per favore?

dear friends. i need some help. please. but its really fun help. as many of you know i'm involved in the wonderful birch creek service ranch, a summer program located in spring city for youth (the un-troubled variety. . .though i think all youth have some element of trouble) where we work hard, serve others, play lots, and have a wonderful wonderful time. so here is how you can help:

1. we need campers! especially the girl kind (i am the director of the girls program, so they will be in my care. . . for better or worse!). this is seriously the most fun any teen can have. so if you know any ages 12-15, PLEASE send them my way. applications can be found here. the session dates are:

• boys 1: june 9th- july 2nd
• girls!!!: july 5th- 19th
• boys 2: july 21st- aug. 13th

2. the second way you can help is that if you don't know a teen, you could donate and help sponser a kid who needs a scholarship.
3. and third and of most immediate helping needed, we are having a work party down at the ranch this friday and saturday in an effort to help resurrect our dear little yurts that got crushed under the heavy snow this winter. we bought about 7 jaunty darling yurts straight from mongolia and the campers have been living in them the last two summers. alas, several of them fell this winter and need some major tlc. please come either or both days, it will be super fun replete with sleepover in the american yurt, hot tubs, conference listening, good food, and glorious nature. let me know if you can make it and we can coordinate carpooling!
thanks! xoxox zina

seizures and lust

for christmas this year my friend davey gave me a graphic novel called 'epileptic' by david b. i finally got around to reading it this week and LOVED it!!!! (thank you davey!!!) it is only the third graphic novel i've read, but i'd put it top on the list. its a sort of autobiographical exploration of a young boy and his family and the affect the older brother's epilepsy has on them. its also an exploration of the author's intellectual/ideological coming of age. the drawings are terrific and the story is so heart wrenching and real. its amazing to me how well he captures human emotion and experience through his simple, powerful drawings.
and then secondly, i am seriously lusting after this awesome bike basket from moma store. . . wouldn't it look so great on my bike?? sigh.

yo provo!!!

people of provo you should know that the new michel gondry film 'be kind rewind' is playing at the dollar theater at university mall. cool right?! its just come out in regular theaters, but for a cool buck fifty you can see it in a crappy theater surrounded by orem teens. i went the other night with pack and we both loved it. its quite a different feel from his last film (science of sleep), and at first i felt it was dragging a bit and i was worried i would be bored, but then more it went on the more into it i got, and i almost felt like i was a part of the film. it ends so wonderfully, it made me feel like i was in my childhood again. . . making up plays, being a part of a community. it was really heartwarming. and as a result of seeing the film i now have a MASSIVE crush on mos def and can't stop listening to his music. i mean look at him? how could you not?

balloon fairy!!!!

i just went outside my door and to my absolute surprise/delight/ glee someone left a bunch of beautiful bouncy balloons tied to my bike!!!!!! i am so super excited! THANK YOU BALLOON FAIRY!!!! who are you? where do you live? how can i ever repay? i make yummy tasty treats? to whomever did this this is the nicest thing ever! you have made my day/week/month/year/life!!! i hope whoever you are you are having all the blessings of wonderfulness poured out on you. and please, let me know who you are so i can return your kindness and give you a big kiss! xoxo me

childhood

i watched 'the red balloon' the other night with davey and bardhi. i love that film. its so beautiful and nostalgic. i had it on vhs as a kid and would watch it again and again. i think i want to buy the sound track. and the dvd. i've noticed all the films i own are ones that i have bought thinking, my children must see this. funny. i can't remember that last time i had a balloon. they are so nice to walk with and ride bikes with. one time i had one tied to my backpack.

daffodils, saints, & ghosts

lately i've had some nice adventures. my friend elaine is obsessed with ghost towns, and has a rather outdated (1978) guide to those in ut (i say this because my own town spring city is in there and it is anything but a ghost town these days). about two weeks ago we drove to the other side of ut lake in search of one. . .to no avail. but it was a pretty drive, and we had fun. then today we went in search of some in the west desert, the first two were a bust, but the third was a jackpot. ophir. we fell in love. it was a charming little row of buildings up a lovely little canyon, and there were some cool mines we explored.

at the beginning of this week pack and i went to st. george for a few days. i had to present at the urpa (utah recreation and parks) annual convention, and pack's parents have a condo down there. we enjoyed the 70+ weather, watched cable, took nice walks, explored cute antique/quilting/thrift shops (i found some great skirts, and some cool plates), and enjoyed each others company. pack is one of my most favorite people ever.

in general i am so happy spring is finally looking like it might just stick around. easter was nice and mellow at home with the rents in spring city.this is a view looking towards vernon out in the west desert. this is the area settled by the bennions back in my great great grandpa isreal's time. my grandparents lived out here for a short time in a one room cabin with no water or electricity, and my dad spent all his summers out here. it feels like home.

st. momma's birthday day

today is my super mom's birthday!!! woo hoo! my mom is hands down the best. a sampling of some things i love about her:
1. shes a rock, calm, collected, graceful, solid, true.
2. she always has good ideas for what i can do with my life
3. she is very generous and service oriented . . . she is charity
4. she's really fun to spend time with horse back riding, running errands, cooking, sitting, anytime.
5. she makes the best pies ever
6. she will always be taller than me so i can always rest my head on her shoulder
i love you mom! happy birthday!

snow flurries and small thoughts

yesterday the sky was spitting snow at me as i rode to school, but it's ok. that's spring. that's march. temperamental, jealous winter still trying to assert her power over gentle amiable spring. the lamb and the lion. a couple of things:
1. last friday davey and i enjoyed the delicious early spring evening by strolling about downtown provo in their monthly first friday of the month gallery stroll. it was super! we started out at mode botique where ruel brown was showing off his awesome monsters, collages, wall drawings, and dapper white jacket. it was so great! our favorite for sure. then we hit coal umbrella, metropolitan hair salon, the flower basket boutique, terra nova gallery and then gallery 110. we topped the evening off with one more stop at mode to bid on our favorite pieces, and lovely raquel snapped this pic of us with allan. it was such a great evening. everyone should do it every month!
2. i have a trashy side. and that trashy side loves some gross things. like corn dogs. i love corn dogs. mmm mmm good. but i've been a mostly vegetarian for the last year and a half, so i gave up my guilty pleasure of breaded meat on a stick. until my friend elaine told me about veggie corn dogs. so i bought some, and last night tried one, and i am totally sold! viva la guilty pleasure! with a slightly more safe/moral/healthy twist!
3. last night we had a frenchie themed movie night. we watched 'paris, je t'aime' and 'la vie en rose'. i liked both of them very very much, though both left my heart aching a bit because of the sadness and beauty of life. the unfair, and unnecessary pain some endure, but the beauty they are still able to find/create/enjoy. sigh. (this is a pic from one of my favorite short in 'paris. . ').
4. i have been doing quite a lot of job/home hunting lately. i'm trying to figure out what to do with my life, from where to move in the fall, to what to do. i'll admit to feeling a little overwhelmed. there is the desire to just cross some ocean and work abroad teaching or doing humanitarian work. . . but i love to be close to my parents and friends here in utah. and then i feel i'm not sure what kind of job i'm qualified for with my hodge podge background in visual arts, literature, recreation management, library work, summer camp work, basic gardening, etc. i love working with people, especially teens, i love teaching, i love being outside, i love being creative, and i love not sitting at a desk all day. i suppose my parents lifestyle has left a permanent standard of living on my mind. so, i am taking ANY and all suggestions as to where to move to (salt lake and seattle are being considered right now), and what i could do for work. please?
5. i found another AMAZING show i want to see in ny in april. . . this one by cai guo-qiang, a chinese installation artist, at the guggenheim. it looks so incredible. i can't wait.6. last but not least CUTE CUTE CUTE!!! spring = babies. and cute ones at that. one time our neighbors were asked to raise a fawn whose mother had been killed. his name was erik. he would totter around the neighborhood and come over for loves. he was so spotty and silky and softy and sweet.

il sole bo bole

woohoo its sunny sunny gorgeous outside!!! yeah! some good things:
1. yesterday i finally bought a book of mary oliver poetry for ME i've bought so many of hers and given them away but this one is mine all mine
2. i got my peru sunglasses fixed at lund's optical and mr. lund was so nice and gave me a chamois cloth to clean them with and showed me some cool optical allusions. i love local businesses.
3. today i wore my patent leather yellow shoes.
4. the other night i watched "the refugee allstars" about these wonderful inspiring musicians from sierra leon.
5. i have been embroidering.
6. I had a dream the other night that i lived and worked on a tall ship (and i had curly hair) and then it was discovered i was the daughter of the raddest pirate couple ever and i was a pirate princess, and we were nice pirates.
7. this pic from the break dance birthday i threw for my roomie lindsey last week replete with professional bboy kyle who taught us some sweet moves.

love/hate

here are some things that i love latley:
-the SUN!!! hooray for spring being on its way
-netflix with its scores of period dramas and documentaries
-daddy daughter dates
-being a part of obama raising $55 million in Feb. with over 90% of that coming from donations under $100. . no money from lobbyist or PAC's!!!
-mango sorbet
-watching reuben watch his bird dvd
-orange nail polish
-new shoes made from african fabric
-this painting (and the fact that i'll get to see it at the met in april)and then some things i hate:
-byusa elections. ugh. stop harassing me on campus.
-that my cool shades from peru broke
-that my pants are tight
-the wrinkle furrows in my brow seem to have become permanent. sigh.
thats all. xoxo.

worldess tuesday (i couldn't wait till wednesday!)

(props to christopher and lauren for sending this my way!!! sooooooo cute!!!)

packattack BIRTHDAY!!!

today is THIS pretty girl's birthday! happy quarter of a century packi! now you can consider yourself a menace to society!! welcome to the club!!! love you lots! here is a song dedication "pack attack pack pack attack, p-a-a-c-k-a-t-t-a-c-k! xoxo

springtime can kill you

or so says jolie holland. i changed my blog because it was so wintery it made me depressed everytime i looked at it. probably made you depressed too. sorry. there have been hints and promises of spring in the air lately, and sun shining enough to make me risk sandals and bare legs yesterday. i really am looking forward to spring, its been a long winter, lovely with all the snow, but i'm ready for warm. change. flowers. GREEN. yum. some good things as of late: 1. saw step up 2: the streets. seriously go see it. the first one was lame. this one AMAZING dancing. loved it. 2. have been eating lots of salad 3. have made some small progress on my thesis 4. am sleeping in my delicious 600 thread count cotton sheets now instead of flannal. sigh. p.s. that is a pic of my darling sister and i dancing at my best friend's wedding last fall in vermont. i think we should have dance parties all the time.