*THE RAVEN*

I love reading this during Halloween season.
(Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" only made 14 dollars for this brilliant piece! Rediculous!)

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

*Henny Penny, Kauly Wog, and Mr. Bleu*

I took a ton of photoz last time I was in California but haven't posted very many. I couldn't resist posting these ones! Soo cute!

*AND WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST...*

...HE COMES.This one was taken at the beginning of my walk. This one was taken at the end of my walk. It was a pretty short walk...like around the block! ha! :)


October 2009

*BOOTS, YOU'RE SO CRUEL!*

Last year I spent the whole of Autumn and Winter trying to find boots that I liked. My sisters both know the sorrow I felt at not finding a single pair that caught my eye. I was downtrodden and depressed as I obtained nothing but a fruitless search. The seasons went quickly and suddenly I find myself back to Autumn...and THE LIGHT HAS COME! Kind of. I have never seen SO many amazing boots in all my life. (Drama)...honestly! Everywhere I look I think, "I WANT THOSE! Those are the ONES! They are everything I've been looking for!" There's just ONE small problem. All the ones I want are rediculously expensive! And I can in no way justify buying them.

Growing up mom always took us school shopping and I was the one who never seemed to find anything I liked. I would go through the store with nothing that caught my eye....but THEN a moment would come when my heart would begin to sing and it was like the angels illuminated one paticular thing! It was ALWAYS the most expensive thing in the store. It drove my mom crazy. She still brings it up. "Somehow you always picked the most expensive thing." *shrug* Was it my fault? It's not like I went around looking at price tags! I guess I just have expensive taste. And so it is today...I have not changed. I have a love affair with shoez (most girls do) and I can't help but covet many of them. Now, now, don't you lecture me or judge me! You know you all have something you love like this! My guy friend recently told me that he only buyz DIESEL JEANS! Um hello! Those babyz are not cheap! We all have something we love! For me it's shoez and sometimes I would give my left foot for some! (Pun intended) Bah hahahhahaha

So yeah, I can't have any of these, but I would like to post them simply so I can remember how beautiful they are. Maybe Santa Claus will bring a pair? I highly doubt it...last year I got socks! Close enough? Hell no!
ps. Okay, so I did buy one pair of boots last month. It took my life savings but they are sooo worth it. Mwahhahahah

*My heroes"

I'm not sure If I have ever posted this video that I made on my personal heros who have endured depression and some who continue to. But it never hurts to share it again. I love these people so much...and anyone who has to bare this trial. Everyone of these men and woman left a HUGE mark on this world and are creative and gifted beyond words. I honor them, salute them, and respect them beyone my power to express. Many of them now rest from their labors in the arms of their Heavenly Father and truly are victors in the Kingdom of heaven and on earth. I have gained courage and hope from them to continue to fight a brutal battle.


Here are the names of those who are on this video. But they ended up not being in order. I also added a couple.

Virginia Woolf, Elie Wiesel, Abraham Lincoln, David Hyrum Smith, John Denver, Job of Old, Rainer Maria Rilke, Florence Nightingale, Mark Kozelek, T.E. Lawrence, Vincent Van Gogh, Greg Hanson, Emily Dickinson, Mark Haskin, Richard Dreyfuss, Sarah McLaclan, Winston Churchill, C.S. Lewis, Andy Gibb, Jeremiah of Old, Annie Lennox, Victor Hugo, Owen Wilson, Nate Larson, Edgar Allan Poe, Stewart Burnside, and my precious friend, Benjamin Thomas. Rest in peace my friend.

Please feel free to pass this along to those who might need to know that they don't suffer in vain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ik174mOQ5A

*TREND ALERT!!!*

This is for real! I repeat, this is for real! It's not a joke! Pammy and I went to Target last month and I saw these everywhere! I HONESTLY thought they were Halloween costumes. Do you really want to look like a mountain lion!??? Not many things can break the bonds of friendship...but if you wear one of these (especially if it's REAL fur) I am dumping you...FOR-EVV-ERRRRR.

This is just embarrassing. I'll admit that I gave into some of the trends I posted on here that I swore I never would (tight rolled up jeans...love it!) But this...THIS is foul. Whoever started this trend should be shot.

*A SPARROW*

*RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS BEING THREATENED*

"Elder Oaks has had a front-row seat in observing what he calls the “significant deterioration in the respect accorded to religion” in public life. Prior to his appointment to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Oaks had an illustrious law career. He served as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court, was a professor at the University of Chicago Law School and Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the United States Supreme Court.

Although his address on religious freedom was not written in response to the Proposition 8 battle over same- sex marriage in California, Elder Oaks likened the incidents of outrage against those who prevailed in establishing marriage between a man and a woman to the “widely condemned voter-intimidation of blacks in the South.”

He said members of the Church should not be deterred or coerced into silence by threats. “We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice.”

Elder Oaks also said religious freedom is being jeopardized by claims of newly alleged human rights. As an example, he referred to a set of principles published by an international human rights group which calls for governments to assure that all persons have the right to practice their religious beliefs regardless of sexual orientation or identity. Elder Oaks said, “This apparently proposes that governments require church practices to ignore gender differences. Any such effort to have governments invade religion to override religious doctrines should be resisted by all believers.”

Noting that the students he was addressing were among the generation that would face continuing challenges to religious freedom, Elder Oaks offered five points of counsel:

Speak with love and show patience, understanding and compassion to those with differing viewpoints.
Do not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents, insisting that churches and their members be able to speak out on issues without retaliation.
Insist on the freedom to preach the doctrines of their faith.
Be wise in political participation, remaining respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and contributing to reasonable discussion.
Be careful to never support or act on the idea that a person must subscribe to a specific set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for public office.
“Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms,” Elder Oaks concluded. “I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our ‘First Freedom,’ the free exercise of religion.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

*I HEART*

I heart this song...
I heart Landon Pigg...
I heart his style...
I heart his hair..
I heart this video...

I DON'T heart that he's 25 and isn't my neighbor. ;)

*MARE NUBIUM*

"Mare Nubium" is Sea of clouds in Latin and that is how the sky looked to me yesterday.

Photo taken for my friend, Kirsty. :)