English 375

Here is why I love English.

Today in my Victorian literature class we were studying Matthew Arnold's poem, "The Scholar-Gypsy." We spent most of the class period comparing the scholar gypsy's quest of educating people through nature to Harry Potter's quest to collect Horcruxes. Then we discussed how the scholar-gypsy's goal was to have the ability to control the minds of men. My teacher compared this goal to the Imperius Curse. Awesome.

Patience

"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content." Helen Keller

I've been doing some observing (surprised?) this past week. And the thing I want to observe about is patience. Now, I am not a patient person. If you know me you know that. I avoid long lines whenever possible, and waiting for something that I know is coming up (a date, a vacation, etc.) kills me. But this kind of patience is different. The kind of patience I'm talking about is...I don't even have a name for it. Maybe I'll call it Inadvertent Patience. This kind of patience is when you're waiting for something that you might not even realize you're waiting for. I'll just describe it and maybe it'll make sense.

I have a great friend who has been waiting for something to happen for a while. She has friends who have it, and she has always set goals for herself to do in her waiting time knowing that eventually it would come to her too. In the time that she started waiting for this, she has had some struggles and challenges, and some have been harder than others to overcome. But in the past few months she has been given some opportunities that have made her blossom. I have watched her work so hard to be good, to do the things she is supposed to do. She is constantly giving service to others by writing notes, delivering cookies, listening to friends who are dealing with break-ups, always putting herself second. She is content with herself, happy with where she is and what she id doing. And in the past week or so, her patience is paying off. Something good is happening to her, and it is making her so happy!

I believe that good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, seeking for something doesn't make it come any sooner. I think God tests us to see how good we are when we are inadvertently waiting for something. And my friend has been doing great! This is just something I have been thinking about, and it's something I need to work on. Being selfless and content with who you are makes all the frustrations, tears, and struggles worth it, because it always pays off.

Leggings

I just have to ask a question, and hopefully I don't offend anybody, but this has just gotten me curious lately.

Since when did leggings become the new pants?

I love leggings...under dresses, skirts, and long sweaters. But to wear them with a top that doesn't go past your hips? I'm not sure about that. I guess I'm just self-conscious and don't want the whole world seeing every nook and cranny of that area of my legs and waist. Maybe you're okay with it. But anyway. Thoughts?

2010

Happy New Years! So far 2010 has been a pretty good year. School started last week, and it is definitely going to be a challenging semester, but I am looking forward to it. I'm well into my major and minor, and I love both of them! Here's the schedule:

Public Relations: My professor has worked in the field of PR for over 30 years, so he knows his stuff. He's very professional and expects the same from us, and I'm ready for it.

Victorian Literature: I LOVE this class! We're reading Dickens, Browning, and many other Victorian writers. This is my favorite literary time period, so I'm excited for this one.

Humanities: I LOVE art, and this class has been great. Right now we're studying the Northern Renaissance (Germany, the Netherlands, etc.), and I love the religious symbolism in the paintings we've looked at. Plus we get to study Hamlet!

Persuasive Writing: This class is going to be fun. I'm a bit of an arguer, so I'm excited to write some papers where I get to persuade people why they should do something. Plus it will help me with my PR class a lot.

And finally, a Linguistics class titled "Modern American Usage." Not my favorite class ever, but it's going to help me in my editing emphasis.

So that plus 20 hours of work per week and lots of homework is going to keep me nice and busy. I love BYU!

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

Have you ever read a really good book, and even though it was written a long time ago, you still relate to it perfectly? While I've been studying for finals and packing to go home for Christmas and New Jersey for New Year's, I started reading one of my favorite books for the 6th time: "Little Women." It is so good! I remember reading it for the first time as a 10 year old and relating to the characters. Each time I read it I relate to someone else. However, I think in a lot of ways I'm most like Jo. This paragraph from the book should explain why:

"The moment Aunt March took her nap, or was busy with company, Jo hurried to this quiet place, and, curling herself up in the big easy-chair, devoured poetry, romance, history, travels, and pictures, like a regular book-worm. But, like all happiness, it did not last long; for as sure as she had just reached the heart of the story, the sweetest verse of the song, or the most perilous adventure of her traveler, a shrill voice called, 'Josy-phine! Josy-phine!' and she had to leave her paradise to wind yarn, wash the poodle, or read Belsham's essays by the hour together."

If you haven't read it, please do. There are so many lessons to be learned in this book, like forgiveness, humility, and charity, among others. The book follows the girls from the time Amy is 12 until they are young adults and married. Every time I read it I relate perfectly to the character that is my age. If you haven't read it, please do! You won't be disappointed. There's just something so pure and good about a wholesome book that makes you learn, and "Little Women" is definitely one of those books. And now I'm going to get back to chapter 10...well, after I finish studying chapter 32 of Physical Science.

My City.

Today I'm really missing London. I was looking through my pictures from my trip this past Spring, and I want to go back so badly! It's my city. I grew over there, and I had experiences that opened my eyes to all kinds of things. So for now I'm just going to be happy and remember the amazing times I had over there with the amazing people I met, and just be content with that. And now I'm going to start saving up for a ticket to go back. :)

Snow.

It snowed today in Provo. I don't know how I feel about it. I have a love/hate relationship with snow, and today it was pure hate. I decided to wear boots, but I was dumb and decided to wear my brown Banana Republic boots. Cute? Yes. Safe in snow? No. I am proud to say I didn't fall, but it took me 20 minutes to walk home instead of the normal 10 because I was walking at about a quarter mile per hour. This is when I hate snow.

However, it is just so pretty! And now, even though I grew up in California where a 60 degree Christmas was the norm, I admit since being in Provo, Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas without snow. So here's to you, snow, as long as you melt off the streets and sidewalks, and you don't dump on my head when I am walking underneath a tree. Thank you!