Mountains and Cameras

Sometimes I can't hardly

stand how gorgeous these mountains are.

I've been taking my camera with me to school

lately because there are worth-taking-a-picture-of kinds

of things all over the place. But oh my goodness. These mountains!

I'm Thankful for Pajamas

And red bell peppers, early mornings, and professors like Michael DeGruccio who teach me how to think. I’m thankful for Julia’s bubblyness and Lisa’s laugh. For words like riveting and concise, compelling and precision. I’m thankful for grandma and grandpa, grandka and grandpapi. For toothpaste and old pictures, mechanical pencils and scarves. I’m thankful for songs. For hymns. And a voice to sing them with. For vacuums, dove soap, and clean apartments. I’m thankful for Herculean efforts up that hill on Saturday mornings. For inspiring teachers and authors of history books that make me boiling mad. I’m oh so thankful for color. For curling irons, google docs, and made up kitchen concoctions that turn out so delicious. I’m thankful for Lizzy’s phone calls and formal voice messages when I miss them, for the freedom to make choices, and change. I’m thankful to be tired when I have such a comfy bed to sleep in, for the times Lexi makes pizza, and for raspberry sherbet ice cream. And pajamas. I’m thankful for those too.

Plans

I’m obsessed with plans. I plan everything. Before I do it, I have to plan it. Plans give me this false sense of security; because hey, it’s all planned out! This is how it will happen. And then my non-obsession with the execution part kicks in, and well. I have to make another plan. The first plan didn’t happen the way I planned.

But I’ve got a new plan! My plan is to start sticking to my plans.

Meanwhile, Provo is rockin her fall colors, Julia is making our apartment smell delicious, my old organ teacher passed me in the library and smiled her big smile at me today, my back doesn’t hurt anymore, David Archuleta still knows how to sing, and I hear there will be some pretty awesome pumpkin carving going on tonight.

And I didn’t even plan any of it.

When in Doubt

I know we all do it, so don’t try denying it. When you wake up on a Saturday morning, the first thought that enters that newly-awake mind of yours goes something like “Hey, do I want to feel invigorated and empowered and successful and strong and refreshed and AWESOME? Or would I rather feel like a sluggish slob.”

Sounds familiar, huh. I'm here to help you decide.

When in doubt, just go running. :)

Beauty in the Form of Sound

Last night I went to a Faculty Violin Recital. So posh. And also free. Now, I went to a piano recital a few days ago which was excellent. Some profesh pianist played, and he was extremely good. But I’m a little ashamed to say that I got pretty bored after twenty minutes. It was just all the same, and it got tiresome. I concluded that I just haven’t learned to appreciate good music (which is probably true.) However, last night was a different story. I literally sat completely entranced from the first sound of a Violin Sonata of Beethoven’s to the end. It was an hour and a half. An hour and a half of... mm… You know how people say “words can’t express?” Especially in sappy movies? You know how that’s so cliché? Well, this time they really can’t, okay? When the song would end, I could not keep down a grin. It just came. And then the next song started and the grin would disappear because grinning uses up energy. And well, all energy was directed at listening to and watching them make music. That sounds exaggerated. But I kid you not. I haven’t been so intensely captivated in a long time. Maybe the last time was seeing avatar in the theater. That was actually pretty captivating. But it was also different. No, not the same. This was better.

Well anyway. I just wanted to express that the violin recital last night was more than a worthwhile experience. It was absolutely, and stunningly wonderful. They say beauty comes in many forms. This was *ehem* a hecka lot a beauty in the form of sound.

And I am grateful for my ears.

Kale

First of all, I love grocery shopping. Second of all, Lisa and I went today. As I often do, I bought some kale. I know people (well, college kids) think that’s weird, but sautéed with some onions? Delicious. Or curried with rice? Or even just steamed with some plain yogurt on top - it’s yummy.

Cashiers don’t usually know what it is, so they mess around trying to find that little label. Sometimes when they’re taking a long time I just tell them. “Uh. It’s kale.” But today when the cashier lady got to my bag of green stuff she asked, “So... do you have pets?” And then much softer, "Or do you eat it?" I wish so bad I told her I had a herd of rabbits and that I decided to give them dessert tonight. You know, they’ve just been such good little rabbits lately. :)

Anyway. I'm hungry. I think I'll go eat some... some... pet food.

Stormy

Provo is experiencing a mini thunderstorm today. I like it a lot. First even-remotely-cloudy day since her highness arrived. That's me.

Anyway. I'm home "doing homework" and decide to take a picture of this glorious rain. I took a few actually. So I pull the blinds up and I'm pointing my camera at different angles right smack on the window - I'm all into this see. I was trying to do cool close-ups, I don't know. So then I put my camera down and some guy is standing there not ten feet away and looking at me. He's wondering why I'm taking pictures of him. Oh, hello!

But hey. I got a picture.