Preparing for the Creation

I am busily (and a little nervously) working on my first teaching assignment for Sharing time next month in Primary (the LDS Church's children's organization). The topic is The Creation and things are thus far coming along quite nicely. In my search for resources I came across a gorgeous YouTube video and, while I'm not going to use the clip when I teach (in the end I chose to stick with a few pictures and the scriptures), it is just so beautiful and so must be shared with lucky you ;)

The One on Resolutions

It's not to late to be talking resolutions, is it? I really, truly had intended on being on top of my posts but then life got in the way (which I suppose is really a positive) and I have become a complete blogging slacker. I've got the day off, though, so in between sleeping until that blessed hour of 8, catching up on a few Church responsibilities, cleaning my bathroom and my room and possibly my stove, and reading (something that has been sorely lacking from my life of late), I though I would catch up on blogging (mine and yours).

As I mentioned, I really had intended to be on top of blogging and on top of resolutions this month/year (lets just pretend last year's resolutions didn't exist--except for the one about learning to sew a skirt!). In fact, I spent much of December considering what kinds of resolutions to have, how many, and then mapping it all out. And for the most part, though I haven't told anyone about them, I am already making some good progress! What I have decided on is 6 goals that I will be working on throughout the year and then 1 goal I will be working on each month (And thanks to everyone who has been publishing your resolutions. You have been an inspiration to me and my goals). Here is what I am working on/going to be working on:

Year-long Goals:

1. Read 12 Nonfiction books (at least 6 of them published in 2011)

2. Read all the books on my to-read list that date from 2008 to 2010 (about 70 books)

3. Read the New Testament (I am already 13 chapters in so this on is going quite well)

4. Attend the Temple two times a month (which means I will be attending this week and next week or twice next week--must to better)

5. Go someplace new (I had this goal last year and went to Toelle for about an hour and counted it. Not this year! This year I will go someplace new for real)

6. Write 12 thank you cards

January Goal:

Improve my posture (which is a terrible goal as there is no real measurement that I can do to say I have completed the goal but as I have the world's worst posture, something simply had to be done) by reading up on improving my posture (check), practising good posture throughout the day (small check--sometimes I forget but lots of times I remember), telling others to smack me upside the head when I am displaying poor posture (this is what I am doing now--feel free to smack away). Here is what I have learned about me and posture: crossing my legs is evil and is likely to induce slouching, it is possible to sit at a desk for long periods of time with good posture if you sit in the chair in the way it was intended to be sat in, driving with good posture is extremely difficult--the posture bit not the driving bit.

So here is to a new year and a new set of things I am going to do!

Umm No, I Didn't Fall Off the Face of the Earth

I'd just like to interrupt this long silence to say that I am planning on blogging--just not today. Until I do blog (I have to get my resolutions out there), I'd like to attempt to entertain you with a few funny clips (because while I have been rushed off my feet at work and scared out of my pants at the thought of my new calling--1st Counselor in the Primary Presidency), I have had time to find a few things mildly entertaining:

Goodbye 2010

So not too long ago we had a lesson in Young Women on journal keeping. I am a rotten journal keeper--seriously rotten. And while I could have/should have probably made some sort of commitment about doing better, I, instead, decided it was perhaps time to consolidate the 6 started-but-never-finished journals into 1 or 2 (it turned out to be 1 and 1/2--how sad am I?). And so for about a month I diligently copied my thoughts (even the thoroughly embarrassing ones), and consolidated, and really had quite a lot of fun. In doing so, I was reminded how I used to take some time at the end of the year and write down my favorite things (books, movies, music--the New Kids on the Block played an embarrassingly heavy role in my teen life) and I thought maybe I should try my hand at it again this year.

So here goes, my favorites of 2010 (not necessarily published/aired/or whatever in 2010 but just what was enjoyed by me in 2010):

Books (I figured I must start here since books are my favorite):

Adult Fiction:

1. The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3) by Brandon Sanderson (Fantasy)

2. Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago

3. Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese

4. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Adult Non Fiction:

1. Make Gentle the Life of This World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy

2. Bonds of Affection: Civic Charity and the Making of America by Matthew S. Holland

3. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

4. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen

Young Adult Fiction:

1. The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

2. The Brooklyn Nine by Alan M. Gratz

3. Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

4. Flygirl by Sherrie L. Smith

Junior Fiction:

1. Countdown by Deborah Wiles

2. Behemoth (Leviathan, #2) by Scott Westerfeld (Alternate History, Science Fiction)

3. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

4. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Picture Books:

1. Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

2. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead

3. City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems

4. Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

TV Shows:

1. Doctor Who (love the new Doctor--but miss the old one as well)

2. Law & Order UK (we get BBC America on demand and that explains nos. 1 & 2)

3. Blue Bloods (love the family relationships--plus I love me a cop/crime drama)

4. MI:5

Movies (of which I didn't watch many):

1. The Young Victoria

2. Les Miserables-The 25th Anniversary Concert

3. How to Train Your Dragon

4. Ramona and Beezus

Music Artists

1. Pink Martini

2. Adele

3. Dean Martin

4. U2 (a constant)

Not Really the Creative One

A not-so-hard lesson to learn, but a lesson I should try to remember:

Shopping at Williams Sonoma, despite all my best intentions and wishes, will not magically turn me into a creative cookie maker.

I got roped (or roped myself--it is all a bit hazy) into making about 20 dozen cookies for my mother to give away to her neighbors for Christmas and am now just a bit tired of baking. Not only that, I am entirely kitchened out. If I never see another kitchen again.... but it is Christmas so I suppose I will just need to develop one of those stiff upper lips and endure.

Being all cookied out, of course, would be a great thing to be right now. Sadly, now that the cookies are all delivered (not a one is left in the house except those ones that fell on the floor that someone has been eating--I haven't the heart to tell them what happened to them--what they don't know won't kill them?) I have a mean cookie craving and have been wandering the house in vain in a desperate search for something sweet. How is it that I have no cookies!!!

Hodgepodge of Movie Stuff

I have just a minute to blog cause I'm rather hungry and no one is willing to cook for me tonight.

When last I left you, my friends, I was very much looking forward to going to that movie Morning Glory. Well, I've been to see it and I must say that, though I am not one to blame others for what I choose to view, someone should have warned me against seeing this mind-numbingly bad movie and I blame you. As small as my readership is, someone out there should have known better than me (and the newspaper reviewer) and warned me off it. For what it is worth, my mother and sister had this to say of the movie: "There were some cute parts." Clearly I would have been better off and entirely happier to have stuck with Joyeux Noel. Or perhaps just stayed home with my Netflix who does know me so much better than that guy who reviews movies for the newspaper

Speaking of Netflix, there is a movie that I recently watched on their recommendation that I found to be simply lovely. It's not likely to win any awards (not much drama), but it kind of makes me sigh in happiness when I think of it: The Young Victoria. This movie's absolute sweetness, brace yourself if you are familiar with London, has convinced me to completely forgive Victoria for that thing that is generally referred to as the Prince Albert Memorial.

Not only that but I'm strongly considering bumping Prince Albert (Rupert Friend--what is it with so many hot British guys being named Rupert?) into my list of 5 crushes and bumping that Hugh guy whose name I can't ever quite recall out (I mean, it must be some kind of a sign that we are not meant to be when I can't even remember the last name--that and his being absolutely gorgeous, famous, and married--it isn't Grant or Laurie...shoot, still can't remember). Anyway, I think he just might make a nice addition to the list.

And now I'm off to cook and eat and read (cause Maze Runner is due tomorrow and I still have 250 pages to read). Happy Weekend!!!

Music and Movies

I am listening to this

and this

(the packaging is just to die for)

and have this to watch

but am going to see this today instead

and as a result am feeling rather happy and full of holiday cheer.

Technology

I'm not really a great fan of technology. I hate cell phones. Hate, hate, hate them. I was a happier and more fit person back when I was living in Ireland and didn't have regular access to a car--you know back when I could eat a galaxy chocolate bar (as in the good British stuff) a day and actually loose weight. Now not only do I not often take the time (my fault mostly) to walk and thereby think and clear my head, but I am actually ridiculed (or thought ridiculous) for, you know, presuming that it is a good thing to walk to church--which is exactly five houses away from my house.

That said, I'm beginning to see some real positives about this whole technology thing.

1. I kind of sort of really love to blog and to read blogs.

2. I kind of sort of really love it when I can type sw in the google search bar and it knows that I'm looking for The Sweet Tooth Fairy.

3. I kind of sort of really love the recommendations that Netflix gives me based on the movies I watch via the Wii system thingy. They come with group categories like: Period Pieces, Feel-Good British Dramas, and British Movies based on Literature. Netflix you truly know me--plus you don't forget that I like to watch stuff like Iron Man as well.

But then, just as I'm starting to really love technology, it goes and reminds me in front of my whole family that my 4 year-old niece has better dance moves than I do:

You didn't actually think you were going to get a shot of me doing this, did you? And sorry about the video being on its side--darn technology!

An Alternative to the Insanity of Black Friday:

National Day of Listening

Friday, November 26th take some time to interview a person you know and love.

Record that interview via a recording device or pen and paper.

And enjoy the blessing of stories.

Need some tips?

http://www.nationaldayoflistening.org/
http://www.yourstory.utah.edu/
http://www.lifestories-ut.com/

And There Goes My Diet...

Okay, so I wasn't really on a diet. But, I had some vague ideas about possibly going on one (we've got family photo's next month). Instead I am eating these to-die-for peanut butter dark chocolate chip cookies that I nabbed from Sarah Dessen (Yes, that Sarah Dessen--as in the ever-brillant author Sarah Dessen who has a really fantastic blog that you should really check out even if you don't know anything about her books--but shame on you if you don't know her books).

Diet, shmiet. I'm pretty sure it is my turn to stand behind someone in this family picture.

Thanksgiving

It is that fantastic week where we get to slow down, enjoy that last remnants of Fall, hang out with our wonderful families, watch some football, and EAT!!! Also, I believe there is supposed to be something in there about gratitude and thanks giving. Here's a short message to remind me about that:

Les Mis in Concert

aka a plethora of YouTube clips

Last night I had the singular opportunity of attending the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert (originally performed in London and broadcast in movie theaters throughout the US last night) and can I just tell you that there are simply no words to express how wonderful, extraordinary, magical, powerful, etc. the performance was. To just give you a hint, I've placed a couple of clips from the show (sadly not official clips so the sound and the camera work is not exactly stellar but just imagine sitting in a theater with surround sound and then triple experience you are imagining and you will just about be there)--both clips are from the encore. You may also notice one Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers performed in the show (and did a really fine job--I am now repenting for questioning his casting), Lea Salonga, and a few other recognizable cast members. However, who I really want to draw your attention to is one Alfie Boe who plays Jean Valjean (the 4th Jean Valjean in the first clip), is a part-time resident of Salt Lake City (his wife is from Salt Lake City and they have a home here), and is now on my Christmas list as well as my list of people to see perform live before I (or they) die--Dame Judi Dench being the only one on my list that I have actually been able to see perform live. The last clip is of him warbling in a friend's kitchen--how cool would that be?

You'll notice in the above clip, the fantastic Frances Ruffelle is only shown from the waist up which is a kind gift from the recorder of the clip as Ms. Ruffelle appears to have forgotten her pants (possibly in both the American and British sense of the word "pants") to say nothing of her choice in shoes!

If you are British or live in Britannia you can purchase the DVD on November 29th. No word yet on when us Yanks get our chance but if you missed this in the theaters then you must, must, must purchase or rent or borrow (I would almost say steal) the DVD, find a large screen with surround sound, and sit back and enjoy! 

In an unrelated note, I saw a local musical production of The Scarlet Pimpernel and for the first time in my entire life (including that one unfortunate time that I endured an entire 30 minutes of the A&E version) I was rooting for Chauvelin--extremely bad casting (the actor who played Chauvelin would have made a charming Scarlet Pimpernel!)

The Winner Is...

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Which was bound to be the result as it was the one book--of the three I thought would/should win--that in the end I ignored in my predictions.

2010 National Book Award

When Janssen mentioned that she was going to read the the five 2010 National Book Award finalists in the category of Young People's Literature I decided to jump on board and do the same--there is nothing like being ahead of the popularity curve (which is just a tad slow around here) and being able to say "oh, yes, I read that last year"--very pompous of me! I thought that I would read the books and then just before the announcement was made do a post of my reviews and predictions. It wasn't until this past weekend, though, that I realized that putting all of my reviews on GoodReads (and then Facebook via GoodReads) kind of defeats that idea as most of you probably have access to me through one--if not both--of these social mediums. On realizing my goof, I did withhold one review and of course I haven't made any predictions whatsoever. So, then, without any further ado, here are my reviews and predictions:

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (6 out of 10 stars)

Summary: In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.

A little more swearing than I care for in a teen novel and I didn't care at all for the scene in which teen alcohol use is portrayed as an acceptable means of celebration and escape. In general, though, this is an excellent read that puts climate change at the root of this dystopia. I enjoyed the characters and felt like there was some good development and good dialogue (particularly in the final 2 chapters), though there was a bit of repetitiveness in the use of a few phrases and ideas (blossoms of pain; fear that whoever is dying might not (for different reasons) actually be able to die) that weakened the overall writing. I am, though, looking forward to reading the next installment.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (7 out of 10 stars)

Summary: Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.

I liked it. I found it a little unexpected and rather interesting, unique, charming, and even informative. That said, it felt a little flat. And while I loved the idea that getting into someone else's head and understanding them can change the world, maybe even lessen the violence we too often witness, I felt the author's note was a little heavy handed and didn't quite connect with the story--It seemed really to be more a story of closure than a story of averting future violence through knowledge and understanding. If I were handing it to a junior or teen reader I think I would also hand them something on Asperger's syndrome as that is a major issue but is not really directly addressed.

Dark Water by Laura McNeal (5 out of 10 stars)

Summary: Living in a cottage on her uncle's Southern California avocado ranch since her parents' messy divorce, fifteen-year-old Pearl DeWitt meets and falls in love with an illegal migrant worker, and is trapped with him when wild fires approach his makeshift forest home.

There is a sad, depressed quality to the writing that hints of tragedy and had me feeling rather unsure of this book from the beginning. And then there were pieces of writing (such as: "He nodded and watched me with his sepia eyes") that just felt ridiculous. Around page 120 the book started to grow on me with some better writing (such as the paragraph on p. 134 that described a desire to be nine again), but still there was this love story going on between 2 characters who barely speak to each other, barely know each other, and have nothing in common--I couldn't decide if this was unrealistic or typical teenage love/drama. Then the book just sort of dragged on and on always hinting of the tragedy but never getting there (actually it did get there eventual, but it took its own sweet time). By the end the tragedy and the romance all just felt so frustrating, stupid, and pointless that I was really rather glad to close the cover on this book. Also, I think I wanted a bit more social ethics--we should care about illegal migrant workers because they are human too type of a message--something that would really make a teen reader think/reconsider ideas.

Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers (8 out of 10 stars)

Summary: Teenage Reese, serving time at a juvenile detention facility, gets a lesson in making it through hard times from an unlikely friend with a harrowing past.

There is a realness in the dialogue and reasoning of this book that is intense and feels true--and there wasn't very much swearing which was so refreshing when so many authors think they must load these types of books in order to stay true to reality--a notion proven untrue by this excellent read. The result was a great read that has the potential of changing perspectives of people on the outside looking in and on the inside looking out. This is the book that I wanted Dark Water to be. With the inner thinking that the main character goes through and the examinations of the situations of inner city youths, Myers has created a character that you will sympathize with and root for. And yet, he does all of that without removing the concept of personal responsibility--the character's and ours.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (7 out of 10 stars)

Summary: In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold wwelcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

An excellent introduction, for junior readers, to the 1960s Civil Rights movements, the Black Panthers, etc. Where I wanted more of a social impact drive from books like Dark Water (teen fiction), I felt this was very age appropriate. I did occasionally think that the 3 girls acted above their own ages (particularly Fern who grasps complex scenes and writes poetry about it). And I felt the end wrapped up just a little too neatly (girls understanding mother, mother understanding girls, everyone (nearly) flying off into the sunset). I think I wanted a stronger feeling that not everything was magically fixed--that there was still a lot of work to do and that all involved were committed to doing that work. But maybe this is a point that the girls were truly acting their ages--by needing a mother more than needing to hang on to the bad and being able to forgive in a way only children seem to readily be able to forgive.

So now on to the predictions:

Well, I really just didn't care for Dark Water so if that one wins I will have serious questions about the win. After that, though, I wouldn't be too upset should any of the other books wins. That said, I just don't really see Ship Breaker winning (and really it shouldn't). So, in my mind at least, it is down to Mockingbird, One Crazy Summer, and Lockdown which to me is a contest between 3 potentially powerful books. And while I really would be happy with any one of these books winning, I suppose that the purpose of making a prediction is the actual making of a prediction. So, so, so...really these books are so different, how do I choose? Okay, Lockdown is my pick--but I think it really might be One Crazy Summer (way to hege my bets).

The announcement comes tomorrow!