Well, that wrap-up was more serious than I expected.

This is a list of things that have been sitting in the bottom of my bookmarks folder or the bottom of my Google Reader because I liked them when I first saw them but for different reasons than I like most things on the internet and therefore I didn't quite know what to do with them. So now I am collecting them into one post on my own blog so I can relieve the stress of wondering where the heck I should save them. 

Most of these are sappy. Don't say I didn't warn you.

(1) From a bookmark of my cousin's friend's tumblr:

slaughterhouse90210:

“Because that is when you love somebody - when you see them being game in the face of the worst. Not courageous. Not heroic. Just game.”
― Philip Roth, The Human Stain

(2)

This video was posted on the BYU webpage once when I was still in high school, and I watched it and loved it and forgot about it. When I saw this link on someone's tumblr last week (I forget whose!), I fell in love all over again.

(3) From Dani's tumblr:

Love this cuz I was raised on these two characters!! Never would have put them together, but isn't this just perfect?

(4)

I absolutely love this blogger, Elise. Her's is my current favorite blog of ever--inspiring in so many ways!--and I want to be Elise when I grow up. Her husband serves in the military, and she recently wrote a blog post about missing him. It struck a chord.

And I know I'll continue to pour my heart and all my thoughts into hand-written letters and email. But it's so far from the same. It's so far from in-person. It's so far from normal to have your favorite person on the other side of the world. And some days it's just horrible. Certainly not the worst case scenario - or even close - but still immensely difficult.

I realize that I am not married to the boy I miss every day, and I recognize that he is not on the other side of the world, and I recognize that he is not often in harm's way, and so really Elise and I don't have that much in common here. BUT this post says many of the things I've thought while he's been gone and describes many of the things I expect to feel when he gets back. It's nice to hear it put eloquently and from a different, non-missionary perspective. Sometimes it's hard to remember that I'm not the only person in the world who doesn't have all the people I love right near me all the time, and that other people have similar situations/struggles/feelings.

Anyway, now you should go read the whole post because it will take you about 3 minutes. And then read her whole blog because suddenly you will feel motivated and able to finish every project you ever start. And then report back to me because I will gladly have entire conversations with you about how inspiring she is.

(5) These are all from Ruth's tumblr.

Adorable!

Not to be mysterious or anything, but this is totally true.
Plus, I love C. S. Lewis.

This has been haunting me since I read it.

So there you have it, ladies and gents. Five solid pieces of evidence that I sometimes get sentimental and nostalgic and sappy. For any who don't know me really well, this is kind of a big deal since I am a girl who often avoids real emotion wherever possible. [Now that I think about it, even people who know me pretty well may not know this.] It is much easier for me to blow things off as artsy and idealistic and irrelevant to my life than to let in a thought and feel a feeling and have that moment of vulnerability. I think we are all like that sometimes, right? But I'm slowly learning that those moments which briefly expose the heart and soul are what change a person over time, and I'm trying to end my days of being forever tough-skinned. 

I leave you with this idea from my choir director, Sister Applonie: "We all rely on the artists of our culture to remind us to feel." If that's the case, then I think these are each pretty good pieces of art.

The end.

Obsession with film

A while back, I heard from someone or read somewhere about digital vs. film photography. The main point I understood from it was this: no matter how hard digital cameras try, they will never measure up to the potential quality of photos taken the old-fashioned way. I have since compared the two categories on my own and noticed that I really really love the look of real film photos. Digital is crisp, but film has character. 

Knowing that, you can understand how excited I was last week when my mom came home with an envelope from Macey's which held a bunch of old film rolls and a CD of the pictures from them. I've been dying to go through them ever since and just got around to it last night. And oh my heavens I love film.

Can I just share some favorites?
Ok thanks.
And feel free to click on these and zoom in and snoop around because that is the only way you too will fall in love.

[Quick note: Most of these are mysterious in that we don't know for sure who took them. But our most educated guess is that they are from a disposable camera of Mattea's. She would have been in 5th grade or so when she took these.]

We went on a family vacation to Oregon a few summers ago, and we had somewhat of a collective obsession with the beach sunsets. We ran down to take pictures every evening:

This one. I die.

Just for comparison, here's one from my own [digital] camera:

Sharper image maybe, but there's just not as much charm, am I right?? 


We also found a few daytime beach pics from that trip. Here's my fave:

It looks like a wonderland! Is it the beach? Is it Narnia? We may never know.
Also, I don't know a whole lot about composition and lighting and stuff, but this is pretty darn pleasing to the eye so I vote that it passes the test of good photography. Somebody post it on Pinterest or something, k? (not really.)




So yeah, I find these incredibly dreamy. Something about the imperfections and the graininess and the colors--I just love it all. I think I want to take a disposable camera on every vacation I ever go on now. Wouldn't it be fun to find gems like these more often? Yes, yes it would.
I will share them when I make this happen.

Liebster Schmiebster

Well hey, apparently I'm getting an award. I don't actually believe in blogging awards, but I do believe in free post ideas, so...

This is from the lovely Annika Leigh, an amazing human being whom I've always admired for her kindness and her hair. Hey Annie, are you blogging while you're gone, by chance? Cuz I will miss your blog. 

And I'm going to just cheat here, and only do the parts I want to do. This is because I am a bona fide blog snob who can't be bossed around by awards! Ha!

Eleven things about me.

1 :: I am a pro at PROcrastination. And I like puns.
2 :: I dislike traveling/being away from my home. This is always true, but some days it only applies to traveling outside the country and some days it applies to traveling to Provo.
3 :: I am excited for one week from today, when the number of days until that one missionary comes home will be less than 200. [No, I have not been keeping track as meticulously as that sounds. There is another missionary who left on the same day whose blog I look at sometimes simply because his mom keeps a count of days at the bottom.]
4 :: I have excellent luck.
5 :: I also have a large cache of awesome jokes stored inside my brain. And I whip em out whenever conversation is slow. Like on dinner dates and stuff.
6 :: I pop my joints. [Ewww] My elbow and my knees and my ankles and my fingers and my shoulder and my toes and my neck. Isn't that awful? I didn't used to, and I don't like that I do now, but apparently not enough to fix it. 
7 :: "Never say never." Love, Mariah.
8 :: I want my wedding to be shot in film. This is just a phase. Or so I tell myself. 
9 :: I don't like sushi, but I've never tried it. But I don't like it. 
10 :: I don't have the most open of minds...
11 :: I taught my first math lesson ever to a real class today and it was a blast!! I think it's a sign that I'm in the right field. [Yes, this one is a cop out.]

Eleven answers to questions.

1 :: If you could do anything and money was no matter, what would you do?
This is supposed to be a change-the-world answer, huh. But honestly, I think I would do exactly what I am currently doing--going to school, serving in my church, and spending time with the people I love--because that is what makes me happiest. And because I believe that if I'm going to change the world, I might as well change it from where I'm already at.
2 :: What is your favorite memory?
I like to relive things on a regular basis (like every night before I fall asleep and then throughout the day as I think of them), which means I have lots of favorite memories at any given moment. One that seems to be everywhere lately is the first time a boy said he liked me, after a concert and over a shared grasshopper shake from Iceberg. That moment will always hold a certain charm because it felt so nice to be liked like that.
3 :: Who has made the biggest impact on who you are today?
My parents, of course. I have raved about them on here before, but they truly are amazing people and I want to be them when I grow up. And good news: studies show that I will be! Woot!
4 :: If you could be any celebrity, who would you be and why?
Well how about we discuss how many celebrities I even know stuff about. Cuz that number is zero. If Albert Einstein is a celebrity, I choose him.
5 :: Favorite holiday.
Easter.
6 :: Favorite movie. internet browser. 
I talk about my favorite movie way too much. So instead, my favorite internet browser is Chrome, thank you for asking.
7 :: Who is your biggest role model?
Oh heavens, I already said I want to be Mom and Dad when I grow up! But I'll add someone else...how about Albert Einstein? He's pretty cool and brilliant and stuff. [I know I already brought him up, just go with it, ok?]
8 :: Where is the best vacation location?
In my house. See #2 above.
9 :: What goals do you have for the next year? 
Straighten out my priorities. Learn to make myself do stuff I have to do before the point where I have no choice but to do it. Wake up to one alarm instead of four.
10 :: What were you like in high school?
Wouldn't this be better answered by my peers? If you're looking for a stereotype label for me, I was the "choir nerd." Or just "the nerd," actually. [I'm ok with that.] But in seriousness, I think I was probably a jerk in high school and I didn't have a darn clue about it. It's only been since I went to college that I've realized the world doesn't revolve around me. 
11 :: What makes you happy?
Letters and baby laughter.

Eleven people tagged.

Well....

If you read my blog, I tag you.

Take that, Liebster.

I think this is a rant.

I would like to thank whoever taught me that all information is as applicable to me as I let it be. 

There's a considerable amount of angst inside many students from my major because we spend lots of time discussing the same tips for how to teach over and over and over, and hardly any time at all constructing lesson plans and actually practicing teaching. I sometimes find myself caught up in that same angst when a lecture feels redundant (often) or when the homework load is a little too heavy (daily) or even just when I want to be in a bad mood over something (pretty rare, thank goodness). But I feel like I've always been taught that how much and how well I learn depends on me and [often] me alone. If some course or some teacher is awful, I spend a little extra time with my textbook and Google, and I figure it out anyway. I like to think that I don't waste too much time complaining about the course or the teacher (but I suppose my mom might say otherwise). 

I like to think that there's something to be learned in every textbook and every lecture and every conversation and every experience, and you just have to look until you find it, even if it takes until the bitter end to find. Maybe this is idealistic. Maybe this is truth. Maybe it makes life easier either way because then every glass looks at least half full (but usually more than half). 

If everything you see/hear/do has at least one purpose [to learn], then you're never wasting your time. 
Tell me that's not satisfying. 

A great professor can facilitate great learning, but an awful professor is no excuse for a student's failure to learn. 

These are sweeping generalizations, but there's a lot of truth to the idea, no?



Why don't the people in my classes know this??



So anyways, many thanks to my parents and some really great teachers in my past, for showing me that I can always find something to take away from every circumstance, lesson, and homework assignment if I just choose to find it on my own. 

I have no clue when this happened

but apparently I like music like this all of a sudden. 

I used to be pretty much completely disinterested in this stuff. But HELLO these are amazing. I'm about to look into that Ed Sheeran album because I'm positive it must be incredible, but I'm also not sure if this is just a brief music fad for me!! Oh, my life is so hard. I'm sure I'll be back to rant about Ed when I actually buy his album. In the meantime, you can join me in falling in love with these two songs.

Dumb Ways to Die

Mariah showed me this on Saturday and I thought it was kind of adorable and kind of brilliant and kind of morbid, so...

here you go:

And wouldn't you know, I totes got the message!

Effective? Yes.

HEY SOMEONE FROM MY FAMILY

I'm just going to post this and hope beyond hope that someone from my family stalks my blog in the next half hour or so. My phone is broken and kind of ruining my life; I need to talk to Mom. Can you pretty pretty pretty please tell her to get on Gmail and answer me?? Because none of my current attempts are working. And I assure you I've attempted everything. 

Ok, go ahead now. Mattea, Mariah, Jenna, Bri, I'm talking to you. And--heaven forbid--if Mom sees this first, GO TO GMAIL. 

Kthanksloveyoubye.

Sad--happy--heartwarming post (in that order)

Today I got a bad test score and a broken car heater.
Tomorrow I am buying pity ice cream and hot chocolate.
And I just think things will be better after that. 




Can you believe that Thanksgiving is a week away?? I'm so darn excited! Here is how I see my life currently: 

:: sister, brother, nephew arrive next week
:: we all eat yummy food and play with extended family
:: back to school for three weeks
:: CHRISTMAS VACATION
:: talk to a missionary 
:: a semester with only one hard math class instead of two 
:: fun stuff in my free time since I'll maybe actually have free time next semester
:: that same missionary comes home
:: .......?

So, you know, if I can get through tomorrow and Friday, I am set for life/eternity/whatever.

On a different note, this is cool: 

These are LDS missionaries serving in New York currently. The one on the far right is who I got this picture from [pardon my awful English]; his family posted it as his new cover photo on Facebook. I know him because he's friends with my cousin Drew who I played with lots last fall semester. He's speaking Mandarin on his mission. The one second from the left is from my home ward and group of friends in high school. He's speaking Spanish on his mission. HOW DID THESE TWO LAND IN THE SAME PICTURE. We may never know. (But for reals, we might not.) But it made me really happy. 

And while we're talking about it, this is also cool:

Mormon Helping Hands :: Hurricane Sandy :: Rockaways, NY from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

Hospital Branch

This Sunday I had the opportunity to volunteer in the LDS branch that meets at the hospital each week. Mostly this branch exists for two reasons: so those who must work on Sunday have an opportunity to worship, and so patients and staff can have the chance to take the sacrament. It's a pretty awesome idea, and those stuck in the hospital on Sundays really do take advantage of it.

We arrived at 8:55 AM for a combined Priesthood/Relief Society lesson with the regular volunteers, after which we split up into small groups to visit each floor. I was with the most adorable old couple to orthopedics/neuro on the 4th floor, where we went from room to room, visiting church members who expressed an interest in receiving the sacrament. The sweet Priesthood brother we had with us blessed and passed it to each member, after which I had the opportunity to read a quote and share a thought. The tenderness of those hospital patients was humbling and exemplary as they very gratefully took the opportunity to worship and receive the most important blessings of the week. 

I believe everyone can always stand to improve their relationship with God, but these folks really understood the weight of needing to communicate constantly with their Heavenly Father and the blessings from doing so. It's nice to be reminded that He really is our Father and we really are His children, even [especially] when things don't work out nice and pretty. We can and should call on Him during every sorrow and every joy; He will listen and answer. This I know to be true.

It happened on November 9

Yesterday, winter began. 

On Thursday, the news predicted 1-3" of snow for Utah valleys this weekend (Friday-Sunday).
On Friday [yesterday], the sky dropped a solid 5 inches over the course of the day. 
Saturday and Sunday are not yet come and gone.
So, like I said, winter is here!

I know I already blogged about the first time it snowed; that's different because it happens every year: it snows mucho one day, melts real quick, and then doesn't snow for a while longer. 
But I think this weekend might be the real deal, starting the cycle where the snow insists on sticking around just long enough for it to snow again. 

Yesterday I drank hot chocolate and ate soup for dinner and watched a movie with a blanket on the couch and listened to Christmas music (although this is old news) and wore boots.
So it's all rather exciting and downright romantic [in the way that old things and cozy things are romantic] at this point.
Ask me how I feel about it in February.

Proof of the events hereby discussed: 

Both of these were taken in the early afternoon, when less than half of yesterday's snow had fallen.

I rest my case.

This is not about America and elections

But I voted! And that's about as far as I have time to spare any thought for elections this week.

What I really want to talk about is this: 

I went on Pinterest for just a moment yesterday and they taught me how to repin. Because naturally, I have no clue how to work technology, which is why I have a blog and email and profiles on like 17 other websites. </sarcasm> I understand they're just trying to be helpful [they want me addicted], but really?? I will begin repinning whenever I have a wedding to plan. Or something.

And while we're mocking:
 Guys, you NEVER KNOW when a hipster wedding is gonna break out.





Ok but in the two minutes I was on there, I did find a few things I now want (no, I didn't repin them):

Aren't they lovely? 

The end.

Music to love a lot

OH MY GOSH I just fell in head-over-heels love with Imagine Dragons. 
I have absolutely no clue why the heck I waited until now to download this album. 
I think I'll be soon buying everything else they've ever made.
Seriously, this is good stuff.

Go. Listen. Fall in love.

And don't come back until you've done so. 




(Ok, that's a joke. You can come back anytime you like.)
(But I'm not kidding about how great these guys are.)