Rembrandt's Light

It All Works Out

2011-11-06T23:01:00.001-07:00

“It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.”
--Gordon B Hinckley

(Jordan Utah South regional conference, priesthood session, 1 Mar. 1997)

The Time that is Given to Us

2011-06-01T01:59:00.001-06:00

"I wish it need not have have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
--J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Fashions for Old Ladies

2011-05-11T02:11:00.001-06:00

So, I'm up late doing some research, and I ran across this page from a 1902 Harper's Bazar and thought I would share. Hope you enjoy. Can you imagine how well an article with this title would go over in today's fashion magaines?! ha!

Trivia for the day: the magazine didn't add the second "a" in "Bazaar" until 1930.

Getting out Alive

2011-05-09T15:01:00.001-06:00

My grandma just told me a funny joke. We were talking about an elderly relative's passing and grandma made a comment that his children will, of course, miss him very much, but that is the way of life. Then she said, "None of us are getting out of here alive!" Hahahaha. I laughed so hard and I think that made her happy. She said that is what Uncle Bill used to say. Sweet Uncle Bill, gone so many years now. Gruff Army Sargent Uncle Bill with his little smile and twinkle in his blue eyes. His jokes and heart of gold. His cowboy hat and stories told from a lawn chair at family reunions. The quarters he pulled from the ears of awed children. How we miss him-- but he was right, none of us are getting out of here alive. Thank the Lord that there is a better life on the other side of death.

Fellow Travelers

2011-05-02T13:28:00.003-06:00

"Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life."
-Thomas S. Monson
"Charity Never Faileth" Ensign, November, 2010

Artsy Barbie

2011-04-30T13:45:00.004-06:00

Barbie's got a new look and it's museum inspired. In July, Mattel will release these three Museum Collection Barbies. For only $38 each you can get your two favorite things (art and barbies) all rolled up into one (as long as art and barbies are your two favorite things).

The designs are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Italian Renaissance work Mona Lisa (1503-1519), Vincent Van Gogh's Post-Impressionist piece Starry Night (1889) and Gustav Klimt's Art Nouveau depiction of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907).

Now I know that as we get into the modern era of art, things get less and less representational-- but does Mattel know that Starry Night is not actually meant to be a portrait of a woman? I just feel like we have a "one of these things is not like the others" game going on here. Don't misunderstand me-- I actually think I like the Starry Night barbie the best, I just am not exactly sure how they chose which art would become a barbie.

I think that next they should pay homage to Henri Mattise and turn this little 1905 Fauvist portrait of his wife (Femme au chapeau) into a barbie. It would be perfect-- when your kids colored all over her with markers you probably wouldn't even be able to tell! I call that a win-win.

What Boats Were Made For

2011-04-16T18:55:00.004-06:00

"When a battered, weary swimmer tries valiantly to get back to shore, after having fought strong winds and rough waves which he should never have challenged in the first place, those of us who might have had better judgment, or perhaps just better luck, ought not to row out to his side, beat him with our oars, and shove his head back underwater. That's not what boats were made for. But some of us do that to each other".
-Jeffery R. Holland
(Taken from a devotional address, entitled A Robe, A Ring, and a Fatted Calf, given on 31 January 1984, when Jeffery R. Holland was president of Brigham Young University).

Thank You, Miss

2011-04-16T18:36:00.005-06:00

I'd like to tell you a story about when I was in China, hanging out in the dorm lobby with some other students in the program. This story is not about about the wonders of experiencing a new culture, the confusion/awe/curiosity I felt when I realized they sold Blueberry Potato Chips at the convenience store down the street, or even a clever anecdote about my mispronouncing a Chinese word and a pleasant relationship being struck up with a kiosk vendor who became my Kung Fu mentor while there. (In the interest of full disclosure I should state that I mispronounce all Chinese words and never had a Kung Fu mentor.) This story is about a dumb kid from the US who made a comment that showed his dumbness and how I let it get to me. It is also about a Sonic employee who today, in an unrelated incident, made me feel better.

You may remember a post I wrote last year about being asked if my daughters were going to prom. If not, feel free to take a little looksie here. That story is a good tie-in to what you are about to read. And now, back to China: We were joking around and I made a mockingly matronly comment, and another student, who I will call Herbert (because it is a little bit of an odd name and I wish it was his name, instead of Jason), said "Thanks, Mom!". I laughed and said, "Never call me 'Mom'! I am not remotely old enough to be your mother!" At this point, in complete earnestness and wonderment Herbert said, "You're not?"

I would like to point out here, that while Herbert was an undergraduate, and I a doctoral student, the difference in our respective ages was six years. Six. Years. Other students sitting around jumped in to tell Herbert of his faux pas and I imagine: a) make me feel better and b) show that they would never make that faux pas even if I looked like I was 63. It made me angry though and I held a slight bit of contempt inside for Herbert from then on. Mature? No. Helpful? No. Deserved? Yes. (Okay, fine. No! But I was a little miffed!). What exactly am I doing wrong that makes people think I look so old!!

As a redeeming tale, however, at Sonic today, the teenage girl who gave me my change said "Thank you, miss." Did you catch that? "Miss." Not "ma'am." A teenager called me "miss." Generally I get called "ma'am" at Sonic, and it doesn't bother me. If you are 15 and your parents just signed off for you to work after school in your first-real-job-ever at the local Sonic, I am a "ma'am" to you. People who are 20 are "ma'am" to you. So to be called "miss" in this situation was new and it made me happy. But then I started to wonder about it. Why would she call me "miss"? Was it a new store policy? Did I look younger because I wasn't wearing make-up or contacts? Or did she just surmise that no adult person would honestly order a 44oz diet Dr. Pepper and a corn dog as lunch?

Yeah. I guess it is probably that last one. I think I'll go back on Monday and do it again.

Embark

2010-12-10T11:45:00.003-07:00

“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.”
Barbara Hall (born 1961);
writer, producer

This quote reminded me of one of my favorite articles from the New Era Magazine. Matthew Holland talks about revelation and finding the right road. Check it out! Wrong Roads and Revelation. Sometimes going down the wrong road helps us find the right road and also give us assurance that the right road is indeed right. I know that if we ask, one way or another, God will lead us to the right road.

The Perfect Christmas Gift for Him

2010-11-29T18:08:00.008-07:00

My sister has a few friends who, although they love their fiances dearly, have laid down a few pre-nuptial conditions regarding certain grooming practices that must come into play before any "I dos" are said. To put it short and simply-- there will be some back waxing or there will be no wedding. And let's be honest-- if your man looked like the NASCAR fan in this photo, you might be doing the same. Especially if your love was prone to shaving his favorite sports icons' number into his back hair. (blech!)

To those of you not up on salon culture, waxing can get pricey if you go the professional route. In fact on a salon price list I was recently looking at (I can't shake the dream of going in for a full body massage--this semester has tensed all my muscles up!) I noticed that back waxing is $55 a pop, and stomach waxing for women was $10, while the same service for men was $30. I don't think this needs any explanation.

You might be thinking at this point that professional waxing isn't something that is going to fit into your budget. You might also be thinking that, as much as you love your man, you just aren't willing to do that waxing for him at home. But don't fear. There are several products that will remove unwanted body hair that your man can use without any assistance. My two favorite are the Manscaper and the Mangroomer. No. I did not make those names up. The Mangroomer SKU 211-6 Professional Do-it-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver is shown here. No embarrassing hair. No expensive trips to the salon. No bothering your sweetheart with back hair removal. If this isn't the product to solve all your problems, I don't know what is.

Ladies, you can thank me later. ;)

Reflect upon your Blessings

2010-11-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

“Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
Charles Dickens (1812-1870);
novelist

One Word

2010-11-20T01:08:00.001-07:00

“One word or a pleasing smile is often enough to raise up a saddened and wounded soul.”
Therese of Lisieux (1873 -1897);
Catholic nun

We must return to God

2010-11-07T11:48:00.001-07:00

"It is no news to anyone that we are in a world crisis. But the basic problem is not what most people think it is. It is not fundamentally economic, and it is not basically due to any oil shortage.

Our basic problem is moral and spiritual. We must return to God."

--Mark E. Petersen, “Blessings in Self-Reliance,” Ensign, May 1981, 61

Hope

2010-10-13T14:43:00.004-06:00

"Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
-Vaclav Havel (b. 1936)
poet, playwright, 1st president of the Czech Republic

Incessant Barking

2010-10-12T15:31:00.002-06:00

Faith

2010-09-30T00:27:00.000-06:00

“Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.”
Saint Augustine (354-430);
Roman Catholic saint

Stapled Pants and Other Random Thoughts

2010-09-27T19:06:00.006-06:00

I have a new pair of black pants I got recently at Target. I think they are pretty nice and they fit well which makes them fabulous. I washed them over the weekend for the first time. When I got to school I noticed a long string hanging out of one of the pant legs. So, of course, I pulled on it. Turns out all the stitching on the hem of that pant leg came loose in the wash. The first wash. Grr. I was already at school so I couldn't change, and I don't carry around an emergency sewing kit, so after considering the various option in my office I stapled the hem in place. I did it very cleverly though-- with the long "front" part of the staple on the inside. Let's be honest, although nothing says "classy" like a a lady with her pant leg held up by staples, I had a class to teach!

I bought a new pair of shoes at Last Chance today. They are cute wedge heels (see photo to left). I would like to say for the record, however, that my cousin Maria made me do it. It is all Maria's fault. She pretty much dragged me kicking and screaming to look at discount shoes and then used peer pressure to make me buy them. Seriously, she said things like how cute they would look with jeans and how they could go with so many outfits. I didn't have a fighting chance. And it is too late now-- I already bought them and there is no return policy at Last Chance. I guess I'll just have to keep them. ;)

On my way to Last Chance I was waiting at a stop light to get on the freeway. I thought I saw the man in the truck next to me waving at me. I kind of ignored him. But he kept waving until I finally looked over. He motioned for me to roll down my window. I was a little nervous because I didn't know what he wanted, but then I was worried maybe something was wrong with my car and he might be trying to tell me, so I rolled down the passenger side window. He asked me if I spoke Spanish, in Spanish. I know this because I caught words like habla and espanol. I thought about replying in Spanish with "Well, only a little sir, it has been several years since I studied that beautiful language in Spanish 101 when I was an undergraduate at a school in another state." But then I remembered that I didn't know any of those words, so I just shook my head "no". So then he said "God Bless You". Surprised I said "God Bless You Too". I guess we can all use a little of God's blessings, even waiting to get on the 202.
I still wonder what I might have learned if only I spoke Spanish!

Klingon Opera?! buy' ngop!

2010-09-11T15:00:00.004-06:00

Well, it has been months since I posted. I have no excuse (oh, except that I am in a PhD program, teaching a class, TAing a class and taking my own classes while trying to maintain some semblance of a social life--but that isn't really new). I should probably insert the obligatory "I'm going to try harder to post better" or "I now have a goal to post x number of times/week" or "I will send you all $100 to make up for my lack of posting and the understandable emotional distress it has no doubt caused." But I'm not gonna. I've got a post and I provide it below for your reading pleasure, but no promises, no goals and if you are under mental distress from my lack of posting, call me because you have bigger underlying problems that need addressing. soon. ;)

Now on to the topic at hand. Thanks to my friend John G. I am now aware of a new production that is going to change the face of opera and operatic history forever. That is right-- the first ever opera in Klingon. Some of you who didn't grow up watching Star Trek may be unfamiliar with "Klingon." Klingons are"a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe." Feel free to follow the links to learn more. With the advent of the spinoff series Star Trek: The Next Generation, changes and improvements were made to the Klingon characters, one of which was "a complete language, developed by Marc Okrand off gibberish suggested by actor James Doohan ." Fans of the series have gone so far as to actually learn the language.

I'm not making this up.

The Klingon Learning Institute is one online resource you can turn to should you have a burning desire in your soul to pick up a little Klingon. If you are more of a casual learner, I'll include a few common Klingon phrases that you can bust out in case you get stuck on a subway with Trekkies on their way to a convention, or some other equally unusual situation, and need to make nice.

Hello----- nuqneH
That's great news!----- buy' ngop!
Where is the bathroom?----- nuqDaq 'oH puchpa' 'e'
Today is a good day to die.----- Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam

With that little primer, now you can feel free to watch this BBC clip on the new Klingon operatic sensation! (Click here to watch.)

If you want to see some of the "historical" origins of the art form, Here is a little Klingon opera from Star Trek: TNG.

My Excuse? Beijing

2010-07-10T07:17:00.004-06:00

Dear friends, family, followers, blog connoisseurs, blog stalkers and that one kid I knew when we were in middle school (I think that covers everyone, right??)-

I would like to offer my apologies for the lack of posts for the last six weeks or so. I do have a good excuse though. I have been in Beijing, studying abroad. Thanks to the Great Firewall of China however, sites like blogger and facebook are not available, so I gave up on posting while I was there. But don't worry, I wasn't just wasting my time--I learned a little Chinese 101 (i.e., 我要一瓶可乐), some Chinese Art History (let's hear it for Li Chen and Zhang Huan), spent alot of time running all over the city in an attempt to see everything (which helped burn off the calories from all the fabulous food I was eating) and had an overall amazing time!

Here are a few pics to get things started-- I'll try to tell you a little more about my adventures in some coming posts.

Eating a Scorpion at the Wangfujing Night Market-- it actually wasn't as bad as my face makes it look here. Cliche though it may sound-- it tasted like crunchy chicken!

Self-Portrait at the Summer Palace-- this was one of my favorite places.

Awesome wooden Buddha at the Jietai Temple outside of Beijing.

Inside the Forbidden City.

And my favorite of all-- the Great Wall at Simatai!

Some Thoughts on Courage

2010-05-21T00:14:00.017-06:00

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."

-James Neil Hollingworth (1933-1996)

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'."

-Mary Anne Radmacher; author

"Courage is only the accumulation of small steps."
-George Konrad

"...shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren, and on, on to victory! Let your hearts rejoice and be exceedingly glad."
-Doctrine and Covenants 128:22

Food, Friends and Phoenix

2010-05-17T16:11:00.010-06:00

I had some good friends come into town this weekend, so what did we do-- obviously we ate our little hearts out! We got in some shopping and bonding too, but mostly the weekend was highlighted by amazing food!

First off we hit Pizzeria Bianco in downtown Phoenix. This little place is very popular and Gayle (aka Oprah's BFF) didn't do anything to hinder their popularity. To eat at this restaurant you either need to bring a large group of people so that you can make a reservation, or else plan on waiting at least 2 hours. Seriously. And also plan on being checked up on while you wait-- your whole party has to be with you or consider yourself bumped off the list. Our friend Rick calls them the "pizza nazis" (a la Seinfeld's soup nazi). Once you do get in, however, the service is good and the pizza is very delicious. I probably won't ever go again, but it was fun to try. (You can see one of Collette's little guys wanted to be in the photo with us-- can't blame him-- three cute girls!) ;)

After Pizzeria Bianco we went to Yogurtland. Yum. All kinds of yogurt flavors and yogurt toppings and you pay by the ounce. Fun-- enough said! This place made Heather one happy camper because Yogurtland doesn't exist in Utah! :(

Friday we decided to hit up another Phoenix original restaurant that has been made popular by television. Chino Bandito was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and is a little place that features Chinese AND Mexican food combined. There is really no place like it! It was surprisingly good and was just an overall fun experience because of the originality. We took a picture with the big stone panda bear, but there was a kid who wouldn't get off the sombrero. Collette sneakily just cut his head off in the photo. Sorry random kid-- no internet fame for you here!

Don't worry-- our eating frenzy was not over yet! On Saturday we went to Scottsdale Fashion Square and after a little lunch I introduced the girls to the Godiva Chocolix ir. This is a cold, blended chocolate drink that is just divine. I'm serious. It costs $5, but every now and again it is worth every penny. I've had four in my lifetime and I can remember each and every one.

Following this fabulous excursion we went to D'Nell's brother's house for an amazing BBQ. Ribs, chicken wrapped in bacon, asparagus, dips, salads and every good barbecue-y thing. Boy-oh-boy. I was so full I didn't even try any of Lisa's fabulous chocolate cake. And if you have ever had anything that Lisa baked you know that is really saying something!

It was a great weekend! Collette and Rick are great and have seriously cute kids, and Heather, Lisa and D'Nell are great friends and we had so much fun catching up! It was great to have an excuse to get out and see more of Phoenix and to have great people to do it with!! :)

Have Patience

2010-05-07T23:34:00.008-06:00

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them-- every day begin the task anew."

--Saint Francis de Sales

Escher and Legos

2010-05-05T13:02:00.003-06:00

M.C. Escher, Relativity, 1953, lithograph.

Andrew Lipson and Daniel Shiu, Escher's Relativity in Lego, 2003. (see more here!)

Dare to Reach Out

2010-05-04T23:41:00.002-06:00

“Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”

—Norman B. Rice
(1943-); former mayor of Seattle, Washington

Camelback

2010-05-02T21:29:00.010-06:00

A few months ago my mom came to visit me. It was great! I'd heard that hiking Camelback Mountain was a cool thing to do in Phoenix. And I decided that having my mom in town would be a great opportunity to try it out.

I looked up info on the hike. It is only 1.2 miles to the summit on the Echo canyon route. No problem I though. We're from Utah and can see Mt. Timpanogos from our house. We know how to hike a measly mile. I read some stuff about the hike being "steep" and "advanced." But really, I wasn't giving too much credence to these "warnings." So I guess it served me right to get to the mountain and find it was in fact "steep" and possibly for "advanced" hikers. Or at least people who are "in shape."

Just steep is one thing. But the trail up Camelback involves scrambling up large rocks, not just some steep dirt path. And there are in fact places where railings have been put in because it is just so darn steep. Had I realized these things I may not have tricked my mom into hiking it with me.

But don't you worry. Although we spent some quality time resting in the shade on the way up, watching the overly muscular, sweaty, ipoded men running up the mountain, we made it all the way to the top! Victory! And it was worth it. It was great to have a 360 degree view of Phoenix.

See the trail to the right. This is one of the easier parts.

This is probably the steepest part. The picture doesn't really do it justice.

My madre hiking like a pro!

I like the arrow sign that points straight up!

View from somewhere above half-way.

View from the top.

The Best

2010-04-25T23:26:00.000-06:00

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.”

—John R. Wooden
(1910-); retired basketball coach, author

Do These Wrinkles Make Me Look Old?

2010-04-13T18:40:00.005-06:00

So yesterday I was at a salon buying some hydrating facial lotion. I'm not sure why they call it "hydrating" lotion-- I mean, doesn't all lotion hydrate? In any case, they were having a computer problem and so couldn't ring me up immediately. One of the ladies gave me a free hand massage though while I waited. It was great. I will take a free massage anytime. She also asked the other girl to find me a "new customer" coupon, but they didn't seem to have any. After looking for a bit the second girl said, "Oh! Do you have any daughters that will be going to prom? We have some coupons for up dos".

At this point allow me to back up and review-- she asked me if I had any daughters that would be going to prom.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless they are doing proms at elementary school now, this means she either thought I look much older than I am, or that I look like the kind of girl that got pregnant in middle school. And frankly, I don't like either option. I kind of wondered if perhaps I should trade in my lotion for something that is "age-defying." Apparently "hydrating" isn't enough for me anymore!

Climb the Mountains

2010-04-07T11:02:00.002-06:00

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

—John Muir (1838-1914); naturalist, author

He Lives

2010-04-04T22:05:00.002-06:00

Happy Easter! I want to thank my cool cousin Cory for sharing this with me. And now I will share it with you. I hope you like it and that your Easter has been a good one.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T21:49:00.004-06:00

Here are some funny pictures of eggs. Thanks to Scott for sharing them with me. Hope you had a great Easter!

Terrible Life Choice

2010-04-03T01:05:00.004-06:00

My friend, and fellow sufferer in this lifestyle we call graduate school, Brett, posted this on his facebook. It made me laugh. And then cry a little. Ah! the life of a grad student!

April Fools!

2010-04-02T13:00:00.004-06:00

April Fools!

Alright, alright, I didn't make that quilt. I have nowhere near the skill, patience or free time to make such a masterpiece. Everyone left such nice comments though that now I feel like a big fat jerk!! This was my only prank of the day and I may give up April Fools shenanigans all together! I personally apologize to each of you who believed my little joke. I thought that after last year's Dragon Cake episode everyone would be on to me! The picture I showed is actually an antique Dutch quilt from roughly 1610.

I do like to quilt, but on a much more amateur level. Here is a quilt I actually did make, as a form of recompense!

Finished...At Last!!

2010-04-01T03:17:00.007-06:00

If you know me, you know it takes me for-ev-er to finish a crafting project! In fact I implemented a rule this last year that I cannot purchase materials for another project until I finish up one I already have started at home. It has actually been a pretty good motivator. I think that shopping for new projects is one of my favorite parts. My mom and I love to go around to all the local quilting shops whenever I go home for a break.

As it turns out, I actually finished a project this week. I won't admit to you how long ago I started-- but it is done!!! I just need to clarify-- the center is embroidered-- not quilted!! That was the real hang up as far as time goes-- but I think it turned out okay! I tend to notice all the imperfections in anything I do-- but, like I said, at least it is finished!! Now I can head off to the craft store-- I've earned myself a new project!!! :)

Love

2010-03-22T21:56:00.001-06:00

“Love never reasons but profusely gives; gives, like a thoughtless prodigal, its all, and trembles lest it has done too little.”
—Hannah More(1745-1833); poet, playwright, philanthropist

A Sure Sign I've Been in Arizona too Long

2010-03-20T23:38:00.006-06:00

I've been home for Spring Break, and it has been fabulous! I've seen cousins and grandparents and aunts and great uncles, my mom and my brother and a few great friends. It was a bit of a shock to find it was snowing in Salt Lake City after having left a lovely 70 degrees in Phoenix, but it has been worth it, and as is usual with spring in Utah, you just never know if it is going to be pleasant or stormy on any given day, and there have been some nice ones too.

I was visiting some friends and borrowed my mom's mini van to get there (because, c'mon, nothing really says "cool" like being thirty and borrowing your mom's mini van to go out in on a Friday night [Thanks again Mom!]) ;) When I was leaving to drive home the windows were iced over. I turned on the car and tried the windshield wipers, but that did just about nothing. And then I literally sat there for a couple of seconds reasoning through what I could do to fix the problem. It finally dawned on me that there is a handy device called a windshield scraper that I should probably locate and utilize.

I haven't even been gone two years and I managed to forget this winter driving basic! I couldn't believe it! I did this daily in the winter for years! But as I scraped off the windshield without gloves, I honestly decided it is a pass time that I have not missed one bit!

Guess Who's 70!

2010-03-10T22:36:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Chuck!

Chuck Norris counted to infinity. Twice.

Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he never cries.

Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas.

Feel free to leave your own favorite Chuck Norris fact or memory in the comments section. :)

We Tend to Forget

2010-02-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
—Fredrick Koeing

The Story of Dinner with the Girls at P.F. Chang's (in which I make a fool of myself)

2010-02-23T21:49:00.005-07:00

A few weekends ago I went with my friend Lisa and her mom and sisters and another friend to Mary Poppins at the Gammage Theater. Before the show we decided to go out for dinner at P.F. Chang's. We were six good-lookin' ladies out on the town. So maybe three of our party were married and one of those married ladies expecting-- we were still good-lookin' and still out on the town! We got a great table on the patio under the heaters (we are still getting the occasional "chilly" day here in Phoenix). We devoured the lettuce wraps, and gobbled the crispy honey chicken and orange peel beef. We ate up all of Chang's spicy chicken and even politely sampled the complimentary curry tofu dish (not so good). We were some very happy ladies.

We had a nice waiter who was doing his best to use the subtly-flirt-your-way-to-a-tip method and was very charming and polite. And who can blame him. It is the method I would use if I were a man serving a table of ladies. It came time for dessert, and despite our better instincts, we decided we probably ought to have some. How often were we out on the town together after all? The waiter brought out a sample tray to show us the choices. We selected three to share (which seemed like alot-- but again we were out on the town afterall!). Lisa ordered us a great wall of chocolate, a lemon dessert and a carrot cake. Then the waiter brought out the little cup desserts from the sample tray (pictured above). We all were kind of looking around at each other confused. I finally spoke up for the crowd-- took one for the team, if you will.

"Dude, are you messing with us?" I said, in my friendly, pseudo-flirty way, because I was really sure he was messing with us. He looked up with what I took for false alarm. Now I knew he was messing with us.

"What... is this not right" he stammered.

"We ordered the great wall of chocolate," I replied, not tricked by his show of confusion for even a second, "not the little cup of chocolate".

"Umm... so this isn't what you wanted?" he continued.

I kind of thought this would have been a really good time for him to remove the little fake desserts and present us with the real desserts that he had hidden for the sake of his little trick. But no such luck. Instead, Lisa leaned over to inform me that these little cups were "mini desserts," and they were indeed what we had ordered.

And so my turn to stammer came. I apologized to the waiter, who was still a little bit confused. I admitted to everyone around that I was, in fact, an idiot and that I was sorry. I explained that I thought the little cups were for the sake of display and that I had never heard of "mini desserts". I received the consolation of the ladies at my table who claimed that they all had been thinking the same thing. Only Lisa seemed to be privy to the highly guarded P.F. Chang's "mini dessert" secret.

Luckily, because I was with such good people, our night on the town was not ruined by my stupidity. We laughed, ate our little desserts, got on our way to the theater and ended the evening a little more savvy to the ins-and-outs of ordering dessert at P.F. Chang's.

Montezuma Castle

2010-02-14T19:09:00.005-07:00

A few weekends ago my good friends Tracie, Justin and Colton were in the great state of Arizona and so I headed north to meet them for a trip to Montezuma Castle (which, technically, is not a castle, nor was it ever lived in by Montezuma). It is, however, a really cool Native American dwelling that was built into the side of a cliff. I think places like these are great. Equally impressive was Mrs. Tracie hanging in there at 8 months pregnant! :)

This is Montezuma Well.

Wisdom

2010-02-10T17:53:00.001-07:00

“All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.”
—Alexandre Dumas(1802-1870); Writer

Bird--1, Car--0

2010-02-09T18:02:00.002-07:00

The Saints and J.M.W. Turner

2010-02-08T12:37:00.007-07:00

Another Super Bowl has come and gone. The winners cheer and gather in the money they won in the office pools while the losers dejectedly see their money gone and their team shamed in that apex of all footballing events. And so professional football sees the end of another season and football fans grit their teeth to wait out the off-season hoping basketball will somehow pull them through the gap.

But in an unusual Superbowl betting outcome, one museum director is smiling and looking for the best place to hang Joseph M. W. Turner's The Fifth Plague of Egypt (above, right). All of this came about when Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) director, Maxwell Anderson and John Bullard, director of New Orleans Museum of Art (NoMA), decided to make a bet on the Superbowl. The prize would be the 3 month loan of one significant painting from the other's collection. There was a tussle over which paintings would be named in the bet, but finally two were decided upon. Had the scales tipped in favor of the Colts IMA would be preparing to receive Claude Lorrain's Ideal View of Tivoli (left). So if you happen to be in the New Orleans area, and have been dying to see Turner's Fifth Plague up close and personal, you are in luck and you can thank the Saints for your boon!

If you want to read more click here.

If you would like to hear the NPR interview click here.

Thanks to Meghan of All Curled Up for cluing me in on this fun story!

Edible Extremities

2010-02-02T18:47:00.007-07:00

Have you ever been really, really hungry, and needed a snack, only to discover that you didn't have anything about you that was edible? May I suggest Bread Shoes to you as a happy solution to your problem? That is right-- shoes made of bread. You might be thinking, those are all fine and good, Shiloh, but you haven't considered that I have no gloves to match those shoes. How could I go out in public so ill-clad? Again, do not despair friendly reader-- but give your consideration to a second item-- Bread Gloves! You need never be in want of a snack again with these tasty additions to your wardrobe!

These delightful dainties were introduced to me by Timmy "Pantsu-Man-Forever" B. Thanks Tim!

Every Now and Again

2010-02-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

“Every now and again take a good look at something not made with hands: a mountain, a star, the turn of a stream. There will come to you wisdom and patience and solace and, above all, the assurance that you are not alone in the world.”
—Sidney Lovett; minister

Mona Lisa and Cholesterol?

2010-01-29T21:12:00.006-07:00

Vito Franco is a pathological anatomy professor at the University of Palermo. Recently, however, he has spent a good deal of time studying art in addition to bodies. He has, in fact, put his scientific training to use in interpreting around 100 different paintings and the maladies suffered by the figures therein. He claims to have discovered, for example, that Leonardo's Mona Lisa (aka, La Gioconda) (1503-05) had high cholesterol. This, he says, is manifest in lipoma (a benign tumor) under her left eye and a fatty-tissue tumor in her right hand.

He also claims that the Infanta Margarita, in Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656-57), may have had a thyroid condition as well as McCune-Albright syndrome, "a genetic disorder linked to premature puberty."

But the fun doesn't stop there. The young man in Botticelli's Portrait of a Young Ma n (1482-83) suffered the effects of Marfan syndrome, "a genetic disorder of the connective tissue," as evidenced by his very long and thin fingers.

And finally, Franco claims that Michelangelo himself must have suffered from kidney stones because of the swollen knees apparent in his portrait in Raphael's The School of Athens.

I would say that there is alot of Art History missing from these arguments, and although I'm no scientist, I would even venture a guess that most scientists would agree there isn't a whole lot of science going on either. I personally don't know many doctors who will agree to diagnose and treat a person who merely sends in their photo. I've also never known an autopsy to be performed by the "take-a-good-hard-look" method. No consideration is made for artistic licence and stylistic elements. If long fingers indicate a genetic disease, apparently everyone modeling for the Mannerists was afflicted. Additionally, the man in The School of Athens is modelled after Michelangelo, but is supposed to be Heraclitus. We don't know if those are Michelangelo's knees or a generic pair. (Or maybe Raphael had a hunch that Heraclitus suffered from kidney stones and put the tale-tell signs in!)

Franco has some fun ideas, and it is interesting to try and look at art in a new way. I even like the idea of blending the arts and the sciences, but there isn't too much scholarship going on along with it here. If you want to read more try here or here.

Thanks to Cory (pianist of the new, hip and cool band- Never-Ending Waterfront) and Jessica (cool and hip writer of A Nelson Narrative) for sending me these articles!

Life is Short

2010-01-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.”
—Henri-Frederic Amiel(1821-1881); philosopher, poet, critic

Top 6 Books of 2009

2010-01-23T12:25:00.006-07:00

I would like to tell you about my top six books of 2009. Mind you, these are the top books I read in 2009. My life is far to scattered to do things chronologically. I don't even know what books were published last year.

The books are in no particular order.

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is a great book set in 1960s Jackson Mississippi. The characters are wonderful. I listened to the audio version and it is wonderful. The voices are superbly done by a couple of different voice actresses. I felt like I learned alot about the South and the civil rights movement, not from a historical stand point, per se, but through the lives of women (although fictional) there at the time.

2. The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Another wonderful book. Although there are sad parts, the book still is a happy one. It is set in post WWII England/Isle of Gurnsey. I usually don't love books that are written in the form of a series of letters, but this one worked for me. It is charming and lovely. And it was very interesting to learn about he Nazi occupation of the channel islands.

3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

I love Elizabeth Gaskell, so it was about time I read this book! I have to admit that the first time I saw the movie I wasn't in love with it like so many others are. It has since grown on me and reading the book really helped. I would just like to say, that to me, the greatest deviation from the book in the movie was the scene where Mr. Thornton beats up one of his workers. I hated that part (and it made me hate Mr. Thornton). This is not in the book. (Hooray!) Alot more of the main character's personal philosophies about workers and industry are also explored in the book which makes you understand even better that Mr. Thornton is strict, but not unfair.

4. The Hunger Games and Cathching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Apparently everyone in the world had already heard about these books before word got to me. But I'm glad it did. These books are great. They are part of a trilogy, the third book of which is set to come out in August of this year. The books to me are like a combination of the ancient Roman gladiator games and reality tv. If you want to read them, I suggest buying or borrowing both at the same time. You are going to want the second one as soon as you are done with the first! (or better yet, wait until August to read them, then you can read all three at once!)

5. These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

This is a book about a woman in Arizona around the turn of the century. They are settlers and have a rough life. In addition to a rough life, there is a great love story. I defy you not to fall in love with the male lead! The main female character has a great desire for book learning and is brave and fiery. Very interesting look into some of the early (fictional) settlers who came to Arizona.

6. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Finally, Three Cups of Tea. This book is not especially well written. There were times where I was saying to myself, 'David, if you use the word "vertiginous" one more time...'. But that aside, the story is amazing. What Greg Mortenson accomplished is a testimony to the fact that one person really can make a difference. This is the story of a mountain climber who stumbles into a village and promises to build them a school when he sees children studying outside on the rocks. He has now built many many schools in Afghanistan. I'm excited to read Mortenson's new book-- Stones into Schools. Mortenson recently gave a forum address at BYU. If you are interested in what he had to say, click here (the mp3 is free).

LDS Humanitarian Services: Haiti Relief Widget

2010-01-22T16:26:00.001-07:00

Shimajiro's Toilet Adventure

2010-01-14T22:04:00.001-07:00

I've noticed alot of my friends are trying to potty train their kids these days. Even if you aren't you might find this Japanese video funny. Enjoy! :)
(And my apologies if by any chance you are offended!)

How to be Selfish (Without Even Seeming So)

2010-01-11T12:49:00.004-07:00

This Christmas break, quite by accident, I learned a few tips on how to be selfish, and get what you want, without even meaning to! I thought I'd share these tips with you!

1. Switch to Diet Soda.
I used to deal with finding that the entire case of Dr. Pepper was all gone due to family members drinking it down. But now that I've switched to diet soda no one else will touch the stuff and so I get it all to myself! :)

2. Catch a Cold.
Despite warnings left on the top of take out boxes, certain members of my family were sometimes prone to think that left overs left in the fridge were fair game. But since I got a cold I couldn't even get my brother to eat my left overs when I asked! Again-- I get my left overs all to myself!

3. Get your Car to Break Down on the Way Home.
This way your family feels bad for you and they will let you use their cars. Sure there are other major inconveniences, but I never said being selfish was going to be easy! ;)

Joy of Life

2009-12-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

“One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.”
—Robert A. Heinlein(1907-1988); science-fiction writer

End of the Semester Learning

2009-12-14T12:02:00.007-07:00

It is the end of the semester, and I've learned some things.

1) I am too old for all nighters.

2) Diet Coke with Lime and chocolate muffins apparently don't count as a square meal.

3) I am no longer too ethically minded to think turning in a package of chocolate with my term paper is wrong.

Where you can find me.

These are just the books I bothered bringing home. I photocopy chapters whenever I can get away with it and print out alot of articles. This stack is ready to go back to the library--hooray. (Now I can get started on the next stack!)

I use alot of these.

This was my reward for finishing paper number one. Melon Ramune soda from Japan (via World Market). The coolest part about it is that the cap is a marble and you push the marble down in to open it. Then the marble rolls around in the top part when you drink. The soda is good too-- but the bottle makes it awesome!

Faith

2009-12-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

“He who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.”
—B. C. Forbes(1880-1954); financial journalist; founded Forbes Magazine

In case you don't know what to get me for Christmas...

2009-12-10T22:40:00.004-07:00

It combines inspiration from Robert Indiana's pop art LOVE sculpture with Hello Kitty. What more could I ask for?!

(I'm not going to lie-- the diamonds are a nice touch, too) ;)

Sleep in Peace

2009-11-18T10:30:00.002-07:00

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”
—Victor Hugo(1802 1885); poet, novelist, playwright

Give it up for the Gideons

2009-11-04T11:40:00.007-07:00

Today as I walked from the parking lot to my office there was friendly man after friendly man handing out small, green New Testaments. The Gideons were out in full force at ASU. I felt bad having to say no. I tried to smile and said, "Thank you, but I already have one," hoping they wouldn't think I was lying to get out of taking their book. I have my own collection of different sets of LDS scriptures of course, and I actually have 2 copies of the small, green, Gideon New Testaments from meeting with them in the past.

I think it is really cool that these men, who could be doing something more personally comfortable with their time (ie sleeping!) are up and out on campus giving out Bibles to college students. I've always loved the fact that pretty much every hotel room in America has a Bible in it thanks to these guys. It makes me glad that they are doing so much to help more people learn about Jesus Christ.

I do have to say that the times I saw them on BYU campus I was a little confused and wondered if they knew that 95%+ (at least) of the people they were handing these books out to already had a set of scriptures, and further, that probably 70% of the students may haveactually had them on their person in preparation for their religion class of the day. Still I applaud their effort.

I know that throughout the world there are severe disputes between various Christian groups. This makes me sad, because we actually have so much in common. Being an LDS missionary in Japan gave me such a different perspective on this. Christians there make up roughly a mere 10% of the population. When we ran into other Christians we were often welcomed as friends because of the bond we had of simply being believers in Christ. There was a Filipino family we met knocking doors that almost literally pulled us into their home and insisted on feeding us when they discovered we were Christians. There was a mother of a LDS church member who we visited and taught lessons to. She never, as far as I know, joined the Church, but she believed in Christ which meant so much to me.

I still hold it dear to meet other Christians, and so I want to thank the Gideons, although I wasn't able to on the street, for spreading the message of Jesus Christ.

How I Lost an Hour of Sleep Last Night and Other Thoughts

2009-10-27T18:28:00.007-06:00

The Smoke Alarm

About 4 am I woke up and my honest thoughts were about how perfect the temperature of the room was, how perfectly I was cuddled in to my bed and how glad I was to have this pleasant night of sleep. I cuddled back into the covers and fell back asleep only to awake to the shrill, overly-loud single beep of the smoke alarm. This must have been what woke me up initially. The device is designed to beep every thirty seconds when the battery dies until you do something about it. At 4 am, in a very comfortable bed, I felt like this was a major design flaw. I was certainly willing to live on the edge without smoke detecting protection for another 3 hours if there was a way.

I tried turning over and sleeping through it, but the noise was just too piercing. I finally stumbled out of bed in a sleep induced haze and got the chair from my desk only to realize that with 9 foot ceilings I wasn't tall enough to reach the detector. I looked around for items I could possibly stack on the chair to stand on, but nothing seemed to be workable. (Which is probably better because it would have been a great irony to have fallen to my death off an unstable stack while trying to fix a life saving device.) I finally realized that the kitchen stools were slightly taller, so I retrieved one and twisted the smoke detector top off and removed the battery.

This did not solve the problem. The ear splitting noise continued, this time at close range. Still half asleep I went to check the drawer where I keep batteries and nestled right there, in a ring of glory, was a 9-volt battery. Hallelujah! (I remember now I had it from the time the hall detector went out and I bought a 9-volt 2 pack). I replaced the battery in the dark with some difficulty and left the smoke detector dangling from the wires (that incidentally I had considered ripping out). Once back in bed however the perfect spot I had previously occupied had vanished. I tossed around and rearranged the blankets but couldn't sleep. I did fall asleep about an hour later, and I did not die in a fire--so I guess everything turned out alright in the end.

Opting Out

If you are tired of receiving phone book after phone book on your doorstep there is a way to stop it! I'm sure there are some people who use these books, but I know that as long as I have any chance of connecting to the internet I'm not going to so much as crack one open. I have two or three in my hallway closet right now that are due for recycling. If you are ready to end the steady stream of phone books on your doorstep, you can go to http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/ and click on "Opt Out".

Diet A&W Root Beer

Finally, I would just like to let you know that the very best diet soda available is Diet A&W Root Beer. YUM!! I've been trying alot of the diet sodas out there and this one actually tastes pretty darn good-- I'm not sure how they do it! And it is caffeine free in case you're not interested in staying up all night. I don't get paid for this-- but if anyone from A&W is reading you can feel free to send me as many complimentary cases of your diet root beer as you feel this little plug deserves (which I would assume would be many!)

Go Mighty Cougars

2009-10-24T18:41:00.005-06:00

I got to go to San Diego last weekend for the BYU v SDSU football game! It was so fun to see a BYU game in person again (plus they won!). My friends Mandy and Jeremy set things up for us-- and thanks to one of Jeremy's clients we had box seats! Mandy's parents, who I just love, also came in from Colorado, so it was a great weekend! I got very little school work done, but had a great time.

In memory of some pics we took when we were Juniors at BYU,:
Mandy and I had another small photo shoot:

(I'm still not quite sure what we are supposed to be doing in these pictures!)

But it was a great weekend with great friends! :)

CSI meets Art History

2009-10-14T22:23:00.005-06:00

There are alot of things Art Historians and other experts use to attribute paintings and other pieces of art. The style, signature, and location are just a few things that can give clues when you are trying to identify the artist of a painting.

Ten years ago Christie's sold the painting shown here and listed it as an early 19th century German work. The buyer, Peter Silverman, felt like there might be more to this painting than that scant information, and so he recently had it checked out. The lab found a fingerprint in the paint that is "highly compatible" with another known finger print of none other than Signor Leonardo da Vinci. Other, more traditional indicators in attribution also seem to match up.

If everything matches up and the work is officially attributed to Leonardo it will be worth millions. Not bad for an initial $19,000 investment. And very cool for the art world as well! (see article here)

Thanks to Kristen for pointing this out to me! :)

Friends

2009-10-12T21:41:00.001-06:00

“Friends are helpful not only because they will listen to us, but because they will laugh at us; Through them we learn a little objectivity, a little modesty, a little courtesy; We learn the rules of life and become better players of the game.”
— Will Durant(1885-1981); writer and historian

Meaningful Life

2009-10-05T18:17:00.001-06:00

“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
—Morrie Schwartz(1916 - 1995); educator

Mother of the Year 2008

2009-09-25T12:40:00.001-06:00

The woman who inspired me to start a blog is back to blogging again. This is a video she made last year that I happen to think was pretty funny. If you'd like to read a blog that infinitly more clever than mine check her out at hollywoodflakes.org. :)

We Didn't Start the Fire

2009-09-24T01:10:00.005-06:00

We all love this classic by Billy Joel. Sure, when we sing it it most likely sounds like, "Harry Truman, Doris Day, duh duh, duh duh duh, la la la la , mmm mmm mmm mmm, Joe DiMaggio!" Maybe that makes us like it even more.
This video is a little cheesy-- but I loved the way each person or event from the song is shown in time with a picture. I learned about things in the song I didn't even know were there before. I don't like to admit it, but I think I always thought "Trouble in the Suez," was "Trouble in the sewers". Now I know better.
So check out the video. (Thanks again to Scott for sharing).
And if you want more than a picture, I found this blog site with some info on each person/event mentioned. Go ahead, learn! Click here!

Playing Dress up

2009-09-12T17:26:00.003-06:00

Shown here are two photographs done by Maurice Guibert of the Post-Impressionist artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec dressed as a Japanese samurai. It think they are fabulous. It is very certainly an understatement to say that Toulouse-Lautrec was a character!

Finding Hope

2009-09-10T20:23:00.001-06:00

I thought this was a nice 9/11 message. I hope you enjoy it as well. Thanks to Scott for sharing it with me.

I Love Podcasts and They Love Me

2009-09-09T12:50:00.003-06:00

The new love of my commuting life is pod casts. Do they love me back? I can't say for sure, but I like to think they do. We all need someone to love.

My two faves these days are: This American Life with the ever classy host, Ira Glass. This is a great podcast that takes a theme every week and has different stories relating to that theme. A good one recently was called "Pro Se" in which the theme was justice and representing yourself. The first story was about a man in England who faked insanity in order to go to a mental hospital instead of prison after an assault case and who now cannot get out. The second about a rare case where a man representing himself in a drug possession case actually won. Good stuff. Check it out.

Speaking of classy hosts, one thing I hate is seeing what radio/podcast personalities look like. I get an idea of what they look like as I listen to them talk and having that vision interrupted by reality is disturbing. When I was in Jr. High I would desperately cover my eyes if Fischer and Todd (the oh-so-funny morning guys from KISN 97 FM) were ever on a TV commerical. I recently saw a picture of Ira Glass and it shattered the image I had of him. Oh well. I still like the podcast.

My other favorite podcast (maybe my very favorite if we're being honest) is Stuff You Should Know. Josh Clark and Charles "Chuck" Bryant cover a wide range of topics from the economy to lobotomies to toads and warts. They are funny and they do their research. A winning combination if you ask me. Did I pass out while listening to the lobotomy podcast? It's possible. But I still recommend these guys. Seriously-- your life will be better and you will be smarter!

What do You Think?

2009-08-28T13:08:00.003-06:00

I came across the following quote today, and I'm trying to determine if I agree with it or not. I thought I'd throw it out there to see what other people think. It ran as follows:

“There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity.”
—Nathaniel Branden doctor, author

At first glance, my reaction was that it is very often not the case. I think I was thinking of many shy people I know, who probably don't have the most self-esteem who are very caring, kind and generous. I also thought of many egotistical people I know, who seem to be over stocked in the self-esteem area who are complete jerks who seem to only care about themselves.

My next thought was that perhaps these egotistical folks only seem to have a high level of self-esteem. Maybe they have rather low self-esteem and are only covering it up with their ego. This would support the quote. But that still does not account for the shy people I spoke of above who seem to lack self esteem, but are still kind and generous.

What do you think?! Please leave a comment. Feel free to leave it anonymously if that makes you more comfortable. I'd like to have some thoughts on the topic.

Scholastic Insanity

2009-08-25T21:57:00.003-06:00

Today I started 20th grade. No, seriously-- add it up. 12 years to get through high school. 4 years for undergrad. 2 for a masters. 1 year of my PhD done. That makes me a serious 20th grader (and certifiably insane--but more on that another time). Its not that I've only been in school for 20 years-- you need to count kindergarten for something I think, and I may or may not have finished 2 of my previous degrees in the recommended time period. Nevertheless, I think you get the idea. I've been in school for-ev-er.
Another first day of school has come and gone, and my scholarly career continues. I'm taking some classes, I'm TAing some classes. I'm even hitting up the Institute for some serious Old Testament learnin'. And so I plod onward, through the 110 degree heat with my sweet new "Utah Shakespearean Festival" messenger bag (thanks Mom!) and my 97 cent Wal-Mart folders. (I totally splurged on those). I'm trying to take things one class period at a time and not think about all the things ahead that I'm pretty sure I can't do. After all, I made it this far. I even made it through my master's program, which at several points along the way I was pretty sure I couldn't do.
So here's to another first day of school. Another among many more to come (just that I hope eventually I'll be the professor , instead of the student).

Fact

2009-08-17T17:31:00.003-06:00

There is no place like home.

Mt. Rainier

2009-08-17T15:41:00.006-06:00

And now the final Washington trip post. After dropping my sister off at the airport :'( we began the drive back to Utah. We stopped by at Mt. Rainier National Park on the way and I was in love! I was so disappointed not to have several days to spend in this beautiful place! The view of Rainier from Seattle is great, but being right up next to it is breathtaking. It is surrounded by all kinds of other awesome mountains as well, they just happen to get dwarfed by the splendor that is Rainier.

We walked around some of the little paths in sub alpine meadows full of wild flowers and great views.

Before leaving the park we hiked to Silver falls which was very cool. Again I tried to capture it on video to give the full effect. Bottom line though, you've got to go to Washington for yourself because it is great! I can't wait to go back and explore more! :)

Lewis and Clark, Etc

2009-08-17T15:06:00.004-06:00

Okay, okay, I'll try to finish up the Washington trip posts! We stayed in Long Beach,WA and made some fun trips around to light houses, and Lewis and Clark sites.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Ilwaco was actually really great. Even as a bit of a history buff, I wasn't sure I wanted to pay $5 to be bored reading about Lewis and Clark, but this was a great center. Knowing a thing or two about historical exhibits, I give this center two thumbs up! It is located at the mouth of the Columbus river, close to where Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery got a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean in 1805. Clark wrote at that time, “Great joy in camp, we are in View of the Ocian, this great Pacific Ocian which we been So long anxious to See."

There are some neat lighthouses nearby and probably a great view too. We happened to be there on a very cloudy day, so we were unable to appreciate that view. We went up in the Northhead lighthouse. I always think lighthouses are pretty cool. And I just love climbing up to high places where ever I go.

Northhead Lighthouse.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.

Beard's Hollow.

The next day we drove down into Oregon. We went to Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark and the Corps of discovery wintered after finding the Pacific Ocean. The National Park Service has reconstructed the fort as best they could from journal descriptions of it. It is a cool place to visit as well.

Fort Clatsop.

These pictures are from Ecola State Park in Oregon. It was a cloudy day, but still so beautiful!

Twilight

2009-08-10T15:05:00.013-06:00

If you are familiar with Northwestern Washington you know that you can't pass through it without going through at least one or two places Stephanie Myers put into her Twilight book series. I have not read the series myself (for which I have, perhaps correctly, been called a "literary snob") but I saw the movie (none of which, incidentally, was filmed in Washington).

On our route we passed through Forks, where the heroine(?), Bella, goes to live, thereby coming into contact with Edward, vampire hunk extraordinaire. Something I found interesting was that Stephanie Myers had never even been to this little town until after she published the first book of the series. My question is, does a book about vampires have to be set in a real place?

This town, which has nothing else going for it as far as tourism goes, has really done all they can to capitalize on the success of these books. There is a Twilight tour company, which will take you around to places mentioned in the book. Houses have been designated as "Bella's house" and "Edward's house", and they even have an old truck that is meant to be "Bella's truck".

But that's not all friends, oh no. The local hotels are happy to cater to their vampire loving friends as well. Several feature Twilight themed rooms, redone in all black and red.

We also went through Port Angeles, where Bella goes shopping, and is saved from thugs by, you guessed it, Edward the hunky vampire. And finally we went to La Push, a beach town that is on an Indian Reservation.It is a pretty place on its own which is why we chose to visit. Apparently in the book there is a treaty between vampires and the Native Americans (aka Werewolves). This element of the plot is captured at the edge of the reservation where the fictional treaty line is demarcated. We actually saw girls there taking pictures by the sign wearing vampire teeth. I'm not making this up. (The "Howl if you 'heart' Jacob" van above is also real, we saw it at La Push).

La Push.

Interested in your own Twilight tour?! Try this link:

http://www.dazzledbytwilight.com/

Want to watch some funny videos spoofing the Twilight movie? Try these:

Edward vs Buffy

Twilight Before Christmas

Olympic National Park

2009-08-10T14:22:00.006-06:00

It is hard to fit Olympic National Park into one post! It is a so big, beautiful and diverse! We began our tour of it by heading up to Hurricane Ridge, which is a beautiful spot with tons of mountains all around and lots of sub alpine meadows full of wildflowers.

This is a little video wherein I tried to show how many mountains are around Hurricane Ridge.

In these two pictures you can see Sol Duc Falls. We hiked in to see them and it was amazing! The light was really good too since it was later in the afternoon.

This is Rialto Beach. If you hike about a mile and a half up the beach you can see these sea stacks and the Hole in the Wall. Very cool! We also saw alot of birds and some harbor seals! The fog came in and out as we went along which I think made it even more enchanting.

Much to my mother's chagrin, my brother and I (troublemakers that we are) hiked up and over along the trail so that we could see the hole in the wall from the other side. I really really liked Rialto Beach!

Another Rialto Beach Sea Stack. Olympic National Park has over 70 miles of land along the coast that are totally protected, and therefore very clean and beautiful.

Finally, Hoh Rain Forest. This is the Hall of the Mosses.

It was crazy the way moss was just hanging from everything. The moss lives solely off of water and nutrients in the air, and doesn't hurt the tree it is on at all.

Discovery Bay and Sequim

2009-08-10T12:48:00.004-06:00

We stayed at Discovery Bay next and happened to be there just in time for the Sequim (say: "Skwim") Lavender Festival. It was a great festival! And the lavender was so pretty!

Tim and I had fun playing with the baby crabs in the bay by our condo.

Lavender Festival!

We took a tour of a Vietnam Era ship. It was pretty cool to see. And seeing the bunks where the men slept made me glad to not be in the Navy!

While in this area we hiked out for a little ways on the Dungeness Spit. It is a natural sandbar that goes out for more than 5 miles! Across the way you can see Victoria, British Columbia,and if you hike to the end there is a lighthouse. It got chilly with the wind out on the spit, so ended up with my hoodie on and then I put on a windbreaker I borrowed from my brother too. I put it over my backpack and so my siblings had a fine time making fun of me looking like quite the goon!

Seattle

2009-08-10T12:38:00.003-06:00

We were only in Seattle for a matter of hours (in order to pick up my sister at the airport), but we managed to stop in at Pike Place Market to see the sites.

They are famous for their fish at the market and one fish shop in particular is great because when someone buys a fish the workers all chant and they throw the fish in to be wrapped up. It was fun to watch.
My favorite part was probably the flowers. This bundle of flowers only cost $15!!! I wanted to buy some so badly, but it wasn't especially practical as a tourist. They had just stall after stall of flower sellers.

We ate at Pike Place Chowder and let me tell you, the service was lousy, but the food was amazing! I had the seafood bisque and it was divine!

North Cascades

2009-08-10T12:15:00.005-06:00

The first few days of our family vacation were spent in the North Cascades. A very beautiful national park, with lots of mountains (including Mt. Baker), glacial lakes and hydroelectric dams.

Diablo Lake. The camera didn't capture it, but it is a very beautiful color because of the glacial silt.

This was taken very near the little cabin we stayed in. You can see Mt. Baker and to the left of Mt. Baker, pearched on the top of the dead tree, is a bald eagle (sorry you can't see it at this size!). This was great trip for bird watching!

These two photos are from a hike we took on the Thunder Creek trail. We called it the "Cougar Bridge hike" because we hiked in just a mile and a half to a bridge and the bridge had a cougar warning sign posted on it. We saw no cougars though, and we hope no cougars saw us!

This is a little video I took trying to capture Ladder Creek falls. Like everything else, I still couldn't quite capture how cool this series of waterfalls was! You'll just have to head to Washington to see it for yourself!

Washington Trip Summarized at Last!

2009-08-10T10:57:00.005-06:00

Well, I've been putting off these posts because it seemed like there was just too much good stuff to try and condense. Blogging was starting to sounds like work, and heaven knows I've been avoiding work this summer at all costs! ;)
So without further ado, I bring you a summary of our family trip to Washington which includes three, count 'em, three national parks, a short jaunt into Seattle, beaches, waterfalls, hikes, a lavendar festival and, by absolutely no fault or planning of our own, visits to places featured in the novel Twilight.

Moms on the Net

2009-07-27T10:46:00.001-06:00

The Information Super Highway is so easy! Its not just for techno geeks with spreadsheets anymore! ;)

Things I've Learned

2009-07-10T20:15:00.001-06:00

How Do I Survive My Stop-and-Go Lifestyle?

2009-07-10T19:05:00.005-06:00

It seems that my life alternates between the Indy 500 and a slow walk dragging a cart full of lead. During the school year I seem to always be behind, running around at 100 miles per hour, neglecting everyday tasks like cleaning and sleeping in order to get things done. Then suddenly, right when I've reached the point where I'm pretty sure I'm going to die, summer break starts and things get eerily quiet and slow and I become equally distressed because I'm not any more sure how to handle having nothing to do than I was sure about how to handle having way, way, way too much to do. It is a very strange phenomena.

People tell me to relax, to enjoy the time off, to remember this is probably the last summer off I will ever have in my life. All of this is good advice and I do wish I could follow it-- but relaxing isn't my greatest skill apparently. And so it seems I spend my whole life feeling off balance one way or the other. I'm really hoping that when I get to that point where I'm "grown up" and have a career or family (or a little of both) things might take on a state of consistent busyness that doesn't wear me down to the bone. But maybe that's just wishful thinking! I'll keep you posted. For now I'm going to try to hurry up and relax!

4th of July

2009-07-10T18:38:00.005-06:00

On the 4th of July my family and I went to see the hot air balloons in Provo. It was actually pretty cool.

My brother Tim, holding his favorite balloon in the palm of his hand!

We then had the best breakfast around-- cinnamon french toast at Kneaders! SO Good! :)

Then Tim spent the afternoon smoking ribs!

And we had our 4th of July feast in the backyard under the trees. It was just lovely.

We finished up by going to Rock Canyon Park to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks. Good times! :)

Hello Kitty-tastic!

2009-07-04T00:10:00.012-06:00

Proof that other people are way more obsessed with Hello Kitty than I am!

I Think I'll Make My House A Shrine to Hello Kitty!

Well, if you thought the Hello Kitty Toaster was too much, I would like to introduce you to the Hello Kitty Castle. I'm just going to let the pictures speak for themselves. I have to thank the Queen Bee at FC for pointing this treasure out to me. I was previously shamefully unaware that such a place existed. It is apparently in Taiwan. Hello Kitty's fame is not limited to Japan-- oh, no. This little Sanrio creation is all over Asia, Europe and America too!

Or I Could Have Hello Kitty Immortalized on My Skin Forever!

That's right-- why not keep Hello Kitty with you always? A Hello Kitty Tattoo might be just the way to show your devotion. It is also much, much cheaper than renovating your entire home. And let's be honest-- there'd be no regrets later in life about having a tattoo like one of these. I might go in for the full leg, rainbow, with full bodied princess Hello Kitty (plus my name) type tattoo. ;)

(Hello Kitty Ink Facebook Album)

Why Not Make My Gun Match My House and My Tattoo?!

Wow. My brother showed me this, and I'm just going to leave the conversation at, "wow". I have no words.

I'm not the biggest Hello Kitty fan out there, and somehow, I'm totally okay with that!

I'll Take Potpourri for $500, Alex

2009-07-01T13:46:00.006-06:00

Bear Grylls

Until a few nights ago, I had only seen about half an episode of the Discovery channel's Man vs Wild. Now I have seen at least three and a half. My brother and I (okay mostly me) got sucked in and watched three episodes in a row. Luckily one was the special Men vs Wild with Will Ferrell which was very funny. Will Ferrell is so good at slap stick and acting awkward that I think it was really funny to watch him actually being awkward without trying. He was a really good sport and funny too.

I like Bear and I give the appropriate feminine squeals of horror when he eats gross things like reindeer eyeballs or roasted tarantula. I also think the places he goes are fascinating and I like to see the interior parts of countries and areas I will most probably never see otherwise. My problem in watching is that I am constantly worried about the camera man. I'm watching camera angles and different shots and seeing how Bear climbs down something that takes all of his limbs and strength and I am just thinking to myself-- "How is the camera man following him?!?!?! Is he going to die?!" --such are the inner workings of my little brain.

In a final random thought on the subject, my brother has discovered that you, too, can own your own Bear Grylls knife, just like the one he now uses on the show! It happens to cost £365 (currently the equivalent of 600 USD), but c'mon-- it is the Bear Grylls knife! (If only MacGyver had thought of this clever marketing ploy!)

One Trip Grip

My sister had a few of these handy little inventions. If you are like me, it is a point of honor to make it in to your house after going to the grocery store in. one. trip. Sometimes, I have discovered, this is not possible. But now-- I think with this invention my shameful double trips out to the car are at an end. You loop all your bags onto the handy, carabiner-like contraption and you have a convenient grooved handle to hold on to. No more loss of blood to your fingertips due to an overload of bags cutting into them my friends. This little gadget is pure magic. At only $5.99 each they are pretty affordable (especially if you grab one of those Bed Bath & Beyond 20% off coupons that always seem to be arriving in the mail). And they're not even paying me to say that. (But I think maybe they should.)

*Update: also available on amazon.com for $4.99!

Panera Bread

Panera is a great bakery chain that my sister took me to when I was visiting her down south. I had the most yummy bagel ever-- Dutch Apple Raisin (Chunks of apples, cinnamon, molasses & raisins baked inside, topped with sweet streusel) with Honey Walnut whipped cream cheese. Yumm-mmmyyy! If you live near a Panera, or happen by one in your travels, I most certainly recommend it! I have a feeling that the rest of their wares are delicious as well.

Cross Stitching

2009-06-24T23:08:00.005-06:00

I was looking for a fun, new crafty project to start and was inspired by my aunt who is making a beautiful tablecloth with a cross stitch pattern. I decided to ease into things though and have started with some (much) smaller projects. I found this fun Mary Englebreit book and had some fun last month sewing some little gifts. They turned out to be more labor intensive than I planned (for instance the one with the little flowers involved a total of 20 different thread colors!)-- but were still alot of fun.

Shiloh goes to Shiloh

2009-06-23T18:45:00.005-06:00

That's right. I can now say I've visited the famous Civil War site of the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee. While you might be led to believe that my parents were Civil War buffs and that this was a visit to my namesake, please know that this is not, in fact, the case. My parents were in fact Neil Diamond fans and that is where I got my name. But I still have always thought it would be cool to visit the Shiloh Battlefield. It was my first visit to a Civil War site, and I thought it was quite interesting.

This picture is near the site of The Peach Orchard where shots through the orchard brought the blossoms down, reminding many soldiers of falling snow.

This is a monument to the fallen Confederate soldiers. The three female figures in the center represent Defeated Victory with Death to her right and Night to her left.

This is a 1990's replica of the original Shiloh Methodist church after which the battle was named. The original church was destroyed a few weeks after the battle.

This is one of the mass graves where Confederate soldiers were buried after the battle.

This is the national cemetery where all Union soldiers were reburied after the battle. Most are marked with just a number or "unknown soldier".

One of the highlights of the trip was that I bought a T-shirt at the gift/book shop that says "Shiloh". I'm pretty proud of it. ;)

Destin

2009-06-18T22:58:00.007-06:00

I don't have many friends in high places, but I do have a sister who works for a company that caters to people in high places, and that turned out to be just as good. She had a business trip that took her to Destin, Florida--a beautiful resort town on the the white sand beaches of the panhandle of Florida--and I got to come with. It was amazing. I got some sun, ate fabulous sea food and learned a thing or two about the South.

These two pictures show the view from our room and the beach we spent time on. We played in the waves and swam out to the sandbar and basked in the sun. And the fancy umbrellas made for a nice place to nap when it was time to get a little break from all that sun.

This was the swordfish meal I had at Harbor Docks. It is a fun restaurant on the harbor with lots of boats going by. We sat out on the balcony and watched the water, waves and birds. The fish was yummy! I opted for fries over the alternative of cheese grits but did enjoy the hushpuppies.

This is a sunset somewhere in Mississippi on our drive back to Memphis. It was fun to drive through the South. The green trees and abundance of water were a welcome change from the deserts of Phoenix (not that I don't think Arizona has its own type of beauty)!
This trip was a much needed escape from real life (if only I didn't have to go back).

LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay) - Piano Cello - by Jon Schmidt

2009-06-18T22:12:00.001-06:00

This is a little bit long, but really pretty. Thanks for sharing it with me Mandy!

Where I Am Right Now

2009-06-15T22:35:00.001-06:00

Driving This Road

2009-06-12T19:39:00.008-06:00

Drive This Road

-Peter Breinholt

That's about the time [he] turned away
Keeping all the things I knew that [he] could say inside
That's about the time I fell apart
And how I ever could get by without [his] piece of heart
And so I sit here looking down that way
It's getting colder round here day by day

Well I've been driving this road
And I might drive all night
And I've been talking out loud
Cause everything is quiet
And I still remember fighting everything in sight
How to love the wind blows
And now I think we're losing light
And they say it's getting cold out there tonight
Oooooooo
Hi li li

Well I could see a million stars last night
And I could see a thousand travelers fading out of sight
And suddenly I'm think about my home
And every reason that I have to feel alone
And so I sit here looking down that way
So familiar I could find my way

Now I can see her fly
Like a lullably
There's no one there beside her
And on this holy road
All you need to know
Is I can get along till then

Ooooo

But I've been driving this road
And I might drive all night
And I've been talking out loud
Cause everything is quiet
And I still remember fighting everything in sight
I still remember fighting everything and everyone

And I've been driving this road
And I might drive all night
And I've been talking out loud
Cause everything is quiet
And I still remember fighting everything in sight
I still remember fighting everything and everyone

And Ooooo Hi li li

Hi li li Hi li li Ooooo

Big Broccoli Ocarina:Angels We Have Heard On High

2009-06-11T12:02:00.001-06:00

Thanks for sharing this Heather! I love it!

A Commode Among Commodes

2009-06-10T13:34:00.005-06:00

I don't want to make anyone feel bad, but, my grandpa's toilet is cooler that your grandpa's toilet. I'm serious. My grandpa and his wife just had two Japanese toilets installed, and let me tell you, you have never had your fanny on a more technologically advanced piece of plumbing than these babies! The seat lifts up when you walk up to it. If you want the seat as well as the lid to go up you just push a button. There is also a button for lowering the seat and lid. There is a computerized control panel and an instruction manual for crying out loud! Pictured here is the quick overview set of instructions. There is also a book sized manual for the finer points of operating this marvelous contraption.

The built in bidet offers both front and rear cleansing. You can choose oscillating or pulsating and normal or soft water pressure. Then you can dry your derriere with the dryer feature. The bidet feature only works when you are sitting down-- there is a sensor. This ensures you don't accidentally spray water all over your bathroom if the buttons are accidentally pushed. (I mean, really, most drive though car washes are not this sophisticated!)

Oh, and did I mention that the seat is heated? It sounds a little weird at first-- but let me tell you it feels great! I lived in apartments on my mission that had heated toilet seats (its not uncommon in Japan, even with normal toilets). With the lack of central heating (also not uncommon in Japan), a heated toilet seat can be a pretty welcome attraction to your bathroom in the winter.

When you are finished, you can stand up and the toilet flushes itself. Or should you so choose you can push the flush button on the control panel. In case of a power outage, there is no need to worry, a manual emergency flush handle on the side of the toilet will do the job as well.

I tried a couple of these type of toilets on my mission when visiting the homes of wealthy folk. It is a little crazy to see one here in America! I hope that you, too, will one day get to use one of these technologically advanced commodes! Here is a little video to give you a taste of the experience (or at least the lid opening).

*If you feel you must know more about Japanese toilets through the ages, I discovered an entire Wikipedia article on it. Enjoy.

A Critique Of Modern Art

2009-06-05T15:22:00.001-06:00

Learning from Crayons

2009-06-04T15:28:00.002-06:00

“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box. ”

—Author Unknown

Timpanogos Cave

2009-06-03T00:56:00.003-06:00

Have I mentioned that I love Utah?? It is so pretty this time of year! May now my official favorite time in Utah. The mountains are green, and the peaks still have snow, the weather is perfect and everything is just lovely! :) My family and I hiked to Timpanogos Cave last week. If you haven't been there, or haven't been there in a while, I would like to suggest that you try it out. The caves are really, really cool! And the views up the mountain are fabulous.

Horsetail Falls

2009-06-03T00:43:00.008-06:00

My brother (aka "TMT", or Trail Master Tim) planned this great hike for us to do while I was home. The water is really rushing since its spring and we had a great hike, even if it rained on us a little.

Oh! How I have missed Utah!!

The Ride Home

2009-06-03T00:38:00.002-06:00

I drove home to visit my family now that school is out for the summer. :) I discovered that a road trip without friends is just a very long drive. But it wasn't too bad! Here are some fun pics, including the new bridge being built by the Hoover Dam. I didn't take the dam tour, but for some reason I still get a kick out of that joke. ;)

More Shocking Art News

2009-05-18T13:49:00.006-06:00

If you've ever taken an art survey course you've seen this famous Egyptian bust of Queen Nefertiti. It is such a pivotal piece of the history of art history that in the very first edition of Gardner's Art Through the Ages (1926) it was one of only four color plates included (all other images were either line drawings or in black and white). I haven't personally checked, but my feeling is that it has probably been in almost every subsequent art history survey book since then.

Now for the blow. Turns out the bust of Queen Nefertiti is most likely a fake. According to art historian Henri Stierlin, the bust was actually made in 1912 as a color test done by artist Gerardt Marks under the direction of archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt using ancient pigments found at an archaeological dig. Later when a German prince admired it no one had the guts to tell him it was a fake. Oh, the tangled web we weave...

Stierlin, who has been studying this case for 25 years, cites the unfinished eye (previously thought by scholars to indicate that the piece was a workshop model for students to learn from), and the 19th century, Art Nouveau style carving of the shoulders as proofs that the bust is a fake. He also shows that the piece was not recorded or described in the original dig's records, highly suspicious for such a monumental, well-preserved piece. In fact, there is no record of it at all until 11 years after its "discovery".

So there you have it. The true story of the Queen Nefertit bust. The Neues Museum in Berlin is going to show the piece to its own hall when they reopen in October. I have a feeling that the story of its fakery is going to attract just as many spectators, if not more, as the piece did when we all thought it was an original ancient example of Egyptology. I know I still want to see it! Again, thanks to Julianne for keeping me informed!

Gauguin Did It

2009-05-07T19:59:00.009-06:00

Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen. I'm about to knock your socks off with a new book that just came out.

It turns out that Vincent Van Gogh, famous Post-Impressionist, may not have cut his own ear off in 1888. Don't misunderstand-- his ear was cut off, but researchers Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans have just released a book, Van Gogh's Ear: Paul Gauguin and the Pact of Silence, which claims that Van Gogh's ear was actually taken off by fellow artist and sometime friend, Paul Gauguin. The story of self-harm was then fabricated by the two to keep Gauguin safe from the police. Van Gogh did apparently wrap the ear in a cloth and hand it to a prostitute named Rachel, as per tradition.

The researchers, who have worked on this for 10 years, cite inconsistencies in police and witness reports and the letters of Van Gogh and Gauguin. They say that Van Gogh and Gauguin were fighting and whether intentionally or not, Gauguin took off the ear with his sword. Despite these claims, the curators at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam hold with the self-harm theory. So we may never know the full truth of this legendary story.

As usual, I must thank Julianne for sending me this fabulous story! And a big Congratulations to her for recently passing her thesis defense on Whistler's Symphony in White, No. 1!!! Way to go Julianne!! :D

The Things You Only Hoped For

2009-05-07T12:03:00.006-06:00

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

—Epicurus (341BC-270BC)

Run Away

2009-05-02T00:15:00.005-06:00