Creative Wanderings

It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance…and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.Henry James (1843-1916)

Happy Groundhog’s Day, everyone! According to Punxatawney Phil, spring is just around the corner. Thank goodness, because I don’t know how many more of these super-cold days I can take! I got to campus today and it was about 9 degrees… with a “feel-temperature” of -1. At least it is bright and sunshining outside. So I was reading a friend’s blog. She is doing a different goal each month in her quest to find greater happiness this year. I really like that idea! President Hinckley used to encourage us to be just a little bit better; we don’t need to change every single thing right now, but just make little steps towards improvement. Personally, I’ve also been working to find the secret to happiness. One thing that has helped me has been to keep a gratitude journal (of sorts). While it hasn’t been a daily thing, it is in the back Read more…

Morgan Freeman said this first in Italian, then gave the English translation.  “Life is what you make it.”  We have been given the gift of agency. We can choose what we will do, what values we will embrace or eschew, how we will respond to the world around us and the circumstances we are given. I hope I am making life something special. The best part, though? Each day we get to try again and change our future. 

Of all lies, art is the least untrue.Gustave Flaubert(1821-1880) One element I really enjoy bringing into my class room teaching is the philosophical debate in the arts. Take this quote for example. What does it mean? It is implicating art as something that is not entirely true, though its wording doesn’t seem to call it a lie outright. How does this affect our perception of art? Do we believe what he is saying or disagree with him? Why? (This makes me wish I could find my PHIL 214 book. I let someone borrow it and I’m pretty sure I never got it back. Lame.) I love art. I love the questions it makes us ask ourselves. Is art a lie? Maybe. Does art bring us closer to truth? I think so. Perhaps not every type of art, but the ones that resonate with us are generally so because of something Read more…

Yesterday I made some yummy cookies! It was great to get done with work, finalize travel plans for my conference, come home and just bake! The dough was AMAZINGLY delicious, and the cookies were great too — aside from the first batch which got slightly overbaked. I also spent an inordinate amount of time talking with my roommate about wedding stuff last night. It was fun to talk about dates, look at colors and flowers, pull out old bridal magazines left behind by my roommate who got engaged/married during this same time last year. While I do find my roommate annoying about some things, for the most part we get along well. I really appreciated her sharing so much with me and letting me get involved in thinking up ideas. We even spent about 4 hours today going ring shopping together!! We both found rings that we loved. I saved Read more…

So Wednesday night I went to see the BYU production of Peter Pan. It was amazing! I went by myself, which is a big thing because I generally hate going to things like that alone. But I just did it. And I had a wonderful time. The show was extremely well-done, and it was the perfect way to spend an evening. It honestly lifted my spirits… and my insides soared as the people on stage flew! I could go on and on about it, but the main focus of this blog is gratitude and more spiritual things. Seeing Peter Pan helped me realize a few things.  I am grateful that I live in an area that is saturated with cultural events. I love plays, musicals, music performances, dance shows, and I have so many opportunities to see people share their amazing talents.  I am thankful that I don’t have to Read more…

So I started writing my list of attributes I want in a husband. The YW list was severely deficient, and I’ve got a promise to make good on. Who knows how long it will take to get the guy to me, so I’m starting the praying etc now. Which leads in to what I’m grateful for on Tuedsay:I’m grateful for good friends. I have some good friends that have been really instrumental lately in reminding me of my worth, helping me get out and have fun, and one in particular that has listened to the more nitty-gritty things I’ve been dealing with. She also shared some thoughts on what she looks for in guys. It’s been good to hear what she has to say. I’m grateful for wise and caring friends. 

Today was a good day. It started off very well, with me sleeping in, but also waking up. Does that make any sense? Of course not! What I mean is that I slept in this morning, but rather than feeling draggy and waking up late in the day, I woke up naturally (ish) around 8:30 am. The sun was shining through my blinds and I just felt like it would be a good day. I read a chapter from the Book of Mormon, had a morning prayer, then got ready for the day. Work was nice and went by quickly. I got the chips in my windshield fixed, worked on my resume, and made delicious skillet lasagna. (A recipe that desperately needs to be shared with EVERYONE, that’s how good it is.) I went to FHE and had a very enjoyable time getting to know the people that showed up. Read more…

Dear friends,I’m pretty certain that more than a few people read my blog from time to time. Sometimes I write on here just for myself, but if you’re out there, I’d love your comments.Life threw me a gift in disguise about 6 weeks ago. While I am very grateful now for that event, it doesn’t mean life is all peaches and roses. Or strawberries and sunflowers. Happiness comes from inside, yes. My life will be changing in the next 7-8 months, regardless of anything else that happens from this day forward. I’m excited for all of that to happen. But right now it is winter… and not just literally. There are a few warm days, here and there. There are more sunny days, but just because there is sunshine doesn’t mean it’s warm. And… let’s face it. Sometimes we just have down days. What do you to bring sunshine to your Read more…

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