Homemade Christmas

(This photo really has nothing to do with the post. I just wanted to show off my family's gingerbread houses: the Three Little Pigs, complete with the Big Bad Wolf.)

I'm super excited for Christmas morning. I haven't been this excited about the gift part of Christmas in a long, long time.

"Why, Sarah, are you so excited?" you might ask. I'll tell you: we (my siblings and I) decided to go homemade this year. We allowed $10 for supplies, but the gift itself has to be homemade.

I can't wait to see how creative we all are. I know what some of these gifts are going to be, and I can't wait to see how the receiver reacts. I was talking to Uncle Matt the other day, and he suggested we have a camera recording the gift unwrapping, since it's sure to be classic. I think we'll have to set up a tripod.

The only downside to all of this is that Heather and Travis and the kids won't be there (and this makes me oh so sad). For this reason alone, we'll definitely have a camera recording our reactions. I can only encourage the Rasmussen's to do the same!

The idea was so great to me, I decided to do homemade friend gifts, too. They're getting my delicious pumpkin cookies (with the recipe, cuz these cookies are so delicious, everyone will want to bake them) and a crocheted something (scarf, hat, ornament...I haven't for sure decided yet).

Best part: the money I saved by going homemade for family and friends was donated to a family my nephew personally knows who is in real need. I'm so super happy and excited about this Christmas!

My Year in Status

There's only so many times I can look through the Guidelines and Handbooks for my new job. I've taken to bringing my laptop with me to work. When I've finished going through the papers for the day, I pull out my true love, Mr. MacBook Pro, and play. Today, I was messing around on Facebook (today? ha! everyday...) and I came across a post by a friend called "My Year in Status." I'm sure they've had this application for years and I just haven't noticed, but it caught my eye this year and I thought, "Why not? I'm bored!" Here's My Year in Status:

I must say, the application picked some pretty great status updates from my profile. I had completely forgotten about the amazing outfits I'd seen on campus this year, the crazy Doppelganger week, trying to read 'the Third Policeman,' ... good times!

Happy

I'm so grateful for Sundays and for my sisters. I had a bit of a whirlwind kind of week, and by Sunday I was completely wiped out! Not that it was a bad week. On the contrary, it was a very, very good week! Just very, very busy: meeting new people, spending time with friends, dancing, playing games, visiting teaching, going to the temple, working, seeing family, celebrating marriages, etc. BUT it was nice to go to church, come back home and rest, and then head over to Marie's apartment to listen to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional while making delicious cookies and eating chips and salsa, and then to spend the rest of the evening watching some family Christmas classics: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and "The Muppet Christmas Carol." Seriously one of the best nights in a long time. And I've had these things running through my head ever since:

"You're a foul one, Mister Grinch,

"You're a nasty wasty skunk,

"Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mister Grinch,

"The three words that describe you are as follows, and I quote, 'Stink, Stank, Stunk!'"

"For behold! I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

(Every time I read this passage in Luke 2, I hear Linus's voice!)

"'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous

"With a burst of pleasure we feel it arrive

"'Tis the season when the saints can employ us

"To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive!"

I hope you're all getting in the Spirit of the Season as well! Do something fun, give some service, spend time with family and friends, and sing along to the carols!!!

I'm not much of a fan of LDS literature. Not that it's bad. I'm sure some of it is really great. My parents read some of it, my friends, my family have read a lot of these books. I'm happy that they like them. Personally, I find them a little preachy, almost as if they're forcing doctrine, trying to disguise it or sugar-coat it, and I find it hard to swallow.

I have had a change of heart.

Well, about one book, anyway. I recently finished reading The Peacegiver by James L. Ferrell. What an amazing book. Ferrell opened my eyes and my heart to aspects of the Atonement that I hadn't thought about before. What he teaches about forgiveness, what it means to truly forgive, what it feels like to let go of sin... it's just incredible.

I've noticed a change in myself since finishing this book. I see people in a different light. I see myself in a different light. Christ has already atoned for all sins. He's taken upon Himself all transgression, all pain, all temptation and suffering. And by denying someone (or myself) true and full forgiveness, it's as if I'm telling Christ that His atonement wasn't enough to make me feel better.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone.

And maybe I should read more LDS literature. If it's like this, I think I could handle it.

Still don't know if I can handle LDS fiction, though...... I'm probably being too prideful. haha

Thanksgiving Morning

It's 8am on Thanksgiving Day. I woke up on Marie's tiny couch to the sound of the shower running. My turn next. I get a phone call from Jana. "I'm looking at tickets at Jordan Landing. We can reserve seats to 'Harry Potter' for 5:35. Does that work?" I notice while talking with Jana that my voice is scratchy and worry I'm getting a cold, but then remember Marie and I were laughing pretty hard last night before falling asleep. Remembering why we were laughing makes me smile and shake my head. I pull out my computer and start goofing around on Facebook. Check my email. Read a blog or two. My head and back are achey. (This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep and/or when you sleep on a love seat.) I read a few "thankful" status updates and posts, and think of the day ahead of me.

I get to spend some time with my parents (who have come from California), sisters, brother-in-law and niece and nephews before heading over to the grandparent's house to be with aunts and uncles and cousins as well. We'll eat way too much food, because way too much as been prepared. We'll talk and laugh and have a good ol' time. We'll clean and put the leftovers away--save them for tomorrow when we'll get together again to build gingerbread houses. My sisters and I, and probably some other family members, will go see 'Harry Potter.' We'll completely enjoy the movie (I know this, because I've already seen it) and then go back to Grandma's for pie, which we'll also completely enjoy. We'll spend most of the day talking over each other and laughing. Possibly an occasional and very short disagreement, but no real fighting or angry words. We like being together.

I'm so thankful that we love each other and like spending time together. Today is gonna be a great day. I only wish my brothers and their girls were here. Oh, and that we had some doughnuts from Doughnuts to Go.

This is my official Thanksgiving post:

I'm so thankful for my family. They're my rock.

I'm so thankful for my friends. They keep me sane.

I'm thankful for Facebook and Blogger. Yes, I really am.

I'm thankful for my job, even though I've been complaining. It's a good job and at least I have one!

I'm thankful for my new ward. I'm still very new there and I don't really know anyone, but I enjoy being there and feeling the Spirit. And I'm glad to not be in a singles ward anymore. I needed this change, I needed old people and babies and teens and parents and the Primary Sacrament Program. Sad to be in a family ward alone, but not sad to be in a family ward.

I'm thankful for the gospel. It's everything.

I'm thankful for my Savior, who's birth we will be celebrating shortly by getting together with family and friends, giving gifts, eating goodies, singing songs, and telling stories. While we do these things, I hope we will keep Him in our thoughts.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Something's Missing

I know I can't be the only one to have a horrible day without being able to pin-point exactly why it was so horrible. So, I'll list the things that were good about today:

• Anne was kind enough to give me a ride to work. How blessed are those extra 40 minutes of sleep?!
• I saw Amilia before work and got to chat with her for a few minutes.
• I had lunch with Julia, and we were able to talk about a ton of things, which was super nice. She let me vent.
• Everyone at work at one point or another made me smile, giggle, or flat-out laugh.
• I was thanked for the wonderful information I gave to a handful of students. "You have been very helpful. Thank you." Why, you're very welcome, random students. And I listened to a student vent for about thirty minutes this afternoon. She just kept talking and talking and talking. I had a feeling she just needed someone to listen, so I listened. Good deed for the day? Done.
• I was able to read a few Conference talks at work, and I did my scripture studying on the bus. Killing two birds with one stone? Check.
• I got a message from Lindsey on Facebook and was able to send her a message back.
• Jana's playing at Muse tonight. Marie and I are going to support and cheer her on.

See. It wasn't a bad day. There were great things about today. But for some reason it wasn't a great day. Perspective helps to blur the edges on the horrible feelings I had today, though it doesn't make those horrible feelings go away. I won't point out what things are missing on my list of "goods" today. I know what they are. And I'll just have to change my attitude.

Last week at the Parlor, we were privileged to hear from Archie Crisanto and Casanova Frankenstein.

Great music, good times.

Besides hearing some great tunes and even having two--count 'em, two--songs dedicated to me (thanks, Andy), I was able to witness the following:

Customer: Who do we talk to about playing?
Employee (yelling over the music): You want to play here?
Customer (louder): Yeah! Who do we talk to?
Employee: Wait. Let me get the owner.
Employee walks to the kitchen, yells: MARIE! This guy wants to play here. He wants to talk to you.
Marie walks to the counter, asks: How can I help you?
Customer: My band and I, we'd like to play here.
Marie: Oh! OK. Here, write down your name and phone number and email address. I'll get a hold of you.

Grinning from ear to ear and looking like an idiot, I'm sure, I sat and watched this whole exchange with pride in my heart. My little sister owns her own pizza place and has bands asking to play live in her store. How freakin' awesome is that?

"I know why you're not married,"

Hunter said, as he hugged me goodnight.

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" I say, hugging him back, kissing his cheek.

"'Cause you're so pretty. Guys are too nervous to ask you out."

I love my nephew.

Ever wake up from a dream feeling like it was reality? I woke up in a dead panic on Sunday morning, totally freaked out about something I was doing in my dream and that everyone saw or heard about somehow. It was some kind of secret that came out and everyone was judging me, hating me, talking about me, telling me off, etc. When I woke up, my heart was pounding, I was sweating, breathing fast. It took me a full five minutes before I calmed down enough to make the correlation between the fever and sore throat I had in reality and the weird dream I had just had. I think I was having weird dreams because I was running a fever. That's possible, right?

Don't judge me

Oh, Hanson. How I love you.

My wonderful Julia friend went to see Hanson with me a few weeks ago at the Depot in Salt Lake City. I warned her that she was about to see a very giddy Sarah, a Sarah very reminiscent of the 16-year-old Sarah who had posters taped to her bedroom walls.

Say what you'd like about Hanson. I firmly believe that if you're inclined to think they're still the MMMBop Boys, it just means you haven't heard anything they've done recently. (Yes, they're still recording!)

These recordings aren't very good, sadly. But check 'em out.

I Will Come to You (from their first album, Middle of Nowhere)

Georgia (from their fourth album, The Walk)

Strong Enough to Break (from their third album, Underneath)

And if you wanna know what they're newest stuff sounds like, check out this video:

Thinking 'Bout Somethin' (from their fifth album, Shout It Out)

Yes, that's Weird Al. Yes, it's a spoof (or tribute) to the scene with Ray Charles from the Blues Brothers. You may catch these lyrics: "Well if you're not too proud to beg/ I could give you some respect." Again, a tribute to great R&B.

Or you can keep thinking I'm silly. I don't mind. I love Hanson.

Shutes Too Narrow, how I love you.

Underneath, my dear friend. I've missed you!

"30 Rock," I'm so glad you're back.

Family Brag Time

Short and sweet and to the point: My family rocks.

I couldn't possibly cover all of the things I love about my family, but here's a go of it:

Dad's way of giving his love. Mom's wisdom. Heather's constant support. Marie's courage. Jana's humor. David's intelligence. Tyler's sweet heart. Travis's steadfastness. Britney's kindness. Karina's unwavering faith. Hunter's quiet ways of loving. Courtney's smiles and hugs and kisses and notes and emails. Jacob's enthusiasm.

And my extended family on both the Heywood and Chinn sides: You are all some of the coolest, sweetest, most intelligent, most loving, most supportive people in the world and I feel so blessed to not only know you, but to have you as my own.

A few more almost-family members: Ashley and Doxey, I don't know how I would have survived the last few years without you guys. You're awesome. I feel so blessed to have your friendship. Juila, you're amazing and so positive and I'm so glad to have you as this kind of influence in my life. Lindsey, I love that we can go for months without a word and pick up again as if no time has passed.

I love you all. I should say it more and do more to show it. I wish I was better at communicating this to you all, but know that I do think of you all every single day and you're in my prayers.

Consider this a hug and kiss from your Sar Bear, Sarah Lou, Panda, SarHa, Sarie, Say-ya, Seewah, Sarah

I have come to the realization that I really am getting older. Not that I didn't realize it before, really. More like I'm coming to terms with aging, I guess. OK, so I'm only 28. That's not old, I know. But, here are a few things I can't do anymore:

• Be on my feet all night. It's been YEARS since I worked at what was Pier 49 on Center Street in Provo. Now it's my sister's pizza place, the Parlor, and I'm working three nights a week. By the time I finally crawl home, my feet, ankles, and shins feel like they're on fire and are swollen to about five times their normal size.
• Function on less than six hours of sleep. Six is my minimum. Seven is good. Eight is best. Nine is awesome. And after getting only six hours of sleep for about a week straight, and working more than I was used to, I totally crapped out last weekend. I skipped my regular job on Friday just to catch up on sleep. How lame is that?
• Go without make-up (and eye-gel to reduce puffiness) after not getting enough sleep. Oh my, not a good idea. I look... well, how I feel: totally haggard! And a little bit scary, let's be honest.

OK. So these all fit together, and maybe they have less to do with age and more to do with being on my feet more after years of desk jobs and working more hours than I ever have before. I'm so tired when I get home, I just watch a little TV or a few minutes of a movie before I slink off to bed. I feel so lazy. I have SO much crochet work to get done, some pages to edit for my friend, reading I want to do... and I'm just too tired!

Any suggestions?

PS I'm job hunting for something full-time with benefits in an office (administration, secretarial, clerical, etc). Any leads would be nice.

I've been neglecting you, my lovely little blog. I apologize.

There will be stuff posted soon. I promise.

When You're Tired and You Can't Sleep...

I felt pretty ungrateful the other day.

I was feeling really sorry for myself because I couldn't afford to buy tickets to see Sufjan Stevens. I heaved heavy sighs and everything. And then I realized that Vampire Weekend will be here on the 2nd and I can't afford that show either. Again, I threw a pity party and invited no one.

I decided to put things in perspective:

I have a roof over my head.

I have food to eat.

I have decent clothes to cover my nakedness.

I have family and friends ready and willing to help me move.

I have more books than I need.

I have more movies than I can watch in a month. (Maybe I should calculate that. It'd be interesting to know if it's true.)

I have a computer way fancier than I need. Heck, I have a computer, which isn't a "need" at all.

I have a cell phone to keep in touch with the people I love.

I have two legs to walk me to and from bus stops, and public transportation to get me where I need to go.

I have a freakin' iPod, for crying out loud. I can listen to Sufjan Stevens and Vampire Weekend all the time if I so choose.

What in the world am I complaining about? All of my needs are met and most of my wants satisfied. Count your blessings, Sarah. Count 'em.

Family Reunion!

Oh man. Last weekend was a whirlwind. (If you wanna see pictures, there are some on my Facebook account, a link to which is to the right of this blog.) Here are the highlights:

On the road: Thursday late afternoon: I got attacked by an almost angry Alicia (is Alicia capable of becoming really angry? I don't think so.) who thought I was keeping a secret that was really just a rumor about me dating someone. I am not dating anyone. OK. Moving on.

We stopped in Vegas to get gas. Being a new 21, Alicia was pretty excited that she was allowed in the gambling room at the gas station. We had to document the moment. The room was very stinky, and I think one of the attendants at the station was concerned (considering that even though she is 21, she looks about 12...), so we moved on.

We headed for Los Angeles, where we were to rendezvous with the family! We found beds made for us in the LA Temple Apartments (thanks to Mom for booking the room, and David and Britney getting the beds ready for us). We did an endowment session at the temple Friday morning with as many of the Heywood's as could be there. Awesome.

Then we hit the beach. (Santa Monica Pier)

Well, it wasn't quite that simple, but I'll spare you the details. Quick version: traffic sucks. Marie, Jana, and I found a place to park, walked down to the beach and put our feet in the beautiful Pacific Ocean for a while. The weather was lovely, the water was cool, the sand was warm... *sigh* And then trudged back to the car. (Like my hair? It was windy!)

We met up with our Lindsey and Ashley friends for dinner at the China Bistro in the Marketplace, which Jana referred to as the Teenage Orgy. Seriously, there were so many children there dressed in their punk outfits or half naked, or as half-naked punkers, and hormones were flying in all directions. It was a little like being at a BYU freshman's dance party... only there was more skin. But I digress. 'Twas wonderful to see our dear, dear friends, the Huffaker sisters. (I accidently typed "twas" so I just went with it.) I miss those girls so much! It was great to sit and talk with them. What I love most about meeting up with Lindsey and Ashley is that after months and month of not talking to each other (except for Facebook), it's as if no time has gone by. We get right back into stride.

Saturday: fun times at the park. We played a game of baseball, and (believe it or not) I went to bat. Twice. I even hit the ball both times! There are little things in life that are completely satisfying. The crack when the bat hits the ball is definitely one of them. (Here's Alicia taking a swing, Ty pitching, Mom catching.)

We played a water war game, we played on the playground equipment, we played guitars, we played cards... it was an afternoon spent playing stuff. And showing off our talents. (Click here to see a video of the Dave Heywood clan singing our own arrangement of "Big Rock Candy Mountain.") Grandma and Grandpa even lead the family in a sing-a-long of some of the songs they used to sing on their family road trips.

Saturday night some of us were able to go to Tyler's gig at Jerry's Pizza. (See links to videos in my last blog.) He did such a great job! I'm only sad that we didn't have time for a private session. He's got a lot of songs up his sleeves and he plays/sings them so well. I'm proud!

Sunday morning was spent taking family pictures and in church--and half of the testimonies shared came from the Heywood family. It was nice to be there together, to hear some of our family members share their testimonies.

We had dinner (pasta bar) and ate the cake Mom made to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's 60th wedding anniversary. (60 years, people. That's a really freakin' long time!) Marie, Jana, Alicia, and I missed the rest of the fun--I think there was going to be a kind of "tribute to the Grandparents" thing after dinner--because we had to get back on the road. Work and school and all that. We filled up the car, grabbed some Dr. Pepper, and headed out of Wasco.

I have only one thing left to say: This billboard, which is on the I-15 all the way thru Vegas in both directions, about every mile or so, is awesomely retarded. I love and hate it at the same time. My sisters and I can't help but laugh and kind of cringe every time we see it. So, naturally, I had to take a picture. We stopped at Carl's Jr to get some dinner, and as I walked back to the car I looked up... lo and behold! There was my (least) favorite billboard of all time staring at me. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots. Road trip complete.

P.S. Thanks to Marie for the awesome (as usual) 10.5 hour playlist and use of her car. And Jana for not only driving thru the total insanity and ridiculousness that is LA traffic, but also driving the last leg of the trip into the wee small hours of the morning. And thanks to the Movie Game and "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking..." game, without which I think Jana would have fallen asleep and we would have died. And Alicia for the stories. I love your stories.

Tyler at Jerry's

My little brother is pretty freakin' amazing.

Tyler played a gig at a local pizza place called Jerry's Pizza (in Bakersfield, CA) on Saturday. I was thrilled to go listen. I haven't ever seen him play a live show, so this was a first for me. Tyler hasn't played a solo show ever and he hasn't played a show since his band disbanded about two years ago, so it was a new experience for him too. Here are some videos of the songs he played. It was a short set, but SO great! I'm very proud of my brother. He's a really good guitarist, vocalist, lyricists... musician, and he only gets better with time. Go Ty!

At Least Today (an original), Pardon Me (Incubus cover), Rocket Man (cover of Jason Mraz's cover of Elton John), Satellite (Dave Matthews Band cover), An Overcast Night (an original), I Remember (Damien Rice cover), The Threat (an original)

I hate apartment hunting.

I hate job hunting.

I'm very hateful toward hunting for a date.

I'm pretty sure I would hate hunting animals.

I'm not a hunter.

Totally Shameless Plug

I have a kind of obsession. I have to keep my hands busy, and what better way than to crochet? My ears and mind stay alert to what's going on around me (allowing me to watch movies, listen to General Conference, participate in conversation, etc), while my hands create something new, useful, and (hopefully) beautiful!

I decided I would try to sell some of the stuff I've crocheted. I totally and completely fear rejection, so if this doesn't work and nobody buys, I may never try again! (Guilt-trip? Maybe. I'll let you decide.)

So, go to www.etsy.com and check out my stuff. Send the link to your friends and family! Tell everyone you know! It would be very helpful to me. And any feedback is very very welcome. I'd love to hear what people think of the stuff I've done, good or bad. It'll help me know what direction I should move in, how I could improve.

Here are some pictures of what I've posted on Etsy. Any help is very much appreciated!

Labyrinth

You remind me of the babe

(What babe?)

The babe with the power

(What power?)

The power of voodoo

(Who do?)

You do

(Do what?)

Remind me of the babe

At the risk of being completely and totally corny, I can't believe how lucky I am. I got to see two musical legends on stage last night: James Taylor and Carole King, with their original Troubadour band, at the Energy Solutions Area. These two aren't spring chickens anymore, but they had SO much energy on that stage, dancing and jumping, getting the audience excited and involved. I got a lot of short clips of songs, but I got three songs in full which I'm posting for your listening pleasure (because the video isn't so great, let's be honest). If you listen close in some parts you'll hear Jana, Marie, me, and the older guy next to me singing along.

If you wanna see my shorter clips, go here.

As you can see from the videos, we were as far back as you could get due to outrageous ticket prices, but I'm not at all upset about it because it was still an awesome show! I'm pretty sure we made all of the older people around us happy. I'm positive they enjoyed seeing three young scrappers singing along and clapping to some of the best songs ever written. I thank my parents for educating us well. (Mom and Dad got to see James and Carole at the Hollywood Bowl in May--can't wait to compare notes!)

I remember listening to James Taylor Live and Carole King's Tapestry on car rides. Not only were we learning to appreciate our parents "old" music, but we learned to love it and to understand that if it wasn't for this old stuff, the new music we loved wouldn't be what it was. Think about it! Without these two and other legends, would we enjoy Ray LaMontagne, Cat Power, Hanson, Amos Lee, Alexi Murdock, Rachael Yamagata, Iron & Wine, or even Sting?? I don't think so. They may not even be around, let alone sound like they do. Gotta appreciate the classics.

One of my favorite parts of the show was what James called "gospel songs for agnostics." He said it doesn't matter what you believe, these songs speak the truth and make you feel good. They played "Beautiful" by Carole:

"You've got to get up every morning

With a smile on your face and show the world

All the love in your heart

Then people gonna treat you better

You're gonna find, yes you will

That you're beautiful

As you feel"

and "Shower the People" by James

"Shower the people you love with love

Show them the way that you feel

Things are gonna be just fine

If you only will

What I really mean to say is

Shower the people you love with love

Show them the way that you feel

Thing are gonna be much better

If you only will"

Interesting facts:

James Taylor was born on March 12 in 1948.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000

His first major breakthrough was in 1970 with the #3 single "Fire and Rain"

His first #1 hit was "You've Got a Friend" (written by Carole King) in 1971

Has won 5 Grammy Awards: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "You've Got a Friend," Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Handy Man," Best Pop Album for Hourglass, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "How's the World Treating You" with Alison Krauss.

Has had 11 albums in the US Billboard top 10 (including Sweet Baby James, October Road, and Live at the Troubadour) and 5 top 10 Pop Singles (including "Fire and Rain," and "How Sweet It Is")

Carole King was born on February 9 in 1942.

Tapestry topped the US album charts for 15 weeks in 1971 and stayed on the charts for more than 6 years, and it won 4 Grammy Awards: (Album of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year ("It's Too Late"), and Song of the Year ("You've Got a Friend)

Her first hit was "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (co-written with her then-husband Gerry Goffin) in 1960 (she was 18!), as recorded by The Shirelles

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with Goffin in 1987

Carole and her daughter Louise Goffin recorded King's hit "Where You Lead" to be used as the theme song for the TV show Gilmore Girls, in which Carole appeared three times as the music store owner, Sophie

Some King and King/Goffin hits: "Some Kind of Wonderful" (The Drifters), "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eva), "One Fine Day" (The Chiffons), "Up on the Roof" (The Drifters), "Don't Bring Me Down" (The Animals), "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin), "Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)" (Blood, Sweat & Tears), "So Far Away" (Rod Stewart), "You've Got a Friend" (James Taylor), "Where You Lead" (Barbra Streisand), "It's Going to Take Some Time" (The Carpenters)

Videos!

I've gone crazy with posting videos on YouTube, all for the sake of putting them on my blog and sending links to friends on Facebook.

Molotov Cocktails

Concerts (including some brief stuff from Coachella)

Celebrating Independence Day

Spending time with Hunter, Courtney, and Jacob

That's all for now. Hope you enjoy!

Books Get Under My Skin

I wish I could say that I'm kidding, but I'm not. This book... Man. I'm about a hundred pages from the end, and (though I've never seen the movie) I know what's going to happen. I mean, I know what's going to happen. Henry's already gone into the future so he knows what's going to happen. This sucks. I'm so so sad. I don't really wanna finish it now, cuz I just know it's gonna be so sad. (Heavy sigh)

I don't know why books get under my skin like they do. Well, ok, let's be honest. Not all books get under my skin. Some books I can read and they have little to no emotional impact--probably because they bore me to tears. But more often than not I'm invested in the characters: I fall in love, I get my heart broken, I talk with elves, I experience death (my own or of a loved one), I dream and awaken, I go on journeys, I fight dragons, I get fired or I quit a crappy job, I meet famous people, I can speak to water, fire, wind, animals.

Who in their right mind doesn't like getting sucked into a story like this? It's like The Neverending Story. I'm Bastian yelling out a new name for The Childlike Empress. "MOON CHILD!" I speak to these characters. Outloud. Or I laugh. Or I cry. I was in line at Cafe Rio yesterday, and I brought the book in with me. The line is always long at Cafe Rio, so I thought I'd pass the time reading. I read a line that made me smile. I looked up to see a woman looking at me. I smiled at her as if to say, "That was funny, huh?" Then I got to a part that just broke my heart, and I literally made a pouty face. I looked up and there was a little girl watching me. I had to laugh at myself. I'm pretty sure people who catch me reading think I'm crazy.

Marie. Buy the store. Keep yourself and your mind occupied. Don't think too much. I love you. When are we gonna watch Exit Through the Gift Shop?

Tyler and Nina. I saw the photos Nina posted on Facebook. My goodness... I wanted to throw up. haha But mostly cuz you just looked so stinking cute.

Ashley. You're awesome and I love you and I'm so glad we're friends.

Rachel. I found your blog post from last October, the photoshoot you and David did, and I followed the links... Oh. My. Goodness. Those photos are awesome. I mean, really. You look like models, and you look so happy and beautiful and, oh gosh. I loved 'em! It was good to see you guys for a quick minute on Saturday. I hope you'll come Taco Tuesday/Bookclub.

Andy. I'm a jerk and didn't go to your show. I was... well... excuses, excuses. Sorry. But I wanna get a copy of your tunes when you've got 'em ready, so let me know! You should join our book discussion on the 20th of July. We're reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Taco Tuesday!

Dad. Your blog is going to be awesome, I just know it. That last post made me laugh. Mom's stuffed mushrooms make her the sexiest woman in the world? Nice.

Heather. You're awesome. You take such great care of your family. I wanna be like you. Sorry you're having a rough week. We'll have fun on Friday!

Anyone who cares: I just got Daria in the mail yesterday.
I grinned all night long. No joke. As I watched the first episode, the one where Daria meets Jane in the self-esteem class, I just giggled and giggled. And as I watched the second epsiode, the one where Daria and Jane go to Brittany's party (to celebrate her parents being out of town, or so says Kevin), I laughed out loud when Kevin tells Brittney, "You're a great hostess, cupcake! Hey..." On a sad note, 99% of music had to be changed, since it would have been expensive and incredibly difficult to buy the rights to all of the songs originally used in the series. Sad sad sad. So instead of hearing random clips from '97 (such as the Foo Fighters or Beck or Hanson or the Spice Girls), we get stuff I have yet to recognize. Oh well. On a very high plus-side, the series includes the two movies (Is It Fall Yet? and Is It College Yet?) plus the Mystik Spiral music video. Am I a happy girl? Why, yes. Yes, I am. Anyone up for a marathon?

Everyone else: I didn't forget you.
I
love
you

Happiness is...

Daria, the complete series on DVD.

I just ordered via Target (free shipping today) and I can't wait for it to arrive. The next few weeks of my life will be spent watching Daria in my free time...which is most of the time.

Trent. That's all I'm saying.

Siblings

I'm the unofficial DJ at work. I make playlists for us all to enjoy. Well, OK, it's all from my iPod so I enjoy every song, whereas some of my coworkers get a little annoyed with some of the music I choose. But, hey, they appointed me so they have to just deal, right? Right. Anyway....

In my lastest playlist, I included the demo CD my little Tyler brother made. Every time one of his songs comes on, I'm re-amazed at the quality. He's really quite talented, lyrically and musically. I have this little place in my heart that kinda gets bigger, cuz he's my little brother and I'm so proud of him.

This got me to thinking about my siblings. They're all so awesome. They inspire me in different ways. They're my friends and I love being with them. They make me laugh. They make me cry. They're always there. They look out for me, and I look out for them. We get on each other's nerves, but we love each other unconditionally. I don't know who I would be without them. They're five of the most important people in my life. And through them, I've met more important people: my brother- and sister- (soon to be sisterS) in-law, and my niece and nephews, and all of the friends we share.

Anyway, all of is coming out cuz I was thinking about Tyler's music while reading Marie's blog and comments left on my blog from Britney, and the ice cream and company provided by Marie, the crazy fun at Heather's last week sharing music with her, talking with Hunter and Courtney about the music they like, getting my hair "fixed" by Jacob, Travis's wonderful FHE lesson, a scary phone conversation with Jana on Saturday and feeling of relief, reading David's Spotlight on the family website... I just love all of you so much!

What English majors do:

http://www.nataliedee.com/

Samuel Clemens was funny

Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.
If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.

I've never killed a man, but I've read many an obituary with a great deal of satisfaction.

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.

A classic is something that everybody praises and nobody has read.

The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.

Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very"; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

Stuck

Something is holding her back. Something has taken grip of her heart, twisted and wrung it out, left it to dry. Something always brings tears to her eyes--crying or laughing, doesn't really matter which. Something always makes her smile ingenuinely, passively, ironicly real.

She groans.

She watches old episodes of her favorite tv shows and waits for life to happen.


On the other hand:

• I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. (Albert Einstein)
• I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude. (Henry David Thoreau)
• Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up. (Pearl S. Buck)
• Isolation is aloneness that feels forced upon you, like a punishment. Solitude is aloneness you choose and embrace. I think great things can come out of solitude, out of going to a place where all is quiet except the beating of your heart. (Jeanne Marie Laskas)
• It is not necessary that you leave the house. Remain at your table and listen. Do not even listen, only wait. Do not even wait, be wholly still and alone. The world will present itself to you for its unmasking... in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet. (Franz Kafka)
• Talents are best nurtured in solitude: character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world. (Goethe)
• There is a solitude which each and every one of us has always carried within. More inaccessible than the ice cold mountains, more profound than the midnight sea: the solitude of self. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton)

I was able to spend Family Night with my sister's family this week. My brother-in-law Travis gave a message about gossip. He compared it to a fire. He asked the kids what would happen if you added wood to a fire. My very smart four-year-old nephew Jacob said, "It would get bigger!" Travis then asked what would happen if you added more wood. Jacob answered, "It would burn our house down." He then went into detail about how the house would fall down and the neighborhood would burn up and maybe even the whole city.

I think he got distracted by the fire.

The metaphor wasn't lost on the older kids. My almost-ten-year-old niece Courtney said that we could be the water and put out the fire by saying nice things about those being gossiped about. She's a smart one, too. Hunter (a notorious twelve-year-old) grunted and groaned, but I'm pretty sure he was listening.

I was listening, too. I need to be better about saying nice things about people instead of being ornery about people. Be the water, not the wood.

Love and Babies

I'm sure you're all sick of hearing me say it, but I'm going to anyway: I want a baby.

Have you seen Baby Mama? OK, it may not be the best example, but that whole opening sequence with Tina Fey seeing babies everywhere... that's how I feel! They're everywhere! Everyone is having babies except me.

Of course, I want to get married first. And so as well as seeing babies everywhere, I'm seeing new romances blooming, new engagements happening, new married couples. And I keep thinking, "Why not me?"

I suppose it's just not time for me to be married or a mom. It's heartbreaking, really. It's hard to stay positive and faithful about my future in this area when I'm feeling older and less attractive everyday. I feel like this may never happen for me, and it's just so depressing.

I know, it's totally lame. I'm having a pity party and no one's invited but me. I just need to let it out. Why not blog it? Hmph.

I Am the Messenger

What's this book trying to tell me?

I wonder this a lot as I'm reading... what do these words mean to me? Why am I so enamored with them? Or, worse, why do they feel so yucky? They're just words.

"I didn't know words could be so heavy." (from I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak)

Man, are they ever.

I wish I had more of a grasp on words and that I knew how to better use them. Unfortunately, all I really do well with words is read them, and even then the messages are sometimes completely lost on me.

But not with this book. I Am the Messenger has found its way to my core. I love these words. I wish I could tell you why, but I can't. It's something in the book. Something in the way Zusak uses words. Something in the message.

You'll have to read it for yourself.

On Mothers...

Moms are the best, are they not? I love my momma.

But Carrie's momma is crazy.
As weird as this is for me to admit, I think reading stuff like Harry Potter and the Twilight series helped me see through the magical/mystical/paranormal stuff in Carrie by Stephen King. I know, I know: totally lame. But it's kinda true. As things started flying and we were "inside" Carrie's head, I laughed. I'm heartless, right? It's not that I didn't feel bad for Carrie--poor, poor crazy girl. What I really mean is that it didn't scare me as much as I thought it would, and I think that's because I've been desensitized to the paranormal from reading stuff on the lighter side. Does that even make a tiny bit of sense?
Having said that, I think the movie would freak me out. That scene when she's just suddenly in front of the car with a knife in her shoulder, blood all over, dress torn and dirty... whoa. Pretty sure it will give me nightmares after only seeing it in my head.

On a much much happier note: I really do love my momma. She's the best. All moms are pretty freakin' awesome. Think of all they do, all they sacrifice, all the heartache and worrying, all of the service and love..... Where would this world be without our wonderful Moms? Happy (late) Mother's Day to all the mothers in my life, and all those mothers who did their best to do right by their children, and to all of the future mothers, just waiting to give their love to future children, and all those women who nurture because it's just in our nature! Yay for Moms!!

Graduation: Done!

(I apologize for the lack of Grad Pics--I need to ask Mom, Heather, Jana, and Grandpa to share what the pictures they took)

My wonderful and amazing parents came up to hear my name announced and see me walk across the stage as I FINALLY graduated from college. Mom informed me later that there was a “c” next to my name, meaning I graduated Magna Cum Laude. Huh. Well, I knew that in my second to last semester I had a 3.67, I just wasn’t positive I would keep that up in my last semester, since I was carrying 18 credits and was completely out of gas and no longer cared about getting As. Well, yesterday I got my grades for my final semester of university life: I really did graduation Cum Laude: 3.66 cumulative GPA. Nice. Not sure how I pulled it off, and I’m pretty darn sure I didn’t deserve most if not all of the high grades I got in my last semester, but I’m not gonna complain.

Anyway, back to graduation. It’s an interesting experience, really. A bit like high school graduation minus the idiots. It was really great to sit with my English Major buddies for both ceremonies. We missed the ones who weren’t with us (not that they weren’t eligible, they just weren’t there), but we had a lot of fun together, talking and laughing when we probably should have been paying attention, getting antsy when the speeches were on the long side, wishing it was just over, and yet (somehow) still living in the moment.

It was so fun to look up in the stands and see my mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, and two of my sisters. I felt loved and supported, and that’s just a really, really great feeling. It made me smile and it kept that smile on my face. I love my family so much.

We celebrated with Pier 49 Pizza, salad, and soda. We just sat around Heather’s living room and chatted and ate and enjoyed one another. I’m glad we went with “at home” instead of “eating out.” It was fun to play with the kids and talk with my family without worrying about making messes and getting too loud or staying too long. BONUS: we got to watch the kids’ school play on DVD. Oh, how I love to watch Hunter and Courtney sing and dance in ‘the Jungle Book.’ Good good times.

(Random side note: I’m listening to a song called “Marlene” by Lightspeed Champion, and these lyrics caught my attention: “Everybody knows you want a baby / And God knows everybody wants one too...” I’ve never heard this song before, but I think it warrants another listen.)

Saturday was a.... I was gonna say “special day,” but that would be borrowing lyrics of a Primary song. Saturday was great. The family and some friends were able to attend the temple with Jana as she received her endowment. I love that I was able to be there. (Only one sibling away from having the whole immediate family in the temple together, and he should be going through in less than a year... we’re pretty stinking excited about this!) After the temple, we had a big ol’ Chinn family get-together at the grandparent’s house. Food. Lots and lots of food. And talking and laughing and stories. And presents. Yes, my family showed their love again my showering me with graduation presents. I am the proud new owner of a Janome sewing machine, with a carrying case and a basket of sewing stuff (scissors, seam ripper, ruler, pins), thanks to the grandparents, uncles, aunts, and parents! And I have a brand new, shiny, beautiful copy of ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein (my favorite book), and ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle from Marie. And some cash from Heather and family. And ‘I Am the Messenger’ by Markus Zusak from Jana, along with some bookmarks--panda shaped, of course (Jacob thinks the pandas should be purple for some reason...he’s a funny kid). [This is not at all a complete list of the awesome gifts given from family and friends. I’m a very lucky girl.]

Sunday was awesome as well. We had a potluck with the friends at the Fort (aka the house Jana lives in with all of her awesome and crazy housemates in Provo) to celebrate me being a grownup, and Jana being a real woman. (ha!) It was so fun to spend some time hanging out with some pretty awesome people on a lovely Sunday afternoon.

Anyway, to make a long story longer, we had a fun time together. My friends a the best. I feel pretty lucky to have such great people to associate with, in school and out of school. And we had a great time with Mom and Dad here. I wish they were here more often. I feel extremely blessed to be a part of the wonderful family I was born into. They’re all amazing and I love them with all my heart.