Friday, February 25, 2005

as promised OR an exercise for heather to learn how to create in-text links

Here's the list (so far) of the ideal husband:
1 A man who loves God above all else.
2 He uses the priesthood righteously and puts the needs of others before his own.
3 He is inquisitive and self-reflective.
4 He loves music and enjoys singing.
5 He plays an instrument
6 He loves finding connections in the scriptures and looks for deeper meaning within them.
7 He actively pursues ways to make himself a better person.
8 He values education and learns about things outside the realm of college just because he's interested.
9 He is clean and hygenic.
10 He likes the way I dress and the way I cook .
11 He knows how to take care of our cars.
12 He thinks old people are cool
13 He likes trying new things
14 He loves the outdoors
15 He's willing to go to big cities
16 He's willing to go to museums and looks for something good in the experience
17 He makes me laugh.
18 He laughs at me
19 He tells me what he's thinking about
20 He likes movies
21 He'll exercise and support me in exercising.
22 He'll work hard at what he does and look for the positive in his job
23 He likes to read
24 He wants to travel
25 He's willing to live frugally so we can travel
26 He helps me to live frugally
27 He loves his parents and brothers and sisters
28 He thinks kids are cool
29 He dances with me
30 He lets me turn the music up loud
31 He lets me take pictures
32 He likes my family
33 He thinks I'm pretty even when I don't have make-up on
34 He opens doors for me
35 He often tells me he loves me, especially in front of our kids
36 He doesn't get embarrassed easily
37 He doesn't watch a lot of TV
38 He is tactful
39 He is patient
40 He lets me drive sometimes
41 He likes sunrises and sunsets
42 He can get up early
43 He can stay up late
44 He's not meanly sarcastic
45 He thinks I'm hot
46 He buys generic brand and second hand
47 He's tall
48 He knows how to fix stuff
49 He fixes stuff for other people
50 He owns a cozy sweatshirt
51 He's creative
52 He will climb trees or mountains with me
53 He will accept any calling in the church
54 He will put his dishes in the sink after dinner
55 He stays worthy of the Holy Ghost
56 He appreciates art
57 He prays with our family each night
58 He reads the scriptures daily
59 He talks privately with our children and is their friend
60 He builds things with our kids
61 He doesn't mind not having potatoes very often
62 He will let me name our children
63 He will buy me flowers
64 He helps me in the garden
65 He helps me clean our house
66 He reads to our kids
67 He is naturally happy
68 He forgives easily
69 He is not easily offended
70 He's cute

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

spring

Saturday was a warm and contemplative evening. I picked up a little, blank, leatherbound journal that Mary Beth and Jill gave me when I left for college 3 years ago and made a list of 70 characteristics or habits that my future husband should have (some are obviously more necessary than others). Hopefully, I'll get that list posted soon. In the mean time, any suggestions?

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

the gates

I've been really fascintated by the installation of The Gates, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in New York City's Central Park. If you look at the website below you can see pictures of his other works. My favorites were "Valley Curtain" and "Wrapped Trees." I especially liked the skeleton of the trees seen through the transluscent fabric.
I just finished watching a documentary on the creation of "Surrounded Islands" in Biscayne Bay in Miami. In it he said that part of the reason for wrapping things is to get people to re-look at them, to reexamine the object's place, purpose, and design. For me it achieved its goal. Both The Gates and the Surrounded Islands make me look at the world around me and see its potential for more. I think that's why artists start out their training by mimmicking the masters: once you force yourself to see the world in the unique ways they saw it, you begin to learn the pattern of looking for potential and novelty in the familiar.
http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/gates.html

Monday, February 14, 2005

on this day in history

Twenty-one years ago today, not only was it the 55th anniversary of the deaths of seven of Al Capone's rivals, but en even more exciting event happened. Yes, my dear friend Dakin Chamberlain was born. And we're all better for it. Wish the Daxxter a Happy Birthday if you know him, and kiss the one you love in honor of his special day if you don't. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAKIN!!!!

Saturday, February 12, 2005

pirate luau

ARRRGH!
Our ward had a pirate luau yesterday. We had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and then danced a few pirate jigs to the swarthy sounds of blokes the likes of Nelly, Usher, The Darkness, and Outkast. It felt good to get dressed up, eat free food, and then dance the night away in the Eyring Science Center lobby, watched over by the preserved remains of an allosaurus. I think we all arrived at a very special place--spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically. Here are some highlights.

yes mom, that's your belt on my head Posted by Hello

the evil scallywag Hometeacher Dave and his accomplice Paisly Mark apprehended the beautiful maiden pirate wench. I was disinclined to aquiesce to their requests. Posted by Hello

my fierce roommate michelle and me Posted by Hello

Thursday, February 10, 2005

see where I live

www.utahpictures.com

check out Timpanogos and American Fork Canyon

my title

Here are some reasons for choosing "patagonia" as my title:

During my freshman year of college, my friend Allison had an assignment to learn from others life experiences. It was for what she always referred to as her "Patagonia class." I assume the class was centered around Bruce Chatwin's "In Patagonia," I book I have yet to read, but long to. To fulfill her assignment, she and I set up a table with paper, crayons, and a sign that said, "Come tell us your life philosophy." As people passed, they drew pictures, told stories, and shared with us everything from silly catch phrases to significant turning points in their lives. It was one of the first of many moments I've had in college where I've seen the power of creativity in gaining knowledge and the universality of human experience.

This year I went to a slide show/ lecture given by an alpine climber who has done first ascents all over the world, but whose favorite place is patagonia. He told us a story of doing a seemingly impossible climb with 3 other friends. They got stuck in storms; one climber nearly died. They stayed on the mountain for 26 days with only 15 days of food, attempting the summit again and again. They finally gave up, and came down, having to eat their first aid kit on the 9 day hike back to civilization. As I watched the slides of jagged peaks (http://www.trekkingchile.com/DE/fotos-patagonien.htm) intermingled with faces of frozen beards and children herding sheep, I realized that I needed to do something like this in my life. I needed to go places that would change my ideas of what mountains looked like, that would challenge my concept of time, that would bring me closer to others than everyday living ever could, and that would make me revere God's grace in giving us such an awesome planet to live on.

Patagonia is on the southern tip of South America. Its people have lived lives that are probably about as far from my experience as its possible to get. I love studying people, how they think, why they act the way they do. Its why I love psychology and sociology. They teach me the mechanisms behind human behavior. But the necessary subjective element-- the empathy, the respect, the understanding, the compassion, the charity-- this comes from learning from, living with, and loving those different from ourselves. That is what Patagonia symbolizes for me.