this is for all those LOTR fans (you know who you are)

I used to be a nerd. A cute one. I was a cute nerd, because when I was young and impressionable, I was bitten with the writing bug. I went through a two year phase where I was obsessed with writing stories. They were surprisingly well-written for a 12-14 year old, but ultimately 100% focused on boys. Of course, what else was on my mind at that age? ;D

And I was not the only one bitten by that particular writing bug. My best friend, Deveny was also suffering from the same fever.

So without further ado, Guess what I just found?

Our stories!

I started to read through them and found myself laughing out loud, blushing from the idiocy and naivety and ridiculousness of some of the stories. It's almost excruciatingly embarrassing how boy crazy we were.

I just had to share this. And even though Deveny might never forgive me for sharing this story, I just had to. I picked this particular one because it conveys exactly what we were obsessed with at the time and is typical of our writing style. (And she was also the better writer at the time).

It was never officially finished, but here is Installment #1:

MY OWN STORY
The True Story of the Lord of the Rings
As Told by Deveny Mortensen


Part One: The Start of the Quest
Everyone has heard of the true story about Frodo and the One Ring, right? Wrong! I was the real ring-bearer. I was the one who had to endure all those terrible things. That's right, a girl! They had to change the story because of what I did, but I'm getting ahead of myself. This is my story.

First let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Deveny and I live in the world of Men. My father, Charden, is a trader. He trades with the other people of Middle Earth. Usually it's Hobbits and Elves. Sometimes he takes me with him on his travels but I have never been to see the Elves. My mother, Belsong, hates me to go with father. She says it's not a place for a woman and that I should be home helping her clean our house. I hate cleaning.

I love going with my father because on the way to our destination he would tell me stories about dragons that lived long ago (especially Ancalagon the Black, the greatest of all dragons) and a hobbit named Bilbo and Bilbo's adventures. But my favorite stories were about the Elves. He would tell me about the famous city of Rivendell and the kind but dangerous people there. I could just see them at their parties at the Great Hall. I had decided long ago that I would go to Rivendell one day.

I also have a little brother named Windel, who is twelve years old. He can be a pain but we get along usually. We have a pretty big gap in our ages but we try to hang out together. I even have a nickname for him, which is Dell.

That brings me to my age. I'm eighteen, with long brown hair and blue eyes. My mother has been trying to get me to marry and move out but I just don't feel like committing to anything yet. My father could care less and so we never fight about it like my mother and I do.

Well now that you have an idea of where I come from and who I am, I'll get on with my story.

It was on a Tuesday morning when I heard about my father's latest trip he was taking. Of course I was going.

"Father, where are we going this time?" I asked, eagerly.

"Oh, just to Hobbiton. I have some last minute trading I need to do before the big fair next week. It's also Bilbo's birthday and I should pay my respects to him," my father said absently. He was often found with his head in the clouds. Some people said that it is because he isn't smart or all there, but he just has a lot on his mind.

"No! I am not going to let my daughter go this time. She is eighteen and should be staying here helping me," my mother interrupted.

"Mother, I've helped you all my life and I need some time away from here," I replied.

"Chardan, you will not let our daughter go, will you?" my mother asked, staring at my father. Pulled out of his thoughts, he turned to look at us.

"Deveny not go? Of course she is. I need her more than you do, my dear. Deveny, don't you think you should go pack before we leave? We'll be going first thing in the morning."

I grinned and headed towards my room. This was the time when my father would consult with my mother and make everything alright. He always had a way of making her see his way.

I pulled out my satchel and put some clothes in it. I wouldn't need a lot since Hobbiton was only two days travel from where we live. We used to go there a lot when my uncle lived there. We would go visit for weeks at a time and I would play with my cousin, Frodo. Frodo and I became best friends that first summer even though he was about three years older than me. I hadn't seen him for over four years so I was really excited to hear that we would be going there.

You might think that since I'm related to Hobbits that I am one, but it's not true. My mother came from Hobbiton. She had to leave it when she met and married my father, who was, of course, a man. Everyone thought he would leave her later but when they came back with their baby (me, of course) everyone forgot all those rumors. My mother wanted to stay in the Shire because she had friends and of course her brother was there, but my father's job didn't allow it.

So I'm a little of both, human and hobbit. I'm 5'2", which is the average height for a grown hobbit. At least it is for the hobbits in Hobbiton, since there are all kinds of different hobbits. So I didn't feel that out of place when I went with my father to visit. My father though, is about 6' and seems to tower over the little hobbit people. I guess I inherited my mother's height. [Comment: I should point out, that Deveny didn't write 6'. She wrote 5'12", which made me laugh].

Suddenly I heard a knock at my door. In came my mother to see how my packing was coming along.

"Honey, I know you really want to go with your father but won't you even consider staying here? You know how I hate you to go to strange places," she said, as any over-protective parent would.

"Mother," I sighed, "I'll be fine. And it's not some strange place, it's your old home! I'll be fine, really," I reassured her.

She nodded and stared at me for a while. Then all of the sudden, she turned to face my window but not before I saw a couple of tears. Instantly I felt guilty and went to hug her. Of course she knew I was going to be safe, but she was really worrying about how she would miss me.

"The house will be pretty quiet without you," she admitted.

"What? Without Dell and me screaming at each other? Don't tell me you'll miss that!" I said jokingly.

She gave me a little smile and hugged me tight. Even though my mother and I don't always get along, we still love each other a lot.

"Well, I'll let you get back to packing," she said, wiping a tear away. "I'd better go help your father pack. You know he forgets the simplest things."

I laughed too as she walked out. It was true, my father could go on a week long trip and forget a toothbrush or something. I told you he gets preoccupied.

After dinner it's a custom in my family to talk about the day around the fireplace. But tonight I wasn't paying attention to Dell's version of a game he played at school. I was thinking about Hobbiton and Frodo. I wondered what he would look like after these last four years. I quickly told them about school and then asked if I could go to bed. After a little tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep.

End of Installment #1. 


Are you enjoying it enough for Installment #2?

cupcake adventure

photo journal

 

rainbow jello

For those of you who, sadly, have never experienced the exhiliration of rainbow jello, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

3oz packages of jello in these flavors: lime, lemon, orange, strawberry, cherry, and black cherry.

2 cups sour cream

Directions

1. Dissolve the black cherry jello in 1 1/4 cup water over heat.

2. Once dissolved, divide the jello in half. Put 3/4 cup of jello in a separate bowl.

3. In first half, add 1/3 cup sour cream. Whisk the sour cream in SLOWLY.

4. In second half, add 3 Tbsp cold water.

5. Keep the glass pan on a flat surface in the fridge.

6. Pour the sour cream layer in the pan first. Pour slowly and make sure there are no big bubbles in the jello.

7. Let the jello set for 30 min.

8. Add the other half of the black cherry jello. Pour slowly and then even the layer out.

9. Let it set for 20-30 min.

10. Repeat with each of the jello flavors. There are 12 layers altogether. The order of the jello I use is black cherry, cherry, strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime.

Disclaimer: The process of making this jello takes quite a lot of time (about 6 hours). But it is SO good. Everyone loves it.

Enjoy!

I am thankful for:

chocolate --Grandma Ogles' interesting fact of the week: chocolate has magnesium which is needed for seratonin which is the hormone that controls happiness. So eat chocolate so you're not depressed. ;D

rainbow jello --Me, my Mom and Sarah all were making rainbow jello yesterday at the same time in different states. Me in Utah, Mom in California, and Sarah in Texas. We're awesome. It connected the three of us during Thanksgiving even though we aren't celebrating it together. 

music --Yesterday, Grandma Ogles snagged the majority of the grandchildren in her house for an impromptu musical talent show. I accompanied Lydia on the piano, who was playing a violin piece by a Giorgio guy. I can't remember his last name, but it was very Italian. And the performance was fantastic and fun to be apart of. I'm grateful for what music can do--the way it can express feelings without words.

harry potter --He was paramount in the gathering of my very best friends, perhaps for one of the last times we were able to do so with everyone present. Melissa, Daniel, Jessica, Jessica, Lionel, Chad, Marci and I. And their significant others. "Cast your spell on me, Harry Potter!"

prayer --Heavenly Father loves me. And I know this because I can feel His love when I pray. He has answered my prayers, given me strength and peace in my life. I'm excited about my new phase in life, set in LA. I've made some fantastic new friends and I'm blessed to be in a ward full of extraordinary people.

 boots --There is snow on the ground here in Utah, which definitely signifies winter. It is beautiful and my freezing feet wouldn't be warm without my boots. The other day, Utah got a weather alert, warning everyone that a blizzard was coming to the majority of the state. We became super excited about all the snow that we could use for snowmen, snow angels, sledding and snowball fights. After staying in the house for several hours to avoid "the worst" of the storm, we were sorely disappointed that "Utah's Biggest Blizzard of the Decade" was rather pitiful in Springville, Utah. And wasn't different from any other previous flurry of the season. Sigh. Oh well. At least my boots are still useful, regardless of the amount of snow. The Lord blesses us in mysterious ways. He knew it was more important to me that the roads were clear this weekend for my drive home, over the chance to go sledding.

marie --It's fun to have my litte sister here with me in Utah for Thanksgiving. Yesterday, we teased her mercilessly as it was "pick on Marie" day. But in truth, she is one of my favorite people, and I think she is talented, sharp and beautiful. I miss her when she's gone, tease her when she's here, and text her constantly. 

These are just a few things I'm thankful for. My life is full of spectacular, special and giving people. And I am more blessed than I sometimes realize.

Happy Thanksgiving!

flu season

Somehow, every year, flu season arrives and then disappears again without me ever getting a flu shot. Granted, this doesn't always work to my advantage, as I end up getting the flu almost every year. Why haven't I learned?

I don't know. And I still haven't gotten the flu shot this year. But guess what? I totally fought off a cold. Like hardcore. And I'm proud of this, so I had to share.

My grandparents/uncles got this really nasty, incapacitating cold/cough. Granted, since I'm basically living on their couch, I did everything possible to remain germ-free. Hand washing, orange juice chugging, vitamin taking precautions. And.... they failed me! 

I arrived in Utah and not even 48 hours later, I started to feel not quite right. My throat kinda hurt, I just didn't have as much energy as I usually do, and I even leaned over to JBaum to have her feel my forehead.

So what did I do? I ran to the grocery store and bought Cold-Eeze, Nyquil, Dayquil, Orange juice, crackers, and Kleenex. Then I proceeded to sleep for 36 hours while constantly sucking on a Cold-Eeze (kind of like a cough drop, except filled with good stuff that is proven to shorten your cold). Not only did I kick my cold in the butt, but I never got congested and hence, remain cough free!!

And through it all, I was still able to see Harry Potter 7. Whew. Thank you, Cold-Eeze!

family

Due to the Thanksgiving season that is now upon us, I have been thinking a lot about family--and the importance of good relationships between family. 

It's distressing that so many families nowadays are broken, fragmented, or lost. It's common to suffer divorces, unexpected death, estrangements, abuse. You name it, it's there--from minor disunity between siblings who can't get along to the more severe, emotional-damaging divorce proceedings.

It literally makes my heart ache when I hear friends talk about how their mother-in-law won't accept them, because she deems them unworthy of her child. Or how another friend, as an adult, can't decide which home to celebrate the holidays because one or the other of their divorced parents will act hurt or offended. Or how another friend has never met their aunt, uncle or cousins, because their parents have long given up on trying to get along with "that side" of the family. It's painful to think about. So why, you ask, am I talking about this?

Because it reminds me to be grateful to have the family that I do. I know I'm lucky to have parents who have been married for over 25 years and are still going strong. And grandparents with the same legacy, who love and respect their son and daughter-in-law. I'm lucky to have aunts and uncles who all get along and love each other. Who often gather together. So often, in fact, that I know each and every one of my 30-some-odd cousins, all the way down to the very youngest at 3 years old.

I'm grateful to know the peace you can feel in the middle of a chaotic family dinner, when you take just a moment to sit silently and watch the family interact: an aunt rolling her eyes exasperatedly and with a grin, because her five-year old decided to hate turkey today of all days; two siblings elbowing each other playfully for more room to eat; the cacophony of utensils clanking and several conversations going on all at once; and the 3-year-old who took advantage of the chaos and snuck away from the table to steal a piece of the pumpkin pie he's been begging for all afternoon.

Joy and contentment--that's what I feel when I think of family. I am lucky to have such a spectacular family. One that admittedly, on closer inspection, is not perfect. But when times get tough, we band together, forget our petty differences, and remember why it is so awesome that we are related.

thanksgiving holiday starts with a bang

So the LA 1st Ward & the Santa Monica 3rd Ward put on a black tie, "Black and White" themed service auction. The proceeds go towards families in both stakes who need help to give their children a Christmas this year, and missionaries who need help.

It was a fantastic success!!

I've never been to an event like this. Everyone dressed to the nines with the sole intention of helping others.

 

Is that a tux you see? Why yes. Yes it is.

There was the silent auction portion, where everyone donated services such as "a dinner for 6", or "3 guitar lessons" or "1 free piano tuning", etc.

Everyone signed up! Everything was purchased that was donated.

And then there was the live auction portion of the night, where the big items were auctioned off.

Things like:

Clippers tickets

Disneyland Park Hopper tickets

Custom hand painted Vans Shoes

Lakers tickets plus parking pass

3 hour sailing trip

2 tickets to the season finale of Dancing with the Stars

1 week vacay to a beach house in El Salvador with staff included

etc...

Like WOAH. I could not have even TRIED to bid for these items. I am sadly not rich enough. Or spontaneous enough to gamble with my finances.

But people really got into it.

She was going for the Dancing with the Stars tickets. And she got them. For a LOT of money. Whew.

But it was a fantastic event. Super successful. And the best part? The feeling. That we were helping kids have a Christmas, and support missionaries in the area. With everything going on in my life, I've thought a lot about charity and service in the last couple of months. It's sad that it takes Thanksgiving and Christmas to push a lot of people to do service. It should be an everyday occurrence. 

My advice?

When you're feeling particularly down, or your self-pity level is at an all-time high, DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE ELSE WITH NO OTHER MOTIVATION THAN THE BENEFIT OF THE OTHER PERSON.

It will make you feel better.

I guarantee it.