A Valid Point

Okay, so that last blog was a little over the top. However, I do have a valid point. Women need to be able to stand on their own two feet. If anything were to happen to their boyfriend/husband or if they never have the option to marry then what? Independence and knowledge are key ingredients to the modern life. Do I believe in true love? Yes, true love is something that is nourished and grows. It is the reason people live and breath. I also believe that true love doesn't just come once in a lifetime or that there is a certain "one" for each of us. I believe that we each have many chances for true love to develop but it is the circumstances under which we are that dictate that true love's potential. Choice is a key player in life and often the choices of others affect our circumstance, which in turn affect love. Am I saying that love is conditional? No, I am saying that the potential for true love is conditional. Life is a game board and we are the pawns. On the game board of life, real life, sometimes we share the same square/space with someone else, sometimes we move backwards, sometimes we move forward and sometimes we lose a turn but in this game we are all winners.

NEWS FLASH!

Anyone who thinks that long distant relationships will work are totally wrong. Anyone who thinks that guys are worth getting all mixed up about are wrong. Why waste our time, ladies? Lets be all we can be. Lets prove to these men that we are worth something without them. Men would be nothing with out us. Men wouldn't even exist without a mother to bring them into the world. There is only one thing that men are good for and that is taking out the trash. Everything else we can do ourselves, have machines for and we even have B.o.b. Why don't women rule the country... because we let the men think that they are important. We have better things to do. So lets focus on ourselves and not worry about men or love or any thing else the old people tell us that we should be worrying about and LIVE OUR LIFES!

T Day

While listening to the radio this morning, I heard a brief bit from a comedian regarding Thanksgiving. Saying something to the effect of 'what made us decide to celebrate by eating large amounts of food.' How untraditional is that? Isn't that what Americans do best - eat? And not only that but by eating large amounts of food while in the company of people that annoy us (family.) It made me laugh so I just thought that I would share. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

To Choose or Not to Choose

We live in a world so full of opportunities that we don't know what is often the best choice for ourselves. Sometimes we are asked to choose between something we believe to be good and something that we believe to be evil. However, most often we find ourselves having to make a choice between two things that we believe to be good. Edgar A. Guest once said "You are the person who has to decide. Whether you'll do it or toss it aside; you are the person who makes up your mind. Whether you'll lead or will linger behind. Whether you'll try for the goal that's afar. Or just be contented to stay where you are." Choices are the basis and reason for life, they create paths in our destiny and change our eternal perspective. We must choose to move or to stay.

Welcome to America

Welcome to America

a sarcastic, polictical poem by me

The economy is in the pits,

health care is a bunch of shit,

Take another look around,

shells are falling, hit the ground,

Gas is evaporating into fumes,

but, wait, a change is coming soon!

Mother Tree

Its been a little over a month since my last post so it is probably time for a new one... Here is a poem I wrote as a senior in high school. I found it the other day while sorting through some papers and I decided to edit it and post it here... so here it goes:

Mother Tree

Its a knotty tree,
grown old with years.
Evidence of children linger still,
scars in every nook and cranny,
each with their own secret story.
That tree, my tree, is a friend.
She bears my sorrows still,
as if she were a loving mother,
branches intertwine to hold me
and make petty worries disappear.

Service

The miracle of service is great. I have had the opportunity to understand that service sometimes helps the person giving the service more than the person being served. It is a wonderful experience to help someone in need. That is why I want to do something with my life that helps people. I want to feel like I am doing more than sitting at a desk all day. hopefully that chance will come my way...

Midnight Salt Lake Part 1

Once upon a time... Ashli and a couple friends decided to take a midnight trip to Salt Lake City. So they hopped into Andrea's car and off they drove. Their first stop was a point so high that you could see the entire city but as to not disturb the people that lived in the house nearby they quietly left the beautiful site. Then they traveled to Temple Square where they played around with taking pictures... and this one of them.... Isn't it pretty?

To be continued...

Frustrating Facts

I am fairly irritated right now. I love gift cards... but only when they work. It is frustrating when you think that you have money on a card and it says you don't. I don't understand why gift cards are so faulty. This is a frustrating trend that tends to find its way throughout the world. This has also happened to me more than once. One time it happened while at an expensive restaurant. And that is embarrassing, to have the manager of the restaurant come to you and tell you that your gift card has a zero balance especially when it was just given to you not long before and you hadn't used it before.
I am also frustrated because I have not found a job at this moment in time. I do have an interview today and hopefully that goes well. I really need a good paying job.
Also, yesterday I found out that my bathtub is leaking into the apartment downstairs! So the landlord had to come yesterday and see what was wrong. Apparently when he did his tests it wasn't leaking. So we shall see. I took a shower today and have yet to hear anything. Hopefully there really isn't anything wrong but knowing my luck there probably is.

pics

Some people wanted me to post more pictures... so here are some:

Erin and Ashli at being weird while on our trip to St. Anthony Sand Dunes.

Nick and Ashli while on a trip... honestly I don't remember where we were... but I think it was the sand dunes

Mysterious God

Even though at times it seems like our prayers go unanswered - they are not. God is mysterious in the way that He directs our lives. Often it is us who is causing the hangup. We need to evaluate our lives and our desires. God is waiting or us to become more like Him. I have had a revelation today that I have more strength, power and understanding than I realized. Life is greater than I thought possible.

Uninspired

I feel like blogging to day but I also feel no inspiration. My jewelry making "business" has been doing better than I thought which is really good. However, that is just a side job to keep my hands busy while I have nothing else to do. I have been job searching which is not my favorite thing to do. I want a job that I will like myself for and feel like I am helping people better their lives. Or doing something that they cannot really do for themselves.

Free Liquor!?

So as a graphic designer working on a team, we decided to have a little fun with a client. So I designed the ad and sent him an e-mail with a proof. Then about ten minutes later I sent the real ad. But the story gets better... Without even looking at the email, he proceeded to forward the email to his business partners... Lets just say he got a few phone calls... Just look at the ad and you can see why! We had a good laugh!

Economy

For those of you who feel unaffected by the struggling economy. Congrats! As luck would have it it affected me in a way I didn't really think would happen... layoff! Wow! What a word. And when you say the word "layoff" you get the look. The look of pity and then they say something like "Wow! Are you serious?"
And everyone knows how much fun job hunting is. Especially in Cache Valley! Need to find a job that pays more than minimum wage... Good luck!
Are these the last days that every one talks about? I would like to think so. And to think that this is all going to get worse.

Old Farm

A picture I took of antique farm equipment. I love old, antique things. I also love this picture!

Inspiring Grave

While trying to solve a mystery, I traveled to the cemetery in search for a specific name. Upon finding this headstone I read what was written there...
"Weep not for me my kindred dear, I am not dead but sleeping here, My end you know, my grave you see, Prepare yourselves to come to me."
Pondering on that phrase I had inspiration for a poem of my own...

Each name I find
deserves a face,
family, friends and a place;
While some remain a mystery,
others are revealed to me;
These people and I have become one;
Even with so much unknown;
While they lie sleeping
in their graves,
I search for the path
that gives me a name.

America's People

We live in such a time that we can find information on pretty much anything we want. We live in a world were people are living instead of dieing because we have amazing technology and medicine. We are a blessed generation. So why do we take if for granted? Why do we become lazy and ungrateful for the many things that we have been blessed with? As a society we have become lazy and selfish in our habits and lifestyles. So much of what we have is wasted. The average American citizen generates 52 tons of garbage by the age 75. American's throw out 200,000 tons of edible food daily. The average American uses as much energy as 370 Ethiopians! Wow! Another fact that I found interesting is that there are more shopping malls in the United States than there are high schools. What are we teaching our children? Who are the role models for tomorrow's leaders? Do we really take pride in knowing that America's children are looking up to people like Brittany Spears and Lindsey Lohan? We must stand up for ourselves and for the children. We need to remember how to work and be successful. We need to remember some of those "old time" values and become a note worthy people.

For references and more stats check out: http://www.mindfully.org, http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org, and http://www.worldwatch.org/node/810

Falling

In the land of misconception,
We twirl in the unknown.
Spinning, spinning round & round,
Then we stop without a sound.

Falling, now we fall.
Down, Down, Down.
With a thud we hit the ground,
We hope, we pray we will be found.

The Journey of Life

Time slips by and we wonder where life is taking us.
On this journey so many of us lose our way.
Or we lose each other.
Drifting away we grow apart,
but learn to keep one another in our hearts.
We learn to feel love, hate, envy and sympathy.
To laugh when others laugh,
To cry when others cry.
But most important we learn to love.