Monday, July 17, 2023

20 Very, Very Synesthetically Pleasing Songs

I have a harmless neurological condition called synesthesia, meaning the portion of my brain that senses colors is triggered at the exact same time that I read a word, see a number, or hear a voice or musical note.

Entire individual songs themselves can be exceptionally synesthetically pleasant to me. When playing, they instantaneously make me visualize scenes and shades inside my head, always totally involuntarily. Some songs are more powerful than others. Here are 20 of my favorites that I've been thinking of over the past 24 hours:


1) "Marrakesh Express" (Crosby, Stills & Nash)

These musicians do a marvelous job, all on their own, in creating the sense that you're on a swiftly rolling vehicle of some sort. From start to finish, the wheels (or horse feet or whatever) are kicking up cantaloupe-sized balls of multicolored, sparkling dust.


2) "St. Elsewhere" (Gnarls Barkley)

In my brain, this song produces strikingly similar vibrations as "Marrakesh Express" does, though the rhythm is slower, groovier, and more metallic in texture. Maybe occasional neon-toned laser beams making appearances.


3) "Subterranean Homesick Alien" (Radiohead)

Basically, ALL of the Radiohead OK Computer album strums the strings of the synesthetic section in that lil' skull o' mine. I'm as curious as can be as to whether Thom Yorke is a synesthete too. With "Subterranean Homesick Alien" (a clear nod to the classic Bob Dylan title "Subterranean Homesick Blues"), the musicians seem to say, "If a UFO in the night sky could take the form of an actual song, what would the song sound like?"


4) "Paranoid" (Black Sabbath)

With this one, I am mainly impressed by the contrast between the reverbing clarity of Ozzy Osbourne's vocal texture and the somewhat muffled and growling feel to the majority of the instrumentals.


5) "Je vivroie liement" (Guillaume de Machaut, 1300s; sung by Emily van Evera)

All this one is is just one solo female voice pulling off a 14th-century melody absolutely flawlessly. (When you click the video, go to 30:04. That's where the song is.) Something about medieval French puts off a "color" all its own. The lady's voice itself is something like a lighter, paler, but still shimmering flowy band of gold.


6) "Nimrod" from Enigma Variations (Edward Elgar)

Whenever I listen to a well-put-together presentation of this piece, I never want it to end. Never. This one could go on for 12 hours straight and I wouldn't grow weary of it. I think the colors ingrained in this one are so well-established that anyone who hears can notice them with no trouble at all. Everyone can take a turn being a synesthete with this one.


7) "As the Bridegroom to His Chosen" (The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square)

I have a suuuuper soft spot in my heart for the Tabernacle Choir. Those who know me know exactly why that is. Part of the reason is I sang soprano in the Choir for ten years. I think we may have sung this song one time during that decade. Needs to be sung more often (I'm putting a plug in!). Now, about the color this song sends down my spine—in the sweetest way possible, of course: it's an incredibly soothing, rich, and slightly darker tint of red-violet.


8) "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" (Garth Brooks)

Picture the deepest and healthiest shade of green for millions of blades of grass in a stunningly large field that's been freshly mowed. Smells great, and you're running barefoot under a sky that looks as though it's about to rain substantially.


9) "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us" (Alison Krauss and Robert Plant)

You're a ghost, floating slowly though a ghost-town house. Multi-storied; there are stairs. It's a bright albeit grayscale world and the only items you see in color are sporadically placed, abandoned coffee mugs and flower vases (that somehow still have freshly-cut flowers inside them) sitting on side tables. Pops of powdery pinks and blue-violets.


10) "Dear Valentine" (Guster)

I always picture me standing on the front porch of the house I grew up in, looking at the house that sat directly across from ours. But I'm in a dream world and I'm sad about something—something unnamed and unknown rooted way down inside me, and I'm anxious in the pouring rain ("now I cry and weep, peek across the street"). Everything is silver.


11) "Hey, Man!" (Nelly Furtado)

One of the first CDs I ever was given when I was a young tweenager. First time I ever laid ears on the first track, I was blown away by where the sounds automatically took me. I was suddenly in a purely white-painted room, and soooo many different-colored flowers were flying around everywhere. Additionally, Nelly Furtado's voice has always been particularly interesting to me. I'm someone who hears people's voices in colors and textures, and only two people I've ever encountered in my whole life possess a near-pure-white-colored voice. Hers is almost totally white, to me. (I'm talking actual colors, not race. Think crayons.) However, for Nelly, you just need to add in a tiny hint of silvery blue-green. Like, so microscopic of a droplet of it that the overall color, after stirring with a whisk, is only barely blue-green. Maybe like a tinge of mint.


12) "Two of Us" (The Beatles)

Four polished brown shoes, snug on the pairs of feet belonging to two friends cheerfully walking down the street together. More silver (many songs have silver in them). The silver comes from the acoustic guitar.


13) "Pieces of What" (MGMT)

I listened to this one on my drive to work early this morning, and it finally dawned on me... I finally realized what it is that this song makes me picture in my head. I picture scenes from my early childhood, when I'm at recess as an elementary school kid and I'm swinging on the big metal swing set. It's the gray of the metal, it's the sound of the mild screeching when the swing is being pumped back and forth by a kid's leg muscles, and it's the feel of the light tan, grainy sand under your feet.


14) "Fire and Rain" (James Taylor)

Another "front porch" song. As the song title might be suggesting, it's raining outside. The wooden planks you're pacing on are wet from the precipitation, and they creak when you take steps. One of the best songs ever written, period. I got to share a stage once with James Taylor, ten years ago. When with my own eyes I witnessed him do this song, I started to cry and I couldn't help myself.


15) "I Miss You" (blink-182)

In my own opinion, it's a moderately eclectic combination of instruments used, which is nicely complemented by the varying singing voices that also are quite different from one another, tonally and texture-wise. The words might or might not give ya the willies, but the rhythms hit me in just the right way.


16) "Royal Orleans" (Led Zeppelin)

My grandparents had a cool kaleidoscope I used to play with a lot when I was at their house as a small child. This whole song reminds me of twisting that kaleidoscope. The song's frequent tritones, presented by electric guitar, are when shiny bits of messy confetti are tossed up into the air in a carefree manner.


17) "Jivaeri" (Yanni)

Ribbons of more very pretty blue-green satin ribbons, floating high up in the heavens. So good. One of my favorite songs.


18) "Dante's Prayer" (Loreena McKennitt)

Midnight blue, which is perfect because I picture this prayer being uttered in the middle of the night, with cold air blowing in the wind. The prayer is also given out of doors, when the person (Dante, I suppose) is standing atop a grassy hill. The stars are the brightest that were ever seen. Note: if you're looking for a song to calm your soul down, give this one a shot.


19) "I Dug Up a Diamond" (Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris)

Mark's and Emmylou's voices are perfect for each other for this track, for what the song talks about. His voice is like the cool, damp walls of the deep, dark mine. You need that voice; it sets the ruggedly mysterious mood. When you add her voice to the mix, that's where the glimmering gemstone appears, and then you just... dig it up! 


20) "Yes" (Coldplay)

At about 11 seconds, that's when the person flings their eyes open and startles the crap out of you because you thought they were asleep and they're now suddenly staring right into your soul. "Yes" from the Coldplay Viva la Vida album is probably what I'd consider to be the "darkest" track on the album. But I still love it. I mentioned earlier under #11 that I very rarely come across the color white when listening to the world population's voices. Well, with "Yes" (specifically part one of "Yes"), Chris Martin's voice goes so abnormally low that it alters the ambience in its entirety, and turns everything pretty dang close to unadulterated onyx. There also seems to be a maniacal clock ticking throughout. But, again, I don't mind. This song is dope. Yep. I said dope.


Monday, October 17, 2022

Top Ten Favorite White Noise YouTube Videos

Welcome to my TOP TEN favorite white noise YouTube videos. I keep coming back to these, again and again, to help maintain my brain processes at a calm and steady level when I'm working. I recommend them to anyone. They may even help you fall asleep!

In no particular order:

1) Tokyo in the middle of the night, with your apartment window open...


2) For you Harry Potter fans. This ambience vid was my first love...


3) This is my newest favorite that's on this list. This guy's YouTube channel is literally just him strolling the peaceful villages, hillsides, and pathways of England. He doesn't talk. He just walks. And videotapes. And it's awesome.


4) I am very, very picky about ambience videos that include music of any sort. The music in all the vids I've ever come across is 99.9% distracting to me. But this one right here? The music is of an extremely rare PERFECTION. Soothing beyond description. I return to this video an extra-large number of times.


5) Be sure to put this one on loop, because it's too short! This one's a gem! I love how you can faintly hear people talking, but you can never make out what they're saying. Adds to the chill factor wonderfully.


FOR SIX AND SEVEN, what you need to do is have two windows going simultaneously: play #6 at a moderately-soft volume, but also have #7 rolling at an even fainter volume. When you layer the two in this manner, your brain relaxes at the snap of your fingers.

6) Crazy about Tibetan singing bowls in the rain...


7) Look up the "99% Invisible" podcast episode about the BBC shipping forecast. Fascinating!


8) The Miracle Forest channel is quite great. A new, interesting video is released fairly regularly.


9) Who wants to vacation here and sleep HERE? Pick me, pick me!!! Wouldn't that be glorious??? This one gives you gooooood naps. Trust me. One of the best naps I ever took in my life came about by me zonking out with this one playing right next to my head.


10) Turn the subtitles on for this one, and have a good laugh. ("Ooooooooooooooh......")
I file my taxes while listening to this one. No, I'm serious.

Friday, October 1, 2021

Alison's Favorite Quote from Each April 2021 General Conference Talk

Just that same thing I do twice a year! Revisit the talks from the previous Conference, pick a quote from each, share that quote with friends and family -- kind of as a daily ritual -- and then put all those quotes into one spot when I'm all done. So here goes: SATURDAY MORNING: “As I have watched workers dig out old tree roots, plumbing, wiring, and a leaky fountain, I have thought about the need for each of us to remove, with the Savior’s help, the old debris in our lives.” ~ PRESIDENT RUSSELL M. NELSON ("WELCOME MESSAGE") “We are all infants compared to the beings of glory and grandeur we are designed to become. No mortal being advances from crawling to walking to running without frequent stumbles, bumps, and bruises. That is how we learn.” ~ ELDER DIETER F. UCHTDORF ("GOD AMONG US") “…eternity is the wrong thing to be wrong about.” ~ SISTER JOY D. JONES ("ESSENTIAL CONVERSATIONS") “Children inherit many things from their parents, but a testimony is not one of them. We can’t give our children a testimony any more than we can make a seed grow. But we can provide a nourishing environment…” ~ BROTHER JAN E. NEWMAN ("TEACHING IN THE SAVIOR'S WAY") (On bullying:) “There is no place for this in your cyberspace, neighborhoods, schools, quorums, or classes. Please do all you can to make these places kinder and safer.” ~ ELDER GARY E. STEVENSON ("HEARTS KNIT TOGETHER") “Our standing before the Lord and in His Church is not a matter of our marital status but of our becoming faithful and valiant disciples of Jesus Christ. Adults want to be seen as adults and to be responsible and contribute as adults.” ~ ELDER GERRIT W. GONG ("ROOM IN THE INN") “It is in the temple that we can receive the assurance of loving family connections that will continue after death and last for eternity.” ~ PRESIDENT HENRY B. EYRING ("I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE") SATURDAY AFTERNOON: “Everyone has the right to be loved, to feel peaceful, and to find safety at home. Please, may we try to maintain that environment there.” ~ ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND ("NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH") “…we need everyone—those who may be strong and those who are perhaps struggling. All are necessary to the vital edification of the entire ‘body of Christ.’” ~ Elder JORGE T. BECERRA ("POOR LITTLE ONES") “Jesus Christ overcame the world and ‘absorbed’ all unfairness. Because of Him, we can have peace in this world and be of good cheer. If we let Him, Jesus Christ will consecrate the unfairness for our gain.” ~ ELDER DALE G. RENLUND ("INFURIATING UNFAIRNESS") “As covenant children of God, we love, honor, nurture, safeguard, and welcome those spirits who are coming from the premortal world.” ~ ELDER NEIL L. ANDERSEN ("THE PERSONAL JOURNEY OF A CHILD OF GOD") “We pray, pray, and pray. This is our legacy.” ~ Elder THIERRY K. MUTOMBO ("YE SHALL BE FREE") “Waiting upon the Lord does not imply biding one’s time. You should never feel like you are in a waiting room… Waiting upon the Lord implies action.” ~ PRESIDENT M. RUSSELL BALLARD ("HOPE IN CHRIST") PRIESTHOOD SESSION: (Regarding the youth:) “During a short period of time, they make decisions that have significant lifelong implications... These decisions, once made, have profound spiritual and practical implications for the remainder of their lives.” ~ ELDER QUENTIN L. COOK ("BISHOPS--SHEPHERDS OVER THE LORD'S FLOCK") “…intentionally envisioning or viewing things that conflict with who you really are, especially pornography, will weaken your faith in Christ and, without repentance, could destroy it. Please use your imaginations to increase faith in Christ, not ruin it.” ~ BROTHER AHMAD S. CORBITT ("YOU CAN GATHER ISRAEL!") “Our Heavenly Father wants us to love ourselves — not to become prideful or self-centered, but to see ourselves as He sees us: we are His cherished children. When this truth sinks deep into our hearts, our love for God grows.” ~ ELDER S. GIFFORD NIELSEN ("THIS IS OUR TIME!") “I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.” ~ PRESIDENT HENRY B. EYRING ("BLESS IN HIS NAME") “Our Savior feels and knows our temptations, our struggles, our heartaches, and our sufferings, for He willingly experienced them all as part of His Atonement.” ~ PRESIDENT DALLIN H. OAKS ("WHAT HAS OUR SAVIOR DONE FOR US?") “You might initially wish you could go back to 2019 and stay there! But if you look at your life prayerfully, I believe you will see many ways in which the Lord has been guiding you through this time of hardship, helping you…” ~ PRESIDENT RUSSELL M. NELSON ("WHAT WE ARE LEARNING AND WILL NEVER FORGET") SUNDAY MORNING: “Furthermore, being born of a mortal mother, He inherited the physical death, but from God, as the Only Begotten Son of the Father, He inherited the power to lay down His own life and then to take it up again.” ~ ELDER ULISSES SOARES ("JESUS CHRIST: THE CAREGIVER OF OUR SOUL") “In addition, He has made it possible for all of us to be reunited as families and have eternal joy in the presence of God if we will choose to make and keep sacred covenants with Him.” ~ REYNA I. ABURTO ("THE GRAVE HAS NO VICTORY") “I invite all who feel sorrow, all who wrestle with doubt, all who wonder what happens after we die, to place your faith in Christ. I promise that if you desire to believe, then act in faith and follow the whisperings of the Spirit, you will find joy in this life and in the world to come.” ~ ELDER S. MARK PALMER ("OUR SORROW SHALL BE TURNED INTO JOY") “It is not so much about what we are going through in life but what we are becoming.” ~ ELDER EDWARD DUBE ("PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK") “When we remember to pray, we find His sustaining love, and the more we pray to our Father in Heaven in Christ’s name, the more we bring the Savior into our life and the better we will recognize the path He has marked to our heavenly home.” ~ ELDER JOSÉ A. TEIXEIRA ("REMEMBER YOUR WAY BACK HOME") “…because of the Savior’s sacrifice and ransom, I will no longer refer to my challenges as trials and tribulations but as my learning experiences…” ~ ELDER TANIELA B. WAKOLO ("GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN") “We may not be able to change all of what is coming, but we can choose how we prepare for what is coming.” ~ ELDER CHI HONG (SAM) WONG ("THEY CANNOT PREVAIL; WE CANNOT FALL") “The Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and eternal and all-encompassing in its breadth and depth but wholly personal and individual in its effects.” ~ ELDER MICHAEL JOHN U. TEH ("OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR") “The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.” ~ PRESIDENT RUSSELL M. NELSON ("CHRIST IS RISEN; FAITH IN HIM WILL MOVE MOUNTAINS") SUNDAY AFTERNOON: “Without a Bill of Rights, America could not have served as the host nation for the Restoration of the gospel, which began just three decades later.” ~ PRESIDENT DALLIN H. OAKS ("DEFENDING OUR DIVINELY INSPIRED CONSTITUTION") “He offers, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’—rest from worry, disappointment, fear, disobedience, concern for loved ones, for lost or broken dreams. Peace amidst confusion or sorrow is a miracle.” ~ ELDER RONALD A. RASBAND ("'BEHOLD! I AM A GOD OF MIRACLES'") “When the lights did return, the darkness instantly surrendered, as darkness must always surrender, to even the faintest light.” ~ ELDER TIMOTHY J. DYCHES ("LIGHT CLEAVETH UNTO LIGHT") “Following the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ day by day is the happiest and most satisfying course in life.” ~ ELDER D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON ("WHY THE COVENANT PATH") “How fundamental it is to know that He is our God, that we are His people, and that whatever circumstances surround us, if we are faithful and obey the covenants we have entered into, we can be ‘encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.’” ~ ELDER ALAN R. WALKER ("THE GOSPEL LIGHT OF TRUTH AND LOVE") “Gospel principles are for me and you what a helm is to a ship. Correct principles enable us to find our way and to stand firm, steadfast, and immovable so we do not lose our balance and fall in the raging latter-day storms of darkness and confusion.” ~ ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR ("'THE PRINCIPLES OF MY GOSPEL'") “Ordinances of the temple fill our lives with power and strength available in no other way. We thank God for those blessings.” ~ PRESIDENT RUSSELL M. NELSON ("COVID-19 AND TEMPLES")

Friday, April 2, 2021

Alison's Favorite Quote from Each October 2020 General Conference Talk

My "Back Row Babes" and me, a couple years ago
for Conference in the heart of the Conference Center!

The April 2021 General Conference beginneth TOMORROW! Which meaneth that I very recently revisited all talks from last Conference, tweeted out a favorite quote from each, and now I venture to toss all those favs into one spot in an organized fashion. See below:

SATURDAY MORNING SESSION

“In the calendar year 2020, we will have broken ground for 20 new temples! ... And we are gratified to report that the Church has provided pandemic humanitarian aid for 895 projects in 150 countries.”
President Russell M. Nelson
("Moving Forward")

“Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name, and in His promises.”
Elder David A. Bednar
("We Will Prove Them Herewith")

“We would say, ‘I may not soon make it to the top, but I can do this next step right now.’ Over time the daunting task ultimately became achievable—step by step.”
Elder Scott D. Whiting
("Becoming Like Him")

“As with all gifts the Father so willingly offers, seeing deeply requires us to ask Him—and then act. Ask to see others as He does.... Then act by loving, serving, and affirming their worth and potential as prompted.”
Sister Michelle D. Craig
("Eyes to See")

“Wards and branches in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are determined by geography or language, not by race or culture. Race is not identified on membership records.”
Elder Quentin L. Cook
("Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity")

“Being worthy to attend the temple, however, has not been suspended. Let me emphasize, whether you have access to a temple or not, you need a current temple recommend to stay firmly on the covenant path.”
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
("Recommended to the Lord")

“This does not mean that we agree with all that is done with the force of law. It means that we obey the current law and use peaceful means to change it. It also means that we peacefully accept the results of elections.”
President Dallin H. Oaks
("Love Your Enemies")

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

“Whether aware of it or not, every man, woman, and child of every belief, place, and time is imbued with the Light of Christ and therefore possesses the sense of right and wrong we often call conscience.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
("Sustainable Societies")

“Every time a deacon holds a sacrament tray, we are reminded of the sacred story of the Last Supper, of Gethsemane, of Calvary, and of the garden tomb.”
Brother Steven J. Lund
("Finding Joy in Christ")

“In 1823, who would have imagined that in the year 2020 there would be three countries each with more than a million members of this Church...? Or 23 countries each with more than 100,000 members of the Church...?”
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
("All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues")

“...understand that all things are spiritual to the Lord, ‘and not at any time’ has He given us ‘a law which was temporal.’ Everything, then, points to Jesus Christ as the foundation upon which we must build even our temporal preparedness.”
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell
("There Was Bread")

“...He who is without sin suffered ‘the infinite and unspeakable agony’ of every single sin in the universe of His creations, for all of His creations...”
Elder Matthew S. Holland
("The Exquisite Gift of the Son")

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hardly a Western society or an American cultural phenomenon. It is an international church... New members from around the world bring richness, diversity, and excitement into our ever-growing family.”
Elder William K. Jackson
("The Culture of Christ")
“...this virus did not catch Heavenly Father by surprise. He did not have to muster additional battalions of angels, call emergency meetings, or divert resources from the world-creation division to handle an unexpected need.”
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
("God Will Do Something Unimaginable")

WOMEN'S SESSION

“His power reaches to the very bottom and is reliably there for us when we call on Him. We all beg for mercy for our sins and failures. He freely gives it. And He asks us if we can give that same mercy and understanding to each other.”
Sister Sharon Eubank
("By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God")

“Enduring to the end means changing to the end.”
Sister Becky Craven
("Keep the Change")

"However, as we come unto Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Him, repenting, and making and keeping covenants, our brokenness—whatever its cause—can be healed."
Sister Cristina B. Franco
("The Healing Power of Jesus Christ")

"My experience has taught me that Heavenly Father’s daughters have a gift to allay contention and to promote righteousness with their love of God and with the love of God they engender in those they serve."
President Henry B. Eyring
("Sisters in Zion")
“The Lord has special love and concern for His precious daughters. He knows of your wants, your needs, and your fears. The Lord is all powerful. Trust Him.”
President Dallin H. Oaks
("Be of Good Cheer")

“When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense.”
President Russell M. Nelson
("Embrace the Future with Faith")

SUNDAY MORNING SESSION

“...I urge you to redouble your commitment to prayer. I urge you to pray in your closets, in your daily walk, in your homes, in your wards, and always in your hearts.”
President M. Russell Ballard
("Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always")

“Our faith increases as we choose to believe rather than doubt, forgive rather than judge, repent rather than rebel.”
Sister Lisa L. Harkness
("Peace, Be Still")

“Therefore, just as the magnet is unable to exercise power over a faraway metal object, as we resist temptation, it fades away and loses its power over our mind and heart and, consequently, over our actions.”
Elder Ulisses Soares
("Seek Christ in Every Thought")

“Brothers and sisters, I believe in angels! We are all here today, a giant army of angels set apart for these latter days, to minister to others as extensions of the hands of a loving Creator.”
Elder Carlos A. Godoy
("I Believe in Angels")

“You and I speak of Jesus Christ, but maybe we can do a little better. If the world is going to speak less of Him, who is going to speak more of Him? We are! Along with other devoted Christians!”
Elder Neil L. Andersen
("We Talk of Christ")

“God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear. He invites all to come unto Him, ‘black and white, bond and free, male and female.’”
President Russell M. Nelson
("Let God Prevail")

SUNDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

“When you wonder how much pain you can endure well, remember Him. He suffered what you suffer so that He would know how to lift you up. He may not remove the burden, but He will give you strength, comfort, and hope.”
President Henry B. Eyring
("Tested, Proved, and Polished")

“‘Be of good cheer’ is the commandment from the Lord, not be of good fear.”
Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi
("Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!")

“Times of affliction and disappointment do not change the watchful eye of the Lord as He favorably looks upon us, blessing us.”
Elder Gary E. Stevenson
("Highly Favored of the Lord")

“Communication with our Father in Heaven enables us to sort through what is true and what is false, what is relevant to the Lord’s plan for us and what is not.”
Brother Milton Camargo
("Ask, Seek, and Knock")

“Loving mercy means that we do not just love the mercy God extends to us; we delight that God extends the same mercy to others. And we follow His example.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund
("Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God")

“...those who have faith and the word of God deep in their hearts will be able to absorb and overcome the fiery darts that the adversary will surely send to destroy us. Otherwise...like the empty microwave oven, we could become a casualty.”
Elder Kelly R. Johnson
("Enduring Power")

“My beloved brothers and sisters, please understand that He who never sleeps nor slumbers cares for the happiness and ultimate exaltation of His children above all else that a divine being has to do.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
("Waiting on the Lord")

“As we build and maintain these temples, we pray that each of you will build and maintain yourself so you can be worthy to enter the holy temple.”
President Russell M. Nelson
("A New Normal")

Thursday, December 31, 2020

THIRTY greatest hits of TWENTY TWENTY

Fascinating year, man. Such a ride. Instinctively I say that my main theme this year was self-growth. Wait, but isn’t that every year? Well, sure, but this year was freakishly unique. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t agree with me on that.

Self-growth in the sense that I, along with virtually every other person on the planet, had a lot of lifestyle adjusting to do; not necessarily out of choice, but out of necessity, because globally drastic times call for globally drastic measures in order to help make things better, and 2020’s situation was interesting because, regardless of there being billions of humans on the planet, the power of ONE human became a very real thing, to many a mind’s eye. (Oh hello there, 79-word-long sentence.) (You went back and counted them all, didn’t you?) (Stop that.) There was a “patient zero” of this whole ordeal. That was a big whoop. And, in a way, each one of us—even though each of us is just one person—is now seemingly a little bit bigger deal than we previously were, because a clear, certain responsibility is placed upon each of us as it pertains to the well-being of the larger community. That responsibility I guess has always been there, but to me it just seems like it’s never been as obvious as it does now, with the whole “wear you mask, keep your hands clean, and stand back” thing.

Anyway, enough about that, and back to more self-growth talk, haha. I think I’m just gonna attempt to make a chronological bulleted list of the events in my 2020 that provided some sort of opportunity for me to grow, adapt, move on, etc. And maybe plug in some pictures along the way. Because I’m a pictures person, don’t-cha-kno…

1) Familial bonds of love helped me through ALL the months, even before the pandemic hit. They anchor me and keep me afloat simultaneously.



2) The memory of both attending AND performing in live musical productions earlier this year, pre-pandemic, has kept me going. Has kept me realizing that it really, really is going to happen: we really are going to be singing again together IN-PERSON, with LIVE audiences. Soon. The light is in sight.



Unashamed to declare that the utter and complete absence of my busy Tab Choir life has been the absolute hardest part of this year for me, from day one. There’s a gaping hole in each heart belonging to that marvelous organization that I adore being part of, and the hole is noticeable and sad every. freaking. week. But the Sunday reruns have been a massive blessing. And the random lil’ album we put out in May (May, right?)—built from the recordings we did the year before—was stellar, and was such a great pick-me-up at a time when choir was being missed especially dreadfully. LISTEN TO OUR AVENGERS STUFF.


3) I donated blood several times throughout the year! I think I saw it as a way I liked to express my gratitude for a healthily working body. A gift that I wanted to pass forward in some tiny way. Donating blood helped infuse purpose into this year, for me.


4) Experienced my first real earthquake! March 18th. Not an insignificant first by any stretch. Could have been a lot more gnarly, but it was an attention-grabber, for sure. Made these four items fall off of my living room bookshelves. I think this changed me for the better, in some way or another.


5) I went to physical therapy for my first time this year, for a stretch that lasted from late-January through mid-August. It meant that I haven’t been doing a thing that I love (running) for well over a year, but the therapy was really good for me. I remember feeling kind of scared about the idea of PT, before I started. But ever since I “graduated” from it, I’ve been really missing being able to go!


6) Another super-rough characteristic about 2020 is that it’s been blocking temple-goers from being able to go to the temple! To go inside them to work, at least. I miss that! I miss being able to drive to whatever nearby temple I want, after a workday is through, and spending a bit of time in there to help an ancestor on their spiritual journey (and myself on mine), prior to going home later that night. But what’s been nice is that I still have been able to physically go to my day job at my office and witness the Salt Lake Temple construction progress firsthand. I’ve really liked that. That project is about 25% done now!


7) P.S. I’ve become a fan of masks. There, I said it! And now I know for sure that my breath, in general, is not abhorrent. Because I’m forced to inspect my own breath quite frequently.

 

8) I had a coronabirthday (wouldn’t be surprised to get one more this coming April) and it was actually one of my favorite birthdays! It was a work-from-home, PJs-all-day kind of birthday! Got a whole lotta love on my front door from the sweetest friends, watched some “LOST,” hung out with my pet cockatiel, and my parents and brother came over to surprise the livin’ heck out of me!


9) Hiking out in the woods and up to the peaks was my ROCK! Put unintentional, or was it? I should’ve tracked the number of miles I went, the number of feet I climbed. It was thousands of feet and definitely more than a hundred miles total. Oh yeah, most certainly more than 100 miles. Which has been awesome, because running was a no-no this year, for my Achilles’ sake!

Oh, and almost failed to mention that hiking is the main reason for the grand number of brand-new extremely dear friends I made this year. What cracks me up is that this pandemic has been going on for SO long now, that some of these friends, whom I already feel like I’ve known forever, have never seen me in my true “I’m too busy with choir” element. They’ll see that at some point in the coming months hehe.

 10) Painted the bejeebers outta my garage! Got new balcony flooring, painted said balcony railings as well as the porch/porch steps, and also my utility closet flooded, with a flood that surely rivaled Noah’s back in the Genesis days. HOMEOWNER JOYS! Again, help from family has been amazing. My family is amazing. So eager to help beautify things and to calm me down when things go atrociously wrong.




11) Held a lamby-bobo at Eastertime! Can’t think of a more precious reminder that I am His lamb and He will always help me to get un-lost again. And again. And again.



12) Oh, and remember when they took the Angel Moroni down for safe-keeping? That was really cool. That’s all.


13) America experienced a lot of unrest in 2020. Political, racial, worries over natural disasters. So much that it made heads spin. There are so many ways that a person can go about dealing with it. I did what came most natural to me: I buckled down, prayed for strength to become a better and more empathetic version of myself, sat down and calmly watched some “Remember the Titans,” then went forth and tried to peacefully invite others to join me in the personal pursuit to be gentler, kinder, and more aware that diversity is actually an extremely beautiful and needful thing.


2020 altogether was a year full of heartache, stress, illness, and other sorts of ailments for a lot of loved ones I care about. These past 12 months have been filled with quiet hours of thinking  thinking about who could use some prayers right now. I think 2020 has helped me to become more thoughtful of others. I want that trend to persist as time continues to roll by.

14) Painted a ton, yo! Spent so much time at home this year, and I NEVER was bored at ANY moment there in my house. Oodles of hours were spent developing more of my creative side. Including loads of music-writing sessions (tried my hand at choral composing recently!).


15) Binge-watched a couple of my favorite shows. Self-growth? Maybe not. Or maybe it is. Because it definitely is self-CARE. It’s a healthy thing to do for your mental and emotional balance during a pandemic. It’s probably scientifically proven by now. Here’s Stanley running during the basketball episode of “The Office.” Look at his hand!!! Stanley’s my favorite.


16) Yeah, I went to Lagoon during the pandemic. With a handful of the best souls. It was the best. It seriously was. Some people would rather not ever go to an amusement park in such times as these, but especially as a single, spouseless, childless person just trying to make her way in the world—particularly during a hard year like this one—quality time with friends has been CRUCIAL. It can be done while still taking the health precautions.


 17) 2020 meant being able to spend bunches of more time at home as a bird mom to this cutie!



18) I still am mildly-to-moderately terrified by technology (I was born 100 years ago), but I did get to Zoom a tiny handful of times with friends just because (later on in the year, I even got to teach a full-fledged church lesson via Zoom!). Here’s me with some of my buddies I made in Cambridge UK last year!


19) Had SOOOOO much puppy time with friends’ coronapuppies. I truly need both of my hands to count the number of pals who impulsively bought dogs during the pandemic hahaha!



20) Also, I actually went on an abnormal number of dates this year. Somewhat ironically. No pix to show here for it. But believe me, it happened. Dating always means personal growth, right? If you’re going about it the right way, which I always hope I am.

 21) There was some glorious, GLORIOUS makeupless times this year. Here’s a middle-of-the-night campsite bathhouse image. You know you wanted to see this.


22) Bought myself multiple self-care bouquets. Need to toss in a dash or two of colorful brightness every now and again in your home nowadays, do you not?



23) I DID get to sing in a tiny choir that one time, didn’t I? With funny little clear face shields! The song was Maurice DuruflĂ©’s “Ubi caritas.” SO much fun. Next time I hope will be with a very NOT tiny ensemble—HINT HINTTTTTTTTT. (Okay, now I think I’m mostly just rattling off my favorite notable things that occurred in my 2020, period. Which is more than fine.)


24) Church life looked much different this year. Thankfully sacrament meetings still are able to take place – in a modified format, at least. Here’s a pic of me and my bishop, at a drive-thru ward activity. I’ve been deeply, deeply grateful for the chances I’ve still been able to have to connect with my bishopric members and other church friends, every once in a while during this funny year.


25) I’ll never forget the wacky inland-USA hurricane we had here in northern Utah! That shook things up in our community, for SURE.


26) In the fall, I had an incredible chance to spend high-quality time with my dad in the wilderness. I got to see him close-up in one of his favorite elements. I knew he was so thrilled to have me there with him, and I was so thrilled to be there too. I learned so much from him during this time, and I’m profoundly—even infinitely—thankful for all he’s taught me throughout the course of my whole life. Also, check out all those hawt layers I have on. It wasn’t too warm out there!


27) Still got to have a touch of comic con taste this year, towards the tail-end of it! My Dan, my Farris, my Jeff, my Harnells… The world is made better because they reside in it. They’re the kind of people who make me want to be better.



28) And let’s just not forget that the Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra, and Bells all got to have their very own private live-stream Christmas devotional. I cried, and cried, and crieeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddd………

 
29) I watched people get married!! Via technology!! A couple of times!! Here’s my darling young cousin with her dad/my uncle. As I mentioned before, my technological prowess may not be very impressive, but I do see it as a miracle that we have on our planet today!


30) Christmas was still magical. The world is still magical. Life still has trillions of magical, beautiful moments. Even in the funkiest of years. Here’s to an even more spectacular 2021!