Utah

The end of June my mom and I decided to hitch a ride with Debbie and her family on their trip to Utah & Idaho.
My mom & I didn't stay in Utah all that long, but while I was there I did get to see some people from my mission. I served in Utah so it is always a trip to go back and have memories fly back at me left and right.
First I went to brunch with Nadja who now lives in Salt Lake with her husband.

Almost ten years later

She brought me to an awesome European bakery in downtown Salt Lake called Gourmandise - The Bakery 

The food was great and the company was even better! 

I also got to see Zak and Sarah and their family. We spent a lot of time teaching Zak and became very close with them. 

I didn't get a picture with them on the visit but they asked if I had seen them in the church broadcast. 

The boy Sarah has her arm around is Eli and yep he is the baby in the first picture. Nadja and I were only companions for a month in a half and I was in Riverton with Zak & Sarah for only 3 months. Not a lot of time really but I think the quality of time made a huge difference. How grateful I am to have had the opportunity to get to know both Nadja and Zak & Sarah, I am a better person for knowing them. 

I'm a Mormon

Some of you may have noticed on my side bar I added a link under My Faith called I'm A Mormon.

For my google readers who can't see my sidebar.

The link takes you to my profile for a site called Mormon dot org, it is by my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. With the church getting more and more exposure in the media (The Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, Presidential Candidates and just references on TV (just heard it mentioned on Zooey Deschanel's new show New Girl, we are like the new Vampires) it is a easy way for people curious about Mormons to see who we are and ask questions. 

My profile explains a little about me (what I like), why I am a Mormon & how I live my faith. If you are curious go check it out, I kept it short and to the point so if you still have questions please feel free to ask. If you don't want to ask in the comments email me, don't worry I have yet to be offended by honest curiosity. If you are looking to argue I am not one to bash so if that is what you want I wouldn't bother. You can see others profiles as well and watch videos of different members around the world telling about themselves and why they are Mormon. 

I love my church, the more I study and search for answers the more my convictions are strengthened. I know that I would not be the person I am today with out it. It has made me a better person and blessed my life in every way.

Six ~ Feb 21st

Our plan for Sunday was simple start off by going to the Victoria Albert Museum which was just down the street from the church, have lunch, go to church, hurry to Abbey Road and get some dinner.


Here is the inner court yard for the Victoria Albert Museum.

Chelsea and I examining a baptism font.

I wish you could see the designs that were on the stones they were so beautiful.


When I first saw this I only noticed the the guys on horses and it wasn't till I walked by it again that I saw Christ carrying his cross. It moved me that someone so long ago felt so passionate about something that I feel so passionate about to create this. And here I am who knows how many years later being moved by it.

Chelsea & I moving through the museum, poor Mimi left her camera at home since she didn't think she would be able to take pictures since she couldn't at the Tate. Poor girl had to use my crappy camera.

There were a lot of these little sculptured scenes around this I don't even know what it was. This one is of Adam & Eve being cast out of the garden of Eden.

We thought the Library was closed but look we got in!!


Mimi caught me smelling the books and asked me to do it again, several times actually.

Church was nice, they had good speakers, it was just almost all the girls were American (big surprise huh). I mean I can go to church back home and hear speakers with American accents. It was a large ward, it pretty much filled up the chapel which was a good size. For Relief Society (the class for women) we went up to the third floor and had a fantastic view out to the building across the street. I wanted to take a picture.

We stopped back at our hotel hoping to change and make it to Abbey Road but by the time we changed it was almost dark outside. So we decided to go to Sherlock Holmes for dinner so Mimi & I could try Fish & Chips.
While waiting for our food Mimi took pictures of us, I love it because we all are making funny faces and looking out the side of our eyes. Mimi hates getting her picture taken but I just would remind her that her mom will be mad at her if she doesn't let me.

Mimi & I both ordered Fish & Chips which came with mashed peas, yum. (that is called sarcasm)

Chelsea got some kind of meat with applesauce if I remember right. I ate some of her carrots I remember that.
There was only one waitress working there so I was more patient waiting for our check. But I did get board and start playing with my food. It started with me putting my mashed peas into a rectangle shape on my plate. Then I built a little chip cabin over the peas.

Mimi helped by sharing some of her larger fries, then she built her own chip Stonehenge. I think Chelsea was a little embarrassed and was worried what the waitress was going to think or say. I said that I would leave her a big tip if she was able to take them with out knocking them over.

The waitress ended up coming while we were taking the pictures and she loved them and said she wished she had her camera. And she took all three plates with out knocking them over. We left her a large tip in the shape of a smile face.

When we got back to the hotel we caught the end of the BAFTA (British Acadamy of Film & Television Arts). Chelsea was very excited to see Colin Firth win, which made me happy since I have loved him since I was 15 years old.

Creation

As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I have a special love for the band Travis. In the booklet for their album The Invisible Band under special thanks it says, "And to you for getting this record. These songs belong to you now." They understand that when you create something that the reaction of that creation is going to be different for each person. Each of us have had different experiences in our lives to make us react differently to art.

When I was a senior in high school I took an art class, a painting class to be exact. Which I loved, of course I was never really good but it was something I enjoyed doing. After high school I continued to paint in my room and stick the paintings in my closet. One day while looking for hangers my mom found my paintings and looked at them. When I came home my mom told me she found my paintings and how much she loved one in particular. It was of a field of grass with a barbwire fence and a blue sky. Sometime later when we were remodeling my moms kitchen we were talking about colors and what she wanted to paint. She brought out my painting and said she wanted me to paint it on her wall. Although I was flattered that my mom had wanted me to do that I refused. It was scary to think about having to see people react to my painting. I think we argued about it for about a month and I don't really remember what persuaded me to change my mind probably a combination of my mother & sister.

Soon after I painted the mural in our dining room we had a bridal shower for my friend Lindsey. I was very uncomfortable as there were going to be a lot of people coming and I would have to watch all of their reactions to the painting. But I kept thinking about my mom and how happy it made her and my nephew Bryant who loved it. He would run along the wall and rub his hand along it like he was feeling the grass. That was enough for me to be happy that I painted it, but I still would always watch to see how others responded.

It is hard to create things and even harder to share those creations. But how glad I am for those who are brave enough to pour their hearts and soul into something and than share it.
In this video Fran Healy from Travis talks about how to write a song. He says "Good songs come from the space between thoughts....it should just come out of darkness and it is light" If you crack open Stephenie Meyer's book New Moon and turn to the acknowledgements you will see "Thank you to the talented musicians who inspire me, particularly the band Muse-there are emotions, scenes, and plot threads in this novel that were born form Muse songs...also...Travis... have been instrumental in staving off the writer's block." When I then think about the many people (particularly women) who have been inspired by Stephenie, it would seem to me that inspiration is like fire, it spreads. Alright when I wrote that I was not thinking about the scriptures in Matthew (chapter 5: 14 - 16) 14 Ye are the a light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your a light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
But it is kind of perfect and when you think about it as a candle it works the same if someone lights their candle (or receives inspiration from your creation) it does not take away your light it spreads & creates more light.
Last year a member of the Presidency of my church President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was addressing the women of the church at a conference for us. In his talk entitled Happiness, Your Heritage He talked about "The work of creation" and said...
Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.
You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.
The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.
I believe truth is universal and those who seek truth can find it everywhere, a song, a poem, a book, a leader, a teacher or a friend. I wanted to thank all those who are brave enough to create and share their creations. You inspire me and make we want to be brave as well.