Passive Aggression

I smell a rant.

Basically, the German passive voice and I do not get along right now. Because there are like five or six (or possibly six hundred . . . I'm getting to the point where I couldn't care less) different forms of the German passive voice and I can't keep track of them all. 

And why do I need to learn German passive voice when all my English professors tell me to do away with passive voice whenever possible? 

Alas, alack. Such is life. 

In fact, I'm beginning to feel a lot like Cecily from "The Importance of Being Earnest": 

CECILY: But I don't like German. It isn't at all a becoming language. I know perfectly well that I look quite plain after my German lesson. 

Ain't that the truth. 

Although "quite frightful" would be a better description of me after a frustrating German lesson than "quite plain."  Oh well. 

In all seriousness, I really do like German. There's a lot of good that is German. Like my last name. And Goethe's poetry. And Erich Kaestner's "Das doppelte Lottchen." (Did you know that "Das doppelte Lottchen is the original "Parent Trap"? Cool, huh?) 

But I could do with a little less frustration and more understanding. 

Okay. Rant over. 

I'm sorry you had to listen to that. But it is my blog . . . I can write about silly frustrations if I want to. And you don't have to read if you don't want to. 

But thanks for reading anyway. 

Star Struck

This is Jimmer Fredette:

But THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is why we really LOVE Jimmer:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

    (Video also courtesy of my friend, Jen, who posted it on her blog. Such an awesome video. Thanks, Jen!)

Anyway. So Jimmer is cool.

No, cool is an understatement.

Okay, Jimmer is awesome.

. . . still an understatement.

It's hard to find words adequate enough to express how unbelievably, ridiculously, incredibly astounding and entertaining it is to watch Jimmer on the court: especially watching him take shots 40-plus-feet away from the basket.




Enter Megan.

Megan is a silly girl. But that's why we love her.

So, what happens when a star basketball player and a silly girl cross paths in the basement of the JFSB?







. . .



Nothing, actually.

This silly girl didn't know what to say.


BUT I RAN INTO JIMMER FREDETTE TODAY!!!!!! 






What do YOU think I should have done?

Simply Stunning

Recently, we've been studying Romanticism in one of my English classes. I'm a big fan of Romantic poetry . . . I'm a Marianne Dashwood in that sense, you could say.

Take the way nature is described in Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" or "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," or Keat's "Ode to a Nightingale." It's just beautiful.

I wonder what sort of verses Romantic poets would write if they could see what I saw today:

The perfect stillness of barren trees amidst fields of purest snow,
The majesty of Timpanogos rising in white and silver splendor,
Framed by a sky of rosy peach, tinted with heaven's blue.

If the Romantics had seen the beauties of the Rockies in winter, they would have written masterpieces.

Winter is beautiful.

"Then Shall Your Confidence Wax Strong in the Presence of God"

While I was home during the break, my mom gave a lesson in church during Relief Society. (For non-LDS readers, Relief Society is a women's organization the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest women's organization in the world, and it focuses increasing faith and personal righteousness, strengthening homes and families, and seeking out those in need. Its motto is "Charity Never Faileth." See Relief Society for more information.)

The lesson my mom gave in Relief Society was based on a 1993 BYU devotional by M. Catherine Thomas, who was an associate professor of ancient scripture at the time. My mom's lesson was about self-esteem and confidence. She mentioned how Professor Thomas said that the search for both of these is a red herring, leading us off the trail of what really matters: our relationship with God, and realizing who we truly are--sons and daughters of God. Realizing this and realizing His love for us gives us the confidence we crave. 

There was a quote from the talk that my mom used in her lesson that really touched me: 

"Often doors have closed before us that seemed to lead to the opportunities we thought we had to have. We assumed that the closed door was a reflection of some inadequacy in ourselves. But perhaps the closed door had nothing to do with whether we were good or bad or capable or incompetent. Rather, a loving Father shapes, even now, our path according to a prearranged, premortal covenant (see Abraham 2:8). The opening or the closing of these various doors is absolutely dependent on the Lord's perfect perception of our developmental needs. All the elements that we really need for our individual experience here, He puts onto our path. The most important things that will happen to us in this life will come to us often by no initiative of our own, but they come because He is piloting the plan. He says that He does nothing save it be for our benefit (see 2 Nephi 26:24); He has promised that all things work together to our good in order that we may be conformed to the image of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29)." -- M. Catherine Thomas 

I needed that quote. 

And I've been thinking about the lesson a lot, and have now read the devotional address. It talks about how when you give up the search for self-esteem and essentially "lose your life" for Christ, and really seek Him, you become liberated and stresses dealing with self-esteem disappear. 

It's the giving up of the self that is a bit overwhelming. But it is step-by-step, day-by-day, by actively choosing  to look to the Savior that it can be possible. 

I've always been fascinated with fairy tales. One motif that I'm particularly intrigued by is in stories where a girl magically becomes more beautiful with each passing day. I've pondered about that concept, and decided that confidence adds to beauty, poise, and grace, and as a girl becomes more confident, she becomes progressively more attractive--not only in looks, but in manners and in spirit. 

Now I'm really beginning to see that really, this beauty with each passing day is found in "seeking this Jesus" (Ether 12:41), and striving to receive His image in our countenances (Alma 5:14).  It's definitely a thought. 

For those interested, here's a link to the talk by M. Catherine Thomas. Enjoy. 

O Come All Ye Faithful

Christmastime has been a little different for me since I've started college. The joy and excitement of Christmas is too often swallowed up in the drudgery of finals. Not only that, but as I've grown older, it's easier for me to understand why Christmas is a hard time of the year for some people. Through tragedies in my own life and in the lives of those close to me, I have learned that truly, "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men."

But, like in Longfellow's poem, I have also realized that "God is not dead nor doth He sleep." God is aware of our needs; our days are known, and our "years shall not be numbered less."  

One of the things that has brought me to this realization is the spirit of Christmas carols. 

Christmas carols bring me closer to Christ. This year, when I haven't been feeling as "Christmas-y" as I would like, I go to the piano and sing Christmas hymns. Almost instantly, my focus shifted from the hustle and confusion of this world to the stillness of the manger, the faith of the wise men, or the glory of the night sky in Bethlehem, ablaze with angels. Singing Christmas carols enables me to focus on the wonder of God's love, and how it has changed me . . . it is incredible to me how His love has the supernal power to change mankind for the better.  

It is hard for me to choose a favorite Christmas carol . . . every year it changes based on my experiences of the year. I have perennial favorites, such as Silent Night (especially in the original German), and O Come, All Ye Faithful. But this year I have been drawn to more obscure Christmas carols. One less-sung Christmas carol that I've loved for a while is Once in Royal David's City. I get chills every time I sing the last verse: 

"And our eyes at last shall see him, 

Through His own redeeming love; 

For that child, so dear and gentle

Is our Lord in heav'n above.

And He leads His children on

To the place where He is gone." 

Ah. Love it. 

I've also been re-introduced to the last verse of the First Noel. I forgot how beautiful and powerful it is: 

"Now let us all with one accord

Sing praises to our heavenly Lord

That hath made heaven and earth of naught

And with His blood mankind has bought.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel--

Born is the King of Israel!" 

Another hymn I've discovered this year is Angels From the Realms of Glory. It was written by James Montgomery, a British poet and editor. Montgomery also penned A Poor, Wayfaring Man of Grief and Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire. It impresses me how faithful Montgomery was, despite all the trials and heartache he went through, including imprisonment. 

Here are some verses of his Christmas hymn that really touched my heart: 

"Angels from the realms of glory, 

Wing your flight o'er all the earth; 

Ye who sang creation's story, 

Now proclaim Messiah's birth . . . 

Sages, leave your contemplations,

Brighter visions beam afar; 

Seek the great desire of nations, 

Ye have seen His natal star . . . .

Saints before the altar bending, 

Watching long in hope and fear, 

Suddenly the Lord descending, 

In His temple shall appear:

Come and worship, come and worship, 

Worship Christ, the newborn King!" 

I especially love that last verse.

One last song: One of my absolute favorite Christmas songs is a German Christmas carol called O Du Froehliche, or, in English, "O How Joyfully." It's a beautiful song that exudes the light and joy that we should be feeling at Christmastime. I found an English poetry translation that does a pretty good job of capturing the German meaning (and it makes a lot more sense than the literal translation): 

"Oh how joyfully, oh how blessedly, 

Comes the glory of Christmastime!

To a world so lost in sin, 

Christ the Saviour enters in:

Praise Him, praise Him Christians, evermore!

Oh how joyfully, oh how blessedly, 

Comes the glory of Christmastime!

Jesus, born in a lowly stall, 

With His grace redeems us all:

Praise Him, praise Him Christians, evermore!

Oh how joyfully, oh how blessedly, 

Comes the glory of Christmastime!

Hosts of angels from on high, 

Sing, rejoicing in the sky: 

Praise him, praise Him Christians, evermore!" 

Singing Christmas carols gives me a way to express my testimony in a way that mere words alone cannot possibly do. No language in the world is perfect; each has its corruptions and we nobody can express themselves in the way they'd like to. I feel like music is often the closest thing we have to expressing ourselves the way we were meant to; the way we yearn to. 

Music is certainly a way that God has shown His love for me. And I'm grateful for Christmas hymns that lift my spirit, allow me to refocus, and teach me the true meaning of Christmas: 

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."  (Luke 2:10-14)

Cookie Palooza(s)

Our apartment likes cookies.

As one of my roommates says, some people have 72-hour kits. We have 72-cookies kits. 

You'd be surprised by the amount of comfort and sanity a cookie can bring. 

The past few weeks before Christmas break, our apartment literally went on a baking spree. We made real gingerbread to make gingerbread houses during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. We also made sugar cookies while watching Elf, and there were cake balls and candy to boot, making Finals Week a lot more bearable (and tastier). 

Here are some pictures from our Cookie Paloozas: 

Making Gingerbread Houses: 

Cute roommate shot

Silly roommate shot

Did you know that you can create stained-glass windows for your gingerbread houses? First, cut out a "window" in your gingerbread. Then, crush some Jolly Ranchers. 

Next, fill your "window" with the crushed Jolly Ranchers. Melt the Jolly Ranchers by baking the gingerbread. 

Ta-da! The finished product!

It's a Gingerbread Tanner Building! 

Close-up of the Tanner Building. Pretty good, eh? 

Making my gingerbread house

Making a Gingerbread Guggenheim

The finished product! Isn't it lovely? 

A fallen gingerbread teepee, and two gingerbread houses. 

The Gingerbread Teepee

What kind of insurance should these gingerbread structures have?
Fire? No. Flood? Nein. Earthquake? Nope.
Answer: Cookie Monster Insurance!

No, not this one. 

                      THIS one. So innocent looking. Those poor cookies never knew what hit them. 

Sugar Cookie Night: 

We also made and frosted sugar cookies one night. I love sugar cookies . . . although I think I like the dough more than the actual cookies! Still, making and frosting sugar cookies brings back fond memories of listening to Mannheim Steamroller, watching the Christmas tree lights dance on the ceiling, and preparing a plate of homemade, frosting-sticky cookies for Santa. 

You know it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas when you have gingerbread and sugar cookies baking in the oven. :) 

Playing Dress-Up

Last night my mom asked me to put together Christmas goodie plates for our neighbors. I got cocoa powder on my face, and, since I was feeling a bit silly, I smeared the cocoa powder from my fingers onto my face.

And, since I'm the oldest and my siblings follow my example, two of my siblings smeared cocoa powder on their faces, too.

Needless to say, frivolity, laughter, and many, many pictures followed as we became warriors, waifs, and were just plain silly. I also dressed up as a rather-convincing Eponine (but my sister has those pictures . . . I don't have them at the moment).

We knew that since it is Christmas time, someone would most likely come to the door bearing gifts. So, being in the silly mood that we were, my sister, brother and I decided we wanted to greet whoever came to the door. When the doorbell finally rang we rushed upstairs . . .

And were greeted by the bishop.

I think that's the last time my mom will have me prepare the Christmas plates.