Fantripletastic

TBC, One Year Later

2011-09-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Our Teen Book Club has been up and running for a year now, and we're beginning year two! I can't quite believe that. We've had a great year, and learned quite a bit. We've got a new reading list for the next year all picked out, and I'm totally excited for it! We'll be reading:

Little Britches by Ralph Moody -- October
Julius Caesar by Shakespeare -- November
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott -- January
Hamlet by Shakespeare -- February
The Odyssey by Homer -- March
The Virginian by Owen Wister -- April
St. Joan by Mark Twain -- May

The kids did the selection of these titles, all chosen from our list of 400 classic titles in several genres. I'm excited! This is a great list with quite a variety of titles.

If you know anyone, ages 12-18, who like to read and would like to discuss books with some like-minded kids, contact me! We'd love to have new additions to our group.

Don't Worry...

2011-07-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

...I haven't lost my mind. What I did was put tickers on my blog for both my dogs' ages. I guess that makes me weird and dog-obsessed, but they're mildly fun, and why not? Besides, it's not like you readers don't hear about them, anyway. If you're looking at this poor, neglected blog in the first place, it's not a revelation to you that I'm way into my doggles. They are smart, fun, affectionate and, it must be said, gorgeous. They break the cute barrier every day of their furry little lives. So, they get permanent placement on the blog with some low-tech graphics. Worse things have happened.

Things are weird in Juli-land; having no YW obligations this summer has left me just a tiny bit at sea, wondering what I did with myself before I had Mia Maids to worry about. It was a good seven years, though, so I'm not complaining. Just shifting gears. Who wants to go to the movies on Wednesday nights? I'm free. :)

Crunchy and Delightful

2011-04-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

These are my current obsession. My co-workers are wondering what the munching sound is, coming from my cube. You guys now know. Why can't I enjoy quieter snacks?

Book Into Movie

2011-03-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Jane Eyre has been at the top of my list of favorite books for lots of years. Love it. What I haven't loved are the poorly-done film adaptations of the book that I've seen over the years. Inevitably, some fool screenwriter tampered with the story enough to kill it, and no actors measured up to my imagination's conception of the characters.

Suddenly, a new hope arises...

I've read several good reviews of this newest film version of the story. A.O. Scott of the NY Times even said, "Reader, I liked it." ZING!

My hopes are foolishly high, but I can't help it! I love Jane. I love Mr. Rochester. And I'm hoping to meet them on the cinematic plane, with all their magical qualities intact and rendered vividly beautiful. Yes, I want seeing this movie to be as satisfying as reading the book was. I know, it's quite a bit to hope for. Wish me luck.

UPDATE: I absolutely recommend that you see this, if you love the book. It's pretty true to the story, and the feeling of it is perfect; brooding, solitary, bleak, punctuated by glimpses of what's going on in the characters' minds. The music is good, too. But please, please, read the book first. It's the best, and as great as this movie is, it's just an interpretation of the original. So go get it, read it, and then call me so we can talk about how genius it is.

Yes.

2011-02-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

I want this, and more of this. SNOW, PLEASE.

Recommendation

2011-02-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Best. Lotion. Ever. Get you some, ASAP. If you can't find it at a store, try here.

Tribute

2011-02-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

Friends, you know me. I'm steady, reliable, down-to-earth. I'm not given to ridiculous obsessions. Much. And I'm certainly not some crazy pop culture-focused type, though I do follow most of what's going on in the world.

Yeah. Whatever. I'm just going to put something out there that very few people know about me, right here, right now. Get ready.

I love Duff Goldman. The shlubby, goofy, intense, kind of immature STAR of Ace of Cakes. Yes, he's allegedly romantically linked with the frizzy-haired, old French lady (uh huh, I said it) that works in his bakery. Yes, he's four years younger than I am. And yes, he's a celebrity and I am quite literally nobody. But I would TOTALLY marry him. Tomorrow.

Not for the money, friends. You know I'm not all about that. And certainly not for the fame. No way. Let's count the ways it would totally work out between us.

1) He's funny and goofy, but smart. Killer combo.

2) He's a musician. I'm not saying I am one, just saying I like musicians. And music.

3) He LOVES fireworks and fire. I've seen him put many kinds of fireworks IN cakes on his show. There's just nothing sexier, friends.

4) He's really attractive. Not everyone's going to think so, but I am INTO that shaved head and those big brown eyes.

5) He's Jewish, and I'm fine with that. Mazel tov, I say.

Ok, we can't list all the ways he's great. Let's sum up. The impression that I get is that he loves life and runs around having a good time and being happy and enthusiastic about everything. He's not too cool to be charmed and delighted by life; he is the opposite of disaffected and disillusioned. I dig that, big time.

So...his show is over. The Food Network cancelled it. What am I going to do without being able to watch him run around like crazy, being thrilled about cake and good times? I don't know. But I know he should move to Washington and marry me. His show's over. Looks like his schedule's wide open.

Get a move on, Duff Goldman. You'll love the Seattle area. We eat cake here. I'm sure that between the two of us, we can figure out what non-celebrity qualities I (literally) bring to the table. We're a couple of crazy kids, but we can make it.

Duff + Juli = True Love 4-Ever

Song

2011-02-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Kind of in love with this song right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=774mOmdKtZM

Kid Memory

2011-01-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

I was in church yesterday, and my friend's two-year-old got away from her and ran up the steps and on to the stand. She sprinted by the bishopric to the steps at the other end, where her mother was waiting. When she saw her mom, the little girl let out a piercing shriek; my friend grabbed her daughter's hand and took her out into the foyer. I had to laugh just a bit because it reminded me of a moment of Kirry family history.

Alex was 3 years old at the time, and quite a handful. Dale was 9, and very sensitive to anything that would call attention to our family. Poor Dale. There are 6 kids in our family, and we sat on the front pew in Sacrament meeting, every Sunday. My dad was on the High Council and frequently left my mom alone with us in church, to fulfill his speaking assignments. We weren't entirely well-behaved. Sacrament meetings were punctuated by hissed instructions from Mom for us to "sit up", "be quiet", "fold your arms", etc.

One Sunday, Dad was speaking in another ward and Alex was especially rambunctious. He'd tried to escape from my mom during meetings before, and that day, he succeeded. He ran up on to the stand to the (fortunately, vacant) choir seats behind the bishopric. My mom stood up to go after him, but Dale was already on it. He went up on the stand and tried to catch Alex. Dale was quick but Alex was quicker, weaving back and forth along the aisles of the choir seats. Dale was furious and embarrassed, and that is a lethal combination in a 9-year-old -- he was ready to pummel Alex. Alex, not content just to be getting away from Dale, decided to throw out a pretty original taunt. He stopped, turned around, grinned at Dale, waggled his little fingers near his mouth in a ridiculous Groucho Marx imitation and said, "Have a cigar, have a cigar!"

This, as you can imagine, brought down the house. The whole congregation was giggling, except for the ones who were outraged. I don't remember who was speaking, but whoever it was must have been ready to pummel Alex, too. I don't even remember Alex's subsequent capture and removal from the meeting, because I was hunching over in the front pew, torn between laughter and wishing the floor would open up and swallow me, saving me from my embarrassing family. Not the first time I wished it, nor the last, but certainly one of the most memorable times.

So, to my friend who chased her daughter yesterday, this may not be a comforting thought, but please remember...it could have been so very, very much worse.

Juli

Talk

2010-12-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

I re-read Elder Scott's address from the October 2010 General Conference, and it seems to get more profound every time I come back to it. Here are some excerpts:

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want tobecome each day. Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming. Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind. In the next life your righteous character will be evaluated to assess how well you used the privilege of mortality...

“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Thus, every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow. UAdd a Note

The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit and to be obedient to it. Your consistent exercise of faith builds strong character. A secure foundation for your growing character is laid by making Jesus Christ and His teachings the center of your life.

Your happiness on earth as well as your eternal salvation require many correct decisions, none of which is difficult to make. Together those decisions forge a character resistant to the eroding influences of sin and transgression. Noble character is like a treasured porcelain made of select raw materials, formed with faith, carefully crafted by consistent righteous acts, and fired in the furnace of uplifting experience. It is an object of great beauty and priceless worth. Yet it can be damaged in a moment through transgression, requiring painful, prolonged effort to be rebuilt. When protected by self-control, righteous character will endure for eternity."

I think I could read that every day for the rest of my life and get something new from it every time. Here's a link to the entire talk.

Juli

Everything Has a Name

2010-12-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

tmesis

PRONUNCIATION:
(tuh-MEE-sis, TMEE-sis)

MEANING:
noun: Stuffing a word into the middle of another word. Examples: a-whole-nother, abso-bloody-lutely.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek tmesis (a cutting), from temnein (to cut). Ultimately from the Indo-European root tem- (to cut), which is also the source of tonsure, temple, contemplate, epitome, tome, anatomy, and atomy. First recorded use: 1586.

USAGE:"I don't like tmesis; it's abso-bloody-lutely ri-flipping-diculous."Gazza's Decline is a Sad Waste of Talent; Daily Star (London, UK); Oct 25, 2010.

Cool Show

2010-10-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

My good friend Jauna emerged from her eastern Washington habitat last weekend so that we could revive one of our favorite traditions -- lunch at the Rock Bottom Brewery followed by a musical at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle.

We saw In The Heights, and it was...fantripletastic! Great voices, a fast-paced storyline and fun music were the best parts. I heard it described as "West Side Story Lite", and that's fairly accurate; I guess the "lite" part is that it's happier. I highly recommend the show.

Also, it was great to hang out with Jauna!

Juli

Announcement.

2010-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to introduce my new dog, Daisy! I got her from the Adams County Animal Rescue in Othello. They got her from the town pound; she'd been picked up as a stray and left unclaimed, so the rescue took her and posted her on Petfinder. They called her a Chihuahua/Terrier mix. She certainly runs as if she's part Whippet!

Chip's not 100% sold on the idea of a two-dog house. I'm hoping he's going to warm up to her a bit more, soon. She's very playful and works hard at engaging him in stuffed animal tug-of-wars and what I like to call race-and-chase.

She's quite friendly with everyone and very affectionate. She's also extremely energetic and fun! I'm really excited to have her and can't wait for everyone to meet her. Come on over!

Juli

Teen Book Club

2010-09-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Jarrett and I are co-mentoring a book club for teens, where we're taking on classic literature, and they'll be discussing it and writing about it. It's modeled on the classic literature book club that she and I are in with other adults. Last Thursday night was our very first book club meeting, which was overwhelmingly successful! Ten kids were there, and I think they’re all excited about being in book club and becoming educated and finding their life missions. They were all engaged and happy to be there, and so COOL! I’m just beyond excited about how well it went. I think we’ll even have more kids next time, and I can’t wait. My little house is going to be packed!

We started a blog for the kids to post what they write about the books we read, and they're already starting to post to it and make comments. They've even requested an extra meeting day, so we're using the providential 5th Thursday of this month for that. We're going to read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho to discuss for that day, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis for our October discussion. They're also going to choose what we read for the next few months. I'm so encouraged with their enthusiasm and interest, and can't wait to see where we go from here.

This is is link to a movie that Jen made that we showed the kids at our first meeting. It's set to "Whole Wide World" by Mindy Gledhill, and it's designed to inspire the youth to consider their own potential missions in life. Have a look, it's amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arqqhuLZvUw

Poem

2010-08-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

We had an evening of punch, poetry and fancy hats with the YW last week, and I had a fabulous time. Everyone shared poetry, some they'd written themselves. Others, including me, shared poems they loved that someone else had written. I haven't got a kaleidoscopic knowledge of poetry, but I have a few I like. One of them is from Tennyson's "Ulysses", and I had to memorize this passage from that epic for my Senior English class at Grapevine High School. The final line of this selection is the school motto.

Come, my friends,
T'is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Stirring, isn't it?

Juli

Patriotism

2010-07-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

That's what I've got, friends. Running through my veins. How can you tell? Here's how.

This is Emily, daughter of Stands-With-A-Lighter. She's showing you the rocket I'll be blowing up on the 4th. Patriotism. Told ya.

Many regrets for what you're missing to all my friends and fam who are usually there to see the show, but can't be for various reasons. Love and miss you.

Juli

Playlist

2010-06-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've subscribed to iTunes' celebrity playlist podcast just for fun, to see what people out there are listening to and to get some new music ideas. I've been enjoying it and I've even added some of the suggested songs to my little collection. The people presenting the lists give great little snippets before each song selection, telling about why they love it, why it's important to them. This caused me to think about what songs I'd put on my own personal playlist, and what I'd say about each song. The problem is choosing, of course. And, with characteristic ducking of responsibility (I'm VERY good at that) I've decided I'm going to put my iPod on shuffle, let it come up with 10 songs, and I'll comment about why I love each of them. Feel free to not continue reading this post, friends, if it becomes too tedious. Heaven knows I might find it so long before I get to the 10th song. Here we go.

How You Like Me Now --The Heavy
This is FUNKY, and I love it. I love the lead singer's smoky, straining, rough voice, and the old-fashioned feel. The whole thing is hypnotizing. I first heard this when the band performed it on the Letterman show, and I couldn't sit still, I swear. Letterman liked it so much, he came out and asked the band to perform it again. The band looked stunned but pleased, and they ended the show with it still going. Loved it since that moment.

Just Like Heaven -- The Cure
I've been in love with The Cure since high school, of course, and this one is guaranteed to make me smile, any time. It's so happy, and it's about the mysterious and elating feeling of being young and in love and irresponsible. Makes me feel 15 again, like I'm sitting in the car outside the Grapevine ward building after early-morning Seminary, hanging out with my friends.

James Taylor, Live -- Fire and Rain
Who doesn't love James Taylor? I have several of his songs, and I've loved him for a long, long time. He's an amazing songwriter, and this one is heartbreaking and sad and sweet, and just right on many a rainy drive home or when you're lying down and nearly drifting to sleep. The live version is highly preferable. It's incredible.

I Dreamed A Dream -- Glee Cast Version
Ok, I knew putting this thing on shuffle and leaving it up to chance would probably out me, and now it has. I...am...a Gleek. I love that ridiculous show, and I love the music. Lots of great broadway stars and lovely new talent, re-working well-loved songs in new ways that I find totally interesting. This one is a duet sung by Lea Michele, one of the show's leads, and Idina Menzel, broadway superstar. It is GORGEOUS and totally worth getting. This selection also forces me to reveal that I LOVE musicals. LOVE THEM.

Words Fail You -- Kris Delmhorst
You know when you find a song that is deceptively simple that has these incredible lyrics that make you realize that someone else out there in the wide world GETS IT, gets exactly how you feel with all your sadness and pain and has somehow turned that pain into something beautiful? That is THIS song. My friend Jauna introduced me to this song, and I can't get enough of it. It's especially poignant to me, since words are sort of my thing; they're how I make my living and how I connect with the world, and it's true -- they sometimes fail you. Oh, gosh. This song kills me.

If I Knew Then -- Lady Antebellum
So, I wasn't born there, but I spent all my childhood in Texas and still consider myself a Texan. That means that country music is in me, thank goodness. I'm a sucker for a waltz, and this one is great -- it's all about regret and the fragility and rarity of love. The close harmonies are beautiful, and it's got soaring strings and a great sweet-sad feel.

That's Not My Name -- The Ting Tings
This is such a cool song. It's this defiant, sort of girl-power-y rebel song, but it isn't violent or in-your-face, it's just fun and happy. It manages to sound very modern and still make me think of something sort of 80s-ish. It makes you want to dance.

Melt My Heart To Stone -- Adele
Everything Adele does is just mind-blowing. She's got this lush, nuanced, and emotionally raw voice and tends to sing about being done wrong by some man, which just rips your heart out. Try not to cry when you hear "I'd best tidy up my head, I'm the only one in love." Her vocal range is totally incredible, up in the rafters and down in the growly depths and it is mesmerizing.

Tainted Love -- Soft Cell
Wow, I think this song came out when I was in middle school. I remember being captivated by this song, by the relentless, almost monotone melody, punctuated by the trademark synthesized music and drums that make this a classic. You know you love this one.

Seven Nation Army -- The White Stripes
When I first heard this song, I knew I had to have it immediately. It was on the radio and I immediately got on iTunes and bought it. "Everyone knows about it...from the Queen of England to the hounds of hell." That lyric kills me. The whole song makes you just want to be cooler than you ever have been. That bass line that pounds through the whole thing just makes you want MORE. So cool.

There you go, 10 songs. Heaven knows it barely scratches the surface of cool songs, and I don't know that they're the songs I'd have chosen, but the shuffle has spoken and this is what we get. It's not as fun, since you don't get the 20 second sample that comes with the podcast like the celebrities have. Still, fun. Go check out some of them, and let me know how you like them.

Juli

View

2010-06-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

There are many windows in the building where I work, but my seat is in the middle of a work area, closer to a corridor. Here's a pic of the view from my low-walled, little cubicle.

Sometime next month, I get to move to a new building, to a cubicle with higher walls and a bit more room. I'm grateful for a good job.

I did some temple work with Dad last weekend, and it was transcendant. I love being out of the world, contemplating eternity.

My prayer pants are on today for Stands With A Lighter, who is having surgery. Sleep well, Beulah.

Tonight is Love of Learning book club -- looking forward to being inspired!

Juli

Preview

2010-04-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here are Stands With A Lighter's kids, posing with one of last year's rockets. These are very cool kids.

Huge, right? I'm going to need at least one of these. I'm pretty sure the writing on the yellow part of the rocket says something along the lines of "totally legal, and only a little dangerous."

Juli

Spring on the Inside

2010-04-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

A guy I work with grows lilacs and he always brings some in to the office to share with us. I snagged a fistful for the vase on my desk, and they smell like HEAVEN and look so cheerful, I just had to show them off. It's so cliche to gush about spring, so I won't, but look how great these are! Just try not to sing the "Spring, Spring, Spring" song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers while you look.

These are getting me optimistic about future sunshiny days, even in the midst of this dreary one. I talked to Stands With A Lighter yesterday about summer fireworks, and she has promised to cut me in on the deal she gets for rockets. She says she can get me a huge one. Can't wait!!

Juli

Alert

2010-01-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

Rainbow. Right outside my work window. Everything outside drenched in a softly-striped curtain of color. One minute here, the next minute gone, so I didn't get a photo. But it was real and I didn't want to forget it.

My mom says that the test of this life is how we endure the moments between answered prayers. How we act on the answer to our prayers, the patience and hope we keep while we're waiting for more, is the essence of who we are; to keep from despair during the long or short times between those moments is to pass the test.

This year, I want to pass the tests a little more faithfully than I did last year. I'm on the lookout for the next rainbow.

Juli

Complaining Corner

2009-10-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

Usually, I don't tell you guys whatever I'm bummed out about, right? But here are the ways that being acquired by a huge and apparently stone-age corporation will affect your life, if you are me.

1) You've been employed at a company for 9 years which means you get 20 days of vacation each year, and then the new company's HR policy busts you back down to 15 days of vacation each year.

2) This huge company is trapped in the 80's, management-wise, so they have no telecommuting policy. Which translates to, no one is allowed to telecommute.

3) Your manager's manager tells everyone these things, accompanied with the obligatory "be happy you have a job" speech.

On the bright side, I really AM happy that I have a job, but today I'm in a bit of mourning for the above-named losses. I'm going through the stages of grief; I've done Denial, Anger, and Bargaining, and I'm up to Drinking A Can Of Dr. Pepper Because Who Cares. Did you know there are 40 grams of carbs in a can of Dr. Pepper? No one said the grieving process wouldn't be rocky.

Juli

More Memories

2009-08-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

Let's all remember the snack that is a winner and yet won't spoil your dinner. I love when his legs go all wavy.

Juli

Movie Memory

2009-08-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

The movie Sixteen Candles came out when I was 13, and I think I saw it for the first time at someone's sixteenth birthday party. I recently caught just the end of it on TV the other day, and although I remember it being totally brilliant, my adult self just didn't have the same appreciation for it that my teenaged self did. And it has the weirdest break-up scene in the history of cinema:

Hung-over blonde cheerleader, to Jake Ryan: You know, neither one of us is going to, you know, die, if it doesn't work out for us.

Jake: That's true.

Cheerleader: But don't worry, I'm covered ok? I won't get hurt.

Jake: Good.

Cheerleader: Take care of yourself.

Jake: Okay.

(awkward hug)

Seriously, what happened there? I'm mystified. What does, "I'm covered, I won't get hurt" even mean? At the time, I'm sure I just thought I was too immature or uncool to get it. Now I wonder how anyone even knew they were breaking up. It's like they're speaking in code.

Still, Jake Ryan is hot.

Juli

Recovery

2009-08-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

My knee is MUCH better. Turns out, once you stop re-injuring things they tend to heal. I'm pleased to have discovered that breakthrough. Someone name that phenomenon after me.

While I was limping around and using my cane, however, I hated getting in and out of my car the most. It hurt. Here are the various things I wished I could get or take care of at some kind of massive drive-through, during the past 6 weeks:

Books
Birthday Presents and Cards
Envelopes
Physical Therapy and other Dr. Appts.
YW Activity Supplies

I'm just saying, more things should be available via drive-throughs.

Juli

Girl's Camp 09

2009-08-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

This year, I'm only going for Wednesday of Girl's Camp. I'm doing the Golden Hour talk, which is crazy. Put on your prayer pants for me, friends. My talk is treading the perpetually fine line between cheesy and interesting-to-teenaged-girls-yet-spiritually-uplifting. Pray for a cheese free experience, por favor. Gracias.

In other news, the knee is improving. I'm still rocking the un-sexy, 4-legged cane, and the pain is definitely more bearable. A trip to an Ortheopaedist to get a more expert opinion about the root cause of all this is in my future.

Kristin's going to be my chauffeur down to camp tomorrow, and that is a fantastic and wonderful thing because driving is the most painful part of my day and camp is FAR. Away. Ok, 2 hours, but still. Far. I owe her big for this one.

Hope your summer is going beautifully! Let me know what you're reading, I need some new ideas.

Juli

Summer Stuff

2009-06-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

I love summer for lots of reasons. Here are a few.

Sometimes, we go for a few days in a row with no rain. I love the rain and I love the Pacific Northwest, but when the sun comes out it's kind of like a little miracle, just for us. Thanks, summer.

Kids get to get out of school. I still have to go to work, but I remember and love that delicious feeling of summer vacation, without homework and with lots of pool time coming. Awesome. Plus, they often run through sprinklers, and it's so fun to watch kids do that. Moms, let your kids run up your water bill shamefully this summer. It's worth it.

It's finally warm enough to leave doors/windows open in the evening, and Chip gets to run outside whenever he wants. We both love it.

July 4, one of my favorite holidays, is smack in the middle of summer. I love all of it -- the big family party, the cook-out food, the fire pit hang-out time, the feel of sunblock/insect repellent-coated skin, flags everywhere, and most of all...fireworks. Big ones, with lots of color and multiple explosions that make you happy to be ALIVE. Oh, gosh. Fireworks.

I don't know why I had to make a numbered list about it, but there you go.

I am totally digging this song lately, and it sounds SUPER summery to me. It's Metric, singing Gimme Sympathy. Enjoy.

Juli

Finally

2009-05-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Where has this been all my life? I'm totally excited. Check out the "Finale Racks" and "Repeaters" sections.

July 4 is coming up, people. I am accepting requests.

Juli

Literature + Celebration = Literation

2009-04-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting another Literary Night for the Everetteo Young Women, and I'm all fired up over it again. Great and superbly-written books are the most capitvating and fascinating source of entertainment and enlightenment ever invented.

I won't inundate you with another long list of quotes like I did last time, but I simply have to share the majesty of one of my favorite books of all time -- Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. The language of that book knocks me OUT, every time I read it. Here's the moment of decision for Jane, when she's faced with the most difficult decision of her life. It starts with Mr. Rochester asking her to leave her life behind and live with him, without marrying him.

"Is it better to drive a fellow-creature to despair than to transgress a mere human law, no man being injured by the breach? for you have neither relatives nor acquaintances whom you need fear to offend by living with me?"

This was true: and while he spoke my very conscience and reason turned traitors against me, and charged me with crime in resisting him. They spoke almost as loud as Feeling: and that clamoured wildly. "Oh, comply!" it said. "Think of his misery; think of his danger--look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair--soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?"

Still indomitable was the reply--"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad--as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth--so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane--quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot."

I want to be on this lady's team, don't you? Don't worry, things mostly work out for Jane and Mr. Rochester. But they only work out because she doesn't give in. If you haven't read this book, do it! And then call me so we can talk about it. You won't regret it.

Juli

More Opportunities

2009-03-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

I had this conversation a few months ago at work, and I remembered it a little the other day and it made me laugh.

Cow-orker #1: Juli, did you go to WSU?
Me: No. Brigham Young University.
Cow-orker #1: (stunned silence) Did you say Brigham YOUNG?
Me: Yep.
Cow-orker #2: Did you know Jim McMahon?
Me: Way before my time.
Cow-orker #2: Steve Young?
Me: Also before my time.
Cow-orker #1: What was your time?
Me: Ty Detmer.
Cow-orker #1: (snorting) Detmer. (pause) Are you Mormon?
Me: Yep.
Cow-orker #1: How's that working out for you?
Me: Just fine. Thanks for asking.
Cow-orker#2: Do you drink?
Me: Nope.
Cow-orker #2: I know some Mormons who flipped, and now they drink.
Me: So do I.
Cow-orker #2: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Me: I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters.
Cow-orker #1: Do you go door to door?
Me: No.
Cow-orker #1: Oh, I guess that's Jehovah's Witnesses. Have you ever watched the HBO show, "Big Love"?
Me: Yep.
Cow-orker #1: Did you enjoy it?
Me: No.
Cow-orker #1: Is that real? Do they really have communities like that?
Me: I don't know. I doubt it.
Cow-orker #1: I talked to Donny Osmond once. Did he ever mention me?
Me: Not specifically.

Do let me know if you've had similarly bizarre conversations.

Juli

Opportunities Right In My Way

2009-03-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

I got an email containing an ad by mistake, or "pretend" mistake, from whoever is the marketer for Husky smokeless tobacco and who thinks my name is Jeff Kith. People who sell dip must be getting super-desperate for legal advertising outlets. I've never even heard of this brand before, but now that it could help me win a prize every day, wow. Now I'm ready to consider it.

These warnings trailed down the edge of the ad:

Stop, Husky. You had me at "mouth cancer."

Juli

Updatery

2009-01-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

I know, it's been a while. Was your life really so empty without my nonsensical blog posts? Come on. As my Dad would say, buck up.

Christmas was pretty dang good, even with all the snowy and rainy Pacific Northwest weather. We had some memory-making moments, with everyone basically sliding down the lane at the Beach House. I was pretty proud of myself for not wrecking my car. Thanks, guardian angels. There were great moments with all the neices and nephews, lots of food, plenty of games of chicken-foot (dominoes) and Wii (everything).

My camera was not-to-be-found before I left for the beach house, so I'm using a pic Melanie took. Mel, please think of it as an homage instead of stealing, k?

The power never went out through all the storms. Christmas Miracle!

In other news, Cooper Sterling was born on January 6 to Alex and Collyn. Can't wait to meet him in person! I'm pleased to report two firsts from last night's visit to the Mukilteo fam.

1) William saw his brother and sister running to hug me at the door. He usually takes a minute to decide I'm still as awesome as the last time he saw me and then hands out the hugs. But yesterday pure peer pressure kicked in, and after a little hesitation he ran to me, Matthew-and-Abby-style. Do you love when kids run to see you like that, arms out, yelling your name and trying to tell you everything they can think of at once? It's the best.

2) Matthew read 2 books to me! He's an excellent reader and I'm really proud of him.

I love being an aunt! It's a great blessing, and I'm really lucky. In fact, I'm feeling exceptionally blessed in many ways as I start out 2009. I'm deeply grateful for a wonderful family, a good job, a home, amazing young women, and many friends who keep me sane and happy and include me in their lives. Most of all, I'm thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and for a new year in which to improve and grow in the knowledge of how to follow Him better. Happy New Year!

Juli

Holiday Preview

2008-11-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year, even with rainy/windy weather. I love that Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's Day are almost upon us. I love that I get to spend some time with my family. I'm so proud to be one of them. We are weird, we are complex, sometimes we're incomprehensible, but we love each other and we laugh when we're together. I love you, family. And those of you who weren't born in my family but are still my family, this means you, too. You know who you are.

I love the holidays!

Juli

Crafty

2008-10-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today Dale brought Matthew, Abby and William over so we could do Halloween crafts and hang out. We had fabulous times! We made mix and match construction paper jack-o-lanterns, mummy-wrapped hot dogs, and the first cocoa of the season. We played at the park and watched School House Rock. Hooray! I'm not at all crafty, so our Halloween projects are always an adventure. I should have taken photos, but I was just caught up in all the moments and didn't stop to photograph. Thanks for all the good times, WAM fam! Love you so very much.

Juli

My Birthday is Coming Right Up

2008-10-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Coach, why have you gone and named a handbag after me? Oh, yes, because it is luxurious and beautiful. How obvious.

Crisis

2008-10-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

I've been obsessively reading all the articles about the financial crisis that is going on in America, just because I don't really get how it happened and what is going to happen because of it. Turns out, hardly anyone does, except that everyone knows it's more than bad. It's catastrophic, and no one knows whether financial markets will ever recover fully. Usually, I try really hard to ignore anything to do with financial...anything. I hate it. But I've been forcing myself to listen to podcasts by National Public Radio about it, and it really explains things well. Go here and read the blog, and sign up for the podcasts. If even I can understand what they're saying, you know they're explaining things well.

Juli

Literary Relish

2008-09-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

I've been preparing for the the Mia Maid-Laurel Literary Night I'm leading tomorrow. I'm going to be talking about the importance of literature, what makes a classic, and giving some ideas about how to read and why, as Harold Bloom would say. I'm remembering now all the times in college when I tormented my roommates and neighbors by making them quit whatever they were doing so I could read them something that I found cool or exciting or moving. They had to listen to lots of Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf and W.B. Yeats, and I read portions of MLK Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech out loud to the room in general way too many times. I ended each reading with demands that the listeners agree with me that it was the coolest thing they'd ever heard. The number of times that my friends must have wanted to tell me to shut it, but kept it to themselves, must have been legion. Thanks, everyone.

I'm putting together some literary quotes to give the YW. My enthusiasm runneth over, as usual, so I had to put some of my favorites in here.

"Whatever comes," she said, "cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it." — Frances Hodgson Burnett (A Little Princess)

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity. " — William Butler Yeats (The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats)

"From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day." — William Shakespeare (Henry V)

"This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body." — Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass)

I could go on and on, as usual. Even now, it's causing me anguish that I'm leaving some things out; the hand-out I have for the YW is already five pages long. I love books!

Juli

Puppy Love

2008-09-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

If I were to get a second dog, I would want him to look like this.

I love him like Melanie loves tiny goats. Milo would be a good name for him, I think.

Juli

R.I.P.

2008-09-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today's drive to work was not awesome. I was heading down the Boeing freeway and a squirrel darted out into traffic just ahead of me. He got scared and turned around and went back; I passed over the top of him, but he kept going and so my back wheel clipped him. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw him struggle slowly back to the side of the road.

I know there's nothing I could have done. It happened so fast, but I felt like it was going in slow motion. Swerving or slamming on my brakes would have caused an accident, and I did the only thing I could do. But I've maimed a small furry creature who never hurt anyone, which will probably die a horribly slow and painful death now. I'm pretty sick about it. I'm sure it had a little squirrel family, and what's going to happen to them now?

No one post any stories about animals you've inadvertently killed, ok? I can't handle hearing about the death toll. I think I may have to face this squirrel on judgment day, to account for my squirrel-slaughter. Pour one out for hurt squirrels today.

Juli

Leisure Activities

2008-09-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

This month I've been reading The Taming of the Shrew, so I'm feeling all Shakespearean and crazy. The DVD was on sale at Border's for $7.99, so I got it. Wow, Elizabeth Taylor is good. You should Netflix it, or borrow it from me. You won't regret it.

Anyone want to play Settlers of Catan? I am GOOD at it, I don't mind telling you.

One more reason to get a Wii -- Raider's of the Lost Ark, lego-style. Matthew got it for his birthday and Dale and I played it a little on Saturday night. Good times. I still might actually get one for myself. We'll see.

Juli

Connexions

2008-08-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I know we don't spell it that way, but shouldn't we? I don't think we use the letter x enough, and this is a way to get it into circulation.

I'm coming into the 21st century and I've finally joined a social networking site, namely Facebook. It's kinda fun -- a few people I haven't connected with for a long time are popping up like daisies in my e-garden. If you're on Facebook, make me a friend so I'm not lonely out there in chilly cyberspace. Thanks.

The other thing I'm finally up and running with is Good Reads. Have you tried this? Sign up and you can create a list of books you've read, are currently reading, or want to read. Then you connect up with other people to see what they're reading and see what they think. It's fun. Add me a as a friend there, too, so I can see what you're reading.

Wow, I have several assignments for you today. Let's see how fast you can do them -- I'll time you!

Juli

Break A Leg

2008-08-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Jauna, Patrick and I went to see Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn last Saturday. We saw it at Taproot Theater in Seattle and I highly recommend it. The singing was great, the acting was great, and the theater is small enough so that you feel like you're practically friends with the actors by the end. If you're at all into musicals, this is totally your scene. Get on it.

Hey, if you get a chance to be in a choir, do it. That's my public service announcement for the day. It's not always fun, but sometimes it is. And maybe you'd like it. Amen.

Juli

Kid Laughs

2008-08-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

I went over to Dale and Michelle's on the way home tonight for a few family moments. We took a Juli/Dale/William walk and Matthew/Abby bike ride to see the wooden bears down the street and then we played Dogopoly (Dog Monopoly. Genius.). Before they went to bed, we did my very favorite thing -- we read books!

Tonight we read a short Christmas book, requested by Abby. And then Matthew chose one of his favorites, called What Are You So Grumpy About? If you haven't experienced it, I recommend you run to the library or bookstore and get it, if you have a kid in your life. Matthew couldn't have laughed harder, and he's had it read to him a hundred times. You know those contagious kid belly laughs? That's what he was giving out. He was particularly tickled by the part where the kid in the book has to go to some grownup's house and hear boring discussions about "organic broccoli." He suggested that I have some for dinner, and that was equally hilarious.

William loved whatever we were reading, and he was very sleepy and lounge-y, and so cute. I love hanging out with these guys, they're so much fun. Thanks for the good times, WAM FAM! Aunt Juli loves you.

And for more reading fun, I'm half-way through Little Britches by Ralph Moody. It's a bit like a male version of Little House on the Prairie, very well-written and evocative of the American past. I wish I'd read it when I was about 10 or so. I recommend it! Give me a shout out if you're reading something fun. I always like to hear about books other people love.

Juli

Who Loves Girl's Camp?

2008-08-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't? I went out to Zion's Camp last week to see all my ladies out in nature. I took Stephenie and Ashlynn with me, and it was so good to be with them. We may have gotten lost just a little. Or, a lot. But we had fun once we got there.

We left camp at about 11:30 that night and went to Denny's on the way home. Our fellow diners were absolutely...what you'd expect at 1:00 a.m. at a Denny's in Tacoma. We laughed a lot and I remembered why I never eat there. Good times!

Woops, forgot my YCL pic -- Rachel, Morgan, and Amberley. Go camp!

In the store on Thursday, I saw my first Halloween candy of the season. I guess everyone needs to start thinking about costumes...and Thanksgiving...and Christmas. Sigh. I wish summer was just a little bit longer.

Juli

Celebrate Good Times

2008-08-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while, friends. My only excuse is that I wanted to make and post photo slideshows instead of posting a big string of photos, and I finally had to admit that I couldn't just figure out how to do it alone. Melanie is the best tech support in all the land. Lylas.

So....week before last, Clint and Melissa and kids came to visit! I had a great time, as you can see from my very first photo slideshow, below. Meri and Lily and I did a few glamour shots and Tommy rocked a faux hawk like a pro. The theme for the beach house party this year was the ocean/Hawaii, so there were artistic fish hung from the dining room chandelier, Hawaiian music that we could hula to, and lots of shell gathering and admiring. I will refrain from adding photos of me totally knocking out Lily at Wii boxing, since it reflects poorly on my image as a kind and loving aunt to have me seen cheering as I pummel her mercilessly, wii-style. But let it be known, I totally won.

Last weekend was the double birthday for Matthew, now 6, and William, now 1. I love you two guys and I'm so happy that you're in our family! We had a fabulous party, and so much fun. There was karaoke, and Dale and Clint favored us with some hits from back in the day. We sang, we danced, we played with toys...all in all, a perfect birthday extravaganza.

Cute kids and fun times. I love you, fam!

Ok, 1 photo of me winning at boxing.

Juli

Ok, Ruin It

2008-07-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

Oh, gosh. I had to add to the ruining stories, because this one is the greatest. Today I got an email at work describing the Team USA Soundtrack that AT&T is sponsoring; every day of the Olympics, the AT&T site will have a new song available for download "from some of today's top artists" that are written especially for the Olympics. They sent out a video to all the employees of some apple-cheeked, blond, 80's-bobbed, AT&T VP of something to introduce Nelly, who looks into the camera and says, "Shout out to AT&T, yo. Let's do this, aight?" Wow. Then he sings a song about being a warrior.

If Nelly can fall asleep at night after that, it's only because he does it by counting the many, many dollar bills he made by humiliating himself that way. I'm a white lady, but even I could see his rapper street cred evaporating before my eyes. Embarassing and hilarious. Thanks, AT&T.

Don't Ruin It

2008-07-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

I was in the Muk-town QFC on Friday and saw something unsettling. Everyone knows that I love me some pumpkin pie, to the point that I have designated it as my birthday cake. Yes, pie is my cake. But QFC had a huge table devoted to pumpkin pies on Friday. Tons of them, in the middle of summer. Don't wreck the autumnal/wintertime specialness of pumpkin pie by trying to push it on us during July, QFC. Uncool. Just stick to whatever strawberry-gelled swill or 3-bean salad you usually pile on during the summer.

Speaking of ruining...have you seen the ads for Mamma Mia, the movie? I went to that show at the Paramount twice, and have fond memories of dancing in the aisle with Jauna and then again with Mom. Love Abba songs and loved the show, but I just can't see it being any good on film. I mean, remember when they made Phantom into a movie? That didn't work, either. If you've seen the Mamma Mia movie and it's awesome, tell me. I'd love to know that it survived. But Pierce Brosnan, the singer? Come on. I doubt it, friends.

Juli

The Cabbages

2008-07-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my dear friends Jauna and Patrick Cabbage brought their daughter Emily and came to visit for the weekend. I'm always so happy to see them, but I'm even more excited now that they have Emily. She's adorable and busy and we are super-tight. Look how cute!

They brought me a bunch of apricots from their own tree, which were absolutely scrumptious. On Saturday the Cabbages went to Sequim to try out for Wheel of Fortune. They didn't get to play the game on-site, but their applications are in for the big dance so keep your fingers crossed that we see one of them on TV at some point. We laughed, we stayed up way too late, we had a great time. Patrick took my camera and captured some beautiful moments. Well, ridiculous moments, actually. Jauna and Patrick:

And, my least favorite person on TV, courtesy of Patrick. If this lady would go away, the world would be a better place.

I went to the beach house while they were at try-outs, and did my first interview with Dad for his life history. Wow, that was 3 hours of interesting stuff. I think I'm going to have to get a digital voice recorder or something, to capture everything. Call me and ask about the cool stories I heard, you won't be sorry.

I was introduced to something truly addictive this weekend, courtesy of the Cabbages. Sunday morning, Patrick found a cinnamon swirl cake mix in my pantry, whipped up the cake batter, and made it into waffles. I'm sure that this is the way the Lord meant for his children to eat cake, frankly. It is a dangerous and beautiful thing. If you've never tried it, give it a shot. I recommend you designate it as a dessert-only substance and keep it controlled. Seriously, it was fantastic.

Thanks for coming to visit me, Cabbages!

Juli

Summer Vacation 2008

2008-07-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the highlight pics from this month. FUN! This is Benny's Jets, better known as the fireworks mall. Notice the yellow shopping baskets by the entrance. Mom and I filled a couple of those in less than 20 minutes.

What's more fun than a wheelbarrow full of fireworks? Not much. Note the aircraft carrier in the middle, quite a highlight. And we covered all the bases with gender-specific kid packs. Plenty of tanks and racecars for everyone. Whew.

I had to get a shot of just the big ones, mostly so CarolAnn could have a look. CarolAnn is a fellow fireworks freak. Among her people, she is known as Stands-With-A-Lighter.

I did the honors of setting most of these off, with some help from Dale. They were amazing and huge and colorful. Loved them! They were over all too quickly, of course. The rest of the 4th was fantastic, with family and food and fun. Melanie, I should have taken a pic of the flag cake, but didn't. Sorry. Please know that it was a triple-berry-triple-delight monument to America.

Look at this cute little family! Matthew's around somewhere, running around with Kent and probably carrying around one of the fireworks packs. And William can barely be contained, coming at me through the glass door. He's getting so tall!

The next week after everyone was gone, things calmed down at the beach house. It was a great opportunity to walk around on the beach and let the dogs be my tour guides. They're awesome at it.

As always, it was a phenomenally great, relaxing and exciting vacation and I'm so grateful to my very generous parents who welcomed me and my dog and even seemed happy to have us. :) What other resort would be as fabulous? I'm the luckiest. I love you, parents.

Coming up: Cabbage invasion!

Juli

Backlog

2008-07-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

What's up, friends? I know I've left my blog without an update for a shamefully long time. I'd like to be able to say that hot air balloon rides and personal celebrity appearances have been preventing the update, but no. It's because I keep thinking, "Wow, I need to get my vacation pics up on the blog" and then I forget. No good reasons. So I'll do pics from the 4th of July, etc., but I thought I'd just give you some highlights before I do all the pic posting.

July 4th was a patriot's dream at the beach house this year. It was like Paul Revere rode through and Patrick Henry pulled up a chair on the deck for a burger with the folks. There was a new U.S. flag on the flagpole, fireworks were stacked in the garage with care, and the macaroni salad flowed like wine. It was great. Dale and Michelle and family were there, along with our cousin Kaylene, her husband David, and their kids, Kent and Mary. The dogs were in heaven with so many little people to pet them who also like to carry hot dogs around at accessible heights. The Seattle area isn't known for great 4th of July weather but we beat the odds, people -- it was gorgeous.

In the early evening we broke out the kid packs of fireworks and everyone went crazy for tanks, race cars, goldfish, chickens, and everything that would shriek and throw sparks. Matthew was especially taken by the aircraft carrier. Later on, it was time to get out the big kid fireworks. No disappointments there. I got the biggest roman candles I've ever seen, and they were awesome. Many thanks to Dale who wouldn't let me hold them but planted them safely in the beach sand. I was initially sad about it, but recognized his wisdom when I lit the things. Massive. We also had several very cool cakes and ended up with the Fortune 500 cake for a finale. It was a good show, and as always I was sad to see it end. The rest of the vacation was also wonderful. There were some solo and group Wii moments, and I'm still a big fan.

During the vacation I also did some background research for a big project I'm just beginning. I'm going to write my dad's life history. Going through three big binders of papers and photos and keepsakes gave me a good flavor for what I want to do, and I got an initial outline done. Then this past weekend I did the first interview with Dad. Wow. I'm daunted by the magnitude of the task a bit, but not discouraged. He's an interesting subject, to say the least. We'll see what I can make of it since I am a complete amateur at this. Wish me luck.

More soon, with pics!

Juli

Baby Birds

2008-07-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday we had our send-off party for the Laurels who are graduating from high school and leaving the Evereteo (Everett 2nd + Mukilteo) nest. Five are graduating, and four of the five are going to BYU-I. What's so great about Rexburg? These four will be the best things about it, come August.

Only 3 of the ladies could come to our send-off party, but it was still fun! My part of the extravaganza was to collect childhood and YW memories of each girl and sort of do a little stand-up about it. It was fine, and I managed not to cry too much. :)

From the left, this is Erin Duce, Stephenie Braden, and Ashlynn Westergreen. Our FANTRIPLETASTIC Mia Maid advisor, Abby Karpowitz, made a movie of YW and kid pics of each of the girls with music and cool quotes, and we all watched it. We told lots of stories and talked and ate pizza and cake, and had the best time.

From the left, Ashlynn with her mom, Stephanie with her parents, and Erin with hers.

With the leaders! From the left, Abby K., Stacey P., Stephanie A., Jill H., Stephenie, Ashlynn, Me, Erin, and Ann.

And all my girls who were there! From the left, Megan, Cassie, Heidi, Erin, Rachel, Alyssa, Stephenie, and Ashlynn.

I'm so proud of all these ladies, and I'm going to miss the graduates like crazy. I'd still better get your crazy texts at all hours, not to mention all the updates as they happen. Love you guys!

Juli

Happy Summer!

2008-07-01T16:44:00.001-07:00

I'm on vacation! Lucky for me, the best place to vacation is on the Olympic Peninsula, where I bask in Beach House joy. Yesterday, we got caught on the Hood Canal bridge while a submarine went through. Dad got a great shot of it.

I love being here and I'm so excited to get fireworks! The weather couldn't be nicer, and Chip is beside himself with joy.

I'm sure that I'll have more updates as the festivity preparations proceed. Everyone on your way here, hurry up! Everyone else, I miss you!

Love, Juli

Father's Day Fun

2008-06-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, I held down the Father's Day traditions for the family. Whew. It was a gorgeous morning,

Mom played the organ for Sacrament Meeting, and look how adorable she is:

Dad got his annual bottle of Aqua Velva,

I made the tapioca pudding,

It was an even more beautiful afternoon;

And Dad had his ceremonial bite of pudding from "his" bowl.

In other highlights, the power went out during Sacrament Meeting, so we got to go home early. Also, I won the inaugural Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Wii game against Mom and Dad. Dad was a whole lot sad about it, poor guy. I'm sure he'll improve, with a little practice. :)

Juli

The Latest

2008-06-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I was introduced to the crystal meth of the video game world, known as Mario Party 8. It was pretty amazing. Guess who is SO good at it? Matthew, naturally. I'm an amateur, but he is the Jedi of Wii gaming.

The annual excitement of the Kirry Beach House July 4 Extravaganza is just around the corner! You all know how much I look forward to fireworks every year, and this year is no different. I will be trying to keep my impulses to get 'just one more' under control. I promise. I think. I'm sticking with cakes, no messing around with single mortars or anything. It's all about the color, the explosions. And roman candles. Big ones. Don't worry, there will be tanks and fun stuff before the main show, as always. If you're going to be there, get excited. And anyone reading this is invited, of course.

New cool book alert: I'm in the midst of The Book Thief by Markus Zusack, and it is incredible. Many thanks to Jen Sandberg, the most well-read person I know, for introducing it to me.

Thanks for sampling a little fantripletastic today --

Juli

To Wii, or Not to Wii...

2008-06-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since my mom got a Wii for her birthday, I've been kind of digging the whole Wii thing. I played it at Dale and Michelle's and enjoyed it, and I've been on the fence about getting myself one. It feels like an extravagant and decadent purchase, so I have been looking at it online at various sites, generally coveting it, and figuring it probably, ultimately, wouldn't be for me.

Until 2 days ago.

I got an electronic statement in my email from Wells Fargo, giving me the point total that I've racked up in their "My Rewards" program. This little gem of a system mysteriously tallies the purchases I make using my debit card and gives me points. I have about 17,600, so far. In exploring my options, I find that I could use those points to get a $150 gift card to Toys R Us, which is selling the console for $249.99. Could I get a Wii and only spend $100 of actual money? It looks like it!

Should I do it? Consider this: I can also trade these points in for Chevron gas cards of about the same monetary value. Surely, that would be the more prudent purchase, in these trying times. And yet, I had a great time playing Super Mario Galaxy with Matthew. How can one put a price on the love strengthened between a nephew and his aunt as he watches her avatar find power stars? I hear you answer, friends -- one cannot.

Look at this face -- I could potentially put more smiles on this face!

I'll let you know what I decide.

Juli

Where It Began...

2008-06-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Can you hear the the beginning strains of "Sweet Caroline" when you read those words? I'll bet you can, friends.

Hey! I never thought I'd blog and I'm a bit unsure about the whole thing. I mean, will anyone care that my dog is cute and I like fireworks and ridiculous things sometimes happen to me? I doubt it. But here's how I started. I was chatting to my sister Melanie the other day (what follows is not at all perfectly faithful report of our conversation, but it covers the facts)...

Melanie: Skyler says you should start a blog.
Me: What? Who would read it, besides him?
Melanie: I would. And Mom and Dad would like it. It's fun to make it a journal, kind of, and it means you'll take more pictures. It's fun to find things to say and an interesting way to say them

....and fade back to the present.

She made it sound kind of fun. So now you know that this was Skyler's idea, helped along by Melanie. I promise to try to make it fun and as free from boring stuff as possible.

To explain the title: 'fantripletastic' is an adjective I assign to the coolest of cool things. Here are the top three fantripletastic things of the day:

I'm in love with a radio show. It's called Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL) and it's on KIRO 710 AM in Seattle. That's right, an AM radio show. It is PHENOMENALLY cool. I listen to it on the podcast, so I skip all the ads. It's basically a funny, pop-culture-centric discussion between the host, the engineer and the producer. I find them smart and funny. NOTE: I still listen to Alex's show first and foremost. But I wish The Nightside Project could be more fun and less politics sometimes, and TBTL does that.
In preparation for joining a new book club, I'm re-reading Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. I heart Shakespeare with my whole heart, and these are two of my favorite plays ever. If you have any spare time, read some Shakespeare and then call me so we can talk about it. You won't be sorry and neither will I.
Have I mentioned that my dog is CUTE? He is. So cute. I put in a pic so that you may admire the sleepy perfection of him.

So, that's my first day's effort. I hope you enjoyed it.

Juli