Today on my way to ballet this morning I found myself driving behind four red cars in a row, which miraculously later became five red cars in a row... I actually laughed out loud. Who knows who appreciated that special moment, besides me and God? I like to think he did it on purpose, just to make me smile.
MUCHO felicitaciones to Dave and Brie; proud new parents of Ellie Rebekah Jacobsen! The pictures on Dave's blog are precious. I really wish I could be in NC to meet her now.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Chess
There is nothing in the world that can replace good quality sister time. I spent the weekend at home visiting my family and Danny, and it was really nice. One of my biggest highlights was playing chess with Becca.
Dad taught us to play when we were really little, and while it was cool at the time to be a cultured six year old who could play chess, the downside is that, due to infrequent practice, our strategies and tactics have stayed at a very childish level. Here is a basic outline of such: Move your pieces and see what happens, eliminate as many pieces as you can to simplify the board, (if they are important pieces, props to you,) get a few pawns knighted while you're at it, and eventually checkmate the king with your two rooks on the otherwise empty two back rows.
The first game we made a stab at intelligent playing. The second we reverted to more juvenille tactics...
Dad taught us to play when we were really little, and while it was cool at the time to be a cultured six year old who could play chess, the downside is that, due to infrequent practice, our strategies and tactics have stayed at a very childish level. Here is a basic outline of such: Move your pieces and see what happens, eliminate as many pieces as you can to simplify the board, (if they are important pieces, props to you,) get a few pawns knighted while you're at it, and eventually checkmate the king with your two rooks on the otherwise empty two back rows.
The first game we made a stab at intelligent playing. The second we reverted to more juvenille tactics...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
small, shy green bird
For English last year I had to pick and write a response to my favorite poem. I thought I'd share.
After the goddess
I first found this poem in a beat-up old book of Japanese Haikus from the school library when I was doing my poetry project in tenth grade, and I immediately fell in love with it. Ever since, it has stuck in my mind, and it has been growing on me throughout the years. I love green. When I picture this poem, I see green everywhere, leaves of frosty green in a foggy Asian garden, wet with dew. And hidden in the branches, partly behind the leaves and partly camouflaged because of her color, is a timid, quietly beautiful little bird. But oh, what glory is in her song! Its beauty is so great that it immobilizes, transports, fills with awe. It is a song divine; the outpouring of the soul of a goddess – a goddess that is a small, shy green bird. The secret identity of the bird, and her transformation into a goddess, intrigues me. I have had a fascination with transformations ever since I was a little girl. Nobody looking at the bird would know she is a goddess, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is. This poem speaks to me because I can relate to the bird, and because I want to be the goddess. I am small in stature and in confidence, and I have always been shy. However, somehow I feel like I am a goddess, only I am afraid to sing. I long for that song though; that moment in which I can share my beauty, so captivating that I will even forget myself, so that the inner goddess that I know lives inside of me can be appreciated. I know I do have beauty to share, but nobody else knows it; they only see a little green bird. As much as I love pondering the possibilities of the lowly that is truly great, it struck me that the focus of this poem is not the bird becoming a goddess, or even her song. It is afterward; the captured moment is the transformation is from a goddess to a bird. It emphasizes that she is humble and that she does not want the glory for herself; the glory is in the song, and the beauty of the song. The true beauty of the bird is that she is only a bird, a common creature who can produce glorious things. And the other part of this beauty is her humility; she is content with being a bird, and content to be seen as such. She, unlike me, is not prideful or vain. She makes me want to be humble too. This humility is what is really striking about this poem. Would I have looked twice at it had in the last line the goddess struck some haughty posture or paused to bask in her own beauty? No, the allure is in that magical moment in the silence when the reverie ends and the truth is seen – her divinity is hidden, she becomes a bird, yet she is still truly a goddess, though no one notices. It inspires me; reminding me that even though not everyone may know or see it, I am a goddess, I am beautiful inside, and I do have something glorious to share with the world.
After the goddess
sang, in silence she became
a small, shy green bird
- Onitsura
I first found this poem in a beat-up old book of Japanese Haikus from the school library when I was doing my poetry project in tenth grade, and I immediately fell in love with it. Ever since, it has stuck in my mind, and it has been growing on me throughout the years. I love green. When I picture this poem, I see green everywhere, leaves of frosty green in a foggy Asian garden, wet with dew. And hidden in the branches, partly behind the leaves and partly camouflaged because of her color, is a timid, quietly beautiful little bird. But oh, what glory is in her song! Its beauty is so great that it immobilizes, transports, fills with awe. It is a song divine; the outpouring of the soul of a goddess – a goddess that is a small, shy green bird. The secret identity of the bird, and her transformation into a goddess, intrigues me. I have had a fascination with transformations ever since I was a little girl. Nobody looking at the bird would know she is a goddess, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is. This poem speaks to me because I can relate to the bird, and because I want to be the goddess. I am small in stature and in confidence, and I have always been shy. However, somehow I feel like I am a goddess, only I am afraid to sing. I long for that song though; that moment in which I can share my beauty, so captivating that I will even forget myself, so that the inner goddess that I know lives inside of me can be appreciated. I know I do have beauty to share, but nobody else knows it; they only see a little green bird. As much as I love pondering the possibilities of the lowly that is truly great, it struck me that the focus of this poem is not the bird becoming a goddess, or even her song. It is afterward; the captured moment is the transformation is from a goddess to a bird. It emphasizes that she is humble and that she does not want the glory for herself; the glory is in the song, and the beauty of the song. The true beauty of the bird is that she is only a bird, a common creature who can produce glorious things. And the other part of this beauty is her humility; she is content with being a bird, and content to be seen as such. She, unlike me, is not prideful or vain. She makes me want to be humble too. This humility is what is really striking about this poem. Would I have looked twice at it had in the last line the goddess struck some haughty posture or paused to bask in her own beauty? No, the allure is in that magical moment in the silence when the reverie ends and the truth is seen – her divinity is hidden, she becomes a bird, yet she is still truly a goddess, though no one notices. It inspires me; reminding me that even though not everyone may know or see it, I am a goddess, I am beautiful inside, and I do have something glorious to share with the world.
Friday, July 11, 2008
cool stuff i've found, and a holiday
Today is Danny's and my 15th month "anniversary" of when he asked me out. At least, in the central time zone. You see, it happened late at night over the phone, and since it was 11:50pm on April 11th in Wisconsin, where Dan was, it was 12:50am on April 12th in North Carolina, where I was. Usually we only commemorate the 11th of the month, but were we to be on the East coast, I do believe we would celebrate on the 12th. At one in the morning, most likely.
I'm making a lot of friends in the program here and am feeling generally well liked, a nice feeling that I had forgotten about in the last few months at school. I hope that many of my friends and I all make it into Milwaukee Ballet II for next year; that would be nice.
I found this awesome Christian radio station in the Milwaukee area called K Love, (I think they have stations around the country though); if you like contemporary Christian hits and worship music, I highly recommend it.
Another really cool thing I found (thanks to Heidi) was a website for a Christian counter-culture movement called "The Rebelution" started by Alex and Brett Harris, (younger brothers of author Joshua Harris who wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye). I didn't have time to look into it much before I found a fascinating section called "The Modesty Survey (www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey). A bunch of girls submitted questions about modesty, and guys of all ages submitted answers, often with comments, about what they thought was or wasn't modest. It was very helpful and enlightening; I learned things I never would have considered otherwise. I definitely will be checking out the main site more, and I'd encourage you to also if you're interested: http://www.therebelution.com/.
As long as I'm recommending links, here are a few more:
www.ylcf.org/gotcurl - the Curly Girl website. Rachel taught me the method for caring for curls; it's what she does, (and if you haven't seen her hair, it's amazing!), and I've been following it for the past month and a half with great results. Obviously it's not for everyone, but if you've got curly hair, its worth a look.
www.brownielocks.com/month2.html - a listing of crazy yet actual holidays for pretty much every day of the year. Lots of fun.
http://www.coolestdates.com/ - tons of ideas for stuff to do, be it with that special someone, the gang, or your little brother.
That's all (and plenty) for now; have a great weekend! (I'm so glad it's Friday!)
I'm making a lot of friends in the program here and am feeling generally well liked, a nice feeling that I had forgotten about in the last few months at school. I hope that many of my friends and I all make it into Milwaukee Ballet II for next year; that would be nice.
I found this awesome Christian radio station in the Milwaukee area called K Love, (I think they have stations around the country though); if you like contemporary Christian hits and worship music, I highly recommend it.
Another really cool thing I found (thanks to Heidi) was a website for a Christian counter-culture movement called "The Rebelution" started by Alex and Brett Harris, (younger brothers of author Joshua Harris who wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye). I didn't have time to look into it much before I found a fascinating section called "The Modesty Survey (www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey). A bunch of girls submitted questions about modesty, and guys of all ages submitted answers, often with comments, about what they thought was or wasn't modest. It was very helpful and enlightening; I learned things I never would have considered otherwise. I definitely will be checking out the main site more, and I'd encourage you to also if you're interested: http://www.therebelution.com/.
As long as I'm recommending links, here are a few more:
www.ylcf.org/gotcurl - the Curly Girl website. Rachel taught me the method for caring for curls; it's what she does, (and if you haven't seen her hair, it's amazing!), and I've been following it for the past month and a half with great results. Obviously it's not for everyone, but if you've got curly hair, its worth a look.
www.brownielocks.com/month2.html - a listing of crazy yet actual holidays for pretty much every day of the year. Lots of fun.
http://www.coolestdates.com/ - tons of ideas for stuff to do, be it with that special someone, the gang, or your little brother.
That's all (and plenty) for now; have a great weekend! (I'm so glad it's Friday!)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
LONG OVERDUE!
Wow, I am so behind! And yet I still have no time to write...
Brief updates:
Milwaukee Ballet's summer intensive is going well; I'm starting week three of six and still enjoying it.
Last weekend I had a very good time with Danny; we celebrated his nineteenth birthday with a sailboat ride, which was awesome. We learned how to tack and steer, enjoyed the wind and the waves, and got a little sunburned.
Props to all my friends returning from Estonia! I am glad you all had a good time and made it back safely, (I hope, Taylor and Shelton, that you feel better soon!), and I miss you all very much.
I could use some prayer: I just found out that Moody has room for me to come next year, but not on the main campus; I would have to do my freshmen year in Spokane, Washington. I have about a week to decide what to do...
Thanks for reading, and again I apologize for the atrocious gap in posts in which it must have seemed like I fell of the face of the planet. More soon, I hope, (but I wont make promises!)
Brief updates:
Milwaukee Ballet's summer intensive is going well; I'm starting week three of six and still enjoying it.
Last weekend I had a very good time with Danny; we celebrated his nineteenth birthday with a sailboat ride, which was awesome. We learned how to tack and steer, enjoyed the wind and the waves, and got a little sunburned.
Props to all my friends returning from Estonia! I am glad you all had a good time and made it back safely, (I hope, Taylor and Shelton, that you feel better soon!), and I miss you all very much.
I could use some prayer: I just found out that Moody has room for me to come next year, but not on the main campus; I would have to do my freshmen year in Spokane, Washington. I have about a week to decide what to do...
Thanks for reading, and again I apologize for the atrocious gap in posts in which it must have seemed like I fell of the face of the planet. More soon, I hope, (but I wont make promises!)
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