Only one more month to go! It's surprising how fast this year has gone by. And at the same time, the months and days seem to go pretty slowly. Here's what I watched and read in November:
Movies:
Sorry, Wrong Number: This movie was surprisingly dark for an old classic. I thought I knew where it was going, and then--whoa.
Anne of Avonlea: Loved it just as much as Anne of Green Gables. Anne. Miss Stacey, and Marilla are my role models.
The Orphanage: I saw this in October, but saw it again with Matthew in November because I liked it so much. We can't wait to play creepy Spanish games with our kids!
The Sound of Music: I was in the mood (you'll see why soon). It was so (remifasolatido) delightful. The songs are still going through my head.
The Waltons Thanksgiving (both of them): This month I got stuck on a Waltons binge-fest. I have been watching my favorite episodes from each season every night while I work on miscellaneous stuff. As of now I'm still interested and I'm in the seventh season. Our kids are definitely gonna be little Walton-ites if this keeps up.
Labyrinth: What the weird. This film reminded me of something I would come up with in a dream after eating too much one night - it would seem like a really cool and awesome idea while I was asleep and then I'd wonder what the heck I was thinking when I woke up. But it was so weird and wacky and awkward and tacky enough to just be sort of . . . cool? At any rate, I now have a good excuse for David Bowie to show up in future crazy dreams.
I am Sam: I really enjoyed this tender and poignant film about a mentally challenged father trying to raise and keep his daughter, not least because she has the beautiful name of Lucy.
Catch Me if You Can: I've seen this one before but it sure is a rollicking good time. Matthew also liked it.
The Intouchables: Matthew and I saw this at the International Cinema and it was SO good. Highly, highly, highly recommend.
Star Trek 2: Love, love, love this movie. And it makes three amazing movies in a row that I watched this month! I was on a roll.
The Magic of Belle Isle: Ehhh... didn't care super much for this one. In fact, I'm not entirely sure I saw the ending.
Something Wicked This Way Comes: Good film to match a good book. Made me miss October.
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness: I don't know why I was in the mood for this, but I was. I haven't seen it since I was an early teenager or thereabouts, so there was a lot of nostalgia in seeing and crying and laughing at the old familiar parts. It is wonderful how movies you watched as a child come to take on new meanings when you watch them as an adult.
Bernie: I watched this in January, so I guess it's my beginning and end of the year movie. Matthew saw it this time and we were both really interested in dead bodies at the time (I'm not going to elaborate unless you ask), so it seemed to fit. Surprisingly, my favorite part this time around was 100% the music.
Frankenweenie: A little weird, a little creepy, a little cute. Sounds about right. I don't think I'll see it again, though - the heart and soul of the whole thing was missing for me. The little dog was adorable, though.
Austenland: Ok, so here's the thing. I know it's pretty much a ridiculous premise and plot and the lack of characterization and background and depth is appalling, yada yada. But is it bad that I thoroughly enjoyed and was entertained by the entire thing from beginning to end? Could it have to do with the fact that I watched it in a theater filled with gasping, squealing, whispering girls? Yeah...
Frequency: Fantastic film. Still has the intensity and the emotional and spiritual punch from the first time when I watched it.
Miracle on 34th Street (the older version): Watched this on Thanksgiving with my family. This time I especially loved the conversation between Fred Gailey and Doris about what things are worth believing in. And yes I actually believe Edmund Gwenn is Santa.
Books:
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall: This is the first book I've read by Anne Bronte. I really loved Wuthering Heights and could not get through Jane Eyre (although I need to give it a second go-round now), and this one fell in the middle of those two for me. It was well written and engaging, but rather belabored and long-winded. And the protagonist got on my nerves.
I Am Not a Serial Killer: The best word I can come up for this one right now is enthralling. Really, seriously, enthralling. I was impressed.
Catch Me If You Can: This semi-autobiography was even more interesting, tricky, and unbelievable than the movie. There were some good insights as well and I thought the author did a good job of presenting his life without over-analyzing or moralizing it.
Theater:
The Sound of Music: I went on a whim to usher for this production of The Sound of Music, which turned out to be done with large puppets (and one human, strangely, to play the part of Mother Superior). I was too far away unfortunately to really appreciate the detail of the puppets, but what I saw was cute and creative. They did a lot of fun marionette tricks that got a lot of laughs. The music really is all you need to have an enjoyable time though.
The Nightingale: I thought I had missed this show when I forgot to sign up to usher for it at BYU, but then they did a free performance at the Provo library and I got a great seat. I sometimes don't care too much for the "children's" shows they put on, but this one was actually probably one of my most favorite. I loved how they incorporated dance, music, and Chinese into the story and the costumes were really beautiful as well.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
October 2013 Media Inventory
Movies:
Lincoln: Pretty good film. I was disappointed it only focused on a small part of Lincoln's story, but it did tell a compelling story, and I love anything to do with Civil War history.
Ramona and Beezus: Such a cute film, and the beginning of my "Comfort Movie October Fest." I especially love the added romance between Aunt Bea and Uncle Hobart - it's like Ramona for adults!
The Words: I thought this was going to be a lot better than it was. Then I was going to settle for it being just a little better than it was. Then I was disappointed that it turned out to be so... pointless.
Puss in Boots: Meh. I lost interest at Humpty-Dumpty. Wish they would do the fairy tale.
Monsieur Lazhar: Of all the films I've seen about inspirational teachers, this was pretty solidly in the middle.
Ballet Shoes: I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Sweet, interesting story, great acting and characters, and of course, ballet.
The Princess and the Frog: I love this movie! If I'm being honest, the plot is really just sort of so-so, but the look and characters and music are just incredible. I still have all the songs running through my head.
Mud: Continuing with my Louisiana theme... Some fine acting in this film - the conflict and story got a little muddled (ha!), but the acting was excellent.
Wreck-it Ralph: Another super great recent film. There are so many fun and creative details.
Seven Samurai: It had been a long time since I saw this film, but I was in the mood, and very much enjoyed it. I'm glad I watched it at home this time and took my time (I think I watched it over three days).
The Syrian Bride: Great film. Touching, informative, and interesting all at the same time. I loved the family members' individual struggles and dynamics. I just wished there were more of it.
Sons of the Great Bear: My first and probably last experience with German westerns. Weird. I still can't believe I actually watched all of it.
Cinderella 2: Around this time in the month I became obsessed with Disney. I'd never actually seen this movie, so, you know, now I can say I've done it.
Robin Hood: Yes, yes, yes - I approve very much of this film. See my entire post on it below.
Cinderella 3: A little more interesting than Cinderella 2, but still... oh let's be honest. The sequels are always worse.
Arthur Christmas: Fantastic film, and just what I needed to start feeling all Christmasy at this time of year.
Proof: This movie struck me as the sort of movie that would make an okay play and a pretty dull movie - and so it did.
Moneyball: Excellent film that makes me care about baseball, money, and of course, Brad Pitt.
The Jungle Book: I specifically was craving this film. What I noticed about it this time was how haunting and layered and meaningful some of the music is - "Trust in Me" in particular seemed this time to have more sinister, deeper implications than I'd ever noticed before.
World War Z: Not quite what I was expecting from a zombie film. It seemed somewhere in between telling an epic disaster story and a character's personal journey, and didn't quite succeed at either (though Brad Pitt, as always, delivered his usual excellence).
Meet the Robinsons: Cute. Fun. Creative. Colorful. Entertaining.
The Little Mermaid: I was... not impressed. I didn't grow up watching this movie, and watching it now only reaffirms my beliefs that the only parts worth remembering are the songs.
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Matthew had never seen this before - a situation which I simply HAD to rectify. Although I didn't discover and popularize this film in my family until my teenage years, the lines, characters, and adventures all seem an integral part of my past. It doesn't even seem outdated or cheesy to me - just awesome.
Anne of Green Gables: Because I love Anne and it's always been too long since you've seen this.
The Orphanage: Wonderfully and beautifully scary Spanish film with a sweet and poignant message about motherhood as well. I liked it so much I took Matthew to see it later in the same week.
The Thin Man: A classic murder mystery/screwball comedy. There were definitely some good moments of acting/dialogue, but the overall murder plot seemed almost an aside to the comedy and an excuse for cleverness. The end didn't quite explain and resolve itself in a satisfying way.
Books:
The Ladies no. 1 Detective Agency: Beautifully written and insightful book that is both simple and deep. I want to read the later books in this series eventually.
The Castle of Crossed Destinies: A bit like King Arthur meets Canterbury Tales meets postmodern poetry. It's sort of frustrating and sort of fun.
Wit: A Play: I felt I related a lot with this play about a poetry professor who is dying of cancer and struggling to deal with it and her life's study of John Donne's poetry. I'm writing my paper on it, so I should have a lot more to say about it in two weeks.
Portuguese Irregular Verbs: Oh academia - so delightfully ridiculous and humorous and serious you are! I want to read more funny books about touchy and snooty professors.
Something Wicked This Way Comes: I thought this would be a fitting read for Halloween, and I was not disappointed. Strange mix of the real and the fantastic that I wasn't sure would work, but it did. There are so many themes in the conflicts - good versus evil, weak versus strong, and normal, simple, averageness versus unknown, supernatural, specialness, to name a few. I'm keeping my eye out for the film now.
Lincoln: Pretty good film. I was disappointed it only focused on a small part of Lincoln's story, but it did tell a compelling story, and I love anything to do with Civil War history.
Ramona and Beezus: Such a cute film, and the beginning of my "Comfort Movie October Fest." I especially love the added romance between Aunt Bea and Uncle Hobart - it's like Ramona for adults!
The Words: I thought this was going to be a lot better than it was. Then I was going to settle for it being just a little better than it was. Then I was disappointed that it turned out to be so... pointless.
Puss in Boots: Meh. I lost interest at Humpty-Dumpty. Wish they would do the fairy tale.
Monsieur Lazhar: Of all the films I've seen about inspirational teachers, this was pretty solidly in the middle.
Ballet Shoes: I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Sweet, interesting story, great acting and characters, and of course, ballet.
The Princess and the Frog: I love this movie! If I'm being honest, the plot is really just sort of so-so, but the look and characters and music are just incredible. I still have all the songs running through my head.
Mud: Continuing with my Louisiana theme... Some fine acting in this film - the conflict and story got a little muddled (ha!), but the acting was excellent.
Wreck-it Ralph: Another super great recent film. There are so many fun and creative details.
Seven Samurai: It had been a long time since I saw this film, but I was in the mood, and very much enjoyed it. I'm glad I watched it at home this time and took my time (I think I watched it over three days).
The Syrian Bride: Great film. Touching, informative, and interesting all at the same time. I loved the family members' individual struggles and dynamics. I just wished there were more of it.
Sons of the Great Bear: My first and probably last experience with German westerns. Weird. I still can't believe I actually watched all of it.
Cinderella 2: Around this time in the month I became obsessed with Disney. I'd never actually seen this movie, so, you know, now I can say I've done it.
Robin Hood: Yes, yes, yes - I approve very much of this film. See my entire post on it below.
Cinderella 3: A little more interesting than Cinderella 2, but still... oh let's be honest. The sequels are always worse.
Arthur Christmas: Fantastic film, and just what I needed to start feeling all Christmasy at this time of year.
Proof: This movie struck me as the sort of movie that would make an okay play and a pretty dull movie - and so it did.
Moneyball: Excellent film that makes me care about baseball, money, and of course, Brad Pitt.
The Jungle Book: I specifically was craving this film. What I noticed about it this time was how haunting and layered and meaningful some of the music is - "Trust in Me" in particular seemed this time to have more sinister, deeper implications than I'd ever noticed before.
World War Z: Not quite what I was expecting from a zombie film. It seemed somewhere in between telling an epic disaster story and a character's personal journey, and didn't quite succeed at either (though Brad Pitt, as always, delivered his usual excellence).
Meet the Robinsons: Cute. Fun. Creative. Colorful. Entertaining.
The Little Mermaid: I was... not impressed. I didn't grow up watching this movie, and watching it now only reaffirms my beliefs that the only parts worth remembering are the songs.
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Matthew had never seen this before - a situation which I simply HAD to rectify. Although I didn't discover and popularize this film in my family until my teenage years, the lines, characters, and adventures all seem an integral part of my past. It doesn't even seem outdated or cheesy to me - just awesome.
Anne of Green Gables: Because I love Anne and it's always been too long since you've seen this.
The Orphanage: Wonderfully and beautifully scary Spanish film with a sweet and poignant message about motherhood as well. I liked it so much I took Matthew to see it later in the same week.
The Thin Man: A classic murder mystery/screwball comedy. There were definitely some good moments of acting/dialogue, but the overall murder plot seemed almost an aside to the comedy and an excuse for cleverness. The end didn't quite explain and resolve itself in a satisfying way.
Books:
The Ladies no. 1 Detective Agency: Beautifully written and insightful book that is both simple and deep. I want to read the later books in this series eventually.
The Castle of Crossed Destinies: A bit like King Arthur meets Canterbury Tales meets postmodern poetry. It's sort of frustrating and sort of fun.
Wit: A Play: I felt I related a lot with this play about a poetry professor who is dying of cancer and struggling to deal with it and her life's study of John Donne's poetry. I'm writing my paper on it, so I should have a lot more to say about it in two weeks.
Portuguese Irregular Verbs: Oh academia - so delightfully ridiculous and humorous and serious you are! I want to read more funny books about touchy and snooty professors.
Something Wicked This Way Comes: I thought this would be a fitting read for Halloween, and I was not disappointed. Strange mix of the real and the fantastic that I wasn't sure would work, but it did. There are so many themes in the conflicts - good versus evil, weak versus strong, and normal, simple, averageness versus unknown, supernatural, specialness, to name a few. I'm keeping my eye out for the film now.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
September 2013 Media Inventory
Now that we're over halfway through October, I suppose I'd better hurry and post this. I may have less to say than usual.
Movies:
Megamind: Fun movie. I liked it.
Mulan: One of my favorite Disneys! Great scenery, story, music, characters, etc.
Lady and the Tramp: I loved this so much I wrote a post about it.
The Fox and the Hound: Another one of my very favorites as a kid. It does make me cry.
Beauty and the Beast: Possibly, in my opinion, the best Disney movie.
According to Greta: Knowing nothing about this other than that Hillary Duff was playing an annoying teenager, I was nervous. But it was actually much better than I anticipated. Well acted and creative plot. I especially enjoyed the grandmother's character and the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter.
A Simple Life: Very down-to-earth, documentary-feeling Asian film about a housekeeper who joins a retirement home. I actually did believe for a little bit that I was just watching a woman's real life. It was long and painstakingly detailed, but still sweet.
A Cat in Paris: Fantastic, delightful animated French film. Funny and heartwarming. Watch it if you ever get the chance!
Tangled: Love it!
The Sword in the Stone: Merlin is SO hilarious.
Howl's Moving Castle: Matthew was really in the mood to watch it, so I came along for the ride. It isn't my favorite Miyazaki, and I wasn't blown away by the book either, but despite the so-so plot it's still just a very visually appealing film.
Enchanted: Such a feel-good film. For favorite parts, I'm torn between UM EVERY SONG EVER and the moment where the Queen is hiding Giselle in the elevator and feigns surprise at seeing her ("Oh.... her.").
Spirit: I remember thinking this was awesome as a kid. Then I gradually came to think of it as less than mediocre. This time I mostly enjoyed it. There's a little bit of corniness, but I'm mostly just happy to watch horses running around and showing off.
Freaky Friday: Something about this film intrigues and delights me. I like it, but it's hard to say why.
Cinderella: You don't spend a month watching classic Disney without watching this eventually.
Charlotte's Web: This film is so much greater and better than I remembered as a child. I actually really want to read the book again now.
Minority Report: Had to watch a Tom Cruise film to commemorate our "first date" anniversary (watching Knight and Day). This one impressed, despite all the eye-cringing eye-related stuff.
The Parent Trap: This was the first time I'd ever watched the new version with Lindsay Lohan. It was better than I expected (mostly thanks to Lohan's being a believable child actress), and I loved all the references to the old version (especially the fact that old Vicki played new Vicki's mother - and her name was still Vicki!).
Clandestine Childhood: A combination of passionate, anxious, activist propaganda and a simple boy comes of age tale. Although some of it was very emotional (the story of the uncle was particularly poignant), the whole thing overall didn't quite work for me. I had trouble connecting to the main character and thought the film was somewhat heavy handed and manipulative.
Now You See Me: A lot shorter than I expected it would be, and even crazier than I thought it would be (but not in the way that I thought it would be). I think it tried so hard to make sense and be cryptic at the same time that it ended up not making much sense.
Books:
Fablehaven 4: This is my second favorite of the series. Such great characters and story!
Fablehaven 5: Not my favorite, but a good ending to a great series.
Dewey: Sweet and cute book about a library cat. I liked it.
The Finger Points of Sausage Dogs: Hilarious perspective of a touchy academic professor that really summarizes how I feel about academic professors sometimes. Refreshing and funny. And the author (Alexander McCall Smith) is a fantastic writer.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Interesting and unique book - you can hardly help reading it with the author's devastating experience in mind, and it makes his insights all the more touching.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Although Joyce's writing is certainly hard to follow at times, there were some themes and ideas in this book that really stuck with me. It also reminded me of a lot of people I knew and experiences I've had.
Movies:
Megamind: Fun movie. I liked it.
Mulan: One of my favorite Disneys! Great scenery, story, music, characters, etc.
Lady and the Tramp: I loved this so much I wrote a post about it.
The Fox and the Hound: Another one of my very favorites as a kid. It does make me cry.
Beauty and the Beast: Possibly, in my opinion, the best Disney movie.
According to Greta: Knowing nothing about this other than that Hillary Duff was playing an annoying teenager, I was nervous. But it was actually much better than I anticipated. Well acted and creative plot. I especially enjoyed the grandmother's character and the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter.
A Simple Life: Very down-to-earth, documentary-feeling Asian film about a housekeeper who joins a retirement home. I actually did believe for a little bit that I was just watching a woman's real life. It was long and painstakingly detailed, but still sweet.
A Cat in Paris: Fantastic, delightful animated French film. Funny and heartwarming. Watch it if you ever get the chance!
Tangled: Love it!
The Sword in the Stone: Merlin is SO hilarious.
Howl's Moving Castle: Matthew was really in the mood to watch it, so I came along for the ride. It isn't my favorite Miyazaki, and I wasn't blown away by the book either, but despite the so-so plot it's still just a very visually appealing film.
Enchanted: Such a feel-good film. For favorite parts, I'm torn between UM EVERY SONG EVER and the moment where the Queen is hiding Giselle in the elevator and feigns surprise at seeing her ("Oh.... her.").
Spirit: I remember thinking this was awesome as a kid. Then I gradually came to think of it as less than mediocre. This time I mostly enjoyed it. There's a little bit of corniness, but I'm mostly just happy to watch horses running around and showing off.
Freaky Friday: Something about this film intrigues and delights me. I like it, but it's hard to say why.
Cinderella: You don't spend a month watching classic Disney without watching this eventually.
Charlotte's Web: This film is so much greater and better than I remembered as a child. I actually really want to read the book again now.
Minority Report: Had to watch a Tom Cruise film to commemorate our "first date" anniversary (watching Knight and Day). This one impressed, despite all the eye-cringing eye-related stuff.
The Parent Trap: This was the first time I'd ever watched the new version with Lindsay Lohan. It was better than I expected (mostly thanks to Lohan's being a believable child actress), and I loved all the references to the old version (especially the fact that old Vicki played new Vicki's mother - and her name was still Vicki!).
Clandestine Childhood: A combination of passionate, anxious, activist propaganda and a simple boy comes of age tale. Although some of it was very emotional (the story of the uncle was particularly poignant), the whole thing overall didn't quite work for me. I had trouble connecting to the main character and thought the film was somewhat heavy handed and manipulative.
Now You See Me: A lot shorter than I expected it would be, and even crazier than I thought it would be (but not in the way that I thought it would be). I think it tried so hard to make sense and be cryptic at the same time that it ended up not making much sense.
Books:
Fablehaven 4: This is my second favorite of the series. Such great characters and story!
Fablehaven 5: Not my favorite, but a good ending to a great series.
Dewey: Sweet and cute book about a library cat. I liked it.
The Finger Points of Sausage Dogs: Hilarious perspective of a touchy academic professor that really summarizes how I feel about academic professors sometimes. Refreshing and funny. And the author (Alexander McCall Smith) is a fantastic writer.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Interesting and unique book - you can hardly help reading it with the author's devastating experience in mind, and it makes his insights all the more touching.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Although Joyce's writing is certainly hard to follow at times, there were some themes and ideas in this book that really stuck with me. It also reminded me of a lot of people I knew and experiences I've had.
Re-viewed: Robin Hood
So I had fun doing this with Lady and the Tramp, and I'm still in the mood for Disney movies from my childhood, so here's my stream-of-consciousness Robin Hood report:
Is this the first Disney film to have male characters cross-dress as female characters? Seems edgier than I remembered. Also Robin Hood's disguised voices are REALLY good. As in I can't even believe it's the same actor doing all of his voices.
I related far more this time to Little John's having to hold up his heavy bosoms with his paws than I ever did as a kid. Ouch.
Skippy shoots an arrow really well for it being his first time.
That castle gate. Security cutbacks?
The charade where Skippy defeats and ultimately kills Lady Cluck as Prince John is a hugely seditious act that I would imagine should get all of them beheaded or thrown into jail at the very least.
Is Prince John actually dangerous or harmless? I really can't tell. They mock and fear him the way I imagine kids do their parents.
WHY OH WHY DO WE NEVER GET TO MEET PRINCE JOHN'S MOTHER?
All the animals in this movie have three fingers and a thumb. Does that seem weird to anyone else?
I'm still impressed with the Sheriff of Nottingham's shooting skills - hitting a moving target isn't that easy. But why didn't Nutsy just leap again for Robin Hood's shot?
Lady Cluck has the best lines. She is also the toughest female heroine of the film.
I just love Robin's proposal. Really, I'm pretty sure I had a crush on him when I was little. Also, I love the "Love" song. It is just beautiful.
So all that fighting and not a single casualty? They all just dance and party afterwards?
This was the first time I watched the film with subtitles and therefore the first time I actually deciphered what Little John said when he said, "Who's driving this flyin' umbrella?" Ha ha ha!
This is also maybe the first Disney movie to do legit gallows humor!
Why does Nutsy call one o'clock and all's well when the clock shows that it's three?
Cram-a-nit-ly is a great word to exclaim.
Two characters in the film say "doing my duty" and both times it made me snicker. I'm immature.
Trigger's helmet magically repairs itself! Also, this is the first time I really actually caught that he was named Trigger for his trigger finger.
Robin has no fewer than FOUR disguises and fake voices in this film. I'm impressed.
It takes approximately ten seconds for the Sheriff to set the entire tower on fire. And then Sir Hiss blames Prince John, which isn't really fair.
I'm pretty sure that every hat that Robin Hood wears gets an arrow through it at one point or another.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Re-viewed: Lady and the Tramp
I have no idea why, but I've been on an old Disney movie kick lately. And I've been having a lot of surprising new discoveries in all my adult wisdom that never really impressed me as a child. Take for example, Lady and the Tramp:
1. That song at the beginning makes me cry. Am I crazy emotional or is it crazy beautiful?
2. Lady is an EXTREMELY well-trained puppy if all they need to do is put down newspaper in a doggy room to get her through her entire puppyhood.
3. Why is Lady sleeping downstairs when Jim Dear goes out to get watermelon in the middle of the night? Doesn't she occupy their bedroom now?
4. This movie may be decidedly prejudiced against cats, but even so you have to admit those Siamese cats are SMART. They outwit Lady and Aunt Sarah, know right away "what a baby is" and more importantly, what it means for them, and figure out how to get what they want. They probably could have taken out the rat if they wanted to. I am impressed.
5. The accents that Tramp does when visiting his various families are hysterical and delightful.
6. I'm 99% convinced that Tony is certifiably insane (not only talks to dogs, but sets up a candlelight dinner with expensive cuisine and music! THIS IS NOT NORMAL) and Joe plays along because he is terrified for his life.
7. That silently crying dog in the pound makes me feel the sorrow of a thousand tears.
8. Peg is an awesome and intriguing character. She always annoyed me as a kid for some reason, but I am 100% Team Peg as an adult. She keeps it real, guys.
9. How is it that Tramp can take on three dogs who are twice his size and emerge unscathed, but has a very difficult time thrashing a rat?
10. That. Rat. It is the freakin' hugest rat on the planet. What has it been feeding on, alley dogs? Did it escape from a genetic mutation lab?
11. Do they actually ever name that baby? Is it Junior? Star-sweeper? You'd think that would be more important.
12. I like that this is one of the few Disney movies to celebrate marriage and kids at an early age - it's rare that we get to see our Disney protagonists contemplating children and all that children entail (another favorite I recently saw was 101 Dalmations - Pongo and Perdy are the best parents!). The moment when Tramp offers Lady the world full of adventures and she turns him down because "who would take care of the baby?" is a really poignant and touching one from an adult perspective.
1. That song at the beginning makes me cry. Am I crazy emotional or is it crazy beautiful?
2. Lady is an EXTREMELY well-trained puppy if all they need to do is put down newspaper in a doggy room to get her through her entire puppyhood.
3. Why is Lady sleeping downstairs when Jim Dear goes out to get watermelon in the middle of the night? Doesn't she occupy their bedroom now?
4. This movie may be decidedly prejudiced against cats, but even so you have to admit those Siamese cats are SMART. They outwit Lady and Aunt Sarah, know right away "what a baby is" and more importantly, what it means for them, and figure out how to get what they want. They probably could have taken out the rat if they wanted to. I am impressed.
5. The accents that Tramp does when visiting his various families are hysterical and delightful.
6. I'm 99% convinced that Tony is certifiably insane (not only talks to dogs, but sets up a candlelight dinner with expensive cuisine and music! THIS IS NOT NORMAL) and Joe plays along because he is terrified for his life.
7. That silently crying dog in the pound makes me feel the sorrow of a thousand tears.
8. Peg is an awesome and intriguing character. She always annoyed me as a kid for some reason, but I am 100% Team Peg as an adult. She keeps it real, guys.
9. How is it that Tramp can take on three dogs who are twice his size and emerge unscathed, but has a very difficult time thrashing a rat?
10. That. Rat. It is the freakin' hugest rat on the planet. What has it been feeding on, alley dogs? Did it escape from a genetic mutation lab?
11. Do they actually ever name that baby? Is it Junior? Star-sweeper? You'd think that would be more important.
12. I like that this is one of the few Disney movies to celebrate marriage and kids at an early age - it's rare that we get to see our Disney protagonists contemplating children and all that children entail (another favorite I recently saw was 101 Dalmations - Pongo and Perdy are the best parents!). The moment when Tramp offers Lady the world full of adventures and she turns him down because "who would take care of the baby?" is a really poignant and touching one from an adult perspective.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
It's About to Fall
This Tuesday will be the beginning of my last fall semester of graduate school. I am excited and a little sad (the "last" anything just seems so sad! What if I miss it?), but mostly excited. Fall has always been my favorite
semester. Allergy season is over, holiday season is beginning, the cool,
windy weather replaces the hot, stifling summer, and ASLAN IS ON THE
MOVE (okay, except not really, since he's supposed to come in the
spring). But it isn't really until fall that I start getting excited
about Christmas and the passing of time and all the good things to look
forward to in the coming years. This year, I am excited about
graduating, finishing with school, and moving out of our apartment next
year to Orem so Matthew can finish his degree. Big changes for the Covingtons next year, is what I'm saying, and this girl is READY!
While I'm trying to savor and relish the days as they come, reminding myself that this part of my life is a big deal and won't come again, mostly I am just impatient to get it over with and can't wait until next year to have my fall free from the stresses and pressure of schoolwork. I haven't had a college-free fall since 2004, which was a looooooooooooong time ago. What's that, you say? You want evidence?
When I reflect about my overall college experience, I am of two minds. Firstly (and loudly and insistently), college is exhausting and stressful and tough and I just want to be DONE with it. I'm sick of dealing with all the deadlines and writer's block and insane amounts of reading and grading and writing and argument. Every semester I get bored, frustrated, anxious, upset, tired, overwhelmed, panicked, and depressed. I look forward to the end of the semester the way a prisoner looks forward to the end of his (or her) sentence.
But then, mostly when I look back at old semesters that I've over-romanticized, I remember how much fun certain classes were and am impressed with how much I learned and was able to accomplish. I particularly enjoy looking back at the semesters where I discovered that something other people found boring was exciting to me (English Grammar and Civil War, hello!), or that something that was hard and tedious for other people was thrilling and enjoyable for me (Cormac McCarthy? T. S. Eliot? Writing papers about foreign films? Yay!). I liked discovering that I was good at certain things and passionate about others. And I do think I'll miss that part of college. It's really too bad I can't just continue to audit classes for free, because that would be awesome. There's so much more I'd like to learn (and not just the scholarly-type stuff. I wish I could take all the fun classes, like kayaking and acting and underwater cooking) (Okay, just kidding about the last one). Maybe I'll figure out a way to keep coming back for more. Maybe I'll go to a community college class or two. Maybe I'll have a fit of madness and decide to go for a PhD. Maybe I'll find a magical object that makes me invisible and then I can sneak into whatever classes I want (sorry, too much Fablehaven). But for now I am grateful that I decided to get my master's degree and I am confident in saying that I have enjoyed and made the most of my experience thus far. I would do it again. Or maybe I wouldn't do it again (ask me after I finish my thesis).
Happy Fall Semester, everyone!
While I'm trying to savor and relish the days as they come, reminding myself that this part of my life is a big deal and won't come again, mostly I am just impatient to get it over with and can't wait until next year to have my fall free from the stresses and pressure of schoolwork. I haven't had a college-free fall since 2004, which was a looooooooooooong time ago. What's that, you say? You want evidence?
 |
| My bunny and me, 2004 |
 |
| Not-my bunnies and me, 2013 |
But then, mostly when I look back at old semesters that I've over-romanticized, I remember how much fun certain classes were and am impressed with how much I learned and was able to accomplish. I particularly enjoy looking back at the semesters where I discovered that something other people found boring was exciting to me (English Grammar and Civil War, hello!), or that something that was hard and tedious for other people was thrilling and enjoyable for me (Cormac McCarthy? T. S. Eliot? Writing papers about foreign films? Yay!). I liked discovering that I was good at certain things and passionate about others. And I do think I'll miss that part of college. It's really too bad I can't just continue to audit classes for free, because that would be awesome. There's so much more I'd like to learn (and not just the scholarly-type stuff. I wish I could take all the fun classes, like kayaking and acting and underwater cooking) (Okay, just kidding about the last one). Maybe I'll figure out a way to keep coming back for more. Maybe I'll go to a community college class or two. Maybe I'll have a fit of madness and decide to go for a PhD. Maybe I'll find a magical object that makes me invisible and then I can sneak into whatever classes I want (sorry, too much Fablehaven). But for now I am grateful that I decided to get my master's degree and I am confident in saying that I have enjoyed and made the most of my experience thus far. I would do it again. Or maybe I wouldn't do it again (ask me after I finish my thesis).
Happy Fall Semester, everyone!
August 2013 Media Inventory
This one's going to be short and sweet, folks, although I think this has been my highest month for reading and watching (22 movies and 10 books! And most of them were completed in the last two weeks after I finished summer school).
Movies:
Premium Rush: Loved this one! Matthew watched it with me and we were both hooked, thrilled, amused, and terrified.
This Means War: I really want this movie to be good, because I love the three main cast members so much, but it's really not.
Star Trek: Into Darkness: Favorite movie of the month. Maybe year. It was pretty awesome.
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows: It had its ups and downs. I think I liked it better the first time watching it, and I definitely still think the first Sherlock was better.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Interesting, unpretentious, poignant film. I wasn't quite as caught up in it or blown away by its profundity as "The Tree of Life," say, but the story was simple and sincere.
Saved by Grace: Cute but shallow. But who doesn't love dancing and horses?
Shanghai Noon: Funny, entertaining, somewhat clever but mostly just a lot of Jackie Chan + Owen Wilson silliness. It got tiresome as it got longer.
Jurassic Park: I don't remember watching this, but Matthew says I did. I liked it, but the book was actually more terrifying.
Admission: Okay movie. I'm glad I saw it once. I probably won't watch it again.
10 Years: Surprisingly creative, interesting, and real-feeling movie. I was definitely pleased with how the natural dialogue and acting drew me in and won me over at least to the point of caring about what was going to happen next and remembering all the different characters.
Rise of the Guardians: Okay, so it was a run-of-the-mill kid's film. Nothing special. Pity because some of the details were quite amusing.
Unstoppable: A lot more intense and interesting than I expected it to be. Would watch again.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Cute, creative, and clever. Loved it!
Shanghai Knights: A little less funny and entertaining than the first one, but I still got through it. Now I really want to purge now by watching "Hero," though.
A Good Woman: I think this would make a good play (not surprising since it's based on an Oscar Wilde play). For some reason it felt something was missing from the movie. It was still pretty good, though. Just sort of . . . "staged"-feeling.
Iron Man 3: Matthew and I saw this on a date at the dollar theater. It was fun (but not as great as Star Trek 2). Other than the crazy and inexplicable ending. We stuck around for the after-the-credits bit, which was also fun and made me feel like a nerd in the know.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: A quirky little film, that started out really promising and sort of ran out of steam somewhere in the middle. I tried hard to like and care about all the characters, but just gave up on a few and lost track of a few more, and by the end I was just glad that Judi Dench was happy.
Just Like Heaven: One of my favorite go-to rom-coms. Have I mentioned before how much I like Reese Witherspoon? Yep. Yep yep.
Oz the Great and Powerful: Still a fun, creative, and entertaining film.
The Hunger Games: I'm indebted to this film for being the first to make me aware of Jennifer Lawrence's talents. I'm excited for the sequel.
Rescue Dawn: I was not that stoked about the premise, but literally seconds into the film I was entranced. The musical score is so powerful and beautiful yet subtle (the same could also be said of the story and acting).
October Sky: I've seen this a couple of times but EVERY TIME I get choked up by the sweetness, innocence, purity, and love on display. The story of the Rocket Boys is wonderful by itself but the story of the Hickam family is the real heart-breaking clincher.
Books:
Jurassic Park: Fascinating. I love the way Michael Crichton starts with an incredible premise and slowly, rationally, deliberately makes me buy into it. Also terrifying and more gruesome than the film.
Animal Farm: Depressing but clever and quick read.
These Happy Golden Years: I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and this one is quickly becoming my favorite. All the scenes with Laura and Almanzo driving down on the weekends remind me of my trips with Matthew to and from Sandy while we were engaged.
Fablehaven: Decided to kick off the end of the summer re-reading one of my favorite series!
Fablehaven 2: My favorite book of one of my favorite series!
Good Omens: Really liked the beginning of this book. It sort of lost momentum and just got confusing and less funny towards the later half, but it was still enjoyable.
Marley and Me: Loved it. Everything I could have hoped for in a "dog meets young family" tale.
Fablehaven 3: My least favorite of the Fablehavens, but still great!
Lamb: Hilarious novel. Somewhat scandalous and not for the strictly pious, but still. Absolutely hilarious. And there were more than a few profound insights to be had as well.
The Emperor's Soul: I read this all in a rush last night because Matthew was reading Fablehaven 4 and I had to read SOMETHING. I usually love Brandon Sanderson, but I think his longer works are better. It was okay. I didn't quite "get" the magic system at first and found the beginning a little slow, but things picked up and the end was fairly satisfying. I probably won't read it again.
Movies:
Premium Rush: Loved this one! Matthew watched it with me and we were both hooked, thrilled, amused, and terrified.
This Means War: I really want this movie to be good, because I love the three main cast members so much, but it's really not.
Star Trek: Into Darkness: Favorite movie of the month. Maybe year. It was pretty awesome.
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows: It had its ups and downs. I think I liked it better the first time watching it, and I definitely still think the first Sherlock was better.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Interesting, unpretentious, poignant film. I wasn't quite as caught up in it or blown away by its profundity as "The Tree of Life," say, but the story was simple and sincere.
Saved by Grace: Cute but shallow. But who doesn't love dancing and horses?
Shanghai Noon: Funny, entertaining, somewhat clever but mostly just a lot of Jackie Chan + Owen Wilson silliness. It got tiresome as it got longer.
Jurassic Park: I don't remember watching this, but Matthew says I did. I liked it, but the book was actually more terrifying.
Admission: Okay movie. I'm glad I saw it once. I probably won't watch it again.
10 Years: Surprisingly creative, interesting, and real-feeling movie. I was definitely pleased with how the natural dialogue and acting drew me in and won me over at least to the point of caring about what was going to happen next and remembering all the different characters.
Rise of the Guardians: Okay, so it was a run-of-the-mill kid's film. Nothing special. Pity because some of the details were quite amusing.
Unstoppable: A lot more intense and interesting than I expected it to be. Would watch again.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Cute, creative, and clever. Loved it!
Shanghai Knights: A little less funny and entertaining than the first one, but I still got through it. Now I really want to purge now by watching "Hero," though.
A Good Woman: I think this would make a good play (not surprising since it's based on an Oscar Wilde play). For some reason it felt something was missing from the movie. It was still pretty good, though. Just sort of . . . "staged"-feeling.
Iron Man 3: Matthew and I saw this on a date at the dollar theater. It was fun (but not as great as Star Trek 2). Other than the crazy and inexplicable ending. We stuck around for the after-the-credits bit, which was also fun and made me feel like a nerd in the know.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: A quirky little film, that started out really promising and sort of ran out of steam somewhere in the middle. I tried hard to like and care about all the characters, but just gave up on a few and lost track of a few more, and by the end I was just glad that Judi Dench was happy.
Just Like Heaven: One of my favorite go-to rom-coms. Have I mentioned before how much I like Reese Witherspoon? Yep. Yep yep.
Oz the Great and Powerful: Still a fun, creative, and entertaining film.
The Hunger Games: I'm indebted to this film for being the first to make me aware of Jennifer Lawrence's talents. I'm excited for the sequel.
Rescue Dawn: I was not that stoked about the premise, but literally seconds into the film I was entranced. The musical score is so powerful and beautiful yet subtle (the same could also be said of the story and acting).
October Sky: I've seen this a couple of times but EVERY TIME I get choked up by the sweetness, innocence, purity, and love on display. The story of the Rocket Boys is wonderful by itself but the story of the Hickam family is the real heart-breaking clincher.
Books:
Jurassic Park: Fascinating. I love the way Michael Crichton starts with an incredible premise and slowly, rationally, deliberately makes me buy into it. Also terrifying and more gruesome than the film.
Animal Farm: Depressing but clever and quick read.
These Happy Golden Years: I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and this one is quickly becoming my favorite. All the scenes with Laura and Almanzo driving down on the weekends remind me of my trips with Matthew to and from Sandy while we were engaged.
Fablehaven: Decided to kick off the end of the summer re-reading one of my favorite series!
Fablehaven 2: My favorite book of one of my favorite series!
Good Omens: Really liked the beginning of this book. It sort of lost momentum and just got confusing and less funny towards the later half, but it was still enjoyable.
Marley and Me: Loved it. Everything I could have hoped for in a "dog meets young family" tale.
Fablehaven 3: My least favorite of the Fablehavens, but still great!
Lamb: Hilarious novel. Somewhat scandalous and not for the strictly pious, but still. Absolutely hilarious. And there were more than a few profound insights to be had as well.
The Emperor's Soul: I read this all in a rush last night because Matthew was reading Fablehaven 4 and I had to read SOMETHING. I usually love Brandon Sanderson, but I think his longer works are better. It was okay. I didn't quite "get" the magic system at first and found the beginning a little slow, but things picked up and the end was fairly satisfying. I probably won't read it again.
Monday, August 5, 2013
What Not to Say to a Southern Girl, by a Southern Girl
Here are some things not to say to a Southern Girl...
1) You're not a Southern Girl.
Ah, thank you. Good to know that my being born in Alabama and growing up until thirteen in Georgia mean nothing when it comes to forming and shaping my experiences that created my personal and cultural identity. Please continue to tell me more things that I am not (feminine, Mormon, creative, dog-and-cat-lover) that I mistakenly presumed I was during those first thirteen years of my life.
2) As soon as you've lived here more years than you have in Georgia, you'll become a Utahn.
I hated Utah when my family moved here in 2001. Even now, after twelve years, I struggle at times to cope with its climate and culture, and look forward with joy to every trip to the South, which always feels like coming home in addition to seeing and feeling the greenery and humidity that I've come to love. Telling me that I will turn into a Utahn on some magical date is like telling a transplanted potato it will turn into a tomato. It doesn't matter where I go or how many years I live in other places - for me my childhood defines how I think of my identity, and I will always think of myself first and foremost as being a Southern Girl, born and raised in the South.
3) You don't know what it means to be Southern.
I am well aware that I am not the average, typical Southerner, but I wish people would not insist that my personal experience counts for nothing in a discussion of what it means to be Southern. There are many aspects of Utah that I can understand and identify with without calling myself a Utahn. Similarly, there are many aspects of the South that I do not identify with, while still calling myself a Southerner. My ties to the South are deep and personal, and while I don't expect other people to share or understand them, I would hope that they could respect and appreciate them as being valid and true. The South is a very diverse, complicated, and controversial place - there are as many different types of Southerners as there are people who live in the South. No one wants to be lumped into a bunch of stereotypical views about a group; I don't appreciate it as an American (Ah, you're greedy and fat and you want to rule the world?), a Mormon (Oh, so you practice polygamy and can't eat meat?), a Caucausian female (Take it away, 30 Rock), a home-schooler (Oh, so you never saw another person of your own age before?), or a BYU student (You're all such self-righteous Bible-thumpers!), and I don't appreciate it as a Southerner.
4) Why on earth would you want your kids to be Southern?
Again, presuming you know me so perfectly and what I mean in identifying myself as "Southern," I expect you already know the answer to this question. But supposing you were asking this question sincerely (take out the judgmental appalled tone and the "on earth"), I would reply that it's because it has been a great blessing in my life to think of myself as a Southern Girl. It's given me an identity and a home, something to love and care about and be curious about and learn about. I want my children to feel a deep connection to the land, the trees, the water, and the animals in the same way that I did playing imaginative games outside in the woods every day in my parents' four-acre property. I want them to have fond memories of working in the garden, taking care of their pets, watching and being fascinated by thunderstorms, lightning storms, and rainstorms, taking long walks in the countryside, and camping out under the stars while they listen to the crickets at night. I can still remember sitting on a swing outdoors all alone as a child and swinging silently in the evening, looking at the stars and hearing the crickets and feeling an overwhelming sense of strength, love, and beauty around me that connected me to a Heavenly Father above who loved me and wanted me to be happy. These are the kind of memories I want my children to have, and if they are happening to children here where I'm living now, I don't see it. I see a lot of kids who stay indoors all day, playing video games, texting, and watching T.V., or going to the mall and wasting time and money on fleeting trends and pastimes. My experience with nature and my childhood are all wrapped up with the Southern climate and atmosphere, and my love for water, trees, and green can ultimately be traced to this too.
5) You don't know the real South.
Condescension and arrogance aside, I'll gladly admit to this, seeing as how my personal experience of the South is so small and particular to me that I am well aware there is far more to the South than I could possibly have experienced and come to terms with in my short lifetime. Frankly, I don't think I'll ever know what "the real South" is. I've taken college classes on the Civil War Era, Slavery in the United States, and the American South. I've read - mostly for fun - William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Mildred Taylor (possibly my favorite series of books about life in the South so far), Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone with the Wind, and The Help. I'm writing my master's thesis on Cormac McCarthy, a Southern writer transplanted to the west (who, by the way, does an absolutely amazing and brilliant job in writing truthfully and profoundly about both Southern and Western ideology, culture, and history). I have a stack of other writers and books to read when or if I ever get the chance. I absolutely know that I have a lot to learn about the South, but I am doing my best to learn at my own pace, and more importantly, I love those opportunities that I get to learn more about the past experiences that shaped my heritage and land. Studying the South and recognizing the political, cultural, and personal differences between various Southerners and myself does not alter my conception of myself as a Southerner. I've done the same with American and Mormon history, to an extent, with the same conclusions. I am not the same kind of Mormon as Eliza R. Snow and Brigham Young; this is obvious. I am not the same kind of Southerner as Scarlett O'Hara and Robert E. Lee; how could I be? Ultimately I would counter to #5 by saying "You don't know the real me," a statement which I can say for sure is true of everybody except for Heavenly Father (and to a certain extent, my beloved husband, to whom I've shown more of myself than I would ever dare to anyone else in the world).
Thinking about these questions has given me an additional insight about #4, which is that you cannot ultimately choose where your children decide to be "from." I may do my best to raise my children as completely devoted Southerners and they may turn out to be bleeding-heart New York liberals (I'll still love you guys, though). It is a unique and personal choice to determine the meaning of your cultural and personal identity and to deny a child that freedom would be to deny them of their free agency. I do not think my parents intended to raise me or any of their children as Southerners (in fact, as of late I'm rather strongly convinced of the opposite), but at one point or another, it wasn't their decision any more. In fact, I'm pretty sure I came to identify more strongly with the South (and, fittingly, the sense of "loss" and an nonexistent or overly romanticized idyllic past) after I moved from Georgia. However it happened, my childhood experiences in the South continue to be a defining and crucial part of my identity today, and I am very grateful and proud today to call myself a Southern Girl, born and raised.
1) You're not a Southern Girl.
Ah, thank you. Good to know that my being born in Alabama and growing up until thirteen in Georgia mean nothing when it comes to forming and shaping my experiences that created my personal and cultural identity. Please continue to tell me more things that I am not (feminine, Mormon, creative, dog-and-cat-lover) that I mistakenly presumed I was during those first thirteen years of my life.
2) As soon as you've lived here more years than you have in Georgia, you'll become a Utahn.
I hated Utah when my family moved here in 2001. Even now, after twelve years, I struggle at times to cope with its climate and culture, and look forward with joy to every trip to the South, which always feels like coming home in addition to seeing and feeling the greenery and humidity that I've come to love. Telling me that I will turn into a Utahn on some magical date is like telling a transplanted potato it will turn into a tomato. It doesn't matter where I go or how many years I live in other places - for me my childhood defines how I think of my identity, and I will always think of myself first and foremost as being a Southern Girl, born and raised in the South.
3) You don't know what it means to be Southern.
I am well aware that I am not the average, typical Southerner, but I wish people would not insist that my personal experience counts for nothing in a discussion of what it means to be Southern. There are many aspects of Utah that I can understand and identify with without calling myself a Utahn. Similarly, there are many aspects of the South that I do not identify with, while still calling myself a Southerner. My ties to the South are deep and personal, and while I don't expect other people to share or understand them, I would hope that they could respect and appreciate them as being valid and true. The South is a very diverse, complicated, and controversial place - there are as many different types of Southerners as there are people who live in the South. No one wants to be lumped into a bunch of stereotypical views about a group; I don't appreciate it as an American (Ah, you're greedy and fat and you want to rule the world?), a Mormon (Oh, so you practice polygamy and can't eat meat?), a Caucausian female (Take it away, 30 Rock), a home-schooler (Oh, so you never saw another person of your own age before?), or a BYU student (You're all such self-righteous Bible-thumpers!), and I don't appreciate it as a Southerner.
4) Why on earth would you want your kids to be Southern?
Again, presuming you know me so perfectly and what I mean in identifying myself as "Southern," I expect you already know the answer to this question. But supposing you were asking this question sincerely (take out the judgmental appalled tone and the "on earth"), I would reply that it's because it has been a great blessing in my life to think of myself as a Southern Girl. It's given me an identity and a home, something to love and care about and be curious about and learn about. I want my children to feel a deep connection to the land, the trees, the water, and the animals in the same way that I did playing imaginative games outside in the woods every day in my parents' four-acre property. I want them to have fond memories of working in the garden, taking care of their pets, watching and being fascinated by thunderstorms, lightning storms, and rainstorms, taking long walks in the countryside, and camping out under the stars while they listen to the crickets at night. I can still remember sitting on a swing outdoors all alone as a child and swinging silently in the evening, looking at the stars and hearing the crickets and feeling an overwhelming sense of strength, love, and beauty around me that connected me to a Heavenly Father above who loved me and wanted me to be happy. These are the kind of memories I want my children to have, and if they are happening to children here where I'm living now, I don't see it. I see a lot of kids who stay indoors all day, playing video games, texting, and watching T.V., or going to the mall and wasting time and money on fleeting trends and pastimes. My experience with nature and my childhood are all wrapped up with the Southern climate and atmosphere, and my love for water, trees, and green can ultimately be traced to this too.
5) You don't know the real South.
Condescension and arrogance aside, I'll gladly admit to this, seeing as how my personal experience of the South is so small and particular to me that I am well aware there is far more to the South than I could possibly have experienced and come to terms with in my short lifetime. Frankly, I don't think I'll ever know what "the real South" is. I've taken college classes on the Civil War Era, Slavery in the United States, and the American South. I've read - mostly for fun - William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Mildred Taylor (possibly my favorite series of books about life in the South so far), Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone with the Wind, and The Help. I'm writing my master's thesis on Cormac McCarthy, a Southern writer transplanted to the west (who, by the way, does an absolutely amazing and brilliant job in writing truthfully and profoundly about both Southern and Western ideology, culture, and history). I have a stack of other writers and books to read when or if I ever get the chance. I absolutely know that I have a lot to learn about the South, but I am doing my best to learn at my own pace, and more importantly, I love those opportunities that I get to learn more about the past experiences that shaped my heritage and land. Studying the South and recognizing the political, cultural, and personal differences between various Southerners and myself does not alter my conception of myself as a Southerner. I've done the same with American and Mormon history, to an extent, with the same conclusions. I am not the same kind of Mormon as Eliza R. Snow and Brigham Young; this is obvious. I am not the same kind of Southerner as Scarlett O'Hara and Robert E. Lee; how could I be? Ultimately I would counter to #5 by saying "You don't know the real me," a statement which I can say for sure is true of everybody except for Heavenly Father (and to a certain extent, my beloved husband, to whom I've shown more of myself than I would ever dare to anyone else in the world).
Thinking about these questions has given me an additional insight about #4, which is that you cannot ultimately choose where your children decide to be "from." I may do my best to raise my children as completely devoted Southerners and they may turn out to be bleeding-heart New York liberals (I'll still love you guys, though). It is a unique and personal choice to determine the meaning of your cultural and personal identity and to deny a child that freedom would be to deny them of their free agency. I do not think my parents intended to raise me or any of their children as Southerners (in fact, as of late I'm rather strongly convinced of the opposite), but at one point or another, it wasn't their decision any more. In fact, I'm pretty sure I came to identify more strongly with the South (and, fittingly, the sense of "loss" and an nonexistent or overly romanticized idyllic past) after I moved from Georgia. However it happened, my childhood experiences in the South continue to be a defining and crucial part of my identity today, and I am very grateful and proud today to call myself a Southern Girl, born and raised.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
July 2013 Media Inventory
Movies:
Man of Steel: This was actually the first Superman movie I'd ever seen, and I enjoyed it a lot, perhaps thanks to a good 3 years of prepping from Matthew about the awesomeness that is Superman. But really the movie had me at "Russell Crowe."
Little Dorrit: Another quaint, fascinating, and delightful match between Dickens and Andrew Davies. I was especially fond of poor John, who deserved better.
The Fellowship of the Ring: After watching The Hobbit last month, we were very revved up to see this film. You can never go wrong with the Shire.
Zoolander: Whenever I want to be cheered up and feel smart, I watch Owen Wilson acting goofy and hilarious. Mission accomplished.
Chronicle: Interesting film with a good story and surprisingly strong characters. I didn't care much for the "filming myself" documentary style, but everything else was impressive.
The Two Towers: Yes, yes, yes. More, more, more.
A Town Called Panic: Such a cute, funny, and delightfully illogical/crazy French film. I watched this at the International Cinema and was thoroughly amused.
Anna Karenina (with Keira Knightley): I had fun revisiting the look, themes, and characters from one of my favorite novels and actually thought the acting was pretty decent. The film came nowhere near to capturing the depth, passion, emotion, and spirit of the characters which I discovered in reading the novel, but I didn't really expect it to, so I wasn't disappointed. The whole filming it like a play was also kind of weird for me. I think I might have liked it for a different movie, but I don't think I liked it for this one.
Front of the Class: Terrific and tear-jerking (in the good way) film about a man who grew up with Tourette's Syndrome but with a lot of strength and determination refused to it stop him from becoming a teacher, finding love, and becoming a positive role model. Almost it persuadeth me to allow my children to go to public school.
Penelope: Cute, run of the mill chick flick. I do think I could pull off a "Penelope" Halloween costume one of these years.
Miss Potter: Apparently I was in the mood to cry my eyes out, because that's exactly what I did for about 1/3 of this film.
Tootsie: This not quite comedy/not quite drama reminded me of the good parts of Some Like It Hot mixed with the ordinary, down-to-earth reality of The Apartment. The serious bits were funny and the funny bits were awkwardly serious.
The Internship: Saw this on a whim with Matthew at the dollar theater. While I greatly enjoyed moments that included Owen Wilson being hilarious, a game of Quidditch amongst Google interns, and the scenes set in an environment of Googly colorful excitement, overall the film seemed too flat, shallow, and immature to leave me with a positive impression.
The Social Network: Sharp, cynical, and intriguing film. I have no idea how much if any of it is true, but it does make for a riveting and somewhat disturbing story about our obsessions with fame, money, status, etc.
Silver Linings Playbook: I don't care much for Bradley Cooper, but LOVE Jennifer Lawrence, so naturally I like this film. I also identify pretty strongly with her during the dancing scenes (finally, a movie about REAL people dancing!)
The Host: I've tried to read the book twice, but lost interest both times. The movie was a bit more interesting than the book (or maybe it was just shorter and I was able to finish it before losing interest), but still nowhere near as riveting and exciting as I thought it should or could be. I'm not sure what was missing for me, but something was.
The Mighty Macs: This was a sweet and cute film about Catholic girls and their basketball coach teaching them how to become a team. I should probably just admit right now I'm a sucker for the inspirational sports movies - they get me excited and teary almost every time.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith: The more I watch this film the more I fall in love with its sense of humor and sarcastic, playful, flirtatious personality. The action, romance, and overall chemistry in this film is just fantastic - I can't even judge it fairly because I like it so much.
Miss Congeniality: Another cute movie about clever and funny people getting together and being awesome. Not as outrageously dramatic and smooth as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but still adorable and fun.
The Man in the Moon: What WAS it with me and tearjerker movies this month? This is one of my favorite performances by one of my favorite actresses, Reese Witherspoon. The acting and characters are so deep and real that it almost doesn't matter that the story is a little underdeveloped/unfinished-feeling. Also, I love the South.
Zero Dark Thirty: There were some powerful and disturbing moments in this film, but the story did not stand out to me as particularly profound or purposeful in delivering a coherent message. It just sort of threw a lot at you and expected you to make sense of it. I was also extremely irritated by the loooooong shots of darkness during the climax. Overall, I think "Argo" was the better film.
Books:
I'll Scream Later: The autobiography of Marlee Matlin, a famous Deaf actress. Enjoyable and well-written, but also sort of sad. I am more than ever convinced that avoiding drugs is a wise decision.
The Book of Lost Things: A fairytale that is subtly mature and thought-provoking (and also somewhat frightening). I enjoyed it very much.
The "Seth" Saga, Part 2: I enjoyed this story written for me by my brother Daniel. Very reminiscent of our days fighting and escaping from bad guys in our make-believe world.
Urchin of the Riding Stars: Cute adventurous tale about talking animals, similar to Brian Jacques in its themes and tone (though I would argue it doesn't equal his brilliance in character development, writing, or plot).
Gone Girl: Intriguing and well-written book - the characters are almost disturbingly detailed and lifelike (you relate to them, and then feel horrified at yourself for doing so). One of the few books that actually deserves the "Well I never saw THAT coming" compliment in my opinion, maybe even more than once. I was afraid it would take me a long time to read since it was 400 pages, but once I got about 50 pages in, I blew through the rest in two days. I was slightly put off by the ending, which felt weak and anticlimactic, but the rest of the book was enthralling.
Man of Steel: This was actually the first Superman movie I'd ever seen, and I enjoyed it a lot, perhaps thanks to a good 3 years of prepping from Matthew about the awesomeness that is Superman. But really the movie had me at "Russell Crowe."
Little Dorrit: Another quaint, fascinating, and delightful match between Dickens and Andrew Davies. I was especially fond of poor John, who deserved better.
The Fellowship of the Ring: After watching The Hobbit last month, we were very revved up to see this film. You can never go wrong with the Shire.
Zoolander: Whenever I want to be cheered up and feel smart, I watch Owen Wilson acting goofy and hilarious. Mission accomplished.
Chronicle: Interesting film with a good story and surprisingly strong characters. I didn't care much for the "filming myself" documentary style, but everything else was impressive.
The Two Towers: Yes, yes, yes. More, more, more.
A Town Called Panic: Such a cute, funny, and delightfully illogical/crazy French film. I watched this at the International Cinema and was thoroughly amused.
Anna Karenina (with Keira Knightley): I had fun revisiting the look, themes, and characters from one of my favorite novels and actually thought the acting was pretty decent. The film came nowhere near to capturing the depth, passion, emotion, and spirit of the characters which I discovered in reading the novel, but I didn't really expect it to, so I wasn't disappointed. The whole filming it like a play was also kind of weird for me. I think I might have liked it for a different movie, but I don't think I liked it for this one.
Front of the Class: Terrific and tear-jerking (in the good way) film about a man who grew up with Tourette's Syndrome but with a lot of strength and determination refused to it stop him from becoming a teacher, finding love, and becoming a positive role model. Almost it persuadeth me to allow my children to go to public school.
Penelope: Cute, run of the mill chick flick. I do think I could pull off a "Penelope" Halloween costume one of these years.
Miss Potter: Apparently I was in the mood to cry my eyes out, because that's exactly what I did for about 1/3 of this film.
Tootsie: This not quite comedy/not quite drama reminded me of the good parts of Some Like It Hot mixed with the ordinary, down-to-earth reality of The Apartment. The serious bits were funny and the funny bits were awkwardly serious.
The Internship: Saw this on a whim with Matthew at the dollar theater. While I greatly enjoyed moments that included Owen Wilson being hilarious, a game of Quidditch amongst Google interns, and the scenes set in an environment of Googly colorful excitement, overall the film seemed too flat, shallow, and immature to leave me with a positive impression.
The Social Network: Sharp, cynical, and intriguing film. I have no idea how much if any of it is true, but it does make for a riveting and somewhat disturbing story about our obsessions with fame, money, status, etc.
Silver Linings Playbook: I don't care much for Bradley Cooper, but LOVE Jennifer Lawrence, so naturally I like this film. I also identify pretty strongly with her during the dancing scenes (finally, a movie about REAL people dancing!)
The Host: I've tried to read the book twice, but lost interest both times. The movie was a bit more interesting than the book (or maybe it was just shorter and I was able to finish it before losing interest), but still nowhere near as riveting and exciting as I thought it should or could be. I'm not sure what was missing for me, but something was.
The Mighty Macs: This was a sweet and cute film about Catholic girls and their basketball coach teaching them how to become a team. I should probably just admit right now I'm a sucker for the inspirational sports movies - they get me excited and teary almost every time.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith: The more I watch this film the more I fall in love with its sense of humor and sarcastic, playful, flirtatious personality. The action, romance, and overall chemistry in this film is just fantastic - I can't even judge it fairly because I like it so much.
Miss Congeniality: Another cute movie about clever and funny people getting together and being awesome. Not as outrageously dramatic and smooth as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but still adorable and fun.
The Man in the Moon: What WAS it with me and tearjerker movies this month? This is one of my favorite performances by one of my favorite actresses, Reese Witherspoon. The acting and characters are so deep and real that it almost doesn't matter that the story is a little underdeveloped/unfinished-feeling. Also, I love the South.
Zero Dark Thirty: There were some powerful and disturbing moments in this film, but the story did not stand out to me as particularly profound or purposeful in delivering a coherent message. It just sort of threw a lot at you and expected you to make sense of it. I was also extremely irritated by the loooooong shots of darkness during the climax. Overall, I think "Argo" was the better film.
Books:
I'll Scream Later: The autobiography of Marlee Matlin, a famous Deaf actress. Enjoyable and well-written, but also sort of sad. I am more than ever convinced that avoiding drugs is a wise decision.
The Book of Lost Things: A fairytale that is subtly mature and thought-provoking (and also somewhat frightening). I enjoyed it very much.
The "Seth" Saga, Part 2: I enjoyed this story written for me by my brother Daniel. Very reminiscent of our days fighting and escaping from bad guys in our make-believe world.
Urchin of the Riding Stars: Cute adventurous tale about talking animals, similar to Brian Jacques in its themes and tone (though I would argue it doesn't equal his brilliance in character development, writing, or plot).
Gone Girl: Intriguing and well-written book - the characters are almost disturbingly detailed and lifelike (you relate to them, and then feel horrified at yourself for doing so). One of the few books that actually deserves the "Well I never saw THAT coming" compliment in my opinion, maybe even more than once. I was afraid it would take me a long time to read since it was 400 pages, but once I got about 50 pages in, I blew through the rest in two days. I was slightly put off by the ending, which felt weak and anticlimactic, but the rest of the book was enthralling.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
I'm special why?
For my ASL class this summer, each student had to put together a presentation with certain elements about ourselves. One of the required elements was a slide naming one reason why we are special or unique. As I was putting together my PowerPoint, I realized I was having a hard time narrowing my specialness to just one reason. Then I wondered how many reasons I could come up with for why I'm special. Here, off the top of my head, is what I thought of (excuse the ME ME ME-ness of this post - or don't, because isn't that what blogs are really all about?):
1. I was homeschooled my entire life until I went to college.
2. I went to college in the fall just after turning seventeen in the summer. I could easily have gone when I was sixteen, since I basically did nothing my sixteenth year after taking the ACT and applying to college.
3. I had NEVER mowed a lawn until I was married and was helping my husband do his parents' yard work one weekend. I think this happened because I had three older siblings who mowed the lawn (when we had a big lawn) and a very task-oriented mother who took over the mowing of the lawn entirely when we had a small lawn.
4. I apparently could do the full splits when I was 3 years old. My mama said I surprised her visiting teacher, who thought I was broken or something.
5. I used to hate my first name. Now I love it - Ruth is a very unique first name! Ditto Nancy, Naomi, and Esther.
6. My name gets mistaken about 50% of the time I introduce myself to someone for the first time for Marie. Not just "I'm sorry," or "I didn't catch that," or "Anything starting with an R," but "Marie." I have no idea why. Do I pronounce "Ruth" weird? Do I use two syllables or something?
7. I have always hated what people refer to as "delicious, homemade, filling, wheat" bread. I will stuff myself on potatoes, but not bread.
8. I took karate for three years and ballet for three years. People thought I was too young to be taking karate (because I stayed for my siblings' later classes and took them too) and too old for ballet (because I was 14 and had to start with the beginners). I didn't care. Both karate and ballet were fun, challenging, and exhausting in their various ways. I would neither change nor repeat my experience with either.
9. I used to suck my index and middle fingers on my left hand when I was little and couldn't quit until I was . . . guesses in? Well, I actually don't remember, but it was somewhere around 10 or 11 (old enough that I would diiiiiiieeeeee if any of my friends knew). I used to suck them while I smelled my delicious old and worn-with-love Cabbage Patch doll, Nancy. It's how I imagine getting high would feel like. Because of my addiction to fingersucking combined with an overdose of doll-smelling, my index finger has now bent slightly backwards and my middle finger leans to the side, leaving a gap between my middle and ring fingers that makes me look like I'm Spock.
10. I used to be TERRIFIED of swimming lessons. This one's ironic because of how much I LOVE swimming now. I would hide under my bed, sob, fake illness, and throw up regularly before leaving to go to the pool. Everything about the experience - touching and being touched by strangers, being forced to interact with other kids who I was embarrassed and often outdone by, being scared of drowning, getting water in my nose and ears, etc. - was a nightmare. My life improved 1000% when my dad took over and taught me one-on-one how to swim in the early mornings.
11. I think I have always been a very sensitive and emotional child who cries easily, but oddly I never considered myself one. I thought of myself as tough and tomboyish, and somehow got the idea that tough people didn't cry or that people wouldn't like me if I cried. I often got angry when I cried because I felt I had lost control. Now I've sort of accepted that I am the equivalence of an emotional hurricane, and cry all the time for all sorts of reasons, including seeing someone do something cute, watching a cheesy inspirational sports movie, watching a simple movie from my childhood that I never really connected to emotionally as a child (Animated Heroes Classics Christopher Columbus, I am looking at you), and of course, watching Miss Potter. Always, always, watching Miss Potter.
12. This one may sound a little weird, but I get some kind of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy from water, essentially meaning I feel close to God when I am surrounded by, touching, or observing water. It soothes, calms, exhilarates, refreshes, inspires, focuses, cleanses, and energizes me to an extent that nothing else (except for maybe my love for Matthew) has ever done for me. I can sit in a pool or alone in the ocean or by a waterfall for hours and be content. I sometimes cry when I'm running or walking by the Provo River because it's so BEAUTIFUL.
13. I miss the humidity of the South. I really do. Having lived in both Utah and Georgia, I can confirm that both are hot, sweaty, and to some extent miserable places in the summer, but the Southern air still has this sort of wetness and deepness about it that I find refreshing and comforting.
14. I've been in love with the name "Matthew" ever since my freshman year. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I ended up marrying my Matthew.
15. I had a surprisingly vivid prompting on my first date with Matthew that we would end up getting married if I asked him to hold my hand. I had been nervously debating about whether or not to ask him to hold hands before the date, and I'm still convinced that it was that one moment that set us on the course to where we are now. Thank goodness he said yes!
16. When I was a kid I climbed a tree to rescue a stray gray cat that later became our first family cat, Kim. Kim turned me into a cat-lover, which I have proudly been ever since. She was killed by a passing vehicle and seeing and burying her mangled body was one of the most traumatizing and deeply moving experiences of my life. Hers was the first death that absolutely devastated me as a child.
17. I've never broken a bone in my body. The closest I came was probably when my grandpa slammed the door to our van on my thumb by accident. It hurt like crazy for a long time, but nothing was broken.
18. My experience with braces and orthodontists was basically filled with epic torture and suffering (due to #9, no doubt). I've had wires come loose and stab me in the cheeks more times than I can count, including during our move to Utah. I also have had to wear Headgear and a Herbtz appliance for several years to try to correct my bite. I had braces for probably five years, and it felt like an eternity. For this reason alone, I would NEVER EVER EVER choose to relive my childhood.
19. I used to put ketchup on EVERYTHING as a kid. I put it on corn, macaroni and cheese, fish, any kind of casserole, lima beans, potatoes, even once in soup. But when I was telling this to a friend (at about age 7 or 8), he casually dismissed my boasts by claiming that his little brother liked ketchup so much he put it in milk. I was so shocked and disgusted by this that I had no answer, and it has always stuck with me. I mean, how could you put ketchup in milk? I draw the line at milk.
20. I've never been one to want to learn something because I was afraid the cool kids would make fun of me for not knowing it. I was always just fine with not knowing or participating in any of the movies, sports, music, TV shows, or popular trends that my peers grew up with. I can only think of one exception, and it's a weird one - roller skating. I taught myself to roller skate at age 15 because I was so determined that people not think I was lame or dumb for not being able to go on a rink without embarrassing myself.
21. I am the widest-chested woman in my family, and I was incredibly embarrassed about it growing up. I always felt like I didn't fit in with my sisters and mother, and wished I was flat-chested and scrawny. To compensate I basically slumped over and hid my chest all the time - until I took ballet, that is, and discovered the beauty of posture. Now I've learned to appreciate my figure (sometimes using the Busty Girl Problems website to vent my annoyances) and even to consider it one of my most attractive assets - having a husband who compliments you all the time is a great help!
22. I've knocked myself out three times. The first two times involved me running into something (a fabric bolt, a door) and waking up immediately on the floor with a slight headache but no knowledge of any time passing, when it is obvious from the concerned people around me that time has indeed passed. The third time was at the dentist's, when they were taking pictures of my mouth and I suddenly was hit with a wave of dizziness. They think I locked my legs. All I remember is being alone with the photographer one second, then having to lie down, then opening my eyes the next second and seeing a lot of people, including my mother, looking at me nervously and trying to find food for me. I'd describe getting knocked out as a bizarre and even weirdly pleasurable experience - it gets you a lot of concern and attention, for one, and it's a relief to feel that you didn't experience any pain or even lose any time falling asleep while you were "out." I felt the same way when I woke up (with no recognition that any time had passed) after my wisdom teeth were taken out. Too bad you can't be knocked out for every painful physical experience in your life.
23. I read the Bible from cover to cover somewhere around the age of 9. It took me roughly a year. I don't think I've ever done that since, but I'd like to.
That's all that I can think of for now. Guess which one I chose for my presentation (yes, it's up there).
1. I was homeschooled my entire life until I went to college.
2. I went to college in the fall just after turning seventeen in the summer. I could easily have gone when I was sixteen, since I basically did nothing my sixteenth year after taking the ACT and applying to college.
3. I had NEVER mowed a lawn until I was married and was helping my husband do his parents' yard work one weekend. I think this happened because I had three older siblings who mowed the lawn (when we had a big lawn) and a very task-oriented mother who took over the mowing of the lawn entirely when we had a small lawn.
4. I apparently could do the full splits when I was 3 years old. My mama said I surprised her visiting teacher, who thought I was broken or something.
5. I used to hate my first name. Now I love it - Ruth is a very unique first name! Ditto Nancy, Naomi, and Esther.
6. My name gets mistaken about 50% of the time I introduce myself to someone for the first time for Marie. Not just "I'm sorry," or "I didn't catch that," or "Anything starting with an R," but "Marie." I have no idea why. Do I pronounce "Ruth" weird? Do I use two syllables or something?
7. I have always hated what people refer to as "delicious, homemade, filling, wheat" bread. I will stuff myself on potatoes, but not bread.
8. I took karate for three years and ballet for three years. People thought I was too young to be taking karate (because I stayed for my siblings' later classes and took them too) and too old for ballet (because I was 14 and had to start with the beginners). I didn't care. Both karate and ballet were fun, challenging, and exhausting in their various ways. I would neither change nor repeat my experience with either.
9. I used to suck my index and middle fingers on my left hand when I was little and couldn't quit until I was . . . guesses in? Well, I actually don't remember, but it was somewhere around 10 or 11 (old enough that I would diiiiiiieeeeee if any of my friends knew). I used to suck them while I smelled my delicious old and worn-with-love Cabbage Patch doll, Nancy. It's how I imagine getting high would feel like. Because of my addiction to fingersucking combined with an overdose of doll-smelling, my index finger has now bent slightly backwards and my middle finger leans to the side, leaving a gap between my middle and ring fingers that makes me look like I'm Spock.
10. I used to be TERRIFIED of swimming lessons. This one's ironic because of how much I LOVE swimming now. I would hide under my bed, sob, fake illness, and throw up regularly before leaving to go to the pool. Everything about the experience - touching and being touched by strangers, being forced to interact with other kids who I was embarrassed and often outdone by, being scared of drowning, getting water in my nose and ears, etc. - was a nightmare. My life improved 1000% when my dad took over and taught me one-on-one how to swim in the early mornings.
11. I think I have always been a very sensitive and emotional child who cries easily, but oddly I never considered myself one. I thought of myself as tough and tomboyish, and somehow got the idea that tough people didn't cry or that people wouldn't like me if I cried. I often got angry when I cried because I felt I had lost control. Now I've sort of accepted that I am the equivalence of an emotional hurricane, and cry all the time for all sorts of reasons, including seeing someone do something cute, watching a cheesy inspirational sports movie, watching a simple movie from my childhood that I never really connected to emotionally as a child (Animated Heroes Classics Christopher Columbus, I am looking at you), and of course, watching Miss Potter. Always, always, watching Miss Potter.
12. This one may sound a little weird, but I get some kind of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy from water, essentially meaning I feel close to God when I am surrounded by, touching, or observing water. It soothes, calms, exhilarates, refreshes, inspires, focuses, cleanses, and energizes me to an extent that nothing else (except for maybe my love for Matthew) has ever done for me. I can sit in a pool or alone in the ocean or by a waterfall for hours and be content. I sometimes cry when I'm running or walking by the Provo River because it's so BEAUTIFUL.
13. I miss the humidity of the South. I really do. Having lived in both Utah and Georgia, I can confirm that both are hot, sweaty, and to some extent miserable places in the summer, but the Southern air still has this sort of wetness and deepness about it that I find refreshing and comforting.
14. I've been in love with the name "Matthew" ever since my freshman year. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I ended up marrying my Matthew.
15. I had a surprisingly vivid prompting on my first date with Matthew that we would end up getting married if I asked him to hold my hand. I had been nervously debating about whether or not to ask him to hold hands before the date, and I'm still convinced that it was that one moment that set us on the course to where we are now. Thank goodness he said yes!
16. When I was a kid I climbed a tree to rescue a stray gray cat that later became our first family cat, Kim. Kim turned me into a cat-lover, which I have proudly been ever since. She was killed by a passing vehicle and seeing and burying her mangled body was one of the most traumatizing and deeply moving experiences of my life. Hers was the first death that absolutely devastated me as a child.
17. I've never broken a bone in my body. The closest I came was probably when my grandpa slammed the door to our van on my thumb by accident. It hurt like crazy for a long time, but nothing was broken.
18. My experience with braces and orthodontists was basically filled with epic torture and suffering (due to #9, no doubt). I've had wires come loose and stab me in the cheeks more times than I can count, including during our move to Utah. I also have had to wear Headgear and a Herbtz appliance for several years to try to correct my bite. I had braces for probably five years, and it felt like an eternity. For this reason alone, I would NEVER EVER EVER choose to relive my childhood.
19. I used to put ketchup on EVERYTHING as a kid. I put it on corn, macaroni and cheese, fish, any kind of casserole, lima beans, potatoes, even once in soup. But when I was telling this to a friend (at about age 7 or 8), he casually dismissed my boasts by claiming that his little brother liked ketchup so much he put it in milk. I was so shocked and disgusted by this that I had no answer, and it has always stuck with me. I mean, how could you put ketchup in milk? I draw the line at milk.
20. I've never been one to want to learn something because I was afraid the cool kids would make fun of me for not knowing it. I was always just fine with not knowing or participating in any of the movies, sports, music, TV shows, or popular trends that my peers grew up with. I can only think of one exception, and it's a weird one - roller skating. I taught myself to roller skate at age 15 because I was so determined that people not think I was lame or dumb for not being able to go on a rink without embarrassing myself.
21. I am the widest-chested woman in my family, and I was incredibly embarrassed about it growing up. I always felt like I didn't fit in with my sisters and mother, and wished I was flat-chested and scrawny. To compensate I basically slumped over and hid my chest all the time - until I took ballet, that is, and discovered the beauty of posture. Now I've learned to appreciate my figure (sometimes using the Busty Girl Problems website to vent my annoyances) and even to consider it one of my most attractive assets - having a husband who compliments you all the time is a great help!
22. I've knocked myself out three times. The first two times involved me running into something (a fabric bolt, a door) and waking up immediately on the floor with a slight headache but no knowledge of any time passing, when it is obvious from the concerned people around me that time has indeed passed. The third time was at the dentist's, when they were taking pictures of my mouth and I suddenly was hit with a wave of dizziness. They think I locked my legs. All I remember is being alone with the photographer one second, then having to lie down, then opening my eyes the next second and seeing a lot of people, including my mother, looking at me nervously and trying to find food for me. I'd describe getting knocked out as a bizarre and even weirdly pleasurable experience - it gets you a lot of concern and attention, for one, and it's a relief to feel that you didn't experience any pain or even lose any time falling asleep while you were "out." I felt the same way when I woke up (with no recognition that any time had passed) after my wisdom teeth were taken out. Too bad you can't be knocked out for every painful physical experience in your life.
23. I read the Bible from cover to cover somewhere around the age of 9. It took me roughly a year. I don't think I've ever done that since, but I'd like to.
That's all that I can think of for now. Guess which one I chose for my presentation (yes, it's up there).
Friday, July 12, 2013
June 2013 Media Inventory
I've been putting off writing about June. Now that I look at the list of movies I watched, I know why. Wowza - where did I find the time? Anyway, with no further ado-
Pan's Labyrinth: I got this for Matthew and me to watch on his birthday since he's been trying to learn Spanish. We both loved it. I cried. I may have to be banned from watching this once I become pregnant.
Beautiful Creatures: I wasn't sure I would like this film - the story and themes seemed a little shallow and cliche - but the main characters were surprisingly relatable, emotional, and complex. I also loved that the whole thing took place in the South.
Akeelah and the Spelling Bee: Cute, super sweet film about a black girl entering a spelling bee. There's also an overworked Asian kid and an easy going Mexican kid in the bee. What were you expecting?
We Need to Talk About Kevin: I wouldn't recommend this to just anybody, but I think it has a powerful and disturbing subject that is worth wondering about. Honestly I think the book goes much deeper into the issues and themes being examined. The film is disturbing, graphic, and moving in its way, but the book was much more so in my opinion.
The Double: Okay film I guess. The fact I forgot what it was and had to look it up to remember should say something.
The Shunning: Not really my type of movie, but had some really sweet moments.
Trollhunter: Now HERE's a film I can get behind! I took Matthew to see this at the International Cinema at BYU, and it was fantastic. Funny, creative, and wacky stuff. Not to mention it got me in the mood to see...
The Hobbit: Yep. More trolls. I enjoyed this even more the second time around. Probably because of subtitles. And maybe watching Martin Freeman in Sherlock had a little bit to do with it.
Books:
Persuasion: Excellent novel by Jane Austen. It's a quick and lovely read, and the character of Anne is so relatable and admirable.
Movies:
Seven Psychopaths: I was disappointed. The film delivered very readily on the blunt/easy/crass elements and not nearly enough on the intellectual/insightful/comic elements. It had a few good ideas and moments, but overall I didn't find it worth my while.
Clueless: Tee hee. Possibly the best Emma adaptation out there? Okay, I admit to being a fan of the Kate Beckinsale one.
Horatio Hornblower I-VII: I've seen these films at the library for AGES, and it took almost a semester of people talking about Amazing Grace + a well-timed episode of Ioan Gruffudd in Castle to convince me to start seeing them. What. a. BLAST. I wish this was an ongoing TV series. I am absolutely a fan. Go Horatio! And my favorite seaman Matthews! And the very fetching Lieutenant Bush!
Persuasion (1995): I heart this version of Persuasion. A lot. It doesn't get better than Prince Caspian, Bois Guilbert, and Amanda Root. Plus everything about Captain Harville and the final scene is just perfect and amazing.
The Winslow Boy: I saw the trailer for this and got curious. It got a little drawn out and aimless in the middle and near the end (I confess for a little while I stopped caring about any of the characters' happiness), but overall was quite good.
Persuasion (2007): Ugh. I can't stand this version, from the pathetically stuttering Anne to the Bath Marathon at the end. But I was able to write a 15-page paper about how messed up it was, so I guess I have to thank it for that.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green: I thought this seemed like a really sweet, gentle, adorable version of The Curious Life of Benjamin Button. Y'know, for teaching kids about life and death and stuff.
Sherlock, Seasons 1 and 2: I know this is not a movie, but I'm putting it here anyway because Matthew and I watched it together and were RIVETED. RIVETED, I SAY! If you haven't seen this modern version of Sherlock, I don't know if we can even talk anymore because I'm afraid of spoiling something.
Cold Comfort Farm: I'd seen this film before, but for some reason it seemed a lot funnier to me this time around. Probably because I saw it while taking a Jane Austen class. The woodshed bit had me in stitches.
The Woman in Black: Matthew was curious about this one for a long while, so I indulged him when I saw it at the library. It was pretty short and forgettable, though I remember there definitely being a woman in black.
Oz the Great and Powerful: I was surprised at how much I liked this film. It had its weaknesses, sure - wasn't the most creative and profound thing ever by any means - but it was nostalgic and funny and clever and much more enjoyable than either the super colorful Alice in Wonderland or Willy Wonka films made most recently.
Beautiful Creatures: I wasn't sure I would like this film - the story and themes seemed a little shallow and cliche - but the main characters were surprisingly relatable, emotional, and complex. I also loved that the whole thing took place in the South.
Akeelah and the Spelling Bee: Cute, super sweet film about a black girl entering a spelling bee. There's also an overworked Asian kid and an easy going Mexican kid in the bee. What were you expecting?
We Need to Talk About Kevin: I wouldn't recommend this to just anybody, but I think it has a powerful and disturbing subject that is worth wondering about. Honestly I think the book goes much deeper into the issues and themes being examined. The film is disturbing, graphic, and moving in its way, but the book was much more so in my opinion.
The Double: Okay film I guess. The fact I forgot what it was and had to look it up to remember should say something.
The Shunning: Not really my type of movie, but had some really sweet moments.
Trollhunter: Now HERE's a film I can get behind! I took Matthew to see this at the International Cinema at BYU, and it was fantastic. Funny, creative, and wacky stuff. Not to mention it got me in the mood to see...
The Hobbit: Yep. More trolls. I enjoyed this even more the second time around. Probably because of subtitles. And maybe watching Martin Freeman in Sherlock had a little bit to do with it.
Books:
Persuasion: Excellent novel by Jane Austen. It's a quick and lovely read, and the character of Anne is so relatable and admirable.
Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters: I really don't remember reading this or why I read it. It took about a day or two and nothing stayed with me. I think it was mentioned in a class at some point or another. Also, I vaguely didn't like it.
Mud, Sweat, and Tears: I rather enjoyed reading this biography of Bear Grylls. I especially was enthralled by his thrilling adventure in climbing Mt. Everest - something I'm now 100% convinced I will NEVER do. There were also quite a few touching, profound insights that stuck with me about religion, people, and nature. He seems like my kind of guy.
A Child Called It: Disturbing and upsetting read - there were times when I got pretty mad. Even more disturbing when you read about the author online and are not sure what to make of his story. Definitely made me appreciate how great my parents were.
The Lost Boy: The sequel to A Child Called It. Not as engrossing. I got depressed/disillusioned afterwards and decided not to read the final book.
We Need to Talk About Kevin: It feels like it took me all month to read this book. It is long and tough and relentlessly depressing (as well as disturbing), but very well written and thought-provoking. It made me a little scared to have kids, but also helped reaffirm my beliefs and values about life and the dangers of going through life while being too detached and too cynical. I both deeply related to and rejected the main character, which I can't recall doing with another book to this extent.
Theater:
Pirates of Penzance: I was super excited to see this at BYU with Sarah since the best production I'd ever seen of PofP was at BYU some ten years ago. Alas, this production was not particularly impressive. It didn't help that the projected subtitles kept disappearing. The music and voices were all right, but the comedy, acting, and staging was just bland.
A Wrinkle in Time: I was mildly intrigued but not expecting a lot out of this production (I enjoyed At the Back of the North Wind more than A Wrinkle in Time, personally), but was really blown away by the creativity and quality on display. It was the first time I'd really seen the DeJong Theater manipulated and used so extensively and creatively (they had the audience sit on the stage so they could put characters on the far-off balcony). The story wasn't dull and the magic and special effects were charming (the audience especially enjoyed being fanned by huge, fragrant leaves whenever Meg and company went to a certain place). As for the acting, I was personally annoyed by Meg's character, but LOVED Charles Wallace (whom I found excessively annoying in the book) and liked everyone else.
Mud, Sweat, and Tears: I rather enjoyed reading this biography of Bear Grylls. I especially was enthralled by his thrilling adventure in climbing Mt. Everest - something I'm now 100% convinced I will NEVER do. There were also quite a few touching, profound insights that stuck with me about religion, people, and nature. He seems like my kind of guy.
A Child Called It: Disturbing and upsetting read - there were times when I got pretty mad. Even more disturbing when you read about the author online and are not sure what to make of his story. Definitely made me appreciate how great my parents were.
The Lost Boy: The sequel to A Child Called It. Not as engrossing. I got depressed/disillusioned afterwards and decided not to read the final book.
We Need to Talk About Kevin: It feels like it took me all month to read this book. It is long and tough and relentlessly depressing (as well as disturbing), but very well written and thought-provoking. It made me a little scared to have kids, but also helped reaffirm my beliefs and values about life and the dangers of going through life while being too detached and too cynical. I both deeply related to and rejected the main character, which I can't recall doing with another book to this extent.
Theater:
Pirates of Penzance: I was super excited to see this at BYU with Sarah since the best production I'd ever seen of PofP was at BYU some ten years ago. Alas, this production was not particularly impressive. It didn't help that the projected subtitles kept disappearing. The music and voices were all right, but the comedy, acting, and staging was just bland.
A Wrinkle in Time: I was mildly intrigued but not expecting a lot out of this production (I enjoyed At the Back of the North Wind more than A Wrinkle in Time, personally), but was really blown away by the creativity and quality on display. It was the first time I'd really seen the DeJong Theater manipulated and used so extensively and creatively (they had the audience sit on the stage so they could put characters on the far-off balcony). The story wasn't dull and the magic and special effects were charming (the audience especially enjoyed being fanned by huge, fragrant leaves whenever Meg and company went to a certain place). As for the acting, I was personally annoyed by Meg's character, but LOVED Charles Wallace (whom I found excessively annoying in the book) and liked everyone else.
Friday, June 7, 2013
May 2013 Media Inventory
You will note the heavy Jane Austen emphasis during this month. I considered writing the entire entry in a Jane Austen voice in honor of her domination of my viewing and reading habits, but in the end decided such a feat must be left to a greater mind with more time and talent than the most ignorant person ever to dare to call herself a bloggeress.
Movies:
Les Miserables: I did not "grow up" with this musical, and so missed out on the experience of having great hopes and dreams realized or dashed by the viewing of this film. Matthew could probably give you a more emotional review of the quality of the songs and so forth (I tried my hand at judging them and came up with completely opposite conclusions from him, but I defer to someone who actually sings and cares about singing in these matters). Overall I thought the film was enjoyable and entertaining, but not particularly monumental. My fascination with Russell Crowe continues, as does my love for Anne Hathaway's short hair and subtitles.
Mansfield Park (2007): This was the fastest adaptation of a Jane Austen film I've ever seen. I almost felt like I was playing a game of Bingo, crossing off each event rapidly to get through the story. I liked all the casting - yes, even slick-haired Edmund - except for Fanny, whose overwhelmingly huge grin, disheveled blonde hair-in-my-eyes look, and uncertain depiction somewhere between shrieking wildness and complacent shyness rather unnerved me.
Bride and Prejudice: This Bollywood take on Pride and Prejudice was more fun than I remembered (probably because this time I watched it with some friends from my JA class). Some things were still the same, mind - Darcy is dreadfully boring; the "no life without wife" song is my favorite part, etc.
Silver Linings Playbook: Matthew and I really enjoyed this one. It's sweet, weird, depressing, affirming, and had some touching, thoughtful insights about dealing with heartache, obsession, stress, and loneliness. Jennifer Lawrence is fast becoming a favorite actress of mine.
From Time to Time: Cute British film about mysterious old houses, nefarious butlers, and wise grandmothers with secrets. I wasn't surprised to learn this came from the creator of Downton Abbey - it's got the same "modern take on nostalgic past" feeling to it. And Maggie Smith.
The Darkest Hour: Matthew and I saw the trailer for this a long time ago, and thought it looked interesting. We should have just watched the trailer again. It was more interesting than the movie.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): Delightful version. I love this cast and the humor inserted throughout. I only wish they had used more characters and scenes from the novel (I was especially surprised to realize they had entirely omitted the return of Willoughby in the final hour scene). And of course, I always want more ending - couldn't they at least have Margaret catch the bouquet or something?
Sense and Sensibility (2008): I saw this version once before and was not greatly impressed by it, but my second viewing has altered my opinion considerably in its favor. This may have a little or a great deal to do with the fact that I have since become aware of the charms of Dan Stevens from watching Downton Abbey, but further watching - that is, research - is required to be certain. I also finally forgave Willoughby for the crime of being short.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: I wasn't really impressed by the book, but the film was very sweet without being cutesy or cliche.
Total Recall: Again we were tricked into watching this by the trailer. There were some ideas that had potential, and Colin Farrell has a pretty awesome worried facial expression, but I lost interest and emotional investment in the characters pretty early on.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): I liked this so much I watched it twice.
Mansfield Park (1999): I'd seen this once before and hated it. This time I liked the overall film more, but hated the parts that I hated more, if that makes sense.
The Prestige: This was the film that converted me to Christopher Nolan, and it's still my perennial Nolan favorite. I think I could watch it every year and still gush about watching it for the first time.
Clipping Adam: I didn't expect a lot out of this film about a boy who doesn't cut his hair after his mom and sister die in an accident, but I was very pleasantly surprised at its warmth, humor, emotion, and simplicity. The characters were great and the story was sweet. The ending felt a little abrupt, and I may not watch it again, but I would recommend it.
Shackleton: I'd seen this around the library a few times and thought it looked interesting. Kenneth Branagh was predictably brilliant. It was also really nice to watch people shivering in the Arctic during an extremely hot week in May.
On a Clear Day: I watched this movie after recently getting hooked on swimming regularly again, so bear in mind that I am a water addict and can watch stuff like Olympics swimming and diving for hours. Anyway, this film. I. LOVED. IT. EVERY. SINGLE. LITTLE. BIT. Spot-on story and casting. I cried.
Tower Heist: Good bit of crazy fun with Ben Stiller. Bonus - Casey Affleck's worried face rivals Colin Farrell's!
Argo: I forgot to include this one on my list at first, but I really, really enjoyed it. Gripping story, well acted and paced. I haven't been quite so tense watching a film that I recall since Sophie Scholl.
Books:
The Candy Shop War 2: Arcade Catastrophe: Awesome, fun, and creative sequel. I get worried sometimes Brandon Mull will write himself into something so crazy he won't be able to get out of it without cheating, but somehow he manages to make it work.
Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowleged that this book is awesome.
Modern Ghosts: A collection of short horror stories by Joe Hill, who is a pretty intense horror writer but also a good writer in general. I enjoy his style of horror better than Stephen King's.
Life Laughs: I think I read this book in an hour while walking home from the library. It's about as substantial as a chatty girly blog post.
Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Not quite as witty and clever as their first book, in my opinion, but still a fun/insightful read.
The Pregnancy Project: I was touched by this true story of a girl faking a high school pregnancy for a class project. I especially appreciated her opening up about her family's difficult background and the many trials of living without financial or familial stability. It definitely strengthened my gratitude for my parents' raising me and my resolve to raise my children in a good way.
Mansfield Park: Not my favorite of Jane Austen's novels, but I was glad to finally finish it after starting when I was about 13 and getting distracted somewhere around Portsmouth.
Misery: Why did I read this? I don't like Stephen King. Anyway, I didn't like it.
Movies:
Les Miserables: I did not "grow up" with this musical, and so missed out on the experience of having great hopes and dreams realized or dashed by the viewing of this film. Matthew could probably give you a more emotional review of the quality of the songs and so forth (I tried my hand at judging them and came up with completely opposite conclusions from him, but I defer to someone who actually sings and cares about singing in these matters). Overall I thought the film was enjoyable and entertaining, but not particularly monumental. My fascination with Russell Crowe continues, as does my love for Anne Hathaway's short hair and subtitles.
Mansfield Park (2007): This was the fastest adaptation of a Jane Austen film I've ever seen. I almost felt like I was playing a game of Bingo, crossing off each event rapidly to get through the story. I liked all the casting - yes, even slick-haired Edmund - except for Fanny, whose overwhelmingly huge grin, disheveled blonde hair-in-my-eyes look, and uncertain depiction somewhere between shrieking wildness and complacent shyness rather unnerved me.
Bride and Prejudice: This Bollywood take on Pride and Prejudice was more fun than I remembered (probably because this time I watched it with some friends from my JA class). Some things were still the same, mind - Darcy is dreadfully boring; the "no life without wife" song is my favorite part, etc.
Silver Linings Playbook: Matthew and I really enjoyed this one. It's sweet, weird, depressing, affirming, and had some touching, thoughtful insights about dealing with heartache, obsession, stress, and loneliness. Jennifer Lawrence is fast becoming a favorite actress of mine.
From Time to Time: Cute British film about mysterious old houses, nefarious butlers, and wise grandmothers with secrets. I wasn't surprised to learn this came from the creator of Downton Abbey - it's got the same "modern take on nostalgic past" feeling to it. And Maggie Smith.
The Darkest Hour: Matthew and I saw the trailer for this a long time ago, and thought it looked interesting. We should have just watched the trailer again. It was more interesting than the movie.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): Delightful version. I love this cast and the humor inserted throughout. I only wish they had used more characters and scenes from the novel (I was especially surprised to realize they had entirely omitted the return of Willoughby in the final hour scene). And of course, I always want more ending - couldn't they at least have Margaret catch the bouquet or something?
Sense and Sensibility (2008): I saw this version once before and was not greatly impressed by it, but my second viewing has altered my opinion considerably in its favor. This may have a little or a great deal to do with the fact that I have since become aware of the charms of Dan Stevens from watching Downton Abbey, but further watching - that is, research - is required to be certain. I also finally forgave Willoughby for the crime of being short.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: I wasn't really impressed by the book, but the film was very sweet without being cutesy or cliche.
Total Recall: Again we were tricked into watching this by the trailer. There were some ideas that had potential, and Colin Farrell has a pretty awesome worried facial expression, but I lost interest and emotional investment in the characters pretty early on.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): I liked this so much I watched it twice.
Mansfield Park (1999): I'd seen this once before and hated it. This time I liked the overall film more, but hated the parts that I hated more, if that makes sense.
The Prestige: This was the film that converted me to Christopher Nolan, and it's still my perennial Nolan favorite. I think I could watch it every year and still gush about watching it for the first time.
Clipping Adam: I didn't expect a lot out of this film about a boy who doesn't cut his hair after his mom and sister die in an accident, but I was very pleasantly surprised at its warmth, humor, emotion, and simplicity. The characters were great and the story was sweet. The ending felt a little abrupt, and I may not watch it again, but I would recommend it.
Shackleton: I'd seen this around the library a few times and thought it looked interesting. Kenneth Branagh was predictably brilliant. It was also really nice to watch people shivering in the Arctic during an extremely hot week in May.
On a Clear Day: I watched this movie after recently getting hooked on swimming regularly again, so bear in mind that I am a water addict and can watch stuff like Olympics swimming and diving for hours. Anyway, this film. I. LOVED. IT. EVERY. SINGLE. LITTLE. BIT. Spot-on story and casting. I cried.
Tower Heist: Good bit of crazy fun with Ben Stiller. Bonus - Casey Affleck's worried face rivals Colin Farrell's!
Argo: I forgot to include this one on my list at first, but I really, really enjoyed it. Gripping story, well acted and paced. I haven't been quite so tense watching a film that I recall since Sophie Scholl.
Books:
The Candy Shop War 2: Arcade Catastrophe: Awesome, fun, and creative sequel. I get worried sometimes Brandon Mull will write himself into something so crazy he won't be able to get out of it without cheating, but somehow he manages to make it work.
Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowleged that this book is awesome.
Modern Ghosts: A collection of short horror stories by Joe Hill, who is a pretty intense horror writer but also a good writer in general. I enjoy his style of horror better than Stephen King's.
Life Laughs: I think I read this book in an hour while walking home from the library. It's about as substantial as a chatty girly blog post.
Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Not quite as witty and clever as their first book, in my opinion, but still a fun/insightful read.
The Pregnancy Project: I was touched by this true story of a girl faking a high school pregnancy for a class project. I especially appreciated her opening up about her family's difficult background and the many trials of living without financial or familial stability. It definitely strengthened my gratitude for my parents' raising me and my resolve to raise my children in a good way.
Mansfield Park: Not my favorite of Jane Austen's novels, but I was glad to finally finish it after starting when I was about 13 and getting distracted somewhere around Portsmouth.
Misery: Why did I read this? I don't like Stephen King. Anyway, I didn't like it.
Monday, June 3, 2013
The Many Photoshoots of May
Until May I took remarkably few photos in the year 2013. The first photoshoot of the year didn't happen until Valentine's Day, where I got a couple of photos of Matthew eating spaghetti. I'm not sure why I didn't take any of myself - perhaps I was just feeling icky that day? The next time the camera came out was in April to take a random assortment of shots of un-posed people wandering around eating things on Easter and some very poorly decorated eggs (the sight of which I'll spare you). And that apparently was the whole of everything worth documenting with the camera for the Winter 2013 semester. Maybe it snowed. Maybe it was pretty. Will anyone know? Will they care?
Then all of a sudden in May, the camera came alive. It seemed every weekend was photo-worthy. Things went so far that we even had to (gasp!) CHANGE THE BATTERIES.
So what was the big deal about in May? Well, let's take a look back and see...
1. I decided to get my hair cut. So the weekend before, I got my sister Hannah to take a lot of photos of me and Matthew (she took some of the photos we used for our engagements, and we liked them so much we asked her to give us coupons for more photoshoots for Christmas). This led to some great and goofy moments - I'll let you figure out which is which:
2. I actually GOT my hair cut. Photos briefly became an obsession.
3. Matthew, possibly influenced by that one time in my western film class when I took him to see "Unforgiven," went and bought a gun (in unrelated news, the dog who barks all the time upstairs mysteriously went missing that night...). Of COURSE we took photos.
He also went shooting for the first time on Memorial Day with a few friends from work, but in a great tragedy, the camera was left behind, so we must imagine it looked something like this:
4. Mother's day! Self-explanatory.
5. Mama's birthday! You will note that once again we succeeded in making our mother cry.
6. We celebrated our two-year anniversary at the end of May. For some reason (oh yeah I'm taking a class this semester) I didn't have as much time as I had last year to prepare decorations and ideas, so we ended up having a very toned down celebration. I took a long walk in the rain (a romantic touch which I greatly appreciated seeing as how it rained on the evening of the day we got married) by myself waiting for Matthew to get off work, and we celebrated with cheesecake (which we had on our honeymoon) and strawberry lemonade (which we had at our reception). And pictures, of course.
The following things also happened in late April/early May that were camera-worthy:
7. We visited a friend of mine from the first neighborhood we lived in when we moved to Utah. I used to babysit her three oldest kids and it was fun seeing how grown-up everyone was except for herself and her husband, who haven't looked older than 25 since I met them. I actually thought she was a Laurel (a 16-18-year-old girl in the Church's Young Women program) when I met her and was surprised to find out she was a leader. Now I'm pretty convinced she could pass for one of my college students. I hope we'll visit them again so I can figure out where she stashes the Fountain of Youth flask.
8. I got a bad ingrown toenail. I actually got it in March, but it got worse and worse until I finally decided to get it taken care of after finals. I went to the BYU Student Health Center and had a very pleasant experience. Someone asked me if I was there to see the podiatrist before I had time to even sit down, the podiatrist and assistant had everything ready when I walked into the "operating" room, the assistant handed me the piece of paper to sign away my rights while the doctor was actually already prepping my toe, and everything was smooth and quick and relatively painless (most of the pain came later when the toe "un-numbed"). Overall I was in and out in about five minutes, and I haven't had a problem since. The lack of pain has done wonders for my exercise - turns out running, walking, and moving are way more fun when your toenail isn't jabbing you with every step!
Apologies for the grossness of the next photo. If you have small children.... actually, small children will probably find this pic pretty cool:
9. I got back into shape. Winter is always the worst semester for me health-wise (especially with food poisoning!), but so far I've always been able to bounce back in the spring. Photo-wise, I ended up experimenting with yoga pics I've seen online or just stretching in general:
Then all of a sudden in May, the camera came alive. It seemed every weekend was photo-worthy. Things went so far that we even had to (gasp!) CHANGE THE BATTERIES.
So what was the big deal about in May? Well, let's take a look back and see...
1. I decided to get my hair cut. So the weekend before, I got my sister Hannah to take a lot of photos of me and Matthew (she took some of the photos we used for our engagements, and we liked them so much we asked her to give us coupons for more photoshoots for Christmas). This led to some great and goofy moments - I'll let you figure out which is which:
 |
| I totally can see this as a movie poster for a chick flick. Titles, anyone? |
 | |
| A rare non-goofy one of us three! |
 |
| I believe the instructions were "look flirty..." |
 | ||
2. I actually GOT my hair cut. Photos briefly became an obsession.
3. Matthew, possibly influenced by that one time in my western film class when I took him to see "Unforgiven," went and bought a gun (in unrelated news, the dog who barks all the time upstairs mysteriously went missing that night...). Of COURSE we took photos.
 |
| Matt and *Shotgun Shane* |
 |
| Matthew is obviously the cute Asian. |
4. Mother's day! Self-explanatory.
5. Mama's birthday! You will note that once again we succeeded in making our mother cry.
 |
| Blueberry birthday pie! |
 |
| Okay, so Daniel was actually the one who made her cry... |
 |
| Dad reading my very witty Jane Austen card |
The following things also happened in late April/early May that were camera-worthy:
7. We visited a friend of mine from the first neighborhood we lived in when we moved to Utah. I used to babysit her three oldest kids and it was fun seeing how grown-up everyone was except for herself and her husband, who haven't looked older than 25 since I met them. I actually thought she was a Laurel (a 16-18-year-old girl in the Church's Young Women program) when I met her and was surprised to find out she was a leader. Now I'm pretty convinced she could pass for one of my college students. I hope we'll visit them again so I can figure out where she stashes the Fountain of Youth flask.
8. I got a bad ingrown toenail. I actually got it in March, but it got worse and worse until I finally decided to get it taken care of after finals. I went to the BYU Student Health Center and had a very pleasant experience. Someone asked me if I was there to see the podiatrist before I had time to even sit down, the podiatrist and assistant had everything ready when I walked into the "operating" room, the assistant handed me the piece of paper to sign away my rights while the doctor was actually already prepping my toe, and everything was smooth and quick and relatively painless (most of the pain came later when the toe "un-numbed"). Overall I was in and out in about five minutes, and I haven't had a problem since. The lack of pain has done wonders for my exercise - turns out running, walking, and moving are way more fun when your toenail isn't jabbing you with every step!
Apologies for the grossness of the next photo. If you have small children.... actually, small children will probably find this pic pretty cool:
 |
| First look after taking off the bandages |
9. I got back into shape. Winter is always the worst semester for me health-wise (especially with food poisoning!), but so far I've always been able to bounce back in the spring. Photo-wise, I ended up experimenting with yoga pics I've seen online or just stretching in general:
 |
| What you don't see is my toe, pre-operation, throbbing in agony |
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