Such and stuff

It's been a long time. Sorry. I have been busy with finals wrapping up, and upping my hours at work. I'm giving myself two days off (being yesterday and today). I figured I ought to put something up here as a means of update and/or proof of the fact that I am alive still.

I am alive still.




That being said, I'd like to report that I made a 3.7 GPA this semester- my best semester ever. I don't know why... in fact, it seems counter intuitive if you understand all the baggage I've been carrying with me this semester. I am really happy about it, and I feel really empowered that I was able to come off so well. I feel strong and good for my efforts, and happy that my time was well spent.

I have good hopes for the summer.




My mom's coming into town in two weeks. She is wonderful.



I will admit that I am a little bit anxious about it- nervous about having to deal in great depth with our family issues, and feeling forced to take a hard look at myself as a part of that- see how things are effecting me. Mom's good at pointing those things out to me, and it can be really alarming and distressing at times. Overall, though, I hope that we will be able to have a good time and have some good catch-up. I am excited to take her to the Mona Lavender Farm because it's so beautiful and summery good there. I have always associated the smell of lavender with my mom, this excursion seems so natural. I am also (a little bit ashamed to admit) excited that she might be able to buy me some new shoes...



I have always had this problem of running my shoes into the ground. I distinctly remember in third grade, having to get shoes three times during the school year because I had walked holes into their soles, and fully ripped the sole off one pair. I am hard on shoes. My ma told me we could get some new ones when she's here. Thank heavens.

In other news, I wanted to update you on an artist that I have become an ardent fan of in the last few weeks. I think I'll try to inform you of some great contemporary artists every so often- It's what I study all the time- I may as well regurgitate that info for you!

So firstly, by way of background, I have to tell you that I am a growing fan of Jazz. I have really gotten the spirit of the Jazz of the mid- century genius. On a recent vacation to San Fransisco a few weeks back, I had a great education on the history and formal qualities of the music genre by my good friend Jamie.

She talked me into buying my first (of hopefully a long tradition) Dexter Gordon album. I also bought The Anatomy of Improvisation, a collaborative effort of impresario Jazz artists.

That being the background to my interest, I'd like to introduce you to San Fransisco based artist, Ian Johnson.



His work is beautiful- mostly images of Jazz musicians. I like what he says about exploring the "spontaneous nature of jazz music and the physical structure of the human form." (In BIO on website...) I guess I'm so impressed because I've been listening to a lot of Thelonius Monk and Dizzee Gilespie, Chalie Parker, Art Tatum, and of course Miles Davis in the past month. My roommates are probably annoyed, or just plain confused. Nevertheless, Johnson is intriguing, and his works are beautiful. This one is currently my desktop background. You should check him out here.

Hopefully this will be a more healthy summer for blogging. A lot of my closest friends are taking off for the summer- I should fing myself with rather abundant time to maintan a strong bogging habit- so stay psoted.

Marc Johns; Oh how I love you.

I love this. I love Marc Johns. I love post- it notes. I love this blog that talks about him.

Please look at his stuff on rat traps. It is a treasure...

We're Farmers. We Farm.

I joined a farm. a community garden of sorts. We rented land from this lady here in Utah County... $1.50 an acre- pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

We're planting peas and lettuce and chard and carrots and beets and corn and pumpkins and tomatoes and a lot of other stuff... I'm not sure about what all we'll be planting- just a lot of stuff.
We meet every Saturday at 8:30 for breakfast and then go to the farm about 9, work til noon or one. This was the third week we've been working, and it was a good week. We made beds, tilled the soil, and built a fence for the goat run, wherein the goats that we will one day milk and learn to make goat cheese will roam. This will be a good day, I can feel it already.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how we effect the world around us. Last year, about this time, I read a book that changed my life, The Unsettling of America, by Wendell Berry. He talks a lot therein about how the way that we treat our agriculture reflects our deepest beliefs and directly influences our culture, and ultimately our individual bodies. Agriculture= Culture = Bodies.

I think that this is a beautiful concept, and I think it might be true.

That being said, I am getting myself ready for my season vegetarianism, round II. I start this when the world gets warm... summer time. There are many reasons for this, first and foremost, that I feel like summertime, of any time, is a good time to be vegetarian, if one feels so inclined. I feel so inclined. If I am growing a garden in the warm weather, I will eat the things I grow- seems utterly sensible.

I am excited about our garden. I love it. I want to go back tomorrow.

Psychological Portrait

I am writing a paper about Philippe Halsman. I mentioned it before...
In my research inot the history of phychological portraiture, I have come across many interesting things, including, but NOT limited to the work of Sam Taylor-Wood:


If I were you, I would put this video on mute and play the song Measuring Cups by Andrew Bird, off of his 2005 Mysterious Production of Eggs(... or you could just watch him for a few minutes/ hours/ whatever... both are great-seriously one of the best shows I have ever been to, but that's a story for another post. This song just goes well with the video above. Try it. You'll like it). I really like the way that Taylor-Wood is pulling so much out of her sitters. I want to know how she got such a reaction from them. I guess ethically, It matters how she got them to cry... regardless, they are beautiful images. The men portrayed are actors, and might, therefore, be faking their tears and various states of emotional breakdown, but the way that she portrays these men who have carried around our contemporary cultural ideal of masculine machismo in childlike tears, overcome with their emotions is splendid. These are candid looks at an emotional gravity yet largely unavailable to men in our society.

And they are beautiful.

I'm BACK!!!

I'm going crazy, I think.

I am way too overloaded for any sanity to survive.

That all being said, I realize that I haven't posted for over a month!!!

-This is utterly unacceptable-

So. Updates.

It's getting warm. I think I might have a mild case of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), because I have had the hardest month. For two days when it snowed, I didn't leave my room. This terrible early 90's song seemed an appropriate soundtrack for my life...

So I'm up. I'm out of bed. The sun seems like it stays up for longer, and that is a happy thing for me. There a crocuses blossoming in my yard, a sure sign that glorious Spring is on the horizon. I can shake off the SAD-ness, and again regain my sanity- search under my crushing busy-ness.

To help this quest, I have made a goal. I want to get into the 'Cupcake Fad' currently so popular in all glorious cities.

I want to bring it to Happy Valley, and make it
work for me. I am going to be the cupcake czar of Utah Valley
and this is going to make me rich...

Well, kinda.

I am looking into
the local towns' fairs and city celebration days, as well as the local
business-fostering Provo Farmers' Market. I think there's a strong
market for deliciousness in these places.

So. I am looking for recipes. I have some GREAT ideas for things, but I am always happy to hear new thoughts.

ALSO, I am willing to bake for events: parties and family gatherings... did you ever think of having a wedding cupcake- cake to save space, hassle, money, and to accommodate the various tastes of all your guests? I want to make it for you. I hope it gets off the ground- People in Utah LOVE food. We LOVE clean, seemingly family-and-food-oriented fun, and this is a fantastic way to go. I am willing to make a go of it. More deets to come on that project...

Also, I have an exciting news update: my mom is coming to visit. I know that we'll have a grand adventure... I am making a paper chain until the day she gets here. I've been missing her a lot lately, and it will be good to see her and spend time with her. She is goodness.