Sand Hollow Golf Course

Hannah driving. Yup, she's got her license to kill the competition.

These girls are impressive golfers. Understand now, that I'm not claiming to be any sort of authority on the subject since I refuse to touch a golf club, and when you say you have a "tee time," I usually picture ladies in hats and gloves with their pinkies in the air before I realize what you're talking about, but in sports, performance speaks for itself. Hannah and Sarah (Folks. My Sunday friends. Yes, I have friends for different days of the week. Except I broke the rules today and saw them on a Tuesday.) placed second and third in this tournament, and first and second in the last one, plus also they really look like they know what they're doing. Of course I don't place any of their personal value in their golf game, but I'm darn glad they play because of the PICTURES I get to take. Oh MAN was Sand Hollow beeeeeeeeautiful.

Putting with Pine Valley for a backdrop

I got a little sun-kissed out there, but I liked it. I mean, who doesn't like getting kissed? SCROOGE, that's who. Other than watching golf what have I been doing? Well alot. But you already know basically what that means, and I'm afraid there's just nothing much else to tell. Aside from the fact that I got a French Press. I put that in Italics, which are obviously of Italian origin because Italy is in Europe near France, which is where God created the French Press to make my coffee stronger, and therefore better. My shoulder hurts. Goodnight.

Rock Walls graced borders throughout the course


Sarah putting. (The U is pronounced like the U in UP, not like the U in PUDDING)
Just in case there was any confusion. I know, golf words are tough.

If I was Pagan, I would worship Music.

It's an infection. An addiction. Creeping into your life and under your skin and surrounding every thought and action. Running constantly, beating mercilessly, shaking and quivering and moving your feet and your hands and your head. Radiating through every facet of your soul and taking control of your heart until you never want it to let you go. Words cannot describe and photos cannot depict- you must enter that room and allow the bass to rock your body, venture to that place where there is nothing but the music. Become the musician, imagining their love and allowing their emotion to course through your veins in the form of the liquid word. Notes do not reach far enough and poetry is incomplete- Unite them and they become a god through the power of the human voice, trancending culture and exposing the marrow of the self, yet simultaneously burying it in the anonimity of universal sentiment.

Can it go on like This?

I have been so busy having the time of my life that I haven't had time to write, but now that I have a moment, I can't think of what to tell you! I went bouldering with some friends yesterday, and my back and arms are just sore enough to remind me that I'm ALIVE, from both the workout and the sunburn. Mowed the lawn today. Ate dinner with some delightful people from church on Friday night. Read a book this afternoon. Saw sprouts in my garden. Missed my friends, but enjoyed making new ones. Ate ice cream. Done.

New Routine

At the Deli where I work, someone has to come in early in the morning to trim and slice all the meats and vegetables for the day. Currently, that someone is my boss, and she has done this job alone for many years. That is changing this week, however, because she wised (wisened?) up and decided to hire the best help in the world to take on a little of the grunt work and provide stimulating intellectual conversation. "The Best Help In the WORLD," you say? Yes. That's me, your little helper. So this is my new routine, for those of you bored enough to take an interest in my comings and goings, mundane as they may be to the casual observer.
1. Wake up. (simple, but difficult. Why do they make the snooze button so small?)
2. Guzzle Coffee.
3. Go to the gym and work out.
4. Drive to work while watching the sun rise. (Best part of the day)
5. Discuss the meaning of life with Toni while cutting meat. (Other best part of the day)
6. Go home, shower.
7. Practice Piano.
8. Go back to work and do everything afap (As Fast As Possible)
9. Come home and divide time between reading, chatting with Grandma, and messing around on the computer. (Also the other Best part of the day)
10. GO TO BED. (Plus this might be my favorite part of the day, but I can't really tell seeing as how I love the Day so much.)
And there ya have it folks, A Day In The Life in 10 Simple Steps. Thank you, Thank you very much. (Elvis voice)

Chapter March: On How I Start Working More Hours and Plant a Garden

"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.... By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food untill you return to the ground." -Genesis 3:17-18. It is amazing to me how awful this sounds, and yet how much pleasure we get from growing our own food. Today I planted tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, carrots, squash, radishes, and various cooking herbs. SO EXCITED!! The soil is soft and nutrient-rich, thanks to my Grandma's unfailing devotion to composting all this time. And have I mentioned that it's 65 degrees and sunny outside? *Deeeeeeeeeeeeelighted sound* Time to get BUSY, people! Stop claiming you love the earth by buying anything that comes in the color green (that means "organic," right? Or was it "healthy?"), and Love it by planting a GARDEN! Oh and in case you're wondering, all this means is that I'll think I'm better than you if you don't do it. But don't let that influence you.

Minus the Medidata

Ok so I started a post on Thursday while I was at home and never finished it, so here's a new one without so many details.

Quick Catcher-Upper:

The week began with CHURCH on Sunday, where I could barely handle all the wonderfulness of being at a little place I like to call: Hope Again, Hope Again, Jiggety Jig. After the service, I picked up BRY, and we drove out to Scottsdale where we met BEN and the rest of the family for lunch and then a little shopping, since it was GRACE'S birthday. Mmmmhmmm and on and on and some more family things, and the rest of the week we saw old friends and hiked and shopped and bonded and ate and had a jolly good time. (In case anyone is wondering, chocolate covered coffee beans are HIGHLY addictive. It's kinda like crack. Not that I would know but I'm eating some right now. Coffee Beans, I mean, not crack.) Then I drove home, went to work, went to church, lunched with the Folks, opened a bank account, and hiked with some new friends from church. Not all in the same day. Thank you for reading! Love Love,

Karalee

Two Down, One to Go

I took these on my way home from Cedar City today. I would gush about the soul-crushing beauty, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so look all you want. I was accepted into the music program, and highly encouraged by Dr. Gliadkovsky at my audition today, and am now breathing a sigh of relief as I crawl into bed after a very long day. Just one more performance to go, and the only thing at stake now is my pride, which I have to admit is going to take the front seat. I have never felt on top of the world like this before. Ever the cynic, I know there are going to be rough times ahead. It's not as though I've already come through the Valley of the Shadow and am now being rewarded, it's more like my life has been a steady build-up to this point, and I'm not sure how much longer I can enjoy this kind of purpose and beauty before it all comes crashing down around me. That happened to Joni Eareckson Tada, and Corrie Ten Boom, and Anne Frank, and Jim Elliot. I am simply not ready for a catastophe. I have only just begun, and am most certainly not the person I want to be yet, and in my mind I'm thinking that maybe if I try hard enough on my own, I won't need a tragedy to teach me some life lesson about patience or endurance or love. But I know it's coming. I just hope I'm a better pianist before I lose my hands or something. That said, I am not living in fear, just trying to get the most out of this Amazing part of life, and I know that whatever comes my way will not be more than I can bear.

Butterflies!!

Nice picture, huh? I didn't take it. In exactly three hours I will be at SUU in Cedar City playing my heart out for The Russian Professor (that's right, for money. Scholarship money.) and I'm desperately trying not to work myself up into a frenzy, but I think I may be past the point of no return. My heart is fluttering like a moth on crack. Anyways, thank you to all the people who are thinking about me and praying for me. This is the big one, but I can relax afterwards so maybe I'll even take myself out for ice cream. HA! Bye bye now.

DMV

I'm assuming that if you're reading this web page, you want to know what I did today. I'm not going to judge or anything, even though this is pretty mundane, and you probably have alot of pressing duties you should be doing, but since you're already here... I'm a Utah girl now! Officially- my license plate says it and everything, as a result of the three hours I spent in the DMV this morning. It says "Life Elevated." Yup yup!

Five! Five Dolla Foot Long!

I don't really hate my hands, but I am a little self-conscious about them, so you lucky blog readers, I give you the elusive right hand. And my messy desk/chair in the background, which I probably ought to be more concerned about you seeing than my hand. Ha! Off to run some errands this morning.