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 . . .=)