Monday, June 30

I saw my first fire-flies! They definately beat sick, regular flies

we made it!
21 hours of driving takes you many places, one of which being Kansas. It feels surprisingly good and not that humid...yet.

After staying up all night before leaving, (painting at the charter school with the help of my bro and dad & packing) my mom, her friend stacy and I drove out at 7 am, a few errands later, we left Boise around 10. I usually hate those long, drawn out exits, but this one was nice. We stopped in those weird towns for meals. The towns you are sure are fake sets from a movie, the town is there simply for you to eat, but no one really lives there, right? ( I am sure others put Nampa in this pot, but we know what they're missing) We wished we would have had a map a few times instead of the nice GPS lady screaming, "missed turn" 7 times in a row, but thank you technology, for the most part. My companions kindly listened to & appreciated my music. The other half of the trip, was filled with their 80s station. At 11:30 we arrived at our hotel in Wellington, Colorado.

On day 2, we headed out towards the fields, doing more of the same...but around 3 pm, I awoke from a cat nap to two 45 year old women who had just split an Amp energy drink. They were given this drink in a generous cooler full of goods given to us for the trip, but they were not forced to drink it. Yet, they did. Wow. Their topics of conversation, jokes and come-backs especially were exaggerated and calling for a camera. I'm thankful I was in the back seat at that time...We drove into Olathe, Kansas (where I am living with friends for the summer) around 8 this evening. We stopped at Pei Wei (a take out version of PF Changs here) to grab some dinner and as we were walking in, guess what? I ran into an acquaintance. It was so, so nice to run into someone I know and a nice someone, when leaving a place full of those happy run-ins daily. Thank you, God. We then made our way to the Frye's home, they are out of town for a few days, so I don't get to see them yet, but it is wonderful to be in their beautiful love-full home. Kristin and Emily (friends I made last summer), came over and joined us in the viewing of Sense and Sensibility. I almost didn't fall asleep. What a pleasant start to my new home in the mid-west.

As I have been writing the last month or so, it is very hard to leave Idaho and the people who fill it, and will be for a while, but I received new hope and excitement, actually being here. Tomorrow we will go into the city, go to the Nelson-Atkins art museum!, look at apartments, walk around Westport & the Plaza, go to Houstons for those incredible ribs, and my mom wants to see Get Smart. On Tuesday I will take my mom and Stacy to the airport, and I will start preparing for interviews and portfolio reviews. Yes!

I am definately blessed, already knowing a lot about this place, just being able to know how to get somewhere, even if it is Hy-Vee and not Albertsons, is nice.

Thanks be to God.

Saturday, June 28

hours

i am about to leave for the midwest, indefinately...okay, it's time to stop thinking about it and try it.

yet today, there was no point in wearing mascara.

I will be awake until we leave at 7 am. too much to do. with the lack of sleep, my driving companions (my mom and her friend stacy) do not wish for me to be the first driver in the morning. I have been planing all along to be the first driver, symbolically driving away from my home, with the perfect planed music, with the others forced to sleep so I could cry it out...but the sleep will sound very nice right about then and I will act like east Utah (yuck) is my homeland and i will participate in these things there.

I will update you on leg one of the trip tomorrow (this) evening. We plan to stop in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where we have the hook up with a hotel- free of charge.

today was really hard and weird, just one good bye after another...but the evening finsihed with a fine wedding with dancing and fine foods, followed by a game of poker with some other pals.


My Idaho Pick of the Post - everything

Tuesday, June 24

abra abra cadabra


(i'm missing me some art depart.)


my grandpa called me today and said "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 and you're gone"...sheesh thanks for the reminder. I have no idea how I will get all of what I wish to accomplish, accomplished before I go, in a way getting in the car with those planned and spontaneous tunes sounds good. (as long as my company permits the proper volume at which one should symbolically drive away to). I told a friend today that I think I want to skip this week. But really I don't, I will enjoy every instant with my familiarity of this town and these people this week. I, as you are I am sure, am ready to write about other thoughts besides those of leaving but politics and knowledge isn't really on my mind quite yet. Though I did learn more about Ron Paul today (the real Ron Paul, not Ryan Harter Ron Paul) Some of those constitutional ideas sound nice, but sadly I think if the provision of the less fortunate were left up to us and the government pulled all aid, people would fall through the cracks. I would love to see our churches and volunteer groups and individuals step up and provide food and shelter but I don't know if our habits, my habits would be able to handle that responsibility. Who knows. I plan to ask a lot of opinions in the next few months, read what I can and watch not only MSNBC, but a little of Fox too.

My Idaho Pick of the Post is (I've been waiting to write this one)
Running into people.
Now on days when I have tear stains on my glasses, I oversleep, need to get a ton done, and just like being by myself, this running into people can get old
BUT, I hardly ever take that side, I absolutely love running into people I am acquainted with, I know and I care about-so easily. For instance I had a few common run-ins today. In the drive-thru at the bank I rolled down my window to chat with Twila. At the bistro I ran into a lovely co-worker and people from church. At Flying M, I sat down with the Sewards for a bit, hugged Noah and talked with two of my favorite barista friends. While checking out after getting my eyebrows waxed by the lovely Victor, I realized the receptionist is my slumber party friend from Greenhurst elementary, Kandace's little sister. I was behind a fellow NNU student in the (shhh-McDonalds) drive-thru. And passed the Feilds' and Stacey on the road. Okay that sounds somewhat overwhelming, but these daily happenings make me feel at home. That is how we stay connected, other than intentional meetings, we count on seeing eachother and checking in, because that is guaranteed to happen. I feel like I entered this town pre-blessed with connections from my grandparents and parents, before I could even appreciate it, but I am so thankful that I grew up with so much support in a kind of small town. Big enough for 4 subways,4 freeway exits, and an Old Navy (whoa! I know) but small enough to maintain that quality in the Karcher Mall, to have one "boulevard" and know someone everywhere.
And this running into happens in Boise too, I guess 19 years makes sense. I went to Saturday market for the last time, as a previous Idaho Pick, I will miss thee and the shy boy selling me my weekly lettuce dearly.

I'll have to stop my habit of looking around to see who I can say hello to when entering the grocery store, when in Kansas/Missouri.

Okay, some music...
For anyone who hasn't listened to Midlake, you have to, I am continually impressed and pleased and happy when listening. Also, Camera Obscura and Fleet Foxes have been really nice to listen to lately as well.


Tori and I purchasing the Coldplay album at midnight last week.

Okay and a mini Viva la Vida review,
articles talk about this being Coldplay's experimental album, while I wouldn't call it that, it does venture into other genres a bit more than usual. and I LOVE IT. Man, they always time their releases in a way that their fans are desperate for the next installment of the collection. I forgot what it was like to receive this package from a favorite band you've been missing, a package full of ELEVEN new songs for you to enjoy. ELEVEN at one time is overwhelming. I really enjoy how the songs and how you interpret them evolve as you listen more and more. Based on just the song's beauty and how it lead me through a day last week, I will say that "Strawberry Swing" is my favorite. "...and it's such a perfect day..." the happy anticipation built throughout is really nice. Also at the top I think are "Lost", "42" and the the relationship between the intro "Life in Technicolor" and the outro "Lost". The Asain influence is nice, I thought a lot of blending parts sounded more intentional than in the past. Chris, I understand how a couple songs sound radio-friendly, but I wouldn't dub the whole album as that. Okay that's probably enough, but I am very pleased and thankful for the new album, this was nice after X&Y.
What do you think?

Off to watch another film for my last class!

Monday, June 16

L-I-B-E-R-T-Y & summore summer goodbyes


Friday was my last day as secretary of Liberty Charter School. I absolutely loved that job. For the last two years, I have enjoyed the pleasant drive at 6:50am (or around that time), watching the sunrise during fall and spring, and enjoying the warmth of coffee in my hands and the perfect song accompanying during winter. It will be a significant change of habit next fall not driving to Lewis Lane, to then grab the bundle of papers, say hello to the boss, turn on the lights & copier, start the coffee and check the messages. What an incredible group of people, so strange and so kind. We could seriously be the subjects of the next Christopher Guest film. From 75 year old Janet, the other secretary, to Debby the cooky lunch lady, Bette the exuberant music teacher and the principal's 80mph walking speed. This is harder than any other job I have quit, because this is also the school I went to starting in 7th grade. It was nice to have another community aside from church or NNU, although everything in Nampa is intertwined anyway. Oh what a blessed season.

The picture(s) above and below are from Friday. On the last day every year, the teachers put on a dance. The students who are silent in the halls every day, on this day let it all out, screaming at the top of their lungs as their loved teachers dance in a way they maybe shouldn't. This year I was honored to join them in a Tina Turner inspired dance to "Nutbush City Limits".
I will always love my pick of the post, L-I-B-E-R-T-Y.


Vicki the choreographer/Spanish teacher. We made eyelashes out of black construction paper and put cover up on our lips. I don't know why, I just did what I was told.

(had to include this priceless shot)

Oh Yeah!

Today Marc, Jeff and I had our LAST meal at Little Kitchen. That was a choice.

I'll add a couple more,
Claire, Tori and I had our last day hanging out together, the three of us, as Claire is in Mexico and Tori and Caleb leave on a cross country road trip Wednesday. We finished our college habits strong, with coffee downtown.



the travelers!


Eli and Shaun learning to sew and livin it up at Brass.


It was so fun to have you back in town Chad!

Saturday, June 14

movie meme

( I don't know what meme is...I mean I can guess but, I was tagged to answer and pass on this movie list of sorts, so an unconventional post ahead, but will be fun. thanks JR!)

Movie Meme, courtesy of J.R. Caines.

1. One movie that made you laugh
Waiting for Guffman

2. One movie that made you cry
Lars and the Real Girl

3. One movie you loved when you were a child
Wee Sing in Sillyville

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once
Mrs. Doubtfire!

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it
Robots

6. One movie you hated
T-Rex with Whoopi, and I begged my dad to take me the whole weekend. sorry.

7. One movie that scared you
What Lies Beneath

8. One movie that bored you
Do the Right Thing...maybe i was just tired.and a girl

9. One movie that made you happy
Charlotte's Web

10. One movie that made you miserable
Hostel

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see
Strangers

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with
Michael Cera in Juno

13. The last movie you saw
Junebug

14. The next movie you hope to see
The Happening

15. Your favorite movie
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I am supposed to tag 5 people... Chris, Reed, Shaun, Peter & Travis, go!

(i'll catch up on pick of the posts next time!)

Tuesday, June 10

box number 1

I've packed one box. a physical box, containing 6 categories of newly organized things I will keep- leaving a pile of things I could bear throwing away. It's weird, ideally I want to take every object I wish to keep with me, not leaving anything in my parents' garage, but that means living on a lot less. That's probably good. It's just different letting go of the back up. I forgot about the specific qualities of the boxes' fillings, not needing them these past years, but I knew the boxes were there, just in case.

I've packed my first box of a different kind too. Such a good box. I said good bye to the first set of great friends. It's probably a blessing all of these departures will be happening gradually. This first box is headed to LA and won't return until I am gone, so the last hurrahs were had this last week, including the great outdoors, shoping, sharing of ideas, cooking experiments, the zoo, relaxing & living- and they were deeply enjoyed. One of the greatest things (see how I am being positive?) about this hard move (yes, that I chose) is that I am reminded of how loved I am by our God, because of the love around me. I don't know how I became so fortunate. I love the people here, so it's becoming very difficult to chose one good thing (kansas city) over another (home).

please tell me how you leave beauty like this.






It's been hard to write, but I love reading your blogs, so I will continue! My weird month or so of summer has included:

-the desire to work out to prepare for boating season. nah.
-appreciating
-soaking up
-good sermons
-great new recipes and cooking techniques learned with the hamiltons.
-working at anthropologie- I've met really nice people from a different crowd & I've
been inspired to create.
-the class of walking & jogging for the last time
-graduation parties
-catching up
-belonging to a place
-running into peeps (one of top 5 greatest things about this valley)
-loving & watching Esly learn and grow.
-hanging with my cool siblings.
-winning monopoly against shaun, tori & caleb.
-saturday market with halberts
-new music!
-new friends!
-living with elise & wade & helping prepare for the next fashion show
-kaysha's back!
-watching paul's dogs & now amanda's cats. (still not an animal lover)
-getting scared about our economy.
-wondering about this occupation of mine- to make things look good when our world
needs a lot more than that.

well if you're still reading, i guess you now know my mind is full of gladness, fear, grief, excitement & preparation and I thank you for praying with me.
oh this growing up.
box 2 tomorrow...

(note to reed & chris- we haven't said goodbye yet, you weren't my first box because I'll see you in August. May didn't count.)