Peace. Love. Snowshoe

I collect hobbies like I collect Beatles collectables. I think I have found a new one that I thoroughly enjoy...Snowshoeing. My sister Lindsayand I went yesterday and I loved it. I want my own pair so that I can go hiking all year long. I feel weird liking something so soon after trying it. It was just a mile or two on a fairly well groomed trail but it was a blast and so beautiful. I decided I could actually enjoy the outdoors and I really like the people you run into while your out and about. You know what I mean...the "outdoorsey"people. They are so friendly and happy, it must be the endorphins or something. They all said hi and will chit-chat with you and they didn't judge us even though most of them didn't even need snowshoes. There were some funny people...or just crazy people...like the man in his shorts and t-shirt who was running the snowy trail with his dog. Or the lady who was throwing a stick to her dog practically off the side of the mountain.

I hope to be able to go again soon!

Tears of JOY

I have never cried because I was happy before...never. I always thought it was so weird...Why would you cry if you were happy about something? Well today it happened... repeatedly! I guess I must just be feeling particularly blessed or emotional or something!

Things that made me cry today...Don't laugh :D! Beware: I am a major CHEESE ball today!

--The sunrise this morning was PINK. I was just so overwhelmed that sky was blue, I wasn't tired (even though it was 7am) and I looked up to see a pink sunrise over the beautiful mountains. I stopped dead in my tracks and just looked!

--Then I went to musical theater and we were talking about Finian's Rainbow (see last post) and I even knew more about it then the amazing "Dr. Michael Ballam" (he didn't remember that it was the MAN Tommy Steele that plays the leprechaun!!!) But that's not why I cried, that is just an interesting side note...He played "How are Things in Glocca Mora" and I found myself thinking about my mother and how much she loves it, the song just touched me so much that I had to hold back tears.

--THEN I went to my singing lesson and the ultimate surprise awaited me. I GOT a SCHOLARSHIP that I didn't even know about! They sent the email to the wrong address and so I didn't know. Luckily I still get it! It made me feel so good to know that the teachers suggested me and that I did well enough on my semester jury to receive that! I was feeling so negative about my voice and I was feeling so sick fighting a battle in which I felt like my voice was losing! This was such a confidence boost and now I feel so energized and determined to become a better singer! I am so grateful for this! As I walked home I was so happy that the tears almost escaped again and I was quite amazed!

AHHHH SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN LOGAN UTAH! I LOVE LIFE!

Look to the Rainbow

Recently, I have been watching lots of movies for my Intro to Musical Theater class. As I was perusing the shelves of videos we can check out, my eyes landed on a treasure straight from my childhood. I had to check it out even though the whole point is to check out movies you haven't seen before. It was Finian's Rainbow, a movie that my mother adores and that I would always rent from good old Video Verns (worst day of my life when they torn it down!) I love this show...Ok it is definitely a little odd. After all it was filmed in the 60's and it is about Leprechauns and pots of gold and other things...but it is still just so magical to me! The music makes me so happy and I can't help but laugh as I watch!

What makes this movie is TOMMY STEELE.

One of the most awkward, nasally Leprechauns you will ever watch. I adore him! He makes me laugh so hard and I just love his strangeness! I mean Fred Astaire as an old man is great too, but Tommy just has a sort of awkwardness that no one could ever copy.

He's also in the Happiest Millionaire...Another gem!

Yo Quierro ZUMBA!

Nothing cures the Tuesday blues like blogging... Anyways so I wanted to share my new OBSESSION... I am aware that it seems like my life is probably just a series of moving from one obsession to the next, which it pretty much is... ZUMBA! Yes it is true, Sarah Jane has found a physical activity that she actually enjoys, this is breaking news! I never thought sweating was worth it till now. Zumba is kind of like aerobics but you do sweet dance moves to fun music. I love it because I don't feel like I am excercising, yet it still makes me sweat and I even get sore from it! It is a hard work out that is tons of fun. Sometimes I feel a bit retarded, shimmying is not a skill I posses and I realize I have no rhythm or coordination...or dance skill at all but once I let go of feeling awkward it became a major party! My instructor is hilarious! Her name is Isella. Some of her gem-like quotes include "Are you guys hot?" (side note: it was like a million degrees in the room) The general reply was "YES." Then she said "We are HOT!". Also she has asked us to "write a letter to whoever is in charge and ask them to install a disco ball in the dance room". She wears a rhinestone headband that says Zumba and has bright green pants. My goal in life is to be her assistant.

Tonight I get to do this wonderful Zumba and boy I can't wait!

Meat Free Mondays

Some times my obsessions lead me to discover very worthy causes! I discovered Meat Free Mondays through my weekly stalking of Paul McCartney...hahaha I know I have issues. It is something he and his daughters started. Because it is impracticle to ask people to go Vegetarian, all this is is a once a week break from Meat. Going meat free once a week is good for your body, helps the environment (eating meat releases more green house gases than cars!) and is a way to take a stand against animal cruelty. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some meat but going without it once a week is not hard at all!

I understand that God put animals on the earth for our use and that our bodies really do need meat so I could never go permanently veggie but I also recently watched a video on what goes on in slaughtering houses and I was disgusted! Yes, animals are here for our use but they should not be treated with such inhumanity. They should be treated better and in a sense they should almost be considered sacred. We should be grateful to have these animals to eat and not put them through terrible misery (like slitting their throats while they are still awake!).

If you are still not convinced go to www.supportmfm.org, there are places to read more about meats affect on the environment (since I stink at explaining it!) Also if you don't believe me about the slaughterhouses go to the video of Paul on www.peta.org. Ok enough ranting from me! Please support Meat Free Mondays!

Sarah Jane's Got the Yips

Psych is my favorite TV Show...honestly. I can't help but crack up every time I watch it. There is one episode where Shawn does not have his usual "A" game....He calls it the yips. It makes him choke and make mistakes and mess up where he normally wouldn't. You could call it nerves, I guess or "having an off day" or STRUGGLES but I prefer using the YIPS. And that my friends is what I currently have.

Aural skills used to be a breeze for me. I would get up sing and only make little mistakes. I mean don't get me wrong I practiced a lot and got nervous in that class till the last weeks of the semester but somehow I always pulled through. Now something has gone wrong, I have gotten the yips. For some reason, intervals are suddenly painfully difficult to find, conducting is a spazzy little dance and solfege gets stuck in my throat. I feel unbalanced in that class. Maybe my Chi isn't in the right place. So far I have not done well at all and I still try hard and practice and all that jazz...So I blame the YIPS. And I am asking them to PLEASE PLEASE go away.

People Call Me Goob

I LOVE GOOB...If you haven't seen Meet the Robinsons you should just for this kid...HILARIOUS! This is a clip of some of his funny parts!