12 (probably 13) Days of Christmas-White Christmas

I have decided, to do a little countdown of my favorite Christmas songs. There are

so many beautiful and up lifting songs this time of year so I have picked not only

my favorite songs but my favorite versions as well.

First up is "White Christmas"

This might be an abomination but I am not totally in love with Bing Crosby's version, the original version of this song. Its okay, but I am a bit indifferent toward it. However, I recently heard a version by Rascal Flatt's and it is as smooth as a lullaby and the harmonies are beautiful.

Changing State of Mind

I’ve been thinking a lot about how my perspective has changed and I appreciate different things. Every year one of my siblings or my parents asks me what I want for Christmas and my list might look something like this.

I would like a bumble/beaded watch.

Or a cute pea coat from American Eagle

I wouldn't mind a new Ipod touch. I love my Ipod Classic, but its starting to freeze up on me and after I charged it over night, I got a white screen of death

I would really enjoy getting a plane ticket to New York. There are so many things to see and places to visit and I think it would be fun.

Now I am really grateful for things like gift cards and a ream of paper for my printer. I was happy when my mom got me a new ice scraper for my car. It was bigger and it had a brush so I could clean off the snow. I don't know what's caused the change,but I think this time of year is perfect to stop and think about what we take for granted, and to be grateful for how much we actually have.

The Judds

Last Night I got to see Naomi and Wynonna Judd in concert. I know they are country and because they recorded between 1983 and 1991, they were technically before my time. But, thanks to 3 older sisters, I grew up listening to them.

It might seem completely cheesy but I have special place in my heart for their music. My sister's covered a couple of their songs while they were performing at Six Flags in Chicago. I also got to sing one of their songs "Grandpa, tell me bout the Good Old Days" at my grandparents 50th anniversary when I was 8.

Overall it was such a fun show and I am glad I was able to go. I will always be a Judd fan.

College

Today was my last day of class at BYU. Its kind of a surreal experience to tell you the truth. When you leave High School you think you are all grown up and ready for the "real world". That just means college, and more school and more classes. Now that I am done with my Bachelor's at BYU I don't know what to expect. Even though I have graduate school looming on the horizon, I feel even more than before that I am supposed to be entering the adult world and I'm still not quite sure what I am doing with my life.

There are times that I miss High School. I miss a few of my teachers, I miss doing orchestra, and I miss having all of my friends together and being able to see each other everyday. As fun as High School was, I have had a blast in College. Its been a learning experience living on my own and I have loved being in new wards and meeting new friends. Though I don't feel quite prepared to leave, I am feeling more than ready to be done. I have put in my time, and heaven knows more than enough money, and I am proud that I made it.

Inception- a Review

I am really looking for opinions about my movie review I wrote for my English class. I don't know if I gave away too much of the story or if it seems like I'm screaming "I love this Movie." I would really love any suggestions or comments. I know the end needs one more sentence to wrap it up. I know its longer than you'd expect but Please let me know what you think.

Christopher Nolan (Momento, The Prestige, Dark Knight) is back and doing what he does best, making a thought provoking thriller, full of suspense with just a hint of something fantastic. With the film Inception, Nolan creates a refreshing spectacle by taking an idea as simple as “business competition” and playing it against a backdrop of hostile dreams and psychological tension.

Set in the not too distant future, Dream Sharing has been developed as a new training program for the military. Soldiers are able to fight and shoot each other without actually being hurt or killed. The technology has been put to a new and sordid purpose and is now being used as a tool for corporate espionage. Thieves or Extractors are hired to steal business and trade secrets from their competitors. Dom Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) is the most skilled extractor and the overzealous leader of an extraction team. While Cobb is very good at his job, he is also more complex and more vulnerable than he lets on to his teammates. Cobb and his team are hired by a man named Saito to sabotage a rival energy corporation.

The twist is, rather than steal information, Saito wants the team to plant an idea into his competitor’s mind. Cobb is coerced into participating in this one last job with the promise that he will finally be able to return home to America, but a dark secret threatens the success of the operation as Cobb becomes increasingly unable to tell his dreams from reality. Headed by a powerhouse cast, Inception uses drab and doleful surroundings, reminiscent of Gotham City, contrasted with elegance and designer suits, to create a world that even Freud would find fascinating.

Dicaprio is exceptional as he portrays the duality of Cobb’s character. You cannot only see, but understand the conflict that divides his loyalty between the well being of his team and his own guilt and fears. Cobb’s right hand man, Arthur (Joseph Gordon Leavitt) is the straight laced side kick who always tends to follow the rules. He is a nice complement to Dicaprio’s Cobb, and is probably more helpful and understanding than he gets credit for. Gordon Leavitt brings a charm and ingenuity to a role lovingly referred to as a “stick in the mud” and proves that he has leading man potential.

The rest of the ensemble, including quit witted Tom Hardy and the ever likeable Cillian Murphy, fit together nicely as whole, with the possible exception of Ellen Page. Page’s character, Ariadne, is the new architect hired to create the feeling and detail of the dream world. She is the only character strong willed and confident enough to question Cobb. Page’s star power, however, pales in comparison to her costars. She lacks the attitude and maturity to be entirely convincing. While she does a good job, she is surely a questionable choice for the role.

One character who was cast quite fittingly was Marion Cotillard. She is inspired as she portrays Mol, a symbol of Cobb’s troubled history. Mol is dangerous and like Cobb, dynamic and multifaceted. Cotillard demonstrates a desperation and fragility to character that might be seen as strictly short tempered and unstable, making her one of the more interesting characters in the story. While she is frightening, Mol is a key component to piecing the story together. In a way, she is a manifestation of how dangerous the concept of inception can be.

At nearly two and half hours this movie is usually too long for my taste, but you truly do not notice the time passing by. Nolan is never explicit with his work. He makes you work to make sense of it all. He gives you all of the pieces, however subtle they may be, and leaves it up to the audience to put the puzzle together, and weigh in on whether his work was done well. As with many of Nolan’s work, the plot is so intriguing, it draws you in so that as part of the audience, you are focused on the moment. From the first minute of the film, Inception hits the ground running and goes full force all the way to the end. You are thinking about what is on screen and nothing else. That demand for your full attention is the sign of a great story teller, and Nolan is a master. He truly gives a new meaning to the phrase “making your dreams come true”.

End of the Semester

My roommates and I put up a little Christmas tree in our apartment this week it dawned on me just how soon the year, and this semester will be over. I realized I have 2 days left of class, and I am graduating from college. I have a 5 minute presentation to do Tuesday, on my research paper about Autism. I have the best writing assignment to turn in during finals week. Our assignment is an art review. I am doing a two to three page movie review for Inception. Then I have one test/final to take and I am done and I will have a B.S. in Communication Disorders. I can't believe I am all growed up.

My New Philosphy

These are words of wisdom from a sweet 92 year old lady:

Life isn't fair, but it's still good. When ever you're in doubt, just take the next small step.

Life is too short to wast time hating anyone.

When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

Make peace with your past so it won't mess up your present.

It's OK to let your children (or loved ones) see you cry.

Don't compare your life to others because you have no idea what their journey is all about.

Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

Be eccentric now.

Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

Frame every so-called disaster with these words, "In five years, will this matter?"

Forgive everyone for everything.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does.

Believe in miracles. They are waiting everywhere.

Show up and make the most of it now.

Growing olds beats the alternative.

All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

Get outside everyday.

If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

Envy is a waste of time.

No matter how you feel, get up, get dressed, and show up.

Remember, that friends are the family that we choose for our selves.