Pardon the Interruption

For all of you peeps and non-peeps alike ... the whole "BIG LOVE" thing going on right now is kind of a big deal. Generally I don't have a problem with the show (never seen it but the concept is not overly offensive to me) because I know that its television and that they got it all wrong anyway. I can let that all go. But what I do get upset about is hearing about the upcoming episode that depicts the temple ceremonies. The temple is the most important thing to me - its perhaps my most sacred and dear aspect of my belief.

Depicting it on television is not okay with me.

Those of you who know me, know that I don't get easily upset by the silly things that the world and the media do and say about the Mormons. I can take it all with a grain of salt and shrug it off. Making light or just being frivolous about the temple is the one area that I cannot shrug off. It makes me sad and upset and even angry. Sacred things are not to be trivialized.

The temple is the place I feel the most peace, I feel closest to God, and I feel at home. I learn something new every time I go. The spirit there makes me want to be better and to realize my potential.

That being said ... you may be wondering what the big deal is ... and why we build temples. The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints complied a video and put it on YouTube to explain it. It is a beautiful overview.

running and writing

Ran a ten-minute-mile for the first time in my life yesterday. I had to convince myself to do it every step of the way. Don't be too impressed, I quit after one mile.

In all honesty I had already run 2 miles at my usual 11 1/2-minute-mile pace before deciding to give it a go ... the first 10 minutes of running are my least favorite so I couldn't start the ten minute mile right away. Come to think of it, the last 5 minutes are no fun either ... which leaves a solid 10-15 minutes of feeling alright while running ... this "feeling alright" is a relative feeling of course.

Update: I am 4 pounds away from my goal weight! So far I have lost 38.4 pounds in six months ... yeah, I almost don't believe it myself. Crazy. I must say - the last 10 pounds are the hardest and by far are taking the longest. So if you need some inspiration ... a motivator ... a cheerleader ... I promise you I can help. Drop me a line.

In other news ... I have OFFICIALLY started writing the first draft of my thesis (everyone scream YAY!) For the first time I feel like I can actually do this and have a vision of what it looks like. For soooo long ... like before I even came to graduate school ... since like 2006 ... I knew what I wanted to write about (Kelly - remember those talks on the way to the metro from the gym? "The Greening of Preservation" I believe was the title ... well its changed a bit since then ... but the general idea is very much still there!) The research, writing, editing, and re-writing process is a beast ... but I can honestly say that it has actually started to click (I am sure there is more writers block in my future).

I can also honestly say that its amazing how the Lord helps you get your "to do" list done when you put Him first. I have noticed that as I put my church calling (job/work/responsibilities for all you non-peeps out there) first and serve and make time for people that my capacity is enlarged ... capacity to write, to read, to think, to listen, to comprehend, to express, to serve, to love, and to give is all increased at the same time. As I read the Book of Mormon everyday I feel the peace and reassurance that I can get through whatever comes my way as I seek to know my Father in Heaven better and to emulate my Savior Jesus Christ. Reading the BOM everyday is something I have never been good at but I re-committed to do it after a challenge by my Bishop starting February 1st ... I am happy to report that I am keeping it up and really really enjoying it! So that is my testimony ... put the Lord first and He will help you push through it all and get it done. Not that I don't have hard days or unproductive days or even terrible, horrible, rotten, no good, very bad days ... but just that I have a better capacity to breathe and know that this too shall pass ... and I remember the things that are really important. I feel blessed.

where does the time go?

February is already half-over (thank heavens ... I am not a fan of this month ... more on that later) and I was reflecting on what has happened and what I haven't posted about.

I went to the Pacific Life Bowl Game on December 30th with my oldest brother. UO Ducks were playing Oklahoma State in San Diego. I got tickets and new exactly who would appreciate hooking him up ... since he always does the same for me.

I had a birthday ...
My roommie bought me flowers ... isn't that nice?!

I went out to dinner with friends for the birthday
(even though I was sick)
and wore this belt buckle I haven't worn in years
(because I couldn't for year ... if you know what I mean)
so I had to show it off and wear my shirt tucked in.
I know you can't tell but it has a lion head ... its pretty rad.

So about this whole not liking February thing. Its not because of Valentine's Day (typical conclusion to be drawn, but not the reason for my dislike) ... its because its a really crappy month.

Let us outline why.

The holidays are over by this time ... Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years ... and their residual effects have worn off as well.

My birthday has come and gone ... and to make matters worse ... I was sick this year.

Winter and coldness is STILL here and not letting up anytime soon.

And this year ... I am writing a thesis and February marks just four months left to do so ... and I am stressing out about it.

Need I say more???

So a few years ago I decided I would take trips in February. It hasn't worked out every year ... but I am going to try to do that since it makes me feel better about the month. This year I went to Salt Lake City, Utah. Not too glamorous, but a good get-away none-the-less.

Saw this guy in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He and a bunch of his lion friends are on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
I guess I have a thing for lions these days.

Went to the Logan Temple for the first time. It is soooo beautiful!
Loved every minute of it.

More pictures ... its just sooo amazing:

triggers

i inserted this wonderful CD by this wonderful choir into my computer a few moments ago to add the playlist to my itunes ... then i went about putting things away as i prepared for bed. i was taking out my contacts and putting on my glasses when i heard a sound that triggered a memory. you know how a smell or a sound or a song suddenly brings back a vivid memory? its crazy how it just takes you back! that is what happened when itunes was done importing the CD - it makes that little "blip" sound (how on earth do you describe it?) to let you know that its completed the task at hand ... you know the one from back in the day of AOL/AIM when a "buddy" had sent you a message?! Does anybody else remember that?!



Sigh ... anyway i was instantly taken back to my freshman year in college (over 7 years ago) when my boyfriend and i would talk online across three states for hours at a time. that nervous excitement i got when i heard that sound - that he was online at the same time as me and wanted to talk. i was breathless with anticipation ... hanging on every letter of every word he typed and sent my way ... (wow - i was young and had it bad ... had it real bad .... hahahahaha - still friends with a few people that could definitely voucher for just how bad i had it!)

whoa ... i haven't thought about those conversations in forever ... strange how one little sound can stir a memory.

O-BAMA O-BAMA O!

I have never been so proud to be an American as I am right now. I have never felt more hope and patriotism and belief in my country than I do in this moment. Not a moment of victory really, a moment of relief, confidence, and hope. So many of the elections - mayor, governor, senator, representative, president - incited action and awareness. I am most impressed with the way people came out and stood in line to vote, to be counted, to matter. I am also deeply humbled by President-elect Obama's "victory" speech because of his humility and grace (transcript in post below ... couldn't yet find the video of it.)

UPDATE: Found the video - scroll down to the FULL SPEECH ... the rest are just clips

I already look forward to State of the Union addresses and any chance I can get to hear/see him speak. I have been waiting for almost 8 years - practically my entire adult life - to have a president who could move and inspire me. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven and to the Americans that voted for this opportunity to be led by a man of integrity, honor, and compassion. I firmly believe that if Obama keeps talking to the American people on a regular basis that we can get through the tough economic times ahead of us. Make no mistake - it will be tough. I pray that Obama has the courage to help us correct our mistakes and call us to action to do hard things ... like save money and work hard and be a little more faithful and trusting in each other. One of the most important aspects to this race and I hope it will be carried into his presidency is that of HOPE. I am tired of fear guiding this country and being lead along with a threatening rope of terror and fear. That is not real leadership. Encouraging HOPE where there seems like none is the mark of a true leader. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor of the First Presidency of my Church said this in October in General Conference regarding HOPE:

Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we “might have hope.”¹

Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness.² Its absence—when this desire of our heart is delayed—can make “the heart sick.”³

Hope is a gift of the Spirit.⁴ It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior.⁵ This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment,⁶ and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace,⁷ mercy,⁸ rejoicing,⁹ and gladness.¹⁰ The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet;¹¹ it is the foundation of our faith¹² and an anchor to our souls.¹³

Moroni in his solitude—even after having witnessed the complete destruction of his people—believed in hope. In the twilight of the Nephite nation, Moroni wrote that without hope we cannot receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God.¹⁴

^{(check out the talk: THE INFINITE POWER OF HOPE here).}

No, I don't think Obama is a prophet or apostle of the Lord, but I do believe that good leadership inspires us to reach higher and be better believers in ourselves, our neighbors, our country, and our God. Obama makes me feel that and I hope that those who are skeptical and unsure and maybe even full of hate and resentment, can feel the warmth of hope and have the courage to move forward and do hard things. Hope after all is nothing without faith and charity. Hope is active - again I quote Elder Uchtdorf:

There may be times when we must make a courageous decision to hope even when everything around us contradicts this hope. Like Father Abraham, we will “against hope [believe] in hope.”³⁰ Or, as one writer expressed, “in the depth of winter, [we find] within [us] an invincible summer.”³¹

Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one increases, the others grow as well. Hope comes of faith,³² for without faith, there is no hope.³³ In like manner faith comes of hope, for faith is “the substance of things hoped for.”³⁴

In closing I continue to pray for the leaders of the world ... that their hearts might be softened and that they may comprehend the individual lives that they have so much responsibility for. I will pray even more that this climate of HOPE prevails and that action follows, lifting us to new and better heights.

On a lighter note ... here are some things I love connected to the election:

"Yanks Very Much" -
headline from a British Newspaper ... love it

O8
BA
MA

AMERICA,
YOU BARACK MY WORLD

Embracing the New

I like the old ...

Exhibit A: I have a BA in Archaeology
Exhibit B: I am currently pursuing a master's degree in Historic Preservation

aka - I dig historic architecture (don't you just love how I managed to combine those two things together? ... dig (archaeology) historic architecture (historic preservation) ... what? not that funny? oh ... uh ... sorry)

So yeah - I am into the past, the ancient, the long gone by, the historical, the reminiscent, the once upon a time. As I have stated before, I have an old soul ... I like Paisley (as seen here and repeated - with much better taste I might add - in my current abode ... pictures soon I promise) and hanging plates and black and white photos.

Oddly enough, however, I have the conflicting urge to change my scenery and living situations very often (as inventoried here). I want to live so many places for a year or two - South Carolina, Louisiana, Boston, upstate New York, Texas ... it just dawned on me that most of those places are on the East Coast. In all fairness, those are places far from my family and thus most likely won't be places I stay forever ... places like Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego - those could be forever places. But this moving thing is an exception ... every other aspect of my life tends to lean toward to the old, solid, stable, and classic. However, the Fall is a good time to embrace the new and that is what I am trying to do.

School starts tomorrow ... late, I know ... and with that comes new classes, new students, and new adventures. This also translates to new people at church - a lot of them - which is wonderful to see this morning. To add to the "New Fest" as I will call it, we received a new Relief Society President, which is the head of the women's organization in my church. This position is a big deal, not because it suggests she is the most righteous or capable woman in the ward (although one could argue that both these characteristics describe my good friend Jessica) but because great responsibility is placed on her shoulders. Her call to the position I know is inspired and I felt that today as she spoke to the sisters. I felt the spirit testify of her plan and organizational style as she expressed her sincere love for the women in the ward and the gospel in her life. She made me want to be better and she continues to help me re-new my commitment to the Lord and live as a better disciple of Him. I too have a new "calling" or responsibility in the Relief Society. Jessica has called me to be the Compassionate Service Leader and has charged me with the concern and welfare of the ward - to get to know people and discern their needs and help them feel the love that our Savior has for us. I feel honored to be a part of her presidency and hope to live up to the desires of both her and my heart in serving the Lord.

I am also blessed with the opportunity to serve with Jessica in the Portland temple twice a month. I am extremely excited and humbled by this calling and pray that I can learn all that is needed and provide a great service to my fellow sisters in this life, as well as the next, as we do the work of our Father in Heaven.

On a scholarly note, I will be assisting my Program Director as a TA for the first year master's student's Introductory class this Fall. Lots of preparation and time will be devoted to this class, as well as my own research and writing for my thesis.

So, lots of changes are coming about, however I know that as I embrace all these new things and strive to put the Lord first in all that I do, that I will be able to accomplish all that is asked of me.

fo' shizzle??? Nahh...

I woke up this morning to an email with this link:

http://cnnentertainment.co.nr/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/01

And then I saw this:

READ IT AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS

Ok ... now that you have done the assigned reading, we can review and discuss (can you tell I am in school?) This is the best April Fool's Joke I have EVER EVER EVER seen ... why you might ask? Because the website looks sooo real ... you can click on ALL the links on the page and they go to the right places ... and the informational details are so right on. Snoop Dogg could very well have seen Gladys Knight preform at a Church building - that part is not a joke - she really is a PEEP and gives performances on behalf of the LDS church. The terminology is right and now on further inspection, too right and that PICTURE ... priceless.

Sigh ... I was freaking out for a moment ... I thought for sure the end of the world was coming if the "D - O - Double G" had become a Mormon but I am a believer that it could happen. Its just that I am aware of the "signs of the time," as they say, and I just happen to believe that this could have been one of them.

Just goes to show the amazing capabilities of the digital and media arts and my gullability when first waking up. I know know to wait five minutes at least between getting up and checking my email in the morning.

P.S. at the very very bottom you will find this:


(it says: "You Just Got April Fooled! Snoop's Not Mormon ... YET!")

it only seemed appropriate ... at least to me

Perhaps some might view this as a little sad to post such pictures, but you all know how much I enjoy old cemeteries and thus I believe it is very fitting (more on this in a bit). My roommate and I took a walk through the Pioneer Cemetery that borders the southern edge of the University of Oregon campus today since church was canceled due to the most snow Eugene, Oregon has seen in a long while. We were excited for the winter wonderland! We felt like this:

AND THIS (Doesn't Ally look great in her bright yellow coat!):

Ally made a great point that snow makes everything so majestic and beautiful and I agreed that it was especially calm and peaceful in the cemetery ... here are some shots:





Now, the reason some may find these pictures of a snow covered cemetery a bit melancholy is because President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away tonight (Sunday January 27, 2008) at the age of 97. He was a wonderful man and an inspiring and loving prophet to all. The good he did in this life will continue to live on of course and he will be missed by many. I know that many are sad today, but we all must remember the teachings of the gospel - that this life is not the end and that we can be together in the eternities. The sweetest part of his passing however is that he is now with his sweet wife of 67 years who passed away in 2004.

Gordon Bitner Hinckley
June 23, 1910 - January 27, 2008

proving myself ... to myself ... in so many ways

I finished my first term of graduate school. One of the hardest things I have done, thus far. I have learned a lot so far and its really exciting. Its only the first term and I feel all sorts of anticipation of the future! So many things I want to learn about ... so many articles to read!

I feel like I have been learning so much about buildings, preservation, sustainability, cultural resource management, the economy ... all sorts of crazy things. But then of course it has been as if I have been living under a rock in other respects. I know nothing about music, politics, or movies ... those normal things that people are aware of. And that is probably ok (with exception of politics, I should know about that).

With all this political talk going on these days (most notably in my parent's house and when you live in DC ... UO students seem to be aware of it as well) I feel like I am so in the dark on what is going on. My dad said that he had heard about online questionnaires matching your ideas and views on hot political topics with the 2008 candidates. I was intrigued by this idea ... what if I was professing to have democratic leanings but in actuality had more ideological alignment with ... GASP ... a REPUBLICAN candidate (if you know me, you know my father would be soooo upset AND I would feel very foolish if this were true)! The fear is rooted in this - while I know a little bit about what is going on, I am extremely undereducated in terms of the issues. Always have been. I talk a good game, but I really only scratch the surface of understanding what is really going on in America today. So I took an internet test and here were the results:

2008 President Selector Rankings:

1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100 %)

2. Barack Obama (80 %)

3. John Edwards (80%)

4. Joseph Biden (74 %)

5. Dennis Kucinich (73 %)

6. Hillary Clinton (72 %)

7. Wesley Clark (not running, endorsed Clinton) (72 %)

8. Bill Richardson (69 %)

9. Al Gore (not announced) (68%)

10. Christopher Dodd (68 %)

11. Alan Augustson (campaign suspended) (67 %)

12. Michael Bloomberg (says he will not run) (52 %)

13. Mike Gravel (50 %)

14. Mike Huckabee (48 %)

15. Ron Paul (41%)

16. John McCain (39 %)

17. Elaine Brown (38 %)

18. Tommy Thompson (withdrawn, endorsed Giuliani) (37 %)

19. Mitt Romney (36%)

20. Alan Keyes (35 %)

21. Chuck Hagel (not running) (34 %)

22. Tom Tancredo (withdrawn, endorsed Romney) (30 %)

23. Rudolph Giuliani (29 %)

24. Sam Brownback (withdrawn, endorsed McCain) (29 %)

25. Kent McManigal (campaign suspended) (28 %)

26. Duncan Hunter (22 %)

27. Jim Gilmore (withdrawn) (21 %)

28. Fred Thompson (21 %)

29. Newt Gingrich (says he will not run) (21 %)

30. Stephen Colbert (campaign halted) (16%)

WHEW ... safe! I should have been more confident in myself I guess, but its nice to know that I really do vote the way I profess to believe. To be fair, and if I had the time, I would need to take multiple tests to see if they all came out relatively similarly ... that would be the responsible thing to do. Different tests might highlight different social/political issues in different ways. Even the phrasing of questions might sway me ... who knows ... I mean hopefully I would be able to figure it out ... but I am just suggesting it might be even more interesting to see who I was connected to on multiple sites. Another interesting thought is for the candidates themselves to take the test ... would they be connected with themselves as their ideal candidate??? hmmm.

Notice how my "Theoretical Ideal Candidate" does not even exist. I like to say that's because there is no one like me :) ... I am unique and thus so is my paradigm or life-view. In seriousness though, I think that it attests to my belief of voting issues rather than party. I posted the entire list in order to show the major players and persons of interest (in red) ... its official ... with 36% Mitt and I really only share religious beliefs ... and that's ok, we can still be friends.

I took another quiz on the site ... WHAT DOES YOUR SOUL LOOK LIKE. How could I not take the quiz with a title like that!?! I NEED to know what my soul looks like. Here are the results:

Belief System Selector:

1.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (100%)
2.	Bahai (90%)
3.	Jehovah's Witness (82%)
4.	Orthodox Judaism (75%)
5.	Sikhism (73%)
6.	Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (73%)
7.	Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (68%)
8.	Reform Judaism (66%)
9.	Islam (63%)
10.	Orthodox Quaker (59%)
11.	Liberal Quakers (58%)
12.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (50%)
13.	Eastern Orthodox (50%)
14.	Roman Catholic (50%)
15.	Unitarian Universalism (50%)
16.	Jainism (42%)
17.	Seventh Day Adventist (41%)
18.	Neo-Pagan (36%)
19.	Mahayana Buddhism (34%)
20.	Hinduism (34%)
21.	Theravada Buddhism (33%)
22.	New Age (32%)
23.	New Thought (32%)
24.	Scientology (28%)
25.	Secular Humanism (26%)
26.	Taoism (24%)
27.	Non-theist (19%)

SAFE AGAIN! My soul is 100% Mormon (funny, my ultra conservative right wing church friends might find this a little surprising ... hehehe ... I joke, I joke). I was a little surprised that they even had my church listed with its correct name and all, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and not just Mormon. Again I have highlighted some of the interesting connections ... notice how my soul has more in common with Orthodox Judaism (75%) and Islam (63%) than Orthodox (59%) and Liberal Quakers (58%)! Not that shocking to me ... but go figure. I also found the vast difference with Scientology (28%) and Non-theist (19%) organizations interesting. Just a little food for thought.

Anyway - check it out and see what you think. And p.s. my mac is in the shop so we will see how this goes on the whole getting back to blogging.

Dem Peeps

No, I don't mean "them peeps" ... I mean Dem. Peeps ... or Mormons that are democrats. My favorite example, unfortunately, just passed away August 10, 2007, President James E. Faust. Now, you may be thinking ... "hmmm, I would have thought that Brother Harry Reid would be her favorite example of a dem peep" and you would be correct in the realm of politics. President Faust was very political yes (as you can see here) but he was not currently serving in a political capacity for the last 12+ years. He was instead serving the Lord as the Second Counselor to the President and Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley at the time of his passing and for those of you who are thinking "and that means??" ... it means that he was pretty well respected in the church. Not to mention he was pretty in tune with the man upstairs if you know what I mean.


President Faust's thoughtful talks given in General Conference and his kind demeanor are things I will most miss. He was compassionate, loving and urged forgiveness and brotherly kindness. Most important to me, especially at this time in my life now, he represented that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not political. At least it was not meant to be politicized or polarizing. The Salt Lake Tribune refers to Faust's own sentiments expressed to his biographer:

"I am a conservative on fiscal and property matters, and I am liberal in terms of human values and human rights," Faust told his biographer, James P. Bell. "I believe what it says in the Book of Mormon, that the Lord values all of his children equally - black and white, bond and free, male and female, Jew and gentile - and that the Lord likewise has compassion for the heathen."

"He went on to say that the LDS Church would prefer to have members in both parties."

My dad jokes that the "heathens" he is referring to are the Republicans ... only I don't think he is actually joking when he says that. Anyway, the article opens up with a great reference to Bill Clinton - please read it (see link above).

I know what will be on my Christmas list this year - President James E. Faust's biography by James P. Bell In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust.

will i ever stop moving?

I am waiting for my queen size bed and ikea dresser to be picked up right now ... they won't be here for at least an hour ... and I am thinking. Uh oh ... thinking. Yeah - I agree, its a dangerous past time.

But anyway - I am doing it. Thinking about moving ... past, present, and future. I leave on a plane tomorrow headed for LAX and really I don't know when I will be back on the East Coast. Geez, I am totally getting sad. My parents have lived in Southern California for pretty much their entire lives. I joke with them that I have lived in more states in my 24 years than they have in their 35 years of marriage. As I am looking at my life packed up in suitcases I can't help but wonder when will this end? When will I feel comfortable enough to "settle down" and actually live in one place for more than a few years. I am not even talking about just living in one city or area ... an even bigger accomplishment would to be live in the same house/apartment/dwelling for more than one year. Well thinking back to my college days, I did live in one apt. for two years but I lived in a tent for two months in between those two years ... but still, I think that is the time frame to beat.

For fun - lets chronicle the locations:

1. House I was born in - Irvine, California - January 1983 - August 2001

2. Deseret Towers - Provo, Utah - August 2001 - May 2002

3. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2002 - August 2002

4. Sparks Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2002 - May 2003

5. Foxwood Apt. - Provo, Utah - May 2003 - August 2003

6. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2003 - May 2004

7. Tent - Escalante, Utah - May 2004 - July 2004

8. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - July 2004 - May 2005

9. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2005 - September 2005

10. Crystal Plaza Apt. - Arlington, Virginia - September 2005 - August 2006

11. Rhapsody Condominium - Washington, DC - August 2006 - August 2007

12. House I was born in - Irvine, California - August 2007 - September 2007

13. Hideaway Apt. - Eugene, Oregon - September 2007 - June 2008

(then who knows ... will I stay or will I go?)

Let's count it out people. That is 13 moves in 6 years. Two of those are across the country and 7 of them are from one state to another. I am tired, how about you?

But I am excited for this new adventure. Sad to leave behind my many good friends that I have made here, as well as those of you who have been in my life for awhile but happen to be here with me. It has seriously been soooo great. I love the East Coast and I love everyone I have gotten close too. I know that this move is a good one for me (as have so many of the previous moves) and I look forward to the challenge of school and meeting new people. I am also very excited to serve the Lord in a new way in a smaller church setting in Eugene - I know it will be good for me.

So, here goes nothin'.

Hill Cumorah

Since my time is wearing thin on the East Coast I am trying to seize every opportunity to see the sites on this edge of the country. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a weekend trip being organized to up-state New York for the last performance of the Hill Cumorah Pageant. My travel mates and I made some interesting observations surrounding the pageant. Mainly this:

If the Mormon people have anything remotely similar to the idea of a pilgrimage to mecca as Muslims do - this would be it. Actually any historic church site will do ... but Wayne and Seneca Counties in New York (Palmyra and Fayette in particular) can be described as the "birth place" of Mormonism ... or in other words, where the gospel was restored to the earth. How amazing is that!

Beautiful farm land in Fayette, New York

Joseph Smith had what is known as the First Vision and the Book of Mormon was first printed in Palmyra, while the Book of Mormon was translated and the church was formally organized in Fayette. It was beautiful. And the pageant was amazing as well ... there were pyrotechnics and water spraying on the STAGE!

The stage before the sunset and the actors took their places


This is a shot from atop the Hill Cumorah -
looking down on the stage and at all the seating set up for the pageant.

I have decided that I need to summer in upstate New York. The small town main streets and the old buildings that line them are great. The mom & pop shops, antiques, wide-open spaces ... everything! I just loved it. We stayed at this camp by Seneca Lake and I think it would be so fabulous to go boating, go to town fairs, and attend the pageant!

Bay windows ... a favorite of mine. And I love the pillars on the porch.


I love the details of this house!


This is not that great of a picture - but this is the original of one of
my favorite paintings often found in church buildings and temples all over the world.
It is of Christ appearing to the people of the American Continent after being resurrected.


Books in the print shop.


The Print Shop where the Book of Mormon was first printed.

(photo grouping #2) Crowns, Knights, and Keys

CROWNS

London, England

Boston, Massachusetts
Even crowned in death.

London, England


KNIGHTS

London, England
(close to Westminster Abbey)
I love the weathering on this and the feather headdress. So dramatic!

Paris, France

(Hotel de Invalides)
Not a great picture - I couldn't get close enough ... but its a window knight - how cool is that?!

KEYS

Rome, Italy
The bees on this fountain are the symbol of the Barberini family that commissioned it.

Rome, Italy
I love the detail on the keys, they are big and chunky. I couldn't get a picture without the birds - boo!

Rome, Italy
(St. Peter's Basilica)
This motif was carved at the base of all fours of the canopy. Carved out of marble and inlaid with red ... a lost art!

Rome, Italy
(St. Peter's Square)
I love the marble against that beautiful blue sky!

Of course all the key pictures were taken in Rome. Keys are a big theme in Rome because of Peter. Christ bestowed the keys of the priesthood on Peter:

"And I will ^agive unto thee the ^bkeys of the ^ckingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt ^dbind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

On Incentives

The new book I started today Freakonomics was published in 2005 and was on the New York Times Bestsellers list. I started this book without finishing my last book I blogged about because I tend to do that ... not finish a book. I don't like to read the ends a lot of the time. So anyway - this new book is great so far (only 25 pages into it) and is about a new way to use the tools of economics. The authors actually use economics to answer interesting questions - I like this idea. The main reason I am writing about this book already is because of this idea of incentives that it brings up.

"Economics is, at root, the study of incentives: how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing."
- page 20

"An incentive is simply a means of urging people to do more of a good thing and less of a bad thing. But most incentives don't come about organically. Someone - an economist or a polotician or a parent - has to invent them."
- page 21

This particular idea has been popping up all over in my life. A little over a week ago I gave a lesson at Family Home Evening on Elder Anderson's talk It's True Isn't It? Then What Else Matters? and the thing I focused on the most was if we truly believed the Gospel to be true, how was that demonstrated in our activities? In other words, how are we spending our time and what motivated us to spend time in positive ways - or in Levitt and Dubner's words, what incentives motivate us into action? President Hinckley said it this way:

"When [an individual] is motivated by great and powerful convictions of truth, then he disciplines himself, not because of demands made by the Church but because of the knowledge within his heart."

I love this quote because I need to work on discipline sooo much.

I was telling my co-workers the other day about the positive peer pressure at The BYU to obey the honor code or even to not walk on the grass by using sayings as "Cougars Don't Cut Corners" - brilliant whomever thought that one up.

Another example of this idea popping up in my life was in a meeting at work today. We were talking about incentives to complete surveys. I completed one because it came with a $2 bill in it - I couldn't just take the money and not fill out the survey! A co-worker completed one because it came with Godiva chocolates and another co-worker completed a survey so they would stop sending it to her for the tenth time.

The book also talks about the differences between morality and reality, which to my idealistic self is very sad. "Morality, it could be argued, represents the way that people would like the world to work - whereas economics represents how it actually does work." - page 13. I wish that these two were a little bit more in line.

Incentives. Motivation. Its what makes us tick. When listening to friends mill over a decision they have to make I always find myself saying, "you have to decide whats worth it to you." What is "worth it" to me might not be "worth it" to you ... and vice versa.

So what makes you tick? Think about it - be a little introspective for awhile. It may be more telling then you would like it to be.