The Lacuna

Do you have a favorite author? One that is still writing books? And when that new book becomes available and you realize it's been sitting at the Barnes and Noble waiting for you since November 1st and for some reason that fact slipped your mind and all you can do is sit and think about it all day at work until noon rolls around and you're free to go to the bookstore and purchase it? I have a favorite author like that. Mine is Barbara Kingsolver. I want to be her best friend in real life and hang out with her and tell her I only eat foods that are in season and not at McDonald's (which would be a lie). Her newest novel, The Lacuna, just came out and I bought it and drove home with it in my lap. And now I stare at it because I am waiting until that glorious Thanksgiving weekend when I will be at my parents house and there is no such thing as the internet there and everyone goes to sleep at 7. Thank you.

Bring It, Joe

My friend Joe told me at the beginning of the year that he was going to become a master bread maker by the end of the year. I think he set goals to become an expert at French, Sourdough, Chocolate Pumpkin and something else. I asked him how he was doing at his goal and he said he had achieved mastery in all but the Sourdough. First of all, I was put off that I had yet to eat any of this bread he says he's a master at making. Secondly, the two times I've ever made bread it's turned out pretty good. So I thought maybe I'd try my hand at the baking art. Today I picked up this book from the library:


I'm right there, Joe, nipping at your heels.

Do any of you have a favorite bread that you make?

Joseph Eats Padek In His New House

Suzanne sent me a nice email the other day reminding me that I had a blog and that I should use it. I think the problem lately is that I don't like my camera. It's a good camera, I just got dust in the lense and now it only takes blurry photos half the time and I just don't see the point. I think I'm just going to say "poop" and buy myself a new camera again. Brigham's posts with all his fancy pictures using his Leica make me kind of jealous.

A few weeks ago, I went with work on a trend trip. Some of you may wonder, "What is this, "Trend Trip" you speak of, Cindy?" Well, it's basically going somewhere that is trendy and finding out what's hip. The difficult thing for me is trying to convince everyone I work with that what I think is trendy is what is right. They never listen to me!!!

Anyway, we went to Portland and Seattle. If you live there and I didn't visit you, it's probably because I was shopping and eating all the time.

Oregon was lovely. We had a nice day and a rainy day in each city we went to.


We ate at this Mediterranean place where they give you this giant mound of bread that will basically kill any desire to eat your entré. Especially when all you can do is dip it in Tzatziki sauce and shove it in your mouth over and over again.


We got there on a Friday night and me and Tara and Nori went to the Doug Fir and saw Blitzen Trapper play. We were all so tired from having to wake up at 4am that none of us wanted to go. Good thing we were staying at the Jupiter which is connected to the Doug Fir and all we had to do was walk downstairs to get there. It was such a good show, even with the drunken girl falling all over us.


Sometimes, when trend shopping, there are things that catch your eye that don't have to do with scrapbooking that you have to buy because they speak to you. They speak to your very soul. I got this headband. I love it. I gave it to my mom to try to recreate a bazillion of them. I miss it so much.


I kind of coerced my coworkers to stay at the Jupiter. I mostly wanted to be like Dave.


Our last day in Portland, we went to the market. There was this guy there that sculpted your face out of clay. Of course I wanted him to sculpt me and for a few extra dollars, he sculpted me as a garden gnome holding a squirrel! How lucky can I be? Do you think it looks even remotely like me? No? Whatever, I don't care.


We got to Seattle and ate at the 5 Spot for dinner. It was tasty. The menu was from Missouri. For some reason, when I think Missouri, I don't think fancy cuisine. Nori only got ice cream. She didn't want a meal because she had thrown up 6 times on the drive up from Portland. Poor thing. I still feel that this is the most exciting story that I can tell at this point in time.

On Monday, I was in charge of where we went trend shopping and I failed. We went to Capitol Hill where I was sure that something would be and there was nothing. Then we went downtown and there was kind of something, but not really too much. I think we just gave up after that. The next day we had a really successful day in Ballard, so I feel like that kind of redeems my tour guide capabilities.

The best part about Monday, though, was that I went to FHE at the Hall's house and got to hang out with the Hall's and Meredith and Joseph. The lesson was on the new family search program online which, for some reason we don't get out here but they get it up in Seattle. Then, after that, I got to go down to see Joseph's new house!

YES!!! I am the first to show Joseph's new house!

Here's his gated entryway. You can tell that he likes it because it looks like of Asian. He is just beaming in this picture.


This is what Joseph looks like after coming home from a long day of work. It was kind of night time, so it's hard to tell what his house really looks like.


Living room. Joseph's friend Katie was staying at his place for a little while. I like these fancy red walls.


The kitchen where Joseph eats Padek and cooks with it too. One of my biggest sadnesses about not living in Seattle anymore is that I don't get to eat any of Joseph's food. I loved that minty meat stuff he made.


Where all the action is.


Fancy library room where award winning documentaries will be made.


Some sort of backroom that will maybe someday be made into a greenhouse.


This is where Joseph puts the doo doo.


His tree that kind of sold him on the house.


This is what the back of the house looks like. He wants to get rid of the Wisteria. I say no. I think he should listen to me.


All in all it was a good trip. It was nice to get out of Salt Lake for a little bit. My parents watched my dog when I was gone and now when they call all they ask about is Starla. My dad asked about house his little girl was doing and I thought he meant me, but no, he meant the dog. She's napping here beside me right now and I'm going to have to kick her out real soon. She's so cute though.

Teaching!

I keep forgetting to talk about this, but I'm very excited to teach a class on Friday! I'm going to be one of the teachers at The ART Weekend. If you live in the Salt Lake area (or even if you don't) come and join us for a weekend of the arts. This little scene from the Frog Prince is what I will be teaching people how to make (quite timely if I do say so myself):


My class is on Friday from 4:00-5:50. I think one class costs about $45 and the more classes you take, the greater the discount. The class is located at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel on 122 W South Temple. Hope to see you there!

Trodding the Places Where Prophets Lie

I wonder what John Taylor would have thought if he knew that someday in the future, a group of 30-45 year olds would consider it a good time to wander around searching for his grave?

He would probably be happy that I brought Starla. I'm sure he loved puppies.


At each grave there was a bucket of candy and a spiritual thought. Dave shared it at the grave site of Heber J. Grant.


Thanh (I think that's how you spell her name). She was so nice and I'm glad I got to talk with her a little more.


Brandon really liked Starla and wouldn't go in any other group besides the one that she was in.


Me and Starla and David Oman.


Me and Starla and Joseph F. Smith.


I had a good time walking around the Salt Lake Cemetery. I'm surprised I haven't naturally gravitated towards there before. I would like to go back again sometime soon. I didn't get to look at all the graves for as long as I would have liked.

Lone Ranger & Tonto

Will someone buy me this, please?


I was thinking of giving Starla hair extensions like they did to this horse. What do you guys think?

Terrorism

There is so much terrorism in my life right now. If terrorists were to just come into our country and pee and poop everywhere and walk in it and track it around our houses, this country would be crushed.

On Friday, on the way to work, I saw a van with the following statement on the back, "Snow White and Superman had foster parents." That's all it said. I enjoyed looking at it because I really like Snow White and then I thought, "You know, I don't know that either one of those situations were foster parent situations. Snow White's situation is kind of questionable - a teenage woman living with seven old men and I think Superman was technically adopted. What do you guys think? Are there any super heroes that could be considered foster children?