Tales of the Summer Child

I'm getting married.

2012-03-01T11:58:00.002-08:00

And I couldn't be happier.

I don't post much on this here blog anymore, but I just can't keep the happiness from exploding inside of me. I'm marrying Paul Lambson who is the kindest, funniest, sweetest, handsomest man on the planet. No idea what day i get to marry him but hopefully someday soon this summer.

Love. It is the best.

I'm not there yet

2011-12-22T14:54:00.001-08:00

I'm Not There Yet by The Love Story Thief Listen on Posterous

A love story about the Love Story Thief herself. Paul was interviewed by Alexis at StoryCorps and surprised the curator with this podcast/ Christmas present. Music is Girl by Das Racist used without permission (thanks @Heems).

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

I'm not there yet

2011-12-22T14:43:00.001-08:00

I'm Not There Yet. by The Love Story Thief Listen on Posterous

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Magnets

2011-06-28T05:37:00.001-07:00

Magnets by The Love Story Thief Listen on Posterous

D.C. to New Mexico. To Puerto Rico. To Guatemala. To New York. No matter how far away Sarah went, something always drew her back to D.C. and, more importantly, to Neel. Hearts like magnets.

Music credit: "Since I Fell for You" by Nina Simone

***Warning- there is one expletive in this interview, at 8:11.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

well, hello again, summer

2011-06-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Summertime rolls around, and here I am up late at night having a sudden hankering to blog. It probably has something to do with the rhubarb crumb cake cooling in the kitchen (thank you Smitten Kitchen). Or maybe the hum of the AC on this hot, hot night (seriously? a week ago it was sweater weather). Whatever it is, I'm itchy. or was that achy? I fell off my bike today, my entirely too overloaded self falling right off into the street when the grocery bag on the handlebar decided to get caught in the front tire. Right hand is a little bit sore and I wonder if it will impeded the rock climbing (Yes! It's what I do these days. i'm a climber).

In any case, I'm distracted and itchy to create, but since the cake is already made and it is too late to sew (the neighbors will complain because my sewing machine sounds like basketball dribbling) and I need to do more interviews for my podcast so I'll have something to edit... all that leaves me with is writing.

Have you ever considered joining the Army? No? me neither. Except that this last week or so I've suddenly really wanted to join. not for any noble reason, and as most of you know I'm pretty against the war(s). But I think that is maybe exactly why I've been thinking about it-- because it would be so strange and out of character for me to do it. The choices I've made in life have eliminated this as an option. And right now, i'm feeling kind of miffed about it. Don't get me wrong, i know I've made good choices and I'm happy here. but there are a series of choices that are no longer really options for me because of who i've become. i can't join the army. i can't move into a cave with a Bedouin in Jordan. I can't litter. I can't get a chest tattoo. I can't become a surgeon. I can't get addicted to crack and have an illegitimate baby. You might say that all of that is for the best, and I would agree. But there is that little part of me that still, would just like those things to still be options.

I think it's going to be an itchy summer and I wonder where it will take me. I am taking suggestions.

Chipping a Little Bit Deeper

2011-05-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Chipping A Little Bit Deeper by The Love Story Thief Listen on Posterous

Late one night I ended up talking to my friend Lori about her boyfriend. As she told me about how much she loved his soul and loved constantly learning more about him, I could feel what a good beginning this relationship had. Even when they fight, even when she is upset, even though it is different from what she expected, this relationship amazes and excited her for their future together. And it amazes me too.

P.S. Happy engagement!

Music credit: The London Symphony Orchestra, "Sleeping Beauty Theme" (I just couldn't go with the Disney version).

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

With the Beatles

2011-03-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

I've already found a hole in Todd's supposed "complete" Beatles collection. So, thanks to YouTube I'm managing to dig up these songs one by one from With the Beatles (also released as Beatlemania! With the Beatles in 1964 in the North America with a few changes). I'm supposed to be getting ready for work, but keep getting distracted looking up these songs. Plus, they are catchy. And I can't find my pants. Which means it's a frantic half dance, half tearing my room apart in my underwear sort of morning.

Album 2: With the Beatles, November 22, 1663
(*means song was covered by the Beatles, written by someone else)
It won't be long- Rock out, Beatles! Am I hearing things, or does this have more umph in the music? I like.
All I've got to do
All my loving- Again, lyrics could have more to say, but i do so love the head bobbing quality of this song.
Don't bother me- This is how I'm beginning to feel about not finding my pants. Really, black pants? "I can't believe that she (my pants) would leave me all alone... I know that i'll never be the same, if I can never get her back again...But until she's here, please stay away don't come around (it's not a sight you want to see)"
Little Child- (unpacking my laundry basket yet again...)
*Till there was you- Paul McCartney, you were such an adorable stick of a boy back then. To think, this is one of the most romantic songs ever (at least, judging by the number of times it has been used in romantic comedy weddings). But I must say, there is something about it that just makes the heart flutter a little. Well played, Beatles, well played. I've also resigned myself to wearing my brown pants since the black ones are nowhere to be seen. sigh.
*Please Mister Postman- I swear Sesame Street covered this song. This one demonstrates a bit more complexity than the songs on the first album.
*Roll Over Beethoven- Chuck Berry cover. All i can think of is a Saint Bernard dog with drool.
Hold Me Tight-This song is terrible. Sorry.
*You Really Got a Hold on Me- Oh Smoky Robertson, what a smooth song. I'm noticing that I think my favorites on this album are songs the Beatles are covering by other artists. Hmm.
I wanna be your Man- still waiting to be convinced...
*Devil in Her Heart-
Not a Second Time- The songs by the Beatles are really... simple? simple. Catchy, but lack something in depth. But watch this video, Ringo is a darling dancer and i wish more men would wear speedos like John.
*Money (That's what I want)- Can't help but love this songs. Speaks the truth, don't it? Every so often, i have those thoughts that maybe i should just marry for money. Really, "love" hasn't worked out so well, why not do it for a little money? that is what I want. (just kidding. sort of)

So, at the conclusion of record #2... honestly, my faves were probably the ones that were written by others. But the Beatles did a fine job covering them. And I did a fine job finally covering myself and getting out the door (I hate clothing drama! and I have to do this all over again tomorrow... sigh).

What's so great about the Beatles?

2011-02-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

Sure, I know their songs. Catchy little tunes. But, I've never quite gotten the obsession. So, thanks to my friend Todd, I'm listening to ever Beatles album in chronological order. It will take me a while. And I won't do it all at the same time. But, here we go.

Album 1: Please Please Me, March 22, 1963.
According to Rolling Stone, this album contained evidence of "[their invention of] the idea of the self-contained rock band, writing their own hits and playing their own instruments." According to Wikipedia, the Beatles had two singles (Please Please Me and Love Me Do) and had to come up with 10 more songs for the album, which they recorded in one day in 9 hours, 45 minutes. Lennon was sick, so they saved the rowdy Twist and Shout for the last song on the album to spare his voice. Please Please Me wasn't released in the US as an album until cds were invented and then as part of an anthology.

I saw her standing there- A classic, but not my favorite.
Misery- This is the cheeriest sad song i've ever heard in my life. I kind of dig it. I like the "I remember all the little things we've done..." downward progression.
Anna (Go to him) - I really like the guitar riff at the beginning of this song. I feel like this song was copied by a bunch of other oldies artists- it reminds me of a bunch of other songs.
Chains- Elvis?
Boys- Boring.
Ask me why
Please Please Me- the title track, hit single. Am I impressed by the brilliance of Lennon and McCartney yet, like the early adopters in the UK? Meh.
Love me do- nice harmony. but the lyrics could probably use a little more to them. Well, all the songs could be a little bit more complicated with their lyrics. Okay, 3rd time with the chorus, this song is boring me.
P.S. I love you

Baby it's you- who is singing here? that voice is kind of dreamy.
Do you want to know a secret- I love this song. It makes me bop my head in such a pleasant way.
A taste of honey- This is a song where the pageboy haircuts really came in handy.
There's a place- I swear they've been playing the same three chords the whole album.
Twist and Shout- You know, I have always confused the first few notes of Twist and Shout and La Bamba (are they even that similar? i have no idea). Nothing against the Beatles, but i always secretly wish it were La Bamba. Sue me, i saw the Richie Vallens movie on tv as a kid and it seemed so tragic, so obviously I was sold.

32.6 minutes later, album 1 is done.

Jail was never so sweet

2011-01-10T19:39:00.001-08:00

Don't Give Up.

2011-01-07T17:49:00.001-08:00

Don't Give Up. by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Don't Give Up..mp3 (20559 KB)

I met Anabela and Jorge recently on a trip. As a love story thief, I was immediately drawn to them because of the tender way they were together. Constantly wandering off, content in their own world taking pictures and seeing things, together. They way she looked at him and smiled, the way he was considerate of her, they seemed perfect together. But the reason I collect love stories is because there is always a story- every strong couple has challenges and mistakes that make their love more enduring as they pass through them.

Music credit to Carla Brunei "Tout Le Monde". I don't speak French, so i have no idea if the words are appropriate but the melody is.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Oh, would you like to hear about my trip?

2010-12-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

If not, stop reading now. BUT if you DO want to hear about my adventures in the Middle East (doesn't that just sound so exotic? There is no way I can maintain a sort of sophisticated blase attitude about this trip), please continue reading.

My friend Lori and I got to talking one day back in the summer. "I want to go on a trip," I said.
"I do too," said Lori.
"Where should we go?"
"Well, I have an aunt and uncle who are missionaries in Jordan. Maybe we could go there."
"Jordan?! I've always wanted to go to the Middle East! And to Petra, ever since watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!"

And that is how we found ourselves at Petra in November. It was as easy as that. When I haven't traveled for a while, I forget how simple it is to just GO. Well, perhaps not simple, but once the decision was made, all of those other things that seemed like such insurmountable excuses became just things to take care of. Buying a plane ticket, while expensive, was easily bought with the help of miles saved over years of travel on Delta. I work these days in a job where I earn a comfortable living for a single, fairly frugal girl, so I didn't have to pinch pennies. I requested vacation time off, worked a few flexible holidays, and booked a tour with Intrepid Travel so I wouldn't stress myself (or my father) out by attempting to navigate a completely unfamiliar culture alone, and yet have a fun adventurous trip. And that was it. Going is SO EASY, and I forget that. I need to remember how easy it is to travel, because it won't always be that way for me (hopefully, unless I am a spinster forever, in which case I would still have to find a cat sitter).

For a full set of pictures, go here.

We arrived in Amman, and from there wandered about to a few other surrounding cities to see some ruins and make some friends. Lori was the perfect travel companion because she is just about the friendliest person on the planet. And pretty too, so people constantly want to talk with her. For example, on the ferry between Jordan and Egypt, and Lori made friends with the half blind and deaf woman who spoke only Arabic sitting next to us bu smiling and practicing the very few words she knew in Arabic on her. Then the old lady got mad at us for some reason and kept giving us the evil eye (or was that her normal eye?) In any case, she turned her back on us, and we couldn't quite figure out why, though we suspect it was because 1) we started talking to the Argentine man who sat in the same row and she was excluded from the conversation (he was a very nice man); 2) we came on the boat with covered hair because that boat also carried a bunch of people traveling home from Mecca and it seemed slightly inappropriate to walk around flaunting our seductive long blonde locks in front of everyone (read: unwashed and matted). But then the scarves wouldn't stay on very well and it was hot and it is so awfully hard to see peripherally with a scarf on (at least the way I had it on) that the scarves slipped around our necks, and the old lady turned her back on us; or 3)We smelled funny? We didn't offer to buy her a coffee? In any case, this woman was an anolmly, because any other person would've ended the boat trip with an invitation to Lori (and me, as her sidekick) to come home for dinner and offer marriage to their son. Oh man, Lori came home with so much jewelery that she received as gifts from admirers, and I almost came home with a herd of camels but decided to keep her for Bronson instead of selling her to a Bedouin as a wife (though she would've made a lovely Bedouin wife and would've probably succeeded in conveting every last one of them to the gospel in a matter of weeks).

In any case, we met a wonderful family that we called the Sharaf family, because did you know that a family is called after the name of the oldest child? Om Sharaf, we called the mother, and she was darling. My Iraqi friend Haifa was a refugee in Jordan for a few years and she got to be close with this family in Madaba, so when we arrived, we just called them up, told them we had gifts, and showed up at their door at 10 a.m. They were incredibly gracious, smiley, and funny. I couldn't have asked for better people to spend a few days with. While Om Sharaf and her husband didn't speak much English, their two sons did and acted as translators, though often with their own tales to add to the translation. From one of the sons, Odai, I collected the love story in the previous post.

I could probably go through day by day, but I wouldn't want to bore you with a long post (I know how people are about reading things. So, you have the link to pictures, and I'll just mention some highlights and then post individual stories seperately as I think of them (thoughts of my trip have just been simmering in my head). We met with a group and made our way to the dead sea where we bobbed about int he water like little buoys and stung our eyes with salt water, then coated ourselves in dead sea mud for the cost of about $3 (compare this to a "Dead Sea mask" at any fancy spa, and you'll see that it was quite a steal. and way more fun).

We saw crusador castles, and Roman ruins, and of course the highlight were the Nabatean ruins of ancient Petra, which we saw by night by candlelight and the full moon, and then again in the rosy dawn the next day.

I don't think I can say enough about how wonderful Petra was or my feelings about those smart ancient people who lived there. They had these amazing aquaducts and used caves as their homes. I get shivers just imagining the what life must've been like there, and what it would've been like to be Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812 catching the first Western glimpse of ancient Petra. Oooh, shivers. All of it, covered in sand, and then wandering down the Siq and coming upon the outline of the Treasury, which is actually a tomb. All of the ancient carved caverns are actually tombs, just like the pyramids. What is it about creating a resting place for the body that will last throughout time? A form of immortality? The inhabitants of Petra certainly gained that, as did the pharoahs of the pyramids. Oh the Pyramids!!

How gigantic they are in real life! I mean, i always knew... but to see them in person and touch the stone is just another experience altogether. And to go inside... shivers! I climbed inside od the Red Pyramid, down a deep, deep passageway.

Into the belly of the stone, where it was dark and the air weighty, the breath of countless other visitors hanging around. Or was that the ghost of the king whose body had been removed and whose soul lingered about, enticing those with fragile constitutions to envision their own demise there in the dark, in that small room at the bottom of so much stone... as you can tell, i am slightly claustraphobic. I had those same feelings of sparks of panic when I went scuba diving for the first time in the Red Sea. That breathing would be difficult, panic, and then complete surprise when I could actually breathe and could stop thinking about it. And I swam in a school of orange fish.

Oh yes, I went to the Red Sea! And the Sinai Peninsula! I stayed in a beach camp which is where life should be spent. I saw Ramses II, and he still has hair and eyelashes after 4000 years of death. I went on a cheesy river cruise on the Nile and saw belly dancing. A friend of ours bribed the guards at the Giza Zoo and so I got to pet a lion and hold a monkey. I slept in the desert and starred at the brilliant sky.

I ate the world's best falaffels,

was kidnapped by a Gypsy on a donkey (in the nicest way possible), climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai and communed with God a little bit myself up there.

I was taught the alphabet in Arabic, which I fully intend to learn for next time. I inhaled a lifetimes worth of cigarette smoke and warned everyone of lung cancer.
I picked up trash on the beach and wandered through the bazar, bargaining for treasures. I watched sunrises that made me want to wake up early every day for the rest of my life.
And sunsets that deserved a standing ovation.

My tour group was made up of a delightful ark of characters, everyone of whom made the trip special and I liked immensely. The two weeks went by too quickly...

I am bitten again. The middle east is calling.

She Walks in my Blood

2010-12-04T01:42:00.001-08:00

She Walks In My Blood by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

She walks in my blood.mp3 (5567 KB)

I was in Jordan, visiting the home of some new friends. As I was asking the mother of the family about life and love in Jordan, one of the sons who was translating the conversation from English to Arabic and back told me his own story of being in love with an Indian girl. I had to record his story, but sadly, we were interrupted by a family member and couldn't continue the interview. Though they are in love and he wants to marry her, his family forbids the relationship because she is not Muslim. His parents think he ended the relationship, but secretly, they are still together and he plans to marry her, no matter what.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

am i a grown up?

2010-09-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

I turned 30 on Sunday. the month leading up to this momentous life event has been, shall we say, rather stressful. Lots of life things, and then just this melancholy that always creeps in around birthday time, which was extra strong for this decade anniversary where I leave my twenties behind.

Am I a grown up? Legally, yes, but we all know that means very little. I thought that by the age of thirty I would have lived a full life and be solidly traveling into middle age, with a spouse and multiple children giving me wrinkles. I find myself here, having lived a very full life with a start of a career, and feeling still like I have not yet been released from adolescence. And I would like to be. Blame it on the culture, blame it on my own expectations, but growing up is, most often, indicated by marriage and children. A home, perhaps, if you can afford it. In my religious surroundings, as a "young single adult" (though only for one more year! gasp!) I am separated from the "family ward" into a separate congregation, where the religious teachings are the same, but with the extra added benefit of activities to help me keep an active social life. Activities that, let's be honest, haven't changed much from the time i first became an adolescent at the age of 12 (more speed dating. less scrap booking). Of course, we all get an education and live life, i'm not saying that we are trapped here just waiting to be married, we do all continue onward into adulthood and responsibility for the most part. Bur for me, my own insecurities crept in here recently, mocking me with the whispers of-- you are thirty! but are you really a grown up without having a family? I think that thoughts like these lead to this somewhat frantic, constant social interaction where we remain constantly in motion, hoping to find someone to love or at least, by gum, not be lonely by spending time with other spinster friends.

Well, i am tired. I want to be a grown up. I don't want to have fun all the time, I don't want to feel the pressure of being social. i just simply want to be responsible, do my job well, work on projects that interest me, and spend time with smart friends. I don't want to date for the sake of dating, I don't want to go to parties where I "might meet someone". I just want to be me. You see, at the age of thirty, i know who I am, i know what I like. I am comfortable in my own skin. I am responsible and a grown up, and just tired of pretending that I'm not because I don't quite fit my preconceived notion of "growing up".

Accepting that, two days into thirty i am feeling calmer. This is my life and I have grown into it.

Freedom. Religion.

2010-09-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

11:30 a few nights ago, I was lost on my bicycle coming home from my friend Victoria's birthday party. I found myself riding down Bedford Ave, where the bike path had been scrubbed clean by the Hassidic jews in the neighborhood. As it was Rosh Hashona, there were families with fathers in big fur hats and mothers in wigs and stockings, leading their tired little children home by the hand. The missing bike path had bee a source of contention between the very observant orthodox Jews and Brooklyn hipsters, resulting in an alternative path, where girls in skimpy summer dresses wouldn't be riding past on the Sabbath. Since I was lost, I had time to dwell on this particular conflict- on the one hand, the religious community that has lived in the neighborhood for a long time and requests respect for their standards; on the other, streets that are part of the community and should be accessible to all. (I won't get into the bike versus car culture argument here, though it also played a role). Who is right? The bike path was wiped out, but I still rode down the street (albeit not in very skimpy attire).

and of course, my mind turned to another religious conflict currently brewing.

As you may have heard (unless you've been hiding under a rock), there has been some election year controversy surrounding what has been called the "Ground Zero Mosque", which is more accurately called Park51, located two blocks from Ground Zero. For those of you who aren't familiar with new york, a few blocks is a short distance, yes, but can be a totally different neighborhood. I'm just sayin', if you are looking for sacred ground to remember 9/11 (which should be remembered), there are strip clubs that are probably closer and I'm sure some of the mourning families would find those offensive. So that's the location issue. It's not on ground zero, folks.

We live in a country that professes religious tolerance and liberty as one of the founding principles. But, as anyone who has taken a history class knows, religious freedom only applies for those in power. I could recount to you the history of the Mormons, who were driven from New York to Ohio to Illinois to Missouri, and out of the country for their religion, who were persecuted for their practices (especially polygamy) and to this day faces issues with communities protesting the building of sacred buildings. I well remember the conflict over the building of the Boston temple a few years ago, and the emotional angst it caused me-- that there were people who didn't understand and didn't want a Mormon building, which was meant for sacred, peaceful purposes, in their neighborhood. It felt so unfair, so hateful and intolerant. It was eventually built, thanks to politicians who stood up for private property rights, zoning laws, and religious freedom.

A few parallels if I may: mistrust of the unknown, suspicion of wanting to cause harm, generalizing an extreme minority to the majority-- mormons hate it when people think we mainstreamers are somehow affiliated with the FLDS polygamous groups in Texas, who seem so crazy and dangerous even. Most Muslims feel the same way when they see Americans and Europeans generalizing them all as terrorist sympathizers. Just because there are a few crazies, doesn't mean that everyone is. We can't go around punishing people because of the actions of a few or stereotypes. Yes, we have every right to protect ourselves from terrorist organizations. But what is the point if we take away the freedoms we are supposedly fighting to protect?

There are people who will put God above nation, and will live according to what they believe is the will of God. Thus, in a country with ever-increasing humanist tendencies, this is threatening, because what God requires (for example, obedience to strict health codes, such as not drinking alcohol) contradicts with societal norms (legal alcohol consumption at age 21 and social lubricant). For the most part, these two opposing viewpoints coexist in a "let's just ignore the ones who chose to live their lives another way" sort of manner, but sometimes that tension snaps, for instance over the same-sex marriage issue. Religious right? or human rights? and they can't always coexist. The state pushes on way, and the church pushes back, and usually, one gives in.

When it comes to different religions, this tension is stronger in some, weaker in others. Unitarian Universalists are constantly changing with societal values, accepting all as they come. Islam pushes back in some countries to the point where religious law becomes the law of the land. Can we allow that potential element? The Fox news pundits say no, we can't risk allowing Islam to influence the nature of this country and thus we must rid ourselves of them entirely. But I argue that we can't afford not to, if we believe we are protecting rights that belong to all people. I bel;eive that our freedom here and our commitment to human rights is strong enough that it won't get pushed over by extremist elements in Islam, but would rather push back (in a non-violent, educational way) to the extent that our"American" values of freedom and liberty and respect would make their way into the lives of American Muslims (which it already has) and then into other countries as well. It happened with Mormons and polygamy. It's happening slowly to eradicate child abuse and domestic violence in communities in southern utah that continue to be polygamists.

I know this is a long rambling post. Today, being the primary election day in new york, and just a few days after the 9th anniversary of 9/11, i feel strongly about this issue, and more than ever wish for us to ignore the fear and hate mongers among our politicians and pundits. They are playing the American people for fools with their own agendas. I don't pretend to know that their agendas are, but I do know that love conquers fear. I know too many good muslims living here to wish them to feel unwelcome. I know too many people of all faiths who are practicing their right to worship how, where and what they may, and people who are choosing not to worship anything because that is their right as well. If we refuse one group because there might be terrorists lurking in their midst possibly, we might as well just ban all religion right now, and all other organizations, because how can we know who we can trust?

1:53:51

2010-09-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do something to prove that my body wasn't going to give out on me just because I am turning old. So, i ran a half marathon on labor day. My goal was to finish, and my second goal was to make it in about 2 hours. 1:53:51-- means I am a rock star, at least that's how I felt with my first runner's high as I sprinted the last 3 km to the finish line.

woot.

life is hard.

2010-08-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

A new grave with just one date dots the landscape in a beautiful Charleston cemetery- August 19, 2010. The daisies from the Saturday funeral are probably mostly wilted on the funeral arrangement by this point, in the hot August sun, but they'll be replaced soon by the mother who carried this infant for nine months. No lilies here, those are funeral flowers not suited for a baby girl. She'll bring yellow and pink flowers, splashes of sunshine, possibly picked out by her two-year-old flower helper, who right now is only aware that she will get to water flowers and that people have been sad around her a lot these last few weeks.

This was supposed to be my new niece. Correction, this is my new niece, the beautiful Emilia. I did not meet her, none of us did, but I do not believe that precludes us from being her family. in fact, i firmly believe that she is an important little person, part of my sister's family forever, my niece forever, and that one day, we will all get to meet her. But for the time being, she is with my mother, my older brother who died at 7 months, grandparents, aunts, uncles, loved ones.

Life is hard. There is pain, there is heartbreak. She is the lucky one to move on from this state. I'm a little bit jealous. But yet. While I'm glad that she's going to miss out on broken bones, she also misses out on smelling flowers. She gets to miss out on being rejected by a boy she likes, but she also misses out on falling in love. She gets to skip the fights and hair-pulling over borrowing clothing from her sister, but she also misses out on growing up with her sister. And we miss out on her.

My heart aches for my sister. i can't understand what this must be like for her, to lose a baby and I ache for her, wishing to take on a portion of what she must be feeling, missing her baby. Through all of this, however, I am so, so grateful for her wonderful husband and the love and strength he offers. This is hard for him too, but seeing them together, i know that they will make it through. While there is a hole in my heart, it is filled with the peace that because of Christ, we can all feel peace, we can all be healed from this experience, and more than anything, we have an eternal family. That is the greatest comfort. I am grateful for this belief.

Love = Hugs

2010-08-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

Nothing Quite Like Hugging by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Nothing quite like hugging.mp3 (23995 KB)

There is a lot that can be learned about love from little kids, as Meghan has discovered as the mom of a 16 month old daughter. Love is that look on her daughters face as she gets when she gets hugs. Isn't that we all need sometimes?

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Adventures of Dating Girl, part 2

2010-08-10T03:48:00.001-07:00

Dating Girl Part 2 by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Dating Girl part 2.mp3 (21734 KB)

Second half of the interview with Sarah about her alter-ego Dating Girl superhero.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Adventures of Dating Girl, part 1

2010-08-09T20:47:00.001-07:00

Dating Girl Part 1 by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Dating Girl part 1.mp3 (19709 KB)

You all heard the interview with my friend Sarah right before she got married, but here is the original Dating Girl superhero interview that started it all. One day, Sarah, frustrated with dating, thought to herself, Gosh, it almost seems like you have to be a superhero to figure out dating. And that's when Dating Girl and her cohort of superhero daters were born, vanquishing the likes of the Love 'em and Leave 'em Bastard Cowboy, and discovering the truths of dating.

part 2 coming up next...

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Romance in Prague

2010-08-09T20:32:00.001-07:00

Romance In Prague by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Romance in Prague.mp3 (23597 KB)

This is an oldie from 2007, but i never posted it. People have been asking me to post again, and I promise, I'm working on some interviews! In the meantime, enjoy a little travel romance...

Tina, from Solvania, met Pietro, from Italy, and they fell in love in Prague. We all know magic can happen when you are traveling. But is it sustainable?

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

For all you Twilight fans out there...

2010-06-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

Beware, or it will destroy your relationships in real life, if it hasn't already.
null

Good luck with that.

a post, as promised

2010-06-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

My sister, Vilja, has been pressuring me to post on the blog for a while now. I've been avoiding it, because my life isn't super interesting these days. it is a lovely life, just not action packed. And who wants to read about that? I would rather read about adventures.

With my job, I now have health insurance. So i finally went to the doctor and the dentist for the first time in three years and got a clean bill of health. I am a complete supporter of affordable health care available to all. it felt good to go get to know my doctor (even with her raised eyebrows at my response to her "are you sexually active?" question and double checking my age. In case you are wondering, that would be a no. and yes, i am 29. don't rub it in). Preventative care, i'm for it.

Oh! World Cup! If you aren't following it, you are crazy, and that is all i have to say about that.

I have a new roommate, Laura la segunda. She is a friend of my sister meri's, and she is a delight to talk with. She's good about reminding what Rabbi Shmuley says about relationships. I'm trying to get her to stay by encouraging a relationship between her and my friend Josh, and I think my devious plan is working! Bwahahaha! It is only encouraging my jewish grandmother matchmaking tendencies.

BP oil spill in the Gulf? Disgusting on so many levels. I think this is even more evidence of the need to seek alternative sources of energy and increase regulation. And, a federal judge with investments in numerous companies that do off-shore drilling has NO RIGHT to determine that the government moratorium on off-shore drilling is illegal. Conflict of interest?

I've been to the beach 3 times so far-- Jones Beach with mormons, Brighton beach for the sunset with a fella I'm digging, and close to Long Beach with a batch of lovely lady friends from grad school. No tan however, since this summer I'm wearing 70 spf-- i turn 30 in September and have no desire for wrinkles or sun spots.

My sister Liina is having another baby in August!! Another niece! And many other people I love are having babies. i am so excited. I love the little ones. My sister Liina also became a US citizen last week, so props to her!

that is all for now. More interesting things... well, later.

He gave me my eyes that I might see amazing things

2010-03-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm terrible at remembering to take pictures of things, and most of the time I just wish that my eyes were cameras so i could just blink and transport the image somewhere. But alas, since they haven't invented that yet, the next best thing is my iphone camera, which handily has captured some of the amazing things my eyes have seen in the last few months. Beautiful things make the heart burst a little bit with joy.

A piece of the Berlin Wall at the UN.

The Mermaids vs. humans fountain on a snowy day.

Princeton, NJ prior to a surprise Princeton vs. Cornell ice hockey game.

Cold but beautiful afternoon in the park on a run.

Christmas windows from Bergdorff Goodman-- actual scenes from 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox' and amazing window art with an Alice in Wonderland theme. I could look at this all year long!

Art museums! Beautiful old stuff at the Cloisters.

A bunch of the old coffins had little pudgy dogs at the feet of the person. It was odd, but delightful.

The MoMA with the Tim Burton Exhibit (with karly and sindri) and Monet's Waterlilies.

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This last Saturday, Sindri and i took a train to Cortland Manor, NY for Obscura Day, which was an international day of exploring the unusual. A few months ago, i reserved tickets to go see the private collection of the "Radio Guy", who turns out to be a very nice advertising creative director, Steve Erenberg (think Don Draper) who happens to have found his passion in collecting unusual things, mostly masks and medical equipment that we aren't quite sure what it does. We weren't quite sure what to think when the cab dropped us off in front of a very normal looking house in the woods, but the Steve's delightful wife Helene invited us in and let us look around. And we were amazed. And really excited that they had opened their house to 20 random strangers for the day. These were a few of my favorites, sorry my iphone camera isn't great.

And, of course i had to go see the Mr. Brainwash presents icon in Chelsea after seeing it on Jendar's blog. I went with Misha one fine day last week (and hit up the highline afterwards).

Thanks eyes.

Ok, I'm not that pathetic

2010-03-19T23:06:00.001-07:00

Moments after sending the last post, i thought to myself, hm, I'm
feeling better, maybe I should erase that. But then again, I'm
actually curious as to how others have dealt with similar situations.
See, I have my really low moments, I cry, vent, and then feel better
and remember that my life is pretty great, just the way it is.

Especially because I just got a new job!! Yes! I'll be working as a
researcher at community justice centers here in NYC, which will be
amazing. And I'll actually be using stuff I learned in grad school!
Woot! So excited to start. I'm feeling more confident already.

Also, it is spring and I am in love with the weather. I got to wander
around today with my friend Misha on the Highline and art gallery in
Chelsey. Life can't get much better than that.

I am really quite blessed, and it just takes a little bit of reminding
of that to get me smiling again. Life moves on. And it is good. And it
works out just how it needs to.

My measure as an American

2010-02-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

I'm coming up on celebrating my one year anniversary as an American citizen. I've found myself singing along to the national anthem and putting my hand over my chest at various events throughout the year. I use my US passport, and identify as American. You would think that the Olympics would be a perfect for me, as an newly minted, enthusiastic American, to wave the red, white and blue.

You would be wrong.

I am trying to cheer for the Americans. And I do, when I see Shaun White fly higher into the sky on the halfpipe than anyone thought humanly possible, or when Shani Davis effortlessly (and humbly) passes everyone else on the speedskating track. I can cheer for good athletes. But as the US medal count grows, and the NBC coverage grows more obnoxious, and every event seems to have a miraculous American success story... I find myself feeling yet again that I just wish that someone else would win. I'm cheering against the American athletes, I'm wishing them to fall. I'd rather have almost anyone else win, except for another American to add to the USA medal count, which is already absurdly high. I can't help myself-- it is the Finn in me and the years of watching the Olympics, where underdogs won gold medals, where small countries with long winters dominated things and were finally recognized, at least for two weeks. It was about national pride, and seeing that shine for everyone. I have yet to hear a national anthem for another country (except for Canada in the opening ceremonies). And while i have good friends who watch olympics and love them (special thanks to aaron, valarie and james for sharing their tvs!!) there is a large population that just doesn't care. They don't know about hockey and don't care about hockey, so why should the US team win???

So much for being patriotic. Maybe in another 4 years.

Ahem. So, there is my soapbox. Please return to your regularly scheduled program of mid-afternoon curling.

Stir28!! Benefit for Haiti!!

2010-02-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

(Re-posted from Christy at balance)

Please come!!

StirIt 28 NYC: menu, details, and a shout-out

After a week of feverish planning, we're finally getting the final bits into place for StirIt 28 NYC. If you're not aware, StirIt 28 is a month-long blogger-originated fundraising effort to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti, thought up by Bren of Flanboyant Eats, Chrystal of The Duo Dishes , and Courtney of CocoCooks. All of the proceeds from this event, and I mean ALL (100%) of the proceeds, are going directly to our partner charities: Share Our Strength and Yele Haiti. What an amazing event!

If you haven't bought your tickets yet for New York City, Atlanta, L.A. or Chicago, go here or here to buy tickets by clicking on the StirIt 28 badge, which will take you to a paypal page. Just remember to indicate which city you're getting tickets for!

NYC tickets are $30 for the general public, and $20 for students. Students must pay via the PayPal General Online Donation button on http://www.cococooks.blogspot.com or http://www.flanboyanteats.com and indicate "NYU student ticket" in notes. Must show student ID at the door.

When: Sunday, February 21, 2010; 4-7pm
Where: 35 W. 4th Street, 10th Floor

Menu (with links to the bloggers preparing)

Appetizers
Dumpling Bar:
Veggie Dumplings,Cranberry Mushroom Dumplings, Pork & Cabbage Dumplings
Panko stuffed shiitake mushrooms
Spring rolls, both vegetarian and non

Entrees
Lemongrass corn soup
Enchiladas rojas
Red Cooked Pork on Steamed Buns & Cucumber Salad
Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cups Mushrooms & Tofu in lettuce cups

Desserts
Chinese-flavor inspired cupcakes
Walnut Cookies
Vegan chocolate chip cookies with hints of cinnamon and star anise

Schedule
4:00-4:45 Appetizers, cocktails, mocktails, and Fizzy Lizzy love, door prizes, hands-on dumpling making mini-class and a performance by Scott Alexander

4:45-5:00 Welcome

5:00-6:00 Dinner & Spins by DJ LP

6:00-7:00 Dessert and story time, with a guest appearance by The Love Story Thief and music by The Creoles

i was once a jewish grandmother

2010-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

At least, if I believed in reincarnation i think i would've been. I like feeding people and i like matchmaking. And one day I will be really round and smell like garlic. Not that all jewish grandmothers are like that, it's just my favorite description.

usually, i am against valentine's day, because I am against consumerism, but really I think it has more to do with feeling pathetic in my lack of love in mid-February. This year, as you know, I decided to face love head on and you know what? it turns out that when you put love out in the universe it seems to come back to you. Well, at least I wasn't bitter, which certainly feels like love coming back to me.

For those of you wondering, the Blind Date Project was, I would consider, a success. I think everyone ended up having a date (after a bit of scrambling and last minute recruits from DC, thanks Otso!), everyone showed up (eventually. gotta love the subways. and, i am very sorry that i didn't tell one person their restaurant was in brooklyn, not manhattan), and everyone got to spend time with a good person, whether or not it was a love connection (that is yet to be determined). I hope it was a fun experience for everyone and I am grateful to the people who participated (you know who you are), to Lori for her masterful recruiting schemes, and to Josh for being absolutely brilliant in making this happen and letting me throw my two cents in. We will do it again. But maybe not in two weeks. and with a lot more help. Even though we didn't participate (someone had to be coordinating behind the scenes), we did have a lovely dinner together, minus the alcohol we were just about ready to consume due to stress (Lori and good italian food did the trick and we avoided breaking the word of wisdom).

As part of the karma, my lovely friends around the corner set me up for a date on valentines's day with their friend Adam who was visiting from DC. It was a lovely time, and I hope the people i set up enjoyed themselves as much as i did.

this sure beats sitting at home with a box of oreos and a romantic comedy. (although, there is also something appealing about that).

RSBC 2010!

2010-02-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

That stands for Run Swim Bike Cook, which is a little marathon I'm participating in for the month of February, courteousy of my friend Christy at Balance. The challenge is to complete a full marathon (with a little cooking thrown in there within this month), which is a great way to help me through the second month of the year when those health resolutions start to slide.

Challenge 1: Run 26.2 miles (I suggest a mile a day)
Challenge 2: Swim 2.4 miles*
Challenge 3: Bike 112 miles**
Challenge 4: Cook 3 of the 4 superfood "iron-chef" challenges. Each Sunday I, or my co-host, will post the week's superfood and category, and you have a week to come up with a dish that blows us away.

So, this last week (I was supposed to report back by Saturday, but Monday will have to do) I ran 6.6 miles and ate lentils for breakfast, since beans for breakfast was the superfood challenge. No picture of it, because, let's be honest, i am not the world's greatest food photographer and lentils aren't particularly attractive. But they sure TASTED good. I'm not a big breakfast person and usually have fruit or yogurt, so it was a little weird to fill up on lentils.

I like this! More running and biking and cooking this week for me (alas, no pool anymore to go to for free, so no swimming). If you want to join in too, go here.

L-L-L-Love

2010-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hey kiddos.

So, i haven't been blogging much lately because I've been wrapped up in other projects.

Most specifically, Love. A little obsessed, one could argue, but I'm enjoying it. I've started doing some serious research on the topic and am actually learning quite a bit-- I can recommend Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert about marriage and I recently picked up Us: Americans talk about Love by John Bowe (You know, the bachelor obsessed with love that was profiled in the NYTimes and is now flooded with letters from women going gaga for him. Truth be told, I actually went to a reading this week for the book, for purely scientific reasons, and I really enjoyed some the the stories he's collected. Yes, it is hot that he collects love stories. Yes, he is a very attractive male who lives in NYC. And yes, even hotter is the fact that he wrote about slavery. But no, he isn't my soul mate, although I wouldn't mind picking his brain about the love stories he collected).

As you can tell, the Love Story Thief podcast is coming along. I've had some great interviews recently that I'm looking forward to posting for your listening pleasure. If anyone is interested in being interviewed too, let me know! I'm finding myself really excited about this project (as I tend to get) and I'm really trying to find ways to make this more accessible to people-- basically, I want a following! So, just a shameless plug, for Valentine's day, pass along the website www.thelovestorythief.posterous.com or suggest that people subscribe to it on iTunes (free! what a great Valentine!). I've also registered it on Public Radio Exchange (PRX.org) with the hope that it gets picked up by some radio station... to help me out you can register for free and listen to it there, so it gets more hits and all. I'm okay with audio stuff but not so hot with the visual, so bear with me while i try to find a good layout and platform for it. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Finally... I can't just listen to love stories without getting involved a little bit. No, no relationship here (trying, really!), but along with my friend Josh, we have created a Blind Date Valentine's Eve Project for all of the single Mormons that we know in NYC, in an attempt to increase their exposure to each other (and thus more relationships, etc... I've had just about the last conversation with someone about there not being anyone to date so hopefully this solves something at least). Josh is a wedding photographer and you know that i collect love stories, so we couldn't help but try to play cupid just a little bit. Cross your fingers that someone hits it off!

That's all for now. I'll keep you posted on more, exciting developments. And yes, I am also working, I haven't let that slip through the cracks (although sleep has seemed like an unnecessary burden...)

Share some love stories with me! I'm all ears these days!

Freedom to be Open

2010-01-31T20:44:00.001-08:00

Freedom To Be Open by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Freedom to be Open.mp3 (20511 KB)

After four years of dating, Derek popped the question and Kamilah accepted his proposal. But as Kamilah describes in this interview, it wasn't the years before but the subsequent break-up and counseling that really brought them together and showed her what love was, and, more importantly, how to keep it. She also dispenses some good love advice to your LST hostess, always looking for some hints on how to make love work.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

At Home With John Bowe - A Bachelor’s Effort to Understand Love

2010-01-29T08:01:00.001-08:00

via nytimes.com

I've been posting only stories that I've collected myself about love, but when I read this article about John Bowe and his own collection of love stories I couldn't resist but post it on the blog. These little clips from his interviews for this book "Us: Americans Talk About Love" are tender. This need to collect others' love stories to understand our own capacity to love isn't so unusual, and I'm glad to find another kindred collector out there (albeit jealous that he got a book deal out of it). I'm looking forward to reading his book and I think i'll post a review of it when i am done. Enjoy!

Posted via web from The Love Story Thief

I'm not a fan of the 'Single Ladies' song...

2010-01-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

but any guy willing to rock out with me to Beyonce's "Halo" late at night can put a ring on it.

This version.

I promise, i used to have good taste in music, and i still do. It's just that there's this part of me that secretly also adores catchy pop songs and it happens to come out late at night and troll youtube. and then wants to share. Don't judge. I know you do the same, closeted Miley Cyrus fan.

big girls don't cry

2010-01-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

For some amusing crying girl comics, check out this blog.

Laugh yourself happy

2010-01-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

One of my new year’s resolutions is to have a positive attitude. About everything. I’m trying to be mindful about it, but was worried if it would be possible to maintain. I mean, i’m on day 4 and it is going well, but really, nothing bad has had time to happen yet.

And then I stumbled upon the golden ticket.

Laughter.

Or, to be particular, laugh yoga.

How silly! You might say. Yes, yes it is. Which is exactly the point and which is why it is so successful. The more you laugh, the more endorphins released into your blood stream. Your threshold for laughter decreases. Things become funnier, and life, simply rosier because now you can laugh about it.

I read about laugh yoga in Time Out New York, and of course wanted to try it out. An hour laughing with strangers? Sign me up! I convinced my dear friend Sindri to come with me (she needed to get over the sad day she had thinking about her boyfriend being buried in a mudslide in Brazil. He wasn’t, no where near it, but she let her imagination run off on that sad thought). So we made our way to a business building in midtown, and took an elevator down to a chiropractics office. There we sat and waited, along with a few others who were venturing out for this adventure for the first time, including a couple from London traveling the world. Hesitant, but also excited.

The doctor came in, with a big, bright smile on his face. I’m pretty sure all the laughing he does as a laugh leader is slowly turning him into an elf. We circled up, and were instructed to indroduce ourselves, as usual in most meeting. What was unusual, was the laughter following each introduction. “Hi, I’m Peter, and I’m a taxi cab driver.” Bahahahahaha! The room exploded. “I’m Mary, and I’m an actress.” Hysteria again. “I’m Richie and I’m a tourist.” “I’m Holly and I’m his girlfriend.” At this point, people are buckled over, wiping tears from their eyes. Including me, because, you see, there rule in laugh yoga is that you fake it until you make it. So, what started as a fake, over the top HAHAHA turned into a serious case of the giggles.

Throughout the hour of the most pleasant yoga I’ve ever done, we did laughing exercises- saying sorry while holding your ears out like a monkey (FYI, i’m never apologizing any other way again), an exaggerated laugh building from a small ha to a GWHAHAHAHA! How you would laugh off an embarrassing situation, or laughingly scold a naughty child. My favorite I think was the see who can hold in the laugh the longest game, because NO ONE could hold it in, and then we spent the next several minutes in belly-ache inducing laughter and tears.

There is a whole Laugh Yoga movement, with 7000 groups worldwide. In 2000, 10,000 people gathered together in Copenhagen to laugh for peace. It is really a peace movement because, as our teacher explained it to us, how can you shoot a gun if you are laughing?

I’m sold. I think I’ve found my therapy for the year. And if you are having a bad day, don’t be surprised if I mischievously suggest that we head over to a secret location one Monday night to cheer you up. Laughter is the best medicine and I’m ready for my spoonful.

Go ahead, laugh at me. It’ll do you some good.

Ben

2010-01-05T15:00:00.001-08:00

Hm, looks like my brother Ben got ahold of my phone without me
knowing...

Almond luck!

2010-01-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

I ran all the way aroud prospect park today and my knee didn't hurt
for the first time in forever! Woot! Thanks almond! And, I enjoyed my
run even though it is about 20 degrees outside!

Year in review...

2010-01-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Started a podcast. Got an MPA. Was a photographer, nanny, and doctor's office receptionist in the matter of a month.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Since I can't remember my resolutions from last year, I'm going to go ahead and say, no, I didn't keep them. This year I have a bunch, but they all boil down to just living more passionately. Which means to spend more time with friends I want to spend time with, doing things that are new, not just taking the path of least resistance but doing what I want to do and work for it. You know, easy things. And, read in Finnish for 15 minutes each night (one day down!)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My top babies of the year would have to go to Meghan's darling Catherine and Leila's dreamy little Paolo. Good thing I don't have to start listing all the 1-2 year-olds I know.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Michael Jackson? Other than that, no, no one that I am close to.

5. What places did you visit?
D.C. in January for the inaguration with Sarah, Costa Rica in March for my solo girl trip, sailing trip to Catalina in May, Nauvoo road trip with Emily and Ryan in June, Boston to visit baby Catherine, Megs, and Em, Vancouver for a motorcycle trip with Tyson, Utah in October for the WOW conference, and Toronto twice for holidays. Hm, I was kinda feeling like a homebody, but this isn't too shabby.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Positive attitude. I spent a lot of the year swallowed up in a dark little sad thundercloud. My life is really good, and I am determined to be happy about it, come what may.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 7th I had my heart broken. Lame, i know, but it was the first one to pop into my mind and affected my whole year. Working on erasing that from memory.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Definitely my Master's thesis/Capstone project, an implementation evaluation for a family homeless shelter. It is a massive piece of work, and I'm awfully proud of it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I didn't find a job that I am super passionate about. I am really grateful to have a job in this economy and after all the months of unemployment and I do enjoy it. But, I just feel like I could've applied myself more to find something that will be sustainable in the long term.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I fractured a rib coughing.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A really cute winter hat that looks like it is from the 1920s and keeps my ears warm.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All those folks who worked hard to finish school and then continued working hard for months trying to find jobs.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Glenn Beck.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. and food. Boy, i manage to eat a lot.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Sailing! I went on a sailing trip in May and spent 4 days on a boat and seriously, just loved it so, so much.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"Be OK" by Ingrid Michaelson. And "Empire State of Mind", of course.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier i think
b) thinner or fatter? fatter-- working from home makes me lazy!
c) richer or poorer? oh, poorer for sure, especially now that i have to pay loans back!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Kissing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Watching hulu.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009?
In Toronto with nearly the whole family. it was so much fun, especialyl to hang out with Sampo, who is now an adult and a darn decent one at that.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Nope. I think i was more focused on falling out of love than in love. 2010 will be a different matter.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Parks and Recreation

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009?
Waffles with friends at my house, Institute conference (especially that workshop on porn addiction), and dinner with lovely friends at Smorgas.

24. What was the best book you read?
The Blue Sweater, by Jacqueline Novotgraz

25. What did you want and get?
A fur sole.

26. What did you want and not get?
A knee that works without getting sore.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
the Fantastic Mr. Fox.

28. Did you make some new friends this year?
Yes. not to knock anyone else, but Sagine and Victoria came to be major players in my life as friends this last year and pulled me out of a tough time with the unemployment thing.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Man, i know i sound pathetic, but to be honest, everything would've been much more bearable if I hadn't had such a hard time getting over this guy. If I could've had him erased from my memory, the rejection i felt from that wouldn't have permeated through everything else. But, I know that things just need to take their natural course and I'm a believer that things happen for a reason. Just sayin' it would've been more satisfying. Ooh, or not having any student loans. Now that would be satisfying.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Grad student/unemployed/I-work-from-home look. Though I did also discover hot rollers and curling my hair.

31. What kept you sane?
Music. being a temple worker.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jude Law, as always.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Climate change. The world is getting warmer, and there is evidence that it is man-influenced. We don't need to argue about to what extent or what-not, we just need to make some changes in our over-consumptive lifestyles and realize that just because we don't see the effects in the U.S. doesn't mean that it isn't a reality. just ask women in small island developing states. There is no need to drive bigger cars and make things less energy efficient, because even if this thing is a hoax (which it isn't), the changes we make today will impact our children's future dramatically. And we couldn't even come up with anything in Copenhagen.

34. Who did you miss?
I miss my niece Hannele. She is almost 2 and i don't see her nearly enough.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
There is a better way to be unemployed than just sitting on your couch depressed.

Empire state of mind

2009-12-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

For the past 5 days, my family will randomly break out into the chorus "New York! concrete jungle where dreams are made of..." over and over again because we can't remember the rest of the words. And then inevitably, someone will then say, "Argh! I hate how grammatically incorrect that is! Made OF what?!?" We are a little bit dorky, but this does not preclude us from dancing to it.

For your viewing pleasure:

And for your viewing pleasure, the Stephen Colbert/Alicia Keys version:

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Economy

Someone I can Trust

2009-12-26T19:48:00.001-08:00

Someone I Can Trust by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Someone I can Trust.mp3 (13694 KB)

What is love? It has a lot more to do with our own decisions and behavior than people often realize. We are responsible for allowing ourselves to fall in love, and stay in love, at least according to Michele, who realized through a divorce and remarriage what it is that love means to her.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

The year of the almond

2009-12-26T09:21:00.000-08:00

In Finland, there is a Christmas eve tradition which involves rice porridge and an almond. For the annual Christmas eve luncheon, our family makes a huge pot of rice porridge, and from oldest to youngest (sometimes youngest to oldest, depending on the whims of the patriarch) every member of the family scoops a serving into their bowl, without being allowed to peak, because there is a single almond hidden in the pot. The recipient of the almond is promised a year of good luck. For those who are of age and single, it is also supposed to bring a husband or wife. This is of course incredibly coveted and a big drama takes place at the lunch table as everyone peers through their bowls, hoping the almond is in their bowls and then accusing each other of having it in theirs and hiding it. For years, my dad always found the almond and in an attempt to keep us kids from losing interest in the rice porridge, he would hide it until we were stuffed to the gills and then reveal it triumphantly. It is a fun tradition.

I have never, ever gotten the almond. The closest I'd say I thought I came was last year, when the boyfriend I brought home for Christmas got the almond. Of course, it was a lucky year for him, but not so much for me, as we broke up about a week later. Ha, yeah, not so lucky.

Well, this year, I thought, I will be the lucky one and get the almond. I could really use a change in luck in just about everything. I ate my bowl of rice porridge, but the bit of yellow was just some burnt milk. I ate another bowl, and nothing. And then, I lifted up my bowl, and suddenly it was there! The almond. The coveted almond. I looked around, and spotted my brother-in-law Jordan, who had been acting suspiciously and we had been accusing of having the almond wink at me. I fumbled the big reveal, and the truth of the generous benefactor came out, but I think that for all intents and purposes, the almond will still hold magical powers of good luck. And since it now had extra generosity attached to it, I think it is extra lucky. I popped the almond into my mouth, crunch, crunch, and swallow.

And so, dear friends, my year of the almond begins. My year of good luck. I believe in the power of the almond.

James Tissot

2009-12-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

It's snowing here! About time, I say. NOW it feels like Christmasy, and i am ready for it. I spent the day with friends (although I should've probably spent more at home doing laundry and cleaning before i leave for Toronto!). Brunch at Chavella's with grad school friends i haven't seen in a while (why do I do that? i like these people! No need to be a hermit!). Then off to deliver goodies to the ladies i visit teach from church- homemade peppermint chocolate fudge. It was yummy, but i had to avoid eating too much (you know, keep my girlish figure). Ok, really, I just had to make sure that there was enough to fill these four christmas tins and if i ate too many, there wouldn't be enough for my friends, we all know i don't care about my girlish figure.

I ran into a friend heading over to the Brooklyn Museum to see an exhibit by James Tissot on the Life of Christ. Please go check out the link. It is amazing. I figured I'd go over too, seeing as it's Christmas time and all, and thus far my celebration has involved parties and christmas trees and amazing Bergdorf goodman Christmas windows, but very little Christ (well, actually, the messiah sing along counts. but in any case, not much). I lvoe these 350 little watercolors that James Tissot did in the late 1800s after he traveled to jerusalem about the life of Christ. I loved the inclusion of Jewish mysticism in the paintings, and the feel of them. All too often, Mormon paintings are just too... clean? Clean lines, pastel colors, people with Northern European heritage. I loved the opaque watercolors, blurring, colors of the temples and clothing, diversity of people in the paintings. If you are in Brooklyn, it is up until January 17th. If not, well, that's your fault for not living in New York City.

Also, amazing exhibit on "Who shot rock 'n' roll?" on the photographers of rock stars. Totally amazing candid shots, and it made me want to be a rock star just a little bit. And then that thought made me tired. Way too much partying for my taste. I especially liked a photo of Kurt Cobain after a show, crying because it had been so intense. seriously moving.

Ok, i'm off to head into the snowstorm now, meeting up with my friend Misha who has just come back from Nicaragua after a few months of trying to be a photographer. Let's see how he did at this.

The calm in love

2009-12-13T15:15:00.001-08:00

The Calm In Love by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

The calm in love.mp3 (14452 KB)

A recent interview with Neil and Candy, who have been married for 10 years, reminded me of a Robert Browning poem:

"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life for which the first was made, Our times are in his hand who saith, "A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!"

In this interview, they share with us how they have grown in their marriage, through trials and the good times that make it all worth it, and how their love has aged from the euphoric young love to a much finer, comfortable calm.

Music credit: Allison Krauss "When You Say Nothing at All".

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Kent- En Helt Ny Karriar

2009-12-10T12:04:00.001-08:00

Download now or listen on posterous

2-05 En Helt Ny Karriär.m4a (3935 KB)

Winter makes me think of Nordic music.

Posted via email from the mixtape club

Making Space for Love

2009-12-07T15:32:00.001-08:00

Making Space For Love by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Making Space for Love.mp3 (16490 KB)

Helen made space for love in her life by clearing out her closet, thinking in twos, and posting "Love in 2009" everywhere she looked. Love seems to have found her.

Check out her cartoons about love and relationships at www.helentoons.com.

The song, "Because of You" was written and performed by Helen. She's great, isn't she?

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Coney Island Dream

2009-12-06T15:25:00.001-08:00

Another amazing submission to the LINGOS film festival, this one made by my friend and incredibly talented photographer Joshua Brown (hire him for your wedding!).

It's a snowy day at Coney Island, eerie and beautiful. I really, really love this piece.

Coney Island Dream from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

Twilight

2009-12-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Some kids i know from church made this for LINGOS, the nyc mormon film festival this weekend. I kind of heart it. For all you Twilight fans out there, enjoy!

Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.

The romantic comedy lens

2009-12-02T20:02:00.001-08:00

When my friend Karly was in town, we got to talking about relationships (I know, surprising, right?). We were talking about how we react to things that happen to our friends and us and realized that while in real life, if a guy we think is perfect for us ends up dumping us and leaving, it is a tragedy. But, if life were a romantic comedy, we would be cheering, because we would know that it will be just a matter of minutes before the goofy, shy, perfect boy shows up and sweeps us off of our feet. In real life, if your friend says they are in love with someone after a day or a weekend together, you try talking them out of it, but in a romantic comedy, you shed a tear of joy that they found each other. See? It’s a little bit different, and, let’s be honest, much more fun.

So, rose colored glasses out! We decided to start looking at things through the romantic comedy lens.

Okay, so if you were really thinking about it, someone would be hiding something big from the other person. Some hick like Matthew McConaughey would get the smart, accomplished girl. They would definitely hate each other upon meeting and then fall in love. And don’t forget the sidekick—you know, the awkward friend who says the wrong thing and is always uglier than you are and has impeccable comedic timing.

Unrealistic you say? Well, yes, but that is why we love romantic comedies so much. A couple overcomes some sort of obstacle to find true love, and true love is someone who loves you for who you are—the lies you told to win the bet when initially asking you out, the aggravating things you do that should drive them up the wall, the emotional breakdowns, the crazy family—they love you in spite, and yes, sometimes even because of these things. Every breakup from the wrong person is a chance to find Mr. Right. Jobs that are unsatisfying and bosses who are aggravating are tossed to the wayside in pursuit of the dream, which always turns out. When two lovers are parted, they always find a way to make it back together despite seemingly insurmountable odds. It always ends with “I just realized I couldn’t live without you,” and who doesn’t want to hear that?

And what does that have to do with real life? Okay, so things don’t happen in the neat little hour and a half long packages with a bow tied on at the end (usually at the wedding). But couldn’t we gain something from looking at life a little bit more like a romantic comedy? On the subway, I could’ve been Karly’s awkward sidekick and told the cute guy standing by us that she dug him, who could’ve been “The One”! The cute doctor in LA who Karly has been out with a few times but just hasn’t made a move is really petrified by her accomplishments and is drumming up the courage to tell her how he feels! And it’s about time that dashing, adventurous film maker I was dating has exited the stage because that leaves space for the real hero to come in from the wings where he has been waiting for his big scene!

If life were a romantic comedy, my career crisis would be the perfect time to come up with some amazing, fulfilling business or take off to live in Africa. And the boy I was in love with (and maybe still haven’t gotten over) would follow me there and tell me he realized life isn’t complete without me; or, I would meet a rugged economist working on some microcredit project that was transforming the economy of a village. If life were a romantic comedy, I would take my friends to Vegas after a break up and encourage them to get married on a whim or believe 100% that every relationship, no matter how short of long, could end in happily ever after.

Maybe the lessons to be learned from the romantic comedy lens are to 1) be hopeful and believe that love can happen at any moment. Right now! Look to the left! And 2) take chances and risk big, because that is when life really changes.

So here’s to sappy love stories all around.

Words to live by

2009-12-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

"Each of us needs to develop the courage to listen with our whole
heart and mind, to give love without asking thanks in return, and to
meet each person ad a chance to know a new individual, not as a way of
reaffirming prejudices. Our work should remind us all that the poor
the world over are out brothers and sisters.

But empathy is only our starting point. It must be combined with focus
and conviction, te toughness to know what needs to get done and the
courage to follow through. Today's world needs more than
humanitarians. We need individuals who know how to listen and who have
real and tangible skills to share. We will succeed only if we fuse a
very hard-headed analysis with an equally soft heart."

Jaqueline Novogratz, "The Blue Sweater"

mystery google

2009-11-30T21:19:00.001-08:00

I don't know if you've ever tried mystery google (it's all the rage with middle schoolers I think). I did today, and feeling slightly down about my future, I typed "what should I do with my life?"

The response?

Robbie William's "I'm on a mission." Now, you may think, wow, how amazing and it must be a sign, which is what i initially thought. And then i read the lyrics. All I have to say is, well, I think I'm going to give figuring it out on my own a go. Or, I'm screwed.

"I'm on a mission"

To abuse my position
Abuse it with you

Love, I'm a cynical bitch
I'm gonna scratch that itch
With a bitch like you

Harder thinkers make me miserable
Everything is unforgivable
If not for you
I wouldnt come at all

Find a place to crash
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)
Move your phoney ass
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)

Love me like I'm cash
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)
You can feel the clash
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)

Guitar

If theres a freak in here
Looking for someone like me
I fit their description
Perfectly

Boom boom boom
I bet they'll desert you
They would if they met you
Met you with me

Every move you make is poetry
They all fake what you do naturally
If not for you
I wouldnt come at all

Find a place to crash
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)
Move your phoney ass
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)

Love me like I'm cash
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)
You can see the clash
(Boom boom, boom boom labida)

Kiss me with your mouth
Teach me with your brain
All right

Oh yeah, oh yeah

Things that I say
When I say nothing at all
It leaves a taste in my stomach
And its no taste at all

I can sing, I can't dance
But it don't stop me at all
Its a ball and I'll call , if I call you at all

Love is the reason but it wont pay my rent
Only baloney fill your dish in the dent
I wont be happy till the moneys been spent
I forget to forget, oh forget, oh forget

who are these?

2009-11-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

How do you even begin to think that this is a good idea? I watched this whole thing with my mouth gaping open.

Tim Burton

2009-11-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

The MoMA has an exhibit on Tim Burton that just opened yesterday for a members preview (thanks parents for the great christmas gift last year!) and so I went on over there with my lovely friend Karly (visiting from san Diego) and Sindri (welcome to funemployment). I love his drawings and ideas-- he is pretty much a 13 year old boy who never grew up and managed to become successful drawing monsters. Just morbid enough to be fun but not really scary. Go see the exhibit if you are in town!

This is Vincent, a short film by Tim Burton.

Circus!

2009-11-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

I wish I could've taken pictures of the Swedish circus I went to on friday night (shout out to Melissa! you are the best!), but alas, BAM doesn't allow that. Check out this brief video of Cirkus Cikor on the BAM website. Although there were no elephants (and we all know how much i adore elephants) it was still by far the best circus I have ever been. Granted, ic an't remember the last time I went to a circus, but my impression is that there are scary clowns, bad music, and abused animals. This one had no abused animals, amazing music, and the type of acrobatic feats that made me gasp and wish that I'd spent more time hanging upsidedown in trees or learned to juggle instead of reading books or watching tv. There was this guy who twirled around in a giant metal circle doing tricks and a lady... i can't describe it. Next time, just be ready to drop everything for a magical night.

I think i want to learn to juggle. 10 minutes a day should do it, right?

I believe in a thing called love

2009-11-12T20:17:00.001-08:00

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

I believe in a thing called love.mp3 (11289 KB)

Once upon a time, Sarah created an alter-ego super-hero called dating girl, because she felt that you almost had to be a superhero to be a successful dater and to believe in love. Dating girl soon became somewhat of a legend around our group of friends, and helped countless women, down on their dating luck, believe in themselves and in love. Sarah is departing the world of dating girl and shared her thoughts on love with us.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

new job, new life

2009-10-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

the life of a hermit, that is.

I'm heating water on the stove because i realized that the hot water isn't working, and I can't take a shower in tepid water when i'm going on day three of not showering. This isn't a problem i usually run into (the not showering), but this week I've officially become a hermit and showering just seemed like such an enormous effort when i really needed to get some work done. Last week I had a hard time focusing while working from home, and this week, well, I'll give you an example of what has happened.

I no longer answer my phone, but let it go to message. i think I am afraid of it. I'm starting to talk to myself. Really. I also sing. left my apartment once yesterday, at 7:30, to go to book club for an hour and a half. And I was really debating whether or not to go. I've been waking up at 6:30, rolling over, and getting right to work. On the plus side, I'm exhausted from my day of sitting by 10:30 and so have been going to be at a reasonable hour. Last week I ate all local, this week cooking seems like too much trouble so i ate pistachios and string cheese for dinner. Neither of which is local. But at least I'm saving water by not showering. Last week I couldn't get anything done if anything was out of order. This week, my roommate left for the week and I am finally getting around to dishes. Dust bunnies are scurrying around my floors and the bathroom needs serious attention, but it can wait. sun is shining. I'm in workout clothes but feeling the pressure of getting this grant done so I'm debating whether or not to go out today. I feel like I am such a slow learner at this, and I am spending all my time trying to get it right. So much so that I might be going crazy. It doesn't help that the boy who was my distraction called it quits and ran off to Bali.

I'm blogging not because I have time (i'm subtracting these 10 minutes from my working hours today, unfortunately, i only count productive hours of work) but because I think i'm trying to intervene for my own sanity.

I think my time would be well spent riding my bike to the bookstore. Getting some fresh air, interacting with humans, and buying a manual on grant writing. What do you think?

don't get scared.

2009-10-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

It's just Zombie Prom with Karly (from San Diego! On her way to Senegal! Thanks for coming!), Jeff, Laura, and Tyson.

Pistachios don't grow in New York

2009-10-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

But other than that mindless munching that I did this afternoon, I've been pretty darn good with this eating local challenge today. I'm working from home these days, which means that afternoons get a little bit slow for me. So after a breakfast of smoothie (blueberries and peaches I picked in New Jersey, raspberries from connecticut, milk from ny), I headed outside (yay! beautiful sunny day!) and was about to head to my usual coffe shop haunts when I thought, uh oh, do they serve locally grown food? The tea I was craving today was a vanilla rooibas-- from south africa, and I'm just not sure what teas are locally made, so i opted to not have any (luckily, again, not a cold day, because chocolate also would be questionable for being local). I wandered in and out of a few different coffee shops and restaurants, finding organic and a fish sandwich shop, and an all local gourmet hot dog restaurant (!) called Bark, which looked yummy and local, but for $4 a dog was a little spendy, and they had no wifi, but I'll probably make my way out there later on this week as I try to keep this up.

I finally ended up at Blue Marble, a fantastic ice cream shop/cafe with the best ice cream in new york, locally made! I had a bergen bagel, glass of water (mason jar) and pumpkin ice cream cone. No waste and all local, and all sooo good. So far so good.

And then I ended up coming home and trying to work some more. but since i was up pretty late due to hanging out late with a nice boy, i was struggling to stay awake and started popping the pistachios-- not candy... and then realized that they were from San Joaqin, CA. Blast! Ah well, dinner reformed me, with roasted local potatoes from the farmers market (a yummy mix of blue, red, white, and sweet potatoes) and sauted mushrooms, onion, and celery. Not elaborate, but good. The question I guess is then, can I use salt? I'm pretty sure that's not local, but it is kosher.

So, eating local all the time? probably not feasible for me right now. But trying to? I am a believe in this-- eat local, eat seasonal, eat less processed-- it just seems healthy, it tastes delicious, and it is environmentally more sound. Cost-- well, a body that doesn't fall apart in my 50s, no heart disease or diabetes, well, that's worth it to me.

What about you? Where does your food come from?

Trash

2009-10-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Day 2: Monday: Trash
"Find out if wasting less improves your life."

Today, the task was to create no trash. Think about it for a moment, do you even realize that you are creating trash? I'm usually just proud of myself for remembering to throw things away or recycle stuff. So I spent today thinking and wincing each time i threw something into the rubbish. Which made me try to avoid it as much as possible (do you think it counts if i just tucked something liek old papers away to throw out next week once the project is over? Sigh, i didn't think so.)

An examination of my trash today (sorry, this is kind of personal):
- kleenex
- cough drop wrapper
- pistachio shells
- paper towel used for drying veggies
- tampons
- napkin at the restaurant for dinner
- dryer sheets for laundry
- cotton pad for makeup

Not bad. Most of that was, i feel, unavoidable. So today I was constantly thinking about what it was that I was throwing away, but what is it like usually for me when i don't think about it? Old school papers, magazines, clothing, food garbage... I'm producing so much trash. And it goes into the garbage bag, which goes down the stairs to the trash, and into a truck, which then travels through NYC picking up other garbage, then taking it through the Bronx to the dump along with all the other NYC dump trucks (and there is a LOT of trash in this city), all of which produce so much pollution that kids in the Bronx nearby have abnormally high rates of asthma. The story of trash.

Memories of trash--
walking by a river in Cambodia, which was totally polluted with garbage. There was a fishing net draped across the river where the garbage-- old tires, plastic bags, dead animals, rotten food-- was caught. A little further down the river and around the bend, I found the swimming hole. Kids, jumping and playing in the river, maybe 12 feet from where all of the trash was filtering the water they were swimming and playing in.

another memory-- I was in Tanzania, living in a tiny fishing village called Matemwe on the island of Zanzibar. it was early one morning, and I was on my way out of town for a weekend in the main town. before leaving, i wanted to get rid of the nearly overflowing blue plastic grocery bag in the corner of my room, so I tied it up and went wandering to find the dump. But there was no dump to be found. Any trash was thrown into the strips of rocks and plants seperating one section of the village from another-- old flip flops, plastic bottles and bags, scraps of paper... But my trash bag was too big, too full, and now I was ashamed for having made so much garbage when evidently no one else did. I had papers and plastic wrappers of all sorts, empty jars of nutella and fanta cans, and I can't even remember the rest, but just thinking, wow, no one else is throwing this much away. but i had to do something, so I opened the bag and dumped out the contents, hoping no one would trace them back to me.

We are lucky to live in a place where we aren't confronted with our garbage. it smells much nicer here. but, maybe if we were, we would be horrified into not making as much of it.

Have you thought about how much garbage you make each day? How can you reduce that?

Consumption

2009-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Sunday: Consumption
"Live a fuller and happier life by buying less stuff."

We (Laura and I) watched the Story of Stuff tonight, and while a bit didactic and simple, also tells a powerful story about where our things come from and where they go. The most powerful take away for was pointing out that our (American) economy and values are based on the continual consumption of goods, and how industries since the fifties have focused on creating not goods that last a long time and are of high quality but break continually so we have to buy the latest model. I’m not as embarrassed anymore that I’m typing this on my 2005 iBook G4, even though it isn’t sexy at all. In order to be a good American, we are supposed to consume goods to fix the economy. Well, I don't want the old economy, I want a better one.

It’s Sunday, and so I can’t help but related this to some of the things I’ve learned at church. Tithing is one of those things that as a missionary I was always loathe to mention, because seriously? No one wants to hear that they are required to give 10 percent of their income to God. YOU work hard, you earn this money, you have needs and wants, and then you have to give 10 percent to a church?? But, in fact, it is a reminder from God that all that we own comes from Him, and to not become too attached to it. There was a great talk by a church leader, Robert Hales, about living providently. While a simple story, the story of his wife telling him that they couldn't afford to buy a new dress for her was one that came to mind. There are so many things that I don't need to have-- can't afford to have when looking at my finances, the space I have in my apartment, and with the impact that owning this new item has on the world-- the materials it is made from and what I do with it when I'm done with it.

So, how do I take this challenge to decrease my consumption and become a more conscientious consumer? This week, my challenge is to not buy anything new. Since I just got a new job and I need to start paying off loans soon, that shouldn't be too hard, but still, i know that when I do buy things, I tend to go with cheap and immediate. So, I guess my criteria for being a wise consumer will be:
1) Do I need it? Or can I borrow this from someone else for a day?
2) Can I get it used? Or local?
3) Will it last a long time?
4) Are there any harmful materials/practices that were involved in its creation?

What do you think? How can you be a more conscientious consumer? Any recommendations for me?

No Impact Experiment

2009-10-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

I may have scoffed at the idea of living no impact when I first heard about Colin Beavan's experiment. A ploy for a book; a passing fancy; a yawn because this guy is going to now be all superior about consuming less than everyone else. But, as I came to read the No Impact Man blog and heard him speak, I found him to not be a self-righteous environmentalist, but a sincere individual who wanted to try living no impact for a year for a book and found it to be incredibly fulfilling and positive lifestyle change. Every time I read something, my heart gets kind of warm and fuzzy, and I think, man, I wish I could live no-impact. And then sigh, and continue to forget to bring my canvas bag to the grocery store.

And so, when I heard about the No Impact Experiment, I decided that I could commit to living this lifestyle that I so admired for a week, to evaluate my own consumption patterns, and to see if I could live just a little bit kinder to the earth and my community. I'm excited! It starts on Sunday, so if you are interested, go here. And join me! I'll keep you posted on how it goes for me on the blog.

The thought of being with him in 50 years

2009-09-30T23:37:00.001-07:00

Vilja & Jordan by The Love Story Thief
Download now or listen on posterous

Vilja & Jordan.mp3 (7903 KB)

My sister and her husband realizing that they were in love and making the decision that they wanted to marry each other. They've been married for a little over a year and are perfect together. I'm so glad that they made the decision to be together forever.

Song credit: "If I Were a Fish" by Mum.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

The heartache almost made it not worth it

2009-09-28T20:46:00.001-07:00

Ashley by Suvi Hynynen
Download now or listen on posterous

Ashley.mp3 (14889 KB)

Love stories don't always end the way that we want them to, but that doesn't mean that the love story is any less valid. In fact, it is sometimes through the pain that we realize the extent of the love, as we hear in this interview with Ashley.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Tweeting the General Assembly

2009-09-26T13:13:00.001-07:00

I've finally decided to take this techiness to a new level. I spent a
few days this week at the UN General Assembly (at the last minute
getting my hands on tickets to observe! Too bad not on Wednesday...).
It was pretty amazing to see so many presidents and to hear them
speak. And it was crazy to feel blase about hearing another president
speak. These are world leaders! For any single one of them I would
line up specially! And there I was, just listening to one after the
other.

So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I tweeted my thoughts. You
can follow me at www.twitter.com/suvihynynen. i think this is maybe
what twitter was made for, but I may be mistaken. Josh, any thoughts?

For those of you who don't want to go check out the twitter feed, i'll
give you a brief synopsis- every single president talked about climate
change, some of them sincerely (like the small island developing
states that are experiencing the effects now and are sinking) and
others were just getting on the bandwagon. All the presidents I saw
were male, although there were 5 female heads of state listed. FIVE
out of what, 195. Wow, we've got some work to do. The financial crisis
was also a major topic (understandably) and I could sense a bit of
anger I think towards the major world economies (US, GB, etc.),
because while housing prices and employment have been hit here, those
countries have just been devastated financially with food shortages
and loss of capital. (I tweeted some good quotes on that I think...
go check it out).

I don't know if it's bad that I wanted to see Robert Mugabe, but I
did. I've never seen a real live dictator before, and I wanted to see
what he would say when facing the world stage when he's been so
horrible to his own people. And what did he say? he blamed the
sanctions on Zimbabwe for the death children there. Other than that,
he was rather more timid than I expected.

Now, Hugo Chavez was something else. This man was comical and
charismatic. i can see why he's drawn a following. That doesn't mean
that I agree with him or his policies, but he was really fun to listen
to, joking about the Cuban delegate throwing a shoe at him, inviting
Obama to the Socialist club, pulling out a huge Karl Marx book and
reading from it, and concluding with a song.

It was also interesting to hear Benyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas
(Israel and Palestine, respectively) speak, about the same things. A
two state solution, reaching out to the other side in peace, defending
themselves in Gaza. The same things they've been talking about for the
last what, 40 years? I wonder if peace will ever be possible there.

So, this week I saw presidents. It both overwhelming, and at the same
time underwhelming. But more than anything, it made me want to do
something important with my life, and in some way change the world and
not jsut talk about it. Like Asha, this incredible Somali woman
honored by the Clinton Global Initiative and my org WOW (come to the
conference and here her speak Oct. 10th in Utah! www.wowinfo.org) for
her peacebuilding work there.

I'll throw my arms around him when he comes to the door.

2009-09-23T09:44:00.001-07:00

Liina & Jarom by Suvi Hynynen
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Liina & Jarom.mp3 (4699 KB)

I posed this question of what Love feels like to my sister Liina and her husband Jarom. I love how Liina describes it, because I totally had these conversations with her back when she was single and we were roommates. She would come home from a date, and I would know that this guy wasn't the one because she couldn't open up and be as ridiculously romantic as she wanted to be.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Love is cantaloupes.

2009-09-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

Evan by Suvi Hynynen
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Evan.mp3 (12535 KB)

Interview with Evan, the day before his wedding (marrying my friend Lindsay from the previous post). The music editing into this one is a little awkward, but I like it nonetheless.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Love is coming home.

2009-09-23T09:15:00.001-07:00

Lindsay And Evan by Suvi Hynynen
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Lindsay and Evan.mp3 (11397 KB)

Interview with my friend Lindsay, the day before her wedding. This is one of the first stories that I stole back in 2007.

Posted via email from The Love Story Thief

Don't have a job? Look on the bright side!

2009-09-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is how I've been feeling lately.

If I've learned anything from being unemployed (other than the fact that I really would LOVE to have a job, let me know if you have one for me), it is this-- it is really, really easy to get depressed and in a funk. But if I've learned anything else, it is this-- the best way to get out of it is to start a creative project to make you feel like you are accomplishing something.

So, I've been spending more time on the UN stuff and my book. Life is looking much peachier. And, I start my tv production class tonight with Victoria and we are going to be famous!!

At my prime

2009-09-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I've reached the ripe old age of 29. I celebrated on Saturday with some friends coming over for waffles in the morning, an afternoon of spiritual feasting at the institute conference, and a truly delightful dinner with Mike, Laura and Tyson at Smorgas Chef, delicious Scandinavian restaurant I've been wanting to go to just to indulge in herring. And oh, how I indulged! Birthday, i loved you. Thanks for being low-key and lovely.

This brings me to my thoughts on being 29. You probably don't know this about me, but I have a deep animosity towards even numbers. or numbers that end in 5. Everything fits so neatly into them. If I have to pick a number between 1 and 10, you can be assured that I will pick an odd number, and it will probably be either 3 or 7, because those are prime numbers (and even in this case, the 5 gets no reprieve). I think i maybe feel sorry for odd numbers, where things just don't match up. And prime numbers especially! Oh how I love prime numbers! They make my heart break! Nothing quite fits them, they are so uneven. As Mike pointed out, it's been 6 years-- the longest time ever!-- since my last prime number birthday. As a child, I had all sorts of prime number birthdays, almost every other year, and even in the teens the prime numbers came with a frequency to match the awkwardness of being 13 or 17 years old, not quite sure of life or my place. 23 was a good prime year for me, on the brink of a brand new adventure after graduating from college and embarking on my mission. What a wonderful year that was, a time of real growth and finding myself!

So here I am at 29, a respectable prime number, just on the edge of 30 (which we all know means real adulthood). Independent, strong, but still not easily divided, so somehow feeling out of place, just a bit. I suppose this is a fitting time for me to be 29, in that case. Independent, for certain, and at this place, on the brink of something great... waiting to embark on this career but in this awkward place of uncertainty. Not quite fitting in because I always thought that by 29 I would be divisible by 2. It's a lonely number, to be sure. Awkward and lonely.

But yet. I feel like I'm at my prime. My body works well-- it craves healthy foods (for the most part) and I've finally developed some level of physical discipline. I feel more attractive now than at any period in the past, and finally have some realization of clothing and styles that suit me. I have a masters degree, which proves how smart I am. I've had an adventurous, exciting path behind me and no longer have anything to prove, feeling ready for a slightly steadier one ahead. I like my friends and have true ones. I've proven that I am capable and open to love, but can stand and thrive on my own. I'm not as afraid or shy as I once was, and I've learned to nurture myself when I do feel that way.

So, I'm ready, 29, I really am ready for you. Just don't speed along too quickly.

The Luckiest- Ben Folds

2009-09-02T17:56:00.001-07:00

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12 The Luckiest.m4p (4198 KB)

Posted via email from Love Songs for Weddings That Don't Suck

Question- Rhett Miller

2009-09-02T17:37:00.001-07:00

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12 Question.m4a (2816 KB)

Posted via email from Love Songs for Weddings That Don't Suck

Xixi no Banho

2009-08-26T20:11:00.001-07:00

One great way to save water! As recommended by the Brazilians.
Xixi no Banho

- 1 Translation(s) | dotSUB

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eternal + bliss

2009-08-21T19:29:00.001-07:00

I had an interview today! I will not tell you anything about it because I might jinx my possibilities. But I had an interview, and that helped alleviate the i-don't-have-a-job -(aside from the GI doc's office)-what-is-wrong-with-me-I-must-be-a-terrible-person-and-lazy melt-down from yesterday. But, i know I'm not alone in this, and something will work out, and my life is amazingly good aside from the not knowing what I'm doing with my future bit.

Also, going to the temple helps me feel less crazy and more centered. I've been called to serve as a temple worker, so every Friday afternoon from 3-7 you'll find me in the Manhattan temple (66th and Broadway), soaking in the peace and trying to help others have a good experience as well. I love going there because of the light I feel. I also love going there because after feeding my spirit, I feed my sweet tooth with goodies, often from yummy local bakeries like Magnolias and Levain Bakery. Mmm, i love it. Today I treated myself to some ice cream sandwiches from my fridge, and when I say some, I mean I really did eat a few while lying here in my bed in front of the AC and watching hulu.

Motorcycles and leapin' salmon

2009-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Tyson works for Air Canada. He also happens to be a rather hip and interesting individual that I'm working on getting to know better, and so when he invited me to go to Vancouver Island with him on a motorcycle trip this last weekend, I jumped at the chance. Well, that is, after I questioned his motorcycle riding record, type of bike (1982 Yamaha, which can't really go faster than the speed limit), and riding style. After ascertaining that he was responsible (despite daredevil antics elsewhere, he promised to be safe, and he was), I jumped at the chance to go to beautiful BC. Aside from the motorcycle and lovely scenery, he also promised an uncle Tom at the family reunion who can cook salmon in 17 different ways, which was really the main selling point. Oh man, was it delicious. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about that smoked salmon. Mmmmm. i'm going to just take a moment thinking about this.

Okay, done licking my lips, although I might just find myself at the Chelsea market tomorrow for some lox. Back to vancouver. One of the highlights of the trip was reconnecting with an old friend, McKay (Alanna, you remember him?) who went to Tanzania a year before I did. I haven't seen him in what, 7 years now? So what a treat to get to spend some time with him, since he and Tyson also go way back (Mormon world is very, very small). More smoked salmon was involved with that meeting and lunch by the lake. Thanks to some connections Tyson has (by the way, i think he has more hook-ups than any other person I know, he manages to find everything for free), we made our way across the world's longest suspension bridge! I can't remember the name, but it stretched over this canyon, and we were very, very high up. Heights make me a little nervous, but it was nothing compared to watching people leaping to their deaths on a bridge going bungee jumping or on this ridiculous thing called the "King Swing" which is essentially a thousand foot drop straight down and then swinging away just before you hit the water. My heart just about stopped beating just watching that. I thoguht I was brave, but i know my limits. And my limits were jumping from a respectable, albeit small, cliff into a nearby river and rope swinging. I will not tell you how long it took me to build enough courage to do either of those activities, because you will mock me, but luckily Tyson was kind enough not to mock me for it, at least to my face. He, on the other hand, dove right in off of a much higher cliff, but then again, he is very manly and rather brave, and slightly crazy too, I think.

I haven't spent much time on motorcycle, aside from a few shorter trips with Andy back in 2003. But boy, with the wind at your back, and sun on your face, it is quite a fantastic experience. Ok, so really, the wind couldn't really get to my back because I was the designated backpack carrier (that's what I get for not knowing how to drive) and the sun didn't much touch our faces under the space helmets we wore (but we were SAFE), but still, you know what I mean. it was rather liberating to be on a bike on the road, amongst the trees, by the ocean... ah. I almost felt like part of the brotherhood of motorcyclists. but not quite, since Tyson didn't have a handlebar mustache (nor did I for that matter, but many of the female riders in Canada did), and we had to push start the bike every time (that may have hurt our street cred just a tad). It was lovely. I got to ride on a ferry boat! On the ocean! And see purple starfish (did you know they were purple? I thought they were always orange!)! AND, i got to see a bunch of orcas swimming! That was pretty darn magical. I have a thing for sea mammals. I really was hoping to see some seals ( do so love piles of furry animals), but no luck, ah well.

So now I'm back home. I went into the GI doctor's office again today to work, and daydreamed about breathing fresh air between booking colonoscopies. I think there is something to be said for escaping life every once in a while. And for friends with airline privileges.

My celebrity sighting

2009-08-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN. She is way
better than any rock star or actress and I was pretty giddy to shake
her hand.

Fruit of my labors

2009-08-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

I went peach picking in Connecticut with the church ladies. 22 lbs, 5
lbs of blueberries, 3 lbs of plums, a bruised knee, sun kissed cheeks
and hours in the car and laughing with the ladies filled the day.
Homemade peach jam and bread were the ultimate outcome. And it was
good too! Which was a surprise, because I had no idea how to make it
and spent hours over a hot stove dressed in a moomoo (hey it was
rather warm inthe kitchen and k was home alone!), lamenting the lack
of thickness and whether I had added enough sugar and then whether I
had added too much and then it burnt to the bottom... Anyway, I'm
still proud, and I took some to the office and gave a slice to an old
lady, and she said it was really good. And if an old lady says that,
then it really must be.

Maybe I will be a farmer.

2009-07-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Suvi's adventures in the career search continue!! Yesterday, she trekked to the country, yes indeed, scenic Stony Brook in Long Island! In a car! This was a reunion tour with Ryan and Emily (from the Nauvoo trip... which i think i failed to blog about... but it was fun and we bonded, so much so that we had to get together again). In any case. Ryan is a gardener. Well, he is a grad student at Stony Brook, but in this summer he decided to plant a community garden, which i highly approve of. He grows all sorts of treats, like tomatoes, green beans, radishes, lettuce... you know, the usual goodies. Unfortunately, no one else seems to want to work in the garden with him, so Em and i finally made our way out there to get our hands dirty and help him out.

We spent the afternoon finding sticks in the woods to act as support stakes for the tomato plants and tying them to these beams of wood. I kind of felt like an Old MacDonald sort of McGyver, gerryrigging twine and old t-shirt to sticks to hold up a tomato stalk bearing a bounteous harvest.

No pictures of that though, because we were too busy working.

The thing is, after spending weeks sitting in front of my computer (yeah right! I know you are thinking that, but really, I am very selective in the information i share with you-- trust me, you don't want to know how many hours i spend staring at a computer screen!), I absolutely loved being there, getting dirty, being productive in a very obvious way, helping plants to grow. It felt good to work with my hands and be outside. I read books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and The Omnivore's Dilemma and learn about food policy and eating local... It feels good to know where your food comes from and to be part of that process. I was talking to the plants, thanking them for growing and providing me with sun-ripened goodness. It feels natural, and healthy. Part of me really wants to just go work on a farm for the rest of the summer and fall-- go harvest corn or something. But could I do it for a career? I wonder. I enjoy a lot of other things and might get bored. but then again, I think of my friend Jackie and she has a garden and just got chickens and is well on her way to having a cow... little by little she is growing closer to her food and loving it. it seems strange, we had the industrial revolution that changed the world from subsistence farmers to allow for all sort of other professions. I'm grateful for that, but do you think that maybe we moved too far from it? We are so distant from the land and what keeps us alive, and as I learn more about food, the closer I want to be to the process. Regressing, progressing...

I went to the movies last night with Melinda to see Food Inc. It was really good, even though it didn't share much that i didn't already know from past food policy research about the agro-industrial complex, farm lobbies, evils of Monsanto, food access... it was just a good reminder that while it seems impossible to go up against the corn industry, with their high fructose corn syrup in everything, we vote every day, three times a day for what food we want. And it makes a difference. I mean, Wal-mart has organics. It's frustrating to see fresh produce, hormone free milk, and non-feed lot raised meat so expensive, but i think that there are so many things that we can do, for our own bodies, for the environment, for our kids future. Sounds crazy, but eat less meat, eat more veggies, cut out some of the non-essentials like eating out and snacks so we can feed our bodies what they really need and want. I'm not awesome at this by a long shot, but it is something that I think about a lot, and feel strongly about. I know that i feel better when i eat veggies and less sweets. I want to raise my babies like that, because I feel like that is how I was raised to a certain extent. In fact, i think that's a deal breaker.

As for being a farmer, maybe not this year, but don't be surprised in a few years...

Someone has been beating me up in my sleep

2009-07-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I discovered this bruise on my foot yesterday morning. Well, I noticed
it a few days ago but just assumed that my feet were dirty (a
reasonable assumption in the summertime). It doesn't hurt at all, just
looks kind of funny there. And with a bruise like that, you would
think I would remember.

One day, one job

2009-07-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not the only one looking for a job. Turns out that only 20% of graduates had a job lined up. Many of my friends are in the same boat that I am in, so i don't feel too bad, but it is still a struggle to figure out how to do this whole job hunt thing right. This website, sent to me by a friend, One Day, One Job, is a nice little advice/place to go during the hunt. Check it out!

when I grow up, I want to... beg for money.

2009-07-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

This week, i've decided that I do want to be a development officer (aka, fundraiser) because it would be useful for any further positions in the nonprofit sector. Sure, it may have something to do with the fact that that is the ONLY thing people seem to be hiring for these days. But I really do think it would be useful, especially right now, since I just finished up creating a fundraising plan for WOW, and I can honestly say that 1) it was kind of fun and I'm excited to see it put in motion, and 2) I wish i knew what I were doing. Now to just figure out how to word a cover letter that would help me sell my complete lack of experience in this area to an organization that wants someone with 3-5 years of experience.... hey, if I can't sell myself, how on earth am i going to manage to beg for money from potential donors?

If anyone has any experience creating a fund-raising plan, give me a holler and i'll send this one to you to take a look, I could use some help!

I went to the library and checked out a stack of books on the topic. By golly, I'm going to be an expert at this. Or at least able to use the right words. I figure i might as well gain a useful skill of sorts while i'm doing this whole job hunt thing. i can't always be meeting friends for brunch in Williamsburg. Although, it was rather delightful to catch up with Elly and tales of her wedding, and to ride through Hassidic jewish Brooklyn on my bike.

I'm on LinkedIN, come find me and be in my network!

get down, get down, yeah

2009-07-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Sassy Sarah is getting married and she recently posted this video on her blog. I had to steal it because it was just a blast. If I weren't so keen on getting hitched in the temple, I would totally do something like this. Hmm, I wonder how they would take to someone busting this song out when entering the sealing room....

I will find a job, yes I will

2009-07-21T09:22:00.001-07:00

Guys, this job hunting things is.... well, I'm not going to lie, it is a challenge. I'm not sure that I am doing it right. i know what it is that I want to be doing, but I think that I keep expecting the perfect job to just land in my lap. Which, unfortunately isn't the case.

Yesterday:
- searched on Monster.com: no luck.
- searched on the wagner career website: one possible job at human rights first. researched the org for a while, finding a job as a fellow developing policy for Iraqi refugees, which I would love to do but I don't speak Arabic and don't have 5 years of middle east experience (this is a fellowship! an opportunity to LEARN supposedly!) and decided to apply for the now less interesting job i initially found
-spent hours staring at the word document on my computer screen trying to come up with the right words for a reasonably non-lame cover letter. came up with something but didn't submit it because i now have to find a suitable writing sample.
- went to a picnic b-day party for a cute 1-year-old, became jealous of his accomplishments.
- rode my bike around and around prospect park, willing endorphins to flood my body so i wouldn't be too depressed. nearly swallowed a lighting bug.
- reviewed the LDS employment leads list and emailed a friend who had a lead, even though I am not an MSW and thus not qualified for the job. Email may have sounded slightly desperate.
- blogged until way past my bedtime. Blast! I was supposed to be in bed by 11.

-Started all over again this morning.

Friends, how have you found a job? What am i doing wrong? Am I maybe doing something right? Any words of wisdom here?

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

2009-07-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm going to make you all jealous.

One of the best things about summertime in NYC are all of the fantastic free concerts that they have here in the various parks. It is closely followed by the fantastic, if not so free, concert by amazing musicians played here that I've gotten to attend. Summer evening sky, fading from bright blue to red to gray and then dark blue with tinges of orange on the edges of the lights from the city reflecting skyward. If you're in Prospect Park, there are fireflies that come out just at dusk, lighting the field like stars darting around, as well as some real stars shining their brightest to reach us through the light pollution. It's on nights like those, laying on my back, listening to beautiful music played by the NY Philharmonic Orchestra in the grass, that I wouldn't trade for anything. i live in the best place in the world. Especially when i can ride my bike home after the fireworks display (friends, we get fireworks more than just on the fourth of July).

Sky

Ro

Michael

Chris

April

Me

Fireworks!!! Best part of the night. I love them so much!!

I also wouldn't trade having a picnic with my sister Meri and some fantastic friends while listening to the Met Opera perform in Central Park (yes, even the battling old people pushing in line). I was reminded of how incredibly romantic opera can be, as Paulo Szot (star of South Pacific) sang some love songs for all of the swooning women in the audience. I think I just about managed to convince meri to move here just for him...

Meri giving me her usual expression

Beautiful singing by beautiful people

Or the giant mosh pit I was trapped in on Pier 54 while dancing to Brooklyn's own Matt & Kim (luckily, I had two strapping young men, Misha and Josh, to protect me from the rowdies. Only my poor feet were subjected to a beating).

My heroes, Misha and Josh

Or the Philharmonic again but in Central Park this time with a view of tall buildings behind the trees, with Tyson while trying strange berry pills that changes lemons into lemonade in your mouth. Even if the fireworks were canceled due to rain.

Or experiencing the Bowery Ballroom for the first time in my life with Josh and shaking my booty to the incredibly shakable Harlem Shakes , a fantastic little band everyone should see. Bowery Ballroom, we shall meet again.

I also wouldn't trade seeing an actual Beatle performing Beatles songs. Yes, you heard it right, thanks to a friend with some good hook-ups, I was invited to go see Paul McCartney and see a fantastic show, complete with pyrotechnics! There is nothing quite like hearing Paul singing Hey Jude, and the crowd going completely nuts. he kept talking about the first time he played Shea Stadium, and how they couldn't hear a thing because of all the screaming girls. Of course, that set off a hoard of screaming girls in his honor (well, actually mostly middle aged women in capri pants) and he quite enjoyed it.

(that's Paul playing the piano. you can't see him, but he is there).

Music makes my ears and my heart so happy. Especially outside. .

Tweet, tweet

2009-07-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

One goal completed! Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/suvihynynen

yeah, i'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do with this now...

Ladies of leisure pick berries

2009-07-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, i have a very weighty responsibility as an unemployed to fill my time with the things that all of those who are currently employed would rather be doing. You think this is an easy task, do you? Well, watching television just doesn't cut it, no sirree, not with the employed friends I have. They would rather be taking trips and writing books and going to museums. And there are only so many hours to the day (oh you'd be surprised how these weeks are flying by!). Really, i don't know how people have time to work, when there are bike rides to be had, museums to visit, and berries to pick. But dear, friends, everything I do, i do it for you.

We took a little trip out to a farm in NJ with the Relief Society ladies last week to pick berries. The farm was so dreamy by this sleepy river and tiny little town with a cute antique shop.

I adore blueberries!!! YUM! Half of these made it into my bucket, and the other half into my belly. I had to try them all to make sure that they were ripe, right? NJ blueberries are different from he berries that i am accustomed to picking. As a kid, I would traipse in the woods in Finland collecting little blueberries from plants near the ground and they stained my fingers and teeth blue. These NJ blueberries were much larger, with a white center and grew on bushes. Upon further investigation, I came to discover that the berries that I've always picked and called blueberries were actually Bilberries, related to blueberries, but harder to cultivate and usually grown wild in sub-Arctic areas (that explains why they are in Finland). All these years, and I never had any idea. What else is there in my life that I've been completely mistaken about?

Well, with Trina and Kamilah (and Tess and Sarah), we still enjoyed picking these blueberries.

I brought home a whole bucket full!

And belly-full as well.

We also managed to find some of these. They weren't quite ripe yet. But I still managed to enjoy them :)

My phone/camera died in the middle of the day, so i didn't get any pictures of the pallet of strawberries I brought home with me (SO. GOOD.), but all in all, a good day for this lady of leisure. To celebrate a successful day on the farm, I whipped up a fresh veggie dinner of sweet corn and roasted potatoes with carrots, with a Finnish swiss roll full of berries and cream. Luckily i had a few willing eaters in Laura, Tyson, and my darling roomies Maren and Rachel.

I also don't have pictures of the leisurely lady activities the following day, which consisted of Melissa and Sindri coming over for some baking with berries fun. WE washed and cut and mixed and tasted and pressed and poured and talked and talked and ultimately concluded the day with a pile of strawberry rubars and blueberry cupcakes to share with the world. Made with lots of love.

Really, I do it all for you. Such a torturous summer, such hard work. xoxo.

Goals:

2009-07-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

The other day, a friend recommended that since I was unemployed (thanks for reminding me, Josh), i should blog more. He pointed me to a great article for recent journalism grads with a list of things to boost their professional cache while unemployed this summer. Like I need that! Ahem, well, even though I'm not a journalism grad, I thought I'd pull a few of the recommendations from the list and try them out because really, it can't hurt to actually figure out how to post the interviews i conducted last summer. These are some of the things on my list (and you can hold me to it):

1. Post on my blog at least twice a week (purely for professional reasons, not narcissism).
2. Join Twitter (yes, you watch me josh, i'll do it. one of these days).
3. Actually learn why and how to use Twitter.
4. Create a podcast-- conduct interviews, edit audio, etc for a podcast. I actually have two that I've been working on for the last few years. One is The Love Story Thief, with stories about love and how it works, and the other is Refugee Voices (or something like that) with interviews with exiles from various conflict regions explaining their perspective on how peace could be achieved.
5. Finish book project with Haifa.
6. Become a guest blogger on Segullah and other blogs I read regularly.
7. Take more pictures, good ones.
8. Explore and review media and advocacy organizations, such as witness.org and others.
9. Take chances and try out new projects with my incredibly talented friends.

That is actually quite a time consuming list, but I'd really like to stick with it, especially if this whole job things takes some time. Who knows, it might even lead to a change in my career path (goodbye policy analysis, hello Cooking with Rockstars!)

What Suvi thinks about on the beach

2009-07-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I rode my bike to Brighton beach with Chris. Yeah, we figured if we have to be unemployed, we might as well do stuff that everyone else wishes they were doing instead of working. It was a PERFECT day for a bike ride, and especially since the ride there from my house is pretty much an eight mile straight shot on a bike path, lined with benches of old people watching traffic.

We lay in the sand discussing Chasing the Flame by Samantha Power about Sergio Vierra de Mello, a career UN diplomat who was the Special Envoy to Iraq killed in the car bomb at the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003. We're both interested in humanitarian affairs and this particular book was brutally honest in it's depiction of the UN and world political affairs, from the perspective of a very imperfect man. But it was also hopeful in the direction of committed individuals to a new brand of global diplomacy where human dignity and human rights are respected first and foremost. Read it! It is sad and fantastic.

As we were discussing (and watching an older Russian man lather sunscreen onto EVERY SINGLE INCH of his much younger wife's(?) body), I asked Chris what he would rather be doing than sitting on the beach. Obviously not many things would make that list. Definitely not an office job. Perhaps it was due to the discussion on how we could use lessons learned from Sergio's life and tragic situations in much of the country, but his response was that rather than sitting on a beach he would love to be working in the field somewhere. You know what? i would have to concur. When I think about what i want to be doing with my life, the jobs that most appeal to me are the ones where i would be working in the field, in some crisis situation, working with women and helping them access basic needs.

So what does that mean for me? No, I haven't signed up for a UN mission to Afghanistan. But that doesn't mean that I won't either.

That my friends, would be better than the beach. unless, of course, the beach has an amazing number of old, Russian men with hairy backs in speedos. Ah, Brighton Beach, you never fail to please.

RIP, MJ

2009-06-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Do you remember your first time? your first time really listening to Michael Jackson and knowing that he was the king? The first time you wore just one white glove on purpose?

I was at Nicole's birthday party, probably third grade. I didn't have hip, musically inclined older siblings (that would be me), so I was maybe late in the game. Nicole did, however, and even though they were from Chile, her older siblings knew EVERYTHING about Michael Jackson. Sure, i'd roller skated to his music at the rink where we'd go for school roller skating parties, but I didn't know much about him. We were at the dining room table, eating cake, and someone put on Michael Jackson. Nicole ran and got her one white glove to put on, and we all started dancing. Some kids could do the moonwalk, and I was soooo jealous. Not so jealous about the crotch grabbing dancing. Nicole's older siblings had SEEN him in concert, and so regaled us with stories about how he used to be in the Jackson Five, and then broke off on his own and became the most famous. I'd had no idea, and this new knowledge about this pop star kind of blew my mind, as did the plastic surgery rumors. He was so strange, and so talented. My parents didn't let us stay up to watch the "Thriller" music video when it came out, but i remember everyone else talking about it, and even my older sister knew about that.

That was my first time really experimenting with MJ.

Then he got all weird and married Lisa Marie Presley (which was also really strange, right?). I lost track of him until one day, I was in Cambodia, riding a bus. It was a long bus ride over rough roads, so someone had the sense to throw in a video. The best possible video ever. Michael Jackson's music videos. There I was with my friend Andy, the only white kids on this bus full of Cambodians and everyone enthralled and singing along to the songs. It was truly one of those moments where we could just turn to each other and say, hey, we are all the same, aren't we? and end all wars.

That's MJ for you, building bridges (except with the whole Never never land thing), bringing people together across the globe. you will be missed.

dreamy

2009-06-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

last night, i dreamt that I was engaged to this skinny guy (no, i didn't recognize him). We were sitting on the kitchen floor of my apartment and he was pulling out all of these new cleaning supplies he had just bought, heavy duty, toxic cleaning supplies. I started crying and said "But i don't want to poison my babies!" I think the look on his face indicated that my babies and his babies would be mutually exclusive.

Yup. I've been thinking a lot lately about how I really want to use only natural cleaning products. And obviously babies too in my subconscious.

Women on front line of street protests - The National Newspaper

2009-06-23T11:30:00.001-07:00

YOu'veprobably all seen the video by now- or heard of it at least-- of the woman shot in the chest by the militia in the Iranian protests and dying in a pool of her own blood. It is brutal, as are all images of people dying. But it as also served as a rallying cry for many of the demonstrators in Iran protesting the recent elections declaring President Ahmadinejad as the victor over Mousavi. While women in Iran do have relatively more freedom compared to women elsewehre inthe MIddle East, under the Ahmidenejad regime they still lack many fundamental rights under Iranian law-- such as a woman's testimony counting for only half as much as a man's. Can you imagine what it would be like to report a rape, which is already considered sucha secret and shameful thing, somewhere that your testimony didn't really matter? The enforcing of the dress code by the morality police is an obvious indication of the control that the government holds over society, and a constant reminder that there is a long way to go before freedom.

I don't know if the elections were rigged or what should be done about it. But, I do know that I support whoever will advance equal rights for women in Iran.

Women on front line of street protests - The National Newspaper

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Isi

2009-06-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of people are blogging about their dads today, and many of the blogs I read will probably include adorable pictures of cute kids hugging cute dads. I wish I had some pictures from when I was little with my dad (they are all in Toronto or Finland at my grandma's house), because I was a very cute little girl (red rosy cheeks, pigtails, big mischievous smile) and my dad was a very cute dad (total hipster-looking, i never realized how cool my dad really was until I moved to Brooklyn and all the cute dads look like he did in the 70s and 80s).

I brag about my dad a lot. i don't think he knows it, because I certainly don't tell him that. maybe I should tell him how proud I am of him, but that just seems like an awkward conversation. It's so much easier to tell other people how smart he is in science and what little i understand about his important, life-saving work. It is really because of him that I try to be smart too-- I joke about how i'm the dumb one in a family full of doctors, but there is part of me hoping that the apple couldn't have fallen far from the tree. I went to graduate school for myself of course, but I have to admit, part of me was really pleased to be able to show my dad that I was accepted to a great MPA school, and I know that he was proud of me too. Yeah, he does put pressure on us academically and professionally, but over the years I've come to realize it is only because he knows that 1) hard work pays off, and 2) I think he believes in our abilities to be great and smart. i think my dad really expects me to change the world; I'm not so sure about that myself, but i really hope he doesn't stop believing that. Now if only he would be as optimistic about my chances at getting hitched...

Another way in which he has influenced my life, even moreso than the academic, is the spiritual. It's not quite as easy to brag about what a good example he has been to me, not because he hasn't been one, but because I don't think that he thinks he has been. He's not that guy who teaches Sunday School and spouts off obscure quotes from church leaders long since dead. His testimony and spiritual strength has always been more of the simple action kind. He simply lives it, without fanfare and with commitment. I think that it has been hard fought and not without struggles, but he keeps at it. He isn't perfect, but I don't need a perfect father, I need someone who understands what it is like to question things, to feel insecure and sad, to feel alone, and to still keep working at it day by day hoping to be a little better each day because it is worth it. Sure, it's sometimes annoying to always be asked "so, do you have a job yet? How's the dating going?" but it's just because he cares about me, and i know i can always go to him when i am struggling. He's played the role of "parent", both mom and dad over the years, and i am so grateful for that.

It's been said that girls marry men like their fathers. Judging from my dating line-up, i've been trying pretty hard to not make that the case. But, today as i sat in church, looking around at all of these cute little families with proud and handsome husbands and fathers, i knew very clearly what I wanted. I wanted someone who honors the priesthood and loves God. Someone who loves and supports me as his partner. Someone who adores his kids. Someone who loves telling really lame jokes. In other words, someone just like my dad.

Missed connections

2009-06-10T10:42:00.001-07:00

Have you ever read the Craigslist missed connections? Some are lame, some are funny, and some are freakin' soliloquies written to someones long lost love. Pure poetry, i tell you. I love the little moments described in the missed connections...

"This morning on the E train...

Hi again

Thanks for the seat on a crowded subway

Better than walking thru a monsoon

If you were just being friendly - have a great day

If I read your eyes accurately at all, say hello"

and another

"I’m looking for the young woman that went out with her parents to eat at Spumoni Gardens on Saturday June 6, with her parents.
You’re adorable..
Your parents must have been visiting from somewhere out West from the style of clothes they were wearing..
We made eye contact a few times when you were leaving..
Get back to me maybe we can meet under less awkward circumstances… "

and one more

"we sat across from each other on the F train... I had a backwords cap and big headphones. You chowed down a bagel for a bit. I wanted to say something clever but didn't. Dang."

Those moments with strangers, that connection on the train, is it worth finding? Or is it better to leave it as a heart palpitating few moments and a pleasant alternate future of what-might-have-been-if-only-we'd-met?

A few weeks ago i very nearly posted a missed connections because of a conversation and sparkly eyes on a train. Luckily, he found me on facebook. :)

Boston and baby adenture!

2009-06-04T12:07:00.001-07:00

This is Catherine, Meghan's baby girl.

pervert.

2009-06-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

I feel safe in this city. I feel fairly safe and comfortable on the subways and walking in my neighborhood, i'm aware of my surroundings and hold my bag to make sure no one can grab it. But this morning something happened that made me feel uncomfortable.

I ride trains all the time, crowded ones. People are pushed up against each other and we all deal with it without making eye contact and trying to be touch in the least offensive ways. but on occasion, people press against me and it is uncomfortable. i usually shift however I can, and assume that we are all just crammed into the tight space together. One time a guy was standing behind me, and when i got off the crowded train, a guy grabbed me, flashed his badge, and asked if the guy had been bothering me. I was in shock and running late, so I said no and ran off. But I thought about that experience a lot. Unlike most train rides, i could still feel his body against mine, way too close for comfort, and while i hadn't felt any grabbing or poking or anything, it had made me feel uncomfortable, and I wondered if maybe I should've said something to the officer... I then forgot about it.

That was weeks ago. This morning, again on the 4 train to Grand Central, a crowd piled into the train and a guy stood directly behind me. I felt him pressed against my back and butt, and was reminded again about the incident a few weeks ago. But really, it was a crowded train, he wasn't "touching" me... I shifted over to the other side of the pole, but avoided his gaze, which I suddenly found myself to be very shy in meeting. On the way out, i glanced at him, and made eye contact. Uncomfortable. And then, as we disembarked from the train, i saw him grabbed by another guy as handcuffs were slid from the a pocket, and another guy pulled me aside and flashed his badge. "Ma'am, i saw that man touching you. Are you okay? can you tell me what happened?" This time, though on my way to a meeting, i stayed and talked to the officer. Plain clothes, no indication that he's a cop, and i actually asked for his id when he asked me for my statement. Though I knew the guy in the plaid shirt had been pressed against me, and I had felt uncomfortable, did i really think he did it on purpose? i didn't want him in trouble for being on a crowded train. But as I hesitated and said to the officer, well, he was touching me, but I'm not sure it was on purpose, there was a crowd... the officer told me that there was no one pushing the guy and he had space. And he had seen me shift away and look uncomfortable. This is what guys do on the subway unfortunately, and they catch men rubbing up against women almost every day, it gets them off and no one has to know. And women feel uncomfortable but can't really do anything about it because they just aren't sure...

I made a statement. Part of me thinks, what if it was just an accident? But another part is so grateful for the cops on that train for noticing and doing something. I felt uncomfortable and sort of violated, and I'm glad that the cops provided a safe space to say something. I always think I am brave enough to say something, to shame someone who is acting inappropriately, but on more occasions than i'd like to remember, i second guess the intentions of people and keep quiet, instead finding myself ashamed.

So thank you NYC subway cops this morning. I hope the plaid shirt guy learned a valuable lesson today.

And friends, don't be afraid to speak up when you feel something is amiss. Trust your senses. better safe than sorry. I'm working on that.

Return of the Summer Child

2009-05-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Officially, it is still springtime, but for me, with school over and Memorial day now past, it is officially summertime (come on weather, won't you just cooperate?). And while I have many tasks to accomplish (first and foremost finding a job), I still love the fact that it is summer and am already starting to feel in my element (warm weather = happy suvi). No more boring picture posts! From here on out, only adventure tales that will make you jealous (it's my blog, i can say what I want to).

The official start to summer adventures was this last weekend. On a whim, i decided to join my friend Hailey on a sailing trip to Catalina Island over Memorial Day weekend. Done with school and not quite ready to face reality, i figured a trip on a sailboat with people i didn't know would be just what i needed, but not too overwhelming as I feared Duck beach might be (props to Frances and others who braved the enormous mormon singles party! I hope you had plenty of chaste make-out sessions!). My friend Sarah just moved to LA to pursue love, so I was able to spend some QT with her. Luckily, she works from home, which meant that we spent the day on the Santa Monica beach. Now, i'm an east coast gal, and like most adopted New Yorkers I'm too cool for LA due to the traffic and buildings and fake boobs. But, i have to say, i really liked it! There is something to be said about living by the beach (and Brighton Beach doesn't count). In any case, I love hanging out with Sarah because whenever we talk, it's like we are solving the mysteries of the universe and especially of love. We caught up on stories of Dating Girl (sometimes, it seems like successful dating requires a superpower) and her exploits, analyzing the evolution of our own internal superheros. Then Hailey arrived from SLC and it was such a treat to spend time with these two amazing friends of mine and meet Sarah's love-interest. The perfect way to prepare for a weekend with strangers.

(I took absolutely no pictures the entire trip, but will post some once i get them from friends. There were too many cameras already onboard).

So Friday morning, we wake up early to go to the marina. I'm nervous, and hailey has to tell me it will be okay and people will like me and no one will throw me overboard. I quickly discover that this is true, because I was on a boat with some of the nicest and funnest people in the world. And on a sailboat! On the blue blue ocean! It was a bit windy which made it cold, but i just loved staring out at the water and the distant land. Basically, the weekend was spent reading (mystery novels!), napping, sunning, hiking, eating, dancing, fishing, cuddling and talking with new friends. Okay, that is a lot of stuff, but relaxing, non-school or work related stuff. Real and true vacation stuff.

Some favorite memories:

Discovering Ferris' book titled "How to make someone fall in love with you in 90 minutes" and watching him put it into action the whole trip.

The dance club room on Al's boat, nothing like 15 people jammed into a little room on a boat dancing their hearts out. Also, the stripper pole on our boat. Heyo!

Talking the girls into skinny dipping off the back of the boat while everyone else (minus James) was on shore. And then James going because he needed to earn his hot chocolate. And then Charite deciding she didn't want to be left out and jumping in and then rushing out as we noticed the rapidly approaching boat light bringing everyone else home.

Catching mackeral off the side of the boat. With bread. I was an amazing fisher-woman and caught 8!

James, our captain, catching a shark! Yes, a real shark with sharp teeth. He hooked it on the way back home, and had an epic struggle with it, but alas, the shark got away just as we were going to rope him up. Which is probably a good thing, since there were 11 people and 2 dogs on this boat and a shark has a lot of teeth. plus, we would've had to hang it from the mast to drain the blood, and I wasn't really looking forward to hanging out on a blood-splattered deck (could you just imagine the reaction pulling up to the marina again?).

Seeing a pile of seals on a buoy cuddling together and pushing each other off.

Being rocked to sleep by the boat.

Dancing until my ribs hurt (which actually didn't take too long).

Simply having some good conversations with some fun and interesting people. And laughing a lot.

Let me just say that this was one of the best trips I have ever been on. it was so relaxing and exactly what i needed and everyone on the boat got along really well. I couldn't have asked for a better trip. I can't wait for next year!

ribs

2009-05-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

so, I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I fractured a rib. "Oh no!" you must be thinking to yourself, "that is terrible! What could have caused such a thing?"

I wish i could tell you that it happened as I jumped on the tracks of the 2 train to save a kid. but it wasn't. Or that a horse kicked me. Or i had another bicycle wreck. Or I was punched in the ribs by mugger trying to beat up an old lady but I intervened and saved her.

But no. None of those things occurred.

I coughed. While hiding under a blanket, curled up on the floor. i coughed and something started hurting, and kept right on hurting through graduation weekend. I thought, I strained a muscle coughing, which is pretty lame. But no, it's even lamer to fracture a rib.

I done did graduate

2009-05-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a Master! of Public Administration! Yeah, i don't know what kind of job I'll have after this either. But is is still exciting. Hillary Clinton spoke at the all-university commencement, and that was pretty incredible. She spoke about diplomacy, and how the age for men sitting behind closed doors, deciding the fate of nations is now past. It is a time for all of us to be diplomats, to build networks for good. I really dug it.

Most of my family came out for graduation, which was lovely. I'm afraid most of the pictures below are of Hannelle, but it's not because I don't care about the rest of them, it's just that she is just so stinking cute. I love my family and am so glad they came. it made me feel loved, and I really enjoy having them visit me and showing them around brooklyn. Come back soon!

So yeah, done with school. And now...

LDS chapel fire in Cambridge, MA

2009-05-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

I just found out that the church building where I attended church while living in Boston burned down this morning. There was a 3 alarm fire, and from news reports so far, it looks like it will have to be rebuilt completely. for more information, go here.

The fire started in the middle of stake conference, and so the chapel was full of people. Luckily, no one was hurt. My thoughts and prayers go out to the congregation there in the Longfellow Park wards. I'm really saddened by this news, not just because it is an LDS chapel, but because of the years I spent there worshipping, feeling the spirit, and learning about my God. It is the ward I attended each week, riding the bus through Boston each Sunday for an hour to get to church with the other singles in the area. On sunny days, i would wander through Cambridge along the Charles River, watching rowers. I remember so many hot days, with the Relief Society room full of people, with the doors and windows open for some sort of breeze to pass through. It was in that ward that I decided to serve a mission, and where I felt the Lord working in my life and on my heart so I would have the desire to serve Him, switching it from one path to a completely different one. It is a place where my sisters also attended church and had sacred experiences. What a beautiful place that is to me! And how grateful I am for those experiences that I and so many others were able to have there. While saddened by this event, I know that another generation of LDS students will soon make another building equally special and beautiful, and Cambridge will continue to be a place where people come to know the Savior.

The White House Flickr page

2009-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

So, I've always loved the photos of JFK in the White House, especially those candid ones with the kids. Well, the White House is giving us a behind the scenes peek of the first 100 days of the Obama presidency. These images are really quite beautiful (way to go official photographer Pete Souza!). A few of my favorite things are the big bowl full of apples in the Oval office, the amazing vivid photo of the flame of the Statue of Liberty on the wall, and anything with Michelle or the girls. Also noticed: very few women sitting at the table there during important meetings. Ah well, I like seeing how much Obama looks like a kid, but also dignified. Watch for yourself.

His personal approval rating is 81%, which is amazing, however, his policy approval rate is 51%. Still amazing. This post is all personal. Maybe after graduation i'll have energy to think/write about policy.

I want to be Leoncie

2009-04-30T19:49:00.001-07:00

happy earth day...

2009-04-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

A friend I spent Saturday in central park. The friiend is an amazing
photographer.
The model, not so much.
>
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Capstone?

2009-04-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have completed may capstone project. Well, we have to put a few finishing touches to the final report to turn in to the client next week, but the work is done and the presentation was made this afternoon. Oh man, what a feeling.

For those of you who haven't asked me the unfortunate question "So what is your capstone about?" let me just briefly tell you about it. Just in case you are interested. you might not be, which is totally fine. But, just so you know, this is the culmination of my graduate school career, akin to a thesis defense. So, at least pretend to care and make congratulatory comments (please??).

Instead of a normal thesis, Wagner requires students to do a capstone project-- this is a project completed by a team of students that have been commissioned by various organizations. Basically, we act as consultants. This was one of the major reasons i chose to attend NYU, because i really liked the sound of this real-world culminating project. I haven't loved it all the way through, because it has required a lot of work and effort and frustration, but today, i'm glad that I've done it. I worked on a project for Women in Need, which is a family homeless shelter, to evaluate the implementation of their HIV prevention, domestic violence, and education and employment services in two of their larger shelters. Their vision is to not only get people into housing, but address the underlying causes of homelessness. This is an admirable mission, and we took a look to see is the programs they offered were really happening in the shelters as planned. We created (well, my team mate Florence mostly) logic models for each of the services and analyzed them for gaps in the implementation.

Oh man, i can already SEE your eyes closing. Um... I don't really have funny stories to regale you with, because really, it's been a long process and I'm just really proud of myself. If you want to know more, come to our end of the year capstone event on May 5th. RSVP here.