Monday monday.

Its funny how you notice things according to you own interests. When Momi was pregnant I noted the influx of babies and pregnant woman taking over the planet. Ive been cutting hair lately and I catch myself thinking things Ive never thought, like 'my teacher's hair is creeping up over his ears, he could use a trim'.

It made me realize the world isnt really changing, its me that is.

My friend Steph told me once, "theres your reality, theres my reality and then theres reality." I love her.

I also love the sound of music. Ive been thinking about that movie alot lately for some reason. Maybe simply because the songs are so catchy. But I love what the nuns all sing about Maria, "how do you catch a moon beam in your hand?"

It seems unfortunate we tend to see ourselves with a scornful eye. I know its a musical, but setting that aside, I love Maria because she never seems to stop singing and being so optimistic. Perhaps the world would be a more enchanting place if we could be more like her. Yet she even thinks at the beginning that shes not "good enough". I was watching Dr. Phil once and someone had a habit, a foot fetish or something and he was inquiring about if this was a bad thing. Dr. Phil said, "our habits as long as they don't harm us or society are our own unique contributions to the world". One of Marias habits in the sound of music is singing and she says in the movie, " I can't seem to stop saying things - anything and everything I think and feel." and she thinks its a bad thing, however, I admire her for it! I know it sounds cheezy but, never stop being who you are! You never know, perhaps someone is looking up to you for something small you do!

"To sleep, with the moon in one eye and the sun in the other, Love in your mouth, a lovely bird in your hair, Adorned like the fields, the woods, the routes, the sea, Around the whole world so lovely and adorned. Flee across the landscape Through branches of smoke and all the fruits of the wind, Stone legs with sand stockings, Held by the waist, all the river's muscles, And the last concern on a face transformed." -Paul Èluard

This weekend we stopped in for a second at a pet store. We really entered in serach of puppies. But being on an island, they must all be imported because there wasn't one insight. The most domestic thing there was a bunny rabbit. I asked this teenage boy working in the back if I could hold him. The boy told me the rabbit had been there for about a month. When I was holding the black bunny I couldnt help but wonder how long it had been since he'd been held. A month? two months? His whole life?

If I could change one small thing in the world I hope that no one would ever go a day without being held. My friend and old roomate Kaitlyn always made sure this never was a reality in our home: ) As a public service, I want to do this some time.

It was funny at that pet store. The isles were really cramped, if the store was a city, imagine the kind like Seattle, full of one way streets. Just big enough for one person to be in the "fish isle" at a time, either that or you had to walk single file. Anyway reading the labels on the animals cages it would say things like, Guniea Pigs Female? The awfully suspicious question mark was what made me think twice.

Speaking of animals though, Clark and I stumbled upon a young family of pot Belly pigs a few weeks ago in the Gardens of the married housing. They seem a bit neglected so weve been bringing them left overs. When we discovered them we spent our day in the pen with our hands outstretched, but close as not to threaten them saying,"TOUCH ME, TOUCH ME!" trying to allure the pigs to us and gain moral with the mother. We went to visit them again today. What an incredible world we live in. I love , Love. All creatures speak it.

The mother is such a gentle giant. She is black, and though she wears a wintery white beard she is quite feminine.

This isnt her because I didnt bring a camera, but she has a similar look.

She is so kind to her children and doesnt "hog" all the food like you might think. Many of my sterotypes of pigs were broken down. Including that they are ignorant animals. They are so smart. The entire fung shway of the pig pen is set up so the pigs know where the bathroom is, kitchen, and sleeping area. After this experince I am now a vegetarian. They are the sweetest animals. Clark and me tried to pig nap the runt since weve heard horror stories about what they do to the runt. Our friend Robbie attempted to pick him up, and after protesting (squealing ) we decided against it. I am however nervous for these babies to get big. After all this Hawaii, luaus are very popular.

"I would like to live on a farm. Not a modern farm, mind you, but a simple old-fashioned farm with cows and pigs and goats and chickens and ducks and horses, where every day is the same except for the seasons bringing a different kind of work. I would have a vegetable garden, and from the kitchen I could look over a wheat field. I would work hard all day long and feed a lot of people, preferably more children than grown-ups. I would have a big, square wood-burning stove with low benches on the side where we would sit in winter and warm our backs. And in summer there would be large copper kettles on the stove with fruit and sugar cooking for hours, the preserve jars lined up on the long kitchen table, and in the fall mushrooms on the stove, freshly picked in the woods nearby. There would be a small river to calmly fish in. The farm should not be too far away from a small village, and I would set my clock by the sound of the evening church bells. I would like to sit on a bench in front of the house when the day's work is ended or lie under an apple tree."

from Marlene Dietrich's ABC

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust


My friends Emily, Clark and I have started to garden this semester. We procured some soil from the married housing gardens and now the seedlings are germinating! We were off to a rough start when the watering schedule wasn't yet set in stone. We were horrified at the thought we may have drowned our plants on accident. We would all water them unbeknownst to each other, so the plants in a sense were binge eaters, sometimes eating 3 helpings, sometimes starving so much the soil was cracked and dry. I believe the phrase, "too many cooks in the kitchen" may be used here.

But after a few days the peas have sprang up and the lavender and thyme are looking promising. If there was a head gardener I think it would be Clark. He is always asking people for tips and saving seeds from things he eats like apples, or oranges in hopes to grow them. Today I heard him call them his "babies."

My Life is brilliant!! I hope yours is too! This week maybe we can sing more, hug more and grow more! I LOVE Everyone! <3

What are friends for, my mother asks. A duty undone, visit missed, casserole unbaked for sick Jane. Someone has just made her bitter. Nothing. They are for nothing, friends, I think. All they do in the end- they touch you. They fill you like music. Rosellen Brown