So I've moved.

That's right stalkers, I've moved to Ogden, Utah!

Despite the bitter cold (It's September and I'm already cold?! I'm going to freeze to death!) I'm actually liking the Mormon-packed North. As you know at this point, I like to blog via-lists, and so here we go:

Good things about Ogden:
1. Peery's Egyptian Theater
2. Ott Planetarium3. Fun roommates

4. Ogden LDS Temple 5. I live close to Khiah!6. I like Weber State and my institute classes are sweet-a!

7. Riding the bus

Icky things about Weber:

1. Cold/snow

2. crime rate
3. Creepers on the bus

Bob Dylan explains my life

I really do promise to do a real blog, but for the time being here is a little time filler:

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 15 people you like and include me. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"

Pick your Artist: Bob Dylan

Are you a male or female: Girl From The North Country

Describe yourself: Covenant Woman

How do you feel: It's all good

Describe where you currently live: Maggie's farm

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Sante Fe'

Your favorite form of transportation: Shooting star

Your best friend(s)? Lenny Bruce

You and your best friends: Katie's Been Gone or Jolene or Joey or Jim Jones

Favorite time of day: Moonlight or Meet me in the morning

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Idiot Wind

What is life to you: I feel a change comin' on

Your relationship: Lovesick

Your fear: Motorpsycho nightmare

What is the best advice you have to give: Lay, Lady, Lay

Thought for the Day: Man gave names to all the animals

How I would like to die: Knockin' on heaven's door

My soul's present condition: I am a lonesome hobo

My motto: I shall be free

Tribute to Khi and Kate-abees.

So I was sitting by someone in church and they started popping their knuckles...yuck...and it got me thinking about all the little things I miss about my old roommates- Katie and Khiah. So here are a few things I miss about my buddies, in list form of course.

1. They don't pop their knuckles

2. They do not belch aloud

3. They do not swear

4. They recited movie lines in everyday conversation

5. They know what I mean when I say, "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! TELL ME I'M PRETTY!" or "DO SOMETHING!"...okay, that's basically a repeat of #4...

6. They wear slips

7. They do not speak inappropriately about sexual things

8. They would totally gorge on junk food with me right now if they could!

9. But they're not total gluttons, we all like a good strawberry salad!

10. I can be more of myself around them than anyone I know.

11. I feel like I have to be better than I usually am when I'm around them, and it's the most comfortable and natural thing, it doesn't make me feel bad

12. They are always modest in their clothing and languege

13. They read a lot

Now I must do some post-disclaimers:

I am guilty of doing a lot of the things they don't do, like swearing and belching etc...but the thing is, I did it so much less around them. I hate that I've been letting these bad habits slip back into my life...I miss how I was around them.

Another thing, I have some other amazing friends besides Katie and Khiah, and I really hope they don't think I love them any less because of this blog or my love for KK. I don't think people who act differently than KK are heathens, but I can certainly appreciate Khiah and Katie for the way they do, or do not, behave.

Thanks Khiah and Katie, for helping me behave better. For behaving well yourselves. For always making me feel comfortable.

Love, Laur-abees.

A cool artist!

So I recently happened upon this artist, via etsy.com, and I couldn't help but blog about her!

http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=5318735

http://www.dannaray.com/#/p-o-r-t-f-o-l-i-o

I love her compositions

And the colors!

To blog

I am tired and loopy- I think I have a bit of sun stroke...
Anyway I just wanted to post this video. You see it's a double whammy! Sufjan Stevens! One of my favorite hymns!

Here are the lyrics:
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here there by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy unchanging love.

That's all for now! Enjoy...and maybe later I will really blog about my life-a!

So a lot has happened as of late, but the thing is- I don't want to blog about it all. Instead I would much rather compile a list of things I want to do this summer. Lists are easy and calm me. I love lists. Also, if I make a list of summer goals then they will be out in the universe and they might actually happen.

1. Paint at least 20 oil paintings

2. Paint at least 20 watercolor paintings

3. Draw at least 20 portraits

4. Write/Illustrate a children's book

5. Do that stinkin' Kanye/Michael/Joaquin cartoon!


6. Go on walks

7. Get into a masters or academic program for the fall

8. Pay off my debts

9. Go to the grand canyon


10. Get my niece Lucy to say "Laura"

11. Read at least 15 books (not including the Chronicles of Narnia-that's just cheating)


12. Get some clips for the cars soft-top rear window

13. Go on at least one date.

14. Keep my journal going!

15. Don't let my plants die
So that's all I can think of! Some of them are silly, but that's okay.

Shrimp, family, cows, veggies, friends, cake, chicken, professors, beans, kafka, potatoes, fruit = gumbo.

It's strange. I just feel so happy, in a sad knowing sort of way, that I could cry! My chest, err I'm a Mormon- my bosom, is brimming with a weight, a happy weight! You see, I am back in Buena Vista, VA- the lovely town I went to college in. I missed it so much and it was hard to leave it last year, but I feel like I have grown up so much in this last year in St. George, UT.
This year has been strange. I feel like I have done so much, and yet so little.

I went on my first foreign trip- Europe.
I am officially graduating.
I'm deciding what sort of 1st career path to head in.
I have made a new group of friends in Utah, and they're wonderful.
I've repeated the same romantic sort of mistake I made when I was 18.
My father has undergone a lot of health problems from stroking to practically croaking.
My mom was laid off and and then hired, but looking for more.
My sister came home from Au Pairing in Holland.
My niece Lucy is growing up and starting to talk.
I watched more TV than i would ever like to fully contemplate or figure out.
I hiked some, but not enough.
I ran some, but not enough.
I hated southern Utah, I love southern Utah.
I found out I am severely allergic to Zofran, a anti-nausea medicine that thousands of people get at the hospital and are never allergic too. I got some nasty hives.
I lost 15 pounds.
I became blonde.
I came to love astronomy.
I did not create enough.
I ate too many cookies.

So I am back at college, getting ready to walk this Saturday. It is so strange and surreal being back here. It's like I never left. It's like I was just here last week or I was just gone for the summer. I've talked to and visited with friends and mentors. I've heard stories about people from my past, stories that change my present in a way.
It's weird, I'm only 22, soon to be 23, but I feel like I'm at a place where I can look back and see the different phases of my life so far and evaluate and learn from them.
I wish in my childhood and adolescence I would have known that being mean to people does not make you friends. I wish had focused on learning as opposed to grades alone.
I wish I was more rational and thoughtful when making decisions during my years at SVU.

If wishes were fishes I would have salmon or fish sticks because they're my favorite.

I apologize for this muddy mess of a blog. I have so many thoughts flushing through my mind right now and I haven't organized them properly.

It's just so strange being here and getting some closure. When I first arrived I felt like, "oh no! I miss this place and now I might hate southern Utah because I love VA!" Luckily I have transitioned to a more sane thought process. I loved and love Virginia, but I love southern Utah too. SVU was fun and it made me who I am, but it's done and time to move on. I'm okay with that. I do plan to stay in touch with several people from college, there's no reason I shouldn't. I have so many blessings and I can't wait to explore life and see what happens! Life is hard and long, but it is also so short and wonderful!

Talk about blogumbo!

Laura

PS. I don't know how to pronounce my own name.