Saturday Update

Okay, now I share 'foreignheart' with my sister, Christina, I still needed a place to put my ramblings that wouldn't fit in a weekly line-up. So, I'm going to just write on here. It'll be interesting extras about my life - funny stories, embarrassing moments, and art worth sharing.

Since it's been so long, I feel the need to make a list... of the things I've been thinking, listening to, watching, and doing.

DOING
1. Ultimate Frisbee could very possibly be the greatest game ever invented. For the past two weeks, I've been playing with a rowdy crew down at Zilker Park and I just can't get enough of it. I biked from St. Edward's campus last week, played 2 1/2 hours and biked back. I was keeled over for awhile - apparently an all uphill return trip is not the best idea after scrapping some great frisbee. I'm pretty proud of my skinned knees.

2. I frighten easily - it hasn't been a secret for awhile. But, on Thursday at work I was at the height of embarrassment. I was sitting at my desk in my office, quietly working away on the computer. When, I sensed a presence and before I could say "whippersnapper" I hurled myself onto the ground with a brilliant, loud scream and writhed on the floor for a good few minutes before I started to say, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. How embarrassing." The Director of Student Life just stood there, shaking his head asking, "Are you alright?" My supervisor thinks I experienced some sort of childhood trauma, which I vehemently deny. The funny thing, apart from watching my slip into hysterics, is that I am surprised every single time I jump. You would think I would anticipate being startled. But, no.

THINKING
3. I'm trying to make some progress with my Spanish skills. Don't ask me to carry a conversation, but I sure do like some of the music! I have been reading children's fables and listening to children's music. I figure - I should start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start, thanks Maria). My favorite children's Spanish tune is Los Pollitos by Elizabeth Mitchell.

4. I love to send packages and I love to get packages. Lately, I've been trying to send a lot and I've realized two things 1. postage is expensive! someone is making some major bucks off my crafts and baking mixes and 2. sometimes I get so excited to send something, I don't think enough about what I'm sending. I have a constant list running through my mind of crafts I should make, gifts I should buy, and things I should do for people. The list sometimes turns evil on me, because there is no way I can do everything on it. And, the longer my list gets the more guilt I feel for not following through. Ugh! But, at the same time, when I do get something on it done, it usually has great effect.

COOKING
5. This is kind of old news, but I thought it would be worth a little snippet. So, I wanted to make dinner for a couple friends. They were about to move, and so their lives were full of all things relocation. The only trouble is - I have negative resources and a dwindling pantry. So, I pulled the ingredients I could find: frozen chicken, dressing, full carrots, cornbread mix, and apples. I decided to marinate the chicken in dressing... and then I called my mom. Something about just having her on the phone at least makes the situation laugh-worthy. My mom suggested making an apple salad with mayo, lemon juice and sugar. Of course, I didn't have lemon juice or sugar, so I tried lemonade and honey - no go. Thankfully, I didn't add the apples yet. I decided to cut the carrots long-ways because there were quite a few roots growing jagged out of the orange. I showed up at their apartment with cooked carrots, marinated chicken, cornbread muffins, and apples (which we baked and sweetened). It was delicious. Oh! And I forgot to add that halfway through making all of this, I decided to try a cheesecake. I had probably 3/5 ingredients I needed so I substituted and decreased and increased... and, well I'm not all sure what I did. I just know that when I took it out of the oven, I remembered it had to FREEZE overnight! So, needless to say, I brought it to work the next day and it was edible! Success!

6. I love - absolutely love - Indian food. My sister and I always try to find new authentic (not that we would really know) spicy restaurants. Well, I have a friend from Sri Lanka, so I asked if I could cook with her (or rather, watch her cook). So last week, I made chicken curry with lentils and rice. It was absolutely amazing. There were so many colors! We spent about an hour preparing the vegetables, chicken, lentils, and rice. The end result was so good that she set me up with the spices so I could try it at home...we'll see how that goes.

WATCHING AND LISTENING
7. If you have not seen the film, Dancer in the Dark, you should. I have never weeped to deeply in my life, I think. At least for a film, I am very positive. The story is about a mother's love - her perilous love for her only child. As the tragedy unfolds, my heart sank to see the dreadfulness of humanity. We really are so dreadful.

8. My moods have been strange lately. Sometimes I can talk of nothing but Honduras, and other times my heart seems strangely distant - longing for the corn, "knee high by the fourth of July." I stumbled upon Jon Foreman quite unexpectedly. But, his song "Your Love is Strong" breathes a prayer my hearts can sing.

9. Another kindred spirit of song is Waterdeep, an independent band from Kansas City, Missouri. I want to dance. Sometimes I do dance, especially to the song "Good, Good End." I forget the beauty of God's sovereignty nearly every day... and I guess hearing that the long, hard road has a good, good end reminds me of our pilgrimmage through this life. How can I end in anything but an amen?

I'm going to end the list there. Why do we always have to do things in tens?

I will put some laundry in, tidy the kitchen, think for a moment about a run, and then go read Scarlet Letter and make some decaf coffee.

Timmy Curran

Surfer/singer ... which is it? Well, with Timmy Curran it's both! From an early age (18), Timmy emerged as a leader in the major surfing competition and soon started traveling the world. With all that fame, he didn't lose site of his creative and artistic waves.

Not only does this kid kick it on the waves and in the studio, but he lets you download his whole CD from his website - how sweet is that? From the upbeat "Blue Eyes" (which I have since determined is my song - with or without someone to share it with:) to the more thoughtful and unsettling "Comatose" this is a wave you've GOT to get on!

I realize this sounds like some bribe, but I just honestly think his music is rad.

The Lives of Others

This is a German film. Thanks to my friend Katelin, who has beautiful German friends who think to send her gems of movies, like this one.

The story is not at all about the others, but about the observer. I don't even know where to begin, except to insist you watch it yourself!

Check out this review from the NY times.

just this once

I'm not a big "happily ever after" fan. In fact, I loathe the typical tales of damsels in distress and pretty princesses. I know - far from the sweet swooners I find in my peers, I am just not wooed by these simple fantasies. Fantasy I love, but it seems the Disney tales skim the surface of the deep, deep pools of what the imagination can hold.

Well, as obstinate as I can be against popular, ever after tales, I can be just as ecstatic about something wonderfully original. With a budget around $30,000, Once stole my heart. Not only did I watch exquisite characters develop in extreme and unpredictable ways, I also heard sweet music. Oh, the music! Don't get confused - some will say this is a musical and it is not. I think the confusion comes as a result of viewers being so excited about the music that their reviews are misunderstood. But, it is true - I was endeared to the music as much as the story.

How simple and sweet - innocent in the characters honest search for life. The leading male (Glen Hansard) is a vacuum fixer by day and a street singer by night, with his perfectly tortured guitar. Set in Ireland (endeared me from the very start), an ironical, granola-type girl enters with blunt praise for the vacuum-fixer's music. It all unravels from there, but how you would suspect.

Oh, please watch. Watch and do tell. Just what are you thinking when the scene closes, looking out on the windows of what will come.

ready to chase

So, I was re-introduced to one of my favorite bands over Christmas. I remember driving north to Minneapolis my senior year of high school with my dad and sister. We were on our way to check out Bethel College, my number one choice. I remember singing and car-dancing to the sounds of "Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World. For some reason, several of my siblings and I have connected to the anthems by this post-punk/emo-core band. Actually, I have no idea what the labels would call them, but all I know is that their music is definitely something to sing to. And they recently released an album that is no different.

Chase this Light continues in stellar Jimmy Eat World fashion to produce something that you immediately want to scream, even if you don't know the words. I listened to it on a recent road trip to Chicago and before long I was half mumbling the choruses to "Let it Happen" and "Big Casino."

It brought me back to those times I sang out the "Praise Chorus" ... when you can look at the person next to you and with a chestful of air harmonize, "I'll accept with poise and grace, when they draw my name from the lottery. ... I'm the one who gets away, I'm a New Jersey success story." It's going to be a road-tripping staple.

good stuff. love it.

On the Sunny Road

So, I have had an interesting last couple of weeks (if interested see foreign heart blog). Interesting is a good word, because I can't say that it's been bad. I can't begin to list the good things, so I'm going to start small.

I have recently found two artists that keep making their way onto playlists and as background music for my very, very strange days.

The first, Emiliana Torrini, grew up in Iceland. Of course, in many circles this already makes her an expert at life and beauty. She grew up in the wild and let loose her voice singing in opera school. As her musical tastes expanded, so did her skill. Her style is refreshingly un-American. In no way do I say this to be un-patriotic. Rather, I say this to welcome a 'new song' that has merit outside of the broken records and well-worn grooves of Western music.

Her new CD, Fisherman's Woman, is about loss. It's almost hard to feel all the emotions it brings, while at the same time trying to figure out her heart in between the lyrics. I have really only listened to two of the songs - Sunny Road and Today Has Been Okay. But, as always, I couldn't keep my wonder away.

She says about the album, "Fisherman's Woman is a letter I wrote to a person that I lost at that time. I coped by thinking I was with a fisherman. They can go on sea for months like my friend's dad. Her mum saw him twice a year maybe for a fortnight at a time. It was a little bit like Alice in Wonderland. The falling into a hole, the madness of it all."

The description is enough for me. I like the way you think, Emiliana. I like the way you think.
-----------------------

The other artist is Molly Jenson. I sort of happened upon this one, but what fun its been! She seems to be what I love about "indie" ... and she's for real. She's doing her thing in San Diego, playing at coffee shops and wherever she can get a gig.

I watched a video of Molly before she played in the early morning hours at a radio station and I decided, "Self, this Molly girl seems like a good conversation." The next thing I knew, I ordered two CD's and befriended Ms. Jenson, especially after I saw that her dear mom wrote her bio. Her music belongs on road trip CDs... it's the kind friends sing out loud to each other ... it's the sort I might theme a gift around.

It's a good kind, this Molly is. a good kind.

Seattle - who could ever sleep?

It's not all rain. And I would question anyone suggesting sleeping past 8 am in this beautiful city!

Here are just a few pictures of my trip to the sleepless city:)

There IS fall in Texas!

It's true - there really are seasons in the South!

I woke up on Monday morning to cold, rainy, brutal rain and wind. The trash can I had set out the night before was spread across the road and the rain made little, ice cold rivers. My friends back in the Midwest may disagree when I argue the Texas fall season, but it's for real. ... At least until about 11 am. That's when it jumps back into the mid-70s. :)

The people are crazy here with their below 80 degrees excitement. I think I saw Ugg boots, scarves, and sweaters within days of sun-bathing in the backyard! I've got to be honest, though, it's hard to not jump in with the rest of 'em. Monday evening when I got home, all I wanted to do was slip into a sweatshirt and have something warm to drink; and that's exactly what I did!

A sweatshirt, a cup 'o joe, and the last Philip Pullman book in the "His Dark Materials" series. Now that's a good Monday night! Especially when it's followed by hanging out with the girls to make fun of yet another ridiculous Bachelor episode.

These days are happening so fast!