Nothingness Night

8:34 and it's dark out. 

Really dark out.  And just now, I openly acknowledge the fact that summer has closed. 

And that has left me with an empty-nothingness feeling.

Today's storm, which traces are reflected by street lamps, hangs overhead.  He doesn't leave.  He doesn't intend to either.  Into the dark and black he sits and waits.  Brooding.  Not even that - he's just there, with no feelings.  It's a feeling-less night.  The storm feels nothing, I feel nothing.  I no longer hear the crickets.  Maybe they feel nothing tonight as well.   

Just for fun

This is what currently adorns my desktop on my MacBook

 

The Hall Girls

 

This picture was taken last summer.  I think all of my sisters are super neat.  My mom as well, which when we are out - people think it's just a bunch of friends having fun. 

Which it is.

Cheers!

Focused.

 

Sometimes I have a hard time staying really focused on a single task, my brain is everywhere at any given moment.  That, or the exact opposite.  Sometimes I have a hard time not depleting myself because I am so focused on one single task that I will not stop to eat, sleep, or otherwise be human until it's done.  Maybe tennis is a metaphor for life.

 

Keep your eye on the ball.

But remember to have fun.

The game is more enjoyable that way.

*******************************************
(I know, I know....another "metaphor for life" - - - but this morning when I woke up and realized that I have an uncompromisable deadline.... writing this little note to myself on this tennis ball was an inspiration.  And we all need inspiration.  Now - off the blogosphere I go, which can be so distracting, and off to work I go....keep you eye on the ball, Hall.)

HTML remodeling

It's a bit of a mess....


...my blog will be in the remodeling stage for the next few weeks.

So please forgive any messiness as I navigate through the HTML.

I like to edit the raw stuff.

My Office

Special Hazard Information: Laser Energy is PRESENT

Protective Equipment Needed:

Apron (awesome),
Eye Goggles (even more awesome),
Gloves (that tops it all off)


When I first was introduced to my office I felt a little like Ainsley Hayes from the West Wing, when she was first introduced to her office. Really I have a much better set up than Ainsley had - I don't have to walk down so many flights of stairs only to get to a room full of pipes and whatnot...BUT I do have a sign on the front of my basement office door that made me question the safety of my surroundings and that reminded me that I need a new apron. And safety goggles.

And gloves.

I had my first teaching experience last Thursday, which went fairly well. I would think that the first day of class would always be the easiest. We shall see how it goes from here and if I make it through the semester. Of course - if I disappear randomly and never come back... it's probably due to the hazardous laser energy that is penetrating my body.... slowly decaying ... and causing holes in all of my organs (starting with my spleen I am sure), turning my blood a weird green, and other unmentionable events that I shall not name, and not because I couldn't handle the stress of teaching a college class and being responsible in some small part for these students future.

I probably better go get that apron.

No Apologies...

...for being gone so long.
Not even sorry that I'm not sorry.
It was a much needed break.
So - here's what I have been up to the last few...
er ....8 months or so.


JANUARY


I went sailing off the coast of California.



FEBRUARY


I went to the most amazing Chihuly exhibit at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens. Check It Out



MARCH


I wrote this.



APRIL


I painted this. My Hope Tree, it bears light in the dead of our winters.



MAY


I cut most of my hair off. (So it happened at the very end of April... close enough)



JUNE


I delighted in the Lavender at Red Butte Gardens, and became a member.



JULY


I tried ginger ice cream. It was gross.



AUGUST


I spent a week straight planting 16 flower boxes and baskets - they pretty much rocked.



SEPTEMBER


I start teaching a night class at BYU. And instead of diligently preparing for tomorrow - I am blogging.

a blade of grass

A modern minimalist composer once said that he had a need to concentrate on each sound, so that every blade of grass would be as important as a flower. That a blade of grass has the status of a flower. To see in a phrase, something more than just the black and the white key.

I think that is a beautiful thought. I think there is something to be learned from this beautiful thought.




Avro Part of Estonia is this composer. Listen to Spiegel im Spiegel and you'll understand better the importance he places with each individual note.

More interesting thoughts from Part that I quite liked.

"I think sound is a very interesting phenomenon. People like and are so influenced by music. They don't know how strong the music influences us, good or bad. You can kill people with sound. And if you can kill, then you can also make a sound which is something opposite of killing. And the distance between these two points is very big. And you are free. You can choose. In art, everything is possible. But everything that is made, is not necessary."

"It is really so. My - this new style consists of two ways, two sides, so that one line is my sins, and another line is forgiveness for these sins. Mostly the music has two voices. One is more complicated and subjective. But another is very simple, clear and objective."

The Lake District: a venture to be had.

There are so many places I would like to see and experience. Travel is a wonderful part of life that captures my wandering attention. One of the places that I hope to travel to in my lifetime is the Lake District. It seems so picturesque...and green. Just once. Thank you freephoto.com for the pic!


I would like to cross this bridge...



...set down a blanket in the tufted grass along this shoreline and converse...or just observe and let my thoughts rest. Maybe write. Or sketch.



Walk the fields until I come to this wall, pass through the opening and continue to walk. Fantastic wall!



And every once-in-a-while, venture to a certain point where the scene is quite panoramic and soul-satisfying.

01-01-2009

January 1st. All of the decorations are down. November and December have passed. The Holiday season is over.

And I am glad it's over. I won't even miss the eggnog - that for the first time in my life, made me feel rather ill every time I partook. I used to LOVE eggnog. I mean, I still do. But it lost much of it's charm this year due to stomach pains that seem to follow after almost every glass. Sigh.

I am glad that it's a new month. A new year. 2009. I'm a fan of odd numbers, which is encouraging. Although, I am recently not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I decided not to make any this year. It's just another reminder of everything I didn't get done last year and of everything I won't do all year long. Sounds pessimistic, sure. But I'd rather just do things, get things done...I'll still read books, go on trips, work, eat healthy, take up music lessons, exercise, lose 5lbs....you know - all those things that are normally on a list? But this year I am saving myself the guilt of feeling bad when or if I don't make a check mark next to a perfectly square box.

I'll just take some not-so-perfect triangles.

Totem

This is what you find when you leave your camera behind in the care of your responsible sister. On the 31st I had to leave early for various reasons - and after uploading the pictures this evening...these lovelies are what I found. The first two are my absolute favorites because of the way the lighting turned out...they get a little blurry after that. I tell my 15 year old KK everyday that any strangeness, IF ANY, I get from her.











These totem polls were carved by my father's father - Leon. (Correct?)

Dec 30-31st.

Mantua, Utah. It's the home town of my Grandmother, Diane, who passed away last fall. There's usually a car load of people who venture up here during the Christmas break to enjoy sledding, ice-skating, sleeping, just general playing in the snow. A handful of us spent the last days of December in this quaint winter setting.


Sledding was the order of the first day. I think I have monkey arms here. (Am I even moving?)


More monkey arms.

The first location we went sledding was a bit...s..l...o....wwwwwwwww. We didn't have a high enough of a percentage when you're talking about inclines! After all, I am pretty sure there are no ADA requirements when sledding. The second location was a bit more promising...still not fast enough however. Next year maybe. Monkey arms.


So let's discuss the fashion of the day. KK - thanks SO much for leaving the too small purple snow pants. Now all I need are some sweet pink and turquoise moon boots. I was the last one out in the snow due to an email I had to get out for work...and they were the only thing left. Note to self: buy real ski pants. Other note to self: take up a winter sport to utilize ski pants: skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, lumber jacking...


I think Duke could be a very good snow boarder. Indeed. This Christmas he got his first - pre-real snowboard, and fairs quite nicely. He'll be a pro one day if he wants to.



And dad - well - he could be a pro sledder.



Nat - love the hat/jacket combo. She'll come lumber jacking with me!



And lil' G - don't you just want to follow him around?