I'm doing everything I possibly can to avoid organizing my room which includes finally blogging. It's been a wild week in which I have learned a lot about myself. Here's my quote of the day before I turn my music up too loud and clean like crazy:

"And again I say unto you, sue for peace, not only to the people that have smitten you, but also to all people;
And lift up an ensign of peace, and make a proclamation of peace unto the ends of the earth;
And make proposals for peace unto those who have smitten you, according to the voice of the Spirit which is in you, and aall things shall work together for your good.
Therefore, be faithful; and behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end. Even so. Amen."

D&C 105:38-41

Pottery for Awesome

So I dragged a friend to the Marion County Fair today and it was very interesting. There were some BEAUTIFUL flowers, really striking photography and some adorable little animals. Why are little animals so cute? I liked the lil' bunnies and the Bantam hens. And the baby goats. The best part of the night was wondering in to the Willamette Art Center. We met a fantastic volunteer who showed us around and let us peek into the gallery. WOW! There are some incredibly talented artists in Salem. Their web site is www.willametteartcenter.com and they offer all kinds of fantastic classes. My favorite piece was the castle from Howl's Moving Castle. Enjoy!

Movies for Awesome

I have watched Guys and Dolls about a billion times since I moved to Salem. Marlon Brando is my old-school gangster crush. Apparently he's not the best singer so each song was pieced together after multiple takes, but I still love it! And with Frank Sinatra... it's just a great flick! I still laugh at the cheesy jokes.

Updates

My Eureka Optima Lightweight Upright is a mouthful to say but I ADORE it! Domestic bliss = a little yellow vacuum that cleans your house but wasn't too expensive and isn't giant. It has a name now as a sign of my affection. That's all I'm sayin'. More bliss of domesticity in the form of an old new couch, chair and ottoman. When I asked the lady to tell me how low she'd be willing to go on the price she told me $60 for the whole set. When I saw the furniture in person I was instantly in love and I gave her an extra $20 but I'm sure in my heart that I got an AMAZING deal. The set is GORGEOUS and super comfy! *contented sigh* And if that weren't enough, Trader Joe's has these little packets of India food that you warm in hot water and they're ready to eat. FABulous! I ate my Palak Paneer with rice (cooked with dried onion) on top of romaine lettuce. Recently I've been eating everything on lettuce leaves. I'm pretending to eat gluten free but I've decided that since all gluten free bakery products are super expensive and are sometimes gross that I'll sick with lettuce. I plan on sampling more gluten free fare when my food budget increases but lettuce works for now. My Palak Paneer was made with "no gluten ingredients used." I think that means gluten free...

Poems for Awesome

Trust no one.
Remember that
Everyone
Pitys the
Individual who can't help
Divulging
Any and all
Tidbits of
Information about themselves.
On the other hand
No man is an island.

Poems for Awesome

Careful when napping.
Regret can follow a snooze.
Sleepless nights follow.

Poems for Awesome

In the firelight
Hearers are not limited
Soul communes with soul.

Poems for Awesome

So tired and sore.
Cannot wait to go to sleep.
Good thing it's Friday.

Poems for Awesome

Self discovery
Where have you been all this time?
No more holding back.

Clarity of self
New beginnings from old news
Big steps in old shoes.

The problem with trying to write a poem every day is that some days are completely uninspired. Just sayin'.

Poems for Awesome

Sleeping in too much
My dreams are too delicious
I wake wanting more.

Poems for Awesome

The breeze flows by to say hello
The trees, they wave and bend.
Tree branches swing so merrily
I think they must be friends.

But big winds come and big winds blow
Tree branches thrash around.
And swing and break and crash and fall
Tree bits litter the ground.

Poems for Awesome

On the beach
It's clear
That the clouds are suspended projections
Of the sweeps and swirls of salt water
Churning in the deep.

Poems for Awesome: I couldn't help it! I had the candy bombers on my mind

Candy from the heavens
Falling from the sky.
Parachutes of handkerchiefs
Dropped by pilots sly.

Candy from the heavens
bringing so much more.
Raining hope and happiness
Making lighter every chore.

Candy from the heavens
Changed the conflict grim.
A little chocolate helped a lot
When the chances were so slim.

Candy from the heavens
The giant air bridge brings
Gifts from kind hearts in the states
And Uncle Wiggly Wings.

Poems for Awesome (I wrote these on Sunday)

I dreamt
I was a raindrop
In the clouds above the ocean
Waiting to fall, make a splash, add to the whole
Anxiously



There is a way,
It lies at my feet.
The price that I pay
Is both bitter and sweet.
The cross of the world
And the shame thereof, too
The insults hurled
Accusations untrue
All must be endured
With a smile and a wink
I'll soon be inured
Brush things off with a blink.
For the sweet peace that comes
Is so precious and rare
"Carry on," my heart hums
My Savior waits there.
Yes the end of the road
Is heaven so sweet.
So I shoulder my load.
"Au revior, 'till we meet!"

Books for Awesome: The Candy Bombers

Andrei Cherny is the author of the book The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour. Reading the book, I felt fully immersed in post WWII Germany. When I would come up for air, I had trouble reacclimatizing myself to my peaceful surroundings. Cherny paints a vivid picture that explores the background of all the major players and then interweaves their stories in a captivating tale. I LOVED how he emphasized with such clarity the tragic hopelessness of the situation and then contrasted the powerful tenacity of the Berliners and the humanitarian efforts of the allied forces. The personal commentaries and vignettes added depth that many times made me cry! I want to go to Berlin.

Poems for Awesome: Evidence

Extra proof
Video-like that
Improves,
Defines,
Exposes.
No doubt it brings
Critical knowledge and
Expands potential.

Poems for Awesome: silver veneer

When the rain comes down
It paints the whole town
With a silver veneere
That's translucent and sheer
My blood turns cold
I feel slow and old
I seek a good book
Grab a blanket and look
For a warm, cozy spot
With hot cocoa (a lot)
And I sip and I read
There's not much I need
But if I don't watch me
I might become moldy
The green sneaky substance
Could grow on me in abundance
And i could be stuck
With my book
In a nook
To the spot
Where I sat
Watching rain like a cat
As it painted the town
While it fell softly down.

Poems for Awesome: intuition

I am aware of the world
Nature, people, environment
Trust in my gut
Understand what's out there by
Investigating my surroundings
Time brings experience
Interest grows
Open doors beckon
No fear, be confident

Movies for Awesome

For those of you who didn't know: I am a huge Hayao Miyazaki fan! His movies are always delightful and beautiful and imaginative. And weird in a good way. Last night I watched The Cat Returns and it was fantastic! Miyazaki always gets fun people to do the english voice overs. In this show Anne Hathaway does the voice of Haru and Cary Elwes does the voice of the Baron. The movie has a positive message about believing in yourself. By the end I totally had a crush on the Baron (even though he's a cat).

Poems for Awesome

To what end to people pass me?

Do they get there faster? No!

It's just more stop and go.

I'm actually not that slow.

There's not that much to show

When cars right past me blow.

Stupid cars!

Poems for Awesome

I miss my sister

We always laugh too loudly

We're our biggest fans!

Poems for Awesome

I dreamt

I was a fluffy white cloud

High above a field like an unreachable puff of fluff

Scudding across the piercingly blue sky

Distantly.

Poems for Awesome (I wrote these on Sunday)

El Espiritu

Me da consuelo y paz

Guia me a Dios

Dios le habla

por el profeta

y le bendice

si lo acepta

vivir con la guia

de Dios a diario

?que mas quiere?

es un billonario...

mas bien es sin precio

no puede valorear

el amor de Dios

que el profeta le mostrara

Books for Awesome

New old books: the Uncle series. I only have access to the first two books since the other ones are out of print. When I go to England, I'll bash around town in the old book stores looking for used copies. J.P. Martin was a minister and told Uncle stories to his children as he invented them. They were so wonderful that his kids asked him to write them down. I'm so glad he did! The first book is called Uncle. Uncle (the main character) is an elephant who is enormously rich and lives in a vast castle. Comprised of a collections of magical towers and inhabitants, the castle is a source of endless adventures. Fighting enemies occupies the rest of Uncles' time. Homeward (the castle) is close to Badfort where Uncle's enemies live. They are a terrible lot and deserve what they get. The sequel, Uncle Clean Up, continues adventures looking at towers and introduces more fantastic characters. I highly recommend these books for family read-a-loud enjoyment. The prose is so delightful, you end up reading bits aloud anyway so you might as well all experience the fun that is Uncle together.

Poems for Awesome: Jam

Blackberries wage war

Ferociously against us

In the end, we win!

Heart beats in my toes.

Side effect of my woes?

Heart beats in my ears.

Sustained living with my fears?

I want peace and I want quiet!

Slice of silence: wish I could buy it.

Now I'm where I'm supposed to be

I'd love a piece of tranquility.

Heal my body, calm my heart.

Now I'm ready for my new start.

I dreamt

I was a chicken

in a cage in the back yard

eating all the worms

hastily.

I dreamt

I was the river

by the hospital

healing the patients

refreshingly.

Books for Awesome

I had never heard of Hard Times by Charles Dickens until my roommate Valerie lent/gave me a copy. (I'm not sure if I need to return it. I need to ask her.) Beyond A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations, I had little exposure to other Dickens treasures. I had no idea how prolific he was! The truth is, I have only recently gained the confidence that I can read, understand, and appreciate Mr. Dickens' writing. Hard Times is amazing! Reading Dickens and Gaskell, I get the feeling that they caused quite an uproar in their time. In the edition that I read, a letter was included from Dickens to Gaskell that asked for her opinion on how to deal with striking. The story takes place in a mill town and weaves us in and out of the lives of the highest and lowest classes comparing and contrasting. Is it better to be poor and loving or rich and unfeeling? Is it better to be uneducated and moral or educated and immoral? What is lost for the sake of progress and facts? I always feel that I know Dickens opinion but that he writes as if he were a lawyer presenting the whole story to me, the juror. He tells both sides of the story. No one is innocent, no one is perfect, but that is why humanity must be merciful. My favorite characters are Sissy Jupe, Stephen Blackpool, and Rachel. Their humility and integrity and charity is so heartrending! Though they are the lowest of the low we would be lucky to be their friends and to be able to emulate their patience in suffering.

Hard Times is fantastic! Daniel Landeen once said that we should all read one book by Charles Dickens each year. I completely agree.

Books for Awesome

Little Wolf's Book of Badness by Ian Whybrow and illustrated by Tony Ross was recommended to me by my aunt and uncle. Little Wolf is not "bad" enough for his parents so they ship him off to boarding school where he will be taught by his Uncle Bigbad the nine rules of badness. He has all kinds of adventures that he discovers he likes. The reader gets to experience the delightful personality of Little Wolf through the letters he sends home detailing all his escapades to his parents. Little Wolf's Book of Badness is delightful and creative! I look forward to reading the rest of the series. A note of caution for young readers learning how to spell: some words are spelled creatively which adds to the charm of the book but might thwart spelling efforts.

Yours Finishedly,

Jessica

Chickens in the backyard,

Dogwoods in the front.

Sixty-six degrees outside:

Time for lots of fun!

Stretch and reach and

Start the day.

Jump right out of bed!

Let the fresh air

In your lungs.

Breathe in and start the day.

heartbreaking goodbye

leaving loved ones behind me

new loved ones to find

James is home. He's certainly skinnier but still slightly crazy. Time will tell how deep the changes have been. President Perez gave some very meaningful commentary on the special connections missionaries have to heaven, the fulfillment of calls extended in the pre-existence and the importance of return missionaries looking the part and encouraging future missionaries. I'm really proud of my lil' bruder!

Which books to take?

which move to make?

which way to turn?

what will I learn?

Changes soon:

a curse and boon.

I still don't know what to pack.

Breaks the morning light

Streaming into my new day

The future is here.

Pay my respects to the infinite

Ruler of the universe

Always attentive

Yes, He knows my name

Ever watchful

Ready to "comfort me when faint."

The comfort comes from finding where it is that I belong

This homecoming is sweet, fulfilling, overwhelming, strong.

Welcome back the first time, come and sing along

Pull yourself from drudgery, extricate from the throng.

Now that you've found you, know you've been here all along.