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OK I am at work so this is gonna be short. But I’m going to be serving as the Enrichment leader in my new ward (I haven’t officially been sustained though) and I’ve met with the presidency and we want to get this going as soon as we can. The new system for Enrichment has always seemed to be a little difficult in student/younger wards so we want to jump past that hurdle and make it really successful. Anyways, I’ve never done this calling before or really been involved in Enrichment groups at all before so any ideas, advice, or input you have would be awesome!!
So far we have started the list going around for people to fill in what they’d like to do for Enrichment groups. We are also going to start building our committee and hopefully have each of us try to head up a different group. I’m not sure for sure what groups we will want to have (I also want this to depend on what the committee members want to lead and any special needs we have in our ward) but some basic ideas include cooking, reading groups, crafty stuff, etc.
Again, any good ideas for the organization and operation ☺ of groups, even specifically would be great. (For example, maybe certain book lists that groups go through or a great way to rotate leadership/involvement)
Well, it’s Friday…so I’m back to work…for now
September 26, 2008
September 21, 2008
A great week!
I have had a really great past week!! There isn't really any particular reason, but I've just felt great about everything, where I am in life, what am doing, and what's coming in the future.
hair DYE night
Many of you know I dyed my hair dark brown again a couple weeks ago. Susie and I did it together and actually both used the same color. I've had my hair dark quite a bit over the last few years (even though the first time I did it in 10th grade, I swore I would never dye my hair again...that didn't last :)) but it's been a little while since I've done it.
So I was reminded of all this today at my ward's Munch and Mingle after church.
On my first week of attending my new ward here in good 'ol Orem Utah, I filled out my membership information and, of course, had my picture taken for the ward directory. Remember, this is pre dye. I meet the bishopric and so on.
The next week Susie and I dye our hair and go to Ogden for the weekend...so I don't attend my new ward. The following week is a regional/stake conference things so once again, I don't attend my new ward. And finally the next week I return to my new ward for only the second time. Guess what? No one recognizes me!!! I wait after church to meet with a member of the bishopric for my brief new member interview that I hadn't had yet. The bishop comes up and shakes my hand, asks my names, and says it seems familiar. After explaining who I was, I add, "Well, I did actually dye my hair." OOOOhhhh....everything makes more sense now. (Bishops in these student wards rely entirely on these photos!!!) So the bishop encourages me to take a new photo with my new dark hair.
The next several times I seem the bishopric members they throw jokes at me about there being two Karianne's in the ward--one blond, one brunette. They have both the photos and I guess people were confused about who they each were before they realize it was in fact the same person!
(BTW this kinda reminds me of my first college ward in Liberty square. I stayed there for two years and only had my photo taken the one time when I first moved in. So my picture was this really blonde girl with chin-length hair. By the second year I had long dark hair and again, no one connected the two pictures)
Anyways, the best part came today when I was chatting it up at a picnic table with some other people in my ward and eating the pancakes, eggs, and fruit we all had for a lunch, I guess. The bishop comes up behind me, puts his arm around me, and leans down to whisper in my ear: Just so you know, I really like the dark hair. Between the two pictures I think the dark one really works.
Haha, I thought it was hilarious. Kinda funny to hear from a bishop. So I've decided to post some of the pictures Susie and I took while carrying out the task. We tried to take some after pictures but they didn't work out so I just took some in photobooth now.....eeeeee
Good 'ol sista love
Yes we ARE silly!
Susie's dramatic pose
Working the lighter hair...so the last time
Mid dye process...what's it gonna look like?
At this point we were getting kinda nervous. It seemed really dark; I found out while dying Susie's hair that I'm really not that good at doing it; Susie, in the middle of dying my hair had to take a break to wash her hair out, leaving me with anxiety about my hair being uneven; and we almoost ran out of dye for my longish, really thick hair. AH!
The finished product...a couple weeks later ;)
OK I admit! I'm a dork.
So I was reminded of all this today at my ward's Munch and Mingle after church.
On my first week of attending my new ward here in good 'ol Orem Utah, I filled out my membership information and, of course, had my picture taken for the ward directory. Remember, this is pre dye. I meet the bishopric and so on.
The next week Susie and I dye our hair and go to Ogden for the weekend...so I don't attend my new ward. The following week is a regional/stake conference things so once again, I don't attend my new ward. And finally the next week I return to my new ward for only the second time. Guess what? No one recognizes me!!! I wait after church to meet with a member of the bishopric for my brief new member interview that I hadn't had yet. The bishop comes up and shakes my hand, asks my names, and says it seems familiar. After explaining who I was, I add, "Well, I did actually dye my hair." OOOOhhhh....everything makes more sense now. (Bishops in these student wards rely entirely on these photos!!!) So the bishop encourages me to take a new photo with my new dark hair.
The next several times I seem the bishopric members they throw jokes at me about there being two Karianne's in the ward--one blond, one brunette. They have both the photos and I guess people were confused about who they each were before they realize it was in fact the same person!
(BTW this kinda reminds me of my first college ward in Liberty square. I stayed there for two years and only had my photo taken the one time when I first moved in. So my picture was this really blonde girl with chin-length hair. By the second year I had long dark hair and again, no one connected the two pictures)
Anyways, the best part came today when I was chatting it up at a picnic table with some other people in my ward and eating the pancakes, eggs, and fruit we all had for a lunch, I guess. The bishop comes up behind me, puts his arm around me, and leans down to whisper in my ear: Just so you know, I really like the dark hair. Between the two pictures I think the dark one really works.
Haha, I thought it was hilarious. Kinda funny to hear from a bishop. So I've decided to post some of the pictures Susie and I took while carrying out the task. We tried to take some after pictures but they didn't work out so I just took some in photobooth now.....eeeeee
Good 'ol sista love
Yes we ARE silly!
Susie's dramatic pose
Working the lighter hair...so the last time
Mid dye process...what's it gonna look like?
At this point we were getting kinda nervous. It seemed really dark; I found out while dying Susie's hair that I'm really not that good at doing it; Susie, in the middle of dying my hair had to take a break to wash her hair out, leaving me with anxiety about my hair being uneven; and we almoost ran out of dye for my longish, really thick hair. AH!
The finished product...a couple weeks later ;)OK I admit! I'm a dork.
P.S. Did we tell any of you about our creepiness as we asked people if they had any old towels we could have? I didn't have any because of my so many moves...why move around old dye towels?
September 18, 2008
editing music
So in preparation for the launch of this year's Summer Songs cds, I have been sorting through all of the music that has been nominated this year. And let me tell you, its been hard making these decisions!!!!
Anyways, there are a couple songs that kinda caught me off guard with a random expletive thrown in there. So I decided to use my Garageband skills to see if I could just edit it out. And here's my first finished song....
Oh, and its funny because when I export the file out of Garageband and into an mp3, it saves it with my names as the artist. So please, enjoy Ashes, Ashes by yours truly....um, yea it's really by The Dreamer and the Sleeper.
The cut is at precisely 3:54 in the song. I want to know if you can tell...thaaat much. :) Yea...I'm realizing this is a kinda long song....I'm gonna have to think about its Summer Song placement.
----
OKAY OKAY JK! So that was way too long to upload and convert it into video format so I can post it here. But I've instead uploaded a short clip of the section that I edited. So you'll have to listen fast to catch it...if that's possible
I'm providing you lyrics so you can see where the cut was made:
The way she makes me feel inside
She breaks me down into a nothing
Then I come back as her something
She's the only one who knows,
But she never *** tells me though
What I am, or what we are
***represents the cut
Anyways, there are a couple songs that kinda caught me off guard with a random expletive thrown in there. So I decided to use my Garageband skills to see if I could just edit it out. And here's my first finished song....
Oh, and its funny because when I export the file out of Garageband and into an mp3, it saves it with my names as the artist. So please, enjoy Ashes, Ashes by yours truly....um, yea it's really by The Dreamer and the Sleeper.
The cut is at precisely 3:54 in the song. I want to know if you can tell...thaaat much. :) Yea...I'm realizing this is a kinda long song....I'm gonna have to think about its Summer Song placement.
----
OKAY OKAY JK! So that was way too long to upload and convert it into video format so I can post it here. But I've instead uploaded a short clip of the section that I edited. So you'll have to listen fast to catch it...if that's possible
I'm providing you lyrics so you can see where the cut was made:
The way she makes me feel inside
She breaks me down into a nothing
Then I come back as her something
She's the only one who knows,
But she never *** tells me though
What I am, or what we are
***represents the cut
September 15, 2008
September 13, 2008
props to "math champ" author
So I stumbled onto the lovely homepage of Brigham Young University and one of the featured articles caught my eye. I clicked on the link and was brought to a page full of text that under normal circumstances I probably would not have read. But I started....and kept going to the end. Now most journalists are well aware and somewhat accepting of the fact that readers are not likely to read an article in its entirety. Hence, the journalistic format--the inverted pyramid.
As this diagram shows, the crucial information goes at top (Who, what, why, where, how) because the reader "could stop reading at any time." And journalists write to accommodate that. While this is just one format, it captures the idea that journalists are trying to balance providing the information you need with providing an intriguing, interesting angle that will make you WANT to get all the way through the article.
So I have to say props to the unknown author of "National math champ commits to BYU" (Having been that unknown author several times myself, it's nice to have people appreciate your article even if they don't know its from you.)
I think the author did an excellent job of finding a unique and intriguing story through which a lot of other information could also be tied in. Not only does this article focus on BYU freshmen Sam Dittmer and his unique accomplishments, but it also uses this story opportunity to focus on the new school year with 4,684 new freshmen, BYU's impressive ranking (tied with Harvard) for the rate of admitted students who enroll, its excellent math department, BYU's success record in national math Olympiads, BYU's role as a launching pad for graduate schools, and BYU's top-ranking intramural participation.
Now you might naturally fit some of those topics together, but this story does an excellent job of reaching outside of the box and bringing in topics that you might not ever relate to a high school kid from Illinois. Not to mention, this is a fantastic story for presenting stats about a school. Take the general idea, find an interesting quirk, and use that quirk to present the idea and information in a way that make people care.
I've written my share of stories about school and personal rankings so I know first-hand some of the challenges that come when writing such a story. While working at the Marriott School, I wrote these stories EVERY TIME a new ranking came out. Sometimes we had a half hour to turn around and publish/release the stats....which gave us time to give the normal, boring, informational facts that BYU went up two rankings from last year, is among schools such as X, Y, and Z, and was recognized for its exceptional faculty...and blah, blah, blah. Sometimes, I would even just update a story from the previous year, changing the dating information and, of course, the ranking (which hopefully went up). But no one really cares about all that. They care about people, situations, experiences.
Anyways, I was impressed with this article and all that the author accomplished with it. I think it is an excellent example of a great way to present information and to connect with the reader in a way that keeps them reading...in the end, they've read the whole thing and know all about the success BYU is experience in a variety of fields. This is something I would use to show journalism students how to present a story....and maybe I will someday. (For those of you who don't know, I would LOVE to teach a high school journalism class one day!)
As this diagram shows, the crucial information goes at top (Who, what, why, where, how) because the reader "could stop reading at any time." And journalists write to accommodate that. While this is just one format, it captures the idea that journalists are trying to balance providing the information you need with providing an intriguing, interesting angle that will make you WANT to get all the way through the article.So I have to say props to the unknown author of "National math champ commits to BYU" (Having been that unknown author several times myself, it's nice to have people appreciate your article even if they don't know its from you.)
I think the author did an excellent job of finding a unique and intriguing story through which a lot of other information could also be tied in. Not only does this article focus on BYU freshmen Sam Dittmer and his unique accomplishments, but it also uses this story opportunity to focus on the new school year with 4,684 new freshmen, BYU's impressive ranking (tied with Harvard) for the rate of admitted students who enroll, its excellent math department, BYU's success record in national math Olympiads, BYU's role as a launching pad for graduate schools, and BYU's top-ranking intramural participation.
Now you might naturally fit some of those topics together, but this story does an excellent job of reaching outside of the box and bringing in topics that you might not ever relate to a high school kid from Illinois. Not to mention, this is a fantastic story for presenting stats about a school. Take the general idea, find an interesting quirk, and use that quirk to present the idea and information in a way that make people care.
I've written my share of stories about school and personal rankings so I know first-hand some of the challenges that come when writing such a story. While working at the Marriott School, I wrote these stories EVERY TIME a new ranking came out. Sometimes we had a half hour to turn around and publish/release the stats....which gave us time to give the normal, boring, informational facts that BYU went up two rankings from last year, is among schools such as X, Y, and Z, and was recognized for its exceptional faculty...and blah, blah, blah. Sometimes, I would even just update a story from the previous year, changing the dating information and, of course, the ranking (which hopefully went up). But no one really cares about all that. They care about people, situations, experiences.
Anyways, I was impressed with this article and all that the author accomplished with it. I think it is an excellent example of a great way to present information and to connect with the reader in a way that keeps them reading...in the end, they've read the whole thing and know all about the success BYU is experience in a variety of fields. This is something I would use to show journalism students how to present a story....and maybe I will someday. (For those of you who don't know, I would LOVE to teach a high school journalism class one day!)
September 11, 2008
editing confirmation
At my work we are constantly editing any of our many publications. With more than 70 publications going out to all 50 states, there is a lot of content and a lot of repetition in the mass content. Each regular edition of a publication also has a teacher edition as well as a teacher supplement. Anyways, on top of everything else, all of these materials have been coming together from 5 different companies until this last February when my company, American Legacy Publishing, acquired the publications for all 50 states.
The reason I mention all this is to present the many opportunities for various things with the same content to be edited differently. However, I find some of my greatest editing satisfaction when I encounter this. You see, I’ll come upon a phrase or punctuation use that isn’t necessarily wrong but just not as clean or as correct as it could be, depending on the situation. Sometimes I hesitantly make the change, asking myself if it is really that big of a deal and also wondering how other people might edit it differently. But then I get to the next document where those errors I found are no longer there…and guess what? The previous editor (someone at sometime…who knows) edited it the same way I did. Yes, that’s a nice feeling. :)
The reason I mention all this is to present the many opportunities for various things with the same content to be edited differently. However, I find some of my greatest editing satisfaction when I encounter this. You see, I’ll come upon a phrase or punctuation use that isn’t necessarily wrong but just not as clean or as correct as it could be, depending on the situation. Sometimes I hesitantly make the change, asking myself if it is really that big of a deal and also wondering how other people might edit it differently. But then I get to the next document where those errors I found are no longer there…and guess what? The previous editor (someone at sometime…who knows) edited it the same way I did. Yes, that’s a nice feeling. :)
lighthearted errors
I was checking and verifying a Web address we mention in one of our publications at work. The address was wrong (so good thing I checked) and this is the error I received. It was definitely better than the normal error/page not found message.
File-Not-Found!
Return to Homepage
File-Not-Found!
Return to Homepage
You were probably looking for something a lot more interesting than this page. Hey, we all get lost from time to time. Sometimes getting lost is part of the adventure.
Anyway, we couldn't find the document you requested. If you got here by typing a URL, please make sure the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are correct.September 7, 2008
my afternoon in the kitchen
A couple days ago I somehow finally got the recipe for such specialties as the Cafe Rio house dressing and decided to follow through with a idea from like...I don't know, two years ago, to make our own Cafe Rio, but not really Cafe Rio, salads. Susie and I went shopping for the needed ingredients but somehow we never had the chance or the time to do it. So today, being a Sunday with lots of lounging time, I actually did it by myself. And it pretty fun. I've never declared myself someone who likes to cook--perhaps because a couple of my sisters are so dominant in that field--but it was pretty fun having the kitchen to myself, watching some episodes of Friends and just doing each of the steps needed. I may have invited some people over but I didn't really have much meat (just one small piece of chicken) since I was gooooing to try to make some Rio-esque pork and hadn't known what kind to buy when we first went to the store. But it ended up pretty well. My roommate had actually recently gone to Cafe Rio so when I was preparing the last things to get ready to enjoy the meal, she came home and was putting together her leftovers. She had some of the actual dressing left over and also used some of mine...and said mine was almost better...mwwhahahaaa....although, honestly, what do I have on Cafe Rio? I mean, seriously. I had to substitute for a few things that I didn't think was worth it to buy for the recipe and added a few other things when I thought it was a bit too cilantro-ish at first. (And I have a tooooon of this dressing now.) Anyways the adventure started out with cooking some brown rice (cuz it takes forever). I then made the dressing (during which I got to chop things like cilantro and garlic cloves) and cooked my lone piece of chicken. I cooked the black beans that Susie insisted we get. (I usually don't have beans on my salads and wasn't sure I'd choose black beans...but they were good, even if Susie wasn't there.) I also cut up a tomato and crumbled up some of the tortilla chips I have leftover from our awesome Mormonesta Fiesta--Va Style party last week. Oh, yes, and also browned my tortilla and topped it with melted cheese. Anyways, it was really good! YAY
Here's just the tortilla (with cheese) rice and black beans.
And the finished project!! Mmmhmm
Here's just the tortilla (with cheese) rice and black beans.
And the finished project!! Mmmhmm
September 5, 2008
Font Conference
So a random podcast led me to watch this video. Entitled Font Conference, you'll see many of the popular fonts...yes fonts, as in the way your letters and words look on the screen. Watch for your favorites and the personalities associated with them.
September 4, 2008
Happy
I have the urge to write but I'm not sure about what. I have a whole list of topics or even things I've halfway started to write a while ago but that's just not gonna do it for me today. Then again...I don't know what will.
The past few days have been kinda crazy. Not really crazy crazy, just frustrating, tiring crazy. I get so used to things being a certain way that it's hard when my routine is all mixed up. Like when my sister's stuff is all over my bedroom and I feel like I can't concentrate or get things in order. OR when I spend all day driving people around when I really want to just go home, workout, and finish moving into my apartment. Or when I'm slightly sick all day but go on a freaking crazy uphill run, cook dinner, break a roommates plate, burn chicken while cleaning it up, as a result kinda burning the pan...also not mine, but eating alone cuz my sister has to leave, deciding to go to bed early to feel better, break a mirror in my room, and...well that's it. :)
But these days, or moments, pass by quickly and turn around to things getting better.
I've been listening to a lot of music lately. Here's some lyrics from Natasha Bedingfield's Happy
The past few days have been kinda crazy. Not really crazy crazy, just frustrating, tiring crazy. I get so used to things being a certain way that it's hard when my routine is all mixed up. Like when my sister's stuff is all over my bedroom and I feel like I can't concentrate or get things in order. OR when I spend all day driving people around when I really want to just go home, workout, and finish moving into my apartment. Or when I'm slightly sick all day but go on a freaking crazy uphill run, cook dinner, break a roommates plate, burn chicken while cleaning it up, as a result kinda burning the pan...also not mine, but eating alone cuz my sister has to leave, deciding to go to bed early to feel better, break a mirror in my room, and...well that's it. :)
But these days, or moments, pass by quickly and turn around to things getting better.
I've been listening to a lot of music lately. Here's some lyrics from Natasha Bedingfield's Happy
Ooh…. Yeah! Ooooooooh.
Landlord's knocking at my door
Cussing me out
Got laid off my job the night before
Can’t figure how
I’m gonna fix tomorrow when
Yesterday’s still a mess
Can you tell me what’s the point man
It all seems meaningless
I wish that I could step away and breathe
This world’s trying to swallow me
Clear away the clouds inside my head
Someone just tell me
That it’s OK now
What are you whining about?
Got my dreams, got my life, got my love
Got my friends got the sunshine above
Why am I making this hard on myself
When there’s so many beautiful reasons I have to be happy?
People lie, people hide, people cry, people fight
And they don’t know why
If fear is all that we should fear,
Then what are we so afraid of?
Cause fear is only in our heads
Someone please say…
That it's OK now
(What are you worrying about?)
What are you whining about?
Any day I'll go mad thinking bad
"Everyone is against me and the world wants to fight me"
Preparing to battle an enemy unseen
During my stressing I’m blinded to the lessons
that could be a blessing if Id be confessing that the enemy
I’m trying to beat is hiding inside of me
Ooooh...
But it’s OK now…
what are you worrying about?
Keep your grind on girl…It’s your love, It’s your world…
Landlord's knocking at my door
Cussing me out
Got laid off my job the night before
Can’t figure how
I’m gonna fix tomorrow when
Yesterday’s still a mess
Can you tell me what’s the point man
It all seems meaningless
I wish that I could step away and breathe
This world’s trying to swallow me
Clear away the clouds inside my head
Someone just tell me
That it’s OK now
What are you whining about?
Got my dreams, got my life, got my love
Got my friends got the sunshine above
Why am I making this hard on myself
When there’s so many beautiful reasons I have to be happy?
People lie, people hide, people cry, people fight
And they don’t know why
If fear is all that we should fear,
Then what are we so afraid of?
Cause fear is only in our heads
Someone please say…
That it's OK now
(What are you worrying about?)
What are you whining about?
Any day I'll go mad thinking bad
"Everyone is against me and the world wants to fight me"
Preparing to battle an enemy unseen
During my stressing I’m blinded to the lessons
that could be a blessing if Id be confessing that the enemy
I’m trying to beat is hiding inside of me
Ooooh...
But it’s OK now…
what are you worrying about?
Keep your grind on girl…It’s your love, It’s your world…
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