A Few More Treasures . ..

So, Heidi and I convinced Mom that our project today should be to get rid of extranneous wall decor in the house today. Starting in Mom's office . . .here's what we found:

Okay, so the little paddle lookin' thing is actually from the kitchen, but it's just as hideodorous. Our other favorites in the office were a way old version of the YW theme with pen marks all over it and stuffed handprint thingys from 4 of Mom's kids. I found out that Mom used to belong to a craft club; every month she'd get a package of supplies and instructions to make certain crafts. I'm pretty sure her entire office was decorated in those tacky crafts.

So, after going around the house, somehow I realized the second time passing through the living room that we had somehow passed over this little gem. Um .. . .right. My favorite thing about this one is how totally random and ugly everything in all these compartments is. Mom claimed she loved the shape of the octagon thing, so she found things to put in it. I didn't even let her consider keeping it because even if she did like the shape and took out this ugly stuff, . .. she's prolly refill it with more ugly mismatched stuff. Notice the broken hands of the praying boy . . .

The changing of the wall decor wouldn't be complete without playing our little game . ..namely, swapping decorations or items around the house waiting for Mom to notice and laugh. This game started a few years ago when we were taking down Christmas decorations, and occassionaly we like to play it again. But when you have a pile of ugly wall decor that we're getting rid of . ..oh, it makes the game so much more fun! Here's a couple of my personal favorites:

(featuring the lovely Young Women rainbow thing that used to hang in the Master bedroom)

.. .and this one . . .

(That's a little picture of me with painted pasta on the homemade frame . .. also from Mom's office. I'm pretty sure I made that in girl scouts.) I also put the Steeles in the bathroom, and I swapped the wheat thing from Mom's office (see above picture) with the fake flowers in her bathroom.

And if that wasn't enough for today . . ..we also cleaned out Mom's clothes!! Here are some great gems we found there . . .

This is a lovely pantyhose holder from Aunt Lynette. If you look closely, you can see the little pocket where you put stuff in. Can you believe there were still panty hose in there?!

How about this dress here:

Does this dress ring a bell to anyone? Let's add some peeps, and see if you see what I'm seeing! =)

That's it folks! The exact dress Mom was wearing in this picture. And let me tell you, when she was my age (which is how old she was in this picture), she was rill small. My bust barely fit, and believe it or not my arms almost lost circulation putting on this thing. But, it was definitely fun.

Demotivator

Are you familiar with those demotivator posters? You know, like the one with the guy who just got punched, and you see his sweat flying everywhere, and the caption says "PAIN: You will feel that in the morning." Well, sometimes I think of myself as a demotivator poster while I'm in Midland. Granted, that doesn't mean that I'm being punched or waking up with extreme pain, but I do feel quite the demotivator.
I came home for the summer with the intent to help Mom pack and move, right? Well, it seems I'm too early for that. Especially since she's getting professional movers, I can't do any of the packing because I'll be gone by the time they actually come. So, when it comes to sorting out junk in the house .. . .well, I've discovered that there's hardly a room or closet or cupboard in the house that can't be sorted through without Mom's supervision. "Oh, I'd like to save that . . .I'll use it someday." Um, right, Mom. You can go ahead and use that big ugly kerosine lamp and the cassette tape holder because I'm sure they'll fit right in at your new house.
Clearly, you can see my sense of demotivation right now. It seems like any task I try to do, I have to stop right away because Mom's not there to give me a run-down of what she really needs to save. Perhaps that's why I find it so satisfactory to sleep in so much . . .it's not like I'd be much help around the house anyway.
So, maybe I was wrong. Perhaps the Lord is telling me that I didn't come home to help Mom pack and move like I originally thought. Perhaps the reason I came home was for my benefit . ..to learn a lesson or two on patience.

A Visit to the Terrestial Kingdom

If any of you end up there (not that I'm wishing you there), have no fear. Bro. Bushman told us in Institute that we can visit you! And bring you little burritos! Those were his exact words. =)

West Texas Treasures

I suppose I should make all sorts of cool posts about tour to Korea and Japan.

Maybe I will someday. But for right now . . .it's time to divulge some last-time Midland moments in a post entitled "West Texas Treasures." Perhaps you'll see why I love this place so much. =)

This here is the infamous Texas grocery store called HEB. I'm not lying when I tell you it's the biggest grocery store I've ever seen . .the biggest aisles, the biggest carts, the biggest selection. Especially the selection of Texas pride paraphanelia as pictured here. I have some other great pictures of this place, too. Like the giant "Beer and Wine" aisle sign and the giant Texas flag posted above the door. Gotta love this place.

I'm convinced that some of the greatest sunsets ever witnessed are along the wide open spaces of the Permian Basin.

And the sissy stars . ..yeah, those ugly metal stars are huge in Texas. Don't ask me why; I think they are hideodorous. This one was at Sonic Drive-in of all places . . .oh brother!

And who ever said selling the house wasn't bittersweet? Notice the awesome curbside "3604" lettering. Love it.

Here's a series of shots I call "Car poses." Feast your eyes . .. I think one is on the way to FHE, one's on the way to the store, and one's on the way home from swimming (first time all summer I've been swimming . .. what is my dealio?)

And, while I've been in Midland, I even got my teeth cleaned! Here's a picture of me and our long-time dentist and hygenist, Dr. Bash and Kris. They sure look different without face masks on, that's for sure . . .(you're taller than I thought . .. =)

Perhaps the greatest part about being home is serving with the full-time sisters, Sis. Stevens and Sis. Ficken. Here we are in the hot Texas sun, and another picture of us with Steve our awesome new member and Rich, the coolest investigator ever. I seriously have learned so much from going out with them, I've made wonderful new friends, and I feel just a little bit more prepared each day to serve my mission in Peru.

So folks, keep your eyes open for another post about the marvels of Midland, the treasures of Texas and the happenings of home! =)

Wind Symphony: A Mission in Miniature

Being in Wind Symphony is one of my greatest blessings and joys. Not only do I get to experience awesome music, but I get to interact with incredible people. This past year, I've really worked on paying attention to the other instruments in the band, and I tell you what . ..something about listening as a whole really makes me feel even more involved in the group.
Perhaps something that you don't know is how I prepared for the opportunity of being in Wind Symphony this year. Knowing that this would be another touring year, I was excited for the prospect of having another wonderful tour experience of literally sharing our joy of music through the Gospel.
But, I did have my doubts. Although I was playing my instrument all summer long, during late summer when I received the music for the auditions for ensembles, I wondered if I would be placed in the Wind Symphony for the third year in a row. Because of our rigorous schedule in Nauvoo, I knew I wouldn't have much time to practice the audition music, and I knew there were several better players than me who were also auditioning. But this being my last year in a band (most likely), I wanted to end with a bang, I guess. I didn't pray so hard to be in the Wind Symphony just because I wanted to visit Korea and Japan. I prayed so hard because I wanted to be a part of Wind Symphony to experience friendships with my peers in such a way that can only be experienced through three weeks of traveling together. I wanted to meet and experience other cultures; I wanted to meet and influence other children of God that I had yet to meet. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself--something that has the power to express our joy and love of the Gospel without using any words at all. I prayed so hard because I wanted to be a missionary again. Maybe I wanted a way to have a part of Nauvoo again, only with a significantly larger missionary band. Perhaps my spiritual preparation is what allowed me to be a part of Wind Symphony this year, despite my limited physical preparation as a practiced in our furnace of a basement in our Nauvoo house wearing a T-shirt and bloomers. With that thought in mind, I have a feeling that the greatest joys of this Wind Symphony tour will not be tangible souvineirs, pictures, or memory books from Asia. I can only imagine that the greatest joys from this tour will be the moments when I get chillbumps from playing the music, the moments of accomplishment when I nail that difficult passage of music. The greatest joys will be the time spent in the Seoul Temple and the moments when audience members come up to us with tears in their eyes because they loved our music so much.
How beautiful is it then to realize that for me, this year of Wind Symphony began and will end as I serve as a missionary. Regardless of my limited practice time last summer, the Lord blessed me because of my service in Nauvoo. And I'm hoping that the people and opportunities I come in contact with in Asia are only just a foreshadowing of the greater joys and blessings I will experience in Peru. Perhaps it's not coincidental that I received my mission call on the day of our last concert, or that Dr. Peterson announced my mission call to the entire audience that night.
So, as I'm beginning to pack my bags to leave the States for a few weeks, know that I am more blessed than you can ever imagine. The Lord does answer prayers in such amazing ways like only He can.

What I Do When I'm Bored

I have been so lazy today. I decided that it's been so long since I've been lazy by myself that . . . .well, I haven't mastered the art of being lazy by myself yet. Today, I went to the temple, and then I practiced my band music for an hour and a half, bought a couple new shirts at the bookstore and ate lunch on campus. Then I went home and took inventory of my mission clothes.

Then I watched TV for about 3 hours, took a 1.5 hr nap on the couch (I drooled a lot), and then watched another hour of TV. And it's only 9:00, and I'm still bored . . . ..I still have a couple things on my "before tour" list to do, but I can do most of them later in the week. And I'm going to the temple again tomorrow, too. And I need to practice some more tomorrow, too. Then Thursday, we have 9-5 rehearsals. Yay! I get to see people again! I'm excited.

Meanwhile . .. I don't know what to do when I'm bored .. . ..

The Good Things in Life . . ..

My roommate made me a whole display of 21 cupcakes for my birthday. And it was complete with a foil "Happy Birthday" sign hanging down from our light above the table.

I went to the Draper temple.

I absolutely loved every part of it. Check out the girls on the front row. Do we look alike or anything?

Here's the latest edition of SibDin, celebrating the April birthdays. Oh, and Mom was here, too. =) Remember the giant birthday cup? Well, it broke, but if you look rill close at Natalie's place, you can see the new replacement. When did we start doing SibDin anyway? We should keep edition numbers like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir does for Music and the Spoken Word.

And here's what you probably know already. Except now I know how to actually pronounce "Trujillo" when I'm not rill nervous. =)

Of course, there's other good things, too. I just don't have pictures of them. General Conference. Our last Nauvoo party. Our Easter program. The end of finals that is finally approaching. Basically, life is just rill rill good. =)

Program Notes

Life: A Brief Compositional Sketch
by Rebecca Blake

This composition is a continual work based on the experiences, ambitions and dreams of my life. It is fully integrated with influences from family, friends, mentors and teachers of the past 21 years, although the duration of the entire piece neither begins nor ends. The musical score is not written down, yet the lyrics can be found in journals and blog entries. The unique elements of this piece are intended for the composer as the performer; in essence, it cannot be performed by anyone else.
The instrumentation varies depending on the emotion of the moment. Friends are orchestrated for wind band, while humility and emotional fervor are expressed in a full orchestra. Occasional chamber instrumentation depicts laughter, and solo instruments usually denote a sense of accomplishment. Other instrumentations (stake or ward choirs) are plugged in for unique adventure. Whatever the instrumentation, the timbre is always vibrant and full of a wide variety of color.
Performer must be tuned in with the Spirit. Tempo changes should be continuous from one element to the next without ceasing. Meter should be followed with a strict schedule and punctuality, although an occasional late entrance is permitted. Articulation, form, and texture vary as determined by the performer, but they are never stagnant. Dynamics are determined as occasion permits, although piano is usually reserved for moments of prayer and reflection. Accompaniment and harmony are busy, yet understandable and enjoyable. The melody is constantly on a search for beauty and fulfillment; let it soar above the busyness of the secondary parts. There is no double bar line to this work; it continues to live and develop with the goal of perfection and approval of the Master Composer.

Japanese Cuisine

I may just be very hungry for three weeks in May. Here's why.

Em, Hilda, and Gin and I went out to eat during the Priesthood Session of Conference. We went to Hibachi House to eat, and although Emily had eaten there before, she thought it was a Chinese place. I was excited to find out that it was Japanese food. Yes, a chance to get my first real taste of what I'll be eating in Asia! In my language study groups, we've been learning how to order foods at a restaurant, so once I found something on the menu that we had learned in class, I wanted to order it .. .even if I didn't quite know what it was.

So, I ordered Miso soup, and I even tried ordering it in Japanese (Miso shiru onegai ishimasu), and cucumber rolls. The lady said, "Miso soup, you mean?" Well, yeah. Then, I tried asking how much it cost, "Ikura desu ka?" and the guy responded in English. And I got weird looks when I said "Arigatoo gozaimas" (thank you). So much for speaking Japanese! They must've thought it was a little weird that I was trying to speak Japanese in an Americanized Japanese restaurant.

The soup was basically broth with tofu, seaweed and onions, and it wasn't awful, but it certainly wasn't great either. It was my first taste of tofu, which is weird stuff if you ask me. I remember learning about it on the Food Network; it takes on the texture and taste of what it's cooked with. I guess the rest of the soup wasn't very good because the tofu tasted funny.

The cucumber rolls were basically sushi without the fish. I hate cooked fish; really, you think I'd like raw fish? I don't think so. The rolls weren't bad, although the seaweed texture is a little weird. Obviously I still have a lot more practice with chopsticks to do. After several tries, I finally picked up one roll with the sticks, but then it plopped big time in my soy sauce/wasabi mixture, which added to the weirdness of the taste. So, I wasn't eating much of what I ordered, so I went back to order some beef kabobs; those can't be harmless, right? Well, the first two beef chunks were alright, but then I realized that the beef wasn't cooked all the way through .. .like at all. So, I ate the peppers and the pineapple.

So, I was the most adventurous of the group, but I ended up eating the least. Go figure. Good thing I'm going to Peru on my mission-Peruvian food is rill good! And rill substantial, too. =)

Peruvian Night Out

Tonight my friends Ali and Cheryl and I went to eat at a Peruvian restaurant called Se llama Peru. Ali was born in Peru, and even though she was adopted and grew up in the States, she's been back to Peru a couple times. In fact, she's even going to Lima this summer while I'll be in the MTC there. She told me all about Peru . .the weather, the people, the shops. She even had pictures to show me. I'm rill rill excited!=)
I had a great time at the restaurant. I laughed that the menu had pictures of everything, just so there are no surprises when you order. We ordered Inca Kola, which is basically the golden cola in Peru. I think it tasted like bubble gum. Ali and I ordered lomo saltado; she got steak, I got chicken. It was a chicken dish with grilled onions and tomatoes. The biggest kick I got out of the food is that rice and french fries are served with everything! And the french fries aren't on the side like they are in America; they're part of the dish. Seems like a weird combo, huh? By the end of my meal, I learned to like the taste of french fries drenched in meat and onion grease. Mmmm, yummy! It was rill rill good. And very filling, too. The three of us only know limited Spanish, so paying for our food was a little challenge for us because the guy hardly knew how to speak English. Oh, and there was a telenovela playing on the TV in the background. And we listened to latino music in the car on the way there. And I grabbed a Spanish newspaper on my way out to freshen up my reading skillz. When we got home, we watched The Emperor's New Grove to celebrate Cuzco and Peru. We really wanted to watch it in Spanish, but it only had options in English and French of all languages. Oh well . . .we still liked it.
One of my friends called me a Peruvian princess today; I guess with all this celebration tonight, I really felt like one! =)

Once a Day

I've been out of control with the mailbox lately. Just today, I checked it four times: once when I got home for lunch, and then when I was leaving back to school. I got out of band early today, so I had just enough time to go home, check the mail, and promptly turn around to go to work. I got off of work early, so I had just enough time to go home, check the mail, and promptly turn around to go back to campus to take a test. Okay, so we got no big fat pieces of mail at all today (not even junk mail or newspaper ads), so the first couple times I checked was just to make sure that the mail had even come that day. Most likely, my mission call won't come until next week, but in the meantime, I am only allowing myself one visit to the mailbox a day. This is out of control.

Study Break

I'm trying not to get overwhelmed with the loads

of school work I still have yet to do before the semester ends.

So, I'm finding the bright spots in the steady stream

of academic work. Take tonight as an example;

I'm doing the reading for my online health class because

I have a test coming up in that class. The chapter I was

reading on tonight was about the integration

of mind, body, and spirit, and surprisingly

(for being a health class), the lesson was infused

with spiritual discussion. Like this quote by Elder Packer

that I read and absolutely love:

"No greater ideal has been revealed than the supernal truth that we are children of God, and we differ, by virtue of our creation from all other living things. No idea has been more destructive of happiness, no philosophy has produced more sorrow, more heartbreak and mischief; no idea has done more to destroy the family than the idea that we are not the offspring of God."

Isn't that the greatest thing ever?

For some reason the piles of homework and papers and

projects and tests don't intimidate me anymore

because I already know of the greatest truth

I could ever learn--that I am a daughter of God.

As long as I've known that fact, any time I revisit it,

the truth of it rings louder and brighter in my

. ...well, in my body, mind, and spirit. =)

How does this truth make you feel?

The Art of Music

This is my fourth and final semester of music history coursework. (Well, if you count Music 201 and 202, then I've had some sort of music hisotry class every semester). Hallelujah! For every multiple choice test we take, we also have a listening exam where we have to recognize and answer a few questions about pieces from audio tracks. In studying for these exams, I always download all the music for the test from the CDs to my computer. The other day I made another playlist for my next exam. I titled it "Last Music History Test Ever," and for being 20th century music, it's actually quite intriguing. Which basically means that most of you probably wouldn't like it, and honestly, I thought I wouldn't either. But, it's pretty rad stuff. Musicians are so dang creative! That's why we're called artists. I love it. Have you ever gone to an art exhibit where there are works in several different mediums? Well, that's how I feel about 20th century music; the toolkit (to use Dr. Johnson's terminology) that composers use literally has no limits. It's really cool.
And as another random fact, I put all of my entire downloaded music on shuffle, and here's just a sampling of what I got. After 6 semesters of music history, and a few random other pieces on there, it's a pretty wide variety of music.
1. Haydn Piano Concerto
2. Bach: Chorale Prelude: A Mighty Fortress is Our God
3. Safe Inside (some cheesy EFY thing)
4. La Serva Padrona: an aria from some opera we studied. maybe music 303?
5. Bach: Prelude in C Minor (gotta love the harpsichord)
6. As Vesta Was: don't remember composer, but it's a beautiful Renaissance choral piece
7. Handel: Water Music
8. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (which piece is more fun to play than to listen to, but it's incredibly fun to listen to)
9. The Marvelous Light (another cheesy church thing)
10. Armide: opera by Lully. He was pretty much the founder of French opera. Look him up; he's pretty interesting.
Man, I've got so much more . ..I think 1562 clips all together, but it's a fun mix. As hard as music history classes are, they are really fascinating.

Breakthrough

Why do I like posting on my blog so much? Hmm . .I suppose it's because I'm a few days behind in writing in my journal, so I dump my feelings on the Internet for everyone to read. Perfect.

Anyway, I had a breakthrough tonight. Something that my roommate said in a passing conversation actually happened tonight, and to me it was the sign that I didn't realize I was looking for. And it was a good, if a little bittersweet, sign. I think my problem had been that while I was trying to focus on this one thing, I kept having this thought in the back of my head that sometimes I would wonder about. So in the events of this evening, I finally realized that the little worry in the back of my head has not only diminished greatly in size, but it has completely disappeared. What surprised me even more was that not only was I okay with its absence, I rejoiced in it. Because now . .. I have the focus and outlook on life that I really and truly need. The funny thing is that the person who this post is really about probably has no idea, but that's just how it should be.

It just . ..started bleeding!

So, I'm using Heidi's famous one-liner to title this post.
I've donated blood twice in my life. Once as a senior in high school, and once a few months later in my Freshman year. The thing about donating blood is that I have to set aside a huge chunk of time to do it . .time I rarely have. You gotta read the materials, wait in line to get checked, wait in line to donate, etc. And the whole concept of needles usually makes me a little squimish anyway, and I've gotten a little lightheaded both times I've donated. But each time I sign up to do it, I get all hyped up, even though I'm quite nervous about how my body will respond.
Okay, so in the past two years, I've been to two blood drives. I'd try to go to more, but you know . .the whole time issue. Anyway, both times my iron count was too low was I was ineligible to donate. So, I got all hyped up . ..just to be turned away.
Then comes today. I have time to donate; I'm gonna do it this time, and by golly my iron count will be within the eligible range. Surprisingly, I wasn't really nervous today .. .perhaps because of all my blood work and vaccinations I've had recently for my mission. Gosh darn it, I'm gonna save a life! Yeah. I only had to wait half an hour in line today, and hoorah! My iron count was great! So, I answered all the health question form, but alas . .. I still could not donate. =( I've had a Hep B vaccination in the last three weeks.
Stinky.
Apparently, I'm better at supporting the Red Cross by running 5Ks instead. =)

Sister Chronicles #3

Remember all my wonderful sister stories? Well, in trying to think of something clever to put in my post this evening (yes, it's the middle of the month, and I only have two posts so far . . .), I must be following the gratitude/happiness trend. You know what I love about blogs? It's the chance to write about things that make you happy, things you love, or even just the little things that help you get through the day. So, I thought about maybe writing about the highlights of my awesome week, but then I decided to continue a previous thread of posts about sisterhood. For some reason, writing about others, even when I've had a great week, makes the week even better.
This sister entry is dedicated to my 5 wonderful sisters. Let me tell you about them . . .
LISA: Lisa's creativity and busy-ness gives me optimism for my future. If she can be successful while being busy, then I certainly can as well. Lisa has an incredible ability to make people laugh and make cute children. Lisa gives 100% to everything she sets her mind to; she uses her well-set goals to make her life well-balanced and fulfilling. And Lisa is incredibly honest. In everything she does and says.
MICHELLE: Michelle is one of the greatest conversationalists I know. Even when things in her life may seem very routine, she's an expert at asking and remembering what's going on in your life. Despite dissapointments caused by situations outside of her control, Michelle remains cheerful and bright. Her creativity is expressed through her interactions with others. And I'm pretty sure that her excitement about being a mom will help to make Stetzon one of the luckiest little boys ever.
JENNIFER: Jennifer serves with her entire heart in all of her relationships with others. Jennifer is so willing to experiment on new life experiences. She's not afraid to go after what she wants, even if it's a long, busy road ahead. In practical matters, I don't think I've ever met anyone else who is on top of things as well as she is.
EMILY: Emily makes me laugh. Instead of complaining about difficult times, she finds the best way to find the positive in every situation. She knows how to have fun and include others. Emily is patient, and she has learned how to find joy in the journey of life that may have a different timeline than she had in mind.
HEIDI: Heidi is so considerate of others. She doesn't like being an inconvience to others (or scoring higher on tests), and she will go out of her way to be a friend to those in need. She's like a miniature mom; there's not an unkind bone in her body. She rarely gets upset, and she's a great classmate to have at BYU. She has great self-control over her eating and study patterns, and she rarely complains.

Of course, a tribute to sisters wouldn't be complete without including my two sister-in-laws either . . .
TANYA: Tanya has an incredible ability to adapt in response to different situations. Sometimes I wish I could be as involved in my ward as she is in hers. Tanya is very service-oriented, both with her crocheted blankets that she donates to Humanitarian Aid and her services at Blake Park-n-Ride. Nobody appreciates or loves family more than Tanya.
WHITNEY: Whitney is seriously one of the kindest people I have ever known. There's never a negative thing that comes out of her mouth (or attitude). And I have to say that I love her sense of fashion, and her ability to make a tiny cracker-box apartment a beautiful and cozy home. Her creativity gushes out in so many outlets, I wonder sometimes where it all comes from!

And even though she's not my sister, the best SISTER BLAKE deserves a shoutout as well. Sister Blake is the truest and dearest friend to her young sisters and daughters. Her frank honesty and straight-forwardness in conversation gives others a much needed reality check. Her passion for service is evident in her missionary service and teaching on a daily basis. Sister Blake has this incredible ability to make others feel as if everything is going fantastically well . ..even if I feel like it's not. Her presence reminds me of home-- full of comfort, good company, laughter and friendship. Her spirituality is evident in her conversations and relationships with others. Sister Blake is the person I would like to be, both in name and spirit; you are my inspiration.

So, folks, perhaps the greatest blessing I feel to share with you tonight is the blessing of my 8 wonderful sisters. I love you!

A Prickly Sensation

I was running a little late this morning, so I was bookin' it to my first class. My legs were still a little sore from the 5K on Saturday, but I figured they hurt because I was walking rill fast. I was a couple buildings away from the HFAC when my left knee started . ..well prickling. I thought maybe it was my muscles protesting, so I figured it would go away. I got to my first class, and I totally forgot about it.
Then, when I was going to my next class, String Workshop, I felt that weird prickly tickly sensation again. Curious as to what it might be, I felt my knee, and there was this narrow bump that I could feel through my jeans. It was pretty thin, but it was about 7 inches long. Weird, I know, right? I couldn't figure out what it could be.
"Whitney," I said to one of my friends in class, "there's something weird in my pants." She gave me a look that said, "That's an awkward way to start a conversation . . ." Then, I took her hand and made her feel my leg. We were both wiggin' out 'cause it was the weirdest thing to feel in my pants. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it was . ..I thought maybe it could've been the wire lining from my laundry hamper that somehow came out in my last load of laundry.
Luckily, I had time to step out to the bathroom to retrieve the object before class. You'll never believe what it was. It was a pine needle! And not just a lame double one either . ..a rill live triple pine needle . . .in my pants!! How the heck did it get there?!
I gave it to Whitney as a gift.
She promptly threw it away. =)

What Did You Learn Today?

Do you know anything about Arnold Schoenberg? He was brilliant. With the need for something new in music and the ever increasing chromaticism existing at the turn of the 20th century, he was able to create and compose in a completely new 12-tone row form.
Did you know that in West Africa, the clothing they wear corresponds to the type of music they perform? It varies in brightness, texture and color, paralleling the rich variety in the music.
And in consideration of the self, "I" am the thinker, and I think about "me."
The Bb Major scale is really not that difficult to play on the cello.
And teaching the recorder is not as painful as I thought.
Ammon was a brilliant missionary in introducing himself and his message, being a true friend through service, and teaching the basics of the Gospel.
Kore wa ikuradesuka? (How much does this cost?)

I love to learn! I'm not the greatest student, I sometimes fall asleep in class, I don't remember everything, and I don't make perfect grades, but I love going to class. I feel like I'm constantly getting just a tiny dabbling of everything there is out there to learn. (Which may be why I always take a ton of classes every semester). When day-to-day life gets bogged down with a busy schedule, sometimes it's such a relief to be able to read about stuff and learn. It's just so fulfilling. It reminds me of what Dad used to say at the dinner table everyday, "What did you learn today?" So, friends .. .tell me .. .what did you learn today?

A Little Purple Today

Check out this awesome bruise! Comment with your opinion on the following questions, and I'll make a blog post about the most interesting comment. And then, maybe I'll tell you the real story.
1. What body part is this?
2. How did I acquire this bruise?
3. How badly does it hurt?
4. What color will it be in a few days?

The Doctor is In

Here's the lineup this week, folks.
Monday 2.23, 1:45, SHC// TB check, physical. Include rinsing out wax buildup in the ear, lab samples of my blood, and two mild prescriptions.
Tuesday 2.24, 11:45, Cougar Dental// remove stitches from upper gum
Wednesday 2.25, 8:00, SHC// am lab work required.
Thursday 2.26, 11:50, SHC// T-dap vaccination
Friday 2.27, 11:00, Provo Health Department// Twinrix vaccinations

One down, four more to go . . .

Someone's in the kitchen . . .

My three most recent adventures in the kitchen. . .

1)I made a chocolate cake for Don and Dustin's Over the Hill Party. Dustin requested a sheet cake like I had made previously, so I pulled out that recipe book. It was a really good recipe, but it makes a HUGE cake, so I decided to try the recipe on the facing page since it was pretty similar. The recipe book was the one we got from Nauvoo; all the contributors were the senior sister missionaries. How appropriate that this recipe was entititled "Husband Catching Cake." (I'll be sure to let Sis. Brown know if it works! =) It turned out really good; could've been a little more moist, and it was pretty dense, but it tasted rill good. The trick to this one was buttermilk. Did you know you can create buttermilk by combining vinegar and milk and letting it sit for a while?

2)For our fireside tomorrow night, I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. My roommate taught me this recipe . ..1 spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin, 1 bag of chocolate chips. 350 degrees, 10 minutes, and you've created a masterpiece. Thanks, Kari!! =)

3)Our council is having a potluck breakfast-for-dinner tomorrow. I volunteered to bring cinnamon rolls because I wanted to try my friend Aubrey's recipe. You use frozen bread dough; follow the instructions for the quick rise, roll it into strips, smother with butter and cinnamon sugar (and nuts if you want), roll it up and bake for a few minutes. Top with cream cheese frosting, and you've got melt-in-your mouth goodness.

I've officially found another favorite place of mine . . .=)

The Missionary Generation Gap

Most of you know that I'm currently working on my mission papers. It's so easy to work on them via the online recommendation system! My bishop opened my account for my on Sunday, all my forms have been filled out so far, and I have all my doctor's appointments scheduled in the next few days. Yahoo!

And, you probably also know that Mom is working on her mission papers, too. Here's a couple of significant differences in our approaches to the online system . . .

1)The Personal Health History Form contains 48 questions regarding personal health. I answered in the affirmative on 5 of them, and it was easy things. I wear corrective lenses. I get mild headaches sometimes, I faint sometimes . . .blah blah blah. Mom? Yeah . . .ask her how many things she had to answer affirmative on! For every thing you answer affirmative on, you have to elaborate in depth on the Additional Health History Form. Think about it . . .wouldn't you be a little overwhelmed to fill out those forms and visit with your doctor if you were as broken as Mom? Good luck with that one! =)

2) There's an option to attach a photo online. I called Mom tonight to ask her about some mission stuff (isn't that what we always talk about these days anyway?!), and I told her that I uploaded a cute photo. In an authentic incredulous voice, she asked, "How'd you do that?!" "I took a picture and uploaded it . . ." "Do I know how to do that? I just saw the word 'upload' and skipped over that part because I didn't know what it meant!" Oh mother, learning how to upload a photo should be the least of your worries! =)

So, folks, I've included my cute uploaded picture. If you look closely enough, you can see my iodine stain on my left cheek. Okay, so it's really the remaining bruising from my wisdom teeth extractions, but Heidi says it looks like iodine. I probably should have waited a few weeks to start my mission papers. I knew I would get right on them and fill them out and schedule my appointments as quickly as I could. If I had started later, I would've had less wait time before I can submit my papers in early April. Oh well . ..I just have to keep telling myself not to pull up the online recommendation system every day. It gets me too excited to focus on anything else that I need to do. Oh, and mom . .. I fully expect you to make a blog post about your adventures with your mission papers! =)

Optimism Moment

You know why I love having a shallow sink? Because when the dishes pile up, and I eventually get around to them (meaning I actually have 10 minutes of time to do them!), it really is alot fewer dishes than it seems like it should be. What a good feeling.

Spiritual Gems, Week 1

My ward started a new study program. Every week, we have a topic to study in our personal sctipure study for at least an half an hour a day. At the conclusion of every week, on Monday at FHE, we discuss what we've learned throughout the week. I love this program; the ward is united in a common cause, and it's a good way to direct my personal study.
This week's topic was faith and hope. I loved studying about hope. To me, hope is the optimism and peace that comes from righteous living. Hope is a strong sense of trust in the future. As I studied faith, though, I felt it was more applicable to me . ..especially this week.
Remember my last post about my friend at the Testing Center? At the end of the school week, nothing was looking hopeful for him. It seemed most likely that he would have to drop the course, and that he'd be known on his honor record as a cheater. I was sad for him, but there really wasn't anything I could do. As I was studying my scriptures shortly after the incident, I came across this familiar passage: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1). I hoped that things would work out well with my friend's situation. And the evidence seen (the scratch paper) was not what my hoped was centered on; it was the evidence not seen. He was honest in his dealings, I knew, and I had faith that it would all work out. And on an eternal scheme . .. not a big deal. So, I quit worrying about it.
How cool was it then, when he told me on Monday that after he and the teacher talked to Linda at the TC, they let it go? Pretty rad in my book. He, of course, was thrilled. =) So was I. I suppose faith has this way of letting things work out when you least expect it . . .=)

Scratch that . . .

I took a test tonight. I did really really well, and I felt good about it. When I got there, they were all out of copies of the test, so I waited around for a while. I tried studying, but I ended up checking out a couple of tests. Finally, I started and took my test up in the break room upstairs. I came out unscathed about 2 and a half hours later.
I sent a celebratory text to a friend of mine at 10:05 - knowing that by then, we'd both be done with the test. He called me back, asking if I just got back from the TC. I said yes, and then he told me some sad news.
He was accused of cheating on that test at the Testing Center.
Yeah, bad news indeed. Here's what he told me what happened. He was getting his test, and he asked if they had any extra scratch paper. "Yeah, there's some in the bin." So he goes to the bin, grabs a sheet and makes an immediate outline for the essays on our test. Two hours later after he's taken the multiple choice portion and made good progress on his essay, the proctor notices that his scratch paper has the wrong stamp. She pulls him out, and they talk to the supervisor. Because of the way we deal with scratch paper at the TC, it seems that the only logical conclusion would be that he brought it in from elsewhere with notes already written on it.
So, he called me explaining this to me, wondering what he could do to remedy the situation. The only thing I know to do is talk to the teacher. Now, I don't know how much of a stickler Dr. Johnson is, or how he would even react to this situation. My friend asked me to come with him when he talks to the teacher, but really I can only say one thing. I can explain the process of stamping and putting out scratch paper.
Here's what I can't do:
-I can't convince fellow employees or even our teacher that this friend did not cheat. As much as I believe it to be true, because of my loyalties to my job, logically it would make sense that he brought in the paper. But because of my loyalties to him as a friend, I know he would never do that sort of thing.
-I can't retell the story. I wasn't there. He might not be telling me the truth. And even if I was on that shift, I don't know if I wouldn't have been able to change the situation.
Is it possible to believe him and trust the integrity of the Testing Center at the same time? Yeah, this puts me in a weird situation. Advice, anyone?

Random Rambling #5

53. I'm pretty sure I get stress headaches. They come at the end of a really long day when I've tried to pack it full with things to do on my to-do list. They seem to be compounded when things out of my control don't work out. Like compressed files on the computer or a slow internet connection. I think I clench my teeth, too.
54. The other day I made frogeye salad for my dinner group. Too bad there wasn't a warning on the recipe that told me to use the biggest bowl possible to mix it all in. Being my smart self, I used my biggest mixing bowl . .. but it was STILL overflowing! And it called for an entire bag of small marshmallows. I'm serving it tonight, so the whole process of making it better be worth it.
55. I have three flavors of ice cream in my freezer.
56. I watched Spencer the weatherman on the news today.
57. I also watched part of The View talkshow where they interviewed a family with 18 children. Yup. All natural births, and all under the age of 21 (with two sets of twins), and all names start with the letter J. That. is. ridiculous! It makes Mom's combined 6 years of pregnancy look like nothing. I almost feel bad for all the kids because in order to stay out of debt, they have to buy second-hand things; they even make their own laundry soap to save money. Wow. If their public appearances are anything like the Blake family, then I can only imagine what sort of spectacle they put on! And the hosts asked the parents, "Is this the last one, or are there more?" "I'm all for more, if the Lord says so," responds the mom. Yeah, she must be super righteous or something because I'm pretty sure she and her husband are trying to single-handedly fulfill the commandment to "multiply and replenish the earth."
58. My email account is loading something, so I'm taking this time to relieve stress. I need to stop thinking about everything that I have to do in the next few months because I could quite possibly die on the spot.
59. I just spent a good chunk of the last hour trying to download the supplemental music files from my music history class. They were compressed files sent through some website, which basically means that it's incredibly difficult to download them on my personal computer, either through email or my jump drive. So, I pretty much give up on that account, which means that it's one more thing to add on my list "Go to library and listen to pieces enough to be able to recognize them on my test next week."
60. UUUUGGHH!
61. There. I relieved some more stress, although I don't know how much it helped. My headache is still here. And I still have one more class, preparing dinner for my dinner group, and a paper that I need to work on. Oh, such is life.
62. Craziness never ends. But this post does.
63. Hey, I got the files to work!! Now, on to the next item of business . . .literally, an item of busy-ness. Tune in later for a post when my head isn't pounding. Perhaps the next post will be more profound, funny, or logical.
64. Most likely, it won't be. =)

Sister Chronicles, Part 2

In my ward, our Relief Society changes every semester. Last semester I had the opportunity to serve as the Secretary in my RS, and I came to know the sisters so much better than I would have otherwise. Not only did I know what apartments they lived in or where they were from or what their calling was, or other secretarial info, but I got to know them as actual sisters, it seemed. I was especially touched by many many comments they would make in our RS meetings; through those comments I learned to love them better and understand perhaps just a bit more about each one of them. Remember those things that we'd do in Young Womens where you make a list of all the good qualities about everyone else? Well, we did something like that, except this time, we spoke them out loud. On the last Sunday that we all met together, we sat in a giant circle so we could all see each other, and we went around taking time to focus on each person. It was amazing what I learned about each sister by what other sisters had observed of her. What an inredible and Spirit-filled meeting that was! Our president had tape recorded the whole meeting without our prior knowledge, and later that day, we as a presidency typed up all that was said about each person and put it on a nice card as a Christmas gift.

I love Relief Society.

Ward Choir

I love my calling as the music chair. As part of that, I'm the ward choir director. I'm really excited to be able to use my skills, and not to sound prideful, but I think I'm probably the best qualified person in the ward to lead the choir.
But I am so nervous! Why?! I feel like I have to plan everything in advance . ..which pieces we're doing, how I'm going to warm up the choir, when we're singing in Sacrament Meeting, who will be my accompanist, who's going to come, how well they sing, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure the choir will be great (given it is a ward choir), but I feel like I have such big shoes to fill. Because I know so much about music, and after watching Sis. Weidmann do an excellent job as a ward choir director, I feel like I have a responsibility to be the absolute best I can be because that's what I envision. Yeah, I can be better than previous ward choir directors in this ward, but I want the people to have fun and enjoy it, too. Angst. I've spent the last hour or so trying to choose some pieces and make lists of ideas to use with the choir, and I'm still a little anxious about it. What if they don't like me? What if I go over the top? I tend to to that with things, you know. (Take school for instance . ..).
Will you just reassure me that it will be okay?!? Why am I so nervous about this?!

Devin doesn't have a dog.

Spencer's comment from my latest post reminded me of this awkward moment in high school.
I was in PALS, this mentor program at our high school. Every year, we had a kidnap where we kidnapped the new people in the program and took them out to breakfast. I gave my friend Devin rides to our schools and stuff, so I had agreed to pick him up that morning so we could go pick up our people together. I normally picked him up from school, so he had to tell me his address.
Well, when I'm driving in the dark at 5 in the morning, my night vision isn't very good. What I thought was Claremont Street turned out to be Canemont Street. So . .. I knocked on the door of the appropriately numbered house and waited. And waited. I heard a dog bark. Devin didn't have a dog. Then I heard a deep man's voice tell the dog to shut up. Devin doesn't have a deep man voice. This man opened the door. He was white. Devin was hispanic. Great. So . ..what did I do? Basically, after stupidly asking if Devin lived here, I apologized profusely and left the poor man to get back to his sleep.
Maybe I should resign from offering rides to any of my friends of the male variety from now on. It never turns out very good, it seems.

I decided this semester should be full of awkward posts.

Like this one.

I drive my friend Evan to school because he's still recovering from a broken leg he's had since around Thanksgiving. Last semester, we had our first class together every day, so I'd pick him up every day. This semester, I only take him on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but he's out of his special boot, so pretty soon I may not be giving him rides at all anymore. I used to climb the stairs to his apartment so I could help him down the stairs in his crutches. He doesn't need help going down the stairs anymore, but I still go up to his door and knock instead of just calling him.
So, last Tuesday, I climbed the stairs to his door and knocked at the appointed hour of 7:10 in the morning. I had noticed from the parking lot that the light to his living/kitchen area was on. I was a little puzzled because every other time I would pick him up the light would be off because he gets ready in the dark (after all, it is so ridiculously early). Oh, well . ..I thought nothing of the light.
Until I knocked at the door . .. and waited . . .and waited. Then he comes to the door in his bathrobe, apparently so roughly awakened by my knock. So, I come inside and wait on his couch while he goes back to change and get ready super fast. As if that wasn't awkward enough, his new roommate (whom I hadn't yet met) had been asleep on the couch. My knock also woke him, and I'm sure he was pleasantly surprised, if not utterly confused to find a girl in his apartment at such an ungodly hour. "Who are you?" he asks. I explain simply who I am and why I'm there. Noticing it was still dark outside, he asked what time it was. I told him, and he agreed that it was way to early to give any sort of attention to anything academic. He looks around, then he kindly informs me of the obvious. "Uh . .. I think I fell asleep on the couch last night." Hence the reason the light was on, thought I. "Yeah, it looks like it." Luckily I was saved from continuing the painfully awkward situation by the presence of Evan, dressed and ready to go (despite not having showered, of course). We left, and I'm sure his roommate went promptly back to sleep on the couch.
With the light still on.

Just Keep Swimming . .. .

Have you ever tried on a new swimsuit and you just feel awkward doing it? 'Cause you gotta keep your underwear on, right? And, besides that, that's probably the most naked you've gotten in a dressing room before, and you're probably still wearing socks when you try it on, right? Maybe you're imagining your body in that swimsuit, and that makes you feel awkward.
Okay, combine all those factors, and add in a few. Like, maybe you're buying a swimsuit in the middle of the winter when it's snowing outside. Or the fact that you haven't bought a new swimsuit in who knows how long, so you have no idea how the sizing works.
Okay, now add a boy waiting for you in the Sporting Goods store as you're trying on said swimsuit.
Yeah. Water Aerobics better be worth all this! =)

The Sister Chronicles, Part 1

When I was home, I had many opportunities to serve with two wonderful sisters. Let me tell you about them.

Sister Stevens is from San Fransisco. And when asked by investigators if she is lesbian (yes, it did happen!), of course she says no. She has a great smile, and she speaks Spanish almost fluently. Others feel very comfortable around her, and she has a special guy friend out serving a mission, too.

Sister Moyes is from San Diego, and she is the navigator supreme. She's calm and confident in any situation. She loves her family, and she is very detail oriented when it comes to studying and planning. You can't help but smile when you hear her laugh.

I love these sisters. Here's why:

-They get along very well. It's easy to feel comfortable around them.

-They are solid in their testimonies of the Gospel, and it's so amazing to watch them teach together.

-They aren't afraid to get in sword fights now and then . . . .