Friday, October 31, 2008

Best Day Ever

So today has serioiusly been the best day ever.  First of all: it's halloween, in case you haven't noticed.  I'm wearing yellow pants, a blue shirt, and a bright yellow construction paper sun pinned on my shirt.  I am a Sunny Day...which is exactly what Rexburg needs this weekend :)

Today I found a ride home for Thanksgiving!  I'm so excited to get home and see all my friends and family...it's gonna be freaking amazing....framazing.

I also got a package today from my grandparents! It had a huge bag of chocolate chips and three huge boxes of Hot Tamales (my favorite candy)...they know me too well ;)

And the best news of all!  I got accepted to go on the European Tour this summer!  A whole month....in europe...I'm so excited :)  We will be going to England, and Italy, and France, and whole lotta other places.  I can't wait.  This will also be framazing.

Miss you and can't wait to get home for turkey day
<3>

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Saturday, October 25, 2008

The Boys Are Back!

So I went and saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year last night with a bunch of friends. It was amazing! Sure it was cheezy and some of the lyrics were a little wierd, but overall I loved it! The dancing was really great and Troy Bolton is really cute...and that's all that matters right?

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Far away, far away. I wanna go far away...

Life has been crazy here in the burg but that's how I like it! My classes are going great and I'm not hating any of them yet. Next week is mid-terms but I don't have any :) it's great. The only assignment I'm still having trouble with is the photo assignment I mentioned in an earlier post. We are learning about the colors of light and we have to take pictures before or after sunrise. I've been waking up around 6 am (an amazing feat, I know) to shoot pictures and haven't taken anything really spectacular yet. I talked to my teacher about this and he said that i should just keep getting up that early and trying new things...so that's what I'm doing.

So lately I've been meditating for 5-10 minutes every day. It's amazing how sitting still for that short amount of time can really calm me down and help me focus for the rest of the day. Usually try and just concentrate on my breathing, but sometimes I try and make lists of things I have been blessed with or people who need my help. Sometimes I pick a word and say it over and over (I know: cheesy...but it helps!). Here are some interesting quotes about meditation:

"Let that be something to remember-you do likewise. Take time to meditate. Many times you will be wrestling with problems, the solution of which can be spiritually discerned. Don't get so busy that you don't have time to meditate. Take the time.”
-Harold B. Lee

"I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: one is spiritual communion rising from our own meditation; the other instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul. Meditation is a form of prayer. We can say prayers without having any spiritual response. Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord."
-David O. McKay

“Someone asked a Hindu how he was able to maintain the great serenity and peace he had about him, no matter what pressures he faced. His answer: ‘I never leave my place of meditation.’ Every morning he meditated for thirty minutes. Then in his mind and heart he never left that place—he maintained the spirit of that place throughout the day amid his pressures."
-From an article in the April, 1989 Ensign

We've also been learning a lot about the Buddha this week. I never realized that Buddhism really isn't a religion with god's and stuff but more of a spiritual practice. Here are some quotes by the Buddha:

"Work out your own enlightment with dilligence"

"Recognize our delusion that happiness exists outside of ourselves."

Miss you!
Rachel Marie

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

It's 21 degress outside...

So this morning I did something that I hate doing more than anything else. I got up at 6:30 a.m. (before the sun rose), put on long underwear, a hat, gloves, long-sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a coat, and went out into the freezing cold to take pictures. We are studying the color of light at the moment so I have to take pictures before sunrise. Even with a thermos full of hot cocoa...my nose was frozen and I couldn't feel my fingers! I don't have those pictures on my computer yet since I just got back, but here are some other assignments I have turned in this semester:

These pictures were taken for an emotion assignment. Lots of the labels I gave them are really cheesy...but whatever. I labeled this as confusion, but my teacher thought it looked more like violence.
So I took this picture as a kind of contrast to the previouse one. I think it looks very calm and organized. I printed this one really big and put a frame on it...I love it!
This is the bottom of an "Employees Only" door at some warehouse. Obviously it's a very busy place...so this was labled busy.

These next few pictures are studies of color harmony, color contrast, and monochromatic color.
monochromatic
Color Harmony
Monochromatic
Color Contrast

Color Contrast
Color Harmony? I don't remember lol
Color Harmony

Monochromatic

So my pictures are starting to all get the same feel and my teacher told me he's noticed that I've started developing my style of photography. He told me to start pushing the boundaries of what I've been doing so that I can develope it even further. I'm finally starting to feel like photography is the right thing! Yay!

<3 Rachel

p.s. I applied for the European Tour yesterday! I find out if I get in on November 4th :)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Prop 8!

Why am I voting yes on proposition 8? Because I don't think we should have to change our standards to love our neighbor. Becuase I don't believe my future children should be taught that same-sex marriage is normal and acceptable. Because I want religouse freedom without conflict. Because I believe marriage is a sacred event between one man and one woman.

Check out these sites for more information:
http://www.preservingmarriage.org/
http://protectmarriage.com/
http://iprotectmarriage.com/ <-----This one is awesome!