I know, I know. I've been bad at updating this-but for the most part-there hasn't been too much to update about. I've just been doing the same old work and dance routine. And of course throwing in some playing with friends here and there as well. So weird to think it'll be Christmas soon when it feels like just last week was August. I'm excited for this Christmas because my whole immediate family will be together for the first time in years. I have a dance performance Tuesday. I'm pretty excited about it. I'll be dancing with my current adults which will be a first. So, since I don't have much to say- I leave you with the tale of Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod: Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, one night sailed off in a wooden shoe; Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew. "Where are you going and what do you wish?" the old moon asked the three. "We've come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea. Nets of silver and gold have we," said Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe. And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew. Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea; "Cast your nets wherever you wish never afraid are we!" So cried the stars to the fishermen three - Winkin', and Blinkin', and Nod.
So all night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam. 'Til down from the skies came the wooden shoe bringing the fisherman home. 'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be. Some folks say 'twas a dream they dreamed of sailing that misty sea. But I shall name you the fisherman three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.
Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head. And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed. So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be. And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea, Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.
Baby It's Cold Outside (So many people have sung this song, but I really like the one from Elf, Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel.)
And Baby, it IS COLD outside! Oh my my my. We had a blizzard today. Schools closed (for the first time I can remember), my dance class was canceled, there were warnings all over telling us not to go outside. I personally wasn't too impressed with what I saw- but my dad and I hunkered down in the basement and watched Ondine. But yeah, it's super cold, and it's still snowing away outside. My best friend Tim came to see me yesterday. It was the first time we'd seen each other in over two years. I knew I missed him, but I didn't realize quite how much. It was just really good to hang out with him again. Tim, if you're reading this-thank you. The Day for Giving Thanks is this week. I'm thankful for a lot of things. Some things are major-but for those of you who A) read this and/or B) know me should know it doesn't take much to make me happy. I am thankful for my family. My friends. My religion. Dance. Snow. Somewhere to live. My bed. A car to drive. Heat. The "loo". Letters in the mail. Hot Chocolate. Blankets. My Camera. Pictures. I'm thankful I have a job. I'm thankful that despite my health problems lately-my body still lets me do what I need to do (mostly). Pens. Paper. Paint. Prayer. Forgiveness. Electricity. Hope. MUSIC. Clean clothes. Yoga/sweat pants. Skype. My laptop. My phone. My Scriptures. Laughing. Freedom. Essential Oils. Water. Yoga. Lots of other things, and this is in no particular order. So, I follow this blog about a taxi driver in Dublin. This man should write a book. He's got some great stories and really good thoughts. I'm glad he has a blog that I can read. Here's some things he's said that I really liked. "People are complex, we have the ability to love a person and later to hate that same person with equal passion." "Never hold the hurt close to yourself, you have to let these negative feelings go, holding on to the problems of the world can cause cancer and nervous strain to say the least." "What good would life be if you couldn't laugh or dance." "But everything changes and everything remains the same. We are back at the start again." Anywho- you should check out his site sometime. There's a link to it on the right. Josh Groban's new album "Illuminations" came out this week as well. Man, I'm a fan. There are some really good songs on it! I hope you all have a great week and can think of things to be happy for. We're lucky, don't forget it.
I LOVE this song! I start dancing in my head when I listen to it. Is fun. It's been a while, I know. For those of you who follow and read this-I apologize. Life has been moving right along and it slips my mind to update this. Well, this biggest news is that Halloween weekend my parents and myself road-tripped it up to Washington state to visit my brother and sister-in-law. AND to meet my new nephew, Connor Paul Lynch. He was born September 29, so he was a month old by the time I got to meet him. He's a super cute baby, and loves to sleep-and will sleep through anything. We had a few good chuckles about it. I absolutely love Washington. Its climate reminds me of Ireland-colder, rainy, foggy, gorgeous. Except Ireland doesn't have the mountains and pinetrees. Speaking of Ireland..I need to stop having dreams that I'm back there again. Because while I love them dearly, when I wake up all I want to do is buy a plane ticket. I've had many dreams that I'm back in Ireland again, they're different every time, but they're certainly Ireland. They make me pretty happy. I'm surprised at how much I miss it sometimes. Hopefully I'll make my way back for a visit/adventure soon. Work is going well, I truly love what I do. I'm pretty lucky in that aspect. Dance is great, as always. Reel Around the Sun is coming along really well. And I'm going to be performing it in March. Tim got home from his mission just about a month ago. I love having him back because I get to actually talk to him and have a real conversation on the phone or on Skype. Now all I need is my Jacki back.
Reel Around the Sun from Riverdance (^This is what I'm learning in dance class.)
Just got back from Dance. This is what I'm doing to be learning. We started the first bit tonight. Whooboy...it's going to be fun. I am truly so excited I can't wait for next week.
So-today being September 11, pretty much everyone knows what happened this day 9 years ago. It's amazing how fresh it still seems to be. It's one of those moments everyone knows where they were, what they were doing when they heard what happened in New York. I was getting ready for school when my sister comes running up the stairs and said a plane hit one of the trade towers (she heard it on the radio I think) so we turned on the T.V. just in time to see the second one hit. I remember being confused about what was happening, and at school we really didn't do too much that day-we all watched the news in our classrooms. I was 12 years old-so I knew somewhat the impact that day made on the world. It doesn't seem like it was 9 years ago to me.
Here's some pictures for your enjoyment, from a few years ago.
As you can see-we're a tad weird. . .but we have fun. And I love us.
Alright-off to continue working on my room.. I'm mostly done; just a few more projects to finish, and then pull it all together.
Hidden Away by Josh Groban ( I talked to my brother yesterday, and it came up that I don't update my blog very much-so before I head to work, I'm doing to update my blog. :)
I entered an Irish Dance photo contest, and out of the 100+ entries, mine was picked in the finals-so, please go to this website, and vote for me to win. :D Pretty please. It's picture number 6, "Let the music take you away"
http://www.diddlyi.com/profiles/blogs/photo-comp-shortlist-announced Many thanks!
I'm also in love with Barnes and Noble. I think my heaven looks something like a Barnes and Noble Bookstore. I could spend forever in there. Especially the one in SugarHouse. That one is Huge!! I got onto their website also, and was able to get two CD's I have not been able to find- Hopefully they get here soon cause it's been a week since I've ordered them and I'm getting impatient.
If you haven't listened to Natalie MacMaster before-please, do so today. Because she's great. (One of her CD's is one that I'm waiting for to come in the mail.) Volcanic Jig is one I'm choreographing a dance to myself. Julia's Waltz is almost heartbreakingly beautiful and calm. David's Jig/Valerie Pringle's Reel would be another fun one to dance to-I'll work on it when I'm done with Volcanic Jig. The Sunday Reel-The Old Ladywood Reel is fun also. Gah-Just go-now-listen and love.
Josh Groban is coming out with a new CD in November-and it's about Freaking Time! I heard a song from it, and I am going to love this album. I can tell. :D
My dear friend Colton got home from his Mission in Washington, I haven't seen him yet due to he's on vacation with his family until Monday (I think it's Monday). I have missed this kid dearly. He, Elise, and I need a scooter, cheese-fries and hot chocolate date to reunite our marvelous trio. Maybe some random picture taking again..last time worked out well..I'll post pictures from it when I get home from work cause I'm running out of time.
Speaking of running out of time and Missions-Tim is now in his last transfer! YAY! I'm so excited for him to come home from Washington. Though..he'll probably go to 'Bama for that is where his family lives now instead of Cali. I wonder when I'll get to see him. . . . ? Hmm..
So-redoing my room apparently was a bigger project than I had anticipated. heh....I'm still working on it. I had to take a break when I got so sick-but now that I've gone a week and a half without a gall-attack, I think (I hope) I've figured out how to take care of this dear little organ so it will stop getting mad.
On that note-I plead you all to take care of your gallbladders (those of you who still have them). Because it is NOT pleasant when they get sick.
And now I have to go to work. K, Bye. (More to come after work.)
Not Afraid by Eminem (don't judge..I actually really like this song. The chorus is my favorite part.)
Well, my parents and I took a trip to Hawaii. Kauai and Maui. What an adventure that was. Kayaking and hiking, South Pacific live theater, snorkeling, shopping, driving around, I got a massage and a henna tattoo. :) Unfortunately on the way home I got sick. Just before we landed in L.A. I don't give details because well-they're not flattering, and honestly, kinda gross. But the doctors don't know what it is/was. I'm doing better now, which is good. (No thanks to the doctor and hospital tests they've done.) I just can't eat anything heavy/hard to digest, I need to still take it easy and not be super active, and I can't get too hot/overheated. I found what I want my adventure next year to be. THIS! It looks SO fun!! It's Stage Fire Irish Dance Project-in Poland! I know, Poland seems like a unique place for such a project..but it sounds awesome. And it's not a super long deal either, 10 days! Former leads of Riverdance put this together, and they say anyone can do it! Any level of Irish Dancer can do it, and it's not arm-and-a-leg-cost-of-your-first-born expensive. So thanks to Gwen for giving me the fun, crafty idea of saving money for a goal! Here's what I did:Take a shadowbox picture frame-and drill a hole in the top to drop your money into. On the back, you can put pictures of whatever goal you have or whatnot. It's a fun way to remind yourself of a goal, and watch as your money adds up as you save it! I don't know if I'll actually do Stage Fire-but it looks SO fun, and it'll give me something to work towards. We should always have some sort of goal or something we want to work towards, or what are we doing? Nothing. This will be my something to work for. Sorry this is short--but I've got a bookshelf to build.
Human by The Killers (You should know this song... "Are we human, or are we dancers?"
Well...dance the past bit has been so incredibly awesome. I Love It!! We've been working on a hardshoe dance. We started out pretty basic. Then each week we've been taking a step and we make it harder. Last week we played around with one of the steps and went from one heel click to three. One in front, one in back, and one on the side as we switch feet. Plus I'm now pretty close to nailing the drum-rolls (or some people just call them rolls). Mindy and I love that step to bits and did it a ton. Now when we do it, all of our in-air heel clicks are synchronized and we hit them at the same time. SO fun! This week had some good quotes I thought were kind of funny. Either they really are funny-or it was a "you-had-to-be-there" type of funny. Whatever the case, here they are: (Talking about cramp-rolls) LaRae: You all got that step, yeah? Okay. Now let's make it harder. *thinks, plays with some steps* Oh! Cramp-rolls! *Confused looks from the class* Me: That sounds. . . .uncomfortable. . . (Talking about pull-backs) LaRae: Michael Flatley does them all the time. Me: I can't do them. LaRae: If Michael Flatley can do them, you sure as heck can! My response to that?:..okay..
*I'm not sure if the wordage is 100% but it's pretty close. Lesson-if the teacher says you can do something, you can.
The Technicolor Phase by Owl City (Almost Alice CD. Alice in Wonderland Soundtrack)
Okay! So here's some pictures I've taken lately.
The first set is of Hummingbirds in my backyard. We've got Like 5 different ones that I know of. Sorry for the glare, they were taken through the window.
Now these ones are panoramic ones I took of last night's sunset and today.
First one:
5 minutes later:
5 minutes after the 5 minutes later:
15 minutes after that (from another location, looking out over the valley, and the Great Salt (puddle) Lake, and Antelope Island):
This one was driving home from work today. Typical Utah mountains, green up front and snow capped in the back.
Mona Lisa by Grant Lee Phillips (^Great and beautiful song, you can listen to it from my updated music list over there-->)
Whelp. . .here I am. I know it's been forever, and I don't know how many of you that read this missed me. (But I know my grandma did! Hi, Grandma!!) Okay, well, I'm back from Ireland. My time there was shortened due to lack of information regarding paperwork I apparently needed before I got there and wasn't told about until I was at Customs. Sad but true. My time there was wonderful though, I met some absolutely amazing people and saw magnificent things and learned a lot in my short time there. I've got some great pictures and stories that I'll hold onto forever. Here's some of my favorite pictures: This is the view from my bedroom window. It was the middle of winter, and it's still greener than it is in the middle of our summer. (The little town I lived in was called Coole.)
Tullynally Castle in Castlepollard. Castlepollard is right next to Coole, it's a little bigger of a town. This castle is normally open for tours and such during summer, but seeing as I was there out of tourist season (which was great!) it wasn't open.
Driveway of Tullynally castle. So gorgeous. It "snowed" (more like frost to me) the night before, hence the snow that's stuck to the road (and not the grass). I wish my driveway looked like that. There's a little bit of a glare because I took this through Patrick's car windshield.
Fore Abbey (in Fore, next town from Coole, and Castlepollard). Founded in 630 A.D. by St. Féichín (pronounced Fe-hin). It's settled nicely between two hills. Another perk of going when it's not tourist season is there's nobody to get in the way of pictures!
It's in a ruin-ish state, and it was so quiet there. Walking around it and in it, it felt like Patrick and I were the only two people alive. Kinda weird, yet pretty cool.
These six and a half arches are all that's left of the arches that went around the inside of the courtyard area inside the Abbey.
St. Féichín's Mill. It was IN USE until about 1875. The water comes from Lough Lene on the other side of the hill across the street from the Abbey. The water goes through the hill-but from the lough side it appears as though it's running up the hill. "The water that flows uphill" is one of the Seven Wonders of Fore. Here: http://www.monasette.com/archive/001116.html is a really good explanation of the Seven Wonders if you fancy a look.
Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar (Mullingar is the county city for County Westmeath). Those spires are 140 feet tall and can be seen from miles around Mullingar. It was consecrated in 1936.
Gated archway at the end of the driveway by the Cathedral. There was one over the sidewalks on each side of the driveway.
Gorgeous sunset this night, the sky was cotton candy pink and baby blue.
Pictures really don't do this place justice. A lot of people asked me if I was nervous and/or scared going by myself. And my answer was no. I loved my time there, and I'm itching to go back. The first chance I get, I'm taking it. It's so fantastically wonderful over there. It's known kind of all over the world that the people in Ireland are pretty much the friendliest people you'll meet. And I can say first-hand that is so true! I spent a day in Mullingar by myself and the shop owners, cafe workers will just sit and chat with you (if they're not busy, that is) even the guy at the car wash of a gas station. The lady in one of the shops I went in talked to me for at least 45 minutes. During which she told me I should be in/could be the Rose of Tralee, I'm "absolutely gorgeous". And the guy in the shop across the street from her told me to, "look after myself, now. A pretty little thing like me in a big town like this all by myself." They say what they think, and are quick to smile and laugh or tell a story or joke. I felt easily and comfortably at-home there. Shortly after I got back from Ireland, I was able to get a job as a massage therapist, so that's pretty great. I'm building clientele and having a good time doing what I like. I'm also back dancing. Which is SO great. I was only gone from it for three months and I was surprised how quickly my endurance was taken away. But after a few intense weeks and painful practices I'm pretty much back to normal. And now I'm on a break for a few weeks before starting the 5 week summer intensive course thing. So for the next few weeks I will be teaching myself. I've almost got this learned: And I have this learned: (From 3:10-5:05 it's fun) I also bought a new camera. It's a lovely upgrade from my little point-and-shoot digital. I love it. It's a Nikon D110. Not as nice (and/or expensive) as the super good ones like my dad has, but it's good enough for me for now. I haven't been able to play with it too much, all I've taken pictures of so far are hummingbirds in my backyard. But hopefully I'll get a chance to go out and play with it soon. This is plenty long I think. So I'll end here and post more later.
