Why Believe?

My favorite professor in college was Helen Chuang (now, Boswell). She is one of those amazing people who is beautiful, intelligent, artistic and a great friend all rolled into one. I was lucky to take Genetics, Evolution and Vertebrate Physiology from her before I graduated and then to work with her (sort of) after my graduation. She truly was a mentor to me is more ways than simply science and I am always happy that we became friends outside of the University as well.
Since I left Cedar City, Helen has been up to big things. I don't keep in touch with her very well but she emailed me (and several others) yesterday with great question. One thing I loved about her classes is that I always left them thinking and craving to know more, to think more, to be more. This question was one of those.
Let me back up. Helen is writing a book. I am sure it will be amazing (have I reached "gushing" stage yet? I like the gal, okay?). For insight for a section of her book about the importance people put on religion she asked us to reply, in A SINGLE SENTENCE to the following question:

Why is religion important in your life?

Those of you who know me know that i cannot answer "What time is it?" in a single sentence. This one was going to be tough. I thought about it all day. I even did rough drafts. My religion, as for many of you, is such an important part of my life that I rarely think to define why. I just know it is. The single sentence requirement was hard for me. Being concise is not easy.

Here is my answer:

Knowledge of an atonement of my past transgressions and sorrows as well as a belief in a better life to come allows me optimism to try to better myself, my fellows and my environment today.

I then thought, maybe she was asking about ORGANIZED religion, rather than just the importance of having spiritual beliefs. We get that question a lot out here. There are a lot of Ba'Hai (we believe in ALL truth) and other self-churchers (for lack of a real term). For many, it makes sense to have spirituality be a top priority but needing to structure that into an organization with administrators is only to distract from your one divine journey. So, I also sent my argument for organized religion but, since I felt this was extra credit, I did not comply to the one sentence restriction. Truthfully, I couldn't edit it down. The hot air just kept blowing.

Here it is. Why I go to church:

Even with certain knowledge of one’s earthly purpose and their divine potential, it is naive to think that a single person can obtain all the necessary knowledge, skills and comfort possible without the experience of others. There is a stronger bond between those who share the their religion as their paramount priority than that of any other association. This security within an organized religion allows members to lesson the worry over temporal needs and focus, uninhibited on the spiritual.


I realize many (all) of you check this blog for pictures and not for the philosophies of an over-tired stay-at-home-mom. Sorry. My blog. My rules. Thanks for reading.

Love to all and happy Tuesday,
Meg

Believe . . .

. . .and music Monday will return.

I am a poser fan of American Idol. I want to watch the show. I do. I want to like it. I want to jump in on the conversation between the two clerks at the fabric store debating who was going to be in the top two. I want to remember what night(s) and time(s) the show comes on so I can achieve these dreams, but I can't. I am sad to admit that Chris is by far a bigger fan than I. I think this is mostly due to his coworkers. You can only shop talk paint for so long!
That said, I did catch Mr. Seacrest announcing a songwriting contest in junction with this year's competition. I guess that have done this in the past? Maybe? Anyway, you can go online and vote for original songs submitted for the winning Idol to sing on the last episode. If Erin is feeling guilty for voting for some of the contestants, how should I feel about listening to all 20 songs and rating each one? Turns out I feel just fine about it. It is fun, and you don't have to listen to the whole song to rate it and move on.
If you wanted to enter a song this year with hopes of it being chosen as one of the top 20, then "Believe" clearly should be in your title. No less that four songs had some form of 'believe' in the title. I also am pretty sure that one of the songs came straight of an EFY CD.
There are (in my humble opinion) a few good songs on there. Now, granted, we are talking American Idol, here, not a contest for the next Arcade Fire single. Keeping that in mind, I gave out a few 9's. I also gave a few 2's. I mean really. "I saw it over the rainbow?" Should that lyric ever be in a song? Sung by a man? Not in a drag version of The Wizard of Oz?
So if you are bored and want to hear some American Idol inspired music, go on and vote, and let me know your fav's.

Happy Monday.

Oh, I want to leave with a quote. My friend Amy said this to me the other day and it changed my life. Really.

"Your [trial] doesn't define you. You are still you."

New Shoes

This weekend I made four pair of cloth shoes. I have been wanting to try these for awhile. I am not sure why. Now, writing it out it sounds a little lame. I downloaded the pattern/tutorial from stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2006/10/cloth-shoe-pattern.html
and it is super easy. I am addicted! Lily loved the first pair I made but they were too small (I was trying the original pattern before I messed with the sizing) and so those became her baby doll's shoes. After I finished a pair for Lily she never wanted to take them off. So extreme was her determination to keep her new slippers on that she even kept them on while on the potty. Normally she must be completely naked or forget it. Then I made some Hello Kitty ones and some for a baby shower. I thought Lily would love the Hello Kitty ones because she LOVES Hello Kitty. I am not really sure how her love with the white cat started. Whenever she sees something with HK on it she just goes ballistic. Granted, she (the cat) is EVERYWHERE in Hawaii. There is a Japanese store near our house that is 70% dedicated to Hello Kitty. We go there as an outing sometimes. Once we even went to MEET Hello Kitty there. It was perhaps the best day of Lily's young life. Anyway, I thought I was being the nicest mommy in the world by struggling with the silky fabric with large, somewhat frighting, kitty heads on it. I guess I didn't realize that cutting up the fabric would be so traumatic to her. I should have just let her keep the yard of fabric. What was I thinking? After a nap (during which I finished the shoes) and letting her hold the remnant fabric she was very pleased to have the Hello Kitty shoes. Downside? I think she might grow out of them tomorrow. Here are some pictures of the shoes:

New Shoes

New Eyes

Chris got glasses. He has had contacts for years but since we have been married he hasn't had glasses (well, he did for one month but then lost them). He decided recently that he would like to go back to basics and get specs. I think he looks amazing. I don't know why but I just want to kiss him whenever he wears them. He looks good.

The Dress, The Confession, The Truth

Before anyone (Angi) gets too excited about "the dress" I made for Lily, I guess I should come clean. I used a pair of my old capris that had a stain and a shirt from a garage sale. I used the existing hem from the pants on the skirt of the dress and front of the shirt was the frilly part of the dress. I didn't sew any button holes or buttons and I used two existing seams from the capris, as well. Basically I cheated. I do feel a little bit like the Native Americans who used every part of the buffalo, though. I used the pocket linings to line the arm-holes and the back facing. Nothing too fancy, though. I just copied a dress Lily had and then made up the rest as I went. And like I said, the skirt (because of the existing hemline) is crooked. So before you start looking for me on Project Runway, know that I am a novice, too cheap to buy new fabric and that I struggle to follow a pattern. That said, I hope that Angi does post pix of the dresses she makes for Addi.
You can tell from these pix that the skirt is a little off (and in need of an iron) and that the back seams don't match exactly. Blah blah. I sewed something! I am domestic! Hear me roar!

The Dress, The Confession, The Truth