Merry Christmas from Club 19

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Evelyn: As our Political Science major, Evelyn is able to accurately keep us informed about the actions of our lovely government (or not-so-lovely government, as the case may be), as well as wars and rumors of wars worldwide. She uses her skills of wit and politics to debate with all those who come into our dorm and has yet to find a worthy rival. Moreover, we are sure that through her top-notch campaign calls during the Midterm Elections, Evelyn carried the Republican vote in the state of Colorado, even though she is from Indiana and Senate candidate Ken Buck still lost. In addition, scientists have concluded that global warming is in part caused directly by Evelyn, whose excessive ice cube consumption has already reduced the amount of ice on Mt. Timpanogos by 30% this season (* Note: We have discussed the creation of an IEA—Ice Eaters Anonymous—group to combat this problem). In conclusion, we regretfully must inform you that over the course of the semester, Evelyn has fallen German inactive as her faith in German-speaking has spiraled downward (* Note: We have yet to see a German missionary on our Lonely Missionary Wall to restore her faith in the class, so perhaps not all is lost).

Tessa: Though her major is as of yet unknown, Tessa has informed us that in her future lies “…something artsy…hopefully not living in a cardboard box.” However, none of us are too worried about her future housing since she has already been encouraged by a professor to publish a short story. She is currently Employee of the Month every month at Taco Bell (though we have yet to see our free tacos). In addition, Tessa participated in BYU Mask Club’s Next to Normal, the happiest show you’ve ever seen. Though she is the provider of our Leonardo DeCaprio collection (Titanic, Romeo and Juliet, etc. etc.) she still needs to go deeper and see Inception. Currently, Tessa serves as the Resident Kissing Expert and the Bowen 19 domestic chef. We have learned to respect the one who can cook meals other than cheese quesadillas.

Emily: Did you know that cows produce 200,000 glasses of milk in their lifetime? Well, Emily has consumed at least half that just this semester. Due to her love of milk, Emily has strong bones that have allowed her to become successful in her dancing career here at BYU. As an almost professional folk dancer, Emily has managed to woo all the boys with her graceful grooviness. And just to baffle our minds more, Emily even finds time to participate in Ping Pong Club. As an undefeated member, Emily pounds those plastic balls hardcore. Like a true winner, Emily even triumphed in our dorm’s football rivalry when the Patriots beat the Colts 31 to 28. However, we have discovered through our many conversations about dating that Emily has indeed managed to redefine the word “dating” and shifted it to an all-new paradigm.

Lauren: Did you know that cows produce 200,000 glasses of milk in their lifetime? Well, Lauren has informed us that human consumption of all that milk is unnatural. She instead consumes plenty of soy milk (made naturally from beans, not cow-created lactate) to heroically maintain the Milk Equilibrium of our dorm and thus stop the earth from being overrun by cows. Her adamant recycling only augments her “green” superpowers. On a separate note, as an English major, Lauren is quite useful in keeping the language within our dorm refined and proper. Given these facts, dorm Bowen 19 has observed that Lauren is an individual woman who cares about the environment and actually wants an education. Therefore, following traditional BYU standards, we have deemed her the Resident Liberal. But in contrast to this utter repudiation of the BYU norm, Lauren still fulfills and even magnifies her church calling: Indeed, we enjoy secretly watching Lauren learn how to perfect the art of directing the BYU 118^th Ward Choir through instructional YouTube videos.

Kelsilyn: Currently attends BYU and is majoring in…TBA at a later time. All day every day, 25/8, Kelsilyn splits her time between work two jobs: sanitary engineering in the Benson Building and ushering at the BYU football games. As to the latter, everyone is frequently floored by the fact that she is often in the presence of BYU football legends and General Authorities. Though she knows who the General Authorities are (thank goodness), she only recently learned the significance of meeting some football dude named Steve Young. In her student life, she maintains a strict 86%-only policy on all tests and a strict diet of oatmeal, soda crackers and cream cheese. Voted the most eligible wife in Bowen Hall, Kelsilyn refutes conflict of interest by maintaining faith in the mysterious missionary boy from Pennsylvania, whoever he is.

Jessica: Jessica, the brunt of Bowen 19’s many Asian jokes (though she’s only a fourth Asian), is currently majoring in Actuarial Science. Though none of us have quite figured out what that major actually is, we figure that it’s something smart and continue to HOO-RAH her on. Given her advanced brain and Asian persuasion, Jessica has been able to woo many boys, but has yet to find a good banana. She currently works at the BYU Bookstore, but, unlike Tessa, has never been Employee of the Month. However, she achieved an even higher honor: grand prize in the Bookstore’s prestigious coloring contest. Indeed, Jessica is an artist in many ways besides coloring, and is considered by world experts to be a master in the art of sarcasm; weaker souls would falter at her dry wit, but we are frequently found in bouts of laughter throughout the day. Currently the most talented dessert baker in the dorm, Jessica consistently makes delicious cookie dough (we say cookie dough because it never actually makes it into the oven to morph into its ultimate form).

Anyways, to everyone who loves us enough to have read through this whole thing: We love you, too. Merry Christmas!

Evelyn Forbes, Man of the House

Tessa Wilkerson, Mom

Emily Kleinkopf, Senile Grandmother

Lauren Fine, Rebellious Teenager

Kelsilyn Westberg, Ginger Stepchild

Jessica Seeger, Forgotten Middle Child

QUIZ: HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW BOWEN 19?

1. Who in this dorm has a middle name?

2. T/F: Evelyn and Lauren have the same political views.

3. Who is Sister Bowen?

4. What are the secret menu items at the Cougareat Taco Bell?

5. How do you pronounce the Celtic name “Eoghan?”

6. How many members of Bowen 19 suffered from technological malfunctions this semester?

7. The lyrics to the holiday classic “Deck the Halls” are “Deck the halls with…”

A. Balls of holly

B. Bows of holly

C. Boughs of holly

D. Schluck

8. What does “Kleinkopf” mean in German?

9. What food do we never want to eat again?

10. What time do the Temple Square lights close?

ANSWERS

1. Evelyn Elizabeth and Tessa Jolene

2. TRUE!

3. The ghost that haunts our dorm with creepy knocking and phone calls every midnight.

4. The Hulk Burrito, Superman Burrito, Mike Black Burrito, GT Burrito and the Jason-style Cheesy Gordita Crunch

5. “Owen” or “Ewan”

6. 4

7. C, unless your last name is Kleinkopf, in which case any answer is acceptable

8. Small head

9. Friendship bread

10. We don’t know, but it was sometime before we got there.

Beauty of a Smaller Scale

Massive, skillful, awe-inspiring. Carl Bloch’s alter pieces are indeed impressive. I love these depictions of Christ’s life, but none of them speak to me in a way beyond what most Christians would feel while viewing a painting of their savior. Their largeness overwhelms me, so I head to the room of Bloch’s smaller pieces.

Wander. Observe. Speculate. Stroll. Admire. Glance. Glance again. Stop. Wow. I really love this one. The caption on the side reads “Charwoman Feeding the Birds” with “Oil on Panel” and a brief description underneath. I plant myself firmly in front of the painting and take a closer look. The snow-covered ground, the lightest part of the panel, draws my eye first. It is peppered by hungry sparrows pecking at breadcrumbs. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

I follow the trail of dropping crumbs to the hand of the giver and upward. The line of the elderly woman’s arm and the line of her cane form a triangle pointing toward the woman’s face. Though shadowed by her black cloak, the woman’s radiant countenance is the most powerful part of the painting. How can an artist, using only brushes and paint, depict such selfless love, such humble compassion? Her withered face is curved into a slight smile as she shares what she apparently has very little of already. And there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites…

In painting this, Bloch demonstrated his appreciation for the poor and forgotten who give, even when they have nothing. In viewing it, I gain a deeper admiration for them. I believe this was his purpose – to remind us of the good that such people do, to tell us that we, too, can spread the light of Christ, even if all we have is half a loaf of bread. The background of the piece is grey and bare; the woman’s clothing is faded and plain. The subdued colors of the painting only add to its impact. There is nothing to distract or confuse you. The focus of the piece is the woman and her action (her face, her hand, and the sparrows are the specific focal points). It wasn’t done in a grand palace or crowded marketplace, but in a street corner. It wasn’t done by a princess but by a pauper. The scale of the painting matches the scale of the action: small yet important. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

The elderly woman in the painting reminds me of a woman I know. We call her Tweety Bird Grandma because she has the sweetest, high voice and calls everyone “dearie.” She is in her 80’s (and can barely walk), yet she spends most of her time taking care of the elderly women in her apartment complex, most of whom are younger than herself. She is ever giving, ever loving. No act of kindness is too insignificant for her to go out of her way to perform it. Every person is to her what each sparrow is to the charwoman. If the woman in the painting found it worthwhile to share her small possessions with some of God’s smallest creations, how can I, who have so much, not do the same? Such a seemingly unimportant act was not unimportant to Carl Bloch, nor is it unimportant to our savior. No person, no creature, no good deed is forgotten by him, for “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

I'm a little weird

When it comes to Halloween (and sometimes real life, too)...

Other girls want to be a disney princess.

I want to being an elf.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I hope you all get to be whatever your heart desires!

For the Beauty of the Earth

So I live in Provo, and it's October. For all of you poor seasonless Arizonans out there, let me clarify. It's autumn, and not the lame 85 degrees kind we get in Arizona. Allow me to describe it to you.

As I walk home from the library at night, the chilly air fills my lungs with new life. I zip up my jacket a little, shove my hands in my pockets, and wiggle my toes joyfully in my plush, fur lined boots. I take a deep breath, savoring the musky smell of rotting leaves and coming rain. The air feels about the same as a January evening in Mesa, but the glorious smell is something I've never experienced.

I take my time walking home. Even in the dark, the mountains look majestic. Their nearness is something I haven't quite gotten used to. I follow the vague shadow upward until the peaks meet the night sky. Overcast means no stars tonight, but it also means a good chance of rain tomorrow. At least until it's cold enough to snow, clouds are a good thing.

The next morning, Emily opens the blinds and exclaims "It's cloudy!" with the usual Arizona excitement.

I join her at the window and admire the impressive scene. The tree across the street is one of the only trees whose leaves have already completely changed colors. Rust colored leaves dot the grass below the tree, which, typical of Utah, is kept green as long as the weather allows. The overcast sky doesn't let us down, either. When it starts raining a few minutes later, Emily and I immediately run outside like we've never seen autumn before (because, well, we haven't).

The tree behind our house is loosing it's bright yellow leaves rapidly. The leaves chase each other around the lawn, enjoying the protection from the rain that the large branches provide. I enter the whirlwind of leaves and rain, feeling light sensations on my skin as the leaves brush against my cheeks and hands. I reach up and pick a few bright leaves from the tree and think to myself...

So this is what autumn feels like.

Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

It's a great day to be alive

Yesterday, I won a BYU football PEZ dispenser for safety week.

Today, I saw a guy dressed as a killer whale strutting through campus.

Tomorrow, I am going to Salt Lake to hear prophets speak.

It's a fine life.

The meaning of truth

I have been thinking a lot about the concept of truth lately. I am a strong believer in the value of literature and art because it teaches us about culture and human nature. In many ways, art is as true, or more true, than science. Science will tell you that a person has five fingers on each hand, a heart with atria and ventricles, and cranial nerves with synapses and axon terminals. Art will tell you what those hands can do, what that heart can feel, and what that brain can understand. Art creates a more complete picture of a human being.

But art is more subjective that historical and scientific fact, right? Maybe, but historical and scientific fact aren't always as reliable as we might think. After all, virtually everything we know about history is second hand from a biased perspective. Much of scientific information is theoretical or inferred. We trust historical information when there are enough witnesses to back it up, and we accept science as fact when it has been proven enough times, but perspectives in these areas are still constantly changing.

So, is there such a thing as absolute truth?

Absolutely.

Moroni 10: 5 states, "and by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things."

Since I have been at BYU, I have come to associate this scripture with religious and secular classes alike. The spirit testifies of all truth. Absolute truth exists, and through the Holy Ghost, we are able to recognize it.

The College Life

Dear anyone who might be following my blog in hopes of keeping up on my college life,

I am sincerely sorry about my lack of postage, which will probably be a fairly persistent problem. This is the issue - I've been having so much fun at college that I don't really have a lot of time to write about the fun I've been having. At times in between posts, you will just have to imagine me learning, studying, making friends, playing cards, singing, reading, and loving college.

Thanks a bunch,

Lauren Fine

Now for my first college update. Here are a few things I love about BYU.

1. My Dorm -particularly the decorations on the wall. We have 6 Lord of the Rings posters on the wall above the window, a giant Star Wars poster on the south wall, and water color paintings of Salzburg and a picture of the temple on my side of the room. Best. Dorm room. Ever.

2. Tall trees and green grass. Though I hate to admit it, Provo is definitely prettier than Mesa. I probably won't be saying that 3 months from now, but at the moment, I love the scenery.

3. The Harold B. Lee Library. It is by far my favorite place on campus. Not only is it the second largest college library in the country, but it has hundreds of antiques and art exhibits: Chinese porcelain dolls, ancient musical instruments, murals, student art work, you name it. The first floor even has a film section with a theater. Impressive, right? Well, I haven't even mentioned the best part yet. On the first floor, there is an area where they put temporary exhibits called the L. Tom Perry Special Collections area. Right now they have a literature exhibit with original drafts and first editions of famous books. That's right, Charles Dickens' and Louis May Alcott's actual handwriting, right there in front of me. I'm not even sure how long I wandered through the exhibits, gaping wide-eyed at the manuscripts of some of my favorite authors. Amazing.

4. Music. Almost everyone is involved in some form of music here, whether on their own or part of an ensemble. That means lots of boys that can sing. :) Plus, they have faculty and student performances practically every week. I went to a piano concert last night for my Music 101 concert report. The professor who was performing played Beethoven, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. I was blown away. The opportunities for musical involvement are endless.

5. Friendly people. I was having trouble finding my Book of Mormon class and some girl stopped what she was doing and helped me get there. People I've never seen before in my life smile and say hello to me as I walk by. I'm sure there are friendly people at every university, but there is a spirit here that you just can't find anywhere else. I love it.

BYU is a magical place. I'm so grateful to be able to go here.

Ode to Mesa

Well, this is it. I'm leaving tomorrow morning, only to return when the sun radiates relief and the kitchen smells like pumpkin pie. To answer the questions I have already answered dozens of times: Yes, I'm excited. I'm living in bowen hall at Heritage. It's old but right by campus. I'm rooming with Emily Kleinkopf, majoring in English, and of course, since everyone has pounded this into my head, I'm expecting to have lots of fun.

The truth is that, although I am excited, I'm also a little apprehensive, and there are lots of things I'm going to miss about my hometown. As I was thinking about Mesa, my thoughts were coming out somwhat poetically, so I decided to jot them down. It was a quick draft and It's a little cheesy, but it describes how I'm feeling, so I'm posting it anyway. Enjoy. :)

I’ll miss this.

I’ll miss walking outside a cold building into the blistering heat

wearing flip flops outside in february and sweaters inside in june

dancing in the sudden, brief rain that interrupts a sunny day

I’ll miss strolling down main street with a friend and a camera

staying home on fridays to be with my sister

singing 2 hours a day with the people I love most

I’ll miss the saguaros amongst wildflowers in spring, dried grass in autumn

the families of quail that run across my yard each June

the smell of orange blossoms that invades my nose on a spring day

I’ll miss Mesa

The desert is beautiful because it’s my home

Some say they could never belong here. I say I will always belong here

I’ll miss this.

Goodbye Mesa! Don't change too much while I'm gone. Keep my family and friends safe and well for me. :) I'll be home for Christmas!

Love,

Lauren

I'm old fashioned

I love the moonlight. I love the old fashioned things...

If these phrases hold no meaning for you, go look up the song "I'm Old Fashioned" on youtube or a music website. It's an old jazz standard so there will be dozens of artists that have recordings. I recommend Ella Fitzgerald, but listen to more than one if you have time.

The fact that I absolutely love this song is just one example of how old fashioned I am. I realized recently that in many aspects of pop culture, I prefer an older or more vintage style to a modern one. I would rather listen to Billy Joel than Jason Derulo. I would rather read A Tale of Two Cities than The Lightning Theif. I would rather watch old episodes of Star Trek than new episodes of Glee. And as far as fashion and decorating are concerned, the vintage look wins ever time. Let's face it, unless we are talking about food, pajamas, or special effects, old stuff is always better.

Okay, maybe not always. I love a lot of the more current music, books, and TV shows as well, and although I love vintage style clothing, it's not like the clothes themselves are actually old.

I guess the more accurate statement would be that I'm multi-generation fashioned. Too often, the media (and the public) gets so excited about the newest hit that they forget about the old classics. People with such a narrow focus miss out on the myriad of good entertainment that is available to them. So this is my message to the world: next time you buy tickets to the newest hit movie, check out what the Metropolitan Opera will be broadcasting in HD at the same theather. Next time your looking up your favorite song artist on the internet, look up some of the artists that inspired them. Next time you check out the latest pop fiction novel from the library, pick up a classic that has withstood the test of time.

Every generation has its good and bad culture, but over the years, we can hope that the worst of it dies out, leaving only the best books, movies, and music for our senses to enjoy.

Think about it.

An Exercise in Being Social

In my family, we have social people and not-so-social people. I fall into the not-so-social category. It's not that I particularly dislike talking to people, I just don't go out of my way to speak with people whom I will probably never need to know beyond a superficial level. This is especially the case at work. Besides having a generally unfavorable attitude about my job (I wouldn't call it a bad attitude - I think I put up with removing staples and scanning for 4 to 6 hours straight fairly well), I tend to have the idea that since I will probably never see most of my co-workers after I leave for college, there's no need for me to make friends.

My mom, on the other hand, falls into the "social" category of my family. She loves the people we work with and could tell me something significant about each of their lives. I realized that I can't learn to love people if I never even get to know them, and I can't be the kind of person I want to be if I don't learn to love people. So what did I do? I decided to put my mom's approach to the test.

I started by making general small talk to each person that came into my little copy room. I would ask them what they were working on, if the had any big plans for the weekend, etc. I must admit, small talk is the reason I'm not more social. I hate it. It's tiresome and superficial. However, I've realized through my little experiment that small talk is often the dreadful but necessary first step to getting to know someone.

Progress was slow at first. The only change I could detect in my experience at work was that I had to put up with a lot more pointless conversations. I didn't feel like I was good at this whole "being social" thing and was ready to give up when I had a conversation that completely changed my outlook. Lucy came into the copy center at the usual time. I already felt like she didn't really like me because I always seemed to be using the copier when she needed it, but we talked anyway. The conversation started out like small talk. We talked about my plans for college and she asked me what I was planning on going into.

"English," I said.

"Oh, do you want to be a teacher?" She replied.

"That's my current plan," I confirmed.

"My mother was an English teacher," Lucy said, and continued to tell me all about her mother. She was a teacher at a school in Mesa when she decided that she wanted to know what it felt like to be a minority. She requested a transfer to a school in downtown Phoenix that at the time, enrolled about 1% white students. Lucy told me several stories about the things her mother did for her students. She gave these poor, black and Hispanic students their first experience of receiving mail. She let them all touch her long hair, but only if she got to touch each of their heads in return. She impacted her students' lives in a way that I can only hope to emulate someday. When the conversation ended, I was not only amazed and inspired, but my attitude about people in general had changed. Some people will seem callous when you meet them. Small talk will be tedious when you first begin. But every now and then, you have a conversation like the one I had this week, and that makes "being social" worth all the effort.

It's the little things

I spent today appreciating the little things in life. In order to help you all love life a little more, I have come up with a list - things that make life a little better just because they exist. You're welcome.

1. Skype
Seriously, it's the best thing since buttered toast. I know, I never thought something would come along that could compete with buttered toast, either, but that day has finally come.
We skyped (can skype be used as a verb?) with Markie and Tucker last night and it was awesome. We got to see Markie's dorm and meet her roommates and watch everyone's facial expressions. Haha. So much better than that old school telephone idea.

2.Breathtaking Views

This is where I work now (the shorter ovalish building in the middle)
The view from the lobby looks like this

Ok so it doesn't look exactly like that, but it's still pretty spectacular. My job is as boring as ever, but the occasional glimpse outside definitely makes it a lot more bearable.

3. Orange trees
I was riding my bike this evening, and as I got closer to the orange grove, the air got at least 5 degrees cooler and it smelled summery - like orange blossoms but a little less sweet. Heavenly.

4. Eating PB&J with a spoonSometimes the bread just gets in the way. You probably think I'm weird, but I promise, it's better than in sounds. Seriously, try it. Yummm.

5. The song "You Got Me" by Colbie Cailat
It's on my playlist to the right in case you want to listen to it right now - which you should because it will make you happy. :)

Your turn! What little thing did you appreciate today?

feuling fire

I just finished the second book in the Hunger games series. It's called Catching Fire (I had a picture which I apparently got from an unhappy internet source that goes around deleting photos off of blogs that 8 people follow).

The next book doesn't come out until August, and this book's cliff hanger ending definitely leaves people hungry (or thirsty, or burning, or dying) for more. Almost everything I wrote about Hunger Games also applies here. The plot is action packed and intriguing, though I must say that Collins does set it up to be rather predictable. I guessed, to some degree, the endings of both books, partially because the author left a few prominent clues, and partially because I knew that no sensible writer would kill off too many main characters. Not in this genre, not with another book coming, and certainly not if she wants to have her books made into movies. But the fact that you have a vague idea (or maybe just a definite hope) of how the events will end up doesn't make you any less anxious to get to the end. The only thing that frustrated me was that the main character, Katniss, didn't catch on to the clues that seemed so obvious to me. It's not that she's stupid (she most definitely is not), she is just so stubborn and passionate that she is blinded to the truth. And to be fair, it would have been remarkable if she had figured everything out, considering how many other things she had to worry about. :)

The characters in this series are quite likable, which is a selling point for any book or movie. Or at least the ones you are supposed to like are. I guess by the end you hate some of them, love some of them, pity some of them, and simply respect some of them. You could say Collins has this manipulating your emotions thing down to a science. The best part about the characters, though, is that they are relatable. Except for maybe President Snow and a few minor characters, no one is completely one sided. All of the primary characters have significant virtues and major flaws. My favorite character is Peeta because I think I can relate to him the most. He hates the capitol as much as anyone, but he's not a fighter. Instead, he uses his artistic and verbal skills to stage his own form of protest.

Alright, I'll stop babbling. In my effort to not give away anything, I've probably made this post totally incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't read the book. But since I'm really just doing this for my own pleasure, I don't really care. Sorry readers - this blog has never really been about you. Most blogs have never really been about you - unless the writer is really entertaining or somewhat vein. Sorry to burst your bubble. Have a great day. Read this book.

P.S. I promise I'll write a review of Jane Eyre eventually, I'm just putting it off because I know it will take a lot longer to write. In the mean time, read it because it's one of my favorites. Also I might post something about my mundane life eventually, too.

So I'm running on 2 hours of sleep right now

No, I wasn't up all night partying. No, I wasn't sick. I was reading Hunger Games (my picture of it had been deleted. Look it up if you care to see the cover)

Yup, hunger games until 4 in the morning. Just to give you an idea of just how irresistible this book is, I'll give you a little recap of my day yesterday.

1)I get home from work at 4ish and decided to start reading the book all of my friends were raving about at about 5.

2) I read from that point until 4 the next morning, only taking a couple hours off to eat dinner and go to baptisms at the temple.

3) I breathe a sigh of satisfaction and go to sleep.

It was a wonderful 11 hours of my life. :) The book is a decent length (about 400 pages), but it's a breeze to get through. There isn't a dull moment in all its 400 something pages, and since it's a children's book, it's very easy to read. It's the perfect book if you want to be entertained without thinking too hard.

But Hunger Games isn't just a trivial thriller, either. The story takes place in a society that is not only completely totalitarian, but oppressive, cruel, and savage. The people are powerless against the Capitol, which outwardly portrays a life of ease and luxury, but inwardly contains a government that will shoot people for hunting for themselves, and kill children for sport. So, although the storyline is geared towards the action-loving reader, there is an element of political protest as well. Throw that in there and all of a sudden you have a novel that is not only exciting, but a little bit thought provoking as well. Plus there's a little romance, which I'm a sucker for (but what girl isn't, really?)

Basically, I loved it and I can't wait to start the second one. Hunger Games is such a quick read, it is definitely worth the time. I highly recommend it. To everyone. Really, go read it now. K Bye. :)

a Book blog

So I have decided that my blog deserves a purpose. Not that writing about my rather mundane life won't be meaningful, but for my reader's sake, I want my blog to be something more. Plus, since I'm majoring in English, I can blog and tell myself I'm doing homework. :) So this is my proposal: my blog will be a book blog. As I read books for classes or just for fun, I'll tell you what I think - Was it entertaining? Was it meaningful? Did I love the symbolism? Or was it the imagery that really got me? I'll be writing about books like these

-we really have most of these books in my house. Seriously, the same books, leather bound with a ribbon book mark and everything :) -

and books like this

I'll continue writing about my wonderful, mundane life, too, for those of you who aren't as obsessed with literature as I am. I like to think that somebody cares about my life. If not, at least my mother will read those posts. :)

And if you are wondering about a certain book that I haven't posted anything on, leave a comment and ask me. I'll let you know what I think (if I've read it) or what I've heard (if I haven't).

I think this is a good idea. It'll give me the chance to reflect on what I read and express it in a somewhat coherent way. Great practice, lots of fun for me, and hopefully somewhat helpful to my book-loving friends. Good thinking, Lauren. :)

I love cookies :)

Today I am creating a recipe book from my mom's recipe box of yumminess. I have determined that the best way to tell the quality of the recipe is to notice how dirty the card is. The dirtier the better. I thought that since I am having so much fun thinking about cookies and not eating them, you should join me. Here is my very favorite cookie recipe. My mom has labeled them "Grandma's Snickerdoodles" but I'm not exactly sure whose grandma this is referring to. Is it my grandma? or her grandma? or Is it just a general term "grandma" because the cookies are so good? Well for now, the title remains a mystery, but I think it's safe to assume that at some point, somewhere, somebody's grandma made these cookies. Enjoy!

Grandma’s Snicker doodles

1C butter
2 eggs
1 ½ C sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t cream of tarter
2 ¾ C flour
2 T Sugar and 2 t Cinnamon

Cream first 3 ingredients. Add other ingredients (except cinn/sugar mix). Roll into balls and cover with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350˚ for 8 to 10 minutes.

Time to alert the public

So, I'd say the cuteness factor is coming along nicely thanks to this amazing thing called the internet.

Seriously, it's miraculous. You should try it sometime.

It may not be the cutest blog ever, but I'm pretty proud of myself, especially since I have almost no crafty or creative inclination. This is probably the craftiest thing I've done of my own free will since I last scrapbooked. Which was about 6 years ago. Hmm.

Just one more thing to be done before my blog is ready to be announced on facebook. Pictures! :)

A week ago,

my family was together for the first time

since Adam left on

his mission, and the last time until Brandon returns. Crazy. Of course we took family pictures - so here are a few of the best

Adam kept whining ever time Sister Barton (the photographer) told us to get close and hug. I know what your thinking, "Oh, he just got off of his mission. He's just not used to it."

Nope. That's just the way he is. He claims that we aren't a touchy feely family, so why would we pretend to be in pictures. I tried to explain to him that when people take pictures together, they usually try to act like they like eachother. Apparently he feels that people should keep their arms to the side and look as awkward as possible in pictures. Haha. I'm so glad he's home. :)

One last pic of me and my best friend, Diane. Love her so much!

I always said I would never start a blog...

Well, I lied. Maybe it was the fact that many of my friends have adorable blogs. Maybe it was my family's desire to keep up with me after I leave. Maybe it was the realization that I am leaving for BYU in a couple of months and will NEVER see some of my friends again. Whatever the reason, I am convinced that blogs have their worth. Due to my computer incompetancy, it may be a while before my blog is actually cute, but I'll get there (hopefully). Fun times are ahead. :)