Fashion pain

So I wore pretty sandals to church today thinking my foot was mostly back to normal. Apparently it isn't. I debated wearing different shoes but decided these looked so much better with my outfit that I just had to do it. As you can see I took my shoes off as soon as I got to the car.

tourism

i remember when i went to new orleans quite a few years ago we went to a local place to listen to some live music. i loved that there was a such a "night life" to enjoy. sometimes i think slc lacks a night life. but last night, while attending a concert at temple square, i realized slc DOES have a night life - it's just unique to its location the way the night life in new orleans is unique to its location. every city has a unique character and entertainment to accompany it. i think a lot of the entertainment caters itself to tourists as much as it does to locals. well, i decided the free concerts at temple square that go on ALL the time constitue the night life that caters to locals and tourists. i'm not sure the tourists are huge fans, but at least if you're staying down town in a hotel there is stuff to do and see for free. last night's concert was at the assembly hall. i think there were more gray heads present than younger ones, and there were only a few couples that appeared to be tourists - you know what i mean, wearing the casual warm weather clothes that scream tourist. i enjoyed the music as much as i did the people watching. i love my city!

marriage

okay, i hope i can do this post justice. one of the current issues that's been bouncing around my head the last few years has to do with same sex marriage. it's definitely been a topic in the news. as a faithful latter-day-saint i adhere to the belief that marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman and god. i do not want to make same sex marriage legal, but i also don't want to make an opposite law - i don't like the idea of laws related to something that to me has always been a spiritual or religious issue. i'd rather church and state stay separate - call me an american. so i've been concerned about the same sex marriage agenda that's going on in a few states, in particular, california. i don't really want a law that says marriage is just between man and woman, but i also don't think that marriages should be recognized as marriages between same sex partners. my sister lives in california and has been involved in canvassing the neighborhoods to discuss the issue and hopefully persuade people to vote for proposition 8. it's been a good experience for her, her husband, and her two teenage children. she shared a link with the rest of us so we could read more about the issue. it's published by the lds church, so it makes sense to me. it's kind of long, but i skimmed and scanned and came across this paragraph which i felt clearly expressed what i'd been struggling with in my head. i don't claim to have thought of this on my own, but when i read this it spoke truth to me and i realized it was the reasoning i was seeking:

"When a man and a woman marry with the intention of forming a new family, their success in that endeavor depends on their willingness to renounce the single-minded pursuit of self-fulfillment and to sacrifice their time and means to the nurturing and rearing of their children. Marriage is fundamentally an unselfish act: legally protected because only a male and female together can create new life, and because the rearing of children requires a life-long commitment, which marriage is intended to provide. Societal recognition of same-sex marriage cannot be justified simply on the grounds that it provides self-fulfillment to its partners, for it is not the purpose of government to provide legal protection to every possible way in which individuals may pursue fulfillment. By definition, all same-sex unions are infertile, and two individuals of the same gender, whatever their affections, can never form a marriage devoted to raising their own mutual offspring."

i think what i like best about this paragraph is how it defines the purpose of marriage. marriage is not designed to proclaim your love for another person. people can rent hotair balloons with "i love bob" plastered on the side if they want the world to know how much they care about somebody. marriage is to raise children in a healthy (the best you can) environment. sadly, the sanctity of home and family has been lost by much of society already, and that's probably why same sex marriages seem like a logical option. i also really like the point that government is not supposed to provide legal protection for every form of self fulfillment people might have. that would get crazy messy. anyway, it's also sort of sad that more people haven't discovered the self fulfillment that comes from true self sacrifice. aren't we all struggling with that one?

now that i've posted something possibly controvertial i can only hope that i spoke politely enough. the librarian at school says i'm a great diplomat - here's hoping she's not just being nice.

my hands

no photo, but i'm sure you can feel my pain. remember my poor fingernails? besides being broken now some are splitting. what's happening? my cuticles seem to be getting paper cuts and this morning i discoverd a thorn working it's way to the surface on my pinky. really - i'm a mess. i blame school. did you know it's friday? i intend to watch a video tonight - kite runner. maybe i'll sleep in tomorrow. walk in the park? sounds bit like heaven. maybe instead a walk to the library. then i can read on monday! it's a holiday weekend!!!!! okay, now to do some lesson planning since tuesday will be here like the wind.

humility

mike is a regular commenter on my blog so i've gotten in the habit of reading his. the other day he wrote a post about panhandlers - you know, the people on street corners with their hands out. last night i went to the temple (hooray - geoff and darren were there too) and as usual passed the same man and woman that are usually there. they DO look in need and are always polite in their asking, never too forward. since mike's post and my own thoughts had been rumbling around in my brain i decided this time to actually dig something out of the purse and give it to one of them. on my way in i was a bit late so i walked on by, but as i was going home i found 50 cents. my reasoning of late (and i tell you i've been known to go back and forth) is that this is their job. it's not a job i want. it earns them some semblance of a living. each time i see them i'm reminded of the commandment to feed the poor and needy - deuteronomy 15:11 "for the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land..." (yes i know this means spiritually as much as physically and some argue that instead of giving money that can be used for drugs you should give food, etc.) it occurred to me that no one questions the way i spend my living so i don't want to question others. i'm telling myself i'm paying them for reminding me of my blessings and reminding me of where i don't want to wind up. so that's it.

by the way... i think school is making me way tired. last night in the temple, as i've been known to do way too often, i dozed off. but this time the dozing was so deep the lady next to me had to give me a knudge when it was one of those important times to be awake. it was some deep dozing, but luckily that was embarrassing enough to kick me mostly awake for the rest of the session!

blogging by proxy

the good friend dan was kind enough to post a totally thorough summary of my bday party. i was very impressed with all the photos and details she included. she claims i showed her how to blog but i believe she surpasses me in skills. anyway, i thought some of my readers might like to know more about the fabulous party we had so read this.

ow

i stubbed my toe. first period done. prep now - hooray. rough start. here's hoping for the best. i wish i didn't have to teach english. my students like music and skateboarding and relaxing. what a creative bunch. good thing to know that there's more to them than that, even if they don't recognize it.

Lava

This weekend the ward had a fabulous trip to lava. Lovin' lava seemed to be the general feeling. We all had fun. There was tons of good interaction between everyone. Dinner and dancing - let it be known I was the first and only on the floor for quite a while. Good times all around! Here's my good buddy cara who drove me up there. She was a kick in the pants. The whole trip was a kick! I loved tubing the river despite losing my sunglasses.

nail update

well, one more has bit the dust. that's a total of seven fingernails i've broken since work started on monday. i think i've been moving too many boxes and tables and bookshelves and printers and chairs and carts and cabinets and blah blah. at least the toe is improving. i've been to the gym twice now - used the eliptical so the toe wouldn't have to move much - still i can tell it's a lot harder than before. no wonder people complain of bunion surgery - it's a long recovery. compared to broken fingernails anyway.

World Literature

I teach 10th grad world lit. today was "sophomore orientation." i met with some of the students (who bothered to come) and told them a bit about what we'll do this year. i even had a cute little letter explaining why i love teaching world lit and how valuable for them i think the experience will be. i talked about how knowing other people's stories from across the world and across the span of time will help you gain social skills. (afterall, isn't that what high school is about - being social?) it will help them communicate and understand new ideas. really, reading is critical to living in a world with a variety of people. so after doing orientation i sat down to read the ny times headlines. i came across this article by mikail gorbachev. maybe you too remember growing up with him as one of the most famous politicians of our day - well when i saw his name i was determined to read what he had to say. i've always respected him - based on his actions to open the soviet union and change the face of europe. well, i liked what he had to say so much, and it seems to go along with what i'd been preaching to my students, so i've copied and pasted the article here for your own reading enjoyment/education:

August 20, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Russia Never Wanted a War
By MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
Moscow
THE acute phase of the crisis provoked by the Georgian forces’ assault on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, is now behind us. But how can one erase from memory the horrifying scenes of the nighttime rocket attack on a peaceful town, the razing of entire city blocks, the deaths of people taking cover in basements, the destruction of ancient monuments and ancestral graves?
Russia did not want this crisis. The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war. Russia was dragged into the fray by the recklessness of the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili. He would not have dared to attack without outside support. Once he did, Russia could not afford inaction.
The decision by the Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, to now cease hostilities was the right move by a responsible leader. The Russian president acted calmly, confidently and firmly. Anyone who expected confusion in Moscow was disappointed.
The planners of this campaign clearly wanted to make sure that, whatever the outcome, Russia would be blamed for worsening the situation. The West then mounted a propaganda attack against Russia, with the American news media leading the way.
The news coverage has been far from fair and balanced, especially during the first days of the crisis. Tskhinvali was in smoking ruins and thousands of people were fleeing — before any Russian troops arrived. Yet Russia was already being accused of aggression; news reports were often an embarrassing recitation of the Georgian leader’s deceptive statements.
It is still not quite clear whether the West was aware of Mr. Saakashvili’s plans to invade South Ossetia, and this is a serious matter. What is clear is that Western assistance in training Georgian troops and shipping large supplies of arms had been pushing the region toward war rather than peace.
If this military misadventure was a surprise for the Georgian leader’s foreign patrons, so much the worse. It looks like a classic wag-the-dog story.
Mr. Saakashvili had been lavished with praise for being a staunch American ally and a real democrat — and for helping out in Iraq. Now America’s friend has wrought disorder, and all of us — the Europeans and, most important, the region’s innocent civilians — must pick up the pieces.
Those who rush to judgment on what’s happening in the Caucasus, or those who seek influence there, should first have at least some idea of this region’s complexities. The Ossetians live both in Georgia and in Russia. The region is a patchwork of ethnic groups living in close proximity. Therefore, all talk of “this is our land,” “we are liberating our land,” is meaningless. We must think about the people who live on the land.
The problems of the Caucasus region cannot be solved by force. That has been tried more than once in the past two decades, and it has always boomeranged.
What is needed is a legally binding agreement not to use force. Mr. Saakashvili has repeatedly refused to sign such an agreement, for reasons that have now become abundantly clear.
The West would be wise to help achieve such an agreement now. If, instead, it chooses to blame Russia and re-arm Georgia, as American officials are suggesting, a new crisis will be inevitable. In that case, expect the worst.
In recent days, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President Bush have been promising to isolate Russia. Some American politicians have threatened to expel it from the Group of 8 industrialized nations, to abolish the NATO-Russia Council and to keep Russia out of the World Trade Organization.
These are empty threats. For some time now, Russians have been wondering: If our opinion counts for nothing in those institutions, do we really need them? Just to sit at the nicely set dinner table and listen to lectures?
Indeed, Russia has long been told to simply accept the facts. Here’s the independence of Kosovo for you. Here’s the abrogation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, and the American decision to place missile defenses in neighboring countries. Here’s the unending expansion of NATO. All of these moves have been set against the backdrop of sweet talk about partnership. Why would anyone put up with such a charade?
There is much talk now in the United States about rethinking relations with Russia. One thing that should definitely be rethought: the habit of talking to Russia in a condescending way, without regard for its positions and interests.
Our two countries could develop a serious agenda for genuine, rather than token, cooperation. Many Americans, as well as Russians, understand the need for this. But is the same true of the political leaders?
A bipartisan commission led by Senator Chuck Hagel and former Senator Gary Hart has recently been established at Harvard to report on American-Russian relations to Congress and the next president. It includes serious people, and, judging by the commission’s early statements, its members understand the importance of Russia and the importance of constructive bilateral relations.
But the members of this commission should be careful. Their mandate is to present “policy recommendations for a new administration to advance America’s national interests in relations with Russia.” If that alone is the goal, then I doubt that much good will come out of it. If, however, the commission is ready to also consider the interests of the other side and of common security, it may actually help rebuild trust between Russia and the United States and allow them to start doing useful work together.
Mikhail Gorbachev is the former president of the Soviet Union. This article was translated by Pavel Palazhchenko from the Russian.

Signs of work

Today was my second day back on the job. The students have yet to show but i've been killing myself with 9 hour days mostly filled with meetings. When I haven't been meeting, though, i've been hauling furniture and boxes trying to get my room in decent shape to be usable. As illustrated in the photo, my nails have taken a beating. Just a week ago I was admiring my nicely even perfectly grown and shaped nails. Today I lost three of them. Cry for me argentina.

100 year old fruitcake

I forgot to attach the picture of the cake. It's encased in glass with a piece of paper on the outside that says it used to be four layers with some candy decor that the children ate long ago. There's also a decorative crafty mouse on the glass to remind you how inedible it is. Lynn read a review somewhere on line about it's gray patina. Lynn likes that word. I believe it's what he'll name his daughter some day.
The photo below features tatting. I'm a tatter - I was impressed.

Hurricane

It got its name when erastus snow was driving over the ridge and a strong wind came along and blew the top off his buggy and he commented that it was a hurricane. They have one fabulous visitor's center - you MUST go when you get the chance. It is staffed by an elderly woman who can tell stories. Most everything in there appears to be a scout or young woman's project depicting and highlighting local hisotry, like the cliff dwelling indians and their arrow heads as well as the pioneers who dug a 7 mile canal by hand to the virgin river. Some highlights were the 100 year old fruitcake and the 50 year old slab of bacon. I was also impressed with the tatted table cloth and "thunder mug" - basically a chamber pot. Like I said - you must visit. And as you leave - look at the horizon behind the building and you will see mollie's nipple - it's a beaut! So said the plaque - I would never make up such a thing. I think danielle got a photo so you can see for yourself - if she ever gets around to blogging. It was a trip of excessive documentation.

Grafton

This house, a church/school, and two much smaller homes are all that's left. I took the photo with the school behind me. Apparently this tiny area was used in the movie butch cassidy and the sundance kid. The bike ride bit happened directly behind where I was standing for the photo. The other indoor shots come from the small home across the lane from this nicer house. It was much smaller and more run down. You can see where some ceiling beams have been replaced. There are still cows that graze. We ran into two women that spent their childhoods living in a home that's now gone. They had no electricity and they'd have to daily go get water from the nearby town of rockville. While we were visiting a large yellow butterfly landed on her shoulder. It was a neat place to visit and we counted ourselves lucky that the sons of the utah pioneers group was out there touring the same time as us so we could get the stories.

Sparkles

Can you see them? It's the hotel's ceiling - it sparkles. I like it. The room has been great. I slept great last night. Lynn didn't. We suspect his fish sandwich on friday night was the culprit. We scheduled a late check out for maximum use of the room. I'm using the time to finish my blogging of the trip. I still have to report on the ghost town.

The globe

Here we wait for othello to begin. Pretty good seats. Long show. Great acting. Iago was amazing. I went in and out of conciousness a lot - pretty normal for me at a shakespeare play but I read and analyzed this one plenty back in january so it didn't hinder my understanding much.

grafton ghost town

About 13 people died in 1866 - the place wasn't exactly conducive to living. The cemetery is pretty well cared for. A lot of original and newer headstones. Some are outlined with rocks. Nearly all are mounds still - not sure why or how - but it makes it easy to walk around them.

Green show

This is mark enjoying the green show before the play starts. It's a pretty big crowd and being gimps mark and I are sitting. Or I should say lying.

Sulli's

Here we are at dinner. Good potatoes. Lots of photo taking. Nice waiter. Next to hotel. We went swimming. Next is othello.

Sharing a room

The joy of sharing a room is that you get to have fun bonding/squishing moments. It reminded me of college days - one bathroom and 6 girls. I loved it when we'd all get ready for bed about the same time and find ourselves brushing teeth together. I also have happy memories of grown siblings home for christmas gathered in the basement brushing teeth together. Oh and there was that time I tried the hungarian slap dance with risa. Anyway, this trip brought us 5 friends together in a hotel room with one bathroom. I convinced lynn to participate in the tooth brushing activity. Dan and lex joined us later. Mark was busy fetching ice for his swollen foot. We had a bit of fun end-of-day conversation before the guys closed their bedroom door leaving us women to have our own girl talk. What fun!