A Good Hodge Podge

Today I was looking around the desk in our basement family room and I found a stack of CD's, burned by Dad and labeled by Mom. 


Side note: My mom hates unlabeled CD's, and my dad never labels his CD's. They're a match made in heaven, I tell you. (Except they really are, despite CD differences.) 


Anyway, they were mostly hilarious labels like Dad's Neil Diamond and Weird Instrumentals or simply Dad's Weird Stuff, but there was one that caught my eye called A Good Hodge Podge. Any CD with the word "podge" in the title is bound to be a good one, right?


Well, this one did not disappoint. Check it out: 

1. "The Day Before You" :: Rascal Flatts

2. "The Way You Look Tonight" :: Michael Bublé

3. "Someday We'll Know" :: Mandy Moore feat. Jonathan Foreman

4. "Everything" :: Lifehouse

5. "Under Heaven's Skies" :: Collective Soul

6. "Amazed" :: Lonestar

7. "(Everything I Do) I Do it for You" :: Bryan Adams

8. "Miss Me Baby" :: Chris Cagle

9. "My Confession" :: Josh Groban

10. "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" :: Def Leppard

11. "You Don't Know Me" :: Michael Bublé

12. "I Will Always Love You" :: Whitney Houston

13. "The Tension and the Terror" :: Straylight Run

14. "Blank Sheet of Paper" :: Tim McGraw

It has a few I would never choose to put on there, and one I've never even heard (who the heck is Straylight Run?), but it's quite enjoyable overall. I'm especially a fan of numbers 4, 6, and 10. Congrats to the unknowingly combined efforts of my parents for creating a new Saturday chores mix for their favorite daughter. :)


And now, a quick poll. Last time I posted a playlist, I found YouTube links for each song. It was a boatload of work, however, and I feel like probably nobody even used that (because honestly, I wouldn't have clicked a single one if it had been on someone else's blog). So, readers: music video links--useful or useless? 

Thanks! And many happy returns. 

I've been thinking today, gosh darn it.

Today I went to lunch with my mom at Costa Vida. 


It was delicious food and absolute fun to just be together for a bit, but I should probably apologize to my mom for being so...somber. I was a little distracted because of the man who served us our food. 


He looked older than the average worker at Costa. Seemed kind of like he'd maybe been a victim of a recently lost job, and had taken a job at Costa to hopefully provide for self and family. He was a very dedicated worker. Despite his dedication, however, he was slower than the other workers at Costa. In fact, I think his dedication was probably to make up for his lack in speed. He did everything required of him to the best of his ability, but it was difficult for him, and you could easily see why: his hands were shaking. 


Before I continue, you should know that I have a thing about hands. When I'm deciding if I think someone is attractive, I often look at their hands. (Seriously...man hands are so great.) But when something is a little off about someone's hands, I notice immediately. I think it originates in the fact that I'm a pianist who has always struggled with particularly small hands. I can appreciate good, big, strong hands, and my sympathy for those who don't have such hands always gets me.


Anyway, when I noticed this man's hands shaking, I instantly started to wonder about his story. I noticed that none of the workers gave him a hard time at all, and for that I was grateful. However, the lady in front of us in line complained to my mom and me about "how slow they're being today" and "usually they have more people working or something" and although she didn't trace it directly to this man, it was easy to see what she thought was the source of the so-called "problem." 


I thought, "How selfish. This guy's just trying to do his job the best he can, and you're in such a hurry to get your food and go that you'll complain here and offer nothing but a stern look there. Stop criticizing the way he makes your salad; if he says the chicken goes on bottom, I'd be willing to bet that it usually does, seeing as how he's probably here more often than you." I know that wasn't very friendly of me in my head--maybe she had her own crisis involving Costa food to get to--but I was just slightly shocked by her manner. 


Ok this story is beginning to have way too much detail. To finish it up quick, we ordered our food, and I made sure to smile lots at him and give a solid "Thank you, sir!" when he passed us on to the next worker. It didn't seem like it made a difference, but at least I can feel like I didn't leave the opportunity to be genuinely thankful behind. 


I once had a best friend, in the summers surrounding my fifth grade year. I met her at a church activity, and we made strawberry jam together. She has hand tremors, which means her hands just shake, for no apparent reason, all the time. You can probably imagine some of the difficulties of having that for your whole life, but to enumerate a few: trouble with writing, judgment and ostracism from other kids at school, spills in the kitchen, necessary extra care in everything, etc. I watched and admired her for the few years we were friends. She handled it way better than I ever would have; this much I know. 


I also watched my grandfather struggle with Parkinson's disease as he got older. As commonly happens, he had shaky hands for quite a while. One of his proudest skills was probably his handwriting; he had absolutely beautiful cursive. But as the tremors progressed, I watched his lovely handwritten script disintegrate more and more with each birthday card. It was incredibly difficult to see that hard-earned talent turn to something unrecognizable. 


I thought of both these examples while we ate our Costa, and I realized that that man probably has people who, unlike the lady before us in line, understand and accept him. I realized that he probably has members of his own support system, kind of how I like to think I was to my friend and my Grampie. There's a good chance that he even was just having a nervous day at work, for all I know. Even still, I was glad to have the chance to watch him and reflect a bit on differences and judgments--how everyone has things they'll struggle with in life, including me, and to judge others by their unchosen lot in life simply reflects poorly on my own character and humility, therefore opening the door for others to judge me in turn. I surely hope that I can continue being the one to say a solid "Thank you, sir!" and never become the one to complain about others' best efforts. 

Brought to you by the letter A

If you happen to blogstalk Shaundra, you're about to see something of a repeat. (Sorry.) But for any who don't, you really should see what we were up to last night. 

Before: 

After: 

I'm just realizing I have no clue as to how people blog crafty things that they do! This is probably because, well, I rarely craft. What do you say about something you just made just for the sake of making it? I suppose there's probably plenty of commentary if you happen to be creative, but I think I'll just leave this one to the pictures. 

The A is for "Alyssa," by the way. Lest there be any confusion...

A Wednesday Wordle

Wordle: "Shower the People" by James Taylor. 


(This might have to be a new tradition. We shall see.)


Also, to a particularly anonymous reader who may have visited the BYU Bookstore yesterday: Thank you for the personal greeting; it made my day :) Love you bunches! --Alyssa

Because Ruth is my hero.

She knows way more about YouTube and blogging than I do. Many thanks, Ruth!


And because I just finished reading The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (which inspired The Sound of Music.) Amazing book, by the way. I laughed out loud on many occasions, but I was also astounded by that woman's character and unwavering faith. It just jumped right into my Top 5. Seriously--that good. READ IT.

This should be multiple posts.

1) One of these days, I will blog before the hour of 10:00 PM. Promise.


2) Last night I had a fever and I felt like mud. Fevers seem to hit me hard, for some reason. Anyway, when I woke up this morning, I was practically just fine, and as the day's gone on I've only gotten better. I can now hardly believe how sick I felt last night. Is there such a thing as a "less than 24-hour flu"?


3) That one boy, the one you've met before, is already in Mexico. He wasn't supposed to be going to Mexico for about another month. I feel like this (really just the last line): 

I was expecting a few more weeks of guaranteed letters to and from, but I'm glad he's headed out faster than we anticipated. I know he just wanted to get to Mexico from the start, so this is muy bueno :)


4) My Googling skills have officially advanced beyond any level that falls under the category of "Necessary." They're more like "Ninja."


5) Ninja is a hilarious word. 


6) Does anyone know how to make YouTube videos bigger than the size blogger chooses for you? They make changing picture sizes a piece of cake, but videos don't have that handy pop-up toolbar. Holler if you're smarter than I am!

As Promised:

Two gems of stories, both from our recent Jackson adventures. 

#1.

This story has three parts: nail polish, a diamond ring, and Spanish man. You're intrigued already; I can tell. 


We'll start with the nail polish. Mom accidentally dropped a bottle of older sister Jenna's polish, and it smashed and spilled. In her attempt to gloss it over, she just stood on the new pink spot on in the parking lot and avoided the topic until....


Spanish man! What would you say if a guy at a gas station randomly asked you, "¿Habla español?" Well if you speak Spanish, as does my father, you would of course respond with a "Si" and proceed to help the poor man connect with the bus that ditched him there. This did happen, and we all think it was a two-way blessing: Spanish man found help where he probably least expected it, and we stayed at the station long enough for Mom to finally tell Jenna about the lovely new spot on the cement. Which takes us to....


The diamond ring. While casually mentioning the story of Jenna's polish, Mom looked down at her hands and realized that she was missing her wedding ring. ACK!, right? Upon a fairly quick dig through the nearest trash can, we found it wrapped up in some paper towels which had been used to clean up the polish. With Mom no longer hyperventilating, we snapped some quick pics to capture the fond memories and headed on our merry way. 

I think we can learn some valuable lessons from this, but the most important is definitely this: learn Spanish, and never avoid the truth. 

#2. 

This story is absolute hilarity. Unfortunately, there are no illustrations. Just use your imagination.

Because our first room had waterlogged carpet near the windows, we were offered a new one that happened to be right next to the "Honeymoon Cottage." It was late when we checked in, and three of us sisters were already in the new room getting unpacked. Little sister Rye had not yet joined us, and was soon coming with the padres. For a funny joke, Dad decided to take her outside the door of the Honeymoon Cottage and declare it our new room. Without questioning it, she promptly knocked on the door. I'm sure it was decently loud, as she was expecting it to hold her three dear sisters. Not expecting such unwavering trust in their judgment, my parents did what any good pranksters would do: they bolted.

You gotta admit, it's classic. 

And the lesson from that second story is this: never honeymoon at the Rustic Inn in Jackson Hole, WY. You might just get some unexpected visitors. 

Comin' at you from home base on a Friday night...

Well, we're back. Chances are good that you did not, in fact, know we were gone; that's fine. I didn't tell anyone we were going. But now we're back! 

Where we were: 

Beautiful, eh?

Important life lessons I learned in Jackson Hole, WY: 

1) Not all hotel "upgrades" are upgrades. 

2) Mosquitoes don't like me. Glory hallelujah!

3) Never pull out of a parking spot without doing a head check. Or two. Or seven. 

4) For the full rodeo experience, sit on the front row. You'll get pelted by little rocks, but it's all worth it.

5) Sunscreen. Always and forever. 

6) Hidden waterfalls are the best kind. 

7) Avoid hiking 5 miles one day and sitting in a car for 6 hours the next. Your muscles won't know what to do with themselves. 

8) Don't buy your souvenirs in the first store you walk into. Everyone has the same t-shirt designs anyway. 

9) Cowboy boots are supposed to be tight in the instep and loose in the heel. (I think.) 

10) Seeing "BYU" outside of Happy Valley automatically makes me want to talk to whoever's sporting it.

11) 7 Brides for 7 Brothers is much funnier as a play than as a movie, for some reason. But the popcorn is much more expensive, so don't spill it. 

I also made some life goals: 

1) Own Lucchese boots. But get 'em for a discount if at all possible. 

2) Accompany musicals in a community theater someday. 

3) Ride a horse. 

And I have a couple good stories to share, but this post is long enough. It was an excellent vacation, but I'm ever so glad to be home. You'll hear about this trip again, rest assured, but until then...happy trails!

No Bueno

Let's do pros and cons. Ready?

The cons: 

• Pain.
• Despair.
• Agony.
• Skin cancer.
• I cannot sleep on my stomach tonight. I never do, actually, but if I wanted to, there's no way I could. 

The pros:

• ....it was a wide-necked shirt?

Overall, this is a fairly "no bueno" situation. I think I need to rediscover the blessing of sunscreen. 

*PS: Many thanks for the book suggestions!! I'm quite excited indeed for my upcoming library trip. :)

Literate.

Having recently finished the entire Harry Potter series, I have been in dire need of a really good, decently long read. And to me, that describes...Jane Eyre!! 


I read this book last summer for the first time and loved it to death. I have no idea why I really love it so much, because I've read a lot of other classics and, quite frankly, hated them. But something about Jane just gets me, and I'm soo excited to read it again. 

After that, however, I might be at a bit of a loss. We have lots of books around here, but I want to read books that I've already heard are great. So, dear readers, here's the question: what books do you love? What would you read every summer if you really enjoyed reading and had all the time in the world? (Because that is essentially the situation here.) Please advise. 

Thanks!

Please ignore this post

Sorry; this is just an experiment of my own. Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies. 

Thanks for your patience. 

Sincerely, The Management.

For the sake of funny

Last week, this video made me laugh my fool head off: 

If she's not the cutest little girl in pink panties you've ever seen...   Goodness gracious. I very rarely watch YouTube videos (like never), but this one is at least worth the first 10 seconds so you can hear the way she says "squirrel." Absolutely adorbs. 

Just FYI

I think I'm going to say that Sundays don't count in my blog-everyday-goal (the one that's not really a goal). Not that I'm opposed to the idea of blogging on Sundays, or that I'll never blog on a Sunday, but it'll be nice to have a day off every week, if I so desire. And someone out there will probably enjoy a day where they don't have to read my ramblings. 

That being said, I feel like I should inform you that last night's complaints were all in vain. Sacrament meeting today went off without a hitch. Just another success story!

S.O.S

Tomorrow, I'm playing the piano in church. 


It's really not a big deal. I can't count the number of times I've played in church, as an accompanist or a soloist. Heck, I postponed going to the singles' ward for a month simply because the home ward needed an accompanist. I promise: it's really not a big deal. 


But...I'm a little scared. It's different this time. 


First of all, I'm accompanying the whole congregation. I've accompanied large congregations, but never in sacrament meeting. Sacrament meeting necessitates an organist, not a pianist. Do I have to pound out those hymns like they're "Chopsticks"? That'll ruin the meeting. Will they hear me if I don't? Does anyone even listen in sacrament meeting?


Second of all, it means I'm official in the singles' ward.
And it means people will know I'm there (because so far I've managed to hide in the big sister's shadow, and it's been nice). 
And it means I'm almost guaranteed to sit by myself after the first two hymns and before the last one.
(OK, I don't really care about that, but it fits the argument.)


I just think it's bound to be a little weird on all accounts. Until it's over, I'll be wishing that either A) Jenna didn't have to work on Sundays sometimes, or B) I'd already taken that organ class I'm signed up for next semester. Or both. Whatever. 


If my favorite boy were here, he'd definitely be stepping in tomorrow. Just sayin'.

Cheap Thrills

Or, "How to entertain your nephew and become the favorite aunt, all in one day."

1) It's all about atmosphere. He probably loves the great outdoors, so take him on the deck. 

2) It's also all about noise. Let him hear the bamboo wind chimes in the corner. Then take him over there and let him get real excited while he listens. 

3) Offer him a chance to make some noise himself.

4) Allow room for much partying and many smiles. 

5) Repeat as necessary until he requests a new activity. 

WARNING. Do not allow for the following to happen (or his mother may get mad): 

Sleepover!

Sadly, the first thing I think of when I say "sleepover" is this movie: 

Shout-out to my good friend Madi for introducing me to said movie. "He is so...plush!"

The second thing I think of, as of today, is my sleepover last night with my dear friend, Jen. 

Look! We match. (Picture taken earlier this year.)

This sleepover was a blast, but it was probably different than most people would think for a sleepover. Please enjoy this excerpt from an essay I wrote last year on "someone who inspires you." It briefly describes life with Jen: 

            At first glance, my best friend Jennifer seems very normal. She has blonde hair, wears glasses, and knows how to put together a cute outfit. She usually sports a baseball hat and always wears a watch, or two, or three, on each wrist. Odd? Maybe. Jennifer hates not knowing the time of day because she struggles with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, among other quirks. Her disability inhibits her speech although she can usually write clear messages. Devotedly, she carries pictures of all the people she loves most in a careworn stack of papers. She rapidly eats anything placed in front of her and craves even more. All of Jen’s differences are symptoms of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a handicap caused by a disorder of the fifteenth chromosome. Those who have PWS constantly feel hungry, often create and pick at skin sores, and usually can hardly abide changes in their daily routines. However, they are also some of the most loving people around, and I feel blessed to have Jen as my best friend and example. 

I loved spending so much time with Jen this week! Usually I tend her for just a couple hours one evening during the week while her parents have a night out, but this week was different due to extenuating circumstances. Activities in which we participated include (but are not limited to) hair curling, movie watching, Wheel of Fortune playing, and basketball. Jen rocks at basketball, and always makes more shots than I do :) 

And now, since I'm not attending the Harry Potter premiere like everyone else tonight, I'll go finish reading #6 and hope against hope that Dumbledore doesn't die. After all, he's the real reason I read these books.

I stink at titles.

It's true. 


I can come up with a grand myriad of random parts of my life to blog about, but coming up with titles for all of them is definitely the weak link in my armor. Not that blogging requires armor, mind you. It's just a phrase. 


Please bear with me as I try to find all those creative thinking juices that I probably had when I was 6 years old and scrapbooking with Gram. They're either in hiding or hibernation, so it could be a while. 


On a different note, I REALLY want to learn how to make this lovely: 

Aren't you just in love??

For anyone who's got more time and daring than I currently do, try it out here.

Thoughts

1) There's a purple flower on my plant as of this morning. Aren't you glad now that you've officially met??


2) I swear I didn't time my Harry Potter reading to end just in time for the premiere. It just happened. I'm not even going to the premiere...


3) Considering that it's a very determinate amount of time, two years can seem like forever and a day or no time at all, depending on mood, weather, and current soundtrack. 


4) I absolutely cannot wait for school in the fall. Wearing this BYU t-shirt isn't helping. 


5) Why did Harry ever even like Cho Chang??


6) I feel like I could probably make a goal to post on this blog daily. But don't think that that's an official goal, because I don't want all you dedicated fans telling me off the first time I forget. For now, it's just a thought.


7) I haven't actually done my hair for approximately two weeks (Sundays not included). It now has a mind of its own, and I'm scared for the next time I try to straighten it. Yikes!


8) This picture always makes me wonder what exactly that punch line was. It also always makes me smile.

That's all for today. Gracias por escuchando :)

New News!

Great. 


I just got a new favicon, and then I went and changed up my entire scheme. 


Thoughts? Concerns? Opinions? Criticisms? I want to hear them! 

Wisteria Mysteria

This is my plant. 

Isn't it cute?

How it came into existence: I received a valentine from one of the chorus kids at the elementary school where I did an internship this past year. On it was a little flower-pot-shaped piece of red, bumpy paper and instructions to soak it, plant it, and see what happened. I did so, and here we are today with a new friend. (I guess I should mention that it has been growing for muchas semanas, lest you think this popped up overnight.)


The dilemma: This method of growth, although very exciting, ensured that I have no idea what plant it is. If there are any botanists reading this that feel they could recognize a month-and-a-half old plant in a cup of dirt, please comment! I can provide better pictures if there's any chance of identification. Although I don't really expect that to happen, unfortunately...


If it turns into something I recognize, you'll be the first to hear about it. Until then, consider yourselves introduced, in case you ever meet again.


*Note: The title of this post is not to imply that I think my plant is wisteria. It simply was the first plant I could think of to rhyme even a bit with "mysterious" (and I still had to change it up, obviously). 

Check it out!

My latest blog addition: a favicon! I don't even actually know what that means but I came across an easy DIY for it, so I tried it out. Look:

Yeah, that little tiny blue picture? I made it, uploaded it to a favicon hosting site, and stuck it on my blog, as per these directions. How bout that?!

I'll be honest, it's probably lots less exciting for you than it is for me. BUT...it's sure making me happy tonight. It may not stay forever, but it'll stay for now. Enjoy! :)

Lightning!...has just struck my brain.

Tonight's epiphany is this: 

thunder and lightning = God's fireworks display

I sat on the porch and watched the rain pound for a long time tonight. I jumped in the puddle on the corner of our street and I counted the seconds after the lightning to estimate the distance of the storm. I also watched the sunset, which was amazing because the storm stopped just in time to paint the whole sky pink and orange and yellow...and then it continued as though nothing had happened. 

I love these kinds of evenings because they're humbling. Something about a raging sky reminds me that I'm not actually the one in charge here and makes me grateful that I get to be on the team whose captain made that storm. Lightning is so fiercely beautiful, and thunder so movingly powerful, and rain so utterly cleansing; they truly make a perfect combination! I love, love, LOVE thunderstorms. 

And now I'm going to eat some leftover cake from yesterday and listen to some James Taylor. Ya'll enjoy that rain now, ya hear?

PS: 17 points to the first person who names the movie and speaker of the quote in this post's título :) 

I feel like complaining, so I won't.

What better remedy for the curse of the mope than to count my blessings? Today is July 4th, for crying out loud! If I can't find something to be grateful for, I'm doomed. So without further ado, I am grateful today for: 

James Taylor

fireworks

my adorable nephew

FREEDOM

Darth Vader in the form of a hot air balloon

storm troopers that show up to support said balloon

rain

Heather, who reads my blog

missionaries!

Harry Potter (book #4, to be specific), and the Weasleys' sense of humor

BYU apparel

sparklers

really cutesy cake (see below)

patriotism

parade entertainment

Rummikub

homemade ice cream

mi familia

And I suppose that's just a start, covering my happy points for only one day. I am incredibly blessed! Thank you, blog, for helping me realize it right now. Happy Fourth of July to everyone!

Boys: Don't even read this one.

Things you should know in advance: 

1) I have only sisters. 

2) We appreciate good deals and frugality.

3) "Party favor" is a code word coined by none other than my father. If you'd like to know what it means, please proceed to the pictures below, which I consider to be sufficiently self-explanatory. 

And now, the story: 

Once upon a time, we went to Target for some routine clearance-rack searching. After we'd completely scoured the store for fashionable yet inexpensive items, Mom mentioned a quick deal on party favors that she just couldn't resist. She had a newspaper coupon for $2.50 off of two boxes of party favors, and the boxes were on sale, and Target had a deal for a $5 gift card upon purchase of...two boxes of party favors! Anyway, with the math all figured out, it boiled down to one box being $3.80, rather than the normal $8.00, which is really quite a steal. We checked out, thrilled with our shiny $5 card, and began walking out of the store. 

Then Mom looked at her receipt. She saw that it had come with a coupon for party favors! What luck! Quickly, she left us with the cart and headed off for another round of buying and saving. When she returned after a few minutes, we knew something was up. Much to our tired dismay and her incredible delight, this coupon had come again, and would continue in this fashion possibly all day long! I began thinking I should have brought a lunch...

Fast forward now to about 15 rounds of this coupon circle later (and approximately 30 boxes of party favors) and the following became blog- and scrapbook-worthy: 

And they all lived happily ever after. 

El fin.