The year is almost up, and I can barely wrap my mind around it. So much has changed. Nothing has changed. Sometimes I can't seem to conceptualize how this thing called life works, and yet, I love it. Life is such an adventure. I'm so excited to see what's on the next page.
Stay tuned for stories about the holidays, new books, classic experiences, latest loves, and everything in-between.
Happy (almost) New Year!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Delayed December
I had grand plans of writing a few blog posts before the end of this week- one about a perfect Sunday spent making sugar cookies and watching classic movies with my roommate Karleen, another one about meeting Kathryn Stockett, and one about my goals for winter break. Obviously, I didn't quite get there, but that's okay. Instead, I caught up with friends, celebrated Jewels being DONE with her college career, finished my third semester of grad school, and washed the mountain of laundry that has been taking over my closet. I'll get to those blog posts after my trip to the Magic Kingdom with my family and after Christmas with the extended Hutchins family in Sandy. Happy holidays and safe traveling everyone! Bye for now.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Have I said...
Have I said lately that I ADORE my Grandma Joan? She is one of my favorite people on the planet. If I ever have any doubts about whether I belong with my family, I look to her and know that I’m home. My grandma is the reason I look forward to holidays and family dinners. LOVE her so, so much. 
(This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandma - not glamorous, but her incredulity over Brett smashing cake into Jewels' mouth was one of the highlights of that wedding day.)
My ethics teacher shared this quote a few weeks ago, and I keep thinking about it. Brilliant concept – “The sad truth of the matter is that most evil is done by people who never made up their mind to be either bad or good.” ~Hannah Arendt
Life is hard. A few of my besties (yes, high school student lingo still crops up where it shouldn’t) are dealing with sad/maddening/tragic situations. I hope they know they are loved, and there are people who will do anything to make their days better. If I can’t help the situation, then I’m happy to come over and cry with you. Like Dolly Parton’s character said in “Steel Magnolias,” “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Amen Dolly. Amen.
Tres Semme Dry Shampoo – magical beauty product. Anything that makes it so I don’t have to blow dry and straighten my hair every day and costs less than $5 earns high marks from me.
Did you see “Catfish” (it was a movie if that is totally out of the blue for you)? I’m still disturbed by how drawn in we can be to the technological scene – facebook, blogs, etc. are great, but we need to form real relationships. Where are we spending our time?
I told Hill last week that I procrastinate with cleaning. Hillary laughed out loud and then kept laughing. She called herself Scrooge, and I laughed at that. Woodland creatures dress Hill and her daughters in the morning because they are that wonderful (anybody seen the beginning of “Grease”? - that’s Hill, Ellie, and Baby Roo). Moral of the story – Hill and I, while occasionally unconventional to other people, have more fun talking about mundane things than most people have doing fabulously, exciting things. Love her!
Should vegetarians eat animal crackers? It was someone else’s question, but I laughed for a long time when I heard it.
If you're majoring in English, you're majoring in death. Again, someone else’s comment, but I think it’s hilarious, perfectly true, and mildly disturbing.
The professor that I work for said, “We can't expect a deep meaningfulness from our calling unless we're willing to assume its burdens as well.” (Jeff Thompson) I was more than willing to absorb the burdens of teaching. Not sure what my calling is now, but I am trying to figure it out.
Final thoughts – I love being a second year – lots to do, but fantastic support network and way less stress. I think I’m moving to Seattle after graduation – it’s not for sure and no, I don’t have a job there yet…but I think it may be the place for me. Naturally, I'll keep you posted on those developments as they are pretty life-altering....
Better get back to studying for finals. Thinking about you always!
(This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandma - not glamorous, but her incredulity over Brett smashing cake into Jewels' mouth was one of the highlights of that wedding day.)My ethics teacher shared this quote a few weeks ago, and I keep thinking about it. Brilliant concept – “The sad truth of the matter is that most evil is done by people who never made up their mind to be either bad or good.” ~Hannah Arendt
Life is hard. A few of my besties (yes, high school student lingo still crops up where it shouldn’t) are dealing with sad/maddening/tragic situations. I hope they know they are loved, and there are people who will do anything to make their days better. If I can’t help the situation, then I’m happy to come over and cry with you. Like Dolly Parton’s character said in “Steel Magnolias,” “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Amen Dolly. Amen.
Tres Semme Dry Shampoo – magical beauty product. Anything that makes it so I don’t have to blow dry and straighten my hair every day and costs less than $5 earns high marks from me.
Did you see “Catfish” (it was a movie if that is totally out of the blue for you)? I’m still disturbed by how drawn in we can be to the technological scene – facebook, blogs, etc. are great, but we need to form real relationships. Where are we spending our time?
I told Hill last week that I procrastinate with cleaning. Hillary laughed out loud and then kept laughing. She called herself Scrooge, and I laughed at that. Woodland creatures dress Hill and her daughters in the morning because they are that wonderful (anybody seen the beginning of “Grease”? - that’s Hill, Ellie, and Baby Roo). Moral of the story – Hill and I, while occasionally unconventional to other people, have more fun talking about mundane things than most people have doing fabulously, exciting things. Love her!
Should vegetarians eat animal crackers? It was someone else’s question, but I laughed for a long time when I heard it.
If you're majoring in English, you're majoring in death. Again, someone else’s comment, but I think it’s hilarious, perfectly true, and mildly disturbing.
The professor that I work for said, “We can't expect a deep meaningfulness from our calling unless we're willing to assume its burdens as well.” (Jeff Thompson) I was more than willing to absorb the burdens of teaching. Not sure what my calling is now, but I am trying to figure it out.
Final thoughts – I love being a second year – lots to do, but fantastic support network and way less stress. I think I’m moving to Seattle after graduation – it’s not for sure and no, I don’t have a job there yet…but I think it may be the place for me. Naturally, I'll keep you posted on those developments as they are pretty life-altering....
Better get back to studying for finals. Thinking about you always!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Revolution
Revolution by Jennifer DonnellyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
New York. Paris. Headstrong teenage girl. Recent tragedy. Absent authority figures. French Revolution. Handsome (and naturally mysterious) stranger. Classical guitar. Fireworks. Louis XVI's dead sons' heart. Okay - I lost you on that last one, but up until the dead boy's heart, you were interested. Donnelly's latest book, "Revolution" is great - perhaps not as spectacular as "Northern Light" - but still very good. It helps that I am borderline obsessed with France and the French Revolution, so anything that references Versailles or the Eiffel Tower earns extra points. Simply said, I was captivated by this story to the point that I abandoned sleep, school work, and other practical pursuits in order to finish it. The two stories told simultaneously were haunting and beautiful. Really, really liked it and let's be honest, loved the cover.
The Art of Possibility
The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone ZanderMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Once again, I should have reviewed this book when I finished it in October. The specifics have become rusty as end of semester chaos envelops my brain. That said, I loved this book. It's not a perfect book, but this look at the immense possibility we have in our lives is great. I felt better about life with each subsequent chapter as Roz and Ben Zander explored different ways we can transform our personal and professional lives. It is a book that I will be picking up again come the end of grad school as I prepare to establish what my "adult" life is going to look like. Read it and then call me - I can't wait to hear what you thought!
ps. I am fully aware that I described very little of what is actually in this book, but if the number of margin comments or post-its sticking out of the book are any indication, this book has dozens of takeaways...far too many to do justice to in a mini-review. Let's just say that I have thought of this book every day since I finished it and am trying to embrace more possibility in my life. Happy reading!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Another Love List
I made another one of those lists of the things that I was excited and not-so-excited about a couple weeks ago on one of my desktop stickie notes. Amazing that the season has changed so quickly and that I didn’t just post this when I had the thoughts in the first place…
-storm coming (loving the clouds swirling around the mountains)
-Pixar description podcast
-leaves strewn across the street
-Mad Men season two conclusion (wow – such a GOOD show)
-new holiday catalogs for Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn
-Jenessa's college essays (did we catch COLLEGE)
-going to see Stage Door with a great group of girls and going to The Chocolate for dessert
-book club at Melissa’s
-real emails that remind me of how much I love writing and receiving letters
-Patrick Wilson (Morning Glory is not a great movie, but he is perfectly delectable. I kept waiting for him to sing…)
-remembering Brent Collette – hard to believe that he’s been gone 10 years and yet he's still teaching us (definitely could not have foretold then that his oldest son would marry one of my best friends)
-Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
-new sweats
-Giants shirt that says World Champions
-Rachel being out of the hospital and on the mend
-catching up with Meg (miss that girl so much)
-online book club starting (pickwickreaders.blogspot.com)
-Christmas lights around my mac dashboard
-phone calls that distract from to do lists
-having red streaks in my hair
-making paper chains while watching Felicity
(not so good - sugar free jello pudding)
-reading parties and walks in the hail (yes, we voluntarily did that) with Matt
-finding a note with an Ashley Kimball comment (She asked me this summer,"Did you ever think you're not meant to fly under the radar?" Long story, but this girl has been teaching me powerful lessons since we were in high school. Miss her all the time.)
-Alanis randomly playing in a mix (isn’t it ironic how much I still LOVE her)
(krazy glue all over my fingers -boo)
-Maria visiting
-early morning sunrises over snow capped mountains
-teaching my first college class (it was a one time experience, but very cool just the same)
-looking forward to Harry Potter and the holiday break
-working on my “30 things before 30” list
-storm coming (loving the clouds swirling around the mountains)
-Pixar description podcast
-leaves strewn across the street
-Mad Men season two conclusion (wow – such a GOOD show)
-new holiday catalogs for Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn
-Jenessa's college essays (did we catch COLLEGE)
-going to see Stage Door with a great group of girls and going to The Chocolate for dessert
-book club at Melissa’s
-real emails that remind me of how much I love writing and receiving letters
-Patrick Wilson (Morning Glory is not a great movie, but he is perfectly delectable. I kept waiting for him to sing…)
-remembering Brent Collette – hard to believe that he’s been gone 10 years and yet he's still teaching us (definitely could not have foretold then that his oldest son would marry one of my best friends)
-Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
-new sweats
-Giants shirt that says World Champions
-Rachel being out of the hospital and on the mend
-catching up with Meg (miss that girl so much)
-online book club starting (pickwickreaders.blogspot.com)
-Christmas lights around my mac dashboard
-phone calls that distract from to do lists
-having red streaks in my hair
-making paper chains while watching Felicity
(not so good - sugar free jello pudding)
-reading parties and walks in the hail (yes, we voluntarily did that) with Matt
-finding a note with an Ashley Kimball comment (She asked me this summer,"Did you ever think you're not meant to fly under the radar?" Long story, but this girl has been teaching me powerful lessons since we were in high school. Miss her all the time.)
-Alanis randomly playing in a mix (isn’t it ironic how much I still LOVE her)
(krazy glue all over my fingers -boo)
-Maria visiting
-early morning sunrises over snow capped mountains
-teaching my first college class (it was a one time experience, but very cool just the same)
-looking forward to Harry Potter and the holiday break
-working on my “30 things before 30” list
Monday, November 29, 2010
Me in a Box
I am a semi-organized packrat. Opening the boxes I have hidden away in my parents’ house is always an adventure because there is no way to predict what you’ll find. While I was visiting Alamo for the holiday, I ventured into the random closets packed to the eaves with remnants of my life in search of high school t-shirts (I’m on a quest to make a t-shirt quilt. More on that later.). When I finally stumbled across the last remaining cotton CV survivors, it was rather entertaining all the other mementos of memory lane were safely tucked alongside the t-shirts...
*Versailles book bought with love for too many French Francs on my first European adventure (with Renoir bookmark safely tucked inside of the famous dancing couple)
*German Barbie, still in its box (don’t ask – still not sure why I can’t throw this away)
*Signed book that my mom gave me for Christmas years ago (don’t even really like the book, but the author signed it which makes me unable to part with it)
*Not one, but two checkerboard cake pans
*Teddy bear (one of the originals that I’ve had since infancy with a chipped black nose and red fabric heart)
*Barnaby teddy bear with very long legs from Hillary
*Giants pennant
*Clayton Valley academic letter
*CV leadership shirt
*Senior women shirt
*Wrigley Field shirt
*T-ball trophy from my one and only year on a baseball field with the 1990 Twins
*Junior prom shoes (love those shoes more than I care to admit - sparkly silver Nina heels)
*Cherished Teddy figurines (why exactly did I pay so much money for those?)
*HS graduation tassels and cords
*2nd grade cross-stitch
*Great-grandmother’s bone china teacups and saucers
*Girls Camp whistle (with five years of beads attached)
*Musical programs (Wicked, Les Miserables (4 total – one signed by the cast), Mamma Mia, Blood Brothers, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera (1 actual program, 1 Curran Theater version), Thoroughly Modern Mille, Shakespeare Festival (Cedar City when I saw Twelfth Night)
*Playbills (Millie 2 from back-to-back nights in NYC), Wicked (one show in SF and one in LA), Miss Saigon (SLC), Phantom of the Opera (SF), Mamma Mia (SF), Les Mis (Sacramento, SF), Sea Farer (Marin), Utah Shakespearean Festival (Cedar)
*Tigers soccer trophy 1988 (is it totally mind-blowing to anyone else that this was 22 years ago)
*Jaclyn Lane sign (never appreciated until now that my grandpa probably had to have it made since my name never shows up in stories)
*Pepsi (nickel drink worth a dime) old-fashioned sign
*Kindergarten hand print
*Soccer picture plaque from the 1993 Krazy Kickers
*Gumby patch (one of many of that I had during middle school - glad I personally helped keep Claires in business)
And a few other odds and ends (ribbons, rings, fabric scraps)
Not sure why I have all that still especially since that is just one box of many, but I loved going through it just the same. Pretty fun to find me in a box.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
*Versailles book bought with love for too many French Francs on my first European adventure (with Renoir bookmark safely tucked inside of the famous dancing couple)
*German Barbie, still in its box (don’t ask – still not sure why I can’t throw this away)
*Signed book that my mom gave me for Christmas years ago (don’t even really like the book, but the author signed it which makes me unable to part with it)
*Not one, but two checkerboard cake pans
*Teddy bear (one of the originals that I’ve had since infancy with a chipped black nose and red fabric heart)
*Barnaby teddy bear with very long legs from Hillary
*Giants pennant
*Clayton Valley academic letter
*CV leadership shirt
*Senior women shirt
*Wrigley Field shirt
*T-ball trophy from my one and only year on a baseball field with the 1990 Twins
*Junior prom shoes (love those shoes more than I care to admit - sparkly silver Nina heels)
*Cherished Teddy figurines (why exactly did I pay so much money for those?)
*HS graduation tassels and cords
*2nd grade cross-stitch
*Great-grandmother’s bone china teacups and saucers
*Girls Camp whistle (with five years of beads attached)
*Musical programs (Wicked, Les Miserables (4 total – one signed by the cast), Mamma Mia, Blood Brothers, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera (1 actual program, 1 Curran Theater version), Thoroughly Modern Mille, Shakespeare Festival (Cedar City when I saw Twelfth Night)
*Playbills (Millie 2 from back-to-back nights in NYC), Wicked (one show in SF and one in LA), Miss Saigon (SLC), Phantom of the Opera (SF), Mamma Mia (SF), Les Mis (Sacramento, SF), Sea Farer (Marin), Utah Shakespearean Festival (Cedar)
*Tigers soccer trophy 1988 (is it totally mind-blowing to anyone else that this was 22 years ago)
*Jaclyn Lane sign (never appreciated until now that my grandpa probably had to have it made since my name never shows up in stories)
*Pepsi (nickel drink worth a dime) old-fashioned sign
*Kindergarten hand print
*Soccer picture plaque from the 1993 Krazy Kickers
*Gumby patch (one of many of that I had during middle school - glad I personally helped keep Claires in business)
And a few other odds and ends (ribbons, rings, fabric scraps)
Not sure why I have all that still especially since that is just one box of many, but I loved going through it just the same. Pretty fun to find me in a box.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
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