30.6.07

Sewing Project 2

Yeah, already!
This dress took way less time than pretty much anything I've sewn. Unfortunately, it has a few kinks and little things I wish I had done differently, but hey, it's all about getting experience and learning how to make better dresses. And it's simply really fun for me. It helps that the fabric cost a dollar. Haha. I can afford to
make mistakes, literally.
Sadly, it is really quite difficult to take a picture of one's self that includes most of the body. Or the back. That one is quite a challenge. Moreover, I do not like to take pictures of myself, particularly in a mirror. It is uncomfortably narcissistic, and dreadfully unartistic. I did the best I could.

27.6.07

Terrifying

Tonight in the middle of Bible study, as I was trying to get the girls to settle down and talk about the topic at hand, Kristin spotted a ginormous black and white moth, caught it, and proceeded to chase me around the front of the church with it. It ended when I finally convinced two of the other girls to catch her, get the moth away from her, and kill was was left of its mostly smooshed body.
I think Tori just sat there and laughed.

Why, O Why

So I just had this epiphany: Oprah is boring and stupid.
At my babysitting ob tonight I had very little top do - the kids went to bed within the first hour and a half, and then I realized that I had left my book home. I next noticed that the only TV in the house was in the same room as the baby, of whom I had faced some small trouble putting to bed, but didn't want to risk waking up. Thankfully I had everything I needed to work on finishing my Bible study in my purse, though I knew it would be a feat of concentration to be able to focus on it for two and a half hours +. I put in a goodly effort, and was quite pleased with myself when I spotted the family's magazine rack. I am a sucker for magazines. But it only contained some Portland Monthly, something I didn't recognize, and "O". Having never actually watched oprah first hadn, or read her magazine (and I have always managed to avoid probbaly every book that has made it on to her book list), I thought, "Well, you can't go wrong with a July issue of a women's mag - it's bound to be interesting."
But nope. Oprah let me down. No interesting biographies. No fun makeup ideas. No health or exercise info. No good recipes (something to do with melon. Boo). No fashion. The closest thing to a point of interest was finding a reference to and interview with a woman from Portland. She's a life coach -wait, a self-esteem coach- who also writes books about being happy with yourself naked. Needless to say, let down again (and, yikes).
There wasn't even a good, tragic story! Oprah - who let you have a magazine? Stick to your TV show and your fluctuating weight and leave us readers to our own entertainment devices, and the world will be a happier place.

24.6.07

Nature: I Love It

[Wild strawberries from my yard]
[Mt. St. Helens]
[Mt. St. Helens mist]
[Flowers above Wahkeena Falls]
[Moss near Multnomah Falls]

22.6.07

My Girls

I love rock climbing and most things related to it. And I love these girls, though it is rare that I even see them, much less hang out with them.
Last Thursday I spent a lovely 50 minutes with them. I find it unfortunate that these photos so ineptly depict the humor of the day... you have no idea. (But thanks for coming in and trying to capture the insanity, Josh.)

21.6.07

First Day of Summer

As I was chatting with Josh on the phone this morning, I heard his dad in the background say, "Happy first day of Summer!" I was momentarily confused because I associate the first day of summer withe the end of school, rather than the real first day of summer. With that friendly reminder I realized that it must be (though the cold air coming through my slightly open window is no indicator).
But for me, it can't really be summer unless I have finished compiling my summer reading list. This year, rather than my usual list consisting mostly of classics and a few rand m books off my shelves that I haven't finished, I decided to work with a different theme. I'm going to continue reading more books about women in the Middle East, as well as increase my sci-fi/fantasy experience. (With a couple of exceptions)
It's a bit ambitious, but I'm going to give it a go.

A Fragile Stone (Michael Card)
Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them (John Ortberg)
The Bookseller of Kabul (Asne Seierstad)

Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
Earth Sea Trilogy (Ursula LeGuin)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Rowling)
A Movable Feast (Hemingway)
The Man in the High Castle (Philip K. Dick)
VALIS (Dick)
The Road to San Giovani (Italo Calvino)
Cosmicomics (Calvino)
The Dispossessed (LeGuin)
Always Coming Home (LeGuin)
The Periodic Table (Primo Levi)
Six Walks in the Fictional Woods (Ecco)
Knight's Gambit (Georges Perec)
A Void (Perec)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

18.6.07

Random Whaaaat

Last night I had a dream I was babysitting for the Olsen twins. But they were about 18 months and I was my age, so it wasn't like real life because I think they are actually about a year younger than me. So it was weird. But then it got even weirder because there was some sort of flood and one of them almost drowned.
That's it.

16.6.07

Week in Pictures

[Multnomah Falls: Photographer][Spaghetti Factory: King][Wilkin's House: Birthday boy][Parking lot: Schreck Sherpa][Coffee People @PDX: Perfect]

There was more to my week than just hanging out with Josh, but that's all I can think about right now.

6.6.07

International.

This so far has been a week of global learning.

Monday: class on Italian Gothic art
Tuesday: presentation on coping methods in Cairo, movie set in Trinidad, book about life in Iran
Wednesday: paper involving Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Haiti

So much diversity - PSU is really doing its job this quarter. It all has been really interesting, though writing about the Caribbean while it's cold and raining out is kind of painful.


3.6.07

Dress Up

Hey look it's my favorite girl and boy! Yay for sister and boyfriend looking all cute and fancy. We've all been dressing up so much between weddings and church recently... it feels a little weird, but in a way kind of nice.

1.6.07

Happiest of Birthdays

Yesterday was a special day. For the first time since I have known Josh Schreck, we were able to spend his birthday together. Last year we were divided by states; the year before by countries. This year was a big improvement: the farthest distance was between Irvington and the University district, and only for a few hours at that. To further cement the fact that we were actually together, we did fun stuff together as much as possible (between classes and work)...walked to classes together, rode the bus together, played soccer in the parkblocks, ate icecream cake and went to see Pirates 3 at Cinetopia.
It was fantastic. It was even hot and sunny.
Yay for good memories, good times to look forward to, and happy birthdays.