I Will Be Sore

        Humans always need a challenge. And I got one today. This gal Amy leads my "Tone and Trim" class, and she is so fun and awesome and challenging. She said we hardly did anything and half of us are dying. So.....its going to be a challenge. But it will help me to at least do something on a regular basis, because if I don't I know I am not going to last.
          So we all had to introduce ourselves and this one pretty heavy gal said she got diagnosed with hypothyroidism after she had her second kid, and they just put her on medication and she gained 70 lbs. Yikes!! I wanted to tell her about the OnTarget Nutrition book so badly. Maybe next week. But no matter how much it pains me to say it, how can you educate millions of people on how doctors are trained to prescribe medication, not prevent or eliminate disease or illness? You can't, because that is not what they have been taught their whole lives. People won't search if they don't even know that there is something to search for. And you can apply that to almost anything worth having in life. They aren't looking for God because He hasn't even crossed their mind. They aren't looking for someone who is giving because they have only met people who are selfish. They are not looking for joy because they have only experienced sorrow.
          Which leads to another question in my brain. How do you explain to people who are so relieved  because they "found Christ" and became Christians, and had a terrible life formerly and are now so happy, that there is more to it, and that they actually aren't quite there. I mean they already came so far, you almost feel like the bad guy saying, "oh you aren't good enough". Which is kind of true, but so hard to feel passionate about. But that is where prayer and the Holy Ghost come in I guess.
        Anyways better get to homework, so here's to many more posts, that are more planned out and thought about, and that I achieve at least most of my goals this semester. Anyone who reads this please pray that I get some violin students in the next two weeks, cuz that is really important right now.
And make a martini tonight. Or tomorrow would work I guess.
Sophie

The Fires

(On the fires in Washington, August 2015)

They are burning, it seems, everywhere.
The smoke becomes an oppressive screen.
Houses vanish, sacrificial food
To a merciless force, fed by air.
But by many they remain unseen,
Only revealed by the brittle smell,
Opaque haze, and pictures, black and red,
And the news of deaths, the charcoal miles,
Tracked by men making their way through hell.
Weeks pass, and destruction rears her head,
Gathers her booty, souls of despair,
While some lift their voices in a prayer.

by Sophie Saurette

Why the Party Tree?

           I still remember Dad reading us The Lord of the Rings, and how I cried when the Party Tree gets cut down by Saruman in the scouring of the shire. The idea of a party tree has always been this fantastic idea in our heads since then. We have this Maple tree in the middle of our back lawn. It used to be small and lowly with Frisbees stuck in it and thrown over it and pictures taken in front of it. It has grown tall and green, leafy and beautiful. It refracts the sun into golds and greens and gently shivers in the breeze. Well you get the point, we love the maple tree.
            It was christened The Party Tree at my Mom and Dad's 25th anniversary party. They hung icicle lights on it and it glowed like a magic wand. That party was huge. We cooked food for a lot of people, I was only 14 so I am honestly not sure how many, and my sister Dani baked and hand piped a big 3 tier white cake. Since then the party tree has lit up for every big party we've had.
            So The Party Tree means a lot of things to me. It reminds me of my childhood and my family, and most of our most joyous occasions. Hopefully those things influence at least a little the tone of this blog.
           Right now my mom and my sister are watching some old tv show called the Monkees. They are so weird and awesome. Where would we be without our families?

The School Year Begins

           Hello to the world, although I should probably just say to myself, because I do not know who, if anyone, will read this. I am starting this blog for a few different reasons, and in this post I want to lay them out, and let those who might happen upon it know what to expect.
           When I moved away from home for the first time almost 1 year ago, I had no idea what to expect. So I had no strange illusions to be broken, and I had a very productive and fun year. I also spent way too much time on my beautiful new laptop and developed a little addiction. So I think a blog, now that I am back home, will be a good goal for me, something I have to do that I will then hate my computer for. At the very least it will be far more productive than browsing watchmojo.com. (Whoever has spent hours watching those, I feel your pain.)
             That being said, I also have a duty to spread the True Faith as much as possible, and I love my Faith, so posts tending to the religious side are definitely in order, and will happen. I am toying with the idea of putting up daily night prayers in the form of psalms or quotes, or religious music that I enjoy, of course.
             This will also be the dumping ground for all the hobbies that I won't be able to actually realize as hobbies, or study in school. Those include: Fashion, in a big way, horses, photography, scrabble, poetry, food, although I actually might study that in the future, wine, literature, Russian...... that is all I can come up with at the moment.
             And finally, I want to dedicate this blog to my fantabulous parents, the best people I know. Thanks for putting up with me, and taking me back!! Love you guys!!