Winter arrived. It came on the wind, arriving stealthily in the night just as everyone in our small community seemed to have finally accepted summers end, and falls fire.
That's often how it is here. The seasons go on changing, but no one can seem to accept them, or even enjoy them to their fullest as they're too caught up in mourning the passing of the last.
Me, I do so love the changing seasons. I take joy in savoring each moment of every one of them.
The first buds of spring, the lake in summer, every aspect of fall, and the clear, cold, starry, snow filled skies of winter.
Seasons change on the wind. If you have a knack for it, you can hear the next coming.
Each has their own sound, their own smell. Their own feeling that can call upon memories of seasons past.
Though it seems like the seasons are changing faster than ever, I'm finding that it's all the more reason to enjoy every aspect of each of them.
To seize the day.
carpe diem // patientia // memento mori // memento vivre.
here's to life
LISTENING: bad blood (album) by bastille (re)READING: fellowship of the ring by j.r.r. tolkien WATCHING: 2 broke girls
Yes, again. But since the last big update was at the beginning of this year, with a slight header refresh for the summer I thought it was time.
I had really wanted to have a special one for fall, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.
p.s. You may notice that I have links to both my Flickr and YouTube accounts above the header. My flickr currently only features a handful of instagram pictures and I don't have but one public video on my YouTube. However I'm hoping both will have more to offer in the coming months.
I like boots. I'm a boots type of girl. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my TOMS, especially in the summer. And my Converse are all around great. However, I'm not one to pass up a good pair of boots.
But I am pretty crazy picky.
Some girls have a checklist for what they require in a guy. Me? I have a checklist for boots. It includes things like no zippers and real leather. That they need to actually be able to fit me i.e. wide enough for my feet, preferably with a large enough shaft circumference/short enough to allow for thick socks and/or leg warmers. Decent soles. Realistically and diversely wearable. Also good craftsmanship. That type of thing. Also, made in the USA is always a plus.
Honestly? I didn't think they existed. That is, until I discovered the oldest manufacturer of shoes in the United States. Frye has been around since 1863, family owned until the late 1940's and is still around and making quality footwear today. And they make a boot that I think is the closest thing to boot perfection. As in they boot pretty much fulfills all of my criteria. I mean look at them ------->
<-----THIS
makes me happy in inexplicably geeky ways
I have something of an avid love for soundtracks and probably at the top of my favorite soundtracks is the Lord of the Rings.
For the longest time I was wondering why the version of the soundtrack for Fellowship (and Two Towers) that I had was rather (though in the case of Fellowship: completely) different from that which I knew in the films.
The other night I discovered that the reason is because in the extended editions (which is what we have on DVD) they completely re-recorded and expanded the score to completely polish the "deleted" scenes so it was like they were never deleted. (*squee of intense geekery*)
Which lead me to the discover that I have the complete score for Return of the King but I most definitely need the complete recordings for Two Towers and Fellowship of the Ring!
The Hobbit
WHO ELSE IS CRAZY EXCITED FOR THE HOBBIT?!!!!
Also, did you guys know that there's extra bits on YouTube via Peter Jacksons channel? I found out the other day and ended up watching several of them. Because I love extras.
new photography
Up on my deviantART is some new photography. So check out my profile and browse the gallery!
There's a picture I just took a couple days ago as well as some from August and September, with more to come!
new glasses
I finally got new glasses with my updated prescription.
As a by-product, I can actually see in the dark again and it doesn't look like the ground is on the same level as my chest. Lack of depth perception is not fun my friends. It's side effects include walking into all manner of objects and people as well as a heightening one's power of klutziness.
school
I'm rather happy that here in less than two weeks the current college quarter is going to be over, followed by a nice and long winter break. And then, winter quarter classes start at the beginning of January.
For me this means that I'm getting to take a course I have much anticipated, on Photoshop usage in web design!
New Horizons
Flyleaf's final album, New Horizons is utterly fantastic. From beginning to end it's packed with songs that I have already committed to my lyrical memory library. I am still saddened by the fact that it is going to be the last album featuring Lacey, but the album is nonetheless fantastic. Long time fans of Flyleaf will love it, but I think as one of them I also see that it's very different from past albums. Maybe it's just because of the bittersweet knowledge that Flyleaf will never be the same, but after the harder more edgy rock of their debut album and Memento Mori, and the softer tones of Remember to Live, New Horizons seems to be an amalgamation of these two points in Flyleaf's growth as well as something completely different.
For me the album still holds as much meaning as any of the previous, but at the same time it seems like there isn't as much of the Flyleaf feeling that I know so well in the writings of the songs. I think that maybe it has something to do with the fact that Lacey wasn't as involved in the making of the album, only traveling to the studio to record vocals.
While the album for those of us who know this music so well is different and maybe even lacking it is nonetheless fantastic in the sound and meaning despite the bittersweet tinge. From the rocking opening and attention call of Fire Fire, to the heart wrenching way I desire to belt out the Saving Grace and the highly anticipated new rendition of Broken Wings this album is truly sending the Lacey era of Flyleaf out with a bang.
Pitch Perfect
My friend Amanda, my mom, and I went to the movies a couple weeks ago to see Pitch Perfect. We laughed a lot. Though Supernatural fans who kind of almost cry whenever they hear Carry On My Wayward Son, be warned, it comes up in the first few minutes of the movie. It caught me off guard...I was awkwardly laugh crying. hahaha (Sarah, I blame you.)
The Big Bang Theory
My grandma convinced us to watch Big Bang Theory, after years of various people telling me I should watch it...and lots of my confusion at being compared to Sheldon (it happens more than you would think...and I'm still not sure whether or not to be flattered or insulted haha). OH MY GOSH THIS SHOW IS SO GREAT.
My whole entire family loves it and we eagerly await every time the next DVD in a season comes...and when it does we usually end up sitting and watching the whole thing so we can send it back the next day to get another faster! All of us enjoying it though is quite a feat, there's very few shows we can all watch and laugh at together.
So, as the holidays are nearing and as this is one of my favorite scenes thus far in the series, here's a clip...it's not the best definition but it's pretty great.
and that is where I shall take my leave
I do believe I have thrown enough media, words and rambling at you all for now. Until my next post, hope you're all doing well! blessings and prayers
reading: anna karenina by leo tolstoy --- watching: lord of the rings trilogy extended editions
Just yesterday I found myself with the inclination to read a book that I've read twice before, a book that I own.
I didn't really know just how much I wanted to read, to become enveloped in a story, in a quest, in a journey, until I realized that it was almost 2am and I was practically halfway through the book.
It made me remember the time when I read the book, who I suggested the book to, and how much I truly enjoyed the book; because I had forgotten.
So, as the autumn days turn colder, the nights longer and everything begins to freeze; curl up with a book you've read before, a book you haven't considered reading, a book you've overlooked for a while. And pick it up, and read it again until you can remember why it was you decided to bring that book home with you and adopt it into your heart.
read a book you've read before
with pages old and overlooked
read a book you've read before
remember why you hold it close
Because maybe, just maybe, you need it more than you know.
White Light(original version) the bells toll
the sound ignites
the full moon
the nights scant light
the inky darkness
closing in
smothering
glowering
moving in
the moon burns
white
in the
black
the silent forest
the whispering trees
the balmy wind
the chilly breeze
the shooting stars
alight
aflash
the silent guardians
adrift in the night
to shed a small
scant
white light
Interestingly enough, snow isn't the original premise of this poem.
When I originally wrote White Light, it was merely several lines long (whereas the entry version to the left is probably doubled in overall length) and was just a random throw-together of words that contradict each other (as you can read, to the right).
Hoping you're all having a wonderfully snowy winter!
Normally I'm not one for Christmas music, I tire of hearing the same thing year after year, after year.
However, last year I invested in the awesome music...Relient K's Let it Snow Baby, Let it ReindeerChristmas album. (available during the holiday season as an MP3 download for only $5 from Amazon, I highly recommend it).
Because I was so highly anticipating listening to my awesome Christmas music this year, I actually started listening to it a few days before Thanksgiving!
Now, I do like the more rock versions of the traditional Christmas songs, but I really must give props to BarlowGirl for their awesome vocals on this traditional version of the Carol of the Bells:
But back to the topic of that awesome rockin' Christmas music.
As far as originality, and a completely new song, I love Relient K's Santa Clause is Thumbing to Town, which, unfortunately I could not find a video of on YouTube...you'll all just have to trust me on its level of awesomeness.
Another new Christmas song, is from Flyleaf from one of their original EP's: I LOVE IT:
Now, I don't know if any of you have by chance seen Mean Girls...but, it really ruined Jingle Bell Rock for me and I haven't really liked the song since...but Thousand Foot Krutch has brought it back for me in their version:
I love BarlowGirls version of Carol of the Bells, I love to listen to it because its such a beautiful song, but this here, is an awesome instrumental rock version:
Hoping you're all getting into the Christmas spirit as well!
Well, its Day 3 of the Capturing Creation Photo Challenge over at Yours Truly, and so its time for more pictures!
This one I took just this summer. We leveled our yard and so it was kind of dirt and puddles for a while. We live in a building thats over 100 years old however (quite a history there) and so we found lots of interesting things in our yard when we were restoring it to its original level.
Like bottles, lots of vintage bottles.
I think my favorite thing I found though would be the coke bottle bottom I found. Its really cool because the glass is un-even (in thickness) all the way around, the inside, the sides, the bottom...it makes that whole "coke bottle glasses" thing make a bit more sense.
This one I took just a couple days ago. (I'll have more pictures up shortly!)
blessings to you all on this gloriously snowy Wednesday!
So, last Monday, I had an epically awesome time at the my local stop on RED's Nothing & Everything Tour with Disciple, Head and Silverline.
It was SO much fun!
Great music, great friends, awesome times.
Now, unfortunately, I didn't have the camera, so I didn't get any pictures :( I did however have my iPod Touch and did manage to get some video...but sadly no average camera is made to withstand that and have clear audio.
I had a lot of fun and ended up buying Disciple's new CD Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and yesterday my mum bought RED's album End of Silence.
So lots of new music I'm listening to.
It seems like winter has arrived where I live...I woke up the other day to find it had snowed 4"-6" and was still coming down!!! But its okay now because we're coming up on Thanksgiving and as long as it waits 'til after Halloween (which to me, is pretty much the end of fall) to snow, then I'm good with it.
Since then, for the past few days we've had some cccccooolllddddd weather! We're talking in the land of below freezing and zero. BRRRRRRRR
I'm hoping it'll warm up a bit and snow more so hopefully I can do some snowboarding this year!
Since its Wednesday (I almost forgot! oops!) I have another installment of my photography for the Capturing Creation Photo Challenge over at Yours Truly! Since its Day 2 the focus is...Let There Be Heavens
“The God said, “Let there be the firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
Hope you're all having a blessed (and warmer!) Thanksgiving week with family and friends!
