I know this is nerdy

But I don't really care. In about a week the film version of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass comes out. I read the books two Christmases ago, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I know there is some controversy amongst the christian world thinking these books are anti-god. I don't care to get into all that, they are based on Paradise Lost and Blake's poetry both of which I love and if they are anti-god so be it. One of my favorite things in these books are that each character has a daemon, which is essentially your soul, that is outside the body and personified in an animal form. Reading the books made me REALLY want a daemon. .. . like the imaginary friend I never had. So when my friend told me about the online quiz where you can find out what your daemon is I was all over it. While a butterfly is not the animal I'd have chosen, I think the description of my personality is surprisingly accurate. I don't know what it means that in the last week I've got two posts with online personality quizzes. .. maybe I'm doing some subconscious soul searching? Anyway, here it is. (p.s. that is a butterfly on my fingers at Foz do Iguacu in Brazil)
BUTTERFLY - Your daemon may be a butterfly. It is ironic that the butterfly traditionally represents the psyche, yet it is one of the least emotive physical forms that your daemon can take. It is very hard to tell what a butterfly is feeling, and perhaps that is why you feel so comfortable with this form. You have many, many friends and a beautiful soul, but you don't like to reveal what your innermost feelings are. You aren't afraid to be yourself - you are vibrant and colourful. But at the same time, you don't like to wear your heart on your sleeve. Take this quiz!

this is what i want

. . .

i can't believe it's almost december. it's almost 2008. i think 2007 is seriously the fastest year of my life. i know people say stuff like that all the time. but really. not joking. there is something eerie about it, like 'hey universe, give me my freaking year back!'. duh.

thankful

I woke up this morning around 5:30 because I was having a dream that I needed to throw up, I realized once semi-cognizant that this was not simply a dream, but a reality. Then ensued about six hours of not so pleasant stomach flu, the likes of which I've not experienced since childhood. And while that aspect of the day was most unpleasant, it has been a little blessing in disguise in that it allowed me a full day of sleeping, reading, cuddling with my cat, and watching Amelie. I was able to read the entire graphic novel "Blankets" by Craig Thompson which I really liked immensely. I also made a mix cd for a friend, and contemplated gratitude on this eve of Thanksgiving. So here is my 2007 partial gratitude list (partial in that it is only a fraction of the things I am grateful for, really stream of consciousness):
-a safe beautiful home with lovely green walls, splendid roommates, and the comfiest bed in the world
-my parents and sisters
-my delicious bike
-my passport and the stamps it acquired this year
-dear friends across the globe
-dear friends who bring me gatorade, sprite and jamba juice when I'm sick
-my little cat
-free wood and a wood stove
-scrabulous
-hard work
-coca tea
-wool felt hats
-the gospel
-making collages
-forgiveness
-a pretty green bracelet
-hiking
-the ranch
-the smell of rain, and woodsmoke
-airplanes
-the best cookie recipe in the world
-hope/faith
-great books/films/music/art

i knew it!!!

This summer at the ranch we had a conversation where we had to decide which character out of all of literature we would be and why. After much thought and consideration it dawned on me that I am totally Elinor from Sense & Sensibility! so I guess its no surprise when I took this quiz and it told me the exact same thing. (can you tell I am procrastinating today? ugh. Elinor would never do that. . . maybe I'm not so like her).

Take the Quiz here!

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

love

I'll admit, I am to some extent a hopeless romantic. while years of being a single gal have taught me to be rational and logical about things, I have somehow maintained the seed of hope that true love does happen every now and again and maybe someday it'll happen to me. this papercut by mister rob ryan makes me believe. so does the danish poet. watch it.

grand gulch

About a month ago I went on a short weekend backpacking trip to Grand Gulch with my friends Lindsay, Grant and Matt. I hadn't been to GG since high school and it was so fun to revisit old ruins and reacquaint myself with that beautiful canyon. It was a perfect weekend, not too hot or cold, all the cottonwoods in glorious yellow array, and a pretty nice length of hiking through the canyon. I really love being in southern Utah, so so much. I'm so grateful my parents raised me with the canyons as my backyard and that I am so lucky as to have traversed a fair amount of wilderness territory. Being on this little trip made me remember/realize how important being outside is for my soul. I love backpacking because there is so much time to just BE in nature and notice small details and think about the natural processes of the rocks and organisms, or your life, or nothing at all. I love the quiet and the stars, and sleeping so well outside. Someone once said that we love being in nature because we are surrounded by beings who are all in total compliance and obedience to God's laws. I like that idea, being in nature can't help but make me think of the most important things and make me feel like I'm a part of it all.

no words peru wednesday

by this ring

I have never been the sort of girl to dream of getting married, weddings, dresses, rings etc. All I've ever know is a) I don't want a diamond b)eloping sounds pretty great and c) if I do have a party it just might be a pot-luck, or a camping trip, or both.
BUT, some time ago I found the Erie Basin jewelery store- based out of Brooklyn, and almost every time I check the site I find at least one ring I think "I could wear that for the rest of my life". Simple, old, lovely.

Not even close to a wordless Wednesday

I really like graffiti. A lot. Where ever I am, I look for it. In Peru it took awhile to find any good stuff, but one day we stumbled into a neighborhood that had some great images. Here are a few. I have a can of gold spray paint and am itching to use it. .. I am thinking of a angle Moroni stencil. . .is that sacreligious?

Gleaning

One of my favorite things to do is glean. My mom taught me all about it as a kid when we'd go around town gathering apples and plums from trees in abandoned lots to make juice, syrup, and jams. And then there is this great film "The Gleaners and I" by the grand dame of French new wave cinema Agnes Varda that I saw a few years ago and think about almost everyday. So you can imagine my delight when my dad told me of a place where I could glean a supply of firewood for this winter at a truss mill in Spanish Fork. It's quite a particular process, wood can only be gleaned from 12-12:30, and you have to get there early to ensure a good place in line, but the wood is in ample supply and we are feeling quite prepared for the cold winter months ahead. Viva gleaning!

sushi

this year for halloween i was a piece of sashimi. I made the piece of tuna out of some foam that I cut and shaped and then spray painted. it was pretty simple and cute. here are pics before heading to a halloween show are gallery 110. tom is a monk, adam is the angel moroni, and davey is reuben cat. I wish the flash weren't so bright because you can't see the sushi that well. oh well. i did wear it all day to school and taught five classes. . . if only classrooms were run by delicious raw fish. . . .mmmm. ... . p.s. look at how scary Reuben's eyes are in the first pic! that was his costume!!! and p.p.s. you can see the makeover we gave our living room! i love the green alfalfa colored paint!
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