Who would've thought thinking of 22 things to be grateful for would be a hard thing? I tried to do that this morning for Facebook and came to a dud at about 19. Am I that ungrateful? Or was I tired and couldn't really think?
I don't know what the reason for it is, but now I have another chance to redeem myself on what I'm grateful for! So for the previous 22 days of November, I will say 22 things I'm grateful for:
1. I'm grateful for being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am proud to be a Mormon and to have this gospel in my life. My Heavenly Father loves me and by choosing the right and following Christ's example, I can return to Him and gain eternal life.
2. My family is the best there could be. We are small in numbers, but we are strong in love! They've been there for me through the thick and thin of life events.
3. My friends are the next biggest support that I could have. They're such great examples to me and can handle my quirkiness. Always putting a smile on my face and giving me a fun time, I'm so glad I spend time with the people I know.
4. Though they are my friends, my roommates deserve their own little section of gratitude because they have to live with me! They see the tired cranky part of me and the hyped up crazy side as well. I'm so glad to have three people who can tolerate living with me.
5. So many people are unable to gain a college degree, and yet I'm privileged to attend one of the most prestigious universities! I'm thankful for BYU and the chance to get a degree here and expand my knowledge of a variety of things.
6. In regards to BYU, I now have an income and a job on campus that works so well with my school schedule. They're willing to accommodate for everything and my manager is the best! After months, years, of job hunting I was able to get one of the best jobs for me.
7. I may not be in the best shape, but I'm grateful to have a working body that is healthy and keeps me alive. I have all five senses functioning; I can walk, I can breathe. Everyday is a blessing to be alive and well.
8. My life would be nothing and nowhere without the amazing power of music. I love it, it's one of my few real passions that I could not live without. No matter what I'm doing, it's always there to set the tone.
9. Listening to music is always good, but playing it is just as grand. I'm grateful for my piano and violin, to be able to just play away no matter what mood I'm in.
10. We seriously need more of this right now, but I'm thankful for snow and the joy it brings to my life! Without it, there would be no white Christmas, no ski/snowboard season (although we're close to that right now, please pray for it!), and no water!
11. I don't know why I didn't post this one before most of these, but I'm so so grateful for the men and women who have served, are serving, or are preparing to serve in our country's military forces. I know I could never do it, courage or strength-wise. They are my heroes and I wish them all to be safe and sound.
12. Because of our troops and their hard dedication all these years, I have the freedom and ability to choose what I want in this country. America holds so much freedom that most countries don't have, and I'm thankful to be a part of it.
13. I'm thankful for technology. It's advanced our world so much and it's such a tool when used in moderation. It's because of it that I can post this and have the rest of the world see it. I can facetime with my sister though she lives on the other end of the country. It's an ability to communicate and connect with people and share new thoughts and ideas.
14. Books are one of the best things ever. Novels, stories that can take you away and intrigue the mind as you go through the story. I love to read and I'm grateful that I know how to.
15. Movies are also a wonderful thing in life! Most of our entertainment comes from the big screen, and these too will take you away on a crazy adventure. I definitely have no creative mind to be in the movie industry and so I'm thankful for those who are!
16. I'm thankful for my car and if it were a person, I'd love it forever. Oh wait, I still do. Seriously, my car is such a trooper and is my means of transportation in anything I do. It may be a gas eater, but it's tough enough that I'm not scared of anything.
17. I just drank some water and have to throw it in here. How refreshing is it when you're dehydrated and you drink a nice cool glass of water? Actually, how refreshing is it to drink water whenever? I may love sodas, but nothing comes even close to the wonderful H2O
18. I may be faster at typing than writing, but nothing compares to writing. It has a power that typing can't fulfill. To have a clean sheet of paper and a pencil or pen in hand, you have the power to create something that could go anywhere. You write as the thoughts flow. Through drawing in there, too. I'm grateful for paper and writing tools.
19. I'm thankful for toys. Any kind. They're all so fun and can keep you occupied for a time. I'm especially thankful for my camera and the ability to take pictures. And edit them. It's a great hobby of mine and I love doing it. It lets me view the world at different angles and show them to others.
20. The number one thing I love to photograph is nature. I'm grateful to live in Utah where there is a variety of different scenes I can capture. No matter the season, Utah is always so beautiful and I'm grateful I can surround myself with it everyday.
21. I'm thankful for the stars; for astronomy and the cosmos. It's always going to be a mystery and wonder to us humans, and it's a whole other dimension out there. I love seeing the stars, the constellations, and everything else out in the sky and being in such awe. The cosmos are a wonderful way to humble myself of my part in this world.
22. Last, but definitely not least, I'm so so grateful for my life and all the events that have occurred in it. I've had some pretty tough times, and I still go through them. I've hit the bottom and I've felt the high. It's been a rocky road and it's probably only going to get worse. But I would never trade my life for anything else. It's made me become who I am today and I'm proud of how far I've come. It's because of everything I've experienced I am able to share my little wisdom with others and be able to help others avoid those troubled times.
I'm glad we have Thanksgiving. I'm glad we can all take the time to realize what we're grateful for and give thanks for being alive. Thanksgiving is great because there's a break, football, lots of food, activities, etc. But we cannot forget that this is a holiday to appreciate what we're given. And we should be this grateful for everything we have everyday.
Showing posts with label literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literature. Show all posts
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Saturday, July 23, 2011
HARRY POTTER!!!!
Um...so...Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Amazing. Loved it. I cried, yeah, so what? I started crying when it showed Fred, Lupin, and Tonks dead. So sad! And then I was teary-eyed the rest of the movie and the I felt like something died inside of me when it was all over. Because....it is. This has been 10 years of my life! My childhood, more than half my life up to this point(almost half though)! You honestly can't blame me for being sad, when I've grown up with this magical story since I was in first grade and when it first came out.
I had the privilege to see the movie at 7 PM, so 5 hours before midnight premiere. Hurray for connections! Anyway, it was so awesome to do so, and I sorta dressed up. Enough so that I was comfortable, and people could tell I was dressed up for Harry Potter anyway. I was so super stoked, it was embarrassing. But that's ok, I was only concerned about Harry.
So the movie. Oh man oh man. It was great. Perfect balance of action, darkness, humor, and romance. The action scenes were really great, especially when Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix duke it out! Another awesome part I liked was in the Room of Requirement when Malfoy and his gangs come inside the fire comes around and all! Also...Neville!! dang! Matthew Lewis did SUCH an excellent job portraying Neville. I say he's a true hero to this all because if the sword never appeared to him and he didn't kill Nagini, then Harry would be done for. I'm a fan. Go Neville! The epilogue was slightly funny since it was all the same actors, but dressed to look like they're 36. And Ron and Hermione's kiss?! the first thing that actually popped in my head (while everyone else was cheering) was, "Katy's probably going to be super jealous of Emma right here" ha. It was awesome to see all the characters back at Hogwarts during the epic battle, even Percy was there! The only one not there though was Oliver Wood! What the heck, why didn't he come?! He's supposed to....
I kinda wish they had mentioned that Harry's invisibility cloak was the one from the Deathly Hallows...that's kinda important seeing as it's the title of the book, eh? So there's that, for all you non-readers. Also, I think it would've been way cool if they had explained how Voldemort got all the items he used as horcruxes, especially since he used the founders of Hogwarts' items. But I guess the movie would've been too long. So you non-readers will have to figure that out on your own...like by reading the book. Also, I really wish the epilogue showed more main characters, like Neville and Luna, or George and what happened to him. And what occupations the all acquired would've been awesome. A few more minor details missing here and there that only avid fans would've appreciated (me included) because they know Harry Potter too well, but other than that this movie was excellent! I need to go see it again sometime soon!! If this movie doesn't win box office of the year(or whatever the prize is called), I'm going to be angry and it'll be a shocker.
And so, the worldwide phenomenon has come to a close. I'm hoping JK Rowling will think of another book just as good as Harry's, if not better. It's bittersweet, but it was great!!
Harry Potter forever!!!! <3 <3 <3
I had the privilege to see the movie at 7 PM, so 5 hours before midnight premiere. Hurray for connections! Anyway, it was so awesome to do so, and I sorta dressed up. Enough so that I was comfortable, and people could tell I was dressed up for Harry Potter anyway. I was so super stoked, it was embarrassing. But that's ok, I was only concerned about Harry.
So the movie. Oh man oh man. It was great. Perfect balance of action, darkness, humor, and romance. The action scenes were really great, especially when Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix duke it out! Another awesome part I liked was in the Room of Requirement when Malfoy and his gangs come inside the fire comes around and all! Also...Neville!! dang! Matthew Lewis did SUCH an excellent job portraying Neville. I say he's a true hero to this all because if the sword never appeared to him and he didn't kill Nagini, then Harry would be done for. I'm a fan. Go Neville! The epilogue was slightly funny since it was all the same actors, but dressed to look like they're 36. And Ron and Hermione's kiss?! the first thing that actually popped in my head (while everyone else was cheering) was, "Katy's probably going to be super jealous of Emma right here" ha. It was awesome to see all the characters back at Hogwarts during the epic battle, even Percy was there! The only one not there though was Oliver Wood! What the heck, why didn't he come?! He's supposed to....
I kinda wish they had mentioned that Harry's invisibility cloak was the one from the Deathly Hallows...that's kinda important seeing as it's the title of the book, eh? So there's that, for all you non-readers. Also, I think it would've been way cool if they had explained how Voldemort got all the items he used as horcruxes, especially since he used the founders of Hogwarts' items. But I guess the movie would've been too long. So you non-readers will have to figure that out on your own...like by reading the book. Also, I really wish the epilogue showed more main characters, like Neville and Luna, or George and what happened to him. And what occupations the all acquired would've been awesome. A few more minor details missing here and there that only avid fans would've appreciated (me included) because they know Harry Potter too well, but other than that this movie was excellent! I need to go see it again sometime soon!! If this movie doesn't win box office of the year(or whatever the prize is called), I'm going to be angry and it'll be a shocker.
Harry Potter forever!!!! <3 <3 <3
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Day 26: The Book of Mormon
Day 26: A picture of something that means a lot to you
This book means so much to me and really helps me in any time of my life. I know it to be true, and I could never deny that to anyone no matter what. The reason why this means a lot to me is because it's what tells me that the church I belong to is true. It also always just makes me relaxed and calm, I always feel at peace whenever I read any part of this book. It's refreshing and yet I can learn so many things at the same time. It's what helped my testimony grow and become what it is today. Taking Book of Mormon classes at BYU this past year helped me learn more about the book than I had before, because my professors would go into more detail than I could catch on my own. The notes and quotes my second professor gave to us were very helpful as well. I know this book to be true and if I follow its teachings and heed to the gospel principles then I know I will be blessed in my life. I'm very grateful for the first amendment so that I may freely practice my religion and be able to post what I want about it online here so I can share it with everyone else.
This book is usually what brings converts into the church because they read it and feel the spirit tell them what they're reading is true. It just reminds me of all my friends out in the world who are all serving faithfully to have others read this book and know its teachings like we do. I'm proud of all my friends and for being great examples to me. I miss them all a lot and can't wait to have them be back home, but I know that what they're doing out there is such a great work.
To anyone who has to hate. Don't. Let me say what I wish and what I feel and life will move on. No one ever forced you to read this in the first place. Please and thank you.
This book means so much to me and really helps me in any time of my life. I know it to be true, and I could never deny that to anyone no matter what. The reason why this means a lot to me is because it's what tells me that the church I belong to is true. It also always just makes me relaxed and calm, I always feel at peace whenever I read any part of this book. It's refreshing and yet I can learn so many things at the same time. It's what helped my testimony grow and become what it is today. Taking Book of Mormon classes at BYU this past year helped me learn more about the book than I had before, because my professors would go into more detail than I could catch on my own. The notes and quotes my second professor gave to us were very helpful as well. I know this book to be true and if I follow its teachings and heed to the gospel principles then I know I will be blessed in my life. I'm very grateful for the first amendment so that I may freely practice my religion and be able to post what I want about it online here so I can share it with everyone else.
This book is usually what brings converts into the church because they read it and feel the spirit tell them what they're reading is true. It just reminds me of all my friends out in the world who are all serving faithfully to have others read this book and know its teachings like we do. I'm proud of all my friends and for being great examples to me. I miss them all a lot and can't wait to have them be back home, but I know that what they're doing out there is such a great work.
To anyone who has to hate. Don't. Let me say what I wish and what I feel and life will move on. No one ever forced you to read this in the first place. Please and thank you.
Friday, June 24, 2011
My views on some literature?
So first off, I just finished reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I would have to say it was a bit of a struggle for me to get fully into the book so that it made me want to read on and see what happened. But it's also part of my personality that once I start something, I must see it through, unless it's something that I really can't bear (like this one movie called Moby Dick....thought it'd be interesting, but boy was I wrong...I couldn't even get past the first 10 minutes of it.)
Almost went off track there....back to the book, so the story line was pretty good, one of those "typical ones" per se from Ms. Austen. Girl is different from the environment she's in, falls in love with a guy, some other oppositions along the way, girl and guy get together in the end. Except, I didn't really like the fact that the guy the main girl is in love with is her cousin...who she's lived with since she was...9 or 10. And she's 18 when the story ends. Now back then, I know some people did that and it wasn't weird, but still....to me it was a bit much. But they did go well together and Edmund is a good man (and a good name). Fanny (the main girl) was an interesting character. She sometimes bugged me because she wasn't very opinionated, and if she was, she hardly said it aloud; most of the time it was when she was with Edmund.
Personally, I feel like it was a slower read than most, but I would still recommend this to others. The story was written to show the effects of money and marriage, and how much they influence each other. I would say this book showed this relation very well. Most the interests within the story revolve about income and status in society. Not a whole lot of people cared about actually loving someone and wanting to marry them. However, I think Jane Austen could've written the story in a more interesting manner, maybe perk up some points in the plot. But, alas, I think this might just be me and I may be different from most people.
Overall, I'd say it was good. Maybe....a 7.5 out of 10? It's a classic. Read it.
Next, since I finished Mansfield Park, I began reading The Three Musketeers. I bought the book ages ago and never got around to reading it until now. The first paragraph was brutal. I had to look up the names of the characters and city etc. to know how to pronounce them. Took me longer than I thought it was. I felt like I had researched more stuff about French pronunciations and history than I actually read the story. Once I got past the first page though, it contained a lot less researching than before. Hopefully it'll stay that way. But I'm excited to read this book. I've heard about the Three Musketeers when I was little (thanks to Wishbone), but I never exactly knew the story in detail. So this will (hopefully) be a good read. Keep me on my toes and anxious to know what happens. We'll get back to that sometime in the future....
Also, just would like to say that I love the movie Tangled, made by Disney!! It's a cute one, and it's got a good mixture of action, singing, etc. I just watched it tonight so I just thought I'd throw that in here. But for real, I really wish Rapunzel's parents said at least one word each in the movie! The silence is a little much. But still, it's a good story! The smolder....too funny!
Anyway.........that's all. Hope everyone is enjoying life and loving it! It's summer, do exciting stuff! Do random stuff!! Go make an adventure worth telling your children in the future! x
Almost went off track there....back to the book, so the story line was pretty good, one of those "typical ones" per se from Ms. Austen. Girl is different from the environment she's in, falls in love with a guy, some other oppositions along the way, girl and guy get together in the end. Except, I didn't really like the fact that the guy the main girl is in love with is her cousin...who she's lived with since she was...9 or 10. And she's 18 when the story ends. Now back then, I know some people did that and it wasn't weird, but still....to me it was a bit much. But they did go well together and Edmund is a good man (and a good name). Fanny (the main girl) was an interesting character. She sometimes bugged me because she wasn't very opinionated, and if she was, she hardly said it aloud; most of the time it was when she was with Edmund.
Personally, I feel like it was a slower read than most, but I would still recommend this to others. The story was written to show the effects of money and marriage, and how much they influence each other. I would say this book showed this relation very well. Most the interests within the story revolve about income and status in society. Not a whole lot of people cared about actually loving someone and wanting to marry them. However, I think Jane Austen could've written the story in a more interesting manner, maybe perk up some points in the plot. But, alas, I think this might just be me and I may be different from most people.
Overall, I'd say it was good. Maybe....a 7.5 out of 10? It's a classic. Read it.
Next, since I finished Mansfield Park, I began reading The Three Musketeers. I bought the book ages ago and never got around to reading it until now. The first paragraph was brutal. I had to look up the names of the characters and city etc. to know how to pronounce them. Took me longer than I thought it was. I felt like I had researched more stuff about French pronunciations and history than I actually read the story. Once I got past the first page though, it contained a lot less researching than before. Hopefully it'll stay that way. But I'm excited to read this book. I've heard about the Three Musketeers when I was little (thanks to Wishbone), but I never exactly knew the story in detail. So this will (hopefully) be a good read. Keep me on my toes and anxious to know what happens. We'll get back to that sometime in the future....
Also, just would like to say that I love the movie Tangled, made by Disney!! It's a cute one, and it's got a good mixture of action, singing, etc. I just watched it tonight so I just thought I'd throw that in here. But for real, I really wish Rapunzel's parents said at least one word each in the movie! The silence is a little much. But still, it's a good story! The smolder....too funny!
Anyway.........that's all. Hope everyone is enjoying life and loving it! It's summer, do exciting stuff! Do random stuff!! Go make an adventure worth telling your children in the future! x
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Day 23: Northanger Abbey
Day 23: A picture of your favorite book
Ok, if there's any day in this 30 day picture challenge that's the hardest for me to decide on, then it's definitely got to be this one. I really can't just pick one! That's so hard for me to do; I have way too many favorites to pick. Books in and of itself are just fantastic things and for the most part, I can pretty much read any book over and over again as long it keeps me entertained. If this was least favorite book that'd be a no-brainer (sorry Seabiscuit, but you put me to sleep every time I tried to read you....literally). At the moment, I was literally staring at all my books and debating which one to talk about....still am at the moment...my first instinct was to use the Harry Potter series, but anyone who knows me already knows I'm probably thee biggest fan of those so I chose to go past that...so because I can't pick a favorite, I decided to choose of the books that I've read that I like more than some.....
Northanger Abbey is probably a book that only girls would enjoy. It's pretty good though, I must say. It's about a girl who learns to not take literature so seriously and apply it in reality...pretty much. Of course, it's Jane Austen and there is romance which starts up in Bath....move over Mr. Darcy, because Mr. Tilney is quite the man!!! Anyway, I really do like this book, and I think you should all read it. It's one that I would read again and again. It should feel honored that I picked it....there were loads others I could talk about that I actually do like more than this one. Oh well.
Ok, if there's any day in this 30 day picture challenge that's the hardest for me to decide on, then it's definitely got to be this one. I really can't just pick one! That's so hard for me to do; I have way too many favorites to pick. Books in and of itself are just fantastic things and for the most part, I can pretty much read any book over and over again as long it keeps me entertained. If this was least favorite book that'd be a no-brainer (sorry Seabiscuit, but you put me to sleep every time I tried to read you....literally). At the moment, I was literally staring at all my books and debating which one to talk about....still am at the moment...my first instinct was to use the Harry Potter series, but anyone who knows me already knows I'm probably thee biggest fan of those so I chose to go past that...so because I can't pick a favorite, I decided to choose of the books that I've read that I like more than some.....
Northanger Abbey is probably a book that only girls would enjoy. It's pretty good though, I must say. It's about a girl who learns to not take literature so seriously and apply it in reality...pretty much. Of course, it's Jane Austen and there is romance which starts up in Bath....move over Mr. Darcy, because Mr. Tilney is quite the man!!! Anyway, I really do like this book, and I think you should all read it. It's one that I would read again and again. It should feel honored that I picked it....there were loads others I could talk about that I actually do like more than this one. Oh well.
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