Cute date 11:15 AM

Also, I thought I'd share pics of my adorable Valentine's date. I kinda like him. He always wants to hold my hand, we see each other most every day, he lets me drive his car, I get along with his parents swimmingly... but I think the age difference is gonna be a problem :)

Cobb and I enjoying a Vday cupcake at Baked & Wired. So help me, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get little man to look at a camera straight!

CHEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!  <3 

LIFEBLOOD! 11:09 PM

Due to some weird security thing, I have been locked out of all my Google products (Gmail, Reader, Blogger) for the last three days. That felt like an ETERNITY. Holy cow I have learned where my real addiction lies. Everyone, beware. The things that you put on the internet that you thought were basically carved into stone are, in fact, still just simple electronic digits on a tiny chip that can be gone--poof!-- in an instant.


Ahem. Adding to that rather solemn declaration, I wanted to show you this tragic video, it is officially the first Katy Perry song I love:



Do you have one that got away? I have One with a capital O, and then a few others-sort-of-I'll-give'em-a-lowercase-o. I let myself think about them this week; my Valentine's day was one of nostalgia, coming after I taught a Relief Society lesson where we all dug really deep into the reality of the healing power of Jesus Christ in times of heartbreak. I don't have any real regrets about any of those boys in my past. Either the timing wasn't right, one of us wasn't ready, or we were meant for someone else. And that's the way the cookie's gonna crumble, every time but one! I just felt like taking the holiday to try and glean some knowledge about myself, where I am, what I want, what's holding me back. I think I'm doing ok. I can love with a heart and a half, and I will get the chance to love someone abundantly someday soon. Heaven help that dastardly slow boy, wherever he is. Literally. Heaven- HELP HIM!

Hope you had a good one. I had some incredible friends looking out for me this week, even from across the country. So grateful for love in its many beautiful forms.

Only the girls in my Relief Society will know exactly what this means. Love to you all!

Granola Recipe. And a small note on e-crushes. 3:43 PM

World, guess what? I have perfected the art of Granola. After my roommates and I downed a large batch of the following concoction in two days flat, and after I fielded multiple requests for the recipe, I decided it was time to share this granola with the world. I'm like the girl on The Saint, and this is my version of cold fusion. Enjoy having your world heartily rocked.

Lindsey's Art Hippie Crack/Marathon Training Fuel

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 or 2 cups of nuts depending on how much you like nuts (I used 1 cup roughly chopped almonds and 1 c walnuts)

2 tbl (heaping) brown sugar

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1/2 c sunflower seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp (heaping) salt

1/3 c mix of maple syrup and honey (I used sugar-free syrup, because that's how I roll).

2 tbl unsweetened applesauce

1 egg white, lightly beaten w/ a fork

1 big pinch of stevia (Or, another tbl brown sugar :)

1 or 2 cups dried fruit (I used cranberries and apples)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix first 8 ingredients in bowl. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir the syrup/honey and the applesauce until everything's well mixed together (only a minute or so). Pour over the oat mixture and stir. Add the egg white and stir again. Spread out over a greased baking sheet and bake 30-40 minutes (stirring the mixture every ten minutes). Watch and sniff carefully between 30 minutes and 40 minutes for any burning. Granola should be mostly dry and smell AWESOME when it's done. Remove pan, set on a rack, let cool, then stir in dried fruit and stevia if you want it to be sweeter (I have a massive sweet tooth, so yes, I did). Store in airtight container... try not to inhale too quickly :)

---------------------------

In totally unrelated news, I wanted to do a blogging series of my favorite men on the internet, since it's nearly V-day. But I couldn't think of a title for said series that couldn't also be taken very, very inappropriately ("I'm dating the Internet." "Youtube is my boyfriend." etc.) So, with less fanfare than I envisioned for them, here are my e-crushes, may they bring you as much joy as they've brought me at work and at unholy hours of weekday evenings:

The Incorrigible Idiot:

The Crooner:

The Perfect Groom:

The Smooth Talker (I'm looking at JT, but Jimmy Fallon is always charming :)

Jimmy Fallon Justin Timberlake History Of Rap... by PayeTaChatte

And, of course, The Sexiest Man Alive:

Philly anyone? 2:19 PM

This NYTimes review of what appears to be a refreshingly well-focused van Gogh exhibit had me looking up bus tickets to Philadelphia today. 

Art historian Anabelle Kienle examined some of van Gogh's lesser known (but colorific) works, given that the artist emphasized in his letters to friends and family a close examination of nature, even and especially a single blade of grass, in order to bring one's soul to peace and harmony. How did such a philosophical motto affect his landscapes and still-lifes? The works on view showcase his long, quick brush strokes, which, reviewer Roberta Smith notes, "come closest to to approximating the texture of nature, one stalk, leaf or blade at a time, without forfeiting their vitality as paint on canvas." Never in my life have I seen an artist use such vibrant blues, arresting greens, and shimmering, striking lines of paint to create works that bring peace. You don't even see these colors in nature. And yet, his works feel exactly like every serene hike you've ever taken. For this I love van Gogh, and always will. I'm so excited to see this show.

Well thank heavens for almost-perfect days :) 10:02 PM

That last post was fun to write, because it has influenced me every day since; I now ask myself what can I do to get each day near to ideal. Today, I busted out the blue striped bowl that I normally save for special breakfast occasions... just because! Today, instead of a boy text, I got an hour of this:

which is, you know, as good if not SO much better!!! Look at that beautiful face. Baby O loves her Aunt Lindsey :)

I chose to brave the cold with Cobb yesterday (who WAS in a happy mood when I came in) and we explored the Library of Congress, my favorite building in DC. Dang it, I forgot to take a picture of it to send to dad. I'll cheat just this once and lean on the internet to help, here's a good shot of its interior magnificence:

DID go to class tonight and learn stuff, DIDN'T eat dinner with friends. DO have things to look forward to tomorrow. That's the beauty of this little exercise. There's always tomorrow... :)

Describe your ideal day- Ok I'll play. 3:03 PM

PS Above is my most favorite header I've had in a long time: Doug Wheeler, light installation artist, everyone. Mmmm.

Above the Clouds at Sunrise. 1849. An early Frederic Edwin Church painting from his days when he still retained traces of religious symbolism in his landscapes (Notice the vague cupping hand shape of the clouds). Ever since I first saw it two years ago, I have wanted a poster of this painting to wake up to every morning. Simultaneously tranquil and majestic.

(The following is yet another inspiration from the girl who writes Healthy is Always Better.)

My Ideal Day

-Wake up warm, rested, and headache-less at sunrise

- Reese's Puffs mixed with Cheerios in my blue striped bowl. While sitting in bed. Listening to General Conference talks.

- Put on a skirt.

- Cobb's in a good mood and runs to hug me when I come in.

- Text from crush in the morning. Because, let's face it... crushes are the second thing I think about after I wake up.

- Drive Cobb around in my boss's sexy Land Rover and pretend for a second that it's mine. Then remember that I am getting PAID to drive said car, and subsequently cherish my own life all the more.

-Text someone I think could use a bit of encouragement, renew a friendship as a result

- Get off work early and metro to GWU Library, where beautifully illustrated books from InterLibrary Loan sit waiting for me, holding in their new glossy or old delicate pages tons of fascinating information that supports my budding thesis topic perfectly.

- Good workout at the GWU gym with a friend who is only slightly better than me to motivate me.

-Walk home from metro in the sunset (Preferably 68 degrees or warmer, this is important :)

- Get all gussied up while listening to my muse, Alicia Keys

- Go out to eat at one of the new and fun restaurants in the area with friends/boy; intensely thoughtful or side-splittingly funny conversations ensue

-Stroll around DC/VA neighborhood in which restaurant is situated. Find a cute piece of architecture and take a picture of it to send to dad.

- Say focused prayers and then go to sleep with much to look forward to the next day

Men in tights 2:30 PM

UPDATE: pic of us attendees, thanks Lauren!

Went to see a ballet by Les Ballets Trockaderos de Monte Carldo company last night with a bunch of ward girlfriends (groups pics to follow shortly on THEIR blogs, links forthcoming). There's something a little funny about these dancers, see if you can spot it:



Yep. All male. All en pointe. It took about 30 minutes to get used to seeing MEN in tutu's, but you got over it as soon as they started really getting down; these fellas/ladies/fladies can get DOWN!This has to be the best ballet I've ever seen, not only for the sheer technical spectacle and athleticism of the dancers (Assisted extensions! By a GUY!!!!!!! GAAAAAH!!!) but also their ironic and funny performances and characters, which really livened up what is often otherwise a too-serious sport. See: the following solo,



I know the one thing we were all wishing for after it was over was to see the dancers up close (some of them were REALLY beautiful, and it was only the lack of uh, cleavage, that made us remember from time to time that they were men), so here, for everyone's edification, is a mini-mentary of the company. Enjoy. And watch out for them to come to your town, they're well worth your time and money!

Hey does anyone know how to change my default font to Papyrus? 10:21 AM

It is a truth universally acknowledged... 4:03 PM

(I will give $10 to anyone who can find me an American Mormon female between the ages of 12 and 65 who doesn't know the end of this quote) Everyone say it with me now:

... That a single man in possession of a good fortune MUST be in want of a wife!

-Jane Austen, prophetess.

I feel like her statement is in fact the only truth left in the world that may lay claim to universal acknowledgement, and that only because of its trifling consequence (good luck to all those single rich men out there. Your life is hard, wah wah).

Every where I turn I see truths of much greater import acknowledged only by sections of the population. Some of the most important truths-- when life begins, the existence and character of God, the efficacy of corporate taxation in economic improvement-- are hotly debated.

The more I thought on these debates tonight, the more I became aware of another fairly inconsequential universally acknowledged truth: all art either professes to reveal truth, or delights in rendering a fantasy.

As always, I began to run down my mental timeline of Western art history to find favorite pieces that would help substantiate my theory. Here are some of the world's most famously truthful artworks, followed by equally famous works that delight and amaze us through their impossible, imaginative, other-worldliness. Feel free to fight me on any of my classifications; in fact, I could use a good art debate and I have deliberately chosen artworks I had to think carefully about before I relegated them one camp or another.

TRUTH

The Parthenon: truth in proportions (Golden ratio, Da Vinci Code, anyone?)

Leonardo: truth in anatomy (a truth punishable by death at the time, as examination of corpses was blasphemous and forbidden in Italy)

Courbet: Truth/Reality in choice of subject matter. At a time when Parisian art was a little heavy on the naked nymph side, Corubet chose to examine, across HUGE canvases, the life of the poor and uneducated of France.

Jackson Pollock: Truth in gesture. Debated about this one for a while, but he goes on the truth side, for now, despite his misogynistic personality...

Andy Warhol: Truth in irony. I found myself recently explaining Warhol's repetative working method to a missionary recently (random!)

FANTASY

Paolo Uccello: Fantasy in three dimensions (look how fastidiously he drew lines clashing here and there, especially on the ground, to give you a sense of a great, deep arena of battle!) Also, fantasy of power. Uccello was one of the many masters under the thumb of the Medici. Here he pays homage to his patrons and subtly exaults them via symbols such as the orange representing the Medici family.

Boucher: Fantasy of the French bourgeois Utopia. I think we can all agree that this is NOT an accurate depiction of every day life for the majority of seventeenth century Frenchmen and women.

Van Gogh: Fantasy of emotions. He paints emotions as if they had the ability to alter the world, when in fact it is the other way around.

Jacque Lipchitz: the fantasy of futurism. Modern life breaks up movement and the centrality of forms and bodies into confusing alternations between nothingness and weightiness. (aaaaah modernist mumbo jumbo- the ultimate fantasy that probably only 10% of the viewers buy into).



Jenny Holzer: Fantasy of truth in the mass media. I have so much to say about Jenny Holzer. Another day. Cliff notes version: She creates scrolling lightworks that spell out messages that don't make sense, and often contain jarring, threatening allusions. She does so to make us realize how much we are conditioned to believing what we read in the media.

Sightless friendship 11:25 AM

Found this in the introduction to this year's RS manual, about the teachings and life of George Albert Smith (President of the LDS Church from 1945 to 1951). Already I love this book. I learn best by watching the examples of others, and this man was truly a saint. Nearly blind his whole life, he was a zealous advocate for the blind in Utah in addition to his calling as a General Authority. This is a poem of gratitude and friendship a member of the Society of Aid to the Sightless wrote for him to honor his service:

When Life beats hard with stormy hands,

And bitter teardrops fall;

When friendless Winter chills my soul,

And empty echoes call—

’Tis then I turn, with eager hope,

My steps though spent and lame,

To find an understanding heart,

Where burns a friendly flame—

A heart where gentle Wisdom dwells,

Compassionate and kind,

Whose faith in God and man has taught

A like faith to the Blind. …

Although his tender loving face

From us is shut apart,

We see the gracious wisdom

Of his understanding heart;

We feel a peace within his soul

And know a peace our own;

We hear his silent prayer that tells

We do not walk alone;

His faith in us will give us strength,

As unseen paths we plod;

Our souls uplifted by a man

In partnership with God.

As I have mentioned many times, friendship is one of my favorite things in the world. It has the capacity to reduce trials, color grey days, and enliven and enlarge one's soul. This is the level of friendship I will strive to show to others!

4.0 and 2011 6:38 PM

Breaking news: I NAILED my classes with another 4.0 and I DO feel like being braggy about it. I worked so dang hard, and had to deal with some MAJOR personality clashes in one class. I literally poured my sweat, tears, and thousands of dollars into finals week this semester (the money, fyi, went to buying myself a new laptop and paying for the repairs of a second, borrowed laptop that I also ruined during finals... long story). Phew.  The image of grief I posted at the end of my first semester of grad school (here ya go) flickered to mind after I turned in my final paper a week ago, but I'm happy to report that I'm not as wrecked as I was that first semester, which was, amazingly, two whole years ago. I can't believe how long this master's is taking. TWO SEMESTERS TO GO!!!!!

2012's gonna be good. Gonna be a game changer. This scares me a little, I've actually grown to enjoy DC this year, more than I have in years past, when I've merely tolerated it. Visions of moving to the West Coast still dance around in my head, but for now I'm just going to leave my moving/career plans to fate and faith.

I don't want to make resolutions. I DO want to ruminate on what's just happened this year, though. Some years go quicker than others; this year was a long, slow haul with lots of mini-mile-markers that resulted in gradual progress and change in my life.

Biggest surprise of 2011: my job nannying Cobb, which came out of the blue in March and was a 1,000% improvement over my previous job managing the bakery. Cobb is a delightful little 2 year old, and his parents are absolute joys to work with. They love their son so much and support me in anything I want to do to help him develop into a happy, healthy, smart young man. I've really appreciated this job because, among its many, many great aspects, it has helped me realize how intellectually stimulating and rewarding the act of raising children full-time can be. I've had reservations about that in the past. But now I know I can do it, do it well, and absolutely love it. (Please oh please let my future children be perfect angels like Little Man is!)

Clearest memory of 2011: Running the last five miles of my first half marathon in November at full speed :)

Best unexpected answer to prayer: this is random, but a few weeks ago, coming home from one of my finals, I started to feel an unreasonable amount of anxiety about my train. I think I'd seen some sketchy guy with a pink suitcase on the platform or something. At any rate, by the time the train reached the bridge over the Potomac on its way into Virginia, I was convinced that death/an explosion was imminent. I know this sounds dramatic but it's true, and inexplicable. I don't do anxiety like that hardly ever. I started to pray. More earnestly that I had in a long while. I recognized the change in humility and intent with which I now spoke to my maker, and I acknowledged that I was not, in fact, where I would like to be should I really truly meet him in the next few moments. As the seconds wore on and the train chugged forward, my prayer turned to one of pleading for my family in case they were the ones in danger, and then, heart rate slowing, I began to thank Him for the many wonderful aspects of school, friends, and work that had been blessing my life lately. I thanked him for the gift of his son, Jesus Christ, who has been teaching me how to have faith and not fear all year. I told Heavenly Father about my plan to recommit to him and to use the atonement in a more dedicated manner to be who I want to be. I also told him that I have been thinking about actively trying to be more grateful to him, which plan I was going to implement immediately. :) As my train pulled safely into Pentagon City, I wondered why Heavenly Father caused me to have that weird near-death feeling (I knew it wasn't my own doing). I even said a prayer to him; "Well, that was weird, but I trust that You will tell me why You allowed me to feel that soon enough!" A mere three days later (a Saturday :) I found out I was teaching a lesson the next day on the second coming. I knew as soon as I saw my topic that Heavenly Father really wanted me to KNOW the urgency with which He wants us to prepare ourselves, our families, and the nations, for His Son's return. I needed to have some experience in this area in order to best give that lesson to my Relief Society sisters. So there you go; an unexpected answer that was actually given before I'd knew I'd had a need. I really appreciate these types of small reminders that Heavenly Father actively watches over our days and minutes.

Favorite purchase of 2011: The Red Dress :) ----seenhere----->

Love-life triumph: a fun, brief love affair with the most confident, thoughtful question-asker I've ever met

2011 Low Point: a poorly-timed visit from an ex. :)

2011 High Point: visiting my very pregnant best friend Jessica in August and then getting to meet her little daughter only a few days ago. Whatever makes Jess happy makes me happy too, so we were pretty dang happy this year!!! I'm so grateful for the enduring and enlightening power of eternal friendships.

College BFF Jess, bebe Olivia, me, bebe Jence, HS BFF Breann

Things that happened in 2011 that I want to repeat in 2012: 

Finish a half marathon, 

get straight A's,

make/save a lot of money,

see a musical (Les Mis at the Kennedy Center),

Things that didn't happen in 2011 that I want to do in 2012:

eat at Virtue Feed and Grain in Alexandria,

get a Master's degree,

get a job with business cards and a 401k,

visit Florida and Harry Potter World,

fall in love with a boy that is NOT 2 years old

Two things tangentially related to OWS... 12:52 PM

Source

I AM THE 8%, and SO THANKFUL!

No more finals = the ability to think and be thankful for random things once more.

I'm thankful that finals are over. I'm thankful even though TWO computers died right out from under me during finals and left me sensationally bad-tempered for a day and a half (LOOOOONG sad/hilarious story) I was able to semi-resurrect at least one of them and finish my paper nevertheless. WOO!

I'm thankful that I still get to participate in this kind of care-free life when I'm playing with Cobb:

Their costumes remind me a little bit of OWS protestors, hence this video's appearance in this post. Its youtube page tells us that the kids in the video are all related to the filmmaker, and that they worked for pizza :) The whole video cost $150. I love the fact that beautiful and moving things can still be created by the little guy.