Change your links!
And have I told you about my Christmas break thus far? Read below, dear friend!
Allison’s Interstate Adventure
I missed my flight, so I drove home instead:
Utah!
Utah!
Snow in Las Vegas!
I made some of my favorite foods for my family:
Meal #1
Meal #2
And Christmastime was swell, as usual:
I adore the color red, and decided that every package should be wrapped in red paper this year!
Brother and I before a Christmas Eve party. He was tickling me.
Mom and Dad on Christmas morning!
I told you I’d be home for Christmas!
Christmas Wishes
Looking past the basic desires for love, happiness, etc., I find myself craving a few things at the moment:
- To be back in Utah (I will be on Monday!).
- For the sunshine to melt the snow and cast down some warmth for me to ride my bicycle around town (in Utah). Does anything sound nicer than the sunshine on my shoulders?…
- …Yes. Cafe Rio. Does a beancheese&rice burrito not sound delicious right now? Mmm…!
But, you know, it’s Christmas, so I guess all of that can wait until next week because
Santa comes tonight!
Great Grandma Mary
For Christmas, my Aunt Susan compiled a book of memories for my Great Grandma Mary. This is my contribution:
_______
The piece of bread had raisins in it. And cinnamon. At Great Grandma Mary’s house, we ate cinnamon raisin toast, which was completely different than the wheat bread we ate at home.
I was very young– too young to now remember any moment surrounding that moment– and I was sitting at the bar in Grandma Mary’s back room. She set a small plate before me with that piece of toast on it, smothered with butter and, I believe, berry jam. I cannot remember what it tasted like, if I liked it, or if it was even toast. (Was it actually an english muffin? Probable.)
I cannot remember my movements throughout that morning, but I can imagine the rooms I had surely walked through: the cream colored guest bedroom with the light blue lamp (that will someday reside in my own home, thank you Grandma); the narrow, shadow-filled staircase; the kitchen with the fantastic pink stove; the warmth of the back room where I ate my toast.
Toast truly reached a new level of elegance when Grandma Mary made it.
- Allison A. Barnes
___________
God Bless Our Ward
Today at church I sat by three of my favorite people:
Andrew, Clint, Lucas.
When the first speaker mentioned the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, I grumbled while Andrew smirked and Clint shook the back of my seat and whispered “It’s your favorite movie!” …sarcastically of course. I dislike that movie. It’s depressing.
When the bishop spoke at the end, he told a great story that mentioned a fork. I don’t feel like going into the story right now because I’d probably retell it terribly. However, these were the whispers in my ears:
Lucas: I’m hungry.
Andrew: I prefer sporks.
treasures from this semester
From TMA 201: Dramatic Performance: Antiquity to Renaissance:
- Greece: Oedipus the King (Sophocles), Medea (Euripides).
- Japan: Matsukaze
- France: Tartuffe (Moliere)
From TMA 114: Reading and Constructing Narratives:
- Tragedy: Hero (2002 Film)
- Realism: A Doll House (Ibsen), The Painted Veil (2006 Film)
- Naturalism: Shotgun Stories (2007 Film), Medea (Euripides)
- Expressionism: The Hairy Ape (O’Neill), The Fountain (2006 Film)
- Epic Forms: Persepolis (2007 Film)
- Transcendence and Art: States of Grace (2005 Film)
I should also note that the soundtracks for The Painted Veil and The Fountain are excellent. Invest!
In addition to these courses, I took Theatre Production I, Playwriting I, and Book of Mormon II. This was a very eventful semester, and I’ve definitely grown as a person, as an artist, and in my religion. I know without a doubt that this is where I’m supposed to be right now, and that’s an excellent feeling.
the happiest season of all!
Today I woke up determined to go to the temple to do baptisms. I left the house with the idea that hey, no one would be in town so I can get through within the hour! Little did I know that it would take me two (2) hours to finish up. It turns out that every LDS high schooler in the area had the same idea. But regardless, it was a lovely morning and it set the tone for the rest of the day.
Today the sky was overcast, which is by far my favorite weather. It was chilly, but not freezing. Everything was calm. There wasn’t even a breeze smacking my hair into my face! Half of the town was absent, too, which added to the stillness.
Today I spent too much money. I bought gifts, I bought baking supplies, I assembled, I wrote a birthday card, I made a batch of granola, I listened to Christmas music in the car, and tonight I bought a lovely modest Christmas tree for my living room!
Today I realized why I bake more than I ever have before: I watch less TV.
Today I let my mind wander to the future, to what I’ll be doing at this time next year…
Some days I’m such a girl.
back in california!
I got home Monday night (Tuesday morning) at 1am (which, because of the time change, is really what my body believes is 2am) at which point I remarked “We have cats?” and Gary said “Come look at the new big screen TV!” And then I fell asleep.
I woke up amazed how comfortable my bed was and confused at where the spatulas were kept (and it turns out they’ve been where they’ve always been). California is confusing. I miss Utah. And I think mozzarella cheese is less expensive in Utah. I’m just saying.
Wednesday: It rained last night. I had lunch with my dad and his mom today. I bought more wrapping paper and ribbon. I’ve been wrapping gifts and tonight I’m making pizza from scratch for my dear family.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Do you know that that means?
Christmas is coming!
Houseboat Honeymoon / Sweeney Todd
Last night I saw BYU’s production of Houseboat Honeymoon. Let me just explain to you how fantastic this production is. The script began in a beginning playwriting class (the one I’m actually in right now). It is being directed by my professor Eric Samuelsen. Three of my friends are in it (Haley Flanders, Ashley Bonner, and Moises Lopez), and they are incredibly funny. I also know some people who worked with lighting, etc.
On Thursday, I tried to watch Sweeney Todd, but had to stop after about 50 minutes, following the murder of Sweeney Todd’s first victim. Therefore, following the performance of Houseboat Honeymoon, my friend let me use his Clearplay to watch the last half of the movie. Without the excessive gore, I could get through the movie! And I found it to be a stunning film! I love how dark it is. I love the characters. I love the costumes and design. I love the music…
And that was my Friday night.
Oh! And my friend Lindsay began a book blog. Check out my post on two feminist plays here!
