We went to an art festival today. It was HUGE (I would say a good mile of street vendors) and really cool. Naples is a really rich fancy town that is south? of Fort Myers, and as I said rich. Seriously. Subway looks really out of place there. But it's a tradition to go, and the art is amazing. Kristin and I were wandering down the booths, and we went into this one display by a bronze artist name Bob Wilfong. Normally, when Kristin and I go into the booths we are ignored. I find this really annoying. I know that by looking at us one can tell we aren't going to pay 200-3,000 dollars for their piece of art, but that doesn't mean we don't admire the craft and might be interested in learning more so that when we do go out and graduate and make money we might want to come back and buy their stuff seeing as we would know something about it. Usually we get snubbed and they don't say hello. Then again, that is better than an alternative. Glen and I went to a pottery festival over the summer in Lubbock, and one lady was trying to force us to buy her cheap stuff.
ANYWAY this guy, Bob Wilfong, was REALLY nice. He started explaining all of his bronze sculptures to us, and it was really cool! At first, I didn't know how I felt about having the art explained to me. I've been told that it's better to let the art stand for itself and leave it open for interpretation than tell why you did what you did. BUT i would have NEVER understood his art without his explanation, and it made the pieces so much more interesting and beautiful when I understood why he created what he did. Maybe the best solution is somewhere in between.
Anyway, he did this really pretty piece called "Where Flowers bloom" that dealt with how we need to be okay with who we are before we can be in relationships. He writes poems that accompany the pieces I guess to offer some sort of a guide as well.
But, to copy from his artist statement, he said that he creates his work because of his love for his wife (Awww!) and it is his belief that art in all forms should move people to a higher level of consciousness and give them pride in who and what they wish to become.
and here are some pictures from naples:
Naples
the palm trees are so green!
Yesterday was the last friday of 2008! I suppose that that would go to say that today is the last Saturday, as well.
Terri gets mad at me when I say obvious things.
Yesterday was the first day I left the island since I've been here. We haven't really been doing that much this year. Either we are tired and just want to sit and bake in the sun, or we are just waiting until Glen gets here, and then start doing everything. He's in for a surprise. Though, really, it's the same with his family. When I was with them in Galveston, we had a bedtime and a time to get up and a schedule for the day. I don't think it's any less planned out here, there just isn't the bed time or the wake up time. At least directly. It's hard to find somewhere you can sit and read after my parents go to bed because: Kristin in the the bedroom talking to Jeremy, my grandma is sleeping on the couch, and if you put the light on on the porch, it wakes me parents up.
And when they get up, you can hear them banging pots and whatever else there is to bang in the kitchen.
At twelve o'clock and six o'clock the catholic church down the street rings its bells and plays Christmas carols. It's nice that Christmas hasn't died here yet. We went to the Edison House in Fort Myers last night (that is why we left the island) and it was lit up, and there were Christmas lights on all the palm trees, and there were Christmas trees everywhere...so it still feels like Christmas, now two days later.
Did everyone (Terri) have a good Christmas? The highlight of my Christmas, was honestly, waking up at 7 to go running with my cousin, Jay. It was the first time I had ever talked to him, where it was just him and I, and I find it sad that it took me 20 years to develop an interest in my relatives. But it was good to talk to him and start to get to know the people who make up my family, though I only see them every other year. I think it's cool that my mom has kept up with her cousins. I don't see myself really doing the same, and my dad hasn't either.
I mean, he'll talk to them, but I haven't seen his cousins or their children in so many years.
and now, I am going to go and research Darfurian agriculture techniques and plant life.
here's your stupid pictures, terri
Here's your stupid sunset. It was so much more pretty in person, but I guess it's always that way. And now the sun is setting, and it's SO PRETTY!
We have found that there are many opportunities to re-enact Old Greg in Florida.
This is the crab that I blogged in my last entry. I love the water here! Though the off shore water is murky, the water right on the beach is pretty clear.
I can't believe that Christmas is two days away, and school starts in basically two weeks. And I think the sun just set. My mother and I were supposed to watch it set, but she hasn't come yet to our meeting destination, which is the outrigger.
I don't really find peace at the beach. I have sat on it several times, expecting to feel some sort of relief or tranquility, but i haven't. The most at peace I've felt in Florida was when I was floating in the pool. i didn't swim, I just floated, and it was so relaxing. I let the water carry me where it wanted to.
Gondola
So I've been reading this book about Gandhi, it's called "Past Masters, Gandhi" Haha kind of funny. Buns and I went to the library before the break to get some books and of course Buns knew exactly what she wanted and I didn't. I've wanted to read about Gandhi for a long time now, he's always seemed like a big deal or something, and I was interested in exactly how he got non-violence to work on such a large scale. So Gandhi was looked up and a entire bookshelf made up of thick thick volumes and biographies was dedicated to him. Naturally I picked a concise summary of his life, partly because I'm lazy and I knew the reading would be kind of dry and I want to read other things this break, and partly because I just wanted a summary and thought more focused questions would come from reading an overview.
I read the book but am going back and taking notes on things I like and/or find interesting. So here are my findings so far... do I have to cite this crap? Hmm....
On equality-
"It did not mean that I should get what others get, but rather that I should get what I need for my development."
Religion/life-
"Gandhi's view that each civilization, religion, and way of life had it's strengths and limitations enabled him to highlight both the possibility and necessity of an intercultural dialogue, and to argue that learning and borrowing from other traditions in no way compromised one's loyalty to one's own."
"For Gandhi, writing thus became inseperable from action."
(He wrote everyday, thought you might like that Buns.)
Thought and life were inseperable-
"thought came to have no meaning unless it was lived out and life was shallow unless it incarnated a carefully thought-out vision of life."
"Everytime Gandhi came across a new idea, he asked if it was worth living up to. If not he took no further interest. If it was in the affirmative he integrated it into his life, experimented with it's truth, and explored it's moral logic." (As a result of this he read little)
Major works that influenced Gandhi-
Thoreau's "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Tolstoy's "The Kingdom of God is Within You"
Ruskin's "Unto This Last"
Soooo here's a terrible citation
"Past Master's Gandhi" Bhikhu Parekh, Oxford University Press New York 1997
As far as life goes in Cooper... things are quiet, lazy, and cold. It's so cold in this house!
the sun is setting! It's setting on the beach, on the ocean more specifically, and it's so beautiful. Holy freaking crap it's beautiful.
There is an old man singing elvis
And now that Terri and I are in two separate locations, the blog will begin again! I know that we have had many people this semester who have been grossly disappointed by our lack or termination of updating, but now our one follower (whoever you are) will have something to read. You are probably going to be disappointed. Lol, Terri, why are we so negative on here?
I’m in Fort Myers Island, Florida for the break. It’s a small island (6-8 miles in length) that is full of lonely old white men who think it’s cool to call out “hey Lahinia, call me” when they see a twenty year old female jogging across the street. I HATE That. Until this year, the honks and whistling never really bothered me, to some extent I liked it, but this year it disgusts me. I feel rather degraded, and just want to run. When I was in Cooper a couple of days ago, I read J.M Coetzee’s Disgrace. It is an AMAZING novel. I don’t really want to discuss it, other to say that one of the characters gets raped. She doesn’t report the incident, refuses to talk to anyone about it, and tries to forget. The attackers are never caught. She ends up pregnant, and also finds that one of her attackers (there were three) is related to her neighbor, and is living on her neighbor’s farm. I can’t imagine what that must be like, and throughout the novel, I was mad at the character for never saying anything about the rape. I felt like she should have went to the police in the first place, but especially when the rapist was living so close. Or move away. This is a really long stretch, but at the same time I didn’t really see what the big deal was when guys would honk. I thought it was silly, but shrugged it off, while my friends were often bothered. God, but after this stupid old man yelling at me to call him, I wanted to stop running alone, not run that direction, run somewhere else, anything to not have people honk. In a way, I was doing the same as the character from the novel. I am not saying that what I was experienced was anything close to rape, and I’m sorry if it seemed like I was trying to make that comparison.
Other than the men, Florida has been great. I was out on the beach for part of the afternoon, and spent an hour walking a mile up and back. My mother and father love to walk the beach looking for shells, and they take FOREVER if you are trying to walk with them. I found myself doing the same. I find myself continuing a lot of their habits lately. It’s so cool to see all the shells washed up on the beach, and the sand pipers, and gulls, egrets, and other wildlife. I found a crab today in the shallow part, and it was so pretty! I took pictures, but Mu isn’t reading my card, so I will try to transfer them via flashdrive tomorrow to post. It was a really pretty crab. I have always found their empty shells (it’s not really a shell…more like whatever it is on top), so it was cool to see the entire crab.
I wrote this all a couple of days ago. I don't have a stable internet connection.
For Christmas!
So far this Christmas the reading list is:
Watchmen-
Apartment in Athens- Glenway Wescott
mangroves!
Terri! I have an idea for my room! And though you probably won't see this until you get back, I wanted to post some sites so I could look back at them on here, and then you could look too.
I want to kind of design a mangrove forest on one of my walls. I'm not sure what I would use, maybe fabric? Paper? But I want something more for my room this year.
Probably fabric.
anyway, here's some ideas:
http://www.natureartists.com/art/resized/251_Slide_Lying_in_Ambush_Wall.JPG
http://www.ateneo.edu/ateneo/www/SiteFiles/Image/ED%202008/low-res_mangrove.jpg
and google mangrove for more pictures.
DEPENDS
So I spent a lot of time on the beach this past week, and I did a lot of reading, and finished The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence. The narrator is a 91 year old lady who is really grumpy and crabby, and constantly finds fault with everything around her. The story jumps back and forth from the past to the present, so you basically get an entire account of her life. Or at least what she wants you to know about her life. That's what I'm coming to find out about first person narrative--it's biased! I'm sure Terri, since she is the only one who reads this academic journal, is like, duh it's told from one person's specific viewpoint, it's going to be biased! I guess I never really looked at it that way, and I've been writing in first person for awhile, and tried to keep it as fair as possible...but people don't work that way. In first person, you are going to get one viewpoint. Unless the writer is highly skilled and can pull off showing the truth through other characters, which this writer did.
Anyway, more about the novel. Basically her life sucked. She married a man she didn't love, lived in poverty, raised two sons, one she loved, the other she didn't really care for, the son dies a stupid pointless death (isn't all death pointless though?), and she ends the book...dying? With some disease? YOU DON'T KNOW! As I said before, the narrator is very bitter. This summer, I spent 11 days with my grandma (who is 88? 89?) and found that she was more bitter than usual. Usually she complains, but every now and then she'll lighten up and smile. This past vacation she complained the majority of the time, and rarely made an effort to talk to Kristin or I. This book kind of gave me a viewpoint into her life. In all honesty, I don't understand her. I can't begin to imagine what her life must be like, because I can walk without pain. I can reach for things, and move around, and see more clearly. And I'm pretty sure that she doesn't understand my lifestyle as well. It was interesting to read from this narrator's perspective. Pretty much this book has taught me that I will NEVER put my parents in a nursing home against their wishes. It seems cruel that they cared for me all these years (and I haven't been the most considerate or fun person to be around), and then when they need me to shove them in a place they don't want to be. When it got rough we me, they didn't give me up for adoption or put me in foster care. Seva, right?
Also, in the book, the narrator really loves this one son, John. Well John has a little girlfriend, Arelene. At one point, the narrator and Arelene are talking, and the narrator is telling Arelene that John isn't good for her, because he is a drunk, and no one can really change people, so she will be really disappointed if she goes her whole life trying to change people. Arelene gets really pissy and rants about how the narrator will never understand John like she does.
I got really mad when I read that, and thought how stupid Arelene was, but then it hit me...
Yeah that was Karma. Not going to lie, I have said that a lot. Not ever to Glen's mom's face, but to Glen. And I was thinking about how in the book, the narrator spent a lot of her time with her son, so it's fairly obvious that she is going to know him in ways Arelene never could. Likewise, Arelene will know John in different ways too, but neither one will ever know John better. Just different. So I have changed my mind about Glen's mom.
Overall the book was good though. The writing was flowery and annoying at times, and I had a hard time getting into it at first. The author liked to throw in random awkward lines that I can't really remember, but other than that. It was good. I think it was good to read for understanding at least. I think we all possess a certain amount of disillusion about getting old.
Galveston and Ishmael, just to be weird
In Galveston today, and it smells like the ocean! We are less than a quarter mile (prepare to turn in a quarter of a mile! Guido! hahaha oh the GPS) from the frapping ocean, and if you go to the third story, and strain to see above the other beach houses, you can see it. I guess it's really not the ocean, more the gulf of Mexico, but still. It's gorgeous!
We went down and spent a few hours on it today. Part of the sand, mainly the sections closest to the water is a dark murky brown, where the sand closer to land is more white and fluffy. Glen's Uncle, Steve, said it was because of tar from different oil spills. He then proceeded to dig up clumps of black sand.
But then again, the earth was created for man, so why shouldn't we do as we please?
I'll get back to that later.
I went walking on the beach and on my way back, I noticed a Tiger Eye shell. If you haven't seen one, google it, because they are really cool, and I was thinking about how my mom would probably like it, so I reached for it, and there was a hermit crab inside! I sat down in the sand and watched it for awhile. I haven't particularly liked nature or crabs or shells before (before this previous spring semester) but this one crab captivated me.
We can co-exist with nature.
Which brings me to Ishmael. Terri's right, it's stunning. Seriously. It made me look at the world completely differently than I have before, and like her I don't want to say much. Other than it caused me a lot of despair. Mostly last night. I was watching the opening ceremony, and I couldn't find beauty in the technology or dances they did. I wanted to, and normally I should have, but I was caught up in that we need to change, we need to stop fighting nature, we need to learn to coexist, we need to stop conquering, and watching the ceremony just felt like a road block that opened my eyes to the BILLIONS of people who don't want to.
Who probably aren't aware anything really needs to change. Who don't know an alternative. I don't think I have the answers, or the best alternative, and it was depressing to know what needs to be done, and feel like I had no way of doing anything.
I talked with Glen a lot about it, and he told me that I was trying to conquer the problem myself. I can't do that. I realized that I have to give this problem to God, and trust that humanity is in his hands, and he will know what to do with it. I also have to have faith in humanity being good, and if we are good, we will do what is good. Basically what I've come up with that we can do to change is:
1. Raise awareness
2. Live the lifestyle
3. Lead by example.
And those solutions work for me. Sorry if this post was overly personal.
Tonto and The Lone Ranger Fist Fight in Heaven
Reading this reminded me of the times when Laura only spoke of Native Americans.
Mostly I really liked it. The stories were all really interesting and seemed real, well just made reservation life sem more real than anything I had ever read or seen before. It was really funny sometimes and then really sad. I liked how he would randomly put a super depressing statement in the middle of the stories... hilarious!!
A lot of the time I couldn't help but be reminded of Smoke Signals and how OBNOXIOUS freakin Thomas's voice was when he would say, "Hey Victor..." Oh my freaking gosh he was so annoying.
I really liked it though Laura... yes... I liked the Native American crap. I'm reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee now so be excited.
Roaming around Texas
Tracey and I went roaming to visit some colleges. We didn't have much luck but she has a better idea of what she's looking for now so that is good!
Ishmael, Daniel Quinn
HOLY FREAKING CRAP.
White Teeth
I liked the book in the beginning, her writing style was pretty cool, very poetic, philosophic, witty, etc but it seemed to slack off near the middle. Maybe I got used to it. The story was kind of funny but she wouldn't every really finish one and that sort of got on my nerves. Or maybe she just did a really good job with all of the characters and made me want to know more, who knows. It was a little long and I didn't really want to read it all the time like I had with other books. Overall it was pretty good, I mostly liked it, sort of didn't, but I'm glad I read it!
Just to keep you interested
When I was in DC on monday, we went to the botanical gardens, because they were showing 16 of the Cool Globes (originally an artist collaboration project from chicago)
There website is: Coolglobes.com if any one is interested.
Basically these artists got together, and each designed globes with a different global warming theme. I saw globes on recycling, composting, unity, using public transport system, awareness, offsetting your carbon footprint, and many others. I didn't get to really look at the last few, because my aunt was illegally parked and wanted to leave, but the ones I saw were frapping amazing! I love political art!
NO! It was there is carbon in the atmosphere, and here are some easy things you can do to reduce that.
SO here are some tips on how to go green and also why we should go green.
One can of aerosol keyboard cleaner has the same green house gas creating effect as burning 100 gallons of gas.
1.5 million barrels of oil are used to make U.S. water bottles each year.
If all Americans viewed and paid bills electronically, we'd save 18.5 million trees and 15.8 billion gallons of water
Unless current fishing methods change, there will be no seafood by 2048.
Try to go car and meat free one day a week
If everyone in America were able to reduce their junk mail, it would save 100 million trees a year.
Leaving your car at home two days a week will save 1,590 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Go vegetarian once a week. If 10,000 American gave up beef once a week, it would reduce tons of fertilizer and save enough water to fill 22,719 pools.
I don't know if I said this alreayd, but arbor day is going to freaking count for something next year. And Earth day. Be the change, right?
Gen-Gen-Genocide!
Here's something...interesting that Switch Over to Darfur made as a satire on the Olympic games in China:
http://www.switchovertodarfur.org/
Also, Terri found this really cool website:
http://www.betheirmessenger.org/
This website deals with human rights issues in Uganda, Congo, and Darfur. It's centered around individual people's stories though, not just statistics, and I haven't really had a chance to look at it, but I signed up for her weekly email list and at the bottom she wrote:
Keep up the great work! Every little thing we can do makes a difference. Time to think outside the box, and think globally. The world is so much bigger than what happens within our four walls. Every time you think something isn't possible, or you can't really make this or that work - try it anyway! 9 times out of 10 that gets me places. Persistence!
I learned a great lesson this week which teaches me to strive for wisdom to know where change is needed and the strength to do it.
It's refreshing to read that, because lately I've been feeling really weighed down about the world and all of it's problems. I've felt like there is so much to do (which there is) and I don't know, just thinking about how much there is to do is discouraging. Like, where do you start?And I've been caught up in family problems so much that I don't want to get involved with Darfur. But I read her email, and she oddly enough inspired me, so hopefully that bought will be done.
I really just want one day with a good internet connection to just sit there, write, read, and learn.
And catch up. I feel rather behind in my summer to do list.
Oh well.
I've recently become obsessed with "Couches in Alleys" by Stryofoam. Only the version I heard was a Ben Gibbard live concert, and it is very different from the original. Kind of sadly so. If you guys want a link to that, here it is as well:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E6H0tRlRb0M
Mostly, I would recommend going to podcasts, NPR, NPR live concert podcast, and downloading the Ben Gibbard one. Frapping amazing. Iron and Wine has one too that is awesome as well.
Also, I am leaving for Chicago tomorrow, and will have an unpredictable internet access, so I may not be on for two weeks or so...depending.
BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!
But I read
ZEeeeeEeeeEEEEn
Here is way more than you probably wanted to know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen
Basically... my poorly worded interprtation of Zen is looking into yourself to find answers and wisdom as opposed to outside sources... the idea is that we all possess wisdom, we just have to meditate over simple daily experiences and find it in our own minds and souls. I think finding it is zen. Something like that anyways... you should prbably read the article.
The Kite Runner
So there has been a lot of hype about this book and I think it's being made into a movie (?) so I was a little hesitant in reading it. I really liked it though and I things are popular for a reason.
I didn't really find it super sad or depressing, more just a story about the unpleasent side of life, which I don't think is bad. I really like the way it was written, it help my attention the entire time, an accomplishment. Once I started reading I didn't want to stop. So I kind of didn't. Oops.
I thought it was a good example of how we are always chasing after someone who isn't chasing us. I think that's the way it usually goes. I wish that soneone would just turn around and chase who was chasing them and if everyone turned around maybe only a couple people would get left out... but I guess that wouldn't work because if everyone turned around then you would be back in the same place. Ok so I wish that every other person would turn and then the world might be happy.
I think a lot of times we hear about war and we don't really think that real people with real lives are suffering and dying. I loved how much the book explored the characters and why they were the way they were. It gave a glimpse into a world that many of us are lucky enough to neevr ever have to see.
The book made me feel like I take lots and lots of things for granted and it made me want to appreciate things more... so I am. I am thankful for the light.
Also I want to get rid of a lot of my material possesions. I really don't like being in stores and I don't like clutter, advertisements, or television. I cleaned out my room once already this summer but I'm going to do it again. I want to be able to fit everything I have into a suitcase. I know that is unrealistic for an American college student so I will just do what I can, and one day I hope to have very very little. Haha my goal in life is to not have anything.
Material things are empty to me, the only thing that I really wouldn't want to do without is a camera, and I have already done that since I lost mine in April. I was actually happy when I lost it... even though it's the one thing that I really really cared about, in losing it I realized I could live the way I want to and everything would be fine. I finally ordered a new one Monday though. I am really excited about it. It's been a while and it hasn't felt right using other people's. Although I greatly appreciated Glen sharing his camera and my mom letting me use hers this summer.
Back to the book... I wonder what other people get out of it... I know that it has inspired me to try and find a way to help others and it has made me very thankful and appreciative. I would really recommend reading it if you haven't, I think it will impact you.
silly catholics
Ok Laura... I think that the Gospel from this morning might help you out some with your worries.
It was about the 3 parables (in Greek parables means comparison) of wheat, the mustard seed, and yeast. I kind of forgot what the wheat one was about... SORRY, but the mustard seed was about, and I'm sure you've heard this before, how it is the smallest of all seeds but grows into a huge bush. The yeast was about how just a tiny amount can make 3 measures (50lbs) of flour raise into bread.
The point of it was that we have to start small. Even if we never see the full effect of what we do it is still important that we do it no matter how small it is. Our priest also gave the comparison (or modern parable, haha) that Jesus was just one man, completely open to God's will and grace, and He asked 12 people to follow him, and here we are still talking about Him 2,000 years later. There are now 1 billion Catholics in the world... Jesus started small too. I mean yeah, I guess He was Jesus but still. We always think that a big change is the only good change but I think it's more like we just aren't around or are capable of seeing the full effect of the small changes we have.
Anways I just wanted to give you more thoughts on the matter of little things not making a difference. I feel like that a lot too, the why am I doing this no one cares and it isn't accomplishing anything thoughts come often. But who are we to think that we know everything and can tell whether or not we see what is "enough" change? Everything matters and the good you put into the world goes where it needs to, not always where we need to see it. Trust in God's grace... sorry to sound preachy. I don't like that talking about God is a negative self righteous thing in our culture. I'm not trying to be that way... just wanted to share some thoughts that always make me feel better when I get cynical. Also I was wondering why it's cool to be cynical. Psh... I'm trying to let go of that part of me. Yes I know suprise... love might exist.
Ok so here is good ol' Ghandi. OMG so at the library I was reading a kid's book about Ghandi and I found out that he barely graduated from high school and failed out of college. It took him 3 years to pass the law school test also. I wanted to read the rest of it but they promoted me to shelving the intermediate books so I had to go.
Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.
Mahatma Gandhi
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Ghandi
Laura, if you're all the change that takes place that's change enough. Also Obama is for change so don't worry. I'm sure he's not lying.
Oh and here is an article about the Pope in Australia at a World Youth Conference. It's pretty good and he is wise I suppose. Haha... Pope.
http://my.earthlink.net/article/int?guid=20080720/4882b840_3ca6_1552620080720-388027423
chill laura bells...
Ok so here are some ideas for the recycling bins. The world thingy would go on the lid and the leafy thing around. The other stuff is just kind of random art ideas for our roomies. Also I did them on cardboard so it is being REUSED! Ha.
I like to call the later ones my grassy noels. So the pictures are pretty terrible and I am still trying to master basic photshop skills so the colors are pretty off from what they actually look like so you get to use your IMaginaTIon! Tell me about your thoughts!
Terri's List of Things to DO!
do! hahahah, kind of like "duties"
Terri, here is your list of things to do:
Make a shag carpet
Research companies (primarily organic…are they lying?)
Research Feng Shui
Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Find a wooden silverware separator online
Learn Czechoslovakian
Run!
Write poetry!
Find other earth themed things for our room (bamboo curtains, a lamp?, a rug if shag rug does not work)
Listen to ALL of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tell Glen to get all of the Beatles
Photoshop another picture of Phil's child
Research Zen
Learn more about labyrinths (I don't think this was on your list, but I added it if you want to)
Be a more healthy vegetarian and get Tracey involved.
Zen and David Francis
I saw my cousin, David, today. I haven't seen him since the spring break of my junior year. That is too long to go without seeing someone in your family. I don't really know much about David. He is at least 6 years older than me, and we were never really close growing up. I think I remember watching Kraft's Kreatures with him when we were smaller. And we all used to go to Kennywood together. He used to work there, and once he won a really big stuffed dolphin for us. My mom liked it better than we did because it was the actual size of a baby dolphin.
Basically it was really awesome to see him again, and he said that when I go to visit New York to let him know so he could show me the sites.
also, what is zen?
GO GREEN!
I think I failed on the weekly environmental tip...oh well. If anyone has any, please reply in a comment, and i'll post them on the blog. Not that anyone really reads this blog. Just Terri.
I'm in Pittsburgh today, it smells like a semi humid forest, and I don't think that made sense, I was just trying to be clever like Death Cab for Cutie, but I couldn't think of anything that rhymed with today and described what Pittsburgh smells like. I don't actually really know what it smells like, I haven't been outside much. Just yesterday after we got out of the air port. I really liked flying in, because in the plane, all those thousands of feet into the air, you could look across and see the moon. And it was slightly closer than it looks here on the ground.
It was so pretty last night. I think it's cool that no matter where we are, we still look at the same moon and stars.
It makes me feel like we are closer.
It's weird to think that I am thousands of miles away from Texas, when it doesn't feel like I've left Texas at all.
I'm also done reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I think this book (along with Kung Fu Panda) has brought me some levels of peace. I'm not kidding about the Kung Fu Panda either. For those who haven't seen it, I would recommend it. I really liked the Turtle. Terri. The turtle was amazing.
But about Zen...he just thinks so differently. It's amazing to get to read this book and see a completely different person, and get to know them in detail, because of everything he's pouring into the book. He thinks about things a lot...things that I wouldn't bother with. But reading the book has helped me to think differently, and i like spending time thinking. Especially on road trips. I really like to stare out the window and just think...listen to music...and think.
So I've been thinking about my life more, trying to think from all sides...
One of the things he said that has really stuck out, is that you have be in peace before you can fix anything (like a motorcycle or even something small...I like to apply it to my life using an essay or something) Or maybe even relationships. I'm trying to achieve that peace.
But I've been thinking a lot about the concept that there is no original thought anymore. I don't agree with that. I think everything we do is original. No two writers sit down and write the exact same story. It may contain similarities...but I believe that it because in life, we generally experience the same things. In different degrees and at different times, but they are the same. So why shouldn't the two stories contain some similarities? We are both human. I believe original thought has truly vanished when these two writers (in different parts of the world, never having met each other) write the exact same story.
I believe nothing can be accomplished by saying original thought is gone. Claiming such can only stunt our creative process.
the unbearble lightness of being
So I really like the title of this book. I think its a really beautiful image... the unbearable lightness of being. I love it!
As a whole I really liked the book. There was lots of philosophical thought and questioning that I really appreciated. The characters all knew themselves really well and had good reasons for all the things they did and I thought that was cool. It makes me wonder if real people know themselves so well, I don't think I ever will.
It talked about everyone needs to be watched and how there are four kinds of people. First there are the people that need lots of eyes on them of people whom they don't know, the people that want to be famous and have lots of attention. Second there are the people that want lots of eyes on them that they know, the very social people that also require a lot of attention and need to know that people they care about are watching them. Third are the people that need the constant eyes of a lover. (Laura) Finally there is a rare group that needs the eyes of someone that may or may not exist or be watching them, more like the idea that someone is watching them that they don't know about.
So Laura gave me this book to read and she read it for her little mentor class but I'm wondering what class did you read this for? Because there was a whole lot of sex... also we need to rent the movie even if it is porn because I know you like that anyways Laura. Don't be shy. It's only natural. Don't you want to feel my bones on your bones! (not my bones on yours but well, you know the song nevermind)
Travels
Terri wanted me to blog about my travels, so here I am, blogging.
Glen and I went to Ruidoso over the past weekend. We went up Saturday and came back Tuesday. I wish that I could say it was a relaxing weekend, but it really wasn't. It went too quickly for me to relax, and by the time I started to relax, it was Monday evening. Not to say that the trip wasn't fun, because it was, it just went by too quickly to be a real break from everything.
I kind of want that real break from everything right now.
BUT back to Ruidoso. It was beautiful. We got there and it started raining. Pine trees + Rain= win. IT SMELLED SO FREAKING GOOD. Glen and I walked around the cabin area that evening and spent some time swinging on this swing, and smelling the trees. I might have sang to one of them. Upwards Over the Mountain. really off key.
We stayed at Apache Village, had a one room cabin with a small bathroom crammed into the side. The room was about the size of our rooms back at carpenter wells...small, but cozy. There wasn't any air conditioning (OMG) not that we needed it, because it was COLD, so I kind of felt like we were in nature because of that.
That was about as far as nature went. Lately I've been feeling in a naturalistic mood. I want to go hiking, spend time outdoors, get away from the city. So, I thought it would be fun if for my birthday Glen and I went and did some hiking, stayed in a cabin, got away for awhile. Well...the forest was closed. The most hiking we did was around a golf course. It was funny, we brought a lot of water, hiking shoes, clothes for hiking, sun screen, backpacks, and we had that going around the golf course. We were extreme.
It was nice to talk though. I think that's what we spent the majority of our time doing. I'm trying really hard this summer to be okay with not doing something all the time. That got me the first few days, because we would eat at 5:30, and not really have anything to "do" in the evenings. But who cares? I wish I was okay with just playing scrabble and reading and getting to be in Ruidoso. I wish I could have appreciated that fact alone. Not in Lubbock anymore. Ruidoso with the frapping pine trees, and clearer air, and RAIN! But no, I was like do do do.
It went away by Monday.
But it was annoying.
What else? We drove up as far as we could to Sierra Blanca, because that mountain is frapping gorgeous. I will post a picture on here later. It was misty and cloudy around the top, so you couldn't see everything...except for all of the dead trees in the forest. They closed it down, btw, because there was an extreme fire danger in Ruidoso, and seeing all of the dead brown sticks interspaced with the live green ones... it was sad.
And we went to Saint Elenors on Sunday. Glen wanted to go because he knew that mass would be the same there as it would in Lubbock. I never really appreciated that until this trip. I LOVE that about the Catholic church. I used to hate how mass was the same every weekend. But it's not. The format is the same, but now I like that. Somehow going to a church that doesn't follow the format doesn't feel like church. I'm not saying it's wrong, just to me, it doesn't feel like church. Saint Elenors was very welcomming, and gave us Mother Theresa cards with a prayer on the back. I sat by an older lady by herself, and she shook our hands and told us she was really glad to see us there.
zygomatics
The adult recommended intake for vitamin B12 is very low. Vitamin B12 comes primarily from animal-derived foods. A diet containing dairy products or eggs provides adequate vitamin B12. Fortified foods, such as some brands of cereal, nutritional yeast, soymilk, or soy analogs, are good non-animal sources. Check labels to discover other products that are fortified with vitamin B12. Tempeh and sea vegetables are not a reliable source of vitamin B12. To be on the safe side, if you do not consume dairy products, eggs, or fortified foods regularly, you should take a non-animal derived supplement.
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/nutshell.htm
HA LAURA!
Time wounds all heals.
-John Lennon
deltoid tuberosity
Life has stolen all of my potential energy lately and I like it. School has been really time consuming and should probably be given even more time, and I have been more physically active so I pretty much want to sleep all the time. I ran for a long time yesterday and felt like I could have kept going for a while so I'm thinking this whole ambitious marathon training might be possible, we'll see how I feel when school starts again...
I also have been trying to develop my relationship with my parents. I know I take advantage of them everyday and I am really lucky to be given something that people try and find all of their lives so I want to appreciate it more. At first talking to my mom was kind of hard, we often talked about politics because I have a bad habit of making fun of her for watching Fox News and those conversations never seem to go very well. Lately it has been getting better. Today I mentioned to her that after I graduate I am considering the Peace Corps and she didn't spaz like I thought she would. BIG suprise. My dad will definately spaz. Talking to my dad is a lot harder and even just being around him is hard but I am slowly getting better.
I have a yearning to create and think I will get on that soon. I plan on writing a letter later tonight to an elected offical and I think I am going to try and make a habit of doing it once a week, or at least once a month. The once a week thing is probably a little bit too ambitious.
I really don't have any cool statistics or anything useful to say like Laura. Sorry. Well actually in my english calss we had to read the Glass Menagerie by Tennesee Williams and I really liked the line,
Time is the longest distance between two places.
I mostly agree, mostly. But seriously, I think speaking of distance in terms of time makes a lot of sense.
Oh also my mom and I were talking today and she was telling me about some Hindu guy that was aparently a really big deal (I am so ignorant about the world it's not even funny) and how when he died his body took a really long time to decompose. It is believed that his body decomposed more slowly because his soul was so pure and he was so close to God. Saints bodies are also supposed to decompose more slowly. I thought this was pretty interesting and I want to read about it in the near furture.
senior citizen prom
For work, I've been looking up different projects local schools could do for community service. On their own, I guess, so if they didn't want to always volunteer with an agency, they could start something on their own. My boss let me do a piece on recycling (I found some great high school recycling programs! The world is going green!)
Let me just take a moment to say that I love the green movement. Terri wants to come up with another phrase for the movement, but regardless, I love the idea that America is starting to reduce, reuse, and recycle their purchases (though maybe not necessarily in that order)
Glen pointed out the other day that he hadn't realized up until recently that reduce, reuse, recycle is placed in that order for a reason. Basically I'm just really excited about reducing, reusing, and recycling in my life. I have big plans for the dorm room next semester!
Anyway, going back to what I was saying earlier: a lot of high school students are involved with community service, plan amazing projects, and really help out. I'm annoyed with myself, because I had the opportunity to do all of that, but I blew it off, and didn't do anything. In high school, I was the project co-chairmen for NHS. I didn't really plan projects, I didn't exert myself into the job, and am not really sure what motivated me to run. A lot of my projects fell through, kids would show up at agencies, and the agency would have nothing for them to do...
it was a mess.
But what gets me is we never branched out. The NHS sponser gave us a list of contacts, and that's all we did. We stayed with the same four agencies, and never tried to do anything different.
I wish that I was this passionate about helping in high school, so I could have done something instead of playing band and sitting at home.
ANGST
But now, Terri and I get to do this with Seva.
In other news, I've been spending a lot of time with my family this summer. It's amazing, because for the first time, I want to talk to my mom every night, and talking with my dad is easier than talking with a good majority of my friends.
I think I've changed a lot this past semester. Angst.
oh well, we have to grow up sometime.
My dad gave me some advice, and I would like to share it.
1. Worrying about time only makes it go faster.
2. Dogs are happy to be dogs.
Green Tip of the week
Hello Everyone! I think I'm going to start posting a "green" tip for the week. That way we can slowly cut down on habits that waste energy and are generally bad for the environment.
This week's tip is: don't use screen savers on your computer!
here is an article as to why you should do that:
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/forecastearth/49/you-don-t-still-use-a-screen-saver-do-you.html
anyone notice how much frapping energy that could save?
recycling stats
I cam e across some stats, and they uplifted me slightly, because at first I thought that only 30% of the nation recycling, was bad, but now it seems better?
-
In 1999, recycling and composting activities prevented about 64 million tons of material from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Today, this country recycles 32.5 percent of its waste, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years.
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While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 52 percent of all paper, 31 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled.
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Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the United States, which collected several materials at the curb. By 2006, about 8,660 curbside programs had sprouted up across the nation. As of 2005, about 500 materials recovery facilities had been established to process the collected materials.
and they also said:
For recycling to work, everyone has to participate in each phase of the loop. From government and industry, to organizations, small businesses, and people at home, every American can make recycling a part of their daily routine.
RECYCLE!
she never stops, she's a go getter!
HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY LAURA!!!
Thinking you're all cool seeing Chris Hom like you do! I'm glad that your Mom pushed you out of her vag (and probably ripped a little bit) this day 20 years ago. Oh and the title is a line in a Beatles song that always makes me think of you!
we really need to update this more often
what to say...
This week I have participated in a teen camp for my job. The goal of the camp was to promote leadership, team building, and promote volunteering in the community. Did it work? I don't know. I had an amazing time though.
My boss let me do a 5 minute recycling presentation each of the five days we had camp. I started out with this landfill activity, where the kids through away anything they had in their pockets, along with some plastic bottles, cans, paper, etc. I told them that this is what a landfill looked like (except it wasn't really round) and said that at the end of the week we would see what decomposed, and what didn't.
I talked to them more about what actually happens when you recycle (my mom had some really cool broken up glass, because Lubbock has it's own glass break down machine. You guys know the glass broken up in front of the underwood center? That's right. Recycled glass. She also had some spongy recycling cardboard that is really cool looking) and what the recycled products are turned into. Recycled plastic is used for surfboards! Surfboards! And Tennis balls! I also told them about what it saved when people recycled. Basically, a lot of oil. Isn't that cool? When you recycle you save oil, which means gas. Though gas is really bad for the environment, I know that could be an incentive for people to recycle.
At the end of the week, one of the girls stood up and said, "I was thinking of it, and there is really no good reason for people not to recycle."
A 7th grader said this! I am so inspired.
I also told them about how to get started recycling at home, and in the community, and had several talk about going to their principals to start a recycling program at their own schools! Isn't that cool! I know that some may not, but I believe that some will! And it's a change! And it will help the environment! I'm just so excited, because the majority cared! we recycled all week long, and they would hold up their gum wrappers and Styrofoam cups and be like "can we recycle this? What about this?"
THERE IS HOPE! I don't think generations go down hill. I think they just change and we don't like change, so we label them as bad, instead of different.
I also know that I was with the "leaders" of the different schools, which probably don't represent the mentality of the majority, but I don't care, because if I got even one person to recycle, that made a difference in the world.
In July, I get to go to another camp and make a 30 minute presentation about recycling.
Everyone, we are going to make Lubbock green.
I wish I was writing now. I haven't written for awhile.
In other news, though, I recently finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was good. I hadn't read a fiction book in a while, and it was nice to sink into something well written and deep. He had a really complex vocabulary, and I had to read with a dictionary close by. It was good. The jist of the book dealt with waiting for love, and wasting your life staying "devoted" to a person who isn't going to love you back. (I say devoted because even though one of the characters loved this girl for all of his life, he had a lot of affairs)
I don't want to ruin the ending, but it was powerful, and worth the read.
I don't really understand much of what cholera had to do with anything. Just Oregon trail. Always frapping died of Cholera in Oregon trail.
I've been looking at the Dreams for Darfur website, and I have a few comments. Their site is basicallly asking everyone to boycott the Olympics, because:
1. China is supporting Sudan's government more than any one else
2. Because China is offering this support, the government can still function, and kill it's people.
3. Why is the government killing it's people? I've been researching it, and I can't find a good answer. Not that there ever is a good answer when it comes to murdering another. The most I've found is: oil. For the past 50 years the government has led attacks on some section of its country because it does not want that section to have shares in the oil. At least that is what I have gathered from my research and readings. Please correct me if I am wrong. I know that it isn't just oil, and the problem is so much more complex and screwed up than that. But oil plays a large part.
Which is why I'm glad gas prices are going up. Now people are interested in finding different fuel sources, carpooling, and thinking twice where they are going and if they really need to. It makes me sad that it took gas prices being high, not an overall concern for the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and global warming for people to realize that oil may not be the best energy source, but whatever works.
The high price of gas has made me stay home a lot more, and I really don't mind. I'm spending more time with my family, with Glen, and with Kristin...at home. We play card games, talk, and have gotten into Eternal Sonata. I never thought I would be playing RPGs, but this one is AMAZING. I can't do it justice by explaining what it is about, but it has so many different levels of the game. It's a lot better than dungeon runners. Just know that.
And the game is about Chopin! The background music is so pretty. I fell asleep hearing it in my head (is that weird?) and slept peacefully.
Pretty much I'm really happy right now, and I'm tired (yes Terri tired) of trying to do things all the time and not just being. I'm still trying to find things to do all the time at home, but at least I'm not running all over town doing it. Does that count?
Also read XKCD for the past couple of days. Hilarious!
I'd like to be under the sea, in an octopus's garden in the shade!
So this has been a really amazing week!!
Summer classes started at PJC and I really am glad to be back in school! I'm so lame!!I also get to swim with the old people again! It makes me so freaking excited!! I LOVE swimming with them really early in the morning! It is probably the only thing that really wakes me up in the morning.
Carpooling and eating lunch with my mom is pretty cool and I am starting to talk to her a lot more than I ever used to. My mom is really great and I have always taken advantage of her and the fact that I even have a mom so I'm trying to stop. The other day we were making fun of this profesor guy at my sister's math and science camp thingy... it was a reception for parents and I had to go with her. It was funny though! I also found out that she had bees in college during the time when she was a vegitarian and ate only organic natural stuff and she really liked honey so she had bees behind her apartment! Weirdo. I think it's really cool though! I think my Mom was probably really weird in college. She doesn't talk much about it but I am trying to find things out...
I am volunteering at the American Red Cross in the afternoons answering phones for them and I am going to get CPR and First Aid Certified! That makes me excited too and I was definately not expecting that!
My friend Raquel called me from the Air Force and I'm really glad to be talking to her again!
Everything just seems to be falling into place lately and it's really great.
So this post was really kind of irrelevant.... all I know is that knowing how cells work makes my brain hurt really bad and I am very glad that I am an art major and I have even more sympathy for everyone that studies this crap all the time... crazy kids. Also I have decided that I don't believe in mitochondria.
Sorry that I haven't updated recently. I have been busy, but it isn't an excuse, and I've mostly been working. I've started to dream about work. I don't like that. I always do that with my jobs, and it is really freaking annoying.
Tonight was beautiful in Lubbock. The high was 84! (A week of temperatures in the upper 90s, low 100s, really makes you appreciate an 84) and the sun was gorgeous as it set. My mom, cousin Michael, Glen, and I went biking (they biked, I jogged) and it felt really good to have a cool breeze...I don't know, the little things right?
All we need now is rain.
I have been doing a really miserable job of educating myself this summer. I got as far as the Rwandan genocide, and still aren't completely done with that. It's horrible. It truly is horrible what humans are capable of doing to each other. But on the other side, (take it on the other side) we are capable of so many acts of love as well.
Breedlove, for example, is a dehydration plant here in Lubbock that takes excess produce from Farmers, makes it into soups and other types of foods, and sends them to third world countries for really cheap prices. I bought a shirt from them a week ago, and fed 250 people. The shirt was 10. Isn't it pathetic that two cups of coffee and a scone for us is dinner for some people.
Just to depress everyone, here's some statistics from their website:
1 person dies every 2.9 seconds somewhere on earth because of hunger related causes.
Hunger and poverty claim 25,000 lives every day.
Of those, almost 16,000 are children who die from hunger related causes-one child every five seconds.
Worldwide, more than 1 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day.
Every other child in the world is living in poverty
640 million children in developing countries live without adequate shelter: one in three.
400 million children, one in five, have no access to safe water.
854 million people across the world are hungry.
The World Health Organization estimates 1/3 of the world is well fed, 1/3 is under fed, and 1/3 is starving.
Research shows that free school lunches can increase attendance rates by 100 % and boost performance.
More than 1/2 of all child deaths worldwide are caused by malnutrition
More than 153 million of the world's malnourished are children under the age of 5
Poor nutrition & calorie deficiencies cause nearly one in three people to die prematurely or have disabilities
The risk of death for children with even mind malnutrition is 2.5 times greater than for children receiving adequate nutrition.
Pregnant women, new mothers who breastfeed infants, and children are among the most at risk of undernourishment.
19freakin84
Ok so I really really liked this book a lot. Thanks for making me read it Laura!
Honestly I don't really understand why it's supposed to be sad... explain that to me.
Ok I know that Newspeak was "bad" and all but I kind of liked some of it. I really like the concept of Doublethink... a lot.
I liked when he said that good books tell you what you already know.
All the talk about reality being only in the human mind and what truth really is was very interesting to me and made me think a lot... I think perception is way under thought. I liked the talk about the past and how it doesn't exist except in the mind and the idea of traing your brain to truly belive or not believe things.
I was really quite amazed that one person could come up with this entire world and develop such a society and language... I know that is what writers do so I guess I am really impressed by all writers. It just really made me appreciate the powers and creativeness of the human mind.
I also really appreciated that I have never been tortured.
I don't know what to say really except that I liked it a lot and I wish I could have taken a class in which it was required to read because I know there is a ton of stuff that could be discussed and thought about given the right direction. I wanted to read it again when I was half through it.
Mostly what I liked the best is firguring out that truly...
I LOVE BIG BROTHER!
Ok so this might be kind of out there… wherever there is.
So I feel like I had a turning point in my life yesterday. I don’t know why, how or even what but I definitely know that something really big changed.
I have felt weird since the night before last and it stayed yesterday I just felt completely different than I had ever felt before. I was lying in my bed and I felt very detached from the rest of the world, from even being a person. I didn’t really feel alive. I didn’t feel dead but if alive was a line then I think I was the line above it. I couldn’t really feel my body and none of my senses were really effecting me. I felt something but it was as if it was a sense that we don’t have. I was so completely relaxed that nothing could have bothered me. I really mean that too, nothing could have possibly bothered me. I felt like I was out of my mind and body and was somewhere I couldn’t understand. I didn’t know where I was, I mean I knew I was in my room but I really wasn’t, I was really far away.
It was a really nice feeling and I still feel it somewhat. I kind of wondered if I accidentally meditated or something. It was kind of like I somehow slipped out of time and space. I wonder if that is what it’s like to do drugs.
Everything that we worry about and get caught up in just seems very trivial to me. I don’t want to live mindlessly and keep myself constantly busy without knowing what I’m doing. I don’t want to live by our societal standards and obsess over my appearance, social life, possessions, and status. I don’t exactly know what the answers are but I think the way we live, as a society, definitely deserves some rethinking. I don’t really feel like one way or another is the right or wrong way to live or think but I do think it is different for everyone and I don’t understand why we all try to mold ourselves into a set standard. For a country that places so much value on individualism and freedom we sure all can be a lot alike. Shouldn’t we be defined by our thoughts and personalities more than by our appearances and material possessions? We are not really encouraged to think for ourselves, that is never advertised, but why would since you can’t market thought. Maybe we aren’t supposed to think for ourselves because if we did we would all realize the things wrong in the world and would want to change them. The people in charge probably wouldn’t like not getting to do what is best for them anymore.
Changing things involves time and effort and generally doesn’t make anyone money. It takes you our of your comfort zone and causes you to think about things other than yourself and doing what makes you happy. From a young age we are preached to do what makes you happy and that seems to always be the goal, to be happy, make yourself happy, but I don’t really understand the draw to self-satisfaction. What is so great about being happy? What is so great about constantly worrying about yourself and trying to find that temporary high? Why not think outside ourselves and try to make a positive change? I honestly feel like if we stopped trying to force happiness upon ourselves constantly it would take care of itself.
Life can get so complicated and it just really amazes me how. How can things possibly be so hard? I refuse to believe that life has to be this way and I want to think differently. I don’t understand being mad at people, holding grudges, having regrets, worrying, and not being able to forgive. I wish everyone would just chill out and relax. What are we so worried about anyways? Everything will be alright or it won’t and if it won’t then what’s the big deal? Why are bad things bad? I don’t think they are. What’s the worst that could happen? Death? What’s so bad about dying?
I don’t know if that made any sense at all and I know that it was all very scattered and I should probably elaborate on a lot of the things I was thinking for them to make sense, so I apologize. I just don’t understand a lot of things… well pretty much everything really. I have a lot of questions.
So I was reading this book called Mapping the Terrain. It’s a book about the history of public art told by the influential artists of the time. I really love how art can be used to create a positive change in people’s lives and in the world. This quote really made a lot of sense to me and is what I have felt but could never say so eloquently:
To search for the good and to make it matter: this is the real challenge for the artist. Not simply to transform ideas or revelations into matter, but to make those revelations actually matter.
-Estella Conwill Majoza
people actually read this?
On tuesday it rained! It hasn't rained since, or really been anything but hot and windy, but it was such an amazing rain storm. I had had a really bad day that day, said some things I shouldn't have said, got back to the people I said them about, and overall felt like crap. I sat at a park with Glen for awhile, trying to sort everything out, trying to forgive myself. I don't think I forgive very well. When I think about some girls in Junior High that asked me not to eat with them any more, I still feel bitter. Then I'm like, wait, I forgave them for that. I told them I did at least. It's stupid to be mad and carry grudges.
But especially with myself. So Glen and I got home and it started to rain. I went out and stood there and maybe did a V for Vendetta, raised my arms, and was like "God is in the rain." That's right, Terri, I was Natalie Portman for a little while! But it felt very refreshing, and I felt forgiven.
I don't know if that really makes sense, but I think God is everywhere, but especially in the rain. And it was so pretty. It wasn't completely cloudy, so behind me, on the roof it was sunny and pouring rain. Terri, you would have really liked it, spazzed, and then taken a lot of pictures. Glen and I sat in my room and watched it rain for awhile, and then I went out and danced in it. Then it got really cold so I didn't. But there was a rainbow!
I've decided there is something beautiful and amazing in every day we just have to look for them.
I've also been listening to John Denver a lot. He's beautiful too.
there's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
Ok so I've been driving/roaming around Cooper a lot and it's really beautiful. This place really irritates me but it's so freaking pretty... east Texas and all. I'm going to try and do a documentary photo project thing this summer and I'm actually really excited. I think where you come from is a big part of who you are and I feel like you should know about it so hopefully I will become enlightened along the way. Rosa and I were roaming down my road by this run down old feed store and it was especially pretty to me.
We also went and hung out at the cemetery. Not in a creepy way though. We roamed and read tombstones and talked to some dead people that had funny names. We looked for our birthdays and just at dates in general. Rosa has this theory that when someone dies someone else is born and I think it's a cool idea. That life is always constant I suppose. I noticed a lot of Septemeber 11 birthdays and death days. Maybe that date just sticks out though. We found some people with names of people we know and a man named Tobirtha. Haha Tabitha. We really went to find some war veterans because I don't really know what to do on memorial day so I feel like I should remember some people that died serving in the military. There aren't any monuments around here so I figured the cemetery was really the only place to go.
On another note... this old guy that had been sick came to church this morning and everyone was excited to see him. I talked to him after mass and he asked me if I gained weight and said it was probably all the tacos I had been eating. I thought it was really funny and it made me a little excited. And how did he know I eat A LOT of tacos?!
Memorial Day
Actually, Terri, I think we are quite interesting. And we would be more interesting if you would update and read this blog instead of sleeping and denying the existence of calories and B12. Tonight my dad and I were sitting around after supper (I cooked chickpeas and made it into a salad. It was weird. Not eating meat in limiting, but at the same time forcing me to try new things I would have never touched.), anyway we were sitting around and listening to Prairie Home Companion. It was toward the end of the show, and for all of those faithful listeners out there who are obviously reading our blog, that means it was "News from Lake Woebegone" time. For all those who claim to have "better" things to do with your time, News From Lake Woebegone is a monologue Garrison Keiller does every segment, and it ranges from being humorous, to serious, to sarcastic, to satirical. Lake Woebegone is a town in Minnesota I believe. Anyway, he was talking about it being memorial day, and all of the young men who had really big dreams, and wanted to establish themselves as an individual in this world, but were killed because of war. It was sad, made me think of atonement, but at the end of his segment, he started the crowd (it's recorded in front of a live audience) in singing the star spangled banner. My dad started to sing, so I sang, and he took off his hat, and stood, and I stood, and the dogs started to bark, and together with so many people in Fairfax (where it was being recorded) we sang.
<3s me some veggies
I'm becoming a vegetarian tomorrow. Tonight we will eat at One Guys and it will be glorious. Then tomorrow, I won't eat meat for a month. Terri's been doing it already, and since she's been feeling dizzy, I decided to look up good vegetarian nutrition so that way we can both eat healthy.
Kimber was supposed to meet with me about this, but she apparently doesn't answer her phone unless I leave her threatening voice messages.
I don't understand why it's so hard to call someone back.
Anyway, here's some information.
I found this from: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/vegetarian.html
Carbohydrates provide energy and vitamins for your brain and muscles. Grain products, especially whole grains, fruits, and certain vegetables are very important because they provide the carbohydrate, fiber, and many vitamins that your body needs.
Fat is needed by your body to stay healthy. Fat provides essential fatty acids and helps your body absorb certain vitamins. Vegetarians need to include sources of fat such as nuts, oils, or avocado.
Protein is needed for your muscles to grow. Vegetarians have to be careful not to just cut meat out of their diet, but to replace the meat with high-protein vegetarian foods. Nuts, peanut butter, soy foods, and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils all provide protein. Protein is also found in dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese for vegetarians who eat these foods.
Zinc is important for growth and your immune system. Zinc is found in whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy products, soy foods, and legumes.
Iron is important for your blood and is found in beans, seeds, soy foods, fortified breakfast cereals, and dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach. Vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron so eating foods rich in vitamin C, like citrus fruits and certain vegetables (like tomatoes) is important, as well.
Calcium is important to build strong bones for later in life. Calcium is found in dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese and dark green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. Some foods are not naturally high in calcium but have calcium added to them; these foods are called calcium-fortified. Some soy products, orange juices, cereals, and cereal bars are calcium fortified. Look at the food label to find out which brands are highest in calcium.
Vitamin D is important for strong bones and is particularly important for people who live in colder climates because you need the sun to make it. During the winter the sun is not as strong and you are not able to make the Vitamin D you need, so it is especially important to make sure you get Vitamin D from the foods you eat, such as fortified dairy products and soy milk.
Vitamin B12 is the only nutrient that needs to be added to a vegan-Blogger: sing to the trees - Create Postvegetarian diet. Nutritional yeast flakes, fortified soy milk and cereals contain vitamin B12.
Terri, are you getting your B12. I bet NOT.I'm also including a website to a food rainbow!
http://www.dietitians.ca/news/downloads/Vegetarian_Food_Guide_for_NA.pdf
oh snap
Terri changed the lay out. It really confused me.
Terri, I thought you didn't like gray. i thought you liked "earth tones"
Anyway, I went to a Taizé service at Covenant Presbyterian church, yesterday. Taize is (according to Wikipedia)
The community was founded in 1940 by Frère Roger (Brother Roger), who remained its leader until his death on August 16, 2005. The ecumenical community is made up of more than a hundred men from many nations representing Protestant and Catholic branches of Christianity. Life in the community focuses on prayer and Christian meditation. Young people from all over the world visit Taizé each week to join in the community life.
The community, though Western European in origin, seeks to welcome people and traditions from across the globe. This internationalism is reflected by the music and prayers where songs are sung in many languages and increasingly include chants and icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
At the heart of Taizé there is a passion for the Church. That is why the community has never wanted to create a “movement” or organisation centred on itself, but rather to send the young back from the youth meetings to their local Church, to their parish, group or community, to undertake, with many others, a “pilgrimage of trust on earth.” In many places across the world, ecumenical prayers using music from Taizé are organised by people, young and old, who have been in touch with the community. These times of prayer are very varied and are integrated in appropriate ways into the life of the local Church.It was really cool. I came in kind of late, and when I got there, everyone was sitting, facing a pulpit of candles. Some sang, some softly chanted. It sounded so pretty with the flute music, and cello, and clarinet. Barbara introduced my mom to it, who introduced me. It was very relaxing.
I'm used to church being a long process, not an hour of quiet meditation. And sometimes they sang in latin, sometimes English. I tried to sing in Spanish, and usually failed.
Afterward, Barbara took me out back and showed me the church's labyrinth.
This is what they usually look like:
Aren't they cool! The one at the church was made of stone though, and had a pretty little garden around the edges. The idea, I think, is to go in with a problem, and meditate on it while you're walking the labyrinth. I think it takes a while, and I guess, when you come out, you have had some time to think, and hopefully solve whatever you were facing.I think it's a really cool idea, and we should all walk it when we get back into Lubbock. Not necessarily together.
God is in the rain
because of video games apparently. And Mrs. Farmer doesn't look like Lara Croft (Craft?) from Tomb Raider. And when things don't come as easily to them, they shut down.
This may be true, but I think a lot of it has to do with how the information is being presented. But I'm staying out from their argument. I'm putting on music, because I don't really want to hear them rant about our generation.
Mrs. Farmer is over to help my mom with Kristin's graduation invitations. Fun.
I was going to update about Big bend, but you know how you tell people about it, and then it just feels like over kill to write about it.
I guess I'll write about one thing I really haven't mentioned that really isn't significant in any way.
When we arrived at the Barker House (which is in Bigbend, on the rio grande, right across from Mexico!), it started to rain. It was really hot when we got there, and there isn't any air conditioner. So we all stood outside in the rain, all of us, looking out across Mexico. My dad went inside, warmed up some food, and then we all ate out in the rain. It wasn't pouring or anything, it was just drizzling, but it was really cool.
It made me think of V for Vendetta, when one of the girls says "God is in the rain."
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