The Non-conformist

Some senior photos...

2011-02-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

Bonnie took some photos of me, in concert hall. here are a few of my edits. I may post other views later. Which one(s) do you like, anyone?

Day 7: five things you couldn’t possibly live without

2011-01-21T08:26:00.000-08:00

So these are actually the five things I could, to be literal, go on breathing without, but also things that I really wouldn’t want to live without.

V. My best friend and brother, Phillip.
We have been together for every major event of my life, and he is usually the one on whom I unload the great trials and pains of my life. (Consequently, he may be the one person who knows I’m a basketcase.)

IV. Classical music – playing and listening
Part of the reason it’s so dear to me is that it’s been a part of my life since I was born. It makes me feel alive and is worth it even when I’m frustrated with a piece.

III. Literature
Anything written with real heart and elegance is indispensable.

II. Hot tea
Relaxing and stimulating, and perfect in almost every way.

I. Suede leather winter boots
Incredibly warm, incredibly stylish, unbelievably comfortable.

Day 6: a moment you wish you could re-live

2011-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Being five years old, on a sled pulled by one or another of my big brothers, at night with a bright moon. Seeing them look back every bit to make sure I’m still there. ;)

Day 5: A Favorite Quote

2011-01-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

I gave up on new poetry myself thirty years ago when most of it began to read like coded messages passing between lonely aliens in a hostile world. -Russell Baker

Day 3: A Favorite Book

2010-12-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

The Inimitable Jeeves
by P.G. Wodehouse

Ah, Bertie Wooster and his brilliant butler, Jeeves. What can I say? I have a weakness for British humor. If you do not like British humor, don’t go near this book. A lighthearted read that is quirky and has plenty of random plot twists. Jeeves is the epitome butler and, in my opinion, one of the most memorable literary characters ever created. The book might be compared to an unpolished gem – by this I mean that it seems hastily and/or haphazardly written, but remains delightful. Most of the people are satires or caricatures of reality. Jeeves is elegant, impeccable, very brainy, and indispensable in a pinch. Bertie is a rather common and naïve man who also tends toward bad taste in fashion. Full of British slang and customs, laughable characters, and awkward predicaments.

This book is a charming waste of time and I enjoyed it very much. To any who wondered, P.G. stands for Pelham Grenville.

Day two: A Favorite Movie

2010-12-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

"The Princess Bride"

It’s quirky, and the romance comes across sarcastic (that’s usually a must for me).

The characters include: a Spaniard (Inigo Montoya), who has dedicated his life to revenge and swordplay; Wesley, who is annoyingly idealistic but knows some cool tricks and has a high tolerance for torture; a giant, who is charming in an almost childish way; and a lovely girl named Buttercup, who is not particularly bright or useful in a pinch.

It also includes cool creatures such as the shrieking eels and R.O.U.S.’s (rodents of unusual size). Plus, there’s the interesting torture equipment that looks archaic enough, but not particularly convincing. Or my favorite character, the ridiculous man who says every “r” like a “w,” something that lent a particular lack of solemnity to the wedding ceremony. I like that Miracle Max randomly starts talking about how perky MLT (mutton, lettuce, and tomato) is. Then there are the other quirks, such as the man with six fingers, the albino with the funny voice, and the use of a wheelbarrow and holocaust cloak.

What the movie lacks in quality and/or reality, I will excuse because it doesn’t seem meant to be taken seriously. The combination of sarcasm, absurd characters, and light-hearted plot make it seriously entertaining to watch on occasion. I do think Wesley quite ugly, but it is irrelevant to the entertainment value.

Favorite quotations:

Fezzik: “Why are you wearing a mask? Were you burned with acid or something?”

Vizzini: “No more rhymes now, I mean it!”
Fezzik: “Anybody want a peanut?”

Inigo: “You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.”
Westley: “You seem a decent fellow…I hate to die.”

30 Days

2010-12-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

i formulated this idea because another blog i follow did the 30-day blog challenge a while ago. Some of them are profound; all should be interesting.

Day One: a favorite song

Don’t laugh. I like it because it reminds me of friends, New Year’s, festivity, and David Copperfield, and also because I’m not entirely sure what a “richt-gude willie waught” is. Sounds like an inebriating beverage to me.

Listen to a favorite version of mine here: http://abmp3.com/download/7600648-auld-lang-syne.html. It's relientK, but it's acappella. Assuming the link is correct. I'll check it later. Hey, I'm at the library with no headphones.

lyrics:

“Auld Lang Syne”
(Robert Burns)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days o’ lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne;
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And here’s a hand, my trusty fere
And gie’s a hand o’ thine;
We’ll tak’ a richt-gude willie waught
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne;
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

One more thing that makes me a non-conformist...

2010-10-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

In a group of people, I'm the one trying to balance the egg:

And the Contest Results Are:

2010-09-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

I have decided my contest is officially at an end.

First place goes to: Justin West.
Justin is entitled to three sets of charming but relatively unmanly cards, which I doubt he wants. Instead of this, he will receive a handwritten note of congratulations [and maybe something else unexpected].

Second place goes to: Allie.
Allie is a photographer, and you can visit her blog here. She will be sent two sets of charming handmade cards. Allie, I will send you color schemes from which to choose and your prize will be sent within a week or two.

As a final note, many thanks to all participants!

Everyone Vote!

2010-09-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Contest entries, on which any random person is welcome to vote! (Note: Please only vote for one person. It will help keep things from getting ambiguous. Thanks!)

From Samantha R.:

From Ashley:

From Justin West:

From Bridget Irish:

From Allie:

Ted Dekker

2010-09-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

He grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, among cannibals. Death was a part of life, a reality.

He now writes fiction that is far from normal. He has authored some of the best thrillers ever written. How would one describe his work? Suspenseful, horrific, dark, and a journey of the mind. At the same time, charming, absurdly humorous, and beautiful. Always a little bit outside this reality, and definitely a bit like a freefall. Add the words redemption and radical love to the mix, and you have almost defined it. His ability to describe both beauty and pain, his ability to make one laugh out loud, the spontaneity of his ideas – the combination make him perhaps the best fiction author I have ever read.

If you haven’t read any of his stuff, here are some recommendations with my mini-reviews.

The circle trilogy: Black, Red, White

Dual realities, each of them equally compelling, keep the mind fully engaged. Some violence, plenty of suspense, wonderfully constructed plot, absurdly humorous, vivid and compelling. Never a break in speed. Battles, assassinations, and beauty – all of it woven seamlessly together with redemption.

Obsessed

Set between holocaust and the present, this is a battle between good and evil, and the story of a man’s obsession. Somewhat violent, always captivating, definitely desperate, sometimes hilarious, often heartrending, and ultimately satisfying.

Saint

You’ll want to stay up all night for this one. Complex, brilliantly crafted, compulsively readable.

Thr3e
This is a book and a movie, and I can recommend both. The movie closely mirrors the book. A gripping battle between good and evil, with twists that will surprise.

The Lost Books Series

This one is somewhat closer to the teenage/young adult genre. It’s the story of four teenagers who are appointed a task they don’t fully understand. Battles, good and evil, the mind, the heart – a striking combination. This book is also a collision of realities.

To anyone who might like something a bit more in the romance genre and without too much gore:

Blink
A fast-paced read set in both California and Saudi Arabia. In short, a brilliant American with amazing capabilities helps a Saudi Arabian princess flee an impending arranged marriage. Hilarious humor, spontaneity, and complexity. Most of it isn’t all that violent.

To anyone who can deal with a lot of gore and evil, over which love ultimately triumphs:

Adam
Extremely compelling, very violent, often sad, and impossible to put down. The horrific story of an amazing battle.

Boneman’s Daughters
The story of a broken father and a hurting daughter. The story of a man possessed by hate. Very violent, weird at times. But don’t miss the point. I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I loved the point.

CONTEST DEADLINE

2010-08-25T18:05:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the photo/art contest ends in Three Days, the 28th of August! Get any entries in before then!

PHOTO AND ART CONTEST!

2010-08-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Deadline is August 28th

If you are reading this right now, and you don’t join in the fun, go eat dirt. Just so you know.

Attention: all readers, followers, bloggers, and friends! This is the second contest ever hosted by my blog!

Be artsy! Enter creative photos and videos or photos showing your best art projects – drawings, paintings, origami, papier-mâché, weaving, knitting, murals, hats, sculptures, woodworking, graphic design, anything. [Send all entries to theamiableamy (at gmail)]

Entries will be judged on: both quality and creativity.

Who wins?
I will choose my five top favorites, and you, the readers, comment voting for your favorite! Whoever has the greatest number of votes places first, and whoever has the second greatest places second. There are only two places, but I may award some honorable mentions if I feel they are due.

Can I get any prizes?
If you receive first place you will be sent three sets (three in a set) of charming handmade cards in the color schemes you choose, plus a handwritten note of congratulations. Your entry will be posted, along with a first place caption and a link to your blog (assuming you have one).

If you receive second place, you will be sent one set of cards, in one color scheme or a mix (your choice) with a congratulatory note. Your entry will also be posted with your second place caption.

But what if I’m a guy, and I don’t want that stupid prize?
Well, you have many options:
a) Don’t enter this contest
b) Don’t win
c) If you have a blog, I will go comment on it to boost your self-esteem
d) If you know me and live nearby, I can cook you some food
e) I can just send you the congratulatory note
f) You can send me a prize
g) Go eat dirt, who needs a prize?

As with any contest I host:
Nobody is required to post about this in order to enter, and you will not receive bonus points for doing so. But if you decide to link to me out of pure nicety, I’ll love you forever!

Are there regulations?
You may enter 1 photo or fewer. If you enter more than one photo, you will be disqualified.

You may vote for yourself, but obviously not multiple times. And nobody is allowed to accuse others of voting dishonestly.

Can I link to it and get all my friends to vote for me?
Absolutely, I don’t care.

Is there any sort of recognition for the worst photo?
If someone enters a really wretched photo, I might post it. There won’t be any prize, but I figure my readers probably like to laugh as much as I do.

Is there any good winning strategy I should know?
Just make sure your photo or project is much muchier than the others.

Many thanks to all participants!!

a book review

2010-07-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

divine nobodies: shedding religion to find God [and the unlikely people who help you]
by jim palmer

Divine Nobodies commences with two must-read introductions (with grim warnings to anyone who would skip them). In introducing us to himself, the author is revealed to be an ordinary, if somewhat quirky, guy. His life hasn’t been ideal, and neither has he. With good humor – but sincerity, he catches the interest of the reader. The rest of the book follows some of his journey from formal Christianity and religion to discovering God for himself. He describes his battle with depression, failings, and confusion about faith – and his ultimate acceptance of the truth that we can’t be good enough. Many failures of the church and professing Christians are exposed by their lack of ability to help the hurting and imperfect people of the world. This book is a challenge to step out of your comfort zone when it comes to helping others. It is also a challenge to stop confining a radical faith to formal religion and your own perception.

I don’t agree with everything the author advocates, and I certainly don’t view the book as absolute truth. At the same time, the author hits many points very accurately, and causes the reader to think. It should be enjoyable for anyone ready to be offended, change, and pursue a faith not caught up in religion or the status quo.

This book is written straightforwardly, and is interesting all the way through. It isn’t simply a set of ideas – it is a set of personal experiences. Anyone who starts it will find it compulsively readable.

Ogden Nash

2010-07-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Of Ogden Nash

The top flight modern satirist…the man who dislikes all the things that most of us dislike but manages to be hilariously articulate about them. – Boston Herald

I discovered the poet Ogden Nash in a literature book, and subsequently found a book of his at our local library. Some of my favorites of his are the short verses on animals.

To quote a few here:

THE RHINOCEROUS
The rhino is a homely beast,
For human eyes he’s not a feast.
Farwell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,
I’ll stare at something less prepocerous

THE FIREFLY
The firefly’s flame
Is something for which science has no name.
I can think of nothing eerier
Than flying around with an unidentified glow on a person’s posteerier.

THE TERMITE
Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good,
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.

THE PORCUPINE
Any hound a porcupine nudges
Can’t be blamed for harboring grudges.
I know one hound that laughed all winter
At a porcupine that sat on a splinter.

Roses and Dragonflies

2010-06-16T18:26:00.001-07:00

I've never before been successful in capturing dragonflies, as they seem to me exceptionally elusive. But there it is. I succeeded today.

This rose is yellow, but looks white here...

These are my favorites. They're burgundy, and they smell fabulous.

These were marketed as "blue girl" roses...but they look more lavender. They are wonderful when they've first begun opening.

The Magnificent Scarf

2010-04-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is the scarf Justin commissioned me to make after winning my long-ago contest. Needless to say, with sport weight yarn and small needles, I spent all winter making these tiny stitches that ended up in an eight-foot scarf. And it's actually patterned after a scarf from an old British science fiction television show I've never seen. Yeah. (A note on length: Justin is like, over six feet tall.)

The (somewhat quirky) pictures are courtesy of Bonnie.

about that old contest...

2010-04-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am actually knitting a striped scarf for Justin (it's currently at 8 ft.), and it may be completed by the time it is too warm to sanely consider wearing. I will certainly post photos in the event that it is finished.

Link to Entertaining post

2009-12-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

http://guitargirl08.blogspot.com/2009/12/25-things-i-have-learned.html

For those who need a laugh.

Awesome Gifts!

2009-12-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

Bonnie and my friend Emily gave us some very festive gifts that she got while in China! Pictured is some Chinese tea and currency:

And a scroll of my name, gorgeously painted.

She also gave us some chocolate-coated items...reminds me how much I love the sweet & salty factor of choc. covered pretzels...

Fear

2009-11-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Things people fear:

1. Rejection
2. Public speaking
3. Insecurity
4. Failure
5. Performing
6. Criticism
7. Disappointment
8. Reality
9. Non-conformity
10. Being alone

Why do we live lives dominated by fear? Fear is a negative emotion quite outside of reality. It conforms us into people we aren’t. It convinces us that we are helpless, disables us, takes energy from our lives, and makes the smallest task seem insurmountable.

I must introduce a new and completely basic thought: fear or confidence is our choice, and we must form a habit of confidence. Another thought: when you lack confidence, pretend. Nobody can tell, least of all you.

I am the sort of person who naturally feels like an inexperienced, timid kid. To combat this, I make a habit of putting my head up and walking at a fast, confident pace; hence, I have been told that I look aristocratic, or even arrogant. I’m five feet tall, and yet I intimidate people. Instead of acting the way I feel, I act the way I would like to appear to feel.

Secret: if you make this a habit long enough, you actually will become confident.

Yarn Shop

2009-11-09T18:50:00.001-08:00

While they were here, Richard and Candy took me to Lake Erie and Marblehead. While we were there, we found this little yarn shop that I insisted on visiting. Here are some photos:

Pictures From Tammy's Visit

2009-11-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

My sister and her kids came to visit in September. Her friend Candy (now my oldest brother's fiance) also came. We had a fabulous time together. And I finally have time to get some photos posted:

The bunch of wildflowers Candy picked for me. :)

Candy holding my nephew Eliyahu's head.

Eliyahu with his ever-present stuffed doggie named "Dog." He is drawing circles in the stones.

We head out for a walk together. L-R: my nephew (Yehoshua), sister (Bonnie,) niece (Ruth) and Candy.

The fresh Mexican salsa Candy helped us make. Jalapenos and cilatro!

Making the salsa. Bonnie thought the cilatro smelled funny...but what does she know?

My adorable little niece, baby Ruth, with Bonnie.

Ruthie picking raspberries. ;)

Yehoshua stirs the pudding.

I miss them all...we had campfires and made s'mores, entertained the nephews with remote controlled toys, and had late-night talks on the porch swings. :)

Early-morning Photography

2009-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Due to my recent premise that getting up in the early-morning hours and practising the piano is good for the soul, I have officially seen every sunrise for a week.

This morning, I couldn't resist photographing the sunrise and the fog. So here it is...or they are:

Ponchos and things of life...

2009-08-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, I thought it looked like rain. So I got out my emergency poncho, and it didn't. I then tried to fold it back up, which did not bode well because I do not fold things very knackily.

I do want to take it out and wear it on a windy day while I'm taking a bike ride. I will look like a yellow balloon.

The Victorrrrr

2009-07-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

Coming in at 22 votes, Justin West is the conqueror in what has become a fierce battle for the scarf. I offer sincere congratulations, and a long scarf will soon be in progress.

Those of you who happen to know me personally are aware of my tendency to say potentially demeaning things, but only in jest. Justin has been a constant casualty of this, which he bears with excellent composure. Because he is likely tired of being beat up, I will use this post as an opportunity to say something nice. Just don’t get a big head, okay kid?

I met Justin at Heidelberg University, where I am an informal member of his piano class. Despite the fact that I am a little high school kid – not to mention geek – he seems to have befriended me. He, along with several other students [including The Critically Acclaimed Defender of Truth, Joe Homan], also teaches me music theory.

Justin is usually semi-dressed-up, and wears a variety of interesting vests. He is studying composition, and is very dedicated to music. He is an intrinsically happy person, and loves riding his bicycle on assorted adventures. He has a great ability to be friendly, and even if he always arrives twenty minutes late, people have to forgive him.

In short, kudos on your victory, Justin. You are uniquely fabulous.

Because I am without a good picture of the aforementioned Justin, I now add a picture stolen from facebook:

Guest Blogger, Anyone?

2009-07-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

I would like to have a series of guest posts, if possible. Anyone interested?

My Contest Comes to a Fatal End

2009-07-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, my contest has become hopelessly cacophonous, what with minions getting involved and et cetera. I really didn't think people would fight it out so fiercly for a simple scarf. In any case, I now end my contest, and will count votes with discretion. Any that I deem likely to be fraudulent will be discounted.

Photos!

2009-07-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

On the Saturday of Ashley's stay, we visited The Kingwood Center. It includes a massive old mansion, much of which can be toured, and acres of flower gardens and green houses.

A closeup of a flower with raindrops:

Some kind of ornamental cabbage??

Ashley and me in the cactus greenhouse.

Looking toward the entrance:

Cactus in an awesome pot:

A decorative fire hydrant

We happened upon a wedding party, taking pictures. I zoomed in and got one from a discreet distance. :)

A lovely peacock that was roaming the grounds:

A fountain, obviously:

A lily pond:

A delightful daisy:

Stone staircases:

An apple tree growing over a wall:

Teapot and cups growing plants:

A view of part of the mansion, an arch overgrown with ivy:

A stone lion overlooks a fountain:

The jungle-like environment of the greenhouse:

One of my favourite trees:

A rather fun plant:

Ashley's Visit!!

2009-07-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago, I read a magazine Bonnie was receiving. A girl named Ashley was the editor. The literacy and personality of the publication impressed me, and I asked Bonnie, “Do you suppose she would write to me?” Bonnie replied with an impatient, “I don’t know. Write to her!” And so, I did. She wrote back with a letter I found both lengthy and interesting. So began a relatively consistent correspondence and occasional phone chats. Her personality and random sense of humour came across wonderfully in her letters.

Recently, she began seriously considering a time when she might travel to Ohio and pay us a visit! And so, on July the ninth, we were picking her up at the airport. I recognized her easily – strawberry-blonde hair and pink-striped fashion scarf. :)

We spent the first evening drinking Market Spice tea, talking, playing Trouble, browsing photo albums, and eating at least one too many chocolate chip cookies. The next day, we had a jolly little group of friends.

First there’s Matt, a twitter-obsessed facebook addict who wears his bluetooth “just to feel cool.” He made sure that everyone knew it was John Calvin’s birthday. He owns a couple pairs of Converse All Stars, all of which he cleans periodically using dish soap and an old toothbrush.

Then, there’s Matt’s wife Wendy, a sweet, energetic, and fun-loving lady. She can make a little task like dishes interesting. She is enthusiastic and often hilarious.

And Joe – he’s a piano performance student at Heidelberg who seems quiet, but has a quirky sense of humor. He can recite pi to the hundred-something digit. Like most of us, he has a weakness for ice-cream bars.

Joe’s friend Justin is a student at Heidelberg, member of studio class, and theory-teacher-in-training. And I called him “Joe’s friend” to make him feel small and unimportant. He was excited about his most recent adventure: riding his bicycle to an abandoned railroad. Or perhaps he would wish that I refer to it as a daring feat. Anyway.

We played Balderdash, but since nobody had the actually game with them, we used a dictionary and paper. Innovative. Here are some of the most amusing definitions:

Matt described “Peruke” as “A man’s wig of the 17th and 18th centuries,” while Ashley defined it as “mortification resulting from the inability to locate Peru on a map.”

Justin wrote that “turnsole” was “the boot of a pirate,” while someone else claimed it to be “a shoe making machine that rotates shoes to the sequence of assembly stations in front of workers arranged in a circle.” Hmm. Try to picture that.

Joe put that “soubriquet” was “a clam scam!” but gave himself away by adding, “Bam!”
At one point, Joe said, “if I say ‘tricksy’ in mine, will it be less convincing?” When Matt defined “barracoon” as “a tricksy animal that sings a low tone,” we all assumed it was Joe, who had actually written that it was “a fraudulent bake sale.”

And finally, my personal favourite, courtesy of Ashley:

She defined “fascicle” as “a follower of the ancient Greek philosopher Fascicles.”

Coming today: photos from mentioned visit.

Contest Results!

2009-07-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the contest results. Please keep in mind that I limited this to five, so if you aren’t in here…well, that doesn’t mean your post wasn’t clever enough to be considered.

Here are the five top picks, in no particular order. I have posted a portion of their comments that I found striking. My thoughts are included in brackets.

From Breanalee Angelica:

I also thrive off of adrenaline rushes, and love to try anything new and exciting. from food, to planning things beyond my possible ability.
Another thing that makes me unique is that I love the emergency room.

[The emergency room?]

From Cassie, at Inside my Mind:

I have two chinchillas and two rabbits, I started out with only one (male) chinchilla, but when he gave birth to a baby I had to change his name from Oliver to Olivia. :)

[Hmm…]

By the end of the year, I will have a sister from China.I love the word "wonky"

[Hah hah “wonky”!]

From Chantel, at Joy in the Journey:

I love to watch ants, I love to wear sandals, I love clotheslines, and I've always liked doing laundry best of all chores.

[ants?]

From Justin:

I am unique because I am the only person who did not answer the prompt generically.

[concise and clever]

From Ashley at unstoppably-ordinary:

I love taking walks in the rain; I never use salt or pepper on my food; I really despise olives; I have a lime green parakeet named Kiwi… I am an easily inspired, usually cheerful, very unique goal-making multi-tasker who is great at planning, great at procrastinating, and dreadful at following through.

[not presumptuous: real and human]

Results Coming

2009-07-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

My contest is officially over. My top picks will be posted soon!

My Thursday

2009-06-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

It all started out normally enough; I got up, ate a light breakfast, and brushed my teeth. Donning my brown skirt and red plaid shoes, I left for a morning dentist appointment. Due to my brilliant planning, I had a knitting project to take up in the waiting room. When I bored of that, I scribbled down a recipe I found in one of the magazines. I read the humour column in a hunting magazine. One lady was painting her nails. Thanks to my conscientious care, my teeth were all well. I left in good spirits, my mini floss and toothpaste in tow.

I spent the afternoon practicing Beethoven, picking strawberries, and doing dishes. By evening, I was putting the finishing touches on my project.

The sky was darkening outside, and I realized that I should feed the cats. Carrying a dish of food, I made my way toward the barn. Before reaching it. I noticed a small creature near the plum trees. I couldn’t see him clearly because of the dim light, but I presumed him to be a cat. I proceeded to whistle softly to him, in the same way I whistle to my cats. At this point, he began to walk. Seeing him closer, I realized that he was shorter than a cat. He walked differently, rather lumping along instead of delicately stepping. He had seemed dark from a distance, but now I could see a white stripe running the length of his little body. My next thought was, I do believe I just whistled at a skunk.

I made my way back inside without fear, because the little fellow seemed friendly enough. Once inside, I located my brother Phillip, and told him that there was a creature outside that looked suspiciously like a skunk. He grabbed his oversized flashlight, and we walked out together. He walked across the yard while I waited near the house. He called softly, “Famous last words: I didn’t think it could spray that far.” I smiled. He came back with the verdict that it was, indeed, a skunk. I skirted around the animal to feed the cats, and when I returned, I could still see him lurking by the clothesline.
And then I watched “Pa and Ma Kettle” while I knitted. The end.

The Geeks of Our Culture

2009-06-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

I love geeks. Converse All Stars. Dark-rimmed glasses that look like they came straight out of the sixties. I’m a fan.

One of the things that make geeks intrinsically attractive to me is their intelligence. They know that Britain is not England. They can reasonably discuss macroeconomics.

And yet, the geeks of this world, once viewed as awkward idiots, are being put in the spotlight. It turns out that people go for the misfits when they are portrayed as awesome. Because of this, it’s hard to find a geek who isn’t already popular. Is it because people are becoming nicer, or because the general consensus has suddenly made geeks cooler? I’d vote for the latter.

I get this feeling that there are a lot of pseudo-geeks in our midst. They wear the clothes. Maybe they’re quirky. But I am not fooled. They are too popular to be geeks.

It’s just hard to find an unwanted geek in the world to love these days.

Note: the title picture is of the geek in “National Treasure.” I liked him before I found out how infinitely popular he is.

Roses

2009-06-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to photograph my brother’s incredible rose bush. It blooms in gorgeous shades of purple/pink. Yeah, fuchsia. It had just rained, so there are some raindrops still resting on the petals.

My First-ever Contest!! Participants Required!

2009-06-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this right now, and you don’t join in the fun, go eat dirt. Just so you know.

Sell yourself!
Well, not literally. Comment, telling what makes you uniquely fabulous. (i.e. “I train Welsh ponies” or “I play double-stops on my Bolivian panpipes”) Please limit all comments to less than 1,000 characters.

And the fun begins!
When the contest is over, I choose my five favorites, and post them as a poll. All readers vote!

But wait, a small parcel is offered as a prize!
I will send the winner a free, hand-knitted fashion scarf! Styles of choice include furry, lacy, sparkly, bright, lusciously soft, ordinary, retro, mohair, wild, exotic, summery, casual, etc. Definite lengths can also be requested.

Many thanks to all participants!

Nobody is required to post about this in order to enter, and you will not receive bonus points for doing so. But if you decide to link to me out of pure nicety, I’ll love you forever!

The Deadline for this, my Prestigious Contest, is July the 5th, 2009

*That picture is the fashion scarf I knitted my sister Bonnie for Christmas. I actually knitted from two different skeins of varying colors at her request.

Why Everyone Should Knit. Even Guys.

2009-06-09T11:04:00.001-07:00

I. Knitting is relaxing.
Nothing calms your soul quite like sitting down with a bit of knitting.

II. Knitting can be done while driving, eating, watching TV, and sleeping.
Knitters are known mullti-taskers. They never waste time, because anything useless can be done while knitting.

III. Knitting creates beauty.
Imagine holding a piece of fabric with an elegant array of colors – a piece of fabric that will soon form a wearable item!

IV. Knitting is useful.
You can knit socks, hats, gloves, scarves, arm-warmers, and even the bigger things – like sweaters or dramatic cloaks. And all in smashing, personal style!

V. Knitting promotes the muscular development of the hand.
Activity is good for you. Without argument.

VI. Knitting is fun.
Knitters do it because they love it! It’s a fantastic hobby to take up.

VII. Knitting is creative.
Finding unique patterns, fabrics, and yarns, and discovering new methods or styles to create are all an intrinsic joy to knitters!

VIII. Knitting relieves stress.
When you’ve had a long day, just sit down and ferociously pull loops through loops. It’s therapeutic.

IX. Knitting is nostalgic.
Who in the world hasn’t seen a picture of a grandma with her knitting? Come on, now.

X. Knitting is fulfilling
You can easily create personal, fun gifts for friends!

Now, go find some needles and yarn!

Blowing Dandelions

2009-06-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here I am blowing dandelions when my brother and I went for a walk together:

And I smell my bunch of wildflowers:

Venus Fly-trap!!

2009-06-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

My sweet and wonderful brother bought me a Venus Fly-trap!

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with them, they lure, trap, and digest insects! I've been wanting one for a long time. They require only a few bugs a year to survive.

I named her Maggie. Yes, I named my plant. Get over it.

Little Things of Pleasantry…

2009-06-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Last evening, it was cool and rainy. I sat on our porch swing, sheltered from the rain that was lightly falling around me, thunder rolling softly in the distance. I could see the glow of the little lamps that line our sidewalk…

If you’ve never wrapped up in a wool blanket and relaxed on a porch swing during a thunderstorm…try it sometime.

Things I want to do off in the Some-day…

2009-05-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

1. Purchase a pet turtle and name her Molly
2. Write several novels, each from completely different genres
3. Tour a medieval castle
4. Learn calligraphy
5. Get a tuba and take lessons on it
6. Become adept in a few authentic foreign cuisines
7. Ride a Welsh pony
8. Begin a professional blog
9. Get some real paints and learn how to wield them
10. Knit myself some mesh opera gloves

My First Experience as a Designer – with no money

2009-05-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, my oldest brother (Richard) recently moved to Illinois. My brother Phillip, elated to be rid of Richard’s many possessions, went crazy cleaning out their room, moved out the extra bed, and settled into life without Richard. Well, this week-end, Richard decided to come for a visit. This posed the question of, “Where is he to sleep?” It was decided that he should take over the little room in the corner of the basement. This area, formerly my brother Reuben’s, was filled with cobwebs and a small amount of miscellaneous junk.

It looked like this:

I offered to clean and design it. So what did I have to work with in this room?

A decent bed with mattress
A rusted out file cabinet
A large dresser with mismatched handles and scratches
A few boxes of junk
A giant monitor
A rather old, white cupboard in bad condition
A black wardrobe in good condition
A cracked trash can
A decent bookshelf with sliding, glass doors

And this is what the room is now:

I spread a white cloth over the bookshelf, created a wall template with colored paper squares (adhered with blue tack), and placed a simple vase of water and fresh wildflowers to the side.

A bright, comfortable chair with a throw over the side rests in one corner.

The cement floor is covered by a large rug in a neutral color.

I draped a deep green fleece throw over the rusty cupboard, and placed it to the side of the bed for use as a nightstand.

The tacky array of magnets is removed, the wardrobe cleaned, and a couple of animals comfortably situated on top.

I turned the bed all the way around, to face the opposite wall. I used some navy blue sheets, green pillowcases, and a lighthouse blanket. The vertical pictures above the headboard create a unique accent. I found the pictures in an outdated calendar, but they have a matted finish and are relatively thick. The frames are construction paper.

A bare wall is tempered by a picture of stone architecture. (Found in a calendar.)

Things I've Done Recently...

2009-05-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

Things I’ve Done Recently…Just For the Fun of it

1. Picked wildflowers and arranged them in a tiny vase
2. Given someone a Happy Valentine’s Day card randomly
3. Drawn wooly mammoths using crayons
4. Worn a shirt that I didn’t like, just to feel unfashionable
5. Watched a kid movie
6. Shot a Kimber .45
7. Blown a dandelion flower
8. Listened to music with the car windows down
9. Written a story about bowling pinsNamed a rose bush “Jasmine"

Are You Music-Obsessed?

2009-05-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Take this little quiz to find out. And no, it doesn’t really mean anything. I just made it up.

I. Which composer was known for paranoia?

a) Brahms
b) Ravel
c) Tchaikovsky
d) Liszt

II. How many sonatas did Beethoven write?

a) 32
b) 73
c) 41
d) 25

III. In what month was J. S. Bach born?

a) February
b) March
c) December
d) July

IV. Which composer attempted suicide?

a) Debussy
b) Grieg
c) Vivaldi
d) Schumann

V. What composer is not Russian?

a) Rebikov
b) Shostakovitch
c) Czerny
d) Rubinstein

Scroll down for answers…

Keep scrolling…

Here they are…

ANSWERS:

I. c), II. a), III. b), IV. d), V. c)

0 Correct-
You are either not a musician, or have no memory for musical trivia.

1-2 Correct-
You have a minor interest in music.

3-4 Correct-
You are a bit of a music trivia novice.

4-5 Correct-
You may be labeled as “music-obsessed.”

Yesterday I...

2009-05-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

…made sugar cookies. Here they are:

(All photos courtesy of Bonnie)

And here’s my haphazard cooking area:

And here I am in my “Kiss the Cook” apron:

Note to photographer: is there some reason you didn’t mention the giant crease in the middle??
The recipe I used comes from a yellowed “Household Discoveries” and “Mrs. Curtis’s Cookbook” of the early 1900’s. Because it was written before the age of modern stoves, this recipe, for example, simply says to “bake quickly.” Here’s the recipe:

Sugar Cookies

2 cupfuls sugar,
1 cupful butter,
3 eggs,
3 cupfuls flour,
1 teaspoonful baking powder,
1 teaspoonful nutmeg,
½ teaspoonful cloves

Notes: we use 4 ½ cups of flour, and heap up the baking powder and the cloves.

Cream butter and sugar, beat in the whipped eggs, spices, and baking powder, add the flour gradually, working it in until the dough is stiff enough to roll. Sprinkle flour over a pastry board. Make a ball of the dough, and lay it on the board. Rub the rolling-pin with flour and roll out the dough into a sheet quarter of an inch thick. Cut in round cakes, sift granulated sugar over each, and bake quickly. (We use convect bake, 375 degrees for 10 minutes.)

Christmas in May

2009-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

…At least, that’s what yesterday felt like. To begin at the very beginning, I should explain about my tea bag collection.

My oldest sister, Tammy, began a tea bag collection years ago. She traded with other collectors, and acquired a rather large variety, including bags from Germany, Italy, France, Asia, Sri Lanka, Spain, England, Holland, Finland, and various countries. When she moved to Seattle not long ago, she was forced to downsize possessions. Although she hated to part with her collection, she asked me if I would be willing to claim it. She was hoping to find someone who would actually enjoy it. I was thrilled with the prospect of being given this collection. I am gradually adding to it, and the variety is incredible.

Recently, I chatted with her on the phone, and she mentioned that her friend Lin had sent some tea bags for the collection, and they should be arriving soon. Yesterday, I was shocked to receive three large packages…with not only tea bags, but also about 40 boxes of tea and many skeins of beautiful yarn, including wool varieties. (A personal favorite of mine.) For more pictures (and a different perspective), check out my sister’s post.

A close-up of my personal favorite:

To my great joy, a knitting needle case was also enclosed:

And finally, a beautiful sunset, taken recently:

Charlie Brown

2009-05-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a fan.
My favorite character? Do you really have to ask? (Just think for a moment about who the Beethoven-obsessed kid is.)

Quotations:

Lucy: “Schroeder, if the time ever came that you had to choose between me and this piano, what would you do?”

Schroeder: “I’d look you right in the eye, and I’d say, ‘I’ll take the piano!’"

***

Lucy: “Schroeder, why is it that you like Beethoven better than you like me?”

Schroeder: “Beethoven was Beethoven and you are YOU!”

Lucy: “That doesn’t even leave room for discussion.”

America

2009-05-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is being an American beginning to mean less and less?

Historical Americans:

- Industrious
- Intelligent
- Capitalists
- Independent

Americans of Today:

- Unmotivated
- Stupid
- Socialists
- Dependent on government

Colorful Photos

2009-05-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

My photography has never been exceptional. I generally attempt certain perspective photos, most of which even I do not appreciate.

I believe I took this one while on a ladder overtop.

Here I attempt to romanticize the windows of an ordinary garage door.

Lights at an odd angle.

Dark roof against lovely summer sky.

Dry Queen Anne's Lace...

Handprints in sidewalk.

The Dilapidated Omelet: My Brunch Creation

2009-05-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

This creation came into being when I decided to make a little brunch. It began with the thought of making some “hash browns” for myself. Somewhere along the way, I threw in some other ingredients, too. Because I did not properly measure ingredients, I doubt that this recipe could help anyone reliably recreate it, but this is the basic idea:

Recipe:

Ingredients:
Oil
About ¼ of a medium sized onion, sliced
¼ or less of an orange bell pepper, diced
1 potato, diced
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons garlic powder (or fresh garlic, minced)
1 egg
Milk
A pinch of ginger

To garnish:
Fresh chives, sliced
Crumbled sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream (opt.)

Directions:
Pour about a tablespoon of oil into a medium-large skillet. Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft. (Onion should be slightly translucent.) Add potato, frying about twenty minutes or until soft, but not mushy. Cover with black pepper and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Beat egg with a small amount of milk and a pinch of ginger. Add to potato mixture, frying just until done. (Slightly browned.) Garnish with chives and crumbled cheddar. Top with sour cream if desired.

The little Delights of life

2009-04-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Recently, I arrived home from a classical concert, completely fatigued after being away from home most of the day. I had arrived at Heidelberg University (where I study the piano and have a few informal classes) at ten in the morning for a music theory class, and was there for six hours, with very little break in events.

After such a day, I would generally have collapsed on an overstuffed chair, pulled out my latest piece of literature, and shifted my brain into neutral. Instead, I found myself pulling out our recipes. There’s something relaxing about creative activity. I rediscovered a recipe for carrot-pineapple cake, and deciding that it was abnormal enough to interest me, I made one:

The recipe:

Carrot-Pineapple Cake

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups sifted, all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 ½ cups finely shredded carrot
¾ cup crushed pineapple (with juice)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Mix remaining ingredients and add, mixing on low speed. Place evenly in two 9” round cake pans, greased and lightly floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely and apply cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
4 ½ ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ½ tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sifted confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

In medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until light. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. If necessary, add a small amount of milk to make of spreading consistency.

This is how my cake looked the next day:

Other assorted things of life:

Bonnie’s purple flowers that dried and are now immortal, arranged in a Japanese vase:

The book of medieval castles my brother bought in Seattle:

Some excellent Hillary Hahn cds I’ve been listening to recently:

The Italian cookbook Phillip bought for me. I have yet to try the recipes therein:

culinary experiment...without pictures.

2009-04-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Because I have several vegetarian friends, I've been trying out some meatless dishes. I found this recipe online. I was skeptical at first, but it ended up turning out better than our regular chilli recipe. I added a few things and subtracted some others, resulting in this recipe. It is spicy (but not overpowering) and colorful, with an attractive variety of ingredients. The Cheyenne pepper (one of my additions) gives it an excellent flavor, and a hint of hotness.

Vegetarian Chilli

Ingredients:
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 cup chopped onion
-3/4 cup chopped carrot
-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
-1 cup chopped green bell pepper
-1 cup chopped red bell pepper
-3/4 cup chopped celery
-3/4 tablespoon chilli powder
-1 (5 ounce) can mushrooms
-28 ounces canned tomato, diced
-1 (19 ounce) can red kidney beans (with liquid)
-11 ounces corn
-1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
-1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
-1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon Cheyenne red pepper

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots, garlic, green pepper, red pepper, and celery. Season with salt, black pepper, and Cheyenne pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in the mushrooms and cook about four minutes. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, and corn. Add the cumin, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer at least twenty minutes, stirring frequently.

Seattle!

2009-04-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

“No, not my visit to Seattle,” I say with regret. My brothers, Phillip and Richard. They recently visited my oldest sister, who lives there. They rode horses, bought antique Shakespeare books, visited an incredible Chinese teashop, and other things of which I am vastly envious. I’m hoping my parents will let me go with them next time.

However, Phillip did pick up a gift for me. (He and my sister split the price.) It is this lovely journal:

And the best part is the secret pocket, as pictured:

P.S. The culinary experiment is coming, but I realized that I don’t really have pictures. So, my culinary experiment, featuring a recipe and no pictures. I’m guessing nobody will try my recipe, because hey, who tries a recipe without a delectable picture? I certainly don’t.

Entertaining Times At Heidelberg

2009-04-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Most of you (or at least, those of you who know me) are aware that I spend an excessive amount of time at Heidelberg, a local liberal arts university. With piano, orchestra, studio class, orchestra sectionals, theory class, and the concerts I attend frquently, I end up being there almost every day.

Today, I went for theory class at 10 AM, and had a piano lesson at 2 PM. My mom was going to be gone for the day, so she asked if I would be able to occupy myself there for three extra hours. Not wishing to inconvenience her, I agreed. I'm rather glad I did agree. To describe briefly the events of my stay:

-I practiced piano for almost two hours
-I ate sesame-honey almonds. They look weird, but I could eat an entire bag of them in one sitting. I also drank Earl Grey tea (cold).
-I played candy-land with Joe, one of my awesome studio class friends. It's actually his own version of candy-land, which includes hand-drawn pictures, Mario mushrooms, and squirrels you can collect. Yeah, Joe's pretty uniquely cool.

Recent Fantastic Gifts!!

2009-03-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

The book my brother Phillip bought for me has arrived! A complete collection of the Original Winnie-the-Pooh, as pictured here:

Quotations:

So Owl wrote…and this is what he wrote:

HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY

Pooh looked on admiringly. “I’m just saying ‘A Happy Birthday,’” said Owl carelessly.

“It’s a nice long one,” said Pooh, very much impressed by it.

***

[Eeyore has just finished reading a poem he wrote himself]

“If anybody wants to clap,” said Eeyore when he had read this, “now is the time to do it.”

They all clapped.

“Thank you,” said Eeyore. “Unexpected and gratifying, if a little lacking in Smack.”

“It’s much better than mine,” said Pooh admiringly, and he really thought it was.

“Well,” explained Eeyore modestly, “it was meant to be.”

***

“Well,” said Owl, “the customary procedure in such cases is as follows.”

“What does Crustimony Proseedcake mean?” said Pooh.

“For I am a bear of very little brain, and long words bother me.” “It means the Thing to Do.”

“As long as it means that, I don’t mind,” said Pooh humbly.

***

Secondly, my super awesome pen pal Ashley sent me a super awesome gift: a Chinese scarf in lovely shades of yellow and blue. Not an amazing picture, but here I am wearing it:

Birthday-ness!!

2009-03-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

My birthday was the 17th (St. Patrick’s Day – yes, I wore green). To commemorate this happy event, we invited a boatload of friends over, including:

Jeremy: Married to our friend Katie. He’s relatively awesome, always has an absolutely pathetic joke or pun ready, and amuses everyone present. I guess you could call him somewhat mature, but he still appreciates the “kid things” of life. He really likes Dilbert comics.

Katie: Married to Jeremy. She’s fun, and laughs at the fact that we laugh at Jeremy’s stupid jokes. :)

Matt: Married to Wendy. He’s hilarious, and always wears “artsy” things like argyle sweaters, Converse All Stars, etc. His favorite store is Express (men’s), and he is always talking about some musician named Derek Webb.

Wendy: Married to Matt. She is hilarious and fun, and tries to make Matt act sensibly. Sometimes she succeeds at that, but at other times he’s fairly hopeless. :)

Aleah: She is awesome and entertaining and completely herself. We had met her only once before, but I don’t think she’s ever met a stranger.

Denise: She’s in Heidelberg’s orchestra with us. She is quiet, but also outgoing, and a fun conversationalist.

Emily: She is a Heidelberg student. She’s very outgoing, nice to everyone, and a lot of fun. She sings and plays the flute.

Elizabeth: Emily’s sister – also a Heidelberg student. She’s really awesome and fun to hang out with. She sings and plays marimba (and other awesome percussion instruments).

Jon: Another Heidelberg student. He’s in piano studio class and orchestra with us. He is absolutely hilarious. He’s good at piano, although violin is his main instrument. He crochets his own colorful scarves, and he always makes me laugh.

Sarah: Yes, another Heidelberg student. She is totally hilarious and fun. We are kind of in her (music) theory/composition class, and she gets to practice teaching on us. :)

Emily, Elizabeth, Jon, and Sarah gave me this really sweet lookin’ card that plays a fascinating piano arrangement of “happy birthday” when opened. (pictured at top) Needless to say, it has been a source of vast entertainment for me. =)

They also gave me some candy, which I am enjoying:

Instead of my birthday cake, I actually had birthday pie (apple). It is very delicious. I don’t usually get birthday presents; in fact, nobody in our family has usually exchanged birthday gifts. My brother Phillip spontaneously bought an ipod for me last year, and sometimes friends give me something. Phillip told me (on my birthday) that a package from Amazon was on the way. He told me only that it is a book, and I will like it. I asked him about a million questions, but met with only the answer, “Maybe, and maybe not.” Grrr. I doubt it’s fiction unless it’s a satire, or of philosophical nature. It’s probably not a classic unless it’s an exceptional one, because he knows my distaste for pointless reading material. My guess is that it’s a non-fiction, somewhat obscure work of literature, possibly of economic, philosophical, or political content, and perhaps of an entertaining, satirical, or amusing nature. I am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I’m not a good suspense person.

My awesome pen pal Emma sent an awesome card, stationery, post-its, and tea, which arrived the day before.

Coming Soon: My latest culinary experiment, with pictures.

The Original Winnie-the-Pooh

2009-03-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Most of us have been exposed, in some small way, to Winnie-the-Pooh. You may not, however, be familiar with A. A. Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh, who is incredible. I was completely indifferent toward all things Winnie the Pooh until I rediscovered the original A. A. Milne books, complete with the adorable pencil drawings of Ernest Shepard.

Sadly, I own only one of these delightful stories, although our local library has the whole collection in one massive volume.

The following is an excerpt from Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees:

He put his head between his paws and thought very carefully.

“It’s like this,” he said. “When you go after honey with a balloon, the great thing is not to let the bees know you’re coming. Now, if you have a green balloon, they might think you were only part of the tree, and not notice you, and if you have a blue balloon, they might think you were only part of the sky, and not notice you, and the question is: Which is most likely?”

“Wouldn’t they notice you underneath the balloon?” you asked.

“They might, or they might not,” said Winnie-the-Pooh. “You never can tell with bees.”

He thought for a moment and said: “I shall try to look like a small black cloud. That will deceive them.”

Awesome Contest!!

2009-03-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

So my awesome sis Bonnie is having a silly contest on her blog. The selected winner also gets a lame prize! So everyone go vote to win!!

Family Relationships

2009-03-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been considering family relationships. Admittedly, I do not always get along with everyone in my immediate family, let alone the rest of them. (And there are a lot.) I've decided that I have a nice balance of immediate family, including:

-A sibling who confuses me
-A sibling I disagree with on almost everything
-A sibling I like
-A sibling who has a completely opposite temperament (from me), but I get along with nonetheless
-A sibling who is my best friend
-Two parents that I sometimes like and sometimes don't (as is the case with most, especially during the teenage years)

If you happen to be in my immediate family, please do not try to make out who is who in that list.

In a way, each one balances my personality and stability. Some people are confused by my varying relationship levels with my immediate family. Most of them can relate to my relationship with the one I disagree with on almost everything, but few of them can relate to the fact that one of them (a brother, no less) is my best friend. I just have to say, "Yay for siblings!" If I had only parents, I do not know how long my sanity would last.

The Non-Conformist

2009-02-27T08:52:00.001-08:00

You might be a non-conformist if…

I. You wear eccentric fashion accessories
II. You gravitate toward people who are atypical and excel at weirdness
III. You can do “un-cool” things like shopping at Goodwill, and not be ashamed of it
IV. You still like silly putty
V. You knit retro clothing items for yourself
VI. You attend classical concerts
VII. You can befriend middle-aged, or even “old” people
VIII. You hang out with a small group of people completely unlike you, and yet completely loveable
IX. You like vanilla ice cream because it sounds exotic
X. As a general rule, you would be considered unpopular
XI. You still get excited about magic towels
XII. You run with scissors just to feel dangerous
XIII. You adore argyle vests
XIV. You are more interested in good friendships than meaningless relationships
XV. You are secure about who you are
XVI. You feel fulfilled in life right now…not when you move up in the world
XVII. You desire friends more for the companionship than the support of your self esteem
XVIII. You can laugh at yourself
XIX. You like things “because you like them,” not because other people do
XX. You can honestly congratulate the success of others and view them as an inspiration rather than a threat

Performance Pacesetter

2009-02-25T17:36:00.000-08:00

Performance Pacesetter is Heidelberg University’s annual competition for high school students. I competed in it last year (placing third) and this year. A year ago, I was still at the point where I was terrified of all things resembling performance, making the competition a paralyzing experience, to say the least. My teacher, Dr. Pierre, has told me that I am a very musical person, but I fall apart in performances. A few months ago (I’m not sure when it really came to be), I completely overcame performance anxiety. I recognized that I begin by expecting failure, and decided that whatever happens, I get up there and have a good time. I began having some of the first performances of my life that did not evoke nerves and needless mistakes. I haven’t been truly nervous at a performance since.

So, there I was, waiting outside the doors of Ohl concert hall, drinking green tea, and listening to the pianist who was competing before me. It was one of those moments where I had to stifle the urge to think of it as a competition. When you hear a phenomenal pianist, also your competitor, and sincerely wish him all the luck in the world, you have succeeded in seeing the success of others as an inspiration rather than a threat. I was remarkably relaxed. One of the best things I ever learned about performing is to appear confident, and begin with confidence, no matter what you’re feeling. If you pull it off well enough, you actually become confident. I walked across the stage with an ease I didn’t know I possessed, bowed, and took my seat at the piano.

I began, starting with a Spanish piece by Turina. The entire piece went smoothly, and I was having a good time performing by the time I reached the end. After a comfortable pause, I began my Beethoven sonata. Beethoven sonatas have always been my greatest weakness, or rather, the memorization of them. For some reason, I can memorize thirty pages of Ravel in a day, while five pages of a Beethoven sonata could take weeks. The real problem is that all Beethoven sonatas have sections in which a simple note or key change takes you to an entirely different passage. This usually means that I end up going in circles. However, I was completely comfortable with the memorization of this sonata. I had memorized it hands separately, and could easily explain, entirely from memory, how the different passages connected.

There are certain instances in which a performer who has a piece memorized without flaw fails to think ahead to subsequent passages and, hence, goes in a few circles. This was my downfall. The second time a certain forte came around, I started to get a little concerned. When it came around a third time, I became slightly worried. Had I been nervous to begin with, I would have ceased playing and run from the stage. Instead, I thought positively: I know this piece, and I need only think of the next passage and how to get there. To my vast relief, I smoothly progressed to the next passage, and ended dramatically. I bowed, forced myself to smile, and left the stage.

When I re-entered the concert hall, now as an audience member, Dr. Pierre told me that I had played very well. I was greatly surprised to find that my sister, a fellow musician who must have listened to my Beethoven five hundred times, had not even noticed my memory lapse. To all of the audience except my teacher, it must have been invisible. I expected it to remove all chance I might have had of placing, but for some reason, I didn’t really care. I had an excellent time (for the most part) listening to the other performers, several of which were absolutely incredible.

In the end, I placed third. By the close of Pacesetter, I was in a state of complete indifference about the whole thing.

During the trip back, I perused my judging sheets. I had to laugh when I read one of Dr. Bevelander’s comments:

“You recover very well from mistakes.”

Note: The title picture is a bookmark I got for placing. It’s actually worth like three bucks at the Heidelberg store. I might be chagrined if a check weren’t coming. [If I cared that much about anything at all.]

My Knit-savvy-ness

2009-02-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was browsing my awesome friend Ashley’s blog, and noticed the pictures of her sweet-lookin’ striped arm-warmers. I thought to myself, “You know, I should knit something awesome like that.” I whipped out my Knitting Patterns For Dummies book, and found a pattern for fingerless mitts that was just waiting to be knitted. The real issue was that I had never used double-pointed needles before, although I own several pairs of them. I decided it was worth a try. As the book pointed out, “getting started can feel a lot like juggling chopsticks,” but it improved from there. To all knitters who are intimidated by double-pointed needles, remember:

I. You aren’t actually knitting all four needles at once
II. It gets easier after you’ve knitted a few rows
III. Start out on a simple, cylindrical shape before you move on to fancier stuff
IV. Make the corner stitches of your “triangle of needles” tight enough to avoid a seam
V. Give yourself some time to get used to it

You divide your stitches onto three needles, like this:

You knit onto a fourth needle, working in a circle and switching off needles. I will now say something that I think few knitters would vouch for: I love using double-pointed needles!

I used a yarn with some delightful color variance, and it sort of striped itself.

I finished my first fingerless mitt, which looks like this:

My Descriptive Paragraph

2009-02-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

My grammar and composition book never fails to frustrate me. It is boring, contains extensive diagrams, and explains objective complements. Over the time we’ve been together, I’ve learned to create some excitement for myself in order to avoid complete monotony.

Recently, I was compelled by this book to write an essay. The following were my topic choices:

A: building a bookcase
B: painting a house
C: fishing for trout
D: giving a pet a bath

The last time that choices were so dismal, I was forced to describe a busy street corner that didn’t even exist. This time, I decided to describe a fictional building of a bookcase, involving my brother Rich and myself:

“Descriptive Paragraph of Someone Building a Bookcase”

“I aspire to build a bookcase,” said Richard, and so it began. Desiring an audience for the observation of this grand endeavor, he recruited me to join him. We made our way to the shop, where he painstakingly measured the many required sections of wood. “I would like it to be about eight and one-half feet tall,” he said thoughtfully. “But Richard, how will you fit it anywhere?” I inquired. “Why, ceilings are nine feet. I would like it to be quite tall.” “No, our ceilings are nine feet. Ordinary ceilings measure only eight feet.” “Oh, do they?” he carefully re-measured, allowing a height of seven and one-half feet. Using his spiffy table saw, he cut each piece with greatest precision. He then measured a border, on which he hoped to carve a tasteful embellishment. “You see, I’ve got this wood-carving manual,” he explained. I leafed through the aforementioned manual, finding it quite fascinating and difficult. Later, he picked up the border in order that he might begin carving. Within half an hour, this angular piece began to take on a new form. With ragged juts and shapes, he carved what should have been a lovely peacock. “Oh,” he said, laying down the piece in dejection. He stacked the pieces carefully, and tucked them behind his worktable. Thus ended the making of his bookcase.”
Note: Richard actually built a bookcase recently, and it turned out quite nicely, despite some mistakes. As an engineer, he likes to call them “design changes.”

Random Words

2009-02-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

Armadillo
“Little armored one”

Plumed
“Adorned with a plume or plumes”

Tinkle
“To make light ringing sounds, as a small bell”

Vociferous
“Crying out loudly”

Windbag
“An empty, voluble, pretentious talker”

Dandy
“A man excessively concerned about his clothes and appearance”

Cannikin
“A small can or drinking cup”

Artifice
“A clever trick or stratagem”

Bagger
“A person who packs groceries or other items into bags”

Deletion
“An act of deleting”

Foodstuff
“A substance used or capable of being used as food”

Gobbler
“A person or thing that gobbles or consumes voraciously or quickly”

Hooky
“Full of hooks”

Laugher
“A person who laughs”

Culinary Experiment

2009-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday, I had my first experience making a traditional Jewish braided bread, “Challah.” My first loaf looked slightly absurd, but the second did not leave quite so much to be desired. It is a light, soft bread, and contains honey, lending a hint of sweetness to the flavor.

For weeks, or so it seemed, I had been poring over a Greek cookbook, and looking with great longing at a certain colorful soup. It looked flavorful and delightful, and the presence of some little seasoned meatballs appeared positively delectable. To my surprise, it also called for lemon slices, but as I am always interested in new ideas, I was quite willing to suppose that a moderate amount of citrus flavor could add quite a bit of character to this particular soup. It was supposed to be made with lamb, but not having any, I determined to substitute beef. I mentioned this soup repeatedly, and last Saturday, I found the chance to attempt the making of it. I had high hopes for it, and carefully selected the required ingredients, but met with failure. In the end, it contained, most unfortunately, an almost overpowering lemon flavor. With some added beef broth, the intensity of this citrus-ness lessened considerably, but it still wasn’t the winner I’d aspired toward.

Novel Excerpts

2009-02-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

I decided to post a few excerpts from the novel I am composing, for anyone who may find it of interest. Thus far, I have two main characters of three different nationalities, several pages of rambling, and no plot. It will likely be almost wholly re-written when I finish the rough version of it. The following are a few excerpts from throughout, in their un-edited form:

"Nicholas Komarov sat at his immense, richly mahogany desk. His office, of sorts, was small. Cramped, really. He enjoyed the control its lack of size seemed to him to allow. Easily accessible and easily viewable. Comfortable, in a way, to his thinking, yet it could hardly be considered pleasant. Stiff wooden furniture, smooth texture immaculately polished, was arranged in an entirely orderly fashion throughout the room. Not a paper out of place, or anything lacking perfect order and specific planning: Intentional. Everything must be Intentional. Bare, colorless walls surrounded this establishment, almost like a collection of furniture in the middle of an empty space."

"Komarov woke groggy and sat up straight. The window looked large and luminous. It was dark outside, and his lamp cast a long glow on it. He could see the streetlights, and heard the faint strains of music coming from the house nearby. He saw the soft glow of cat’s eyes across the street, and then they were gone. He was calm, even peaceful. He knew this scene, didn’t he? He remembered it. A scene similar. He closed his eyes, and saw in his mind the house in which he grew up. He was young once, if a strange child. He remembered waking up and looking out the window of his room. It was a small, square room with dark walls that had seemed to enclose him. He attempted to unearth the memory in all of its clarity, without success, and somehow he knew that it was not a memory that would bring him enjoyment."

"Education had continually been a hobby to her. She found it stimulating, enjoyable, humorous, and essential. Most of her education had not taken place inside a school building. Formal schooling was too…planned. She found that the real world was a much better setting in which to find an inclusive education. She had always assumed that the only way to achieve something worthy of the title “education” was to further it independently. Education formally meant letting someone else think for you, and then inform you of what and how to think. This she abhorred."

"Komarov considered it...what is normal? Dense, very dense. Quite stupid, really. And who wants to be stupid? A lot of people, apparently. Why else are they stupid? They are born that way, as is everyone else. They have, quite obviously, never arrived at any advancement stage. And worst of all, they refuse to think. A few with the slightly reduced stupidity of the lot have the head to realize that no one is thinking. These people then write books or head magazines, or other more prominent businesses. The non-thinkers of the world read these publications. They are full of obscurity on the points that could nullify their statements, but appeal to the emotions of the general population. The non-thinkers, born with emotion, a thing that need be little developed, applaud these publications despite their lunacy. Those who think, but do not wish to appeal to the emotions of the public, state their concerns about the lunacy. These people are then ignored or ostracized. And Komarov knew what they needed. It was something accurate with a general appeal to the emotions, which, whether containing a valid emotional appeal or not, would be effective."

"He could not abolish stupidity, but if he could influence the stupid, why abolish their stupidity? They were more useful to him in their natural state of mind."

To Whom it May Concern:

2009-02-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

You can now publish a comment on this blog even if you're not cool enough to have your own blogspot account! I apologize to all who previously attempted to comment without success.

Metallic Blue Scarf

2009-02-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

The other day, we visited my grandma on my dad’s side of the family. She is a feisty old lady, and a great source of entertainment as a conversationalist. I had taken my knitting, and was working on a retro, royal blue scarf. After discovering that I knit, she said, “Why, don’t ever buy yarn. I’ve got stacks of yarn, and I’m not sure what to do with it.” I asked, “What colors?” to which she replied, “Oh, all colors. Anything you could want.” She retreated to the basement, and returned lugging several large bags overflowing with yarn.

If you know anything about those who knit, you will know that I felt like I’d just been handed the moon. Most of it was simple yarn, although there were some more decorative varieties. As promised, there was a collage of brightly colored skeins. There was white and pink “Dazzle” yarn, containing reflective fibers that seem to shimmer. She told me to take anything I wanted. I recently taught my sister Bonnie to knit, so she began eagerly perusing through it as well. Best of all, or so I thought, was a skein of metallic blue. It held a distinct silver tint, and I had been looking for just such a treasure, but without success. I began a scarf that evening, completing it the subsequent day. It is not quite as long as I intended, but I adore it. I used the simple knit stitch, and a small stripe of ribbing near each end.

Science Hilarities

2009-01-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

“No physical object can be accelerated beyond c because its mass would exceed infinity and its length would be less then zero (both of which are obviously impossible).”
“… time runs slightly faster in Boulder, Colorado than it does in Greenwich, England; the difference, amounting to about 5.6 millionths of a second per year, is the result of the slightly stronger gravity at Greenwich, which is about one mile closer to the center of the earth then is Boulder. Likewise, a meter stick is about 18 trillionths of a centimeter shorter in Greenwich than it is in Boulder.”
“Venus orbits the sun once every 225 Earth days. But it takes the planet 243 Earth days to rotate on its axis, making Venus the only planet on which a day is longer then a year.”
“If astronauts were ever to explore Venus, they would have to remain inside a strong protective shelter to keep from being squashed by the weight of the atmosphere pushing down on them from above.”
“The first consequence of relativity is that from the perspective of an outside observer, time slows down for objects moving at high speeds. We can illustrate this unusual effect by imagining an astronaut, holding a clock, flying by us at 99.5% the speed of light. If we could somehow see the numbers on the astronaut’s clock, we would find that (from our perspective) his clock was ticking extremely slowly. In fact, a clock in our hands would tick ten seconds for every second the astronaut’s clock ticked. To the astronaut, his clock would seem to be running at a normal rate.”

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-29T11:35:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know me very well, here are the "25 Random Things About Me":

1. I can do a Rubik’s cube as of last week. My brother taught me the various sequences.
2. I make my own beaded necklaces
3. I think that most guys look silly in flip-flops
4. I think argyle sweaters are really sweet lookin’
5. Mechanical pencils are my favorite
6. I am a pianist/violinist, but secretly adore percussion. Arguably, piano is a percussion instrument, but you know what I mean.
7. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate, Belgian truffles
8. My brother Phillip is also my best friend
9. I am currently working on a novel
10. I edit a music e-magazine with a long, Italian name
11. I could spend hours browsing foreign cookbooks
12. My favorite store is T.J. Maxx
13. I love atypical, eccentric, non-conformist people
14. I enjoy most literature, especially philosophy combined with storytelling, satires, conspiracy theories, fantasy, Victorian-era classics, and thrillers
15. I drink a lot of tea, and gourmet coffee on occasion
16. I like decorative lamps, especially lava lamps
17. My favorite color is emerald green
18. I love British word-spellings
19. Australian and New Zealand accents are my favorite
20. I still read the original Winnie the Pooh stories because they make me laugh
21. I knit, and my brother recently bought 42 pairs of knitting needles for me
22. I watch economics lectures
23. The cello is my favorite instrument
24. I love fleece throws
25. People who can be awkward and self-confident at the same time are my heroes

Perspectives: learning to live life

2009-01-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

“May you live all the days of your life.” –Jonathon Swift

I discovered this quote a while ago, and found it amusing. My first thought was, “How absurd!” And yet, how many of us are really living our lives? This begs the question, “What does it mean to live life?” The following are some of the ways in which we could live life more fully:

Focus on the delightful aspects of life
In general, we focus on the negative. I hate to say it, but there it is. When someone criticizes or dislikes you, do you think about it, feel bad about it, and really let it sink in and make you miserable? And yet, when someone compliments or encourages you, is one of the following your first thought?

Can they mean it?
Maybe they’re just being nice.
They don’t know what they’re talking about.
I can’t believe they would say something that nice about me.
It can’t possibly be true.
Compliments are awkward.

Why is it that we feel guilty for accepting the praise of others, and must continually focus on the negative? I think part of it is our selective acceptance of what others tell us. If we believe negative things about ourselves, and someone praises us, we measure their praise by our own opinions of ourselves; thus, no matter how many nice things people bother to say to us, we disprove their words as false. On the other hand, if someone criticizes us, confirming our already held negative opinions, it is easy to accept their words as true.

The next time someone praises or compliments you, think about it, accept it, and let it sink in.

Throw out the mindset that life is just one big competition
Many of us subconsciously go through life thinking of it as one big competition. We feel the need to better than other people. If we can’t be better than some people, we can at least be “not as bad” as others. Jim Palmer, one of my all-time favorite authors, has said, “Abiding in love allows me to see the success of others as an inspiration rather than a threat.” I think he has a point. When others succeed, our immediate thought is to measure their success to our own. We don’t have to.

Stop thinking of everything as one big competition.

Be ambitious
Most of us want to accomplish great things. Some of us even want to do something with our lives. Some of us are held down by fear, while others simply have no motivation to get anywhere. Force yourself to do the things that you don’t want to do, but that you know will help you accomplish your goals. Instead of saying, “I’m really not ambitious,” become ambitious.

Do something.

Stop expecting failure
We constantly go into things expecting failure. If you could accomplish or be anything you wanted, what would you choose? Whatever came to your mind, is there anyone doing it? Have they always been doing it? And how did they get there? You see, most of the time, we don’t give up halfway through. We give up before we even start.

Don’t rule out the impossibilities.

Don’t fear new experiences
We get fairly comfortable in our lives, and there comes a point when we don’t want to go anywhere. We fear new experiences because we might not like them, but as someone has said, “At the end of this life, we will regret more the things that we didn’t do than the things we did.”

Try something new

Stop letting diversity scare you
We want friends who agree with us, have the same goals, look the same way, and are of the same social class. Diversity=scary. If we were all plucky enough to be friends with weirdos, we would find that many of them are awesome.

Enjoy diversity.

Have some confidence

It has been observed that the people who start out thinking of themselves as losers turn out to be losers. Those who see their potential become successful. Have a healthy confidence without arrogance.

Be confident about yourself.

Throw out your insecurities
When we constantly worry about what others think of us, and need frequent support from friends, it hinders our living of life.

Stop worrying about what people think of you: have fun.

Be a non-conformist
Conformity is that feeling that we must not be our unique selves; hence, we conform to those around us. This ultimately results in self-dissatisfaction and the desire to be someone we’re not meant to be.