Reason for the Season

I was testing out my new camera on Christmas and shot this cute figurine on the lamp table. While it shows off the awesomeness of the camera, I mostly like this reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. How blessed we are that Christ was born and lived an exemplary life for us to follow.

We'll start at the beginning... a very good place to start

I feel like I have so much to say, but I'm pretty certain none of it will make much cohesive sense. So if you think this is a beginning of a linear story, be prepared for something more rhomboid or polygonic in shape. Did I mention I love making up new words that sound like they really should be words anyways?


I'm home for the holidays-- ok, just the holiday, Christmas-- and I'm loving it! It is so nice to go to bed early and sleep in each day, to eat three regular meals that consist of more than 2 items conjoined to simulate a meal, to see my mom and dad and funny brothers and big brothers (and fams) and little brothers and dogs. To shower in softened water, which makes my hair all nice and shiny, to sit and play the piano for hours on end, to go grocery shopping in the all of two stores in town. To enjoy and make endless numbers of goodies for Christmas: CandyCane Crush Cookies (that's my name for them), cheese balls, toffee, fudge, pretzel turtles, artichoke dip, dipped gingersnaps, and Christmas mix. Pretty much all of these treats are legend (and tradition) at Christmas. And to think that I can basically make Christmas (treats) on my own now! I just need to learn how to cook meat.....

I often joke that I'm not married yet because I don't really cook meat all that much. Why? I think it started off as a budget issue, and by the time I had more money I'd gotten used to going meatless. Therefore, I'm not superly skilled in that department... although I can follow a recipe and I make a mean meaty chili. I suppose I ought to practice my meat-making skills more, but then I'd have to come up with a different semi-excuse as to my unmarried status.

So BYU trounced Oregon State University last night in the MAACO Bowl at Vegas. Loverly!!! Our first big play was against the super-strong wind, which showed a lot of skill and determination. After that, we were pretty much unstoppable. We let some scores in the fourth quarter, but at that point it was more redemption for the other team than threatening to our winning status. I LOVE BYU football.


I'm trying to remember if I've said what I meant to say yet. I hope so. I think so? I didn't bring my journal with me... bad idea. I have a lot of things I'd like to write in there. My home is awesome. The Spirit is here. I love it. I love reading the Ensign while leisurely getting ready in the morning. It's inspiring. I think I can be a better person. I know I can.

I am who I am. I live my life and do what suits me, so far as I feel it is what I should be doing. I danced in Europe this summer. I started a graduate program and will be halfway through come April. I have goals, ambitions, dreams, skills, talents. I won't wait around for someone to come find me. I've got things to do, and I won't contrive to try and get someone to join me for the ride. If they can't see a good thing and chase after it... let them find their good thing elsewhere. I think I remember now what else I wanted to say.

While in Nashville, a singer at the Grand Ole Opry show I saw said, "I chased my dream until I caught it." What a great way to phrase it. Dream-chasing takes work, and you sometimes have to run a long time before you catch it. I'm not sure it's a dream of mine exactly, but because of those words I've decided to audition for the Radio City Rockettes Christmas show. Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? No. Nothing is impossible. My coworker, with whom I went to the Rockettes show in Nashville, quickly encouraged me to go for it. I'm young now, and will have time for old stuff when I'm old. When I told my mom the idea, she too was supportive, which surprised me, actually. I guess in my head I thought that dancing wasn't practical. Maybe it doesn't matter what is practical. Maybe passion is more important.


So there you have it. I love being home. I love dancing. I love food. I love being inspired, as well as being an inspiration. I hope I am that, at least sometimes.

And now I must find a picture that represents this amazing year. Wish me luck.

Tis the Season

'Tis the season!! I have been in the Christmas spirit so much this year, and it is so fun! However, there is another season going on right now. Finals. Read that to mean final papers. Yes, I am writing a blog post when I should be figuring out a better ending to my 22 page theoretical/research paper than "Dance speaks." Brevity is not always best. But after pouring my brain out for the past..... many hours..... I'm trying to let my brain de-stress. I promise, I'm so close to finishing the paper. I hope he doesn't dock me for not having an entire 22nd page.


It's looking like a long night still ahead of me. I can't wait to sit, I mean sleep, on that plane!!

Nashville: Why I need a better camera

I finally downloaded my pictures from Nashville. What a great trip! Here are some highlight pictures (sort of). Mostly they demonstrate how good my camera can be and how bad it can be. I'll put up some stories and pictures soon, but here's a teaser for tonight.

Orchid in one of the hotel atriums

Grand Entrance to the Gaylord Opryland hotel

Saddled barrel outside a downtown bar

(This one is particularly bad as far as picture quality goes. Fun moment though)

Pumpkin Soup

For some reason I have a fascination with pumpkin soup. We never had it growing up. In fact, I never really have had pumpkin soup. I had a squash soup once that was quite tasty, and I can only attribute this strange pumpkin love to that soup. And it is faster to open a can than to cook a squash. Anyways, for some reason I felt like trying to make pumpkin soup again.... my previous attempt was not particularly successful. After following the recipe and finding the soup bland beyond belief, I started chucking in whatever spice seemed to fill the taste void. In the end it included salsa and soy sauce, chili powder and garlic seasoning, and a few other similar seasonings (garlic salt, dried onions, etc). I also threw in some fresh cut green onions. By that point I was tired of meddling and just wanted to eat. I topped it with some sour cream and a few splurts of lime juice. I'm not sure which one it was, but that topping combination actually turned the soup into a pleasingly palatable creation! I don't know that I'll continue attempting to make pumpkin soup, but thankfully this experience was a success tonight.

Grown to Dance

I figured, since this post seems like a continuation of the last one, that I would title it something progressive. This may mean that there are a few more dance related posts on the way, but does that really surprise you? Really?? I didn't think so. After thinking I had finished my dancing days so many times, then realizing such was not the case, I've decided that nothing but being pregnant and confined to bed rest will get me to stop. I thought my knee injury my senior year of high school spelled the end. Nope. I thought leaving for college spelled the end. Was I ever wrong about that!! I thought being done with folk dance was the end. Happily, I was wrong yet again. I thought my denial from grad school in the dance program was the real end. Negatory. Since then I haven't really felt like my dance has ended. I keep going through different phases, but there's no definitive end to my dance. Granted, I did have to leave Clog America for this year, but I fully intend to re-visit that avenue, if it works out in the coming year or two. I'll finish teaching Irish this year... and I don't think I'll continue with Academy of Ballet. It's nice to get experience, but it's not the teaching environment I'm looking for. I'll continue on with Foot Poetry, the tap dance ensemble (annual big performance January 9th!!), and I intend to audition for another group. You may have heard of it....

The Radio City Rockettes Christmas Tour!!!

I saw them in Nashville, and they were wonderful. During intermission, my coworker and I were talking and I half-jokingly mentioned that I should be one. A bit to my surprise, she readily agreed and said I should go for it. She mentioned something one of the singers had said a few days previously at the Grand Ole Opry show... he chased his dream until he caught it. I'm not quite sure what my dance dream is. I just know that I love the stage. I can't get enough of it, of real performance. And why not audition? I know I'm not the best dancer in the world, but I am good. I've spent the majority of my life developing this talent, this skill. It permeates so much of me. It finds its way into my papers (it sure did in my undergrad years when the topics barely related, yet I somehow brought in dance). It resonates within my soul. I can't describe this-- it defies language and words.

I'm listening to a SPAC CD compiled by Anthony Dunster and featuring my fellow dancemates from the 2006-7 Spring Performing Arts Company. Those people are so talented. They are fabulous singers, songwriters, guitarists, flautists, in addition to being amazing dancers. I really admire them and their talents. Songbird Rosie, sweet McCall (it was so fun to see her tonight!), rockstar Mikey, beautiful Rachel... if I were to envy people, these are a few that might appear on my list (the girls for sure). You know, though, my talents outside of dance are just not as obvious as these are. Writing is my other major strength, and I definitely see it as a talent that sets me apart just a little bit. It just doesn't come across the same way as musical talents do. Nor does my cooking, which I think takes some talent, and neither do my other talents. It's okay. But I do love having talented friends.

And, did they ever rock the house at Christmas Around the World!!! I don't know if any dancers read my blog, but if they do, you guys were FANTABULOUS!! I really think it was one of the best shows I've been in/seen these past 6 years. It totally left me itching to come back and dance folk again. (Is that even an option I should seriously consider? Is it even an option? I am a student again............ I don't know. We'll see about that. It might have more merit had I made PAC ever. It wasn't for lack of talent, I am confident. I just wasn't the right person, for some reason. Anyways, leaving that tangent....). The opener was fantastic, and I thought it was a great way to feature more dances and dancers. I wish the floors were miked better during Elkridge a capella and the Irish stepabout, and I must say I missed hearing "Go Ye Now in Peace" at the end, although I didn't mind it being omitted, as it always seemed to interrupt the flow of the finale energy. I still think Tesha and Mike Steele would make a cute couple, and I love that Toffer has found such a cute girl to date. I was thrilled to see Emily doing the classical Indian number (perfect fit, in my book!), and I love that Colin and Amy partner each other quite a lot. It's cute. I can't tell if I love Courtney more in Indian or Black Sea Turkish..... both are awesome. And basically the whole audience was in love with the Serbian 'yips.' Deborah is my favorite fiddler ever, Nate and Adam G. rocked the banjo section, and I was secretly hoping that Russell W. had his trick fiddle for Orange Blossom special. And Jesse on the drums? Now there's a match made in heaven. I wish they had done the Chinese umbrella dance... Katie's one of my favorites in that one. Erin looked great dancing out there, and three months (?) pregnant too?! What a star. And Shua...... attracting ladies' hearts faster than an a bullet train..... what would we do without you? To all the alumni who danced tonight and/or danced when I was in the program (who may or may not read this) I love you! I loved dancing with you all and becoming friends with so many stellar people. You were my favorites, truth be told. Of course, three years worth of favorites makes for quite a lot :) . Hooray for BYU Folk Dance, hooray for dance, and hooray for lives unfolding daily into new, great adventures.