It's not so hard to enter, and I'm hoping it won't be hard to win. =) family-home-evening.blogspot.com is neato, and they're giving away 5 pictures of the St. George Temple.
Is it wrong to covet a picture of the temple?
http://family-home-evening.blogspot.com/2009/07/temple-photo-give-away-new-sponsor.html
Yesterday, I encountered a book that was never a part of my childhood, though I know it to be an absolute classic for many kids - The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I watched a video of it on YouTube, and I gotta say: I'm confused.
Click on the link up above if you'd like to listen to Silverstein reading the book and view the accompanying drawings.
The story is one that clearly has metaphorical meaning. A little boy spends a great deal of time with a tree, and the tree loves him completely. She gives him shade, delicious apples, and branches to climb. The boy grows up and has less time for the tree, though she continues to love him dearly and to give him all that he asks of her. Finally, when the boy is an old man and the tree has been reduced to a stump, the two are reunited in a real and lasting way. The tree has nothing left to give, nor does the old man, but they love each other and are happy.
It's a complex story with simple language, and there are so many ways to interpret it! I don't know whether to admire the tree for her selflessness or to pity her for giving away all that she has (and almost all that she is!) to someone who often leaves her behind once he's gotten what he's after. As for the boy, is he the epitome of selfishness or simply the sort of imperfect being that all humans can't help but be? I feel this can so, so easily be a metaphorical tale of Christ's role as Savior (with the tree playing the part of Christ and the boy as humankind, individually or collectively), but Craig pointed out to me yesterday that it can also have political or economic implications as well. As with so many books, the lens you view it through will largely determine what you see.
So, thoughts: was this a childhood favorite for any of you? Will you/have you read it to your kids? What personal meaning does it have for you? And for the newbies like me - what do you believe the story symbolizes? I'm interested to know your thoughts. Mine are still forming.
I have known since I was, oh, sixteen years old that I was never going to have gravity-defying breasts of the Victoria's Secret variety.
I realized tonight, when a Victoria's Secret commercial came on during "24," that most other folks won't either.
I'm not sure why, but tonight's realization felt significant.
A bit too personal? Maybe so. But I'm totally right, aren't I?
It's nice to have letters to put after my name, though occasions to use them will be rare.
This past weekend, I graduated from Southern Utah University. It was strange to be back on campus after being away for the semester, and it was even stranger to be dressed in the obligatory funny robe and funny hat, the same get-up I wore four years ago as I graduated from high school (well, nearly the same; the color changed from maroon to black).
I'm not sure when it'll really sink in that, after seventeen years of attending school from August to March, the learning regimen I'm used to is either over or on-hold. I think I'll be pretty morose when it does. As for now, I feel free to enjoy a summer with my husband, to read Nabokov and Tolkien, and to figure out what comes next. I feel free from due dates and grades, but the really real parts of school - the learning, the growth, the community - are the things I'm going to miss. It's tough to give all that up, and if you want a prediction, I won't be giving it up for long.
I'm just saying: these are some good shows.
"Arrested Development"
"Veronica Mars"Both favorites. They each received boatloads of critical acclaim and had a few very loyal followers who, sadly, failed to convince the rest of the nation to tune in. This saddens me, but I'm still grateful for the three seasons apiece that are left to entertain me and SUPER hopeful that the talk of feature films based on both of the series are legitimate.
In case you're interested (and you definitely should be!): "Arrested Development" is available for your viewing pleasure on www.hulu.com, but as far as I can tell, "Veronica Mars" is only on DVD. Enjoy!
