Concerning the meaning of life:

Well, today I've been rather quiet. I've been feeling pretty rude, because I'm afraid I've been pushing too close to a few people in my life. And I know I'm just being a girl and thinking too much. But something else happened that snapped me out of my selfish reverie.

I was looking at one of my english-class buddy's wedding pictures on her blog... where she happened to casually mention that she has Cystic Fibrosis. She had posted some of her poetry on there, as well as some pretty insightful and entertaining anecdotes from newly-married life. Her writing is really amazing (she won first prize in poetry at the Pre-professional conference), and it really really meant something to me. I really admire her as a person, literature critic, and writer. But people with cystic fibrosis don't usually live past their 30s or 40s, and many die in their early twenties. She said she faces her mortality every day. And yet there is so much meaning in her life!

So today I've been pretty introverted. If I applied myself, my talents, and my resources half as diligently as she does, who knows where I would be right now? So I have spent most of my waking hours today (admittedly fewer in number than normal) studying for my British Literature midterm. I don't want to just coast anymore, I'm sick of underachieving. What happened to Escondido? Didn't I used plan on becoming a hidden giant?

Escondido
Stacy Garner,2008
If I could unleash my one self on the world
I would take to the stage,
Read my soul to the countless age;
Gold would flash the skies.

If I could fly up and touch the peaks above
You would see me anew,
Breathtaking like the mountain view;
Wind across the eyes.

If I could reach out to the years soon to come
I would hold you to me,
Savor love that has yet to be;
Tiny angel eyes.

If I could repeat all the wonders I've seen
You would find only words,
Messages for the passing herds;
writing in the skies.

Happy Sunday!

Well everybody, you've made your way over to my new blog. I suppose you want to hear about my weekend?

Well, I had a really good one! Friday was spent mostly relaxing, cleaning up my personal space, working on family history and the Holladay blog, making a scarf, talking with roomies, etc.

Saturday morning I go up at the crack of 5:45 and got ready to go babysitting! I went on over to my sister Isabelle's house to watch her 4 kids so she and Chris could go to the temple. It was really fun! The kids woke up one by one, and we just sat around with blankets and pillows, talking, eating breakfast, and watching Barbie movies. =D Once 2 month old Joshua woke up we were mostly employed with making him smile, which is actually not too hard to do!

Then Izzy took me grocery shopping (SO incredibly sweet of her) and let me borrow a big stack of fun movies. (The Court Jester, Here Comes the Groom, Singin' in the Rain, etc! Come watch them with me!) It started snowing these huge flakes on the way home! I've been bracing myself for the winter to come, but somehow it was still a surprise. Oh well. I've accepted it now. =D

Then later on that evening I went on a really fun date with Gary! We went to the Natalie MacMaster concert, and ohhhh man! Those YouTube clips in the right column don't really do it justice. My favorite was probably Volcanic Jig. It's too bad the same band we saw her perform with isn't on YouTube. I highly recommend seeing her live if you ever get the chance! She was clogging and dancing and fiddling at top speed, all while 5 months pregnant. Wow. So afterwards we went and got ice cream cones at DQ and drove around just talking. The snow was sooooo pretty! Anyway, when we got back to my apartment he offered to help me with my Russian homework, which he did! It was lots of fun, plus educational! (lol)

And now today it is fast sunday. We had excellent meetings, as usual! I learned a lot, and made a new goal! I want to write an essay about human trials; how we always ask "Why?" and how that compares with the Savior's response to the Atonement.

And to cap off this weekend's excitement, I found eleven new names on my maternal grandfather's side while working on my family history today! And discovered that one of my great-grandfathers that I was looking to prep for temple work has already had his ordinances done... several times over. =] So I guess he's covered, eh?

Anyways! Life is pretttttty great. Now I'm looking forward to this new week of school in the snow. *yay!*

-Stacy