A Mighty Change

I had a moment last Friday. My roommates and I had just come back from a triple blind date, which, surprise, was awful. I was exhausted before the date even started, it was snowy, wet and cold, and then things went from bad to worse. When we got home I sat on the couch and steamed for half an hour, I was so mad. All I wanted to do was go to bed and slay the dating monster in my dreams. Hannabeth and I needed to go to Walmart, though.

I forced myself out the door into the miserable snowy cold and discovered instead the most beautiful world. It was still snowing, and the whole world was covered in snow, starlight and stillness. I was reminded of what Elder Hales said in the last conference, speaking of wanting to come to know and gain a testimony of God: "This desire leads us to ponder on the things of heaven—to let the evidence of God all around us touch our hearts." In my life, I have been negligent in observing the frequent and touching witnesses of the love of God for His children. I nearly missed that perfect experience because I thought I would rather be grumpy. It was beautiful.

Life Is Good

I am so excited by this. Isn't it amazing that those things that once seemed impossible, like finding out the color of a dinosaur, aren't?

The Grapes of Wrath has been my reading nemesis for the past ten years. I couldn't ever actually finish it. January 2010 goes down as the month I conquered it. Finished! But it was a completely worthy foe, and a new favorite. Other books I've read recently that made the mighty list: Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Jurassic Park, Catcher in the Rye, and The Hunger Games.

Quotes from the third grade:

"I didn't get any peace or love from that story, cause I was looking at the stars on the wall."

Me: "What slows objects down?" Smarty-Pants Anthony: "Fraction."

"Who is that? Is he a basketball player?"--when a black character showed up in a book we were reading.

"I was late fo school because my dad was in the bathwoom doing number two, and it took fo-eveh."

One girl, after doing a spastic dance where her legs were going all over the place: "And that's not fat. It's pure muscle. I got 'em from my dad."

I haven't lost my keys since Christmas.

Books

If I were stuck in my own brain, life, and way of thinking forever, I'm sure I would go crazy.

Making up for lost blogging time

Count this as a post.