Into the 17 year old mind...

In an effort to have an uplifting post, I thought I would share this video, done by some former students. The main character (who is Digger's nephew Claud, Meg, and Beth)wanted to ask a girl to prom by singing her a song and posting it on YouTube. Unfortunately, the last guy she went to a dance with did the same thing, so our hero had to come up with something new. This is the result. I hope you find it at least slightly entertaining. Neither girls nor guys did things like this where I grew up, so the whole cultural phenomena of asking - and answering - a dance date request in an elaborate way is still entertaining, if not way too much work, to me.

Speaking this afternoon with the Cassanova, she has not yet said yes, he reported. Apparently this is due to her inability to think of a suitable way to answer in the affirmative. After he did this much work to impress a girl, she better get a move on!

Oh, and the girl's name is Kelcie.

\

My response to HBO's series "Big Love"...

...and the episode which air's this Sunday showing sacred ceremonies that take place inside LDS temples.  

"I am saddened that HBO and the producers would take something so out of context as LDS temple ceremonies and air them as something to be gawked at on the show "Big Love".  Your choice to do this says a lot about your company and those who work as a part of it.  Not only have you broken a promise to the LDS church to keep them out of this show, you have also lied about not doing this for shock value...what other reason could the producers have but to be shocking, when they have also been quoted as saying that this is the first time this has been showed, proof that shock is exactly what the producers are going for.  If you had asked a current active member of the church what happens in the temple you would have found out - without the specifics that can and will so easily be taken out of context and cheapen the personal nature of the worship that takes place inside these special buildings.  If you had asked an active member of the church, you would have known how much dedication it takes to practice the LDS religion to the extent required to be worthy to enter a building as consecrated as the temple.  Instead, you will spend a few short minutes desecrating what takes a lifetime's worth of diligence and commitment to live up to. You may feel that you are being progressive.  You may feel that you are being edgy.  You may feel that you are being entertaining.  But I can't understand how the most special practices of a religion, no matter how "important" to the plot of your television show you misguidedly believe it is, is worth dragging through the media mud.  The disrespect being committed in the airing of this episode of "Big Love" will be neither progressive, edgy, or entertaining."

If you have not done so or are for the first time hearing about this, click the link below and RESPECTFULLY respond to HBO and the producers of "Big Love" to let them know how you feel about this.

http://www.hbo. com/apps/ submitinfo/ contactus/ submit.do? title=Big% 20Love&questiontype= biglove

Help Me Decide

On June 1st I leave for a 10 day guided trip to France and Spain.  Mostly for my sister - though there may be others of you out there who are interested - I have included some links to some of the destinations I will get to see.  

Paris- the places you'd expect.  Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Louvre, Orsay Museum, the Latin Quarter (I suspect a quick walk-through)..

I really do need help though.  For those of you who care, help me decide on what to do during a free day in Paris...I could go on a day trip to the Loire Valley.

- if I go on this excursion, I miss a free day in Paris (shopping in the Latin Quarter and the Catacombs).  What do you think?  This may be the only chance I have to see a castle-like structure/other part of France besides Paris...so is it worth missing the free day to go to these two places?  What is your vote?

Chambord (really just a drive-by)

Chartres Cathedral

Chenonceau

On our way from France to Spain we'll stop here (a walled Miedeval fortress) for a quick tour:

Carcassonne

Also time will be spent in Barcelona...

Parque Guell

La Segrada Familia

Barcelona Cathedral

...pass through Zaragoza - and I HOPE we stop - on our way to...

...Madrid.

the Royal Palace

the Prado Museum

I am obsessed.  For months now I think about what I'll wear, what the weather will be like, what the cities will smell like with street vendors selling crepes and kabobs...I watch every travel show I can get my remote to click to hoping the episode will be somehow focused on the countries I'm going.  And there are only about 87 more days to go.  Let me know what you think about the free day!

Just for Claudia

You wanted to see this one enlarged, right?

Recent Top Pics

I never get to read as much during the school year as I would like to, but the books I have read recently are fantastic.  If you're looking for something and don't know what, you may consider giving one of these a try.

P.S. None of these are LDS fiction.

I Am the Messenger

I wish I could have every single one of my students - especially the boys - read this.  A little too mature for freshmen in this town...but I can't stop thinking about it, that's how good I think it is.  I've already gotten four other teachers/staff at this school to read it.  I can't wait to finish other's on my "Don't put off any longer" list so I can read this one again.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Another I am spreading the word on.  I haven't seen the movie yet, but would recommend the book to EVERYONE.  A Holocaust story from the point of view of a German child who really has no idea of what is going on...I don't think I've ever read a story about the Holocaust from this point of view.  Haunting.  A quick but meaningful read.

The Book Thief

I'm still reading this one but I'm already in love with it and decided to pass on the title.  This one is also about a girl during the Holocaust who steals books, including from Nazi book burnings.  The story is narrated by Death...who better to tell the story of the Holocaust.

My Sister's Keeper

Jodi Picoult's novel's are so interesting because they all (of the three I've read) all center around a legal and moral issue.  This one is about a 13 year old who seeks medical emancipation from her parents because she is sick of being a donor for her sister with lukemia, while knowing that if she does this it could very well lead to the death of her best friend.  I kept thinking of my own sisters the whole time, which made the conflict even more heartbreaking.  I read this one almost straight through.  I actually don't think I did much those three days!  

Kissing Sweet Cheeks

Claudia and Adam blessed their baby Claire this past weekend, so we all trooped out to Portland for the occasion and to finally meet our newest family member.  Of all of the pictures I took over the four days of the children, I never had anyone take one of me with Claire.  So Adam may get his wish after all of his brother Trent being the favorite because he probably has proof of himself snuggling with this little sweetheart and I don't...which means she won't either.  But enough sobbing over my wounds!  There is a theme to my pictures:  babies and scenery.  And when it boils down to it, what made the trip fun was not so much what we did but that we were together.  So while I hate not being verbose (which I guess is what a blog was originally intended for), this is mostly pictures of the children whose cheeks I just adore smootching!

I WASN'T FIBBING...

...when I said the lovely ladies in my department have a habit of showing up dressed like the others! Here are two more examples:

Eeeek!

I like dystopian novels.  The conflict, the societal commentary...you've read them too:  The Giver, 1984, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, A Brave New World, The Uglies (series)...the short stories "Harrison Bergeron", "The Lottery"...And the movies are good if not slightly -REALLY - creepy:  The Island, Gattica, Minority Report, The Village, Planet of the Apes, Wall-E.  This is a really popular genre.

Here's my concern...am I reading too many dystopian novels?  They tend to be really heavy stories.  You start getting even more critical of society then you already are after reading these.  They are really heavy and mostly depressing and... I watched this and got chills (in the creepy way) as this video starts wrapping up.  Am I a paranoid dystopian junkie????  

(Click the links to find out what dystopias are and to watch the video)

Snowshoeing at Cedar Breaks National Monument

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Laura, Clint, Jamie, Lisa, Jason and I headed up to Cedar Breaks National Monument to do a little snowshoeing and had a glorious time! Here are a few pictures of that exciting - and exausting - day!

New Year's Eve 2008

A few friends gathered at the abode for food, games and fun. Happy New Year everyone! (Belated, of course!)

What's winter without a few runs down an icy hill?