Save the Words!

I think this is absolutely sagacious:  http://www.savethewords.org/

sa·ga·cious   /səˈgeɪʃəs/  [suh-gey-shuhs]
1. having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd: a sagacious lawyer.

Being the bibliophile that I am, when I heard that our resplendent (though often esoteric) word friends were plummeting from the Oxford English Dictionary, I was impelled to take one word under my wing and coax it back into use.

bib·li·o·phile   /ˈbɪbliəˌfaɪl, -fɪl/  [bib-lee-uh-fahyl, -fil]
1. a person who loves or collects books, esp. as examples of fine or unusual printing, binding, or the like.

My lovely word adoptee was not chosen out of pigritude; rather, it spoke to something that ameliorates my life on a daily basis.

a·mel·io·rate   /əˈmilyəˌreɪt, əˈmiliə-/  [uh-meel-yuh-reyt, uh-mee-lee-uh-]
1. to make better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate.

The word?  Psalloid: a stringed instrument such as a harp or violin.
As in, I need to spend some time with my psalloid tonight, application suppliments are due very soon.

So check it out!   Adopting a word is the best way to win some smarts points, and you're sure to find one that will enhance your daily conversations!

Four trends I'm not following this year...

Maybe it's just because I live in a small town with limited shopping options, but the unoriginal "must have" trends at my high school simply drive me insane!  In general I'm not opposed to brand name clothing,  but when there is a specific design showing up on 1/3 of the school's female population, it just exudes an unattractive conformist mentality.

First up on the trend offender list:

The "winged" Miss Me jean.  I'll be up front and admit that I have a lower key pair.  But the stitching? The wings?  The bling?   Pleeaaase. I actually heard one of the girls wearing a pair of these discussing the cost of her apparel as she sauntered down the hall.  I think anything that is in your face saying "I paid a lot for this", or is the topic of such a discussion, should be avoided.

Number two:

My favorite trend to bemoan.  The UGHH (Ugg). Now, I think Uggs are permissible in a VERY casual situation with sweats. But accentuating dresses and skirts with these clunky things?  No good, very bad.  Ughs are especially unfortunate when paired with leggings as pants.  Leggings do not qualify as pants, nor should they ever.  Something is wrong in your life if you don't have time to put pants on.

My third ugh-worthy item:

Pink sweats.  Specifically West Virginia Mountaineer Pink by Victoria's Secret sweats.  Enough said.

Fourth:

Coach bags.  From wallets, to purses, to book bags, I've seen them in every color of the rainbow.  Maybe it's good that the wide variety Coach provides fosters some diversity, and in small doses they can be quite cute.  But.... they still dominate the school scene and carry the label very prominently.  I can't decide which is worse: buying the $300 full priced bag to follow the trend, or getting the fake knock off to appear to carry the brand.

Reflection on a Plane Crash

Though I've seen it months ago, this video was brought to my attention last Sunday in a wonderful Young Women's lesson on happiness by Sister Kelley. It has become of my favorite stories of love, hope and endurance.

A Revolutionary, A Monty, and Mother Goose

My spine tingles as I stroll through cemetaries and imagine lives of those below. Their stories create a great mystery which is heightened by the wistfulness and fascination that bubbles within me.
A humble prairie cemetary filled with quiescent dignity stands among my memories. As the rain torrented down, I dashed from the car and clung to the iron-clad gate draped with ivy. Peering at the headstones ahead, I watched the grasses gently bend with the rain to the ground.
 I still have vivid memories of a tour through a musty old crypt beneath an Austrian cathedral. Skeletons lined the torch-lit walls, and the ceiling seemed to close in on us as the open coffins came into sight. A tour just days later lead me through an elegant cemetary memorializing some of Europe's greatest classical composers.  Each gravestone towered like a throne in remembrance of this genre's most highly acclaimed royalty.
Yet another cemetary took me surprise this summer: the King's Chapel Burial Ground residing deep within  the center of Boston.  This cemetary is characterized  by the engraved skulls on each dark, crumbling headstone which casts a gothic glow about the yard.  The ancient lot itself is encased by busy city streets and towering business offices; a resting place within the center of the bustling world.  Created in 1630, the burial ground contains occupants such as John Winthrop,  the first Puritan Governer of Massachusets, the midnight rider Paul Revere, John Hancock, a Mary "Mother" Goose,  and many of Benjamin Franklin's relatives.  Interestingly enough, a Montgomerie gravestone lay among names such as these. 

Made Some Memories

Up until now, I found myself categorizing my life into BM (before move), and AM (after move). Integrating into West Virginia has been a life changing challenge, and as such challenges go, it was more pushing and shoving upstream than going with the flow.  This summer transformed into a beautiful three months full of blessings that would defy such trivial categories.

June

Resonated with music and solid friendships, as three sun-lit weeks slid blissfully through my fingers.

July

July proved itself to be a memorable combination of adventure, routine, and self-expansion. I experienced law in action as I edited and updated the West Virginia Senior Legal Aid FAQ book. At Point Counterpoint,   I experienced the joy of musical collaboration, the frustration of immersing myself in a new clef and instrument,  and the ease of sunbathing on one of the most stunning lakes in New England.  So many experiences combined to make this one of the best months of my life: rodeos, kayaking, wild blueberry picking, late night swims,  kind acquaintances and passionate musicians.  

August

As I drifted away from a transcendent experience at Point Counterpoint, I was whipped up into a new venture with my family.  We experienced Boston by trolley and boat, slipped through Niagara Falls, and visited nearly every church history site in between.  I found the Sacred Grove where Joseph Smith received the first vision particularly touching, as well as a special family trip to the beautiful Boston temple.  There is so much to discover on this side of the country!

As the days edged towards the beginning of school, Mom and I squeezed in two impromptu college tours of George Washington University, and Georgetown, and hosted some wonderful visitors from the home state.

September

September has brought back, once again, the busy Autumn schedule. With it comes a greater sense of calm and purpose as I dive into my last year of high school.  The to-do list in my head seems never ending, and my mind is filled with so many new ideas that I can hardly sit still doing one thing for too long. I'm anticipating getting the most of what I can from this city, and when the time comes, moving on to greater things.  I hope to work hard, and find some fun between the cracks.  I hope when I leave, I'll leave behind a small segment of my life that I know I made the most of. I'll leave behind some memories to miss.

Summer Soiree

Suspension

Our neighborhood received a big addition!  And I captured the magic of human ingenuity on camera.

I first noticed something was, shall I say, up, when I glanced out of the screened window of our second floor.

It wasn't until I saw this contraption that I realized the magnitude of the project...

The lonely house next door was about to receive its second half!

The wooden frame was uncovered, strapped up, and ready to go!  Precariously, the crane began hoisting it into the air.

We collectively inhaled as the shell swung dangerously close to the edge of our home.  Five feet too wide and our house would be toast!

We also said some prayers for the man down below.

And presto! No damage done.  Who's up for moving in? :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We love you!  Thank you for all of your thoughtfulness and hard work on our behalf, you are the glue to the family and we recognize everything you do for us.  Thanks for pushing us to work hard, learn our instruments, read good books, exercise, and learn of the gospel.  Thank you for teaching us by example how to be leaders,  to be proactive, to never take no for an answer, and to change our surroundings to create something beautiful and enriching. Thank you for being such a strong example of living the gospel, and thank you for your patience and selflessness. You are the best mom we could ever ask for.

Happy Birthday!

Stan man is completely adorable, and was very sweet about sneaking out of the house so Mom didn't see. 

Anne's cute smile made the pictures.  The complete set is pending, but we will have a summer set soon enough as per your request!

Summer Summer Summer!

I found this picture from Summer '03.   I was a camper at Camp Valor who couldn't wait for her turn to rope the hay bale "cow" as I flew down the zip line on a wooden horse.  With all the finesse of a nine year old, I kept my cowboy hat intact.

Flashing forward, Summer '10  has been a strange mix of running around in a frantic flurry, and relaxing with a popsicle in one hand, and a book in the other.  I absolutely adored our Utah trip, and I think I photo-documented it fairly thoroughly. Highlights include but are not limited to:

-Numerous food-related outings.  Yummm.  Let me count 'em:  Cafe Rio (2), Pounders (1), Jamba Juice (4),  TGIF (1),  Noodles & Co. (1), Snow Shack (1), La Caille (1), Costa Vida (1), Einstein Bagels (1), Yogurt Stop (2),  Chick-fil-A (1), Zupas (1), Subway (2).  Plus some excellent homemade meals to boot.  I was very well fed.

 

-La Caille. It was so fun to hang out with my date and the troop and their dates. Blake and I learned some new dances, and I certainly never stepped on anyone's toes...  Later we all sipped lemonade as we listened to a speaker. The lowlight of the event was the gulping down of escargot.  Lovely.

     

- Visiting Temple Square!  I almost felt like a tourist in my own town, but it was so nice to see those sister missionaries again.  We got the whole theater to ourselves in the visitor's center, and watched as many doctrinal movies as we pleased.  The plethora of Books of Mormon in every language imaginable is quite a sight to see.

                                            

- THE Relient K sticker. Takami and I fulfilled our high school-long dream and planted it on the sign near the Fort Union exit in Midvale!

                                         

-Spending a week at the Intermountain Suzuki Strings Institute, and writing newsletter articles covering amateur and professional ensembles.  In my spare time I enjoyed lazily lounging in the Juan Diego library and perusing their magazine collection. 

                             

-A weekend at a cabin with the girls.  From stomping through marshes and splashing in creeks, to card games and s'mores, we did it all.  Not to mention a photo shoot!

                                             

- Fulfilling the annual bonfire tradition.  Cruising along in Si's convertable with the music blasting, reading letters left in my old locker,  burning homework and negative memories,  and the water game of course!

                                             

-Getting the Ute fan up on top of the Y.   Anyone who hasn't done the hike to the Y (BYU) definitely should.  The view of Utah valley is unrivaled.

July is now upon me, with a great potential for new memories.   Already I've gone on a beautiful hike with some friends, helped film a movie for youth conference, spent a day at the pool, and possibly even seen Eclipse.  Currently I'm spending my mornings doing clerical work at Morgantown Senior Legal Aid.  I've even fit in some morning runs most recently! In one week I will leave for Point Counterpoint in Vermont.  It's strange not knowing what three entire weeks will hold, but I'm looking forward to it.  Speaking of which, I should be practicing! Updates to follow.

Three for Three!

2008

2009

2010

Another successful BSSPJH bonfire, although we missed Shelby for the picture this year.  Lots of homework burned, and many skittles consumed.  We're getting older :).  So lucky to have these girls!

Uintah Portraits

I tried my hand at some portraits way up in the mountains last weekend.  It was an awesome trip with some lovely girls and a sweet camera! I learned a bit about light through trial and error (some of these exhibiting the errors). You might recognize these faces...