light

I really scored big on my room. Ask anyone in the house, I spend hours in here. The light is fantastic. Light has been the topic in my color theory class the last week. Color is nothing without light. The more light added to a color, the stronger it will become.

You can draw parallels my dear readers, I'm thinking in an abstract way about light, but really don't have the energy to put it into words.












Dixie and Jack (Jackie's parents) are leaving tomorrow for the MTC, then they are off to New Zealand to serve. The people there have no idea how lucky they are to have these two.



I've talked about Jackie and Jeff and the whole family bunches of times, I absolutely love these people and count myself lucky to have them in my life.





Jack is an artist, and a phenomenal one at that. His style reminds me of Picasso a little bit. When I would stay at Jackie's on the weekends growing up, we weren't allowed in his studio. But on the off chance that we had any excuse to be in there I would soak in the smells of his paints an study his paintings in progress. I would love to have one of his pieces someday, if I can ever afford one! I have never gotten tired of looking at them, it's like they are lit from within. There it is again, light is in everything, isn't it?

the confessions of a candyholic

FIRST: A discovery. An expensive one, but a discovery all the same. My parents introduced me to a candy and I really hated it at first. Then started to enjoy (why did I even keep eating it you wonder? It's candy.) And now to my dismay: crave. Dismay because it seems to be a ZA thing. Can't find it here anywhere. I have been hoarding the limited amount I brought home with me. Today as I found the the last few pieces to be old and disgusting I took my obsession online. For R 9.45 (+ shipping of course) I can once again feed the craving. Not likely, but good to know.

Why are all my favorite snacks so inaccessible? My very most favorite candy on the planet is HI CHEW. It is a.maze.ing. I experienced it for the first time when I did a visa run to Tokyo. My last minute poorly planned trip took me to the airport where I spent the night like a vagabond, then turned around and came home again. While there, I never quite figured out the currency and exchanged what I thought was enough to buy dinner. It wasn't. The noodle machine (YES! There are noodle machines there!) said I didn't give it enough money. What I could afford: Candy. SO I ate Hi Chew for dinner and breakfast and then as I walked home I passed a store and AH HA! MI Chew, the Korean version. Hooked for life. Once, in Seattle, I bought out the entire stock at the Asian store. Ummm.

Please tell me you have all seen this movie. It used to be one of my favorites. Back when our collection of VHS tapes were kept in a numbered order. Filed by category and title with the option to be cross referenced by genre, and again by the number they were given. I would pour over the blue binder (titled 'purpose: for saving souls' obviously the work of non other than my dad) looking for a movie to watch.

I can't remember anything about this movie specifically, except that it was insanely strange and entertaining.

The reason I thought of it today was because I was searching my computer for a lost document (it through a full on fit, shut down, and in the process deleted a project I'd been working on) and so, out of frustration, I took a detour and went through some pictures for fun. I noticed something..

My most frequently asked question is: Did you do something different to your hair? Yes. I change it a lot. But I get asked more when I haven't actually done anything at all to it. Seeing the last year's worth of pictures tho chronicles that I shouldn't be so surprised when I get asked that question.

"Time flies on wings of lightning, we cannot call it back. It comes, then passes forward along its onward track. And if we are not mindful, the chance will fade away, for life is quick in passing. ’Tis as a single day"

Took this from a talk about wasting time and such. (blogging is so worthy of time spent, even I just spend 10 minutes of my day -and at least of minute of yours- talking about hair)

Can you name the song the quote comes from?

share my pain with me

For the last week we've been trying to schedule an install for a job in St. Thomas. No one is available for this weekend. It's been a nightmare trying to find someone to go because we are so short staffed and everyone is scattered all over the country already working on other important things.

So today the conversation goes as follows:

Nate and Chris back and forth, "What about him?" "Can't." What about.." "Nope." We all fall silent, dumbfounded for awhile that no one can go. Then go back to it anew, "What about...?" "Nice try, no."

It has been days and days AND days of this. Then a stroke of brilliance:

"Hey, lets send Angie and Jenna.."

"Not a bad idea..." "Not a bad idea at all..." I'm bouncing in my chair mentally packing my swimsuits and summer dresses.

Nate preceded to call Angie. The conversation goes something like this, "Yeah, it's the easiest job. We'll send you on friday, you'll work for an hour or two saturday then you'll have until monday or tuesday to play..."

BUT (Can you believe there is a but?!) Angie is going to Pheonix with her new boyfriend for the weekend. She has declined to go.

What?!? You should see my face right now. Portrait of letdown.

So instead of beaches, snorkeling and who knows what kinds of adventures,

I will instead make a snowman, get my socks wet no matter how careful I am, and maybe drink some pineapple juice and pretend I'm getting paid to be somewhere exotic. Dashed.

now you know

Just working on a paper and thought I'd share some pics from Africa. The only one I didn't steal off the internet is the one of the succulent. I love those things! I've sadly killed my last one...well, it's still barely alive actually so I shouldn't talk about it in the past tense yet. It could still make it so I shouldn't write it off. For such hearty little plants, they don't stand a chance when it comes to me and my gardening skills.



Did you know?

South Africa is the only country in the world with an entire plant kingdom within its borders with six separate biomes varying greatly from each other. The Cape Floristic Kingdom has more than 8,600 species, with more than half of those species being endemic, meaning they won’t grow naturally anywhere else. To put this in perspective, the Cape Peninsula, comprising only 6% of the South Africa, has more plant species than the whole of Great Britain.

Well, now you know. My work here is done.

watching the clouds

I was asked for the story behind why Camel is called Camel. Here you go:

When Coree and I were younger she would come and stay for the summer. For the most part we would have a lot of fun. I have ten thousand memories of these summers. Singing with the blender, (yes you read that right) EFYs that for the most part we didn't take advantage of, trips to the cabin, a trek, fighting over Steven, sleeping on the trampoline, watching While You Sleeping every single day for one entire summer, slurpees, fighting over how messy my room got when she came to stay.... (I was such an uptight child.)

This particular summer is so vivid in my memory. It started out rainy and green and we were spending a lot of time with friends up near Mueller Park area and for once, not fighting over boys or anything else. If I had to chose just one summer with her to be my favorite, this would be it.

But I digress, none of this has anything to do with the nickname.

One night I woke up to gulping. And not just any regular gulping but VERY LOUD gulping. Directly over my head.
I said, "CAMEL!" hoping this subtle name calling would make it stop.
The gulping was coming from Coree. Drinking what sounded like a gallon of water. Gulping stops momentarily for her to say, "duck?" gulping resumes.
Exasperated, "NO! CAMEL!!" I'm thinking she has got to stop. Gulping stops. Yes. Finally.
"Duck?" Gulping again.
"CAMEL!"
"Duck." More gulping....
I fell asleep at this point, lulled back to dreamland by the incessant gulping I suppose and next morning we found this exchange hilarious and thus, the birth of Camel.

I don't have much to say about my pictures of the desert. I guess the usual desire to be there is obvious.

I have a paper to write about a place, or object in nature that holds a lot of emotion for me. Strong memories evoked by the place, good or bad, and how I am inspired by this place to design.

The desert would be an obvious option for me. I'm having a hard time putting it into perspective though. The colors, the textures, the overall affect of so much beauty in such a hostile enviroment. How do you capture that in design? School rocks. I love it!!

Do you remeber not so long ago when I was cozy and comfortable in my desert worried about leaving it?

Me too! Now I'm even happier here, longing for it.

did you miss me?

I went private for a day, and now I'm back.

I called it my security breech. Nate at work wanted to see pictures of the cousin Camel I had mentioned in some random story so I sent him to her blog without thinking about the fact that she has my blog linked to hers.... "Oh! You have a blog too? Cool, what do you have to say..."

I was feeling shy. So I blocked him, and everyone else from seeing my blog yesterday.

I've had phone calls, emails, worried texts. It's all good. Should I ever indeed go private again, (not likely) you will all be very much invited to go exclusive with me.

Ok. Back to homework. I'll post something of interest later when I'm not up to my elbows in projects.

GOODBYE 2007 HELLO 2008

[PEOPLE]
1. Best friends? They really are the best, yes.
2. Lost any friends? Yes.
3. Gained any friends? Yes.
4. Met a new good friend? Definitely.

[PLACES]
1. Went out of the country? Half way around the world baby.
2. Moved? Yes. Twice.
3. New school? Yes!!
4. How many times on an airplane this year? Missouri, Seattle, LA, Johannesburg, Cape Town I think that makes 14 planes total this year if you really get down to it.

[YOU]
1. Have you changed? Constantly.

2. New look? Not really, just the same ever changing hair color.

3. Biggest conflict this year? Trying to sell my house and getting to a point where I am 100% free to move on with out anything holding me to that chapter in my life.
4. Most depressed time this year? January. It was a hard month but it wasn't even a very depressing kind of hard. It was just hard. Then it was over, and life moved on.

[LOVE]
1. Did you fall in love? Don't think you know the answer just because I'm not going to answer.

2. Did you get heartbroken? sure did, but so obviously for the best
3. Who was your summer romance? Do you really need me to answer that? If you read my blog I think you already know.

[SEASONS]
1. Favorite season this year? Summer. It was 'the summer of Jenna'. I did everything. Went places I've never been before, did things that both thrilled and scared me, started a garden, cooked a lot, spent long evenings on my bike or with friends or reading a million books. I played the piano, I worked hard and played even harder. I completely enjoyed every minute of it. All my memories of this summer have this fantastic warm tint to them. I don't think I could pack anything else into the season if I tried.
2. Least favorite season this year? January. The rest of the year was FANTASTIC.

3. Good birthday? HECK YES! Cape Town, my parents, the sights, the food, the insanely beautiful weather. Everything about that day was perfect. And then my bday stretched on for the next few weeks. I really know how to milk it! Next year I'm going for the whole month following.

[FINAL QUESTIONS]
1. Snuck out? No
2. Met a person who will change your life? yes

3. Had a first something? yes

4. Liked someone who did not like you? yes
5. Lost family member? Yes

6. Got bad grades? No. Ask me next year.
7. Done something you totally regret? Yes.

In 2007 I...

[x] broke a promise
[x] made a new friend
[ ] fallen out of love
[ ] lied
[ ] went behind your parents back
[x] cried over a guy

[x] disappointed someone close
[x] hid a secret (not a bad one)
[x] pretended to be happy (I agree with Amy, sometimes you just have to)
[x] kissed in the rain
[x] slept under the stars
[x kept your New Year's resolution
[ ] forgot your New Year's resolution
[x] met someone who changed your life
[ ] met one of your idols
[x] changed your outlook on life
[x] sat home all day doing nothing
[ ] pretended to be sick
[x] almost died (who really knows how close we get right?)
[x] given up something important to you
[ ] lost something expensive
[x] learned something new about yourself
[x] tried something you normally would not try and liked it
[x] made a change in your life
[x] found out who your true friends were
[x] met great people
[x]wish there were someone that was sill your friend
[x] stayed up until sunrise
[x] cried over the silliest thing
[x] was never home on the weekends (more than half the time)
[ ] got into a car accident
[x] had a friend(s) who were drifting away from you
[x] had someone close to you die
[x] wasted money on food
[ ] had a fist fight
[x] went to the beach with your best friend
[x] saw a celebrity (Captain Jack on Hollywood counts doesn't he?)
[x] liked more than five people at the same time (kind of hard not to, unless you're an ogre)
[x] became closer to a lot of people

If you could change one thing about 2007, what would it be? I wouldn't have wasted so much time worrying about things I couldn't change.

Who is the person who influenced your life most this year? My Savior.

What was your New Year's Resolution? I didn't really make any. I never have been big on them. The biggest thing I wanted out of 2007 was to make sure I really knew who I was, what I wanted out of life and really make it a point to make my life the best I could. I understood better something about the way I was doing things before that I didn't like and I set about changing it. It is so good to look back at the year and see some real progress. It makes 2008 all the more exciting to me!