Cumberminis

Ah cumberminis. What are they? Exactly what you think.

My mother, my sister, and I are all pretty enamored of Benedict Cumberbatch. For those of you who don't know who he is, do your research.

He's the one guy in that one show that everyone is obsessed with. (Weirdos.)

He also is the one who wrote this note for paparazzi during the height of the turmoil in Egypt.

He's best friends with this guy:

And he's the one who photobombed U2 at the Oscars:

So one day on pinterest I saw this: The original cumbermini I made my own document, printed off twenty-four of them and hid them all over my family's house. Seriously, everywhere.

From the front door

Helloooooooo! 

To the fridge. 

And pretty much everywhere in between.Here, you can play too! It's like Where's Waldo, but in a rather attractive suit.

So of course, because my family likes to play along with my madness, they've been moving them all around so that every time I visit there's a new cumbermini location. But guys, my Mom. My Mom did the greatest cumbermini one can imagine. Observe.

She cumberminied our family on the Great Wall. I was so incredibly impressed. And he shall never be removed.

Trust me, this is a game you want to play. Cumberminis: Bringing families together since 2014.

Happy Things

Well, as Granger would say, "'Ello 'Ello 'Ello!" I've actually missed this little blog.

Life's been grand, and also a bit overwhelming lately. I'd like to recap the last three months, but setting that expectation just means I'd never write anything. (This lesson I've learned from months of empty journal writing due to that one week I still need to write about. Duuuuuuuumb.) So I've been wondering, "If I ever do blog again what should I blog about?" This is what I came up with. Honestly, amidst all the craziness there are some things that are bringing a lot of joy, a lot of peace, and a lot of strength into my life lately. Here they are blog readers. You can respectfully nod and mumble to yourself, "How lovely that Elizabeth has that in her life. I'm ever so happy for her" etc... Or you can go explore a few of these things yourself, because seriously I have pretty good taste when it comes to coping mechanisms.


 First, Granger. Granger Smoot Bouchelle. With a name like that how can you not be entertaining? Here are some of the greatest hits of the last few months:

"Well, I'm gonna change and then head to the gym."
"I wish I could go to the gym...."
"You can come with me if you want."
"Okay! Lucky thing I'm wearing socks!"
"Yes, that is quite lucky."
"Do you think I'll need an exercise headband?"

(As a side note to this one Granger has become a bit of a gym expert. It's a blast to watch and he is learning that yelling across the gym so I can see how fast he is running is really not appropriate if there are other people there. Baby steps.)

"NEENA! How do I turn on your shower?"
"Turn the things to the right, like I showed you."
*Twisting, squeaking, and other various sounds occur*
"IT'S NOT ACTIVATING!"

My Mom stumbles into the kitchen early one morning with her pajamas on. Granger looks up at her.
"What a dish!" My mother stares at him in shock, unsure where he learned such a phrase and wondering how to respond. Finally Granger pipes up again:
"Can you explain to me what that means? And is it appropriate?"

"Hey, wait a minute Granger! Don't you have scouts tonight?"
"Yeah. But there was something I didn't want to try."
"Oh yeah? What was it?"
(With lowered voice and furrowed brow)
"The waltz."

Second,  my chocos. I seriously wear those bad boys almost every day. I would post a photo of my impressive choco tan, but feet are ew.

Third, Cabin Pressure. It's this British radio show and it's hilariously witty and cheerful and I love it. Enjoy this clip and then go figure out where to get it! It's wonderful! Arthur is my best friend

Fourth, my car. Mostly these little guys that drive around with me everywhere.

I've found that when life is a lot to try and manage successfully, it helps to have something to remind you that there are good, happy things waiting, and that there are far more important things than tests and jobs and to-do lists.

Fifth, Music. I saw these guys in concert last week. Ridiculous. The Head and the Heart

We were actually there for this show (Kathryn and I, that is. My favorite concert buddy.) We spent the first bit by overly energetically affectionate lesbians, and the second bit by Matt and Holli Coates. That, my friends, is the definition of  improving one's situation.

But I've also fallen in love with these guys lately. Pretty much they're on repeat in my car all the time. The Oh Hello's But I always, always come back to the Avetts. Always. In the last month I've fallen in love with some new ones and listened to some old faithfuls  about five bazillion times. If you don't love these guys I get it. I really do. But I wish you did.

Sixth, My job. I have a fabulous job. I work with some of the brightest, funniest, most loving and sincere children in the world, and I even like the adults too! I always struggle at the end of the school year because I know how much everything changes. But I think this next week will be particularly hard knowing that so many of them are moving on to Kindergarten and I'll be in a different class in the Fall. I get attached. One of the most powerful things I've come to know through teaching is that our ability to love only expands as we grow. I never thought I could love, respect, and enjoy any child I taught as much as I did this one:

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

And seriously, this is the tip of the love-of-the-little-children iceberg.THE PHOTOS WOULD NEVER END! But this year I have added so many to the list of fantastic children I've been able to work with! I can't wait to do the same thing next year.

Seventh, Have I ever mentioned that I live in a gorgeous place? Oh, I have? Every blog post? Well, here's a video to prove it. Please excuse the loud music in my car. It was just a loud-music-in-my-car day.



Eight, Cumberminis. As of some developments last night this merits its own blog post. Coming your way very soon. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained. (Though when I told Granger about it his response was to turn his head away and mumble "Pitiful". But I think it's great!)

Nine, Grad School. More specifically that I am 1 1/2 courses away from being done with my coursework for grad school. Student teaching in January and then this long, tumultuous journey will be behind me and I will expect everyone to call me "Master Elizabeth". Because I'll be a Master. A Master of Special Education. Don't call me that until I've earned the title though, no matter how tempting it may be.

Ten, the gym and Olaf. You may not see how these two are related. Well, they're not. I just didn't want to end with eleven things instead of ten. For those of you who don't know, I love Olaf. I love him. So my wonderful family gave him to me for my birthday.

Actually, in this post-gym photo I am sweaty and gross and in my gym clothes, so I guess they are related after all!  

And the gym in general has just been great for me lately. I've been actually running, and I still read while I'm at the gym so I enjoy that a lot. If it wasn't for the gym I think I would be far less emotionally stable. So I guess everyone who interacts with me ever should also be grateful for the gym. Am I skinny yet? Allow me to answer with an entertaining photo via pinterest:

So no. It's fine.

Borrow a coping mechanism! Seriously! They're all really great ones! DO IT! And feel free to share your own because I love hearing what brings people joy. Or at least stops them from crying over things like road kill or the end of The Rescuers Down Under. My friend said that happened to her recently....

A Navajo Smile

"Now there are some things we all know, but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars…everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings…There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being." ~Thornton Wilder

Here's something I often" take out and look at". Something that helps me think and see beyond the daily distractions. This is a photo taken in 1904 by Edward S Curtis. It is titled "A Navajo Smile" and is completely unique when compared to his hundreds of other photographs. Don't you want to know her? Doesn't she seem wonderful? Photographs like this point me to the eternities when I lose my comfort in them. There are things in life, big things, that the thought of eternity cannot always soothe. But this photo of a woman who lived in a painful time for her people always centers me. 

She exudes hope; hope for the day and hope for the eternities.

  

Faith, hope and charity all work together. I believe the greatest of those attributes is charity.

 But hope has sure gotten me through some rough spots. 

Hope is different than comfort, peace, or clarity, but it leads to all of them.

I've been promised many joyful reunions when I leave this earth and there are some I greatly look forward to and anticipate every day. Then there are some people I just can't wait to meet.

This woman is one of those people. 

She's convinced me to analyze hope in my life. Who brings me hope? How do I foster hope? 

How does hope impact me? How do we most effectively offer hope to others? 

As Zora Neale Hurston said, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." 

Here's to hoping 2014 does a whole lot of both! 

 

A Confession of Cheesy Dreams and Love Stuffs

Can I just tell you, oh so very quickly, about my favorite statue?

It's in the Springville Museum of Art, which is about ten minutes from where I used to live in Provo, Utah. I LOVE this art museum and often visited just because there's something wonderful about the building itself, let alone the art inside. This piece is a relatively small piece that's sitting on a little stand in the middle of a room upstairs. Before we talk about it let's remind you of one thing:

I'm not married. I would like to be, but I am not. I am very happy with my life and the way things have gone, but if the right opportunity to get married came up I'd gladly jump into that exciting and adventurous boat. In the meantime, I absolutely love that I can leave the light on late at night and can cook what I want to eat without consulting anyone. There are things to enjoy no matter where you are.

There, glad we established that.

The first time I saw this statue tears came to my eyes. Dramatic, but true. I think I went back to look at it about three times before I left that day, and it was always one of my first stops when I went back. I love this statue. It shows exactly what I am looking for in a marriage in a simple, beautiful, practical way.

There's a man and a woman. They've obviously been working and are taking a break. She is sitting barefoot, feet sticking out, absentmindedly cleaning her work tool,  chatting about whatever is on her mind; basically she is completely comfortable and feels entirely safe to be her human self.

He looks tired. He's hunched over, he's probably been doing the hardest work there is to do. They're clearly not done with their workday, but despite the work he has ahead he is calm, focused and present. He's sitting quietly and listening. And let's take a glance at how he's looking at her, shall we?

 

 

Can you see how amazed he is that she's real and she's there? With him! I'm not saying my husband has to completely adore me and be overwhelmed with gratitude that I'm in his life, but he has to completely adore me and be overwhelmed with gratitude that I'm in his life.  I'll feel that way about him so it better be reciprocated, that's all.

This is what I want in a marriage. I want to work together, and when it's time to take a break I want us to seek each other out, because it's natural that we would take that moment together. I want us to feel comfortable, to be ourselves. I want us to relish each others humanity and to find joy in things that happen everyday, not just the big romantic moments that tend to get swallowed up in monotony as time goes on. They're great moments, but that can't be the only place you find joy. I want to be able to be still together- to sometimes, but not always be going and driving each other to progress or change or improve- sometimes people should just be. 

And it wouldn't hurt if he has nice forearms and is capable of appreciating my quirky music tastes (Burl Ives, anyone?). But one step at a time.

My ideal relationship is not the fairy tale, it's not the love ballad, it's not the cheesy poems that talk about marriage like it solves every problem and heals every hurt. My ideal marriage is the Russian couple in the field who have worked through enough to be content with the prospect of continuing to work through whatever comes. Oh, and they adore each other.

Also, cool scythe, right? Imma get me one of those.

Recaps and Resolutions

WARNING: This post has no photos. I know, awful. So scroll down and look at the post just before this with my fancy little collage that my computer made for me. Once you've had your fill come back and read the wordy post. Good luck.

Ahem.

2013

Quite the year. A brief summary is being drafted (meaning I've been thinking about it and probably will write one sometime but don't know when but what a lovely intention that is that I have) but in the meantime, here's a look at how goals went.

2013 Goals and Word of the Year

Physical: Make a habit of going to bed hungry

This one I feel like I've done pretty well with. Because I started exercising more this year (I said that casually but I expect you to be impressed) there were times when I was legitimately in need of a little snack post-work out (again, be impressed). But overall I've done better not eating at night to stay awake or as a means of procrastination. So yay for that!

Emotional: Purposefully serve a member of my family everyday

The purposefulness is what gets me here.It seems shallow, but I really had to put away whatever I was thinking about or feeling to really and truly look for a way to serve a member of my family. Often opportunities would fall into my lap, but I learned this year how easy it is to be complacent or selfish when it comes to family. Final verdict: Adequate improvement in conceptual understanding, Greater improvement needed in practice.

Spiritual: Read The Bible cover to cover

Totally bombed this one. I didn't even make it through The Old Testament. But what I did read I absolutely loved. Except Numbers, as previously discussed. I am nowhere near giving up on this goal! I just need to make it more of a daily priority. 

Mental: Read 30 books

Um, yeah. At the beginning of the year I was working part-time and seeking meaning and purpose in life and I read a lot of books. So I met this goal in August. I finished my 40th book just before the end of 2013.I read some really fantastic literature this year. I'd love to geek out and tell you what I read and how I felt about it and which fictional characters I'm most in love with but I will spare you. (Just in case you were hoping not to be spared, here's a link to the list of books I read and you can read my little reviews of them. Go ahead, goodreads stalk me. Right here.  Also, fictional crushes= Jack, Max, Sirius. That is all.)

Word of the Year: Listen

This was a really good word for me. I talk too much! And it also reminded me to connect with people more, which is easy for me to forget out here in Rockbridge County. How can you listen to people unless there are people to talk with? I also tried to really listen and understand and empathize with everything around me, including myself. So while I'm no master at any of that it was great to make that a focus for a year. Hopefully I'll maintain that goal throughout, you know, forever.

But wait kids! There's more!


2014 Goals and Word of the Year

Physical: Run!

I hate running. Hate. Haaaaaaaate. But I also know that it's a really good thing to do and that I will feel exponentially better if I learn how to not be horrible at it. So my physical goal this year is intentionally vague. No overall times or distances, just freaking run. I'm planning on setting smaller goals along the way, but for now running in general is where we're headed. Kicking and screaming but still headed towards those terrible torturous treadmill machines.  If I feel like I'm a capable runner by the end of the year that would overcome some awfully powerful and long-held physical, mental and emotional hurdles so I'd be pretty happy with that.

Emotional: Conquer my morning routine

I hit snooze over and over and over. I run late. I abandon all good intentions from the night before. This must end. Mornings are really important for me and it's one of my most productive times. But I need to make them more consistent. Also, I should probably learn how to get out of bed.

Spiritual: Complete three of the Standard Works

I've started The Old Testament, as we all know, and I read from The Book of Mormon every night. So I'd like to finish those and one other (New Testament, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants) this year. I feel like this one is super achievable IF I also accomplish my emotional goal of conquering my mornings.

Mental: Accomplish 25 of my 99 in 999  goals

This is a fun one for me. Working on my 99 has really been a blast for me, but again, without being purposeful it can move really slow.  Also, there are several that I started and haven't finished so this will also be a needed mental exercise in actually following through.

Word of the Year: Accept

This comes after much debate and pondering and reading and many experiences. But I think it's what I need this year. Accept challenges. Accept other people. Accept vulnerability. Accept pain. Accept my own emotions and my own humanity. Accept God's will. Accept relationships. Accept weaknesses. Accept strengths. I'm sure more thoughts on this will come. 

And as a final note, I did a wee bit of running today. So there you go.

2013: Photo Summary

A more wordy summary will come, but in the meantime photos do a decent job, don't they?