thin mints

Have you seen the office episode where every time Jim restarts his computer he gives Dwight an altoid? It is one of my favorite pranks that he pulls but I also love it because I am a victim of taste association. 
As a child I was home-schooled which may have provided far more opportunities for this than normal, plus I am a creature of habits, - although I perceive them as splendid traditions I have with myself -  they are really just solid habits. Some examples, at lunch time my mom would make me a grilled cheese sandwich and we would listen to Dr. Laura's radio show. While she isn't on that station any longer and I don't eat nearly as much grilled cheese as I ought to now, I still think of her anytime I am enjoying one.  I also used to watch cartoons in the mornings with my brother and would chow down Captain Crunch during episodes of Transformers - they went together somehow in my head, beyond the food association thing, I don't see a theme really but it's there, trust me cause I feel it. yes. Now my favorite association that does have a theme although I am realizing it is ridiculous, and is also the reason for this post: the annual re-awakening of my taste buds that happens when a fresh CASE of thin min girl scout cookies arrives at my home.  
Thin mints are my favorite,  I actually do refuse to eat any other kind as I see no point in indulging in lesser things. Well, here's what I did while I would eat thin mints, I would watch (usually with my dad) Anne of Green Gables or Anne of Avonlea. I dearly love those movies, they hold truth, joy, humor, the frustrations and wonders of youth and the hassle of growing up. Anne always had a spirit of strength and a sort of independence that didn't repulse me, she still needed, loved and desired other people while being a solid person on her own two feet. I love that about her. I would devour thin mints as my eyes poured over the beauties of Prince Edward Island and Anne began the story reading Tennyson by a stream.

The swift transportation into the past memories of a happy child-life via a small cookie is what I am cherishing tonight before I head off to class. I am so grateful that my mom allowed me the indulgence of treats, that she and my father surrounded and filled my life with films, radio, books and conversation that stimulated and impressed me in tender ways I am only now realizing. What a sweet thing life is.

Go buy yourself your favorite cookie and consider beginning a tradition for yourself, create that connection to something you will love to remember and enjoy it. Also, feel free to send a box of thin mints my way next time you see me, I'm sure I will have room in my freezer, I plan on getting together with Anne very soon.

molly

oh! and that odd theme that I found between Anne of Green Gables and thin minds is just that the thin mints are in a green box just like the eaves of Green Gables. Oh man, that will blow my professor away tonight : )

the story

 "To captivate our varied and worldwide audience of all ages, the nature and treatment of the fairy tale, the legend, the myth have to be elementary, simple. Good and evil, the antagonists of all great drama in some guise, must be believably personalized. The moral ideals common to all humanity must be upheld. The victories must not be too easy. Strife to test valor is still and will always be the basic ingredient of the animated tale, as of all screen entertainments." 

~ Walt Disney   

A glimpse into the mind of a great man. Don't you love those? I find the struggle between Good and Evil fascinating as meaning could not exist if the struggle was not there. There would be no books as there would be no plot lines for them, no need for friends, for prayers, for churches, for sad movies or for places like Disneyland. While It's not that I believe that Eden wasn't actually a paradise, I know that it was and that it could have been enough, but God sees/saw/knows/has always known the power of story. He saw the need for the struggle, for  loss and victory and knew that paradise had to be lost. The singular elements of good and evil are present in every single piece and moment of your life. All of our motivations, choices, desires and dreams are determined by those two things and we fail to remember so often the fight we are in despite and because of the fact that we are in it every day.   

Today will be a good  day for me. I am going to Disneyland with my mom, meeting some dear friends to pick-up a Bridesmaid dress, having coffee and enjoying the sunshine. I am going to partake of so much good today. But as C.S. Lewis reminds us the joy I will feel today is part of The Problem of Pain - I could not feel all that I will today in it's magnitude if I couldn't compare it to times of less good, not necessarily evil times in my life though I could point to a couple events,  but times when I chose poorly (Indiana Jones) and failed to enjoy, seek, and run into the joy of good that God has created. I was told a long time ago that the most important thing in life is . . . what would you guess? I had no idea, I thought, "um, God?" - and sure that is right but only sort of. God wouldn't be important to me or the most important were it not for my Relationship with Him. The most important thing in life are relationships and I am blessed with so many.

So today I am on a quest and an easy one I think to go and enjoy some very sweet women in my life.    I am excited because today I am going to experience so much good, I am going to shower myself in the most important things in life, my friends. I think Walt really knew all of this, why else would he have created a place that is specifically designed and in fact requires relationships to enjoy? He saw the beauty in family and love and couldn't stop from just telling the stories in his films, he had to create a place that provides all of us with our own stories. That is so good.  

So thanks Walt, I don't think I could ever tell you how much the park and everything you filled it with means to me.  

"Here we go!"   

molly  

**and in case you were wondering, Disney references are in pink in part to honor the castle but also because pink is probably the most prominent color on Main Street, USA. You should go soon to see for yourself - there I just found your next excuse to go. You are so welcome!   

{pictures to follow!}

keep calm

I turned in my prospectus this week. It's an almost five page paper complete with introduction, chapter titles and outlines that summarize what I will be writing in my thesis. It felt absolutely wonderful e-mailing it off to a professor that I know will be honest and helpful. I am encouraged and feel like I just might be able to do this thing. Here's the last sentence from my paper, I'm really proud of it: 

"Shakespeare makes no attempt to promise heaven, grants no hope and offers no peace, but leaves the audience with and in the simple “silence” of death." 
- I mean you are totally missing context and everything but it's good right? Especially if I were to remind you that Hamlet's last words are "the rest is silence"? Huh huh?

Anyway, of course I am ill now, I have lost my voice and am living on orange juice and robitussin {yummy sound}. While being sick is somewhat miserable I have usually enjoyed it and this time is no different. I can't work as much, I got to go home two hours early yesterday and I enjoyed those hours by taking a nap and watching an old office episode - Grief Counseling, one of my favorites. Bryce made a super tasty hot dinner that felt wonderful to my cracked throat and then we treated ourselves to several x-files. Today I was planning on working but my body has fallen victim to a coma of sorts where it is unhappy moving and requires comfy clothes. I am happy to acquiesce. While I look and sound terrible, my heart is home. I understand all the frustration that gets blasted on facebook about being sick, but to me these winter colds and flus are a little like the weather; I can't really control it so I'll settle down, wrap myself up and enjoy what comes along. 

Browsing Etsy this morning I found my views on handling stress, illness, homework, thesis - all that perfectly reflected in a piece of art. I have been practicing this for years and it has not failed me yet. If you are sick or stressed out give it a try. 

 

Keep Calm. Enjoy it all.

molly

x-files

Yes, x-files.  This show has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. My parents (for reasons they have still left unexplained - much like many x-files themselves) allowed us to watch the show from it's very beginning, in 1993. I was 7. I'll allow you time to recover your shock, I am floored actually, I was pretty sure I was 10. Wow mom & dad, wow.  
Yes, the show completely terrified me; I hated the dark, I was convinced someone was going to steal me through my bedroom window, and I was sure there was something living in my closet. The show led me to be perhaps one of the most paranoid children ever, even to this day I find myself freaked out by mirrors, windows and bath curtains. However, I loved and continue to love the show. The intrigue, unexpectedness, and the desire "to believe" in the unthinkable. The idea that "The Truth is Out There" - is so awesome.   
Why this is relevant: when I first met Bryce he had never seen an episode of x-files, not surprising now since he also would have been only 7. I guess I either finally piqued his interest or he couldn't take my ravings anymore, but about 2 months ago we settled down to watch the pilot episode via netflix. It had been years, maybe even a decade since I had watched that episode but I found myself mouthing phrases and remembering exact images from the show. While it was still creepy, I was filled with nostalgia and joy over memories, my connection & familiarity with the show. I realized that I could handle the x-files now, appreciate them truly and enjoy every one of Scully & Mulder's adventures, even their worst: those long treks through dark woods with flashlights in hand just ready to illuminate the face of an alien or night-monster - they are always doing that and it is always creepy.  
Since that night we have made our way through season one all the way up to "The Host," better known as the "Fluke Man" episode - a total classic and one that made me remember why I was so scared of toilets as a kid. Watching the x-files now is a leap back to some of my favorite characters, the Lone Gun Men, the mysterious cigarette smoking man, and of course Dana and Fox.  
I have at last found the perfect two-step method that I believe will help anyone to watch the x-files without getting too freaked out:   
1. watch them previously so that when you watch the whole series a second time you can relax and say to yourself, "hah! I've already seen this one!"  
2. make sure you are married or have a sweet roommate so that you don't have to go to sleep all alone. This is the MOST important step. If not followed properly, extreme cases of creeps and lack of sleep may (will) occur.   
I'm not sure if this is an endorsement to go watch it or not but here is a blast from a long-ago halloween past, my dear little brother and I as Scully and Mulder complete with FBI badges: 
  

*Note: this photo is also included to provide evidence of the fact that these young children were most likely far too young to be THIS familiar with such a creepy show. Parents ought to be examined (only sort of kidding here).    

molly

a book for your life

Here is the first book recommendation I have for you.

I've had the pleasure of reading this book for the last few years. Each day is a small excerpt from a variety of his major works; Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, A Grief Observed, Surprised by Joy with other speeches and radio bits mixed in. It's a really wonderful way of becoming acquainted with his books (he wrote over 30), his genius, and his astounding wisdom. 
I am almost always able to read through a passage and just as I begin to remember it his point, word choice, or sheer simplicity strikes me - it's always a surprise and always illuminating to read him. 
I know that my Barnes & Noble has this book waiting for you and I want to greatly encourage you to purchase it, I think it is a beautiful idea to each day make a small pursuit in the name of wisdom and logic, and of course, our good Lord. This is a book that you could read every year of your life, probably the only book I plan on doing that with, I like the companion I've chosen, I hope you will like him too.

a tulip update

So I promised a few more pictures of what I have been enjoying in my little apartment this last week. Here are a few of my lovely mystery tulip pictures.

So pretty!

They are still blooming which I am just amazed by. I don't know if you can see my one casualty, the smaller little striped tulip has not made it and I have no idea how to treat/prune/care for these things as they are bulbs and that's a weird thing to be. If you have any tips let me know, otherwise I'm going to hit up my grandma and google for some advice. My grandma knows absolutely everything about plants. She was always admiring or being sweet about whatever my mom was trying to grow (sorry mom, you know how I love you). I never had much interest in plants, I would save on occasion for these odd little pink plants that I would see at Lucky's (our old grocery store) but they always died and I was always sad about it. Oddly, a friend just gave me one of those pink ones and it's in my kitchen. "There's an irony there but I'm not drunk enough to figure it out" - a favorite quote from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf - so please don't worry, I don't get drunk at 11 in the morning or to discover ironies. 
The only time flowers meant something to me was when my dad would bring me roses for my birthdays. It was always special to get those roses from him because I knew that he hated them. Hated? Yes, and he hates them still. If you can imagine working for a mortuary where there are endless streams of flowers that you have to carry all about you would probably grow less fond of them too. My dad always said that the roses he brought me were recycled funeral flowers, I didn't care and now, I'm not so sure as they were always absolutely beautiful roses and I remember a few bows being tied on them that he certainly wouldn't have put there.  . . hmmm! Jeff, we need to talk. It doesn't matter though, those birthday flowers were so special to me that I hung them upside down in my room - copying Glenn Close in Sarah Plan and Tall - and preserved them. I still display them in a vase in my room and I made the pleasant discovery this last year that they are perfect Halloween decorations. I still look at them and think of my darling father who lavished a ten year old girl with twelve long-stem red roses - I'll never forget that sweetness - it's a rare thing. It's amazing how happy flowers can make you, even a decade and a few years later. thank you dad (but we still need to talk).


molly

The Globe

So, I am about to start working on my thesis, really I am. Since it will likely be the topic of the year on my blog I believe I should attempt to explain it so that when you read "thesis" on here, you will understand the pain and the grandeur of what I am referencing. 

I am in love with Hamlet (when it is in Italics it means the play, not the man - I love the play, not the man). More than Hamlet I am in love with Shakespeare and have been slowly falling for him over the last four or five years. I find most of his work completely divine in its meaning, power, relevancy and testimony to the beauty and tragedy that is wrapped up in each individual. I had the privilege of seeing three of his plays this summer at The Globe theater in London - if you go to London you will be an idiot if you miss The Globe - a big, sad, uncultured idiot. It is an experience that changes you, makes Shakespeare comprehensible and links you with the audiences of the last four hundred years that have been enjoying his plays. Bryce and I had groundling seats (they only cost £5 but you do stand the entire time) for Henry IV: Part 1, one of the more famous history plays because of the infamous Falstaff (played by the exquisite Roger Allam) who makes his first appearance here. Bryce and I laughed so much, we were enthralled, overwhelmed, swept away by the comedy, the brilliance and the ambiance. We were beaming at each other by the end of the three hour play, shaking our heads and laughing still when we heard - "are you coming back tonight for part 2?" - "PART 2!" we looked at each other with victory in our eyes "Yes yes, we are!!" With that my darling husband let me peruse the amazing Shakespeare gift shop while he ran down to seek out two remaining groundling tickets for the upcoming performance. Yes, we had just stood for three hours - we had also been walking non-stop as we were in Europe and that is all you do - but we did not care, Shakespeare had won both of us over and we were willing to give up all comfort for him. - It was an amazing night, one that I will never ever forget. It is pure joy when the person you love most dearly gets a glimpse (or a full seven hours) of what you are most passionate about. Bryce understood my love and zeal for Shakespeare that night more fully than ever before and to this day when I remember that afternoon & evening my heart softens and my eyes tear up, it was heaven on earth for me and I was blessed to have with me a husband that recognized my joy and then shared it with me.

Huh, as you can see, my passion prohibits me from reaching my point: My Thesis - ah yes, remember that? I will pause here to draw attention to the fact that, clearly, my brain is not working - I cannot focus, I can only go on and on and on about anything you like - except my thesis.  ahem.

Attempt two: In my thesis I am writing about Hamlet (the man) and how he experiences death and grief, how those emotions are likely reflections of Shakespeare's as he had previously lost his father the year before and his son, Hamnet, a few years earlier. While I cannot make the grief connection an important aspect of the thesis as it is purely speculative, I am fascinated at the truth and reality that Hamlet's mind illustrates as he struggles to understand, digest and live with death. So there, in a very small nut shell that is what I will be researching and working on until October. I will be posting quotes, notes & probably some pictures too with the hopes that you learn a little more about Hamlet than you ever cared to know. 

Here's a glimpse of the fun Bryce and I had at The Globe - again, make sure you go and then when you do, write me a REALLY long letter telling me how right I was and how much more complete you are as a person. I'll enjoy it.

The Great Roger Allam as Falstaff (and yes, he's in V for Vendetta and plays a creep).

Another reason why The Globe is my paradise, there is a Starbucks across the street.

The stage set

Resting our weary feet but still oh-so-happy!

Thanks for reading this one and putting up with me. Now I really need to get to work on my thesis, really. Here I go!

molly