A Knight for a Princess

The theme for the Helaman Invitational dance this semester was medieval.  

Good thing I had my knight in shining armor handy!

Happy Birthday Spencer!

Monday was Spencer's birthday.  Luckily he is working Friday night, so he was able to take Monday night off for us to celebrate in style!

We started off the night with dinner at a cute little restaurant in Springville

The Art City Trolley is a fun restaurant made out of an old trolley car.  We liked the atmosphere there

. . . and the yummy food!

Next I surprised Spencer and took him to the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork.  They have some impressive light displays, but of course our camera didn't do them justice.

 

When we got home, the birthday boy opened his presents

(I know the picture is blurry, but I just had to show you the look on his face!)

 

We had a special birthday visitor, too.

I was worried about finding a place for our new friend, but Spencer found just the right spot

(Negotiations are still under way to determine whether or not Giant Teddy will become a permanent member of the Fields Family.  Right now the jury is tied, 1-1.)

We finished out the night's celebration with a very special set of birthday cakes.

All in all it was a great night.
Happy Birthday to the most wonderful husband in the whole world! 

Halloween Costume

Spencer's Halloween Costume!  (Can anyone guess what it is?)

Back from Hiatus

After a week of partying it up with my sisters, Krista, Janel, and Danielle, I'm ready to delve back into my poetry notebook.  This is another of my favorite poems that I have written.

Ripples

A single stone
Dropped in the pool
Seems but a blip
In the deep and cool
Blue water
That stretches
far and wide
While this pebble
In a fist could hide
It shouldn't matter if it falls
into the water- it's so small
A tiny splash is all it makes
And yet one drop is all it takes
For when a rock
falls deep inside
A tranquil pond
It cannot hide
The ripples caused
by that small drop
Each ring spreads wider
With great ease
until it hits
the banks and trees
Yes, pebbles may seem awfully small
But really, they're not small at all

Black and White

This poem is another re-post.  It's the next one in my notebook, and it's one of my all-time favorites.  I probably spent more time on it than any other poem I've ever written.  I was inspired to write Black and White as I reflected on my mission and how it helped me to see things from others' viewpoints.  I finished it in Israel as I visited various churches and learned about different cultures and continued opening my eyes to the many beautiful cultures and belief systems throughout the world.


Black and White

I used to think
in black and white
A thing was wrong
or a thing was right

Why don't you think
the way I do?
What's right for me
is right for you.

But then one day,
twixt dusk and dawn
I saw the grey
come creeping on.

I stumbled--
There was naught to grasp
No absolute
for me to clasp

But on I pressed
through mists of dark
Not quite depressed
Yet not a lark

And as I toiled
throughout the day
A guiding hand
Showed me the way

And through the struggle
I gained strength
and hope sprang up
Until at length

A shaft of light
pierced through the gloom
And in my heart
I felt more room

The fog was broken
by the beams
of Daybreak’s
diamond dewy dreams

A thousand colors,
shades and hues
Of purple, orange
reds and blues

Danced across
the damask skies
Till teardrops glistened
On my eyes

The golden morning
sailed on
Yet in my mem'ry
It lives on

That day when first
I learned to see
The rainbow's
Multiplicity

And when I'm tempted
to give voice
to judgment
on another's choice

I feel the glory
of that day
And then I'm thankful
for the grey.

Freedom

I think this is an appropriate poem to post, considering the vice-presidential debate tonight and the upcoming presidential election.  I hope all Americans will take the time to vote wisely.


The Stars and Stripes wave ever broadly

through a turmoil-stricken land

Crowds of citizens cheer wildly

As a president takes the stand

Four long years stretch out before us

Changes lurk just out of sight

Will we reach the end triumphant?

Or will time increase our plight?

Freedom flutters on a summit

Balanced only by a thread

One exists who could uphold it

Or could tear it down instead

Though it dangerously dangles

Fear not- hope burns brightly still

God above will guide our footsteps

If we hearken to his will

Snowfall

(I know I already posted one poem today, but since the last one was rather depressing I thought I'd post something more cheerful to lighten the mood.)

A soft stillness outside the window
A flurry of frigid
feathery flakes
drifting daintily down,
frosting the fences
topping the trees
with a white icing
sweeter than sugar
fine and fluffy
the purity of a peaceful
new winter morn

(By the way, is anyone even reading all these poetry posts?  I haven't been getting any comments lately, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm posting too frequently for you all to keep up with commenting, or if I'm just boring you all to death.)

Anxiety

(Note: This is not necessarily how I am feeling at the moment-- it's just the next poem in my notebook.)

I peer through the window

Searching for the truth

Instead I find only

Your fearsome face

I strain to see past

But I can’t

You eclipse all reason

Mask all meaning

I see only darkness

Halloween

Leaves are crunching
Children munching
Costumes fixing
Pranksters tricksing

Witches cackling
Athletes tackling
Vampires biting
Werewolves fighting

Doorbells ringing
Voices singing
Trick or Treating
Over-sweeting

Harvest moon
In the gloom
Fun for all
Every fall

(I know I have posted this poem previously, but since I am going in order through my poems from poetry club, I thought I'd include it again.  Besides, it's fitting for the season!)

New Life

New Life

You were just a speck
A single cell among millions
Now I cradle you
Marveling at each perfect
tiny finger and toe
Who would have believed
That out of obscurity,
miniscule matter
life is created
A child is born.

Untitled Poem

O to be free
Like a bird flying high
Spiraling upward
into the azure
amid the sun’s
streaming rays
and the marshmallow clouds
Not a care in the world
just flying flying flying

Poetic Reminiscing

Recently I rediscovered my old notebook from my days in The Curiously Poetic Altoids and I decided to type up the poems I wrote.  They're at all different levels, but I like them and I'm going to post my poetry here as I go through and type it up.  I hope you enjoy it! :)

The College Student’s Lament

Night is falling

Friends are calling

But I’m stuck inside

The apartment light is burning

With fun the door is turning

Yet In the library I abide

New voicemails await me

Stacks of emails bait me

But my time I must bide

The TV is blaring

Roommates, stories are sharing

‘Neath my books I must hide 

I never finished this poem.  I was going to finish it to post it, but I couldn't decide how to end it.  Any suggestions how to end it?  Or should I leave it as is?

No More Earring Messes

This box was only $4 at Walmart.

Now to find an organizer for all my hair accessories . . .

I'm in Heaven!

I love living so close to Mom and Dad!

The results of today's trip the garden/orchard

Fresh peach cobbler-- the best way to use up mushy peaches!

(Plus Spencer's RA's love me now!)

Can this summer please last forever?!?!?!

Motivation

Sunday night always seems to be the time I reflect on my goals and progress in life.

Tonight I've been thinking about one of my toughest struggles-- bedtime.

I've never been much of a morning person, but the last few years my bedtime has been creeping later and later.  The last few months I've especially struggled with going to bed.  I won't give any specific bedtimes (lest Dad start quoting Proverbs at me again!), but Spencer jokes that I'm not a night person-- I'm a really really really early morning person! 

My erratic bedtime schedule has been bothering me for a while now, but it's a tough thing to change.  Especially when I don't have to be anywhere early in the morning.  Why force myself up at the crack of dawn unnecessarily?

I've tried setting rigid schedules, promising myself rewards, forcing myself to get up early anyway, etc., but nothing has really stuck.

So, tonight as I reflected, I had a stroke of inspiration on how to motivate myself to get to bed earlier.

I decided to come up with a list of all the things I've been wanting to do, but haven't been getting to because I sleep in too late, procrastinate, and then run out of time to do anything.

I'm going to post my list up in my apartment, where I can see it and be reminded why I should go to bed early.  I'm also posting it here for extra support.  :)  Hopefully this will be enough motivation to help me work on an earlier bedtime schedule.  Wish me luck!

Things I want to do:

•          Sewing
•          Do Family History at FHL
•          Update Family History Website/Blog
•          Crocheting
•          Swimming
•          Work (stay caught up)
•          Piano
•          Cleaning
•          Organize bathroom shelves
•          Organize boxes under bed
•          Bring boxes from Mom and Dad’s house
•          Scan Spencer’s old documents and photos
•          Go for a walk every day
•          Watch movies from Lloyd
•          Write poetry
•          Memorize poetry
•          Memorize scriptures
•          Hiking
•          Take classes at BYU (computers, gymnastics, etc.)
•          Do something nice for someone else every day
•          Finish birthday board
•          Hang out with Becca
•          Finish quiet book stuff
•          Go to SLC and digitize George Deliverance Wilson’s diary
•          Blog regularly
•          Visit James and Mary Riste’s graves in Santaquin
•          Visit Danielle
•          Hang out with Janel
•          Invite a friend over to do something
•          Finish quiet book stuff
•          Can peaches
•          Mend Spencer’s clothes
•          Explore a building on campus
•          Try the game the Hornes gave me
•          Rent board games
•          Try new recipes (nutella PB cookies?)
•          Have the Williams girls over for a sleep-over
•          Write in journal regularly
•          Ellipticise with Mom
•          Send pictures to Spencer’s family
•          Post reunion pictures on the Wilson Watch blog
•          Look up William Fort Jr.’s obituary for Dad
•          Volunteer (at the library, temple, etc.)

The End Result

Thanks for all the apricot suggestions!  Who knew there are so many yummy ways to use up apricots?

After much deliberation, I decided to take Krista's suggestion and can my own apricots!

The result is that I am now the proud owner of a 21 quart canner, 48 mason jars, and 7 quarts of home-canned apricots!

(A special thanks to my friend, Rachel Horne, who came and helped me get started on my canning.)

Not pictured: Mom helping me can 4 jars of freezer jam, Rachel helping me can these apricots, and Krista and Janel's help with canning questions.

Thanks, everyone for your suggestions and for helping me out.  It's exciting to be self-sufficient!

Emergency Chocolate Cake

Recently I was perusing the BYU Women's Services Blog (which is a fantastic resource for all sorts of women's issues, by the way), and I found this great recipe for a single serving of chocolate cake.  Spencer and I tried it out and it was pretty tasty!  Perfect for those times when you're home alone and want a little chocolate, but don't want to bake a whole cake just for yourself.  We put a scoop of peanut-butter cup ice cream on top, and it was a great compliment to the cake.

Here's the recipe:


2 Tbs cake flour (or regular flour is fine)
2 Tbs sugar
2 rounded tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 Tbs milk
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Coat the inside of a mug with nonstick cooking spray. Put all ingredients in mug and stir with a fork until smooth. You can also stir in chocolate chips, nuts or anything else your heart desires. Microwave for 1 minute. Allow to cool a little before eating.

You can even put on a scoop of ice cream or some peanut butter. Mmmmmmm

**Make sure you use a bigger mug or keep an eye on it. It will overflow if you use a small one- even if the batter only takes up 1/3 of the cup.




Source: http://byuwsr.blogspot.com/2010/06/emergency-chocolate-cake.html

My Apricot Factory

This week someone gave us a whole box and a half of apricots.  I was planning on taking them to my mom, helping her can them, and then snagging some bottled apricots for Spencer and me.

Unfortunately, someone already gave Mom a lot of apricots this week. 

As a result, our kitchen has been re-comissioned for an apricot processing factory:

In a 300-square foot apartment, there's not a lot of space to spread out apricots.  

I'm running out of cookie sheets fast!

So, the great question remaining is what to do with all these apricots?  I don't have my own canning equipment and Mom is already using hers.  I've been calling and emailing family for ideas, as well as browing all of Allrecipes.com's recipes that involve apricots.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas so far:

1. Apricot Freezer Jam

2. Apricot Leather

3. Apricot Cobbler

4. Fresh Apricot Pie

Any other suggestions?

Peas

Look how big my peas are!

You know you're jealous, Dad!

Forget Me Not

This week was the birthday of one of the sisters I visit teach.  I was trying to think of a simple gift idea when I picked up a Deseret Book catalog that had just come in the mail.  Deseret Book was using President Uchtdorf's October 2011 Relief Society General Broadcast talk, Forget Me Not to market little Forget Me Not starter flower pots.  The idea inspired me to do something similar for the sisters I visit teach.

I thought it was a fun, inexpensive idea.  The whole thing cost less than $3.  The paper is Elder Uchtdorf's talk.  Most importantly, I hope that it helped remind my friend of her infinite worth in God's eyes.  I hope it reminds all of you of how precious you are in God's sight, too.

He is Risen

Caught in the Act

When your husband is as prolific a photographer as Spencer, you never know what you'll find saved on the camera memory card.

I'm looking forward to hearing the story behind this one!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here's how we celebrated St. Patrick's Day in the Fields household:

 Green Eggs and Ham

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes (sorry they picture is blurry-- I didn't realize it was until I had already given away half the cupcakes).

A cute leprechaun who we all know and love left me this set of clues to his pot of gold:

(P.S.  There were chocolates on all of the clues to begin with, but I didn't think to snap a picture until I had already tested a few to make sure they were acceptable.)

We hope you had as fun a day as we did!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Old Friends

I finally brought my box of fiction books back from Mom and Dad's garage this week.  When I opened it up, it was like seeing old friends.  I have a lot of memories tied to most of those books.

Just for fun, here are the books I found in my box:

Just Me and My Dad
One Kitten for Kim
How Much is a Million
To Kill a Mockingbird
Polyanna
The Long Patrol
Black Beauty
Pride and Prejudice
A Wrinkle in Time
Ella Enchanted
Anne of Green Gables
Mariel of Redwall
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Redwall
Misty of Chincoteague
Polyanna (collector's edition)
Emma
Beauty
The Egypt Game
Little Women
The Pool of Fire
The Mysterious Affair at Styles/The Secret Adversary (Agatha Christie mysteries)
Muggie Maggie
Me and Katie the Pest
The Princess Bride
The Boxcar Children
Encylopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers
Fire of the Covenant
The Black Cauldron
The Castle of Llyr
The Book of Three
Invincible Louisa
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet
Anne of Ingleside
The Secret Garden
A Little Princess
Pippi Longstocking
The Whipping Boy
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Landry News
Half Magic
Little House in the Big Woods
Jane Eyre
The Bronze Bow
The Unicorn and the Lake
You are Special

Not all of these books hold the same sentimental value for me, but overall I think it's a pretty great collection.  Many of these are books I've owned since I was a child, and are near, dear, and very well-loved (A Little Princess and Beauty are especially tattered).  They took me on many adventures and taught me many things and I look forward to sharing them with my children some day.  Nothing can take the place of a good book!

“When one cannot go away one can travel in spirit by means of books.  Tell me what you read & like, & perhaps I can send you a key that will at least open a window through which your eyes can wander while the faithful hands & feet are tied by duty at home.”

-- Louisa May Alcott, Letter to Maggie Lukens, February 5, 1884

“I do not read a book: I hold a conversation with the author.”

–Elbert Hubbard

“Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.”

                                                --Author unknown

“A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend.” 

--Unknown

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."

                                   --Groucho Marx

Random Memory

I was going through old blog posts this afternoon and I discovered this gem that I forgot to ever post:

I was just sitting here and suddenly I remembered how Rich (my little brother) used to run around when he was about four years old, saying "Love Conquers All!" at random moments.  He had watched a lot of Robin Hood and Lady Cluck says it after Robin rescues Maid Marian from evil Prince John.  I'm not sure why he picked that particular phrase, or why it came to mind today, but it sure gave me a good laugh!

Good News and Bad News

I have good news and bad news.

The good news: I got my diploma in the mail this week!  I'm official!

The bad news: I didn't get the job I applied for in the Family History section of the BYU Library.  :P
It would have been a nice change, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.