As I left Shannon's house, her mom asked, as always, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, yes," I reply. "I'm used to walking in the dark." It has been a very long time since I have minded walking alone in the dark. (Ever since Justin, Nathan, and Peter stopped hiding in the jungle and popping out at us girls on our way over to visit with them to be exact.) Not to mention, tonight the moon was especially bright; even for Saipan.
Actually, I kind of like to walk in the dark. As Louis Armstrong put it in What A Wonderful World, "The bright, blessed day; And the dark, sacred night." Night does seem sacred to me. It's so peaceful and quiet; I love to just walk along the road or in the fields and think.
Tonight I thought about something that my very dear friend Leimson Souelian said. It was at a Youth Conference about two years ago. We were hiking to Boy Scout Beach in the dark, where Brother Benson awaited to give us a fireside. The first part of the hike was along a fairly straight path. We all gathered at the beginning of the path, and then walked one-by-one down it in the dark until we reached the other end, where someone with more flashlights would send us off in groups down the more treacherous part... and treacherous is used loosely, it really isn't that bad. (But ya know, in the dark!) At the fireside, Leim was asked what his experience was on the path. (NOTE: The following is not at all word perfect of course, but my recollection of what the story was is very clear.) He said the following:
"I started out on the path, not wanting to face the complete darkness of the jungle alone. Instead of simply looking straight ahead, I continued forward cautiously, the entire time looking over my shoulder at the flashlight my friends held behind me. As long as I looked at the flashlight, I felt comfortable. Finally, the flashlight faded completely and I turned to face the impending darkness. No sooner had I turned my head however, than I saw the flashlight marking the other end. Once again I was comforted and knew that the path through the dark shadows of the trees was coming to an end."
The story is simple, but as I was thinking about it, the concept hit me very hard. The Lord will not leave us in darkness, but we have to have the faith to turn our heads forward. Only then will we be able to see the light that He has been shining on our path.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
GO KATHY! GO KATHY! GO GO! GO KATHY!
To my dearest family, teachers and friends,
I made it! I Graduated!
After years of sleepless nights, struggling and whining, I finally mastered the art of procrastination and got commended for it *wink*.
Kidding aside, thank you very much for your constant love and support despite the villages, the oceans, or the people that come between us. It's those special 'little things' that you do that keeps me going and sane-- that to me makes all the difference.
Love and Aloha,
Kathy/Lalai/Boo/ISP/Jeally
P.S. If you do decide to email back, please don't ask me "what now?" (at least for the next month or so) I'm still basking on my glory as a fresh graduate.
P.S. If you do decide to email back, please don't ask me "what now?" (at least for the next month or so) I'm still basking on my glory as a fresh graduate.
This is an email I received from a very good friend, Kathy Pegapellar... well, I think that's how you spell her name!... and I was so pleased, I decided to put it on my blog. Just so you know, she's graduating with a bachelor's in education.
I made it! I Graduated!
After years of sleepless nights, struggling and whining, I finally mastered the art of procrastination and got commended for it *wink*.
Kidding aside, thank you very much for your constant love and support despite the villages, the oceans, or the people that come between us. It's those special 'little things' that you do that keeps me going and sane-- that to me makes all the difference.
Love and Aloha,
Kathy/Lalai/Boo/ISP/Jeally
P.S. If you do decide to email back, please don't ask me "what now?" (at least for the next month or so) I'm still basking on my glory as a fresh graduate.
P.S. If you do decide to email back, please don't ask me "what now?" (at least for the next month or so) I'm still basking on my glory as a fresh graduate.
This is an email I received from a very good friend, Kathy Pegapellar... well, I think that's how you spell her name!... and I was so pleased, I decided to put it on my blog. Just so you know, she's graduating with a bachelor's in education.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Seminary Graduation
Now, my mum wrote a very good entry on this so if anyone would like to visit her sight and read the blog go to www.thethinks.blogspot.com. Since it is such a good blog, I am going to kind of cheat on this entry and just send you there. I will only touch on some highlights:
*I tripped on my prom dress. (3 times) Now, if you know me, this is probably not much of a shock at all. Every time I tried walking up stairs, which was (1) to get my certificate of completion, (2) to get my diploma, and (3) to walk up the stairs, I would forget to lift my dress just a touch and I would step on it. I never did fall on my face, but I know people noticed. Some told me so!
*Mum wanted the grads to have little displays this year, you know, so people could look at them and get to know us a little better. Part of my display was a little horse from my collection. The kids kept taking it and playing with it. It was okay with me but my two younger sisters, Kaitlyn and Eden kept flipping out!
*As Taylor Smith approached to receive her certificate of completion, the harp music stopped playing and Dad (who was supposed to change restart it) allowed it to change to the music played in that seminary video where they're fighting. You know, it's a real kind of triumphant song and then a scary dangerous song, and then a triumphant song.... you get the point. It was pretty cool. I wish they had played that while we went up to get our diplomas.
*I tripped on my prom dress. (3 times) Now, if you know me, this is probably not much of a shock at all. Every time I tried walking up stairs, which was (1) to get my certificate of completion, (2) to get my diploma, and (3) to walk up the stairs, I would forget to lift my dress just a touch and I would step on it. I never did fall on my face, but I know people noticed. Some told me so!
*Mum wanted the grads to have little displays this year, you know, so people could look at them and get to know us a little better. Part of my display was a little horse from my collection. The kids kept taking it and playing with it. It was okay with me but my two younger sisters, Kaitlyn and Eden kept flipping out!
*As Taylor Smith approached to receive her certificate of completion, the harp music stopped playing and Dad (who was supposed to change restart it) allowed it to change to the music played in that seminary video where they're fighting. You know, it's a real kind of triumphant song and then a scary dangerous song, and then a triumphant song.... you get the point. It was pretty cool. I wish they had played that while we went up to get our diplomas.
FASHION FAUX PAS!
Okay, I promised some really good outfits. And here they are!
Outfit #1: My friend Elle wore all black in order to balance out her date (and new boyfriend) Bryan's completely white ensemble. Bryan's outfit was awesome! It was simple, but cool. It consisted of new white sneakers, white tux-pants, and a white shirt. Over his white shirt, he wore the rest of the tux, which of course was the jacket. Here's the "coolness" of his outfit: his jacket had tails! It was awesome! I actually got a picture of it that I will put on here as soon as Elle sends it to me. (I took it, but it was her camera. She's in the shot.)
Outfit #2: Here are a couple of pimped outfits that I find very awesome-funny and thus, important to mention. There are two Samoan guys at my school, I think they're cousins. Their names are Luka and Mika. They dressed to match their dates' dresses. (Mika blue, Luka red.) Their overcoats where over-sized and their pants were pretty baggy, but they were made that way. Actually, I think they must have baught the outfits all as parts of the same suit! That's the only way it could have happened! Then, they each had huge top-hats. You know, the kind that are way big. And to top it all off, they each carried a cane, and each cane was topped with a 'ginmorous faux jewel! It was priceless!
Outfit #3: Ahh! Revenge can be so sweet! There's this girl at school that kind of has an attitude. She's often carried it out on me when we played basketball together. (She quit. Coach wouldn't play her because she didn't show up to practice. That made her mad, so she quit. That kind of attitude.) She's half-American and lived in Texas before she came here. Anyway, the day of prom, Elle calls me up and says, " I just got back from the salon. You know ________? She was in there with me. She says she designed her own dress. She got her hair, makeup, a pedicure, and a manicure done all at the same time! She must have been in there forever!" Now, designing your own dress is one thing, but this wasn't really a dress. She arrives to prom wearing something that would take you back... to the 1800's. She was in an extremely short, white dress that had sequines or faux jewelery or something like that on the... hmmm... searching for the right word... some people call it a bodice, but I think it would have to cover more than it did to fall under that category. The bottom reached a little (very little) past her bum, not counting the tassles. Yes... tassles. The very word makes me cringe with horror! The girl was wearing TASSLES on the bottom of her dress. If she only had a pair of fishnet stockings she could have showcased as a dancer in a shifty, 19th century saloon! And the hair! THE HAIR! It was piled perilously in top of her head and lightened about 5 shades. *Wince* It was very funny to see her come into the bathroom and exclaim (explicits replaced), "HOLY CRAP! I didn't know I was lookin' like this! I got some kind o' Tina Turner thang goin' on here! I mean, it looked good in the salon, but now it's gone all freaky on me!" Now, if I had said what I was really thinking, it would have gone somehting like this: Honey, there was no place or time in this world that THAT looked good. Instead I said, "It's probably just the humidity." She agreed. I laughed very hard with friends and family afterward.
Outfit #1: My friend Elle wore all black in order to balance out her date (and new boyfriend) Bryan's completely white ensemble. Bryan's outfit was awesome! It was simple, but cool. It consisted of new white sneakers, white tux-pants, and a white shirt. Over his white shirt, he wore the rest of the tux, which of course was the jacket. Here's the "coolness" of his outfit: his jacket had tails! It was awesome! I actually got a picture of it that I will put on here as soon as Elle sends it to me. (I took it, but it was her camera. She's in the shot.)
Outfit #2: Here are a couple of pimped outfits that I find very awesome-funny and thus, important to mention. There are two Samoan guys at my school, I think they're cousins. Their names are Luka and Mika. They dressed to match their dates' dresses. (Mika blue, Luka red.) Their overcoats where over-sized and their pants were pretty baggy, but they were made that way. Actually, I think they must have baught the outfits all as parts of the same suit! That's the only way it could have happened! Then, they each had huge top-hats. You know, the kind that are way big. And to top it all off, they each carried a cane, and each cane was topped with a 'ginmorous faux jewel! It was priceless!
Outfit #3: Ahh! Revenge can be so sweet! There's this girl at school that kind of has an attitude. She's often carried it out on me when we played basketball together. (She quit. Coach wouldn't play her because she didn't show up to practice. That made her mad, so she quit. That kind of attitude.) She's half-American and lived in Texas before she came here. Anyway, the day of prom, Elle calls me up and says, " I just got back from the salon. You know ________? She was in there with me. She says she designed her own dress. She got her hair, makeup, a pedicure, and a manicure done all at the same time! She must have been in there forever!" Now, designing your own dress is one thing, but this wasn't really a dress. She arrives to prom wearing something that would take you back... to the 1800's. She was in an extremely short, white dress that had sequines or faux jewelery or something like that on the... hmmm... searching for the right word... some people call it a bodice, but I think it would have to cover more than it did to fall under that category. The bottom reached a little (very little) past her bum, not counting the tassles. Yes... tassles. The very word makes me cringe with horror! The girl was wearing TASSLES on the bottom of her dress. If she only had a pair of fishnet stockings she could have showcased as a dancer in a shifty, 19th century saloon! And the hair! THE HAIR! It was piled perilously in top of her head and lightened about 5 shades. *Wince* It was very funny to see her come into the bathroom and exclaim (explicits replaced), "HOLY CRAP! I didn't know I was lookin' like this! I got some kind o' Tina Turner thang goin' on here! I mean, it looked good in the salon, but now it's gone all freaky on me!" Now, if I had said what I was really thinking, it would have gone somehting like this: Honey, there was no place or time in this world that THAT looked good. Instead I said, "It's probably just the humidity." She agreed. I laughed very hard with friends and family afterward.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Tonight's Dream... Tomorrow's Memory
Okay, yeah, it's a corny theme. But ya know, if it wasn't it wouldn't be prom! Yes, I decided to go to prom after all. At first I wasn't going to go, unless a good friend asked me or something, just because I really wasn't interested. But then Lisa got her dress. It's amazing how that can change so many things! Including one's mind.
Anyway, yes, Lisa got a black spaghetti-strap dress that was simple on the top, but the bottom was really cool. It was frilled and it cascaded down. (High in the front, floor-length in back.) We took her shawl (she got ready at my house) and put it up over her shoulders, used a little black thingy I had laying around the house that looked really nice (wow, what a great description!) and pinned the shawl in back with it. It looked like a little jacket! It was really cute!
My dress was also spaghetti-strap, until I took the extra shawl they gave me and used the material to have sleeves put on. They're not long sleeves, just frills, but it covers! It's really pretty. It starts out at the top as a copper color (pretty close to the color of my hair) with beads all over it. The mid-section is kind of a cream, and then the bottom goes back to the copper. It's full-length. The only thing is that the shoes I got kept snagging the bottom of the petticoat. That stunk, but it wasn't too bad. And when I wore it the next day to Seminary Graduation, I opted for just my normal Sunday shoes. It doesn't really matter because you don't usually see my shoes, since it is a full-length dress.
Anyway, prom was lots of fun! Lurson drove Lisa, Charlene, Cosmes, and I to the Dai-Ichi. Lur didn't go. Char and I actually paid for a couples-ticket and went together... hey, we saved five bucks a piece! When we got there we met up with Laura Hogan (whom I shall call Elle Ach) and her date, Bryan, and then Laura Bucher (whom I shall call Laura) and her boyfriend Caleb. We had lots of fun hanging outside during the portion of prom where they play the stupid music... which out here isn't really that long because they also serve dinner, play games, and read out the superlatives. We took pictures. It was cool. Inside Elle and I played against four boys in musical chairs. We beat the guys and then she committed mutiny and beat me! BAH! But she has to share one of the two water-park tickets with ME! The two people that I voted for won the KING AND QUEEN! That was awesome! They've been dating for a year or so now, and they are the nicest, cutest, sweetest, two people in my school. Not to mention they are very funny!
Okay, now that I've written enough for you to read as part of a curriculum, I am going to close. I shall write about certain important prom things (such as the funniest outfits) tomorrow, then I shall write about Seminary Graduation the next day, then I shall write about what it's like to be a model for Coca-Cola the next day. STAY TUNED! ;)
Anyway, yes, Lisa got a black spaghetti-strap dress that was simple on the top, but the bottom was really cool. It was frilled and it cascaded down. (High in the front, floor-length in back.) We took her shawl (she got ready at my house) and put it up over her shoulders, used a little black thingy I had laying around the house that looked really nice (wow, what a great description!) and pinned the shawl in back with it. It looked like a little jacket! It was really cute!
My dress was also spaghetti-strap, until I took the extra shawl they gave me and used the material to have sleeves put on. They're not long sleeves, just frills, but it covers! It's really pretty. It starts out at the top as a copper color (pretty close to the color of my hair) with beads all over it. The mid-section is kind of a cream, and then the bottom goes back to the copper. It's full-length. The only thing is that the shoes I got kept snagging the bottom of the petticoat. That stunk, but it wasn't too bad. And when I wore it the next day to Seminary Graduation, I opted for just my normal Sunday shoes. It doesn't really matter because you don't usually see my shoes, since it is a full-length dress.
Anyway, prom was lots of fun! Lurson drove Lisa, Charlene, Cosmes, and I to the Dai-Ichi. Lur didn't go. Char and I actually paid for a couples-ticket and went together... hey, we saved five bucks a piece! When we got there we met up with Laura Hogan (whom I shall call Elle Ach) and her date, Bryan, and then Laura Bucher (whom I shall call Laura) and her boyfriend Caleb. We had lots of fun hanging outside during the portion of prom where they play the stupid music... which out here isn't really that long because they also serve dinner, play games, and read out the superlatives. We took pictures. It was cool. Inside Elle and I played against four boys in musical chairs. We beat the guys and then she committed mutiny and beat me! BAH! But she has to share one of the two water-park tickets with ME! The two people that I voted for won the KING AND QUEEN! That was awesome! They've been dating for a year or so now, and they are the nicest, cutest, sweetest, two people in my school. Not to mention they are very funny!
Okay, now that I've written enough for you to read as part of a curriculum, I am going to close. I shall write about certain important prom things (such as the funniest outfits) tomorrow, then I shall write about Seminary Graduation the next day, then I shall write about what it's like to be a model for Coca-Cola the next day. STAY TUNED! ;)
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Animal Farm
Caring for the Steyskal's animals has been fun, tiring, and exasperating. For those of you that don't know, the Steyskal's have a bird named Vinny, he's a cockateil; a cat named Kahla, she's a little calico; and a very, VERY vibrant dog named Sara. I have been asked to care for them while they have been away at Sister Steyskal's father's funeral. They left last Monday, they return this Wednesday.
Vinny is pretty easy to care for. He has plenty of food and water, and I only need to change his bathing bowl when I find floaties in it. (Or worse: sinkers!) Other than that, you just whistle at him every once in a while and he's pretty content.
Kahla (I think that's how you spell it) is adorable. She has very pretty markings, especially on her face. She is extremely funny to watch. She was found by the Villegas' family and was given to Shannon because the Villegas' dogs would have torn her apart. She's very wiley and loves to attack just about anything that moves. (i.e. my feet, my hair when I'm laying down, ants, etc.) Her favorite target: Sara.
Sara is a great dog. She's happy, loving, obedient, and extremely excitable. She plays fetch like no dog I have seen before. For one thing, she brings the ball back! For another, she can play as harder and longer than any dog I've ever seen. When she's busy fetching the ball, Kahla flattens herself against the driveway and waits for Sara to run past. If she's close enough, Kahla attacks. Sara veers away pretty quickly. Sara wants to "play" with Kahla, an idea that Kahla is fine with under one condition: she's in god-mode and Sara is a peon.
The only thing with Sara is that she's a wimp. As soon as any stranger walks up to her, she cowers to the floor and pees all over it. It takes a good game of fetch before she realizes you just want to play. Also, she hates being alone and thus forces me to spend the nights at the Steyskal's house. Otherwise she tares the place apart. What a mess I've had to clean up twice!
Anyway, that's all I really have to say. Just thought I might as well talk about it since it's taking up a big chunk of my time. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem taking care of them. It's fun. I just mean, you know, I felt like writing something in my blog and since there was nothing of interest to most of you, I just thought you may want to know what I've been up to for the past week. After all, that is what this blog is here for; those of you that are interested in me. Remember? Good! HAHAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm really tired, and it's showing through in the blog. Good night!
Vinny is pretty easy to care for. He has plenty of food and water, and I only need to change his bathing bowl when I find floaties in it. (Or worse: sinkers!) Other than that, you just whistle at him every once in a while and he's pretty content.
Kahla (I think that's how you spell it) is adorable. She has very pretty markings, especially on her face. She is extremely funny to watch. She was found by the Villegas' family and was given to Shannon because the Villegas' dogs would have torn her apart. She's very wiley and loves to attack just about anything that moves. (i.e. my feet, my hair when I'm laying down, ants, etc.) Her favorite target: Sara.
Sara is a great dog. She's happy, loving, obedient, and extremely excitable. She plays fetch like no dog I have seen before. For one thing, she brings the ball back! For another, she can play as harder and longer than any dog I've ever seen. When she's busy fetching the ball, Kahla flattens herself against the driveway and waits for Sara to run past. If she's close enough, Kahla attacks. Sara veers away pretty quickly. Sara wants to "play" with Kahla, an idea that Kahla is fine with under one condition: she's in god-mode and Sara is a peon.
The only thing with Sara is that she's a wimp. As soon as any stranger walks up to her, she cowers to the floor and pees all over it. It takes a good game of fetch before she realizes you just want to play. Also, she hates being alone and thus forces me to spend the nights at the Steyskal's house. Otherwise she tares the place apart. What a mess I've had to clean up twice!
Anyway, that's all I really have to say. Just thought I might as well talk about it since it's taking up a big chunk of my time. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem taking care of them. It's fun. I just mean, you know, I felt like writing something in my blog and since there was nothing of interest to most of you, I just thought you may want to know what I've been up to for the past week. After all, that is what this blog is here for; those of you that are interested in me. Remember? Good! HAHAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm really tired, and it's showing through in the blog. Good night!
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Oh Brother!
My brothers are so weird. I mean, they're sitting here comparing two girls that live HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES apart. It's really annoying. They are so wrapped up in things that have absolutely NO relevance to life. Okay, Jake is getting a little violent now, I should probably split them up. Oh wait never mind. They're okay now. Jake is plucking away at a guitar (which he doesn't know how to play) saying, "Oh, you wanna hear the note I can play?" He's pretty excited about being able to play one note. WOW! I think he actually almost played a tune! HA! Man, Sam is really being annoying now. He.... uhhh.... I don't know. They are just so strange sometimes! They keep trying to out-do each other. MAN! Okay, I'm going to bed. This is getting so frustrating that I just simply cannot abide it!
Sunday, May 01, 2005
A Sabbath Thought
Abraham Lincoln is probably my favorite president. Well, I dunno, I really like President Washington too; but that is irrelevant. The point is, I love President Lincoln. (And I plan to follow the example of my Aunt Rinda and name one of my sons after him. What a fabulous thing: to be named for someone so great.)
This is one quote that I've had for quite a while, but have not read for a while. I was looking over my quotes today, and decided that it would be ideal for Sabbath Day ponderings.
“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” - Abraham Lincoln; Cooper Institute Address
(February 27,1860)
It is a pretty simple quote, but then again, he had an uncanny way of putting deep ideas simply. (That's a good thing for me!) I probably have more quotes from President Lincoln than from anybody else. It's kind of odd though, that I should have quotes for the Sabbath from Abraham Lincoln, and most of my quotes of Patriotism are from Gordon B. Hinckley. Ha! Both great men. Both very much alike!
This is one quote that I've had for quite a while, but have not read for a while. I was looking over my quotes today, and decided that it would be ideal for Sabbath Day ponderings.
“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” - Abraham Lincoln; Cooper Institute Address
(February 27,1860)
It is a pretty simple quote, but then again, he had an uncanny way of putting deep ideas simply. (That's a good thing for me!) I probably have more quotes from President Lincoln than from anybody else. It's kind of odd though, that I should have quotes for the Sabbath from Abraham Lincoln, and most of my quotes of Patriotism are from Gordon B. Hinckley. Ha! Both great men. Both very much alike!