Monday, December 31, 2012

January Mix: Party for One

For the past 10 years, I've celebrated the new year in style. We watched fireworks from our perch up in the hills. We had grand bottle rocket battles leaving us with burned fingers and singed hair. We drank sparkling cider. We danced our hearts out. We cruised the valley hopping from party to party.

But that's not how I want it to be this year. 

This time, it will be just me and the stars.

If you're feeling the same way, than this is the mix for you...

Best wishes for 2013

1. Boats And Trains - Stornoway
2. I Belong In Your Arms - Chairlift
3. Antmusic - Adam & The Ants
4. One - Ratatat
5. Yet Again - Grizzly Bear
6. What Have I Done - Anna Ternheim
7. Fiya - Tune-Yards
8. Land Of The Bloody Unknown - The Middle East
9. July Flame - Laura Veirs
10. Sewee Sewee - Mountain Man
12. Dark Parts - Perfume Genius
13. Magic - Nick Drake
14. Reason To Believe (Tim Hardin cover) - Billy Bragg
15. Auld Lang Syne - Andrew Bird

NOTES:
1. "...stop me from drifting / it's too late to be traveling"
3. Such a crush on these fellows
7. "in bloom at the end of the world"
8. Thanks Jade!
12. "the love you feel is stronger"
13. ...
14. Tricked ya. If you click the link, it's actually Karen Dalton singing. Her version is the best, but I couldn't find it in time. You can buy me this song if you want.




Thursday, December 27, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "The Emperor" - Matthew Rohrer

She sends me a text
she's coming home
the train emerges
from underground

I light the fire under
the pot, I pour her
a glass of wine
I fold a napkin under
a little fork

the wind blows the rain
into the windows
the emperor himself
is not this happy

Monday, December 24, 2012

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Christmas Mix #2: Holy Night

Here's some Christmas music fit for your Sabbath. I'm singing "The Angel Gabriel" at Relief Society today. My room mates told me it sounded like I was from the shire while I practiced it. I love those medieval melodies at Christmas time.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Christmas Mix #1: Fruitcake

Hey guys! For the next few day, I have some mixes to get you into the holiday spirit. This first mix, "Fruitcake," has some of my favorite weird, witty, and winsome Christmas songs. Hope you like it!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I though how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed by head:
'There is no peace on earth,' I said
'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

Then paled the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Music for your Midweek: La iaia

I just discovered Catalan music...

...and it is rocking my world in a BIG way.

I can hardly handle it. SO GOOD. And I went into a frenzy last night adding any and every catalan song to a spotify playlist and I got so anxious I actually gave myself a headache. That's how I feel about music, guys. Too much. Too much feeling.

Catalan is a magic language. I can kind of understand it since I studied spanish, but it's odd. A mix between a language of the future and a language of the past. I can't tell where it fits. I'll understand a whole sentence, and then be completely stumped by the next verse. 

This song I'm going to share with you is a perfect example of that. Gobbldigook, and then a rousing chorus of "twist and shout". I hope you love it.

Also, when I get my head on straight, I'll make a proper Catalan playlist, and put the link on this post. If you add me as a friend on Spotify, you can find more international playlists. They are stored under the file "Not English" (creative, I know). There is some really great stuff in there if I may say so myself. 

After that LENGTHY introduction, here is La iaia! I know nothing about them, except that I love them:

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Peace on earth, goodwill to men

Here's to hoping we can find the peace we need this Sunday:




Friday, December 14, 2012

Kid Krismas

Everyone has memories of the movies they'd watch or the music they'd listen to during Christmas time. I did some searching on YouTube for some shows that we used to watch when we were little. We would record them off of the TV onto VHS, and watch them over and over. Some of those shows maintained their charm while others... not so much. 

We would watch this ALL the time. I don't have the same stamina now as I had then. Do you remember this part? 


2. "Garfield Christmas Special"
After the Claymation one, we watched the Garfield Christmas Special. For some reason, we used to think that 16:15-17:00 was reeeeeeeaaally funny. I have no idea why.


3. "Disney Christmas Sing-a-long: Twelve Days of Christmas"
Oh man. This video has some great songs on it. Here is part 1, part 2part 3, and part 4.



4. "Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger Christmas: Alpha's Magical Christmas"
So bad it's...no. It's just really, really bad. Please, just watch the first 5 minutes, and you will know what I mean.


5. "Mickey's Christmas Carol"
Disney has since blocked the video. Try to find it if you can! So charming.


Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "You Begin" - Margaret Atwood

You begin this way:
this is your hand,
this is your eye
that is a fish, blue flat
on the paper, almost
the shape of an eye.
this is your mouth, this is an O
or a moon, whichever
you like. This is yellow.

Outside the window
is the rain, green
because it is summer, and beyond that
the trees and then the world,
which is round and has only the colors of these nine crayons.

This is the world, which is fuller
and more difficult to learn than I have said.
You are right to smudge it that way
with the red and then
the orange: the world burns.

Once you have learned these words
you will learn that there are more
words than you can ever learn.
The word hand floats above your hand
like a small cloud over a lake.

The word hand anchors
your hand to this table,
your hand is a warm stone
I hold between two words.

This is your hand, these are my hands, this is the world,
which is round but not flat and has more colors
than we can see.
It begins, it has an end,
this is what you will
come back to, this is your hand.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Punch Brothers pt. 2

I saw Punch Brothers Friday night, and I'm still floating on a blissful musical high. I want to watch them play all day long, all the time! Honestly, they were incredible. Each of them are so talented.

Golly.

So here is a song for you. It's even a Christmas one!



and a couple others, just for kicks.





Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Just can't leave this place

I was set to end my term of service on January 25th, and dreading it. There were so many things to do: clean up my resume, apply for jobs, sell my contract...I was not excited. Plus, we were just starting to make some really positive changes at the South Franklin Community Center, and I felt like I was leaving at the worst time. When I started filling out my end-of-service paperwork, I saw that there was an option to extend service for less than a year. Perfect! My supervisor was excited to keep me for a bit longer, and it all turned out perfectly!

I get to stay here til May 3rd!

yeah boi.

They just can't get rid of me. 

We were in the news last week. Take a look!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Something for Sunday




A thousand half-loves
must be forsaken to take
one whole heart home.
- Rumi

Friday, December 7, 2012

December Mix: "It's Christmas"

Since I don't have my own computer anymore, I had to improvise this months mix a bit. Hope you don't mind!

Everyone has those special songs that they wait all year to listen to at Christmas time. There are the Bing Crosby classics and the flashy Mariah Carey ballads; but my Christmas just wouldn't be complete without this:

It's Christmas

This album has been a staple in my family since the year of it's release in 1989. My first Christmas memories are of listening to this cd and dancing around the kitchen with my mom and dad. Just look at that track list; it's stellar.

1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)John Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band
4. Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade 
5. Step Into Christmas - Elton John 
6. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens
7. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney 
10. Mistletoe & Wine - Cliff Richard
11. Walking in the Air - Aled Jones
12. A Spaceman Came TravellingChris DeBurgh
13. Stop the CavalryJona Lewie
14. Little Saint NickThe Beach Boys
17. The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole
18. White Christmas - Bing Crosby

Now you know. When I think "Christmas," I think "synthesizer".

NOTES:
For a REALLY odd christmas, I recommend tracks 9 and 12.
My brother Jeremy's favorite Christmas song is track 13.
And I'm quite partial to track 3.


Thursday, December 6, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "To be of use" - Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
Jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumble to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Regina Spektor

I've never been a huge Regina Spektor fan (I know, I know!) but my mom found this cd at D.I. and she's starting to grow on me. (But really, don't you think that album cover is awful? I didn't listen to that cd for MONTHS just cause I hated the cover art. Finicky to a fault.)

Anyway. I've been listening to this song on repeat:

Monday, December 3, 2012

Book of Mormon in 30 days... I did it!

I just finished reading my last chapter in the Book of Mormon! This is the fastest I ever read it! Now I admit, I had to listen to a lot of it on my iPod at double speed in order to get through in time. But I am in charge of my goals, so I get to decide what "counts" and I'm fine with it. haha. Going through the Book of Mormon quickly helped me understand it's teachings in a different way. Here are some things I noticed:

  1. Heavenly Father is sooooo patient with us. You read of people making the same mistakes over and over, falling into the same destructive cycles. But the Lord's hand is STILL outstretched to bring us back. It is such a mercy.
  2. The worst sinners are usually member of the church. It's always been like that, and always will be. And that's ok, as long as I'm trying to do what's right. One of the biggest challenges to my testimony as I was growing up and serving my mission came from seeing church members act contrary to what we believe. When I was in high school, I blamed the church for those inconsistencies. When I was on my mission, I realized that it was individuals using their agency, and I would feel very bitter and angry abou their choices. Now, I'm trying to step back, and keep myself from getting angry and too wrapped up in other peoples mistakes. Getting angry doesn't help anything get better, and it doesn't help me keep the spirit. We have thousands of instances of church members gone wrong in the Book of Mormon. I mean, some of the first stories we hear are about Nephi's struggles with Laman and Lemuel. It's oddly comforting that saints in all times have gone through the same trials and faced the same discouragement that I have.
  3. We must to love one another. We need to need each other. We have to have other peoples welfare at the forefront of our minds. Pride starts with the virtue of self-improvement that sneakily evolves into self-obsession. I hope that I don't get so caught up in my efforts to become "better"  that I forget others who may be in need, whether that is spiritual or temporal.
  4. The gospel is simple. We love God. We show that love by serving his children and keeping his commandments. Anything else is just fluff.
  5. God loves us. So much.
I've loved having this goal for the month. It's helped me maintain the spirit and have an eternal perspective. I think I'm going to pick one goal at the beginning of every month. For December, I've chosen to study the scriptures for a 30 minute minimum every day. Wish me luck!

To sign out, I want to leave you with this scripture: 



I know that this is true. Much love to you all!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Poem for Thursday: "The End" - Elizabeth Alexander

The last thing of you is a doll, velveteen and spangle
silk douponi trousers, Ali Baba slippers that curl up at the toes,
tinsel moustache, a doll we had made in your image
for our wedding with one of me which you have.
They sat atop our coconut cake. We cut it
into snowy squares and fed each other, while God watched.

All other things are gone now: the letters boxed,
pajama-sized shirts bagged for Goodwill, odd utensils
famed to graduating students starting first apartments
(citrus zester, apple corer, rusting mandoline),
childhood pictures returned to your mother,
trinkets sorted real from fake and molten
to a single bar of gold, untruths parsed,
most things unsnarled, the rest let go

save the doll, which I find in a closet,
examine closely, then set into a hospitable tree
which I drive past daily for weeks and see it still there,
in the rain, in the wind, fading in the sun,
no one will take it, it will not blow away,

in the rain, in the wind,

it holds tight to its branch,

then one day, it is gone.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Aaliyah

This was probably the best part of 6th grade.



Guys, let's bring this look back. Honestly, Aaliyah was FIERCE. 
R.I.P.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I'm just obsessed with my job, I guess.

Here's a new post I did for the South Franklin Community Center!

I think my job is the bees knees. 
You should be especially jealous, cause I got to hang out with this guy:


I know all the best people.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Poem for Thursday: "As Much As You Can" - Constantine F. Cavafy

Poems are back! I know you missed them. I've been devouring this book of poems, and highly recommend it. So the poems for the next few months will be from there. Here's the first !

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And if you can't shape your life the way you want,
at least try as much as you can
not to degrade it
by too much contact with the world
by too much activity and talk.

Try not to degrade it by dragging it along,
taking it around and expecting it so often
to the daily silliness
of social events and parties,
until it comes to seem a boring hanger-on.

Monday, November 19, 2012

November Mix: What I Have Is Right Here

Guess what.

My faithful MacBook Air has passed on.

Such a pity.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the mix! Since I am computer-less, I'm not sure how I'll put together new mixes, so this may be the last one in a while :(

1. Diamond Day - Vashti Bunyan
2. In Our Talons - Bowerbirds
3. Shut Eye - Stealing Sheep
4. How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep - Bombay Bicycle Club
5. Storm - Django Django
6. Pull My Heart Away - Jack Penate
7. Mardy Bum (Live Beat 106 Session) - Alex Turner (of Arctic Monkeys)
8. I Think I Need A New Heart - The Magnetic Fields
9. Happy Up Here - Royksopp
10. Pa Pa Power - Dead Man's Bones
11. Its Real - Real Estate
12. Crutch & Cane - Peter Wolf Crier
13. Dance Me to the End of Love (Leonhard Cohen Cover) - Madeleine Peyroux
14. Islands (XX Cover) - Atlas Genius
15. Hood - Perfume Genius
16. All At Sea - Richard Waters

NOTES:
1. Tell me more about Vashti Bunyan. She is a mystery to me. Lately, I've been trying to avoid wikipedia, and find out information from friends and family. It's much more interesting and sparks some great conversation. Let's connect more, right?
5. Have you seen the preview for Django? It looks great but it also looks like it might make me throw up :(
7. Me and this song celebrated our 6-year anniversary this past summer :)
10. You need to watch this video. Oh man, I'm dying over here:


But just to make it clear, Jack White did it first.

11. PUPPPPPPPIIIIIIEEEESSSS

15. This artist reminds me of a  Peruvian boy I once met. We were waiting for the bus and started chatting. We hardly said anything, I just asked him how his day was, and  tears started falling from his eyes. He had a look of desperation, it was clear he was holding onto so much hurt...

This is great also:


You can use Spotify to listen to tracks here. Mind you, a couple are a little different:






Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Richard Walters

I think I found this through Spotify radio. 
Richard Walters - "American Stitches"



I like using low view-count videos. They're my favey.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

If you can't dance to this, you can't do nothing for me baby.

All y'all know I have much respect for guys who know how to move
So here is a gem of a video that I love:

Friday, November 9, 2012

"I did not live until today..."

I really just need to stop watching these trailers. 

waterworks

EV
-RY
-TIME.


Oh yeah. 
Remember who's singing at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert this year?

ALFIE BOE

Known for...


and guess who just got invited to to the show?

THIS GIRL!!!

Oh man. 
It's going to be a very emotional holiday season. 
Tissues please. 




Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Music for your Midweek: "Just What I Needed" covers


"I don't mind you comin' here 
And wastin' all my time 
'cause when you're standin' oh so near 
I kinda lose my mind... 

You always knew to wear it well and 
You look so fancy I can tell 
I don't mind you hangin' out 
And talkin' in your sleep" 

I think this is one of the best love/anti-love songs in the world:


One of my boyfriends (Casablancas) with the Strokes and Jarvis Cocker:


My Beloved Punch Brothers:


And Toshi Reagon with a heartbreak version:

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Today's the day. You go girl.

Here's a song to get you into the voting spirit:


This song un-ironically brings tears to my eyes.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

New Start: Read the Book of Mormon in 30 Days!

Hi kids!

Time for a check-up. It's been a month since LDS general conference; what's your spiritual temperature? I needed something to help get me motivated to set-apart time for more meaningful scripture study, so I found this 30-day reading plan! I started today (Fast Sunday) and if I follow this plan (and read a little extra the last day) I'll be done with the Book of Mormon next fast Sunday. Here's the chart you can print out to keep track of your reading. Please join me and let me know how it goes!


If you would like a little mood music while you read, you can check out my "Sabbath for a Hipster Christian" mix. It's pretty hip if I may say so myself. 


Ad don't let some of the artists fool you! All the songs are totes Sunday apropes :)



Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Mew

Here's a band that's been breaking my heart lately: Mew

A little bit of Jonsi, a little bit of pinback, a little bit of the flaming lips.

Also, their lyrics are endearing and oddly prescient:

"If I don't make it back from the city
Then it is only because I am drawn away
For you see, evidently there's a dark storm coming
And the chain on my swing is squeaking like a mouse

So are you my lady, are you?
So are you my lady, are you?
The rain, the rain, the rain is falling down
The cars remain"


He's singing to Sandy.

Happy Halloween!





Happy Halloween you weirdos.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

All Hallow's Eve Mix 2012 and a "make-it-work" moment

Last night a few of these kids I know threw a masquerade. It was formal, and considering I have   almost never went to prom/any formal event whatsoever, I did not have a dress. Although D.I was pretty picked over, I managed to find something. Take a look:


This is me looking sulky pre-transformation. It's just a blah, beige house coat, hiding a great leopard print lining. So I just turned it inside out, cut off the tags, rolled up the sleeves, broached up the neckline, added a belt andVOILA! A dress!



Not quite a formal, but I don't mind. It was only $6!

AND

Here's your Halloween mix for the freakin' weekend. Creep on creepin' on.

1. I Dream of Burning Buildings - Southern Tenant Folk Union
2. Please Don't Follow Me - James Murphy
3. Satin In A Coffin - Modest Mouse
4. Ashes - Dark Dark Dark
5. In The Room Where You Sleep - Dead Man's Bones 
6. Chicago At Night - Spoon
7. Paranoid Android - Sia
8. The Ghost Who Walks - Karen Elson
9. Evil - Interpol 
10. Toxic - Yael Naim
11. Bad Ritual - Timber Timbre
12. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
13. Somewhere In Your Heart - Jessica Lea Mayfield

You can listen to this mix on Spotify as well:


NOTES:
1. these guys are so great, and so far away.
2. Just now realized this is the guy from LCD Soundsystem. Doy.
5. Yes, this is Ryan Gosling.

Haunted Hottie.




Friday, October 26, 2012

Still don't have your Halloween costume?

These girls have the best costume advice!


Gotta trust these girls, they love Grey Gardens. 

And I can totally vouch for costume technique. 
As a girl who has NEVER looked hot on Halloween, I really think it is the best way to go. 
For realsies.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Chet Baker

I love Chet Baker. 
His voice is heaven, he plays one of my favorite instruments, and he has a troubled soul
We girls go CRAZY for that.



I could listen to him all night and day.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Rio Tinto, here we come!

Finally going to a game in almost a year! So overdue. Are any of you guys going? 

In other news, I went to a viewing party last week with the bruddahs, and we won some things! Here's a pic from my lame-o phone. Christian:


And I won a Nick Rimando bobble-head! And Jeremy won a beer glass. I stole it from him as we have no proper drinking receptacles in our home. Drinking from plastic tumblers grosses me out. blech.
Christian wouldn't let me steal the photo. He was surprisingly feisty about it.

Anyways, see you at the game!

Friday, October 19, 2012

waytogo attaboy waytogo

My brother is in a band.


He plays the drums.


And sings...? (We're still not sure)


And they just released their EP!

Give it a listen and download it for FREE here!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "The one thing you must do" - Rumi


The one thing you must do

There is one thing in this world you must never forget to do. If you forget everything else and not this, there's nothing to worry about, but if you remember everything else and forget this, then you will have done nothing in your life.

It's as if a king has sent you to some country to do a task, and you perform a hundred other services, but not the one he sent you to do. So human beings come to this world to to a particular work. That work is the purpose, and each is specific to the person. If you don't do it, it's as though a priceless indian sword were used to slice rotten meat. It's a golden bowl being used to cook turnips, when one filing from the bowel could buy a hundred suitable pots. It's like a knife of the finset tempering nailed into a wall to hang things on. 

You say, "But look, I'm using it. It's not lying idle." Do you hear how ridiculous that sound? For a penny and iron nail could be bought. You say, "But I spend by energies on lofty projects. I study philosophy and jurisprudence, logic, astronomy, and medicine." But consider why you do those things. They are all branches of yourself and your impressiveness.

Remember the deep root of your being, the presence of your lord. Give yourself to the one who already owns your breath and your moments. If you don't, you'll be like the man you takes a ceremonial dagger and hammers it into a post for a peg to hold his dipper gourd. You'll be wasting valuable keeness and forgetting your dignity and purpose

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Music for your Midweek: CRO

When it comes to rap, I don't discriminate. Here's some German:



I'm embarrassed about how much I love this.


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Doctor! We need a glitter ribbon, STAT!


I love the urgency of this Pinterest comment:


You hear me. I SAID I NEED A GLITTER RIBBON NOOOOOWWWWWW.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Priorities - Books

These books are weighing on me....


So many things to read, so little time!


Have any of you guys read these books? 
Any suggestions as to what to read first???


Friday, October 12, 2012

AAAAHHHHHHH!


I live in constant fear. If you've ever been in my room, you understand why.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "Fear" - Rumi


Fear
Everyone can see how they have polished the mirror 
of the self, which is done with the longings
we're given.
          Not everyone wants to be king!
There are different roles and many choices 
within each.
          Troubles come. One person packs up 
and leaves. Another stays and deepens in a love 
for being human. 
          In battle, one runs fearing
for his life. Another, just as scared, runs
and fights more fiercely.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

FINALLY

Guess how many Real Salt Lake games I've been to this season:

ZERO

Tragedy.

But not to worry, this will soon be remedied! Living Social had a deal, so I grabbed a ticket for just $15! Click here if you want to get some tickets yourself.


Oh Tony. I've missed you.

Music for your Midweek: RJD2

This song has all my favorite things:


It references my favorite tv show

It features one of my favorite instruments

And it samples one of my favorite musicians.
P.S. I just bought that shirt he's wearing.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012

October Mix: "If you wanna party down, you gotta RSVP"

Super punctual this month.


And just in time for General Conference too! Enjoy.

1. Riverside - Agnes Obel
3. Empty Streets - Suspicious for the Winter
4. Paddling Ghost - Dan Deacon
5. Little Secrets - Passion Pit
7. Regret - New Order
8. Go Right Ahead - Sondre Lerche
9. Breezeblocks - Alt-J
10. Do You Want It All? - Two Door Cinema Club
11. I Am the Antichrist to You - Kishi Bashi
12. Limit To Your Love - BADBADNOTGOOD
13. New Ceremony - Dry The River

You can listen to some of the mix here:


NOTES:
1. Agnes Obel is the best at fall music
4. Dan Deacon is coming to Kilby soon so, we should go
5. Blast fromt the recent past
7. This song could have been released today, easy
14. I recently finished reading "Virgin Suicides" so that explains that. This song has an Elliott Smith feel and it hurts my heart.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "A night full of talking hurts" - Rumi


A night full of talking hurts,
my worst held-back secrets: everything
has to do with loving and not loving.

This night will pass.
Then we have work to do.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Please don't tell my relatives...

I just found out that I'm part of President Obama's secret army. I have several family members who would be none-to-pleased if they found that out, so let's keep it under-wraps, ok?

To be honest, I'm part of that tiny, tiny percentage who doesn't know who they'll be voting for. So that's why I'm really looking forward to the debates tonight. Feel free to tell me who to vote for in the comments, and I will consider your evidence. Also, we don't have a TV, so I'm looking for a place to watch. If you invite me over, I'll bring the Diet Coke, and we can play this game:


I predict a caffeine overdose.

Music for your Midweek: The Magnetic North

Thanks to Spotify, yet again. I found some good, fall driving music. 
Don't know much about these folks, but I like 'em.




Tuesday, October 2, 2012

The best part of having a grown-up job:

Confronting mansplaining on an almost daily basis.


It's real folks. In fact, one of my supervisors actually warned me about it and said they've had to face it a lot too. Some things you say will be ignored by certain people. It's not because the things you say are wrong or unimportant, but simply because you're a girl. 

It really makes me miss school. I had lame guys in my classes too but we were essentially on equal footing. They were easier to ignore since their opinion of me didn't really matter. I CANNOT WAIT to be back in school again.



BUT there are a lot of other things I like about working too! I'm trying to be more positive/grateful, so here are my top ten things I like about my job:

1. I know I'm doing something good everyday. I'm so lucky that I can go to work and know that in some little way, I'm making a positive    contribution to the world. We do good work.

2. Our office is stellar. We truly are a team. I like pretty much everyone. A lot of my coworkers started off as VISTAs as well, so they can provide helpful advice. 

3. Lunch. It's a thing of glory. A respite from the day.

4. I've met the best people in Provo. They are the residents we serve who do more for us then we could for them. They're the volunteers who dedicate hours every week, even though they have so many other responsibilities

5. Vacation, Sick Days, and Comp time. Feel like you just can't hack it? Take a day! This privilege cannot be abused, but I've loved not being forced to slog through a day while my mind is a million miles away and your nose is like the Niagara Falls of snot. Wasn't like that at school; you HAD to be in class.

6. The office is two blocks away. I'm a walking queen.

7. Meals on Wheels. OMYGOODNESS. I can't believe I've told you about this yet. Twice a month I deliver meals, and it is the best. thing. ever. The people we deliver to are characters and they are so sweet.

8. I get to work with the best kids in the world. Oh man, they're the best. 

9. We get to go to interesting conference on community service, non-profit work, etc. Oh! And Vital Smarts trainings. I love those.

10. One of the things I love most about my work, is that it will end.  On January 25th, I will be done as a VISTA. I choose to stay and do another year with the South Franklin Community Center. Or I could find a job in Salt Lake and work for a bit. Or move to an alpaca farm. Or go live in Spain. Or go back to South America. Or just wander around for a bit.
I'm actually tempted to do another VISTA year since it feels like I'm just getting the hang of it, but part of me feels like my time in Provo is over...



yeah, time to move on.


Friday, September 28, 2012

pick pick pick pick pick it apart

Here are updates:
  • I'm thinking about this school a lot. It has a "Cathedral of Learning". So that has to be good, right?
  • But I also think I need to wait an extra year before I start any sort of grad school program
  • Have you actually read what it says on the bottle of Bronner's soap


  • That stuff makes me feel like I'm saving the world! Also, I just used their Lavender body wash and I feel SPARKLING CLEAN.
  • I moved my bed and rearranged my room and it feels SO. MUCH. BETTER. It's like a revelation really.
  • Never been a Joss Whedon Fan-Girl, but I just listened to this song on an old TAL podcast, and I kind of fell in love with him. I think I'm going to watch the Dr. Horrible's thing when I'm done with this post.
  • The past two weeks have been busy with hikes, Finer Things Club Meetings, a first-day-of-fall dinner, lots o' movies, celebrating Yom Kippur, being sick, and reckoning with the four months I have left as a VISTA.
In other news, I rediscovered some of my brother's videos! Check a couple of 'em out. They are SPECTACULAR. He's a diva and wouldn't let me upload the best ones, so you'll just have to check them out on his youtube page.




We are so normal.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

A Poem For Thursday: "Doves" - Rumi


Doves
People want you to be happy.
Don't keep serving them your pain!

If you could untie your wings
and free your soul of jealousy,

you and everyone around you
would fly up like doves.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Music for your Midweek: Rasel

I was feeling super down yesterday. Then I returned to my perfectly curated Spanish playlists on Spotify. And I felt much better. Here is one of my pop faves:

Friday, September 21, 2012

September Mix: The Best of Every Situation


I make good on my promises. As you can probably tell with my track choices, I'm sort of all over the place. And that is alright, for now.

1. Fitzpleasure - Alt-J
2. Weekends - Tiger Waves
3. Get Free (feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors) - Major Lazer
4. Shine - Collective Soul
5. Sunshine Superman - Donovan
6. Oh! Boy - Buddy Holly
7. Big Jet Plane - Angus and Julia Stone
8. Up Around The Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. Silver Tongue - Zulu Winter
10. Sleeping Ute - Grizzly Bear
11. The Warpath - Conner Youngblood
12. Interesting Times - Chester French
13. Nevermind the Typos - Sondre Lerche
14. I Walked [ft. Simone White] (Sufjan Stevens cover) - Fol Chen
15. The Base - Paul Banks
16. Brother Sparrow - Agnes Obel
17. There Goes the Fear - Doves
18. I Shall Be Released - Bob Dylan

NOTES:
1. All you need is in this song.
3. This video. Also, there was a dance party at my house last weekend. And when a remix of this song came on, I realized that whenI have to choose between music and people, I choose music.
15. Going to see Interpol was one of the worst experiences. They were lovely on stage, but their fans were beasts. Like, literally. I was very nervous the whole time.
16. I am very ready for fall.
18. I couldn't find this one online. Soooorrrryyyyy

Thursday, September 20, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "This morning wind" - Rumi


This morning wind spreads its fresh smell.
We must get up to take that in,
that wind that lets us live.
Breathe, before it's gone.

A Poem for Thursday: "Today, like every other day" - Rumi


Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study 
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Music for you Midweek: alt-J

alt-J is tight.

You'll catch their big hit, Fitzpleasure, in my September mix. (I'll post it Friday, promise!)
Here's one of their tracks...



But each track is so different, you really should just listen to the whole album:



In other news, did you know that some people are born without fingerprints? The things you learn when taking fingerprints are part of your job.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "The ground's generosity" - Rumi


The ground's generosity takes in our compost
and grows beauty. Try to be more
like the ground.

Give back better, as rough clods return
an ear of corn, a tassel, a barley
awn, this sleek handful of oats.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Still Suspended

PHOTOGRAPH FROM SEPTEMBER 11 by Wislawa Szymborska  

They jumped from the burning floors —  
one, two, a few more,  
higher, lower.  

The photograph halted them in life,  
and now keeps them  
above the earth toward the earth.  

Each is still complete,  
with a particular face  
and blood well hidden.  

There’s enough time  
for hair to come loose,  
for keys and coins  
to fall from pockets.  

They’re still within the air’s reach,  
within the compass of places  
that have just now opened.  

I can do only two things for them —  
describe this flight  
and not add a last line.  

Thursday, September 6, 2012

A Poem for Thursday: "Sky-Circles" - Rumi


Sky-Circles
The way of love is not 
a subtle argument.

The door there
is devastation.

Birds make great sky-circles
of their freedom.

How do they learn that?
The fall, and falling,
they're given wings. 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

"Build Your Future" or "It's really exhausting to think of 'inspirational' blog post titles"

Here's a link to my tiny, United Way blog post this month.

I'm so lucky to work at United Way, and hear about all the activities in the community, and ways to volunteer. I hope I can keep a service-based focus after I finish working here. It is a good thing.