I love Bob Dylan.

I don't even remember when I started liking him so much.

I remember Pastor Eric sharing a few songs during Bible class. I remember my high school English teacher having us analyze "Blowin in the wind" for poetry class. But I think I officially fell in love with Dylan's lyrics after hearing Amanda Ghost's cover of "Every grain of sand." Everything to social-critiquing folk to reflective ballads--I have so much respect for him.

Dylan, whose artist name is based on poet Dylan Thomas, is such a master of vocabulary. He has such a handle of the English language and molds it into mysteriously powerful messages:

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

Yes, n how many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, n how many times must the cannon balls fly

Before they're forever banned?

The answer my friend is blowin in the wind

The answer is blowin in the wind

Today is his 70th birthday, which sparked this series of thoughts. In honor of that, I definitely might watch part of this after work. It includes a bunch of footage from his concerts in the early 1960's.

The man is by no means perfect, but his iconic style and revolutionary music is inspiring as it is historic.


Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan!

Favorite song - Every Grain of Sand:

In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need
When the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed
There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger and in the morals of despair

Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break
In the fury of the moment I can see the master's hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand.

Oh the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear
Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer
The sun beat down upon the steps of time to light the way
To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay

I gaze into the doorway of temptaition's angry flame
And every time I pass that way I always hear my name
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand

I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry light
In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face

I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, there's somone there, other times it's only me
I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand

I cannot wait to see this movie. So excited it got the Palme d'Or at Cannes!!

Looks goooooood =)

I've been loving this series!

Modern updates can be very... um, interesting. But this is spectacular!

The plot and dialogue is fantastic but nothing beats Cumberbatch and Freeman's portrayals of these timeless characters.

The first season (3 episodes, about 90 minutes each) is available through netflix dvd or streaming.

...and as a sidenote - after seeing Martin Freeman in this, I am even more excited for The Hobbit because I am now confident that he will play an excellent Bilbo =)

I really hope to have a bike to ride in Oxford

... it just seems fitting.

"If love is patient, then today I am in love..."

- from one of my old journals

Someday I'll enjoy sunny days with someone else. But for now, I am happy to wait and enjoy life's many adventures =)

Ok... so you may have heard of somone in a Starbuck's drive-thru covering the tab of the customer behind them. But have you ever heard of soomeone paying for another person's car battery??
I'm a cashier at a Honda dealership and today, my coworker and I were just cashing out customers when she had a customer come up to pay for her oil change. But before paying, she said, "I'm sorry, but I overheard a service advisor telling that customer over there that she needs a new battery, but apparently she's facing some financial trouble. Is there any way I could pay for her battery without her knowing?" She covered the entirety of the other woman's $93.06 bill. After our shock and gratefulness, she said, "I've just been having a really bad day and thought I could brighten it by helping someone else..." After paying, she quietly left.
Later, the service advisor for the other customer came up and informed her that her battery had been paid for. She started crying--crying in public! It was so precious!

It was just a beautiful moment. The world is still so beautiful.
Not only that, but I was so convicted. How often do I go out of my way to help other people? Am I willing to really sacrifice for people I don't even know? I'm hoping that I can spread a fraction of the joy that woman brought today.

be filled with hope... :)

What a weekend...

Friday night started with a delightful book exchange. Honestly, this was one of the best parties I've ever been to. The location and decor was so much fun and the event required we dressed in something sartorially inspired. I didn't quite know what to wear, so I converted one of my favorite old sweaters into a vest and wore it with a dress.

As wonderful as that all was, my favorite part was the wonderful company. I love being in groups where there is a mix of people in all different stages of life: college age, young career, young marrieds, couples with a growing family, etc. I just love all the other perspectives. I had so many deep conversations with people I don't normally get to talk with. It was just splendid.

I also got to be there for part of my little sister's birthday party =) She and a bunch of friends went ice-skating. So much fun.

Saturday morning I worked. But then after that, I had a spontaneous fun date with my dear friend Julia. It wasn't even like a normal date. You know you're really good friends when you enjoy just running errands together. I love that girl so much.

After church, my roommates and I watched Phantom of the Opera - which totally rekindled my love of musicals. Hopefully I'll get to see Les Miserables in London's West End when I'm there.

Today I worked a nice, long shift. It was wonderful and I really appreciate the extra money. Plus I got to know some of the newer salesmen better. And tonight was a blast. As I said, I'm totally into musicals at the moment and both Mary Poppins and Mozart's Magic Flute are playing in Seattle right now and I really wish I could go see one of them. Mary Poppins was my all-time favorite, most watched movie as a little girl. When I heard it was going to be at the Paramount, I got super excited, but sad that I wouldn't be able to go. So my sister and I made up for it by watching the disney movie again. I think I love it even more as an adult. So much in there about the importance of wonder and the imagination. And the dialogue is way more enjoyable as an adult. Case in point:

"Actually, do you know what there's no such thing as? It turns out, with due respect, when all is said and done, that there's no such thing as YOU!"

A wonderful evening and wonderful close to the weekend.

Bonne nuit!

I choose to believe that He is unbelievably good...

In other news...

- I finally got to plant my mom's flowers and it is official: I love gardening! The front of the house is gorgeous! Lots of vibrant color which is exactly what I hoped for. I still have a LOT to learn, but I had so much fun!

I also bought a pot and flowers and made up a mother's day present for Melissa. We dropped it off at her house so it was waiting for her when she got home from the hospital. She loved it =)

"One is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth." - Dorothy Frances Gurney

- Beks is finally home!!! My dear friend has been away at college in Kentucky, but she's back now! We have just two months together before I fly off on my grand adventure, but I have no doubt we'll make the most of it ;)

- I register for classes on tuesday and i think I'll be taking:

- English 494: Honors Seminar "Books of Memory and Forgetting"

- English 333: English Novel... Austen, Dickens, the Brontes, happiness!!!

- Classics 427: Greek and Roman Tragedy in English, Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, and Seneca =)

- Dance 102: Intro to Dance: Dance Appreciation and Intro to Ballet and Modern Technique

I'm stoked! The honors seminar should be hard, but not as hard as my grad seminar. Unfortunately, every professor teaching in the honors program is a post-modernist. I don't know why, but everything I've encountered that is post-modern is just depressingly sad. But I do love the topic of "memory and forgetting." I've been a part of very interesting discussions regarding that. Oh! and "The English Novel"--that is one of the classes that I've wanted to take since starting at UW. I will have just come back from studying Austen, so it will be fun to hear different readings. And classical tragedies--not nearly as depressing as post-modern novels. I absolutely love Oedipus Rex and Phaedra (by Seneca) and so many others. It will be fun to study them for a whole quarter. And finally dance! Over the last 2 weeks, I have had such a strong urge to start dancing again! I am so excited about the possibility of taking this class. I can get up, move, and express myself. Plus... it's motivation to get in shape again ;)

- Still no word on housing in Oxford. My heart is in this place in between 1) feeling desperate, like I should be striving to find a place to live and 2) trusting that the Lord has something amazing for me and I just need to be obedient to contact people. I have had a few nightmares though of having nowhere to live. Peace and trust are always a battle, aren't they? I just know that the Lord wants me there and will open up this last door for me. But pray for me if you think of it!

Well, I think that's all the news I have for you right now, but I'll keep you posted. Sweet dreams lovelies...

Say hello to the newest addition to the Baker family!

Debuting: Miss Ida Marie Esther Baker

She is beyond precious! Such a tiny--but healthy--little Lady =)

She entered the world 12:50 am on Saturday May 7 at only 4 lbs 11 ozs and 17 inches long. Teeny-tiny Princess! She's wearing preemie clothes they had to buy a special car seat for her.

Despite being so small, she has a beautiful, full head of dark, wavy hair =)

Aren't her eyes just gorgeous?!?!?!?!?

The little Baker family:

When we first brought Ross into the room (the next day), he just sat calmly next his mom and looked at her. He sat there for several minutes (unheard of for this little guy) just looking into his mommy's eyes. It was a look of contentment and abandoned trust. So precious...

And when he first saw Ida, he reached out and touched her hair and then smiled really big =)

But then he noticed that she was in his spot... aaand burst into tears. Sad... but he will adjust.

Notice her hair??

Miss Ida and Me.

When I held her for the first time, my heart seriously started fluttering.

She is soooo tiiiiiiiny! I just can't get over it.

This weekend was just magical...... :)

just waiting for Miss Ida......... :)

Just got my acceptance letter from UW English Honors =)

Next year = hard, but good!

I have a new favorite joy: flower shopping.

In fact, I think I'm going to take up gardening. Today is my mom's birthday and the only thing she asked for was flowers to plant in her front garden beds. Every year she buys the same flowers, and they're cute, but I reeeally wanted to experiment with other things. Now, I hardly knew anything (still don't know much) about flowers and gardening. So I headed off to a local nursery. A really nice older lady helped educate me on a bunch of different types of flowers. But the best part was picking out the variety of flowers. I bought 9 plants in 5 varieties. My favorite was a stunning corally-orange geranium!!

It was such a blast. Plus I get to go back and buy more flowers today! Hopefully planting them goes well. I have the spacing planned out and I think it will be gogeous.

I'm just praying that she likes them since they aren't what she would normally pick out. But I'm hoping she's willing to try these.

I told my younger sister that we should pool our money together and make up a pot of flowers.

PS... she LOVED them!!!

Check out some of my favorite flowers =)

If you've followed my blog for a while, you will know that I love corally pink peonies!

I just can't fathom how one flower can contain all those petals. The Lord gave me some revelation regarding this particular flower which you can read about here.

My mom has a peony bush. The color is more of a light pink, but they're still gorgeous. The stems are growing rapidly and a month from now we should start to enjoy the first bloom =)

I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm very drawn to coral :)

This is the geranium I was talking about earlier. Isn't the color captivating??

Ok... I think I have new 2nd favorite flower (peonies always being the first :)

This is a white non-stop begonia. I love it! I bought one of these for my mom too. I think it looks very rose like.

Oh and finally, these are juliet-orange diascias. I bought one of these as well. What I hadn't noticed, because ours haven't bloomed yet, is that they petals are actually asymetrical. What a lovely effect!

Ok... just a few faves. As gardening is my current obsession, you may see more on this in the near future. Oh, and I'll try to put up a picture of what my mom's flower beds look like once we've planted everything =)

Today was a great way to begin a new year. I slept in a bit. Mom and I went out to Starbucks for breakfast. I had to work from 10-7 at the dealership, but its ok--I wore my tutu skirt =) I told one friend, "I may be 21, but I'll never be too old to play dress up..."

For lunch, I treated myself to a burger from "The Slip" (pretty much favorite burger :) and I was able to briefly see my sister and nephew. The rest of the day was slow enough for me to keep up with the birthday wishes.

Once I got home, I opened presents--I got everything I asked for on my short but very practical list. We watched the King's Speech - ah! love all over again. Now its off to bed. Tomorrow I have breakfast with a dear friend before working at my personal assistant job.

Not a bad birthday at all. 21 should be an exciting year =)

tomorrow =)

today is the end of so many things,

but tomorrow is all about the future

I hate goodbyes

*tears...

I am stoked for Holy Week!!

Miss Marcy just shared and I am so excited to go deeper this week.

I know that He has so many good things planned.

He's pulling me deeper and closer and that is going to be so exciting.

I saw Tangled for the first time this week and I loved it! It was so very, very beautiful.

"And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything looks different

Now that I see you"

- I see the light

Follow the link and watch the music video. It literally brings tears to my eyes!

Oh! And major Oxford update... When I got home tonight, I had a letter waiting for me on my bed from my grandparents. Lets just say that I have not genuinely gasped that loud in a very long time. The Lord is SO faithful. I still need a place to stay, but I don't have to worry any more about finances. He has it all under control. He is so so sooo good!

Happy Holy Week!

Can this be my room.... please?!?

Don't get me wrong, I love my family and my roommates...

But one of my favorite things is coming home to a completely empty house... like I did this afternoon.

Now its time to put on my sweats and curl up on my bed with a book, my chai, and good music.

ps... update on oxford: I bought my tickets this morning. Jesus loves me: I get to fly virgin atlantic =) seriously, virgin is my favorite airline.

I'm also this much closer to having a place to live.

Oh and did I mention that my mom is coming to visit me while I'm there?

We are scheming up a weekend get-a-way. Any guesses where?

Can you say, "je suis tres tres enthusiaste!" ;)

Today was incredible! God gives the best gifts, and today those gifts took the form of glorious weather and some of the bestest friends.

The sunshine today was divine.

I started the day with a new cd I that I burned for my car and one of my favorite drives, from my home in Kirkland to the U-district.

Once I got there, my first order of business was to visit the quad. It was my first visit since they had bloomed--and they were stunning.

I had to take care of some business, but then it was off to Cafe Solstice for a date with my friend Helen. And straight from there I went to have lunch with another dear friend, Julia.

Before leaving, I had to linger a little longer in the quad, which by this time was crowded, but just as beautiful.

The drive back was relaxing--barefoot, windows down, and sun roof open :) I even caught a glimpse of Mt. Rainier. Praise Him!

I had a little time to kill, so I stopped off in downtown kirkland to visit my favorite dock. I was able to reflect on just how grateful I am that the Lord had me take this quarter off. He knows what I need.

From there, after a quick "costume change," it was off to the park to have a lovely date with these two:

Today was his first time ever visiting a park, and it happened to be the park that Melissa and I grew up going to: the choo-choo train park =)

He absolutely loved the swings

He's getting so big! And so handsome :)

Love this little guy so much...

Rounded off the day with a girl night at Melissa's house.

Such a beautiful day and a wonderful harbinger of many more to come =)

iamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoingiamgoing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I'm just praying that I can find a family to rent from in Oxford. I'm utilizing all my current connections and just praying that I can find something within a week.

I'll keep you all posted on the process, but for now, it is official: I am going!!!!!

Craft Day =)

I'm not usually one for making things, but I'm planning my sister's baby shower, so it's kind of a necessity. Anyway... I think they're turned out great!

These are just a sneak peek. I'll post pictures of the decor after the shower.

But I think these are just coming along splendidly :)

The Selfish Giant

Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden.
It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the spring-time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. "How happy we are here!" they cried to each other.
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.
"What are you doing here?" he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.
"My own garden is my own garden," said the Giant; "any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself." So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.

TRESPASSERS
WILL BE
PROSECUTED

He was a very selfish Giant.
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. "How happy we were there," they said to each other.
Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. "Spring has forgotten this garden," they cried, "so we will live here all the year round." The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down. "This is a delightful spot," he said, "we must ask the Hail on a visit." So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.
"I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming," said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; "I hope there will be a change in the weather."
But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden she gave none. "He is too selfish," she said. So it was always Winter there, and the North Wind, and the Hail, and the Frost, and the Snow danced about through the trees.
One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the King's musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. "I believe the Spring has come at last," said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.
What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the children's heads. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It was a lovely scene, only in one corner it was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor tree was still quite covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it. "Climb up! little boy," said the Tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny.
And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out. "How selfish I have been!" he said; "now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and ever." He was really very sorry for what he had done.
So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again. Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the Giant coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giant's neck, and kissed him. And the other children, when they saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them came the Spring. "It is your garden now, little children," said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when the people were going to market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him good-bye.
"But where is your little companion?" he said: "the boy I put into the tree." The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him.
"We don't know," answered the children; "he has gone away."
"You must tell him to be sure and come here to-morrow," said the Giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad.
Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. "How I would like to see him!" he used to say.
Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden. "I have many beautiful flowers," he said; "but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all."
One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.
Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, "Who hath dared to wound thee?" For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.
"Who hath dared to wound thee?" cried the Giant; "tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him."
"Nay!" answered the child; "but these are the wounds of Love."
"Who art thou?" said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.
And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, "You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise."
And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.

THE END.

By Oscar Wilde

In a hilarious and intriguing discussion over breakfast, Josiah and I were talking about comedy and tragedy, hamartia, hubris, catharsis, Aristotle, and other such topics sparked by the book I'm currently in: Reading between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith. As we were discussing and debating different points of Classical Tragedy, Josiah cut to the quick:

"Well, I'm just saying, I would never have my main character gouge out his eyes*."

Yes, we were discussing Oedipus Rex at that point... but I just hope someone else can find this as randomly funny as I do.

thinking...