfit 100) I once ate a whole loaf of bread in one sitting...and it was white. 101) on September 25th, 1991 I ran a mile in 13.57 and stated 'that's not a very good score'....

A Favorite Quote:

My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things--trout as well as eternal salvation--come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.

~ A River Runs Through It

TWo HeaRTS

I have had many FeBRuaRY 14th's, 27 actually. But I have never had a TRue VaLeNTiNe'S DaY, and while this year is no exception, I really do appreciate the idea of a day that celebrates a LoVeR'S LoVe with that of HeaRTS, FLoWeRS, SWeeT-NoTHiNG-NoTeS, ReDS and PiNKs. Someday! So here's to Shakespeare's sonnet 116 and Chris Isaak's 'TWo HeaRTS,' as well as a little CaLViN and HoBBS...CHeeRS for LoVe!


P.S. - Here's a GReaT PoST from '07 on LoVe PoeMS, thanks Allysha!

p-12<-1; Solve the inequality and graph it's solution.

You know, if I didn't have an 8th graders math book in front of me I wouldn't really know how to solve the above equation. I am not a mathematician, in fact I spent all of my algebra II days with my head resting ever so softly on my front row desk...everday for a whole year (okay - so maybe I made it through one class with my head up and eyes open). I never got it, it never clicked. And it's not just because I slept through all of the lessons either!

Gandalf just died in the other room...I love the music of that moment, and the echo of the arrows as they deflect off the walls of Moria. You know, that was the first (and currently last) movie I watched alone in theaters and I was enthralled. I have never reacted so openly to a film in public - I laughed, I cried, I marveled, I gasped, and when the ending credits were rolling I wasn't ready to leave. Yes, I do believe that Fellowship is my favorite of the three...

All I ever wanted was a twin, so that I could have someone by my side while I tried to figure out this math thing. Numbers, numbers, numbers! And when they started throwing in letters, (?!?) oh man. I have a sister who's best subject is not math, she takes after me I suppose. I watch her; frustrated, confused and miffed. She wants a twin (I am sure), someone to sit by her while she solves the equation. She can do it - it's just the figuring it out in the beginning part that got me, and that's what gets her. She just needs someone to sit next to her. So, one blog and 2 hours later, she did it - finished her assignment! I think from here until May I am going to get really good at 8th grade math.

What do the following people have in common?

Saint Joan of Arc, Alexander Hamilton, David Bowie, Cary Grant, Benjamin Franklin, Oprah Winfrey, Ronald Reagan, Thomas Edison, Michelangelo, King Louis II of France, Albert Einstein, Bruce Willis, Celine Dion, Hans Christian Anderson, David Letterman, Leonardo da Vinci, Charlie Chaplin, Queen Elizabeth II of England, Jerry Seinfeld, Fred Astaire, Yogi Berra, Bruce Boxleitner, Albrecht Durer, Bob Dylan, Morgan Freeman, George W. Bush, Paul McCartney, Lou Gehrig, Prince William of England, Chris Isaak, Helen Keller, Empress Josephine of France, Tom Cruise, Dave Barry, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ringo Starr, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Henry Ford, David Duchovny, Deion Sanders, Sir Alexander Flemming, Napoleon Bonaparte, Robert Redford, Alexander the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, Pele, Pablo Picasso, Bill Gates, Billy Graham, Winston Churchill, Dick Van Dyke, Ty Cobb, Annie Lennox, Dorothy Hamill, Polar Bears, and...myself...

We are all...Lefties!

It's great to be a lefty - there's even a holiday set aside for us - August 13th! So today is our half-holiday if you will. My sister just younger than I is also a southpaw, as well as my sister just under her (thanks to me....I broke her right arm when she was still learning to write...viola!)

CHeeRS to all you lefties!

dur.

if anyone would like to see a super-ticked-off Hall you are welcome to my place anytime. Two words: photoshop and illustrator; combine that with one more word: me, and you get frustration in it's finest form.

Le Petit Prince Part II: The Tippler

The next planet was inhabited by a tippler. This was a very short visit, but it plunged the little prince into deep dejection.

"What are you doing there?" he said to the tippler, whom he found settled down in silence before a collection of empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles.

"I am drinking," replied the tippler, with a lugubrious air.

"Why are you drinking?" demanded the little prince.

"So that I may forget," replied the tippler.

"Forget what?" inquired the little prince, who already was sorry for him.


"Forget that I am ashamed," the tippler confessed, hanging his head.

"Ashamed of what?" insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.

"Ashamed of drinking!" The tippler brought his speech to an end, and shut himself up in an impregnable silence.

And the little prince went away, puzzled.

"The grown-ups are certainly very, very odd," he said to himself, as he continued on his journey.

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When I very first read this book, this simple, short, sad chapter became a favorite because in a way I saw myself sitting in that chair behind that table - I was the tippler. Now, I have never had a drink...in the alcoholic sense, but at the time I first read this passage I was dealing with some health issues that I am still trying to manage today. I have a health condition that restricts my diet somewhat, and some items that are 'forbidden' includes candies, cakes, cookies, and chocolates. Anything with sugar basically. I would do great for a while, be very disciplined, but I have had my times when I would pull up a chair and have a cookie, then two then three and four - and even knowing that it would make me sick I would go on eating! When the cookies were gone I would find something else sweet and sugary to consume my numbed-thoughts in. I would eat more of what was making me miserable and since I was feeling so miserable I would eat more - and more! Kind of stupid, huh? Okay - way stupid - ha.

Like the little prince, I take pity on the tippler and sincerely wish that I could help him find his way out of this trap that he has created for himself, just as I found a way out of my trap. It has taken time and tears, prayer and patience; going up and down with some bumps along the way, and I still don't get it perfectly right all the time. But I feel like I have stood up and left the table, I have gotten up out of the chair and I ...and I hope that tippler can walk away someday - sometime soon.

the golden hour

Who doesn't just absolutely LOVE this time of day? It's 5:03 on Februay 11th and we are into the closing hour of daylight. This time of day makes me smile inside and out as I reach my nose towards the sun and breath in. It's a lyrical time of day for me and I feel bad for anyone who has to spend it shut in somewhere without a window - tragic! (I once had a job doing custodial work on the BYU campus. I thought it would be a good way to earn some extra cash during the summer months and my hours were from 6pm to 10pm. I lasted one...maybe two, days. I just couldn't take it! It wasn't the actual job itself - however dull and redundant; but it was the fact that I would have missed an entire summers-worth of sunsets and glory!)

Items that most definitely compliment the golden hour are as follows:

Porch swings - porch swings add life to living. They are a must and the fading rays of the day can be best absorbed while seated in a bench that beckons us to slow down and appreciate the simplicities of life. (or a comfy couch just inside a window facing west).

Cranberry-apple-rasberry blend by Minute-Maid - I once wrote a persuasive paper on this magnificent liquid - it was a great paper. Most juices, but especially this one, can only be fully experienced and enjoyed out of a clear glass. It simply tastes better. So while one sits on the porch swing, thoughts in full-sway, the last rays of the day pierce through the glass, making this divine beverage dance and sparkle with delight. Sometimes I think I even hear laughter.

Dandelions - dandelions are great, either in their yellow state or their white-wispy state. While yellow, weave a crown of gold to wear...princess of the sunset you'll be. While white and delicate - make a wish and blow...and then watch the individual seeds glow like pockets of sunbeams as they wander away in the soft breeze; choreographed art.

A friend - so now I am situated on the porch swing with a glass of chilled cranberry-apple-raspberry blend in hand (ice or no ice - take your pick), and a crown of gold resting upon my brow. But how beautiful really is a sunset if one must enjoy it alone? One must not forget to share this moment with a good friend, and good conversation. Take away my porch swing, my glass of liquid divine, and even my gold, but don't take away my friend. For that is really what makes a sunset so magical.

BFF

I just woke up from a delicious nap. Actually, I might need to exchange 'delicious' for 'glutenous,' - it was 4 hours long. Late afternoon is my favorite nap time. Although, usually there is no time during this time to even consider a nap, and I am usually one who does not nap on Sunday's! I guess I lived the exception today. It must have been a combination of a sore throat, a stressed-out week, and my diet, that has played into my body needing these extra hours of rest.....(notice I use the verb need instead of want, hee). And now I think I shall retire early...maybe after this blog has been composed and published. I just am feeling flung out over the universe, and sleep is what gathers me in all together. But tomorrow is the 11th, a good day wouldn't you say? A good day for the stars and planets to align and for me to arise at 6:29 and keep to my schedule. I feel change coming on, I need change. I'll start by rearranging everything in my apartment, each room will function differently now. And then when the funds allow, I'll go with a haircut, maybe just the bangs - as I have been threatening for so long. Then what's next? I'll start my book.

Today was a beautiful day in all aspects. It started early and by 8:30am I was in my seat for a meeting that was to start at 10:00am. My dad was being released from his calling in the church as stake president, and we - my mom and all eleven kids and their respective spouses and kids were all in attendance, and practically sitting together, and on the soft benches even! The meeting was absolutely wonderful. The words that were spoken were inspirational and many will stay with me for a good while, and even more so, will affect me in my life for a good while.

Last Thursday my brother returned home from serving a mission (previous post), and now that he is home, bless his heart, we are all together for the first time in five years, my parents, and all eleven kids with their families. I didn't necessarily feel a void while my brother was gone, I was grateful he was serving and we were blessed for it. But since his return, there has been an abundance of warmth and love that has abounded between us as a family. All of the sudden, I felt a completeness, a wholeness - a feeling I want to keep forever.

Since Thursday we have gone out to dinner together, played games together, sat around and laughed and talked together, all of us - in one place at one time. It's just plain fun! And you know - it's rather marvelous that we all get along as well as we do. Of course, we don't always agree, we all have our opinions, and we are not timid in sharing them. And many times our opinions are different. But we work through them, together. We laugh together, we think together, we mourn together, we pray together, we live and love together. Some might say we are just so lucky to get along so well, as if it just...happens...poof. But there's a lot of work that goes into a family that 'gets along.' We have had our moments, no doubt. We have all done and said things that we regret, at least I do, but we have become better and stronger for it. We have learned how to apologize, and to try to understand one another, and to love one another. It's hard work, but we want it - and so we do it. Our family relationships are centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we include the teachings of the Master into our daily living and conversation, and into our hearts. I believe that this, our belief and our testimonies in God and Christ and his Church, is what binds my family together. We are going to be together for a long time - forever even! My family is most dear to me, and I love them inexpressibly. I am glad to be stuck with such a lot for eternity.

Welcome Home!

It's your birthday!

This here is Ben.

Ben is my brother-in-law, and today - is his birthday!

HaPPY BiRTHDaY!

Well, what can I say about Ben? A lot actually. My first memory of Ben is when he was at our house, playing chess against someone. I don't think it was me...or was it? I don't remember if he and my sister were still just dating or if they were engaged by this point, but all I remember feeling was that he was the one who was taking my sister away from me. He was changing everything, and nothing was ever going to be the same again!

And it's a good thing he did. In the best sense, of course.

Ben is simply wonderful and a delight to be around. He is very selfless and is always willing to help me out with whatever; from building a website to helping me with silly computer questions; to making me think harder for the better, and answering random questions like 'who is Leo Tolstoy?' (to which he gave a most thorough explanation).

Whenever I call to chat with my sister - I always enjoy it when Ben picks up the phone. We have a few sentences exchanged - sometimes more - and sometimes I never get around to talking with my sister - Ha.

I like how Ben thinks, how Ben explains things, and how he writes. He's fun to watch movies with, because he sees them differently than most, being in the film industry and all. Style...I like his style.

Ben is a great father - he's very dedicated to his family and this is a most impressive quality. He spends time cooking for the family, reading to the kids, and doing about a million other things that I am sure I am not even aware of.

Cheers to Ben! I LoVe You MuCH and I am super thrilled to have you as a brother.

HaPPY BiRTHDaY!!!

Stephanie is my sister just above me in the sibling line-up, and today - is her birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

We shared rooms twice that I can remember while I was in grade school (separating our sides of the bed with our jeans, and separating our sides of the room with a sheet) and again when we were in college (we didn't need jeans or sheets then - we had grown out of that phase, well we still used them...just that we used them as they were meant to be used!). We are very different, but also, very much the same.

I have always admired Stephanie's strength. She is strong in many ways - physically, spiritually, emotionally...and she is able to share that strength with those around her. She's ambitious, spontaneous (and always tried to get us siblings to be as well), adventurous, thoughtful, open-minded...

One of my favorite memories is when we would go skiing together (I know, you are thinking, but you are NOT a skier...true, but when I did ski those 3 or 4 times, a couple of times it was with her - hee hee) We had a great time on the slopes, but the best part was our conversation. I had been home off a mission for about 4 months and was having a hard time. Being able to talk to someone really helped, and she was there.

Every once in a while I'll receive a card, a thoughtful card just to let me know she's thinking of me, and today was one of those days. On a day where she should be receiving all of the cards, she instead thought of me. And in an effort to cheer me up, she left a great card on the passenger seat as a pleasant surprise.

Three cheers to the birthday girl! I LoVe You!

France for a Morning

This is where I ate breakfast this morning. A lovely French morning. I ordered an omelet, a side of cottage cheese, and a grapefruit. I like to go places, experience and explore the world around me! Even if it is all while residing in Orem, Utah (today that's the best I can do). Nothing beats the real deal, but sometimes, especially these times, when the dollar is doing so poorly against the euro, you have to conjure up a little imagination. It still made for a pleasant morning.

It all started with the accordion, playing 'La Poupée' (I do not know what that means).

Upon waking up, I opened my computer from it's sleepy state, and in an effort to wake me from my sleepy state, it started playing music - just randomly... and accordion at that! I don't have any accordion music! Ha!
My i-tunes store was open, and for some odd, odd reason - it had somehow selected some soundtrack full of French music, and 'La Poupée' is the piece that it choose to play. Now, accordion at 6:3something would normally be considered...possibly...annoying. But I frankly was delighted, and charmed. (I even purchased the song) It took me out of Utah and put me in France, France for a morning.

La vie en rose...

Le Petite Prince Part I

The Little Prince is one of my all-time favorite books,...sigh with a smile. A book that I can read often! I even went through a phase where I bought a number of copies just to give away...the recipients were thankful to receive the books, but after reading it, they said they must have missed something, and were left scratching their heads as to why I was so taken with the story...

It's such a beautiful story, with so many lessons along the way. Where do I start? What passage shall I share? This blog may need to be in two or three parts. Yes. I'll start from near the end and work forward....odd - but

"Dear little man," I said to him, "you are afraid..."
He was afraid, there was no doubt about that. But he laughed lightly.
"I shall be much more afraid this evening..."
Once again I felt myself frozen by the sense of something irreparable. And I knew that I could not bear the thought of never hearing that laughter any more. For me, it was like a spring of fresh water in the desert.
"Little man," I said, "I want to hear you laugh again."
But he said to me:
"Tonight, it will be a year...My star, then, can be found right above the place where I came to the Earth, a year ago..."
"Little man," I said, "tell me that it is only a bad dream - this affair of the snake, and the meeting-place, and the star..."
But he did not answer my plea. He said to me instead:
"The thing that is important is the thing that is not seen..."
"Yes, I know..."
"It is just as it is with the flower. If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers..."
"Yes, I know..."
"It is just as it is with the water. Because of the pulley, and the rope, what you gave me to drink was like music. You remember - how good it was."
"Yes, I know..."
"And at night you will look up at the stars. Where I live everything is so small that I cannot show you where my star is to be found. It is better, like that. My star will just be one of the stars, for you. And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens... they will all be your friends. And, besides, I am going to make you a present..."

He laughed again.

"Ah, little prince, dear little prince! I love to hear that laughter!"
"That is my present. Just that. It will be as it was when we drank the water..."
"What are you trying to say?"
"All men have the stars," he answered, "but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all these stars are silent. You-- you alone-- will have the stars as no one else has them--"

"What are you trying to say?"
"In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night... you-- only you-- will have stars that can laugh!"

And he laughed again.

"And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure... and your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! Then you will say to them, 'Yes, the stars always make me laugh!' And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very shabby trick that I shall have played on you..."

And he laughed again.

"It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh..."

4:35AM

It is now 4:35am..... and I am - awake. I set a goal last week to start getting out of bed at 6:29, and I know, I know...today I overdid myself! Ha! I am generally a person who must have my 8 hours, case closed. So waking up after only 5 hours (and not all five hours were spent sleeping!) and not feeling the pressing need to crawl back under the covers, is a bit odd.
And I am not sure what to do next (hence I am blogging) I have thought of studying, reading poetry, grocery shopping, working,...I should add cleaning to this list but I won't. I did think of practicing my guitar or banjo, but I don't think the neighbors would appreciate it...

I close my eyes, and think about the day in front of me. (closing my eyes to imagine better than is) What if I could go anywhere and do anything? Today I would tour the far north-west regions of England, to the lake district! Rugged and scenic; rocks, cliffs and rolling hills; open green, so much green. My party would consist of close friends and family, and the days events would revolve around being charmed by nature, laughter, conversation, and flying kites. We would have a picnic of little sandwiches, naturally. And someone, at some point, would say that the maker of the sandwiches really is a gourmet. Who wants to go?

If thou wilt...

If someone was to ask me, 'What comes to mind when you hear the word 'leprosy?'' I would have told them the story of the 10 lepers found in the Bible. Well, that would have been my answer a month ago. But over the past four weeks I have been reading a bit about leprosy. And now if someone was to ask me that same question I would have a different answer. I think of me, and of the world we live in today.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease, and mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. Early signs can be a darkened area of the skin where feeling is lost, numbness sets in...in a finger - in a toe. If the disease goes untreated it can spread and cause permanent damage. A person afflicted with leprosy can come to the point where they loose all feeling in their hands and feet. This being the case, they can step on a nail, a shard of glass, pick up the wrong end of a knife - and not feel a thing as it cuts into the skin. They could be walking - twist an ankle, and because they do not feel pain they keep walking, causing more damage as they do. They are past the point of feeling.

The Book of Mormon talks of being past feeling, "...ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words..."

Sin, like leprosy, is a disease - and the more we choose to ignore our diseases, the more damaging they become and eventually we can come to the point where we do not feel the true effects of sin. And as a leper, we can pick up a knife by the blade and not feel the cut.

But Christ beckons to us, to come unto him and be healed. And he can, and he does. He can heal us to the point to where we are made whole, and every scar and every lesion is but a fleeting memory. Let us allow him to heal us, to take us from the bonds of sin so that we may use our feet, hands, and eyes to serve and follow him.

"And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." Matt. 8:2-3

Intermission

Pavane pour une infante defunte. It's what I am listening to right now while I sketch out some quick concepts for a local residence. The piece happens to be on my favorite childhood classical album: Pops in Love, which still remains a favorite. So romantic and definitely an evening album. 11 songs - nice.

Today was a good Saturday. I received a phone call at 7am from my sister. We were going to President Hinckley's funeral services and in order to avoid any potential problems we left at 8:37ish. As we were arriving to the conference center on foot, there seemed to be angelic music coming from the heavens; I looked upward. And it was just that! They had music of the Tabernacle Choir coming from speakers all over Temple Square. They were playing 'Homeward Bound' and I teared. My sister said I should invest in waterproof mascara. So moving it was, so appropriate. I think they should play music over the loud speakers regularly. It would inspire and settle.

I had brought a great book to read, but didn't even get five pages in. We were early enough to get the last bit of rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I was moved again. So much that it consumed me and took all my thought. They were practicing passages from "Crossing the Bar," the second number they sang during the services. Funny how a few chords sung vocally can have that much power.

The service itself was literally awe-some. Reverent beauty. A more than great way to spend the first half of a Saturday. And it is strange to think that come April our President Hinckley won't stand at the pulpit that was made from his own black walnut tree.

We arrived back home early afternoon. I ran errands, paid bills(hallelujah), ate lunch and returned home. Being so entirely drained in all aspects from the past week, I easily fell into a deep afternoon sleep, only to be disturbed hours later by my phone that wouldn't quit ringing. My youngest sister needed a ride somewhere...alright.

I was going to end this day by retiring rather early, but decided better to end this day by working, (as was mentioned in the first paragraph). I plan to work until these concepts are complete and out the door. I think I am coming up with some great ideas. :) Good thing.

I have shifted songs now, 'Homeward Bound' will keep me company for a bit. This brief blog intermission has come to a close, back to the drawing board. Cheers!

'Homeward Bound'

In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
And the sky is clear and red.

When the summer’s ceased its gleaming,
When the corn is past its prime,
When adventure’s lost its meaning,
I’ll be homeward bound in time.

Bind me not to the pasture,
Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling,
And I’ll return to you somehow.

If you find it’s me your missing,
If you’re hoping I’ll return.
To your thoughts I’ll soon be listening,
And in the road I’ll stop and turn.

Then the wind will set me racing
As my journey nears it's end.
And the path I’ll be retracing
When I’m homeward bound again.

Bind me not to the pasture,
Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling,
And I’ll return to you somehow.

In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
I’ll be homeward bound again.