Small and Simple

Q & A: Some Facts about what I was doing in India

2009-07-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

1) Tell me about the Rising Star Outreach school...
There is a lot to say about The Rising Star Outreach School so I will only give a brief description and then if you would like more information you may visit the URL The Rising Star School is a school comprised of 150 students ages 5-16. These children come from various villages from Southern India who have either suffered from leprosy or have come from homes where their parents or family members suffer from leprosy. 130 of the kids live on campus year round and 20 of the kids live in the nearby village, Thottanaval. Although the parents are not at the school they come to visit These kids every month. The kids are taught both English and Tamil at the school and despite the fact that they have very little they all seem very happy.
http://www.risingstaroutreach.org/

2) How did you first come into contact with Shaun/Promethean Spark?
I heard about Promethean Spark through a good friend of mine, Julie Butler. Shaun and Julie both live in New York City and Julie is on the Promethean Spark board of directors. After helping raise money for Julie’s NGO, Rescue a Million, last Christmas by hosting a music and dance concert in Boston she told me about the amazing things Shaun had been doing with Promethean Spark. I was immediately interested in the work that he was doing and shot him an e-mail introducing myself. Several months after contacting him by e-mail I received a response that their was a need for a teacher over in India during the month of June. I was very excited about the opportunity and acted on it quickly.

3) What are you doing to continue the work of PS at the RSO school?
Shaun has come to RSO several times and has taught the kids basic dance movement. Although he has come several times and the kids remember him he has only been able to visit 1-2 times annually

While at the school I am teaching each grade twice a week. I have created a class based on movements that Shaun has developed. We start each class breathing together. Some of the kids think this is funny but it really helps to center everyone and brings the class together. After breathing together we then proceed to do some basic reaching exercise and then go into doing plie’s, tendus and stretching. Following the stretching, we will do pushups and sit-ups and then I will teach them some choreography. I have been working with them to try and get them to point their toes and have helped the older students with more advanced steps such as leaping and pirouettes.
Teaching in the Promethean Spark fashion is different from teaching in the states for several reasons.
The first and most important reason why this teaching methodology is different is because we are not simply teaching dance, we are teaching LIFE SKILLS through dance. As the kids are moving I am will be talking. I will ask them questions, and I will talk to them about using the energy we use in class in their own lives. I am constantly saying positive things to the kids and asking them rhetorical questions like:

“what are you studying today? Are you studying English, or Tamil (the state language)? What are you thinking about? Are you going to go far in life? If you work hard you can do anything you want in life, perhaps you can’t touch your toes now, but I promise if you continue reaching for your toes everyday soon you will be able to touch them. This is exactly how it is with figuring out how to do a difficult math problem or saying a particularly difficult English word, perhaps you can’t do it now but if you work on it everyday you will master it soon. You can do it, and I believe in each one of you.”

At the end of each class I have the students line up and shake my hand. They must all look my in the eye and tell me their names. If they don’t look me in the eye I will have them try again. This was something that Shaun started while in India and I have felt strongly about continuing the practice. At first it was a way to learn the students names but ultimately it helps give the students confidence.

Other differences include the lack of facilities, and proper clothing. I have never taught dance in a Mango grove before. We will stretch in the dirt and I need to be careful that fire ants don’t crawl up my leg while doing sit-ups in the hot sand. I show all of my movement reversed because we don’t have a mirror so I am the students mirror. Although we don’t have a mirror they copy everything I do. In the states kids will wear specific clothing for P.E. or dance, however, these children have two outfits, they have their red uniforms that they wear to school and then they have one pair of play clothes that they also sleep in.

While being here I have seen leaders step forward and I have watched the kids improve. The Promethean Spark ideology really does work, and the kids love to dance!

Epa Adalam! = Now Dance!

2009-06-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

During the day I teach various grades at the school. After school I work with smaller groups in the Mango grove. Here are some pictures of us dancing among the mangos.

God is mindful of every people

2009-06-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Since my last entry a great deal has happened. I have become good friends with many of the kids at the school and have become concerned about their well-being and health. The more I talk with them the more I find out about their homes and their lives. The other night I was talking with one of the little boys, Syra, and he was telling me that he often had nightmares about the thieves coming to get him.

I asked him, “ what do the thieves do, do they steal?”

“No” he said, “They come and take small children and smash their heads into the wall until they bleed, I am scared of them.”

“Are you scared they will come here?” I asked.

“No” he said, “I feel safe here, I like it here.”

That night I could not sleep. The pain of these children is real, whether from leprosy or the streets of India they have experienced more suffering than I will ever know. In some small way I hope that what I am doing is helping, and you know what, I think it is. Since my teenage years I have been a firm believer of the healing power of the arts, especially dance. And since teaching here I have been able to witness first hand the healing power of this art. When I teach they are all very happy, I respect the kids and in turn expect their respect, it needs to be a safe environment where the kids feel safe and willing to try something new.

Since my talk with Syra we have become good friends and despite the difficult things he has experienced he has big dreams and high hopes. When you ask him where he wants to go to school one day he will quickly respond by telling you that he is going to go to Harvard University to study either English or Art. The other night he came and showed me his sketch book and I was very impressed with some of his drawings. Each night I meet with him to help him with his homework, when he is finished I ask him to teach me Tamil, he drills me with the words and will laugh when I say a word incorrectly, but he is patient and we are good friends. I am grateful for friendship in all shapes and sizes. “…God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in...” Alma 26:37

The POWER of TOUCH

2009-06-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

Each day is different and full of new experiences. For example, yesterday I actually joined the medical group in hopes of doing some movement therapy with some of the leprosy afflicted. However, when we got going we found out that we needed to help take many of the patients from one of the colonies to the hospital, so we drove nearly two hours into Chennai to escort the leprosy patients. It was nice to see the city and how the public hospitals are run in a different country. When we arrived, they just dropped us off and said, good luck, which was defiantly an adventure. I spent the day helping a leprosy-affected man who was completely blind. I sat with him in the waiting room in the ophthalmology unit and then helped him get from doctor room to doctor room. When he first arrived, I helped him sit down and he mumbled something in broken Tamil. I leaned over and told him, my name is Katie. He smiled a big yellow-toothed smile and reached out to give me a big hug. He hugged me on both sides and then moved his hands across his chest in a cross like fashion. Than brought, his hands together in a prayer position and cocked his head up to the sky. With his frail hands, he took my hands and cupped them in his. He would look up to the heavens and then kiss my hands, he was blessing me, I just knew it and the spirit was strong. The first time he did this I started to tear up. Everyone in the clinic was watching us and I was glad that this man could not see the horrified and dirty looks that everyone was giving us because of his obvious case of leprosy. While waiting for the doctors I would take his stubby hands with the bones showing through the skin and rub them. Leprosy kills the nerves and so I don’t believe he could feel me doing this but somehow he knew because he would calm down and then proceed to bless me again. Although I was not “dancing” yesterday I was deeply moved by the simple power of human touch and how we ALL need to open our hearts and just LOVE.

Some pictures from my time in India

2009-06-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

How are you today? I am SUPER!! = Apidi Erukeringa

2009-06-11T03:29:00.000-07:00

As I rolled out of bed sticky and wet I grabbed my towel and bathroom caddy and went to go shower. While pouring the cool water down my back I watched a moth skitter across the ceiling. The music of India and children laughing filled my ears. I could not help but wonder where that moth had been and what it had seen. I began to wonder if I were a creature with wings what I would be able to see. I have felt a bit like a winged creature the past few weeks while I have literally flown across the world seeing the amazing sights of India, smelling the interesting smells and helping the amazing people or Thottanaval. I have already learned so much and I wish that I could fully express everything that has happened to me while here in this magical land, and honestly, India is magical. I have found a renewed faith in humanity, in life and the power of one person.

Today all of my classes went extremely well, each class I taught paid attention. I taught 2nd standard, UKG and 4th standard, tonight I will be working with the oldest group in an after school class. The children are all very receptive and love to dance!! I have never been around so many students who genuinely LOVE to move more than these children do. Today during 4th standard the P.T. teacher, Johnson, watched class in the Mango grove and even tried to do some of the steps I taught the kids. Yes, that’s right I teach 20-30 kids at a time in 100+ degree weather out in a mango grove and it is, as they would say, SUPER!! I come back from teaching and am covered with sweat but it is 100% worth it, especially on days like today because as we were coming back inside from the mango grove I was talking with Johnson. He first asked how long I had been dancing and was very impressed with my flexibility; he asked if I ate anything special in order to be flexible. After telling him that I simply eat healthy, he turned to me and said, you are giving these children a great gift, thank you, they love you. He then proceeded to ask how long I would be in town and when I told him I would be leaving at the end of the month he was very disappointed. I could not believe how complementary he was, it really made my day and also made me realize just how important it is that I find a way to make this program sustainable.
I have been so impressed with how quickly the children pick up, especially the boys. The boys in many ways are better than the girls because they are very disciplined and focused. As we stretch and move I always tell the kids that they are more than just themselves and that with hard work they can do whatever they want in life, when we flap our wings in class I tell them… the SKY IS THE LIMIT!! Dream big, you can do it!!

Sticky and Hot

2009-06-04T02:25:00.000-07:00

In India I wake up sticky and hot to the sound of children laughing and Indian music ringing in the distance. The smell of spices and human waste, cows dogs and the hot sun baking it all together permeates the air.
India wakes up before the sun and sleeps during the day. My experience here at Rising Star has been wonderful and I feel blessed to sharing my talents in such a powerful way. Within the past few days I have already faced many challenges but the staff and the volunteers are wonderful, they help make everything better and everyone wants the dance program to succeed. The greatest struggle we face is sustainability, I am working right now on trying to train some of the house mothers here at the school. We’ll see how successful my attempts really are.

6/4/09

Yesterday was rewarding I tought 2, 3, 5, and 6th standard. The 5th and 6th standard were very receptive to what I was teaching them and we had a lot of fun. One of the most rewarding things about teaching them is having them run up during free time or before they go to bed saying, “Katie, Katie, Dance Master look look...” and they will show me what we did during class. The kids work hard they rise before the sun which comes up around 5:45 every day. They get ready and go to school and then have a 45 min. lunch break at noon. After lunch they go back to school until 4:00. When they return from school they have play time but if they are not good in school they are required to stay in their rooms and study. At 6:30 everyone eats. The children break up into their families with their house mothers for dinner. After dinner we go up and put the babies to bed and send the older students back to school where they are required to do their homework until 9:30 at this point they come back to the hostel and get ready for bed. Indians work so hard and in terrible conditions. Living here has made me feel so grateful for the many many blessing God has bestowed upon me. Despite their difficult schedule the kids are all very happy. They work hard and play hard, I have never heard any of them complain about their rigorous schedule. They do not know any better.
As much as I love the work that I am doing here I must admit that I am still a little bit frustrated. It would be much easier if I did not have work on creating this program and could go with the volunteers. Mangula only gave me 3 classes a day and then I teach centers in the evenings.

Last night I taught my first center to the second standard and it didn’t go very well. They were all very rambunctious and it was hard getting any of them to focus. Their were kids playing soccer and blowing bubbles near by and many of the kids wanted to go and play. Just about the time I was feeling frustrated one of the boys came and tossed a ball at me, they clearly did not want to play. When I caught the ball I held it high, all the children were watching and I told them we will play catch but were going to do something a little bit differently. When you catch the ball you either have to hit a pose or do some sort of move and so I demonstrated. I held the ball up high and then plied and touched the ground with the ball I stood back up and tossed the ball to one of the boys he caught the ball and copied the move I had just done!! Okay I thought, this just might work, we continued in this fashion for the next 10 min. and the kids were moving their bodies, dancing and working on their eye hand coordination all at the same time. After about 10 min. their attention had been lost and so we moved on. I started teaching them an Indian dance with some indigenous type of movement, the girls especially loved that hands and the similarities to the Baharatntam. In about a week there is going to be a traditional Indian dancer that is going to come and live at the school for the next year. I hope to work with her and learn from her. The fact that she is here will really help keep this program sustainable.
Despite my aching body and extreme heat I love India. The children are wonderful and their hearts are so big, they are ready to love and be loved.
Last night I went up and started to read a group of girls the book, “I’ll love you for always.” Half way through the book I started to get tears in my eyes thinking about how much I love these children have and how much their parents love them. I don’t think I could send my child to a boarding school and it is not easy for all of the children, but the curse of Leprosy has created such an awful prejudice and this is just one of the ways this mental curse may be broken.

2009-06-04T02:22:00.000-07:00

On my way to India we had a lay-over in Tokyo and then in Singapore. We were in Singapore for the day and got to go tour the city. It was a lot of fun, I got to hold a boa constrictor, and sing with the Philippine Pop star, Mike Chan, in front of thousands of people on Orchard road. I’ll post a picture soon. All of the people who are in my group are absolutely amazing and I feel blessed to get to work with and know all of them. I am also amazed at the overwhelming support I have received from family and friends and I want you ALL to know that already this has been life changing.

I'm Going to INDIA!!

2009-05-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am very excited for the opportunity that has been presented before me. I am the first volunteer being sent to India by the NGO, Promethean Spark, in southeastern India. I will be teaching in the Rising Star School for Leprosy affected children and am very excited for this amazing opportunity!

I am excited to share my talents and love for dance with those who are less privileged. I will be furthering the work that Shaun, the founder and CEO of Promethean Spark, started by motivating the kids to keep their light shining bright.

Over the past couple of days I have met and worked with Shaun, who is AMAZING! working with him has caused me to be even more excited to travel over to the land of Sari's, sacred cows and Bollywood movie stars. Right before Shaun left today he looked me in the eye and said, "I just have one thing to say, Luke 1:37, For with God nothing shall be impossible."

He could not have been more right! WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE! With those words packed safely in my memory I am embarking upon a journey of a lifetime and can not wait!

I'm Going to INDIA, and am looking for sponsors

2009-05-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

May 14, 2009

To Whom It May Concern:

I am currently studying dance performance at the Boston Conservatory. I was recently extended an invitation to be a volunteer dance teacher for the Non-Governmental Organization Promethean Spark in Southern India during the month of June 2009.

Promethean Spark is a NGO dedicated to helping underprivileged children in southern India who suffer from leprosy. While in India I will be teaching the students at the Rising Star School in Thottanaval for five hours a day, four days a week. During my days away from the school I will be visiting with the leprosy patients of the Bharatapuram Leprosy Colony helping them with a movement therapy program. Along with helping those in the leprosy colonies, I will partner with other volunteers to establish mobile units, water treatment facilities and another children’s home. However, as a volunteer, my expenses are not paid and I am looking for sponsors like you to help me.

By sponsoring me you would be investing in the education of hundreds of leprosy affected children. Your generous contribution will help them. Through the healing power of dance, these children will gain confidence, discipline, focus, concentration, perseverance, self-esteem, and leadership skills.

The cost for me to teach in India is $2,500, which includes my transportation, accommodations, and meals. I am seeking sponsors like you to help me reach my goal. Your donation of $25, $50, or $100 dollars will have a far-reaching impact on the children of India and their families.

Because Promethean Spark is registered under the National Heritage Foundation as a Congressional District Program, your donation is tax-deductible. To make a contribution please visit the web-site: http://www.prometheanspark.7p.com/ and click on the donate link, all donations made through this site for the month of May go towards my expenses.

When I return from India, I look forward to sharing my experience with you. I plan to present a slide show and showcase the dances I will have taught the children. As a way to thank you for sponsoring me, I will be pleased to include your name, or the name of your business or corporation, in the program.

Your generous contribution will help eradicate the mental, physical, and social effects of hundreds of leprosy-affected children and youth in India. Thank you for your consideration and support. It is my belief that one individual can, indeed, make meaningful change in the world.

Sincerely,

Katie Winder

P.S. Please be sure to make your donation no later than May 31st.

The Moments that you get to LIVE

2008-10-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and felt the sun on my face I brushed my teeth and I pulled my hair up. I pulled on my grey sweater and tied on an old pair of worn out imitation converse sneakers from Target. I filled my Trader Joes bag with books, ballet slippers and a granola bar and walked out the door, I made it down five flights of stairs and felt ready to start a new day. Unlocking my bike I began pedaling towards new hopes and dreams. It seems to me that much of life is filled with a lot of very ordinary experiences that seem rather unimportant and uninteresting. I have also noticed that life is full of many difficult experiences but in the midst of doing ordinary things everyday and dealing with the hard things in life there are moments that the clouds lift and a person is able to simply live and taste something of the divine. This week has been an interesting week, I have had a lot to do and had several times when I just had to stop and take a break. On Tuesday I was feeling stressed, I hadn’t packed myself a lunch so I ended up running to Au Bon Pain for a cup of soup. Rather than staying inside I decided to walk outside across the street and enjoy the beauty of the Christian Science Center. I sat down cross legged in front of a patch of Lavender in front of the reflecting pool and simply LIVED.

I'M BACK....and this is a very long blog.

2008-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

It has been much to long since my last post and I have learned a lot since that last post. Since my last entry I visited New York City and had a life changing experience at the UN. I had a rejuvenating visit to Utah for my Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary and joined with the millions of other Bostonians who had to move on the 1st of September. I fell into a relationship and fell out of a relationship, I started school and hosted Apartment FEST I and II where Val and friends painted our room, made IKEA furniture, target and hardware store stops, bought a loft bed off of Craigslist and got lost in Quincy for two hours trying to find the couple who we were supposed to pick the bed up from. I have been choreographing and working on getting an outreach group up and running. Life is busy, Life is beautiful and I KNOW THAT GOD LOVES ME!!

What I have learned about the UN:
The UN is overrated it is full of a lot of people trying to do the right thing but get caught in bureaucratic tape and seem to talk themselves in circles. The most powerful experience I had while in New York was coming to realize how real things such as rape, aids and global warming really are and how important it is to stand up and do something about those who have been abused.
Something that I was really struck with was how much I need to be reaching out to others and using my talents to help those in need. In many ways I was out of place at this conference as a dance major it seemed funny to be rubbing shoulders with the owners and entrepreneurs of NGO’S and NPO’S from all over the world, but then I realized I can use my art to help raise funds for specific groups that I feel really driven and passionate about. My voice can be heard, it’s simply a matter of going out and “making my day work.” it made me realize that what I chose to do with my life is important and I began to finally feel at peace for choosing to live this creative and unconventional life style. For a long time I would always down play that fact that I wanted to pursue the arts but after talking to a lot of different people at this conference the spirit bore witness to me that this is what I am supposed to be doing right now and I can do a great deal of good with the talents that God has blessed me with.
Something else that really struck me while in New York was the power of our law and our freedom of speech and ability to voice what we believe to be true and right and how important it is to have righteous lawyers and judges. There are so many people in today’s world without integrity that would be willing to sell someone out for three pieces of silver and frankly it scares me, and it causes me to wonder what has happened to the honest and valiant?

mmmm...wow I feel like this is starting to sound like I have lost faith in humanity… I haven’t, but I was awakened into truly realizing that we get on our knees and pray to God with all our might and then get up off our knees and go to work following the commandments with integrity and steadfastness because this is how we are able to accomplish great things and truly help our brothers and sisters. When we have lawyers and judges who understand this concept it becomes easier to rely on

So relationships are funny things, actually they are beautiful and I truly have gained a testimony of relationships because I believe that that is what this life is about: Relationships and change. As I have grown closer to my Savior my hope in humanity has grown helping my faith increase and become brighter and my ability to really feel of the pure love of Christ, which is Charity, charity towards all those with whom I associate with.
On a side note a friend of mine sent me this quote and I liked it, if you change the ending to say that the “ greatest relationship of all is between you and God.”

"I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself."

Along with learning about relationships with others and with GOD I have felt extremely empowered as a women in the 21st century with painting our apartment paying rent, electricity, an gas bills. I love life, it is hard, stressful, and beautiful!!

I'M 21 !

2008-08-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm really terrible at taking pictures so I have to give credit to every single one of the pictures on my blog to someone else, most of them come from my very talented and amazing friend Katasha Cox, if you have not checked out her blog or know who she is please click on her name on the right hand column because she is fantastic, her birthday is in July and she loves the color red...what more do you need in order to be kindred spirits? No, but really she is fantastic and we got to share our Birthday party together, we had a whole bunch of our friends over for cake and ice cream and it was a lot of fun! I felt so blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people, although I was not with my family I was so grateful for my loving roommates and friends who have literally become my Boston family!

Right now I am 21, still single, living in Boston, dancing, and spiritualy progressing.

The stars and stripes = Rascal Flats and Walden Pond

2008-08-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

I experienced a traditional Bostonian 4th of July with the Boston Pops, fireworks, and swimming in Walden Pond. Here are just a few of the pictures from my fantastic
4th of July weekend.

Carly, Tiffany, and I getting ready for some Rascal Flats!

This was just after our dip in Walden pond!

The Beautiful Sunset before the big firework show.

The fire works were amazing! This picture was taken by my wonderful friend Katasha.

ODD-A-WALL-A

2008-08-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

There is a beautiful pond several miles from my home, it is perfect and seems to be from another time and place altogether. In a way it is a lost treasure found by only a few who are willing to venture outside of the city and explore the greater metropolis of Boston. Jamaica pond truly is a magical and beautiful place and it was my dear friend Tiffany that introduced me to this sacred space at the beginning of the summer, since our first adventure to the pond I have since returned several times and have found an immense amount of love for this truly magical place. When Tiffany introduced me to this beautiful place we rode and parked our bikes near the boat house and began wandering around the pond until we found the perfect place to sit, talk, read and eat good food. We climbed a tree with a large branch that hung out over the pond and straddled the large branch facing each other. We hung our bags on nearby branches and just sat and soaked up the sun. We let it wash over our bodies making us feel rich and full. As we sat and talked about boys, religion, and life we peeled oranges and let the juice run down our arms. Time seemed to have slipped through the cracks of eternity giving us the opportunity to taste a bit of the divine. Before we left we decided that calling this supremely divine pond by its proper name would simply not suffice, so we decided to re-name the pond and came up with the name Oda walla. I’m not exactly sure what it means, but I do know that Oda Walla is a place where magic may occur. So no matter where you are in your life go on an adventure find a place of solitude and let time just wash by you.

This Month I am:

2008-08-01T13:40:00.001-07:00

Going to New York to participate and perform in the United Nations Youth Assembly

Visiting Utah for a weekend in celebration of my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary

I am also:

Choreographing, Working, Dancing, Sleeping, Eating, Going to Church, Singing in the rain, babysitting, studying my scriptures, enrichment, learning to cook delicious meals inexpensively, making salsa, getting my new bike fixed, reading and realizing that I did not even get half way through my summer reading list, last minute adventures, swing dancing at the Boston Harbor Hotel, dating, breathing, praying, laughing, and growing closer to God.

When I'm tired with a little bit MORE

2008-08-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

I originally entitled this blog…when I’m tired because I honestly began writing and putting up posts late one Sunday night when I was tired. I was feeling wild and crazy and so I put on a bright red hat and began shooting out energy into the Universe. It was wonderful I let my fingers gracefully move across the key pad while my heart sang a song of Creative fulfillment. However, I have recently come to the realization that perhaps my blog might be a little bit more useful if I used it to stay in touch with family and friends. Of course my random blogs about pants, beagles, and rain are not going to stop but will simply be the beginning of the wonderful adventures yet to be sent out into the Universe.

Everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning.

2008-05-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

When I came out to Boston to go to school, I began to be bombarded with new ways of looking at the world. I began to feel extremely inadequate about many of my own views and talents I let my self become intimidated by almost everyone and everything, I was overwhelmed with the intelligence the talent and the incredible people I began to associate with and I began to start doubting my own ability to thrive in such a young and passionate city. It was then that I found my self falling into what Truman Capote’s fictional character Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s calls the “mean reds” which is simply “being afraid, yet not knowing what you are afraid of.”
Filled with the horrible mean reds at the beginning of my freshman year at the Conservatory I sat on the floor of my bathroom and talked and talked and talked to my mom until she was probably ready to explode, after talking for a good hour my mom finally interrupted me and said, “Katie, everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning. You put on your pants in the same way that the President of the United States does as well as Michael Jordan and Miss Peggy Sue who lives around the corner does.” I did not know how to react at first so I laughed, because it is funny, but after listening to my mother I realized just how true that statement really is, “everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning.” we are ALL Children of GOD and we all have the ability to do whatever righteous desire we wish to do with the talents that God has blessed us with. As we are all members of the human race adding our thread to the beautiful tapestry of humanity we may all choose to wear different pair of pants to express our individuality, culture and style but in the end we all put pants on the exact same way because we are ALL human and in the end “Everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning.”

The People I see in Boston

2008-05-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Beagle Men

Nearly every week I run into the “Beagle Men” walking the streets of Boston. It is always in a different location, whether it be in front of Whole Foods, my School or randomly on Boylston St. I almost always with out fail I run into the, “Beagle Men” weekly. Now you may be asking your self, who are the “Beagle Men” well yes indeed, who are the “Beagle Men?” In many cases, it is still a mystery to me who these men are, but this much I do know...The “Beagle Men” are these two wonderful oddly old shaped men that walk the streets of Boston with their fat sausage like beagles, it’s as simple as that, and they make me laugh, and they make me wonder, WHY? Why do they own beagles, are they brothers, best friends, acquaintances, partners, who knows? The thing is I have never talked to either of them and yet I feel distinctly connected to these two funny sweater-wearing old men. They are a part of Boston that makes it magical. So next time you come to Boston be on the lookout for these two oddly shaped old men and their fat sausage like beagles I am positive that they will brighten you day!

Get lost in a Gigantic omelet

2008-05-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, January to be precise, my friend Maya and I could not figure out what to do with ourselves on a freezing Saturday night. After missing the movie that we had set out to go see we dejectedly began walking back to a place of warmth, or at least a place that could spark some new ideas for a brilliant Saturday evening excursion, one slightly frost bitten nose and several tingly toes later we finally arrived at Maya’s apartment and began brainstorming what we could do with the rest of our evening that would be simply unforgettable.
We looked up clubs on line and then realized that neither one of us was old enough to get into a club. We looked up local events but most of the events had already passed and so that left us back to square one. After a good ½ hour of research we began to get hungry and so we headed over to the kitchen to see what we could whip up. As we looked into Maya’s seemingly empty cupboards, we decided to resort to the refrigerator, finding eggs and an assortment of varied vegetables we decided that we would make ourselves a GIGANTIC omelet! As we began chopping the onions and tomatoes for our dinner, we started listening to some African music and by the time, we sat down for dinner we were both entranced by the music. One of us would take a bite of the omelet and then do some sort of dance movement, we continued with this game back and forth for several minutes until it turned into a full out improve jam in Maya’s living room! The omelet was delicious and it was as though we were feeding ourselves something magical letting us move to the inspiring African drums. As we danced into the dark January night, our food disappeared filling not only our bellies but also our souls.
So next time you are sitting around on a Saturday night without anything to do make your self an omelet and let the magic of the moment take over you.

Have your self a Pillow Fight

2008-04-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

The people who live above me have parties, frequently. The people who live below me have parties, frequently, this means I often times find myself listening to the banging of drums or the sweet strumming of the guitar late into the night, right now the tenants above me in apartment 33 are strumming their guitars and it makes me feel like I really belong in Boston.

It’s funny how these weird things make me feel more apart of Boston. In fact it was just the other day that I found myself singing Spice Girls inappropriately loud and smacking people with pillows in a massive pillow fight in Copley square, Oh man was it fun!! singing the songs of my childhood and releasing energy into the Universe by randomly smacking people with down feather pillows. Something about this experience helped me release stored up energy into the universe and it was wonderful!

When I got back home and I was so happy and I kept laughing at my self for getting so much joy out of whacking people with a feather pillow. And I suppose when I really come to think of it, a pillow fight is a rather funny situation because in a normal environment I would not be so inclined to simply whack a random individual, but I suppose when its done with a feather filled pillow it seems a little less like you need to enroll in an anger management course and a little bit more like a healthy release of energy.

So…next time you feel a certain level of built up energy make a date to have a pillow fight. Call a good friend grab a pillow and turn on some good music, sing laugh and release – have a pillow fight.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

2008-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast! I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tainted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I now live by faith, lean on His
presence, walk with patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, and my goal is Heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear! I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up stored up, and paid up of the cause of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till I know, and work till He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear.
Henry b. Eyring

2008-03-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

Just rocking out at BYU-Idaho.

The things on my mind at 11:40 at night.

2008-02-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

I have begun to grow and understand my purpose here on earth to a greater extent the past few days. I have also come to understand the power of the Godhead in my own life I am so Grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ a loving Heavenly Father and the still small voice of the spirit that lets me feel and know of Gods will. Lately I have been thinking a lot about 1 John 5:6-8 "6)This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood, and it is the spirit that beareth witness, becasue the spirit is TRUTH. 7)For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. 8)And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one."

I am currently pondering these verses and there connection with Moses 6:59 if you have any insights please let me know. Later I will expound upon these verses when I am not as tired and perhaps have some more time.
I also am still very interested in the idea of thermodynamics and better understanding its concepts along with quantim physics, and the theory of special relativity. If you have any insights please...please share.

TODAY IS...

2008-02-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

Today is a Peach Tea Day and Chocolate Chips are better when it is snowing.

In Celebration of a GREY rain

2008-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

There are certain days that just seem magical. After a long day of class I stepped out into a Grey Rain and immediately felt like retreating to my covers and hibernating until the sun came back up reading an unearthly amount of books and drinking something rich and creamy. But this is where the true celebration occurred, I had several errands that could not be postponed so I bundled up and pulled on my supremely ridiculous moccasins over my jeans and braved the cold grey New England rain. As I headed to the Berklee book store I was suddenly delighted with everyone’s rain gear. Bright yellows and greens, red and blue nothing shabby to say the least.
Unfortunately Berklee did not have what I was looking for, but this only the beginning of my adventure. Re-entering a sea of greens yellows and purples. Splashing through the puddles I found myself in front of Newbury streets famous Trident Book Sellers. It was here that I had one of those, “WOW, I live in Boston” moments. It was a moment that I was able to simply BE, simply exists. Delving into each one of my senses and letting my inner self find joy in the funny smelling mold infested books and rank smelling coffee. The rain had made me alive it was almost as though the Grey rain was some sort of magic fairy dust drizzled from above awaking my inner self. As I walked out of trident I felt full, I felt at peace. Hurrying home through a sea of Rainbow colored galoshes and umbrellas I happened upon one of my favorite gelato stores on Mass Ave. Bon Bon, I was cold and didn’t have the money for gelato. But I am convinced that because of the grey rain I made eye contact with the person working the small gelato shop. She smiled, I smiled, I waved and she waved back. Taking a chance and going into the shop I ended up meeting a new friend and got a free cup of Gelato! Grey rain is the best because it is the type of rain that brings people too life letting them exist among everything else that is taking place within the universe.

Only months after High School

2008-01-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

"Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteouse; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Chrsit the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil." Alma 11:44

November 30,2005
Laura was not someone who would open up and talk. In fact Laura slept most of the day and when she did have something to say it was usually negative. Laura enjoyed riding horses and loved music. She loved animals and had a large heart but unfortunately for Laura she was unable to communicate what she truly felt. Laura had many handicaps that held her back and made it so she was unable to function in our society. She took special classes and was helped by many to overcome these handicaps.
Last year I was chosen to help get a new program started at my High school seminary. Instead of meeting with kids that were my age and level every other day I went to a special class were I was partnered with someone who needed help. Throughout the Semester I was asked to help Laura read simplified scriptures, and sing hymns. She was never willing to participate; I didn’t know what to do to help her feel apart. I went and talked to one of our advisers and asked what type of things Laura liked. I found that she loved dogs, because of this I arranged to bring my dog to visit her one day. She loved playing with my dog. After this I found that it was easier to communicate with her. She was such a wonderful individual and one that has impacted my life forever. Her spirit was so strong; she just was unable to express it in the ways that I was used to understanding. I suppose that really she was teaching me, the simplicity in her actions was beautiful and pure; there was nothing fake about her. As she let me see a little bit of her world I was able to see a little bit of how she saw things and what she was experiencing. It is wonderful to have the knowledge that we will be returned to a perfect state in the next life and strong spirits such as Laura’s will be able to shine.

In Retrospect (April 4th 2007)

2008-01-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

A PLAY ON WORDS

Yellow trees shimmer at the edge of black rainbows and sweatshirts like it when girls wear them upside down or on the side. Jeans are comfortable but only when worn on Sundays, breakfasts with lemon bring sunshine until it congeals and hardens, only to be softened again by the man at the subway station without a coat, and once again by the couple down the hall in room 4a who have been fighting now for over 6 months. The Newsstand is full of useful information, but only for those who do not eat tomatoes on Tuesdays. Yes life is funny and seen in a lot of different ways, and I personally like cracking the sugar on the top of my creme Brule but then again it happens every so often that I barley remember what it is to taste sugar. I wish that I could do everything I know I am capable of.

What do you mean?...

One may say if your capable then what would stop such glorious things from happening. But I would like to interject that there is the issue of time. Time is a relative matter and a tree planted in 1810 is still standing, yet it has aged. My grandma was planted at the beginning of the 21st century and is now in her 70’s. Time is relative, and a great measurement that in reality may or may not even matter. If you look at a color long enough your cornea begins to swim and lose sight of the crazy monkeys that seem to constantly jump up and down back and forth playing double dutch for extended periods of time. Jimmy the record store owner talked about getting ride of all of the old records until there would be nothing. Nothing but silence. Some people simply can not listen to monkey’s anymore and play games and try to discover how to create the silence. Jimmy was smart when he asked Louis how to pickle ham and roast marshmallows because it was another way of dealing with the monkey’s. Yet Louis had no answer. He was silent, as so many of us are. So many people are looking for something besides monkeys and double Dutch, but getting out of the every day is sometimes difficult. I once saw a girl sitting on the street drinking a Coke and eating a small loaf of bread. The street was dirty and covered in a collage of various cigarette buds. Carelessly thrown away or put out by five toes. The silver dust seemed to hover over the street covering the surface of the girls bread. Stale yeast and mildewing aluminum cans lined the edges of the rail road tracks.

Its snowing, the white pieces of lint fall continually blanketing double lines and smashed cigarettes. Its April 4th and I'm sewed into a paper doll without feeling. Paper dolls always bothered me. They, smile. You can change their clothes, but they never change, they are always smiling and their hair stays the same I AM REAL my hair is knotted when I wake up and my clothes are sometimes wrinkled. I AM REAL. When I turn of the lights I am still standing, doing hopscotch. Do you count to ten? I tend to skip 4 and 7 and occasionally 9. When ever I wear my glasses I feel like I am dreaming. Think of what it would be like to be in the looking glass. Alice was lucky that Lewis Carol was cracked out when he put her in the looking glass because crack only lasts for so long. Finding what is REAL what is TRUE what is of GOD is the most important.

RED sweatshirt

2008-01-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

The summer before I moved away to school I found myself full of an immense amount of ardent anticipation and it hurt. During all of the eager waiting my family traveled to a nearly 100 degree Utah and I wore a RED sweatshirt almost the entire trip. What was I thinking? I had packed enough shirts to last me the entirety of the vacation and had plenty of other fabulous shirts at home that I could have chosen to bring with me, however I stayed with the RED sweatshirt. It was comfortable, and one of those articles of clothig that you don't know exactly where you got it but seems to just magically appear one day as though it were always supposed to be a part of your story. In fact this sweatshirt had been so well loved that the average person may not even consider this particular sweatshirt to be red but rather a deep orange red

(is there a better word for orange red, if so I really need to find out.)

I have always referred to it as my E.T. sweatshirt just because of its frighteningly uncanny resemblance to Eliot's sweatshirts in the movie E.T. I was a little overly obsessed with this sweatshirt during this vacation to Utah but it struck me after I had come out to school and lived a semester in Boston I hadn't really taken off that sweatshirt, I was having a seemingly difficult time trying on some of my other options because I was so set on my RED sweatshirt. After the family vacation to Utah I put the sweatshirt back in a box and have only worn it a few times since. However when I came out to Boston I think I somehow I brought it with me in my culture, my upbringing, and my beliefs. When I first arrived in Boston I had a difficult time adjusting to new culture understanding t-shirts that talked about atheism, the legalization of marijuana, abortion, hummus, whole foods, big snow storms, and Boston accents. I found it easy to stay in my RED sweat shirt because it was safe, but it has been over the course of the past two years I have learned to branch out and try on many different t-shirts. I am grateful for all truth and accept and embrace it with open arms, I have learned that truth comes in multitudinous ways and I enjoy finding it in the most obscure places and in people that seem to be forgotten.

This blog is the beginning of my experience of discovering truth, my ability to improve upon my own thoughts adding patches and sewing up ripped pockets on my RED sweatshirt with new and different t-shirts. It is my opportunity to send anything and everything into the universe and let it just BE.

I am listening to John Denver and am playing with ideas of patience, thermodynamics, and non-profit organizations. I am full of a great deal love for life and feel the love of God in my life. It truly is a wonderful life!