School, School, School

That is what the past few weeks have been: school. I think that is the reason I am so excited to graduate. Then I won't have to do anymore homework or papers! Don't get me wrong, I love school and I love to learn, but this whole stress of having a million assignments to do gets old after a while. I guess that's what life is all about though. There is no "done" in this life. There are always things that need doing, fixing, cleaning, etc. Okay, Amy, time to learn that fact and move on! I must say, though, that I have thoroughly enjoyed the many things I have done and learned this semester. I've been reviewing the works of great philosophers (Descartes, Kant, Aristotle, Plato, etc.); listening to and studying the musical theory behind the works of Romantic composers (Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Berlioz, etc.); understanding the representation of nature in various art forms and the connection this has with today's environmental problems; learning about World War I, especially in Great Britain, through the poetry and art of that time and how that produced the modernist movement; exploring America's history, art, and literature from the late 19th century into the 20th century; and discovering the history of the LDS Church beginning with the westward moving pioneers. I have written papers on the dehumanizing effects of Anglo-Saxonism in America, the American fetishism of the dynamo as addressed in Henry Adams' essay, and the futility of war seen through the eyes of the poet Wilfred Owen and his poem "The Parable of the Old Men and the Youth." Right now I am supposed to be writing a paper on the musical contributions and innovations of Charles Ives and how they are the embodiment of the American spirit, encompassing our European roots with the independent nature of personal taste. I also just took my music history test yesterday, at least the written part. I had my listening exam on Monday. I did really well on the listening exam, but not as well as I'd hoped on the multiple choice part. I think the essay went well though. Guess we'll see! I have all the rest of my midterms next week and I'm leaving with my Mom and Dad for California tomorrow for a family reunion. All I know is that I will be doing a whole heck of a lot of studying while we're driving. I also have 2 big research projects to be working on, as well as a document transcription project for my LDS History class. Oh and I also have a nature journal project to do. Fun stuff! Well, enough jabbering about school things. This past weekend Nate and I went to an organ recital at the Salt Lake Tabernacle, which was really great. Then Saturday I spent half the day doing a service project for my class and the other half researching at the library. I also watched the BYU game that night of course. So nothing too exciting. I was really excited for my niece that got baptized this weekend! I wish I could have been there. I will post more pictures when I get back from California. Yay for good weather!

Birthday, Homecoming, Spiders and Field Trips

First, I have to say that things the past few weeks have been great thanks to so many people! I also have to say that this entry might be a little long because there is so much to catch up on. My 21st birthday was better than I could have asked for. I didn't have school or work that day (it was a Friday) so I was able to take myself to the mall and go, yep, you guessed it, SHOPPING! I found some really cute things and had so much fun. The best part was that I got a really cute outfit to wear that night out to eat with my friends and family. Nate sent me fun and cute messages during the day while he was at work and then when we met up to drive up to the Mayan, he gave me an adorable homemade card that just honestly made me happier than any meaningless gift (I had no idea at that point of the amazing gift I was to get later). We then drove up to Sandy to the Mayan and met my friends, Mom and Dad, Grandma Hoggan, the Ahlstrom family, and John and Damia. I was so happy to have all of these people that I love so dearly around me for the special day. The restaurant was fun and exciting too. I even had to stand up and pound on a drum while the waiters chanted me a happy birthday. Unfortunately, Nate had to leave for the weekend for his sister's wedding so that was kind of a bummer, but when he came back he completely made up for it. On Monday he gave me the best birthday present ever! He bought me a limited edition pink CHI! When I saw it I immediately gasped and squealed and did whatever other expressions of excitement I could think of because I was completely dumbfounded that he would buy me something that expensive. The best part was that he knew how much I needed a good straightener and so he got me one. He was so excited to give it to me too because he kept mentioning how much I was going to love it. Then he surprised me by telling me we were going to the Homecoming Spectacular that Friday and to the Homecoming football game against Airforce. I was so excited I couldn't stand it. So the next weekend came and his parents came into town and we had a great time! Friday we got some pizza and headed to the Spectacular, which was just that. The Tab Choir and Orchestra performed for most of it and it was absolutely amazing. I also got to see Marvin Goldstein, who was sitting two rows in front of us, and got his autograph and a cell phone picture with him. If you don't know who he is, he's a well-known LDS pianist who does arrangements of well-known popular songs and hymns. Afterwards Nate and I and his parents went to the creamery for ice cream. Then Saturday we all watched the band march into the football stadium and then watched the game (which was awesome because we won!). We got a little rained on but it wasn't too bad. Then that night we all went to dinner at this great Thai restaurant that Nate likes. It was really good food! All in all the weekend was a blast! Okay as for the spider part of the title, I had a little terrifying experience last week. Nate and I went on a walk at night, after going to a piano recital, up through the neighborhoods to the trailhead for the Y. On the way up Nate was just teasing me and trying to freak me out by saying "Hey is that a tarantula?!" I flipped out a little bit but then realized he was joking and we just laughed about it. Then, lo and behold, just at the top of the hill on the sidewalk was a spider as big as the palm of my hand. I was terrified. I was thinking what in the heck was a spider like that doing on the sidewalk in the middle of the neighborhood??!! Nate, having served his mission in the Philippines and having dealt with spiders twice that size, wasn't even phased by it. It made me itchy all over just looking at it and I felt like things were crawling all over me. On the way down Nate took a picture of it with his camera phone and then turned around and looked at me. I had my back to him but had my head turned towards him and he reached his arm out towards me and said my name. The first thing that popped into my mind was that I had a spider on my back and that he was reaching out to get it off of me. I let out this blood-curdling scream and literally jumped out of my jacket. Nate just started laughing so hard because he was merely reaching his arm out to put it around me...LOL! Then I was laughing and crying so hard all at the same time. The adrenalin was pumping through my veins so quickly that I couldn't decide if I was more scared or more embarrassed. We laughed practically all the way back. It was great! Then this last weekend we went on a class field trip for my Environmental Humanities class. We went up to the Bird Refuge in Box Elder County and then to the Spiral Jetty in the Salt Lake. The Spiral Jetty was amazing! It was like a whole different world out there, especially since it was snowing and cloudy. That mixed with the wide expanse of the white, salt crust and the mineral pink tinge was breathtaking. I would recommend anyone to go see it! The spiral was made by a guy wanting to create some sort of ephemeral art. It was freezing but so cool...lol...no pun intended. So that was my great last few weeks. Now I better focus on the homework that I have been avoiding. :)