I got lost in Sevenwaters again.

I let a girl borrow one of my all time favorite books. It almost pained me to hand it over, because suddenly, I desperately wanted to read it. We did a swap, and I quickly finished hers, and awaited the return of mine.. I held hers as a silent ransom until she returned my treasure.

A month passed and she didn't crack the cover. Thankfully she returned it and of course I started that day. It's been a while since I read it and started from the beginning. Once again, I was engulphed in the tale, and bitter when real life demanded my attention.

I'm so impressed with the well crafted tale. Good characterization, strong female character, and a journey that is riddled with possibility. I hit that point, that blessed point that grabs me that I can't even consider putting it down. Time doesn't exist and I read into the night. While I did not have to do the task that was required of my heroine, I joined her in her pains, her sorrows, and the silence that was imposed upon her. I have an ache inside that demands I continue. I have to remind myself to put down the book, to unclench my jaw and that I wasn't bound by this quest and could-in fact-speak.

I realize and fully admit that I am a sap for a good love story, but there has to be a good quest alongside. Anything else is closer to nonsensical. And of course, the girl doesn't even catch on until she's about to leave. Silly females, silly fools.

3 days later, I've finished it again. Have I mentioned I've read it a few times? I have. And it grabs me every time. How interesting. I think I might start the next one.

Oh the joy of a good book..

This is a print by Melissa Nucera that makes me think of my book. It's currently my desktop.

i have these moments, and today was one of them, that i realize that i like some of the people i work with. that i enjoy our conversations. that i'm excited to see them.

then when realizing this, i grow disappointed because i know that i am desperate to leave this place. so typical of me. to be bound and determined to leave and then right before leaving, friendships are formed.

nicely done, amanda.

this is one of those times that i remind myself that everything has a purpose.. even just something to learn. to make me better. because heaven knows i have plenty to learn and attitudes to change. and pride to smother.

i gave my talk this last sunday. it was lovely, and nice to be done with. it was based on 1 peter 5:8 -be sober, be vigilant and a talk by president packer called 'worthy music, worthy thoughts' or something like that. i think i did okay for myself.. since i hate being in front of people. i sat down when i was finished wondering if i had rushed through and what i had missed. it was enough. i loved having kj there, making funny faces at me while i was leading the music. it didn't even seem strange, as in times past, to have worlds colliding.

it was a jam-packed weekend. we went to kerry park, millionaires row, cupcake royale, this awesome water tower, double bluff, pickles.. i jammed a lot in. i was determined. we even got to have dinner at the inn's restaurant. 9 course meal, 3 hours long, and some of the best food i have ever consumed. i ran out of adjectives and the grin never left my face. and i may or may not have done happy food dances with my feet. we got out at 930 i walked contented down the middle of the street of langley because it was completely dead at that time. ha.

i read a couple books by jessica day george recently. princess of the midnight ball and (sequel) princess of glass. (retellings, i'm a sucker, what can i say...) 12 dancing princesses and cinderella. and i have to say, that this particular cinderella was particularly intriguing. i've read a lot of retellings of different stories. heck, i've written a few.. but it was certainly a twist that i hadn't yet considered.

i had a silly wednesday. concerned about kj and her overnighter at jfk. (oy) and knowing that soren had returned. and in some quick mathematics and a shift in the time space continuum, i got to talk to kj and soren. it fell straight back into old antics. the only difference is that soren can suddenly speak spanish. i'm excited to actually see the barker clan next month.

but now it's late, and we must both go to bed..

HAPPY TUESDAYS!

Here's some nonsense to share.

Random Funnies:

'Amanda, would you like to set up a commune in the trees with me?' (i'm minding my own business making a bed to have someone burst in with this. yes, i fell over laughing)

'Amanda, I'm so glad you're not a slut... I'm glad to have someone in my life that's not a whore..'

(umm, thank you? obviously there's some issues there that might need to be talked out later?)

I went into the kitchen to check out what was left over from breakfast. We get the leftovers, scones, fruit, biscuits, whatever.. (so tasty) I look over to see what there is and I see a bowl of fruit and a line of sliced pineapple. I-love-pineapple. So, under my breath I say, 'oh! pineapple' and do an excited fist bump and slight jig. Then I look to the left and Joe, the guy that makes the breakfast, is standing to the left of me in a little nook in front of the freezer. Somehow I hadn't noticed him...

Awe-some.. 'yea, you weren't supposed to see that...'

End of random funnies.

I am thoroughly entertained by THESE BOOKS! I would have such a hayday.. and I want them. The time is not right for me, BUT! In the name of all that is good in the world! Look them up and be entertained.

One day I will have you for my own and it will be joyous.

And to further my nonsense of things that would fill my heart with joy to OWN are these:

I've done some research of hitrecord.com (CLICK HERE!! doo ittt!) and I think it might be one of the coolest things every invented. To the point that I would totally dig owning these books because I luf them. I think they're cool.

AAAAAAND!

Guess who will be home in ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!?? Oh, my super stellar sycophantic puke of a friend, Soren B. He's returning from his mission and I am stoked! Please note this picture and the awesome Space Force vest he's wearing. Yup, I sent it to him. Thank you Target dollar bins for your hours of entertainment... yes yes. I realize that I'm a nerd. You don't need to tell me.

And with that, I close. Today is a great day. I have declared it so.

9/11/11

there have been a lot of memories shared today. moments from a time that altered so many lives. i would be remiss if i didn't add something of my own.

i was heading to school with my mom. she insisted on listening to the radio. i hated the radio. driving down 7th street to the news of something so shocking... so horrifying that i just couldn't believe it-or.. i guess wrap my head around it. the horror in the announcers voice made it ring true.

i got to school and i felt chaos. i lived in a military town and it went on lockdown. the fear of fort huachuca being attacked came high on a list of concerns.. these concerns were voiced more throughout the day and next few days as more information from military parents was acquired.

people crying in the hallway.. loved ones who had flown out on business and hadn't been reached yet. we spent every class period watching the same footage. hoping for new information. although i do recall by 6th period my history teacher turned it off and told us that there wasn't anything new and we returned to our lesson. my-history-teacher. it seemed like such an odd choice.

and in typical amanda fashion in horrible news, i clammed up. i went silent. it felt like a horrible dream that i could only pray i would wake from. i was 16.

i watched some blurbs today before and after work of people who had survived and how it had changed their lives. i watched again some of that repeat footage of, not the towers falling, but of people coming together to help each other. firefighters running into the wreckage.. and those lone people in piles of ash. i felt something swell.. pride in these people that in these moments of tragedy chose to help someone else. i felt it as i saw the firefighters and thought of the people that serve and defend.. whether on our soil or off of it.. and silently honor and thank them.

i made my paper chain tonight. and on it, on specific days i have this neon green exclamation sticking out.. of days that are important to the next month or so.

for example:

1. kj's coming out next week. what? (said like gus from psych)

2. soren's coming home from his mission. (holy craaap. who knew 2 years would go so slow and so quickly! the only downer- no more missionary mail days.. i suppose i could just talk to him.. o.O.. meh)

3 putting in notice and general conference. both i am looking forward to. bwahhaa

4. ben's birthday. it's important to take note.

5. leaving for utah for the wedding.. that's when the paper chain ends. *sigh* i am very much looking forward to this.

but until then..

work

jobs to apply for

some good conversation

oh gosh, i'm speaking in church.. wait. i already wrote it. -whew!-

making my flight for utah. i'm a perpetual planner. it brings me joy.

there were a few lines from that juliet book that i wrote down that i liked and made note of..

"sleep is the father of lies.."

"but the mother of hope"

"perhaps.. but the firstborn of hope is tragedy."

"how could God be so cruel.. such beauty should never die. even death hates his trade tonight. if she were mine, i should follow her to paradise and bring her back or stay there forever with her."

(note- she wasn't dead yet... but that's neither here nor there..)

"the night was ripe with mischief."

"God willing, I shall see you again soon, and we will be together in the daisies and laugh away past sorrows as if they never were."

(between her and her sister, which i appreciated..)

another random note.. sometimes i find myself really weird/crazy. does a crazy person wonder if they're crazy?? and then i see someone do something that i find so surprising that i think that maybe, just maybe... i'm not AS crazy as i once thought i was.

random note 2: i find alarmingly attractive people.. well.. alarming. seeing them in real life is just a shocking enterprise.

currently reading:

river marked:patricia briggs

the fourth bear: jasper fforde (seriously love this man)

starting the dark mirror: juliet marillier (audio)

fingers crossed i don't get them confused.. wouldn't that be somethin'

in conclusion, the end.

i take this moment and raise my glass to you-

the ever smiling disney princess.

such a loss cannot be ignored.

i wish i had known you better

but i'm honored to have known you at all.

Random Blurg of an Update

Some of these are actually from when Bek was here visiting, but they're so lovely that they couldn't be ignored..

Lavender Wind Farm in Coupeville

Last Beach Day.. I miss you, sister...

Chocolate Flower Farm (farm)

I think this is my favorite picture of the moment..

And then.. just for documentations sake..

I furthered my psychosis and went to a show.. and saw TCC.

But fear not, since then I have been seeking help and have simmered down

my level of crazy.

But this was then, not now.

hence:

Further adventures commence with:

Salt Lake with Jade & the Murphys

This is Ben. He's Owling.

Remember him.. because one day, he'll rule the world.

-what's funny is that you think i'm joking..-

Not sure what it is about the majesty of this building but I just can't contain myself or my camera when I am in its presence.

The reason for the UT adventure:

Derek and Teana were sealed for time & eternity.

I wasn't able to be in there, but I was there.

If you happened to read a previous post about a certain Megan Tew.. Yea, that's her in the middle. (sandwiched by the twins; me and bek)

She was super impressed with my request and mix cd.

We're total best buds.

Me and Ginny (lifelong family friend)

And Ben (future ruler of mankind..) "zombieing" in the back.

HAD I BEEN in Utah on August 15, I would have been there with bells and whistles to see Christopher Cross. Likelihood of remembering all his songs.. eh.. small.

however..

My dad liked Christopher Cross. And I did an internal jig every time I drove past the Scera.

Random notes:

*They have opened the application up to apply for the library science program at UW. It's due in January. I started hyperventilating a bit when I got the email. But.. I've got 4 months to do it. Which is more time than I gave myself last time and no GRE to worry about. *whew*

*I am continuously looking for other means of employment that would potentially get me off Whidbey. I've applied for a bunch, but it's slow return.

*I've found a tentative roommate once I GET to the other side. (ha. sounds like a bad bad joke) Yaay! I'm super excited. It's one less thing to worry about, especially since there are so many crazies. o.O Thankfully she doesn't like Katy Perry. I already checked, Christine.

*Missionary mail days are coming to a close and there is a great possibility that I just received my last one. They were my favorite of days.

*Inn stuff is going to start slowing down after Labor Day. Which MEANS more time to look for work and ability to interview.

*I got angry at ALL my music as of late and deleted my ipod completely. There were few survivors that made the transition. In turn, I put a bunch of Megan I./BrittanyBly/Jade/Brenna mixes to hopefully switch things up.

*I talked to my bishop a couple weeks ago and in the midst of said conversation, it may have turned into this:

me: so.. i realize that my schedule is wonky and i've missed a bunch of days, but.. i've been here since february and i have yet to speak.

bishop: (looking at me stunned) how did we miss that!? (pulls out notebook and sets a date)

Please note: I'm amanda. I don't volunteer to SPEAK in CHURCH! WHO DOES THAT!? Someone that needs to be medicated.

I just don't know what got into me... But I'm speaking on the 18th.

*Kj is coming that weekend. Very fortuitous.

And with that I close.