Quote of the Day

We must meet reverses boldly, and not suffer them to frighten us, my dear. We must learn to act the play out. We must live misfortune down!
Charles Dickens (Aunt Trotwood, David Copperfield)

"You know, like a fast from gchat"

For those of you who don't know, I am currently on a gchat fast. That means that I am not going to be on gchat this week (through Saturday). I may on occasion pop on for tiny, tiny seconds if I have a dire need to get in touch with someone, but if SH catches me, I am in big trouble.

So I know you all miss me, but think about the wonderful blessings I am getting from being off of gchat.

lunchie lunchie lunch

I'm going to have lunch with my older sister today.

In case you don't know, she's officially great with child

It's true. I am going to be an Aunt.

May 2007 my life changes forever. woo hoo!

I succumbed...

...and went into Ikea for the first time today.

I got a desk for my bedroom (it has black legs rather than the red shown here):

Ikea is crazy. I got lost several times. It's all horrid quality, but so terribly cheap and simple. I blistered my right hand screwing the legs on with a philips screwdriver, but the table, a black chair, and a box of orange crisps were all < $50. Not bad.

My Luggage has arrived

and so have earrings!

My roommate Sarah O surprised me with some delightful earrings last night.

They look like these except they have diamonds/cz on the edges. They are different from anything I would have picked out, but I love them! They are so elegant and also very, very big :)

And I am enchanted to announce that my luggage has arrived from its delayed stay in Dallas. Woot!

I am here. I promise.

So I apologize for being MIA, but it has been craaaazy!

Let me tell you, I just got back from an awesome weekend in Boston (my first time there ever) and you can read all about it on Whitney's blog here.

Oh, and my luggage is somewhere in Dallas.

Quote of the Day

"It is work that spells the difference in life. It is stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands that lift us from mediocrity."
Gordon B. Hinckley

Learning diligence and self-discipline in work is one of the most godly tasks we can undertake. I know this is true because it is so hard! I so often try to get by on less. One of my most primary goals right now is to learn to be more disciplined in all that I do - work helps me to practice that over and over again.

Quote of the Day

In one sense there is no such thing as self-denial, for what we call such is the necessary price we pay for things on which our hearts are set.
Harry Emerson Fosdick

The Long Anticipated: Haiku Hustle Results !!!

Thanks everyone for (a) playing and (b) being patient! I definitely will do another invitational/challenge because of the highly creative responses! I hope you all read the comments and saw the truly awesome submissions. I've added two new categories, since we had a few emerge :)

And without further ado...

Best Autumn Haiku
Author: Meghan A C
Title: Autumn Migration

Rain and cooler days
Spiders keep warm at my door
Warden or sentries

The captive attacks
Those lurking in webbed corners
Driven mad through fear

Toxic mist rises
Death twirling on silken threads
Free their prisoner

Most Humorous Haiku - tie!
Author: Jocelyn S
Title: Ode to Singles Ward

oh colonial
madly searching for "the one"
awkwardness ensues

Author: Cam W
Title: untitled

Comfortable jeans
Holes in all the right places
Wearin’ ‘em to church

Best Haiku Series
Author: Jen S H
Title: Grade School Woes

You're my new teacher?
Are you sure you're old enough?
Incredulity

Palm sweat, beating heart
Um, will you go out with me?
Circle yes or no

An emergency
"Miss, I've really got to go!"
Plight of the fifth grade

"I need a Band-aid"
Finger in pencil sharp'ner
Teacher: "How and why?!"

Most Creative Haiku - tie!
Author: Alice P
Title: untitled

all about me, Alice
paints, scissors, cars, graphs, maps, hikes, laughs
want to join the fun?

Author: Laura R
Title: untitled

samantha attempts
to write a haiku poem
she is the master

Best Haiku about a Place - tie!
Author: Samantha H
Title: untitled

sky and rolling waves
catching small sand crabs with dad
santa cruz beaches

Author: David C
Title: Tahoe

Sierra jewel
Set in a magenta ring
Mirrors sun and stone

Best Haiku about Food - new category!
Author: Whitney
Title: untitled

Gary is too thin
I suggest milkshakes and cream
Eat Gary Eat Please

Ice cream, milk, butter
Delicious goodness from cow
Love that black and white

Author: Laura T L
Title: untitled

Pineapple and Ham
Extra Sauce and Cheese are good
Pizza is my Friend

Best Haiku about School - new category!
Author: Reija M
Title: Grading

When you asked for help
I could have told you and saved
My pen this big X.

Author: Jocelyn S
Title: Ode to Standardized Testing

g.r.e. study
math, verbal, two short essays,
can i be gordon?

Quote of the Day

"You cannot run away from weakness; you must sometime fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now and where you stand?"
Robert Louis Stevenson

This quote reminds me of this scripture which I read yesterday and I have been thinking about since.

Doctrine & Covenants 58:
26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; (We have so much potential! If we really made it a priority we could do SO MUCH GOOD even in small ways.)

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, (reminds me of when I was little and I would wait to do chores to help my mom until she made me. Or at work when I know that something needs to be done but I wait until I'm asked...) and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.

30 Who am I that made man, saith the Lord, that will hold him guiltless that obeys not my commandments?

31 Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?

32 I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing. (This suggests that slothfulness in keeping commandments can result in the revoking of blessings. Ouch.)

33 Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled. But wo unto such, for their reward lurketh cbeneath, and not from above.

So I've been thinking a lot about slothfulness. About the need to be proactive and valiant. I find that I have been stuck in a rut of complacency. I have technically been doing everything I should, but according to this passage, "he that doeth not anything until he is commanded" may be doing everything that is technically required, but it's not what the Lord is asking.

The other part that really struck me was this: "I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing. Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled." I realized that when I murmur or complain about not receiving something I feel like I have been promised, it is likely because I am keeping commandments with doubt or with slothfulness (verse 29).

Isaiah 40:28

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

I'm going camping ...

So forgive me - I'm going to announce the awards on Monday. Today is still the deadline, but it's too hard for me to choose and I know I'll need all weekend to mull it over. AND I found out I'm driving the 4pm car to the campout.

Until then!

Haiku Invitational & Challenge

The deadline is THIS FRIDAY! Thanks to everyone who has submitted thus far!

Dear Reader,

With the change in the seasons, it is more than appropriate to issue a Haiku Invitational and Challenge.

An Invitation
- Please (using the Comments section) submit a haiku (a series of haiku, multiple entries, are welcome). Please review the guidelines at the end of this post.

A Challenge
- I will award prizes to the best haiku (best = the ones I select for any reason I choose) in the following categories:
(1) Best Autumn Haiku
(2) Most Humorous Haiku
(3) Best Haiku Series (containing at least 3 haiku)
(4) Most Creative Haiku
(5) Best Haiku about a Place
- You are welcome to include an introduction or a note along with your haiku to assist in the judging.

Guidelines
1. Entries must be posted as a comment in order to be considered. Multiple comments, posts, submissions may be made.
2. Poems must be in haiku format. They must have 3 lines in 5/7/5 syllabic form. They do not generally rhyme (no extra points for rhyming. In fact, I may dock you points).
3. Poems do not have to be traditional Haiku, but there are awards in that category. Please note that traditional Haiku are minimalist and nature-themed.
4. You do not have to know me to make a submission! :)
5. Awards will be issued on Friday, October 13th.

I WILL NOT BE POSTING AGAIN UNTIL THE CHALLENGE IS COMPLETE! Good luck!!!

Quote of the Day

"The arrow seen before cometh less rudely."
Dante

That's how I feel about surprises :)

Quote of the Day

"We have an enormous responsibility to be who God wants us to be and to do what God wants us to do."
Russell M. Nelson