It Snoweth!

So the world of Salt Lake City has received its third dusting of snow for the season. It is lovely. My friend Mishael fearlessly drove us to ward choir practice this morning, as we are getting ready for our big Christmas sacrament meeting tomorrow! We had warm bagels waiting for us. Mmmm. The snow brought rejoicing, "It finally feels like Christmas!"

We Waxeth.

Wondering what it would be like to counter nature, my sisters and I tried something new...waxing our arms. We decided it was quite feminine. Hairless arms are quite a novelty.

Thanksgiving Musings & Laziness

It has been so fun the past few days to be absolutely LAZY. I have only done things that I felt like doing. These included feasting with like thirty other relatives, sitting around and talking and playing games, drinking wassail and eating pie, buying a new computer for a fantastic deal on Black Friday (I love my new computer!!), customizing said computer to my satisfaction (enlisting my 12 yr. old brother's assistance, to his endless delight), finishing Cry, the Beloved Country at last (finally Matt!), and redesigning my blog with my fantastically creative sister (all important). Thus it is. So, while recuperating from some post-Thanksgiving virus in bed today, I actually filled out one of those question things that circulate in emails. This is the first one I have ever done! Soooo…enjoy the fruits of my laziness!! Hope you've had an equally relaxing Thanksgiving holiday….

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

1) If someone says, "Is this okay?" you say:
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps—Cake. (Could there be a more diplomatic answer to this question?)

2) How would you describe yourself?
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes—Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
(Seeing as CSNY is a band that is branded in my soul, this works for me. Chorus: "I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are, you make it hard." I like the free and easy 'live and let live, be who you are' theme and because I tend to worry/overcomplicate life at times, this is an appropriate song!)

3) What do you like in a girl/guy?
Lovin' You's the Right Thing to Do—Carly Simon (This song totally works! I love a man who knows what he wants and GOES FOR IT with fortitude!)

4) How do you feel today?
Lovin' You—Minnie Riperton (Classic. I am in a dreamy, stay-in-bed mood today, so sing away Minnie!)

5) What is your life's purpose?
Dream a Dream (Elysium)—Billy Gilman/Charlotte Church (Yes! I believe life is an adventure and should never be boring. One MUST dream dreams and fill them! TO DO is one of my life's purposes.)

6) What is your motto?
Helpless –Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (Yep…I bask in helpless awe of Nature.)

7) What do you friends think of you?
Tell Him—Lauryn Hill (Ha! They are probably crazy sick of me talking about a certain chap….I'm sure they are rooting for me to just TELL HIM and get it over with. Yeah…I will…some day…at the right time.)

8) What do you think of your parents?
Helplessly Hoping—Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSNY is appropriate, as we were weened on them. I can't listen to them without thinking of my dad and mom, so this totally works)

9) What do you think about very often?
Mandy—Barry Manilow (Sing it Barry. Yes, my thoughts often dwell on Mandy…she came and gave without taking, but I sent her away….)

10) What is 2+2?
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming—Charlotte Church (One of my fave songs ever. Ummm, some religious connotation with numbers?)

11) What do you think of your best friend?
May It Be—Celtic Woman (Yes, all my best friends share a deep LOTR bond…being a forever fan of Lord of the Rings is a foundational criteria for friendship, honestly.)

12) What do you think of the person you like?
Isotopes—The Mollies (Isotopes [Greek isos = "equal", tópos = "site, place"] are any of the different types of atoms of the same chemical element each having different atomic mass.
Yep we are birds of a feather in the same fancy garden…its beautiful, and might be futile…but oh well!)

13) What is your life story?
Wannabe –Spice Girls (Will the Spice Girls really tell you what I want what I really really want? Friendship never ends, yo.)

14) What do you want to be when you grow up?
Op die Maan—Riku Latti (Afrikaans "On the Moon" Yeah, I could handle that. Starting a new colony on the moon? That could be interesting.)

15) What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Leaving—Agnes Poetry (Is that a divine omen?)

16) What will you dance to at your wedding?
Let Me Go—Cake (Hmmm…ok!)

17) What will they play at your funeral?
If I Were a Carpenter—Bobby Darin (Sweet! If my life captures the folksy aura of this song, that would be awesome!)

18) What is your hobby/interest?
The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)—Flight of the Conchords (Ha! It is true I am a lover of the Beautiful…!)

19) What is your biggest fear?

Help Me—Joni Mitchell (Apparently falling in love...and losing my freedom?)

20) What is your biggest secret?
You Don't Have to Cry—Crosby Stills Nash and Young (Honestly?! What is up with CSNY? Yes, I do want to leave behind the Man, but I suppose that's no secret.)

21) What do you think of your friends?
Nobody Not Really—Alicia Keys (Wow that's depressing…Let's try the opposite of this song….)

22) What song would you play during your first kiss?
Video—India.arie (Wow…on video and everything…)

23) What will you post this as?
Uniform Grey—Sarah Harmer (Nice.)

Fun!

a whole heck of a lot of things right now. At this minute I'm tired. Not overwhelmed or exhausted tired (tho I could benefit from more sleep) -- I am that kind of tired that comes as the dregs of immense happiness settle in. I'm a future published author. It is really happening. This fills me with immense happiness. I feel more purpose -- suddenly I am more than myself. My head is raised from the ground beneath my feet where my thoughts linger on *me*, my latest superficial fling, thoughts that have no basis...and suddenly I am more than what I am. I see long-term, and suddenly things up close become clear. Those things in my life that are fake and temporary, I see as such. And I no longer need them. I have purpose. I step up, determined to give voice to the noble women of the past, determined to learn from their fiery indignation, their desire for change and their belief in the empowered woman...who believed they could have it all...and they did. And so will I.

A University Press (which for now will remain unnamed) will be publishing the life writings of Ruth May Fox in 2009/2010. Thanks be to God.

Okay So It's Been Awhile....

Hello People!

I hope you're doing well. Today I am just going to write and tell you what's going on! I am happy and well. Life is good. More than good. Life is excruciatingly FUN!! This little chapter--nearly 4 months in Salt Lake City--has been a complete blast. My life is full of friends, fun, and a job I love! If we indeed do weave life tapestries, this piece of mine would be beautiful--splashes of vivid color interwoven with the green of nature's glory and the silver of clarity.

So, I was offered a full-time paid internship at the LDS Church Archives on Temple Square. After much deliberation, I decided to accept it and I am soooo GLAD I did! I love it! I think I could be happy doing exactly what I am doing for a very long time. What do I do, you ask? Well, I work with the Archives' massive photograph collection! We are in the process of digitizing images so that we can eventually have them available online. I also spend a portion of my time doing little research projects for patrons/scholars/media people, which I enjoy immensely. I get to learn about many different things! My co-workers are fab and I consider it a real honor to work for the Church. I will work in this position until the middle of October.

The Book: Well, tis true sweet lil Ruth May Fox has been neglected due to my new job and explosively exciting, constant, ceaselessly fun social opportunities! But, we are recommitted to each other and right after I am done writing this, off I'll go to work on my book! I have set a new deadline of December 31.

Well, I suppose that's really all! Oh! I am going to Alaska in August 14-21! A friend of mind presented me with a deal too sweet to pass up and we're going together! I've been aching to go for ages--ever since reading Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild--I just can't seem to drink in enough wilderness---I am constantly thirsty for tall trees, big mountains, and wide stretches of uninhabited earth. Alaska will be the perfect place for saturation. I am most looking forward to visiting Denali National Park and camping in the wilderness!

Also, Ted Willmoth is visiting from England August 6-12! He will join all of us down at our B&B for a week. It should be a nice, relaxing episode.

Okay. That's all!!

Bye Bye!

The Graduate

Eight years after beginning college, six years after marriage, and four children later, my sister-in-law heroically completed her education!!! Hurrah! It was a day for celebration.

The Dresses and Romper!

In Michigan this Winter, "Grandma Bubba," Aunt Carly, and Aunt Brittany made matching dresses and romper for our nieces and nephew. I brought them with me to Utah and voila! Now the chilluns are wearing them! They love their pretty dresses and Joseph especially loves the buttons on his romper!

Making the Dresses

We had a little sewing corner and had fun listening to books on CD whilst completing the dresses--Austenland and Call of the Wild.

Welcome Heber!

Behold the Heber...the newest addition to our clan! Joseph is a very conscientious older brother and LOVES the "baby" and gives him lots of "loves," as he demonstrates in the middle pic. Heber looks a little frightened. In the bottom pic Hebs and Dad (my brother) chill out...soo tired at the end of the day.

Switzerland

The Alps and Pocket Towns. And Interlachen.

Lands End, Cornwall, England

In Search of the Perfect Pic

Surfing

Daniel--an avid surfer--took me surfing for the first time! This is the famous Fistral Beach in Newquay. Waxing my board in the top pics. The last pic is post-surf. We were cooold.

St. Ives, Cornwall & Coastline

Daffodils and handmade willow lobster cages

Cornwall Coastline. Loverly.

Germany 6-11 February 2008

Oh Germany, oh bliss. I stayed with the incredible Jen, Andy, and Davin during my visit to Baden-Wurrtenburg, Germany. I was lucky enough to meet Jen in 2005, as we taught English together in Taiwan. I have enjoyed our friendship ever since. Her husband works at the University of Stuttgart, which is why they live in Germany! They are so wonderful and were so good to me! We enjoyed superb weather as we travelled, especially as it was February! Mild and sunny. These pictures are in Calw, relatively near Stuttgart. It was the home of Herman Hesse. He described it as "the most beautiful place he knew" (or something like that).

Tubingen

This is Tubingen, an ancient university city tucked in the mountains about 30 miles from Stuttgart--the thoroughly German equivalent of Oxford (in my mind). It was incredible! I fell in love with the city. The University of Tubingen began in the 13th or 14th century in a fortress completed in the 12th century. This fortress is featured in the 2nd photo. (Sorry...my camera is rubbish at night shots!) 3rd shot: I have a thing with graffitti...I love it. I find it fascinating. Man has always felt the need to scratch his name in a place, to make a statement, to prove and preserve his existance. I have found graffiti from the 1700s etched in Cathedral walls and other such places. I especially find it fascinating when it is in other languages. See if you can decipher some of the graffitti featured on this very cool door on the University of Tubingen campus! The bottom picture is the Rathaus, I believe, the main government building (??). Both Calw and Tubingen possessed that wonderful old worldy feeling of comfort and crookedness.

Featuring the Delicious Davin

The top picture is of me, Jen, and Andy in a cool tunnel on the University of Tubingen campus. Little Davin was asleep for much of our trip (bless him, he is such a good traveller!), but these are awake pictures of Davin! The 2nd and 3rd pictures are of us playing in the train station, awaiting our train back to Stuttgart. The last features Davin in his stroller (affectionately termed "the cadillac" because of its size and comfort level!)Isn't Davin such a handsome little bloke?