Merry Christmas!

This picture is from my amazing trip to the Mediterranean I took in November. This is me on a wall outside the Parthenon, overlooking Athens.

Some things I am grateful for this year:

• The opportunity to travel. Because I teach year-round school, I go off track for a 3 week vacation every 2 months. I have been able to visit my parents several times in Washington - May, July, August, and December. I love to come to the Pacific Northwest - it's so beautiful and peaceful here. I also went on a 12-day cruise that was so cool!

• My family. We were able to go camping all together (at least the Utah bunch) in June, and then we all went to Oregon for a week in August. We went to the beach, then to Silver Falls Park, where we stayed in cabins for a few days. My grandma Esther died during this time, so my sister and I stayed for her funeral and then drove home together.

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love learning more and more about Jesus Christ by reading the scriptures. It is amazing to me that I can read the Book of Mormon and the Bible again and again and gain new insights and remember old ones. I am grateful for Christ's sacrifice for me and for the opportunity to repent and improve my life every day.

• My friends. In my single's ward, I've been able to meet some WONDERFUL people. They've enriched my life, and made it a lot more fun!

I'm looking forward to another great year!!!

Freakin' Tagged

The Rules:
Link the person(s) who tagged you.
Mention the rules on your blog.
Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Quirk #1:
I watch Saturday Morning cartoons.
Ok, actually I don't watch the cartoons anymore, but I do really enjoy waking up early and catching an episode of Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, or the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. These shows are not educational, sophisticated, or even discussion-worthy. But they are funny and they make me laugh. What can I say? I enjoy them!

Quirk #2:
I want to learn hip hop dancing.
Sans some of the scandalous moves, I think hip hop is the coolest form of dance. I love the strong beat of the music and want to be able to move like that. But when it comes to dance, I am so white and super uncoordinated.

Quirk #3:
The Last Unicorn still gives me the heebie jeebies.
It was my favorite movie as a kid, but it scared me big time. That red bull...oooh, that was trippy. I watched it about a year ago...yeah, still scary.

Quirk #4:
I love processed cheese slices.
I consider myself a pretty good judge when it comes to food. I feel like I can tell the difference between crap and good quality. I know my stuff. However, I can't shake this addiction. Those cheese slices were a four letter word in my household growing up. I bought my first package when I went to college, and it was all downhill from there. I LOVE THEM!!!!! I try to only buy them now once in a great while...and they are usually gone in a matter of days.

Quirk #5:
I hate showering.
BEFORE YOU FREAK OUT, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I DO IT ANYWAY ON A REGULAR BASIS! I hate the time that it takes to get ready and do all the stuff I have to do before I can leave the house. Some people really enjoy showering; it wakes them up, refreshes them, blah blah blah. I hate it. If I never had to shower (and I could always be clean) again in my life, I'd totally do it. However, to make it more bearable, I put on music really loud and practice my hip hop moves. ;)

Quirk #6:
I want to skydive. Desperately.
I don't know what it is about willingly jumping out of a perfectly good plane and free falling to earth in a few minutes that sounds appealing to me, but I can't wait to do it. I'm just looking for someone to do it with me and savin' up my money. Wanna go?

I tag: Mindy and Ben

Moving

I'm moving...somewhere. I'm trying to find a place to live. I'd like to find someplace still in my ward, that isn't too pricey. I'm looking at living with 2-3 other girls. So, I thought I'd get started on my packing. I have a deep secret - I LOVE TO PACK! As my roommates know, I start packing for trips at least a week before departure. I get some odd pleasure from trying to fit a heap of items into a small suitcase. Trying to arrange things so that I can fit small items into crevices, filling every last inch of a suitcase makes me a little giddy. Ok, enough of that. So I started packing, thinking that I'd be moving within a week or so. I got all of my stuff out of the living room, packed all of my books, and half of my closet. Plans have changed (a potential roommate changed her mind) and so I can't move for a little while. All of the sudden, I need all these things that I've packed. Today I really wanted to wear scarf that I haven't worn in 6 months and so naturally it is at the bottom of a big black trash bag, along with other random stuff from my closet. Yesterday, I had a crazy desire to look at my high school yearbook (you know why Mindy) and guess what? It's packed. Who knows what I'll need tomorrow?

Tribute to the Title

Stuff I Love

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Photography - especially black and white, cooking, reading, watching movies, drawing, ceramics, typewriters, playing with my nieces and nephews, clean sheets, new crayons, ice water, quality artwork, reading in bed, shiny quarters, birds chirping, freshly mown grass, flowers poking out of the ground, holding a sleeping child, kids in their pajamas, COLORS, bright paint, and deep gut laughs. Oh yeah, and hippies. Gotta love 'em!

Tag...Some Either Hate 'em or Like 'em

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Some random person my parents knew I think
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
yesterday when the trainer at the gym KICKED MY TRASH
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes, very much
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT?
Black Forest Ham
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No, someday!
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Pretty much I'm amazing, so of course!
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not a ton
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes and proud of it!
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No, but I desperately want to sky dive!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Frosted Mini Wheats: Maple and Brown Sugar
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Nope
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I guess so
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ben and Jerry's Phish Food - chocolate, caramel, marshmallow creme, and little chocolate fishies
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
shoes
15. RED OR PINK?
pink
16. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE LEAST ABOUT YOURSELF?
That my feet get all cracky in the summer - yuck!
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My cat Sprinkles from when I was 4. Just kidding, my parents, who live in WA.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
nah
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
denim and bare feet
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Never-ending shrimp at Red Lobster (it was heaven!!!)
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
David Bowie and Queen ("under pressure..."
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Macaroni and Cheese
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lavender, gasoline, paint, clean laundry, rain on the sidewalk, Strawberries and Champagne from Victoria's Secret
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Sabrina Garbett
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
yep, my sister-in-law, Rachel
26. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
gymnastics (on tv), baseball (live)
27. HAIR COLOR?
bottle blonde (he he)
28. EYE COLOR?
blue
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yep, I'm blind without them
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
ice cream!!! (It fills the cracks, right Mindy?)
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
What About Bob?
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
teal blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
ice cream with lots of chocolate and caramel
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
doesn't matter
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
doesn't matter
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD
Spongebob, he he
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
What Not To Wear
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Food sizzling
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Venice, Italy
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Writing with my toes, being double jointed
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Enid, Oklahoma

What I've Been Doing Since January

Ok, that's too far reaching. New title: What I've Been Doing This Last Month. Much easier to write about. School started July 28. I was a little nervous to start a new year, as usual, but it has gone quite well. My new class started with 17 students, and has gone up to 20, which is where I hope it stays. After ending the year with 28 last year, 20 is a nice small class. So, I was teaching for 3 weeks, and then went off track. Ahhh, I love year-round school! I went to Oregon/Washington for about 2 weeks for a family reunion. My sister-in-law Rachel took some amazing photos (I barely even used my camera while I was there...) so I'm giving her the credit for these.


This is the river that is at the bottom of my parent's property - the Washougal River. It is nice to skip stones on. They live in the most beautiful place on Earth...my personal opinion.

My very favorite thrift store - Buffalo Exchange - I went twice while I was in Oregon. They've got punk, retro, preppy, and then the just weird stuff. I spent way too much, but I got some cool stuff. I always like going there because the sales people wear the most BIZARRE getups. It's awesome.

My uncle Neldon (or Melton as we sometimes call him) has the coolest home ever. I always remember playing there when we'd visit on family vacations. It's only gotten better since there. He's got a zipline swing, a merry-go-round swing (that swings you high and wide), a little carousel made out of wood and pipe, a tree house, train whistle, comfy hammock, an old barn perfect for exploring, and then this cool train made out of water barrels, pulled by the tractor. Even the adults love it!

I tried to convice my dirty nephews to get clean by offering to take a bath in the jacuzzi tub with them. It was fun!


We went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a sampling of their wonderful cheese (my favorite is the Special Reserve Aged White Cheddar - yum!) and to-die-for ice cream.


Then we headed to the beach. It was a little cold (it had rained all day) but I was DETERMINED to swim in the ocean. So I did. Once my skin was numb, it wasn't too bad! ;) I tried body surfing, but it didn't work too well. So I just wave jumped with my nephew and brother. I didn't want to leave, but we had to get to our campsite.


We went camping at Silver Falls in Oregon. I'd never been there, but it's beautiful! We hiked all around and behind the upper and lower falls. It was great! We stayed in little cabins and then congregated for meals. We had a talent show too - my idea. I got the idea from Dan In Real Life and I thought my family should do that too. I showed how I could write with my toes, my sister took requests for drawing with her eyes closed, my parents read some funny stories, Clint (my nephew) showed what a master he is at guitar hero on his DS, and we had some other great acts/talents. I think I'm going to insist that that be a tradition for all our future family reunions.

After we were done camping, we had to hit the Portland Saturday Market on our way back. It's a treasure trove of junk and cool stuff. Lots of good food, crazy people, hippies, punks, and trinkets. I got a pair of earrings this time. Normally, I look for this sock shop that has knee-high socks with crazy bright patterns on them, but I couldn't find it this time.

All in all, my trip was a great one, especially because I got to be with my siblings, their kids, and my parents. Good times.

What is ART?

So here's the age old question...What is art? I had this discussion at my school recently when a rep from the Springville Art Museum came to train us on some ways to teach art to students. She asked, "What is considered art?" She held up several objects, like a dollar bill, a water bottle, and a replica of a terracotta warrior from China. She gave us a scale from 1-10 to rate these objects on, 1 being the most indicative of art , 10 being the least (or purely function). I think this was an interesting discussion because our views differed so much. A dollar bill is used for the function of buying things, right? But if it's only purpose was functionality, then it could be a simple piece of paper with an amount printed on it. So why are there people, designs, even colors on the bills if it is not also art? With a water bottle, yes, it is for drinking water. But are the curves of the bottle simply for ergonomic comfort or do they have a certain artistic element to them as well? What about a replica of a warrior? Is that art, or a token for remembrance? Even the real terracotta warriors - are they art because they are old and have been dug out of the ground and are displayed in museums? Their function was not to be artistic, they were guarding the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s glorious tomb. Yet to many, they could be considered as art.

Even within the "art world" there is debate: are Jackson Pollock's flung paint and Andy Warhol's soup cans art? Compared to the masterpieces such as Michaelangelo's David (which is probably the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen in my whole life) Van Gogh's Starry Night, Degas' The Dance Class, Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and Monet's Water Lilies, how can it be art? Yet it is, somehow. Wikipedia defines art as "Generally art is a (product of) human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind; by transmitting emotions and/or ideas."

So is everything art? If it is, then does the value of art diminish? Big questions for which I have no answers. But I did find a fun quiz to check whether something is art or not. Check it out: http://www.modestypanel.com/artorcrap/#

Hiatus

I've been thinking about some things in my life that I feel passionately about. One is cooking. It's not just food for me - it's creating something that looks and tastes good. It's taking raw ingredients and combining them to make something pleasing to the eye and the palate. It's hearing that "Wow! This is great!" and tasting that first burst of flavor. I don't really know when I started to feel this way. I've grown up around cooking and cookbooks. My mom has been writing and publishing her own cookbooks since 1984. She's tested recipes and made many a patty for our family to try. But I don't think my romance with cooking necessarily came from her. I know that the summer that I reluctantly agreed to stay home and test recipes for her cookbook opened my eyes to the art of creating with food. But from there it just blossomed... For Christmas one year my sister-in-law gave me what has become one of my favorite presents - the New Best Recipe cookbooks. It is a the dictionary of cookbooks - including wonderful recipes, it's got diagrams, explanations, and lots of interesting cooking facts. This Christmas my collection grew larger with the International Best Recipe book from my other sister-in-law. I can't wait to make the dishes from other countries.

I desperately wish that I could have gone to cooking school. I ache to be formally trained in the art of cooking. Maybe I will someday... I still need to learn to make macaroni and cheese. (The only time I tried it, it tasted like flour.)